The characters are from Sentinals Banished, the 5th book in the Sentinal series- though these events are all made up for the #12DaysOfTurvywriting challenge and are out of sequence and do not exist in the book.
Chatacters:
Leyarille is Jerrol and Taelia’s daughter, born at the beginning of Book 4, Sentinals Across time. She is now 17, as is Jared, Alyssa and Jennery’s second son.
Marianille and Birlerion are Sentinals, and step-brother/Step-sister.
Niallerion is a sentinal and Marianille’s husband.
Dec3. Decorations
Early the next morning, Marianille was organising her work party. She would accept no excuses and soon everyone was bundled up against the cold. “I spoke with the Father, and he said the trees in the west of the garden need pruning. We need to cut enough boughs for the temple as well. I need those frothy ferns that grow at the base of the sentinals trees, the ones with the fine leaves, and some evergreen boughs. I want to dress the windows and make a wreath for the door. If you can find any colourful berries or cones, they would be ideal.”
Niallerion rolled his eyes. “You’re not asking for much, are you?”
Patting his cheek, Marianille said, “You have to earn your dinner,” and she kissed him.
“In that case …” Niallerion hustled Jared before him into the temple gardens. Laughing, Marianille followed him.
“After you,” Birlerion said as Leyarille entered the gardens. Flashing him a smile, Leyarille scuffed her way through the snow. It covered her boots, and coated the trees.
“Do you miss, not having your sentinal here?” she asked as Birlerion followed behind her.
“Sometimes. But now Marianille and Niallerion’s trees are here, the temple doesn’t seem so lonely.”
“Lonely?”
“I suppose it’s what people get used to. When we moved to Stoneford, everyone said they missed my sentinal and the temple didn’t look right.”
“Why do the ferns grow around the sentinals?”
“I expect because Leyandrii always loved them. She used to decorate the palace with fronds of the stuff.”
“Is that where the tradition came from then?”
“No doubt,” Birlerion replied. “Ah, look. This tree has lots of red berries. Marianille will love this.” Birlerion reached for a branch and pulled it down so Leyarille could cut off some branches. A shower of snow descended on them and he cursed as Leyarille jumped back, laughing at him.
He scraped up a handful off the branch and threw it at her.
Leyarille ducked.
“At this rate we’ll never collect enough greenery to satisfy your sister,” Niallerion complained.
Birlerion raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so when Marianille wants something, she’s my sister is she?” He scraped more snow up, compacted it into a ball and threw it at Niallerion.
“Hey!” Niallerion retaliated and yells and shrieks of laughter rang through the gardens.
The characters are from Sentinals Banished, the 5th book in the Sentinal series- though these events are all made up for the #12DaysOfTurvywriting challenge and are out of sequence and do not exist in the book.
Chatacters:
Leyarille is Jerrol and Taelia’s daughter, born at the beginning of Book 4, Sentinals Across time. She is now 17, as is Jared, Alyssa and Jennery’s second son.
Marianille and Birlerion are Sentinals, and step-brother/Step-sister.
Niallerion is a sentinal and Marianille’s husband.
Dec 2. Family/Found Family
By the time Niallerion arrived home, he was stiff and sore from kneeling over decaying parchment and fragments of stone tablets. The heavy snow and falling temperatures didn’t improve his mood much, but when he opened the door to his home and he inhaled the warming aroma of a hearty soup and the sight of his beautiful wife seated by the fire, he finally relaxed.
“Darling!” Marianille rose and went to meet him. “You are so late.”
“I wanted to get everything finished, so I could join you in the festivities.” Niallerion nodded at Jared and Leyarille seated by the fire. “Who else is here?”
“Just Birlerion. He is overseeing dinner.”
Niallerion raised an eyebrow as Marianille fussed over him. Hanging up his cloak, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Is that wise?” he asked as he kissed her.
“I heard that,” Birlerion called. “And unhand my sister. There are children in the house.”
“We are not kids!” Leyarille protested, closely followed by Jared, and Birlerion laughed as he brought in bowls and laid the table.
“My apologies.” He bowed his head. “There are soon-to-be ranger’s cadets in the house.”
“Who are starving,” Jared said.
“Then sit,” Birlerion gestured grandly and disappeared back into the kitchen. He soon returned with a steaming tureen.
