Sabrina A. Fish's Blog, page 3

Father's Day: My Fave Fictional Fathers

Is there anything sexier than a man who is a great dad? A man with children who's eyes light up when they see him. A man who will get down in the floor and play with his children for hours without complaint? A man who makes his children a priority, NOT an afterthought?

I don't think so either. I'm lucky enough to have married that sort of man. The bond my son has with his dad is special, silly, full of pranks, and unbreakable. Though I'm often the target of those pranks, it makes my heart so happy to hear my son's innocent laughter when they are putting something ornery together and don't think I can hear them.

So, it really shouldn't be any surprise that I also love reading about good fathers. So this post is going to highlight some of my favorite fictional daddys. If you haven't read the books they feature in, then you haven't been following me long, or you haven't been listening, because they come from a few of my favorite books/series.

#1: Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Perhaps one of my most favorite books of all time, it is Atticus and his unwavering moral backbone that insists on seeing things from more than his own point of view that made him one of my favorite fiction fathers. AND he makes sure to teach this skill to his children. If everyone was as wise, patient, and determined to do the right thing, this world would be a much better place.

#2: Anthony Kyriakus & Leon Kyriakus from the paranormal romance Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh

Born into a Silent Psy world, they nevertheless loved their children and created bonds with them no matter the expectations of the fertility contracts. Anthony was a quiet member of the rebellion that worked tirelessly to save those suffering under the ruling coalitions cruel rule and would go to any lengths to keep them safe. Leon never stopped looking for his daughter after she was taken. And his love for her shown through even Silence when she was returned to him. Anthony & Leon will always be two of my favorite fantasy fathers.


#3: Mr. Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Father of main character, Hazel Grace, Mr. Lancaster influences his daughter's perspective on life. Suffering from cancer which has jaded her, she mocks him for being more emotional, especially during hard times, but she also acknowledges that he is a wise man. He also doesn't overly cosset her, showing a willingness to call her out when she is out of line. Most importantly, she knows he loves her and her mother. I can't imagine being a parent with a child in this situation and I admire Mr. Lancaster for how he manages to still be a good parent while suffering from what I imagine is a crushing fear for his child.


So there you go. If you haven't read any of these books, I would encourage you to do so. They are fantastic. If you have any books with fabulous fathers that you think I should read, do comment below and let me know!

Award-Winning Author, Sabrina A. Fish, lives in Oklahoma with her husband, son, and two cats. She & her hubbie own a trophy company, where she collects names for her novels from lists of award recipients. She loves all things chocolate and her husband is sweet enough to never let the candy dish near her computer become empty.

Mother's Day: My Favorite Fictional Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!
Growing up as the oldest of 4 siblings and 14 cousins, I felt like I got all the baby time I could handle and didn't intend to have any children of my own. Then I met my husband and decided maybe I'd give it a go at least once.

BEST DECISION EVER! I've accomplished much in my life to be proud of, but my son and the amazing person he is will ALWAYS be my proudest accomplishment.


Did you always imagine being a mother or are you like me? Either way, this day is about you and I hope it's an amazing one!

To continue celebrating, I thought I'd mention 3 of my favorite mothers in fantasy/paranormal romance. These women totally kill this mom thing and let me know that I'm not alone in some of the crazy antics I have to put up with from my family.

#1 & #2: The Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh- It's a toss up between Tamsyn and Ashaya.

Tamsyn isn't the MC of Slave to Sensation, Book 1 of the series, but her and her cubs play an important role in breaking through Sasha's icy Psy facade. She has to deal with twin cubs who enjoy getting into all kinds of mischief. The love she feels for her cubs can be felt through Nalini's great writing.

In Book 5, Hostage to Pleasure, Ashaya may have had to hide her love for her son thanks to Silence, but that doesn't mean she wasn't willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe...even if it meant tangling with the scary cat Changelings.

#3: The Dragon Kin Series by G.A. Aiken- Queen Annwyl

In Book 3, What a Dragon Should Know, Annwyl gives birth to half dragon/half human twins. As fierce in her love for her babes as she is scary and crazy, Annwyl knows her chances of making it through the birth alive are low and tells her family to save her babes if a choice has to be made. This series makes you laugh out loud many times, but that doesn't mean the author can't pull your heart through a wringer too... and boy does she.




If you loved these moms, be sure to go check out their books. I don't think you'll be sorry. And if you have favorite fictional mothers of your own, share them in the comments. I'm always looking for great new fantasy/paranormal romance reads.

Writing Fantasy: The Market, Publishers, and Agents

This past weekend, I was asked to speak to the members of a local writing group about the business side of writing fantasy. That is to say, the group's members wanted to know about the market, what publishers are the best, and which agents to seek out.

