Hi new followers! I wanted to reintroduce my debut novel, The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice, available now!
About
Storytelling was outlawed. Magic had all but vanished.
That all changed when the woman in black came to town.
Branded with the black stamp at a young age, Brent thought he would end up a vagrant like his father. His craft was telling stories, but the Order had long forbidden any weaving of tales. When Brent sees the woman in black, she leads him into a menagerie of tunnels beneath the earth where his life falls into the nauseating, but beautiful, mist of the dead.
He finds friendship in Rho, a young woman who hides her face with a tree branch while roots and vines bow to her every whim. Together, they embark on a journey to explore the world, escape the watchful eyes of the Order, and discover the woman in blackâs secrets.
For thousands of years, the mist and the tunnels were under the sole guardianship of the Council of Mist Keepers. But as new monsters enter the mist, and magic is forced out of the shadows, the Council searches for young blood to join their ranks and Brentâs next in line.
Content Warnings
This book approaches issues of sexism, prejudice, and mental illness, and includes mentions of death, violence/sexual assault, adult language, alcohol use, and psychological abuse/trauma.
Aesthetic - Brent & Bria (The Life & Death Cycle) â
"My one constant." â
Brent and Bria: They've been in love for years, but due to societal circumstances, their kisses belonged in secret hideaways and sideways glances. But they've always stuck together, through thick and thin, constantly there. Constantly building each other up.â
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I wrote them with one intention: soft, kind love. They're equals. They're best friends. And they'll fight together to the bitter end. â
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While I don't consider The Mist Keeper's Apprentice a romance novel, their romance is central to the plot. They complement each other in ways that make them stronger.â
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So if you want to join in on their adventure, why not check out The Mist Keeper's Apprentice?
Tuppence has always been the least favorite daughter. This is a fact. But, deep in her core, she has a magic that could finally free her from her mother's selfish ways. But what about her sisters? Are they just as bad...or victims of circumstance? â
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A short story based on the fairy tales "One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes" and "Cinderella", join Tuppence as she decides her own destiny.â
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I hope to submit this to an anthology towards the end of the year. If not, I will probably publish it as a short ebook. Be on the look out for updates...or for beta reading opportunities! â
Nanette never had any intentions of moving away from Stilette, but after her father dies she hops on a caravan to join her sister Elodie in the Capitol Rosada.â
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But Rosada isnât like her home. People donât smile the same. Magic isnât practiced as freely. And stories, like the ones her father told her growing up, are prohibited.â
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When she discovers the hidden network of storytellers right beneath the Guardâs eyes, Nanette is determined to find a way to help.â
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Even if it risks her life.â
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Speak Easy is one of the projects I'm working on for NaNoWriMo.â
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ETA: Late 2021/Early 2022â
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Want to read the first chapter? It's available on Patreon for FREE!
The third book in the series, The Tower of Knoll continues to follow Brent and Bria as they escape the persecution of the Council of Mist Keepers. But, with the Order ramping up its power across Rosada, and the head of the Council missing, peace does not seem likely. Will they find a way to stop the oncoming storm? Or will they finally meet their match?â
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ETA Late 2022â
Want to catch up? The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice is available now!
The mist has thickened with a vendetta. A bounty has been offered for answers.â
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And no oneâs story is safe.â
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Itâs been six months since the Storm of Nightmares and Bria has not gone home. With wanted signs plastered throughout Rosada, she has been stuck chasing the so-called Story Collector across the world until settling in the Independent City of Mert. But when a break-in occurs at the Little Shop on the Corner of Myrtle and Celosia, it wraps Bria into a chain of events that sends the city into disarray. â
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Meanwhile, the Story Collector is still on the loose. With his mind tormented by demons, and flashes of his past catching up with him, he has been navigating Mert as a half version of himself. When a masked figure offers to help, he accepts, unknowingly stepping into a conflict that has riddled the world for centuries.â
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The City of Mert has become a target for both the Order of the Effluvium and the Council of Mist Keepers. With fear mounting, Bria, with the help of a mysterious red-eyed woman, a palaver of immortals, and a silver orb, must decide what part she plays in this oncoming storm. â
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And can she find the Story Collector before itâs too late? â
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Coming Summer 2021
Want to catch up? Read The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice!Â
Storytelling was outlawed. Magic had all but vanished.
