Today’s Realm of Darkness Author chat is with Fantasy author, Vivienne Lee Fraser about her contribution to the boxset, The World Below, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Vivienne, Thank you for joining me today. I am so excited to chat with you about The World Below. To start us off, please tell us a little about your book.
Vivienne: My book in the Realm of Darkness is The World Below. I started with the age old idea of what if a girl found out the world she lived in was full of magic and she was part of it. Then added a guitar playing magical creature to guide her through this new world. I loved the idea of mixing the real world and magic, and exploring the relationships between the magical creatures.
Helen: Sounds very intriguing, and by the colours of your cover not all is going well in the world! How did you design your cover?
Vivienne: The cover for my book was inspired by the Divergent Series. I loved the idea of colours and shadows, and the accents with leaves and feathers.
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Vivienne: I loved the idea of working with and learning from other authors. It has been an exciting and whirlwind experience and I would do it again in a moment.
Helen: It has certainly been a learning experience, a lot of hard work, but definitely worthwhile participating in at least one anthlogy if you get the chance! What genre do you typically write?
Vivienne: I write YA Fantasy. I love the way Young Adults suspend belief and you can create amazing fantasy books for them.
Helen: Tell us about some of the books you have written.
Vivienne: I have a traditional fantasy series: The Wizard and The Warrior and a portal travel adventure: The Guardians of Time.
Helen: You have been very busy writing. What first made you put pen to paper and publish your books?
Vivienne: I have always written stories, but it wasn’t until I wrote The Wizard and the Warrior Series for my son that I decided to actually publish some of my work.
Helen: Oh that’s so cool that you wrote your first book for your son. I hope he treaures it. Now we are almost at launch day for The World Below, what else are you working on?
Vivienne: I have two projects on the go at the moment. Suffragette is a passion project for me and the last book in the Time Guardian Series. I am still in the first draft phase as the time travellers try to navigate their lives while looking for a missing Suffragette. The Minotaur’s Maze is the second book in the World Below Series and I am going through final edits for a November release. In this book Pris and Snake must face more challenges to save their parents.
Helen: You are so far ahead of me, my second book in the SoulMist series won’t come out until next year, but I am being chased for the next book in my Sentinal Series so I’ve been working on that instead! Do you have to do much research for your books?
Vivienne: I love history and I love accuracy, so for my time portal series I did a lot of research into all the time periods. I also did a lot of planning for The World Below because I wanted to include magical places in England in the book.
Helen: With being so busy with your writing, do you have any other hobbies?
Vivienne: Obviously I love reading, but I also, knit and crochet and love walking, movies and music.
Helen: Tell us something completly random about yourself.
Vivienne: I have been learning to play the piano. I’m not very good, but I enjoy the challenge.
Helen: I learnt to play as a child, but never took it any further. I regret that now, but isn’t that always the case? You said you were a big reader, who’s your favourite author?
Vivienne: I have so many – Isabelle Allende because of her beautiful prose and her different world view, Agatha Christie because no one writes a cosy mystery better, Maria V Snyder, Juliet Marillier and Aimee Kauffman because of the beautiful fantasy worlds they create.
Helen: There are some great choices in there, the only one I haven’t read is Isabelle Allende, I’ll have to go and check her out. We’ve reached your final question. Thank you so much for chatting with us today. Just to finish, which books have you read recently that you woudl rcommend to others?
Vivienne: I read everything and anything, and this year I found two unexpected reads that I have been recommending to everyone. The first is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osmond.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your favourite reads. We have been so lucky to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a two days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c!
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Vivienne Lee Fraser is an Australian YA Fantasy writer, who writes stories she would enjoy reading. Her books range from traditional, to portal, to paranormal fantasy. They all have a touch of magic, strong females, quirky males and the occasional sentient animal.
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, 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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Today I am chatting with Fantasy author, RA Winter about her contribution to the Realm of Darkness boxset, Themis which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: I am delighted to welcome you to my blog today, and I am so looking forward to chatting with you about Themis. To start please tell us a little about your book.
RA Winter: My contribution to the Realm of Darkness Boxset is Themis. I’ve been wanting to write about Greek Mythology for a while and Themis fit my idea of a strong woman and one who wouldn’t take any sass from the other Olympian gods. It’s a fantasy/mystery/adventure that will take you on a journey into the underworld of Hades, Tartarus, and beyond.
Helen: Strong heroines on an adventure, sounds exciting! Your cover is striking. The colours remind me of the fires of hell, which is sounds like we get to visit. How did you come up with your cover?
RA Winter: A friend of mine designed the cover. I gave her the model and the background but she really made it pop! I just love the colors and the vibe the covers gives off. It tells a story-and brings you into the feel of the novel.
Helen: It is striking. What made you write a book for an anthology?
RA Winter: I’ve done a few anthologies and enjoyed the creative process and the behind the scenes action. It also pushes me to be a better writer-and stick to deadlines. I need a rigid schedule to force me to finish. Otherwise-I’d be editing for years and would never hit publish.
Helen: Deadlines are good motivators, though they can also be quite stressful. What made you write this specific book?
RA Winter: Themis is the prequel to a four book series. (The other three books are available for preorder or will be shortly). My father read mythology and history books to me when I was young. There were a couple of stories-and historians- that were my favorites. The Illiad, the Odyssey, and Herodicus. I would sit and listen to my father’s voice while gazing at a painting of a scene (or photos of statues) and wonder why those stories were translated in such an incomprehensible translation. (I was young!) Then I’d look at the painting and think-why didn’t they describe the monsters better?
Helen: I love that you were absorbed in mythical history so early and can use it now. What genre do you usually write?
RA Winter: Magical Realism has always been my go-to genre to write. Now, MR isn’t all about magic and wands. It’s anything that the ‘normal’ world can’t see or interact with or more precisely- everyday life with ‘otherworldy’ events. Most of my novels revolve around Native Americans and the unseen world of the ancestors. I’ve dipped into paranormal too, and added in lots of humor.
Helen: Tell us about the other books you’ve written.
RA Winter: The Spirit Key Series. It’s five novels that follow one Native American family as they deal with the ancient spirits that inhabit their land. Each book follows a romance of one member-and a ten thousand year old spirit that is just as ornery as he can be.
Helen: That sounds really interesting, especially the ten thousand year old spirit! What made you fisrt start writing?
RA Winter: My cat, Dingle, passed away. I’ve always wanted to write but I wanted to share his special personality with everyone. Dingle is a major character in my Spirit Key Series. He’s the ten-thousand-year-old spirit who finds himself inhabiting the body of a cat and is always causing trouble-in a lovable way. He’s unable to articulate his needs with words but he certainly can with actions. He was funny, loveable, ornery, cute, and didn’t like my husband at all. He was constantly fighting with my husband over a chair and my affections. I’m not going to tell you what happened when my husband came near me. Yeah, it’s a whole story. I loved that cat. Miss him horribly.
Helen: He sounds adorable, and I am sorry you lost him, but I am so glad you managed to capture his personality in your books. I am excited to meet him through your stories. Tell us about what you are currently working on?
RA Winter: Currently, I’m getting ready to release the other three books in the same series as Themis. The other books in the Queens of the Underworld series are Demise, Death, and Bane. I’m at the end stages of editing and once I’m finished-I’m thinking about a series where the Death Takers are given a vacation and the Greek gods have lost their power. So-imagine Zeus running into a restaurant and demanding food-or ‘service’ from a woman. Or-a grim reaper is on earth for the first time and able to interact as a human. I think I could have a lot of fun with those stories lines.
Helen: Oh yes, you could have a ball! When writing, do you listen to music or do you prefer silence?
