“This is a lovely book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We learn more of Lored who is probably my favourite character and the revelations about his past were both unexpected and intriguing. There’s a sense of the different story lines starting to merge and it’s good to see Erl beginning to play his part. You don’t have to have read the others in the series to understand this one, but I’d recommend starting with book 1 – you won’t be disappointed!” smallblondehippy
“This is one of those fantasy series that flies under the radar and really should have a wider audience. Freya has a real command of the written word and her pacing and beats flow perfectly, making the story a very pleasant read and the world an even greater pleasure to visit…” Chris S
Listen to Freya’s playlist for Elkadanu on Spotify!
Discover ALL the books in The Kaerling series so far at Amazon, Nook, Kobo and iTunes!
Thank you Susi Bocks at The Short of It for publishing 5 of my poems – these five, along with many others, will eventually be part of a collection of vampire verse…
Thank you to Spillwords for publishing I Want It Darker, another of the poems that will appear in my vampire poetry collection which is due out in 2023!
Thank you to everyone who bought a copy of Elkadanu, published in May. It’s only £1.99 – why don’t you treat yourself to it this summer?
Special Offers
My Mythology is still FREE on iBooks, Kobo and Nook. On Kindle, it’s just 99c! (Amazon don’t like me making my books free for some reason…) This is a book full of fantastical poetry about creatures out of legend and in other worlds and it’s only discounted until 31st July…
Silver Fire is available as a FREE download in the July Blowout which ends 31st July – so grab it quick! This is the first book in my dark fantasy series The Kaerling.
And, a sample of Elkadanu is currently available to download, FREE of charge in the Sample Extravanga giveaway, and guess what? That one ends on 31st July too – funny that! This is volume nine in The Kaerling series, and is an excellent introduction to the characters and storyline.
Don’t forget to check out my OFFERS PAGE every month for freebies and sample chapters!
Changes …
I’m no longer able to use Facebook! It takes so long to load that I very often can’t read other peoples’ posts, or, if I can read them, I can’t respond to them. I also can’t always schedule posts on my Author Page. Very frustrating! So please don’t try to contact me via Facebook because I’m only checking in there every 1-2 months. If you need to contact me, either send an email to freya.pickard@gmail.com or leave a comment on this site.
Other News
Jonathon B. Hoyt with whom I have collaborated over the years in both my Newsletter and for the covers of my books, now has his very own blog! Please take a look and follow and like if you enjoy his work at Jonathon B. Hoyt.
Pure Haiku is once again CLOSED to submissions. Selected haiku from the theme of Volcano, will be appearing between 1st September and 30th November. Sign up to Pure Haiku to receive notifications! And thank you to everyone who sent in their haiku for my consideration!
August is a Rest Month for me so I won’t be online now until the beginning of September. I intend to work on my vampire poetry, read a lot of paperbacks, create pastel and watercolour pictures, listen to music and rest… See you in the autumn!
“Two flawed protagonists combined with lyrical writing, make this a spell-binding read! I want more!”Jiri
The Sample Extravaganza is running until 31st July and I’ve included a large sample of my most recent book – Elkadanu! If you’ve not yet started The Kaerling series, downloading this sample of Elkadanu is a brilliant way of getting into the world of Nirunen! And there are, of course, dozens of other samples to pique your interest!
“I felt so involved in the story of the herb woman, hopefully Lored will succeed in setting her free. The pacing of the novel as well as the interactions and dialogues between the characters are perfect; through these Freya manages to carry you away and have you plunge into such an amazing fantasy world!” C Messelodi
Yes, I know. I’ve gone a bit mad with the giveaways this summer!
My Mythology is still FREE on iBooks, Kobo, Nook and lots of other online stores. Amazon have allowed me to reduce the price to just 99c on all marketplaces – but the price on ALL stores will be going up again after 31st July. If you enjoy creative and imaginative poetry, grab YOUR copy NOW!
These poems create a rich tapestry of old tale and belief. Creatures of beauty exist alongside monsters of terror. Both shadow and light are reflected in these verses.
And, for the first time ever, I’m giving Dragonscale Leggings away for FREE in the Imagine That giveaway that runs until 31st July! If you love humorous fantasy with a feisty female protagonist, get your FREE copy now! There are dozens of other Young Adult titles to choose from as well.
“Dragonscale Leggings was an interesting, fun read. It pokes fun at a genre that many take way too seriously. I love a well-written parody. This Fantasy Parody is just that, well-written.” M Wolff
This year I’ve been listening to the following albums and tracks on…
VINYL
You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen This vinyl record is infinitely superior to both cd and streaming – I was astounded at the quality. The album is profoundly intriguing. The quality of Cohen’s voice and the orchestral mixing are incredible. The songs strike a chord with me and I think this is my favourite album by Cohen. It also contains three of my favourite Cohen songs; You Want It Darker, Travelling Light and Steer Your Way.
Meliora by Ghost My favourite album by Ghost and it sounds incredible on vinyl. The atmosphere is awesome and the orchestration second to none. Dark and beautiful, terrible and inspiring, this album contains the best ever Ghost song – Cirice.
