Moonscript Blog Tour: Spotlights!

Hey'a, everyone! As promised, I'm joining up with the blog tour for Moonscript, H.S.J. Williams's magnificent new novel. I am SO EXCITED that it's here and I not only get to read it, but I also get to yell about it to all of you. Today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the book and why I love it. (It's not a full review, mind you, just some quick points — go hit up my other blog for my full thoughts.) I'm also going to share about some of my favorite characters in the book because I didn't get to do all the Instagram/FB character spotlights I hoped. It's going to be great. But first, the official word on the book and author:

About . . .

The Book

"It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me."

Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land untouched by evil.

And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.

The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won't leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.

They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.

Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.
The beginning of an epic saga, MOONSCRIPT is a journey of innocence, despair, and redemption.

Seven illustrations by the author exclusively included in the paperback edition! 

 Find it on: Amazon || Kindle || Barnes & Noble || Book Depository || Goodreads

The Author

From the beginning, H. S. J. Williams has loved stories and all the forms they take. Whether with word, art, or costume, she has always been fascinated with the magic of imagination. She lives in a real fantastical kingdom, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with her very own array of animal friends and royally loving family. Williams taught Fantasy Illustration at MSOA. She may also be a part-time elf.

Find her on: Art Page || Instagram || Facebook || Pinterest

Quick Thoughts on Moonscript

• Moonscript feels like a combination of The Silmarillion, The Tales of Goldstone Wood, and The Songkeeper Chronicles. It's awesome.
• On that note, I feel like you can definitely tell that the author is a Silmarillion nerd and not just a Lord of the Rings nerd. The influences of both are evident, but yeah. (I mean, technically she's a general Tolkien fan, but I digress.)
• The book is very focused on family and friend relationships, which I absolutely love.
• The book's spiritual elements are handled super well. I don't think I've read a book where overlap between the spiritual and physical felt so natural since Goldstone Wood and Karac Tor.
• It's just a really good book, ok? Read it.

Favorite Character Spotlights!

All art is by the author; please appreciate how gorgeous it is. She's legit one of my favorite artists I know. I have some of her art as my phone wallpaper and lock screen just so I can look at it periodically and appreciate the beauty and the fact that I know such an amazingly talented person.

 

Errance is the main character and our resident Tortured Elf Prince and Slightly Burnt Cinnamon Roll. He's an actual disaster and a hot mess, but I love him. For one thing, though he does get a little angsty, he has good reason — he has truly magnificent amounts of trauma, poor baby. But his character arc is so satisfying, and so is watching him develop friendships and other relationships with various other characters. Also, it's a weird sort of refreshing to have truly justified angst.

Tryss is another major character and the one I think I would get along with best out of everyone in this book. She's the mum-friend, but she also has a well-developed sense of and desire for adventure. She's practical, but with an appreciation for the wonderful and strange and beautiful and yeah. She spends a lot of time trying to take care of others, but never so much that it overwhelms who she is. If she were real, I think we'd be buddies.

Coren and Zizain are partners in adventure and smuggling, and they're kiiiiiiiiinda my favorites in the book, especially Coren. Coren is clever and daring and bold and adventurous and has a keen sense of dramatic style that I heartily appreciate. And Zizain is also daring and cheerful despite a tragic past and is astonishingly friendly. She's lovely.  

The Daisha is also awesome, something like a cross between a dragon and a cat, with many of the best traits of both. She's the last of her kind, which is tragic, but she doesn't really waste time moping around. She is very ready to tell everyone else when they're being stupid, which I heartily appreciate, and is absolutely loyal, which I also love. 

Finally, Leoren and Casara are minor characters, but I wanted to mention them because they're such sweethearts. Leoren is a bit of a tangle of anxiety trying to help everyone and do the right thing, but he's also willing to stand and act when the time comes. And Casara is a delight; like Tryss, she spends a lot of time caring for everyone, but in a different way. I don't know. I love them a lot, ok?

Are you excited for Moonscript? Which characters are you most excited to meet? Please tell me in the comments, and don't forget to stop by the other blog tour stops!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade) 

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

May 7^th

H.S.J. Williams—Tour Launch

May 8^th

Light and Shadow—Book Spotlight
E. Rawls—Book Spotlight

May 9^th

Tracey Dyck
Elizabeth’s Universe—Book Review
Grace M. Morris—Book Spotlight

May 10^th

Allison’s Well—Book Spotlight
Amelia Nicole—Book Spotlight

May 11^th

Ester S. (Instagram)—Book Spotlight
Imperial Scribis—Book Review

May 12^th

Liv K. Fisher
The Labyrinth—Book Review

May 13^th

Dreams & Dragons—Book Spotlight
Bookish Musings—Book Review

May 14^th

Unicorn Quester—Author Interview
Embers Reviews—Book Review

May 15^th

Unicorn Quester— “3 Reasons Why” Video Review
Writing in Rivendell—Book Spotlight
Sarah, Plain & Average—Book Review

