My Year in Review: Writing in 2014

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argetallam saga, daindreth's assassin, eli hinze, fanged princess, happy new year, intisar khanani, my books, writing update

I have been tagged by the lovely Eli Hinze along with the awesome Intisar Khanani to do an update post, detailing my literary exploits of 2014. Hence, I am here to confess to twelve months of general lack of focus. This year has seen me publish absolutely nothing at all, but that does not mean I haven’t been writing. No, I have been writing a great deal.

Here we have me with a cup of Early Grey in my natural habitat, seated before a laptop.

I did some stuff with the Argetallam Saga
This year saw me complete the drafts of the fourth and fifth books in Janir’s story and begin the sixth. I have mostly finished editing on the fourth book and that should be published early next year (God and my support team willing) along with the shiny reedited editions of the first three books with pretty, sparkly new covers gorgeously designed by T.L. Shreffler.

I hope to finish drafting the sixth and seventh books in 2015 to release them sometime early 2016.

Around St. Valentine’s I sort of brain-dumped Fanged Princess

The first draft of Fanged Princess 3 was completed *coughcough* January of this year. So why haven’t you gotten it yet? A very good question. An excellent question, in fact. The truth is, it’s not ready. I was distracted with drafting the fifth Argetallam book and then I got distracted with what has been become my guilty side project since spring 2013.

My favorite mug joining me in my favorite spot (yes, in front of my laptop).

Daindreth’s Assassin is my current vice

I have had a lot of readers tell me they’re excited for this series and asking if it’s published yet, which translates to a lot of pressure since I’m not planning to unveil it until summer 2016.

Writing the first book in this series was my 18th birthday present to myself. I worked on it off and on through the autumn, exploring the characters and the storyline and all of a sudden, everything clicked. I had the plot, the premise, the ending, all of it worked out.

Next thing you know, I’ve completed most the editing on book 1 with ginormous drafts of books 2 and 3 with book 4 more than halfway finished. When I say “ginormous,” I mean that the shortest book caps it off at well over 132,000 words (500-ish pages) and the longest is more like 260,000 words (900-ish pages).

There’s still lots of editing to do on those books (I mean LOTS), plus I’ve been reediting the first three Argetallam books. In other words, I am swamped. I’ve given myself a whole bunch of stuff to get done before I go back to school on January 20th and it’s freaking me out just thinking about it.

The forecast for 2015?

With a study abroad trip planned for next summer and a full course load at school, it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s actually going to happen. I just know that right now I’m planning to release the first four Argetallam books in the first four months of the year and the third Fanged Princess novella at some point in the summer.

As you can see, despite my lack of publication this year, I have by no means abandoned storytelling, quite the opposite. You people have got a tsunami of Elisabeth’s books headed your way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a whole bunch of drafting/editing/screaming/panicking to get done.

Top book series I wish had Fandoms

Tags

am hargrove, Erica Stevens, gerald morris, guardians of vesturon, indie books, intisar khanani, jadie jones, kaitlyn deann, madeleine l'engle, moonlit, my favorites, paranormal, sunbolt chronicles, the captive, the cats eye chronicles, the squires tales, the time quintet, The witches sleep, tll shreffler, ya

These eight book series are among my All Time Favorites and I believe they are tragically underrated. I see the memes and fangirling for The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments, and I can’t help but feel jealous and think “I know of books that are even better!” (Purely my opinion, but I didn’t particularly love The Hunger Games trilogy or City of Bones.) So I cannot hold it in any longer. Here are the top book series I believe should have massive fandoms of screaming fangirls and/or fanboys staying up until 2:00 a.m. to finish the latest installments or mourning the series’ conclusions. This list has expanded since I wrote the post, so you can expect a part 2!

The Cat’s Eye Chronicles by T.L. Shreffler

I discovered this series awhile back and downloaded the first, but only read it until recently. While I thought the first chapter was a bit slow, I quickly became engrossed in the story, only stopping for trivial things like eating. I went and downloaded the second book straightaway and am now living in agony waiting for the fourth/fifth’s release.

The Captive

This was my inaugural foray into vampire love stories. The writing can be rusty in places, but the story is absolutely, positively, awesome and the romance…oh, the romance! I was so sad to see the series end and ecstatic to hear of the author planning a spinoff!

