Helen Garraway's Blog, page 54
August 5, 2021
Book Review Alert: A Grim Affair by Rachel Stanley
Reviewed: August 5th 2021
Released: April 12th, 2021
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Wait! What? The Grim Reaper’s real?
Emma lives a normal life, so normal that even her own mother has been known to accuse her of being boring.
That is until the Grim Reaper starts haunting her dreams, and then her normal life becomes anything but. Not only is she stalked by Blake, the wickedly handsome ‘Keeper of Souls’, whenever she sleeps, but a mysterious stranger follows her every move during the day.
Despite the danger, Emma finds herself inexplicably drawn to the scythe carrying reaper. Will loving him be the death of her? And just who is the stranger who lurks in the shadows? Read More…
August 3, 2021
Book Review Alert: Shattered Moonlight by K.L Bone & Erin McFadden
Reviewed: August 4th 2021
Released: February 1st, 2021
Genre: Fairytale retelling
Every night, the wolf wailed his sorrow to the lonely moon.
Every sunrise, her heart echoed his mournful call.
**
Celine treads a worn path through the cursed wood to pray beneath the Hawthorn tree for her sister’s safe return. The trail is dangerous—her nightly pilgrimage is stalked by monsters who dwell in the murky shadows. One moonlit evening, the beasts come for her, yet instead of meeting death, Celine is saved by a fearsome wolf.
As Celine and her wolf develop an unlikely companionship, she begins to suspect the complex creature is more than he appears, and perhaps his fate is inexplicably tied to the kingdom’s curse.
When a handsome huntsman arrives intent on slaying her protector, Celine must face her fears to save her big bad wolf. Read More…
August 1, 2021
Book Review Alert: The Last Magus by Mark Piggott
Reviewed: August 1st, 2021
Released: May 18th, 2021
Genre: Comtemporary Fantasy
Marcus Gideon awoke at the crossroads outside the border town of Armändis. Lost, with no memory of his past life, he was stabbed through the heart and left for dead. His life was saved by a blacksmith’s kindness who replaced his damaged heart with a mechanical, magical miracle—a clockwork heart. The gears clicked, the motor spun, and his heart started beating again, powered by his own magical energy.
Gideon was alive, but his savior was no ordinary blacksmith. Henry Botàn was a Magus, hiding out in Armändis to protect the weapons within his magical armory. The swords, spears, and other-worldly artifacts were potent, some cursed and even forbidden to wield. His responsibility was to protect these weapons from falling into the wrong hands, but he was old and past his prime. He needed an apprentice, and Marcus Gideon may be the one he waited for. As Gideon searches for clues to his past, he looks toward his future and his fate in Attlain as THE LAST MAGUS. Read More…
July 31, 2021
Author Interview – Bertha Raw
Join me as chat to Bertha Raw about her debut YA fantasy novel The Raven which released on March 1st, 2021. Welcome Bertha, and thank you for joining me to talk about your novel. To start us off, tell us about The Raven.
Bertha: The Raven, that’s the title of my current book. It’s about this girl, Camille Stark that lived in a void–not literally, her life was empty and she knew something was wrong with her. She was different from everyone else but didn’t stop to think about it. She took full advantage of her weirdness and made life out it.
She was wayward and did all sort of things. Her adopted parents loved her but they hated her lifestyle, so her adopted mother forced her into going to a boarding school for troubled kids.
Getting to the school, Camille realized that the school wasn’t for troubled kids but people with magical powers. She thought she’d seen it all and had enough of the fable fairytale the Headmaster told her, and decided she was going to sneak out but didn’t because she needed answers.
She started asking questions but no one was willing to give her the answers she wanted. She started to question everything including her existence because she didn’t know who to trust.
Her mission change when her adopted parents suddenly became missing. She set out to find them with the help of new friends but came back empty. Camille realized someone was playing a game and they didn’t know how dangerous she could be especially when she just found out she was the granddaughter of one powerful warlock and a mad demon.
Helen: How did you come up with the cover? It is very atmospheric with the brooding ravens watching.
