This month, we began our fifth (!) semester under the Covid pandemic. I still remember when, two years ago, the news of Covid19 broke in China during January of 2020. Inside a couple weeks, cases hit 80,000 - a number that seemed phenomenal at the time. I remember thinking, "This could be it. This could … Continue reading Age of Omicron
Query Letters: The Author Bio
This marks the fifth installment of an ongoing series on query letters. So far, we've covered: Why query?What goes into a query letter?How do I place my book in the market?How do I pitch my book? Today we will talk about the Author Bio. Most query letters finish with a single, short paragraph outlining the … Continue reading Query Letters: The Author Bio
2022: Already a work in progress
EOLYN and her companion novels had a makeover in 2021. Cover design by A Raven Designs Anyone else feel like there wasn't much of a holiday season this year? Everything blasted by so quickly. That's not to say I didn't have a nice holiday. Thanks to vaccines and loosened travel restrictions, I was able to … Continue reading 2022: Already a work in progress
The Perfect Magical Fantasy for the Holidays
I'm participating in a number of writer challenges on Instagram. One recent challenge asked: Why is my story important? To answer this question, I focused on EOLYN, Book One of the Silver Web Trilogy. What drew me into Eolyn’s story was the immense courage and strength she demonstrates when confronting a brutal system intent on … Continue reading The Perfect Magical Fantasy for the Holidays
Query Letters: The Pitch
So far in this brief series, we've covered three topics: Why Query? The Basic Structure of the Query Letter Placing Your Work in the Market Today, I'll talk about the pitch. The pitch consists of a few sentences that describe the central conflict of your novel in a compelling manner. The pitch is distinct from … Continue reading Query Letters: The Pitch
Query Letters: Placing your work in the market
A few weeks ago, I promised more posts on the topic of the query letter. Previously, I discussed why an author should query and went over the basic 3-paragraph structure of the query letter. One paragraph of the query letter is typically devoted to placing the manuscript in the market. Let's dig into that today. … Continue reading Query Letters: Placing your work in the market
Cover Reveal: Daughter of Aithne
Cover by ARavenDesign.com I'm very excited today to share the new cover for the third book of the Silver Web Trilogy: DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, winner of the OZMA Award for fantasy fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards. It's a coincidence, but an appropriate one, that this cover reveal comes on September 21, the UN International … Continue reading Cover Reveal: Daughter of Aithne
Cover Reveal: Sword of Shadows
Aaaand here she is (drumroll please): The thrilling new cover for SWORD OF SHADOWS, Book 2 of The Silver Web. This design ties in with the cover for EOLYN, revealed last week. Also from ARavenDesigns.com, this cover again features the Silver Web, a magical medallion that weaves the fates of the characters into a single … Continue reading Cover Reveal: Sword of Shadows
The Power of Hope
The cover reveal for SWORD OF SHADOWS, Book 2 of the Silver Web, is scheduled for September 10. A malevolent empire unleashes the Naether Demons to ravage the land. Can the forest witch Eolyn save her people - and conquer the demons of her own heart? Here's a trailer with a sneak preview of the … Continue reading The Power of Hope
Cover Reveal: EOLYN (Book 1 of The Silver Web)
Today's the day! I'm very excited to launch the new covers for the Silver Web Trilogy, beginning with Book 1: EOLYN. The trilogy's new look was designed by Autumn M. Birt at ARavenDesign.com. Each cover will feature the Silver Web, an amulet made of spider silk that carries magical powers in Eolyn’s world. Next week, … Continue reading Cover Reveal: EOLYN (Book 1 of The Silver Web)
Karin Rita Gastreich 