Tag: authors

Thank You

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I’ve been waffling on what to say here–it feels momentous! The blog tour is over, and Burn is in the wild.  I have All. The. Feels.  *blows nose inelegantly into a tissue*

Today is a day for celebrating!!!! Aside from the fact it’s the weekend, online schooling is almost over. Can I hear a heartfelt amen? *Cue marching band and confetti* (And yes, I can use as many exclamation marks as I want because I’m celebrating!!!)

Me, when I celebrate

Also me, when I celebrate during a pandemic

 

 

 

 

 

All you homeschooling mom and dads, props to you. Online schooling is hard, especially when you’re thrown into the deep end like we were.  Releasing a book, a series, is hard too and it never occurs in a vacuum. I’m so grateful to those who became a part of the “Firebrand team.” *voice wobbles and pulls out the tissue again* Sheesh.

My husband and my kids are my biggest supporters. This isn’t lip service. They read the books, give encouragement, and act as stand-ins when I have to stage fight scenes. (My kids think I’m weird, but they’re avid cosplayers so I see them walking around the house in wigs and black and white face paint. The apples haven’t fallen far from the tree. Lol!) Their support is huge because they’re the ones who suffer the most when the laundry doesn’t get done or I don’t cook because of deadlines or a scene has to be written–RIGHT NOW.

My supportive parents encouraged me to be creative and imaginative. Mom and Dad, thank you for letting me daydream and write and read stacks and stacks of library books until my eyes crossed. <3

When I pitched at Realm Makers in Villanova, PA (2016!), Michele Harper (and the entire L2L2 Publishing team) were so encouraging. At that point, I’d been out of the writing conference loop for almost ten years, had two children, and switched genres (from romance to joining the dark side of speculative fiction. Lol!). BTW, if you’ve never been to a writer’s conference, Realm Makers is one of the best out there–not just because of great classes and content, but also because the people are nice people. (You might think that’s a given. I’m speaking from experience–it’s not that way everywhere.)

Also, if you’ve beta read or critiqued the Firebrand Chronicles, blogged or posted on social media, left a book review, gushed about them to a friend, or stopped me on the street to say you liked the book or asked about the next one–THANK YOU. Knowing my stories gave you the chance to escape to Linneah with Brenna and Baldwin for a few hours is a huge honor.

It’s a bit bittersweet leaving them behind, but I hope BURN’s ending is everything you longed for.

As mentioned in L2L2 Publishing’s most recent post, the Firebrand Chronicles is being gathered into a beautiful boxset, complete with new short stories and other extras! I’ve had so much fun creating them and I’m eager to share them with you. It’s tentatively scheduled for a summer release — more information will be forthcoming!

Thanks again to everyone and enjoy your summer!

 

 

Burn’s Release Day: Looking Back

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I’d originally had another post for today– something about plotting vs. pantsing and how’d I’d used both for the Firebrand Chronicles, blah, blah, blah. 🙂

And it struck me that I didn’t want to talk about that much.  For the past two weeks, I’ve been looking back and thinking about when the Firebrand Chronicles journey started. I mean, I’ve finished a trilogy, but a part of me is still a little befuddled how that happened!

Humor me and let’s look back five years ago. At the front of it, 2015 looked a lot like other years before. After querying agents, and stalking, er, I mean, submitting to publishers, I had nothing to show for it except a nice, growing stack of rejections. So I did the only thing left–I reevaluated.

It sounded like this. “Well, I have a good life–a husband who loves me, two great kids, and we live in a rural neighborhood with a loving church nearby. I guess I don’t need to be published.”  And while all that was true, the need to write was still there. I couldn’t turn off the urge like a faucet, so I knew I’d still write if only to get the voices out of my head.

And that’s when things started to come together. I entered a contest that led to an award that led to a conference where I pitched Spark. (BTW, you should be entering contests! But that’s another post…) And here I am, five years later, with several anthologies containing my short stories and a finished trilogy. Phew!

Some might say it was my hard work paying off. While I’m certain hard work is part of it, it’s not ALL of it. Lots of writers work hard–we have to because the market is super-competitive. Part of it is about surrender, loosening a grip on a dream so Someone can shift it, manipulate it into something better. And part of it is also listening to that voice that tells you, this is what you’re put on earth to do, this is why you’re here.

