A Time to Rest (Vanessa)

Happy December! Can you believe we’ve made it this far? This has been QUITE a year! From coronavirus to just daily life, life has become overwhelming and a bit exhausting. So, today, I’m here to talk about when you should allow yourself to rest.

In addition to writing, there are many other outlets authors participate in. From bookstagram and online events to everyday life as a parent, student, or working (or all three!), it’s easy to become exhausted. But when do you allow yourself to slow down? Here are three ways I’ve learned to identify when I need to rest.

First, it’s okay to rest when a hobby or something that was once “fun,” doesn’t bring you joy anymore.

This doesn’t mean you need to give up your hobby forever. But it’s okay to stop doing one thing if it’s draining you mentally, emotionally, and physically. For example, I LOVE reading! But there have been many times where reading became exhausting. Of course, I’d never give up on books, but in order to give my mind time to rest, I read online comics instead! They were a lot shorter and I found it refreshing!

 

Second, it’s okay to rest when everything seems like too much.

As mentioned before, there is a lot more to being an author than just writing. There is editing, revising, marketing, not to mention your personal life! And, when everything is going smoothly, these things are great! But life doesn’t always go smoothly and it’s okay to take a step back to focus on what is important to you.

 

Lastly, it’s okay to rest when you want to rest!

I am a type-A personality through and through. I have always been this way, which has made me learn when I need to put on the breaks and slooooooow down. In the past, I have run myself into the ground, burned out, and have hated the very things I used to love to do. With time, I've learned from my past experiences and can now recognize when my mind and body are saying, “we need a break!”

 

With all that being said, this will be my last post on Lands Uncharted (for now!). Due to the reasons above, I have decided to take some time off from many of my “extracurricular” writing activities, so that I can focus on my personal life. I have loved writing with these wonderful ladies and hope I can join them again in the future!

I hope that these little tips help you and if you need to rest, please do so without any guilt! 😊

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Vanessa 😊

Weekend Reads: Meet the Mountain Baron (Vanessa)

One of the most recent books I've read is Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach. This book was different from other books I've read, but I absolutely loved it! Here's what it's about:

A lost brother. An unwilling outlaw. A rising enemy. An unusual alliance. Years ago, Rhys MacDuffy was brutally cut off from his clan, stripped of his name and inheritance, and banished to the remote Dragon Keep. Perched high above the Shang Pass in the land of Alsaya, he assumed the mantle of the Mountain Baron, serving out his sentence as the overseer of the worst outlaws and outcasts. But one day he receives a desperate message from the clan who disowned him: MacDuffy’s Seer—his beloved brother—has been taken by their enemies. With his band of Mountain Brigands and an unwelcome sidekick, Rhys leaves his mountain stronghold to find and rescue his brother. The tide of war is rising amongst the Clans of Alsaya, fueled by the magic-wielding sect of Druids who seek to unleash a dark force the world has long forgotten. Can the bond of blood run deeper than banishment?

Oath of the Outcast is about Rhys MacDuffy, a clansman who has been estranged from his friends and family due to a false accusation in the previous war. But while the plot of this story is gripping enough, the characters are what really make it exciting to read. Rhys, aka the broody baron, is hilarious to read and I always found myself chuckling when coming upon his dialogue. His group of "mountain men" remind me of a dark version of Robin Hood's "merry men". Although they are a rough and tough group, their loyalties run deep. 

Another positive note of this book is the thick strand of family woven in. I always try to include the importance of family in my writing so I love it when I see other authors do the same! If you haven't read any books by C.M. Banschbach yet, make sure you start now!

Happy Reading!

Writer's Life: Why Should I Leave A Review? (Vanessa)

     Hello all! I hope the weather is deliciously cool and wonderful where you are! I’ve already decorated my entire house for fall and have my “fall-scented” candles burning. I love the coziness of fall, especially because I can light a candle, grab a blanket, and snuggle up with a book. But, once I finish the book I immediately (or as immediate as I can!) write a review while the story and my thoughts about it are fresh in my mind.

