Greta Kelly is the author of the debut fantasy novel, THE FROZEN CROWN. Violently displaced from the wild beauty of her homeland by a ruthless conqueror, the young princess Askia seeks support from a neighboring nation to the south. But in sun-soaked Vishir, where nobles live lavishly while refugees starve, Askia finds herself a blunt object amongst a court of delicate manners and fragile alliances.    The princess urgently needs Vishir's armies to intervene before her country burns. Yet first she must navigate a court that harbors too many enemies, including a vindictive royal son, the hateful mouthpiece for her northern aggressor, and the religious zealots who murdered her parents.    Her allies complicate matters, too. A friendly prince whose attentions invite scandal. Her loyal captain whose devotion barely overshadows his longing. An enigmatic Queen who may be mentor or manipulator. And the ghost of her best friend—an apparition only she can see, because Askia carries her own carefully guarded secret. She is a witch, in a world where magic can be a powerful tool—or a death sentence.    As every advancing day threatens the annihilation of her army, Askia will face an impossible choice. But will any sacrifice be enough to satisfy two opposing emperors and save her people?   THE FROZEN CROWN is the first novel in a duology, available January 12th from Harper Voyager:    Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oA5xO0 Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/16632/9780062956958 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-frozen-crown-greta-kelly/1136268411 Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Frozen-Crown/Greta-Kelly/9780062956958 IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062956958   » Some of these links are affiliate links. Whenever possible, I *strongly* encourage you to look for and purchase these books from your local & independent bookstores. That said, I earn a small commission if you click to and buy a product. That supports the channel and helps me out, at no additional cost to you! Use your best judgment and purchase wisely.   ABOUT GRETA KELLY   Greta K. Kelly is (probably) not a witch, death or otherwise, but she can still be summoned with offerings of too-beautiful-to-use journals and Butterfingers candy. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband EJ, daughter Lorelei and a cat who may, or may not, control the weather.   FOLLOW GRETA KELLY   Website: https://gretakkelly.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GretaKKelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretakkelly/ Amazon Profile: https://amzn.to/3bwPjS6 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20320512.Greta_Kelly 

Fictitious

Greta Kelly, THE FROZEN CROWN author

In this episode I’m talking with Cass Morris, author of GIVE WAY TO NIGHT, the sequel to the historically-inspired fantasy FROM UNSEEN FIRE.  This series, called the AVEN CYCLE, explores a Roman-esque empire filled with divine and elemental magics, dangerous political machinations, and rising war between cultures and territories. Several years of harsh dictatorship have unbalanced the powerful city of Aven. But now, the Dictator is dead, and the resulting power vacuum draws in the late-ruler's allies and enemies to struggle for control of the Republic. Latona of the Vitelliae is a mage of Spirit and Fire, married off to a minor, indifferent noble to keep her life and talents free of notice. But with the dictator finally gone, Latona and her canny, gifted siblings can throw off the objections of society to seize a greater destiny for their people. Sempronius Tarren is an exiled but ambitious senator seeking influence in Aven. But in a political system that refuses office to those who possess magical talent, he hides a dangerous secret—a blessing from the gods that shows him shadows of possible futures.  Conjoined by politics, complicated by romance, Latona and Sempronius must work together to protect the Republic. But can cunning wit and divine magic stand strong against foes that wield brutal violence and wicked sorcery?  GIVE WAY TO NIGHT is the 2nd novel in the AVEN CYCLE series, and is available now from DAW Books: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WZtO3G Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/16632/9780756412319 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/give-way-to-night-cass-morris/1136806407 Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Give-Way-Night/Cass-Morris/9780756412319 IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780756412319   FROM UNSEEN FIRE is available now:   Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MecfuA Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/16632/9780756415174   » Some of these links are affiliate links. Whenever possible, I *strongly* encourage you to look for and purchase these books from your local & independent bookstores. That said, I earn a small commission if you click to and buy a product. That supports the channel and helps me out, at no additional cost to you! Use your best judgment and purchase wisely.   MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:   AirTable database software: https://airtable.com/product   World Building for Masochists podcast: https://worldbuildingformasochists.podbean.com/   ABOUT CASS MORRIS   Cass Morris works as an educator in central Virginia and as a bookseller on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She holds a Master of Letters from Mary Baldwin University and a BA in English with a minor in history from the College of William and Mary. She reads voraciously, wears corsets voluntarily, and will beat you at MarioKart.    FOLLOW CASS MORRIS   Website: https://cassmorriswrites.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CassRMorris Instagram: http://instagram.com/CassRMorris Amazon Profile: https://amzn.to/3aXyBuW Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/CassRMorris   FOLLOW FICTITIOUS   Fictitious Twitter: https://twitter.com/FictitiousPod Adron’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdronBuske Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fictitiouspod/ Website: https://www.fictitiouspodcast.com/ 

