My new favourite authors!

Eye of Fire by D Wallace Peach This book not only satisfied my desire to read about dragons, but it also profoundly satisfied me on many levels; intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Peach’s writing is effortlessly lyrical. Her characters are wonderful to discover (both good and bad) and her story telling is a gift of Belonging itself. Authors like Peach are rare and I am so grateful to have found her. Her works are a masterclass in every aspect of fantastical story telling. 

Five Elements Anthology Tightly spun tales of sci-fi with fantasy elements. Fascinating reading! My favourite tales were by CJ Jessop and D Wallace Peach!

His Judas Bride by Shehanne Moore If you like your heroes smouldering, your heroines feisty and complicated, you’ll love this steamy romance!

Memory of the Fae by KJ Baker If you like your Paranormal Romances fast and furious, with plenty of action and passion, this is for you! I was delighted to discover a 4th book in the Mated Faes series. This story focuses on Asha’s best friend, Gracie, and Raven’s brother, Hawk. Unlike the others in this series, it doesn’t have a happy ending, instead it has a rather unsettling end…!

Rogue Hunter by KJ Baker This is the first in a new series from KJ Baker, this time set in modern day London. I loved the concept of a treaty between humans, immortals and vampires and how the balance of power is threatened by rogue vampires. The narrator, Marney, is a rogue vampire hunter and is delightfully hot-headed and impetuous. This is certainly a different take on paranormal romance!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories by Washington Irving is a delightful collection of interesting, sometimes sentimental essays and stories. 

The Gemini Connection by Teri Polen is a YA novel with fantastic conceptualisations and brilliant characters.

Rogue Online: Devil’s Gate by Mark Glarvey & E K Baxter I loved the engaging nature of the narrator and experienced his frustrations and victories as he battled his way through the Rogue Lands.

Todd Sullivan Presents The Vampire Connoisseur A collection of tightly written stories on the theme of vampires. I enjoyed reading these diverse tales and the three that stood out to me were; Parasites; A Tale of Route 66 by BJ Thrower, Splinters by Keawe Melina Patrick and The Sun Sets Nonetheless by Priscilla Bettis. All 3 authors have an individual narrative voice which is a delight to read and all 3 provided me with a unique and original view on the well-told tale of the vampire. 

I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons The best biography I’ve read! This meticulous book provides fascinating insights into Cohen’s life and creativity.

I found two books by Jeff Steele; The Multiactivity Series Books: Four Different Activity Types for hours of Focus and Fun and Easy DIY Essential Oil Projects. Both are short and sweet but extremely useful!

Ludo & the Star Horse by Mary Stewart Still an enchanting read as an adult as it was for me on my 10th birthday! The imagery is compelling and the storyline riveting.

A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart As fascinating and compelling as it was when I first read it at the age of 10. This is a Grimm fairy tale with a unique slant on the werewolf. Suitable not just for children but for adults also. Stewart’s description of the unseen transformation from man to wolf is a masterpiece in itself.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Don’t forget to watch the book trailer for my latest creative offering at Elkadanu!

Clippings – Spring 2022

Mega thanks to Gwen Plano for publishing such a beautiful review of my poetry collection, Insides. Check it out HERE! If you haven’t got a Bookbub account, you can read the review below…

Thank you to Spillwords for publishing my poem, I, Vampire back in December 2021!

Thank you to Tigershark for publishing two of my poems in #30 in December last year as well! (It’s a FREE download!)

Thank you also to Luna for publishing my two of my poems so far this year! Check out Spite and Permission!

And thank you too to David ben Alexander at The Skeptic’s Kaddish for his wonderful collaborative poetry using words from my poem, Black Dust…

And a huge thank you to everyone who bought my latest book, Fair Wind, when it was launched in January. If you haven’t yet got your copy, it’s available on Kindle, Apple, Nook, Kobo and other online sites. Find out all about it HERE and watch the book trailer on YouTube. (If you like the book trailer, please share!) And, I’d love to know what you guys think of my latest volume in The Kaerling series…

Just reminder that I’m taking part in a Fantasy E-Book Giveaway at World of Fantasy. My book, Olin Heon, is one of the 37 books you can download for FREE up until 31st March – don’t delay, grab it (and other novels) today! Follow @BookCaveDirect for more free deals on Twitter!

