We are excited to announce that Starry Ink Press has signed Heather Carter's 'The Mountain King' series books one, two, and three!

Indie author Heather Carter (Of Songs and Saltwater, June 2021) is joining has joined our team of amazing Hybrid authors with a ten-year exclusive term with Starry Ink Press for her upcoming portal/adventure fantasy novel, The Mountain King, as well as two subsequent novels in The Mountain King Series, to include print, e-book, and audiobook rights.

-The Mountain King (Book One) is planned for release in late 2022/early 2023 (exact date forthcoming)
-The Mountain King Book Two - Working Title is planned for release in late 2023
-The Mountain King Book Three - Working Title is planned for release in late 2024

Starry Ink Press selected The Mountain King for our debut collection of novels due to the entrancing world-building Carter has woven into her story, and the complex and unique main character, Sophie, who embodies the strength of character and heart in single mothers around the world. 

If you are a lover of portal/adventure fantasy, Goblin King retellings, and stories with Elves, Fae, and other mystical creatures, this series will sweep you away!

-To contact Starry Ink Press with questions about this announcement, or for media information, please click HERE.

-To learn more about Heather Carter, check out her website HERE or her Instagram page HERE.

-For more information on publishing with Starry Ink Press, click HERE.

*The working cover for The Mountain King was designed by getcovers.com.

Today we are excited to bring you our C.H. Smith Interview: crafting stories that make readers feel.

When our founder, Katherine D. Graham, first read Smith's novel, The Princess Knight, she thought she was reading 'just another fantasy story'. A princess was cursed, a quest was formed to seek out the cure, and a ragtag team of adventures had to find all the pieces of armor to save their princess.

It was so much more than that. 

By the end of the book, Katherine found herself weeping for the characters' fate. As an editor who reads fantasy and sci-fi books almost every single day (and hardly ever sheds a tear for them), to all-out weep for a character in a book that started out seeming so 'normal' moved Katherine to the core.

We reached out to indie author C.H. Smith to talk about his writing of The Princess Knight, and his advice for fellow authors on how to write stories that make readers truly feel for the characters. 

With that, welcome to our interview, C.H.! Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

"I'm on the wrong end of my 30s with three little ones, but at least I have a supportive wife.
I played college baseball a hundred pounds or so ago while getting my Bachelor's of Arts in English at Belhaven College in Jackson, MS.
I love the outdoors, specifically anything to do with the water (fishing, swimming, diving). On that note, The Old Man and the Sea is one of my all-time favorite books. I mostly read the classics and epic fantasy along with a little nonfiction that catches my eye sprinkled in along the way.
I absolutely judge a book by its cover... most readers do I think.
For TPK, I wanted the cover to be reminiscent of some of my childhood favorites. I believe Kennon Barton at Red Basement Publishing, LLC nailed it. And finally, I try to be the man of God my wife and children deserve."

Speaking of judging a book by its cover; within your novel, The Princess Knight, the story is so simple in appearance and yet truly profound in meaning by the end. Did you purposefully intend to have the story weigh heavier on the reader as they went along, or did that happen naturally as you wrote?

"When the idea for TPK first started rattling around in my head, I had no idea how it would end. But I did have a really clear view of the beginning. I tried to show early on that when something gets all bottled up inside, it can be awkward to get out. As the book progresses, Daniel gets into the flow of the story... I tried to show that as well. 
So, It was a conscious decision for Daniel to be hesitant and wordy at the same time early on. Then as the story progressed and he became more comfortable retelling his tale, he became a better storyteller. Storytellers are made... They ain't born. "

That is most definitely true! Regarding storytelling style, we are curious to know  whether you are a planner or a pantser?

"I truly aspire to be a planner. I love plotting ideas and watching the blank page fill with different ideas and different colors of ink. Unfortunately, when I start writing, my beautiful outlines are a rough guide at best. I don't even call myself a hybrid. I am more of a wanna-be planner than anything else."

Many writers find themselves in a similar place regarding wanting to be more organized, but in your case your story was still captivating!

The reason Katherine chose your book for this interview is because of the depth of emotion this story brings out in readers while remaining genuine and empathetic. What would you say are the key things you keep in mind to evoke strong emotions such as hope, grief, and love without coming across as "fake"?

"Some things are obvious. I tried not to say "this is grief", but show the internal conflict or hollow, spaced-out moments so common with the emotion. Same with hope and love. Show the smile and devotion without spelling it out.
But really, I think most writers, myself included, put a part of themselves in their characters. I tried to pull deep from the well of my emotions and memories to pour over the book."

What advice would you give yourself regarding your writing of The Princess Knight now that you have published it and had so many positive reviews for it?

