2019 Books Archives ⋆ Liz Delton

Looking back but mostly ahead

By Liz | December 30, 2019

December is one of my favorite months despite the inevitable descent into winter, the long nights, and the dreary leafless trees here in New England. It’s my favorite because 1- my birthday is this month, 2- I love Christmas (despite said birthday’s very close proximity), and 3- the end of the year brings a kind of refresh to everything.

Realm of Camellia Series

My biggest writing achievement of 2019 was getting The Starless Girl picked up by Limitless Publishing, and having it published in May. I decided to take the plunge and attempt traditional publishing with this series, and so far it has been a success. Yes, writing and being an author is still a lot of work, but I love it.
Just the other week I submitted the sequel to The Starless Girl to my publisher, and I have high hopes that it will be accepted and published in 2020. Fingers crossed! The working title is The Storm King.
I’m now working on fully plotting book #3, which I’ll begin writing in January.

Arcera Series

It was a long time coming, but I finally got the Arcera prequel, Sylvia in the Wilds, into paperback. At the same time, it got a lovely cover refresh. This book made me want to write more short stories–even standalones–because it was wildly popular at events. Probably because of its short length!

Events in 2020

I already have 5 events lined up for 2020, and they are going to be amazing! I was honored to be invited to Boskone in February, alongside some incredible authors. I’m currently in the works with them on my schedule, and I’m looking forward to being on some awesome panels and programs. I’ll also be attending ConnectiCon again in July, as well as a brand new convention close by– the Springfield Comic Con. I’ll have to come up with some cosplays!
Check out my whole schedule here.

Me and Thistle at Book Fiend Reader’s Fest in Norwich Nov 2019

New Project

I have a brand new project that I’m itching to share with the world. You might have heard about it if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram–it’s a writer’s notebook. Part guided journal, part blank notebook, it’s meant to help writer’s plan their stories by organizing their notes and guiding them with several plot structures. After years of bullet-journaling, and planning 7 novels (5/7 have been written, and 4 published), I’ve had a lot of time to get myself organized to tell a story. The writer’s notebook is currently being beta-tested by some writer friends of mine, and I can’t wait to get it finished.

A draft version I got printed for my Beta testers. Not the final cover!

I’m also working on a website to go with it. I’m planning on providing some resources for writers to coincide with the notebooks. Yep, I said notebooks, I’m planning on several other notebooks with slightly different content: for teens, for brand new writers, and one for fantasy writers.

Want to know more? Sign up for the mailing list, and check out the My Writer’s Notebook Facebook page.

Side Hustle– LD Writes & Designs

Some of you may also know that I have an Etsy shop where I sell bookmarks. Well, this year I made hundreds of bookmarks.
They went to 36 different States (California and Texas having the most), and
7 other countries (including Australia, France, Italy, UK, and Greece).
A few of my bookmarks have gotten a little “Bestseller” flag on Etsy, which makes my little author heart smile.
I’ve also had awesome custom and wholesale orders from local bookstores.
I’m looking forward to a new year with the shop, and adding new designs!

But mostly

We even managed a flight to Florida to see family! He loved the beach.

I’m super happy with my new work/life balance. I wasn’t sure how juggling full-time-parenthood was going to go with my writing career. No, it hasn’t been easy, but I love it.

Having a creative outlet is the best thing I can do for my brain! A lot of people (even before I had my son) ask me, how do you find the time to do all of this? And I shrug and laugh, but really, I can’t not do all these things. I have to.

I love having projects and creating things, either with my hands, my brain, or my computer. I don’t find the time. I make it.

Cheers to a great year behind us, and to a great year before us.
Happy New Year’s to you all!

Review: A Song in the Rain by Lydia Deyes

By Liz | December 22, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

This book is charming middle-grade fantasy novel about a young sparrow named Sheer. Sheer reminds us that even when there is no hope, and all is dark, there is still light to be found, still something good in the world.

“Everything was desolate empty, hollow.

Except for one tree. One strong, persevering tree. Just ahead I could see it through the mist. It had a few leaves, still green despite the fact that it was mid-winter. How had it survived?”

