Farewell January// Hello Opportunities

So... January is at an end. And I'm surprised to say that it flew by so quickly that I'm still wondering where it went. That's actually really weird for me, because January is usually the looongest month of the year for me. But not this January. This January is over before I even knew that it began.

The end of this month also marks the end of my first month blogging and I'm not really sure what I should do so I decided to do a monthly wrap-up since I've seen some blogs doing that.

Life
I started a blog! Does that count for something? So this month has been mostly spent working on my resolutions as most Januaries are. Mostly that includes me learning how to sketch off of Pinterest and trying different hair styles to freshen up my look. That and working. I have no other updates here. Yes, my life is very boring. Now move along.

Reading
In the month of January I read eight books. They are:

Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy
3.5 stars
Bittersweet//Contemporary//Indie

Retreat by Sarah Addison-Fox
3.5 stars
Sequel//Stormers//Action

Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano
4.5 stars
Historical//Funny//Fave Authors

The Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
4 stars
Fantasy YA// Brutal// Politics

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
3.5 stars
Dracula//Murder//Feminism

The Wicked King by Holly Black
5 stars
Faeries//Soul Crushing//Favorites

The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
4.5 stars
Fairy Tale Retelling//Cover Love//Kick Butt

Shadowkeeper by Hope Ann
4 stars
Myths//Death//Darkly Beautiful

Writing

This month in my my writing I've edited close to fifty thousand words in Of Gold and Iron which was by far my main project. I started writing A Matter of Curiosity. I also finished writing and published Winter Cursed's prequel A Winter Grim and Lonely.

I have been at a standstill in my writing for A Winter Dark and Deadly, and my WIP Here is There. I've been stuck at a difficult scene in A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses and spent quite a bit of time brainstorming a way to get past it (I'm so close!).

Despite how much that I got done this month, I know that I could have done more if not for procrastination when it comes to editing. Next month, I'm going to work on not wasting so much time.


So that's the end of my wrap-up. But don't run off just yet because I have yet another announcement and it is about the Fanart Contest that I was hosting. As you will notice, I stated that it was going to end on January 31st. But, I've decided to extend the due date.

The reason behind this extension was that I really wanted to republish A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses while this contest was still in progress. But with today as the contest's deadline, and A Time of Trepidation still not published, I've decided to extend the deadline. I'm hoping that the new deadline of August 8th will give me enough time to republish A Time of Trepidation.

The rules will remain the same, which are:

• The pictures must be of either characters or scenes of any of my Amar books I've written. That would include: A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses; A Certain Sort of Madness; as well as A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses when it is finally republished. (no vulgar content is allowed; because that is obviously not in my books)
• No payments required, submit as many pictures as you would like to boost your chances at winning.
• Email your pictures to me at nicky(dot)chapelway(at)gmail(dot)com
• The subject of your email should be "Amar Drawing Contest"
• Submissions end on August 8th, 2019

Even though the rules are the same, I am, however, adding a few more prizes. As well as a spot for both second and third place winners.

The prizes are now:

First place will win signed copies of the first three of the My Time in Amar books. A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses; A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses; and be one of the first to receive a copy of A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils when it releases. The will also have a character named and created off of them in A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils.

On top of these two things, they will win a print of a picture where I drew of ALL OF my main teenage characters from both my Amar series (that I have up to this point, anyway).

Please don't mock the picture, I know I'm no artist, but I'm sure since it's the author's rendition it will be worth something in the future! When/if this series becomes famous.

And I know that some of you are looking very closely at who is standing next to who. I know I would be. Just know that even if each of these relationships between the characters does happen at a certain point in the story, that doesn't mean that it stays that way forever. So don't get too excited *chuckles like the evil overlord I am*

The winner will also receive a paper copy of the official map of Amar:

Also drawn by moi

Second Place will win signed copies of both A Certain Sort of Madness and A Week of Werewolves, Faeires, and Fancy Dresses as well as their choice of either the map or a copy of the character drawing.