It turned into a pretty good presentation, and while anyone can find this information with a little research, it can be overwhelming for new writers, so I thought I'd share a little of what I covered here. Back when I was new, I would have loved someone to lay it out for me.



The Fantasy Market

What we hear: The Fantasy Market is over-saturated.

Is it true? Yes and no. Fantasy does seem to be the go to genre for aspiring authors. They believe that it must be easy since they can just make up whatever they want, when in all actuality, fantasy is much harder, takes more time, and requires more skill, IMO, than setting a story in the world that already exists. A fantasy writer first has to put in hours upon hours of time and research to build a world that is unique and full of varied cultures and peoples while still adhering to the rules set for that world. Then there is the magic system...yes, magic isn't real, but it needs to be believable within the context of that world for which you've created it and that takes more time and research. After all this time, a fantasy author finally reaches the point where non-fantasy authors start...creating fully developed characters and developing that characters journey. Finally, it's time to start writing, rewriting, and editing. Unfortunately, many authors don't put in the time required, which is where the "over-saturated" rumor comes along. Those who say it's over-saturated aren't talking about the genre having too many books on the market, not at all. They're talking about the amount of poorly done fantasy books out there.

So, should you write in the fantasy genre? If you love it, absolutely. There are tons of fans to reach. In fact, according to Forbes, sales of fantasy/sci-fi books have doubled since 2010 with the subgenres: Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy the top 2 most sought after, while epic fantasy is a distant third. Think about it. Fantasy has one of the largest groups on Goodreads, one of the largest sections in bookstores and libraries, and more fantasy/sci-fi books have been turned into movies than any other genre.

How does an author find fantasy/sci-fi readers/fans?

Join communities as a fellow fan and be an active member in discussions on favorite books, movies, shows, etc. These groups usually have promo days for the authors of the group to share their work. If you're an established member and your name is familiar to the other members, you'll most certainly have ready fans willing to buy your book, plus being an active participant is fun!Book signings: Think outside the box. Go to your fans. Gamer stores and comic book shops are sure to be more successful than a coffee shop signing.Conventions/Niche Events: Sure Comic Con booth fees can be expensive, but if you can split a table with another author or artist, it's totally worth it. And don't just stay behind the table. Many fantasy/sci-fi fans are somewhat socially awkward, if you're standing behind your table watching them approach your table without saying anything, they are going to avoid eye contact and walk right on by. Greet them with a smile and offer a free book mark. It'll do wonders toward making potential readers comfortable enough to stop at your booth. Also, ask to be a guest speaker, take part in a panel, and attend schedule networking events. All of these things work to drive people toward your booth. Don't forget to always have a newsletter subscriber signup list at every event.Newsletter & NL Swaps: Building your subscriber list at every event is SO important. These are potential fans you can email every time  you have a release or sale. It cost you nothing, but time and can be so rewarding. Building your subscriber list is also important for swapping with another author in your genre. This is cross promotion and is another no cost way to reach fantasy fans.Blogging/Guest Blogging: While time consuming, blogging can also be a valuable way to attract fans. Blog about all things fantasy, go visit and comment on other fantasy blogs, and if you're consistent, you'll reach fantasy fans from every corner of the world. Guest blogging is the same type of cross promotion as newsletter swaps. You and another fantasy blog post on each other's blogs to attract news fans from the other's blog followers.Podcasts: There are tons of fantasy podcasts out there. Reach out to one about doing an author interview when you have a new book coming out.Know your Fantasy Sub-Genre! This will help you target your audience and make marketing your book more successful.
Sub-Genres:High FantasyLow FantasyEpic FantasyUrban/Contemporary FantasyParanormalParanormal RomanceFantasy RomanceYA (Young Adult) FantasyChildren’s FantasySword & Sorcery/HeroicHistorical FantasyPortal FantasyComic FantasyScience FantasyGrimdark FantasyDark FantasyRelated Genres:Speculative FictonHorror/GothicFairy tales/Fairy tale retellingDystopian FictionMagical RealismPublishers
Big 5 Presses (require an agent)
MacmillanTor Forge - #1 SciFi/Fantasy PublisherHachetteOrbitHarperCollinsPenguin/Random HouseAce Books Bantam SpectraDAW BooksSimon & SchusterSmall Press (do not require an agent)
(Note: There are many small presses, more than I could include so I picked a few of the more well-known. The following list is not an endorsement. Do you research before submitting or signing with any publisher.)
Baen BooksEdge Publishing(Canada)Jo Fletcher Books(UK)Tor BooksCarina Press(Digital Only)Turner Publishing CompanyJolly Fish PressMontag Press CollectiveAgents(Source: https://literaryagencies.com/list-of-literary-agents/top-literary-agencies/)

