Advance Listen – Les Romances Des Trois – I promise you will be pleasantly surprised by the excellent AI narration. Give Google Audio a try with this audiobook offer in advance of the digital publication.
Three Novellas… Three enchanting settings and adventures… Three unlikely lovers finding each other along the way…
Experience sailing the Caribbean Ocean with a pirate captain and his mythical lovers in The Salty Pearl’s Reluctant Commander. How will Bastien Verdon deal with his superstitious crew and a vengeful god who wants what’s his? Next is Captured By the Hunted, a vampire hunter story that asks who is the hunted? Gedeon Kadar, a Scythian warrior turned vampire or a pair of mated dhampirs hunting vampires for the Oltalom Order?
Fate Sent Her Two immerses you in a contemporary farmhouse setting in coastal California. Maggie McConklin, a widow and well-known figurative painter, launches an ad for housemates to save her home. Adam and Greg answer the ad. Sparks fly the moment the gorgeous men step out of their classic Charger to find Maggie and her Blue Heeler, Sorcha, waiting on the porch.
As a bonus to this diverse collection of sweeping, deeply romantic, MMF fantasy stories, enjoy Pinpricks: An Adult Fairy Tale. In its anthology appearance in Magick & Mystery by Dragon Soul Press, one reviewer said: “Superfast start. Very interesting premise. An unexpected joy.” Find out where a prince and three witches end up in a tale about choices, discovery, and questionable happy-ever-afters.
Three Novellas… Three enchanting settings and adventures… Three unlikely lovers finding each other along the way…
Experience sailing the Caribbean Ocean with a pirate captain and his mythical lovers in The Salty Pearl’s Reluctant Commander. How will Bastien Verdon deal with his superstitious crew and a vengeful god who wants what’s his? Next is Captured By the Hunted, a vampire hunter story that asks who is the hunted? Gedeon Kadar, a Scythian warrior turned vampire or a pair of mated dhampirs hunting vampires for the Oltalom Order?
Fate Sent Her Two immerses you in a contemporary farmhouse setting in coastal California. Maggie McConklin, a widow and well-known figurative painter, launches an ad for housemates to save her home. Adam and Greg answer the ad. Sparks fly the moment the gorgeous men step out of their classic Charger to find Maggie and her Blue Heeler, Sorcha, waiting on the porch.
As a bonus to this diverse collection of sweeping, deeply romantic, MMF fantasy stories, enjoy Pinpricks: An Adult Fairy Tale. In its anthology appearance in Magick & Mystery by Dragon Soul Press, one reviewer said: “Superfast start. Very interesting premise. An unexpected joy.” Find out where a prince and three witches end up in a tale about choices, discovery, and questionable happy-ever-afters.
Enjoy A Free Chapter – Captured By the Hunted
Evy Blakemore
Our vampire stalker kept to his shadows and let us pass him on the stairs, and I wondered why. If we weren’t on such a sensitive mission, I would have confronted him. Part of me deep down would kill to know what his company meant, maybe even suspected what it was. Even as I focused all my senses on the belfry and my mate above me, the idea of challenging our watcher sent shivers down my spine. But now was not the time for distractions.
We’d come to the top of the stairs at last and took the final step through the hatch into the round tower. The smell of decay permeated the chilly darkness. The most dangerous vampire we’d ever been assigned hid somewhere in these shadows—sleeping. Our job was to make sure he never woke up.
At first glance, the open-air chamber appeared empty until my eyes adjusted, revealing a few cupboards and chests tucked in the curve of the far wall. The weather, constantly blasting through the high arched windows, had swept away any debris. Not even cobwebs shimmered from the beams.
Robert motioned me to edge around the east side of the perimeter while he did the same on the west where he carefully inspected the sagging, damp furniture. We studied every detail on our way to the farthest window where the majority of the feeble daylight trickled in with the waning sun. We had no idea what form Lord Barath slept in thanks to his very old magic. He could be a tiny mouse or bat, a wolf, or in some hideous demon form. Occasionally, we were confronted with multiple decoys.
The powerful ones were excellent illusionists.
