Lena Fox's Blog, page 3

Memory’s Wake – The Re-readening

It’s been years since I last read my Memory’s Wake trilogy myself. But since it’s the tenth anniversary (of book one, at least), I felt like it was time to jump back into that world and see how it stands from my current perspective.

Would it hold up? Would it be cringe? I was actually fairly surprised by my reading experience …

It has been long enough since I’d read, that I’d forgotten some of the details of these books. I generally knew what was going to happen next, but sometimes had forgotten how it got to that stage, how the current scene got resolved, things like that. For example, I knew Eloryn was going to save Roen from the bounty hunters, but I’d forgotten how she did it.

Book one, Memory’s Wake, I was most worried about when I started reading. It was my first novel, after all. But it still drew me in and wasn’t too clunky. If anything, the prose was maybe a bit overworked, but it still held up pretty well, which I’d account for by just how much time I spent writing and revising it. It has even had some minor updates over the years as well which I think kept it a bit fresher. Solid first book effort, past self!

Evolution of the Memory’s Wake book cover

Book two, Hope’s Reign, actually ended up being my favourite to read, which was a huge surprise. Being the middle book in the series, I had sort of relegated it in my mind as the “filler” book, the soggy middle. It’s more political and inter-personal drama than action and adventure (although it still has some). But of all three books, it held my attention the most. The growth and depth of the characters in Hope’s Reign really drew me back in, really had me caring about them again, especially all the torture I put poor Mem through. I loved getting to finally see flash-backs of Mem and Will’s life in the other world. Also, I think it had some of Mem’s very best one-liners. This is the book where she is really becoming herself. Her old and new selves are in conflict, trying to find a balance on her path to self discovery, and it’s HARD for her, but I love who she becomes through out that struggle and into the third book.

Evolution of Hope’s Reign book cover

Book three, Providence Unveiled, was the biggest disappointment to me, honestly. As I had relegated Hope’s Reign, I think I had overinflated ideas about how the trilogy finished in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still proud of how the story ends. I think it’s a pretty epic and powerful ending, but the prose lets it down at some points. I’m not sure if I was keen to get the book/series finished, or I used a different editor, but a lot of the prose wasn’t as polished as I’d like it to be. If I were to do any revisions of the series, this book is where I would start.

Evolution of Providence Unveiled book cover

GIVEAWAY – Ended

Congratulations to Tania, the winner of the competition below!

Which is your favourite book of the series, and why? Do you have a favourite quote, or illustration? Let me know in the comments below, and I will select one commenter to receive a free copy of the official Memory’s Wake colouring book (line art or grayscale, winner’s choice!).

Haven’t read the series yet? You can still have a chance to enter, just comment about one of my other books, fiction or colouring, or painting, or whatever that’s your favourite and why!

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Books
Coloring Book – Victorian Romance Memory’s Wake Grayscale EditionRead more Quick View
Books
Victorian Romance – Memory’s Wake Coloring BookRead more

One week from now on the 15th July, I will announce the winner here with an update on this post, and contact the winner by the email they use for their comment.

Fine Print Stuff – The contest is open to anyone 18 and older, worldwide, where law allows. If you’re younger, ask your guardian to enter for you. No cost to enter, but any duty/import taxes if applicable (unlikely), are the responsibility of the winner. Game of skill/judges choice winner. Good luck everyone!

The post Memory’s Wake – The Re-readening appeared first on Selina Fenech Artist and Author.

10 Years of Publishing Round Up

Ten years since I published my first book. What have I done in all those years? Let’s go back in time and find out …
*woobly noises and wiggle time travel fingers*

It’s 2011…

I first dive into self publishing and release Memory’s Wake. It was so much fun that I worked to quickly write and release my second book, Emotionally Charged not long after. Then my daughter was born! So things slow down a little for a while…

2012

I realise that I can self-publish books in colour, so watch out, it’s Art Collection time! I publish Gothic Beauty, Fairy Visions, Mermaid Dreams, and Mythic Power. I’m busy raising an infant, but miss writing, so I write and release Emotionally Scarred, a short story in the Empath Chronicles.

2013

I get back on track with releasing the second book in the Memory’s Wake trilogy, Hope’s Reign. I also revise and re-release my graphic novel from high school, Fallen. Oh noes! I’m off track again and write another novel that is released under a pen name as an experiment! (See more about it in 2021)

2014

A slow year. I think I was busy working on the third Memory’s Wake novel and some other non-publishing things (I’m still running Fairies and Fantasy product production at this stage). Probably making dolls or some other side-track ^_^. But I did release Fairy Visions 2 Art Collection. I also had some line work available so I thought, why not put them together into a colouring book? My Fairy Art colouring book is released on a whim. If only I’d known what that would mean …

2015

This is when things start picking up. I release another art book, Enchanted Fantasy. I get the Memory’s Wake trilogy finished with Providence Unveiled, and also release the omnibus and companion guide (which I though would be easy but was like 3 months work!).

