Last year, I heard about a Kickstarter that had funded in two hours! That in and of itself is a big deal. So, I took a look. The concept behind the book sounded intriguing–a guy searching for a young girl he’d been assigned to protect when they were young, barriers between worlds, and magic–both forbidden and honored. Since I hadn’t really seen how Kickstarter worked, I decided to pledge at a level that enabled me to get the physical stretch goals–a paperback.

But as The Blood of the Stars took off, the stretch goals kept mounting until Karyne Norton offered a unique stretch goal. If we reached a specific number, she’d offer embossed, shiny hardbacks, and anyone who pledged the hardback before we reached that goal would receive that special hardback. I bit, and oh, boy! I’m so happy I did! I show the hardback to anyone who loves books. It’s beautiful.

Each chapter has black and white art that goes with the character point of view, so three different art pieces.

What’s an epic fantasy without a map? Well, The Blood of the Stars has two full-color maps and a colored map of the magic system! If that wasn’t enough, there’s a vellum pullout colored map as well.

Now, I wouldn’t be teasing you with the epicness of this book without a reason. Book 2 is available on Kickstarter!

It funded in 2 minutes and became a Kickstarter Project We Love! That means it’s a trusted project… and… you get stretch goals!

Stretch Goals

Stretch goals enable a project to go farther and have more bells and whistles. The project manager decides how they work, and Karyne Norton has chosen to give her readers and backers the choice! I love it. It’s been so fun to see if my vote is what everyone else wants.

So far we have:

• Extra map
• Another novella
• Artwork
• Character cards
• Vellum insert
• Stickers

And the vote’s still out whether we add more character cards or get more artwork! (So, if I’m honest, I’m sharing because I want more of both!)

Salt in the Seas

She must reverse a curse to save her mother. He must sacrifice himself to save his sister. But old enemies and new prophecies threaten everything they fight for.

Salt in the Seas, book two in The Half-Light Chronicles, has 600+ pages filled with adventures at sea, prophecies, curses, no-spice slow burn romance, and the hunt for ancient relics. If you like epic fantasy with vast worlds, clear magic systems, and a variety of characters to root for, I think you’ll love this series.

If that wasn’t enough, she also has matching books for The Blood of the Stars, so you can get both books with all the epicness of the Kickstarter versions. And before they’re available in stores anywhere! She’s even added sprayed edges as an add-on.

So if I’ve not teased you enough, go take a look at Salt in the Seas.

There are ten days left to see what all we can do to bring this epic fantasy to life!

So… (drum roll)

I have a bookstore!

Seen this way, and when I have all my books at an event, it definitely looks like a bookstore!

What does this mean? Several things.

First, you’ll see a change on book pages–either a normal button that says “Purchase from Author” or a “Purchase Ebook” or “Purchase Paperback”

Those grey buttons are direct purchase buttons. It’ll have a pop-up that will allow you to purchase right there.

The other exciting news is that I’ve created some special edition hardbacks complete with ribbon bookmark and endpages. I have the expanded Dragon Journal, which will be coming soon to my website, and the Myth Coast Adventures special edition hardback en route from England!

Not everything ships from England, and those that do, I’ve taken into consideration shipping costs as I priced the books. These are autographed–just not personalized–and have at least one page in color.

All paperbacks will ship from the US, so you won’t have to worry about that. I’m transitioning all paperbacks to autographed, but they aren’t there yet. I’ll be sure to let you know when the transition is done.

Another change is my merch store. It’s been up on my website, but I’ve not really advertised it. My latest in person events have had the stickers, and my last one had the t-shirts and mugs.

As you can see, there are three styles of hoodies and mugs:

Chay la Jeeah with the dragon
May your dragon fly true with a dragon
Reach Deep with Bigfoot

You have various colors to choose from for your hoodies and t-shirts. I’ve also added another t-shirt design:

Ask me how to live when your world is tilted
Then the Four Stars over Ardatz symbol
and then Chay la Jeeah at the bottom.

The stickers are in various sizes, so several of them I put two on one sheet. That means you get two for one price.

One design that’s not a dragon is the purple and pink kitty face. I designed that one Sunday afternoon, and it looks really cool as both a sticker and a mug.

