2020 Year in Review

Hi all!

Next week I'm going to write about my 2021 writing goals, so this week I thought I would look back on my writing goals of 2020!

Write two books

I've managed to write four books this year:

Celestial Plague #3: Purgatory

Years

Mute

Curse of Anubis #1: Halfway

Publish two books

Elemental Dragons #2: Venom and Earth and Elemental Dragons #3: Glass and Ice were both published this year, thanks to everyone who has read them!

Get three covers designed

Elemental Dragons is now complete with covers, and I managed to get one for Celestial Plague: Seashine. Seashine's cover will be revealed at some point next year.

Edit two books

Although I wanted to edit Celestial Plague #1: Nirvana, instead I edited Mute. But I still manged to meet my goal, despite swapping the books around!

Write four short stories

I've written multiple short stories this year, though I didn't manage to get any published. I've posted a lot of them in my monthly newsletter for my subscribers to read. I also hope to combine some into an anthology of sorts once I have enough of the same genre.

Read 15 books

Due to lockdown I managed to blow this goal out of the water. I have read 100 books this year! Most of them were ones that I had wanted to read for a while, like Wings of Fire and Five Nights at Freddy's. However I also discovered new authors this year whose work I love.

Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo

I participated in both this year, with writing Years, Mute and Curse of Anubis #1: Halfway.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! Next week I will discuss my goals for 2021. See you next week!

PS; looking for new books to add to your list in the New Year? Check out these book bundles:

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

New Year, New Monsters!

My Second Radio Interview

Hi all

If you haven't seen my Twitter or Facebook posts, you may not have known I appeared on SoundArt Radio for a second time, being interviewed by John Eden. This is the second time I have been interviewed by him, the first being in August of this year. Although the main focus of the interview was my third book, Elemental Dragons #3: Glass and Ice, we also discussed my other projects and the broader Elemental Dragons universe.

Like last time, John gave me two gifts, a book and a plush cat, which we have named Normie. (John, if you're reading this, it did indeed frighten Mishka to the point where she runs as fast as lightning if we try to move it)

The presents John gave me, though this time Mishka is giving them a wide berth

I played three songs from my writing playlist, which were:

Bellyache - Billie Eilish

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

Your Love, Deja Vu - Glass Animals

Like last time, my interview wasn't until 12.30pm, but I met with John an hour beforehand to catch up and discuss our Christmas plans and also what I'm writing in the future. He also asked that we dedicate a few minutes to talking about my climate change book, Years, as he has done poems and segments on this in the past. Again, he maid me feel at ease before we started the show.

We discussed the dragons of the Elemental Dragons universe, though this time in much more depth. John asked me questions about how the dragons evolved and their different sub-species. This time the interview was more centred on Draca and the Wyrms, but we also discussed Fairy Dragons as well. He also said that I should make a 'Dragonology' book about the dragon species in Elemental Dragons, which I may make one day!

My boyfriend told me I did well, as I answered all of John's questions without slipping up and managed to push most of my nervousness to the side. Again, I think I stumbled when reading a passage from Glass and Ice, but that is something I'm trying to improve on. My anxiety makes me rush through reading as I feel that people will find it boring, but that's something I have to work on myself. Afterwards my boyfriend and I spent the day together, had lunch and cuddled with Mishka next to the heater. John has kindly invited me on his show again next year, which I can't wait to attend! This show will be about Cinder and Fire, the final book in the Elemental Dragons series.

John’s show, Feast of Eden, is on Thursdays at 12:30pm GMT if you want to check out his other interviews! His show is having a break for Christmas, but will be back on air 14th January.

By the way, there’s still time to enter my Christmas giveaway! Read the rules and enter here: Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. If you listened to the show, I hope you enjoyed it! See you next week, where I will be discussing how I did with my goals for 2020.

PS; looking for some last minute reads before Christmas? Check out the books in this bundle!

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar

Hi all!

