Tag Archives: interview

Narrative Webs and Doublethink: author talk with Abigail Miles

June 2024

Welcome to June’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:

  • Happy Birthday, Rose Petal Princess
  • Upcoming events: book signing and author talk at Four Points Books
  • Podcast: Author Nook with Abigail Miles
  • Captain’s Log: Turning Pages and Avoiding Capture in Portland
  • Review Corner

Happy Birthday, Rose Petal Princess!

It’s not every day your first born turns three!

Want more information about The Rose Petal Princess or would you like to order a signed copy? Click here: The Rose Petal Princess and other fairy tales

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for July 7th and come along for a fun time! I’ll be signing books at Four Points Books in Invermere as well as presenting a reading and chatting about my series. I’d love to see you there!

Author Nook: Narrative Webs and Double Think author nook with Abigail Miles

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.

Today I am joined by Abigail Mile to chat about her debut novel The Building that Wasn’t which comes out July 16, 2024. This book will have you desperately turning the pages for puzzle pieces and scratching your head over what’s real and what’s an element of this timeline. So grab a cuppa, settle in, and join us!

get your copy here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-building-that-wasn-t-abigail-miles/20713202?ean=9780744309850

The Building that Wasn’t

This story only ever has one ending.

When Everly Tertium encounters a strange man in the park claiming to be her grandfather, she is invited to visit a mysterious apartment building. There, she finds herself in a constant state of déjà vu, impossibly certain that she’s already lived through these moments, already been introduced to these people, and already visited all of these rooms and floors. So why does she have no idea what’s happening to her?

The longer she stays in the building, the more Everly becomes convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Something is off, time seems to pass differently, and the people living there seem trapped. Slowly, Everly begins to wonder if she is trapped too. But would she even want to leave, if she could?

website: https://www.abigailmilesbooks.com/

Captain’s Log

Turning Pages in Portland

Earlier this month I visited a dear friend in Portland and got the full Portland experience. I finally visited the famous Powell’s City Books and… I gotta say… it was not my kind of second hand book shop. I may ruffle some feathers with this opinion but it was full of people with a vibe like a warehouse. Neither of those things are my idea of a great second hand book shop. However! I found an absolute gem of a book: The Coming of the Fairies by Arthur Conan Doyle. This book I’ve only seen references too, and I even wrote a short story about called On the Belief of Fairies because it captured my imagination so completely. Basically, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was so eager to believe in fairies that when a couple of young girls took photos with fairy cut outs in their garden and said, “look what we found,” he dropped everything and came running with his “I KNEW IT” hat on. This book is a love letter to unwavering belief and I am so excited to own it!

While Powell’s books did not tickle my fancy, I did stumble across the most wonderful second hand bookstore while attempting to evade a sudden downpour: Mother Foucault’s Bookshop. It was a dream. Eclectic selection, rich wooden bookshelves groaning beneath gorgeous tomes and dog-earred paperback. It had an upper gallery! This shop was full of books that had been on adventures sitting in wait for their next companion. I cannot rave about this place enough and I spent way too much money here. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures because my fingers were busy flicking through the shelves, but here’s one I sourced from Google.

No Shanghai-ing Today!

Pretty pretty city

All in all, Portland was a heap of fun with a little bit of everything: relaxing beachfront, 12 bridges, stunning greenspaces, a dark underbelly and twisted history, great music scene (check out Narcissist Cookbook and Bug Hunter) and fantastic pizza.

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: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/houses-impossible-architecture/index.html

Building the Underdog: author panel with Brielle D. Porter and Madison Lawson

May 2024

Welcome to May’s newsletter. If you showed up by accident but want to receive monthly content, please subscribe below:

In this month’s newsletter, click the headings or scroll down to find:

And the winner is…

Queen’s Catacombs won a silver IPPY award in the Best Series: Fiction category. That’s the second silver IPPY this series has won, and the first award won by Queen’s Catacombs! I am ecstatic! Over the moon! And so mumma-bear proud of this series!

