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imaginary worlds

magical powers

supernatural creatures

believable impossibility

What are the types of Fantasy?

Dark Fantasy

Superhero Fantasy

Epic Fantasy

Fairy Tales, Myths, and Folklore

Urban Fantasy

Historic Fantasy

Science Fantasy*

Paranormal Fantasy

Modern Fantasy

*Is Science Fiction the same as Science Fantasy?
No.
Science fiction often takes place in a dystopian society sometime in the future and contains elements of advanced technology. A fantasy story, on the other hand, is usually set in a fantasy realm and includes mythical creatures and supernatural powers.

Many fantasy fiction books are parts of a greater whole. Fantasy fiction tends to exist in trilogies or even longer series which only extends the adventure!

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Fantasy fiction for young adults invites readers to explore many different themes. A common theme in fantasy fiction is self-discovery. What makes you resilient? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Where do you fit in this world? Young adults are on the cusp of self-discovery and the themes found in fantasy fiction will resonate deeply for high school students who are also discovering who they are and where they fit in this world.

As a reader of fantasy fiction, you will encounter themes such as Good verses Evil, courage in the face of adversity, a quest for knowledge or power, friendship, heroism, identity crisis, fear of failure, and so much more. While readers will recognize many themes in fantasy fiction, what makes the genre so unique are the settings, creatures, cultures, mystical powers, and whatever else the imagination of the author has lent to the story.

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The purpose of this book promotion is to invite high school readers in grades 10-12 to explore a genre they might have been unaware of before or were possibly avoiding because they were not certain they would enjoy the stories that make up this type of fiction. The themes found in fantasy fiction are generally recurring and will resonate for young adult readers who are also on their own quests to discover their strengths, overcome weaknesses, and find their place in this world.

In the event a reader is already familiar with this genre, the hope is that this book promotion will provide an introduction to new authors of the fantasy fiction genre, new worlds to explore, and more resources to continue discovering new books!

Fantasy fiction has a long literary tradition, so this book promotion contains a variety of titles some may have heard of in the past, but it will also include newer titles from modern writers. A reader may begin their journey into fantasy fiction anywhere they decide. Just jump on into the fantasy that resonates!

Fantasy fiction is well-represented by the familiar standards such as The Hobbit and The Wheel of Time series, but by examining the titles and summaries here readers may find many other stories outside of the ones with which they are familiar.

There is no right or wrong series to begin a journey into fantasy fiction. Students can read the book summaries complied in this book promotion and choose the fantasy story that sparks their interest.

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Students in the 10th through 12th grades will have more consistent access to these texts, but students from lower grades with a passion for this genre will also enjoy investigating these titles and may have already encountered some of these texts on their own.

Some texts here were chosen for their accessibility over another series. For instance, the Lexile reading level for Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World and Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara, are both lower than the Lexile score for The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings series. This being said, both Brooks and Jordan have said on record that their individual series are closely inspired by Tolkien's classics. Students may struggle with access to Tolkien, but find access to the stories by Brooks and Jordan, eventually moving into the Tolkien series of books.

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By J.R.R. Tolkien
Citation:
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1937) The hobbit, or There and back again. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

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By Terry Brooks
Citation:
Brooks, T. (1977). The sword of Shannara. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

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By Noriko Ogiwara
Translated by Cathy Hirano
Citation:
Ogiwara, N. (1993). Dragon sword and wind child (C. Hirano, Trans.). San Francisco, CA: VIZ Media, LLC. (Original work published 1988)

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By Tomi Adeyemi
Citation:
Adeyemi, T. (2018). Children of blood and bone. New York, NY. Henry Holt and Company.

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By Jo Holloway
Citation:
Holloway, J. (2019). Secrets of green and gold. Jo Holloway Books.

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By Robert Jordan
Citation:
Jordan, R. (1990). The eye of the world. New York, NY. Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

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By Fonda Lee
Citation:
Lee, F. (2017). Jade city. New York, NY. Orbit Publishing.

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Choose the Book that Speaks to You!

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Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who is living his best hobbit life in The Shire with all of his hobbit friends. He is content to eat six large meals a day, wander around barefoot, and give and receive presents. He has a great friend in the Wizard named Gandalf, but he really was not expecting Gandalf to insist he join him on a dangerous quest for a magical ring to defeat the evil Sauron. How will Bilbo Baggins see this adventure through?!

Written by Tolkien in the year 1937, the story does not show it's age at all because of the fantasy setting (world) in which it takes place. The themes of heroism, good verses evil, adventure, and more resonate as much today as they did nearly 100 years ago!

