Juno Books

In a post below AMANDA DOWNUM has a bonafide photo of BLOOD MAGIC captured in the wilds of Austin TX. She gets the chocolate!

But let’s keep those sightings coming…it is like a virtual book tour!

Dehanna reports copies of BLOOD MAGIC have been sighted at the Borders in NorthLake Mall, Charlotte, NC Three copies: the fourth row down, third shelf in from the end in the SciFi/Fantasy section, between Whispering Nickel Idols by Glenn Cook and The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. She adds, “They weren’t faced out but I went ahead and faced one before I left.”;)

No photo, but we are off and running!

So, if you live in Charlotte, run right out and BUY THOSE BOOKS!

Among other things…

I am formatting ebook versions of some Juno Books titles. I dunno how long they take to be magically techformed from the files into multi-format ebooks. Maybe two weeks? Well, I’ll let you know when they are ready…

First one uploaded was THE ETERNAL ROSE because I’ve had the most requests for it. I’ll let you know what else is going into the hopper.

Hold it! Due to submissions that either overlook or ignore our most basic guideline, let’s put it right up top:
The novel must have a strong female protagonist. You might get by with co-equal male and female protagonists, but that’s as
far as we stretch. To further clarify: A protagonist is a chracter or chracters whose intentions are the primary focus of a story.

Not a supporting character, not the hero’s girlfriend, not the main character of volume two in your trilogy which has a male protag in volume I but a female in volume II and you want us to publish all three. Tip: It is highly unlikely just changing the name of the protagonist from male to female will work. And, no, your novel is not an exception to this rule.

Look, guys, this leaves you with almost every other publisher in the world to try! Is this so terrible?

First off, MATT COOK has his own blog.

Now, some of Matt’s relatives have spotted the book. We know it is out there and selling copies. But no one has accepted the challenge we set up in the last newsletter: first person to spot the book in a store who sends us photographic proof, will win fabulous prizes.

Matt pointed out I never actually mentioned WHAT the fabulous prizes were.

Okay, the prize is free Juno Book books. I mean, what else do I have? But, maybe you are all buying up Juno titles as fast as you can. (Something we encourage.) So, maybe this is not prize enough.

How about somebody else’s free books? Look, I have them. I’m sure we can come up with something enticing.

Okay, and I’ll throw in some chocolate, too.

Now, is that fabulous enough?

Alternative Worlds/Harriet Klausner

She was brought up to be a lady and to make a good match but when her twin falls in love and marries the drunken womanizing Marcus; she insists her twin marry his best friend. Both women are brutalized by their spouses but where Kirin accepts it her sister learns blood magic from the local herbwoman. When Marcus kills her Kirin while in a drunken stupor assumes her identity and using her blood magic to suck the life out of him and brings it into her.

She runs away from her village using the dead who obey her command until they crumble into dust. Her magic is taboo by the other religions but Kirin ignores their pious mouthing and does what she needs to do in order to survive. The Mor, monstrous creatures, emerge from their caves and underground tunnels to make war on humanity as they do every few decades. Kirin becomes a scout in the Imperial Army and she watches five thousand soldiers killed by five hundred Mor. She aids the refuges healing with blood magic even though Brother Ato condemns her and Element Master of Air Lia Cho tries to support her even if she doesn’t approve of the use of blood magic. However, that might be the only way humanity can defeat the Mor although the people she is trying to save won’t accept her methods.

BLOOD MAGIC is a spellbinding sword and sorcery tale about a young woman who goes from an innocent girl to a person who kills when she needs to survive or when helping people who scorn and fear her when she helps them against a common enemy. It hurts her not to be accepted for what she is but she knows she is not evil and does what she thinks is right although many question whether the means is acceptable even if the end is saving humanity. The Mor remains an unknown quantity as people (and readers) don’t what motivates them. This is the first book in what looks to be a fantastic fantasy series.

the0phrastus/Chris Howard (full disclosure; Chris is a Juno Author)

