Friday, December 21, 2018

Interview with Jaye and Tricia

So, um, this was supposed to go up on Tuesday, but ... see, I had an emotional breakdown on Monday. There's supposed to be a review on this post, and I was going to do the review in video format, but ... while the video is filmed, my brain is just rejecting the thought of editing it.

Terrible, I know. But at least there is an author interview here for you guys to read.

Anywho, I have an interview with Jaye L. Knight and Tricia Mingerink, authors of Ilyon and Acktar respectively.


And they're banding together to promote the releases of the newest books in each series, and let me just say, the two books that I did read were AMAZING. Again, I was supposed to be posting the review here, but ... have an interview.

(Mini review: Bitter Winter and Lacy were both awesome additions to the series, read them now and have your heart torn out and shredded to peices.)

1. Where do you find inspiration?

Tricia: Lots of places, but especially from reading and from camping, hiking, and traveling across the United States.

Jaye: Movies and TV are my main sources. I’m a very visual person. I love watching characters interact with each other. Also Pinterest. :D I can write a character so much better when I actually have pictures for them.

2. What is your favorite thing about each other?
Tricia: Jaye is always so helpful to fellow indie authors. She participates in SO many blog tours throughout the year and was really helpful to me when I was starting out. She has such a giving heart.

Jaye: D’aww, thanks Tricia. ^_^ I love how encouraging and helpful Tricia is too. She’s so supportive of my books and it has been so much fun having such a connected fanbase. One of my favorite memories of the whole last year was sitting at the Realm Maker’s awards banquet next to Tricia waiting to see if one of our books would be the winner.

Tricia: Awww! Yes! That was a great moment at Realm Makers with both of our books up for an award, even if neither of our books won, lol.

3. Eep! Yes, that was such fun. About each other's books?
Tricia: Jace, lol. Don’t have to think about that one too much. And the big battle scenes.

Jaye: Leith! :D Leith is my precioussss. Tricia’s books give me all the feels that I’m sure my books give my readers, so I basically get a taste of my own medicine.

4. I love how your question is basically identical. Who is your favorite authors?
Tricia: Besides Jaye, you mean, lol. Other favorite authors would be Nadine Brandes, Ashley Townsend, Jill Williamson, Morgan Busse, K.M. Shea, Melanie Cellier, and C.S. Lewis, to name just a few.

Jaye: Besides Tricia, a few are Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, Wayne Thomas Batson, Karen Witemeyer, and Nancy Kimball. But those are just a few. The list could go on for a while.

5. With both your series winding to their end (more or less soonishly), what do each of you have on the horizon next?
Tricia: More or less soonishly is right, lol. I still have 2 more books in The Blades of Acktar to write and release (expected in 2019 and 2020). Earlier this year, I released Dagger’s Sleep, the first book in my new series Beyond the Tales, so I will also be working on the next books in that series as well.

Jaye: Well, I will soon publish my first ever contemporary romance novel under the pen name Jaye Elliot. I plan for there to be two more books in that series, so that’s probably what I’ll focus on after I finish Ilyon Chronicles. Beyond that, I have so many different ideas that I’m not sure which one will rise to the top and demand to be written next. I’m definitely nowhere near done writing fantasy



The video review will be posted just as soon as I can pull myself together and finish editing it.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Happy Birthday Jane Austen + Let Me Rewrite Your Masterpiece

So, apparently, it's Jane Austen's birthday today. Or it was yesterday, as it will probably be tomorrow before you read it.

And so, to celebrate, I'm going to share an excerpt from Rose Petals and Snowflakes, which is my high fantasy mash-up between Sense and Sensibility and Snow White and Rose Red. Really looking forward to getting back to this story when I get the chance.

Please note that this is largely unedited and may change in the final version.

