Reviewed: September 29th, 2022 Releases: October 4th, 2022 Genre: Romantic Fantasy
A king with a broken crown.
Shay rules from the murky corners of the Topaz Court, a realm not many willingly travel to. It promises only one thing —Death. Duty eats away at the dark king, and as he escorts departed souls to the Otherworld, something—or someone—threatens to taint his kingdom and destroy the magic that sustains it.
A selkie searching for answers.
Seven years ago, Neri’s sister disappeared on dry land over the sands. Neri has prepared every day since to follow after her and find what delays her sister’s return to the waves.
Death hounds after the selkie. Shay shouldn’t stand in its way; to upset the balance is to risk everything. Not even when her spirit stirs something inside him, something he thought long lost…
As the threat to magic grows, the selkies might be the key. Together, Shay and Neri traverse the realms to save their homes, their families, and themselves. Can they succeed under the shadow of death? Read my thoughts…
Joining me today is another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. I am chatting with Fantasy author, KC Freeman about her contribution to the boxset, Renegade Angel, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Karen, I am so excited to chat with you about Renegade Angel. I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of your book, and I can’t wait for it to be released. You can find my book review here. Tell us a little about your book.
Karen: My contribution to the ROD boxset is titled Renegade Angel. It’s about a guardian angel with a heart of gold but a body for sin. He’s more comfortable in jeans, leather jacket, and on a Harley Davidson than with wings. And he’s a Casanova! Despite being an angel he also retains all his humanity so he’s not held to the same constraints as pure blood angels. He’s off to the wilds of Montana to save a rodeo clown from an unknown evil only to find she’s no clown but a full-blown hottie who he happened to save years before when she was a child. She hasn’t lost her crush on him and his primal urges may get in the way of his objective when a maniac Etruscan goddess tries to possess his lady love.
Helen: I loved Jasper, he was definitely a baddass angel and it was great to see him knocked for six by Savannah. It’s nice to see them both on the cover. Tell us how you came up with the design.
Karen: The cover designed by the amazing folks at MiblArt, showcases Jasper’s bad boy persona, Savannah’s ethereal beauty against the backdrop of a rough, Western rodeo landscape which is where the bulk of the story takes place. Savannah is a rodeo clown but longs to be a bigger part of the rodeo and part of a family which she never had. When Jasper saved her years ago from demons threatening her life, she had been a runaway multiple times over as she ran from abusive foster homes. He handed her off to a lovely couple who traveled with the rodeo and it has been her life ever since.
Helen: Is there a story behind how you chose the title?
Karen: Jasper has never been an “angel’s” angel. He’s a bad boy with a heart of gold. He’ll battle demons all day, then seduce all the pretty ladies in sight. His bad boy status is what’s paramount in the title, Renegade Angel. He’ll break the rules, actually he enjoys doing so. But he’ll fight to the death against evil in all forms.
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Karen: I’ve participated in short story anthologies before and it’s always a fun and rewarding experience. With ROD, I didn’t run into the same problem of trying to rein in my words to avoid generating a story too large for a short story. It allows me to introduce more readers to my favorite guardian angel, Jasper who has been a hoot to write! He’s so much fun!
Helen: You definitely had fun! What made you write this particular book for the anthology?
Karen: I first wrote Jasper in the three-book series, Greylyn the Guardian Angel. Greylyn is so much more serious, but Jasper was just FUN! He definitely needed his own series.
Helen: Which genre do you typically write?
Karen: I prefer fantasy and paranormal –sometimes with romance and sometimes without it. It’s fun, it’s magical, it can be anything you want it to be. There’s no limit on your imagination when it comes to fantasy and paranormal.
Helen: I agree, it is such fun to let your imagination run wild. What other books have written?
Karen: I’ve written the Greylyn the Guardian Angel trilogy (Rekindled Prophecy, Revelations, and Redemption), Hunted (a spicy shifter romance), a short story that was included in the 2017 Bowman’s Inn anthology (paranormal romance), another PNR short story for the After Dark anthology which has since been taken down, a YA dragon shifter story, “Dreaming of Dragons” that went into the Something About Dragons anthology.
