I will be with Found Books to sign books and chat all about my YA Fantasy book Contest of Queens and the entire Frean Chronicles!
Crowns and Queendom atire are highly encouraged, please feel free to arrive in your royal best!
PLEASE NOTE! There will be limited copies of Contest of Queens available for purchase on the day, so make sure to come early (but don’t worry, we can order more while you are here)!
When an unsettling event occurs in the Queendom of Frea, Jacs, an inventor’s apprentice from the Lower Realm, participates in the Contest of Queens to prove that a Queendom is strongest when united.
Four Points Books Signing
If you’re in the Invermere area and would like a signed copy of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs, or Queendom Come, you’re in luck! I just popped in and signed all their copies 🙂
Podcast: Summer Loving
Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their literary brain children, and bibliophiles about their niche areas of obsession. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
As you know, I release episodes once a month with no set date so the best way to stay in the loop is to follow and subscribe on either Youtube or Spotify.
I don’t know where you are in the world, but up here in Canada, we’ve had bouts of torrential rain impeding our Summer plans. If you’re in the same boat, here are some episodes I’d recommend to curl up in front of while you wait for the storms to clear. Whether it’s forbidden love, supernatural love, or killer love, I have a feeling we’re entering the summer of L.O.V.E.
I’ll be taking a break from filming podcast episodes over the summer, but I would love to hear from you! What have you liked so far? What would you like to see? Any authors you’d like to hear from? Leave a comment below.
What a treat the June brought with it a weekend stay at not one, but two different Lodges! The Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton was so full of charm I didn’t know what to do with it all, and we were lucky enough to have a still, calm evening. This, if you’ve ever been to Waterton, is about as likely as a fish jumping out of the lake and onto your plate.
The second, The Lodge at Bow Lake was more modernized but still knew how to put on a damn-fine afternoon tea, and had Moose and Elk antler thrones that sent my imagination into a tizzy.
Setting Sail
It’s finally that time of year again – the time of year when I can launch the H.M.S Flounder and explore the labyrinth of waterways in Banff’s lakes and rivers. Avast!
Stepping back in time
Visiting the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller is one heck-of-a way to humble yourself. After much deliberation I decided that, had I shared oxygen with the dinosaurs, I would not have lasted long at all. A misplaced step would have squished me flat…
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Comeout 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!
Welcome to April’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:
School Library Journal Starred Review
Author Spotlight: E.L. Li
Upcoming Podcast announcement
Review Corner
School Library Journal Starred Review
For those who don’t know, School Library Journal is an online resource and monthly magazine that provides review, recommendations, and book lists for school librarians (among other things). If you’ve heard that name before in my newsletters it’s because I’ve appeared as a panelist a few time at their events. Here is one such time:
To be reviewed by their team is huge but to be given a starred review is incredible as it basically tells librarians far and wide that your books has been given a big ol’ thumbs up. And Queendom Come received a starred review!
Check it out!
★Bartlett, Jordan H. Queendom Come. 480p. (The Frean Chronicles: Bk. 3). CamCat. Mar. 2025. Tr. $19.99. ISBN 9780744310764.
Gr 9 Up–After competing for the crown and rooting out corruption in the royal council in book one and two respectively, Queen Jacqueline, or Jacs, has to decide what kind of monarch she wants to be. Jacs and her Royal Advisor Connor must face the threat of the cult-like Sons of Celos while separated in the Upper and Lower Realms. They are also trying to navigate their romantic relationship while Jacs is facing a possible political marriage to someone else. The narrative pulls in a variety of perspectives as those within the Queendom work toward lasting change by forging alliances with the Court of Griffins, bringing men into the all-female military, and moving toward true unity between the Realms. While the flipped power dynamics in this world skew toward the gender binary, much of the supporting cast includes queer women, and characters are depicted with a variety of skin tones. VERDICT A satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that centers progress through equity alongside authentically drawn characters who will resonate with teen readers.
A HUGE thank you to SLJ ❤ this is unreal and so humbling.
This month I am lucky to have author E. L. Li at my virtual table to answer some of my questions about her novel Realm of Hope. So pour yourself a cup of tea and settle in.
Tell us a little about yourself and your novel Realm of Hope
Hi, I’m E. L. Li! I write fantasy books inspired by video games and things that I grew up loving such as anime, action and fantasy shows, and fantasy books! I also am a software engineer in the video game industry, and love playing video games, baking, travelling, trying out new restaurants, and any sort of arts and crafts! Realm of Hope is a video-game inspired fantasy epic about a found family trying to save their world from falling into darkness while also battling inner demons and “levelling up.”
Where did you get the inspiration for this novel?
