Sela Carsen's Blog, page 2
January 29, 2018
5 Best Books I Read This Month
Welcome to the start of a new feature! The last Monday of every month, I’ll be talking about the, well, the 5 best books I read that month. They may be re-reads, they may be new, most will be romance, but don’t be surprised to see mystery, straight sci-fi or fantasy, or even a non-fiction recommendation slip in sometimes. They’re not listed in any particular order, either, so let’s get started!
AMID THE WINTER SNOW. A holiday anthology by some of the best fantasy romance authors writing today. Grace Draven, Thea Harrison, Elizabeth Hunter, and Jeffe Kennedy. If you’ve followed me at all, it should come as no surprise that I’m a Grace Draven fangirl. I’ve been reading her work since she was writing for Amber Quill, lo, these many years ago. The story she contributed to this anthology only raises her stock. “In the Darkest Midnight” is a beautiful and moving tale about a girl who has to learn to stand up for herself, despite the cruelty that surrounds her. I especially loved that, while the hero provided a base, she grew into a strong heroine independently. Their love works because they’re both on solid ground. “The Chosen” by Thea Harrison has a fantastic hero and heroine, both strong and competent, both called by duty, and still always trying to do the right thing. Elizabeth Hunter wrote “The Storm,” which is set in her Irin Chronicles world. It’s still easy to read, even if you’re not familiar with the series, and it’s a heart wrenching story of growing past great loss. The last story, “The Snows of Windroven” by Jeffe Kennedy, is also attached to her ongoing Twelve Kingdoms/Uncharted Realms series. A little more embedded in her already established fantasy world, I still enjoyed this story of getting past real difficulties in a relationship.
THE MIDWINTER MAIL ORDER BRIDE by Kati Wilde. I bet you can’t guess what the trope is in this one. *gg* It was part of a four-author simultaneous release of mail order bride stories, but this was my favorite of the lot. Another fantasy romance, this one also featured strong and competent characters. The heroine is smart and determined, and the hero is a warrior alpha who respects the heroine’s brains and abilities. My favorite kind of hero!
THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE by Jennifer Ashley. This one was a re-read. I’ve always thought that Jennifer Ashley did a really credible job of showing us what it might be like to fall in love with a partner on the autism spectrum. The iron control of some aspects of their lives, and their inability to control others. It would take a person of great warmth and depth to fall in love with someone who doesn’t process information or emotions the way many of us do. Heartwarming and beautiful.
HEART OF THE FAE by Emma Hamm. The first part of a fantasy romance series that’s a genuinely original twist on Beauty and the Beast, which is my favorite fairy tale. You may be able to work this out by now, but I do love a smart heroine who figures out how to get things done. She has a goal, and she’ll do what’s necessary to get there, even if the hero is standing in her way. The hero is a truly damaged soul who lashes out in pain, but it’s not hard to find the core of honor he still hangs onto. I have the second in the series, Veins of Magic, in my TBR pile for February reading. I’ll let you know how it goes!
ROGUE by Anna Hackett. Anna writes one of my favorite SFR series, Galactic Gladiators. Humans are taken by aliens and transported to another planet to be sold as slaves, but the members of a gladiator house rescue them and, well, they are romances.
January 22, 2018
The Real Grand Duchess Anastasia
I usually try to keep things fairly light in my social media. I mean, if you’ve read any of my books, you know I tend toward the light and fun. So I’m going to warn you right now. This story does not have a happy ending.
I know, I know. We’ve loved the movies. Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman in 1956. Meg Ryan and John Cusack and that irritating bat in 1997. It would have been nice if real life tied up as neatly and happily as fiction, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Let me start at the beginning.
Once upon a time, Russia was an empire. No less vast and sprawling than it is now, and it takes a lot of power to rule something that big. Like, say, a czar. Who rules absolutely.
But you know the old saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And hundreds of years of a ruling class who held the lives of serfs in their hands made for some very, very corrupt rulers and some very, very angry serfs.