“We should celebrate,” Niallerion said, releasing Marianille and reaching for the wine glasses. “It’s not often we’ll have the chance to be all together once you enter the cadets.” “Nor does my brother come to visit very often.” Marianille reached for Birlerion and snagged his arm, pulling him close to kiss his cheek. “We’ve missed you.”
“As I have missed you,” Birlerion murmured, hugging her close.
“If you want wine, you’ll unhand my wife,” Niallerion mock threatened, waving his belt knife at Birlerion, before he began scraping the wax seal off the bottle.
Birlerion laughed and steered Marianille to a chair. Jared and Leyarille hurriedly took the seats opposite, leaving Birlerion and Niallerion to sit at either end.
Niallerion smiled at the happy faces around the table and began pouring the wine. Raising his glass, Birlerion grinned. “To family, near and far.”
The characters are from Sentinals Banished, the 5th book in the Sentinal series- though these events are all made up for the #12DaysOfTurvywriting challenge and are out of sequence and do not exist in the book.
Chatacters:
Leyarille is Jerrol and Taelia’s daughter, born at the beginning of Book 4, Sentinals Across time. She is now 17, as is Jared, Alyssa and Jennery’s second son.
Marianille and Birlerion are Sentinals, and step-brother/Step-sister.
Niallerion is a sentinal and Marianille’s husband.
Dec1. Weather. #12DaysofTurvy
A cold draught swept into the room as Leyarille hurried through the door surrounded in flurries of snow. “It’s getting heavier,” she said as she shook the flakes out of her cloudy brown hair.
Jared peered over the back of his chair and scowled at her as he tugged the rug tighter around his shoulders. “Shut the door!” With a shiver, he sank deeper in his chair and stretched his long legs out before the crackling fire. “It’s a bit early for snow in Old Vespers, isn’t it?”
Marianille laughed from her seat opposite him where she was busy darning a shirt. “You get snow in Deepwater too. This is not so unusual.”
“But it doesn’t usually lay this early.”
“Don’t be such a baby and don’t hog the fire.” Leyarille complained as she shrugged out of her cloak and came to join them. She sat on the floor and toasted her numb fingers before the flames.
“Where’s Birlerion?” Jared asked, moving his legs out of her way.
“Settling Kino in the stables. He’s no more a fan of snow than you are.”
“Not surprised, seeing as Darian’s hail from Terolia. What I wouldn’t give for the deserts right now,” Jared said.
“You’d be complaining it’s too hot,” Leyarille replied.
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“Seeing as neither of you have ever been to the desert—” Marianille broke off as the door blew open and her brother, Birlerion, entered. He quickly shut it and surveyed the cosy scene before the fire.
Leaning against the door, he tugged off his gloves. His silver eyes, like Marianille’s and Leyarille’s gleamed in the lamplight, and his black hair glistened with melting snow. “Well, you all look snug,” he said as he unfastened his cloak. “You’d better make the most if it, because Niallerion is going to be freezing by the time he gets home from the Chapterhouse.”
Marianille tutted. “He spends far too much time in those underground chambers. I wish the scholars would stop finding them. I’d better get the soup on.”
“I’ll do it. You stay by the fire,” Birlerion said as he hung up his cloak and entered the kitchen. The sound of pots clanging made Marianille wince, but she stayed in her chair.
Leyarille stared at the fire. “It’ll be strange not going home to Stoneford for year end,” she said.
Marianille leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll have fun here. You wait and see!”
Today, I am talking with fantasy author Jennifer Becker about her debut novel Through Fire and Ruin.
Helen: Welcome Jennifer, I am so excited that we get to chat about your first ever book today!! Tell us about Through Fire & Ruin.
Jennifer:Through Fire & Ruin is the first book in a New Adult fantasy trilogy. It’s written in dual POV and follows Lora, who crosses over into the fae land from the human world after a deadly virus sweeps Earth, and Amira, a fae princess, who is trying to leave her past behind her.
It’s full of badass characters, fae, witches, villains you’ll definitely hate, intriguing love interests, magic, court politics, power games, fancy parties, and romance—I love adding in romance. This one has the enemies-to-lovers trope and all the tension that goes with it.
Through Fire & Ruin covers themes such as promises, lies, trust, holding onto hope and accepting oneself.
Helen: It sounds amazing, and I love your cover. It’s beautiful and very atmospheric.
Jennifer: The cover symbolizes the fae and human land and how both mirror each other in some ways. The colours are based on the royal colours of the fae kingdom Turosian, where most of the story takes place. In the fae world of Liraen, a shooting star symbolizes ruin, which fits the theme of the book (which is also why it’s also part of the title). I really love how the cover turned out and the moody, dramatic, epic vibe it has.
