Megan Haskell's Blog

Now Available!

If you’ve been waiting patiently for a new book from me . . . well, here it is! The first in a brand new women’s contemporary fantasy adventure, Aether Bound!

 

Lil can see the demon on your shoulder. Good or bad, virtue or vice, she knows just what you desire. Too bad everyone thinks she’s crazy. Everyone, that is, except her brother Ezra.

After years spent hiding her abilities, Lil’s finally found a place she belongs: slinging fruity rum-filled drinks behind the counter of a touristy beach bar in Southern California. But when her brother goes missing during a freak ocean storm, Lil knows something is terribly wrong.

With demons rising from the waves, Lil can no longer deny her power. Given the key to unlocking her nascent magic, Lil must journey to Aegir’s Hall in the depths of the Unseen realm of the gods to rescue Ezra. But the primordial god of the ocean has set his sights on a greater prize—the untamed Daughter of Lilith.

If you like your adventures shaken, not stirred, with a pinch of magic, a twist of myth, and a dash of mayhem, you’ll love this new contemporary paranormal fantasy series by Megan Haskell.

Special preorder price!

Now through release day, May 3, 2022, you can preorder your copy for just $2.99. On May 4, the price goes up to $4.99.

Amazon (US) Apple Kobo Nook All Others (Universal Link)

I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that Forged in Shadow was just named a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention in Epic Fantasy!

Here’s what the reviewer had to say:

Reviewed By Liz Konkel for Readers’ Favorite

Forged in Shadow by Megan Haskell is the first book in The War of the Nine Faerie Realms series. Curuthannor's dreams don't align with his family as he would rather forge weapons than hunt and turned the act of forging into his purpose. When the king arrives with a request, searching for a special sword made of iron, Curuthannor receives an opportunity that could change everything. The opportunity takes him on a journey to the goblin mines of the Shadow Realm. This allows Curuthannor to venture away from his family and make a name for himself that's all his own. He doesn't expect to encounter others with their own agendas, which land up with him being accused of a crime he didn't commit and facing the wrath of the Shadow King. Elsewhere, Lhewen's thrilled to receive the chance to be the handmaiden to the princess until she's whisked along to the Shadow Realm where the princess's true plans leave Lhewen alone and searching for a way out.

Megan Haskell delivers an epic adventure with a story that comes to life through a truly detailed and amazing world which introduces you to the Nine Realms. The vivid world is explored through well-rounded characters, both primary and secondary, whose journeys are full of action, purpose, and adventure. Curuthannor's journey is at the center of the plot as he takes a chance on his dream and is driven by his desire to prove himself. The adventure gives him a real opportunity to use the weapons he's long since forged when he faces the true danger of the Shadow Realm. His journey has all the elements of an epic quest explored through a riveting plot that goes from someone with a dream to accusations that push him to fight for his life. The various characters all find themselves on the same quest as each is playing a different part in the grander plot of king against king and the search for a sword. Forged in Shadow serves as a great introduction into epic fantasy for younger ages and an addictive getaway for adults in a plot filled with magic and adventure that is complex and entertaining.

The advanced reviews are filtering in, and so far readers are loving Forged in Shadow.

It’s being called addictive, captivating, bone-chilling, and epic. A home run.

In the chaos of war, not all heroes shine. Some must rise from shadows to claim the light.

As the youngest son of the greatest smith of the fae, Curuthannor should be aspiring to the forge. Instead, he would rather wield a blade than craft one. When the high elf king commissions a powerful enchanted sword requiring iron found only in the subterranean goblin mines of the Shadow Realm, Curuthannor seizes the opportunity to earn a place in the smithy that doesn’t require a hammer. But when dark elf treachery interferes, the lives of his entire family could be at risk...for the high elf king is unmerciful and will not suffer disobedience.

Especially from his own daughter.

