Castle in the Wilde

The series has a novella, and books 1-2 available for purchase and book 3 available for pre-order–yes, they’re all on my kindle waiting for me to read. Hm, that might be what I’ll do while in the doctor’s office today. Oh, and book 1 is on sale. Just like Diverse Similarity, Sharon Rose weaves conflicted cultures into a unique tale.

Mysterious tales surround an abandoned castle. Are they summoning Tristan to adventure, or warning him of death?

A foreign usurper. A lady who longs for freedom. Secrets more dangerous than beasts.

She loves her kingdom…and the foreign usurper they hate. How can she choose between them?

His family was abased, and their castle destroyed. Now a hint of the king’s favor marks him for murder.

Each line is the tagline of this series from prequel to book 3. They definitely draw me in! What about you?

Blurb for A Castle Contended

Beth finally understands. The despised foreigners are not what she believed. Nor is her noble role just a burdensome restraint. It also carries authority—and the obligation to use it wisely. Which might be more of a restraint than the proposed marriage she is evading. Now all she needs to do is convince an entire kingdom to respect the people they hate.

Before she can even try, unraveling deceptions rock her land. A duchess mysteriously dies. Atrocities in Tower Woods come to light. The governing assembly is being manipulated. The cry of Beth’s heart is the last thing anyone cares about. As for loving a despicable foreigner—intolerable!

Tristan would do anything to help Beth, but his foreign hands are tied. The only thing he can do, must do, is kill the enormous vixicats that terrorize the Wilde—beasts that have proven invincible for over a century. If he conquers them, he invites a siege to his castle. What is worse? Starving or becoming a vixicat’s meal?

How can Beth forge her newfound scrap of authority into a tool that is both subtle and powerful enough to return justice to her land? Especially when succeeding could turn the foreigner she loves into an enemy.

A Castle Contended is the second novel in the Castle in the Wilde trilogy. If you enjoy a story where wit and hope confront lies and hate, come and explore this fantastical world with medieval undertones and conflicted cultures.   

About the author: Sharon Rose

Sharon Rose started writing when she was seven years old. Okay, My Life as a Flying Squirrel may have had a couple spelling errors, but her classmates loved it.

Plenty of life has happened since that first story, and she’s come to realize the things that fascinate her. People. Communication. Culture. Personality. Viewpoints. Beliefs. Anything that makes each of us beautifully unique. Small wonder that her art spills out in story form. 

It was only a matter of time before she just had to share her stories. She publishes fantasy and science fiction because they allow vast spaces to explore. Her stories weave cultures and characters, who are more than they seem to be, into adventures with mystery, romance, and hope.

When she’s not writing or reading, she may be traveling, enjoying gardens, or searching for unique coffee shops with her husband. They live in Minnesota, USA, famed for its mosquitoes—uh, she means 10,000 lakes and vibrant seasons.

Well, I’m off to go dive into a new world. Who’s joining me?

Ayphae: a land of mushrooms

Imagine a world where mushrooms think using your brain. Some of them spin like spinning tops. Some of them fly. Some of them tower over you and stomp in a beat. Others feed off your emotions as you live in them—massive mushrooms called obosas.

Three siblings wake up in this world with no memory of their past. Everything is new to them—they have no idea what’s going on, and no one knows who they are. Moreover, they discover that because of a mysterious barrier around this land, no one can enter or leave. They’re here to stay.

The land is Ayphae. The siblings try to forge their way…and for a while, everything is fine.

Trouble in Aphae: Seven Years later

Seven years later, everything starts withering. Mushrooms are turning to ash, trees to mush…it’s all falling apart. Signs point to a suspicious new fungus known as the aiethepa spore.

This is how the book Ayphae opens. I’m pleased to invite you into this vast world I’ve created—with mushrooms that fulfill just about every function you can imagine, and a main protagonist who enjoys cooking over fighting. He and his amnesia-stricken siblings are about to discover a few interesting things about themselves—and their past might be more relevant than they realize.

Why mushrooms?

So what could possibly compel me to write a world full of mushrooms?

Well, I love mushrooms. That’s a start.

