July Clippings

Reviews & Mentions

Thank you to Troithulu for your inspiring review of Uneasy Allies!

Thank you to Ruth for such a glowing review of The Kaerling series, and, in particular, Fair Wind and Elkadanu, both of which can be found at Amazon!

Thank you to Chris R Sendrowski for such an encouraging and heartfelt review of Elkadanu in May!

Thank you too to Priscilla Bettis for her wonderful review of my first collection of poetry, Insides, also at Amazon!

Thank you also to Shey for mentioning me and my book, Elkadanu at ShehanneMoore !

Publications

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 Luna for publishing my poem, Fringes of Fear from my 2nd poetry collection, My Mythology at The Poetry Bar!

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 Mark at Lothlorien Poetry Journal for publishing NINE of my haiku!!!

Thank you to David Gardiner for publishing my short story, Beechmast Copse in Personal Bests Journal Issue 4!

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.

Dragonscale Leggings is also available as a FREE download in Imagine That Young Adult giveaway which also ends 31st July. I’ve never made this book available for FREE download before, so get it while you can!

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!

Much love Freya xxx

Summer Giveaways

If you need more summer reading and want to sample some fantasy authors for free… read on!

Silver Fire is currently FREE everywhere including the JULY BLOWOUT! giveaway! Silver Fire is the first book in The Kaerling series and there many other free books to download for your holiday reading!

“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

More FREE Books!

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

FREE Books!

Two things to tell you about today!

Firstly, my second poetry collection, My Mythology is currently FREE at iBooks, Nook, Kobo and many other online stores. And, if you’re not yet signed up to my newsletter, you can download My Mythology for FREE when you sign up only at My Book Cave! I’ve managed to get the price down to 99c on all Amazon marketplaces – for some reason, Amazon don’t like me giving my books away… If you’ve not read my poetry before, My Mythology is a really good introduction to the way my creative brain works and what my life is like!

A collection of poems inspired by myth and legend. Will you dare to walk on the fringes of fear or glance into the blank mirror? Are you brave enough to stand before the thunder god or receive the sun lord’s gifts? Can you survive the bewitching ocean song or escape from zombie mushrooms?

Secondly, my book, Silver Fire, is part of a wonderful Giveaway at the Summer Book Bash which runs until 30th June! Check it out before it’s too late and stock up on your summer holiday reading! If you’ve not yet started The Kaerling series, downloading Silver Fire for FREE is a brilliant way to get into the series!

Banished from their village, Otta, and her twin brother Erl, (who has lost his memory), must stay ahead of those who seek to kill them. Learning how to follow the unicorn’s trail and deal with her brother’s dark side, Otta must keep them both safe as she attempts to follow the commands of a shrineless god. This epic fantasy tale is a FREE download and begins the saga of The Kaerling.

Discover more of my books HERE…

A fresh new voice

“A fresh new voice in the fantasy genre with a style and skill reminiscent of Ursula K le Guin.“

Wow! That’s how one reader describes me, the author of Elkadanu!

“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…”

Doesn’t that make you want to read Elkadanu?

Read the rest of the review from Chris S here at Amazon. And don’t forget to download YOUR copy of Elkadanu on Kindle UK, Kindle US, Kobo, Nook, iBooks and lots of other online stores!

What’s Elkadanu about, you ask? As Lored attempts to investigate the truth of the charges brought against Rue, the herb woman, Tari tries to hide her insecurities and doubts behind a facade of serenity.

Discover more HERE!