Prism, the newest novel in the Psyne series, will be available in two short weeks!

I’m pleased to announce that Prism, Book Two in the Psyne series, will be officially released as a Kindle ebook on the Amazon website as of Saturday, June 28th. Prism is the sequel to Luminous and will continue the adventures of Ilauria, the once loyal servant to the Council, now deemed a defector, who is determined to reveal the truth beneath the lies the Council has fed her people for millennia. Adante and Shivan will be pitted against one another and the ultimate prize is the power held by the Vahjra Child, Nessa. On Earth, Ilauria’s human friends, Gavin and Duncan do everything they can to keep Nessa safe but will it be enough? On top of that, the Venvian Queen makes her bid for control of their world and the sorcerer, Arman Altieri remains in the shadows, waiting to capture the one Psyne he values most in the universe: Ilauria.

During the next two weeks, more info will be posted on my blog about Prism, the enchanting next installment in the Psyne book series. Prepare to get your mermaid on!

*Remember, if you don’t have a Kindle you can still uncover the secrets of the Psyne along with Ilauria by downloading the Free Reading App at Amazon so you can enjoy Prism on your PC, Mac, tablet, or smart phone. Click on the following link to get your Free Reading App now!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000493771

Feature: The Mermaid of the Month is Shivan! (Part One)

For the month of November, I’d like to introduce you to the third Psyne who rounds out the trinity of mermaids in my novel, Luminous.  Her name is Shivan and she holds the position of mentor, a title that comes with much honor and prestige.  As mentor, it is her job to train the young Psyne in her charge.  She is the long-time friend of Ilauria, and while Ilauria is younger and has the tendency let her passions influence her, Shivan is older and wiser.  At thirty-five hundred years old, the golden blonde with the light green eyes still retains her twenty-year-old appearance but her many years of experience have tempered her judgment.  She acts as mediator between Ilauria and the volatile, Adante, but Shivan also harbors a deep, dark secret she has never divulged to Ilauria.  Like the other mermaids, Shivan has many layers to her character and Luminous gets at the heart of what she holds most valuable.  When the stakes are raised, Shivan has the power to end their rescue mission or to ensure its success.  Look for more on this fascinating mermaid later on in November!

Feature: The Mermaid of the Month is Adante (Part Two)

In September, the Mermaid of the Month was Ilauria, but because the days got away from me, I was only able to do two posts total on her.  This month I’m going to be more diligent and post more on Adante.  Adante is the Venvian Psyne who is forced to help Ilauria and her friend, Shivan search for their missing sisters on Earth.  Although she isn’t the main antagonist in Luminous (there are far more formidable bad guys to contend with) Adante is Ilauria’s opposite in many ways which makes her a lot of fun to read about.  Adante’s physical attributes were taken directly from my all-time favorite super heroine, Wonder Woman.  I think I was four years old when I first saw Lynda Carter on TV with her golden Lasso of Truth and her red lipstick and I was a fan for life.  Adante has Wonder Woman’s deep blue eyes, pale skin and shiny black hair.  But that’s where the similarities end.  Our Venvian is full of attitude, outrage and angst.  When she’s not rolling her eyes, shaking her head with disdain or crossing her arms with an aloof flick of her hair, she’s using her whip-like tongue to put others in their place or “enlighten” them in her own unique way.  She detests being controlled, abhors censorship and rejects any restrictions to her freedom.  She excels at pushing people’s buttons, lives to break the rules and always thinks outside of the box.  Adante is all the things Ilauria can’t be and won’t let herself be because Ilauria is loyal to the Council.  Look for more on this dynamic character later in the month…I promise!

Feature: Mermaid of the Month!

The Mermaid of the Month for October is Adante!  She is the antagonist to our heroine, Ilauria, which makes her one of my absolute favorite mermaids to write.  Being a member of the Venvian Psyne, as well as part of the Venvian leader’s entourage, Adante is the bad girl of the group.  It’s fitting that Adante’s month is also the month Halloween falls upon.  She is edgy, outspoken, and doesn’t back down to confrontation.  Due to her close position to the Venvian leader, she is privy to confidential knowledge that most Psyne are shielded from and Adante relishes in giving Ilauria an education she won’t soon forget.  With her long, straight black hair and sapphire blue eyes, she’s not only striking but is a force to be reckoned with.  In Luminous, Adante begins the rescue mission with a few preconceived notions regarding humans but as the story progresses, these ideas are suddenly thrown into question and she is left having to cope with the effect they have on how she views her entire life, not to mention her status as one of the Venvian.  Her character arc is not only dynamic but is revealing as well.  This stunning Psyne will also be gracing the cover of the second book in the Psyne series entitled, Prism, which will be released next spring.  Look for more on the mermaid, Adante, throughout the month!

