Aster North's Blog

Crashing Storm is now available for purchase and it’s on KU. www.books2read.com/Unruly2

cover image is copyright of Nichole W @ Rainy Day Artwork

The city. The princess. The rebellion.

Save a dead princess? No problem.

Set up a spy network using a kleptomaniac teen and an old collector who couldn’t see over the counter? Simple.

Staying out of trouble? Well, that’s impossible.

You see, when this all started, I thought I’d be done in a few days at most. Killing a tyrant and turning an intruder into a king wouldn’t be the hardest thing I’d ever done. Yet we still haven’t found The Anointed, and Zayn is still just… Zayn.

Everything else is changing, though. Tok and I are becoming more than just two people who want to murder the same person. And Juro shows me an entirely different side of himself—one that’s more than a little dirty. Throw in a wayward princess and dying friends, and everything becomes slightly complicated. That’s not even mentioning our new allies and old enemies or how hard it is to tell them apart.

As someone gets closer to figuring out my secret, I discover a few secrets of my own. And if I’m right, it changes everything. If I’m right, The Anointed is merely the appetizer before we get to the buffet of horrors.

I might be in over my head, but that’s never stopped me before. I’ll just have to unleash the quiet thunder caged inside me and become the crashing storm, leaving nothing in my wake. Just another Monday, right?

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Crashing Storm is the second installment of The Unruly series, a reverse harem fantasy series. It is part of The Anomaly universe and may contain spoilers for that series. It is not for those below the age of 18.

Has your brain ever had so much going on inside of it that it seems empty and useless? As if a torrent of thoughts is crammed against an invisible dam?

That was how my brain has been for bits and pieces of the past year or so. I know there are things in there. They dribble out bit by bit, showing me hints of the mass behind the wall. Yet they wouldn’t fully come.

Well, the dam has broken, so now my problem has become trying to harness everything pouring out. I desperately want to write six stories at once. If I could just magically think them onto paper, I’d be good. Alas, I’m just some mundane human with enough creativity to find all sorts of ways to procrastinate.

That said, I am currently working on several things. My main WIP is Exposed Essence, the final story in the Soul Fiend series. Originally, I wanted to do a total of five books- three with Zella and Earth, one with Grace showing the Angel side, and a final one where they right the wrongs of their own planet. Unfortunately, the series hasn’t done that well and the books(because of their size) take a long time to write. They’re also more costly to produce because it’s basically two books(by average size of my genre) in one. That means I’m cutting it off at three. I do plan to leave it open enough that I can come back and show the things I originally wanted to show, but I also will close it enough that the story isn’t left dangling. It’s getting there, though.

The second book I’m working on steadily is the second of The Unruly series, Crashing Storm. New characters are showing up, and it should be a fun ride.

I’m also doing bits and pieces in other stories as the scenes come to me. Those are Smokey Shadows(the Cassie and Willy story) and Wielding(the dragon story). I’ve also started something that is very romance light. It will be about a wolf shifter who is a bounty hunter. Along with that, I’ve set aside a bit of time to work on some things for Vella. I have two going for that. One will be a contemporary romance and the second is a comedic sort of story.

And of course, there’s all the world building I’m doing for future stories. I have two that I’m seriously mapping out. One is an epic fantasy about an elf-like species, while the other is an epic fantasy(leaning to grimdark) about necromancers. These will (hopefully) be more intricate and soaring than my previous stories.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to work wise. I hope to have both of my main books written this month, but a lot will depend on factors that I have no control over. I guess we’ll see how it goes. Until next time…

The preorder for Piercing Light, book 1 of The Unruly series is now available! It will release March 26th, 2021 and it will be available on KU.

This story follows Xi’an, Everly’s sister. While it is in the same universe, it does take place on her own planet. I did keep it contemporary to Earth to maintain that Urban Fantasy feel that The Anomaly series has. You’ll find out more about how their kind works as well as read about Xi’an’s own issues that she faces during this lifetime. I’ll leave the blurb and a link below for those interested. I really hope everyone loves it as much, if not more, than The Anomaly series. Thanks so much!

The Grove. The Intruders. The Anointed.

My true name is Xi’an—Creator, sister of Xi’tan and Xi’li, and the protector and embodiment of Beauty. I’ve lived thousands of times, each existence ending in a war that destroyed the entire universe. This has been, by far, the worst lifetime…and it just keeps getting worse.