CD
Ten Thousand Fists by Disturbed Heavy metal at its best. There’s no let up from the first track, Ten Thousand Fists, all the way through to Avarice. This kind of music helps me exorcise the darkness from the past. It allows me to process the rage inside in a safe, therapeutic way. The track that means the most to me is Overburdened. Even if you’re not a metal fan, you’ll find Overburdened an inspiring song.
Splinter by Gary Numan I love the dark, industrial feel to this album. I enjoy Numan’s music anyway, but feel a real resonance with his later, industrial sounding work. He expresses angst and anger, darkness and danger in a way that really speaks to me. It’s not frightening, it’s releasing. If you’ve never listened to Gary Numan before or aren’t a fan of his earlier works, try this – you’ll be surprised!
And, if you enjoy dancing, these two CDs are absolutely brilliant to improvise to!
Streaming
Julience If you enjoy discovering new talented musicians and have been disappointed with the latest episodes of Later With Jools, give Julience a listen! I came across him on Twitter and love the dynamic energy of his songs, particularly the guitar playing. I enjoy listening to all his songs but my favourite track of his so far is Love Lies Cold.
And thank you to wordaholicanonymous for introducing me to IGNEA back in March! Check out IGNEA’s song and video Alga HERE! And, if you enjoy it, #PleaseShare as I believe Ukraine still needs our support in every way…
Thank you for reading this post! Do you listen to any of the music I’ve mentioned? Do you think you’ll try listening to any of the artists I’ve recommended?
“The protagonists of the previous stories in this series finally meet, but dire forces gather in secret, in aid to the threat from the North for their own gain! Now that the characters are together, what plans might they make that will ensure or stop the kaerlings’ conquest of Falna for their side in this crisis? What has happened to Erl’s memory, and who does Lored meet at the Temple? I enjoyed this one enormously!” Troithulu
“This is a lovely book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We learn more of Lored who is probably my favourite character and the revelations about his past were both unexpected and intriguing. There’s a sense of the different story lines starting to merge and it’s good to see Erl beginning to play his part. You don’t have to have read the others in the series to understand this one, but I’d recommend starting with book 1 – you won’t be disappointed!” smallblondehippy
“Been waiting a few months for this since I finished the previous book. And I wasn’t disappointed! Incredible world building and amazing characters who travel through it. This is traditional fantasy as its best.” Jiri
“I enjoyed reading this from start to suspenseful end! Otta and her brother Erl travel with the priestess Undine, her acolyte Tari, and the taku-kevir Lored to catch up with their foes and rescue Derri. But trouble brews as they are trailed by a dark agent who does not have their continued existence at heart! Do they manage to evade pursuit, or will their unseen enemy find their spoor and renew the hunt? Find out!” Troithulu
“I love this whole series. Each book builds. Suspense and action. My only disappointment was that the next book was not available yet. I love the magic and different cultures that interact with each other. Just delightful and dreadful at the same time. What do I mean? You’ll have to read the series…. you’ll be glad you did!!” JimRuth
“It’s been a while, but this was certainly worth waiting for! Fair Wind continues the 4 companions’ journey in their quest to rescue Derri and Lally from the kaerlings. Pickard doesn’t disappoint as they embark on a short voyage and end up stuck on the Isle of Kiros. Beautiful imagery, poignant prose and characters I just love! More please!” Jiri
“The adventures in this series are fun. The twists and turns amazing! And I don’t want to wait, but I need to wait for the next episode!!” Jim Ruth
“This is one of those fantasy series that flies under the radar and really should have a wider audience. Freya has a real command of the written word and her pacing and beats flow perfectly, making the story a very pleasant read and the world an even greater pleasure to visit…” Chris S
“This was the first indie novella I’ve ever read and I was really blown away by the tight and evocative prose. All four fantasy tales were well paced, with interesting characters and settings laid out before you without being too heavy handed or-and I hate to use this word-info dumps. A solid collection by a writer with a true mastery of storytelling and the written word. I will definitely check out her other works!” Chris S
“I only know Freya through her poetry. I was unaware of her struggle with cancer until I began reading Insides. I immediately connected to Freya’s journey because of my own. She gave words to the invader, words that I’ve too often found elusive. Her poems are at times dark and treacherous, at times hopeful and light, but always they faithfully capture the ups and downs, the misery and the longings of those doing battle with cancer. Kudos to Freya — you’ve spoken for thousands of us.” Gwen Plano
“Pickard’s collection of poetry deals with her insides that were invaded by cancer. Her feelings, her body’s workings, her surgery, and the seasons she missed while trapped focusing on her healing. Plus a sweet, heartfelt cat poem. Pickard’s lines are generally short with snapshots of emotions, animals, stomas, even her surgeon’s fingers. Some poems are freeverse, others syllalbic. She is equally skilled at both.” Priscilla Bettis
As any author will know, these kinds of reviews are necessary to writers who often feel alone and isolated because of their chosen profession. Keep them coming! And don’t forget to check out my latest book, Elkadanu on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Kobo and other stores!
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