From our meeting point, we scanned the room again before walking a straight line through the center back to the stairway opening. I pinched my nose to show Robert I smelled our quarry. The vampire was definitely in here with us. I pointed to the broken floorboards. We couldn’t pry at them or stomp around and test for hollow spots for obvious reasons, so Robert ran his keen vision along the floor for clues while I looked up… And just in time.
Shadow and sharp yellow teeth filled my vision. The sly vampire had been a tiny spider and now hung from a man-sized gossamer strand. Robert yanked me out of the way just before Lord Barath could latch onto my neck. In the same move, my partner arced his blade up and cut the strand, and we dove into a roll, aiming for the wall behind the stairs.
Our blades rang out as we lurched into position. I strained to see anything moving, but it was as still as ancient castle ruins should be… until low, menacing laughter crawled up the walls. The demon spoke. “The Oltalom Order has sent another hapless duo to end me. Look how well that worked last time. I heard you coming before you crossed the threshold. Are you prepared to die, children?”
“Last time?” Robert said. “You mean three hundred years ago during your last rampage when hunters trapped you as a bat in a silver-lined cage? You’re getting long in the tooth old man. Why don’t you show yourself and find out which of us will die.” Detached laughter rumbled over the floorboards. Then, the ancient vampire obliged us.
Swords ready, we turned towards the whoosh of air overhead. The dangling wraith sprang back into the rafters and vanished. Silence ensued. We watched and waited. We were prepared for the demon lord to swing at us again like a pendulum at high velocity, but we didn’t expect him to change to a dragon mid-swing.
I froze and gaped at the huge, spiny midnight-black creature bearing down on us with luminescent, jagged teeth and red glowing eyes. Robert reacted much better than I and pierced the beast’s chest under its wing. The dragon let out an ear-splitting screech.
“Run, Evy!”
“What!”
“He’s growing bigger. I’m going for his head, but if I miss, you need to be gone!”
“No! We do this together!” The dragon was growing so fast that soon we would have no room to maneuver. I pushed Robert toward his side of the room. “Leap with me!”
We sprinted in opposite directions away from the dragon. I kicked off the granite wall on my side, spun in the air, and landed on the scaled back. Robert landed behind me, wrapped his arm around my middle, and swung his sword against the beast’s neck. It pierced deep despite the dragon’s armor. I went for the other side. Two deep wounds, a few chunks flayed off, but we would have to hack for a week to get through the massive neck.
The beast howled but kept growing, and soon we were being smashed against the rafters. One broke across the glistening serpentine head, lodging a giant sliver through his eye, and still, the beast pushed his way to the top, taking us with him, his laughter sounding too much like Lord Barath.
Robert shielded me from the splintering beams, and I felt his inhalation above my head right before his warm blood sprayed the side of my face.
“Robert!”
“Hang on, Evy. He’s taking off! Are you ready to fly?”
“Oh my god!” I screamed as we broke through the tower, chunks of stone and copper tiles falling away behind us. The dragon flapped its huge wings, nearly rocking us off of him, before launching into the air and coasting away from the castle.
Robert hugged me to him with one arm and kept his other arm out of sight, making me fear the worst. “Don’t let go, Evy, even if I fall. Do you hear me?” I couldn’t answer that… I didn’t want to think about it.
Frigid air slammed into us as we broke through a black cloud. Beyond it, green, rolling land speckled with scattered villages swept away from the medieval Balkan castle to the Aegean Sea. We were aloft on the back of a dragon!
Just when that mind-boggling reality sank in, Lord Barath’s laughter rippled through the air and died out, and the beast dropped out from under us, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
We were falling… and the ground was a long way down.
In my email newsletter this month, I’m sharing a recent short story I wrote for a Punk Meets Fae mashup challenge. I’ll be offering the story in installments through December, and I’m including Part 1 here as well.
If you’d like to continue with the story, I’d love you to join my list. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Pixie Dust and Stud Collars
Part 1
It was happening—in that wavering haze that made Shannon think of a desert mirage—if the desert was packed full of people, had a roof, and was the size of a giant basement. A Mirage. Humidity. Maybe a special effect manufactured by the band.
Those were the preferred explanations in the beginning, but no more, not after witnessing the phenomenon three times. That didn’t mean she had an answer.
