pretty pictures

It’s Flare Cover Reveal Day!

Over a dozen blogs have already shared this awesome cover today. Many thanks to the hosts who kindly offered to do so. Now it’s my turn!

Without further ado, here’s the cover for Flare, Book Two of The Sunless World, an epic fantasy series with a steampunk flavor.

Isn’t she awesome?

Flare COVER REVEAL

Rafe and Isabella are back

The mages of old saved their world, but left it in eternal darkness. Now it’s time to bring back the light.

After two years of training his magical gifts, Rafe returns home to a land wracked by war. Desperate states struggle to protect their resources of luminous quartz. Magic pulses and earthquakes devastate a world on the brink of extinction.

Rafe’s old enemy Karzov has gathered a band of prodigies obedient to his will. He seeks the power of the ancient mages for an audacious and sinister purpose. It’s up to Rafe and his ally, Isabella, to stop him—and undo the mistakes of the past to put their world right again.

Flare will be out in September 2016, for sure! (But I’m really hoping to make it August *crosses fingers*).

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And the winner is…

I asked, you prompted. I wrote, you voted.

And the fairy tale flashfic that won is… To Grandma’s House, based on the prompt Red Riding Hood/boxes suggested by DKoren!

So, here is my fun idea for the winning story: an adorable chibi Red Riding Hood struggling with a stack of boxes (watch out, Red! I think there’s a wolf off-screen!):

redridinghoods

This super-cute chibi was created by yogurtm, whose work you can see here!

Cover Reveal: Flux

I’m currently in the middle of line edits for Flux, the short novel that takes place between Books 1 and 2 of The Sunless World series. Aside from a few scenes, the bulk of the story is told from Sable’s POV. Not only did I get to explore this interesting character’s back story, but I got to open up another part of the sunless world which looks very different from Oakhaven, Blackstone, and Ironheart.

Check out the cover and blurb below.

Flux PROMO

Actress. Businesswoman. Trend-setter.

Before she was all these, Sable Monarique was the timid, awkward daughter of a disgraced family. After leaving home and crossing the Divide, she reinvented herself in Oakhaven.

But now it’s time to return home.

Her friend, Rafe, is a mage newly come into his powers and in desperate need of training. Sable brings him to the domed city of Monaria, with its giant trees, massive platforms, and impressive magic. While he studies, she works to rebuild her family’s fortunes.

But Sable’s not the only one who changed in the last seven years. New families have risen to prominence. Conspiracies are hatched in the dark. An old flame isn’t the man she loved and left. Sable must navigate troubled waters, before her entire city falls apart.

Coming in early 2016!

Cover Reveal: The Adventure of Creation

I’m thrilled to be part of the big cover reveal for The Adventure of Creation, a Think Sideways anthology presented by Holly Lisle. I’m honored to have my short story, Restoration, included in this collection. Here’s what the editors of the anthology have to say about it:

In May, the moderators of Holly’s Forum (that’s us), approached her with the idea of an anthology. With the 5th anniversary of “How to Think Sideways” drawing nearer, it seemed a good idea to match the release date with the anniversary. Holly agreed to the idea and even added a monetary prize for the top stories. After a very, very difficult selection process, we settled on thirty-five stories. It’s a pity that we couldn’t take them all. The scores were so close, we had lengthy discussions and finally went five stories over the 30 story limit we had planned.

With the stories selected and in Holly’s hands to pick a winner, we are proudly presenting to you:

The Adventure of Creation

The Think Sideways Anthology #1 presented by Holly Lisle

35 marvelous short stories by gifted new writers

Follow a girl to the Below-World to slay the Sharkshadow, or help a timid girl to overcome the destructive criticism of her art teacher. Witness a solitary drone on Mars or a naive homunculus struggle to become human. Sew with a mother who lost her daughter in a quilt, defeat super-villains in a bank robbery with an unlikely superhero, or join a great mage in the fire.

In thirty-five imaginative stories, emerging authors present the diversity of their creativity. Each author found a different angle for the unifying theme: The Adventure of Creation. Witness the talent nurtured by writing teacher Holly Lisle. For the 5th anniversary of her first big writing course, How to Think Sideways, this anthology features the best of her talented students in a great variety of genres.

The eBook and print book will be released on the 24th of July. Help us spread the word. If the anthology is successful, we might do another one next year.