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Q&A with Kristina Elyse Butke, author of the dark fairytale Son Of The Siren

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I’m very excited to be interviewing the lovely Kristina Elyse Butke today!!

If you love stories with dark grim fairytale feels, siren magic, deadly curses, Son Of The Siren is definitely one you need on your TBR! It released this year and I had the pleasure of featuring it on instagram here (courtesy of MTMC Tours and Kristina!) and now I’m back with a fantastic Q&A with Kristina so you can have a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making and inspirations of Son Of The Siren.

Sometimes love is a curse, a twisted, unnatural obsession.
Such is the dark magic of a siren’s song, the power of which half-siren Lirien witnesses for himself as he watches his mother sing his father, the King of Ardeth, into the sea. In a fruitless attempt to reverse his father’s fate, Lirien sings the siren song himself, not knowing its true power is seduction. Instead, he ensnares his stepmother, the Queen, with its hypnotic melody.
When Lirien refuses her desperate advances, she turns to forbidden magic to force her love on him. But wishing upon a havoc stone is an invitation to chaos. The queen’s own son and daughters, Lirien’s beloved siblings, are whisked away and transformed into animals. They flee the kingdom, and Lirien chases after them, his beautiful voice also gone.
Through elven mountains, fae forests, and siren waters, Lirien will stop at nothing to find and save his family. Threats come at him from all sides, but there are allies, too-Kitra, a shapeshifting fae fox who vows vengeance on the Queen for killing her brother, and Brandegil, an elf who can awaken the sacred sword Alibrandr to help break the spell on the children.
Together, they’ll bring the stars raining down from the heavens if that’s what it takes to save Lirien’s family, but there’s still the matter of breaking the spell on the Queen. And Lirien’s own deadly curse haunts him should he stray too long from the sea.

Goodreads | Amazon

Hi Kristina! So excited to have you on my blog to chat about Son Of The Siren! Can you tell us what sparked the idea for this epic story?

Glad to be here! I always wanted to write a story based on fairy tales, and to combine a bunch of them together to create something new (for example, if you’re a theatre fan, something like Into the Woods). For Son of the Siren, I took plots or motifs from the fairy tales Allerleirauh, The Wild Swans, and the Little Mermaid. Readers have told me they also see The Children of Lir in the book, although I haven’t read that story yet!

As a huge fairy tale fan myself, I loved the references!! How long did it take to go from that first draft to finished novel on our shelves?

It took me two years to write the book with an additional year of revisions based on beta reader feedback. But when I signed with Oliver Heber Books, things felt like a whirlwind in comparison. I got the book deal in December 2023 and the book came out July 2024.

Tell us three things about Lirien!

  • Lirien has an absolutely beautiful voice, both when speaking and singing. This is because he is half-siren. But his voice doesn’t have any special power in it…not until he learns it’s not how he sings, but what he sings that counts.
  • Lirien is the eldest son of the King of Ardeth, but because his mother was a siren, Lirien is an official bastard of the King and is not in the line of succession. His half-sister Nina is next in line to the throne.
  • Lirien has high musical aptitude and can play multiple instruments, but his favorite is the lyre.

Sirens are such fascinating mythological creatures and I loved reading your spin on them. Are there any other mythology creatures/beings you’d love to write about someday?

Thank you so much! So…I’ve loved unicorns ever since I was a little girl and I would love to write a story where they make an appearance. I also wouldn’t mind writing a story with vampires in it, but I haven’t quite worked out how to pull that one off.

Okay, important question!! Do you have any favourite writing snacks or rewards for when you hit a milestone?

I lived in Japan when I wrote Son of the Siren so I would reward myself with going to the local bookstore Tsutaya and pick up some BL manga. When I came back to the USA, we celebrated my publication by going to my favorite Chinese restaurant.

Aside from Lirien, who was one of your favourite characters to write?

Kitra was so much fun to write! She was a challenge at first though–in earlier drafts she was a much darker character, and I hit a wall with that interpretation, so I made her lighter and funnier and feistier. She’s a trickster and faery and shapeshifting fox all in one, and she loves riddles and rhymes. Coming up with her rhymes was a little bit tough, but ended up being a lot of fun.

Kitra was so amazing, and loved her trickster energy. Are you a plotter or a panster? How much do you know about your story before you get started writing?

I’m a pantser who desperately wants to be a plotter, but it’s never worked out for me when I try it. I just don’t know that much in advance what I’m writing, and I tend to meander through things. The best I can do is make some bullet points about general things I want to happen, but the rest of the writing is exploring the way to get there. The nice thing about this is the writing feels more organic and exciting to me, but the downside is that I have to do multiple drafts to tighten the story up and it takes longer to write.

I definitely feel that with the plotter vs panster pros and cons haha. What are some of the best author moments you’ve had so far?

Seeing the cover of the novel for the first time was quite a big deal–it truly solidified that my book was going to be published. I also enjoyed seeing the character art made for the book by Juhaihai–I used these for preorder campaigns and for reviewers. I think some of my favorite moments come from reviews, though. I know for my sanity I’m not supposed to read them, but when someone really gets your book, it’s such a rewarding feeling.

Oh seeing the cover for the first time is truly magical!! And lastly, can you tell us a bit about your next projects?

