Swift Six Author Interview – Deborah Jarvis #Fantasy #Portal

Name: Deborah Jarvis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

My name is Deborah Jarvis. I am a high school and college English teacher, a writer of fantasy novels, and an advocate for greyhound adoption. My main interests in writing all have a basis in mythology, so many of the characters in my books stem from the different cultures that I read about.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

The Crystal Pawn and The Ivory Queen are the first two books in portal fantasy series, The Keyralithian Chronicles. Deirdre Hawes is brought into the land of Keyralithsmus by the father she had never known, a Shaper by the name of Ettar Nerfal. She is the last of his line, and as it is only the women of that line who can potentally call on the aid of their ancient ancestors, the dragons, he asks that she undertake the challenge to do so. As it becomes evident that there are forces aligned to stop her from succeeding, Deirdre secretlysets out to find the dragons

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

My mother was an English teacher and she encouraged me to read books of all kinds, including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Last Unicorn. I gravitated from there to reading any fantasy novel I could get my hands on! I also am fascinated by world mythology. Writing came pretty naturally to me, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I really made the effort to get my work out to others. Since then, I have been working on several other projects and continuing my writing.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I’m working on the third book to The Keyralithian Chronicles and am going to release an unrelated urban fantasy called Wolves Running in September. I also have another project on the back burner, but that one is still simmering for now.

What do you like to read?

I tend to be primarily a fantasy reader, but if it is good, I’ll read anything. My dad loved Clive Cussler and the team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, so I got into them. My favorite authors to read include Charles De Lint, Peter S. Beagle, Jim Butcher, and Patricia Briggs.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Read everything you can about KDP, Kindle, and Ingramspark and get onto facebook pages like Wide for the Win and other writing pages. They are HUGELY helpful in getting where you want to be before you publish.

Author bio and book synopsis

Deborah Jarvis has been writing for a long while and has been an advocate for all things greyhound for slightly less time than that. She teaches high school and college literature and writing, and lives in New Hampshire with her husband Rob, her son Will, two greyhounds, and four cats. Her daughter Rosalynde lives nearby. The Crystal Pawn is the first book in The Keyralithian Chronicles to date, and The Ivory Queen is the second. Deborah is now working on another exciting project titled Wolves Running which will hopefully be out soon.

The Crystal Pawn

     Deirdre Hawes had never thought of her life as extraordinary until one day she met the father she never knew and thus began the adventure of a lifetime. Armed only with the knowledge that she is heir to magical gifts that would allow her to call on the aid of the long-vanished dragons, she finds herself drawn into a web of intrigue and murder where the powers behind the throne are aligning to make sure she doesn’t succeed, no matter the cost. Deirdre soon finds her life in the hands of those she’s been told not to trust, but trust them she must if she is to have any hope of not only completing her quest but surviving to make the journey home. 

     Together with several loyal friends, she makes her way south. As they travel further, she discovers that not everyone is as they seem and that preconceived notions of what is good and what is evil are often mere simplifications of a much more complex truth. When forces long-aligned with the crown begin to show their true intentions, it is up to Deirdre and her companions to figure out a way to evade their traps and make their way below the Southern Mountains and across the desert to the jungle where the dragons are said to reside.

Links/Social media

https://linktr.ee/the_rael_coyote

Eggo’s Van ‘N Lied

Legaat van die Masker Verhale

Waansin, obsessie en die legaat van die verlede verweef hul towerspreuke in hierdie kort, tragiese verhaal gebaseer op die Phantom of the Opera.

’n Dosyn onstuimige jare ná die dramatiese gebeure by die Paryse Operahuis word Raoul, Comte de Chagny steeds deur die misteriese Operaspook gespook – die skepsel van legende wat personeel by die Operahuis onder sy knegskap gehou het, Raoul se minnares ontvoer en sy broer vermoor het. In Raoul se onrustige verbeelding is die spoke van die verlede oral, en vreemde en kragtige musiek besoek steeds in sy drome.

#FIKSIE #FantasieHistories , #Kortverhale (enkel skrywer), #HistorieseFantasie, #PhantomoftheOpera, #Fantoom, #Kortfiksie
https://books2read.com/Echoes-Afrikaans

Swift Six Author Interview – Cassie Greutman #Fantasy

Name: Cassie Greutman

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): Hi! My name is Cassie, and I write fantasy. Mostly urban fantasy, but I do have fun in other sub-genres, epic and portal if you want to know specifically.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short): I have two series out right now. One is the Penchant for Trouble series, an urban fantasy about a fae girl being raised in the human foster care system, and a portal series, called the Arnath Chronicles.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? As a kid, I read through every book at our library that I found interesting, and most of them twice! So I started writing my own stories.

