Tag Archives: author panel

Murder she wrote: author panel with Terry Friedman and Marcy McCreary

February 2024

Happy love month one and all! Welcome to February’s newsletter. If you showed up by accident but want to receive monthly content, please subscribe below:

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Bookbub feature and free ebook deal
  • Queens on tour
  • Podcast: Author Nook
  • Captain’s Log: Snow Way!
  • Review Corner

Bookbub Feature

Bookbub has chosen Contest of Queens as their feature title this month and are offering the eBook for free from February 28th to March 5th! Click here for your copy.

Queens on tour

For all of you who are unaware, Queen’s Catacombs comes out on paperback March 12, 2024! This is very exciting if you’re a person like me because paperbacks fit much better in purses, and then they all match on your shelf just so. In celebration, I’m going on a bit of a tour across four towns/cities so if you’re in the area and would like a paperback copy, some free swag, or to show your support, please come on down and say hi!

Canmore – Fireside chat with local authors at Canmore Public Library
February 13th at 6:30pm

Banff – Author night at Banff Public Library
March 8th at 7:30pm
Also, from February 20th – March 8th we’ll be running a colouring competition thought Banff Public Library, so get your submissions in before the draw on March 8th!

Calgary – Author signing at Slowburn Books
March 13th at noon

Invermere – Author signing at Four Points Books – date TBD
Collaboration with Invermere public library and highschool.
March 1st at noon

Podcast: Author Nook

Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their upcoming releases and we nerd out over their literary brain children.

I have an exciting announcement to make! I finally sat down and figured out how to get my podcast on Spotify, so all past and all future episodes will feature on both platforms. Listen in! If you have a minute to rate and follow, please do as it really helps!

Confused about the name change? Well Spotify had a thousand Book Nook named Podcasts so I figured this would make it easier to find.

Today, in the month of love, I’m joined by not one, but two incredible authors to talk all about murder! So lock the door, turn on all the lights, and huddle under the covers with me as we discuss murder most foul with Terry S. Friedman, author of Bone Pendant Girls and Marcy McCreary, author of The Murder of Madison Garcia. Click below to watch:


Beware the Fisherman.

Andi Wyndham has communicated with spirits since she was a kid. When a bone pendant carved into the likeness of a girl’s face calls to her at a gem show in Pennsylvania, she can’t resist buying it and a sister piece. When she discovers the girls are missing runaways and the pendants are made of human bone, Andi is drawn into a mystery that will force her to confront her gifts, her guilt, and the ghosts haunting her.

Pendant Girls Mariah and Bennie urge Andi to find a man they call “Fisherman,” a master of disguise. Teaming up with a handsome private eye and a South Carolina sheriff, Andi must find the girls’ bodies and put their souls to rest, before the Fisherman casts his deadly net to trap Andi.


Sometimes the truth doesn’t set you free—it gets you killed.

Detective Susan Ford notices a missed call on her phone from a number she doesn’t recognize, and when Madison Garcia, a woman with past ties to the town of Monticello, New York, is found stabbed to death the next morning, Susan realizes that Madison was the one who had called her. But why?

Susan teams up with her father, retired Detective Will Ford, to find the killer, and their investigation soon threatens to uncover Madison’s family secrets—an inheritance, accidental death, money laundering, extramarital affairs, and family rivalries, just to name a few—and they don’t appreciate the Fords digging into their business.

As the investigation twists and turns, the Fords discover that Madison was planning to confess to a long-kept secret, but someone brutally silenced her. Everyone she knew is a suspect. Anyone could be her killer.

Captain’s Log

Snow Way!

This part of the year in Canada is a time I usually dread because it’s the coldest, grimmest, darkest part. HOWEVER, thanks to El Nino and climate change it has been unseasonably warm! We had snow, then lost it, now we have it again. While usually February sees me huddling indoors, I’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of the white stuff. I bought a new set of cross country skis and tested my mettle out in Kananaskis, and skated the WhiteWay in Invermere (all 12km of it).

