After starting this journey back in 2014 with writer friend Amy Miles, we have tied a little bow on our journey together but putting all three books together into one beautiful digital boxed set. Once we can do signings again, we’ll get it up in paperback, but for now we offer up this beauty.
It will go live on January 5, 2021, but pre-order links are now active!
IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE! Book 3 of The Hallowed Realms Trilogy: Isle of Glass is LIVE!
After 6 years of outlining, writing, editing, scrapping the project and reworking, and then writing again, Amy Miles and Danielle Bannister bring to you the final book in The Hallowed Realms Trilogy: Isle of Glass.
Devlin
A group of humans, banshees, reapers, and lorcan walk into Hollow Earth … It sounded like the start of a bad joke, but this was our insane reality. By Taryn’s side, I entered a land neither of us had ever been to, to fight battles with impossible odds, and dance alongside a destiny neither Taryn or I fully understood.
Taryn
Marching into Hollow Earth alongside my deranged lorcan brother is beyond mental, but what choice do I have? I have need of an army if I hope to overthrow King Baylor and free my people. But that means I have to place my trust in my sworn enemy. The fate of Netherworld and the Human Realm falls heavily on my shoulders. Only I can restore peace … but first I’ll have to walk through a literal Hell with Devlin to do it.
ISLE OF GLASS Book 3
Amazon Smashwords Kobo Nook Paperback
NETHERWORLD Book 1 (On sale!)
Amazon Smashwords Kobo Nook Paperback
HOLLOW EARTH Book 2 (On sale!)
Amazon Smashwords Kobo Nook Paperback
I was excited to dive back into this series and couldn’t wait to see what happened. From the beginning I loved the characters and the storyline kept me intrigued throughout. I must say there are some interesting little twists here and there and that made me love it even more. Not going to lie might want to throw your book at a couple spots too… but don’t especially if it’s a kindle or your phone… might not end well – and you will want to see how it ends. My only issue with it… it’s the last one! Or is it? Hey I can dream can’t I? -All About Books Divas
It was amazing! I can’t believe that this is the last book!! I never want it to end, but good things always come to an end and I couldn’t think of a better ending to this series than this book. Both Amy and Danielle made me leak out of my eyes. They made me smile until my face hurt and they made feel what the characters were feeling.
Beautifully written. The story line is perfect. Jumping back into this series was like visiting old friends, we picked up right where we left off. Sure there are going to be times your like oh crap and a cracker!! But those oh crap times are completely worth it.
Get Isle of Glass and see what is going to happen. You won’t be disappointed at all!! -Kelly McCurdy
I really enjoyed this series which was a collaboration of the authors of two different genres. Their styles meshed together beautifully to create an extremely compelling story. The wait for the conclusion was torture. Taryn and Devlin were an unlikely couple spanning 2 realms but they were determined to beat the odds to be together. Isle of Glass covers the adventures of 3 couples trying to survive Hollow Earth to get Seamus and Alana to the Isle of Glass and its healing waters. The ending was not what I had envisioned, but it was a perfect end to the series. Thank you Danielle and Amy for this amazing journey. -Jeanne McCartney
It seems like it’s been forever since my last release, even though Taking Stock came out in September. Since then, I’ve been in revision hell. My least favorite part of writing. A necessary evil.
But…
All that revision means there is a book about to be birthed. Book 3 of The Hallowed Realms Trilogy with Amy Miles is set to go to the editor on March 3. That means we are in the final read-through of the manuscript trying to get it as clean as we can before we send it her way. It’s a tedious process that requires lots of red pens. Not to worry. I buy them in bulk.
I’m also reading over the first draft of the script Randy Hunt is working on for our collaboration. This one will be super fun to start once we have a more finalized script to use as the backdrop of my next romance.
At the end of this month, I touch base with R.J. Keller to check the pulse of our collaboration, so, for now, that is a back-burner project. Excited to dive back into that one too! We’ll be back in March for some more Facebook LIVE videos too! You can check out the archives of that broadcast at, Between Two Couch Cushions.
I’m also in third draft revisions of a young adult novel, which is probably going to be a summer release? We shall see!
You can keep up with me on a daily basis over at my Facebook Group, Write All the Words, Danielle.
Okay, I guess I better get at it. Those words won’t edit themselves. I know, I’ve tried!
The life of a writer can be quite dull. We sit at a desk or a couch and we pluck words onto a screen that no one will likely see for months or even years. Often, we write with no one in the room except the muse. You write, essentially, in the dark. You have no idea if what you are writing is any good or not because no one has seen it but you. But, that’s as it should be. You’re busy molding. It’s not ready for the outside world. So it stays with you, and you alone. It’s the nature of the work, the solitude. And as an introvert, I do enjoy it. Most of the time.
Still, there are times you want to talk with other writers. Pick their brains. See what trouble the two of you can create. That’s where collaboration comes in. When you are collaborating on a story like I’m currently doing with three other writers on three separate projects, Amy Miles, R.J. Keller, and Randy Hunt, you are forced, as a writer, to let them see the earliest drafts of your writing. The ideas, the outlines, the crap that never pans out. They get to see your process. Which, let me tell you, is different for everyone. Amy writes pretty clean first drafts. All her thoughts she wants to convey are there so her edit time is smoother. R.J. writes her first drafts in part story, part notes to herself about what she wants the character to be doing. She’s a second draft fixer. Plugging her ideas into the story in that second draft. I’ve only just begun to work with Randy, but his pre-writing is bulleted/outlined. Each methodology challenges me to be a better writer.
This week I’m working on the collaboration with Randy while Amy returns home from vacation and R.J. recovers from the flu. The collaboration with Randy, will likely be the most challenging. Because the serious play Randy will be writing needs to, in certain ways, mesh with the romantic book I’m writing, we have to know, roughly, what the other is writing so we don’t contradict each other. For instance, I can’t have them rehearsing a two-person play if Randy writes a play with a cast of fifty. We need to have some parallels if we want this to work.
That means, we have to share our early ideas/drafts. He’s shared with me his outline for each act, listed his characters, and notes for major plot points. With that information, I now know who is going to be in my book. Those actors will be playing a role in my book. It’s kinda trippy.
I, too, had to share what I was working on, so he had a sense of how his play might mesh with my novel. I sent him the first six chapters, which is always nerve-wracking. What if this didn’t work with what he was envisioning for the collaboration? What if the voice of my piece clashed with his vision of the collaboration? The project would be over before it had a chance to begin.
Fortunately, he liked what I’d come up with and was anxious to start his play. I, myself, am excited to join these two mediums, that will have two very different themes, into an experience that can be enjoyed solo, or in duet.
Maybe this is why I enjoy having a collaboration project on my yearly slate. It helps me, as a writer, to talk to other writers. I feed off their energy and creativity. It helps me get my butt in the chair. Even if those words won’t be seen by anyone else for another year.
I believe in each of these collaborations. In all of these amazing writers I have the privilege to create with. I thank each of them for letting me tag along with their brilliance!
