Lyndsey Hall's Blog, page 15
June 12, 2021
Review: Realms of Fae and Shadow
Hello fantasy fans, are you ready to discover your next favourite author?
I read the exclusive short story collection Realms of Fae and Shadow recently, and I loved the concept so much. A collection of short stories that all prequel a series of novels, to give you a taste of the stories before you commit to the full series (because, come on, who of us can give up on a series halfway through once we’ve started, even if we’re not loving it? Not me).
So if you’re a fae lover and you’re looking for a new series to get stuck into, keep reading for eight incredible options…
Night Bringer by Stacey TrombleyHeir of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. MoodyFae Bargains by Clarissa GoslingTo Rule a Fae Throne by Tessonja OdetteExiling a Fae Queen by Joanna ReederCrown of Darkness by Alison InglebyMarked by Fae by Valia LindThe Wolf Gate by Hanna SandvigNight Bringer by Stacey Trombley
A terrible bargain.
An impossible choice.
Kill my soul mate or lose my life.
This is #0.5 in Trombley’s Wicked Fae series, which currently has 4 published books and more to come.
Caelynn is from the Shadow Court, one of the weakest in the realm, but when she overhears her parents’ plan to send her to another court for an arranged marriage, she takes matters into her own hands. And that’s where things take a very dark and deadly turn.
This story has everything you could want – fae, a coming-of-age trial, one of the creepiest monsters I’ve ever read, a ball, soul mates. I could go on. I’m super intrigued by this set up for the full series, Caelynn’s magic is barely hinted at and I can’t wait to see the relationship between the two fated mates develop.
Heir of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
A mortal girl is tired of her bland existence.
When a dryad offers her the chance to rescue a fae prince from the clutches of an evil queen, Elora immediately agrees.
But Faery is full of more dangers than beauty.
This is a prequel novella to the Fae of Bitter Thorn series, which has 4 full length novels plus another novella in between. The story has a brave heroine, an animal sidekick, twisted magic and lots of political intrigue.
The fourth and final book is coming out in September, so it’s the perfect time to dive into this series, ready for the conclusion.
Fae Bargains by Clarissa Gosling
Faerie punishments usually spell death.
For Evan, it could offer freedom.
The hero of this story reminded me of Cardan from The Cruel Prince – a young fae male with a good dose of cruelty (he enjoys feeding mortals to a boggart), but deep down he has a bigger heart than he lets on.
There’s only one full length novel in this series so far, but a sequel is coming in 2022, so it’s definitely one to stick on your TBR. I enjoyed this origin story of the Guardian of the Gates, and I’m intrigued to find out more about the relationship between the Huntsman, Prince Evan and his mother, Queen of the Moonlight Court in the Lost Princess of Starlight series.
To Rule a Fae Throne by Tessonja Odette
There are Fae far worse than me lurking in the woods…
King Aspen of the Autumn Court is sent to the the human realm to retrieve the names of the two human tributes that will be sent to marry fae royalty as part of a centuries old pact, called the Hundred Year Reaping. On his way home, he has an eye-opening exchange with a human woman in the woods.
This prequel novella tells the first meeting of Aspen and Evelyn, the main characters from the Fair Isle trilogy, from Aspen’s POV. The series is complete, so it’s ready to binge to your heart’s content.
I adored the gorgeous descriptive writing in this story, it was probably my favourite for writing style, I found myself wishing it was longer when I’d finished, which is always a good sign with a prequel!
Exiling a Fae Queen by Joanna Reeder
I’m the heir to the throne.
My birthright comes with a dark legacy.
But to save Faerie, I must betray my sister.
Aria is one half of a set of twins, two half-fae sisters who are both destined to rule the Raven Court as joint queens. Except she’s never spent a day learning the role or speaking with her subjects, unlike her sister Carys. Instead, she rides her water horse and hangs out with her best friend, Sterling.
When she finally decides to take an interest in the role she’s destined (or doomed) to take on when her father dies, she discovers that all is not as rosy as it seems on the surface in Faerie.
I was completely sucked into this story from the start. This was my favourite story for plot and characters, I loved Aria and the twists and turns just kept coming. There are 2 books and one other novella in this series so far, and I can’t wait to read them and find out what happened after THAT big twist!
Crown of Darkness by Alison Ingleby
I am darkness. But I dream of the light.
As the heir to the Unseelie throne, I have everything I could want. Apart from the one thing I long for—freedom.
Ciaran is deep-earth fae, prince of the Unseelie Court, and half human on his mother’s side. He battles with his conflicting humanity and resists the dark magic of his fae side, refusing to wear the crown his father had made for him that seems to sink it’s teeth further into him with every wear.
But trouble is brewing under the surface in the courts, and there’s a prophecy that could threaten both realms. Soon Ciaran may have to decide between the human side his mother would have wanted him to honour, and the fae side his father expects of the heir to the Unseelie throne.
This was the longest story in the collection, and I loved getting a more in depth look at the incredible world-building and the characters’s story arcs than in some of the shorter stories. It was great to see Ciaran’s growth and how his motivations changed over the course of events.
I’m really excited to read more in this series, which I really hope is coming soon! You can follow the author on Instagram @alisoningleby to be the first to know when this series will be released.
Marked by Fae by Valia Lind
They say nothing bad has ever come from reading a book. I guess it depends on the book…
This story was more paranormal/urban fantasy, with a half-witch, half-shifter MC attending a magical academy and learning to harness her growing powers. Avery finds a book that unlocks her abilities, dragging her into the middle of an ancient war and making her a target for all of Faery.
Marked by Fae is a prequel short story to The Fae Chronicles, which is set in the same world as Lind’s Hawthorne Chronicles and Thunderbird Academy series, but you can start with any of these series and enjoy them individually. There are 2 full length novels in the series so far, with more to come, so plenty to sink your teeth into if you love a vast world with all manner of fantasy and paranormal creature, not just fae.
The Wolf Gate by Hanna Sandvig
My…what big teeth you have!
Audrey is a pretty average teenage girl, living in Canada and having a boy trouble. Until she’s given a beautiful red cloak by her school’s librarian and takes a short cut through the woods to get home one night. Chased through a faerie portal by a mysterious wolf, she finds herself in the icy tundra of Faerie and on the run from the Unseelie Queen’s right-hand-wolf. Even worse than that, she’s accompanied by her ex-boyfriend whose secrets tore them apart – but can they find their way back together and escape their pursuers?
This story is a standalone retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, set in the same world as Sandvig’s Faerie Tale Romances series, all of which are sweet YA romantic fantasy retellings of well-known fairy tales. There’s currently one full length novel and two short stories (including this one, and one you can grab for free when you sign up for Sandvig’s newsletter!) in this series.
This one also gets extra points for inclusivity, as Audrey wears glasses and I’ve never read a fairy tale where the main character wore glasses (like me!), so I’m a big fan.
