April Fools! What an incurable prankster I am, releasing my March Newsletter on the most jocular day of the year. Here’s what you’ll find in this month’s newsletter:
Queen’s Catacombs Release
Gorgeous Giveaway
Travel Log: From New York to New Zealand
Review Corner
Queen’s Catacombs Publication Day Celebration
Welcome to the world, Queen’s Catacombs! What a wild adventure it’s been. Writing the sequel to a novel that had been in my head for over a decade was both terrifying and electrifying. I wanted to celebrate its release day with a bang so here’s what I did:
Already it’s been getting some wonderful reviews and I am so thankful for every single reader that has taken the hours to join me in my world. It’s such a surreal and humbling experience!
It’s available where all books, ebooks, and audiobooks are sold but I encourage you to order it through your local bookstore. If you do, jump over to my contact page here and let me know and I’d love to send you some book goodies!
Gorgeous Giveaway
A giveaway fit for a queen…
I’ve partnered with the incredible author Brandie June (see our recent interviews for Gold Spunhere, Curse Undonehere, and Worldbuilding here) for a Frean Chronicles giveaway! Winner receives a crown of their own as well as a signed copy of either Contest of Queens or Queen’s Catacombs.
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett
New York Minutes
I was fortunate enough to go to three performances while I was there:
Sleep No More – you take on the role of “watcher” and wander around a three storey complex filled with various sets and different characters. Deliciously creepy.
Chicago – they both reached for the gun, and Jinx stole the show as Mumma.
Comedy Cellar – a lot of laughs.
Three VERY different performances, but holy Hera, each one was absolutely amazing.
New Zealand
My trip to New Zealand was a mixed bag of emotions. For any of you who have already read Queen’s Catacombs, you likely noticed the dedication at the front.
I don’t have the words to express how special it was that I was able to say goodbye properly.
The rest of the trip consisted of visiting family and friends as well as adventures including skydiving, mountain biking, wine tasting, and hiking.
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombsout there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review! Here are some lovely reviews from this past month:
It may be the shortest month, but we have a lot to cover! In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:
Join the Frean Chronicles book tour
Author Spotlight with Dana Claire
CamCat Unwrapped Podcast Interview for Contest of Queens
Travel Log: Castle Research and Burns Night
Guest Post on Madison Lawson’s Blog
The Frean Chronicles is going on tour (and you can join!)
Queen’s Catacombs Preorder
Contest of Queens Review Corner
Join the Frean Chronicles Book Tour!
In honor of the Queen’s Catacombs release, both books are going on tour with ireadbooktours. It will run from March 14th to April 10th 2023, and there’s still spots available, so if you are a book reviewer, have a book blog, or a bookstagram/booktok account jump aboard while you can!
Author Spotlight: Dana Claire
Grab your stakes and your rock salt. Monster hunting class is in session.
Happy love month one and all and welcome to February’s Book Nook where I have the privilege of interviewing one of my favourite humans, Dana Claire, award-winning and Amazon best-selling author of War of the Sea, The Reclaimed Kingdom, The Blood-Light Trilogy, Sideliners, and Hunterland. The topic of today’s chat is her recent release, the Supernatural/Buffy lovechild, HUNTERLAND. So pour yourself a glass of rose and leave all the lights on, we’re going to talk about love and monsters.
Get your copy here
Hunterland
Monsters? Easy. Falling in love? That could be deadly.
Liam Hunter has warded off hungry vampires, slayed monstrous beasts, and put agonized spirits to rest since he could hold a stake. When trouble comes through the Hunterland message board, alerting them that nurses are dying at high schools across Wisconsin in a string of fishy “suicides,” the Hunter family hits the road to save the day.
The trail leads to Falkville Falls, where Liam clashes with Olivia Davis, whose maddening family seems inexplicably embroiled in this haunting mess. Olivia has always mothered her little sister, Pepper. But when the Hunter family opens her eyes to the hidden underworld of real monsters prowling the dark, she realizes she can’t protect Pepper from this newest threat by herself. Can the two families work together to uncover who or what is responsible before the next murder, or will this vicious death cycle have no end?
