I recently got the rights back to my contemporary romance novel, Irish Squeeze. I love the characters in this story but I wanted to do something more with it. I mean, since when do I write romance with no extra element to add some flavor? And Melissa is such a spunky chick, she could definitely use some extra umph.
Then it hit me: rewrite it as a fantasy. An urban fantasy romance. Boom, just like that the characters suddenly had more depth to them. Irish now had secrets. Melissa's family were now a rare breed of fantasy creature in their world. And the world itself now had its own story of civil unrest and an "Us vs Them" mentality between humans and "other" creatures.
Isn't it funny how that works out sometimes? This story was already a sexy fun time but now it has even more going for it. Not to mention possible sequels because I definitely see a series in the making here.
I plan to republish this story this year through Hollow Hills. Now I just need to think of a new name that will fit this new and improved tale...
Meanwhile, I am touching up my short story for the next Hollow Hills anthology coming later this year. If you haven't read Still Standing, I suggest checking it out. My short story titled "The Brave Blacksmith" is a fantasy romance at heart, but deals with some dark issues. Blacksmith's wife was murdered, but though he got his revenge and executed the evil king, ensuring the rightful queen was returned to her throne, he now feels he has no purpose in life. Until the queen sends him on a quest in an unfamiliar country. This story deals with mental health, bullying, and ends on a cliffhanger. Part Two promises to be just as magical and action packed. I do hope you stick around to read "The Blacksmith's Quest" coming in the next anthology.
It looks like this is shaping up to be a busy year so far. Stick around to hear more about amazing indie books I read and releases of my own novels in 2019.
Happy reading!
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Sunday, November 18, 2018
New Anthology: Still Standing
Hello, all.
I do hope your Halloween was enjoyable. I made my own Viking costume and threatened people with an ax. Good times. What did you dress as?
I wanted to pop in and share some news with you, valued readers. Hollow Hills has a new anthology coming out next month titled STILL STANDING. This collection of short stories and poetry will benefit Crisis Text Line, a non-profit that helps those in crisis. Find out more about this wonderful organization here.
Various authors came together bringing unique fantasy and science fiction tales to this amazing anthology. The stories and poems involve bullying, harassment, or ill-treatment by others in some way. The stories may get dark, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Our protagonists will not be kept down because in the end they are still standing tall.
For more information about each story in the anthology, visit the Hollow Hills website.
My story, "The Brave Blacksmith" is about a man who became a legend but walked away from his past life. Now he does odd jobs, enduring bullying from local villagers and even his own employers sometimes. Merely trying to make it through each day while dealing with his own inner demons, the queen of his land suddenly calls upon him to track down and help a sorcerer in a neighboring kingdom. Accepting the quest may mean a break from his daily struggles, but his pain still follows him as he heads out with his trusty tools to locate a powerful stranger.
Follow Blacksmith on his adventures in STILL STANDING, coming December 14th. Pre-orders are available now.
100% of royalties will go to Crisis Text Line, so be sure to grab your copy today!
I do hope your Halloween was enjoyable. I made my own Viking costume and threatened people with an ax. Good times. What did you dress as?
I wanted to pop in and share some news with you, valued readers. Hollow Hills has a new anthology coming out next month titled STILL STANDING. This collection of short stories and poetry will benefit Crisis Text Line, a non-profit that helps those in crisis. Find out more about this wonderful organization here.
Various authors came together bringing unique fantasy and science fiction tales to this amazing anthology. The stories and poems involve bullying, harassment, or ill-treatment by others in some way. The stories may get dark, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Our protagonists will not be kept down because in the end they are still standing tall.
For more information about each story in the anthology, visit the Hollow Hills website.
My story, "The Brave Blacksmith" is about a man who became a legend but walked away from his past life. Now he does odd jobs, enduring bullying from local villagers and even his own employers sometimes. Merely trying to make it through each day while dealing with his own inner demons, the queen of his land suddenly calls upon him to track down and help a sorcerer in a neighboring kingdom. Accepting the quest may mean a break from his daily struggles, but his pain still follows him as he heads out with his trusty tools to locate a powerful stranger.
Follow Blacksmith on his adventures in STILL STANDING, coming December 14th. Pre-orders are available now.
Universal link – https://books2read.com/stillstanding
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQ1R9P8
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41969929-still-standing100% of royalties will go to Crisis Text Line, so be sure to grab your copy today!
Monday, March 12, 2018
Hollow Hills, A New Publisher
Hello faithful readers and fellow book lovers!
I wanted to tell everyone about a new publishing company for independent authors. Hollow Hills, LLC. was co-founded by my friend Aurora Styles and myself as a place for authors whose works might be considered too "different" for traditional publishers. We don't believe in formula writing or writing by the numbers. We are looking for stories without all the usual tropes. We want original. We want unique. We want fantasy!
Though we do specialize in fantasy and all it's sub-genres, we will also consider horror, romance, mythology, and erotica. The most important thing to us is the story itself. Are the characters three-dimensional? Does the story reach down inside and pull out all those feels? Do the vivid setting details make you feel like you are really there? Does the story not fit neatly into one genre? Then we are interested!