I was just fine, living out my days in a little grove of my own making. There, I could avoid messy interactions with people and bide my time until the next war came. I had everything I needed, even a friend. Sounds nice, right?

Well, it was until three intruders showed up, claiming they were merely doing their jobs. The job? To destroy my home because some lunatic calling himself The Anointed decided it. Ridiculous name, I know, but the threat he poses can’t be ignored. This is the reason we aren’t supposed to pull away from the civilizations on our planets, and my little rule-bending stunt has come back to bite me in my rear.

Now, I’m stuck righting my wrongs, which means traveling to the city and finding a way to put a stop to the insanity that will destroy my planet. Shouldn’t take too long, then I can return home and wait for the signs of the real war. Except, I’m beginning to think that the embodiment of Chaos must have died a true death, and it attached itself to me. The Anointed is in hiding, I’m starting to actually like these three men, and I seem to piss everyone off. Ah, well, I suppose there’s a beauty in chaos, so I might as well enjoy it. 

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Piercing Light is the first in a reverse harem fantasy series that is connected to the universe of The Anomaly series. While you do not need to read The Anomaly series first to understand this story, it is best if this is read after reading The Anomaly series to avoid major spoilers for The Anomaly series. The Unruly series will focus on Xi’an, Everly/Xi’li’s sister. Our heroine will not pick between her men, and this book does contain mature themes. It is not recommended for those under the age of 18. 

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Hey, everyone! I know it has been a while. Too long, in fact, but I’m almost back. Piercing Light is nearly complete, so that should be out fairly soon.

Let’s be honest. Last year was a hot mess and full of things I’d rather not repeat in my life. It really affected me in a lot of ways, one of which was my productivity. Homeschooling two kids altered my process completely and not in a positive way. I’m not trying to find excuses, but it really did mess with me. That along with life just didn’t want allow me to do what I needed to.

BUT!!! I’m almost finished writing Piercing Light, and I’m really hoping that everyone will love it as much as they did The Anomaly series. This series will follow Everly’s sister, Xi’an, along with her friend Mint and of course, her harem. This series has a harem of three—Zayn, Tok, and Juro.

In this story, you’ll get more backstory to the universe that ties the two series together. Xi’an remembers everything, so she can tell you exactly what they are and what has happened to them all. You’ll learn about that right from the start. Along with that, she has her own set of problems that she has to deal with. (Maniacal overlord, anyone? Strange man with ego problems? Itchy dresses? Relationship issues?) Of course, she has fun along the way, too. And maybe she pisses a few people off. Okay, quite a few people.

Everly doesn’t appear in this series. Well, not exactly. Since they’re sisters, obviously Xi’an will think about her and recall their times together in the past, but Everly is not physically or mentally present. Now, their brother Xi’tan is in the series via telepathy. I’m hoping to do a series where he is the MC once I finish up The Unruly(Xi’an’s story) series. After his series, I’d like to bring them all back together again in a final series for the universe. Of course, things can change, but that is my plan as of now.

I’ve also begun working on a single that I’m calling book four of The Anomaly series. (Sidenote: I know I should be saying ‘…the The Anomaly series’ but it just looks so weird. Eh, my blog, my rules so I’ll stick with leaving the second ‘the’ out.) It isn’t necessary to read it to have Everly’s complete story. I just thought it would be nice to let Willy have a book of his own. It will follow Willy and Cassie as they navigate their new relationship and the leftover effects from the events in the original series. There were quite a few big changes for both of them, and that leaves residual mess in their lives.

I’ve also started the third and final book of the Reaper series. This one will be called Exposed Essence and will wrap up the storyline for Zella and crew. It should be interesting, and I hate to see them go. I really love Zella. She’s got her work cut out for her in this book, but I’m positive she’s up for the job….mostly. I do plan to do a fourth(and maybe fifth) in that series at some point in the future as well, but it will follow Grace instead as she investigates things on the Angel side. I’m planning on putting Exposed Essence on the front burner once Piercing Light releases. Then I’ll swap over to the second of The Unruly series, which will be called Crashing Storm.