To celebrate Contest of Queens coming out in paperback AND it’s one year anniversary, CamCat had the entire audiobook on their Spotify CamCat Unwrapped. The first two chapters remain forever more (woohoo!) so you can check those out here, as does my interview with Jess which you can listen to here:
Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th 2023! (preorder here)
Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett
Castle Research
Sometimes you can feel like you’re in the right place at the right time, and this time I was in the right place twice. I met the loveliest humans, Natalie and Andrea while working at the Harry Potter shop and we ended up going out for drinks after I finished my shift. They’re both from the States, so I took them to my favourite place in Edinburgh for fish ‘n’ chips- The Old Chain Pier. We had a lovely evening, said our goodbyes, exchanged Instagrams, and went on our merry way.
Two days later, I take myself on a wee field trip to Linlithgow Palace and Blackness Castle. Of all the castles in all the countries in all the world and guess who shows up in this one? Natalie and Andrea of course! So I then proceed to get willingly kidnapped for the rest of the afternoon and we visit the Kelpies and wander the graveyard in Stirling, and I even eat pidgeon for the first time for dinner.
Serendipity, I have found thy definition!
Burns Night
If you’re like me, you likely didn’t know what Burns Night is, but it’s a celebration that happens every year on January 25th in Scotland in honor of Robert Burns, a poet who contributed to Scottish culture in a rich and beautiful way. His better known works are: Auld Lang Syne, Address to a Haggis, and My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.
I was very fortunate to get to celebrate Burns night right! I kicked the evening off with a special poetry-reading tour of the Real Mary King’s Close and then had Haggis (complete with Address to a Haggis recitation).
March 14th, 2023 is the date to remember not only because it is PI day, but it is ALSO the day QUEEN’S CATACOMBS officially hits the shelves. I am so excited to share this with you, so if you are the pre-ordering kind of person, you can do so now!
Add it to your GoodReads, add it to your Amazon wishlist, add it to your diary, add it to Santa’s list, and I know I will be hard pressed not to add it to my arm in ink… (we’ll see). Here’s a recent review:
Contest of Queens Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review. I honestly can’t believe that it’s got an average of 4.6/5 stars on Goodreads, and 4.9/5 stars on Amazon! Here’s a lovely review:
March 14th, 2023 is the date to remember not only because it is PI day, but it is ALSO the day QUEEN’S CATACOMBS officially hits the shelves. I am so excited to share this with you, so if you are the pre-ordering kind of person, you can do so now!
Add it to your GoodReads, add it to your Amazon wishlist, add it to your diary, add it to Santa’s list, and I know I will be hard pressed not to add it to my arm in ink… (we’ll see). Here’s a recent review from an ARC reader:
Author Spotlight with Bryan Prosek
“If you want to kick the tiger in his butt, you’d better have a plan for dealing with his teeth“
I’m joined today by Bryan Prosek to chat with him about his recent sequel: The Darker the Skies where we explore the known (and unknown) Universe, discuss star-bound storytelling, and blast off into space-bound character development. So grab a cup of tea, and come explore the galaxy with us.
Check out my previous interview with Bryan about Measure of Serenity here.
Just days before Jake Saunders plans on proposing to the love of his life, Jake is called upon once again to save his home, Earth. The Earthen Legion troops and its allies think they’re battling only pirates, but a new, more powerful foe from another galaxy flanks their forces and invades, in search of a weapon the planet didn’t even know it had.
When Jake learns that this new enemy was responsible for the death of his father many years ago, he realizes he can finally face his true nemesis. The odds are stacked against Jake, but with the help of his friends and allies he’s made along the way, he must rally the remaining Legion troops and retake Earth before it’s too late. The fate of Earth and the fate of his love, rest in the balance.
Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th next year! (preorder here)
Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett
November has simply flown by! But as they say, time flies when you’re having fun and this chickadee had a lot of fun this month. I endeavored to take myself on adventure days/weekends as often as I could (in between working and writing) and ended up visiting Aberdeen, Leeds, Stonehaven, Stirling, Dundee, East Lothian, and more!
Castles are a Girl’s Best Friend
While in Stonehaven, I braved the elements and explored Dunnottar Castle, one of the most beautiful ruin’s I’ve seen so far. From the location to the approach to the exhibits inside, this castle had it all. The perfect place to let your imagination run wild!
In 2018 I visited a pub in Kilkenny called The Hole in the Wall and chatted with the bartender there for a while. She asked me about my travels and after a few minutes said to me, “you’re a curiosity tourist.” I’d never heard of that term before, so she explained, “you don’t travel with a rigid plan in mind, but you follow your feet and you follow your heart and one or the other tends to lead you to where you were meant to be.”
So far, living by the curiosity tourist’s creed has yet to steer me wrong. It’s the best way to find the magic of a place, and I’m happy to share some of the wonder with you. My camera roll is honestly filled with hundreds of pictures of bridges, mushrooms, old stumps, buildings-through-canopies, beaches and everything that is good and true when it comes to Autumn. Here are a few of my favourite shots from some of my many, many nature walks.
If I can be permitted to offer any advice: whatever you do with this life you’ve been given, just make sure you’re living with your eyes open to the vibrant magic of it all. It’s too short to squander on shades of beige.
CONTEST OF QUEENS Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review. I honestly can’t believe that it’s got an average of 4.6/5 stars on Goodreads, and 4.8/5 stars on Amazon! Here’s a couple lovely reviews from this month:
March 14th, 2023 is the date to remember as it is not only the National Learn About Butterflies day AS WELL AS the National Potato Chip day, but it is ALSO the day QUEEN’S CATACOMBS officially hits the shelves. I am so excited to share this with you, so if you are the pre-ordering kind of person, you can do so now!
Add it to your GoodReads, add it to your Amazon wishlist, add it to your diary, add it to Santa’s list, and I know I will be hard pressed not to add it to my arm in ink… (we’ll see)
Check out this incredible review:
“She was the rightful queen. She had been chosen to protect her people. She was worthy of the crown, and tomorrow she would prove it.”
Queen’s Catacombs is an exciting sequel to The Frean Chronicles offering us a fierce matriarch whose belief in herself and determination captures readers and gives us hope for our own Upper Realm-led world. Jacs is the relatable hero we all need, and the endearing ensemble transports us into their world offering adventure, intrigue, and a cliffhanger that will have you generating conspiracy theories with your book club.
Jordan’s writing is rhythmic and lulls you into a false sense of familiarity by drawing on much beloved fantasy tropes. Yet unlike these novels, her world is created from the bones of women, her language grows from their desires, and girls dream of power. You forget the novelty of these powerful perspective changes and are swept up in what can be possible. Do yourself a favour and preorder this book!
Nicoletta Romano, University Canada West Library
Author Spotlight with Amber A. Logan
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good
Join me for this month’s Book Nook as I chat with author Amber A. Logan about her debut novel, THE SECRET GARDEN OF YANAGI INN. We discuss classic tales and retellings, ghosts, and how to not enrage the gardening community.
Grieving her mother’s death, Mari Lennox travels to Kyoto, Japan to take photographs of Yanagi Inn for a client. As she explores the inn and its grounds, her camera captures striking images, uncovering layers of mystery shrouding the old resort—including an overgrown, secret garden on a forbidden island. But then eerie weeping no one else in the inn seems to hear starts keeping her awake at night.
Despite the warnings of the staff, Mari searches the deep recesses of the old building to discover the source of the ghostly sound, only to realize that her own family’s history is tied to the inn, its mysterious, forlorn garden . . . and the secrets it holds.
Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th next year! (preorder here)
Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett
October is my birthday month, and I went a little bit overboard with the travel this month to celebrate… I toured Scotland with my parents, visited Malta, and ate my way through Sicily. To write about all of it would take far too long so I will just share a favourite memory from each place.
