Reviewed: January 22nd, 2023 Released: December 29th, 2020 Genre: Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery
Buddy flick epic fantasy! The third in the Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst and The Chronicles of The Necromancer.
Rule-breaking, unconventional assassins Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennar are back, and the stakes have never been higher.
The Witch Lord remains at large, orchestrating his plot against Landria’s throne from the shadows. Then tragedy strikes, the kingdom is in jeopardy, and Rett disappears. Framed for murder, Ridge flees with a bounty on his head, still intent on fighting the Witch Lord’s threat. Landria’s fate hangs in the balance, leaving only hard and dangerous choices.
Can an unlikely alliance of outlaws and fugitives turn the tide for justice and vengeance?
Reviewed: January 21st 2023 Released: October 26th, 2017 Genre: MM Fantasy
Will an innocent captive surrender to this pirate’s sinful touch?
Nathaniel Bainbridge is used to hiding, whether it’s concealing his struggles with reading or his forbidden desire for men. Under the thumb of his controlling father, he’s sailing to the fledgling colony of Primrose Isle, where he’ll surrender to a respectable marriage for his family’s financial gain.
Until pirates strike and he’s kidnapped for ransom by the Sea Hawk, a legendary villain of the New World.
Bitter and jaded, Hawk harbors futile dreams of leaving the sea for a quiet life. But men like him don’t deserve peace. He has a score to settle with his captive’s father—the very man whose treachery forced him into piracy—and he’s sure Nathaniel is just as contemptible.
Yet as days pass in close quarters, Nathaniel’s feisty spirit and alluring innocence beguile and bewitch. The desire to teach Nathaniel the pleasure men can share grows uncontrollable. What’s the harm in satisfaction?
Hawk would never feel anything for him…
Nathaniel realizes the fearsome Sea Hawk’s reputation is largely invented. He sees the lonely man beneath the myth, willingly surrendering to his captor body and soul. As a pirate’s prisoner, he is finally free to be his true self. With danger mounting, the time for Hawk to relinquish his prize looms. Will his greatest battle be with his own heart?
Today I have the pleasure of talking to Indie Fantasy author and podcaster, Maxx Victor, who is the author of the paranormal romance The Anchor and the Moon series which also has a fairytale twist.
Helen: Welcome Maxx, I am so happy we get to chat about your books today. I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Maxx on his Indie Author podcast, but today I get to turn the tables and find more about his books. Let’s start with your latest release. Tell us about Hearts and Diamonds.
Maxx: Hearts and diamonds, is part two of my Anchor and the Moon paranormal romance series. It is the continuing story of my two main protagonists Cinder and her love interest Angus (also known as Black because of his black hair and dark features). The series is mainly set in a small beach town called Heathcote which is reminiscent of the beach towns I spent my summers in as a kid with my family. Angus is a dairy farmer who lives on one side of Heathcote and Cinder lives in an old mansion the overlooks the town. While the Anchor and Moon series centres around Cinder and Angus’s relationship, there is also the mystery of the strange creatures that roam the forests around the small beach town. Book one, Cinder and black was inspired by the Cinderella fairy-tale. This book, Hearts and Diamonds, is based on Snow White.
Helen: It’s nice when you can blend locations you know into your story, and have fun with known fairytales which you can give a fantastical twist. Tell us about your cover, the heart shaped tree must have an importance in your story?
Maxx: My good friend Paul Mah designed the cover. The large moon at the centre will appear on all three books of the trilogy. Red is a theme of the book and I’ll explain that more in the next question. I picked the Gold-shadowed text because that seems to be a feature of other books in my genre at the moment. I wanted the forest around the border to look dark and mysterious but the heart silhouette is also a follow on from the cover of book one. (Book one has a surfboard in front of the moon to make an eye shape).
Helen: How did you come up with the title?
Maxx: This book is inspired by Snow white. Both the mother and the daughter in the story are referred to as Red-Queens because of their red hair. The mother is more concerned with power and riches (the Queen of Diamonds) whereas the daughter is driven by love, friendship and compassion (the Queen of Hearts).
Helen: What made you write this particular story?
