Helen Garraway's Blog, page 37
September 2, 2022
Author Interview – Catharine Glen
Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, Catharine Glen about her contribution to the boxset, Wind Across the Silver Blade, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Catharine, thankyou for joining me today! To start us off, tell us about Wind Across the Silver Blade.
Catharine: Wind Across the Silver Blade is a steamy Asian fantasy romance set in a world of gods and yokai (demons). Yumi, an exiled noblewoman, accidentally awakens Touma — a tengu (a winged crow demon god) who was sealed in a sword three hundred years prior. Together, they uncover the truth of a hidden power Yumi harbors while coming to terms with the soulbond growing between them. There’s time magic, a hero resisting the bond, a brave heroine willing to face her fate, and even a little *fun* with feathers. 
Helen: ooh sounds like lots of fun! Your cover is amazing. Which character did you choose and why?
Catharine: The cover for Wind Across the Silver Blade was illustrated by my fantastic artist Rakuen, who also did the covers for my Shadowed World Saga series. I wanted to feature Touma, our tengu hero and the love interest of the story. She brought him to life in gorgeous detail, incorporating elements of the mythological tengu dress and showcasing those beautiful wings. He also carries twin swords (daisho) at his waist like the samurai of old, which are important to the story. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to grab his hand and let him spirit me away!
Helen: I am definitely in your corner with that one, he sounds amazing. What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Catharine: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the Realm of Darkness anthology, and this is my first time writing for a set. I typically write steamy romantic fantasy with human characters, but had the idea of a romance specifically involving a tengu for some time. This anthology was the perfect fit for my story!
Realm of Darkness AnthologyHelen: This is my first time writing for an anthology as well, and it has been a great experience. Tell us about your steamy romantic fantasy series.
Catharine: I have another Asian fantasy series with two books out so far. The Shadowed World Saga is a Japanese-inspired epic romantic fantasy reverse harem featuring an assassin heroine and the men who stand by her side. Ema faces trials of duty, honor, and betrayal as a ruthless anti-imperial faction moves swiftly across the country. Worse, sentient death shadows known as the shi-no-kage have emerged, threatening the very world itself. I adore writing this series and have become deeply attached to the characters. Fans of enemies to lovers, diverse characters (all-Asian cast), strong heroines, political intrigue, the supernatural, and Japanese history and culture will find lots to love here.
Vision of the MoonHelen: I am adding them to my tbr pile as we speak! What made you first put pen to paper and write a book?
Catharine: I was a voracious reader growing up. Trips to the library and local bookstore were among my favorite things to do! There was something magical about exploring the shelves and picking out new books to read. I was always drawn to mystery and fantasy, and later historical romance. I wrote stories in my early teen years, fascinated by the notion of writing as a career but never believing I could actually do it (this was well before Kindles and self-publishing became a viable option). What I really wanted to read is now known as romantic fantasy, but I couldn’t seem to find the types of stories that fit what I was seeking. It was after reading Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy in the 00’s (a fantastic series, BTW) and being disappointed in the minimal romance between Vyn and Elend that I began writing seriously — fantasy with a strong romantic subplot.
Helen: I haven’t read Mistborn yet. I have the books, just haven’t found time to read them! When you are writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a favourite playlsit?
Catharine: I enjoy having music on while I write and edit. I typically stick with instrumental music, particularly lo-fi as it blends into the background but also evokes certain moods to help immerse me in the creative process. I also enjoy epic movie and anime themes, Gregorian chants, and new age depending on the types of scenes I’m working on. The only time I do not listen to music is during final proofreads when I need silent, uninterrupted focus.
Helen: Sounds inspirational enough to me. I know writing consumes all pur free time, but when you do ahve that spare hour of two, what hobbies do you like to pursue?
Catharine: When I’m not writing or tending to the kids and family, I enjoy reading fantasy books with kissing (of course!), playing video games (these days, otome or visual novels), studying Japanese, going for walks, Lego, and traveling. I also enjoy watching anime and reading manga.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Catharine, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, tell us who your favourite author is and why.
