I'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring Alli, @allicatbooks!!<3 Meet Alli, @allicatbooks!Why did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I started one to see if it would be something I wanted to pursue for my job. But then I fell in love! Haven't looked back since! What is your favorite genre? Ya fantasy and adult contemporary romance What are you currently reading? Real Men Knit and Separation Anxiety What are some of your favorite fandoms? Marvel and Harry Potter are my two biggest What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? Turquoise, pizza, and cats. The rest it's too hard to narrow down! What is your biggest fear? Mannequins Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? Lazlo Strange, Lila Bard, Daine from Wild Magic, Vin from Mistborn, Luna Lovegood What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? I love connecting with other bookish people. Bookstagram is one of the friendliest, most supportive communities I've ever been a part of. What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? Video games, movies, and taking pictures of my cats! What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? It can be tricky in practice, but I really do have the best time when I share content that I'm happy with, regardless of how well it may do in likes or whatever. Sure it's extra fun to have a post do really well, but it isn't worth it to try to make content for everyone else if I'm not going to enjoy it. Follow Alli on Instagram at @allicatbooks!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Alli more.
Next Monday, I'm singing the ballad of @page_pixie! Stay tuned...
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Hi, book loves. Thank you for joining me for The Bookish Ballad Blog’s second Author Chat! On April 15, 2020 I interviewed T. Rae Mitchell, YA Fantasy author of Fate’s Fables, which is the first book in the Her Dark Destiny series. While reading Fate’s Fables I thought about how crazy it was that I have gone so long without these books in my life. They are fantastic and wildly entertaining. I want to thank all of you who were able to tune into our live Instagram chat! You all contributed to the fun Terry and I had chatting about her book, author life, publishing, and more, so I am happy you got to be a part of it! For those of you who could not attend...fear not! I recorded the video and uploaded it to my YouTube Channel, The Bookish Ballad, for you to watch. I also asked T. Rae Mitchel to send me written answers to all the questions I asked in the live chat so you can peruse it at your leisure! ENJOY!!<3 Author ChatQ&A with T. Rae Mitchell!When did you decide you wanted to be an author and how did you make that dream a reality? I’m not one of those people who wrote stories since the time they were children and wanted to be an author one day. As a kid, I was always drawing and wanted to be a published illustrator. Life is strange though, because obviously that’s not what happened. I unleashed my artistic side into a career as a graphic designer and illustrator instead. The writing began later when I decided to follow through with my childhood dream of creating a picture book for my son when he was little. However, I quickly discovered I couldn’t write a short children’s story to match my illustrations. I loved character development and world building too much and ended up writing a middle grade novel instead. Not a publishable one, mind you. That story is collecting dust. But that’s what got me hooked on writing. After that, I studied the craft for a good ten years and here I am today. Fate's Fables has a magic system that revolves around runes that invoke the elements and Finn McKeen has a fascinating background as a Scottish druid who can wield these runes. Can you tell us about your world building process and what research you had to conduct to develop this magic system? World building springs mostly from A LOT of research. I have to immerse myself in the subject matter to become as informed on as many details as I possibly can. Only 10% of those details ever make it into the story, acting as touchstones that help ground the world I’m creating with familiar archetypes. For example, when I was reading about Druids, I learned of their belief that humans were descended from trees. Each tree is sacred to them, especially the oak, which is why I made the oak tree such a prominent theme throughout the story. Magic systems are more challenging because there’s no actual research you can do, except to study how they’re used in books and film. However, some of my best inspiration for what sort of magic I’m going to use, is inspired by my favorite fantasy art. To me, there’s a unique story going on in every picture. Just as someone else looking at the same image would see a completely different story. I love Pinterest for that. Though I have to be careful I don’t lose hours swooning over artwork when I should be writing! What advice would you give to an aspiring author who would like to independently publish their book? Believe in your dream and be willing to do whatever it takes to make it a reality. Doubts and fears will inevitably rear their ugly heads, but you can’t let them stop you. Become a demon slayer and keep moving forward. Write what you love and fall in love with your characters, because if you love them, your readers will too. Fundamentals of Self-Publishing:
