Comments and Doom

 So, I walked away for a little bit and some crazy things started happening in the comments for the blog.  There were literally thousands of unnecessary, piggyback comments.  For the sake of my sanity (I could not read through all of them) all the comments for the last few years have been deleted and, from now on, comments will be moderated.  I'm sorry to all of you whose comment was genuine and in the spirit of things.  This is why we can't have nice things.

Songs of the Deep Cover Reveal

 

Behold!  A forthcoming anthology that I am part of!  

SONGS OF THE DEEP

Once long ago, women were believed to be bad luck if on ships. A belief that led to their demise at the hands of men.

Once thrown over, they drowned or, in some cases, saved by the God of the Sea. Granted a new life under the waves, these women could seek revenge and second chances. As times changed, any who found death under the waves could find themselves turned to life as a mermaid - or merman.   That is where Songs of the Deep begins. With death, magic, and revenge.  

Preorder link: http://books2read.com/songsofthedeep

Genre: PNR and UF

Dive under the waves with 24 tales of mermaid magic.

Tides of Chaos by USA Today Bestselling Author D.C. Gomez

Tides of Time by USA Today Bestselling Author Lexi Ostrow 

A Rising Tide by USA Today Bestselling Author Nicole Zoltack

Weight of Water by USA Today Bestselling Author Elle Cross

Turning the Tide by USA Today Bestselling Heather Young-Nichols & USA Today Bestselling J.A. Hardt

Deep Sea Dream by USA Today Bestselling Author Thea Dane

Mermaid's Tail by Award-Winning Author Tami Lund

In too Deep by International Bestselling Author Nikki Prince

Ivory Cove by Jordan Elizabeth

Serena’s Song by Tiffany Shand

Cut the Line by A.L. Davroe

Siren Song by Melissa MacKinnon

A Dark Tail by Cara North

A Break in the Tide by Alessa Winters

Song of Storms by Casia Pickering

Kintsugi Unbroken by Marie Catherine

…And More!

Upcoming Releases!

 Good morning!

I wanted to keep you abreast of all the comings and goings of my productivity this year!

1. I'm rolling a number of aforementioned and existing series titles into the Dark Covenant Universe.  The stories have always taken place in the same world (Dark Covenant), I just called them something different to make them more distinct.  However, I've decided it may be less confusing for readers to follow the various storylines if they're all part of the same series title with some qualifiers at the end.  At this time, the Dark Covenant Universe books will all say "Dark Covenant" and then the distinctive storylines will follow that title: IE Dark Covenant Retellings, Dark Covenant Protectorship, Dark Covenant Waymaker, etc.

2. I will have a limited release in the new Literary Love Savannah "Stacks" anthology.  If you are not attending, it will be released after the event as an ebook download.  This will be a short story taking place in my Dark Covenant Universe and will be a lynch-pin piece.

3. I'm working with a cover artist to do a new cover for FOR YOUR HEART.  I'm also re-editing and making some adjustments to the book so it will be a new edition with some changes to align more with the world it's part of and the changing times.

4. Besides the LLS anthologies, I'm participating in two more anthologies in 2023 and 3 in 2024.  The 2023 Songs of the Deep Anthology - which is all about mermaids - seems to be the one we're putting the most effort into so there will be a cover reveal and all sorts of release goodies, so stay tuned for that.  I'll also be independently releasing that story once the anthology has run its course.  I've already got the cover for it!

5.  After sitting on a number of finished novels for a couple of years, I'm just gonna release them.  So, get ready for some Dark Covenant novels in the near future!  Dark Entry Guard and Scar-Crossed are in the works!

6.  I have not forgotten Tales of Turin.  The final story is in the works, it just got back burnered because I wanted to make sure I got all my anthology requirements out of the way before I worked on it.  I'm hoping to have it out by 2023.  If you haven't yet, make sure you check out all three tales which are available via print, ebook, and audiobook.  Once everyone is released there will be an omnibus version you can purchase.

7.  I haven't forgotten about City Steam either, I'm just tweaking some shorts for that world to make them more appropriate for where I want the series to go.  Once these are done I'm planning on releasing an omnibus collection.  I do have a novel I've been writing (for like, ever) in this world.  My plan is to try and shop this novel around to NY when it's done as I feel it will do well in the market.