Catharine: I would have to say Lindsay Buroker, not only because she’s an incredibly talented writer, but she inspired me to pursue being an indie author. I came across her book, The Emperor’s Edge, not too long after it released, and instantly fell in love with the story and her characters. I was writing and studying craft at the time, but not ready to submit my work anywhere. These were the early days when indie authors were just starting to appear on the scene in a real way. From then, I followed her career and enjoyed consuming her books as well as her now off-air podcast Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast (and later, the Six Figure Authors Podcast). She was always so down to earth in her advice and candid in sharing her experiences, even as her success and prominence in the industry grew. I found her to be a warm and encouraging voice to all fantasy writers, and it gave me the courage and knowledge I needed to jump into the indie writing lifestyle.
Helen: The writing community is so generous, everyone is willing to offer help and support to new writers.
I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Catharine Glen is a romantic fantasy author residing in New England. Her favorite kinds of stories take place in faraway worlds with unforgettable characters, plenty of romance, adventure, magic and the supernatural. She tends to get immersed in all things Japanese, reading, Lego, and possibly consumes a bit too much coffee and tea. She’s also a wife to a loving husband and a mom to two children and a spirited Jack Russell.
For all the latest news:
Other books by Catharine Glen
Shadowed World Saga
Vision of the Moon (Book One)
Promise of the Storm (Prequel)
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Sentinals Rising achieves Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention award.
Honorable Mention award from Readers’ FavoriteFor immediate release:
Readers’ Favorite recognizes “Sentinals Rising” by Helen Garraway in its annual international book award contest, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TV359TD.
The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
We receive thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, we are able to break down our contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. We receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).
“When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers’ Favorite.” –Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House
Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that “Sentinals Rising” by Helen Garraway won the Honorable Mention Award in the Fiction – Fantasy – Epic category.
You can learn more about Helen Garraway and “Sentinals Rising” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/sentinals-rising where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
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Book Two of the Sentinal SeriesBooks in the Sentinals Series:
Novella o.5: Sentinals Stirring (Free if you sign up to my newsletter.)
Book One: Sentinals Awaken
Novella 1.5: Sentinals Discovery – Available for FREE as part of the Creatures of Magic and Myth Anthology
Book Two: Sentinals Rising
Book Three: Sentinals Justice
Novella 3.5: Sentinals Recovery
Book Four: Sentinals Across Time
Book Five: Spring 2023
August 30, 2022
Author Interview – Robert Zangari
I am excited to be joined by one of the authors of the Tales of the Amulet series, Robert Zangari as we chat about his books and how he and his father, Dan, work together. You can check out my book review of the first book in the series, A Prince’s Errand here.
Helen: Welcome Dan! To start us off, tell us about the latest book in your epic fantasy Tales of the Amulet series.
Robert: Taking place immediately after the events of A Prince’s Errand, The Dark Necromancer continues the thrilling adventure set into motion by the discovery on Dalgilur, and the climatic conflict at the Mindolarnian Palace. The story follows Iltar, Cornar, and Elsia as they ward off secret societies, thwart conspiring necromancers, and defy vengeful princes—all while struggling to unearth the truth about the Crimson Eye. But no place, not their homeland nor an island long forgotten, is beyond their enemies’ reach—not even the Translucent Fields of Vabenack.
If you want to hear Michael Kramer narrate those exact lines, you can do so over on the book’s Kickstarter campaign or on YouTube.
Helen: I can’t wait to read The Dark Necromancer. I must admit I fell in love with Iltar and I can’t wait to see how his story pans out, and if he survives the antics of his students! This cover is amazing. There is so much going on, it’s a story in itself!
Robert: Kerem Beyit did a fabulous job capturing our imagination with the cover art for The Dark Necromancer. We wanted a scene with a struggle and he did just that by depicting our main characters climbing the stairs to meet the three powerful mages. We actually had this cover done for awhile, as we commissioned it immediately after the cover for A Prince’s Errand was finished.
