Tattoo of Crimson
Sarah Chislon
(Blood of the Fae, #1)
Publication date: January 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Mystery

Society, suitors, and…serial murders?

As much as she desires to please her family, gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell has no intention of making a suitable match—not when she’s seeking the truth about the taint of the fae that lies within her. If she’s to escape the madness brought on by fae-touch, she must devote her energies to seeking a cure.

But then mysterious tattoos begin to appear on the citizens of Avons. None recall receiving these harbingers of death, but all die at the hand of an untraceable killer days or weeks after being marked.

When the tattoo appears on her beloved mentor, Jessa seeks the Magistry with information on the case—yet they refuse to consider her findings, so she must risk both social censure and her own safety to hunt for the killer herself.

Her one possible ally represents her greatest fear—the encroaching Otherworld consuming her mind—and may well undo all her efforts to control her fae-touch. Yet if she forsakes the offered aid, the killer will go free.

Something sinister stalks the streets of her city, and she must decide…how far will she go to stop the killing?

Tattoo of Crimson, a gaslamp fantasy novel, is the first book in the Blood of the Fae series. If you like quick-minded heroines who solve cases with logic and intuition, beautiful yet deadly fae, and Otherworldly intrigues, then you’ll love this mystery set in a world of manners and mythical monsters.

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10 Things Every Aspiring Writer Should Know

A guide by Sarah Chislon

If you’re an aspiring author, chances are you’ve availed yourself of numerous resources already: Facebook groups, how-to articles, educational communities, critique groups, books on the art and craft of writing, and so on. You might feel overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of information out there—my hope is that these tips will help give you the confidence to chart your course as a new writer.

1. If you’re just embarking on the journey of writing your first book, you might find the flood of conflicting advice confusing. Countless methods for writing a book exist, along with staunch defenders for every approach (plotting vs. pantsing, anyone)? It will take time to find the process that works best for you, so prioritize the consistent practice of writing, and don’t be afraid to try new methods until you find the way that suits you best.
2. Your creative journey will be unique as the combination of strengths you possess, so take the time to understand your strengths and use them to shape your approach to writing. I can’t recommend highly enough that you take the Clifton Strengths test and develop a basic understanding of how your strengths might influence your writing (Becca Syme has great resources for this).
3. You may hit hurdles along the way. If you run into a snag in the process of writing, editing, or publishing (and it’s the rare soul that doesn’t encounter the occasional challenge), look at it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.
4. First drafts are often rough. I know a number of authors who edit as they go so that when they reach the end of their initial draft, it’s very polished—but for many, myself included, the first draft is a time for unfiltered creativity. The polish gets added later.
5. There’s no need to rush. Take the time to learn, study the craft, and edit your work well. If your first book isn’t a masterpiece, that’s okay! Just keep writing and learning.
6. You’ll need to keep your creativity fueled. It’s easy to want to funnel any bit of spare time into writing, but it’s important to provide fodder for your imagination.
7. Reading holds tremendous value. When you embark on your writing journey, you’ll find that reading and analyzing books teach you a wealth of information about storytelling (and chances are, you’re already a reader who has absorbed many storytelling principles via osmosis).
8. Building consistent habits will take you far. Find ways to weave writing regularly into your life and make it a part of your schedule. If you do, you’ll be surprised at how much progress you can make in a year.
9. Even small snatches of time can be valuable. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, but make the best of what you have.
10. Finally, write what you love. Yes, from a business/publishing standpoint, you’ll want to choose projects that intersect with your passion and the wider market, but the sheer joy of creating is what makes the work worthwhile.

Happy writing!

Author Bio:

Sarah Chislon lives in Virginia with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s homeschooling her children and running a web development business with her husband. As an avid reader and a lifelong story-weaver, she delights in creating fantastic worlds and exploring them alongside her characters.

To find out more about her, visit sarahchislon.com.

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