'the delicious threesome' by Cindy Pon -- More 'From the Backlist' Goodness!

 .
Our own Supernatural Underground backlist that is -- and today's fabulous reprise is from the wonderful Cindy Pon. 

Needless to say, we think it's a lot of fun. So much so that we just had to highlight it for you again today.

the delicious threesome...or is three a crowd?

by Cindy Pon

as a tween, one of my favorite series
of books was the single title historicals
(like "jacqueline" or "caroline") and it
always showed the teen heroine on the front
cover flanked by two boys. two boys that she
must choose between. i loved those books,
formulaic as the love triangle may have been.
the new period in history always made it fresh
enough for me to read almost every title in the
series. of late, there's been some discussion
on the love triangle within the young adult genre.

The Twilight effect...

is it overused? tired and worn out? o

the threesome configuration one of the best

ones to read for increased sexual and romantic

tension? like so many things in the young adult genre

that i attribute to "the twilight effect", the series really

put the love triangle at the forefront of YA reader minds. ...

*when two men love a woman.

...

so what about you? how do you feel about
love triangles? do they work for you?
what threesome novels are some of your favorites?

To read Cindy's original post in full, including all about two other trio-a-licious teen Fantasy series that she loved, plus the 27 fun and sometimes impassioned comments on the subject of love triangles in books, click here.

And to find out more about Cindy Pon, her books, and what she's working on now, go here. 

Get a Spectacular Mar Fix While You Wait

 

Ava Sykes - before she discovers what she is

 

For those of you waiting for book three of the Amassia Series, but still want an instant Mar fix, I thought to bump this post so you could take a look at another kind of Mar...

Enjoy!

:) Kim

aka AKWWilder

Excerpt from the novel, The Blood in the Beginning. AvaSykes.com

Public speaking sucks. It's mandatory for final year medical science, so I put up with it. Still ...

    Ten a.m. came with the expected physical signs: burning eyes, stiff neck, headache. Oh, boy. My palms were sweat­ing as I walked to the podium, footsteps echoing through the virtually empty UCLA lecture hall. That was a plus. It lessened the potential for public humiliation. The only seats occupied were the front two rows. I squeezed my eyes shut a few times, trying to alleviate the sting ... eye drops might have helped, along with fresh contacts. They were prescrip­tion, for my mixed astigmatism, a near-far sighted combo, and tinted to keep down the glare. I had partial colour blindness too, but that’s another story. The bottom line, sleep deprivation wasn’t a good look. Hopefully, the examiners would be glued to the screen, and my riveting presentation, not my tired face.

It took a minute to password my way through security, log into my CloudBox — and bring up the visuals. I synched with the screen behind me and cleared my throat. ‘Good morning, faculty.’ My voice broke and I tried to humph without sounding like a cat coughing up a fur ball. This was not my favourite part of being fourth year: standing in front of a critical audience, my knowledge and abilities in question. Who in their right mind would want to try and explain auto-immune disorders to a group of scientists who knew hundreds of times more about the subject than any­one alive?

The mic gave an ear-piercing screech as I adjusted it, which didn’t help to calm me down. The lights dimmed and the large screen illuminated. The glare was so strong, I couldn’t read the notes on my tablet. Perfect. I sucked in a deep breath, and ploughed on.

‘Since the first wave of the Aftermath, auto-immune disorders have escalated, not just here in LA, but globally. These diseases cross all borders, cultures and peoples, tar­geting young and old alike. The epidemiology is hard to trace, but at its core is a potentially fatal flaw ...’ I choked on that. This topic got under my skin because I had one of those pesky flaws myself. At times like these, I could almost hear the clock ticking. I cleared my throat. ‘ … a potentially fatal flaw in the evolution of the human genome. Constant bombardment from microwaves, radiation and carcinogenic substances has caused an abnormal gene expression, includ­ing the conditional deletion of the Bcl-x gene from red blood cells, which becomes apparent when the body loses its abil­ity to tell the difference between self and non-self.’

I swiped the small screen on the podium, bringing up the next visual behind me. It showed a clip of a blood clot forming at 500x magnification, courtesy of APS — an­tiphospholipid antibody syndrome — in action. As I talked about causes and potential cures, moving on to my per­sonal favourite, hemolytic anemia and its variants under the umbrella of AADD — Aftermath associated degenerative diseases — my eyes came back to one of the examiners. 

