At least they are for my three-part Starlight Chronicles because I finished the third book! It’s such a dream come true that I’ve been shouting this out every chance I get.
I knew it would be a poignant phase in my new writer’s life–finishing my first novel. I’ve been living with these magical beings for three years. Or, I should say my pod people who were seeded in my brain by what had to be mysterious aliens have been in my head through my sleep, my waking hours, and any type of consciousness in between for a very long time. It goes without saying how much I will miss them.
Except… they won’t be gone forever. I’ve got loads of spinoff stories planned, and even a couple in the works, though for the next year, I will head down a different path. Two novels are calling me, and they’re in a different genre–new adult / sci-fi fantasy. I guess my aliens decided I needed to visit their world for a while.
Ah. The joys of writing fantasy fiction. So many roads to travel.
Thank you for converging with me on this path from time to time and letting me shout in joy.
Books One and Two will be free during my presale launch as part of a giant Romance Author Email Blast promotion. Sign up for my newsletter for the details. Thank you!
Check out the fabulous anthologies by Dragon Soul Press. There are so many great stories and authors and for the third time, I get to be part of the group. This week Pinpricks: An Adult Fairy Tale was published in Magick & Mystery. Fate Sent Her Two, a 20,000 word short story, was accepted just today for Digital Love! Presales for that are coming soon and it will publish in February. I’m pretty danged excited!
In May, Beneath the Prismed Light was included in DSP’s Song of the Siren anthology. That story has been expanded and is now my gift to subscribers. Thank you for subscribing and sharing my newsletter. Your support means everything!
Here is an excerpt for Pinpricks.
A prince finds himself one morning deep in the Shangthorn forest, facing three foul and warty hags who peer at him with purpose in their eyes. When they pose probing questions and offer him peculiar choices requiring intimate sacrifices, everything he’s certain of—everything he knows about himself—flies in the face of mystery, magic, and these creatures who are more than what they seem.
Get your copy of Magick & Mystery featuring Prinpricks: An Adult Fairy Tale
A prince finds himself deep in the Shangthorn forest one morning, facing three foul and warty hags who peer at him with purpose in their eyes. When they pose probing questions and offer him peculiar choices requiring intimate sacrifices, everything he’s certain of—everything he knows about himself—flies in the face of mystery, magic, and these creatures who are more than they seem.
Enjoy a read while I enjoy finishing writing Book Three—Tigris Vetus…
Book Two – Drago Incendium
Meet Mortas, introduced in Book Two Drago Incendium and getting much more play time in Book Three (in the works!) 🖤 The swoon worthy vampire emissary also gets his own story 🖤 and it’s in the works as well…
Who’s your favorite vampire in fiction?
~~~
His pale, chiseled face erupted into a toothy smile. “Ah. You’ve broken free of my compulsion. Interesting. I sensed there was something unique about you.”
“That was you making me want to follow? You compelled me? How?”
“I’m a vampire, little human. That’s how. Do you know of vampires?”
My chest hurt from the sudden pounding, and I gave my surroundings a frantic onceover. Shit. I was standing alone in the woods with a freakin vampire! Really smart move, Selena. Andras was going to kill me if I survived this.
Pressing harder against the tree, I said, “I’m afraid I know nothing of vampires, except that you can be dangerous. Are you dangerous? Should I be concerned?” That last question came out in a squeak with the rest of my air.
I spend an exorbitant amount of time on Canva crafting video promos and posts for social media because… Well… it’s fun. I love creating art as much a written story and this is the perfect way to engage in both passions. So, I keep trying out new designs and methods to convey my stories and characters. The problem is there are so many combinations of elements, taglines, imagery, arrangement, music, length of time… You get the idea. Also, I may not be up on the trendy stuff as much as I need to be. I like what I like (including music like rock and blues, not pop) and not necessarily what I’m told to like. Hmmm.
So, hitting on a formula that will grab attention and tap into those algorithms is exorbitantly difficult.
Exorbitant = exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in amount or extent; highly excessive
Dictionary.com
The most fascinating aspect I’ve discovered is how the same video will get completely different engagement between social media platforms. There’s never any rhyme or reason. It will soar on TikTok (Disclaimer-soar for me means topping out at 700 views) and flop on Instagram or vice versa. Facebook? Forget it. I’m invisible there. Same on Tumblr. On occasion it might do well on Twitter… I mean X (what is that? – talk about invisible… and uninviting).