Bertha: I spent months trying to create the perfect cover, and I couldn’t find the one I loved. I changed the cover three times before I found the cover I wanted. The cover features ravens on the tree and a school, it’s black and white. The ravens represents Camille because she is a Raven. And the school represents The Vale, the boarding school that changed her life forever. The black and white symbols everything else in the story. I chose the cover because it explains everything in the book.
Helen: Although this is your first YA FAntasy novel, you don’t just write fantasy novels, do you?
Bertha: I’d like to think that I’m not genre specific. I’ve written many genres like Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Action and Adventure, Crime Thriller, Sci-fi, New Adult and Young Adult.
I write base on inspiration. I’m always scared to start a book because I don’t know if I’m confident enough to finish it or do justice to the specific genre but I do it.
My favorite genre to write is Young Adult paranormal because I started writing with that.
I was thirteen when I wrote my first book and I think it was because of the movie I saw then, and I love it.
Helen: Having the ideas is a great start, it takes discipline and hard work to finish a book, and then being very brave to release it! What made you begin writing?
Bertha: I was very lonely with no true friends in highschool. I went to a boarding school and I hardly ever watch TV at home, so whenever we go back to school after vacation, my roommates would talk about the movies they watched at home and they’d ask me if had seen those movies. Not to feel out of space amongst them, I’d make up my own movie and tell them all about my imagination, they didn’t even question it. Once I realized that they love all the movies I tell them, I found myself writing them down, planning my next movie. And that’s how I started writing.
Helen: Congratulations on finishing and publishing the book. Which type of character do you enjoy writing the most?
Bertha: Villains. I love writing about villains because I think they are misunderstood. I like to dive into all my characters backstory, to write about what made them who they are and the reason they became what they are.
Everyone has a story, good or bad. I like to tell the good version even though they are bad, I like to tell people there’s more to them then they think even if they end up disappointing everyone.
Writing about Heroes are boring, I prefer Anti-Heroes. People that don’t care about anyone else but themselves. I always portray my characters in a way where people are going to hate to love them.
Helen: Most indie authors are juggling writing and life. Tell us how you fit writing into your daily life.
Bertha: It’s kind of hard because I’m still a student, a sophomore in College, and I try to write everyday except weekends, my weekends are mine. I write immediately I wake up and before going to sleep if I know I’m going to have a busy day. But writing is fun.
Helen: Tell us a little about your working process, do you enjoy listening to music whilst you write?
Bertha: I love writing in silence but sometimes I listen to music, mostly music scores. When I was writing The Raven, I created a playlist and would listen to them over and over again as I write. It depends on the mood of the chapter, if I want to write a sad chapter, I listen to Novo Amor, his voice makes me cry because it cries emotions that I can’t understand or explain. I listen to music scores when writing an action scenes. I just listen to Billie Eilish every other time because she’s my favorite.
Helen: Thank you so much for chatting with me today, just to finish, are you working on anything new?
Bertha: It’s a dark romance, and it’s the first time I’m writing one, so I’m taking my time to explore my characters because my hero is a villain without superpower, actually I’m having a hard time because I’m used to writing villains with powers.
About the Author:
Bertha Raw is a writer, and Author of the the new novel The Raven. She has spent the last decade reading and writing novel across all genres. Her lastest novel is her first published work.
Bertha loves and works out of her home, spends her free time exploring the world and catching up on history and culture. linktr.ee/Bertha_Raw
You can find more about Bertha via:
You can purchase Bertha’s novel from Amazon:
The Raven
UK: eBook
USA: eBook
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
July 30, 2021
How climate can impact the way your story evolves.
Climate is a hot topic on everyone lips at the moment, from the horrendous floods in Germany to the raging fires in Canada, the climate is not behaving as we expect. Even here in the UK the weather is more changeable than usual, (and you know how much we love talking about the weather!) veering from a scorching hot mini heatwaves to torrential rain from one day to the next. It feels like we have our own monsoon!
We all react differently to the weather and the changing seasons. We even had favourite seasons – when they used to be distinct and reliable.
When world building, the expectation is that the world will behave predictably dependent on how you set it up, how many suns or moons do you have? How does the planet rotate? How much water covers the surface? The pull and push on your world should follow scientific expectations, and if not then you need to have a good reason for it that you can explain to the reader.
