Hannah L. Clark's Blog

Hey everyone! I've set up a new website and new blog! I a...

Hey everyone! I've set up a new website and new blog! I am exploring the healing power of creativity - writing, drawing painting and all things creative.

Head over to https://www.hannieclark.com and check it out. Thanks so much for following me here and I look forward to seeing you at my new website!

You can also follow me at:

https://www.youtube.com/hannieclark
https://www.instagram.com/hannieclark...
https://www.facebook.com/hannieclarkc...

Thanks!

Hannie

On A Red Lipped Whim Art

Hey everyone!

I've been MIA for a while, but it's because, aside from really enjoying the first year of my baby girl's life, I've had a fun new project going on. For the past nine months or so, I've been trying my hand at illustration, and have really enjoyed myself.



If you're interested in checking out my work, come follow me on instagram at @onaredlippedwhim . If you like what you see, you can check out my Redbubble store here, (or my clicking the icon over on the left hand side of this page), where my art is available in all sorts of different formats: on mugs, book bags, notebooks and much more!

I'd love to hear what you think!

Release Week Blitz:Memories of Ash (The Sunbolt Chronicles #2) by Intisar Khanani with Giveaway and Author Interview!!!

Hey Everyone!

So I know it's been forever since I've posted, but between a pregnancy, a move, a baby in a spica cast for three months, some health problems of my own, and well, just life, I've had a hard time getting around to it. Needless to say, I figured that if I was going to make a blogging comeback at all, my first post would have to be about something incredible if those of you who read this blog were ever going to forgive me.

And so, before I get started, may I just say I'm sorry and you're welcome. Sorry for not posting forever, and you're welcome for introducing you to one of my favorite fantasy authors of all time. Seriously you guys, she's the best, (and she's a pretty cool person in real life, too.)  Furthermore, I have yet to read a book of hers that I haven't fallen head-over-heels for. So, like I said, you're welcome.

And now, presenting Intisar Khanani and the second (and very much anticipated) book in her phenomenal Sunbolt Chronicles series. I have been waiting two years for this baby!

Please read on for excerpts, an author interview, and a very sweet giveaway. Oh, and don't forget to enter the photo contest as well.

As for me, I'm going to go finish relishing the masterpiece that is Memories of Ash. Review to come soon!




 
Hello readers! Welcome to the Release Week Blitz forMemories of Ash (The Sunbolt Chronicles #2) by Intisar KhananiFantasy lovers, this one's for you! Love magic, look no further!And you definitely need to check out the awesome giveaway found below. 
Happy Book Birthday Intisar!Let's celebrate everyone!! 
 

In the year since she cast her sunbolt, Hitomi has recovered only a handful of memories. But the truths of the past have a tendency to come calling, and an isolated mountain fastness can offer only so much shelter. When the High Council of Mages summons Brigit Stormwind to stand trial for treason, Hitomi knows her mentor won’t return—not with Arch Mage Blackflame behind the charges. Armed only with her magic and her wits, Hitomi vows to free her mentor from unjust imprisonment. She must traverse spell-cursed lands and barren deserts, facing powerful ancient enchantments and navigating bitter enmities, as she races to reach the High Council. There, she reunites with old friends, planning a rescue equal parts magic and trickery. If she succeeds, Hitomi will be hunted the rest of her life. If she fails, she’ll face the ultimate punishment: enslavement to the High Council, her magic slowly drained until she dies.

Title: Memories of Ash Series: The Sunbolt Chronicles, Book Two Author: Intisar KhananiCover Designer: Jenny ZemanekGenre: Young Adult Fantasy Release Date: May 30, 2016 Publisher: Purple Monkey PressAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo 
 
“It needs a meal,” the mage says, voice rasping, “and it won’t be me.” He yanks me off balance. I cry out, jerking away from him and lashing out with my glowstone. I manage to smack him hard across the face, but then his boot comes between my feet. For a sickening moment I teeter on the edge of the stairs.
Get back!
I barely register the words ringing in my mind before the mage shoves me, hard. I swallow a scream, throwing my arms up to shield my head as I fall. I slam down the stairs, bouncing toward the mass of tentacles.
Feet first—get your feet first!
I follow the shouted advice mindlessly, twisting my body as I come to a stop amidst a tangle of three or four great tentacles.
Don’t move.
Someone is talking inside my head, and it’s not me. Somehow, that’s almost worse than lying surrounded by the talons of a nightmare monster. Almost. 
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: 
 

The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame. When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.

