Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Well, friends, as it turns out I ended up having to make some last minute plans to leave the country â€� I’m sitting in a hotel in Athens, Greece as I type this! Bad news is,Ìýthis means I’m not able to draw names for the just yet. But the good news? There’s time to send in an entry–or an extra entry–before the drawing!

I’m extending the contest through May 5th, so that I have time to get back home and package things all pretty for you guys. Have you read Prayer of the Handmaiden yet? A couple of the easiest ways to enter are to leave your thoughts on the new book on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ or for others to find. Or send me a pic of you with the bookâ€� I love those!

Anyway, sipping wine and eating an Italian baguette and thinking of all of you fine folks who keep me inspired. See you in a couple weeks!

Okay, this is technically a books recommendation, plural, because this story is spread out over three volumes: . But in my opinion this is really one long novel, broken into three easier-to-publish pieces. Plan to read all three, because you won’t get the actual end of the story until the end of the third one.

And it is well, well, WELL worth the journey. I’m not even sure where to begin in praising these books, because they are the kind of writing that a lesser author like me drools over, wishing she could someday be that good. No, seriouslyâ€� have you ever read “purple proseâ€�? The flowery language and description that some writers use in the hopes of sounding romantic, and instead end up sounding pretentious and ridiculous? This book is what purple prose is aspiring to be. ÌýThis is what romantic writing sounds like when it’s done RIGHT, with real skill.

“Her first kiss was fierce. After the shock of it, I felt her draw back. I waited for her, and she returned to me, more gently this time. Her kiss was a caress, but it tasted bittersweet. She tried to make me understand. Her meaning slipped into the darkest places in my heart and showed me my own fear. I clung to her, as if she could be my shield against it. It would be a long time before I understood that fear is only the dark face of love.�

So, this trilogy tops just about every lesbian fantasy book list I’ve ever seen, and I was really excited to read it.Ìý It’s not really a fantasy, however. It’s a historical novel, though it’s set in the Bronze Age and as a result has an older-than-medieval feel to it that makes its classification as fantasy understandable. There’s a bit of mysticism, but the only “magicâ€� seems to be in the deeply spiritual way that the narrator experiences certain things.

This is also maybe the most epic, perfect, satisfying hero-tale I’ve ever read. The story follows Tamras, a teenager who goes to live at the estate of a family friend in order to (hopefully) be apprenticed to a warrior and eventually become a warrior herself. She is assigned to the one warrior no one else wants � a surly, rude outsider named Maara, that no one trusts or likes. The Lady of the estate asks Tamras to serve as a spy and help her determine if Maara intends them harm.

Tamras is a deeply introspective person, much wiser than even she herself knows, and throughout the story she simply follows what her heart tells her to do. This is often the opposite of what the hardened warriors around her believe is right- sometimes even the opposite of what she herself knows is sensible-and yet consistently, her gut instinct proves to have been the wisest and most strategic course of action. As she matures, her ability to connect the dots, to decipher othersâ€� plans, to negotiate with those in greater power, and to feel in harmony with her own inner self continue to develop, until by the end of the book this average little girl has become a legendary heroine of truly epic proportions. It’s part fate, part luck, and part ingenuity, but ultimately it’s all really about love. ÌýAnd you guys know what a sucker I am for “love conquers allâ€� tales.

The story is slow-moving, but for me the writing was so yummy that I didn’t care. The first book sets up the characters, the primary conflicts, and the developing relationships that are going to drive the rest of the story. The second book focuses on Tamras’s life going to hell, and yet also beginning a new chapter of budding love. And the third book is MADE OF AWESOME. There’s a slightly odd dalliance at the beginning with a group of mysterious forest dwellers (this is the part of the story that’s the most “magicalâ€�) and then we get dumped into intrigue, angst, cleverness, rescue, and a huge climactic battle. ÌýI found it to be one of the most satisfying endings of a journey/adventure tale that I’ve ever read, and enjoyed it immensely. Oh, and did I mention that Maara is notÌýa white person? The book doesn’t specify what her ethnicity or race are, other than that she is dark-skinned and possibly related to the “Old Ones,â€� butÌýI hearts me some books with diverse characters.

If I were to come up with a criticism, I guess the most critical thing I can think of to say is that there are a lot of mini-stories throughout this book, since Tamras is something of a storyteller, and those often had great set up and less-than-satisfying conclusions. There’s also a loose end in the third book where it seems like Tamras is planning to jump over a waterfall (a feat that the reader wants to know how she’s going to pull off) and then some stuff happens and she goes off in a different direction, and that felt a wee bit unresolved. Other than that, though, I pretty much loved everything about this story, beginning to end.

