It’s launch day for Fantasy author Erika Leigh Agnew, and she has made time to talk to us about her new release, The Besieged Unicorn Army of Ryk. Join me as we celebrate her new release and chat about her books.
Helen: Congratulations on your new release, and thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today, your release day! Tell us a little about your new release.
Erika: My current book is The Besieged Unicorn Army of Ryk which is scheduled to release on Amazon July 14, 2023. It is the prequel to Dragonsown, a Young Adult Fantasy I published in 2020. The premise is primarily about a territory conflict between dragons and unicorns but when unforeseen danger threatens them both, they find they need to join forces to survive.
Helen: What an interesting premise, the thought of two magical creatures, unicorns and Dragons at odds is so intriguing. What can you tell us about your thoughts behind your cover?
Erika: The prequel’s cover evolved from the first book. My plan is to keep the dragon but change who it faces with each new story. I can’t draw but sketched out an awful stick figure draft and gave it to a designer who saw my vision under the flaws.
Helen: The cover is beautiful, I love the dragon bearing down on the unicorns, I hope they are nice dragons!! Tell us why you chose this title.
Erika: I am aware the title is a mouthful and I put a lot of thought into different variations but kept coming back to this. Nothing else fit so I just went with it. This is truly the most besieged unicorn army ever and I needed a title to capture that.
Helen: You have set the prequel one thousand years before your first book, what made you write this particular book?
Erika: I actually started writing the sequel first. I was 7,000 words in when the idea for a unicorn army popped into my head and wouldn’t go away. I was obsessed with unicorns as a kid and the thought of writing about them was very appealing. I went with my instinct and put the sequel on the back burner.
Helen: If your main charcter had to tell us why we should read your book, what would he say?
Erika: Because the story is about him, of course! Ember is a rare black unicorn and the First Captain of the Unicorn Army. He is adored by his herd who love him regardless of his actions, right or wrong. Ember even manages to charm my female dragons and he avoids getting eaten on many occasions. He will experience much personal growth in this story.
Helen: He does sound adorable. I look forward to meeting him some day soon! Changing topics to how you write, which element of the writing process do you find the most challenging?
Erika: Finding the time to write and then edit my work. I have a full-time career, a part-time job, and help manage a horse farm. It amazes me I was able to write and publish this prequel in only 2 years.
Helen: I have no idea how you find time to write! You must be a night owl or an early riser! Whilst writing, which writing tool do kep to hand at all times?
Erika: Thesaurus- I just keep it open because I refer to it constantly.
Helen: Congratulations once again on your new release. Just to finish, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Erika: Learn some techniques before writing your book. I wrote my first book, self-published it, then realized I needed to implement some writing techniques. I pulled it down, did a full edit and republished. So basically, I had to write a book to learn how to write a book. Kind of backwards so don’t do what I did. It wasted a lot of time. Read up on ‘Show, don’t tell’, how to show action through dialogue and using key elements of plot development- emphasis on conflict and suspense.
Helen: Great advice! For anyone publishing, you want to have your best work out there, so make sure you engage a good editor. Once your book is out, people will critique it, you want to ensure you have the best version possible. Thankyou, Erika, I wish you all the best with your latest release.
About the Author
Erika Leigh Agnew
Erika Leigh Agnew is the Indie Author of Dragonsown, a Young Adult Adventure Fantasy Series. She has completed the prequel, The Besieged Unicorn Army of Ryk, publishing in July 2023. Erika appreciates follows on Amazon & GoodReads!
She writes a blog and updates her website regularly:
Subscribers to her email list receive a Dragonsown: Surface “Added Scene”.
Erika grew up in Toronto, ON. She is passionate about the environment and wildlife conservation. She loves to scuba dive, spend time in nature and ride horses.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or 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 pleased to welcome Science Fantasy author Neil Bullock to talk to us about his metaphysical Primordial series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, Off Track, and you can find my review here.
Helen: Welcome Neil. I’m excited to chat with you about your primordial series, which you have now released two books and working on the third, Nexus. Tell us a little about it.
