Happy 2021

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all had a safe and healthy New Year. I have been remiss with my updates. My focus last year (2020) strayed over to my fantasy romance penname. I had a great time in that world, but I am so ready for some urban fantasy in 2021. I missed it!

The other day, someone asked me about my publishing schedule for this year. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit I have one, but can’t share it with you all. I’m a wee bit petrified of jinxing myself. Yeah, I’m one of those writers. Can you blame me given *ahem* last year?

Anyhoo, what I can tell you is that I have an interesting storyline plotted out that I’m eager to start. I’m also looking forward to completing book 4 of the Gods and Fate series. In terms of timing, I’m tied up with the fantasy romance until about April/May and then will take a break to focus on the urban fantasy. That’s the rough plan for now. Of course, anything can happen between now and then, so check back here for updates.

Upcoming changes for 2021:

Gods and Fate: (Stone Cursed, Blood Oath, and Dark Truth)

These books will be dropping out of Kindle Unlimited beginning in mid-January. I will be taking the series to other retailers in addition to Amazon. However doing so makes the series ineligible for the KU (Kindle Unlimited) Program since the books will no longer be exclusive.

Amazon is the only retailer I have ever used. I’m both nervous and excited to experiment with these other platforms. We’ll see how it goes. At the moment, I have no idea if or when the series will return to KU. I’ll keep you updated the best I can.

All other books/series will remain in KU. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at: lora@loraandrews.com.

I think that’s it for now. I hope you are all faring well in these difficult times. As always, thank you so much for taking a chance on my work. I am always humbled by your choice to spend a little time with these characters I’ve grown to love so much.

Take care, stay safe and happy reading!

Lora

Book 4 (Immortal Odds) Update

Hello Everyone,

The cover reveal for book 4 (Immortal Odds) is forthcoming. The proof is gorgeous. As soon as everything is finalized, I’ll post the final version. I can’t wait to share this cover with you!

In other news, I am traveling to London in a few, short, nerve-racking hours. I’ll be attending an amazing writer’s retreat and conference. And yes, I see several research tours in my near future.

I mean, I’ll be an hour away from Stonehenge!!! How can I not break for research?

And maybe a pint?

Or two.

For research. 😉

More about the pre-order later, so stayed tuned. Oh, and expect travel photos. Lots of travel photos.

Until then, happy March everyone!

Lora

Woohoo… I have great news to share!

Hello & Happy January!

I have series news to share with you all. It’s been so hard keeping mum about it. I’m terrible with secrets. I mean I can keep a secret for like… well, forever, but it kills me slowly. Sort of like Christmas shopping. Hiding gifts is torture. I want instant surprise gratification.

Right away. 

But I have to wait.

And wrap.

And wait some more… You get the point. So here it is, the not-so earth shattering news I’ve been holding back. Time Bound is getting a face-lift.

And a new name.

I’m thrilled to re-introduce, Stone Cursed, the first book in the Gods and Fate series.

Aren’t they gorgeous?

I seriously love them all, but Blood Oath is my favorite. Can you guess which scene is represented on the cover? Hint… hint… it’s climactic. 🙂

I will be unveiling book four, Immortal Odds, real soon. And guys, I am loving this story. I can’t wait for you to read it!

Until next time,

Lora

Fall Traditions

Fall is one of our favorite times of year. Since the Andrews have been knee high, we’ve visited a local corn maze, and this year was no exception. It’s an annual tradition the kids love, and so do we.

The corn maze is set on eight acres. Every year, the farm puts out a new theme. Here’s an aerial shot of this year’s corn maze.

Honoring our active and retired military personnel

Pretty cool, huh? Here’s what it looked like in real time after we finished.

Whaaaaat??? What do you mean we didn’t walk ten miles?

The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Luckily, we didn’t need rescuing, and only backtracked a couple of times. Honestly, though, it really felt like we walked several miles. I was so surprised to see the stats afterwards. I think we all were.

Finding the perfect pumpkin to carve
The finished product. Any guesses on who carved what?

I would love to hear about your fall traditions. Shoot me an email or post below.

Until next time, I’m wishing you and yours a safe and fun Halloween!

-Lora

Scotland

Scotland was everything I’d hoped for and more.

But the weeks leading up to my departure were fraught with nerves and a fair amount of anxiety. This trip was more of a spiritual journey than a physical exploration of a beautiful country. It was an opportunity for this introvert to spread her wings, overcome her fears, and network with a group of amazing authors she’d never met before.

I’m proud to say I did just that. And more.

I hope you enjoy my journey.

Day 1- The beginning of the adventure

Okay, I’ll admit, this was the leg of the trip I’d been most worried about. How would I get myself from the airport to Edinburgh University where I was staying? I drive everywhere. But renting a car wasn’t an option.

First things first though…The luggage carousel. I wasn’t one of the first people off the plane, so when I arrived at pickup, the bags were already circulating.  I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Our gate in Boston had changed, so after all the bags had disappeared, I’d started to fear that maybe my luggage hadn’t made it to Scotland. Maybe it was on its way to Atlanta like the unlucky lady beside me whose bag was, in fact, en route to Georgia.

