Spotlight & Guest Post: Whispers of Stone + Giveaway

Whispers of Stone blog announcement

Cover - Whispers of Stone

Whispers of Stone
by Allegra Pescatore
Series: The Last Wish #2
Genre: Gaslamp/Epic Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Pages: 529
Published: January 2022
Publisher: AO Collective Publishing (Self Published)

Content/Trigger Warnings:

  • Shown on page: Ableism, Racism, Rape (non-graphic, non-violent), Drug/alcohol use (medically necessary), Child abduction
  • Alluded to: Self harm, Homophobia, Child harm

A God is Dead. A Queen is Missing. Secrets are Unraveling.

On trial for the murder of the King, Elenor and Gabriel must become allies if they want to survive. His magic is spiraling out of control, awakening a mystery hidden in the very walls of the palace. She has one month to pass her Water Rite and find a way out of the marriage her parents set up. But things are about to get much more complicated.

Between sadistic family members intent on taking Elenor’s throne, Tirit Mindel breathing down Gabriel’s neck, and a Golden Dragon appearing in the sky above the Mondaer Desert with an ominous warning, more than the Kingdom of Lirin is at stake.

If that weren’t bad enough, time is ticking down for Fedrik and Fay as well. With the desert turning against them and Daemon as a questionable new ally, figuring out how to control Fedrik’s Gift has become a matter of life and death.

Picking up in the fallout of Where Shadows Lie, Whispers of Stone is the long-awaited and non-stop second installment of The Last Gift. Dive back into the world of Dracona and hold onto your hats. Things are about to get… salty.

Amazon
Goodreads


Author’s Note: While the Last Gift may be read as a stand-alone series, it is meant to be read alongside the other books of Project Ao.

The Suggested Reading Order is:

Where Shadows Lie

NACL: Eye of the Storm

Whispers of Stone

These Gossamer Strings

NACL: Storm Surge (Forthcoming)


Guest Post:

Breathing Life Into Sequels

I sat down at my computer to write an upbeat guest post about sequel writing. I certainly have enough to say about the subject, given that the last year of my life has been lived entirely in the soul-crushing imposter-syndrome-land of Sequeltopia. However, as I look back on the last twelve months, words seem to fail me.

It’s been hard.

I somehow didn’t expect that going in. I figured: the difficult part is over, right? The worldbuilding is laid out, the readers who liked book one already cared about the characters, and all I have to do is entertain.

Oh, what a fool I was.

Now, part of the reason it was so hard is my own miasma of health conditions. In the summer of 2021, I started having trouble breathing. Asthma that was under control for years suddenly spiraled into an all-consuming battle for every single breath. It wasn’t the war many Covid patients fought in. I’m still alive, and never once had to be admitted into the hospital, but never-the-less, my life started feeling as though it were fractured into the space between every successive breath. I was living on the razor’s edge between anxiety and exhaustion as I fell further and further behind on my deadlines.

This did not create an environment conducive to getting words written.

Do you ever drive to work, get there, and realize that you don’t remember a single thing about the drive? That was how my life felt. I’d get into bed after a long day, open my manuscript, and blankly think back on my day, desperately trying to grasp onto anything that might inspire the words to come.

But sequels are hard.

I had all these threads up in the air: plots that needed conclusions and questions that needed answers. Not only that, but I’d made a massive change at the end of Where Shadows Lie two weeks before publishing and had no idea how I’d deal with the ripples. Characters were dead who were supposed to be alive, for goodness sake! If you’ve read my books, you know they are politically dense with intricate plots. So there I was, playing three-dimensional fantasy political chess with less than two brain cells to rub together. It wasn’t working. I desperately needed a plan.

So I threw the plan I had out the window and fell back on that old but true adage: write what you know.

What I knew was that I couldn’t breathe, or think, or function. Neither, therefore—I reasoned—should my main character. Enter, the new plot!

It’s funny how sometimes, things just click. I’d spent all of book one foreshadowing that my main character couldn’t take too much stress. So why not let her—a disabled, chronically ill woman—deal with some of the same nonsense I was? And so, I wrote.

I wrote about how frustrating it is to have that buzzing noise in the back of your head when trying to think. How terrifying it is to have responsibilities weighing on your shoulders when you know that you aren’t holding it together. Sure, Elenor had to deal with a kingdom in trouble and an evil aunt, whereas I was struggling with getting to work in the mornings and remembering to breathe, but the emotions were much the same.

I poured my frustration, my fears, and my pain into her and the other characters who have become so dear to me over the years. Fortunately, as soon as the ball got rolling, some old, well-loved habits kicked in to keep it going. I leaned on my love of causal chains, playing simple ‘if this, then that’ games with the plot. That moved things forward in a logical direction, while my good ol’ workaholism kept me typing away every night despite my health problems. When my brain wouldn’t function, my coauthors and family helped, letting me bounce ideas off of them. Most of all, though, what drove me forward was the simple fact that I was too tired to get in my own way.

