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.
Some gorgeous covers have been revealed over the last few weeks for the Realm of Darkness Anthology. I am delighted to share KC Freeman’s Renegade Angel
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
Renegade Angel by KV Freeman A warrior for good. A soldier for heaven. A heart of gold. A body for sin.
Jasper Moreau has served as a guardian angel for centuries. He battles the demons and monsters in the dark so humanity can pretend they don’t exist. But being a Guardian Angel isn’t all divine love and light. Sometimes the human side of his nature needs to feed his own lustful appetites.
Savannah only wants to ride horses and be aprt of a family-her rodeo family. The rodeo was the one place she was finally able to escape her dark past and hide from her supernatural abilities. She seems destined to remain the comical rodeo clown, but Fate has a mind of its own. And Fate means to stir up trouble.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/99p!
You can read my Book Review of KC’s fantasy Rekindled Prophecy the first book in the Greylyn the Guardian Angel Series.
About the Author:
KC Freeman, paranormal romance/mystery author and winner of the 2021 Firebird Book Awards for Paranormal 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.
She struck out on her own to write urban fantasy and paranormal romance. 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 has chosen to relaunch the first book in the Greylyn series. 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 will be introduced to an upcoming character in the Greylyn saga.
KC writes mostly fantasy and paranormal romance novels, especially angels and demons.
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.
Reviewed: March 1st, 2022 Released: October 1st, 2020 Genre: MM Fantasy Romance Narrator: Joel Leslie
Cameron wants to make it clear that he did not go into the festival to find a dragon mate.
Germany is supposed to be an escape. With a new mechanical engineering degree, a new job looming, and a whole life planned out that isn’t his, Germany seems like the best place to find himself.
So, how does he end up discovering his lost magic heritage, running from bad guys with a secret agenda, and being adopted by the not-so-extinct Fire Dragon clan?
Cameron blames tall, dark, and sexy Alric, King of the Fire Dragons. His fated mate. Because of course he is, and mates are meant to take the blame, right?
It may take a hot second, but as Cameron learns more about the scarred Alric and the life he’s landed in, Cameron realizes that perhaps this is where he’s meant to be, magic and mates and kidnapping and all.
Turns out coming to Germany wasn’t an escape but his awakening. Read My thoughts…
Reviewed: February 28th, 2022 Released: May 21st, 2021 Genre: Paranormal Mystery
In this second book of the Door to Door Paranormal Mystery Series: relationships tested, friendships built, secrets revealed, and sacrifices made…
Salesman Emily Swift is back – and so is Templeton! After learning about her supernatural abilities and finding the Crimson Stone, thirty-year-old Emily Swift returns home to Kincaid to rebuild a normal life with her boyfriend. As she struggles to get a handle on her “door traveling” energy, a strange warning squawks from her car radio: a rogue, terrorist group called the Fringe is still watching her.
Before she can figure out if the message is from a friend or foe, Emily’s quirky mother, Lydia, goes missing – and resurfaces in the Empire! As Lydia travels from city to city in this peculiar world, a wake of chaos is created. Add the murder of a hated art critic and a kidnapping into the mix, and things go from bad to worse. The Fringe believes Emily knows where the magical Crimson Stone is hidden, and they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
Friends Tara and Rabbit join Emily as they race against the Fringe to catch up with Emily’s wandering mother. Will Emily’s nemesis, the mysterious Templeton, join her in rescuing Lydia? What will it cost her? Is the price too high? Read My thoughts…
Some gorgeous covers have been revealed over the last few weeks for the Realm of Darkness Anthology. I am delighted to share Rosalyn Briar’s The Mermaid and the Pearl.
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
As a performer in the underwater Cirque du Mer, Muriel charms skeletons to dance using her voice and magic pearls. When the circus travels to the Crescent Reef, Muriel is eager to take part in the Sacrifice. She desires to sink the ships of humans, the vile creatures who had once enslaved her.
During the Sacrifice, though, Muriel comes upon a different type of human—a woman. Instead of feeding the woman to the Moon Priestess’ kraken, Muriel saves her. Soon, she learns that Yara is a princess and, despite being human and mer, they have much in common. A romance blossoms between the pair, until Yara’s rescue ship arrives.
