A Masterful Continuation of an Epic Fantasy Romance
The third installment in the SoulMist series, OblivionGate elevates an already captivating fantasy world to new heights with deeper character development, higher stakes, and fascinating new magical elements.
Following Demavrian’s harrowing survival of Apologia and confrontation with the Angelic Assembly, what should be a moment of triumph is instead overshadowed by the looming threat of the vengeful god Kaenera. As the newly appointed Gate Keeper of Oblivion, Demavrian struggles to understand his responsibilities while simultaneously supporting his distraught fledglings, helping Solanji discover the true nature of her Soul Breathing abilities, and attempting to restore her brother’s soul. The pressure is immense as the soulless continue banging at the Oblivion Gate, and even with his Gate Wraith’s assistance, Demavrian fears becoming the shortest-lived Gate Keeper in history.
The characterisation of the Oblivion Gate itself is perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of this novel. The author brilliantly brings this mystical boundary to life, giving it presence and personality that enhances the overall narrative.
The dialogue remains authentic throughout, allowing readers to deepen their emotional connection to characters they’ve grown to love over the series. This third book truly cements the reader’s relationship with the main characters.
The pacing is expertly handled, maintaining the engaging momentum that has characterised the series thus far while giving appropriate weight to Demavrian’s struggles with his new responsibilities and the looming threat from Kaenera.
OblivionGate proves that the SoulMist series only gets better with each installment. For readers who have followed Demavrian’s journey from the beginning, this third book delivers a richly satisfying continuation while setting up even higher stakes for what’s to come.
I award 5 stars for a fantasy romance that continues to captivate with its vibrant characters, well-crafted world, and the increasingly complex challenges facing our protagonists.
Reviewed: May 11th, 2025 Released: March 20th, 2025 Genre: Epic Fantasy (LGBTQ)
He’s not the hero they deserve, but he’s the hero they’ve got.
No, seriously. Talon wants to know what he did to deserve this. What would make a sentient rock decide that he of all people should be the one to save the world from zombies? That’s right. Zombies. Because apparently a higher power decided that teaching magic to teenagers wasn’t enough of a challenge.
With a ridiculously attractive healer (who may or may not hate him), his sister (who he miiiight have a forbidden telepathic link with), a sentient god-like rock (that can only communicate via yes/no vibes), a disdainful dragon, and a rude matchmaking horse by his side, he just might be able to save the world.
Or die trying.
Meet Talon Silverbright. He’ll save the world, but only because a rock said he has to. Read My Thoughts…
I am very pleased to welcome YA fantasy author Cecilia Agetun to my blog.
Helen: Welcome, Cecilia. It’s a pleasure to meet you and congratulations on the release of your latest book, Darkened Soul, on April 20th, 2025. Could you tell us about it?
Cecilia: My current book is Darkened Soul, book 3 in my Freya’s legacy series. It’s about revenge, but also about love and friendship.
Nick is determined to find out who ordered the attack that killed his wife and shattered his family. When he does, he retrieves a sword powerful enough to kill him. The only problem is that this sword was deemed to dangerous to be wielded, but it was too powerful to be destroyed so the dwarfs hid it away, hoping no one would ever find it again.
It is a bit darker than the previous two books in the series, but an important part of the overall arc of the series.
Freya’s Legacy is a YA Romantic contemporary Fantasy series comprised of four books, written with inspiration from Norse mythology. We follow Jax, a crow demon, on a journey of friendships, love and self acceptance.
I’m currently looking for ARC readers Darkened soul, so if you’re interested you can fill out this form: https://forms.gle/hKQ7ZeYRN8g81oBU7
Helen: What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
Cecilia: The cover contains the image of the sword, named the Dauᵭans. It’s a very specific looking sword so I had my friend commission it for me. The cover also contains a flame that goes from blue to amber – it’s a symbolism for Nick’s journey throughout the book.
Helen: I love finding out about the story behind the cover. What about the title? How did you decide what to call your book?
