Join the Sentinals as they navigate their way through a new writing challenge! Keep reading for my Day One truth or dare!!
It’s another Turvy-inspired #WritingChallenge! This time the stakes are raised: #TurvyTruthOrDare! AND this time it’s an easy-peasy 7-day mini challenge. So they say!!
#Writers, whether your characters are in a published book or percolating in your WIP, this challenge is for YOU!
Day One– It’s a dare!
The Sentinals sat in the king’s library and devoured all the books they could find on the history of Remargaren. Piles of dry and boring tomes surrounded them and Tagerill shifted in his seat, slamming the book he was reading shut.
“This is so boring. Why do we want to know what every official ever said in the last three thousand years?”
“We don’t,” Serillion replied, his eyes glued to the pages in front of him.
“We want to know how Vespiri came to be what it is today,” Birlerion murmured, turning the page.
“It would be much better if we just went into the town and asked the people,” Tagerill said.
“Via every tavern you can find,” Birlerion said with a wry twist of his lips.
“It would be better than sitting here.”
“It might be more entertaining, but you won’t find out much. Our history seems to be long forgotten,” Birlerion replied, taking the opportunity to stretch his aching back. They had been reading for a long time. He eyed Serillion and then Tagerill as an idea bloomed. “Tell you what. We’ll go into town, and the first one of us who finds a person who remembers the Sentinals can choose a dare for the others.”
“Yes!” Tagerill said as he fist pumped the air.
“Mmm,” Serillion replied, his nose still deep in his book.
“Right then,” Birlerion said closing his book and leaning over to flip Serillion’s book shut as well.
“Hey! I was reading that,” Serillion protested.
“Active research is much better,” Tagerill proclaimed.
“We’ve been sitting for too long! Truth or dare time,” Birlerion said as he rose. “First Sentinal to find someone who remembers us, gets to pick a dare for one of the others.”
Serillion scowled. “You are such children. No one is going to remember us.”
“Someone will.” Birlerion replied as he stacked the books in a neat pile. “Come on. We need some fresh air.”
As they entered yet another tavern, Birlerion was regretting his bright idea, and he groaned as another mug of ale landed on the bar before him. His innards were awash in beer and he grabbed it and turned towards the room. Raising the mug he said, “Whoever can tell me a true story about the Sentinals gets this ale!”
“Bribery is cheating,” Serillion shouted. His cheeks were flushed, and his silver eyes sparkled.
Tagerill laughed. “No one knows anything in this town!”
“Them Sentinals were cowards. They all ran.” A deep voice spoke from the shadows.
Silence fell, and Birlerion turned towards the voice. “Ran from what?” he asked, his voice deceptively quiet.
“Whatever it was they faced. They all disappeared. Cowards the lot of them.”
“Maybe they took the threat with them,” Birlerion suggested.
“Nah! The Lady punished them!”
“There isn’t an original thought among them,” Tagerill growled.
“Then we should plant a new seed,” Serillion said, his eyes glittering dangerously.
“Yes,” Birlerion agreed. “What impression would we like to leave?”
“Oh I don’t know. We should all streak down the high street, that would make an impression,” Tagerill said in a calm voice.
Birlerion choked. “Not the impression Leyandrii would like.”
Tagerill raised his mug in salute. “They wouldn’t forget us, though.”
Start the award winning epic fantasy Sentinals series now with Book One, Sentinals Awaken.
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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Sentinals Across Time: Book Four of the Sentinal series, is now live!!!!
I am excited to share the fourth installment of the Sentinal series. In my latest book Jerrol is flung three thousand years into the past, and not only has to adjust to living in a different time, the Lady has a few tasks she needs him to complete as well.
And don’t forget Readers’ Favorite recommend the whole series, check out the Five Star book review for book two Sentinals Rising “…this is a book and a series that is likely to be adored by all fortunate enough to read it. Very highly recommended.”
“Helen Garraway has written a Fantasy Saga of epic proportions, and the story of these gallant young men – Captain Jerrol Haven and the Sentinals – will remain with you, long after you have turned the last page. A Beautiful read!!!”
“I cannot tell you how awesome this book was. It weaved so well in to the books we already know and love whilst creating whole new places to visit and fall in love with.”
“Helen is a master of the art of storytelling. Each scene is played out so well you find yourself not just the reader, but a willing participant, pulled into an amazing fantasy, where you feel every emotion that her characters go through. You cry with them, laugh, and feel their pain and terror.”
Sentinals Across Time is the fourth book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.
