I’m delighted to share the details and cover of another amazing full length book, The Lycan King’s Captive by Amy Pennza, which is included in the Realm of Darkness Anthology which launches on October 4th, 2022.
If you are in the US and order via Apple iBooks or Barnes and Noble during July/August – you can enter a great book box giveaway- find out more here!
The Lycan King’s Captive
I woke on the floor of a prison cell, but I wasn’t alone. There was a man. My fellow prisoner. My protector. He spoke into my mind, saying things that couldn’t be true. That I’d been bitten. That I was going to turn. That I had to obey him if I wanted to survive.
He was beaten, but his voice rang with power and his body called to mine. And when he won our freedom, I learned he was far more powerful than I realised. I escaped one prison just to land in another. Now I’m caught in a war between shifters – and my protector has become my captor.
Preorder Realm of Darkness Boxset
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/77p!
About the Author:
Amy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She writes steamy books about stubborn alphas and smart heroines. After years in Tornado Alley, she now makes her home in the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit 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’m delighted to share the details and cover of another amazing full length book, The Pride of the T’sisk by Jade Waltz, which is included in the Realm of Darkness Anthology which launches on October 4th, 2022.
If you are in the US and order via Apple iBooks or Barnes and Noble during July/August – you can enter a great book box giveaway- find out more here!
Pride of the T’sisk
Growing up as a princess among my people, I had accepted that my fate has never been my own.
But I never knew what life was like beyond the walls of our castle. My family has ruled over both the T’sisk and humans for several generations and tensions are high between our two races.
My bodyguard, R’Kox, is the one who brings this to my attention.
He is T’sisk and I am human, and the lines between servant and princess are blurring each day. Despite the expectation of my status, I find myself drawn to him. I know that of it is forbidden to love a T’sisk, but I can’t stop my heart from wanting him anyway.
How can I choose between what is expected of me and the truth of my heart?
Preorder Realm of Darkness Boxset
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/77p!
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling author, Jade Waltz lives in Illinois with her husband, two sons, and her three crazy cats.
She writes sweet-n-steamy, character-driven romances within detailed universes, where happily-ever-afters happen for those who dare to love the paranormal.
Jade enjoys knitting, playing video games, watching Esports, green tea and writing all the stories that live in her imagination.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purhcases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love 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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Today I am chatting with Elle Hartford who is celebrating the release of her cozy mystery/fairytale retelling Beauty and the Alchemist which releases today, August 12th, 2022.
Helen: Welcome Elle. Congratulations on the relase of your new book Beauty & the Alchemist. It seems like it’s a mixture of multiple genres, tell us a little about it.
Elle: Hi! I’m really excited for this book. It’s called Beauty and the Alchemist, and it’s a cozy mystery retelling of Beauty and the Beast. My main character is an alchemist named Red, who’s really just trying to live her life making potions in fairy tale Belville. But when a criminal is found murdered in a nearby haunted castle, and Red’s best friend takes the blame, she has to jump in and find the truth. There’s ancient curses, supportive friends, and–of course!–a huge library.
Helen: Oh, and you’re playing with fairytales as well. You are mixing up the bag! How did you come up with idea to mix genres?
Elle: My friends on social media have accused me of making up my own genre, and I guess they’re right! But that’s not what I set out to do. I’ve been a long time reader of cozy mysteries (mysteries where the focus is on the puzzle and the community, not so much on grim crimes or police procedure). A lot of cozies have a witchy or “paranormal” theme, so to me, it seemed natural to extend that just a little bit, to include fairy tales and magic creatures. So, often I’ll describe my subgenre as “fairy tale-inspired cozy” or even cozy fantasy. I just love it, because it takes the warm feelings and brain teasers of cozy mystery and adds magic–what could be better?
Helen: Sounds like an excellent new genre to me! I always think covers are the most difficult to create, how about you? How did you decide what the cover should be?
Elle: I really wanted my cover to have a classic cozy mystery look–a picturesque scene with a hint of danger, and the cozy companion front and center, naturally. So William, the black dog, is sitting on the path watching as Red’s cloak disappears into the woods below the ghostly castle. Normally, William would refuse to sit still while Red runs toward the unknown, but I liked how this scene combines both the lost castle of Beauty and the Beast with the dark forest of Little Red Riding Hood (Red’s namesake).
Helen: I think it’s so interesting that you’re mashing up fairytales as well. Tell us about your protagonist, Red.
Elle: My protagonist is the alchemist, Red, who recently gave up a life of being a traveling potion-maker to settle down in rural Belville. She’s smart, resourceful, and a little bit mysterious. She also cares a lot about her friends, even if she won’t always admit it outright–often, she feels like an outsider, even though many people in Belville welcome her immediately. I myself can relate to Red’s shyness when it comes to trusting relationships, so that’s probably part of why I wrote her. But also, more practically, who better to solve mysteries than a natural scientist with botanical knowledge, an alchemical lab, and an arsenal of special tools?
Helen: If Red could answer this question, why would she say we should read your book?