Last but not least is the magnet with Braidyn and Turqueso from Dragon’s Heir. The saying is “The best times I spend are with a dragon by my side.” It’s available in a 3×3, 4×4, and 6×6 magnet.

You can access both stores via the menu bar at the top of every page. You can go to the “Purchase Directly” page or hover and allow the dropdown menu to show up and click on whichever store you want to go to.

I’m open to ideas to add to the stores, so if you have suggestions, send me a comment.

Spellsmith & Carver:

H. L. Burke is a favorite in our household. Anything by her is a definite must read. I read the first Spellsmith book and loved it. Just saw a post that book 3 is on pre-order and had to nab it and pass it along to you all.

In a realm of steampunk fantasy, Spellsmith has gone off to the university to train in the ways of the latest spell casting. When he returns home, he finds the new apprentice has taken over his father’s shop and his sister’s heart. When his father disappears, Spellsmith and the apprentice, Carver, make a tentative agreement to try to find the senior Spellsmith.

I’ve yet to read book two, but I did purchase it when I pre-ordered book three. Can’t wait to see how the two work things out.

Get yours here

Aranya:

I first read Marc Secchia’s Dragonfriend in March of this year and fell in love with his cloudlands world and his writing. He has a way with words that few have. The rhythm of his words sunk deep into my psyche so my thoughts resounded in a similar pattern. He also has the honor of being the first author that I read book one and went and immediately purchased book two. When I saw a post early in September that he had a sale for the book Aranya, I didn’t hesitate to go purchase it. I wasn’t disappointed. Aranya takes place in the cloudlands world several hundred years after Dragonfriend. It’s another shapeshifter book with an interesting twist and romance thrown in.

Get yours here

Annals of Alasia:

After reading book one of the Annals of Alasia, which I enjoyed, I was a little skeptical about reading books two and three. How could an author tell the same story three times and not make the reader bored? Annie Douglass Lima proceeded to do just that. Each of the three books is from a different point of view and brings new facets of the plot to light. Book one follows the prince of Alasia as he flees for his life on the night of the invasion from Malorn. Book two tells the story of a young girl who finds herself captured by the Malornian army and forced to serve at the former Alasian palace. Her spying intertwines with book one and gives back story or the other side of several scenes from book one. Book three was my personal favorite. In this story, we hear the other side of the tale–that of the enemy prince. I highly recommend all three for any young reader and young-at-heart reader.

Get yours here

White Wolf and the Ash Princess:

If you love a good tale this is a book for you. I read it in September for Fellowship of Fantasy’s Book Club book of the month. I immediately was pulled in with the suspense and question of what happened when Izzy was younger. While I read, I wondered where the fantasy was but never found it. Instead, I discovered a wonderful blend of genres from steampunk elements to New World era fiction, along with Native American tales and life on the high seas, all from a Christian perspective. The present tense telling caused some issues with me understanding it, but it was worth staying with it. The lessons Izzy and Jonathan learn along their journey are pertinent for modern-day readers.

Get yours here

Nyssa Glass Series

H. L. Burke has a wonderful, whimsical way of telling a story. Her Nyssa Glass series is a steampunk fantasy that introduces you to a young girl whose former life involved pick-pocketing and cat-burglering. Her safe and secure life changes, however, when she finds her employer murdered and she’s accused of his death. Nyssa is blackmailed into entering a deserted mansion and getting company secrets. Along the way, she meets a unique computer and tries to escape robots and other attempts on her life.

I loved the first book but haven’t made it to the rest of the series, yet. Each of the books in the series is on sale for 99 cents right now on amazon. There are five in the series and a prequel, which is free.

Beggar Magic

This past fall, Fellowship of Fantasy put on a cosplay contest. My youngest son entered as Kirito and The Black Butler, and he won the juvenile division. His prize was supposed to be paperback books, but when the authors discovered he loves audiobooks better, they offered him audio versions of their books. Beggar Magic was one of H. L. Burke’s that David received.