Top 10 Agencies for all genres based on sales
Trident Media GroupWriters HouseFolio Literary ManagementSterling Lord Literistic ICM The Bent AgencyFoundry Literary Marly Rusoff & AssociatesInkwell ManagementThe Knight Agency

Top 5 Fantasy/SciFi Genre Agencies based on Sales
Sanford J. Greenburger AssociatesScovil Galen Ghosh Literary AgencyLiza Dawson AssociatesDonald Maas Literary AgencyLaunchBooks Literary AgencyIt's a lot of information, but important for all fantasy writers and authors seeking to publish their work. And information is constantly changing, so always do your own research before submitting or signing with any publisher or agent. I hope you've found this useful and I wish you nothing but success in your journey to becoming a published fantasy author.
Sabrina A. Fish is an Award-Winning Fantasy & Romance author from Oklahoma. When she isn't reading or writing, she helps her hubbie run a trophy and awards company or hangs out with her kiddo.

To learn more about Sabrina and her books, visit www.SabrinaAFish.com

Mythical Creatures: Manticore

Since the second book in my Award-Winning Fantasy Romance series released last week, I thought I'd center this week's magical creatures post around the race of the hero:

the Manticore
Origins: Persia, originally called Martichorus
Appearance: Head of an old man with a long beard, body of a lion, scorpion tail, dragon wings, and sharp claws.
Legend: This beast is said to be a man-eater that lays in tall grasses so it's beastly body is hidden and only the non-threatening image of it's human head is visible. When humans near, it pounces on them, devouring them in one bite, or shoots stingers from it's tail, rendering them helpless while feasts on them. Despite having the head of a human, the beast couldn't talk, but rather had a trumpet sound for a voice. Disappearances were often blamed on this fierce creature.

The Gate Keeper Chronicles: In my series, the Manticore people look a bit more human. They  have lion eyes and thick, lion-mane-like hair with three horns growing from their forehead like a crown, but their faces and bodies are human. They are tall with dragon wings, scorpion tails, and talons for feet. My inspiration for this race came from DeviantArt artist, kikicianjur, and his amazing depiction of a more humanoid Manticore. Here is that art: (Please click on the image to go visit the artist's page on DeviantArt)!! Of course, my manticore race's face is more human.

In Diomere's Healer, we meet Treves when Arri saves his life. We eventually learn that his people are actually Manticore shifters who have been unable to shift due to a curse caused by one of their ancestors. It was fun to write such an unusual hero and hope you'll consider giving the book a try if you haven't yet. I don't think you'll be sorry.
Source: Mythology.net
Sabrina A. Fish is an Award-Winning Fantasy & Romance author from Oklahoma. When she isn't reading or writing, she helps her hubbie run a trophy and awards company or hangs out with her kiddo.

To learn more about Sabrina and her books, visit www.SabrinaAFish.com

Happy Book Birthday, Diomere's Healer!!

Happy Book Birthday to the second book in my fantasy romance series!! I'm so excited for you all to read Diomere's Healer and meet Arriana & Treves!

They don't have it easy, and it seems like fate itself is against them, but Arri is determined to not only save her nephew from the magical poison killing him, but also convince Treves that even a curse can't keep them apart.


Diomere's Healer Five Gates. Five Sisters. Five Very Different Men.



Once there were two worlds connected by five gates. Then the Gate Keepers closed the gates and disappeared. The Gate Keepers have returned.

Arriana Quinones failed to save her king from the poison that killed him. Now her nephew is suffering the same malady. When her search for a cure leads her through a gate into a world of magic, she discovers that the gods' plans for her stretch far beyond finding an antidote.

Treves Tourbillon and his people gave up hope of ending their curse. Then Arriana saves his life. While those around him are convinced she is the prophesied key, Treves fears she'll be the curse's next victim.

Can Arriana and Treves find the antidote, end the Manticore curse, and take their place as the Desert Gate's next Keepers, or will the forces working against them prevail in the end?

The Gate Keeper Chronicles Books 1 & 2 are BOTH on sale until Friday, March 29, 2019
Amazon    ~    Barnes & Noble    ~    iBooks

Raising A Next Generation Reader/Writer

As an author and mother, I expected (or should I say hoped? LOL), that my son would be interested in writing...or be an avid reader at the very least. I'm the oldest of 4 book-loving siblings with parents who are also avid readers, so I don't think this is an unrealistic expectation (even if I did marry a man who doesn't understand my love of books).