Before I dove into the writing world of querying, authors, and reviews, I NEVER reviewed a book. I have always been an avid reader, but when I was younger there were never any places to “review” a book other than word of mouth. It wasn’t until I attended my first writing conference that I heard about the importance of book reviews and recommendations.

“Why write a review?” You may ask and I’m glad you did because I’m here to give you a few reasons why!

1)      You thoroughly enjoyed the book

When I fall in love with a new story, I can’t wait to tell someone about it. By leaving a review for the book, I not only find others who feel the same way, but it’s a way I can tell the author “I love your work!”

2)      You want to warn others about the content of the book

Like I mentioned earlier, I never left book reviews until a few years ago. Now that I know about them, I read through a few before picking out a new book to read. Many readers leave details about explicit content in books and what to be wary of. Just make sure to look out for spoilers!

3)      You want to support the author

Reviews are extremely important to an author’s advertising and sales. If you love an author’s story, but don’t know how else to get the word out, leave a review! As an author, I always love hearing my reader’s thoughts about who their favorite character is and how angry they were at the villain. You may just be the words of encouragement that keeps the author going!

I could share many  more, but these are the main reasons why I make a point to leave reviews for the books I read. I hope you can do the same!

Weekend Reads with Caione (Vanessa)

 Happy Friday! I hope your week has gone well and the weather is (hopefully!) starting to get a bit cooler! Who else is ready for fall? I know I am!

Well, if it is still hot where you're at, let's just pretend it's cold and snuggle up with a nice blanket and a fun book!

I've recently had the pleasure of reading Keen by Laura L. Zimmerman. Here's what it's about:

Half-faerie Caoine has no control over the banshee lament she sings each night, predicting the death of others. A senior in a brand new high school, she expects the same response she's received at every other school: judgment from fellow students over her unusual eyes and unnaturally white skin and hair. However, when Caoine arrives at West Lincoln High, for the first time in her life she finds friends. Real friends.

But being a teenager is never easy, especially when the star soccer player, Oliver, sets his sights on her. Allowing him to get close means revealing her curse to the human world. She can't let that happen.

Life spins further out of control when her lament comes out during the day, those whose death she predicts die right in front of her, and a dark faerie known only as the Unseelie prince blames Caoine by leaving her the creepiest notes ever. Her curse is notsupposed to work like that.

In a race against time, Caoine must uncover the Unseelie prince's identity and stop a spell before it unleashes hell on earth, all while trying to control her banshee song and finding a place among her peers.

Senior year just got real.

Before I read Keen, I couldn't remember the last time I had read a book in a high school setting. I was so glad I picked this one up because it was such a fun read! There were faeries, friends, drama, love, humor, and excitement all bundled together. 

Zimmerman does a great job of making characters relatable for the teen genre and others who are older than teens, but still love Young Adult books (me :-D). I enjoyed the healthy relationships included in Keen from Caione and her father to Caione and Oliver. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable and fun read to add to your TBR pile!

Weekend Reads: Heartbreaker by V. Romas Burton (Lauricia)

 Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all well. Here in my corner of Texas we’re preparing to return to school. I have one son embarking on his collegiate voyage in the fall and another starting his junior year, so it’s going to be a year of adventure for me and mine. I won’t get to spend as much time reading, but there’s still time for one or two more books.

Okay, who am I kidding? There’s ALWAYS time for books, even if it is only a few minutes per day.

About a year ago I posted a review on this blog about Heartmender by V. Romas Burton. This year I’m thrilled to be able to tell you about the second book in the series: Heartbreaker.

Heartmender is the tale of Addie, a teenage girl who lives in a world where hearts are extracted before they can become hard and dead. In this book, Addie must protect her extracted heart from those who seek to possess it.

In Heartbreaker Addie has overcome the battle for ownership of her heart and returned to Barracks. At first triumphant in her victory, she soon discovers that having a heart brings its own set of burdens and pains. As she learns to live with her heart, Addie must also work to unite the Twelve Magisters of Decium before Ophidian, the prime enemy of the Maker, can plunge the entire realm into eternal darkness. Victory will not be easy, and it could come at a terrible cost. The only way Addie will win is if she can survive the heartbreak.