Hopefully you’ve added a few new series to your TBR and discovered a new-to-you author who’ll become an auto-buy. Let me know which of these stories sounds right up your alley! My favourites were Crown of Darkness, Exiling a Fae Queen and To Rule a Fae Throne. I can’t wait to jump into the rest of these series.
Lyndsey
x
June 8, 2021
Interview: Diverse fairy tale retelling author Astrid V. J.
Happy June friends and foes! Can you believe the year is halfway through already? It’s absolutely flown for me – Enchanted Waters comes out in one month! It’s been almost a year since I joined this charity anthology and started plotting my story, Daughter of the Selkie King, and in a few short weeks I’ll be able to hold this collection in my hands and see the stunning illustrations, and share these gorgeous fantasy stories with you all!
June is Pride month, so over on Instagram I’m celebrating by sharing some of the queer characters from my stories all month. Head over there to meet Captain Conroy Rainer and Lieutenant Coulter Egan from The Fair Queen!
This week, I had the absolute privilege of chatting with USA Today bestselling and award-winning fantasy author, Astrid V.J. Keep reading to find out what we talked about…
Hi, Astrid, I’m so glad you could join me today! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself?
I grew up in South Africa and have lived in Mexico, France and Sweden in the past fifteen years. My parents are both veterinarians, so my two sisters and I grew up in a menagerie. My mom’s a horse nut and so is my baby sister, who is fifteen years younger than me. Both of my parents are avid readers and from an early age they encouraged my love of books.
I met my husband during a GAP-year in France where I was au-pairing. We met one month before I was due to return home to study, and he joined me in South Africa a little over a year later. He’s Mexican-Swedish and the reason why I’ve had the privilege of living in these two different and equally beautiful countries. We have two children, a boy and a girl, and one day, we would very much like to expand our family and get a cat.
I have a Masters degree in social anthropology and am a certified transformational life coach. I consider myself a Jack-of-all-trades and love putting on different hats in different situations.
In my spare time, when I’m not writing, I love to cross-stitch my favourite anime characters, play the violin or read anything I can get my hands on.
Growing up with vets for parents sounds amazing! I’d love to learn to ride horses, I’ve been on a couple of pony treks when I was younger and loved it. When did you first discover your love of writing and what inspired you?
I was twelve years old when I finally gave into the urge to read Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock. The cover called to me in a way other books never had. Granted, it was very advanced for my age and I only made it halfway before my mind couldn’t take in any more. I re-read that book when I was sixteen and finished it. One thing Hancock’s book did for me was spark an idea. Based on his premise that Atlantis is, in fact, Antarctica, I developed my first series.
The other element for that very first story idea was my dissatisfaction with my favourite genre. I loved fantasy books and adored all the amazing worlds authors took me to. My family is huge on LotR. Just to put this into perspective… waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before the movies came out, we had cats called Frodo and Elessar, and dogs called Gimli, Merry and Pippin. I read The Silmarillion when I was fifteen because I wanted to experience Tolkien’s world again but didn’t want to re-read his other books again. However, even though I loved the fantasy genre, especially books by Tolkien, J.V. Jones, Michael Ende and Phillip Pullman, I still felt there was something important missing. I was growing up in multicultural South Africa in the transition from Apartheid to democracy, and I wanted to read fantasy books that acknowledged my lived experience of people and cultures being diverse.
As such, The Atlantis Series is urban fantasy and is also an African occult fantasy. I loved geography, and the mixture of landscapes in Uganda fascinated me, so that’s where I started my story, even though I have never been to Uganda. This trilogy follows the journey of Nyesha as she discovers her magic, attends school (and here I wanted to focus on African magic in response to Harry Potter), and finds out about Atlantis, and goes out to discover the lost island.
After studying Anthropology, I realised I actually need to go to Uganda to do a little research for the very beginning of my book to make the contemporary part more realistic, so this project has been shelved until I can make that happen. However, it is a story that is fully formed in my mind and won’t take me long to write, once I get that missing component in.
Diversity is so important in stories, especially YA and MG, to show young readers that anyone can be the hero or heroine of their own story. It’s something fantasy should have been doing for centuries, what with different races and species being a really common aspect of the story, but I’m glad that diverse characters and settings are finally becoming more common in fiction. What are some of your favourite books?
I have read so much and love so many very different genres it can be difficult to choose. I think I’ll talk more about “most influential” authors who’ve inspired me over the years.
My dad is German and I grew up with a mix of classic English and German books. Two authors who’ve definitely influenced me from the very beginning are Michael Ende (most famous for The Neverending Story) and Ottfried Preussler. Their approach to fantasy and turning the most simple things into something magical always kept me interested.
Although I loved the Harry Potter series, I think I was too old by the time I discovered it, so it didn’t impact me as much as it did my younger sister’s generation (that’s my middle sister who’s five years younger than me). Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials definitely made an incredible impact, as did J.V. Jones’ The Baker’s Boy. In my late teens, I came across Game of Thrones and became a total George R.R. Martin fan.
Other than fantasy, I also read a lot of other books. Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters have a very special place in my heart, and at university I read Middlemarch as one of my setworks, which totally immersed me in the Regency period. I love those books! I’m also a big fan of Ian McEwan.
More recently, I’ve fallen in love with Guy Gavriel Kay’s works, along with Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman. Each in their own way, they’ve helped me mature my writing and contribute to my unique style.
I love how eclectic your reading taste is! I think it’s so important to read widely, both inside and outside your usual genre, you never know where you might find a spark of inspiration or learn some new aspect of craft that improves your writing style. Tell us about your first published book and what inspired you to write it.
My first published book is Aspiring, Part 1 of the Siblings’ Tale. This book was sparked into existence when I read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson-Levine when I was fifteen. I LOVED that book but at the same time I was dissatisfied with it. Why were there so many retellings of Cinderella? Don’t get me wrong, I love Cinderella, but there are so many other fairy tales out there!
Having grown up with the German heritage as well, I was familiar with a ton of Grimm fairy tales that are not commonly known in English. As I ranted on about Ella Enchanted, I had an idea. What if I wrote a retelling of my favourite German fairy tale, keeping all the things I love about Carson-Levine’s book but also adding the things I felt were missing from the retellings genre.
I was in high school and didn’t have time to write the book right away, but the idea stuck with me. During my GAP-year, I had a few weeks free during the summer and I wrote the book by hand. I wrote the first part as a memoir by the main character keeping the feel I’d gotten from Ella Enchanted, and the second part as the retelling of the Grimm fairy tale. This also meant I had to invent a storyteller who could reconcile the two parts because of their disparate writing styles. Essentially, The Siblings’ Tale duology has become a lynch pin for everything else, connecting all my story ideas into a coherent universe.
