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!
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.
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.
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!
- Contest of Queens: completed!
- Queen’s Catacombs: comes out March 14th 2023! (preorder here)
- Mysteriously Titled Finale: in progress!
If you’re interested in following along on my travel journey, I recommend following me on Instagram: @jordanhbartlett
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!
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:
Jordan H. Bartlett 