Venom and Blaze

If you haven’t heard of Myers-Briggs, it’s a very insightful personality test. I’m an INFJ-T (otherwise known as a Turbulent Advocate), though I have been known to masquerade is an INTJ. If you don’t know what you are, you can find out here.

One night when I couldn’t sleep, I started wondering what some of the main characters in Venom and Blaze might be categorised at. Would we get on in real life? So I decided to take the test, answering on behalf of my characters. Here are their results:

Venom

Venom came out as ISTP-A, or Virtuoso. Known for making bold choices, they are inquisitive people who like to do things on their own terms, in their own way. I felt this was a perfect fit for Venom’s determined mindset and the way she chooses to overcome her problems.

Venom’s determination allows her to make the best of her situation. Her childhood is achingly lonely and unhappy, but she’s far too stubborn to let that break her.

Blaze

Blaze is an ISTJ-A, or Logistician. A practical problem-solver who find stability through his routine, I feel this is very accurate for Blaze. This personality type is described as reserved, yet wilful, composed, rational and purposeful – all traits Blaze has in the extreme. It’s these traits that enable him not to be broken by his extremely traumatic upbringing.

Viper

Venom’s father, King Viper, came out as ENTJ-A, or a Commander. Described as natural leaders, oozing charisma and confidence, Commanders can also be ruthlessly rational, driven and determined. Viper takes these traits to extreme. His single-minded focus on doing what’s best for his kingdom means he behaves cruelly towards his only daughter. Perhaps in some misguided way believing he really is doing his best. Or perhaps he’s just evil.

Keen to see how these characters react when they’re all mixed together? The Kindle version of Venom and Blaze is on sale at 99p.

The Kindle version of Venom and Blaze is on sale this October for .99p!

What better way to celebrate the upcoming release of Fable and Legend than an autumn sale? So, if you’ve been eyeing up the first in the series, now’s your chance to snag it at a bargain price.

Here’s a reminder of the blurb:

“During a time when unicorns roamed free and dragons cast shadows across the sun, the wise men and women of the land told stories of a troubled future. The legends whispered of a time when every baby born would be blonde, genial and entirely Good. But straight after it would emerge a baby with black hair, dark eyes – and an entirely different nature. They would be called Mirrors, and nobody would know from whence they came or what to do with them once they arrived.”

Venom wants a normal life where no one can tell her what to do, especially her father, King Viper.

Blaze wants to be free, after all, he has been imprisoned in a dungeon since he was a baby.

Thorn wants to get the girl, which is a shame, because the girl has other things on her mind.

At least one of them is going to be disappointed.

In other news…

I finished my WIP sci-fi novel, set on the Isle of Skye, yesterday. Unlike with most novels, I buried myself straight in edits right away. I usually let my books sit, but somehow I didn’t want to break momentum with this one. There’s a host of characters I think you’ll love, along with a couple of villains.

I have no idea if this will ever see the light of day, but the first step towards future publication is getting it into a place where I’m happy with it.

With the days getting darker, it’s the perfect time for writing and reading. And, if you’re looking to add to your TBR list, let me remind you (again) that Venom and Blaze can be yours on Kindle for .99p!

If you do happen to download and read it, it would mean so much if you could pop a review on Amazon. After 50 reviews, Amazon will then promote Venom and Blaze to others and the effect of this for indie authors is not to be underestimated! Thank you for all your support!

Venom and Blaze takes place in a fantasy world called Mirrordom. The area is split into distinct regions based on geographical features – such as the Sealands, the Heatherlands and the Cavelands. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the real-life locations that inspired some of the settings in Venom and Blaze.

Mirrordom

It’s never explicitly stated in the books (and it never will be) but Mirrordom, in my head, is Scotland. The range of scenery in Scotland can be dramatically different even over a relatively small region. So I took inspiration from Scotland’s mountains, moorlands, coastal regions and islands to create the setting for my series.

Mirror Island

Mirror Island is a location that won’t be properly developed until the fourth book at the earliest. However, it’s a location that is frequently mentioned in all of the books. It’s the place where all the Mirror babies are banished to. Given the population of the Good, we can determine that Mirror Island must be quite sizeable.

Mirror Island, for me, is based on the Scottish Isle of Skye – large enough to house a generous population of Mirrors and with a varied terrain from beaches, rocky coastlines, mountain ranges, moorlands, bogs and forests.

The Castle

King Viper’s castle is one of the few places not inspired by something Scottish.

Mont Orgueil Castle or Gorey Castle on Jersey CI formed the basis for the Venom’s home. All of the book was written on the Isle of Jersey, so it made sense that some island inspiration crept into the book.

A small section in the novel describes Venom spending many a happy hour reading in the courtyard of the castle and this particular scene was based on an hour or so I spent in castle courtyard basking in the gorgeous sunshine surrounded by very cute lizards and reading on my Kindle.

