Jami Gray's Blog, page 31

And you’re doing this why?

Although I’m out on the road with Knight and the Prankster Duo visiting Grandma’s House, over the hills and through the snow, I wanted to share a very short blog post with you all.  Plus, I have to let you all know that the awesome Faith Hunter, author of the Jane Yellowrock novels will be visiting us next week, so mark your calendars and come help us welcome her to our lovely and slightly noxious Swamp!

While we traveled over the roads and pathways, I began to ponder some of the reasons behind the “why”s of my fourth of novel. Things in the Kyn world are a bit unsettled at the end of Shadow’s Moon, so now we have to fill in the blanks.  One of the things I’ve learned from the first three books, as the writer you best know the “why”s behind the story.  Why are your characters acting this way, why do they need to address these questions, why are they doing what they’re doing, why, why?

Once you have an idea of the answer, then you can start your story.  I know where I want to start the fourth book, I know who the main characters are, I know what problems they are going to face, I know why they act the way they do, but this time, I need to know what they’re going to do to solve these problems and why.

Character motivation and character evolution is critical to a good story. Your characters, especially in a series, have to continue to grow and evolve. Not just in an emotional sense, but in the challenges they face and how they triumph over said challenges. Sounds easy, right? It’s not.  For me, my characters have become real people, and rarely does a person have just one reason behind why they do something.  There are always a multitude of factors involved no matter how complex or simple our decisions. Getting this across in our writing, that’s true talent.

For the writers out there, how do you figure out your character motivations? Do you do interviews, use worksheets, just know because your crystal ball has fantastic reception? I’d love to hear.

For readers out there, how complex do you like your characters? Do you enjoy it when there are multiple factors playing part in their decisions and actions or do you like things straightforward and simple? Share, please.

Since I have to pay attention to the road as I’m the one in control of the vehicle, I guess I’ll let you go until next week.  Remember, Faith Hunter is coming, so make time and visit with us!

Wicked

Querying the impossible Query…

Yep, no hiding now. It’s on to a brief discussion on queries.  The query is a loathsome beast, not as dreaded as the Synopsis, but a close runner up. Now, you can go out and google all sorts of interesting information on creating the perfect query, or what goes into a query.  I’m not so sure there’s such an animal as “the perfect query”.  Regardless it is a very vital part of the whole getting yourself published process.

Let’s look at what this little nugget is suppose to do for you.  The main purpose of a query is to SNAG THE ATTENTION of the person reading it.  You want that editor/agent/pub house to gasp in delighted shock and think “OMG! I MUST HAVE THIS STORY!” After which, they rush to their phone/email and quickly demand more.  That’s a realistic expectation, right?  Um, yeah time to re-evaluate here.

No matter how great your story is, I can almost guarentee those you’re looking to impress have already seen it. Discouraging though that may sound, it’s truth. But here’s the good part of that.  From talking to agents/editors and reading numerous articles, you must not give up hope.  A unique voice,  a new twist on an old idea, an intriguing story…all of these are still in demand.

Now you have to get your query to stand out.  Don’t put it on tie-dye paper, drench it in some sweetly sick smelling perfume, have a singing stripper deliver it to the agent/editor’s office (though they may enjoy the show and remember you, they may also seek a restraining order).  Instead, make sure the very first line, aka your hook, sinks its barbed teeth in deep and won’t let them wiggle off your snare.  Make that first line exciting, intriguing, something that will leave whoever is reading it, wanting more.  Even more important, make sure it stays true to your writing and the story. If you’re doing a humorous mystery, it could be “Thanks to the dark and stormy night, there was no avoiding the vat of syrup that turned Millie’s life into a sticky situation.”