Purpose and meaning

Then there’s the concept of purpose. Purpose is a big deal in life—it brings meaning and identity to us. It has to be supplied by external factors (like a deity), or it’s just a meaningless invention of our heads.

It’s kind of my thing, and I like to talk about it in every book that I write. It’s the unifying factor in all of my works. As an author, you could say it’s my “theme.”

Purpose for the siblings:

Ayphae fits that theme perfectly. In it, every character struggles with fulfilling their purpose. Reisor, who can’t even remember his past, lacks both a purpose and an identity. He struggles with the only purpose he’s been given—to take care of his siblings—while being given a new purpose. But as the book goes on, he wonders if his new purpose is really what he should be doing.

The siblings, meanwhile are even more directionless. Feselea has taken it upon herself to learn everything she can—and while knowledge and its pursuit is definitely a purpose, it may not be all she is meant to do. Dane has no idea what his purpose is—but he wants to be treated like an adult, even when he acts like a kid. It brings him joy to entertain people…so maybe that’s it? He just doesn’t know.

Purpose for the Ayphaeans

Finally, we have the three Ayphaeans: Joe, May and Nick. Joe rules Ayphae—his motto is to never let people down. His purpose is pretty clear-cut…but unfortunately, he has absolutely no idea how to fulfill it. He’s been doing the best he can over the past seven years. But now everything is falling apart. If he just knew why, he could see a clear road to fulfilling his purpose. He’d like to blame the aiethepa spore for everything, but part of him wonders what’s really going on.

Nick used to be a pathfinder (a type of ranger). He saw problems in the people’s hearts and realized he should be a speaker. That greater purpose led him away from his first purpose—a difficult but worthy replacement. Now he speaks full-time, as his oratory career has taken off.

And of course, there’s May the scientist. She wants to maintain respectability as a scientist while exploring Ayphae’s wonders. Right now, her immediate purpose is to eradicate the aiethepa spore. Nothing will disrupt her focus.

It’s interesting that Nick and May have the same ultimate purpose: to save Ayphae. But they’re going about it in completely different ways. Nick is targeting the people’s hearts, while May is targeting the parasitic fungus invading the land. One is more conceptual, the other more concrete. And Joe is trying to find a happy medium. But all their paths will cross in time.

Purpose for the author

So what’s the biggest reason? To tell a story. To inspire people to think. To bring glory to God by creating an amazing world and characters to inhabit it. When we create beautiful stories, we bring glory to the Creator.

And that is my purpose.

About the author: Ian Vroon

By the way, I’m Ian. I’m married to an amazing woman named Nicole who loves and supports me (I don’t deserve her!). I live in Colorado, and I love science and theology. One of my philosophies of plot working is to make sure each of my main characters disagree with me in at least one major way. That way, none of them can serve as mouthpieces for an agenda. I want to inspire critical thinking, not dictate it.

Special thanks to Kandi Wyatt for letting me guest blog here. You’re fantastic! I hope your readers enjoy exploring the realm of Ayphae as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Where to Find the book

You can learn more about Ayphae or purchase it on Amazon.

What it’s about:

Following the prophesied Artan’s victory over the Dark Powers, the land of Aerisia is finally at rest, until ancient beings, long imprisoned, begin to stir…

Eight years after Annie Richards’ stellar voice and musical talents skyrocketed her from rural Oklahoma to international fame, haunting visions have begun threatening her sanity. While she’s returning to her childhood home to convalesce, creatures straight from her nightmares bring down her plane. Annie wakens in a parallel world, Aerisia. Here, she discovers her musical gifts translate into magical powers—the legacy of a banished race who have been invading her dreams.

Mistrusted by Aerisia’s most powerful factions because of her heritage, Annie finds allies are hard to come by. Supporting her are one Simathe warrior, Cole, who refuses to label her as evil, and one woman willing to stand against anything and anyone to help a friend: the Artan herself. Seizing control of her destiny will mean defying both her ancestors and the Aerisian leaders. Mastering her magic may mean making the greatest sacrifice of all…or risk becoming the reason Aerisia itself is torn apart.