RA Winter: I love every type of music from classical, to heavy metal and everything in between. My character decides the music to play and it’s based on their needs. In the 2nd Spirit Key book, RedHorse, he’s in a war zone and I listened to Diamond Eyes over and over while writing and editing. Then when the female MC was being written she asked for Garth Brooks. Dingle likes the flute.
Helen: Writing about Greek mythology, I imagine you had to do a lot research to get your facts right?
RA Winter: With Themis and the rest of the Queens of the Underworld series I really did a lot. I wanted to keep the characters close to the ‘oldest’ form of the Greek myths. I took three classes in mythology at the university and did a lot of my own research. It was harder to find information about the earlier myths than I thought!
Helen: And research can be so time consuming, taking you down all those rabbit holes. When not researching or writing, tell us what you do to relax.
RA Winter: Genealogy. I love solving mysteries and finding secrets! ok, so I have written a couple of genealogy books under my married name! I also love libraries and dark rooms with old books. Something about it calls to me.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been such fun chatting with you. Writing a book for this anthology has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a few days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c! You can also enter the competitions and claim free gifts if you buy a copy on Apple or Barnes and Noble here.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
I started writing under my married name, writing genealogy books as history was my first love. Now I write stories that give me joy-be it fantasy, magical realism, ghosts, urban fiction, or romance. All my novels contain strong females with sass, sarcasm, and humor. You know, women exactly like me. I love animals and it doesn’t matter what kind either. I’ve even petted a crocodile in Egypt-tried to take him home too. Apparently, that’s not allowed.
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, 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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And the Realm of Darkness authors keep on coming. Today I am chatting with Fantasy author, Bethany Adams about her contribution to the boxset, The Mage’s Curse which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Bethany, I am so excited to chat with you about The Mage’s curse. Tell us a little about your book.
Bethany: My contribution is called The Mage’s Curse, and it’s about a fae mage who is trapped in a magical realm after a meeting with a god went wrong. In order to escape, Chalmys has to find someone to write his story, but since he’s trapped, he has to try to reach people through dreams. He finds Holly, a single mom and technical writer, on Earth and chooses her to ask for help with his latest attempt.
Helen: This sounds so good! I can’t wait to read it, and your cover! Oh my – it’s gorgeous! I am assuming that is Chalmys?
Bethany: My cover was designed by Ana Cruz, who took my descriptions of a couple of scenes and created magic. It shows Chalmys working magic inside a stone circle and even features the crystals he often uses during his work. I absolutely love it!
Helen: So you should it is beautiful. What made you write a book for an anthology?
Bethany: Honestly? Because several of my writing friends had joined, and I thought it would be fun to be in a book together. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know other authors, too.
Helen: It has been fun, hasn’t it? Can’t believe we’re nearly at launch day. What made you write this specific book?
Bethany: The idea for this was sparked by a conversation with one of my long-time readers (who might not want to be named here, but she’ll know it’s her). When she read my book, Soulbound, there were several details that reminded her of a story idea she’d had. We live on different continents and had never even spoken before, so it was just one of those weird things that we found amusing. But then I got to thinking…what if there’s some fae/god/etc out there trying to get people to write about him by sending out dreams? Wouldn’t it be funny to see what would happen? And so Chalmys was born.
Helen: What a lovely story and a great way for this book to be born. Maybe if we all read it we’ll help to save Chalmys! Is this the type of book you usually write?
Bethany: I generally write some blend of fantasy and romance. Sometimes, the stories are heavier on the fantasy and sometimes heavier on the romance, but both are usually there. They’ve just always been my two favorite genres to read, so I find them blending when I write.
Helen: Tell us about the other books you’ve written.
Bethany: I currently have nine books in The Return of the Elves series, which begins with Soulbound. I also write steamy fantasy romance serials as Willow McCain. The first season of my Kindle Vella serial will soon release as an ebook titled The Fae Kings’ Bargain.
Helen: I love that your first book was Soulbound. My contribution to the anthology is SoulBreather, so i feel a connection between us already! If your main characters could answer this question, why would they say we should read your book?
Bethany: Well, Chalmys wants everyone to read his story so he can be freed from his curse, and Holly would tell you that you should read because she worked hard to write it all down. Ohh, if a fae mage shows up to thank you for reading, tell him he owes me a bag of gold, okay? hehe
Helen: LOL! Let’s talk a little about your writing process. What first made you start writing fantasy novels?
Bethany: At this point, it feels like something I’ve always done. I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember, and at some point as a kid, I started trying to write stories down. I even carried around notebooks in high school.
Helen: How do you fit writing into your daily life?
Bethany: When I was younger, I used to follow my muse, but now I sit at my computer every morning (well, Monday-Friday) and try to coax her to show up. I find that the more habit I build for my brain, the easier it goes.
Helen: When writing do your prefer silence or do you like to listen to music?
Bethany: Almost always. For some books, I have a playlist that fits the mood, but it can also be more general. The what is really random. Sometimes, the music is instrumental. Or love songs. Or heavy, moody stuff. I’ve always connected emotionally with music, so it often helps me slip into the mood of a scene.
Helen: Do you plan out your books with outlines and knowing where you’re going or do you write free form?
Bethany: I’m a pantser, but I wouldn’t say I sit down each day with literally no idea where the story is going. I might have a couple of rough goalposts in mind, but I also tend to mull over the next scene or two in the time between writing sessions. Much of it is drifting around back there in my subconscious.
Helen: Just to finish, tell us what you do when you’re not writing.
Bethany: I love video games and reading. I play a lot on my Switch or on PC. I especially love tycoon/simulation games and role-playing games, though I rarely have time to finish an RPG these days. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of manhwa/webcomics. When I read books, it’s usually historical or contemporary romance.
Helen: Thank you, Bethany, for joining me today. I enjoyed speaking with you, and like you, I am so excited to be part of this anthology. It has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a few days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c! You can also enter the competitions and claim free gifts if you by on Apple or Barnes and Noble here.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Bethany Adams
Ever since finding The Hero and the Crown in her school library, Bethany Adams has loved fantasy, even subjecting her school friends to stories scrawled in notebooks. Eventually, she decided to publish novels of her own. She currently writes romantic portal fantasy as Bethany Adams and steamy fantasy romance serials as Willow McCain. When not writing, Bethany enjoys reading and playing video games.
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, 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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Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, KC Freeman about her contribution to the boxset, Renegade Angel, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Karen, I am so excited to chat with you about Renegade Angel. I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of your book, and I can’t wait for it to be released. You can find my book review here. Tell us a little about your book.
Karen: My contribution to the ROD boxset is titled Renegade Angel. It’s about a guardian angel with a heart of gold but a body for sin. He’s more comfortable in jeans, leather jacket, and on a Harley Davidson than with wings. And he’s a Casanova! Despite being an angel he also retains all his humanity so he’s not held to the same constraints as pure blood angels. He’s off to the wilds of Montana to save a rodeo clown from an unknown evil only to find she’s no clown but a full-blown hottie who he happened to save years before when she was a child. She hasn’t lost her crush on him and his primal urges may get in the way of his objective when a maniac Etruscan goddess tries to possess his lady love.
Helen: I loved Jasper, he was definitely a baddass angel and it was great to see him knocked for six by Savannah. It’s nice to see them both on the cover. Tell us how you came up with the design.
Karen: The cover designed by the amazing folks at MiblArt, showcases Jasper’s bad boy persona, Savannah’s ethereal beauty against the backdrop of a rough, Western rodeo landscape which is where the bulk of the story takes place. Savannah is a rodeo clown but longs to be a bigger part of the rodeo and part of a family which she never had. When Jasper saved her years ago from demons threatening her life, she had been a runaway multiple times over as she ran from abusive foster homes. He handed her off to a lovely couple who traveled with the rodeo and it has been her life ever since.
Helen: Is there a story behind how you chose the title?
