Thanks so much to the super sweet RaeAnne for hosting me ❤
Kingdom of Ashes and One Thing Every Writer Should Know
nightfall kingdom of ashes
Kingdom of Ashes is out!
Lovely bookish people! Today is my big day! Kingdom of Ashes is out and waiting for you to grab it!!!
Those of you who pre-ordered or won a giveaway will soon have fun gifts flying their way 🙂
One thing I learned about giftwrapping: Getting four different small chocolates per person instead of a single big one wasn’t my best idea 😀
Takes forever to assemble. Note to self: Just get big chocolates next time. Easy to wrap and people will be happier 😀
Thanks for sharing this journey with me ❤ Happy reading!
~Elena
Spotlights, blog reviews, giveaways, and more pre-release fun
With less than 2 weeks left to publication, things are getting exciting for Kingdom of Ashes! A bunch of blog reviews are coming in the next couple of weeks, and the first one is already up. Head out to Magic of Books to read Magda’s insightful thoughts!
Also, I was recently a guest at Cover2Cover, where I talked about the joys of being an indie creator.
And since no book release would be complete without gifts, below is a list of my active giveaways:
Kingdom of Ashes Goodreads Giveaway
I have 3 signed advance copies of Kingdom of Ashes, and I’m very willing to share! If you’re already on Goodreads, you can enter the giveaway here. If you’re not on Goodreads, what are you waiting for? It takes 20 seconds to create an account, and it’s a great way to discover new books.
If you win the giveaway, you’ll receive an autographed paperback and a character card of your choice.
I ship worldwide!
Best of luck and happy reading!
Kingdom of Ashes is on Goodreads
With less than four months left to publication, things are moving at full speed! Kingdom of Ashes is now on Goodreads, and a giveaway is on its way. Stayed tuned for signed paperbacks, postcards, and other fun gifts!
Nightfall Art: Armida and Prince Vladimir
If you are anything like me, then you:
- A) Dream to see your book characters illustrated,
and
- B) Cannot draw a believable humanoid if your life depended on it.
Luckily, this is where my personal superhero, TheSwanMaindeN, comes in.
When you get an artist to illustrate your characters, you can take different routes. You could describe in detail what exactly you want to see, you could give them complete freedom, or you could go anywhere in between.
When I asked TheSwanMaideN to illustrate my book cover, I gave her a detailed description of what exactly needed to be there. However, when it came to Armida’s portrait, I decided to try something different and to give her only a vague idea about the character. “You are great at drawing hair,” I said, “and even better at drawing dresses. Go for it.”
This was one of my better decisions because – surprise, surprise! – it turns out her imagination is way better than mine. What I got was this:
Seeking Inspiration: The Victoria and Albert Museum
What inspires you?
This is perhaps one of the more frequent questions writers get. What gives you an idea for a new character, new scene, new book? Inspiration is a tricky thing and can come from the most unexpected sources – reading a news article, watching a beetle crawl, hearing a stranger say a random word. When you go seeking inspiration, it is hard to say where you’ll find what you are looking for, but there are two main sources that are a great starting point – Art and Real Life.
Art could be anything – a book, a painting, a movie, a sculpture, a song. Real Life could be simple everyday conversations with the people in our life. Perhaps someone you know has an intriguing personality and you want to base a character on them? Or perhaps their past experience gives you a story idea? You can also get ideas from observing nature and from traveling and interacting with various people and cultures.
Museums are one place where art and real life meet. Here you can travel to distant lands just by taking a few steps. Besides inspiration they are also great for research – if your story is set in the past or in a place you have never been to, there is only so much you can learn from books. A trip to the museum can be a step into a different world and can give you a better glimpse into your character’s life and surroundings.
Since I’ll be living in London for a few more weeks before leaving the UK, I decided to make the best of what’s left of my stay and revisit some places that inspired me. The Victoria and Albert museum holds a few objects that influenced my writing. This post is about how you can use a trip to the museum to help you shape your story.
Kingdom of Ashes 