Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Wild Wyoming & Online Fantasy/Sci Book Fair

Hopefully, you’ve had a fantastic summer. And now that we’re coasting into the colorful Fall Season, temperatures are cooler in much of the Northern Hemisphere, including my new home in Cheyenne, Wyoming.


First, let me tell you about C. L. Cannon’s (Online) Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fall Book Fair. It is in full swing, and there are over 150 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books listed. Some are free to buy, some are available at reduced prices (such as $.99!), and many, like Awen Rising, can be read for free on Kindle Unlimited. (Did you know it only costs $9.99 a month - less than the price of some ebooks?!)

While you're browsing the Book Fair, make sure to register for the prize - a Kindle Fire, a 1-month Owlcrate gift subscription, and a $10 Starbucks gift card!

If you’re in the market for great new books (and as readers, aren't we always?), click here to shop at the Book Fair. A few are featured at the top but keep scrolling. Some of the juiciest nuggets will be found lower down!

Rambo - Contemplating the Day
This past spring, when my sister informed me of her decision to move to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to be near her grandbabies, I was thrilled for her. And since I was beyond ready to get out of Idaho, I chose to move too. Yes, it was hard to leave my Idaho friends and patients, but I never thrived in Idaho.

Somewhere in the middle of the moving insanity - packing, yard sales, goodbye lunches, and more packing, all while still working - I lost three pounds, and Rambo lost two! My 24-pound cat needed to lose weight. Me? Not so much. But it’s all good.

Thankfully, it's been much cooler in Cheyenne than in Nampa. Now fall is here, and our temps are dropping. We had rain yesterday with a high of 61, and today will be similar. Tomorrow, the warmth will return for a bit. 

Glen Dome, Vedauwoo, WY
A huge side benefit of moving? For the first time in six years, I am beginning to feel like myself again.

Two weekends ago, I took a short class on developing intuition through art and photos, mainly to meet like-minded people in my new town. Mission accomplished. There were only three of us, but we gave each other goosebumps via eerily accurate drawings and messages and then agreed to continue meeting monthly.

I also attended a fabulous, life-affirming 2-day Vocal Empowerment for Women retreat this past weekend in Fort Collins, Colorado - a fun city only 45 minutes south of Cheyenne and an hour north of Denver. After hearing an NPR segment about it this past summer, I've been itching to experience vocal freedom, not only as a woman but as a writer.

If you're interested in hearing more about it, let me know. I'll be happy to share my experience in the next blog. In the meantime, I can post about it on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. And who knows, maybe I'll dust off my LinkedIn account.

Me, Michelle, Havilah, & Donovan
We also made it to Vedauwoo. And the Greek Festival at Frontier Park. None of this would have happened had I stayed in Idaho.

Oh, I almost forgot about the Laramie County Library! It is in downtown Cheyenne, has a café with yummy food on the first floor, and the third floor is – yep, you guessed it – a SILENT FLOOR! Nampa had an amazing library, but it was too noisy to write unless I scored a private room. Plus, there are nearby coffee shops and restaurants - all within a 10-15 minute drive from my home.

Greek Dancers

I have missed having varied places to write, and my productivity has suffered from it. In addition to the above spots, our new townhome has a partially-finished basement. I have my desk set up with a new, comfy office chair and am writing this newsletter down here. Even before Covid, I was stuck writing in one spot in our home in Idaho - my semi-comfortable chair in my bedroom!

Now, hopefully, all these new writing venues, classes, getting out in nature, and making new friends will translate into many, many more completed manuscripts, beginning with AWEN TIDE!


HEY, what a great segue! The third book in the Awen Trilogy, Awen Tide, is about 75% complete, and boy, is it a doozy. I am stumbling along, but the motion is forward, and I plan to kick it into high gear once the women’s retreat is over. The manuscript will likely be available for beta readers in a couple of months. If you would like to beta-read this trilogy finale, please let me know.*

*Beta reading entails reading the lightly edited, mostly-finished version of the unpublished manuscript and providing feedback. My betas usually get a free copy of the book once it’s published, so you will also get the end product. Just reply to this newsletter, and I’ll add you to the beta-reader list.

And in case you missed it, Awen Rising received a fabulous review from Kirkus Reviews! You can read about it here!