So yeahâ€� ÌýRead this one! You can check out ,Ìý and is working on an audiobook version too. Enjoy!

Ìý

Good morning, friends and readers â€� today is the official book birthday for ! ÓË�

Ìý

It also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day. I racked my brain to come up with a clever holiday-to-book connection I could blog about today, but other than Erinda’s green hair ribbons and Kade’s status as something of a “saintâ€� there wasn’t a whole lot to work with, LOL. So instead, I will just remind ya’all to try your ♣luckâ™� in the Ìýthat I’m running in honor of the book release. There’s all kinds of goodies to win, including signed cover flats, miniature book charms, tote bags, book-themed floating lockets, collectible buttons and even a set of character plushies. Six ways to enter! No purchase required. :P

While PotH has been available for two weeks now via the website, its official book birthday means that now it’s also available at all other regular retailers, notably . Those who ordered the e-book from Amazon probably got access to their copy yesterday, and the rest of you should be getting your paperbacks shipped out shortly.

Wishing everyone a day full of green beer and good reads! :)

Starting this off with full disclosure:Ìýthis book is part of the family, andÌýif you will recall, I was at last year with and a couple other BSB authors, so I’ve had the chance to hang with her in person a bit and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

That being said, I recently re-read her debut novel, , and was struck again with how awesome it is, so I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you, dear readers, who may not have had the pleasure of discovering this fantastic series yet.

I remember, when I first read the blurb for this book, snickering a little at the character Starbride’s name. I was wondering if this was going to be some odd fanfictiony Mary-Sue kind of thing, because who names a character something so overly dramatic and weird? And then, I remember being really impressed by the way the story usesÌýthe name to set a cultural norm for the character’s ethnic background, whichÌýis followed (to really interesting effect) throughout the rest of the story in other characters.

Secondly, theÌýcover art is kickass.

Thirdly, I have to talk about how cool the world-building is, which is kind of hard to do without spoilers. The most interesting elements of the world (the Fiends, and the pyramid magic, and the pyradistés who use the pyramids) are major players in theÌýplot progression. The story gives some classic demon and half-demon type mythology, along with a little Robin Hood-esque (or maybe -esque) secret identity fun. ÌýThere is also plenty of political intrigue, and a cast of delightfully colorful characters surrounding the princess-cum-secret-warrior MC. ÌýAdd to that a palace court life setting and young Starbride, who is a fish out of water from the moment she sets foot in court and has to figure out how to make a place for herself somewhere she clearly doesn’t belong, and it’s a recipe for a page-turner.

It was nice to see a person of color as one of the MC’s. I’m not sure what ethnicity Barbara intended for Starbride, but I imagine her as Middle Eastern, maybeâ€� she has dark coloringÌýand a rich cultural heritage. She experiences some discrimination and ridiculeÌýbecause of her background, though it doesn’t end up driving or hindering the plot â€� it’s more like an element of the setting that fades a little into the background as herÌýpolitical status is elevated. Also, her hatred of court fashion is hilarious, and her dessert-themed descriptions of the various concoctions she is made to wear throughout the book had me ROLLING.

I loved Katya’s personality, though IÌýstruggled a bitÌýwith the convention that made her, as second in line for the throne, the leader of the secret OrderÌýof guards for the royal family â€� it might have been nice to have moreÌýrationale explaining why that was a good idea (as opposed to having non-royal soldiers, or the youngest/farthest down the line of successionÌýtaking on the job, which seems to make more sense.) But, setting that aside, the convention makesÌýfor a lot of storytelling fun. Katya has to develop a shallow, fake public persona that allows her to be more easily dismissed by the people and the court at large, so that she can carry on her serious and sometimes deadly duties with less examination or speculation. It also allows her to surround herself with the aforementioned delightfully colorful characters, who are in and of themselves a reason to read this book.

The narrative voice took me aÌýfew chaptersÌýto really sync up with â€� I’m not sure exactly why, but some writingÌýstyles take me a little longer to get into. But I did get there as the story started to kick into gear, and Katya’s Fiend appears for the first time. In the meantime, the fascinating Pennynail character kept me reading â€� he never speaks, wears a grinning mask at all times, has a wicked sense of humor, and is pretty much an all-around ninja, and even Katya doesn’t know who he really is. I’d read an entire novel about him by himself! (He also puts on a dress at one point in the story, and I felt like high-fiving him.)