  When Elinrose finally stopped for the night, a terrible crash tore the air, spooking the horse that she had not yet tied. The poor steed ran into the woods, with all of the supplies that she had brought with her. And, as she was still staring dumbly after it, it began to rain.
  “Well, well, weren’t you ever told that it’s not a good idea to wander into the Forest, Princess?”
  It was a man’s voice, and yet, when Elinrose spun around to face the speaker, she saw no man.
  She wouldn’t let that perturb her – it was not her way to let anyone know that she was at their mercy. “I seek my brother,” she answered. “And how do you know that I am a princess?”
  “You wear the crest of the north country,” the speaker answered. “And I have been following you since you crossed the border – it’s not often that people cross into this territory. Even rarer that they’re allowed to leave. You really should have left your brother alone.”
  Elinrose frowned, wishing she knew what this man wanted of her. He had to want something of her, to be talking to her. That was how the Forest worked. Everyone knew that.
  “My brother must be returned home,” she answered. “I did not care for the dangers.”
  “Then you are not as sensible as they say, Princess Elinrose,” the man answered. “Still, loyalty to your family is to be admired. And there was a time when I was not as sensible as I thought I was.”
  Another crack of lighting boomed above them, illuminating the clearing for a split-second, and Elinrose finally beheld the stranger.
  A large bear.
  She stifled a gasp and took a step backwards, eyes widening. She fought for her composure, though, and stared the beast firm in the eye. “Do you know where I might find my brother?”
  If legend and lore were to be believed, this bear could be as easily friend as foe. And he hadn’t seemed to terribly foe-ish, yet.
  “I might,” he answered. “How desperately do you wish to find him?”
  He was bargaining. Elinrose knew better than to give in to such a scheme – yet what could she do? Her brother had to be found and she was without a horse now.
  “I’m afraid that my horse ran off with everything I have of value,” she answered, with a shake of her head.
  “Did he, now?” asked the bear, tilting his head to the side. “How unfortunate.”
  Elinrose lifted her chin. “Are you patronizing me?”
  The bear took a step towards her, giving a growl that sounded strangely – and terrifyingly – like a chuckle. “You have courage, princess. Perhaps I shall take pity on you.”
  “I don’t need your pity,” she answered.
  “Ah, but you do – and your brother as well,” the bear answered. “So does every mortal soul that steps foot inside this forest. Pity, for they are fools. Come, mount upon my back, and I will take you to your brother. He has sadly entangled himself in a web that will not be easily undone.”
  He took another step towards her, and every muscle in her body screamed to run, but she held her ground.
  “How can I trust you?” she asked.
  He gave another growling chuckle. “You already trusted yourself to this forest, and it is a thousand times more dangerous than I could ever be,” he answered. “You will trust me because you must. Without my help, you have no help of finding your brother – no hope of finding your way out of this forest.”
  “And you’re doing this purely out of pity?” she asked.
  “Does it surprise you that a bear can possess a heart?” he asked. “Did you not know that our hearts are the largest in the forest? Come now, let us find your brother. If I have heard correctly, your father’s life drains away as we speak. There is no time to waste.”
  He was upon her now. Even on his all-fours, he stared her in the eye. And, yet that seemed to reassure her, for though his mouth was filled with teeth sharp indeed, those eyes were strangely gentle. And human.
  “You are a trifle large for me to mount,” she pointed out.
  “True enough, but we must manage,” he answered. He turned away from her and shifted down so that his belly was against the forest floor.
  She grimaced as she took a hold of a large clump of his fur, hoping that she wasn’t hurting him, and climbed onto the beast’s back in a heartbeat. In the rain, the bear smelled strongly of wet dog, and Elinrose knew that her dress was ruined for good.
  Fortunately, she’d had the foresight to wear an old dress.
  “Hold tight,” the bear ordered, and then he took off at a bounding run.
  The forest blurred into a streak of gray-green, and she held tightly to two fistfuls of the bear’s fur, not knowing what else to cling to. He wasn’t complaining, so she supposed that it must be all right. At length, he slowed to a walk, pausing every few moments to sniff the air.
  “So, what are you called?” she asked, after a moment. When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Come now, I can’t just call you ‘bear,’ now can I?”
  “Bear will do,” he answered. “Now, be quiet. We’re near your brother.”

  Elinrose clamped her mouth closed in a frown. 

Monday, November 26, 2018

Cyber Monday!

Well, hello. It's late in the day, and I should have posted this on Saturday, but here we are now.

For a couple more hours, you can get a lot of books for free or cheap. Like, 99 cents apiece cheap. And then you can enter a giveaway for the chance to win more books! Yay!

My own offering is The Worth of a King, The Seven Drawers, and Water Princess, Fire Prince, all for just 99 cents. (I also have Red as Snow for free, though that wasn't listed with the thing, as it was a last minute decision.)


There is also a long list of paperbacks for sale at incredibly discounted prices as well! (Though, unfortunately, I wasn't able to do any of mine in paperback, as I've been too overwhelmed to figure that out this year) And the good news is they are all clean reads! Be sure to go check out this amazing sale here.
There is also an amazing giveaway going on! Grand Prize winner receives 20 paperbacks and the 2nd place winner gets 20 e-book titles from the sale for free!
(insert giveaway images)
You can sign up for the giveaway here.
Giveaway runs from November 22nd till November 26th @12AM ET Grand prize open to US winners only. 2nd place prize is open Internationally.


2nd Place Winner Receives 20 E-books 
Gather Round the Fables by Erika Matthews 
The Case of the Tabloid Tattler by Perry Kirkpatrick AudioBook
The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Perry Kirkpatrick Audiobook
Coffee Shop Christmas Ebook by Ryana Lynn MillerThe Land of Cotton ebook by Ryana Lynn Miller
Entertaining Angels, Entertaining Angels Book 1 by Emerald Barnes
Secret’s Kept by Jennette Mbewe
The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue
Beyond Broken Pencils by Julie C. Gilbert
Ashlynn's Dreams by Julie C. Gilbert
Soldier On by Vanessa Rasanen
Burning Rose by Hope Ann
Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels
Imani Earns Her Cape by Bokerah Brumley
October by J. Grace Pennington
Disowned by Sarah Addison Fox
My Compass Home by Michaela Bush
Summer Shadows and Necessary Evil by Killarney Traynor 
Grand Prize Winner Receives 20 Paperbacks
Mythical Doorways by Jenelle Schmidt
Faith is the Victory by Faith Blum
Kiera by Kate Willis
Because Anonymous Diana L. Sharples
After: Book One in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski
Specter: Book Two in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski
Leandra’s Enchanted Flute by Katy Huth Jones
Eagle Eyes by Tammy Lash
London in the Dark by Victoria Lynn   
When Beauty Blooms by Victoria Lynn
Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset by Sarah Ashwood
Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels
There Was Always Laughter in Our House by Sarah Holman
Bridgers: A Parable (paperback) by Angie Thompson
Love Blind (paperback) by Angie Thompson
Code by Angie Thompson
Christmas Eve at the Backdoor by Rebekah Morris
The Seven Drawers by Kendra E. Ardnek
He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness by Sara Willoughby


Wednesday, November 7, 2018

7 Reasons to Read Blood in the Snow



So ... I've kinda fallen behind on these. So ... you're about to be hit with several of them in a row, as I refuse to go out of order.

