Lyndsey Hall's Blog, page 5

Last call for Enchanted Flames ARCs!

Hey friends, there’s less than a month until Enchanted Flames is out in the world! We’re so excited to share this awesome collection of fire fantasy stories with you all.

The ARC sign up sheet is still open for applications, so if you enjoyed our past collections, Enchanted Waters and Enchanted Forests, or you’d just really love to read an early review copy of ten fire-magic and mythical creature focused fantasy stories, then click the cover below to apply!

My story is called The Wyvern and the Woodwitch, and follows an apothecary in the Salamander Kingdom (part of my Fair Realm world) as she tries to find the cure to a deadly sickness that has spread across the realm and infected the young Prince. With the help of a curious wyvern, she journeys into the heart of the mountains to find the rare plant she needs to create the cure, but when she crosses paths with an arrogant woodcutter, can she complete her task without getting her fingers burned-or her heart broken?

If you’re not already a member of our fan group on Facebook, come and join us for all the latest behind the scenes info on our stories, and updates on how much our anthologies have raised for our chosen charities (almost $2,000 so far!).

We can’t wait to share these stories with you on 18 June and donate all profits to the World Land Trust’s Wildfire Appeal!

Lyndsey

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Once Upon a Prince: my secret project revealed!

I am so excited to be able to finally share my secret project with you today. So, without further ado, here is the temporary cover of my upcoming novel, The Silver Prince:

Blurb

A soldier who conjures shadows.
A princess cursed to dance.
A mystery none can solve.

The people of the Silver Isle are brutes. Savages who live in darkness for half the year. They are not to be trusted, or so Princess Isadora has been raised to believe. As Crown Princess of the Golden Isle, she is the shining light of her kingdom. But Issy is hiding a dark curse that cannot be broken. And all who attempt it end up dead…

Anders is a son of the Silver Isle, a soldier afflicted with shadow magic. This alone carries a death sentence when he steps off a ship into the port capital of the Golden Isle and finds himself in the dungeons beneath the Gilded Palace.

Now his life hangs in the balance. Can he solve the mystery of the curse and earn his freedom? Or is he doomed either way?

In the glittering, royal city of Orovía, danger doesn’t lurk in the shadows, it hides in the light. Can a Golden Princess and a Silver Prince work together to uncover the truth before it’s too late? And will their fragile alliance be enough to unite their rival kingdoms?

The Silver Prince, a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, is part of Once Upon a Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.

Once Upon a Prince Series

The Silver Prince is one of twelve fairytale retellings in the upcoming Once Upon a Prince series, which features classic fairy tales told from the point of view of the handsome prince. If you’ve always wondered what the prince was doing while Cinderella and Aurora were dealing with evil stepmothers and magical curses, then you’ll love this series of clean, romantic fantasy, fairytale retellings.

Preorders are open now, and we’ll be revealing our covers in June, so keep an eye out!

Preorder The Silver Prince on AmazonAdd The Silver Prince to your Goodreads shelfCheck out the rest of the Once Upon a Prince series

Lyndsey

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My weekend writing retreat

Hi friends! I’ve just come home from a 3-night stay in a cosy, secluded cottage with two of my closest author friends, and it was so good for the soul.

We arrived on Friday evening to the beautiful little converted barn, The Cider House, to scented candles filling the house with a gorgeous scent, and a basket of welcome goodies from the lovely hostess.

After we’d settled in, we had dinner and caught up on each other’s lives. Then we wrote, talked about our works-in-progress and our plans for our author careers. It was a perfect evening with two of my favourite humans!

On Saturday, Rhianne and I got up at 6am to write and let Alice have a lie in (we’re all mums to young kids, so sleep is a precious commodity!). We’ve all got word count goals and deadlines to hit, so we sprinted throughout the day, between lots of bouncing ideas around and helping each other fill in plot holes, and find that one perfect word that’s right on the tip of your tongue but keeps eluding you.

We took a long walk through the surrounding countryside after lunch (a lot of snacks were consumed over the course of the weekend!), and Saturday evening was spent in ballgowns and crowns filming TikTok videos!