How did you come up with the magical objects and tools Fate, Finn, and Sithias use on their epic journey through the Book of Fables? I name the magical objects first. From there I let each name trigger my imagination as to what it looks like and how it works. Asking questions works great too. For example, the Orb of Aeternitis. It’s an orb, so it’s round. But what size is it? I’ve always loved the concept of small things having great power, such as the One Ring from LOTR. Okay, so it’s the size of a pendant, but what is it made of? At that point, I let the characters tell me the rest. Here’s what they had to say: “The Orb is a small puzzle ball––golden and about the size of a cherry. A rather unassuming piece at first glance, unless you have the mind to look more closely. Then you’ll see the interlocking hexagrams comprised of magical numbers and symbols, all of which represent ancient alchemical formulas and celestial forces powerful enough to bestow life and death.” You recently announced the re-cover reveal of Fate's Fables a couple months ago (YAY!). What made you want to give the books a new look and what all did the process entail? I’d been considering taking the series wide (into B&N, Kobo, Apple etc), but I wanted to launch with a more timeless, classic design and test it on Amazon before making the big jump. Unfortunately, the new design didn’t come together right off the bat. We experimented with a completely different cover involving red roses and a white snake slithering through thorns. I really loved the design, but it didn’t seem to be drawing in the right readers. A few months later, after deliberating on several other designs (which never saw the light of day), we finally arrived at the current design and I couldn’t be happier. :D What is your writing style like? Are you a pantser, a plotter, or a plantser? A planster. I found out the hard way I was a terrible panster, so now I outline like a good little plotter. But I still get to be a wild and crazy panster, because I let the characters fill in the blanks and surprise me along the way. Did you experience any challenges or roadblocks while writing Fate's Fables? How did you push through them? Oh yes. I could fill a book with them, hahaha! I pushed through them by going back to my advice to aspiring authors. I believed in my dream and I did whatever it took to make it a reality. I’m still doing that. Challenges and roadblocks continue to arise, but I love writing and staying connected with my readers too much to give up. They say that authors put a little bit of themselves into their fictional characters. Which character from Fate's Fables is a close representation of you, and why? I’d have to say Fate. In the beginning, she was the hardest character for me to write, whereas, Finn and Sithias, flowed in whole and complete. Fate, on the other hand, arrived as an ordinary girl who was sheltered and lived in her own little world writing stories. She had no special powers and gifts–other than having extraordinarily and highly questionable good luck that either didn’t last or turned sour on her. Not exactly a kick ass heroine with a well defined mission ahead of her. Fate was average, and I second-guessed her constantly, fearing she wasn’t interesting enough to be the star of the show. I suppose I related to that a little too much, which was why I found her to be such a challenging character to write. But I’m happy to say Fate has taken on a life of her own and surprised me, proving that average can be quite entertaining and super fun to write. Let’s play kiss, marry, kill! Fate, Sithias, Finnn. GO! Yikes, really?!! All right, if I must. Who to marry is easy. Finn of course. (My husband inspired him, so need I say more?) I’ll kiss Sithias because he’s such a sweetheart. I reeeally don’t want to, but Fate’s the one I have to kill, for giving me such a hard time in the beginning (as noted above). What are some valuable lessons you learned from publishing your first novel? There are so many, but here’s my top three: 1) Learn everything you can about publishing before you publish. Don’t wait until after the book’s published (like I did); 2) Get feedback on what others think your book’s specific genre is. Sometimes we’re not writing in the category we think we are. I thought I was writing in sword & sorcery epic fantasy, when I was actually writing in fairy tales & folklore, coming of age categories; 3) It’s okay to make mistakes. It might mean going back to the drawing board, but there’s much to be learned from mistakes and you can then make improvements. Fate's Fables revolves around eight grim fairytales that I absolutely loved getting lost in despite their grim endings. What are some of your favorite fairytales? Do you have an all-time favorite? I love the romantic classics, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. Sleeping Beauty is my all-time favorite. And I just love, love, love the Disney Maleficent movie. I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched it! Which authors/books have inspired you on your writing journey? The books I read before I started writing have made the most lasting impressions on my work. Maybe it’s because I was strictly a reader back then. Ever since I’ve been writing, the reading experience isn’t as immersive (unless it’s a really, really good book) because I often get distracted with analyzing the plots and characters from a writer’s perspective - which isn’t exactly the best way to unwind at the end of a long day of writing. Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles has been a strong influence. Her writing is pure poetry and so visceral in her descriptions. I had nightmares about vampires coming into my house while I was reading those books! Garth Nix’s Abhorsen trilogy broke my imagination wide open and influenced my writing of Fate’s Keep. Joss Whedon’s, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel series have been a huge influence, especially in the way I develop relationships between all the different characters. Does Fate's Fables have a playlist full of songs you listened to while writing? I once had a beautiful playlist I embedded on my Tumblr page, which gave me all the feels I needed to get into the right heart and head space, but it’s since vanished from the page for reasons unknown. The music I listened to during that time was moving, haunting and often times of a Celtic nature, (because of Finn’s Scottish roots). Here’s a wonderful example of the kind of music I listened to while writing Fate’s Fables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTroLJbP3u4 Readers get the sense that family is an important theme in Fate's Fables. What does family mean to you? Family is everything to me. We’ve always supported and encouraged each other. Fate’s Fables wouldn’t be out in the world without their encouragement and support, especially that of my husband and son. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing family. Fate's Fables has a beautiful and unique cast of characters. Which character is your favorite and what do they contribute to the novel that makes them so special? Finn is definitely my favorite. He’s such a complex character, yet amazingly easy to write. He’s protective and loves fiercely. He has this soft spiritual side that connects him to nature in such a beautiful way, yet he can be brutal in his use of the elements when he needs to be. Out of all my characters, I think I’ve been hardest on him, because he’s been forced to face his dark side and the lure of surrendering to it completely. The fight between the dark and light inside us all has always fascinated me. Fate and Finn’s love story knocked the breath from me on multiple occasions. I’m a hopeless romantic, I know! What was it like to develop their love story and how do you get readers to believe a love as timeless as theirs could exist? A suspension of disbelief, you could say. I think this romance works because I believe in soul mates. I believe there’s someone special out there for each and every person, but before that wish can come true we have to be crystal clear on what we want. When destiny finally conspires to bring that person into your life, you know it deep in your bones, because everything falls into place like pure magic. That’s the connection I strive for between Fate and Finn. I’d love to know Fate’s Fables framework. Were the eight grim fables and their strategic placement the foundation of the novel or did something else in your creative process structure the novel? When the idea for Fate’s Fables came to me, I knew the Book of Fables needed to be fleshed out first. So I wrote all eight fables before ever writing Fate’s story. I came up titles, which I wrote each fable to. From there, I wrote each fable in chronological order, making each story darker than the last. This gave me the roadmap Fate would travel upon. The main story developed out of each fable’s story, which helped me build increasing tension as her story progressed. I was amazed by how well that worked, because it gave me so much to work with as far as having a solid sense of setting with its own built-in cast of characters to interact with. I’m pretty sure you know how much I adore Sithias at this point. I mean, I love him enough to gush over him and give him his own question. He is quite the playwright and marvelous actor. What role does the theatre play in your life? I’m not brave enough to ever step onto the stage, but my son’s an actor and screenwriter. I’m usually the one reading lines for him when he preps for auditions, which has always been so fun. It’s interesting just how many different ways an actor can interpret a single line of dialogue. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of what form of expression an actor chooses, because it makes all the difference in the casting room. There are so many references to pop culture in Fate’s Fables that I just loved and related to on a deeply emotional level. How much pop culture do you know and who are some of your favorite celebrities? Most of the pop culture I’ve gravitated toward, centers around fantasy (with some sci-fi peppered in) from books, comics, TV and movies. Favorite celebrities come primarily from TV series. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles - who play Sam and Dean Winchester in Supernatural are one of my top fave celebs. Talented actor, James Marsters, who played Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because of Spike’s character growth and complex story arc. I even wrote and article about him: https://traemitchell.com/oh-yeah-james-marsters-is-resurrecting-spike Angelina Jolie became a huge favorite of mine after her performance in Maleficent. Thank you Taylor, for inviting me to this awesome interview. I’m so honored you loved Fate’s Fables enough to share the first book of Her Dark Destiny series with all yourfollowers. I’m excited to have them discover the adventures for themselves and I can't wait to announce the release of Book 4, Fate's Fury, later this year! About the AuthorT. RAE MITCHELL is an incurable fantasy junkie who spent much of her youth dreaming up worlds and bringing characters to life. While most kids grow out of such things, T. Rae didn’t and she sometimes took playing make-believe a bit far. Like the time a wizard hid a bottle of dragon beans in the back yard and left her son convinced he could grow his own dragons. Needless to say, the beans failed to produce and disappointments were had. That’s when T. Rae decided to funnel her crazy imagination into writing. She has since begun her young adult Her Dark Destiny series, which can be found on numerous Amazon Top 100 Best Seller lists, such as Coming of Age Fantasy and Fairy Tales & Folklore. Follow T. Rae Mitchell on Instagram at @t.raemitchell! I'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring one of my bookstabesties who I just adore! Welcome the lovely, Amelia, @booksandtheblacktea!!<3 Meet Amelia, @booksandtheblacktea!Why did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I’ve know about the community for a while, but I didn’t have the confidence to start. Everybody’s book photos seem quite intimidating 😂 But then in late 2018, a friend encourage me and I was like “Okay I’m super nervous, what if no one likes me? But I really wanna do it, I really need a channel for my reading and photography hobbies” and so here I am 😄 What is your favorite genre? Fantasy and Sci-fi all the way! What are you currently reading? I just finished Crescent City, and I really need the sequel now 😭♥️ What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? Favorite Color: I love Rose Gold, Black, and Pink. Favorite Movies: Pirates of the Caribbean, but only movies 1-3, never movies 4-5 😂 Favorite Song: I love listening to Animals by Maroon 5, Body Moves by DNCE, and God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande. Favorite TV Show: I’m not great with TV shows, but I’d love to watch The Witcher. Favorite Food: My fave food is Pasta Carbonara. Favorite animal: I’m a cat person. Favorite Fandoms: Top 3 fave fandoms are Throne of Glass, Red Rising, and Grishaverse ♥️ What is your biggest fear? Darkness 😱 and there’s another one, but I don’t feel comfortable to talk about it. At all. Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? Only 5??? 1.) Aelin Galathynius 2.) Dorian Havilliard 3.) Rowan Whitethorn 4.) Nikolai Lantsov 5.) Linh Cinder What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? Meeting new book lovers around the world, I can write my mini reviews for books, more book recommendations (I don’t even know where to start 🤣), channeling my love of book photography, and bookish merch 😍 Talking about bookish merch, I’m planning to open my own shop later this year @immortalescraft! What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? Listening to music, singing, cooking/baking, swimming, and shopping.. don’t forget shopping 😄 List some bookstagrammers that have inspired you on this bookish journey! There are some famous bookstagrammers that I love learning from, like: @darkfaerietales_ @myfriendsarefiction and @paperfury 😍And my friends @may.firstofhername @siinalein_reads @a.readeresque.diary @aliyahherondale @linathebookaddict @madhatterisreading @sabisbooks and so many more ♥️ What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? Never ever compare yourself to others! Be you, take bookstagram pics with your style, read what you like, hype books or unpopular ones. And the most important thing is respect different opinions. If you disagree with something, you can say it, we have the rights to do that, but do it respectfully and pick the right situations, because we don’t know if that thing means the world to other people. I know it’s hard sometimes, especially when we dislike something (a book, a couple, a character, whatever), but based on my experiences, never ever be that person who says out loud that they disliked something (without caring about other people’s feelings), but then get angry when someone told you that they don’t like what you like 😊 Follow Amelia on Instagram at @booksandtheblacktea!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Amelia more.