I have a few others that I write in on occasion as well. Those are more ‘when the mood strikes’ or ‘when a scene pops into my head’ sort of things, so I’m not concentrating on them. I do, actually, have covers for all of them, so it’s eating at me that I can’t just write a whole book in two days! Ha! I wish, right? I have one darkish dragon menage story that I have the entire series of covers just waiting on me, and I absolutely love them. I also have two fae, one elf, a dragon shifter plus collection of odd paranormal kids, a demon, a witch, a contemporary, something that doesn’t have a name, and oddly, a series of cozy mysteries(for another pen name). I *think* that’s it. Ah, if only I could download straight from my brain.

And now, I’m heading back to hopefully, finish up Piercing Light…if the story cooperates and stops adding tidbits I didn’t see coming until they fell from my fingers. Xi’an is a bit…unruly.

Hope to hear your thoughts about it soon and thanks for reading! Check back soon for the cover reveal(it’s gorgeous) and preorder link.

Hey there, world. How are you? I know this year has been… odd, to say the least, but I’m proud of you for hanging in there!

I thought I’d do a quick little update post since Stolen Essence is out now. Speaking of SE, has anyone read it yet? What did you think? Tell me all of the things!

So what’s next? Well, next week, I’ll begin Exposed Essence, book 3 of the Soul Fiend series. I already have the cover for it, and it is another amazing addition from Rainy Day Artwork. It’s already loosely plotted and I’ve got all of my notes ready for the things that I must include. That said, I did take this week off from Zella and the gang for a couple of reasons. Sometimes, it’s nice to write about something else. It helps to avoid burn out with any single world. I’m also feeling a little ‘nobody wants it’ in my head, so that does not make for a workable headspace to really do it right.

Sooooo, I’ve skipped over to a couple of other things just to give myself a little space. One of those things is continuing to work on Wielding, book 1 of the Forged Fury series. I’ve been on and off this story since last year. It’s a dark menage fantasy novel with dragons and swords and fire. Elaheh is a wee bit off her rocker, but her dragons are even more so. It’s been fun to delve into a world where anything goes.

I’m also adding more and more to Xi’an’s story. I really need to come up with a name for this one, but I’m sure it will happen at some point. Should I continue the “theme” that I used in her sister’s story(The Anomaly series) or do a totally different thing? And series name… what to do there? Questions, questions… Whatever I choose, it’s shaping up pretty well. I’m trying to keep it in the same vein as the first series so that those who like Everly’s story can continue on without being too shocked here.

I’ve also been adding bits and pieces to Smokey Shadows, book 4 of The Anomaly series. Now, Everly’s story for this series is done. She will pop up again eventually in a new series that chronicles a whole different adventure, but for now, Everly’s only a side character. That means that this story can be read with or without The Anomaly series and it isn’t required to get the full story within The Anomaly series. I did decide to call it book 4 rather than have it be a stand alone just floating out there in the wild. Why? Because the events come shortly after the events in the main series so it needs to be read after to avoid spoilers. It also includes two of the more present side characters of this series, shows the former MCs here and there, and is within the same general story line. The fight is over(that was Everly’s place to talk about) but the effects still linger and that’s what’s discussed here. Bottom line, this will be a full length novel that shows us precisely what happened to Willy and Cassie.

I have so many stories I’m dying to get to, but these are the three that I’m working on the most. Of course, Exposed Essence will be started in earnest next week, as well. It will pick up directly after book 2 ends, give or take a few hours. My plans for it involves finding the bad guy, discussing the monster more deeply, and revealing a bit more of Zella’s background. The relationships will continue to grow and we’ll see a bit more of a few of the characters. I’m undecided on one part, and I’m not sure if it will work better in book 3 or book 4(Grace’s story). That will be decided when I’m actually writing it. The flow will tell me what works best.

School starts back tomorrow here and my youngest kiddo will be taking over my computer for a few days. We have a new computer coming for him, but until then, I’ll have to hand over my work computer. Hopefully, I won’t need to strangle him too much.

Cover Art by Nichole Witholder at www.rainydayartwork.com

Zella and Grim Grouping Mannix are back! At 178k words and about 665 pages in print, it’s another good sized chunk of Zella’s life and battles. It released today, and I’m super excited for it!

It begins with a recap of the last book, then picks up shortly after the last book ended. A new addition to the cast comes in. Zella continues to fight her monster. The Earth issue still needs work. They discover more secrets… and reveal a few of their own. Things still aren’t bright and sun-shiny but we get closer to the end with this edition.