When the depressed Muriel learns that Yara has died in another shipwreck, she rushes to the Moon Priestess for help. Muriel gives up her voice as payment, and the Moon Priestess turns Yara into an undead mermaid. Muriel has three days to make Yara fall in love and find her soul’s pearl—all the while performing in the circus.
Can love conquer death?
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset.
On your marks…. Get set ….claim that free copy of Sentinals Awaken!!
Celebrating the forthcoming launch of Sentinals Across Time (available on preorder for $2.99) – chance to win one of 100 ebook copies of the first book in the Sentinals series. From today (Feb 25th!) you can enter the Goodreads Giveaway. Sorry only open to US readers! Runs until March 10th, 2022.
Enter here. While you’re there follow me and add my books to your tbr shelf! Enjoy!!
I hope you start the adventure and stay for the journey!
Sentinals Awaken is the first book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.
As a three thousand-year-old threat reemerges, only one man has the power to awaken the world’s greatest protectors and restore order to the realm. He just doesn’t know it yet. When Jerrol Haven, a captain in the King’s Rangers, discovers treason at the highest level, he knows immediately that the knowledge puts his life at risk. And indeed, though he expected the ailing King to shield him, the ambitious Crown Prince sentences Jerrol to death.
What hold does the Prince have over his weakened father, and who or what is he protecting?
With signs that the veil is weakening and the Ascendants are creeping back into power, Lady Leyandrii has returned and is in dire need of Jerrol’s help. For though he doesn’t know it, Jerrol possesses a rare gift: By chance, he touches a revered Sentinal tree and awakens Birlerion, one of the Lady’s personal guard who have been sleeping in the strange, tall trees since they were last called to battle. Aided by Birlerion, Jerrol flees and begins his journey to help Lady Leyandrii save Remargaren once more.
But time is running out: Jerrol must unravel the mystery of the Ascendants’ return, stop the sinister force that is dividing good families through bloodshed and betrayal, and rescue the King—and his troubles are only just beginning.
Ideal for lovers of The Witcher, Tad William’s Shadowmarch or David Eddings’ Belgarion series.
I am so excited about my novel SoulBreather, my first venture into paranormal fantasy and my contribution to this anthology.
If you love Feisty heroines, fallen angels and mystical dragons and intrigue then this should be the book for you. Add another 40 plus books and this is a bargain you do not want to miss!
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…
SoulBreather
My new paranormal fantasy releasing as part of the Realm of Darkness boxset.
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 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?
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/99p!
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.
Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Author of Trouble, the fourth book in the Supernatural mystery Shadow Slayers saga.
Join me as I chat to Nellie H. Steele about her latest book Trouble which launches today! Congratulations Nellie! And find out what else she is working on.
Helen: Welcome Nellie! To start us off, tell us about your latest book.
Nellie: I’ve got a LOT going on with current offerings! In the next few months, I’ll be releasing Book 4 in my Shadow Slayers saga along with the first books in two new series!
The first one to make its debut is Trouble and it is really appropriately named. The Shadow Slayers are experiencing Trouble from all sides! They’ve just come off of a life-changing experience when they travel to an alternate universe and just as things seem to be settling down, the dam breaks and a flood of other issues hit them.
The Shadow Slayers are a great team to write and I’m really excited for people to continue exploring their universe.
Helen: You sound extremely busy! Once you start writing a series and your characters become like family, it’s wonderful to be able to return and write more in the world you know so well. What was the inspirarion behind the cover design?
Nellie: This cover couldn’t be more perfect for this book. It has both literal and figurative meaning. The broken mirror with Celine trapped inside symbolizes her life breaking apart with the amount of difficulty she experiences.
It also has a quite literal meaning. There is a scene in the book in which a mirror shatters to pieces after the Slayers glimpse an image of Celine dancing in a red dress.
Helen: It is a most unusal cover. How about the title, is there a story behind that?
Nellie: The story really hits the Slayers with trouble from every angle imaginable. They’re drowning in problems in this book, so the title fits really well. It also ties well to the ending of the book. I won’t say any more but when the title was proposed, I latched on to it immediately because it felt so fitting.