Running from the remorseless Mor, from the doomed battle at Gamth’s Pass, Kirin draws on her forbidden powers to protect her love, Jazen Tor–but too late to save him, too late to retract her “sweetlings,” the things she has “birthed” of the spirits of the dead.
The story of Kirin, blood magician, scout, mother, bear-killer, “abomination,” starts at a relentless pace and never lets up through skirmishes, political turmoil, prejudice, deadly encounters with the Mor, and the challenges of controlling powers she doesn’t understand. In alternate chapters, Cook skillfully guides the reader through Kirin’s past, growing up in the shadow of her demanding twin sister, haunted by a marriage gone bad and her sister’s brutal murder, but empowered by the teachings and the hidden books of wise old Edena.

When Kirin is saved by the beautiful Lia Cho and suspicious Brother Ato, her life takes on a new set of difficulties and hard lessons to learn, mourning her old love, fostering the possibility of something new. Lia, a runaway student with the extraordinary power to summon lightning, is taken with the mysterious Kirin, in defiance of the priest of Shanira who openly declares Kirin an abomination–damned, someone who manipulates the dead, and draws her power from the blood of the living.

Matthew Cook’s Blood Magic is a dark feast of loss and blood and love, a fast paced fantasy in a world reminiscent of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion, compelling characters with the ability to draw on otherworldly powers, who push the boundaries of life and death. I look forward to reading the sequel next year, exploring Cook’s world further, and discovering where Kirin’s tale takes us.

Publishers Weekly Review (reviewed 2007-09-17)

McDonnell’s promising fantasy debut portrays a land inhabited by the black-skinned Theseni, brown Ibeni and tan Doreni. Peace among the three tribes is disrupted by the paler-skinned, domineering Angleni as well as inner clan conflicts. Loic tyu Taer, the son of the wealthy headman of the Doreni Pagatsu clan, falls in love at first sight with Satha tya Monua, the impoverished but proud daughter of his father’s old Theseni friend. Loic requests an immediate marriage and Satha’s parents agree, but for Satha, passion takes longer to ignite, and Loic’s father’s jealous third wife plots to destroy their happiness. The two must reaffirm their faith in each other and the Creator God to find their way through their troubles. McDonnell’s language is delicate almost to a fault, even as she describes betrayal, rape and slavery, while her elegant, meticulous world-building shimmers with the ambience of an old-world folktale.

Alternative Worlds/Harriet Klausner

Death and constant grief are all that Satha has seen in her young life as her impoverished clan the Theseni has suffered severely during the forty year war caused by the superior outsiders. Now she has left her ever weeping despondent mother behind to journey across the land to that of the affluent Doreni clan where she marries Loic, son of the king’s First Captain. He has the skill of reading souls and tries to bring some solace to his sorrowful spouse, whom he loves and cherishes.

As she begins to loves her gentle husband; a serpentine betrayal from a trusted friend occurs. Loic knows he must avenge their honor, but his love for Satha has turned to loathing for what he believes she caused. While on his quest to regain what he blames Satha for losing, the Arkhai spirits doom him to fail for fear he is the one to bring the Creator back to the country that they control. While he is gone, Satha has no defenders; she is sold into slavery to the abusive religiously right Angleni clan. The Creator is there for this dysfunctional couple struggling with danger and despondency; but each must reach out to the Creator if they are to spiritually heal.

This intense African romantic historical fantasy vividly brings to life the interrelationships between the three tribal clans as well as the effect of the outside forces. Thus the audience receives a complex tale of broken love and potential redemption in which the backdrop is a war torn land and on a metaphysical plane the spirits interfere with the lead couple while the Creator encourages them to find paradise lost. Carole Mcdonnell writes a powerful character driven (not just by humans) epic parable, which depending on what the pair separately do could turn into a great Greek (albeit African) tragedy or a second coming.

From an email query:
“I have a novel called BIKINI DRACULA, in which a mens magazine owner is suddenly found amid his girls next door who are found de blooded and tossed aside. The already fearful and suspicious fbi starts to concieve of him as a vampire. Into his manor and his magazine, the fbi sends a pretty, bosomy brunette secreatry as a mole to trap the aged publisher. It is all a satire of great old pulp monster books and russ meyer and Rodger Corman films.”

