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Sometimes when the right man finds the right woman, things still aren’t quite right. Can a piece of paper fix it, or ruin it?
Chasing Love Clumsy Little Hearts Trilogy Book 3 by Julie Navickas Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sometimes when the right man finds the right woman, things still aren’t quite right. Can a piece of paper fix it, or ruin it?
When Cole Johnson was eight-years-old, he married Rose Prescott. Never mind that the aisle was made of holiday table runners, she wore an old lace curtain, and her brother performed the ceremony in a musty basement. Twenty-four years later, Cole is more in love than ever and ready to wed Rose for real. This time, it’ll be at an exquisite wedding venue and the minister will know how to read. But that’s not all. He wants to give Rose the life he’s always dreamed of: a big house with a picket fence, twin boys, a family dog, and a rock-solid 401K. But Rose doesn’t seem to want any of it—not even a little. Because it’s not at all the future she covets. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The thought of a hefty mortgage payment and a minivan full of children isn’t just suffocating… it’s insufferable. As the wedding approaches, Cole grows uneasy and can’t help but feel like Rose is hiding something. Despite his suspicions, the day of their wedding arrives without a hitch. The question is, how will the day end? Pick up your copy of Chasing Love, the epic conclusion to the Clumsy Little Hearts trilogy. While each story can be read as a standalone, common characters are woven throughout each book. Julie Navickas’ stories leave no shortage of heart-stopping plot twists, competing emotions, and soul-crushing decisions. Get your copy today!
Julie Navickas is a best-selling and award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University. She is a mom of three and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for twelve years.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Unravel the secrets to crafting a masterful magic system from best-selling fantasy author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Whether using magic as flavor or as an essential piece of plot, this book will guide fantasy authors, from new to experienced, through the delicate layers of creating, utilizing, and mastering magic systems.
In this book, we will… *Discuss the schools, laws, and spectrum of magic *Learn to build individual pieces of a magic system *Dig into magic’s influence on worldbuilding *Examine different types and styles of magic *Develop and polish original magic systems
With workshops, work pages, and reference materials included, this succinct one-and-done guide to crafting the magical elements of the fantasy genre is a must-have for speculative fiction authors.
“If you haven’t had the fortune of attending one of Charlie’s writing classes (which I have), this is the next best thing. Book of Magic contains so much wit, wisdom, and practical suggestions for helping any beginning author, or veteran, make their magic systems rise up and be noticed. She uses expert examples from other authors you know as well as teaching a masterclass on developing magic systems from scratch based on methods she’s invented. You just may need this book to help find out what kind of magic-based diseases might be festering in your neighbor’s cabbages.” —Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg. She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at http://www.charlienholmberg.com.
In the brainstorming process, I almost always discover my stories’ magic first. Whether it’s a full-fledged magic system (like in The Paper Magician) or just a spark of magic (like in Followed by Frost), my brain loves the fantasy element of fantasy novels and beelines straight to that. I think I was in a conference or the like and the idea of writing a craft book on magic came to mind—I jotted it down in the bottom corner of my notes. But of course, I didn’t have TIME to write something like that. It was just an idea, but it’s an idea that liked to revisit my brain once in a while.
When I got an idea for what I could include in the book, I would jot it down. I teach a class at conferences about magic systems, but I didn’t think that would be enough for my own craft book—I wanted to have things in there that were new and fresh, so I tried to brainstorm in that direction. My brain would collect ideas here and there; record them in a notebook or on my phone. And then at the beginning of the year, in between other fiction projects, I thought, “Well, why don’t I just outline it?”
I found I enjoyed it. I outlined it and then just brain-dumped my thoughts under every section. I went into the PowerPoint for my magic class and pulled it in. I know workshops really help to cement an idea, so I wanted to include those in the book as well, even designing them so readers can write directly onto the page as they go. Oliver Heber Books had reached out to me for the possibility of publishing previously, so the route was set!
What can we expect from you in the future?
I don’t have any more craft books on the docket right now, but I’m full steam ahead on fantasy fiction! I’ll be completing my Whimbrel House series (book 4, Wizard of Most Wicked Ways, releases March 4th, 2025, and I’ll draft book 5 next year), and I’m releasing a romantasy duology called The Shattered King, with book one coming out next fall. After those series are finished, I’ll be releasing a historical series—the first book is called The Hedge Witch’s Cure for Marriage, and I’m very excited for it!