Third Place will win their choice of a signed copy of either A Certain Sort of Madness or A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses as well as their choice of either the map or a copy of the character drawing.

So make sure to keep sending your pictures in because this contest is still very much open!

Now it's your turn to talk. What do you think of my wrap-up? Should I make a habit of doing monthly wrap-ups? Are you excited about the extended date of the fanart contest and the added prizes? Comment below!

Language of Worlds Linkup// Announcements

Okay, so this is actually my first Language of Worlds Linkup I've done even though I've been meaning to do this since Liv first started it *whistles innocently* Now that I have a blog I no longer have an excuse to forget to write it (or put it up). And so without further ado, I give you the language of my worlds.

I chose my Irish faerie story Of Gold and Iron for this linkup since I've been doing a ton of editing in that of late. And I actually found an old document where I had begun to answer the questions for a previous Language of Worlds linkup, I don't remember which one but I think it might have been November? I decided I would include that one too even though that part of the linkup has already ended because I'm a rebel. The old linkup is first so you all can get a good idea of what the story is before we move onto the details of who my main character is. And since the book is titled Of Gold and Iron you're probably going to notice a font color scheme (unless you're color blind like my brother, sorry there, bro...)

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Actually, this idea was first sparked by a dream that I had one night. In it, my brother and I were kidnapped into the faerie world and well… things happened, but I can’t say what cause spoilers. I kept the idea pretty close to the dream itself. So you'll find out as you read the story.

Most of the time, I don't remember my dreams well, but my brain was so taken with this one that it actually had me dream that I woke up and took a shower so that I could brainstorm and piece together the stuff that didn't work because... dream logic.

It was a really weird dream, but it worked out. It worked out.

2. Share a blurb!

So... I'm not overly enthusiastic about this synopsis (Translation: I'll probably be changing it in the future) but this is the one I've got for right now.

Never Trust a Faerie...

Jaye MacCullagh and her brother Thomas are the next generation of gifted humans tasked with protecting the human world from the Otherworld, the home of the faeries of Irish legend- which actually aren’t really a legend. Except Jaye isn’t gifted. When she was born, it appears that she was overlooked by both the Seelie faeries who bless the Guardians and the Unseelie faeries who kindly bestow curses on them. Still, she’s not about to let anything as inconsequential as a lack of a gift keep her from continuing the family business.

But when Jaye and Thomas find themselves trapped in the wrong world, they realize that they need a faerie escort to guide them safely through the dangerous faerie courts and help them find a way back home. Enter Ravven Crowe, an arrogant solitary faerie who is being held against his will by these pathetic humans. But even a captive faerie is a dangerous one.

Things quickly go from bad to worse when Thomas is enslaved by an Unseelie faerie. In order to save her brother, Jaye must become the Fair Assassin, a human warrior who wields the Blade of Gold and Iron and is allowed to kill faeries. But to win this title, she will have to first pass the tests given to her by the faerie courts that don’t want her to succeed. Tiptoeing a fine line between war and destruction, Jaye is forced to do the one thing that she knows she cannot. She must trust a faerie. Her life and humanity depend upon it.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?

This is a portal fantasy so some of the world takes place in a small town in a Midwestern state. Most of the book, however, takes place in the twisted, enchanting faerie Otherworlds. A place brimming with magic where even humans can find eternal life- assuming they live long enough, that is.

I love the magical and dangerous feel of the Otherworlds. Literally everything about it can kill you, but it does so while being so beautiful. And maybe what kills you could be your salvation instead... 

Another of my favorite aspect of this world are all the many different types of faeries that live there. I based this off of Irish mythology and let me tell you… there are apparently a lot of Irish faeries. And let’s not forget the faerie courts! There are five courts Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn, and Undersea. Figuring the motives of these courts and their kings and queens has been so much fun! I tied this world in with the faerie world of a short story I wrote that was titled A Feast of Starlight which took place about a thousand years before this book. So figuring out how all of the characters from that story and the history tied in was so much fun.

