Today, I’m super excited to share the stunning cover of Enchanted Forests with you!
Enchanted Forests is the follow up to my 2021 anthology, Enchanted Waters, which features eight authors telling ten stories of mythical water creatures and magic, whilst also raising funds for an ocean conservation charity.
Enchanted Forests will follow in EW’s footsteps by raising money for woodland conservation by featuring stories by eleven authors that focus on the magical creatures and folk who inhabit the woods.
Ready to see the cover?
What do you think? Didn’t Emily’s World of Design do an incredible job? It was a really collaborative process in which we all got to make suggestions and give feedback, which was really fun. And I’m so happy with the final result.
I’m so excited to share more about my story and the rest of this collection with you over the next ten months! If you’re already sold, you can preorder the book now for the special early bird price of 99c/77p, just click here or on the cover to go to Amazon and prepare to find EF in your Kindle on 1 July 2022.
Not quite sold yet? Here’s the official blurb:
If you go down to the woods today… You’d better not go alone…
Discover the secret world between the trees where fairies, unicorns and even monsters dwell. Take a stroll through enchanted woods and dance with pixies and dryads by the light of the stars. Escape Baba Yaga and fall in love with a prince in disguise. Taste the fruit at the goblin market and be whisked away on a magical adventure. Between ancient trees, find beauty, danger and adventure in these enchanting short stories by award-winning, best-selling, and up-and-coming fantasy authors.
Enchanted Forests is fully illustrated by the talented Elena Shelest.
All profits from this anthology will be donated to charity to support woodland and forest conservation.
I had the absolute privilege of meeting Rhianne recently, and interviewing her for this blog, and she’s just as lovely as she comes across online. Fancy getting to know her better? Keep reading…
Hi Rhianne, it’s so nice to finally meet you in real life after over a year of online frienship! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself?
I write under R. S. Williams, but you can call me Rhianne. I live in the south west of England in Somerset with my husband and two cats. Soon to have a little sproglet running around as well. Which is my way of saying I’m pregnant – yay! Although my cats are very much like two babies too – I spoil them rotten!
I love music and dancing, watching crime and fantasy TV shows and films. If you can’t find me – usually look in one of three places, my office, the lounge or my bed. I’ll probably be reading or playing video games!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! My little boy just turned three and definitely keeps me on my toes! Plus we have two dogs, so it’s a little crazy over here. But you’re going to love being a mum! When did you first start writing and what inspired you?
I actually starting writing very young when my school asked everyone to write a poem and they were all published in a book parents could buy! Then as a teenager I thought I was going to make millions by writing songs, but that was short lived, and then at 18 I started writing novels.
Oh wow, that sounds so adorable, I’d love a book with a poem by my son and his schoolmates. My origin story is quite similar, we had to write a poem in the style of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and I chose Red Riding Hood. The Ofsted inspector came around the same time and she loved my poem so much she took it to show around all of the other local primary schools. I still have a copy tucked away somewhere, it’s my prized possession. So, what are some of your favourite books?
Always a hard question to answer because I can guarantee you I will forget something and possibly change my mind tomorrow. However my staples have always been Vampire Academy, Graceling, Throne of Glass, Harry Potter and A Touch of Power.
I love fantasy, which is why I write it, but I also have a HUGE soft spot for contemporary romance – always a good pallet cleanser too.
Graceling and Throne of Glass are two of my top favourites too, and Harry Potter is what originally got me into fantasy books as a teen. That and Artemis Fowl. Tell us about your first published book, or your most recent release.
Can I do both?
My first published book was The Collective. I brought together two things which I loved at the time. Pirates and time travel. I had also just watched The Adjustment Bureau and was obsessed with the idea that someone controlled the timeline and had to set it back on course. So, my story was born. The Collective – a secret society that protects history. Jenny – my main character who wants to prove her worth and find her missing parents, and Tilly – the girl who was at the wrong place at the right time.
My most recent release is titled Kingdom of Lies and is the first book in my fantasy trilogy The Kane Saga, which I have been working on for at least four years. I LOVE this story. I have poured my soul between the pages and, it’s funny, because at the time I was seeing post about ‘powerful female protagonists’ and I suddenly realised all the books I read had female leads… so I chose to write a male one. Bonkers when you think about it, that way. But its about a teenage boy whose parents’ assassins come back for him. Oh and he’s hidden royalty 😉
I don’t even know where to start. First of all, I LOVED The Adjustment Bureau so your The Collective series sounds like my cup of tea! Second, hidden royalty? Assassins? Yes please! I’m so glad Kingdom of Lies hit my Kindle today so I can devour it! Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?
Anywhere really. Sometimes they just come to me randomly and I start jotting down notes. Other times I’ll be watching a TV series or a film and want to change things or see something I like and add them to the idea bank then when inspiration hits I put them all together and see what I pull out. It’s a fun experience.
It sounds fun, I definitely watch enough TV and movies to find inspiration, I just need an idea bank to put them in! Are you a plotter, pantser or plantser?
Somewhere between plotter and plantser. I love to plot but also diving off the edge is fun too!