What I think:

Well, I started to read it on Friday evening and have had a hard time putting it down. Now, I’m not normally one to fan-girl over books or even characters. I found myself literally exclaiming outloud and unable to see to read because a character came into the plot or I recognized a place. It was as if I’d just landed back in a familiar home after a long journey. I’ve not finished the story yet, but I’m deeply engrossed and am excited to finish this blog post so I can go ahead and read more. The plot moves forward with just enough twists and turns to keep you coming back for more. If you haven’t read the first trilogy, don’t worry. Another friend read an advance copy of Aerisian Refrain and had not read the other books in the series and fell just as in love with the story and world as I have.

What it looks like:

Who’s it about:

Author’s thoughts on character

What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?

His official title is Cole, Lord among Simathe. However, he’s simply called Cole by friends, and Lord Cole by subordinates or in formal situations.

What is Cole like?

Both are a deep, unnatural black. Simathe are a race of immortal warriors, with several interesting racial characteristics, including deep bronze skin and completely black eyes. No “whites of the eyes,” no pupils, etc. can be seen…only blackness.

Another distinguishing characteristic of the Simathe is they have a very hard, stony facial cast. Most people consider them emotionless because they rarely, if ever, reveal an outward emotion and are extremely hard to read.

The left side of Cole’s body is scarred from taking the brunt of a dragon attack. He threw himself between a dragon and a friend during battle. Being immortal, he survived, but with scars to tell the story.

Who are Cole’s friends and family, those who he’s closest to and who does he wish he were closest to?

Simathe are a unique race created by the magic of the Scraggen, or witch-women, in the land of Aerisia. They are born from normal human parents, and all Simathe are males. They live together in a unique brotherhood. Thus, Cole has no family except his fellow Simathe, and really no friends outside them, except for one person: Aerisia’s legendary savior, the Artan. This is a young woman from Earth, Hannah Winters, who was brought to Aerisia to fulfill her destiny. In the course of her adventures she fell in love with the Simathe High-Chief and married him. However, Cole was the first Simathe to befriend her on her journey to become the Artan, and they have remained friends ever since. She is the friend for whom he was wounded by a dragon. He considers his scars of little note when compared to having saved her life.

Where was Cole born? Since then where has he lived, and where does he call home?

Like all the Simathe, Cole doesn’t know where he was born or where he’s from. Simathe children are surrendered at birth to other Simathe. It’s considered a curse to normal Aerisians to bear a Simathe child, and they’re gladly given up. Simathe children are taken to the Simathe stronghold, Treygon, where they are raised. This is their home base.

Tell us about Cole’s emotions.

Even if Simathe are angry, most don’t know. They are extreme stoics. If Cole really, really needed to be alone, he’d simply retire to his quarters.

Cole has few fears until another young woman from Earth, Annie, crosses to Aerisia. Whereas no Aerisian woman has ever looked twice at him, Annie is struck by him immediately. (He can hardly comprehend this.) However, Annie’s not in Aerisia without a cause, and various forces are at work to harm or control her. Annie’s safety quickly becomes paramount to Cole, but, since he is Simathe, he acts on this—he doesn’t talk about it.

Does he have a secret?

That he really likes this girl, Annie, but he has no idea what to do about it.

What makes Cole laugh out loud?

After crossing to Aerisia from Earth, Annie really, really misses her coffee. She is not a morning person. At all. And Cole thinks this is pretty funny.

Has Cole ever been in love? Had a broken heart?

Never. At over six hundred years old, this immortal warrior has never really looked twice at a woman because he’s Simathe and no woman would ever look twice at him. Not until Annie enters his life.

What Cole really thinks:

Now let’s chat directly with Cole. Cole, I’m so excited to have you here. I may have to control my emotions since I really enjoyed your interactions with Lady Hannah and can’t wait to get to know you better here.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Saving my Artan’s life during her fight against the Dark Powers.

That was very noble of you. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

“Enjoyment, happiness, those are fleeting. Duty and responsibility are eternal. Simathe ascribe to duty first. Always duty first.”  (Actual quote from Aerisian Refrain.)