What writing plans do you have for the future? I have so many different projects in the works right now. A sea monster story coming out in a Mythicological Creature anthology, an epic fantasy story in a collection of dragon stories called Dracos, and book 4 in my Penchant for Trouble series.

What do you like to read? I’m all over the fantasy/sci-fi spectrum when it comes to reading. I also enjoy a mystery occasionally, or a contemporary story.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Just stick with it. You’ll find people who love your work, and it will make you keep on even when it’s early mornings and late nights, just to put a smile on someone’s face.

Author bio and book synopsis

Cassie Greutman is a small town Ohio girl who has always loved stories in any form. You can usually find her typing away at her computer or playing out in the barn with her ponies.

A fae girl in the human foster care system has to fight against her own Council to stay with the only people who have ever cared about her. Her foster parents.

Links/Social media

TikTik: https://www.tiktok.com/@cassiegreutman

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writeranrider89

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

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Greutman/e/B079VSM6QK/

Swift Six Author Interview – Raven Oak #Fantasy

Name:   Raven Oak

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

I’m a disabled, geeky, enby and full-time SF/F author and artist. I live in the Seattle area with my partner and three special-needs kitties and we both enjoy gaming (tabletop, board game, and video games) and exploring the ocean. Cartography and linguistics are both hobbies of mine, and I love living in the Pacific NW.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

I have a lot of them so I’ll tell you about Book I of my Boahim Trilogy, Amaskan’s Blood.

It’s been described by others as Disney’s Tangled meets Game of Thrones. I don’t think it’s as violent as GoT but it’s a valid description in terms of the study of familial relationships and political intrigue. My short blurb for it is: Two sisters. Two loyalties. One path together. The two sisters didn’t grow up together and are the antithesis of each other. Adelei has been raised in the Order of Amaska, a holy sect of assassins that seek out Justice for their clients. Margaret is the very stereotype of spoiled princess. Through book I, as they grow to know each other, they both learn lessons from each other that make them better people. While the familial themes are going, there’s an ancient evil brewing because let’s be honest, there always is in epic fantasy. The trilogy is about how they deal with various shades of evil and what evil really is.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

I’ve always written. My first publication was actually a children’s book I wrote and illustrated that was published as part of a university study on children’s literacy. Whenever I got into trouble, I made up a story to go along with it and explain what “really happened” and why it “wasn’t my fault.” Some people call those lies or super-elaborations but in my brain, they were stories. Adventures to entertain me and keep me from thinking too hard about the environment I grew up in.

When I was twelve, I discovered the majority of SF/F, specifically Anne McCaffrey. I liked her photo in the back of the book because she looked like my grandmother and even shared the same birthday (April 1^st), plus the books I first found had dragons (my fav). After devouring the Pern novels, I spent my summer that year writing a 350+ page novel that was my own version of The Dragonriders of Pern. I didn’t know what fanfiction was but it was pretty much that. I even got map making supplies and drew my own maps. I drew dragons and characters as well. I was hooked. I’d written stories before then but never a full novel. After that book, I wrote a trilogy, and by the time I was in high school, I was writing daily of my own material (not fan-fiction). It wasn’t until college that I began to seek publication.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I’ve got three novels, 1 short story collection, and 1 story in an anthology due out in the next twelve months! Right now, I’m working on revisions for most of those works with some pretty serious deadlines so wish me luck!

What do you like to read?

I read most genres: sci-fi, fantasy, horror, thriller, mysteries, urban fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, etc. I don’t read a lot of romance unless it’s mixed into one of the other genres. Straight up romance and erotica tends to bore me as a demisexual. As far as my favorites, they shift all the time since I read a LOT, but some favs are: Rebecca Roanhorse, Neil Gaiman, Connie Willis, Jenny Lawson, and Shannon Mayer.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s how we learn.

