Book Tour: Bloodstone

 Congratulations to H.R. Sinclair for the publication of her novel Bloodstone! This is the first book in the Lost Witch series, and it is coming out on September 22nd, in paperback and eBook!

My short review:

In this intriguing paranormal fantasy, hidden magics are unveiled as Katelyn unexpectedly discovers she’s inherited an estate, a place in a family lineage, and possibly some kind of treasure. While she thinks she’s having some kind of panic attack induced visions, the truth is far stranger as she unpacks her bags and cleans out musty corners in her Aunt’s house. With new friends, unexpected enemies, and a strange affinity for her new house, Katelyn has a short time to figure out where she fits. This paranormal fantasy has all the elements of a cozy mystery mixed with urban paranormal fantasy with attempted murders, magical objects, and an interesting community. This book contains some fun twists and excellent worldbuilding.

Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country.

Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.

Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.

Excerpt:

Small colored flecks danced in the sunlight. They darted back and forth. They rushed me, encircling me, round and round, faster and faster, creating a whirlwind of color that made me woozy. I began swaying before the flecks scattered. They swooped and gathered in front of me, coalescing into the shape of a small, translucent woman. She hovered several feet off the ground, sparkling like multicolored glitter and moving like an ethereal ballerina.

When she spoke, it echoed a thousand voices speaking in harmony. “Fáilte. Welcome. We are the Breena. You are of Andraste.”

“I’m Katie.” Wariness crept into my voice. The family books read Andraste. “Yeah, I think I’m Andraste.”

“Yes. You wear the Taith, a gift of the Breena.” She gestured to the traveling boots. “We are pleased to see them in this form. It has been long since the clan Andraste has visited. Tell us, what has become of sweet Clara and her quest?”

She—they—knew Clara? “I’m sorry, she died.”

“That is unfortunate. We liked Clara. You are taking up the quest?”

My stomach dropped. They may have said it as a question, but it sounded like a statement. “I ... I didn’t know my Aunt Clara, and I don’t know anything about a quest. I’m not the right person to talk to.”

“Yes, she was given the quest. As she is no longer, the task falls to the next in line.”

“Is this an optional type of quest?”

“It is your charge.”

“Well, I’m not the next in line. That’s probably my uncle. I’ll put him in touch with you.”

The Breena moved closer to me. One of the little flecks zipped from one side of her face to the other. “You are next in line. You wear the blessing. You are of Andraste, Keepers of Secrets, Guardians of Mamwlada. You are the Legacy. Protector of the Light. You will take up the quest. Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus.”

“Find what now?”

“Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus before they break the lock.” The Breena’s voice reverberated off my skin.

I swallowed. “Who’s Morus? What gate? What others? What’s an Oubusch, and how do I find it?”

“The Oubusch will lead you to the Others. Find the Stone, find the Others.”

“But how?”

“Open the box. Use the sundial.” The words rhythmic like a song. Her essence oscillated, and her form began to melt away.

“Wait, what box?”

“What is there is here, what is here is not there. You must hurry, time is ending.” With that, the flecks disbursed, and she was gone.

“Wait, please, I don’t understand.” No one answered.

Buy Links:

Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0CTHQJJTF

Apple: books.apple.com/us/book/bloodstone/id6587574545

Kobo: kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bloodstone-42

B&N: barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodstone-h-r-sinclair/1146070561

Books2Read: books2read.com/lostwitch

H. R. Sinclair

author • artist • dreamer

H. R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She was born and raised in Southern California, but now lives and works in New England. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.

Website: iamhrsinclair.com

Seeking ARC Readers

 

Readers,

If you're looking for a fantasy adventure that mixes noble-bright themes, faith themes, and some dark fantasy elements, look no further. Dark Blade Forged is coming in October, and before that, for a limited time only, you can sign up to be an ARC reader. Check out the form below for more information.

Google Form

IWSG, Podcast Transcript and Rules that Cause Problems

 

Many thanks to Alex and the co-hosts!

I am running a bit ragged this month, so I will be posting the transcript from today's podcast which includes an answer to our month's question, and hopefully visiting around this evening.

Transcript:

00:00

Hello, and welcome to the truth about storytelling. This is Tyrean Martinson and today is an extremely short episode and it's not going to be one of my World building episodes. I will do that again next week on Wednesday, I will be talking about work and play in World building (next week). 

00:17

But today, I am going to do a short little bit for Insecure Writer Support Group because our question of the month is: what's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer? So I'm going to name two.

The first one, I learned in school and I think it was only one teacher one year.