We went with a purple tone because my dad’s initial draft of The Dark Necromancer back in 2001 had a purple font colour for the title. It’s just kinda stuck through all the iterations of this story.
Helen: WIth so much thought going into the covers, what about the titles?
Robert: There is a bit of a special meaning to it. Initially my dad had four stories planned; The Dark Necromancer, The Golden Dragons, The Red Ruby, and The Black Knight. The Dark Necromancer consisted of the flashbacks for his original trilogy into one story that revolved around an evil necromancer, Iltar.
Yeah, Iltar was the bad guy that set my dad’s story into motion, and in the original Chronicles of Lorn story he died in the first book, but we got glimpses into his life via flashbacks (it was very similar to what Sanderson has done in the Stormlight Archive). But my dad had ultimately pulled those flashbacks because of feedback he had received from other authors and publishers, saying that method of storytelling doesn’t work (well it obviously does for Sanderson).
So, when I was sixteen, my dad re-worked his story and made a prequel of sorts to his Chronicles of Lorn and called it The Dark Necromancer. Our initial debut novel as independent authors was titled The Dark Necromancer, which we released in 2013. When we split the book up we later called it The Dragons’ Legacy, but this current 2022 title are those same events, just told very differently and with some different outcomes.
Book One of the Tales of the AmuletHelen: I’m in shock! You were going to kill off Iltar? How could you? Setting my horror aside, what made you first begin writing?
Robert: Well, I actually started writing non-fiction in 2010 and published my first book as a tie-in to my martial arts business that I had at the time. But I didn’t get my start in writing fiction until after my son passed away—he was stillborn at 28 weeks gestation. In an effort to ease his passing my father approached me about working with him on finishing his series. It had been nearly twenty years since he began and he was getting nowhere fast.
I was still in school studying Bio-medical Engineering, so I was writing only part time for the first year. Then I decided I loved crafting stories more than designing artificial organs or synthetic body parts, so I switched career paths.
Helen: I truly believe writing is carthartic. I am sorry you lost your son. I began writing after my mother passed, and I truly belive writing my books helped me deal with her passing. What made you write this particular book?
Robert: Well, it’s a sequel so I kinda had to write it. But other than that, I wanted to continue the adventure we set into motion with A Prince’s Errand.
But to better expand on the question, I’ll explain why we wrote Tales of the Amulet. My father has always been fascinated with the fantasy genre, and for as long as I can remember it’s been a part of my life. In fact, this series and the world have been with me since I was five years old.
Throughout the years he worked on the stories but never really made huge progress due to other responsibilities. But when we finally started working together we wanted to produce this fantasy series as if it were finished and published back in the early 1990’s—which was when my father began working on these stories.
We wanted to produce big, thick, epic fantasy tomes, and that’s sort of our motto now.
Helen: You definitely achieved that. The Tales of the Amulet is a wonderfully complex world with amazing world building, characters and magic systems. I don’t think you could not write a tome! Do you have ideas for other books?
Robert: I mostly sit and stew on a premise until I start getting ideas. But fortunately for me, most of Tales of the Amulet is already mapped out for me. So it’s more getting ideas to flesh out the major parts of the story my dad already created.
One of the things I often find myself doing is meditating in the shower to dig deep and find the nitty-gritty details of the story. Sometimes I just go on a drive by myself in my 87’ Pontiac Fiero and let the ideas flow. Other times I will crawl into bed and wrap myself in my covers and see what comes to mind. I’m an introvert, so if I can get isolated the ideas flow.
Helen: Who do you prefer to write villains or heroes?
Robert: Oh, I don’t know. I enjoy writing a fresh POV that I’ve never written in before, as it gives me an opportunity to explore something new. That’s one of the reasons the Greater Kalda chapters are in our main stories. I do enjoy writing from Cornar’s perspective, and I feel I relate to him the most out of those I’ve written. Although writing Iltar’s pain and trauma has been cathartic.
