She was supposed to be gifted with unparalleled beauty.
Instead, she was given superhuman strength.
Chiara and her twin brother each received a blessing at birth. Thanks to a mistake, she was saddled with extraordinary strength. Certain that men couldn’t desire a girl who could lift a horse with one hand, she vowed to keep her power a secret. As a petite girl, she had no problem appearing to be ordinary. But when bandits start terrorizing her town and a handsome stranger accidentally learns of her secret, Chiara finds herself facing the very crisis she’s been trying to avoid.
Aya Ling remains one of my favorite authors.
Her writing is both imaginative and fun. She takes typical fantasy tropes and ideas, making them feel completely new every time she puts words to page. I hope the wait isn’t long for the next book because I need to see what happens next for Chiara and the prince.
Perfect new series for fantasy fans young and old alike.
The fae of the Night Court are desperately searching for a new monarch to crown before the Court collapses.
I couldn’t care less.
I’ve done everything I can to bury my fae blood and embrace my human half. That changes when some fae nobles show up on my doorstep and announce that I’m the next Queen of the Night Court.
Becoming an unwilling fae queen? Check. Inheriting a terrible mess? Double check.
The Court is almost bankrupt, my citizens’ favorite hobby is backstabbing one another, and I don’t know who I can trust since someone keeps trying to assassinate me.
Speaking of assassins, I get introduced to the best in the business—a fae lord nicknamed the Wraith. His deadly profession means he fears no one. The only reason he doesn’t kill me on the spot is he’s also a member of the Night Court and the Court’s magic protects me. But that doesn’t prevent him from trading verbal barbs with me whenever we meet.
And if cat herding all these uncooperative fae and chatting with assassins wasn’t enough, I’m required to get married as part of some archaic Court law. This “queen” gig is the worst!
Supposedly I can choose anyone to marry, but with all the infighting I need someone who is neutral and won’t provoke more political power struggles.
So, why do I keep thinking of a certain assassin?
K.M. Shea has a special place in my heart and I will always be there for her new releases because I know she’ll have something worthwhile waiting for me.
Crown of Shadows is set in the same universe as the Hall of Blood and Mercy trilogy and I am so overjoyed that it is because there are limitless stories Shea can write within its boundaries. As much as I am the biggest simp for vampires, I think I’m going to love this series more. I’m counting down to the next book–which isn’t far away now.
Hi, everyone. *waves* This is different from the regular blog content. I apologize for that in advance. Today, I wanted to share a silly little book I’ve recently made.
Y’know about free verse poetry? Well, this is what the book is about—a collection of things Trump supporters have been saying since he lost the election but arranged like *~*poetry*~* It’s humorous to me, maybe I have a bad sense of humor though.
Before anyone gets mad, I think even republicans might find it a teensy bit amusing. Maybe not Facebook aunties (shhh).
Listen, I have cats to feed. They’re very particular.
Eventually, I’ll have my vampire book out–but gag poetry will have to work for now.
Available in ebook format for 99c and paperback for $6 (I’ll update this post when I receive my copy). Free with Kindle Unlimited.
The election may be over but the arguments and disagreements are not. Here is a collection of things Trump supporters have been saying presented in a free style poetry format. It’s a perfect, but a little too amusing, example of how some Americans are feeling at present time.
Great gag gift for Democrats (come on, a dramatic reading would be so fun) but might anger (or amuse, who knows?) your Republican folks. It might even be something you can show your grandchildren someday when asked about 2020 politics.
General Update Notes:
I’m trying to catch up on my reading, so expect some new reviews soon. Two for-review books are on my list right now. I’m still open for book spotlights, release day posts, etc. I don’t have anything scheduled as far as I can remember as of this posting. If I missed something from you, such as a request, you can always resend.
340 pages Published June 9, 2020 Completed trilogy Goodreads Purchase
Some secrets are too deadly to keep, some bloodlines too powerful to contain …
Reggie Lang might only be seventeen, but she’s had to grow up fast. Losing a father as a baby made things hard enough, but when her mom turned to alcohol for refuge, Reggie had to hold things together. She still does. If only she could escape it all …
When the other kids at school start calling her a freak, things only get tougher. What’s worse, she worries they’re right. Reggie shouldn’t be able to bring dead creatures back to life but somehow she can? If it wasn’t for her ride-or-die best friend, she’d have completely lost it by now.
When a mysterious man invades Reggie’s dreams, is it just another sign that she’s falling apart? He claims he’s her guardian – that he’s from another world. He tells her that her father’s killer is there …
… and that now an evil mage is gunning for her, destroying anything in his way.
