The Book:

I know, if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ve heard about To Save a Race. However, there are those who’ve not heard; so I’ll share anyway.

The Setting:

“Noise filled the city. Vendors hawked their wares, while rumbling motorcars competed with horse drawn carriages for room on the narrow streets. People rushed along the sidewalks, anxious to finish their business and be home before the sun’s protective light faded. A tall, muscular man moved gracefully among them all, swinging his cane as he walked. His dark hair soaked up the sunlight while his ebony eyes took in his surroundings with an easy nonchalance. A stray noise caught his attention and he spotted a disheveled man backed up against a brick wall. Two burly men advanced on the smaller one, their quarry’s green eyes darting like a hart caught in the cross hairs of the hunter.”

Nubbikford isn’t the safest place for the average citizen to wander, especially at night, but like most cities, it has its own pleasant places.

“A cough brought her out of her reflections, quickly followed by another that wracked her body. The smell of coal, oil and dust filled the air. Arianna didn’t have to look up to know they were passing the factories. Nubbikford boasted two main industries: canvas and automobiles. The buildings faced each other across the crowded thoroughfare, and seemed to compete to see who could belch the most noxious fumes into the atmosphere. Arianna felt sorry for the workers who endured the foul smells day in and day out. She knew many of them were Tantulians and had no say in their situations. She’d never met one, but any time she’d complained about chores, Uncle Marcos had always told her to be thankful she wasn’t a Tantulian. She shifted in her seat.

Kenden smoothly turned a corner. “It’s not much further. We’ll be there shortly.”

Arianna smiled her thanks and peered ahead, waiting for that first glimpse. She hadn’t been to the castle often, but occasionally Uncle Marcos had taken her with him when she was little. She remembered the thrill that would soar through her as they rounded the curve and the castle loomed at the top of the hill.”

The Synopsis:

When Duke Callon divorces his wife and decides on an uncanny way of choosing his next duchess, Arianna’s left with little choice. Faced with the intricacies of politics, Arianna struggles to find her place. Just as she thinks she has her footing, a decree, issued with the blessing of her husband, calls for the extermination of her entire race.

A young innocent girl, a capricious duke, and a decree that will change everything. What will it take to save a race?

Follow along in this one of a kind Steampunk Biblical retelling of an Old Testament classic by Kandi J Wyatt.

The Store:

Where can you get your own copy of To Save a Race? At your favorite retailer.

Get your copy here

The Giveaway:

With the steampunk vibe of the book, I wanted to find something that would go along with that. So, I contacted a local artist I know who does wonderful jewelry and asked if she had anything already made. Although she didn’t have anything ready, she eagerly went to her workshop and made up four necklaces for me to choose from. The butterfly caught my attention right away.

First and Second Place:

For first and second place, I’m giving away ebook copies of To Save a Race. I have mobi which is what Kindle uses, epub–perfect for iTunes–and pdf for those who just use the computer.

Grand prize:

This gorgeous steampunk butterfly was handmade by Shawn Tempesta artist at Second Street Gallery and Art by the Sea Gallery and Studio both in Bandon, Oregon. The necklace itself contains watch body and parts, Swarovski crystals, and a brass chain which adjusts to 20, 21 and 23 inches. If that wasn’t enough, I’m also adding in a paperback copy of To Save a Race. The total value is $60.

How to Enter:

There are multiple ways you can enter to win, most of them being through the internet. However, those who are local have the opportunity to earn two entries by coming to Langlois Public Library on Wednesday, March 28 at 6:00 pm for my book reading. Use the rafflecopter below to enter online; also, notice that some of those options can be repeated every day.

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Be sure to share this with your friends and family, and if you have younger children who love to read or who love to be read to, be sure to check out the Dragon Courage series or Journey from Skioria.

Who is Fellowship of Fantasy?

Glad you asked. They are a group of totally awesome authors who are indie published and write clean fantasy. Sixty-one authors are listed on the website’s directory. Each of those authors have submitted at least one book, but many have multiples, that has been categorized into rankings–everyone, teens, and adult.  The authors though believe in interaction with their readers and have gathered together to create a book club on Facebook. I’ve explained the book club in a post I did this past summer.