Helen: You’ve been busy! What made you first start writing?
Karen: I’ve wanted to write since I can’t remember when but it was put aside as my life’s dream because my parents didn’t consider it a good option for job security. Guess they were right about that, but I spent couple decades pursuing a career I despised (but paid well) instead. Once the option became viable for me to stay home with the kids, then the kids went to school and I hate housework so I looked for hobbies, which led me back to my first love of writing.
Helen: I think it is every writer’s dream to be able to give up the day job and live off their writing. Unfortunately it is not a secure income for most! Where do all your ideas come from?
Karen: I’ve been asked this a lot. The best way I can describe it is… channeling. The story unfolds in my head and I type. Story ideas pop in my head all the time with no rhyme or reason.
Helen: Seeing as we’ve all finished our books for Realm of Darkness, what are you working on now?
Karen: I just finished the first book in the Fallen Angel series, Falling for the Devil, which will release January 24, 2023. The title is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a salacious, twisted take on the fall from grace of the most notorious angel ever–Lucifer.
Helen: Who is your main character, and if they were asked the question, ‘Why shoud you read this book?’ what would they say?
Karen: Jasper is so much fun to write. He’s sexy, snarky, and … well, fun. He kicks ass, sweeps the girl off her feet, and has a good old time no matter what monsters came after him. Jasper would say to read my book because it’s all about him. He’s also got a bit of an ego.
Helen: Who do you enjoy writing the most? Heoroes or villains?
Karen: Anti-heroes are the most fun to write – they’re bad but there’s good in them. Writing the contrasts and how they emerge is what keeps me at the computer too many hours out of the day.
Helen: Let’s switch to a few questions about your writing process. How do you fit writing into your daily life?
Karen: With the kids in school, it’s easier. When they’re home, I had to learn to roll with it. It’ll be written when it’s written and not a moment sooner.
Helen: Do you like to write in silence or do you have a writing playlist?
Karen: I usually write in silence but there’s always a soundtrack playing in my head. For the Greylyn series, I had “Bring Me to Life” on repeat the entire series.
Helen: Do you like to plan your books or do you make it up as you go along?
Karen: I’ll admit, I’m a freeform pantser but am trying to rectify the situation. Having an outline makes the writing go faster, less room for writer’s block, but I do have the tendency to go off the grid.
Helen: I must admit the more I write, the more I am planning. Though there is always room for a little free form writing where the characters take over! Which do you prefer: Writing or Editing?
Karen: I love writing and I love editing (for others). Editing for myself… not so much.
Helen: When not writing, what hobbies do you have?
Karen: Ha! Yeah, I don’t know what spare time is anymore.
Helen: I know the feeling! If you didn’t write paranormal fantasy, what would you write?
Karen: Historical fiction – I’m a sucker for anything Tudor dynasty related or Ancient Egypt.
Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.
Karen: I love going on paranormal investigations. However, I don’t get to as often as I’d like so I binge watch paranormal investigation shows.
Helen: I bet that helps generate new ideas all the time. Thank you for joining me today Karen, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Karen: Write the story you want to read. Don’t give up. Writing is hard but only you can be the author of your own story.
Helen: Great advice! I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a few days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c!
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
KC Freeman, paranormal romance/urban fantasy author. She mostly writes fantasy and paranormal romance novels, especially angels and demons, enemies to lovers romance. Her debut novel, Rekindled Prophecy, won the 2021 Firebird Book Awards for Paranormal Fiction and was a finalist in the International Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction.
After leaving the corporate world to raise her five rambunctious children with her husband in North Carolina, KC Freeman eventually found her way back to her lifelong desire to write fiction. First, she dipped her toes in the writing world by ghostwriting cozy mysteries and romance novels before striking out on her own to write paranormal and fantasy.