The Otherworlds...

Pictures via Pinterest

4. Tell us about your protagonist.

My protagonist is Jaye MacCullagh.

Pretty much how I imagine her to look.

Picture via Pinterest

She's a seventeen year old Guardian, who has dedicated her life to her family business. She hates faeries, but she does so because she feels betrayed by them since they never bestowed a gift on her (or so she thinks... *trails off with evil laughter*) unlike all of her family before her. Jaye struggles with feeling inadequate because of this. I know this sounds a little cliche, but I'm going to assure you now. Jaye is not going to discover some sort of dormant super special flashy power. She may have something *zips lips*. But whether this blessing is a curse or the other way around remains yet to be seen. She does however have the ability to wield iron, the faerie's one weakness so that is handy. Especially when it comes to threatening faeries which she is not above doing.

She's feisty, even if she is only strawberry blonde, and likes to consider herself smart. More likely than not though, she's really just smart mouthed. 

  

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

Oh, this question is slightly difficult to answer considering I have quite a few antagonists and they are all equally bad, but I do not have a main one. I have both faeries in the Winter Court and the Spring Court who cause quite a bit of trouble for my main charries. But also, my main characters are in a way their own antagonists since they really cause 85% of their own pain. So Jaye is her own antagonist, and Ravven is her antagonist. And she's Ravven's antagonist, and he's his own antagonist...

As I said. I have a lot of antagonist in this book.

Isn't that collage so heartwarming? Mwahaha!

Pictures via Pinterest

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

First off, the faeries. I LOVE faeries, they are so twisted and dark and faerie-y. You never know their true loyalties until it's too late. So the number one thing that I love about this story is figuring out how to take a normal regular favor that a human wouldn't think twice about, and apply faerie logic to it. What could they possibly have had to gain from doing this? Because they would not have done it otherwise.

Secondly, and this is kind of going to come out weird, but the end of this story is TRAGIC. And that actually really excites me. Mostly, because I would say that the theme of this series is redemption/resurrection. Like I said, my characters are their own antagonists and it is a messy, ugly journey that I am super excited to write.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?

It’s going to be a series, but since I’m notorious for creating super long-will-they-ever-end-?series that are never finished because they’re so long, I’ve decided that it will be a trilogy. Do I second guess my choice every single day? Yeah, pretty much. 

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting?

Um… honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing. I started off plotting the story, but I only plotted the very beginning. When I made it to the middle I pantsted and even though I knew where the story needed to go, I never wrote it down or actually outlined it and stuff. I just had it in my head.

9. Name a few things that makes this story unique.

That’s a tough one to do without spoiling anything. Hmm… I think that the way that I classified all the different types of faeries into the courts was pretty unique. I took a lot of different faerie myths and twisted them around to create my own world.

I would say that the whole plot circling around a human trying to become the faerie's elite assassin is pretty unique. At least, I've never come across any stories like that.

I also have quite a few twists that I hope add to the uniqueness. 

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!)

Oh, well, sheesh. So already said what my theme was, but here is my Pinterest Board for this story. And my Spotify Playlist.

And now some collages and quotes about my main characters. Because really all I need is more excuses to make collages!

Pictures via Pinterest 

Pictures via  Pinterest 


"I know, some Guardian I am. Faerie hater by day, anxiety ridden teenage girl by night."









"With everything that is going on, I want to feel safe around him. I want to feel like I have one ally. But that is not a healthy thing to want. Not when the person I wish were my ally will very likely stab me in the back if I let down my guard around him."

Picture via Pinterest

So that was the first Language of Words, the one that I filled out while I was still actually writing it. Here is the new one now that I've finished the first draft and have been spending the past couple of weeks editing it!

