Guest Blog & Giveaway: The Silver Pear by Michelle Diener

UFI welcomes Michelle Diener Author of The Silver Pear. Thanks for Joining us!!

Fantasy Romance

Hello to everyone. It's such a pleasure to be a guest here.

I've always written books that are probably more strong romantic elements than actual romances, and my fantasy romance series, the Dark Forest, is no exception. I think that fits in with the fantasy genre well, because fantasy is generally very plot-heavy, and the romance works as a thread that runs through the story.

The two books in the series, The Golden Apple and The Silver Pear, are loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill, and while quite a few fairy tales seem to be romances, if you look deeper, you'll find most of them are really explorations of self.

That's why I came up with the title The Dark Forest for the series. The dark forest has always been a place in fairy tales where the characters are tested, and have to face both inner and external fears.

I love fantasy novels, but have never been a fan of fantasy novels that have too big a cast of characters, too many hard-to-pronounce names, and way too much description. There are exceptions, of course, where the writing and story are so amazing that all of that just works, but mostly I like my fantasy like I like most of my books, intimate, immediate and uncluttered.

In the last couple of years, urban fantasy and paranormal romance have ruled the genre roost, but I'm enjoying seeing a re-emergence of sci-fi romance and fantasy romance as genres that are gaining a little more ground.

What about you? Have you ever dipped your toe in the fantasy romance pool, and which books are your favorite, if so? Or what about sci-fi romance? Any recommendations?

Thanks so much for having me!

Michelle Diener

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Michelle Diener writes historical fiction and fantasy. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series includes IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, KEEPER OF THE KING’S SECRETS and IN DEFENSE OF THE QUEEN. Set in the court of Henry VIII, it features the real historical figures of artist Susanna Horenbout and Henry’s Keeper of the Palace of Westminster and Yeoman of the King’s Robes, John Parker.Other historical novels by Michelle Diener include THE EMPEROR’S CONSPIRACY andBANQUET OF LIES, both set during the Napoleonic Wars in London. DAUGHTER OF THE SKY is set in Zululand during the Victorian era.Michelle’s first fantasy novel MISTRESS OF THE WIND is set for a December 23rd, 2013, release. It is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa, and now lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Find Michelle and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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The Silver Pear
The Dark Forest #2

 An unlikely princess . . .

Kayla is determined to master her new-found abilities as a wild magic witch. She's learning everything she can so she and her betrothed, Rane, can put a stop to the sorcerers who are recklessly gathering their power, building up their magic to take each other on in a war that will destroy the countries of Middleland.

An even more unlikely sorcerer . . .

Mirabelle's father was one of the greatest sorcerers in Middleland, but when he used the magic in the silver pear to bespell his pregnant wife to give birth to the greatest sorcerer who would ever live, he never thought that child would be a girl. Mirabelle is nothing like a usual sorcerer, confounding every expectation, and when she comes to the rescue of Rane's brother, Soren, she makes a decision few sorcerers would. She saves him, rather than herself, losing the silver pear in the process.

And using magic always exacts a price . . .

With war not just a possibility but simply a matter of time, there are no neutral parties and no fence-sitters in Kayla and Mirabelle's new world. Everyone is either an ally or an enemy and there is a price to pay for everything. The question is, how high will it be?

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