So after a few decades of unrest while the princes of Russia were dragged kicking and screaming into the industrial age after centuries of ruling, the serfs were dun with their nonsense. D-U-N, dun.
In 1917, in two separate revolutionary movements, they took down the aristrocracy of an empire in the bloodiest of ways. They massacred the royal family, which had been in power for over 300 years.
Czar Nicholas II, who hadn’t been a terribly effective ruler, and his wife, Alexandra, abdicated their throne in March 1917 after the first Revolution and were imprisoned for just over a year. In July 1918, the entire family – Nicholas, Alexandra, and their five children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei – was taken into a basement and gruesomely executed.
This is Alexandra at 14, four years before her death.
At the time and for years afterward, rumors flew madly that the youngest daughter, Anastasia, had somehow survived the killing room. Numerous women came forward, but all were eventually declared impostors. In 2007, DNA proved that the remains of a second grave contained the bodies of the son, Alexei, and one of his sisters. The other three girls had been dumped into a mass grave with their parents not far away. The entire family was murdered that summer night, without question.
Tragically, there’s no happy ending for the Romanovs, and Russia is just as difficult to manage now as it was a hundred years ago.
But for the storyteller, the idea of a lost princess, a survivor of unimaginable horror, is a powerful lure. And for many of us, the temptation to change things so we can find something redeemable in this tragedy, is too much to resist.
I bring up this sad story because I’m one of those storytellers. Magic’s Crown, which releases on Feb 28, has, at its core, a surviving princess. Naturally, since it’s a Nocturne Falls Universe story, I’m not retelling Anastasia’s sad story with any kind of accuracy, but only taking the core of the idea as inspiration. As that original “What if?”
“What if this happened to a different royal family, for different reasons?”
“What if the princess *did* survive?”
“How does she find her Happy Ever After?”
I hope you enjoy reading Magic’s Crown to find out the answers!
January 15, 2018
Hygge
Bless you.
Click the audio bar up there to hear it pronounced.
The Danish word that doesn’t translate directly into English because we are, as Americans, wound so tight that if you fed us coal, in two weeks, diamonds would come out the other end.
There’s so much stress in our lives! Some of it is good – I have a deadline to finish a book, and that’s good because 1) I love writing, and 2) I like making sure y’all have books to read to make you happy.
Some stress is unavoidable. Family issues, health issues, job issues. Sometimes, life just sucks.
But even on days when life sucks, you can take a moment to sit in your favorite comfy chair, with your cat in your lap, or your dog snoring on your feet, and drink your favorite hot beverage. Cuddle into a cozy blanket, light a candle, read a book.
That feeling right there? That’s hygge. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s “A quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
As an introvert, I love my happy, solitary spaces, but it’s also hyggelig to call up your friends, make some popcorn, put on fun music, and play boardgames. Or go out for lunch at a comfortable pub that has a cozy atmosphere. To all go for a walk, then come back in and share a pot of hot chocolate or mulled wine.
The thing is, these things tend not to just happen organically. You need to spend a little time preparing yourself and your home. Not just scrubbing the toilets, but making a comfortable space. Do you like your living room? Is it done in a way that makes you happy? Even if it needs a major investment you can’t swing right now, what are some small things you can do to make it happier? Like I mentioned – a blanket, a pillow, a good chair, some candles.
Make it a project to give yourself a hyggelig space with some living plants and things that make you smile. Winter is pretty much made for hygge because everyone wants to be warm and comfy. Comfy slippers, soft sweaters, and you’re good to go.
In the summer, I sit on my screened-in back patio with my morning cuppa joe, and just take a moment to look at the beautiful flowers. No phone, no Kindle. Just me and my coffee and the sunshine. Unplug for a few minutes and enjoy.
At it’s core, it’s about that feeling. It’s not about stuff to buy or a style of decor. It’s mindfully recognizing that In That Moment, life is… hygge.
What are some ways you’ve incorporated hygge into your life?
January 8, 2018
Teaser for MAGIC’S CROWN
It’s coming! MAGIC’S CROWN will be here forthwith! And by forthwith, I mean at the end of February!