00:39

So, I don't really know why I took it to heart, but her rule was "Put a comma every time you would naturally pause in your speech." Now, this doesn't sound bad, actually, because commas are meant to indicate when we're pausing when we're reading. So, if you were going to read something out loud, a comma is whether you kind of have like a half a breath.

01:04

And a period is when you have time for a full stop, or maybe a full breath, right? So when you're reading out loud, you can do that and do it well. So, again, having a comma, every time you pause is not a bad idea on the surface level of it, but the reality is that's not how commas work.01:24

I took a college grammar class and we learned a lot about commas. However, I can't say that I've remembered all of it. It was a long time ago, but I actually enjoyed the class, which is another, another Side Story, but let's just say that putting in comma wherever you pause in a sentence when you're normally speaking is not a good idea especially if you're like me and you actually watch the original Star Trek series in the 70s, and you were hearing William Shatner, pause. Every dramatic. Moment. You would not want to put a comma after every one of those words to the sentence when you are writing. 

02:07

But that's again, that's the common rule that stuck with me for a really long time even though I think it was just one teacher one time. And I don't think any other teacher ever said that. Another writing rule that messed me up that did not come from school that I remember, but it came from peers, family members community and actually from one of the fiction books that I liked as a kid Anne of Green Gables. If you read the Anna Gray, Gable series, she becomes a writer. But the story (she writes) that does well (in a contest) is a story that's about her life and there's sort of this implied, "Write what you know."

Okay. So I don't often write when I know I write fantasy and science fiction. And I've definitely had some pushback on that for different people in my life at different times who were disappointed. They want me to write about what my life is really like, they want me to write about things that happened in my childhood and show how you know, hard things can be overcome.

03:11

And I'm kind of like well I do want to write about hard things being overcome but I want to write about hard things being overcome in a fantasy and sci-fi world because that's what I enjoy imagining. And I like the exploration part of fantasy and science fiction. Because exploration and discovery are part of who I am.

03:35

So in a way, I'm still writing what I know because I'm writing what's true to myself because I like to discover things, I like to explore. And some of the first fiction that I really enjoyed was fairy tales and then also, again, I watched the old Star Trek show, and my parents took me to see the original Star Wars movies, even though I was a really little kid the first time.

04:02

So for me, discovery and exploration and wild ideas are actually kind of what I know in my imagination because it's what stirred my imagination for so long. And yes. I did have many oral storytellers in my family and yes, they did mainly focus on real world events that had happened to them.

And I love those stories. So I think there is a great place for their stories in the world. And maybe someday I will write more of those stories but right now, I write what I can imagine. I write what's true to what I know that inspires me. 

 IWSG has been this wonderful encouraging group that I've been a part of for over a decade and I think that it's just a great group to be a part of and we encourage people to write and write.

And I am looking for a street team, or a launch team or a release team, however, you want to put it for my book, Dark Blade Forged, which is coming out in October. So if you're interested in that, please drop me a note in the comments section.

Book Funnels

Spectacular September Book Sale for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and other Speculative Fiction!

STARSHIPS & CYBERPUNKS: Must Read Science Fiction - September Edition

IWSG, AI, and Some Photos from Realm Makers and St. Louis

Happy IWSG Day!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

 

The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

Many thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting this hop!

In addition to this IWSG Post, I wanted to share some photos with you from my recent trip to St. Louis for Realm Makers so those are at the end. 

Yes, there’s a lot here. Please feel free to skip to the sections you want to see.

The IWSG Question was worded as follows: Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

My Overall View of AI: God is greater. Human creativity is more imaginative. Human relationships are more important. Many aspects of life are more important to me than AI. But it is a tool and we need to consider how we view it, and how we use it. Human creativity is always going to win the day. Believing that, and sticking with that, is going to help us alleviate the issues surrounding AI use. I’m not saying “let’s stick our heads in the sand,” but I am saying, let’s be positive and refocus the way we view AI - as a tool.

AI use as a tool is widespread already: Unless you are currently using pen and paper, you are using AI. If you are reading this on a smartphone or a laptop or a desktop or a screen hooked to the internet, you are using AI. If you use autofill, you are using AI. If you use email, you are using AI. If you use search engines, you are using AI. If you use Amazon, you are using AI. If you are using social media, you are using AI. If you use Google translate, you are using AI.

From a faith and creativity perspective: I have heard Pastors speak in favor of AI use and I have heard Christians say it’s the work of the devil and users are turning their mind over to evil. I’ve heard proponents share how much AI tools have improved their creative life and I’ve hear naysayers say it is killing creativity. Either side of the argument is not new to me.