You can check it out here: www.books2read.com/SE2

Hey there, everyone! I hope this finds you well and safe! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, I know, but Zella has been wordy. She’s finally finished up this part of the story! I’ve scheduled the release for August 15th. Feel free to preorder now! I won’t mind at all. So…… that means it’s time for a cover reveal and preorder announcement!! Without further ado, here’s the amazing cover for Stolen Essence(cover art by Nichole Witholder at Rainy Day Artwork-amazing service, lovely lady, and excellent art).

Stolen Essence Artwork by Nichole Witholder at Rainy Day Artwork
http://www.books2read.com/SE2

So, what do you think? I adore it! It fits so perfectly.

Here’s the blurb:

Enemies are sprouting up everywhere,
But the biggest one may be within myself.
Anyone know the best way to bury a monster?

I’m back, but I’m no longer Elite Grim Reaper Zella Healani. No, things are changing in my small corner of Delon. And very few of those changes are good. Yes, even Grim Reapers get stressed out.

With a new title, new responsibilities, and an entire world to reap, I’ve been handed an impossible job. One that comes with dire consequences for failure. To complicate matters, someone seems determined to end everything before the ridiculous deadline comes to pass.

That’s not all, either. My monster is becoming more unruly and demanding, causing strife in my tenuous relationships. An Angel is forced into my circle, putting me on edge. Accidents follow me, threatening my life and the lives of those around me. Favors and threats become my mantra, casting me as my father’s daughter. Those around me reveal hidden secrets, leaving me off-kilter.

Of course, I’ll survive, but I’m not sure how much of myself will remain intact. With my monster attempting to take over, Grim Grouping Mannix trying to change me, and everyone else working to destroy me, I’m in for a pot licking time. I suppose I’ll let you find that out for yourself. Go on. Open the pages to find out how truly difficult it was to be the savior of an entire universe. 

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Stolen Essence is the continuation of the Soul Fiend series. It is a science fantasy reverse harem. She does not choose between her men. Because this story may contain some triggers, including drug abuse, it may not be suited for everyone. It is not appropriate for those below the age of eighteen. 

You can click the link in the picture’s caption(universal link) or click here:

Feel free to join me on Facebook or Instagram for teasers, updates, and games! Also, if you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter, you can get a free story about the characters of The Anomaly series over on book funnel.

Hey, everyone! I hope this finds you all well. I’ll get the book news out of the way first. I’m still plugging away at Stolen Essence. This series has taken me so much longer than my previous books. I also spent a bit with my head a bit messed up because of a diagnosis I hadn’t expected at all that required a procedure during this whole pandemic and left me unable to write because of where that was. It’s more personal in some ways, much longer, and let’s face it- the world is a bit wild right now. I promise I’m working on it everyday, though. I’m also doing bits on another story when I get stuck at a spot in SE. It seems to help my brain roll around whatever the problem is, and after a half of a chapter in the other book, I’m good to go. Anyway, it’s getting there. It’s just long.

The topic for today, however, is kindness. I’ve been seeing an uptick in rude, hateful, threatening, and entitled reviews, posts, and comments. Right now is a difficult time for most of us. Some more than others, but we all feel our own hardships equally. The stress and uncertainty can lead to lashing out online, where it’s “safe.” But it’s not safe. Those are real people on the other side of the screen who are feeling the same things you are.

One of the ones that stick out most to me are the comments about how quickly authors release books. I understand that we all love our stories, and the anticipation for the next one isn’t always fun. I understand that some of us read hundreds and hundreds of books per year. What I don’t understand is messaging authors with nasty or threatening messages/emails or leaving horrible reviews because the books aren’t coming out in days.

I remember growing up back when we waited years between books. You couldn’t talk with the authors. Well, unless you sent a letter through the mail and got lucky enough to get a personal, not-form letter back. Even that took months. Hell, I’m still waiting on some books from years ago. I certainly couldn’t go online and find the author’s website or Facebook page. There wasn’t a Twitter or Instagram waiting to give us little tidbits about the lives and process of the authors. We were cut off. Authors had their worlds, and us readers had ours.