The action of Hearbreaker begins on page one and carries full-tilt through every chapter, taking readers from one conflict to another without sacrificing character development. There’s even a budding relationship for readers who enjoy a romance thread in their fantasy. 

Heartmender will be released on September 1, and is currently available for pre-order. If you enjoyed Heartmender, you do not want to miss this book.

A Story Snippet from Bell of the Night (Vanessa)

I recently read and reviewed and ARC of Bell of the Night by Allison Wells. Bell of the Night is a historical romance inspired by the Biblical story of Hosea. This book is an absolutely beautiful story that touched my heart and soul. Here's what it's about:

Bluebell was sold to Victoria Knight, a well-known Storyville madam, at the tender age of eleven. Now at nineteen, Bell is numbed to her life--until an optimistic preacher named Teddy Sullivan comes to New Orleans, intent on saving the sinful souls of the South.

Teddy is instantly drawn to the petite brunette with sad eyes and longs to rescue her. Bell, however, decides that saving her friends from selling themselves in the Storyville cribs is more important than saving herself. In a fit of selfless desperation, Bell convinces Teddy to marry her best friend, which Teddy agrees to do while cooking up plans of his own.

When a handsome and rich client offers to take Bell from the brothel, Bell thinks all her prayers are finally answered, until she is forced onto the street with nowhere to go.

If Bell isn't able to see that God loves her regardless of the path her life has taken, and Teddy can't help Bell get even more of her friends out of Storyville, both risk not only losing sight of God's plan ... but each other.

A compelling story of redemption, Bell of the Night is an unflinching reminder that no matter how troubled our past, we are never too far from the healing power of God's love.

For today's Story Snippet, I've invited the author, Allison Wells, to share with us her inspiration behind Bell's story!

The story of Bluebell came to me years ago after researching New Orleans and discovering the photos of EJ Bellocq (nudity warning if you look him up!). He photographed dozens of District Girls from the Storyville neighborhood. Storyville was the legal Red Light District in the Big Easy that was in operation until the end of WWI.
I was so intrigued by a particular girl in a fancy frock with long, flowing black hair. She looked so forlorn to me and I wondered what had led her to this life. I knew I had to write her story - and thus, Bluebell was born. 

This book wasn’t easy to write. How do you keep a story about a “soiled dove” clean of, well, filth? It took some creativity, but hopefully you’ll agree that this book tells a gripping tale without showing you all the dirty parts.

Here's a snippet:

“Mr. Sullivan, I would love to get out of here,” she said breathlessly, knowing she shouldn’t speak at all on the subject. But for some reason, she felt like she could open up to this man.

The man stood, dumbstruck. “Wait – you don’t want to be here? Truly?”

She choked back a chortle. “Who would choose this life? Madam Knight owns us. I hear slavery isn’t legal anymore, but she bought each of the girls here. I don’t know about the others, but I want to leave.”

“I’m baffled,” he said, scratching his head.

“Clearly.”

“That’s terribly sad,” he said. He looked as though he might cry, but perhaps it was just the moisture from the room.

“That’s my life, mister.”

“And you…you sleep with these men?”

“We don’t sleep much, Mr. Sullivan,” she said honestly.

“Oh Jesus help her,” he exclaimed. “Since you were eleven?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you had no say in the matter at all?”

“Of course not. None of us did,” she said. “Well, most of us at least. We were bought into it, or forced into it because of circumstances.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I had the wrong notion about these places,” he said. “I thought my mission was to come here and save all of you from this life. I thought you all had chosen it with gusto. Never did it enter my mind that you were forced to do…” He stopped talking and took a deep breath. “Well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Sullivan.” She tried to reassure him. “We’re used to it. I’m used to it. This is my life. And I like most of the other girls here. We are family.”

He went into his dressing room without speaking. She waited for him outside the door, not bothering to change herself.

When Teddy came out, he pressed a coin into her hand. “Please take this,” he whispered.

“But I did nothing to earn it,” she said with a quizzical look on her face.

“You talked to me,” he said. “That is all I want. Goodnight, Miss—“ He stopped. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I never told you. Most men don’t ask.”

Bell of the Night releases today! To purchase a copy, click here. 

