Megan Crewe's Blog

As mentioned a couple of days ago, the ten finalists in 2018’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off are taking a moment to recognize the many other deserving books that were judged alongside ours (because with three hundred in the mix, how could there not be many?). You can find out more about the SPFBO and what it involves here.

I’m so grateful for the new readers the SPFBO has brought to my series, and I wanted to let you know about a few other books you might enjoy if you liked mine! You can also see the books recommended by Steve McKinnon yesterday here.

Dragon School

If you grew up on Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern books and you love YA, the Dragon School series should be perfect for you. It’s a gripping merging of dragon-riders with a teen academy setting, set in a fantasy world with plenty of secrets to uncover. In this first volume, the characters have to struggle through tests that can be just as dangerous as the trials in Ruthless Magic.

Godmaker

The YA fantasy Godmaker takes the competition via trials concept even further, with a character who must fight to earn the right to remain a goddess or be exiled as a mortal. Like Ruthless Magic, it features a heroine forced to give her all when the odds are against her and magical powers galore.

A Dance of Silver and Shadow

A YA fairy tale retelling might not sound like it’d have much in common with my series, but A Dance of Silver and Shadows gives the Twelve Dancing Princesses story an unexpected twist. The princesses venture into the supernatural realm to compete in a mysterious tournament in the hopes of protecting their new home.

Huge thanks to everyone involved in making SPFBO happen, from Mark Lawrence to the judges to the readers who’ve followed along!

Looking for even more indie fantasy recs? Check out the books J. Zachary Pike is honoring here tomorrow!

We are the finalists of the 2018 Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, also known as SPFBO 2018. The contest has brought us together from across the globe and the far-flung corners of our favorite genre to celebrate speculative fiction and the possibilities of self-publishing.

We believe that independent publishing is a force for good in our industry. The direct connection between authors and their fans yields greater choice for readers, drives new business models for writers, and helps create new audiences for books. That’s especially true in fantasy, where new subgenres and tropes are rising up thanks to self-published authors and their fans. Independent authors are working alongside traditional publishers and authors to create a bigger, better, and more inclusive fantasy community.

If you’re looking for evidence of the quality and creativity available from independent authors, look no further than our fellow contestants in SPFBO 2018. Many of the judges this year have remarked on the great quality of books they’ve encountered, and the challenge of whittling down their entries to one finalist. Whether you want something epic or intimate, funny or frightening, grim or uplifting, there’s a fantasy book for you among this year’s SPFBO. We encourage you to find it.

To that end, we will take this time to draw attention to some fantastic books cut from this year’s competition. Over the next week, many of us will highlight some of the deserving fantasy novels of SPFBO 2018. It’s a chance to salute other indie authors who could have easily been signing this letter had the die been cast differently. Please consider giving them a shot, or any other entry that caught your eye. When the genre grows, we all win.

In closing, we’d like to thank the indomitable Mark Lawrence for founding this amazing competition and for his continued efforts to highlight independent fantasy authors. We’d also like to thank the contest organizers and judges for their hard work, thoughtful reviews, and consummate professionalism. And finally, we’d like to thank fantasy readers everywhere, without whom we could not pursue our shared passion. This wonderful community makes it all possible, and for that we are forever grateful.

Signed,

Megan Crewe

Angie Grigaliunas

Barbara Kloss

Patrick LeClerc

Devin Madson

Steven McKinnon

J. Zachary Pike

Craig Schaefer

Mike Shel

Keith Ward

You can now get my complete post-apocalyptic killer virus story in one box set, with a shiny new cover! Check it out:

It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you’re dead.

When a strange new virus sweeps through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s island community, everything she took for granted slips away. As the dead pile up, the schools close, the phone lines fail, and the power goes out.

Desperate to save her home, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and opens her heart to a boy she once feared. The journey they set off on will test her resilience and shake her faith in humankind. How much of herself will she have to sacrifice to see her mission through?

The Fallen World complete series box set contains all four books in the series. Buy it now for only $9.99 or read it free with KU!

Ruthless Magic is out in the world today, which means it’s time to paaarty!

Folks! I am so excited to announce my upcoming new book, the first in an urban fantasy trilogy that will be out May 30th. Check out the cover, which I personally feel is one of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen.

Starting June 1st (I’m putting my post up a little early) until June 7th, you can join in the Young Adult Summer Scavenger Hunt.With over 100 authors participating, there are tons of new books to discover — and to win!

I’m author #69, Megan Crewe. I write all kinds of YA, from paranormal drama (Give Up the Ghost) and post-apocalyptic survival stories (the Fallen World series) to sci-fi adventure (the Earth & Sky trilogy) and sweeping contemporary fantasy (A Mortal Song). This past week, I just released my ninth published novel, a supernatural thriller titled Beast. And I’ve been lucky to be blessed with a whole bunch of lovely covers:

You can even grab Give Up the Ghost for FREE here:

Each participating author will have a post on their blog or website with a secret keyword for you to find. Put all those words together in order, and you’ll get a quick story you can use to enter to win the grand prize. Plus most if not all of the authors have their own giveaways too. So make sure you check them all out!

The full author list and instructions can be found here.

My secret keyword is also the end of the sentence, so you get a period along with it.

My newest YA novel is out in the world today! Beast is a supernatural thriller inspired by all the YA horror of the ’90s that I read as a teen myself. I’ve often thought of it as my “Megan Crewe writes a Christopher Pike novel” book.

Hey all! In June, the Alliance of Young Adult Authors is sponsoring a massive young adult scavenger hunt, and I’ll be participating. This is a chance to meet some new authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a whole bunch of epic prizes.

Find out all the details and see the official rules here!

On June 1st, you’ll be able to find my post for the scavenger hunt here on this blog, as well as a special giveaway of my own. So mark your calendars!

I’m excited to share that I’ll have a book in Spellbound, a boxed set of fantasy and paranormal titles for teens and adults alike (not adult-only content here!). Throughout the pre-order period, you can buy the set for just $0.99! With 20+ books in the set, that’s less than 5 cents per book. Hard to argue with that!

Order for Kindle ~ Nook ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

But because we know it’s hard to order and then have to wait to read, the Spellbound authors have banded together to sweeten the deal. Everyone who pre-orders Spellbound can also receive 10 additional free books, right now! These ten, to be exact:

Want to claim your pre-order gift? Follow these simple steps.

Pre-order Spellbound from any of the retailers linked to above.
Take a screenshot of your receipt and email it to spellboundpreorder@gmail.com
Wait, and your free books will arrive in your inbox shortly!

Get in on this awesome offer while you can!

Reading or finished A Mortal Song and have questions about the book: How I wrote it, why I made the decisions I did, or anything else? Feel free to ask whatever you want in the comments below! I’ll be checking in once or twice a day to answer any new questions posted.

Thanks for reading!