I’m working on a trilogy: The Name and the Key, The Step and the Walk, and The Fear and the Flame. The story focuses on Lily, a girl haunted by her dead mother’s spirit in every reflective surface she sees. Her best friend Andresh may know the key to breaking this curse, but his own secrets may destroy them both. The first book is based off of my graduate thesis at Seton Hill University, but I’m doing a complete rewrite and overhaul of it to fashion it into a trilogy. It’s been an exciting challenge so far!

Omg sounds absolutely amazing. Will be keeping my eye out for this one!! Thank you so much for the amazing answers, Kristina, and all the congrats on your fantastic release this year!!

son of the siren

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Elyse Butke started writing early, focusing on plays and musical theater, later having her original works produced at the Ohio State University Mansfield. In 2013, she decided to switch from the stage to the page and earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Since then, she has contributed to the webzine Speculative Chic and also did subtitle proofreading for the anime Skip Beat! and published poetry with ExFic, First Class Literary, and Synaeresis Magazine. She has presented at conventions all over the state of Ohio, including Animate, Ohayocon, Colossalcon, and Matsuricon. She has also appeared at conferences in Japan when she worked as an assistant language teacher of English in Kumamoto prefecture. She has also lived abroad in Wales in addition to Japan, and her time in both countries has informed her writing, often serving as the inspiration for many fantastical settings in her works. When Kristina isn’t travelling or writing, she nerds out in cosplay and indulges her otaku side by streaming as much anime as humanly possible and diving into manga and comics. Her debut YA fantasy novel, Son of the Siren, is out now from Oliver-Heber Books.

Website | Instagram

The Poisoned Crown by Kelsey L. Robinson – Fairytales With an Assassin Twist!

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Time to introduce you to THE POISONED CROWN by Kelsey L. Robinson!!

This is the sequel to The Glass Dagger and the second book in The Kingdoms of Assassins Chronicles YA Fantasy series, which hits shelves tomorrow (October 11th) from Robinson Sword & Pen Publishing! This series mixes your classic fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella with assassins, court intrigue, badass women, and epic sword fights. It sounds super fun and I’m keen to start reading!

I also have the pleasure of interviewing Kelsey so read on for a behind-the-scenes peek at this series!!

Thank you to MTMC Tours for having me on the Creative Tour!

After an assassination went wrong, Ella’s fate is uncertain in the Kingdom of Rairene. Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Evrotia, Raven, code name Snow White, is an elite assassin and enchanter sent to be part of the royal guard for a vicious queen who would see her executed for the power she possesses. However, being a royal guard is not as easy as Raven thought it would be when a series of attacks test her abilities while she attempts to gain the queen’s trust. When Raven begins to unravel a rumor shrouded in mystery, tensions escalate in court, and her position in the royal guard becomes precarious. Raven will have to make her emotional shield stronger than her physical one as she questions the true purpose of her mission.

Calla has always found comfort in the walls of Aumont, so when Lady Tremaine sends her as a backup for Raven, the cautious enchanter is more than nervous. Calla is thrust into being a maid for a prince rumored to be more beast than man. While working on aiding Raven, Calla forms an unexpected friendship with the prince. When devastating news reaches the shores of Evrotia, Raven, and Calla find themselves thrown into a war they never knew existed. Calla is challenged to push past her magical limits and Raven is confronted with a decision that will forever alter her life.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Goodreads

About Kelsey L. Robinson

I’m a massive nerd, but definitely in a good way. Is there a bad way? I don’t think so. I graduated from the University of Hawai’i with a degree in English. SOME FUN THINGS ABOUT ME: London is my favorite place in the world. Rain is my favorite season. Yes, it’s a season to me. I love Doctor Who (all of this is just more evidence that I belong in England). I will always be upset that there wasn’t more than one season of Firefly. Disney is my jam. I am OBSESSED. I love photography! I worked at an amusement park for seven years. Seven. Years…. I also worked for Borders. It was the best job. My favorite heroes are Wonder Woman and Black Widow. I love the SF Giants, and Warriors. Website | Instagram | TikTok

Hi Kelsey! Thanks for chatting with me today about The Poisoned Crown! Can you tell us a little about your journey from first idea to published novel on our shelves?

Hi! It’s so great to chat with you! I think that my journey is probably similar to that of a lot of self-published authors. I started writing this story as a part of a school assignment in University for a fairytale class I was taking. I’ve never been good at writing short stories, so my idea grew from there for a few years. I tried the traditional route for years, but kept getting ghosted by agents, or getting feedback that my story wasn’t for them. But after a weekend writing retreat with three other friends who are all Indie Authors, I decided to take the leap into Indie Publishing! There was so much research done, and after talking with my partner and getting their full support to take this step, I began the self-publishing process and here we are today with book two coming out!

So glad you took that leap!! Can you tell us 3 things about Raven?

How to do this without giving away too many spoilers???
Number One – Her calm place is baking. Not only is she a great baker, but it helps center her.
Number Two – She will do anything to protect her friends, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Number Three – She’s given away a bit too much of her heart and is trying to recover from that wound.

Was your process different/similar when writing this sequel vs writing the first book?

