This June the latest World Indie Warriors Brochure was released.
Indie Books
The brochure is packed full of indie books, their blurbs, where to buy and how to connect with the authors. But, thats not all…
Indie Services
There is a directory of service providers. These are small indie business offering services that support the indie community. It’s a great resource to discover cover designers, book formatters, editors, coaches and marketing.
Indie Products
The brochure also showcases indie businesses that make and sell their own products. This enables you to discover unique and custom items that can’t be bought in mainstream shops.
Articles
The brochure is full of useful information from start to finish. There are tips for readers and an interview with a book blogger. There is an interview with the author who won a book cover contest. And you can discover what World Indie Warriors is all about.
It’s FREE to download
If you’ve read this far, you probably want to know how to get your hands on it.
The brochure is to showcase World Indie Warrior members. To join you just need to follow them on Facebook or Instagram – they are working on a forum.
They do lots of different activities to support the indie community. For example, this month, they are doing CampNaNo on Instagram and have a goal tracker on Facebook. Being part of a team is a great way to stay motivated towards achieving whatever creative goal you set.
If you check their blog you’ll find details on how to get your content included in the next edition.
I awas lucky enough to win this book. I’m so glad I did as it was a brilliant fast paced read.
Beginning
The story starts with a prologue giving an insight into the MCs background. She grew up with no idea where she came from and adopted by a loving couple (two dads). She has good memories of her adopted life but just before starting university, they died. No she is on her own.
The story starts with a seemingly ordinary day, walking onto campus to meet up with her boyfriend. But, when she arrives at the art room studio, he’s making out with his ex-girlfriend.
She runs to the library and meets her ‘library friend’. They have a heart to heart but when they separate Wren is knocked out and abducted.
Middle
When Wren comes around she is in a huge house and tries to escape. She falls down the stairs and injures her leg and is now a prisoner in one of the bedrooms.
Her abductors are not ordinary people they have powers like being able to read her thoughts. The leader of the group is Darshan. They claim they are the good guys and say her ‘library friend’ is dangerous. Wren doesn’t trust them and as soon as her legs is healed she attempts to escape again.
Once free she goes to the library to look for her friend, but she’s not there. She doesn’t feel safe and decides to go to her ex’s flat. She tells him what happened, he apologises for cheating and lets her stay. They order pizza but when he opens the door a group of attackers enter and kill him like they are vampires.
The attackers can also read her mind. They tell her that her library friend sent them to protect her from the abductors. She is to go with them. She is reluctant but goes. When she gets to their van she tries to escape. Luckily, the abductors arrive. She sees the two groups face off using their powers and is rescued. Her ribs are injured by she refuses their healing help as she doesn’t trust them.
Back at the house she was being held at, she is now curious to know more. She learns their powers could help bring down the wall in her mind and recover her lost memories. She stays because to discover who she is, is something she’s longer for.
During are stay she gets to know her captors better. She is not treated like a prisoner. On one occasion, Darshan takes her on a day out. The chemistry builds between them. He leaves her for a moment to get a drink and a psi attacks by controlling her mind and causing her to put her life in danger. Darshan saves her and they kiss.
Ending
Wes is the experienced psi trying to bring down the wall in her mind, he out ranks Darshan. She’s relaxing at the house and exhausted after one of their sessions where the wall came partially down. Now memories are returning… but, she is abducted again.
She’s taken down secret tunnels to meet with another group where all the jigsaw pieces come together.
Thoughts
This is a fast paced book and I was quickly sucked in. Wren is likeable, shes not had an easy life and is a strong character.
Natalie’s psi/vampires are unique and I wanted to know more about this underground world and how they operate. Readers discover them along with Wren, and the information is revealed in a way that feels natural.
There is a little romance and the chemistry was great but it’s not the focal point of the story. This is more of an action paced novel with a mystery to resolve.
The book has a good conclusion. It is the first in a series and I can see the scope for more stories in this world and I would want to read more.
I originally set out to write a horror story, but as I was writing it I realized the story elements were leaning towards fantasy, so I went with it. I didn’t initially intend for the overarching theme to be about Nature and its sacred value, but as I did research on magic and fantasy, I recognized my interest in natural magic and mythical creatures, which I think was rooted in a childhood passion for learning about wild animals.
Can you name any similar books to Mystical Greenwood?