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The Hobbit is a well-known classic that serves as a prelude into The Lord of the Rings fantasy fiction series. The story introduces readers to the fantasy world of The Shire and the customs and traditions of the various inhabitants and creatures that make up this fictional world. It is clear that no characters in this text have confidence in the ability of a small hobbit. Even Bilbo has no confidence in his ability to be successful on this dangerous journey! Readers will need to see how Bilbo's quest proves to himself and others that he is a strong and capable hobbit!

Essential characters are introduced in this book, so it does serve as an entry point to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Many readers will be familiar with this story through the cinematic retelling of this classic fantasy fiction series. Whether you have seen the movies or not, why not give this book a try!?

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In The Sword of Shannara, Shea Ohmsford, the half-elven, adopted brother of Flick Ohmsford, is told he must find a magical sword which only he can wield to defeat the evil Warlock Lord named Brona. But time has buried so much history that it is difficult for Shea to believe in the old stories. Even after the mysterious druid named Allanon comes to Shea and insists that he believe in the danger that the Warlock Lord poses, Shea hesitates to believe his life is in peril. Only after a pack of Skull Bearers come searching for Shea does he realize there may be truth to the ancient stories.

As in many fantasy fiction stories, the main protagonist is not aware of his heritage! He believes he knows exactly who he is and what he is capable of achieving. He discovers he has a birthright he cannot ignore and he is compelled to leave the comfort of his hometown and embark on a quest that will show him he is so much more than he ever dreamed!

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As in many fantasy fiction stories, the main protagonist is not aware of his heritage! He believes he knows exactly who he is and what he is capable of achieving. He discovers he has a birthright he cannot ignore and he is compelled to leave the comfort of his hometown and embark on a quest that will show him he is so much more than he ever dreamed!

Will you like this story?
Do you like Dungeons and Dragons? How about epic quests with a group of companions you can put your trust in along a dangerous journey? Does this sound suspiciously like The Hobbit? Well, author Terry Brooks has made no secret of the fact that his Sword of Shannara series was inspired by his love of Tolkien's Hobbit stories.

All that being said, remember that this is fantasy fiction and where you may sometimes encounter similarities, you will most certainly find these stories are stylistically unique from one another as each author has painstakingly created an entirely different world inhabited by intricately developed beings with individual motivations.

Written in 1977, this story may offer readers new to the fantasy fiction genre more access due to it's more familiar writing style. If you have tried to read books by Tolkien in the past but found them a little difficult to get into, you might want to give The Sword of Shannara series a try.

Also, it should be noted that if you do find yourself enjoying the Shannara series, Terry Brooks eventually wrote a total of 20 Shannara stories! This is a series you can lose yourself in for sure!

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The Shannara Chronicles television show lasted two seasons. While the show did not last long enough to tell the entire tale, the first two seasons were well-received by critics. Take a look... after reading the book!

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Why Shannara Chronicles Was Canceled By Spike

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While The Shannara Chronicles got off to a strong start the show suffered a huge ratings dip when it moved network. Here's why season 3 won't happen. Despite attracting a strong cult following, The Shannara Chronicles season 3 has been canceled.

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Saya is a 15 year old who is raised to worship the Light. However, it is discovered that she is actually a Water Maiden, making her a Leader of the Children of Darkness. She has been reincarnated many times in an effort to master her own hatred and fear and to find the Dragon Sword and tame its destructive powers in order to bring about peace. Can she develop her ability to love and forgive in order to accomplish her mission?

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This story borrows from Shinto mythology opening up a fantasy fiction world that draws upon myths from another culture. Some fantasy fiction stories incorporate fairy tales and folklore into their stories bringing about some familiarity while maintaining the fantasy.

In this story, a young woman is learning who she is and what she must accomplish in order to be successful. She clearly struggles to overcome things about herself which are not helping her achieve success. We all have things we love about ourselves and things we know we need to work on and improve. Saya demonstrates the hard work we must sometime do within ourselves in order to accomplish our goals.

Fantasy fiction is limited only by the author's imagination. Your exposure to fantasy fiction is only limited by what you are willing to try reading next. Why not explore fantasy fiction written outside of your familiar culture and discover what influences from folklore and mythology outside of your own can do to inspire new and creative universes?

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They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.

