Meet Camilla Crim - Guest Post and Giveaway From Author Emily Fortney

Please give a warm welcome back to author Emily Fortney! I'm one of her blog tour stops for the release of her book The Dark Ruler and I couldn't be more thrilled to be able to hype her series up. Emily is a longtime writer friend of mine ever since I joined her writers' group in 2015, and having read multiple drafts of her work over the years, I can vouch firsthand for how much this series has grown and stolen our hearts. I can't wait to see her books in the hands of other readers who will see how thrilling they are, just like I've seen! Camilla Crim is a force to be reckoned with as a heroine, as you'll soon read.

Please welcome Emily Fortney!

***

 

It is great to be back on Kate’s blog and talking to all of you! When I was here last summer, I was sharing about my young adult fantasy book, The Sacrifice of One. I was re-launching that book at that time. Yes, you read that right, it was a RE-launch. After years of sitting on this book and just focusing on my writing, I decided to rebrand it and widen the distribution. All during the re-launch, I was also working on a brand new book in that series called The Dark Ruler. Well, I’m back again to announce that The Dark Ruler officially released this week!

This is book #3 in my Camilla Crim series. It’s actually been almost three years since I released a new book, so this is a big deal for me and I’m really excited to tell you about it. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Emily.

Let me introduce you to my main character, Camilla. How shall I describe Camilla? She’s stubborn and talks without thinking, but she’s also fiery and passionate. In The Dark Ruler she’s on a mission to kill the Supreme Ruler, Quinten Warwick, and free the people of Elmyra from slavery. Buuuuut a slew of mysteries lie between the walls of the capital city where the Supreme Ruler resides that Camilla isn’t prepared for.

Things are a little more complicated than that straightforward goal. Because Camilla has a mother with suspect intentions. After abandoning Camilla when she was just a toddler, Portia weasels her way back into Camilla’s world and has taken to meddling with her life. Although a very powerful witch, Portia is intent on drawing little ol’ Camilla to her side. The problem is, Camilla doesn’t know why her mother is suddenly interested in her, and frankly, she doesn’t care. She wants nothing to do with her mother.

For those of you who’ve never read any of the books in this series, let’s back up. Before Camilla had mommy problems and found herself taking on the role of a Supreme Ruler assassin, she worked at the national farm, being treated as little more than a slave. Camilla even bears the brand of Quinten Warwick on her arm. She’s a peasant, a nothing.

Everything changes when she finds out that her brother is being hunted down for a murder she knows he didn’t commit, or at least she’s pretty sure… All of that plays out in the first book in the series, called The Sacrifice of One. (Stick around until the end of this post for a special offer on this book!)

First, I’d like to draw the veil and take you behind the scenes of The Dark Ruler and the process I took to write this book. Like all of you, last year was different for me. Here in America, COVID struck in early March. Literally the week that everything shut down was the same week that I left my 9-5 job of nearly 10 years to write part time. Leaving my job was pre-planned and had nothing to do with COVID. Odd, I know... It was a weird time of transition for me.

The point is, I wrote The Dark Ruler during the pandemic. The lack of social gatherings really cut down on my commitments and I was able to spend a lot of time at my laptop clacking away. For me, this book is a positive part of 2020. It helped me survive it in a way and I’m not sure I could have written it as quickly as I did without quarantine.

As an author I often get asked what inspired me to write my books. That question is hard to answer. A million things have inspired me. So usually I just say something self-deprecating and change the subject…

In the case of The Dark Ruler, I had been thinking over this plot for years. The skeleton of this installment was in my head even while I was writing the earlier Camilla books. But I will let you in on one major inspiration. It’s a little bit of a spoiler, so let’s keep it hush hush.

In 2019 I married my best friend. The development of our relationship and our actual wedding event inspired certain parts of The Dark Ruler. There is of course a romance element to the Camilla books and much of that storyline in this book, is inspired by my own experiences of falling in love. I’ll stop before I get too gushy on you!

The Dark Ruler is available NOW! Make sure you go grab your copy. New to the series? You can read book #1, The Sacrifice of One, for FREE by CLICKING HERE and signing up on my email newsletter. If you love The Sacrifice of One, there are 3 more books in the series you can binge on!

One more thing. As a special gift to Kate’s readers, if you sign up for my email newsletter, not only will you get a FREE eBook copy of The Sacrifice of One, but I will send a bookish sticker pack to the first 50 people that sign up. 😊 Just shoot me an email at emily@emilyfortney.com and let me know that you signed up and came from Kate’s blog. Put your address in the email, and I’ll mail you a sticker pack! Sign up HERE.