I enjoy both the heroes and the villains. It allows me to explore two polar worldviews and see things from both sides. Plus, there’s something liberating about writing an excellent bad guy/girl. I hate Vaem from The Prisoner of Tardalim but oh was it fun writing her.
Helen: Before we move into talking about your writing process, tell us a random fact about yourself.
Robert: I am an only child, and the son of an only child (my father). When I was a kid I often played out elaborate fantasy scenes with my medieval LEGO sets, and I think that’s marks the beginning of my imaginative madness. And I still enjoy LEGOs.
Helen: We can blame it all on the LEGO!! Do you have a special working place where you find creativity flows the best?
Robert: I have an office in my basement, well as of writing this I don’t have it accessible at the moment. So, I’m up in a makeshift office in a nook in mine and my wife’s bedroom. You can see a quick tour of it over on TikTok. I mostly prefer solitude when writing. I have a hard time writing in groups or in a classroom setting. It’s gotta be the introvert in me, but I feel the creativity flow when I’m just by myself.
Helen: Do you prefer writing or editing?
Robert: Oh, writing all the way. Reviewing next, but editing is rough. For me, editing is work and the writing and reviewing is the fun part. I also enjoy outlining and planning a story, and then writing it and having my plans get messed up by my characters—I like the problem solving that comes from those hiccups.
Helen: When writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a playlist playing in the background?
Robert: Yes I do, and it varies for the mood of the scene. I prefer to listen to movie soundtracks, and I often pick a track that was in a scene that matches what I’m writing. That helps me get put the right emotional beats in the scene and helps me stay true to the outline I’ve written.
Helen: Do you plan out every scene or do you pants it and let the story take you where it will?
Robert: Planner all the way and I do stick to a few frameworks that I learned from my writing mentor, David Farland. I try to incorporate a few different story structures, typically the 10-15-25-40-10 rule that you often see in the hero’s journey or the adventure story. Once I get through the first 10% and finalize my inciting incident that gives me a good idea of how long the story is going to be. I notice it more when I am writing a short story or novella, and it’s mostly accurate as the first try-fail cycle takes 15%, the second cycle 25% and the try success taking 40% with a wrap up at the end lasting about 5-10%.
I also try to incorporate a story in the round element that links to one of the main conflicts for the characters. In A Prince’s Errand Iltar at his homestead in the beginning, and at the end of the story he ends up back there again. I did a similar thing with Amendal Aramien in The Prisoner of Tardalim where the story’s initial inciting incident begins at a tavern, the Sea Vistonia, and the book ends at the same tavern. Physical locations are often my go-to for a story in the round element, but I’ve also tried to incorporate an internal revolution for the characters like what we see with Gigaus in the short story Sorter of Mages.
Helen: Do you find you have to do much research for your books?
Robert: It depends on what elements I’m incorporating and how much knowledge I have on the subject matter before starting the story. For instance, I did a good deal of research about Antarctica while writing The Prisoner of Tardalim. I also did a few deep-dives into several different animals to study their anatomy so I could accurately create some variant creatures for the story, since it featured a conjurer as the main character.
Helen: Who was your favourite character to write?
Robert: Zanxsthy’ll, you haven’t truly met him yet if you’ve read A Prince’s Errand. Well, you sort have met him, but you don’t know him by Zanxsthy’ll (that name shows up only once during Lirathy’lu’s point of view in Mindolarn). Zanxsthy’ll embodies everything I hope I can be, the ideals I visual for my best self. He’s more of a background character until later on, but as the series progresses he takes a more prominent role. I’d love to write a series about him one day, in the vein of R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt books.
Helen: You have some very complex names! I hope you have a glossary and a pronounciation guide. Most writers struggle with distractions and procrastination. How do you fit writing into daily life?