Aspiring, Part 1 of the Siblings’ Tale also won two Literary Classics Awards in 2019. It received silver in the Young Adult Fantasy category and gold in the Fairytales category.
Wow, that’s an incredible achievement, congratulations on winning two awards with your first published novel! I love that your stories are all tied together and set within the same universe, I’m planning to do something similar and set more stories in the Fair Realm going forward. I think it gives readers a really comforting experience, returning to a world they’re familiar with, while also getting to read a brand new, exciting (hopefully) story. Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?
EVERYWHERE! But let’s just look at The Apprentice Storyteller for this one. Viola Alerion, the storyteller and first main character is very much inspired by my German grandmother. She was a kind and loving woman who hid these characteristics under a hard shell of unapproachability. When I was a child, she often scared me and I know now that must have hurt her a lot.
As an adult, before she passed away, I had the opportunity to spend some time with her and I came to understand the immense impact growing up during the Second World War had on her. She was nine when the war ended, and everything that followed with East and West Germany made her into a very hard woman, not to mention that she got divorced when my dad was sixteen, and how that, in a small town where “such things weren’t done” affected her. Viola Alerion is my homage to my Oma, and is my exploration of how the harshness of life often makes us try to protect ourselves with thoughts and actions that, in the long run, do us and those around us harm.
The Apprentice Storyteller is also an expression of my homesickness after having lived outside of South Africa for the past decade. All the landscapes in that book are drawn from places in South Africa.
Your grandmother sounds like an incredible woman, and a huge inspiration. I set my novel in a fictionalised small town based on where I was living at the time, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. I think it gives the setting a more credible feel when authors base it on somewhere they know and love. Would you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
A little of both, actually. I usually plot a general outline. For example, with my fairy tale retellings, I do an approximate division by chapter for the different parts of the tale. For my other books, I’ll mark out specific scenes that I know where they should be and roughly which chapter they should be to keep a good structure. With that outline, I’ll sit down and start writing, and then it’s a matter of seeing where the characters take me. So far, they’ve never lost their way entirely. We do sometimes take the scenic route, though.
The scenic route, I love that. My writing process is pretty similar, a good balance of plotting and seeing where the story takes me. So, what are you working on right now?
I have three projects I’m currently working on. The first is The Wordmage’s Tales series, a collection of stand-alone novellas that presents the tales the apprentice learns in The Apprentice Storyteller.
I had originally planned to nest each of the stories in the actual novel, but I realised there was more to each of the short stories that couldn’t be taken up in the framework of a short story, which is why I decided to only mention the tales in The Apprentice Storyteller and give each one the attention it deserves through The Wordmage’s Tales series.
There are ten books in this series. The Sewing Princess is exclusive to my newsletter and street team members. The Artist and His Muse just published recently and The Last Warrior is on pre-order. I’m currently finishing up The Companion’s Tale which will publish in the summer sometime and is planned as my permafree book. I’ll be working on the remaining tales in the series during the autumn and will hopefully be able to publish them in 2022.
The second project is Enchanted Waters, which is a collection of short stories about magical water creatures. I’m working together with some incredible authors on this anthology which we would like to keep as a permanent charity anthology. We will be donating all proceeds of this fully illustrated book to Oceana, an ocean protection organization that fosters marine biodiversity and encourages sustainable fishing to protect smaller fishing communities.
The third is Ytherynia: The Gifted Blood Academy. This is quite a unique academy fantasy series that I’m working on together with a group of other authors. There will be four volumes, one for each year of high school and each author writes a short story or novella about a character of a different species. There is a coherent plot that ties all the stories together, but there’s also the difference of how the different species view the school and each other, not to mention the events taking place at the school. We’ve been working on this for over a year and I’ve learned so much from it! We’re taking steps to make this set of anthologies even more engaging and will probably re-publish the first book just before we release the second book, which is shaping up to be amazing!
There are a few other things in the pipeline, but these are the most tangible at this stage.
Your readers have got a lot to look forward to over the next couple of years! I’m so excited for Enchanted Waters, and all of your Wordmage Tales – collections of fairy tales set in a fantasy world are my favourite extra content by authors. Like The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Tales from the Hinterland and The Language of Thorns. What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Write from the heart! I know I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it. Readers want something authentic and as a writer, you can only achieve that if you write what’s important to you. I know there are those who believe you should write for the market, but I’ve read books like that and they feel flat. I’ve never enjoyed reading those books. Far more enjoyable are the books where authors bare their heart and soul!
I feel exactly the same, creativity comes from the heart and soul, readers can see straight through a story that the author didn’t truly believe.
It’s been incredible getting to speak to you today, Astrid! Thank you for sharing your writing process and upcoming releases with us, I can’t wait for more in your fairytale retelling universe! Before you go, how can we find out more about you and your books?
On social media, I am most active on Instagram. That’s where I talk about what I’m writing, share more about myself and my life, and share my reading adventures. If you’re most interested in knowing what I’m reading, you can follow me on Goodreads. I’m meticulous about tracking my reading there.
I also have a Wattpad account and upload my works in progress on there. So if you’d like a taster of what I write, that’s a good place to start. I also have two parts of The Sewing Princess, one of the Wordmage’s Tales for free to anyone who signs up to my newsletter. You are not obliged to remain subscribed if my newsletters aren’t interesting to you, but my newsletter is a good way to stay connected and get the inside information on my book releases, sales and other opportunities.
I have a YouTube channel where you can find out more about The Siblings’ Tale duology and the social commentary I worked into it. Drawing Back the Veil: an analysis of the Siblings’ Tale gives more insight into me, what makes me tick and the social issues most important to me.
If you like fairy tales and want to know more about retellings, you’re welcome to join my Facebook group, Elisabeth and Edvard’s World. We have a book club and read a retelling by one of the authors in the group every few weeks and have a meeting to discuss the book and anything else bookish we feel like. I also feature other retellings authors and we have some bookish fun with parties every now and then.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/astrid.v.j_author_officialFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Astrid-VJ-2119754304983111Join my street team: https://forms.gle/JcmRfDgF9umeUqzo8Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Astrid-V-J/e/B07S8WGPTT/
The Artist and His Muse, one of the Wordmage’s Tales, just released. It’s available on Amazon and is FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
I hope you enjoyed finding out more about Astrid’s inspirations and creative process as I did. She’s such a huge inspiration to me, and I can’t wait to read more of her stories.
Astrid’s story, The Naiad’s Curse, will be featured in Enchanted Waters alongside my story, Daughter of the Selkie King. It’s available to preorder now and releases on 16 July, but you could get an early copy FREE when you join our street team!
Lyndsey
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June 3, 2021
Interview: Fairy tale retelling author Sky Sommers
What a beautiful bank holiday weekend we just had here in the UK! The sun was out, the BBQs were lit, the gin and tonics were flowing. I hope you had a good one, wherever you are.
