Lyndsey Hall's Blog, page 14

Interview: Epic fantasy author Kala Merseal

Hi friends! How are we already half way through July? This year has absolutely flown, especially after last year seemed to drag so much.

I’ve been a busy bee this month, making my new story A Fair Deception available on Amazon (if you’ve read it I’d absolutely love it if you left a review on Amazon, Goodreads and/or Bookbub!), drafting my new 2k word flash fiction story for an anthology coming out next year with a group of 20 fellow authors, and ramping up the marketing for my new release, Enchanted Waters, which comes out tomorrow!

In between all of that though, I made time to chat with the lovely Kala Merseal, author of The Guardians of Altana series. Come along and see what we talked about…

Hi, it’s so lovely to be speaking to you! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself?

Hi, I’m Kala! I’m an indie fantasy author that lives in southeast Missouri. I’m married, with three furbabies. I love books, comics, anime, and Asian live-action dramas, as well as playing The Sims, Skyrim, and Summoners’ War!

Aw, I have two furbabies and now I want another one! I used to play a lot of Assassin’s Creed and I actually miss it, I’ll have to start playing again when my son is asleep. So, what are your favourite genres to read and write?

My favorite genre hands-down is fantasy. Epic/high fantasy, dark fantasy, urban. I’ll take any of it. As for tropes, I do love the “enemies to lovers”, the “bad guys are actually good guys”, the “bad guy becomes redeemed”, and finally the “good guy spirals into corruption” tropes. The Guardians of Altana has redemption for the antagonist in the end but doesn’t follow any of my other absolute favorite tropes. I would say GOA’s main theme is redemption though. 

I do love a redemption arc, but “good guy spirals into corruption” sounds really interesting, you’ll have to give me some recs! Tell us about your first published book, was that a fantasy novel?

My first published book was actually back in 2016 and it was called Purge, a vampire horror novel. I have since unpublished and buried it deep in the backyard.

In 2020, I published my first epic fantasy novel, The Shadow Curse, embarking on a new journey as an indie author. At the end of this month, exactly a year since I published the first of my series, I’ll be publishing the conclusion, The Dark Realm!

That’s so exciting! Congratulations on having a complete series, that is the absolute dream for any author I think. Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?

My latest series (my first officially published and finished series) is from a dream I had a few years ago.

I’d love it if story ideas came to me in dreams, mine always seem to be from podcasts! Random, I know. And I’m always driving or doing dishes so I can’t write them down. Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?

I am a plotter all the way. I can’t keep my head straight if I don’t have a voluminous amount of notes for my stories and their worlds.

Same! Although I’m more of a plantser, I love a big story bible with character profiles, magic rules, geography and flora and fauna, and a chapter by chapter list of what needs to happen, but I do leave some room for discovery writing. What are you working on right now?

I just released the last book of my series, The Guardians of Altana, on June 29. So exciting! In my spare time, I’m outlining my next series, The Hunted Duology.

That’s so exciting, I hope your release went well! That’s amazing that you already have another series to get stuck into, I need to think about what I’m going to do after The Fair Chronicles is complete. But that’s a problem for 2023 Lyndsey! 

Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Kala, it’s been lovely! Before you go, what one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?

Don’t give up. I think that’s the best thing that needs to be constantly drilled into writers and creatives in general. It’s so easy to stop doing what you love just because life gets in the way. 

Absolutely, it’s not the easy choice, especially if you’re an indie, but it’s so worthwhile and there’s room for all of us on the bookshelf! How can we find out more about you and your books?

You can join my newsletter or join my Facebook group! I send out emails twice a month but I’m frequently on Facebook.

 Website: www.kalamerseal.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalamersealwrites/ 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KalaMersealAuthor 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KalaMerseal 

If you’re anything like me, you feel absolutely spoiled with incredible new fantasy books to add to your TBR now! It’s going to be a long, hot summer of reading friends.

Lyndsey

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The Fair Queen is FREE until 19 July!