Cass Morris, GIVE WAY TO NIGHT author

BLACK CANARY: BREAKING SILENCE author Alexandra Monir talks about writing for the DC Icons young adult series, adapting the fan-favorite Black Canary and Court of Owls in a prose novel, and how she got the job of writing a major media tie-in.   This DC Icons young adult novel reimagines the fan-favorite DC comics superhero Dinah Lance as a teenager living in a near-future dystopian Gotham City.   Decades ago, Gotham and its vigilante heroes fell to a violent shadow organization called the Court of Owls. The Court has reshaped the city in their patriarchal image, setting up a cruel and vindictive autocracy. Dissenters are punished by superhuman enforcers called Talons. And women in particular have been subjugated—not just with the removal of rights and freedoms, but by having their abilities of music and singing artificially stifled.   Seventeen year old Dinah is fortunate to have been educated by her parents about life before the Owls took over. A childhood experience—hearing the forbidden, beautiful, impossible sound of a woman singing—drives Dinah to seek out truths the Owls have buried. Yet to resist the autocratic regime could land her, her friends, and her police officer father in Arkham Asylum—or in the morgue.   Dinah must find a way to unleash the incredible power of her own voice to combat the Court of Owls. And perhaps she can find an ally in her school’s new transfer student, a mysterious senior named Oliver Queen.   BLACK CANARY: BREAKING SILENCE is the 5th standalone novel in the DC ICONS series, and is available December 29th from Random House Books for Young Readers.

Alexandra Monir, BLACK CANARY: BREAKING SILENCE author

WE HEAR VOICES author Evie Green talks about creating her new horror / science fiction novel. We discuss her leap into horror after writing many thriller and YA books, juggling complicated thematic elements, and why readers love the "creepy kids" trope. In near-future England, the economy is collapsing, humanity makes plans to leave earth for other worlds, and a deadly pandemic steals the lives of children. But, when some kids manage to survive, they return from the brink of death with new "imaginary friends" in tow. Rachel, a divorced mother struggling against poverty, holds her illness-stricken son as life leaves his body. Yet Billy rallies, shaking off the fatal flu. Rachel rejoices at this miracle and feels grateful for "Delfy", the persistent imaginary companion she views as Billy's coping mechanism. But, as her son's behavior grows stranger and more unsettling, she must face the fact that this healing flight of fancy might be something more sinister. Nina, Rachel's teenage daughter, splits her time between parents, school, her first relationship—and training to be among a generation of space colonists looking for hope on a New Earth. But when she realizes Billy's friend Delfy might be dangerous, she learns that he isn't the only child suffering such a condition, and begins seeking answers for her family and others affected. And deep in an underground medical facility, an aging doctor named Graham looks after several of these children whose minds carry an extra passenger. He'll do anything he can to discover how and why they become afflicted, hostile, and violent. And anything to avoid his home, which seems to be occupied by the ghost of his dead wife. WE HEAR VOICES is a unique blend of horror and science fiction, available now from Berkley Books. Buy it now at: Amazon Bookshop Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Indiebound » Some of these links are affiliate links. Whenever possible, I *strongly* encourage you to look for and purchase these books from your local & independent bookstores. That said, I earn a small commission if you click to and buy a product. That supports the channel and helps me out, at no additional cost to you! Use your best judgment and purchase wisely. ABOUT EVIE GREEN Evie Green is a pseudonym for a British author who has written professionally for her entire adult life. She lives by the sea in England with her husband, children, and guinea pigs, and loves writing in the very early morning, fueled by coffee. FOLLOW EVIE GREEN Website Twitter Instagram Amazon profile Goodreads ABOUT WE HEAR VOICES An eerie horror debut about a little boy who recovers from a mysterious pandemic and inherits an imaginary friend who makes him do violent things... Kids have imaginary friends. Rachel knows this. So when her young son, Billy, miraculously recovers from a horrible flu that has proven fatal for many, she thinks nothing of Delfy, his new invisible friend. After all, her family is healthy and that’s all that matters. But soon Delfy is telling Billy what to do, and the boy is acting up and lashing out in ways he never has before. As Delfy's influence is growing stranger and more sinister by the day, and rising tensions threaten to tear Rachel's family apart, she clings to one purpose: to protect her children at any cost—even from themselves. We Hear Voices is a gripping near-future horror novel that tests the fragility of family and the terrifying gray area between fear and love. FOLLOW FICTITIOUS Fictitious Twitter Adron's Twitter Instagram Website

