The Northern Witch's Book Blog

How to... get ready for a Book Event This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time. Blog Posts: How to pick your events Getting ready - what you need to take The big day Today I am going to be sharing my insight into what I take as standard to all of my book events, and where I get everything from. Please keep in mind that I am a Fantasy author, based in the UK; and that I buy from UK suppliers. 1. WHAT BOOKS TO TAKE 2. HOW TO MAKE YOUR TABLE LOOK PRETTY 3. OTHER IMPORTANT BITS 1. WHAT BOOKS TO TAKE The Books The big question for authors - what books to take with you? Once you've been to a few events, you'll get to know how many sales you can expect. Keeping in mind, I've only gone to mid-size one-day events so far. I generally take about 10 copies of each of my books, and sometimes take 12 of my series starters, because they tend to sell a little more. (When I go to the ...

 How to... pick your Book Event This summer I am sharing some of my tips for attending book events, to hopefully aid new authors, and those stepping out to events for the first time. Blog Posts: How to pick your events Getting ready - what you need to take   The big day Today I am going to be sharing my insight into the events that I have attended, and what has worked for me. Please keep in mind that I am a Fantasy author, so other genres might have a different result. 1. TYPE OF EVENTS & RESULTS 2. HOW TO FIND & BOOK EVENTS 3. WHAT TO DO NEXT 1. TYPE OF EVENTS & RESULTS Book/Literary Events                     Let's start with the most obvious one. Clearly, Book and Literary Events are going to be solely focussed on books. I think they're a great place to start, and excellent for meeting and networking with other authors. I always try to go to at least one Lit Event a year, as they are a lot of fun, and...

The Case Files of Aldicus Vescard by Mark William Chase 5 out of 5 Synopsis Detective Aldicus Vescard knows all too well the monsters and madmen who prowl the fog-veiled streets of Corradon. He is, after all, a monster himself. Cursed in his errant past, his body now harbors a blazing fiend of pure, elemental chaos—kept in check by the bonds that smother his own magical abilities. But crime ever turns in the Clockwork City, and none are better suited to investigate those most sinister deeds of inscrutable sorcery than Corradon’s greatest detective magus. With his loyal apprentice, Keldon Veldanor, and a host of street-smart allies, Aldicus will face a crucible of sorcery and villainy with only his wits and the science of forensic alchemy to aid him. Yet, in the decaying depths of the Underworks far below the tick-tock city, there festers an even greater evil—a darkness that threatens not only the unsuspecting denizens of Corradon, but the fate of their entire world.  Review The Cas...

The Skyhound Master by Shauna E. Black 4 out of 5 Synopsis Follow Xanthe, Avilene and the crew of the Carpathia as they discover there's more to the Andul enslavement than meets the eye. Review Avilene has accepted that she is a Conductor, but she's still getting to grips with her powers when her new family is ripped apart. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book in the Andul Guardians series, and picks up a few months after the last one left off. Avilene and Brayde are both aboard the Carpathia - the flying pirate ship manned by children rescued from slave labour - trying to get through winter, so they can track down their missing captain, Xanthe. Their peaceful plans go awry when the local village is under threat by soldiers, and their escape is bungled, leaving the Carpathia a wreck in the mountains; and Avilene captured and taken to the Andul prison of Slaveek. I really enjoyed this, as we learn more about the awful factories where g...

Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly 4 out of 5 Synopsis Aissa's life is a web of carefully constructed lies. She and her twin sister, Zandria, are Magi spies, magic users most believe to be extinct. And they're on a mission for revenge. This action & adventure spy thriller--a fantasy spin on Romeo and Juliet from New York Times bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly--is perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Elly Blake and is about to become your new obsession! By day, Aissa and Zandria play the role of normal young Technocrats eager to fulfill the duties of their new apprenticeships. By night, they plot their revenge to retake their city from the Technocrats. But then Aissa is given a new mission: find the heir to the Technocrat throne, who is rumored to be one of the Heartless, and kidnap her. Born without a working heart, the Heartless survive with a mechanical replacement. Aissa is more likely to be caught than to be successful, but she's never been one ...

