Gillian Bronte Adams's Blog, page 9

Give the Gift of Books this Christmas … and My Christmas Gift to You!

For me, Christmas and books go hand in hand. Every year when I was growing up, my parents would ask me what I wanted. And every year, I asked for books. And more books. I recall one or two old snapshots in the photo album where I’m sitting behind a stack of books that’s nearly as tall as I am.

Books are one of those rare gifts that keeps on giving. They’re not something that you use once and forget about. Every time you pick up a book and re-read it, it’s like visiting an old friend. And Christmas and gifts books also carry the added draw of nostalgia and special memories.

I am a notorious book-gifter. There was one Christmas a few years back when I realized only after my family had started unwrapping their presents that I had given every single one of them a book of some sort. (Since then, I’ve tried to broaden my horizons a wee bit. There’s nothing so dull as predictability after all.) But honestly, it does make sense. Gifts are meant to come from the heart, and when you love books enough to hunt down just the right sort of book for each person, it’s that much more special.

And when you guys decide to give your friends one of my books, well, that just makes me all sorts of ridiculously happy and honored and humbled too. So, I decided that I wanted to give you a gift as well.

My Gift to You

The one thing that people ask me about the most is a map of Leira. I’ve had a sketch drawn up for several years now, and it’s been through almost as many revisions as the books themselves. But I decided that it was time for me to grit my teeth, dive into the work, and turn my sketch into something worth sharing …

That’s right, Houston we have a map.

So between now and the end of the year, if you purchase a copy of Orphan’s Song or Out of Darkness Rising to give as a gift, I will mail you your very own copy of this luverly beauty below (granted, this is just a sneak peek) printed on gorgeous natural paper and a MP3 song of your choice!

Because music and the Songkeeper Chronicles and Christmas go hand in hand.

How do you claim your gift?

It’s easy. Simply send me an email at thesongkeeper@gmail.com with a copy of your receipt and your mailing address, and I will ship it off to you.

But there’s more. Not only will you get a copy of the map and a brand new song to grace your ipod, your name will also be entered into a drawing for one of the first digital ARC copies of Songkeeper, book two. *grins* High stakes, my friends. High stakes.

Now on to my real Christmas gift …

If you haven’t yet joined my newsletter, now is the time to do so, because on Christmas Eve, all of my newsletter subscribers will receive a bright, new, shiny email in their inbox delivering a sneak peek at the first chapter of Songkeeper!

That’s right, my dears, you could be one of the first readers of chapter one.

If you haven’t read Orphan’s Song yet, I should probably warn you that there will be some simply lovely spoilers in chapter one of Songkeeper. So to save yourself from the peril of discovering something simply dreadful, read Orphan’s Song first and then sign up for my newsletter before Christmas Eve in order to read chapter one of book two.

Now that I have (hopefully) whetted your appetite for Christmas Eve, I’m curious, what is the best bookish Christmas gift you have ever received?

Cover Reveal for Songkeeper

Things have been quiet around here lately … which generally only happens when things are anything but quiet on the homefront. I promise, I do try not to go dark unless I absolutely must, which is usually caused by exciting things like impossible book deadlines, dreaded pirate attacks, undercover editing missions, and cover designs.

This time, it was the latter two.

Edits.

And cover designs.

So I am thrilled to finally be able to show you the long-awaited cover for SONGKEEPER, book two in the Songkeeper Chronicles. More information – like the delicious back cover blurb and launch team sign-ups – will be coming soon, so don’t go far!

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this!

What do you think? Drool worthy? Thrilling? Get-me-that-book-immediately-so-I-can-devour-it? Whatever it is, I’d love to hear your impression in the comments.

SONGKEEPER is COMING SPRING 2016.

Don’t want to miss out? Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to find out when the pre-orders are available … and to get occasional behind-the-scenes goodies … and first looks inside new books.

Arthurian Fantasy Giveaway 1 – Merlin’s Blade by Robert Treskillard

I spent my childhood running through Sherwood Forest at Robin Hood’s heels and hunting the Holy Grail along with the Knights of the Round Table. Because of that, Robin Hood and King Arthur are some of my favorite heroes, which means I’m sometimes a little bit leery of picking up a retelling of one of their tales … because somehow it never quite manages to match my personal imagination.