Maxx: This is the second book in what will be a trilogy. Most of the reading time I have is over the summer. Many years ago while I was reading Twilight at the beach, I begun to imagine what it would be like for there to be a something like that set in one of the small Australian beach towns that I had been vacationing in since I was a child. At the same time, I watched a documentary about Star Wars (My all-time favourite movies). The documentary explained how George Lucas reinvented old tales to create a “Space Opera”. I decided to use fairy tales as the inspiration for my trilogy. Book one was based on Cinderella, as I said this book has Snow White as its inspiration, and book three will have themes from Rumpelstiltskin. From my early teens, I had also been interested in Nephilim, strange superhuman characters mentioned in the bible and wanted to include them in my books. I didn’t realise until after I had published book one that Nephilim are the Shadow Hunters from Cassandra Clare’s books.
Helen: The ‘What if’ scenario is so useful for sparking new ideas. And seeing as most stories have already been written, it’s all about taking what is a known trope and putting your own orignal spin on it. When did you first realise you had a passion for writing?
Maxx: I loved writing stories even as a small child, I still have some of the funny things I wrote. As most writers, I have always enjoyed reading and read an eclectic variety of books. In my teens and early adult life, I wrote a lot of poetry and song lyrics but my passion for story telling returned when my two sons were little. To get them to sleep at night, I would make up funny stories with them as the main characters and they would go on all kinds of adventures. I wrote down some of these stories and others and begun entering local writing competitions. When I won some of these competitions, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel.
Helen: And we are so glad you did! Which element of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?
Maxx: The element I find most challenging is time. I have never been a fast writer and I just don’t have enough time to get all my ideas down.
Helen: There are never enough hours in the day. Which genre do you prefer to write?
Maxx: I guess you could call me a fantasy writer. My short stories are sci-fi/ time travel. I have always imagined what it would be like to go back and change the past or to be in the past with knowledge of the future.
My trilogy is paranormal romance. I didn’t know what paranormal romance was when I started writing them, that is just the genre that fits with my ideas. I also still have some of the children’s stories that I wrote for my kids that I would like to publish in the future.
Helen: I started by writing what I enjoyed reading, which was epic fantasy, but I didn’t write specific tropes, I was writing what I thought should be in the book. I retroactively fitted the tropes to my story, once I realised what I had written! Who first inspired you write?
Maxx: My mother and father. As a child I struggled with dyslexia and found reading and writing a challenge. To help, my father would read to my brother most nights. My mother encouraged me to write journals and ideas. My mother passed away just before I published my first book, but I dedicated it to her. My older sister should also get some of the credit, she gave me the first book in the Narnia chronicles when I was about 10 years old, sparking my love for reading.
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Maxx: The best thing is seeing that my books appeal to a wide range of people. One of my friends who is in his forties enjoys reading my books, but his 11 year old daughter loves them and is always asking when the next one is out.
Helen: That is so great, reaching across generations. It’s been great chatting with you today, just to close us out, is there a tool you have found useful when writing?
Maxx: I Love Pro-Writing-Aid. I have never been great at punctuation and because of my dyslexia, I am bound to misspell words or put the wrong word in place of another. As for a resource for anyone thinking of self-publishing I am a big fan of Joanna Penn and all the work she does for Indie Authors.
Helen: Oh yes, Joanna Penn and her Creative Pen podcast is a great resource for all Indie authors. Thank you Maxx for joining me today. Wishing you all the best with your books and don’t forget to check out Maxx’s Indie Author podcast for more writing advice and great indie author interviews.
About the Author:
Maxx Victor is an Australian author, musician, and secondary school science teacher, who has achieved award winning success with his short stories. A dedicated husband and proud father of two, he is also highly involved in his local arts community; performing in bands and producing and directing amateur films.
Maxx’s author journey began at a very young age. As a child with dyslexia, reading and writing were a constant struggle. To help, his father implemented the nightly routine of reading Titin and Asterix comics and Biggles books to Maxx and his brother; installing a lifelong passion for reading. Maxx’s mother also encouraged him to write stories (some which he has kept to this day).
During his secondary school years, Maxx unearthed a love for music. He regularly wrote poetry and song lyrics, as well as scripts for plays and short films. Something again sparked the curiosity for writing stories when Maxx’s children were toddlers. He frequently created impromptu, twisted fairy-tale bedtime stories, with his family members as the main characters. Maxx now writes teen fiction and hopes that his writing can inspire young people to be defined by their passions and talents, not by the things that the world will tell them are impairments.
Social Media: Find Maxx’s scocial media links here.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, book one of the SoulMist series, and 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.