My world evolved as I travelled through the story. Trees were my starting point. Trees are very important in my story and my world. They stand for hundreds of years, persistent guardians of history and lore, seeing everything around them and holding it close. I wanted that longevity and sense of continuation to reflect in the Sentinals as Guardians of Remargaren.
Because I had these long lived coniferous trees, I needed a cool temperate environment with plentiful water and rich soil. The forests and timber plantations of the Watches evolved, plentiful in the west of Vespiri and petering out as they reached the hotter borders of Terolia in the east, and the parched and arid deserts.
The deserts, and the lack of resources, especially water, drove the evolution of the Familes, and the need to travel where the resources could be found. Although as knowledge of how to find and hoard water grew over time and towns and cities took root, the inherent need to move around remains, and the nomadic Families of Terolia were born.
In Sentinals Justice, we travel north, to the icy wastes of Elothia. A harsh and cold environment where it never rains, it snows. Most of the time! Here people hunker down and hibernate for the winter, only poking their noses out in the spring. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but they have to live in the cold, and tend to group together in the cities, the land is too harsh to live off of.
As you can see below, even my covers are influenced by the environment the book is set in. Book Two – Sentinals Rising is currently in the AllAuthor cover competion, you can vote for it here. (Note if you can’t log in using facebook, it is quite easy to create a reader account, and then you can vote.)
The Sentinal SeriesI’m hoping to finish book four in the Spring of 2022, where will be introduced to the mysterious Island Empire of Birtoli. The Sentinals don’t remember Birtoli being islands, it used to be joined to the mainland so what happened? Expect turquoise seas and white sands and plenty of adventure.
Just for a bit of fun I created a quiz to see where you would live in Remargaren. Complete the quiz and see which country you hail from. Let me know on twitter or Instagram, or on my facebook page using the hashtag #Sentinals.
Complete QuizNovella o.5: Sentinals Stirring (Free if you sign up to my newsletter.)
Book One: Sentinals Awaken
Book Two: Sentinals Rising
Book Three: Sentinals Justice (Preorder-Available September 7th)
Book Four: Name to be announced. (Spring 2022)
Less than 2 days left!! – Please vote for Sentinals Rising
They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you like the cover of my book, Sentinals Rising: Book Two of the Sentinal series, please vote for it in the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!
The voting is really tight and every vote counts in the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor! I need as much support from you guys as possible. Please take a moment to vote for my book cover here:
Thank you!
Book Two of the Sentinal SeriesNovella o.5: Sentinals Stirring (Free if you sign up to my newsletter.)
Book One: Sentinals Awaken
Book Two: Sentinals Rising
Book Three: Sentinals Justice (On Preorder-Available September 7th)
July 24, 2021
Author Interview – Katharine Ann Melton
Fantasy author Katharine Ann Melton released her debut urban fantasy novel Behind The Mirage on October 12th, 2020, (the day after I released my first novel. Almost book twins! )Welcome Katharine, thank you for joining me to talk about your debut novel. Tell us about Behind The Mirage.
Katherine: My book is Urban Fantasy. It is about an assassin that is given the most important job of her life: enter modern day Greece and assassinate Zeus to stop him from destroying mankind. If that isn’t hard enough, she has to juggle an unwanted proposal from Oberon her king, the threat of war and the realization that Zeus was responsible for the death of her parents. When she crosses into the human realm, she realizes that she isn’t the only one hunting Zeus. She is quickly confronted with uneasy alliances, vengeful gods, unsolved murders and the occasional malevolent portal to another world.
Helen: How did you come up with the name of your book?
Katharine: The title of my book ‘Behind the Mirage’ started out as a different name. I started writing the book over 20 years ago and it went through so many changes. Character names, traits, locations. The original title is closely related to the final title, but I just didn’t like the original. To me, it felt like I didn’t put to much thought into it.
Helen: I love the cover, how did you come up with the design?
Katharine: Since the book’s location is Greece, I wanted to make sure it was presented in the cover so the reader will be automatically transported there. I wanted my main character on the cover, but I didn’t want her face to be shown because I want readers to create her features in their mind. The cover turned out better then I had ever imagined. I believe it really showcases what the book is about.