That is difficult for me to say. My research consisted mainly of reading books about myths, magic, and Nature-based spirituality rather than works of fiction. However one reviewer not long ago said fans of author Christopher Paolini would love Mystical Greenwood, so perhaps The Inheritance Cycle. It’s also a story of a fellowship travelling together, so you could say it’s similar to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (interestingly, early drafts had many other magical creatures, including elves and dwarves, but they were dropped as it was getting too crowded).
How long did the book take to write from the first idea to publishing?
Oh, it took many years on and off. School was the main reason why I kept taking breaks, as I had to focus on my assignments, and also later on, job hunting. It took many years of writing and rewriting, as well as getting feedback from beta readers as well as through critique groups.
How many books do you anticipate in the series and is the whole series plotted out?
I’m planning for the One with Nature series to be a trilogy. I wouldn’t say it’s entirely planned out. With the second book right now I have an idea for how I want it to end (I need to figure out how to get there), but it won’t be the end of the story, so that’s what the third book will be for.
Can you share tips from your world building process?
I find the key thing to remember when building worlds is to make sure it feels real to the reader, no matter what genre you are reading. Any one of the little factors that go into world building can be a “tumbling block” if it feels too out of place. Stories with contemporary and historical settings (even fictional historical settings) can begin with research into what life is/was like. With science fiction it’s often a good idea to look at modern science and see where it could potentially go (or historical if you set it in the past). In fantasy settings, perhaps ask first what historical periods are similar and blend them with research into mythology and fantasy. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it’s best not to overcrowd it, so the reader isn’t too overwhelmed.
To read a blog post I did years ago on world building, click here.
Which mythical or magical animal do you wish was real?
That’s a tough question, but ultimately I don’t think I would wish for any of them to be real. Several could pose a real danger to humanity, and even if they didn’t, all could face the possibility of being hunted down and/or exploited. Besides, they would lose their mystique I think, even those that are the subject of cryptozoology. Where would we be without myths and magic, and imagination? Some things are best left undiscovered, and some in the realm of magic and myth.
What project are you currently working on?
Right now the project I’m concentrating most on is the sequel to Mystical Greenwood. I’m hoping to raise the stakes of the conflict, focus more on aquatic life after having my characters spend quality time in forests, as well as introduce a plot element that the first book lacked: romance.
Where can we find out more and buy Mystical Greenwood?
This is the book I’ve been waiting for someone to release! It won’t come as a surprise that I can’t wait for more and I’m pleased to say there is another book coming. Bring on Sorceress of Flame.
This review does include spoilers but the short version on Good Reads and Amazon doesn’t.
The Beginning
Some short chapters are told through the point of view of a secret character revealed later on. The MC is Tory. She’s starting a new school, meets Pepper and instantly become friends.
Pepper introduces Tory to her circle of friends. One friend is Kylan, an older and attractive male friend. Tory likes him but worries about the age gap. Pepper encourages her to go for it but just as they are about to get it on, Kylan takes off, leaving Tory very confused.
Another night, Tory is home alone and gets spooked by a potential intruder. She calls her new BFF who quickly hurries over. Pepper arrives with Kylan to check the house is safe. This forces Kylan and Tory to talk and get things back on.
Sarah, a mysterious girl, invites Tory to her party. Tory asks Pepper and their friends to come with her. Unfortunately, it turns out the host is actually Sky, and her hungry vampire party is a trap for Tory.
Tory runs and hides until Kylan finds her. Her new friends fight the the vampires and rescue her. Tory sees things, horrific things and now she knows her new friends aren’t human and one is now dead. Is she even safe with them?
The Middle
Tory learns her friends are vampires and faeries, working for the guard, a secret organisation to protect Sorceresses. Tory never knew but she is a Sorceress.
She learns that:
1. Pepper and Kylan are her appointed guardians and purposely infiltrated her life. This casts doubt on whether Kylan genuinely liked her.
2. Kylan is a vampire and feeds on Pepper, a fairy, which gives him a psychic link to her. This makes Tory feel jealous and thinks about him feeding.
3. Kylan isn’t a little older, he is 100s of years older. Tory’s concerns about the age gap are magnified.
Tory has a lot to come to terms with. An official from the guard comes to interview everyone to find out what happened at the party. It soon becomes apparent that this is bigger than they thought.