Evie Green, WE HEAR VOICES author

MONSTRE VOL. ONE author Duncan Swan talks about launching his debut sci-fi/horror thriller via a successful Kickstarter campaign, the decision to split the long dual-narrative novel into two volumes, and writing for multimedia adaptability. In this genre-blending action adventure, a catastrophic event at a research installation unleashes a slowly advancing worldwide apocalypse. A squad of marines are sent on a desperate mission into The Cloud, a dark wave of devastation swallowing Europe, looking for answers where only monsters may remain. 89 days later, the Cloud has reached the United States, sending Americans into a spiral of madness. An aging lawman, a conflicted ex-con, and others search for hope of survival as society collapses, chasing rumors of an old nuclear bunker and running from certain death. We watch these narratives unfold in parallel in a story that weaves modern science, military action, dystopian dread, and visceral horror. MONSTRE VOLUME ONE is Kickstarter crowd-funding success and is available at Amazon and Bookshop now: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mlJjy4 Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/16632/9781734574005 » Some of these links are affiliate links. Whenever possible, I *strongly* encourage you to look for and purchase these books from your local & independent bookstores. That said, I earn a small commission if you click to and buy a product. That supports the channel and helps me out, at no additional cost to you! Use your best judgment and purchase wisely. ABOUT DUNCAN SWAN South African born and raised, Kiwi immigrant, Australian citizen, and now a U.S. Permanent Resident, Duncan Swan holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Commerce. He originally wanted to be an astronaut, but somehow wound up working in finance as a portfolio analyst and making fancy spreadsheets. Now, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter and tells stories, working with amazing artists, editors, publishers, and marketing geniuses to create something new. Duncan's debut novel, MONSTRE – a story about survival and mad desperation, described as "sci-fi with teeth" – will be released in two parts. The first volume is available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats, and Volume 2 will follow in Summer 2021. ABOUT “MONSTRE VOLUME ONE” Day 0. From the wreckage of a research facility in Switzerland, a plume of toxic smoke and ash pours into the sky, forming an impenetrable cloud that is slowly smothering the world in darkness. As Europe disappears beneath the Cloud, a squad of United States Marines are sent on a desperate mission to find out what went wrong, and how to undo it before it's too late. Venturing into a cold, dark world, the Marines must travel deep under the Cloud, with no comms, no backup, and no idea of what they will face. Day 89. Half a world away, the Cloud has reached the East Coast of the U.S. With nowhere to run and no hope of survival, the American people have descended into madness, turning on themselves and each other. From the sidelines, an old Tennessee sheriff watches as his country unravels. But he can't bring himself to take the easy way out. Quitting isn't in his DNA. So when one of his deputies asks him to help protect her family, he leads them west, chasing a miracle—a rumor of an old nuclear bunker that just may be their only hope for survival. Because if the Cloud doesn't kill them, what's hiding in the dark will. FOLLOW DUNCAN SWAN Website: https://www.duncanswan.me/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/duncan_swan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duncan5wan/ Amazon Profile: https://amzn.to/36lyPcp Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20292210.Duncan_Swan

Duncan Swan, MONSTRE VOLUME ONE author

Essa Hansen is the author of NOPHEK GLOSS. This debut science fiction adventure follows Caiden, a teenage mechanic who discovers his simple but highly regimented life is actually one of servitude on a hidden slave planet.   When his entire colony is sent to slaughter, Caiden alone survives, fleeing the vicious creatures who devoured his people. After taking refuge in a strange, abandoned vessel, he is saved from capture by a band of explorers, and whisked off planet—with only trauma and rage as mementos of his previous existence.   Among the stars, he discovers a multiverse of strange lifeforms, alien cultures, and unfathomably powerful foes. Torn by grief and guilt, accompanied by a quarrelsome found family, and in possession of a dangerously unique ship, Caiden wrestles with his own mysterious origins while facing a singular question: how can one boy take revenge on a vast, evil interstellar political entity?   NOPHEK GLOSS is an ambitious and imaginative space opera novel that arrives November 17th from Orbit Books.

