June has been a great month so far but the weather… wow. So. Much. Rain. Colorado is known for crazytown weather but the state also touts over three hundred days of sunshine per year. At this rate, CO had best step it up. Things are soggy, but the gardens here at Penfield are like mini rain forests of blossoms.
My son Cody came for a visit at the end of May and I got to do something I’ve been pining away at for years—we went metal detecting together! Cody spent the last few years in Okinawa, where he scanned the beaches and found tons of Japanese coins, jewelry, and items left over from the wars. Here is my first ever detecting find. It is a piece of a tin can with a bullet hole through it. The second photo is our combined efforts the next day. I’m hooked!
The Superstars Writing Seminars Scholarship Application
Superstars Scholarship
The Superstars Writing Seminars Scholarship application is open! I know I talk about this a lot, but I am really excited to share. Superstars changed the trajectory of my writing career nearly a decade ago. There are five scholarship types available. If you’re ready to take your writing career to the next level, don’t wait any longer. Apply for this opportunity to attend in February.
The 2024 lineup of instructors includes Jim Butcher, Rebecca Moesta, Jonathan Maberry, Gail Carriger, Kevin J. Anderson, Chuck Gannon, Lisa Mangum, Chris Kennedy, James Artimus Owen, Toni Weiskopff, Michael La Ronn, Ann Rose, Craig Martelle, Lisa Kastner, Henry Herz, Stacey Kondla, Bryan Cohen, and more. You can apply here.
Next Appearance
Western Colorado University in Gunnison Colorado from July 26 – August 2.
I will also have a few local signing events popping up this summer, one of which will be at Barnes & Noble. We are locking in dates so stay tuned.
Eldros Legacy News
Stonewhisper is live for sale!
It’s Book Release Day for sweet friend and debut novelist, Hailey Gregor!
Lovers of the Night Angel trilogy and The Ember Blade will enjoy this dastardly tale of torn loyalties, a criminal empire, and a fallen hero. You can find it in eBook, trade paperback, and a gorgeous, jacketed hardcover here.
Lola Hopscotch News
We’re finally going to sell the full set at an event at Barnes & Noble. The dates are forthcoming, but I can’t wait for this. I might get to do a reading and meet some kiddos and talk about anti-bullying!
Did you know that The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch is endorsed by the PACER Center for Anti-bullying? We also partnered with StandForTheSilent.org during our anti-bullying outreach when I wrote Book One. You can find the full set here.
A Free Story!
I just got the rights back to Betsy and the Time Ship and I’m really happy about it. I learned a lot while researching for this story. I’ve been fascinated by Amelia Earhart for a long time and this little book features some fun alternate history. As a special thanks for being part of my readers group, I’m giving it to you as a special gift for a limited time. You can download it here.
“Betsy and the Time Ship is a fun, mind-bending adventure! Marie Whittaker brings game and new excitement to time travel science fiction. Brava!” -Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of V-WARS and RAGE
A mysterious romp through time from colonial era Salem to alternative history featuring the days of Amelia Earhart.
Steampunk blends with Victorian intrigue and paranormal fantasy in this tale of a witch hunt gone awry when an airship pilot meets a bounty hunter as they travel through time on a mission leading to a deadly grapple for a cursed artifact which possesses the power to control time..
Can a hunter honor a contract without ruining his own honor in the process?
In 2021 I founded Eldros Legacy with four other authors who have become good friends. If they were good friends before, they’re even better friends now. Founding Eldros Legacy has been a lot of fun and a lot of work. Each minute and milestone has been a blessing.
What is Eldros Legacy? It’s a multi-author, epic fantasy universe of sheer wonder. Each of us founders has a continent. Mine is Pyranon. If you know anything about my writing, you know I got my start in horror, and Pyranon reflects that.
You can take the girl out of the horror, but you can’t take the horror out of the girl.
That sounds odd and dramatic, but it’s true for me as a writer. I’ll always love gothic themes and elements. Embers & Ash, the first of the stories told on my continent on Pyranon, is dark fantasy.
So, what’s it about?
Game of Thrones meets Lord of the Rings in this gothic epic fantasy saga of captivating court intrigue, deadly, reigning evil, and a young queen’s determination to free an empire.
Princess Mahaela Bellagrave nearly escapes her fate as queen, but murder accelerates her ascension to the throne of Pyranon. Denying her birthright is no longer an option; she must embrace the magic she’s possessed since birth but hidden out of self-preservation.
Banu Liin, an immortal demon construct and ancient palace knight, lives on as the royal advisor. He’s ruled Pyranon through its queens and their magic for centuries. He’s hidden truths and kept the loyal kingdoms of Pyranon in the dark about life-and-death threats that imperil the mortality of every living soul on the continent.
Banu sets his trap for the new queen. He refuses to lose his long-lived and lasting power over the fiery continent of Pyranon and the reigning queen of the empire.
In a world plagued by centuries of evil possession, can a determined young queen embrace inherited magic and free Pyranon from a throne long tarnished by a deadly legacy of deceit?
You can find it here in eBook, trade paperback, and a gorgeous hardcover.
Embers & Ash is gothic fantasy, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres to write in.
Game of Thrones meets Lord of the Rings in this gothic epic fantasy saga of captivating court intrigue, deadly, reigning evil, and a young queen’s determination to free an empire.
I’m honored to have one of my books in this giveaway! Dave Butler, the organizer, is one of my favorite humans. You’ll want to get his news and updates. The link to enter is below.
The Witcher Chime: A Haunting
is my contribution to this set of fine books. Plus, the cover still has my pen name at the top. =)
You likely guessed by the cover that this is a horror story. I had SO much fun writing this one. Coming up with the bad guy, Witcher (absolutely NO relation to that Witcher—I wrote this book in 2014) was a hoot. He is a nasty villain.
Horror fans—if you love hauntings and family sagas, this is a great book for you.
“I’m a hard sell when it comes to chills. I write scary stuff for a living and, let’s face it, we live in scary times, but THE WITCHER CHIME raised some goosebumps. Mainly because Marie Whittaker (writing as Amity Green) knows how to craft characters you care about. And if you become emotionally connected to the characters, you feel their feelings and share their sense of threat. Overall…a fine read for a creepy night!” —Jonathan Maberry -NY Times Bestseller
And The Witcher Chime is among some fantastic fiction. If you win, you’ll also receive Clockwork Charlie, by Dave Butler, Mako, by Ian J. Malone, Paternus, by Dyrk Ashton, and Chaser, by Scott W. Taylor.