Hollow Earth by Amy Miles & Danielle Bannister
(Book 2 of The Hallowed Realms Trilogy)
Fantasy
Book Blurb:
Taryn
Ferrying the dead used to be my job. Kicking Lorcan arse was my duty. Now I’m stuck pretending to be a bloody Royal. Thanks to Prince Aed’s rash attempt to save my life, I’m forced to live under the Queen’s disapproving eye. I’m being whisked from one end of Netherworld to the other so Aed can court girls she deems more eligible than me. I am trying to accept my new role as Aed’s betrothed, but my rebellious heart refuses to leave Devlin in my past. As we draw nearer to the Wall separating my realm from the beasts of Hollow Earth, I can feel something is different. The Lorcan souls are changing and that scares the shite out of me. I’ll need Aed and his army by my side if we hope to win the war heading our way, but time will tell if that’s as a friend or his new bride.
Devlin
As a mere human, I never
thought I’d fall for a Banshee, but when I met Taryn as she came through the
veil of the Netherworld, I was lost to her. Once I find her again, I’ll get her
out of the womanizing hands of Prince Aed, get my best mate, Seamus, the help
he needs, before those evil Lorcan beasts strike again. Taryn has warned me
time and again about the dangers that lurk in her world and to stay away. I
can’t do that. Not from her. Even if it means I have to walk into hell to find
her.
Links:
HOLLOW EARTH (0.99 PREORDER. Will be $3.99 after release)
Amazon: http://bit.ly/HollowEarthAMZ
iBooks: http://bit.ly/HollowEarthBook2
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/HollowEarthSW
Nook: http://bit.ly/HollowEarthNook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/HollowEarthKobo
RELEASE DAY SALE
For a limited time, books 1 & 2 will be on sale for .99 Cents each!
NETHERWORLD
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ywehgv
iBooks: http://bit.ly/NetherworldOrder
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/NetherworldSW
Kobo: http://bit.ly/NetherworldKobo
Paperback: http://bit.ly/NetherworldPaperback
Nook: http://bit.ly/NookNW
MEET THE MAIN CHARACTERS
EXCERPT
PROLOGUE
Alana
There were only two things I knew for certain. The boat that had been carrying me to the Isle of Glass where Taryn said I’d spend the rest of my existence, now lived at the bottom of the sea. And two, I had no idea where the hell I was. The last thing the captain of my boat meant to ferry my soul to my final destination had said was to swim like I never had before. These awful looking things he called lorcan had overtaken the ship in a matter of minutes. He had said they were after the souls of those on board. One look at those hideous black beasts and my body was in the water, swimming for safety.
Those monsters were fierce. Twice my size, with scales, and decaying flesh. It was like an alligator crossed with a burned and decomposing body. The thought of them, even now, shook me to the core.
When you added my current reality of hiding in the woods with the fact that my memories of my time on Earth no longer existed, it equaled disaster. I had no past memories of my life before Taryn brought me through the veil. Only brief memories of my life since coming into Netherworld, and no knowledge of why any of this happened. Or how to fix it.
For several hours after I’d climbed out of the very same waters the lorcan attacked me in, I sat crouched in fear in the shrubs lining the forest. I didn’t dare run or make any noise in case the lorcan was still in the water. Thinking back on them made my blood turn to ice. I never wanted to see another one of them again. I waited and shivered as my drenched green velvet dress attempted to dry out in the shade of the trees.
With chattering teeth, I looked around, trying to figure out how to get help. Until I figured that out and, more importantly, how to make it to the Isle of Glass, I knew danger would lurk. Think, Alana. I gnawed on my lower lip as I considered my limited options. The only person I knew beyond the veil was Taryn. As a banshee here in Netherworld, she must have some idea of how to get me back and what happened. The only problem was I had no idea how to find her.
Surveying the lay of the land, I noted that on two sides lived woods. Behind me was the water I had fled from. There was no way I was stepping even a pinky toe back in that. Which only left the ominous looking wall that was off in the distance to my left. There was something about the sheer height of it that terrified me. Since it seemed to be my best shot at finding civilization, I had to try. Out here, alone in the woods, I was a sitting duck for the lorcan to find me again.
I shivered as I stood up slowly, making as little noise as possible. When the lorcan didn’t burst out of the water to kill me, I risked taking a few steps out from my hiding spot. Still nothing. Swallowing down my fear, I bolted for the fuller cover of the forest. My plan was to run until my lungs gave out, but I found I wasn’t tiring. It was the same as when I swam away from the boat. I guess it made sense. I was dead. I didn’t need to breathe, or eat, or sleep. I looked down at my fully formed body as I ran and wondered how my physical form could exist if there was nothing there to sustain it. Oh, this was all so confusing.
Sensing I wasn’t in immediate danger, I slowed my run to a walk to try to get my bearings. The vegetation all seemed normal looking. Trees like we had on Earth…I think. Tall and green. There were moss-covered stones, thick roots emerging from the ground. The occasional small critter scampering the forest floor kept my guard up. I kept the wall in my line of sight as I walked, making sure I didn’t get too close to the water’s edge. No sense in tempting fate.
I kept glancing towards the dense tree cover, waiting for something to jump out and scare me, when I noticed something dark along the shoreline. It was half in and half out of the water. For a moment, I thought it was a lorcan, so I froze in place, but as I watched, I noticed that whatever it was wasn’t moving. Still, it didn’t look like any carcass I’d ever seen…well, not that I remembered. It was maddening not to remember my life on Earth.
Against my better judgment, I walked a little closer towards the figure. From the safety of the edge of the woods, I watched for several minutes as the water crested over the mass. It was odd. Each time the waves receded, they seemed to drag a trail of black silt with it, disintegrating the carcass with each lap of the water.
Looking farther down the shoreline, I saw several others like this one, though each mass had varying levels of decay. From that point on, I opted to stay far away from the sea. Whatever was happening in those waters could not be good. They almost looked like the lorcan, but they were smaller, though no less terrifying. I wasn’t about to get closer to confirm it.
When I’d almost reached the wall, I noticed smoke. Tall, billowing clouds of dark smoke poured out of what appeared to be an entire row of fires spaced near the wall. They were all burning bright, save for one nearest the water. Its fire had died out.
Curious and still cold, I wondered if there was anyone manning the fires. There might be
someone there who could help me.
GIVEAWAYS!
To help celebrate our release we are giving away 6 swag bags total (US Residents only) and 1 Paperback with a Netherworld skull bracelet (US Residents Only) and of course some e-book copies (open internationally). These are being hosted on the author’s individual Fan Pages. Join their groups if you want to be a part of those giveaways!
Amy Miles: (Amy Miles Addicts-Official Fan Club) https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmyMilesAddicts/
Danielle Bannister: (Write all the words Danielle) https://www.facebook.com/groups/139656720171851/
As indicated last week, Amy Miles and I wanted to share with you the Prologue and Chapter One from our book Hollow Earth that releases Oct. 30. We shared the Prologue last week which you can find here and today we’re sharing Chapter 1 with you. 🙂
Three months later…
Taryn
Wearing a summer gown while travelling along the misty roads of the River Lands might not have been my best idea. Admitting I was daft enough to snub Aed’s thoughtful offer of a blanket was a hit my pride couldn’t bear. Not after he’d actually taken the time to seek me out, a rarity these days, before I mounted my carriage. Another dose of misery and boredom awaited me.
Each day was the same. Bumpy roads, an aching tailbone, and countless curses said to an empty carriage. On the big bumps, I made sure my drivers knew how much I appreciated their inadequacy. Eventually, even that grew tiresome as the hours and miles rolled by. I’d thought the gawking crowds that awaited us at each stop were going to be the most unbearable part of this grand tour of the realm. It turned out that loneliness was far worse.