It’s been a blast to chat with you all today. Thanks again to Kate for letting me post and tell you about my new release. You can read the full blurb of The Dark Ruler below and connect with me on all the social medias.

Today I will be hosting a virtual launch party over on my author Facebook page at 6pm EST. I’m giving away a bundle that includes a signed paperback copy of The Dark Ruler, a bookish candle and more. I’d love to see you there!

Happy reading!

~Emily

Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08STVZ476/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=emilyfortneya-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B08STVZ476&linkId=2247fdf3e4bdf37c044f02db71d5d3f4
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-dark-ruler/id1550458573?ls=1
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-ruler-emily-fortney/1138673746?ean=2940162275596
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dark-ruler  

5 Tips for Writing a Book Review That Readers Will Love - Guest Post

I'm so excited to welcome the lovely Savannah Cordova to The Magic Violinist today! She's written an excellent and comprehensive guide to writing enticing book reviews. It's the perfect how-to for new book bloggers and a great refresher for those who have been at it for years.

So take a look at the post below and be sure to leave Savannah a comment about what you enjoyed, as well as any extra tips you might have about writing reviews. Take it away, Savannah!

***

Book reviews might seem short and simple, but there’s more depth to a quality review than you may think! A strong book review can not only showcase the parts of the book that you enjoyed the most, but also your unique skills as a writer. To help you achieve both these things and more, I’ve compiled this list of key tips on how to write a book review that will help you pull in new readers and avoid some common pitfalls. Let’s jump right in!

1. Avoid the traps of plot summary and description

While it’s tempting to elaborate on all your favorite details (especially if you really loved the book), getting too deep into the weeds of a book’s plot can leave readers feeling like they’ve just read an extended synopsis.

So try to keep your book description to a short paragraph or two — some context about the story is still important, but it’s not what your review should be all about. It may be useful to compare your review with the official synopsis: if you notice significant overlap, consider cutting a few plot details and letting the reader dive into it themselves.

Then, as you wade into your commentary, challenge yourself to explain the reasons behind your claims. If you’re struggling with writer’s block on how exactly to put it, think about specifics. What made the book “impossible to put down” — the acerbic black humor? The witty dialogue? Gorgeous descriptions of fantasy settings that paint amazing mental images? Dig into what exactly made you connect with the story. Just remember, no spoilers!

2. Highlight standout aspects of the author’s style or approach

What did the author do that made you sit up and re-read a paragraph? Did they pose a dilemma that got you thinking? Or did they surprise you and defy your expectations?

Let’s say you’re covering a romance book that does a great job of satirizing common romance tropes, subverting your expectations in hilarious ways at every turn. Tell that to your readers (again, without giving too much away)!

To keep track of moments like this, bookmark the page or make a note when something pops out at you as you’re reading. It’s easy to get absorbed in a book and lose track of bits you want to quote, so something as simple as jotting down a page number can save you a great deal of time and stress later on!

And for a concrete example of how to underscore such signature elements, Kate’s review of Riley Redgate’s Final Draft does an excellent job of highlighting specifics without letting the analysis devolve into plot summary, or giving any crucial plot points away. It’s also a great model of how to do the following in a review…

3. Balance your praise with critique

The difference between the work of a thoughtful reviewer and the comments of any old reader is a combination of knowledge and tact. Your readers — and the authors whose work you review — rely on your ability to judge a work fairly. To demonstrate this, do try and balance your praise with critique (and vice-versa). Jay A. Fernandez, former book review editor for the Washington Post, puts it this way:

“Unmitigated praise is logically absurd. Every work of writing has its weaknesses, especially once personal tastes are factored in. It is your job to point to them, in a clear-eyed but tactful (and tactical) fashion that measures the work against reasonable standards for literature and/or its genre. If the prospect of hurting an author’s feelings causes you to hesitate [...] you oughtn’t be reviewing books.”

As a final note, you can absolutely agree with the importance of a book’s broad topics/themes while still disagreeing about how the author portrayed them! A diplomatic approach from the August Wrap-Up, about Kelly Yang’s Parachutes:

“[...] this story is HUGELY important for all of the representation it has and the topics it deals with: Asian culture, what it's like to be Asian in the United States, socioeconomic issues, sexual assault and the #MeToo movement, etc. So many important things were talked about in a really great way (and this is an #OwnVoices story!). But the way that message was delivered didn't totally work for me.” 

