Cinder and Fire Cover Design

Hi all!

It’s finally time for the cover reveal for the last book in the Elemental Dragons series: Cinder and Fire. As with the last books I’ve changed my banners and colour scheme to match the book.

As with the previous covers, I got the Print Social package with Deranged Doctor Design.

Like with all of my previous covers, I’m going to explain a few of the design choices:

The colour scheme is orange and grey, to match with the title of Cinder and Fire.

This was the first book I knew the colour scheme for before I started writing it.

Like with all the previous books, Hazel, the MC, is the focal point of the cover.

The fire is not being controlled by Hazel as she is not a Fire Elemental.

The background is not Aria, but the outskirts of the city of Arimouth.

As this is the final book in the series, there is a big battle.

The fonts and colours all match the previous books for continuity.

There are no dragons on the cover as I thought that might make it look too busy.

That’s it for this week! Let me know if you like the cover! See you next week.

PS: looking for a new series to start? Check out this book bundle!

Begin New Journeys with Series Starters Free in KU

My Least Favourite Writing Tropes

Hi all!

This blog post is a sequel to one I wrote a month ago, about my favourite writing tropes. I thought I would also write about my least favourite writing tropes, as there are quite a few of those as well.

Love Triangles.

I hate seeing characters angst about who to choose to date. It doesn't help that they always seem to go for the one I don't really like either. Usually a love triangle just portrays the character as being this attractive person who can't keep others away, even though they think they're ugly. Watching two characters vie for the attention of one just doesn't interest me whatsoever. In most cases I hope the character will just find someone else, or one of the love interests will.

Family members being abusive, but they have a reason for doing so.

I hate this trope with a passion. Abuse is never justified. However, in some books they try to justify that abuse with reasons like: the character's mother died giving birth or they remind a family member of a lost loved one. Just no. Just because the family holds some sort of grudge against the character doesn't mean they can abuse them in order to 'make them stronger'. I also hate it when the family member is on their death bed and begs for forgiveness, and the character forgives them in a heartbeat just because they're dying.

Evil Dragons/Dragonrider Steed.

Dragons being evil just doesn't interest me anymore. It's been so overdone, they're either the monster the hero has to slay or the keeper of some great artifact. There's just so much that can be done with dragons that I get bored when they're just a steed for the hero.

Whiny MCs.

A main character is supposed to be the one the reader can relate to most, but I find it hard to connect with selfish characters. For example, one of their friends die in battle and they try to get all the attention back on them when others are trying to mourn. Another example is when they have powers to destroy the antagonist but instead sitting around sulking that it 'had to be them'.

Medieval Fantasy.

I hate reading about fantasy that is set in a medieval world where technology hasn't progressed. Along with it the female characters are usually treated like crap for being women and are nothing but love interests for the hero. This type of fantasy just does not hook me at all.

Elderly mentor.

I hate it when the MC has an elderly mentor that trains them only to die halfway through the book. The rest of the story is just following the MC on their quest to avenge their mentor they, sometimes, barely know.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! Next week I’ll be doing the cover reveal for Cinder and Fire, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Looking for a new series to read? Check out these books:

Begin New Journeys with Series Starters Free in KU

Why I Chose Egyptian Gods for Curse of Anubis

Hi all,

This post is a sort of follow on to my previous post, writing zombies. Whenever I mention that I'm writing a zombie series with Egyptian Gods, I get quite a lot of confused looks! I then have to try to explain how the zombies and Egyptian mythology go together without spoiling the plot. So, I thought I would write a non-spoiler version for my readers!

The virus.

The 'zombie virus' is created by the gods. One in particular, who has gone against the rest of them to doom humanity. If you couldn't tell by the series title, this god is Anubis. It was not a collective decision, and the rest of the gods are trying to pick up the pieces.

Bastet.

Bastet is the goddess who appears the most throughout Curse of Anubis, helping the MC, Tahira, survive in this new world. In Ancient Egypt she used to protect the home from evil spirits and disease, though this scope has now increased exponentially with the zombie virus. She was sent specifically by Ra for this purpose.

Tahira.

