And the winners of The Lost Sentinel giveaway are…

Thank you to those who entered my first ever Rafflecopter giveaway last week. Two winners have been randomly selected and I have contacted them this morning via email.

The winner of the signed paperback is Iri and the ebook is Freddie. Congratulations to both of you, check your emails for more details!

For those that missed out, The Lost Sentinel is going on sale for 1 week only as of 4th June 2018. I will be posting more about that next week.

In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

 

Rebecca Reads: Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson

This morning I’m really pleased to share a 4 star review of Visions of Zarua. Rebecca is a YA Mystery author and she says she’s really liked how I merged the genres of fantasy and mystery.

via Rebecca Reads: Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson

#Tuesdaybookblog 4 star #bookreview of The Lost Sentinel #fantasy

Today I’m really happy to share this 4 star review of The Lost Sentinel from Sofia on her blog A Book. A Thought.

via Double Short Reviews: The Lost Sentinel by Suzanne Rogerson & Freefall Summer by Tracy Barrett

The Lost Sentinel Paperback & ebook #giveaway #fantasybook #heroic #fantasy

To celebrate the upcoming release of my new book, The Sentinel’s Reign, I wanted to run a giveaway for Book 1 in the Silent Sea Chronicles – The Lost Sentinel.

Please enter for the chance to win either a signed paperback or an e-book. There are up to 7 ways to win!

Here’s the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway running until 30th May 2018. Please reblog and share this with everyone you know.

image kindle and pb

The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel. With the Kalayan people turning their back on magic, can Tei help the exiles find their new Sentinel before it’s too late?

I will contact the winners by email after 30th May 2018. Good luck!

***

#Tuesdaybookblog The Sentinel’s Reign Pre-order now and call of help #indieauthor #fantasy

The Sentinel’s Reign is due out on 29th June 2018, but you can pre-order your copy here. It is book 2 in the heroic fantasy series Silent Sea Chronicles.

The Sentinel's Reign ebook complete

At present I don’t have plans to run a blog tour, but I would love as many bloggers as possible to post about The Sentinel’s Reign before, during and after its release. Please get in touch and I can send you the promotional bits beforehand.

I am also looking to send out ARC copies if anyone would like to review Book 2 in the series (books should be read in order, but please get in touch to discuss).

My last request for help is that I am tweaking the blurb, so I would love your help to make this really appealing to new readers.

Blurb

The new Sentinel’s reign is doomed to failure unless Tei can prevent the Kalayan people from plunging into war.

With the new Sentinel initiated and the magic restored on Kalaya, the future is thriving for Tei and the exiles. But Rathnor’s plans for war soon escalate and thwart any chance of a peaceful life.

Brogan’s position on the Assembly becomes tenuous as rumours circulate that he is an exile spy.

Farrell is recovering from an attempt on his life and is more determined than ever for his people to build a home on Stone Haven. But the council have their sights set on Kalaya and Farrell struggles to steer them away from the temptation of war.

As trouble festers within and outside forces gather against them, can the exiles keep their hold on the magic, or will this spell the end of Kalaya and its people?

The Sentinel’s Reign is a heroic fantasy. If you like character-driven adventures then you will love The Sentinel’s Reign.

This is the second book in the Silent Sea Chronicles and should be read in order.

***

Thank you for your help. I will be running a belated paperback and e-book giveaway for Book 1 – The Lost Sentinel in the next few days so keep an eye out for news of that.

 

The Sentinel’s Reign #Preorder now #CoverReveal #fantasy

The Sentinel’s Reign – Book 2 in the Silent Sea Chronicles will be published on 29th June 2018. You can preorder it here!

 

Blurb

 

The new Sentinel’s reign is doomed to failure unless Tei can prevent the island and its people from plunging into war.

With the new Sentinel initiated and the magic restored on Kalaya, life is looking good for Tei and the exiles. But Rathnor’s plans for war soon escalate and thwart any chance of a peaceful life.

Brogan’s position on the Assembly becomes tenuous as rumours spread that he is an exile spy.

Farrell is recovering from an attempt on his life, and is more determined than ever for his people to build a life on Stone Haven. But the council have their sights set on Kalaya and Farrell struggles to steer them away from the prospect of war.

As trouble brews within and outside forces gather against them, can the exiles keep their hold on the magic, or will this be the end of the island of Kalaya and its people?

 

You can preorder on Amazon here

Add it to your Goodreads bookshelf here

 

Now this is the moment I have been waiting for! Here is the beautiful cover of The Sentinel’s Reign…

 

The Sentinel's Reign ebook complete

 

I love it, I hope you do too. Let me know in the comments.