Did you catch my cover reveal last week? If you missed it, pop over now to see the stunning new cover for my short story collection, Fair Tales, which will be free to my email subscribers!
This week, I’ve been chatting to the wonderfully whimsical Sky Sommers about her current projects and upcoming releases. Read on to see what we discussed…
Hi Sky, it’s such a pleasure to speak to you! Tell us a little about yourself.
Sky is a pen name since I’ve written other kinds of fiction (law books) under my real name, I couldn’t in all honesty confuse people. I’m from Tallinn, Estonia and while I’ve lived in Finland and the UK, I moved back in 2008 to be closer to the Nordic sea. If I hadn’t I’d never have met my husband, he would never have had kid number 5 with me (yup, we have 5 kids between us with 4:1 in his corner) and I’d probably still be working crazy hours. As it happens, I’m an entrepreneur who works part-time for a large client as a legal adviser and 4 days out of 7 I can do what I want – write, study, read (lots!) and play with legos. I help others publish their books (cookbooks or fiction) and I do love my garden, but otherwise I’m boring, no hobbies or pets.
Boring?! I wholeheartedly disagree, your life sounds lovely and full. I’ve written and published a couple of business books, but luckily it was ghost writing for my employer so I haven’t had to come up with a pen name! When did you start writing and what were your first stories like?
I started writing a diary at age 12, like most people, I guess. In the noughties, I dabbled in short stories and when one of them got to page 80 and I realised, Toto, we’re not in Kansas no more, that’s when I ventured into novels. That sci-fi novel is still unpublished, by the way, but I have hopes that I can muster it this year.
That’s funny, I went the opposite way, I started out with novels and have recently gotten into short stories. What are your favourite books to read?
Fairytales, any kind. Favourite rom-com book is Jenny Crusie’s Bet Me. Fave book that always makes me think and turns tropes on their head with sarky humour is Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. That and Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.
Fave tropes – happily ever after, coz what’s someone’s happy might be another’s nightmare, right?
So true! I haven’t read The Master and Margarita, but I did read Goethe’s Faust at Uni, I did European Studies and my lit class was always fascinating. I’ve always loved stories that rework and reimagine old myths and legends. That’s why so much of my writing is inspired by folklore.
Can you tell us a little about your first published book, and your most recent release?
First published book was about ancient Goddesses running amok in the present day, scrambling to get their lost powers back (Goddesses: Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble) and yes, the name is a twist on the line of the witches in the cursed play.
My most recent release is Embers: Beastly Curses, a retelling of Red Riding Hood, where Red is a 5yo boy and his parents are trying to rekindle their lost love despite the wolf-curse.
I love that nod to Shakespeare, I actually saw the Scottish play a few years ago at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and it was phenomenal. Well, until the alarm started going off on my phone and I was sitting there thinking “Who’s phone is that? So rude!” until I realised it was mine.
Embers sounds right up my alley, Red Riding Hood is one of my absolute favourite stories. Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?
Real life, coz that is stranger than fiction, trust me. Also, I wouldn’t trust me with stuff as frequently hilarious dialogues I overhear or participate in end up in my books.
So, trust you, but don’t trust you. Got it. Would you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
Plantser. I used to start writing from some place in the book and just build things around, a bit from the end, a bit from the beginning, a dialogue there, a snippet here. With the Cinders-Embers-Ash trilogy I learnt to plan out the storyline for characters and then iterate storylines in a more organised way, which has shortened the writing time considerably. But I still dabble with dialogue here, description there. Descriptions sometimes even at ARC stage as I’m hopeless with those.
I don’t believe a book can ever be finished, we just get it as close as we can and then send it out into the world. There are things I’d still like to change in The Fair Queen and it’s been published for almost a year! What are you working on right now?
Ash: Crooked Fates, the 3rd book in the Magic Mirrors Saga comes out on 21 June. It’s a retelling of The Wizard of Oz where most of the book is the story of 17yo Ellie on her way to Emerald City to meet Oz and the rest is Oz and Ellie’s mom patching up their relationship in parallel. All this with a healthy dose of humour and I’ve even managed to work in some fight scenes. I will be rewriting it based on beta readers’ comments in May and getting ARC copies out to readers in the middle of June.
That sounds fantastic, I’ve never read a Wizard of Oz retelling, but I adored Wicked when I went to see it on the stage. What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Write! Even if it’s 5 minutes, 35 minutes or shorthand dialogue notes on your phone while you’re stuck in a queue somewhere. And keep reading, your own genre and others – my writing has gotten better over time (I hope) because I read tons and pick up pointers of what to do better.
It sounds so simple, but you’re absolutely right, the shortest writing stint is better than no writing at all. I couldn’t live without the Notes app on my phone now, it’s full of snippets, ideas, titles and character names I’ve dreamed up over the years.
Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Sky! It’s been lovely getting to know you better and finding out about your writing process. Before you go, how can we find out more about you and your books?
Website: https://www.amazon.com/author/skysommers
Newsletter signup: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/e1e0240a-3178-11eb-92dc-4330ce8a93ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sommers_sky/
Facebook page/group: https://www.facebook.com/fairytalesgalore
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sky-sommers
Goodreads: Goodreads.com/skysommers and my personal Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/19939142-ilona-nurmela
Sky’s story Kiss the Frog will also be featured in Enchanted Waters: a magical collection of short stories, which comes out 16 July. Want to get your hands on an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review? Join our street team!
Happy reading folks!
Lyndsey
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May 29, 2021
Cover reveal | Fair Tales: short stories from the Fair Realm
Hello lovely people, I’ve got a little surprise for you today – I’m revealing the brand new cover of my collection of short stories, Fair Tales!
These stories will be free exclusively to my newsletter subscribers, I’ll be sharing them as and when they’re finished so you’ll be able to collect them all! First up is A Fair Deception, coming 26 June, which was voted for by my subscribers.
Once all five stories are written and edited, the whole collection will also be available to buy from Amazon, but these stories will ALWAYS be free to newsletter subscribers as a huge thank you for supporting me!
Not subscribed to my weekly newsletter yet? Click here!
Ready to see the cover and find out more about these stories?
A Fair DeceptionA Cinderella-inspired tale of desire and deception set in the Gnome Kingdom.
Spare to the throne, Prince Lonan escapes the tedium of the Gnome Castle to go for a ride through the woods on his trusty steed, River. Whilst out riding and dressed as a commoner, he collides with a mysterious young woman hunting pheasants on the Crown’s land. But neither are quite what they seem…
When worlds collide at the Winter Solstice ball, will the secrets they keep bring them together, or tear them apart?
A Fair BargainA tale of revenge and regret, set in the Salamander Kingdom.
When Deirdra discovers her lover’s betrayal at the Summer Solstice festival, she seeks out the help of a dark Solitary creature, rumoured to live deep within the woods.
