Through a Shattered Glass Release Day & Broken Mirrors Release Party: A Meeting of Mirrors

You know what today is? It's RELEASE DAY for Through a Shattered Glass! HUZZAH! I'm so excited that y'all can finally read this book — it's honestly one of my favorite things I've written. If you preordered the ebook, it should be showing up in your Kindle, and if you've been holding out for the paperback, you can go forth and purchase that now! As a reminder, if you order the paperback today, you can still request your set of character art stickers. (Or, if you preordered the ebook but haven't requested your stickers, you can still do that through the 26th.) And if you still need to know why you should buy the book . . . well, I have a list of five reasons for you over on Light and Shadows.

Now, this might be my past as a fanfic writer and forum roleplayer talking, but one of my favorite character development experiments is thinking about how characters from different stories and storyworlds might interact: which characters get along like a house on fire, which ones hate each other on sight, and everything in between. And today, I wanted to celebrate all the Broken Mirror stories by sharing my thoughts on how Alys and Kai, the main characters of Through a Shattered Glass, might react if they met their counterparts (and the rest of the casts) from the other books in this release. As a side note, I'll be referring to Alys and Kai at different points in their respective timelines throughout the post, since I'm looking for the most interesting results. If you read the book, you'll understand why.

About . . .

Through a Shattered Glass

 

Drop the mirror and you break the world in two.  

Alys hasn’t set foot in Wonderland in years. Not since the White Queen’s mirror shattered; not since her best friend, Kai Hatter, was killed; not since Alys fled back to her own world with a shard of enchanted mirror in her eye. She’s done her best to set aside the past and move on — until a red-painted rose appears in her room, and the portal opens once more. 

Simultaneously desperate for hope and terrified of what she might find — or cause — Alys ventures back through the mirror. But the Wonderland she finds is not the same one she left behind, and though Kai is less dead than she thought, he still might be past saving. To make matters worse, the mirror shard is still in Alys’s eye, and Wonderland is all too susceptible to its corrupting power.  

Only Alys can save the land and friend she loves — but if she’s not careful, she might be their doom instead.  

A dark portal fantasy remix of The Snow Queen and Lewis Carroll’s Alice duology.  

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

A Meeting of Mirrors

Snowfield Palace

I'll tell you up front: this is the hardest of the books to talk about without giving away spoilers. What can I say? If Alys ended up in Snowfields during the actual plot of the book, she would probably make things go very sideways very quickly — though she might manage to prevent quite a bit of pain in the process, as her particular abilities would mean she'd spot the villain's true nature long before things came to a head. On the other hand, the Bethims and their household — with the exceptions of Ginny and Kaimund — are such a mess that Alys would probably end up overwhelmed. As for specific counterpart pairings, well . . . I don't think Alys and Ginny would dislike each other, but I suspect Alys would end up avoiding Ginny for her own protection, because while Ginny is an absolute sweetheart, she does not have good self-esteem, and Alys's abilities mean she is not particularly healthy for people with those types of problems to be around. On the upside, Kai would probably get along very well with his counterpart — they can bond over roses and disaster families and generally have a nice time.

Shattered Reflection

One thing's certain here: Alys and Kai would both sympathize heavily with Princess Nordica. Having your mind and heart twisted against you? Being used as a tool to cause pain to those you're meant to care about? They understand her plight all too well, and they'd probably be more than willing to do what they could to help her, though Alys would be very concerned about just making everything worse. When it comes to counterpart relationships, Alys would probably be more than a little envious of Layree's faith — it's been a long time since Alys felt she could believe in anything. She'd probably relate much more strongly to Breac, whose struggle is a little bit closer to hers. Kai and Loren would probably be friendly, but I doubt they'd end up close friends; aside from their shared role in the fairy tale, they don't have a ton in common.