Tahira is the main character of the series, and almost all of the chapters in the books will be from her point of view. She is fifteen when the virus hits, and as it spreads quickly she's got to find a way to survive. Bastet finds her, and takes her under her paw.

God forms.

The gods will appear mostly in their animal forms. An Egyptian Mau for Bastet, for example. They will very rarely appear in their more human forms, as they don't like showing these to humans.

Afterlife.

Once a human is infected, they're not exactly dead. They can alternate between the living world in their zombie form, where they can only watch and not control themselves, or they can go to the land of dead to spend time with others who have been infected. The land of the dead is seen as a paradise of sorts, where there is no pain, suffering or hunger. But, some people start to go missing from the land of the dead and are never seen again, even in the living world.

School.

The school that the first book is mostly set in is based off of my secondary school. I didn't realise until I started writing it that I was describing the old layout of my school. A few years after I left it got a new look, but I don't know what it looks like inside now. So, I'm going with the old layout that I knew like the back of my hand when I attended.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed! See you next week!

PS; check out this book bundle, all books are free to download with Kindle Unlimted:

Begin New Journeys with Series Starters Free in KU

Writing Zombies for Curse of Anubis

Hi all!

With NaNoWriMo now in full swing I thought I would explain why I'm writing about zombies for my newest novel. You might be wondering how Egyptian Gods and zombies go together, but I know what I'm doing, I promise!

First off, why would I write about zombies when the genre is over saturated as it is?

I absolutely love zombie films and TV series. Most of the shows I start watching on Netflix contain zombies, I just can't get enough of them. I grew up watching a lot of zombie films and found ones I loved and others, not so much. I've watched so many films that I want to contribute to the genre itself. Admittedly I thought of the zombies before the Egyptian Gods, but I hope I've slotted them together quite well!

What kind of zombies am I writing about?

I personally find the fast moving zombies the scariest. It just seems too easy to avoid the slow walking ones. The zombies in Curse of Anubis will be able to sprint after their prey. They only go for humans though, so the wildlife will be left alone. Infection will be spread through bites and scratches only. I haven't thought of a name for the zombies yet but I'm hoping to come up with something as I'm going!

What do the zombies look like?

They will be rotting humans, with leathery flesh and chunks of their body missing. Quite a few will look a bit gorey.

Where is Curse of Anubis set?

Curse of Anubis, like all of my books, is set in an alternative universe United Kingdom. Halfway will be mostly focused to a school, which is where Tahira will first come across the zombies and attempt to survive.

Which Egyptian Gods are involved with the zombies?

I think that answering this question would spoil too much, so instead I'll tell you which Gods will make an appearance throughout Curse of Anubis!

Set.

Anubis.

Thoth.

Bastet.

Can the Gods kill the zombies?

Yes, Bastet in particular will be a zombie killing machine. They won't know what's hit them until it's too late!

How do the Gods appear?

The Gods don't appear in their human forms, so instead will appearing as their animal counterpart:

Bastet - Egyptian Mau cat.

Thoth - Ibis.

Anubis - Jackal.

Set - Canine Sha.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.

PS: check out these fantasy books!

It’s an ‘Always be a Unicorn’ Autumn

My Wendigo Design

Hi all,

With Halloween next week I thought I would share something about my horror book, Mute. As the title says, I'll be discussing the designs of the wendigo.

The main antagonist of the book is a wendigo, an undead creature with extreme speed and a taste for human flesh. In Mute, there is one wendigo that the characters face up against, although it doesn't look like a traditional wendigo.

Human-like.

The wendigo in Mute is shaped like a human and has human features. Although many people depict wendigo as a large deer-like creature, I prefer the human version. Mine has ghastly pale skin which is rough and rubbery. It also has longer limbs than the average human and usually walks around on all fours.

Branches.

A lot of depiction of wendigo contain antlers, so I thought I would play on that a bit by having rotten branches instead. These branches stick out the back of the wendigo and can move independently, like limbs. They are used to impale prey and cling to high places.

Teeth.

The wendigo has a mouth full of sharp teeth, layered like shark teeth. They are small, sharp and yellowed. Some are even permanently stained with blood.

Eyes.

The wendigo has a pair of bloodshot eyes with pale irises. Unlike in some depictions, it's not blind. It can see as well as a human can, so it doesn't have better sight in darkness.