Author Nook: Building the Underdog with Brielle D. Porter and Madison Lawson

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 I am joined today by not one, but two fantastic authors: Madison Lawson, author of The Registration and The Registration Rewritten; and Brielle D. Porter, author of Jester. Today we talk all about building the underdog, how to write a believable down-trodden character, how to make the rules of a new world work, and the true meaning of family. So bring your trust issues and settle in to add a few wolves to your lone wolf pack.

Jester

What happens in Oasis, stays in Oasis.

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.

The Registration

You can’t outrun the Registration.

Imagine it’s legal to commit one murder in your lifetime⎯if you Register the victim and accomplish the kill within fourteen days. So when Lynell Mize stands in line to Register the man who abused her as a child, she’s shocked to hear a stranger Register her to be killed. Why would anyone who doesn’t know her squander his one legal murder on her? Desperate to survive the next two weeks, she must find out who wants to kill her⎯and why.

Easier said than done as Lynell soon discovers that multiple strangers have used their Registration on her. Along the way, she reunites with her estranged husband who is determined to dig up a past Lynell prefers to keep buried. With only days left to live, Lynell fights to uncover the truth and survive a destiny not of her choosing.

The Registration Rewritten


When your greatest enemy is your best chance of survival.

Still bearing wounds from barely surviving the Registration, Lynell struggles to fill her new role as the heir and leader of the very system that aimed to kill her. She must convince the Registration committee and the country’s oligarchs that she can fill her uncle’s shoes, while simultaneously proving to the country’s largest rebel group that she is nothing like her uncle—ruthless and greedy . When Sawyer, the leader of the Resurrection, reaches out with proof that they are both on the hitlist of powerful people who wish to destroy the rebels and take over the Registration, the two women form an uneasy alliance.

With mere days until the committee announces a policy change that will increase the Registration’s lethal power, Lynell and Sawyer must find out who wants them dead—and all signs point to someone close.

Critical Hit: Campaign Complete

It’s out! It’s over! What bittersweet news for the world. If you’re new here, allow me to explain, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a four episode Dungeons and Dragons podcast with our incredible MC Smitherman, Alexander James (The Woodkin), Elijah Menchaca (The Glintchasers Series), and Jessica Homami as we play our leading lads and ladies and fight to restore our worlds and be the heroes we wrote about!

It was honestly an absolute blast, I’m so excited that the final episode is out because it’s a goodie! Here is a sneak peek at my favourite moment:

https://youtu.be/lHbPGvx-PZ4?si=w1to2-t22qvp97Qf

Here are the Spotify links if you’d prefer to listen to the adventure. All episodes as well as audiobooks and exclusive author interviews can be found on CamCat Unwrapped’s channel.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4

Captain’s Log: From Sea to Sky and Back for Tea

Icy Paddle

I absolutely adore my kayak, the HMS Flounder, and have been chomping at the bit to get her out on the open waterways once again. I think the stars all decided to align for my first paddle as it was the most surreal/stunning/special trips of my life. I went out to Two Jack lake and discovered that the ice sheets were still floating around. The next two hours were spent in exploration bliss as I navigated the water maze between these giant sheets of ice and realized that the wind kept changing their position so where once was an exit now became a dead end and at one point I had to hack my way through the ice.

It was made extra special when I realized the ice was made up of thin spears that broke apart into these long crystals at the slightest touch. Talk about Elsa’s paradise! It was such a magical day.

Taking Flight

I’ve mentioned before than my favourite scenes to write in the Frean Chronicles are the flights with the Griffins- maybe it’s no coincidence that each book includes a weightless, gravity defying scene. There’s something about being level with the clouds, seeing how small we all are from above, and how vast and beautiful this world really is.

My dad has been flying since before I was born, so maybe it’s just in my veins, but whatever it is, any chance I get to dance among the clouds is one I’ll take. Especially with the world’s best pilot at the helm.