The lines have blurred in this modern age, especially with self-published authors. We tend to release faster and we tend to speak to those who comment on our things or send an email back that is written by our own fingers. Sometimes, I love that. It allows for faster feedback, great friendships, and a less isolated job. Sometimes, I hate that. I know. You’re thinking, “oh, no. I can’t believe she said that!” Well, let me explain. While most of the readers are wonderful, some aren’t. They send things that can break an author’s spirit or throw them into a downward spiral. Some wish terrible things on our families or suggest that we “remove” ourselves from the world. They get upset over waiting a few months and decide that it’s okay to send a crude, graphic death threat. But it’s not okay.

I’m sure not many would enjoy repeated messages at their work stating the same things. They wouldn’t like being harassed daily because they took off work for a few days. Imagine having every single, tiny mistake pointed out and ridiculed by thousands of people even though you spent months working on that one thing.

The same goes for the cover designers, editors, and so on that I’ve seen posts about lately. Things work the way they work, and those of us on this side of things understand that. Just like you all understand things I can’t fathom because I’ve never done it. I have no clue how hard it is to be a bank teller or cop or truck driver because I’ve never done those things. And, I certainly wouldn’t send a vile message to you so you could read it in your own home.

Being an author isn’t a 9-5 kind of job. Well, for a lot of us, anyway. While my days do vary, I’ll give an example. My schedule looks something like this:

3-4am- go to bed; start the cheap vacuum robot thingie that sometimes works6am-(if kids are in school) wake up, get kids ready, get them on the bus; go back to sleep at 7 10am-wake up; check social media; make posts; respond to comments and messages; check email; check schedule to see if I have any events coming up; do some admin work like website, newsletters, and so on; do marketing stuff; do any bills that need to be completed for everything including Homelife stuff; take care of normal household things; grab a shower2pm-quick snack; begin working on book or outline a new one; sometimes I fall asleep at this part depending on how exhausted I am, other times I need to speak with a cover artist or make games for a party or make teasers or whatever is most pressing; sometimes I need to do my ads or worry over my finances so I can pay for things330pm-husband and kids get home; spend time seeing how their day was; throw a load of laundry in4pm-write5pm-begin supper; do housework; chat with kids6pm-eat; feed animals7pm-write; 11pm-snack while writing;

Now, of course, some days do vary. This doesn’t account for the days that I spend at the doctors’ offices. Those take up several per month. And on weekends, it’s a bit more hectic because everyone is home and everyone needs something. Which they’re home now as well so that’s got my schedule wacky. It also doesn’t account for the days that I cannot stay awake due to a condition that I have that’s similar to narcolepsy. Or the days that I’m hurting enough that I can’t sit long enough to do anything. Or if I spend hours outside because an animal is sick or out of the pen or I need to mow. It doesn’t allow for emergencies or terrible news that messes with my head or days where I’m just so burned out that I hate words.

Obviously, this is merely an example of one author’s day. Not everyone’s will be the same, and not everyone writes at the same speed. Some authors have babies that take up more attention than my older kids do or they have older parents with dementia at home that they care for. They may be moving or going through a divorce. They might have just had a baby or just gotten a cancer diagnosis. They may have a new medicine that’s messing with them or a new puppy that’s chewing everything. Maybe their heat/air unit went out and they’re dealing with that or maybe they had a car accident. Maybe they have a full time day job on top of writing and it’s all they can do to even turn on the computer, let alone type out thousands of words. Maybe they’re depressed and those words just won’t come. All of those things that you experience, we do, too. We are people, after all.

And because we are people, we have feelings, too. Sure, there are some bad authors out there who just don’t care, but I promise that you can find that kind of person in every profession on the planet. But most of us really care about how our readers’ experiences are and how our stories are received. We adore those rare reviews and messages that say that we wrote even a few words that touched you or made you laugh or let you purge those tears. We ride that high, pouring that enthusiasm into our next book. We know that people want more of our stories when those reviews keep coming and we’re just as eager to give you more.

But the flip side can occur as well. Those horrible messages I talked about? Well, they put a massive damper on creativity. Ever tried to create a world while you’re being told that you don’t deserve to live or that you should throw your computer in the trash because that’s what you are? It’s hard. Really fucking hard. And like I said, all of that can kick off depression, suicidal ideations, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and so much more which only makes it even harder. Now, I’m not claiming that being an author is the hardest job on the planet. I’m saying that it’s difficult to give life to a funny bit of dialogue or make a new world lush and full when your brain is on a loop of horrors. Or keep going when you feel like no one cares(which is a small part of my issues with writing SE).