Yes, I’m highly aware of how corny that sounds, but you get the point. Besides, there is really no way to write a great hook in less than thirty seconds.  Although, now that I’ve written that, this story could go places…

Never mind, back to our point–query writing. As hard as it is to create, you need

Hook
Your blurb–this is how you keep your query quarry’s attention.  You tell them what your story is, who’s involved, what’s at stake and leave them wondering…will they succeed or not?
Your book info–this means title, word count, genre, is it stand alone or one in a possibly series?
Your publishing credentials.  Now, if you haven’t published before, have you been nominated for any awards, even if it’s in non-fiction writing, list it.  Won any contests? Tell them.  If you’re published, you know the drill–titles, publisher, and when.
Something unique about you–think one line bio.  Set yourself apart, but don’t lie.  Everyone has that one thing that’s just them. For me–I live in a testosterone household with three Star Wars geeks and a 100 lb. lab–find yours and use it.
Contact information–they need to get ahold of you to get more of your story, so make sure you give them every available chance–email, mailing address, phone number and your name.
Be polite–thanking them for taking the time to review your request, not only is it nice (and my momma made sure I understood politeness) but think about it, aren’t you grateful they did take the time?

There you have, the basics of a query letter.  Now comes the fun part–hit that send button and get your story out there. No one will be able to appreciate your wonderfulness if you don’t share it.  Take a chance, risk a little and the rewards might be more than you hoped for!

Best of luck, guys!

Squishing it all together…

I promised last week to cover the dreaded synopsis challenge every writer is forced to endure once they’ve completed their novel.  As far as I’m concerned, writing a synopsis is a hell of a lot harder than writing the damn book.  Seriously, you’re expected to squish 350 pages into 5….3 5 0   down to  5.  Do you see the problem here? Besides the fact that 350 has three placeholders and 5, a lonely one?  Yeah, it’s enough to make you want to spike your coffee with cynanide.

As much as I highly dislike this part of the querying process, there is no escaping it.  Really.  Just go out and look at any submission policies from any publishing house or agency.  I guarentee somewhere in that long list of how to send in your stuff will be the word “synopsis”.

It sounds simple enough.  Tell us what your book is about in 2-5 pages.  Ummm, can’t you just read it? Please?  (The whine factor here is off the charts, by the way.)  The honest answer is–no.  Agents and acquiring editors are inundated with queries every hour of every day.  I think the synopsis is a test of sorts.  How well do you know your story? Do you know the most important, intriquing parts of the story? Enough to hook someone into joining your fictional world in 2-5 pages?  If you do, you’re ahead of the game.  If you don’t, you’re about to find out.

Granted queries are suppose to be the first step to snagging someone’s attention, but once you have it, you want to keep it on you.  We’re not greedy, but we do want them to read what we’ve written.  They’re not going to want to come on the journey unless you have a clear path laid out with lovely cakes and pasteries (versus Hansel & Gretel’s breadcrumbs), so that before they realize it, they have completed the journey with you.   This is why your synopsis is so huge. 

How do you get it down? You have to mill down your story to the bones.  If you use Scrivner, it’s a bit easier. Just use the corkboard layout and if you’ve done it right you have a one to two sentence outline for each chapter.  If you’re Scrivner-less, you get to do the same thing.  Remember, high points here.  You don’t need to go into the fact your hero/heroine ate a blueberry muffin, spilled her coffe that made her late for work if what really happened was that by being late for work your hero/heroine walks into a robbery in progress. 

Remember, you’ve already written the story, now, you want to tell the major points.  Adjectives are not necessary, long descriptions are best kept in your manuscript, but you’re a writer so make sure your voice comes through.  Not every little event needs to be detailed, the big ones that impact the ending, those need to be shared.  Here’s the thing, a query doesn’t answer all the questions because you want them to go read your book.  A synopsis will set up the world, your characters, your overall plot and answer all the questions. And it does it, in a logical fashion–no jumping from scene to scene like a hyper Mexican jumping bean.

The best advice I can share: just sit down, write out your book as if someone asked you, “So what’s your book about.”  Don’t work about formatting, etc., just answer that question.  When you’re done, it won’t be pretty by all the necessary points should be there. Then you can go back and polish it up. 

Those who’ve survived the synopsis trials, please, please share how you managed to survive!

Remembering the little details…

Yes, I realize I missed my Thursday post with my fellow dwarves. Nope, I have absolutely no excuse. Unless you count the fact that sleep decided it wasn’t being appreciated enough and left me in a snit about two weeks ago.  Damn drama queen.  Now I figure out how to lure it back.  In the meantime, I took over Saturday’s spot on the 7ED site to play catch up.  On my blog, no one will notice…

I promised we’d get back to some basics on writing, so now that Shadow’s Moon is out propositioning some very nice people at the pub houses, let me clue you in on something I knew, but had slammed home recently.  When writing a series, it’s very important to be able to remember the little details.  You know, things like hair color, eye color, height, gender, where someone lives, what their favorite food is, what they drive, who their parents are…the little things.  It’s all those little things that make or break your world over numerous books.