Reggie’s always wanted to escape her life, but not like this. Does she really have to run to protect the people she loves? Who will take care of her mom? The man in her dreams says he’ll teach her about magic and protect her. That he’ll send someone he trusts to collect her. That her blood makes her powerful. It’s a hard choice, but ultimately protecting her mom is worth anything.
The magic-saturated world she discovers might be full of wonders, but the horrors are worse than she could have imagined. Can the man sent to guide her really protect her, or is the sign of his slavery an omen of what will happen to her?
Reggie will be pushed to her limits as she attempts her treacherous journey, struggling to adapt to a strange new world and learning to wield her powers. The Dark Mage isn’t easily evaded. He rules this world with a bloody fist. Because it’s blood he’s after—Reggie’s blood. And avoiding capture might just be the toughest thing Reggie has ever faced.
About the Author
Rebecca Jaycox grew up in the tiny town of Berryman, which borders the Mark Twain National Forest and the Courtois River about 70 miles south of St. Louis. The beautiful landscape fed her imagination, and she began writing stories at age 10 and never stopped. Always seeking adventure, Rebecca moved to France after she graduated college with a journalism degree to teach English at a French high school. Bitten by the travel bug, she has recently visited Italy, Greece, Austria, Spain, and finally made it to her bucket-list destination of Istanbul last summer. Rebecca now lives in New York City with her husband, Gregory. She is the curator and program director of the YA Lit Series at the 92nd Street Y—one of New York’s premier cultural centers. She enjoys reading and writing fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction. The Other Inheritance is her first novel.
London-based sculptor Iris’ friend Tom has disappeared without a trace during a trip to Austria. Worse still Iris has no recollection of what happened when she went searching for him.
Stranger still she regularly hears Tom’s voice in her head?
Fearing that she may be losing her mind she consults a therapist, to bring back the memories she’s temporarily erased.
The focus of the therapy quickly shifts towards the only two people who have mattered to her. Tom, the piper, a Sixties-influenced musician who reignited her creativity; and Matilda, her childhood friend, who encouraged her to pursue her artistic ambitions whilst inspiring her through her Wiccan practice.
What is it that Iris, the fairy in the trees as Tom called her, has buried deep inside that her mind, and will she be able to dig up the clues as to what happened to Tom?
The Piper and the Fairy is a story of obsession, intense friendships and alternative realities that will keep you guessing until the final scene.
Kylie got into journalism to write important stories. Ones about gargoyles and dryads, elemental warriors, and thwarted magical attacks on her city. The bigger the story, the better. So when she lands the opportunity to ask an enchanted everlasting tree for the answer to any question she desires, she doesn’t have to think about it. She wants the story of a lifetime.
So does her nemesis, Nathan. If anyone is going to write a high-profile story, the senior journalist believes it should be him—and Nathan’s not above playing dirty to get his way. Kylie must work fast or risk losing control of her story.
But with every new lead forcing Kylie and her gargoyle companion Quinn deeper into a deadly maze of murder, warped magic, and monstrous beasts, rushing could prove fatal. Kylie is determined to write her dream story, but even she is beginning to wonder: Is the story of a lifetime the last story she’ll ever write?
USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Chastain returns to the beloved world of the Terra Haven Chronicles for a brand-new spellbinding adventure of elemental magic and courageous gargoyles. If you love action-packed stories filled with mythical creatures, brave heroines, and adorable sidekicks, you’ll love Leads & Lynxes!
My stomach lurched as a wellspring of magic unfurled inside me. The elements rushed to my fingertips, waiting to be used.
Quinn was near.
Even after more than half a year in Quinn’s company, chasing stories with him and enjoying his friendship, I had yet to grow accustomed to the breathtaking sensation of his magic. Like all gargoyles, Quinn could enhance the elemental powers of others—when he chose—and he never failed to boost my magic whenever he was within range.
I pivoted in my seat, searching the sky through the awning’s thin cloth. Grant and Seradon turned at the same time, both squaring off in the same direction. I followed their line of sight and caught a flicker of gold through the fabric. Of course. Quinn must have spotted Grant and Seradon and included them in his boost. Normally I would have thought nothing of it—they were friends and trusted protectors—but with Grant acting like a jerk, I wished Quinn hadn’t been so generous.
“Is that your gargoyle, Kylie-girl?” Valeria asked.
“It is.” A surge of pride pulled my spine straighter.