8.  People have been asking about the Tricksters series.  At this time, there are no plans for more novels in this series.  The contract for this series was for two books and the publisher has not indicated wanting more at this time.  Maybe one day, but right now my focus isn't on this world and I'm not sure when it will be again.  I am planning more sci-fi and post-apocalyptic for you in the future but it's gonna be a little wait.

9.  People are also asking about more "They" books.  Ya'll just love how horrific my mind can get, you gluttons.  There is one I'm working on, but obviously I do like 12 things all at one time and it takes forever to finish anything - especially horror because it takes a special kind of mindset to go here.  The Murder of Juniper Hayes is coming, I swear it, it's just a little more high concept and complicated.  I even have the cover for it already... You'll also get Strands of Souls at some point too - these are both plotted and somewhere in the works.

10.  Finally, I've been playing in a witchy sandbox and I've got most of a new witch book written for you.  I'm not sure about the timeline on that but it's there and also folds into the Dark Covenant Universe.

NEXIS Debut on KISS App Giveaway

I'm happy to announce that Entangled and I have enrolled NEXIS to be available for reading on the KISS app and it debuts today!  In honor of this exciting release, KISS and I are teaming up to give four lucky readers 20 coins each so that they can use them to read something amazing on the KISS app.  

See below to enter!

In case you're not familiar with the KISS app, here's the skinny:

• KISS is a new and exciting way to experience Romance stories of all genres. Enjoy serialized quality content from NYT and USA Today bestselling authors, available right from your phone.

• KISS has hundreds of titles and authors to choose from, including new and exclusive content from some of your favorite voices!
• Best of all, you can choose just how much to read with our pay-as-you-go format!

Wanna download and get started?

• IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kiss-read-write-romance/id1508942129
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stardust.kissreader&hl=en_US&gl=US

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Monday Muse: STARSET - MANIFEST (Official Music Video)

When I first heard this song, I was obsessed (and I still am).  I'd never heard of Starset, but the song was super compelling to me.  Enough that I had to watch the video.  And oh, what SF goodness it is!  A little more research told me the lead singer was a total nerd (also all kinds of eye candy and super smart).  Obviously, that meant I needed to see them in real life.  Lucky for me, they came to CT in October 2019.  The place where they played (The Webster) is a crud hole in the worst part of Hartford.  BUT, the show was friggin' amazing.  The special effects were awesome, the theme was super cool, there were kick butt backup ladies playing stringed instrument, the costumes were literally out of this world, plus it was interactive -- you could scan QR codes all over the walls to see neat videos associated with the album.  The opening bands were pretty unique and fantastic as well.  One of the best concerts I've ever been to, hands down.  It made leaving the venue to find out that my brand new car had been broken into kind of worth it...

Monday Muse: Ciara - Paint It, Black

Okay, "Paint it, Black" is a kick a$$ song to begin with, but can we please talk about how absolutely sexy and haunting this cover is?  Sorry Stones, but Ciara took a lyrically amazing song, gave it length and gravitas, and turned it into something that makes me wanna witch dance around a bonfire.  It's chilling and totally inspiring!

Monday Muse: Delta Rae - "The Dark"

If any of you have been paying attention, you know that I LOVE Delta Rae.  They are often featured on Monday Muse and songs of theirs are on numerous "inspiration" playlists for my writing.  It should come as no surprise that when they went Indie and put up a Kickstarter I backed it.  The idea was simple, two sister albums -- The Light and The Dark -- released at different points in time.  Well, The Dark album dropped this week and, like all of their well timed music, I needed to hear it.  I think you all need it in your lives too, so here you go.

MY FIRST AUDIOBOOK!!!

I FINALLY GOT AN AUDIOBOOK.

This was a long time coming but certainly needed to be done as I have people asking me all the time about whether I'm in audiobook.  I'm a huge fan of audiobooks myself, so I definitely felt I was missing a section of my readership without one and it killed me that my contract for the Tricksters series makes if difficult to get them into audiobook.  For the time being, my self-published work is what I'll be focusing on for audiobook.

That said, I chose ROYAL REVOLUTION (Tales of Turin) -- my latest release -- to be the first of my audiobooks.  It's novelette length, so it's an easy sampler for both my work as well as something that's not a hard dedication for listeners.  The fabulous Joshua Macrae is the narrator and I'm probably going to keep him on for at least the rest of the Tales of Turin.  Once I'm done with the Tales of Turin releases I think I'll circle back to the City Steam world and maybe get a few of those into audiobook as well.

So, if you wanna try one of my books on audio, here you go, enjoy!!!