Jerrol’s fragile balance between duty and family life took two years to refine and one brief moment to tear apart as the Lady Leyandrii and the Oath conspire in a desperate bid to protect the Birtolian Empire. As a result, Jerrol finds himself stranded in the middle of an ocean, lost across land and time and seas.
Unsure what is expected of him, Jerrol learns to appreciate the idyllic life of the Birtolians, the vibrant people and the beautiful coastline. To his growing horror he realises the devastation which lies in their future.
Can Jerrol prevent the destruction of the gentle people he has grown to love? Is he meant to? Desperate to find a way home, he begins to leave clues in anything he thinks will survive the test of time. Taelia and the Sentinals are his only chance of ever returning to his own life but can they find him before the Lady sunders the Bloodstone and changes the Birtolian Empire forever?
The fourth installment of the Sentinal Series takes us the beautiful Island Empire of Birtoli. Only once, it wasn’t an archipelago of islands, it was a land of majestic mountain ridges, mystical forests and exquisite sandy bays joined as one to the southern Vespiri borders.
It’s time to celebrate International Women’s Day. A day to recognise that women play an equal role in the world, in all aspects, and yet still in the twenty-first century women are still struggling to find their voice, to have equal access to resources, to be heard.
It astonishes and saddens me that even in this day and age, women have to fight to be treated equally, just because of gender. Yes, each gender may excel or be more suited to different roles, but that doesn’t make either one better than the other, there are always exceptions and everyone should be treated equally.
In 2022, climate change is front and centre as we all experience the changes in weather patterns in the world around us, and yet women are suffering even more, often being on the front line of gathering food, water, fuel.
As resources become more constrained, it’s the women who are trying to support their families with basic supplies, struggling to find what once was plentiful.
If you are interested in further information on how climate and gender equality are interlinked, check out this post by UN Women.org.
Source: Burcu Kölelifor UN Women (2022).
Along with climate change, gender equality seems to still be a prevalent issue in many areas, even that of authors. There are many amazing independent women authors creating wonderful stories, and yet their still seems to be a stigma in the publishing world attached to women authors writing Fantasy or science fiction. Many women choose to use their initials instead of their first name, to give the impression that they are male in the belief that readers will find their books more acceptable in a male dominated genre. And then you have the reverse, the romance or YA genre is dominated by women, but men are just as capable writing a good romance or a book for the younger generation. The gender of the author should not come in it.
I did consider using my initials when i first started publishing my books, but I chose to use my first name. It’s a perfectly good name! And I believe in my books to stand on their merits, no matter my gender. I hope readers feel the same. Let me know in the comments if you have faced this dilemma or whether the gender of the author makes any difference to the book choices you make. One day, these arguments won’t need to be made. It shouldn’t make any difference which gender you are, it is the writing that should be judged and enjoyed.
This may not be on par with the challenges of climate change or life impacting struggles of many women aorund the world, but it is still an insidious encroachment on the rights of women to be treated equally. Is that really too much to ask?
Some gorgeous covers have been revealed over the last few weeks for the Realm of Darkness Anthology. I am delighted to share Katherine D Graham’s Splitting Dawn.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
A fan of vampires princesses and princes???? Read on…
Splitting Dawn by Katherine D. Graham
Kierra is a Princess with a gargantuan secret; the kind of secret that people are murdered for – she is the first Hybrid …
Lunev is the Crown Prince of the Vampirian Kingdom. Keeping the only Hybrid alive and out of the hands of the Demons during her annual Waning is his primary responsibility and duty – even if that means plunging his own kingdom further into their own war with the Demons.
But what started as duty forged a love that threatens to engulf both the Human and Vampirian kingdoms into the Demon King’s flames.
Will Kierra and Lunev’s love save their world? Or will their love bring about its ruin.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/99p!
About the Author:
Katherine D. Graham is a bestselling Fantasy author from Tennessee, in the USA. She is also a developmental editor and a Reedsy Reviewer.
Katherine’s debut indie Epic Fantasy novel, The Vow That Twisted Fate, is an Amazon bestselling New Adult Fantasy novel, a Fantasy finalist in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and a five-star IndieReader-approved novel.
Katherine holds a BA in Foreign Language/Lit: Japanese from the University of Memphis in Tennessee, where she also studied English (and editing). She worked for the Memphis Public Library and Information Center in her college years, and is still a vocal supporter of the Friends of the Memphis Public Library.
In addition to the library system, Katherine actively raises support for the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The House of Mews cat sanctuary, the Memphis Zoo, and Swim Across America.