Readying for a Swoon

If you’re anyone with a pulse and a love of carriage rides, you were awaiting the Bridgerton season 3 release like I was. While it could never top the Queen Charlotte season, it had just the right amount of fan-fluttering moments to appease this gentle reader. I would highly recommend a high-tea viewing party for when the second half drops in June as it made the experience quite charming, filled the room with gasps and giggles, and involved much debriefing.

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!

Check out this stunning review! I am so so blown away!

x live magically

feature image: https://saxonhenry.com/cinderella-in-the-south-of-france/

Just a Guy in the Woods Escaping an Eldritch Horror: author talk with Alexander James

April 2024

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, click the headings or scroll down to find:

  1. Podcast: Author Nook with Alexander James
  2. Dungeons and Dragons Podcast
  3. Captain’s Log: The UK can’t keep me away
  4. Review Corner

Podcast: Author Nook with Alexander James

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 I am joined by the wonderful Alexander James to talk about his debut novel, The Woodkin. We chat about hiking, finding a character’s voice, Dungeons and Dragons, and the darkness with teeth and a hair-raising giggle. So turn on all the lights, check behind the curtain, and settle in for a spooky-adjacent chat.

Website
Twitter
The Woodkin

The Woodkin

On the trail, anything can happen.

After secrets and betrayal shatter his marriage, Josh Mallory seeks solace on the Pacific Crest Trail, in the mountains of Washington. On the trail, he’s just another hiker. On the trail, he can outrun the memories.

But this backpacking trip swiftly turns grisly when he comes across the body of another hiker who seems to have fallen to his death. Josh is forced to detour through a small mountain town, where missing hiker posters flutter in the windows, and residents show no interest in hearing about the dead hiker. Unease that something is not quite right chases him back to the trail.

But night falls too quickly and in his haste to get away, he becomes trapped on a mountain ridge beneath the light of a full moon. Feeling more and more uneasy, Josh soon realizes that he may not be alone on the mountain, and begins to fear that, like the missing hikers, he won’t make it out alive.

Get your copy here

Dungeons and Dragons Podcast

The first three (of four) episodes of the Dungeons and Dragons podcast I was fortunate enough to be a part of are out for your viewing pleasure! Join MC, Alexander James (The Woodkin), Elijah Menchaca (The Glintchasers Series), me, and Jess as we play our leading lads and ladies and fight to restore our worlds and be the heroes we wrote about!

It was honestly an absolute blast, I’m so excited for the final episode to come out because it’s a goodie, but until then, enjoy!

Here are the Spotify links if you’d prefer to listen to the adventure. All episodes as well as audiobooks and exclusive author interviews can be found on CamCat Unwrapped’s channel.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

Captain’s Log: The UK can’t keep me away

Hay-on-Wye? more like “Yay”-on Wye

As many book lovers know, there is a book town. There is. It’s in Wales, and it was established by a guy (Richard Booth) who pronounced himself King on April Fool’s day some time in the 1960s and it stuck. His Majesty ruled his Kingdom with a kind heart and trusted bookmark, and the land was peaceful. Over the years, dozens of second hand bookshops cropped up and defined this Kingdom as one land full of a thousand worlds. For, as King Richard Booth decreed:

And when I say this was a town full of bookshops, I mean it. These weren’t even all of them, nor were they all of my favourites:

The Stone of Destiny

Speaking of Kings, I visited the stone that has witnessed the crowning of Kings since biblical times.

I’d like to say I did my research, but I went up to Perth, Scotland for a night on a whim and it was a three minute walk from my hotel. Some may call it fate, others destiny I suppose. Honestly, it was the most emotional I’ve ever been about a chunk of sandstone in my life. Do I have a picture of it? No, they didn’t allow photography so you’ll have to google it to see what I’m talking about.
Otherwise just imagine a weather-worn, time-stained sandstone block with two ancient iron rings on either side.

But, what is the Stone of Destiny/Stone of Scone, I hear you ask? Well, it’s the Stone that, legend has it, John used as a pillow in the Bible. The Stone that witnessed Egyptian royalty rise and fall. The Stone that was present for the coronation of Scottish Kings of old, and ever since the 13th century is now a key participant in all English monarch coronations – having a pride of place at the recent King Charles’s crowning.