May 16^th

Jane Maree—Book Review

May 17^th

Jemma the Dragon Slayer (Tumblr)—Book Spotlight
The Bookish Raven—Book Review

May 18^th

Words of Hannah Kay—Book Review
Purely by Faith Reviews—Book Review

May 19^th

Functionally Fictional—Book Spotlight
Jenelle Schmidt—Book Spotlight

May 20^th

Beka Gremikova—Book Spotlight
Seven Billion Smiles—Book Review

May 21^st

Today by Bryn—Tour Conclusion & Art Gallery
 

Books I'd Give to My Characters

Hey'a, everyone! There's just a week and a half left before Mechanical Heart's release day! I'm both excited and nervous, especially since I still have stuff to prep for the blog tour. (Prewriting blog posts kind of slowed down when Camp NaNo hit, for obvious reasons.) Anyway, for today's Friday 5s post, I thought I'd borrow an idea from my friend Emma over at Awkwordly Emma. In the past, she's periodically done "Books I'd Give to Characters from X" posts. I'm putting a little bit of a twist on it, though: the characters I'm giving books to are the main cast of Mechanical Heart! Granted, this could be a little tricky since, out of the four main characters, only one (Grace) is a really big fiction reader . . . but I'm up for the challenge, and I think it'll be a good way to let y'all get to know them a little before their story comes out. To that end, we've also got character art by the wonderful H.S.J. Williams here, which I'm super excited to share with y'all. So, let's get started!

Books I'd Give to the Mechanical Heart Characters

1. For Breen: the Illuminae trilogy. Breen is the trickiest of these characters to pick something for. She has the least formal education out of any of the characters (one of several unfortunate side effect of being stuck in a clock tower for half your life), but she's clever enough that that might not stop her from reading whatever she chooses. She has more time on her hands than some characters (though not as much as some Rapunzels in other stories), but when given the choice between a book and her inventions, she'll probably pick the latter. In the end, I've decided to give her the Illuminae trilogy (along with some kind of primer on common elements of sci-fi, like, y'know, space ships and wormholes and aliens and stuff, seeing as that sort of thing hasn't been thought of in her era). It would give her a fairly sizable escape from her ordinary life (what's further from a clocktower than a spaceship?), and the format is such that she could easily read as much or as little as she wanted to. Plus, she'd find the technology fascinating, even if it is advanced super far beyond anything she's familiar with.

2. For Josiah: the first Mistborn trilogy. Josiah's first reaction to the Mistborn trilogy would be "In what world do I have time to read 1,800 pages of fiction?" But once he tried it — probably at least partially in audiobook form; he very much prefers listening to things to reading them — he'd see quite a lot of his culture and its issues in those of Luthadel, and he'd see himself in Elend in many respects. In addition, he would appreciate the philosophical issues that the characters work through over the course of the book. And while he might not be fully on board with the methods of Kelsier and his crew, he can recognize and enjoy them as well-developed characters.

3. For Luis: The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Luis, like Breen, will almost always pick his inventions over a book — not that he dislikes reading, but he has so many ideas and so little time to make them in that there's just no question of priority. And while he would probably enjoy the Illuminae trilogy as much as Breen would, he would probably also enjoy a good mystery — ideally, one that's short and sweet, based in logic, and wrapped up nicely at the end. And if it features a highly satisfying friendship between the main characters, all the better. So, yeah. He's getting The Complete Sherlock Holmes — because you can't go wrong with a classic. (He almost got the Knight and Rogue series, but I think certain elements of Fisk and Michael's friendship might hit just a little too close to home for him for that series to actually be a stress-reliever.)

4. For Grace: Howl's Moving Castle and sequels. Grace is the biggest reader out of the Mechanical Heart cast. She's not particular about genre, or even if it's fiction or nonfiction; she just wants something that's interesting and well-written and has good characters and that she can talk about with people when she's done. (Honestly, it's hard to say if she enjoys reading the book or talking about it afterwards more.) That means the challenge with her isn't so much thinking of a book she would like but rather figuring out which book she would enjoy most. So, what book do you give to the girl who loves everything and, in a sense, has everything? For a girl who's read everything she could and is constantly searching for something unique? For a girl whose world includes magic, but has a notable lack of wizards? When you put it like that, the answer's clear: Howl's Moving Castle and sequels. Because when in doubt, Diana Wynne Jones is almost always the answer, and if you haven't yet met Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer, what are you doing with your life? (And before you think less of me or Grace for the fact that she got Howl while everyone else got heavy books: Grace will absolutely borrow everyone else's books the minute they're done with them, so she's kind of getting all the books here.)