Oh heck no. I started writing it off the same way as book one, but this one has two POV’s and it didn’t work to write it in a linear format. With The Glass Dagger, I wrote everything from beginning to end. I did jump around sometimes to different scenes when inspiration struck, but for the most part it was in order. But with The Poisoned Crown I couldn’t do that. I had to write out each storyline for each POV, and then thread it all together. It was a process, but made it so much easier in the end to make sure the storylines were on track.

What kind of things did you get to research while writing your book?

This is my, ‘I’m a writer’ moment for the FBI. The one that stands out the most to me is when I had to research how to cauterize a wound without medical tools…you’ll know exactly what scene I’m talking about when you get there.

I feel like we writers all of those moments of “don’t be suspicious…” while researching heh 🫢🤭 Do you plan the whole series before you start writing? Has any book surprised you in any way?

I’ve planned most of the series. I need to know where I’m going, but I also love to be surprised. So I have a rough layout of the series as a whole, but have left some gaps for when the characters try to run away with the story. Once of the things that surprised me the most would actually be the characters that gave themselves more of a storyline than I had originally planned on. One of those awesome surprises I mentioned. Drea would be the one that surprised me the most. She had a very small role in the beginning, but I kept loving her interactions and wanting to know more about her story so I eventually explored it and decided she should have a much larger role than intended.

Favourite piece of writing advice?

Write what you want, not for the trend. Unless you’re already in the business, you’re never going to be able to write on themes that are trending. So write what makes your heart happy.

Such good advice!! What are some of the best author moments you’ve had so far?

Whenever a fan reaches out to me! I love hearing from them and getting their reactions to my book. Authors love it when readers reach out to them and it is truly the best thing. I makes my week every time. Otherwise, one of my favorites was having a small party to celebrate the launch of book one with all of my closest friends.

You’re headed to a cafe with Ella and Raven…what is everyone ordering?

I’m ordering a mocha with some extra chocolate 😉
Ella loves her sugar and would order a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.
Raven would get a hot spiced orange and cinnamon tea. She loves coffee, but tea is what brings her comfort.

Omg all of your orders sound perfect?! I’m coming too 👀👌 Can we ask for a sneak peek about what projects you’re working on next?

Next is book three! I WISH I could work on more than one project at a time. It’s my dream, but right now it’s one at a time. Though, I might be looking at a story I wrote YEARS ago (like 15 years ago) and giving it some love and a huge overhaul. It involves dragons, so I am desperate to get back to it.

Dragons?! Say no more, I will need it. Is there another fairy tale you’d love to retell someday?

I want to say Rapunzel. But, I love the movie Tangled, and nothing really compares to that for me, so I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle that one.

Okay last question and then we’ll let you get back to writing!! What inspired The Kingdoms Of Assassins series?

I wish I could say I was inspired from a song, something really cool, but I can’t. In college I had to write a short story where the focus was one of the main tropes you find in a fairytale, such as the number 3, the color red, the damsel, etc. I chose time and wanted to write a story where Cinderella had to warn the prince about an assassination and throughout the story you’re getting the countdown to midnight. I then started talking about it with another friend who is just as creative and the two of us had this crazy brainstorm session about what an entire series could look like. It was incredibly different than what I have now, but some of the elements are still the same.

I love the origin for it, that’s so much fun!! Thanks sooo much for chatting with us today, Kelsey and wishing you the best with this fantastic new release!!

Tour Schedule

October 7
@thereaderandthechef – Book Blog
@mtmctours – Bookstagram

October 8
@firestorm_of_books – Bookstagram
@nyssashaw13 – Bookstagram
@booksfor_k – Bookstagram

October 9
@meevreads – Bookstagram
@tupelos.library – Bookstagram

October 10
@confession_of_a_reading_freak_ – Bookstagram
@50shadesofmorallygrey – Bookstagram
@paperfury – Book Blog

October 11
@diaryofthereader – Book Blog
@kristiereads – BookTok
@sundrenchedpage – Bookstagram

October 12
@quillsandpages – Bookstagram
@fanaticfantasyreader – Bookstagram
@_armedwithabook – Book Blog

October 13
@onceaponafantasy – Bookstagram
@themysterybookshelf  – Book Blog
@angs.bookcorner  – Bookstagram

Frost & Death by L.L. Riley (Author Q&A For This Deadly Snow Queen Retelling!)

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I’m excited to be featuring Frost and Death by L.L. Riley today!!

This is the first book in The Last of the Heirs series, a Fantasy Romance/Fairytale retelling of the Snow Queen with slowburn romance, arranged marriage, found family, and soo much tension. I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings so this immediately piqued my interest and I’m excited to read!!

I’m also sharing an interview with L.L. Riley today so read on for a behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of this gorgeous novel.

Six Deities. Six Kingdoms.
Each monarch gifted one of the Maker’s abilities…
But one heir is tormented by her power.
Tove, the new Queen of Axidoria, inherits a magical gift from the Makers that accidentally casts a frigid winter throughout her kingdom. Unable to control her new abilities, Tove spends most days living with her failure as queen alongside fighting her inner demons.
As the bitter cold hardens the public’s opinion of her, Tove is given no choice but to search for a suitable union. At the encouragement of her handsome royal advisor, Nikolaj, the occasion evolves into a week-long celebration in hopes of raising spirits and finding Tove a match.
But when a potential suitor draws Tove in, so do the long-buried feelings between her and Nikolaj. Despite being torn between duty and her heart, tension rises as Tove’s magic continues to threaten everyone and herself.
Can Tove brave the storm within? Or will power consume her, proving to all the snow queen is here to stay? 

