#i’ve run this blog for years and closing this chapter just brings me closure and peace

[unicornofgt]

alright, i have come to the decision i am keeping this blog up as an archive and leaving the gt tumblr community for the foreseeable future.

when i made my post about chamomile-g-tea’s damaging treatment of my story, gtms, my goal was to acknowledge the situation so i could hopefully move forward and restore gtms/my blog as mine again, without her influence. and while i anticipated backlash, some of the responses were just...downright disturbing. lots of comments echoed a victim-blaming sentiment that i am responsible for the emotional and creative damage done to me by another person because ‘why didn’t you just say no or tell her to stop?’ not only does this ignore the several attempts i did make to express discomfort and set boundaries—which were not respected—but even if i didn’t manage to express a ‘no’, that doesn’t make what happened ok; it doesn’t erase the year of crippling pressure and guilt i lived with and still struggle to shake daily. realizing that so many people in this community think otherwise is just...disturbing. it’s disturbing. that’s the only word i can think to use.

the response to all this does not make me feel safe being here—that’s what this situation has unfortunately showed me: that the audience i hoped to allow to view my reclaiming process would also contain the same crowd who make me feel so unsafe—and why the fuck would i let those people see something as personal as that? why would i let them see anything? it’s made me understand i can’t continue to heal myself and my writing if i am posting it for other people, especially harmful people. and even though it turned out this way, i’m glad i gave it a shot; that i made that post as an effort to see if it was even possible or worth it to restore this space—even if the answer was no! absolutely fucking not!—because it saved me from even more time spent sharing my work with people who do not respect me as a person or a creator. i’m glad i tried, however much it sucked, because it allowed me to understand: it is not just one person in this community i feel unsafe with, but a solid percentage of the community at large that i just cannot healthily engage with, and no amount of blocking will fix that.

but of course this is not the only situation that showed me this community’s true colors—the dismissive or outright aggressive response to the calling out of racism in our tropes has also been deeply disturbing. to clarify, there is no problem in identifying with and finding comfort or catharsis in problematic tropes such as the pet trope, but there is a problem with using that comfort to make others feel unsafe and speak over people of color. and the solution to this trope problem is very simple—generally apply critical thinking skills to the media you enjoy, and tag your shit properly (dead dove, particularly when the giant owner/abuser doesn’t face consequences and/or if the abused/abuser fall in ‘love’—dead dove is not actually currently used in this community, that’s the problem). but rather than taking this as an opportunity to listen and improve, it was instead used as a chance to lash out at and make clear that poc are not welcome in this community and come secondary to the feelings of white creators and readers.

over the last few years, this community has fostered and been exposed for bigotry such as terfs, ableists, racists, etc, and especially in the current political era, this is no longer a community i want to share my work with or even just lurk in. and i know on the surface this community seems progressive, but take a better look and you’ll find members of the community doing and saying…questionable things, or keeping quiet and enabling their friends who do and say questionable things because they would rather be passive and polite than be genuinely kind and compassionate through active accountability.

of course this is the risk you take interacting with any person ever—but it’s especially taxing to look around at such a small, close knit community you know is riddled with these problems and wonder if the people making innocent posts are actually harmful; if they prioritize their comfort over the safety of marginalized people, if they even see you as a full person, and for me, personally—if they are willing to overlook consent to blame you for your trauma and defend the person who inflicted it. it’s taxing to explain basic basic concepts to strangers over and over in a place that prides itself on being a safe space, where people just have fun and mentally escape from irl hardships. it’s taxing to ride out shitty, hateful treatment when you are just simply one person (voluntarily providing free services btw) with only so much energy and fucks to give. it is not worth the strain it puts on you as a person, nor is it your responsibility to sit there and accept it, and i am not the only creator in this community who feels this way. we are fucking tired.

quite simply, this is not a community i feel comfortable participating in or sharing anything with. and that’s a shame, because there are wonderful, creative and caring people here who i have enjoyed sharing this space with, and maybe someday i’ll give this community another chance, but currently it’s just not worth the time of day. and i want to make it clear: my leaving is not simply because of just one person or just one situation—that i could handle—it is the community itself that is the root problem; that continues to be harmful, in multiple contexts—that is the reason why i and several other creators are leaving for greener pastures and more enjoyable communities—or just simply for a fucking moment’s worth of peace, because lord knows you won’t find it here.