Helen: It truly is a lovely cover. What made you choose to write this novel?
Katharine: Writing has been a part of my life since I was very young. I am not really sure what made me start, I just had so many stories to tell in my head that I needed to get them on paper. I would start out by writing scenes, maybe write a sentence or two about just different things. My mom has kept everything I have ever written since I could write. It all started as a hobby, never thinking I would actually write a book. I used to write screenplays, and then I wanted to turn one of them into a novel and that’s how the book started out.
Helen: Congratulations on finishing and publishing the book. Which character did you enjoy writing the most?
Katharine: I of course enjoyed writing my main character because I wanted a strong female lead that knew how to handle herself in different situations. A personality that the readers could relate to. I also enjoyed writing Hades; God of the Underworld. He is very sarcastic, he only helps when it benefits him, self-assured, blunt. I enjoyed writing his personality.
Photo by David Ramírez on UnsplashHelen: The Greek gods and myths are a great source of ideas and characters, how else do you find ideas to write about?
Katharine: This varies. I have gotten ideas by just looking at an object and developing a story around it. I have ideas from reading other books too, and even tv shows.
Helen: Tell us a little about your working process, do you enjoy listening to music whilst you write?
Katharine: I do. It is a mix from pop, to old school hip hop, to classic rock. Sometimes I will listen to a song while I am writing a scene because it helps me to visualize the scene better. There are most times that I write with the tv on too.
Helen: Thank you for chatting with me today, it’s been great learning about your novel. If you didn’t write urban fantasy what genre would like to try and write?
Katharine: If I didn’t write Urban Fantasy, I would like to try writing horror or sci-fi. I have started working on other projects because I never run out of ideas for stories. One story is horror/sci-fi that I write when I have writers block in my current project. I also would like to write a thriller novel. I believe you can write whatever genre you want; don’t limit yourself to one.
About the Author:
I grew up in Northern California and moved to the Washington DC metro area about 13 years ago. When I am not searching for new locations for my books, I am spending time with my friends and family. My book Behind the Mirage is the first book in a new series.
You can find more about Katharine via:
You can purchase Katharine’s novel from Amazon:
Behind The Mirage
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
July 20, 2021
Book Review Alert: Firebrand by Brandi Gann
Reviewed: July 20th, 2021
Released: February 27th, 2021
Genre: YA/NA Fantasy
Nineteen-year-old Aleria Edlind has always known that her fire would make her a valiant Lady Fayharrow, but when all that she loves burns to the ground, that spark inside must carry her through its ashes.
Firebrand is a YA fantasy romance that whisks readers off into a world of adventure, whimsy, and burning tension as Aleria collides with a group of fae warriors desperately searching for the cure to an ancient curse. When our spitfire heroine seems to be the key to unlocking those answers, she finds herself in a new land with new politics and a new man pretending not to steal glances in her direction.
Strap in for a magical tale with a little heat and a whole lot of heart as Brandi Gann weaves words as beautifully brassy and brazen as her protagonist. An entertaining, unassuming read to cozy up with at a time when we all need a little escape. Read More…
July 18, 2021
Book Review Alert: Camelot Crumbles by Helen Savore
Reviewed: July 17th, 2021
Released: September 16th, 2020
Genre: Arthurian Fantasy
Moralynn’s life was all planned out
… But not her death.
Moralynn was conceived for one purpose: to become a powerful enough druid to succeed Merlin.
When the Fae brag of destroying Camelot, Moralynn escapes home to find it alive, but transformed.
Why is Lancelot King?How did Arthur become a druid?Since when is she betrothed to Galahad?Druids are dying, but before she can solve the mystery she awakens days earlier, in someone else’s body. As Moralynn investigates how to save this Camelot she must resist temptation to surrender to each person she inhabits.
How many times can she witness Camelot Crumble before madness takes her? Read More…
July 16, 2021
Author Interview – C.A Bleu
Joining me today is YA fantasy author C.A Bleu who released her debut fantasy novel The Trinity Ring on June 1st! Welcome Cindy, congratulations on publishing your first book. Such an achievement; I am so excited for you. Please tell us a little about your novel.