Happy July friends! Download The Fair Queen for FREE until Monday, click here to grab your copy.

Happy reading, and if you do enjoy my book, I’d absolutely love it if you left a review on Amazon, Goodreads or Bookbub, or anywhere you like to review books.

Thanks,

Lyndsey

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Happy release day to Enchanted Waters!

The big day has finally arrived, Enchanted Waters is out now, winging its way to kindles all over the world. Beautifully illustrated paperbacks are dropping onto doormats from Canada to Estonia, and everywhere in between and beyond.

This release has surpassed by far any of our wildest dreams, and we have you to thank for that. To everyone who preordered the ebook or bought the paperback, who liked and shared our social media posts, who included EW in their newsletters and reviewed it on your blogs, who told friends and family, or even just bought it to help support Oceana and the charitable initiative.

Thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts and the depths of our souls. You’ve made this release a huge success, and helped us raise hundreds of pounds (or dollars, euros, whatever!) for ocean conservation.

I’ve had the most incredible experience working alongside these amazing writers and humans for the past year, it’s made my debut year as an indie author everything I hoped it would be and so much more. So my thanks also go to Alice Ivinya, Astrid V.J., Jennifer Kropf, N.D.T. Casale, Elena Shelest, Sky Sommers and Ben Lang. Thank you for being the best coauthors a girl could ask for.

If you haven’t decided whether Enchanted Waters is your cup of tea yet, here’s the blurb and the stories included:

What really lies beneath the waves?

Dive into our magical collection of short stories written by award-winning and up-and-coming authors and follow the ocean’s call. Meet murderous kelpies, hear the mermaid’s song, find a kidnapped prince, and explore the beautiful underwater kingdoms. Befriend selkie royalty, break fearsome curses, and swoon as you fall in love. This book is fully illustrated with stunning paintings by Helena Satterthwaite and Elena Shelest.

All profits go to Oceana to support their mission to protect the world’s oceans and promote sustainable fishing.

Stories include:
Daughter of the Selkie King – Lyndsey Hall (that’s me!)
Merrily Merrily – Jennifer Kropf
The Kelpie of Loch Linnhe – Alice Ivinya
The Bridge – Ben Lang
Kiss the Frog – Sky Sommers
Sea Ghost of the Isle – N.D.T. Casale
The Naiad’s Curse – Astrid V.J.
The Arctic Mermaid – N.D.T. Casale
Heartless Melody – Alice Ivinya
The Wishing Well – Elena Shelest

Ready to dive in? Click here to go to your local Amazon store and get the ebook or paperback of Enchanted Waters now.

Happy reading friends!

Lyndsey

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7 things I wish I’d known when I published my debut novel

It’s been almost a year since I published my debut novel, The Fair Queen, and I can honestly say it’s been one of the best years of my life. Pandemic aside, the friends I’ve made, opportunities I’ve been given and everything I’ve learned since hitting ‘submit’ on my first book have made it an amazing twelve months.

But, that’s not to say that I wouldn’t do it slightly differently if I had my first time again. Sadly, I don’t actually own a time machine, so I’ll have to settle for doing a few things – and NOT doing a few others – next time around. Bring on book two, The Solitary King!

Here’s seven things I wish I’d known when I published by debut novel:

Fast release

OK, so I won’t be fast releasing books 2 and 3 in The Fair Chronicles, sadly, my timeline for these books will be early 2022 and early 2023, for so many reasons (I’m starting a degree soon and my military husband is moving away for work and then being deployed next year, so it’s going to be a busy couple of years!). But next series for definite!

The difficulty with slow releasing is that you end up having to work ten times harder on your marketing to get people to remember you and buy the next book. With fast releasing, they’ve just read (and hopefully loved) your first book in the series and can’t wait to get their hands on the next one.