Robert: I try to make it a priority and the best way for me to do that is to do it first thing after I wake up and get ready for the day. I write in the mornings and revise/edit in the evenings. One thing I learned from David Farland was that our brains tend to be more creative in the mornings and more analytical in the evenings.
Since I write full time and work from home it can be challenging. There are some weeks where I only get a few thousand words down, and others where I can get a novella’s worth finished. Part of that is just the ebb and flow of life with four kids. But I feel like I’m still trying to figure it all out, schedule wise. When I think I’ve got a handle life throws a wrench at my gears and cogs.
I notice that taking a shower tends to help me focus on the story. I guess it’s the solitude and the calming of flowing water, but I will get a good deal of “pre-writing” done before hand and often see the scene play out in my mind.
Helen: If you didn’t write fantasy what genre would you like to try to write?
Robert: I’d love to dabble in some science fiction. I adore science fiction, but more of the hard sci-fi and unfortunately I’m just not smart enough for that. I feel like I’d need a doctorate to accurately pull it off. But I’m fascinated with near future Sol system settings. DOOM and Destiny are two of my favourite videogame franchises and both share a similar setting I’d love to explore myself. I guess Star Trek sort of fits into that, especial during the Enterprise show era. But I think it’d be fun to explore the planetoids of our solar system.
Helen: You lead such a busy life, with four children to keep you occupied. When not writing, what do you do to relax?
Robert: Immersing myself in a good story, whether it be movies, a TV show, a story-driven videogame, or going to plays. Before COVID-19 we used to have an annual membership to our local theatre and saw a play almost once a month. I love that experience of watching a story acted out live, and even though I’m sitting in the audience I often feel I’m there participating in the story. As mentioned before, I enjoy putting together LEGO sets, and I’ll often do that with my daughters.
Helen: What are some of the books you read recently that you would recommend to others?
Robert: I’ve been reading Robert Jordan’s Conan books because I’ve had a Sword and Sorcery itch that I needed to scratch, and they’re great! I love how he writes Conan. As far as indie goes, I highly recommend anything by M.H. Woodscourt. I finished her Wintervale Duology and it was fabulous! I’m also reading David A Trotter’s Birthrights currently, well listening to audio (narrated by Henry Kramer) and it’s one of my favourites I’ve read this year.
Helen: What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve been given?
Robert: David Farland (author of the Runelords) was probably the most influential author who’s given me valuable writing advice. Dave was a treasure trove of knowledge. While taking one of his classes I had approached him about a fantasy murder mystery series I wanted to do—the class was his Master Plotting class, so I had brought the series concept to use in the exercises. But, the visuals and story ideas that were coming to me weren’t what I wanted to do. When I told him about the conflict he told me, “You’re not ready to write that series. Go write this adventure instead.” And that is how The Prisoner of Tardalim was born.
Dave was like my author-dad, and he was always so happy to share his knowledge. I miss him.
Helen: His passing was a great loss. I have found authors to be so generous with their knowledge and their time. As a published author what piece of advice would you like to share to new writers?
Robert: Stick with it, no matter what. I know several writers who gave up too soon before they could truly become a published author. The hardest part is getting that first book done, but once you do you know you can write a book. So, writing another isn’t as hard.
Also, practice honing your voice. It’s often said that it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a subject, and I’d agree. I don’t think I settled into my voice until around the one million word mark. That’s one million words of prose.
Short stories are a good way to practice, but they’re not very profitable so I know many authors don’t write them.
I know it can be tempting to publish the first thing you finish, but in my experience that isn’t the best idea for your career as an author. We (my father and I) published our first project together and looking back at it, the story was solid but the writing not so much.
Helen: Thank you so much for spending the time with me today. It has been really interesting chatting with you. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Robert: You can get a FREE copy of my novella, Beneath the Frozen Wastes featuring two of our main characters, Iltar and Cornar, by joining our mailing list at https://legendsofkalda.com/pages/newsletter-1. And you can also get the first 10% (roughly 77 pages) of A Prince’s Errand when you join.