I hope wherever you are that you’re cozy!

Review Corner

Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs 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!

x live magically

Clinging to Spooky Season

November 2023

You may be of the mind to let the sleigh bells and Mariah Carey’s whistle notes ring out as soon as November 1st rolls over, or you may not. I pass no judgement either way, but I will say the theme of this month’s newsletter is ghosties and phantoms as we cling to the last dregs of the spooky season.

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Mastering the Power Within booth chat
  • Book Nook- author talk with Meredith Lyons and Helen Power
  • Captain’s Log: Eating the Big Apple
  • Website Feature: Top 3 Reads of 2023
  • Review Corner

Consider this panel moderated!

I had so much fun moderating the CamCat panel: Master the Power Within at this year’s School Library Journal’s Day of Dialogue! Check out the panel below/ I chat magic systems and how to break them with H. J. Reynolds (Without a Shadow), Morgan Shamy (The Stricken), and Brielle D. Porter (Jester).

Book Nook

I see dead people: Meddling phantoms and not-always-friendly ghosts, an author talk with Meredith Lyons and Helen Power

Leave the light on and snuggle under your blankets because today’s chat is going to get a wee bit spooky.

I’m joined today by Helen Power, author of Phantom; and Meredith Lyons, author of Ghost Tamer and we’re talking all things supernatural whether it’s a phantom limb that shows its previous owner the nefarious deeds of the new owner, or a woman who suddenly discovers she can see the dead. Want a copy to take home?

They’re available where all books are sold, or check out CamCatBooks publishing http://www.camcatbooks.com and get 25% off until November 27th 2023.

Captain’s Log

Eating the Big Apple

I feel like I have unlocked an adulting achievement: driving during rush hour in New York City. What a rush. What a lawless land it is. And yet, what was most wild, was that there was a method to the madness, laws within the lawless. It was every woman for herself, yet without any of the malicious sting that I was expecting. If you hesitated, you were left behind. If you let someone in, five more would flood through your lowered defenses.

Also, it was very cool driving through neighbourhoods and thinking, “Hey, this is where Spiderman lives,” or “Oh, this is where that scene from Hitch was.”

It was wild. I feel like I have completed my hero’s journey and can now return home armed with the lessons I learned.

Also, I went apple picking in Hudson.

It turns out I did, in fact, like them apples.

Winter Came

It happens every year, but somehow this still comes as a shock. I’m determined to love the white stuff though, and there is a majesty in the way it cloaks the valley.

Top 3 Reads of 2023

Shepherd.com was kind enough to ask my opinion of my favourite books I read this year – a harder task than I thought it would be but I managed to whittle it down to three.

Click here to read the full article.

And if you’d like to watch the podcast episode with Elijah Menchaca we did about They Split the Party, check it out here.

Review Corner

Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs 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!

x live magically

feature image from here

Predicting Murder: an interview with Ash Bishop

July 2023

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Finale Reveal
  • Author Spotlight with Ash Bishop
  • Travel Log: Castles, Bards, and Vigilantes
  • Review Corner
  • Bookmarks and Playlists
  • Interviews and Articles

Finale Reveal

I have VERY exciting news. The kind of news that makes you want to swing from a chandelier, climb a mountain, or wrestle a dragon. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve joined me on my publishing journey- and what a wild journey it’s been! I feel like a lifetime has passed in two years and I’m so immensely grateful for every step I’ve been fortunate enough to take.

If you’re new here, a brief summary is, I’ve been writing a trilogy named The Frean Chronicles and so far:
Contest of Queens came out January 2022 (and won a silver IPPY medal in the audiobook fiction category!)
Queen’s Catacombs came out March 2023
And if you know anything about trilogies, you know they come in threes. I am SO THRILLED to announce that the third book has just been signed by CamCat books! Publishing date will be announced shortly, but I just couldn’t wait to share the title of the final installment:

Queendom Come

*dun dun dun*

Ascending the throne a war too late.