Amazon | Blackwell’s |Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L.L. Riley grew up in California but decided in her later years to switch it up and explore the slow living of the Midwest. Something about seeing if Kansas really was “no place like home”. While she physically found home in Kansas, her true home was found through reading and writing. She loves to be silly and goofy, and always loves to make other smile. When she is not reading or writing, she can be found cooking, baking, playing video games, or making silly tiktoks. She lives with her amazing kick ass husband who spoils her senseless, allowing her to achieve her dreams, agreeing to the endless amount of book purchases, and supporting her while she focuses on school to further her career. She and her husband are both constantly smothered with love by their four precious cats : Mila, Sevro, Strider, and Tavi.
Website | Instagram | TikTok


Hi L.L.! Thanks for chatting with us today about Frost & Death! Can you tell us a little about your journey from first idea to published novel on our shelves?

I would love to! It first started out as a rough idea back in 2022 with the help of some amazing author friends, I wrote it all back then and immediately discarded the idea of ever writing again after reading it. But sure enough 9 months later, I picked it up again and completely rewrote the entire thing. I knew I wanted to indie pub it, and I am glad I did because I am a learner and I learned so much about writing, editing, and publishing. It was a whirlwind of emotions, but an AMAZING time.

So glad you came back to it and pursued publishing this amazing story!! Can you tell us 3 things about Tove?

Oh my sweet Tove, three things about her are: She is deeply empathetic, always putting others before herself. She is addicted to carbs and sweets. And she goes on a deep and treacherous healing journey in Frost and Death.

Tove out there being relatable with the carbs and sweets addiction though 👀 Can you tell us 3 things about Nikolaj?

Nikolaj is the sunshine to Tove’s rain cloud. He started out as a royal guard and stepped into a larger role when Tove appointed him. His love is FIERCE and will do anything to keep what is his.

We gotta love a sunshine love interest!! What was your favourite part of writing Frost & Death?

Oh man, for the overall story- I really enjoyed the developmental stage of edits when I got to really craft the original draft into something solid. I think I went into this trying to make every chapter my favorite but I will say all of the swoon worthy parts, writing about the magic, the spicy parts, the emotional parts were all my favorite.

What kind of things did you get to research while writing your book?

I did loads of research actually when I was world building because this was my first novel and I am creating a world where three standalones will happen. I also did research on the fairy tale the Snow Queen and pulled a few themes from the original story line and really wanted to have some danish elements added into my story as a shout out to the Snow Queen’s origins.

Ooh love that so much!! And so glad there’s more to come in this world 🤭 Did you plan the whole book before you started? Did it surprise you in any way?

I am a plotter for the most part and when I have an idea in my head I write it all out so I can reference it back as like an outline. But when I do sit and write, I let the characters take control of getting the outline from point a to point b. And I will say when I started writing back in 2022, I never thought characters would speak to me, but ever since picking up writing again, they certainly have. As well as other characters for future works! That is definitely the most surprising.

What are some of the best author moments you’ve had so far?

Oh snap, some of my favorite author moments have been getting ARC readers DM’ing me and sharing their reactions while reading. And a big emotional moment was me opening my first proof ever. I sobbed like a baffoon and I still look at those proofs and get teary eyed.

Omg yes reader reactions are everything!! You’re headed to a cafe with Tove and Nikolaj…what is everyone ordering?

Tove is a girl for sweets and carbs. She is also a fall/winter girly. She would be a pumpkin spice latte girl and a classic hot chocolate with the sweetest looking pastry on the cafe’s menu. Nikolaj would be your classic coffee go getter and would settle for anything with espresso in it to help get him through the day as he has a kingdom to help run. And he’d most likely skip food because he has training to do first.

Can we ask for a sneak peek about what projects you’re working on next?

So I am wrapping up the first draft of book two in this series and plan to jump into book three after I am done stewing on it. But I do have about 3 solid future projects (series) planned for after this series. When will I get to those? Probably when the characters are screaming at me for attention. Haha!

We can’t wait to read them!! Thanks so much for this amazing interview L.L. and so many congrats on the release of Frost & Death!! ❄️🤍

Tour Schedule

September 30
@thereaderandthechef – Book Blog

October 1
@paperfury – Book Blog
@Cosmic.book.dragon_ – Bookstagram

October 2
@pamperedunicorn – BookTok

October 3
@nyssashaw13 – Bookstagram
@mtmctours – Bookstagram

October 4
@booksmar6 – Bookstagram
@themysterybookshelf – Book Blog

October 5
@anuskareads._ – Bookstagram
@Readwithshee – BookTok

October 6
@lizslostlibrary – Bookstagram

Singularity by S.E. Anderson — Chat With The Author of A Space Opera Saga!!

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I’m excited to share SINGULARITY by S.E. Anderson for my MTMC Creative Tour stop today!!

This is the kind of space opera, scifi, witty and explosive saga that you will love being swept up in. And, um, can we take a moment for the cover?! Singularity is book 10 in the saga, and also the finale, so if you adore bingeing series, your time has come. It hits shelves July 9th, 2024!

