This is a podcast for all writers and artists who are involved in the book business. Each week, author and artist DJ Bowman-Smith will have a brief chat about her own working week and then introduce a guest to talk about writing and the art authors use to promote their words. It’s about inspiration and business. Aesthetics and exploring the creative mind.
Even more celebrations! Not only has Sentinals Justice acheived a gold medal, but SoulBreather, the first book in the Fantasy Romance/Paranormal Romance SoulMist Series, has achieved a silver medal in the 2023 Global Book Awards in the Fantasy Myth & Legend category.
The 2023 Global Book Awards for Self-Published Authors.
The Global Awards aim to discover new talent as well as recognize fine examples of self-published books. As such, we hope they will give self-published authors the recognition they deserve, whether that is in their writing creativity, or in the way they have marketed their books to attract new readers.
In this modern age of self-publishing, books need to be appraised not only by their content and writing style, but also by the way they present and market themselves to the prospective buyer, whether that is in the good ratings it has on important stores like Amazon, its book cover and description, or the number of reviews it has collected. They must also appeal to new readers so part of the evaluation included a survey asking avid readers to select the top 5 books they enjoyed the most.
The awards are grouped by category (or genre) and divided into Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Award Finalists.
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The mortal who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the fantasy romance SoulMist series.
Originally published as part of the USA Today Bestselling Realm of Darkness anthology. Receipient of a Reader’s Favorite Five Star Review
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist 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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By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
Readers’ Favorite recognizes “SoulBreather” by Helen Garraway in its annual international book award contest, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGRMV8XJ.
The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
We receive thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, we are able to break down our contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. We receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).
“When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers’ Favorite.” –Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House
Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that “SoulBreather” by Helen Garraway won the Finalist Award in the Romance – Fantasy/Sci-Fi category.
You can learn more about Helen Garraway and “SoulBreather” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/soulbreather where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
Readers’ Favorite LLC Media Relations Louisville, KY 40202 800-RF-REVIEW support@readersfavorite.com https://readersfavorite.com
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commBy signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
Even more excitement is in the air! Double the celebration! Can you feel it? Not only has Sentinals Justice reached the finals, but so has SoulBreather, the first book in the Fantasy Romance/Paranormal Romance SoulMist Series, which has made it through to the Finals for the 2023 Global Book Awards in the Paranormal Fantasy category.
Now we wait for the final placements to be announced by September 7th, 2023.
The 2023 Global Book Awards for Self-Published Authors.
The Global Awards aim to discover new talent as well as recognize fine examples of self-published books. As such, we hope they will give self-published authors the recognition they deserve, whether that is in their writing creativity, or in the way they have marketed their books to attract new readers.
In this modern age of self-publishing, books need to be appraised not only by their content and writing style, but also by the way they present and market themselves to the prospective buyer, whether that is in the good ratings it has on important stores like Amazon, its book cover and description, or the number of reviews it has collected. They must also appeal to new readers so part of the evaluation included a survey asking avid readers to select the top 5 books they enjoyed the most.
The awards are grouped by category (or genre) and divided into Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Award Finalists.
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The mortal who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the fantasy romance SoulMist series.
Originally published as part of the USA Today Bestselling Realm of Darkness anthology. Receipient of a Reader’s Favorite Five Star Review
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist 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.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
I have just spent two days in London at the Self Publishing Show Live, surrounded by like-minded, inspirational, enthusiastic, independent authors, all of whom are eager to succeed in the world of self publishing. Just being in that environment is motivational in itself, let alone the thought-provoking sessions various speakers presented over the two days.
I am still digesting all the information I heard and there was a lot. It could be overwhelming but I think you have to digest everything for a while and then decide where you want to focus. What is it that I want achieve and what do I need to do to achieve it. From there you can choose which path to take and which options to follow.
Some of the main messages I took away for this conference:
There is no better time to be an independently published author.