-Lydia Deyes, A Song in the Rain

The book starts off with Sheer waking up in a terrible fire, with no idea where he is, and his hearing gone. Deaf and confused, he seeks help, but a dark force follows him and ruins every place he tries to call home, until he meets the animals of the thirteenth floor.

This was an unexpected and fun twist. Samuel, the lynx leading the animals who call the thirteenth floor of a building in the human city home, grants Sheer protection with special magic. And he isn’t the only one with magic. Sheer has begun to realize he has a certain magic too, one that he doesn’t understand. Samuel helps Sheer learn how to cope with his newfound deafness, while also helping him to come to understand that he is the catalyst in a prophecy–one that concerns the dark force that Sheer encountered.

Sheer must confront several creatures who have been taken in by the dark force. These animals are featured on the gorgeous cover: Nyoka the snake, Finsternis the wolf, and Spike the crow.

Sheer finds himself uniting the animals of the forest and the thirteenth floor, to prepare them–so they can save themselves from the coming darkness, helped to spread by the snake, the wolf, and the crow. Sheer is thrust into leadership, and suffers many losses and even betrayal, but most interestingly, he wages a war with himself.

The inner turmoil Sheer experiences is what is special about this book. He experiences greed and then guilt, desire for power coupled with self doubt, loyalty and loneliness. The feelings of this little sparrow are big.
It’s sectioned into four parts, each part having a particular challenge Sheer faces. Overall a great middle-grade read.

The only question I was left wondering, was how the thirteenth floor came to be. Samuel and the other animals have been there for a while, and they have an established and lively community that Sheer comes to join. Maybe a short story or a prequel is in the author’s head somewhere?

The Starless Girl and Readers of Realms

By Liz | March 14, 2019

What a great day! It’s 50 degrees here in Connecticut which feels like it’s summer weather. Despite only getting four hours of sleep last night because my tiny human loves to see me all hours of the day, I’m in a great mood!

The first book in my Realm of Camellia series has an official new name, and an official release date!

The Starless Girl, through Limitless Publishing, will drop on May 14th, and will be available for pre-sale on May 4th.

To gear up for the release, I’ve opened a reader’s group on Facebook. Join for exclusive content and be the first to find out updates on all of the Realm of Camellia books. I’ve also got some giveaways in the works.

Currently Reading: Whispers from the Depths by C.W. Briar

By Liz | February 25, 2019 | Comments 1 comment

Happy Monday all, it’s wet and snow-covered here in New England, but my current read is a thrillingly dark adventure and today’s stop on the Whispers from the Depths blog tour!

Joyful and blessed are Voice-bearers, for the Heavens have set them apart.

As Whisperers gifted with the Voice, Betka and her people are enslaved. Only they can control the dangerous spirits that haunt the waters, but they are forced to serve under cruel taskmasters. Betka has little hope of freedom from her service or her own bitterness.

They toil for the goodness of others.

A powerful water spirit terrorizes the castle where Betka’s sister is serving. Betka is assigned to the crew sailing to face the foe, and she fears for the only family she has left.

Rage is found nowhere in them.

In the beleaguered, flooded castle, a new threat awaits—a magic more powerful and horrifying than anything they have ever seen. Loyalties will be tested, and enemies will become desperate allies.

Betka is their only hope of escape—if she can subdue the wrath that endangers them all.

She who wields the waters for revenge drowns herself tenfold.

Check it out on:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Apple * Kobo * Goodreads * Publisher Uncommon Universes Press

Who is CW Briar?

C.W. Briar writes fantasy that’s dark but hopeful, filled with wonder and humor along with the suspense and creepiness. His favorite stories are the ones that make him both smile and perch on the edge of his seat. By day, he works as a systems engineer, testing or even riding on trains, airplanes, and helicopters. At night, when not writing, he prepares fancy dinners and shows off his awesome corgis. He’s a graduate of Binghamton University and lives in Upstate NY with his wife, three kids, and secret stashes of chocolate.

Or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Let CW tell you more about Whispers from the Depths and his process in this interview we did for his blog tour!

How did you come up with the idea for Whispers From The Depths?

I wanted a story where water is a sentient threat that invades a castle. I paired that with the exploration of how love can overcome evil, and the story grew from there.

Which books or authors have influenced you the most?

