Tag: A. E. Lowan

Kissing – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Cian loved these early mornings with Winter, when the house was quiet, and it was just the two of them, the scent of rising bread, and the constant warmth of the English stove taking the chill off the predawn air. They would talk about the day, sometimes work on replenishing Winter’s stocks, and inevitably practice Cian’s favorite new skill, kissing Winter. Soon the house would wake—Etienne heading out to the forge, Noel needing to be fed and changed, Jessie getting ready for school, and Alerich and Fitz possibly pouring themselves into bed, still buzzed, from a long night talking literature Read More …

Be Mine – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The February wind chased Cian across the wind-chilled patio concrete and back into the house. He closed the sliding-glass door against the onslaught and set his covered basket of fresh cuttings from the winter garden on the table, tickling little Noel’s toes with cold fingers and eliciting a squeal of delight from the baby. He shrugged out of his coat and draped it across the back of a chair, stooping to kiss his son’s round cheek, then straightening and crossing to the big island counter to lay a kiss on the back of Winter’s neck. “I think I got everything.” Read More …

A New Release and a Sale!

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We are excited to announce that the e-book for Beneath a Stone Sky: The Third Book of Binding is now available on Amazon! For those who prefer paperback, it will be available in mid-November. We’ll let you know as soon as it hits the shelves. If you need to get caught up in the Books of Binding, the e-books for Faerie Rising and Ties of Blood and Bone are both on sale this week. You can grab Faerie Rising for $0.99 or Ties of Blood and Bone for $1.99. Thank you all for your support and patience as we finished Read More …

News About Book Three and a Sale

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Greetings from all of us at Team Lowan. We have been on an extended hiatus dealing with a health problem but are on the mend and nearly back to full speed. We are hard at work on the third book in our Books of Binding series, Beneath a Stone Sky. At this point we are expecting book three to release in early 2020. We are very excited about this book. Many of you have been asking when you’ll see more of Etienne and Cian – you don’t have much longer to wait. We are thrilled to delve deeper into Etienne’s Read More …

Recoil – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Spread your feet to shoulder width. Right foot back. No, not that far. Your shoulders are too thin.” Etienne narrowed his eyes. “When was the last time you ate?” Winter gave the faerie knight at her side a wry expression. “This morning, with you and Cian. Remember?” The November wind whispered over the water and blew loose tendrils of hair across her face. She was grateful for the warm felt coat she wore. “Then you need a snack or something. You’re still sickly.” His voice was gruff. She sighed softly. He was only trying to take care of her. She Read More …

Daughter – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“What is wrong with you?” Aodhán surged into the room, fae energy roiling out in front of him like an approaching firestorm.  The Eldest Himiko, the Jómon, settled a paper onto a neat stack on her desk and looked up, calm. “Good morning to you too.” “No, it’s not a good morning,” he growled, throwing his customary caution to the wind. “I thought you had gotten this out of your system.” Himiko gave him a bland look, the warning in her dark phoenix eyes still subtle, and smoothed a tiny wrinkle in her silk kimono. “To what are you referring?” Read More …

The Parting Glass – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The wizard, Alerich Ashimar, ran a loving hand down the neck of the old guitar, chord after gently played chord resounding in softness, the mellow sound filling the dark music room. It wasn’t his rosewood-fretted Hummingbird beauty, hidden away in his rooms at Ashimar House in England, but the old Martin Dreadnought he had found still fit his hands well and was a joy to play. “Of all the money that e’re I’ve had,I spent it in good company.And all the harm that e’re I’ve done.Alas it was to none but me.” “Alas it was to none but me.” But Read More …

“Warriors” – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The sun flared over the horizon, blinding him for a moment. Erik Eriksson shifted his stance, taking the measure of the warriors on either side. They seemed like a seasoned lot, their armor well-crafted and their weapons honed sharp. He gripped his bow and notched an arrow. The battle was coming. He could feel the anticipation among the ranks swelling their number into a throng, warriors jostling in position, checking their weapons, watching the horizon. A horn sounded and they surged toward the enemy, some riding, others, like Erik, running ahead, weapons at the ready. Their enemy poured over a Read More …

