Fan Art!

Before we dive in, I just want to post a reminder that today–October 12–and tomorrow–October 13, are the last days you can enter the Lost Files of the MBRC ebook raffle. (Click here to enter!) I’ll be giving away ten copies instead of the originally planned five because of all the entries, so your chances of winning are better than you think.

Okay! Today I get to share a special treasure with you, Champions, that has me absolutely chuffed! A tremendously talented reader–who goes by the artistic name of Keepsake20–made a beautiful illustration of Merlin and Britt from King Arthurs and Her Knights. Check it out!

I was going to put a smaller version in this post (This is still scaled down a bit) but then I thought NAH~~!

I’ve got to say, she really nailed them. She included Merlin’s obsession with wearing gray, and did a fabulous job with his face and hair, and I think she perfectly captured Britt’s willowy build and her feminine features that give her a little more of a fairy or elf-like look. Truthfully I had a bit of a moment when I saw the image. It is so incredible to see life breathed into these characters through an entirely different medium.

Keepsake20 sent a link of the image to me, but I highly suggest checking out her Deviant-Artist page. She has some amazing art, featuring everything from Disney Princesses to Harry Potter to superheroes!  (Here’s the link to the Merlin and Britt image if you want to see it in its original glory and splendor.) She’s given me permission to put this beauty on my website, so it will pop up sometime soon as I try to find a perfect place for it.

This does bring up a topic I don’t think I have directly addressed before. If you’ve created fan-art of something from my stories–or fan anything, really–and would like to share it, don’t be afraid to send me a link in an email or comment on the blog! My creativity funnels mostly into writing, but I love and appreciate other kinds of art, too. (And when I say “fan-art” I don’t just mean drawings or digital paintings; I’m including photography, poetry, anything you can think of!)

Thank you for reading, Champions, and thank you again to Keepsake20 for this beautiful image! I hope you all have a splendid day.

Available for Pre-Order: MBRC Anthology

Announcing a new story: The Lost Files of the MBRC: An MBRC Short Story Anthology! Available for pre-order today, with a release date of October 15, this anthology contains edited and updated versions of the two short stories I have available on this blog, as well as three brand new stories: A Magical Birthday, Release the Kraken, and The Marriage Trustee. In these stories, Morgan will revisit friends like Aysel, Asahi, Hunter, Madeline, Frey, Frank, The Beer Brothers, Krad, and Esmerelda. The anthology is almost the length of a King Arthurs book, so it’s priced at 99 cents.

I’ve been waiting for MONTHS to discuss this project, and it just about killed me when I decided not to announce it until it was available for pre-order, so today comes as a big relief to me.

It was so much fun getting back together with Morgan and the MBRC crew, but it did hit home the reminder than I can’t write another MBRC novel from Morgan’s point-of-view. Her cast of characters is too huge, and it would only grow if I continued her story. However, that doesn’t mean I’m finished with the MBRC world and characters, as you might notice when you read the new short stories. But enough about that!

To celebrate the anthology, I’m holding another rafflecopter give away! Enter to get a chance to win one of five free ebook copies of The Lost Files of the MBRC! The raffle opens today, and it will close on October 13. The usual rules apply–you can only enter once, no purchase necessary, I’m not responsible if unfortunate circumstances like loss of internet keep you from entering, etc–and if you choose to pre-order a copy of the anthology and end up winning a free copy as well, I will gladly send your copy to a person of your choice.

Now sadly the Rafflecopter widget doesn’t work on wordpress. I can only provide a link, so here you go: a Rafflecopter giveaway //widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

So MBRC fans, give me a holler! Are you excited, or do you wish I would just leave the world alone? This is a bit of an experiment for me, so I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading, Champions, and good luck to all who enter the raffle!

Long Live the King!

Wow! For the King Arthur Popularity Poll, Britt Arthurs had a runaway win, consisting of 163 votes! Second came Merlin with 131 votes, and Kay trailing just behind him with 116 votes. Next came Sir Gawain (38 votes) Nymue (27 votes) and Morgan (26 votes). You can check out the rest of the results in the post below, but I’m thrilled that Britt is such a resounding favorite! (She got nearly 30% of the votes. You go girl!)

So far this month I’ve managed to close out a few projects and get a few edits live. I’ve also been able to catch up on some reading, so I thought I would share a few of the books I’ve found.

Jackaby: I got this gem at the local library, it’s a historical, paranormal, mystery. It might sound like an odd mash-up, but it’s absolutely delightful! It follows the heroine who is in desperate need of employment and ends up serving as the assistant for Jackaby–investigator of the paranormal.

If you are a fan of fantasy and Sherlock Holmes, this book is meant for you. Because I know it’s a concern for some of you, I need to say it can be bloody–although not to the levels of thriller-gore as it is a YA book. It’s got more blood and death than I usually read, but the characters are so brilliant and the dialogue is fun and snappy!

Frederica: I bought myself a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I devoured a lot of Georgette Heyer’s books. This is a sweet historical novel with a touch of romance that is guaranteed to keep you laughing! The story follows our Frederica and her efforts to launch her younger sister into London society with the help of her reluctant-bachelor-guardian-who-isn’t-really-her-guardian.

I felt like the last fourth of the book dragged a little because there was less humor and a little more drama, but it was still a charming book with clean romance and a lot of laughter.

The Emperor’s Edge: Wow, just, wow. This book can be picked up for free on Amazon (it’s the first in the series) and it is an absolute treasure. The characters in the book are hysterical and unique, and the plot is gripping. This book follows Amaranthe, one of the few female enforcers (police) in her fantasy/steam-punk world. Through a series of unfortunate events, Amaranthe is marked for death by the commanding general–who also happens to be guilty of drugging and manipulating the young emperor. For the good of the country, Amaranthe must get the general cast out of favor, rescue the emperor, and hopefully restore her honor with the help of her unlikely, motley crew.

Like Jackaby, it had more blood than I usually go for–one of the main characters is an assassin, so you can imagine how much carnage he causes–but these characters! They do the funniest things and they have some of the best conversations! I don’t know if I can give the rest of the series my stamp of approval (I’m reading book two, and so far it hasn’t been as funny, its had a few crude lines as you see the motley crew without Amaranthe there to civilize them, and it is a little worse gore-wise, although the plot is just as inventive and dynamic) but book one is definitely worth the download. (Note, for you romance lovers King’s Edge has only the tiniest smidgen, so don’t enter into it expecting a love story. The author says the romance builds as the series progresses.)

So that’s what I’ve read recently. How about you guys?