Readers are some of the most intelligent, eagled eyed people out there. If you tell them your character is blonde, blue-eyed, lives in the city, drives a sports car and prefers chocolate over caviar (like who doesn’t?), and then somewhere down the line she’s puttering around in the suburbs, eating caviar and driving a Jeep, there will be issues. I promise you.  So how does a writer keep track of all these little things? Especially as they are constantly refining their worlds and characters?

The answer is…a series bible.

Now, when I started Shadow’s Edge, I had the beginnings of a bible for the series. Of course it was scattered around my office and filing cabinets masquerading as scribbles on notebook paper, more scribbles on post-its (a vital component of any office), even more scribbles on the back of restaurant receipts with coffee stains.  By the time I finished the first book, I managed to gather my loose little notes into one central area. Then I was off to write Shadow’s Soul. When I spent more time trying to verify something about a character of one of the Kyn Houses than actually writing the scene, it was time to put it all together.  But, first I had to finish the book.

So Shadow’s Soul done and out into the world, Shadow’s Moon was well underway and my notes were still an unruly pile in need of some serious discipline. It may have taken a few discussions (read-heated debates) among the Evil 7, but it was glaringly obvious if I wanted to win some of my points, I better have proof that I really did have that character doing that before.  This meant the last two weeks, on top of query letters and synopsis creation (which we’ll try to address next week), I finally buckled down to get all those pesky details in order.

What exactly goes into a Series Bible, you may ask…my answer, after many hours trolling the internet and talking to other writers: Whatever you feel is vital to your world. 

With that lovely open to interpretation answer, I will share what is in mine and you can discard or copy what ever tickles your fancy.

CHARACTER PROFILES:  this includes all the vital stats on your characters–physical, emotional, background, who they’re linked to and how, images (there’s fun to be had doing an internet search entitled: hot brunette males), where they live, what they drive, how the dress, personal ticks/habits, job position, etc. 

LIST OF MINOR CHARACTERS:  I went book by book and anyone I mentioned by name went on this list, along with the notation DEAD if they didn’t survive.  You never know when one of these names comes back and takes over.

WORLD HISTORY:  this includes world rules on how your world works, the history of its creation and they way your current world interacts/ed with others.  In mine, I have a breakdown for each of the four houses of the Kyn, the governing structure, magic rules for each race, some history behind each of them, strengths/weaknesses of each race (physical/emotional), territory division for the Shifters and who runs which packs, glossary.  This is a huge section and you can break it down further if it helps.

PLACES/LOCATIONS:  a list of all the bars, restaurants, businesses, homes that are in each book and how they’re linked to the characters.  Someday I’ll have maps too!

BLURBS: from each book.  Here’s a great way to get a jump on your query, write your own blurb for your book.

SYNOPSIS: from each book, anywhere from 1-5 pages.  You’ll need these.

SERIES ARC:  This is important as it helps you see where each title will fall under your major plot, and how each title will help move it along.

NOVEL PLOTS:  self-explanatory–plots for each book, at least how they start out. They never end up the same.

SHORTS:  this is a list of ideas I will someday brave in my attempts to master the short story.

There is a massive amounts of opinions on what should be in your series bible, plus quite a few free worksheets if you want them, but I found this is what works best for me.  It allows me to keep it all straight and not lose sight of my overall story.

So for those who’ve stuck this out to the end–add your suggestions to what should be in a series bible!

Off to a running start…

Whew! So far we’ve been running around like decapitated chickens!  The year started off with a huge bang with Kevin Hearne’s visit, but was then quickly followed by the  whirlwind of the Blogger Book Fair. Then, because that wasn’t enough, we had the MRFW Bloghop nipping at our heels. But, now it’s back to just me!

Time to catch you all up on the happenings.