Over at Pure Haiku my guests and I have been exploring the theme of Ghostlight, inspired by the amazing fractal by Troi David Loy. You can read all the haiku for this theme starting HERE.

And over on Patreon, my supporters have been treated to three new stories about Dracomagan of Dragonscale Leggings. They’ve also received 3 unique postcards painted and designed by me with my very own Iendu Kimol verses on them! And they’ve been able to listen to the music for my playlist for volume 9 of The Kaerling as well as understanding WHY I chose the music for it. And, today, they have received a character study on Lored, the Taku-kevir who plays such a central role in The Kaerling series… Sign up today to get goodies like these and more!

Don’t forget that my poetry collection, Insides, is still just 99c until 31st March! Watch the book trailer HERE and download your copy at Kindle and other online stores! “I’ve always liked Freya’s poetry, but due to the subject content, this work really resonated with me because my wife was diagnosed with cancer around about the same time. It was a different form of cancer, however, the emotional distress is the same. It was a really tough year for us both, and this work brings to life the thoughts, the emotions, and the reality that such a traumatic experience can have in one’s life.” Kevin Cooper

I’m taking a few weeks break from blogging, but will be back online in early May! Thank you for reading my posts and I look forward to catching up with you all again soon!

Why reviews are so important

Reviews are important to me, both as a reader, and as an author.

And when I mention “review” I simply mean one or two sentences telling other people why they should read a book. “From page one I enjoyed this novel. As I submerged further into the characters, scenes, and story, it only got better — excellent read and looking forward to reading more of this Author’s works.” J Steele

As a reader, I tend to read only 4 or 5 star reviews as I’ve found that any review less than 4 stars reveals more about the reviewer than the product. And to be honest, I just want to know why readers enjoyed the book, not their pet hates or dislike of certain types of themes/characters/style of writing etc.

As a reader, the most helpful reviews I’ve read have been short and sweet, basically saying “I enjoyed this book because…” Any reviews that are long or go into detail about character development and plot arcs, turns me off straightaway. That’s not a review, that’s a critique, and I’m not interested!

As an author, I am dependent upon positive comments and reviews. Without them, I cannot promote my books. And, if I can’t promote my books, I can’t earn the money I need to pay the bills and simply live!

The more reviews a book has, the better chance an author has of getting it included in a paid promotion. Many promos require a book to have at least 10, sometimes 20 positive reviews.

As I’ve mentioned above, a review need only be one or two sentences saying why the reader liked the book. This doesn’t take long to do and indeed, I spend no more than 15 minutes a couple of times a month typing up the reviews I write for the books I’ve enjoyed reading, and post them on both Amazon and BookBub. “Freya’s ability to craft complex characters and create an interwoven storyline show’s well in this volume! The way things play out as the story unfolds, with some mysteries answered and others yet to be revealed, makes me want to know more of this world!” Troi

Reviews are really helpful when they’re posted on Amazon (as most promos require Amazon reviews) as well as Goodreads, Kobo, Nook and iTunes. So, if you have recently read a good book, please take a couple of minutes to compose a maximum of two sentences to encourage other people to also buy the book and get it up on Amazon etc. This really helps both the author and potential readers.

And, if you’ve ever read any of my books, please consider leaving a positive review about them on the above mentioned sites! You never know, I may well dedicate one of my works in progress to you!

Don’t forget that Insides is just 99p / 99c on Kindle as well as Apple, Kobo, Nook and other bookstores! Grab your copy quick before the price goes up! And check out the book trailer HERE!

Books I recommend!

I seem to have read mainly long books recently but do have 4 reviews to share with you today! (Sometimes, when I’m creating first drafts, I don’t read at all in order concentrate on my own creativity. The following reviews are of the books I’ve read since the beginning of November 2021…)

War of the Fae by KJ Baker This is the third book in this series and it’s as tense and action-packed as the others! From the beginning, Asha has questions and her doubts nearly ruin everything. I enjoyed both the action and the introspection in this tale, and the exploration of how deep a mate’s bond can be, was fascinating. If you love paranormal romance, you’ll love this book!