Scotland
I watched the Jacobite Steam Engine chug its way along the Glenfinnan Viaduct and fulfilled this Harry Potter bucket list item!
As many of you may have guessed by now, my favourite movie of all time is the 2002 The Count of Monte Cristo. I was able to visit the filming locations for Marseilles and Chateau d’If in Malta! It was an absolute dream come true.
Sicily
I could no sooner name a favourite star in the sky than pic a favourite memory from Sicily… but what I will say is, while the food was heavenly and the spritzes were daily, without the company, it would have been a sliver of the fun. These ladies make my heart glow ❤
CONTEST OF QUEENS: Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review. Here’s a lovely one from Amazon.ca from this month 🙂
My publishing house, CamCat Books are hosting a giveaway on GoodReads for THREE hardcover copies of Contest of Queens!
Is this exciting? -I think so!
SO click here if you would like to dance with fate and hopefully you’re one of the three lucky winners.
Author Spotlight
Are you feeling lucky? Then let’s visit Oasis, a magical Las Vegas in Brielle D. Porter’s debut novel, Jester.
Welcome to my Book Nook! This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Porter about her upcoming novel (due to release, August 9th 2022), so listen in as we talk enemies to lovers tropes, and how to pull of death-defying magic systems.
Lisette’s father killed the King. His execution leaves Lisette alone, disgraced, and without the magic he intended to pass on to her. In Oasis, that’s a problem. Glutted with enchanted performers, Oasis is a sin city where courtiers pay in gold to drink, gamble, and above all, be entertained. To survive on its competitive streets, Lisette peddles paltry illusions in place of magic.
Desperate to prove herself, Lisette enters into a deadly competition to be chosen as the highest-ranked magician in the world, the Queen’s Jester. But her rival, the irritatingly handsome Luc, possesses the one thing Lisette does not—real magic. Lisette will do anything to win, but when evidence implicating the Queen in her husband’s murder surfaces, Lisette must choose between redeeming her family name, or seizing the fame she’s hungered for her entire life.
For the next year, I have taken a sabbatical from my day job as a Speech Language Pathologist to live in the UK and finish the Frean Chronicles Trilogy!
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett But I will be posting highlights in my Newsletters. Watch the video below for a montage through Denmark.
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Free Swag! If you leave a star rating and review, let me know here, and be sure to include your mailing address in the message because I’d love to send you some goodies to show my appreciation! (limited supply)
Interview with Roma Cordon, author of Bewitching a Highlander
My Thoughts
I was interviewed by Roma Cordon
I was interviewed by Madison Lawson
Contest of Queens Review Spotlight
Contest of Queens BOOKBUB FEATURE
This is so exciting! Until the end of June, Bookbub is featuring the Contest of Queens ebook for $0.99! Even if you’ve been curious about my novel, now would be the time to get a copy of your own 🙂
Romance in a Dangerous Time: an interview with Roma Cordon
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Roma Cordon, author of Bewitching a Highlander. Read on for more insider info on characters, chemistry, writing a romance to bewitch your audience, and a sneak peek at the rest of the series (still to come!).
Tell me a little about yourself.
I was introduced to romance novels in my teenage years and instantly became a voracious reader. In the 1990s, I came to New York where I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees. After taking a writing course with Anne Rice, in the early 2000s, I dived into the world of writing. Bewitching A Highlander will be my debut novel. I also write for the blog on romacordon.com.
What is “Bewitching a Highlander” about?
Bewitching A Highlander is a Historical / Fantasy romance, set in Scotland in 1747. It’s the story of Breena and Egan. Breena is a 24-year-old healer, hiding her neuroses and witchcraft, she sets out to rescue her father from an enemy clan, the Campbells.
While among the enemy, she learns about her family’s dark witchery past, and catches the eye of a debonair future Clan chief, named Egan Dunbar when he saves her from being manhandled by a bad-tempered Campbell guard.