This Stone is a symbol of power, monarchy, and Scotland.

It was stolen and smuggled across the border by four university students on Christmas 1950 when trapped in England for too long. It rallied a nation.

It is what I love about the UK: the tradition, the weight and majesty given to time-honored symbols, and the community drawn together by them.

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: https://steemit.com/poetry/@skyefox/a-man-in-the-woods-an-original-poem

Exploding Gowns and Interdimensional Travel: author spotlight with Elizabeth Chatsworth

March 2024

Welcome to March’s newsletter. If you showed up by accident but want to receive monthly content, please subscribe below:

Scroll down to find:

  • This Queen’s on Tour
  • Dungeons and Dragons Podcast
  • Podcast: Author Nook with Elizabeth Chatsworth
  • Captain’s Log: Flowers in her Hair
  • Biblioccult Feature
  • Interview by Elizabeth Chatsworth
  • Review Corner

This Queen’s on Tour

I went on a four-city book tour to celebrate the paperback release of Queen’s Catacombs, and I am so thankful to all who attended and all who helped pull these events off! These were the stops of my tour:

  • Canmore Public Library: Author Fireside Chat
    – books supplied by CafeBooks
  • Banff Public Library: Author event and exclusive pre-release of Queen’s Catacombs as well as a coloring competition.
    – books supplied by the Whyte Museum
  • Invermere High School guest lecture
  • SlowBurn Books author event: interview and signing

And here are some posts and pictures from the events!

A huge thank you to Slow Burn Books – the spiciest bookstore in Calgary – for hosting a series giveaway, a signing, and interviewing me for their blog! It always feels like going for a chat with dear friends when I pop in for a visit, so maybe next time I’ll bring the bubbly!

Dungeons and Dragons Podcast

As a long time DnD lover, this was an absolute dream come true. The ridiculously talented MC with CamCat Unwrapped created a Dungeons and Dragons mini series where myself and two other authors play our main characters to save their worlds with the help of the day-saving Jess! Never have I ever been more nervous or more excited.

It’s a four part series and so far the first episode is out. Check out the trailer below and then I’ve added the Youtube link and the Spotify link to episode 1: Into the Margins. I cannot believe the amount of work and heart that was put into this project, and it was such an honor to play along side such masterminds!

Podcast: Author Nook with Elizabeth Chatsworth

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 I am joined yet again by the incredible Elizabeth Chatsworth to discuss Grand Tour, the sequel to her gaslamp fantasy novel: The Brass Queen. If you haven’t seen or listened to our first chat yet, never fear! You can do so here:

Okay, all caught up? Excellent. Now, boil the kettle, lace up your corset (or straighten your Stetson) and join us as we talk sequels, exploding gowns, attracting opposites, and the feminine way to reclaim the globe.

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Grand Tour

The grass was always greener in another dimension.

In a fantastical steam-powered world, eccentric aristocrat and secret arms dealer, Miss Constance Haltwhistle, has been blackmailed into stealing alien artifacts from the crown heads of Europe. Only the shady but annoyingly handsome US spy, “Liberty” Trusdale, can help her execute her perfect palace heists. As Constance creates chaos and mayhem across the Continent, monstrous creatures are plotting an interdimensional invasion of Earth. Will Constance and Trusdale stop bickering long enough to end the war of the worlds before it starts?