Without further adieu, seven reasons to read Sarah Pennington's Blood in the Snow.

1. It's freakin' amazing. I'm just going to get that out of the way. This book earned Special Unicorn status in the Rooglewood contest - meaning it got a perfect score from its judge - and it 100% deserved it.

2. IT'S A MASHUP WITH THE GOOSEGIRL. For those of you who don't know, The Goosegirl is one of my favorite fairy tales, and I've been looking for a good retelling of it (I ... didn't care for Shannon Hale's). And this. THIS IS AMAZING.

3. A rich, Asian-esque setting. Also for those of you who don't know, I have a small obsession with Asian culture (like, um, I've actually crushed on pretty much every Chinese guy I've had in my acquaintance, and there's a reason I let Clara and Push au Kim get away with so much), and having a goose-girl Snow White set in this culture was just !!!!!

4. Baili's growth was awesome. She starts out as a bit of a pushover. Or, maybe, a lot of one. Anyways, her maid walks allllll over her, as the book starts out, and by the end of it!!! Well, no spoilers, but by the end of it, this baby is all grown up and saving China! (Or ... not China, I forget what the country was called, but she was saving her country and #excusestoquotemulan)

5. All of the side characters were so awesome and dynamic. Like, they were all so interesting and unique, including the prince, the seven "dwarves," Lanfen, and Baili herself. I don't know how Sarah did it in such a small space, but it was awesome.

6. The magic system. When you think of Blood Magic, you think of evil, right? I mean, that's what I think of. (Though, actually, it was more presented as a Very Bad Idea when I wrote it into the Rizkaland multiverse, not evil per se.) But I really like the way it was handled in this one. More of a "we have this magic in our veins, and we literally have to bleed it out of us to use it." A wee bit creepy, I guess, when I read it like that, but totally awesome.

7. Because that romance is adoooooorable. Just like, adorable. Prince Xiang. Just. Yes. Please. I needed another Asian crush, and he was perfect.

So, yeah. Go buy it. And, while you're at it, go check out the rest of the tour now that it's over and I'm way too late for everything.


Also! Winner of the paperbacks is Kendra L. Which isn't me - my real last name is Roden. I'll be contacting you soonishly to get your address. 


Sunday, October 28, 2018

The Seven Drawers - First Chapter!

For the record, this blog will return - and catch up with - it's regularly scheduled programming of "Seven Reasons You Should Read This Book" shortly. But first, enjoy the first chapter of one of them!



