Today is the one day blog blitz for my newest release – Love, Loss and Life In Between.
Some great reviews have already come in and I will share the links with you below. First though, I’d just like to thank Rachel for organising another blog blitz for me.
It’s always nerve-wracking publishing something new, but even more so when that is in a new genre. Thankfully Love, Loss and Life In Between has been well received. Take at look at some of the comments below and follow the links to read the full reviews. I’ll share another update later or tomorrow with links to the remaining blogs.
Just Katherine says ‘Love, Loss and Life in Between is an incredibly well-written short story collection. The emotions in each story are so powerful and the writing style is excellent, with each word carefully chosen to give maximum effect and make the reader feel.’
The Strawberry Post says ‘This is a lovely set of short stories, each of them quite different from the others but all of them centering on the subjects of love and loss…’
Jenny Lou’s Book Reviews says ‘This is a lovely collection of short stories, you can have heart-breaking, heart-warming and shocking moments all in one collection.’
Mai’s Musings says ‘…I was surprised at just how much emotion Suzanne managed to inject into each of these small but perfectly formed tales.’
MJ Porter Author Blog says ‘…This really was a delightful collection of short stories. The author has a lovely turn of phrase and manages to evoke strong feelings in her characters which make them believable, so that in only a few words the reader is already rooting for them.’
I have been terrible at sharing my reviews lately, even though I’ve read some great books this year and want to rave about them!
For now I will focus on the books I want to read before the end of 2022. I have a huge TBR pile to choose from, but at the beginning of the year I wrote a list of the books I definitely want to fit in. I won’t get through them all now, so I have drawn up yet another short list.
Romance
As I’m writing romance at the moment, I find myself drawn to read it more than ever. I used to read one or two a year, but now it’s mainly what I reach for when it’s time to pick a new book.
The first book I must get to is a Netgalley request – Jo Thomas – Keeping a Christmas Promise
Claire Huston – The Only Exception (I’ve really enjoyed Claire’s other books)
Nancy Borane – New Hope for the Little Cornish Farmhouse (I love the premise of this book)
I do enjoy a Christmas themed story. Closer to the big day I have a collection of charity shop buys set during the festive period to delve into.
Urban Fantasy
I’ve actually read quite a bit of this lately rather than my usual go to epic or heroic fantasy. I’ve really enjoyed the change and have a couple of series I really want to continue. I want to make some of these a priority for 2022.
Laura Laasko – Echo Murder – Wilde Investigations bk 2 (I also own book 3, and book 4 is due for release this month). Book 1 was excellent!
Talis Jones – Fifth Sun series. I really enjoyed books 1-3 (and must post my reviews) so am looking forward to 4 and 5.
Josie Jaffery – Judgement Day – Seekers book 2 (Bk 1 May Day was brilliant).
Fantasy
Fantasy is my first love when it comes to writing and watching on TV / films and I have read some wonderful books in this genre. I’ve been so distracted by romance that I don’t even know where to begin choosing my next fantasy read.
I do want to complete the Fire Walker Series by a fellow self-published author Emma Miles – it’s brilliant and I haven’t completed all my reviews for this yet either. Raven Fire is book 4 and the final book, although there are also spin off books I’ve yet to read as well.
I do want to read Jessica Thorne’s book 2 Nightborn, but I’m loathe to start it when I know book 3 isn’t out yet. I really loved the first book and wish there were lots more to look forward to.
Non-fiction
I’ve brought a couple of Rayne Hall’s Writer’s Craft books that fit what I’m writing at the moment and want to get stuck into them to help me focus my ideas. Writing Romance and Writing Short Stories.
***
That is probably too many books and I usually go off track anyway, but I’m hopeful of ticking some off the list. Have you read any of these books?
Do you have any fantasy recommendations?
Do you have your own list of books to complete reading in 2022?
I’ll be back at the weekend with reviews from the blog blitz of my new publication – Love, Loss and Life In Between.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
At last, my new mixed genre short story collection is published! This has been a long time coming and I’m so pleased to share it with you all today.
It’s available from Amazon for only 99p worldwide, and the paperback is out now too.
I’m planning to release a hardback and large print edition to cover more bases very soon. The hardback edition will likely just be for my own benefit, but I’m hoping the large print edition will be more attractive to libraries. The audiobook option is something I’m less sure about as I don’t know what the market for short fiction is like. But it could be another avenue to follow in the future.
This collection of short stories gives a glimpse into life, love, loss, and the inexplicable in between.
With themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.
As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs?
Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?
The anthology includes the prize-winning flash fiction story – ‘Spirit Song’.
Spirit Song judge’s critique – ‘Unusual, emotional, warm, surprising — a warm, unusual story. It moved me when I read it.’