Monday Muse: Ayron Jones -- Take me Away

I am bringing back Monday Muse on a semi-routine basis.  I've been awful at posting for you lovely folx and I think you all deserve better than that!  I've been discovering all kinds of fun music this year and I should share it, right!?  Jury is still out on Feature Friday, but you'll probably be getting routine personal posts from me.

So, here's an amazing artist that I discovered this year.  Ayron Jones.  Holy Hannah, can we talk about this gent's voice, please?  Since my long silence I've been going back to my rock roots and getting REALLY into soulful blues.  Ayron hits all the right buttons for my music needs these days.  Listening to this song I can close my eyes and imagine myself sitting in a bar on Bourbon or Beale street.  Low lighting, heads nodding, guitars and signed posters mounted on the walls, sweaty beverage forgotten on the table...

Fully admit to *almost* publicly proposing to Ayron based on voice alone.  But, I was smart and looked him up first...He's married, so I wish him all the best of luck for a healthy happy relationship and family instead!  XD

The Revolution is Upon Us!

Happy 2021!  We're not over the pandemic, but I think we're starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  What a cruddy year 2020 was...  But, as some of you know, the pandemic has had one upside:  I started writing again!

I've been working on MANY different projects here and there.  As you know, I always work on ten projects at once and it takes me a while to actually finish any of them. 

However, I DID finish a new dark fantasy novelette called Royal Revolution for an LLS2020 exclusive anthology called The Queen Collection.  I have self published this novelette and it's available in e-book and print starting today through Amazon.  You'll be able to get this as an AUDIOBOOK in February.  It's the first of my work to be an audiobook and I'm really happy with how it came out!

I haven't put anything out in quite a few years so I hope you love this character and the world she lives in. :)  I'll be in two more anthologies this coming year and my intent is to self-publish those pieces as well.

HUGE sale!

Hi Everyone!  Long time no speak, but guess what?  I'm writing again!!! (I know, right?  FINALLY!)  Look for Royal Revolution my new adult novelette this August...

In the meantime...The publisher of Nexis and Redux is having a huge sale on all their YA books.  Pick up mine if you haven't gotten them yet or pick from hundreds of other options to keep your summer thirst quenched! The sale runs until July 19 so get it while it's hot!

Go here to browse: https://www.pinterest.com/EntangledTeen/entangled-teen-sale/?autologin=true

Where in the World is A.L. Davroe?!

As I'm sure some of you have noticed, I've been very quiet/not around on social media in general for quite a while. 

Some of you may know that I went through some intense things a few years ago.  I never took the time to mentally care for myself and rebuild my personal life after that happened.  Instead, I buried myself in my author persona and my writing.  That eventually caught up with me and it made the release of REDUX very difficult to get through.  I ended up burning out my muse and no longer loving the thing that got me through some of the toughest times in my life.

Directly on the tail end of the release of REDUX, my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to go through some intense brain surgery.  My mother and I are all we've got, so it was a rough time for me. 

Right after that, I got sick and needed some minor surgery too (I'm still working through it, but I'm hoping that my immune system will eventually kick in and do what needs to be done). 

...I also started Grad school while still having a full time job.

Needless to say, I've been super busy and haven't had much time to even take the time to let you all know what's going on and I'm sorry for that.

So, the long and short of it is that I'm not going to be putting anything out for a while and I'm not sure when I will be able to again.  However, I hope that one day I can come back as A.L. Davroe refreshed and better than ever.  I'll still be doing one or two events a year, just to keep my toe in the pond, but they'll be pretty limited.  Also, I will continue to be absent from social media as I restructure my personal life and work on healing my mind and body.

I thank you all for your friendship, readership, and support -- you rock!!!

Feature Friday: Dana Perry

Dana Perry is an undergraduate student at Tufts University, where she’s pursuing a degree in biology. She grew up in Bethany, Connecticut, where she had an unlimited area of woods to roam and trees to climb. When not in class, Dana most likely has her nose buried in a book about the supernatural. Ascendence is her first published work.




