Misti Wolanski has always loved to play in fantasy land and practiced writing all through her teens. She now freelances as a web writer for her day job, to use those writing skills. In her spare time, she likes crocheting and knitting jewelry, baby clothes, and small toys. She does not, however, embroider.
All kindness is not wise. (A sci-fi novella featuring people who can hop through universes and time, and who may or may not be illegal immigrants as a result..)
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E-book has 2 versions of the story: one with salty language and one without.
All aid is not kind. (A sci-fi novella featuring people who have escaped a bad situation, and who may or may not have reached a better one.)
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E-book has two versions of the story: one with salty language and one without.
All harm is not malicious. (A sci-fi novella featuring people who have conflict management issues, and who may or may not have good reason for them.)
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E-book has two versions of the story: one with salty language and one without.
Once upon a time, a girl was sent to live with a woman not her mother, and two others not her sisters—none of whom desired her to attend the fey lord’s ball.
A DARK fantasy story inspired by the fairy tales "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood".
Once upon a time, a merchant had three daughters, and none of them with the same mother—rather, he had two daughters and a granddaughter, and all three hated and feared him.
A DARK fantasy story inspired by the fairy tales "Beauty and the Beast" and "Donkeyskin".
All the self-editing checklists in the world won't help you improve as a writer if you don't first understand what editing and self-editing are, how they work, and why they're important. "Realities of Self-Editing" is a framework for comprehending real-world self-editing, written by a line editor.
AFTER "A BADGE AND A BULLY"…
Rescuing a boy from a gator had been enough excitement for Ember’s evening, but the night’s just beginning.
(A short story of about 6800 words; about 25 minutes for the average reader.)
Sometimes, what you are and what those around you are willing to accept don’t match up, even if you are a selkie.
(A short story of about 6400 words—about 25 minutes of reading for the average reader)
For women like Flory, fear comes far more easily than trust. Is the strange dwarf visitor another person she should fear, or might he be what she needs, to be able to trust again?
(A short story of about 3,200 words / 11 pages / 12 minutes for the average reader.)
"My father was a vampire," she tells you. And maybe she makes you believe it…
(a short story / flash fiction of about 1800 words or about 5 minutes of reading.)
Is freedom always worth the cost, even when it would cost you everything? Destiny thinks not.
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A dark urban fantasy novel wherein a girl must figure out what she wants despite others’ interference. Contains mature themes, some violence and gore, and a few cases of objectionable language.
— sequel to "Associated Accidents" —
Faed Nirmoh's impulsive streak has gotten him into trouble before, and he might've outdone himself, this time. Has he stuck himself with having to marry an insane, despicable woman, or can he find a way out of it by lunchtime?
(A short story of about 5500 words)
Late 16th century London: Jillian recognizes signs of sorcery working against that new fellow, Shakespeare, and her Romeo likes the man's plays too much for her to let him fall prey to it. But he's not the only one they're out to kill…
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(A short story of 3,000 words.)
Sequel to "Romeo & Jillian"
Lallie has the magic to save her friends—but it’ll cost their trust to use it, if not her life…
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ALERT: Contains some mature themes, including violence.
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Sequel to "A Fistful of Fire"
Followed by "A Fistful of Water"
Faed Nirmoh once dreamed of growing up and having a job he enjoyed, a wife he loved, and children of his own. Instead, his particular magical gifts have landed him a job he hates, while being harassed to marry a woman he despises. Is there anyone who can accept him for what he is?
(A short story of about 4600 words)
— followed by "Bewildering Boundaries —
All young Lallie Nonsire wanted was a quiet life, minding her own business and ignoring what she was by birth. After her magic betrays her by saving a friend’s life, she’ll settle for escaping Saf before she’s turned into a live torch.
But where can the child of a despised race flee?
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(A short story of 2600 words)
While waiting for her boyfriend to treat her to her first drink for her 21st birthday, Ember hears a gun.
(A short story of about 3600 words—about 10–15 minutes of reading for the average reader)
Fael Honovi needs a job, else she’ll go insane from her life in the monochromatic land of creepy. She’s been offered one, if she can only get there on time. But her own plane of existence doesn’t like that kind of magic, and it’s out to stop her.
(A short story of about 2300 words.)
Powerful Magik. Runaway slave. Teen mother. Destiny Walker has been all three. Now her past is catching up to her, and a friend may pay the price. She can save her friend, but is she willing to start World War III to do it?
A fast-paced dark urban fantasy novel, wherein a girl must figure out if it's worth starting a war to save her friend.
Evonalé Yunan is supposed to somehow free her grandmother’s enslaved people, but she’s merely a child, and her father is the powerful fire mage who subjugates the realm. To her bewilderment, a neighboring king finds and hides her in his own castle.
