fantasy – Page 2 – Kristen Brand

5 Things I’m Excited About for The Witch’s March

One reason I love having a sister who’s an author is that we beta-read each other’s work. She catches my typos and gives me feedback about the overall story, and I do the same for her.

The hard part is that I end up finishing an awesome book and having no one to geek out with, because literally no one else has read it yet.

This is the case with The Witch’s March: The Occult Invasion, an urban fantasy set during WWI. Luckily, a chance for everyone else to read this book is coming. My sister is running a Kickstarter to fund the book launch, and I want to talk about why I’m excited about it.

Aerial Dogfights with Dragons

Yes, you read that right. This book has not one but two scenes with the characters fighting/desperately trying to escape a dragon while in WW1 fighter planes. Continue reading 5 Things I’m Excited About for The Witch’s March

Free Ebook Friday: The Freedom Game by J.E. Brand

Free ebooks are the best. They’re a great way for readers to try new series risk-free, and they help authors reach new audiences. But there’s just so many of them that it can be hard to find one you like.

Free ebook Friday spotlights a free ebook I’ve personally read and enjoyed, and hopefully, it’ll help you find a good read. The posts come out on random Fridays, not weekly, and the books featured will probably be speculative fiction.

This week’s pick is:

Book Description:

Three years ago, the impossible happened: Ethlynn’s role in life changed from an ordinary slave to an all-powerful sorcerer. Now, she’s seeking to become the apprentice of the very person whom she used to call ‘master’. Why? Her brother and sister’s lives are still on the line. Continue reading Free Ebook Friday: The Freedom Game by J.E. Brand

Short Story: The Monster with Many Eyes

We all have our monsters. Sometimes, we feel ashamed by them, but we shouldn’t let that stop us from asking for help fighting them.

That’s the concept behind The Monster with Many Eyes, which is also a story about two girls beating the crap out of a monster. It appears in the Winter 2019 issue of the speculative fiction magazine The Colored Lens, and you can read it now by clicking this link or the image below.

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading. ❤

Autumn Tag – Are you Ready for Sweater Weather?

It still feels like summer here in Florida, but I adore autumn. So when I came across the Autumn Tag over at Perfectly Tolerable, I knew I had to jump on that bandwagon, even if I’m a bit late.

Rules: Answer the questions, link back to the creator, and tag other people.

1. Hot Chocolate – what is your comfort book?

When I’ve had a bad day and find myself in need of a comfort read, I usually turn to fanfiction instead of books. I don’t know what it is about some fics that’s so soothing and comforting–exactly like a cup of hot chocolate. I love crossovers especially, and nothing’s better than an epically long story that’s actually completed. And boy, oh boy, have I read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction in my time. Continue reading Autumn Tag – Are you Ready for Sweater Weather?

5 Short Stories About Witches (that you can read for free right now)

I’m going to be a witch this Halloween. I’ve got the hat and the black dress, and I just need to figure out my makeup.

Witches have always been one my favorite paranormal beings. Maybe it’s the spells and potions or the feminist undertones. It could also be a side-effect of growing up reading Harry Potter. Or maybe it’s just the aesthetic.

Witch Aesthetic — It’s probably the aesthetic.

Anyway, if you can’t get enough witches, either, here are five short stories about them that you can read online. They all have different tones and fall under different subgenres, but each one is spellbinding in its own way. (See what I did there?) Continue reading 5 Short Stories About Witches (that you can read for free right now)

Short Story: Around the old Hawthorn Tree

Addison found the box one Sunday afternoon when her mom asked her to clean out the closet in the guest bedroom. It was a dusty old cardboard thing, and inside, she found a few notebooks with her late grandma’s name on the front and a beautiful silver necklace with a jeweled rose pendant.

“Look what I found,” she said, bringing the box to her mom.

Her mom turned from her computer, and her eyes widened. “I remember that. I kept it just in case…”

“In case what?”

“Nothing.”

Addison pestered (She was good at pestering) until her mom heaved a sigh and sat her down for a Serious Talk.

“I guess you’re old enough now to know that your grandma… She just disappeared one day. I always hoped she’d come back, but… We never found out what happened.” Continue reading Short Story: Around the old Hawthorn Tree

Free ebook Friday: Balanced on the Blade’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

This week’s pick is:

Book Description

Colonel Ridge Zirkander isn’t the model of military professionalism—he has a tendency to say exactly what’s on his mind, and his record has enough demerits to wallpaper the hull of an airship—but as the best fighter pilot in the Iskandian army, he’s used to a little leniency from his superiors. Until he punches the wrong diplomat in the nose and finds himself issued new orders: take command of a remote prison mine in the inhospitable Ice Blades Mountains. Ridge has never been in charge of anything larger than a flier squadron—what’s he supposed to do with a frozen fortress full of murderers and rapists? Not to mention the strange woman who shows up right before he arrives… Continue reading Free ebook Friday: Balanced on the Blade’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Short Story: A Magical Education

Ever wonder how the wise old mentor character puts up with the whiny, annoying hero he’s training? Then have I got the tale for you.

My short story, A Magical Education, follows a group of aging mentors drinking mead and venting about the next generation of heroes they’re trying to educate. It’s a humorous fantasy short, and you can find it in Issue 81 of Swords and Sorcery Magazine here or by clicking the image below.

Check out the magazine’s archives while you’re there. It’s full of entertaining and adventurous sword and sorcery fiction. Enjoy!

Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

The battle is over. The heroes lower their weapons as the crowd cheers. The evil overlord has been defeated, and the hero’s people are free.

…what now?

That’s the question asked in Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand. Earlier this year, I posted about how much I love The Freedom Game, my sister’s first book. Now, the sequel is out, and I have to gush about how great it is, too.

The rebellion is over. The real fight has just begun… Continue reading Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations

“The book was better.”

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that about a movie or TV show, I… well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I could certainly buy myself something nice.

Adaptations of books to the big and small screen have a tricky balancing act to pull off. It’s impossible to accurately turn every single page of a book into a movie or TV show; the visual medium is a completely different animal from the written word. Screenwriters and directors have the challenge of making structural changes to adapt the story to the screen while remaining faithful to the spirit of the book.

Or at least, that’s how I think about it. Some movies don’t seem to care, presenting an adaptation that shares nothing in common with the source material except for a title, leading to masses of disappointed fans.

But I’m not here to talk about the disasters. I want to talk about my favorites. Continue reading Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations