Micheline Ryckman's Blog, page 12
October 20, 2021
ADOTT Cover Reveal Coming November 1st!!!
I’m so excited to let you know that the cover reveal for A Daughter of the Trolls will be coming your way on November 1st, so keep your peepers peeled! SO CLOSE! Woooohoooo! In the meantime I wanted to share a little word with you all from the author, McKenzie Catron:
Growing up, I always wanted to be an author. I tried time and time again to concoct an idea, but they never seemed to stick. I never felt that I had a story important enough to tell, that was until I became disabled. I spent my whole life being healthy and able bodied until I became completely blindsided in 2018 by an untreatable chronic illness that put me in a wheelchair. After that, reading fantasy books was difficult. I couldn’t connect with characters as easily and I couldn’t put myself in these fantastical scenarios full of adventure and incredible feats. I can’t even roll over carpet, how could I picture myself traveling through a forest alongside these characters? This is how A Daughter of the Trolls was born. I wanted to give people like me with disabilities and chronic illnesses a story to relate to. I never imagined what my book would become and I am so unbelievably excited for it to be out in the world and in your hands soon!
August 3, 2021
Title Release!
If you’ve been following along on social media, you may have already seen this reveal, but I wanted to share it here too. Whimsical will be publishing the debut novel, A Daughter of the Trolls, by McKenzie Catron in 2022. We are slowly revealing bits and pieces of this new book over the rest of 2021, including the cover which we are are over-the-moon excited about! EEEEEEEKKKK!
This upcoming YA fantasy adventure is a tale you will not want to miss, trust me!
Tomorrow I’ll be sharing some more art and photos related to this book on both Instagram and Facebook so make sure you tune in for those.
Hoping today is the best it possibly can be for all of you!
July 12, 2021
Whimsical has EXCITING NEWS!!!
I’m SOOOOOO excited to announce that Whimsical has signed our first YA author, (besides myself 
), so please let me introduce you to McKenzie Catron!
McKenzie lives in sunny Arizona with her personal dog Finn and service dog Grimm. She is a wheelchair bound creative makeup artist fighting against disability stigmas one book and bodypaint at a time. When she’s not writing young adult fantasy novels you can find her over on Instagram sharing her art>>> @mckenziecatron
Whimsical will be publishing McKenzie’s debut novel in 2022, and while I can’t give you the full details yet, I can tell you that there are a lot of people in the world who need this story, (okay, well, maybe just EVERYONE needs this story). Trust me, you won’t want to miss out!
For those who’ll ask, yes, I (Micheline Ryckman) will be doing the cover art. 
June 30, 2021
SUMMER SALE!
Runs June 30 – July 5th
20% off everything in the shop (except charity items) from today to Monday! This is the perfect time to snag a copy of Micheline Ryckman’s newest novel, Charting Stars!!! Also the Kaz art pictured here is currently my postcard giveaway in my shop, I still have some left, but after he’s all gone it’ll switch to LOKI! You always get a free postcard print in my shop on orders over $10 (before shipping).
Use the coupon code: ‘summer’ at check out in the shop!
May 21, 2021
RELEASE DAY IS HERE!
Hello my Whimsies, Micheline here!
Charting Stars is officially out and about in the world!!! So excited for you to read this tale. I had one of my ARC readers say that I had created a new genre with this book–FEEL-GOOD FANTASY–I love that! It’s exactly what I wanted to create!
Charting Stars began as a graphic novel series years ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, an injury, and serious chronic health problems, I was unable to continue. It was devastating; I loved the story and the characters so much, but I just couldn’t draw while I was so injured and ill. Hence, during that time, I turned to writing as my primary creative outlet, it was something I could actually do from my bed, and it wasn’t until after I wrote my debut novel, The Maiden Ship, that I started to imagine continuing the Charting Stars tales in a full novel versions instead. So, as my health recovered to more functional levels, I began plucking away at this story again, and over the course of 2019 and 2020, I wrote this book. What I want people to know the most about this story is that, like me, it got a second chance at life, and I poured every single ounce of gratitude I had for being alive and functioning into this tale. I filled it with my joy, imbued it with my humour, and I’m desperately hoping—honestly it’s all I care about—that it makes you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Yep, that’s my only goal with this one, to bring you JOY!If you haven’t already, you can order the book through my website here or on Amazon around the world.
Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away.
May 14, 2021
Charting Stars Trailer
ONLY ONE MORE WEEK until release day!!!
So excited to share this Charting Stars trailer with you!