She isn’t the only one with secrets.
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Followed by "A Fistful of Earth"
The Freelancer's Survival Guide: Third Edition
on April 14, 2011
Fantastic. I had read much of the blog posts before buying this, and bought this as both a thank-you and a way to have a copy handy. Now I'm wondering if I should get the paperback version, because I know a lot of people who can benefit from this.
"The Freelancer's Survival Guide" isn't just for independent contractors. I'm an independent contractor who also independently publishes fiction, and much of what's in this book is helpful for both my endeavors.
Dis: An Urban Midgard Short Story
on June 07, 2011
Dis is an enjoyable short story that introduces the reader to a promising world. Definitely recommended to urban fantasy fans. A few details are confusing if you aren't too familiar with Norse mythology, but I'm sure they'll be clarified as Margo writes more in that world.
Colbie didn't seem to like Zaj much, which made me wonder how he got access to enter her apartment. Also, I felt the… avatar-ish thing… needed another line of introduction; it completely lost me about what was going on there until I'd finished the story and pondered a certain character action.
Those 2 things kept me from enjoying the story as much as I could've, but it was still enjoyable. I'll definitely watch for Margo's further releases!
Red
on Aug. 26, 2011
I read this book right after it came out, and since then I've been trying to come up with something negative I could say about it, to add some balance to this review. Not happening. If the premise interests you, read it. This is a fantastic YA werewolf title that I'd gladly hand to friends.
Elodie is a girl who believes she's due to become a werewolf, a ravaging monster, due to a family curse. Sawyer is a hereditary werewolf who's fighting his own demons for the recent death of his mother.
Making things work out between them is difficult enough--and someone might be trying to kill Elodie...
Keep
on Dec. 27, 2011
I've been eyeing this short story for a while and kept wanting to buy it. It was the first thing I read on my new nook Simple Touch.
I had some trouble getting into the story, due to some turns of phrase and sentence structure that I found awkward. As I kept reading, I was drawn in and realized I wasn't reading it with the right flow, and therefore I wasn't quite picking up on all the meanings right.
Once I caught on, I *loved* it. I'm sure I'll be re-reading it in the future.
"Keep" is a fascinating classic fantasy story that both abuses and uses the overused tropes. I recommend it to anybody who likes traditional fantasy.
City of Dis: An Urban Midgard Short Story
on Jan. 03, 2012
This story picks up where "Dis" left off (but also can stand alone).
Snappily written though long enough to be considered a "novelette", "City of Dis" tantalizes with hints about what's forthcoming in further Urban Midguard books. Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy the rich worldbuilding and Norse-based mythology.
Like urban fantasy, particularly when the author doesn't use the usual mythologies? Try this.
Beneath the Surface (The Emperor's Edge 5.5)
on Jan. 30, 2013
Don't let the "novella" descriptor fool you—the 56k words puts it into "novel" territory, per SFWA definitions. The "novella" is only comparative; the main entries in the series are twice that or more.
Even so, Beneath the Surface isn't some filler or spin-off story to tide the fan over between books. It's a transition between book 5 and book 6, and must be read as such—
And for that, it's as witty and enjoyable as the rest of the series. ^_^
Wounded
on Feb. 07, 2014
A fun sweet romance in which the relationship (and lack of hot and heavy) feels organic rather than coerced. Like the other reviewer, Afifa Khan, I was smiling throughout most of the book.
The heroine, Tara, reminded me of Amaranthe, the author's lead character in her Emperor's Edge series, so if you like one woman, you'll probably like the other, though they do have some notable differences. (Namely, Tara's from this world, and Amaranthe's from a fantasy world, and they differ in the life backgrounds, events, etc. that derive from that.)
Balanced on the Blade's Edge (Dragon Blood, Book 1)
on April 01, 2014
Sardelle is a sorceress from an era when magic is respected. The mountain where she lives is attacked—and she wakes up from her stasis chamber to discover it's been 300 years, nobody else made it to the bunkers, and her soulblade's buried deep inside the mountain where she used to live…which is now a prison for people convicted of capital crimes. And the history books claim her people were tyrants, and witches can be murdered without repercussions.
"Balanced on the Blade's Edge" blends magic, steampunk, and military—which might sound like the author's main series on the surface, but she did it in a different manner in this book, in a way that well suited the story.
The end result reminded me of Patricia Briggs's epic fantasy (the Raven duology, the Hurog duology, or "The Hob's Bargain"), though it also had me thinking of Linnea Sinclair's Wintertide books ("Wintertide" & "An Accidental Goddess", both originally published under the penname Megan Sybil Baker). This is a title I'll enjoy re-reading.