1
 The Mirror



Life had felt wrong those last two months. Like I was trapped in a bad dream, but would wake up at any moment to find that my father had survived the accident – or that it hadn’t happened at all. Wake up and find that Jeremy hadn’t dumped me without so much as a word of explanation, or at least that it was all a misunderstanding. I would still be at college, working hard at my business degree … rather than suddenly disinherited and no money to finish my last two semesters.
  “Gwen, back to reality. There are tables waiting on you.”
  Rosa backed up her verbal jab with a physical jab of her pencil. Under such an attack, I had no choice but to return to my dreadful reality.
  No father.
  No boyfriend.
  No inheritance.
  No future outside waiting tables at Apple Pancakes, a cheap breakfast café that shouldn’t even been in business at this point. Not that I wasn’t grateful for the job – truly, I was. I just wished that I hadn’t needed it in the first place.
  “Gwen!”
  Rosa poked me again, harder this time.
  I winced. “Sorry. I just … had another dream last night. About Dad and Jeremy this time.”
  Rosa frowned. “Again? Gwen, you need to need to accept that they’re gone now. And they’re not coming back, no matter how much you wish they would. You have to accept that and live in reality.”
  I managed a smile, knowing that Rosa was just trying to be helpful in her way. She’d led a difficult life, and that was the mantra that had carried her through an abusive father, a sickly mother, poverty, and more failed relationships than I knew about. I had always admired her for her resilience … but, all the same, I wasn’t her. And she’d never had a perfect life snatched away from her and shattered on the ground in a million pieces. Broken pieces were all she’d ever had.
  “Tables. Waiting customers. Now, Gwen.”
  I finally shifted my attention to my tables. There was a party of five businessmen who were waiting for me. Perfect. I snatched up an armload of menu and headed over to introduce myself, hand them out, and collect their drink order. As I retreated to fulfill the order, another customer entered, and my heart started racing.
  Editha. The root of my every trouble.
  What was she doing here?
  I forced myself to focus on making the drinks for the businessmen: two coffees, a soda, a sweet tea, and an orange juice. With any luck, Editha would be assigned to one of Rosa’s tables. Not that I wished the woman on anyone – least of all my best friend – but there was too much personal history between us.
  Sure, I knew that the accident probably wasn’t her fault, but Father had still left her everything instead of me, and she had promptly kicked me out onto the streets. If Rosa hadn’t let me crash on her couch, and helped me get a job here at Apple Pancakes … I don’t know where I would have been.
  I returned with the drinks for my businessmen, and they tried to flirt with me. Such attention usually meant more tips for me, as I had already discovered, so I didn’t discourage it, even if I didn’t have the heart to respond. They were ready, so I took their order, and then headed back to the kitchen to submit it.
  On the way, I was relieved to see Editha seated in Rosa’s section, Rosa already waiting on her. Indeed, she was actually treating her civilly, which was more than I could have managed. I honestly considered nominated her for some reward or another.
  Editha’s eyes met mine, and a shiver shuddered down my spine. The woman had given me chills from the first time Dad introduced her to me. It was still beyond me what he’d seen in her.
  Rosa had accused me of jealousy, when I’d confessed my misgivings to her, but I knew that wasn’t the problem. Yes, I had always been my father’s world, ever since my mother’s death when I was a baby, but I knew that I was moving on in my life. I wanted him to be happy. If Editha had made him happy, I would have welcomed her with open arms.
  But she hadn’t made him happy.
  Rosa noticed me, and her eyes narrowed in a glare. Quickly, I moved on. There were five businessmen who were waiting eagerly for their food, and I knew that the kitchen wasn’t going to be in any hurry to deliver.
  Customers who felt that they’d not received their food in a fair amount of time tended to leave less of a tip. And I needed every cent I could get. Truly, if I ever came back into money, I was never going to give a shoddy tip ever again.
  Waitresses put up with a lot, the poor souls.
  I was reluctant to return to the dining room, to face Editha again, so I was still standing there, hovering in the doorway as Rosa arrived to deliver her own order to the kitchen. She frowned as she saw me, but said nothing until she’d punched in the order.
  “You all right?” she asked.
  I just shrugged. “What is she doing here?”
  Rosa just rolled her eyes. “Eating brunch. She has a right to eat anywhere she likes, and consider this getting back a little of your inheritance. The money she spends on her food will filter into your paycheck.”
  I shrugged again. “I’d prefer to not have to look at her.”
  She shook her head again and hurried back to attend to another customer who’d just been seated in her section.
  Somehow, I managed to make it through Editha’s visit, though I’m still not sure how. She seemed to linger far longer than any customer had a right to, and she didn’t even eat very much – from what I could tell, anyway, and I certainly wasn’t spying on her.
  Okay, maybe I was, a little. I didn’t like the woman.
  I was so glad when she finally stood to take her ticket to the front, though Rosa had given it to her a full fifteen minutes before. Unfortunately, I had misjudged her motive, because she cornered me first.
  Well, cornering isn’t quite the right word for what she did, because politeness kept me from running like the scared animal I was, but she stalked towards me on her four-inch stilettoes, without falling and breaking her neck on them like I secretly hoped that she would.
  I wasn’t short, by any means, and I drew myself to my full height now, but she towered over me in those heels. I don’t know why women wear those for every day. Even for special occasions I prefer my shoes to be a bit more conservative.