The effect was indiscernible until it hit you that something was off, and you looked harder, only to observe the eerie dust cloud coalesce over an unsuspecting pubgoer. More terrifying was when the target vanished, no one seemed to notice, no one but Shannon as she stood, dumbfounded, heart racing while the screaming, thrashing fans jostled her.
It had taken three Twisted Chords performances to believe what her eyes were seeing. And here she was, seeing it again. But tonight, at the RockSea GoGo, the all-grrrl band’s fourth venue, Shannon was ready for action. Action, but no plan, other than to yank the target out of harm’s way if she spotted him in time—her best strategy after too many sleepless nights agonizing over the reality and what to do about it. Shannon froze.
Yes! That towering man in front of the stage had to be the target.
The ones before had stuck out like that—taller than anyone around them, powerfully built, gorgeous.
She wiggled and shimmied in his direction, straining to keep her eye on the guy, the band, and the sparkling dust. It wasn’t easy. The surf-punk femme power chant had the crowd riled as the mini-skirted, go-go-booted singers shredded their instruments and emptied their lungs over the worshipping crowd… And the acrid air was beyond sultry, obscuring the glitter. Was it moving toward the giant dude wearing a spiked collar? She both hoped and dreaded that it was.
Shannon thrived on the overstimulating, dizzying clash of sensations from a packed pub. Soldering with sweaty bodies at these venues was her passion. It was also her job as a journalist. Aside from punk rock music’s raw strings, tribal-stomp beats, and off-kilter crescendos, the intimate fusion was what Shannon craved.
The bobbing bodies lost in art-defying noise were a thing of beauty, a single entity, greater than themselves, amplifying the music’s message, inspiring escape into a primal existence. The crowd’s pulse was the centerpiece of her reviews. This band’s scale between screaming rebellious dissonance and hypnotic siren calls added a thrilling dimension. She cringed, even as she made a mental note to use this in a piece later. Folklore imagery kept creeping into her ideas about the five hauntingly beautiful musicians.
What bothered Shannon about the mystical connotation was that it felt like truth. While the familiarity was disconcerting and prompted the need for answers, it was the disappearances that filled Shannon with urgency, bringing up buried memories of personal loss. If there was a chance she could prevent another one, she needed to take it. She stopped pushing and strained on her tiptoes for a clear view of the stage.
The dust cloud that had blossomed in the strobing lights was forming into a moving ribbon. She felt the connection again, which she’d denied up till now. The materializing phenomena resided somewhere in her memory like an elusive itch.
Reason told her she had nothing to do with these happenings so bizarre no one would believe a word out of her mouth—probably not even Becka who thrived on the bizarre. Scratch that. Her best friend would swallow the story whole and beg for more. But once spoken, denial was off the table. Shannon worried that acknowledging her awareness somehow made her responsible for the disappearances. Her jaw tightened.
If she’d let her brilliant, receptive friend in on things, she might have had a better plan.
The bodies pressed in, their collective heat rolling over her like bathwater while she twisted up once more to peek around a wide punk rocker wearing a crewcut and glasses. Her target was only feet away… and he was looking right at her!
He sent her a wink.
Shannon blinked rapidly in response as if the repetitive focus might wake her from a dream. A waif-like girl fell into her. Shannon caught the laughing leather-and-lace-clad fan and heaved her back to her friends. Okay, not a dream. She straightened her shoulders.
This was it. The moment thinking on her feet would be critical.
Part 2 coming September 9 to my newsletter only.
Give my books a read and let me know what you think. Reviews and comments are always appreciated.
Enjoy the entire series for $1.99 Monday through Friday – Starting July 22!
I’m trying to wrap my head around having a book published for three years! What better way to drive it home than a celebration sale?
I can’t thank my reading community, writing community, and family enough for hanging on with me through this amazing ride. The least I can do is pass on offers from Amazon. And of course, my books are always available on Kindle Unlimited.
When destiny gives you three paths, choose the fourth.
I doodle this in my art journal because it seems like the answer to my riddle. Some say having choices is a good thing. I’ve learned that three possible roads to the future mean confusion and heartache.
It all started when I shot an alien prince on a highway near Lake Tahoe… Well, to be honest, it began when I met a towering man with chestnut eyes who captured my heart despite his best efforts to leave me out of his dangerous world.
