This post is not sponsored! I promise! I am just so excited to tell you about two fantasy books. One new release and one coming next year. In this post, I will…
- share about my Aunt Joelle’s fantasy novel debut!
- participate in the cover reveal for an upcoming fantasy book by Josiah DeGraaf!
A Cry Before the Council by Joelle Duran
It’s true…. I now have not only one, but two aunts who are published authors. The first was Charity Freeland Schroer, author of her memoir, Life Beyond the Scars. This fall, Joelle Duran released her fantasy novel, A Cry Before the Council. This world and its characters have lived in her mind and in her unpublished writing for decades, and I am so excited that it is being shared in print for the first time. I am a hundred pages into reading it myself, and this story of a grieving father and husband named Geren has me hooked. I highly recommend this world of the Defender and hyarmi to anyone who is a fan of Lord of the Rings.
About the Author:
Joelle Duran spent her childhood avidly reading and drawing. She chose a practical BA in biology and wound up working for an insurance company. Whenever time permits, she grabs a keyboard and map to pursue her true passion as biographer of the Defender of Life. This decades-spanning quest has resulted in nine novels and four novellas, along with dozens of short stories and illustrations. A lifelong Minnesota resident and devoted Christian, Joelle Duran also enjoys hiking, gardening, snowshoeing, and winters that match their reputation. As a committed single, she still wrestles with a persistent ambition to become a hermit. Explore her illustrations, some short stories, and other artifacts at defenderandhyarmi.com.
| For Geren, life centers around his wheat fields, home, and family. His grandfather, a former soldier with a penchant for tall tales, taught Geren to wield a sword and made him dream of brave deeds. Yet Geren’s favorite tales involve hyarmi and the Defender of Life, an avarii shapechanger giving aid to those in need. In his small town on the fringes of the Dominion, the far-off conquests of the Emperor’s army, or even the human and hyarmi sacrifices perpetrated by the Goddess’s fanatical servants, mean little. Crops need tending, while bandits must be defeated and tax collectors paid. Blight in the fields or the threat of untimely frost are greater menaces than the dark mages and monsters Geren has never seen. Then disaster strikes. Bereft, Geren heads west. With few skills beyond farming and sword fighting, his future appears aimless and lonely. A strange nightmare of a murder, a rock that might be a valuable magestone, and a stranger’s life in peril sweep Geren into the world of those childhood tales. What will he do when he learns that the plague that took his family was no accident? |
A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf [Cover Reveal]
Many of you know that I have been on the Young Writer’s Workshop community for over five years. Josiah DeGraaf is the program director and one of our instructors. I actually got to meet him at the Realm Makers Conference in 2022. He is launching a Kickstarter for his Young Adult (YA) fantasy novel debut next year!
I was not surprised to find the concept for the novel sounded incredibly interesting!! A magic school story told from the teacher’s perspective.
The cover design is also incredibly stunning.
I am so excited to be on Josiah’s cover reveal team and share the first glimpse of this story’s cover with you all!
| Students don’t know what really happens at a magic school… Chintor Academy is celebrated as the place where the best music mages are forged. But beneath the surface, bullies rule with cruelty, teachers scheme against each other, and the student destined to save their nation is far from ready. Kalina didn’t know what she was getting into when she agreed to teach at Chintor. Now, as a first-year teacher, she’s tasked with finishing the training of this prophesied violinist. Their nation’s sworn enemies are nearing victory, and she has mere months to prepare him before their country collapses. When Kalina uncovers the abuse of a vulnerable student, she’s thrust into a dangerous dilemma. Exposing the school’s underbelly means she’ll be fired and unable to prepare their hero. Keeping quiet means her students will suffer. The fate of the nation—and her soul—hangs in the balance. |
As a cherry on top, Josiah plans to have a bunch of interior illustrations to bring his story to life. You can follow the Kickstarter to be the first to know when it releases and help fund the illustrations: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/josiahdegraaf/a-study-of-shattered-spells
What Do You Think?
Had you heard of either of these novels before? Are you a fantasy reader? What are you reading right now?
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