I was going to focus on Jaye with this next linkup, but now I realized that I already said so much about her, so I'm actually going to talk about my male lead, Ravven Crowe.

In five words or less, how would you describe your character? Oh, hmm, let me thing about this I would probably use these five words to describe Ravven... faerie, alone, lost, manipulative, wrong.

When do they see an opportunity for self-improvement? Ravven doesn't really think he needs to improve. He thinks that he's perfect. He's sort of vain that way. But, there is a certain very HUGE event that happens to him that will force him to reconsider himself. BUT I CANNOT SAY ANYMORE!!! *ignore me crying over here and just move on to the next question*

How do they view themself (good, evil, neutral, etc.)? In Ravven's eyes, he is good or in the very least even if he views himself as evil he won't care because he is so selfish. He knows that some of things he does are questionable, but as long as he gets what is best for him in the end, he did the right thing. Classic faerie logic.

Is there a story that inspires them? What is it? Even if Ravven would never admit to it,  he would have me say that he is inspired by nothing but himself (thank goodness that he isn't in control here), he is actually greatly inspired by the story of his parents' love. Much more than he will ever say.

What proverb or quote they identify with? Um... so this isn't one that Ravven himself would choose to identify with, but it definitely works for him. Oh, stars above does it work.

NO, I AM NOT CRYING, I JUST HAVE ALLERGIES!!!

Picture via Pinterest

What does their standard day look like? A standard day with Ravven would include him wandering aimlessly through the Autumn Court, mostly plotting. Sometimes going out of his way to avoid other faeries. Occasionally he'll visit his dad and his two or three friends. Then he goes back to his solitary wandering and tries to find some way to wash the evidence of their company from his existence.

When they picture their ideal day, how does it go? Um, so it's hard to say because Ravven's real goals are kind of a huge secret of the story. But I would say that in Ravven's ideal day, every piece that he has ever crafted falls perfectly into place and he definitely gets the thing to happen.

Do they have a favorite memory? If so, what happened? As an immortal who is more than three hundred years old, Ravven definitely has a lot of memories. I would say that his favorite is probably one of his mother teaching him how to control his magic.

Where do they see themself in five years? Ravven doesn't think about the future. Since he is an immortal faerie, it's infinite. So I suppose he sees himself doing exactly the same thing he is doing now, completely unchanged. If he's managed to accomplish his goal, that's great, but if not. Well... he has time.

What is their life dream? I'm not going to say what Ravven would tell everyone his life dream is, because honestly deep down I don't think that's what he really wants. What he really wants is to belong and, whether he admits it or not, to be loved.

So that's the end of the Language of Worlds linkup. Hopefully you guys enjoyed learning more about my story and my characters. MAN some of those questions were so hard.

Pictures via Pinterest

Anyway... now with that done, I actually have TWO and a half announcements for you all. They are:

1. I wrote a flash fiction piece! I'm calling it Chained Magic, but it doesn't really matter. Anyway, you can find it here. It should be the first story listed, but if not, it's the one under 'Nicki Chapelway'. I would super appreciate any thumbs up you want to give my story. Read everyone else's stories or write your own story while you're at it and join in on the fun!

2. A Certain Sort of Madness is FREE on Kindle starting today and lasting until the 28th. A countdown of sorts for when A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses will go on sale on the 29th.

1/2. This isn't really an announcement but keep an eye out for A Winter Grim and Lonely it should be published any time in the next two weeks.

That's all I've got for now. What do you think of faerie stories? What is your favorite book about faeries that you've read yet? What is your favorite mythological creature (in case you couldn't guess, faeries are mine)? Comment Below!!!

Amar// Collages, Updates, and More!

I promised a post about Amar now didn't I? And since I'm working five days next week I don't really know if or when I'll have time for that, so I'll just put this post up now.

I know with the upcoming release of A Winter Grim and Lonely, that I haven't really been focusing on Amar and while that is true, that doesn't mean that nothing has been happening over there.