Are the locations that inspired Venom and Blaze‘s setting similar to how you pictured them in your head? I’d love to hear how you imagined the places.

Venom and Blaze is available now.

Venom and Blaze has been out for over a week. I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the characters and tell you a little about the inspiration for each one. If you haven’t already read the book, this will give you a flavour for who everybody is.

The book is set in a fantasy world where every character is divided into either Good or Mirrors – with the Good being as wholesome as their name suggests and the Mirrors being their twin that is the opposite of good in every way. Where the Good are incapable of killing, lying and stealing, their Mirror is capable of all that and more. In this world, every Mirror is banished upon birth to Mirror Island, where they all live together.

Venom

One of the titular characters in the book is Princess Venom, who lives with her abusive father. When we start the book, Venom is anxious to please her father and, although she is rather lonely and sad, she very much tries to be one of the Good. When she is given an assignment from her father, she is forced to make a decision that ultimately affects the entire world around her.

The inspiration for Venom actually came in a backwards way. I had completed what went on to be the third book in the series, in which Venom is a grown up character. A throwaway remark in that book made me think “I need to explore this a little more and delve into Venom’s backstory.” Venom and Blaze was born!

Favourite quote from Venom: “You’re the worst father in the world. I’ve always wanted to tell you that.”

Blaze

Blaze is a Mirror who has had probably the most traumatic experiences of any of my characters. As part of a cruel experiment, King Viper decided to keep Blaze and four other Mirrors locked up in the dungeons to see if he could ‘tame’ them or turn them Good.

Like Venom, Blaze also makes an appearance in the third book. His initial inspiration was because I wanted a character to challenge Venom, almost as an antagonist for her.

Favourite quote from Blaze: “I was nothing more than a pawn in your twisted chess game.”

The spiders

This book is definitely not suitable if you have arachnophobia! Venom’s main friends are spiders – and she can actually communicate with them!

I particularly wanted to include spiders in the book as I have always felt really affectionate towards them and I really hope that by anthropomorphising them, it might encourage people to, instead of squishing them on sight, pop a glass over them, slide some paper over the hole and gently let them out into the garden.

Thorn

Thorn is a Lawkeeper, one of the law enforcers assigned by the reigning monarch to transfer babies to Mirror Island. Thorn is deliberately painted as quite an insipid character – but is there more to him than meets the eye?

Favourite quote from Thorn: “I had this all under control.” (Did you really, Thorn?)

King Viper

Every good story needs a good villain. King Viper fills that role splendidly. Venom’s father is a cruel and tyrannical ruler – even though he’s meant to be one of the Good. His one aim in life is to increase his power and social standing – and if that means using Venom as a pawn, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

As the villain, Viper definitely gets some of the best lines in the book, so it was a struggle to pick a favourite quote from him. Ultimately, this is the one that won out, simply because he delivers it with such conspicuous sarcasm and unsettling calm.

Favourite quote from Viper: “Do you have any idea how disconcerting it is to awaken from your slumber and find a corpse in your chamber?”

Queen Saffron

Hailing from the Sealands, Queen Saffron is one of the few characters in this book that manages to perfect the balance of being decent and self-serving. It’s a brief association with her that ultimately ends up shaping Venom’s character and causes her to make the choices she does.

The queen has such an air of calm serenity about her, as if she’s always in control. She is the only woman in the series that even King Viper shows a modicum of respect for. Perhaps future chronicles will explore her backstory – because there’s definitely a story to be told there.

Favourite quote from Saffron: “Saying you don’t have a choice is an act of weakness. Because there’s always a choice. Often, we’re just too afraid to make it so we make excuses instead.”

Fable

Fable may not get much of a starring role in this story – but watch out for her in the second book. Fable and Legend is out this autumn.

Like Venom and Blaze, Fable’s original appearance is in the upcoming third novel. However, in both the first and second books I wanted to explore her backstory. Fable is one of The Five, the group of Mirrors imprisoned in the dungeon by King Viper.

While she doesn’t immediately have the leadership skills of Blaze, she does possess a determined spirit.

I don’t have a favourite quote from Fable, but she does elbow Blaze hard in the ribs, which takes a certain amount of courage as Blaze is rather fierce!

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Have you ordered your copy of Venom and Blaze? If not, you can do so here. And, when you do, come back and tell me which character is your favourite!

Venom and Blaze has been out in the world for exactly one week!

In this time, it’s been bought by lovely readers in Australia, America and the UK. My little novel has travelled further than I have in its short life!

I am so grateful to everyone who has bought and reviewed it – it’s lovely to hear what people think and to get constructive feedback. I’m particularly delighted at how many of you are saying you like the character of Venom and enjoy watching her develop as the story goes on.