Join the Book Club

Authors in the Giveaway:

Those I’ve Read:

H. L. Burke…

…has received high recommendations from my family. My son actually listened to her books before I did. Since then, I’ve read her Nyssa Glass series (what I thought of it and two more of her books) and Spellsmith & Carver trilogy (my take on it).

Tammy Lash…

…was a featured author in the book club last year. I read her book White Wolf and the Ash Princess and fell in love. It’s one of those books that is difficult to put a specific genre on. It’s steampunkish historical fiction with a native folktale thrown in, and it’s free in Kindle Unlimited right now.

Lea Doue

Another book club author is Lea Doue. Her fairy tale retellings have just the right mixture of fun, romance, and adventure to keep you coming back for more (read more). The book she’s giving away ranked in my top books of 2017 as did White Wolf and the Ash Princess.

The Giveaway:

The diffuser necklace is the same one my son’s girlfriend gave me for Christmas. I use it every day. It’s nice and solid and pretty. So, go check out the giveaway an check out these authors.

Laura Lucking: website

Lea Doue: website

Janelle Leanne Schmidt: website

Tammy Lash: Facebook

Katy Huth Jones: Facebook

H. L. Burke: Facebook

Sarah Ashwood: Facebook

Chris Cymri: Facebook

L. Palmer: Facebook

Enter to Win:

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I Love Dragons

Author Lea Doue, a Fellowship of Fantasy member, has put together a giveaway for the month of February. Whether fire-breathing or water-dwelling, winged or serpentine, dragons capture our imagination and take us to fantastic new worlds. Nineteen dragon writers have gathered together to offer a collection worth sinking your teeth into. We’ve got dragons of all sizes, from friendly to fierce and everything in between.

These books are all up for a giveaway along with a dragon journal. Among them are Dragon’s Heir, some wonderful stories from H. L. Burke, and Dragon Friend by Marc Secchia (often listed among the also-boughts for the Dragon Courage series). I’ve had Ben the Dragonborn on my To-be-read list for the last two years! It’s also one of the books in the giveaway.

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Fellowship of Fantasy’s Valentine’s Day Sale

As if a giveaway wasn’t enough, the Fellowship of Fantasy authors decided to get together and do a Valentine’s Day sale! Yep, you heard me right. From today through Valentine’s Day, you’ll find great flinch-free fantasy and speculative fiction either for 99 cents or for free.

99 cent books:

Rebirth—Frank B. Luke-Amazon

Seven Deadly Tales—Frank B. Luke-Amazon

The Hidden Level—AJ Bakke-Amazon (A fun story where kids get pulled into a gaming world. Book three of the series has a dragon.)

To Save Two Worlds—AJ Bakke-Amazon (If you love cats, you’ll love this one.)

The Regency Shifter Series—KM Carroll-Amazon—iTunes—Barnes and Noble

Academy of Secrets—Michael Carney-Author Website

Sunbolt—Intisar Khanani-Amazon—Barnes and Noble—Kobo

Wyndano’s Cloak—A. R. Silverberry Amazon—Barnes and Noble

The Stream—A. R. Silverberry –Amazon—Barnes and Noble

Rainbird—Rabia Gale-Amazon—Barnes and Noble—Kobo

Reality Break—Jennifer Kibble-Amazon

Battle for the Throne—EJ Willis-Amazon

Nyssa Glass’s Clockwork Christmas—H. L. Burke-Amazon (I loved the one Nyssa Glass I read. I have the rest of the series on my to-be-read list.)

The True Bride and the Shoemaker—L. Palmer-Author Website—Amazon

Cry of the Sea—D. G. Driver-Amazon

Foxtails—Erica Laurie-Amazon

Eun Na and the Phantom—Erica Laurie-Amazon

Free books:

The Buick Eight—Frank B. Luke-Amazon

Cora and the Nurse Dragon—H. L. Burke-Amazon (A delightful tale that starts out like a classic horse story and turns into a dragon tale.)

Lands of Ash—H. L. Burke-Amazon

Prince of Alasia—Annie Douglass Lima-Amazon (I need to get this one. I love Annie Douglass Lima’s other speculative fiction series.)