Katherine loves adventures, especially traveling. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family and three cats.
Join me as I chat to Helen (This could get confusing with two Helen’s but we’ll do our best!) about her debut novel Waking Ursa Minor, the first book in her Riverda Rising epic fantasy series which releases on February 22nd! It is available on preorder now!
Helen: Welcome Helen! To start us off, tell us about your new book.
Helen RP: Waking Ursa Minor is the first book in my epic fantasy series, Riverda Rising, as well as being my debut novel. The paperback and ebook versions are available on 22nd February, (pre-order is available now on most major retail sites) and I am hoping to release a hardback version around May and who knows, maybe even an audiobook.
Blurb:
As Gesland swelters in extreme heat, Serakela watches the nomadic clans make their way across the plains on their annual pilgrimage and resigns herself to the monotonous life of servitude at the institution which raised her. But Serakela is not the orphan she always believed herself to be. On the night a crazed assassin tries to kill her, her heritage is revealed catapulting her into an island-hopping fight for survival, and the search for the fabled Stone of Riverda.
The sundered islands of Riverda are dying. The earth magics that protected and sustained them before the Rivening are unbalanced; dwindling in some areas whilst stifling others. As time runs out and tensions rise, countries teeter on the brink of war, starvation and extinction. A way to save them has just arisen from the realm of rumour but Brother Okrafkus of the Separamus cannot allow this to happen.
Not only will Serakela’s quest lead her to her long-lost family, rumour has it that she who wields the Stone will restore the islands of Riverda to their former glory. Rumour also has it that in doing so, she will unleash the evil that split them.
Helen: This sounds amazing! Congratulations on releasing your first novel. It is a very special feeling! What was the inspirarion behind the cover design?
Helen RP: The wonderful Franziska Stern of Cover Dungeon Rabbit did my cover and all I can say is she did a wonderful job. A huge thank you goes out to her for all her hard work and for putting up with me throughout the process.
It was quite hard to come up with a cover as the book takes place over various different islands, each with their own distinct culture and aesthetic. I’m also not a huge fan of characters on the cover of books so that was very important to avoid, even if it goes against current trends.
I can’t actually say too much about the cover’s meaning, I’m afraid, as it does contain certain images of items/characters/ places in the book that I don’t want to spoil for the readers, but I love the way Franzi managed to get the books darker undertones into the cover.
Helen: This being your first novel, is Fantasy your first love?
Helen RP: I write fantasy, or to be more specific, epic fantasy with a darker side. I’ve always loved fantasy since I really got into books at about 9 years old. I love that you can go absolutely anywhere, you aren’t bound by the laws of nature and physics of our world. I also like how a lot of fantasy harkens to a pre-industrialised, almost medieval setting, as I’ve always been fascinated with history and how people lived. The combination of magic, mythical beasts and historic settings…what more do you need?
Helen: I couldn’t agree more! An irresistable combination. What made you first start writing?
Helen RP: According to my mother, I have been telling stories since before I could even write. They gave me a notebook at nursery which I filled with strange symbols and squiggles: stories that I could recite perfectly to anyone that asked. This continued when I learnt the real alphabet and I actually have a lot of my early writing. If you are at all interested, please check out my “Quotes of Christmas Past” challenge on Instagram from December 2020.
Creative writing (in our English classes) was my favourite class at school and I am very sad that it disappears from the curriculum the older a child gets.
Waking Ursa Minor actually started with a “novel” I wrote when I was 11 years old involving a plane crash where the teen protagonists find themselves on an island called Utopia. I am very pleased to say however that only two things remain from the original book; a character name and one event which I won’t mention as it contains spoilers.
Helen: How wonderful that you were able to evolve your original novel into your debut. Such an achievement. If you didn’t write fantasy what would you like to write?
Helen RP: Easy, historical fiction. When I was younger, I was obsessed with ancient civilisations and wanted to be an archaeologist (a small part of me still does, but I think it might be a bit late now). I’ve always been inspired during or after museum visits, my fingers literally itching to write. The only problem is I wouldn’t know which era to start in!
I do also like books which blend the historical and fantastical, such as Barbara Erskeine’s and Kate Mosse’s novels. So maybe that’s a route I can go down too.
Helen: Who is your favourite character from your book?
Helen RP: This is such an interesting and difficult question. I suppose an author should say the protagonist but I loved writing Okrafkus. He was so much fun and he has so many layers, that I am still uncovering. I also really like Cheskia for her sheer determination to survive.
