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.”