The biggest inspirations for Realm of Hope are from video games, anime, and DND. I grew up loving games such as Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Fire Emblem and a lot of elements from those games are in my books. I also loved Percy Jackson and Avatar: The Last Airbender so plenty of inspiration comes from there as well!
What is your writing process? Do you have any playlists, special snacks, writing locations that you need for a good writing session?
My writing process is an interesting one. I first wrote Realm of Hope as a screenplay for a video game when I was a teenager. I wrote five more video game screenplays and they all took place in the same universe but different time periods. As an adult, I decided to rewrite the stories all into trilogies, so Realm of Hope is the first one third of the first video game screenplay that I wrote! So I will look at the screenplays for certain plot points and character aspects and other ideas and will create a plotline somewhat based on the original screenplay with adjustments to of course fit the formatting of a book. I do standard drafts and edits and I often have video game playlists blasting in the background or ambient fantasy music. I always sit at my desk in my office with a candle lit, some baked goods, and tea!
Magical and fighting abilities in fantasy novels can often be used to further explore a character’s personality. For example, in the C.S. Lewis’ The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, three of the four children are given weapons by Santa that reflect their characters. How does magical ability/fighting style reflect aspects of your characters in your novel? What can we learn about them through their magic/weapons?
Each character has a unique set of skills and abilities that helps reflect their personalities and which bloodline they are a part of. One of my characters, Zephyr, is the leader of his team and his abilities are less about raw power and more about versatility and using strategies to win a fight. Readers will also see character abilities evolve throughout the series as they “Level Up” which is super fun and adds onto the idea that these books are inspired by video games.
What role would you say legacy and ancestral expectation/pressure have in your novel?
Bloodlines, bloodline abilities, and legacy play a huge role in this universe. Those who have such powers are expected to use them for greatness and to their full potential. Some bloodlines follow a strict moral code. The ensemble cast of Realm of Hope is descended from these bloodlines and there is a lot of societal pressure and there are loads of expectations placed on their shoulders to save the world and that definitely plays into the character arcs.
Who was your favourite character to write and why?
I would say the main female character, Skye. She was the first character I ever created for these stories and went through loads of changes throughout the years. She also is the hardest character to write because of her unique backstory, role, and issues with PTSD and trauma after being a character who was raised as a weapon who is trying to learn how to be human.
You’ve created a detailed and elaborate universe for your novels with gods, realms, planes, magical systems and more. What is your favourite element that you’ve created and why?
Realm of Hope follows an elemental magic system – Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Ice, Metal, Light, and Darkness. Out of them all, I’d say Darkness since it’s one of the most powerful elements and super versatile, but comes with a lot of consequences.
What advice would you share with aspiring authors wanting to write rich and detailed worlds?
Definitely keep track of everything you have related to your world – i have a google drive full of worldbuilding information and i follow basic templates for worldbuilding to get started. there are a lot of writing templates for worldbuilding out there, so it’s great to follow at first! Also do as much research as you can!
What is something that you’ve added into your novel that you really geek out about?
I’m ultimately a teenage fangirl at heart, so there are a lot of references to things I loved as a teenager in my books – Marvel, Avatar: The Last Airbender, DND, Video Games as mentioned before, etc. I would love to hear about more readers telling me they got some of the references and easter eggs!
What was a key message or theme you are hoping readers take away from your novel?
Some of the biggest themes in my books are the importance of having hope, determination, and how friendship can help overcome the odds. The characters go through a rollercoaster of highs and lows, experiencing adversity left and right and no matter what, they refuse to give up in their mission to save the world from falling into darkness.
Can you share a favourite quote or passage to tease our readers?
“There is no such thing as being completely good or evil. We all have blood on our hands in the pursuit of doing what we think is right.”
Upcoming Podcast Announcement
The wait is over! May marks the first month back to 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. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
We’re about to have a prehistoric time with Derek Borne, Canadian Author and lovely human, as we discuss his novel Dino Rift.
Although this time I thought we’d do something a little different and give you a heads up so you can read the book before our episode airs May 16th. I’ll be posting on Instagram ahead of time to see if you have any burning questions you’d like to add to our line-up closer to the date, but if you have one already, please send it to me here and I’ll be sure to ask it.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “but where do I get my hands on this dino-riffic novel?” to which I reply, here of course:
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Comeout 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 and review! Check out these new gems ❤
Happy love month and 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:
Queendom Come: Early Release party and Pre-order fun
Love, love, love
Review Corner
Queendom Come: Early Release party and Pre-order fun!
The countdown is on and I cannot wait for you all to read Queendom Come! If you live in the area, we are having a pre-release party at the Banff Public Library and would love to have you. Plus, you’ll be able to buy your copy of Queendom Come a whole four days before the rest of the world so… that’s pretty awesome. Huge thanks to the Banff Public Library, and the Whyte Museum for putting this all together!