Kylan takes Tory to meet an ancient vampire that might have answers about things they don’t. The vampire takes them both to his abode where they must stay for their safety.
Lucas slowly reveals history and his secret agenda. He throws parties for his guests, gets Tory alone and kisses her. The kiss ignites something more powerful than desire within Tory. She runs from Lucas to her room and cries. The sensation is undeniable and complicates her feelings for Kylan.
When Kylan finds Tory upset he wants to know what happened. She tells him about the kiss and he storms off. When he finally returns to their room he doesn’t sleep in their bed. The next morning, Lucas casual drops into conversation that Kylan spent the evening with his ex Mary.
Kylan insists he and Mary just talked. Tory insists that Lucas’ kiss meant nothing. The trust between them is wafer thin but they forgive each other.
With Lucas’ help they learn that Tory isn’t any ordinary Sorceress she is the daughter of Arch Angel Michael. They also discover the guard has been compromised and somebody within the house isn’t on their side.
Tory is desperate to get out of the Church where they are staying and Lucas grants them leave on the condition they take one if his vampires with them. He appoints Mary.
They visit the house. Tory is keen to catch up with Pepper but doesn’t get the chance. Whilst walking the grounds with Mary she starts to like her. On their way back, Mary detects danger but it’s too late. They are knocked out whilst trying to escape.
The End
Tory comes to and finds herself with Mary in a secure room. Soon they discover that Sky is behind their capture. They also discover how deep the corruption of the guard goes.
Sky is trying to awaken a demon and needs Tory. A ceremony begins and the demon comes forward, entering Tory’s mind.
Luckily their friends and Lucas’ army arrive in the nick of time. There is a big fight, they stop the demon entering our world, and they rescue Tory and Mary.
The book ends with the immediate danger being averted. Tory, Kylan, Pepper and Mary set off in a car but not before Lucas gives Tory a passionate send off. Leaving a steamy question mark over her relationship with Kylan and an opening for the next book in the series.
Final Thoughts
I’m a fan of love triangles. I enjoy the double romance action and the complexities. I was very much team Kylan. But…the more we got to know Lucas, and felt the hot passionate chemistry, the less certain I became about my team choice.
A pet peeve is info dumping and heavy world building but Jodie is a master at gently weaving the details into the story, so, I was discovering the world alongside Tory. Whilst on the topic of World Building, I love what Jodie has done bringing Vampires and Faeries together, and loved the history of angels and demons.
Tory is a great main character. She has insecurities, and makes mistakes, but it makes her all the more likeable. Her actions are believable and I was with her all the way, even when she felt lost and confused in the new world she was navigating.
I read a paperback copy which was beautifully formatted. There are little details that add to the story like the mirrors, feathers and symbol. All are secrets you unlock in the novel making this decorative feature a special touch.
Have you seen my #footstack pic on Instagram? Check out the feed @Nic_Reads_Inheels for my heel stack inspiration.
I only discovered #footstack very recently. It is a pic of someone balancing books on their shoes. When the #CampNanoWIW prompt was a #shelfie pic, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go.
I had so much fun doing this. And, when I posted it people asked, are they your legs, your books, your pic, how?
The answer is Yes and this is how.
The original pic
I wasn’t going to share this pic but here you go.
Unedited #FootStack
The books I bought from Amazon, Book Festivals or won on Instagram. They are all from my never ending TBR pile.
Since having children, I don’t have many heels. I also tidied away the ones I did have and have no idea where I put them. These shoes are my work ones from Clarks.
The red stockings were bought years ago from Ann Summers, back when I felt more daring, and haven’t been seen outside the bedroom. ;)
I did need help to get this pic. My husband stacked the books whilst I giggled upside down and tried to hold steady. My selection was rather ambitious and I realised this was my limit… no more books.
He then took the pic for me. He actually took quite a few as we tested my balancing skills at different degrees of steepness. We found it looks better the straighter my leg are. Posing like this was a full on workout.
How I edited the pic
Pic Monkey App
I used the Pic Monkey App to remove the background using their Cut Out, Smart, tool. It was super easy.
Unsplash
Unsplash is my favourite site to get free photos. I found this photo of a pretty yellow wall by Mona Eendra from Copenhagen. Yellow is one of my brand colours so this was perfect.