Awakening—Julie C. Gilbert-Amazon

Leandra’s Enchanted Flute—Katy Huth Jones-Amazon

Mercy’s Prince—Katy Huth Jones-Amazon

Woe for a Faerie—B. Brumley-Amazon—iTunes—Barnes and Noble

Chasing Lady Midnight—C. L. Ragsdale-Amazon

Jin In Time Part One —Karin De Havin-Amazon—iTunes—Barnes and Noble

Nyssa Glass and the Caper Crisis—H. L. Burke-Amazon

Also be sure to check out the Fellowship of Fantasy Perma-Free Titles: an ever growing library of free to download fantasy titles! These titles are always free to download.

Charming Academy tells Prince Charming’s story, while Forge takes the reader on an anime style romp through Japan as the hero fights a creature that shouldn’t exist.

Now that you have a ton of ideas, which book are you getting for your Valentine? Which for your kid? And which for you? I think I’ll pick up Prince Charming and several more. I have a feeling my list will be bigger than my pocket book.

Three groups of authors have banded together to put together three awesome Fantasy Story Collections, and now we’re bringing them to you with a chance for you to win paperback copies as well as a $30 Amazon Shopping Spree!

Read on to find out more about this anthology and enter the giveaway! 

The Anthologies:

From the Stories of Old

Fantastic Creatures

Here be dragons … and selkies and griffins and maybe even a mermaid or two. 

Twenty fantasy authors band together to bring you a collection of thrilling tales and magical monsters. Do you like to slay dragons? Or befriend them? Do you prefer to meet cephalopods as gigantic kraken or adorable tree octopuses?
Each story focuses around a fantastic creature from folklore or mythology, and they range from light and playful tales for the whole family to darker stories that may make you wish to leave the lights on. These stories carry the Fellowship of Fantasy seal of approval. While our monsters may be horrifying, you won’t stumble into graphic sex and constant swearing.
Perfect for the fantasy lover who can’t get enough of mythical beasts.

Steampunk Fairy Tales

A toyshop owner builds a set of magic clockwork dolls that delight a factory town. A three-inch tall samurai faces a giant iron ogre with only a sewing needle and a coin. A scientist seeks an antidote to his formula gone wrong, with the help of his partner’s beautiful daughter. All of these stories and more are included in Steampunk Fairy Tales.

Written by authors from three different continents, every enchanting tale combines the futuristic Victorian concept of steam and fashion with memorable stories, from the recognizable “Jack and the Beanstalk”, to other popular and unfamiliar works from Germany, France, Italy and Japan. With steam driven gadgets such as mechanical goggles, hoverboards, and an orchestra of automatons, Steampunk Fairy Tales is a charming and unique collection of works for current lovers of the genre, and those just diving in.


Download Volume One for FREE
Purchase Volume Two for 99 cents!


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“Look just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn’t make you a hero!”

~Susan Pevensie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Movie

What then does make a hero? Does a uniform? I know when I think of a hero, the first thing that comes to mind is our men and women who serve in the military. I don’t know if that is because my Gramps Pat who served in WWII, his grandpa who fought in the Civil War, or my uncles who were in Vietnam. I do know that I get teary eyed as I hear

“Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave. O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”

Since 9/11 another group comes to mind as heroes. They, too, wear a uniform but it is a different style than the military. Police officers and firefighters have been regulated to the status of hero. I know in our community where it is a volunteer firefighting group, I know many who go out at night for an accident or a fire. I even have two students who have come in to class groggy because they were out late on a call the night before. With the fire raging in Canada right now, many would view those who are fighting it as heroes.

What makes a hero? Is it someone who does some great act that goes against the grain of who they are? Is it someone who stands up for what they believe? What is it that defines a heroic deed? Just as courage can be simply doing what you know needs to happen even when you don’t want to or don’t feel like doing it; so, too, being a hero is doing what you know needs to be done whether or not others would do it.

Take this case in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where Coca-Cola installed cameras on public transportation to see who would give up their seat for someone who needed it. Their statistics are interesting. When I asked high school students to compare them with a similar situation in the US, students weren’t too sure Americans would be heroes as often as Ecuadorians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCE4wPZoIxo

Quite often this definition of a hero is seen in books, especially fantasy. Someone is thrust into an unknown situation or world and is forced to do what has to be done, but doesn’t necessarily want to or feel qualified to do so. Yet, even in the world of make-believe we can see glimpses of truth. Things we can aspire to.