See my review of Sunbolt here .

Author Interview 1) What inspires your stories?
Nothing and everything! Rather than having a single fount of inspiration, my stories usually come together as a number of observations that just sort of click together into a story. For example, I wrote a short story some time ago that came together after I spotted a For Sale sign for a rural lake cabin—I’d previously had a conversation about a friend becoming vegan and discussed composting with a colleague, and as I drove along that country highway, I found myself with a fascinating retelling of Hansel and Gretel bouncing around in my head, told from the perspective of a vegan “witch.”
2) How much are you like Hitomi?
We’re probably equally stubborn, but I suspect she’s a lot more street smart and resourceful than I am. Also, much less socially awkward. Oh, and I definitely don’t have anything to do with magic. ;-)
3) What are your three most favorite novels?
Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and possibly The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Can you tell I love my Jane Austen?
4) If you could interview one character from literature, who would it be and why?
I’m going to cop out on you here, because thinking about meeting a character sounds much rougher than meeting an author. I mean, I love certain characters, but beyond the fact that I love them, what would we talk about?  I’d so much prefer to chat with an author… I’d love tea with Tamora Pierce, for example!
5) Which of your books has been the most fun to write? Why?
Sunbolt. I actually wrote the opening sequence for it and then couldn’t find the rest of the story for a couple of years. Then, while staying overseas with my in-laws during a family illness, the story just came pouring out of me. It was exhilarating and a very needed escape from the daily stress of that time. However, we’re not going to discuss editing at all—that is the bane of my writerly existence.
6) So many authors leave an allegorical legacy through their writing. What do you hope your readers glean from your stories?
Each of my stories is very different. I find that I write best when I just write the story in my head and then go back to look for themes. When I find them, I use the editing process to develop the themes further. So, looking back at both my published and unpublished work, I can say that I see a trend towards writing about justice, compassion, and betrayal—whether personal or governmental. But that’s not in everything I write, and I expect my themes will change and develop as I move through my life.  
 

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters.Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar's current projects include a companion trilogy to Thorn, following the heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife, and The Sunbolt Chronicles, an epic series following a street thief with a propensity to play hero when people need saving, and her nemesis, a dark mage intent on taking over the Eleven Kingdoms.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Writing Gem # 16: Creative Funks and How to Shake Them

Hey Folks, 
Here is my latest Writing Gem! I've been in a creative funk lately, and these are some of the things I've been doing to try and get my creative mojo back. I hope it helps those of you who might be or may in the future experience this. 

Thanks for stopping by!

The Cobbogoth Series Blog Tour

Hey Everyone! 
Today is the first day of the Cobbogoth Series Blog Tour. We're pretty excited about this one. There's tons of inside scoops, interviews, my ideal movie cast being revealed, and even a $120 gift card being raffled off. You'll find the tour schedule below. Hope you'll join in on the fun!




Tour ScheduleHannah will be on an exciting 3-weeks tour with intriguing nice content, interviews, guest posts, reviews and more! There will also be a huge giveaway during the tour!Monday, October 26th – Page Turners – Guest Post
Tuesday, October 27th – Bewitched Bookworms – Guest Post   &  The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass – Guest Post
Wednesday, October 28th – Fire and Ice – Guest Post
Thursday, October 29th – Candace’s Book Blog – Guest Posts  &  The Perks of Being a Book Girl – Interview (Author or Character)
Friday, October 30th – Spiced Latte Reads – Interview (Author or Character)
– –
Monday, Novemer 2nd – The Page Unbound – Interview (Author or Character)
Tuesday, November 3rd – Curling Up With A Good Book – Guest Post  &  Bibliobibuli YA – Interview (Author or Character)
Wednesday, November 4th – Supernatural Snark – Interview (Author or Character)
Thursday, November 5th – Under Covers – Review with short Guest Post  &  the bookdragon – Interview (Author or Character)
Friday, November 6th – KissinBlueKaren – Review with short Guest Post
– –
Monday, Novemer 9th – Me My Shelf and I – Guest Post
Tuesday, November 10th – Good Choice Reading – Review with short Interview  &  Painted Words Reviews – Review only
Wednesday, November 11th – Reader Girls – Guest Posts
Thursday, November 12th – Cassandra M’s Place – Guest Posts & Chapter by Chapter Interview (Author or Character)
Friday, November 13th – Mundie Moms – Review with short Guest Post

Writing Gem #15: How to Make a Book Trailer

Hey Everyone!