As the most trusted handmaiden to the high elf princess, Lhéwen is honored to attend her mistress on what she believes is a diplomatic delegation to the dark elf king. She doesn’t realize it could be a one-way trip. While the princess forges an escape from her father’s ruthless will, Lhéwen is trapped in a foreign land. Betrayed and alone, Lhéwen discovers it is her own quiet power that may free—or doom—them all.

For when the pen fails, the sword will take its place.

Forged in Shadow is the first book in the thrilling new epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author, Megan Haskell. Set in the same universe as The Sanyare Chronicles, this is the story of the Great War between the nine faerie realms. If you like sweeping vistas, unexpected heroes, and world-shattering stakes, you’ll love this battle between Shadow and Light.

For my next event, I’ll be selling and signing books at the El Toro High School Holiday “Bull-tique”.

This blog post first appeared on the OC Writers blog .

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Last month I shared my editing process. The irony is when I began that post I intended to include information on beta reader reviews. Then I realized how long and involved my editing process actually is! (That was a long post.)

So this month I will share all I know about beta readers: What are they? How do you find them? And, how do you manage the relationship?

What are beta readers?

Wikipedia had a great definition:

A beta reader is usually an unpaid test reader of an unreleased work[1] of literature or other writing (similar to beta testing in software), who gives feedback from the point of view of an average reader to the author.[2] A beta reader is not a professional and can therefore provide advice and comments in the opinions of an average reader.[3] This feedback is used by the writer to fix remaining issues with plot, pacing, and consistency. The beta reader also serves as a sounding board to see if the book has had the intended emotional impact.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_reader

How do you find (and choose) beta readers?

Different authors have different methodologies for this. Most choose anywhere from three to thirty (yes, 30!) readers to tackle different aspects of their novel. Readers can be:

Other writers (Conferences and writing groups are a great source.)

Fans of their previously published work

Newsletter subscribers

Experts (Google search and ask.)

The key here is to decide how much input you need and in what areas. The more readers you have, the more opinions. This can be overwhelming when you’re starting out but may also give you a bigger sample to better understand your audience.

For my first round of beta readers on my current work in progress, I selected a group of twelve people with different backgrounds. Most of these were fans and newsletter subscribers—people who have engaged with me over the last four and a half years that I've been published—but I also reached out to a local blacksmith for expert advice on some sword-smithing scenes, and two authors who write in my genre.

The group was a mix of ages and sexes. Some even lived in foreign countries. I chose them because I wanted to uncover which demographics resonated with the book, and which didn't.

When you're first starting out, your pool of potential beta readers may be much smaller, limited mostly to other writers and critique partners who you've met at conferences or writing groups. Don't let that stop you! Work with what you have and don't be afraid to ask around. You might find out that a friend's sister is also a writer, or that your mom's neighbor is a voracious reader of your genre.

How do you manage the relationship?

Your process will depend on the number of readers you’ve selected and what kind of feedback you’re looking for.

For example, if you only have a few experienced writers and published authors giving you feedback, you might be able to get away with simply sending them a pdf of your book along with a deadline.

If your readers are fans who have never acted as betas before, you might send a questionnaire along with the book to help guide their critical thinking.

And if you have a large group of readers, you might even consider turning the questionnaire into a Google form to collect the reader responses in a single convenient location.

I like to ask a series of questions that cover everything from characterization, to continuity, to pacing, and dialogue. For this group, I asked a total of twenty-eight questions, plus a few brief demographics. I sent them the questions before I sent the manuscript to give them a chance to look it over and understand the kind of criticism I was looking for, and then I asked them to copy and paste their responses into a Google form.

Download the questionnaire here!

I’ll be doing a reading, selling, and signing books at Indie Author Day at the Anaheim Central Library on October 12 from 1 - 4:30 PM. I’d love to see you there!

A few weeks ago, I was approached by the new audiobook promotion company, Chirp, about running a deal on the audiobook version of Sanyare: The Last Descendant. 

