OblivionGate will release on July 1st, 2024 and is currently on preorder.
Having survived Apologia and faced down the Angelic Assembly, Demavrian has every right to be feeling triumphant, but the threat hanging over his head from the vengeful god, Kaenera, is enough to snuff out any celebrations.
His fledglings are distraught and in disarray, Solanji’s brother is still without a soul and Solanji has no idea how her SoulBreathing works. He has no idea how to manage the Oblivion Gate and even with his Gate Wraith’s help, the burden of the soulless banging on the door may be his undoing.
Kaenera is poised to strike back and if Demavrian doesn’t learn the secrets of the Oblivion Gate fast enough, he may be the shortest lived Gate Keeper in history.
OblivionGate is the third enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series or Harmony, a standalone Dystopian Science Fantasy. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Author ofUnnatural, Book One of the Dream Walker series.
Today, I am thrilled to be chatting to indie fantasy romance author H.M Duval.
Helen: Welcome and congratulations on your forthcoming release of your second book in the Dream Walker series called Untouchable which is currently on preorder. Tell us about your Dream Walker series.
H.M Duval: I am currently working on my second novel, Untouchable. It is the second book in the Dream Walker series, the first of which (Unnatural) I published May 2023.
The Dream Walker world takes place hundreds of years after worldwide nuclear devastation. What’s left of humanity survives the harsh conditions by staying inside walled cities. The main character, Penelope Kendall, is a citizen in one of these cities who works as a guard for the Executors, a fascist military group running the human government. Their mission is to protect what’s left of humanity from the mutated flora and fauna of the wilds outside the walls, while also preparing for a second war that will eradicate mankind’s greatest threat, the savage Unnaturals, from the face of the planet.
Having spent her entire life inside the walls of her home city, Penelope doesn’t dream of anything other than survival and protecting her family. But the mounting pressure she feels within the walls is driving her toward a breakdown. Tensions come to a head when she’s threatened with criminal charges for defending herself. She decides to defect: leave the safety of her city and travel far enough away that her defection and crimes can’t follow her.
Survival is anything but guaranteed, and would be completely impossible without the unexpected help of one of the very Unnaturals she had been defending her city from. Together, she and her enemy must become a team in order to survive – if they can manage to see eye to eye.
What starts as an uneasy alliance grows into a powerful partnership. One that has the potential to change the course of the entire world, if they are brave enough to face it.
The Dream Walker series is a planned trilogy intended for mature audiences, and it is recommended to read them in order.
Helen: Your cover is very distinctive and has many elements. How did you come up with the design?
H.M Duval: I LOVE my cover! It’s one of my favorite parts of the book. The woman on the cover is how I imagine Pen: vulnerable but shining with inner strength. There’s a certain fragility about her, covered in facets and cracks, but she’s determined. The cracks also bleed into branches, speaking to one of the larger themes throughout the series. It took a lot of trial and error to get it right (and great feedback from my beta babes), but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I made it myself via Canva using Pixabay stock photos as a base.
Helen: I think that is one of my favourite questions, because there is always so much more to the cover than you first realise. You did a great job! Not only an author, but a cover designer as well. Why did you give it the title Unnatural? Is there a special meaning, or back story about the title?
H.M Duval: The title, on the surface, refers to the beings that live outside the walls. But it also speaks to the way that Pen doesn’t quite fit into her society, how she is deemed ‘unnatural’ because she thinks and behaves differently. And, in accepting those differences, she discovers that she has the ability to Dream Walk, a skill that transports her out of the natural world and into a spiritual one.
Helen: Your books sounds very intriguing, understanding your thoughts behind the cover and title is so interesting. What made you write this particular book?
H.M Duval: This book series is particularly precious to me. The story itself was inspired by a dream when I was a teenager, but I didn’t have the skills or experience yet to deliver it the way I wanted. So it sat on a shelf in my mind for many years, through college and early parenthood. And then I decided it was time to give it another chance, and I’m so glad that I have.