On that subject…

Linking to preorder book 2 in the back of book 1

When I published The Fair Queen, I had already written a good chunk of The Solitary King, but I didn’t trust myself to have it finished in time for people to preorder it and get it by a specific date. And, wouldn’t you know, like a self fulfilling prophecy, I haven’t gotten TSK ready for publication yet. But it is in the works, and in six months’ time not only will you be able to buy The Solitary King, but you’ll also be able to preorder the third and final book in Aria’s story (which is currently untitled, but one thing at a time).

The cover might be a place holder, the blurb might be a little vague and subject to change, but I’m promising you now that there will be a link to preorder TFC3 at the end of TSK and I’ll keep to my promised publication date in early 2023.

Hold me to that.

Facebook groups

I didn’t have a Facebook group for readers when I started this publishing journey, in fact I’ve only just started one (you can join Lyndsey Hall’s Fair Folk here). But not only that, I was barely in any groups myself, I didn’t know many of my fellow indie authors, I didn’t have a real community or a place for readers and friends to share about books and play games and host giveaways. And now I do!

I’ll definitely be using my Facebook group more going forward, in fact, I’ve got a few really cool ideas for my birthday in early August and The Fair Queen’s bookaversary on 30 August…

Newsletter swaps

I’ve actually had an email newsletter for years, but it only consisted of my most recent blog post emailed out to around 30 people who’d signed up in 2016. So when I heard about the great indie marketing tactic that is newsletter swaps, I knew I needed to get started sooner rather than later!

I’ve now got almost 2k email subscribers who get Letters from the Fair Realm every week, with a bit of an update about life, my books, anything fun coming up over the next week or two, as well as a link to my latest blog post and a few book recommendations and book fairs with discounted books, new releases and Kindle Unlimited books. It’s been a great way to connect with new readers and get some feedback on what people like and want to read.

Where do I find other authors to swap newsletter mentions with, you ask, well Facebook groups, but also…

StoryOrigin

If you’re a self-published author, or aspire to be, then StoryOrigin is definitely worth looking into. I was introduced to it back in March when it was still in beta (read: free) and now I’m a paying member as I found it so useful for my book marketing efforts.

SO lets you create and join group promos (book fairs) which will then be shared by all the authors involved in their newsletters and even on social media, giving you more exposure than you ever could have gotten alone (teamwork, amirite?). It also allows you to search for newsletter swaps with other authors in and around your genre, using either a universal book link (UBL) or a reader magnet (a free short story, novella, book, or sample).

That’s not all though, you can also use it to host review copies and accept requests from reviewers, whose stats for downloads versus reviews you can check before approving. Plus there’s a handy word goal tracker to help you get words on the page.

If I could go back a year, I would definitely join StoryOrigin sooner and start building my email list and creating reader magnets to get my readership ready (this isn’t an ad btw, I’m just a big fan!).

Promotions

One of the things I hadn’t considered before this year is big promo sites and newsletters. I just hadn’t even realised these sites existed, let alone that there were some that were worthwhile paying for and others that weren’t. Luckily, Reedsy and Kindlepreneur (two sites for writers I absolutely trust and can comfortably recommend you check out) have created lists of the best promo sites and newsletters to get your book out there, including which have free services. (Spoiler: not many do!)

These services are best utilised for brand new releases and big sales, so the week your new book comes out or over the few days your book is free or 0.99. You either want to make your money back from sales, or get enough free downloads that you know the reviews will start to roll in and it’ll be worth the cost in the long run.

(I’ll do a more in depth blog post on these services and which have worked well for me soon.)

Author friends!

I don’t know what I would do without the friends I’ve made since I decided to self publish my stories. Or where I would be. Whether I’d have stuck out this indie life and continued with publishing. I certainly wouldn’t have reached as many readers as I have, or been offered the opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to have. I wouldn’t have a second published story coming out on 16 July in Enchanted Waters, or a group of ride-or-die indies who have had the best time working together over the past year that we’ve decided to do it again next year, with Enchanted Forests.