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Reviewed: January18th, 2023 Released: December 16th, 2022 Genre: Epic Fantasy
A stoic warrior-maiden and a villainous priest-king make the most unlikely alliance in the history of the five kingdoms.
When a rescue attempt to save a clutch of dragon eggs from the soul mages goes terribly wrong, Warrior-Priestess Verdria of High Rock finds herself on the wrong side of a portal, deep in enemy territory.
She soon learns she’s in the heart of the soul mage’s empire and when Honryn, the future priest-king of the mages, takes a liking to Verdria and saves her life, she’s pretty sure she’s facing down a ‘fate worse than death’ scenario.
Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, Priest-King Honryn introduces her to the Royal Court of the Soul Mages, the most morally corrupt and bloodthirsty court in existence.
Life is cheap. Souls are currency.
And Verdria has caught the fancy of the young priest-king, and while he doesn’t want to steal her soul, he’s set on winning her heart.
And she’s equally set on having his heart, after she’s carved it out of his chest.
But when she discovers Honryn’s most monstrous secret, a secret he’s even hiding from his fellow soul mages, she’s moved to pity and offers to aid him. Read my thoughts…
Reviewed: January16th, 2023 Released: August 1st, 2014 Genre: Paranormal Shifter Fantasy
Would you sacrifice love to stay alive?
Nyah’s wolf has been bound by dark magic. Defenceless and terrified she finds sanctuary on the run, but choosing to live demands an impossible price.
The new alpha of Nyah Morgan’s pack has aligned with dark forces, and his plans for Nyah break the most absolute of Lycan Laws. With her entire pack under his thrall, and her own wolf maimed by his magic, she turns rogue, her incapacity landing her in unfamiliar territory where she catches the unwanted attention of Dean Carson, an alpha determined to learn the truth she hides.
As her crazed alpha closes in, Nyah is forced into making a choice. Her bound wolf is killing her, both alphas can save her, but which one, and at what cost?
Bound launches the suspenseful Turning Moon series, a contemporary world where wolves, vampires, and witches defy prejudices, join forces, and fall in love. The heroines are feisty, the heroes gutsy, and the villains heinous.
Today, I am talking with fantasy author Jennifer Becker about her debut novel Through Fire and Ruin.
Helen: Welcome Jennifer, I am so excited that we get to chat about your first ever book today!! Tell us about Through Fire & Ruin.
Jennifer:Through Fire & Ruin is the first book in a New Adult fantasy trilogy. It’s written in dual POV and follows Lora, who crosses over into the fae land from the human world after a deadly virus sweeps Earth, and Amira, a fae princess, who is trying to leave her past behind her.
It’s full of badass characters, fae, witches, villains you’ll definitely hate, intriguing love interests, magic, court politics, power games, fancy parties, and romance—I love adding in romance. This one has the enemies-to-lovers trope and all the tension that goes with it.
Through Fire & Ruin covers themes such as promises, lies, trust, holding onto hope and accepting oneself.
Helen: It sounds amazing, and I love your cover. It’s beautiful and very atmospheric.
Jennifer: The cover symbolizes the fae and human land and how both mirror each other in some ways. The colours are based on the royal colours of the fae kingdom Turosian, where most of the story takes place. In the fae world of Liraen, a shooting star symbolizes ruin, which fits the theme of the book (which is also why it’s also part of the title). I really love how the cover turned out and the moody, dramatic, epic vibe it has.
Helen: I am so thrilled to be talking to you about your debut novel. Congratulations on finishing and publishing it. Such a great achievement. What made you write this particular story?
Jennifer: The idea started during the first lockdown back in 2020. With the whole Covid situation, I had this image in my mind of a girl trying to find a cure for a virus in the fae land and then things evolved from there. The plot and characters changed a lot during our brainstorming sessions, but Lora and her goal has always remained the same.
Helen: Lockdown inspired many creative projects. I think it made people really think about what was happening around them. What made you first start writing?
