Meet the Centaurs

 

I've been sketching out some of the centaurs who appear in The Centaur Chase series. I'm not a professional artist or anything, and I'm sure there are others out there who can do a better job... but at least you can be certain that these aren't AI! First of all, we've got Dale, one of the main characters, and his son Dash. Dash is around six months old, but that's closer to two years developmentally compared to a human. Dale lost most of his family in a human attack and is struggling to care for Dash on his own. Ryn used to be human but was transformed into a centaur mare, and now the two of them roam around, telling other centaurs about the possibility. Ryn and Ace only make a brief appearance at the beginning of the Centaur Choice. Who knows, maybe I'll write down their full story at some point. Dale's brother Shade lives at the centaur village, which they call the Square. He's made a living for himself making leather vests for sale. He's clever and creative in a society that usually values physical strength, so he's never been able to find a wife. Thorn hates humans for the destruction they've caused to centaurs. He has a large family at home, but he leaves them to join in kidnapping young women, hoping to stop human hunters from attacking. No, they aren't related, even though they're the same color. Clay and Eve befriend our main characters, who take responsibility for them. Eve was captured by humans who wanted to "civilize" her, while Clay defected from the kidnappers.

Bree meets a natural centaur herd in The Centaur Charge (book 2). You've already met Thorn in book one, but here are the rest of his family, especially matriarch Moon.

Bay and Lane start off as bachelor stallions at the centaur village, which they call the Square, but I have plenty of character development in store for them (sorry, guys). You might notice that there are coins woven into Lane's tail, a sign of centaur wealth.

These three mares started off as humans but were transformed into changelings. They all have different reactions, even after they're rescued from their captors. One falls in love, one schemes to destroy her captors, and the other falls in the middle.

I won't spoil too much about the babies, but I had to show you how cute foals are! Since centaurs are pregnant longer than humans, they come out more developed. Not only can they hold up their heads and torsos just fine, they can toddle around right after birth.

So now you've met some of the centaurs from The Centaur Chase. You can find out more on our website. Don't forget to preorder The Centaur Charge, coming out July 5th!

The Cousin Curse: a retelling of The Six Swans and Paul Bunyan, available now!

 

The Spectra Crown Tales just got a little bigger!

When I started to work on this book, I knew only a few things: the fairytale (the Six Swans), the location, and a few of the characters.   Viola is the main character. She's a princess with Sprite abilities (life magic) including shaping fibers and shifting into a bison-like animal. She was born without vocal cords, so in this version, she never had a voice.   Only one of the swans is her brother, 10-year-old Beck. The other five are her cousins, with a variety of abilities. You might recognize Perrin, the human with Spectra abilities, from book 1, The Seventh Clan (which incidentally is only 99 cents). The last character that I knew for sure was another cousin, Kelda Sage, who has the ability to change other people into animals. She's been isolated for most of her life and never developed a sense of empathy. Kelda will be the protagonist of the next book, The Songbird's Hearth. Viola's twin sister Lilac makes a few appearances in this book. You might remember her from her own Crown Tale, The Dream Realm, which is this month's free book! Grab the ebook on amazon for free from March 1-5th, 2025.

I knew that this story takes place in a wild forest contested between kingdoms which is often used for logging. That's what led to the main love interest, who is inspired by Paul Bunyan. He's big but still a regular human and uses an ax to chop trees. He's also a gentle giant who is kind and supportive, and who came from a village where everyone speaks sign language, inspired by a real-life location called Martha's Vineyard. I have a BS degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, so I have taken forestry classes, and a little of that seeps into the story as well.   The next story chronologically will be The Songbird's Hearth, as mentioned, but it won't be the next book released. That's because I'm pausing to write a prequel. The Masters of Wishes is a mashup of Cinderella and Aladdin. You haven't met any of the major characters yet, but some familiar names will appear.

Enemies to lovers?

 

Enemies to lovers. What does that even mean? I've seen multiple definitions. One is that the main characters are political enemies, but care for one another anyway. I've written lots of those. However, the more common definition seems to be that the two main characters start off with some friction between them before they grow to love one another.   Well, the next Spectra Crown Tales book will be my first to fit this second definition. Simon and Helena don't like each other when they meet. Simon thinks that she is beautiful but bad-tempered, while Helena finds him 'twitchy' and nervous, not to mention likely to ruin what little reputation she has.

The Seven Sages is based on a little-known fairytale called The Seven Simons, which you can read free here. With seven super-powered siblings, this one is ripe for more retellings and I hope to see more authors use it! The Seven Sages is on preorder right now, with a publication date of October 26!

The Spectra Crown Tales are a series of connected fairytale retellings. You don't need to read them in order, though there are connections between them. If you'd like to start at the beginning, the first Crowns Tale is The Seventh Clan.

Sneak peek:   Here is the opening scene of The Seven Sages:   SIMON KING COULD ONLY STARE in horror as the terra cotta jug slipped from his arms and shattered against the cobblestone road. He’d tried so hard to earn his uncle’s approval, loading the jugs into the carriage, and a single clumsy moment ruined everything. Sweat dripped down his face. Though spring had yet to arrive, the cool winter morning became uncomfortably warm after exercise. Normally he enjoyed the chance to be of service, but any enjoyment shattered with the jug.    At least the contents didn’t seem to be valuable. Dried wildflowers and fresh leaves scattered in a steady breeze, or lay trapped among the clay shards. They were too crumpled to impress a woman, and they didn’t smell like potpourri or seasonings. Bitter, if anything, with a hint of rotten eggs. Simon had no idea what his uncle wanted with such things.    The mansion door creaked open. Simon froze, then slowly turned around.    Uncle Rico stood framed in the doorway of Jaladi City’s largest mansion, tall and symmetrical with rows of windows passing judgment on the city street below. His red coat was impeccable, fitting for the King family. Through changing politics, wars won and lost, no matter Simon’s personal failings, his family remained on top.    Uncle Rico stepped up to the cart. “I have to deliver these to the castle. Clean up while I’m gone.”    “Of course, Uncle.”     Normally, Simon would ask to go. The crowds would notice how much Uncle Rico and Simon looked alike, though Uncle Rico’s blond hair was starting to turn white. Simon made sure that they wore it to the same length, just above the shoulders. He’d tried to grow a beard to match his uncle’s, but it came out wispy and awkward and at last he’d given up. Still, they looked like a matched set, as though they belonged together.  Uncle Rico climbed into the driver’s seat of the simple wooden cart and took the reins. He gave Simon a small nod, and started off.    With a sigh, Simon began to gather the shards, keeping the sharp edges from his fingers.     The mansion door opened again and the butler stepped out. “Careful, young Simon,” he said. “Let me, or at least wear gloves. Those are poisonous.”    Simon froze. “Poisonous?”     “Yes indeed. Those plants give off deadly gas when burned. The green leaves with them make sure that any fire makes a lot of smoke, and the tight jug will make the fumes spread.”    Simon stared at him. “You’re saying that my uncle made a smoke bomb?”

Updates:   The Spectra Crown Tales are a series of fairytale retellings with overlapping characters and settings, but different plots. For full book readers, Tale #5, The Seven Sages, will come out October 26th. On kindle vella, we're beginning Tale #6, The Cousin Curse.

Check out the Spectra Books website for more updates.

The Spectra Books all take place in the same fantasy world, where Spectra with elemental abilities are divided between six clans.  Find details, comparisons, and samples on The Spectra Books website.