Fingers.

The fingers are long and bent into the shape of claws. Each finger has a wooden fingernail on the end, some of which are sharp and others are dull due to tearing.

Throat.

I like the concept of the wendigo being constantly hungry, no matter how much it eats. I thought I would change that idea up a bit by having an open wound in the wendigo's neck. This way, all the flesh it eats falls through the hole instead of getting consumed. This would explain why it is always killing and eating, as it can literally never fill its stomach.

Voice.

The wendigo has the power to mimic human voices, or in the case of the main character, take her voice completely.

Blood.

With the theme of rotten wood, I decided that the wendigo would bleed a sap-like substance. This only happens when it isn't pierced by a silver object, in which case real blood would be drawn.

I wanted the design to be creepy and nightmare-ish, as I find the concept of a human-like creature hunting scarier than a deer. I wanted to write about a wendigo since discovering them online and reading more about them.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed. See you next week!

Love Halloween but not a fan of horror books? Check out these fantasy reads!

It’s an ‘Always be a Unicorn Autumn’

Glass and Ice Now Available

Hi all,

In case you missed it, Elemental Dragons #3: Glass and Ice is now available on Amazon! This is the second to last book in the series, with the next one out in April!

As with the previous books, it’s available in ebook and paperback. I’m also doing a giveaway on my Twitter of a signed paperback copy! If you want to enter, check out the details here: Twitter Giveaway

Glass and Ice is also competing in Cover Wars, you can vote here: Cover Wars

Being on the run isn't easy.

Hazel, who’s learned just how dangerous messing with dragons can be, now finds herself battling yet a new foe: the great Anthropomorphic Dragon.

With enemies old and new mounting around them, Hazel and the others are running out of safe places to flee. Finding themselves prisoners in a strange city, they’ll have to learn who to trust if they want to survive. Some members of the group soon find that they’re developing strange new abilities, but at what cost?

Will Hazel and her friends be able to save themselves from the battle and ever shifting alliances of the Wyrms? Or will they fall at the hands of the Cindaraans?

Find out in Glass and Ice, the third book in the exciting Elemental Dragons series. A pulse pounding Young Adult adventure series that has everything a fantasy lover could want in a book.

The final one in the series, Cinder and Fire, will be out in April. I will be doing a cover reveal next month so keep your eyes peeled!

If you want some new books to read this Autumn, check out this book bundle:

It’s an ‘Always be a Unicorn’ Autumn

Mental Health in Elemental Dragons

Hi all!

As it was Mental Health Day yesterday I thought I'd talk about the mental health of my characters in the Elemental Dragons series. When I first wrote Blood and Water I had undiagnosed anxiety and depression. I thought that these feelings were normal, so my characters also felt the same way. It wasn't until two years later that I realised that this wasn't normal and that I had accidentally given my characters mental health issues. The characters that have mental health issues are:

Hazel.

Wes.

Marco.

Ray.

As the book is read through Hazel's eyes we see her struggles the most, especially with her anxiety. As I thought these thoughts were normal at the time I never thought anything of it when I wrote Hazel's character to think the same way. In the books she suffers with her anxiety a lot, from public speaking to unwanted attention. After I was diagnosed with anxiety I decided to keep her character that way to give some insight into mental health. Every time she second guesses herself it reminds me of when I was untreated, as I had doubts about everything I did. Including writing books.

Wes also has a degree of anxiety, though his is mild compared to Hazel's. He hates public speaking but finds his confidence through Ray. Having someone to support you at your lowest can be the best thing to have, as you don't feel so alone. Although Ray was manipulating Wes, he didn't care. He looks up to him and sees him as his saviour and mentor, someone to rely on when his doubts become too prevalent again.

Although Marco doesn't have as much anxiety, he has depression. This is in part due to trauma and also his isolation by his brother. Mason inadvertently pushed him away when they were young, which made their bond suffer. Marco feels he can no longer rely on his twin, and instead has Hazel as his 'partner in crime'. Especially since Mason chose Sadie over him in book two, this has only made those feelings worse. The others find him too mopey to be around sometimes, and Rocky hates him for his love of Hazel. While Hazel was a year behind in Primary Camp, Rocky bullied him relentlessly with his friends and pushed him further into a depressive state. As the books go on he gets better, but still doesn't feel the same as he used to.