Author bio and book synopsis

BIO:

Multi-international award-winning speculative fiction author Raven Oak is best known for Amaskan’s Blood (2016 Ozma Fantasy Award Winner, Epic Awards Finalist, & Reader’s Choice Award Winner), Amaskan’s War (2018 UK Wishing Award YA Finalist), and Class-M Exile. She also has many published short stories in anthologies and magazines. She’s even published on the moon! Raven spent most of her K-12 education doodling stories and 500 page monstrosities that are forever locked away in a filing cabinet.

Besides being a writer and artist, she’s a geeky, disabled ENBY who enjoys getting her game on. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, and their three kitties who enjoy lounging across the keyboard when writing deadlines approach. Her hair color changes as often as her bio does, and you can find her at www.ravenoak.net.

Amaskan’s Blood Book Synopsis:

Adelei was a master in her field, one of the feared Order of Amaska. Those who were a danger to the Little Dozen Kingdoms wound up dead by her hand. The Order sends her deep into the Kingdom of Alexander, away from her home in Sadai, and into the hands of the Order’s enemy, her birth father. The job is nothing short of a suicide mission, one serving no king, no god, and certainly not Justice. With no holy order to protect her, she tumbles dagger-first into the Boahim Senate’s political schemes and finds that magic is very much alive and well in the Little Dozen Kingdoms.

They say the truth depends on which side of the sword one stands. But they never said what to do when all the swords are pointing at you.

Links/Social media

Website: www.ravenoak.net

Mailing List: https://www.ravenoak.net/join-the-conspiracy/

Facebook Author Page:  https://facebook.com/authorroak

Facebook Reader Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravenconspiracy

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/raven_oak

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

Goodreads Author Page:  https://www.goodreads.com/raven_oak

Bookbub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/raven-oak

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Oak/e/B00P5PT4AM

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/kaonevar/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravenoak1

Book Spotlight – A Court of Crows #Fantasy #RomanticFantasy

Basic Book Spotlight

Title: A Court of Crows

Author: Eliza Eveland

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Main character description (short). Eris Telari is a young and inexperienced queen whose city is under siege. She’ll do anything to save her city, which leads her to hire a group of mercenaries, The Crows to help.

Synopsis:

Nineteen-year-old Eris Telari was never supposed to rule Brucia. She’s always been more interested in swordplay than courtly intrigue.

After her brother’s assassination, however, Eris has no choice but to take up the crown and defend her city against an invasion led by an undefeated elven warlord.

With Brucia’s forces decimated, and a siege looming, Eris needs help. Who better to repel the elven invaders than a band of elven mercenaries?

Their leader, Ruith, is as charming as he is deadly, and used to getting what he wants. Six thousand swords strong, his Crows have a reputation for winning against impossible odds. He won’t take a fight he can’t win, and now he has his sights set on Eris…

Is it her kingdom he wants? Or her?

With assassins and traitors still lurking around every corner, and an army nearly twenty thousand strong at her gates, Eris cannot afford to turn away the Crows’ assistance. Even with their help, the battle for Brucia will be hard-won.  

And the most dangerous threat may already be inside her walls and vying for a place at her side…

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

“I have six thousand Crows at my command. I am stronger than any man, better with my sword than all three of your queensguard put together, and faster than every human I have ever met. If I wanted your city, it would be mine. Whatever I want, I get.” He lifted his fingers from the table and brushed them against her cheek.

Eris’s heart skipped a beat.

She grabbed his hand. “You do not have me.”

The sound of his dark chuckle left her fighting a shudder.

“Not yet,” he said.

“If you ever touch me uninvited…”

“Please.” He wrinkled his nose, disgusted, and pulled his hand away. “I would never. I have no interest in bedding a woman who doesn’t wish it. If the touch is truly uninvited, then I apologize. But if it isn’t, and if these sultry looks you’ve been throwing me are more than just curiosity…” Ruith leaned down, lips hovering next to her ear. He smelled like warm leather with a sharp citrus bite. “I will touch you in ways no one ever has, or ever will again. I could give you more pleasure with one finger than you’ve ever known.”

Eris’s insides turned molten, skin prickling at the thought. She turned her head toward his, their mouths suddenly so close that they shared breath for a moment. “That’s a bold claim. I’m a queen. I could have anyone I wanted.”

He leaned back, his smirk returning. “I’ve seen the men in this city. I know what I’m up against, and I stand by my statement.”

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

This book is for readers who love their spicy romance to have intricate plots, well developed characters, and heroines who do their own rescuing. If you’ve read ACOTAR and FBAA and wished the books had more diversity, you’ll love this series!

Links etc.