Pretty yellow wall from Unsplash
Photoshop Mix App
This app enables you to layer images together. I created a project and added the wall as my first layer, then my cut out image as the second layer. I then cropped it to a square and adjusted the two layers until I was happy with the positioning.
I had never used this app before and it was very straight forward. I figured it out without watching the tutorials. But, I’m going to return to watch them later to discover more.
Instagram App
The final edit was done using IG’s filter Clarendon. Then, I added my comment and tags and posted it.
What genre is this book and can you name any similar books?
This one, like many of my other books, is high fantasy romance. It’s slow burn romance mixed into a hero’s quest.
You write books of different genres, does this mirror your reading style?
Very much so. I tend toward high fantasy romance, but also read dystopian, post-apocalyptic, thrillers, psychological novels, paranormal, and various things relating to WW2. In most cases, I prefer to have a romantic arc within the story. I don’t like contemporary or reverse harems. And I rarely read younger than Young Adult.
Are there any genres you cannot see yourself writing?
Contemporary, Harem, or Reverse Harem. I got close to harem/reverse harem with a novel that’s currently in edits (title to be announced later), but it doesn’t quite fit the bill. It just has several love triangles.
What inspired your novel Soul Bearer?
A dream, actually. The prologue was a dream. None of the characters in it were going to do the work of fixing the whole dragon problem, though. It was perfect for setting up the world and showcasing the issues facing the main characters, so I kept it as the prologue.
Which mythical or magical creature do you wish was real?
I’ve given this a lot of thought, probably too much. Honestly, I don’t know which one I would choose. I can’t think of a single one that wasn’t an absolute nightmare in some tale or other, and I have terrible luck. If I chose a mythical or magical creature to make real, it would be the bad version of it. Or it would be the good version, but humans would poach them for their horns or magical feathers. I do wish humans were more interesting, though. Horns, wings, tails, whatever.
Tell me about the krakken style octopus on your website?
That octopus was a gift and rests in the center of the coffee table in my library. It’s my favorite animal, and I have several of them scattered through the library (most of which are not real, though I do have a few preserved in formaldehyde). They’re intelligent, creative, and unbelievably unique. They use tools and communicate by changing the colors of their skin. They shapeshift, morphing their bodies and altering the texture of their skin to lure prey and hide from predators. There are even a couple octopus cities in the ocean now, a fact which is one part awe-inspiring and one part terrifying. Basically, I just find them fascinating.
Please share a snippet or teaser from Soul Bearer?
Spinning slowly, Aurisye looks at everything around her. Chaos rules the land as the great red beast rules the air. Another roar threatens to shatter her eardrums, quickly followed by another stream of fire as the dragon flies overhead, so close that Aurisye could count its scales if it would only hold still.
She reaches out, passes a hand through the tip of its tail as it passes her. The dragon roars so loudly that, for a moment after, the world loses all sound. A high-pitched ringing sound punctuates everything, chasing away the screams and the crashing of buildings falling in upon themselves.
Up above, the dragon executes a perfect hair-pin turn and rockets itself toward Aurisye. Yellow eyes shining in the firelight, it stares straight at her, the only being here capable of seeing her. Each flap of its wings fans the fires all around, sending them climbing even higher into the atmosphere. Jaw dropping, it prepares to launch a blazing assault on Aurisye.
In an instant, she snaps back into her body, sitting bolt upright on the roof of her cottage. Her chest heaves with choppy breaths, pulling nothing but panic into her lungs. Her heart races, and she puts a hand to her chest to calm it.
Only then does she notice the soft red light coming from the mark on her arm. Her world goes cold. She pulls the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it, hoping it didn’t draw any undue attention.
Where can we find out more and buy your books?
My website has information and links for all my published works, as well as little tidbits about my WIPs. My blog is chock full of (blunt) writing advice and updates on all my work.
This book was on my to buy list and then I won a signed copy in a completion on Twitter. There is something special about a physical signed book and I will treasure it forever.
The Beginning
Amelia is a quadruplet and a hereditary witch. In their garage, their dad teachers her and her brothers the history of their kind and how to control their powers. Each of them will master an element.
Amelia is crushing on Aiden, her brother’s best friend. During some sibling fallout over dog walking duties, Aiden offers to accompany her as he has to walk his dog.