[vannahfanfics]

Major Announcement!

Hi guys! I hope you all enjoyed the weekly WIP game yesterday! It’ll be a mainstay on the blog for the foreseeable future, so if nothing else, you’ll get weekly fun :) Again, thanks for your patience. 

First and very important order of business: please take the time to fill out this one-question poll. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this poll! It is something that has been on my mind for weeks and I just need an answer. This will determine the future of the blog! Please vote! I will NOT be responsible for gripes if 20 people determine the future of a blog with over 400 followers, okay? 

Now, on to the next order of business. 

As I navigated the very new experience of medical school this week, I’ve managed to develop some semblance of a schedule, which unfortunately doesn’t leave me a lot of time for writing. I’ve carefully considered what this new adjustment will mean for me and my writings and have thus come to a decision. 

I will be closing requests down until the end of the semester. 

Yes, I know that’s a long time! It saddens me to do so, but, I can already anticipate that I will be getting more requests than I am writing, and the list will just grow longer and longer and longer. I have plenty to see me through the semester, so there is plenty of room to work with content-wise. I will continue to be very diligent in balancing handling requests and personal projects, and aim to deplete the back-log considerably before requests open back up. You all are incredibly patient and cordial with me, and I want to honor that patience the best I can!

Of course, I would never close the box without offering you guys the chance to get in some last-minute requests. I would PREFER not to get requests for One Piece or My Hero Academia, because those two fandoms dominate the request list, but I won’t outright ban them, because that’s no fun! Nor am I imposing any limits, but please, don’t abuse the ask box. Remember that more requests lead to a longer wait time, so think very carefully about what stories you want to see! This is more to benefit newcomers or those who have been too shy to request thus far. However, all requests are encouraged and welcome because the box will be closed for a very long time. I’m honestly not sure if I’ll open them up again, aside from occasional events. This is an evolving process and I beg you all to bear with me while I adjust to this new and demanding lifestyle. In an ideal world I would be able to cater to all your wishes, but above all else I have to ensure my own well-being and future as a physician. Please remember that and be considerate. 

Requests will remain open for a few days on Tumblr. On Ao3 and FanFiction, they'll remain open slightly longer until I can post new chapters with author's notes so that everyone is aware of the closure and no one misses out. Again, don't abuse this! That is to benefit those who follow me one platform.

I will mark requests as CLOSED in my bio, but I won’t close the ask box, because I would still love you guys to chat and drop fun ask games. <3 Reminders will be posted throughout the coming days to ensure everyone is aware of the changes coming to the blog. 

Which brings me to my next topic! 

Although oneshot requests will be closed, headcanon requests will remain open! 

Headcanons take me no time at all to do and are good ways to give my brain a break for ten or twenty minutes without running the risk of losing time. I’m thinking of hosting bi-weekly or monthly headcanon sprees just to keep things interesting, but I haven’t decided yet. More will come on that later if I decide to go that avenue, depending on how much work I get done with WIPs every week. We’ll see! 

And now, the final piece of this very critical announcement!

I am opening writing commissions!

As you all can imagine, I am financially strapped after having to quit my job and rely entirely on student loans. The more I can pay back at the end of the semester, the happier I’ll be! The commission system will utilize my already-existing Ko-Fi account. However, these won’t be the traditional commissions that you guys are used to getting! Here’s how it’ll look.

Now, this is more for the purpose of generating side cash, so the majority of my energy will be spent on requests (although I will of course complete these in a timely manner, because I don’t want you guys to feel like I made off with your money). My writing will always be free for the most part, because not everyone in the world is graced with money to throw around and I do this for myself and others to be happy rather than to explicitly generate revenue. But, still, I thought perhaps this might be a lucrative opportunity for me to explore. I want to emphasize: 

Requests (though closed) will always be free. Buying the third-tier commission only ensures that I prioritize your request for a short time. At this point, I don’t work on them sequentially because it leads to frustration and burn-out, even though I prioritize older requests for the sake of principle. By the end of the day, all requests will be taken care of! Promise! 