That all changed when the woman in black came to town.
Branded with the black stamp at a young age, Brent thought he would end up a vagrant like his father. His craft was telling stories, but the Order had long forbidden any weaving of tales. When Brent sees the woman in black, she leads him into a menagerie of tunnels beneath the earth where his life falls into the nauseating, but beautiful, mist of the dead.
He finds friendship in Rho, a young woman who hides her face with a tree branch while roots and vines bow to her every whim. Together, they embark on a journey to explore the world, escape the watchful eyes of the Order, and discover the woman in blackâs secrets.
For thousands of years, the mist and the tunnels were under the sole guardianship of the Council of Mist Keepers. But as new monsters enter the mist, and magic is forced out of the shadows, the Council searches for young blood to join their ranks and Brentâs next in line.
As a part of my October Celebration of Creativity, I am hosting a giveaway for my debut novel, The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice!
But this giveaway is special. This celebrates 100-sales of my book! I hit this milestone in September, and after 3-months without any live promotions, I was extremely happy to hit this number!
So to celebrate thisâŠI am giving away 3 eBook editions and 1 SIGNED HARDBACK COPY of The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice!
How do you enter? Details below!
First, make sure you are following @esbarrison-writingâ
Then, reblog this post.
Itâs that easy!
Iâll announce each eBook winners on the 9th, 16th, and 23rd. I will not be announcing the hardback winner until October 30th!
You can also enter on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
CW: Â This story is rated age 16+ for language and sexual situations.
Rosada is a modern city in looks only. To this day, the City glares beneath the watchful eye of the Order of the Effluvium. Their Year Glass, a permanent fixture from the top of their Temple, stared down at the city. The Moving Watch Towers circled the city via the Rosadian River, with guards in pristine suits always watching. â
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In Rosada, someone always watches. â
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As soon as Yeshua and Gisela left, my shield cracked. Certainly, everyone stared at me: I looked like a foreigner here, dressed in a beige jumpsuit, my black hair unkept, and face beat with dirt. When I haled a horse and buggy, my accent slipped. I was not Rosadian. Of course, the guard would watch me. That was inevitable. â
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I kept my head high as I climbed into the buggy.â
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âWhere you heading?â The cabby asked. â
I removed my letter from Elodie and handed it to him. He read over it, smirked, then handed
âYou goinâ to Ms. Parkerâs house? Thatâs gonna cost a pretty penny. Itâs on the outskirts of the city, yâknow.â
I removed a gold coin from my pocket and handed it to him. I was nothing if not prepared, after all. My father left a nice inheritance behind, and after selling his small home in Stilette, I knew I had enough to last me this voyage and then some.
The cabby eyed the coin, then with a thrust of the reigns, ushed his horses along. I leaned back into the seat, taking in each bump and jolt of the horses. Iâd never ridden in a buggy before. In Stilette, there was no need. Compared to the Capitol Rosada, Stilette might have been a small town.
The Capitol Rosada towered in a way I couldnât fathom. Buildings stood above the treetops, buggies ran through the street, and the makings of steam engines left smoke over the buildings. The Towers shifted through the water and against the landscape like Deathâs Grip. Yet, the smoke here suffocated everything, casting an ethereal glow about the buildings.
As common as the smoke and trees, the Guard occupied every corner in their green uniforms and unsmiling faces. How can I describe my feelings for them? Not hate. That is a strong word. But disdain. Just seeing them in the street left a foul taste in my mouth that I had to scrub out for days. First impressions mattered, and their mere presence haunted the Capitol.
âAre there always so many guards?â I leaned forward to ask the cabby.