The Middle
It doesn’t take Amelia and Aiden long to figure out their chemistry. With the blessing of her brothers, Aiden asks her out…
But, just as things are going well, the family receive a guest demanding the family honour an ancient promise. Edward believes that their families are to be joined in marriage and he strongly believes he is supposed to fulfil that promise by wedding Amelia.
The family then try to figure out away out of the promise, however, Edward is extremely persistent. His sister Emily is the complete opposite and when she starts Amelia’s school they quickly become friends.
Meanwhile, a rival Wiccan family plot to steal Amelia’s and her brother’s magic. They believe it was originally theirs and want it back. The rival witches are stalking Amelia and attack her whilst walking the dogs with Aiden. Amelia has to use her powers to fight them off.
Amelia has to lie to Aiden about what happened as he can’t know about magic unless they all agree to tell him. Aiden knows Amelia is not being honest with him. He learns about the Edward situation and gets jealous. They break up. Aiden then hooks up with the rival witch (he has no idea about witches). Amelia finds out and it breaks her heart.
Now Amelia is single, Edward gets more pushy. In the end, things get violent and her brothers have to throw him out their home. One of the brothers realises that the prophecy says nothing about who should marry who and maybe one of them could marry Emily to join the families.
Aiden realises what an idiot he is and begs her brothers to let him make up with Amelia. At first they won’t let him anywhere near her but seeing her so upset, they give in. Amelia and Aiden make up and the siblings reveal their magical secret.
The End
Aiden is captured by the rival witches and taken to a cave. The siblings work together on a plan but Amelia can’t wait and sneaks off alone to rescue Aiden. Amelia discovers it is a trap to force her to surrender her powers in return of Aiden’s release. Amelia is about to give up her magic for love when her brothers arrive. Together the siblings use their magic together to fight the rival witches and free Aiden.
Afterwards, Aiden realises how much Amelia loves him to surrender her magic. They have a happy ending.
Final Thoughts
This novel was a sweet romance, it has a very innocent feel of first love. The world building of magic is very subtle and natural. Nicola has woven the magic into the story and made it a natural part of their life. It makes it easy to embrace and follow.
Whilst reading this I picked up on a few Riverdale vibes. If you like Riverdale look out for those Easter Eggs. It was fun to spot them.
This novel is written in third person which isn’t my preference but I think it is useful as a writer to read different styles as you can learn a lot from other authors and how they deliver their stories.
I am curious to discover what’s next in the series and heard that book 2, Sam’s Story, was released at the end of February.
From being around 12 years old I’ve had a love for books, which evolved to fantasy. From as far as I can remember, my dream has been to see my very own book on the shelves of Waterstones and WHSmiths, etc.
Way back in 2006/7 my now husband and I went to visit Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. The huge cliff faces of the gorge cutting through the earth and the story of the Wookey Hole Witch are what sparked the beginnings of Sorceress of Truth.
How long did it take to write and publish from the first idea?
From my initial idea, I spent a year or so on a fact finding mission. I really wanted to lay down the foundations of my characters back stories and origins of the races, though there have still been a number of surprises along the way.
Up until November 2015 I’d written no more than 20,000 words. I had a lot of other things happening in my life, so writing became something that I picked up every now and again. That is until I discovered NaNoWriMo.
It gave me the boost I needed to write ‘The End’ and I finally published in November 2019.
What genre is Sorceress of Truth and can you name any similar books?
I class Sorceress of Truth as a YA urban fantasy with a hint of paranormal romance.
I’m massively inspired by Richelle Mead, Cassandra Clare, and P.C. and Kristin Cast. Collectively their works fill the majority of my bookshelves. I guess you could say that Sorceress of Truth deals with a similar discovery journey as the House of Night series. At the same time, the different races are a lot more integrated into normal society, like the Vampire Academy books.
Where is the novel set and do you have a personal connection to the location?
The novel is set in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and the surrounding area. The small town of Springs is loosely based around somewhere I lived whilst completing my own Alevel’s, with a few artistic differences.
Why did you choose to self publish?
I would say self publishing chose me!
Initially I wanted to go with traditional publishing, although I wasn’t keen of having an agent. That massively reduced the already short list of publishing houses who would accept my submission.
I did everything right. I read the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, wrote a synopsis and short bio, batched everything up as per the publishers requirements, hit send, and waited. And waited.