The Dark Necromancer is planned to release later this year and you can pre-order it on our website: https://legendsofkalda.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-dark-necromancer-book-two-of-tales-of-the-amulet or on Amazon (mybook.to/TheDarkNecromancer), but only the eBook is available at the moment.
My next scheduled signing is at Salt Lake City’s FanX (comic convention), September 22-24th, 2022.
About the Author:
Robert ZangariRobert Zangari is the co-author of the various books which belong to the Legends of Kalda universe. He studied Bio-Medical Engineering at the University of Utah; however, his love for stories and storytelling took him down a different career path. When he’s not writing he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, playing video games, practicing martial arts and immersing himself in a good story.
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Purchase The Prince’s Errand via Amazon
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Preorder The Dark Necromancer
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Amazon USA: eBook
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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SoulBreather now available in Paperback!
SoulBreather, the first book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series is now available in paperback, and in hardcover shortly.
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The SoulBreather who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
The SoulMist series
If you are looking for the eBook then you’ll find it in the Realm of Darkness anthology along with forty other full length fantasy books, which releases October 4th, 2022 and is available for preorder for 99c from a vendor of your choice!
Realm of Darkness AnthologyIf you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series and my brand new SoulMist series, paperback now available. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Join my email list
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August 25, 2022
Author Interview – Lea Cherry
I am excited to be joined by one of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxet today! I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Lea Cherry about her contribution to the boxset, Starlight; which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Lea! To start us off, tell us about Starlight.
Lea: My contribution to the ROD set is called Starlight. It’s a fantasy story set in the realm of Elesseand where the Princess of the Kingdom is a Starlight (Someone born of the stars with magical powers) but also a fierce warrior that protects the realm from any dangers with her Legion. I don’t want to give too much away, but there is an assassin, a magi, a shifter, some romance and a lot of dangers to go through.
Helen: Sounds like you packed a lot of elements into your story. I can’t wait to read it. Your cover is gorgeous, down to the font which glistens. What were your thoughts behind the design?
Lea: The cover for Starlight took some creativity. I tried various different things but none of them actually spoke to me, so I decided to create the cover with symbols instead so that later on, I could hopefully create art to accompany the books. The cover shows a beautiful star that represents the Princess Tekana and all the Starlights before her. Even though the star is bright and beautiful, it is sharp and dangerous and should be treated carefully.
Helen: Readers be warned! What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Lea: I love reading fantasy and thought that this was a great opportunity to write one myself. I usually dabble in other genres, YA and horror to be more specific, but thought that if I could write my own fantasy, the possibility of what could happen would be endless, so here I am.
Realm of Darkness AnthologyHelen: I called you a YA Fantasy author but you actually write a range of YA genres, don’t you?
Lea: I usually write Young Adult books in various subgenres as I enjoy the way the young characters discover themselves and evolve into people that are strong, independent and overall great humans. I also enjoy writing horrors because I just love it and want to test myself with writing one that can scare the pants off the readers. I’m kind of wired that way.
Helen: That is mean! I am not a fan of horror, I have too creative an imagination. Tell us about some of your other books.
Lea: My two horrors are Chimera and Devil’s Doorway which were my first trials into the genre. I have also written two YA Urban Fantasy books for a series, currently busy with the third book, that is about a girl that learns she’s a descendant of a very powerful magical race known as the Pure and that she must learn to harness her powers before the Tainted (villains) can claim her soul to resurrect their leader. There is also a poetry journal that I co-wrote with another author as a companion book for her dragon series to give her main dragon character a poetry voice.
Helen: I bet that was a fun project, especially with dragons involved. You are multi-talented for sure. Many writers find inspiration from music, when you are writing do you listen to music?
Lea: I can’t, at all. If I listen to music, I find myself singing along and then I can’t concentrate of what I’m writing. If I listen to something, it is usually instrumental music that sounds like it could have been on the book’s soundtrack. Like Celtic instrumental songs for my fantasy stories. I do however listen to certain songs before I write to get me into the scene, like rock music before I write a fight scene, or something emo and sad for the heart-breaking stuff.