I mean, why can’t the author picture it exactly as I picture it? That’s not an unrealistic expectation, is it?

Can anyone else relate?

Still I do love a good Arthurian retelling, so I’m excited that it’s the focus for the giveaways this month. For our first giveaway, I’ve selected Merlin’s Blade by Robert Treskillard. It’s unique in that it tells more of Merlin’s story than Arthur’s, and it’s written from a very historically rich point of view. Sound intriguing? Well, you can enter the giveaway for an ebook copy (and yes, this is open to international entries) through the Rafflecopter below, but first, a bit about the book …

Merlin’s Blade

Merlin’s Greatest Weakness Could Become His Greatest Strength

When a meteorite crashes near a small village in fifth-century Britain, it brings with it a mysterious black stone that bewitches anyone who comes in contact with its glow—a power the druids hope to use to destroy King Uthur’s kingdom. The only person who seems immune is a young, shy, half-blind swordsmith’s son named Merlin.

As his family, village, and even the young Arthur, are placed in danger, Merlin must face his fears and his blindness to take hold of the role ordained for him. But when he is surrounded by adversaries, how will he save the girl he cherishes and rid Britain of this deadly evil … without losing his life?

Find Merlin’s Blade on Amazon

Find Merlin’s Blade on Goodreads

Meet the Author

Robert Treskillard is a Celtic enthusiast who holds a B.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies from Bethel University, Minnesota. He has been crafting stories from his early youth, is a software developer, graphic artist, and sometime bladesmith. He and his wife have three children and are still homeschooling their youngest. They live in the country outside St. Louis, Missouri.

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Fall 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome, one and all, to the Fall 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt!

I am thrilled to be participating this go around and so glad all of you stopped by. In case you, like me, have never hunted before, this is a bi-annual event dreamed up by author Colleen Houck to give brilliant readers like you an awesome time. Not only do you get to view exclusive content from some of your favorite authors, you get to discover new authors to fill those empty spaces on your bookshelves, and you also have the chance to win several mind-blowingly awesome prizes.

Want to find out more?

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page. There are EIGHT teams and contests running simultaneously, and you can enter one … or if you’re feeling especially crazy and ambitious, you can enter them all. By some strange trick of fate, I wound up on the PINK TEAM, but you can check out all the other teams for a chance to win several different sets of signed books.

How does it work?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the hunt from site to site over the next 72 hours, collect the clues for the PINK TEAM, and add them all up to enter for a chance to win one book from each author on my team! On each site, you will find a secret number. Add up all of the numbers for the PINK TEAM and enter them into the rafflecopter here to enter the giveaway.

(And be sure to read to the end to find out how to enter my bonus giveaway!)

When does it begin?

The clock, my friends, is already ticking.

Rules

Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by October 4th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Today, I’m thrilled to be hosting fellow fantasy novelist Nicole Zoltack on the blog!

Nicole Zoltack loves to write about knights and battles and first kisses. When she’s not having her characters go to war, she’s spending time with her growing family or riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns!) or going to the PA Renaissance Faire dressed in garb. She’s always on the lookout for something fun or exciting to do!

Find out more at Nicole’s website

I think she’ll fit right in here, don’t you? (Because knights, battles, and unicorns … ’nuff said.) Nicole is sharing some exclusive content with us today, but first, a bit about her book!

The war between Specia and Arnhem has reached the sea, and now the selkies are involved. Selliki has long loved the mage Gabrael, but no union between a selkie and a human has ever had a happy ending. Each night, they experience terrible, real dreams that show how doomed their love is. But the war threatens not only their love but the entire world. Lucifer has aligned himself with Specia and wants nothing less than to bring about the Apocalypse before its time. In the last battle, trolls fight icthyocentaurs, dwarves armed up against the Drow, angels against demons. Only one kingdom will prevail; that is, if the world doesn’t end.