I suggested he read the guidelines.

From
Shelf Awareness:

Robert Jordan, the author of the Wheel of Time fantasy series, died on Sunday of the rare blood disease amyloidosis. He was 58.

Tor publisher Tom Doherty called Jordan “one of the great storytellers of the 20th and early 21st centuries; Jim’s Wheel of Time is a towering epic of power and scope, he was a man of courage and heart and vision but for me, first of all, he was my friend of 30 years.”

Jordan, whose given name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., taught himself to read at age four and began reading Mark Twain and Jules Verne a year later. He was a graduate of the Citadel, where he studied physics, and was a Vietnam veteran. He started writing in 1977. He wrote the Michael Fallon historical romance trilogy under the nom de plume Reagan O’Neal and seven of the Conan novels. His Wheel of Time series, which includes 11 volumes and a prequel, has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Jordan was reportedly working on an 12th volume at the time of his death.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of James Rigney to:

Mayo Clinic Department of Hematology — Amyloidosis Research
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905

MMP: Final Full Cover

The Eternal Rose
Gail Dayton
Juno, Oct 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 9780809571659

Six years ago in Adara, the demon led rebels were defeated. Subsequently, Kallista Vary was appointed as the Renine. Although she felt good about the victory, she did not feel a celebration was in order, as extended family member Merinda was abducted and remains missing.

Over the years she and her team rescue slave children, but finally word arrives that Merinda and her offspring reside in the household of a rival family in Daryath, the homeland of Kallista’’s mate Obed. Using the pretense of an official state visit, Kallista and her retinue travel to Daryath to bring home Merinda and her child. However, instead of a simple retrieval, a murder of the godmarked Iliasti occurs; that is followed by the killing of a Daryath official. Tensions are high and war seems imminent as the demons manipulate behind the scenes.

The final One Rose Trilogy (see THE COMPASS ROSE and THE BARBED ROSE) is a terrific conclusion to a fascinating fantasy although it helps to have read the previous two stories in the saga in spite a cleverly interwoven “history”. Kallista holds the exciting plot together as she and her complicated multiple partners make the Dayton universe seems real, which is the key to this fine tale of magic, demons, and killers. Fans will appreciate the wrap up and
cast a spell on the author for more tales in this inventive realm.

Euryale
Kara Dalkey
Juno, Jun 2007, $12.95
ISBN: 9780809557837

In Ancient Rome, Praetor Scipio Hispallus wants fame more than power, but what little he has of both is threatened by Daedalus the slave he freed. Daedalus intimates to his former owner that he will reveal to all of Rome that Hispallus’ estranged wife belongs to the banned sect of Bacchus, god of wine and fertility unless he funds the building of an ostentatious bridge. Hispallus panics as he lacks the money needed to appease Daedalus.

An astrologer who is in Hispallus’ home to ask a favor tells him of a foreign women Euryale who is offering a fortune to the person who can answer her question: “What can change stone into living flesh”? Hispallus goes to Euryace’s home hoping she will fund the bridge, but finds her and her household odd. Her face is totally covered and her hair is bound up so that he cannot see her anything above the neck. Her servants and slaves are blind. She agrees to fund the bridge if she fails to obtain an answer to her question as she is a warm hearted caring person living with a curse from Athena; if people realize what she is, her life will be forfeited.

Kara Dalkey writes a fascinating tale of what happens to a woman cursed by a goddess several centuries earlier. Euryale is a complex compassionate woman unlike the character portrayed in mythology. Readers will admire her courage and root for her to find a man who can see her through the eyes of love. Hispallus is a much simpler protagonist easy to understand as he seeks acclaim but lacks the wit to do so; he affirms the Peter Principle in Ancient Rome.

