Monday, March 6, 2023

Ink Dragon Press

 


I've got a little bit of an announcement to make. I have decided to change the name of my publishing company to Ink Dragon Press. This is something I've been planning for quite some time now. A couple of years, at least, but I didn't want to do it until after all of the Ilyon books were released so that there would be no variation in the covers. Now that Daican's Heir is available, I can finally start using the new name.

Why did I change it? I don't really have a specific answer other than I just wasn't "feeling" Living Sword Publishing anymore. I still think it's a cool publishing name, but, as with many things you do when you are young, you realize it's just not you anymore once you're fully into adulthood.

So, going forward, all of my writing projects will be published under Ink Dragon Press. Eventually, I probably will change the Ilyon Chronicles paperback covers over to reflect this change (it will only be a minor change of adding the logo to the spine in place of the LSP). But for now, they will remain the same. 

Along with this change, I have also re-opened my publishing company Etsy shop. If you were part of my Nerd Cat Creations newsletter last week, you will have seen that I, unfortunately, have to shut down that shop due to Shopify increasing the price of their subscriptions. That was where I was selling autographed books and Ilyon merchandise, but it will now be available on Etsy instead. You can check it out here. (I'm still working on getting everything switched over to the shop.)

I'm really excited about the new name and the new logo and can't wait for what projects will one day be published under it.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Daican's Heir Release Day!

 


Wow, I can't believe this day has finally arrived. It's been a crazy (and, oftentimes, frustrating) journey to reach the conclusion of this series, but I am so excited to be here. While writing parts of this book, particularly the ending, was bittersweet, I am so happy with how it turned out and am so excited to finally share it with everyone.

I wrote the bulk of this book while struggling for two years with nearly crippling anxiety. It was one of the worst times in my life. Thankfully, as of last fall, it's no longer a constant, daily battle (though still likes to pop up at the worst times). It's a miracle from God that I managed to do any writing at all during that time, let alone finish this book. I was pretty much terrified from the moment I started the book nearly seven years ago to the day I finished that it wasn't going to be any good and wouldn't live up to the rest of the series. Again, God worked a miracle, because once I got into editing, I fell in love with it. Though it's hard for me to pick a favorite book of the series, this one is a top contender. Everything managed to come together even better than I dreamed, and I hope you will find the conclusion of this series as satisfying as I do. 

To celebrate the release of the book, I will be posting over at the Ilyon Chronicles blog every day for the next week (the final post will be on Saturday, February 25). The next few days will feature the highly popular character Q&As, so make sure you check them out.




I am also having a themed giveaway for the release. I'm giving away a signed copy of the book, an Ilyon Chronicles dragon mug, a custom Jace Funko Pop created by me, and a dragon bookmark by lydiasvintage. Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, this giveaway is only open to those within the US. You can enter by following the instructions on the giveaway posts on either my Instagram or Facebook accounts.



Friday, December 2, 2022

Daican's Heir Cover Reveal + Sneak Peek

I have been looking forward to this day for SO LONG! I can't believe it is finally time to share the cover of Daican's Heir! The last time I had an Ilyon Chronicles cover reveal was all the way back in July of 2018!


This cover has been sitting on my computer for YEARS waiting for this day. This is the first book of the series to feature a villain on the front. Considering the mood of the story and the stakes, it seemed appropriate. After all, it has all boiled down to this moment--taking out Davira. The blood-red background also fits her vibe very well. Can I just say how scary she is? Like, I know I'm the one who wrote her, but she still scares me. And she is not going to go down without trying to destroy everything around her first. 

I just can't wait to share this book. I got my first bit of beta reader feedback last weekend and it absolutely made my day. It confirmed that the satisfaction I felt about the book wasn't just my relief at finishing. You can read her endorsement for it below. I still don't have a set release date (maybe sometime in March...), but the Kindle book is up for pre-order! Unfortunately, Amazon still doesn't allow indie authors to set paperbacks for pre-order, so if you're wanting one of those, you'll have to wait to order until release day.

So, without further ado, please enjoy the cover, as well as a little sneak peek at the first chapter!


About the Book

For three years, the Resistance has suffered under oppression—first from Emperor Daican and now from his daughter. In her quest for vengeance, Davira has ripped Arcacia apart, and more blood is spilled every day. Newly married, all Jace and Kyrin want is to be able to live their lives in peace. In order to do that, they must help restore the rightful heir to Arcacia’s throne.

Carrying the weight of everyone’s hopes for the future, Daniel works every day to be the leader and king they have all fought so hard to see him become. With the Resistance and their allies from all across Ilyon united behind him, he prepares for a final confrontation with Davira. But to do so will require facing the full might of Arcacia’s military and Davira’s wrath.