Book Three in the Kingdom of Arnhem Series

Find Champion of Valor online

Exclusive Scene: Selliki’s and Gabrael’s first meeting

Takes place a few years prior to the events in Champion of Valor.

The sea would always be a part of Selliki’s life—she was a selkie after all, part seal, part human, all magical—but even she had to admit she felt more at home walking on two legs on the soil in the hot sun than most of her people. So it was no surprise that she was the mediator between the selkies and the haugtrolds, the mound trolls who lived on the land above their underwater city.

Now that her business under the sun had been conducted—negotiating trades that benefited both sides—she didn’t want to rush back home. She wandered through the trollish city of Talhil, and beyond it, to the wide expanse beyond. Glancing behind her, she felt almost alarmed. No water was in sight.

But she didn’t turn around. Curiosity had always been her biggest weakness.

So she continued on. At least the clouds brewing in the sky were dark. Rain would help to keep her connected to the water.

This land… it seemed so ordinary, and yet it was so strange. It existed so far above her watery home, the people here so strange. Stuck in only one form. She could hardly imagine that. Her seal skin she had strapped onto her back. As soon as she would slip back into it, she would be a seal again, one with the waves.

Above the sea, it proved impossible for her to determine how much time had passed. Her legs were strong, though, and she pressed on, not wanting to leave just yet.

A horse neighed, and she startled. It had appeared as if out of nowhere. Could it be magical itself? So beautiful, with a flowing mane despite the creature being dripping wet.

“Do you like the water too?” she asked as she petted him.

The strangest sensation washed over her the moment she touched him. The water within her body turned to ice, and she could not move, frozen.

“Do not touch it!” a loud voice cried out.

“Too late,” she tried to say, but her lips would not move.

A ball of fire blasted so close to her that her body almost felt as if some of the ice within had melted. Almost.

Another fireball. This one struck the horse. It reared, its front hooves pawing frantically in the air.

A hand shoved Selliki to the side just before the hooves came crashing down right where she had been frozen in place. She watched in horrified fascination as a man with long white hair conjured up one last fireball that melted the horse away into nothingness.

He turned to face her, holding out a hand. “I’m sorry I was so rough with you…”

Her arm almost didn’t want to cooperate, but she brought it up. His hand felt so warm, almost too hot, and he helped to pull her to her feet. “You weren’t too rough.” She managed a shy smile.

“Kelpies are…” He shook his head. “They are killers. They like to drown their captives.”

“Drown?” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not likely.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Of course. He didn’t realize what she was.

Selliki giggled. “I’m a selkie.”

His eyes widened. “A selkie? That’s amazing. I’ve never met one before.”

“Well, I never met a man who could throw fireballs before.”

“I’m a mage.”

“So you have magic too,” she breathed. The trolls did, to some extent, with their ability to dance on the wind and fly, but to be able to control an entire element like fire… “That’s amazing.” She shivered.

“You’re still cold.” He pulled her close and hugged her for only a moment before jerking away to put space between them. “Ah… here…” A wave of his hand, and a ball of blue fire appeared, hovering above his palm. “This will keep you warm.”

Selliki flushed. His hug had been surprising, but she hadn’t minded it at all. “If you hadn’t come along…”

“You might’ve been able to fight him off yourself,” he protested. “Being a selkie…”

“It almost froze me. You saved me.”

“I…” He hung his head, but he was smiling. Such a tender smile. He had such kind and warm eyes. “You’re such a long way from home. Are you here by yourself?”

“Yes.” She straightened her shoulders. Her hands were near the fire, and warmth spread throughout her body, but she didn’t like what he was implying. “I might not have realized that was a kelpie…” Or even knew what kelpie was. “But I can take care of myself.”

He grinned. “I don’t doubt it. Still…” He glanced around. “Were you exploring?”

“Yes,” she said eagerly.

“Well, would you like a guide?”

“Yes, please!”

“Wonderful.” His smile grew, and something in her stomach twisted in a pleasing way. “I’m Gabrael, by the way.”

“Selliki.”

He held out the hand not holding the fire, but she flung herself at him for another hug.