Cecilia: The working title I had when I wrote the book was Nick’s revenge, but Darkened Soul fits so well, because Nick’s soul gets darkened by grief and depression, after he loses his wife which is a guardian angel. Due to this he does down a path that will darken his soul.
Helen: Who is your favourite character from your series?
Cecilia: I have a very close bond with Jax, maybe because he’s lived in my head for such a long time or maybe it’s because he’s trying to find his place and where he fits in. He’s a sweetheart, but because he’s not from the human world, he can come across a bit awkward and blunt. He is terrified of his own demon, and worried that if he loses control he will hurt the people he love and care about.
Helen: Jax sounds like a great character. Who is your protagonist and why did you write him/her?
Cecilia: So the protagonist for the overall series is Jax, this is his story, but each book follows a difference protagonist because knowing their past and how everything is connected helps understand their actions. Jax has been living in my head for the last 10 years so it only seemed natural to finally write down his journey.
Helen: I bet that was really satisfying writing Jax’s story. What are you working on next?
Cecilia: I’ve started gathering the notes I have for book 4, called Shadow love. I already know the rough story line but I haven’t really started writing it yet.
Helen: You write YA fantasy, why did you choose that genre?
Cecilia: I’m a fantasy writer because I like to escape the real would and live somewhere that isn’t defined by human logic. Where magic and mythical creatures is a possibility. I grew up having my granddad tell me stories about the Norse gods growing, and I’ve always had a vivid imagination. I even practiced Wicca in my younger days. Most of my stories are contemporary, because who to say the supernatural doesn’t exist in our world? There are so many myths and legends about magical things, that it seems illogical to discard them as completely fictional.
Helen: When did you realised you had a passion for writing?
Cecilia: I always loved stories and been daydreaming about other places ever since I was little. I wrote a lot during my teenage years, but I don’t remember if I ever finished them. I never really thought I had what it took to publish a book due to my dyslexia, but when lock down came around, I started writing again, and this time, due to internet and social media I connected with other writers, and they give me confidence that my stories were worth sharing with the world. so, after I finished writing my first story and spent two years editing it, I found a great editor that help polishing the technical aspect of writing and then I took a leap and published it.
Helen: How do you get ideas for a new book?
Cecilia: The easiest way to answer this is randomly. I can be walking the dogs, and maybe the sunlight hits the trees in a specific way, and a scenes is playing out in my head, or I wake up from a dream that lingers. And then the characters won’t go away, so I sit down and write down everything that comes to my head while thinking about the scenes or the character, and from there I usually get a starting point; who is the character and what do they want and then I start writing. Sometimes I know the ending before I finished writing, sometimes it comes while im writing, so I guess you can say I’m a bit of a pantser.
Helen: It’s been great talking about your books. Let’s talk a little about your writing process. Which elements of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?
Cecilia: I think the hardest part is converting the movie I have playing in my head into words, words that paint it in the right light. Having English as a second language (thought I’ve lived in the UK for 15 years) means that sometimes my vocabulary isn’t as large as I would like it to be, and my writing often comes out as quite basic. It isn’t necessary a bad thing, but my books should definitely be read for the story and not for beautiful prose.
Helen: When writing, do you plan everything in advance or do you make it up as you go? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Cecilia: I’m definitely more of a pantser, however as I’m getting further and further into this series, I have needed to do a bit more plotting
Helen: I think as we learn more about the writing craft and our series become more complex, planning is key. Even if the characters sometimes takes us off road on occasion. When you encounter writer’s block how do you over come it?
Cecilia: I usually do one of two things. And it depends a bit on why I have writing block, if it’s because something isn’t working, and I need to figure out a solution I will usually step away and go for a walk. If it’s because I don’t know that’s next, I would try a writing sprint and just write the first thing that comes to mind for 20-30 min.
Helen: What is the best thing that have happened to you since you started writing?