Independently published authors are growing their revenues – according to research performed by the Alliance of Independent Authors, available to ALLi members on their website (affiliate link) – whereas traditionally published authors are not. (See Society of Author’s (SoA) recent ALCS Report. You can find a comparison report on the SPS Facebook group)
To be successful you have to accept this is a long term project, and you need multiple books.
The more the better! So focus on writing books.
It is hard work.
You need to treat writing as a business and wear your business hat. Being agreeable all the time won’t cut it.
Believe in yourself. Belief and positive thinking is a self fulfilling prophecy. It’s not down to luck.
Having a positive attitude and believing you can hit your goals means you are more likely to achieve them
Marketing is a necessary evil. Focus on the platform you are most comfortable with. You don’t have to do everything. You choose what you want to do.
The opportunity to network, meet other authors and compare notes was invaluable. No matter how shy you are, the writing community is very welcoming and everyone wants everyone else to succeed.
Hearing what other authors did to be successful is inspiring, and every author’s path is different, so be inspired by other’s successes, see what they did and emulate it. Understanding the market, trends and opportunites is key for any business, and selling books is no different. Use the tools available and carve your own path to success. If you haven’t finished your book yet, then stop procrastinating and get writing. If you have finished, congratulations on an amazing achievement. You should be exceedingly proud of yourself. I hope you celebrated.
This is the time to be an independenty published author. It’s down to you to grab that opportunity with both hands. I know I will.
And don’t forget…
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. If you love Romance, then try my Fantasy Romance SoulMist series. 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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It’s Launch day! DragonBound is live! I am so excited to share the next installment, book two of the Fantasy Romance/PNR Romance SoulMist series.
DragonBound
DragonBound is the second enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
How could so much go awry in so short a time? Crossing the divide between gloomy Eidolon and sunny Puronia was the least of their problems.
Solanji Her brother is still soulless and lost in Eidolon. Having exchanged tantalising promises of love with the mesmerising fallen angel, Demavrian, she led him straight into a trap, and he is running out of time to prove his innocence. She has no idea how to use her SoulBreathing skills or to control the dragon that comes with it, and to top it all, the Heavenly Host kicked in her door. They had better repair it!
Demavrian Ageing isn’t fun. If he didn’t reconnect to the citadel fast, he may even die of it, if the queue of angels wanting him dead didn’t get to him first. Unexpected enemies and surprising allies surface as he navigates the dark web of corrupted politics in the angel’s assembly. Let’s hope his newly independent oathsworn can keep him alive long enough to unravel his memories of what really happened the day he was cast out – and his beautiful SoulBreather, Solanji, may be the key.
Solanji and Mav may be immortal, but they are running out of time to discover who is behind all the scheming and how to redeem the soulless. When the timepiece makes it last turn, they will not be the only ones to suffer if they fail.
I hope you enjoy my latest book and once you’ve read DragonBound it would be really great if you could leave a review and let other readers know what you liked about it. You can find DragonBound on a book vendor of your choice and on Goodreads or Bookbub.
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series which is available on Kindle Unlimited. 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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Not in the US?? Then enter the International Giveaway. Shelve DragonBound on your Goodreads tbr shelf and Enter here.
DragonBound is the second enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
How could so much go awry in so short a time? Crossing the divide between gloomy Eidolon and sunny Puronia was the least of their problems.
Solanji Her brother is still soulless and lost in Eidolon. Having exchanged tantalising promises of love with the mesmerising fallen angel, Demavrian, she led him straight into a trap, and he is running out of time to prove his innocence. She has no idea how to use her SoulBreathing skills or to control the dragon that comes with it, and to top it all, the Heavenly Host kicked in her door. They had better repair it!
Demavrian Ageing isn’t fun. If he didn’t reconnect to the citadel fast, he may even die of it, if the queue of angels wanting him dead didn’t get to him first. Unexpected enemies and surprising allies surface as he navigates the dark web of corrupted politics in the angel’s assembly. Let’s hope his newly independent oathsworn can keep him alive long enough to unravel his memories of what really happened the day he was cast out – and his beautiful SoulBreather, Solanji, may be the key.