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
So in Charlie N. Holmberg’s Book of Magic, I have several appendices for writers to utilize. One of these appendices is a list of commonly used magic in fantasy novels. This list can be used in three ways: 1) choosing one of these magics to ensure an easier learning curve for magic for the reader, 2) avoiding these magics to encourage a more original magic system, or 3) twisting one of the magics to make it your own.
I was thinking about this while playing Final Fantasy XVI with my husband, and I thought, okay, what if I took my own advice? What if I took something off this list and did #3 (twisted it)?
So I chose healing magic. How would I find a way to make it uniquely mine? And I came up with an idea that really stuck with me. That idea had babies with Final Fantasy XVI (the MMC is inspired by Joshua Rosfield), and then playdates with [ahem, my favorite novel] The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon and To Poison a King by S.G. Prince. And I drafted that book in fifteen days. It wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye in May and it existed in July.
So . . . check out that appendix, I guess. It’s MAGICAL (pun intended).
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
I created this book to help other fantasy authors craft fun, believable magic systems, but I think it would be a fun read for those who just enjoy reading fantasy. Sometimes it’s fun to peek behind the curtain. 😉
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Paper and ink to set the reader at ease, a bright lilac to inspire creativity, sharp lemon to mimic magic, and freshly cut grass for theme (that one will make sense after you read it).
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
Obviously one cannot write an adequate book on magic systems without talking about Brandon Sanderson.
Once upon a time, I hired a good friend of mine as a personal assistant/head editor. Her name is Kristy, and she’s one of the most competent people I know. I wasn’t utilizing her full skillset, so when a bigger, better job offer for her came along, we parted ways amicably.
Said job offer happened to be for Dragonsteel, which is Brandon’s company.
In Charlie N. Holmberg’s Book of Magic, I wanted to address Brandon Sanderson’s laws of magic, but I wanted to make sure I did it in a super legal way. So I contacted Kristy simply because she’s a fountain of knowledge and asked her what I was legally aloud to quote, and she told me. And she said if I wasn’t sure, I could send it into Dragonsteel for review.
“Who would I send it to?”
“Me.”
So that made it pretty darn easy to get review eyeballs on it 😀
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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Sunscreen Shower A Detective Kev Dixit Novel 2 by J.P. Rieger Genre: Crime Mystery, Dark Comedy
Baltimore Police Detective Kev Dixit is being stalked by a psychopath. He’s also saving lives and solving crimes. And he’s late for dinner. Dixit temporarily heads the Criminal Investigation Division, a real stress inducer. Aided by humorless partners and eccentric high school friends, he investigates two vexing cases. Spouses are found shot to death in their home. Murder-suicide is the obvious call, considering one spouse had just cleaned out the couple’s joint accounts the day before. But all is not as it seems when Forensics takes a closer look at the victims’ DNA. Later, Dixit and his assigned mentee investigate a car bombing. What kind of person would viciously murder a likeable gym rat? Oh, and that murder-suicide. It reminded Dixit of an earlier investigation, back when he was a mere newbie detective. One where he worked tirelessly to solve a string of increasingly vicious serial attacks on single women. One where he barely escaped with his life.
J. Paul (J.P) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. He’s the author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). Clonk! was a finalist in 2023’s CIBA Mark Twain Award for Humor and Satire. He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a 2013 mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. His third novel, The Big Comb Over, a slipstream fantasy/ comedy of manners, was a finalist in 2023’s Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Sunscreen Shower, a Detective Kev Dixit Novel is Paul’s fourth novel and a sequel to Clonk! Paul and his spouse lives in Towson, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Chek out his website: jpaulrieger.net.
I’m still learning as a writer. There’s something new to learn every day. But I can at least provide some practical advice for the new author. First, only write when you feel in the mood, when it will be a fun experience. There’s no point in forcing yourself to engage in a “creative” activity when you’re not in a creative mood. If your writing becomes so popular that you find yourself writing constantly, that’s fantastic and its own reward. Until then, chill out and keep it fun! Don’t get obsessed with outlines. If, like me, you do better by writing down various “scenes,” or perhaps series of phrases or snippets of proposed dialog, go for it. Just let the novel organize itself. Enjoy what you are doing, your way! Write your book in any order you please. If you’re in the mood to work on a specific section or “scene,” just do it. Don’t give away your book to people who have not asked for it. I know, this is a tough proposition. Your inclination is to the contrary. But giving away your unrequested book virtually guarantees that the recipient will avoid you in the future. Not because they dislike you. Only because they haven’t read your book and would be embarrassed to admit it. Or worse, some may have actually read it and disliked it. Giving a book away only to someone who requests it is a safe strategy. Lastly, the new author must accept the possibility that, besides a loved one or two, no one may actually read their book. I know. Quite depressing, right? The novice must ask: “If absolutely no one reads what I am writing, would I continue writing?” If the answer is not, “yes,” the novice writer should consider some other artistic outlet.