Eventually I had a few replies, ‘Thank you, but no thank you.’, and I found myself at a crossroads.Should I continue pursuing the golden ticket, or should I re-evaluate what I wanted out of my writing?
There were many factors when it came to my decision, one of those being reaching the top 250 out of 3112 entries in the UK Novel Writing Competition with an early, poorly edited, version.
Self publishing won.
That’s not to say it’s been the easier option. From my experience, and from stories I’ve heard, self publishing can often be a much harder and braver option. Though, in some ways, the rewards are so much sweeter.
Please share a snippet or teaser from the book?
“So, I’m going to wake up in two months time and be able to shoot bolts of lightning from my fingers? Or, is this your way of telling me I’m being shipped off to some school for magic?” I glared at Ky with my fists by my side, the nails digging into my fleshy palms. It was the only way I could think of to make me feel something, to make sure this wasn’t all some twisted dream.
“Your family seems to have eluded The Guard for many years.”
“The Guard?” That piqued my interest, and not in a good way. I still didn’t know much about them, and an uneasy feeling churned within my stomach.
“The Guard was formed hundreds of years ago. There’s a prophecy that, one day, a powerful sorceress will cast a demon, Belial, into the mouth of hell.”
Belial? Hell? Was everyone here crazy?
I pushed myself from the tree and began striding back towards the house. There was no way I was going to get caught up in all of this. Next, they’re going to tell me that there are unicorns roaming the woods and mermaids living in the lake.
There are two love interests in your novel, which is most like your man?
This is really hard because all of my characters are an amalgamation of friends, family, acquaintances, even characters from books I’ve read and films I’ve seen. My husband is a great dad, and very supportive of me and my many crazy ideas, so he definitely has a lot of Kylan in him. On the other hand, as a gamer and anime watcher, he does tend to have a soft spot for the darker and more troubled characters.
Tell me about a typical day in the life of author Jodie Groom.
To be honest, in my eyes, my day is pretty boring to anybody looking in.
I start my day with my phone alarm going off several times before I eventually crawl out of bed and wake my daughter for school. Once the school run is out the way I try and do half an hour or so of exercise in the living room followed by breakfast and coffee.
Begrudgingly I try to fit in an hour or two of housework, or related tasks, then turn to the computer to deal with email and social media posts. If I’m feeling creative I will try to write, but it’s rare.
After lunch, I’ll do more housework and jobs that have built up, before picking my daughter up from school again. Sometimes she has clubs etc so I act as taxi, and once home, we cook and eat dinner.
This normally brings me to about 7pm when my husband takes over and does the whole bedtime routine, allowing me to get on with whatever I need to be doing on the computer. Sometimes that’s writing, sometimes it’s creating video’s and trailers, and sometimes it’s updating my website.
Time seems to fly pretty quickly then. I’m at my most creative at night and, if I’m having a really good writing session, I have been known to stay up past 3am. Which is another reason why I loathe my alarm clock and the morning school run.
Some day’s I spend a lot of time up at school helping with the PTA activities, and other day’s I can be quite involved with tasks for World Indie Warriors. Every day is different and comes with its own challenges. For now, I may be a stay at home mom, but I definitely don’t see myself fitting into any of the regular stereotypes.
What project are you currently working on?
I always have many pies on the go, I can’t help it. I learned very early on that I get fed up easily so have to be able to switch to something else. It’s not just in my writing, it seems to be in most things.
I’ve recently turned my focus back to Sorceress of Flame, the second instalment of the Divine Prophecy Series. We continue Tory’s journey but this time it will be NA rather than YA. It wasn’t intentional but Tory is growing up, maturing, and so it felt fitting that he story followed the same path.
In the background I’m also writing a 3 book series, whose working title is The Don of Avery, which I can’t wait to unleash. It’s a dark mafia romance set in Leeds that definitely isn’t YA.
Where can we find out more and buy Sorceress of Truth?
Sorceress of Truth is available in print and ebook from all good book shops, such as Warterstones, Barnes & Nobel, Apple etc. Or you can purchase direct from Amazon.
I try to post regularly on my website, www.jdgroom.com , where there is information about upcoming events that I’m attending. Alternatively, Instagram is where I mostly hang out.
Gem of Meruna made you a published author, but you recently released it again, why?
