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What is Gharantia, and how do you pronounce that?

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So, you’re curious. Maybe you’ve heard of  Gharantia’s Guardian , or maybe you’ve just spotted the cover and realised it’s the beginning of an epic fantasy series still unfolding. Do you take the risk on a new indie author and dip your toe in? Read on, fantasy readers! Choosing the name of a made-up place for the cover was a risk—but no other title felt quite right. And of course, I had to put my Guardian on the front. Who is  Gharantia’s Guardian ?  Criterious Handelan On the cover, he stands at the edge of a valley, looking out over the land. The Bleak mist recedes, revealing his home—the tower—beneath a full moon. The atmosphere is brooding and mysterious, though I wouldn’t call this dark fantasy. This is an epic. A story of duty, power, and the turning of fate as a new year begins. When I worked with Christian Bentulan on the cover, I had a vision. We went back and forth until we landed on the final design, and I love the result. There’s some artistic license, of cour...
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The celebration & launch of Book 2

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I released  Gharantia’s Guardian  on Saturday 2nd November 2024, and just over a year later, I wanted to mark the anniversary with a bit of a celebration. With  Gharantia’s Fury  out in September, it felt like the perfect excuse to bring together family, friends, and a few of my pub regulars. So, I put up posters, organised the band and food, made sure I had plenty of books, and off we went! It was such a lovely evening. I spent most of it signing books and chatting about my characters. Some of my customers have already read both books, and it’s exciting to hear their thoughts on the story and their favorite characters! I'm also keeping an ear out for any feedback that might be useful for the future. Life is as busy as ever, especially with the pub gearing up for the festive season. I'm finding it a bit harder to concentrate on writing lately, but book 3 is currently sitting at 44,000 words. Recently, I also wrote a 10,000-word short story related to my series for an...
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Location: Edinburgh, UK
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Writing ‘Gharantia’s Guardian’

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Book 1 in the ‘Chronicles of the Endless War’ series So, it’s mid-August 2024, the Edinburgh Festival is on, the weather has been so changeable this summer, and work has been busy at the pub… but my all-consuming passion for Gharantia and its people just keeps pulling me in, day after day. Well… that’s probably quite handy since I am writing an epic fantasy about them all! Book 2,  Gharantia’s Fury , is finished and will release on the 13th of September, my fella’s birthday. I hope he likes his present because it was quite the effort this year! Haha. But it’s moments like this when I look back at all this craziness—being an indie author and all that it entails—why I chose this road to walk down instead of querying and going the traditionally published route? What made me begin writing this fantastical tale in the first place?  Do you even care?  Well, you might care a bit since you are reading this! As for why I started writing about Gharantia, that’s a story in itself. M...
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Exciting new developments on the horizon!

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Good morning readers! Well it has been over 6 months since the release of Gharantia's Guardian back in November. I have been on a rollercoaster since! I was super excited to finally be a published author. It was a dream I had since childhood. Then the fear came, will anyone actually like it!?  Well the good news is that I am receiving great feedback on the story and the characters and I am over the moon! The reviews so far have been very encouraging! If you have read Gharantia's Guardian - Please do leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads! So what next you are all wondering? Well Book 2 'Gharantia's Fury' is being thoroughly looked at during this editing process. I must admit it was not the easiest to write because I changed the ending of Book 1 which scuppered my beginning of Book 2 (Because I had already written a few chapters before the end of Gharantia's Guardian!)  But things have worked out in the end. I am hoping to do my cover reveal for Book 2 soon!  Hope...
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My first SPFBO experience - an honourable mention

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Earlier this month, I entered a competition called SPFBO. What's that, you ask? SPFBO stands for Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off, a competition that began 10 years ago with the concept from the well-known fantasy writer Mark Lawrence. He aimed to shine a light on self-published authors, and by jings, he's certainly done that. However, the contest has become incredibly popular. The process now involves selecting 300 books at random from all the applicants, which is a new system developed this year. These books are then divided into groups and reviewed by various bloggers, fantasy reviewers from various YouTube channels, etc. Over the course of the year, the books are judged to reveal the winner. Throughout the year, there will be interviews and significant exposure for your book. The thing is, this year, 545 entrants sent in their books. Sadly, I didn't make the initial cut with 'Gharantia's Guardian,' but I can always enter next year. The nice thing is that SFF ...
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Welcome to Gharantia

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Hello there and welcome to Gharantia  (Gar-an/tee-ah) Where is Gharantia? Well, it is a kingdom located at the northernmost point of a vast continent. The city of Gharantia is surrounded by its own lands, and over time, its neighbours have joined this expanding kingdom. Positioned between its Eastern and Western Duchies, the city holds a central role within its realm. When we meet Queen Velardis, the sixteenth monarch of her line, she oversees a total of twelve duchies within the realm. The twelve duchies of Gharantia The Western Duchies:                                                     The Eastern Duchies:                  Obsilye (Ob-si-lie)                                               ...
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