Jennifer: I’ve pretty much always been an avid reader but I didn’t start writing regularly until a few years ago, actually. When I was in school, I would write a bit every now and then, but nothing was ever finished. I had this thought in my head that writing a book would be crazy and I could never pull it off. Then during my studies (I was a film student), I got into writing scripts which was the first time I saw myself as a writer. Then Corona happened and as it did for everyone else, life changed. The lockdown was a very weird and depressing time. One day, I was talking to one of my best friends, Alice, and we kind of jokingly decided to come up with an idea for a book and write something for fun. The idea of publishing wasn’t even on the table at first. It was all just for fun and maybe that’s why I wasn’t afraid to try. It quickly became much more than a fun story that would never see the light of day. I’ve grown attached to our characters and their stories. I’ve put parts of myself into it and seeing people relate to it and enjoy the story means the world. I really can’t imagine not writing now. Now I’m really in it.
Helen: That’s so great. A writing buddy keeps you accountable and having someone to sound ideas against is amazing. Though I think there is an art to co-writing a book! What is your preferred genre to write?
Jennifer: I write fantasy romance. Fantasy and its unlimited possibilities is so much fun to write and romance just makes it even more exciting!
Helen: If you didn’t write fantasy which genre would you like to try?
Jennifer: There’s something about a cute contemporary romance novel. When I’m feeling down and I don’t have much time to read, I always tend to pick up a contemporary romance— preferably one that I can finish reading in one sitting. I love writing dialogue and I love writing anything romance related, so I can picture myself writing in this genre too one day.
Helen: I know this can be a tough question, but who is your favourite character from your book?
Jennifer: My MC Lora. She was the first character we came up with and I’ve grown really attached to her. I’ve put parts of myself in her and I want to see her happy. But if that was always the case, it would be a pretty boring book 😉 I love how fierce she is, even when she’s terrified.
Helen: A powerful female MC, excellent. If your Main Character, Lora, could answer, why would she say we should read your book?
Jennifer: You should read this book to follow me as I go on an insane adventure in the fae land. I have to find myself and see my own strength, while navigating through a lot of darkness. I think that’s something a lot of us can relate to.
If you love stories with fae, court politics, badass female characters, dual POV (who are not love interests), slow-burn romance with some spice, plot twists, a mix of urban and high fantasy, then this is the book for you.
Helen: Ooh she sounds convincing! So as you revel in the excitement of launching your first book, what’s next? Do you have another project oin the works?
Jennifer: My co-author Alice and I are currently working on book 2 of the Through Fire & Ruin series which I’m already so excited about sharing, even though it won’t be out until 2023. Book 2 will have more POVs which has been fun but challenging to write. It’s definitely shaking up character dynamics and the stakes are higher than ever! I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of it.
Helen: Sounds like you are very busy! How do you fit writing in your daily life?
Jennifer: I wish I had a good answer to this, but honestly I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle my job, my writing, my other creative projects, and my remaining social life haha It’s a struggle that I know many indie authors share. For now, I fit it in by sacrificing sleep and being a workaholic.
Helen: Could you share three random facts about yourself?
Jennifer: I’m a film grad (but really I should have a degree in binge-watching Netflix haha)
I eat way too much popcorn but don’t regret it.
I have a habit of listening to one song on repeat until I get sick of it.
Helen: Do you have time to read in your busy life? Who are your favourite authors?
Jennifer: Some of my favourite authors include Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo.
Helen: Excellent choices. Being a debut author, do you have any advice for aspiring writers hoping to be in your position one day?
Jennifer: You can tell yourself a million reasons not to try, not to write that book. Finding time is hard, really hard. But the thing is, once you’ve given it a real try—once you’ve made time to try—if you love it, you’ll somehow keep making time for it. Don’t let your fears hold you back, and write.
Helen: Thank you, Jennifer, for that great advice and for spending time with me today. Just to close, did you have anything else you wanted to share with your readers?
Jennifer: As an author, I can’t help but have expectations for my novel. But no matter if it does well or not, I hope readers will go through all the emotions. I hope they have fun with the banter between characters and laugh at the jokes. I hope they swoon over the romance and get frustrated in a good way about the slow-burn. I hope they feel for the characters and feel sad when bad things happen. I hope they feel amped up at the fight scenes. I hope they feel uncomfortable and angry at some scenes. And I hope they feel impatient to get book 2 once they get to the ending 😉
About the Author:
Jennifer Becker
Jennifer Becker is one of the debut authors of Through Fire & Ruin, the first book in a new adult fantasy series. She has been an avid reader for most of her life and has always craved telling her own stories. Jennifer earned her MA degree in film production in the UK and has since been working in the film industry in her home country, Austria, while independently working on her own writing projects. The two things she can talk about forever are good books and TV shows. When she’s not obsessing over a great story or a ship, she’s most likely working on her creative endeavours such as her novel.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, or on preorder here, and 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.