Karen: Jasper has never been an “angel’s” angel. He’s a bad boy with a heart of gold. He’ll battle demons all day, then seduce all the pretty ladies in sight. His bad boy status is what’s paramount in the title, Renegade Angel. He’ll break the rules, actually he enjoys doing so. But he’ll fight to the death against evil in all forms.
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Karen: I’ve participated in short story anthologies before and it’s always a fun and rewarding experience. With ROD, I didn’t run into the same problem of trying to rein in my words to avoid generating a story too large for a short story. It allows me to introduce more readers to my favorite guardian angel, Jasper who has been a hoot to write! He’s so much fun!
Helen: You definitely had fun! What made you write this particular book for the anthology?
Karen: I first wrote Jasper in the three-book series, Greylyn the Guardian Angel. Greylyn is so much more serious, but Jasper was just FUN! He definitely needed his own series.
Helen: Which genre do you typically write?
Karen: I prefer fantasy and paranormal –sometimes with romance and sometimes without it. It’s fun, it’s magical, it can be anything you want it to be. There’s no limit on your imagination when it comes to fantasy and paranormal.
Helen: I agree, it is such fun to let your imagination run wild. What other books have written?
Karen: I’ve written the Greylyn the Guardian Angel trilogy (Rekindled Prophecy, Revelations, and Redemption), Hunted (a spicy shifter romance), a short story that was included in the 2017 Bowman’s Inn anthology (paranormal romance), another PNR short story for the After Dark anthology which has since been taken down, a YA dragon shifter story, “Dreaming of Dragons” that went into the Something About Dragons anthology.
Helen: You’ve been busy! What made you first start writing?
Karen: I’ve wanted to write since I can’t remember when but it was put aside as my life’s dream because my parents didn’t consider it a good option for job security. Guess they were right about that, but I spent couple decades pursuing a career I despised (but paid well) instead. Once the option became viable for me to stay home with the kids, then the kids went to school and I hate housework so I looked for hobbies, which led me back to my first love of writing.
Helen: I think it is every writer’s dream to be able to give up the day job and live off their writing. Unfortunately it is not a secure income for most! Where do all your ideas come from?
Karen: I’ve been asked this a lot. The best way I can describe it is… channeling. The story unfolds in my head and I type. Story ideas pop in my head all the time with no rhyme or reason.
Helen: Seeing as we’ve all finished our books for Realm of Darkness, what are you working on now?
Karen: I just finished the first book in the Fallen Angel series, Falling for the Devil, which will release January 24, 2023. The title is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a salacious, twisted take on the fall from grace of the most notorious angel ever–Lucifer.
Helen: Who is your main character, and if they were asked the question, ‘Why shoud you read this book?’ what would they say?
Karen: Jasper is so much fun to write. He’s sexy, snarky, and … well, fun. He kicks ass, sweeps the girl off her feet, and has a good old time no matter what monsters came after him. Jasper would say to read my book because it’s all about him. He’s also got a bit of an ego.
Helen: Who do you enjoy writing the most? Heoroes or villains?
Karen: Anti-heroes are the most fun to write – they’re bad but there’s good in them. Writing the contrasts and how they emerge is what keeps me at the computer too many hours out of the day.
Helen: Let’s switch to a few questions about your writing process. How do you fit writing into your daily life?
Karen: With the kids in school, it’s easier. When they’re home, I had to learn to roll with it. It’ll be written when it’s written and not a moment sooner.
Helen: Do you like to write in silence or do you have a writing playlist?
Karen: I usually write in silence but there’s always a soundtrack playing in my head. For the Greylyn series, I had “Bring Me to Life” on repeat the entire series.
Helen: Do you like to plan your books or do you make it up as you go along?
Karen: I’ll admit, I’m a freeform pantser but am trying to rectify the situation. Having an outline makes the writing go faster, less room for writer’s block, but I do have the tendency to go off the grid.
Helen: I must admit the more I write, the more I am planning. Though there is always room for a little free form writing where the characters take over! Which do you prefer: Writing or Editing?
Karen: I love writing and I love editing (for others). Editing for myself… not so much.
Helen: When not writing, what hobbies do you have?
Karen: Ha! Yeah, I don’t know what spare time is anymore.
Helen: I know the feeling! If you didn’t write paranormal fantasy, what would you write?
Karen: Historical fiction – I’m a sucker for anything Tudor dynasty related or Ancient Egypt.
Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.
Karen: I love going on paranormal investigations. However, I don’t get to as often as I’d like so I binge watch paranormal investigation shows.
Helen: I bet that helps generate new ideas all the time. Thank you for joining me today Karen, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Karen: Write the story you want to read. Don’t give up. Writing is hard but only you can be the author of your own story.
Helen: Great advice! I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a few days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c!
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
KC Freeman, paranormal romance/urban fantasy author. She mostly writes fantasy and paranormal romance novels, especially angels and demons, enemies to lovers romance. Her debut novel, Rekindled Prophecy, won the 2021 Firebird Book Awards for Paranormal Fiction and was a finalist in the International Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction.
After leaving the corporate world to raise her five rambunctious children with her husband in North Carolina, KC Freeman eventually found her way back to her lifelong desire to write fiction. First, she dipped her toes in the writing world by ghostwriting cozy mysteries and romance novels before striking out on her own to write paranormal and fantasy.
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel Series Book 1 was originally published by Zimbell House Publishing November 2019; however, due to the publisher closing their business, KC relaunched the first book in the Greylyn series, Rekindled Prophecy and shortly thereafter released the remaining books in the series, Revelations and Redemption. The entire trilogy is now available in a convenient boxset.
Additionally, she contributed a paranormal romance short story to the Autumn/Winter 2017 anthology The Bowman’s Inn; as well as another paranormal romance short story released March 21, 2019 with the After Dark anthology where readers were introduced to another character from the Greylyn saga, the wolf shifter, Adeline. This story can now be found in Hunted by KC Freeman (released March 2022).
KC contributed a full-length novel to the Realm of Darkness boxset which will be released October 2022. The story, Renegade Angel, is the first in a series dedicated to Greylyn’s best friend and guardian angel mentor, Jasper.
Currently, KC is working on a couple different paranormal series (Working Titles: Falling for the Devil and Psychic in Suburbia).
When she is not writing, KC is running her children to practices, football games, swim meets, wrestling tournaments, and generally all over town. In her spare time…who are we kidding? She doesn’t have any of that.
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, 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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I am joined today by Sierra Knoxly, another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. We are chatting about her contribution to the boxset, The Fate in the Flames which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder. Click the cover image to see a great book trailer.
Helen: Welcome Sierra, I am so excited to talk with you today. Tell us about your contribution to the anthology.
Sierra: My Realm of Darkness book The Fate in the Flames is book one in a fantasy reverse harem series: Legend of the Kitsune Pearl. Originally, I had two different story ideas I was considering for RoD, and I chose the other one, and got about two chapters in, forcing every word. I gave up and tried writing what has become The Fate in the Flames, and it just flowed out. Sometimes I write the stories, and sometimes they write me.
Helen: It’s nice when the story writes itself. You have such a beautiful cover, tell us how you chose it.
Sierra: I saw this cover in a premade covers group a year ago, and I fell in love with it. I had it on reserve, waiting for the right story, and Sakura’s tale deserved all this beauty, plus all the little elements I needed were there, from the moth to the flames, and the sword she holds is very significant (hint: the sword doesn’t belong to her).
Helen: It is very atmospheric! What made you write a book for an anthology?