To me, AI is a tool and will always be a tool, until we decide to give it more power over our minds, hearts, and creativity. By fearing it, by judging or bullying those who have used it in some measure or another, I think we are giving it more power than we need to.

How have I used it:

Have I used it to write a blog post? No.

Have I used it to brainstorm and do bits of research? Yeah.

Have I used it for writing? I experimented with it, but I like my own creativity more. I would rather write because I love to write.

Have I used it for grammar issues? Yep. Prowriting aid is one of the tools I use regularly - although I rarely do for blog posts. That may change in the future.

Have I used it to create art for fun? Yeah.

Have I used it to create book covers? Not wholesale, no.

Have I used it to create book cover elements? I tried it, but wasn’t happy with the results. However, this may change. I’m going to be honest. I already have Canva Pro and I use their design templates for books and then rearrange elements, using their stock art (paid for art) and their design tools. I also don’t have a ton of money from previous book sales to put into this area, regardless if said previous books had professional art or I made the covers on my own. Some of my own covers have brought in better sales.

I like being human. I’m messy. I’m quirky. I also don’t mind using AI tools. I don’t plan on it taking over my life or allowing it to whisper to my soul and suck me down into a fiery pit - partly because I don’t think either of those is possible. I have a choice, as does each person reading this.

Pictures from my trip to St. Louis and Realm Makers - more are out on my IG page.

At the Realm Makers Banquet, you can dress casual, dress up, or go in costume.

Some really cool authors

My husband helping with the tech in one of the rooms, with the head tech guy looking on

Who doesn't love to take photos of ancient weapons at museums?

St. Louis Museum

My husband (my favorite model) with a Degas sculpture

And one of my favorite photos from the St. Louis Museum was a particular one from their ancient weapons exhibit. Note how tall the double-handed broadsword is compared to my husband. (And yes, we're short, but not that short. That sword was huge.)

I write fantasy with plenty of sword-fighting, so I’m always happy to admire an old sword on display at a museum.

What are your thoughts on AI?

Have you done anything fun lately?

Links:

The Truth About Storytelling on RSS

Substack Newsletter

Tyrean’s Tales Website

Summer Fantasy Adventures Book Funnel

Blaster Cannons, Aliens, Space Opera, and Really Big Ships Book Funnel

Noblebright Scifi and Fantasy Book Funnel

IWSG: Writing Tools

 

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!

The optional question for the July post is: What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools?

I'm keeping my answers brief today, but my favorites are: Word, Google Docs, Atticus, Canva, Dragon Naturally Speaking (dictation software), ProWriting Aid, and Book Funnel. I also use RSS Feeds and Substack for this podcast.

Word is the word processing software that I find the most familiar. I am able to change around chapters and do most of what I need to do within word and the familiarity makes it easy to use.

I also use Google Docs for projects I plan to work on via my phone and my computer. I write on the go this way and keep my writing with me.

Atticus is a great piece of software and has an incredibly helpful team for writers who are PC users. Atticus software allows authors an easier process of formatting their books for ebooks and print than any other I have used. It's also possible to write within their program. I haven't learned how to use all the features yet but their team has plenty of helpful videos.

Canva.com offers a free and pro version of their online image program for anyone who wants to create images for their business. I find it helpful for book cover creation and images for marketing for my books, website, podcast, and more. I find Canva to be an addictive creative tool, and I enjoy using it for fun as well as for business.

Dragon Naturally Speaking is professional dictation software and I've tried plenty of the inexpensive types of dictation software, but this one is the best. I haven't used all the features yet, but I find it helpful for specific types of writing.

Prowriting aid was a piece of online software I didn't want to use, but once I started using it, I found it helpful for finding typos, grammar errors, and repetitive words. I don't like their "replace all" type substitution ideas, so I take all their suggestions and then rework them in my own document.

I have found Book Funnel helpful for building a newsletter audience and selling books and I have a current Book Funnel running, so you can see what it's like (you don't have to click my book or buy anything if you click the link below to see what a campaign looks like).

I use both RSS Feeds and Substack for my podcast hosting, and I host my newsletter through Substack.

And, I'm sure I'll think of something else as soon as I finish this post, but that already feels like a lot.

What are your favorite writing tools?

My links:

NobleBright Scifi and Fantasy Book Funnel - 37 Free Books, including Champion in the Darkness

Tyrean's Tales

Tyrean's Writing Spot Blog

Substack

BTW - I have had and will have a busy morning today, so I will be briefly hopping in the afternoon/evening today.