I’m excited to announce the book blurb for Across the Darkest Realm.
The Children of Terra possess the Light Stones that hold the key to the world’s salvation. But to find the next one, they must venture beyond the dead…
With the fate of those she loves still hanging in the balance, Diana and her partner Tase are faced with the daunting task of venturing into the sinister Realm of the Undead seeking aid from Amaia, the Queen of the Vampires.
But obtaining the Amaia’s Light Stone will force them to go toe to toe against the Vampire Queen within the strange Onyx Castle where she makes her own rules, and nothing and no one is safe from her game.
Cut off from Tase and stranded in a hostile and unfamiliar world, Diana must learn to navigate court intrigue and gossip like her life depends on it.
But this Realm is no safe place for a Human – even one prophesied to save the world – and if Diana hopes to escape the Vampire Queen’s nefarious games, she’ll need more than a little luck to make it out in one piece…
Tase is no stranger to the Vampire Queen’s ploys – but he could never have foreseen how far she’d go to end their quest. Pushed to his limits and grappling with impossible choices, Tase quickly finds himself torn between his loyalty to his Masters and his newfound love for Diana.
Can Diana and Tase outplay the infamous Vampire Queen and retrieve the Light Stone? Or will they lose everything they now hold dear in the barren and gray Realm of the Undead?
Gear up for a thrilling epic fantasy series like no other. Bursting with death-defying adventure, high-stakes intrigue, and imaginative worldbuilding, the second novel in the Bright One series is sure to have you hooked.
My beta readers are little angels that I could not live without. They’ve given me great feedback, helpful hints, error fixes, and much-needed love and support to help me get book two ready to go to my editors.
So far, here’s what a few of them have to say about it…
“When I read Game of Thrones, the most satisfying scene was when Daenerys sicks the dragon on the Valeryan, calling her a bitch. I read most of the scenes before that moment thinking, why doesn’t she light this bastard up? Once she did, it was so beautiful.
The scene where Diana kills … felt just as satisfying. I just wish she’d… as well. Excellent ending to that book. Looking forward to the next.”- Kevin
“Ashley, I’m so proud of you! You did a wonderful job creating this world and this story. You should be so proud of yourself for what you have accomplished. Great work! ” -Alex W.
“I enjoyed it so much, and your style of writing is so engaging. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to my fantasy-loving friends. This is the kind of book I’d keep paper copies of because it would be one of my go-to recommendations for fantasy. It has everything I like, romance, scandal, violence, vampires. ” – Juliette
Still, it’s a long process from here once it’s in the hands of my editor—three deep rounds of editing and cuts, then my cover art and media marketing. But every day, it gets a little bit closer to when Across the Darkest Realm will finally come out, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you.
Please be sure to be caught up on the Bright One Series before Across the Darkest Realm hits the shelves.
The Gorgon and the Stranger is where I would start first. If you haven’t downloaded it from my website yet, please do. It’s free and a concise read. Here’s the blurb if you haven’t checked it out yet.
Her visions foretold a threat. Can a mysterious encounter melt a stone-cold heart?
Bestowed with prophetic powers, the gorgon Euryale tries to channel her visions to protect her sisters from the dangers lurking within their unforgiving world.
After witnessing a terrible vision bringing harm to the ones she loves, Euryale becomes determined to prevent her prophecy from coming to pass.
But when she hunts down the stranger that she is certain must be the threat and meets him face-to-face, an unexpected series of events unfold that cause her to question her visions – and whether she can really trust anything at all…
Imbued with timeless and thought-provoking themes of friendship and trust, The Gorgon and the Stranger is a riveting short story that will resonate with fantasy fans of all backgrounds. If you like gripping reads with fantastical worlds and plenty of magic, then this tale is for you.
If you enjoyed my short story, please be sure to read book one, Through the Silent Forest. Right now, to keep my prices low, the ebook is .99c on my website. Below is the blub to hopefully intrigue you into checking it out.
Here is also a sneak peak at some more character art before it gets posted to my official art page online. This is of Alexander and Malakai, two of the love interests of the story.
They thought it was only a legend. Now it has arrived to destroy them all.
Struggling with her obligations as the new Chief of Terrene, 18-year-old Diana must reconcile her destiny with her heart as she carves out her place in society. But when a bout of strange dreams and occurrences reveals an ancient enemy that everyone believed was only a mere legend, Diana soon finds herself thrown head-first into a quest that will decide the fate of everyone she loves.
Falling in with a mysterious guardian and tasked with reaching the distant mountain to save her people, Diana must face off against an evil that will stop at nothing to destroy her world. But she soon discovers this will be no easy task. If she wants to succeed, Diana will need to uncover her truth about the world around her and come to terms with creatures beyond her wildest imagination – and all the while, she must navigate the turbulent relationship she has with Tase, the guardian sworn to protect her…
Can Diana fulfill her destiny and stop the creature that threatens her homeland? Or has she fallen into something way over her head?
A powerful blend of thrilling action and fantastical adventure, the riveting first book in the Bright One series is a novel you won’t want to miss.
Please be sure that if you’ve read either of my books, you do me a huge favor and leave reviews anywhere you can. My book is sold on most major retail sites, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, and Apple books, just to name a few. Any reviews help little authors like me reach more fans. So I appreciate the help.
I’m looking forward to sharing more news with you all soon! Keep in touch on social media. I’d love to hear from you all!
Ashley
Ashley L. Castillo 