"During my first draft, I tried to be "pretty" and edit as I went. I wish I could go back and slap the back of my own noggin and scream, "Get the words on the page! Just write!"
There will be time later on to fix the typos and agonize over word choice. I think it may have flowed better, but I'll never know now. But in reality, I do not have many regrets about the writing phase... That's the fun part anyway. "

Thank you so much for taking the time to join us for our interview, C.H.!

Want to learn more about C.H. Smith and his books?

-The Princess Knight and C.H. Smith's other novels (including his newest novel, Nothing More Than Zero) are available on Amazon HERE
-You can follow C.H. Smith on Instagram HERE
-Or on Facebook HERE
-Want to read some of The Princess Knight's reviews? Check out Goodreads HERE

Does your fantasy or sci-fi story have what it takes to "hook" a $100 grand prize and the title of October Indie Author of the Month?

Starry Ink Press is looking for the catchiest, most thrilling openings in our October Indie Author of the Month "Opening Hook" Contest. 

There is no cost to enter, and the winner will receive:

-A $100.00 USD cash prize (paid via PayPal)
-A free beta read for your entire story (up to 150,000 words) from one of our Professional Beta Readers, including in-line comments and a summary report
-A written interview on the Starry Ink Press Blog
-Entry into the 2021 Starry Reader Awards in December

The rules to this contest are simple:

-Submit the opening paragraph of your story (up to 50 words)
-Stories MUST be fantasy or sci-fi for consideration (any sub-genre)
-Stories MUST be written in English (US, UK, CA, AU, or NZ preferred)
-Openings of short stories, novellas, and full novels will all be considered
-Contest submissions will CLOSE on October 1st 2021 at 11:00pm CST

Judging: 

Our judging team will screen all entries and select our top ten choices.

The top ten openings will be shared with our readers for a popular vote, which will open on October 5th 2021 and will close October 15th 2021.

The winner will be announced via e-mail to our newsletter subscribers on October 17th 2021, and then on social media/our blog on October 18th 2021.

​Ready to submit your hook? 

Voting is now CLOSED for the September Indie Author of the Month Award Cover Contest, hosted by Starry Ink Press and sponsored by MiblArt.

While the judging panel has begun their deliberations for the award winner, authors and readers are welcome to place their votes for their favorite cover here. Reader's Favorite voting closed September 15th 2021 at 11:59pm CST. 

The winner of the Reader's Favorite will receive a $50 USD cash prize sent to them via PayPal.

The judging panel will also announce our Indie Author of the Month, with prizes including:

-A professional ebook cover design by our sponsoring partner, MiblArt
-A written interview on the Starry Ink Press blog
-Entry into the 2021 Starry Reader Awards in December 2021

Winners will be announced to our e-mail subscribers on September 17th 2021.
Winners will be announced on our social media pages on September 18th 2021.

Cast your vote for the Reader's Favorite cover below.

As we prepare to open our Indie Author of the Month Cover Contest, we would like to take a moment to celebrate and share that Starry Ink Press has signed Christina Wallace's 'The Light Keeper Series' books one, two, and three.

Debut Middle-Grade/YA Fiction author Christina Wallace has signed a 10-year exclusive term with Starry Ink Press for her debut Middle-Grade Fantasy novel, The Light Keeper, as well as two additional volumes in the series, to include print, ebook, and audiobook rights.

The Light Keeper: Book One is planned for release in winter 2022. 
A Realm Between: The Light Keeper Book Two (Working Title) is planned for release in 2023.
The Desert Tomb: The Light Keeper Book Three (Working Title) is planned for release in 2024.

Starry Ink Press signed The Light Keeper as one of our debut collection of novels because this story truly modernizes classic Middle-Grade Fantasy in ways that our readers will relate to, while maintaining the moral conflicts and encouraging dreams and imagination beyond the page. 

The Light Keeper is an urban paranormal fantasy with child-appropriate faeries, good vs evil plots, trolls, adventure aspects, shifters, and portal fantasy all wrapped seamlessly into a page-turning story. 

-To contact Starry Ink Press with questions about this announcement, or for media information, please click HERE.

-To learn more about Christina Wallace, check out her Instagram page HERE.

-For more information on publishing with Starry Ink Press, please click HERE.

*The working cover for The Light Keeper was designed by Getcovers.com*

You can find out more at her website HERE, and follow her on Instagram HERE.

Looking for some new reads? 

Don't miss the amazing Indie fantasy novels here on the September 2021 Indie new release directory:

-September 7th, 2021 - Logical Magic by Nicole A Oliver (YA Fantasy)
-September 7th, 2021 - Snow Wicked White: A Glass Slipper Adventure (Book 4) by Allie Burton (Fantasy/Fairytale Retelling)
-September 17th, 2021 - Empire of Dragons by Rachel L. Schade (YA Fantasy)
-September 24th, 2021 - The Dark King and the Eternal Dance by Alesha Adamson (Fantasy/Mythological Retelling)
-September 27th, 2021 - Bleeding Hearts (Once Upon A Monster Book 1) by Emma Hamm (Gothic Romance/Paranormal-Vampire-Fantasy)
-September 28th, 2021 - A Drive Through Time by Andrei Saygo (Historical Sci-Fi)

Are you an Indie author or avid ready with October 2021 new release recommendations for us to  add to our directory? 