Egan Dunbar is itching for revenge against the Campbell clan. He disobeys his father to help Breena, because he must settle an old debt, also, he is not only enchanted by her, but he cannot seem to keep his eyes or lips off her.
And to save Brenna from the Campbells, even though he knows she is full of secrets, Egan will risk everything, including disobeying his father for the first time in his life and inciting a clan war.
But the question is, can Breena trust Egan with the secrets of her family’s dark past, thereby putting her life and her family’s lives at risk.
What was your inspiration for this novel?
This story was inspired by a couple of trips to the Highlands of Scotland with my husband. I fell in love with the culture, the food and the country’s history.
There’s also something unexplainable, intangible, and inspiring in the air in Scotland, especially on the Isle of Skye that makes one think of fairies, witches, and forest nymphs. The witches part got me into reading up on the actual history of the witchcraft laws in Scotland. In Scotland in 1563 a Witchcraft Act was passed, making witchcraft a capital offense. Before this law was repealed in 1736, 4,000 to 6,000 people were tried for witchcraft and more than 1,500 were executed by strangulation or burning in Scotland. In Europe at large, where similar laws existed, approximately 50,000 people were executed for witchcraft. It was out of statistics such as these, that Breena’s paranoia, in Bewitching A Highlander, was born.
What kind of research was involved to make readers feel immersed in the Highlands?
Research is a fun part of the process of writing. For this book I travelled to Scotland and visited places like the Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Harris/Lewis, etc. I spoke to tour guides and shop owners. I consulted with spell craft reference writings by Scott Cunningham, Ann-Marie Gallagher, Marion Weinstein, etc. For period costumes I found Milla Davenport’s The Book of Costumes helpful and for architecture Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s Classic Georgian Style’s book was a wonderful source of information. Plus, it goes without saying, where would we writers be without Wikipedia, Google, and Pinterest.
Which character do you relate to most? Why?
Breena, the main character, is terrified of being burnt alive at the stake for her witchcraft. Because in her world, this happens to witches. She is also terrified the Campbells will find out what she is up to, searching for and freeing her imprisoned father. She is pretending to be someone she is not. If the Campbells find out what she is up to, they will kill or imprison her.
But even though she is terrified, she still searches for her father, and she still practices witchcraft.
I would never do it. I would never be as bold as my characters. If there was a chance my actions could lead me to being burnt alive at the stake, the answer seems clear to me, I wouldn’t do it!
But, on the other hand, the daily paranoia that Breena feels is something I can relate to. Daily things make me paranoid, like paper cuts and dust bunnies. Terrible things!
Which character or scene was the most fun to write?
The scenes between Egan and Breena were fun to write because it adds tension to the story. Breena and Egan are both strong characters who lead eventful, exciting, and dangerous lives. Their coming together was romantic and even explosive at times. Their character arcs were also gratifying to put down on paper since it added depth to the story.
What advice would you give aspiring romance authors who hope to capture a hot and steamy relationship between their own characters?
Don’t do it. Keep your day job. But if you must, only your love of the craft and your passion for writing will get you through it. It’s not for the faint of heart. And if you have what it takes, you will work your tail off, you will get through it and you will excel. And it will be worth it.
When writing steamer scenes, what helps engage a reader’s attention? What do you try to avoid?
The steamy scenes have to, in a way, be guided by the characters themselves. Their personalities and instincts come through in these scenes. These are vulnerable moments, and they strip the characters bare, metaphorically speaking. In my opinion, to engage readers, you have to cover the main five senses in these scenes. And I try to avoid insensitive lines or words, that may turn off readers.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
As Book I in the Scottish Highlander Warriors series is now completed, I am focused on the other two. Book II’s manuscript is with the Beta Readers, and after another edit by me it goes to a line/copy Editor. I am in the plotting stages for Book III at the moment.
Book II: What happens when an unstoppable British army captain, Slade MacLean, who is out for revenge and retribution encounters an immovable lass named Phoebe Dunbar (The sister of Egan Dunbar from Book I)? Raging and tumultuous fireworks. These two will have to survive each other first if they want to bring down common enemies.