But wait … hang on … That basic colouring book I released last year, gosh, why is it selling so many copies? And wow, what’s this adult colouring book thing that’s in the news everywhere? And who is this Johanna Basford selling a million copies of her colouring book?

I decide to put together a slightly more detailed and thought out colouring book, and release Mermaids Calm Ocean colouring. It does rather well, so I also release Enchanted Magical Forests colouring book, Fairy Companions, and Magic Minis. That Christmas period, I sell about 20,000 colouring books and I don’t even know how this is reality.

2016

Okay, so colouring books are the thing right now! Got it. I buckle in and release Gothic, Fairy Art Grayscale, Mermaids Grayscale, Mythic Mermaids, Goddess, Night Magic, Enchanted Grayscale, Gothic Minis, Festive Magic, Mermaid Minis, and Faedorables Sweet and Simple. Phew.

I turn down three different traditional publishers who ask me to sign with them for colouring books because I don’t want to lose my publishing freedom or take the pay-cut involved.

2017

Are we still doing colouring books? Yes we are! Fairy Companions Grayscale, Memory’s Wake colouring book in line art and grayscale, Ponds and flowers, Fairy Magic, Fairy Colouring Journal, Faedorables Cute and Creepy, and Faedorables minis. But I really want to get back into writing, so I play around in my pen name again and release another story there. I decide that publishing is now my thing, and I start wrapping up all my other business activities (e.g. manufacturing/wholesaling my own merch).

2018

I’m kind of burnt out with colouring books and just want to write for a while. I release the Mermaid colouring journal, then write a few books under my pen name, then just before Christmas I panic that I’ve done like no new colouring books and get the Unicorns and Dragons colouring book out.

2019

After an incredible author conference in January, I decide it’s time to push my limits and see what I can get done. I publish Grayscale minis, Fairies and Fantasy Bundle, Fairytales colouring book, Gothic Colouring Journal, Gothic Grayscale, Faedorables Tea Party, Faedorables Colouring Journal, Fairy Portraits, Faedorables Beasts, Colouring Planner, Faedorables bundle, and Inspirational words. A title or two (short and omnibus) under my pen name. And I finally, FINALLY complete and release two more books in the Empath Chronicles. All that and I was away travelling for 3 months out of that year. It’s my biggest year of publishing yet and I was completely exhausted by it >_<

2020

I have big plans for another big year! Oh wait, Australia is on fire. I release the Empath Chronicles Omnibus, Fairy minis, and Aussie animals colouring book as a fundraiser after the fires. But OH WAIT we now have a worldwide pandemic and it’s lock down time. Homeschooling and stress about the future. Schedule and plans are all pushed back and relaxed. I release the Faedorables activity book, Tales and myth bundle, Grayscale bundle, Faedorable minis 2, and Animals and Flowers minis (all fairly easy as they re-use existing designs and my wonderful designer, Kim, does a lot of the set up for me). I work on and release the first book in a new series I’ve been wanting to write forever, Darkness Unknown – Beshadowed book 1, and also one all new colouring book, Dark Fantasy.

2021

Things have settled down a little, and I release Blood Bound, Beshadowed book 2. Those pen name books I mentioned? I decide it’s time to bring everything together, and re-release them under my name as the three book Heartsblood series. The Wild Magic colouring book is also done. Plans are to get one more new novel and one more colouring book out this year (I also have a couple more unpublished pen name books and things up my sleeve that I may re-release too). But for new work, I’ve decided that two novels and two new colouring books each year is a good balance for me. But plans always change. I like being able to be flexible based on my own inspiration and what my audience wants.

Total Currently Published Titles –

11 novels, 2 omnibus, 1 companion guide, one short story. Also 2 novels and 1 novella currently unpublished, and 4 audiobooks (uncounted in total). And three French translations (from another publisher though technically, so we won’t count them either).

24 “Main range” colouring books, 24 subsidiary colouring books (bundles, grayscale, minis, journals, etc).

That’s 62 titles altogether (anyone want to double check I didn’t miss anything??).

My books, out in the world –

My sales data tells me that over the last ten years I have sold at least 425,242 books and ebooks.

Over 563,754 if you also count free ebook giveaways.

That’s not counting anything through Etsy, audiobooks, or direct giveaways (e.g. through Bookfunnel, Booksprout, etc). Nor direct in-person sales.

That’s A LOT. A lot a lot. Damn, aren’t I meant to be a writer? Words fail me. The big numbers break my brain and I’m just so grateful and amazed and mind-blown by it, so I’ll just say again A. LOT.