In my life as a mom, I’ve learned to listen when my kids come up to me and say, “Mom, you’ve got to read this book!” I discovered Cornelia Funke’s Dragonrider and Inkheart as well as the Pendragon series that way. Well, at dinner one night, David asked if I’d read Beggar Magic. I had to ask what it was. He then proceeded to tell me it was one of H. L. Burke’s books. His eyes lit up as he talked about a story. Now, in his fifteen-year-old mind, the story started out slowly, but then (and this is where his eyes lit up) things started happening and he couldn’t put it down.

In and of itself, that should be enough to say, go get this book! However, I’ll tell you more. In a world where people are divided between Highmost and Common, two girls one from either of the two classes become friends. As they move to their apprenticeships, they discover a sinister plan that will threaten their very friendship. It’s a fun-loving story of good and evil and trying to manuever through the two.

Dragon’s Curse

This weekend, I had the privilege of traveling four and half hours to a conference. So, on my way there, I listened to Beggar Magic, and on my way home, I listened to Dragon’s Curse, another H. L. Burke tale. I was impressed with the variety of stories this author has. Dragon’s Curse is a bit more grown up. A young girl heads out on her first assignment after the academy. However, Shannon finds she must tread carefully in the court of the new king. He seeks revenge on the dragon that killed his brother. When a dragon comes to live on the mountain outside the king’s castle, Shannon’s world is turned upside down.

This tale is almost a fairy tale, and as I looked it up to give you a link, I discovered it’s a series. That means I have to add three more books to my to-be-read list! Just when I thought I could cross three off, I’m adding three more.

Firethorn chronicles

At the beginning of the year, Fellowship of Fantasy started a book club. (If you want to join, just tell them I sent you.) Each month the group chooses a book to read and then we interact with the author and other readers. February introduced me to Lea Doue and this fairy tale series. I’d not really read a retelling of a fairy tale before I read The Firethorn Crown. I became ill and had to stay home from work one day which enabled me to read most of the first book of the series in one sitting.

The story gives an intriguing look into the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. We are introduced to the first princess as she’s preparing to choose a prince and take over the kingdom. As she runs from one eligible suitor, she and her sisters are pulled into a secret passage under the maze in their garden. To rescue her sisters from a curse, she returns to the secret realm.

I really enjoyed the story. Not only did it have intrigue and romance, it also held some underlying themes of redemption and temptation. Again, it’s book one in a series. I believe, we’ll be introduced to each of the princesses through different books and fairy tales. So, if that’s true, I have another eleven books added to my to-be-read list.

Dragon Friend

This month the book club is reading Dragon Friend by Marc Secchia. I was excited to sit down and read this book because it’s been in the “also bought” section of Dragon’s Future in Amazon. I haven’t finished the book, but I am definitely giving it a thumbs up!

Lia has been thrown overboard, left to try to fly on her own, befriended by a dragonet, and now’s trying to restore the rightful heir to the throne. That’s all within the first half of the book. When a book has dragons, adventure, and romance, and it’s clean for my kids as well, it’s a book to put on my recommend list. Again, it’s the first of a series. So, I have even more books to add to my reading list, but it’s more than worth it.

What books are you reading? Any good recommendations? Please share in the comments.

Four years ago, my then high school son and I had an hour one way trip to school each day. We’d listen to books on CD. One of the series we listened to was the Mortal Instruments. Okay, we listened to most of it. I had us fastforward several awkward parts of kissing and more explicit things. Last year, I saw a fellow author’s book advertised. It looked intriguing and went onto my long to be read list. I finally got around to reading it. I was hooked! It told the story of demons and angels and humans that fought on both sides of good and evil. The best part? It was clean!

Today, I get to have a guest interview with Claire, one of the main characters in The Chronicles of the Three. Book one is Bloodline and book two is Armor-bearer and was released this week. So, before any further ado, here’s Claire.

Give us a little introduction.

 Hi, I’m Claire Andrews, but everyone just calls me Claire…or awesome, because I am. I’m in my thirties but you can tell me that I look 28 and leave it at that. I’m petite but don’t let the lack of height fool you, I’m pretty feisty, especially with a sword in my hand.

Believe me, Claire is fiesty. I wouldn’t want to face her in a dark alley, unless she was on my side!