Leading up to the event, BPL (Banff Public Library) are hosting a colouring contest with lots of fab prizes! So grab your markers and crayons and get creating!
If you’ve pre-ordered your book, I would love to send you a signed book plaque for the inside cover as well as this exclusive art print. To claim these goodies, please jump over here and fill out the form.
Are you more of an in-person kind of book buyer? Select book stores will be hosting a similar pre-order event. Anyone who pre-orders their copy at:
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Comeout 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 and review! Check out these lovely recents ❤
Welcome to October’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:
Release Countdown: Le Tournoi des Reines
Some Lovely Updates
Podcast: Author Nook with Dana Claire
Captain’s Log: Touching the Sky
Review Corner
Release Countdown
In less than one week, Le Tournoi des Reines hits the shelves! November 6th, 2024! I. Am. Buzzing!
You can preorder your copy here, and if you want to purchase a limited edition box set, you can do that here. Along with the novel, the box set includes: writing paper, envelopes, seals to close envelopes, a box-shaped necklace to hide secrets, a reading ring, and a hand-sewn book cover. It’s such a stunning gift set, and it is so perfect for my letter-writing realm-crossing lovers!
I’m beyond excited to see my baby become bilingual, and as a language nerd I adored the process of finding French words to replace some of my Queendom’s vocabulary.
Maïlys, the editor I had the privilege of working with at Lux et Nox, went above and beyond looking into French etymology and historical word usage to make sure we found all the best terms.
Here are some lovely reviews the French edition is already receiving:
Some Lovely Updates
When it rains, it certainly does pour, and I’ve had so many wonderful things happen for this series in my birth month! For starters, my silver IPPY medal arrived for Queen’s Catacombs: Fiction – Best Series.
If that wasn’t warm-fuzzy enducing enough, I was also on the front page of the Waiheke Weekender paper and featured in a three-page spread! Waiheke is where I did most of my growing up and did most of my daydreaming, so it was incredibly special to be interviewed and featured by a home-town local! Also, if you scroll across, you’ll catch a glimpse of little me.
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. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
This month’s author nook we are embracing the spook and are well on theme with a talk all about werewolves and loving the monster (hunter). Join me with a cup of tea and some silver bullets as I talk with Dana Claire about her thrilling sequel, Hunterlore – the continuation of Hunterland.
Silver bullets aren’t enough to protect your heart.
For Liam Hunter, monster hunting is a way of life—a family tradition passed down for generations. But when campers are murdered in the woods, their hearts ripped from their chests, Liam finds himself facing his most terrifying adversary yet—his own mother turned monster. Her pack of werewolves will test Liam’s limits, and his connection with the girl who still has too large a claim on his heart.
Olivia Davis is determined to uncover her own place in Hunterland and hone her newfound abilities. But when Olivia has a terrifying vision, she’s faced with a much larger uncertainty: her feelings for the boy she let slip through her fingers.
Together, Olivia and Liam must survive the deadly game of cat and mouse, or else risk becoming victims in a world where the monsters are the hunters. The clock is ticking. The game is on. And the price of failure may be their humanity.
I find myself without words for this one. If you’ve read my books, you know how important hot air balloons are in the series, and I even have one inked on my body.
Hot air balloons are magic made real. Harnessing the concept of “hot air rises” we, as a species, have found a way to float among the clouds on wind currents. With no way to steer, no way to stop, and only the hope that you have enough gas in the tank to boost you out of a pickle. It takes a certain kind of pilot with a nose for thermals to make a flight look easy.
I was in heaven. And in love, but that’s something more wonderful entirely 😉
Island Retreat
Passing through Snug Cove (real place name) on Bowen Island, my mum and I went to Nectar Yoga for a retreat all about reducing stress and avoiding burnout hosted by the wonderful Bryony White of SlowBurn Wellness. In a word: stunning. The highlights included:
time with my mum
outside shower (nothing like going buck in the wild)
the barn owl that supervised our last yoga session
the food
Also, this poem by Mollie Bylett:
And just like the moon You will go through phases of light of dark And everything in between And though you may not always appear with the same brightness You are always Always Whole
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!
Welcome to September’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:
Release Radar: Le Tournoi des Reines
Podcast: Author Nook with Marcy McCreary
Embracing Autumn – fun recipes to try
Captain’s Log: 1000 Islands and at least 1 Castle
Review Corner
French Translation Release
Mark your calendars for November 6th, 2024: Le Tournoi des Reines hits the shelves! You can preorder your copy here, and if you want to purchase a limited edition box set, you can do that here. Along with the novel, the box set includes: writing paper, envelopes, seals to close envelopes, a box-shaped necklace to hide secrets, a reading ring, and a hand-sewn book cover. It’s such a stunning gift set, and it is so perfect for my letter-writing realm-crossing lovers!