  “It’s good to see you working hard, Gwen,” she said, her voice dripping with fake enthusiasm. “I told you that you could make it just fine in life without your father’s money.”
  I leveled my chin as I glared at the woman. “As far as I can tell, you weren’t in any particular need of it, either.” I pushed back the strand of black hair that escaped my ponytail hours ago, though certainly not because I was intimidated by how not a strand of her platinum  blonde hair was out of place.
  By how there was no soul behind her ice-blue eyes.
  Her lip twisted. “I know how to care for it.”
  “I bet you do,” I scoff. Editha was a business mogul in her own right, with her fingers in multiple ventures. “But Kingdoms has been in my family for generations, and I’ve been groomed to take over since I was three years old.”
  “You apparently didn’t measure up.” Editha shakes her head at me. “Working here has been a good life lesson for you. Truly, I was skeptical when I heard that Hunson had hired you, but you performed beautifully today. I saw little of the spoiled rich girl.”
  I bit my tongue and take a deep breath to keep myself from making a snarky response to match hers, but then I frowned. “What does it matter to you if I work here? Do you really feel that you must have your nose in everyone’s business?”
  “Oh, I really must,” she answered, her lip twisting. “But, more accurately, I like to have an egg in every basket. I also take careful note of everyone inside my employ.”
  My eyes widened as I realized that I worked for Editha – yet another way that she controlled my life – but I refused to let her know that it bothered me and quickly folded my arms over my chest.
  “You own this place?” I scoffed. “Now that really sets my mind at ease about you running my father’s company.”
  Her lips pursed. She knew that I was making a jab at how Apple Pancakes was failing financially. When a full minute passed before she answered, I continued.
  “You have yourself spread too thin. I’ve been working here for nearly a month and this is the first time that I’ve seen you. What I have seen? A kitchen that doesn’t care, waitresses that are frustrated to distraction, and almost no customers. If you can’t invest your time in a business, then it’s a bad idea to invest your money.”
  “Are you trying to tell me how to manage my own business?” Editha finally asked, tilting her head to the side as she stared at me.
  I shrugged. “Well, it’s the least I can do since you’ve taken control of mine. Besides, I’m only two semesters short of my business degree. I’m not clueless.”
  She tilted her head to the side as she regarded me, and I managed to not crumple under her scrutiny.
  “Very well,” she finally admitted, in a tone that turned my blood cold. “Perhaps you’re right. And, perhaps, I should give you a means to prove yourself.” She reached into her handbag and produced a card, which she handed to me. “Meet me tomorrow afternoon at my lawyer’s. I am going to make a gift of this place to you.”
  And, while I stood there, my mouth hanging open like an idiot, she breezed past me, out of the café.
  She was setting me up for failure, I knew this without a doubt. Apple Pancakes was failing, and it wasn’t going to be easy to bring it back from the precipice. Now she would make a scapegoat of me and have yet one more way to break my spirit.
  It was win-win for her, all around.
  I couldn’t afford to take her offer – but I couldn’t afford not to, either. If I turned this down, I’d look ungrateful and proud, and if I could somehow turn the place around … well, it’d be a start.
I just wished that I could talk to my lawyer. Or, rather, my father’s lawyer. Unfortunately, Williams had gone silent after my father’s death, and I couldn’t know if he’d want to talk to me or not.
Well, I wanted to talk to him. Tomorrow was my day off, and I knew that I’d have time enough to visit Williams’ office before I turned up at the meeting that Editha had arranged.
  I slipped the card into my shirt pocket and, suddenly, the room pulsed around me, fading in and out. I fought down a whimper, grabbing a railing that ran beside me. I couldn’t be having another episode. Not right now.
  For a moment, I almost gave in. In hindsight, I wish I had, but my determination to cling to sanity was too strong. By the time Rosa sought me out and asked me if anything was wrong, nothing was.
Beyond the usual, but she already knew my sob story, after all.
  I didn’t tell her the conversation with my stepmother – or Editha’s offer. It was too soon, and I was still processing the implications.
  There was only a handful more customers throughout the duration of my shift, and I wasted no time in retreating from the store to my car – my car that was fully paid for and in my name. While I could have sold it, giving me the money I needed to survive and saving on gas, it was good to have something that Editha had been unable to touch. Besides, it was built for economy, not luxury – frugality despite privilege was a lesson that my father had always sought to impress on me.
I returned to my apartment – my home of less than a week. It’d been a miracle – shockingly low rent and fully furnished. I was so glad to not have to crash on Rosa’s couch anymore. She’d been happy to have me, but I’ve never liked to depend on anyone.
  Tossing my purse and wad of one-dollar bills onto the table, I withdrew Editha’s card from my pocket again. What was her game? Could I possibly hope to beat her at it? Did I even have a choice?
  The wad of one-dollar bills said I didn’t have one. My tips from working as a waitress at Apple Pancakes was never going to be enough for me to live on, even if I kept my expenses as low as I could.
  Honestly, how did Rosa do it?
  Throwing down the card, I stalked into my bedroom to change out of my uniform.
  That plan, however, went out of my head when I found an unfamiliar piece of furniture standing at the foot of my bed. A narrow wooden chest of drawers, nearly as tall as I was and beautifully carved.
  Had my landlord off-loaded it on me? Why?
  There was a wax-sealed envelope lying on the top. Wax! I snatched it off, noted that it bore no name or address, and tore it open, hoping that it would provide some sort of answer.
  However, the letter it contained, handwritten in strong calligraphy, only contained more confusion.

