Mornings With Marie: September 2023
Philippine Paperbacks, New Short Story, Book and Author of the Month
Hullo friends, it’s September! Which means:
Oh, wait, I’m not in the Philippines anymore 🤣 There’s still Halloween before that, but most of all my favorite: AUTUMN 🍁🍂 I mean, just look at this view!
Midnight Son Philippine Edition + Manila International Book Fair (MIBF)
Friends in the Philippines, you can now order paperback copies of Midnight Son from 8Letters for only P199 plus shipping!
And if you haven’t gotten copies of Hotel Fen and Monster Ridge yet, they will be available for purchase during the Manila International Book Fair! Just head over to the SMX Convention Center on 14-17 September for a serving of all things bookish. You can find the 8Letters booth in Aisle I, Booth 266. 🥳
Pre-Order Nameless Queen: A Prophecies of Ragnarok Story
While book 3’s getting prepped for our betareaders, I’m happy to announce that the digital edition of Nameless Queen, Hel’s short story, is now available for pre-order! 👑
All things end, and all must die.
But death is not always the end.
When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.
This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.
And in case you missed it, Meri’s short Polar Knight is also up for pre-order! Don’t forget to grab a copy of Midnight Son too and complete the prequel trifecta 🥳
Book of the Month: Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson
Two very different lives.
One shared hope for a brighter future.
No time to waste. The flood is coming...
There’s just something about middle grade books that I really enjoy, and last month I came across a new favorite! 🥰 Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson is a heartwarming story of friendship and family and offers powerful lessons in empathy and finding a sense of home in the face of adversity.
Eleven-year-old Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn't have a mum. But she's happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for.
Eleven-year-old Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn't perfect - far from it. He's recovering from leukaemia and is questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer.
When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they're not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam find his confidence again? Can Adam help Norah solve the mystery of her missing mother? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood?
You can read my full review here and grab a copy of the book from Amazon.
Author of the Month: Caroline Sciriha
I recently had the privilege of interviewing fantasy author Caroline Sciriha, who lives in Malta where she teaches English at a secondary school. She writes mostly epic fantasy — often with a Mediterranean flavor — which braids magic with mystery and romance.
She’s the author of The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy, which follows the adventures of sixteen-year-old Shael. When she helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to her queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. From then on, Shael’s fate is inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.
What do you consider to be something fascinating about your work?
Caroline: I loved the idea of a tiny statuette being both a means to magically boost a talent which the person it’s tied to has, but at the same time becoming also that person’s Achilles heel.
What are your plans for the future?
Caroline: I’m currently finishing off the edits of a duology: Firedance which is a science fantasy where the protagonist is in a primitive Greco-Roman style setting and doesn’t know that the physical characteristics she has are not because she’s demon infested, as she’s made to believe, but because she’s from a different planet. I’ve also written the first draft of another book in the Hyllethan Gifts setting with different characters and set in a time prior to the events in the Trilogy.
How did you get the idea for The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy?
Caroline: I have a vivid memory of my grandfather showing me a biscuit tin where he kept a set of dwarf-like clay figurines, something like Snow White’s dwarves, but with grim faces and huge hats. I was very young at the time, but years after my grandparents passed away, I asked my father, aunts and uncle what had become of the figurines. They had no idea what I was talking about. The family believes I must have dreamt it all. When I wanted to plot my story, this ‘mystery’ came to mind. Why did I have such a vivid memory of something that never happened? This question - and the ‘dream’ episode I described above - sparked the plot of book 1 - Dawn of Purple and Gray.
Caroline publishes a bi-monthly newsletter and runs a blog, and you can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
That’s it for now! Thanks for reading, and feel free reply so we can have a chat! 😘
Marie xx
Thank you so much!