17 year old Zélie is one of the few remaining survivors of a genocide against people who possess magic. Zélie is a Dîviner, but the war against her kind has left her separated from access to her Gods and her power. King Saran has eradicated magic where he can but he has also enslaved those who escaped death to use as his personal army. Zélie must keep her growing magical powers hidden in order to survive, but she must also learn how to use her powers which continue to grow stronger. It's a particularly confusing time for Zélie as she finds herself falling for the Crown Prince named Inan. This story depicts epic battles in a war for survival and acceptance.

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This story borrows from Nigerian mythology and offers representation of strong, black female characters who are not playing supportive roles to male leadership. Fantasy fiction is made all the better by integrating influences from other real-world cultures and bringing in voices from across all demographics.

In this story, Zélie has a good idea about who she is, but she is only beginning to understand the strengths of her abilities. She has to learn what she is capable of even while fighting for survival and continuing to mourn the loss of her loved ones.

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Meet Tomi Adeyemi as she is interviewed by a BBC reporter about the inspiration for her book Children of Blood and Bone. Discover her enthusiasm for her personal heritage which lead to the development of her characters and the fantasy world they live in.

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Meet Children of Blood and Bone writer Tomi Adeyemi - BBC What's New?

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Do you know that references to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are made all throughout social media, film, television, and more? Once you read the series by Tolkien, you may find yourself in on many jokes!

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Quirk Books : Publishers & Seekers of All Things Awesome

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It's almost Hobbit Day! This very special day of Tolkien Week is celebrated every September 22nd in honor of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins' birthdays. Or at least it's been celebrated since 1978 when the American Tolkien Society announced it. So go outside, take off your shoes, break out your favorite Tolkien tome and celebrate all things Hobbit in style

Here are some of the top Hobbit related pop-culture references to get you in the Hobbit Day spirit. Let us know how you'll be celebrating in the comments!

1. THE BALLAD OF BILBO BAGGINS: Oh the '60s. An era of war, love, and a time when Leonard Nimoy sang a song about the exploits of Bilbo Baggins for fun and profit.

Complete with women in elf ears and pixie cuts, this retro song features glorious lyrics like, "Hobbits are a peace-loving folks you know, they don't like to hurry and they take things slow. They don't like to travel away from home, they just want to eat and be left alone." Do not mess with a Hobbit and their second breakfast!

2. SOUTH PARK: This parody episode titled The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers comes complete with an epic quest, six grade Ringwraiths and plenty of "my precious" jokes. Not to mention the usual irreverence we expect from Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Bonus: Gandalf the Grey also appears in the Imaginationland episodes as part of the Council of Nine alongside the Jesus allegory lion Aslan.

3. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS: Real life New Zealand band turned semi-fictional HBO parodies of themselves Bret MacKenzie and Jemaine Clement create and star in a LotR themed music video for their song Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring. Dressed as Hobbits of course.

This is made even funnier when you consider that Bret starred in The Two Towers as the fan favorite and fan named character Figwit. He is also an Oscar winner, so amend that to Figwit: Oscar winner. Yeah, that's a thing.

4. SEALAB 2021: The Adult Swim cult favorite had a cameo appearance from four of the Fellowship members in the season two episode Der Dieb, in which Captain Murphy decides to declare "Martian Law".

There really is no reason for the group to be there, but we forgive the writers for gifting us with Gandalf yelling the line: "Earth, wind, and fire, back to the Shire!" But why is he Gandalf the Green?

5. [TITLE OF SHOW]: In this musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical, the song "Secondary Characters" is all about the growing friendship between female cast members Susan and Heidi. It also might include a reference to one of the greatest literary bromances of all time.

Susan and Heidi: The secondary characters are calling the shots, while the guys are being stored in the wings. We've been left in charge of it all while the plot is unfolding like the Lord of the Rings... Trilogy. In a way, you and me 'til the very end, and like Frodo and Samwise you'll be my best friend!

6. CLERKS II: Fast food chain cashier Elias and a Mooby's customer nerd out over their One Ring(s) in this Kevin Smith film, which also features the one onion ring to rule them all! This conversation quickly devolves into an argument about which trilogy is superior (Lord of the Rings or Star Wars) when jerky Randal gives the audience a visual demonstration of all three LotR films. Hint: there's lots of walking involved.

7. 30 ROCK: Who is the more famous adventuring Hobbit? Frodo or Bilbo? Both of them bear the burden of the ring, but it's the über damaged Gollum who gets all the parody screen time. Seen here dealing with her own existential crisis is Tina Fey's character Liz Lemon trying to give herself a pep-talk but being fought against by her Gollum-esque alter-ego.