The forces of fear, the Sons of Celos, have set their plan in motion and Jacs struggles to stay afloat beneath the weight of her crown. Her loved ones are missing, injured, or worse, her resources are spread thin across the two realms, and the peace between Crown and Court of Griffins is wavering. With so much at stake, does she have the strength to face Celos and save her Queendom from his army of darkness? Or will her vision of a unified Queendom die with her?

Author Spotlight

What would you do if your horoscope read: murder?

Welcome to July’s book nook! Join me with a repeat offender, Ash Bishop as we chat about his new mystery thriller, The Horoscope Writer (out July 18, 2023). We discuss all things horoscopes, fake news, and how to write a murder mystery, so grab a cup of tea and an alibi and let’s jump in.

order your copy here

The Horoscope Writer

Who is The Horoscope Writer? It’s not Bobby Frindley. He’s an ex-Olympic athlete who has fast-talked his way into an entry-level position at a dying newspaper. He’s supposed to be writing horoscopes, but someone has been doing it for him . . .

On his first night on the job, Bobby receives an email with twelve gruesome, highly-detailed horoscopes, along with a chilling ultimatum: print them and one will come true, or ignore them and they all will.

Working with a skeptical co-worker, Bobby investigates the horoscope writer’s true identity, but the closer he gets to the truth, the more the predictions begin to be about him. Has he attracted the attention of a cruel puppeteer? Or is it possible that, like any good horoscope, it’s all in his head?

Find out more information about Ash and his other works here:
Website: ash-bishop.com
Instagram: @ashlbishop
Twitter: @AshLBishop

Travel Log

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: completed!
  3. Queendom Come: editing right this minute! Release date circa 2025
  4. Mysteriously Titled Pirate novel: in progress (65%)

If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett

Castles

My dear friend Katie came to visit me in Scotland and we had a marvelous adventure! A definite highlight was that I discovered my favourite Scottish castle (and believe me… I’ve seen a fair few at this point). Dunrobin Castle up past Inverness honestly had it all:

  • looks like it belongs in a fairy tale
  • views of the ocean
  • luxurious gardens (Katie and I *gasped* in unison when we saw them)
  • a sun-filled reading parlor
  • a resident ghost
  • delicious mac ‘n’ cheese in the cafe

Bards

After over a year in the UK, I finally made the pilgrimage out to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s home town. It was so beautiful! The river, the gardens, the cobbled streets, the church! I had a hard time choosing my favourite photos, but I think the most profound ones were of Shakespeare’s grave. He’s lined up with his whole family in the most beautiful church, and the inscription on his stone is something straight from one of his plays. Where I was expecting to read: poet, husband, father or: Queen’s bard and absolute legend it actually reads as a rhyming warning:

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here. 
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.

I didn’t think Shakespeare could get any cooler, yet he goes down in history as the man with the coolest gravestone.

We also went to see As Your Like It and I simply have one word for it: indescribable.

(Sarah is a bibliophile, friend, and a trusted beta reader of the Frean Chronicles. She’s into all things spooky if you want to follow her on Instagram: @creepinwithcarpenter)

Vigilantes

On our way back from Shakespeare’s hometown, we stopped in at Sherwood Forest to see Robin Hood. Unfortunately, despite jangling our coinpurses, the Merry Men did not see fit to highway rob us, and we were left to marvel at the oak trees (including the major oak).

Did you know that an oak can be considered an ancient tree when it reaches 400 years of age, and that Sherwood forest is home to over 1000 ancient oaks? The Major Oak is estimated to be between 800-1000 years old, and weighs 23 tonnes (about 4 elephants). It’s a flipping big deal. Look at how mighty it is! It even needs crutches so its branches don’t fall off.

If it came to a fight, I was ready for whatever ol’ Robin had in his quiver.