For one reason or another, Aed’s best intentions to join me on travel days were thwarted. Sometimes the queen arrived in time to snatch him away. At others, it was his duties that forced him to ride in the king’s carriage. Perhaps the remaining was that he needed some space from me. Considering how turbulent the first month had been between us, I couldn’t say I blamed him. I had been a wee bit angry.
Okay. A lot angry.
After a month of wallowing in self-pity, not my proudest moment, I realised he was in this too. Aed didn’t have to risk his neck for my sake. He didn’t have to save my family from banishment. And he sure as heck didn’t have to give up his chance at happiness in exchange for marrying a moody bride.
Yeah. I’m girly enough to admit I was moody. Still am some days, but if you were standing in my shoes, you’d be too.
So, after my mood swing phase, I figured I owed him. Let me tell you that was one hell of a hard pill to swallow. I decided to try to show him my gratitude, but I wasn’t exactly good at that. Not that I was given much of a chance to express it anyways, what with his endless line of responsibilities. Our time together since becoming Aed’s betrothed was reduced to a quick wave and weary smile as one of us was dragged to the next scheduled event. Another eligible girl to meet. Another waste of my time.
If I had to attend another bloody tea party and pretend to be like the other women vying for Aed’s hand I would scream.
The whole grand tour turned out to be every bit the epic charade I’d envisioned. Fake smiles abounded. Twisted ankles on uncomfortable high heels waited around every corner. I should have been out warning people about the lorcan breach at the Wall. Instigating mayhem while trying to encourage a coupe against the Royals. Instead, I was stuck pretending to be a prissy princess-to-be. The very thing I hated the most. All because I wanted to keep my head.
What the hell am I doing?
Another rut in the road made my head bob. Not even the Royals’ transport could make this country lane a smooth ride. I reckon the seat cushion had a permanent outline of my arse on it by now. Staring at the king’s guards riding bareback beside my window, I longed to be among them. Riding free with the winds in my hair and my damn corset left in some mud puddle behind me. Instead, I remained trapped in an elegant prison fit for a lady.
Bugger all. Haven’t they learnt yet how far from a lady I am?
Within a week of the formal announcement as Aed’s betrothed, the queen’s seamstresses had designed an entire wardrobe of ball gowns for me. Not to mention bows for my hair, an array of jewelry that was far too gaudy, and corsets tight enough to make me risk fainting after the smallest bite of food. The feel of fine silk beneath my hands soured my mood further. I was being swallowed whole by horrid pink ruffles and lace.
Banishment beyond the Wall would be an improvement on my current situation. I looked ridiculous. Even Aed thought so, though he hadn’t come right out and said it. I caught his humored glances from time to time, and I didn’t find it funny. Not even a little.
Two months of touring the lands had left me weary and grumpy. I hated every minute of it. The rich food, when I was able to take a small bite, turned my stomach. The road seemed endless as we crossed from one end of Netherworld to the other. And the girls…what had Aed’s mother been thinking by selecting them?
I wish I could say they were dreadful women, but in all honesty, they were quite nice so far. In the ‘no way in hell they would ever be fit for a crown’ sort of way.
“Whoa,” my driver’s voice called suddenly from the front of the carriage.
I poked my head out of the window. “Why are we stoppin’?”
“The horses need waterin’ and a moment’s rest, my lady,” he replied. The ruddy-faced man hopped down from his seat. Mud splattered his pant legs as he stomped off through the ankle-high muck to unhitch the animals. I felt a sense of longing as I watched him lead them to a nearby stream.
What I wouldn’t give to be free of this blasted carriage. I sank back against the cushion and rubbed at my sore hip. “Great. Now it will take even longer to get there.”
“Moaning about that pretty little arse of yours again, are we? That’s the fifth time this week.” Aed’s smiling face appeared in the window of my carriage.
“Ya look vaguely familiar.” I tapped my chin. “Do I know ya? Seems like we might ’ave been friends once upon a time, but friends actually turn up now and again.”
“Aye. I suppose I deserve a wee bit of that cold chill coming off of you.” He reached for the latch and placed a foot on the bottom step. His moment of hesitation made me squirm. The gesture was evidence that he was preparing himself for another argument. One of my own making. “Mind if I join you? These blasted clouds are about to piss buckets on us.”
I shrugged. “It’s your carriage.”
Even though I knew I owed Aed for his kindness, and I had tried to show a bit of gratitude, I was still mad that he’d abandoned me again. And that was after he’d sent me a handwritten promise last night to join me on today’s journey. So, I felt like I earned a little bit of cold shoulder action.
Aed sank into the seat across from me. The weary groan that escaped him made me take a closer look. He looked tired. Bags had begun to form under his eyes. Not enough to detract from his rugged good looks, but enough for me to notice. Not that I spent a great deal of time looking him over. Nope. Not me.
“I see you’re in one of your moods.” He removed the ridiculous dress hat he was wearing and tossed it on the seat beside him.
“How would ya be knowing what my moods are these days?” I challenged. He needed to know that breaking a promise meant something. “I’ve hardly seen ya these past two weeks.”
Aed sighed. “Aye, you’re not wrong about that. And I am sorry for it. I didn’t mean to abandon you this morning. I had things to attend to—”
I rolled my eyes. “Ya dunna need to make another excuse, Aed. I get it. You’re a busy man. But ya need to be knowin’ I don’t take kindly to being let down time and again.”
“I know. All the same, I hope you understand it’s not by choice that I’ve abandoned you. Trust me, even with your mood swings you are far more welcome company than my mother or my father’s advisors. They are all so…pompous.”
His sincere words gave a small amount of relief to my frustration. Maybe a smidgen, if I were being generous.
“We should arrive before nightfall,” Aed said as he leaned towards the carriage window. A gust of early evening wind disheveled his hair. And just like that, the matter was settled. At least in his mind. He had a great deal to learn if he thought it was over for me. “I reckon there will be many townspeople who take to the streets for the spectacle, despite the dismal skies.”
The clouds did look pregnant with rain when I glanced up. Dark grey and overcast skies stretched across the rolling hills as far as I could see, which wasn’t far thanks to the trees on either side of the road whipping to and fro. The horses neighed near the stream, rearing their heads as another gust struck the carriage walls.
“I had hoped the rain would hold the people at bay,” I admitted and drew the curtain once more.
“Aye.” He grinned and leaned back. “I knew you would.”
It wasn’t just the people I dreaded. I didn’t like this area. It was too isolated. The road ahead looked harmless enough, but I glanced at the narrow path with distrust. Despite the company of Aed’s reapers riding with us, I couldn’t shake the feeling that our carriage would make an excellent target for some ill-minded thief. Especially with a storm brewing.
“Well, it’s about bloody time. We’ve been travellin’ for ages.” I stretched out my arms, arching my back to release some of the tension there. I was wound tight. That wasn’t surprising considering we’d been riding hard these past few weeks. Most of that time I’d been alone with my thoughts.
Sometimes it was hard to think that only three new moons had passed since Aed made his intentions to marry me known to all of Eimear. Oh, how the gossips had loved to tell that tale over and over. Not to mention my ma. She was the worst of the lot. She chose to gloss over the fact the queen had insisted on this tour as a way to try to persuade her son against picking me for his princess.
On that, the queen and I finally agreed. I wasn’t princess material. I’d been forced into this when King Baylor threatened my life and forced Aed’s hand to act. That didn’t mean I was ready to jump in bed with the guy.