Sierra: One of my writer’s group friends had signed up to participate but had to withdraw for personal reasons. She offered her space, and I thought the opportunity was really intriguing. When I signed up, the anthology was one year away from launch, so I thought that was plenty of time to get my head around the process, since I’ve never joined a boxset before. Boy, was I misguided! I feel like I stepped into a whirlwind and have yet to get off the wild ride! Of course I’m hopeful we’ll hit best seller status, but it’s been so exciting to work with all the authors, and it’s really pushed me to get out of my comfort box.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: The year has gone so quick, hasn’t it? I can’t believe there is only three weeks to go to launch. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Sierra: The title was probably the hardest part of the book to write! I agonized over it, particularly because I needed wording that suited the layout of the premade cover. I did a brainstorm and showed it to the RoD writers’ group, and the lovely authors helped me pick through my ideas. ‘Fate’ stood out because I had written it several times in the brainstorm, haha! The flames came naturally thanks to the cover image and how the story develops around fire (the main male character is a shapeshifting hellhound).
For the series title, kitsune is a name for a nine-tailed fox. I’m deeply inspired by Asian mythology, so that weaves through several of my series.
Helen: I think you came up with the perfect title. What made you write this specific book?
Sierra: This book (series) is a prequel occurring (2,000 years) before the series I’m releasing at the moment – Tears of the Heart. One of the characters that appears in that series had an amazing backstory, so I thought it deserved to be told.
Helen: Tell us a little about your main character and why you wrote about them.
Sierra: Sakura Ochi is a young adult girl from the daimyo class (nobility) in an ancient Japan. Her birth name is Kiyoko, but she’s known by a nickname that her mother gave her, in reference to the blossoming of the cherry tree flowers. I wrote the Tears of the Heart series a few years ago, and I wanted to write the backstory of a character that appears in that series. That put my character starting a few thousand years back in ancient Japan, and so I created Sakura. This character has a traumatic start to the story; her family is condemned to ritualistic suicide to regain their family honor. If Sakura truly thought this was a way to regain their honor, she would go through with it, but she knows it’s a set-up, so she’s determined to fight and survive.
Helen: If your Main Character could answer, why would they say we should read your book?
Sierra: “The author put me through hell, but I survived. Don’t let my suffering be in vain!”
Helen: Who was your favourite character to write?
Sierra: I really enjoyed writing Rivaan. He’s been raised in the clan culture, and he never questioned it until Sakura arrived in his life and presented a different outlook. Between that and his own mysterious development, he goes through a lot of personal upheaval.
Helen:The Fate in the Flames is Reverse Harem. For those who don’t know reverse harem is typically considered a group where there is one male with several female members of his household or poly relationship. These are considered reverse harem books because it is the woman who is surrounded by a group of men. Must be such fun to write. What else do you write?
Sierra: I write fantasy reverse harem/poly romance. I always enjoyed fantasy, and then I stumbled on a RH book, and discovered my mantra “more fun, more love.” There are other things I like to write as well, but this is my focus now.
Helen: You said The Fate in the Flames is the prequel, how many other books have you written?
Sierra: I have three other books out currently. Two are in the completed series In the King’s Hands, which is a fantasy poly duet (Ambience and Resonance) about an escaped slave who joins a royal harem to hide from the cruel master who is hunting her. Just recently I released a new book, Tears of Ice, which is the first in a new series (Tears of the Heart), a portal academy fantasy RH, about a young adult with a serious heart condition who gets stranded on a world that doesn’t like humans. This occurs a few thousand years after the timeline of my RoD contribution, The Fate in the Flames.
There are links between all my books across the realms. I think readers will enjoy pulling on those threads as all the series evolve.
Want to try a RH book? You can downlod a copy of Sierra’s Ambience for free here.(Limited number available. Content Warning: Ambience features a king’s harem carrying out sexual activities. High steam, MM/FF/MF, intended for mature audiences. Triggers include references to sexual assault, mild cursing and mild violence.)
Click image to download a free copy (Limited number available.)
Helen: It’s so exciting when you can explore back stories and delve into side characters. What are you writing now?
Sierra: Right now, I’m editing book two of Tears of the Heart. I find editing much harder than writing because you have to more analytical about the purpose of every scene, so it’s a slow process. Having said that, this is my favorite series, and I laugh and enjoy reading it, so I can’t wait to get the books out.
Helen: What inspired you to first begin writing?
Sierra: Reading and writing has had a strong presence all through my childhood, but what prompted me the most was a vivid dream that I wrote down. When I finished that story, I knew I needed to write another. I had teachers recognize my interest during my school years (long before I recognized it myself), and I’m very grateful to them for planting the seeds.
Helen: How do you find new ideas for your books?
Sierra: Vacuuming is totally dangerous for new ideas, haha. Any activity that let’s your brain tick over while your body is moving gives space for stories. I find most of my ideas are based on ‘what if’ questions that I stumble across at random times. ‘What if a runaway slave hid in a king’s harem?’ ‘What if a girl goes through a portal and gets stuck in a world that hates humans (and dragons)?’ Recently I was watching an online chat group where a joke was made about crossdressing, and the little fishhook in my brain latched onto that word and started asking what if the person was crossdressing to con people and make money…so that one is simmering away in the bubbler, in a queue of a dozen other ideas waiting to be written.
Helen: ‘What if’ is such a useful tool for authors! Let’s talk a little about your writing process. Do you plan your books or let them flow where they will?
Sierra: I think the term for me is a plantster. I start out with a few dot points of a plot and an ending in mind (usually), and the story/characters sometimes run away with me during the writing journey, haha. I write from beginning to end sequentially, although occasionally if I get stuck I’ll leave a note to ‘finish this chapter’ and move on, so I don’t get bogged down.
Helen: When is the best time of the day for you to write and where do you write?
Sierra: I write late in the evening when the house is quiet. I’ve had great results overlooking the ocean…but that’s not an everyday reality, unfortunately! I like to be at my desk with lots of light and multiple screens, because I need my manuscript, my character guide, my one thousand google tabs…you get the picture 😉
Helen: Do you prefer writing or editing?
Sierra: Writing! Definitely writing! Editing means having to admit that what I wrote first time around was not the most brilliant piece of writing out there, haha. It gets messy, so I have to don emotional armour.
Helen: If you didn’t write Fantasy what genre would you like to write in?
Sierra: I love all things YA, and I’m a big fan of most sci-fi movies, so I would probably give sci-fi a try. I also love Manga (a lot of my Asian influences come from an interest in manga/web comics) so it’s a dream of mine to write or turn a book into a comic.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Sierra, it’s been such fun meeting you. Last question, do you have a favourite piece of advice that inspires you, and what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Sierra: “A writer’s most important asset is their state of mind.” Alessandra Torres.
Once I heard this, a lot of elements about my writing practice clicked together, and now I work hard to protect my state of mind so creativity can flourish.
My advice? Just start writing—it doesn’t matter if your plot is all over the place or whatever. The more I write, the more I learn about craft and how to improve. Get a manuscript done and send it to a developmental editor. Learn from their advice. Write the next novel.
Helen: Such great advice! I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Sierra Knoxly lives a double life. By day she is the reserved mom of young children where adventure means a walk to the park or trip to the local pool. Once night falls and the cherubs are tucked into bed, Sierra dons armour (and amor) and rides a dragon into battle. She rains chaos down on her characters like an avenging angel of old and shoots their hearts with cupid’s bow.
Her love of mythical beasts and magic began at a young age when she had an imaginary Pegasus friend. Her gentle nature and fiery imagination leads to all around fictional steam. She lives with a mild fear that one day she’ll get a knock at the door from the authorities come to ask about her questionable browser history – all for writing research, of course.
When not writing or momming, Sierra loves bringing plants home to die and reading a reverse harem novel under a warm blanket.
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, 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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Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, Rosalyn about her contribution to the boxset, The Mermaid & the Pearl, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Rosalyn, I am so excited to chat with you about The Mermaid and the Pearl. I was fortunate enough to beta read your book, and I can’t wait for it to be released. Tell us a little about your book.