So it has been FOREVER since I made a Writing Gem, but I'm very happy to say that today I found a little time to post one.  I hope you find it helpful!

Also, for those of you who don't know, The Lemorian Crest is now available to purchase from Amazon!!!


Thanks for stopping by!

The Lemorian Crest is Here!!

All right, everyone!  The Lemorian Crest is officially available to buy on Amazon! I'm honestly shocked that we've released it before my son heads back to school. But I suppose having a baby in the middle of the summer does slow things down a smidge.  Not complaining one bit, (I've loved every sleep-deprived minute of my new little's life) I just feel bad for those of you who have been anxiously awaiting Book 2.  To make it up to you, here is the book trailer:



So we're kicking off TLC's release this week with a blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. I hope you'll stop by these lovely book blogs and check out what they have to say about the latest installment in Norah's and James' journey. I'm most excited to hear what all of you have to say about Book 2, though. Feel free to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads, or even leave me a note on here. If you love it, please be sure to tell your friends. Word of Mouth is the best kind of marketing, especially when it's done by enthusiastic readers.  

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me to the end with The Lemorian Crest, Cobbogoth Friends!  I hope you find that the wait has been extremely worth it! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!






The Lemorian Crest Blog Tour Schedule August 24thDesert Rose Reviews                           http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com            The Hive @BTAM                              www.blackteaandmilk.co.uk                           The Best Books Ever                           http://www.thebestbooksever.com/                  I Read Indie                                         http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/       3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com           
August 25thA Night's Dream of Books                   http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/      Reading Addict                                     http://readingadd.blogspot.ro/                          Coffee Books & Aet                            http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/                   Mythical Books                                    http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/           
August 26thCrossroad Reviews                              http://www.crossroadreviews.com                  deal sharing aunt                                  http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/                The Moral Of Our Stories                    www.themoralofourstories.com                       
August 27thWishful Endings                                   http://www.wishfulendings.com/                     Kelly P's Blog                                      http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/                            The Page Unbound                              http://thepageunbound.com                             
August 28thAurelia {Lit} {Geek} {Chic}               http://aurelmedia.wordpress.com                     Around the World in Books                 http://www.aroundtheworldinbooks.ca/           Million Book Mill                                http://www.millionbookmill.blogspot.com       
Crystal's Chaotic Confessions              https://crystalschaoticconfessions.wordpress.com/ 

The Lemorian Crest Cover Reveal and Giveaway!!!

Well Folks, the day has finally come!  I've been dying to show it to you for months, and now I finally can.  So without further ado, I give you Book 2's beautiful cover, designed by Jenny at Seedlings Design Studio.  She was incredible to work with and her final design far exceeded my expectations.  I love, love, LOVE it!!!

After being raised from infancy in Boston, Mass., Noria (a.k.a Norah Lukens) has no idea what to expect upon entering New Cobbogoth, where she never would have guessed that paths of light can make you vanish; doors can lead to realms both near and far; myths and legends are actual history; a mere kiss can seal two souls as one; and, of course, a stone is never “just a stone.” Her Uncle Jack’s stories never could have prepared her for the magical and dangerous place her native realm is turning out to be. 
When the Gihara’s promises begin to crumble, her best friend and soul-mate Jamus (a.k.a. James Riley) is in more danger than ever. Then when his father Lylend abandons her to search for an ancient relic called The Lemorian Crest and she is taken captive by the very people she’s risked everything to save, Noria begins to lose faith in the Cobbogothian gods and the mission they sent her home to accomplish.