Neil: My current book is titled Nexus, and it’s the third in my Primordials series. I’m planning on having 9 books split into three trilogies with a time gap between each. Nexus sets out to answer most of the questions posed in book 1 (Off Track) and book 2 (Earth Twelve) while also setting up the next batch of three books. It also provides some background for a few related series I have planned. I’m currently planning for a July or August release for Nexus!
Helen: You have a grand plan, can’t wait to see where your series goes. What can you tell us about your thoughts behind your cover?
Neil: My cover is an abstract view from the Nexus, which is a location in the eponymous book. We’re looking through a doorway from our position behind my main character, Eden Lucas. In front of her is a scene that was described in the epilogue of Earth Twelve.
Helen: I love the idea of looking though a keyhole at a new version of the world. Why did you call the book Nexus?
Neil: Naming books is a horrible thing to have to do! Book titles are so hard! For Off Track, it took me weeks to decide on the name. For Earth Twelve and Nexus, I named them both for locations in the book. Much easier that way. It could also mean a nexus between my various planned stories.
Helen: I agree, I’m always dithering between names and often end up asking my newlsetter subscribers ot vote because I can’t decide! Who is your protagonist and why did you write her/him?
Neil: My protagonist is Eden Lucas, a 30-something woman from Portland, Oregon. I am, of course, not a woman, not in my 30s and not American, so it is perhaps a strange choice. The reason I wrote her is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, at its core. Female protagonists of that type have always been my go-to. The musical Wicked is another. The role of Elphaba speaks to me. Clare Abshire in The Time Traveler’s Wife. Alicia in Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy. Naomi and Bobbie in The Expanse. Any number of others. As for why I write Americans, it’s because it feels more “exotic” than writing British. I think I might struggle to imagine British characters going through what my characters go through.
Helen: I know this is one of those questions, but who is your favourite character?
Neil: Probably Megan Young. She joins the cast in Nexus, and she has quite the tragic backstory that I’m looking forward to working with in subsequent books! She also has some unique abilities which were fun to play with while writing Nexus!
Helen: Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Just to finish, who inspired you to write?
Neil: To some extent, it’s just who I am. Whenever I encounter something I enjoy, I want to emulate it in my own way. That could be a film, television show, book, piece of software (I’m a programmer in my other life), whatever. Specifically, I credit Stephen King, Peter Clines, Jeff VanderMeer, James S. A. Corey, Audrey Niffenegger, N.K Jemisin and Justin Cronin. Whenever I read anything by any of them, it’s like a well of inspiration inside me gets refilled. All books fill it a little bit, but those authors are definite favourites.
About the Author
Neil Bullock
I am a fan of fantasy, science fiction and magic realism, which I tend to combine into my somewhat speculative sci-fi novels. I particularly enjoy the kind of mind-bending stories told by Blake Crouch, N. K. Jemisin, Peter Clines, and Jeff VanderMeer, among others. I love putting normal people in weird situations and seeing how they cope. In my writing, that is. I try not to do it so much in real life.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or 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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Author of the The Accidental Cop and the Neglected Merge trilogy
Today, I am pleased to welcome multi-genre author Eve Koguce to talk to us about her books and how she brings her home country of Latvia into her writing.
Helen: Welcome Eve. I’m intrigued about how you came to write in so many genres, but before we get into that, tell us a little about your books.
Eve: All my books have a certain share of controversy, but “The Accidental Cop” is probably the most controversial of them.
The Neglected Merge trilogy doesn’t fit neatly into any fantasy category. Besides, the protagonist is thirty-two in book one and fifty-one in book three. While a coming-of-age novel “Finding Your Way” is set in Latvia and has a slight touch of magical realism.
“The Accidental Cop” is also a cross-genre book. It isn’t a purely crime fiction novel since it doesn’t start with finding a dead body and end with unmasking the murderer. It also doesn’t tick all the boxes of a noir crime genre. It is a blend of noir crime and police procedural with psychological suspense elements.