4. Give a verdict and demographic recommendation

It may be intimidating to give a definitive verdict of a book, but remember that this is the whole purpose of a review! Your audience wants to know your thoughts, and a concrete distillation of them helps readers make more informed decisions about whether to read a book themselves.

In your final verdict, you’ll want to briefly summarize what you’ve said and give as precise a recommendation as possible. For example, instead of saying “I would recommend this book to people who enjoy dystopian sci-fi,” what about “I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates deep worldbuilding, gritty & seedy underworld environments, or an unreliable narrator?”

By thinking outside of traditional genre boundaries like this, you can pull in more potential readers who otherwise might not label themselves “dystopian sci-fi fans,” but might be intrigued by the themes of the book as a whole. If you can get readers to expand their repertoires based on your review, that’s a major win!

5. Be honest and let your feelings show

A negative review that gives clear reasoning and constructive criticism does not make you “the bad guy,” and a 5-star review with no substance behind it can be more harmful than helpful. Being honest about writing that you think needs work (and giving an emphatic thumbs-up only when you feel it is fully deserved) reinforces your credibility and standards as a reviewer.

On top of that, your honesty not only helps other readers, but also authors! Thoughtful praise of a book can really motivate an author to keep going, and even criticism — so long as it’s delivered fairly — will push them to hone their craft. If you see problems but feel uncomfortable bringing them up, the author might never hear about or realize those concerns, and their writing will suffer for it. Your review has more power than you know, especially if you truly appreciate and believe in the author whose work you’re reviewing!

Finally, as any writer knows, it’s infinitely easier to write convincingly when you’re passionate about your subject. So if you have strong feelings about a book you’re reviewing, whether it’s frustration or awe or anything in between, let it show in your writing! It’ll make for a much more engaging read, and readers and authors will thank you for it.

***

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world's best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories — as well as the occasional book review!

What's the best book review you've ever written? Do you have any additional tips to writing a book review readers will love? Leave a comment!

THE SACRIFICE OF ONE by Emily Fortney - Author Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm so excited to be one of the blog tour stops for the re-release of The Sacrifice of One by Emily Fortney! Emily is a longtime writer friend of mine ever since I joined her writers' group in 2015 and having read multiple drafts of her work over the years, I can vouch firsthand for how much this book (and series) has grown. I can't wait to see it in the hands of other readers who will see how good it is, just like I've seen! Camilla Crim is a force to be reckoned with as a heroine; you should definitely get yourself of copy of The Sacrifice of One to see for yourself.

Please welcome author Emily Fortney!

***

I’m so excited to be guest posting on The Magic Violinist today! Thank you for having me here, and a special thank you to the multi-talented Kate for inviting me to tell you all about my book, The Sacrifice of One. Kate and I have been writer’s group friends for years, so when I told her I would be refreshing and re-launching one of my books, she offered to help.

The Sacrifice of One is a book I originally wrote back in 2016. It’s a part of my young adult, fantasy series called the Camilla Crim series. It follows a 17-year-old girl named, you guessed it, Camilla Crim.

Camilla’s been branded as a slave and forced to labor at The Supreme Ruler’s national farm for a pitiful payout. What little bit of money she does make is handed over to her drunkard father. Camilla’s days are a drudgery. The only good thing in her life is her big brother, and best friend, Tuor. 

One day, while leaving work, a stranger slips a cryptic note into Camilla’s hand that says:

I’m in serious danger. I need your help. Meet me at the church on Twenty-First tonight.

Tell no one.

Mind the key.

Camilla has no doubt that this note is from her brother. She finds out that he is indeed in serious trouble. Tuor is being accused of a heinous murder. He’s being hunted down by the governor, who wants Tuor’s head on a pike for his crimes. The problem is, Tuor is innocent, or at least Camilla is sure he is… 

By the time she figures out who’s behind this plot, it might be too late for Tuor, and he’ll have to go to the execution block. Camilla will have to face the truth. Will Tuor be sacrificed for the good of many?

I got the idea to write The Sacrifice of One years ago when I was just a teenager. I used to jot down little ideas here and there when I would think of something I liked. I pictured a heroine that was confident, feisty, and strong. 

But, I never dreamed that I could actually write a book. In fact, the thought literally never even entered my mind until I was well into adulthood. One day I just decided to give this story a whirl. Over the course of a few months, I wrote down everything in my head, and unintentionally wrote nearly the plot to the entire Camilla Crim series!