Beowulf was a huge influence on this story. Anyone familiar with that poem will see it in the conflict, the warrior culture, and the gritty tone. Beyond that, I drew inspirations from Michael Crichton and a variety of horror authors in portraying the suspense and action. I don’t know if I can say Brandon Sanderson is an inspiration for the magic, but his portrayal of magic is something I consider a benchmark to measure up to.

What is your writing process like?

(slower than I like)

I’m not a 100% plotter, but I do have to know the themes and major moments in the story before I write. Once that’s settled, I write toward whatever major moment is ahead of me. I have to squeeze in writing time around other demands in life, so my time is heavily broken up.

Part of the reason I’m slow is that I’m a sculptor rather than a painter. I can’t slap words on a page, see what comes up, and overhaul it later. I prefer to explore and plan away from the computer, then make real progress once writing. That’s why I don’t make a lot of major story changes once a first draft done (but I do polish the prose quite a bit).

What gave you the most difficulty when writing Whispers From The Depths?

The story grew after initial edits came in. I expanded a few scenes and character arcs. That required me to reassess everything to make sure it flowed smoothly. That was probably the biggest headache.

What is your favorite writing fuel?

Physically, coffee, even though I’m not a big fan of it. I drink caffeine, including tea and energy drinks, but mostly coffee.

Mentally, I’m fueled by topics that make me think. Articles, sermons, heavy discussions: those things inspire the themes.

I keep mentioning themes because they really are the bones on which I build story. I have something I want to explore and discuss, and I weave a narrative that represents it. When someone says something that makes me think, by brain starts recreating it in story form.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from this book?

I like to write stories with subtext, but it’s not critical to pick up on it. It’s okay if someone reads the book at a surface level and simply has a fun time. I hope I leave them breathless. Beyond that, I hope the story makes them think. I hope they reconsider how they interact with other people, especially those they don’t get along with.

What’s your next project?

I have two short stories coming out in anthologies this year and a couple more out for consideration. As for novels, I have two underway. One is a gothic horror/comedy/mystery. The other is a very different kind of project, but I’m keeping it under wraps for now.

Whispers from the Depths just released on February 19th; check out Briar’s tale for yourself, and look for my review coming soon!

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

By Liz | November 28, 2018

Two words: Magical. Heist.

It’s 1889 in an alternate Paris, where those who have the ability to “forge” can manipulate matter or minds just like magic–except it’s really about science and art–with infinite possibilities. It’s almost like Alice in Wonderland–especially when you can pass through a mirror to another place. The secret society of the Order of Babel regulates forging, controlled by the high Houses. Plants can be forged for beauty and function, statues can be forged for security, clothes can be forged to give you as many tricks up your sleeve as you can imagine.

This lush backdrop is where Séverin lost his inheritance. Spurned by the Order, he teams up with Enrique, the historian looking for a voice and power with his own community; Laila, the dancer with a life altering secret; Zofia, the engineer who is excellent at math yet awful with anything social; Tristan, a brother to him; and finally Hypnos, the entitled yet clever patriarch of one of the Houses. I have to say, Hypnos was my favorite! He was funny without being too over the top. Enrique was also funny, especially when paired with Séverin:

“You’re doing it again,” said Enrique.
“What?”
“That whole nefarious-whilst-looking-into-the-distance-thing. What are you hiding, Séverin?”
“Nothing.”
“You and your secrets.”
“Secrets keep my hair lustrous,” said Séverin, running his hand through his curls. “Shall we?”

This big cast of characters wend their way through a fantastical mystery at the heart of the Order of Babel. I did wonder sometimes whether the big cast was a bit too much–their voices sometimes blended together, when you jumped from one to another in the chapters. Sometimes their personalities were a bit too similar, except Zofia who was quite unique. They each do have clear motives, but it was really their voices (internal & external) that were a little too similar.

A simple heist leads them deeper into the mysteries of the Order than any of them ever dreamed. They must use their wits and their tricks to not only prevent total chaos–but to survive.

All in all, I really enjoyed the fantastic magic, the storytelling, and the suspense. Oh, and there was just enough romance–I’m not a big fan of over the top romance (unless I’m reading Outlander, of course), and Chokshi did a great job with some light romantic touches: it all felt very real and unforced.

I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of this series!

The book is available for pre-order, and releases January 15, 2019.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.