Rosalyn:The Mermaid & the Pearl is a sapphic retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” It has an underwater circus setting and a “Corpse Bride” twist. It is atmospheric and delightfully creepy.
Helen: Such a great idea to have an underwater circus, gives you lots of enteratining ideas to play with. Your cover is gorgeous, tell us who is on the front cover.
Rosalyn: The cover shows the main character Muriel swimming in front of a circus tent to show the unusual setting. It also shows Muriel holding her magic pearl necklace which is what she uses to make skeletons dance for the circus.
Helen: Sounds suitably creepy! I imagine your title is quite descriptive of your story and as a retelling you got straight to the point.
Rosalyn: I chose The Mermaid & the Pearl because I wanted readers to know right away that this was a book about mermaids. Pearls are important to the book because they contain the souls of the dead and my character uses a pearl necklace to make skeletons dance with the magic in her voice.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Rosalyn: A writer friend told me about the set and that they were still accepting authors, and I just decided to go for it! It was a lot of work to come up with an idea and write an entire novel so quickly, but I am so thankful for this opportunity. I knew I could write another fairy tale retelling in the same world as my book A Sea of Pearls & Leaves, so a Little Mermaid retelling was an easy choice!
Vision of the Moon
Helen: I loved A Sea of Pearls and Leaves. Readers can find my book review here. What else have you written?
Rosalyn: My first book, The Crown of Bones, is a dark fantasy adventure with deadly obstacles based on the Grimm’s fairy tales. A Sea of Pearls & Leaves is a whimsical and atmospheric retelling of “The Three Snake-Leaves” and is set in the same world as The Mermaid & the Pearl. I also have a novel coming out in April with Quill & Crow Publishing House called Her Dark Enchantments, a witchy and magical villain origin story about the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty.
Helen: When writing, do you enjoy creating villains or heroes?
Rosalyn: I really love writing villains because I think they are so much fun. I suppose that is why my next book is a villain origin story!
Helen: Do you prefer silence or music when you write?
Rosalyn: I only listen to instrumental music because I cannot focus on writing if there are lyrics. I really enjoy witchy or fairy tale-esque playlists on YouTube.
Helen: I know you have a young famiy, so, how do you fit in writing around your daily life?
Rosalyn: I find it important to follow a writing routine, so I wake up at 5 AM every day to write. It really sets the tone for the day for me and puts me in a better mood.
Helen: I couldn’t do it. I am a night owl. You won’t get a sensible word out of me at 5am in the morning! If you didn’t write Fairytale retellings, what genre would you like to try?
Rosalyn: I absolutely love reading thrillers and would love to try writing in that genre someday. I actually have a storyline, setting, and notes for a thriller that I hope to work on within the next few years.
Helen: Most authors are great readers, who is your favorite author?
Rosalyn: I will read anything by Shea Earnshaw. I think she has the most beautiful and lyrical prose.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Rosalyn, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Rosalyn: I would tell new writers to never give up and write what they love. Also, I would say to share your work with reliable critique partners and beta readers to make your writing even better.
Helen: Thank you, Roslayn. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Rosalyn Briar
Rosalyn Briar a former teacher, a mother to two fearless daughters, and a wife to her soul mate. She loves reading, traveling, and playing board games. More importantly, she believes in fairy tales. When she is not reading or writing, you might find her playing dress-up or gleaning through the woods for wildflowers with her princesses.
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, 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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Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, Catharine Glen about her contribution to the boxset, Wind Across the Silver Blade, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Catharine, thankyou for joining me today! To start us off, tell us about Wind Across the Silver Blade.
Catharine:Wind Across the Silver Blade is a steamy Asian fantasy romance set in a world of gods and yokai (demons). Yumi, an exiled noblewoman, accidentally awakens Touma — a tengu (a winged crow demon god) who was sealed in a sword three hundred years prior. Together, they uncover the truth of a hidden power Yumi harbors while coming to terms with the soulbond growing between them. There’s time magic, a hero resisting the bond, a brave heroine willing to face her fate, and even a little *fun* with feathers. 😉
Helen: ooh sounds like lots of fun! Your cover is amazing. Which character did you choose and why?
Catharine: The cover for Wind Across the Silver Blade was illustrated by my fantastic artist Rakuen, who also did the covers for my Shadowed World Saga series. I wanted to feature Touma, our tengu hero and the love interest of the story. She brought him to life in gorgeous detail, incorporating elements of the mythological tengu dress and showcasing those beautiful wings. He also carries twin swords (daisho) at his waist like the samurai of old, which are important to the story. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to grab his hand and let him spirit me away!
Helen: I am definitely in your corner with that one, he sounds amazing. What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Catharine: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the Realm of Darkness anthology, and this is my first time writing for a set. I typically write steamy romantic fantasy with human characters, but had the idea of a romance specifically involving a tengu for some time. This anthology was the perfect fit for my story!
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: This is my first time writing for an anthology as well, and it has been a great experience. Tell us about your steamy romantic fantasy series.
Catharine: I have another Asian fantasy series with two books out so far. The Shadowed World Saga is a Japanese-inspired epic romantic fantasy reverse harem featuring an assassin heroine and the men who stand by her side. Ema faces trials of duty, honor, and betrayal as a ruthless anti-imperial faction moves swiftly across the country. Worse, sentient death shadows known as the shi-no-kage have emerged, threatening the very world itself. I adore writing this series and have become deeply attached to the characters. Fans of enemies to lovers, diverse characters (all-Asian cast), strong heroines, political intrigue, the supernatural, and Japanese history and culture will find lots to love here.
Vision of the Moon
Helen: I am adding them to my tbr pile as we speak! What made you first put pen to paper and write a book?
Catharine: I was a voracious reader growing up. Trips to the library and local bookstore were among my favorite things to do! There was something magical about exploring the shelves and picking out new books to read. I was always drawn to mystery and fantasy, and later historical romance. I wrote stories in my early teen years, fascinated by the notion of writing as a career but never believing I could actually do it (this was well before Kindles and self-publishing became a viable option). What I really wanted to read is now known as romantic fantasy, but I couldn’t seem to find the types of stories that fit what I was seeking. It was after reading Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy in the 00’s (a fantastic series, BTW) and being disappointed in the minimal romance between Vyn and Elend that I began writing seriously — fantasy with a strong romantic subplot.
Helen: I haven’t read Mistborn yet. I have the books, just haven’t found time to read them! When you are writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a favourite playlsit?
Catharine: I enjoy having music on while I write and edit. I typically stick with instrumental music, particularly lo-fi as it blends into the background but also evokes certain moods to help immerse me in the creative process. I also enjoy epic movie and anime themes, Gregorian chants, and new age depending on the types of scenes I’m working on. The only time I do not listen to music is during final proofreads when I need silent, uninterrupted focus.
Helen: Sounds inspirational enough to me. I know writing consumes all pur free time, but when you do ahve that spare hour of two, what hobbies do you like to pursue?
Catharine: When I’m not writing or tending to the kids and family, I enjoy reading fantasy books with kissing (of course!), playing video games (these days, otome or visual novels), studying Japanese, going for walks, Lego, and traveling. I also enjoy watching anime and reading manga.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Catharine, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, tell us who your favourite author is and why.
Catharine: I would have to say Lindsay Buroker, not only because she’s an incredibly talented writer, but she inspired me to pursue being an indie author. I came across her book, The Emperor’s Edge, not too long after it released, and instantly fell in love with the story and her characters. I was writing and studying craft at the time, but not ready to submit my work anywhere. These were the early days when indie authors were just starting to appear on the scene in a real way. From then, I followed her career and enjoyed consuming her books as well as her now off-air podcast Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast (and later, the Six Figure Authors Podcast). She was always so down to earth in her advice and candid in sharing her experiences, even as her success and prominence in the industry grew. I found her to be a warm and encouraging voice to all fantasy writers, and it gave me the courage and knowledge I needed to jump into the indie writing lifestyle.