Review Corner

Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs 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 are some lovely reviews from this past month:

Bookmarks and Playlists

I love recommendations and you may be interested in mine, so I thought I’d introduce a new section with the book I’m reading, the songs I’m listening to, and any thoughts I have of them.

Bookmark:

Five stars. An absolute masterpiece. Preorder your copy, I cannot stress this enough, read it.
(Make sure you’ve read the Darker Shades trilogy first).

Playlist:

I will listen to the same few songs on repeat until I’ve drained every last drop of serotonin out of them so these are the three song’s I’ve been wringing out this month:
A Little Bit Happy – TALK — I didn’t think I’d move past Run Away to Mars but this one is just as good. Something about his voice…
What Could Have Been – Arcane Soundtrack — the violin in this song will break your heart and every time the distorted line, “I hope you know we had everything,” hits, I’m transported.
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith — a new car belter favourite a la Katie. This song is most powerful if you hit each and every ‘yeah.’

Interviews and Articles

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by George Michael on his channel Inside Comics:

Check out my recent article on shepherd.com:

x live magically

featured image: Nicole Lourenco on Etsy

Heroes, Villains, and Splitting the Narrative: an interview with Elijah Menchaca

June 2023

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Cover Reveal: Le Tournoi des Reines
  • Author Spotlight with Elijah Menchaca
  • In case you missed it: Compelling Series in YA Booth Chat
  • Travel Log: Queen of the (United) Kingdom
  • Review Corner

Cover Reveal: Le Tournoi des Reines

In case you missed the announcement last month, Contest of Queens has been signed by Editions Lux & Nox and will be translated into French circa 2024!

They recently released the cover and I’m in love! I feel like a proud Mumma.
My baby’s bi-lingual!

It’s also so wonderful that they’ve decided to stay true to the original cover while adding a few tweaks of their own.

Author Spotlight: Elijah Menchaca

Roll for initiative and pour yourself a cuppa tea. Today I chat with Elijah Menchaca about the second installment to the Glintchasers Series: They Split the Party. A master story weaver with a knack for character development, Elijah shares some of his tips and tricks to writing intricate narratives, believable heroes, and dastardly villains.

If you missed it, check out our chat about They Met in a Tavern here.
They Split the Party comes out June 27th, 2023. Order your copy here.

pick up your copy here

They Split the Party

It’s never fun being someone else’s unfinished business.

The Starbreakers were heroes, until a tragedy broke them apart. Only now, years later, have they begun to make peace with each other. The rest of the world is a different story.

There has been a breakout in the prison known as Oblivion, and now the worst of the worst have been turned loose on an unsuspecting world. Desperate to contain the crisis, the right hand of the king has called the disgraced Starbreakers back into service. After all, they were the ones who put most of these villains away in the first place.

As the Starbreakers scatter to face friends and foes of the past, it’s a fight for peace in the kingdom they call home, and a fight to protect the legacy they left behind. It’s also exactly the opportunity their enemies have been waiting for.

Check out Elijah’s
Website
Follow him on Instagram
Twitter: @PhoenixAgent003

School Journal Day of Dialogue Booth Chat

Last month I participated in a booth chat with Aamna Qureshi, Christian Klaver, and Armen Pogharian about writing compelling series in YA. Such a fun event, and such a treat to chat with these talented authors!

Travel Log: Queen of the United Kingdom

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: completed!
  3. Mysteriously Titled Finale: Completed manuscript sent to publisher!
  4. Mysteriously Titled Pirate novel: in progress (40%)

If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett

Queen of the Kingdom

Ben Nevis (which roughly translates to “Malicious/Venemous Mountain”) is the tallest peak in the UK. It’s 1352meters and, while the hike is beautiful with constant views, it is a four hour uphill climb from the first step. I loved every step of the way, though! It was just stunning.