Weekend Reads: The King's Oracle (Vanessa)

Happy Friday! I am so excited to share an exciting book with you for Weekend Reads this week. I recently was given an advanced reader copy of The King’s Oracle by Sherry Torgent and loved it! Before I begin my gushing about it, here’s what it’s about:

The Great Destruction has left the Kingdom of Ferran devastated and divided.

The people of the eagle—the Alrenians—have sought safety in the trees, while the people of the wolf—the Uluns—struggle to survive on the toxic ground. But as resources grow scarcer, both factions must face their impending ruin.

When Wynter, a lowly Alrenian transporter, becomes entangled in a kidnapping scheme, she lands right in the hands of the enemy—the heir to the Ulun crown, Gideon. Driven by an obscure oracle of a past king, Gideon is desperate to save his people, and Wynter is just the pawn he needs in his quest to find Isidor, the land prophesied to be untouched by the Great Destruction.

As their worlds collide, Gideon and Wynter must decide whether they will continue on the destructive paths of their predecessors or embrace a destiny of unity. What follows is a quest more dangerous than either of them could imagine.

Let’s start with the setting. The world building in The King’s Oracle is fantastic. I was sucked right into the Kingdom of Ferran and the dueling nations of Alrenia and Ulun. I loved the conflict and the reason behind it.

Next, the characters. Right away the reader loves Wynter and her determination. She’s not willing to let people run over her or control her. She is strong and able to handle deep sorrow and heartbreak, even though she believes she can’t. Gideon is hard to love at first because you don’t know much about him. But, as the story progresses, you see his tender side and begin rooting for him.

Finally, the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging plot of The King’s Oracle. It was a quest within a quest! I love stories within stories that also have a deeper meaning beyond the surface.

The writing of this story was absolutely beautiful, and the action, adventure, and romance were perfectly balanced. 5 stars from me!

To purchase The King’s Oracle, click here.

Bookstagram and All That Jazz by Vanessa

              Social media is one of the easiest ways to grow your platform as an author. With all the different outlets, you can directly reach your readers with your writing content. But where to begin?

              In the summer of 2018, I attended Realm Makers, my first writing conference. I was blown away by the kindness of the speakers and attendants. But what I enjoyed the most was learning about the power of a social media platform. At the time, I was an aspiring author of Young Adult fiction and decided to take a class on outreach to YA readers taught by Mary Weber and Nadine Brandes.

Those two women opened my eyes to the benefits of keeping up with your social media, mainly Instagram. Up until that summer, I had used my Instagram account for personal use and posted every once in a while. But I quickly learned that if I wanted to reach potential readers and reviewers, I needed to step up my game. I was soon introduced to bookstagram.

What is bookstagram? In short, it’s a hashtag used on Instagram to indicate pictures and posts of books. If you search for it you will find simple pictures of just one book on a table to some of the more elaborate and beautiful book displays you’ve ever seen. Either way, they are all considered bookstagram.

Since attending Realm Makers, I revamped my Instagram account into a bookstagram account and have seen my followers increase dramatically. I once had only a few hundred and now have over a thousand! To help you grow your platform, here are a few tips and tricks I learned along the way:

The theme for this day was "Blue Books."

1.Be authentic- Followers and readers both want to know who you are as the author. Post books you’ve read or want to read but be honest in how you felt about them. If one wasn’t your favorite, explain why. You’d be amazed in how many people feel the same way!

2.  Post what’s in your comfort zone- I know many authors that have full families and additional jobs so they can’t post as often as others. But that’s okay! Post on your Instagram or other social media accounts when you can. I used to post every day before, but now I only post M-F. I decided I wanted to keep the weekends for my family and not have to worry about Instagram. This decision hasn’t hurt my numbers at all. 

3. Find like minded Instagrammers- There are a plethora of people on Instagram who LOVE bookish accounts. One of the best ways to find them are by participating in follow loops. A follow loop is where you comment on a “follow loop photo” and you follow everyone else that comments. (You are not required to follow people you feel uncomfortable with following). There are follow loops for every genre of writing. I’ve met a lot of different authors from follow loops and it’s been great seeing their different content and books.