Set in Latvia at the end of the first post-Soviet decade, “The Accidental Cop” tells the story of Roberts Bergs. At twenty-one, he struggles to find his place within the corrupted police system without betraying his principles. To succeed you must play by the rules. Roberts learns the rules quickly. The system run by the Soviet-era ex-militia officers is a good teacher. Who you know counts for more than your abilities, qualifications, and knowledge. The system also doesn’t tolerate disobedience. Still, Roberts keeps climbing up the career ladder. The contrast between those who play by the rules and those who believe in honesty and justice becomes starker. Luxury and self-indulgence for the first, and dragging out a miserable existence for the latter. Roberts has to make more difficult choices. Is it worth it to remain true to his principles? Or is succumbing to the corrupted and merciless system the only way to survive?
Writing “The Accidental Cop” was a unique experience. It was inspired by countless stories I’ve heard from different people over two decades. Readers say that it was interesting for them to find out about the period of time in Latvia they didn’t know anything about. “Savage 90s” were a time of great turbulence for Latvia. It was challenging to try to portray this grim page of my country’s history without slipping either into the rose-tinted glasses outlook or utter disillusionment.
Helen: I imagine it was a challenge to give such a tumultuous period justice. It is so interesting to hear that your novel is based on real events. What can you tell us about your thoughts behind your cover?
Eve: It was important to me that the cover of “The Accidental Cop” would convey the essence of the book. I didn’t want it to delude the reader into thinking that they are about to read a thriller with a classic “superman” hero who saves everyone and puts all the bad guys in jail. Single-handedly, of course.
I wanted the cover to display the stark difference between Roberts’s world – grim and full of shadows – and the world of those who aren’t averse to corruption and crime. Roberts sees that there is a different life out there. He sees that it is possible to live without suffering from hunger, cold, and despair. But to change his life he has to betray everything he believes in.
Helen: It is so interesting to hear about the ideas behind the cover, there is always a lot more thought put in than you realise. Now, what made you write books in so many different genres?
Eve: I have written five books so far, and all of them are in different genres. Even the books within the same trilogy.
The Neglected Merge fantasy trilogy opens with a fantasy romance, followed by the fantasy drama “Tangle of Choices”, and wraps up with “Shifting Directions” which comprises coming-of-age, drama, and even thriller elements.
“Finding Your Way” is a coming-of-age novel with magical realism elements.
It is a great question why I do not stick to one genre. To be honest, I started asking it myself only when I was already deep in the promotion and marketing jungle. Learning more about the indie publishing universe, I realised the risks a multi-genre author has to face. Still, I do not regret having written books in different genres. These are the stories I wanted to share with the world.
Helen: I think that is what it comes down to, what is the story you want to tell? I know this is a difficult question, but out of all your books, who is your favourite character.
Eve: It is not easy to choose one, but my heart belongs to Alfred Greeks from the Neglected Merge trilogy. He is Tauria’s (Tauria is the main character of the trilogy) boss, mentor, and later, her trusted friend who understands her better than anyone. He is the one who supports her even when everyone else in her life can’t accept her choices. Alfred’s character is loosely based on someone who played a similar role in my life.
Alfred is almost one hundred years old in book one. But his mind is sharp and his interest in current affairs is acute. Despite his outstanding mind – or maybe because of it – Alfred chooses not to climb to the very top of the career ladder. His boss thinks he is a dreamer. While Alfred himself claims that it is dreamers who make the biggest changes happen.
If I ever return to the Neglected Merge universe, it is Alfred’s story that I will write. It warms my heart that when readers ask about my plans for sequels or prequels of the trilogy, they mention that they would want to read Alfred Greeks’s story.
Helen: What is your work in progress (WIP)?
Eve: The story is set in beautiful Dorset, on the fictional island of Southbay. I spent a couple of years living in the region. My lack of knowledge of local customs got me into some awkward situations. So, writing this book is a great chance to share these funny stories. I met many wonderful people while living in Dorset. Besides, my work let me travel all around the country, and I got a glimpse of the differences between North and South.
I’m working on a story of a young woman from Latvia who married an Englishman and moved to England. She realises she doesn’t really know the man she has married. At the same time, she falls deeper in love with the island she now calls home.
Helen: Dorset is beautiful. That is so neat that you can include your real life experiences in your story. When it comes to writing, which part do you find most challenging?