Book III: When Conner Drummond was last in the Highlands, he fought the Redcoats at the Battle of Culloden. Now that he’s back, he’s in for a different kind of battle. One that involves a Hellfire witch by the name of Rowan MacNeil.
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
“This tale is a thought-provoking fantasy novel, a story you can fall into and not come for air for hours. I read it in two days. It was that good. Contest of Queens is one of those gems that needs to be found by more people. Strong world-building, good history, and robust feminist approach to societal economics. I am on the edge of my seat for the next installment in this story.”
Adjust your scrunchies and pull on your legwarmers, today I’m joined by author Sara Hosey to talk about her upcoming YA novel, Imagining Elsewhere. We cover all things 80’s and deep dive into the psychology of the bully. Make sure you have a cup of tea handy for this one or, if you’re trapped in CandiLand, order an Egg Cream to sip on and strap in!
Being a better person can be a lot harder than it looks.
It’s 1988, and former bully Astrid is forced to move from Queens to the small town of Elsewhere. Although this town is totally weird, Astrid sees the move as a way to reinvent herself. That is, until Candi—the teenage tyrant with supernatural powers who rules Elsewhere—decides she wants Astrid to be her new bestie.
Having to choose between the perks and safety of being the Queen B’s best friend and the desire to be a better person could literally cost Astrid her life. As Astrid and her new friends begin to dig into the dark history of Elsewhere and the source of Candi’s powers, they form a dangerous plan to resist Candi’s compulsion and to escape Elsewhere, or else be doomed to live under Candi’s rule forever.
Thank you to Owl’s Nest Books for hosting me on April 9th for an author book signing, and thank you to everyone who showed up on purpose- and everyone who showed up by accident! It was such a special event, and I felt so so humbled by the whole thing.
There was signing, chatting, and prize winning! If you’re thinking to yourself, “aw, nuts! I wish I could have my book signed,” fret not! I am more than happy to send you one of these:
To receive your very own, please fill out the form below, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Free Swag! If you leave a star rating and review, let me know here, and be sure to include your mailing address in the message because I’d love to send you some goodies to show my appreciation! (limited supply)
Thank you to Midra for this stunning review! The full review was much longer, check it out here
Contest of Queens Reading
If you’re unable to come to an in person author event, why not let me read to you in the comfort of your own home? Here’s an excerpt of Contest of Queens from my recent event with the Banff Public Library (click here for the full interview). Enjoy!
Welcome to my first Author Talk! I’m so honored to have been able to share airspace with these phenomenal authors. Today we chatted about worldbuilding for YA fantasy, so get into some comfy pants and pour an extra large cup of tea for this one!
I cannot wait for this event! If you have a copy of Contest of Queens or The Rose Petal Princess, bring those along with you and I’ll happily sign them. Otherwise, there will be copies to purchase in-store! If you have no interest in my signature, come out anyway, I’d love to see your faces 🙂
Signed Book Plate
If you follow me on Instagram (@jordanhbartlett), you will have seen that I am offering to send a personalized book plate and some limited stock swag to anyone who has bought themselves a copy of Contest of Queens.
If you’re interested, please fill out this form, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Review Spotlight
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Free Swag! If you leave a star rating and review, let me know here, and be sure to include your mailing address in the message because I’d love to send you some goodies to show my appreciation! (limited supply)
Thank you to this wonderful Amazon reviewer!
Local Library Love
What a treat to be mentioned in the Canmore Public Library’s Local Author section! My heart definitely did a little flutter to see that both copies are out! So if you would like to borrow it, apparently there’s a line up! Keep your eyes peeled for an interview with yours truly in their April Newsletter.
Welcome back for another Book Nook! I had the pleasure of dipping my toe into the Horror genre for the first time with Jason’s Offutt’s new novel The Girl in the Corn and was lucky enough to chat with him about it. So turn all the lights on and huddle under a heavy blanket for this one!