The Sunbolt Chronicles

From what I have seen, anything by Intisar Khanani is incredible. Her original worlds with heroines who are strong, but still relatable and empathetic are unquestionably underrated. For clean, action-packed, magic-brimming fantasy, Khanani is your go-to source!

Moonlit

Horses, ancient love, horses, age-old prophecies, sorcery, horses, and a gloriously bad villain, what more could you want? I was not expecting to enjoy this book nearly as much as I did and I was highly impressed with the author’s talent. Definitely one worthy of a fandom and I will be stalking the internet for the first word of the trilogy conclusion.

The Witches’ Sleep by Kaitlyn Deann

I’m normally not a fan of dystopia-esque stories, but this teen author’s debut novel was the clear exception. Paranormal excitement and political intrigue mix together in perfect harmony for a story that should be read, read, read by as many people as possible.

The Squire’s Tales by Gerald Morris

Gerald Morris’ ingenious reimagining of the Arthurian legends are among my absolute favorites. Though this is more of an MG series, I am a HUGE fan of these books and wish more people were familiar with them so I could be accompanied in my mad fangirling.

The Guardians of Vesturon by A.M. Hargrove

Another wonderful romance series from a brilliant mind. Though they might not be for everyone, I find it impossible not to adore monotheistic, honor-conscious, chaste, swoon-worthy aliens and I can’t be the only one. Forget vampire or werewolf, if I had my pick, I’d take a Vesturion Guardian before you could say “shadar.”

 

The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle

This series has the singular honor of being the only one I have read beginning to end more than once. I believe Madeleine L’Engle was a true literary genius, on par with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Her stories teach love, forgiveness, and courage in the most beautiful way and we can all learn from those lessons.

Friday Freebie #15 The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani

Tags

epic fantasy, fantasy, friday freebie, intisar khanani, short story, the bone knife, young adult

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Read my review of The Bone Knife

Download The Bone Knife for free here! (perma-free)

{Cover re-make + Excerpt + Giveaway} Thorn by Intisar Khanani

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awesome, cover reval, epic fantasy, fantasy, Giveaway, indie author, intisar khanani, thorn, ya

This book was incredible and one of the very first I reviewed here on Inspelled Faery. I think the new cover does a better job of capturing the story’s feel than any of its previous incarnations and I hope you’ll check it out!

My review of Thorn.

For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she’s never had … until she’s betrayed.

Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family’s cruelty and the court’s contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future.

But powerful men have powerful enemies—and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman’s, giving Alyrra the first choice she’s ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she’s never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometimes the hardest choice means learning to trust herself.

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About the Author

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five.

Intisar currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, she wrote grants and developed projects to address community health and infant mortality with the Cincinnati Health Department—which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.

Intisar’s latest projects include a serial novella project titled The Sunbolt Chronicles, about a young thief with a propensity to play hero, and her arch-nemesis, a dark mage intent on taking over the Eleven Kingdoms. She’s also developing a companion trilogy to her debut novel Thorn, which will feature a new heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife.

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“Princess Alyrra,” the king says. My eyes flick up to his, my legs frozen in their curtsy. He studies me as if I were a prize goat, his gaze sliding over me before returning to my face, as cold and calculating as a butcher. “We have heard tell of you before.”

“My lord?” My voice sounds unnaturally high even to me.

“It is said you are honest. An unusual trait, it would seem.”

I open my mouth, close it, force some semblance of a smile to my lips. My brother has gone rigid, his hands pressed flat against his thighs.

“You are most kind,” my mother says, stepping forward. The king watches me a moment longer, leaving my mother waiting. I cannot say what he thinks, why he would mention something sure to raise old grievances, why he would care. Or is he only toying with us? Laughing at us?

He turns to my mother, offering her a courtly smile, and at her words he accompanies her up the three stairs and through the great wooden doors of our Hall. My brother and I trail behind him, a mix of our nobles and the king’s entourage on our heels.

“Honest Alyrra,” my brother mocks, his voice loud enough for those nearest us to hear. “What a very clever, sophisticated princess you must be.”