Here’s one of mine: https://www.tiktok.com/@lyndseyhall_/video/7225210653278080282?lang=en

On Sunday, we had a slightly more chilled day. I slept in until 8.30am and wrote for a while, but by the afternoon we were all ready for a break, so we decided to do a photo shoot and get some new author headshots and content for our socials.

Then we played a few games of Cluedo (there were loads of board games and books provided in the cottage) and had dinner, and then Alice went for a bath, using the lovely aromatherapy oils the hostess had provided, while me and Rhianne chatted and watched a movie.

I wrote for a while after the others had gone to bed to try and hit my word goal for the day. Then on Monday morning we packed up, tidied the cottage and said our goodbyes, before heading home!

It was the perfect mini writing retreat, we all wrote so many words and got over some bumps in our WIPs with each others help. And I think we all left feeling refreshed and reinvigorated for our writing and publishing careers. Or, I did, at least!

If you’re a writer and you’ve got author friends within a few hours drive, I can’t recommend a DIY writing retreat highly enough. Sometimes, being surrounded by other creatives with the same struggles and dreams as you can be exactly what you need to remind yourself you’re not alone on this path. We’re all in it together.

Lyndsey

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Crown of Glass by Alice Ivinya release day!

Happy book birthday to Alice Ivinya’s new dark, fae fantasy, Crown of Glass!

This is a brand new series starter, with three more novels coming soon, each retelling a familiar fairytale in a fresh, exciting way.

Crown of Glass is a Cinderella retelling set in Faery. Only in this retelling, the prince is the villain, the balls are deadly, and Ella has much better reasons to run that coaches turning into pumpkins!

The ugly sisters will get you drunk on faery wine, and the fairy godmother is a bloke who’s a spy!

Here’s the official blurb:

Sometimes the strongest things are made of glass.

Half kelpie, half human, Fenella belongs to neither Faery nor the mortal realm. She strives to remain unnoticed, for humans have always distrusted the fae.

And distrust breeds violence.

When Fenella is kidnapped by a ruthless stranger, she lands in Faery at the center of deadly schemes. Her only chances to escape back to her family are during three glittering balls.

However, escape from this dangerous world becomes more complicated as she’s torn between a villain and a spy.

Neither will give her up.

Neither will let the other live.

And both will wage war to place a crown of glass on her head.

Crown of Glass is a heart-pounding young adult fantasy with clean romance. It is perfect for fans of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, and the retellings of K.M. Shea and Marissa Meyer.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can grab Crown of Glass, book one in the Kingdoms of the Faery Path series by Alice Ivinya, right now:

Happy reading friends!

Lyndsey

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Review: Sixteen Souls

Hello, hello! I’ve got a brand new review for you today, so if you’re a fan of Young Adult Paranormal with ghosts, gore and diverse representation (queer and disability rep), then this one might be for you!

I mean, look at that cover (imagine it with gold foil, because the paperback is gorgeous):

Blurb:

In haunted York, even the dead have something to fear.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie has problems. He’s a seer-of-spirits in York, the most haunted city in Europe, and all his friends are ghosts. His sisters have glittered his prosthesis, again, and his crush is dating someone new.

On top of that, famous spirits are mysteriously vanishing from York’s alleys and snickleways. Charlie is determined to stay out of it, but Sam, the irritating new seer in town, expects him to track down who – or what – is responsible and uncover the dark purpose behind the disappearances.

When a ghost Charlie is indebted to also vanishes, he has no choice but to face the shadows. And his growing feelings for Sam. The boys must be willing to risk it all to save York’s spirits, because their adversary will stop at nothing to complete their devastating plan. Afterlives are at stake, and Charlie is running out of time…

With echoes of Anna Dressed in Blood, The Fell of Dark and Cemetery Boys, Rosie Talbot’s debut is an irrefutable must-have for all YA bookshelves.

Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60679667-sixteen-souls

Amazon:

Review:

I gave Sixteen Souls 5 stars, I loved the detailed mythology of spectres that Talbot created, it was really original and unique, and the steady, natural unveiling of the world through the MC, Charlie’s eyes is done so well. We learn more about his ability as a seer at the same time as he does, which is my favourite way to discover a new world (I’m a big portal fantasy fan, as you’ll know if you’ve read my book The Fair Queen).

I also adored the setting of York, being a proud Yorkshire lass myself (and having an upcoming story planned to be set in York), this book really inspired me with how the setting became a character all of its own. The spooks and spectres of York made the perfect supporting cast to the story, the Mouldy Oldies were brilliant, and the whole concept of death loops and tethered souls was so interesting.

The plot was really gripping, with plenty of action, tension and twists. At times, some of the plot elements were a little convoluted and there were at least a couple of characters I think could have been cut completely because they just seemed to be included to add to the chaos rather than for any good reason (although, I will say I got the impression there could be sequels coming and hopefully we’ll get more of an explanation about those characters in book two). The climax also got a little messy, but I can forgive that as it did bring together a lot of plot threads and tie things up well, for the most part.

All in all, I loved every minute of this book and I burned through it quicker than I’ve read anything in a while. It was fun and exciting, with a sweet budding romance between the two MMCs (Charlie is a gay amputee, and Sam is a trans man). If you love a twisty, turny ghost story and you’re good with regional slang (I could obviously read this book in the voice it was intended, being from the local area, but if you’re in the US you might struggle at first with some of the phraseology) then I can highly recommend Sixteen Souls. The blurb says it’s perfect for fans of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, which is my other absolute favourite YA paranormal ghost story, so if you’ve read and loved that then get stuck in!

Happy reading,

Lyndsey

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How to Collaborate with Other Authors on an Anthology

Hi friends, this one’s for my fellow writers who are interested in getting involved with short story anthologies and multi-author boxsets. And if you’re not keen yet, maybe I can convince you!

Working on the Enchanted Anthologies and What’s in a Name? Anthologies have been some of the best experiences in my indie publishing journey so far, I’ll never stop singing the praises of these awesome authors and the collections of stories we’ve put together to raise funds for various charities. So if you’d like to know more about how you can get into collaborating with other writers and how to make the most of your anthology experience, keep reading.

How I got involved with anthologiesThe benefits of joining an anthologyWhere to find anthologies and boxsets to submit toHow to get the most out of your anthology experienceHow I Got Involved with Anthologies

I first got the opportunity to submit a story to an anthology a couple of months before I published my debut novel, sometime in mid-2020. I’d been posting about The Fair Queen for a few months and chatting with quite a few of my fellow indie authors on Instagram, making friends and sharing about our publishing journeys. I got a message on Instagram one day, from the lovely Jennifer Kropf, asking if I’d like to join her new Facebook group for authors to cross-promote each other’s books and just generally support each other. Of course I said yes and joined immediately, I was so honoured to be asked and really looking forward to building my community of writers and readers.

How I joined Enchanted Waters

In the group, it wasn’t long before another author, the fabulous Alice Ivinya, posted that she was launching a new charity anthology called Enchanted Waters and was looking for submissions. She specifically wanted a great group of authors who would work together and collaborate well, so rather than just submitting a story and sitting back while it was published and marketed by the organiser, we would all be involved in every step of the project. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to meet some great people and learn a lot about publishing from some really experienced and talented indie authors. So I bit the bullet and asked to join.

I got on really well with all of my coauthors on Enchanted Waters from day one, everyone was so open and generous with their time, knowledge and expertise. One of my favourite things about this team is that we all have very different skill-sets and each contribute something to the group. Plus, the books are fully illustrated by our incredibly talented coauthor Elena Shelest.

Together we were able to top anything any one of us had achieved alone up to that point. And we’ve managed to raise over $1,000 for Oceana, so far!

Before long, I had the idea for a whole series of Enchanted Anthologies, each inspired by a different element or aspect of nature. Luckily, the others were all on board, so we started a list of future anthologies, and I’m really excited to say Enchanted Forests came out July 2022 and has raised over $800 for the Rainforest Foundation, and Enchanted Flames is coming July 2023!