Helen: I am so thrilled to be talking to you about your debut novel. Congratulations on finishing and publishing it. Such a great achievement. What made you write this particular story?
Jennifer: The idea started during the first lockdown back in 2020. With the whole Covid situation, I had this image in my mind of a girl trying to find a cure for a virus in the fae land and then things evolved from there. The plot and characters changed a lot during our brainstorming sessions, but Lora and her goal has always remained the same.
Helen: Lockdown inspired many creative projects. I think it made people really think about what was happening around them. What made you first start writing?
Jennifer: I’ve pretty much always been an avid reader but I didn’t start writing regularly until a few years ago, actually. When I was in school, I would write a bit every now and then, but nothing was ever finished. I had this thought in my head that writing a book would be crazy and I could never pull it off. Then during my studies (I was a film student), I got into writing scripts which was the first time I saw myself as a writer. Then Corona happened and as it did for everyone else, life changed. The lockdown was a very weird and depressing time. One day, I was talking to one of my best friends, Alice, and we kind of jokingly decided to come up with an idea for a book and write something for fun. The idea of publishing wasn’t even on the table at first. It was all just for fun and maybe that’s why I wasn’t afraid to try. It quickly became much more than a fun story that would never see the light of day. I’ve grown attached to our characters and their stories. I’ve put parts of myself into it and seeing people relate to it and enjoy the story means the world. I really can’t imagine not writing now. Now I’m really in it.
Helen: That’s so great. A writing buddy keeps you accountable and having someone to sound ideas against is amazing. Though I think there is an art to co-writing a book! What is your preferred genre to write?
Jennifer: I write fantasy romance. Fantasy and its unlimited possibilities is so much fun to write and romance just makes it even more exciting!
Helen: If you didn’t write fantasy which genre would you like to try?
Jennifer: There’s something about a cute contemporary romance novel. When I’m feeling down and I don’t have much time to read, I always tend to pick up a contemporary romance— preferably one that I can finish reading in one sitting. I love writing dialogue and I love writing anything romance related, so I can picture myself writing in this genre too one day.
Helen: I know this can be a tough question, but who is your favourite character from your book?
Jennifer: My MC Lora. She was the first character we came up with and I’ve grown really attached to her. I’ve put parts of myself in her and I want to see her happy. But if that was always the case, it would be a pretty boring book 😉 I love how fierce she is, even when she’s terrified.
Helen: A powerful female MC, excellent. If your Main Character, Lora, could answer, why would she say we should read your book?
Jennifer: You should read this book to follow me as I go on an insane adventure in the fae land. I have to find myself and see my own strength, while navigating through a lot of darkness. I think that’s something a lot of us can relate to.
If you love stories with fae, court politics, badass female characters, dual POV (who are not love interests), slow-burn romance with some spice, plot twists, a mix of urban and high fantasy, then this is the book for you.
Helen: Ooh she sounds convincing! So as you revel in the excitement of launching your first book, what’s next? Do you have another project oin the works?
Jennifer: My co-author Alice and I are currently working on book 2 of the Through Fire & Ruin series which I’m already so excited about sharing, even though it won’t be out until 2023. Book 2 will have more POVs which has been fun but challenging to write. It’s definitely shaking up character dynamics and the stakes are higher than ever! I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of it.
Helen: Sounds like you are very busy! How do you fit writing in your daily life?
Jennifer: I wish I had a good answer to this, but honestly I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle my job, my writing, my other creative projects, and my remaining social life haha It’s a struggle that I know many indie authors share. For now, I fit it in by sacrificing sleep and being a workaholic.
Helen: Could you share three random facts about yourself?
Jennifer: I’m a film grad (but really I should have a degree in binge-watching Netflix haha)
I eat way too much popcorn but don’t regret it.
I have a habit of listening to one song on repeat until I get sick of it.
Helen: Do you have time to read in your busy life? Who are your favourite authors?
Jennifer: Some of my favourite authors include Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo.
Helen: Excellent choices. Being a debut author, do you have any advice for aspiring writers hoping to be in your position one day?
Jennifer: You can tell yourself a million reasons not to try, not to write that book. Finding time is hard, really hard. But the thing is, once you’ve given it a real try—once you’ve made time to try—if you love it, you’ll somehow keep making time for it. Don’t let your fears hold you back, and write.