What is your favorite occupation?

If by occupation, you include ways to keep yourself occupied, I enjoy whittling when I’ve nothing else to do. I generally carry a special knife for that purpose.

Oh wow! My son works with wood as well. With that said what is your most treasured possession? My son’s would be one of his knives.

My Restless. (Restless are a unique breed of horses used by the Simathe.)

I could see that. I think I’d be a little afraid to meet a Restless up close.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

There was no love in my life until I met Annie. She changed everything. I would endure or give up anything for her.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Courage in the face of adversity. Being honorable, no matter the cost.

…and in a woman?

I spend very little time around women, save Lady Hannah, the Artan. (And now Annie.) I admire similar traits in both men and women: courage, being honorable. But I also admire Lady Hannah’s bold sense of humor and Annie’s sweet smiles.

What do you most value in your friends?

My friends are my brothers, the Simathe, and I value their loyalty to Treygon and each other.

Which living person do you most admire?

Lord Ilgard, the Simathe High-Chief, for his leadership of our clan. Also Lady Hannah, the Artan, for the sacrifices she made on behalf of Aerisia.

Ah yes, Lady Hannah and Lord Ilgard. Their story was quite an emotional roller-coaster, even if Lord Ilgard wouldn’t acknowledge it.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Simathe do not allow themselves to wish for what they cannot have. But, were I to wish for things to be different, I would wish to be a normal human so my relationship with Annie would not be so fraught with difficulties.

Thanks so much for being with us, Cole. I hope more people read your stories, and that things work out with you and Annie. What I’ve learned about her so far, she seems like a very special gal.

About the Author:

Don’t believe all the hype. Sarah Ashwood isn’t really a gladiator, a Highlander, a fencer, a skilled horsewoman, an archer, a magic wielder, or a martial arts expert. That’s only in her mind. In real life, she’s a genuine Okie from Muskogee who grew up in the wooded hills outside the oldest town in Oklahoma and holds a B.A. in English from American Military University. She now lives (mostly) quietly at home with her husband and three sons, where she tries to sneak in a daily run or workout to save her sanity and keep her mind fresh for her next story.

Sarah’s works include the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy and the fantasy novella Amana.

To keep up to date with Sarah’s work and new releases, sign up for her newsletter. You can also visit her website, or find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Where to find Aerisian Refrain:

Find Aerisian Refrain on Amazon and Goodreads.

Get book one of the Krillonian Chronicles

Background:

The Annals of Alasia cover the invasion of Alasia by Malorn. Young teens face the hardships of war and fight for their country in unexpected ways. Book 1 tells the story of the Prince of Alasia as he tries to regain his throne. In In the Enemy’s Service a young girl becomes a spy as she tries to stay alive and still help Alasia. My favorite of the series has been book 3, The Prince of Malorn. It shares the story of the invading army. However, I’m not sure which is my favorite now. Book 4 has captured my heart as well.

About the Story:

What happens if you’re young, in the army, and the enemy attacks suddenly at night? You fight for your life, but if you are knocked unconscious and wake up to find the battlefield empty of any living person and the enemy has taken over your land, you just may run for your life. That’s what Tarvic does. Starving, wounded, and exhausted he finally finds refuge in an unlikely place–on a farm with three young girls whose father is away in the army. With the enemy searching for any members of the Alasian army and any chance to take what isn’t theirs, Tarvic must defend the farm from the enemy.

Review:

Annie Douglass Lima has done it again, drawn me in and kept me enthralled with her world. I loved Tarvic and how real he was. His struggle with who he was and what he should do came across as genuine. It was fun to see some of the scenes from other books in the series played out from this point of view. One of the strengths of this series is the way Mrs. Lima can tell a new story from the same timeline. It’s like viewing the scene from multiple angles.

This fourth installment moves more toward Young Adult than middle grade, but there is no overt violence or gore to keep the book from a younger reader. The character is older than the other main characters in the series so far, and there’s even a bit of romance. Readers both young and young at heart will enjoy this book.