Helen: When not writing, do you have time for other hobbies?
Helen RP: When I’m not writing and looking after my two young children, I of course love reading, but also enjoy crafts. I knit, I sew, and more recently I have fallen down the rabbit hole of making yarn and cloth from stinging nettles.
I also enjoy going for walks in the countryside, which in rural Norway is literally on our doorstep.
I’m currently having a little break from drawing and painting as creating my own picture book, A Whiff in the Woods, as fun as it was, rather took it out of me. Although I have drawn my own maps for the Riverda Rising series.
Helen: You are keeping extremely busy!! You said you read. What is your favourite book?
Helen RP: My favourite book and the one that really got me into fantasy is The Hobbit. I have a beautifully illustrated edition and it doesn’t matter how many times I read it, I am always transported back to sitting on the floor at 10 years old, hanging on every word the teacher (who I didn’t like very much) read. I was absolutely transfixed!
Helen: Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I wish you all the best with book launch. Just to close, what advice would you give new writers?
Helen RP: Get that first draft finished, just write it. Don’t stop to think how awful it is and try to edit it, just write the damn story. You can fix it later.
Don’t tell yourself that other writers are better than you, that no one wants to read your book. All writers had to start somewhere and I can promise you that there is someone out there, possibly even a whole fandom who want to read what you have written.
Lastly, don’t be lonely. The best thing I did to give my writing the kick up the bum it needed was to find like minded people through the writing community. It doesn’t matter that I live in a remote village in Norway, I have writing friends, mentors, and cheerleaders across the globe, and trust me on this journey you are going to need them!
About the Author:
Helen Rygh Pedersen
Reading and writing are two things Helen Rygh-Pedersen has been heavily involved with from a young age. She could always be found with her nose in a book or with a notebook in hand, especially on long car journeys as her family moved from place to place.
She graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA in French and Italian and after a brief career teaching languages in the UK, she moved to Norway with her family. It was here that she really reignited her passion for creating worlds. She dipped her toe into the publishing process by first releasing her dystopian short story, Heifer, and a picture book which she illustrated herself, A Whiff in the Woods, before taking the leap with her debut novel. Waking Ursa Minor is the first book in her Riverda Rising epic fantasy series.
When she isn’t writing she can be found spending time with her family, sewing and knitting or catching up on the latest fantasy series.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my books which are available in eBook, paperback or hardcover: Book One: Sentinals Awaken. Book Two: Sentinals Rising. Book Three: Sentinals Justice. Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next book releases.
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Have you started the adventure yet? Here is the next chapter in the journey.
Jerrol’s fragile balance between duty and family life took two years to refine and one brief moment to tear apart as the Lady Leyandrii and the Oath conspire in a desperate bid to protect the Birtolian Empire. As a result, Jerrol finds himself stranded in the middle of an ocean, lost across land and time and seas.
Unsure what is expected of him, Jerrol learns to appreciate the idyllic life of the Birtolians, the vibrant people and the beautiful coastline. To his growing horror he realises the devastation which lies in their future.
Can Jerrol prevent the destruction of the gentle people he has grown to love? Is he meant to? Desperate to find a way home, he begins to leave clues in anything he thinks will survive the test of time. Taelia and the Sentinals are his only chance of ever returning to his own life but can they find him before the Lady sunders the Bloodstone and changes the Birtolian Empire forever?
The fourth installment of the Sentinal Series takes us the beautiful Island Empire of Birtoli. Only once, it wasn’t an archipelago of islands, it was a land of majestic mountain ridges, mystical forests and exquisite sandy bays joined as one to the southern Vespiri borders.
If you like Epic Fantasy then check out my Sentinal Series
Get ready for Book Four of the Sentinal Series coming Spring 2022- Purchase the first book Sentinals Awaken now:
Join me on the Dark Book Boyfriends facebook page on January 18th for the cover reveal for SoulBreather. Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness anthology so preorder your copy now while it’s available.
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. She rescues a broken and tortured man named Mav, but without a SoulWeaver, how can she save him?
Can Solanji save Mav 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?
Realm of Darkness Boxset: 40+ novels for just 99c – Preorder now, publishes October 4th 2022
When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play… Fall under their spell over and over again in this ultimate paranormal and fantasy romance boxset! Over 40 full-length novels with heart melting heroes and devastating anti-heroes, full of romance, magic, mystery, and adventure can be yours for an insanely low price.
Ready to be swept away? Your book boyfriends are waiting… Enemies-to-lovers, alphas, fae, werewolves, dragons, shapeshifters, vampires, gods, angels, demons, and more: with novels ranging from sweet to spicy, there’s a flavor to sate your every craving.
