Fantasy books for Christmas? Yes please!

Can you think of anything better than more Fantasy and Sci-Fi titles to put under your Christmas tree?

Yeah, I can’t think of anything either. So hold onto your Santa hats–I joined with fifteen talented authors for a blog tour! Each day a different author and book will be featured, from now until December 19th.

My day is December 4th, where you’ll have access to a fun excerpt from Burn, book 3 from the Firebrand Chronicles. (BTW, did you know a Firebrand Chronicles box set is releasing in January?!? Woot!)

Aside from amazing books to add to your towering TBR pile, there’s also a giveaway! Want all the pretty pictures and more details? Go here!

Here’s the tour schedule:

November 29th: Launch
November 30th: R.J. Anderson – Swift
December 1st: Ralene Burke – Armor of Aletheia
December 2nd: Michelle Diener – Breakaway
December 3rd: Sandra Fernandez Rhoads – Mortal Sight
December 4th: J.M. Hackman – Burn
December 5th: Sharon Hinck – Forsaken Island
December 6th: Ronie Kendig – Dawn of Vengeance
December 7th: Carla Laureano – Oath of the Brotherhood
December 8th: Belle Malory – Deviant Descendants
December 9th: Sara Schaller – The Genesis of Seven
December 10th: Jennifer Silverwood – Stay
December 11th: Anne Wheeler – Treason’s Crown
December 12th: Melissa Wright – Between Ink and Shadows
December 13th: Morgan Wylie –  Silent Orchids
December 14th: Kristen Young – Apprentice
December 15th: Grand Finale

Hope to see you there!

 

It’s Day Seven!

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

 

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!

 

 

 

 

Narnia Giveaway!

“I don’t care how much money you have, free stuff is always a good thing.”

~Queen Latifah

 

I’ve always thought this quote was humorous. And it’s true when it comes to free Narnia stuff! This prize pack is amazing — a handy mug, a cool map (’cause I LOVE maps), a “dear heart” pendant, the entire series in a beautiful boxed set, and best of all, a replica of Peter’s sword! Gah! It might be enough to enter just for the sword alone (yes, I’m absolutely jealous of whoever wins this giveaway — can’t help it. #sorrynotsorry)

So go to this link and enter. Good luck!

Inspiration for “The Greatest Adventure” (and a GIVEAWAY!)

The Fellowship of Fantasy has released their fourth anthology, Tales of Ever After! I was thrilled to discover my short story, “The Greatest Adventure,” was accepted for this book, especially since it takes place in the same world as my debut novel Spark, just at a much, much earlier time.

“The Greatest Adventure” features the famous Firebrand Aideen Siriol. If you’ve read Spark, maybe the name sounds familiar. Two-thirds of the way through Spark, Brenna James receives Aideen’s sword when she needs it the most. Its hilt is set with beautiful Fire Diamonds, gathered during Aideen’s greatest adventure. After writing that little piece of information, I nodded in satisfaction and forgot about it.

But as time went on, I realized the reader might want to know more. So what happened during Aideen’s greatest adventure? Good question. I had no idea, but I began writing anyway. I assumed this would be a short filler piece. Surprisingly, it grew longer and longer. Hmm, this wasn’t a simple flash fiction story.

While I wrote, I also grappled with another question: what would the greatest adventure look like for Aideen? While others like to jump out of perfectly good airplanes or swim with sharks, I’m a homebody. I’m content to go on hikes in the mountains and watch sunsets. Not exactly high-octane adventure. But the most exciting adventures of my life have been emotional ones—falling in love.

Adventures of the heart are exciting no matter the gender, and I wanted Aideen and the slave Rivka to experience it. I added some enchanted stones, as well as a few dragons, and came up with a new fairy tale that was a lot of fun to write. I enjoyed spending more time in my created world of The Jasper Territory — and I hope the reader enjoys it, as well.

More about Tales of Ever After:

Rescue a princess, meet a mermaid, win your reward.

The authors of the Fellowship of Fantasy tackle fairy tales from once upon a time to happily ever after. Explore twists on old tales and brand new magical stories. Meet feisty mermaids, friendly lampposts, and heroes who just might be monsters themselves.

This fourth anthology from the Fellowship of Fantasy will lead you on a quest for entertainment and storm the castle of your imagination. So make a wish and enter the deep dark woods to find stories that will make you laugh, shiver, and maybe even fall in love.

Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Ever-After-Fellowship-Anthology-ebook/dp/B07FFMHM8M/

Books2Read Universal Link: https://www.books2read.com/u/bwYKry

Goodreads Listing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40788623-tales-of-ever-after

Would you like to learn more about these fantastic stories? Follow this link to find the blog tour schedule.

And finally would you like the chance to win a prize or two?

For our US readers, follow this link to win a paperback book (possibly signed by the author!)

and for our International fans, follow this link to win an ebook in your format choice.

The person who leaves the most comments across the blog tour will receive the chance to read special sneak peaks from several of the authors’ upcoming works!

 

 

 

 

Back to School Giveaway!

The weather will be turning cold soon (if it hasn’t already where you are). Cold weather always makes me want to cuddle up with a fuzzy throw, my hot beverage of choice, and a great book.  I can’t think of anything I like more than great books (except for maybe dark chocolate — just sayin’.) So, I’m excited to share this giveaway with you. And it’s really easy to enter!

The Back to School Book Giveaway runs from Sept 26 – October 15 and has FIVE winners! Each winner will receive 10 YA fantasy  novels each — Spark will be in one of those bundles.  Click the Rafflecopter link below, and then follow the link to sign up for my newsletter, True North Tales (I’m number 38 on the list.) That’s it!

If you want more chances to win you can Like some other authors on Facebook or sign up for their newsletters, as well.  Good luck!