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Immerse yourself in this epic fantasy series of ancient myths and legends. Set in the world of Remargaren, a world guarded by the goddess Lady Leyandrii and her sister Marguerite, evil is stirring, an evil that would ensnare and beguile her people as slaves.
Desperate to protect them she reaches out to one man who will become her Captain and wake her sleeping guardians. Only the guardians, her personal gurad, have been sleeping in the tall sentinal trees for three thousand years, and noone really believes there are people inside. And even if there are, her new Captain has no idea how to wake them.
I am running a Kingsumo Giveaway until launch day. All you have to do is follow the link to the Kingsumo page and enter the draw, addional actions are available for extra entries, so please do sign up to my newsletter, follow me on Goodreads and shelve Sentinals Banished and/or join my Sentinals Readers Group over on Facebook. Chance to win a bookish swag box full of Sentinal goodies, including a signed paperback copy of Sentinals Banished.
Open Internationally. 18+ only. One winner. Prize must be claimed within 48 hours. See Giveaway for full terms and conditions.
So excited to reveal the cover of Sentinals Banished, Book Five of the Sentinal series.
Book Description
Book Five of the Sentinal Series, Sentinals Banished is set seventeen years after the fourth book, Sentinals Across Time.
Sentinal Birlerion has watched from the shadows for so long he doesn’t know how to stop. Always there when the Lady’s Captain needed him. He did what was necessary to keep those he loved from harm.
When the king banishes the Lady’s Captain, Jerrol Haven, from Vespiri and disbands the Sentinal guard, the Sentinals are at a loss, some bitter, some eager to retire, all angry at the king’s decision.
Birlerion moves to Old Vespers to watch over Jerrol’s daughter as she begins her journey to become a King’s Ranger.
Old Vespers is in turmoil, the King unpredictable, and the Sentinals are unwelcome. Unexplained deaths are occurring, and bodies begin to appear in the city streets. As Birlerion continues his search for the place he can call home, he has to step out of the shadows as he is drawn into a tangled web of deceit and lies. He must hunt down those responsible before anyone else goes missing.
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 Sentinal Series
Immerse yourself in this epic fantasy series of ancient myths and legends. Set in the world of Remargaren, a world guarded by the goddess Lady Leyandrii and her sister Marguerite, evil is stirring, an evil that would ensnare and beguile her people as slaves.
Desperate to protect them she reaches out to one man who will become her Captain and wake her sleeping guardians. Only the guardians, her personal gurad, have been sleeping in the tall sentinal trees for three thousand years, and noone really believes there are people inside. And even if there are, her new Captain has no idea how to wake them.
I am running a Kingsumo Giveaway until launch day. All you have to do is follow the link to the Kingsumo page and enter the draw, addional actions are available for extra entries, so please do sign up to my newsletter, follow me on Goodreads and shelve Sentinals Banished and/or join my Sentinals Readers Group over on Facebook. Chance to win a bookish swag box full of Sentinal goodies, including a signed paperback copy of Sentinals Banished.
Open Internationally. 18+ only. One winner. Prize must be claimed within 48 hours. See Giveaway for full terms and conditions.
I am excited to chat with Sky Sommers today about her contribution to the Realm of Darkness boxset, Charm and Mayhem, which released yesterday! October 4th, 2022 and is currently available to order.
Helen: Welcome Sky, I am so excited that we get to chat about your book today!! I love how all your books have a little twist, and I am sure Charm and Mayhem is no exception. Tell us a little about your book.
Sky: My book in the anthology is a quirky and slightly humorous romantic fantasy between a guardian angel bodyguarding a noob Goddess of Fate. It’s called Charm& Mayhem: The Goddess of Fate. It’s the first book in a new Goddesses Saga, but it builds on my multiverse that encompasses the modern Earth and Magic Kingdom. And then some. I use magic mirrors as portal-hopping elements and there is some hilarity around Medieval dating intricacies of being married from first kiss (and even before). Marina introduces Gabriel to Moscow’s glitzy life, he saves her from the havoc of her own making. It’s light, it’s fun, I hope it’s worth a read.