This past year has been a dream come true, even wilder than my wildest dreams, and it’s been made possible by you guys, my loyal blog readers, the fellow authors who helped me along the way, through NaNoWriMo and Pitch Wars, the friends in Facebook groups where we shared synopses and blurbs, celebrated word count goal wins and complained about agent rejections. The indies on Instagram who inspired me to go solo and take a chance on myself, and then became the best friends a new baby author could have.

Thank you to all of you, if you’ve ever read a single word I’ve written, here, on social media, in a book or elsewhere, then this is my thanks to you. You’ve made my dream come true this year.

Lyndsey

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Interview: Romantic fantasy author Carol Beth Anderson

Hi folks! I hope you’re having a fantastic July so far, the weather has been a bit hit and miss here in the UK, but when isn’t it?

Today I want to introduce you to another fabulous fantasy author and help you build that vertiginous TBR just a little higher. Step inside and say hi to Carol Beth Anderson, author of The Magic Eaters trilogy, and more.

Hello! Thank you for chatting with me today, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in the Arizona desert, where I played make-believe games with my twin sister and older brother, transforming blankets into princess capes and my mother’s dresses into fine gowns. Almost as soon as I learned to write words, I began turning them into stories.

As a young adult, I moved to Texas and have lived here ever since. In addition to writing, I enjoy baking sourdough bread, hanging out with my teenage kids, husband, and miniature schnauzer, and hosting high-school exchange students.

Amazing, I was an exchange student back in my teens! We exchanged with France and Spain, and it was so much fun. When did you start writing and who inspired you? 

I’ve always written, but I was inspired to start writing a novel when I happened to meet a local author doing a signing at a bookstore. I read her novella that day and thought, “I could do that!” I started brainstorming for my first novel that night and started writing it a few days later.

I love that, I would absolutely love to do a signing in my local bookstore! And the idea of inspiring someone else to follow their dream is wonderful. I hope you wrote to that local author and told her she inspired you! What’s your favourite genre to read?

I love fantasy with romance in it (whether as a primary plot or subplot). I love Brent Weeks, Michael J. Sullivan, and Leigh Bardugo.

Romantic fantasy is my number one genre to read and write too, and Leigh Bardugo is one of my favourite authors! Six of Crows was just brilliant. Can you tell us about your published books and where we can get our hands on them?

The Frost Eater is the first book in The Magic Eaters Trilogy, which is upper-YA fantasy with dragons and romance on the side. The trilogy is complete, and I’ll admit … I adore this story. I’ve been thrilled to find that readers do too!

Buy The Frost Eater here, available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audio.

Add it to your TBR shelf here.

I have to admit, I’ve seen those covers around and been coveting them for quite a while! I’m definitely going to have to get the audio book of The Frost Eater! I’m in the process of having an audio book made of my debut novel and it’s such an exciting process! Where do you find inspiration for your stories? 

A lot of it just comes from letting my mind wander over the course of time. I write down ideas, and some of them stick! However, I also find inspiration from covers. For The Magic Eaters Trilogy, I just had some rough ideas. I found the covers as premades—the designer had already made them and had them for sale. I bought them, had her change the titles to the ones that would fit my series, and used the covers to help guide the series. I bought a premade for my next book (Faerie Fallen) too. I didn’t have any ideas for my next series that were “sticking” until I got the cover and suddenly had tons of ideas, based on the image.

I’m addicted to premade covers, The Fair Queen was a premade too and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one. But I love the idea of taking inspiration from the cover itself! It sounds like you’re very visual, I bet you love Pinterest! Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser? 

Plantser! I plan out major plot points in advance, but some of them do change as I go. I only do a chapter-by-chapter outline for one-quarter of the book at a time. (When I finish the first quarter, I do the detailed outline for the second quarter, and so on. And it still ends up changing along the way.)

I think most of us are plantsers at heart, my writing process is pretty similar. So, what are you working on right now?

Faerie Fallen, a romantic fantasy novel. It’s the first book in my Feathered Fae series, and I’m loving this world and characters and the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance!

Faerie Fallen is on pre-order and comes out in December.