The Terror by Dan Simmons is one of the most profound books I’ve ever read. This book contains incredible, seamless story-telling. This is a gritty, visceral tale of survival set in the Arctic in the late 1840s and gives the reader an explanation of what might have happened to the crews of The Terror and The Erebus. The book is far more bloodthirsty and exciting than the TV series! The book also contains a mythological and spiritual side which I found extremely satisfying. Brilliantly researched with excellent delivery – this is one book I will definitely re-read! (Tip – watch the TV series before you read the book otherwise you might find the TV version disappointing!)

I also enjoyed reading Male Sexual Health by Dudley Seth Danoff. This book is a must read for any female author who genuinely wants to understand the sexual motivations of the men she writes about.

I re-read The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien in December. I took my time, enjoying my journey through Middle Earth. (This is the first time I’ve re-read the book for 7.5 years, since having cancer). I forget so much between reads and love all the details that make me feel as though I am there with the companions as they travel. For instance, did you know that the road delves down between red rocks crowned with pine trees before the last mile of grassland before the Ford of Bruinen? And I just love the way Tolkien describes how the Ents move – like herons wading through grass, but moving a lot quicker than herons can fly. And the way Saruman’s eyes glint red when he’s brought to bay at the tower of Orthanc, still gives me shivers!

Have you read (or re-read) any of these books recently? If so, what was your opinion of them?

Don’t forget that Insides is just 99p / 99c on Kindle as well as Apple, Kobo, Nook and other bookstores! Grab your copy quick before the price goes up! And check out the book trailer HERE!

For all my reviews and comments on the books I read, please check out Amazon and Bookbub!

An Explanation

I just wanted to explain a few changes I’m making this year in order to take the pressure off myself.

I’ve got 4 books I want to publish in 2022; 3 e-books and 1 paperback. As I’m still behind my self-imposed deadlines, I’m easing up on a number of things in order to spend more time writing and drafting, marketing and launching my books.

Blog

I won’t be posting quite as much as usual here. I’m aiming for 2 posts per month (that’s 2 posts in every 32 days as I work to an 8-day week). I may re-blog my poetry / book reviews and the like in-between my usual posts, depending on how much time I have. I will still be posting about books I have read and films/TV series I’ve watched etc.

Newsletter

I’m reducing my Newsletter to once every 2 months this year, and it will still be appearing on or around the 15th of the month. I will still be telling readers about new books and discounted books, and the free story I give away each year to those who read my Newsletter, will be serialised in each issue (6 episodes). Character studies (which I introduced in 2021) have been moved to Patreon.

E-Pod Interviews

I’ve decided to retire my E-Pod interviews as there hasn’t been any take up for the last couple of years. I don’t have time at the moment to market it, and, with all the deadlines I need to meet this year, I won’t have time to process any requests. You can read all about the E-Pod interviews and visit the authors / artists who took part HERE.

Pure Haiku

My other blog, Pure Haiku, is still going strong. We’re currently exploring the theme of Ghostlight – check it out so far at Pure Haiku. If you didn’t make it to the selection for Ghostlight, Pure Haiku will be opening just once in 2022 to submissions, in June. If you’d like to be informed of the theme in June, please sign up to follow Pure Haiku.

Patreon

My Patreon supporters will start receiving Character Studies and have access to my playlists for each e-book that I publish this year. You only have to donate $1 a month to receive these goodies along with posts about my real life and a poetry postcard. If you want to donate $5.00 a month you get all the aforementioned plus sneak previews of my book covers and book trailers as well as one short story of at least 2,000 words a month and sample chapters of each new book that I publish. What are you waiting for?!!!

I hope this goes some way to explain why I won’t be posting as frequently as I have done in the past. I am, first and fore mostly a writer and writing is what I am happiest doing. Make me even happier, by purchasing one of my books today!