I enjoyed the romance between Katya and Starbride. They have a familiar warrior princess-slash-spunky academic chemistry that crackled onto the page from their very first meeting, and was allowed a good amount of time to build up before they came together. I kind of wish their love scenes had been more detailed � this book was first a fantasy, and second a romance, so the sexy bits faded-to-black instead of playing out on the page. But, their relationship lends dimension and weight to the central conflict of the plot, and the way they take care of one another is sweet and satisfying.

Lastly, the climactic battle at the end of the book was epic. EPIC. A huge cast of characters, some plot twists that you kind of saw coming but were nonetheless validating when they did, a villain you REALLY hoped was going to die, a side character you REALLY wanted to smack sense into, and an unexpected side effect to Starbride’s saving-of-the-day that is a perfect setup for conflict in the next installment of the series.

This is the kind of fantasy book I always wanted to read when I was a teenager. Interesting fantasy elements, hilarious comedic relief moments, fascinating characters, with female protagonists who fall in love with each other.

There are three more books in this series, and Barbara’s got a new Viking romance (yes, ) coming later this year. I’ll probably work on putting up my thoughts on the other books in the series later on � I haven’t read the final one, , yet, because I wanted to re-read the others first.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something fun to read in order to make it through these last few days before the official-official release date (SIX MORE DAYS, FOLKS!) this would be a really good place to start.

So one of my favorite writers, D.Jackson Leigh, posted this lovely Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ review of PotH yesterday, and I only just discovered it:

“I’ve never read a book by this author that I didn’t like and this one is no exception. She’s a fantastic writer of fantasy. Her world-building is impeccable, and her plotting full of twists and turns. “Handmaiden� brings back her much loved characters from “Sword of the Guardian� and continues the story by bringing two new characters to the forefront. There is magic, battle scenes, an unlikely heroine and � I especially like � a maid who never sees her station in life as less than anyone else’s. Great tale, great writing.�

HAPPYDANCE!!! SO MUCH SWOONING!!! This from a writer whose work I adore, and who just released the COOLEST fantasy last month, , which is about dragon horses. You read that right � dragon horses. It doesn’t get much more epically awesome than horses that turn into dragons at night. Erinda would approve. :P Check out her book and you will see why I am aflutter at the moment�

Ooh, guys, very first reader feedback on Prayer of the HandmaidenÌýwas just posted by Musa over at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ:

“The writing is just superb[…]glad to say for once that there are so many different twists and turns that I end up starting again at where I’ve left off. To some, Kade will be an unlikely heroine � timid, uncomfortable with attention and tears easily. To me though, Kade is just perfect as the way she is � loyal, selfless and holding such faith and inner strength despite everything that’s happening. Erinda and Kade’s story is sweet, heartbreaking and endearing.�

Oh, my happy little writer’s heart! PotHâ€ÈÙ early book birthday!!

Well, friends, we are officially less than a week away from â€ÈÙ (3/1/15) and just three weeks away from the official everywhere-release date (3/17/15). I’ve been sick for the last couple weeks, and not very active on the blog,Ìýbut still hard at work on these super cool giveaway packs for all my early-order readers, ’cause I love you guys THAT much. ;)

First, let’s talk about what you can win!! (I will update this weekend with better pics, but this is the best I could do after dark)

TWENTY-FIVEÌýreaders will receive mini prize packs:

personalized, signed bookplate;
signed PotH cover flat;
Merry Shannon button (1�);
PotH button (1�);
PotH mini book charm â€� miniature book and crystal dangle on a clip. AttachÌýto a purse, zipper pull, keychain, rearview mirror, or anything else you can think of!

NINEÌýreaders will receive prize packs:

the bookplate, cover flat, Merry Shannon button, and mini book charmÌýabove, PLUS
a collectibleÌý6-button set featuring characters and quotes from PotH;
Sword of theÌýGuardian mini book charm;
signedÌýSword of the Guardian cover flat;
Branded Ann mini book charm;
signedÌýBranded Ann cover flat;
black PotH canvas tote bagÌý-Ìýtitle graphics on one side, book cover graphic on the other (just one per winner, but two are shown here so you can see both sides);
PotH floating locket â€� chrome and glass locket with chain, containingÌýa micro book charm, tiny horse and “FAITHâ€� charms, three crystal hearts, andÌýa blue crystal dangle

Floating Locket Close Up � These are so pretty, guys :)

And ONEÌýlucky reader will receive a grand prize pack:

the bookplate, all threeÌýcover flats, and Merry Shannon button, PLUS
the PotH 6-button set, all threeÌýmini book charms, and PotH floating locket, PLUS
collectible 6-button set from Sword of the Guardian;
collectible 6-button setÌýfrom Branded Ann;
PotH messenger bag � beige suede, cotton lining, zipper pocket flap, inner pocket, magnetic snaps, adjustable strap;
PotH Kade and Erinda plushie set

Plushies Close Up: Kade comes with a mini version of her staff; Erinda’s wearing tiny split skirts!

