Hi reader friends! Sorry for my absence the last couple weeks, but I’ve been crazy busy with life and writing and all of that stuff. I promise I’ll be getting back to talking all things books and reading next month!
But today, I have a super special cover reveal for you, one I’m super excited about for a book that’s been in the works for years. A couple years ago, I entered a Snow White retelling competition, and so I wrote a story with an ice mermaid Snow White. My story wasn’t selected, but it was picked as a finalist!
After much editing and releasing six other novellas first, I finally am in the home stretch to give you this story! I don’t know about you, but I love a good mermaid book! (I’ll share some of my favorites next month)
Let’s take a quick look about the book itself.
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Sometimes the frozen heart doesn’t melt…
Mermaid princess Iclyn finally inherited her magic and hopes it will bring a closer relationship with her distant stepmother. But those hopes melt away when the king departs on a diplomatic mission, leaving her alone with Queen Hali—and under the queen’s influence. Hali takes the opportunity to enchant Iclyn with illegal dark sorcery, sending her to her death. But instead of killing her, the would-be assassin delivers her safely away from the city and out into the ocean, alone.
With only a map to a potential safe haven, thought to be nothing more than a myth, Iclyn must find her way without the comfort and protection she had always known and learn how to use her newly born magic. But the queen’s plans are bigger than Iclyn, and if Iclyn can’t stop her, not only her life will be forfeit. The life of the king—and perhaps all of Iclyn’s people—will fall under the queen’s cold rule.
This coming-of-age retelling of Snow White was a finalist in the Rooglewood Press Five Poison Apples contest and is part of the Seasons of Magic standalone novellas series. If you love mermaids and the ocean, found family, and powerful women, you will love Selina J. Eckert’s enchanting tale.
Hello everyone! Today I have something really special to share with you: a cover reveal for my dear friend, Ann Dayleview!
Ann writes fantasy stories with spunky heroines, intense plots, and smoking romance, and her debut is coming up this April with A Tale of Ashes, the first in her Tales of Fairy series. This book is a YA urban fantasy and features an assortment of magical creatures, including a powerful fae ex-boyfriend, a bestie dating a vampire, a werewolf, and a myriad of other creatures to make the world truly fascinating and exciting to read.
Guys, I had the distinct pleasure of helping with some proofing and beta reading of this story, and it is truly a fantastic book!
Let’s build some suspense and learn more about it.
Across the country, human teens are going missing, and all eyes are turning to the fae.
Seventeen-year-old Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy. When humans disappear on campus, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump-start her journalism career. While the public blame the fae, Freddie wants facts. If she’s going to get published, she’ll need to find out who or what is behind these disappearances.
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. His new mission gives him the opportunity he’s longed for. But when Freddie snoops into his life, he questions if revenge is worth the price of his freedom.
Lured by her suspicions and distracted by his curiosity, Freddie and Aiden form a tenuous bond. But as their feelings for one another grow, so does the danger. Every clue points to Aiden as the kidnapper, and as his enemies close in, Freddie must make a choice: turn against him or fight for a relationship doomed to fail.
Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
Okay, okay. I know what you want. Here’s the beautiful, amazing cover by Jessica Pierce at Parker Book Design! *drumroll*
She’s hunting the story of a lifetime. But she’s not the only one stalking in the dark.
Isn’t it AMAZING?!
Anyway, you can preorder your copy pretty much wherever books are sold, like here. You can also add it to Goodreads or visit Ann’s website for more information!
About Ann Dayleview
Ann Dayleview writes fantasy novels which aim to transport the reader to worlds unlike any other. She reads any young adult and middle grade fantasy novel she can get her hands on. Her writing is often inspired by the wild assortment of music she listens to as well as her travels into different countries and cultures.
In addition to writing, Ann loves spending time with her two dogs, baking all the sweet things, and bringing awareness about taking care of your mental health. She lives in Pennsylvania with her ever rotating collection of books she lugs from place to place.
I know, I know. I’m slow. It’s been a year and a half since This Cursed Flame came out. But I really wanted to be sure I had something special for you! And believe me, it was a lot of work. I rewrote this beast from the ground up and completely changed a lot of what the story had been when I originally wrote it… 7 years ago.
Yeah. The first draft was 7 years old. Crazy!
I think you’re really going to like the results of this rewrite, though. Let me tell you a little more about this story.
First off, while your favorite characters from This Cursed Flame are here, they take a back seat to the new story and new characters (but don’t worry… they are back in book 3!). In This Cursed Shadow, we meet Lacey, a Jenari (part human, part djinn) with aspirations of being a magical archaeologist and finding her lost father, and Senka, a Soul Shadow Guardian, or a creature made of light and shadows tasked with protecting the citizens of the Shadow Realm.
Here’s the official blurb:
Sometimes the darkest shadows lie within.