Rekindled Prophecy: Greylyn the Guardian Angel Series Book 1 was originally published by Zimbell House Publishing November 2019; however, due to the publisher closing their business, KC relaunched the first book in the Greylyn series, Rekindled Prophecy and shortly thereafter released the remaining books in the series, Revelations and Redemption. The entire trilogy is now available in a convenient boxset.
Additionally, she contributed a paranormal romance short story to the Autumn/Winter 2017 anthology The Bowman’s Inn; as well as another paranormal romance short story released March 21, 2019 with the After Dark anthology where readers were introduced to another character from the Greylyn saga, the wolf shifter, Adeline. This story can now be found in Hunted by KC Freeman (released March 2022).
KC contributed a full-length novel to the Realm of Darkness boxset which will be released October 2022. The story, Renegade Angel, is the first in a series dedicated to Greylyn’s best friend and guardian angel mentor, Jasper.
Currently, KC is working on a couple different paranormal series (Working Titles: Falling for the Devil and Psychic in Suburbia).
When she is not writing, KC is running her children to practices, football games, swim meets, wrestling tournaments, and generally all over town. In her spare time…who are we kidding? She doesn’t have any of that.
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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I am joined today by Sierra Knoxly, another of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxset. We are chatting about her contribution to the boxset, The Fate in the Flames which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder. Click the cover image to see a great book trailer.
Helen: Welcome Sierra, I am so excited to talk with you today. Tell us about your contribution to the anthology.
Sierra: My Realm of Darkness book The Fate in the Flames is book one in a fantasy reverse harem series: Legend of the Kitsune Pearl. Originally, I had two different story ideas I was considering for RoD, and I chose the other one, and got about two chapters in, forcing every word. I gave up and tried writing what has become The Fate in the Flames, and it just flowed out. Sometimes I write the stories, and sometimes they write me.
Helen: It’s nice when the story writes itself. You have such a beautiful cover, tell us how you chose it.
Sierra: I saw this cover in a premade covers group a year ago, and I fell in love with it. I had it on reserve, waiting for the right story, and Sakura’s tale deserved all this beauty, plus all the little elements I needed were there, from the moth to the flames, and the sword she holds is very significant (hint: the sword doesn’t belong to her).
Helen: It is very atmospheric! What made you write a book for an anthology?
Sierra: One of my writer’s group friends had signed up to participate but had to withdraw for personal reasons. She offered her space, and I thought the opportunity was really intriguing. When I signed up, the anthology was one year away from launch, so I thought that was plenty of time to get my head around the process, since I’ve never joined a boxset before. Boy, was I misguided! I feel like I stepped into a whirlwind and have yet to get off the wild ride! Of course I’m hopeful we’ll hit best seller status, but it’s been so exciting to work with all the authors, and it’s really pushed me to get out of my comfort box.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: The year has gone so quick, hasn’t it? I can’t believe there is only three weeks to go to launch. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Sierra: The title was probably the hardest part of the book to write! I agonized over it, particularly because I needed wording that suited the layout of the premade cover. I did a brainstorm and showed it to the RoD writers’ group, and the lovely authors helped me pick through my ideas. ‘Fate’ stood out because I had written it several times in the brainstorm, haha! The flames came naturally thanks to the cover image and how the story develops around fire (the main male character is a shapeshifting hellhound).
For the series title, kitsune is a name for a nine-tailed fox. I’m deeply inspired by Asian mythology, so that weaves through several of my series.
Helen: I think you came up with the perfect title. What made you write this specific book?
Sierra: This book (series) is a prequel occurring (2,000 years) before the series I’m releasing at the moment – Tears of the Heart. One of the characters that appears in that series had an amazing backstory, so I thought it deserved to be told.
Helen: Tell us a little about your main character and why you wrote about them.
Sierra: Sakura Ochi is a young adult girl from the daimyo class (nobility) in an ancient Japan. Her birth name is Kiyoko, but she’s known by a nickname that her mother gave her, in reference to the blossoming of the cherry tree flowers. I wrote the Tears of the Heart series a few years ago, and I wanted to write the backstory of a character that appears in that series. That put my character starting a few thousand years back in ancient Japan, and so I created Sakura. This character has a traumatic start to the story; her family is condemned to ritualistic suicide to regain their family honor. If Sakura truly thought this was a way to regain their honor, she would go through with it, but she knows it’s a set-up, so she’s determined to fight and survive.