Cecilia: I’ve connected with an amazing community online, and found some lovely friends. But the best thing is probably when I hear from readers and they’re telling me that my story made a difference to them. It really does make my day, and gives me encouragement to continue writing.
Helen: What is one of the most useful resources you use when writing?
Cecilia: So if we are talking specifically about writing, it’s probably the emotion thesaurus by A Ackerman and B Puglisi, its really helpful when trying to show an emotion instead of telling it. Other than that I find brainstorming with other writers very helpful. Sometimes as I writer I’m a bit too close to my story, and my writing can comes across differently from what I want, so brainstorming how to get the message across more clearly can be very beneficial.
Helen: Those thesauruses are amazing! I use them all the time. Do have any hints or tips for how to overcome the fear and little voice in your head and keep writing?
Cecilia: It’s really hard, but the biggest advice I have is to not compare yourself to other writers. It’s a sure way of getting disheartened. Instead look back at your own journey, celebrate your accomplishments and milestones, and see just have far you have come and have much you have gained since you started.
Helen: That is really great advice. How much research do you do for each book?
Cecilia: It differs. I will write the first draft without any research, and then as I read over it I will make notes where I need to do more research.
Helen: It’s been great talking to you today. I wish you all the very best with your launch. Just to close, what advice would you give new writers?
Cecilia: Rules are meant to be broken, take what you need, and leave the rest behind. Try new things, but if it isn’t working for you, try something else. There are many way to reach a destination.
There are sooo many rules about writing, but most of the times they are not actually rules but suggestions. E.g. you have to write everyday to be a good writer – no you don’t have to write every day but you do need to make time to write. Or you have to outline before you can write the book – I can see how it can be beneficial, but my outline comes after I’ve written my first draft.
About the Author – Cecilia Agetun
Cecilia Agetun
Cecilia has always been interested in writing and spent many hours writing poems and short stories throughout her teenage years. She has always had an interest in fantasy, mythology and witchcraft.
As she grew up, her writing got put on ice as she followed her other passion – Animal care. She moved to England, where she completed her Bsc (hons) degree in veterinary nursing and started working full time at a 24 hour hospital. She later moved to Cambridge with her partner and two dogs, hoping to get a better work- life balance.
It wasn’t until the lockdown came knocking on everyone’s doors that she picked up her writing and fell in love with it all over again. It started off as one book, but by the time she finished the first draft of her young adult fantasy novel, she knew it would be a series.
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. 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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Reviewed: April 19th, 2025 Released: January 2nd, 2025 Genre: Fantasy Murder Mystery
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the Emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
But when a beloved heir is murdered, every one of these powerful people becomes a suspect.
Now Ganymedes – alone and vulnerable without a Blessing – must become the hero he was never born to be.
With the body-count rising, can he unmask the killer before they reach the shore? Read My Thoughts…
Author ofthe Theo series, the Riders of Jade and Fire series, and contributing author to the Reign of Dragons anthology.
I am very pleased to welcome Melanie Ansley to my blog to talk about her writing process and the Reign of Dragons Anthology kickstarter.
Helen: Welcome, Melanie. I’m excited to talk to you about your wonderful books and your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology. I love your cover for your first book in the Theo series, tell us a little about your books.
Melanie: My first series is called “Book of Theo”, and is set in a world where reading and writing are forbidden. One rabbit with the taboo ability to read and write decides to challenge the empire that is trying to enslave animal kind. It’s “Redwall” meets “Lord of the Rings”, basically!
Helen: Sounds amazing, and your second series is set in the same world as your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology, “Day of the Blood Dragon”.
Melanie: The book “Dragon Class” takes place in the Tang dynasty, so roughly 1000 years after the events in “Day of the Blood Dragon”. It’s a story of a thief who steals a dragon egg, then finds herself catapulted into the Dragon Class, the empire’s most elite force. Like many dragon stories, it’s really about the bond between dragon and human, so I knew the cover needed to convey these two characters—as well as the unique setting!
Helen: Tell us about your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology.