Senka, a Shadow made of light and dark, is finally a Guardian of the Shadow Realm, years after her parents were killed by the same deadly creatures now trapped there by the djinn. But when the creatures ambush her on one of her first days on the job, she finds herself with a fatal curse, and decaying barriers eject her from her home—threatening to release hordes of the shadow-creatures right along with her. Her only choice is to find the one person who might be able to reverse the curse and get her home in time to warn the other Shadows of the impending disaster.
Lacey, granddaughter of the great Ghadir, has been living among the humans with her brother since the Candrani revolted and plunged the Djinn Realm into chaos. When her mother, still in the Realm, suddenly stops answering Lacey’s calls, Lacey is desperate to bring her to safety. But when Lacey returns to the Realm, she finds a world far different from the one she had left years before.
Escaped shadow-creatures attack Lacey, and Senka comes to the rescue, thwarting everything Lacey had ever been taught to fear about Shadows. Then, news of a once-lost Shadow artifact reaches them—an artifact capable of leading them straight to the man who can save Senka and maybe even to Lacey’s missing father. But a power-hungry djinn official, Auretta, is determined to hide the most powerful artifacts to steal control of the Realm for herself. With time running out, can they escape Auretta in time to stop the wards from breaking?
Or will Auretta succeed in destroying everything?
So are you ready for the cover now? Let’s see it with the previous covers!
Isn’t it GORGEOUS??? Savannah over at Dragonpen Designs made another wonderful addition to this series!
You know what else is pretty great? The book will be here on December 20, and This Cursed Light (the prequel starring everyone’s favorite shapeshifting wild cat) is now FREE on all platforms!
I’m also setting This Cursed Flame at a special pre-release sale price of $1.99, so be sure to check back to see when that goes live (I’m currently waiting for the price change to be approved). It will be on sale all the way through Christmas! This is a great time for those of you who haven’t read it yet to pick it up and give it a read before TCS comes out!
Here are all the links you need (pending approval for some of them, so check back later if they don’t all work yet):
Get This Cursed Light on Amazon or other retailers for FREE! (as of the time of this post)
Pick up This Cursed Flame on Amazon or other retailers on sale! (please check for the sale price of $1.99 before purchasing, otherwise full price is $3.99)
Pre-order This Cursed Shadow on Amazon or other retailers! (There will be a paperback, but you’ll have to check back closer to the release date as I work on formatting and checking a proof copy!)
Thanks for reading this far, and we’ll chat closer to the release date about this story again. Until then, stock up on these deals, catch up, and enjoy!
Guys, it’s time! I don’t have an official buy link for you yet, but I am ready to share the beautiful cover of Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks with you!
But first, the blurb.
When fate comes knocking, feed it pie!
Reese was never a risk-taker…that is, until she quit her job to open a bakery serving magical pies from her home. Now, she has the opportunity of a lifetime to win a contract with the visiting Autumn Court. But when two troublesome Fae appear on her doorstep, determined to find a mate for their prince, Reese’s life is thrown into chaos, and she begins to question every choice she has made. Can she learn to take a risk on her new life, despite the troubles around her? Or will the mischief of the Fae drive her business into ruin–forcing her to move back in with her parents? This light and entertaining tale is inspired by Hansel & Gretel and is a perfect way to celebrate the autumn season.
Savannah once again did a beautiful job catching Reese as I imagined her. I love the whimsy and fun I can feel in this title, and I feel like it fits with the story perfectly!
Let’s take a look at how Savannah put it all together:
Just, wow. From a florist and a cat in a basket to a baker, a magic pie, and adorable little Nutmeg!
Okay, okay. Since we’re talking treats, and it IS October now, how about a little taste of Nutmeg herself?
Don’t forget to add it to Goodreads, and keep an eye out for the official release link!
Okay, I know I’ve been slow to share the helpful articles lately, but there have been so many good things to share, and today is no exception!
It’s finally time to reveal the cover for the first Seasons of Magic: Fireflies & Faeries retelling. This book is a novella-length retelling of Rapunzel, set in a Mesoamerica-inspired setting, right at the heart of a jungle mountain. You will find yourself plunked down in the middle of a small village, in a hut with Quri and her shaman-teacher, Chuki, right before a very sick neighboring prince is dropped at their doorstep.
How about a little teaser?
Shaman-in-training Quri only knows her master’s hut…until the neighboring prince arrives, showing her what life could be. Now, she must defy her master, risking all she’s known, to be free. This sweet and exciting retelling of Rapunzel will have you asking what you would do for your freedom.
Okay, okay, enough procrastinating. Here’s the beautiful gorgeous amazing cover, once again designed by Dragonpen Designs!
Without further ado… *drumroll*
*sparkle sparkle sparkle*
This beauty is now up for pre-order, or you can add it to your Goodreads list! It will be released on August 17, just in time to wind down the summer and get ready to go back to school, just like Quri is learning her own lessons.
How about a peak at how Savannah came up with the cover? Check it out!
So amazing how we start with two completely different images to get this gorgeous design. I’m in love! And, of course, SPARKLES!
Don’t forget to pre-order your copy, and I can’t wait for you to meet Quri and Sumaq!
H.L. Burke’s new book comes out soon…check out her awesome cover!