All right. I think I’ve covered everything I’ve wanted to cover. More announcements will come as I continue to adjust and devise ways to keep this blog active and fun. Again, thank you all for all the love and support over the past year. I never imagined that I would grow such a following and make such lovely friends. If feasible, I want to keep providing fun stories and content for you all! Keep a list of future requests on your mind after the closing for the inevitable day when I can open my box again! Ciao ciao, and can’t wait to see your last requests for the time being! <3 

[skabunny]

2018 a Year in Review

Hey Adventurers! Every year on social media I devour lists of list of lists all the good, bad, sweet and terrible things that happened through the year. The more pictures, tweets and ideas the better. I don’t have a whole lot to talk about to review this year so this is gonna be a two part blog. Today we’re gonna talk about things that happened and Tuesday I’m going to post a special blog of the things that I’m hoping to do in 2019.

I think I’ve talked about it here. I don’t really hold to new years resolutions. I think the process is a bit silly and it doesn’t really talk about goals, it more talks about all of the things you hate about yourself. and I’m super not ok with that. I’ll be starting the Love Your Life in 30 Days workbook from Mike Dooley. You can find the book anywhere, I have it on my kindle and I try to do it in the first 90 days of the year to give me perspective and help me to see what I’m doing and where I want to go. Last year I didn’t get super far, but I’ll be updating progress on Instagram and thanks to integration you’ll be able to follow it on Twitter and Facebook as well. I’m usually pretty good at starting so hopefully with your help I’ll get through all 30 days no problem.

Without Further Ado…

I made goals this year to work on my health, emotional well being and saying no.

I improved my boundaries. I learned to say no more often and especially when it’s in my best interest. I’m not perfect at it, but as someone who’s recovering from saying yes ALL the time, no was a pretty big deal to begin with.

It took a while, but I finally called financial aid and was able to get help affording my health care costs. I saw doctors for help with all kinds of things including my hips, weight loss, my tonsils, and the constant nausea.

I lost 10 lbs. Which is a freaking miracle. The number isn’t a big deal to me. I’m more excited that it’s 10 lbs less on my hips and what is hopefully at least a little more time to a hip replacement.

I started journaling. First using a bullet journal adjacent to my planner and then with the Journey app I purchased for my ChromeBook. I’m a huge fan of journaling. I talk to people about it all the time and I’ve been using it a lot as a tool to really kinda pull my shit together and bring things to focus. Sure they’ll exist forever and whatever, but this is more for me as a tool to be a better me now.

I took a risk at work and it paid off

When I found myself tasked with the responsibilities of someone in a Senior role, I didn’t wait around to find out when I would be made a senior tester, I took the initiative to learn what I needed to do for that role and then make it happen.

I also had an opportunity to step into a new department and take on a whole new standard of testing. This is must more strict, but also way more fun. It’s a huge risk, but hopefully it pays off in the long run with a great experience and a fantastic learning opportunity.

I met someone.

I’m not gonna go into details, for many reasons it didn’t work out. But finding people in your life that really meet you and see you for who you are is such an incredible and life altering experience that I’m grateful for every second of that seriously unique experience. I may talk about it someday, but for now I’m gonna keep it as mine.

Meeting someone who makes you feel like you’re made of magic is such a huge thing, but it seriously opened my eyes to a lot of the things that I’d been missing around me and allowed for a huge piece of closure for me. I talked about it a bit here. I’m incredibly lucky that my ex and I worked on our friendship and I feel so wonderfully blessed that his girlfriend has become a friend. They’re wonderful people together and I’m so excited to watch them grow.

I have some amazing friends

Work friends are weird. You meet because you’re all in the same place and then somehow you’re all friends based on almost no feature, just the nature that you’re friends now. Some of those friends have become regular parts of my day, regardless of what department I’m in or what I’m doing I make a point to talk with them. Laugh with them and try new things they recommend. We share videos, details of our lives outside of work and are people in a way that you can only be people with real friends. I’m super lucky that they wanted to talk and that we all still get along even when my world is crazy.

I also had the amazing opportunity to re-connect with one of my favorite people. I’m super grateful for her and for the joy she’s brought back to my life and I’m beyond excited to see what amazing things come for her in the new year.

One of my favorite people started her next chapter by moving to Oakland this year. I’m super excited for her and all of her adventures, but I super miss her.

I started streaming

Twitch is a whole new world, but it’s been really exciting to get started and really see the community from the inside. I’ve been wanting to do a lot of creative things and streaming on Twitch was one way to really get started with some of those things.