Social media links:

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElizaEveland

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/616062436341571

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elizaeveland

Website: https://www.elizaeveland.com/

Swift Six Author Interview – D. L. Gardner #Fantasy

Name: D.L. Gardner

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Hi, I’m D.L. Gardner, a fantasy author and screenwriter. I live in the Pacific Northwest USA and am a nature lover, hiker, and painter. I have seven adult children, sixteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren. I love epic fantasy and believe stories should last from one generation to the next.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

Darkness Holds the Son, a noblebright epic fantasy which is a stand alone spin-off novel to the Sword of Cho Nisi series.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

I began writing novels in 2011 and have 16 titles published. I began writing Darkness Holds the Son last year shortly after I finished the Cho Nisi Saga. It’s hard to leave a fantasy world once you start building it, and it seems the construction is never quite finished, nor are the characters completely fleshed out. I wanted to do another book in the series that had nothing to do with the completed arc of the first three books, but still kept us in the world with the same adventurous atmosphere.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I want to complete another stand alone book to the same series, and then finish Ian’s Realm and somewhere in between do a sequel to Hoarfrost to Roses, which is a Victorian era mystery/romance with a touch of the occult.

What do you like to read?

I like long involved sagas such as Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings, but I also enjoy magical realism like Night Circus and historical fiction. I suppose any book with an exciting plot and endearing characters.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Begin while you’re young and keep going. I waited far too long to do this. I have so many books in me! Time is valuable.

Author bio and book synopsis

I’m D.L. Gardner – Author, screenwriter, storyteller.

I write Noble-bright fantasy fiction for those who like a tall tale and fast-moving adventure. I’ve written ever since I was a youngster and have led an unusual life after that, having grown up in the sixties, lived in the desert for nearly 30 years in a mud hut, raising horses, sheep, goats, chickens, and seven children.

Much of my life experience has morphed into my stories in the form of other worlds accessed through portal travel. I’ve released twelve novels spanning all sub-genres of fantasy and one historical fiction based on a relative’s WWII letters.

Winner of two Book Excellence Awards for my series, Best Urban fantasy at Imaginarium Convention, and a host of screenings, trophies for my historical fiction screenplay Cassandra’s Castle, and six Screenplay awards for my story Dylan.

Storytelling is my passion and I especially love to collaborate with other artists in the Indie Film making realm. I believe a story should endure time and be good enough to hand down from one generation to the next.

Darkness Holds the Son

Darkness Holds the Son takes us to a small village named Tuluva where Jareth, an unemployed mercenary, and his wife and two children are raising goats to sustain themselves. Things go well for them until the land-baron of Ogress raises their taxes, forcing Jareth to pick up his crossbow and return to the battlefield. Jareth has an even more pressing problem than keeping his family out of debtor’s prison, though. His son Crispin has seizures that are caused by magic and if Jareth doesn’t find the source soon, it could be fatal as the boy hears voices instructing him to kill his father. On Jareth’s quest, he discovers that the same affliction is haunting all the children in the kingdom.

Join Jareth, his wife, and King Barin in this new adventure as they search the Neverworld and half of Casdamia to find and destroy that which has taken the youth of their world captive.

Links/Social media

https://gardnersart.com

https://diendrial.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DianneLynnGardner

Tweets by DLGardner2

https://www.patreon.com/DLGardner

Swift Six Author Interview – Jon Cronshaw

Name: Jon Cronshaw

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

I’ve been a full-time author since 2017. I’ve zig-zagged between high fantasy, post-apocalyptic, and gamelit. I’m trying hard to stay focused on writing fantasy stories, but that doesn’t stop the Muse teasing me with ideas for space opera tales.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

My main fantasy series is called The Ravenglass Chronciles, this is a 21-novella series where each book is inspired by the tarot. My latest novel, Dawn of Assassins is set a few hundred years after The Ravenglass Chronicles and tells the story of a pair of thieves who are recruited by a master assassin. But they’re thieves, not killers.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

I’ve worked as a professional writer for most of my adult life, mostly in journalism. I’ve written stories, comedy scripts, and lyrics since I can remember, so I’ve always had that drive to tell stories. When I saw I could bypass corporate publishers and produce books on my own terms, that’s when I decided to follow this as a career path.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

To keep writing stories in my Ravenglass Universe. As I establish the universe, I want to branch out into other media and work with other writers. There’s potential for video games, movies, and comics. It’s very exciting. It’s also meant that when I get an idea for a story, I ask myself whether it will fit in the Ravenglass Universe. If it doesn’t, I thank the Muse and move on. 

