If I say Eshe is a mess at the start of her book and for a fair portion of it, you’ll think I’m unkind. But, she does have issues which she’s been fighting all her life. That doesn’t mean she’s not courageous and smart. She doesn’t fit anywhere and nothing is as it seems. Eshe gradually grows into who she is, although she kicks and screams all the way there.
Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but this book had me wrapped up from start to finish. The characters are multi-faceted and fascinating. Andwele is an alpha hero through and through. He’s been chosen for an integral role in Eshe’s life and despite his lack of enthusiasm at the start, he takes to the task with gusto … too much at times. His sometimes clueless approach makes him likable and he doesn’t back away from life-threatening situations.
He’s the right man for the job, though, given his shady reputation and skill sets. J.D. Mason did a great job with his character, moving him from a selfish, snarky individual, to one who recognizes and embraces his role as hero.
Andwele and Eshe’s connection, when it eventually happens, is satisfactory and this reader was happy and relieved. If you like tales of high adventure with demigods and shifters, you’ll enjoy Eshe.
SOURCE: I borrowed the book via my KU subscription.
BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Eshe-Fire-Breathing-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07NBZ2WW9
It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
Our awesome co-hosts today are C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata!
September’s question of the month - How do you find the time to write in your busy day?
For years now, writing has become an integral part of what I do. It doesn't come naturally every day, but that's where discipline comes in. If I've committed to writing a story, then it means I have to sit down and put in the words. I've grown accustomed to writing during whatever time I have available - before work, at lunch time and after work as well. That's how I had a stockpile of stories before I signed my first publishing contract.
It's a matter of making time for what is important to me and applying a generous helping of discipline to get each story done.
And with that said, I have interesting news to share ...
Announcing the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest!
Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.
Word count: 5000-6000
Genre: Fantasy
Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain's redemption, a hero's lack of confidence, a hero's lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence.
Deadline: November 1st 2016
How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group.
Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.
Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.
We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!
Our amazing judges this year:
Elizabeth S. Craig writes cozy mystery series for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She curates links on Twitter as @elizabethscraig that are later shared in the free search engine WritersKB.com.
Richard Harland finished his first novel in 1993 and resigned a university lectureship to become a full-time writer. With seventeen fantasy, SF and horror novels published since, he went international with his steampunk fantasies, Worldshaker, Liberator and Song of the Slums. He has won six Aurealis Awards and the A. Bertram Chandler Award in Australia, the Tam Tam Je Bouquine Award in France. Writing Tips
Laura Maisano has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She’s excited to release her debut YA Urban Fantasy SCHISM, and she’s finishing up the sequel UNITY.
Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of 5, and has been in the self-publishing industry for a decade. He has published 8 novels and 4 novellas in both paperback and eBook, including the Box Office of Terror Trilogy and "Whitney," an epic horror novel about hurricane survivors fighting a washed-ashore sea monster. He also designs books for clients and assists them with self-publishing endeavors.
Dawn Frederick is the founder of Red Sofa Literary, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, and she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; sales, marketing, & book development at a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an agent associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency.
Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning), and also has been a script/story consultant for an independent film.
Ion Newcombe is the editor and publisher of AntipodeanSF, Australia's longest running online speculative fiction magazine, regularly issued since January 1998. His qualifications and employment range from horticulture through electronics into literature and communications.
Author, Public Speaker, and Executive Producer, Lynn Tincher was born just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in the beautiful city of La Grange. She has written four books, with the fifth one currently in the making. Her first book, Afterthoughts was optioned for movie production by Kilted Pictures and Dancing Forward Productions in Los Angeles. It is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot in Louisville, Kentucky very soon.