I love that description. As a fellow plotter-leaning plantser, it does feel a lot like free-falling when I let myself veer off track while drafting my stories. But I always land somewhere unexpected and amazing. What are you working on right now?
I am writing an exclusive story for my patrons, plotting a vampire standalone and editing books 2&3 of The Kane Saga.
Crikey, that’s a lot of irons in the fire! I’ll let you get back to your WIPs soon then. First though, what one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Never give up. Some of my favourite authors didn’t make it the first try. James Patterson was rejected 31 times before his first book got published. Victoria Schwab had written 13 books before she got noticed. It takes time, but you will get there. The world needs your story too.
That’s really encouraging, it just shows that art is so subjective and it only takes one yes to cancel out all of the nos. Thank you so, so much for being here today Rhianne, I’ve loved chatting to you. And congratulations on the release of Kingdom of Lies! Where can we find out more about you and your books?
How stunning are Rhianne’s covers? I’ve been desperately waiting for Kingdom of Lies to release for months, and now it’s finally here, I’m off to read way past my bedtime.
It’s been a minute! I took a couple of weeks off after Enchanted Waters was published in July, and then it was my birthday last week, so I’ve had a lovely break, but I’m back and ready to settle into my writing cave for the rest of the year.
I’m getting The Solitary King, The Fair Chronicles #2 ready for my editor towards the end of the year, and outlining my story for our next anthology, Enchanted Forests. My story, One Fair Eve, will be a reimagining of Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti, and I’m really excited to start sharing snippets and teasers with you!
Before we jump into today’s interview with the fabulous Meadoe Hora, I’d absolutely love if you could spare a second to vote for Enchanted Waters in the All Author cover contest! It’s currently in second place and winning would mean so much to us, plus it would help us to raise lots of money for Ocean. Click here to vote!
Thank you so much for your support. Now, on with the show!
Hi Meadoe, thanks for chatting with me today! Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in the US midwest with my family, a bossy basset hound and a spoiled black lab. Aside from writing, I love yoga, hiking and doing taekwondo with my family.
That sounds wonderful, we’ve got two dogs too, I find they force me to get out of the house and exercise when I’d probably sit at my desk all day if we didn’t have them. When did you start writing and what inspired you?
I’ve written as long as I can remember. I took a long break when my kids were little and being a working mom sucked up all of my time. I’m so happy I started writing again. For me, writing is the best self care around. It grounds me and makes me feel more like myself.
I feel exactly the same! Being a working mum to a toddler is so all-consuming, it’s hard to find the time for something that’s purely for me. But I feel so much better after making that time for myself. What are your favourite books and genres to read?
I will read any book that has good characters. I love those stories that are passed down through the generations. Lately, I’ve been loving fairy tale retellings and stories rooted in mythology. I love all the strong female and diverse characters that are popping up in YA fiction today.
I’ve become addicted to fairy tale retellings recently, I think it’s the fact that I have a vague idea of where the story will take me (underrated in a world that’s been flipped upside down lately!), but I love seeing how each author twists and spins it to their own design. Do you have a favourite book of your own that you’ve published?
I wrote 2 children’s books with my son when he was about 9. We published them to raise money for a local inner city martial arts program. Those will always be my favorite because it was so fun writing with my son and I’m always happy to support that martial arts program. It’s a 2 book series called Superhero Kick Team.
After that, I published Ariadne’s Crown, which is a retelling of the Greek myth about Theseus slaying the Minotaur, but from the POV of the girl who helps him. I thought she needed a story of her own and I loved researching it and writing it.
My new book Curse of the Furies is a modern take on mythology about a daughter of one of the Furies trying to save her cursed father. It comes out Aug 31st.
I love the sound of publishing a book with your son, what a special experience and something he can keep and always remember. Gosh, I’m tearing up just thinking about it – crazy motherhood hormones! So, where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings?
Everywhere! In my latest book, I had the Greek gods causing trouble in a town similar to the one I live in. So, there are a lot of familiar places.
I love using settings I know, it feels so much richer when I’m writing (and reading) them. Even if it’s just as inspiration for a fantasy setting. Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser or plantser?
Plantser. I’m not good at outlining. I like to have a general idea of where I’m going and just start writing.
I’m a plotter-leaning-plantser. I need a good, strong outline, but I also like to have room to be surprised every now and then. What are you working on right now?
I’m working on editing book 2 of the Furious Legacy series. I’m hoping to release that one later this year.
That’s so exciting! Good luck with your upcoming release! It’s be so lovely to chat with you and find out more about your books. Before you go, what one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Read a lot in a variety of genres. Write. There is no training or book or webinar that will take the place of just writing. Figure it out as you go and don’t demand perfection of yourself. Perfection is the death of creativity. Just write.
Fantastic advice. Writing is the most important thing a writer can do. My mantra as I edited my debut novel was “Done is better than perfect”. How can we find out more about you and your books?
I haven’t read many Greek mythology retellings (aside from Percy Jackson, of course), but I think that’s about to change! How good do Ariadne’s Crown and Curse of the Furies sound? They’re going straight on my TBR.
Lyndsey Hall | Author 