The theme for this day was "Map Monday."

4. Get involved- You may be thinking, “But how will I know what book to post about or what my description should say?” This thought crossed my mind A LOT until I discovered book photo challenges. A book photo challenge is when an author (or group of authors) comes up with a theme for each day of the month featuring a different type of book. For example: A Friday can be themed “Fantasy Friday”. You can pick any fantasy book you’d like and snap a picture of it for the photo challenge. I’ve found this is a great way to keep my photos interesting, but not have to think too much about what I want to post. 

5. Have fun- Overall, your account should reflect who you are. If you love romantic comedies, talk about those. If you adore comic books, tell your readers your favorite one. Enjoy getting to know your followers and don’t be afraid to let them learn a little more about you, too!

If you'd like some ideas, head over to my Instagram page: vromasburton 

Happy Bookstagramming!

Vanessa

*I’m not an Instagram influencer or sponsored in anyway.*

Amazing New Releases! (Vanessa)

Happy Friday! I hope everyone is doing well with the new normal and that spring has sprung where you live!

I have three amazing new releases to share with you all today! 

The first is Winter Spell by Claire M. Banschbach. This delightful read is book three in The Faeries of Myrinus series. Though it is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I had the pleasure of reading an Advanced Reader Copy of Winter Spell and I loved it! It had the perfect blend of friendship, adventure, and magic.

Here's what it's about: A half-breed faery. A war-weary princess. A quest to free three kingdoms from the deadly winter spell.Constantly doubted by her ocean faery kindred, Tonya Freyr-dottir only wants to untangle the dormant ice and water magic within her. Then a strange attack makes her unleash a fierce winter on the land and sea. And she has no idea how to stop it.Princess Diane serves faithfully at her brother’s side, trying to restore their kingdom of Myrnius after the devastating Dark War. Now with brutal winter wreaking havoc, everything they have worked for might be lost to famine and destruction.Desperate to help, Tonya travels to the far north to unlock her magic, aided by Diane, as well as two land faeries: Dorian, a reckless healer and August, a mischievous warrior. But the north brings fresh dangers, unearths old wounds, and offers more questions than answers.With doom threatening human and faery alike, Tonya must find a way to trust her new friends and release her magic before all fall to the fury of winter’s spell.Buy now and enjoy a fairy tale adventure with friendship, danger, overcoming adversity, and even a hint of romance.

Winter Spell was released on April 23. Click here to buy it on Amazon!



The next awesome new release is Legend of the Storm Sneezer (The Stormwatch Diaries Book 1) by Kristiana Sfirlea. LotSS is so much fun to read! I fell in love with Rose and Marek the instant I read about them! This middle grade story is packed with goofiness, great stories, and funny quips you'll enjoy! 

Here's what it's about: Legend Seeker. Part-time Ghost Hunter. Time Traveler.

Thirteen-year-old Rose Skylar sneezed a magical storm cloud at birth, and it’s followed her around ever since. But when Stormy causes one too many public disasters, Rose is taken to Heartstone, an asylum for unstable magic. Its location? The heart of a haunted forest whose trees have mysteriously turned to stone.

They say the ghosts are bound to the woods … then why does Rose see them drifting outside the windows at night? And why is there a graveyard on the grounds filled with empty graves? Guided by her future selves via time traveling letters, Rose and Marek—best friend and potential figment of her imagination—must solve the mystery of the specters and the stone trees before the ghosts unleash a legendary enemy that will make their own spooks look like a couple of holey bed sheets and destroy Heartstone Asylum.

Letters from the future are piling up. Rose can’t save Heartstone herself. However, five of herselves, a magical storm cloud, and a guardian angel who might very well be imaginary? Now that’s a silver lining.

But will they find what killed the ghosts before what killed the ghosts finds them?

Legend of the Storm Sneezer releases on May 5! Preorder it here!



The final new release is Prince of Shadow and Ash (The Mercenary and Mage Book 1) by Selina R. Gonzalez. This book stole my heart! Regulus and Adelaide are absolutely adorable and my new favorite book couple. If you love A Knight's Tale, Pride & Prejudice, and The Hobbit, definitely check out this book!