Get your copy of The Nameless Soldier

The book is on sale today only for 99 cents! Go grab your copy. Not sure if it’s your cup of tea or afraid you can’t read it since you haven’t gotten the rest of the series? No fear, here’s an excerpt:

Chapter 1:

Tarvic woke to the sound of a distant yell, abruptly silenced. He pushed his blankets aside and sat up, puzzled, but heard only the light patter of rain on the canvas. “What was that?”

Drevel, his roommate in the barracks and tentmate out on campaigns like this, stirred and rolled over. “What?”

“I heard something. Someone shouting.”

“It’s probably just another drill.” But Drevel sat up too, shoving his own blankets away, as Tarvic crawled over and untied the tent flap.

A blast of wintry air and raindrops greeted him as he leaned out, peering across the tent-studded hillside. Clouds hid the moon and stars, and on every side the thick dark of the forest leaned in from the edges of the large clearing. But the telltale flickering light of distant torches sent shadows leaping over tents and across the open spaces between them. Why would someone be using torches out here? Any soldier in camp had easy access to lanterns among the supplies.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tarvic pulled back into the tent and yanked on his breeches and jacket.

They both heard the next yell, closer this time, and then the unmistakable clash of swords. Both men snatched up their own swords, jamming their feet into their boots and fumbling for shields. From all around them, shouts of alarm erupted as men in their company woke up.

And then the enemy was upon them. Horses exploded through the camp, trampling tents and the soldiers just crawling out of them. Riders leaned low off their mounts’ backs, swinging swords and waving torches.

Keep reading

Get your copy of The Nameless Soldier

 About the Author:

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published seventeen books (four YA action and adventure novels, five fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

Connect with her on her blog, facebook, twitter, or amazon.

1. New Year, New Reads

Last year I participated in this deal, and I’m doing so again this year. The goal is to have three days, January 1st through the 3rd, and share 99 cent books. You can find all about the other authors who are participating on the website, and head over to my page with my books.

New Year, New Reads home page

New Year, New Reads on my website

2. Book lists

I have a category of blogs called Book Lists. These are all blogs I’ve written over the last two and a half, almost three years now, that feature books that I either have personally read, or that I know I can trust the author to write great content.

Book lists

3. My 2017 favorite books

Wow! I just went through my Kindle library and counted about 30 books that I read this last year! To think that the majority of those were read over half-hour lunch breaks is even more impressive.

a. The Firethorn Crown series by Lea Doue

These are fairy tale retellings told in a fun way around the twelve princesses of the fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I love how each book focuses on a new sister and tells a new story. So far there are three in the series and two short stories that go with the series.

The Firethorn Crown

b. DragonFriend series by Marc Secchia

The world of the Cloudlands draws the reader in from the get go with excitement, action, and beautiful scenery all the while using language to weave the story in such a way that the very words themselves come alive.

DragonFriend

c. The White Wolf and the Ash Princess by Tammy Lash

This book was introduced as book of the month for Fellowship of Fantasy’s Indie Book Club. Even being warned it wasn’t typical fantasy, I still was left intrigued and trying to decide where this book fit. From the get go, the reader wants to know what Jonathan is hiding, and this suspense creates a page turning historical fiction/native tale retelling.

The White Wolf

d. Fabled, Eternal, and Deception by Kara Jaynes

Another fairy tale world story sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go. The first book was fun to try to count or identify the various fairy tale illusions. The author took all the elements of a fairy tale world and the various fairy tales in existence and wove them together to create her own new fairy tale. A definite must read.

Fabled

e. Annie Douglass Lima’s Alasia series and Krillonian series

Yes, both of these series are well worth the read. The Alasia series is a trilogy where events of an invasion are chronicled through the eyes of three different characters. I loved it. I think my favorite was The Prince of Mallorn. The Krillonian series is another trilogy with a new stand-alone in the same universe. In a land where slaves are sold as property and martial arts are held as entertainment Bensin struggles to survive and keep his sister alive as well.

Book one of Krillonian series

Here’s to a 2018 of more books read. Any suggestions on where to start? I’d love to hear your ideas.