Essa Hansen, NOPHEK GLOSS author

I’m pleased to welcome author Alix E. Harrow back to the show. Alix’s debut fantasy novel, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY, got nominated for—like—all the major awards, was on all of the best-of lists, and was basically a "whole thing". Her new novel, THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES, follows three estranged sisters as their lives uncomfortably re-entwine in late 1800’s New Salem. A patriarchal society has stamped down women’s magic as taboo in the name of control and moral purity. But the Eastwood sisters discover magic is at play nonetheless, as suffragettes and politicians clash, shadowy forces and awakening witches collide, and visions of a dark tower loom. THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES arrives on October 13th from Redhook.

Alix E. Harrow, THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES author

In this episode, I’m pleased to be joined again by author Leigh Bardugo. She's well known for her expansive Grishaverse series of young adult fantasy novels, including the original Shadow & Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology. Outside of the Grishaverse, she has also released an official Wonder Woman novel, and the supernatural thriller Ninth House. Today we’ll be talking about her latest release, THE LIVES OF SAINTS. This lavishly illustrated collection explores the religious folklore of the Grishaverse through short tales of miracles and martyrdom. Grishaverse fans will recognize some familiar names among the saints within and, indeed, the book itself is a real world manifestation of an object carried by a beloved character. THE LIVES OF SAINTS is out October 6th from Imprint, a division of MacMillan books.

Leigh Bardugo, THE LIVES OF SAINTS author

In this episode, I’m joined by Ryan Van Loan, author of THE SIN IN THE STEEL. This debut Fantasy adventure sets a Sherlockian teenage street rat investigator and her troubled ex-soldier partner against political intrigue and violent piracy. In a world where pistoles and steel compete with mad mages and vengeful gods, Buc and Eld are sent to solve a tangled mystery that threatens to destabilize trade and society. But each are haunted by failures from their pasts, and their present—full of meddlesome dead gods and ship-sinking pirate queens—doesn’t look too promising, either. THE SIN IN THE STEEL is available now from TOR Books.

Ryan Van Loan, THE SIN IN THE STEEL author

I’m joined in this episode by Andrea Stewart, author of THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER. This outstanding Fantasy debut novel features seafaring adventures, a unique and cruel magic system, an ambitious Emperor’s daughter with holes in her memory, a wanted smuggler chasing a specter from his past, magic animal companions, creepy mystical constructs, and so much more. THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER arrived in stores on September 8th from Orbit Books. About Andrea Stewart Andrea Stewart is the daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Her parents always emphasized science and education, so she spent her childhood immersed in Star Trek and odd-smelling library books. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn’t pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California, and in addition to writing, can be found herding cats, looking at birds, and falling down research rabbit holes. About THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands. Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

Andrea Stewart, THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER author

I’m joined in this episode by Richard Kadrey, author of the long-running urban fantasy series, SANDMAN SLIM. These novels follow the paranormal misadventures of James Stark, a hard-to-kill, half-human magician who spent 11 years stuck in Hell as an arena gladiator and pet hitman for his demon masters. After carving a bloody path back to earth, Stark re-emerges in Los Angeles, hellbent on killing the circle of humans who sent him to suffer Downtown. But to live and avenge in LA requires grit, gear, and allies, plus the occasional occult odd-job to keep you in kevlar. When your companions are carnivorous spider people, fallen angels and disembodied talking heads, and your enemies are kill-happy sorcerers, undead legions and Hellion lords….well, you’re gonna need a grim sense of humor, a fistful of supernatural powers, and an eagerness to get way down and very dirty. For better—or probably worse—Stark has a triple helping of all that, which is how he earned his nickname—Sandman Slim, the monster who kills monsters. The ten previous high-octane novels in the SANDMAN SLIM series are available now, and the eleventh—BALLISTIC KISS—is also out now from Harper Voyager. 

