Rachel Rener's Blog, page 12
July 17, 2023
Who's afraid of a little time-bending?⏳
I stumbled across a review today that really resonated with me, and, after getting permission from the original poster, I wanted to share it:
Jayne brought up such a good point here, one I've been struggling to overcome anytime I try to (un)successfully market this book: In addition to the fact that this book is a serious genre-bender (SFF + mystery + coming of age + mild horror + time travel), the hardest part of convincing my readers to read The Girl Who Talks to Ashes is that it comes across as fairly dark. (I've pasted the blurb below so you can see what I mean.)
To clarify, yes, there are some darker themes (and, , I did admittedly have to turn on all the lights in the house once or twice because truth be told I'm a total baby when it comes to horror), this book is so much more heartfelt and uplifting than the blurb initially suggests. Yes, there is loss, and a certain creep factor (mostly because Lilah's powers aren't quite what they seem), but there's also: ⏳ found family (Lilah's adoptive father is one of my favorite characters EVER) ⏳ first love - seriously, the MMC, Jace, is SO SWEET. ⏳ a "disability" that's transformed into a strength ⏳ humor ⏳ blue pop tarts ⏳ and a SUPER cool storyline about a gal whose seizures cause time to fracture around her.
PLUS - and you didn't hear this from me - there's going to be a big Ashes-related reveal later this summer. So if you're thirsting for more books of mine, definitely don't shy away from this one! After all, there is always light at the end of every dark tunnel.
Rachel
Aforementioned blurb:
Fifteen-year-old Willow is terrified of her new baby, Lilah, who has a peculiar form of epilepsy. Every time Lilah's eyes glaze over, terrible things happen: flowers shrivel, food goes to rot - even Willow's long, auburn hair turns stark white. But it's the death of the family cat that becomes the last straw; in the middle of the night, Willow and her mother dump the infant at the fire station two towns over – and are never heard from again.
The next morning, Chief Stanley Quinn takes Lilah home and cares for the toddler as best as he can. With medication, her epilepsy remains under control... For the most part.
But as a teenager, Lilah isn't always keen on taking her pills, and when she sneaks away to a rock concert with the cutest boy in school, something terrible happens, landing both of them in the hospital. After Stanley breaks down and confesses everything to his adopted daughter, she decides to track down the young girl who gave her up sixteen years ago; the young girl who never made it home that night… The young girl who is now presumed to be dead. Soon, Lilah's quest to find her birth mother becomes a quest to solve a sixteen-year-old missing persons case. She has everything she needs to find her – she just needs to learn how to control her peculiar ‘gift’ before she kills someone.
Again.
So, what do you think? Are you interested to venture outside your own comfort zone and give The Girl Who Talks to Ashes a shot?
July 10, 2023
Allow me to introduce the KING of Romantasy...❤️
Remember how I told you guys I was sitting on some fabulous news about the final audiobook in the Gilded Blood series? Well GUESS WHAT. The time has come to share it!!
Not only is the one and only Tara Novie returning to reprise her role as our favorite needle-phobic heroine, but the KING of steamy romance, Logan McAllister, is making his Gilded Blood debut as the sumptuous voice of a certain smoldering incubus.
And let me tell you, Logan's voice SMOLDERS.
Mark your calendars - Synced is coming to Audible SEPTEMBER 12TH! Until then, it's a great time to catch up on the rest of the series!
Happy listening! ❤️
July 9, 2023
More tattoos have arrived!!!
You asked and we delivered - more temporary tattoo rune sets are now in-stock!
They come in sheets of 20 and include:
Laundering x 2 Extinguishing Animalia Chaining/Unchaining Ventus, Fulmination Ligature Ignis Resurgence Restoration Tesseract Smokescreen Shield Amplification Protection Translation Lunar Runes x 2Best of all, like ,signed books, all tattoos include free next-day shipping! Enjoy!!
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more! ❤️
June 26, 2023
Who's a Fan Expo Featured Author? This chick!
I'm so chuffed! I've been selected to be a featured author at FAN EXPO Denver (formerly Denver Comic Con)!
I'll be there all weekend with a group of authors called the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Collective. We'll have a block of tables in the vendor room facing the Pro Comics authors ( I'll be signing books at block A1706).