How I joined Once Upon a Name

One of my Enchanted Anthologies coauthors, Astrid V.J. had her second author anniversary not long before EW came out, and she hosted a big party in her Facebook group. I had a takeover slot, and it was one of my first ever Facebook party takeovers (if not THE first). One of my posts was a fairy tale name generator, and our other coauthor Sky Sommers had the idea to all write a piece of flash fiction based on the names we got.

We gathered together a group of twenty authors, some USA Today bestsellers, some complete newbies, and in April 2022, we published , an anthology of short stories (I don’t think any of us managed to stick to the flash fiction word count!) with all profits going to Book Aid International.

Again, I was so lucky to get to work with some of the most incredible writers, beta readers, marketers and all round brilliant humans. A couple of the team created our gorgeous cover, one designed a stunning reading planner to complement the anthology and help us to raise even more money for charity.

And just like with Enchanted Anthologies, we had such a good time that we decided to do it again! comes out April 2023 and the beautiful is already available to buy.

The Benefits of Joining an Anthology

There are so many positives to joining an anthology, but some of my top pros are:

Reaching new readers in your genre and getting more sales for your backlistMeeting other authors and making new friendsLearning from more experienced writers/editors/marketersGetting new beta and ARC readers who will help you to improve your story and grow your writing skillsGaining experience in all aspects of the writing and publishing journey in a fairly safe, risk-free environment (if you slip up, there are ten or more other people there who can help and pick up the slack)Growing your list of publications quickly and easily, making you look like a more credible author to new readersGetting the chance to write more stories in the same world as your other books, having fun writing in new and different genres, or telling a much-loved side character’s storyGetting the rights back to your story after a period of time (usually 3-12 months) so that you can use it as a reader magnet, publish it separately yourself, or even expand it into a full length novel or series

And there are so many more positives to joining an anthology or boxset, but every experience is different, so you’ll probably discover a few I haven’t mentioned!

Where to Find Anthologies and Boxsets to Submit to

Facebook is a great place to start looking for anthologies and boxsets to join, there are dozens of groups where organisers will post links and details for authors to sign up to sets depending on the genre, reader demographic, steam level, etc.

Check out:

Anthologies & Collections for Indie Authors

Boxed Set Opportunities for Authors

The Enchanted Quill’s Author Boxset Matchmaker

Or search for anthology/box set groups on FB. And if you have a friend on Facebook or Instagram who is always posting about the anthologies they’re in, then you could try sending them a short but sweet DM asking if they know of any opportunities you could apply for, us indie authors are always happy to help each other out and they’ll probably be chuffed you asked!

How to Get the Most out of Your Anthology Experience

Now for the most important part, how you can really make the most of your anthology experience and squeeze every last drop of benefit out!

First and foremost, try your hardest to meet deadlines and be someone your coauthors and organisers can depend on to do what you say you will, when you say you will. Managing a group of ten or more authors is no mean feat, so anything you can do to make the running go smoothly will be appreciated. We all know life happens and things can get in the way, your coauthors will usually be sympathetic and understanding if you have to ask for an extension to your deadline, for example, but you’re more likely to make friends and allies by being reliable and trustworthy. Communication is key, so always message your organiser if you’re struggling to hit your word count goal or meet a set deadline. You never know, they may offer to brain storm with you for some new plot ideas, or schedule writing sprints to help you get that draft finished. It’s a team effort, and we’re all in it together.

Secondly, contribute as much as you possibly can to the general running of the anthology or box set – these publications take A LOT of work, and most organisers are doing it alongside their own book launches, day jobs, and everything else (kids, reading, hobbies, etc.) If you can beta read your coauthors’ stories and offer helpful feedback, I’m sure they’ll appreciate you offering to do so (don’t just go ahead and do it, always check first, as some authors have a group of trusted betas they prefer to stick to).

