Missy Sheldrake's Blog, page 9

Call of Kythshire is free today as part of the #SIAFBB (Support Indie Authors Free and Bargain Books) event! Download your copy and visit events.supportindieauthors.com for more details!

Do you have a free or discounted book today? If so, post in the comments!

It’s Halloween, that spooky time of year when we’re assaulted by all things scary whether we like it or not. Maybe you’re into the creepy, supernatural side of the holiday, like me, or perhaps you prefer the blood and gore of severed limbs sprinkled across your lawn. Either is fine with me. I don’t judge. I will judge you, though, if you don’t take advantage of the super spooky Monster Weekend book sale event being held by my friends over at SIA this weekend!

Support for Indie Authors is offering over 70 books starting on October 28, either for free or 99 cents. We hope you’ll take some time between romps with ghosts and ghouls to browse the offerings from these talented indie authors! The sale starts Friday and goes until Monday. You have to be spry, though, because some books are tricky and will only appear for one or two days before they vanish from the event in a puff of creepy mist.

Click here to preview the authors participating in the event.

Click here starting on Friday to browse over 70 free or discounted ebooks.

We hope to see you this weekend! Have a safe and spooky Halloween, and save me some Snickers!

It’s time to spice things up a little with an Amazon giveaway for the first book in the Keepers of the Wellsprings series: Call of Kythshire! Here’s the link to enter to win your illustrated Kindle ebook copy:

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/771da84bc1400356

Fellow authors, do you have a giveaway or promo going on? If so, feel free to post the details in the comments. Good luck!

I would love to write an eloquent blog post about how thrilled I am to have been reviewed by the prestigious Reader’s Favorite editorial team, but it’s very difficult to do so while I’m bouncing up and down from excitement. So I’ll just put this right here:

“In Call of Kythshire, the first book in the Keepers of the Wellsprings series by Missy Sheldrake, Azaeli Hammerfel is a young girl training to become a Squire and join His Majesty’s Elite. After a hard fight to earn the honor, she is shocked to discover that her name is left out of those going on the King’s Quest. Her parents and the rest of her guild are going, even a rival she soundly managed to beat has been bestowed the honor. Despite the slight, she doesn’t get a chance to dwell on the injustice long, as tragedy befalls the party. Her mother is missing and her father is gravely injured, raving about mysterious creatures. Determined to find out what happened, Azaeli enlists the help of her best friend Rian. Together they discover the existence of fairies as well as the plot to wipe out the mysterious creatures and steal their magic. Now, Azaeli must not only find out what has happened to her mother but save the kingdom whose fate lies in the balance.

Call of Kythshire by Missy Sheldrake is an engaging young adult fantasy novel. The text is enhanced by bright and lively illustrations that detail many key scenes and characters. Sheldrake unfolds the plot at just the right pace, doling out mystery and intrigue in such a way that Call of Kythshire is nearly impossible to put down. The romance is light and sweet, as most of the focus is on Azaeli’s personal growth as opposed to romance. Still, Rian and Azaeli work well together, sacrificing and helping each other achieve their goal which is a big theme in Call of Kythshire. An enjoyable read for fans of young adult fantasy.”

-Kayti Nika Raet for Readers’ Favorite

About Reader’s Favorite (quoted from their website): 
Readers’ Favorite is the fastest growing book review and award contest site on the Internet. We have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, and have received the Best Websites for Authors and Honoring Excellence awards from the Association of Independent Authors.

Check out the whole setup here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...




Look how pretty the cover looks all dressed up! Eeee!
Buy your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVLQWGY

I spent my morning doing everything but writing. I have no excuse, but I do have a pretty graphic with an excerpt from Call of Kythshire to show for it, so I’m going to just leave that right here:

In this excerpt, Princess Margary is reading to her from an old storybook. This scene is the catalyst for the climax of the book. This is the point where my readers have told me they couldn’t put it down. I hope you liked it. If you did, you can Click here to buy a copy for your Kindle. Thanks for reading!❤

After a long summertime hiatus, I’m finally hard at work on Keepers of the Wellsprings, Book Four: Call of Hywilkin! Yay! I just started writing Chapter 5, with the working title “Inside the Wall.” Any idea what it could mean? I’ll give you a hint with the opening line of the book:

If you’re a reader, you know how important a book’s opening line is. For authors, it’s something some of us really agonize over. It needs to set the tone for the entire book, and pull the reader in with enough information to tell what’s happening and leave you wanting more.

If you’re an author, I’d love for you to share your first line here, with a link to your book or website! If you’re a reader, sit back, enjoy the comments, and maybe you’ll open the door to your next big adventure!

Congratulations to Tara Ellis, who is offering her box set of the Forgotten Origins trilogy for just $0.99 this week!  Read on for details.


For a limited time, you can have the box set for under a dollar!
July 15th – 22nd

An alien plague. A sixteen-year-old girl. A fight to save the world.