Twelve Steps from Darkness
Karen E. Taylor
Juno, Apr 2007, $12.95
ISBN: 9780809557882

Alcoholic and prescription drug abuser Laura Wagner destroyed her marriage to professor Tony and her addictions cost her any chance of custody of their two daughters, eight-year-old Lizzy and twelve-year-old Mandy. She comes out of a bar and hits the accelerator while in reverse; smashing into the vehicle parked behind hers, a police cruiser driven by Woodland Heights officer Mike Gallagher who remains haunted by the unsolved disappearance of five children.

Three months sober blur by as she is finally is considered a candidate to attend the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. Following her time in rehab, she goes to her new home, but begins to hear voices coaxing her to end her life insisting she would be better off dead than fighting her craving for a drink. Meanwhile Lizzy suffers nightmares that her mommy is hurt and in danger as she insists the voices want mommy dead. As Mike is
attracted to Laura in spite of her addictions, Tony is marrying Susan. The voice continues to coax Laura that she is better off dead. Lizzie becomes depressed that something wants her mommy dead and will kill those her mommy cherishes to force the final act.

This is an exciting psychological horror thriller as readers will wonder until the climax whether Laura suffers from psychoses or is there something or someone trying to push her over the edge of sanity. Laura keeps the exhilarating story line focused as she struggles with inner demons while trying to remain sober, but the twelve step method that she follows seems to be failing once she begins hearing the voice and having the dreams just like her the nightmares haunting her daughter. Karen E. Taylor provides a deep tale of a woman trying to regain her equilibrium, but in trouble with the audience wondering whether it is mental or demonic.

Best New Romantic Fantasy 2
Paula Guran (editor)
Juno, Apr 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 9780809557844

This anthology consists of fifteen well written romantic fantasies published in various sources in 2006. The tales are fun to read as
one’s soulmate might be a soul stealer as opposites attract and love does not guarantee a fairy tale happy ever after though it does make the world go round; more often elliptical rather than circular. There are no clinkers as each of the chosen stories is a solid entry though the short format does not lend itself to fully developed paranormal elements. Those excellent few that do typically contain a vivid location make the fantasy seem genuine; especially gripping are the haunting coastal “Journey into the Kingdom” by M. Rickert and the forest of “Evergreen” by Angela Boord. Sub-genre readers will appreciate this fine anthology whether the stars are witches, elves, fairies and various assortments of ilk from other realms as a virtual who’s who (O’Keefe, Friesner, Monette, etc.) contribute. As an aside the first volume is actually titled the BEST NEW PARANORMAL ROMANCE.

Night Owl Romance have included Unveiling the Sorceress by Saskia Walker in the
nominees for best fall 2007 sci-fi futuristic print novel.(Along with slightly better known authors like Katie MacAlister and P.C. Cast, etc.) Yay Saskia! If you’d like to take a look or vote for our book:
http://nightowlromance.com
The Ballot

Um, yes, I know the novel is not sci-fi OR futuristic, but, what the hey…

THE ETERNAL ROSE
and
BLOOD MAGIC
are finally on Amazon.com.

…on MOONDANCER.

For a sales meeting with our distributor. My email is not totally working yet, so if you aren’t getting an expected reply, you may need to be patient.

This person emailed me for information on how to submit her “series of five books” she was writing via snail mail. She said she had Internet access only at the library. I replied:
Sorry, we do not accept snail mail submissions. I realize this may seem unfair to you, but it is essential I 1) stay in touch with an author through email and 2) have a electronic document to edit. Further, all edited manuscripts are returned to authors for corrections and the like via email. I imagine that many writers had the same problem when publishers starting accepting only typewritten manuscripts.

Even a few years ago, I wouldn’t have insisted on e-subs only. (Yes, I make an exception once in awhile. Certainly for o-o-p books I consider–but I am not considering any. I accepted a ms. at a convention earlier this year because the author had included some special material. But, honestly, I couldn’t tell you where that submission is at the moment and I know I haven’t replied.) Now I see no reason not to. This is the easiest way for me to do it and, as noted, I need an author to communicate electronically anyway.

At some point in publishing history, handwritten manuscripts were no longer accepted either. And, so far, this is the only complaint I’ve had.