Solanji and Mav may be immortal, but they are running out of time to discover who is behind all the scheming and how to redeem the soulless. When the timepiece makes it last turn, they will not be the only ones to suffer if they fail.
The first book in the SoulMist series is now available in Audio book. You can find it via the vendor of your choice HERE.
I am so thirilled that Voice Artist Tim Paige agreed to narrate my book. Check out the audio sample and start the adventure now.
The SoulMist series
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too? A dying angel. A fractured realm. The mortal who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the paranormal fantasy SoulMist series.
I’m a father to two awesome little boys (and a 4 lb toy poodle). We’re a little too obsessed with Disney (#Disnerds) and Marvel Comics.
I spent a large part of my life as a touring musician, playing on some of the bigget stages in the world (including on MTV’s TRL, back when that was a thing).
I also practiced and taught marketing (mostly at software startups) so I’ve got tech expertise, as well as experience with entrepreneurship, startups, and motivation.
Rom Coms are my JAM, so if something has a HEA, count me in.
I’ve not only narrated best-selling books, but have also voiced national commercials, tv show promos, trailers, and more.
Listen on Spotify
If you’ve read this far, you deserve a gift! I have a few Spotify promo codes allowing you to download my audiobook for free. You can apply for a free code here. (Limited number of codes available so don’t delay. When they are gone, they are gone!) Let me know what you think by leaving a review.
Happy Listening!
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. (First three books also available on audio!) 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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It’s the turn of DragonBound, Book Two of the SoulMist series to venture out into the light! Isn’t the cover vibrant?
Book Description
DragonBound is the second enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
How could so much go awry in so short a time? Crossing the divide between gloomy Eidolon and sunny Puronia was the least of their problems.
Solanji Her brother is still soulless and lost in Eidolon. Having exchanged tantalising promises of love with the mesmerising fallen angel, Demavrian, she led him straight into a trap, and he is running out of time to prove his innocence. She has no idea how to use her SoulBreathing skills or to control the dragon that comes with it, and to top it all, the Heavenly Host kicked in her door. They had better repair it!
Demavrian Ageing isn’t fun. If he didn’t reconnect to the citadel fast, he may even die of it, if the queue of angels wanting him dead didn’t get to him first. Unexpected enemies and surprising allies surface as he navigates the dark web of corrupted politics in the angel’s assembly. Let’s hope his newly independent oathsworn can keep him alive long enough to unravel his memories of what really happened the day he was cast out – and his beautiful SoulBreather, Solanji, may be the key.
Solanji and Mav may be immortal, but they are running out of time to discover who is behind all the scheming and how to redeem the soulless. When the timepiece makes it last turn, they will not be the only ones to suffer if they fail.
If you are interested in reading an ARC of Sentinals Banished in December, then sign up to my ARC team. (👀 Link in my Linktr.ee/HelenGarraway )
The SoulMist Series
With Solanji’s brother’s life is hanging in the balance, she doesn’t have a choice but to venture into the depths of Eidolon to fake rescue a stranger, only to discover then man she must betray might be her only hope of saving her brother.
Join Solanji as she navigates the polictical intrigue of the Angel’s citadel, and the mysterious fallen angel lurking int eh shadows. Can she coax him out into the light long enough for her to really see who he is?
It’s Launch day! SoulBreather is now available as an eBook. I am so excited to share my first Fantasy Romance book in ebook format, and the first book in the SoulMist series. If you love feisty heorines, wounded heroes, plenty of intrigue, forced proximity blended with found family then this is the book for you!
SoulBreather
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The SoulBreather who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series.
I hope you enjoy my new series and once you’ve read SoulBreather, it would be really great of you could please leave a review and let other readers know what you liked about it. You can find SoulBreather on Amazon, Goodreads or Bookbub.
SoulBreather was first released as part of the USA Today Bestselling Realm of Darkness Anthology, and has received a Readers’ Favorite Five Star review. Check out the full reveiw and the Readers’ Favorite press release here.
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. 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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Helen Garraway 