Then my kiddo went through the learning to read process AND IT WAS HORRIBLE! For about a year, I feared that my son was never going to love reading, never-mind writing.

It was a sad time folks.
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But finally, it all started clicking. Then, we found Michael Dahl's Library of Doom books...and
EVERYTHING CHANGED! I will forever be grateful to that author for writing the kind of book that made my boy fall in love with the quirky illustrations so that he WANTED to learn the even quirkier words for himself.

Whew! Crisis averted!! (I know my fellow readers will understand my relief!)
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Now let's fast-forward 3 years. My kiddo is 12 years old and reading at a college level. In fact, he just finished reading Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy, which he absolutely LOVED! He also writes his own stories and managed to win awards for them before I won any awards for mine. (To the left, is a pic of him with his most recent writing awards. And yes, he thoroughly enjoys rubbing that one in!).

I am one happy (and relieved) mommy!

Recently, the kiddo has become interested in creating characters. Which is awesome, EXCEPT...he says he has a character idea for MY books. Like you, I thought this was great...at first! But let me tell you a little known fact about kids. They can talk and talk and talk on a subject of interest FOR HOURS!
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The first few times I patiently listened to his recitation of what the character looked like, WITH illustrations and/or a prototype that he made for me out of LEGOs, what its abilities were, the character's history, personality, etc. (If you think I'm kidding about how long this lasted, go find a 8-12 year old kid and ask them to tell you about Minecraft, Fortnite, or their favorite toy. Do it. I dare you.)

Then, I reached the end of my patience rope (to be honest, it isn't very long), when my boy hunted me down during my sacred reading/bubble-bath time to tell me about another creature while I was in the middle of my favorite author's latest release which I had pre-ordered AND which had only just been downloaded to my Kindle that day.
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Not cool, baby boy. Not. Cool.

Self-preservation struck like the flip of the switch to a megawatt light bulb in a tiny room. I had him pull out a journal that had been collecting dust on his shelf. I drew a box for the illustration, listed important questions he needed to answer to make a well-rounded character, and sent him off with the logical statement "this way you won't forget any details later when you want to use the character in a story".

Folks, I often wow myself with my brilliance, but this was the cat's meow, the cherry on top of the sunday, and the forgotten $20 bill found in an old purse kind of awesome all rolled into one brilliant idea!

(Why yes, that is a pic of me patting myself on the back!)

The kiddo spent HOURS in his room working on this character sketch...and has since come up with others. He comes to me when he is uncertain about something or needs to talk an idea out, but for the most part it all goes in the journal.

And I can't even begin to describe the level of pride I feel each time I see him working in it.

I've done it. I'm raising an avid reader who even likes creating his own stories.He even recently won FIRST PLACE in the Duke University Talent Identification Program Annual Writing Contest!!I'm raising a next generation reader/writer and I couldn't be more proud.
Does your kiddo(s) also enjoy reading? What are some of their fave books? Did they ever get into the Library of Doom books by Michael Dahl?


Sabrina A. Fish is an award-winning fantasy & romance author from Oklahoma. When she isn't reading or writing, she helps her hubbie run a trophy and awards company or hangs out with her kiddo.

If you've enjoyed Sabrina's books, but haven't yet signed up for her newsletter, do so ASAP. She's revealing the cover of the next book in her fantasy romance series to subscribers on Dec. 1st. She'll also be including a Deleted Scene from book 1 AND a subscriber only giveaway. Subscribe by clicking the button below.

Diomere's Exile is on SALE!!!

That's right, friends! To celebrate the upcoming release of Diomere's Healer, I've asked my publisher to put Diomere's Exile on sale for $0.99 for the next couple of weeks.

If you haven't checked out this award-winning fantasy romance, then what better time to do so?! And when Diomere's Healer is released on March 25, you'll be ready!

Be sure to let me know what you think after. I love hearing from readers!

And to make it even better...I'm doing an Amazon Giveaway of 4 e-book copies of Diomere's Exile. Try your luck and if you don't win, click on over to the product page and take advantage of the sale.

Go To Amazon Giveaway

Diomere's Exile is Only $0.99

That's right, friends! To celebrate the upcoming release of Diomere's Healer, I've asked my publisher to put Diomere's Exile on sale for $0.99 for the next couple of weeks. If you haven't checked out this award-winning fantasy romance, then what better time to do so?! And when Diomere's Healer is released on March 25, you'll be ready! Be sure to let me know what you think after. I love hearing from readers!

Diomere's Healer has a Release Date!

Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon. Squeeeeee! I FINALLY have a release date for Diomere's Healer, Book 2 of The Gate Keeper Chronicles!! *drum roll* * * * * * Diomere's Healer Releases March 25, 2019 That gives you plenty of time to check out Book 1, Diomere's Exile, if you haven't already! Who's excited?!!

Magic Systems in Fantasy Fiction

I love the Fantasy Fiction genre. The greats like C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Mercedes Lackey, and Anne McCaffrey (just to name a few) introduced me to the wonder of this fabulous genre as a child and other greats like Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Brandon Sanderson, Anne Bishop, and Patrick Rothfuss (again, there are SO many more) continued to feed this love as I grew older. And it's thanks to amazing paranormal/fantasy romance authors like Nalini Singh, G.A. Aiken, Ilona Andrews, Christine Feehan, Gena Showalter, and Kresley Cole that I've learned a good, happily-ever-after romance makes fantasy even more enjoyable for me.
One of the reasons that the Fantasy genre is my favorite is due to the various types of magic systems. My fantasy romance series, The Gate Keeper Chronicles, has a combination elemental and life force based magic system, but I'd eventually like to have a series for each magic system that exists in fantasy fiction.
Each time I read a new fantasy series, I'm always intrigued by which system(s) the author has chosen to use/combine and how he/she makes it unique to his/her fantasy world. I hear so many fantasy writers/readers/fans sneer at how today's fantasy books all have magic systems that copy this or that famous fantasy book, and I say, "Who cares?" When you get down to it, every book written is some form of 5 or 6 basic plot types. It's the individual author with his or her unique perspective and life experience that gives each new story a slightly different feel. 
There are basic magic systems in fantasy fiction that can be combined in multiple ways to create the perfect system for your fantasy world. And since I'm a list-loving person, I created one here.


Elemental - Magical power is based on 4(sometimes 5) basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water (and sometimes Spirit).Deity - Magical power gifted by a god/goddess, or multiple deities who control how much power is given and what is done with that power.  These powers can also be taken back at the deities' whim.Life Force - Magical power based on the life force of humans and other living things like plants and animals.Organic - Magical power based on organic materials used in spells and potions.Words - Magical power based on words, written or spoken, like in spells.Physical Object - Magical power based on specific physical objects that only certain people can handle/utilize/access.Psychic - Magical power based on enhanced/special abilities of one's brain and bodyRitual - Magical power based on a specific order of actions/gestures/movements/chanting
If I missed any, please feel free to comment and let me know. Remember when you're choosing a system to consider the magic's source, what it can do, how it's used, and what its limitations are.

When I begin creating a new fantasy world, I already have a main plot that's been brewing in the depths of my imagination. I know the main conflict and the main character or characters. My phone typically will have a note titled with whatever inspired the story, for example: "Kidnapped Mer-Prince". Because who doesn't LOVE lists!?!

As more details come to me, I'll add it to the list until I have enough of a feel that I'm ready to develop the world and magic system that best matches the story in my head. Everyone has their own process.

The Gate Keeper Chronicles beginning list looked like this:
Kidnapped Mer-PrinceInfant or older child?Island NationRaised thinking he was the bastard of another country's king ~ Why? How?Non-Magic World separate from Magic WorldWhat kind of magic? Elemental fits with him being a MerboyIs power drawn from the element or the person? It would be cool for them to have an affinity to an element, but have the power drawn from their own life force. A combination magic system then. Ex. The Mer have an affinity for water, Fairies have an affinity for air, Dragons for Fire, Centaurs for Earth, Jinn for Spirit.How do they use/control their power? Is it with gestures? Mental pictures? Rituals? Words? I like the idea of giving each character a hobby or skill and having them use the mental projection of tools from that craft that they use to manipulate their power. Ex: A healer would imagine a mortar and pestle or other tools of the trade, a glass blower might imagine a blow pipe and clamps, etcParallel Universe? How are they connected? Gates ~ But how many? A gate per country in the world so we get to travelHow many countries? Time to draw a mapOpening each gate could be a series of adventures for multiple books. Should it be a one main character/each book new adventure series OR a different main character responsible for opening each gate?
At this point in the list, I needed to take the story from a note in my phone to a notebook where I immediately draw a map and develop my magic system. The world-building rapidly progresses once I know what my world looks like and the kind of magic that exists in it. This is my absolute favorite part of the writing process!

Do you, or do you want to, write fantasy? What is your favorite type of magic system? Do you create the world and system first or, like me, do you have a loose idea of the story and create the world and system to match that story? I'd love to hear your thoughts.