RULES

Entries accepted now through 4/17/15; winners will be drawn and announced on 4/18/15.
All prizes will be mailed out on or before 4/30/15.
Six ways to enter, maximum of six entries per person.
Each person can only win one prize pack, so if a name is drawn more than once theyÌýwill receive the highest-level pack they were drawn for.
Open to US residents only â€� internationalÌýreaders may enter IFÌýyou’re willing to send meÌýpostage so I can mail your prize to you. I adore you guysÌýbut can’t afford the extra mailing cost

HOW TO ENTER

One entry for emailing me aÌýcopy of your PotH receipt
One entry for emailing Ìýor Ìýa photo of you with your copy of the book (paperbackÌýor e-reader!ÌýNOTE:ÌýBy sending one of these you’re giving me permission to repost your pic on my FB page or website.)
One entry for tweeting (or retweeting) about PotH on your Twitter account ( so IÌýcan findÌýit)
One entry for a public Facebook share or post about PotH (tag my , if you can, so I can findÌýit)
One entry for leaving an honest review of the new book on
One entry for leaving an honest review of the new book on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I will need your name (please give me the oneÌýyou would like me to put on your bookplate), email address and mailing address for each entry. SO, I recommend that you do however many of the above items you want, and send me one email with your name/email/address, receipt/photo attachments, and links to your twitter/FB/Amazon/Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ all at the same time. That way I can make sure you get the right number of entries before the drawing. Multiple emails are OK, but might increase the risk that one of your entries gets missed â€� just sayinâ€�. :P

OTHER STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW

ThisÌýstuff is handmade by yours truly. I have cats and a dog, so if allergies are a concern keep that in mind. Also, I make no guarantees as to the safety/durability/childproofness/etc. of any of these items â€� they are for FUN.
This giveaway isÌýentirely my doing, soÌýplease direct any questions/concerns/offers of bribery/hate mail to me and not BSB, Amazon, or any other entity.
The actual content of any tweet / FB posting is up to you, as long as it gets the word about PotH out there in the world. That being said, links to , , , and/or a book review are appreciated as the purpose is for you guys to help meÌýspark interest in the new book. :)
Reviews should be honest, please, and as long or as short as you want.ÌýOf course, I’m hoping you’ll love it (and if you hateÌýit, I doubt you’d even want any of these prizes, LOL) but it won’t affect your odds in the contest if you talk about things that didn’t work for you.ÌýThe whole idea is to helpÌýother readers who will likeÌýthe book to find it.
Yes, you can crosspost the same review on both sites and get two entries (or crosspost the same content on both Twitter and Facebook and get two entries.)

ÌýTHAT’S IT!

Feel free to tell me what you think of the prizes or ask any questions in the comments below. Good luck guys! And as always, thanks so much for supporting my work

So the first of several planned book-launch giveaways has begun! Over on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ I’m offering a free signed copy of Prayer of the Handmaiden, from my own personal stock of author copies, to one lucky winner. Click the button below to enter! :)

.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important;
text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;
border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:"Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
background-image:url(/author/show/229443.Merry_Shannon//images/layo... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596;
outline: 0; white-space: nowrap;
}
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(/author/show/229443.Merry_Shannon//images/layo...
color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer;
}


Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Book Giveaway







Prayer of the Handmaiden



by Merry Shannon

Giveaway ends March 01, 2015.

See the giveaway details

at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.

Enter to win

My valentine took me on a Build-a-Bear date today

Lovely day of sleeping in, late Village Inn breakfast (we live right across the street from one, so it’s a favorite weekend treat) and making cute fuzzy toys with little beating hearts and candy scents. She picked a Toothless in a tux, with sequin bow tie and red rose bouquet; I got a rainbow tiger, in a rainbow outfit, with heart antennae. And now it’s off to our local Movie Tavern (also right across the street!) to watch Ìýa movie in reclining seats, with dinner and drinks served at the same time.

I’m living the life, my friends! Wishing you all a sweet and lovely Valentine’s day� And for those of you who get Monday off (like me!) a wonderful holiday too.