Andras is my mate, but he’s compelled by fate to join forces with a rival alpha to support my prophetic mission. Elliott and his pack are family now, and Elliott looks at me like Andras does. Both men tug on my heartstrings—and that’s not my biggest problem.
After a battle with said alien prince, we regroup at my brother’s fishing lodge in Ketchikan. I haven’t seen Dylan in years. There’s a reason for that, which makes me sadder than our separation. Then, my vampire friend enlists my help on a mission. When Andras finds out, I learn what happens when you poke an angry bear.
I’m about to make it worse when my instincts urge me to leave my bear and my dragon to follow the ancient tiger, aka the alien prince, to his lair—my third path in a destiny of choices marked by the moon goddesses of Anurash. ~ Selena Aires
And… If you want to tap into 748 other free romance books, I’m taking part in the Romance Book Lovers Book Blast on Tuesday July 23. So many romance genres! Jump in now and find your next reads!
Read Ursus Borealis for free on Kindle Unlimited to begin your Starlight Chronicles paranormal romance adventure.
Bears are supposed to live in the woods. Just not one who sends you to the moon.
Selena Aires
I promised my friend on his deathbed that I would find the place I was destined for. Neither of us had a clue what that meant, but searching for it after he’s gone helps me cope with my grief, and I pack up my art supplies and hit the highway. When I stop for gas in Quincy, Thomas is waiting for me—in spirit. So, I stay—and find my dream cottage with a studio and hiking trails out the back door, and a quaint old tavern called the Starlight with a cozy booth in the corner. I set out my sketchbook and pencils and get busy drawing faces—my way of getting to know people while I enjoy a beer.
It works. I’m making friends and filling my journal with the kind of diverse characters typical of a crossroads pub. But diversity doesn’t explain why the people coming to life on my pages are the stuff of fairytales. The most fascinating is Andras Johns, and I’m wondering more often whether the towering man who sets me on fire with one look is the prince in the story or the beast lurking in the woods.
Andras Johns
I’ve been the alpha of the North Star Pack for a long time. My policy? Never mix it up with a human. I can’t stand the idea of exposing a vulnerable species to the hazards of my job, and the hazards recently ramped up. But there’s a new face in town. A beautiful, human face. The first time Selena Aires gives me her smile, I smile back. It’s a mistake—and I know I’m done for, which is a problem because an alpha can’t break his own rules.
Meet a giant, smoking-hot cinnamon roll hero and a diminutive lovable kickass heroine in this paranormal romance with heart, spice, and a nice bit of danger. *This is not a standalone.* The hazards and thrills ramp up in Book Two, Drago Incendium.
Bears really do live in the woods near my home… and in the neighborhoods… sometimes even our backyards.
Art inspiring writing, inspiring design, inspiring feedback, inspiring reading, inspiring art… and the cycle goes on…
I couldn’t just share this amazing review all by itself. The much appreciated words needed graphics and drama to inspire others besides me. So, I hope you see this as potential for designing your own graphics through Canva as well as adding an epic read to your summer book list.
The Starlight Chronicles
I promised Thomas on his deathbed that I would set out to find the place I was meant to be. Neither of us had a clue where, but Thomas was adamant it wasn’t Reno. So, I shouldered my grief, left my nine-to-five job, packed up my art supplies, and hit the highway. Quincy, California, picked me. I knew this because I found the perfect cottage, miles of hiking trails, and a quaint old tavern with a booth in the corner where I could drink my beer, observe the patrons, and sketch their faces.
Soon, the subtle things that emerge from my charcoal images plunge me into a world right out of a Grimm fairytale. Seemingly ordinary citizens have strange lights in their eyes, visible auras, and uncanny strength. The most intriguing is Andras Johns, and I wonder if the towering man who sets me on fire with one look is the prince in the story or the beast lurking in the woods.
When I find out, I never look back, and suddenly my life is filled with prophetic destiny, hot alpha shifters, mysterious vampires, Fae princesses, an alien antagonist intent on taking me for himself…
You never know when you might strike up a conversation on Instagram during those designated periods each day spent checking out all the creative content in the bookish community. Every so often, a post or a comment will lead me to an awesome resource, exchange of ideas, or a new favorite book or author, which is how I ended up enjoying a fantastic adult urban fantasy series by A. B. Herron, and that prompted an invite to the author to visit my Sunday Spotlight.