Wanna see some of it?
Of course you do!
Chapter One
This was going to be the easiest job ever.
Stacks Acosta-Campos scratched his best friend and fellow veteran, Lando, behind the ears. “Remember, you’re supposed to look pitiful.”
The dog hunched away from him with a glare.
“I know where she’s going to stick that thermometer, man, but you’ve got to take one for the team. You know the plan. The doc falls for your sweet puppy dog eyes, then she listens to our story, then we take her back to Volshev, where Ms. Young pays us a stack of cash that’ll keep you in kibble for a very long time. The good kind, not the scary stuff off the bottom shelf at the Dollar Store.”
Stacks hadn’t run a con in years, but it was coming back to him. He didn’t want to strong-arm his mark unless there were no other options. All he had right now was a picture and a location, plus a very direct instruction from Bobbie Young, the woman who’d been running Volshev since God was a little boy.
“Bring her back, unharmed, in three days. Try not to frighten her too badly.”
Ms. Young was all heart.
Lando whimpered, but relented, jumping easily out of the back of the battered Jeep that Stacks had bought used when he got out of the Air Force. The Belgian Malinois dropped his ears and his head, slinking behind his owner in a truly inspired display of doggy digestive distress.
The young woman at the front counter frowned in sympathy when they walked in five minutes before the office was supposed to close.
“Oh, poor thing. He looks unhappy. Did y’all have an appointment?”
Stacks let his shoulders drop like his dog’s. “No, we’re new in town – just passing through, really – and Lando started feeling off. I was hoping you could fit us in.”
The dog whined, just a little, and that sealed the deal. “Dr. Theron should be finishing up with her last appointment any minute. I’m sure she’d be glad to see you.”
As he filled out the forms she gave him, he figured he was equally sure that by the time this assignment was done, Dr. Theron would be glad never to see him again. Oh well. The money he was being offered would go a long way toward easing the dying twinges of his conscience. And buying his dog a steak and a toy shaped like an Oscar award for this performance.
A puppy came charging out of the examination room, dragging a woman at the end of the leash.
“Daff… Daffodil… Dang it, Daffy! Quit pulling!” The woman had absolutely zero control over the pup, a ball of black-furred energy with a tiny ruff around its shoulders, claws that were leaving scrapes in the tile floor, needle-sharp teeth, and eyes that glowed green.
A hellhound.
He wished her luck.
Lando had perked up in interest at the puppy, but put his ears back when another woman came out to the lobby. The dog nudged his knee and he looked down to find that his hand had clamped down on the leash so hard, his knuckles were white.
“Mr…” She consulted the sheet he’d filled out. “Acosta-Campos, and Lando. Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Theron.”
The picture Ms. Young had given him didn’t do her justice.
Medina Theron was a fairy princess, but not the cute Disney kind. She wasn’t blond and sparkly and slender. Oh no. Wildly curling dark hair was pinned back ruthlessly, with only the tips of her pointed ears covered by the locks her hairpins couldn’t control. Wide eyes dominated her heart-shaped face, and it took him a moment to figure out what was striking about them. Her right eye was the color of hot, black coffee, but her left eye was a piercing green, pine-dark at the outside edge, and lighter toward the pupil. Her pointed chin and soft, pink lips, devoid of lipstick, finished the picture.
The white lab coat she wore over her neat, professional clothing was there to protect her from pet grossness. He knew that. But he didn’t like the way it hid her figure from him. Still, he could tell from the way it hung that she was no wispy sprite. Back in the day when he didn’t have as much self-control and not nearly enough respect for the opposite gender, he’d have bitten a knuckle and groaned out, “Ay, mami!”
Yeah, she didn’t need that. And guessing by the growing fire in those gorgeous eyes, she wasn’t going to put up with him just staring at her like an idiot for much longer, either.
Ay, mami.
January 1, 2018
Happy 2018!
Happy New Year!
Whew. We survived that one.
And look, a whole new year stretches out before us, unsullied, pure, pristine.
Big plans for the year? Have you got them mapped out already?