Interview:
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Dana:
I think one of the most important things to remember when writing a long-term project is to not limit yourself by constantly doubting your work. Trust me, every word is useful, even if it won’t have a place in the final work. I’ve written some pretty unintelligible stuff while up waaay past my bedtime, but come morning, revising those scribbles kept the ball rolling and helped fight writer’s block.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Dana:
Kelley Armstrong’s The Gathering blew me out of the water. I must admit, it’s been a few years since I’ve last read it, but it was phenomenal. Some combination of the setting (a teeny-tiny Canadian town settled deep in the woods), the strong protagonist, and the awesome mountain-lion-centric mythology had me so well hooked that I read it straight through the night on the day I got it, only to fall asleep and dream about it before waking up and picking it right back up again.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for Ascendence?  Any reason for the unique spelling of the title?

Dana:
I love any sort of book involving the paranormal, but I’ve found that a lot of them start with their protagonist in the dark as to the supernatural. I thought it might be fun to play with a main character who knew a little too much for her own good, and everything else followed! As for the title, spelling Ascendence with an ‘e’ is less popular than with an ‘a’, but for some reason, I felt like spelling it with an ‘e’ gave the word a little bit more of a spine (no pun intended!), rather than a lighter, more effervescent feel.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing Ascendence?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Dana:
My biggest snag was time management. I was in high school when I wrote Ascendence, so sometimes it was a bit tough to set aside a decent chunk of time to just sit down and write. Thankfully, I have an awesome friend who was able to look past the unavoidable garbage that cluttered the first manuscript and fall in love with the work, demanding new chapters, which gave me a reason to write and edit as fast as I could.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in Ascendence is your favorite and why?

Dana:
That’s like asking me to pick between my children! It’s a hard choice, because I love them all, but Luke in particular speaks to me. I’m a sucker for a character who’ll go to the end of the earth and back for their family, and Luke fits that down to a T.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Dana:
To be honest, I’ve never really thought about myself as a creative person. I was never really one for art or music, but reading is my weakness. I guess when a couple hundred books go in, it makes sense that one would come out. Now that I’ve written one, though, I don’t know if I can be stopped! Writing is such a rewarding experience, and I don’t know what I’d do without it.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Dana:
Right now, I’m finishing up the first manuscript on another book in the Ascendence universe, but focusing on Benjamin Bellevue many years in the future. I have to say, I’ve utterly fallen in love with this one, so hopefully it’ll be polished up soon!

A.L.:
You grew up in Bethany, CT!  As a fellow Nutmegger, I believe in spreading the CT Pride.  What is your favorite hang out spot in CT and why?

Dana:
There are a lot of golden spots to hang out in Connecticut, but not much can top the view from the top of Sleeping Giant State Park’s blue trail. It’s a hard hike, but scaling those cliffs makes for one amazing view I’ll never forget.

A.L.:
So -- because I'm dorky and get super excited when I find out other people are into the supernatural -- what's your favorite supernatural being and why?

Dana:
Ooh, this is a toughie. I think I’d have to go with shapeshifters, because there’s just something special about a creature that you could look right at and not even realize anything’s amiss. They toe the blurry line between human, animal, and other, and that’s such a fun dynamic to explore.

A.L.:
You grew up roaming the woods.  Do you have a particularly memorable woodland adventure story to share with us?

Dana:
One time, I was hiking up a particularly steep trail up a cliff face with two friends of mine. It had been a long hike, and my legs were like Jello. So, when I saw someone had spray-painted a series of arrows up the sheer rock as an alternate route to walking the path, I started climbing immediately. It took me all of a minute to realize that I was in way over my head, clinging to the ledge like a drowned kitten a good hundred feet above the ground. Somehow, I managed to haul my sorry butt up and over the lip of the cliff, only to fall directly on top of a picnic another group of hikers had set out. I wound up giving them all a heart attack by just appearing out of nowhere, but hey, I survived the climb!

A.L.:
What's your favorite part of being an author and why?

Dana:
My favorite part of being an author is seeing people fall in love with my characters. Through the whole, drawn-out process of writing a novel, you come to spend a lot of time with them, to the point where they are almost real, in a way. It’s just the most incredible feeling to know someone else likes them just as much as you do.


The Giveaway:
Dana will be giving away a copy of Ascendence (US).

Ascendence: Leah Walker may be head-over-heels obsessed with the supernatural, but it seems the world just isn’t throwing her any bones. Or ghosts. Or vampires. Or much of anything, really. That is, until a newcomer takes up residence in her sleepy little town. To her good fortune, Luke is pretty darn attractive with his muscular physique, keen senses, and air of mystery...Which means to say, she’s lucky because he’s totally a werewolf. Upon his arrival, her days grow almost as interesting as her nights, in which Leah is bombarded with welcome dreams of the Protector.