So, what am I asking here in this really long post? Am I saying that you must love everything? No. Of course not. You don’t have to like everything. In fact, you won’t. That’s absolutely normal and perfectly okay.

Am I asking you to lie on reviews? No. You should be free to give your opinion of the BOOK. If you didn’t care for the character, then say so. If you thought it needed a bit more world building, then, hey, say so. If you loved the characters but thought the plot had holes… say that. But there are ways to say it without being cruel, and a book review should never devolve into a commentary on the author themselves, particularly when you don’t even know them.

What I am saying is that you should remember that even though we are on the other side of the screen, we are people, too. We are just like you and trying to our best. We cry like you and laugh like you and hurt like you. So, before you send that message, take a good long pause. Ask yourself a few questions.

Am I being entitled and expecting something simply because I want it now? If your message or bad review says something like, “You are a horrible writer. I’ve been waiting three months for this book and you’re just a money grubbing witch that deserves to fall into a vat of oil,” then you are being entitled. No author owes you any book, let alone one according to your schedule. They want you to be happy, of course. They love that you are excited and want to read it. They still don’t owe that to you. Am I saying something that I wouldn’t want said to myself/my loved one? If you wouldn’t say this to your most cherished loved one, rethink what you’re saying, because that author? They are someone’s loved one, too. Calm down, step away if you need to, read it again, and try to find a less volatile way to say what you mean. Or maybe you’ll decide that one typo really doesn’t warrant hate mail.Are my complaints really valid or am I taking my own pain/frustration out on someone else? Look, I’ll be honest. I’ve said things I shouldn’t have because I was so very frustrated at something that had nothing to do with the person I lashed out at. I absolutely regret those moments, but I can’t take those words back. If I could do it over again, I would walk away until I could separate my feelings from my actions. Especially against someone who didn’t deserve it. We’re all learning how to deal right now. It’s okay to feel how you feel. Just remember that not everything needs a villian. Have I said what I liked more times than what I disliked lately? Of course, this one is simply an idea, but I find that sometimes we fall into these moods where we just are negative, negative, negative. We seek that out. We put it out into the world. We surround ourselves with it because that feels comfortable right then. But if you find that your last ten emails have all had a hateful tone or your last six reviews were all one stars, perhaps it’s not those ten people or six books. Maybe it’s your mindset that’s coloring everything. And you know what? Those feelings are perfectly valid. They are yours, and it’s okay to feel angry/ funky/frustrated/etc, but it’s not okay to take them out on others. Maybe take a step back, give it a day, think it over, and see if you still feel the same way.

Now, I’m not offering any psychological advice here. I’m not a doctor. I do suggest a doctor if you find yourself overwhelmed or stuck in any of these feelings for long periods. There is nothing wrong with needing someone to help you find the tools to cope and navigate this really weird thing we call life. What I am doing here is asking that you realize that we aren’t computers.

And even though I just spent a lot of words explaining and talking about hateful reviews/threatening messages, I want to spend just a few more talking about good ones. Until I really submerged myself into the book world, I didn’t really understand how much reviews meant. Oh, I wrote them usually, but I didn’t get it. I didn’t know that it meant that my favorite book would be seen by more people, giving the author more exposure, and allowing them to afford to write more. I didn’t know how much it cost to put out a book. I didn’t understand what having those followers and reviews meant to things like being invited to book cons or getting deals on some sites. I didn’t know that telling others meant my authors could pay for that editing that so many complained about not having. I didn’t know that it could mean the difference between getting the rest of the series and having the publishing company kill the series because of lack of interest. I just didn’t understand what all depends on those reviews.

So, if you liked a book, leave a line or two. Leave a whole detailed review(without spoilers of course because no one likes spoilers). It means that the author you really liked knows that people actually want book two and so they actually write book two. It means that the publishing company picks up that contract so that the series can be finished. If you didn’t like it and want to warn others, hey, do that too. But do it in a way that isn’t unnecessarily cruel. And for the love of cheesecake, please stop using the one star on Goodreads to keep track of books you want to read. They have a whole button for that now that doesn’t affect author rankings(aka how we are seen aka how we pay the bills aka how you get more books to read).