Melanie: My story “Day of the Blood Dragon” came about from a question: what if the First Emperor of China united the kingdoms only because he had the help of dragons? I’ve loved history and fantasy for as long as I can remember, and the first emperor of China is both a fascinating and repugnant figure to me. In this story, his sorceress Lu’sha sets out on a quest to convince the queen of the dragons to support his cause, but neither she nor her king realize the price they will have to pay. I had such fun writing this and I’d love to turn it into a tie-in series.
Helen: How did you become involved in the Reign of Dragons anthology?
Melanie: Firstly, the co-host of this anthology, Jasmine Young, pitched it so well I couldn’t refuse. She is so fun to work with, and she’s an experienced Kickstarter organizer. It was also such an amazing line up of talent, and I’ve never been in an anthology so I immediately said yes.
Helen: It is a wonderful anthology to be involved in, and each stretch goal we achieve will help make this book even more beautiful, which is so exciting. We’ve just got the draft art copy of the colour dust jacket which will also be gold foiled! Isn’t it gorgeous?
When writing your stories, do you prefer to write heroes or villains?
Melanie: I enjoy writing villains, because I’m fascinated by what makes them tick, what makes the darkest act you and I can imagine seem justifiable, maybe even morally superior, to someone else. Because no one believes they are evil, they just have a very different–and sometimes deeply buried–moral compass.
Helen: That is so true and characters that readers can relate to, whose motives although morally grey, are understandable, hook the reader even more. Do you plan out your books or do you let your story go where it will.
Melanie: I feel like pantser or planner is a spectrum rather than an “either/or”, and I think this is something I had to figure out by myself—it’s very personal, like how much salt or pepper you like in your food. I also do things a little “backwards”—I do an outline, write the thing, and then break it down chapter by chapter into an excel sheet to see what’s not working and why. Efficient? Probably not, but I get there in the end.
Helen: I think everyone should write in the way that works for them and everyone is different. Do you have any favourite authors?
Melanie: I love Peter S Beagle and Lian Hearn. Their writing is so exquisite I feel like I’ve been on some magical ship after reading their work. Plus one of the best things about this anthology “Reign of Dragons” has been discovering some of my new favourite indie authors!
Helen: There are so manay amazing authors, and every story shines on its own merits. I can’t wait to hear what our readers think. Do you have anything random you’d like to share about yourself?
Melanie: I’ve always wanted to learn to play the ukelele.
Helen: I hope you do! Thank you for joining me today, Melanie. It’s been lovely chatting to you. Just to finish, do you have any advice for aspiring authors.
Melanie: It’s not writing advice by one particular person, but as a film producer I often brushed up against the attitude of “no one wants to watch your movie”. It sounds terribly discouraging, but I found that embracing it was very freeing. When I first started publishing, I suffered the common paralysis of worrying whether my work was good enough. But then “no one wants to read your book” is like the advice to “dance like no one’s watching”—it frees you. And being good enough also becomes a moot point, because really at the end of the day, I would write even if no one read my work. This took away the pressure while also forcing me to examine my book: WHY would someone want to read it? I try to answer that question for everything I write, and I think that helps me with story, focus, and marketing.
Who are the authors in the Anthology?
About the Anthology
Reign of Dragons: An Illustrated Anthology blends some of the most beloved self-published fantasy authors with top-tier artists to bring you a first-class reading experience centered around dragons.
Venture into luxurious epic fantasy, where master crafters of dragons give you an epic blast of short stories and illustrations from a rich cross section of the fantasy genre. From romances to rip-roaring battles to LitRPG adventures, think of this anthology as your next first-class experience.
We invite you to treat yourself to this delicious charcuterie board of talent—with every story centered around dragons!
Melanie is an award-winning author and filmmaker of Chinese descent, now based in Australia. Over her 20 years of film producing, she has been lucky enough to work on award winning feature films and also written for some Oscar winning producers.