The Protector’s sole purpose is to guard human souls from the threat of the demonic. Her days are filled with darkness and death, but she and her angelic blade Haldis exorcise demons with unfeeling, single-minded determination. Leah wants nothing more than to be the Protector and to live in such a clearcut, evil vs. good world.

What she didn’t think of, however, is that to live in such a world there has to be evil. As blood begins to flow and the darkness of her dreams pours into her waking life, Leah meets more of it than she could ever comprehend...Or hope to fight alone.

How to Enter:

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REDUX is here!

A Tea Party & Books Scavenger Hunt

I'm participating in the "A Tea Party and Books Scavenger Hunt" this year.

Enter for you chance to win ridiculous things!

Feature Friday: Lou Anders

Apologies for not having any Monday Muses or Feature Fridays for the summer.  I've been on insane deadlines and the blog got docked for it!

Today I've got the fabulous Mr. Lou Anders visiting!

Lou Anders is the author of Frostborn, Nightborn, and the forthcoming Skyborn, the three books of the Thrones & Bones series of Norse-themed fantasy adventure novels written for boys and girls equally. He was the 2016 Children’s Writer in Residence at Thurber House of Columbus, Ohio, where he spent a month teaching and writing while living in a haunted historical building. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over five hundred articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr, and on Twitter at @Louanders 


Interview

A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Lou:
Write all the time. The most important advice I can give and the toughest to hear is this—your first effort isn’t any good. Writing is just like anything else. It has to be practiced repeatedly for a long time to acquire the skill. No one would expect a beginning pianist to play Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 or someone who has never held a basketball before to compete in the NBA. I’m a very big believer in Malcolm Gladwell’s ten thousand hours, the idea that it takes roughly that amount of time to master a skill. Start now, write constantly, spend years. But the good news is—the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll arrive.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Lou:
It’s a toss up between two books. When I was young, I saw Robin Williams in the film, The World According to Garp and fell in love with the story. Subsequently, reading the novel by John Irving made me want to become a writer. But it was The Hobbit that made me fall in love with fantasy and showed me what I wanted to write. Those two books had a huge impact on my career as a writer.

A.L.:
Where do you feel the most inspiration?

Lou:
I write standing up in the kitchen. But place isn’t really important. What inspires me is artwork, a really immersive video game experience, a wonderful film, a good book, a fascinating bit of history. Usually it’s a sense of grandeur in an otherworldly setting that sends me off, wanting to take a journey and explore.

A.L.:
With a few novels behind you, you must have hit a few snags along the way.  Which was the most memorable and how did you fix it?

Lou:
Skyborn, the third Thrones & Bones novel, was a hard one to write. It needed to stand alone as its own story while also providing a satisfying conclusion to the two previous novels. It had to answer a lot of questions and tie up a lot of character arcs, while juggling multiple characters. It went through a pretty extensive restructuring too. But usually when I hit a snag it’s because a character’s desires aren’t clear enough and the fix is to go back and rewrite the introduction in a way that puts the motivation front and center.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters you've written is your favorite and why?

Lou:
That’s a terrible question. They are all my favorite. But I’m very fond of writing dragons. Orm and Orma, from the Thrones & Bones series are great, and I have some more dragons coming up which I can’t wait to share with the world.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Lou:
My journey is a strange one, and I’m not sure that it’s something another could duplicate. I grew up in Alabama at a time when the Deep South was a little deeper than it is now, and although I had a lot of friends, I never quite fit in or felt completely at home. Everyone said, “You must be a writer,” because they knew the south occasionally produced those (William Faulkner and Truman Capote were frequently mentioned). So I went to college and tried to write. And failed miserably. In a fifth year of a mostly directionless education, I fell in love with theater and did most of the courses required for an undergraduate degree. This got me a spot in a summer in Oxford acting program and from there I did a year on partial scholarship in London. I moved from London to Chicago with dreams of being an actor but ended up writing and directing small black box theater instead. Then I met a man named Dan Decker who taught screenwriting, and I moved to Hollywood. I worked in LA for five years as a journalist for Titan Magazines, spending days and days on the set of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, and its spinoff Crusade. I got to see how television was made across every department while writing some five hundred articles, mostly interviews with cast and crew. During this time, I wrote screenplays with a partner and though nothing was ever produced, we were paid for writing a few of them. Then an old friend hired me to run an online publishing site before there was such a thing and I rode the dot com bubble up and down. When it crashed, I knew as many people in publishing as I did in tech, and so I began to freelance edit. Then around 2010 I began to get the writing itch again, while at the same time wanting to produce something that was suitable for my children to read. After a few failed attempts I hit on the idea to write a book that would encapsulate all the joy I felt reading The Hobbit, would stand for both children and adults, but which would be more inclusive and diverse than the fantasy fiction of my own youth. And Frostborn was the result. These days I’m a full-time author, which means I spend half my time writing and half my time talking to kids about my worlds. And that’s a great way to live.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  More Thrones & Bones?  Something new?

