​If you like books about people turned into animals, or spells that influence behavior, or cursed creatures or other hexes, read on! We’ve compiled an un-frog-gettable list this week of books involving curses and enchantments. You’ll wolf them down and ask were you can find more!

​Wondering what to get for the nerd(s) or geek(s) in your life? Or what to buy with the gift cards you receive as holiday presents? Well, look no further, because we’ve compiled a massive list covering more than a dozen different popular fandoms!

(By the way, we don’t say “nerd” and “geek” pejoratively. We’re proud nerds, and not just the bookish kind. We’re into most of the fandoms listed below!)

Today I’m going to be discussing telling the truth in narrative writing. Now, when I’m referring here to “telling the truth,” I’m not talking about internal consistency within a book’s universe, and I’m not talking about giving a message or commentary within the book—although these are both very valid topics. What I’m going to be talking about today, however, is the thing that’s most often brought up in conversations about the ethics of writing, and that’s having your narrative itself tell the truth.

(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

(This post originally appeared in Deborah’s blog. The Midnight Files is a serialized, action-packed, dark-fantasy drama with influence from Lovecraft and other horror genres. You can find it on Kindle Vella.)

I haven’t been updating my blog as frequently this year as I like (I try to get a post up at least once a month), but I have by no means been writing less! I have been working on The Midnight Files, my serial novel that will be three seasons (well, books, really) long.

​It’s spooky season, and that’s claws for celebration in our book! If you, like we, are in the mood for some books with a little bite to them, read on. This week, we’re recommending some excellent vampire and werewolf books.

Today I’m going to finish discussing how to write great stakes in your book. (Click here to read part 1 of this double post.) Stakes are the answer to the reader’s question of “Yes, but why should I care?”

(If you’d like to view this post and the previous one in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Today I’m going to be discussing how to write great stakes in your book. Stakes are the answer to the reader’s question of “Yes, but why should I care?” Stakes can be internal or external—and, for the most part, are both—and they should have a quite narrow focus; imminent, world-devastating effects; and finally, it should be possible for the protagonist to either win or lose.

(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Joust the other knight, I was thinking about how neat it would be to travel back in time to somewhere like medieval England or Edo-period Japan. Or maybe peer amid some ancient Egyptian wonders while on a magic carpet ride!
 
Isn't it beautiful how fiction allows us to have such rich experiences from the comfort of our own homes (complete with indoor plumbing)? If you're looking for some historical-fantasy adventures, check out the ten awesome ones we've listed below!

​Today I’m going to be discussing narrative promises. Have you ever read a book only to, by the end, feel let down, even betrayed by it? Have you ever read one that really builds up romantic tension between two characters, only to let it fizzle out with no real resolution? Or maybe you’ve read an action book and they’ve really built up to a heist, chapter after chapter, and then the next chapter’s just talking about “Oh yeah, that heist went well” without ever letting you read it? Or, perhaps, you’ve been following two groups of people who are at odds, clashing, and you know that they have to work together if they’re going to save the world, and then they all do a 180 and they’re perfectly fine with one another and there’s no conflict—what were you worried about? . . . Well, frankly, I don’t blame you if you feel betrayed or let down or confused or disappointed if any of these things happened, because what these things are is when a narrative does not fulfill its narrative promises.
 
(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Happy third publishing anniversary to The Merry Band, book 2 in the Plot Bandits series by Katherine Vick! Reviewers are calling this series “a rip-roaring underdog tale” and “hilarious...with a heart.” It’s perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, and Piers Anthony.

Need a bit more convincing to dive into the book? Then read the ten awesome quotes (excerpts, really) from The Merry Band that we’ve compiled here!