That might have been the first time Selliki crossed paths with Gabreal, but it wasn’t the last, and later on, when he confessed he loved her, she had long known she’d loved him, dating all the way back to his being her guide and showing her some of the wonders of the world above the sea, including his heart.

But love between a human–even a mage–and a selkie… how could that ever work for the long term when her body and heart could only ever be truly happy in the water?

Thanks, Nicole, for sharing that with us!

To enter the grand prize giveaway, you’ll need to know that my favorite number is 17. Add up the favorite numbers of all the authors on the PINK TEAM to find the secret code to enter for the grand prize.

In the meantime, I’m also hosting a bonus giveaway here that you won’t want to miss! Three lucky winners will win their choice of one of my novels, Orphan’s Song or Out of Darkness Rising! Enter through the Rafflecopter below.

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But don’t stop here! The hunt’s afoot. Visit author JESSICA L. BROOKS to find your next clue! Thanks for stopping by!

 

When Your Tookish Side Awakes

As they sang, the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.

The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien

Something about the arrival of fall weather—that crisp taste to the air, that rush of cool wind when I open the door, and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet—never fails to awaken my longing for adventure. I wish to take to the hills with nothing more than the pack on my back and a stout walking stick in my hand. To explore. To live. And to dream of great things beneath the stars.

He [Frodo] found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkien

The fall awakens my Tookish side.

And like Bilbo, and Frodo after him, I am suddenly ready to forsake the comfort of my home and seek adventure on the wide Road. The dangerous, glorious, enthralling expanse of the wide road. With the arrival of fall, I am ready to be swept off my feet, drawn into the wild, and left to wander.

Wanderlust, I think it is called.

He [Bilbo] used often to say that there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you won’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkien

The world we live in is such a busy one. We are constantly on the move. Constantly driven to keep up, to press ahead, to accomplish more. And when we are not working, there is the siren call of entertainment to lure us to our couches.

I am meant to be doing. Inaction does not sit well with my soul. But I think there is also a need for a time of rest. For peace and quiet. For stillness and calm. And there is a time when doing can just as well be served by hiking as crossing the next item off the to-do list.

Fall is coming.

Even now I feel that itch of restlessness stirring inside me as the leaves begin to change and fall to carpet the forest floor. And if I should suddenly disappear for a period of time, doubtless it is because the Road has lured me into its grasp and I do not know where I shall surface …

“Ye ready, lass?” Amos hefted the larger of the two packs and slung it over one shoulder. He took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. “We’ve supplies aplenty, the wind at our backs, an’ the open road before our feet. What more could a man wish for?”

Orphan’s Song, Gillian Bronte Adams

Does the fall awaken your Tookish side? If you could go wandering, where would your feet take you? To the mountains? The forest? The wide open spaces? The shores of the sea?

Book Beginnings

There is something beautiful and terrifying about a blank page. Endless possibilities. A thousand worlds, lives, and actions lie at your fingertips. But as soon you set down that first word – or that first letter of the first word – you have limited your possibilities. Before, the sky was the limit. And after? The limit resides in whatever muddled mess your highly caffeinated brain can concoct.

If you’ve been around the writing or reading game for any length of time, you will know that first lines are terribly (an wonderfully) important. Have you ever picked a book up in a bookstore, flipped open to the first page, and then bought the book based on the first lines alone?

I know I have.

But in my opinion, it’s not only the first lines of the book, but the first lines of each chapter and scene that can help make or break your novel. Coming up with so many eye-catching first lines can be daunting, to say the least. I’m currently diving into the first draft of Book Three in the Songkeeper Chronicles – at the moment, I’m somewhere in between the two stages of #firstdraftwoes and #firstdraftbliss – and the more I’ve been playing around with my beginning, the more it seems like all the excellent first lines are already taken!

Let me throw a few attempts your way, and you’ll see what I mean.

In a hole in the ground there lived a Songkeeper.

Granted, this takes the story in a slightly different direction than I was originally intending… but there’s just something about this line that reads “classic.” Don’t you agree?

Once there were four children whose names were Ky, Cade, Paddy, and Meli.