But can the creature be trusted to keep Deirdra’s dirty secret? Or will the price she is forced to pay for revenge be higher than she ever expected?
A Fair SecretA tale of desperation with deadly consequences, set in the Celeste Kingdom.
King Rin and Queen Isolt have dreamed for years of a child to love, who will inherit the Celeste throne one day. On the Autumn Equinox, their wish is granted by a hag who promises to deliver a baby to the queen, on the condition that should she ever bear a child of her own, she must hand the infant over to the hag. Desperate with grief, Isolt agrees.
When the child the hag delivers turns out to be difficult and strange, and the queen discovers she is finally carrying a healthy baby, can she discover a way to break the hag’s bargain before it’s too late?
A Fair VendettaA Throne of Glass-style assassin story, set in the Sylph Kingdom.
A young Sylph is orphaned at the hands of Celeste guards. Years later, she sets out on a quest for vengeance against those who stole her entire world from her.
As Samhain, and the anniversary of her parents’ death, approaches, she meets her match in a young woman from the wrong side of the Celeste border.
Is her vendetta worth throwing away her one chance at happiness?
A Fair DescentA sequel to Daughter of the Selkie King, set in the Ondine Kingdom. (SPOILERS FOR DOTSK AHEAD!)
Delta has been living in the Underwater Kingdom ever since that fateful day when she decided to leave her old life on land and join her father, King Malik. But did she make the right choice?
With her father on his deathbed, she must decide whether to accept the selkie crown and cut any remaining ties she has to the world on the surface, or forsake her selkie half and return to her mother and friends in the Ondine Kingdom, never to set foot beneath the waves again.
But before she decides, she’ll have to prove herself in a dangerous ritual on the Spring Equinox, a royal tradition that could risk everything she’s ever loved, both above and below the waves.
I hope you’re as excited for these stories as I am! A Fair Deception will be shared with my newsletter subscribers on 26 June, so if you’re not already subscribed, sign up here.
And the full collection will be available to purchase for 0.99 in 2022!
Lyndsey
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May 26, 2021
Interview: fantasy and myth-obsessed author Ben Lang
It’s been a good week in the Hall household, me and my husband both got our first dose of the vaccine! And we’ve seen a few friends and been for a couple of meals out, so it’s safe to say life is starting to return to normal, and it feels really nice.
This week I’ve been chatting with another fellow Brit, and a local boy at that – the myth-obsessed fantasy author Ben Lang.
Hi Ben! I’m so excited to chat to a fellow Notts-based author! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself?
I am from London, but my family moved around while I was growing up so I spent a few years living in Beijing and a couple in Singapore. I live with a hamster called Zarniwoop (after the Hitchhiker’s guide character), and a human called Megan (name origin unknown).
I traveled to Singapore a few years ago and absolutely adored it! I’m so jealous you got to live there for a while. When did you start writing and who inspired or encouraged you?
I started having ideas for stories very young. My parents strongly encouraged it, especially my mum who helped me write many of them. Alice Ivinya and I have been friends for years and showed one another a lot of our early stuff. I was inspired by her example of getting some of her wonderful stories published, and she gave me the first encouragement to get something to a state to show people.
Alice is such a wonderful supporter and mentor, you’re so lucky to have her as a friend. And your parents sound so encouraging! What are your favourite books?
My favourite genres are science fiction and fantasy. My favourite book at the moment is probably Hyperion (Dan Simmons), but I have a wide range of things I really like. Growing up The Hobbit was my favourite for years, along with some Narnia. The Tombs of Atuan is probably my favourite short story.
I love The Chronicles of Narnia, and I need to read The Hobbit one of these days! Tell us about your upcoming release.
My first published story will be The Bridge, a short story appearing in a collection called Enchanted Waters. The story opens with a chance encounter between an elephant-riding preacher and a lonely young woman. The “vibe” is vaguely South-east Asian, although I cheated a little with one character who would be more at home in Camelot. I didn’t realise until more than a year after the story was finished, but it has a lot of elements in common with the Monkey King adventure involving the Golden Rays monastery.
That sounds fascinating, I’d love to read more fantasy stories set in or inspired by South East Asia. Where do you tend to find inspiration for your stories?
Obviously other books can be a good inspiration. Strangely I find the stories people tell at a dinner-table can be a good seed. These are often based on something strange that someone thinks is noteworthy. They are real, and therefore usually quite devoid of tropes and standard structures, but they are polished a little by the speaker. Really good seeds.
That’s genius! Like people watching on a much closer scale. Would you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
Had to look these up! Certainly a pantser. When I sat down to write The Bridge I knew nothing about what was going to happen except that I wanted an elephant and that my first line was “They met at the edge of the river”. I didn’t know who either of the “they” were until I got to the next line. This worked out well for The Bridge and I think the “making it up as you go” technique has the nice side effect of making it feel like a spoken story.
Winging it this way was a bit of a revelation as everything else I had tried previously was more planned, and a lot worse. I have tried the “know nothing” tactic a few more times and learned it doesn’t always work out as well, although its generally better than planning for me. Recent attempts have been a hybrid.
I find a hybrid to be the best way for me too, I do love to plot and plan but I also leave room for a bit of discovery writing along the way. What are you working on right now?
I have half a short-story about a tortoise which is looking for a second act. I also have one about some cowboys that kind of spirals into nowhere because winging it didn’t pan out – I would like to fix it at some point although maybe it belongs on the dead heap.
Never delete anything! You never know when a scene or snippet from an old trashed story will be the perfect addition to your new WIP. What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Try writing a short story with no plan.
I had been revising my fantasy novel for years and it was by that point built on foundations laid when I was a decade less able. It was overburdened with stuff, was never actually going to be finished and was certainly never going to tie together. Plus, whenever I sat down to work on it I knew where things had to go, but somehow characters would say and do things I hadn’t planned and I had to either abandon the plan or not use the new text.
Writing something short gives you more freedom from plans and a better chance of finishing it. Once you have one finished thing you can show people and that adds momentum to write another.
That’s great advice, free writing can be so good for creativity, and I’ve definitely found writing short stories to be a totally different challenge to novel writing.
Thank you so much for speaking to me today, Ben, it’s been so much fun! How can we find out more about you and your books?
Check out my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ben-Lang/e/B08RXHZPSH?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vu00_tkin_p1_i5
Ben’s story The Bridge will be included in Enchanted Waters alongside my short story Daughter of the Selkie King, coming out 16 July. Another one of Ben’s brilliant short stories, A Junk Out of Cinderbar, is going to members of the EW street team as a thank you for joining and agreeing to support our anthology with reviews and social media posts. Interested in joining?
Click here to join the Enchanted Waters street team!