SHADOW’S SOUL won First place in the Paranormal category for the 2013 Shooting Star Contest. I was told I’d get a nifty badge for my website, so as soon as I get it, I shall post away. There’s suppose to be a trophy as well.  If that’s true, I’ll take a picture and post so you can share the “Oooohhh/aaaawwww” moment with me.

I was humbled by my nomination for Blogger of the Year by The Book Boost.  The results should be in on Valentine’s Day, so hopefully we’ll get to add this to our list of accomplishments!

SHADOW’S MOON is now out and about in the query world in search of new home, so I’ll keep you posted on what happens there.

Want to spend an exciting hour on Twitter? Then come join me and the awesome Lynn Rush for a Twitter Party on February 20th at 8 pm Eastern time.  We’d love to hear from you and hope you’ll make it.

Thanks to Snarky, I will be making a regular appearance at Castles and Guns each month with posts, so come keep me company and add  in your opinions so I have someone to talk to, besides the voice in my head.  My first post goes up on March 4th!

Don’t forget to check out my Guest Post and Blog page for all my upcoming guests. We have some really awesome authors coming in the next few months so mark the dates!

Now that we’re all caught up, we’ll return to our normal programming next week…

Until then…be good (but not too good!).

Welcome to FIRSTS with #MFRWBLOGHOP

Marketing For Romance Writers Bloghop:  Firsts!  Feb. 10-13, 2013

The theme is “Firsts” — the first kiss, the first love, the first loss, whatever is first in the story. Join us for three days of fun excerpts, contests, and giveaways. Details about giveaways are on each author’s site.

Just click the ribbon and follow the trail. The ribbon will lead you through the entire hop. Get off anywhere you like. Explore, browse, check out other sites. When you come back to this page, or click the link on any of the authors’ sites, you’ll go to the next spot in your individual trail. How? It’s magic! (Okay, it’s really technology, but we’re authors, and we enjoy make believe. ^_^ Don’t you?)

 Plus since it’s my first Bloghop, I’ll give one lucky commenter a free e-copy of SHADOW’S EDGE.  Just make sure you leave your email with your comment and I’ll announce a winner on February 15th! 

And to add to the First Theme–here’s a fun list:

First Drive in Movie:   Star Wars with a double feature of Cars

First car:  1985 two door Chevette

First crush:  Harrison Ford (come on, Han Solo had it all!)

First written work:  It will never see the light of day, but I will say it was a  young adult fantasy along the lines of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising (the book, not the lame movie called The Seeker)

First Sci-Fi series:  On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony

First Romance book:  A Rose In Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss

First Urban Fantasy: Circus of the Damned by Laurell Hamilton

First Romantic Suspense:  The Wind Dance by Iris Johansen

First Comic Con: 2012 in Phoenix (better late than never)

First concert:  Depeche Mode Violator 1990

So now it’s your turn, share some of your unusual/unique “firsts”!

 

 

Everyone fears what hunts in the shadows—especially the monsters…

It takes a monster to hunt one, and for Raine McCord, forged in the maelstrom of magic and science, she’s the one for the job. In a world where the supernatural live in a shadowy existence with the mundane, a series of disappearances and deaths threatens the secrecy of her kind and indicates someone knows the monsters are alive and kicking.  Partnering up with the sexy and tantalizing Gavin Durand proves to be a challenge as dangerous as the prey she hunts.

When the trail points back to the foundation which warped Raine’s magic as a child, her torturous past raises its ugly head.  Gavin and Raine sift through a maze of lies, murder and betrayal to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

AMAZON    B&N    BLACK OPAL    SMASHWORDS

Bloggers Book Fair Guest: @katelutter

Time to introduce another wonderful new author on our Bloggers Book Fair event! Ladies and germs, may I present, Kathleen Lutter and her debut contemporary romance novel:  WILD POINT ISLAND.  

Blurb:

      Banished from Wild Point Island as a child, Ella Pattenson, a half human-half revenant, has managed to hide her true identity as a descendent of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.  Thought to have perished, the settlers survived but were transformed into revenants–immortal beings who live forever as long as they remain on the island. 

      Now, Ella must return to the place of her birth to rescue her father from imprisonment and a soon to be unspeakable death.  Her only hope is to trust a seductive revenant who seems to have ties to the corrupt High Council.  Simon Viccars is sexy and like no man she’s ever met. But he’s been trapped on the island for 400 years and is willing to do almost anything for his freedom.