Cindy: Zara Trinity was ready to find her place in the world, but she never thought she would have the power to change it.
Her eighteenth birthday brings betrayal and family secrets to the surface that threaten to overwhelm her as she learns to wield her new powers.
Losing her mother at a young age Zara was raised by her guardian Aaron. As the leader of the Protectors of the Trinity, Aaron had sworn an oath to protect her. He regretted his role in the secrets he kept, but knew it was necessary for the prophecy.
Being hunted by Dimitri, an assassin she never expected to have feelings for leads Zara down an unexpected path. Holding the fate of Humanity in her hands will she be strong enough to withstand the tests ahead?
Helen: The Trinity Ring is your debut novel. What made you put pen to paper and write a book?
Cindy: I have worked in hospice over 15 years and about 6 or 7 years ago I decided to start journaling as an outlet. I kept feeling that I just needed to write, but I never thought I would actually write a book…I began writing about life, but gradually it changed to this story… over the years and after many edits it has evolved to The Trinity Ring.
Helen: Congratulations on completing your book. Writing can certainly be an escape from the daily pressures. You have a unique cover. How did you come up with the deisgn?
Cindy: For my cover I reached out to a local University of Tennessee art student. She read my book and then did an original painting of Zara Trinity. Bri Mckamey photographed her painting and created my book cover. She is still in art school at UT and this is her first book cover she has done.
Helen: How wonderful. Original art makes your book even more special. It is a lovely picture. Which character did you enjoy writing the most?
Cindy: Great question! I actually think I may have enjoyed writing about Dimitri the most. I think there is so much that he goes through that really connects all humanity. Grief, faith, self doubt these things know no boundaries. Both Dimitri and Zara go through a lot of change and self growth throughout this story and I think many people may be able to relate to some of it.
Helen: I saw from your bio that you work full time, and you are working on a second novel which is great news! How do you fit writing into your life?
Cindy: This is tough sometimes. I often write early in the mornings before the rest of the house begins to wake. Usually it is on the weekends and I love to sit on the back porch when writing.
I am a hospice social worker, I began with journaling…I never set out to write a book…let alone publish one… but it was my niece and daughter who one day looked at me asking why I wasn’t going to publish. As I looked at them I realized I had written about a strong female character battling self doubt and trying to be brave. How could I not show the women in my family the same courage. So for them, and myself, I decided to take the leap and publish. I wanted to show my daughter and niece that through our fears we can show our greatest strength.
Photo by Aaron Burden on UnsplashHelen: How do you come up with the ideas for your books?
Cindy: This is the first book I have written and in this process the words just flowed. If felt like this story just came to life and needed to come out. The final printed book has many changes from my first draft, but getting that first draft out seemed to have a mind of its own as if poured out of me. Many parts of this book came from my own personal feelings and experiences having lost my mother at a young age as well.
Helen: I think what we experience in life must come though in our writing, you of course inherently write what you know, but it also colours other aspects as well. A long time ago I did a degree in Politics and International Relations, and I have a feeling that may influnce my world building! We just spice it up with a LOT more action and adventure! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. As a debut author just completing a book, what advice would you give to aspiring writers.
Cindy: I would tell new writers to just keep writing. Someone out there needs to read what you have written. Self-doubt creeps in, but just remember that your story will likely touch someone else out there in a time and place that they need to hear it. We are writing for a reason…whether it is to positively impact someone else’s life or to allow someone a way to escape the day-to-day routine.
About the Author:
Currently living in East Tennessee, I love being surrounded by the mountains and being in nature in general. After growing up in Ohio, I moved to Tennessee to play soccer in college. With my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work I have been working in hospice these past fifteen years. As an outlet for self care, many years ago I decided to start writing. Journaling a few minutes each day gradually turned in to so much more. I never planned on publishing a book and likely may not have taken that step if not for the encouragement from my family and friends! Keep shining your light everyone!
You can find more about Cindy via:
You can order’s Cindy’s novel from Amazon and find it on Kindle Unlimited:
The Trinity Ring
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