Lyndsey
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May 19, 2021
Interview: YA fantasy and fairytale retelling author Alice Ivinya
Well, May has been wild here in the UK. From glorious sunshine, to torrential downpours in the span of minutes. We’re also within spitting distance of restrictions lifting, but another outbreak of a different variant in some cities is threatening our chance of freedom yet again. But things could be worse, and I’m still looking forward to being able to hug my dad again on Father’s Day, even if it’s been a little longer than expected.
This week, I had the absolute privilege of talking to Alice Ivinya, the USA Today bestselling author of Feathers of Snow and Silent Melody, as well as several other captivating fantasy and fairytale inspired novels for young adults. As a fellow Brit, Alice knows all about our crazy Spring weather!
Read on to see what we chatted about (aside from the weather, of course).
Hi Alice! It’s so lovely to speak to you, thanks for joining me. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in wet and soggy Bristol, UK, with my husband, toddler and dog (oh and an immortal goldfish). I have loved fantasy all my life. My favourite authors are Brandon Sanderson, Holly Black, Amy Harmon and Robert Jordan. When I’m not off gallivanting in other worlds, you can normally find me climbing trees with my young son, working as a small animal vet, hanging out with my church family, or walking the best dog in the world.
Wow, that sounds perfect – fantasy books, animals and family time, what more could you want? How old were you when you started writing, and who encouraged you?
I have written stories for as long as I can remember. My first book series was about a group of kids who ran away from home and became rulers of all the sharks in the sea. Worryingly they all got married at the age of 12-14, but that was old to my 8 year old self!
I wrote my first full length novel at 11. It was about a magician’s apprentice who was bad at magic.
Throughout my teenage years I wrote epic fantasy after epic fantasy that my poor parents had to read, even when they went over 200,000 words! As a child I was badly dyslexic and struggled with sentence structure and spelling to the extent that many of my early stories were illegible until I typed them up. It took me much longer than all the other children in my class to both write and type, but I just loved to write and have never been able to stop telling stories. Slowly, with the support of my parents and teachers, I developed techniques to get around my dyslexia and now it never holds me back.
I now have ten published full length books and four short stories.
That’s incredible, and so inspiring. It’s amazing that you’ve managed to overcome so many obstacles to become a bestselling author of more than ten published works so far. I want to be like you when I grow up! Do you have any favourite book tropes?
I love most tropes in fantasy as long as they’re not too depressing when delivered (I need all dark books to have a healthy dose of sarcastic humour!)! I love detailed, magical worlds and characters that make me see the world in a different way. I particularly like enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and rags to riches.
Enemies to lovers is my number one favourite trope too, and I completely agree about dark books needing humour to balance it out. Tell us a little about your most recent release.
My most recent release was Feathers of Snow, a fairytale retelling of The Goose Girl. It is young adult, high fantasy with an arranged marriage troupe. All my writing is young adult and clean. Here is the blurb:
In Brianna’s new world of ice and snow, the coldest things by far are the eyes of her betrothed…
Brianna bears a deadly secret: she’s not the princess she is pretending to be. If the prince finds out, her life will be forfeit and her country plunged into war.
But there is more to the icy prince than meets the eye, and Brianna slowly unravels the secrets of his dark past while surviving in a strange culture.
However her goodness and wit will only get her so far. Terrifying beasts stalk the border and a murderer is at work in the town. They know the truth of Brianna’s identity and will stop at nothing to destroy all she has fought for.
That sounds absolutely captivating, and I can’t wait for book two, Feathers of Blood! Where do you find inspiration for your characters?
I have no idea. My characters sit in my head and tell me what they’re like and what to write. However, I am often inspired by people with perceived disabilities and try to reflect that in my writing.
It’s wonderful how diverse and inclusive your stories are, you’ve given a voice to so many people and let them see themselves in a book for possibly the first time. I especially love Violet in The Flawed Princess and the representation of club foot, it’s not something I’ve ever seen in a fictional character before, but we absolutely need to see more differently-abled people in stories. Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
I’m a plantser, though it depends on the book. Sometimes I get a very clear idea of the plot all the way through, sometimes I have only a vague idea of where it is going. I normally write key scenes first that I can feel down to my bones, then link them together.
I was following a plan for the last bit of Enchanted Melody which is what I’m writing at the moment. Then, whoosh, a dragon appeared! Now I have to plan everything around the dragon haha!
Those pesky dragons do manage to sneak up on you don’t they! I’m probably a plantser too, I love plotting, but at some point you have to put the post-its down and start writing and see what comes out! What are you working on right now?
I am working on four projects currently:
1.) Enchanted Melody which is the sequel to my Pied Piper retelling, Silent Melody. I am currently writing the last bit of the first draft ready to send it to my developmental editor. Out June.
2.) Feathers of Blood. So much angst in this one! I’ve planned it out and written a lot of the key scenes, but need to start fleshing it out. Out September.
3.) Girls of Might and Magic anthology. I have had my short story accepted into this amazing anthology aiming to increase diversity in fantasy. Mine is about a girl with a stutter in an Asian-inspired fantasy world. I am currently waiting for the publisher’s edits to come back for my story.
4.) Enchanted Waters. I’m so excited to be part of this short story anthology featuring Heartless Melody, the prequel to Silent Melody. Every story features mythical water creatures and I’m working alongside some incredibly talented authors! All the proceeds are going to support ocean conservation.
Gosh, you’re a busy bee! I’m so excited for all your upcoming releases, especially Enchanted Waters! Before you go, what one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
My advice to authors who want to write fantasy is to read loads in your subgenre and keep writing. Never give up! Get as many fantasy lovers to read it as you can before you try to publish. Also start simple and master simple concepts in shorter books before your epic 12 book masterpiece!
Thank you so much for chatting with me Alice, it’s been so lovely getting to know you better and hearing about your projects and upcoming releases! Where can we find out more about you and your books?
Website: https://www.alicegent.com
Newsletter signup: https://sendfox.com/AliceIvinya
Instagram: @aliceivinya.author
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sarahsfootsteps/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AliceIvinya/
Follow me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19442133.Alice_Ivinya
Follow me on bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-ivinya
If your TBR hasn’t doubled in size just from reading about Alice Ivinya’s stories, then I’m not sure we can be friends. If you’ve never read anything by Alice, I highly recommend heading straight over to Amazon and downloading a couple to your Kindle to dip your toe into, you will not regret it, I can guarantee!
Enchanted Waters will be out on 16 July and includes two wonderful stories by Alice (I’ve read them, they’re completely different styles, but both gripping and gorgeous), as well as my story Daughter of the Selkie King, so it’s a great place to try out new authors you may not have heard of before.
For just $2.99, you get ten beautiful fantasy tales, and you’ll be supporting Oceana, a nonprofit working to protect our ocean’s and marine life. There’s literally no downside!
Happy reading folks!
Lyndsey
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May 15, 2021
The Hybrid Chronicles FB hop and giveaway!