What do you like to read?

Books! And lots of them! I read in most genres. My favourite stories tend to be fantasy. Give me banter and swashbuckling and you’re onto a winner.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Just because someone’s got a system that works for them, it doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.

There is no magic bullet.

Author bio and book synopsis

Jon Cronshaw is a full-time fantasy and speculative fiction author based in Morecambe, England.

Born in Wolverhampton, he has a PhD in the history of art and has written for local and national newspapers across the UK.

He’s an avid reader, podcaster, and history geek.

Dawn of Assassins:

Two friends. A master assassin. One deadly choice.

Fedor and Lev are thieves…not killers.

They lead a desperate life in the tunnels of Nordturm, conning and stealing to buy their next meal.

But when an assassin recruits them against their will, they are forced into a life they do not want and cannot escape.

If they leave, they will die. But if they stay, they must kill.

Can they survive the master’s relentless evaluation?

Is loyalty stronger than the will to live?

Will their friendship last the ordeal?

From the best-selling author of The Ravenglass Chronicles, comes a new thrilling adventure featuring a new cast of unforgettable characters.

You’ll love this high fantasy series, because these unlikely heroes have a story you won’t be able to put down.

Links/Social media

https://joncronshaw.com

https://facebook.com/joncronshawauthor

https://youtube.com/c/joncronshawauthor

https://instagram.com/joncronshawauthor

https://tiktok.com/@joncronshawauthor

You can also find Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary wherever you listen to podcasts.

Swift Six Author Interview – Tahani Nelson #Fantasy #MilitaryFantasy #Femaleheroes

Name: Tahani Nelson

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): My name is Tahani Nelson, and I’m the author of the Faoii Chronicles, a female-led military fantasy series. I’ve always loved reading, but growing up I struggled to find heroines that I could identify with or aspire to be. Women in classic fantasy always seemed to be damsels in distress or love interests. Even when I could find an awesome heroine with dreams and aspirations, more often than not it seemed she’d meet a guy halfway through the novel and that would be her main focus. I was so over love triangles by the time I turned 16. So now I write all the heroines that young me looked for and couldn’t find—and it turns out I wasn’t the only one searching. Together, we’ve built the Faoii Army—readers that have followed me through everything and come out the other side triumphantly through every obstacle. I think at this point I’m most famous for always attending readings, signings, and events in full armor and warpaint. I know a lot of people told me it was weird when I first started doing it, but you don’t get anywhere in this world without taking a few risks. And let me tell you—a fantasy lover will cut across a room to talk to someone in cool-looking armor. It’s a great conversation starter, and even if someone doesn’t buy my books the first time they pass my booth, there’s no question that they’ll remember they saw me.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short) The Faoii Chronicles is a completed military fantasy series that focuses on the unforeseen aftermath of war. We all have the power to forge new destinies and futures—but ripples can cause tidal waves, and even the smallest actions can change the Eternal Tapestry in monumental ways.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? According to my father, I’ve been writing “books” my entire life. I didn’t really start exploring it seriously until high school, though, when I wrote a 360,000 word monstrosity filled with tropes and two-dimensional characters. But I’ve always had supportive, loving people in my life, and they helped me to practice and hone my craft.  I published my debut novel, The Last Faoii in 2017, and with the incredible support of the Faoii Army, it’s grown beyond anything anyone ever expected. It’s truly been an honor.

What writing plans do you have for the future? Honestly, I don’t know right now. The Faoii Chronicles have been the center of my existence for so long that I’ve kind of forgotten what my life was like before I started it. Now that the series is complete and available everywhere, I’m paralyzed by choice. I can keep writing military fantasy or I can move on to something with dragons or I can explore the science fiction world I created in a short story called “Honeysuckle Sky.” I’m free to do anything. I have no doubt that inspiration will strike and carry me forward the same way it did for my first series. You haven’t heard the last of me.