I'll also be on two panels! We don't know exact locations yet, but the panel times are listed below. I'll update the event info when I get the rooms. Looking forward to seeing you all there!!
Sunday, July 2, 2023
10:30 AM -- Writing through the Pain: Trauma and CreativityPanelists Stace Johnson, MOD. DL Wainright, Adam Gaffen, David Lee Summers, and Rachel Rener.
Description: From crafting authentic narratives to self-care strategies, our panel of authors will explore the delicate balance between vulnerability and healing, offering insights into how they have grappled with their own experiences and the role that storytelling plays in recovery. Please note: this discussion includes sensitive topics and discretion is advised.
2:30 PM -- History and its Influence on Science Fiction and Fantasy.Panelists David Lee Summers, MOD. Peter E Sartucci, Rachel Rener, and Stace Johnson.
Description: History is an essential part of writing science fiction and fantasy. Science fiction writers need to understand the past to imagine a possible future. Fantasy writers might set their stories in real or imagined pasts, but need to understand how things worked together in those time periods. Panelists discuss how they research history and how they use it to inform their stories.
Can't wait to see you all this weekend!
June 20, 2023
Temporary tattoos!!!!
Do to overwhelmingly popular demand (no, seriously, you guys were *persistent* ) I have tentatively launched a temporary tattoo line based on the Gilded Blood and Lightning Conjurer series. I'm testing out the waters presently and only have a handful of designs, including:
• Talia and Zayn's Claim (Gilded Blood #4), 2x2"• Protection Rune (Gilded Blood 1-4), 2x2"• Chaining Rune (Gilded Blood 1-2), 2x1"• Amplification Rune (Gilded Blood #3), 2x1.5"• Glowing* Lunar Rune (Gilded Blood 3-4), 3x2"• Pentamancer Sigil (Lightning Conjurer), 2x2"
* ℎ , ℎ ℎ ( ℎ ), ℎ . '
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]If demand is high enough, I'd like to include designs of all the runes (see below), as well as add custom elemental sigils from the Lightning Conjurer series.
What do you think?
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more! ❤️
June 6, 2023
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ*ANNOUNCEMENT *･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
LINKED // Gilded Blood Book 3 is now available at Audible!
Instead of telling you how insanely excited I am and what a fantastic job Tara Novie did bringing Talia to life, my legal team would like me to remind those of you who are particularly laughter-prone not to listen to this audiobook while driving.
Phone a friend.
Call an uber.
Listen to NPR.
Just say no to punch-drunk driving
Okay! Now that that's been addressed, you can find the purchase link here and audio sample down below!
https://video.wixstatic.com/video/85042f_90e95604d83c4208beb86fadb23786af/720p/mp4/file.mp4*** Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!,If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,subscribed, to my ,blog, and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip,. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more ❤️
June 2, 2023
I am PLOTZING.
Kirkus Reviews has called Inked "[a]n engaging, sexy love story with chills, humor, and supernatural intrigue."
HOW COOL!!!
You can read the original review here!
PS - For those of you who live in or around Westminster, CO, I'll be at the Barnes and Noble at 92nd and Sheridan signing books from 11am-2pm tomorrow (June 3rd). Looking forward to seeing you there!
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more ❤️
May 31, 2023
ALL THE NEWS - plus a very naughty joke at the end.
There's so much news to share this week, so I'll get right down to it!
First of all: Starting tomorrow (June 1st), Book of Matches Media is hosting a group read-along (a.k.a. a big, fancy, virtual book club) of Inked! So if you haven't read it, are looking to re-read, or just want to be part of a super fun experience, come join us on Discord! I'll be there all month, answering questions and offering exclusive insights into the Gilded Blood series. I can't wait to hang out with all of you!
The second piece of exciting news is that ALL SIGNED BOOKS ARE BACK IN STOCK! Thank you so much for your continued patience as I've repeatedly sold out of titles these past few weeks To help make up for that, please feel free to use TLC10 at checkout for 10% off all books (including all deluxe color editions and the Lightning Conjurer omnibus), plus free next-day shipping.