I also relaunched skaBunny Makes! This was a big deal. I had to close down the site in February because I was out of funds and creative energy to really work on it. After helping other people really work on reaching for their dreams and watching them go for it regardless of consequences I decided to leap and start again. I’m still rusty, but I’ve been pretty empowered to keep going and I’m loving the opportunity to talk about things that are going on and stuff I think is super important.I have a lot of stories to tell and I”m hoping to do more of that here.

I edited a book of poetry. I’m really proud of the poet who took their opportunity to tell their story on their terms. I may not have always been happy with them, but I’m super proud of all the work they did to complete the book.

Intersectional Feminism came into my life this year

I’ve always been a feminist, but this year I really started critically thinking about the world around me. It’s made it hard to really love certain things that I did love, but also it’s opened my eyes to just how blind I’ve been to my own prejudice and the ideas I learned back in the day. I am a huge believer in challenging my assumptions. This year I put my money where my mouth was and started learning instead of just talking. I’m hoping to bring some of these lessons and stories to you over the next year, but we’ll see. I have a lot more to learn.

I also stepped outside of my comfort zone at some point this year and started reading new authors I hadn’t experienced before. The new perspectives were enlightening and I found that the new stories really re-ignited my passion for storytelling and for listening. I’d become very good at talking over the last few years, so this year I really tried to listen more than I spoke. It’s something I’m gonna have to keep working on. But it’s a process I’m not going to stop.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - I didn’t get to see many movies this year minus the fact that I had movie pass, but I did get to see the new Spider-Man animated movie which was a beautiful, smart, brilliant movie about a biracial Spider-Man who’s father is a police officer and his mother is a nurse. It’s a brilliant story, but beyond that there are several moments that just kinda punch you in the stomach. I was told I’d cry a lot and I did. Linda Holmes from NPR picked the conversation between Mile’s father and the locked bedroom door as her moment, and it’s a good one. Mine might have been the one a few minutes before. I can’t give up all the details, but I keep thinking about it. I highly recommend the movie.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2017 book “Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions” - I found this book while looking up stories I hadn’t read before. It’s a bright take on raising children to be feminists. Adichie a Nigerian novelist and writer of the essay “We Should All Be Feminists“ makes some incredible points about how we raise children and what is beneficial to raise socially aware, strong, intelligent children. It’s a great read and her TED Talk is fantastic if you’re looking for something like that.

Killing Eve - OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG. This show. I had to start off slowly, but the last few episodes I couldn’t stop. Sandra Oh's Eve was a brilliant balance to Jodie Comer’s Villanelle. Both dark, both completely honest about who they are, both strong amazing women. I was so blown away by the power of these incredible women. The supporting cast was brilliant, I am still kinda in shock from the end. I can’t spoil anything, you should watch it.

Timeless - Ok, so the show is basically a soap opera with time travel, but they meet some amazing people and I really loved every second of this silly show. I have the two hour ending to finish, but I’m still not ready to be done with this silly show.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel - Brilliant show from the creators of Gilmore Girls. I love it more, I think it’s hilarious and amazing and so much fun to watch. I feel like there could definitely be more representation, but it’s still charming and I still can’t wait to finish it.

Cartoons of 2018 don’t need their own individual sections. I’m still super in love with Steven Universe, Star Vs the Forces of Evil, Gravity Falls, Bob’s Burgers, Super Monsters, Young Justice, She-Ra and Hilda. They’re all worth a watch and a lot of fun.

Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette - I can’t talk about this enough. You need to see it. You can watch it on Netflix. It’s powerful, brilliant and so very smart. It’s a story, it’s a comedy, it’s a whole lota truth. Watch it and then read this Wired piece. I can’t even tell you all the feelings and ideas and discussions that were started because of this piece. She’s amazing and I am so delighted we share a name.

The 13th Doctor - I haven’t had a chance to start watching the episodes, but knowing that the Doctor is a woman and that she’s off having adventures and kicking ass makes me so incredibly happy and the clips I’ve seen are brilliant.

DC Universe Titans - This was an unexpected addition to my life. I’ve never been a big DC comics fan. I have a lot of feelings regarding how they handle lots of things, but this show started and I was able to watch with someone who’s a huge fan and it has been a trip. Another dark and serious show, but it’s been really interesting and very good. I’m really interested to see what happens next. I’m also super excited for the launch of the new Titans comics in June with art by Gabriel Picolo .

So that’s 2018. Lot’s of things made better by experiences, some sad moments, lots of happy ones. So much more going on and so many more adventures to have. I’ll be back on Tuesday with goals and plans for 2019.

XoxO Adventurers!

Hh G

Thank you for coming to visit and for continuing to support skaBunny Makes. This is a project I work on because I love it. If you love it and want to support, please contact me at skabunny.creative@gmail.com. You should also reach out if you have a guest post you’d like me to publish or if there are topics you would like me to cover. You can find a list of projects I’m working on in the Other Projects folder and you can listen to me chatter, mostly at myself 3 days a week on Twitch - Mondays, Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30 pm and Saturdays from 7 pm to 11:30 pm.

New blog posts will be posted on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some of it will be new content, new series, new images, but we’re still gonna talk about real life here. That’s not going to change. We will still cover loads of things that aren’t easy, mental health, life choices, living with your body, new families, life, changes in the world and all kinds of other things. Life is an adventure, this one is mine.

[betwixt-these-pages]

The third and final novel in an epic steampunk horror series, OBSIDIAN SKY closes the dramatic adventures of Claire, Sawyer, Gemma, and Nash, digging up the final secrets of their past, bringing new allies into a dangerous fray, and drawing friends and foes into a battle where the cost may be too much to pay…

The final struggle against the Hellions has arrived. A trapped engineer and a desperate marauder scramble to fight an enemy with unspeakable power on its side. Time is running out, and one world will be destroyed…

After sacrificing herself to save the lives of her friends and family, Claire Abernathy struggles to outwit her Hellion captors. They torment and terrify her into working on a weapon with the sole purpose of obliterating the world, friends, and love she has struggled to save. If Claire has any chance of saving those she loves, she must delve deeper into the Hellion world, and witness nightmares she could never imagine.

In Westraven, Sawyer Kendric is desperate to find the woman he loves. To do so, he must finally embrace his family’s atrocious past and heal the wounds it has caused. He will be forced to make new allies, uncover secrets that change all he knows, and find the courage to lead a ragtag crew into the darkest, deadliest battle of their lives.

Claire and Sawyer fight to save their broken world in the final installment of the epic DARK SKY trilogy.

Buy it here:

Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads

DARK SKY SERIES GIVEAWAY

CLICK HERE to go to the giveaway!

Two stories are told in OBSIDIAN SKY––the first chronicling a young engineer named Claire Abernathy as she struggles to survive the in the terrifying world of Hellnore, home of the blood-drinking Hellions, forced to serve their ghastly King and avoid the torment of Davin Kendric, the Hellion general, in hopes that she will be able to escape and return to her home and loved ones. The second story follows Sawyer Kendric, the young pirate captain who must make final peace with his own inner demons and face his responsibilities as a leader, all while uncovering secrets that will either save Claire, or seal her bloody fate. Their adventures will collide in an explosive finale that will change their lives forever, and leave one world altered forever…

A Message from AMY BRAUN (author):

While I love every book in the DARK SKY series, OBSIDIAN SKY is my favorite. I know I’m not supposed to pick a favorite, but I can’t help it. The book was just so much fun to write, allowing me the chance to write a story from two different perspectives and challenge myself as an author while bringing events to a conclusion where everything fell into place. Sometimes I worried that I was going to stray off from the main storyline, but thankfully everything fell into place just the way it needed to.

One of the great things about this novel is that it gets to move outside of Westraven. That’s been the main hub of activity throughout the first two books and two novellas, but I had made an expanded world and wanted to explore it. While Claire is stuck in Hellnore, which I modeled after Mordor from Lord of the Rings (a source of inspiration for almost every fantasy author, let’s be honest), Sawyer gets to explore the Aon, the country beyond the borders of Westraven. Both of them attract more than their share of trouble because let’s be honest, they couldn’t stay away from it if they tried.

World building aside, the best part about splitting the engineer and the marauder up was being able to focus on their individual characters and their final arcs. I did my best to balance the events and keep the tension and action flowing throughout the story, making the pacing fast for one character and slow for the other. When Claire needs a breather, Sawyer is the one getting into trouble and vice versa.