Her first novel, “Theo and the Forbidden Language”, won Best YA at the 2018 IndieReader Discovery Awards, and its origin story “The Lost Child of Willago” is currently being developed into a video game. Her latest series, “Riders of Jade & Fire,” is an action-packed dragonrider academy tale set during Empress Wu’s Tang China, and perfect for fans of “Eragon” or “Temeraire”. When she’s not writing and filmmaking, Melanie is raising two children (which involves lots of magic and luck). You can find her at www.melanieansley.com
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. 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.
Reviewed: April 3rd, 2024 Released: December 26th, 2018 Genre: Epic Fantasy
What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?
Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it’s like to lose everything and everyone around him.
His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg’s.
Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he’ll do what it takes to keep her safe.
Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won’t find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.
When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer’s camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.
The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him? Read My Thoughts…
Reviewed: March 28th, 2025 Released: April 25th, 2022 Genre: Fantasy – Coming of Age
A broken man finds a new life teaching magic. But can he keep it? As a washed-up and forgotten sorcerer, Aldric’s only goal in life is to get drunk enough to forget his tragic past. That is, until his friends coerce him into a teaching position at one of the most prestigious magic academies in the world. Now he’s saddled with the responsibility of teaching four new pupils, all of whom wonder who this brilliant yet unorthodox man truly is.
But Aldric’s past demons aren’t gone. They’ve only been lying in wait. As wars, rulers and politics of the past all begin to catch up with him, Aldric’s newfound place to belong is threatened by the very things he’s been trying to escape.
It’s time for Aldric to finally confront his history. And learn some new lessons himself. Read My Thoughts…
Author ofthe Epic Fantasy Realm Breaker series and co-host of the Reign of Dragons anthology.
I am very pleased to welcome Jasmine Young to my blog to talk about the Reign of Dragons Anthology kickstarter she has just launched. I am also very excited to be a participating author along with seventeen other fanatsy authors who have contributed a 10k word short story based on drgaons.
Intro to Reign of Dragons Kickstarter:
Reign of Dragons: An Illustrated Anthology blends some of the most beloved self-published fantasy authors with top-tier artists to bring you a first-class reading experience centered around dragons.
Venture into luxurious epic fantasy, where master crafters of dragons give you an epic blast of short stories and illustrations from a rich cross section of the fantasy genre. From romances to rip-roaring battles to LitRPG adventures, think of this anthology as your next first-class experience.
We invite you to treat yourself to this delicious charcuterie board of talent—with every story centered around dragons!
Helen: Welcome, Jasmine. I’m excited to talk to you about this gorgeous anthology. Tell us how you became involved.
Jasmine: I’m honored to be the originator and a co-host of this first deluxe dragon-centric fantasy anthology (to the best of my knowledge!).
In late 2024, I wanted to go big and do something special for the holidays as our annual community tradition. That’s where the anthology came in – something I’d been thinking about for almost a year at that point.
All the telltale signs were secretly place. I started my Facebook group, Dragon Riders Guild, which I now co-admin with Melanie Ansley, in part to network with more talented authors. As I familiarized myself with their works, it gave me a better understanding of who I wanted to invite to this special project.
While my co-host and I ended up launching after Christmas, I think that makes it that much more valuable since you will be able to experience it year-round.
Helen: Not only are you organising this anthology, you also contributed a story. Tell us a little about your contribution.
Jasmine: My contribution, “A Birth of Breakers,” is an origins prequel story from the Realm Breaker universe. Rich with LOTR-style lore, it was written especially for those who dig their story lore! It foretells how the Bael, world-breaking titan dragons, came into being, and how the Velen Tyr gods would go onto wreak the ancient galactic war, The Breaking of Realms. This divine holocaust, which sundered the boundaries between worlds and caused magical beings to fall into the world of men, was also known in the late days as “The First Breaking.” As a result of this event, elves, dragons, and dwarves dwell today with men in the last habitable world. It’s the very world where our female main character picks up the series story when she bonds with a Bael hatchling that mysteriously falls from the shattered realms above.