Here's what it's about: She could be his light... If his darkness doesn’t destroy them both.

Bastard and former mercenary Lord Regulus Hargreaves just wants to earn his freedom from the sorcerer who enslaved him. When Lady Adelaide sees past his scar and his shadowed past, Regulus’ dying hope rekindles. But will loving Adelaide while serving the Prince of Shadow and Ash put her in danger?

Adelaide Belanger longs to use the magical energy within her, but revealing her power could get her killed. When she meets kind and rugged Regulus, she wonders if she has finally found someone to trust with her secret—and her heart.

Regulus and Adelaide struggle to build a relationship and keep their secrets from those who would harm them. By the time their secrets are revealed, it may be too late for them both...

Prince of Shadow and Ash releases on May 13! Preorder it here!

I hope you have a chance to enjoy some of these awesome books! :) 

Sneak Peek of Heartbreaker (Heartmender #2) !!! (Vanessa)

I am SO excited to be sharing a Story Snippet with you all that includes a sneak peek of Heartbreaker, book two in the Heartmender trilogy! The prologue picks up right after Addie ran through Schism's red door and what happened to her home land of Barracks.

Heartbreaker comes out September 2020. I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

            The blood-red door slammed shut as the first Reigner traded their heart away. The usual cool weather plummeted to a frigid chill. Damien frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as the crowd buzzed around him, thick with anticipation and desire. Something wasn’t right.

            As the thought flew through his mind, a guttural cackle erupted from between the two doors. 

           "You, stupid humans!" the vendor, Schism Breaker, laughed as his fingers elongated into midnight claws. His skin stretched as his limbs transformed; a horrid creature with red eyes and decrepit wings soon took the place of the beloved vendor. "It's time for a new reign in this dismal realm."

            Before anyone could react, Schism attacked.  Bodies flew through the air, striking buildings and crashing limp onto the cobblestone streets. The crowd exploded into screams of terror and panic, scattering away from the popular vendor.     

            Damien’s arms fell limp as he stepped back, but his mind was clear.   He knew something like this would happen. Turning  to his lady  on his right, he placed a hand on her cheek, his forehead touching hers before he whispered, “Run.”

With her eyes wide with fear, she threw her thin arms around his neck, squeezing him tight before sprinting away from the chaos. Damien ran behind her, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the creatures stayed away until she was far from the market. Relief lifted Damien’s shoulders as her Small form disappeared between the trees, safe from the slaughter.

The cracking of bones snapped his attention back to the market and he rushed to the blacksmith forge, knowing Gladio had weapons somewhere. Every spring he would visit the old blacksmith to buy a new dagger for his collection. 

            Streams of people swarmed around him, screaming and pointing in horror. Damien stopped and turned. This time he did panic. The odor of decaying flesh filled the air as a flood of sickly-looking beasts poured through the red doors. Their elongated limbs and gray skin were grotesque, but the moans coming from their sewn lips made Damien’s knees weak. Bile rose to the back of his throat as they ingested the blood of people. His people.

            Forcing himself to move faster, Damien pushed the terrified citizens of Barracks out of the way, commanding them to hide or escape into Wintertide.

Jumping over the fallen displays of the once-jovial festival, he arrived at the forge. Damien froze as he saw the blacksmith’s apprentice, Silas, bending over Gladio’s portly body. The blacksmith’s vibrant olive-tone flesh was dull and lifeless.

            “What happened to him?” Damien gasped, barreling toward the apprentice.

            Silas stared back at Damien, his face blank, but his eyes dilated, filling with horror. “I—” he began before sprinting out of the forge.

            “Wait!” Damien cried, reaching out, trying to stop the apprentice. “Wait, I need your—”

Silas’s blond locks disappeared among the chaos and Damien lowered his hand. It was too late. He was already gone.

            Fury boiled in Damien’s chest as he turned back to the deceased blacksmith. He closed Gladio’s eyes then covered him in a canvas. Anger churned his stomach as Damien ran to the opposite end of the forge. How could his apprentice leave the kind blacksmith in such a dishonorable way? His eyes landed on a wall of gleaming knives. The apprentice may be a coward, but he, Damien, would fight for his people.