The forecast was set to be a scorcher so I hit the trail at 7am and am so glad I did. The morning mist and low cloud filled the valley and so by the time I was halfway up the mountain, I had popped above the clouds. Something in the way the light hit the clouds below formed a circular rainbow with me in the middle no matter where I moved (see the picture). Absolutely magical.

Ready to fly!

Review Corner

Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs 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 are some lovely reviews from this past month:

x live magically

Superheroes, Dinosaurs, and Subverting Social Scripts: an interview with Brenna Raney

April 2023

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Upcoming Event: School Journal
  • Author Spotlight with Brenna Raney
  • Travel Log: Butterbeer and Spring Flowers
  • Review Corner

Upcoming Event: SLJ Day of Dialog

This year I’ve been asked to speak at the SLJ DAY of DIALOG on the Compelling Series in YA panel. I’m so excited to chat all things Frean! It is a free virtual event that you just need to register for, so if you’re interested, click the image above (or here) and register!
10:00 to 10:40 EST
See you there!

Author Spotlight with Brenna Raney

Holy Velociraptors, Batman!
We’re talking all things absurd with Brenna Raney, author of her debut novel: The Meister of Decimen City. So pull on your super suit and verse yourself in the do’s and don’ts of Dino wrangling as we strap in to discuss writing superheroes, villains, and how their heavily scripted genre leaves room to subvert some scripted norms.

order your copy here

The Meister of Decimen City

No one cares that you cured cancer if you also cloned a horde of dinosaurs and let them rampage down the street.

Supergenius and quasi-villain Rex normally can’t go a week without accidentally endangering Decimen City with her science shenanigans. It’s been two weeks since her genetically engineered dinosaurs rampaged through town—a good streak for her—but the peace is broken when actual villain Last Dance sets his sights on Decimen. And he wants Rex’s help. Before Rex can say “I didn’t do it,” superheroes who’ve dragged her to jail on her worst days are crowding her lab to conscript her into quasi-herodom.

Rex would rather stay out of it and deal with the dinosaurs that keep calling her Mom, but she can’t ignore that she was somewhat responsible for Last Dance’s villainy. She’d kept a very disorganized lab. And he was such a nosy brother. She failed to help him back then, but maybe if she stops him now—and keeps the heroes fooled—she can finally set things right.

Website
Instagram: @brennaraney

Travel Log: Butterbeer and Spring Flowers

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th 2023! (order here)
  3. Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!

If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett

Let the Butterbeer Flow

As many of you have likely deduced, I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. What is so beautiful about the world Rowling created is that it has taken root in our world in so many incredible ways. Working at the Harry Potter shop in Edinburgh meant that I shared “first wand” moments with children and adults (and believe me when I say I couldn’t tell you which age group were more excited). Scattered around the UK are a number of magical shops that draw heavily from Rowling’s world and add their own little sparkle and I was lucky enough to visit one such shop recently. The Lonely Broomstick. This shop is such a love letter to magic, whimsy, and the butterflies you feel while awaiting your Hogwarts letter. Also, as I have sampled my fair share of butterbeer this past year, their brew currently ranks number 1.

Although I will say, the best presentation has to be from the Department of Magic Potions Room in Edinburgh.

Cheers!

Flowers in my hair makes me wish that you were near…

They say April showers bring May flowers, but it’s been raining all March so I suppose the flowers have jumped ahead of schedule. In Contest and Catacombs Lena is in love with her family’s florist, Anya. One of my favourite things about these characters is they both have a connection to flowers and so I get to go wild with my flower imagery and descriptions. There’s something so indescribably pure and sweet about a love expressed through flowers. Hopefully that shines through in my novels.

Review Corner

Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs 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 are some lovely reviews from this past month:

x live magically

Wayward Monsters and Loving the Hunter: an interview with Dana Claire

February 2023

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?

Website
Instagram

Podcast Feature: CamCat Unwrapped

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:

CamCat Unwrapped

Travel Log: Castle Research and Burns Night

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th 2023! (preorder here)
  3. 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).