Eve: Personally, for me, the most challenging element of the writing process is finding the time to write. Or, more precisely, finding the balance between writing and other obligations. I guess, considering the dynamic lifestyle of the times we live in, it is a common problem for most writers.
At times, I feel guilty that I “steal” time from my family, concentrating on writing yet another book. I am also often distracted when I spend time with my son and my husband. The scenes that play on repeat and voices that talk in my head when I am working on a story aren’t easy to switch off. I am sure many writers can relate to that.
Helen: It can be a delicate work-life balance, and yes I agree, authors are easily distracted as we muse on plot knots and story lines. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Just to close us out, could you share some of the books you have recently enjoyed reading?
Eve: I’ve been reading a lot of books by indie authors recently. And I can honestly say that discovering indie books has completely changed my reading experience.
I was always an avid reader. A few years ago, it became complicated to find a book that I couldn’t put down. Stories felt like ‘messages’ rather than immersive worlds as it was for me before. Then, I published “Neglected Merge”, and when searching for useful resources for indie authors, I discovered the Writing Community on Twitter with its incredibly talented authors.
I am not only a multi-genre author, I am also a multi-genre reader. Some of my favourite authors are Kelly Miller, Helena M. Craggs, Helen Aitchison, R.A. Hutchins, P.L. Stuart, R.P. Lauer, and Kat Kinney. I also loved books by Anne M. Smith-Nochasak and A-M Mawhiney.
I highly recommend Kelly Miller’s Austenesque novels to all Jane Austen fans. My first experience with reading a Jane Austen variation wasn’t especially good, and after that, I was sceptical about this genre. But Kelly Miller changed that. I especially recommend “Captive Hearts”; it’s a variation of “Persuasion”. “Persuasion” is my second favourite Jane Austen novel. I’ve always liked it more than the more popular “Sense and Sensibility” or “Emma”. “Captive Hearts” offers a more complete story of how Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth broke up and then reunited again. It also draws more nuanced portraits of secondary characters.
For all fans of Tolkien, I heartily recommend the epic fantasy series by P.L. Stuart, the Drowned Kingdom. Othrun, once the Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom, and then King of Eastrealm of Acremia, is probably the most extraordinary main character a reader will encounter in modern literature.
Helena M. Craggs and Kat Kinney write immersive, imaginative, and action-packed fantasy. New releases from them are always on the top of my reading list.
Helen Aitchison and Anne M. Smith-Nochasak write heartfelt stories that could happen to any of us. It has always been my favourite genre. For everyone who appreciates stories about people’s lives, I recommend checking Helen’s book “The Dinner Club” and Anne M. Smith-Nochasak’s novel “A Canoer of Shorelines”.
R.A. Hutchins has helped me to discover love for cosy mysteries. I was never a crime fiction fan, but her Baker’s Rise series is a pure delight to read.
R.P. Lauer and A-M Mawhiney bend all fantasy genre rules. I am proud to have “The Scars of Gaia” by R.P. Lauer on my bookshelf with a precious autograph of the author.
Helen: That is an amazing list of Indie authors! I will certinly check some of them out. Anything anecdotal you’d like to add?
Eve: Since I can’t remember any funny story worth sharing with a wider public, I’ll share a few funny pictures of my cats. Peach and Honey are half-siblings, and their relationship proves the truth about the relationship between brothers and sisters. They always seem to fight, with Honey trying not to let her brother have anything she wasn’t given first. Still, they are fiercely loyal to each other. Once, when we took Honey to the vet, Peach hasn’t eaten a single bite before his feisty sister returned home.
About the Author
Eve Koguce
Eve has been in love with books for as long as she remembers herself. The typewriter her first attempts at writing had been made at still sits proudly on its shelf in the basement, and when she goes down there, she always has the urge to save it from its exile.
Eve has always been writing something. Diaries, letters, poems, short stories. She had even attempted to write a novel a couple of times when she was about thirteen. Still, there was always something more important than her writing. There was always “real life” reminding me of its undeniable claims. “You have to study, you have to work, there is no place for fruitless dreaming,” it whispered. And she moved forward as if running on rails she couldn’t step down from.
