For all you B&N readers who thought I forgot you… shame on you.

Also, if the wallet is tight and you really want that shiny, pretty paperback *come closer* *whispers*

Barnes and Noble is selling it for only $9.35! Instead of the $12.99 on Amazon. So get it while it’s hot!

Well! Let’s get started, shall we? It is a party over here at Chez Santiago.

I’ll be in and out of Facebook all day, so if you want to stop in and ask me questions about the book, the series, writing, or anything really (my favorite episode of Castle, why I love Summer Glau, how I managed to get my 3 yr old to learn all the words to Starry Eyed by Ellie Goulding, its all fair game). Hit me up on my Page and let’s chat!

If you’re looking for an excerpt of The Guardian’s Mark,  you can head on over to Tales From the Hollow Tree to read an exclusive! Or if you want a taste of the beginning, download an excerpt from Amazon.com.  There will be a Nook version available soon! Look out for the announcement on that, ok?

To celebrate RELEASE DAY (one of the most awesome days in a writer’s life, no matter how many times it happens), I’m sharing my playlist with you! I know I’ve been teasing you with videos of certain key songs, but this is the complete list that I played on repeat, that I added to over the course of about two years to get it exactly right. In the end, I could listen to it with my eyes closed and follow the emotional course of the story, seeing certain scenes play out in vivid detail. It was awesome.

I definitely alternate between instrumental music and lyrical music, depending on the scene, the intensity I’m looking for, etc. It really just depends on the night.

The Guardian’s Mark – Playlist

1. Ascension/Nature Boy – Moulin Rouge 2

2. Dangerous Game – Tristan & Isolde

3. Liz On Top of the World – Pride & Prejudice

4. Anakin’s Dream – Star Wars: Episode III

5. Structure & Discipline – American Beauty (score)

6. All That I’m Living For – Evanescence

7. Dark Blue – No Doubt

8. We Haven’t Turned Around – Gomez

9. Time – Sarah McLachlan

10. Honestly Ok – Dido

11. Away From Me – Evanescence

12. Breathe Me – Sia

13. Breathe No More – Evanescence

14. Eternal – Evanescence

15. Two Loves Be One – Tristan & Isolde

16. Everything – Lifehouse

17. My Oh My – David Gray

18. My Last Breath – Evanescence

19. The Walk – Imogen Heap

20.  Gorecki – Lamb

21. I Dream of You – Tristan & Isolde

23. American Beauty – American Beauty (score)

24. Understanding (Sound Asleep) – Evanescence

24. Taking Over Me – Evanescence

Go forth and let your day be full of music and reading! <3 Happy Release Day all!

I’ve mentioned before how critical playlists are to my writing. They often help me set the right mood and get me into those dark places I need to go for the black moment and the breaking of people’s hearts. In fact, most of Cinematic Royalty was written with a playlist which kept me deep in the time period and helped me keep the right tone.

Today’s particular song is instrumental. One reason it worked so perfectly is because it had a rain track toward the middle of the song. Since one of the main characters in the book is a Water Element, and there’s a critical scene that takes place in the rain, this track just seemed to fit what I was trying to convey in words. I particularly love that it has strange electronic/techno type synths over a classical piano, which is both beautiful and haunting. Til this day it makes my heart beat a little faster. I can still hear my characters talking, the full moon hanging above on that dark night, the rain falling on the cobblestones of the Temple courtyard as everything between them changes – forever.

Enjoy!

P.S. Don’t forget to stop by Tales From the Hollow Tree and check out my new freebie, Breath of Life. One of my favorites that I’ve done thus far.

But now, the cat is out of the bag. My Guardian Circle series, previously released as Zerah’s Chosen, has been repackaged! Look at the beautiful new cover:

It will be releasing in April, in print and e-book! I will also be making autographed copies available on my website! There will be a GoodReads giveaway. And every person who reviews the book will be entered into a drawing for some prizes, including giftcards and swag! Isn’t that exciting? I’m beyond thrilled.

I will give you all more information as we get closer, but in the meantime, I’m ecstatic that my series will soon be in your hands once again. <3

Let’s start with the bad, get it done and over with. I’m sure many of you have noticed the book pages for my Guardian Circle Series (Zerah’s Chosen and Zerah’s Offering) have gone missing. Though I’ve known for a little while, I didn’t want to make an announcement until it was official. Yesterday, my editor and the owner of Drollerie Press, Deena Fisher, announced that she was closing the company for good. This has not been an easy thing to hear for anyone who has ever been involved with Drollerie Press. Their books were just such a special little corner of the writing universe and I feel that the niche it covered will be sadly empty and greatly missed.

How does this affect us? You, as a reader, and me as an author? It means that for the moment, my Guardian Circle Series is not available for purchase. Neither is my short story in the Playthings of the Gods anthology.

Thankfully, Hollow Tree might help me find a home for my short story. My novels… well only time will tell where my babies will end up. But be assured, I do not plan on giving up on them. Whatever comes, I had some great years at Drollerie Press and I met some fantastic people, some insanely talented authors whose work has stayed with me long after I’ve read ‘The End’. I wish them all the best.

While we go into the unknown together (-you are holding my hand, right? because I could really use a hand to hold at the moment-), I will share the good news. You know that saying: when one door closes, another door opens? I think that might just be true. I’d like to introduce one of my secret projects.

Lisa and I know we have something special going on at Hollow Tree. We’ve loved every chaotic moment, every late night, every hour spent finding inspiration- photos, music- to set to the little moments we capture and share with you every Friday. And so we decided to package them in an easily accessible format to read again and again, without having to scroll through the website!

BONUS: Soon, we will be releasing an ebook of ten collected stories from Tales From the Hollow Tree—eight you’ve read before and two that are all new and will only be available in this book!

Stories of Enchantment and Desolation is just that—a collection of tales where the line between alluring and devastating is blurred or crossed altogether. These books will be published in a beautifully formatted .pdf and will be available through various sources by the end of November for 99¢. We’re so excited!

Til next time guys.

-Isabelle