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Celeste epitomizes high school success: top grades, head cheerleader, even dating the star quarterback. Life couldn’t be better with a picture-perfect family and college on the horizon. But as she drifts off to sleep on the eve of her 17th birthday, Celeste never fathoms waking up over 1,000 years in the future.
Transported to a world both unfamiliar and strangely linked to her own, Celeste discovers she’s the heir to a royal lineage and her mother is a long-lost princess. Yet as secrets unravel and familial rifts emerge, the once harmonious facade of her family begins to splinter.
Navigating impossible choices, Celeste’s journey becomes a quest for self-discovery and strength. In the chaos, she discovers the power within her identity, the importance of family, and the treasures of genuine friendships. Embark on Celeste’s journey as she boldly faces the mysteries ahead, shaping her fate with courage and unwavering determination.
Nina has always been creative, be it art, theatre, film – anything but singing – you don’t want to hear that! She earned her bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Military Science from Eastern Michigan University where she spent most of her time either on stage, rappelling down buildings, or working one of three jobs. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, like so many other actors, in pursuit of her dreams.
She started writing short stories in 2008. Since then, her dreams have gotten bigger and her storytelling ability has gotten better. Her first novel Awaken (the Blood Angel Series) was published in 2012. Since then, she has completed the Blood Angel Series with Beginnings, Revenge, and Pursuit, published the SECTOR C trilogy (The Chosen, The Hunted, and The Bridge), released a stand-alone interactive fantasy novel called The Beast Within, and just published Finding Everdal a portal-fantasy novel which takes readers over 1,000 years into the future.
In her day-to-day life, Nina is a North Alabama real estate agent, but she has done everything from perform on stage, television, and film to firing an M16 machine gun, jumped out of a C130 aircraft, and given birth – TWICE – but she always returns to her writing.
Though she’ll forever be a Michigan girl at heart, she now lives in the south with her husband and two beautiful children. If she’s not working on her latest story, you can find her playing with her kids, lounging with a good book, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to Starbucks coffee.
Disclosure: As part of the Amazon affiliate program, I earn a commission for all sales connected with the links within this post. All profits earned are used for the purposes of writing, editing, designing, formatting, and publishing more books.
Celeste epitomizes high school success: top grades, head cheerleader, even dating the star quarterback. Life couldn’t be better with a picture-perfect family and college on the horizon. But as she drifts off to sleep on the eve of her 17th birthday, Celeste never fathoms waking up over 1,000 years in the future.
Transported to a world both unfamiliar and strangely linked to her own, Celeste discovers she’s the heir to a royal lineage and her mother is a long-lost princess. Yet as secrets unravel and familial rifts emerge, the once harmonious facade of her family begins to splinter.
Navigating impossible choices, Celeste’s journey becomes a quest for self-discovery and strength. In the chaos, she discovers the power within her identity, the importance of family, and the treasures of genuine friendships. Embark on Celeste’s journey as she boldly faces the mysteries ahead, shaping her fate with courage and unwavering determination.
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Autographed Copy of Finding Everdal
Teen/YA Fantasy Novel by Nina Soden
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Bryan Asbury was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. Growing up, he was heavily inspired by Stephen King, as well as “Tales From the Crypt” and “The Twilight Zone.” He is currently a regular contributor for “The Chilling Tales For Dark Nights Network” and has had five of his stories adapted into podcast productions. He’s been featured in the Pueblo Chieftain, a local southern Colorado newspaper, as well as local bookstores and libraries, and recently his book can be found on the shelves of Barnes and Noble in Colorado. His writing style is distinctive and often strays from traditional horror by also combining comedy and suspense with a focus on twisted endings. He continues to try and expand his portfolio and aspires to eventually adapt his stories into movies or television shows.
Check out our interview on YouTube:
NOTE: The Correct Spelling of Bryan’s last name is ASBURY not ASHBURY!
Check out His books below!