I’m also chatting with Sarah today about her series, so read on for the interview!!

this series is perfect for fans of…
✨Intergalactic Road Trips
🪐Slow Burn Romance
✨Friends to Lovers
🪐Found Family
✨Comic Misunderstanding
🪐Space Opera Drama
✨Paradox Prone
🪐Time Travel
✨Redemption Arcs
🪐Everything Talks
✨Hyperspace Is a Scary Place

In case of breakup, saving the universe is not a healthy alternative to ice cream.
Freshly single and with more free time than she knows what to do with, Sally Webber thought she was done with aliens, interstellar crises, and planet-saving heroics. But when mysterious texts lead her on a quest to save James Felling’s soul, Sally realizes the universe is teetering on the brink, thanks to a time paradox her ex-boyfriend, Zander, unwittingly unleashed in a misguided attempt to play hero.
With her not-quite-dead brother as collateral damage and the higher-dimensional unicorns seemingly on a coffee break from managing cosmic order, Sally’s not just fighting for her own sanity — she’s battling for the soul of the universe. Along with her glitch-prone emotional support AI hologram and a rockstar whose career’s seen better days, it’s up to them to take on the final frontier: saving the universe from itself.
But as they weave through the fabric of time and space, Sally is forced to confront not just the chaos Zander has left in his wake, but her own place within the cosmos. With every jump, every battle, and every unlikely alliance, she inches closer to a confrontation with the very forces that keep the universe ticking.
Can Sally ascend to a higher plane of existence and knit the fraying fabric of reality back together? Or will the final chapter of her starstruck journey end not with a bang, but with a whimper?

Amazon | Goodreads | Author’s Instagram


Hi Sarah! Thanks for chatting with us today about the final book in the Starstruck Saga! Tell us a little bit about how long it took you to write the whole series and how it feels to know the finale is about to be in readers’ hands?

S.E. Anderson: It’s so surreal to know that it’s over, and all out there, especially considering I started the series 15 years ago as a fun project with one of my best friends! Looking back over the years, I can’t believe how far the characters have come… or even how far I’ve come as a writer. It’s been a helluva ride.

Can you tell us 3 things about Sally?

S.E. Anderson: She cares deeply and sincerely.
Anxiety and depression are her constant companions.
Yet she bravely tackles her fears and inner demons to protect others.

Which has been your favourite book in the Starstruck Saga to write? And which was the hardest?

S.E. Anderson: It’s hard to pick, because it’s always the one I’m currently writing (I joke that when when I reach the point where my current WIP is my least favourite, it’s ripe and ready to go!). Looking back on the series as a whole, I really liked the camp of book 3. The hardest to write was either book 9 or 10, as I was battling my own burnout, and pulling humour from my drafts was like pulling teeth.

What was your favourite thing about writing Singularity?

S.E. Anderson: Bringing back favourite old characters. There were some people (and not people) who I really missed!

Best part of long series is seeing old fave characters make returns!! What kind of things did you get to research while writing your series?

S.E. Anderson: So many rabbit holes! For this last one, I ended up trying to figure out where the science of higher dimensions – or the vocabulary of the science of higher dimensions – got co-opted by new-age free thinkers. I ended up deep-diving belief systems about ascension! But over the series my google search history has only gone from strange to weirder, with such classics as “Can you be allergic to stardust?” or “What would happen if you tried to outsmart an AI therapist?” – that last one I tried myself, just to create Clyde for book 10.

Oh those rabbit holes sound like so much fun, haha! Did you plan the entire series as you wrote? Did it surprise you in any way?

S.E. Anderson: When I first drafted the series back in high school, I winged the whole thing. When I came back to it as an adult, I took out my favourite story beats to use as a guide, but rewrote everything from scratch. I was surprised by how the characters grew away from those beats until I had to scrap them altogether! It’s weird how characters feel like they have a mind of their own sometimes.

Our characters surely do run off and do their own thing 😭 Where do you write?

S.E. Anderson: Almost always at home, on my couch. My side has a dent from all the hours I’ve (literally) sunk into it.

Do you have a favourite piece of writing advice?

S.E. Anderson: I think it was from Neil Gaiman, but most authors agree: you gotta do it every day. Just a little bit, but every day. Your first draft will suck, and that’s normal, but you got to get through it so that you can start improving it. And you gotta do it every day,

Okay and tell us some of the best author moments you’ve had!

S.E. Anderson: The moment I started talking with a stranger on a train and she pulled my bookmark out of her backpack to show me. It was pure magic. It made me realize my book had really left my circle of friends and was out there in the world.

Oh, what a surreal moment!! Okay now for fun: You’re headed to a cafe with Sally and Zander…what is everyone ordering?

S.E. Anderson: Sally’s ordering a PSL because after saving the galaxy, she needs the comfort of seasonal spices. Zander, trying to blend in and not realizing there are other options, orders a PSL too. I would then also order a PSL because I can’t get them here and I want to feel like one of the gang.

You will be the pumpkin gang. And can we ask for a sneak peek about what projects you’re working on next? 👀

S.E. Anderson: I’ve gone full-blown cozy fantasy! Currently working on an F/F adventure where a badass dragon hunter hits burnout and discovers the joys… of truffle hunting. Stay tuned!

