It is with great excitement that I can finally announce the upcoming release of another book! Mark your calendars, my dears.
Out of Darkness Rising comes March 15th!
This book has been a long time in the making. I cut my writing teeth on it way back in the day. It began as a short story. The short story became a novella. The novella found a publisher, and now, a good many years later, you will be able to read it in just a month and a half.
To say I’m over the moon would be a slight understatement!
In the meantime, scroll down to feast your eyes on this beautiful cover, watch the book trailer, enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy, and enjoy the rest of the goodies below …
Darkness reigns unchallenged.
When Marya’s parents are slain by the Serpent for their belief in a legendary king, she becomes an Outcast. Struggling to survive and avoid the vengeance of the Tribunal, Marya is torn between legend and the harsh reality of the Island. Yet when a forgotten promise springs to life, she cannot help wondering if the old stories might in fact be true. And if they are, will the promise prove stronger than the curse?
THE FUN STUFF:
- Visit the Out of Darkness Rising Pinterest board to get a sneak peak into the story. You know you want to!
- Add the novella on Goodreads to showcase your marvelously good taste.
- Meet Marya, one of the main characters. (Did I mention I enjoy throwing on a costume now and then?)
- Enter the giveaway! To celebrate this exciting occasion, I’m offering 3 Advance Reader Copies of Out of Darkness Rising so three lucky winners will have the opportunity to read the book before anyone else. The prizes will be shipped out to the winners as soon as they’re ready.Paperbacks are available only to US residents, but I hate leaving all you lovely folks across the pond out, so I’m happy to provide digital prize copies for y’all.
Thanks to these wonderful folks for highlighting Out of Darkness Rising on their blogs today and helping to spread the word! Y’all are positively the best.
Out of Darkness Rising looks awesome! I can hardly wait to read it!
My favorite dragon is definitely the Dragon from Tales of Goldstone Wood. He terrifies me. And it sounds like your serpent might be cast in a similar mold . . . :D
Yes, the Dragon from Tales of Goldstone Wood is just plain terrifying! Definitely shiver worthy.
Also, just so you know: you have an extra "h" in the "http" for the newsletter link.
Oh, thank you for pointing that out! It's fixed now.
My favorite dragon is the fiery one in Lord of the Rings. I can't wait to read DARKNESS RISING.
Thanks, Caryl! I can't wait for y'all to get to read it.
Dragons are my favorite thing, so it's super hard to choose my FAVORITE from a book. I mean, there's Smaug, who's all big and powerful (and actually tiny compared to previous middle-earth dragons). And then there's Donita K. Paul's horde of adorable little minor dragons and big riding dragons. There's Eustace as a dragon in Narnia, which is one of the most powerful moments in Narnian history (in my opinion of course). And I'm sure there are many others I've encountered or will encounter for the future. I can't just choose one! :D
Right, like Glaurung? He makes Smaug seem like such a decent guy in comparison. I mean Smaug actually gives Bilbo time to share a few riddles before trying to roast him.
I'm so glad you mentioned Eustace as the dragon! That's always been one of my favorite parts of the series.
That's so exciting! I love the cover! When I was younger, the Nazguls were always my favorite dragons. But there's a book called Seraphina that does an interesting take on dragons very well.
Oh yes, the fell beasts are terrifying aren't they? I haven't read Seraphina yet, but it's one that's one my list!
My favorite dragons are the ones in Bryan Davis' "Dragons in our Midst" series and sequel series.
Eep! So exciting! Can't wait to read it!
I am slightly ashamed to say I haven't read the Dragons in our Midst series … but I've heard lots about them!
I can't wait for y'all to get to read it. Only a bit longer!
I am so excited for Out of Darkness Rising, and the cover is gorgeous. I had already marked this as to-read on Goodreads before this post!
Aw, thanks, Ana! I absolutely love the cover too. It just makes me smile every time I look at it!
EEEE so excited!!! :D *flailing* It's coming, it's coming! ^_^
And I really love the dragons in Dealing with Dragons and the other Patricia C. Wrede books. :D They're just… fun. XD
I adore the dragons in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles! Not to mention Cimorene and Mendanbar! Basically the whole series.