Helen: If your Main Character could answer, why would they say we should read your book?
Sierra: “The author put me through hell, but I survived. Don’t let my suffering be in vain!”
Helen: Who was your favourite character to write?
Sierra: I really enjoyed writing Rivaan. He’s been raised in the clan culture, and he never questioned it until Sakura arrived in his life and presented a different outlook. Between that and his own mysterious development, he goes through a lot of personal upheaval.
Helen:The Fate in the Flames is Reverse Harem. For those who don’t know reverse harem is typically considered a group where there is one male with several female members of his household or poly relationship. These are considered reverse harem books because it is the woman who is surrounded by a group of men. Must be such fun to write. What else do you write?
Sierra: I write fantasy reverse harem/poly romance. I always enjoyed fantasy, and then I stumbled on a RH book, and discovered my mantra “more fun, more love.” There are other things I like to write as well, but this is my focus now.
Helen: You said The Fate in the Flames is the prequel, how many other books have you written?
Sierra: I have three other books out currently. Two are in the completed series In the King’s Hands, which is a fantasy poly duet (Ambience and Resonance) about an escaped slave who joins a royal harem to hide from the cruel master who is hunting her. Just recently I released a new book, Tears of Ice, which is the first in a new series (Tears of the Heart), a portal academy fantasy RH, about a young adult with a serious heart condition who gets stranded on a world that doesn’t like humans. This occurs a few thousand years after the timeline of my RoD contribution, The Fate in the Flames.
There are links between all my books across the realms. I think readers will enjoy pulling on those threads as all the series evolve.
Want to try a RH book? You can downlod a copy of Sierra’s Ambience for free here.(Limited number available. Content Warning: Ambience features a king’s harem carrying out sexual activities. High steam, MM/FF/MF, intended for mature audiences. Triggers include references to sexual assault, mild cursing and mild violence.)
Click image to download a free copy (Limited number available.)
Helen: It’s so exciting when you can explore back stories and delve into side characters. What are you writing now?
Sierra: Right now, I’m editing book two of Tears of the Heart. I find editing much harder than writing because you have to more analytical about the purpose of every scene, so it’s a slow process. Having said that, this is my favorite series, and I laugh and enjoy reading it, so I can’t wait to get the books out.
Helen: What inspired you to first begin writing?
Sierra: Reading and writing has had a strong presence all through my childhood, but what prompted me the most was a vivid dream that I wrote down. When I finished that story, I knew I needed to write another. I had teachers recognize my interest during my school years (long before I recognized it myself), and I’m very grateful to them for planting the seeds.
Helen: How do you find new ideas for your books?
Sierra: Vacuuming is totally dangerous for new ideas, haha. Any activity that let’s your brain tick over while your body is moving gives space for stories. I find most of my ideas are based on ‘what if’ questions that I stumble across at random times. ‘What if a runaway slave hid in a king’s harem?’ ‘What if a girl goes through a portal and gets stuck in a world that hates humans (and dragons)?’ Recently I was watching an online chat group where a joke was made about crossdressing, and the little fishhook in my brain latched onto that word and started asking what if the person was crossdressing to con people and make money…so that one is simmering away in the bubbler, in a queue of a dozen other ideas waiting to be written.
Helen: ‘What if’ is such a useful tool for authors! Let’s talk a little about your writing process. Do you plan your books or let them flow where they will?
Sierra: I think the term for me is a plantster. I start out with a few dot points of a plot and an ending in mind (usually), and the story/characters sometimes run away with me during the writing journey, haha. I write from beginning to end sequentially, although occasionally if I get stuck I’ll leave a note to ‘finish this chapter’ and move on, so I don’t get bogged down.
Helen: When is the best time of the day for you to write and where do you write?