Early sketch of The Birth of Baelaeryx, ca. 3,000 years before the series begins, as done by by Ertaç Altınöz.
Rather than have “A Birth of Breakers” as purely exposition, I framed it as a light-hearted and touching fable between a Harry Potter-inspired house elf (called “ha’elves” in my universe) and an ancient Elderdragon. In discussing ancient lore, we also get to explore the pursuit of immortality and the surprising truth about living a mortal life.
Helen: Such a powerful image, and for those who have read your Realm Breaker series, an amazing opportunity to get this prequel story set in the same world. We love Bael, so knowing more about his origins is great. There are multiple amazing creative artists working on the artwork to support the stories in this anthology, how did that beautiful foiled cover came to be.
Jasmine: The foiled case laminate was designed by the brilliant Rachel St. Clair. She was the obvious choice because of her known talent and reputation among indies, and for her ease of doing business. We wanted to emphasize the powerful reign vibes as per the title. Thus, you’ll see motifs like a sword front and center, along with a dragon breathing fire over the “Reign of Dragons” title!
Fun fact: Rachel knows I really like Fourth Wing-style art for my special editions, so some of the little dragons on the back cover share that style.
Helen: It is such an eye catching cover. A wonderful design and readers can grab their own copy by backing the kickstarter today. The kickstarter runs until April 14th, 2025, though this project funded on the first day! So it will happen, and the more backers we get, the more beautiful the book will become as we hit those stretch goals!
As a succesful fantasy author with many books now published, what would be your advice to aspiring authors?
Jasmine: When you need to hire, hire. Don’t do it all yourself.
I recently had a major mindset shift and made the decision to level up Dragonfyre Books. That lead to hiring my first wonderful team member, Bri. While she helps me grow my social media channels, particularly direct sales, I have more time to focus on my own writing and even special projects like this anthology.
The key here is for the author to already understand how to market their series. i.e. You need to have already invested in R&D and have a thorough understanding of what tropes and hot keywords resonate with your market. As the business owner, you can then provide that guidance to your assistant while being open to them bringing fresh ideas.
I don’t recommend a marketing assistant to authors who are struggling with marketing and are hoping a PA will save their sales. You’re setting them and yourself up for failure.
I do recommend a PA if you’re purely wanting help growing your social media presence and don’t have the time and/or savvy. My assistant is much savvier than me when it comes to bookish communities and social media.
And I always recommend an assistant if you’re ready, both mentally and financially, to let go and look for help. Be strategic with finding the talent that suits what your individual business needs!
Bri has seven years of experience with Youtube and vlogging, and you can find her below!
Helen: Great advice. Who are your favourite authors, those who inspired you to write fantasy?
Jasmine:Christopher Paolini, now and forever. His book, Eragon, first made me fall in love with writing as a tween. If not for him, I might not be an author today!
As for indie authors, I have a deep appreciation and sense of loyalty to Michael R. Miller, who’s been very gracious with my and Melanie Ansley’s Dragon Riders Guild Facebook Reader Group. Not besides, Realm Breaker’s closest comparable series would be Songs of Chaos, as mentioned by my friend, Michael Webb!
J.D.L. Rosell is another author whose brand I have felt a kinship with for years. I just vibe with how he communicates, what he writes, and how he presents himself on social media. As someone who followed him when I was still an obscure author, it’s been a small dream come true getting to interact with him on a much closer level nowadays.
Last but never least, if Michael Wisehart ever asked me for pretty much anything, I’d give him anything. He’s a gracious author who, long story short, went through a lot of hoops sending me a personalized signed hardback at my request! Not the least, as a fellow Christian, I admire the openness of his faith and how he weaves it into his mega-successful brand. He’s my personal model and author hero.
Helen: Thankyou for joining me today, Jasmine. It’s been lovely chatting to you. Just to finish, if you didn’t write in epic fantasy, then which genre would you like to try and write in next?