But, back to our story…

She replied:
:Hi - thanx for your prompt reply. Love it. War and Peace wouldn’t have got through! that was all hand written. Shall keep your letter. Thanx.

Okay. Maybe it was the “thanX”…but I suspected at this point she was, perhaps, young. So, silly me, I thought I’d be instructional:

That’s right — and since W&P didn’t have a strong female protagonist, we would never have considered it.

Thanx again - you’re right. Forgot about Harry Potter - you wouldn’t have looked at that either! Although I don’t know if you consider Hermione a good enough hero. We’re obviously not a match.

A female protagonist is just that — she is not a sidekick or a best friend. Hermione is certainly a heroine, she is NOT, however, the protagonist. That doesn’t mean I don’t think she’s a great character any more than it means I don’t think WAR & PEACE is a great novel…Different publishers publish different things.

You’re right. I guess I’m just p.oed you’re not even looking at my stuff - strong young girl hero and all! Hope you have fun with all your email submissions. I’m sure I’ll find the perfect home for my series.

So, I stopped. If her “young girl hero” was as young as Hermione, that was yet another reason her “series” was not suitable. And at least she was honest and admitted she was ticked off.

Still, she had an unusual name and I, feeble-brain that I am, will probably remember it if I ever see it again on a submission. Maybe I can forget my first impression.

Maybe not.

I waited awhile before writing anything about Madeleine L’Engle’s death. You can read obituaries here:

• <>Washington Post
• <> NYTimes
• <>Reuters

But I found the best remembrance to be one I heard on NPR:

When asked if Meg, in A Wrinkle in Time was autobiographical, she replied, “I frequently write about myself because that’s how I discover who I am…”

“Read any daily paper. You’ve got to survive. You’ve got to walk through the dark to get to the light. It isn’t free. It takes courage to walk through the dark.”

“[All art is fundamentally religious], trying to express something about this universe is a religious activity.”

And then there was this…

A friend sent me the NYTimes obit that said: “What turned out to be her masterpiece was rejected by 26 publishers….” I later read this in the Washington Post: “Ms. L’Engle tried to sell “A Wrinkle in Time” to a dozen publishers before Farrar, Straus and Giroux agreed — with the caveat that the author should not expect much public reaction. She, in turn, had it written in her contract that the company could have the rights to the book forever, anywhere in the universe, except the Andromeda galaxy.” [The book, other than winning the 1963 Newbery, has gone on to sell millions of copies, of course.]
What I said to my author friend was, “Yes, but there are no longer 26 publishers and the primary reason for rejection was that it had a female heroine and in those days, everyone knew “women couldn’t write science fiction.”

[I might also have said: Nowadays, that pledge to stay with the original publisher probably would not have been honored either.]

The friend, having found hope in success after rejection, felt I had cruelly crushed it.

I don’t think reality invalidates hope. Authors need to face reality as well as have hope. Mindless, blind hope is damaging and deceptive.
Am I cynical? Yes. But I also know that although anyone has the right to write, it does not mean you have the right to be published or even read.

That discrepency in the number of rejections tells you something, too: such legends grow. Just the other day I ran across some writer being heartened because the first Harry Potter book was “rejected dozens of times”. What balderdash! What’s the use of hope based on falsehood?

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a probably-valid adage: “A good book will eventually find a publisher.” That is no longer true. There are too many manuscripts and too many people wanting to be writers. Good books, maybe even great books, can slip through the cracks. That being said, there are more books being published than ever before.

So, yes, gain hope from whatever you wish, just temper it with reality and don’t base your hope on false assumptions.

Submissions through the first of July are replied to and it has occured to me to suggest a couple of books I sometimes recommend.

First, let me say there are a LOT of books out there for writers. I particularly don’t care much for “how to write whatever-it-is” books. However, I think there are two books that especially beginning writers will find helpful:

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
by Renni Browne &  Dave King

The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

They might also help those of you who have more experience but seem to be getting some positive response to your work, but are missing *something* and you aren’t sure what. They aren’t a bad idea for experienced authors who might want to get better in touch with the market today.