One Step at a Time – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Ice crystals frosted the window, catching the early morning sun and splintering it across the palm of his hand. Alerich sat on the padded window seat and stared at the prism effect. The light was beautiful, but broken, diminished. Like him. He rested his head against the alcove and looked above the frost toward the cold ocean he could see rolling beyond the cliffs the house perched on. He had been so excited to see it last week. Had it only been a week? It felt like months had passed since he, Thomas, Fitz, and Elspeth had sped their way Read More …

Welcome to Seahaven Arts – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“Are you new?” Jessie looked up from the slip of paper she was reading, her new class schedule. She was finally here, at The Seahaven School of the Arts, where she had been dreaming of going for as long as she could remember. She nodded. “I seem to be a little lost. I’m looking for Room 311B, but I can’t find it. It goes from 311 to 313, but no B.” The girl in the long broomstick skirt and lacy purple poet’s shirt smiled. “That’s because it’s in the old building. All of the classrooms that have a “B” in Read More …

Personal – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“I don’t have this recipe. Are you sure this is right?” Winter frowned as she seeped magic into the thickening crimson liquid while she stirred with her focus object, a graceful oaken spoon thickly engraved with spell glyphs inherited from her great-grandmother. The nascent potion—poison?—had little odor, but the color just looked… malevolent. “Yes. Just keep pouring in power. It’s just about there.” Elspeth picked up her own focus object, a large silver spoon with glyphs elegantly engraved over the handle following the art deco pattern of polished and unpolished metal and began tapping it in a rapid pattern on Read More …

Lead Me Not into Temptation – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“It would be so easy.” Elspeth blinked, confused. She did not remember coming outside. Could not remember anything past laying down for a nap. But here she was, in the cold quiet shade of the clifftop gazebo, staring at Winter’s back with Arariel’s voice in her head. Again. Nothing she did would shut him up. No matter how violent, how painful, she could not chase the demon away. “Just a push. No one is looking. And you’ll have Alerich all to yourself again.” Elspeth’s breath caught. She didn’t want that—did she? To be honest, she did not like the other Read More …

Midnight Feeding – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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A plaintive cry pierced the night and woke Etienne from a light sleep. His son, Noel, was hungry and it was his night to tend him. Etienne swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, running a hand through his hair, then catching it up in his hand, and securing it with a hair tie from his nightstand. He stood and stretched to his full height, his back popping, and pulled on the pair of jeans he had thrown over the back of the chair when he had gone to bed. As he reached for the Read More …

Ties of Blood and Bone is Available Today!

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Surprise! It’s Release Day for Ties of Blood and Bone! We had the technology. We made it faster, stronger, better, and sooner than we expected. And now it’s available in e-book today! Paperback will be available soon. We hope that you enjoy it! Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ties-Blood-Bone-Second-Binding-ebook/dp/B07FZC63QN/ B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ties-of-blood-and-bone-a-e-lowan/1129201817?ean=2940161786925 Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ties-of-blood-and-bone

A Difference of Opinion – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Lunch with his fiancé. Alerich stood beside the corral gate, watching Celia’s car arrive. That was going to take some getting used to. Lunch with his fiancé. His grandmother, Hildreth, the matron of both House Ashimar and House Van de Mere, considered it the arrangement of the decade, and it seemed a lot of their set agreed. The congratulations flowed in in an endless stream. Grandmother thought Celia was perfect for him. She was politically powerful, the only child of Roland Carralond, the Archwizard of the Wizard’s Council. With Alerich as his father’s heir, marrying Celia would give their family Read More …

Lelia – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Lelia did not remember much about the night she met Jeremy Moore. She remembered going to the club, Fever, in Midtown. She remembered drinking, but not that much because they were overpriced and not that awesome. She hadn’t been looking to hook up. She’d just wanted to dance and celebrate her new job, and mentally flip her parents off for their snotty attitude about her dropping out of college. She didn’t need a liberal arts education to be successful, no matter what they said. She remembered seeing Jeremy watching her from the other end of the bar… and then she Read More …