After some contemplation, I realized I was trying to cram too much into just one novel. So, I actually started by writing a prequel to this series which was set 12 years before Camilla’s story began. When I was done with that, I immediately turned around and started writing The Sacrifice of One and getting into the nuts and bolts of the story I really wanted to tell.

I drew a lot of inspiration for this series from my surroundings. One of my characters is named Leo after the street I grew up on as a child. The resident bad guy in Camilla’s story is named Warwick which happens to be the name of one of my favorite restaurants!

Although The Sacrifice of One was originally published in 2016, I decided to re-launch this book this month. I refreshed the manuscript and the cover and also widened the distribution by having it now available on Nook, Apple Books, and Kobo! 

For a limited time, I’m offering the eBook for FREE to anyone who signs up for my email newsletter here >>> http://eepurl.com/g0x0bH 

I’m doing a rabid release of books 2 and 3 in this series this year so if you enjoy The Sacrifice of One, you’ll get to binge on the next couple of books in just a few months!

Thanks again to Kate for letting me stop in and talk books with you guys. If this blog post can incite action from anyone (aside from reading my book), I hope it’s to write that story that you’ve had in your head. I went many, many years keeping it all inside when I could have been writing. 

Thanks again. Happy reading (and writing)!

Emily
Bio:

Emily has come a long way from building forts in the woods behind her childhood home. She’s the author of the The Sacrifice of One, the first book in a thrilling, young adult fantasy series. Born and raised in central Pennsylvania, Emily currently resides with her husband and shelter cat, and is vigilant about keeping her house well stocked with dark chocolate.

Blurb:

The proof of 17-year-old Camilla’s slavery is on the inside of her arm. A mutilated scar has been branded into her skin, W for Warwick. Forced to labor at Warwick’s national farm for a pitiful payout, the only good thing in Camilla’s life is her best friend and big brother, Tuor. 

When Camilla receives a mysterious note from a stranger, she has to face the truth about her brother: He’s on the run. He’s in grave danger. And he’s being accused of a hideous crime. Camilla would bet her life that someone has set him up, but who? If Camilla can’t prove Tuor’s innocence, he’ll have to face the executioner. 

As Tuor’s demise draws near, will Camilla find relief in learning the truth surrounding her brother’s crime? Or will she accept that he must be sacrificed for the good of many?

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0LB2H1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sacrifice-of-one-emily-fortney/1137127081?ean=2940162837282

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-sacrifice-of-one/id1516725794

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-sacrifice-of-one

Website and Social links:

Website: www.emilyfortney.com

Email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g0x0bH

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyFortney/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoremilyfortney/pins/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Emily_Fortney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoremilyfortney/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14217558.Emily_Fortney

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/EmilyFortney

Thin Space by Jody Cassella--A Book Review (Guest Post)

Please welcome my awesome blogging friend, Cait! :) Read her bio (located at the bottom of this post) to find her blog, Twitter account, and Goodreads page. Take it away, Cait!



REVIEW:

Oh my gosh…wow. I was going to start with a long sentence about why this book had my rapt attention and how I was deeply and emotionally involved in the journey of Marsh as – But then, I though, “NAH. LET THE FEELS SPEAK.” So you get “Oh my gosh…wow!!!” And a bunch of exclamation marks (like this: !!!!!)

I LOVED this book! (Surprise.) The combination of relatable characters, freakishly good writing, and a plot to die for (literally, in some cases), I was in love. This book got ticks in ALL the boxes. (‘Scuse me while I hug it.)

Okay, so the writing voice. Voice is a really hard thing to capture in books. I feel some books overdo the “teen tone”, while others get a good medium. But THIN SPACE rocked the voice aspect. I loved this writing! It flowed out of Marsh like the awkward screwed up teen he was. Not easy to pull off. PLUS, this book dealt with grief. It is dang HARD to write grief properly. There’s such a fine line between spending a book mopping or being too unemotionally affected. Again, THIN SPACE got an A+. Marsh’s balance between recovery from grief and just everyday thinking was perfect. Sad, but perfect. (He had right to be sad.)

