Month: March 2017

Fantastical romance…or is that romantic fantasy?

March 31, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

I realized it had been nearly six months since I last regaled you with the cream of the cream of the books that have passed through my kindle. Some are new releases, some are old standbys I ran across while browsing the library or kindle unlimited charts. All are so satisfying I wish I could delete a few neurons and read them again.

So, without further ado, here are the romantic fantasy/fantastical romance books I most enjoyed in recent weeks:

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn is romantic fantasy for those who don’t mind a character-driven meander. The worldbuilding was simple and rich at the same time. Something to aspire to as an author…and a darn fine read even if you don’t write.

Burning Bright by Melissa McShane is a free-in-kindle-unlimited selection. Age of Sail + magic + a light but perfect romance = One of the best books I’d read in quite a while. I cried. I went looking for the sequel. Perfect book.

Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is the beginning of a trilogy…and please be forewarned that you won’t be able to think of anything else until you complete all 1200+ pages. That minor issue aside, the series is full of thought-provoking worldbuilding (based on the Roman Empire), a heroine who is flawed but strong, and a love story you’ll need to see resolved. The covers don’t do these books justice.

The Sorceror’s Concubine by Jaclyn Dolamore is a strongly character-based book with a solid romance thread and top-notch worldbuilding. Basically, imagine what would happen if Pinnochio had been a woman in a world where puppets were created as concubines. Would he ever have become a real boy? Find out for free with Kindle Unlimited.

Encrypted has all of Lindsay Buroker’s hallmark features — smart and action-packed storyline, mild but satisfying love story, and characters you’ll root for. But this book transcends Buroker’s already high bar by adding in a high geek quotient and by giving you a solid resolution at the end of the book. At the time of this post, it’s also available along with several of her other novels in the 99-cent Beginnings box set.

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine is a darker version of the more mainstream steampunk complete with class struggles, great characters, and beautiful imagery. Great book…but beware the cliffhangery ending!

A Brother’s Price by Wen Spencer is perhaps the most memorable book I read during this time period, but I put it last because it seems to really split readers. If you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and accept a world in which earth gender roles are turned on their head, you’ll likely love this book. If not…give it a pass.

***

Okay, I lied, that’s not quite the last of my recommendations. Even though I tend to like books best when they straddle the fantasy/romance line, here are two bonus books where the fantasy won out over the romance:

Stolen Magic by Marina Finalyson can totally be judged by the cover. I loved the world, familiar enough to urban-fantasy readers so the book isn’t a slog but tantalizingly unique with an Australian flavor that really hit the spot. Our heroine was equally delightful — a thief on the run from an impossible decision. Add in a light introduction to a perfect love interest and you have a major winner (that’s also free in kindle unlimited).

The Last Necromancer contains C.J. Archer’s trademark combination of intriguing heroine, light romance, and rich setting. This is set in the same world as her Freak House books, but with a classic-novel tie-in that I’m tempted to write about but can’t without spoiling the plot. Download it for free on any of the major retailers and see what I mean.

I hope that keeps you busy for a little while!

Crewing an airship

March 28, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

Those of you who’ve read Verdant Magic will be familiar with the heroine for the book I’m currently working on. Sabrina Fairweather is the captain of an airship…and in Cerulean Magic it was time to give the captain a crew. But how many employees would Sabrina need and what would each one do?

I started my research by determining how many crew members an airship of a similar size from early in the twentieth century might include — twelve. Then I sat down with my husband and picked his brain about how those crew members might be arranged. Here’s what we came up with:

My husband informed me that it’s all about the chain of command. The Captain, of course, is too busy for anyone except the Cabin Boy (general dogsbody) and the First Mate to report to her directly. So the First Mate is usually the Officer of the Deck (basically, the guy in charge), although but he’d trade off that duty to the Weapons Officer to stand night watch.

What does everybody else get up to during a normal day in the air? The Chief Engineer and his apprentice would keep the ship running, easier on my airship than on the 1923 prototype because there are electric motors and batteries rather than an internal combustion engine. Meanwhile, the Mess Cook and Steward would be in charge of feeding the crew, managing the ship’s store, and cleaning up after everybody.

In contrast, the unwashed masses all serve under the Bosun’s Mate, who is less of a gentleman than the other officers. His airmen would keep busy “humping stores” (carrying on cargo) while in port, then managing the balloon, anchoring, and doing all of the other things too messy for the officers to get their hands dirty with once the Intrepid is in the air.

What about during times of war, when the order “General Quarters” would send sailors scurrying to their battle stations? I guess you’ll have to put Cerulean Magic on your to-read list and wait until May to find out.