You had me at enemies-to-lovers romance! Your new series sounds like a combination of all my favourite things. What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors? 

Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.

So true. Thank you so much for chatting with me today! It’s been lovely to get to know you and your writing methods better. Before you go, where can we find out more about you and your books? 

Carol Beth Anderson’s website: https://carolbethanderson.com 

Sign up to my newsletter: https://carolbethanderson.com/sign-up-for-insider-emails/

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbethanderson/

Join my Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CBAStreetTeam

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbethanderson

and Tiktok! https://www.tiktok.com/@cbethanderson

Get The Seer’s Sister, a prequel novella to The Magic Eaters trilogy, FREE when you sign up to Carol’s newsletter!

Well, that’s me on an official book-buying ban after adding all those gorgeous covers to my TBR!

I hope you’ve discovered a few new reads and snapped up your copy of The Seer’s Sister. I for one can’t wait for Faerie Fallen to release in December, it sounds right up my alley.

Happy reading friends,

Lyndsey

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Interview: New adult fantasy author K. L. Kolarich

This week, I had the absolute privilege of chatting with K. L. Kolarich, author of the gorgeous, epic New Adult fantasy series The Haidren Legacy.

Come along and find out what she had to say on writing, favourite tropes, and what to expect from book two in her new series…

Hi K.L., thank you so much for joining me on the blog today! Can you tell us a little about yourself to begin with?

In short, I’m just an itty bitty nymph who lives in a quiet, small town about an hour south of Nashville. Originally from Metro Detroit, you can imagine my nerdy haven, nestled in a loudly cicada-filled woods, is a far cry from those Motor-City origins. I reside in the humidity and ever-present trill with my four Bengal cats and mysteriously patient husband, who endures said cats along with myself. When I’m not scrawling away on the next installment in the THL series, we are usually lounging on our porch, sipping heavy handed pours, or traipsing around our little downtown square, doing the same.    

Well, that sounds absolutely dreamy! I’m from the UK and have dogs, so imagine the exact opposite of your fabulous, sunshine-filled life and you’re probably not far off! When did you start writing and what inspires you?

I never actually intended to become an author—it just happened. Which sounds overtly vague and nonchalant, but it’s true. I’d gone from working on a sort of research project to, through the prodding of trusted confidante, drafting a fantastical realm of my own, as the subject matter more accurately mirrored my bookshelf.
 
In my own writing, I find inspiration from the magic of music and language. Most especially, how different cultures tell their own stories and histories. This is, in part, why the worldbuilding in The Haidren Legacy is so vast. To some, even a bit daunting. I wanted the reader to truly feel as if they were in a foreign land, in which they needed to enlist a handy-dandy codex to navigate, like one traveling to a foreign country today. It could be said that the reader has to “work for it”, but then again, so would an American, for instance, to fully experience France. The goal was for that multi-layered richness to permeate off the page and their mobile devices. In a sense, I wanted my inspiration, the force propelling my heart, to setup residency in their own.  

I love a book with really rich world building, so that sounds perfect to me. I studied European languages at university, so I wonder if that experience is what draws me to fantasy novels with new and different cultures. I especially admire writers who can create entire languages! It’s not something I feel confident I could do. What are some of your favourite genres and tropes?

I’m going to answer this question by sharing that the most coveted possession in my entire home is my father’s decades-worn collection of Louis L’Amour books. These old westerns I grew up reading are filled with action, snark, and of course, unrelenting heroes who always win. In truth, I’m a sucker for hard-earned triumph. My softer side likes seeing the “guy get the girl”, so to say. But that isn’t always the case, is it? It’s ironic how what we love to read isn’t always what we need to write. Thus, it will be interesting indeed, to see the fruits of those old loves spring up, when permitted, throughout the remainder of the THL saga.  

That’s so true, I think sometimes we’re writing the stories we didn’t have when we were younger, trying to fill the gap between what we loved reading and what we felt was missing. On that note, tell us about your first published book.