I bite my lip. It is going to be a long week, watching my back and hiding down corridors. And with so many guests, the wine and ale will flow freely, which will make things even worse. Just leave, I think at the king’s back. Just go home and leave us alone.

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A Cause for Concern: The Rights of the Unborn

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a cause for concern, fantasy, Giveaway, intisar khanani, novella, subolt release, ya

I must admit that I’m more than a little scared writing on the topic of the cause I’m passionate about because I’m not really sure how many of you will hate me forever after reading this. This isn’t something I’ve discussed openly before, so forgive me if I come across as a bit strong. I have friends who disagree with me and even family members who hold different beliefs. This is going to be a lot heavier than the posts I usually write and I promise we’ll be more peppy, lively content after this, but this is what I believe and I think I have a responsibility to share it.

I would like to talk about the human right to life. I am convinced that no human being should be denied their right for the chance to live. Every day in the United States alone, more than 3,000 children are denied that chance. In New York City, for every African-American child delivered, the mothers of more than 1,400 chose not to have them. Ninety percent of children pre-natally diagnosed with Down Syndrome are never allowed to be born.

I think it upsetting that in an age where we claim to live in the most advanced era mankind has yet seen, that we so blatantly trample the rights of the smallest and most helpless of our race in the name of choice. We speak of freedom for women, but too easily forget those who cannot even speak for themselves or, in some cases, overlook the fact that a woman has chosen to terminate her pregnancy with a girl in hopes of later conceiving a boy. The unborn have done nothing to warrant a death sentence. In the case of unwanted pregnancies, there are many alternatives which do not involve ending an innocent life.

And though it is an extremely unpopular way of thinking, I do not believe that how a child came into being should dictate whether or not they are allowed to live. None of us had any say in how we came to exist and I think it unjust that babies be punished for what they cannot control.

I’m probably going to be metaphorically taken out and shot for this post, but I hope that people will keep an open mind and agree to disagree if they feel differently. As controversial and politically incorrect as it is, I believe that a person is a person from the moment of conception and that every person should be given the chance to live in this beautiful planet we call home.

~~~

“A Cause for Concern” celebrates the release of Sunbolt, a YA fantasy novella by Intisar Khanani. Sunbolt tells the story of Hitomi, a young woman with a propensity to play hero when people need saving, and her nemesis, a dark mage slowly amassing power in a bid to control the Eleven Kingdoms. Stories often have an issue at their heart, however big or small, global or personal. This week offers a chance for bloggers (and readers) who love stories to share the issues that are close to their hearts. What do you wish you could change in the world?

~~~

The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.

When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life

Add Sunbolt to Goodreads

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~~~

 

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar’s next two projects include a companion trilogy to Thorn, following the heroine introduced in her short story The Bone Knife, and The Sunbolt Chronicles, a novella serial following a young mage with a propensity to play hero, and her nemesis, a dark mage intent on taking over the Eleven Kingdoms.

