Are there any new book releases today? Yes, there are! Thorn Heart is finally released! It took me three years to be able to share this story with the world. If you remember from a previous post, this story was stolen from me by a fake publisher, and the fear of losing all my hard work was terrible.
It took me a year to write this book, five months before I realized I had been duped, four months to fight for my book and get it back, another year before I finally began the editing and formatting process, and now in 2020, Thorn Heart is at last let out into the world.
I am relieved, jubilant, ecstatic! After everything Thorn Heart has been through, it is a victory just to get it published. An author told me on Twitter that the backstory of it being stolen is another good story for a book. It’s worth considering, but I’d rather forget that whole nasty business with the fake publisher.
And all that effort and work is now available for the price of less than a cup of coffee. Yes, just $1.99 lol. No excuses not to get it, right?
A Little Backstory
Thorn Heart is different from anything I have ever written, although I did write a similar story when I was only six years old – which is a long time ago. It had different characters and a different plot, but the message was the same and the setting was similar.
When I started writing this tale a few years back, I did not recall my writing project when I was six, but a few days ago I started remembering my very first unpublished book, and that is why I am doubly pleased that now, decades later, I subconsciously managed to revive that story and publish it.
I believe that this book comes out at the exact right time. Now that we are going through this pandemic, we are beginning to think about many issues, such as our impact on the environment. Although Thorn Heart was written years before COVID-19, it has a message that relates.
What is Thorn Heart about?
Here’s the synopsis.
In 2285 it would be exactly two hundred years since the Mountain and the Valley Kingdoms had been created. It had taken time and many errors, even when everyone did their best to avoid the mistakes of the past that had led to destruction of life.
The human world was destroyed. Technology was gone, electricity and running water were no more, whole cities had been obliterated, and food supply was scarce. The survivors awoke to a new world where humans once more were weak and defenseless, stripped of their protective towns and comforts, tools and weapons, machinery and cars. The food chain was no longer what humans had created and believed, but it reverted to how it had been before they took over the world. All they had left now was their common sense and the will to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.
They knew their place.
They knew that they could not repeat past mistakes.
Never again.
****
Two kingdoms, opposed in philosophy and action
The Mountain Kingdom is a place of peace and respect for all sentient beings. The Valley Kingdom clings to the old destructive ways.
Special talents such as animal speech, top speed, and other superhuman attributes are honed and revered in the Mountains, but non-existent in the Valley.
Luna, a young noblewoman with the talent of animal speech, and Prince Storm of the Mountain are betrothed, and nothing seems to stand in the way of their arranged marriage. Storm is a good man and Luna needs an escape from her abusive home.
Bluntax, the Valley king, has long desired everything the Mountain Kingdom possesses, and the upcoming royal wedding between Luna and Storm might be just what he needs to provoke the Mountain Kingdom into a battle they cannot win. His son, Thorn, is his strongest asset and the only man who can help him succeed.
The Mountain Kingdom is unprepared for the threats from the Valley, but when Thorn meets Luna, events are set in motion, forcing them both to make decisions that could change their fates forever.
While human and animal refugees seek shelter in the Mountains to flee the terrors of the Valley, King Bluntax prepares for war.
Thorn finds his destiny intrinsically linked to Luna and he must decide. Will he betray her and help his father achieve victory or will he forsake his family and stand by the woman who is also engaged to his rival?
****
==> Click here for a copy of Thorn Heart <==
Funny Anecdote
It is comical how writers spend months and even years to create a book, but when it comes to writing a blurb for the book cover, we often have no idea what to write and we spend hours staring at a blank Word document, trying to come up with something. Ironic, isn’t it? This is not only the case for me, but for many writers I have spoken to.
It was not easy to come up with a captivating blurb, since the story has complicated characters and some surprising plot twists, but I hope that this synopsis shows enough of the plot without revealing too much. I do not like giving spoilers.
That’s the other difficult part of writing a blurb, avoiding spoilers. I always strive to keep as much mystery as possible, which is not always that simple. Writing a 95,000-word story is definitely easier for me. Funny, isn’t it?
Less Than the Price of a Cup of Coffee
I hope you’ll give Thorn Heart a read. It is available on Amazon, and it is also free on Kindle Unlimited. On Thursday, 22 May, I will create a paperback version of this book.
If you decide to purchase Thorn Heart or read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, and you like the story, could you please leave a book review on my Amazon page (or Goodreads)? A review can be as short as a Facebook update, and it really helps the author to get noticed.
Thank you! Have a beautiful day!
Greetings Christine – Congratulations on the publishing of your book! Sorry that you had such a hard time with the fake publisher. But what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right? Beside, the timing couldn’t be better. The story has great relevance.
I can appreciate your struggle with writing a blurb, but you did a good job with the synopsis. It seems like a good read to me! All the best!