Tin Lizzie – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“You bought another one?” A shameless smile pulled at the Vampire King’s lips, and he made a sweeping gesture to the shiny black automobile parked in front of the Seahaven Opera House. Under the August sun, the sheen to Erik’s new toy gleamed. “‘Another one,’ Katherine? You’re making it sound like an old nag!” Katherine cast a long-suffering look at Bridget, assuming that her ward would be as tired of Erik’s antics as she was. But the young seer grinned back at her. Apparently not. She smiled fondly at the girl—really a woman full-grown and at the height of her Read More …

New cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

The Faerie Rising Paperback is Now Available and Other Team Lowan News

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It’s finally here! We are excited to announce that the paperback of Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding, is now available at Amazon.com. We appreciate the patience and support we have received during this long process. For those who prefer e-readers, Faerie Rising is available in e-book as well. What’s coming up? We are hard at work on the sequel, Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding, which should be available in both e-book and paperback Spring of 2018. For those who enjoy audiobooks, we are working on audio editions of both books to be released Read More …

Leftovers – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Jessie St. James felt a grin growing as she watched Justin MacDowell toddle around the worn wood floors of Otherworld Books, the stubby felt feathers on his turkey outfit sashaying with each bit of progress he made. She looked at Brian and found him grinning, too, teeth a flash of white against terracotta skin, before he leaned over and redirected his adopted little brother. “It’s hard to believe how much he’s grown in just a month,” she said, and decided to plant her plump butt in the doorway of the stock room to corral him a little. Brian chuckled and Read More …

Ties of Blood and Bone Cover Reveal

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We are thrilled to reveal the cover for our next full-length book! Preorders for Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding are available now. We are offering $1 off the list price of $3.99 to anyone who pre-orders before January 15, 2018. Click here to grab yours! This cover, like our beautiful one for Faerie Rising, was designed by the incredible team at Deranged Doctor Design. We are just left speechless by them each time we work with them. You can find them here. We are also working on print and audio editions for both books. We Read More …

Things Fall Apart – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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He sniffed the air. The scent of burnt bones and under it—blood. A lot of it. And the outhouse smell of violent death. He walked the utility area carefully, reconstructing the deadly dance from a lifetime lived among its devotees. The spatters of brown flecks. The dust-free smears where a body had been dragged, struggling. A broken fingernail caught in the chain-link. The cloying smell of burning hair and garbage, and just a hint of cucumber. Acetone. At least they had destroyed the body, but it meant the attackers were not human. A human gang might have doused the body Read More …

There’s A Monster at the Door – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The little monster crept toward the door of the enormous stone house. Maybe this was not such a good idea after all. Her friends had dared her to come here. They’d called her weak and scared. She swore she would show them that she was made of tougher stuff than they thought. But standing here, at the end of the mile-long drive, the house gave her pause—squatting here on the edge of the world, nothing but water as far as the eye could see on the other side. She eyed the door and tried to summon her courage. It was Read More …

Summiting Mount Writers’ Block

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What is Writers’ Block? Each writer defines writers’ block in their own way. To us, writers’ block doesn’t exist. We don’t actually believe in it. We believe in getting stuck. Often, to call getting stuck writers’ block is to give it a great deal of power over your creative process. It becomes an event. It becomes an insurmountable force standing in the way of you reaching your creative goals. If Writer’s Block Doesn’t Exist, Why Can’t I Find the Words? When you’re staring at the blank screen, but the words just won’t come, there could be one or more factors Read More …

Morning at the Vineyard – A Snippet from Ties of Blood and Bone: The Second Book of Binding

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Alerich woke up to wintery sunlight filtering in through the gauze curtains and his grandmother’s lady’s maid, Odette, rapping on his door, her pretty, polite voice carrying through it. “Breakfast is served.” Alerich rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Odette’s presence meant his grandmother, Hildreth, was here. And if Hildreth was here it would be non-stop wedding talk for the next two weeks. He wondered if there was a trellis outside the window. Was it sturdy? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d escaped out a window and wouldn’t be his first trellis climb, but he Read More …