Eve had spent fifteen years, trying to fit into the office work pattern. Do you remember Kevin Kline in the “In & Out” movie – “men do not dance”? Well, that used to be her philosophy – real people don’t write books. They work, they build careers, they travel through the corporate jungle. And despite she was feeling miserable and out of place every day of that climbing-the-ladder process, she managed to build a relatively successful career after an ambitious shift from the private to the public sector. The job she had wasn’t boring. It was actually pretty exciting. She worked with internationally funded projects and met people from all over the world every day. But it failed to ignite a spark in her heart.
After her son was born, she had a unique chance to stop and rethink not only what she’d achieved so far, but what she really wanted from life. She made a decision to leave her old life behind, and she has never regretted it.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or 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 pleased to welcome author Bruce Spyder to talk to us about his latest book, Unboxing, The ART of Happiness which released on May 29th, 2023.
Helen: Welcome Bruce. I’m intrigued about your new book. A departure from your romcom books which I am more familiar with. Tell us a little about it.
Bruce: Re-shape your thinking, transform your life!
Simple, practical, and positive, Unboxing: The Art of Happiness combines life experience, logic, and basic psychology to show how we can feel happier and more resilient in everyday life.
At times, many of us have our struggles with health, money, work, relationships, self-acceptance, and so on. Becoming happier is not about ignoring our problems and limitations, nor about pursuing the fantasy world of our dreams. It’s about making everyday choices that are right for us.
As youngsters, we discover instinctively how to solve simple puzzles. At school, we are taught to unpack questions to clarify our understanding, and to identify any constraints before working towards the solutions. Unboxing takes the same approach to issues we face in everyday life.
We discover clarity when we UNBOX our issues. We find direction when we ACCEPT what we cannot change, when we are REALISTIC with our expectations, and when we remain TRUE to ourselves. The path towards happiness is indeed an ART.
Unboxing is for anyone seeking to re-boot their positivity. It’s about ordinary life and everyday issues. The ART of Happiness is the tool of a positive mind, and Unboxing reveals how to use it.
Helen: What a great concept and so practical to use. I love the cover. It is very clean and simple, and yet I am sure there is more behind the imagery. What were your thoughts behind it?
Bruce: I designed the cover to be strikingly different, aiming to portray a simplicity in thinking while aligning with the title and content of the book.
There are three primary components:
1) the gift boxes, which underpin the UNBOXING idea and title;
2) the child’s face filled with joy, wonder, excitement … at such a young age, our minds are free from the troubles of the world;
3) the butterflies, which are the subject of several inspiring quotations on happiness, and which also convey the inspiration and freedom I find in nature.
The choice of light blue was primarily because it’s a calming and natural colour. However, during the time spent writing and designing, the war in Ukraine was also frequently in my mind … so blue and yellow became my colour choices, and I think it works well.
Helen: It is so interesting to hear about the ideas behind the cover, there is always a lot more thought put in than you realise. How about the title, why did you use that title?
Bruce: I’ll illustrate why by giving a couple of quotes from the book.
“Before opening a box, all it contains is our imagination. It’s only when we remove the lid that we see the reality”
UNBOXING is about revealing and understanding our situation, while the ART of Happiness are the steps we take towards greater contentment … being ACCEPTING where we must, being REALISTIC about our expectations, and being TRUE to ourselves.
“Throughout life we face a constant battle to control what we can’t accept, while having to accept what we can’t control. We become happier when we find the right equilibrium.”
I had also toyed with BOXING HAPPY as a title, representing the control versus acceptance battles we face in daily life, but felt UNBOXING was a better fit overall. However, readers will also find the boxing analogies at certain places in the book.
Helen: This book is quite different to your other romcom books. What made you write this particular book?
Bruce: My mother died late in 2021, and I wanted to dedicate a book to her memory. The book I was writing back then (Refining My Dining) was a naughty romcom, and not of the type that would have met her approval.
One of the first books I wrote was a self-help model, Spydar’s Web: How to capture happiness, released in 2019. Since then, my thinking has evolved during my four more years of life experience, including witnessing my mother’s decline. The methodology behind Unboxing: The ART of Happiness has helped me through some tough times, and I believe a similar approach to life may be beneficial to others.