Me? A blushing new bride? Hardly. I wasn’t the sort.
That didn’t change the fact I missed my family. Sure, they drove me mental and were a total mess on a good day, but they were my mess. If only my da were here. He would know what I should do.
There was no going back now. Aed’s plan had worked. My life, spared from his father’s wrath, for the moment, as long as I smiled and played my part. I’d vowed to do whatever it took to keep my family free from banishment behind the Wall. Even if that meant suffering the queen’s whims or being stuck right under the king’s eye where he could ensure I wasn’t starting some new riot. The easiest thing would have been to remove the edict to behead me for ‘attacking’ his son, but Baylor would never give a pardon. It would make him look weak, and that was something he did not abide.
But that also meant someday accepting Aed as my future husband. That was the part I was still struggling to grasp. I wasn’t the marrying sort. And the thought of what came after saying “I do” made my stomach twist with anxiety. Aed and I had developed a connection when we first met. There was no denying we both felt it. The physical demands of being his wife were a lot to take in.
Did I really want to share a bed with Aed? He was easy on the eyes, no denying that. I knew he’d had a great deal of experience in that arena, which could be interesting, but that was a huge leap out of my comfort zone. We hadn’t even kissed yet, and there I was worrying about far more than kissing.
What about Devlin?
The very thought of him sent warm tingles straight down to my toes and a burning blush to my cheeks. He had played the starring role in my dreams more times than I dared to count since Aed chose me as his future bride. Each time when I awoke hugging my pillow, I could still smell him— a delicious mix of earth and heat. The man was a potter, so I imagined he was good with his hands.
I wasn’t going to lie. Those sensations confused the heck out of me. Sure, the kiss we’d shared had been way too close to movie perfect for me to be okay with, but I wasn’t that girl, the one who swooned or got weak in the knees over some boy. At least, I never had been before.
Devlin was a human and was way safer in his realm than mine. We had no chance of a future together. Zip. Zilch. Not happening in a gazillion lifetimes. And yet…that was the kicker. There was an “and yet” lingering in my thoughts.
How could I marry Aed when my heart was still entangled with Devlin?
“You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you? Your human?” Aed said after several moments of silence.
It wasn’t until he spoke that I realised Aed had been watching me with the eye of a hawk. I wondered what array of emotions I’d allow myself to betray. After days on end of loneliness in the carriage, I’d grown lax at concealing my facial expressions.
Then it hit me that Aed had chosen to call Devlin a human rather than to use his name. Did it hurt or annoy him that Devlin was still in my thoughts? It was hard to tell because unlike me, he kept his facial expressions under lock and key.
Truth be told, this was the elephant in the room that needed tending to. Devlin was a part of my story, whether Aed liked it or not. With each roll of the carriage wheel, I rode farther away from what my heart longed for and closer to my fate with Aed. I had every right to figure out what the heck I was feeling. Or not feeling, for that matter.
One thing I knew for sure was that I was filled with regret over the thought of never seeing Devlin again. Of never being able to explain why any of this was happening. By now he must think me dead for intervening in his fight with Aed. I had struck the prince, a thing unforgivable by the king. Devlin knew when I left with the reapers that I’d risked everything for him. I wish there’d been some way to let him know I was still attached to my neck.
Try as I might, there was never a moment when I was without a guard near us. There’d been no way to secretly send a message to Tris. Or even my parents. I had no friends in the castle apart from Aed, and he was the last person I could ask to seek Devlin out.
Then again, would knowing I lived and was fated to marry another have eased Devlin’s mind? It sure didn’t mine.
“Would it matter if I was thinking about him?” I turned away from the window to look at him finally.
Aed thought for a moment. “I suppose it would make me feel better if my future queen was not still pining for another man.”
“I dunna pine for any man.”
When he shot me a knowing look, I scoffed and looked away. “My heart is my own. As is yours. I’m here. Isn’t that enough?”
“Aye. I suppose it is, for now,” he said as the carriage lurched and we took to the road again. “But there will come a day when it won’t be. For either of us.”
I knew that on the day I gave myself in marriage to Aed, I would have to let Devlin become part of my past. Marriage in my world was eternal. Divorce did not happen. And we lived very long lives. Well, we would if we got the lorcan mess under control, that is.
If we won the coming war, I would outlive Devlin by hundreds of years. No matter what, I would lose him.
“I just need time,” I whispered, not sure if I was saying it for his benefit or for my own. I wasn’t in a good head space, but I was trying.
“And you shall have it,” Aed replied, reaching across the seat to take hold of my hand. “For as long as I can give.”
When he said things like that, I was yet again reminded he was a good man. A man I could respect and who would treat me right. A man who would listen to my thoughts and see me as a valuable partner. Was love something I had any right to wish for given my place? I mean, I was a commoner. A life in the castle, while fluffy nonsense, would be better than living in poverty alone.
If only I could get my rebellious brain in check. And it was definitely my brain that was misfiring. I refused to even think about anything to do with my heart. I still wasn’t that girl.
I caught sight of buildings in the distance. The city of Padriag, our next intended destination, lived to the north where much of Netherworld’s logging occurred. Great trees, large enough to rival American redwoods, were felled and sent down river to the mills. From there the trees travelled by cart or boat to all the lands, supplying our people with building materials.
It was the closest land to my home city of Eimear, though I suspected that had little to do with why the king chose it. The lady of Padriag, Deirdre, was rumored to come from both great wealth and a beauty that might even be said to rival the queen herself. The king’s obvious appreciation for both turned my stomach any time he spoke about her.
“You’ll live,” Aed said. “In fact, you’re doing even better than I thought you could in such a short period of time. You aren’t the most graceful in heels, but I’m proud of how far you’ve come. Even Mother begrudgingly admits you’re trying.”
“It’s not like I ’ave a choice in the matter. It’s smile or die, isn’t it?” I pressed my hand to my leg, feeling the emptiness where my sheathed dagger should be. I hated how vulnerable I felt without it.
Aed pushed back into his bench seat. “I know you must hate me for dragging you into all of this.”
“I dunna hate ya,” I said, though I wasn’t sure that was entirely true. A part of me still wanted to blame him for a good many things. I’d never been good at needing people. Especially someone whose presence reminded me on a daily basis that he controlled my fate. “I understand why ya did what ya did, Aed. And I am grateful to ya for savin’ my life, but I do feel trapped.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
I laughed. “I don’t think ya can know what it’s like to be paraded around like a buffoon in ugly dresses and forced to pretend to be somethin’ you’re not. To ’ave your life always hangin’ in the balance, no longer your own.” I blew out a breath. “By savin’ me, ya forced me to be reliant on ya, and it’s bloody well suffocatin’ me. To make matters worse, you go and abandon me to do the journey alone. It’s a lot to bear.”
Aed sighed. “I never meant for you to feel like that, but I couldn’t let you die. I didn’t have time to think of how this would affect you beyond all of that. All that mattered was saving you at that moment.”
“So ya chose me out of pity, then?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Of course not.”
“Was it to stick it to your parents?”
This time he hesitated. “I won’t deny that your hatred for them benefits me. Overthrowing them won’t be easy, but with you by my side, I believe it can be done.”
I supposed that made logical sense. Who better to rile up his parents than the girl who had been a public thorn in their side for quite some time. It was a plan I could understand and even agree with to a certain extent.