5. For all four characters: Illusionarium. Illusionarium was one of the first steampunk books I read, and while it didn't outright inform any elements of Mechanical Heart, it did inspire me in part to write my own steampunk novel. So, in a sense, by reading this, Breen, Josiah, Luis, and Grace are discovering a part of where they came from — not that they'd know that. But I suspect that most of them would enjoy the story anyway.

What about you? What books would you give to your characters? And what impressions do you get of the Mechanical Heart cast based on what you see here? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

P.S. Please let me know if all the images are or aren't showing up — my internet is being wonkier than usual today. Thanks!

Magic Mirrors Release: Blood in the Snow — Meet the Characters!

Today's the day, y'all! Blood in the Snow is out, and I honestly couldn't be more excited! (Or stressed. But I'm always stressed on Fridays, at least until 2-ish, so that's ok.) To everyone who was asking about the paperback: I'm incredibly sorry, but between schoolwork and some pretty extreme difficulties with formatting, I need to delay the paperback release. Everything is almost ready, but right now, everything in my life seems to be taking longer than I expect it to. Again, I'm immensely sorry and will let you all know as soon as the book is out.

In the meantime, the Kindle edition is all set, and everyone who preordered it should be recieving it soon! Or, if you don't want to wait for the paperback, you can buy the Kindle edition and have instant gratification. To that end, have some links, which will both let you get to my book and let you follow me on all the sites.

Find my book on: Amazon || Goodreads
Follow me! Author Site || Dreams and Dragons || Light and Shadows || Facebook || Goodreads || Amazon

Anyway. My favorite part of writing books is generally creating the characters, and that's true for Blood in the Snow as well. So, today, I thought I'd introduce you to some of the main cast of the book. As a bonus, I have character art (!!!) by two lovely artists: Melanie Morgan and Shelby Ahlborg. Honestly, I'm as happy about the art as I am about the book. So, let's get going!

From the Kingdom of Seven Rivers

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Princess Zhu Baili

Long ago, the prophecy was given: the fairest of all would unite divided lands and bring peace to the people. For years, people looked anxiously and consulted the fabled Dragonglass for the one who would fulfill that prophecy. And then Baili was born. As the firstborn princess of the Kingdom of Seven Rivers, a child of royalty and magic, with a Bloodgift that lets her control wind and water, Baili seemed a fine choice to carry out the prophecy. But though Baili is ready to do what she needs to do, she wonders: is she really the best person for this role?

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Empress Zhu Yawen

Once a princess of a small country south of Seven Rivers, Yawen is now empress over all Seven Rivers and its holdings. Both powerful and beautiful, with a potent though mysterious Bloodgift, she was considered a strong candidate for the fulfillment of the prophecy, and she grew up and wed the emperor assuming that she would indeed be the one to carry it out. And then Baili was born. Now she contents herself with running the empire, even as whispers of the people rise against her. 

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Dou Lanfen 

The youngest daughter of a very minor noble family, Lanfen has served as an attendant to Princess Baili and other members of the Imperial Family since she was fairly young. This allowed her to grow up in the very center of the riches and intrigue of the Imperial Court. Court life suits her well, perhaps too well . . . but now she's off to another kingdom and another set of intrigues as Baili's chief attendant on the journey to the Kingdom of Three Peaks.

From the Kingdom of Three Peaks

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

 Prince Liu Xiang

As the eldest son and heir of the Emperor of Three Peaks, Xiang is well-known and well-loved throughout his kingdom. However, that's not just because of his position or even his reserved but kind nature. Born with the Bloodgift of healing, Xiang will gladly stop and heal anyone who he finds injured, and he's constantly testing the limits of his gift to figure out just how much he can heal. This desire to help others has endeared him to his people more than any emperor or emperor-heir for several generations.

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

Nakuhara Chouko

 A victim of the Middle Kingdoms' taste for conquest, Chouko was born in the Isles of Rising Fire but now serves the Imperial Family of Three Peaks as a keeper of geese. Life could be worse for her — she has close friends among the other animal keepers, work she honestly enjoys, and food and shelter enough to get by. But she still longs for her childhood home and holds much spite for the empire that tore her from it. Despite her sharp-edged, independent nature, she is much loved by her friend. And she, in turn, is as stubbornly protective of them as she is ready to point out even unpleasant realities.