Grabbing as many as he could, Damien armed his body with every knife he could find. The screams of the massacre outside sent his hands in a fury as he strapped the knives onto his belt and held a different dagger in each hand.

            Rushing out of the forge, Damien sprinted through the streets, the metallic stench of blood weighing heavily in the icy air. Grasping a knife in each hand, Damien lunged at the gray creature chasing young Willy Travis. The poor child was only seven.

He stabbed each knife in a different location, retracted them, then tried a knife in the creature’s head and stomach until the beast’s limbs went limp and it fell forward, squashing little Willy. Damien’s chest heaved as he pulled Willy out from beneath the monster. Thankfully, the boy had nothing more than a few scratches.

“Run to Wintertide and hide,” Damien commanded.

With wide eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Willy nodded and took off.

Deep moans ricocheted off the broken displays as the creatures preyed upon the people of his home. But the weakness Damien felt before was gone, a cool, burning rage replacing it. He wouldn’t allow these monsters to kill the people who had helped him when his father wouldn’t. Though it had taken him several tries to kill one beast, he was ready to destroy the rest.

            With a cry, Damien ran toward the center of the market, daggers still in each hand, and tackled the first monster he saw. He pierced the knives anywhere he saw gray skin. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his arms strained after multiple strikes, but he continued from one creature to the next.

Grabbing one of the knives on his belt, Damien flung it at a monster pulling Old Man Chank through the crowd. The bronze hilt protruded from between the soulless black eyes of the creature and it crumpled to the ground. Old Man Chank almost fainted but was caught by Chandra Dunkis, one of the seamstresses from the market. The two scrambled toward the white birch trees of Wintertide.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Damien narrowed his eyes as he scanned the chaos. Though the monsters were attacking many people, there were some that they were didn’t kill. Damien’s heart fell to his stomach as the headmaster was pulled by his legs by two monsters. What did they want with him?

Damien turned, ready to stab the next creature trying to kill or capture, when his eyes landed on an angel in the chaos. Blonde hair flowed from her head as she glided through the horrific battle.

            “What do we have here?” Her voice danced over him like freshly fallen snow. She lifted a hand, and the monster to his right ceased its attack. “A hero among the cowards?”

            “I’m no hero,” Damien replied, taking in the curvaceous physique of the woman before his eyes shifted between her and the monster, noting that it was the beautiful woman who had stopped the creature from attacking him.

            “If you’re not a hero, then what are you?” She smiled sensuously at him, her lips as red as the blood staining the ground.

            Damien had seen such a look many times before. He had not been swayed by it then, and he certainly wouldn’t be swayed by it now.

            “Nothing you would like, madam.” He held his knives pointedly at the woman, suddenly thankful for all those hours of lessons.

            The woman let out a sultry laugh, sending Damien’s nerves on end. Yes, his judgment about this one had been correct.

            The woman stroked the yellow stone on her necklace, a staticky sound popping from the jewel, before she pointed her slender finger at him. An electric-blue light zinged through her skin at his body. He held his stance and smirked when nothing happened.

            “Interesting,” the woman mused, studying her fingertips. “I can’t harm you.”

            “Don’t you hate it when that happens?”

            The woman pursed her lips. The playful tone of her voice fleeing as she tapped her small chin. “There must be something else.”

             Her eyes darted behind Damien and a vicious grin split her face. With a flick of her wrist, a group of monsters groaned before sprinting away. Damien tried to follow when his legs were swept out from under him. Groaning, he quickly spun over his shoulder and lodged his dagger in the face of the creature trying to stop him. It hissed as black blood dripped from its wound on to Damien’s face. Damien threw the monster off of him and got back up, only to be hit by more creatures.

Damien stabbed and punched as many as he could, but they kept coming. His eyes searched for the other group of monsters that had gotten away. He had to stop the beasts. He couldn’t let the creatures find them.