Helen: I have no doubt it will be as you always bring a new aspect to the most mundane of things. I love the way you think!! How about your cover, I assuming it’s Marina and Gabriel?
Sky: It’s a quirky romantic fantasy between a Russian-born goddess and a guardian angel who has got something to atone for. Hence, a couple on the cover; the girl looks Russian and the angel’s wings are a little less than white. Since most of the book takes place in Moscow, there’s a St.Basil’s Cathedral in the corner.
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Sky: Jealousy. Pure and simple. An author friend of mine who I look up to was in a USAT aiming set and touted her badges last year and I asked her – how did you do it. She told me. I approached the set managers and here we are.
Helen: As good as reason as any! If I asked your characters why we should read your book, what would they say?
Sky: If it’s Marina you’re asking, she’d say, don’t be daft, it’s fun and the kissing scenes, ahhh.
If it’s Gabriel, he’d think for ten minutes and then say something about hope and new beginnings. In French. Without cusswords.
Helen: Love it!! Now the set is launched, what are you working on now?
Sky: Current WIP: book #2 in the Goddesses Saga called Life&Death: The Goddess of Light. It takes place 10 years after book #1 finishes and is about the Goddess of Death needing a replacement coz she wants to check out.
Helen: Oh I am already rolling my eyes at the fun you are going to have with that! Who do you prefer to write heroes or villains?
Sky: Villains have more layers and better whys, so gimme those. In fact, one of my most loathesome character of all time – Godmother from Cinders – is begging for her own book coz she wants to be the Red Queen in Wonderland. And I’m sooooo tempted.
Helen: That would be awesome. You have the most wonderful ideas. Cinders was a brilliant book. How you twisted the relationship between the step mother and Cinders was clever and so funny! Do you find you have to do much research for your books?
Sky: Initially – minimal. But on the go – I check stuff obsessively. And then I twist them beyond recognition, but based on facts. Absolutely.
Helen: If you didn’t write Fairytale retellings, is there a genre you would be tempted to try?
Sky: Well, I might just try historical fiction – Russian Civil War and WWI time in a retelling of The Nutcracker – with one of my favourite authors, Astrid V.J. no less. #happydance
Helen: Oh! What a tease, that would be great! I hope you guys do collaborate. Thank you, Sky, for spending time with me today. Just to close us out, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Sky: Based on my own recent experience of getting a first draft of a book together in 40 days – set an aim to write a specific word count every day – e.g. 1k words or 2k words or 500 words. You’ll inevitably end up overshooting and if you think about it – 1k words for 50 days and you have a decent-size novel. The perfecting and polishing and developmental edits and proofreads will all come after. Just write something, anything during a designated time and hit that target. Even when you think you don’t want to write. Even when you think your head is empty. Write something and it’ll grow. Trust me.
Helen: Great advice. Thank you so much Sky. We can go and continue celebrating now, as it’s launch day +1!! I hope all you readers come and join us for the party in the Dark Book Boyfriend Facebook Group. Play the games and comment on the giveaway posts for a chance to win prizes. Spread the word – Realm of Darkness is now live!
Sky was born to Estonian-Russian parents and for most of her life has lived and worked as a lawyer in Tallinn, Estonia, with brief escapes to Finland and the United Kingdom for work/study and to all but the top and bottom continents in search of her muse. Her debut e-book in 2012 was about ancient goddesses running amock, trying to get their wilted powers back. She then proceeded to indie publishing her own ebooks and paperbacks and found her way from myths and legend via the Angelic Agency to fairytales retold for young adult and adult audiences.
So far, Thumbelina has been updated for suspicious adults, a more sinister version of Cinderella was released on 21.12.20 and an adult Red Riding Hood retelling is about to be released on 21.03.21. A Wizard of Oz retelling and several short stories are in the works. All her books are linked by some character or another and she loves making you choose at the end – by letting you pick an ending to read – one for the optimist and a slightly different one for pessimists (well, except in the Cinders-Embers-Ash trilogy because only Douglas Adams could pull off a trilogy in 5 parts). She lives in a house with a small garden with her husband and mostly one, but on occasion plus four kids. No dog.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and 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.
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Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, Becky James about her contribution to the boxset, The Shadow of Death, which releases today! October 4th, 2022 and is currently available to order.
Helen: Welcome Becky, I am so excited that we get to chat about your book on launch day!! Tell us a little about your book.
