New Podcast Audio-book; The Glass Bird

 Although not part of the Red Slipper Series, The Glass Bird exists in a similar universe. A darker, grittier tale, the story follows Alya, a maligned and abused young lady, who is sold into marriage to a Usurer to waylay the collection of her father's debt. 

Leaving a household that has nearly destroyed her, Alya's past might be just the thing that will not only help her survive the life as this monster's wife; but thrive in this place.

This is a free podcast. Episodes will be added as I go along. -- Miranda

 

The Red Slipper Series is going audio, and there's a new addition to the series!

The Seed of Winden paperback is now available on Amazon. The eBook will be available at the end of April. 

Nieve spent her entire life in the dry, lifeless lands of the desert, a girl out of place in her own country. Her aunt’s recent marriage allows them to move to the one remaining patch of green in the known world—a lush, vibrant oasis that sits upon a plateau, guarded by manpower and magic. This land is everything she hoped for, a place she finally feels at home.

Tammin Halenwood was born into power and privilege, a son of one of the greenland’s noblest families. His attraction to Nieve is as strange as it is immediate. But it is their visit to the mysterious stones atop Winden Hill that seals their fates.

The act of stepping into the magical circle together sets off a chain of events that endangers the greenlands and exposes the land to the curse of the hungry, living sands. As the desert encroaches into this last vestige of life, destroying everything in its path, it is up to Nieve and Tammin alone to break the curse and save their world from being consumed by the sand.

...and finally, Audible users, the first of the Red Slipper Series is about to be launched in audio! YAYS! Talented voice actor Yvette Keller has brought the brooding Arnsword and sweet Ynith to life, along with the other characters we've all come to love! She's fabulous! A link will be soon provided once production is tied up. Woohoo!

In other news, I will be at the Jane Austen Tea and Fair in Aurora Oregon on April 26 and 27, 2019 again. I will be hawking the Red Slipper Series, with it pretty new matching covers, the Audiobook project and also the line of Red Slipper Complementary Teas, two of which you will be able to obtain for yourself. So come and see me and Yvette Keller too!

The New Red Slipper Book is Here!

After the death of her husband, Evvie of Ravensroost returns home embittered by her unfortunate marriage and determined to cut herself off from society. But when a rugged Bask warrior darkens her doorway, Evvie’s world is turned upside down. Impulsively, she leaves everything behind for an icy, foreign nation where she has no friends or connections—other than her Bask warrior—and where everyone thinks she’s a witch, a legacy she’s reluctant to accept. She discovers this new identity comes with a mysterious, deadly and vengeful enemy. Armed only with knowledge gleaned from books and with the overzealous assistance of her new eccentric aunts and a particularly helpful librarian, Evvie must confront her witchly nature before her legacy destroys her.

Copies will be available on all major channels soon! 

New Releases Folks! And an update FINALLY

I am a terrible blogger lately. Usually I can't get enough of posting this and that randomness on my personal blog, and occasionally remembering to tend to my author page. Shame on me! And worse, there's been SO much going on lately.

Did I mention that I'm co-authoring a series with author Shéa MacLeod? Yes, I am. And the first book has been released! Behold!

The new series!

Book 1~ Click here to go to Amazon & buy it, because it's AWESOME SAUCE!

Oh Noz!

I also released another installment of the Red Slipper Series at last! 

More Awesome Sauceness (with werewolves!)
Click & Buy yo~!

I will be at Wizard World Portland along with my co-author again this year, so come by & grab a bookmark, say hi, buy a book and get a tin of tea!

Rose City Comic Con!

What's going on this weekend? Well, Rose City Comic Con in Portland is going on of course. So here I am with my spocky eyebrows and crazy hair to tell you what we're up to at the Convention Center.
 

It's the UNIPIPER! I couldn't think of it in spite of saying Unicycle guy with Flaming Bagpipes! Gargh! Want to see the cover for the newest addition to the Red Slipper Series? Here it is. :D

Come by to chat Werewolves, and get yourself a tin of the Wizardly Summer Pudding Tea!