Of Ice and Roses

Oh dear. I do not think Alys and Gemma would get along at all. It's no fault of Gemma's — she's a sweet girl — but I suspect her personality and situation are just such as to rub Alys in the worst way. On the other hand, Kai would sympathize a great deal with his counterpart in much the same way he would with Princess Nordica. Other than that, I don't think they'd have strong feelings on the rest of the cast.

Christmas Games

First things first: Alys, who grew up in our world and knows about technology and video games and VR, would find the world of this story fascinating. However, she has also absorbed enough second-hand knowledge of shows where people get stuck in VR worlds that she would want no part of the actual plot, even if she was invited. Kai, for his part, grew up in Wonderland, so everything here is new to him. I think he and Alys would both get along reasonably well with their counterparts (as well as Alys gets along with anyone these days), but since the story is so short and I haven't read the main series it's attached to, I'm not really sure what else I can say about them.

Are you excited for Through a Shattered Glass? And, if you're a writer, how do you think your characters might get along with some of the Broken Mirror characters? Please tell me in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Broken Mirrors Release Party: Of Ice and Roses Snippet

Hello everyone! We're onto the third Broken Mirrors release week — how exciting! As a reminder, today is the final day to preorder Through a Shattered Glass and so you can get your character art stickers. Of course, you can also order the paperback tomorrow and get the sticker that way — just remember to submit your receipt or another proof of purchase. Getting back to today's book, we're currently celebrating Of Ice and Roses by Heather M. Elliot. I have a special sneak peek of this book to share here on the blog, but you can also visit Light and Shadows to get my thoughts on the story.

About . . .

Of Ice and Roses

The shadow of war hangs over Forstur. In a kingdom where magic is seldom encountered, a conflict with their magic-wielding eastern neighbors would be a disastrous. Gemma finds unexpected love in Forstur's crown prince, Ebenezer, but as her fairytale starts, the rest of her world comes crashing down.

Long held secrets come to light and Gemma learns she has been at the center of the brewing war for almost half her life. A lost friend she barely remembers is the key to gaining vital intelligence that could help her new husband defend their kingdom. There's a problem - the last sighting of her friend was in the magically-formed glacial regions of their foe, the kingdom of Morforst.

Now Gemma must leave everyone she loves and journey beyond the enemy's borders to rescue her friend from the spellcasters who control the region. The journey promises to be fraught with danger - highwaymen, river monsters, spellcasters, and the elements. With each new danger, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for the fate of two kingdoms.

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

Heather M. Elliott

Heather lives in Upstate New York, with an impressive number of books, almost as many story ideas, and, sadly, no pets.

Find her online at: Website || Blog || Facebook || Instagram || Amazon || Goodreads

Of Ice and Roses Snippet

“There aren’t roses in the garden,” Gemma objected without thought but immediately something important gnawed at the back of her mind. “What are roses? Why don’t I know what they are?” She reached out slowly to touch the nothing. Something invisible but velvety brushed her fingertip and she recoiled her hand. She explored the emptiness around Romelda’s hand and felt the unmistakable shape of a flower. Her voice trembled when she spoke. “Why can’t I see the flower?”

“My beautiful, scared little girl. I had to. You were going to die if I didn’t.”

So many questions raised by this little bit of text . . . are you intrigued? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

 

Broken Mirrors Release Party: Interview with Madisyn Carlin [Shattered Reflection]

Hey'a! It's time for the second Broken Mirrors release: Madisyn Carlin's Shattered Reflection. This is a non-magical take on The Snow Queen, which promises to be fascinating. You can, of course, read my whole review over on Light and Shadows, or you can stick around here to get a little insight into the author herself in the interview I did with her. And, of course, you can check out the rest of the tour stops and the giveaway on the release main page. And now, let's learn a bit more about both the book and the author!

About . . .