      With the forces of the island conspiring against her, Ella must risk her father, her heart, and her life on love.   

Intrigued? Then read on with this exciting excerpt from Wild Point Island…

My hands began to sweat. I wiped them on my skirt. “I should be going.” I grabbed my pocketbook.

  “What about your sister?”

  I faced the cold, hard truth. “She won’t come. I made a mistake in showing up here. She hates the island and everything it stands for. I should have known better than to invite her here. To get her approval for something I must do.”

  “Do you need her permission to come to the island?” Simon stood, blocking my exit.

  I’d let him into my thoughts, and was it my imagination, or did he now know things he couldn’t possibly know?

  “How do you know I need to go to the island?”

  “You will do it because of your father.”

  I froze. Yes, all of this was about my father, but how could he have known that? “What do you know about my father?”

  “You feel compelled to help him. Because you feel responsible for what happened.”

  “How do you know that?”

  He stood so close to me I could feel his breath on my cheeks. “You were thinking about him while I was inside your head. I am sorry. I invaded your privacy. Now I have obviously upset you.”

  “I’m not used to being with a revenant. It’s different. It’s a lot to absorb so quickly.”

  “I understand.” He stepped aside as if he were deliberately letting me go so I could walk away and, perhaps, never see him again. It was the prudent thing to do, but I didn’t move.

  “Ella, I would like to see you again.”

  “See me again?”

  “If it were possible.”

  Simon was a revenant, and by their very nature they were dual creatures. During the day they relinquished their physical form, but when they took on flesh, they did it completely. Like now. And they were bound to live on the island. Could I have a relationship with him? My heart quivered.

  I didn’t mean to, but I sighed. “You live on the island and your time off is very limited.”

  “Yes.”

  “You age when you come off the island, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” But he persisted as if all that didn’t matter. “Would it please you to see me again?”

  I smiled. “It would please me very much.” But was it possible?

  He leaned in. “May I?”

  I wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but I nodded.

  He touched my hair, running his fingers through the strands as if he were caressing delicate gold filaments. “When I look in your eyes, I see reflected there the life you have lived, the places you have been to.”

  I heard regret, the sad awareness that he hadn’t seen all those places I could travel to on a whim, places he’d been kept from.

  I reached out. The tips of my fingers skimmed his cheek, feeling the rough, uneven day’s growth of beard.

  Here I was touching him. For the first time in my life I wanted someone. I felt desire. Despite the taboos that existed, I wanted him.

  I leaned closer, arched on my toes, and in the fullness of need and want, not knowing how he would react, I kissed him.

Kate Lutter  (biography)

     Kate Lutter believes she was born to write. She wrote her first novel when she was in eighth grade, but then almost burned her house down when she tried to incinerate her story in the garbage can because she couldn’t get the plot to turn out right. Now, many years later, she lives in NJ with her husband and five cats (no matches in sight) and spends her days writing contemporary paranormal romances, traveling the world, and hanging out with her four wild sisters. She is happy to report that her debut novel, Wild Point Island, the first in a series, has just been published by Crescent Moon Press. She is busy writing the sequel and her weekly travel blog entitled Hot Blogging with Chuck, which features her very snarky and rascally almost famous cat.

Contact Information:

   Website: www.katelutter.com

   Facebook: www.facebook.com/katelutternovelist

   Blog spot: www.katelutter.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/katelutter

   Email: katelutter.author@gmail.com

   Buy Links:  AMAZON   BARNES AND NOBLE

#BBF Introducing Author: Cindy Young Turner

Ok my wonderful Swamp followers, time to introduce you to another Blogger Book Fair participant and great author, Cindy Young-Turner!  One lucky commenter will win a free electronic copy of her two books, Thief of Hope and Journey to Hope.

As children we tend to have an idea of what we want to be by the time we’re ten.  Before you decided to pursue the artistic dream of being a writer, what did you want to be and why?

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a very long time, but I also went through an astronaut phase. I think it was because of my love of Star Wars. It was so amazing when Sally Ride was the first woman in space (yeah, I’m probably dating myself here).

