I turned in the final edited manuscript of Cave Beneath the Sea this week to Coteau Books, which is aiming for a November release. But you don’t have to wait that long to start it: here’s a sneak peek, in the form of the first chapter. Enjoy–and be ready for the release of Book 4 …
Tag: YA fantasy
Faces makes it official–I have committed trilogy
Although I’m still waiting for the bulk of my author’s copies of Faces (which is why the top three winners in my giveaway haven’t received their books yet), Faces has officially hit bookshelves and is available for order through your local bookstores (if they don’t have it in stock) or online at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Indigo, …
Song of the Sword long-listed for the Sunburst Award
I’m excited to announce that Song of the Sword has been long-listed in the young adult category for The Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, an annual award celebrating the best in Canadian fantastic literature published during the previous calendar year. The winners receive a cash prize of $1,000 as well as …
Twist of the Blade nominated for Aurora Award!
The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association has announced the ballot for the 2015 Aurora Awards, recognizing the best in Canadian science fiction and fantasy, and I’m pleased and proud to announce that Twist of the Blade is on the ballot in the Best Young Adult Novel Category. Others nominated in that category: Lockstep by Karl Schroeder, Tor Books; Rain by Amanda …
Read the first chapter of Lake in the Clouds!
Lake in the Clouds, Book 3 in my YA fantasy series The Shards of Excalibur, comes out in May from Coteau Books–which means it’s time for a little teaser. Here you go: Chapter 1 for your reading pleasure, just to whet your appetite. Sharp-eyed observers may also note that the title has changed slightly, from …
Cover art reveal: FACES, Book 3 in The Masks of Aygrima
Just got this from DAW Books today: it’s the cover art for Faces, Book 3 in my Masks of Aygrima trilogy, written as E.C. Blake. It builds on the previous two covers and reveals, appropriately enough, Mara’s face for the first time. I like it a lot! How about you? Like the first two covers, …
I’ve turned in Faces, Book 3 of The Masks of Aygrima, to DAW!
Early this morning I sent off Faces, Book 3 in The Masks of Aygrima, to Sheila Gilbert, my editor (and co-publisher with Betsy Wollheim) at DAW Books. I’m quite pleased with it–I hope she is, too! We’ll be discussing it at World Fantasy Convention in Washington, D.C., early in …
New publisher Rebelight to bring out my YA fantasy “Blue Fire” in 2015
I’m pleased to announce that new publisher Rebelight, based in Winnipeg, will bring out my YA fantasy (they’re calling it “voltpunk”) Blue Fire in Spring 2015. The picture is me signing the contract. Don’t know how they’ll describe it, but here’s how I described it in my query letter: The Kingdom of the Twelve Cities …
Four stars for Shadows from Night Owl Reviews
Four stars for Shadows from Pamela Robinson at Night Owl Reviews, who, interestingly, had not read Masks–though she intends to go back and do so now! In Shadows, by E.C. Blake, I found a world filled with magic and special people. Mara Holdfast is an intriguing main character. The author weaves a journey for her that many will connect with. …
Cover art reveal! The Lake in the Clouds, Book 3 of The Shards of Excalibur
I’ve been very happy with the cover art for the Shards of Excalibur books from Coteau Books, and the cover art for Book 3, The Lake in the Clouds, which I’ve just received, is no exception. Pretty, isn’t it? Better get the book written, though. A good cover is important, but it’s also important there …
Another nice review of Masks: “a great page-turner and a fantastic start to an exciting new series”
T.E.J. Johnson gives a rousing review to Masks: “The novel is fast paced and Mara gets herself in and out of a million-tangles as she falls from a high-born Aygriman citizen, to concentration-camp prisoner to unmasked rebel…I would thoroughly recommend this novel; it is a great page-turner and a fantastic start to an exciting new …
Another satisfied Shadows reader: SciFi Chick
SciFi Chick, who loved Masks, also enjoyed Shadows: “Full of suspense, mystery, magic, and a bit of romance – the intensity builds to a climactic ending. And as before, I look forward to the next in this incredible fantasy series.” Read the whole thing.








