Samantha Sabian's Blog, page 4

Very soon…

Website update

Just a quick note. The website has been updated to a more responsive design. I had this done when I realized the majority of people were no longer looking at the site on a computer but rather on some type of tablet or phone. Hopefully this is a little more user-friendly to those using the smaller screens.

And as an aside, Book 4, The Rival’s Concord, should be out sometime around the first of September. I will post as I get word!

Response to scathing review

As I have mentioned before, I generally don’t read my reviews and have very little idea how people react to my work unless they email me directly. However, the content of a particular review was forwarded to me, and I do feel the need to comment on it. I guess there is someone out there who found “The Sjöfn Academy” so objectionable, they referred to it as “child porn.”

Now that is a pretty serious accusation, so one I have to address directly. I was deliberately vague on the “Age of Consent” in this book for a number of reasons. First off, neither of the two races (the Ha’kan and Tavinter) in this book are human. They are longer lived and have different rates of maturity and development. In my mind, these characters are physically in the 18-22 year-old range, and the Academy is similar to a college. If you want to get very literal about it, based on the timeline of the first book, Skye is about 20 years old when she enters the Academy. But again, I was vague so people are free to have their own interpretations.

Some of the inspiration for this book was personal, when I thought back to a time in my life (again, college and early 20’s) when women who were even a year or two older than me seemed so much more mature and experienced, and that gap of even a year or two seemed a lifetime. So some of the language used is expressive of that perceived gap, and not necessarily a reflection of an actual age gap.

To put it all together, one of the fascinating things about books, far more so than any other medium, is that what a person takes out of them depends a great deal on what they took in with them. In other words, a reader will interpret my work based on their own thoughts, memories, beliefs, culture, and experiences.

So really, if you somehow thought “The Sjöfn Academy” was about children? Um, that’s on you…

And We’re Live

The Runner Thief is now available on Amazon (which has by far the most seamless distribution).

Print Version

Kindle Version

I had a lot of fun writing this one and gave myself a little leeway to get adventurous. So I hope everyone enjoys reading (and re-reading) it as much as I do.

 

Next in the Chronicles

I think this one is a lot of fun…here’s a first peek at the cover of the new book.

The Chronicles of Arianthem III

A Little Valentine’s Gift for the Fans

Just a quick update here, but I’ve got a fairly firm release date for “The Runner Thief,” which is Volume 3 in “The Chronicles of Arianthem,” and I believe it will be out on February 12, 2014.

I will post updates and cover art as soon as I have them, but this seems a done deal, so something to read with your loved one on Valentine’s Day (or really, by yourself, who cares). So enjoy!

Answers to some fun questions

So I’ve been getting a lot of fan mail and thought I would address a few of the questions I’ve seen a couple of times now that were particularly fun. The first one has been asked different ways, but it can be summarized as “Which character are you most attracted to or is your ideal?” Now that’s a tough question on the surface because really, you have some pretty fabulous women in these stories. But in reality, it’s not tough for me at all. The one who is closest to my ideal, without a doubt, is the dragon, Weynild, aka Talan.

From a very young age, I was attracted to this archetype. In fact, I can remember watching Disney cartoons and being pretty blasé about both the hero and heroine, but the minute Maleficent, or some similar character came on screen I was mesmerized. So Weynild is a very enjoyable character to write for, and I’m looking forward to when Hel really gets into the story.

The second question that I enjoyed thinking about was, “What is your favorite scene in the books thus far?” Now that is a much harder question because there are so many scenes that I really love, and so many that just make me laugh out loud every time I read them. But the one I go back to time-and-again (slight spoiler here) is when Lifa is standing before the Queen and Halla says, “They’re not, they’re not exclusive, are they?” It is such a simple line but says more about Ha’kan culture in a few words of dialogue than could be said in paragraphs of description.

So there you have it. Keep writing and sending me questions, and feel free to post your own responses about the scenes and characters you love. I’d enjoy hearing them.

A few words on initial reactions

First and foremost, thank you for all of the kind emails and messages. I think, like many writers, I am hyper-sensitive to criticism and inured to praise, so if I get fifty emails telling me how wonderful something is and one that opines that it is merely “okay” (or god-forbid, “bad”) I will obsess over the one. That said, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, so I will not go into hiding just yet.

One common thread I’m seeing in the comments is some distress over the fact that the main characters from “The Dragon’s Lover” were not very prominent in “The Sjöfn Academy.” That is by design and rest-assured, will dramatically change as the series progresses. The first three books serve to assemble a cast of characters while detailing the setting (Arianthem) and the peoples and cultures therein. In other words, the first three books of this series are just Act 1. Raine and Weynild will be back, and with a vengeance. I’m just taking my time getting there.

So be patient, enjoy the story, I promise you won’t be disappointed as it unfolds.

The Sjöfn Academy is out!

The second volume in “The Chronicles of Arianthem” is now available on Amazon, and should be available shortly on both the Apple store and Google Play. The website will be updated to reflect the launch of the new edition, but until then, these are the quick links to Amazon:

The Sjöfn Academy Print Edition

The Sjöfn Academy Kindle Edition

I am really looking forward to what fans have to say about this latest volume. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it over and over, and found myself laughing at the same sections again and again. It is a smart, funny, sexy book, and I would recommend it to anyone (lesbian or not) who enjoys fantasy fiction and who enjoys (or at least doesn’t mind) a little girl-on-girl sex.

Okay, maybe a lot of girl-on-girl sex, but still, a very fun read.

First look at the new book

“The Sjöfn Academy” is getting very, very close (days) and in the final proof stage. I’m looking forward to feedback from fans!

“The Ha’kan, an all-female race that reveres sexuality and views monogamy as unnatural, have been at war with the Tavinter for centuries. Queen Halla seeks to end this long-term dispute with the nomadic forest people by extending a unique offer to the Tavinter Chieftain. She invites his daughter, Skye, to attend the most prestigious school in all of Arianthem:  the Sjöfn Academy.

Skye accepts the invitation and sets out with determination and trepidation. She does not know what to expect, for the Queen’s own daughter, Dallan, is but a few years older than her and will serve as her mentor at the Academy. Skye has only to meet the laughing dark eyes of the princess once before she realizes she is going to get far more of an education than she ever dreamed possible.”