A. E. Lowan Will Be at Virtual FantasyCon 2017

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Please join A. E. Lowan for a free week-long convention at Virtual FantasyCon 2017, October 15-21. We will be in our booth daily for games, writing discussion, and, of course, all things Books of Binding. Our booth is located at: https://www.facebook.com/events/330256554102386/ Here is our booth schedule for the week and what we’ll be talking about in each session. Can’t make it during those times? No problem! Please stop by whenever you are available, see what others have said, and play along when it’s convenient for you. Don’t forget to check out the Reader’s Corner to find the booths for all Read More …

Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding - Coming April 1, 2017

An Excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

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With a little over two weeks left before release, we thought you might all like a peek at an excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding.  In the next couple of weeks we will be taking a closer look at many of the characters from Faerie Rising as well as releasing a few new flash fictions.  We hope you enjoy the excerpt! An Excerpt from Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding The world shifted sideways. Winter braced herself against the wall with her one good hand, the chalk grinding against the concrete as she fought the initial Read More …

New cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

Cover Reveal for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding

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We are very excited to reveal the cover for Faerie Rising: The First Book of Binding at long last!  The wonderful design team at Deranged Doctor Design blew us away with this cover.  We hope that you all enjoy it as much as we do.  Faerie Rising (in e-book format) is now available for pre-order at Amazon and will release on April 1, 2017.  The paperback will be available soon.

Cover for C. L. Schneider's Urban Fantasy, Night Fire: Flash Point

Guest Blog- Cover Reveal for Flash Point By C. L. Schneider

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We are always looking for great new books in the urban fantasy genre, and we are excited to have a guest blogger today who is releasing the first book in her new urban fantasy series, Nite Fire: Flash Point, soon.  We are thrilled to welcome C. L. Schneider!   Cover Reveal I’m excited to share with you the cover for my upcoming release! After completing the Crown of Stones Trilogy last year, I wanted to do something different. And this series is it! Flash Point is the 1st book in The Nite Fire Series, a fast-paced, entertaining urban fantasy full Read More …

Sleight of Hand – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Winter Mulcahy thought the girl by the necklace rack was maybe eleven, probably twelve. She had a bruise peeking out just beneath the collar of her oversized coat, fingermarks if Winter was any judge, and she was an excellent judge of abuse. The girl was heavy in that way that said weight would follow her throughout her life, but she moved easily through the store, caramel eyes flickering constantly towards Winter from behind too-large glasses. The girl was stealing. That wasn’t unusual, though. Homeless kids often stole from the stores in the Historical District, trying to fill empty pockets and Read More …

Seashells – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The boy was crying under a picnic table, but Winter didn’t know why. He was a lot older than her, six, maybe even seven. She crawled beneath and sat down next to him, not caring that her red and white sundress would get mussed. She’d lost her sandals somewhere but she’d managed to hold on to her red hat. Grandma Bridget said it was important so she didn’t burn in the summer sun. The boy looked up at her, his expression wary, and wiped his face on his coat sleeve. It was peculiar, wearing a suit jacket to a family Read More …

Aaron Sorkin Quote: "Decisions are made by those who show up."

Decisions Are Made By Those Who Show Up

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“This administration is going to be cussed and discussed for years to come.” – Harry S. Truman Tomorrow is Election Day.  It is finally here.  After months of primaries, debates, and impassioned rhetoric, tomorrow is the day when America pauses at the crossroads and decides which path to follow.  We won’t try to sway you for one candidate or another today – the country has spoken of little else for quite some time now.  Many of you voted early, more of you than in any election in history, but we will give one last plea for those of you who Read More …

Kristin Vinck, One Third of A. E. Lowan

Welcome to the Grand Reopening

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Welcome to the new and improved A. E. Lowan. We have been on hiatus, rebuilding and reinventing. Please come in, excuse our renovation mess, and get to know the new team.   Kristin Vinck Raised as a Navy brat, Kristin Vinck began writing as a child on the West Coast, learning her love of words at her mother’s knee. Her first story, composed at five-years-old, was an instant classic in her house. “Ghostie-Ghost” was a harrowing tale of the adventures of, well, a ghost, and her friends. Kristin won her first writing award for urban fantasy in Seattle at eight-years-old Read More …