“Ya know my thoughts all too well on how crooked your parents are. Not to be forgettin’ how they’ve bent over backwards and shown their arses to the lorcan. Aed, I can still be your ally without bein’ your wife.”
Aed smiled. “That’s what I love about you, Taryn. You always speak your mind, even when what you’re thinking is less than ideal.”
“Aye, and I’ve got a few more things I could be saying to ya if ya have a mind to hear ’em.”
His eyebrow rose with a challenge in his eyes, but he said nothing. I took that as a sign he was not of a mind, but some things still needed to be said.
“Havin’ so much time on my own has given me a chance to think about a good many things. One of them is you.”
“Oh?” Now he turned his full attention on me.
“Aye. How can I be trustin’ that ya won’t toss me aside when your ma or da throw a wobbly? We both know when it comes down to it, ya don’t love me. And I don’t love ya either. So all we ’ave between us is a shared hatred of your parents.”
“And a love for our people.”
“Aye.” I nodded. “And who’s to say that when the time comes and you’re pressed into a corner that ya won’t be choosin’ them over me?”
To that, Aed had no answer. If he had, I might have punched him for lying to me. I turned away from him to look out of the window as I worked to bury my turmoil. Already the city of Padriag was starting to come into view. The lights were not so bright or as plentiful as Eimear’s, but it was still a large town. There would be hundreds of people lining the streets, waiting to catch a glimpse of us.
If only the rains would begin to fall and save me from this next round of torture. I drew the curtain across the window as Aed shifted on his seat, crossing and then uncrossing his legs. Finally, he pushed off the cushion and came to sit next to me. His knee pressed against mine, but I didn’t move away.
“You know I would never see you harmed, don’t you?”
“Aye.” He’d proven his intentions at the very least. His follow-through was yet to be seen. For the moment, he benefited from this tour. But what would happen when his parents flat refused to let him marry me?
“And that’s not going to change, Taryn. I swear it.”
I wished I could believe him. I wanted to, with everything in me, but I knew his love for Eimear and our people were very strong. As it should be.
“You know? I still remember the first time I saw you. It was at the docks after the lorcan attack. You looked so fierce. No one, in all my life, had ever dared speak to me the way you did that day.” He laughed, shaking his head. “We are both so passionate, stubborn, and far more thick-headed than we should be. This may not be the fate either of us would have chosen, but I have to believe we can still be good for each other. We just have to give it a chance.”
“But is that what ya want? To settle for me?”
“I would not say I’d be settling. You’re a good person, Taryn. Any man would be lucky to have you.” He offered me a rueful smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Besides, since when did a prince ever get what he wants?”
It felt cruel to point out to him that his own father had stolen the throne and blackmailed to get his chosen wife, so I remained silent.
“We can do this.” He reached out to take my hand. The rough calluses of his battle-worn hands felt familiar and comforting.
“Aye.” I nodded in resignation. “I reckon we can.”
Being Aed’s wife would come with its benefits. The king and queen would never be able to touch me. My family’s future would be secured. Once Aed assumed the throne, we could fight and push the lorcan back behind the Wall where they belonged. We could find a way to restore peace and balance to our land.
Knowing that made suffering through this tour a little more bearable. I would continue to wear the stupid dresses and smile on cue. I could even make myself walk down the aisle and take Aed’s hand in marriage someday. But what I couldn’t do was find a way to let Devlin go. To turn my back on what might have been and pretend I was okay with it all.
“And Devlin?” I asked.
Aed lowered his gaze. “He is a part of you. I understand that and have no right to demand that his memory be taken away from you. But I do hope that someday you can see beyond him. I’m not such a bad guy.”
I smiled. “No. I dare say you’re not. I might even take a likin’ to ya someday.”
A hopeful smile lit his face. “Aye. I’d like that.”
“Until then”—I cleared my throat to break the mood—“I’ll be needin’ your promise that ya won’t let me trip in these blasted shoes when I dismount from the carriage.”
“On my honor, I will save you from yourself.” He crossed his arm over his chest in a cheeky oath. “Although, it might look good for the people if I’m forced to catch my swooning bride.
I scowled and punched him in the shoulder. “I dunna swoon and ya know it.”
“Of course not. Just like you don’t pine either. But a little fall could be used to our advantage.”
“Get your bloody mind out of the gutter.” I laughed and shoved him back. “I won’t be givin’ ya none of that any time soon.”
Aed held up his hands in defence. “I was only saying…”
“Aye. I know what you were saying. Just ya be rememberin’ that I’m usually armed.”
When he laughed, I realised how much I’d missed this. Over the past few weeks, I’d spent a great deal of time watching Aed when he didn’t know I was looking. I saw aspects of him as he dealt with affairs of the realm with a calm determination that reminded me he would be a good king. I was touched when I saw him stoop to play with a servant’s child in the courtyard or pick a flower for his elderly chambermaid. There was kindness and goodness buried beneath his devilish good looks.
But this knowledge only left my heart troubled. Was it wrong for me to be attracted to Aed? The more I noticed him, the more I worried myself over it. Devlin was a man both strong and true. Someone without motivation to someday use me for his own ends. I couldn’t trust that Aed wouldn’t do that if his people’s needs demanded it. Devlin wanted me and nothing more.
But he was a human. He didn’t belong in my world. Or me in his. My heart wanted Devlin, but my mind knew Aed was the logical choice.
If I did not find a way to accept my place at Aed’s side, we would all be doomed.
Danielle Bannister. author and sharer of all the first chapters
In preparation of the release of Hollow Earth which releases THIS month, Oct 30th, co-author, Amy Miles, and I are releasing two chapters leading up to the release day. Today, we will share the Prologue. Next week, Chapter 1.
Also, the pre-order link on Amazon finally went live! Woot woot!
There were only two things I knew for certain. The boat that had been carrying me to the Isle of Glass where Taryn said I’d spend the rest of my existence, now lived at the bottom of the sea. And two, I had no idea where the hell I was. The last thing the captain of my boat meant to ferry my soul to my final destination had said was to swim like I never had before. These awful looking things he called lorcan had overtaken the ship in a matter of minutes. He had said they were after the souls of those on board. One look at those hideous black beasts and my body was in the water, swimming for safety.
Those monsters were fierce. Twice my size, with scales, and decaying flesh. It was like an alligator crossed with a burned and decomposing body. The thought of them, even now, shook me to the core.
When you added my current reality of hiding in the woods with the fact that my memories of my time on Earth no longer existed, it equaled disaster. I had no past memories of my life before Taryn brought me through the veil. Only brief memories of my life since coming into Netherworld, and no knowledge of why any of this happened. Or how to fix it.
For several hours after I’d climbed out of the very same waters the lorcan attacked me in, I sat crouched in fear in the shrubs lining the forest. I didn’t dare run or make any noise in case the lorcan was still in the water. Thinking back on them made my blood turn to ice. I never wanted to see another one of them again. I waited and shivered as my drenched green velvet dress attempted to dry out in the shade of the trees.
With chattering teeth, I looked around, trying to figure out how to get help. Until I figured that out and, more importantly, how to make it to the Isle of Glass, I knew danger would lurk. Think, Alana. I gnawed on my lower lip as I considered my limited options. The only person I knew beyond the veil was Taryn. As a banshee here in Netherworld, she must have some idea of how to get me back and what happened. The only problem was I had no idea how to find her.