First of all, a little bit of an update. I know maMy Time in Amar book two. Believe me, I'm pretty impatient myself. I really wanted this finished long before now, but A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses has always been a difficult story. It took me about two years to even write the first draft so... yeah. I am still working on it, I swear! Even if it hasn't been as steadily as I would like. However, I shortly plan on rectifying that.

ny of you are waiting patiently (and sometimes impatiently) for the release of

I don't take and credit for the pictures, they are all from Pinterest

I recently put three books on hold at my library. They are:

These Rebel Waves By Sara Raasch

To Kill a Kingdom By Alexandra Christo

And....

Seafire by Natalie C, Parker

I'm really hoping that these swashbuckling tales will help inspire me to write this story. Especially for the pirate-y aspects that are coming up.

I'm almost halfway though and honestly, I'm really loving this new version of it. I only have one last part to get through and then pirates!

My goal is to have this story finished by July at latest. But if I can get it done earlier than that, you won't hear any complaining from me. A thousand and one thank yous and apologies to my alpha reader (you know who you are). You are so patient with me. I'll start sending you chapters again very soon!

Via Pinterest

And now onto the second part of my update.... Return to Amar.

Yes, that's right, I have an announcement for you there too. And it is that I am starting A Matter of Curiosity.

Via Pinterest

Yes, that's right, you did not hear incorrectly. I am starting this story. Well, actually I've already started it, but I'm only about 211 words in so obviously I haven't gotten that far into it.

Somehow I'm working on both of my sequels that take place in Amar at the same time. And they could not be any more different!

Honestly, I'm not even sure if I should be starting this now, because this book doesn't take place until after book three of My Time in Amar. So even when I write it, no one can read it until I finish A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils cause... spoilers! This is the story that begins tying together the two series. All the books before not can be read on their own, but this one has to be read in the correct order. But I know how the stories go so it doesn't really make as much of a difference to me what order that I write it.

With all that said, I can share some things without any worries of spoilers (except for those who have not read A Certain Sort of Madness yet if that is the case.... FLEE FOR THE HILLS! And grab a copy of that book to read while you are gone).

Now, for those of you who have not run off to those proverbial hills, I've written up a temporary synopsis for you to enjoy and to tide you over until this book can finally come out*

*I'm still aiming for my March of 2020 goal because like I said, even if I write this now A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils has to be released first.

Reality is Cracking…

It has been several months since the events that put her mother in a coma. Since her grandfather was imprisoned in the Unrealm as well as Dante. Since she’s last stepped foot in Amar. Trying to put heartache and broken promises behind her, Alicia attempts for the first time in her existence to actually live a regular life. But apparently “normal” has always been hopelessly out of her reach.

Cracks are appearing everywhere, showing glimpses into the other worlds. Marius is fighting to break free from his prison, and reality is tearing at the seems to try to hold him in. The only way to save the four realms is to find a way to stop her grandfather once and for all. But how does one defeat an immortal?

He offers her a bargain. Play a game against him, winner takes all. The stakes are her future, her mother’s life, and the freedom of the boy she loved- and still possibly might. Only the most powerful mage in all Amar will walk away. But in order to win, Alicia must become like her grandfather and be willing to use her friends as pawns.

In this twisted game love and loyalty, sanity and safety are all just an illusion. And sometimes reality doesn’t deserve to be saved.

In the first book, I said that insanity was catching. Well... it's caught. Now it's time to sit back and watch it rage like a wildfire.

The first book was inspired by Alice in Wonderland. This one is inspired by Alice Through the Looking Glass. Expect even more elements of Wonderland than were in even the first book!

The Red Queen is going to be in this book, and she gets her own POV- she's not who you think.

The circus is back.

So are the faeries, and they are just as twisted as ever.