Start at the bottom and have courage, my love. Reclaim what is yours, and do not give up hope. You can overcome. All will make sense in time.

  I liked the sound of “reclaiming what was mine,” but, truly, what was mine? Father had left everything to Editha legally. I’d asked Williams. There was nothing he could do about it.
  My love? My heart went immediately to Jeremy. It was his penchant for random romantic gestures that had kept me in love through all of the six years that we’d been together – but was even this in line with him?
  Besides, he’d dumped me. It was easier for me to believe that I could regain Kingdoms from Editha than it was to believe that Jeremy would come back. That was something I dared not let myself hope.
  And he didn’t even know where I lived.
  Still, the instructions said to “start at the bottom,” and I could only assume that this meant the bottom drawer. There were seven drawers – which struck me as a very odd number in more ways than one – all very flat. Seriously, who needed that many drawers in one piece of furniture?
  I slid that bottom drawer open, and found it empty, and not even as deep as I’d expected it to be – for it was filled with red velvet like a jewelry case. There was an indentation shaped to cradle a key, but no key.
  Frowning, I shut the drawer and opened the next. This one was also lined with red velvet – and it actually cradled its treasure. A hand mirror - and a nice one, too, with its handle and frame made of shiny black metal, and I suspected that the mirror itself was made of actual silver, instead of aluminum. Handy if I ever had to identify a vampire – but that was unlikely, so I dismissed the thought almost immediately.
  But not before I wondered if Editha was one. She’d make a great vampire.
  The mirror’s surface swirled as I stared at it, but I didn’t notice this at first, so absorbed was I in my thoughts. When I did notice, I thought it my imagination.
  But it was not.
***
The shift happened so quickly, so violently, that I was unable to cling to my reality, as I had the last several weeks since that first episode, just hours after my father’s will was read, just minutes before Editha kicked me out of the house.
  The world swirled around me, collapsing into nothing. And then the nothingness dissolved and I was not myself, but yet I was.
  You’re here, I thought, and then wondered why I did. There was no one in this place but myself.
  This place? I started to my feet to examine my surroundings, but instead nearly tripped on yards and yards of heavy fabric. Just what was I wearing?
  Fortunately, my surroundings proved very convenient for examining my apparel. I was surrounded on all six sides by mirror. Every inch of wall, ceiling, and floor showed my face, eyes staring back at me wherever I turned.
  Lifting my skirts to avoid treading on them, I stepped forward, and a thousand of my reflections did the same.
  “Talk about me, myself, and I,” I whispered, desperate to hear a human voice.
 I was trapped inside the mirror.
  Somehow, that didn’t terrify me. I’d been in this mirror for so long, terror had long-since given way to despair – and now I was here, and I would find the way out of this prison. 
  What was terrifying was how my thoughts weren’t making any sense. And how I was wrapped in a dress that looked like it’d come straight out of a history book. It was gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but that skirt…
  It filled the room. I stood in a veritable ocean of red brocade, buried under a mountain of petticoats.   Was I wearing a corset?
  I was wearing a corset.
  Now, I did like the effect it had on my waist, and it wasn’t cinched to the point of suffocation, but, still, a corset! 
  To crown the look, my bodice and shoes were encrusted in rubies and diamonds, and those same jewels dripped from my ears, neck and wrists. I’d never worn so much jewelry in my life, and I’d been a rich kid.
  At least my face was my own. Well, under the cosmetics, I assumed. My already-pale skin was powered as white as paper, and my lips were painted red. I had to confess, it wasn’t a bad look for me. Just an impractical one that reminded me of the goth stage that I’d gone through as a young teen.
  I looked like a princess. Or a queen.
  I was a princess.
  I should be a queen.
  Somehow, that thought had clicked my fractured mind together and made peace of my warring memories. True, I still didn’t understand how my consciousness had shifted to such a different version of myself, but it had. And this hadn’t been the first time – not for Princess Bianca of the Triaga Kingdom.
  That was my name here.
  My stepmother had trapped me in the Mirror of Sight – at the very hour that she had kicked me from my father’s house as Gwen. This mirror should have been the emblem of my reign, but instead it became my prison on the day of my coronation. I hadn’t even thought it possible for a person to live within this mirror.
  It shouldn’t be possible. My presence here was straining it, forcing it to use every ounce of its magic to keep me alive. How much longer could it last? What would happen when I drained it?
  I had to escape.
  But, of course, I’d known that from the moment I’d found myself here. Knowing a necessity doesn’t equal fulfilling it. My stepmother held the mirror firmly in her power, and there was nothing I could do about it from within.
  That was why it was good that I was here.
  I, as in the version of me that was not Princess Bianca of the Triaga kingdom. I apologize if this is a bit confusing. I wasn’t quite making sense of it myself, at the time.
  What I did understand was that Gwen now held the mirror in her realm, and I hoped that this would sway the balance of power to my favor. Taking another step forward, I pressed my hands against those of my nearest reflection. The mirror’s surface rippled. I smiled. The mirror had not responded to me since I’d been trapped in it.
  “Show me Alditha, my stepmother,” I ordered, choosing to test the waters of my control before I plunged in.
  The surfaced rippled again, and my reflection disappeared entirely, replaced by a view of the court, Alditha sitting on my throne, wearing my crown. I noticed, however, that she was in no way as bedecked and bedazzled as I was.
  She wasn’t dressed for her coronation. Had I really thought that Bianca dressed like this every day? That was ridiculous!
  A tense air hung over the court. No one laughed or smiled, as had been the norm under my father’s rule. My stepmother governed with a rod of iron.
  The mirror hung on the wall behind her, looming over the court in its largeness. Its surface was clouded, not clear as it should be. No doubt because I was inside.
  I frowned. I’d hoped to make my escape when she was away, but I also dared not risk any delay. It would occur in the public eye, and I would settle for that.
  “Mirror, Mirror, set me free.”
  I pushed, with every ounce of my strength, and fell into nothingness.
  And landed in the middle of court.
  After disentangling myself from my skirts, again, taking my time to preserve my dignity, I surveyed the crowd, all staring at me with mouths agape.
  “I apologize for my tardiness and regret that I missed my own coronation,” I stated. “But,” and I swept my gaze straight to Alditha, who glowered at me in annoyed disgust. “I was detained.”
  “Oh, were you?” she asked, somehow able keep control of herself and act all sickly-sweet. “For eight whole weeks?”
  “I’m afraid so,” I answered. “And how many of those weeks passed before you took my crown for yourself? Did you even wait one?”
  It felt so good to finally have the upper hand against this woman. We could both hear the crowd’s murmuring. I was their true princess – true queen. They would sway in my favor.
  Her lip twisted in a sneer – as  she clearly didn’t realize yet that she was beaten, or else refused to admit it. “I had to give the kingdom stability, after all.”
  “Oh?” I took a step forward. “And is that also why you thought it necessary to trap me in the Mirror of Sight? I fail to see how that possibly brought stability to Triaga.”
  The crowd’s murmuring grew louder, and featured a large number of gasps. My stepmother said not a word. She had no defense. Not even her ivory gown could lend her any innocence in the eyes of the people.
  “Mirror, show us what Aditha did on the morning when I should have been crowned queen,” I ordered.
  As The Mirror’s now-clear surface swirled to show Alditha shoving me into its depths, I focused again on my stepmother to find her still smiling.
  “You think that’s all it takes to win, Bianca?” she asked. Her voice was so quiet that I should not have heard it over the crowd, and yet I did. She stepped down from the throne. “Very well, I shall let you enjoy your game of victory.”
  Without a fight, she removed the crown from her head and placed it in my hands.
  “It’s over, Alditha,” I hissed, tightening my hands around it, lest she try to take it back.
  “Over?” She shook her head. “It’s barely begun, child. And when you are dead, the people will welcome me back.”
  With that, she vanished.       