If your character(s) came with a warning label, what would it say?

For Sydney it would be like the line in Mary Poppins: Extremely stubborn and suspicious. Also: prone to reacting without thinking about consequences for others.

Personally, I tend to be a bit on the introverted side so the thought of being in the actual presence of one of my favorite writers makes my heart race, my knees shake and tangles my tongue (yes classic fan girl behavior).  Who could reduce you to such a level and how do you imagine your initial meeting?

Probably Neil Gaiman. He’s like the rock star god of authors. And he has that dreamy British accent. I heard him speak at a book festival once but wasn’t willing to get up early and wait in the incredibly long line to have him sign my book. I’m an introvert as well. If I met him face to face I’d just stammer and gush about how much I love Neverwhere and Sandman.

Many writers have that first novel which will never see the light of day. Out of curiosity, do you have one stashed somewhere?  Inquiring minds want to know: what was  your first attempt at writing and how old were you?

I was about 11 when I started writing my grand SF epic story of a family torn apart by war when Earth is invaded by aliens. The main character was a 12-year-old boy who is taken prisoner and then escapes with the help of an odd neighbor kid accused of stealing the plans to the enemy’s space station. Or something like that. It had plot lines galore and it ripped off was inspired by my love of Star Wars and GI Joe. I still have the handwritten printed pages in a three ring binder. If I ever get famous I told my husband he can sell it on ebay.

Blades, guns, fists or feet?

Blades. I like swords but I would be useless with one.

Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?

Beauty and the Beast

Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?

Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, Wizard and Glass by Stephen King, and Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Greatest one liner of all time?

“Evacuate, in our moment of triumph?” (Bonus points if you can name the movie)

Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?

Sarcastic witticism

Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?

A D&D figurine of a thief. It’s my writing mascot. And yes, I painted it myself.

Favorite supernatural creature?

Vampire. The kind that don’t sparkle.

Want more? Then check out Cindy’s awesome books!

Thief of Hope

Sydney, a street urchin and pickpocket in the town of Last Hope, has managed to evade the oppressive Guild for years, but there is no escaping fate when she’s sentenced to death for associating with the resistance.

After she’s rescued by a wizard, Sydney is forced to accept that magic—long outlawed throughout the Kingdom of Thanumor—still exists, and the Tuatha, a powerful faery folk, are much more than ancient myth and legend. When the wizard offers a chance to fight the Guild and bring Willem, bastard prince and champion of the Tuatha, to the throne, Sydney embraces the cause as a way to find her own redemption.

But Sydney’s fear of the Guild, distrust of authority, and surprising connection to the Tuatha threaten Willem’s success. Can she untangle the strange threads that entwine her life not only to the fate of the kingdom, but also to Willem himself?

Buy links: Amazon |Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Journey to Hope

A brief tale in the Thief of Hope Series

As the third son of a lesser nobleman, Edgar Gray’s prospects are limited at best. He longs to find some meaning in a life of privilege. A chance encounter with Rose, a peasant girl, gives him a chance to help those in need. But the Guild has spread to Tipton Village, and unrest is brewing among the villagers. Edgar and Rose are torn between love, duty, and loyalty to family, and the rise of the Guild threatens to destroy Edgar’s very way of life.

In a land where magic is outlawed, both a wizard and the faery folk have taken an interest in Edgar. Sometimes there is no escaping destiny, but even sacrifice can lead to hope.

Buy link: Amazon Kindle

Cindy Young-Turner has always been an avid reader and became fascinated by mythology and Arthurian legends at an early age. She quickly decided she enjoyed creating her own worlds and characters and set to work writing her own stories. She believes genre fiction can be just as well written and valuable as literature. The universal themes of love, hate, revenge, and redemption are present regardless of whether our characters live in the distant future, on other planets, or in fantastical realms.

Links:

Website: http://www.cindyyoungturner.com

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Get your free book! Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1), a Young Adult Fantasy Adventure by S. M. Boyce

We’ve made it to day two of the Bloggers Book Fair. Today, my loyal Swamp folk, we are going to enjoy some excerpts from some truly exceptional authors! 

First up: S.M. Boyce

Hey beautiful people! You should really check out Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1). Fans of  The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon should really enjoy this modern twist on the classic epic fantasy genre. This is a really unique tale with a lot of imagery to it. An excerpt is below.