Self-publishing has given me the kind of career freedom, success, and stability I never thought I’d achieve. I’m massively thankful that it’s a path available to me, and that my creations have been embraced by so many readers and colouring enthusiasts.

I wonder, what will my next ten years be like?

(Remember, my Anniversary Memory’s Wake competition is still running till the 25th, so be sure to go and enter!)

The post 10 Years of Publishing Round Up appeared first on Selina Fenech Artist and Author.

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More for Strawberry, Book 2 release, and what’s to come.

Blood Red Strawberry, the sequel to Strawberry – A Vampire Romance, is here. It’s out now on Amazon and other online book stores. 

 

 

While preparing the book for publishing, I noticed that the first book was released back in 2013. Wow, that’s a bit of a gap isn’t it? I have to apologize for the wait. Full transparency – Lena Fox is a pen name. My fun and sexy alter-ego. And for the past few years the other me has been busy. Super busy. Super crazy busy.

Life has finally settled to a point now where Lena is ready to come back. And I’ve started with this new book and have many more planned to follow. Strawberry, which had been a bit of a stand-alone story, has been developed to create a rich world of vampire lore which I hope to be able to write a lot more books in. The plan will be to wrap up Kaitlyn and Owen’s story in book three (which I’m working on already), but have lots of options for writing more about other characters within that world. Lance, Joss, and Bertha are the lead contenders for their own books so far. Which would you like to discover more about in their own stories? 

I’m getting stuck straight into the third book in the Vampire Temptations series already, and after that have a two part contemporary romance that is half done that I can’t wait to finish and release. So expect a lot more to read in the coming months! You can get an idea of future plans on my Upcoming Works page. Which story do you like the sound of?

Strawberry- Pretty teaser graphic!

 

Feel free to share this pretty far and wide!

Upcoming Book Teaser and Cover Reveal

The FBucket List is my next novel in the works. It’s a fun and moving New Adult Romance about a young woman with cancer who doesn’t want to die a virgin. She’s got a steamy bucket list she wants to complete, and finds just the guy to help her with it. But falling in love was never on the list…

What do you think of the cover and title?

Strawberry – Excerpt

Here’s a little sampler of “Strawberry” for you

…

I was supine, pinned down, at the mercy of three vampires. It’s okay. They aren’t real. Just men playing a game.

A tongue licked across the lowest point of my neck, right where my pulse beat. A frisson of desire ran through my body, startling me.

They crowded around the table, crawling up onto it to get better access to me. A hot mouth sucked at the flesh of my right breast where the gown left it bare. I gasped at the sensation and then screamed. I wanted to strike the man off me but kept in character. This is what I was being paid for. I knew what I was in for.

Then the first man bit me.

They didn’t bite hard but they weren’t exactly gentle either. That’s going to leave a mark. I was sprawled on the table, teeth nipping at me in three places. Their plaything. I could feel arousal beginning and I could not believe it. It really had been a long time since I’d had any action. My nipples were hardening as the heated hands tangled into my hair and warm tongues slid across my skin. Fake fangs pulled at the bared flesh of my cleavage, arms and neck. Little shivers stole up and down my spine, making me whimper and a delicious ache built between my thighs. I had just about decided that I really needed to get laid when an icy finger ran up my thigh, yanking me out of the delectable stupor I had tumbled into. I felt a cold nose press against my neck and breathe deeply. I heard a small grunt of desire.

“This one is mine.”

My eyelids, gone heavy during the biting, slammed open to see my vampires falling back, their faces gone blank. It looked like someone had just reached in and erased them from within.

A new man stood above me, silhouetted by the dim scarlet glow of the lamp behind him.

The primal instinct to escape invaded me again and I tried to scramble back across the table, but the dead, cold hands dragged me back and up into his arms.

Then teeth sunk deep into my neck.

Strawberry- a steamy vampire romance

An out of work actress can find herself in some shady situations. For Kitty French, some raunchy role-playing gone wrong lands her in the clutches of an honest-to-god vampire who decides she’s the tastiest of them all. Being a blood-sucker’s ongoing meal plan is not high on her wish list, no matter how searingly sexy he is. Will she escape from his cold lips alive, and will she still want to?

A bite sized, steamy, paranormal romance, Strawberry is a novella of 33,000 words, about a third the length of a normal novel.

Available Now

One reader says…

Kidnapped, chained, starved, abused – the stuff of nightmares. Yet Strawberry makes the love that grows from these horrendous events somehow natural and inevitable, even to the point the vampire ***SPOILER REMOVED!***. In any other book it would appear ridiculous, in this one, simply a beautiful ending. This writer has a real gift of words.

See what more readers are saying here!