My debut publication, The House of Bastiion (The Haidren Legacy, book 1) released just recently in January, 2021. Described as an intricate epic fantasy, full of political intrigue, complicated characters and sharp objects, HOB is best suited for fans of Sanderson, Hobb, and Rhodes (ie. Anyone who fancies a thick spine and a fat glossary).  

Additionally, I am already halfway through drafting HOB’s sequel, which I’m extremely excited about. While Book 1 undoubtedly laid a thorough groundwork for the worldbuild, its characters, and subsequently, a plethora of questions about everything in between, Book 2 compounds upon those questions, gives them further weight, and compels the reader to dig for clues; all of which, likely to result in many more delightfully head-scratching theories.  

I can’t wait to read it, political intrigue, complicated characters and sharp objects are three of my favourite things! Where do you find inspiration for your characters and settings? 

THL boasts a diverse cast. This was primarily inspired by my upbringing, alongside a wide variety of cultures, which is partly why I miss my northern state so much, aside from its snow. I wanted the Orynthian map to highlight the prism of beauty; how loveliness refracts in so many variegated ways.

Likewise, the tension among some of my invented peoples was inspired by the prejudice sometimes thrown against groups dissimilar to others…. An unfortunate human experience repeated throughout history. Adding that honest, often uncomfortable component to each character’s POV and personal experience was a crucial facet in honoring their differences, as well as showcasing why those differences should be treasured in the first place. 

I love that, it’s so important for literature to hold a mirror up to the realities of our world. And where better to reflect the darkest side of humanity than in a fantasy novel? Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?  

Plotter, plotter, and you guessed it, plotter.  
 
I’ve framed my entire series, but the in-depth plotting takes place per book, by chapter, by scene. It’s a bit meticulous, but to be honest, I think the whole book would become a giant rabbit trail if I didn’t. We all have our strengths and our areas for improvement. My strengths are just usually rooted in tedious marathons of systematic scheming. So, to that end, I stay in my obsessively organized happy place. 

 I plan my books by the scene too, but where I fall down is the series planning. I need to take a leaf out of your book with my next series and make an outline from the start! Plotting books whilst pantsing the series arc is a little chaotic! Tell us, what are you working on right now? 

As mentioned above, Book 2 is currently underway. This installment pulls the Quadren (a group of ambassadorial advisors assigned to each seated regent) out of the crown city, Bastiion, as they begin to travel the Orynthian map. This is an endearing development because it brings certain Houses to the forefront of our story. In Book 2, we will discover more about our male MC, Zaethan, who represents the House of Darakai, and in doing so, must investigate his origins to better understand who he is and who he is becoming.

That sounds fascinating, I love when book one in a series introduces a new world by focusing on one small section of it, but then book two takes you farther afield to see what else is out there. I’m excited to see where your characters end up at the end of the book!  What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors? 

I give the same advice to anyone who asks, usually because I still need to hear it myself: Write your favorite book, because no one else can.  
 
When at my best, I’m treating myself like THL’s biggest fan. No one will ever know my characters as well as I do, love them as dearly as I do, so how dare I belittle their value in unnecessary comparison or subject them to unproductive critique? Ratings and reviews will always vary because readers do. We should continue to grow and expand, no matter our success. But from day one, from the initial page, you are your first reader. Feed that soul what it craves, and the rest will follow.  

I think I needed to hear that today, thank you K.L. I completely agree, write for yourself first and foremost. Thank you so much for chatting with me today, it’s been a pure delight. Before you go, how can we find out more about you and your books?  

The best way to keep up to date on Luscia, Zaethan, and all future THL installments, giveaways, events, etc. is to subscribe to the #TeamHaidren Newsletter. While I am active on social media, I tend to give extra love to the team in the form of bonus content and exclusive raffles through our NL.  
 
Additionally, Team Haidren causes a good amount of ruckus in our reader group (hosted on FB). Being a rowdy menagerie of misfits, we welcome everyone to join!   