Let’s Meet the Author
A. B. Herron is a dyslexic Indy author who resides in the Pacific Northwest where her Elemental Wolf novels take place. Mingling her studies in anatomy and Zoology, she entwines science and magic to creative effect while plundering the forests for inspiration.
She says her love of reading is her dad’s fault, introducing her to White Fang, Treasure Island, and Call of the Wild before she could hold a book. When she conquered reading for herself, Herron could be found curled up in her closet, tucked away from reality riding on horseback, preforming magic, and later running with werewolves.
Herron works full time, writing in the cracks between responsibilities… and playing with her dogs because she just can’t help herself.
Let’s Get Started
Thank you so much for stopping by, Amanda! I’ve really looked forward to our chat. In the time since we first talked about doing this interview, you’ve planned some exciting events, and I’ve had a chance to read both Watching Water and Hearing Wind.
Your stories tick a lot of boxes for me. The setting covers my favorite neighboring regions. The characters are rich, diverse, and captivating and each time a new one is introduced, they’re more surprising than the last, magical and otherwise.
Besides the individual characters, I adore all the supernatural races who come to life in such fantastical detail, leaping off the pages and fluttering into my world like fairy lights. The delectably spicy interactions are imaginative, fresh, and above all, sensual, which is perfect for the elemental theme and Nora who, as a kindred, is a child of nature.
Let’s start with updates on your book signing events and then we’ll dive into your works and writer’s life. I imagine Portland and the Pacific Northwest in general is a great place to engage in the wild with your readers (no pun intended 😄). I would love to hear about your experiences. How are the venues? What is it like preparing? How do you plan for how many books to bring? Does one event lead to doing another, or how do you find events? (And note to our readers. As I’m writing this, A. B. Herron is gearing up for a big event at Barnes and Noble in Eugene, Oregon tomorrow, and I can’t wait to hear about it!)
ABH. Hi Darci, let me start by saying thank you so much for spotlighting me and inviting me onto your blog. I’ve really been looking forward to chatting with you about all things books. 2024 has been a very exciting year for me so far. I dedicated this year to outreach with readers, which means finding different in-person opportunities, blog spots, and podcasts. Bumping into you was a happy accident (and I enjoyed exploring your romance world as well!).
As you mentioned above, Barnes and Noble was my first book signing last Saturday, and for a first-time event, it went really well. I had some amazing local support from friends who came by to add to their book collections, as well as a handful of curious new readers. My favorite moment was watching someone literally cradle my book after they read the back blurb, then announce “This has to come home with me!” My author’s heart soared, followed closely by the fear of “Oh my gosh, I hope she enjoys it!’ 😆
Because I’m so new to this part of the book world, I’m learning as I go. My biggest recommendation for anyone getting started is to ask questions of experienced authors. The book community is an invaluable resource and I’m so grateful to everyone who has fielded my questions. I should have asked how many books to order. Whoops! In my enthusiasm, I estimated fifty of each copy, and have been told since that I have perhaps overreached. However, I did have twenty books find new homes last weekend, so that was hopeful. The prep work has been multifaceted, everything from designing an aesthetic for the tables to learning how to use a card reader.
These experiences are forcing me to finally set up that mailing list for readers, as well as be more vocal about what I write. I’ve been shy about talking about my book on Instagram, which is funny because that is the reason I got onto Instagram! I’ve been so impressed by your page, by the way, your book content is wonderful to wander through. So to answer your last question I’m not sure if doing one event will lead to others.
The “Hot and Steamy Portland” romance book fair that is happening at the end of the month (May 30th-June 1st) was an opportunity my friend shared with me and I applied and got accepted. Art and Vineyard, which is taking place in Eugene in July (4th-7th), I got accepted into because I made contact with a local author who spearheads a lot of local author opportunities. My best advice, scour the internet, go to local events and talk to people about how they got in, and ask the writing community at large. When people know you are looking, they tend to help you out.