You won’t find these exclusive novels anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance. Over ten thousand pages by New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors and at less than three cents per book, this collection is a steal, but only for a limited time. Grab it today before it’s gone forever…
If you like Epic Fantasy then check out my Sentinal Series
Get ready for Book Four of the Sentinal Series coming Spring 2022- Purchase the first book Sentinals Awaken now:
Reviewed: January 1st, 2022 Released: October 21st, 2021 Genre: Epic/Science Fantasy
Raised by ghosts. Trained by gods. How far will he go to save those who betrayed him?
Abandoned in the wilderness, Lekore lives with ghosts and fallen gods, until his efforts to rescue a traveling princess and her entourage bring him into a civilization unlike anything he’s ever known.
Caught in a net of silk and secrets, Lekore finds himself ensnared by court intrigue, midnight assassins, and a deviant faction of the Church of the Sun Gods—all thirsting for his blood.
He just wants to find the man who deserted him, until a storm rises out of the north, furious enough to destroy the city and outlying lands. Now Lekore must find the source of its wrath, deep in the wilds of the deadly Lands Beyond, if he can flee a city that won’t let him escape. Read My thoughts…
Sentinals Recovery is a novella set in the world of Remargaren. It occurs immediately after the battle at Oprimere. Although this is a complete story, the reader would benefit from reading the first three books in the series.
Birlerion is recovering from the near fatal injuries he received in his second, epic battle with the Ascendants. He returns home to Greenswatch to recuperate and finally meet his Darian stallion, Kin’arol, who has been waiting, somewhat impatiently, to bond with him.
Only Kin’arol is not there. Someone has stolen him. For such a distinctive horse, he has vanished into thin air.
Though not fully recovered, and still hampered by his injuries, Birlerion sets off, accompanied by his brother Versillion, to recover his horse. Not even Assassins, belligerent Terolians or the harsh Terolian desert will stop him from bonding with Kin’arol, though his failing body might
Get ready for Book 3.5 – Purchase the first book Sentinals Awaken now:
Celebrating the first bookaversary for SentinalsAwaken, the first book in my epic fantasy Sentinal series, I am offering you the chance to be listed in the book dedication of the first novel in a new series I am writing.
The book is called SoulBreather, and it is part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, an anthology of paranornal romance books.
All you have to do is to enter the competition here, and follow me on Bookbub and/or Goodreads, and while you are there add my books to your tbr list! And that is it!
One lucky winner will be listed on the dedication page of SoulBreather, the first book in the SoulMist series.
***Give@way closes on Oct 30th, 2021 @2pm UTC. One winner will be chosen at random to receive their prize and announced on my Instagram account on October 31st, 2021. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize; if they do not claim their prize within that time, they forfeit their prize and another winner will be randomly selected.***
When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play… Fall under their spell over and over again in this ultimate paranormal and fantasy romance boxset! Over 40 full-length novels with heart melting heroes and devastating anti-heroes, full of romance, magic, mystery, and adventure can be yours for an insanely low price.
Ready to be swept away? Your book boyfriends are waiting… Enemies-to-lovers, alphas, fae, werewolves, dragons, shapeshifters, vampires, gods, angels, demons, and more: with novels ranging from sweet to spicy, there’s a flavor to sate your every craving.
You won’t find these exclusive novels anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance. Over ten thousand pages by New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors and at less than three cents per book, this collection is a steal, but only for a limited time. Grab it today before it’s gone forever…
If you order on Barnes and Noble for your nook – you can claim a free copy of the Realm Of Darkness Shorts, a selection of short stories form some of the participating authors including me!
Release Day: October 4th, 2022
The Sentinal Series
Remargaren is a vibrant, ancient world. With Goddesses, Sentinals, Rangers and Ascendants all trying to protect or attain that which is important to them.
Join me on the journey, as we meet Jerrol Haven, a King’s Ranger, who is destined to become Lady Leyandrii’s Captain. A role lost in the mists of time after her last Captain spectacularly disappeared with her when she sundered the Bloodstone and banished all magic from the world.
Throw into the mix some magical creatures, magic seeping back in, an insidious disease affecting the countries of Remargaren and the mysterious Sentinals trees, the only reminder of the Lady’s Guards, her faithful Sentinals, and we have the Sentinals Series.
Get ready for Book 3.5 – Purchase the first book Sentinals Awaken now:
Helen Garraway 