As promised, this week I’m going to highlight the Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar - which you can find on my Facebook page! Each day I’m posting a fact about the four species of dragons:

Avian

Serpentine

Reptilian

Primordial

Each species will get six days each.

To go along with that, I thought I would do a Christmas giveaway for day 25 - Christmas day! The following books are eligible to claim:

Blood and Water

Venom and Earth

Glass and Ice

Cinder and Fire - to be sent on release day in April 2021

If you would like a chance of winning one of my ebooks, please read the rules below and go to my Facebook page, linked here: Jessica Turnbull Author

If you’re unsure what the posts look like, here is an example:

This giveaway closes December 24th - once the last fact has been posted. If you would like a chance of winning - feel free to enter! Once again, here is the link to my Facebook page: Jessica Turnbull Author

That’s it for this week, if you enter - good luck! See you next week.

Looking for some fantasy books to warm you up in the winter months? Check out this bundle!

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

Halfway Quotes - NaNoWriMo 2020

Hi all!

If you weren’t aware, I participated in NaNoWriMo again this year (National Novel Writing Month) and started writing the first book in the Curse of Anubis series: Halfway. From day three I started posting quotes from the book on my Twitter account, which I have collected here for you all to read! Some are in Tahira’s point of view, while others are in Bastet’s. If you want me to do this when I participate in Camp NaNoWriMo too, let me know!

Days 3-10

Days 11-20

Days 21-30

That’s it for this week! Let me know if you want me to post daily quotes whenever I do NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo. Next week I’m going to talk about the Elemental Dragons calendar that I’m doing on my Facebook page. See you next week!

PS, looking for new books to read while warming up? Check out this bundle!

Fantasy Reads for Cold Winter Nights

The Book Series That Made me Want to be an Author

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about the book series that made me want to write, and to have a career as an author. For those of you who know me, I'm sure you already know what I'm about to say.

Yes, it was Warriors (or Warriors Cats) by Erin Hunter.

As a cat lover, the premise of feline characters drew me in, but the storylines kept me interested. I loved the idea of cats having their own society out in the forest, with their hierarchy and ways of living. They also have a lot of drama, which makes for great reading. I've cried at so many character deaths and laughed at so many of their blunders across the years. I even contributed my own Warriors fanfiction on their forums, which ended up being pretty popular on their site for a while.

Yes, the stories were bad.

But people loved them, and it made me want to write more.

It didn't start there however, it started when I was about nine or ten, when I had just finished reading my first few Warriors books. I decided that I would re-write the entire first book with the same plot line and characters, but add in my own character as well. She was terrible, she was a prissy Mary-Sue who could shoot lightning, but it got me into writing. My grandfather used to read what I had written after every chapter and pushed me to keep going, so I did.

I had a whole host of favourite characters, but the one that stood out to me the most was Russetfur. I loved her attitude and her loyalty. Over the years she would gradually pop up in more books, but I always wanted to read more of her. So, at sixteen I went on the Warrior Cats forums and started writing 'poll stories' where your fans could decide what happens next with a character based off Russetfur. Although the cats couldn't shoot lightning bolts, they were representative of five elements: fire, water, air, earth and poison. (Now do you see where the elements for Elemental Dragons are starting to come in?)

Although I loved writing about cats, I didn't think people would take me seriously if I was solely a cat author. So, I decided that I would write about broad subjects, but every book that I write will have a cat or a feline in it. So far, the cats are:

Elemental Dragons - Normie (cat)

Celestial Plague - Raya (panther shifter)

Mute - Solaris (cat)

Years - unnamed (cat made of solar flares)

Curse of Anubis - Bastet (cat goddess)

I still read books in the Warriors series now, and have an entire bookshelf dedicated to displaying my collection. If I hadn't started reading the books, I may never have got into writing. Without them, I'm not sure where I'd be today.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! Next week I'm going to collect all my quotes from Halfway that I've been posting Twitter throughout the month to give everyone a chance to read the ones they may have missed.

See you next week!

Looking for a new book for Christmas? Check out this bundle!

Begin New Journeys with Series Starters Free in KU

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’