-----
My side project, Speak Easy, is making its debut on Patreon! This is only draft 2 of the story, but it is an idea I wanted to begin sharing in its early stages to my patrons!â
Chapter One is AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLICâ
The first 3 chapters will be available for ALL patrons. â
The first 5 chapters will be available for SILVER and GOLD TIER patrons. â
The full thing will be available to GOLD TIER patrons.â
Reviews are the lifeblood of authors. This is why I commit so much time into reviewing books by other indie authors: itâs so important.â
My ultimate goal for the end of the year is to have 50 reviews on Goodreads and 20-25 reviews on Amazon. While this might be a stretch, hey, I can try, right? But, while I try to review every book I read, I know sometimes that it is hard for readers to remember. So, Iâve created a fun little prize pack as an incentive to those of you who enjoyed the book but forgot to leave a review (oops!).â
Thatâs right, you heard what I saidâŠa prize pack! What does this prize back include?â
Pins!â
Stickers!â
Magnets!â
Prints!
Bookmarks!â
See?
â Also: Every person who submits their review will receive a SNEAK PREVIEW at A Pool of Peony, the sequel to The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice!â
SoooooâŠ.
How do you get one of these nifty little prize packs? Well, thatâs simple.â
Leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other Bookish websites/social media!â
Fill out the survey below and provide links to your 3-star+ review!â
WaitâŠwaitâŠyou said 3-star and above? Are you bribing us?â
Not at all! But, I do think that anyone who wants one of these prize packs should probably be someone who *enjoyed* the book. It would be weird if someone who enjoyed the book rated it 1- or 2-stars. I suppose it is possibleâŠbut that would be kind of strange. â
And thereâs moreâŠâ
In addition to the prize pack, you will also be entered into a contest to receive a SIGNED HARD BACK EDITION of A Pool of Peony when it is released in 2021! â
Interested? Fill out the survey below! Really! Itâs that simple!â
Survey link:https://forms.gle/NQBC6iseU3biStkC7
Also, if you havenât read The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice, itâs available now wherever books are sold! â
As a part of my October Celebration of Creativity, I am hosting a giveaway for my debut novel, The Mist Keeper's Apprentice!
But this giveaway is special. This celebrates 100-sales of my book! I hit this milestone in September, and after 3-months without any live promotions, I was extremely happy to hit this number!
So to celebrate this...I am giving away 3 eBook editions and 1 SIGNED HARDBACK COPY of The Mist Keeper's Apprentice!
How do you enter? Details below!
First, make sure you are following @esbarrison-writingâ
Then, reblog this post.
It's that easy!
I'll announce each eBook winners on the 9th, 16th, and 23rd. I will not be announcing the hardback winner until October 30th!
You can also enter on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Reviews are the lifeblood of authors. This is why I commit so much time into reviewing books by other indie authors: itâs so important.â
My ultimate goal for the end of the year is to have 50 reviews on Goodreads and 20-25 reviews on Amazon. While this might be a stretch, hey, I can try, right? But, while I try to review every book I read, I know sometimes that it is hard for readers to remember. So, Iâve created a fun little prize pack as an incentive to those of you who enjoyed the book but forgot to leave a review (oops!).â
Thatâs right, you heard what I saidâŠa prize pack! What does this prize back include?â
Pins!â
Stickers!â
Magnets!â
Prints!
Bookmarks!â
See?
â Also: Every person who submits their review will receive a SNEAK PREVIEW at A Pool of Peony, the sequel to The Mist Keeperâs Apprentice!â
Sooooo....
How do you get one of these nifty little prize packs? Well, thatâs simple.â
Leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other Bookish websites/social media!â
Fill out the survey below and provide links to your 3-star+ review!â
WaitâŠwaitâŠyou said 3-star and above? Are you bribing us?â
Not at all! But, I do think that anyone who wants one of these prize packs should probably be someone who *enjoyed* the book. It would be weird if someone who enjoyed the book rated it 1- or 2-stars. I suppose it is possibleâŠbut that would be kind of strange. â
And thereâs more...â
In addition to the prize pack, you will also be entered into a contest to receive a SIGNED HARD BACK EDITION of A Pool of Peony when it is released in 2021! â
Interested? Fill out the survey below! Really! Itâs that simple!â
Survey link:https://forms.gle/NQBC6iseU3biStkC7
Also, if you haven't read The Mist Keeper's Apprentice, it's available now wherever books are sold! â
CW:Â This story is rated age 16+ for language and sexual situations.