Helen: Thank you, Jennifer, for that great advice and for spending time with me today. Just to close, did you have anything else you wanted to share with your readers?
Jennifer: As an author, I can’t help but have expectations for my novel. But no matter if it does well or not, I hope readers will go through all the emotions. I hope they have fun with the banter between characters and laugh at the jokes. I hope they swoon over the romance and get frustrated in a good way about the slow-burn. I hope they feel for the characters and feel sad when bad things happen. I hope they feel amped up at the fight scenes. I hope they feel uncomfortable and angry at some scenes. And I hope they feel impatient to get book 2 once they get to the ending 😉
About the Author:
Jennifer Becker
Jennifer Becker is one of the debut authors of Through Fire & Ruin, the first book in a new adult fantasy series. She has been an avid reader for most of her life and has always craved telling her own stories. Jennifer earned her MA degree in film production in the UK and has since been working in the film industry in her home country, Austria, while independently working on her own writing projects. The two things she can talk about forever are good books and TV shows. When she’s not obsessing over a great story or a ship, she’s most likely working on her creative endeavours such as her novel.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, or on preorder here, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Reviewed: November 29th, 2022 Released: October 31st, 2022 Genre: MM Magical Realism
In the business of unfinished business…
It’s been over six months since a freak accident left pathologist Tristan Everett able to see ghosts, something he has yet to confess to his boyfriend. Instead, he now has a new calling, one he’s not entirely happy about… help the dead resolve their unfinished business so they can pass into the light, sounds simple right?
Wrong…
When the spirit of a sweet old lady suffering from Alzheimers follows him home he has no idea how to help her. When he finds out she’s been murdered by arsenic poisoning, a curiously outdated murder weapon, he once again finds himself tangled up in a murder investigation.
For Inspector Danny Hayes of New Scotland Yard, life couldn’t be better. After moving to London and meeting Tristan he’s ready to move their relationship to the next level, but something weird is going on with Tristan, he’s acting very strangely and with a killer on the loose he’s not taking any chances. He’s determined to discover whatever it is Tristan’s hiding from him.
Surrounded by a bunch of potentially murderous old ladies and aided by his sidekick, deceased drag queen and spirit guide in training, Dusty, Tristan must unravel the mystery of Mrs Delores Abernathy’s unfinished business and find the courage to share his deepest secret with the man he loves. Read My Thoughts…
I am very pleased to announce that I am now a UK ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors (Alli).
With a membership made up of authors from across the world, ALLi Ambassadors enable the ALLi organisation to think globally and act locally. Our Ambassadors are knowledgeable, motivated, experienced and professional ALLi members who help us to champion independent authors and forge new links across our core territories: Australia & New Zealand, Canada, Europe, South Africa, the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
ALLi’s Mission is to foster excellence and ethics in self-publishing.
•We empower authors through community and collaboration—author forums, contract advice, sample agreements, contacts and networking, literary agency representation, and a member care desk.
•We monitor the self-publishing sector—watchdog desk and approved partner program.
•We campaign and advocate for independent authors throughout the publishing and creative industries globally.
Member Benefits
•Discounts on self-publishing services
•Approved partner directory and database of services e.g. editors
•Free guidebooks, member magazine and resources
•Sample contracts & agreements and a contract review service
•Watchdog desk
•Dedicated literary agent & rights services
•Private member forums—ask questions and receive helpful advice from ALLi team, advisors, ambassadors and members
How ALLi Ambassadors can help you:
They tell us what our global campaigns can do, locally
Our Ambassadors can share with us which awards or other opportunities are closed to indies, in their own countries, so that we can help open up more doors for indie authors. Often our Ambassadors work hard to get through a door… so they can leave it open for future indie authors to follow in their footsteps. A win for one indie is a win for us all.
They share ALLi’s knowledge and expertise
The Ambassadors share important information to authors in their areas. Sometimes individually, sometimes through writing associations, festivals, literary events and charities, they can provide up to date information and useful guidance for authors everywhere.
Ask them about our Organization Membership for writing associations
We have developed a category of Organization Membership to ensure good quality self-publishing information can reach even more authors. Our great value membership for writing associations means an organisation can partner with us, bringing their own author members high quality self-publishing resources.