From Avasykes.com

I’d never seen him before, which wasn’t uncommon. UCLA hosted the largest science campus in the western US, and specialists in the field were invited in to evaluate fourth year students, especially ones like me who hoped to land an internship with the LA branch of the CDC, the Centre for Disease Control. This guy looked too young though. Maybe an intern auditing my talk? Who are you?

The thought floated through my head. Not a welcome distraction. Every time I looked, he was staring at me, his expression a cross between curious and accusatory. It raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Oh, hell! I had the freak­ing wrong slide up. I pulled my focus back to the presenta­tion and kept my gaze well away from handsome mystery man in seat A15. Sure, it registered. Handsome. 

Not helping.

Twenty minutes later, the lights went up and there was a brief, but slightly more than perfunctory, applause. On a scale of one to ten, for senior lecturers that was at least a nine, nearly a standing ovation. It made me smile, and in a momentary lapse, my eyes drifted back to seat A15. Big mistake. The floor was open to questions, and he took it as a personal invitation.

‘You mention the fatigue associated with auto-immune hepatitis. What test would differentiate auto-immune liver disease from other hepatic disorders?’

I swallowed hard, not because I didn’t have a damn good answer, but because his eyes were boring into me. Almond-shaped dark eyes. They had a wild look, or was that the unruly hair? It was like being on a witness stand, which I guess was the point of the exercise. He wasn’t coming across as an intern. His voice was too confident. I reviewed the role of typical histological findings in both AILD and other chronic liver diseases, finishing with a discussion of immu­noglobulins and various

triggers for immune response. He questioned again, and for a while, we had our own private ping-pong match going on. Then others had comments and questions for me and, while I engaged, out of the corner of my eye I saw him check his phone. He nodded vaguely in my direction and left. As he walked out of the hall, a linger­ing thought again floated through my head.

Who are you?

From #TheBoodInTheBeginning An #AvaSykes #Novel
Read more ...

I'd love to hear who your fav characters are that DON'T enjoy public speaking! --Kim

***
 
Kim Falconer is a Supernatural Underground author writing urban fantasy, paranormal romance, YA and epic science fantasy novels. You can find out more about Kim at AvaSykes.com, and on FaceBook and Twitter.

She posts here at the Supernatural Underground on the 16th of every month .

Kim also writes as AK Wilder, releasing Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. Currently, she is working on the third book, out in 2024. Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site

Why YA Revisited

Ex Libra by Michael Parkes

In 2017, five years ago to the day, I asked you all for a show of hands - how many over 18'ers read YA (Young Adult) Fiction?

STATS

The stats then were clear: 55% of YA Fiction readers were over eighteen. Now, it's more like 70%. 

This expansion of the YA market boils down to the reasons stated before - YA Fiction tends to:

have a fast pace

undergo rigorous editing

deal with real-life issues

portray visceral emotions

be more affordable

- and five years later, with the help of researchers like Monica Hay,  we have additional reasons to consider.

More Reasons why Adults Love YA

1.  Escapism - This is where you get to leave your everyday life behind and experience a land of fantasy and adventure. Those over 18 may actually have more responsibilities to escape from, making the other benefits of YA especially enticing.

@acourtofcoffeeandbooksblog

2.  Less Graphic Triggers - Even though YA immerses readers in real-life topics, the sex, violence, torture and profanity are not as overpowering as they are in some adult books of the same genre. If there are triggers, a warning is often given by the author about what kind of potentially triggering content is contained in the pages. Some readers really appreciate the heads-up.

3. Idealism - YA books tend to be hopeful in their philosophy. They have, if not 'happy endings' then an element of fulfilment and satisfaction not always seen in Adult fiction. 

4. Nostalgia - There are a lot of firsts in YA fiction, first love, first kiss, first conflict, first betrayal, first success... to remember what those moments were like, and how far we have come, can add a whole new level of fulfilment to the adult reader.

#5 Pushing the Edge - YA as a whole was one of the first to embrace diversity in characters in writers. As well, YA books can bend the rules of genre, formatting and POV (point of view). 

We see genre blenders embracing crossovers between contemporary fantasy, SF thrillers, SF Fantasy, LGBT Historical, you name it. 