Helen: I can understand why you wrote a book in the self-help genre. What genres do you typically write in?
Bruce: I write from personal experience, with a desire to help and/or inspire others. I started in the self-help arena when I was at low point in my life after losing my job. I found the thinking and creative process rather cathartic. Once I discovered that other people appeared to think I could write, I began writing a naughty rom-com series (Diary of a Shy Backpacker) because it’s the type of humour that I enjoy reading. I figure that if I can write material that helps promote happiness and laughter, I’m probably using my time well.
Helen: I also write what I enjoy to read. Where did your inspiration to write come from?
Bruce: I could either say I was ‘self-inspired’ or that I simply fell into it. After decades working in international nature conservation, I lost my job, and needed a fresh start. In the lead up to turning 50, I felt the urge to try something completely different, so I began writing … and a few books later, I’m still going.
Helen: Congratulations on publishing your books. I always say it is never to late to start write as there is a time and a place for everything. Like yourself, I started wtiting later in life, and I love it! What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Bruce: I’d have to say finding the indie author community on Instagram. I started writing as an anonymous pen-name, without any network and with precious few expectations. Finding so many mutually supportive authors amongst the Instagram community has been great, and it’s been wonderful to discover some great writing talent out there.
Also, I must admit, although I’m not yet a bona fide best-selling author, on the occasions I have seen my books high up the Amazon category charts, they have been moments of great satisfaction … perhaps that comes a close second.
Helen: It is a wonderful feeling to see your books being appreciated. And I agree the Indie author community on Instagram is amazingly supportive. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Bruce: While I may be too unconventional to give sensible writing advice, I do have decades of varied life experience. If you feel like writing, just write … but do it because you want to, and write primarily for yourself. The chances are that if you like it, others will too.
Helen: Great advice. It’s been lovely chatting with you today. Thank you so much for joining me. One last question. Most authors suffer from self-doubt. How do you overcome the fear and the little voice of self doubt in your head so you can keep writing?
Bruce: I’ve experienced self-doubt throughout my life, and in many more contexts than writing. In fact, self-doubt is a significant aspect of what I’ve come to write about: it can detract from our personal happiness and is something that so many of us have to overcome, or adapt to. Also, the main character in my Shy Backpacker rom-com series has many such issues (BJ’s character stems from my own). Self-doubt can arise for different reasons and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. However, in many cases, the route through it may be found in taking small steps, and simply pushing yourself to take the next one.
About the Author
Bruce Spydar
Bruce Spydar used to wear a suit, work in an office, and get paid to lead teams of staff working for international nature conservation. Today he possesses no suit that fits, has no office nor staff, and he doesn’t get paid … although he still volunteers in support of nature.
For the last few years, Bruce has thrown himself into writing. Perhaps it’s a last-ditch attempt to harness his creativity, before his brain turns to mush. On many an afternoon he can be spotted gazing out of an upstairs window of his house near Cambridge, searching for inspiration.
Bruce describes himself as writing with a kind heart and a naughty mind. Personal experience has taught him that everyday life is rather full of struggles, and that happiness and laughter are too often in short supply. It’s why he now chooses to focus his creativity towards sharing his humour and positivity.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or 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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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.
Today I am chatting with epic fantasy author, Edith Pawlicki, about her new novel Trials of Fire and Rebirth, which is a standalone novel in her Immortal Beings world and released, June 14th, 2022.
Helen: Welcome Edith! Congratulations on the release of your new book! I’m so excited to be chatting to a fellow epic fantasy author. Tell us a little about your latest book.
Edith: Trials of Fire and Rebirth is a standalone in my Immortal Beings world. The whole series is epic fantasy, but this book is much more intimate than the first two – it focuses on the complicated histories of an young immortal who cannot remember her past and a powerful god who is ashamed of his. Of course, their mysteries and regrets are tied together, and both come to the fore as they deal with a very unpleasant mortal cult.
Helen: I love your cover, the imagery is very clever, especially the person within the butterfly. But you have chosen to have two covers haven’t you?