(Click on the cover images to order your copy)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
Bryan Asbury’s first collection of short stories features four of his best “spine-chilling tales” (The Pueblo Chieftain). He often combines suspense, thriller, horror and comedy into one, that truly delivers a unique writing style that is all his own. His stories have even been adapted into full-scale podcast productions that have been aired globally. These tales will leave you with an unsettling feeling long after the last page.
After a successful attorney has a chance encounter with a homeless man outside of a grocery store, his life takes a tragic and disturbing turn. A terrifying tale about the darkside of giving and receiving.
Why I Chose to Start a Fiction Podcast as an Author by Alyanna Poe
As an indie horror author, I’m always looking for new ways to promote my work. Having watched the first season of Only Murders in the Building, it got me thinking. There are people that listen to true crime podcasts so thoroughly that they have maps, notes, and theories about the cases they listen to. Only problem is, I’ve got no connections to get details about cases, but I do have a head full of stories.
This birthed the idea of the Indicted Fiction Podcast. I thought, “True crime but make it fiction.” I didn’t want to use the same format as a true crime podcast because who wants to listen to a fake case? Not to mention, the idea allowed for many mistakes. I couldn’t imagine writing a fake crime and investigation just to have a listener tell me it’s not possible and the whole case is clearly a sham. So came the audio diary idea.
Season one of Indicted Fiction is called “Adam’s Murder.” Can you guess what it’s about? Each episode of the podcast is a chapter of the book I wrote under the same name, and once the last podcast episode airs, the book will be published. Abigail Drummer must work through her grief as she investigates the murder of her brother, keeping an audio diary as she points a finger at everyone she knows. I play the character I wrote, Abigail Drummer. While planning out the idea, I figured an audio diary format leaves me so much creative space. Listeners have told me that she has a quirky awkwardness about her youth and that she’s very relatable and emotional. I’ve never taken an acting or voice over class, and I think the only reason I’m able to convey this emotion is because I wrote the story and it’s so close to me. In 2020 I lost my own brother. In Adam’s Murder I worked through a lot of grief and feelings of guilt, and narrating that work only amplified my emotions. I think in episode three you can actually hear me crying.
The benefit of narrating your own story is that you understand where to emphasize the words, where to show emotion, and how your character sounds. Abby is awkward. She’s introverted and so unsure about the world around her. Sure, a voice actor would be able to convey this, but I think my listeners/readers are not only making a connection to Abby but also to me.
Another great benefit is, I was able to do this on a budget, and I can promote this podcast in places I could never promote my books because it’s free. Listeners get a taste of my writing and then can check out my other books or buy the book once it’s published. Not to mention, the podcast is sort of acting as a book launch, building excitement for the publication of the book.
So far, despite having a mic that’s not great and a set up that would make any voice actor cringe, I’ve gotten great feedback. Every week people are excited for a new episode, and I’m so proud of myself for having spread myself into new territory as an author.
I think any writer could benefit from a fiction podcast. Whether you do a short story per week, add sound effects, or narrate from third person, it’s all doable.
For anyone interested, Indicted Fiction: Adam’s Murder is available to read on my blog and to listen to on my website, YouTube, and Spotify. And if all goes well, season two of Indicted Fiction will be available to my patrons on Patreon only and will follow a serial killer in prison telling her stories of murder and why she did it.
Author Alyanna Poe: an author from Northern California with a knack for horror. Poe has been writing since a young age and self-published her first horror novel at eighteen years old. Many ask what her real name is, only to be surprised that she is a born Poe with relations to the great Edgar Allan Poe. She frequently posts interviews with small businesses and authors like herself, short fiction, and articles about writing and marketing to her website authoralyannapoe.com
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books, editing, cover design, etc.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Mirror of Emotions is a melange of every phase that life encounters you with. This book shall take you on the erratic path on this journey of life and readers can expect an exhilarated persona of themselves disentangling the complexities they keep battling with during different phases of life.
Ali Ashhar is poet and content writer currently residing in Kanpur, India. He is the award-winning author of poetry collection, Mirror of Emotions. He has co-authored three international anthologies. He also contributes his poems and articles to literary journals and newspapers. His works have been published in Eve Poetry Magazine, Indian Periodical, Indian Review, My Voice Canada and Good Morning Kashmir.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
No Way Home
A Christine Stewart Time Travel Adventure Book 1
by Christy Cooper-Burnett
Genre: Time Travel, SciFi, Historical Fantasy
2020 California Author Project Winner – Adult Fiction
2020 PenCraft Award Winner – Science Fiction
“An action-packed time-travel adventure that will leave you thirsting for the sequel.” –Sublime Book Review
“A brilliant and thought-provoking book that readers who love tales of time travel will find fascinating.” –Authors Reading
Christine Stewart is a regular woman just doing her job when she gets stranded in history. When she gets up for the day, her plan is simple: go to work, travel back in time to the year 1867 in Oklahoma to deport a cyber-criminal, then head back to her time in 2070 Los Angeles and get ready to go on vacation with her son, Michael.