The Phantom Nightingale by Shauna E. Black 5 out of 5 Synopsis Blind and with a crew of kids, he's about to risk everything for a lost sister Xanthe has a magical voice that can transport him almost anywhere, and he's used it to rescue countless kids heading for slavery. But when news of his lost sister filters through, he knows he must investigate. Even if that does lead him straight into the den of those who want his head. A new series full of action, adventure, intrigue, and a dash of romance.

The Phantom Nightingale, Andul Guardians Book One Author: Shauna E.Black  Author Website: http://shaunablack.com/ Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Nightingale-Andul-Guardians-Book-ebook/dp/B07Y5FLPSM Publication Date: 28th January 2020 Extent: 315 pages Genre: YA, Steampunk, Sci-Fi, Pirate, Magic Synopsis:  Xanthe’s crew might all be kids, but that doesn’t mean he plays it safe. He saved them all once, and now they’ll go anywhere with him. But when news of a potential lost sister comes to light, Xanthe will lead them on their most dangerous mission yet- into the heart of the empire that wants him dead or alive. He might be blind, but his magical voice can get him there. The question is what will happen once they arrive. After all, plans have a tendency to go wrong. And that could mean he and his crew end up in slave camps. He’ll need help from unexpected places if he’s to succeed. But even if he finds his sister, will she welcome the reunion, or ...

Discousia: A Victorianish Fairytale by Nicholas Lovelock 2 out of 5 Synopsis Revolution, romance and technological wonders are all in a day's work for the decorated hero of Alavonia, Sir Arthur Pageon. An acclaimed explorer and inventor, Sir Arthur Pageon takes his unofficial role as defender of the realm of Avalonia very seriously. A fantastical world, Avalonia is home to the Discoucian Monarchy, as well as monstrous creatures and secretive academies for the highly gifted. Upon returning from his most recent exploits aboard on his personal flying galleon The Nostradamus, Pageon is treated to a hero’s welcome and celebratory procession through the streets of Avalonia’s capital, Evermore. Little does Pageon know he’s being followed by a mysterious group known as the Purple Guard, whose devious leader is his estranged sister, Queen Lily Pageon of Harrha Island. Fiercely intelligent, Lily specialises in dastardly technological inventions with the aim of bringing down the ...

Discoucia by Nicholas Lovelock Summary Revolution, romance and technological wonders are all in a day's work for the decorated hero of Alavonia, Sir Arthur Pageon. An acclaimed explorer and inventor, Sir Arthur Pageon takes his unofficial role as defender of the realm of Avalonia very seriously. A fantastical world, Avalonia is home to the Discoucian Monarchy, as well as monstrous creatures and secretive academies for the highly gifted. Upon returning from his most recent exploits aboard on his personal flying galleon The Nostradamus, Pageon is treated to a hero’s welcome and celebratory procession through the streets of Avalonia’s capital, Evermore. Little does Pageon know he’s being followed by a mysterious group known as the Purple Guard, whose devious leader is his estranged sister, Queen Lily Pageon of Harrha Island. Fiercely intelligent, Lily specialises in dastardly technological inventions with the aim of bringing down the Discoucian Monarchy so that she may rei...

Greaveburn by Craig Hallam 3 out of 5 Synopsis A Hero murdered. A Girl alone. A city of Villains. From the crumbling Belfry to the Citadel’s stained-glass eye, across acres of cobbles streets and knotted alleyways that never see daylight, Greaveburn is a city with darkness at its core. Gothic spires battle for height, overlapping each other until the skyline is a jagged mass of thorns. Archduke Choler sits on the throne, his black-sealed letters foretell death for the person named inside. Abrasia, the rightful heir, lives as a recluse in order to stay alive. With her father murdered and her only ally lost, Abrasia is alone in a city where the crooked Palace Guard, a scientist’s assistant that is more beast than man, and a duo of body snatchers are all on her list of enemies. Under the cobbled streets lurk the Broken Folk, deformed rebels led by the hideously scarred Darrant, a man who once swore to protect the city. And in a darkened laboratory, the devious Professor L...