I’m beyond excited to see my baby become bilingual, and as a language nerd I adored the process of finding French words to replace some of my Queendom’s vocabulary.
Maïlys, the editor I had the privilege of working with at Lux et Nox, went above and beyond looking into French etymology and historical word usage to make sure we found all the best terms.
Have a sneaky peek at the first few chapters here:
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. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
Join me this month with repeat offender, Marcy McCreary, author of the Ford Family Mysteries series: The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon; The Murder of Madison Garcia, and the latest installment we’ll be chatting about today: The Summer of Love and Death. So don your fringe jackets, hold up a couple peace signs, and get ready to chat all things Woodstock ’69, intergenerational trauma, and writing tips on how to keep your time lines straight (even if they’re groovy).
If you want to hear more from Marcy McCreary, have a look or a listen to our podcast episode from earlier this year with Terry Friedman: Murder She Wrote found here on Youtube, or here on Spotify.
The summer of ’69: memorable for some, murder for others.
Detective Susan Ford and her new partner, Detective Jack Tomelli, are called to a crime scene at the local summer stock theater where they find the director of Murder on the Orient Express gruesomely murdered—naked, face caked in makeup, pillow at his feet, wrists and ankles bound by rope. When Susan describes the murder to her dad, retired detective Will Ford, he recognizes the MO of a 1969 serial killer . . . a case he worked fifty years ago.
Will remembers a lot of things about that summer—the Woodstock Festival, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Miracle Mets—yet he is fuzzy on the details of the decades-old case. But when Susan and Jack discover the old case files, his memories start trickling back. And with each old and new clue, Susan, Jack, and Will must narrow down the pool of suspects before the killer strikes again.
Who doesn’t love Autumn? Honestly? Cozy sweaters, scarves, ankle boots, tights and skirts, dusk color palates, wrapping your fingers around a steaming mug of tea, watching the trees go through their sunset era, the smell of crisp cold mornings, pumpkin spice everything, baking, knitting, cuddles and heavy duvets. The list is endless and here in Banff, Canada we really only get two solid weeks of it… so we must make the most of it!
Here are some delicious autumnal recipes I’ve discovered that I wanted to share.
Pumpkin Cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction. When I tell you I’m obsessed… I made this into cupcakes and a loaf. It is ridiculously (brace yourself) moist, and the cream cheese frosting really takes the cake.
This Autumn Aperol Spritz from Instagram that I cannot embed for reasons but you can follow their page @cocktails and they have an entire highlight reel dedicated to Fall cocktails.
Actually, flicking through it there are another couple I’d like to try – the pumpkin spice espresso martini almost sounds too good to be true!
Pumpkin butter. I’ve always liked the idea of a PSL more than the thing itself (much too sweet for me), but then I discovered pumpkin butter and I’ve been adding it to my morning lattes and it has changed. the. game. You can put it on bread, mix it into your oatmeal, the whole nine yards, but it is basically an instant Autumn maker.
Enjoy! I’d love to hear if you made any of these, or if you have any recipe recommendations of your own. Let me know here.
Captain’s Log
1000 Islands and at least 1 Castle
This month, my mum and I jumped across to the other side of the country and set out on an island-hopping, castle-exploration quest.
Besides the vineyards in Prince Edward County (and the lavender farm, and the cocktail farms), the highlight of the trip was definitely Boldt Castle:
We stayed in the most beautiful Victorian-style inn:The Trinity House Inn in Gananoque where our host fed us croissants every morning and gave us the low down on the best places to eat, walk, visit and the local characters to look out for. I’m still dreaming about our dinner at Riva (the caprese salad had me in raptures), and the river! The wee islands! It was such a picturesque place to visit.
Mary’s Wedding and the Power of Live Theatre
While staying in Gananoque, we went to the river-side play house (1000 Island Playhouse) to see Mary’s Wedding. I don’t quite have the words to describe just how moving this play was, but what I will say is that I was glad we were sitting behind the mother of the playwright who recommended we had a tissue handy (turns out I needed more than one..).
Set between 1914 and 1920, Mary is balancing on the edge of the tomorrow that will bring her wedding day. However, before she sets her feet on the aisle, she dreams of her first love who went away to war (now do you see where the tissues come in handy?). The writing was absolutely breathtaking. Such beautiful dialogue. There was a scene where Mary was riding a horse, describing the feeling of riding the horse, and I, in the audience, was swept away to the first time I ever rode a horse and it was as though I were right there with her, galloping across the plains. Just stunning.
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! This one from Lou Kemp is so lovely (and I’m glad she gave us some Connor love!)
I am absolutely blown away with this review from H. J. Reynolds. Read it below or check it out here.
Jordan H. Bartlett 