Helen: The writing community is so generous, everyone is willing to offer help and support to new writers.
I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Catharine Glen is a romantic fantasy author residing in New England. Her favorite kinds of stories take place in faraway worlds with unforgettable characters, plenty of romance, adventure, magic and the supernatural. She tends to get immersed in all things Japanese, reading, Lego, and possibly consumes a bit too much coffee and tea. She’s also a wife to a loving husband and a mom to two children and a spirited Jack Russell.
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, 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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I am excited to be joined by one of the authors of the Tales of the Amulet series, Robert Zangari as we chat about his books and how he and his father, Dan, work together. You can check out my book review of the first book in the series, A Prince’s Errand here.
Helen: Welcome Dan! To start us off, tell us about the latest book in your epic fantasy Tales of the Amulet series.
Robert: Taking place immediately after the events of A Prince’s Errand, The Dark Necromancer continues the thrilling adventure set into motion by the discovery on Dalgilur, and the climatic conflict at the Mindolarnian Palace. The story follows Iltar, Cornar, and Elsia as they ward off secret societies, thwart conspiring necromancers, and defy vengeful princes—all while struggling to unearth the truth about the Crimson Eye. But no place, not their homeland nor an island long forgotten, is beyond their enemies’ reach—not even the Translucent Fields of Vabenack.
If you want to hear Michael Kramer narrate those exact lines, you can do so over on the book’s Kickstarter campaign or on YouTube.
Helen: I can’t wait to read The Dark Necromancer. I must admit I fell in love with Iltar and I can’t wait to see how his story pans out, and if he survives the antics of his students! This cover is amazing. There is so much going on, it’s a story in itself!
Robert: Kerem Beyit did a fabulous job capturing our imagination with the cover art for The Dark Necromancer. We wanted a scene with a struggle and he did just that by depicting our main characters climbing the stairs to meet the three powerful mages. We actually had this cover done for awhile, as we commissioned it immediately after the cover for A Prince’s Errand was finished.
We went with a purple tone because my dad’s initial draft of The Dark Necromancer back in 2001 had a purple font colour for the title. It’s just kinda stuck through all the iterations of this story.
Helen: WIth so much thought going into the covers, what about the titles?
Robert: There is a bit of a special meaning to it. Initially my dad had four stories planned; The Dark Necromancer, The Golden Dragons, The Red Ruby, and The Black Knight. The Dark Necromancer consisted of the flashbacks for his original trilogy into one story that revolved around an evil necromancer, Iltar.
Yeah, Iltar was the bad guy that set my dad’s story into motion, and in the original Chronicles of Lorn story he died in the first book, but we got glimpses into his life via flashbacks (it was very similar to what Sanderson has done in the Stormlight Archive). But my dad had ultimately pulled those flashbacks because of feedback he had received from other authors and publishers, saying that method of storytelling doesn’t work (well it obviously does for Sanderson).
So, when I was sixteen, my dad re-worked his story and made a prequel of sorts to his Chronicles of Lorn and called it The Dark Necromancer. Our initial debut novel as independent authors was titled The Dark Necromancer, which we released in 2013. When we split the book up we later called it The Dragons’ Legacy, but this current 2022 title are those same events, just told very differently and with some different outcomes.
Book One of the Tales of the Amulet
Helen: I’m in shock! You were going to kill off Iltar? How could you? Setting my horror aside, what made you first begin writing?
Robert: Well, I actually started writing non-fiction in 2010 and published my first book as a tie-in to my martial arts business that I had at the time. But I didn’t get my start in writing fiction until after my son passed away—he was stillborn at 28 weeks gestation. In an effort to ease his passing my father approached me about working with him on finishing his series. It had been nearly twenty years since he began and he was getting nowhere fast.
I was still in school studying Bio-medical Engineering, so I was writing only part time for the first year. Then I decided I loved crafting stories more than designing artificial organs or synthetic body parts, so I switched career paths.
Helen: I truly believe writing is carthartic. I am sorry you lost your son. I began writing after my mother passed, and I truly belive writing my books helped me deal with her passing. What made you write this particular book?
Robert: Well, it’s a sequel so I kinda had to write it. But other than that, I wanted to continue the adventure we set into motion with A Prince’s Errand.
But to better expand on the question, I’ll explain why we wrote Tales of the Amulet. My father has always been fascinated with the fantasy genre, and for as long as I can remember it’s been a part of my life. In fact, this series and the world have been with me since I was five years old.
Throughout the years he worked on the stories but never really made huge progress due to other responsibilities. But when we finally started working together we wanted to produce this fantasy series as if it were finished and published back in the early 1990’s—which was when my father began working on these stories.
We wanted to produce big, thick, epic fantasy tomes, and that’s sort of our motto now.
Helen: You definitely achieved that. The Tales of the Amulet is a wonderfully complex world with amazing world building, characters and magic systems. I don’t think you could not write a tome! Do you have ideas for other books?
Robert: I mostly sit and stew on a premise until I start getting ideas. But fortunately for me, most of Tales of the Amulet is already mapped out for me. So it’s more getting ideas to flesh out the major parts of the story my dad already created.
One of the things I often find myself doing is meditating in the shower to dig deep and find the nitty-gritty details of the story. Sometimes I just go on a drive by myself in my 87’ Pontiac Fiero and let the ideas flow. Other times I will crawl into bed and wrap myself in my covers and see what comes to mind. I’m an introvert, so if I can get isolated the ideas flow.
Helen: Who do you prefer to write villains or heroes?
Robert: Oh, I don’t know. I enjoy writing a fresh POV that I’ve never written in before, as it gives me an opportunity to explore something new. That’s one of the reasons the Greater Kalda chapters are in our main stories. I do enjoy writing from Cornar’s perspective, and I feel I relate to him the most out of those I’ve written. Although writing Iltar’s pain and trauma has been cathartic.
I enjoy both the heroes and the villains. It allows me to explore two polar worldviews and see things from both sides. Plus, there’s something liberating about writing an excellent bad guy/girl. I hate Vaem from The Prisoner of Tardalim but oh was it fun writing her.
Helen: Before we move into talking about your writing process, tell us a random fact about yourself.
Robert: I am an only child, and the son of an only child (my father). When I was a kid I often played out elaborate fantasy scenes with my medieval LEGO sets, and I think that’s marks the beginning of my imaginative madness. And I still enjoy LEGOs.
Helen: We can blame it all on the LEGO!! Do you have a special working place where you find creativity flows the best?
Robert: I have an office in my basement, well as of writing this I don’t have it accessible at the moment. So, I’m up in a makeshift office in a nook in mine and my wife’s bedroom. You can see a quick tour of it over on TikTok. I mostly prefer solitude when writing. I have a hard time writing in groups or in a classroom setting. It’s gotta be the introvert in me, but I feel the creativity flow when I’m just by myself.
Helen: Do you prefer writing or editing?
Robert: Oh, writing all the way. Reviewing next, but editing is rough. For me, editing is work and the writing and reviewing is the fun part. I also enjoy outlining and planning a story, and then writing it and having my plans get messed up by my characters—I like the problem solving that comes from those hiccups.
Helen: When writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a playlist playing in the background?
Robert: Yes I do, and it varies for the mood of the scene. I prefer to listen to movie soundtracks, and I often pick a track that was in a scene that matches what I’m writing. That helps me get put the right emotional beats in the scene and helps me stay true to the outline I’ve written.
Helen: Do you plan out every scene or do you pants it and let the story take you where it will?