I was anxious about breathing, not whether the sequel I was writing was good. Looking back, I think there’s a lesson to be learned in that. Not—to be clear—that I suggest writing a book in the middle of a health crisis. Nor would I endorse letting words get in the way of rest. But getting out of my own way was the best choice I could have made.

I let go of my attachment to writing a sequel that would recapture what I did in Where Shadows Lie, and instead let Whispers of Stone… breathe.

As it turns out, that’s all I really needed.

It’s now been six months since the release of Whispers of Stone. Today, the third book of the series is out too. Each of them has been an entirely different experience, as was the sequel to A Bond of Thread which I’m currently revising. So in the end, I’m forced to draw a simple conclusion: every book—first, fiftieth, stand-alone, or sequel—is a journey, and the only way to find out what kind it’ll be is to get out of your own way and start typing.


Author Bio & Information:

Author Photo 1Allegra grew up in a small village in northern Tuscany as the daughter of two artists. She was raised on the works of J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Phillip Pullman, Frank Herbert, and many others, all read aloud to her while she drew and played make-believe. She began to write at the age of eight and hasn’t stopped since.

After many moves and dozens of countries visited, she now lives in a cozy cottage in Western PA. She is accompanied in her current adventures by husband Job, co-conspirator and long-time writing partner Tobias, and a small army of furry and scaly pets. When not writing or daydreaming, Allegra rules her kitchen with an iron first and feeds everyone who walks through her door. She also gardens, dabbles in various art forms, and spins stories for her tabletop gaming group.

As a disabled woman and staunch LGBTQ ally, Allegra hopes to write engaging, diverse, and representative Fantasy and Science Fiction, where people who do not often see themselves center stage get the chance to shine.

Her debut book, Where Shadows Lie, was an SPFBO Semi-Finalist and is a CIBA award finalist. It is the first book of The Last Gift series, and the first title of Project Ao, by Ao Collective Publishing. Other titles in Project Ao include NACL: Eye of the Storm (2021 SPFBO Semi-Finalist) and A Bond of Thread.

Linktree
Publisher
Twitter
Facebook
Discord
Youtube


Giveaway Information:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Direct link

Starts: July 7, 2022 at 12:00am EST
Ends: July 13, 2022 at 11:59pm EST

Spotlight & Guest Post: The Tapestry + Excerpt

the tapestry banner

 

the tapestry cover

The Tapestry
by Audrey N Lewis
Genre: Magical Realism
Release date June 21, 2022
304 pages

Discover a beautiful and deeply haunting tapestry of love, pain, magic, and healing.

In a single moment, Maia’s life would never be the same. Because when her miraculous virgin birth gifts her a blind, albino hermaphrodite, she never could have foreseen the fate that lay in store for them both. Adopted by a pack of coyotes and seeking refuge deep in the woods, a sheltered cottage and unseen helpers give Maia and her baby Justice a new life together.

But the world of the early twentieth century isn’t kind to unwed mothers or children like Justice… and when they’re forced to leave their hidden cottage, Maia finds herself struggling to survive in a man’s world. Her only solace lies in Justice’s incredible gift – an otherworldly ability to weave colorful tapestries that can predict the future.

But Justice’s destiny will call them, and together they will share her gift, bringing freedom to those whose stories need to be told. And as Justice opens hearts and minds through her magical loom, she discovers the life-changing impact that she was fated to share with the world.

Artfully weaving together a powerful and deeply moving story that touches on profound themes of love, transformation, motherhood and healing, The Tapestry is a magical contemporary fiction novel where the emotions pour out of each page, offering readers of all backgrounds a heartfelt experience that will stick in your mind long after you finish reading.

Pre-Order Ebook: Amazon


Excerpt:

For years I would hear stories of a colorless person who wandered the countryside. A person with wild white hair and glaring red eyes. A person who was full of deceit and magic, playing the part of both male and female. A person who was without sight, but could indeed see. A human chameleon, whose many roles included living forever among those who walked before it, beside it, in front of it and behind it. A person whose challenge it was to live life forever. But then, I have to ask, “What is forever?”


Guest Post: How Did The Tapestry start?

The morning after the shootings at The Pulse in Orlando, Fl. The Tapestry was created. It was as if Justices’ birth gave hope and peace to the thousands of unimaginable deaths that were caused over the years because of hate. I felt as if there was no choice but to write.


About the Author:

audrey for book 6 copyAudrey Lewis is an award-winning author, proud mother, and passionate adventurer who loves to push boundaries, take risks, and inspire others. Whether she’s climbing mountains or camping out on billboards in Times Square, she’s a dreamer and a giver who has proven time and time again that she’s not afraid to break the rules. As the author of the critically acclaimed short story collection “Everybody has a story… These are ours”, Audrey’s work has been featured in hit magazines including Short Story Town, Weird Mask Magazine, Spillwords, Active Muse, Evolving, Dissident Voice and Cephalopress.