Hi Nathaniel!
I’m glad the synopsis came out well. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Helo Dear, congratulations on the completion and release of your boook and a big thanks for sharing this informative article. I so much love reading books and it really gives me joy to yet see another new book that I will finally enjoy. Anyways I really find this book (Thorn Heart) interesting and I think I am going to get my own copy if it. I can’t wait to see the whole story.
Hi Sheddy!
Thank you! I would love to hear your thoughts once you have read the story 🙂
Wow! this book is too good to be this cheap. I can not wait for the lock down to be over in my location so I place an order for my own copy. The story for me, its almost similar with what is going on at the moment, where everything is like its failing us, where the world is kind of defenseless.
Thank you very much for this review.
Hi, I know, the price is cheap, considering everything I did to get it published. 😉
Let’s hope the lockdown will be over soon.
Thank you for your comment!
Good evening, Christine! Congratulations on publishing your book! I’m so sorry that you had to endure almost losing your work to a fake publisher; praise God that you got your book back. Your book seems fascinating-it’s essentially a battle between good vs evil, and how each side utilizes its’ resources to survive in a different (and from our standards, dare we say, primitive) world. I’m interested to see which side comes out on top. I will definitely purchase it and give it a read! God bless you!
Hi!
True, in a way it is a battle between good and evil. I hope you will like how the book ends 😉
Thanks for your comment!
Have a great day!
I agree with the author from twitter, the back story of this being stolen from you from a fake publisher really adds to it! What a journey! You must be thrilled to finally be here! And also, completely unrelated, but the image you have of the silver figure looking like he’s doing a swan dive… that’s from the Dubai Mall! I was there!. There’s a whole wall of these ginormous silver figures. It’s mesmerizing 🙂 Ok, back to reality… Looking forward to checking out your book! Congrats!
Hi Eric,
Yes, that is a free image on Unsplash, and the description stated that it was taken in Dubai. I thought it made a good representation of a superhuman 😉
Thanks for stopping by!
Im surprised!!! This post…..I’m usually not a huge fan of postapocalyptic books, I’m more paranormal fantasy romance lover, but you’ve captured my attention! I have a nook so I’m wondering if it’s available on barns and noble?
Either way great post! You didn’t give a lot away with the synopsis, just enough to make people wonder how it all plays out! Which like you said writing a book is easier then writing a blurb like this, cause you don’t have to try to sell anything when you’re writing the book, just when you’re selling the actual book.
Best of luck!
Hi Amber,
Thank you! Well, there is some romance in my book too, so you can get a little dose of fantasy romance 😉
Unfortunately, it is not available on Barnes and Noble yet, for now it is on Amazon, however, I am offering it for free on Amazon until 25 May.
Have a wonderful day!
I’m so happy I came across your post. I looove a good fiction-and fantasy is sort of it, isn’t it? And, as much as you say you can’t write a good blurb, I think you actually wrote an excellent one! From what you revealed here, I am sure it is a captivating read, it surely goes on my list! Man, do they make you give it away for that misery of money? It can’t be by your choice, can it?
Anyway, I wish you best of luck for thousands and thousands of readers (buyers) of your book!
Hi!
thank you for your comment. Those are Kindle prices and since there is so much competition, authors, unfortunately, sometimes go down on the price. I am offering it cheap for now, and it is free on Amazon until 25 May, but after that I will be raising the price again. Thanks for adding it to your list! I hope you like it. If you end up reading my book and you enjoyed it, would you leave a review on Amazon? Those are always very helpful.
Thanks for visiting my website!
Hi Christine,
Glad to know that you took back to book from the vanity publisher and got it published on your own. I find the story is futuristic, and it might be the truth that human beings need to fight for food and water shortly. And, you are generous for the price! Love it.
I can relate to your writing experience since you just got nothing in your mind when you sit down in front of your computer. To improve this critical moment, I tend to do the below process for my writing.
-Work out at the gym for 30 minutes to 1 hour
-Go back home for a quick shower
-Have my favorite coffee
-Put my phones or any other distractions in other rooms
-Set the alarm to boost the result then edit in the end
The above works quite well for me, and I hope it gives you some ideas too. 🙂
Thanks.
Matt
Hi Matt!
Those are excellent tips! Although I do not go to the gym, I often take a walk on my land. It is a large property, so it’s perfect for going for walks, and that helps clear my mind too.
Thanks for visiting my blog again! 🙂
Have a great day!
Hi, Christine.
Thank you for sharing the behind story of “Thorn Heart”.
I am glad to know that you finally got back your book.
I love your writing style: it is so fluent and easy to follow.
I became interested in reading “Thorn Heart” after checking this article.
Now, I got an idea of what the cover picture implies. From the synopsis, I can sense that “Thorn Heart” contains a lot of metaphors and symbols.