A lot of readers overlook Ray as having mental health issues as he's the antagonist. However, he has suffered a horrific childhood trauma at the hands of the government, which cost him his best friend, Fae. Ever since he's been desperate to take them down, and finds the perfect opportunity to lead the Cindaraans. He still suffers from horrible nightmares of his burning friend appearing to him to chastise him for not doing enough to help dragons.

Some have also asked me if the dragons can suffer mental health issues, which the answer is yes. This is not explored as much in the books so far, though I hope to delve into it a bit further in the future. The main one is Bluey, who has feelings of survivors guilt due to his companion dying. He also suffers from nightmares, but puts a brave face on for his friends, who don't really seem to notice his inner feelings.

That's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading, see you next week!

PS, looking for some new books to read before Halloween? Check these out!

September Children’s Books Giveaway

It’s an ‘Always be a Unicorn’ Autumn

Elemental Dragons Trivia

Hi all,

This week I thought I'd talk about something a bit different - a few bits you may not know about the Elemental Dragons universe. I've been thinking of doing this for a while, but with Glass and Ice coming out in eleven days I thought now would be the perfect time to do it!

Aqueous is the first black common dragon to be tamed, but he is protected from the media and scientists due to the Companion Rights Act. This law prevents them from harassing or doing any harm in the name of science to dragons who are bonded with someone.

Although common dragons have caused the most deaths among humans, most of them have been accidents or incidences where the dragon has tried to save someone.

However, most accidents are caused by premier dragons, who are a lot bulkier and don't always watch their tails.

Common dragons have the thinnest scales of the Western Dragon sub-species.

When a premier dragon dies, if their companion is still alive they will remove the gems from their tails and turn them into jewellery or ornaments.

Drea, companion to Marco White

Dragons and humans whose companion has passed away are referred to as 'Nothing' and all rights are stripped from them. Most Nothing dragons are taken to zoos or factories to work for the rest of their days. The humans are forced to live the remainder of their life with few job and housing opportunities.

Fairy Dragons are the rarest dragon species due to poaching and destruction of their habitat. Their wings are thought to have healing properties so they were hunted to near extinction.

Elemental powers are not to be used in public places under law. They can be used in the workplace if it is allowed and in their own homes.

Children are seen as dangerous due to their developing power. Before Camps were introduced, there were estimated to be 10,000 deaths per year due to children not knowing how to control their power.

Dragons can communicate with felines and canines, though they have different dialects.

Dragons get along better with cats rather than dogs, as dogs are seen as too excitable and rough.

When dragons first evolved, it is believed that they lived alongside prehistoric felines and canines. The groups mostly avoided each other however.

Despite uncertainty around the issue, the Original Elementals did in fact exist. Their story has been watered down due to the passage of time, but they were the first to develop Elemental powers.

The Original Elementals did not develop their powers naturally.

The Original Elementals did have dragons, but they were not bonded.

Normie was abandoned in the forest outside Aria. He managed to stumble inside and steal food from Exquisite while she was sleeping outside Café Terra.

Draca is a clone, though he still has the memories of his original counterpart. Scientists have been unable to find out why.

Draca went after the Original Elementals not for their powers, but due to more personal reasons.

The Wyrms are more akin to parasites than dragons.

Children in Primary Camps are allowed to leave once a year for a trip, usually to zoos. There they learn more about dragons before they move onto Secondary Camp.

Most of the area around cities is farmland, used to raise cattle to feed dragons.

There are thirty-six Secondary Camps across the country and forty-nine Primary Camps.

The Elemental Dragons series is based in England.

Other countries around the world have different systems for training children and dragons.

Healthcare is free for dragons across the world.

1 out of every 100,000 babies are born as a dual Elemental.

That's it for this week! I hope you enjoyed reading, see you next week!

PS: looking for some free books? Check out these ones:

September Children’s Books Giveaway

My Favourite Writing Tropes

Hi all!

For this week's topic I ran a Twitter poll and you guys decided on my favourite writing tropes! If you liked this one let me know and I'll write another about my least favourite tropes.