Hello lovely people, how would you like to win over twenty fantasy ebooks and a $30 Amazon gift card?
Well, you’re in luck, because I’m taking part in a big Facebook hop for Shana Vernon’s The Hybrid Chronicles – which is now a complete series, ready for you to binge read to your heart’s content. All you need to do is head over to Shana’s Supernatural Squad FB group and grab the hop form, and then pop along to every page and group on the hop to jot down the code word from each, and submit your form to enter the incredible giveaway!
The hop is running from 15-17 May, and the winner will be announced straight after so you won’t have to wait too long to dive into your favourite of the above books (*ahem* The Fair Queen *ahem*).
See you on my FB page to collect my code word! And best of luck in the giveaway!
Lyndsey
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May 12, 2021
Interview: Fantasy author N. D. T. Casale
Hi friends, how’s life? Things are getting better every day here in the UK, public spaces are reopening and the weather has turned to full Spring, bringing the cherry blossom out on the trees.
This week, I want to introduce you to another lovely writer friend of mine, N. D. T. Casale.
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Hiya, thank you so much for joining me today! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself, e.g. where you’re from, family, pets, hobbies, etc.
I live in the New England region of the United States. I am Italian-American and very proud of my roots. I have a love for learning languages. I am trilingual (I speak English, Italian, and Spanish), I am trying to learn French and I have aspirations to learn more languages. I like cooking and trying foods from different cultures.
I have a love for animals. I currently do not have any pets but I want dogs and horses in the future. In my free time I snowboard, ride horses, workout, dance, travel, and go on adventures. I am a bit of a fashionista, I have an obsession for shoes, makeup, and skincare products. Lastly, I have a love for mysteries, I like to give my brain a workout, and challenge myself by solving the crime.
Gosh, trilingual, that’s so impressive! I speak English and Spanish, but I’m really rusty so don’t ask me to prove it! Have you always been a writer, and what inspired you to start?
I have been writing stories since I was a child. My family had a big role in nurturing my creativity. When I was little during summer break, my mother gave me a notebook to practice my writing. She would give me random topics and challenge me to write a story. My dad and I read Harry Potter together and the book series drew me into the world of fantasy.
Lastly, I used to tell my sister stories I created myself before she went to sleep each night. This inspired me to envision magical realms and go on adventures. As I have grown my writing has blossomed into multiple books that I hope to publish in the future.
You must have some wonderful memories of telling your sister magical bedtime stories and creating your own worlds as a child, it sounds like an idyllic childhood filled with books and magic! What are your favourite genres to read and write now?
My favorite genres are fantasy and mystery.
Me too, I love fantasy, but my second favourite genre is definitely a good mystery, especially anything by Agatha Christie. I love the mixture of period drama and whodunnit. Can you tell us about your upcoming projects and works-in-progress?
Enchanted Waters is my first publication. I look forward to sharing The Arctic Mermaid and Sea Ghosts of the Isle with all of you. I have more novels that I am working on and hope to publish soon.
[image error]I’m so excited to read your stories in Enchanted Waters, and I can’t wait to see what you publish next. Where do you tend to find inspiration for your characters or settings?
I find inspiration through life. The highs, the lows, the joys, the trials, the tribulations, the people, the feelings, all have a big influence in my writing. I love the quote “what we give power has power,” because being a writer gives us power.
In many of my stories, the situations my characters partake in mirror experiences I have gone through and what I have felt. Throughout my life there were times I did not like certain outcomes or I would wonder why something had to happen how it did. I will revisit those scenarios and emotions in my novels and rewrite it to have a better resolution. This helps me cope in a way.
Most importantly, I write for others. People are my inspiration. I incorporate characters of different walks of life, nationalities, races, and backgrounds in my novels because I want everyone to feel welcome in my books. I hope that my stories can help people like myself who have gone through challenging times find hope again. I want readers to know they are not alone. No matter how challenging our lives can be, we can persevere. We can overcome, we are warriors, and we can find happiness again.
Lastly, many characters I magically create in my head. I wait for them to talk to me and tell me what to write.
I love that, life is the best source of inspiration, and it’s a beautiful gift to be able to make another person feel seen and understood. What are you working on right now?
I am in the process of revising my novel Sapphora: Shards of Secrecy. It is a fantasy story that combines sorcery and Egyptian Mythology. It is the first book in a trilogy.
Shards of Secrecy tells the tale of a young woman named Sapphora whose life is plagued by secrets. The secrecy begins when she discovers she is not a 19 year old college student. She is an 897 year old Egyptian princess, sorceress, and guardian of the Ankh for the magical realm of Avagodro. Avagodro is a parallel universe to Ancient Egypt. Sapphora’s memory has been wiped clean due to unknowingly consuming a magical potion for years. She has no recollection of her past life.
Sapphora discovers she is being hunted due to her failure to fulfill a prophecy. To make matters worse an evil foe is returning to Avagodro and seeks an ancient spell book that contains incantations of almighty control. In order to save the realm, Sapphora must navigate through a series of death challenges created by the Ancient Gods to protect the sacred book. As Sapphora continues to unravel the secrets of her past, she struggles with accepting her true self, who she can trust, and what to do when it comes time for her to battle evil to right the failures from the past.
I have more novels, short stories, and children’s books that I am in the process of creating.
Wow. That sounds incredible! I haven’t read any fantasy novels inspired by Ancient Egypt, I can’t wait to read it! What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Truthfully I still consider myself to be in the early stages of authorship. I am learning so much yet I still have a lot to learn. Advice I would give to others is write from your heart, believe in yourself, and believe in your writing. Never let anyone try to change your style. Get involved, join groups on social media, and talk to other authors.
Lastly, do your research, there are many steps to publishing a book that I never knew existed. Take your time and go at your own pace.
That’s great advice, it’s so important to be yourself and take as long as you need to write, edit and publish. It’s not a race, and we all have different speeds and are on different steps of the publishing journey.
Thank you so much for chatting with me today, it’s been so lovely getting to know you better! How can we find out more about you and your books?
Instagram: @ndtcasale (https://www.instagram.com/ndtcasale/)
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-d-t-casale
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21051236.N_D_T_Casale
I hope you enjoyed getting to know N. D. T. Casale as much as I did! How amazing does Sapphora: Shards of Secrecy sound?! You can read The Arctic Mermaid and Sea Ghosts of the Isle in Enchanted Waters from 16 July, along with 8 other magical short stories about fantasy water creatures.
Interested in getting your hands on a free ARC in exchange for an honest review?
[image error]You’ll receive two exclusive short stories by EW authors just for joining, and when we reach 100 members in the private Facebook group you’ll be entered into a huge giveaway to win a stack of fantasy ebooks and short stories!
Click here to fill in the Google form and join our street team.