Friday, October 26, 2018

7 Reasons to Read The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree


And we have here today the second of the Magic Mirrors - The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree. 

And, yes, it seems like midnight is my new posting time. I am sorry. Let's plunge into reasons for reading this lovely book.

1. It's a tale of sisters. There's a hint of romance for one of the girls, but it's not the focus. The point is the two girls finding common ground in their broken pasts and bonding. And as all of you know, I love a good sibling story.

2. Because, plotwise, this is probably the most mixed up tale in our Seven Drawers. I mean, Red as Snow was pretty twisted, but this one! All of the main elements of the Snow White tale are there, but none in the place you expect. It's just so awesome.

3. It's dark, but it's not hopeless. This book deals with some difficult themes, but it's handled as delicately as possible. There is light at the end of this tunnel, but you still feel the darkness of the tunnel.

4. I'm just going to take a moment here and talk about that cover I designed for this book. Because I designed it am 1000% in love with how it turned out. Really stretched my designing skills and it fits the book so well.

5. Because there are references to other fairy tales in here. Pied Piper. Seven Swans. Rumplestiltskin. And we all here know that I love a good crossover.

6. You need to figure out just what's going on. This is a complex tale and nothing is how it seems at first value. It's a story you're going to be pondering long after you put it down.

7. Because it's only 99 cents on Kindle. You really have no excuse. Go download it now.



Tune in tomorrow/later today to find out about the next of the awesome Magic Mirrors that are hitting shelves this week. Here's a post to find out more and + enter an awesome giveaway!


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

7 Reasons to Read Red as Snow


And it's here! Red as Snow, the next edition in the fun and funky Twists of Adventure. This one is mixing up Snow White and is more of a political intrigue than it is an adventure, but it's still tons of fun. I mean, I wrote it. Fun is a guarantee here.

And now, for seven reasons that you DEFINITELY need to go read the book. Right now, if you can.

1. It's short. Only 7,500 words, so it's not a huge investment of your time. Unlike Lady Dragon, Tela Du, whose read will not have to sacrifice a third of their life. You're welcome.

2. Rose is the most incorrigible lost little ray of sunshine that I've written since Nadilynn The Worth of a King. But this time the book is from HER point of view as she's trying to navigate the uncertainty of her life.

3. Because this is Snow White as you've never seen the story before. Because Snow's the one who must get her young, pretty stepmother out of the way.

4. Because you NEED to see Charmel get his comeuppance. The snake.

5. It's a sibling story, not a romance. Because I love sibling stories and seven older brothers in place of seven dwarves is the way to go.

6. Because it does have an adorable romance in it. It might not be the focus, but it is adorable. And not a love-at-first-sight.

7. It's only 99 cents on Amazon. Go pick it up.




Monday, October 22, 2018

Review - Carrie the Mouse


My girl, Morgan has a new book out! It's a picture book, too, with the illustrations made by her sister! Fun, yes?

Anywho, I get to review it today!

It's a short book - I read it in a couple minutes this morning, actually, and the illustrations are SUPER cute. It's also based on a true story, as you find out in the afterward, so that was awesome.

It had very much a Beatrix Potter feel to the story itself - though much shorter than most of her books. It also made for a very heavy-handed moral - listen to your parents or you'll be sorry, but it was cute at the same time. If my younger siblings weren't so old now, I'd probably get them a physical copy. Alas, but they've outgrown picture books with heavy-handed morals.

About the Book

Martha Squirrel made her journey down the big hill seem like a grand adventure. But what happens when Carrie Mouse disobeys her mama and explores the giant garage?

Inspired by a true story, Carrie Mouse and the Giant Garage tells the story of a young mouse who gets trapped in the garage of the human house at the bottom of the hill. Beautifully illustrated with clay sculptures, this is a book you won’t want to miss!




About the Author


Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Books have always been a big part of her life, never more so than when working at the local library. She is the author of several middle grade novels including the Time Captives fantasy trilogy and one YA fairy tale retelling novella entitled Twisted Dreams. Carrie Mouse and the Giant Garage is her first picture book.

To learn more about Morgan and her work, visit:
or

About the Illustrator


Rebekah Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia with her parents, sisters, and yellow Labrador named Sophie. She has been working with Sculpey since age nine, and sells her creations in the Klay Kottage Etsy shop. She also creates and sells stuffed animals and knitted goods. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, and playing cello and piano. Carrie Mouse and the Giant Garage is her first book.