There are also YA books coming out in unique formatting such as verse, diaries, and social media instant messaging. 

And, talk about multiple point of view characters handled in unique ways. For example, in one story, the main protagonist is written in the first person: "I woke up with a knife to my throat." But all other POVs are written in the third person: "He waited for the right moment to speak." It's quite intriguing!

How about you? 

Are you reading YA for any of the above reasons, or perhaps one not mentioned yet? We at the sup would love to hear about it! 

xxKim

***

Kim Falconer, currently writing as A K Wilder, has just released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows coming out December 6, 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site 

A Fantastic, Nine Book, YA Fantasy Giveaway!

Jump in on this YA Fantasy Giveaway!

 Hey Everyone,

Welcome to a fantastic YA Fantasy Giveaway

Here's the guff

We are giving away nine (9!) eBooks and a Kindle Fire to celebrate the launch of #TheLiarsCrown by New York Times bestselling author Abigail Owen.

❤️ In the desert dominion of Aryd, a dynasty of queens is built on lies, the Shadowraith haunts the darkness, and twin princesses–one born to rule, one to forfeit–have secrets to keep...

✨Paste Magazine Pick for Best New YA Books of August 2022!

✨“An addictive, action-packed, scorcher of a read!“ ~Alyson Noël, #1 NYT Bestselling Author

✨You should read this book if you love… enemies to lovers, mistaken identity, a strong but flawed heroine, a darkly brooding and morally gray hero, non-stop action, a huge magical world, scorching romance, intrigue, and sharp fantasy twists!

How to put your name in the hat

1. Fill out the form HERE

2. Entry Rules

Participating readers will be asked to fill out the entry form with the knowledge that by entering, they're agreeing to sign up for all the participating authors' newsletters.


U.S. only to avoid the international complications.


The contest will run Sept 1-30 (ending 11:59pm PT), with winners randomly drawn from the entries.

@abigailowenauthor will draw:


♥️ 27 individual winners of 1 book each from NINE authors


♥️ 1 grand prize winner who'll get all 9 books & a KINDLE FIRE!


🎉Winners announce October 1st!🥳

Participating Authors

@jerri.chisholm #escapingeleven
@linzduga #Roaring
@lindseyfrydman #ProjectA.I.D.E.N.
@maryl_marissac #Haven
@amberinblunderland #Gardenofthorns
@abigailowenauthor #Theliarscrown
@marperezauthor #Theafterlifeoftheparty
@tianawarner #thevalkyriesdaughter
@akwilder #Crownofbones (and for winners that used this link, an additional pre-order for #curseofshadows) email me!

🙏💙💦 

#yafantasy #fantasyromance #youngadultbooks #kindlefire

Good luck, and let me know in the comments if you have read any of these amazing books.

xxKim

***

Kim Falconer, currently writing as A K Wilder, has just released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows coming out December 6, 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site 

Myth & Monsters

 

And so it goes... by Mateo Dineen

Like most Fantasy writers, I have a long-held fascination with monsters. Ghosts, demons, vampires or zombies, anything that makes the heart beat faster captures my eye and may eventually wind up in my books. I mean, among other things, monsters create the perfect context to explore human emotions.  

This has always been so!

Evil Minotaur by Li Wenda

Monsters have been around for as long as civilization, weaving their way into our stories with terrifying, and exciting results. Think of ancient Minoan's Minotaur, the Greek Scylla, the Norse Kracken... 

Monsters then appear in the earliest novels with Horace Walpole's  The Castle of Otranto (1764) and on to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, first published in 1818. 

Still going strong in our contemporary reads, monsters are taking on a new appearance. No longer just a force of nature that must be slain, monsters are becoming helpful, sensitive, compassionate. We are beginning to form relationships with them. Think Twilight, I Zombie, Warm Bodies, Vampire Diaries, The Hulk...

I've talked about this inner growth in Vampire Evolution, but today I thought it would be fun to look at what's up and coming in YA monster fiction. Let's look at a few on my TBR List for 2022.

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

From Goodreads:

Joan Chang-Hunt has no idea she's part monster until she's thrust into a battle between the boy she has a crush on and one of the most ruthless monster families of London. 

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

A brilliantly compelling YA fantasy from a dazzling new Australian talent. Don't forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. ...

***

Pet by Awkaeke Emezi

From Goodreads: 

There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told.

Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question — How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial.

***

The Valkyrie's Daughter by Tiana Warner

Pre-order on Amazon for May 3rd release!

For as long as Sigrid could remember, she’s wanted to become a mighty, fearless valkyrie. But without a winged mare, she’s a mere stable hand, left wondering who her parents were and why she’s so different. So when the Eye shows her a vision where she's leading a valkyrie charge on the legendary eight-legged horse Sleipnir, she grabs the possibility of this greater destiny with both hands, refusing to let go.

Too bad that the only one who can help her get there is Mariam, an enemy valkyrie who begrudgingly agrees to lead her to Helheim but who certainly can’t be trusted―even if she does make Sigrid more than a little flustered. As they cross the nine worlds, battling night elves, riding sea serpents, and hurtling into fire to learn the truth about Sigrid’s birthright, an unexpected but powerful bond forms.

As her feelings for Mariam deepen into something fiery and undeniable, Fate has other plans for Sigrid. What happens when the one thing you think you were meant to do might end the nine worlds?

***

What about you? Read any good monsters lately? Let me know in the comments and I'll feature it in the next post - Myth & Monsters Part 2.

***

Kim Falconer, currently writing as A K Wilder, has just released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows coming out in 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site or have a listen to the audio version on the right.

What's New in 2022 Fantasy Books?

Pre-order now

What's new?

Curse of Shadows release, for one thing! 

In this title, which can be read as a standalone though it does follow on from Crown of Bones, we are going to discover Ash's secret, Marcus's challenges and Kaylin's... well, we all know there is a LOT more to discover there.... We are going to dive deeper (yes that's a pun) into the Mar, the call of the whistle bones, and the return of the Second, Sun, herald of the next great dying. 

I promise, by the end, you won't believe your eyes!

More YA Fantasy Out in 2022

I also want to highlight some other Fantasy books coming out soon. They are all available for pre-order, and as I mentioned before, pre-ordering is one of the very best ways you can support your favorite authors AND be first in line for their next big thing. 

These books are on my list!

Pre-order Now

1) Blood like Fate by Liselle Sambury

From the Publisher: In the spellbinding sequel to “breath of fresh air for the genre” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Blood Like Magic, Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future, perfect for fans of Legendborn and Cemetery Boys.

Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than she’d ever imagined.

Her grandmother is gone.

Her cousin hates her.

And her family doesn’t believe that she has what it takes to lead them.

What’s more, Voya can’t let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblay—the man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered.

As Voya struggles to convince everyone—herself included—that she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what’s coming for them before it’s too late.

Even if it means taking down the boy she loves—who might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.

I loved the first book! Can't wait for the second -- out August 9, 2022 

2) Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater

From the Publisher: What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family―jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets― and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors. You can bet this will be landing on my Kindle May 3, 2022! Pre-order now

3) Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire

From the publisher: Melanie has a destiny, though it isn’t the one everyone assumes it to be. She’s delicate; she’s fragile; she’s dying. Now, truly, is the winter of her soul.

Harry doesn’t want to believe in destiny, because that means accepting the loss of the one person who gives his life meaning, who brings summer to his world.

So, when a new road is laid out in front of them—a road that will lead through untold dangers toward a possible lifetime together—walking down it seems to be the only option.

But others are following behind, with violence in their hearts.

It looks like Destiny has a plan for them, after all…. 

“One must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter.” —Thoreau 

I am so excited for this next book in the Middlegame series! Pre-order now.

4) Book of Night by Holly Black

From the publisher: #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus.

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie.

Now, she’s trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but going straight isn’t easy. Bartending at a dive, she’s still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that her shadowless and possibly soulless boyfriend has been keeping secrets from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends back into a maelstrom of murder and lies. Determined to survive, she’s up against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world ― all trying to steal a secret that will allow them control of the shadow world and more.

A book by Holly Black is always on my pre-order list. Come on May 2022!

What are you all looking forward to reading in 2022? I might just be adding it to my list!

xxKim

* * * 

Kim Falconer, currently writing as A K Wilder, has just released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows coming out in 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site or have a listen to the audio version on the right.

Love in the Time of Pandemics

Emere Necromancer by Iga Oliwiak on Art Station

Fantasy Fiction fulfils a variety of purposes. It can entertain and inspire us, stimulate and awaken us. It can also teach, offering examples of how we, as a species, respond to life-threatening conflict and challenges.