Ìý

I try not to form opinions of anything I haven’t read or watched for myself, because it doesn’t feel fair to judge someone else’s work on another person’s perspective. But, having never read 50 Shades of Grey, the reviews I’m seeing everywhere indicate that it paints abuse as romance. This is the same problem I had with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, which I couldn’t finish. It’s not that violence occurs in the story â€� I can handle a fair share of grit. But when aÌýreader is asked to find it SEXY that a character enjoys forcing pain on their lover, I justâ€� can’t.

I’m a pretty live-and-let-live kind of person, so I’ve had to think long and hard about what it is that bothers me so much about this. When millions of women read a book and swoon over how romantic it is to be helpless in the hands of someone who enjoys hurtingÌýyouÌýwhether or not youÌýagree to it, it’s disturbing. “I’m going to do this to you and there’s nothing you can do about itâ€� should be terrifying â€� in real life, it never turns out well â€� yet it seems many women have this sense that it’s exciting, even reassuring. Maybe even a reason to feel compassion toward their abuser, or feel special for being the one who’s going to rehabilitate them (a potentially romantic concept that is SO easily a slippery slopeâ€�) ÌýAnd it’s horrific to think about, because this has got to be the root of why many people can’t find it in themselves to acknowledge an abusive relationship, when a part of them is insisting “but isn’t it kind of nice to have someone else in charge?â€� Or worse â€� “It’s okay, because my suffering makes this person feel good, and that makes me feel like I matter, which is worth theÌýpain.â€� Just typing that sentence made my stomach turn over.

Don’t get me wrong â€� while BDSM isn’t my thing, I definitely understand the dark-sexy potential of power and control games in a romance. Heck, is loaded with them, and it’s true there’s something thrilling about the way attraction can put a person who’s usually perfectly in control on the other side of the fence for a change. And I can get how, in a relationship founded on mutual adoration, it might be sexy to submit to or dominate your lover to the extent that physical pain is involved. But trust is what makes it hot, because the “submissiveâ€� has to be the one who’s really in control, who decides what the boundaries are and when it stops. And he/she needs to have absolute autonomy in deciding those things, free of any manipulation on the part of their partner. ÌýOtherwise, the fantasy goes from sexy to scary in a heartbeat.

BTW, it makes no difference whether the characters in either role are male or female, except that it is disturbing how many female readers hail abusive male characters as sexy. You don’t see a lot of romance novel covers where a tough woman has some scantily clad dude bent back over her arm. (Google images couldn’t find me even oneâ€�) In fact, the guy-equivalent of romance novels (porn) actually has more diversity in terms of which gender gets to dominate. How weird is that?? But the bottom line is, no one should be overpowering, manipulating, hitting, tying up, or otherwise controlling their lover without mutual enthusiasm for the situation. And if it happensÌýin fiction, the consequences need to be adequately explored. A story about a damaged character finding connection and love through BDSM will work as a romance, but never JUST as a romance â€� it’s a deeper journey of healing and hope, and if those things aren’t adequately addressed the novel becomes a tragedy instead. Ìý(Want an example of this being done well? Try Radclyffe’s .) To write a fluffy, fun BDSM romance, the characters can’t be using the lifestyle as therapy for past trauma. And that means they have to be healthy, fully self-aware people who treat themselves and each other with respect from beginning to end, and know the difference between fantasy and reality.

To be fair to EL James, I haven’t actually read her books, so as far as I know she may have intended her stories as erotica thrillers â€� dark, intentionally disturbing â€� and it’s her readers who labeled them romance. ÌýMaybe Outlander was meant to be a historical saga, and it got stuffed into the romance genre because people like to categorize things. (You know what else isn’t romantic? Gone With the Wind.) But the way the books and movies are marketed, ladies are supposed to swoon and bite their lip at the “dashingâ€� cruelty of these men. AND THEY DO. AndÌýwhile 50 Shades is the current buzz, what with the movie coming out this weekÌýand all, its domestic violence themes really aren’t that unique to the romance novel world. It’s just taking the heat because it’s SO popular, but the truth is you could probably grab a trashy book off the shelf at any grocery store and have aÌý50/50 chance that it, too, would contain some measure of this stuff in it. Most of these books, by the way, are written BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN. Which means, ladies, that we are perpetuating this stuff against ourselves. Against each other. Not cool.

AllÌýI know is that I’m not going to see the movie, and I have no desire to read the book either. ÌýI think my lady and I are going to go see some shoot-em-up sci-fi thingy for Valentine’s instead, cause that’s how we nerdy-girls rollâ€