Lou:
I just finished a new novel not in the Thrones & Bones series. It is more fairy tale than fantasy and has knights and dragons and other creatures. It’s out with readers now for initial feedback, and I’m quite pleased with it.  And I’ve begun work on something new about which I’ll say even less, except that I’ve taken one character from my series, aged them a few years, and sent them on a solo adventure.

A.L.:
You've been both an editor and an author at this point.  Can you tell me the pros and cons of each?

Lou:
When I became a full-time author, a colleague said to me “expect your inbox to get a lot lighter.” It did. I loved working with authors. I loved working with artists even more. I don’t work with authors these days, but I continue to work with illustrators to create all the wonderful maps and character artwork for my fantasy world. I must say that, while I enjoyed my time as an editor and art director, and I’m very proud of the work that I did and very grateful for the relationships it afforded me, nothing compares with producing your own creative work.

A.L.:
Why did you choose to write for a middle age crowd and, likewise, why did you choose to work in the realm of Norse mythology?

Lou:
A middle aged crowd? I think you mean a middle grade crowd, though I do have middle aged fans too! But my desire to write children’s books began with the urge to write something for my own kids. I edited a lot of fantasy books for the adult market that, while I am proud of them, weren’t appropriate to share with my children. I wanted something of mine they could interact with now. Also, my children are biracial, and I wanted to write about heroes who straddled two worlds in which they might see themselves. And I wanted to recapture the joy I felt reading fantasy when I was their age.

A.L.:
What is your favorite paranormal creature?  And your favorite myth/legend?

Lou:
I like dragons. I really like dragons. But one of the fun things I’ve done in the Thrones & Bones series is plumb the depth of mythology for unusual creatures you might not have heard of, like draug (Frostborn) and tatzelwurms (Nightborn). And I love sharing those with readers. As for a favorite myth, when I was a child I was an enormous fan of King Arthur. Arthurian legend loomed very large for me. These days I have a renewed appreciation for Tolkien and for the myths that inspired him.

The Giveaway:
Lou is giving away a copy of Nightborn to US entrants!

Nightborn: For fans of Lloyd Alexander and Brandon Mull comes Book 2 in the acclaimed Thrones and Bones fantasy-adventure trilogy that began with Frostborn.
 
Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. Not a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.

Meet Desstra. She’s in training to join the Underhand—the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.

Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

The novel includes instructions for playing the board game Charioteers. Visit ThronesandBones.com for additional games, maps, character profiles, and more!


Praise for Nightborn
“Anders presents a captivating world.” —Kirkus Reviews

”[A]n adventure story with good pacing, well-drawn characters, and engaging action scenes.” —Booklist

Praise for Frostborn
“Future fans of Tolkien and George R. R. Martin can happily cut their serial-fantasy teeth on this first book of an eventual series.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A fun, fast-paced, and highly enjoyable tale.” —Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Abhorsen trilogy

“A powerful, fast-paced tale. . . . The setting is rich, the characters well-defined, and the danger ever-paramount.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred

“An excellent choice for readers new to the genre. The themes of staying true to oneself, teamwork, and individuality will resonate with readers.” —School Library Journal

“The most delightful fantasy I have read in ages. . . . Put me on the waiting list for book two!” —Amy Plum, international bestselling author of the Die for Me series

How to Enter:
 

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Cover Reveal for REDUX

Hi everyone!  Long type no post, I've been very busy churning out awesome new novels for you!  Speaking of, today is the cover reveal for the sequel to NEXIS, REDUX!  May I present:

Feature Friday: Colleen Houck on her RECREATED Dream Cast

Today we've got Colleen Houck giving us a guest post on her "dream cast" for her new novel, RECREATED.

Recreated:  From Colleen Houck, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Curse, comes Recreated, the second book in the epic Egyptian-inspired Reawakened series, in which a seventeen-year-old must literally go to hell to save the love of her life.