Only when a series of new friendships and loyalties are forged in the most peculiar of places, does Noria dare hope again. Hope for Jamus’ safety, for their future together, and for the survival of the entire Cobbogothian race.
The Lemorian Crest is going to be available soon!  To celebrate today's cover reveal, I'm giving away four signed copies of Uncovering Cobbogoth!  Hope you'll enter the giveaway and help me spread the word!  :-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh!  And be sure to stay tuned for next weeks trailer reveal as well as other updates.  I can't wait for you to read the second installment of Norah's journey!

The Lemorian Crest Upcoming Festivities

Hello My Friends!

So it's been a while since I've blogged.  Been a busy last few months with all the book release and baby prep going on around here.  But I wanted to give you a little update on Book 2 and let you know where we are in the whole release date process.

1) As we speak, The Lemorian Crest is with my final editor who is doing a final proof-read run through on it--you can never be too careful with grammar, people.

2) The entire cover (front and back) is nearly finished and SO beautiful.  You will all get your first glimpse of it during my cover reveal on July 7th , so stay tuned here and on social media.

3) We've also got a spectacular new trailer in the works, which you'll be able to view July 21st. 

And 4) all of that will be wrapped up with a blog tour from August 3-7th.  

So what does all of this mean?  It means, my friends, that mid-July we will have a beautiful and exciting new installment to the Cobbogoth Series for you all to read.

And you guys! *GASP!* I honestly can't tell you how happy I am with this book.  It has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life to write from beginning to end--yes, even through those grueling editing sessions--and I'm so proud of it.  (And yes again!  It has been a million times more fun to write than Uncovering Cobbogoth was.) Noria's journey and the new friends she meets along the way have evolved into so much more than I could've hoped for, and funnily enough, have seen me through some pretty rough patches in my own life.  Consequentially, they are very special to me, which is why I'm so pumped for you all to meet them!

That being said, I still have a lot of check points to meet before The Lemorian Crest is released for your reading pleasure.  In the meantime, you are more than welcome to visit our goodreads page and add The Lemorian Crest to your "to read" list. If you aren't following already, you can "Like" our Facebook page for easy updates, and pretty soon my husband or myself will be back to posting daily quotes and pics on Cobbogoth's Instagram account.  So, lots of stuff to look forward to.

All I ask is that you stay with me peeps. We are almost there, promise! :-)

Great Reads: "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman

This book was recommended via Goodreads by a  friend of mine who has impeccable taste in books. I'd been eyeing Seraphina for a while even before she recommended it, but just never got around to picking it up.  Well, since this friend's book taste and mine seem to almost always line up, I decided to try it after reading her review.

 Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. 
 
 I think this is the best YA book I've read in a long time. I liked all of the characters a lot, though sometimes they became a little confusing.  Seraphina was tough but vulnerable, and her plight was sympathetic and relatable to so many situations kids face in our world.  The dragon culture and the Goredd culture as well as the clash between them was fascinating to me.  I also loved the concept of Seraphina's mind garden, and how she had to tend it every night before going to bed.  On top of all of that, there was a very sweet love story that I felt developed naturally over the course of the book--no insta-love happening here.  And Hartman's writing?  It had several breathtaking moments, both imagery-wise and emotionally.  Truly beautiful.

As to things I didn't like? The characters in the book were a little hard to keep straight sometimes, especially during palace scenes. And it took nearly till the end of the book before I learned that Seraphina had dark hair and Kiggs had brown eyes--which is all you really ever learn about their physical features, except that they are both though to be attractive. (Not really a big deal, but I found it a little frustrating not to get a good picture of any of the characters.) I suppose the plot moved a little slow in the beginning, but with all the world building that was happening, I really didn't mind.  It gave me time to digest it and the chance to set it down and pick it back up again. And I suppose it took a little longer for Hartman's plot clues to begin working together for her, but I believe her subtly is one of her strengths--except when it comes to characters' physical features. ;-)

Anyway, I know I'm really into a book when I dream about it after reading it, and last night, my dreams were full of dragons and demi-dragons. :-)  So 5 stars goes to Seraphina!  Can't wait to read the sequel Shadow Scale coming out on March 10th!  I've already ordered my copy.

Happy reading!