Since Chirp is owned and operated by BookBub, I said, "heck yeah!" 

But then I totally forgot about the promotion! (Oops.)

In any case, Chirp is now offering Sanyare: The Last Descendant, in audio, fully unabridged and narrated by the phenomenal Kate Rudd, for just $1.99. But only for a limited time. 

I've never run an audio deal this low. I don't know if or when I'll ever run it again. So if you like audiobooks, hurry over to Chirp and pick it up!

And when you're done listening, let me know what you think! 

This week only, Sanyare: The Last Descendant (Book 1) is FREE on all major ebook platforms.

If you haven’t already read it, now’s your chance to give it a try, risk free!

And if you have read it, please share the good news with your friends who might also like it…you know, the ones you’ve been trying to convince to read it for months now…right? right? ;-)

As I mentioned in the last post, my current work in progress Crossroads: The War of the Nine Faerie Realms, Book 1 is currently being read by the first group of beta readers. I wrote this post for my writers’ group, but thought that some of you might find it interesting as well.

*****

For the past nine months—maybe more—I've been working on the first book in a new epic fantasy trilogy. Though related to The Sanyare Chronicles, this story is far bigger, with multiple point-of-view characters, grand political stakes, military strategy, scheming politicians, and a sprinkling of spies.

Oh, and did I mention that it's the same universe, which means there are characters and plot points who crossover between series?

Or that the first book is the longest I've ever written at over 105k words?

It's epic in every sense of the word.

Needless to say, this one requires an eye for detail and some careful editing to make sure everything works.

My Editing Process, in Brief

After four novels, a novella, several short stories, and a non-fiction book, my editing process has become relatively well-refined.

Rough Story - I write as fast as I can from start to finish. As much as possible, I try to avoid editing.

First Draft - I personally re-read the entire story from start to finish and make a first pass at edits. At this stage, I'm mostly concerned with story structure, plot holes, and character motivations/consistency.

Alpha Reader Review - My editor/little sister, Kim Peticolas, gives the book a quick read-through. She'll tell me where the pacing is off, or something is missing, and also help brainstorm initial ideas for making it better.

Second Draft - I once again personally re-read the entire book from start to finish, incorporating my alpha reader's comments and also making more significant changes of my own. Usually at this point I've had enough time away from the manuscript that I'm looking at the overall story with fresh eyes.

Beta Reader Review - I send the book to a group of beta readers chosen from writer friends, fans, and past critique partners. They generally fall into three categories, and may receive the book at different times of the editing cycle, depending on their strengths. There's usually some crossover, but I typically look for these skillsets:

Group 1 - Plot Hounds: look for structure, pacing, character, or other big picture problems.

Group 2 - Detail Detectives: look for consistency errors both within the current work, but also in comparison with my other books.

Group 3 - Typo Hunters: usually the last group to go through the manuscript, they help find the last typos before sending to my copyeditor or publishing.

Third Draft - This may actually be multiple passes on the book, but this is where I incorporate all the feedback from the beta readers and any final changes I want to make before sending it off to...

Copyedit - Where the real spit-polishing happens. At this point, the story is solid, the characters are well-defined, and all the right pieces are in place at the right times. We're ready to make the words shine and bring out the sparkle in the prose.

Final Draft - Incorporates all of the copyediting changes. Usually very quick and easy by this point.

Proofing - I do all the final formatting, write the blurb, set up the book, and get it into a paperback form, then order a proof copy to read out loud to myself. I'm always shocked at the number of additional errors I find at this point, but they're always there.

PUBLISH!

Phew...okay, so maybe that wasn't so brief after all.

On my next post, I'll share my beta reader process and questionnaire in more detail!

Greta and I will be teaching everything we know about revision in our upcoming workshop First Page, Lasting Impression to be held at the Southern California Writers' Conference in Irvine, September 20-22. Come ask your questions in person! We hope to see you there!

Megan Haskell, Author and Co-Director of OC Writers