I’d love to see reader photos of you and the book out and about – so if you can grab a photo of Venom and Blaze in front of Sydney Opera House, in the centre of Times Square or on Tower Bridge, I want to see it!

What else is happening?

Currently, I’m working on the fourth novel in the series and have just finished the second draft. As usual, I’ll let it sit for a bit before editing it some more and, when I reach the point of being happy with it, I’ll share it with my publisher, Fire and Ice YA, to see what they think.

I’m also working on two standalone novels at various stages. One of them has been submitted to a publisher, so I’ll let you know what becomes of that. One of my aims with this blog was to document the entire process – including the failures and rejections. So, whether it gets rejected or accepted, I’ll be writing about it here. The second book is still in the process of being written.

How is your week going? Have you picked up a copy of Venom and Blaze yet?

Venom and Blaze is officially released today!

You can now buy both the print copy and the Kindle version online.

Venom and Blaze is a book that has quite a special place in my heart. As you may know if you follow my chaotic ramblings on the blog, it was originally written after what was meant to be the first book in The Mirrordom Legends. However, one throwaway line uttered by Venom in what is now the third book and I knew I had to tell her story.

I also wrote most of this book in a ten-day stay on the Channel Islands, one of my favourite places in the world,

What other people are saying

I had a lovely review from an ARC reader posted on my Goodreads and wanted to share it with you here. I really appreciated this review since it was obvious the reader understood exactly what I meant to convey.

The giveaway is now closed

I went live over on Instagram to reveal who won the giveaway and I posted the recipient their prize today. I plan to host other giveaways in future (Fable and Legend comes out this autumn, so stay tuned for that), so make sure to follow me on Instagram if you don’t already.

I’m now a published author!

I’ve wanted to be traditionally published since I was old enough to know what books are. To actually have that dream come true is something I don’t take for granted. I’m so grateful to my publisher for taking a risk on a brand-new, wannabe author. And for everyone who has been an ARC reader, bought the book, left a rating, written a review, liked a post, commented on my socials, read my blog and generally been supported: THANK YOU! This means more than you can imagine.

A huge thank you also goes out to my mother, who taught me how to read and write in the first place. Thanks, Mum.

What’s next?

Fable and Legend comes out in the autumn – which means going through the whole process outlined in my What’s Involved In Writing A Book series of blog posts. That includes editing, working with the designer on a cover, promoting and more. I’m very proud of Fable and Legend and I hope you love the characters in that book as much as I do.

Meanwhile… what are you waiting for? Go and check out Venom and Blaze!

My complimentary author copies of Venom and Blaze arrived yesterday! To celebrate, I’m running a giveaway over on my Instagram page.

The competition runs until Venom and Blaze‘s official release day: July 16. So make sure you get over to my Instagram account and follow the instructions so you can be in with a chance to win.

I’ve also been advised that, for those of you who have ordered hard copies, they’ve already been received! I’m looking forward to hearing what you all think of my debut novel.

Some of my ARC readers have already left me feedback and reviews on Goodreads – which is so lovely.

Want to read it for yourself?

The boring (but necessary) bits

• Sadly, the competition is open to UK residents only. Sorry, everyone else!
• Entrants need to be over 18, as the book contains several trigger warnings. Please familiarise yourself with them first as Venom and Blaze isn’t going to be for everyone.
• By entering, you agree to supply with me a postal address so I can send the prize on. More information on how I use your data can be found in my privacy policy.

Venom and Blaze is now available to pre-order! It will be released on July 16.

About time! Where can I order?

Here are all the places you can place your order:

I’ve forgotten what the book is about. Remind me?

Here’s a reminder of the synopsis:

For anyone using an e-reader, the synopsis is typed below.

“During a time when unicorns roamed free and dragons cast shadows across the sun, the wise men and women of the land told stories of a troubled future. The legends whispered of a time when every baby born would be blonde, genial and entirely Good. But straight after it would emerge a baby with black hair, dark eyes – and an entirely different nature. They would be called Mirrors and nobody would know from whence they came or what to do with them once they arrived.”
Venom… wants a normal life where no one can tell her what to do. (Especially her father, King Viper.)
Blaze… wants to be free. (After all, he has been imprisoned in a dungeon since he was a baby.)
Thorn… wants to get the girl. (Which is a shame, because the girl has other things on her mind.)
At least one of them is going to be disappointed.

Will you be hosting a giveaway?

I’m glad you asked. I certainly will. I’m planning to host a giveaway on my Instagram, so keep your eyes peeled for that nearer the release date.

Once I’ve read the book, where can I review it?

Reviewing books makes such a difference to authors. I’d especially appreciate it if you left a review on Amazon, but you can also review on Goodreads. Even if you hated the book, I’d be interested in your opinion. I understand my book is definitely not for everyone. I saw another writer say a good review lets them know what they did well and a bad review teaches them what to work on. So I take the same approach.