Sierra: I write late in the evening when the house is quiet. I’ve had great results overlooking the ocean…but that’s not an everyday reality, unfortunately! I like to be at my desk with lots of light and multiple screens, because I need my manuscript, my character guide, my one thousand google tabs…you get the picture 😉
Helen: Do you prefer writing or editing?
Sierra: Writing! Definitely writing! Editing means having to admit that what I wrote first time around was not the most brilliant piece of writing out there, haha. It gets messy, so I have to don emotional armour.
Helen: If you didn’t write Fantasy what genre would you like to write in?
Sierra: I love all things YA, and I’m a big fan of most sci-fi movies, so I would probably give sci-fi a try. I also love Manga (a lot of my Asian influences come from an interest in manga/web comics) so it’s a dream of mine to write or turn a book into a comic.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Sierra, it’s been such fun meeting you. Last question, do you have a favourite piece of advice that inspires you, and what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Sierra: “A writer’s most important asset is their state of mind.” Alessandra Torres.
Once I heard this, a lot of elements about my writing practice clicked together, and now I work hard to protect my state of mind so creativity can flourish.
My advice? Just start writing—it doesn’t matter if your plot is all over the place or whatever. The more I write, the more I learn about craft and how to improve. Get a manuscript done and send it to a developmental editor. Learn from their advice. Write the next novel.
Helen: Such great advice! I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Sierra Knoxly lives a double life. By day she is the reserved mom of young children where adventure means a walk to the park or trip to the local pool. Once night falls and the cherubs are tucked into bed, Sierra dons armour (and amor) and rides a dragon into battle. She rains chaos down on her characters like an avenging angel of old and shoots their hearts with cupid’s bow.
Her love of mythical beasts and magic began at a young age when she had an imaginary Pegasus friend. Her gentle nature and fiery imagination leads to all around fictional steam. She lives with a mild fear that one day she’ll get a knock at the door from the authorities come to ask about her questionable browser history – all for writing research, of course.
When not writing or momming, Sierra loves bringing plants home to die and reading a reverse harem novel under a warm blanket.
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, Rosalyn about her contribution to the boxset, The Mermaid & the Pearl, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Rosalyn, I am so excited to chat with you about The Mermaid and the Pearl. I was fortunate enough to beta read your book, and I can’t wait for it to be released. Tell us a little about your book.
Rosalyn:The Mermaid & the Pearl is a sapphic retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” It has an underwater circus setting and a “Corpse Bride” twist. It is atmospheric and delightfully creepy.
Helen: Such a great idea to have an underwater circus, gives you lots of enteratining ideas to play with. Your cover is gorgeous, tell us who is on the front cover.
Rosalyn: The cover shows the main character Muriel swimming in front of a circus tent to show the unusual setting. It also shows Muriel holding her magic pearl necklace which is what she uses to make skeletons dance for the circus.
Helen: Sounds suitably creepy! I imagine your title is quite descriptive of your story and as a retelling you got straight to the point.
Rosalyn: I chose The Mermaid & the Pearl because I wanted readers to know right away that this was a book about mermaids. Pearls are important to the book because they contain the souls of the dead and my character uses a pearl necklace to make skeletons dance with the magic in her voice.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Rosalyn: A writer friend told me about the set and that they were still accepting authors, and I just decided to go for it! It was a lot of work to come up with an idea and write an entire novel so quickly, but I am so thankful for this opportunity. I knew I could write another fairy tale retelling in the same world as my book A Sea of Pearls & Leaves, so a Little Mermaid retelling was an easy choice!
Vision of the Moon
Helen: I loved A Sea of Pearls and Leaves. Readers can find my book review here. What else have you written?
Rosalyn: My first book, The Crown of Bones, is a dark fantasy adventure with deadly obstacles based on the Grimm’s fairy tales. A Sea of Pearls & Leaves is a whimsical and atmospheric retelling of “The Three Snake-Leaves” and is set in the same world as The Mermaid & the Pearl. I also have a novel coming out in April with Quill & Crow Publishing House called Her Dark Enchantments, a witchy and magical villain origin story about the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty.