“Once” sounds rather fairytale-ish. It just doesn’t set the right tone for this story. And for some reason, I keep picturing lions, witches, and wardrobes … Not to mention a faun and a lamp post. Not sure what’s up with that.

Amos was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that … Old Amos was as dead as a doornail.

Oh dear, spoiler alert! Can’t believe I let that one slip … Just kidding! You can hold onto your knives, stow your daggers, and dispose of all that rotten fruit you were about to send my way. Once again though, the voice is just not quite right for the Songkeeper Chronicles. Though it is certainly eye catching …

(Did I say I was just kidding?)

Ky wanted to make a sword; but Cade, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes.

Oddly enough, this one almost fits with the characters in question. Except backwards. Cade being the son of a swordsmith and all … and Ky being the more practical one.

Well, as you can see, I’m stumped. Any lovely (false) book beginnings you would care to suggest for the start of Book Three of the Songkeeper Chronicles? Top points to anyone who can correctly quote the first lines I mentioned above!

Very tongue in cheek, yours most (in)sincerely,

Gillian Bronte Adams

Questology 101: How to Distinguish a Damsel in Distress from an Evil Enchantress

It has been some time, dear readers, since I have received missives of any sort from the Spy with his villainous findings or from Sir Galgadin at the Warrior-in-Hero-Training School of the Round Table. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered the following message fastened by an arrow to a tree beside my house.

I share it here for your reading pleasure. 

When venturing forth on quests of derring-do, one will inevitably cross paths with a number of strangers. Some will doubtless be dangerous. Some will be innocent victims in need of protection. And still others will seek to turn you from your quest by any deceitful means possible.

Or perhaps even draw you into a trap under pretense of requiring aid.

The villains are uncannily clever. Knowing our heroic propensity to leap to the aid of damsels in distress, the masters of villainy lately began disguising evil enchantresses by the wayside to lure unsuspecting knight errants from their noble purpose. Many a quester has gone missing, never to be seen again.

So what can one do? A good hero cannot simply deny aid to a damsel in distress. But how can one tell a true damsel in distress from an evil enchantress in disguise?

Consider the following tips before venturing forth on a quest, and you might just make it back alive.

Beware chance meetings

This is generally a good rule of thumb, regardless of the circumstances. In my vast experience, chance meetings are rarely that, and coincidence on a quest is nigh nonexistent. If a beautiful maiden should happen to show up at the crossroads at the precisely right moment in order to petition your aid, proceed with caution.

You must proceed, for a true knight is bound by the quester’s code to investigate. But stay wary and keep a weather eye out for a trap.

Beware the immortal beauties

If she appears beautiful beyond the lot of mortals, chances are, she isn’t. Mortal, that is. Many evil enchantresses possess fey blood or are at least capable of casting a glamor over their features. Don’t be taken in by this simple trick.

Perform the mirror test. Attempt to catch a glimpse of her reflection in a pool, your sword pommel, or on a burnished piece of armor. (This is why questers must always pay attention to the state of their armor and weapons. Shining armor has many and various uses.) If her reflection remains unchanged, you can then test fey blood by casually asking her to hold something made of iron. If she is fey, she will be unable to bear the contact of iron upon her skin.

If either test proves fruitful, beat a hasty (though courageous) retreat.

Beware the tearfully vague story

Ask for details. Demand the who, what, why, where, and how. Don’t simply gallop off into danger to avenge her slain family. Test her story. If she claims to have escaped her family castle which was just overrun by dragons, she had better smell of dragon smoke. If she claims to have wandered in the wilderness for days searching for aid, you should expect her clothes to be mud-stained, her shoes to be tattered, and her hair to be matted.

However, if she looks as though she has just stepped out onto the dance floor of the Great Hall, you will know her for a liar.

If she is telling the truth, your search will reveal it, and if not, you won’t wind up dangling over an ogre cooking pot.