And as I've already hinted, this story ties into My Time in Amar. In fact, several characters in My Time in Amar will be in this book, but I can't tell you anymore or else this post will no longer be the spoiler-free zone that I promised it would be.

Finally, I give you the first line:

My story ended with the word, “Run.”

Via Pinterest

That's all I've got for now, folks! Which of these sequels are you most excited to read? Authors, do you often have trouble working on sequels or is that just me? Readers, do you tend to enjoy the sequel more or less than the first book? Comment Below!

It's finished! Why am I not excited?

I am still trying to figure out a set day of the week to put up my blog posts, but while I do that I'm writing this today cause it's my day off.

I have a bit of an announcement to make...

I finished A Winter Grim and Lonely!

No, I am not okay.

Let me say that again. I AM NOT OKAY!!!

I can't even say that I'm that excited. Relieved is a better word.

I'm pretty sure that this book destroyed my heart. I wasn't ready for that. Nope, nuh-uh. Someone should have told me that was going to be as painful as it was. Did I think that this book was going to be difficult to write?

Yes!

But man, not even I expected just how painful.

Y'all don't even want to know the faces I was making as I was writing the last two excruciatingly painful chapters.

But anyway as a post-writing celebration/mourning period I'm going to share some things about this story.

I had the title before I had the story. When I came up with the title A Winter Grim and Lonely I wasn't even planning on writing an Ismena themed story. I was actually thinking about dividing A Winter Dark and Deadly into two books and naming the second book that. But then I decided that was way too much work and then the idea for an Ismena themed story came to me. And then thanks to Hannah for getting me really thinking about it... I decided I was going to write it.

I was actually going to publish it in a collection with a second Winter Cursed short story that takes place after A Winter Dark and Deadly (basically the plot I was going to put into the second book if I'd made them into two) but I didn't think the title fit for the second story. When I finally came up with the title for that story, I decided to just make them two books.

This is my first Winter Cursed story that has only one POV. Ismena's.

While I was writing the end, I started thinking, what would have happened if Ismena hadn't killed Stephan*

*Not a spoiler, it says in Winter Cursed that she did*

*cries uncontrollably*. WHY WOULD I DO THAT TO ME???

That thought got me thinking of how that little fact would have changed the entire story. Obviously Stephan wouldn't have been dead, Ismena would still be kinda good/kinda bad but a lot more stable. Elisabeth wouldn't have grown up in exile, or been forced to flee into a certain forest and she probably would have married the young lord Gerald Belton*. They would still have winter. And then I realized that in this version of the story, Cedric would have actually been the bad guy. He would have finally broken free of his exile and raised an army, plunging Illesya into another war.

*Only my alpha readers of AWDAD would know who he is

An interesting thought... How close everything came from being different*

*When you read the book you all will realize just how close we came to this reality*

*I'm not crying. You're crying.

Anyway... that's all I have to share. I apologize if this is a bit of a disorganized post but my brain died when my heart did. I'll probably do a post on Amar later this week or next week ;P

What do you guys think? You excited about AWGAL's upcoming release? Think you're brave enough to read it? Do you enjoy heartbreaking books? Comment below!

Goals of 2019

(Which I will definitely not keep)

Well, hello, 2019. What are you doing here already? Even though 2019 took me by surprise, I'm still totally prepared for it because I have my whole truckload of resolutions/goals already prepared.  I decided that today, I would share my goals for this year. I always make a ton of goals in the beginning of the year and most of them are not realistic at all, but I guess that's the problem with being an optimist.

Life

Read my Bible more and spend more time in my personal walk with God.
Exercise more, eat healthier foods, and just as a whole be healthier (you know the drill)
Finally learn Spanish (this is basically my goal every year, one of these days it will actually come true)
Learn to drive.