It's best not to let the elements of fantasy fool you. Most writers of this genre are constantly exploreing real-world issues in contemporary ways.

Take pandemics, for example.

In the current state of the world, it's a good time to look at SF/Fantasy stories with contagions at their core. I'm particularly interested today in books that explore how disease influences our core relationships. Here are a few favorite examples.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

In this novel, zombie boy meets rebel girl and the very act awakens the cure. Here 'zombies' are those afflicted with a disease, one that threatens the entire human population.

First as his (zombie boy's) captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie (rebel girl) is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn't want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight. 

This book is a great read that doesn't shy away from a unique combination of humor, horror and human behavior in a time of dystopia.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold

In David Arnold's The Electric Kingdom, the world is toast. It's not clear right away why, but the story hints toward a lab, a spill, a terrible mistake. 

This full-blown dystopia is on my 'must read' list. I loved the voices, the storytelling, the weaving of the different POVs... Two were in 3rd person and one in 1st. Very clever. 

The environment and stress of survival make for a grim backdrop -- the pandemic has basically won after all -- but there are these kids, with big hearts and so much hope. It shows how much that, no matter what happens, we reset and keep on living. 

While we can...

A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang

There are few obvious elements of fantasy in this novel but I included it for variety, and excellent storytelling. The mystery had me guessing right up to the end!

Just beyond the Gilded Age, in the mist-covered streets of New York, the deadly Spanish influenza ripples through the city. But with so many victims in her close circle, young socialite Allene questions if the flu is really to blame. All appear to have been poisoned—and every death was accompanied by a mysterious note.

You might also like Kang's Toxic for a stronger Fantasy perspective.

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

This story is thought-provoking, getting inside your head and staying there long after you put it down.

Set in the days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.

If you want to experience the death throes of a civilization on the brink, and still feel the warmth and resistance of love, this is it.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

This book is creepy, on the edge of horror for sure, with a story that centres on an epidemic that forces a severe social distancing... one more extreme than ever imagined.  

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. . . but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?

Netflix has turned this into a series and Malerman's Bird Box #2 came out in 2020. 

Now it's your turn. What's your favorite pandemic novel. I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

xxKim

* * *

Kim Falconer, writing YA Fantasy as A K Wilder, is the author of Crown of Bones, book #1 in the Amassia Series. The sequel, Curse of Shadows, is due for release in June 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

You can Throw the Bones, read your monthly horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site or just drop a comment to chat. See you there!

Sensational Fantasy Sidekicks Giveaway

Concept Art of Piper from Crown of Bones

 Hey Everyone,

I'm excited to say that Crown of Bones is on a BookBub special and going for $0 for the next seven days. Jump on over to  Bookbub and select your favourite eBook formate. I so appreciate the support.

And meanwhile, to launch my series of posts for the rest of the year, I'm letting Piper - orange-robe of Baiseen, lead the way. 

Piper is an orange-robe (high level) healer savant who raises a phantom in the form of a two-headed snake. Her job in the company is to heal, boost strength and endurance and restore the other party members. She is also trained in hand-to-hand and stands as a strong ally in any fight.

In some ways, Piper is the heart of the company, giving of herself to sustain and care for everyone else. As a healer, she makes no distinction between savant, non-savant, friend, foe, animal, plant or even coral reef when asked for help. She’s ready to do what she can.

With her passionate relationship to the caller/alter savant, Samen, another member of the company, and her enormous store of medicinal knowledge and lore, Piper is always a joy to write. 

She’s the moral compass of the group (along with Ash) and represents a powerful female character who, though kickass in her combat skills, doesn’t leverage stereotypical masculine traits to get the job done. Her power comes from belief in herself, something she doesn’t have to prove to anyone, ever. It is always within.

Let me know what you think of her when you read Crown of Bones, and tell me about your favourite sidekick characters.

Comments always welcome.

xxKim

* * * 

Kim Falconer, writing YA Fantasy as A K Wilder, is the author of Crown of Bones, book #1 in the Amassia Series. The sequel, Curse of Shadows, is due for release in June 2022.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

You can Throw the Bones, read your monthly horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site or just drop a comment to chat. See you there!

* * *