If you enjoy stories inspired by HG Wells’s War of the Worlds, you’ll love this gaslamp romp across an alternate 1890s Europe where our bickering heroes may just be the bad guys.

order your copy here

Captain’s Log:

San Francisco

The flowers were in my hair this month as I stomped the San Francisco pavements with a dear friend of mine. We ate chowder in bread bowls, drank mai thais, explored Azkaban – sorry – Alcatraz, rode cable cars, and clocked at least a half marathon in steps each day. It was so wonderful to have the sun on my face again after this Canadian winter.

booksbooksbooks

I visited these two gorgeous bookstores while in San Fran

Biblioccult Feature

Interview by Elizabeth Chatsworth

Queens gotta stick together! Check out the delightful interview conducted by Elizabeth Chatsworth to celebrate the paperback release of Queen’s Catacombs 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: https://i0.wp.com/elizabethchatsworth.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/constancehires-878×1024-1.jpg?ssl=1

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

Shadow Weavers and Non-Believers: author talk with H.J.Reynolds

January 2024

Happy New Year, one and all! I hope 2024 finds you safe, healthy, and happy. I’m currently writing this wrapped up in blankets in front of the fire, doing my best to ward of the -30 degrees C snap we’ve got outside. It’s just too cold… so have a cuppa tea with me and let’s stay warm together.

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

  • Rose Petal Princess
  • Queen’s progress report
  • Queens on tour
  • Book Nook- Shadow Weavers and Non-Believers: author talk with H.J.Reynolds
  • Captain’s Log: Four Legged Friends and … Foes?
  • Review Corner

Want to receive monthly newsletters straight to your inbox?

Rose Petal Princess

The response has been amazing to this little book and now I’m able to keep the price at the reduced rate!

$10.00 CAD and free shipping worldwide!

Woohoo!

So if you would like a signed copy, please contact me here and I will get one on its way to you lickety split.

I would recommend this collection for 9+ year olds as the themes and stories are a tad on the dark side… (mwahahaha)

Queen’s Progress Report

A lot has happened in the last few years and a lot is on the way so I thought I’d give you a bit of an insight into the timeline I’m working with so you know when to fasten your seatbelts!

  • Queendom Come
    • Edits: as of this week it has just finished one round of edits so I am looking forward to gets those back (each book typically gets 3 rounds of edits with each round focusing on a different aspect of the novel).
    • Cover: We’ve also gone through the first round of cover design selection and I’ve sent back my feedback so we should have a cover within the next few months if all goes to plan!
    • Release Date: early 2025 with an official date announcement coming soon.
  • Le Tournoi des Reines (French translation of Contest of Queens)
    • Release Date: October 16, 2024
  • Mysteriously Titled Pirate Novel
    • Progress: Manuscript finished and currently editing and sharing with beta readers so that it’s good enough to send off to the publisher

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 and Collaboration with Invermere public library and highschool.
dates TBD

Book Nook

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

Grab a cup of tea and listen in as I chat with H.J.Reynolds about her debut novel Without a Shadow. Without a Shadow is a desert fantasy with shadow magic and those desperate to wield it. We chat about magic, science, and how to capture the moral greyness that is being human.

Without a Shadow officially hits the shelves April 9th 2024

Netgalley
Preorder

Without a Shadow


You can only teach your shadow one trick

Adlai Bringer remembers going to the desert market with her father: The colorful tents, the wink of gold, and her father’s shadow, black as night, as it moved of its own accord and stole whatever trinket she wanted. He called it the Shadow Game.

After her father disappears, Adlai keeps going back to the market determined to find some trace of him and stealing what she can with her shadow. Until one day she picks the wrong mark—someone who knows her little trick and tries to take her shadow for himself.

Everything Adlai thought she knew about her shadow is turned upside down, and her father’s disappearance takes on a new light as she’s forced to flee the city or risk being hunted. From the desert to the Shadow World to even more unlikely places, Adlai knows one thing for certain: her shadow is a gift worth killing for.

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Captain’s Log

Four Legged Friends

Dogs are the best.
As the new year ticked over and I started getting stuck into 2024, I had the privilege of hanging out with my brother’s dog, Billie. I know everyone says their dog is the best, but Billie really is the best. She came out skating with us and was getting the hang of some ice hockey moves.

I spent a few days out in Invermere and the entire lake froze solid. We had a few gorgeous days where we could skate for miles and miles before the snow set it. There’s nothing quite like it.

