Tag: canadian authors

July Wrap UP!

Published on by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

What’s been going on at Whimsical:
Writing

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen my teasers about my current work in progress – a spin-off story about Toff Parley from The Maiden Ship trilogy. This story will focus on all the wild adventures Toff had in his younger years!

Illustrating

With my backlog of commissions being finished, I’ve been able to make some progress on more fun pieces! I recently shared a piece from Curious Beginnings by Deanna Raybourn, a book recommended to me by my dear friend Caryn. 

Publishing

Whimsical Publishing has signed its third author! We are delighted to welcome Hayley Reese Chow to our family of indie authors! I can’t give many details about her book just yet, but I can tell you it’s SUCH a fun engaging read. It’s a story that I think will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races. Hayley’s Instagram is a great place to check out what she’s up to and what she has published before!

New Author!

Join me in welcoming our newest author:
Hayley Reese Chow!
We are so, so, so excited to welcome Hayley into our Whimsical family. I’m absolutely bursting at the seams because I want to share more about her book, but all in good time! Until then, check out Hayley at the link below to learn more about her and give her a warm Whimsie welcome!

 

New Admin Assistant!
I’m delighted to introduce you to my new admin assistant, Christina! She helps keep my business organized and has been a tremendous help with a lot of behind-the-scenes work. You may get a reply from her if you email us, so I wanted to make sure you had a face to put with a name! The adorable dog next to her is an illustration I did of her furbaby, Goose.

Have you joined our Facebook group yet?

That’s right! We now have an exclusive Facebook group just for my Whimsies!
As a Facebook Whimsie, you’ll occasionally get exclusive early sneak peeks at works in progress, new art, or snippets from upcoming books.
We will occasionally host giveaways and offer exclusive discount codes for group members, so click HERE to join now!

Remember this WIP from last month?? Well, for those who guessed Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson novels, you were right! I can’t sell this design, but for a limited time, it will be included as a FREE postcard with all orders $10 and over. There are a limited number available, so hurry hurry! SHOP HERE!

Also, if ya missed it on socials, there is new artwork up in the shop!
This Veronica Speedwell fanart and this Legend depiction from Caraval are now available!

Low Stock Alert!
Unplugged Book Box has a very limited supply left of the exclusive edition of A Daughter of the Trolls by McKenzie Catron. These won’t last long so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, hurry over and grab one HERE!

HAPPENING NOW!

Whimsical Summer Sale!
USE the coupon code: ‘summer’ in our shop at checkout for 20% off!

Charting Stars is getting a re-brand!

Charting Stars, book one of the Nine Realms Tales, is being re-released this autumn! We are looking for active, enthusiastic people to join our Street Team to help promote the book’s re-release and hype it up as much as possible! If you’re interested, please complete this Google Forms questionnaire.

If you haven’t read it yet, now is the perfect opportunity! All street team members will receive a Kindle edition of the book for free!

Seen above is the old cover of Charting Stars. This cover will only be available until the end of October, so if you don’t have this one and you want it, act now because soon it will be gone forever!

 

Book on the Beautiful ocean beach On the outdoor blurred sea background

COVER REVEAL! The Rightful Bearer!

Published on by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment 
The adventure concludes with The Rightful Bearer!

Join Dain, Sable, Elden, and the rest of the Maiden Ship crew

in this final seafaring adventure. 

Make peace with your past, lest it ruin your future.

Dain Alloway has been tasked with finding the rightful bearer and stopping the oncoming invasion of the four kingdoms. But as he begins the journey, self-doubt invades first, and he finds his confidence waning—Dain is no longer sure he’s the right person for this job. Who is he to challenge an emperor and his monstrous creations? Who is he to stop a war? 

Meanwhile, Sable Cortham’s talent has grown, and every new lesson brings her another step closer to becoming one of the most powerful adept in history. But wielding this kind of magic makes Sable a target. She’s begun to wonder, even if they can find the rightful bearer and stop the emperor, how many more villains will come for her power? Will the four kingdoms ever be safe for the adept? 

Elden Grayspire has recently been rescued from a centuries-old prison of stone, and while he rejoices in his newfound freedom, he laments the fact that his beloved remains a prisoner still. Mourning the loss of so many things past, feeling lonely and helpless, Elden struggles to find a place in this new time and era. As he embarks on a secret mission against the very man who cursed him long ago, will he finally discover a purpose and a way to belong?

You can preorder the signed paperback edition which includes ALL the preorder incentives pictured here on WHIMSICAL, including a bonus scene from Sable’s POV, in the future, that you cannot get anywhere else!

You can preorder the EXCLUSIVE hardcover edition of TRB on Faecrate.com. (You definitely don’t want to miss this!)

Or you can preorder the kindle ebook version on AMAZON.

(Preorder incentives are only available her on Whimsical and are not included through Faecrate or Amazon.)

ADOTT Cover Reveal Coming November 1st!!!

Published on by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

I’m so excited to let you know that the cover reveal for A Daughter of the Trolls will be coming your way on November 1st, so keep your peepers peeled! SO CLOSE! Woooohoooo! In the meantime I wanted to share a little word with you all from the author, McKenzie Catron:

Growing up, I always wanted to be an author. I tried time and time again to concoct an idea, but they never seemed to stick. I never felt that I had a story important enough to tell, that was until I became disabled. I spent my whole life being healthy and able bodied until I became completely blindsided in 2018 by an untreatable chronic illness that put me in a wheelchair. After that, reading fantasy books was difficult. I couldn’t connect with characters as easily and I couldn’t put myself in these fantastical scenarios full of adventure and incredible feats. I can’t even roll over carpet, how could I picture myself traveling through a forest alongside these characters? This is how A Daughter of the Trolls was born. I wanted to give people like me with disabilities and chronic illnesses a story to relate to. I never imagined what my book would become and I am so unbelievably excited for it to be out in the world and in your hands soon!

RELEASE DAY IS HERE!

Published on by Micheline RyckmanLeave a comment

It’s here!!! SO EXCITED!!!

Hello my Whimsies, Micheline here!

Charting Stars is officially out and about in the world!!! So excited for you to read this tale. I had one of my ARC readers say that I had created a new genre with this book–FEEL-GOOD FANTASY–I love that! It’s exactly what I wanted to create!

Charting Stars began as a graphic novel series years ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, an injury, and serious chronic health problems, I was unable to continue. It was devastating; I loved the story and the characters so much, but I just couldn’t draw while I was so injured and ill. Hence, during that time, I turned to writing as my primary creative outlet, it was something I could actually do from my bed, and it wasn’t until after I wrote my debut novel, The Maiden Ship, that I started to imagine continuing the Charting Stars tales in a full novel versions instead. So, as my health recovered to more functional levels, I began plucking away at this story again, and over the course of 2019 and 2020, I wrote this book. What I want people to know the most about this story is that, like me, it got a second chance at life, and I poured every single ounce of gratitude I had for being alive and functioning into this tale. I filled it with my joy, imbued it with my humour, and I’m desperately hoping—honestly it’s all I care about—that it makes you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Yep, that’s my only goal with this one, to bring you JOY!

If you haven’t already, you can order the book through my website here or on Amazon around the world.

Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away.