Quinn soared over the crowded marketplace, his lion body suspended beneath feathered stone wings. Wavy lines of quartz hair filled out his impressive mane and tufted the tip of his long tail, but delicate curls of dragon scales covered the bulk of his body, and all of him shimmered in iridescent tones of golden citrine. I squinted as the sunlight reflected off his glossy sides, momentarily blinding me. The gargoyle swooped low, back-winging to land near the awning, and Grant raised a quick wall of air to shield us from the spray of dust.
“Kylie!” Quinn cried, but the urgency crinkling his expressive face already had me on my feet. He tossed a look over his shoulder, toward the tree.
My stomach somersaulted. It’s happening.
I tied off the recording sphere and shoved it into my bag along with my notebook and pencil.
“Thank you for your time, Mayor. Best of luck in finding your horse.” I shrugged the strap of my bag over my head so it hung diagonally across my chest, dodged Grant’s shield, and sprinted for Quinn.
“It’s blooming!” Quinn exclaimed. “The everlasting tree is blooming!”
~*~*~
Giveaway
Click the link to enter to win signed copies of Deadlines & Dryads and Leads & Lynxes on Rebecca’s website.
Want to see what this world is all about before dipping into your book-buying budget? Try the prequel today for free! Deadlines & Dryads is a standalone novella that takes place just before the events of Leads & Lynxes. It is not necessary to read either book to enjoy the other, but why not partake in a free adventure?
REBECCA CHASTAIN is the USA Today bestselling author of the Madison Fox urban fantasy series and the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles fantasy trilogy, among other works. Inside her novels, you’ll find spellbinding adventures packed with supernatural creatures, thrilling action, heartwarming characters (human and otherwise), and more than a little humor. Rebecca lives in Northern California with her charming husband.
We never asked for this. None of us. We paid our dues to the world, even tried to fix our little corner of it. We kept our bargain; the gods did not. We are honest men.
On the return from a business trip outside the valley, Aldon, accompanied by his friend Grsk, stumbles across the remnants of a god’s wrath. Amidst the carnage there is one survivor. Compelled to help the lad, Aldon comes to regret his decision when forced on the run by a past he kept buried. Joined by a madman, an ex-soldier, and a fool, Aldon uncovers a grand conspiracy to settle his debts, with or without him.
With time running out, Aldon must place his trust in a book with no pages and the stranger who carries it.
About the Author
Charles grew up under the deep blue skies of Texas and recently traded it for the mountains and snow of Colorado. Writing is his passion, built upon a lifetime of adventures in tales ranging from the Lord of the Rings to the Kon-Tiki expedition. Any genre is fair game, except maybe romance, with favorite authors being Bruce Catton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Micheal Crichton, Tite Kubo, and Rick Atkinson.
Is she a powerful witch . . . or is it all in her head?
When Neve awakens in a hospital room, cuffed to the bed, the only thing she knows is her name. Her doctor says she’s been a patient at the Blackbriar Institute for most of her life, that she’s been battling mental illness since she was a small child . . . that bouts of amnesia are common with her condition.
But something doesn’t add up.
And weird things keep happening. Sparks erupt from her fingertips and wishes inexplicably come true. Neve has visions of a woman claiming to be her sister, warning that she’s in danger.
Is it all a delusion?
Then there’s Torbin, the mysterious man in her therapy group with fathomless pain in his dark eyes. At first he seems to hate her, but Neve feels drawn to him in ways she can’t explain.
Together, Neve and Torbin must uncover the secrets of the Institute and fight their way to freedom. Along the way, Neve will discover power beyond her imagination . . . and a love she never thought possible.
It seems I’m always lured in by these beautiful covers.
Of Snows and Roses gives us two possibilities, Neve–who doesn’t remember anything about herself–is either a mentally ill woman recovering in an institution or is being kept there for other more sinister reasons. Sorting out what is real and what is a delusion, Neve makes for an interesting character. I won’t go into specifics–find out on your own.
Overall, I liked and enjoyed the story. I just wish there was a little more background details about Neve’s life before the institution and about certain other characters.
Confronting werewolves, exploring haunted forests, calming angry spirits, and befriending ancient vampires.
These are just a few of the tasks that Asher Norwood and his raven partner Aethon find themselves doing on any given day.
Asher is a sin eater, a guild of mages that exists to combat dark magic wherever it rears its ugly head. Invoking the forces of nature to protect a society that looks down on him, Asher will stop at nothing to defeat the monsters that plague his world.
Indie Fantasy Review 