WIND FOLLOWER and UNVEILING THE SORCERESS have *finally* made it onto Amazon, Where the hect THE ETERNAL ROSE is…? Amazon has ordered HUNDREDS of copies of TER and already re-ordered, so we imagine they want to get pre-orders filled. (And yes, we know they’ve shipped.) You can still get books directly from us, of course, but we want those books in stores and online!

BTW — if you are looking for copies of WIND FOLLOWER at a bricknmortor, I’d suggest Barnes and Noble. Borders ordered a minimal number. Just the opposite is true for UNVEILING — Borders ordered more than B&N. Any of the chain stores can easily get copies for you, as can independents.

If some ignorant clerk or bookseller thinks it is somehow difficult to order these books — they are, well, ignorant or perhaps too lazy to check. No matter where they get their books, Juno Books are available through ALL there usual channels. There are two exceptions — Twelve Steps From Darkness and the forthcoming The Sarsen Witch. Those are easily available through Ingram, however, or directly from us if the store can’t manage to deal with the largest distributor in the US.

I love booksellers and I know they often are sick and tired of dealing with “small presses.” The point I am making is: we may be small, but distribution is not an issue as it sometimes is with us smallies.

Here’s another slight change or two to the schedule:

BLACKNESS TOWER is now a MARCH mmp rather than a May…

The name of Maria Lima’s sequel is BLOOD BARGAIN.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/105-0989097-2456447?initialSearch=1&url=node%3D1000%2C25%2C16190&field-keywords=paranormal&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
on 09.04.07

RWA, in its infinite wisdom, has now added Juno Books to their list of non-vanity and non-subsidy and therefore acceptable publishers we mentioned earlier. We are now safely and alphabetically ensconced between Jove and Kensington.

But… ye gods and little fishes did I spot a few more publishers they had originally left off that have now been added? Like:
Onyx

Penguin Putnam

Penguin Putnam Young Readers

Random House Children’s Books

Random House Publishing Group
Simon & Schuster Children’s

William Morrow

Gosh, we were in damned good company weren’t we? Wow. Who woulda thunk Random House would be suspected of vanity publishing…


From Charity at Dee & Dee Dish:

This is the final book of The Compass Rose Trilogy, so when I sat down to read it, I was nervous that I would be lost (as I had not read the other two books). Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised that that was not the case. In fact, Dayton’s writing is so solid that I fell immediately into the story and lost myself in the world.

It was another pleasant surprise to find that the fact I read the BCC and the publishers literature that accompanied the book did not take away from the story in any fashion. The BCC is spot on and not at all misleading and for the first time in a long time I promptly forgot it while I read…. [Okay, so that part wasn’t about the book, but we like reviews of back cover copy, too! ALthough we did fond a boo-boo in the finsihed version. Sigh. -paula]

The Eternal Rose is a fast-paced page turner, and I found it almost impossible to turn away from Kallista and the rest, as they try to free their lost son who has been serving as a slave, in a court that bring an entire new meaning to the term “custody battle”, fight demons, try to free slaves, protect their children, and try to deal with the loss of a very beloved ilian.

There was only one thing that made me stop and say “hmmmm” in the entire book, and that had to do with a very, awwww, steamy part that left me scratching my head at the impossibility of the act. Other than that, Kallista and her family touched me deep with the amount of love they held for one another. I felt as if I knew these people, and I, for one, very much enjoyed my time spent in their world.

If you are an aspiring fantasy writer, The Eternal Rose, is a must read. Dayton is a master at world building and she does it without ever breaking pace. She manages to create a world very different from our own, but also makes the people in it so real. Or if you are just a reader looking for a great book to take you away for a while, this book is for you.

Note: I traded emails with Charity about the, uh, “impossible sex act.” I understand her “hmmmm…”! But when I first read that section, I thought, “Well, hey, this is magical sex and anything is possible…so…despite all my talk about the proper tab A and slot B being important in erotica…I figured, go for the fantasy!” As more of you read THE ETERNAL ROSE (you’ll know what scene we mean!) I’d like to hear more reactions! — paula

[click image to buy direct]

Long & Short Reviews/Alice Teh:

Wind Follower is a page-turner right from the beginning. It is a story of love, despair, compassion, revenge, spiritual battle, healing, enlightenment and reunion…. I totally enjoyed Wind Follower and I am sure you will appreciate it too.

