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Is Netherford Hall a Cozy Romantasy?
We are now deep in the throes of ARC reviews for Netherford Hall, and while I try not to throw myself on the mercy of reviews, one observation from some readers has made me rethink this book a little. (The people who love this book really love this book and this post is not for them.) The end of the book is certainly fast-paced, but the majority of the book is not. Like the world of Jane Austen, from which it was inspired, the focus isn’t on high action, complex plotting, or angst and danger. It’s about relationships between characters, establishing their connections, demonstrating their problems, and seeing what happens…
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Pilgrim of the Sky is up for Pre-Order!
That’s right, folks! Pilgrim of the Sky, my debut novel, is back at it again. Which totally makes sense if you’re familiar with the godlings. They get reborn again and again. The official release is on Thursday, September 22, but if you order the ebook now, you get $2 off. It’s particularly exciting to see the new cover because it’s a perfect companion to Gods of Londinium, which will be out this December. And let me tell you, I cannot wait to share Joss’s whole story with you. Gods of Londinium may take place on a single world, but it uses just about every inch. It’s high adventure on the…
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Live Reading Stream from Queen of None
As I continue the one year celebration of the Queen of None release, I finally set up my audio arrangement in my office (read: space in the open loft area of my house where, if late enough at night, is relatively quiet enough). So last night I did a little live reading of two scenes from Queen of None: one, Hwyfar’s first introduction, and two, Anna’s total tear down of Gawain when she first arrives to Carelon. During the reading I was reminded, as I gave a voice to Anna… just how wily she is. She really is so calculating. It’s covered in a lot of beautiful language, good intentions,…
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QUEEN OF NONE is One! New Book Trailer and More
Queen of None was always about the stories within the story. But I also knew that Anna was not always the most reliable narrator. She is a good and compelling hero–but like all heroes, she has her faults, her missing pieces. The version of the characters you see in Queen of None is her take on them. Even some of those closest to her, like her own sons, are portrayed and informed by her own biases. Back in 2010, I actually started the sequel to Queen of None, originally entitled Knight of the Blood. At that point, it was going to be about Gawain and Palomydes at war. A story…
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Queen of Fury is Drafted!
What a long, strange trip it’s been. I started out Queen of Fury with a fairly straightforward idea. It was going to be 100% Hwyfar’s story. She was the standout character from Queen of None, and seemed like the ideal character to continue the whole invisible women of Arthur tale. But I wanted a foil for her, and very early on, I liked the idea of playing Gawain of Orkney against her. They have a very similar backstory: they’re both the same age, both royals from pretty messed up dynasties, both from toxic families, and they’re both gingers. Not to mention super tall. What I did not expect was Gawain…
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Fashion and Fiction: Don’t Forget The Missing Thread
If you're a writer and you have no real interest in fabric or fashion, you might gloss over that footnote. After all, arms and armor are a bit flashier, not to mention the allure of foodstuffs.
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2017 Publications!
2017 was a pretty big year around these parts. I saw the publication of two novellas and two short stories — all of which I hold quite dear. First, there came Wothwood, a heroic fantasy novella (yes, you read that right… it’s short and it’s fantasy) about the “wood where the world is broken.” While there’s a good deal of action and adventure, it’s at its heart about inheritance and revenge, and who you decide to be as a hero. I anticipate a sequel to this, but it may be a bit longer than a novella. I’m also planning on Aoda’s further adventures. Then came “Two Moons and Red Bread” which…
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On “failing” NaNoWriMo 2014
So even though I haven’t been posting here as much as I ought, I did post a series of meanderings over at Writer’s Digest over the NaNoWriMo insanity. The last post I somehow missed, but it’s live right here. You can click through all the other bits I shared from that final post, but I wanted to share the post here because it’s important. So, read away, losers. — So here’s the thing. If you’re being technical, Jonathan and I didn’t win NaNoWriMo. Neither of us hit 50,000 words. But I’m not upset in the least. Why? Because NaNoWriMo isn’t just about “winning” really. Sure, you get a nice little badge…
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Pilgrim of the Sky — Live! Chapters 1-3 on YouTube
Just a quick note to say that chapters 1-3 of Pilgrim of the Sky are now up at my YouTube page. Expect the audio only files a little later this week. I’m having a blast doing the reading, and it’s been a great opportunity to revisit the book. Stay tuned for the whole story!
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Watch Pilgrim of the Sky Unfold Live and in Person in the Month of February!
Having just finished Watcher of the Skies, and considering that its predecessor (I won’t say prequel–because technically the second book is a prequel… and a follow up, but not a sequel…) is a little more than two years old, I thought I’d be a little daring. I was supposed to record an audiobook of Pilgrim of the Sky. But then I got pregnant. And recording an audiobook with a baby just doesn’t work. I felt awful, and have been thinking of ways to make it up ever since. Then it occurred to me. Why not do it LIVE? So. I am. I’ve recorded the first chapter as a bit of a teaser, and starting next…
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Lev Grossman on T.H. White and The Once and Future King
One of the subjects I will go on at length most often is, most assuredly, Arthuriana. My abiding love for that genre started with a gorgeous illustrated volume (an abbreviated Morte D’Arthur) given to me by my great-aunt, but really came to fruition during my Freshman year of college when I was assigned both The Once and Future King and The Mists of Avalon. Previous to this, the only fantasy I’d really read was Tolkien, L’Engle, Alexander, and some Terry Goodkind. And while Mists was very empowering, especially as feminist fantasy, T.H. White’s The Once and Future King changed the entire landscape of how I viewed fantasy storytelling. If I…
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The self-conscious fantasy epic.
This morning I read a piece in the Guardian called When the Lord of the Rings doesn’t cut it: Confessions of a fantasy junkie, and found it rather amusing. In particular this bit (which makes us all sound a bit like Gollum, I think): I understand the pain of the addict. At the turn of a page, weeks of total immersion in a fantasy world come to an end and mundane reality is waiting. Fantasy is epic because that is how we like it. But like any narcotic substance, fantasy operates on the law of diminishing returns. Once you’ve see a few dozen dragons, you’ve seen them all. The fantasy…
