Who knew that getting your soul crushed could be so much fun? And I love this one too.
It was a hard book. Hard to write too. I wanted the depth of Kyra’s emotion to come across on the page, but not overwhelm the reader. I hope I succeeded.
This review also made me happy:
James mentioned that he was happy to meet a certain blogger commentator IRL, or at least in Kyra’s real life. Introducing Cece was something I’ve been waiting to do since book 1, so were many of the other key scenes in this book. That’s one of the things that made this one so hard to write. It was really over 5 years in the writing, and I really, really, really wanted to do it justice.
One other review made me pause.
Kathy said “Having taken care of abused animals it’s obvious to me the author has seen some stuff.
Yeah. And it’s not all good.
Some of them are pretty funny, like That Time I Wrestled an Angry Llama or Teeth & Sheath Day.
But some stories I have to tell would make you cry or scream. Chug, the little unicorn in Unicorns Don’t Cry, is inspired by one such story. There was a kitty named Psycho Kitty (not our name for him) who was once a frat-house pet. The frat boys fed him drugs and alcohol because they thought it was hilarious to see him high. By the time he made it to a certain rescue I volunteered for, Psycho Kitty’s digestive system was ruined. And he was angry. Oh, so angry that no one could go near him without padded protection. One day, Psycho Kitty escaped his cage on a trip to the vet. I had no protection, but I knew I had to get him back in the cage, so I simply grabbed him. I paid for that with cat bite fever after he bit my middle finger. Wow, that hurts, but I would do it again. So there is a little bit of Kyra in me.
Without giving away any spoilers, Chug has a happier ending to his story than poor Psycho Kitty. But thinking about him, I can channel some of Kyra’s rage. We don’t deserve animals.
If you haven’t read Unicorns Don’t Cry yet, I hope you’ll enjoy it. Soul crushing aside, I think it celebrates those people who stand up for creatures who have no voice of their own. And that brings me hope.
Tell me what you think? Did you enjoy Unicorns Don’t Cry? What did you think of Chug’s story? Does knowing he was based on a real-life rescue change how you see him? You can reply right in the comments. I love to hear from readers.
And thank you to everyone who reviewed the book, whether it be on Amazon, Bookbub, or your favorite Facebook book discussion group. Or even if you recommended it to a friend. Your support makes a big difference to me and to the success of the series so I can go on writing more Kyra stories (Yes, there is one more Valkyrie Bestiary book coming!)
Get UNICORNS DON'T CRY
Book Fairs & Events
Apart from the online book fairs below, I'm participating in a few in-person local events this fall. You can view those and more online markets on the Book Fairs Page.Be sure to check out the free witch books in the first fair, in particular. This is a fill your Kindle style book fair and for only one day, October 28th. Be sure to check prices before you click download as glitches in the matrix sometimes happen.
Spotlight Books
In Darkness
The Shadow Sect Necromancers Book 1
Rosie Wylor-Owen
Your next life is never guaranteed.
Split into four sects after centuries of disputes, The Shadow Sect necromancers have one goal: decide which souls move on to the next life and which must be destroyed.
After discovering she has a rare power, strong-willed Scarlet is desperate to make a name for herself in the Lux sect. But when she encounters Micah, a necromancer from an enemy sect, Scarlet realises she may have met her match.
As wraiths flood the streets of Lancaster, all four sects are forced to work together to stop them destroying the souls of the dead. When Scarlet launches her own investigation, she soon discovers that the wraiths want more than souls, and that she and Micah might just be the key to their sinister plans.