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang ‘s my arm.

Guest Post with Madison Lawson

I wrote a feature post for Madison Lawson’s blog recently (author of The Registration). Jump on over to her page here to read it.

GUEST POST: Jordan H. Bartlett

Queen’s Catacombs Preorder

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!

Pre-order your copy here

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:

x live magically

Ghosts of Future’s Blast: an interview with Brandon Ying Kit Boey

January 2023

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Contest of Queens Paperback Release and GoodReads Giveaway
  • Author Spotlight with Brandon Ying Kit Boey
  • Travel Log: London, Baby!
  • Queen’s Catacombs Preorder
  • Contest of Queens Review Corner

Contest of Queens Paperback Release and Giveaway

A year is a funny length of time. I feel like I’ve lived several years in this one as so much has happened. But I’m very excited to announce that Contest of Queens is turning 1 on January 18th and to celebrate, CamCat Books are releasing it in all its paperbacked glory!

I know I’m a huge fan of paperbacks- for the sole reason that they fit in my purse much easier and carry the wear of adventure much more satisfyingly! So if you would like a copy of the paperback to take along on your adventures, look no further!

Order your copy here

Also, if you like your life a little spicier, why not try your luck with the GoodReads Giveaway and win yourself a paperback copy? Giveaway runs till January 23rd, 2023 so get your name in while you can by clicking the image below or following this link.

Author Spotlight with Brandon Ying Kit Boey

Six suns, six blasts in the sky; a seventh one, and the earth will die.

What better way to start 2023 than with the apocalypse! Hunker in your bunker, and grab yourself a cup of tea for this Book Nook where I am joined with debut author Brandon Ying Kit Boey to discuss his novel Karma of the Sun.

order your copy here

Karma of the Sun

Six suns, six blasts in the sky; a seventh one, and the earth will die.

In the isolation of the Himalayas, the snows still fall, but they are tinged with the ash of a nuclear winter; the winds still blow, but they wail with the cries of ghosts. The seventh and final blast is near. As the world heaves its final breaths, the people of the Tibetan plateau—civilization’s final survivors—are haunted by spirits and terrorized by warlords. Though the last of the seven prophesied cataclysms is at hand, young Karma searches for a father who disappeared ten years earlier, presumed dead.

Driven by a yearning to see his father again before the end, and called by an eerie horn unheard by anyone else, Karma forges into the Himalayas and discovers that his father’s disappearance may be linked to a mystical mountain said to connect the physical world with the spirit lands—and a possible way to save their doomed future.

Find out more about Brandon Ying Kit Boey
Website
Twitter
Instagram

Travel Log: London, Baby!

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th 2023! (preorder here)
  3. Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!

If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett

London, Baby!

How can you not love this magical city?
My itinerary was quite jam-packed for the few days I was there, but I was lucky enough to see my very first Pantomime, starring the one and only, Sir Ian McKellen: Mother Goose. And I was finally able to see the infamous Book of Mormon. Two very different shows, that’s for sure, but enjoyable in their own ways! You may be wondering at the last image… well that, dear readers, is the one and only bonafide original staff of Gandalf the Grey- which is currently kept behind the bar in Sir Ian McKellen’s pub The Grapes.

Nah Humbug!

This year, given that I was away from my family for the first time… ever… I was unable to participate in our family tradition of watching the stage production the Banff Springs Hotel always puts on of A Christmas Carol. I was, however, able to do the next best thing- which was to visit the house of Charles Dickins.

Queen’s Catacombs Preorder

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!

Pre-order your copy here

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 recent review:

x live magically

Dying for Reality T.V. an interview with Bryan Johnston

December 2022

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Queen’s Catacombs Preorder
  • Author Spotlight with Bryan Johnston
  • Travel Log: Winter Wonderland
  • Contest of Queens Review Corner

QUEEN’S CATACOMBS Preorder

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!