Helen: Congratulations on publishing your book. That is such an achievement, and I am so glad you are planning a series. When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
H.M Duval: I’ve always loved storytelling and writing. I remember writing my first “book” in third grade, when we had a class project to tell a story and the teacher had them bound into hardcover books. Which, in hindsight, was a ridiculously cool project to inspire elementary school students to think of themselves as authors! I ended up asking for more pages because I wanted to tell a longer story. Over time, I had more and more stories incubating and hatching in the corners of my mind. All those stories kept clamoring for attention so, really, I had no choice but to give in and become an author!
Helen: You had great teachers! That really is a cool project. That feeling of holding your finished book in your hand is unbeatable! Which element of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?
H M Duval: Remembering all the little details I’ve seeded throughout large story arcs that span multiple books, and making sure they all get to germinate and grow. I’ve started using a new drafting/outlining process as I prepare to start the third book in the Dream Walker series, though, and that has helped a lot.
Outside of that, giving myself grace to ride the ebb and flow of creative inspiration is one of the best ways I’ve found to combat writer’s block. And it really helps to be an indie author–I can set my own timeline!
Helen: Who inspired you to write? Who are your favourite authors?
H M Duval: I’ve always enjoyed writing for myself, but it wasn’t until I got brave and told one of my friends about the Dream Walker idea I’d been harboring for twenty years. She asked me if I was going to publish and I said, “Oh, probably not.” Without missing a beat, she asked, “Why not?” and I realized I didn’t have a good answer. So I started paying attention to authors that I looked up to, like Elise Kova and Ruby Dixon, and asking myself, “If they can do it, why can’t I?” So I did!
Helen: I’m so glad your friend made you think twice. Writing is such fun! Which genre do you enjoy writing?
H M Duval: Fantasy Romance. I’m a big believer in finding the magic in the mundane, and there is something profound about fantasy stories that invite us to reach beyond ourselves, to reach for something bigger than we thought possible. And then we have the opportunity to bring that inspired version of ourselves into our daily world. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good love story. It’s so human, so very integral to the way we each live and navigate our world, whether or not that love is romantic.
Helen: You mentioned you are writing book two, tell us a litttle about your progress.
H M Duval: Untouchable is the sequel to Unnatural, and the second book in the Dream Walker series. It digs deeper into themes of choice and family, of conquering past demons to embrace the future. Of needing to be completely dismantled to build something new. And that’s all I can really say without giving anything away!
Helen: If your Main Character could answer, why would they say we should read your book?
H M Duval: Her story is worth sharing, because she’s a woman we can all relate to. We resonate with her experiences and, in putting a voice to her journey, resonate on a deeper level with ourselves.
Helen: Which element of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?
H M Duval: I’ve really come to understand myself in a different way. The creative side of myself, the muse, I’d not really given a lot of time and space to. It didn’t feel productive or “real” enough to warrant spending intentional time on. But since giving myself permission and really digging into my creative process, I’ve learned more about myself and my thoughts and emotions. And I’ve been able to connect with readers where my books have become the bridge that binds us together. It’s incredible!
Helen: Thank you so much for spending time with me today, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, all writers experience elements of self doubt. Could you share how have you overcome these types of feelings?
H M Duval: I have a lot of practice with behavior modification (I’m a certified clinical exercise physiologist in my “day-job”), so I have experience at being “louder” than that little voice. But it takes work, and it takes being intentional about sitting down and reminding myself WHY I chose to write in the first place. I write for myself. I write for that one reader who will pick up my book and be inspired to think and change and dream because of it. I write for my children, who see me taking a dream and making it reality. I won’t give up on any of them, so the only option is to keep writing!
About the Author
H M Duval
H M DuVal is a mother, Kinesiologist, and author of the Dream Walker series. She has always had a passion for good stories: telling them, sharing them, and getting lost in them. Fiction and fantasy genres, with a healthy dose of romance, are her favorite. She loves the incredible power they have to spirit us away from the mundane and into the sensational, and believes that shift in perspective helps us find the magic inside our own lives.
She hopes that while reading her work, you are similarly transported. H M DuVal lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley with her husband, two children, dog, cat, and horse.
Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @author.h.m.duval for release news and updates.
Where are the books available?
H M DuVal’s books can be bought anywhere books are sold. The printed editions are available via the IngramSpark catalog, and the ebook format is available via Amazon and the Kindle Unlimited store.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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.