I’m sure some people will read this and scrunch up their face, thinking, “Well, of course, she’d say that. She wrote and published a trilogy. What about me? What am I supposed to do?” I don’t know what your future holds. But I can give you three action items to improve your craft. I can’t promise these things will get you a contract or on the bestseller list, but I can promise they will help you be a better writer.

1) Finish the manuscript. Did you know 97% of people who write NEVER finish their manuscript? (That percentage stuns me every time.) You have to finish it to get it published, whether you go indie or traditional. Finish it so you can revise it, so it can be sent to an editor, or so you can move on to the next story. But keep working until you type “The End.”

2) Read. Read in your genre, outside your genre, anything and everything. You’ll learn what’s already been written, who did it well, and what’s trending. Knowing the published “landscape” is part of being a good writer.

3) Don’t give up. If you’re writing because you think it’s quick money, or because it’s easy, you can stop right now and take up underwater basket-weaving. It’s likely to make you more money and be easier than writing. But if you can’t give up writing, then keep going.  Don’t listen to the toxic naysayers. Instead, surround yourself with supporters, encouragers, those who love you, and want you to do well. Find a critique group, and learn as much as you can about writing.

I hope these tips help. I’ve grown and learned so much in these last five years, and I’m moving forward, still as much in love with writing as ever before. My next project (a Snow White retelling) is already “finished” although the plot holes need to be plugged. 🙂 For right now, I’ll let it simmer and enjoy Burn‘s release-day celebration!!!

Come join us Thursday night (8-10 PM) on Facebook for even more partying at the Burn Launch Party!

It’s Day Seven!

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Welcome to day seven of the SFF 12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour!! I hope you’ve been checking out each author’s site and signing up for some great giveaways.  I love giving Christmas presents. Hopefully, my gifts are better than “My True Love’s” listed in the song…  On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… seven ladies dancing?

                     

Why would I want that? How am I supposed to write with seven women prancing around my living room? Can they do my laundry or clean my house, too?

How about some bookish presents instead?

Spark, (Book one of The Firebrand Chronicles) is about Brenna James, who’s just a normal ADHD teen. You know, going to school, hanging out with friends, shooting fire from her bare hands…um, what? When her mother disappears, Brenna will do anything to find her. Even travel through a portal. But life on the other side involves intimidating griffins, cryptic prophecies, and elusive enemies. With the help of her new friend Baldwin, she must choose wisely whom to trust or lose everything.

The action and adventures continue in Flare, and the last book Burn should be coming soon. (I’m so excited to share it with you!) For the giveaway, I have a signed print copy of either Spark or Flare, as well as an angel pin (looks a lot like the Sahale in Spark 🙂 ), and lots of bookish swag. (Unfortunately, if you’re international, I can only send you the swag and a signed bookplate. Sorry!)

 

Sign up for the Rafflecopter giveaway here…but don’t wait. Because it’s only good for 24 hours. After that, it disappears like Santa Claus after he delivers your presents!

And if you want still more presents, here are the other participating authors for the remaining days. Have fun and have a blessed Christmas!

12/08/19
Janeen Ippolito – https://www.janeenippolito.com/

12/09/19
H. L. Burke – www.hlburkeauthor.com/blog

12/10/19
Laura VanArendonk Baugh – www.LauraVanArendonkBaugh.com

12/11/19
Hans Erdman – www.gewellynchronicles.com

12/12/19
​M. J. Padgett – www.mjpadgettbooks.com
​

12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour

Do you like free books? Book swag? How about discounts? Then join me and eleven other talented fantasy and science fiction authors for the Twelve Days of Christmas blog tour!

Just check out the graphic above and then stop at that author’s website to grab a chance at some fantastic freebies. But each author will only be offering these goodies for that day only, so don’t delay! To make sure you don’t miss any offers, sign up for the authors’ email lists to get a reminder (the links are below to help you out).

THE NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the authors’ email lists to never miss a day!

YAASHA MORIAH

VERITY BUCHANAN – Scroll down to “Join Legealings”

M.L. LITTLE – click “Subscribe” on the top navigation bar

​CLAIRE M. BANSCHBACH – “Follow Blog via Email” in the sidebar

J.M. HACKMAN – Subscribe box in the right sidebar

JANEEN IPPOLITO

H.L. BURKE

LAURA VAN ARENDONK BAUGH

HANS ERDMAN – “Subscribe to our newsletter” in the right sidebar

M.J. PADGETT

 

KEEN Blog Tour: Behind the Scenes

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Hi, lovelies! Today, I’m thrilled to host author Laura Zimmerman on my blog to talk about her debut novel KEEN!