We cannot WAIT for that!! Thanks so much for the amazing interview, Sarah, and all the congrats on the conclusion of your epic series. 💞

The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley, heartfelt contemporary in verse

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I just finished reading The Name She Gave Me and I am so full of emotions right now. I haven’t read a lot of contemporary this year, but my first two novels are also contemporary so it’s a genre I always adore.

The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley is a story told in verse of a girl named Scheherazade who was adopted and never knew her birth mother. Her adopted parents renamed her Rynn. She craves answers about her past, her roots, and begins to search for her little sister. The book is full of complex family relationships: Rynn’s adopted mother is causally cruel and dismissive of her, her father is a steady rock but passive, and she has mixed feelings about the birth mother who gave her up. Like, ahh my heart aches for Rynn. She’s also the sweetest, most selfless beautiful soul, and I loved her voice.

Also the friendships!! The love I have for Rynn’s besties June and Terence (I also adore their chaotic mother), plus I loved Alexander who is so factual yet sweet. The tender softness in the scenes of Rynn babysitting toddler Douglas had my heart so soft. All the characters just felt so real to me.

The writing is also masterful, it’s poetic and powerful, and it completely captures characters and deep emotions in only a few lines.

Such a tender, aching read, full of complex relationships and found family and heartache. It is about love too; the love you can find and the love you deserve.

Thank you @mtmctours and @bettyculley for the copy!! It’s out now in hardcover and paperback from HarperTeen. Also check out more of the tour at #TheNameSheGaveMeMTMC!!

“Defect and perfect are so close, only two letters apart. If you say them fast, defect perfect defect perfect, they almost sound the same.”

From the acclaimed author of Three Things I Know Are True comes a new novel in verse, a deeply emotional story about an adopted teenager exploring the meaning of family, friendship, and love in all its many forms.
Perfect for fans of Robin Benway, Cynthia Hand, and Jandy Nelson, Rynn’s journey shows how complicated and infuriating, yet healing, family can be.
When Rynn was born, her birth mother named her Scheherazade. It’s one of the only things Rynn has from her. Now sixteen, Rynn and her adoptive parents live on a small garlic farm in central Maine. Rynn’s father is kind and gentle but oblivious to Rynn’s mother’s temper and coldness toward their daughter.
Rynn has longed to know her birth family for years. She can’t legally open her adoption records until she turns eighteen, but that won’t stop her from searching on her own. She finds out that though her birth mother has died, she has a younger sister—who’s in foster care two towns away. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.

Goodreads | Amazon

The Last Tale Of The Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi, an intoxicating fever dream of perfection

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The Last Tale of The Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi truly has a chokehold on me.

I’m obsessed with books that have prose so gorgeous you could drown in it, the ones where the sentences are so rich they take your breath away. I can’t stop thinking about The Last Tale of the Flower Bride and honestly I want to eat this prose with silver spoon.

“But she saw something in me. Something that turned her kiss into a knife that cut me free from the dark.”

The story is also this claustrophobic, glittering gothic meets fairytale obsession (such a me book if ever I read one) and the obsessive love of Indigo and the Bridegroom and their toxic secrets and shared, fantastical delusions was entrancing. I love how the fed off each other with their need for a life so entrenched in fairy tales and mythology that they didn’t have to really participate in reality. Everything was a game, or a dare, or a test. They way she is everything and he is nothing, and yet he proved her match in their battles of wit and whimsy.

I also really loved the split timeline, how in the past we get to see Azure’s point of view, the little girl Indigo grew up with, and their codependent friendship. It gives us this new angel to the story, this way to learn Indigo (we do not get to be inside her head), and I just loved this. The way the story is about two people’s adoration and obsession of this unknowable, rich, intoxicating person.

I saw the twist coming but I loved how it landed. And an old sentient gothic house that has opinions and changes as the book goes on?! Everything I want in a book. The whole thing is a gorgeous fever dream.

“You never forget the moment when beauty turns to horror.”

I also love how it was fully drenched in whimsy and fantasy but yet was it all in their heads? We shall never know. This is already my favourite read of 2024.

“This is why fairy tales are dangerous: their words sneak into your veins and travel into the chambers of your heart, where they whisper of your exceptionalism. They say: Ah, but remember the boy who walked into the woods and came out a king? Oh, but what of the girl who was kicked and slept in ashes? Remember the man who was only kind and so life bent around the shape of his smile? But we are not exceptional.”

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage… or their lives.
Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

goodreads | amazon

Marked For The Pyre by M.T. Fontaine (Girls-With-Swords Bookmark Design!)

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Am excited to be featuring Marked For The Pyre by M.T. Fontaine today with MTMC Tours!!

I read Carved Amidst The Shadows (Book 1) a few years ago and was immediately sucked into the dark and complex world. It was giving Game of Thrones vibes with a touch of Mark Lawrence, and definitely addictive with the court politics, the revenge plots, and the intricately written characters. So excited to have the sequel in my hands now (isn’t the cover STUNNING). If you like grimdark fantasy, be sure to add this to your TBR!!

Seek a war, and you’ll find one. To overthrow the Stewards’ hold on the kingdoms, Kaianne and Andreiyes strike a tenuous alliance between their people – the Marked and the Carved. Yet uniting the two factions is proving a greater challenge than either of them anticipated. Marked for the Pyre is the second book in the A Brands of Taelgir novels, a dark epic fantasy series full of morally grey characters. Out now & you can read books 1 & 2 on Kindle Unlimited!