K.L.’s website:   https://www.thehaidrenlegacy.com/  

Signup to the Team Haidren newsletter:  https://www.thehaidrenlegacy.com/contact  

Follow the THL series on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehaidrenlegacy/  

Follow the author on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.l.kolarich/  

Join the Team Haidren Facebook group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamhaidren  

Like the THL Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thehaidrenlegacy  

That’s it, I’m off to read House of Bastiion, hold my calls.

It was so lovely getting to know K.L. better, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I can vouch for how much fun the Team Haidren Facebook group is, I’ve been a member for a while and it’s a great place to find new fantasy book recs, so go check it out if you’re looking for a new fantasy-loving gang to join (motorbikes and leather jackets not required, but you do you boo).

Lyndsey

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Why you should be your own biggest cheerleader

In my newsletter a few weeks ago, I opened up about juggling all the balls, letting some drop and struggling with “adulting”.

It can be really tough doing everything you HAVE to do and leaving any time for the things you WANT to do. Especially without those want-tos starting to feeling like just another item on your neverending to-do list.

If you’re nodding along right now, I feel you. After my 9-to-5, looking after my 3-year-old and keeping all the essential plates spinning, I struggle to prioritise anything that brings me joy or is good for me (workout? Ugh, I don’t have the energy. Reading? I wish I had the time! Eating healthily? I don’t have time to cook a delicious, nutritious meal from scratch, it’ll have to be beige food from the freezer again).

But the thing is, if we don’t make time for the things we enjoy or that will move us towards a personal goal, then we’ll end up burnt out and miserable, and we’ll still be a mile away from the life we dream of in five, or ten, or twenty years’ time.

Be your own cheerleader

You know how we’re told not to worry about what others think of us, because they rarely do? They’re too busy focusing on themselves. Well, it’s absolutely true (wear the dress, eat the donut, dance like no one’s watching! Life is too short, people). And you know what else? Nobody is going to give you the life you dream of or the opportunity you’re waiting for if you don’t put in the work.

I said what I said.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Doesn’t it sound liberating to know you’re the only one responsible for your own success, and there’s no one out there who can keep you away from it if you’re willing to work hard and persevere? OK, a little scary, but also liberating!

The thing is, no one cares about your life, your career, your goals and dreams and hopes for the future as much as you do. I’m sure your friends and family are really supportive and would do anything for you, but at the end of the day kids, it’s down to you.

Carve your own path

So, no gatekeeper is letting you into your chosen career or industry by the front door? Use the back door. Find a tiny, second-story window. Take a sledgehammer and smash your way in. (OK, that last one was a bit aggressive, be kind while also smashing your way in).

The best thing about the internet, social media, and the way we live our lives online nowadays is that it’s created so many options and so many ways to get ourselves and our work out there in front of the world. No matter what you want to do, there’s a way to do it yourself using the internet and a bit of brass neck. (Probably. I mean, if you’re trying to become a glaziologist studying icebergs in the Arctic, you might need a biology degree. But you get my meaning.)

Start a blog, launch a podcast, self publish your book, build an online following and sell your handmade crafts, study remotely and take classes by experts the whole world over. Find your community, make a name for yourself, support a cause that’s close to your heart, pay it forward and help the next person up the ladder behind you.

But most of all, be your own biggest cheerleader. And when it feels tough, let me do it for you.

You’re filled with unlimited potential, you can do anything you dream of, I believe in you!

Lyndsey

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Review: Girls of Might and Magic

GUYS. I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Girls of Might and Magic, a collection of diverse YA fantasy short stories with diverse characters by a group of incredible authors, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

This anthology is a collaboration between members of the Diverse Books with Magic Facebook group, created to highlight diverse and own voices authors, as well as featuring a wide range of diverse characters. The stories include characters from a range of cultures and ethnicities, as well as differently-abled characters. But these difference aren’t the central plot point, these girls are totally badass heroines caught up in magical and fantastical tales that will grab your attention and keep you guessing until the very last page.