I had the privilege of reading the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), and I was so eager to endorse it — it’s amazing! But I’ll allow Laura to share more about her story (and don’t forget to read on–special dates,  KEEN’s blurb, and blog tour information  are below!) Enjoy!

 

Do you ever wonder what inspired an author to include specific details ina book? There’s a good chance that many of them aren’t random! Much of my own personal life is echoed throughout the pages of KEEN. Let’s talk about it!

Our hero, Oliver, has a secret obsession with being a musician. This is no coincidence as I was a music major in college. My father has always played guitar, so when I was young it was normal to find one lying around the house. I liked the idea of pulling this small detail into the story and having Oliver find her dad’s guitar. When I was little, I’d sometimes hear my dad playing and singing while I fell asleep at night. Again, this was a special detail to Caoine’s story that I wanted to highlight.

Next we’ll visit with sidekick, Aubree. Her bubbly personality was inspired by a good friend of mine. They look nothing alike, but I just couldn’t help but picture my friend as I wrote! *giggles* I could hear the words of Aubree in my friend’s voice, and it helped me portray her character. There’s also a reference to Aubree being a Star Wars geek. That would be my fault. #StarWarsLoversUnite

The big scene with the drama teacher actually didn’t make it into the final cut of the book. I modeled her after my own drama teacher at our public school who directed the ninth grade production of “Good Luck, Charlie Brown.” For the production we borrowed large building blocks from another school that presented the show the year before for our cast to sit on while we performed our scenes. During one rehearsal, my teacher commented that she wondered what word the previous teacher had tried to spell with the oversized building blocks. I asked if it was possible that they were just random letters. Her reply? Nothing is ever a coincidence when it comes to the drama department! Although that scene with her was changed, I wanted to use that idea in regards to the theater production at Caoine’s school, and use the play at West Lincoln High to contribute to the story of KEEN.

That’s all I’ve got for this installment of Behind the Scenes! Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about the characters that make up the world of KEEN!

 

Thanks, Laura! KEEN releases Tuesday, July 9th — and don’t forget to stop by the Facebook party on Thursday, July 11th!

You must walk the darkness to find the light.

Half-faerie Caoine has no control over the banshee lament she sings each night, predicting the death of others. A senior in a brand new high school, she expects the same response she’s received at every other school: judgment from fellow students over her unusual eyes and unnaturally white skin and hair. However, when Caoine arrives at West Lincoln High, for the first time in her life she finds friends. Real friends.

But being a teenager is never easy, especially when the star soccer player, Oliver, sets his sights on her. Allowing him to get close means revealing her curse to the human world.

She can’t let that happen.

Life spins further out of control when her lament comes out during the day, those whose death she predicts die right in front of her, and a dark faerie known only as the Unseelie prince blames Caoine by leaving her the creepiest notes ever.

Her curse is not supposed to work like that.

In a race against time, Caoine must uncover the Unseelie prince’s identity and stop a spell before it unleashes hell on earth, all while trying to control her banshee song and finding a place among her peers.

Senior year just got real.

 

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

  • Monday, July 1st, Guest Post, Katherine Vinson, www.sparksofember.wordpress.com
  • Monday, July 1st, Guest Post, Rebecca Bruner, www.rebeccabrunerauthor.com
  • Tuesday, July 2nd, Visual Post, Kellie Parker, www.kelliemichelleparker.com
  • Wednesday, July 3rd, Review, Tammera Ayers, www.beliedoutcastlegends.com
  • Thursday, July 4th, Review/Interview, Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com/fairiesfantasyfaith
  • Friday, July 5th, Interview, Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com
  • Friday, July 5th, Interview, Medomfo Owusu, www.writingsfromagodgirl.wordpress.com
  • Saturday, July 6th, BookTube Review, Gretchen Engel, www.gretchenekengel.com
  • Sunday, July 7th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com
  • Monday, July 8th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, J.M. Hackman, www.jmhackman.com
  • Tuesday, July 9th, Release-Day Feature, Laura L. Zimmerman, www.lauralzimmerman.wordpress.com
  • Wednesday, July 10th, Interview, Kelly Barr, www.kellyfbarr.com
  • Wednesday, July 10th, Review, Vincent Vezza, www.hiddentreasurenovels.com
  • Thursday, July 11th, FB Party Feature, Michele Israel Harper, www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com
  • Friday, July 12th, Review, Abigail McKenna, www.novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com

 

Release day for Encircled!