8. DISCWORLD: Terry Pratchett's hilarious fantasy series Discworld has many examples of Tolkien inspiration, from Orcs that are near extinction, bearded Dwarf men and women, and a very familiar creature in the book Witches Abroad.

As the witches Granny and Esme Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are paddling down-river in the novel, a familiar creature who has been following them pops up onto a log and proudly announces, "It's my birthday!" Whatever you say, precious.

9. LED ZEPPELIN: This list would be incomplete if it didn't include some Led Zeppelin related Tolkien references! Allow me specifically to point you to Misty Mountain Hop, The Battle of Evermore and Ramble On: "Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum, and the evil one, crept up and slipped away with her..."

One intrepid company, SyncMovies, has even synchronized Led Zeppelin IV and Fellowship of the Ring together into the Fellowship of the IV. The opening battle is even more glorious when set to Black Dog.

10. SUPERNATURAL: In the geek-centric episode The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo, guest star Felicia Day brings the laughs and the Lord of the Rings references. She even tries to defend herself from home invaders with a Sting replica. Good luck with that!

Charlie: The eye of Sauron is on me.
Harry: Well, if you need anything I'll be back in the Shire.
From henceforth, all cubicles shall be referred to as the Shire and all bosses shall be referred to as eyes of Sauron!

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Cassandra Rose is a freelance writer and an avid bibliophile. When real life isn't getting in the way she spends her free time being snarky on Twitter and contributing to the literary blog Bibliomantics.

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Top Ten Hobbit References in Popular Culture

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It's almost Hobbit Day! This very special day of Tolkien Week is celebrated every September 22nd in honor of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins' birthdays. Or at least it's been celebrated since 1978 when the American Tolkien Society announced it.

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Enjoy fan art inspired by the story Dragon Sword and Wind Child.

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Dragon Sword and Wind Child - Color of the Sky

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BBC What's New? (2018). Meet children of blood and bone writer Tomi Adeyemi. Youtube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/9ooqgrY_uxQ

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Myang22. (2012).  Dragon sword and wind child-Color of the sky. Youtube. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/_zj89AGY0ic

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Cotter, P. (2019, March 7). Why Shannara chronicles was cancelled by Spike. Screen Rant. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/shannara-chronicles-season-3-cancellation-reason-news/

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Rose, C. (2012, September 18). Top ten hobbit references in popular culture. Quirk Books. Retrieved from https://www.quirkbooks.com/post/top-ten-hobbit-references-popular-culture

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14 year old Cara Ransome is about to start high school. As if she wasn't stressed out enough about that, she's suddenly begun to hear voices which insist she listen to them as they tell her of a secret and ancient world. Cara is told that world she cannot see is in trouble. The voices ask for her help in saving them. When familiar voices begin to disappear, Cara realizes she must take action even if it means she's not "normal."

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Secrets of Green and Gold is one of the newest additions to the fantasy fiction genre. Much praise has been afforded to the story and its author for what is described as its contribution to "Urban Fantasy."

How does this fantasy fiction story fit the theme of this book promotion? Cara struggles to accept her unique abilities while determined to fit in with her peers. Much of her internal conversation focuses on her desire to fit in and be "normal" like her peers. What makes us each unique can be an asset if we allow it to become one. There is power in your diversity! Embrace it!

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Meet the author Jo Holloway! In this post, you will learn how Jo Holloway became an independent publisher of her hit fantasy fiction series. Be inspired by Jo Holloway's journey to becoming a published author! Do not give up on your writing aspirations!

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I'm an indie. It's not a decision I made lightly, but in the end, I chose the independent publishing route.

It's my path.

I've called myself type A, or a control freak, or whatever the latest jargon is, but basically, I like to do things myself. I'm also impatient.

That said, I know two things:

1. This is hard work

2. "Independent" doesn't mean alone

Before I dive in, let me say thank you to Dani and Writing Academy for letting me share my journey, but more importantly, for setting my feet on the path in the first place.

My first book " Secrets of Green & Gold" is available for free download from Amazon for the next three days (Nov 12-14). I'd be delighted if you'd like to grab a copy.

Writing

My journey started last year with an idea for a story. Once the idea came together, I knew I couldn't do it justice without some help so I started looking for some online writing classes.

Steve Alcorn's " Write Fiction Like A Pro " is the course that clicked for me. I needed to understand story structure and I knew I wanted to write with a plan. By the end of that college extension class, I had that plan and a good idea of how to move forward.