Alpha Underground box set

March 21, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

I decided to splurge and get an entirely new cover made for my Alpha Underground box set…and it’s gorgeous! In the meantime, the rest of the series (including the box set) has now rolled out to all major retailers.

So if you’ve been waiting patiently to read Fen’s story on Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, or Smashwords, you’re finally good to go. Find the Alpha Underground Series on your favorite retailer here

For non-Amazon readers — thank you so much for your patience! I hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Thank you!

March 10, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

A huge thank you to everyone who has made Verdant Magic such a great success! It seems like my crew gets bigger with every go round, so I hope I don’t forget to mention anyone here.

Although their job came last, I first want to thank my amazing readers. Your reviews and shares helped the book soar…and also eased my fear that no one would be interested in reading a novel that didn’t include a single werewolf. Kind words like these made me smile from ear to ear…and pound away at the keyboard even faster on the sequel:

“Electric story telling” — JOJO

“Wild post apocalyptic world building” — Tera Comer

“This was one of those rare stories that sweep you away into another world, and you leave it looking forward to your next visit.” — BookAddict

“I lost sleep to read it fully, then when I did sleep I woke early to get back to the story. Do not attempt to read if you have work to do first.” — Cynthia Stevens

“Totally rocked” — Patti Hays

On the production end, this time around I added in an amazing developmental editor who saved the day on several fronts and an awesome paperback designer who created a physical book so lovely I could sit and look at it all day. Of course, I continue to sing the praises of my startlingly beautiful cover created by Rebecca Frank along with Chereese’s painstaking copy edit.

Meanwhile, a slew of authors supported my launch by emailing their lists, sharing my facebook post, or otherwise helping ensure Verdant Magic saw the light of day. And, finally, I owe my VA Kayla endless gratitude for her hard work behind the scenes…which extended so far as to help with a photo shoot to pep up my bio.

Want to see the book created by this village? Verdant Magic is for sale on Amazon and is free to borrow with Kindle Unlimited. The novel has already hit nearly a thousand kindles…perhaps yours will be next?

Alpha Underground going wide

March 5, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

Now that the Alpha Underground series is complete, I’m bringing each book wide (to non-Amazon retailers) as their KDP Select term ends. Dark Wolf Adrift is already available everywhere that ebooks are sold:

In fact, Dark Wolf Adrift is currently on sale for only 99 cents at Smashwords as part of their Read an Ebook Week.

Stay tuned for another post as Half Wolf follows Dark Wolf Adrift into the stormy waters outside the world’s biggest ebook retailer. And, in the meantime, if you’ve already read and enjoyed Dark Wolf Adrift, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review on one of the new retailers listed above. Your kind words help get the book off to a good start and ensure that Hunter’s story reaches beyond the choir. Thank you!

Verdant Magic is live!

March 1, 2017 / Aimee Easterling / 0 Comments

I’m excited to announce that Verdant Magic is now live on Amazon! The novel is the first in a series of interconnected standalones with no cliffhanger, a draconic romance, and plenty of fantastical fun and worldbuilding. It’s free to borrow in Kindle Unlimited for the next three months and is priced at 99 cents for a short time to reward my Shifter Secrets subscribers for listening to me ramble every week.

Here’s the blurb:

***

Sparks fly when a rogue witch and a dragon shifter collide.

Ever since dragon fire killed her parents, Amber Gardner has always kept one eye pointed to the sky. So when a winged shifter lands in her garden, her initial impulse is to defend her enclave of illegal earth witches using every weapon at her disposal…up to and including the use of deadly force.

Zane Pendragon has spent his entire adult life shielding regular people from the sentient plants that turned earth’s surface into a death trap. Stumbling into the heart of enemy territory, he finds himself bound by his own magic…even as his heart is unwillingly drawn to that of his captor.

Enter a murderous dragon on the rampage, an unexplained fading illness, and shifting alliances within Amber’s home village. Can she abandon her post as protector and team up with her enemy in time to save people they both hold dear?

Dive into an exhilarating new romantic fantasy with this first in a series of interconnected standalones!

***

And a few words from early reviewers:

“The sheer uniqueness of these scenarios had me glued to the book like my life depended on it! I was in suspenseful torture page after page….” — Patti Hays

“This plot is unlike any other book I’ve read.” — PennKay

“Highly recommend!” — TaraB

Sound interesting? Buy or borrow your copy here. And if you like what you read, I hope you’ll consider writing a review, telling a friend, or sharing the book on facebook. Thanks so much for reading — you are why I write.