Robert: Planner all the way and I do stick to a few frameworks that I learned from my writing mentor, David Farland. I try to incorporate a few different story structures, typically the 10-15-25-40-10 rule that you often see in the hero’s journey or the adventure story. Once I get through the first 10% and finalize my inciting incident that gives me a good idea of how long the story is going to be. I notice it more when I am writing a short story or novella, and it’s mostly accurate as the first try-fail cycle takes 15%, the second cycle 25% and the try success taking 40% with a wrap up at the end lasting about 5-10%.
I also try to incorporate a story in the round element that links to one of the main conflicts for the characters. In A Prince’s Errand Iltar at his homestead in the beginning, and at the end of the story he ends up back there again. I did a similar thing with Amendal Aramien in The Prisoner of Tardalim where the story’s initial inciting incident begins at a tavern, the Sea Vistonia, and the book ends at the same tavern. Physical locations are often my go-to for a story in the round element, but I’ve also tried to incorporate an internal revolution for the characters like what we see with Gigaus in the short story Sorter of Mages.
Helen: Do you find you have to do much research for your books?
Robert: It depends on what elements I’m incorporating and how much knowledge I have on the subject matter before starting the story. For instance, I did a good deal of research about Antarctica while writing The Prisoner of Tardalim. I also did a few deep-dives into several different animals to study their anatomy so I could accurately create some variant creatures for the story, since it featured a conjurer as the main character.
Helen: Who was your favourite character to write?
Robert: Zanxsthy’ll, you haven’t truly met him yet if you’ve read A Prince’s Errand. Well, you sort have met him, but you don’t know him by Zanxsthy’ll (that name shows up only once during Lirathy’lu’s point of view in Mindolarn). Zanxsthy’ll embodies everything I hope I can be, the ideals I visual for my best self. He’s more of a background character until later on, but as the series progresses he takes a more prominent role. I’d love to write a series about him one day, in the vein of R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt books.
Helen: You have some very complex names! I hope you have a glossary and a pronounciation guide. Most writers struggle with distractions and procrastination. How do you fit writing into daily life?
Robert: I try to make it a priority and the best way for me to do that is to do it first thing after I wake up and get ready for the day. I write in the mornings and revise/edit in the evenings. One thing I learned from David Farland was that our brains tend to be more creative in the mornings and more analytical in the evenings.
Since I write full time and work from home it can be challenging. There are some weeks where I only get a few thousand words down, and others where I can get a novella’s worth finished. Part of that is just the ebb and flow of life with four kids. But I feel like I’m still trying to figure it all out, schedule wise. When I think I’ve got a handle life throws a wrench at my gears and cogs.
I notice that taking a shower tends to help me focus on the story. I guess it’s the solitude and the calming of flowing water, but I will get a good deal of “pre-writing” done before hand and often see the scene play out in my mind.
Helen: If you didn’t write fantasy what genre would you like to try to write?
Robert: I’d love to dabble in some science fiction. I adore science fiction, but more of the hard sci-fi and unfortunately I’m just not smart enough for that. I feel like I’d need a doctorate to accurately pull it off. But I’m fascinated with near future Sol system settings. DOOM and Destiny are two of my favourite videogame franchises and both share a similar setting I’d love to explore myself. I guess Star Trek sort of fits into that, especial during the Enterprise show era. But I think it’d be fun to explore the planetoids of our solar system.
Helen: You lead such a busy life, with four children to keep you occupied. When not writing, what do you do to relax?
Robert: Immersing myself in a good story, whether it be movies, a TV show, a story-driven videogame, or going to plays. Before COVID-19 we used to have an annual membership to our local theatre and saw a play almost once a month. I love that experience of watching a story acted out live, and even though I’m sitting in the audience I often feel I’m there participating in the story. As mentioned before, I enjoy putting together LEGO sets, and I’ll often do that with my daughters.
Helen: What are some of the books you read recently that you would recommend to others?
Robert: I’ve been reading Robert Jordan’s Conan books because I’ve had a Sword and Sorcery itch that I needed to scratch, and they’re great! I love how he writes Conan. As far as indie goes, I highly recommend anything by M.H. Woodscourt. I finished her Wintervale Duology and it was fabulous! I’m also reading David A Trotter’s Birthrights currently, well listening to audio (narrated by Henry Kramer) and it’s one of my favourites I’ve read this year.
Helen: What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve been given?
Robert: David Farland (author of the Runelords) was probably the most influential author who’s given me valuable writing advice. Dave was a treasure trove of knowledge. While taking one of his classes I had approached him about a fantasy murder mystery series I wanted to do—the class was his Master Plotting class, so I had brought the series concept to use in the exercises. But, the visuals and story ideas that were coming to me weren’t what I wanted to do. When I told him about the conflict he told me, “You’re not ready to write that series. Go write this adventure instead.” And that is how The Prisoner of Tardalim was born.
Dave was like my author-dad, and he was always so happy to share his knowledge. I miss him.
Helen: His passing was a great loss. I have found authors to be so generous with their knowledge and their time. As a published author what piece of advice would you like to share to new writers?
Robert: Stick with it, no matter what. I know several writers who gave up too soon before they could truly become a published author. The hardest part is getting that first book done, but once you do you know you can write a book. So, writing another isn’t as hard.
Also, practice honing your voice. It’s often said that it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a subject, and I’d agree. I don’t think I settled into my voice until around the one million word mark. That’s one million words of prose.
Short stories are a good way to practice, but they’re not very profitable so I know many authors don’t write them.
I know it can be tempting to publish the first thing you finish, but in my experience that isn’t the best idea for your career as an author. We (my father and I) published our first project together and looking back at it, the story was solid but the writing not so much.
Helen: Thank you so much for spending the time with me today. It has been really interesting chatting with you. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Robert: You can get a FREE copy of my novella, Beneath the Frozen Wastes featuring two of our main characters, Iltar and Cornar, by joining our mailing list at https://legendsofkalda.com/pages/newsletter-1. And you can also get the first 10% (roughly 77 pages) of A Prince’s Errand when you join.
My next scheduled signing is at Salt Lake City’s FanX (comic convention), September 22-24th, 2022.
About the Author:
Robert Zangari
Robert Zangari is the co-author of the various books which belong to the Legends of Kalda universe. He studied Bio-Medical Engineering at the University of Utah; however, his love for stories and storytelling took him down a different career path. When he’s not writing he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, playing video games, practicing martial arts and immersing himself in a good story.
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, 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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I am excited to be joined by one of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxet today! I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Lea Cherry about her contribution to the boxset, Starlight; which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Lea! To start us off, tell us about Starlight.
Lea: My contribution to the ROD set is called Starlight. It’s a fantasy story set in the realm of Elesseand where the Princess of the Kingdom is a Starlight (Someone born of the stars with magical powers) but also a fierce warrior that protects the realm from any dangers with her Legion. I don’t want to give too much away, but there is an assassin, a magi, a shifter, some romance and a lot of dangers to go through.
Helen: Sounds like you packed a lot of elements into your story. I can’t wait to read it. Your cover is gorgeous, down to the font which glistens. What were your thoughts behind the design?
Lea: The cover for Starlight took some creativity. I tried various different things but none of them actually spoke to me, so I decided to create the cover with symbols instead so that later on, I could hopefully create art to accompany the books. The cover shows a beautiful star that represents the Princess Tekana and all the Starlights before her. Even though the star is bright and beautiful, it is sharp and dangerous and should be treated carefully.
Helen: Readers be warned! What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Lea: I love reading fantasy and thought that this was a great opportunity to write one myself. I usually dabble in other genres, YA and horror to be more specific, but thought that if I could write my own fantasy, the possibility of what could happen would be endless, so here I am.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: I called you a YA Fantasy author but you actually write a range of YA genres, don’t you?