Helen: When writing, do you enjoy creating villains or heroes?
Rosalyn: I really love writing villains because I think they are so much fun. I suppose that is why my next book is a villain origin story!
Helen: Do you prefer silence or music when you write?
Rosalyn: I only listen to instrumental music because I cannot focus on writing if there are lyrics. I really enjoy witchy or fairy tale-esque playlists on YouTube.
Helen: I know you have a young famiy, so, how do you fit in writing around your daily life?
Rosalyn: I find it important to follow a writing routine, so I wake up at 5 AM every day to write. It really sets the tone for the day for me and puts me in a better mood.
Helen: I couldn’t do it. I am a night owl. You won’t get a sensible word out of me at 5am in the morning! If you didn’t write Fairytale retellings, what genre would you like to try?
Rosalyn: I absolutely love reading thrillers and would love to try writing in that genre someday. I actually have a storyline, setting, and notes for a thriller that I hope to work on within the next few years.
Helen: Most authors are great readers, who is your favorite author?
Rosalyn: I will read anything by Shea Earnshaw. I think she has the most beautiful and lyrical prose.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Rosalyn, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Rosalyn: I would tell new writers to never give up and write what they love. Also, I would say to share your work with reliable critique partners and beta readers to make your writing even better.
Helen: Thank you, Roslayn. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Rosalyn Briar
Rosalyn Briar a former teacher, a mother to two fearless daughters, and a wife to her soul mate. She loves reading, traveling, and playing board games. More importantly, she believes in fairy tales. When she is not reading or writing, you might find her playing dress-up or gleaning through the woods for wildflowers with her princesses.
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, Catharine Glen about her contribution to the boxset, Wind Across the Silver Blade, which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Catharine, thankyou for joining me today! To start us off, tell us about Wind Across the Silver Blade.
Catharine:Wind Across the Silver Blade is a steamy Asian fantasy romance set in a world of gods and yokai (demons). Yumi, an exiled noblewoman, accidentally awakens Touma — a tengu (a winged crow demon god) who was sealed in a sword three hundred years prior. Together, they uncover the truth of a hidden power Yumi harbors while coming to terms with the soulbond growing between them. There’s time magic, a hero resisting the bond, a brave heroine willing to face her fate, and even a little *fun* with feathers. 😉
Helen: ooh sounds like lots of fun! Your cover is amazing. Which character did you choose and why?
Catharine: The cover for Wind Across the Silver Blade was illustrated by my fantastic artist Rakuen, who also did the covers for my Shadowed World Saga series. I wanted to feature Touma, our tengu hero and the love interest of the story. She brought him to life in gorgeous detail, incorporating elements of the mythological tengu dress and showcasing those beautiful wings. He also carries twin swords (daisho) at his waist like the samurai of old, which are important to the story. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to grab his hand and let him spirit me away!
Helen: I am definitely in your corner with that one, he sounds amazing. What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Catharine: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the Realm of Darkness anthology, and this is my first time writing for a set. I typically write steamy romantic fantasy with human characters, but had the idea of a romance specifically involving a tengu for some time. This anthology was the perfect fit for my story!
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: This is my first time writing for an anthology as well, and it has been a great experience. Tell us about your steamy romantic fantasy series.
Catharine: I have another Asian fantasy series with two books out so far. The Shadowed World Saga is a Japanese-inspired epic romantic fantasy reverse harem featuring an assassin heroine and the men who stand by her side. Ema faces trials of duty, honor, and betrayal as a ruthless anti-imperial faction moves swiftly across the country. Worse, sentient death shadows known as the shi-no-kage have emerged, threatening the very world itself. I adore writing this series and have become deeply attached to the characters. Fans of enemies to lovers, diverse characters (all-Asian cast), strong heroines, political intrigue, the supernatural, and Japanese history and culture will find lots to love here.
Vision of the Moon
Helen: I am adding them to my tbr pile as we speak! What made you first put pen to paper and write a book?