The first time around, I was woefully undereducated about the publishing world. As such, I didn’t know to run (as fast as possible) from any publisher that expects you to pay them. I thought it was normal for the author to cover part of the costs. But…it definitely isn’t. That was just a vanity press.
My novel received no edits. It got no marketing. I was inundated with phone calls from their marketing people trying to sell me promotional packages, all of which were pitiful yet expensive.
Basically, it was a legal scam and my novel suffered for it. Now that I’m self-publishing, I’m making it right.
You now have three self published books, does publishing get easier?
It does, actually. It’s still very time-consuming and certain aspects are tedious, no matter what. But the metadata, copyright, and ISBN process gets easier with practice. Each time through, I have little tricks I picked up the time before.
What was the earliest story you can remember writing about?
In 3rd or 4th grade, my class was assigned a creative writing project wherein we had to write about a horse and a bat. I don’t remember the story I came up with, but I do recall something my teacher said when she called for me to read it. Apparently, I already had a reputation for writing darker stuff, because she said, “Knowing Elexis, the horse and the bat probably both die.” Lol.
What genre is Gem of Meruna and can you name any similar books?
It’s high fantasy romance. As for similar books…I’m really bad at finding comparison books. That was one of the hardest parts of querying when I was pursuing traditional publishing.
Please share a snippet or teaser from Gem of Meruna?
A noise startled Kiluna awake. It was far too close. The sound came again, right at her ear, but this time, she realized what it was.
Father had often snored when he slept, and Grandmother had, as well. But Kiluna hadn’t heard that sound since they died. Joseya’s snore was much softer, quieter, but its proximity made it seem far louder.
That was when Kiluna noticed it. Joseya no longer faced away from her, rather he nestled in close. One arm curled under his head, but the other wrapped around her waist.
Nothing about it felt strange though, just…right. She didn’t want to move, or even breathe too hard, for fear of waking him. The embrace would be retracted if he woke, she knew it as sure as she knew her scars were still there.
So, she laid still. She concentrated on his breath on the back of her neck. She relished the moment, all the while wondering if this would be the only time she lay near another Leey.
Her eyelids fell, blocking out the world as she savored the closeness. She didn’t notice when she drifted back to sleep.
Several moments later, she felt Joseya stir. His sudden movement made her jump. Instantly, he pulled his arm back to himself, muttering apologies as he did so. Kiluna flinched at his words but held in her pain. A single tear escaped her eye, leaving a tiny wet spot on the earth.
Which character from your books is most like you?
Every character gets a little piece of me. Sometimes it’s my favorite color, sometimes it’s more than that. Annabelle from my novella and Chloe from World for the Broken (my upcoming dark post-apocalyptic romance) have a lot of big experiences from my life, but so does Christian (also from World for the Broken).
What project are you currently working on?
I’m currently editing a dark post-apocalyptic romance, a dark high fantasy romance, and a dark supernatural high fantasy romance for release. Hopefully, I’ll be releasing all three this year, but at the very least two of them. I also just started writing another dark high fantasy romance wherein a deposed prince teams up with a druid high priestess to landscape their enemies to death.
Where can we find out more and buy your books?
My website has information and links for all my published works, as well as little tidbits about my WIPs. My blog is chock full of (blunt) writing advice and updates on all my work. www.elexisbell.com
All my books are available on Amazon, and can be found on my Amazon author page. www.amazon.com/author/elexis_bell
Recently, on Instagram we have been discussion how to create a catchy novel title. It appears to be a very personal decision. Some people can’t name their novel until they have finished whereas I can’t start my novel until I have a name for it. Although, as you will see,my ‘working’ titles are not set in stone.
Here is a collection of some of the covers I have created for my debut novel over the years (there are more). I am now going with Ocean Heart.
Originally my book was called Drift. You will also notice one called Wipeout. At one point my novel was two books but during a brutal edit, I cut loads and they became one.
In 2019, I tore my novel apart (again), deleted loads and added new content. It changed so much since the first draft, I renamed it Jewel of the sea.
My novel is now set for a new venture as I enter the world of Self Publishing. Now, I am paying for editors and working with other professionals to take my novel to print. As a result I have renamed my novel again. The new title is Ocean Heart.
I have no idea what the new cover will look like. Once I finish my current edit and know the final word count, I will instruct a professional cover designer. But for now… edits.