If you have graphic design skills, editing experience, formatting, marketing, advertising – any talents that you could lend to the overall efforts of the group – let the organiser know so they can delegate any tasks appropriately. You’ll get lots of experience and it will show your fellow authors that you’re someone they can rely on and who will work hard to make sure the book is a success, meaning you’re more likely to be invited to other opportunities in the future!

Finally, and this part can only come after the first two steps if you want to win over your fellow authors, ask for help and advice. You’re lucky to have a pool of fellow writers with a wide range of expertise and experience that you can tap into and learn from – make the most of it! Some will be too busy to do more than point you in the direction of some helpful resources, but others will be willing to spend some time chatting through whatever you want to improve and develop, whether that’s plotting, drafting, self-editing, what tools they use, how they find ARC readers or choose a cover designer.

Your coauthors are an absolute goldmine of useful information and knowledge, so make sure you take advantage of that fact! But, be sure to give back as much as you take, in whatever form that may be, and you’ll have the best possible anthology experience.

My current secret project is for a multi-author series coming out this Autumn, and I’m having the best time working with the incredible team of authors on this series of fairytale retelling novellas. I’m so excited to share more about it very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more details about my upcoming fantasy/fairytale story!

Happy reading and writing, friends!

Lyndsey

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Fantasy Kickstarters worth backing!

2023 is looking to be the year of the Kickstarter, with so many indie authors already launching incredibly successful Kickstarters and smashing their goals within just a few hours! If you’re a fan of exclusive editions, stunning hardbacks with loads of swag and extras, then you’ll definitely want to get on Kickstarter and get backing some of your favourite authors’ projects.

Here are a few I’m excited to see hit their targets and reach their stretch goals:

Jo Holloway’s Immortal VoicesTara Grayce’s Elven Alliance Becky James’ The Mettle of the Mastermage E.V. Everest’s Ink and Incantation

Fairytale Retellings: Twelve Dancing Princesses

Hello lovely readers, how’s the most romantic month of the year going for you? If you’re looking for a sweet, romantic fantasy book to keep you company on these cold winter nights, then look no further.

If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings then you might already have a favourite version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses tale, but there may be one or two on this list that you haven’t come across before. Some are loyal to the original, with just a little added embellishment, and others are combined with another fairytale or take us on a whole new adventure inspired by the traditional version.

Here we go, as always, click on the covers for more details and to buy the books…

A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier

I just finished listening to the audio book of A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier, and I loved the swoony, slowburn romance and how the author hinted at wider worldbuilding (it fits into a larger series of retellings but can absolutely be read as standalone, like I did). This one reads like a classic fairytale, but I really enjoyed the nods to The Selection and even The Hunger Games, the contest/tournament theme gives this book some great tension and I was rooting for the main character, Lily, but loved all the twists and turns that lead to the final resolution. It’s a little different to the original, but the overall feel and atmosphere was 100% fairytale, so check this one out if you like the classics but also love to be surprised by the ending!

Pirouette by Kenley Davidson

This is actually my next audio book and I’m really excited to start it, the blurb sounds fantastic – I mean, forbidden magic? A devilishly charming foreigner? Ill-matched companions? If that doesn’t sound like a fun fantasy romp then I don’t know what does! I’ll share a review when I’m finished, but I’ve heard from friends that this is their favourite iteration of the fairytale and they’ve read it several times, so I’m expecting to love every second of it!

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

I really enjoyed this Gothic, ghost story version of Twelve Dancing Princesses, the creepy horror vibes were right up my street. This is probably the most unique adaptation of the original tale I’ve come across, and I liked how unusual and creative it was. There were gods and goddesses, tricksters, a religion deeply entrenched in the ocean (hence the salt in the title), little girls who can see ghosts, a strange madness, and so many twists your mind will be a pretzel by the time you finish reading. If you like really unique takes on classic fairytales, with incredible world building, and you don’t mind a bit of horror (which, if you’re a fan of the original Brothers Grimm versions, you won’t), then this one is definitely for you.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by K.M. Shea

I have the first few books in this series, but as this one is book ten I haven’t quite reached it yet! It does say it can be read as a standalone, so I might skip ahead to it, as the blurb sounds absolutely incredible. Instead of a princess, the female main character is the soldier, and she teams up with the King of the Elves to break the curse that forces his people to dance every night. It’s full of banter and magic and ELVES, so it gets a big yes from me.