Elle: Red would say that we should read the book for Luca, her best friend in Belville, or for Gloria, her irascible neighbor. Both Gloria and Luca have their own personal struggles that they have to overcome in the course of the book. Red helps them both, in her way, but she would definitely give them most of the credit.
Helen: Who is your favourite character in your book?
Elle: What a tough question! I love so many of my characters, each for a different reason. But one of the characters who made me smile the most while I was writing is Trent, a young witch who gets roped into the investigation. He reminds me very much of my little brother (though both Trent and my brother are too big now to really be thought of as “little”!).
Helen: When writing cozy fantasy novels, with a touch of fairytale magic, do you still find yourself doing research?
Elle: Tons. If you could see my office, you might think I was an alchemist fresh from the twelfth century–or a scholar of some kind! This series has been a very good excuse to collect books. 🙂 The alchemy that Red practices is based on historical science and mysticism–think things like the Elixir of Life and proto-chemistry. And then, of course, I also research a lot of folklore for each story too, since many of them are based on fairy tales or legends. I love breathing new life into old things!
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today Elle, and congratulations on the release of your cozy fantasy novel. A final question for you. What advice would give aspiring writers?
Elle: My opinion on this has changed a lot during my journey to publication. I think my advice would be twofold: first, find a critique partner or editor or writing group whose opinion you trust, and who you feel safe sharing your work with. Having someone with a completely different perspective from me point out the highs and lows of my manuscripts has been invaluable–it may feel hard to accept feedback in the moment, but it makes you so much more confident in the end, because you know you’ve covered your bases. So that’s part one: value an outside perspective. But part two is definitely to believe in yourself. If you can do that, truly–and it is very hard!–then you’re golden. A lot of my books boil down to just that.
And catching murderers, of course. 😉
Thank you so, so much for having me on, and giving me a chance to ramble about things I love!
About the Author:
Elle Hartford
Elle adores cozy mysteries, fairy tales, and above all, learning new things. As a historian and educator, she believes in the value of stories as a mirror for complicated realities. She currently lives in New Jersey with a grumpy tortoise and a three-legged cat.
Find more stories of Red and her friends at ellehartford.com. And while you’re there, sign up for Elle’s newsletter to get bonus material, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and terrible jokes!
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love 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 keep up with progress on my next books are published.
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I’m delighted to share the details and cover of another amazing full length book, The World Below by fantasy author Vvienne Lee Fraser, which is included in the Realm of Darkness Anthology which launches on October 4th, 2022.
If you are in the US and order via Apple iBooks or Barnes and Noble during July/August – you can enter a great book box giveaway- find out more here!
Fight for Darkness
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if perhaps things around your are not quite what they seem?
Practical and pragmatic Pris has never even considered the possibility. That is until someone breaks into her home claiming her parents have been abducted and take to a magical world.
Snake has always known he is a gnome, and that there are all manner of magical creature living I, not only in his hime town fo London, but in the wider world as well. Now he must convince a very human girl she is actually an elf, and that she must join with him and enter the World below to save both their parents.
Entering the World Below isn’t as simple as it seems -scattered around England are the magical creatures and riddles that will grant them passage. They only have days to reach them all, and someone is working against them to ensure they enter make it to the magical realm.
Preorder Realm of Darkness Boxset
Only available as part of the Realm of Darkness Boxset available for preorder now on Amazon and other retailers for only 99c/77p!
About the Author:
I live in Sydney with my husband, son, our dog Trouble and an over-active kitten called Lola. We get to travel a lot because our family lives around the world. To fund my writing I review and sell children’s books. You can always find me at The Bookbubble (www.thebookbubble.com).
When I am not writing I love reading, walking the dog, craft activities and good movies.
One day I am sure I will grow up, but hopefully not too soon. And when I do I would like to be exactly what I am now, and what I have always dreamed I would be, a writer.
My writing is typically Fantasy. One of my fans called it Social Science Fantasy, and I think that’s about the best way to describe it. I’m a huge fan of all things world building and what that entails…the people, the creatures, the politics, the language, the maps, and more. My major work still focuses on The Caeteran Tales, but there are other ventures in my near future as well. Stay tuned!
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purhcases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love 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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Readers’ Favorite recognizes “Sentinals Rising” by Helen Garraway with a Five Star Review
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite
Sentinals Rising by Helen Garraway is the high fantasy sequel in the Epic Fantasy Sentinal Series, preceded by book one, Sentinals Awaken. This installment continues to follow its protagonist, Jerrol Haven of Remargaren, as he identifies an engraving of a Sentinal Tree that happens to be a catalyst for a prophetic vision, one which puts him firmly in the role of Lady’s Captain. Three thousand years prior, the Ascendants fought to enslave Remargaren, and are determined to do so once more by employing the mind-control magic of Mentiserium, piercing the protective veil, and seizing control to topple those who have long fiercely secured it. Jerrol will risk life and limb to shatter the hold of the Mentiserium spell and to save Remargaren once and for all.