Talia Benson would consider herself fairly ordinary. Anyone would. Diligent student, only child to a single mother, protector of three cats—nothing crazy has ever happened to her. And Talia wants it to stay that way: stable. Her knack for making friends, along with her obsession with the stars and her love for skirt pockets, coffee, and art, is more than enough to keep Talia happy for the rest of her days—that is, until a single evening in front of a blank canvas becomes the adventure she never dreamed she wanted.
Now, Talia finds herself lost in a world completely unlike her own, a land where monsters roam and magic thrives, where wars are born then die at the wave of a hand, and where strange entities decide the fate of those who live among the Nine Realms. The guardians of these foreign lands have seen a great shift in the heavens. Something has changed, a prophecy has been spoken—a darkness is coming. But maybe, just maybe, an ordinary girl thrown between worlds could be the key to saving it all.
Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away.
March 22, 2021
Charting Stars COVER REVEAL!!!
Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away. Book releases May 21, 2021.
Talia Benson would consider herself fairly ordinary. Anyone would. Diligent student, only child to a single mother, protector of three cats—nothing crazy has ever happened to her. And Talia wants it to stay that way: stable. Her knack for making friends, along with her obsession with the stars and her love for skirt pockets, coffee, and art, is more than enough to keep Talia happy for the rest of her days—that is, until a single evening in front of a blank canvas becomes the adventure she never dreamed she wanted.
Now, Talia finds herself lost in a world completely unlike her own, a land where monsters roam and magic thrives, where wars are born then die at the wave of a hand, and where strange entities decide the fate of those who live among the Nine Realms. The guardians of these foreign lands have seen a great shift in the heavens. Something has changed, a prophecy has been spoken—a darkness is coming. But maybe, just maybe, an ordinary girl thrown between worlds could be the key to saving it all.
This book is now available for preorder via Whimsicalpublishing.ca or Amazon.com.
February 7, 2021
The Lion of the Sea Release Day!
“Perhaps the present, no matter how messy, is the perfect time to live.”
Family is not always blood, and home is where the heart is. It took Dain Alloway years to understand these foundational truths. Now the captain of The Maiden, surrounded by the found family he loves, Dain sets out to end a centuries-old genocide and prevent an oncoming war. But when the girl he loves is torn from his arms, Dain might be forced to choose between saving just her, or saving them all.
“Good morning from Canada, my Whimsies!
THE LION OF THE SEA IS HERE!!! What a whole lot of craziness we faced last year, right?! Oh my word! Not only were we all slapped with this ongoing pandemic and a LOAD of other madness, but once again, I faced some very hard personal health struggles. It was so nuts that there were days I wondered if I’d ever finish this second book in The Maiden Ship trilogy. But, somehow, despite everything, I did! 
And it feels like an epic feat that I get to share this story with you TODAY! WOOT WOOT!!! TMS was my debut novel, and I’m hoping–praying you all enjoy my sophomore novel just as much. 
I’m just so grateful to those who take a chance on reading my books, it’s an honour that you would give up precious hours of your life to my writing. 
I cannot express how much that means to me—sending love and hugs to you all today!!!
” ~ Micheline Ryckman
The Lion of the Sea is the second novel in Micheline Ryckman’s, The Maiden Ship, series, and it releases today! This YA fantasy adventure is chalk full of action packed scenes. You’ll rejoin a loveable cast of characters from the first book and meet some nasty pirates and alluring mermaids along the way.
You can purchase the paperback through our shop here or you can also purchase it through AMAZON in paperback and ebook format as well.
Happy reading!
January 24, 2021
The Lion of the Sea BOOK TRAILER!
Only two weeks left until The Lion of the Sea releases on February 7th! Can’t wait for you all to read it. 
Super excited to share this book trailer with you, hopefully you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it! I need to express my great gratitude to my daughter, Hannah, for helping me create this beautiful video and for composing the music for it as well, she is amazing!
There’s still time to get your preorders in for the paperback version and snag some of the preorder incentive goodies too – just click HERE!
But for those who don’t have the budget for the physical version of TLOTS at the moment, I have made the kindle ebook available on AMAZON for only $1.99 until just after the release date.
December 22, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Joyeux Noël. Feliz Navidad. Seasons Greetings.
Just a quick note from my whimsical family and I
to you and yours this holiday season,
I hope that even amidst this Covid craziness you find
joy, peace, and goodness.
LOVE AND HUGS TO YOU ALL,
MICHELINE RYCKMAN & FAMILY