Edith: The Kindle cover reflects book’s magic, which is based on color. Karana, the God of Destruction, has red and white magic, and An Ning, the Peace Bringer has black magic. Butterflies are tied to redemption and rebirth in my mind, and when I saw this premade art with the butterfly and the person inside, I thought it matched the themes of the book and the interior motif. I edited it to be red and black and added the white smoke, hopefully evoking fire!
The physical book cover shows Karana, the God of Destruction, and An Ning, the Peace Bringer, with one of their pet Bulgae (aka a firedog). The series marker is actually a red ink stamp, the material is scanned and color-edited rice paper, and washi origami paper is behind the artwork. This is a character-driven epic fantasy – thus the artwork – and a pan-Asia influenced world, so I tried to echo the style of antique Chinese epics.
Helen: Both covers are lovely! How did you come up with the title?
Edith: All the titles in the Immortal Beings series follow the — of — and —- format, to tie them together. For this book, the God of Destruction is dealing with fire, the Peace Bringer is dealing with rebirth, and both of them go through some really wretched situations – trials! – together.
Helen: What inspired you to write this book?
Edith: Recent world events had led me to ponder objective versus subjective truth, and I realized that since the magic of the Immortal Beings is shaped by belief, it would be a great way to explore the way they interact and influence each other. There’s a temptation to assume everything is either true or false, but the power of the human imagination is such that if enough people deeply believe in something (i.e. that paper printed with faces and numbers is valuable) it becomes so. And yet, it’s also possible for thousands of people to believe something and yet it remains a lie that is dangerous to humanity as a whole. Anyway, I set this story up with a character who was facing her own internal contradiction (gender dysphoria) and a human cult with theirs (burning people alive to reincarnate), and set off to find the lines between truth and lie, denial and acceptance.
Helen: Oh my, what an interesting and deep concept. You would need some resolute characters to shoulder such heavy burdens. Tell us about them.
Edith: This book started with Karana; he’s a side character in the first two books, and I became intrigued by his contradictions. He embraces his bad reputation, and he has done terrible things, but he’s genuinely kind and clearly regretful. I wanted to understand him better and also give him a path to redemption. Since he starts as a deeply cynical character who’s running from his mistakes, he had to be balanced by An Ning, an optimistic character with an over-developed sense of personal responsibility. She is strong and compassionate character – a joy to write. Since Karana was in the middle of condemning a mass delusion with the cult, I wanted An Ning to have a “delusion” of her own, something deeply personal that had no effect on others but hurt her when denied. I saw an interesting way to explore gender identity within the magic system, so that just clicked, contrasting and complementing the cult arc.
Helen: They sound amazing and so rich. You’ve created a complex world. What genre do you typically like to write?
Edith: I write speculative fiction with a strong focus on characters and romance. The Immortal Beings fiction is epic fantasy, my YA series is light sci-fi set in a nuclear winter. Characters and relationships (romantic or not) are really what fascinate me, and when I first started writing, I actually leaned into romances. However, I found it really difficult to keep the tension high for a whole novel because I have no patience for angst or miscommunication! I realized that when I start with a speculation, a conflict that is larger than the characters, and then grab an internal conflict that echoes it, I have no problem keeping the tension high for a whole book, and I enjoy it more! Why I do fantasy instead of an adventure or a mystery… well, I don’t know! It’s just the way my brain works!
Helen: Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I wish you all the best with your books. Just to close, if I asked your characters why we should read this book, what would they say?
Edith: If you asked Karana, I think he’d tell you the book was none of your business! He’s pretty standoffish. But if you asked An Ning, she’d say you should read the book because it’s terribly romantic and because it shows that it’s never too late to change – redemption is always there for those who choose it and that we can all be more ourselves.
About the Author:
Edith Pawlicki lives in Connecticut with her husband, twin sons, dog, and two rabbits. She fell in love with words in fourth grade and finds writing necessary to free the worlds and characters in her head. When she isn’t busy being a mom and author, she enjoys cooking and crafts. In addition to the Immortal Beings series, she has also written a YA science fiction novel, Minerva.
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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 