News from Frances Ellen, author of The Aster Prequel Trilogy, March 2022

Published: Sun, 03/20/22

Hi , and welcome to my newsletter.

In this edition I’ll be revealing the title and series name of the first in the full-length series that follows directly on from the prequel trilogy (plus a bonus reveal), showing a bit about my writing process, and my full time job as a guide dog trainer, sharing news of free book giveaways in the World of Fantasy, and finishing off with a question to you about cover designs you love.

I hope you enjoy reading this email.

Thank you for being part of my publishing experience❤️

Best wishes

Frances

The Reveal

Title reveal - series and book one

When I started out on this writing journey, book one of the full-length series was going to be the first book ever. But I struggled with how to manage the cliff hanger that you all know from the prequel series, without giving it all away in the first chapter. So, despite not being the norm for the fantasy genre, I started out with the prequel.

(In fact, I have a bunch of series in my head for earlier generations of Asters, plus an Aiyana origin series, so “prequel” here does only refer to the current generation of Asters, - Sophie, Sky, Nathan, Lian and Matu - because, well, it’s an epic! Are you with me so far?)

So the first reveal is the series title. This will be...

The Asters Original Series

... and there will be 6 full-length books in it. Book one is in second round edits and is planned for an end of May release. Book two will come out later this year. I would love to produce my books quicker, but hey, I have a full-time job (of which more later).

The second reveal is the title of Book 1 in The Aster Original Series…..dan dan daaaaan….

As you can see, it hints at resurrection, the driver behind it, and the major emotion running through the book. This is a recent change in title, as my first choice was already in use in a lot of books featuring unrealistically fit young men on the cover, and a hefty helping of spice.

Now, my Aster boys are all athletically fit but the Asters books are written to be suitable for the YA reader, i.e. from age 12, so no steamy romance, no explicit scenes of intimacy, and “fade to black” when the action starts, so to speak 😄

So there you have it. And while I’d love to be able to show you the title as it will appear on the cover, I have to admit that I am still figuring out what to do for the cover – hence my question to you at the end of this newsletter.

Oh, and the bonus reveals?

From Fury Reborn is written primarily from the perspective of Nathan, the Aster of Flora.

There will still be the usual banter and sarcasm between the Aster siblings, LOTS of magic and action, more globetrotting, and….. the new King of the South American Underworld will debut in spectacular and electrifying fashion.

A Book's Journey

The Dream Team swings into action

Getting the first draft of a story written is just the first part of a long process of iterations and improvements ahead of ARCs and publication. I have a fantastic Dream Team who take my first draft and bash it into meaningful shape over 3 or 4 rounds. You can find out more about them on my website.

Their feedback is sometimes brutal, often hilarious, and sooo valuable. Here’s a snapshot of what they can provide, taken from A Threat To Remain first-round edit. I prefer to use Word, with colour coded highlights rather than the editing function: ~~yellow strikethrough~~ is for delete, blue is for newly added text, [green in square brackets] is for comments. This is because I learn better from my mistakes when they are flagged up to me in fluorescent colours!

The Day Job (for now?)

If you’ve come across my Author Bio you will know that I train guide dogs for the blind. I’ve just graduated into my second of 2 years of training. In 10-week periods I take up to 4 dogs a week through their basic guiding instruction – these are dogs aged 14-16 months who have come through the foster home programme.

I can only share photo’s of those dogs which are not sponsored. Here's one of my recent dogs.

Oxsie is a sensitive sweetheart, asking for cuddles whenever he doesn’t need to do guide work. When he does need to work, he regains focus so easily. He’s incredibly careful, now that I’ve taught him to watch out for my bumping into objects on the street - he walks wide circles around lampposts and trees, looking up at me while he does so. Just checking to see if I’m all right.

How many miles or km do you think I walk per day?

As a hint, the dogs are taken out morning and afternoon for individual training. The answer is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Discover New Fantasy Reads

To find new readers for my books I work with fellow (usually also indie) authors to promote our books to each other’s email list. We offer a book, novella or custom story for free on sign-up to our newsletters, to help the reader decide if they want to keep following the author.

For instance, I am offering A Queen To Come. Sometimes, on sign up there is the chance to win a prize.

This time I am joining authors who write fantasy novels where romance is not the primary plotline. Interested? Just click on the image to get to the mybookcave web site, browse through the free books on offer, and take a punt. And feel free to share the link to friends and groups you know who may also be interested.

Before You Go...

I know I’m leaving this late but I am still undecided about the overall theme for the covers of The Asters Original Series, and the specific imagery for From Fury Reborn. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted for the prequel trilogy. Now I’m wondering whether to keep that style for the Original Series. Or it could be a vista or scene from the book, or character art, or a mix of relevant images, or…?

Did the cover of A Queen To Come do a good job of drawing you to the book, and why?

What is your favourite YA fantasy cover, and why?

I’d love to hear from you, just reply to this email.

How many miles or km do I average a day, training my guide dogs?

The answer is: 7.5 miles / 12 km.

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