A year ago, a few of my writer friends and I were thinking of submitting fairy tale retellings to an anthology. Before we knew it, there were half a dozen of us, all with a cool idea. One of us said, “Hey, why don’t we put our own anthology together?” (Good question!) After much hard work, I’m thrilled to share Encircled with you! It’s our anthology of fairy tale retellings, each with its own special twist. And while the ebook has been available for a couple of weeks, today the paperback releases! (*cartwheel and confetti*)

Included is my story, “The Songbird’s Citadel,” a retelling of “The Nightingale” by Hans Christian Andersen.  Here’s a link to Wikipedia that shares some interesting facts about the story. I mean, Jenny Lind! Who knew, right?

We hope you pick up this book and fall in love. 🙂

Fractured Ever After + Encircled Giveaway!

The Ever Afters have teamed up with the Just-Us League to host an epic giveaway  celebrating their upcoming fairy tale anthologies! Enter for a chance to win one of FOUR sets of prizes!
Grand Prize (U.S. residents only)
– Two paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)
– Book cozy
– Slipper ornament
– 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)
– Set of four signed illustration prints
First Prize (U.S. residents only)
– Two paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)
– “Fairy tales do come true” charm bracelet
– 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)
– Set of four signed illustration prints
Second Prize (international)
– Two ebooks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)
– 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)
– Set of four signed illustration prints
Third Prize (international)
– Two ebooks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)
– Choice of 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design) *or* set of four signed illustration
prints
Link to Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e43732f74/

Here’s a little more about the books

Encircled: From crowns to curses to space capsules, a collection of fairy tale retellings.

Experience six of the world’s most beloved stories in a whole new light! From historical to futuristic, these retellings will take you to an enchanted forest, a cursed castle, and far beyond.

Uncover secrets of a forbidden basement, a hypnotic gift, and a mysterious doll. Fall in love with a lifelong friend or a brand-new crush.

Venture to unknown lands on a quest to save a prince, a kingdom, or maybe even a planet.

With moments of humor, suspense, romance, and adventure, Encircled has something to offer every fan of fairy tales, both classic and reimagined.

This anthology features stories from S.E. Clancy, Jebraun Clifford, J.M. Hackman, E.J. Kitchens, Laurie Lucking, and Tori V. Rainn.

Here are the links for preorder as well as a link for preorder goodies!
Pre-order at
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV4PJCP/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130963276
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/encircled
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1456811281
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44540764-encircled
Sign up form for pre-order goodies: https://forms.gle/PRK6HSRgUbbzQAYN7

Fractured Ever After
Old classics are fractured into exciting new tales in this international collection of magic, mystery, and adventure.
Some heroes go searching for their happily ever after: a dragon cocoon hunter explores the dangerous woods for his sleeping beauty; a prince forces a perfect romance on an unsuspecting maiden; and when a girl leaves town, she must quickly decide to trust—or be wary of—a new stranger.
Destiny is thrust upon others: a disconnected emperor struggles to retain his title; a frog prince leaves his pond in search of answers; and after Rapunzel is rescued, a new quest is awarded to her savior.
Whether it is destiny or choice, all actions have consequences: sibling rivalry pushes one little piggy to extremes and a princess must choose to follow her heart or step up as future queen.
Prepare for an adventure as these eight fantastic fairy tales transport you to places beyond your imagination.
Fractured Ever After is the Just-Us League’s seventh anthology, an illustrated collection of fractured fairy tales. It can be preordered here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q5H39GH.

A Dream Within A Dream Spotlight (& review!)

It’s been a long wait but Kristina Mahr has finally given us the second book in her duology. I loved All That We See or Seem (here’s a link to an interview I had with Kristina last year)–and I was very er, cross, when I got to the end of the book. A cliffhanger? How rude! (Not that I’ve ever done anything like that…cough, cough.) Here’s a quick blurb in case you missed this awesome story.

Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose. By day she is a lady of Acarsaid’s royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars. Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air. Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what’s real. Until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

Amazing! Anyway, book 2, A Dream Within A Dream, is out! And this cover is just as gorgeous as (if not more than) the first book. Here it is, in all it’s gorgeousness.  This story sounds so good!