[click on image to buy direct]

Romance Junkies:

Exciting action and heated passion describe many scenes found in UNVEILING THE SORCERESS, the highly imaginative fantasy by Saskia Walker that takes place in an exotic desert setting…It held me spellbound, awaiting the outcome. This fascinating magical romance is filled with exciting surprises. UNVEILING THE SORCERESS by Saskia Walker is full of great suspense and exciting action that made this book one that everyone will want to read.

Fallen Angels/Serena

(5 Angels/Recommended Read)
This book was an absolute gem. I was absorbed by the tale from the very beginning and found it extremely difficult to tear myself away to deal with the mundane details of life, like eating and sleeping. I literally could not stop reading. I was rooting for Elishiba from the first chapter. The strength of character she showed and the willingness for self-sacrifice was just awe-inspiring. I have enjoyed Ms. Walker’s novellas and will definitely search out any other fantasy novels that she pens. Thank you for an amazing read.

Night Owl Romance

Saskia Walker pens a story of sorcery and romance complete with an intriguing plot. Unveiling The Sorceress is well written with the characters of the mysterious godsend Amshazar and the proud ruling Elishiba highlighted. Ms Walkers’ entertaining romance lets you see into another world for just a little while. It’s fun to read a story such as Unveiling The Sorceress with unusual settings and characters. Will you keep writing for us please Ms Saskia Walker? (5 of 5)

ck2s kwips and kritiques:

Saskia Walker is a master at creating haunting beautiful images. The lush scenery of UNVEILING THE SORCERESS draws the readers into this mystical world. The eerie atmosphere makes one believe that sorcery really does exist as Ms. Walker brings this fantasy world to life. The vivid backdrop for UNVEILING THE SORCERESS sets the stage for the battle between good and evil that ensues.

UNVEILING THE SORCERESS has a whole host of extraordinary characters! Saskia Walker does an excellent job at creating strong female characters and it is enjoyable to see Elishiba emerge as such a powerful heroine. While Elishiba’s innate goodness is well known from the beginning, there are other characters whose motivations are revealed as the novel progresses. Who can Elishiba trust when intrigues and deception surround her? The tension and relationships between the characters is exceptionally well done as many of the characters are multifaceted, making their decisions unpredictable at times.

Saskia Walker proves with UNVEILING THE SORCERESS that she has a true knack for writing superb fantasy novels. I can’t help but hope that she continues writing in this genre as I think she has carved her own niche here. Thank you, Ms. Walker, for yet another splendid tale from your talented and creative mind!

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From Curled Up With a Good Book

Matters of the Blood starts off excellently. Within three pages I was hooked, the narrator’s voice drawing me into her story with her brilliant turn of phrase….This is an excellent book, readable and gripping with varied characters, an interesting plot and a great setting in small-town Texas. The narrator’s voice has an interesting blend of emotion and humor, and she makes some great side comments throughout the story. I understand that this book is the first of a series, and I look forward very much to the future episodes.

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From CurledUp.com

Roby James’ writing style is exquisite. The descriptions of people and places come alive, making an incredible tale seem so very plausible. Jennifer’s struggle to balance her idea of success with the needs of those around her echo the struggle of any woman in the modern era. Her fear of being unimportant is felt by many of us today.

I would have liked to get to know the other people at Clipton Magna, to understand what life was like for them. However, Jennifer is the focus of the fable. We watch as she must make a decision while having no idea of how far-reaching the consequences may be. I enjoyed James’ prose and feel this book will appeal to anyone who has ever daydreamed of finding a lost country. Beyond the Hedge would also serve as an excellent introduction to fantasy for those who have never sampled imaginary worlds or talking animals. I will eagerly search for more from Roby James.