I finished the first draft of the first book just before my 40 th birthday and gave myself the best gift ever-I found something I'm passionate about doing (you can say "aww", I'll wait). Anyway, since then, I've written the second book, and am currently about halfway through the third, although hopefully by the time you're reading this, I'm nearly done (because NaNoWriMo!).

Each time, before I started an outline, I went back to the basics. I worked through several of the Writing Academy online workshop courses and loved that feeling of starting fresh every time for each book, relearning the essentials to set me on the right path. It helps me to feel like my story is organized before I start to write.

In three books, I'm on my third style of outlining, and I'm not sure I'll stop experimenting, but the foundation is always there.

Just for fun, here's a photo of my story structure pages. Most of my work is electronic, but this a nice place to step away from the computer. The pages across the top are the checkpoints for the series, while the 3 across the bottom are the checkpoints for each of the first 3 books (and yes, they've changed since I started writing them). In the middle is another technique I picked up of actually drawing character arcs like a graph. Did I mention I have a science background? It might be obvious...

Publishing

Any publishing journey starts with writing. But it doesn't end there, no matter which route you choose to travel. So what about the rest?

I don't say I'm self-published. I say I'm independently published, because I couldn't do it by myself. I have:

An editor

A cover designer

A fantastic critique partner (who lives halfway around the world-yay internet)

Several online critique groups

Beta readers

A growing team of ARC readers

Supportive friends

I also have the best community, because... Indies.

Specifics, you ask? Coming right up!

When it comes to publishing, I started out clueless, as most of us do. I'm still learning, but I'm shocked at how far I've come when I look back, and that's what I keep reminding myself. There's so much information out there and it's easy to get overwhelmed, but I keep chipping away.

I've broken this first year of learning down into the TOP 3 THINGS I found to be important to start doing as soon as you decide you want to publish independently, even before your book is finished. It's by no means a complete list, and there might be better options out there for you, but this is what I found.

1. Get involved in the community and start learning (it's mostly FREE)

Facebook groups are a wealth of free knowledge. Fairly early, I found my way to the 20booksto50k group and the SPF Community group. They're technical and intimidating and it was about a month before I threw my hands in the air to celebrate because I actually understood a post I read. But I read, lurk, absorb info . . . it comes together eventually. A lot of the value comes in the offshoot groups you can find from there and I don't spend much time on those big groups anymore (except to search for things). It can also be a distraction, especially if you're prone to comparing yourself, so a little caution is warranted.

Podcasts are another great source of free information. By far, my favourite is the Self Publishing Formula.

Sign up for mailing lists. The days of spammy selling emails are over (if you sign up to the right people) and there are a bunch of indie gurus out there who offer free mini-courses or books when you subscribe. Mark Dawson, Joanna Penn, and Bryan Cohen offer what I'd consider the most valuable free content I've found so far.

And books (duh, we love books). These aren't all free but the cost of an ebook is low for the value of the education. Two good starters are Successful Self-Publishing by Joanna Penn and Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle. There's a long list of others and once you start . . . well, they're like potato chips. You won't stop at one or two.

2. Determine your Author brand and start a Website

A lot goes into brand, starting with your author name. There are a ton of reasons to decide on a pen name, and privacy is only one (though it can be an important one depending on what you're writing). For me, it wasn't about that, and my author name is still personal. It was more about separating my work life from my writing life, and finding something suitable to the genre I write that's easy to say and spell without needing to see it written.

Then there's your image. What do you want to project to the world and does it align with what you're writing? This influences everything you do, from photos, colors, filters, etc. to the content that you share on social media. Be consistently on-brand from the beginning and start new accounts if needed.

I ended up designing a logo for myself and it was one of the best things I've done in terms of starting out. I use it everywhere - website, social media profile photos, newsletter headers - it makes my brand consistent across those platforms. It's simple because I have no particular design talents but I still managed to do this myself for FREE (with heavy use of youtube tutorials about photoshop) and am very glad I did.

Starting a website is the first thing on this list that carries a bit of an expense (but can still be LOW COST). However, it has a lot of value and you can cut the costs by shopping around for hosting and paying for a few years upfront. I went with BlueHost and paid for 3 years so my annual cost is quite low. It's been a great investment even at this early stage.

