Hi! It’s half-way through June, the first month of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. Today, I’m featuring Vanishing Ink, a not-super-long fantasy, by my fellow SPFBO 9 author, B.N. Reele, a lover of both animals and video games.
Vanishing Ink
Twenty-year-old Maylee finds herself transported into a world by a book she finds in her grandmother’s library, only to be kidnapped by a prince in hiding and his loyal chef upon arrival.
The ultimate betrayal.
Unexpected lust.
A magical book that shows the future.
A tiny creature with a big attitude.
But that’s not all she experiences while in the land of Kanore. An evil tyrant has murdered the prince’s family in order to gain control over the country. Her new friends take her on some unfortunate adventures as she assists them on their journey to reclaim the throne. With the help of the book, she finds herself able to escape the most dire of situations. Even when the ink disappears, the story continues.
With that interesting introduction – and last sentence
Onto the Questions!
As a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Entrant, you’re not just independently published, but self-published. Can you start by explaining a bit about why you chose that route and how it’s been for you?
I chose to go the self-publishing route because a few of my friends had written their own books and published through Amazon. They offer some really high royalties which was enticing. The freedom of putting what you want into your book without the fear of an editor making you remove or update things they don’t like is also a big reason why I decided to stick with self-pub.
Yes! I think the artistic freedom you have as a self-published author allows for some neat and fresh books you aren’t likely to see in traditional publishing!
On a related note, why did you enter the SPFBO contest? How do you expect to find it? Refreshing your blog’s page every five minutes, or sit back and chill?
I actually was told about it through a YouTube blogger, and before that I had never even heard about it before. I looked up a few websites to see what it was all about and decided, hey, why not give it a shot…
I don’t look at the blog I’ve been assigned to except maybe once every couple of days to see if they have any updates. I kind of just prefer to chill and whatever happens, happens.
That’s kind of how I found out about it the first time (except it wasn’t on YouTube). Cool!
Book titles. Why did you choose the title, Vanishing Ink? (I like it by the way)
My book went through MANY different titles until I found one that described the premise of the entire story with something that sounded like it flowed well. Basically since my MC is whisked away through a book with ink that disappears, it just fit the description.
It does, at that! I love neat titles!
I won’t ask for your favourite scene since I know some people don’t have those (like me; I never have favourites), but can you share a (non-spoiler) scene you really like and you just can’t believe how awesome it is every time you go back to re-read it?
One of my favorite scenes in my book is when they are on their way to grab a tooth from a funny little cube shaped mythical creature that I invented. I like the character I created, the scene itself, and it makes the story more interesting and plans a pretty important part later on.
Oh, that sounds imaginative and FUN!
What are some elements or themes, or combinations thereof, that really make your book stand out to you?
I think my book stands out because unlike (most) of the other competition, it isn’t super long and it’s not an epic fantasy. It’s still a true fantasy story, but I kept it down to a simple collection of characters with various personality traits that are easy to keep up with. I like that I kept this novel simple, but fun. I think that readers who don’t want to devote a ton of time trying to read or a trilogy and just want a chill book to keep them occupied will like it. I also use a lot of description to build their world, which is something I value in any fantasy book. I did my best to make the world stand out as somewhere different, colorful, and interesting and I think that so far readers are enjoying that.
That is neat! I like smallish and well-developed casts, too!
What else would you like to share about your approach to writing and publishing?
I started writing this book a long time ago, and wrote it on and off whenever I had the chance to take an hour or two to write. At first I was unsure about publishing at all, but I finally decided to take the dive to do it myself, which is how I started asking around and finding details out about using KDP. I tend to write late at night, which is when my best ideas flow. I have two children, so it’s always easier to catch a free moment while they sleep to take my time and revise things without distractions.
I think that everyone should take the plunge to write a novel, whether it ends up being a standalone or a full-fledged series. The world needs more books, and everyone has a story inside of them to tell. I hope that my children grow up to write as well. I feel like it’s a great way to share your ideas with the world.
This book so far is going to be a standalone novel, although I’ve been teetering back and forth between writing a prequel for it. I think that there is a bit more story to tell about the magical book inside of this novel, but at the same time I feel like it’s finished already. We’ll see.
I feel super honored to have my book in SPFBO9. I can’t believe how fast the spots had filled this year, but that’s amazing because it means that people are loving reading indie books. I think self-publishing can be just as great, and sometimes even better, than traditional. I’m so happy that people appreciate writers of all kinds, and I hope that the indie book industry continues to grow and become more popular.
Also a lot of people ask me about my pen name. I thought it was kind of funny, and I love a good sense of humor. I didn’t want something outrageous, but I think it suits my personality.
Thank you for sharing that! And I think I know what you mean what you mean about feeling like there might be more story to tell, but it’s also finished! You’ll see where that takes you without the pressures of traditional publishing!
— And I didn’t even notice that about your pen name until you pointed it out. Cool!
B.N. Reele is an indie author that has published her first novel Vanishing Ink. She loves all kinds of animals and is a huge fan of tacos. In her free time she plays video games and hangs out with her partner and two kids. She is currently working on her second fantasy novel.
You can find B.N. Reele on Twitter or her Website, and you can check out her debut novel and SPFBO9 entry, Vanishing Ink, on Goodreads and Amazon.
Enthralled By Love 