Full story list: Spirit Song Goodbye Forever Garden Therapy Starting Over A Cat-Shaped Hole The Phone Call Knocked Off Her Feet Catalyst Not Just For Christmas A Mermaid’s Tail
***
There is still time for reviewers and bloggers to join the 1 day blog blitz run by Rachel’s Random Resources. Sign up here.
At some point I will share some insight into some of these stories, especially Spirit Song, which is precious to me and won me my first success in a flash fiction competition.
Please consider sharing this new release with everyone you know, and if you have time in your busy lives for a quick read, why not give Love, Loss and Life In Between a go.
Thanks for reading.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
Things haven’t been going to plan at the moment, at least not the plans I set myself a few months ago. I still like to look back, take stock and make new plans in the hope I can get back on track. With this in mind, I’m going to take a moment to celebrate what I have done so far this year.
Achievements in 2022
I’ve published not one, but two short story anthologies!
After a barren couple of years of not publishing anything, it’s been brilliant to break back into self publishing. These are passion projects that I hope fans of my writing will enjoy, but they will also hopefully help me reach new readers too. I had a blog blitz for Fantasy Short Stories in June and have another planned in October for Love, Loss and Life In Between. Rachel’s Random Resources is still taking sign ups for anyone interested.
The Mermaid Hotel Romance series
I’ve edited and rewritten parts of Evie’s Song, including adding a new VP character (the match making hotel owner Mrs Shallon) and adding more scenes which include a prologue and an epilogue. I’m trying to find time to read through all the changes and decide if it’s finally ready or not.
I’ve spoken with a few agents via the Winchester Festival in June and have taken steps to make changes to Evie’s Song as per their suggestions.
Probably the most fun thing I’ve done this year is go to a weekend writing retreat run by Alison May and Janet Gover. It was so helpful and wonderful to spend a whole weekend just focused on writing, in particular Evie’s Song. The 1-2-1 feedback was invaluable! I would love to do it again, but funds are tight so it maybe a while before that is possible. They run these retreats 3 times a year and I highly recommend them.
Not gone to plan
Starlight Prophecy
The trilogy has stalled while I worked on the two short story publications and focused on Evie’s Song. I haven’t looked at it for months, but hopefully my subconscious has been working on those plot issues while I’ve been busy. I love fantasy and really would love to get this going again. I’d hate to abandon the 139k I’ve written between books 1 and 2, and Delaphine is an awesome anti-heroine I can’t wait to share her with the world!
MH Romance Series
I had hoped to have up to 3 books in the series published in 2022. Evie’s Song is coming along nicely and I have the drafts of books 2 and 3, but I just haven’t gotten around to continuing with them. With funds tight, the idea of self publishing may have to go on hold, and I’m still toying with the idea of approaching agents and publishers direct. We’ll just have to see where things stand in a few months.
Plans for the rest of 2022
The Mermaid Hotel Series
Finish Evie’s Song and make a decision on publication method. If self publishing I would love to have this ready by December. But I’m not sure yet. And is December / Christmas the best time to release a summer romance anyway?
Work on the drafts of book 2 and 3 so they are in more publishable shape.
Plan and develop series arc.
Starlight Prophecy
I want to work on this, even if it is just to plan the series and characters arcs so I can finish the first draft.
Future Projects– no date in mind
Reworking the old
Whilst watching the first episode of the House of the Dragons (the difficult birth scene) I was reminded of the second fantasy book I ever wrote. It was written 20+years ago, and will no doubt have many amateur mistakes. But as I started explaining the scene to my husband and all the events leading up to it, I got really excited for the idea again. I also realised I had a pretty twisted imagination back then, I’m definitely a lot kinder to my characters now!
I would love to revisit my old novels and see how much effort it would take to re-write them because I still want to tell those characters stories. I’ve even transferred them to my kindle so I can read them without being tempted to start editing straight away. It’s been in the to do list a long time!
Series and other ideas
I would love to write a fantasy series with shorter instalments than my trilogy. I’m think around the 100 to 150 pages mark. I have a project in mind, but nothing planned beyond the first few chapters.
I have ideas for a timeslip romance, and spin off stories around the Mermaid Hotel series.
Silent Sea Chronicles
I would still love to write the prequel to book 1. I recently reviewed the prologue I’ve written for it and really like it, but I’m still not sure if a prequel would spoil the rest of the trilogy. That’s what’s been holding me back for so long.
I would also love to continue the story of the various characters and see what the future holds for them. I just need to decide what format those stories will manifest in. A book of short stories, novellas, or a whole new novel / series?
***
I think that will do for this update. I will review my achievements and goals at the end of the year. I can’t believe that’s only a few months away.
