Enarra and the Fallen Druid: Blog Tour (+Giveaway!)

Title: Ennara and the Fallen Druids
Author: Angela Myron
Series: Ennara #1
Pages: 174
Publisher: Stardance Publishing
Date Published:June 12th, 2013
Format: eBook
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions

Synopsis:
Eleven year-old Ennara Gaern has a serious grudge against the dragon on her right hand. 

Born with a caul-a mask that foretold magical powers-she was immediately inked with the fiendish, fire-breathing tattoo that forces her to study boring texts, cover her hand continuously, and worst of all, keeps her from visiting the beautiful capital city, Dordonne. But her quiet life changes when one night she is attacked by a shadowy demon. 

Tork, an old friend and wizard, is enlisted to help. But when he arrives, he informs Ennara's parents that she is her world's only hope of finding the legendary Sword of Gisilfrid, which is needed to destroy the curse that is creating the demons. Ennara doesn't want to leave on the dangerous quest, but when she learns the curse threatens her world, she reluctantly agrees. 

Ennara and the wizard begin a perilous journey to the sunken City, pitting them against dangerous oceans and pirates intent on claiming Ennara's magic as their own. With only her friends at her side, including the intelligent, aquatic cat Smoos, Ennara must defeat monsters guarding the sword and servants of the Fallen Druid. When her world is covered in darkness, will she know how to dispel the curse?

Welcome to the Ennara and the Fallen Druids Blog Tour! You guys are in for a treat today! The author of Enarra, Angela Myron has stopped by today to tell us all about Genre Blending! This girl is hilarious, and totally made MY day by making deliciously nerdy Star Trek references! So check out Angela's chat below, and the blurb and excerpt from Enarra above. Enarra and the Fallen Druids, by the way, is a totally awesome fantasy/sci-fi blend if I do say so myself. SO get reading and say hello to Angela in the comments!

~~~~~~~Guest Post~~~~~~

Hi Andra and friends! Thanks so much for having me on your awesome blog today.

I was asked to write a word or two on some author-y type things, so I hope you all like to write fiction! Let’s see: what makes a character great (shrug, leather pants?), a day in the life of an author (if you’ve been following this tour, you all know my schedule with the twins, so I’ll do you all a favor and skip that one), and ahhh... genre blending.

Genre blending: when you mix elements of several genres in the story you are writing. Some well-known examples: Steampunk (a blend of historical, science fiction, paranormal, and horror), Paranormal Romance (a blending of elements that are traditionally in horror stories, such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts with a love story), and Urban Fantasy (a blend of contemporary fiction and fantasy). Blending genres can be fun, exciting, even dangerous (insert eyebrow waggle here).

But what if you want to write outside of well-known categories? Is there a category for western-paranormal-romantic-comedy? Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know that you, the author, need to follow your passion, a.k.a. your muse. If you do write that western-paranormal-romantic-comedy, I’ll be honest. It’ll be difficult to sell. But not impossible. And with self-publishing, the market for stories has never had more options. Readers read what they like, regardless of genre.

Sure, it would be easier to stick to the main category genres. You’d have a better chance of selling the story to a traditional publisher, if that is your goal. And if you plan to take on the mantle of indie author, genres that fit easily into a category might find their readership sooner.

Not long ago, blending genres outside of what was currently being published meant–well, not death—but a serious impairment to a writer’s career. A publisher needed to be able to tell the bookseller where that book belongs in the store. On the fantasy shelf? On the romance shelf? If you, the author couldn’t say, then they, the publisher, weren’t interested.

But things have changed. Indie authors, and their readers, are breaking down walls that until this point seemed impenetrable by Superman. Genres can be blended. All you want. It just takes more work to sell the book.

The bottom line is: to succeed at writing fiction, you need to tell a good story, regardless of its genre. So if all of your good stories exist in an as yet unnamed genre, forge the way. Seek out new life and new civilizations. Boldly go where no one has gone before.

Meet Angela!

Like many writers, I have a full life in which I juggle many duties and joys. I love to cook, garden, and play with my twins. As a mother to toddlers, I write whenever I am not helping them navigate their day--which typically means in the early mornings and early afternoons when they sleep, and sometimes when Grandma comes to visit.I was twenty-two when writing became a passion of mine. I've been doing it in one form or another ever since. But it took me a very long time to follow my heart's desire to tell stories. For years, I simply journaled. I delved into writing articles for newsletters and grant proposals. I settled into technical writing, often finding myself a one-person writing, editing, design, app development, and publication team. I learned the basics of journalism, and finally, when on maternity leave with my twins, I turned to writing fiction.I am grateful for every reader I have. Writing can be a solitary pursuit, but it can also be a dialog, a meeting of the minds. I invite you to connect with me

If you've been following the tour, you know that Angela has been offering a different fabulous gift each week for those who leave comments and questions! Make sure to fill out the rafflecopter for this week and win a t-shirt from CafePress! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway