August Reading Wrap Up and Summer Book Haul

This is looong overdue, but here it is finally :P

An Interview with Claire Banschbach!

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to be hosting a spot for a friend and fellow inide author today. Claire is republishing her fantasy series Rise of Aredor and I have an interview with her for you to read today. I haven't gotten to read this series of hers yet but it sounds amazing, and I am quite fond of her writing style from what I've read of it so far =)

The Rise of Aredor

Lost in a foreign land and separated from his family, Corin does his best to survive as a slave in the household of a Calorin lord. With newfound friends he fights for survival in ambushes and wars. For one act of bravery, he is awarded his freedom and returns to a home that has been invaded and ravaged by the Calorin armies. When Corin sets foot on Aredor's shores, he has one goal in mind: find his family. He is driven into the forest, where he is reunited with childhood friends. From the shelter of the woods, they begin a spirited rebellion against Corin's former cruel master, who now holds sway over Aredor. Follow Corin's path in his quest to free his imprisoned brother, find a father who has vanished, and ultimately free his country in The Rise of Aredor.

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The Wildcat of Breaton
His term of service to Lord Rishdah now complete, Aiden returns to his home in Braeton. As he travels he hears rumors that trouble plagues Braeton. Clan Canich is being attacked from within. He arrives, determined to save his father, his brothers, and his Clan from the treachery of one man.

A year has passed since the Calorins were driven from Aredor and Corin is struggling to rebuild his country. Despite the peace, a fear haunts him that the Calorins aren’t far away. The Hawk Flight takes to the forest again to defend the borders against a possible attack from the neighboring country of Durna and its Calorin ally.

As Aiden and Corin struggle to adapt to their new lives they know one thing for certain - war is coming to the North! 

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About the Author

Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen while obtaining degrees in Kinesiology from Texas A&M and Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University.

She talks to fictional characters more than she should while struggling to find time for all their stories. She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.

You can connect with her on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Instagram

Interview

H:So, first off, what was your inspiration for Rise of Aredor? How did you come up with the idea for the series?

C: So, the original idea was brought on by a deep and abiding love for The Horse and His Boy and all things Narnia. Then I got the wild and crazy idea that I could make it my own with my own world and characters. You can still see the influence in some of the names. Originally it was just going to be The Rise of Aredor, but then my sister fell in love with Aiden/Emeth, and demanded he have his own story. I had a few ideas knocking around for another story and mashed them together for book 2.           

H: Awesome! So how do you best like to write? A special place, soundtrack music etc.

C: I don’t usually write at a table or desk – I will when I’m super distracted or it’s in a quiet place and I need to focus. But usually I’m on the couch, or recently on the floor, typing away. As far as music, I typically have my 20 hr inspirational soundtrack playlist going, but I’ve been known to switch it up to Disney, showtunes, or a truly random playlist with things like Celtic rock, oldies, Christian, and pop songs. Lol!

H: My playlists are quite varied as well ;-) What is your favorite part of the writing process?

C: I’d probably have to say the first draft actually. I know everyone moans and groans about how terrible it is, but as a plantser, it’s exciting to discover the world, the characters, even plot twists, as I write.

H: Most authors are inspired to write because of books they love to read. Are there any books in particular you have read or grown up with that gave you the writing bug?

I still love Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. I methodically devoured each year’s release growing up. They’re still the first thing that pop into my head whenever someone says fantasy/adventure, so I wanted to write stories along those lines. And Narnia really inspired the earliest and scariest beginnings of the idea for this series. So I have Lewis and Jacques to thank (blame?) for throwing me onto the writing path.

H: Brian Jacques was one of my inspirations as well! He made me write *better* stories haha. What do you feel is the most annoying part of the writing process?

C: I go back and forth on editing. Sometimes I enjoy it, typically when I have all the good ideas for rewrites. Otherwise it’s kind of a pain. lol!

H: Okay, so it’s hard to choose, but who is your favorite character in the Rise of Aredor series?

C: This is kind of a funny question. So obviously I have a really big soft spot for Corin and Aiden, the two main characters in the series. But I like to write short stories about side characters or events that are mentioned as having happened. One of those is about Liam, one of the outlaws in Corin’s band. He’s not in the books much, but after writing part of his back story, I really fell in love with him.

H: I like doing that too! I think side characters are much funner to write back stories for because you may not know as much about them as the main characters. Finally, care to share what you might be working on next?

C: My current big project is a N/A fantasy about brothers, outlaws, politics, and a fair amount of stabbing. :P Grad school put it on hold and I’m trying to finish it off before it finishes me. :P The next writing project is kind of up in the air. I have book 3 of my Faeries of Myrnius series to write, and several other really exciting ideas I’ve been itching to dive into for a while now, that include things like King Arthur, fairy tales, cyborgs, airships, motorcycles, spaceships, and epic sibling relationships.

H: That sounds awesome, because brothers, outlaws, and stabbing are things I enjoy very much :P And I totally didn't know I needed Arthurian Sci-Fi in my life either until now… I wish you luck on your endeavors! 

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Claire is also offering the first book in the series for .99 cents on Kindle during the tour so go and get a copy now!

Also don't forget to enter the giveaway for these awesome prizes! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here to Follow the Tour

Also, Claire has written a special short story "A Taste of Freedom" for the blog tour. You can read it HERE on her blog

BPAFF Glamour Dispersing Pendants now on sale on Etsy!

I decided to add the BPAFF shamrock pendants like Bree and Cass wear in the series to my Etsy shop, so that anyone who doesn't win the giveaway can still have a chance to get them :)

Just like the agents of BPAFF (Bureau of Protection Against Fair Folk) You can have a shamrock pendant to help you see faeries and the faerie world. Shamrocks in traditional folklore don't so much mean good luck as they help anyone in possession of one to see whether a faerie is trying to use it's glamour on you, so wearing a four leaf clover as a pendant will help you see through any deception and keep you safe from the Fair Folk.

This pendant is made of glass with a shamrock inside, attached to a durable waxed cotton cord that is perfect for everyday wear.

Get one here!