March Book Sale

For the month of March, Diane McGyver’s Northern Survival is reduced from $4.99 to $0.99. Download your copy at Amazon. It is available to Kindle Unlimited Members.

Northern Survival

Olive Tweed planned her trip for two years. She’d vacation at Summer Beaver, gather the research material needed to write the next book and spend a few days hiking the vast wilderness. When she is called home unexpectedly and boards a chartered plane, she never dreamt it would crash, leaving her alone with a man who knew nothing about survival or the woods. If they don’t put aside their differences and work together, they’ll never escape alive.

“Northern Survival” was inspired by a video created by a pilot who recorded the crash of his small plane in Northern Quebec. The only reason he survived was because the plane had a parachute.

If you love stories of adventure, survival challenges and characters who test each others ability to endure, you’ll love “Northern Survival”.

Book Quote (Olive): “You don’t believe me now but wait. You’ll see. The first night you lay in bed surrounded by four walls with the window closed, you’ll wonder where those sounds are. You’ll start to wonder if everything on the planet is dead. It will be so quiet, so void of life you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in a tomb.”

Book Quote (John’s perspective): He rested his cheek against the top of her head. In their short time together, they had endured more than some married couples. In the real world, they’d have parted after the first disagreement, never to see each other again. But, here, where they existed purely for each other, their time together had created a connection he couldn’t deny. They were friends in spite of their differences or perhaps because of them.

Book Quote (Olive’s perspective): She stared at the bright red apple with streaks of green. Her mouth watered at the thought of the juice that would spring forth when her teeth dug into its flesh. She’d seal her lips around the bite and suck the sweet liquid in slowly to fill her mouth with joy.

Book Quote (John’s perspective): The woman was like books he’d read, ones that were slow to start, ones he often put down to pick up later because something nagged at him to return to the story but didn’t excite him enough to read every day. Books like that didn’t capture his full attention until he was three-quarters of the way through, then he was hooked and devoured the rest like the final bites of a juicy steak.

Book Quote: John: “Incredible. You shouldn’t have seen 50. How do you feel?”

Olive: “Like I’m 23 again except I love life more. I’m here for the fun of it, the adventure. It’s why I don’t watch TV, avoid the news and don’t spend energy on the junk society thinks is important because it’s not. Each day, I’m living.”

He laughed. “Even here? With a city boy lost in the woods?”

“You make it challenging, but I enjoy the hike. I’d prefer more food, better accommodations, cream for my tea but…” She twitched her nose. “It could be worse. I’m alive and well, and that’s all that truly matters.”

Northern Survival – a book you’ll burn through in a weekend.

Book Sale

From now until February 29th, the entire Castle Keepers fantasy series by Diane McGyver will be on sale. The regular price per book is $4.99. During the sale period, they will be $0.99 each. Grab your copies today.

All McGyver’s books are available at Amazon.

All McGyver’s books are available to Kindle Unlimited Members.

BOOK 1: Shadows in the Stone

When bandits seize his child, one man sacrifices everything to save her.

The most important thing in Corporal Bronwyn Darrow’s life is rising in the ranks at Aruam Castle. His goal is to be captain of the guard one day. The last thing he needs is distractions. When a woman and a child are forced into his life, tensions escalate, and he’s caught between his drive for promotion and what his heart desires. If you love stories of adventure mixed with magic and romance set in archaic landscapes, you’ll love McGyver’s “Shadows in the Stone”. Unlike many fantasy novels, family plays a central part in this story, so be prepared for the hero to receive unwanted motherly advice.

“Shadows in the Stone” is the first book in the Castle Keepers epic fantasy series. It will introduce readers to a unique cast of characters who want to control their own destiny. Brace yourself for the ride to another time and place.

Shadows in the Stone Amazon Review: What I particularly enjoyed in this solidly mainstream fantasy is its fresh focus on established themes. It’s like an award-winning movie director telling the person behind the camera to lower or raise the picture in the viewfinder for a new angle. The fantasy world McGyver has created has the magical beings you might expect, but you’ll see them in new ways and see their story with fresh insights. 

BOOK 2: Scattered Stones

Honour is nothing without the ones you love.

Five years. That’s how long Bronwyn Darrow has been searching for his daughter who is trapped in that elusive Blackvale Castle dungeon.