Armed with her natural-born creativity and a deep passion for her craft, she enjoys nothing more than sharing stories and providing readers with thought-provoking new perspectives. She’s also the founder of the non-profit Families of SMA (Cure SMA) where she served as the executive director for 23 years. Audrey currently resides in Illinois, where she enjoys spending her free time growing vegetables, beekeeping, designing dream catchers, finding vintage treasures, or enjoying a good game of scrabble. For more information about Audrey and her work, visit her website at audreynlewis.com, Facebook and/or Goodreads.

 

Spotlight & Guest Post: Forbidden Rendezvous With the Devil + Giveaway

FORBIDDEN RENDEZVOUS WITH THE DEVIL

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the FORBIDDEN RENDEZVOUS WITH THE DEVIL by Isra Sravenheart Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Title: FORBIDDEN RENDEZVOUS WITH THE DEVIL

Author: Isra Sravenheart

Pub. Date: May 11, 2022

Publisher: Isra Sravenheart

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 217

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

*

A Witch Vampire Paranormal Romance

“Trust me. Actually. Don’t.”

Sabine Nevemone has just moved to the small quaint town of Gloomvale to start a new life after being dumped by narcissistic boyfriend Oliver Rein.

Sabine has landed herself a job at Bad Brews coffee house, where she is working for the handsome rogue Tristan Roseblood. A mysterious handsome devilish vampire who always gets what he desires.

At first, Sabine could not believe her luck that she’s gotten a job so fast but things in Gloomvale aren’t all they seem. Tristan is a powerful man and he knows it.

Sabine is reluctant to comply when Tristan forces her to come on an errand with him, which almost results in both her and Tristan getting killed because an old enemy catches up with Tristan. Tristan patches Sabine up telling her she’s in a very dangerous world and it would be best if she got out of town for her own sake. Sabine refuses to leave. This proves to be a fatal mistake on her part.

“You can’t get close to me. Get out while you can. I’m not a good match for a sweet thing like you. Trust me. Actually, don’t.” He warns her.

The only trouble is now Sabine is in too deep. She’s falling for him. Hard. But when Tristan rebuffs Sabine and she falls straight into his mysterious brother Laurence’s arms, it can only spell disaster for all concerned. Sabine then gets herself in real trouble when she’s bitten on her way home. Will Tristan find her in time or will she die alone?

USA Today Best-Selling Author Isra Sravenheart brings us into the intense world of Tristan Roseblood. A vampire with a dark past only trouble is when Sabine stumbles into it, she too becomes entwined in his chaos. A paranormal romance jam-packed with suspense and intrigue and two charming vampires to boot.


Guest Post

A day in your writing life.
This ultimately depends as no two days are the same. One day I might get up at 9am and start sprinting whereas the next I may get up at around 11am/ 12pm. I also have four cats so their needs have to be taken care of first before I can even make myself a coffee. Once those things are done. I will make myself a coffee, take a shower and possibly even get dressed, if not, I will change into a clean pair of pjs. I practically live in Disney PJ’s any how. At this point I will probably turn the laptop on, grab a snack bar (gluten free protein cereal bar) and eat that while I am sipping my coffee. I’ll make a note of the chapter/ segment I am working on or due to work on for this moment and re-read what I had previously written (very important) and then I’ll re-read my outline again to make sure it’s in my brain. It’s worth noting that I may do this around 3 or 4 times before I set up the sprint bot and get started.

Typically I will do one 15 minute sprint and then stop, do something else for ten mins. Then I will do another…. before I stop to eat or get on with someother task, ie loading laundry in the machine, getting that on or doing some hoovering or something else. This may keep me busy for around 20-30 minutes depending on what it is. Then I will make another coffee, set up another sprint, do that and see how I feel after. I may decide to stop at this point or do another…. It depends ultimately on the day and how I feel (especially when chronic pain is a factor) Then I may look the clock realize i’ve been at this for two hours and may decide to clock off at this point. Or I may go back to it in the late afternoon / early evening and do some more. It depends on the day.


About Isra Sravenheart:

Dark Fantasy and PNR Author😍
ARCreaderswanted 🦄
Witch 🧙‍♀️
🐈 Mom
📚🔥🔮🌈

I’m not very good at talking about myself in the third person. Isra is an eccentric author whose heart resides with the dark fantasy but also the paranormal genres. Cats and coffee are her main interests. She’s also a pretty badass witch and often envisions new adventures involving dragons, witches, warlocks and really likes villains. There we go! 

Subscribe to Isra’s Newsletter!

Check out Isra’s LinkTree for all of her links and free downloads of some of her books!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Reader Group | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub


Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive an eBook of FORBIDDEN RENDEZVOUS WITH THE DEVIL, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/13/2022

The Momma Spot

Guest Post/IG Post

6/14/2022

BookHounds

Guest Post/IG Post

6/15/2022

@creepylilbookworm

IG Post

6/16/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Post

6/17/2022

Sadie’s Spotlight

Guest Post/IG Post

Week Two:

6/20/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

6/21/2022

Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf

Review/IG Post

6/22/2022

Rajiv’s Reviews

Review/IG Post

6/23/2022

modefii

Review/IG Post

6/24/2022

brittreadsalattebooks

IG Post/TikTok Post

 

Scroll Up