Visit Intisar’s website

Connect with Intisar on Facebook

~~~

The author will be offering a giveaway of $100 to a charity of the winner’s choice. Author and artist T.L. Shreffler will offer an original signed print depicting a scene from the heart of one of her stories as the second place prize. There are some signed books (The Girl of Fire and Thorns, XVI and The Silver Sea). The giveaway is international; winners of the secondary prizes will receive a $10 gift card in lieu of the prize due to high shipping rates.

 

 

 

T.L. Shreffler on her “Cause for Concern” artwork:

 “My “Cause for Concern” is the steadily declining quality of our natural habitat: the earth. We have holes in the ozone layer, global warming, polluted oceans and diminishing forests. I think it is our duty as humans to nurture the earth and protect it, especially because it is in our power to do so. This piece of art represents the love and reverence that we should hold for mother earth.”

 

Connect with author and artist T.L. Shreffler on Facebook

 

 

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Release Day Review: Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles, #1) by Intisar Khanani

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awesome, book review, fantasy, indie author, indie book review, indie review, intisar khanani, magic, novella, ya, young adult

The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.

When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

It seems to be a matter of course that I love what this author writes—probably because she writes about a lot of fighting and a lot of magic. Sunbolt is a fast-paced, quick read that still has excellent character development and world-building packed into less than 200 pages.

The plot:

This novella is clearly setting it up for the rest of the series as we are introduced to a cast of dynamic, dimensional, and diverse characters in a short space of time. This story moves quickly, yet still manages to flesh out the individuals and the setting in a way that they are memorable and have stuck with me. There are a lot of questions asked throughout this book and though it ends satisfactorily, by the end we are left ravenously hungry for answers, a cruel plot by the author, no doubt, to make us lust after the next series installment.

The characters:

Hitomi was a type of character I have been missing lately—strong, brave, smart, yet compassionate. I especially like how she was willing to forfeit her life for people she barely knew, even ones who had betrayed her, and how she was courageous even when it looked like there was no way out. She’s been through a lot, will doubtless go through a lot more, but doesn’t crack under pressure and tries to do the right thing.

I’m trying to figure out if I can mention one of my favorite characters without giving spoilers… We’ll just say that I am passionately hoping we get to meet him again in the next novella. Dangerous, dark, more than capable of brutality, yet still with an underlying sense of honor and more good than he cares to show. I think he likes Hitomi, but I might be reading that into the story, I’m not sure.

I cannot wait for the next novella in this series. I adore this series and I highly, highly recommend this book as well as the author’s other works. So go, go, go! Read this and then we can all gush over it!

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{Cover Reveal & Giveaway} Sunbolt (Sunbolt Chronicles, #1) by Intisar Khanani

Tags

Cover reveal, fantasy, Giveaway, intisar khanani, novella, sunbolt, ya, young adult

Today I am thrilled to help unveil the cover for a new book by one of my favorite authors ever! I helped with the beta-reading for this story and believe me, the world is in for a treat! Don’t forget to check out the link to the giveaway at the end of this post!

The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she conceals her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to bring down the powerful and corrupt Archmage Wilhelm Blackflame.

When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she has to escape with her life.

Add Sunbolt on Goodreads

About the Author:

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar is hard at work on two new projects. The first is a companion trilogy to her debut novel Thorn, following the heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife. The second project, The Sunbolt Chronicles, is a novella series following the efforts of a young mage as she strives to bring down her nemesis, a corrupt and dangerous Arch Mage who means to bring the Eleven Kingdoms under his control.

Intisar’s Website

Facebook Page

Giveaway

Three digital Advance Reader Copies of Sunbolt, to be provided to winners by mid-May, preceding the official release date.

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Before and After Covers

Tags

captive series, captured, Erica Stevens, fantasy, guardians, ignite, intisar khanani, kaitlyn davis, kindred, lola st vil, midnight fire, the girl, thorn, ya

So lately I’ve seen a lot of books getting revamped covers. Most of them I think were for the better, but there are one or two I disagree with. Anyway, I thought I’d just share them with you guys.

(Note: It turns out, I had the Before and After covers switched for The Girl. Blonde moment. Thank you to Stephanie for pointing that out!)

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

So what do you think? I like all the remakes better. What are your favorite cover revamps? What do you make of these? Were they all improvements?

{Cover Reveal} Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Tags

clean ya, covet reveal, fantasy, intisar khanani, remake, thorn, ya

Today I am absolutely thrilled to share with you the new cover and blurb for Thorn by Intisar Khanani. This is a wonderful book and I hope you’ll check out my review in case you need more convincing. But without further ado, the cover!


For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she’s never had … until she’s betrayed.

Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family’s cruelty and the court’s contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future.

But powerful men have powerful enemies—and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman’s, giving Alyrra the first choice she’s ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she’s never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometime the hardest choice means learning to trust herself.

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Mini Review: The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani

Tags

elves, fantasy, fun, intisar khanani, magic, short story, the bone knife, ya

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.

Blurb and cover from Goodreads

Read from November 09 to 10, 2012

In case you didn’t know, I bloody ADORE Ms. Khanani’s other book, THORN (the Grimm tale of THE GOOSE GIRL with a middle-eastern influence and a swoon-worthy prince). THE BONE KNIFE introduces Rae, the heroine of the companion trilogy to THORN.

Since it is a short story, I can say a whole lot without being spoiler-ific, but I will say that Rae was a very compelling and sympathetic character and I particularly liked the way the relationship between her and her sisters was portrayed.

I will be watching for that trilogy! =D

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