Friday, December 14, 2018

Ilyon & Acktar Character Chat #1

Today we're kicking off the Ilyon & Acktar Blog Tour with an ever-so-popular character chat. Enjoy a chance to see how the characters from my books and Tricia's books interact! And don't forget to check out the winter reading bundle giveaway at the end and visit the other stops on the tour! There will be three more chats and more giveaways to enter.



Wednesday, July 25, 2018

2018 Fan Art Contest Winners

Announcing the three winners of the 2018 contest!

 3rd Place
Tyra by Marlene S.


2nd Place
Jace and Kyrin by Hannah Rogers


1st Place
Bound Together by Holly D.


Congratulations Marlene, Hannah, and Holly! I will be contacting you shortly for information about your prizes. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest and those who voted! If you want to see the other entries in the contest, head over to the contest page.

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Double 4th of July Ilyon Chronicles Cover Reveal


The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. It always has been. It’s fully summer and warm (usually) and I love it. I’m a total summer/warm weather girl. I NEED summer. So yes, this is definitely my favorite holiday.

What does that have to do with Ilyon? Absolutely nothing. Lol! But I thought, why not celebrate with a cover reveal? I wasn’t going to reveal the cover for Bitter Winter until I had a set release date, but then I changed my mind. It seemed like a fun thing to do on my favorite holiday. Not only that, but I’m revealing the cover for Bitter Winter’s companion novella, Lacy! I also happened to realize while making the graphics that the colors match the holiday perfectly—blue and red! Crazy coincidence.

You can read more about them and see the covers below. It’s kind of funny that they both take place in the winter and here I am revealing them in the middle of summer. ;)


About the Book

Already struggling with a harsh winter and the threat of food shortage, a catastrophic event leaves those in the Landale camps reeling. Just when things couldn’t get much worse, camp members fall ill with the same devastating sickness that’s sweeping across the country.

Determined to gain the cure, Jace sets off to Valcré. However, there are only two sources—the queen, or a powerful gang of smugglers who have made the dangerous city their home. When Jace gains audience with the gang leader, he finds the price of the cure is steeper than any of them imagined, forcing him to make an impossible choice—betray his conscience or let those he loves die.


About the Book

The last thing Aaron ever envisioned was falling for a prostitute. Everything about it spells trouble. However, he can’t help noticing the way her smile lights up when she sees him and how much brokenness she hides behind it. Neither can he ignore how desperately she needs rescue and protection.

When Lacy shares a life or death secret with him, Aaron is willing to risk everything to help her and to show her Elôm’s love. Yet, such a choice could destroy his reputation and maybe even cost him his freedom.

***

Now, as I said, I don’t have a release date, but I hope to have a better idea in the next month or two as I go over my feedback from my beta readers.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

2018 Fan Art Contest


It's time for the 4th annual Ilyon Chronicles fan art contest! Below you will find all the information to enter.

I will be taking submissions from June 1, 2018 to July 15, 2018. All entries will be posted on the Ilyon Chronicles website, where the winners will be decided by fan voting beginning July 16th. I will then announce the results on July 25, 2018.

Please email your JPEG submissions to authorjayelknight@gmail.com and include your name, the title of your piece, and what medium you used. All visual mediums are acceptable (drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, photos, digital editing, etc.). Here are the rules and other information. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Rules

1. Your submission must be Ilyon Chronicles themed.

2. You may submit up to 5 separate artworks.

3. All submissions will be displayed on the Ilyon Chronicles website.

4. This contest is open internationally.

Prizes

1st Place - $30 Amazon gift card.

2nd Place - $20 Amazon gift card.

3rd Place - $10 Amazon gift card.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Writing and Publishing Updates (i.e. Oh, the torture!)

This update has been a long time coming. (Wow, that sounds ominous. But don't freak, I'm not quitting writing or anything.) It's really just an update. You see, I've been getting an increasing number of messages lately asking about the status of Bitter Winter and how writing is going. In one word, it's basically . . . not. Yeah, this whole last year has been awful for writing and editing. Just terrible. Basically, torture. Yeah.