Coyotes are great at a distance.
This curious little guy followed me on my morning walk and made me realize I really need to brush up on my coyote knowledge. He seemed more playful than menacing, but I’ve seen the Road Runner cartoons and I know not to trust a coyote’s smile!

Nature: Breath’s Taker

I have a feeling 2024 is going to be a great year, and I hope it’s going well wherever you are. There is a lot to be thankful for already, and I hope you’ve found some moments of magic. If not, please borrow one of mine. My mum always said sharing was caring.

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! I got some great reviews this month, and another person with beef around Connor’s name… Maybe there’s a Connor Society I forgot to speak with before christening the character? Who knows!

x live magically

featured image from: https://wiccanow.com/

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

For the Love of Free eBooks

October 2023

Happy October! I know it’s not a wild opinion, but October truly is the best month of the year. A month of cozy clothes, warm blankets, and tasty drinks. Also, It means I get to watch Over the Garden Wall again.

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

  • Exciting News: Free Ebooks!
  • Who Run the Worlds author panel
  • Captain’s Log: Portside Out Starboardside Home
  • Book Nook Podcast: Spooky Edition
  • Review Corner

Exciting News: Free Ebooks

Who puts the eee! in 200 fr-ee e-books? The Cavalcade Club of course! I’ve joined their three day event along with hundreds of other amazing authors. Between October 13 and 15, grab as many freebees as you can here:

FREE EBOOKS

As you can imagine, with 200 titles to choose from, you can definitely spend some time going through them all. I’ve shared a few of my favs below to save you the scrolling. You might notice a familiar face!

In solidarity with this awesome sale, the ebook of Queen’s Catacombs will be $1.99 from the 13th to the 15th as well! How neat is that?
Get yours wherever you get your ebooks, or click the image below to claim your copy, and if all else fails, click here.

Who Run the Worlds – author panel

For those with sharp eyes, you may have noticed two other familiar names in the list of free ebooks. Aamna Qureshi and Brandie June have been repeat offenders in this newsletter and we had a great chat last year with Dana Claire about world building. Here it is if you missed it:

Everything in Moderation
(except books, of course)

Speaking of author panels, I was lucky enough to moderate CamCat’s Mastering the Power Within panel at the School Library Journal’s Fall Day of Dialogue on October 12th. The video will be up within the next few weeks so I’ll post the link in November’s newsletter, but I encourage you to put these authors and their books on your radar now (if you haven’t already).

  • Brielle D. Porter: Jester
  • H.J. Reynolds: Without a Shadow
  • Morgan Shamy: The Stricken

Captain’s Log: P.O.S.H

Larch Hikes and Mountain Vistas

There must something in the air, because lately nature has been pulling out all the stops. Here are some of my favourite pics from recent hikes (the first one’s just from my drive to work!)

Full Bore and to the Horizon

One of the activities I missed most about being in the UK was kayaking. Now, before you flood my inbox with cries of: “but they have kayaks in Scotland!” hold those horses because, I know. Yes, I could have gone kayaking abroad, but I didn’t, so I missed it. Plus, there’s something so wonderful about launching your own vessel into the water.

Meet the H.M.S Flounder. She’s a beaut alright.

It was the most star-aligning day, because I’d driven past this stretch of waterway dozen of times and always thought to myself: man, I want to sail in there. So when my dear friend Kate agreed to go on a water-borne adventure, we packed our vessels into and onto my beetle (Ray), and set out. Did I have a location? Nope. A Google of the area did not reveal any boat docks. HOWEVER, we picked a spot on the map where the road pulled alongside the water, turned off the highway and trundled down an ever-narrowing dirt road. At the very end fortune shone her golden rays upon us for there it was! The most perfect wee boat ramp for us to use! I couldn’t have planned it better! We were the only ones on the water, and didn’t have to tramp through marshland and brambles to do it. What a treat!

Book Nook Podcast: Spooky Edition

Happy spooky season! Tis the season for scary movies, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and dry leaf crunching. Why not cozy up in a blanket cocoon with a warm mug of tea and join me as I chat with fellow authors about their spooky 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!

x live magically

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