He’s grown desperate during that time and when he learns she’s being transferred, he’s willing to sacrifice everything, including his honour, to rescue her.

Scattered Stones is the second book in the Castle Keepers epic fantasy series. It continues the adventures of the characters introduced in Shadows in the Stone and takes readers on a journey across Ath-o’Lea to find the young girl named Isla.

BOOK 3: Revelation Stones

Some must get lost to find themselves.

After five years in prison, Isla of Maura is rescued when mercenaries break into the dungeon. Burdened with guilt, she flirts with death while she learns to trust her newfound companions. When she’s caught in a feud between ancient dwarf families, she must sort truths from lies, friends from enemies. If she fails, she may kill the wrong person.

BOOK 4: Healing Stones

A good man isn’t down until everyone who matters has lost hope.

Isla of Maura hasn’t seen Liam Jenkins for six years, since they pledged to unite. Her thoughts often drift to him and not long ago, his thoughts invaded hers.

She sets out to find him, but the man she finds is far from the one in her childhood memories, and the secrets he keeps threaten her life and the lives of her travelling companions.


McGyver Featured at South Branch Scribbler

Today, author Diane McGyver is featured at South Branch Scribbler in its Story Behind the Story section. Read what inspired this fantasy author to write Dragons in the Dungeon here: Story Behind the Story with Diane McGyver.

McGyver is the author of several books, including her most recent, Dragons in the Dungeon. This novel is on sale for the month of February to celebrate Fantasy February.

It’s available at Amazon to all readers, including Kindle Unlimited members.

Celebrating Fantasy February

For the month of February, Diane McGyver’s Dragons in the Dungeon eBook will be on sale for $1.99. It’s regular $4.99. It’s always available to Kindle Unlimited members. Pick up your copy today at Amazon.

Description

Ryan McCormac is addicted to playing Mediaeval Dungeon Adventures with friends every Friday night. He’s so consumed with the role-playing game that he wishes he could find a spell to transport him into that world where he could create his own campaign. One day, his wish comes true. But his friends aren’t there, and the world is nothing like he thought it would be. Every day he fears for his life. The people are soulless, the landscape is colourless and the magic is nowhere to be found. The only way home is to find another like him and sacrifice them.

After five years, he’s finally found someone from his world. Now he just has to get her to the wizard who can perform the spell. Simple right? Except she’s a gatherer and before he reaches the wizard, she’s gathered several friends who plan to save her.

If you played Dungeons and Dragons in the 1980s, you’ve got this. You know the feeling of joining friends on a quest, choosing your race, be it dwarf or elf, your profession, possibly fighter or thief, gathering your gear and exploring endless dungeons. This story is a tribute to those days when life was good, music was better and days were endless.

August Book Sale: “Shadows in the Stone”

For the entire month of August, the first book in the Castle Keepers series, Shadows in the Stone, will be 99 cents. It’s regular price is $4.99.

Here’s what a few reviewers on Amazon had to say about Shadows in the Stone by Diane McGyver.

It’s like an award-winning movie director telling the person behind the camera to lower or raise the picture in the viewfinder for a new angle. The fantasy world McGyver has created has the magical beings you might expect, but you’ll see them in new ways and see their story with fresh insights.

This may be fantasy but the characters are very real. Ms. McGyver has created characters you care about as they deal with their personal demons, suppressed feelings, secrets, magical powers and unrequited love.

This story took me to a different place and even yet some things have stayed with me. Diane Lynn McGyver created a whole new world, with characters the reader quickly cares about, and suspense, drama and mystery to keep the pages turning.

To start reading Shadows in the Stone today, download your copy from Amazon.

The title of McGyver’s next fantasy novel is…

Epic fantasy author Diane McGyver delivers a stand-alone fantasy novel that breaks all the rules in Dungeons and Dragons. From dancing between two worlds to delivering characters who don’t look like they should, she takes on the challenge of sending reluctant would-be heroes on the quest of their lives.

This is the perfect novel for traditional fantasy readers and for those who fell in love with the role-playing game in the 1980s. Grab your character sheet, roll those dices and let’s start the adventure.

It begins March 23, 2023.

The title of this epic adventure is Dragons in the Dungeon.