When Jace and Kyrin become the primary targets of her ravenous hatred, Daniel finds himself in a race against time to stop his sister and avoid the bloodbath she is determined to unleash. Can he find a way to protect his loved ones and bring peace to Ilyon or will Davira succeed in bringing them all to their knees and destroying everything they hold dear?





First Chapter Sneak Peek

Jace didn’t like ships. 

His stomach had threatened to heave itself up his throat since he’d re-boarded the talcrin vessel an hour ago. So far he’d managed to keep it in place, but Holden wasn’t so lucky. He had already lost what remained of his supper over the edge and now leaned heavily on the railing. Clearly, it would take a lot more than the two days they’d previously spent on board, sneaking the Militia into Samara, for their stomachs to get used to the sea.

A low groan rumbled from Holden’s hunched form. “Remind me never to set foot on a ship again after this. I’ll happily stick to dragons.”

Jace had to agree with him there. As much as he hated heights, he’d far rather fly with Gem right now. And it wasn’t just his churning gut that bothered him. Despite only small waves rippling the sea, each dip and tilt of the ship robbed him of balance. The lack of solid footing left him feeling vulnerable. Not that he had any threats to worry about just yet. Those awaited him on shore.

Footsteps passed behind him, and he looked over his shoulder. Though pre-dawn darkness cloaked the ship, and they’d forgone any lanterns that could give away their position, General Torva strode across the deck with a confident stride. He made an impressive figure, as most talcrins did. He reminded Jace of Sam, especially in stature, though his hair was long and gathered into small braids, and his eyes flashed a cunning copper. 

Their talcrin allies were obviously masters of the sea. Jace hadn’t seen any of them on the verge of losing their stomach contents, though maybe that had not been the case when they’d first left Arda a few weeks ago. Somehow, Rayad and Trask didn’t seem affected either.

Torva stopped at the railing a couple yards away, feet planted and fists on his hips as he stared out over the dark sea. His bronze scale-mail glinted faintly like dragon scales. Jace had never seen armor quite like it. 

“We should be nearing the city.”

Jace scanned the horizon. He could barely make out the shore from this distance—just a black line against the indigo water and sky. No signs of a city, but the talcrins would know better how far they had traveled.

Someone else drew near. Jace shifted, and Rayad put his hand on his shoulder.

“How are you doing?”

Jace wasn’t sure if the question was in regards to his queasiness or what lay ahead. He shrugged. He still thought Balen should have chosen someone other than him to lead this mission. Someone with actual leadership skills and experience. But then, he was the one who could see in the dark, and their plan to take back Samara’s capital depended on infiltrating the city undetected. Logically, he offered the greatest chance of success.

Rayad gave his shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll be right behind you.”

* * *

Other Blogs Participating in the Reveal

Friday, November 25, 2022

Holiday Sales and a Pre-Order

It's that time of year again when sales abound. Today is particularly exciting because, not only do I have sales to offer, but the Daican's Heir Kindle book is up for pre-order! (Unfortunately, Amazon still doesn't allow indie authors to set paperbacks for pre-order.) This is extremely exciting for me. After all the many years I've worked on this book, I can hardly believe it is now there on Amazon. Ahhh! Now, don't panic when you see the release date set for all the way next fall. That is simply to give myself peace of mind and a ton of wiggle room. Right now, I'm very confident it will have an early 2023 release, and I'll update it as soon as I know for certain. The pre-order is also on sale for the next few days and will go up to $3.99 after Monday.

I also put every one of my other Ilyon books on sale for 99¢ each! This is the first time they have all been that low, and if you haven't started the series or haven't gotten through all the books, now is the time to grab them in preparation for the release of Daican's Heir!



Of course, I also have sales on my shop website and Etsy (this is how I actually make my living). All clothing and accessories are 15% off through the weekend and Monday. Unfortunately, this doesn't include the paperbacks of my books. Since I already offer free shipping on everything, I can't discount them or I'd lose money. *sigh* But all Ilyon Chronicles shirts and other fun merch are included in the sale! My shop has items for nerds, book lovers, writers, Christians, and kids and babies! Just about everything is on my personal shop website (plus some things not found anywhere else), but if you'd prefer to shop on Etsy, I'll include the links to my shops there as well.



If you've already read all of my books and are looking for something new to read, make sure to check out this huge book sale for clean fiction! Every single book is under $1. You can't go wrong with that. (This is also your subtle nudge to check out Elven Alliance by Tara Grayce if you haven't already. One of my favorite series EVER.)