I was willing to pay for the amount of a cup of coffee. By the way, when I followed the purchase instruction, I got a message, “Thorn Heart will be auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle Cloud Reader. You can go to your device to start reading”. It was an interesting experience because I never tried Kindle Cloud before. Now, I owe you a coffee, so I will check it and write a review after reading it.
Again, I am glad you got back your book. It is about intellectual property, and I cannot even imagine how frustrated you have been. Thank you, and talk to you often.
Hi Jason!
You’re right, the cover picture implies a lot, and the title and story contain a lot of metaphors and symbols. Thank you for spending a cup of coffee on my book 🙂 You made my day! I hope you enjoy the book, and yes, I will be very grateful for a review! 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
First as author to author, congratulations on getting your book back in publishing. How scrupulous of this other individual to steal your work and publish it as his own. I’m glad you fought the fight and won. Next as I was reading through your synopsis of the book, I realized it’s the type of reading I like to do. Fantasy mixed in with a world where there is chaos. And you’re right $1.99 is just a cup of coffee. I will be ordering this book for my nighttime reading.
Awesome, Jagi! Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy my book, and if you like it, could you leave a review on Amazon? Those reviews always help an author.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Hello Christine! Thanks a lot for this review, its really detailed and it has increased my interest in this book. This book is too good to be this cheap. Its sad that the lockdown is delaying me from getting this book already, I really hope its done soon. Its funny how I’m relating so well to this story, its like the writer looked at everything going around us and came up with this. Thanks a lot for this, i appreciate it…
Hello!
Too bad that the lockdown is delaying you from getting my book. The lockdown has been impacting many of us in so many ways …
Hopefully soon, there will be a solution 🙂
hello Christine, romantic games I must say that I’m so intrigued buy your book titled Thorn Heart..it looks like it has quite a lot of Romance and much more of fantasy as well I love reading such books and I really enjoyed this one I look forward to recommending it to my friends trust me they would love to read it too..
keep up the good work….
Thank you, Evans! Sharing is caring. Thank you for recommending my book.
Hello, A big congratulation to you on the release of your new book Thorn Heart, seeing all you have to go through in the hands of fake publishers but the good news is Thorn Heart is a reality today, just going through the synopsis of this book I’m alrrady glued to the story and I can’t wait to see what the whole story holds, I’m getting a copy right away. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Hi Jomata!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the story 🙂
Hello there, This is an amazing article that you have got here. Thorn Heart appears to a good read. The synopsis is quite great and captivating, I would like to get this book so I can grab the whole story. I enjoyed going through this article here on your website. Your experience is motivating I learnt a lot from it.
Thanks for sharing this with me.
Hi Stevie!
Thanks for your comment!
I read your review and I’m totally sold. I’ve to get this book! It seems to be a very interesting read. Looking forward to it.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
All the best
Hi Rani,
That’s wonderful! I’m glad you’re getting my book 🙂
Thank you!
I’m an author myself and know the feeling of someone trying to steal your work. A company which offers to publish your work for free. (Never get tied up with these type of folks). This company was called ‘PublishAmerica’.(I think now they’re ‘All-Star Publishers.’) In the end, they hold your book rights hostage until you pay a very high ridiculous fee. In other words, you buy back your own book rights! This company has many law suits against them.
They publish books on all subjects, even writing too. I know they’re many books out there on this subject. There are a lot of talented writers out there that just haven’t been discovered yet.
Hi,
I’m happy to meet another author here. 🙂 It is true that there are many talented writers that have not been discovered yet.
I have not heard of All-Star Publishers. No wonder they changed their name, if they have so many law suits against them and they force authors to buy the rights back to their own hard work. I have heard about the practice of holding your book rights hostage until you pay to get them back, that’s is absolutely terrible. We have to be so careful. There are many predatory publishers out there …
Christine,
I saw your reply on another post and that you’re a self publishing writer.
Would you recommend self publishing over a publishing house?
I’m writing my first novel and I’m already over 200 pages in, about 150 to go I’d imagine for the book to be great. I’ve been doing extensive research on self publishing over trying for a company and I just wanted to know your thoughts if you have time.
Thanks!
Hi Katrina,
It really depends what you’re looking for. A publishing house takes the editing, formatting, and book cover design off your back, but you would still have to market your book. Having your book published by a traditional publishing house does not guarantee that they will do all the marketing for you. It may also take a while to be accepted by a publishing house. It is important to get representation with an agent. You have to send of many query letters. It can take months, even years … It’s not impossible, of course, but it is time-consuming.
I simply did not want to wait years, so I decided to self publish. When you’re self publishing you are in control. It is more work, but in the end it is worth it. If you would like to know more about self publishing, I wrote an article about self publishing platforms and one about self publishing on Amazon KDP. I hope that helps 🙂