Your website is your home on the Internet and a platform you control. You can point people to it from anywhere (Facebook page, Instagram, newsletters, word of mouth, whatever) and it starts the process of getting people interested. Mine offers my free reader magnet-a short story prequel I give away so people can get a sense of my writing style and decide if they want to try the book (it's not the greatest thing ever but it works for now and I'll replace it eventually). Then it lists my books. I have a few pages like About the Author, a blog, and a contact form, but overall I've kept it very simple. If you want to check it out, my site is johollowaybooks.com. I use a FREE WordPress theme and have found it to be sufficient at this point.

One of the most important things having your own domain allows is a domain-specific email. This becomes critical for item #3.

3. Start a mailing list of your own (this starts out FREE)

The idea of starting a newsletter was a big pill to swallow. I don't love talking about myself and figured I'd have nothing interesting to say. Why would people care about little old me? I didn't think I'd do it, but it came up over and over as the most important thing to do, so I swallowed my doubts and went for it. And you know what? It's totally fine! I even get some really nice emails back from people and have definitely gotten a few reviews this way.

There are a bunch of services to choose from and most offer a FREE plan to start. I went with MailerLite, which I'm finding awesome, and I only had to start paying in September when I went over 1000 subscribers (by which time I had everything set up and was happy to pay for it). Even on the free plan, they offer a full range of services including landing pages, embedded forms to add to your website, groups and segments for your list, and automation sequences (which is huge).

I'd highly recommend reading Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque, and I wrote my automation sequence emails based on the short 3-video course that Bryan Cohen offers as a free bonus for his mailing list subscribers.

My reader magnet gets distributed 2 ways: In my first email for subscribers from my website via Bookfunnel ($20/yr) and to StoryOrigin subscribers directly from their site (FREE for now). Many of my subscribers come from StoryOrigin and I'm just working on branching out to more avenues now. Of course, it should go without saying to put the link to subscribe to your list in the back of all your books so you catch your big fans ☺

I do a once monthly newsletter with occasional special issues for things like cover reveals and book launches. My July newsletter (my first) went to 9 people, August went to 89, and September went to 3597 people. Eventually I'll purge the people who don't open regularly, but for now the list size is helping me join cross promotions with other authors.

In summary, I was reluctant at first, and it has been daunting, but I'm glad I bit the bullet and did it.

That's where I'm at now with my second book coming out soon. My next big hurdle is marketing and learning so much more about ads, which I'll start running once I have 2 books out.

All of these decisions I made for me, based on my own research and advice from others. You can google how to do almost anything in here and research alternatives. I've muddled my way through it, and you can too!

I'm still at the start of this road and have so much farther to go. I knew there would be challenges to the indie publishing journey. I'm an introvert (which I'm sure comes as a shocker-wink, wink). I'm bad at networking. I hate to reach out, or ask for help, and please, please don't ever make me try to sell something, least of all myself. Putting my words out there was terrifying. Writing this post is hard. And learning to write something aimed to sell a book-which (hot tip) generally involves saying how great it is-makes me cringe.

I factored those difficulties in. I did my research. I weighed my options and made my choice. I like the control. I like the rush. I can handle the rest... I'm an indie.

~Jo Holloway

If you'd like to take the course Jo used to structure her first novel, you can enroll in Write Fiction Like a Pro today!

You can connect with Jo through her website or on social media.

Website: johollowaybooks.com

Facebook: @johollowaybooks

Instagram: @author_joholloway

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I'm an indie. It's not a decision I made lightly, but in the end, I chose the independent publishing route. It's my path. I've called myself type A, or a control freak, or whatever the latest jargon is, but basically, I like to do things myself. I'm also impatient.

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Holloway, J. (2019, November 12). Guest post: My indie journey. Writing Academy Blog. Retrieved from https://blog.writingacademy.com/my-indie-journey/

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There are a lot of characters in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. Also worth noting, this series takes place over 14 books! Rand al'Thor is the quintessential hero who initially rejects his destiny. After being found as an infant abandoned on a mountainside by his adoptive father, Rand eventually grows up and learns that he is the Dragon Reborn who's life is tied to the Wheel of Time as it spins endlessly. The author, Robert Jordan, passed away before he was able to complete this elaborate fantasy fiction series, but another author named Brandon Sanderson, stepped up to take on the task and completed the series by adding three books to  complete the adventurous tale of Rand al'Thor.

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This fantasy fiction series introduces the readers to another hero who does not yet realize that he is, indeed, a hero! Rand al'Thor's strengths lie in a personal narrative he knows nothing about. He struggles to accept his inherited greatness and the expectations that come with his true identity.