I had such fun designing this bookmark themed around a Marked For The Pyre quote!! Hope you like it. ❤️

Thank you to MTMC Tours and M.T. Fontain for the copy of the book!!

To overthrow the Stewards’ hold on the kingdoms, Kaianne and Andreiyes strike a tenuous alliance between their people – the Marked and the Carved. Yet uniting the two factions is proving a greater challenge than either of them anticipated.
The Carved blame the Marked for centuries of genocide.
The Marked are conditioned by the belief that all Carved are heartless and savage.
If they cannot put aside their differences, the rebellion is doomed. As more Stewards close in and with the king nearly on his deathbed, their window of opportunity is closing.
Meanwhile, Master Rau knows the royal couple is plotting. Torn between his allegiance to his Steward brethren and to his daughter, he struggles with how to proceed. When rumors surface that an old adversary has come out of exile for the benefit of the royals – the very same person who prophesied the Stewards’ end – Rau must decide between what he knows is right and what is best for the person he cares for most.
Plans are made. Objectives are drawn. But their futures depend on more than their choices.

goodreads | amazon | author’s instagram

Breaks Volume 1 by Emma Vieceli & Malin Rydén — an emotional, impactful comic

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Gritty, heartfelt, emotional and explosive: I really enjoyed my first introduction to the Breaks comics!

It was giving me Foxhole Court vibes, and look: I cannot lie. If a book even so much as whispers it’s similar to that, I am there in a heartbeat. I hadn’t heard of this webcomic before the chance came up to review this volume for Orbit UK, and now I wish I’d read them sooner!! This volume was so addictive. It leaves you with fistfuls of unanswered questions and a heart torn in two for the angry Cortland Hunt. Like, I finished this one and was immediately dying for the next volume. I need to know MORE.

The comic starts by introducing us to lone wolf, Cortland Hunt, who has an attitude problem, a short fuse, and a dark backstory that I’m itching to know more about. The person constantly pissing him off is Ian Tanner, resident school smarmy charmer and asshole…although maybe there’s more depth to him than he presents. Ian’s bestie is one of Cortland’s biggest bullies though, so Ian likes to pretend he can play both sides. Act like he’s not a problem to Cortland but also remain friends with an abusive jerk. But when things escalate really badly, Ian has to pick a side.

It’s very character and emotional driven, with the main plot being their fractious dynamics as the comic lays out threads to unravel later. The characters all felt real and dynamic, and the tension between Cortland and Ian often seethes with hate. It teetered on the edge of being a bully romance, but Ian gets crisply called out and actually owes up to a lot of his faults. I just have a soft spot for angry, confused queer books and this one was a stellar read.

Addictive and emotional, this one will keep you flipping pages and immediately clamouring to know more as you grow attached to the messy, realistic, fractious relationship of these two boys.

Thank you to Orbit UK for the review copy!

Before Heartstopper, there was Breaks . . . the enemies-to-lovers queer webcomic sensation.
Cortland Hunt has made some dangerous mistakes. Now he’s waiting quietly for those mistakes to catch up with him. Ian Tanner coasts through life denying the spark of anger beneath his laid back exterior. When school politics and personal lives become a battleground, the pair find that what they share may just be their only safe haven.
Breaks is the story of two young men discovering who they were, who they are, and who they will become. It’s a love story . . . but a bit broken.
With millions of views and thousands of subscribers on webcomic platforms, Breaks is perfect for fans of popular LGBTQ+ graphic novels, such as Alice Osman’s Heartstopper, who might be looking for something darker and more mature.

goodreads | amazon | orbit uk |

of light and nightmares by alex b. harper (urban fantasy of monsters and magic)

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Let me introduce you to Of Light And Nightmares by Alex B. Harper!

When the monsters find you, the nightmare begins. Heir to her late parents’ fortune, Emmeline is happy to continue their philanthropic work for the rest of her days. But a rare public appearance sends her crashing into a world of monsters and magic. Of Light and Nightmares is the first book in a pulse-pounding urban fantasy trilogy that will leave you breathless as two worlds collide in a horrific showdown, where even the winners will lose.

Full of mystery and intrigue, we’re swept into Emmeline’s elite and glamorous world as she navigates latent abilities that mark her as a guardian. Definitely a page-turner and I always love when books feature siblings!! It starts quietly as we’re introduced to Emmeline’s world and her reluctance to lead a life in the spotlight–until the supernatural comes calling and she can no longer deny her life is far from ordinary. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy and ancient powers, this one will pique your interest.

Thank you so much to MTMC Tours & Alex B Harper for having me on the tour and for the beautiful copy.

“We have the unique job of ensuring bad things that don’t belong in this world don’t end up here.” She paused again and contemplated her next words. “For simplicity, you can think of us like demon hunters.”

I had so much fun designing a bookmark to compliment Of Light And Nightmares!!

I wanted to keep with a deep, mysterious nighttime theme, and I think this worked out perfectly. 😍 Complete with one of the iconic quotes!!