And if you missed Book One in the series here’s the details.

THE LOST SENTINEL COMPLETE (1)

The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel. With the Kalayan people turning their back on magic, can Tei help the exiles find their new Sentinel before it’s too late?

Goodreads

Amazon book link

 

The Lost Sentinel – Suzanne Rogerson

Here is a recent review of The Lost Sentinel on Nana’s Fantastical Reads. Please go check it out.

Nadine's avatarNana's fantastical reads

The Lost Sentinel - Suzanne Rogerson


The Lost Sentinel
by Suzanne Rogerson is an independently published fantasy book that sparked my interest. I was intrigued by the concept of a magic that connects the people to their land and the consequences that ensue when the magic-wielders are being persecuted. Sadly, it wasn’t easy for me to connect to the characters and understand their development since we have three perspectives and a lot of time jumps that make the connection difficult.

Goodreads summary:

The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel. With the Kalayan people turning their back on magic, can Tei help the exiles find their new Sentinel before it’s too late?
Kalaya is controlled by the Assembly – set up to govern but now under the control of Rathnor, who is intent on persecuting those who have magic, many of whom have taken refuge in the Turrak Mountains.

Tei has been raised…

View original post 1,069 more words

#CoverReveal The Exercise of Vital Powers by Ian Gregoire @lonelyboy1977 #fantasy

Today I’m really pleased to share the cover reveal for Ian Gregoire’s book, The Exercise of Vital Powers. This is the second edition of his book and will be available to preorder very soon.

I think you will agree the cover is stunning and could well be in the running for my favourite cover of the year. So here it is…

 

cover-artwork

The Blurb

Some Lessons Must Be Learned The Hard Way

Since its inception, The Order has been dedicated to the prevention of the misuse and abuse of magic. For seven decades this mandate has guaranteed peace and stability throughout The Nine Kingdoms. But a potential threat to the peace has emerged, and its source is much closer to home than the leadership of The Order may realise.

Arrogant, manipulative, confrontational and angry. Undesirable qualities in a person at the best of times, but more so in a young woman born with the power to bring kingdoms to their knees. Kayden Jayta, precocious apprentice of The Order, is all these things and more, yet wholly unwilling to acknowledge and rectify her many troubling traits.

Unbeknown to anyone, Kayden’s resolute determination to join the ranks of The Order is born of a secret that puts her priorities at odds with the precepts of the organisation, setting her inexorably on a collision course with the most powerful institution in The Nine Kingdoms.

If Kayden is to be dissuaded from walking the path she has chosen, averting tragic consequences in the process, two unanswered questions must be answered: What is the dark secret guiding Kayden’s actions? And, why has a legendary figure within The Order, with a secret of her own, taken undue interest in Kayden’s future?

Expected Publication

The Exercise Of Vital Powers is due to go on sale from Monday 2nd July 2018, in ebook and paperback editions. Pre-orders will be open in June via all the usual online retailers.

Add To Goodreads

Background about the book

Ian Gregoire’s debut fantasy novel was self-published with no fanfare in the spring of 2017. On a whim, he entered the book into the SPFBO competition organised by Mark Lawrence two weeks later, and was just as surprised as everyone else when The Exercise Of Vital Powers was selected as Kitty G’s first semi-finalist. The book subsequently garnered a number of positive reviews, culminating in a place on the longlist of nominations for Best Self-Published Novel in the inaugural BookNest Fantasy Awards.

Originally written and published as a stand-alone novel, the soon to be released second edition of The Exercise Of Vital Powers is now book one of a five book series called Legends Of The Order. Readers who missed out the first time around will now have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the book’s precocious protagonist before she returns in the sequel, coming soon.

About the Author

author-headshot

The reclusive Ian Gregoire is a taciturn introvert residing somewhere in London, where he was born and raised. Of all life’s diversions, reading and writing are the only ones he ever deemed worthwhile enough to be passionate about. This eventually led to his belated decision to pursue his true calling in life as a fantasy and science fiction author. His debut novel, The Exercise Of Vital Powers, is just the first of many books he intends to inflict upon an unsuspecting world.

On the occasions he steps out of his reading and writing comfort zone, Ian has a fondness for computing, melancholy music, retro gaming, and Asian Cinema. Ian also loves peace and quiet, something that is in frustratingly short supply in his life.

Ian can currently be found (or not) living the life of a hermit somewhere in London, continuing his quest to become your future favourite fantasy and science fiction author. To find out more about him and his ongoing publishing journey be sure to visit his official online hangouts.