Pre-order your copy here

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:

“Featuring a multinarrative structure, compelling female characters, intriguing magic, and the politics of an unjust matriarchal society, this sequel follows Jacs’ ongoing journey toward empowerment . . .” 
—Kirkus Reviews

Author Spotlight with Bryan Johnston

Check the T.V. guide and grab the remote, today we’re chatting with Bryan Johnston about his recent release: Death Warrant, a novel set in a not-so-distant future where you can sell your life to a reality show, and if your public assassination rakes in the ratings, your next of kin are set up for life.

get your copy here

Death Warrant

Death Makes Great TV.

Frankie Percival is cashing in her chips. To save her brother from financial ruin, Frankie—a single stage performer and mentalist who never made it big—agrees to be assassinated on the most popular television show on the planet: Death Warrant. Once she signs her life away, her memory is wiped clean of the agreement, leaving her with no idea she will soon be killed spectacularly for global entertainment.

After years of working in low-rent theaters, Frankie prepares for the biggest performance of her life as her Death Warrant assassin closes in on her. Every person she encounters could be her killer. Every day could be her last.

She could be a star, if only she lives that long.

Find out more about Bryan Johnston:
Website: bryanrjohnston.com
Twitter: @BryanRJohnston

Travel Log: Winter Wonderland

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th next year! (preorder here)
  3. Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!

If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett

Snow on the Beach

This December I thought I had escaped the snow by moving to the UK… that was not the case! Edinburgh has received a gorgeous heaping of the fluffy white stuff, and in honor of Taylor Swift’s recent release, I took myself on a field trip to experience Snow on the Beach for myself (it was, in fact, weird but f*cking beautiful)

Holiday Fun

I am here to confirm, the UK is a magical place to spend the festive season. Not only do holly and mistletoe grow wild here, but Christmas markets filled with mulled wine and boozy hot chocolate abound. The fairy lights are spectacular, and there’s something about walking down snow-covered cobbled streets that makes me want to sing carols.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you, dear Reader. Thank you for reading my monthly musings and I hope they’ve brought you some joy, some entertainment, or at the very least a fun fact or two. Stay safe, stay well, and I’ll see you in the New Year x

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:

x live magically

cover image: https://www.seenit.co.uk/7-out-of-10-brits-think-reality-tv-shows-are-fixed/

To Infinity and Beyond: an interview with Bryan Prosek

November 2022

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Queen’s Catacombs Preorder
  • Author Spotlight with Bryan Prosek
  • Travel Log: Curiosity Tourist
  • Contest of Queens Review Corner

QUEEN’S CATACOMBS Preorder

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!

Pre-order your copy here

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.

get your copy here

The Darker the Skies

It only takes one to make a difference.

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.

Find out more about Bryan Prosek:
Website: bryanprosek.com
Instagram: @bryan.prosek
TikTok: @bryanprosek

Travel Log: Adventure Bound

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th next year! (preorder here)
  3. 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!

The Curiosity Tourist

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:

x live magically

feature image link: https://64.media.tumblr.com/69b9aa72120812f197a9888d55b107eb/tumblr_pqtt0sO5Ag1vpxoof_1280.jpg

The Spirits We Meet and the Ghosts We Make: an interview with Amber A. Logan

October 2022

In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:

  • Queen’s Catacombs Preorder
  • Author Spotlight with Amber A. Logan
  • Travel Log: Kings to you
  • Contest of Queens Review Corner

QUEEN’S CATACOMBS Preorder

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!

Pre-order your copy here

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.

check out Amber’s website here
Instagram: @amberalogan
Twitter: @AmberAnnLogan

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn

Cracked doesn’t always mean broken.

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.

get your copy here

Travel Log: Kings to you

Short story long,

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!

  1. Contest of Queens: completed!
  2. Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th next year! (preorder here)
  3. 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!

Malta

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 🙂

x live magically