I love that dragons work great as both the most terrifyingly horrific evil creatures in the world … and the funniest, sweetest, kindest creatures. Just depends on the story!
I think my favorite dragon is Toothless. I've always wanted a pet dragon :)
Toothless! Yes, just yes. I wouldn't mind him for a pet dragon, not in the slightest!
This looks really exciting! Choosing a favorite dragon is really hard. I would have to say Smaug and Toothless are my favorite dragons.
Those are both awesome dragons! Thanks for stopping by, Ekaterina.
Ooh… I love when there's any dragon in a story, but Smaug is one of my favorites. And I agree with a previous comment about the Dragon in The Tales of Goldstone Woods. They're both awesome. :)
Wholeheartedly agree on both counts! :)
I love when Eustace becomes a dragon in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It is just such a powerful image of greed/sin and God's forgiving grace.
That's definitely one of my favorite scenes in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and quite possibly my favorite from the Pevensies side of the series.
I agree with Bethany… I too loved C.S. Lewis's version of a dragon through Eustace in the, Voyage of Dawn Treader.
Gillian, I am SO happy for you and I can't wait to read this beautiful story. Love the cover art and the book trailer is awesome!
Thanks, Ryan! I can't wait for you to get to read it. :)
Your book sounds great!!!
There are so many cool dragons in books, but I think the dragons in 'The Dragonkeeper Chronicles' by Donita K. Paul are my favorite. The are so whimsical and varied.
Thanks, Ella! Oh yes, they are so whimsical, aren't they? And I love that there are different sizes and types and classes of dragons too.
:)
Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, of course! I love his animated half cat smile.
Not to mention the fact that he's a night fury, which is just completely awesome!
In my heart no dragon holds a higher place than Smaug the Stupendous.
I love how Bilbo works his flattery. By the end of it, Smaug was so buttered up, I'm surprised he didn't slip and trip over himself on the way out the door.
This book sounds great! I'm a huge fan of fantasy. :) I also like the cover design; it adds to the appeal.
There are so many dragons out there!
Favorite? I don't really have one. I like Saphira from the Inheritance Cycle, and Eustice (if you count him as a dragon, albeit briefly), and Toothless. I'm also fascinated by sea serpents.
I don't know why but I'm always drawn more to sea serpents than dragons … I've read so many fantastic books with incredible dragons, that I've never felt the need to reinvent them for my own use. (Though the Serpent definitely has some dragonish qualities.)
Still C.S. Lewis takes the cake! He managed to use both sea serpents and dragons within a chapter or two of each other in the same book!
Your book sounds wonderful! Who is your publisher?
Thanks, Meredith! It's being published by Magpie Eclectic Press, a new independent publishing company. Out of Darkness Rising is their first title.
Well, I'm not particularly informed on literary dragons (I don't actually read a lot of fantasy), but someone mentioned Donita K. Paul's minor dragons up above, and that made me remember how much I loved them! So, I'll go with the minor dragons from the Dragonkeeper series. :)
Despite not reading much fantasy, however, I am super excited for Out of Darkness Rising! I'm so happy for you and am looking forward to reading it!
Thanks, Rachelle! To me, it's even more exciting when someone who doesn't normally read fantasy picks up one of my books, so I really hope you enjoy it. :)
This book looks really great, if we (an international person) did happen to win would it be possible to still get a paper back, but only pay postage? I just love paperback books and don't have anything to read e copies on.
Oh and I so like dragons in stories…. Tolkien's dragons are the best though, probably since they were the first dragon stories I ever read…. or at least the first with dragons in them.
My favourite rendition of a dragon in literature is Tolkien's dragon, Smaug! :)
Smaug is just one of those classics. My favorite part is when he plays riddles with Bilbo. "Maybe Barrel Rider was your pony's name…" Clever old Smaug. Only a dragon could jest after barbecuing ponies…
I'm definitely adding this to my to-read list.
Thanks for stopping by, Susan!
Can't wait to read it!!!! is there going to be a squall to orphan song?