Fairies don’t exist. At least that’s what Thomas Cavanaugh’s parents say. But the events of that one night, when he follows a fairy into the cornfield on his parents’ farm, prove them wrong. What seems like a destructive explosion was, Thomas knows, an encounter with Dauðr, a force that threatens to destroy the fairy’s world and his sanity.
Years later, after a troubled childhood and a series of dead-end jobs, he is still haunted by what he saw that night. One day he crosses paths with a beautiful young woman and a troubled young man, soon realizing that he first met them as a kid while under psychiatric care after his encounters in the cornfield. Has fate brought them together? Are they meant to join forces to save the fairy’s world and their own? Or is one of them not who they claim to be?
I cannot wait for this event! If you have a copy of Contest of Queens or The Rose Petal Princess, bring those along with you and I’ll happily sign them. Otherwise, there will be copies to purchase in-store! If you have no interest in my signature, come out anyway, I’d love to see your faces 🙂
Featured Writer on Wellness
Thank you Colleen Story, a fellow CamCat author and the mind behind the Writing and Wellness site, for featuring me this month on your website! Click on the above picture to read more. Her page is full of tips and tricks to make sure you’re looking after your mind and body while writing. Also, look out for her upcoming novel, The Beached Ones. The first paragraph alone had me in raptures!
California Creative Writing Conference
On March 6th I had the pleasure of speaking at the California Creative Writing Conference on a panel with Sara Hosey (website) who talked about her upcoming novel, Imagining Elsewhere, and Ruth Fox (website) who spoke about her upcoming novel, Under the Heavens. (I bet you can guess what book I spoke about!)
Check it out on Goodreads
Check it out on Goodreads
Contest of Queens Reading
If you’re unable to come to an in person author event, why not let me read to you in the comfort of your own home? Here’s an excerpt of Contest of Queens from my recent event with the Banff Public Library (click here for the full interview). Enjoy!
Signed Book Plate
If you follow me on Instagram (@jordanhbartlett), you will have seen that I am offering to send a personalized book plate and some limited stock swag to anyone who has bought themselves a copy of Contest of Queens.
If you’re interested, please fill out this form, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Review Spotlight
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Free Swag! If you leave a star rating and review, let me know here, and be sure to include your mailing address in the message because I’d love to send you some goodies to show my appreciation! (limited supply)
Thank you to this wonderful reviewer for your beautiful words!
To celebrate the release of Contest of Queens, I was fortunate enough to join Kim Mayberry and a wonderful audience for an evening of book talk! So put on your comfy pants, pour a cup of tea, and strap in! We discuss Contest of Queens, writing, future projects, and I share some insider information about the sequel to boot.
Here’s the whole talk:
And here’s a reading of a snippet from Chapter 13: First Flight:
Contest of Queens Updates
Holy Hera, it has been such a wonderful first month for Contest of Queens. The thing I’ve really loved about this whole journey is the incredible people I’ve met along the way. Here are some more of the recent interviews and events I’ve attended since its release in January.
I’ve been blown away with the reception Contest of Queens has been getting from readers already. It was part of the TBR and Beyond Book Tour as well as the Let’s Talk Books Tour, I’ve included some of my favourite posts below, but they were all honestly so fantastic. Thank you to everyone leaving reviews, taking pictures, telling their hairdressers, and doing even the smallest things to get the word of this book out there – you’re all fab 🙂
On that note, reviews are so helpful in spreading the word of my book. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Better yet, if you leave a star rating and review, let me know here, and be sure to include your mailing address in the message because I’d love to send you some goodies to show my appreciation! (limited supply)
I held two giveaways this month. The first was a coloring contest the Banff Public Library hosted (which, oh my goodness, the masterpieces were amazing!). We drew the winner during our author talk, so congratulations, Adrian!
The second was my final Hype Train giveaway. Congratulations to Erin Evans (who hosted me on her podcast last month) for winning a Contest of Queens swag bag!
Thank you so much to all who entered and all who helped promote and spread the word of Contest of Queens 🙂
Jordan H. Bartlett 