Website | Blog | Newsletter

Social Media

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Last.fm | Pinterest | Tumblr

 

If you still need to be convinced to pick up this book, here’s some praise for the first edition;

“I don’t know what I was expecting, really, but I don’t think I was expecting such an engaging, well thought out story from a self-published debut novel I had never heard of before…” Kristen (Superstardrifter)

“I don’t pretend to be the most well read person, but I found this to be completely unique, and I loved it!  I felt very engaged right from the start, and somehow became even more engaged by the end.” Kim (The Writing Process)

“I love reading about flawed characters, and the development that Kayden shows through the course of the novel is impressive.” Rachel (The Perspicacious Bookworm)

“Overall, TEOVP, being a debut work, is a good book that every fan of character-driven fantasy should try to read.” Lukasz (Goodreads)

“Gregoire has done an amazing job of creating a feeling of tension throughout, while leaving  us guessing as to what will happen next, or even how the outcome will turn out.” Dianne (Tome Tender)

“…this book was sneaky amazing.” Angelica (The Effervescent Bookworm)

#tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview The Sand Scuttler by Rosalyn Kelly #fantasy

Today I am excited to share my review of The Sand Scuttler, which has just gone on sale today. I received a ARC copy from the author ahead of its publication (1st May 2018).

sand scuttler

The Blurb

Ripped from her mother’s arms and forced into slavery, the beautiful Jakira is soon sold. Destined to become her new master’s bed slave when she matures, she’s put to work in the kitchen.

But whilst Jakira is being branded, she discovers she can tame fire.

Determined to gain her freedom and find her mother before Jakira comes of age, she uses her magic to ask the bloodthirsty God for a miracle.

When this fails, a desperate Jakira goes in search of a mysterious creature, the last of its kind, who lives deep in the vast desert. Known as the Sand Scuttler, it can bestow great power on the one it deems worthy.

For centuries it hasn’t met that one, until now.

Set in the same ruthless world as the grimdark, epic fantasy novel Melokai (In the Heart of the Mountains #1) and twenty years before, The Sand Scuttler tells of the early life of Ammad’s mother Jakira.

This adult fantasy novella can be read as a standalone story, no prior knowledge of Melokai is required.
 
My Review
First of all I was drawn to this book by the cover. It feels to me as if Jakira is inviting you to read her story.
I’d heard of Melokai (book 1 in the series) and had it on my TBR list, but when the author called for advance reviewers in her newsletter I jumped at the chance to start with this novella.
From the start you are thrust into a vividly different world with a young girl ripped away from her family when her father sells her and her mother to pay off his gambling debts. In this one act, you realise how cheap life is for these people and that Jakira is not going to have an easy time.
The story of Jakira’s life in slavery draws you along and I found myself desperately turning / flicking the pages on the kindle to see what happens next.
The desert setting is very different to the fantasy I’m used to and is populated with a race of people who have humps on their backs – the richer the people, the smaller the humps as they live closer to the precious water source. I found this concept strange at first, but it’s well imagined and the history of the people is described within the story so there is no need for info dumps.
I really liked Jakira. Her determination to get free of slavery and save her mother made you will her to succeed. When she discovers her ability to withstand any fire, she starts to plan her escape with single-mindedness.
The supporting cast is well drawn including her disgusting master and the disfigured cook who befriends her. The Sand Scuttler is a mysterious and tricky beast, and is one I wouldn’t want to mess with.
I really did not want this book to end. As soon as I finished, I bought Melokai. I can’t wait to see what adventures will befall Jakira’s daughter.
You can pick up your copy of The Sand Scuttler on Amazon UK  Amazon US.

Book News! Visions of Zarua is being published in Czech #fantasy #epicfantasy

Those who follow my blog may remember a while ago I mentioned I’d been contacted by a publisher about a Czech translation of my debut novel, Visions of Zarua.

Well last week I received the signed contract so I can finally announce the deal is official!

I do not have a publication date as yet but I’m so happy to share this news and to say I will soon be a traditionally published author! That is a dream come true, even if it has come about in a totally unexpected way.

Visions of Zarua Book Cover

I am so proud of this book and can’t wait to see what it looks like in Czech!

For those of you unfamiliar with the book here’s the blurb…

Two wizards, 350 years apart. Can they save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past?

An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
Goodreads book link

 

Why not see what others have been saying on Amazon via universal book link.

I am currently approaching agents with this book and would really love to get some more reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, or to be featured on your book blogs. If you are willing to post an honest review in exchange for a free copy, please get in touch using my contact form. Alternatively, Visions of Zarua is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited where members can read it for free.

I hope to have more news to share soon, but for now thanks for reading.