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

 Ganbaatar

Ganbaatar, or Gan as he's usually called, doesn't speak much about his past except as it becomes necessary. A prisoner of battle between the Riders of the Endless Plains and the Kingdom of Three Peaks, he now tends the horses of the Imperial Family. Or, at least, that's all anyone knows he does . . . but one thing's certain: Gan was never one to let anything stop him from doing what needs to be done. Among the animal keepers and other displaced Plainsfolk, he has become an unofficial leader, and all of them know that if they need help, they can turn to Gan and he'll take care of it, no matter how impossible it seems.

What do you think? Are you excited to meet these characters? Let me know in comments! And don't forget to check out the rest of today's blog posts! Also, the giveaway for paperbacks of five of the Magic Mirrors titles is now available in the tour master post, so make sure you check that out!

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 26

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: Mega Spotlight

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Guest Post - Snow White: A Story of Change

The Language of Writing: Review

Ink Calamities: Review

Jenelle Schmidt: Review

Literature Approved: Review

The Labyrinth: Review

The Page Dreamer: Review

Sparks of Ember: Review

Unicorn Quester: Review

Selina J. Eckert: Interview

Reality Reflected: Interview

Dragonpen Press: Interview

Or find the full list of stops here.

 

If They Were Real . . .

As a general rule, we writers love our characters, and tend to joke about how our characters hate us because of what we put them through, or how they're not cooperating with our plans, or such. (Though . . . it's not always a joke.) But what would they really think of us if they knew us as people, not authors? If we went to their worlds or they came to ours, and we met, how would we get along? That's the question I'm answering for five of my characters this Friday!

1. Rachelle Firhirt (Berstru Tales) and I would probably get along famously, whether or not she knew I was her author . . . but, then again, Rachelle gets along with pretty much everyone. She loves to meet new people and learn about their lives (and share her own with them), and she's always ready with a smile and a helping hand. Of course, if she were real outside my head, my life would probably be a lot more exciting . . . not all of it by my choice! I'd be happy to get a dragon ride or two with her and Skyla, don't get me wrong. However, while Rachelle and I share an appreciation for adventure, I prefer to get my share of it through books, and Rachelle would rather live hers- and bring all her friends (me included, in this case) along for the ride!
2. In theory, Prince Hayden of Aldurna (fairy tale retellings) should also get along well with me. The problem? We'd never actually talk. He's not unfriendly, but he'd rather observe than talk. And while I might say hello, I'm not great at, y'know, conversation. And since Hayden's one of my favorite characters, I'd either be getting really excited (and, unfortunately, making him doubly wary of me) or kind of just being in awe (which is not helpful for intelligent conversation). So . . . if we could actually, by some miracle, get a conversation going, we'd probably be good. But otherwise? Nope.
3. Speaking of characters who I'd be kind of in awe of if I met them outside my head, Gwen Alyron would probably find me off-putting for the same reasons she does her sister Emma: Emma and I both view her, to some degree, as someone we wish we could be but know we never will. (I'm ok with that, for the record. Emma, not so much.) We see her as a hero and an adventurer and a leader and someone who knows what she's doing. And she is all those things . . . but she doesn't always feel like she is. And while neither Emma or I would say these things out loud, well, Gwen's a mindreader, and she'd know every word of it anyway. She'd also know that I know her failings, her weaknesses- and that would make things even more awkward. But, if we could work past that, I think Gwen and I could be friends- just not close ones.
4. On the other hand, neither Jared Alyron (Berstru Tales) or Jason Silver (fairy tale retellings) would have a problem with me- but I might have one with them! In-story, I love these two. They're fun to write, they get strong reactions from other characters, they have the best banter . . . but in real life? They'd annoy me just as much as they annoy their fellow characters. And while I wouldn't go so far as Poppy does and actually slap either of them, I'd probably be tempted. (Jarek Gilleth (Between Two Worlds), though? He's the same character type, but much nicer- and so, while I might end up flustered a lot around him because I couldn't think of a good repartee to his teasing, we'd still get along.) 
5. Finally, Ariana Nernathon and I already know each other, after a fashion . . . and since she's a bardess, there's no way she wouldn't know I'm her author. And so there's a chance she might have some pointed words for me . . . but once she'd had her say, and I'd defended my position, and we'd both stopped being annoyed, we'd chat over favorite books and legends, and I'd lend her The Lord of the Rings and she'd let me borrow some of her books and scrolls (which would either be useful, so I'd know what they'd say and could reference them in the story, or useless, as I'd have to make up everything on them). So, I think in the end, we'd end up being friends.

What about you? How do you think you and your characters would get along if you met in real life? Please tell me in the comments- or even in a blog post of your own!
Thanks for reading!
 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)