Cover Reveal: Lies of Light by Melissa Sasina
Today I’m excited to bring you the cover reveal for the first book in fantasy author Melissa Sasina’s Darker Shade of Light series. Without further ado, here it is…
read moreNew Release: LUMINOUS Boxed Set of Noblebright Fantasy!
Late last year, I agreed to be part of a boxed set of Noblebright stories being put together by author CJ Brightley. That set, LUMINOUS, releases this week! I haven’t yet finished reading all the books in it, but the ones I have read are fantastic. My SUNBOLT is included, as is W.R Gingell’s WOLFSKIN and Lea Doue’s THE FIRETHORN CROWN, which should give you a feel for this particular Noblebright set.
And the set on release special for only $2.99 right now — that’s ten books for three bucks! Now, here’s the blurb and cover to tempt you further…
read moreThree Sunbolt Giveaways!
When it rains, it pours!
Next week I’ll be updating Sunbolt’s cover as well as uploading a slightly updated text. What? Don’t worry, the cover is really the same cover with improved color and contrast. Sunbolt’s cover was actually the very first cover that Jenny at Seedlings Design designed on commission. It was super exciting to work with Jenny on it, and now, four years later, we decided to revisit it to spruce it up a bit so that the awesome design elements snap a bit more.
In conjunction with that, I decided to take a swing at ironing out some inconsistencies in the text. Some of them are simple–for example, I never mentioned that the Ghost’s hood has a shadow charm on it so that you can’t see his face. Without that detail, it sounds like he has the hood of all impossibility. Oops! I also decided to rework the scene in which Hitomi encounters Val for the first time. As written, it didn’t work with Kol’s motivation to trade for Hitomi, which is kind of a big oopsie. The scene is pretty different now, but I hope, just as enjoyable (freaky?) and much more aligned with character motivations throughout the book.
With the new cover going live, though, I have three giveaways to share out current print editions (with the original cover) I have waiting for homes. Here they are!
read moreHere’s what I’m reading for the #RamadanReadathon!
Well, okay, the readathon’s already been here for a week, which means I’m already behind in my reading. Eep! But better late than never, right? This readathon is all about centering Muslim voices and their stories, in a similar vein to #MuslimShelfSpace, where folks took pictures of the books they owned by Muslims. That one raised awareness of how far we have to go, this readathon gets us going!
read moreWriting Beneath A Glass Ceiling: A Guest Post by SFF Author Anela Deen
Today I’m happy to welcome Speculative Fiction author (and friend!) Anela Deen to the blog. You may remember Anela’s name from my review of her fantasy novel A Ransom of Flames, which I quite enjoyed. Today, Anela joins us to reflect on her experiences–and the experiences of women generally–when writing or working in a field dominated by men. Be sure to scroll all the way down to nab a free copy of Deviation, the Sci-Fi short at the heart of this post!
Every author will tell you critique groups are essential to the writing process. We need other writers to go over those passionate scribbles and point out the spots that need work. I tend to use online groups because you get a variety of readers and people seem to lean more towards honesty if they aren’t sitting face-to-face with each other. I’ve found them to be full of well-meaning writers looking to support, encourage, and improve each other’s art…that is until I asked for feedback on a Sci-Fi story I wrote.
read moreFantasy Book Bundle Giveaway!
When it rains, it pours! Here’s another fantastic bundle of free fantasy reads (including Sunbolt, of course!). This giveaway is through BookFunnel, so many of the books do require you to sign up for the author’s mailing list to receive it. If you’re already subscribed (hint hint), you’re gold!
Check out the books here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasyreads
read moreA Heritage of Seeking Refuge
These last few months have really brought home to me a few things about my family. We are privileged, so, so privileged and I feel both grateful and slightly guilty for that reality. We also have a recent memory of being refugees. I am grateful for this as well, even as it changes my lived experience in ways I am still coming to understand.
Both my grandparents on either side of my family were forced to flee India during the Partition between India and Pakistan, as both countries threw off the yoke of colonization (Bangladesh was there too, as East Pakistan at the time). There were refugees of all backgrounds fleeing in pretty much every direction, and the point of this post is not to point out atrocities committed by one side while glossing over the other, nor to suggest that only one group of people were victims. The point is simply that these are the stories of my family.
read more18 Awesome & Free YA Reads
Today I’ve got 18 free reads from all across YA, including a good bit of fantasy! This giveaway is hosted on BookFunnel (kind of like Instafreebie, but with the added benefit that if you have your e-reader handy, you can do a direct download to it instead of messing with conversion through your e-mail.) That said… most of these books will ask you to opt-in to the author’s newsletter in return for the free read. Mine is just a monthly mailer!
read moreSunbolt Goodreads Giveaway!
I have three signed copies of Sunbolt to giveaway on Goodreads! Street thieves, magic, and monsters (both human and not) — what’s not to enjoy?
Already read it? These will make great gifts as well! This giveaway is US only–but I will do a worldwide one later this summer.
The Blurb:
The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.
When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.
read moreThe Bird Whisperer Speaks: Or, How to Help Baby Birds
The other day, a friend messaged me to say she heard I’d saved a robin. “No, no,” I responded (more or less). “It was a crow, and a very long time ago.” Well, her son had been chatting with my daughter and he’d been adamant it was a robin, but no doubt that was a mix up.
It took me a moment, and then I went, “Oh yeah, there was a robin!”
About three minutes later, I went, “There was also that blue jay, once, in Washington DC.”
And, oh my goodness, I am only now remembering the baby pigeon we raised on our balcony! We actually set poor old Poopo (pronounced poop-o, as named by my mother) free, and he flew back to us after getting beaten up by the other pigeons. It was pretty brutal. We nursed him back to health, and the second time he flew away, he seemed to do fine.
So on this fine spring evening, I’ve decided to make it my business to address you, not as an author, but as an amateur bird whisperer, with a few fine points on what to do if you happen to find a young bird stranded on the ground. Because it happens this time of year. And you could be the one to save that little creature’s life. And that, my friend, is a wonderful thing.
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