The first book in the SoulMist series is now available in Audio book. You can find it via the vendor of your choice HERE.
I am so thirilled that Voice Artist Tim Paige agreed to narrate my book. Check out the audio sample and start the adventure now.
The SoulMist series
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too? A dying angel. A fractured realm. The mortal who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the paranormal fantasy SoulMist series.
I’m a father to two awesome little boys (and a 4 lb toy poodle). We’re a little too obsessed with Disney (#Disnerds) and Marvel Comics.
I spent a large part of my life as a touring musician, playing on some of the bigget stages in the world (including on MTV’s TRL, back when that was a thing).
I also practiced and taught marketing (mostly at software startups) so I’ve got tech expertise, as well as experience with entrepreneurship, startups, and motivation.
Rom Coms are my JAM, so if something has a HEA, count me in.
I’ve not only narrated best-selling books, but have also voiced national commercials, tv show promos, trailers, and more.
Listen on Spotify
If you’ve read this far, you deserve a gift! I have a few Spotify promo codes allowing you to download my audiobook for free. You can apply for a free code here. (Limited number of codes available so don’t delay. When they are gone, they are gone!) Let me know what you think by leaving a review.
Happy Listening!
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. (First three books also available on audio!) Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Reviewed: May 2nd, 2023 Released: October 31st, 2022 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Finding my husband in bed with another woman was not how I planned to start my day.
Or homeless the next minute. And broke.
So, when a job comes my way from The Twilight Hotel—a paranormal hotel in midtown Manhattan that serves as a sanctuary and residence—I take it.
Cue in tattooed, sexy as sin, grumpy restaurant owner Valen, who can’t do drama or high-maintenance women. The problem? He’s cruel and dangerous.
And he’s hiding something.
Rumors arise of a dark spell that would mean the hotel’s closure, and I don’t know who I can trust. Do I have what it takes to fight this new evil? We’ll see.
Reviewed: April 28th, 2023 Released: June 21st, 2022 Genre: Humourous Fantasy Romance
A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.
When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.
But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated.
It’s the turn of DragonBound, Book Two of the SoulMist series to venture out into the light! Isn’t the cover vibrant?
Book Description
DragonBound is the second enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
How could so much go awry in so short a time? Crossing the divide between gloomy Eidolon and sunny Puronia was the least of their problems.
Solanji Her brother is still soulless and lost in Eidolon. Having exchanged tantalising promises of love with the mesmerising fallen angel, Demavrian, she led him straight into a trap, and he is running out of time to prove his innocence. She has no idea how to use her SoulBreathing skills or to control the dragon that comes with it, and to top it all, the Heavenly Host kicked in her door. They had better repair it!
Demavrian Ageing isn’t fun. If he didn’t reconnect to the citadel fast, he may even die of it, if the queue of angels wanting him dead didn’t get to him first. Unexpected enemies and surprising allies surface as he navigates the dark web of corrupted politics in the angel’s assembly. Let’s hope his newly independent oathsworn can keep him alive long enough to unravel his memories of what really happened the day he was cast out – and his beautiful SoulBreather, Solanji, may be the key.
Solanji and Mav may be immortal, but they are running out of time to discover who is behind all the scheming and how to redeem the soulless. When the timepiece makes it last turn, they will not be the only ones to suffer if they fail.
If you are interested in reading an ARC of Sentinals Banished in December, then sign up to my ARC team. (👀 Link in my Linktr.ee/HelenGarraway )
The SoulMist Series
With Solanji’s brother’s life is hanging in the balance, she doesn’t have a choice but to venture into the depths of Eidolon to fake rescue a stranger, only to discover then man she must betray might be her only hope of saving her brother.
Join Solanji as she navigates the polictical intrigue of the Angel’s citadel, and the mysterious fallen angel lurking int eh shadows. Can she coax him out into the light long enough for her to really see who he is?
It’s Launch day! SoulBreather is now available as an eBook. I am so excited to share my first Fantasy Romance book in ebook format, and the first book in the SoulMist series. If you love feisty heorines, wounded heroes, plenty of intrigue, forced proximity blended with found family then this is the book for you!