Silent Melody by Alice Ivinya

Silent Melody is actually a Pied Piper of Hamlin retelling, but it’s mashed up with the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and it’s one of my favourite books by Ivinya so I wanted to include it in case any of you are fans of mash ups. Adelaide is profoundly deaf, so the Piper’s music has no effect on her, but she follows him into the mountains and discovers a magical realm with a castle where princesses are enchanted to dance every night. It’s a beautiful tale with a sweet, enemies to lovers romance, and is another great version of this story!

Dance of Wishes by K.A. Last

This one is short but sweet, at just 59 pages, but it’s another great take on the original. A mage is brought in by Princess Adelina’s father, the King, to enchant her so that she might find a suitor. Plus, there’s a surprise twist that keeps things fresh!

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

This might be my favourite version that I’ve read so far, it’s fairly traditional but with so much added depth. It begins in the soldier, Galen’s POV, which I loved, and we discovered the truth about the curse/enchantment along with him. The whole concept of the fae king villain was really interesting and well-thought out, and I liked the way magic and religion were at odds and how that played out. The world building was great, the twists and climax were exciting, and I just really enjoyed this one.

Kingdom of Dance by Deborah Grace White

This one is on my TBR after Pirouette, so I’m hoping to get to it next month if not sooner. It’s another one that’s part of a larger series, but can all be read as standalones, and this one has – wait for it – DRAGONS! So obviously it’s going to be great. There’s a Lieutenant Obsidian (fantastic name) who has some mysterious magic that he hates, colour me intrigued. And lots of intrigue and excitement before we get our HEA (happy-ever-after), which all makes for a book I know I’m going to love!

Which one do you think sounds like your cup of tea? I’m currently working on a top secret project that’s due to come out this Autumn, and if this blog post hasn’t given you a hint at what that work-in-progress might be then I guess I’ll just tell you now – it’s a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling! So, hopefully my version will join these on your TBR later this year.

I’ll be revealing more about this secret WIP very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more details as I build up to the big reveal in May.

Happy reading!

Lyndsey

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Books I’ve preordered that come out in 2023

Hi book fans! My friend Rhianne shared a post on IG with all the books she’s preordered that are coming out in Feb, and I thought I’d do something similar, except I didn’t seem to have that many so here are all the books I’ve preordered that are coming out in 2023!

If you like the look of any of these, just click the cover to find out more…

8th Feb

Life & Death by Sky Sommers

14th Feb

My Funny Valentine by collected authors

19th Feb

Dragon’s Daughter by Astrid V.J.

22nd March

Tribe of Dawn by Iris Knox

31st March

In the Kingdom of Dreams by C.L. Cannon

14th April

Crown of Glass by Alice Ivinya

20th April

by collected authors

1st May

A Dance of Illusion by Savanah James

26th May

Johara’s Choice by Astrid V.J.

18th June

Enchanted Flames by collected authors (including me!)

3rd July

Gold Blood by Savanah James

30th September

The Fall of Ahilon by Aimee Shaye

And that’s it so far! I’m sure I’ll be adding dozens to this list throughout the year, but these are all the books I’ve got coming at this very moment, and I can’t wait to read them all!

Happy reading,

Lyndsey

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WIN the complete Fair Chronicles + bookish goodies!

I’ve got something really exciting to tell you today, I’m running a big giveaway to celebrate The Fair Chronicles being complete!

Click the image below to enter:

The winner will receive:

The Fair Queen, The Solitary King and The Fair War paperbacks, signed and personalised!Character and scene art prints and bookmarkSticky tabs so you can tab all your favourite quotes!Time Turner keyringFawkes the Phoenix necklaceAND, a pair of Gryffindor socks!

The giveaway is open internationally and closes on 20 February 2023. One winner will be contacted by 25 February and will receive all of these fabulous goodies!

Enter the giveaway