Characters? Maybe I harp on too much about characters…but I LOVE them. They’re the flesh and blood of a book (literally, okay?) and if they’re flat or boring, then the book is lost (R.I.P. cookery books). Marsh is the narrator. He’s 16-years-old, just lost his identical twin in a car accident, and he’s in a fog. Of grief. His voice is tragic, awkward, and so poignant I honest-to-goodness thought he could be a real person. Maddie is the new neighbour. She’s cute and understanding, a soft kind of personality. But she has this freaking-annoying-way-too-much-testosterone brother who wants to beat Marsh’s head in for talking to Maddie. I dislike the brother (Sam) by the way. After the accident and Marsh dived into nothingness, Marsh lost most of his friends. People gave him space, but at the same time, they judged him. It’s so sad,

but it’s so realistic.

I tossed up what genre this book would be too: paranormal? Contemporary? It’s a contemporary feel, but with the mystical element of “thin space”, which is (in a nutshell) a “portal” between this world and the dead one. You can only find it in places where someone has been born AND died (not the same person, though). And you can only find it with bare feet. Hence Marsh spends half the book sliding around barefoot. At the end of the book, I honestly believe this IS a contemporary. It’s about dealing with grief and psychological escapes. It’s about creating your own healing as well as dealing with things. Is there such a thing as “thin space”? Maybe if you believe there is.

Now why are you still here?! GO GET A COPY AND READ IT.



Cait is burdened with glorious purpose: read all the books. She blogs (a lot) at Notebook Sisters and fangirls (a lot) about the Avengers. It’s a fabulous combination. You can find her on Twitter and Goodreads. Bring your cape.

5 Books That Have Helped Me as a Writer (Guest Post)

Note from MV: This guest post was written by my awesome blogging friend, storytellergirlgrace! :) You can visit her blog HERE. Please give her a warm welcome!

This post is probably not what you're thinking. I'm not going to list my favorite books about writing. Books about writing are good, but I believe that it's just as important for a writer to read plain good writing. A well-written story that inspires you is just as important as a grammar-and-syntax guide. So here is a list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite books that have helped me to be more passionate about my writing.

Wired that Way by Marita Littauer - This is a non-fiction book about personality types and how to get along with different sorts of people. It's not about putting people in little boxes of "this type of person, that type of person" - it is about how to understand people who might be very different from you, and learning how they think and why they act the way they act. Not only does this book help you to understand yourself and your loved ones better (and thus, maybe minimize relationship confusion and disagreements), but it can help you understand your readers. If you're writing for any kind of audience (as opposed to just writing a private journal or for your own amusement), then you will have readers who don't always think the way you think. Learning how to get along with people can really help you to not alienate all of your fans. Also, from a writing craft perspective, understanding different personalities can help you to develop characters. Just like every real person is different, your characters should all have some unique traits and quirky differences, too.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – Pretty much my favorite fantasy series ever. (And yes, it’s a series – but it still counts). My mom read these to me when I was little, and I've re-read them many times since. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe inspired one of the first novel-length stories I ever wrote and finished (okay, it was probably a novella - but I was in fifth grade). Fantasy stories - especially tales of ordinary people who find themselves involved with a fantasy world - has always been my favorite genre to read or to write.

Beatrix Potter's books - The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tailor of Gloucester, etc, etc. These classic children's stories were read to me when I was little, then I continued to read them as I learned to read myself. Fuzzy animals, gorgeous artwork, a touch of fantasy - what's not to like? And recently I've been reading more about the author herself, and her love of nature and love of good storytelling. A writer needs a few heroes or role models, I think, and writer/artist/conservationist/businesswoman Beatrix Potter is one of mine.

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson - This might be considered a "success" book or a "business" book. But if you're wanting any kind of career in writing (full-time author or otherwise), you need some business know-how. And who doesn't want to be a success at whatever they're doing? "Success" doesn't mean "money" or "status" - it means living up to your full potential and being happy with your pursuits and results. This books teaches on the basic principle of "doing a little bit every day" to succeed and achieve your goals. Great for writing, great for life.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - And The Silmarillion, and The Hobbit, and The Unfinished Tales... I haven't read everything Tolkien ever wrote about Middle-Earth, but I've read a lot. It's fantasy story-telling at its most epic, and heavily influenced by mythology. I was already a fan of ancient mythology in general when I first started reading Tolkien's stuff, and these books showed me that it was possible to channel that interest into my other love, writing. While Tolkien's writings are a tad verbose, and maybe even "old-fashioned" in certain ways, he did a masterful job of creating stories for a modern audience that still held all the mystery of those ancient myths.

What are some of your favorite books that have helped you to become a better writer? Leave a comment!