Have you any goals to share? Ones you are happy with achieving, or ones you’ve set yourself to complete by the end of 2022?
I will share my reading goals in another post very soon. Until then, happy reading and writing!
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
This is just a quick reminder of what’s going on with my books at the moment.
Later I will post a writing update for the last quarter of the year and, as I feel as though my reading list has slipped off track, I’ll also pick some books I want to read by the end of 2022.
For now, if you haven’t read my debut standalone fantasy – Visions of Zarua – you’ll have to be quick to buy it for 99p as the deals ends tomorrow.
‘Would highly recommend for anyone who is looking to lose themselves in a new and exciting magical world.’ Amazon reviewer
Next up…
Love, Loss and Life In Between, my new mixed genre anthology, will publish on 9th September. These are a collection of short stories I’ve written over the years with themes around love, loss, and second chances. I’m excited to see what readers think of the change in direction from my usual fantasy stories.
On 15th October 2022 Rachel’s Random Resources will be running a 1 day blog blitz to celebrate the publication of my new book – Love, Loss and Life In Between. We’re looking for reviews and promo posts so if that sound like your thing, you can sign up now.
If you are not a book blogger, you can pre-order a copy of the book for only 99p. Love, Loss and Life In Between comes out on 9th September 2022.
Here’s a little taster of what the book is about;
With themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.
As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs?
Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?
The anthology includes the prize-winning flash fiction story – ‘Spirit Song’.
It will be great to have my second short story collection out this year and hopefully the change of genre will encourage some new readers to take a chance on my work.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
A couple of weeks ago I announced the upcoming publication of my short story collection – Love, Loss and Life In Between. The release date is 9th September but it is available to pre order now for only 99p worldwide.
Blurb
This collection of short stories gives a glimpse into life, love, loss, and the inexplicable in between.
With themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.
As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs?
Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?
The anthology includes the prize-winning flash fiction story – ‘Spirit Song’.
Spirit Song judge’s critique – ‘Unusual, emotional, warm, surprising — a warm, unusual story. It moved me when I read it.’
Full story list: Spirit Song Goodbye Forever Garden Therapy Starting Over A Cat-Shaped Hole The Phone Call Knocked Off Her Feet Catalyst Not Just For Christmas A Mermaid’s Tail
From the fantasy author of Visions of Zarua and ‘Silent Sea Chronicles’, this story collection features multiple genres including romance, supernatural and thriller.
ARC readers wanted!
If this sounds like your kind of read, please get in contact about receiving a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would love to get some reviews up on Amazon around the publication date. If you that doesn’t suit you, Rachel’s Random Resources will be running a one day blog blitz for me in October. More details on that will follow soon.
Please help me spread the word by sharing this post and if you fancy a read, don’t forget to order your copy here.
Thanks very much and keep reading!
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
During #indieaugust I’ve decided to keep my standalone fantasy, Visions of Zarua, at the discounted price of 99p worldwide.
What readers are saying about Visions of Zarua
‘There’s everything in this story, good v evil, romance, crime, mystery, passion & fabulous magic, all put together in a wonderful writing style.’ Amazon reviewer
‘Intriguing characters, strong structure, high stakes, memorable world. The Visions of Zarua packs a punch in delivering all of these. A superb story that fantasy readers will definitely enjoy!’ Amazon reviewer
‘…this was a thoroughly enjoyable sword and sorcery based epic fantasy. There are some great new creatures in this book and some interesting magical premise to check out and some highly relatable characters.’ Amazon reviewer
If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, now is a great time to sample my writing. Here are a few of the snippets I shared during the blog tour a few years ago…
Visions of Zarua is also available in audiobook, which will be heavily discounted if you buy the ebook first. Double bargain!
And if you’ve read Visions of Zarua and loved the characters, you can check out the prequel story in Fantasy Short Stories also only 99p on Amazon. Kalesh and a few other familiar names make an appearance.
Have a happy weekend.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
It’s Indie August and a bunch of indie authors, including myself, are involved in a huge sale over the weekend. See the graphic below for just a few of the titles on sale.
Please check out the sales page with all the links you need.
This year I have included my standalone fantasy, Visions of Zarua, for 99p worldwide and my Fantasy Short Stories collection for free for the next 4 days!
It’s the perfect time to try out some new authors and fill your kindles / devices with indie books!
Happy reading everyone.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
I’m thrilled to announce that I will soon be releasing a new anthology that features stories across multiple genres. The publication date is set to be 9th September 2022.
Thanks to those who helped with my poll during the week where I asked how many stories an anthology should contain to be value for money. The results helped me decide to publish this anthology, which you can pre-order now at Amazon using this link – Love, Loss and Life In Between.
Suzanne Rogerson Fantasy Author 