Helen: When I’m editing and solving plot knots it has to be instrumental, as like you I get distracted by the words of the song. But when I’m writing that first draft, anything goes. Do you plot out your novels or are you a pantser?
Lea: You could say I’m a plantser. I plot out the basics of my story, the most important things like characters, settings and the plot of how the story should go, but then I pants a lot of the story to give myself or rather my characters the freedom to sometimes roam free and choose other paths to get to their goal.
Helen: Characters do tend to have a mind of their own and go off on unplanned tangents. Do you have to much research for your books?
Lea: Sometimes way too much. I tend to fall into the rabbit hole with research, but only when I feel that there should be more and especially if the subject I’m researching is very interesting.
Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.
Lea: I’m from South Africa and English is my second language, is that random enough?
Helen: Wow! And you are writing in English which makes your work even more amazing. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun talking shop. As we reach the end of our time together just to finish, when not writing what do you spend your time on?
Lea: My hobbies include watching movies, reading and painting. I have started teaching both my daughters to draw and they love it so a lot of the time they want to know how to draw something so if I don’t know, then we all learn something new that day. On a different note, just because I enjoy it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m great at it.
Helen: Thank you for joining me tody Lea. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Lea CherryLea Cherry is an international bestselling author residing in South Africa with her husband and two daughters. With a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, she shares the spark of language in Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. When she is not crafting stories, she shares her time with her family watching movies, painting, and reading up a storm when she is not exploring the outdoors on camping trips. Her first book in the Descendant series is set to arrive in 2021 and is filled with magic and adventure that will keep you wanting more.
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Other books by Lea Cherry
Hidden, Book one of the Descendents
Devil’s Doorway
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If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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August 24, 2022
Sentinal series hits top twenty of Amazon Bestseller Top 100 lists.
A man searching for his purpose. Another determimed to redeem past failures.
The Sentinal series is a rich and complex story of two men walking the convoluted path set them by Lady Leyandrii, the Goddess of the world of Remargaren.
Jerrol is a King’s Ranger, quiet and tenacious. Birlerion is a Lady’s Sentinal, silent and deadly. Together they will change the history of Remargaren.
This week, the first book in the series, Sentinals Awaken, hit number 13 on the Amazon Top 100 Bestseller list for Classic Fantasy ebooks, having consistently been in the top 30 for the past three months. The second book, Sentinals Rising, hit number 10 on the Amazon Top 100 Bestseller list for Religious and inspirational Fantasy ebooks.
It is so rewarding to know your books are being enjoyed by many readers and garnering the recognition they deserve. Sentinals Rising also recieved a Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review, you can check it out here!
I am excited to share that I am working on the next book in the Sentinal series, the title of which my Patreon and newsletter subscribers are currently voting on. Want to get involved? Then sign up to my newsletter or Patreon at the link via linktr.ee/HelenGarraway.
There is a lot more happening:
Sentinals Rising narration is almost finished and releases on audiobook in September.The first book of my new SoulMist series, SoulBreather, releases in paperback in September, you can add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads here.Hardcover of SoulBreather will also release in September.SoulBreather ebooks releases as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset on October 4th. Preorder for 99c now!I am excited about the release of my new SoulMist series, which is a fantasy romance series about Solanji, a young woman with a secret and Mav, a tortured fallen angel.
SoulBreather is the first book I have written to an extenal deadline and in a new world. So that was a bit scary as well as exciting!
Initial ARC review have beeen positive, in fact, I could say they have been downright enthusiastic, along with demands for book two, which is very reassuring. You can find them on Goodreads!
Interested in learning more about SoulBreather?
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The SoulBreather who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
Follow me on Amazon, Goodreads or Bookbub to get notified when SoulBreather releases. I hope you pick up my new book, and enjoy the new world I’m building. There is plenty more to come.