That's all, folks!

May this Fall season be a time of giving thanks as well as a time of going within and letting go of all that no longer serves you and/or anything that is keeping you stuck.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, Olivia/O. J. Barré

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O. J. Barré

O. J. Barré is the author of the Awen Trilogy, a fun, fast, and epic urban fantasy set in 2042 Atlanta. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising, debuted July 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, released May 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, will release in late 2022 or early 2023. All are (or will be) available in both paperback and ebook, and the hardback versions will be available soon.

Free For Subscribers

O. J.'s Awen Prequel novelette, The Druids of Marduk, Part I, is also available as an ebook - for purchase on Amazon (or free by signing up for her newsletter). The second installment, The Druids of Marduk, Part II: UnderEarth, is an ebook novella on Amazon. Part III: AboveEarth, is scheduled for a 2022 release.





Friday, September 2, 2022

I'm Walking on Sunshine, Whoa!

Yesterday, I received the link to the Kirkus Review for Awen Rising and have been smiling ever since. I had prayed that the person assigned the review would 'get' Awen Rising. Why? Because there are a few out there who don't.

My prayer was answered. Not only did the reviewer 'get' Awen Rising, they were obviously delighted and gave it a glowing review. I'm pretty sure they left a 5-star rating on Amazon, too. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, dear Reader/Reviewer!

The link at the end of the review will take you to my book's page on the Kirkus site. Please take a moment to click over and give Awen Rising a thumbs up. You will make my day, AND you'll be helping to forward my new marketing efforts. And yes, I need all the help I can get, so thank you!

Now, without further ado, here is the review. 

KIRKUS REVIEW FOR AWEN RISING:

"When the end of the world is drawing near, an ancient soul must be reawakened and take control of her power to save the world in this trilogy opener.

It’s 2042, and Emily Mayhall is living in Venice Beach, California, and mourning the death of her fiance, Trey, and getting fired by a boss who had blacklisted her in her industry and made sure she’d have trouble getting another job. Then her long-lost, Atlanta-based druid family finds her and brings shocking news: Her mother kidnapped her when she was 4, and her father has been searching for her ever since. Now Emily discovers that she is not only the heir to a long line of druid princesses but destined to save the world. Shalane Carpenter is an evangelical shaman who has hordes of adoring fans and magnificent magical powers but is unhappy. She’s troubled by her friendship with Emily, whom she once had a secret romantic interest in, and is determined not to lose her. Worse, Shalane descends from a magical race of reptilian creatures living below the earth, who seek to destroy all that lives above them in order to conquer Earth, with the sinister General Nergal in command. In order to survive, Emily may need help from a sexy druid priest, his nephew, and their animal Elders. From this setup Barré creates a great fantasy with a memorable cast, a fast-paced plot, and a lot of fun twists and turns, supported by careful and interesting character development. Emily is dealt shock after shock, but her flexibility and perseverance shine in an engaging narrative. At the same time, the story inspires empathy for Shalane and others who have their own trials. This character complexity befits the detailed worldbuilding that gives varied perspectives on the setting. Yet, if the worldbuilding is extensive, it’s woven so carefully into the plot that it never slows the pace of this entertaining fantasy.

A marvelously fun and intriguing first installment of promising series." ~ Kirkus Reviews Click here to give Awen Rising a thumbs-up! 

It's Labor Day weekend in the U.S. If you are wondering what I'll be up to, you will likely find me in my writing cave plugging away at Awen Tide, Book Three of the Awen Trilogy.

What are your plans for this fine, late-summer weekend?

Until next time, 

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O. J. Barré

O. J. Barré is the author of the Awen Trilogy, a fun, fast, and epic urban fantasy set in 2042 Atlanta. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising, debuted July 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, released May 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, will release in late 2022 or early 2023. All are (or will be) available in both paperback and ebook, and the hardback versions will be available soon.

Free For Subscribers

O. J.'s Awen Prequel novelette, The Druids of Marduk, Part I, is also available as an ebook - for purchase on Amazon (or free by signing up for her newsletter). The second installment, The Druids of Marduk, Part II: UnderEarth, is an ebook novella on Amazon. Part III: AboveEarth, is scheduled for a 2022 release.





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