“Shadows in the Stone” – Renewing Ourselves at Dawn

This morning as I watched the sun rise, sending its brilliant light upon the land, I thought about the opening scene of chapter 28 in Shadows in the Stone. It was a morning that had bathed Bronwyn Darrow in dawn’s early light, awakening him after a night of despair, one that witnessed him give up all hope and collapse to the forest floor.

I’d like to share the opening of that scene this morning for anyone who feels hopelessly lost. Renew yourself. Set aside that which weighs you down from the past, and look to the future.

The Castle Keepers series is about adventure, magic, family, home and friendship, but it’s also about hope. As Tam told Isla, “A good man isn’t down until all those who matter have lost hope.”

Chapter 28 Here in the Twilight

The six legs of the ladybug moved in unison across the leaf. They carried the red and black bug to the base of the foliage where it joined with the stem. Tiny white aphids worked there in the axil, sucking sweet juices from the plant and creating sugar that ants would harvest. The ladybug feasted on the succulent aphids until a robin swooped down, snatched it and flew off to feed its young.

The rush of wings pushed a breeze across the face of the dwarf lying on the forest floor nearby. A soft cool wind entered his air passages and worked to awaken his senses. Gentle but persistent prickles inside his nose and throat roused him further. He breathed deeper. The first dry swallow forced him to generate spit.

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Setting the Scene in “Shadows in the Stone”

When readers stumble upon an author they’ve never read, they often read a few pages of the story to determine if they enjoy the writing style. This can easily be done by checking out the available sample of a book in “Look Inside” at Amazon.

If you’ve never used “Look Inside”, go to Shadows in the Stone by Diane McGyver and click on the image of the book cover. A new window will pop-up. Scrolling downward reveals the front material of the novel as well the first four chapters.

McGyver enjoys opening up a scene as if she’s zooming in or out with a movie camera. In fact, one Amazon reviewer had this to say: “It’s like an award-winning movie director telling the person behind the camera to lower or raise the picture in the viewfinder for a new angle.”

Below is one example of how McGyver opens a scene in Shadows in the Stone.

The evening air cooled, and the sun sank behind the trees. A few clouds drifted through the sky but nothing of any size to prevent the crescent moon from casting a gentle glow upon the landscape. The earth settled into a tranquil nap to rejuvenate from the day and to allow nocturnal creatures to tend to their livelihood under the cloak of darkness. The forest breathed a relaxed sigh. All was as it should be.

Anxious energy shot through the air, awakening slumbering fairies and disturbing the quietude of the woods. As strangers approached, nerves stood on end, and creatures hid or prepared to defend their domain. Waiting in the darkness, they held their breath as danger arrived. The laboured breathing of horses echoed from the shadows. Sprays of white, foamy spit flew from their mouths as they released the oxygen-stripped air. The squeaking of leather against leather beat the same rhythm as the hooves stomping the ground. Their riders kicked them, spurring them forward into the night.

BUY the NOVEL

Shadows in the Stone, the first book in the Castle Keepers series, is available to Kindle Unlimited Members and the world at Amazon.

Download your copy today to start the adventure.

NEW COVER: Shadows in the Stone

This week, Quarter Castle Publish has released the updated cover for Shadows in the Stone, the first book in the epic fantasy series Castle Keepers by Diane McGyver.

The novel is available in paperback and eBook. The eBook is available to Kindle Unlimited Members. To learn more about the book and the series, visit its page on our website: Shadows in the Stone.

To read the first four chapters for free, check out the eBook on Amazon and read the “Look Inside”.

Download your copy today and start your adventure into the Land of Ath-o’Lea.

Four-star Review by Don Cram

“This first book in Diane Lynn McGyver’s Castle Keepers series is very well done and will keep you turning pages right to the end. What I particularly enjoyed in this solidly mainstream fantasy is its fresh focus on established themes. It’s like an award-winning movie director telling the person behind the camera to lower or raise the picture in the viewfinder for a new angle.

“The fantasy world McGyver has created has the magical beings you might expect, but you’ll see them in new ways and see their story with fresh insights. At 190 centimeters I’m taller than the average person; the book made be believe I was seeing a magical world from a height a little less than half that. Enjoy.”