In the real world, we have people who are heroes. After showing the Coca-Cola movie to high school students, I asked them to describe who their hero was. Their answers surprised me. Many of them said their Mom!

Who is your hero? Answer in the comments for a chance to win the first book in my fantasy series.

1.	Ariel Storm	20.	Kandi J Wyatt
2.	Romance Novel Giveaways (INT)	21.	Gary Schwartz
3.	Hearts & Scribbles ~ Jennifer Faye (INT)	22.	Nancy Lee Badger, Author
4.	herding cats & burning soup	23.	Romancing Adventure
5.	Tory Richards	24.	Savings in Seconds (US)
6.	Joanne Jaytanie (INT)	25.	Judy @Musings and Ramblings
7.	Bambi Unbridled	26.	Adria’s Romance Reviews
8.	bridget blackwood	27.	Deal Sharing Aunt USA
9.	Author J Lenni Dorner	28.	3 Partners in Shopping USA
10.	Bargnhtress	29.	Hazel @ Craves the Angst Book Blog
11.	Deanna’s World	30.	A.M. Willard
12.	Kathy Bosman	31.	Shay West
13.	Lucy Felthouse	32.	Celia Breslin
14.	Rockin’ Book Reviews	33.	Becky Flade
15.	I Smell Sheep	34.	Kathy @ My Nook Books & More
16.	Share My Destiny	35.	Dani Harper, PNR Author
17.	Lea’s Crazy Nights	36.	Alicia @ Addicted Readers (INT)
18.	Jacey Holbrand (INT)	37.	Sahara Roberts
19.	Where the Story Comes First (INT)

All of these are truly what love is, but love is so much more! It’s a conscious choice to put aside my feelings and desires to focus on you. It’s an action to care for you more than I care for myself. This is so contrary to the idea of love we see around us. Yet, think about it. What if this kind of love presented itself everyday? What would our world look like? It’s a radical love. It’s a love that transcends all cultures and economic strata. This love could change our world.

So, how does this get you a gift? Oh, just sign up for my newsletter and I’ll pick a random person from the entrants to win an eBook copy of The One Who Sees Me, a story of the kind of love I’ve been talking about. Newsletters go out every other month or so, and give insights into my books, my life, tea, herbs, and more of what you find on my blog. Make sure to check out the other blogs that are participating.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Book one followed Ruskya and Duskya as they fought for their dragons’ future. We met a young villager by the name of Braidyn. He heads south to Boskay and finds a home. However, he never quite feels at home. His sense of justice is great and he wields it without mercy. Two dragon eggs are stolen from his dragon colony. He recruits Ruskya and Darryl to help him find the culprit. Their journey takes them to a new land and another dragon colony with different traditions. Braidyn must learn to temper his justice or he will lose everything that is important to him.

Follow along ad see if Braidyn can find his home. Will the sandhills call to you as they do to me?

In celebration of the release, we will have a Facebook party on Saturday. We will have prizes, giveaways, books, authors, and lots of fun,and yes, dragons. One of the authors who will be present is Brian Rathbone, number one international seller of the Godsland series. Facebook parties are amazing. You can participate from the comfort of your own home. Just log in and chat. The party will be Saturday, December 12 from 3:30-7:30 Eastern. Come join us. I will be giving away a signed copy of Dragon’s Heir and mugs, magnets, and other wonderful Dragon Courage things.

I’ll leave you with this trailer of Dragon’s Heir. Enjoy. And may your dragon fly true!

I will also give away a large swag (that’s book related merchandise) package:

Besides all of this, I get to keep up with Facebook congratulations, Twitter tweets, and other miscellaneous social media contacts of well wishes and trying to get the word out to the world that Dragon’s Future is a real book!

The problem is that besides being an author I am a wife, mom of five (three of whom are still at home), and a teacher. That means that I also have housework that needs to be done, organizing kids so they don’t run a muck, and picking up a van from the school for a leadership conference that starts tomorrow. I think I have my work cut out for me and I had better go make breakfast, wake up the kids, and get started! Thanks everyone for the support you’ve shown me so far and “may your dragon fly true!”