Yes, there will be! I'm working on it right now, getting it ready to send off to the publisher soon. :)
This book sounds great! My favorite dragon (so far) is from a not very popular book called The 2 Princesses of Bamarre….written by the author of Ella Enchanted.
Ooh! I just read that book the other week. Yes, she is a great dragon, a very complicated character, to be sure.
I've heard of that book but haven't read it yet. Is it good?
I can not wait until March 15!!! So excited but then you know that. My favorite dragon is from The Reluctant Dragon.
I love the Reluctant Dragon! So gentlemanly and well-mannered. And his tea!
I can just envision him sitting down to tea with Alexander, Destiny, and Wizard Doomsday…
Awesome cover! I can't wait for the book to come out!
Favorite dragon, hmm. I like the minor dragons in the Dragonkeeper's Chronicles. So cute! Friendly too, which could be a problem with some of the other fictional dragons.
Thanks, Emily! Yes, I like friendly dragons as well as fierce terrifying dragons. Honestly not sure which I like better. :)
Favorite Dragon, huh? I am partial to the How to Train Your Dragon ones, to Eustace from Voyage of the Dawn Treader, to Eragon's, to Mu-Shu in Mulan, and to Elliot in Pete's Dragon, to name a few. I am still getting acquainted with a lot of literary ones. So excited for you and this new book! Congratulations!!
Mu-Shu and Elliot! Both childhood favorites. :)
My interest is piqued. I can't wait to read this book!
Thanks, Kathryn! I hope you enjoy it.
Donita K.Pauls' little dragon's from the Dragon Keeper Chronicles are cute. :) The Dragons in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle are cool, too.
I haven't read the Dragon Keeper Chronicles yet, but the minor dragons in her Chiril Chronicles made me really want to have one too. :)
I really don't know. I have read quite a few books with dragons in them and I have enjoyed them all. I think I enjoyed Donita K. Paul's dragons from her Dragon Keeper Chronicles, and I also enjoyed Smaug from the Hobbit. :)
Thanks for stopping by, Mary! Those are are all great dragons, aren't they?
I have to gush. This cover is SO GORGEOUS! I LOVE the sea serpent! Every time I see it, I have to stop and stare. Gorgeous. :)
I couldn't pick a favorite dragon, there are too many wonderful examples in fiction. ;) In addition to most of the dragons already mentioned in the comments, I recently enjoyed reading about a dragon called Meenore, a detective dragon from Gail Carson Levine's A Tale of Two Castles. I love sea serpents as well but have found far fewer in fiction. :(
Thanks so much! I can't wait to get to hold it in my hands! *grins breathlessly*
I love Gail Carson Levine's books. So much fun!
Hmmm, tough one. I think that when Eustace is turned into a dragon in Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite.
Hi Sharon! Thanks for stopping by. That's one of my favorite scenes too! Such a beautiful image of how we can work and scratch and claw, but without help we can't get free of our old dragon skins.
Congratulations, Gillian. That is awesome you have two books published. I think I saw your trailer before which was fun. Looking forward to reading it. Will add it to my Goodreads shelf.
By the way, one of my favorite dragons is Toothless.
Thanks, Rachel! Yes, we released the trailer almost three years ago when Out of Darkness Rising was signed with a different publisher, but wanted to re-release it now that there's a new publisher and a release date! :)
And Toothless is an awesome dragon. If I was going to be a dragon rider, I would totally pick Toothless.
Looks like an awesome book!
Thanks for stopping by, Amanda!
Hurray! Can't wait! And…for my favorite dragon…that would have to be either Smaug or Toothless :)
I really like Smaug. As cool as taming/riding dragons is, I like them as villains just as much.
I must say I adore the old-fashioned, nameless dragons from myth and fairytales. It gets complicated when they become heroes! : )
SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK :) I adored Orphan's Song, and I'm just gonna buy everything you ever write, okay?!
Also, dragons. hmm. I just got the Eragon books because there is a ton of dragon-ness in them, or so I hear ;) I also love Smaug in The Hobbit, and the Wyverary in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making :)
Awesome cover!! Sounds like a good read.
Carol Smith. penelope223@yahoo.com