Shattered Reflection

Princess Nordica Icerri’s crown will be purchased with blood—her blood. Now the sole heir to the throne, she is determined to be the queen the Snowlands deserve, but that comes with a price: a numbed heart and soul. Only when she meets kidnapped physician Loren Alocer does Nordica allow herself to hope she can become queen without completely losing herself. But not everyone wants what’s best for the Snowlands, and Nordica’s upcoming rule is compromised at every turn. Can the criminal physician—and his faith—thaw Nordica’s heart, or is she destined to be the heartless queen she is being forced to become?

War shattered not only Breac Finson’s heart, but his faith as well. Tired of fighting, Breac only wants to be left alone, but his efforts are for naught when a friend calls in a favor. He soon finds himself in an unexpected alliance with Layree Alocer, a woman determined to find her wrongfully-kidnapped brother at all costs. Can a broken soldier help right a wrong—and find his faith again in the process?

Sides must be chosen and loyalties will be tested as a new war approaches. Can broken lives be mended in time to help save the Snowlands, or is evil already too deeply embedded?

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

Madisyn Carlin

Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious bookdragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales of redemption, faith, and action.

Find her online via her LinkTree.

Interview with Madisyn Carlin

Welcome to the blog! To start out, please tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what are your favorite hobbies (aside from writing) or favorite books (outside your own), and do you prefer coffee or tea?

Thank you for having me, Sarah! I am a Christian, homeschool graduate, bookdragon, logophile, and nerd. Outside of my own books, some of my favorites are The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight and The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse. As for coffee or tea, I am one of those rare breeds who likes neither.

Ay, fellow former homeschooler! That's awesome. Where did you get the initial idea for your particular twist on The Snow Queen, and how (if at all) did the concept shift from its original version?

Hoo boy. The initial idea was a combination of reading the original fairy tale, listening to Ruins by Ledger, and seeing the name Nordica. Those meshed to create the beginning concept of Shattered Reflection. The plot shifted quite drastically in some areas as I wrote. I had snippets written down from when it was just an idea, and none of those snippets were used. They would have taken the story in a completely different direction. One of the main characters, Breac, wasn't even included in the beginning, and another main character, Marcus, went through seven different names before I decided which one fit him best. Breac's cousin, who portrays the Little Robber Maiden, was supposed to be different as well. I can't reveal more than that lest I give away the story, but, yeah, things changed.

I love "Ruins," so it's super cool to learn that it was part of your inspiration. What was something you learned (whether it's about writing, about yourself, or just a random thing from your research) while writing this book?

One of the things that intrigued me most about Shattered Reflection was the idea of making a nonmagical retelling. To do that, I had to tap into medical research and devise and create my own nonmagical methods for incorporating the ice and freezing aspects. God designed quite a masterpiece when He made the human body, and it is quite complex. I had to dig to learn which nerves were connected, which areas of the body would be affected, and really plan out what would happen if a substance with the ability to freeze and kill emotion entered the bloodstream.

Sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure it paid off. What's another fairy tale you'd love to retell but haven't yet gotten to write your take on?

I would really like a shot at retelling The Riddle. It's packed with sarcasm, sass, intrigue, odious villains, and so many questions that go unanswered.

Oooh, that would be very cool! Finally, can you tell us a little about what you're currently working on and what we can expect from you next?

I am currently working on two projects (which I don't recommend). The first is 1.5 in my other fairy tale series, The Redwyn Chronicles. It began as a Little Mermaid retelling, then shifted---kind of---into Snow White and Rose Red, but neither of those really fit the concept, so I'm on the hunt for another fairy tale that will work. Lord willing (and if I can get my characters and plot to cooperate), KEY will release in March.

The second project is Book Two in The Shattered Lands series. Again, the fairy tale retelling element is eluding me, but I have the basics down and these sassy characters are so fun to write. I hope to release it in June or July of 2023.

Yeah, working on multiple projects at once is tough, but both of those stories sound pretty cool. Thanks for stopping by the blog and answering my questions! And thank you to all my readers for visiting!

Did you enjoy the interview? What's something cool you've learned or researched in the course of writing a story? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!