For those indie authors who prefer self-publishing, we offer services that are vital to creating a sell-able product. As some of you may know, I have been a paid beta reader for a few years now and I am bringing my experience to Hollow Hills.
Aurora instructs Composition 101 and Freelance Writing. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing. She has experience editing papers and manuscripts full-time. So if you need a beta reader or editor, we've got you covered.
Two other services we offer through our company are the sales of pre-made book covers, and extra promotional services for authors. We have a variety of choices for book covers and we guarantee that any sold will never be sold again. Hollow Hills understands that most authors work other jobs and may not have the time to promote their books. We offer affordable services that include daily posts on social media accounts and posts on blogs.
To start our company off with a bang, we have decided to publish an anthology later this year. This collection of short stories and/or poetry will give new authors a chance to shine. All royalties earned from the sales of the anthology will go towards a charity. We are still in talks about which charity, but it will be one that involves the theme of the stories.
This first anthology will be titled "Still Standing" and the stories will involve a protagonist who has undergone some kind of ill treatment from a person in power, whether they were abused, harassed, fired, dismissed, etc. The antagonist can be a boss, co-worker, evil overlord, whatever you would like. The story can be a revenge story, but the main theme is empowerment and the healing process. The victim came through and is standing on their own two (or more) feet. Again, though we specialize in fantasy, we would gladly consider horror or romance submissions.
For more information on the submission guidelines, please visit our blog on our website here: www.hollowhillsbooks.com
Be sure to stop by and see what our company can do for you, independent author!
I wanted to tell everyone about a new publishing company for independent authors. Hollow Hills, LLC. was co-founded by my friend Aurora Styles and myself as a place for authors whose works might be considered too "different" for traditional publishers. We don't believe in formula writing or writing by the numbers. We are looking for stories without all the usual tropes. We want original. We want unique. We want fantasy!
Though we do specialize in fantasy and all it's sub-genres, we will also consider horror, romance, mythology, and erotica. The most important thing to us is the story itself. Are the characters three-dimensional? Does the story reach down inside and pull out all those feels? Do the vivid setting details make you feel like you are really there? Does the story not fit neatly into one genre? Then we are interested!
For those indie authors who prefer self-publishing, we offer services that are vital to creating a sell-able product. As some of you may know, I have been a paid beta reader for a few years now and I am bringing my experience to Hollow Hills.
Aurora instructs Composition 101 and Freelance Writing. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing. She has experience editing papers and manuscripts full-time. So if you need a beta reader or editor, we've got you covered.
To start our company off with a bang, we have decided to publish an anthology later this year. This collection of short stories and/or poetry will give new authors a chance to shine. All royalties earned from the sales of the anthology will go towards a charity. We are still in talks about which charity, but it will be one that involves the theme of the stories.
For more information on the submission guidelines, please visit our blog on our website here: www.hollowhillsbooks.com
Be sure to stop by and see what our company can do for you, independent author!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Summer Indie Book Awards 2017
Hello, fellow readers. I hope your summer has been awesome. School might be back in, but the heat is still on, and I'm here to tell you about a hot event happening now.
I’m excited to announce that it’s that time of year again. The Summer Indie Book Awards are here!
Every year, Metamorph Publishing hosts this amazing event that focuses on indie books. Readers nominate their favorite books in a variety of categories and at the end of the summer, it’s voting time. Voting for the 2107 SIBA starts tomorrow, September 1st and ends on September 11th. You can vote in each category once a day.
This year, two of my books have been nominated in the Summer Indie Book Awards!
Under Anthologies, we have Reaching for the Light by myself and TL Katt. These two short stories talk about dealing with mental illness on a daily basis, with happy endings in store.
Under Horror, is Headstones and Dead Bodies. This collection contains two short stories that will chill you.
Please stop by and vote for our books! While you are there, check out
the other awesome indie books that have been nominated this
year. Vote for your favorites and discover some new-to-you authors.
For more information about the awards, and voting links, visit Metamorph Publishing's website or find the awards on Facebook.
Keep cool and have a great weekend!
I’m excited to announce that it’s that time of year again. The Summer Indie Book Awards are here!
Every year, Metamorph Publishing hosts this amazing event that focuses on indie books. Readers nominate their favorite books in a variety of categories and at the end of the summer, it’s voting time. Voting for the 2107 SIBA starts tomorrow, September 1st and ends on September 11th. You can vote in each category once a day.
This year, two of my books have been nominated in the Summer Indie Book Awards!
Under Anthologies, we have Reaching for the Light by myself and TL Katt. These two short stories talk about dealing with mental illness on a daily basis, with happy endings in store.
Under Horror, is Headstones and Dead Bodies. This collection contains two short stories that will chill you.
For more information about the awards, and voting links, visit Metamorph Publishing's website or find the awards on Facebook.
Keep cool and have a great weekend!
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