Monday, November 14, 2022

Did someone say cover reveal?

 Hello, everyone! I know my blog has been a virtual ghost town for the past year, but there are some exciting things coming up! If you follow me on social media or got my newsletter this morning, you will have seen that I finished the final major edit of Daican's Heir earlier this month! It was a massive undertaking I pretty much dedicated every waking moment to for almost two and a half months. The result is a massive 151,000 word finale to Ilyon Chronicles. I am SO excited to share it with the world! While I don't have a release date just yet, I do have a cover reveal set for December 2nd! If you would like to take part in the reveal and share it on your blog, social media, email, or wherever online venue you like to frequent, you can sign up HERE. And to celebrate this milestone, you can read the official blurb, as well as a fun little sneak peek, below.


About the Book

For three years, the Resistance has suffered under oppression—first from Emperor Daican, and now from his daughter. In her quest for vengeance, Davira has ripped Arcacia apart, and more blood is spilled every day. Newly married, all Jace and Kyrin want is to be able to live their lives in peace. In order to do that, they must help restore the rightful heir to Arcacia’s throne.

Carrying the weight of everyone’s hopes for the future, Daniel works every day to be the leader and king they have all fought so hard to see him become. With the Resistance and their allies from all across Ilyon united behind him, he prepares for a final confrontation with Davira. But to do so will require facing the full might of Arcacia’s military and Davira’s wrath.

 When Jace and Kyrin become the primary targets of her ravenous hatred, Daniel finds himself in a race against time to stop his sister and avoid the bloodbath she is determined to unleash. Can he find a way to protect his loved ones and bring peace to Ilyon or will Davira succeed in bringing them all to their knees and destroying everything they hold dear?


Sneak Peek


Talas eyed Kaden up and down, probably looking for more injuries. A smirk lifted his lips. “Looks like you lost a bit of hair on that one.”

Kaden brushed his hand through his hair. Ashy residue dusted his fingers, and he did now catch an acrid whiff of burnt hair along with his singed clothing. At least he didn’t find any bald patches, and his scalp didn’t feel burned. His hair needed a trim anyway. Maybe Marcus could give him one later. The militiamen were good at keeping up their appearances.

He ran his knuckles over short whiskers along his jaw. None of them seemed to be missing. “At least the beard is still there.”

“You humans and your beards.”

Kaden snorted. Cretes might not grow facial hair, but they had their own vanities. “Says the one with hair halfway down his back. I bet it takes you longer to wash it than it takes me to keep my beard trimmed.”

Talas shrugged. “Maybe.”


Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Tabor Cover Reveal

 Today is the cover reveal for Tabor (Remnant Trilogy #2) by Angela R. Watts! Just like the first book, it looks epic! And make sure you check out the cool pre-order swag.


About

Five ragtag friends must close the Rifts between the Realms before an ancient war snuffs out all innocent life for good.

King Finnigan’s kingdom is crumbling—traitors plot in his midst, a witch has fled execution, and enemies attack allied lands. When Rifts form between Golgotha and Mazzabah, the ragtag remnants must close them before the ancient warlock, Shafiq, takes control of the realms.

With darkness engulfing both realms, the group parts ways to seek answers about the histories and what can be done against Shafiq. But what they find changes everything. If they can’t fight the darkness, Mazzabah will be lost, and so will every innocent life left behind. But to survive the ancient war, they need help. And with more help comes more traitors.

Pre-Order


Pre-Order Swag

Preorders begin TODAY (October 20th) and all preorder receipts must be sent in via the form before 11.15! The first thirty preorders will receive a print map, print character cards (Gunnar, Moray, Finnigan, Ama, and Sadon), a bookmark, a customized note, as well as an EXCLUSIVE monster art print! TWO readers who preorder and submit their receipts will be entered to win signed paperbacks of Golgotha and Tabor AND a scented candle inspired by one of the characters as well as the swag previously mentioned.




Thursday, August 19, 2021

Guest Post: Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Silence the Siren

 

Today I have a special guest post by author Michele Israel Harper in celebration of the release of her newest book, Silence the Siren! Michele is awesome, by the way. I've talked to her a couple of times at Realm Makers and was so disappointed that she wasn't there this year. I haven't had a chance to read her Beast Hunters series yet, but I loved her Zombie Takeover book.

Guest Post

Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog today, Jaye! I am so honored to be here.

So it’s no secret that the latest book in my Beast Hunters series, Silence the Siren, is a light reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid.