Richard Kadrey, BALLISTIC KISS (Sandman Slim series) author

Peng Shepherd is the author of THE BOOK OF M. This debut speculative fiction novel examines a near future world, fallen to an inexplicable epidemic called The Forgetting. All around the world, people have lost their shadows, and soon after, their memories incurably erode as well. Society has collapsed as the Shadowless spread, and their Forgetting warps aspects of reality in alarming and unexplainable ways. Hidden away at a secluded resort hotel, Ory and his wife, Max, have survived several years on scavenged scraps and fickle luck. But when Max’s shadow disappears, the couple are divided, racing across the dangerous urban wasteland — Max chasing her fleeing memories, Ory chasing his fleeing wife. Meanwhile, the Olympic hopeful archer Naz shelters in Boston, on the verge of starving, separated by an ocean from her Iranian family, when she is drawn from hiding to traverse America — with only a bow and arrow to protect herself and a beloved companion. Beyond them all is Patient RA, victim of an accident that left him with total retrograde amnesia, his memory wiped even before the Forgetting could steal it from him. After exposure to the first discovered shadowless, the Amnesiac — a man with a middle but no beginning — gains unique insight into the Forgetting and its true nature. But as Naz, Ory, and Max’s paths spiral towards conflict and upheaval, what role will the Amnesiac play, as “the One Who Gathers”? THE BOOK OF M is available now from William Morrow.

Peng Shepherd, THE BOOK OF M author

In this episode, I’m excited to welcome Martha Wells, author of THE MURDERBOT DIARIES. This award-winning science fiction series features the introverted, cynical, and frequently hilarious security robot that thinks privately of itself as MurderBot. It's a half-machine, half-organic construct, corporate owned and rented out to space-exploring organizations.   There’re plenty of SecUnit’s just like it, except MurderBot hacked its systems to allow greater autonomy — which mostly consists of slacking on the job and downloading as much serial entertainment as it can stream.   When its latest clients, a scientific research team exploring a distant planet, find themselves in danger after a neighboring mission group go dark, MurderBot must exploit all its unique talents and perspectives to defend them. Which risks revealing to its human crew that it’s broken free of its corporate limitations, as well as an unpleasant history that inspired its threatening moniker.   THE MURDERBOT DIARIES include 4 novellas — ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, and EXIT STRATEGY — and a brand new, full-length novel called NETWORK EFFECT, which is available now from Tor.Com publishing.

Martha Wells, NETWORK EFFECT (The MurderBot Diaries) author

Emily B. Martin is the author of SUNSHIELD (HarperVoyager, available now), an adventurous eco-fantasy that weaves together the lives of a desert outlaw, a young ambassador, and a political prisoner.    Known as the Sunshield Bandit, a former slave named Lark roams desolate canyons, attacking the wagons of human traffickers, and taking from the rich to feed her team and their rescued captives.   Translator and minor noble Veran has journeyed to a foreign court in hopes of halting injustices perpetuated by the ruling class, but friendly relations have turned inexplicably hostile.   And walled away in a makeshift cell, the battered—but not beaten—Tamsin must figure out who has stolen her from the most important of responsibilities, and how she can escape to right those wrongs.    These three beleaguered activists know nothing of each other, but their common goals will intertwine against corrupt politics, brutal slavery, and ecological destruction. 

Emily B. Martin, SUNSHIELD author

In this episode by debut author Alina Boyden. Her new historically-inspired Fantasy novel is STEALING THUNDER, available May 12th from ACE Books.    It follows Razia, a sought-after dancer and courtesan with a wealthy and powerful clientele. She is also a thief, stealing from clients in cooperation with her found family of hijras.   But though her late night thievery poses constant danger, her greatest fear is the reveal of her past identity. Because Razia was once the crown prince of a nearby kingdom. She escaped her hateful father to live life as a women, as her true self, on her own terms.   When a new client, an influential prince himself, takes a great interest in her, Razia is thrust again into royal politics and conflict. Revelation of her royal origin could bring violence and death by her father’s orders, but her precarious situation may also give her the chance to steal back the single thing she loved and lost from her past life. 

Alina Boyden, STEALING THUNDER author

The Fictitious podcast, hosted by Adron Buske, delves into the craft of Science Fiction and Fantasy storytelling through interviews with authors and other professional writers. These conversations examine the writing process, techniques, and work habits of passionate creators and explore their most recent, and most popular, works.

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