Leave us a note in the comments!

*Covers shown above were provided by the author(s) and are promoted here (unpaid) with their permission. Starry Ink Press does not charge to promote Indie authors or their books.*

Nominations for the September Indie Author of the Month Award - Cover Contest open August 27th 2021!

This month's indie author award is being presented in partnership with MIBLart, who will present the winning author with a free ebook cover for 1 novel of their choice. 

To keep our awards as fair as possible, we have assembled a panel of experienced and objective judges who LOVE indie authors and their books to judge for the final award, which will include:

-1 professional ebook cover with commercial use rights, sponsored by our partners at MIBLart
-A written interview on the Starry Ink Press Blog
-Entry into the 2021 Starry Reader Awards in December

Additionally, Starry Ink Press will present a separate reader's choice award cash prize of $50 USD payed via PayPal to the cover with the most popular votes during the voting phase, which begins September 1st 2021. 

 Nominations for the September Indie Author of the Month Awards - Cover Contest open August 27th 2021 and close on August 30th 2021 at 11:59pm CST. 

Please keep the following notes in mind when nominating a cover:

-This contest is for Sci-Fi or Fantasy Book Covers Only (Romantic subplot is fine, but Sci-Fi or Fantasy must be the main plot.

-Indie and Hybrid (some self-published books while traditionally publishing others at the same time) are all welcome, but the cover nominated MUST be an indie published book (no traditionally-published books will be considered).

-Not-yet-published covers are welcome IF the book is up for pre-order and has a link we can use for the judges to verify that it is on the market at the time of voting.

-Each nominated author will be contacted to give us permission to include their cover in our contest.

-Single-author books only; anthologies/collections/co-authored pieces will not be considered.

-Judges cannot submit/judge their own books for consideration, but authors/designers who are not on the judge's panel are welcome to submit their own books for consideration (ie: you can nominate yourself if you're not a judge).

-You do not need to know the author's designer to nominate a book; we can ask the author. 

**Nominations are now closed. Please come back for the voting period on September 5th 2021.**

Good luck all!

**Updated 9/3/21 - Submissions are now closed for September New Releases.**

Now is the time for interested authors to submit your book for September's Indie/Hybrid author new release directory (and no, you do not have to be published with Starry Ink Press in order to be included). 

Submissions will be accepted for the September directory now thru August 27th at 11:00pm CST.

This directory is for:

-Indie and Hybrid authors
-Fantasy and/or Sci-Fi authors of any sub-genre
-Books targeted at middle-grade level and up

Anyone can submit a book that is scheduled for release in September as long as all fields are included. However, only the actual authors may submit book covers, and must give us permission to share the cover photo with our readers and authors when submitting their entry.

The completed directory will be compiled into a series of photos and/or videos to promote the books in September on Starry Ink Press LLC's Instagram and Facebook pages as well as compiled into a document that can be downloaded here on our blog.

Ready to submit your upcoming release to the directory?

Starry Ink Press congratulates Carol Beth Anderson: August indie author of the month! 

Carol Beth Anderson was born and raised in the Arizona desert, where she played make-believe games with her twin sister and older brother, transforming blankets into princess capes and her mother’s dresses into fine gowns. Almost as soon as she learned to write words, she began turning them into stories.

Beth is the author of the Sun-Blessed Trilogy and The Magic Eaters Trilogy, as well as The Curio Cabinet: A Collection of Miniature Stories and Early Readers Catch the Worms: How Alpha, Beta, and ARC Readers Can Help You Publish a Better Novel. Her next book is Faerie Fallen, a YA romantic fantasy novel.

In addition to writing, Beth enjoys baking sourdough bread, acting in community theater productions, hanging out with her teenage kids, husband, and miniature schnauzer, and hosting high-school exchange students.

----Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for authors for the August 2021 indie author of the month award, the theme of which was to recognize authors who truly pay it forward to the author community.

Starry Ink Press thanks all of the other authors who participated in our first author of the month awards. Each of you were more than deserving of a win yourselves, and it has been an honor to spotlight you and the good you give back to the writing community this month.----

Want to learn more about Carol Beth Anderson: August indie author of the month? Click HERE to check out Carol Beth's Instagram.

Want to stay in the loop for September's Author of the month award? 
-Sign up for the Starry Ink Press newsletter on our home page HERE.
-Follow Starry Ink Press on Instagram HERE for first-alert news.
-Like/follow Starr Ink Press on Facebook HERE for first-alert news.