Friends to Lovers.

This one is my all time favourite. I adore when characters who have known each other for years have hidden feelings but then reveal them at some point. I do prefer this to be revealed in the middle of a book or series so then we can actually read about the characters being together and how they act around each other. It's a bit annoying to see the characters get together at the end of a book or series as then we never actually see them be together. I knew when writing Elemental Dragons that Hazel and Marco would end up together, despite all the obstacles thrown in their way. They feel that they are being subtle about the way they feel, but in fact it's the complete opposite.

Comic Relief Character.

Not all the characters have to be dark and brooding. Having one around to offer jokes or quips is refreshing. Even if the characters are going on a quest or facing evil, it's nice to see one of them still remains upbeat enough to joke about their situation. I hate reading about characters that are all dark and gloomy while being unable to be sarcastic or joke around even in the light-hearted times.

Found Family.

Having a character with terrible parents or other family members can be quite commonplace in books. A lot of people find it annoying and unrealistic but I don't mind it. This is because it then gives the main character the chance to find their own family in their friends or allies. Not all family ties have to be through blood, a lot of them can just be people that you meet throughout your life. I prefer seeing a found family than a caring and supportive blood related one.

Mementos of Dead Characters.

I am a sucker for this trope. A character that the main one really cares about dies so they keep something to remember them by. This is usually a piece of jewellery or something from their childhood. I think this trope is important as in a lot of books death usually lasts one chapter and is then mostly forgotten about until the hero faces off against the antagonist. By keeping something to remember the dead character by, it shows the reader that they care about that person and that they had a close relationship.

Hero and Villain Annoying Each Other.

I don't mean this in a 'fight to the death' sort of way. Instead I just like to read about the hero and the villain bickering over little things. Or if the villain captures the hero, the two of them annoy each other. For example, the villain treating their minions horribly but the hero treats them with kindness, which annoys the villain. Or the villain tries to showcase the captured hero to their friends but the hero looks bored and claims that the villain has a poor taste in traps.

Good Main Characters Who Turn Evil.

I have a book series revolving around this trope that I hope to write in the future. There is nothing more exciting than reading a book from the protagonist's view only to realise at the end of the book that they were the antagonist all along. I think it's a satisfying twist when done right, and can also set up more books revolving around that character. It's also fresh to see something from the villain's point of view.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.

PS, check out these FREE books!

September Children’s Books Giveaway

NaNoWriMo 2020 Project Announcement

Hi all!

If you haven’t guessed from the title, I have announced my NaNoWriMo project for this year! For those that don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, it’s National Novel Writing Month in November. 30 days to write 50K. It will be my third time participating and this time I’m going for something a little different…

A Young Adult Horror.

Ever since I started writing Mute I’ve been bitten by the horror bug and want to continue writing in that genre! Although, of course, this will be a Young Adult Horror rather than a New Adult Horror.

The book is the first of four in the Curse of Anubis series: Halfway.

You’ll follow Tahira, who at fifteen years old finds herself trapped in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. She will be guided by the Egyptian Goddess Bastet, who will help her navigate this new world and find out how the Egyptian Gods are connected to the zombie hordes. She will meet new friends, new enemies, and discover why she was chosen to be spared from a fate worse than death. The following Egyptian Gods will be in the book: Bastet, Anubis, Set and Thoth. More may be added as the story grows and shifts with the characters.

I think the most fun I’ve had planning with this one is the designs for Bastet! She will be portrayed as an Egyptian Mau cat, with different coloured fur. I’m also hoping to get some Egyptian Maus on the covers (when they’re eventually designed).

This will not be a regular zombie story, where a group of survivors are hoping to find a safe haven. In this series there is no safe haven. There is no escape. Sometimes the creatures inside are worse than the ones outside.

I’m hoping to hit 50K with a few days to go so I can get some more writing in. This will be the next series that I’m focussing on. I hope to publish Halfway in 2023, so I have plenty of time to work on it.

If you have a NaNoWriMo account and want to be buddies, just shoot me a request! I’m always happy to meet new people.

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.

PS, want some free books? Check out these ones:

September Children’s Books Giveaway