Lea: I usually write Young Adult books in various subgenres as I enjoy the way the young characters discover themselves and evolve into people that are strong, independent and overall great humans. I also enjoy writing horrors because I just love it and want to test myself with writing one that can scare the pants off the readers. I’m kind of wired that way.
Helen: That is mean! I am not a fan of horror, I have too creative an imagination. Tell us about some of your other books.
Lea: My two horrors are Chimera and Devil’s Doorway which were my first trials into the genre. I have also written two YA Urban Fantasy books for a series, currently busy with the third book, that is about a girl that learns she’s a descendant of a very powerful magical race known as the Pure and that she must learn to harness her powers before the Tainted (villains) can claim her soul to resurrect their leader. There is also a poetry journal that I co-wrote with another author as a companion book for her dragon series to give her main dragon character a poetry voice.
Helen: I bet that was a fun project, especially with dragons involved. You are multi-talented for sure. Many writers find inspiration from music, when you are writing do you listen to music?
Lea: I can’t, at all. If I listen to music, I find myself singing along and then I can’t concentrate of what I’m writing. If I listen to something, it is usually instrumental music that sounds like it could have been on the book’s soundtrack. Like Celtic instrumental songs for my fantasy stories. I do however listen to certain songs before I write to get me into the scene, like rock music before I write a fight scene, or something emo and sad for the heart-breaking stuff.
Helen: When I’m editing and solving plot knots it has to be instrumental, as like you I get distracted by the words of the song. But when I’m writing that first draft, anything goes. Do you plot out your novels or are you a pantser?
Lea: You could say I’m a plantser. I plot out the basics of my story, the most important things like characters, settings and the plot of how the story should go, but then I pants a lot of the story to give myself or rather my characters the freedom to sometimes roam free and choose other paths to get to their goal.
Helen: Characters do tend to have a mind of their own and go off on unplanned tangents. Do you have to much research for your books?
Lea: Sometimes way too much. I tend to fall into the rabbit hole with research, but only when I feel that there should be more and especially if the subject I’m researching is very interesting.
Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.
Lea: I’m from South Africa and English is my second language, is that random enough?
Helen: Wow! And you are writing in English which makes your work even more amazing. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun talking shop. As we reach the end of our time together just to finish, when not writing what do you spend your time on?
Lea: My hobbies include watching movies, reading and painting. I have started teaching both my daughters to draw and they love it so a lot of the time they want to know how to draw something so if I don’t know, then we all learn something new that day. On a different note, just because I enjoy it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m great at it.
Helen: Thank you for joining me tody Lea. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Lea Cherry
Lea Cherry is an international bestselling author residing in South Africa with her husband and two daughters. With a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, she shares the spark of language in Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. When she is not crafting stories, she shares her time with her family watching movies, painting, and reading up a storm when she is not exploring the outdoors on camping trips. Her first book in the Descendant series is set to arrive in 2021 and is filled with magic and adventure that will keep you wanting more.
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, 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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Today I am chatting with Elle Hartford who is celebrating the release of her cozy mystery/fairytale retelling Beauty and the Alchemist which releases today, August 12th, 2022.
Helen: Welcome Elle. Congratulations on the relase of your new book Beauty & the Alchemist. It seems like it’s a mixture of multiple genres, tell us a little about it.
Elle: Hi! I’m really excited for this book. It’s called Beauty and the Alchemist, and it’s a cozy mystery retelling of Beauty and the Beast. My main character is an alchemist named Red, who’s really just trying to live her life making potions in fairy tale Belville. But when a criminal is found murdered in a nearby haunted castle, and Red’s best friend takes the blame, she has to jump in and find the truth. There’s ancient curses, supportive friends, and–of course!–a huge library.
Helen: Oh, and you’re playing with fairytales as well. You are mixing up the bag! How did you come up with idea to mix genres?
Elle: My friends on social media have accused me of making up my own genre, and I guess they’re right! But that’s not what I set out to do. I’ve been a long time reader of cozy mysteries (mysteries where the focus is on the puzzle and the community, not so much on grim crimes or police procedure). A lot of cozies have a witchy or “paranormal” theme, so to me, it seemed natural to extend that just a little bit, to include fairy tales and magic creatures. So, often I’ll describe my subgenre as “fairy tale-inspired cozy” or even cozy fantasy. I just love it, because it takes the warm feelings and brain teasers of cozy mystery and adds magic–what could be better?
Helen: Sounds like an excellent new genre to me! I always think covers are the most difficult to create, how about you? How did you decide what the cover should be?
Elle: I really wanted my cover to have a classic cozy mystery look–a picturesque scene with a hint of danger, and the cozy companion front and center, naturally. So William, the black dog, is sitting on the path watching as Red’s cloak disappears into the woods below the ghostly castle. Normally, William would refuse to sit still while Red runs toward the unknown, but I liked how this scene combines both the lost castle of Beauty and the Beast with the dark forest of Little Red Riding Hood (Red’s namesake).
Helen: I think it’s so interesting that you’re mashing up fairytales as well. Tell us about your protagonist, Red.
Elle: My protagonist is the alchemist, Red, who recently gave up a life of being a traveling potion-maker to settle down in rural Belville. She’s smart, resourceful, and a little bit mysterious. She also cares a lot about her friends, even if she won’t always admit it outright–often, she feels like an outsider, even though many people in Belville welcome her immediately. I myself can relate to Red’s shyness when it comes to trusting relationships, so that’s probably part of why I wrote her. But also, more practically, who better to solve mysteries than a natural scientist with botanical knowledge, an alchemical lab, and an arsenal of special tools?
Helen: If Red could answer this question, why would she say we should read your book?
Elle: Red would say that we should read the book for Luca, her best friend in Belville, or for Gloria, her irascible neighbor. Both Gloria and Luca have their own personal struggles that they have to overcome in the course of the book. Red helps them both, in her way, but she would definitely give them most of the credit.
Helen: Who is your favourite character in your book?
Elle: What a tough question! I love so many of my characters, each for a different reason. But one of the characters who made me smile the most while I was writing is Trent, a young witch who gets roped into the investigation. He reminds me very much of my little brother (though both Trent and my brother are too big now to really be thought of as “little”!).
Helen: When writing cozy fantasy novels, with a touch of fairytale magic, do you still find yourself doing research?
Elle: Tons. If you could see my office, you might think I was an alchemist fresh from the twelfth century–or a scholar of some kind! This series has been a very good excuse to collect books. 🙂 The alchemy that Red practices is based on historical science and mysticism–think things like the Elixir of Life and proto-chemistry. And then, of course, I also research a lot of folklore for each story too, since many of them are based on fairy tales or legends. I love breathing new life into old things!
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today Elle, and congratulations on the release of your cozy fantasy novel. A final question for you. What advice would give aspiring writers?
Elle: My opinion on this has changed a lot during my journey to publication. I think my advice would be twofold: first, find a critique partner or editor or writing group whose opinion you trust, and who you feel safe sharing your work with. Having someone with a completely different perspective from me point out the highs and lows of my manuscripts has been invaluable–it may feel hard to accept feedback in the moment, but it makes you so much more confident in the end, because you know you’ve covered your bases. So that’s part one: value an outside perspective. But part two is definitely to believe in yourself. If you can do that, truly–and it is very hard!–then you’re golden. A lot of my books boil down to just that.
And catching murderers, of course. 😉
Thank you so, so much for having me on, and giving me a chance to ramble about things I love!
About the Author:
Elle Hartford
Elle adores cozy mysteries, fairy tales, and above all, learning new things. As a historian and educator, she believes in the value of stories as a mirror for complicated realities. She currently lives in New Jersey with a grumpy tortoise and a three-legged cat.
Find more stories of Red and her friends at ellehartford.com. And while you’re there, sign up for Elle’s newsletter to get bonus material, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and terrible jokes!
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love 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 keep up with progress on my next books are published.
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Helen Garraway 