Today, I am delighted to announce the official book release of THE GREEN BLADE, my second YA fantasy novel. Welcome to the world of readers, my little book baby!šš„³š¾
Order your copy of THE GREEN BLADE
What is THE GREEN BLADE?
THE GREEN BLADE is the thrilling sequel to Avalon Lost and the heart and hinge of my Secrets of Avalon trilogy. It tells the story of a Princess with an evil Curse, and the loyal watchman who sacrifices again and again to save her. But who can defeat a āCurse worse than deathā?
Who Can Defeat a Curse Worse Than Death?
Princess Philia Pendragon has returned to the enchanted Isle of Avalon, but her journey comes with a terrible price: a āCurse worse than deathā. The Curse spreads like dragon fire through her body, poisoning her cheery temperament and bending all her thoughts towards death. As her parents and healers search for an antidote, Philia encounters a gruesome Dragon hellbent on eliminating any possible cure. The Dragon was summoned by the evil Lord Amaranth, who uses the creature to declare war on Avalon.
Will Owain, the Princessā loyal watchman, refuses to accept Philiaās cruel fate. Heād give up everything to save her, but he fears even his own life would not be enough. Can anyone muster the courage and selflessness to save Philia? Or will saving the Princess destroy not only Will, but their entire beloved kingdom?
THE GREEN BLADE, sequel to Avalon Lost, is the heart and hinge of the Secrets of Avalon trilogy. Its vivid worldbuilding, emotionally charged action scenes, and gritty noble characters will appeal to fans of The Legend of Zelda universe and John Flanaganās Rangerās Apprentice series.
THE GREEN BLADE is now available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.com.
What Readers Are Saying About THE GREEN BLADE:
āIf youāre in the mood for a heartfelt and profound fantasy adventure,
look no further than The Green Blade.ā
āKATELIN CUMMINS, Book Coach and Editor
āA masterfully written story of sacrifice, love, and finding strength in the darkest times…
Iāll be returning to read it again and again!ā
āJULIA W., Teen Reader
āItās been wonderful to get a chance to meet these characters and fight alongside them, both for the struggles in their world, and the ones in my own. The beautiful moments were shining reminders for me that, despite the suffering, there can still be a happy ending.
So keep fighting.ā
āGRACE WOODS, Award-Winning Legend Fiction Author
The Green Blade and Mental Health
I wrote this book while I was struggling with serious physical and mental health issues caused by PMDD, including depression, anxiety, dramatic mood swings, and chronic pain and fatigue.
Sometimes I was too sick to cook dinner for my familyā¦but I still kept writing this book. Not out of neglect for my husband and three children, but because writing this story gave me the hope and energy to keep going.
Writing each day helped me to take the negative and destructive emotions caused by my illness, and turn them into something good and beautiful.
On the bad days when my brain felt like mush and my emotions were out of control, I lived out the struggles of my main characters. I wasnāt just writing about Philia and her evil Curse, or Will and the dragon venom – I was living out their struggles in my mind, body, and heart. š§ š¤²š
On my good days, I rewrote my garbage first drafts and made it sound beautiful for my readers. I followed the story structure I had crafted earlier with Katelin Cummins, shared the book with beta readers, then revised, revised, and revised.
THE GREEN BLADE is the result. Iām not certain how it all came together so quickly, when I was so sickā¦but I do hope and pray that this book will help others struggling with chronic illness and mental health issues.
I speak more candidly about my illness, and the story behind The Green Blade, in this video with fantasy author Kris Ackoury:
(Content warning: this video does discuss some serious depressive symptoms.)
Fight for Your Happy Ending!
It took me over a year to find the medicines, vitamins, and health providers to manage my illness. Iām not healed, but I am able to take care of my family, and my doctors tell me that I can continue to improve. Most importantly, I am surviving, and clinging to hope.
The Green Blade is about finding strength, grit, and hope in the darkest times. Itās about accepting the suffering we cannot avoid, and turning it into āthe face of loveā: in Avalon, and in our world, too.
I am fighting for my happy ending – and Iām rooting for each of you to find your happy endings, too!
I talk much more about the worldbuilding and story behind THE GREEN BLADE in this author interview with Dominic de Souza, founder of the Legend Fiction online writing community:
A Blessing for My Readers:
In a key scene in The Green Blade, Will receives permission to give Philia his protection and blessing. As my editor Mary Rakow pointed out, thatās also when the story shifts in a more hopeful direction. Mysterious grace, unknown and unlooked for, begins pouring out onto the pages.
I want to give all my past, present, and future readers a blessing, too:
- May this story plant a seed of light and hope in your heart.
- May it encourage you to keep fighting, despite all of lifeās challenges and heartbreaks.
- May it teach you how to āstay aliveā like Philia, and to love without measure, like Will.
And if the book somehow teaches you angelic archery skills like Dylanā¦well, letās just consider that an extra bonus. šš¹
Show your support: leave a review! š
I will be offering special e-book promotions for THE GREEN BLADE during its launch week, in order to encourage readers to leave reviews. These reviews are so important to helping other readers discover a book they might really enjoy. Let me say that again: these reviews are important – essential, even – to this book receiving any visibility on Amazon.
So if you read this book and find that it means something to youā¦I encourage you to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you in advance for your kind support!