Similar to The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings series, this fantasy fiction will resonate for those who enjoy an epic journey. While the texts can be lengthy, the vocabulary provides more accessibility than The Lord of the Rings. Checking in with the Lexile website, The Lord of the Rings scores a 1000L on the Lexile scale, The Eye of the World scores 810L.

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Listen to the prologue of The Eye of the World and get hooked on this epic adventure!

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The Wheel of Time, Book 1: The Eye of the World, Prologue: Dragonmount

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Goofyology. (2015, January 4). The wheel of time, book 1: The eye of the world, prologue: Dragonmount. (Youtube). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/z0WUBCVpYRI

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Magic and kungfu! Jade City is set on a Japanese island called Kekon. Here, Jade is used to enhance magical abilities which are used by the people to protect Kekon from invasion. However, a drug has been invented which makes it possible for anyone to wield the power of Jade threatening the sanctity of Kekon and the peace between clans. This story won the World Fantasy Award in 2018 for it's gritty depiction of a fantasy metropolis rocked by the destruction of ancient laws which had kept the peace for generations.

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The character of Anden emerges as one who is struggling to find his identity in a country at war. Anden was adopted and fears he will not live up to the name of the family who adopted him. Ultimately, he advocates for himself and his beliefs, but this is just the beginning of Anden's story. A lot remains to be seen.

Fonda Lee's Jade City is brings in Japanese culture to this fantasy fiction book promotion. Not only that, Jade City has been recognized for excellence by being awarded the World Fantasy Fiction Award! Recommendations may come from a variety of sources when looking for your next fantasy fiction novel to enjoy, it is good to know that there are professional organizations that are also invested in bringing attention to new titles in fantasy fiction.

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Would you like to know what other fantasy fiction and authors competed against the award winning Jade City? Here is the list of the competition faced by Fonda Lee in 2018. Maybe check out some of the books on this list!

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2018 Lifetime Achievement Awards

The convention is pleased to announce that Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to:

Charles de Lint

Elizabeth Wollheim

2018 Nominees

Novel

Winner Tie: Victor LaValle, The Changeling  (Spiegel & Grau/Canongate Press UK)

Winner Tie: Fonda Lee, Jade City  (Orbit)

S. A. Chakraborty, The City of Brass (Harper Voyager)

John Crowley, Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr  (Saga Press)

Theodora Goss, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter   (Saga Press)

Daryl Gregory, Spoonbenders   (Bond Street Books CA/Knopf US/riverrun UK)

Novella

Short Fiction

Winner: Natalia Theodoridou, "The Birding: A Fairy Tale" (Strange Horizons, Dec. 18, 2017)

Fonda Lee, "Old Souls" (Where the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy)

Rebecca Roanhorse, "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian ExperienceTM" (Apex Magazine, Aug. 2017)

Fran Wilde, "Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand" ( Uncanny Magazine, Sept.-Oct. 2017)

Caroline Yoachim, "Carnival Nine" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 11, 2017)

Anthology

Winner: Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman, eds. The New Voices of Fantasy  (Tachyon Publications)

Ellen Datlow, ed. Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales  (Pegasus Books)

Gardner Dozois, ed. The Book of Swords  (Bantam Books US/Harper Voyager UK)

Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin, eds. The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories  (Solaris)

William Schafer, ed. The Best of Subterranean  (Subterranean Press)

Collection

Winner: Jane Yolen, The Emerald Circus  (Tachyon Publications)

Ellen Klages, Wicked Wonders  (Tachyon Publications)

Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties  (Graywolf Press/Serpent's Tail UK)

Tim Powers, Down and Out in Purgatory: The Collected Stories of Tim Powers  (Baen Books)

Sofia Samatar, Tender   (Small Beer Press)

Artist

Special Award - Professional

Winner: Harry Brockway, Patrick McGrath, & Danel Olson Writing Madness (Centipede Press)

C. C. Finlay for for F&SF editing

Irene Gallo, for for Art Direction at Tor Books & Tor.com

Greg Ketter, for DreamHaven Books

Leslie Klinger, for The New Annotated Frankenstein  (Liveright Publishing Corp.)

Special Award - Non-Professional

The 2018 World Fantasy Award nominations came from two sources. Members of the current convention as well as the previous two were able to vote two nominations onto the final ballot. The remainder were nominated by the panel of judges: David Anthony Durham, Christopher Golden, Juliet E. McKenna, Charles Vess and Kaaron Warren.

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The convention is pleased to announce that Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to: Winner Tie: Victor LaValle, The Changeling  (Spiegel & Grau/Canongate Press UK) Winner Tie: Fonda Lee, Jade City  (Orbit) S. A.