DLL. This is all so fantastic! Thank you for sharing your experiences and awesome tips. And what a special treat to have someone cherish your book even before reading it. You must still be walking on clouds.
One of the things I love most about your stories is how you bring so many layers of the natural world onto the pages. It’s clear that you love the outdoors and you’ve said you enjoy plundering the forests for inspiration, but to be able to tell a story and convey that love through the sensory details is a real talent. I’m imagining that you soak up so much nature that you either journal about it or somehow catalog the things you experience. Can you talk about that aspect of your writing? What’s your process?
ABH. Thank you, Darci. That’s high praise coming from someone who has spent so much time in the Pacific Northwest, I’m happy to hear I did it justice. Honestly, I don’t journal as much as I’d like. My husband is an avid photographer and when he finds a really good spot I will sometimes pull out a notebook to ramble in while he shoots. But that’s rare.
When I am outdoors I pause and really take in my surroundings, from the smells, to how the light filters through trees, and I even stop to watch bugs. Being present, really present, and curious, I think cements these experiences for me so that when I sit down to write, there is a forest already in my head, in graphic detail.
I would imagine that my dyslexia is an asset here because I experience my inner world as a movie with more pictures than words, and it enhances my memory recall to vivid effect. It also means I’m a notorious daydreamer, but I try to stay in the moment as much as possible. 😂
DLL. Well, I have to say your process benefits your readers! And it’s inspiring for writers… and us daydreamers!
One of my favorite sections that demonstrates how you paint your scenes and put me right inside Nora’s head is her first encounter with the griffons. There’s a rich sensuality threaded through all the elements, not just in the spicy interaction between the smart, sassy, and fun characters, but through Nora’s experiences with her wolf, nature, and magic. I’ve been better in recent weeks at highlighting my favorite snippets while I read, and I want to share a few here from Hearing Wind to illustrate.
Benji’s voice was low and calm from the other room, tumbling like cotton balls into my ears over the din of the city seeping through the open windows.
I could feel the weight of the sky pushing down on me, as if it were trying to keep the scenery in two dimensions and my presence was disrupting the symmetry.
[H]is body was precise and controlled, yet fluid, as if he danced in the space he occupied.
A huge moon floated low in the star-cluttered sky. She pulled at me, begging me to slip my skin and come play in her light.
I could smell his fear for me hiding against his skin.
The air had started to take on the flavor of darkness–cool, pulling loam and moisture forward, sun drenched pine needles fading into the background.
…the emotion glided across her face like a shadow of a fish underwater, then dispersed.
And there are so many more prosy spots I captured.
My next question is how long did it take you to write Books One and Two? Did you live with these stories and characters a long time before starting them?
ABH. Oh, what a great question. Nora, my main character, and Zayden showed up in a short story that I wrote for a friend. Yet I couldn’t set them aside and their bigger story just unfolded around me as I began to play with it. Book One is the first book I’ve ever written, and the characters didn’t live with me long before I put them on the page. It took about a year to write Watching Water, and if it wasn’t for a good friend, I’m not sure it would have happened that fast. Getting the book edited and published was another two-year endeavor. Hearing Wind took a little longer to write. I had my writing group by then, which helped me constantly turn out chapters, but my work life got busier, and then the pandemic hit. My characters don’t live in my head for extended periods, they tend to pop up when they are needed, and I have to spend time getting to know who they are after they walk across my pages.
DLL. We share so many parallel experiences. 🙂 For my three-book series, Book One was published rather (too) fast within the first six months, and it was my very first novel. Book Two was published by the end of that first year. But it took me two more years to finish Book Three. And I’m glad because it was important to wrap everything up in the best way possible. So, to our audience today… don’t put that pressure on yourself. Enjoy the writing and listen to your characters. That’s what comes through most to our readers.
Can you share what we can expect to see next? What’s in the works?
ABH. Happy too. With a bit of luck, I will have the next book in the Elemental Wolf series coming out this year. The date keeps getting pushed back, because, well, life. This book is a slight deviation in the storyline because it is taking place right after Book One and during the events in Book Two. The reader will be following Tobin, a morally grey character from Watching Water, who has a lot of redemption ahead of him if he is going to survive. I apologize to everyone waiting for Nora’s next adventure, but Tobin needed a full book (much to my surprise), and it is putting events into motion for Nora. This book challenges a lot of traditional tropes and I’m excited to see how it will be received.