Beware the proud

By their very nature, evil enchantresses are evil, proud, and conceited. As such, they cannot keep up a pretense of kindness for long. Damsels in distress, however, are by their very nature sweet, kind, and gracious. So test her kindness. Ask her for a dipper of water, or to rub down your noble steed, or to perform some other sort of simple task. Should she willingly comply without a haughty glance or a turned up nose or a muttered complaint, chances are she is a true damsel in distress and is honestly grateful for your aid.

Proceed on your quest with a light heart.

Beware shortcuts

Once again, this is a general rule of questing, but it is especially true when dealing with damsels in distress/potential evil enchantresses in disguise. Should she offer to show you a quicker route to her family castle, refuse to be drawn from the main road. No matter what happens. Shortcuts almost always end in a quick drop and a hard fall to ruin and death.

Do not, however, run her through. Merely suggesting an alternate route does not automatically decry her an evil enchantress, so proceed on the quest by sticking to the road, but keep your wits about you.

In short, my young heroes, with a heavy dose of common sense, quick thinking, and the ability to keep your feet on the earth and your heart out of the clouds, you should manage to discern the damsel in distress from the evil enchantress and complete your quests in safety.

– Sir Galgadin

Headmaster WIHT School of the Round Table

Are there any other tell-tale signs that you can think of that might help valiant questers distinguish between damsels in distress and evil enchantresses in disguise? Share in the comments.

stock photo courtesy of www.splitshire.com/

 

Dreamworld Fantasy Giveaway 2 – Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson

Somehow the summer is gone, the month of August is flying by, and time seems to slip ever more quickly between my fingers. Have you ever experienced this phenomenon? It is unsettling, to be sure. Time is a precious thing, and far too often, it is wasted.

But here we are, with August waning and September charging to the attack, and it is time for our next Dreamworld Fantasy giveaway. I’m terribly excited about this giveaway selection. Unfortunately, I have not had time to actually read it, but I am familiar enough with this author’s work to guarantee a “good one.”

Our giveaway selection is Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson! Due to shipping costs, (and the risks associated with pirate attacks, hurricane winds, and dragon fire), I’m offering a paperback copy to entrants in the US and an ebook copy to international entrants. Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below. But first, a bit about the book …

Dreamtreaders

Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton discovers he has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a “dreamtreader,” one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord, who wreaks chaos in the Dream World. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life.

Rigby Thames, the new kid from England, builds a suspicious rock star-like following at Dresden High School a little too quickly. Even Archer’s best friend and confidant, Kara Windchil, seems taken in by the cool guy with the wild blond hair, which definitely rubs Archer the wrong way. Archer must face two foes in two worlds, but he cannot succeed alone. Archer sets off to find other dreamtreaders in a desperate attempt to defeat the enemy terrorizing his friends and family.

Find Dreamtreaders on Amazon/Add Dreamtreaders on Goodreads

Find out more about Search for the Shadow Key (Book Two) and The War for the Waking World (Book Three)

Meet the Author

Wayne Thomas Batson is the author of several bestselling novels, including The Door Within trilogy, The Isle series, The Berinfell series, and The Dark Sea Annals. As a middle school reading teacher, Wayne writes adventures set in imaginative locales because he believes that we all dream of doing something that matters.

 

 

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Dreamworld Fantasy Giveaway 1 – Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland

I am afraid the month of July got away from me. By the time I looked up, July was gone, August was here, and I hadn’t set up any July giveaways. What with summer camp, writing projects, website updating, and the amazing Realm Makers conference, I am still a little bit behind. But the dust is finally settling enough that I am able to start these giveaways up again.

For this month’s giveaways, we are focusing on Dreamworld Fantasy. Ever had a dream that felt real? What if you discovered that it actually was? If you’re anything like me, that could be a somewhat scary thought. Don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty crazy dreams.

In any case, I’m excited to be able to offer Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland as our first Dreamworld Giveaway. Due to shipping difficulties, I’m offering a paperback copy to entrants in the US and an ebook copy to international entrants. Enter through the Rafflecopter below. But first, a bit about the book …

Dreamlander

What if it were possible to live two very different lives in two separate worlds? What if the dreams we awaken from are the fading memories of that second life? What if one day we woke up in the wrong world?