I hope this has given you a bit to think about. I hesitated in writing it because I don’t want to come across as ungrateful. I’m not. I’m so very grateful that you all are giving me a chance and sticking with me as I find my way in this world. I just wanted to let you know that your words are just as powerful as any authors. Choose them wisely, please.

One of my baby goats, just for cuteness factor
Copyright 2020 Aster North

Hey, there! I hope everyone is doing well out there. Since it’s been a while since I left my last blog post, I thought I’d add a quick update.

In addition to a pair of twin goats, we also have a new calf. We’re expecting more, but so far, those are the only babies around.

Book-wise, I’m still working on Stolen Essence. With the distractions, changes in life and so on, it’s taken me longer than I’d like. It probably doesn’t help that this series will be full of longer books because it has more than one focus. Still, it is going, and I’m steadily working on it.

When I get stuck or frustrated, I’m working on a few other books, hoping to use that time to get ahead on them. I have a dragon series, a fae series, a witch standalone, and the final Puppet book that I’m sneaking words into. How do I choose which one? Well, it depends on my mood and what is pushing forward in my mind.

I also bought some new covers! Yay pretties!!! They run the gamut from dark fae(different from the one above), a witch(different again), an elf, and a dragon shifter(different again). I need to write faster!!

Well, that’s all I have for today. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon with a cover reveal and preorder link to Stolen Essence. Stay safe!

Hey all! It’s been a couple of wild weeks, hasn’t it? I do have a bit of news so this might be longer than my usual post. I have 2 promotions that I’m in, one anthology to announce, and a bonus for signing up for my newsletter to let you know about. Ready?

https://books.bookfunnel.com/reverseharemfree/v2i4f7hcnk

I’ve joined with some other RH authors to offer free books to keep everyone in books during this time of social distancing and self isolation. It has more than 30 books from various RH authors that are free to download. This is a limited time promotion so grab them while you can because they’ll soon go back to normal price. My contribution is Box of Puppets.

There are a ton of great books on this list and all are completely free. It would be really great if you would take a minute at the end of the books to leave a review. Reviews only take a short amount of time and do so much for us indie authors. I’ll leave the link below and it’s also under the pic for those of you that are interested in finding some great new reads and maybe some new to you authors.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/reverseharemfree/v2i4f7hcnk

https://michelle-a-bailey.com/bookfair/

This one is a some free, some discounted, all great romance book fair. With over 90 books from a variety of subgenres, you’re bound to find something you like. There’s also a giveaway that you can enter. The prizes are listed on the graphic above. Just hop over to the site and follow the directions while finding something new to check out. My entry to this one is my latest book, Forgotten Essence.

Here’s the link if you’d like to take a peek: https://michelle-a-bailey.com/bookfair/

https://books2read.com/Tales-of-the-a...

Nope, not a psychic. I joined this anthology last year when it came open. I already had the Soul Fiend series planned and thought doing a short story of how the people on Earth reacted to the Grim Reapers absence would be interesting. The Day Death Died will be a short story that follows Shay and her friend Coleen as they try to navigate a world where people’s souls don’t move on. It will be a menage but I am not sure how steamy, if at all, it will be since I’m still in the process of writing it.

The anthology is now on preorder for only $.99 USD. It will contain different stories from different authors. The common denominator is the theme of the apocalypse. It will release in May, so get that preorder in now! Here’s the link to check it out: www.books2read.com/tales-of-the-apoca...

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/t6veg3inr8

This one is the newsletter sign up bonus. It contains two short stories that are in the back of the box set for The Anomaly series. I’ll talk more about that next, but if you’d like to get these stories for free, simply click the link and sign up for my newsletter. It doesn’t go out unless something big is happening so don’t worry about a ton of emails flooding your inbox.

It contains the story of how the guys became a team of four and it also shows Willy’s reaction to finding his pink princess Fanny Pack. Both are short stories and are just a fun peek into the lives of some of the other characters of the series. Here’s that sign up link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/t6veg3inr8

Cover art by Jay Aheer @ Simply Defined Arts

Here’s the box set I was talking about above! Isn’t the cover gorgeous? I think it goes perfectly with the covers for the individual books.

It contains the three main books of the series as well as the two short stories I spoke of above. It’s currently listed at $8.99 USD so it is a discount off buying each on individually and it is in KU. Here’s that link if you’re interested: www.books2read.com/TheAnomaly

Well, that’s all of the news I have this go round. I hope everyone is staying safe!