 
The Forgotten Origins Trilogy is a fast-paced young adult sci-fi story, centered around sixteen-year-old Alex. What starts as a rare meteor shower ends up unleashing a viral plague that changes everything. Led into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest by cryptic clues left from her deceased father, Alex discovers that the past is not what she learned in school. When the human race balances on the brink of extinction, the fate of the world rests on the truth being exposed. To unravel the ancient secrets, Alex must rely on her friends, family and few allies. The Forgotten Origins is an epic saga, drawing the reader into a fascinating, frightening world where the unfolding drama will keep you riveted until the last page is turned. 
 
The Forgotten Origins crosses many genres including science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, and supernatural. It is also a clean read! (PG-13)

[The series has a combined 78 reviews with a 4.6 average rating!]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 Author Tara Ellis lives in a small, rural town in Washington State, set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her husband, two teenage kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels full-time. 

She grew up on sci-fi, was a devoted Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fan, and has since found a love for conspiracy theories. This background, combined with a wild imagination has led to The Forgotten Origins Trilogy. The first book in the series, Infected, was a finalist in the IAN 2015 Book of the Year Awards, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2015 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards, named ‘Indie Book of the Day in Oct, 2014’ and voted as ‘Top 50 Indie Books of 2014’. (readfreely.com)

Her on-going middle grade mystery series, The Samantha Wolf Mysteries, has hit the best seller status on Amazon in the children’s detective story genre several times, and continues to grow in popularity. The engaging, fun stories herald back to the days of Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and several readers have commented that the series is of the same caliber. These are clean reads that are suitable for the whole family to read together, and are also part of the Kindle Unlimited program. Join Tara’s newsletter to be notified of all new releases and sales events! Newsletter Find her on facebook at: Facebook

twitter: Twitter

 

Visit her author page on Amazon to find all her books!:  Amazon page

 

 

 

There’s a bit of a theme going on between my author friends and myself. Some call it Summertime Slump. Our brains seem to turn to mush in the summer, and the ideas and stories just don’t flow. I’m right on that bandwagon, but this morning I’ve decided to change my perspective and call it the Summertime Switch. 

After all, it’s natural to look out the window on a beautiful summer day and get distracted,  isn’t it? And those of us who have kids at home during the Dog Days have an added ingredient thrown into the salad bowl of summertime distractions. The kids want to go to the pool or explore the vast world outside of school, and it’s our job to begrudgingly leave the comfort of our keyboards and notebooks and pack them into the car to seek adventure.

I know that for me, I have the guilt of abandonment on my shoulders no matter what I do. If I decide to give my kid his iPad for a few hours so I can write, I’m guilty of not engaging with him. If I leave my current project behind to whisk my son off to summertime adventure, then I’m guilty of neglecting my characters and story and disappointing my readers.

Since I haven’t been able to write much,  I’ve done a few other things to keep my brain in writing mode without taking too much time away from family: Writing up character pages, organizing my Scrivener template for Book 4, promoting my first three books, engaging with fellow authors and readers on social media, and, my favorite, painting some character concepts to keep me inspired. I know that many authors feel they don’t have the talent or inclination to sketch, so something else that’s fun to do is search online for photos of actors and models who look like the characters you envision.

So, the Summer Switch, to me, means switching your outlook on my productivity. I might not get as much writing done as I’d like, but a switch in direction and perspectives is sometimes helpful to expand our viewpoints. Go out and explore! Being out in the world, however reluctantly, might inspire my next big idea. Seeing things anew through the eyes of my son is definitely an inspiration. Even a trip to the movies can get my ideas churning. (Have you seen The BFG yet?)

Grab your journal. Go out, open your ears, explore new places and perspectives, people watch. Have fun!

This week is a treat for me. Camp is in session. That means I can have an in-house guilt-free writer’s retreat! I’m spending as much time at the keyboard as I can to work on Book Four of the Keepers of the Wellsprings series, which currently has the working title Call of Hywilkin, coming this winter!

All artwork copyright Missy Sheldrake 2016  All Rights Reserved.

As you know if you follow my blog, I am in the midst of  my new release weekend for Call of Brindelier, book three of the Keepers of the Wellsprings series.

For this release, I did something I’ve never done before. I arranged a blog tour, or at least I think it was a blog tour! So many of my friends and fellow authors agreed to post about my release, and I’m so grateful to each and every one of them for doing so. The indie author scene is as talented as it is generous and supportive, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

Please take a moment to read through this list of amazingly talented, hard-working authors. I hope you find a book or two you’d like to read!

Ann Livi Andrews

Ann is the Supreme Overlord of Support for Indie Authors, and I’m so grateful for her sage advice and encouragement. She’s a kind and understanding overlord who works way too hard in her efforts to provide a supportive, kind place for indie authors to meet and exchange ideas. If you’re an indie author and not a member of Support Indie Authors on Goodreads, go join right now! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/154447

Ann has also written several very entertaining fantasy and superhero novels, check them out here: http://www.amazon.com/Ann-Livi-Andrews/e/B00DY3UE06

Her blog is: http://www.annliviandrews.com/ramblings/

Joshua Blum

Josh is a talented author, artist, and musician who recently featured me on his weekly podcast. His illustrated fairytale series, The Thirteenth Hour, is available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Blum/e/B00RFTLU5S

His blog is: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/welcome/

Heidi Lyn Burke

Heidi is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled “The Scholar and the Dragon,” YA/Fantasy “Beggar Magic,” and MG/Fantasy “Thaddeus Whiskers and the Dragon,” among others: http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B00EYQ1HLW

Her blog is: http://www.hlburkeblog.com/

D. G.  Driver

“There are no bad stories, just ones that haven’t found their right words yet.” – D. G. Driver, author of Cry of the Sea, Whisper of the Woods, and Passing Notes.