Becky: I have always loved Scotland, and spent four years living there next to the sea, so I knew I wanted something Scottish. I researched and played around with some Celtic myths and legends for a romantic fantasy collaboration project. In some parts of Scotland, it was believed that a Cu Sidhe, a dog fae, could sense imminent death, and in other parts, they thought a black cat fae called a Cat Sidhe would steal the souls of the recently departed. Talking to an author friend, she suggested they were at war with each other over souls, and I started to put together why they would be at odds. What do they use souls for, or what do they believe is happening to them?
I came up with the Cu Sidhe taking them to be sent to the Otherworld, but they don’t know what that is, and the Cat Sidhe using them to generate magic, which they need to live. It’s been fun putting together a world that allows for shifters, a magic system based around different gemstones and selkies!
Helen: Your cover is very mystical with your main characters shadowed by their other forms. How did you come up with the design?
Becky: I knew I wanted Allegra Pescatore to make a cover: I love her vibrant styles and clever details. When she showed me the concept for Neri I was blown away, she is perfect! She has carried that style over into Book 2, The Thief of Souls, and done a fantastic job!
Helen: Allegar did a fantastic job! What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Becky: Writing can be a lonely hobby. Yes, you’re spending time with your characters, but it’s lovely to have a support system, a place where everyone is going through the same thing. Release week is full of ups and downs, it’s one of my favourite and least favourite times! It’s great to have your characters go off and meet new friends, but it can also be very stressful as you watch for fan reactions.
Joining into an anthology was a no-brainer for me. Working alongside other committed, caring individuals has been so refreshing. I have learnt so much, and also helped out a ton! My network has grown considerably.
Helen: I agree. It has been such a valuable experience. If you put in the hard work, then we all reap the benefits. Launch day is here, which is so exciting! Writing is so much fun, but what made you take that first step and begin writing?
Becky: Well, characters will stride into my life first and foremost, and then loudly demand that their stories are told. It took a few years to build up my writing skill to the point where I felt able to do their stories justice, although I’m still learning things every day. I write very character driven stories, so I’ll often only get a glimpse of the plot and then they will react to it faster than I can type!
Helen: Tell us about some of the other books have you written.
Becky: If you like sword and sorcery portal fantasy mixed with a bit of multiverse (think the good doctors – Doctor Who and Doctor Strange!), then The King’s Swordsman series is for you. It follows the adventures of a cocky swordsman and his exasperated companions. I’m over the moon to have people say good things about the series and how they enjoyed hanging out with these guys as much as I have.
The Tempered Turns of Time, King’s Swordsman Book 4
Helen: I am already intrigued to meet your characters!. Readers can find links to book one at the end of the interview. Was their anyone special who inspired you to publish your books?
Becky: I grew up reading Tamora Pierce, Robin Hobb / Megan Lindholm, and Anne McCaffrey. McCaffrey is an interesting blend of sci-fi and fantasy but it’s all character driven to a large extent: Hobb very much so as well. Pierce has that wonderful blend of characters coming to terms with hard real life issues and not always making the right choices. The works I most admire are those by Leigh Eddings, as in David and Leigh Eddings, because she’s recognised as the “secret” co-author on some of the books too. The Redemption of Althalus was my first “grown up” fantasy, and I absolutely loved the characters with their balance of humour and heart.
Helen: Oh yes, I love the Eddings books; they inspired much of my writing as well. We’re almost at the end of our time. Just to close us out, how do you fit writing into your daily life?
Becky: I usually write early in the morning or on public transport. I’ll be working on a Google doc to start with so I can use both laptop or phone, and then transfer it to Word for prettifying and self-editing before it goes to betas and my editors.
I’ll listen to music when running, and have a story playlist where songs relate to how the characters are feeling, but I write in silence. I like to get up before anyone else and have time when no one is asking for a snack or where something is: just me and the page.
Helen: Thank you, Becky, for chatting with me today. We can go and start celebrating now, as it’s launch day!! I hope all you readers come and join us for the party in the Dark Book Boyfriend Facebook Group. Play the games and comment on the giveaway posts for a chance to win prizes. Spread the word – Realm of Darkness is now live!
Becky James is the author of The King’s Swordsman series. Based in the UK, she has a deep love of the British countryside, canals, and all things fantasy; she devours anything that has magic, swords, good friends and good times.
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If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and 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.
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Helen Garraway 