I was standing in line at the claims window, sweating because I couldn’t feel the a/c. (apparently we’d  arrived during a heatwave) ready to file a missing luggage report when I glanced over my shoulder, and lo and behold, I saw my bag on the conveyor.

I may have jumped for joy.

From there, I took the Skylink 300 to the university, which was about a 1 ½-2 hour trip through Edinburgh. Scotland’s capital is a walking city, so after the bus dropped me off, I hauled my fifty-pound suitcase along the cobblestone sidewalk for a ½ mile trek, marveling at the architecture as I went.

When I arrived at the university, the lady at the reception desk was kind enough to offer to find me a room so I could immediately check-in. I think I may have looked quite frazzled, my hair wild due to the humidity. However, there was some kind of problem, so after fifteen minutes or so of waiting, she was able to link my room so I wouldn’t have to move when the conference began. I dropped my bags off, changed my shirt, and headed off to explore Edinburgh on foot.

Mapless.

Ha! Now I understand why Google warns you to double-check your route when you’re on foot. Google maps is not a walker’s friend. At least not in an old city like Edinburgh. The ten or more miles I walked that day contributed to the five pounds I lost, so in the end, it was a win-win for me!

I hope you enjoy the photos of Arthur’s Seat and downtown Edinburgh. I’ll be back next week to share Edinburgh Castle, Roslyn Chapel, Dunfermline Abbey & Palace, and more of beautiful Scotland. 

Take care,

Lora

Fallen Angels and Runaway Edits

Happy May!

It’s tough getting sick when you’re old. At least that’s what I tell my kids, and I have to admit, it’s not too often that something hits me hard enough to land me in bed. But that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago. However, it allowed me to make friends with Netflix. And boy oh boy did we make up for lost time.

Any Lucifer fans out there?

One of the shows I binge-watched was Lucifer. The premise was really cool: the devil takes a vacation to LA and becomes a consultant to the LAPD. I have to admit, it held my attention…long enough to watch through to season four in record time! I love how Tom Ellis manages to pull off Lucifer’s self-centered/narcissist personality while building sympathy for the character.

But…edits for book 3 are here and season four is out…what’s a girl to do? Yep…you guessed it! LOSE sleep. 😉

Interesting tidbit about the show – Lucifer Morningstar’s character is based on Neil Gaiman’s Lucifer in The Sandman comic book series. And speaking of Neil Gaiman, anyone else looking forward to Good Omens? The trailers are so good. I think the casting of Michael Sheen and David Tennant is brilliant.

I better hurry with those edits…

What are you watching?

That’s it for May. As always, love to hear from you so feel free to email me at anytime!

Take care,
Lora

The Norns of Norse Mythology

One of the things I love most about mythology are the similarities found in so many of the legends both written and orally passed down from culture to culture, generation to generation.

Take the Norse Norns for instance—three powerful female entities with the power to shape the destiny of man and gods alike.

In Greek mythology you have the fates: Clotho, the spinner, Lachesis, the Alloter, and Atropos, the inflexible. Each fate has a specific job. Clotho spun, Lachesis measured, and Atropos cut with those famous shears. They were also associated with specific periods of time. Atropos, the past, Clotho, the present, and Lachesis, the future.

According to John Lindow’s Norse Mythology, the Norns (pronounced “norms”) were “women who shape what must be.”

Which sounds an awful lot like our Greek counterparts.

And like the Greek Fates, each Norn was linked to time. Urd (That Which Was) to the past, Verdandi (That Which is Becoming) to the present, and Skuld (She who Shall-Be) to the future. In some literature, Skuld is also the Valkyrie who chooses which warrior will die in battle.

Other Norse texts state the existence of additional Norns “who come to each child, when it is born, to shape the life, and these are related to the gods, but others are of the family of the elves, and the third one are of the dwarfs.”

It was this sentence that sparked my imagination and led to my interpretation of the Norns in Dark Truth, book 3 of the Time Bound Series, which will hopefully release this May.

For more information on Norse Mythology, check out John Lindow’s book, Norse Mythology, available at Amazon and other retailers.

Until next month,
Lora

Blue Men, Books, and Idle Musing

I spend a lot of time researching—which is both a joy and a curse.  Around these parts, I’ll gladly wear the “Research Queen” crown with pride. However, I do tend to get carried away spending minutes…okay, hours, maybe days…researching an interesting tidbit on a subject that may only comprise a sentence or two in a scene.

But hey, they’re good sentences, and, facts are facts. Even though I make stuff up, much of my lore is based on mythology and history. Case in point, the Blue Men of Minch.

Postage Stamp/Royal Mail (June 2009)

Said to terrorize sailors attempting to cross the Minch (rough seas between the island of Lewis, Long Island, and the Shiant Isles in Scotland) the Blue Men are half-human/half-mermen creatures who live in underground caves in that stretch of sea. If you can solve their riddles, or pass their trials, you might make it to the other side. 

Lost a few hours reading about these guys…so expect to find some Blue Men swimming around in the near future 😉

Until next time,
Lora