fantasy – Page 4 – Joanna Maciejewska

Back When Witches Were Humans – On Birthright in Fantasy

Nowadays it seems that every other urban fantasy book I pick up has witches in it, and the blurb goes along the lines of “she’s a witch, but she helps humans” or “she’s a witch, and now humans are after her”, or it has some other iteration of “witches vs. them” theme. And that, sadly, is usually the reason I don’t even continue checking out the rest of the blurb, let alone reading the actual book.

It’s because I miss the witches of old. Or rather, to be more precise, I miss how they used to be portrayed in stories. (more…)

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September 27, 2021

News

Summer of Interviews

Summer is ending today, and it’s been a busy one for me! By the Pact, the first novel in epic fantasy adventure series, Pacts Arcane and Otherwise, is a part of the seventh edition of Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off, and September is a Self-Published Fantasy Month, so there’s a lot going on! (more…)

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September 21, 2021

News

Scars of Stone Release Day

Today marks the release day for Scars of Stone—book 2 in Pacts Arcane and Otherwise series. It’s now available in all major online stores, and you can also pick up the print version from Amazon. If you enjoyed Kamira and Veelk’s adventures in By the Pact, I hope you will enjoy the sequel as well! If you’re new to the series, pick up book 1 instead or read a sample chapter.

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July 10, 2021

Personal Rants

Half a Year Check-In

Last year, I posted quarterly updates to my invisible writer’s progress, but 2021 brought so much about, I barely blinked and it was already the end of June. So here’s a quick roundup of the first half of my year.

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July 6, 2021

Consuming all things SFF

Are Vampires Boring?

By a chance, I’ve learned that World Dracula Day, commemorating the publication date of Bram Stoker classic, falls on May 26, and it sparked some thoughts about vampires in fiction and pop culture. They’ve been around in books since late 19th century (if we take Dracula’s release date as a marker), and had accompanied us for thousands of years in oral storytelling, folklore, and various myths. After such a long time, are they a little bit stale? Are they… dare I say it, boring? Or, perhaps, like certain pieces of clothing, vampire never go out of style?

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May 26, 2021

News

Fantasy Book Bundle – 20+ Books

I’m excited to partake in a limited-time Fantasy Book Bundle prepared by International Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors. By the Pact, book one of my epic fantasy series is one of over 20 books available in the bundle. Check them out now or keep reading for details. The Fantasy Book Bundle will be available from April 19^th thru May 9^th.

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April 19, 2021

News

Scars of Stone: Cover Reveal and Release Date

I’m excited to announce that book 2 of Pacts Arcane and Otherwise, Scars of Stone is coming out on July 10th, 2021! If you enjoyed Kamira and Veelk’s adventures so far, you won’t be disappointed: more witty banter, powerful magic, corrupted mages and plotting demons! If you haven’t met the duo yet, there’s still time to catch up – get By the Pact now.

Keep reading for the cover, blurb, and stores links!

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April 8, 2021

Personal Rants

March of the Writers

Back in February, JD Estrada—writer, poet, and Youtuber—invited me to take part in his online event, March of the Writers. With many interesting prompts, I was hoping to join in the fun, but unfortunately, reality decided otherwise. The beginning of March wasn’t too kind to me, and as weeks passed, things didn’t improve enough for me to take on another commitment. But I still didn’t want to miss the opportunity, so in a way of a compromise, I’m writing this post. I won’t cover all the 31 prompts, but I chose the ones that seemed the most interesting. (more…)

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March 29, 2021

A Month in a Writer's Life / Personal Rants

2020 in a Rearview Mirror

Oh what a year it’s been, don’t you agree?

On one hand, I had some of my plans derailed, and things had not gone the way I thought they would. On the other, I was one of the lucky few who hadn’t been much affected by the unexpected situation that changed the way we live our lives. Yet, even for me, it was not a year of major achievements or hitting important milestones. Rather, it was a year of trying to move forward and succeed despite the odds. (more…)

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December 28, 2020

On Writing

Why I Decided to Become an Indie Author

“Dreams do not come true just because you dream them.” – Shonda Rhimes

Back in my youth, when I was only starting my writing journey, it always seemed clear to me that I would one day be traditionally published. But while I grew as a writer, gathering short story publications from publishers small and big, the world around me grew as well, changing in the ways I couldn’t have predicted. Traditional publishing wasn’t the only valid way anymore.

Over the years, my perspectives broadened, and my priorities shifted, leading me to realize that it was time to change my decades-old approach to my writing.

I decided to become an indie author, and here’s why.

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October 12, 2020