Reading

Because I am such an unreliable mood reader, I don't really make that many goals as far as my reading goes. I can plan on starting a high fantasy series next and then decide that I'm actually in the mood for sci-fi. So I don't really have any goals as far as the content of the books I'm going to read this year. I can't even say that I want to read more classics than I did last year because I read a ton of classics last year, so maybe I'll just say that I want to read... I don't know... five classics? I don't really care what those five classics are, but I've been meaning to read Much Ado About Nothing.

Other than that, my only reading goal is to read 150 books. I'm not entirely sure how realistic that goal is now that I have a job, but I guess we'll see.


Writing

Yeesh, my writing goals tend to get a little out of hand, but last year I wrote 592,919 words so I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get at least that done this year.

I'll start with the easiest thing on the list which was to start a blog and/or an author site (look at me, I'm so successful, I completed one of my resolutions within the first week XD)

This year I am hoping to self-publish three books (well... two and a novella, but last year I only published one book and a novella so there is that)

The books (and novella) are:

A Winter Grim and Lonely (which I'm still writing, but I'm getting close to the end, I swear!)
A Winter Dark and Deadly (already written, but still got over half the book in intense rewrites to do)
A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils (send help for this one, I set it aside in 2017 when I realized that a large portion of the 60k words I'd already written in it needed to be completely rewritten. Not to mention that it needs to be finished)

I am also hoping to republish A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses this year. I still have quite a few edits to do in this story, but I'm hoping that I'm past the more tough ones.

As you can clearly see, most of my year will be dedicated to editing and rewriting. I guess that's what I get for writing so much last year.

But my writing goals are to write another 500k (I was going to try to make it to 600k but then I saw all the editing I had to do this year and I decided heck no).

Right now, because I like to make plans which I can completely ignore later on, that 500k is divided up like so...

30,000 in A Winter Grim and Lonely
130,000 words in A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils
120,000 words in A Matter of Curiosity (even if I don't plan on publishing it in 2019, I do plan on publishing it early 2020 so it's got to get written this year)

I don't actually know how long any of these books are going to be, I'm just going on how long the other books in their series are.

That leaves me 220,000 words outside of what I need to do.

At the moment these last 220k words are planned to go toward my side project Here is There and a new idea that I'll share more on later.


Of course, these are only my plans. But my plans change. A lot. Especially as far as my writing goes.

My plans in 2018 were to republish A Week of Werewolves, Faeries, and Fancy Dresses (did) Republish A Time of Trepidation, Pirates, and Lost Princesses (um... well... *sweats*), and write and publish A Season of Subterfuge, Courtiers, and War Councils... (let's just assume for the moment that I kind of strayed from my 2018 writing goals). And I basically wanted my entire My Time in Amar series finished with the fourth one to be released early 2019. Instead I wrote the companion novel A Certain Sort of Madness something that I was actually never planning on doing even though the idea had been sitting in my brain for a while. I published Winter Cursed which I had been hoping to publish in the Five Poisoned Apples collection, but like I said, my plans change, and I wrote a three other stories that have absolutely nothing to do with Amar.

Apologies to Amar. This is the year you get my attention.

Anyway you are probably thinking that I've said enough*

*And you're probably totally right

But I have ONE MORE GOAL. And this is the biggest goal I have this year. I want to finish editing and polishing up Of Gold and Iron

(Pictures via Pinterest)

And then I want to send it out to traditional publishers. By the time 2019 is over I'm hoping to in the very least have Of Gold and Iron contracted to be published. I've actually NEVER sent any of my stories to a traditional publisher (the closest I've ever come is sending short stories to contests) so I have zero idea of what to expect. I'm equally terrified and excited. But I feel like Of Gold and Iron is a strong little story and fully capable of standing on its two feet.



My one word of 2019 is LEARN, but now after seeing all that I have to do I'm considering changing it to EDIT*

*I'm totally not, but seriously, Nicki, focus on the editing!

Well, that's enough from me. What about you? What are your goals of 2019? Do you often meet your goals or are you like me and have a bad habit of straying? Comment below!