Here are some of my attempts just today. I would love your opinion about spending our time creating post after post in the seemingly futile game of hitting the right formula. And thank you for supporting my creative efforts and highly excessive passions.
The collage template
The flash of Wow😍
The evocative draw
If you’d like a story with a loveable heroine, smashing alpha males, found family, otherworldly friends, adventure, a cozy mountain town, a lively roadhouse, and princes from an ancient race who are trying to kill the MC’s date, pick up a copy of Ursus Borealis. My stories are full of exorbitant passions as well. 😉
Andras snared me with his eyes. A low rumble sounded in his chest and moved up his throat. The reactions around us shocked me. The croupier paused the betting. Some of the men moved away. A few cleared their throats, and several women let out soft moans. And all of it increased my internal temperature. Fearing I would dissolve into a puddle if I thought too much about what was happening, I kept my gaze fixed on Andras.
Selena Aires – Ursus Borealis
To celebrate all the excitement and my appreciation of all the fantastic fantasy, paranormal shifter romance, and supernatural fantasy readers out there, my books are free July 3-5! and Ursus Borealis is free all month on Smashwords. Click on image.
Here is a sneak peek at the cover for Book Three, Tigris Vetus, and a series synopsis:
When Selena Aires moves to a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, what she expects falls into place; the perfect artist bungalow, fun new friends, and miles of trails right out her back door.
It’s not long after finding her niche at the old pioneer pub The Starlight that she discovers her new town and its citizens harbor mysteries below the surface. For answers, Selena must tap deeper into her abilities as an observer. What she sees not only changes the world as she knows it but requires her to face hard choices… and strange foes.
Fortunately, the petite artist attracts strong allies, including two men, shifters, and alphas of rival packs, who put aside their differences when she calls on them, though they don’t stop competing for her heart.
Others line up to support the once dedicated loner. A vampire emissary brings challenges to Selena’s personal life, though she sees his potential as an ally. She is reunited with her brother at the perfect time, but he has a secret that breaks her heart. Then there’s her magus guide Zigan, a holy man dedicated to her prophetic cause, though even he doesn’t have all the answers.
Just when Zigan and Selena think they figured out which direction she must go to fulfill her destiny, a new twist is revealed, requiring Selena to investigate yet another path.
Answering this call means facing an alien prince who made Earth his territory thousands of years ago. Aviel does not give up when he wants something, and he wants Selena. To rid the planet of this age-old menace, Selena must make the dreaded decision to leave her growing family behind and join Aviel in her biggest role yet as a maiden marked by the moon goddesses of Anurash.
Catching up in my planner/journal today and thought I’d see how everyone is doing halfway through the year. Are you on track with your writing goals? Taking time off? Enjoying some unusually cool weather like I me?
I have to admit, the first half has been a blur, and I don’t see things slowing down, though the pace is so much different now that I’m no longer stuck in the 7:00 – 5:30 4-10 routine (sorry, just can’t relegate my previous work schedule to a mere 9 to 5 😊).
Don’t you love these stickers? I’m a sticker fiend. But I don’t buy them like I used to. Instead, I’m trying to use them up. No more room in the studio for hoarding. Still, I can’t bring myself to stick my sassy collection on anything for fear of leaving them behind. They’re from a favorite Etsy sticker shop, Shine Sticker Studios.
I have managed to complete some significant goals before July, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next six months.
As for the goals met, I have to plug them in here… I’m just so danged excited…
1) A relaunch of Book One in The Starlight Chronicles, Ursus Borealis with a new cover and bonus chapters.
2) A completed 15,000 word short story ready for submission, involving a favorite character from my series, Mortas, a vampire emissary, so old he doesn’t remember how he came into existence. That doesn’t mean he’s a relic, though he must act as one to save a young girl from being sacrificed. If Dragon Soul Press decides not to take it on, I’ve got more planned for my vampire, so stay tuned.
Andras JohnsRelaunchMortas
Free All of July!
Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale!
To widen the reach a bit more, I’ll be offering my books for free on Amazon the first week of July as well.
Well, back to working on my Sunday’s Spotlight with writer J. V. Hilliard! For more great conversations on a writer’s life, check out my Galleries!
By D. L. Lewellyn 