Lyndsey
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May 6, 2021
Interview: Fantasy Author and Artist Elena Shelest
This week, I had the privilege of catching up with Elena Shelest, author of contemporary fantasy The Seven Lives of Grace and creator of beautiful artwork, which she shares on her Instagram account, @lena_fiveminutediscovery.
Read on to see what we chatted about…
Hi Elena! Thank you for chatting with me today. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in a port city of Odessa, Ukraine by the Black Sea (and still can’t swim well, go figure). When I was almost fifteen, I immigrated to the States and switched my major from art to nursing. Still do both. I currently reside in Oregon with my hubby, two busy and always hungry boys, a cutely annoying dog, a standoffish cat, and a nosy bunny. I wish we were closer to the beach and somewhere warmer but love the nature here.
Wow, an artist and a nurse? That’s incredible! When did you start writing and who or what inspired you?
I’ve been writing poetry and journaling since I was a teen as a way to express myself. I think writing is in my blood as my mother is a poetess too. I’ve started a few stories but never had enough time to finish them until my husband sent me on a mission to test the waters in Texas (we’re always trying to move somewhere, by the way). It didn’t work out, but I had a few free weeks doing nothing at my friends’ house with no family to take care of (always hungry boys were at the mercy of my husband’s cooking abilities). So, I sat by the pool for hours and finally wrote a story that’s been on my heart for a while. New ones just kept coming afterwards.
Gosh that sounds like the dream – weeks to spend writing while your husband takes care of the kids! I’m jealous. What’s your favourite genre to read and write?
Everything I read has to have a fantasy element in it. Otherwise I get bored. I love when authors explore the impossible, the magical, the realm of the unknown, stretching our imagination. Of course, some romance needs to be present as well.
Romantic fantasy is my number one favourite too! On that note, tell us about your debut novel.
My book The Seven Lives of Grace is about dreams coming true. My heroine, Grace, is a twenty-something bookish Seattle dweller who’s struggling to make ends meet. She gave up her dream career to take care of her ill mother and younger sister but now wants to do something different with her life. Getting a magical inheritance was not what she had in mind! Mayhem begins when she decides to give mysterious gifts and tries to discover not only her destiny but also herself.
There is a caveat. She has only seven days to figure things out and make a decision that can alter her life forever. If you want to read a book that makes you go deep while having fun, check it out on Amazon.
That sounds wonderful and so uplifting! Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?
I like it when magic meets everyday reality, so all the places in my books are real. Therefore, I do a lot of research. For The Seven Lives of Grace, the setting is Seattle. I loved visiting this port city that’s not too far from where we live. My character was inspired by my desire to see women realize their potential and reach for their dreams in life, so she’s very relatable to our everyday struggles.
With The Healer’s Choice that’s coming out this year, I wrote about places I’ve never visited but plan to. Istanbul and the culture behind it is fascinating. Southern Ukraine/Crimea is amazing too. The characters have some traits of different people I’ve met but it’s a completely new DNA. It’s like watching your kids grow up. I might do some initial molding, but then they take off on their own.
Istanbul is incredible, and I’d love to visit Ukraine! Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
I am a total pantser. I love being surprised by the characters and the story. But that makes editing a longer process than I’d like it to be. So… I am transitioning to plantser. Does it make me a reformed pantser now?
Haha, I think a lot of pantsers transition to plantser eventually. What are you working on right now?
Currently I am working on a historical fantasy set in the 17th century Ottoman Empire. It follows the journey of Adiela, the daughter of a Jewish merchant and the first carrier of the magical gifts. It was super fun doing the research for the story as well as looking a little deeper into my own cultural roots. The male character is a Slavic Cossack warrior from the territory that was the birthplace of modern day Ukraine.
If you’re interested in following my writing journey, being my beta-reader or getting some behind-the-scenes details about the story + a few other extras, you can sign up to be notified of the progress (you will also get my once-a-month newsletter. It’s fun and insightful, I promise!
17th Century Ottoman Empire? Sign me up! What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
I wish someone would have told me how much time and effort it takes to birth a book. The only reason I didn’t quit was because I had a fully written manuscript on my hands before I realized how much further I needed to go. So my advice would be, if you’re serious about it, write the whole story first, then get into the nitty gritty of the writing and publishing jungle.
Great advice, it definitely isn’t easy. How can we find out more about you and your books?
If you want to look through my inspirational blog posts, check out my website: www.fiveminutediscovery.com
If you want to see my awesome updates about writing life and life in general, find me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/elenashelestwriter
If you just want to know when my next book is coming out, follow me on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/elenashelest
Get a free novella, Sweets Make Everything Better (yes they do, especially if they are laced with some magic) when you sign up to my newsletter: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/fw9l65v5od
I definitely recommend checking out Elena’s gorgeous artwork, some of her pieces are going to be included in Enchanted Waters alongside Helena Satterthwaite’s illustrations of the ten enchanting short stories we’ve written for this collection.
Elena’s story, The Wishing Well, is inspired by Slavic folklore. It’s a haunting and captivating tale, complimented by stunning paintings by Elena herself. You’re definitely going to want the paperback of this collection! I’ll show you some sneak peeks of the artwork when I’m allowed.
Lyndsey
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May 1, 2021
Happy release day to Edenhart’s Rivalry by J. N. Tomczak!
YA Fantasy author J.N. Tomczak is pleased to present her newest release, Edenhart’s Rivalry.
Check out the stunning cover and blurb below!
Also, get to know the author with J.N. Tomczak’s bio and social media links.
And don’t forget to enter the release giveaway!
https://clcannon.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/52406790_286522659604521_8443689580470225813_n.mp4AN ANCIENT CURSE. A KINGDOM IN PERIL. ONE FAERIE TO SAVE THEM ALL…
Darkness is spreading across the kingdoms—and one faerie stands between destruction and survival. Aurora’s peaceful existence is shattered by an unexpected tragedy that leaves her as the last surviving heir to the throne. But her reign is threatened before it can even begin.
Her court swells with spies and traitors. There are growing tales of a mysterious blight. Strange riders abroad are hunting for something—or someone.
On the day of her coronation, she and her loyal friend, Percy, the newly appointed Flight Captain, discover an ancient prophecy sealed away and guarded in a secret chamber beneath the castle. There they uncover a sinister plot that will spiral her people into a war they cannot win on their own. Her courage and wit will be her greatest weapons if she hopes to succeed where others have failed. She must ask herself just how far is she willing to go to save her kingdom and at what costs?
You can get your copy here:
https://books2read.com/edenhart
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GiveawayTo celebrate the release of Edenhart’s Rivalry,
we’re giving away a signed Edenhart’s Rivalry poster,
two character chibis, some beautiful fairy lights,
+ a $10 Amazon gift card!
Plenty of ways to enter, including some daily tasks!
How incredible does that sound? I can’t wait to read it! Get it here, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
Lyndsey
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