Every night, a woman on a black warhorse gallops through the mist in Chris Redston’s dreams. Every night, she begs him not to come to her. Every night, she aims her rifle at his head and fires. The last thing Chris expects–or wants–is for this nightmare to be real. But when he wakes up in the world of his dreams, he has to choose between the likelihood that he’s gone spectacularly bonkers or the possibility that he’s just been let in on the secret of the ages.

Only one person in a generation may cross the worlds. These chosen few are the Gifted, called from Earth into Lael to shape the epochs of history–and Chris is one of them. But before he figures that out, he accidentally endangers both worlds by resurrecting a vengeful prince intent on claiming the powers of the Gifted for himself. Together with a suspicious princess and a guilt-ridden Cherazii warrior, Chris must hurl himself into a battle to save a country from war, two worlds from annihilation, and himself from a dream come way too true.

Find Dreamlander on Amazon/Add Dreamlander on Goodreads

Meet the Author

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, as well as the western A Man Called Outlaw, the medieval epic Behold the Dawn, and the epic fantasy Dreamlander. When she’s not making things up, she’s busy mentoring other authors on her site helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com. She makes her home in western Nebraska. Find out more about her fiction at kmweiland.com.

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A Change of Pace

Things have been a bit quiet on here lately, but I do swear that it’s not because I’ve simply been slacking off. Life is busy as ever, and sometimes I think I trip over my own feet as I try to keep up with the hectic pace. Sometimes I joke that I like to disappear from the internet for indeterminate periods of time in order to appear mysterious.

No doubt you’ve all been wondering what I’ve been up to, right? I can hear the guesses now. Portal hopping? Time traveling? Simply undercover as a top secret agent in some foreign country?

Well since I don’t like to keep you all guessing for too long, I decided it was high time I popped over here to let you in on a bit of what I’ve been up to.

New Stuff

First things first: we have a new site! What do you think? For the past four years, I’ve been running a separate website and blog, and I decided it was high time to merge the two and save myself a bit of trouble! Not that merging the two wasn’t an incredible amount of work, but I have the brilliant Brynne Delerson of The Gathered Home to thank for that. (Not only is she an amazing writer and vastly creative DIYer – that is a word, right? – she’s also my amazingly talented sister!)

Now bear in mind that things are still in the works. Apparently merging Blogger and WordPress tends to leave a few formatting errors, so please suffer with me as I continue to work through all my old posts and try to straighten things out over the next few weeks. Over all though, I am more than happy with the change!

Technical Stuff

I love all of you amazing followers and would hate to lose any of you with this switchover, but a lot of this technical jargon is completely beyond me, so hopefully I can explain it in a way that doesn’t leave you even more lost. First off, if you have been following Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant through Google Friend Connect, know that my posts will no longer show up in your feed.

If this is a problem for you – i.e. you love Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant and you can’t imagine life without these posts, which is all of you, right? – you will want to subscribe via email or through a site like Bloglovin’. If you have already followed this blog through Bloglovin’ or a similar site, you may still need to update the site information in your RSS feed reader to gillianbronteadams.com/feed.

Whew. Are you lost yet? Still with me? Then it’s time for the fun stuff!

Fun Stuff

I just returned from an amazing weekend at the Realm Makers conference in St. Louis. If you haven’t heard about it before, Realm Makers is a conference designed for Christian writers of science fiction and fantasy.

I have a strange camera phobia so I didn’t personally take any pictures, but here’s a group shot of all the Enclave authors who were at the conference. Some of the coolest people I’ve met. Seriously though, isn’t that a great crew?

While the sessions and speakers were all great, I would have to say that my favorite part of the weekend was the chance to fellowship with other speculative fiction writers. It felt more like a ginormous family reunion than anything else. Complete with an epic Nerf war/zombie apocalypse at the end. Can’t get much cooler than that.

Up and Coming Stuff

Expect things to get back on track here on the blog over the next few weeks. Life never completely slows down, but there are seasons where it is slower than others, so you can be looking forward to once again enjoying all those giveaways, blog posts, and story installments that you’ve been waiting for the past months! And to those of you who have stuck around through the silence, I think you’re just swell!