Stories in this collectionHeartburn by E. M. LaceyWind and Silk by Alice IvinyaGrace and Ghosts by K. R. S. McEntireFaith by Sudha KurugantiThe Outside by C. C. SolomonDaughter of Soil and Gold by Meghan RhineCheck Yourself by Kat ZaccardA Meeting in the Woods by Nicole Givens KurtzPretty Young Things by LaLa LeoFunnel Cake by Amanda RossOutcast by D. L. HowardSerenity Dawn by C. I. RaiyneThe Cursed Gift by Courtney DeanChasing Waves by Kendra MerrittSight by Tamika BrownMemories of Magic by Ashley Ford

I loved this collection of diverse fantasy stories, I’d been admiring the cover for weeks so when the opportunity to read an advance copy came I practically snatched the authors’ hands off!

I really liked the little added touch of the epigraphs to introduce each story, it felt like a tiny insight into the author and the story. Particular favourites were Wind and Silk by Alice Ivinya, a gorgeous tale of strength, love and dragons set in an Imperial China-inspired world. And Grace and Ghosts by K.R.S. McEntire, I loved the twists and turns in this one, especially that final reveal! Full. Body. Chills.

Most of these authors were new to me, but I’ll definitely be reading more from all of them as I enjoyed every story and can’t wait to see what they write next!

This anthology is perfect for fantasy loving teens and adults alike. I definitely recommend it if you love quick, fun reads with big twists.

Happy reading friends!

Lyndsey

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Review: Ash – Crooked Fates by Sky Sommers

I spent this weekend in Oz with the characters from Sky Sommers‘ brand new release, Ash: Crooked Fates, so I thought I’d invite you to join me as I skip down the yellow brick road.

If you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted read to whisk you away to a fairy tale land and make you laugh out loud, this is the book. Sky’s witty, irreverent sense of humour is almost Monty Python-esque at times, so if you love that style of comedy you’ll definitely love this series.

One of my favourite kinds of story is the ‘behind-the-scenes of a well-known tale, what really happened’ type of thing – think Lion King 1.5 where Timone and Pumba tell the story from their side (if you haven’t watched it, it’s a delight). This is exactly that, only ten times better, because Sky has combined classic fairy tales (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast) with the fae, and chucked in a dark angel for good measure, and woven them all into a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz with added humour (the thing missing from most fairy tales, I find).

This is the third in a series, but all can be read as standalone novels, you just might miss out on a bit of context. Suitable for teens and adults alike.

Get Cinders and Embers here.

Snap up the ebook up on Amazon for just 99c/77p and spend a few happy hours with a Beast dressed as the cowardly lion, a fae prince trapped inside a tin suit, and a dark angel masquerading as a brainless scarecrow as they escort Ellie to meet her absent father, Oz the Great and Terrible.

Enjoy, my pretties!

Lyndsey

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Announcement: The Fair Queen is coming to Audible!

Any fellow audio book lovers in the house? I’ve been addicted to audio books ever since my 30 day free trial of Audible six years ago, even before I discovered (and fell in love with) podcasts.

So, when I published my debut novel, The Fair Queen, I knew I wanted to have an audio book produced. Now, with the one year bookaversary of TFQ’s release fast approaching, I’m absolutely delighted to announce that the audio book of The Fair Queen will be released this Autumn!

The process has been so much fun. Getting to listen to narrators audition by reading a short chapter of my book (chapter fourteen, for those of you who’ve read it – it’s my favourite!) was incredible, and I’m so excited to hear the first fifteen minutes when my lovely narrator reaches the first big milestone.

My fabulous cover designer is also hard at work on the audio cover version, as well as a little something that I can’t talk about yet (don’t you hate when authors do that? Sorry! It’ll be worth it, I promise).

There’ll be review copies available when release day comes around, I’ll be posting them on StoryOrigin, so if you’re interested in listening to the audio book for free in exchange for an honest review, keep your eyes peeled for the announcement in a few months!

Lyndsey

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