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You can follow the blog swap with this schedule:

 ** Blog Swap Schedule **

July 28 (Tues.): https://kandijwyatt.wordpress.com/ (Terry on my site)

July 29 (Wed.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy (Me on Terry’s site about Fantasy Creatures Big and Small)

July 30 (Thurs.): http://www.jonathangouldwriter.com/blog/

August 1 (Sat.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy

August 2 (Sun.): http://michaelgmunz.com/blog/

August 3 (Mon.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy

August 4 (Tue.): http://www.elisestephens.com/

August 5 (Wed.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy

August 6 (Thur.): http://davidmcovenant.com/?cat=1

August 7 (Fri.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy

August 9 (Sun.): (E.S. Tilton) http://sexyfantasyfiction.com/

August 10 (Mon.): http://www.terrypersun.com/#!blog/c23fy

Welcome Terry Persun as he talks about the window to a book’s soul, the cover.

Book Covers

I have wanted to talk about book covers for a long time now. I see so many of them on indie author books (even my own) that just don’t cut it. A good cover is expensive. Yes, you can go with a “cover house” for $100 or so, but even they start to look the same after a while. Check out the romance genre and you’ll see the same cover over and over again until it’s difficult to tell if the books are really different or not.

I’ve worked with small publishers, indie cover artists, friends who have better artistic senses than I have, and still find it difficult to get the right cover for a particular book. But, and I mean this, I find that Booktrope cover artist Greg Simanson (http://www.simansondesign.com/#!) is one of the best. He has everything a great cover artist needs: creativity, a willingness to try something different, and an open mind. He’s produced covers for me that were conceptionalized by another artist. He’s taken a theme and grown it from book to book. And he’s created abstract covers that say as much about the novel as the words I’ve written.

This is how I feel about his covers for my Doublesight novel series. Through open-mindedness and creativity, I believe he’s found a way to show the progression of the story lines simply and effectively through a single image for each cover. Here are the covers for the series.

Notice how the main character, a crow shape shifter, appears in each cover (yes, even the last one—with crow wings on the dragon). Notice how the circular element indicates movement and growth at the same time. And notice how the colors go from warm to hot, intensifying from book to book. Cover art is as important as the book itself, and I’m very happy with Greg’s work. When I saw the cover of my latest novel in the series, Gargoyle, I could feel the tension of the story all over again. Here’s a quick synopsis:

Not in control of his own abilities, and unsure about shape-shifting into his beast image, Korlan must learn about his skills, limitations, and power while struggling to save his mother from certain death.

Nashtin, King Belford’s cousin, took over the throne of Weilk Alshore, and is out to find Zimp, who he believes is the last of the doublesight to have infiltrated Castle Weilk and started a bloody battle that took many soldier’s lives. Zimp, along with other doublesight, now live in a hidden village where they hope to raise their children in peace.

When Nashtin finds Zimp and her friends’ village, he captures Zimp to take back to the castle. Barely able to control his own beast image, Zimp’s son, Korlan, pulls together a band of the most unusual doublesight shape-shifters in the village, and goes on a mission to save his mother.

—GREAT NEWS—

Starting on September 1st Doublesight will be one of Amazon’s Kindle Worlds (https://kindleworlds.amazon.com). Join me, by writing a short story (5,000 to 10,000 words), novella (10,000 to 50,000 words), or novel (over 50,000 words) and get it published. I need to have a handful of stories ready by the September 1st, 2015 launch date, so if you’re interested, please contact me for more information. Any characters you create are yours to keep. Let’s have fun together. TerryPersun@gmail.com

My Best in Fantasy Review:

http://bestinfantasy.blogspot.com/2014/08/doublesight-terry-persun.html

BIO:

Terry Persun has been writing and publishing short stories and novels since the early 1970s. He has been the recipient of seven novel and poetry awards over the years, including the Star of Washington Award, a Silver IPPY for historical fiction, two Book of the Year finalist awards in the science fiction category, two finalist awards from the USABookNews International Book Awards (one in science fiction and one in historical fiction), two poetry chapbook awards, and a Jeanne Voge Poetry Award. Terry writes in a variety of genres including science fiction, thriller, mystery, and mainstream fiction. He is a respected keynoter and speaker at libraries, writers’ groups, writers’ conferences, and universities across the country. Terry has an MA in creative writing from SUNY Stony Brook.