Magic, unicorns, and fire nymphs, oh my!

A post by Mary Fan

My turn on the blog again! And this time, I'm going to be a little self-indulgent. Actually, a lot self-indulgent. See, I've got a new story coming out shortly, and I'd like to share a bit about it.

LET ME FLY FREE is a YA high fantasy novella about a rebellious fire nymph named Elaia, who is forbidden from leaving the enchanted forest she lives in because of a centuries-old peace agreement between the enchanted creatures and the humans. Because of the magical border surrounding her homeland, Elaia's world is completely safe... too safe for her liking. Then one day, an invisible monster breaches the border, leaving a trail of death in its wake. Determined to fight back, Elaia soon realizes that the key to defeating this monster may lie outside the world she knows.

Also, there are unicorns.

I'm super excited/nervous about this release because it's my first time writing a f/f couple: Elaia and her girlfriend, air nymph Kiri. I think their relationship is also the most dysfunctional one I've written so far; it's pretty one-sided, and Elaia's not the nicest person in the world. But it was a lot of fun to write, and I hope people find it interesting :-)

Anyway, here's the cover:

And a few teasers I made for #TeaserTuesday on Instagram:

#TeaserTuesday! This is for my upcoming fantasy novella, LET ME FLY FREE, about a rebellious fire nymph in a fantastical world of magic and mayhem. Opening pages are up in the publisher's blog: http://glasshousepress.blogspot.com/2016/05/teaser-time-again.html?m=1 #teaser #book #bookstagram #writing #writersofinstagram #writersofig #youngadult #highfantasy #authorsofinstagram #fantasy #novella

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on May 17, 2016 at 9:23am PDT

#TeaserTuesday! Here's a bit from LET ME FLY FREE. And yes, there *will* be unicorns :-) #novella #fiction #youngadult #fantasy #writing #writersofinstagram #writersoninstagram #writerofig #unicorn

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on May 24, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT

#TeaserTuesday! A little moment between fire nymph Elaia and her girlfriend, the air nymph Kiri :-) #bookstagram #book #books #teaser #youngadult #youngadultbooks #fantasy #firenymph #bookteaser #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Jun 7, 2016 at 10:13am PDT

#TeaserTuesday! Here's a snippet from LET ME FLY FREE... coming JUNE 28! #youngadultfiction #youngadultbooks #youngadult #fantasy #novella #bookstagram #book #books #teaser #bookquotes #writersofinstagram #writersofig #author #writer #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #firenymph

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Jun 14, 2016 at 9:11am PDT

#TeaserTuesday! LET ME FLY FREE will be released in one week!!! #book #books #novella #bookstagram #writer #writers #writersofinstagram #author #authorsofinstagram #authorsofig #authorslife #writersofig #fantasy #firenymph

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Jun 21, 2016 at 9:42am PDT

The original e-book release date was supposed to be tomorrow, June 28 (just in time to catch the end of Pride Month!), but that's a bit uncertain right now due to an issue with the distributor. More likely, it'll be out right after July 4 :-).  

And to further entice you, here's an excerpt from an advance reader review:

 "Elaia and Kiri are strong female characters, which Fan writes so well, with seemingly opposing personalities. One might be drawn to choosing a favorite—I liked Kiri—but, really, they are both identifiable and unique in their own right, so why chose one? In reality, the characters, the world, and the themes are so strong and descriptive, you can't help but feel that you are there ... in the Terrestrial Realm flying alongside enchanted creatures... You should read it. " - Jessica (on Goodreads)

Hope y'all will check it out! Click here to add it to your shelf on Goodreads.