Helen: I love the stories behind covers and titles. It gives the readers a little more colour and depth! Although Slayers is a fantasy series, you don’t just write fantasy do you?
Nellie: I’m literally a split personality. I can’t seem to pick a lane. I enjoy an eclectic range of genres to read, so it makes sense that I’d also enjoy writing a range.
Currently, I write cozy mystery, supernatural suspense/magical realism, adventure and historical mystery. I’m about to debut another cozy mystery series and a second series which is close to adventure but with a twist.
I didn’t really expect to expand into this particular genre (which is still a secret and will be revealed in the coming months), but I’m a “pantser,” and my characters take the lead. I didn’t expect them to go in this direction!
Helen: Oooh how exiting … a secret … follow Nellie to make sure you hear first! What else are you working on in 2022?
Nellie: In true split personality style, I’ve got two WIPs right now. I’m working on the third Maggie Edwards Adventure. In this installment, Maggie is traveling to Scotland for a relaxing vacation. She’s received an invitation to spend some time at Dunhaven Castle with Cate Kensie (of the Cate Kensie cozy mysteries). What should be a fun, relaxing time will turn into anything but! Look for Maggie’s next adventure later this year.
I’m also working on Book 5 in the Cate Kensie mystery series. Cate’s just gotten an eye-opening in Book 4 with some of our Shadow Slayers characters hopping into her series and causing quite a bit of chaos. She’ll continue to experience some issues from her new discoveries while she solves a decades old murder!
Helen: I’m glad I am not the only one with multiple projects on the go! Do you prefer writing or editing?
Nellie: Writing by a mile! I don’t mind re-reading and tweaking my work, but sometimes trying to parse through a heavy edit to be sure word choice is spot on can be very tedious!
Helen: Pantser or planner?
Nellie: Pantser. My characters take the lead and often, they take the story into a direction I did not expect. This happened a few times. One of my characters in my Duchess of Blackmoore historical mystery series I had intended to die early on in Book 1 (maybe by Chapter 5). He’s still going strong in Book 2. I guess he had other ideas.
I’ll also debut a new series later this year that I did not expect. I wrote another cozy mystery series and, while writing, had an idea to write a prequel to explain the backstory of some of the supporting characters.
One full novel later, these characters will now become the main characters for another new series. I fully expected to write a short story, but my characters had other ideas!
Helen: Which characters do you enjoy writing the most and why?
Nellie: I enjoy writing most of my characters, each for different reasons. One of the most fun characters to write is my Shadow Slayers villain, Marcus. He gets to say and do things no one else can. Writing his snippy dialog and no-holds-barred actions can really be exciting.
Helen: He sounds like fun to write. What is the most useful piece of advice you’ve received about writing?
Nellie: Write daily, no matter what, no matter how hard it is. I’ve heard this from several other authors as well as writing coaches. There’s a sense that writers have a creative spirit and only write when the mood strikes them. There’s always a reason to put it off for another day. I’ve worked hard to build a good writing routine that is incorporated in my day-to-day life. It’s really helped me push past any sticky plot points.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today. Just one last question to close us out. Let’s finish with you telling us something random about yourself.
Nellie: I’m an avid animal lover and I have 14 rescue pets. I can’t say no to a furry face (obviously, lol). Right now, I’ve got 8 cats and 6 dogs. I often incorporate them into my stories. For example, Cate’s dogs are based on two of my teddy bears (Kylo and Finn). And in the new cozy series, the cat Cassie and Lily adopt is based on my own one-eyed wonder, Percy.
About the Author:
An Indies Today finalist for Best Book of the Year 2020 with Cleopatra’s Tomb, Nellie H. Steele made the leap from science to art with her first book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.
An animal enthusiast, Nellie often features a version of one of her fourteen rescue animals in her stories, though the fictional pets are usually better behaved than her own fur-babies! A literary split personality, Nellie’s work ranges from cozy mystery to supernatural suspense to riveting adventure.
She lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. When she isn’t writing or engaging in animal care, she enjoys teaching Statistics and Data Science at a local university.
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.
Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Helen Garraway 