Surveying the lay of the land, I noted that on two sides lived woods. Behind me was the water I had fled from. There was no way I was stepping even a pinky toe back in that. Which only left the ominous looking wall that was off in the distance to my left. There was something about the sheer height of it that terrified me. Since it seemed to be my best shot at finding civilization, I had to try. Out here, alone in the woods, I was a sitting duck for the lorcan to find me again.
I shivered as I stood up slowly, making as little noise as possible. When the lorcan didn’t burst out of the water to kill me, I risked taking a few steps out from my hiding spot. Still nothing. Swallowing down my fear, I bolted for the fuller cover of the forest. My plan was to run until my lungs gave out, but I found I wasn’t tiring. It was the same as when I swam away from the boat. I guess it made sense. I was dead. I didn’t need to breathe, or eat, or sleep. I looked down at my fully formed body as I ran and wondered how my physical form could exist if there was nothing there to sustain it. Oh, this was all so confusing.
Sensing I wasn’t in immediate danger, I slowed my run to a walk to try to get my bearings. The vegetation all seemed normal looking. Trees like we had on Earth…I think. Tall and green. There were moss-covered stones, thick roots emerging from the ground. The occasional small critter scampering the forest floor kept my guard up. I kept the wall in my line of sight as I walked, making sure I didn’t get too close to the water’s edge. No sense in tempting fate.
I kept glancing towards the dense tree cover, waiting for something to jump out and scare me, when I noticed something dark along the shoreline. It was half in and half out of the water. For a moment, I thought it was a lorcan, so I froze in place, but as I watched, I noticed that whatever it was wasn’t moving. Still, it didn’t look like any carcass I’d ever seen…well, not that I remembered. It was maddening not to remember my life on Earth.
Against my better judgment, I walked a little closer towards the figure. From the safety of the edge of the woods, I watched for several minutes as the water crested over the mass. It was odd. Each time the waves receded, they seemed to drag a trail of black silt with it, disintegrating the carcass with each lap of the water.
Looking farther down the shoreline, I saw several others like this one, though each mass had varying levels of decay. From that point on, I opted to stay far away from the sea. Whatever was happening in those waters could not be good. They almost looked like the lorcan, but they were smaller, though no less terrifying. I wasn’t about to get closer to confirm it.
When I’d almost reached the wall, I noticed smoke. Tall, billowing clouds of dark smoke poured out of what appeared to be an entire row of fires spaced near the wall. They were all burning bright, save for one nearest the water. Its fire had died out.
Curious and still cold, I wondered if there was anyone manning the fires. There might be someone there who could help me. Just as I was about to step foot out of the shadow of the trees to inspect the scene more closely, a massive hulk of a man appeared out of nowhere in front of me.
I jumped back, tripping over my skirts, and screamed. My arms pin-wheeled as my feet tangled on a root and landed flat on my backside.
“Peace, child. I mean you no harm.”
My hands had instinctively raised over my head in a feeble attempt to protect myself from danger. Still terrified, I risked a glance through my hands and got a closer look at the man before me. He was nearly two metres tall, clean-shaven, with blond hair and dark brown eyes. Yet, it was his massive torso that held my attention. I could fit two of myself against his chest. The man had a savage yet gentle manner about him.
“Who are you?” I asked, trying to assess if he was a friend or an enemy.
“I might ask the same of you, lass.” He extended a long arm out to help me up.
I looked at his hand, pondering whether to take it or not. Would someone who wanted me dead offer to help me to stand up? That seemed unlikely, so I reached out and took his hand.
He lifted me as though I weighed little more than a feather. As he hoisted me up, I noticed he was wearing some sort of leather armor. He looked like he had come off the pages of a fantasy novel. On his arms lived a spider web of black scars much like the ones Taryn had on her face. His entire persona screamed warrior, and I couldn’t help be comforted by that.
It hit me then how beautiful he was. He was the sort of man I should feel attracted to, but for some reason, he didn’t stir any physical emotion for me. I wondered if I was even capable of feeling desire in this half-life I was stuck in.
“My name is Alana—” I said but then frowned when I tried to recall my last name. Why can’t I remember something so easy? I have to have a last name, don’t I?
“I’m Eivin.” He raised an eyebrow as he took in my sad state. “It’s not safe for you to be wandering in these woods. Especially this close to the Wall.” He reached down and picked up the edge of my dress. “You’re soaking wet. What happened to you?” His massive hand went instinctively to his blade as he scanned the horizon. “Did someone attack you?”
“My boat was,” I said, relieved that I had found someone to tell. “Everyone aboard is dead. I barely made it to the shore.”
Eivin’s nostrils flared as he walked past me, still searching for the danger.
“Who attacked you?” he asked from behind me.
“Lorcan.”
Eivin turned back to me. A look of doubt lay on his face, so I felt compelled to tell him the rest.
“That’s what the captain called them…before he was killed. Lorcan.” I shivered at the memory. “One minute I was heading for the Isle of Glass, the next these black things were killing everyone around me.”
Eivin came back to me and took me by the arm, forcing me to look at him.
“You were bound for the Isle of Glass?” His eyes seemed to be searching for a lie that wasn’t there.
I nodded. I got the sense that my being here wasn’t a good thing. “Do you know what those things are?” I asked. “Are we safe here on land? Do they only live in the water? What do they want?” I rattled off a million questions because he seemed to understand what I was saying. I prayed he had the answers about how to fix it all.
“That’s impossible,” he said, brushing past me and walking towards the line of the sea.
“Stay away from the water!” I shouted. “They might attack you.”
He turned to look at me. “The lorcan don’t like water. They avoid it at all costs.” Eivin turned and pointed towards the wall, which I now noticed was not gated along the edge of the water. “That’s why there is no wall along the edge. Which makes me curious how a lorcan could have possibly attacked your boat. An attack on a Transition Centre boat has never occurred before.” He crossed his arms over his chest, challenging my story.
“It wasn’t one lorcan. It was a swarm of them,” I said. “They swam, in the water, like a herd of crocodiles. I saw them climb up the boat myself. I barely made it out alive before they ripped everything on board to shreds!” I realised I was screaming, but he had to believe me.
“Describe them to me,” Eivin asked, watching me with doubt in his eyes.
He didn’t believe me. Fine. I’d have to convince him I was telling the truth then.
“Well, they were massive to start with, way bigger than even you! And they had claws,” I said, remembering the size of their hands. “The sailors were throwing harpoons at them as they swam towards the ships, but they bounced right off their backs! Nothing seemed to be able to stop them.” My mind fought with the memories I had wanted to forget. “Their mouths”—I recalled—“their mouths were like an alligator’s. I’m telling you, Eivin, they weren’t human!” I paused and looked at him. “I don’t know what a human is anymore. Am I still one? Are you?” My heart was racing, trying to figure out the logic of it all.
“Breathe, lass. Finish your story. We can sort the rest out later.”
I nodded, happy to focus on something else other than my panic. “The captain said they were lorcan. I remember that term precisely. He said they were after our souls. He told me to abandon ship. Which I did as soon as I heard the screams of the people below deck.” I flinched at the memory. “When I got to the shore…the ship was gone. There was nothing left. Not even a floating board. I don’t know what happened, Eivin, but you have to believe me. Those things are in the water!”
Eivin’s eyes were no longer narrowed. His face had registered a new expression I couldn’t read.
“Aye, that sounds like lorcan.” He walked away from the water to look again at the wall. “How did they survive in the water, though?” His voice was quiet. “In all my years as a reaper, I have never once seen a lorcan go near it.”
