I’m so excited to say the fourth Enchanted Anthology is out today! Enchanted Skies brings together ten authors to share tales of air magic and flying mythical creatures, blending fantasy, folklore and mythology for a spellbinding collection of stories that is sure to enchant!
As with all of the Enchanted Anthologies, this edition is raising funds for an environmental charity. All profits from Enchanted Skies will go to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief fund, to support communities affected by the devastating effects of hurricanes and tropical storms by providing shelter, food and comfort. If you enjoy reading fantasy stories filled with adventure, humour, magic and romance, why not pick up a copy of Enchanted Skies and help us to raise funds for a cause that’s close to our hearts?
High-flying adventure, magical mayhem, and new horizons are in the air. Take to the stormy skies on the backs of dragons or the ancient thunderbirds. In this clean fantasy anthology, you’ll soar into fantastic realms and meet creatures drawn from myth and legend. A hippogriff, Pegasus, harpies, and so much more. Inspired by tales from around the world, these short stories will propel you into adventures of murder, mystery, and vengeance. These award-winning, bestselling, and emerging authors will lift and inspire you and leave you wishing you had wings of your own. Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians series and Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology will adore this collection, where every encounter is a battle for survival and a test of wills. All profits from this anthology will go to the Red Cross to support hurricane relief.
When Skies Darken by Lyndsey Hall
Ayla Willowbark is the eldest princess of the Sylph Queendom, a territory known for its air-magic wielding fae and barren beauty. In the depths of grief, having been widowed in a vicious attack by their neighbours, the Celeste, Ayla bids the Sylph settlement farewell and moves to a remote windmill to rediscover herself.
When a handsome, injured stranger turns up on her doorstep in the midst of a terrible storm, she does the only decent thing and takes him (and his horse) in. Isolated and forced together by circumstances, it isn’t long before romance begins to bloom between Ayla and the charming Lord Egan.
But when the Celeste return to finish what they started, will Ayla lose everything once more, or can love triumph over evil?
We hope you enjoy our stories! If you do read Enchanted Skies, we’d absolutely love if you could leave us an honest review on Amazon, they help new readers to decide whether to pick up a book, and the more readers we find the more money we raise for charity.
The twelfth and final Once Upon a Prince book is here! To close out this fantastic fairy tale retelling series, it’s The Winter Prince: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling by Constance Lopez!
This shapeshifting, tricksy fae twist on the classic fairy tale is a swoon-worthy romantic adventure!
Breaking his bargain with another fae has earned Revi, Prince of the Winter Court, a terrible curse: he lives as a beast and must watch his people suffer under a withering blight. The only cure? A heart freely given.
When a human patrol steals one of Revi’s magical roses, a sliver of opportunity strikes. He agrees to spare their lives in return for a woman who must live in his castle for a year and a day. But could such a beauty learn to love a beast like him?
Although Kienna was warned of conniving fae before her arrival at the Winter Court, the Winter Prince, while beastly, is not the monster she expected. Her dreams plague her—or more specifically, the enigmatic silvery man who walks them does. She’s determined to find him in the waking world and free him from his imprisonment.
Her dream prince begs her not to trust her eyes. But… can she trust her heart?
The Winter Prince, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is book 12 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
This one sounds like an absolutely tropetastic romantasy dream and I am here for it! I actually got to chat to the lovely Constance in the run up to release day, keep reading to find out about her writing journey, where she finds inspiration and what you can expect to see next from her…
Hi Constance! Thank you so much for chatting with me, it’s been a dream working with you on Once Upon a Prince! Tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with.
I’m from Texas, born and raised! I am married and we have two charming wildlings whom I homeschool! I love reading, sewing, and hiking when I’m not writing.
Wildlings, I love that – my five year old son is definitely one of those! When did you start writing and what inspired you?
I started writing as a teenager when I realized that authors were real people, which meant I could write a story just like I loved reading. Granted, those stories were awful messy things, but I loved making stories and characters.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realise writing books was a job real people could do until much later! Hehe. What’s your favourite genre?
FANTASY. Always! I grew up on Lord of the Rings, and I have always preferred fantasy to every other genre (though I also read classics, historical fiction, and contemporary romcoms). I love of a lot of romance tropes, but one of my favorite tropes in ANY story is fish out of water. It makes for so many fun moments!
I love a fish out of water story! And there are so many ways to do it in fantasy, the possibilities are endless! Tell us about your first novel, Of Stormlarks and Silence.
My first book is a connected standalone, which means it’s part of a series (The Kasmian Chronicles) where every book has a happy ending/no cliffs, and follows different characters from the world. Of Stormlarks and Silence is book one, and it’s about a princess-turned-assassin set on revenge and reclaiming her kingdom–until she meets the kind prince who throws a wrench in her plans.
I’ve heard so many good things about this book, and it’s waiting on my TBR shelf, I can’t wait to dive in! Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
Any and everywhere! Sometimes it’s a conversation with a friend (this is what prompted my take on Beauty and the Beast in The Winter Prince), sometimes it’s other books or movies.
I’m so glad that conversation sparked your idea for The Winter Prince and the decision to organise the OUAP series, give my thanks to your friend! Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
Plotter! Maybe Plantser. I make the plan, and if it deviates, I adjust it as I go. But I need SOME sort of framework or I just flounder.
I’m exactly the same, I like to have a road map even if I take a few detours on the way to my destination. What are you working on next?
I just plotted out book 3 in my Kasmian Chronicles! It’s got enemies to lovers, a morally grey hero, and lots of cute animal companions.
That sounds right up my alley! I can’t wait to read the entire series, animal companions are just the best. Before I let you get back to your writing, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to any aspiring authors reading this?
Be consistent! Even if you only write a sentence a day, the consistency of showing up every day is what will finish your story, not big inspired bursts followed by months of not working on it.
Okay, I feel both called out and inspired, haha! Thank you for speaking with me Constance, I’m so grateful to you and Alora for everything you’ve done to make Once Upon a Prince such a huge success, and I’m looking forward to reading everything you write in the future! Where can we keep in touch with you and find out more about your books?
You can go to my website, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, or join my NL!
A betrothed prince. A mysterious maiden. A secret that could destroy the kingdom.
After failing in every attempt to prove his worth, Killian’s betrothal contract seems to be the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been in hiding from a wicked fairy for almost 18 years—or she’s missing for good. Desperate to escape the chaos of the court and his father’s suffocating expectations, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest. There he stumbles into more than he bargains for: magic and mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both.
As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are clear: honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest, and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder questions that she should have had answers to all along: Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? And is there more out there for her after all?
When the fairy returns for revenge, Killian must overcome his fears and fight for his father, his throne, and the woman he loves. He cannot afford to fail now, or he will lose them all.
The Awakened Prince, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, is book 11 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
This one sounds so deliciously swoony and romantic, and it has so many of my favourite tropes. Enchanted forest and he falls first AND animal companions? Yes, yes and big yes!!
I can’t wait to read this one as soon as my paperback copy arrives. Have you read it yet? What did you think? Is it as dreamy as it sounds?
Now then book buddies, there’s only one book left in the Once Upon a Prince series, a gorgeous Beauty and the Beast retelling to cap off this incredible group of fantasy fairy tales. If you haven’t grabbed copies of any of the OUAP books yet, now’s the perfect time with Christmas around the corner! Imagine curling up under a blanket for 2 weeks with 12 short fairytale novels to binge read? The actual dream, right?
Lyndsey Hall | Author 