Enter here!

 

 

Interview with Carrie Anne Noble … and a Giveaway!

Today on Jilligan’s Island, our guest of honor is Carrie Anne Noble, author of The Mermaid’s Sister and The Gold-Son. She’s graciously offered to give away a signed copy of The Gold-Son! But first I took the time to ask Carrie a few questions.

J: Welcome, Carrie! Summer is here, so what are you reading now?

C: I’m currently rereading The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. What can I say about this incredible book? It’s YA with dangerous mythical horses that surge out of the sea, a girl bent on saving her family home, a boy determined to win his beloved water-horse, a little romance, a heart-pounding climax, and lovely prose. Sigh.

J: I’ll confess I’ve never read that one, but I’ll have to pick it up from the library. I know The Mermaid’s Sister was well received (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winner for Young Adult Fiction), but how long did you write before you became published?

C: Although I’ve always enjoyed writing, I didn’t start taking it seriously until about twelve years ago. I wrote my first complete (and completely horrible) novel in 2008. The Mermaid’s Sister (my fifth attempt at a novel) was published in 2015.

J: We’re glad that fifth attempt was published! So, what are your go-to writing resources that could help aspiring authors?

C: I highly recommend the Writing Excuses podcast, any of Jeff Gerke’s writing books (especially The First 50 Pages and Hack Your Reader’s Brain), and the YouTube video series of Brandon Sanderson’s university course on writing science fiction and fantasy. All of these resources teach valuable skills without boring you silly.

J: I agree, Jeff Gerke’s books are excellent! What’s your favorite part of writing?

C: I like the revising stage, when I have a completed story to shape and polish. I write rather sparsely in the first draft, so it’s fun to go back later and expand on sights, sounds, smells, and emotional experiences.

J: Does your writing space help in this regard? What does it look like?

C: I have a little, slant-ceilinged, upstairs office painted green and silvery-gray, decorated with mementos from childhood, a collection of hedgehogs (including a real live one I’m babysitting for an exchange student who’s in Europe), drawings done by my kids, and various things that inspire me. There are lots of Post-it notes and pens scattered about. My window looks out on a lovely maple tree and grassy fields, so I can stare at nature while I daydream and plot.

J: That sounds wonderful. Does writing energize you or exhaust you?

C: It energizes me in a way that makes my kids roll their eyes—because I get very loopy and silly when I’m deeply involved in a project. I try to behave in front of strangers, but I did have my son help me act out a fight scene in front of my other son’s new girlfriend once last fall. She wasn’t half as disturbed as he was.

J: That’s too funny! Do you do any other creative activities other than writing?

C: I enjoy baking and sewing. It doesn’t happen often, but I really love creating costumes (and wearing them!).

J: Ooh, I’d love to see pictures of some of your creations. I have a few questions about The Gold-Son. Where did you get the idea for this book?

C: One morning six years ago, I was gazing out the window and saw the bearded gentleman who strolls past my house daily with his walking stick and faithful dog. For some reason I thought to myself, What if he’s really a leprechaun looking for a place to bury his gold?  I let that question ferment in my imagination until autumn, when I wrote the first version of The Gold-Son as my National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) project.

J: What made you select this setting?

C:The leprechauns made me do it! They needed to be in Ireland at the beginning, since that’s their homeland. I chose the small town Pennsylvania setting for the second part of the story because it was fun to plop a leprechaun into my personal corner of the world.

J: Hmm, I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for leprechauns then. 🙂 What’s the theme of this story? Why did you choose it?

C: I usually don’t consciously choose themes ahead of writing the story, but in retrospect I’d say the major theme of The Gold-Son is “don’t let your circumstances dictate who you become and how you act, but instead choose to do what’s right and to be the very best version of yourself.”

J: That’s a great message to share with readers. Did you ever consider any other titles for this manuscript? Or was this your first choice?

C: Back in 2011, the original title was The Leprechaun’s Penny. Another version was called To Catch a Leprechaun. My last working title was Once A Leprechaun. In the end, my publisher chose The Gold-Son—which I really like. They wanted to avoid having “leprechaun” in the title because they didn’t want potential readers to expect a cheesy leprechaun tale (i.e. Lucky Charms guy frolicking about at rainbow’s end and giggling).

J: Good point! Finally, what’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned while writing this story?

C: The inestimable value of a good editor! Although Marianna Baer was previously my developmental editor for The Mermaid’s Sister, this experience was totally different. This time, she pushed me so much harder to be a better writer, rejecting every cliché and every bit of lazy storytelling she found. It was grueling  work ( I admit I shouted at the computer monitor on numerous occasions), but I came out on the other side feeling like I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a writer and as a person—all because she demanded more from me than I knew I could do. I’m grateful beyond description for all Marianna did for The Gold-Son and me.

J: Thanks so much for sharing with us, Carrie!

Below are Carrie’s social media sites, so drop by and say hi. Also, I have the beautiful cover of The Gold-Son. Don’t leave without signing up for the giveaway!

More about the Author:

In the wake of her thrilling past as a theater student, restaurant hostess, certified nurse aide, and newspaper reporter, Carrie Anne Noble has turned to writing novels and short stories. Her debut novel The Mermaid’s Sister won the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for Young Adult Fiction, and the 2016 Realm Award for Speculative Novel of the Year. Carrie lives in the mountains of Pennsylvania with her tolerant husband, charming children, two naughty cats, a not-so-bright dog, and some really-not-so-bright chickens. The chickens do not live in the house.

You can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.carrienoble.com/

Blog: http://www.carrienoble.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8192911.Carrie_Anne_Noble

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieAnneNoble/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/noblebat

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/13hedgehogs/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieannenoble7/

Enter the giveaway for a signed copy of The Gold-Son here!