Chapter One (Draft 2)
Father died soon before my nineteenth birthday on a day when the misty hands of Deathâs Grip flooded the stilted legs beneath my home. The legends go that if someone dies on day when Deathâs Grip is at its strongest, then they wonât suffer. Father went in his sleep, a smile on his face, embracing his new death as an old friend. I knew at that moment, after we put his body to rest in the Old Cypress Tree, that I could no longer stay in Stilette, the home Iâd known my whole life. I never thought I would leave, but there was nothing for me there.
I decided to pack up my things once Deathâs Grip ended, which is nothing more but a thick fog that cakes the swamp for days upon days, and hopped on a caravan passing through towards Rosada.
I loved Stilette. Growing up, I played in the swamp, telling stories to my dolls made of moss and grass, while throwing mud balls at the neighborhood children. My mother worked on building the infamous stilts that kept the city afloat, while my father taught local children how to read, write, and weave tales from their imagination.
Stories go that Rosada is different though. Whenever travelers came through from the nation in the north, they bore no tales upon their lips, often keeping their heads down as a local theatre troop produced a play telling the tales of the local swamp monsters. As I grew older, I learned more about Rosada though: it sits beneath the unyielding reign of the Order of the Effluvium. They believe that the mist, like Deathâs Grip, controls all life. Some say that the Order believes our mist is so thick here because we keep on telling stories and keep practicing waves of magic.
I never understood why my sister left for a nation bound by such hatred.
But there I was, hopping on a caravan to travel there. I didnât have any other choice. My mother had died years ago in an unfortunate construction accident. My father had been my confidante, my best friend; without him, I was alone in Stilette. Times had changed. There were no more construction jobs and all my childhood friends had moved on for the same reason as my sister: there was no future in Stilette. The city was stagnant, a place people came to exist, not to grow.
My father planted in me a desire to grow. He wanted more for both Elodie and me than a life surrounded by swamp gas. Every day, growing up, he told us: âElodie, Nanette, thereâs a bird on our windowsill. See it?â Sometimes, there wouldnât be a bird, but we would agree, nonetheless. âI want you to fly away like that beautiful bird someday and see the world and bless it with your kindness and beauty.â
He had always been the romantic type. Elodie, being the oldest one, flew away the moment she turned eighteen. Me, two years her junior, stayed with my father. Not that I wanted to leave. He started declining after my motherâs unprecedented death, whispering that he saw her in Deathâs Grip, watching and waiting, whispering stories like no other.
So even after I turned eighteen, I stayed.
In his dying days, he confused me with my mother at times, while at others he begged I take flight like Elodie.
After he died, I wrote to Elodie saying I would join her in Rosada. She had been trying to get me to come live with her for ages. As punctual as ever, she had already acquired the proper papers, and within three weeks I received all the necessary documentation. She had initially left Rosada to become an advocate of law, but she never finished her degree, getting whisked away by the glamours of the big city. But, she still had a mind for it, and while she acted to get me set up in haste, I procrastinated leaving. I took my sweet time getting my fatherâs affairs in order, and rather than hoping on one of those expensive steam locomotives as Elodie insisted, I joined a caravan traveling on horseback and wagons through the swamp towards Rosada.
Read More Here.
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What if there was a week, or maybe a month, that focused entirely on the community coming together and supporting each other?Â
While yes, weâre already a very supportive community, I mean something like this: we host giveaways, interviews, contests, webinars and how-tos, connect readers with reviewers, and other such fun things! Think of it as a digital event, right here, online. â â Â
But this would be a serious endeavor, and I canât do it alone. I need help. â â So this is me asking for YOUR help!Â
If youâre interested in this event in any way shape or form (as a host, guest author, or just wanting to be in the know), please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/QscuQsh8viwAPRkG8Â Â â Â
This is all just an abstract idea right now, but I would really LOVE to throw this together. â â Â
If you have any questions, feel free to message me đ â â Â