What do you like to read? I love fantasy, but I also come back to the classics quite often. Fahrenheit 451 is my favorite novel of all time, and I read it anytime I worry about whether or not my words have worth. When I search for something new, I try to support indie authors, because I know how much of a difference a single sale can make sometimes. And ripples can cause tidal waves.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure? Stop comparing yourself to other writers. There will always be someone who writes more than you each night. Who sells more copies or who attends more events or makes more in royalties. It is so easy to get discouraged when you’re constantly comparing yourself to other authors—especially on social media. Those highlighted reels of other people’s “best of” moments while you only focus on your “bloopers” track. Comparison is a thief of joy. It is a soul crushing habit made specifically to extinguish whatever sets your soul on fire. Instead, I encourage you to think about where you were a year ago. Or five. Or ten. That person in the earliest stages of writing would have believed you could ever come this far. They would be so proud of you. And rightfully so. You’d be their hero. YOUR hero. And that’s exactly how it should be. If you must compare, then only compare the author you are now to the author you were then. And keep going. I can’t wait to see what author you’ll be.

 

Author bio and book synopsis

Tahani Nelson is an author and English teacher in Billings, Montana. With hundreds of 5-star reviews and an ever-growing army of Faoii at her back, Nelson has become a common attendee at author events, Renaissance festivals, news programs, and conventions across the US– always wearing full armor and a face resplendent with warpaint. While her most notable appearances have been at the Indie Audiobook Awards and Fantasycon discussion panels, she most frequently gives presentations about empowerment and creating strong, healthy female role models in modern media.

Synopsis of The Faoii Chronicles

The Faoii Order is the shield of Imeriel. Wielding both magic and blade, these women have held back ancient evils and maintained sacred rites for millennia. But when a dark war uncovers secrets that even the Faoii cannot keep hidden, it starts a chain of events threatening the free will of an entire continent.

As old leaders fall and new ones rise to take their place, a warrior, a thief, and a launderer all strive to fix what’s been broken. But none can see how their actions affect the Eternal Tapestry—and all are unknowingly bound to the Threads that the others grasp.

In an intricate tale that spans centuries, The Faoii Chronicles is both empowering and immersive. Everyone has the power to forge their own destiny—and even the smallest actions can change the Weave in monumental ways.

 

 

Links/Social media

https://www.TahaniNelson.com

https://www.facebook.com/TheLastFaoii

https://www.twitter.com/TahaniNelson

Instagram: TahaniNelson

TikTok: TahaniNelson

 

 

 

The Last Forest – Excerpt #Fantasy #Shortstory #Dystopian

The Last Forest (c) A.L. Butcher

The whine of the chainsaws, and the rumble of iron machines cut through the growing sound from the forest. Death came on tracks of metal and wheels of rubber. The monkeys who commanded the machines waited, smoking and pointing towards the edges of the forest. “Where do we start?” one asked, eyeing the trees.

“Make your way to that big old one – the tallest. That will take out plenty when it falls. Look it’s three-quarters rotten anyway! Break the heart of the forest and tame it! That is how it’s done, lad.” The speaker pointed towards the Great Oak, satisfaction creased his face, and power gave his countenance a smirk. The monkey who walked on two feet was lord of the land and knew it well. He had brought death to the flora and fauna of this land, and their sap and blood soaked the soil. And he ignored the cacophony of music around him.

“This is the last patch of woodland in the country, the only unspoiled wilderness left,” someone said, from the back. “Must we?”

“It’s coming down. It’s needed for houses – people are more important than trees. They are just plants.” The foreman glared at the speaker, as the wind began to blow around them. “It’s not the last, there’s that coppice over in Haydock, and the Amazon of course.”

“The Amazon went a decade ago, boss. And that place in Haydock was bulldozed last year.” The first speaker reminded him.

The boss shrugged. “Not my problem. We have our orders. Now get to it, there is no place for conscience or sentiment here.”

The machines snarled, they spat their poison breath and rumbled forward, inexorable, awful. Monsters of modernity, some had called them. Progress had been their name from others. All the trees understood was the choking stench and the inexorable roar of impending death. Trees are not complicated, but they are not stupid. The knowledge of the wood pulsed through every branch and root; the force of nature, the will of life to survive surged.

Crack! The sound of tons of wood uprooting drowned the roar of the engines. It was the sound of defiance. Earth showered from roots, and leaves swirled as the mighty trees moved. Nature stopped; from red fox, and blackbird to tiny grey mouse life paused – the cry of war flowed through the ground, squeaked from the lowliest and sung from above. ‘We come! We stand! We fight! Nature Rises!’