You see, when I moved out on my own, I suddenly had all of the pressures of adulthood suddenly dropped on me. Groceries, bills, insurance, vehicle issues. Everything. And then lots of family stuff. Nothing really bad or anything. Just life. You know, that thing that likes to take all of your best-laid plans and, with a puff of smoke, turn them into ashes? Yeah, life. I feel like mine has been a chaotic, disorganized mess that I haven't been able to completely sort out yet even though I've been on my own for a whole year. I'm hoping 2018 will be where I finally hit my stride. *feels LIFE lurking over my shoulder ready to strike*

I suppose I'm being somewhat dramatic, but that's how 2017 felt. I did almost no writing besides finishing up the surprise NaNoWriMo contemporary romance that leaped into my life late 2016. The fact that I've hardly written in a year is absolute torture itself. Writers can't not be writing. It leads to feelings of hopelessness and self-loathing. I'm not even kidding. This gif is basically what it has felt like to try to write for the past year.


Editing has been no better. I'm still working on the first chapter of Bitter Winter.

The. First. Chapter.

Ugh. More torture. More self-loathing. Here is actual footage of me trying to edit.


Again, I'm being dramatic, but it's actually the truth. And I constantly beat myself up over it. With every month that passes, I feel the pressure of needing to get the next book out. And, of course, that just makes it all that much worse. I don't do well under pressure. Is it any wonder I've had a horrible case of writer's block?


So, that's all the bad news. Here's the good news. I started writing today. Some of it was easy, some of it was hard. I've implemented a plan that I hope will help me stay on track and finish writing book six of Ilyon Chronicles this spring. That has been the biggest thing weighing on me. I need to get that book done.

As for Bitter Winter, I also did some editing today. I think once I get going on it, it will become easier. I have no idea when it will be published, but unless something catastrophic comes up, I will publish it this year. To answer the question I keep getting: Sorry, I don't have an actual publishing date yet. It's way too soon for that. But I will announce it the moment I know. :)

In the meantime, prayers are very much appreciated. Adulthood is hard. (Can I get an 'amen'?) Writing it not nearly as easy as it was when I would sit in my bedroom for hours on end at my parents' house and not have all the adult responsibilities I do now. It was more fun then, sadly. But, regardless of how long it may take, I'm going to keep on pushing forward. I will get these last two Ilyon books done. And I can't tell you how much all of your loyal support means to me, especially when the going gets tough. Thanks for sticking it out with me!

P.S. I nabbed the gifs from this awesome blog post that perfectly sums up being a writer. (Disclaimer: I have no idea who this author is, what she writes, or what else is on her blog/website. It just came up when I was searching through gifs.)


Monday, January 22, 2018

Ilyon Chronicles Etsy Shop

Ilyon Chronicles now has its own Etsy shop! You can find many new items there, including kids' clothing, stationery, throw pillows, and more! You can also buy the books from the shop so you only have to make one order.





Saturday, January 6, 2018

Character Spotlight - Talas



Appearance: Long dark brown hair, spring green eyes, slim but athletic, 5’7” tall.

Age: 24

Race: Crete

History: Talas is a young crete from the Fox Clan, one of the crete peoples’ twelve different clans. He comes from a large family with two brothers and four sisters. While most cretes are rather aloof when it comes to outsiders, Talas is unusually friendly and outgoing. He’s a very skilled dragon rider and warrior among his people.

Author’s Notes: Talas is one of those characters I really didn’t know when I started writing him, but he completely came to life on the page and took over. By the end of his introduction chapter, I was totally in love with his character. He’s such a fun character. He’s got this infectious grin and air of mischief about him. You can’t help but love him. In a sense, he’s the go-between for the cretes and the rest of the characters who begin working together. As he puts it, he’s there to “smooth any ruffled feathers.”

Another thing I loved to write was the contrast between him and his cousin, Leetra. She’s like his exact opposite, so it’s fun to play with the differences between them. Talas is basically the charming, fun guy everyone would love to have in their group of friends. And he may be fun-loving and perhaps even a bit reckless (which is typical among the cretes), but he’s a very compassionate and caring individual and would be quick to have your back in a sticky situation.