Happy Halloween

I had a special Halloween treat this week, with two more customer reviews appearing on Amazon. 

From W. Anderreg:  "The world was intricate, believable, both sinister and wonderful, and with a rich history."

And from Johnny F:  "Personally i would read the next 10 books from KRG, on the chance that i enjoyed just one of them as much as i enjoyed this."


To read the full reviews from both these Amazon customers, as well as other reviews that have been posted, please visit the Amazon Customer Review Page for EOLYN.

We just got back from a great weekend at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego, CA.  I met many talented authors, participated in a panel on Exploration in Fantasy, listened to interesting discussions, and brought home a new stack of novels for my book shelf.  Also, we spent quality time with some good friends from college, explored tide pools along the sunny coast, and visited the San Diego Zoo.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip.

November is Adopt-an-Indie Month, and EOLYN will be featured along with other titles from independent presses and authors. New reviews will be made available every day, along with blog posts from authors and publishers about the "indie" experience.  I will let you know when the review for EOLYN is up, but keep an eye on the web site, as it is bound to be a source of a lot of interesting information during the month of November. 

This week we have a new guest on Heroines of Fantasy.  Terra Whiteman, author of The Antithesis, is sharing her thoughts on duality in fantasy.  Please stop by to read Terra's post, and share your comments and insights on the topic.

Those are the updates for today.  Again, Happy Halloween to everyone and have a great week!

World Fantasy Convention is this week!

Lots of exciting activities with the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego this week.

I will be at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore this Wednesday, October 26, for an informal Meet and Greet the Authors of World Fantasy event.  It should be a very fun evening; lots of great titles will be available for purchase and signing, including EOLYN.  If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by for a visit.  The fun starts at 6:30pm. 

Another event open to the public is the mass autograph session at the World Fantasy Convention (Town and Country Resort and Convention Center, 500 Hotel Circle North).  The evening will feature all the authors at World Fantasy; so bring your favorite books to sign, and be prepared to take more great titles home with you.  I will be participating, of course, along with several other Hadley Rille Books authors. 

For those of you attending World Fantasy, please join us on Friday at 10am for the panel discussion "Bring Me That Horizon:  The Exploration of Untrod Lands as a Fantasy Theme".  I will be a panelist along with authors Grania Davis, Michael Stackpole and Sean Llewellyn Williams.  Joshua Palmatier will be moderating. 

In other news, Heroines of Fantasy this week is featuring M.C. Chambers, author of SHAPERS' VEIL.  Please stop by to read M.C. Chambers' post on matriarchs, and participate in the discussion.

Have a magical week!

October Cons and Festivals

This has been a busy month for EOLYN. 

Last weekend, we were at the Longview Literary Festival in Lee's Summit, Missouri.  It was a great afternoon.  Talked with old friends, met new ones, learned about some of the other writers groups in Kansas City, read and listened to stories, participated in a panel discussion, and all in all had a lot of fun.  Many thanks to the organizer Susan Satterfield for making it all happen.

On Oct 21-23, signed copies of EOLYN will be available at Mile High Con in Denver, CO.  Look for Who Else! Books among the vendors. 

Next week -- yes, next week already! -- is World Fantasy in San Diego.  I am so looking forward to this conference!  Events will kick off the evening of Wednesday, October 26, with a Meet and Greet the Authors Event at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego.  I'm also doing a panel or reading or something like that at the con itself, but the program hasn't been posted yet, so I can't give you the details.  I guess I'll just show up and take it as it comes.  When in doubt, look for me at the bar.  I will also be at the book signing party, along with several other Hadley Rille Books authors.

Speaking of Hadley Rille Books authors, this week on Heroines of Fantasy, Terri-Lynne DeFino has put up a fun post about the use of horses in fantasy fiction.  Stop by Heroines of Fantasy to read Terri's post and join in on the discussion.

That's the news for the moment.  I'm toying with the idea of doing a holiday raffle for EOLYN; stay tuned for more news about that.  And congratulations, once again, to Jared Lemons for winning a free signed copy of EOLYN as part of the Heroines of Fantasy Grand Opening Raffle.

Wishing everyone a great week.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

New Reviews and Good News

EOLYN has two new customer reviews on Amazon.

From JElizabeth:  "Young readers will love the brave heroine and the thread of adventure that runs through the novel; adults will appreciate the social, political, and romance elements."

From kenaparsons:  "Gastreich's careful crafting of the friendship of Achim and Eolyn makes their bonds of devotion a power not eclipsed by political ambition, cruel sadism and thirsts for revenge. This is artisan storytelling at its finest - evokes yet transcends a tradition and confronts themes relevant to the reader within an alternate universe."

To read more from these as well as other customer reviews, please visit EOLYN's web page on Amazon.

In other news, this weekend I'll be at the Longview Literary Festival.  This two-day event will feature panel discussions, book signings, workshops and more.  I'll be participating in the following activities on Saturday, October 15:  Meet and Greet the Authors, Hadley Rille Reading, and the Panel Discussion "Self-Promotion 101".  Believe it or not, exact times are still up in the air, but the day will run from 10am to 6pm, and I'll be hanging out doing stuff the whole time.  Also, Hadley Rille Books will have a table, so please stop by to talk to Hadley Rille editors and authors, and to browse a great collection of Hadley Rille titles.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Last but certainly not least, discussion is fast and furious once again this week on Heroines of Fantasy.  Please stop by to read Kim Vandervort's post How Much Reality is Too Much in Epic Fantasy, and share your thoughts with us while you are at it.

Love and Sex in a Heroine's World

What are our expectations when it comes to the love lives of our heroines?  Read my take on this question as it relates to Eolyn, and share your thoughts with us and other visitors this week on Heroines of Fantasy. 

Here's a preview:

Women with multiple lovers are often called “fickle”, “inconstant” and “weak”, or any number of much more uncomplimentary words, but does calling them all these things make it so?


Is a female protagonist with multiple lovers by definition weak?

When I began crafting the world of Eolyn, I had it very clear in my head how sex, and especially women’s sexuality, would be seen by the subculture of the Magas (the particular tradition of witchcraft that Eolyn inherits). . .  READ MORE