Next Monday, I'm singing the ballad of @allicatbooks! Stay tuned... I'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring one of my darling bookstabesties who I just adore! Welcome the lovely, Céline, @rainbowsandbookshelves!!<3 Meet Céline, @rainbowsandbookshelvesWhy did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I wanted to share my book love and rainbow shelves with more people 🥰 I needed more friends to talk to about all the books I was reading! What is your favorite genre? NA fantasy What are you currently reading? Hero at the Fall What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? Favorite Color: Pink and blue Favorite Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You, Favorite Musician: Taylor Swift Favorite Band: I love musicals - especially Hamilton Favorite TV Show: Friends Favorite Food: Cheesy Nachos! Favorite Animal: Dogs - specifically Loki! What is your biggest fear? Tight spaces - I'm claustrophobic. Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? 1.) Will Herondale 2.) Hanna Donnelly 3.) Fred Weasley 4.) Nina Zenik 5.) Nik Malikov What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? The people - I've made so many incredible friends (including you)!! The support is amazing and there are so many inspiring bookstagrammers here. What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? Reading 😂 playing with my dog! List some bookstagrammers that have inspired you on this bookish journey! YOU - @the_bookish_ballad @madamepincers @obsessivebibliomaniac @booksofaginger @candleandabook @thebookpug @leahluna6 What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? It's made me more confident in myself! And it's good to have my own opinion. I also like that I've met many other people that also read NA and to be super proud of it! Follow Céline on Instagram at @rainbowsandbookshelves!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Céline more.
Next Monday, I'm singing the ballad of @booksandtheblacktea! Stay tuned... I'm extremely excited to be one of the first readers to read Shielded by debut author KayLynn Flanders! You are not going to want to let this book slip past your YA fantasy radar because you will be missing out on an absolute treasure. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for granting me early access to read this incredible book. In other exciting news, KayLynn has agreed to do an author chat with me here at The Bookish Ballad! On July 15th, 2020 join us at 8pm CST on Instagram Live for a Q&A on author life, writing techniques, and a conversation about all things Shielded! About the BookFor fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her. The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans. As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace. Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom. My ReviewShielded was a magnificently torturous and wildly thrilling YA fantasy novel written by debut author Kaylynn Flanders that I was so excited to lose myself in while reading! Flanders brings a refreshing new voice to the genre and I'm excited to proclaim that I've added another strong female character to my list of badass heroines. Princess Jennesara is a force to be reckoned with and definitely deserves to be up there with other leading ladies like Yrene Towers, Vhalla Yarl, and Jude Duarte! Shielded is filled with magic, deceit, revenge, a steamy, slow-burn romance, betrayal, friendship, family bonds, and epic battle scenes. This is a debut novel you do not want to miss! For fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her. The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans. As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace. Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom. The first half of Shielded begins with Jennesara on a journey to Turia for her arranged marriage with Prince Enzo, whom she's never met or seen before, and when her caravan is ambushed by killer mages, she must flee for her life within the magical and dangerous forests of The Wild. Just like Jennesara has to fight to survive in The Wild on her long trek to Turia, I had to fight my way through the first half of this book. In all honesty I'm not usually a fan of reading about lone journeys the main character has in a book because I tend to get quite bored. However, there was always some little detail and magic in the words that helped me hang on; that propelled me further into this book to find the treasure that awaited me. I checked the percentage of my reading progress and it was right around 54% that I fell madly in love with Shielded and due to the numerous revelations in this book I am unable to tell you why because....SPOILERS!* But I like to think I have built trust among you, book loves, so if you take my recommendations seriously than I promise you the wait for something amazing to happen is so worth it!!! And now I must endure more torture as I wait for the second book to be published. A beautiful cast of characters emerges as Jennesara reaches Turia under the disguise of her maid's name, Aleinn. You'll find that it is infuriating that Jenn keeps her identity a secret even when it could solve so many problems but I guess I'm a reader who likes to torture myself. If I'm being one hundred percent honest with myself, I craved the romance above everything else. It was perfect. It had me holding my breath and got my heart racing. I remember taking a break and seeing a huge grin on my face in the mirror and that is when I know a book has curled up and claimed a spot on my heart. Get ready to be swept up in a whirlwind of emotions and drama as well as the five glorious stars I award to Shielded! It is a brilliant read and I couldn't be more happy for Kaylynn Flanders and this huge accomplishment. Sending all my love and appreciation to Delacorte Press for granting me early access to read Shielded in exchange for an honest review!<3 About the AuthorKAYLYNN FLANDERS has a degree in English Language and editing, and has been a freelance editor and book designer for over ten years. Her debut novel, a YA fantasy, will be published by Delacorte (Penguin Random House) in Summer 2020. KayLynn and her family live in Utah between some mountains and a lake, and she is directionally challenged without them. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and volleyball, and thinks there’s nothing better than a spur-of-the-moment road trip. Follow KayLynn on Social Media! Website || Instagram || Facebook || Twitter |
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