“Is it possible they can go in but can’t survive there for long?” I offered.
Eivin turned to look at me, not understanding me.
“Well, that would explain the rotting corpses all along the shore. Have you not seen them?”
Eivin pulled a sword out so fast it shocked me. “Show me.”
Reluctantly, I took him to the remains I had seen by the water. I stood back by the trees as Eivin poked at the black blobs with his sword. I marveled at how the blade seemed to be crafted out of glass. As he touched his sword against the corpse, the section his sword touched crumbled into a heap like ash. He poked at the thing a few more times until it was little more than dust floating in the wind.
“This makes no sense,” he said.
“None of this does to me,” I confessed.
Eivin continued to poke at the corpses, watching them disintegrate. “I was afraid of this. That’s why I insisted on the fires on both sides of the Wall. I feared they might have found a way out.” He looked back at the wall. “But where?”
“Eivin. I’m scared,” I admitted. Though I didn’t know him at all, he was the only person I’d come across. “Taryn never mentioned lorcan at all when she took me to the Transition Centre.”
“Taryn? You know my cousin?”
I blinked up at him. “She’s your cousin? Thank God. I didn’t know how I was going to reach her. She was the banshee who collected my soul.” Hope flooded me. “Do you know where she is? She is the only one I know who might be able to help me get back to the Isle of Glass.”
Eivin’s face darkened.
“Aye,” he said. “I know where she is. But she’s in the castle, and I can’t just send ya there. Her situation is…delicate at the moment. I need to talk to Aed. He’ll know what to do.” He took another look at my dress. “Come on, lass. Let’s find you something dry to wear before ye catch your death.”
“Already dead, remember?”
“Right. Sorry. I’ve never run into one of your kind outside the Transition Centre. It’s unheard of. But you’re right. If anyone knows the answer, it’ll be Taryn.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. Finally, something was going my way. “Do you know what those things are?” I asked. “Are we safe here on land? Do they only live in the water? What do they want?” I rattled off a million questions because he seemed to understand what I was saying. I prayed he had the answers about how to fix it all.
“That’s impossible,” he said, brushing past me and walking towards the line of the sea.
“Stay away from the water!” I shouted. “They might attack you.”
He turned to look at me. “The lorcan don’t like water. They avoid it at all costs.” Eivin turned and pointed towards the wall, which I now noticed was not gated along the edge of the water. “That’s why there is no wall along the edge. Which makes me curious how a lorcan could have possibly attacked your boat. An attack on a Transition Centre boat has never occurred before.” He crossed his arms over his chest, challenging my story.
“It wasn’t one lorcan. It was a swarm of them,” I said. “They swam, in the water, like a herd of crocodiles. I saw them climb up the boat myself. I barely made it out alive before they ripped everything on board to shreds!” I realised I was screaming, but he had to believe me.
“Describe them to me,” Eivin asked, watching me with doubt in his eyes.
He didn’t believe me. Fine. I’d have to convince him I was telling the truth then.
“Well, they were massive to start with, way bigger than even you! And they had claws,” I said, remembering the size of their hands. “The sailors were throwing harpoons at them as they swam towards the ships, but they bounced right off their backs! Nothing seemed to be able to stop them.” My mind fought with the memories I had wanted to forget. “Their mouths”—I recalled—“their mouths were like an alligator’s. I’m telling you, Eivin, they weren’t human!” I paused and looked at him. “I don’t know what a human is anymore. Am I still one? Are you?” My heart was racing, trying to figure out the logic of it all.
“Breathe, lass. Finish your story. We can sort the rest out later.”
I nodded, happy to focus on something else other than my panic. “The captain said they were lorcan. I remember that term precisely. He said they were after our souls. He told me to abandon ship. Which I did as soon as I heard the screams of the people below deck.” I flinched at the memory. “When I got to the shore…the ship was gone. There was nothing left. Not even a floating board. I don’t know what happened, Eivin, but you have to believe me. Those things are in the water!”
Eivin’s eyes were no longer narrowed. His face had registered a new expression I couldn’t read.
“Aye, that sounds like lorcan.” He walked away from the water to look again at the wall. “How did they survive in the water, though?” His voice was quiet. “In all my years as a reaper, I have never once seen a lorcan go near it.”
“Is it possible they can go in but can’t survive there for long?” I offered.
Eivin turned to look at me, not understanding me.
“Well, that would explain the rotting corpses all along the shore. Have you not seen them?”
Eivin pulled a sword out so fast it shocked me. “Show me.”
Reluctantly, I took him to the remains I had seen by the water. I stood back by the trees as Eivin poked at the black blobs with his sword. I marveled at how the blade seemed to be crafted out of glass. As he touched his sword against the corpse, the section his sword touched crumbled into a heap like ash. He poked at the thing a few more times until it was little more than dust floating in the wind.
“This makes no sense,” he said.
“None of this does to me,” I confessed.
Eivin continued to poke at the corpses, watching them disintegrate. “I was afraid of this. That’s why I insisted on the fires on both sides of the Wall. I feared they might have found a way out.” He looked back at the wall. “But where?”
“Eivin. I’m scared,” I admitted. Though I didn’t know him at all, he was the only person I’d come across. “Taryn never mentioned lorcan at all when she took me to the Transition Centre.”
“Taryn? You know my cousin?”
I blinked up at him. “She’s your cousin? Thank God. I didn’t know how I was going to reach her. She was the banshee who collected my soul.” Hope flooded me. “Do you know where she is? She is the only one I know who might be able to help me get back to the Isle of Glass.”
Eivin’s face darkened.
“Aye,” he said. “I know where she is. But she’s in the castle, and I can’t just send ya there. Her situation is…delicate at the moment. I need to talk to Aed. He’ll know what to do.” He took another look at my dress. “Come on, lass. Let’s find you something dry to wear before ye catch your death.”
“Already dead, remember?”
“Right. Sorry. I’ve never run into one of your kind outside the Transition Centre. It’s unheard of. But you’re right. If anyone knows the answer, it’ll be Taryn.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. Finally, something was going my way.
Look for Chapter 1 next week! Until then…
It’s been a few days since I’ve returned from St. Louis and I feel like my brain is now finally ready to process all of the wonderfulness that happened at Penned Con 2018.
I arrived early, on Tuesday to help the event coordinators, and my co-author/bestie, Amy Miles and her husband, Rick Miles set up. There was MUCH work to be done before the swarm of 180 authors showed up on Thursday.
Thursday night was a string of Author Education Panels. Topics included, Facebook Ads, Networking How To, Smashwords Insights, Shared Worlds, Publishing Secrets, Dealing with Doubt, Pantsting or Plotting, Types of Editors, Author Frustrations and Swag. Guess which one I moderated? Yup. It’s all about the swag! hehe.
After dinner, we got to set up our tables for the signing…
Then, that evening, we had a Murder Mystery show! I was one of the actors for the night. I got to play a lounge singer/harlot. I put on a thick southern accent. Many people thought I did it. But I was innocent I tell ya!
On Friday, we were treated to WALL STREET JOURNAL & USA TODAY BESTSELLING & AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, Amy Bartol’s keynote speech about her writing journey. What an inspiration!
Promptly at 10 am, the signing doors were opened and the readers (about 900 of them over the course of the weekend) flooded in. I honestly don’t remember much of those first few hours. They were a blur of activity! From 1-3 the rooms closed down for lunch where the authors were treated to a 3-course sit-down lunch!