SoulBreather
If you fall in love with the shadows, does that mean you are fallen too?
A dying angel. A fractured realm. The SoulBreather who might be able to save them both.
Solanji has a secret. One that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. She can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts. Soulbreathing is exhilarating and addictive, until the day Solanji caresses the wrong person’s soulmist.
Dragged into a long forgotten angelic mystery, she is forced to venture into Eidolon, the godforsaken last resort for those without souls. In order to save her brother, she must rescue a broken and tortured man. Can she save him from the shadows? Does he even want to be saved? And can she find a way to return to the light before the darkness engulfs them both?
SoulBreather is the first book in the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series.
I hope you enjoy my new series and once you’ve read SoulBreather, it would be really great of you could please leave a review and let other readers know what you liked about it. You can find SoulBreather on Amazon, Goodreads or Bookbub.
SoulBreather was first released as part of the USA Today Bestselling Realm of Darkness Anthology, and has received a Readers’ Favorite Five Star review. Check out the full reveiw and the Readers’ Favorite press release here.
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Romance – Fantasy/Sci-Fi book “SoulBreather” by Helen Garraway, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGRMV8XJ.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
“Reviewed By Emma Megan for Readers’ Favorite
SoulBreather, the first in the SoulMist series by Helen Garraway, is the best sci-fi romance I’ve read in a very long time. It follows Mav, beaten and confused, as he tries to learn how he ended up in Eidolon without a soul. In Eidolon, Mav will discover who exploits the people and find out how children he found there were cast out, betrayed, and abused. But how will Mav, a fallen angel, be able to protect these children when hunted by one of his kind? Solanji is a soulsinger, a rare human who can touch and take souls and more. A seraphim forces Solanji to perform a risky task in exchange for releasing her brother imprisoned for stealing. Will Solanji succeed, and if so, at what cost?
SoulBreather by Helen Garraway is moving and gripping, with a perfect plot boasting the most incredible, cleverly crafted protagonists I’ve enjoyed in recent literature. It’s a wonderful, utterly addictive series launch filled with detailed worldbuilding, sweet romance, and plenty of intrigue and adventure. I especially loved the romantic chemistry between Mav and Solanji and their determination for justice and to save others. I nearly devoured this brilliant tale in one sitting. Garraway’s narrative is highly immersive and action-packed. I would recommend SoulBreather to all fans of paranormal fantasy and anyone who loves stories with heart, adventure, feisty heroines, and fallen angels.”
You can learn more about Helen Garraway and “SoulBreather” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/soulbreather where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
Readers’ Favorite LLC Media Relations Louisville, KY 40202 800-RF-REVIEW support@readersfavorite.com https://readersfavorite.com
Book One of the SoulMist Series
Other books by USA Today Bestselling Author, Helen Garraway:
Sentinals Series:
Novella o.5: Sentinals Stirring (Free if you sign up to my newsletter.)
Reviewed: August 16th, 2022 Released: August 23rd, 2022 Genre: Fantasy Romance
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most–Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares–each other?
Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library. Read my Thoughts…
Reviewed: July 23rd 2022 Released: March 15th, 2022 Genre: Fantasy Romance
As a princess in the impoverished kingdom of Delantria, it’s Aldari’s job to look pretty, speak little, and marry a prince.
Studying mathematics and writing papers on economic theory in an effort to fix her people’s financial woes? Her father has forbidden it. With war on the horizon, they must focus on the immediate threat.
Reluctantly, Aldari agrees to marry a prince in a neighboring kingdom to secure an alliance her people desperately need. All is going to plan until the handsome elven mercenary captain hired to guard her marriage caravan turns into her kidnapper. His people are in trouble, and he believes she has the knowledge to help.
But with an invasion force approaching Delantria, Aldari’s own people need her. She must do everything in her power to escape the elves and make it to her wedding in time.
Never mind that her kidnapper is witty, clever, and offers her a challenge that intrigues her mind even as his easy smile intrigues her heart…
Aldari can’t let herself develop feelings for him. To fall in love and walk away from her wedding would mean the end of her kingdom and everyone she cares about. Read my Thoughts…
Helen Garraway 