Jasmine: If I didn’t write epic fantasy, I would venture into more romantasy! It’s something I’m already exploring. There seems to be an unexpected amount of crossover between epic fantasy and romantasy. The challenge for me, though, is figuring out a way to write low/no spice romantasy because of my personal beliefs and brand values.
On the wild opposite end, I discovered in 2022 that I have a secret crush on progression fantasy. As a former gamer, I know all about Pokemon stats and evolving and levelling up and all that gamer goodness. Although Realm Breaker has progression elements, as inspired by Michael R. Miller’s wonderful book, Ascendant, it’s on the light side. I just don’t know as much about it as I do epic fantasy. But that’s also an area I’m growing my knowledge on!
I also have a growing curiosity with scifi, but very specifically, science fantasy and/or dystopian fiction. The Hunger Games is probably my all-time favorite series, at least in tandem with Eragon. It stole my teenage brain away when I first read it in high school. Awhile back, I wrote a dystopian science fantasy that I haven’t yet published but was very passionate about. As of this writing, I’m planning a potential dark science fantasy-romantasy after Realm Breaker.
Who knows? No spoilers from me—we’ll see!
Who are the authors in the Anthology?
About the Author – Jasmine Young
Jasmine was thirteen when she first dreamed of becoming published after devouring Eragon in a few days on Grandma’s couch. As a nerdy introvert, her exposure to fantasy started with hiding out in the library with a great book.
Thirteen years later, her tomboy dreams came true.
Today, she is known worldwide as a part time beach hermit and a full time rebel. She is also the proud mother of two young children, Bubble and Mochi. Both happen to be little birds. The happy family currently resides in paradise, aka. Florida.
When she’s not reminiscing about her gaming days or getting lost in old epics like LOTR, Jasmine writes epic fantasy to entertain and empower, especially the underdogs.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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Reviewed: November 8th, 2024 Released: February 22nd, 2022 Genre: MM Fantasy Romance
Note to self: You can’t teach an old dragon new tricks… he likes to invent his own.
After half a century of chaos, my retirement from leading the Community of Species Government has been bliss. No more hellhounds playing pranks. No more snippy demons demanding my attention. No more cajoling money from the wealthy to support the community. Just peace while I avoid my overbearing father and try to work out what my next steps will be.
Although… maybe three years of peace is enough. It might even be starting to get… boring. In fact, an adolescent dragon crash-landing on my landlord’s shed is just the kind of excitement I need—especially when he brings his species leader to my door. Brandt. Wing leader of all dragons, suave, sexy, and… slightly unhinged. It doesn’t take much for him to convince me to give up my solitude and spend some time getting to know him. It’s hard to care about the future when I’ve got a dragon of my own to “play” with. Naked dragon rides for the win, right?
But Brandt’s the leader of his people, on call for them all the time, and I’ve left that part of my life behind me. Plus my father insists I should fulfil my duty to the family by getting a nine-to-five job and “marrying well.” That’s not what I want, but riding herd on a group of beings who fly, breathe fire, and could literally crush me beneath their feet would be a huge challenge, especially since Brandt’s kind of loose with rules. It all comes down to how much I want my very own dragon ever after. Read My Thoughts…
Reviewed: Februart 26th 2025 Released: October 18th, 2018 Genre: Romance
Felicity Jamison could never have imagined how one fateful night would change her life. Compelled to stay away from the only place she’s ever felt at home, has meant losing her best friend and first love, Nate Davenport.
Fate now intervenes leaving her with no other choice but to return. Not only does she harbour demons of her own, she carries with her a secret that threatens to destroy an entire family.
Nate has experienced his fair share of grief, what he didn’t expect was for Felicity to walk back into his life, a mere shadow of the girl he used to know.
Angry and hurt, the last thing he is willing to admit is how much he needs her.
Will he risk turning to her for comfort?
Together, can they move past a heart-breaking revelation or are they destined to be apart forever? Read My Thoughts…
Helen Garraway 