Lily Young thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun prince was a grand adventure. Now she’s about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

When Amon and Lily part tragically, he transports himself to the Netherworld—what mortals call hell. Tormented by the loss of his one true love, he’d rather suffer in agony during Lily’s mortal years than fulfill his duty to protect humanity.

Heartbroken, Lily seeks refuge on her grandmother’s farm. Yet she can feel Amon’s pain, and she has been having dreams—dreams of Amon continually suffering.

For before he departed, Amon gave Lily something very special, an item that connects them even though they are worlds apart. Now Lily must use this object to free him, and to free their realms from darkness and utter chaos. She will do whatever it takes.

Recreated Dream Cast

If I had any say about which actors and actresses would play in the Reawakened series movie, should I be fortunate enough to make that a reality, I might choose something like this:

Lilliana Young

              Chloe Moretz                                Hailey Steinfeld

I chose these actresses because I wanted Lily to be strong, confident, and have the look of a girl sophisticated enough to walk down a New York City street and look like she belonged there. These two actresses look like they’d be comfortable in Manhattan but they would also fit in just fine on grandma’s farm in Iowa. That takes a special girl.

Lily’s Nana

Blythe Danner

Lily’s Nana is a spunky lady. She’s still very pretty for her age but she’s also a bit stubborn and tells it like it is. She’s the type of woman who might have raised a son to be tough enough to make it in NYC but she has the values of a farmer’s wife. She guides Lily through some difficult times in the series and she’s a great judge of character.

Amon

              Kostas Martakis                            Sean O’Pry

I chose these models for Amon because I like their look, especially in the shots where one is dressed up to look more Egyptian. I’ve also seen this model look very American so I’m not sure that he’s exactly the right fit but Amon has his lips and cheekbones.

Asten

Carmine Signorelli

I imagine a slightly younger version of this guy for Asten. He’s mischievous and handsome and he’s a powerful magician in his own right.

Ahmose

Khaled Selim

Ahmose is a little bigger than his brothers. His smile is less frequent but he’s a solid rock that Lily comes to lean on. This guy has the eyes.

Dr. Hassan

Zahi Hawass

When I first began researching Egypt, I watched a lot of documentaries that were hosted by Zahi Hawass. He is exactly how I imagine Dr. Hassan, right down to the hat.

Amun-Ra

 Will Lemay

Amun-Ra is a tall, gorgeous black man. He's the main god that all the others obey. He rules the cosmos from his palace in the city of the gods, Heliopolis.

Horus

 Goksun Ergur

Horus is the son of Isis and Osiris. He has been the thorn in the side of Seth for centuries. In RECREATED he is in exile under the protection of Amun-Ra. He's a bit of a womanizer and his actor seems to fit the part perfectly.

Anubis

James Gandy

Anubis is the dark lord of mummification. He's cheeky, has a lot of secrets, and loves his dog. This actor seems just about right.

 

Osiris

Lee Thompson Young

Osiris is the god of agriculture. He's a bit of the handsome football captain/student body president type that everyone admires. Seth hates him because of this. Isis falls for him but he's too much of a rule follower to jump into the forbidden relationship right away.

Isis

K.D. Aubert                                           Sydney Tamiia Poitier

Isis is tall and strikingly beautiful. She falls for Osiris but has to talk him into the relationship since the gods are not allowed to be together. She is a master spell caster and Seth desire her not just for her beauty but for her ability.

Nephthys

Elisha Cuthbert                             Skylar Day

Nephthys is Isis' sister. She's a gifted seer. She is Seth's wife but not all is as it seems in their relationship. Nephthys works in the Netherworld to help keep things in order but she lives in Heliopolis most of the time.

Cherty

 Stephen Root

Cherty is a ferryman better known as Charon. He's a surly boat captain who takes the ghosts of the dead to the Afterlife for judgment. He's a bit crusty and rough around the edges.

Ma’at

Emilia Clarke                         Camilla Belle

Ma'at is beautiful but she's very stern and unapproachable. Her role is the judge in the Afterlife. She can weave spells too but not as well as Isis.

The Giveaway:
Colleen Houck will be giving away FIVE REAWAKENED & RECREATED BOOK SETS!
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Monday Muse: The Rigs -- Ladybird

*shivers*

Monday Muse: Crown the Empire -- Machines

I am very into songs about machines lately. It's because I'm working on the sequel to Nexis...There will be a playlist.