Catharine: I was a voracious reader growing up. Trips to the library and local bookstore were among my favorite things to do! There was something magical about exploring the shelves and picking out new books to read. I was always drawn to mystery and fantasy, and later historical romance. I wrote stories in my early teen years, fascinated by the notion of writing as a career but never believing I could actually do it (this was well before Kindles and self-publishing became a viable option). What I really wanted to read is now known as romantic fantasy, but I couldn’t seem to find the types of stories that fit what I was seeking. It was after reading Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy in the 00’s (a fantastic series, BTW) and being disappointed in the minimal romance between Vyn and Elend that I began writing seriously — fantasy with a strong romantic subplot.
Helen: I haven’t read Mistborn yet. I have the books, just haven’t found time to read them! When you are writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a favourite playlsit?
Catharine: I enjoy having music on while I write and edit. I typically stick with instrumental music, particularly lo-fi as it blends into the background but also evokes certain moods to help immerse me in the creative process. I also enjoy epic movie and anime themes, Gregorian chants, and new age depending on the types of scenes I’m working on. The only time I do not listen to music is during final proofreads when I need silent, uninterrupted focus.
Helen: Sounds inspirational enough to me. I know writing consumes all pur free time, but when you do ahve that spare hour of two, what hobbies do you like to pursue?
Catharine: When I’m not writing or tending to the kids and family, I enjoy reading fantasy books with kissing (of course!), playing video games (these days, otome or visual novels), studying Japanese, going for walks, Lego, and traveling. I also enjoy watching anime and reading manga.
Helen: Thank you for joining me today Catharine, it’s been great chatting with you. Just to finish, tell us who your favourite author is and why.
Catharine: I would have to say Lindsay Buroker, not only because she’s an incredibly talented writer, but she inspired me to pursue being an indie author. I came across her book, The Emperor’s Edge, not too long after it released, and instantly fell in love with the story and her characters. I was writing and studying craft at the time, but not ready to submit my work anywhere. These were the early days when indie authors were just starting to appear on the scene in a real way. From then, I followed her career and enjoyed consuming her books as well as her now off-air podcast Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast (and later, the Six Figure Authors Podcast). She was always so down to earth in her advice and candid in sharing her experiences, even as her success and prominence in the industry grew. I found her to be a warm and encouraging voice to all fantasy writers, and it gave me the courage and knowledge I needed to jump into the indie writing lifestyle.
Helen: The writing community is so generous, everyone is willing to offer help and support to new writers.
I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Catharine Glen is a romantic fantasy author residing in New England. Her favorite kinds of stories take place in faraway worlds with unforgettable characters, plenty of romance, adventure, magic and the supernatural. She tends to get immersed in all things Japanese, reading, Lego, and possibly consumes a bit too much coffee and tea. She’s also a wife to a loving husband and a mom to two children and a spirited Jack Russell.
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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I am excited to be joined by one of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxet today! I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Lea Cherry about her contribution to the boxset, Starlight; which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Lea! To start us off, tell us about Starlight.
Lea: My contribution to the ROD set is called Starlight. It’s a fantasy story set in the realm of Elesseand where the Princess of the Kingdom is a Starlight (Someone born of the stars with magical powers) but also a fierce warrior that protects the realm from any dangers with her Legion. I don’t want to give too much away, but there is an assassin, a magi, a shifter, some romance and a lot of dangers to go through.
Helen: Sounds like you packed a lot of elements into your story. I can’t wait to read it. Your cover is gorgeous, down to the font which glistens. What were your thoughts behind the design?
Lea: The cover for Starlight took some creativity. I tried various different things but none of them actually spoke to me, so I decided to create the cover with symbols instead so that later on, I could hopefully create art to accompany the books. The cover shows a beautiful star that represents the Princess Tekana and all the Starlights before her. Even though the star is bright and beautiful, it is sharp and dangerous and should be treated carefully.
Helen: Readers be warned! What made you write a novel for an anthology?