NEW RELEASE: “A December Knight” Coming Soon

Quarter Castle Publishing is proud to present A December Knight by Diane McGyver. This is our first Christmas novel and is part of our Romance Collection.

Description

When Santa fails to deliver, a knight gives the perfect gift.

It’s two weeks until Christmas, and all Jan Cooper can think about is surviving the rush of holiday shoppers. As the manager of a camera shop, she’s obligated to put on a happy face and wish her customers a Merry Christmas. What the single mother wants to do is curl up in a warm chair with a cup of hot cocoa, read a book and let the season pass without her. When a handsome customer crashes into her well-organised life, she discovers what she really wants for Christmas.

Stay tuned to learn more.

What are readers saying about “Natural Selection”?

Over the summer, several people read an advanced copy of Natural Selection by Diane McGyver. Here is what a few said about the young adult dystopian novel.

It was an unexpected tale that could have taken place centuries ago if not for the derelict vehicles. ~ Julia

A gentle love story I’d let my 14-year-old granddaughter read. ~ Ruby

Eloise was my favourite character. She was funny, and I liked that she used a staff to protect herself. ~ Miranda

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Author Interview: Diane McGyver

Quarter Castle Publishing sat down with author Diane McGyver and asked her about her latest novel, Natural Selection. Here is what she had to say.

QCP: When did you decide to become a writer?

I knew I wanted to a writer in my mid-teens. That’s when I started writing a lot. By the time I was 17, I had written my first novel. However, I didn’t start writing professionally until I became a mom in 1997.

QCP: Do you write every day? If not, how many days do you dedicate to writing?

I write for at least an hour every day. On average, I write for three hours.

QCP: Do you use an outline or do you write free style?

I’ve heard many writers have success with outlines, but I’m not one of them. I’ve tried and failed. I write best when I’m writing free style.

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Book Launch: “Natural Selection” by Diane McGyver

Quarter Castle Publishing is proud to announce the release of Diane McGyver’s first dystopian novel Natural Selection.

The Details

The book is 111,000 words in length. The paperback with standard print measures 6 inches wide by 9 inches tall and contains 402 pages.

Genre

It’s classified as a dystopian novel laced with light romance. The year is 2051, 28 years after The Devastation that destroyed all technology in the world. Life has returned to the 1800s, and only those who survived the environmental disaster remember the lost technology and tell fascinating stories about it to those born since.

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“Natural Selection” – a young adult novel

“I hadn’t set out to write a novel young adults could read,” said author Diane McGyver when asked about Natural Selection. “Yet, after reading the first draft, I realised it was suitable for someone as young as 14 years old.”

Natural Selection doesn’t contain harsh curse words (no f-bombs), there is no graphic violence and no sex scenes. A few scenes of conflict result in death, but the injuries are not described in detail. Characters kiss, but it goes no further, and their thoughts are not on intimate activities.

“My stories choose their own path,” said McGyver. “And Natural Selection spoke to me in a simple, mild manner. While I’m certain curse words used today in society will be around in 30 years time, they would add nothing to this dystopian novel.

“Many readers don’t mind reading stories riddled with f-bombs,” she added, “but many other readers don’t want this word in their books. I see negative comments about harsh language in reviews.”

Look for Natural Selection‘s release later this month.

Cover Reveal: “Natural Selection”

Diane McGyver’s first dystopian novel is set for release this month. Natural Selection takes place in 2051 in North America after the Devastation sets the world back two hundred years. It’s about starting over again but not from the beginning. Those who survived remember the old ways, and many want to reinvent that which was lost.

The cover for Natural Selection reveals many hints of the story within. It’s about a young girl peering into an unknown world. It’s about seeds. It’s about a crafty owl. It’s about the darkness that dwells in the heart of mankind, and those who hold the light to bring hope to the world.

Description

The year is 2051. Almost three decades have passed since the Devastation destroyed civilization. Only the strong and wise survived; the weak and intellects perished. New societies emerged, forging a future with skills from the distant past.

In Green Wood, Eloise has lived in seclusion with her uncle for 12 years. While they receive visitors to Larkspur Cottage, the number of friends they have can be counted on one hand. When strangers arrive and capture her uncle, she is forced to run, but who can she turn to when she doesn’t know the land outside Green Wood or where those friends live?