DLL. I totally get how the characters dictate whose story gets told next. As an author, you’ve got to go with your gut. I can’t write unless I’m feeling the character and they’re demanding their story be told.
For my two cents, I’m looking forward to more from Tobin, and you’ve left delicious breadcrumbs to inspire interest in his story. Challenging traditional tropes? Yes! I also can’t wait for more of Nora’s journey, and more from Zayden.
I admit, I’ve got quite a few novels in the works, and different characters call out to me at different times, which is fun because I get to switch between stories and all the novels are progressing bit by bit. Variety is the spice of life, eh?
Who are your top three favorite authors? Or in the alternative, your top three favorite books? What or who has been your biggest inspiration?
ABH. Oh, I never know how to respond to this question because the answer is fluid. Mercedes Lackey shaped me in my teens/twenties. In my thirties, Robin Hobb stole my breath and added to my wonder. And currently, Rebecca Yarros has completely rocked me with Fourth Wing. But I need to add Maria Vale, author of the Legend of All Wolves series. She wrote the romance books I wish I had written.
DLL. Oooh. Thank you for this great list to add to my TBR. Believe it or not, I haven’t read The Fourth Wing. I’m letting all the hype die down. 🙂 I’m definitely getting right on Legend of All Wolves! Those covers rock!
Your website is beautiful. Do you do your own web design? Would you say you’re an indie writer, publisher, and marketer? If so, is that by choice? Do you have plans to publish traditionally?
ABH. 😆 Don’t all Indy Authors have to “do it all”? I did create my website (on Wix), as in those are all my pictures from Oregon and Washington in the background. I am constantly learning how to market and I suspect I could pick your brain for some valuable gems. Going traditional? I mean if I could hand over all the marketing to a traditional publisher that would be amazing. But my understanding is that’s no longer how it works, and traditional authors still have to put themselves out there. So no, I have no plans to go traditional, I don’t have the time to find an agent, and I don’t write stories that fit tightly enough in any one genre to make a traditional publisher happy. So really, I’m Indy by necessity, but we could call it a choice. >laughs again<
DLL. Wow. Nice job! And you hit on exactly the reasons I’m staying Indie. I like the control over all the creativity, and that is such a good point… that we still have to work hard at marketing if we go traditional, so what’s the point? Other than an actual income book deal, but Yikes! The pressure.
What has been your experience getting your books out into the world? Can you share what you’ve found works best and what doesn’t work for you? What are your favorite tools and techniques for creating a manuscript ready to hand off to an editor? Or do you edit your own work?
ABH. Oh wow, how many paragraphs am I limited to? My best advice would be if you want to write, and publish a book series, write the first two books before you publish anything. Send that first book through an editor and take what you learn there and apply it to the second book before it goes to editing so you can change things to make them work better. Once that first book goes to print, affecting storylines becomes a whole lot harder. Pay for a good editor. Get into a writing community somewhere, local, social media, doesn’t matter, you just need people around you who know more than you do. I know there are amazing writers that can edit their own work, but I am not one of them, my dyslexia prevents that, so editors are my superheroes. I also use an independent press for publishing because I didn’t have the time to put toward learning formatting, ISBN numbers, and the rest and it was a good fit for me.
DLL. That is super good advice! I love the bit about writing the first two books before publishing them and wish I had that advice before I published Book One 😁 but then I wish I’d done a lot of things differently. What independent press do you use?
ABH. My publishing service is provided by Luminare Press
DLL. Awesome. Thanks for sharing that. I’ve also had to learn the ropes the hard way when it came to Kindle Direct Publishing (“KDP”) and Draft2Digital (“D2D”) for free publishing and FREE ISBNs (I emphasize free because I’m reconsidering buying a bundle of ISBNs going forward that are mine to use as needed for more control) I’ve been learning how to balance switching between being exclusive on KDP or going wide in other stores through D2D depending on collaborative promos I want to participate in.
So, I will add here for those who are deciding about being an independent publisher as well as an author… Use the excellent tutorials and Google articles! Reedsy and BookBaby offer services and fantastic free articles for independent authors.