Feature: Ilauria is the Mermaid of the Month! (Part One)

There’s no way I can talk about my character, Ilauria, without first addressing her gorgeous red hair so let’s just get that out of the way first.  Nothing makes me happier than looking at red hair!  I’m a complete and utter red-head fanatic!  We’re talking like Titian, the renaissance artist, obsessed!  Growing up with reddish/brown hair and freckles, I had to come to grips with my coloring quickly and I decided to embrace it.  This wasn’t an easy thing considering that in Arizona, most people tan to some degree and I only burned.  I naturally gravitated toward others with red hair and the inevitable freckles that are connected with it which is one reason I became enthralled with fantasy at a young age:  the heroines were typically red heads and I could relate.  When Disney’s The Little Mermaid came out in theaters I was thrilled that she had long red hair and equally ecstatic when Merida in Disney’s Brave boasted not only flame-colored hair but unruly curls as well.  Oh curls—don’t get me started!  Oops, too late!  Love, love, love curly hair!  When I was growing up there was a TV show on called Head of the Class and the actress, Khrystyne Haje, was the first person I’d ever seen with super long red curly hair and she still has the best curls in my opinion, hands down!  She’s the reason Ilauria has the hair she does and let’s face it, mermaids just aren’t mermaids without that beautiful long hair.  For many writers, their hero or heroine is an extension of who their ideal person is.  Other times, their hero or heroine is who they wish they could be.  For me, Ilauria is the ideal mermaid and I’d like to be her if I was ever given the chance to be a mermaid (you know, in some alternate reality).  So, why all this concentration on how she looks physically?  Because in the world I’ve created she’s a super hero and super heroes in comics are visually stunning and have a specific look.  Red hair and green eyes are rare traits and those attributes add to her character because she is a rare individual in her society and that’s where the crux of the story is derived from.  For more on red heads, search for red hair on Pinterest and prepare to be stunned!  Look for more about Ilauria later this month…

Enchanting People Gravitate Towards Other Enchanting People…

This post continues the spotlight on the Artists of Luminous and today I’m introducing you to the ever-talented, amazingly-creative Joanna Bishop.  The story of how I met Joanna starts where the post on Abigail Sloan left off.  Abigail and Joanna had become friends years earlier and had bonded over their many shared interests including their love of creating art.  Joanna holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho and has worked in graphic design for a number of years.  When I began the search for a graphic designer to create the cover of Luminous, I was at a loss.  I knew I needed someone who shared my love of fantasy and who could inject the right amount of magic into the project.  When I asked Abigail if she knew of anyone who fit my criteria, she immediately recommended Joanna.  After my first meeting with her, I knew Joanna was the perfect choice to give my Psyne novel a proper home.  Her professionalism and expertise was, and is, unparalleled.  Collaborating with her was such a phenomenal experience and the cover she produced was light years ahead of my wildest dreams.  She took the image of my Ilauria painting and created the kind of book cover that will rival any best-selling cover out there!  One of my all-time favorite elements is the ethereal font she custom created and it is true to its name—absolutely luminous.  She also designed an incredible website which I’m hoping will go ‘live’ later this year as well as promotional materials for Luminous.  I can’t say enough about how pleased I am and I’m super excited to begin working with her on the cover of the sequel, Prism, in the very near future.   Her vision is truly magical!   Not only do I have a simply stunning book cover to enchant readers with but I’ve gained a cherished friend as well.  Check out this fantastic artist and designer at her websites:

The Black Umbrella

Joanna’s Facebook

Feature: Mermaid of the Month!

Today is the start of a new series of posts entitled Mermaid of the Month!  At the start of each month, I’ll introduce one mermaid from my novel, Luminous, that I’ll be spotlighting and throughout the month, I’ll dedicate certain posts to her.  This is a great way for you to meet the mermaids that populate the Psyne Universe and of course, tons of fun for me to share them with you.  I’ll reveal background and trivia about them that you won’t learn about in the book so be on the lookout for your favorite Psyne to be featured in the coming months.

The Mermaid of the Month for September is Ilauria!  She is, of course, the flame-haired Psyne that graces the fabulous cover of Luminous and the first mermaid I connected with when I began writing the series.  She is my personal favorite, although I love all of my mermaids for different reasons.  Ilauria is my ideal mermaid with her gorgeous red curly hair, bright green eyes and blue-green fish tail.  If I had a chance to be a mermaid I’d want to look just like her.  In Luminous, she’s introduced as someone who has always followed the rules even when it cost her more than her heart wanted to give.  At the tender age of twenty-five hundred years old, she finally rebels in order to follow her heart.  Growing up, I was a good girl, a straight A student and for the most part, I did what the authority figures in my life expected of me.  I didn’t truly rebel in my teen years like so many of my peers.  My teenage rebellion came late in my life at age 30 when I had to rebel against the things that were keeping me from realizing my dream of writing a novel and publishing it.  Sometimes rebellions can be against our own fears and you’re never too old to rebel against that!  Look for more on the mermaid, Ilauria, throughout the month!