To learn more about Rebekah and her work, visit:
or
follow @klaykottage on Instagram



Giveaway
Morgan and Rebekah will be giving away a signed copy of Carrie Mouse and the Giant Garage with a handmade Carrie Mouse doll! Second prize is a signed copy of the book only. Be sure to enter the giveaway!

Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

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Friday, October 19, 2018

Know The Novel: Planning some Hair


So the majestic Cait and Skye aren't doing the Beautiful Books NaNo link-up anymore, but never fear! Christine over at Musings of an Elf is here to come to our aid. With Know the Novel. Another awesome link-up where we get to talk about our books! And I love talking about my books, so yay!!!

(Also, I need to get myself back into the blogging game. This year has just been all-around crazy, though.)

Anywho, for NaNo this year, I'll be writing book 5 of everyone's favorite Bookania Quests. And also finishing book 4, Honor: A Quest In, because it's not done like I wanted it to be. Just eight chapters left on that one, though.

So, questions.

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
Just following the writing of Sew, I wanted to know what happened next ... and the title "Hair We Go Again" came to me, I knew Lukas was going to show up, and I've muddled around with about twelve different plots for it in the days that have followed.

2. Share a blurb!
What I have on NaNo is "Robin and Eric agree to help Dick and Theo recover their old castle, lost in the hundred-year sleep." All the more that I'm going to say is that Rapunzel and jackalopes are involved. 

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?
It takes place in Bookania, predominately in Winthrop, though we will be heading into Skewwood for a bit as that seems to be a staple of the series.

4. Tell us about your protagonist.
You know, that would involve me knowing who the precise protagonist is, and I don't actually know that yet, since I still have to write the book. Is it Robin? Is it Eric? Is it Lukas? Is it Meg? Is it Rapunzel? I know they're all going to have POV, but I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE HAS THE STAGE YET.

(Also, I'd like to state that the "Hair" in the title is as much a reference to Meg's role in the book as it is Rapunzel's) 

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?
Human nature. And maybe King William's grumpiness.

6. What excites you the most about this novel?
Several scenes between Eric, Robin, and/or Lukas, some scenes involving Maryanne, and then a proposal scene involving Meg.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?
I think I answered this in the introduction.

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting?
Plansting, as always. I do need to sit down and write up a table of contents, but so far all I have is: 
1. Wherein a Princess Prefers Adventures to Naps
2. Wherein Finding Old Castles are More Practical Than Jackalopes.

9. Name a few things that make this story unique.
It's a tale of what happens when the happily ever after seems to be going wrong. It also involves a precocious 18-month-old Maryanne who is intent on finding a jackalope. And maybe fishing a new best friend out from under a table.

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).


Thursday, October 11, 2018

A SPARKLY DRAGON CAT FAIRY IS NEVER LATE.

Okay, with that out of the way, I have two things too say that, apparently, should have happened/been posted BEFORE NOW, but I am a Sparkly Dragon Cat Fairy, and as such, I can never be late. Just have things post at unexpected times.

*coughcough* Sorry, glitter smoke is bothering my allergies at the moment. *coughcough*

Anywho, first up - The Worth of a King is now available to purchase in paperback! Yay!


I cannot believe how much of a bear and a half this was to get into paperback. This hasn't been as long a wait as Do You Take This Quest? had, but I was dealing with a lost computer at that time. I've just had to fight a swap from CreateSpace to KDP this time! (Though, to be fair, that was a FIGHT.) Anywho, the paperback is out now, and it's just $14.99, and it's sooooo shiny. I went with white pages for the first time on this book, and I really like how they fit with this story. I'm really leaning towards giving them to The Seven Drawers as well. 

Also, as a note, sign-up for the Magic Mirrors blog tour is closing at the end of this week, so if you want to help promote these lovely stories, please get in and help promote them.


Okay, and now for the purpose of this post. 



The next Fellowship of Fantasy collection is out! Yay! I don't have a story in this one (I almost did, as they considered putting my "Cinders" in here, and I also had a cat story involving Laura that I was working on, but had to drop due to time crunches), but I know a lot of the authors who do, and the stories SHOULD be awesome. And just look at that cat on the cover!

Annnnywho, I have a guest post from one of the authors!

Sharon Hughson
·What was your inspiration for your story in the anthology?

It’s been several years since I read through the WARRIORS series by Erin Hunter. This is a middle grade adventure series feature clans of cats told from the perspective of the cats. For some reason, Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities mingled with the cat adventures and my creative brain wondered, “What if it was ‘A Tail of Two Kitties’?” The children’s story I imagined in those days bears little resemblance to the fairy tale-like story in PAWS, CLAWS AND MAGIC TALES. Probably because in the years since working with those struggling readers who enjoyed WARRIORS, I’ve read dozens of young adult fantasy books.

Tail of Two Kitlings by Sharon Hughson
Two kitlings. One tail. A mother's sacrifice and a brother's betrayal. Who will survive the Siamese curse?



Go download and read this lovely little collection FOR FREE, and don't forget to add it on Goodreads. Also, I think there was supposed to be a giveaway, but I'm posting this after the tour officially ended, so I think it'd be pointless to post it. Just go download a free book. And check out the posts that actually happened DURING the tour.

I'm gonna go slink back to my cave and continue editing Red as Snow and revising The Seven Drawers, 'cause I'm so not ready for my own release at the end of the month.
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