Lea: I love reading fantasy and thought that this was a great opportunity to write one myself. I usually dabble in other genres, YA and horror to be more specific, but thought that if I could write my own fantasy, the possibility of what could happen would be endless, so here I am.
Realm of Darkness Anthology
Helen: I called you a YA Fantasy author but you actually write a range of YA genres, don’t you?
Lea: I usually write Young Adult books in various subgenres as I enjoy the way the young characters discover themselves and evolve into people that are strong, independent and overall great humans. I also enjoy writing horrors because I just love it and want to test myself with writing one that can scare the pants off the readers. I’m kind of wired that way.
Helen: That is mean! I am not a fan of horror, I have too creative an imagination. Tell us about some of your other books.
Lea: My two horrors are Chimera and Devil’s Doorway which were my first trials into the genre. I have also written two YA Urban Fantasy books for a series, currently busy with the third book, that is about a girl that learns she’s a descendant of a very powerful magical race known as the Pure and that she must learn to harness her powers before the Tainted (villains) can claim her soul to resurrect their leader. There is also a poetry journal that I co-wrote with another author as a companion book for her dragon series to give her main dragon character a poetry voice.
Helen: I bet that was a fun project, especially with dragons involved. You are multi-talented for sure. Many writers find inspiration from music, when you are writing do you listen to music?
Lea: I can’t, at all. If I listen to music, I find myself singing along and then I can’t concentrate of what I’m writing. If I listen to something, it is usually instrumental music that sounds like it could have been on the book’s soundtrack. Like Celtic instrumental songs for my fantasy stories. I do however listen to certain songs before I write to get me into the scene, like rock music before I write a fight scene, or something emo and sad for the heart-breaking stuff.
Helen: When I’m editing and solving plot knots it has to be instrumental, as like you I get distracted by the words of the song. But when I’m writing that first draft, anything goes. Do you plot out your novels or are you a pantser?
Lea: You could say I’m a plantser. I plot out the basics of my story, the most important things like characters, settings and the plot of how the story should go, but then I pants a lot of the story to give myself or rather my characters the freedom to sometimes roam free and choose other paths to get to their goal.
Helen: Characters do tend to have a mind of their own and go off on unplanned tangents. Do you have to much research for your books?
Lea: Sometimes way too much. I tend to fall into the rabbit hole with research, but only when I feel that there should be more and especially if the subject I’m researching is very interesting.
Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.
Lea: I’m from South Africa and English is my second language, is that random enough?
Helen: Wow! And you are writing in English which makes your work even more amazing. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun talking shop. As we reach the end of our time together just to finish, when not writing what do you spend your time on?
Lea: My hobbies include watching movies, reading and painting. I have started teaching both my daughters to draw and they love it so a lot of the time they want to know how to draw something so if I don’t know, then we all learn something new that day. On a different note, just because I enjoy it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m great at it.
Helen: Thank you for joining me tody Lea. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Lea Cherry
Lea Cherry is an international bestselling author residing in South Africa with her husband and two daughters. With a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, she shares the spark of language in Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. When she is not crafting stories, she shares her time with her family watching movies, painting, and reading up a storm when she is not exploring the outdoors on camping trips. Her first book in the Descendant series is set to arrive in 2021 and is filled with magic and adventure that will keep you wanting more.
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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Start the month out with a BOGT – buy one box set, get three books free!
You can grab three free books by Realm of Darkness box set authors in May 2022. You choose from a selection of amazing novels.
Not only is the Realm of Darkness box set a fantastic deal at only 99 cents for 40+ full-length paranormal and fantasy romance novels by bestselling and award-winning authors, but now you can read even more from these amazing authors, and as early as June 2022.
Ready to claim some free books?
-Pre-Order the Realm of Darkness box set on Apple Books HERE or Barnes and Noble HERE for only 99 cents -Screenshot your pre-order receipt (only new Apple Book or Barnes & Noble pre-orders in May qualify) -Submit your receipt and select your three free full-length books from a list of 16 HERE
The books you select will be sent to you in June 2022, when this promotion closes.
Helen Garraway 