Donna has a very colorfully formatted blog chock-full of advice and resources for authors:

http://www.dgdriver.com/write-and-rewrite-blog/creating-a-series-rich-with-fantasy

Jess Elliott

Jessica is a fellow CIR Author who is currently in the midst of a very cool blog fiction series called Scarlett and Blizzard, a novel written throughout the year and posted as chapters on her blog every two weeks. Each blog ends with a poll for readers to vote on some aspect of the story they’d like to see happen next. Very cool!

http://www.jessicalelliott.com/blog

Ray Holloway

I had the pleasure of putting a flag on top of the hamburger for the cover of Ray’s latest short, The Deathburger Saga, the tale of a small town diner with a deadly menu (or is it?).  He’s an excellent writer and friend. Ray’s books are on available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/M.-Ray-Holloway-Jr./e/B011LEJ6F8

His blog is: http://mrayhollowayjr.blogspot.com/

Annie Douglass Lima

Annie is the author of the Krillonian Chronicles series, following Bensin, a teenage slave who is forced to fight as a gladiator for the Krillonian Empire. Read more about her books here: http://www.amazon.com/Annie-Douglass-Lima/e/B0051XD0SU

Her blog is: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com/

Nancy W. Moors

Nancy is the author of the Antrim Cycle, a series of stand-alone paranormal/fantasy romance books which hint at the realm of the Fae in their descriptions: http://www.amazon.com/N.W.-Moors/e/B00U6OZGPO

Her blog is: http://www.antrimcycle.com/2016/06/book-release-call-of-brindelier-by.html

Christina McMullen

Christina is a fellow moderator of Support Indie Authors on Goodreads. She’s a prolific author of several novels and series and has been a great source of support and advice. My favorite book of hers is Kind of Like Life, a young adult fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, western adventure. Don’t ask me how, you just have to read it: http://www.amazon.com/Christina-McMullen/e/B00AM3R1MK

Her blog is: http://mcmullenwrites.blogspot.com/

Owen O’Neill

Owen has been a huge source of encouragement for me while I was writing this last book. I’m so grateful to him for spending the time to read all of my books, enjoy them, and even review them for me. Owen co-writes the Loralynn Kennakris series, a sci-fi space opera, along with Jordan Leah Hunter. Read more about their series here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZPR9FWM

His blog is: http://www.owen-oneill-writes.com/

Laura D. Palmer

Laura heads up the League of Scribes, an elite squad of authors of G to PG-13 sci-fi and fantasy. She’s the author of the fairytale fantasy series The Pippington Tales: https://amzn.com/B00V746M1Y

Here’s her blog: https://lpalmerchronicles.com/

Joshua Robertson

Josh was a huge help to me in putting together my marketing kit. HIs most recent release is the Hawkhurst Saga, a dark fantasy saga available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Robertson/e/B00RHAMPHM

His blog is: https://crimsonedgepress.com/news/

Heather Sutherlin

Heather is a fantasy author and a fellow member of Clean Indie Reads: http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Sutherlin/e/B008RRP19I

http://heathersutherlin.com/

Riley Westbrook

Riley is also a member of Support Indie Authors on Goodreads. He’s a huge supporter of indie authors via his reviews blog and an expert tweeter. He’s also the author of the Breath of the Titans fantasy series: https://www.amazon.com/Breath-Titans-Titanbringer-Complete-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00RH8C08S

Find his blog here: https://rileyamoswestbrook.wordpress.com/

Kandi Wyatt

Author of The Dragon Courage Series, Kandi is a fellow member of Clean Indie Reads. She has a fascinating history of being a traveling teacher, and her her blog is definitely worth a read: https://kandijwyatt.wordpress.com/

Call of Kythshire is FREE this weekend!

Call of Sunteri is 99 cents this weekend!

Call of Brindelier is now available on Amazon!

I’m thrilled by this wonderful intro by Riley, who’s a great supporter of indies. Thanks Riley, for your kind words!

Riley Amos Westbook

Hey guys, I know it’s been a bit since I really wrote anything here. Been a really stressful, hot, and frustrating time. But that’s okay, because life is what it is. All we can do is take it one day at a time, and try to improve the next one. Anyways, I wanted to take the time today to introduce you all to an author friend of mine. She asked me to help her with her latest release of her third book, and even though I’m pressed for time right now, I love the illustrations she did. That alone makes me want to read the series, if she has half as much talent with words as she does with her art skills, then I’m surprised she isn’t already a bestseller. Anyways, I’ll let Missy and her work do the rest of the speaking. You all have awesome days! #SupportIndieAuthors!

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