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Retrieved from http://www.wfc2018.org/nominations2018.php

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Just like the protagonists in these books, you have many hidden strengths and talents just waiting to be discovered. Sometimes we have to take a chance and believe in ourselves in order to discover who we are and what we are good at in this world. Celebrate your diversity. What makes you special also makes you strong!

There are many fantasy fiction books to explore. Some fantasy fiction series begin as trilogies but then expand beyond that number as the author continues to build his/her fantasy fiction world. Consider The Shannara Chronicles with its 20 books or The Wheel of Time series with its 14 books.
Some fantasy fiction series are just beginning and may comprise a trilogy... for now! Children of Blood and Bone, Secrets of Green and Gold, and Jade City are all new additions to the fantasy fiction genre. If you find yourself enjoying a fantasy fiction book series, check out the author's Facebook page or website and leave them a message about what you are finding so enjoyable in their writing. Everyone appreciates encouragement to keep going!

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SIX Latinx Fantasy Novels You Can't Miss!

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Want to check out new magical worlds filled with extraordinary world-building, incredible and unique characters, and an epic adventure you won't be able to forget? Fantasy novels give me that. Always. The way you can just enter this magical place of new beginnings is wonderful and I'm always grateful for the fantasy genre. And these Latinx fantasy novels are the thing you need in your life.

Middle grade, young adult, and adult books gather up to bless us all with new and upcoming fantasy novels. I thought it would be a good idea to compile them together. Get ready to be obsessed with these new worlds and stories written by Latinx authors.

Maya Motayne enchanted me with Nocturna really quickly. A face-changing thief and a prince teaming up to defeat a powerful evil being? What's more to love. Motayne really did that.

This was an exquisite YA fantasy. I hope fantasy fans decide to pick it up, because they won't regret the full journey and adventures these two characters will bring you.

Heck to the yes for more Latinx adult fantasy novels, right? Gods of Jade and Shadow is the perfect dessert for the fantasy fans who are famished. Showered in Mexican folklore, this title will take you on this life-changing journey and it will satisfy all your needs.

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Casiopea accidentally opens up a box which contains the Mayan god of death. He requests her help in recovering his throne from his brother and if she fails, her life will be on the line. But if she succeeds, all her dreams will come true.

This Bolivian-inspired YA fantasy is one of my most anticipated books right now. It takes inspiration from Bolivian politics and the history of this culture.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa. She's there to protect the last remaining Illustrian royal. When Atoc, the usurper, asks for Condesa's hand in marriage, Ximena has to go in her stead. But there is revenge in her heart and her head. If Ximena can find the ancient relic, she might return the true aristócrata to the throne.

Rick Riordan presents this Mayan mythology MG series that will give you multiple adventures like any Percy Jackson book.

Zane has a volcano next to his home. What he doesn't know is that this particular volcano is a getaway to another world. Also he's at the center of a prophecy. His life was alright for the most part, but a new girl in town changes everything. She informs him he is the key to this prophecy of him releasing an evil god from his ancient Maya relic prison.

by Francesca Flores (January 28, 2020)

Also a highly anticipated YA title, Diamond City brings you all the assassins. If you want to know more about the characters and what they look like, author Francesca Flores just revealed some character art.

After the murder of her parents, Aina is trying to stay alive. She joins this group of assassins and they become her new family. Her boss is brutal but he provides her a safe place. And for her to have any kind of future in this world, she will have to play a game of conspiracies and murder.

Everyone really needs to read this one. Tehlor Kay Mejia wrote one of the best books. Everyone should be reading this in school, work, alone time, etc. We Set the Dark on Fire is a YA The Handmaid's Tale.

Young women are trained for one of two roles: to run a husband's household or raise his children. Daniela Vargas is the top student in the academy but she has more to lose than other girls in class. Her parents have risked everything to have forged identification papers and no one can know. Graduation night is fast approaching and nothing will prepare her for what's to come.

Which are your favorite Latinx fantasy novels? There are so many tropes, themes to work with. What do you want to see more in Latinx fantasy novels that you've seen in other fantasy titles?

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6 of the Best Latinx Fantasy Novels You Can't Miss | Book Riot

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Want to check out new magical worlds filled with extraordinary world-building, incredible and unique characters, and an epic adventure you won't be able to forget? Fantasy novels give me that. Always. The way you can just enter this magical place of new beginnings is wonderful and I'm always grateful for the fantasy genre.