I know I do. My calendar filled up with writing, editing, and launch plans back in November and December. Today feels like “Go time!”
My big plan for 2018 is to finish 2 more NFU novellas, then 1 short and 2-3 novels in a new series that I hope y’all will love!
I should also, y’know, lose some weight and get fit and all that jazz. I’ve been doing the low-carb diet for about a month and it’s actually working, although I miss having real sugar in my coffee, and there are days when I would kill for a piece of warm, buttered toast. But I can forego them for a while until I get where I want to be.
Tell me what your big plans are for the year. What are you ready to go after?
December 8, 2017
Have a MERRY & BRIGHT Christmas!!
So…. I have a new story out.
Yay! It’s a short in the MERRY & BRIGHT Christmas anthology from the Nocturne Falls Universe. I really enjoyed writing this “seasoned” romance (that means the characters are a little older) and I really, really enjoyed writing my hero, who totally looks like Idris Elba in my head. Swoon!
Lonely werewolf Dima Samarin looks forward to watching his favorite winter elf every morning at the Hallowed Bean. He rescues her unfinished novel from the perils of spilled cocoa, and becomes her hero.
Elin Bergstrom’s day job is at Santa’s Workshop, but she secretly writes sci-fi novels on the side. She accepts Dima’s invitation to the Christmas Ball, but when their date gets derailed by a drug deal gone bad, this elf isn’t about to stay on her shelf.
Sometimes a werewolf can use a little helpful frost magic to win the day, and save their date.
It was a neat little break for a quick and fun story about two new characters, while I still got to bring in some of the characters I’d created in previous Magic books, as well as some of Kristen’s original characters, all with a Russian twist!
Enjoy these little bites of the NFU this winter season!
Happy holidays!!
September 26, 2017
MAGIC’S PROMISE is here!!
Runaway bride Katya Dostoyevna escaped to Nocturne Falls ten years ago. She’s lived a quiet life since then, establishing a much-needed animal sanctuary. It’s good work for a shy witch who prefers to talk to animals, both supernatural and mundane.
Scorned groom Danil Leonov has finally tracked down the girl who fled from their arranged marriage. He doesn’t want to marry her any more now than he did then, but she left with something he desperately needs. The fate of the fae world depends on it.
But he’s not the only one after the microchip he developed. And after he and Katya connect, Danil starts to wonder if it’s the tech he really wants, or the woman he didn’t realize he loved.
This is the third entry in my NFU series after Magic’s Song (the one with the merm… I mean, rusalka 
August 19, 2017
The Big Update!
Technically, I’m writing this BEFORE the big update, so it’s more of a “Batten down the hatches!” sort of thing.
Here’s the stuff that’s gone before.
2017 has actually been a pretty awesome year.
In Jan, my first Nocturne Falls Universe story came out – Magic’s Song. I love that story. Playing with a new mythology is pretty much the best thing ever.
The final Wolves of Fenrir story, The Wolf Who Came In From the Cold, released on its own in March. It was a really fun series to write, and although I currently have no plans to write any more stories in that world, I don’t like to slam doors shut.
I also released the Wolves of Fenrir box set – all four stories in one bundle.
At the end of May, my second NFU story was released – Magic’s Fate. More fun with folklore! This one was a quest story, and though it wasn’t easy to write, I loved putting together the pieces.
And most recently…I received the rights back to my Carolina Wolves books a few months ago, then set them on a slow simmer while I did the mise en place. New cover, new backmatter, a little polishing up (no major changes – if you already own an original copy, you’re not missing anything). And CAROLINA WOLF is out now! Yay!
Soooo pretty….
Pets the pretty…
Ahem. Anyway.
Here’s the stuff that’s coming up.
CAROLINA PEARL, the second of the Carolina Wolf duology is coming out Sept 5! Well, Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise. I’ll try to remember to post here, but if you’re on the newsletter list, I’ll for sure let you know the day it goes live.