I mentioned this in an earlier blog post on the tour (so I will only restate it briefly!), but I was raised on the Disney version of fairy tales. When I first read Andersen’s Little Mermaid, I threw my Kindle across the room.

(I mean, she didn’t get the prince, she died, and she turned into sea foam? Why, Hans, why?)

But that first read stuck with me so hard.

It kept circling in my head, the little mermaid’s sacrificial love and giving up what she wanted so the prince, and his new bride, could be happy.

Such different fare than my usual happily-ever-after must-reads.

Andersen loved his morals, loved telling his stories to children with an admonition to “be good” and to care for their eternal soul—a strong theme in his Little Mermaid tale—so different from the (dare I say it?) more selfish “I just have to wish hard enough and all my dreams will come true” stories I was raised on.

Don’t get me wrong. I adore those stories and absolutely think they have their place.

But this theme of sacrifice, of not always getting what you want, no matter how hard you work for it/wish for it—is this completely valid too?

I’ve struggled with it, wrestled with it, and finally had to write a story about it.

Now, I absolutely admit that I couldn’t do to my characters what Andersen did to his, but I played with the themes of love and sacrifice and happily ever after—and my characters explore what happens when things don’t quite go as planned.

Lest you think the story is a downer, let me assure you it isn’t! Silence the Siren is a high-seas adventure with pirates, sirens, swashbuckling, and heart, with just the slightest bit of sweet romance. (I grew up on HEAs, remember?)

But I had to explore self-sacrifice and putting others before one’s self.

I pray you enjoy the tale that was born out of that moment of throwing my Kindle!

Postscript!

Fun fact: There are quotes from the original story in both English and French throughout the book!

The Little Mermaid was first published in Danish in 1837, then translated into English in 1845. I wanted to use quotes from the original English version, but using stories in the public domain can be tricky. I had to find the original English version, pull five quotes (it was so hard to pick just five!), then translate them into French (oh my gosh, the tenses).

Those five measly little quotes took me two weeks to get just right. I don’t trust Google translate, so I had my French dictionaries spread around me, had three different French versions of the tale (and oh my word, each were significantly different), and conferred with a few of my French-speaking or French-nationality friends to get the phrasing just right.

So there you have it! I sweat blood and tears over those translations, friends. I hope you love them! (And any mistakes that got past those who knew what they were talking about were entirely my fault.)

Thank you, Jaye, for letting me ramble on about my story today! You are just the sweetest.

Michele

About the Book

Huntress Ro LeFèvre is hired to hunt the sirens who have been sinking the king of
Angleterre’s ships, and in turn, vast amounts of his wealth. All who have gone before her
have failed.

Fleeing heartbreak, Ro gladly accepts, but there’s just one problem. The king will credit the
Marquis de la Valère, and no other women are allowed on the voyage.

Ro will just see about that. Hiring an all-female pirate crew without the king’s knowledge,
Ro hopes they will follow her to the Caribbean, not take the gold and flee.

But when Ro is plunged deep into the ocean by the siren she’s being paid to kill, presented
the sirens’ side of the story at knife point, and pressed to join them or die, Ro must decide
whether to complete her mission, join the sirens, or something in between.

Before the sirens sink the ship full of men above.

Buy Now



About the Author

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as an acquisitions editor for L2L2 Publishing and her nights spinning her own tales. Sleep? Sometimes . . . She has her Bachelor of Arts in
history, is slightly obsessed with all things French—including Jeanne d’Arc and La Belle et la Bête—and loves curling up with a good book more than just about anything else.

Author of nine published novels as well as an award-winning freelance editor in her spare time, Michele prays her involvement in writing, editing, and publishing creates many enjoyable books in the years to come. Visit www.micheleisraelharper.com to keep in touch or sign up for her newsletter.





Giveaway!

Michele is giving away a fun Silence the Siren prize pack! You can enter the giveaway by following this link: https://kingsumo.com/g/2owetc/silence-the-siren-newsletter-giveaway

Tour Schedule

• Monday, August 16th, “Be Our Guest Post: Michele Israel Harper” Cathrine Bonham, https://cobonham.com

• Tuesday, August 17th, “Random Interview with Author Michele Israel Harper” H.L. Burke,

• Wednesday, August 18th, “Review of Silence the Siren” Kelly Bridgewater, https://kellybridgewater.blogspot.com

• Thursday, August 19th, “Guest Post: Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Silence the Siren” Jaye L. Knight, https://www.blog.jayelknight.com

• Friday, August 20th, “A Visual Sneak Peek of the Characters in Silence the Siren” Laura A. Grace,