They can arrange for fantastic speakers at your literary events
Many of our Ambassadors are accomplished speakers and workshop facilitators, who can run self-publishing workshops or speak about their own books. If you need a speaker for your literary event, do get in touch: they can tell you about great indie authors in your area, or speak at the event themselves.
If you want to know more about ALLi, its member benefits, or how to join(affiliate link), then please do not hesitate to contact me on helen.garraway@hotmail.com, or access the ALLi website.
If you would like to stay in contact and follow my writing career, then sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Reviewed: November 23rd, 2022 Released: March 2nd, 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. Read my thoughts…
Reviewed: November 20th, 2022 Released: June 15th, 2021 Genre: Science Fiction
Devastated and exhausted, Eden Lucas is the sole survivor of an unfathomable global catastrophe. As she grapples with the question of whether to go on alone, a train arrives.
It’s not a normal train, that much is clear. For one thing, it’s floating three feet off the ground in a supermarket parking lot. For another, there doesn’t seem to be any place for the driver to go.
Yet it seems to hint at possibilities. Maybe she’s not the only one who was spared. Maybe someone on the train will have answers.
And while she may yet discover what caused the death of her world, nothing can prepare her for just how little she understands about the universe. Read my thoughts…
Immerse yourself in this epic fantasy series of ancient myths and legends. Set in the world of Remargaren, a world guarded by the goddess Lady Leyandrii and her sister Marguerite, evil is stirring, an evil that would ensnare and beguile her people as slaves.
Desperate to protect them she reaches out to one man who will become her Captain and wake her sleeping guardians. Only the guardians, her personal gurad, have been sleeping in the tall sentinal trees for three thousand years, and noone really believes there are people inside. And even if there are, her new Captain has no idea how to wake them.
I am running a Kingsumo Giveaway until launch day. All you have to do is follow the link to the Kingsumo page and enter the draw, addional actions are available for extra entries, so please do sign up to my newsletter, follow me on Goodreads and shelve Sentinals Banished and/or join my Sentinals Readers Group over on Facebook. Chance to win a bookish swag box full of Sentinal goodies, including a signed paperback copy of Sentinals Banished.
Open Internationally. 18+ only. One winner. Prize must be claimed within 48 hours. See Giveaway for full terms and conditions.
So excited to reveal the cover of Sentinals Banished, Book Five of the Sentinal series.
Book Description
Book Five of the Sentinal Series, Sentinals Banished is set seventeen years after the fourth book, Sentinals Across Time.
Sentinal Birlerion has watched from the shadows for so long he doesn’t know how to stop. Always there when the Lady’s Captain needed him. He did what was necessary to keep those he loved from harm.
When the king banishes the Lady’s Captain, Jerrol Haven, from Vespiri and disbands the Sentinal guard, the Sentinals are at a loss, some bitter, some eager to retire, all angry at the king’s decision.
Birlerion moves to Old Vespers to watch over Jerrol’s daughter as she begins her journey to become a King’s Ranger.
Old Vespers is in turmoil, the King unpredictable, and the Sentinals are unwelcome. Unexplained deaths are occurring, and bodies begin to appear in the city streets. As Birlerion continues his search for the place he can call home, he has to step out of the shadows as he is drawn into a tangled web of deceit and lies. He must hunt down those responsible before anyone else goes missing.
If you are interested in reading an ARC of Sentinals Banished in December, then sign up to my ARC team. (👀 Link in my Linktr.ee/HelenGarraway )
The Sentinal Series
Immerse yourself in this epic fantasy series of ancient myths and legends. Set in the world of Remargaren, a world guarded by the goddess Lady Leyandrii and her sister Marguerite, evil is stirring, an evil that would ensnare and beguile her people as slaves.
Desperate to protect them she reaches out to one man who will become her Captain and wake her sleeping guardians. Only the guardians, her personal gurad, have been sleeping in the tall sentinal trees for three thousand years, and noone really believes there are people inside. And even if there are, her new Captain has no idea how to wake them.
I am running a Kingsumo Giveaway until launch day. All you have to do is follow the link to the Kingsumo page and enter the draw, addional actions are available for extra entries, so please do sign up to my newsletter, follow me on Goodreads and shelve Sentinals Banished and/or join my Sentinals Readers Group over on Facebook. Chance to win a bookish swag box full of Sentinal goodies, including a signed paperback copy of Sentinals Banished.
Open Internationally. 18+ only. One winner. Prize must be claimed within 48 hours. See Giveaway for full terms and conditions.
Helen Garraway 