Invisible to the man she loves, Reeve Lennox fights to reclaim him from a dark world.
As her wedding day nears in Acarsaid, her betrothed Arden offers only his wayward soul and saucy tongue. At night she desperately tries to reach Bran, the young soldier of nightmarish Tenebris who holds her heart. However, her king insists that the realms of Tenebris and Acarsaid must remain separate, lest the evil wizard Rancore brutally conquer all.
But the dark magic of Tenebris defies mere distance. A war is coming, one only Reeve may be able to prevent, if she can reunite her family on opposing sides.
With two kingdoms at stake, Reeve must discover her strength and her family’s legacy before all is lost. Yet righting the wrongs of the past may require the sacrifice of her truest love.

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this lovely book. Want to know what I thought?

MY REVIEW

Firstly, I must say nobody should endure a many-month wait when it comes to a cliffhanger like the one in All That We See Or Seem.  Nobody.
Ahem. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I can gush about A Dream Within A Dream. I finished it in one day (and I only had to stay up until 1:30 AM to do it. Because I wasn’t going to bed with it unfinished. Just. Wasn’t. ) ADWAD was just as lyrical, romantic, and evocative as its predecessor. My heart broke all through the book until I got to the end. I wanted more of the ending, more happily-ever-after-and-then-this-happened–to make up for the heart-wringing story. The characters were lovely and multi-layered, making it difficult to label them as “the good guy” or “the bad girl.”  One warning, though — there was some language, that wasn’t present in ATWSOS. Mild swearing doesn’t bother me, but this time it pulled me out of the story because it seemed unneccessary.  But I closed the cover with a happy sigh, so I can easily give this four and half stars. (Since the whole story is now available, buy the duology–and a box of tissues. You’ll need them.)

 

Kristina Mahr devotes her days to numbers and her nights to words. She works full-time as an accountant in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats, but her true passion is writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

You can follow her here:
Website: https://kristinamahr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kristina_Mahr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinamahr/

 

 

Exciting News: I’ve got a cover!

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It’s been awhile since I’ve had any news to share about Book Two (aka Flare) of the Firebrand Chronicles. It was submitted to the publisher, then I had to wait because other books were in the pipeline for release, then we had the holidays. Absolutely everything stops at that point, which is just as well, because it gets crazy-busy at the Hackman household in December.

Anyway, when a book is prepared for print, my publisher is thorough — I have to do three rounds of editing. I received  and completed the first round of edits, then I (recently) finished the second round. And that’s when I received the approval to share the cover with you. From the beginning, I was in love! I’ve always been impressed with Sara Helwe’s work (check her out at https://sara-helwe.com/), and she outdid herself — again! (And although Sara doesn’t know, purple is my favorite color, so I was very excited about this beautiful cover. 🙂 )

So I won’t torture you. Find a comfy chair and feast your eyes. I’ll even share the blurb with you.

 

Heartbreak. Kidnapping. Political rebellion. Best summer vacation ever.

Brenna travels to Linneah via portal to visit her boyfriend Baldwin, only to find heartbreak. Betrayal. A serious case of never, ever wanting to see him again.
Worst summer vacation ever.
So when her best friend Tiny invites her on a road trip to meet Tiny’s fiancé, Brenna jumps at the chance. Even if her mother disapproves. Even if it’s through a dangerous travel portal. Even if Tiny has never met this fiancé handpicked by her dad. Anything’s better than staying in Linneah.
But the trip disintegrates into disaster. The two friends are separated, Brenna is kidnapped, and not only are Brenna’s Firebrand skills tested to the limit, she must participate in the dangerous event, Starfall . . . or go home. Broke. Alone. With a shattered heart. So not fun.
And then as if that’s not bad enough? Brenna discovers a plot that could spell disaster for everyone she holds dear. And no one believes her.
Can she prevent a bloody government takeover? And what will become of Brenna’s broken heart?
There you go! I’m so excited (*cartwheels and confetti*) This is scheduled for a February 26 release so you have to wait a bit longer. Thanks for reading this post — enjoy your weekend!

Days of Fantasy Tour and a Giveaway!

Hi! I had plans to have this post ready first thing this morning, but I woke up feeling like I’d been flattened by a truck (a semi, not a pick-up.) My headache from yesterday followed me into today.  Then, my dreams from last night involved me running around New York City in my bathrobe with friend Sarah Delana White. (???) That must be why I’m so tired! 🙂

But despite the less-than-stellar beginning to my morning, it’s still a day to celebrate. I’m participating in the Days of Fantasy Tour with a group of exciting authors and bloggers. It kicks off today! All the juicy information on the tour can be found here.  And in case that doesn’t excite you (although I can’t imagine why not), there’s a giveaway, too, with two winners!  The winner will either win a Kindle Fire HD 8 loaded with some great e-books or a stack of print books. Go here to sign up!