Then the system goes down and she-and dozens of other transporters around the world-are stranded in the past with minimal training and no supplies.
Just when she thinks things can’t get any more dangerous, she is cast further back in time and thousands of miles away.
As her goals shift from simply getting home to something much more dire to all of humanity, Christine must step outside of herself, work as part of a team, and ultimately make the choice between what it easy and what is right. Even if it costs her everything-including her one chance of ever getting home.
An exiled prisoner. A desperate woman. A time travel agent willing to break the rules.
Malcolm Aldred is starting over in 1868, Oklahoma. There’s just one problem—he’s an exiled prisoner from 2070.
In 2071, Los Angeles, housewife Hannah Cole is desperate to escape her abusive husband, and begs Cyber Criminal Enforcement Agent Christine Stewart to send her somewhere, anywhere, in history. When Christine agrees to send Hannah to 1868, neither woman has any idea the events that sets in motion.
Malcolm and Hannah adapt to pioneer life in an untamed world full of danger and unimaginable hardships, but falling for each other was never part of the plan. When a deadly hunter tracks Hannah to 1868, fate intervenes and catapults her back to Colonial America, threatening to destroy their future before it ever begins.
Can Christine save Hannah in time or will they both be lost to history forever?
With the country under the threat of war, a group of time-traveling government agents devise a risky plan to keep their families safe. But transporting hundreds of years to the past and blending in may prove much more dangerous than they expected.
Cyber Criminal Enforcement Agent Christine Stewart has been to the past before and thinks she knows what to expect. She couldn’t be more wrong.
Life in the eighteenth century is anything but ideal, especially when they learn a rogue agent with plans to strike it rich follows them back in time. Armed with a modern-day weapon, the agent may disrupt the timeline in the most disastrous way and alter history as they know it.
Now they’re refugees in their own homeland, and how they proceed will determine their fate. Will they crash and burn in their race to stop the defector before it’s too late?
Christy Cooper-Burnett is an award-winning author based in California with a degree in Administration of Justice. After retiring early from the new home construction industry, she now divides her time between northern and southern California.
She has one grown son who inspired her to write her award-winning debut novel, No Way Home. She began her writing career later in life, but once she started she couldn’t stop. Her work focuses on creating relatable stories and characters that transcend genres and encourage readers to imagine what they would do if thrown into the unique, imaginative situations her protagonists end up in.
Christy’s debut novel, No Way Home, was the recipient of the 2020 California Author Project award in the Adult Fiction category, the 2020 PenCraft Award in the Science Fiction category, a 2021 Literary Titan Gold Medal Award and a finalist position in the 2021 International Book Awards, Science Fiction category. Her second novel, Finding Home released June 17, 2021, and early praise has already garnered several five-star reviews and her second Literary Titan Gold Medal Award. The third book in the Christine Stewart Time Travel Adventure series, Escaping Home, is an Indies Today recommended read and is set to launch on November 18, 2021.
You can learn more about Christy, subscribe to her mailing list for news and book deals or contact
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell us something about yourself and how you became an author?
I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on. My mother and grandmother were avid readers, and my grandmother was also an editor. Despite my lifelong love of books, I didn’t consider writing until I was in my late 50’s. I had a dream about a woman trapped in the past and in my dream, I was typing the story on my grandmother’s old typewriter. The dream stayed with me into the following day, and I mentioned it to my son. He thought it sounded like a great story and suggested I write a book based on the plot. I had never considered writing, but with his encouragement I started to put together an outline. I wrote on my lunch hours at work, and on weekends. When I had a story put together, I knew I should have a professional editor give it a once over. My friends were eager to read it, and I wanted to have the best version of it to give them. The editor I used was a former acquisitions editor for a publisher and told me it ticked all the boxes, and in her previous position she would have picked up my story. She encouraged me to send it out to small presses who accepted unsolicited manuscripts. No one was more surprised than me when I received four offers for the book. I eventually signed with a small publisher in Texas, Black Rose Writing. I have since published two more books in the series with them and just signed a contract for the first book in a new series, due out next September.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I signed my first contract with Black Rose Writing. It was a surreal moment for me, and one that will stay with me forever. It was the best feeling in the world to know that my book was entertaining enough for a publisher to take a chance on with an unknown author.
Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
Since my books are part of a trilogy with the same characters, all of them! After three books with these characters, I feel I know them so well, I can imagine all of them translating to the screen.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in No Way Home, Finding Home and Escaping Home?
The protagonist, Christine Stewart was the most crucial for me. She is a regular, forty-something woman just doing her job when extraordinary circumstances turn her world upside down. She is somewhat anti-social by nature, so having to make connections to stay alive goes against every cell in her being. But she knows in order to get home and see her son again, she will do whatever it takes. By the end of No Way Home, she has evolved. It remains a daily struggle for her, but she tries to make a change for the better. She found a best friend for the first time since she was a young girl and learns to put someone else first. Christine has a need to try to save everyone, but in the final installment of the series, Escaping Home, she comes full circle and gets her happy ending. Just not in a way she ever expected.
What can we expect form you in the future?
I’ve just signed a contract for a new book which will be out next September. It is another time travel series, packed with adventure and action. Without giving away too much, here is a little teaser.
They always say, “Be careful what you wish for.”
I wish I had been careful.
I could’ve easily sold my time travel technology for billons and walked away. Instead, I chose to take the elite on vacations deep into the past, to a time and place of their choice.
But when a big-time motion picture company hired me, I sold my soul.
What was supposed to be a few days in the nineteenth century with two of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities goes horribly awry. Now America’s hottest starlet is dead, and Jack the Ripper is on the loose in modern-day America.
And it’s all my fault.
I was foolish enough to let the most ruthless serial killer in history slip out of the past. Am I smart enough to send him packing?
Is there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Wo would that be and why?
Actually, Tom McCaffrey, the best-selling author of The Claire Trilogy (The Wise Ass, An Alien Appeal, Kissing My Ass Goodbye) is a dear friend of mine. I have access to his brain and pick it often. Not only is he a very talented writer, but he is one of the funniest people I know, and an all-around good guy. Every writer needs a “Tom”.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Without a World (Kirasu Rising Book 1) by Kristen Illarmo
Genre: YA Science Fiction
A dying planet. A mythical new world.
Miranda struggles through each day in the Trash Lands, scraping for food and water, wishing she could blend into the sea of ash. The best part of her day is working a meaningless job in a place where people pretend she doesn’t exist.
Dismayed to learn her mother was right, Earth will get sucked into a black hole, Miranda must trust in skills she never knew she had to get to a place she refused to believe existed.
But when they learn the black hole is no natural phenomenon, Miranda can’t turn her back on the suffering of Earth, and saving it could cost more than she ever knew.
Kristen Illarmo is a young adult, science fiction author driven to write stories with strong female characters in the backdrop of crumbling societies. She proudly calls New Orleans home, a fact that may only change if the perfect beach town reveals itself.
When she’s not toiling to improve efficiency in local government in her day job, she’s writing about dark possible futures and thinking about the importance of the choices we make. The prequel to Without A World, Behind the Red Door, is available now at kristenillarmo.com.
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How to find time to write as a parent?
I started writing Without A Worldin 2017 when my son was four, and my daughter was seven. I finished it in the summer of 2021, there were breaks and even other books written, but it certainly wasn’t fast.
It has gotten easier as they have gotten older, but it’s still hard since I also have a full-time job. I knew there was no way I could follow Stephen King’s advice and complete a first draft in three months, so I gave myself permission to work at a much slower pace. However, the other side of that coin is that I produce better work when I write consistently. That means I have to push myself to find snatches of time throughout the week to write.
I can’t write every day, and I make a point not to beat myself up about that, but I need to write at least 4 days a week to complete a competent draft. I have ambitions to be one of those people who wakes up at 5 am and writes for an hour or more before work. But waking up early makes me so cranky that I have never made it past the ambition. Instead, I aim to put the kids to bed by 8:30 and start writing right away.
Rather than watching the clock, I stick to the goal of writing a 1,500-word scene. I might not be able to bang out that many words before my brain turns to mush and my eyes start closing on their own, but I can usually get close, and even a start of a scene is better than nothing. Writing with kids and a full-time job is no picnic, but the small starts are what will keep you going.
Have 15 minutes? Start the scene. I also always leave a few lines about what should come next, so I don’t have to start with a blank page when I next pick it up.
Nina Soden 