Today I have another upcoming release for you, this one from the very talented H. L. Burke! I’ve seen her talking about this so much over the past few months, and I am so excited to read it when it releases.
Anyway, before the cover, here’s the blurb:
The secret lies with the Heart.
Born with a magical knack for manipulating emotions, Leodora’s only dream is to ensure her talented little sister dances on the biggest, brightest stage in the Republic: The Curiosity, a grand old theater of tradition and innovation. After escaping a cruel carnival, Leo secures her sister a place in the Curiosity’s chorus line, and herself a job as a professional audience member, swaying the crowd’s mood with her magic. The girls have a home for the first time in their lives.
Then a tragic accident darkens the theater. A greedy businessman begins blackmailing Leo, and financial woes threaten to close the show forever. The Curiosity’s sole hope lies in a mythical power source hidden beneath the maze-like passages and trapdoors of the theater—the Heart. And Leo’s only friend Paxton, nephew of the theater’s stagemistress, is the key to finding it.
While Leo and Paxton hunt for the Heart, the blackmailer’s threats loom larger. Mysterious figures, cryptic clues, and deadly traps hinder the search at every turn. If the friends cannot recover the Heart in time, Leo and her sister will be cast out of the only home they’ve ever known, and the final curtain will fall on The Curiosity.
Enter a world reminiscent of The Greatest Showman, with a puzzle worthy of Sherlock Holmes and National Treasure, in this new Steampunk Fantasy from H. L. Burke.
And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for.
You can find this book in all your favorite places…including an autographed copy from the author herself! It will be out on June 27th.
Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
Hi friends! I have a another special, not-regularly-scheduled post for you today. Today we are celebrating the cover reveal and upcoming release of Kandi Wyatt’s middle grade fantasy, An Unexpected Escapade! And make sure you read all the way to the bottom for a scavenger hunt clue, the cover, and an excerpt!
Here’s a little bit about it:
Protect friendship, family or a creature that’s not supposed to exist?
Ana and Daisy have been friends since third grade, but a rift in the space-time continuum in their little town may change that. When a unicorn waltzes into the pasture with Daisy’s appaloosas, a poacher, who will stop at nothing to gain the unicorn horn and its healing tears, shows up. Daisy is focused on saving the unicorn while Ana’s parents face sudden life-threatening health issues. When Ana learns about the healing tears, she’s forced to choose between friendship and her family’s health.
Can the girls find the grace to compromise and save Ana’s parents and the unicorn?
Sounds amazing! And if you’re still not sold on that summary, how about a little taste of what you’ll find inside?
Daisy frowned. Usually, the horses waited for her by the barn. The drought this summer had left little grass in the pasture, and Daisy’d resorted to supplementing the horses’ feed with hay. By the end of the day, the mares were eager for their extra food, so where were they? She squinted into the fading light, catching a glimpse of speckled white rumps down by the woods. With a shrug, she hopped the fence and moved toward them, whistling.
Once she was close enough to see the horses more clearly, she realized that instead of two horses, there were three! Daisy rubbed her eyes and looked again. Sure, enough there was a third mare, but how in the world had it entered the pasture?
“G-ginger? R-root?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
None of them moved. Daisy knew enough about the creatures to not approach a strange horse lightly. Aside from the dangers it posed in itself, a herd initiating a new member could have physical confrontations as they established the new pecking order—something she would not want to be in the middle of. But she also knew that any trepidation she felt would transfer to the animals, so she took a firm grip on her own fear before she stepped forward.
“Easy, girls. Who do we have here?” In the dim light she recognized Ginger’s distinctive spots and laid her hand on her horse’s rump. She felt the shiver of Ginger’s skin at her touch.
Daisy moved toward Ginger’s head, running her hands firmly along her coat and keeping up a soft litany of soothing words. Feet shifted beside her, and Daisy looked up to see Root, placing her other hand on the mare’s back. That left the stranger in front of her.
At that moment, the moon broke over the mountains to the east, shining brightly on the newcomer. The white coat glowed in the moonlight. Daisy blinked and shook her head, breath catching in her chest, while her hands moved of their own accord up to Ginger’s and Root’s halters. She stared. It had to be a hoax! Out of the horse’s forehead protruded a wondrous horn, equally beautiful and impossible.
Okay, okay, enough suspense. Here’s the beautiful cover for this adventure with heart!
And if you looked closely, you may also have noticed that this is book 2 of the Myth Coast Adventures. Well, it turns out that you can also get book 1 on sale for only $0.99 from March 11-18. If you want to start from the beginning, sales are definitely the best time to do that! You can buy the book here.
Giveaway Scavenger Hunt!
Remember how I said this post is part of a blog tour with a scavenger hunt? Well, here’s the info!
First, here is your clue! (And if you are having trouble figuring out what’s in the picture, let me just tell you how much I love the smell and taste of cranberries in the fall and winter!)
Visit all the blogs participating in the cover reveal to gather all the clues and win a prize, a felted unicorn and unicorn charms!
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.
Selina J. Eckert 