There is a moment near the midway point of Sentinals Rising that feels even more prophetic than a vision: “Captain Haven and his guards will ensure our safety.” Yeah. That is the understatement of three millennia. I’m not going to beat around the cauterized fingers too much here and will just come right out and say that Helen Garraway is a wildly gifted writer. There are multiple points of view that define each of the characters we meet and each stands comfortably independent of the other. The action is ripe and the tension is enough to keep a reader furiously turning pages without the usual pitfalls of taking it too far. Even fantasy and magic have their limits when it comes to suspension of disbelief and the mark of a seasoned, skilled author is knowing when to say ‘uncle.’ The visuals and dialogue are all spectacular and the frailty of good when being pushed by evil is executed well. Overall, this is a book and a series that is likely to be adored by all fortunate enough to read it. Very highly recommended.
You can read the five star review for Sentinals Rising at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/sentinals-rising where you can also read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
Book Two of the Sentinal Series
Books in the Sentinals Series:
Novella o.5: Sentinals Stirring (Free if you sign up to my newsletter.)
When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play…
There are only THREE months remaining to preorder your copy of the limited edition Realm of Darkness boxset. The authors of Realm of Darkness have come together to offer this three amazing bookish boxes. In these boxes, you’ll receive $120-worth of books and bookish swag. Details & entry options below.
What you’ll get for your 99¢ in Realm of Darkness
All these fantasy, romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, or paranormal romance novels…
And more… more than 40 full-length novels in total. The authors in this set are hosting a giveaway with focus on Apple and B&N sales. Freebie options for entry too when you help the team spread the word.
If you love fantasy then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and find out when my next books are published.
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It’s finally here! A free- yes FREE fantasy anthology with 12 novellas/short stories. Available for a limited time!!
If you loved Sentinals Awaken, or haven’t read it yet but would like to try a sample! then Sentinals Discovery is the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from the Sentinal, Birlerion’s, POV, when he is woken after three thousand years, and you get 11 other fantasy stories as well for free!
“Within this short story Helen paves the way for the beautiful epic Fantasy…that will transport you to another time, another world, where you will re-live everything that takes place and I cannot praise these books enough.”
5* Amazon review for Sentinals Discovery.
Creatures of Magic and Myth
A tantalizing taste of this summers most anticipated fantasy collection. This carefully curated collection of novels, novellas and short stories has everything you could want:
Magic and wonder
Drama and intrigue
Fantastic creatures
Myths and legends …and so much more!
Featuring stories from USA Today, International and award winning bestselling authors. Creatures of Magic and Myth will entrap your senses in a magical realm of impossibilities. From Dragon Realm press this Limited edition anthology will amaze!
If you loved Sentinals Discovery then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and find out when my next books are published.
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I am so pleased to announce that a brand new bookshop for books published by Independent or self-published authors like myself is opening on July 4th, 2022 and will be stocking all the published books in my epic fantasy Sentinal series.
The Book Dragon book shop is located in Teeside, in the UK, and will have physical paperback copies in store and on their brand new ecommerce platform.
Treat yourself and go and peruse the shelves of books from amazing independent authors, from all genres of fiction, to non fiction, to poetry. And let your kids embrace the wonders of reading in the kids section. Isn’t the dragon mural gorgeous?
SHOP ADDRESS: 6 West Row, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1BT, United Kingdom
And don’t forget…
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 find out when my next books are published.
Reviewed: June 21st, 2022 Released: June 20th, 2022 Genre: Paranormal Midlife Fantasy
Going to magic school at fifty is the least of Chloe’s worries.
A magical inheritance. A dog with an attitude. A sexy headmaster. And people trying to kill her.
When Chloe receives a bolt of magic out of the blue on her fiftieth birthday, she’s cast into an exciting but tumultuous world filled with Shifters, Elementals, Witches, and one very hot headmaster Witch. In order to return the inheritance to its rightful owner, and satisfy her curiosity at the same time, she must go to the Universal Magush Academy and learn all about the magical community while keeping one big secret—she’s human.
Or is she?
Threats to her life and those she holds dear lurk in every corner. As if that wasn’t enough, students and teachers alike hate her on sight.
As she digs deep to discover who she is, she finds herself in the middle of two battles: one for the fate of humanity and one for the peace of the magic realm. Soon these twisting fates have Chloe questioning everything she thought she knew.
But maybe, with the help of a sexy sidekick and a handful of misfit friends, she’ll teach this magic world a thing or two.
And she might just turn both worlds on their heads while she’s at it… Read my Thoughts…
Reviewed: June 21st, 2022 Released: June 11th, 2021 Genre: Fairytale Retelling
When the Pied Piper came, only three children remained. One was deaf and one was blind. Being deaf meant life was hard for Adelaide in thirteenth century Germany. However, it also saved her from the Pied Piper’s music. When the children were stolen, she was left behind. Now she and her blind friend risk everything to free the children trapped in an eternal dance. But to rescue them she must face the Heartless Queen, who will do anything to keep them, and survive her twisted games. Adelaide finds she has no choice but to trust the man she should hate and hope he is not playing games of his own.
Helen Garraway 