            With a yell, Damien simultaneously pierced two monsters in the back of the head before breaking free of the pack. His feet flew across the snowy ground, trying to catch up with the first group of monsters, but it was too late. The woman pointed the creatures straight toward the direction of the people he valued most dear. High-pitched screams echoed against the gray clouds and Damien fell to his knees, allowing the monsters to pile on top of him. He sobbed as the creatures killed them, one by one. And he would be next.

Weekend Reads with House Ravenwood (Vanessa)

Happy Friday and almost March! March is my birthday month, so I’m always excited when it comes around. 😊

There are so many wonderful books I’ve read that I want to share with you all, but the ones that stick out in my mind the most are the three books of The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse. I just finished Cry of the Raven, the third installment of the trilogy, a few weeks ago and felt such a sense of catharsis and love for the characters in Busse’s story.

The first book, Mark of the Raven, begins when Lady Selene, heir to the Great House of Ravenwood, discovers that she has the power to dreamwalk. Selene is able to enter and manipulate a person’s dream without them knowing. While the other great houses use their powers for good, House Ravenwood uses their gift to assassinate their enemies. But conflict arises when Selene is tasked to murder Lord Damien, the one man who could bring peace between the houses.

I won’t go into any more explanation because spoilers! But I was so encouraged by Busse’s writing. She wove a beautiful story full of action, adventure, romance and humor with a deep overarching plot that pulls at your heart and soul. The questions Lady Selene asks are questions I have asked. The struggles and turmoil she endures, I have experienced similar ones.

The reason I began writing  was because I couldn’t find any book with a great message and a great story. The Ravenwood Saga accomplishes both of these with flair. Though I wish these were published when I was a teen, I’m so glad I was able to enjoy them as an adult.

Happy Reading!

Vanessa 😊

So much to look forward to in 2020!

Happy (almost) New Year, friends! I've been hinting for a while about some changes coming at Lands Uncharted in 2020, and I finally get to share all the details!! But first, the sad news. Julie is stepping down as a regular blogger following a very busy stretch that included her wedding! Congratulations, Julie! We wish you all the best and hope you'll stop by to visit often! If you missed Julie's last post, you can find it here.

Now for the good news - in addition to filling the spot Julie's leaving behind, we've decided to expand our ranks for 2020 for a grand total of 9 contributors! Meaning we're adding 5 new bloggers!! I've had the opportunity to start getting to know these amazing ladies over the past few months, and I can't wait to see what they bring to Lands Uncharted this year! I'm thrilled to get to introduce you to:

Gretchen E.K. Engel - My every interaction with Gretchen has confirmed what a kind, talented person she is, and she has me drooling to read her "Downton Abbey with gadgets" steampunk stories!

Heather L.L. FitzGerald - I thoroughly enjoyed Heather's Tethered World Chronicles and can't wait to see what this fun, creative author comes up with next!

Kimberly A. Rogers - I had the opportunity to help celebrate the launch of Kimberly's Little Mermaid retelling, Selkie's Song (a book I absolutely loved!), and I'm so excited to get to work with her again!

Sarah Sawyer - Sarah and I bonded as fellow finalists at an awards dinner, and I can't wait to read this sweet lady's first book when she finds a publisher!

V. Romas Burton - I've heard fabulous things about her debut novel, Heartmender (you can find Lauricia's glowing review here), and I can already tell we're total kindred spirits!


Can you see why I'm so excited?? Click on the link on each author's name or under Current Author Bios to find out more, and stay tuned for everyone's debut posts coming up in January!


Speaking of posts, that's where the other fun changes come in! Our What We're Reading category is turning into Weekend Reads! We'll be posting a book review every Friday to help inspire your weekend reading (or reading at any time, for that matter!). Writer's Life is staying put on every other Tuesday, but it will be rotating with a new topic - Story Snippets! We're excited to share tidbits of what we're working on, complete with behind-the-scenes commentary! As our authors' Saturdays have grown increasingly busy, I'm sad to report we're saying goodbye to Top 3s, though I may find a way to include a Top 3 list here and there on occasion :)

And this is the last day of our Christmas giveaway, so make sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of these four amazing book-themed gift boxes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here's to a new year filled with blessings, family and friends, dreams to pursue, and of course an abundance of great books! :)