The ending is a lot more emotional than I intended, and it was sad to see these beloved characters reach their conclusions. This series has been with me for years, and there were a couple tears shed when I wrote the final chapter. I’m committed to going out with a big bang, so I worked hard with my editor to wrap up all the details and worked with XPresso Book Tours for a book blitz while organizing a second blog tour. I’ve also discounted the prices of every book in the series, and will keep them lowered for the month of February.

I can’t begin to express how excited the cover and artwork have made me. Deranged Doctor Design outdid themselves yet again, capturing everything this book is about: The red lava that represents Hellnore, the crossed swords for Sawyer, the claw marks and dents inflicted by the Hellions. I’m constantly floored by their fantastic work and can’t wait to work with them again in the future.

This is the second series I’ve closed in the past year, the first being the CURSED trilogy for urban fantasy fans. While I’m just as sad to say goodbye to this one, I’m also relieved that it’s a project off my plate. I learned so much from writing OBSIDIAN SKY and the DARK SKY series, and can’t wait to take these lessons and apply them to future work.

Q & A: Amy Braun and Obsidian Sky– MINOR SPOILERS BELOW.

Q: Were you nervous about writing the end of Obsidian Sky? Was everything planned or were some events spontaneous?

A: I’m a meticulous planner when it comes to world building and plots, but there were some events that I hadn’t intended that were added into the final story. Certain characters and events appeared in places and scenes where I hadn’t intended them to. Characters acted in ways I hadn’t originally planned, or would have to think creatively to escape a challenge. I had a great time experimenting and using a lot of “What If” scenarios where my characters were pushed to the limits and forced to react unconventionally. I felt like I was experiencing their adventures with them, and at some points, didn’t know what would happen next, either.

Q: Did you have any challenges writing Obsidian Sky?

A: Sometimes I can’t seem to control my characters––they go off and do what they want! Sawyer was notorious for this (which isn’t a surprise, really), and his scenes often took off in directions I didn’t anticipate. Claire’s challenges were a little more planned out, though I remember a particular moment about three-quarters of the way through the book where she got to be an ultra badass. That was a lot of fun to do. Other challenges I had were with the new elements and characters being introduced. I wanted them to have a major impact to the story, and had to work with my editor to make sure their presence was balanced with the other characters. But for the most part, I was stoked to write this book and couldn’t be happier with the way everything turned out.

Q: How did it feel to close out a series you’ve worked on for so long?

A: It’s a mix of sadness and happiness. On one hand, I realize how much I’ll miss these characters and this world. I came up with the idea when I was fourteen years old, and now over ten years later, it’s finally over. It’s a lot to let go of. But on the other hand, I feel a great deal of closure. Here was this crazy, random idea I had as a kid, and I finally went ahead and made it a reality. Now that it’s done with and received with better success than I could have hoped for, helped me establish my career, I’m aware that if I work hard, put in the time and effort, and do all the re-writes, I can transform any idea into a book. And if you’re an author still hesitant about such a thing, read the opening dedication to Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. She did the same thing, and she became published. Never give up on your idea!

Q: What will you miss most about the series and the characters?

A: I’m definitely going to miss the world and the creatures in it. Writing the Hellions and Hellnore was so much fun. I’m also going to miss Claire’s inventiveness, Sawyer’s attitude, Nash’s soft-heart, and Gemma’s tendency to scream her lungs out in battle.

Q: Is there any chance of a continuation or a spin-off series in the future?

A: A reviewer actually asked me that not too long ago. While I’ll never say never to anything, at this moment, I have no plans to continue the Dark Sky books. Nash and Gemma have both already had their own spin-off prequel novellas, titled Amber SkyAmber Sky and Smoke Sky respectively, and if I did do another spinoff, it would likely be a prequel series. But the odds of that happening in the near future are slim, given how I want to move onto other projects.

Q: Now that the series is over, what’s next?

A: At the moment, I’m working on two brand new series. I don’t want to say much about them to avoid giving away spoilers, but the first series will be an urban fantasy involving the Greek gods, and the second project is a Young Adult fantasy series with Gargoyles that was inspired by Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I wish I could tell you more at this point, but I can’t give you anything such as titles or release dates as both of these projects are going to be going to literary agents. I received amazing feedback on the Greek god project from one of my favorite fantasy authors, Michael J. Sullivan, and have been diligently working to improve it. I’ll know in the next month or so whether or not it’ll be going the indie or traditional route, and my newsletter subscribers and website/social media followers will be the first to know.