Treason (Grimoire Saga #2) is already out, and books 3 & 4 are scheduled to release in the next two years.

The best part? You can grab Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1) for free!

Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1)

Book Description

Now an international Amazon bestseller. Fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon will enjoy this contemporary remix of the classic epic fantasy genre.

—————-

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things–Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict–a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

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An Excerpt from Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1)

Thunder rumbled over Kara Magari’s head. A dark cloud churned in the sky, and her heart fell into her stomach.

She needed shelter.

A blinding bolt of moss-colored lightning flashed, striking the ground nearby. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Heat coursed through her calves, and she caught her breath. Her ears rang.

Wait. Was that lightning green?

The cliff trembled as a boom shattered the air. It began to rain. The heavy drops pelted her skin and clung to her hair as another rumble coursed along the far edge of the valley. She needed shelter, and the last place she would go in a lightning storm was up a hill.

She turned back and twisted the door’s handle, sighing with relief as it opened—unlocked. Still, as wet as it was outside and as much as she wanted a safe place to wait out the rain, she lingered on the threshold to examine the room.

Mud covered everything from the floor to the ceiling. Since there weren’t any supports to hold the roof, she couldn’t figure out how the ten-by-ten dirt shelter hadn’t caved in yet. The air within was heavy, moist with the rot of dead leaves, and her only guiding light streamed in from behind her. Roots dangled from the ceiling like stalactites reaching for the floor. The wind picked up, howling as it pelted rain against her back.

Kara tested the ground with her sneaker. The dirt floor supported her weight, so she tip-toed into the room and left the door open. Rain fell in lingering drops on the threshold before it disappeared into the growing pools of mud. She stuck her hands in her pockets and watched the raging storm outside.

A flash of dark brown blurred past her.

She jumped. A tan flicker snaked along the roof, and clumps of soil fell in sheets. She glared at the ceiling, holding her breath as the settling dust rained onto her shoes.

It had almost looked like a root moving, but that—that was crazy.

Another streak of motion raced down the opposite wall. It passed through a shaft of light, and Kara saw its pointed, wooden tip. Tiny veins sprouted from it like hairs, digging into the dirt so that it could travel.

It was a root moving.

A second spiny vine shot up from the floor and wrapped itself around her leg. It pulled. She tripped, falling into the first root as it snaked along the far wall. Dirt poured over her head, blinding her. The scent of decaying bark made her cough. The root tugged again, and she was yanked onto her hands and knees. It dragged her towards the center of the room.

A third root wrapped around her waist, and another grabbed her hand as she reached for the blade. The roots flipped her onto her back. With a bang, the door snapped shut. Her stomach churned. The floor disappeared. She fell, and the roots let go.

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About S.M. Boyce

Published fantasy author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a fiction novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

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Check out Rebecca Hamilton, Best Selling Paranormal Romance author! @inkmuse #BBF

You’re in for a treat, my Swamp readers! Here’s another wonderful new author from our Bloggers Book Fair, Rebecca Hamilton’s best selling Paranormal Romance, The Forever Girl, with an additional new novella. It’s a must add to your reading list!

Her Sweetest Downfall

Her Sweetest Downfall is a short story/novella of 30,000 words. This is not a novel/full-length read, but works as a companion novel to THE FOREVER GIRL, Rebecca Hamilton’s bestselling paranormal fantasy debut.

Ophelia’s been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck—a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can’t be ignored.

When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her worries. She’s destined to don a new mask—to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet.

What she doesn’t know—what she learns too late—is that her initiation won’t be complete until she kills the man she loves.

Set in an alternate Regency England, “Her Sweetest Downfall” is a standalone novella in the “Forever Girl” series, written as a gift to fans of the Forever Girl series.

HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, fantasy, and vampire fiction.

Click for Purchase Options! $0.99 for eBook and $5.95 for Print!

The Forever Girl

The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

“Whatever you do, fight.”

Sophia’s family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.

Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council’s way. It’s a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampire fiction, ghost stories, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.

Click for Purchase Options! $2.99 for eBook and $10.95 for Print!

Or Read Part One FREE!