Birds swooped, squawking at the monkeys who walked on two feet. Beaks were sharp, and eyeballs soft. The brave robin and the humble thrush dived, their song the sound of battle as they flew towards danger. ‘Be gone! Be gone!’

The humans flapped their arms against the onslaught.

“Get away, filthy creatures!” one monkey yelled. “I hate birds!” His flapping arms knocked birds to the ground, and some rose up for another onslaught. Others lay broken but roused the song to inspire their comrades.

“What is this? Alfred Hitchcock been ‘ere?” The foreman cried, trying to bat away the crows, pecking at his face. Blood flowed, feathers flew, and the beat of the Primal Song changed again – the music surged as other creatures joined the fray.

Available as an ebook and audiobook https://books2read.com/TheLastForest

The Electic Girl – Blog Tour, Giveaway and Guest Post #Fantasy #YA

The Electric Girl

by Christine Hart

Genre: YA SciFi Fantasy, Magic Realism

Polly Michaels is trying to forget that her mom has cancer. She keeps busy at school and plods through a normal social life. Until a freak electrical storm and a unicorn appear in the orchard next to her house.

Sy’kai wakes on an orchard floor to the smell of rotting cherries and wet earth. She doesn’t know where she is-or what she is-but she knows something is hunting her.

Polly recruits her friends to find the mysterious creature she saw from her window while Sy’kai, a confused shape-shifting endling from another dimension tries to piece her mind back together. Once the human girls find Sy’kai (whom they nickname Psyche) the mystery unravels and the danger facing all of them comes into focus.

A gritty struggle ranges throughout the girls’ rural hometown and in the wild terrain around it. All while two questions hang over their heads. Can an alien deliver a miracle for a human mother? Can a group of teens defeat an interdimensional demon?

Goodreads * Amazon

Located on BC’s beautiful West Coast, I write from my suburban home outside Vancouver. I love writing about places and spaces with rich history and visually fascinating elements as a backdrop for the surreal and spectacular.

In addition to my undergraduate degree in writing and literature, my background also includes corporate communications and design. I am a current member of the Federation of BC Writers and SF Canada.

When not writing, I have a habit of breaking stuff and making stuff – in that order – under the guise of my Etsy alter-ego Sleepless Storyteller. I share my eclectic home and lifestyle with my metalworking husband, dancing daughter, and future rocket scientist son.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon

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Writing YA Novels as a Pop Culture Fan

Many of us have been binging all our old favourite TV shows and movies over the past year. So, we’re not surprised to see nostalgia making its way into the novels of 2021. Today, author Christine Hart is sharing the scoop on all the pop culture influences that shaped her new book, The Electric Girl.

 

Christine, can you tell us a bit more about the role pop culture plays in this novel?

So many people have a love/hate relationship with pop culture, but the older I get, the more I realize that I should be writing what I want and drawing inspiration from what I truly like. Rather than trying to be a literary author, I’ve embraced genre fiction – and it feels like the right choice for me. And with The Electric Girl, setting a story in the 1980s was an irresistible opportunity to infuse my worldbuilding with the pop culture of the time.

 

Which movies and television shows influenced this story?

The most obvious first influence is The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle – both the book and movie, drawing on the idea of a unicorn becoming a girl. When I picture Psyche opening portals to another world, I can’t help but remember the inter-dimensional doors opened by Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife.

I also believe the nebula imagery and the concept of an alien that exists primarily in astral form comes from my days watching Star Trek: The Next Generation every day after school. I also watched a lot of Twin Peaks and I’ve always loved David Lynch’s ability to be delightfully bizarre just for the sake of it.

Most recently, getting addicted to Stranger Things, and combing through old toys and games that I saved for my children surprised me by having the power to evoke both memories and positive emotions.

 

Do you see The Electric Girl ever being made into a movie?

I have a very clear picture of the story in my mind, mostly because I used my hometown of Vernon, BC for the real-world side of things.

If The Electric Girl could become a movie, I’d like to see it done with as much historical authenticity as possible. I tried my absolute best to make my readers feel like they’ve been drawn into 1988. So that’s what I’d want from a movie as well.

But at the end of the day, I’m a pragmatist at heart. I used to indulge in daydreams about one of my novels getting an upgrade to film format. Now, 40-something me knows it’s not very likely, so I don’t think about it as much.

To keep the retro 80s fun going, Christine has put together a playlist including a handful of songs and bands mentioned in the story.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Oibmyx7Wmu9X1vFPOPQgd