After lunch, I was on a panel for the Havenwood Falls author group (top photo.) Followed by a night of dancing hosted by Red Coat PR. There was a lip sync battle that I participated in. We performed (and won) to the opening credit song of Outlander! The cardboard cut-out of Jamie was such a hit that we decided to auction him off for the charity (All profit from this event goes to Action for Autism based in St. Louis.) Best Selling author, Jamie McGuire, bought the cut out for $155. She even slow danced with him after. It was priceless!
Saturday brought another great keynote speaker, New York Times Best Selling Author, Meredith Wild. Her keynote told us about her journey as a writer. She is a workhorse! I was so impressed with what she had achieved!
From 10-4 we had more time for signings. One of the biggest treats of the weekend was when I got to meet a long time fan (and his boyfriend) at the event. So glad to finally meet you in person Andrew!!!! I was on a high for the rest of the day after that!
Around 3:00 I went to a panel on Flash Fiction (group photo below). Little did I know that I would be writing fiction, ON THE SPOT, with insane prompts from the audience! Thanks to Smashwords Founder, Mark Coker, for filming it all. So much laughter.
After helping break down the signing rooms so they could make way for our dinner, it was time for the Roaring 20s party. Oh, the shenanigans we got up to on Saturday!
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That IS a bearded man in a flapper dress. Each year, the event coordinator, Rick Miles, does something wild and crazy to raise more money for the charity. He’s a good sport for doing all the things suggested year after year. This year, Penned Con helped raise $13,488 dollars for Action for Autism/AFA Academy. Bringing their 5-year-total to over $63,000! This is one of the big reasons I go to Penned. Yes, I have a blast, and I get to hang out with author friends and readers, but it’s also for a great cause.
I would be remiss if I didn’t spend a second on all of the food at Penned.
Each year special cookies are donated and this year they were amazing!!! We got another 3-course meal for the Roaring 20s party (there were butter balls! Yes, I amuse easily) and tons of cupcakes! The burger was at the airport on the way home and I am still dreaming of another one. YUMMM.
Tables have already sold out for next year (within 36 hours!) If you ever get a chance to go as an author or a reader, I suggest you do. It is fun for everyone!
A few burning questions for the authors of Hollow Earth, book 2 of The Hallowed Realms Trilogy, Amy Miles and Danielle Bannister.
Firstly, how did this trilogy come together? You both write in different genres. Why did you come together for this?
AMY: I’ve always wanted to co-write a book. Being able to write with my best friend, Danielle was a total bonus. We have completely different writing styles so I knew it would be challenging, but it’s been a great experience.
DANIELLE: Amy’s specialty is blood, guts, gore, and kick-ass heroines. My area is in giving normal, everyday characters all the feels. So why couldn’t a romance writer and a fantasy writer blend their styles? It seemed logical to us, haha.
With one book, Netherworld, under your belts as co-authors, how was this second book to write? Easier? Harder?
AMY: I would say that book 2 was a lot easier to write. We have worked through a lot of the kinks that came up during book 1. Writing long distance isn’t easy. Sure, we can hop onto FB messenger and chat about stuff but being in the same room has proven vital to writing our best work. So our mini-cave writing sessions in Maine are crucial for us to organize the book so that we are both on the same page. We also had a better feel for the characters this time around and how to blend our writing styles together in a (hopefully) cohesive way.
DANIELLE: Yes, this book flowed faster. The major reason for that, I think, is the week we spend together in the same state, in the same room, writing at the same time. Writing online is great and all, but in that one week, we were able to accomplish ¾ of the first draft of the book. There is just something about being in the same physical space that helps focus and drive the plot forward faster.
You recently had a cover reveal but you actually had the cover done long before the reveal, right?
AMY: Danielle loves to make fun of me but I have to have a completed cover before I can start writing a new book. I’m a visual author so I need to be able to see the characters. And sometimes that means having the cover done a year in advance.
DANIELLE: We actually have the idea for book 3 as well, though we need to agree on that last image, but stylistically, we know what we want it to look like, which really makes the cover designing easier all around.
When we last left the characters in Netherworld, they were in some pretty cliffhanger type situations. Does Book 2 pick right up from there or is there time away from it?
AMY: My part of the book begins three months after the end of Netherworld. Poor Taryn has been whisked into the chaos of life as a royal and forced to join Prince Aed’s grand tour of the realm in search of a more “suitable” bride. Needless to say, Taryn hates every minute of it, haha.
DANIELLE: The first chapter is literally seconds after book 1 ends, then we progress to three months later, so hopefully, readers will be all caught up without too much pesky recapping.
What is one thing you want readers to know about Hollow Earth?
AMY: Things are about to get real. There is more danger, more tension, and of course more romantic elements.
DANIELLE: It does what a second novel should. Raises the stakes and furthers the character arcs and the overall story arc. That said, I like that this book gets to dive deeper into character building. My favorite thing! And Amy still gets plenty of time to tear things apart. Win, win!
The third book in the trilogy, Isle of Glass, when do you think that will come out?
AMY: The first two books have released in October so that’s the goal. I can’t wait for everyone to read this epic conclusion. It’s going to be a wild ride!
DANIELLE: When we first started planning this trilogy, the plan was always to release one a year, so life willing, that’s going to be the plan for book 3.
You can catch their first author interview when Netherworld came out by clicking here: https://wp.me/p1Jceq-St
Several years ago, Amy Miles, and I had this crazy idea to write a trilogy together. We wanted to blend my romantic style of writing with her fantasy world building style. A Banshee and a Human forced together in the same world. How fun might that be? Thus began a labor of love that spanned several years and took many turns.
As we near the end of the edits of Book 2, Hollow Earth, I thought it might be fun to share my typical editing process. Each book is a bit different, but this is roughly how it goes.
Draft 1. The Magic Draft. EVERYTHING I write in draft one is gold. I don’t stop. I don’t re-read. I don’t edit. I push forward allowing the word vomit to fall where it may. I love draft 1.
Drafts 2-3. Oh boy. There sure is a mess to clean up here. The engineer hat goes on and I try to piece together all the thoughts I was trying to formulate in the draft 1 into a cohesive story. These drafts take the longest, and it feels like I’ve ALWAYS got a book in this phase. ha.
Draft 4-5. Self-edit hat on. Okay, this is starting to look like a book. Minor fixes, a few paragraphs added or deleted. Plot holes firmed up. Almost time for the editor.
Draft 6. Print off the manuscript. Dig out the red pen to catch what I miss on the screen.
Draft 7. Transposing the pile of notes I made with said red pen onto the computer.
Draft 8. Run scan for repetitive words, sentence structure, grammar, etc.
Draft 8.5. Send to Beta readers, if I use them.
Draft 9 (ish) off to the editor. Write a new draft 1 of a different manuscript. Happy day!
Draft 10. Reviewing editors comments. Fairly painless usually.
Draft 10.5. Send to ARC readers if I use them.
Draft 11. One last final read through. REALLY hating this book right about now. Please don’t make me read it ever again or I’ll toss it in the recycling bin.
Once Draft 11 is done, I am ready to let it go. Though, from this point on, I can’t re-read the book or I’ll want to make changes. Haha.
For Hollow Earth, we are at Draft 9. Soooooo close to that finish line! That means I can write new words soon!!! Huzzah!
Danielle Bannister, Author 