Tag: young adult fantasy

How to write YA fantasy: more story, less pretentiousness

On May 30 I gave a talk at the offices of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild for the Saskatchewan chapter of CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (that’s their logo at left). The talk was live streamed and will eventually be on YouTube (I’ll post a link once it was) but here …

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Cover art reveal: Flames of Nevyana

My next published novel will be Flames of Nevyana, a young adult fantasy published by Rebelight Publishing in Winnipeg, and here’s the cover art. Flames of Nevyana began life as Blue Fire, and was the last novel (for the moment) I’ve written “on spec”: that is, I wrote the whole thing and then tried to sell …

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CanLit for Little Canadians likes Cave Beneath the Sea

Helen Kubiw at the excellent CanLit for Little Canadians site has been a fan of The Shards of Excalibur from the beginning, and she likes Cave Beneath the Sea quite a lot: In Cave Beneath the Sea, Edward Willett has created as exciting a read as the earlier books in the series, continuing to develop his characters and their …

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Read the first two chapters of Door into Faerie!

We’re just six weeks  from the May 15 release of Door into Faerie, which means it’s time to give you a sneak peek. Normally I only post the opening chapter of the books, but for the finale, I’m giving you two. Click here to read the first two chapters of Door into Faerie! And remember, …

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Another nice review of Lake in the Clouds

This one is from Resource Links, and is posted to Coteau Books‘ website: “The overlay of the Arthurian legend on a modern Canadian context works surprisingly well. Merlin’s magical powers are invested in Rex Major’s spyware embedded in the internet. Wally’s loyalty and courage accurately reflect both Arthur’s strength and his fatal flaw. Ariane’s coolly calculated actions …

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Sneak peek at Cave Beneath the Sea: read the first chapter!

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 …

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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, …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Masks shortlisted for two Saskatchewan Book Awards

Each year the Saskatchewan Book Awards honour the best books by Saskatchewan authors, and I’m pleased to announce that the 2015 shortlisted books include Masks, in two categories: Young Adult Literature (self-explanatory) and Regina Book Award (for the best book by a Regina author). The books are judged by out-of-province judges, and the stated criteria …

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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, …

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