I’ve been paddling like crazy, finishing up the last bits of MAGIC’S PROMISE, the 3rd Nocturne Falls Universe story! Cover art is in progress, blurb is in progress…it’s like the night before a big trip when you *know* all the really big stuff is done, but there are so many other things that you haven’t checked off your list yet. That’s this period right here. It will go up for pre-order on Sept 18, and go live on Sept 26. Watch this space!
If you’ve known me for any length of time at all, you know that I love my fairy tales, folklore and mythology. So it should come as no surprise that I’m polishing a workshop on Using Fairytale Structure In Your Novel. I’m doing it for a small, local writer’s group at the end of August, and tossing around the idea of turning into an online workshop for all genres.
The Fall Con Death March begins soon! Actually, it’s not that bad this year.
Sept 29-Oct 1: I’ll be at Archon, a SFF fan-con in Collinsville, IL. In addition to having great guests and some really well-presented tracks for all kinds of creatives, I like to look at the pretty costumes.
May 24, 2017
MAGIC’S FATE is out today!!
My lastest book in the Nocturne Falls Universe is out today!
MAGIC’S FATE
Fulfill three quests, return the missing shards of an evil sword, or people die. Nothing a wounded Russian sorcerer and an artist with a talent for roping can’t handle.
Rodion Czernovitch is in Nocturne Falls recovering from a serious injury and working hard not to fall for his sister’s best friend. When evil comes knocking on his door and she accidentally gets in the way, it’s time to quit brooding and start preparing for battle.
Carina Valdis just wanted a cup of coffee. But when she ran into her bestie’s brother – her big crush – and subsequently into an evil wizard’s curse, it’s going to take all her skill and patience to teach the overbearing warrior that love and wit (and a couple of rope tricks) can conquer all. Even the threat of death.
~*~*~*~*~
Kindle http://amzn.to/2q35NdY
iBooks http://apple.co/2qH9UuT
March 28, 2017
New(ish?) releases in the Wolves of Fenrir! And new doggies!!
It’s been a little crazy here at Casa Carsen.
First, and really most important, we got new dogs!
A pair of 2yo Boxers that we named Linus and Lucy are now part of our family!
I’m pretty sure there couldn’t be two cuter dogs anywhere!
Lucy’s the fawn and the Linus is the brindle. She’s super friendly and outgoing, but she pushes him around a lot and steals his toys. Linus is more reserved, but I think he might be smarter.
Maaiken, the cat, is pretty unhappy right now, but she’s also fairly feisty. I think they’ll all figure it out before long.
And now, to business!
First up, the final Wolves of Fenrir novella, THE WOLF WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.
Rig sidUlfr wants peace on Earth.
Literally.
As the general in command of the Fenrir troops on Earth, his mission is to maintain the security of the planet in the aftermath of an intergalactic war. And if alien Axis terrorists would quit putting his new, distractingly attractive interpreter in the line of fire, that would be great.
Mirea Randolph may speak half a dozen languages, but words won’t be enough to keep her and Rig safe. It seems like every time she gets her red lipstick on him, another attack occurs. With constant attempts to derail the fragile peace process, she ends up involved in layers of deception she won’t be able to talk her way out of in any language.
This story was previously published in the “Vikings Wild” anthology, which is no longer available. But you can snag it on its own if you already have the others in the series! You can find the links here.
But if you haven’t picked up any of the previous stories, you might just want to grab the entire set in the WOLVES OF FENRIR BOX SET!
All four of the Wolves of Fenrir stories in one volume! This contains
The Wolf Who Came In From the Cold
By the year 2225, humans have come a long way. Broadening Earth’s frontiers into the galaxy means taking a crash course in inter-alien relations, and humans are – mostly – embracing their new allies.
The Fenrir are Viking descendants of the Great Wolf of Norse myth – heroes and heroines from across the galaxy who have returned to Earth to help keep our planet safe.
A physicist and an assassin, a spy and a mechanic, an old soldier and a weaver, a general and an interpreter – fall in love and run into danger with all of them as they face down an enemy threat that could plunge the Earth back into a war to end everything.
Enjoy!!