The same can be said for the YA fantasy Gargoyle project. I’m working on editing it and am hoping that in the next month or so I can send it to literary agents. YA fantasy is extremely popular right now, and I’m hoping that will be my “in,” but if not, I will happily take the project through independent publishing. I learned a lot last year and am ready to use that knowledge to expand my horizons and hopefully gain new readers.

At this point, the only project that will be happening will be the release of the complete Dark Sky box set in April. But anything can happen in this industry, and I doubt anything could slow me down at this point. I’m having too much fun!

Author Bio:

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for “author voice, worldbuilding and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

OBSIDIAN SKY PLAYLIST (because fun!)

1. Far From Over – Rev Theory

2. Brave This Storm – Trivium

3. Forget About Me – Escape The Fate

4. Dangerous – Within Temptation feat. Howard Jones

5. Canine – Senses Fail

6. Gateways – Dimmu Borgir

7. Fever Dream – Tyler Bates

8. Eye Of The Storm – Killswitch Engage

9. Before The Hangmans’s Noose – DevilDriver

10. Ghost River – Nightwish

11. Beast – Nico Vega

12. Let You Down – Black Veil Brides

13. Iron – Woodkid

14. My Name (Wearing Me Put) – Shinedown

15. Forgiveness Is A Six Gun – DevilDriver

16. Drunken Whaler (The Dishonored Video Game Track)

Quick Reasons: can we talk about this cover?!; can we talk about THIS SERIES?!; awesome, complex, strong-willed characters; satisfying end; trigger warning for sensitive readers; this whole journey was filled with heartbreak, horror, and darkly intense atmospheres; I’m sad to see it end, but so happy to have read it

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watch for gore

fishing for more

devoured it

entertaining

creeptastic

HUGE thanks, as always, to Amy Braun for being the epic author she is and sending me a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

Wheeeeeew, penguins. This was an intense, bitter-sweet ending to a journey that I’ve adored and been in awe of these last few years. And I don’t mean bitter-sweet in terms of the way this series ended…but instead that it had to end at all. I’ve fallen so deeply in love with this world, and these characters… I’m sad to see them go. I know one of the first things I intend to do, as soon as I’m able, is buy these books in physical copies–I NEED them on my shelves. I mean, just the covers alone are GOOOOORGEOUS; whoever designed these books did an A++ job on it, seriously. But the stories?! The stories inside are just as gorgeous, and I need them in more than one form. NEED, penguins.

Let’s talk gritty for a minute, though. This is a courtesy trigger warning for sensitive readers–certain difficult topics are broached and handled throughout. These include, but are not necessarily limited to: rape; physical assault; physical abuse. These are, by far, the biggest that I found. Please be careful if you decide to pick this series up–keep yourselves safe! While most scenes are brief and not overly detailed, there were some difficult moments, so keep this in mind.

These characters are just… They’re going to haunt me for a while to come. They are well-rounded and realistic, and while they’ve made some judgement calls I’m not sure I agree with… I love them. I love them all so hardcore, I can’t even. The plot is action-packed, filled with drama, and just SO epic I can’t even begin to explain. Amy Braun knows how to ratchet up the tension, and she does so twenty-fold in this book especially. I found myself unhinged in several key instances, both glued to the pages and wanting to fling the book away in “NO NO NO don’t hurt me again!” pleas. These, of course, went mostly unheard.

In the end, this was a WILD ride–from page one, book one to the last closing words. I have, once again, been reminded why I need to pick up more steampunk novels–they always wind up being some of my favorites, and this series is no exception! I definitely recommend this journey to lovers of alien vampires, cloud-surfing pirates, and plots that are more like delicious action stew. Amy Braun, this series has turned the cogs in my penguin heart; I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for your writing! Take down the Hellions with me, penguins; let’s save the world!

Blog Tour, Teasers, Q&A, Playlist, Giveaway and Review: Obsidian Sky The third and final novel in an epic steampunk horror series, OBSIDIAN SKY closes the dramatic adventures of Claire, Sawyer, Gemma, and Nash, digging up the final secrets of their past, bringing new allies into a dangerous fray, and drawing friends and foes into a battle where the cost may be too much to pay…