You say in your bio that you were diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. I love hearing from writers how they learn to adjust to that challenge. Can you talk a little about how you worked or are working through it for those who might have the same challenge?
ABH. Dyslexia is an interesting neurodivergent condition. It affects everyone a little differently and usually shows up with other neuro disorders. My fun addition is a bit of OCD, but it’s seen a lot with ADHD. At this point, I have a deep relationship with dyslexia and I know how to work with it, where my strengths lie, and where I need the most help. I can’t spell, and that’s the biggest challenge. Spellcheck is amazing, but not a solution.
Now that spellcheck gives definitions with word suggestions, that has been a game changer for me. When the computer would present five different words that all start with the same couple letters, and out of context, I’d be a goner. As a result, people will find “bowel” instead of “bowl”, both words are spelled right, but vastly different and I can’t see that when I’m editing. However, the more I do, the better I get. The thesaurus has been the most help. For instance, I can’t spell “influential” but I can put in “important” and find what I’m looking for. It’s a great workaround.
DLL. Thank you for sharing this. I didn’t know about dyslexia’s relationship to neurodivergent conditions. I have to say, I’m super grateful for all the tools available to us now. I too am constantly using the thesaurus and translation features of Word, and Read Aloud has been invaluable. Hearing my writing has been my game changer for punctuation, word use, and even pacing and story beats.
Now for your writer’s life. You have a full-time job and say that you write in the cracks between responsibilities. I love that. What does that look like for you? Do you grab any writing time you can get? Or do you have a schedule?
ABH. I have tried a bunch of different approaches. Writing at work when I have a free thirty minutes, or fifteen, but those small windows are better for rewriting or editing, not full-on creating. I’ve found the most successful strategy for me is writing on a schedule. Or putting down designated hours during the week to only write. Not market, not answer emails, and no social media. I have my door closed, dog contained in my little home office, with the phone off, writing. Unfortunately, that has been hard to come by recently.
DLL. Ooh yes! I can totally relate. If I want to get fresh writing done for any amount of words–no distractions!
Do you have any tips or techniques to share about balancing your daily life while staying productive as a writer?
ABH. 😂 Yep, don’t have hobbies, friends, or a job. 😆 Seriously though, evaluate how important writing is to you. Do you like the idea of doing it? Or do you need to do it, want to do it, can’t think of anything else? And if it is the latter, then look at your schedule and figure out what you are willing to give up to pursue this, because as much as we want to believe we can “do it all”, we can’t. Something has to be sacrificed, whether it is sleep, movies, social activities, etc. Weekly I’m reevaluating what I’m able to trade for my writing time. For instance, I look for what will make me the most successful in the next hour and put my energy there.
We all simply need to define what success looks like to us. Is it a clean house? A job well done? Time with kids/family? Another chapter written? Another paragraph written? Food shopping? Dinner prepared? The list goes on. To make it even simpler, what do I need to do in the next hour that will make me the happiest later? Because “later me” will only be happy if “current me” puts in the effort. Sometimes it is addressing work challenges, sometimes it is writing a short story. And sometimes it is just sitting and reading a book. My humble advice would be don’t worry about balance, tend to your needs, your heart, and your future self. And somehow it all gets done.
DLL. Ooh! “…later me” will only be happy if “current me” puts in the effort.” This is going in my notes for inspiration. Great advice! Thank you!
Thanks again for chatting with me, Amanda! I look forward to what’s coming next. Any last words of advice for those who want to pursue writing fiction?
ABH. Thanks for having me. I really enjoyed your questions, they made me think more about my own process. To end, I would simply say, if you have a story inside you that you want to tell, start working on it, read a ton, get involved in the writing community, and be curious in your pursuits. Thanks again everyone, let your reading, and your writing, be wild.
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I’m borrowing this from Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald to sum up how I feel about this day, February 27, 2024, which is special to me many times over, but mostly because my dream of publishing the conclusion to The Starlight Chronicles has come true.
Thank you all for your support and I hope you enjoy the romantic finale for Selena, Andras, Elliott, and Aviel in Tigris Vetus.
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.
By D. L. Lewellyn 