When the monsters find you, the nightmare begins.
Heir to her late parents’ fortune, Emmeline is happy to continue their philanthropic work for the rest of her days. But a rare public appearance sends her crashing into a world of monsters and magic.
Emmeline learns that she’s one of two humans who can see those marked to become a nainthe — guardians between the human world and the violent realm of demon-like monsters, the raizour. The guardians have spent decades searching for her — for without her, they are doomed to extinction, and the monsters will devastate Earth.
As Emmeline hones her newfound abilities, other dark and powerful enemies emerge, stacking the odds against her and the guardians.
And her time is running out—because the monsters have astonishing intelligence and a thirst for blood, and they are ready to execute their chaos.
This pulse-pounding urban fantasy will leave you breathless as two worlds collide in a horrific showdown, where even the winners will lose.

goodreads | amazon | author’s instagram

Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone, full of darkly lovely gothic monsters

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Am obsessed with gothic books, and UNHOLY TERRORS is literally the perfect marriage of fantasy and gothic.

Monstrous, lovely, enthralling, forbidden. This hits every single gothic vibe you could want. I walked away from this book changed, because omg this prose–this prose. I want to eat it off a silver spoon. This book is so gorgeously written with such clever turns of phrase and evocative descriptions. It’s the kind of book that you want to drown in, that you will keep thinking long after you turn the last page. I also had the pleasure of blurbing UNHOLY TERRORS and am so pleased to gush further in this review!

“You would make a beautiful monster.”

The story follows Everline as she breaks her vows and ventures into the monster filled moors to find answers about her past. She is a warden of the wall, tasked with keeping monsters away, although she alone is without magic unlike the rest of the wardens. Everline is such a complex, layered character: so sharp and stabby and determined to be brutal, but then under the enchanted armour you catch a glimpse of how tender and vulnerable she truly is. She just wants to know why she doesn’t belong. Who she is. Where she’s meant to be. There’s also a fractious sister-sister relationship, as Everline and Briar end up unwillingly sharing this journey to save Everline’s best friend Lux (who is also Briar’s lover).

The memory of his bloodied kiss is like the touch of a ghost.

And I need to take a moment for Ravel, the boy who is so vicious and monstrous and spilling over with uncanny and inhuman claws and fangs–but yet is an absolute sweetheart deep down inside. The raw way he cherished Everline had me on the floor. Every time the book described Ravel, I was just [clenches fist] so enraptured. He is meant to be a mindless monster and Everline is confused why he seems so…human but yet not human. Their hatred for each other is so palpable, and the way they fall in love while still distrusting each other is addictive to read. It’s enemies-to-lovers the way I crave: claws and teeth and generational hatred and monstrous love.

I also deeply love books that deal with the complexities of families. There is so much hurt and angst here as both Everline and Ravel have complex relationships with parental figures and their siblings, and that really defines so much of their journeys.

“How often would you … need me?”
Ravel moves a step closer so there’s only the barest space between us. The heat of him radiates against my own skin like a fever. “And what if I said I needed you every night?”
“Then I would come to you every night.“

Also a moment for the ruinous descriptions, the decrepit falling apart churches, the wicked saints and barren land and bone relics. It’s the kind of world that took my breath away. The overall vibe was also giving me Gideon of the Ninth meets Jon Snow at the Wall feelings, and just kind of loved that. If you want a fantasy that feels freshly unique while also paying immaculate homage to all the best gothic tropes and aesthetics, then you definitely need this.

The other vespertine look like monsters. This one looks like a monster wearing a boy’s face.
Yet he’s a monster all the same.

Read it for:
♡ rich, evocative gothic aesthetics
♡ ruinous, mouldering descriptions that are so gorgeous
♡ so, so atmospheric
♡ monster boy with secret heart of gold
♡ fearsome girls with armour and knives
♡ saints and bones and relics and sins
♡ monsters everywhere
♡ complicated family/sibling relationships
♡ forbidden romance x enemies to lovers

Monstrous boys and girls in armour and a romance that will sink teeth into your dark heart, UNHOLY TERRORS is an absolutely phenomenal read. The vibes were immaculate.

Thank you to PenguinTeen for the copy!

And though he’s never claimed to be anything else, I still don’t know which is the truth: the monster or the boy. Perhaps it is both a borderland where one eclipses the other. Horns and bones and claws, gentle fingers and soft breath and my name spoken like a secret.

*

He’s painfully lovely in the same way as a coiled snake or a nightshade plant full of bright, deadly berries. A loveliness that will lure you close so it can poison you.

*

The choreography of our violence is marked out on the ground like a pattern to be tailored.

A bloodstained tale of a girl torn between her vows and her heart, where falling in love may be the deepest sin of all…
Everline Blackthorn has devoted her life to the wardens—a sect of holy warriors who guard against monsters known as the vespertine.
When a series of strange omens occur, Everline disobeys orders to investigate, and uncovers a startling truth in the form of Ravel Severin: a rogue vespertine who reveals the monsters have secrets of their own.
Ravel promises the help she needs— for a price. Vespertine magic requires blood, and if Everline wants Ravel to guide across the dangerous moorland, she will have to allow him to feed from her.
It’s a sin for a warden to feed a vespertine— let alone love one— and as Everline and Ravel travel further across the moorland, she realizes the question isn’t whether she will survive the journey, but if she will return unchanged. Or if she wants to.

goodreads | blackwells | dymocks | penguin teen

published October 17, 2023