Lastly, for those of you who don't know, I help run Indie Fantasy Addicts - an 8,000-strong group of voracious readers and fantasy lovers. And this June 21st marks our biggest event of the year: the Summer Reading Challenge! Basically, you spend the summer reading books and making friends, but with the extra added bonus of scoring prizes, signed books, and cash! If you aren't already a member of IFA, come join us! And then sign up for my SRC reading team, Malevolent Mermaids, which I'm co-leading with urban fantasy authors Heather G Harris, Lauretta Hignette, and Megan Haskell! It's going to be a blast!
Paired with the growing list of conventions and signing events I'll be attending, this summer is shaping up to be one hell of a party! I can't wait to see you all!
PS - for those degenerates who stayed for the "very naughty" joke at the end, here it is:
What’s a four-letter word that ends in “k” and means the same as intercourse?
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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Talk.
Bahahaha. Cheers, my fellow perverts!!!
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more ❤️
May 16, 2023
❤️ NEW RELEASE
Synced is finally here, and the early reviews* are already bringing me to tears
I've poured my heart and soul into the Gilded Blood series - particularly this, the finale. I've agonized over Talia and Zayn's relationship, their character growth (both individually and as a couple), and the hard-fought ending I knew they deserved. And I was ready to hold off the release as long as I needed to ensure they - and you - got the ending all of you deserve. Luckily, Talia's spirit flew from my fingers to the page, resulting in the longest, most epic book of the series being written in the shortest amount of time.
In the end, I have never felt so proud of a finished book, nor so anxious for you to read it. And I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that you will enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
,By the way - for those of you who haven't yet read the first 3 books, I'm running a series sale all week long! Additionally, this week only, you can get 20% off the first three books (and free shipping) through my shop! If you've been eyeing those signed deluxe color editions, now's the time to grab them!
Thank you so very much for your support. I cannot wait to hear what you think of Talia, Zayn, Biscuit, Mavros, and Dee-Dee's final adventure! ❤️Rachel
❤️ *EARLY REVIEWS
"Wowzers!! I am in awe of this last book in the series, what a mind blowing finale! Can I give it more than 5 stars??!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Mel W.
"Synced is the sequel (and finale) we have all been anxiously waiting for and Rachel Rener delivers! Few books have put me so close on the edge of my reading chair as this one!+ (Bonus Star for this book standing out as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!)" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Jessica L.
"[Talia and Zayn's] journey was MOST unexpected. My golly did I shriek out a few times! Some shrieks were in terror, some in dread, others in pain and tears, yet others in pure joy! Magnificently, earth-shatteringly, mind-bogglingly bloody awesome!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Beba A.
"You will laugh, cry, scream in rage, scream in happiness all while reading one of the most amazing story/series. Seriously, I am so incredibly sad right now as this is the last book in the series. But, I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Just to prolong it I would set it down but not even a minute later I had to pick it back up." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Darcy S.
"This series is a work of art. If you haven't read it yet, just do yourself a favor and grab it now. You can thank me later." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Marie R.
"Rachel Rener is, as far as I’m concerned, a master chef of words and wonder. She mixes action, humor, romance, love, drama, and a perfect amount of heat to bring this series to an end with a book that is as good, maybe, even better than the first three." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Raven and Chris
For more Goodreads reviews, and/or to mark Synced as "To Read", click here!
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip. With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more ❤️
May 1, 2023
Exciting developments, updates, and a sexy giveaway!
Inked has been making its way around the Booktok (TikTok book) community and suffice it to say, I am floored. FLOORED. If you or someone you know is an active Booktoker, please consider showing these amazing creators some love! (Keep scrolling for more news including an awesome GIVEAWAY!)
In other news, Inked just hit 1000 reviews on Amazon today, so I'm currently running an impromptu giveaway on my Facebook page to celebrate!
Lastly, ARC readers should be getting their advanced copies of Synced in their inboxes tonight!! Please message me if you haven't gotten yours by Tuesday night!
Have a glorious day, everyone!
***
Please don't reply to this email directly, as it won't make it to my inbox! For all direct replies, you can head on over to ,,www.RachelRener.com/contact or email me at RRener13@gmail.com!
If you enjoyed this post and want to show your support, I would be grateful if you ,,subscribed to my ,,blog and/or gave a ,one-time-only tip . With a subscription of $5 a month, you'll gain access to all past and future locked content for paid subscribers only. It also shows me that you like what I’m doing and want to see more ❤️