Do you have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did you get them?

I have a scar, well, we call it a brand. On the back of my neck is a burn. It’s the Hebrew word for chosen. I got it when I killed my first demon. It’s kind of a rite of passage for people like me, for descendants of the three.

 Who are your friends and family? Who do you surround yourself with? Who are the people you’re closest to? Who do you wish you were closest to?

 My mother died when I was a baby. My father died when I was about 18. My brother Garrett and his wife died a few months ago. (Man, my life seems sad when I list it out like that.) Since then I have been guardian to my niece Zoe. She’s in high school and just found out she is the Daughter of the Three. Being a chosen one sucks but we’ve made some friends that feel like family. I’m glad to have them in our lives: Daniel, Charlie, Lucas, Maggie…especially Maggie, she keeps us all smiling.

What is your biggest fear? Who have you told this to? Who would you never tell this to? Why?

 I’m afraid I’ll fail, actually I’m afraid I already failed and that is why Zoe is even in this position. I like to believe I’m tough and have it all together but loneliness can get the best of any of us. I don’t like to talk about my regrets though, not to anyone, because I don’t want to burden them, maybe. If I’m honest, it’s more likely I’m afraid they won’t look at me the same way if they see how I let my weaknesses defeat me.

When have you been in love? Had a broken heart?

 That is a complicated question. I was in love with someone I shouldn’t have been and then he left me and I wanted to quit at everything I had committed my life to. Then I fell in love again, to someone else I probably shouldn’t have given my heart to, and he left me and I almost didn’t survive it. I never thought I would be the type of girl to get so ripped apart by a boy. I don’t like being that girl, but I’m working on it. The problem is both those guys are back and…well, you see what I mean by complicated.

That is very complicated. I do hope it is worked out satisfatorily. 

Who is the greatest love of your life? Is it one of them?

 Oh, I wish I could answer that question because it might have made some things simpler. Maybe you can tell me.

I wish I could, but I’m not even sure. 

What makes you laugh out loud?

 Maggie, that girl is gifted at breaking all the tension in our lives. I wish I had had a friend like her when I was younger. I’m thankful Zoe has her now. Word of warning, don’t touch her lollipop stash.

I wouldn’t think of touching it. I’m glad you have someone like that in your life.

What is in your refrigerator right now? On your bedroom floor? On your nightstand? In your garbage can?

 Refrigerator: leftover Chinese food, half a bottle of orange juice, half&half, chocolate

Bedroom floor: Nothing, I’m kind of a neat freak.

Nightstand: A first edition of The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis, a box of tissues and my smartphone charger

You’re getting ready for a night out. Where are you going? What do you wear? Who will you be with?

 A night out? Ha! We try to have fun, but these days if I’m going out its in combat boots with a sword strapped to my back. Even when I try to do something relaxing like a high school football game or town event it turns into a battle royale with a hoard of demons. So we stick to utilitarian gear and patrolling the mean streets of Torch Creek for demons.

How would you like to die?

 Protecting my family, hands down. I wouldn’t even hesitate to sacrifice myself for them. I mean I like the idea of dying peacefully in my sleep after a long life, while holding my true love’s hand like in the Notebook, but that seems like a fairytale meant for someone else…hopefully for Zoe.

Thank you, Claire, for coming and chatting with us. I do hope you’re able to get things worked out and can defeat that enemy. Maybe then you’ll be able to have a night out and figure out who you’d want to spend it with.

If you want to know more about The Chronicle of the Three, you can check out the Facebook party (Thursday 7-8:30pm CST) and a live YouTube party (Friday at 7pm).

There’s also a giveaway for a boxed book set and some book swag. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tabitha Caplinger, author of The Chronicle of the Three

You can meet up with Tabitha on these sites:

Social Media Links

• Website: http://www.tabithacaplinger.com
• Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Tabitha-Caplinger/e/B0147IV3IS
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12824805.Tabitha_Caplinger
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevategirls
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tab_Caplinger
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Tab_Caplinger
• PInterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Tab_Caplinger
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx-TTae0DSGJ17YDSXHkjWQ
• Tumblr: http://tabithacaplinger.tumblr.com