Spark will be featured on December 6th. Keep your eyes peeled on social media for #FantasyforChristmas, and I’ll be sure to share the links, too.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

The Theme of Rothana: Sarah Delana White

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I’m so excited to introduce Sarah Delana White to my blog today. Her new book Rothana is the sequel to Halayda (which I read and enjoyed!) I can’t wait to get my hands on my own copy of Rothana! *grabby hands*

Did you ever wonder how authors manage to weave such fantastic themes into their stories? I’ll let Sarah address that question.

____________________________________________________________________

I never plan the themes of my books in advance. They emerge as I write, as the characters grow and make hard choices. One of the unexpected themes in Rothana was regret. I didn’t expect this to emerge so strongly, but as I delved into each character’s backstory and hidden issues, I realized most of the major characters were dealing with past failures they wished they could undo.

Sylvie feels like a failure of a queen. When events spiral out of control and she loses her throne, she feels she has let everyone down. She regrets she couldn’t help Faerie in all the ways she wanted to, but instead left the realm vulnerable to new threats. She also still carries hurts from her past in Sabellyn. She wishes she could have saved more of the changelings she adopted, and she still partly blames herself for not confronting Casimir years ago when she first realized he was scheming against Faerie.

Taylan regrets many, many things. He killed countless people and used harsh means to rule Faerie for centuries, and he is constantly haunted by this. When he is forced to deal with the darker side of his shadow-magic—the power that connects him with the fae underworld—it is all too easy for him to believe he is destined to be a monster. Taylan’s scenes in Rothana were some of the most painful I’ve ever written because he is so deeply entrenched in his terrible past and in the lies he tells himself. (All I can say is… thank goodness he has Sylvie and Diza around to keep him from wallowing TOO much!)

The one that really surprised me was Casimir. Before I wrote Rothana, I thought he was just a cold-hearted madman who delighted in trying to bend the world to his will. Guess what: he was holding out on me. A lot. In this book, we see the true motivations that lurk beneath his pompous speeches, as well as the pain that drove him to make some desperate decisions. Does he regret the choices he made in Halayda? Well, maybe… in a very Casimir way. In other words, he’s still a special bundle of special. But even villains can have regrets.

Each of these characters deals with regret in different ways, but it seeps into each of their motivations and reflects in the choices they make. The events of Rothana force them to confront their past choices and failures and choose whether to be defined by them.

So, why does Rothana deal so much with regret? Again, I don’t consciously choose the themes of my books, but I’m not really surprised this one emerged. It has always been a struggle for me to let go of past mistakes. The Star-Fae Trilogy was born during a time in my life when I felt like I’d failed in major ways, including destroying the career I’d intended to pursue lifelong (long story). It was cathartic to watch my characters wrestle with those same emotions, and I rejoiced as they began to shake off the lies that weighed them down. I hope their journeys connect with readers in the same way.

____________________________________________________________________

Thanks, Sarah! I loved hearing about this theme in Rothana.

Would you like to know more about this fantastic book? Read on….

A new queen falls. A death lord rises. An ancient foe looms in the shadows.

Sylvie Imanthiya is desperate to lead Faerie well and deepen the bond with her  husband, former king Taylan Ashkalabek. But all hope of that vanishes when the winter solstice ceremony ends in disaster, stranding her and Taylan in the Deathrealm, and stripping the kingdom from her.

With Faerie in chaos, Zad and Diza are separated once again: Zad to reconcile with an old mentor to stabilize the kingdom, and Diza to confront the nefarious Casimir in the mortal realm. But Casimir claims that a greater evil seeks to destroy both realms, an evil that Diza’s unique death magic can hold at bay—if she could only remember how.

In the Deathrealm, Taylan is succumbing to the lure of specters from his past, and pushing away Sylvie’s love. Overwhelmed by decay and darkness, Sylvie must  summon unexpected magic from the soul of Kyure to fight for her convictions and her husband’s heart.

Shadows divide them. Their friends are in peril. If Sylvie fails, her marriage and her world will fall.

Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Signed Paperback
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42637351-rothana

And don’t forget to join us for the Rothana Facebook party! There’ll be prizes, guest authors, and fun bookish information! Don’t miss it! *throws confetti*

 

 

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She’s an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes
Press. When she’s not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.