Thank you for joining me on the journey, hope you stay for the aventure!
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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August 21, 2022
Realm of Darkness Author Spotlight – The Lycan King’s Captive by Amy Pennza
I’m delighted to share the details and cover of another amazing full length book, The Lycan King’s Captive by Amy Pennza, which is included in the Realm of Darkness Anthology which launches on October 4th, 2022.
Have you preordered your copy yet for the insane price of 99c/77p? I can’t wait to read these wonderful books. See all the covers revealed so far here.
If you are in the US and order via Apple iBooks or Barnes and Noble during July/August – you can enter a great book box giveaway- find out more here!
The Lycan King’s Captive
I woke on the floor of a prison cell, but I wasn’t alone. There was a man. My fellow prisoner. My protector. He spoke into my mind, saying things that couldn’t be true. That I’d been bitten. That I was going to turn. That I had to obey him if I wanted to survive.
He was beaten, but his voice rang with power and his body called to mine. And when he won our freedom, I learned he was far more powerful than I realised. I escaped one prison just to land in another. Now I’m caught in a war between shifters – and my protector has become my captor.
Preorder Realm of Darkness Boxset
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/77p!
About the Author:
Amy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She writes steamy books about stubborn alphas and smart heroines. After years in Tornado Alley, she now makes her home in the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.
Sign up for Amy’s newsletter: http://www.amypennza.com/
Also by Amy Pennza :
Kiss of Smoke – The Dragon Laird’s series Book One
Amazon UK Ebook
What a Wolf Desires – Lux Catena Book OneAmazon UK Ebook
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purhcases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Join my email list
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.August 20, 2022
Book Review Alert: Shattered Kingdom by Angelina J. Steffort
Reviewed: August 20th, 2022
Released: June 30th, 2020
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Sworn to a goddess. One with her blade. A heart yet unbroken.
It would have been only one more year of training. One year in the dust and wind of the Calma Desert. But Gandrett Brayton’s fate storms in disguised as a beautiful stranger with a damning secret.
As he forces her into the service of the lord who tore her from her mother’s arms ten years ago to commit her to the Order of Vala, Gandrett is left with a choice: run, or work for the man she despises and earn the chance to see her family again.
Trained with all the weapons she can wield with her hands, Gandrett must learn that at the courts of the shattered kingdom of Sives, her sword won’t help her– especially when it is her own heart on the line. Read my thoughts…
August 19, 2022
Book Review Alert: A Prince’s Errand by Dan Zangani and Robert Zangani
Reviewed: August 19th, 2022
Released: December 3rd, 2020
Genre: Epic Romance
Long ago, men harnessed the Channels of Power, creating tevisrals-devices capable of manifesting magic. But men weren’t the only ones to accomplish such feats. Dragons crafted the most sophisticated tevisrals. These shaped the world, defining civilization of man and elf alike.
Over the centuries, the people of Kalda have fallen into a dark age, where elves are estranged from men and dragons have retreated into legend. Tevisrals are scarce and men are willing to trade everything for them. But there are some who wish to bury the past, and in their lands, possessing tevisrals is tantamount to treason.
Still, daring men scour the world in search of Kalda’s past. One such man, the scholar Krindal, seeks an ancient order known as the Keepers of Truth and Might. He yearns for their knowledge, long feared lost.
Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire’s enemies. His empire’s survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers’ secrets.
An aging warrior, Cornar Dol’shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers’ hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala.
Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye. His search takes him to the Empire of Mindolarn, where all is not as it seems.
An ancient war was won by a simple amulet. It brought peace, but in the wrong hands it could spell a doom the likes of which no world has ever seen.
May the Crimson Eye remain hidden for all time…Read my thoughts
August 16, 2022
Book Review Alert: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Banner
Reviewed: August 16th, 2022
Released: August 23rd, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most–Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares–each other?
Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library. Read my Thoughts…