Welcome to my blog,

At the start of 2019, I finally decided to do something that I've been saying that I would do for forever. It was one of my resolutions this year. I STARTED A BLOG!!! Which is kind of crazy because I never do any of my resolutions. I just procrastinate until the middle of the year when I either forget what I even wanted to do, or I decide that I don't even want to do it. So me starting this blog is actually pretty huge and I'm hoping that maybe, fulfilling this resolution will help me with my others, at the top of the list being getting a book traditionally published, or in the very least contracted by a traditional publisher. But enough of that, I can't let you in on all of my secret plans ahead of time.

Anyway, now I have a brand new shiny blog and no posts to go with it. So I asked myself, what better way to christen my new blog than to take part in my own cover reveal blog tour*?

*don't answer that, I'm sure that there are a ton of better ways to start off a blog...

Anyway, without further ado, I give you the blog tour for A Winter Grim and Lonely. It's the prequel to Winter Cursed told from the villain's perspective, that's right the wicked queen herself back before she was wicked. She was still totally a queen though. The story could be read as a standalone, I guess, but really you'll be missing out on half the story so I would highly recommend that you read Winter Cursed first (lucky for you it's free grab it here and don't dally because the sale ends tonight!).

Anyway this story is super dark and gritty. Probably my darkest book yet, I'm not going to lie because the really hard part is that I know how it ends for Ismena. *sniffles loudly* I'm definitely not crying... just go look at the cover and leave me to my misery...

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Are you ready?
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If the answer was "yes" then you're probably mistaken
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I'm not sure how anyone can be ready for this heartrending little backstory
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I know that I'm certainly not
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No, I'm still not crying in case you are wondering
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I just have... allergies
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But enough of that, I've made you scroll long enough
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I give you...
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THE COVER!

Mirror… Mirror….

Ismena is the queen of Alain and considered by all to be the fairest maiden in the land. She happily looks forward to the day when she will marry the love of her life and unite two of the three kingdoms that make up Illesya. That all changes when King Stephan, her fiance, falls in love with an ice nymph considered more fair than she.

In My Hand…

Scorned by the man she once loved, Ismena is driven by her need for vengeance. She makes a dangerous bargain with King Morren the dark lord who sits on the throne of the third kingdom Mooraven. With his help, she will bring Stephan down. She does not care who she has to double cross in the process, nor how many enemies she will have to make. But her plan for revenge crumbles around her when she finds that she cannot kill a young princess with Stephan’s eyes.

Who is the Fairest…

An eternal winter, a chance at a happy life, and a beautiful stepdaughter. The fate of three kingdoms will be decided.

In the Land?

This is the tale of how an ordinary girl became the wicked queen.

Anyway, isn't the cover beautiful? I'm so excited for this little damaging book to come out even if it is breaking my heart*

*Blame Hannah Shuck for this, it was all her idea...

I don't have a publishing date yet, but I'm hoping somewhere toward the end of the month. Hopefully I'll have a more definite date for you soon.

And as a little bonus I'll now share the top three songs that break my heart right now. Also known as my go-to writing soundtrack for this book:

Wish that you were here
Breath of Life (how could I not add this one to the soundtrack? It is Ismena's theme after all)
Wicked Game

These are all songs from my A Winter Dark and Deadly soundtrack, but they take on a whole different meaning for when I work on this novella.

Well, that's all for now. I'd better go get back to crying writing.

Let's just take one last moment to admire my two books side by side. Don't they look so nice together?

Don't forget to pick up Winter Cursed while it is still free here or add A Winter Grim and Lonely to your to-read shelves here

Other stops in the cover reveal blog tour:

Ivie Writes
The Writer's Song
The Red Hooded Writer
Agency of Books and Spies
Pause For Tales

Anyway, I can't wait to hear from you. What do you think of my new blog? Have you read Winter Cursed before? Do you like reading stories from the villain's perspective? Comment below!

~Nicki