Rose City Comic Con -- be there or be square like a minecraft character.

My Red Slipper books have been nominated for an award! Please vote!

Voting will be opened on September 1, 2016. It will take place here: https://metamorphpublishing.com/summer-indie-book-awards, so be sure to find A Problem of Ghosts and The Wizard King, and please vote! Thank you!

Teasers aplenty!

I'm trying to up my social media game, and that means posting teasers. I've been making them pretty consistently for a little while, but I thought I'd share them here.

Teasers for the Trilogy of Tinna (my favourites!)

The Red Slipper Series

Book 1, The Wizard King: 

Book 2, A Problem of Ghosts

 Book 3; The Beast With Silver Eyes (TBR in September)

There you have it so far. These are really fun to make!

And lastly, here is a little peek at what the costume for the cover of The Beast With Silver Eyes (a very subtle peek). Sumptuous velvet trimmed in silver (which looks a little gold in the yellow light).

Giveaways galore! Portland Authors take over!

Join a bunch of Portland Authors (including me!) for a fun-filled takeover; full of great giveaways from the participating authors.  If you're logged into Facebook, click on this link and say you're going to this giveaway!

Participating authors:

AJ Harmon 
Stace Lee
Shea MacLeod
S.M. Stryker
AK Layton
Roslyn McFarland 
Jenna Bayley-Burke
Angie Merriam
and ME! 

So jump in, get involved in the chats, get to know excellent Portland/Oregon based authors and have some fun. See you there!

Full Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/484783058380318

A Ghostly Giveaway!

In celebration of the release of A Problem of Ghosts, I'm offering a giveaway of some nifty bookplates for the ardent reader. 

All you have to do is click the image to enter 

(and be a member of Amazon.com, naturally). 

Enter now!

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Post-Comic-Con Recovery

Yes, it's taken me this long to recover from Wizard World Portland Comic Con. It's a pretty epic con and I sold SO MANY BOOKS, and met SO MANY AWESOME PEOPLE! I love the conventions so much, I can't stop doing them. I'm really looking forward to the Rose City Comic Con coming up in September.  I hope you'll drop by and visit!

Problem of Ghosts is off to a lovely start. I'm really having a great deal of fun with the Red Slipper series (Regency, With a Twist!)--and I think I'l be doing more of these books. Regency with wizards; Regency with Ghosts, and coming up soon (I hope) Regency with Werewolves and Regency with Giants! There are so many fun places to go with this one.

I also have some other genres on the cooker, and am slowly pecking my way through them. I've tried to refine my production process and stick to one project at a time. Being a Fly-By-The-Seat-Of-My-Pants kind of writer, with a healthy dose of attention deficit disorder, I tend to go Squirrel too often. But my mentor Shéa MacLeod is teaching me that focus is what works, and Problem of Ghosts is evidence of that. So apart from stopping to write down the new ideas that come along while on a project, I have been working exclusively on the book tentatively called Magpie.

Will I go back to epic fantasy, and possibly Tinna's world? I don't know yet. Tinna's trilogy has sort of burned itself through me and left me breathless. So now I am focusing on lighter fiction.  The time may come when I go back to check in on Tinna, her two husbands, Avria and the baby Istvan.

In the meantime; I sold MANY of the trilogy at Comic Con this year.  I even snagged a Lady Sif who was so reminiscent of Tinna in book 2, I had to have a photo op.

My table assistant cosplayed at Tinna from book one, but would you believe I didn't get a decent image of her? I'll bug her and see if she got one.  She spent the convention like a little embassador, roaming wildly and spreading the word of Tinna and her world.

I'm plugging along! I'll have a fabulous giveaway to offer soon, so stay tuned!

A stellar review for The Wizard King & then some

Nice huh?! It's always nice to get positive feedback.

In the meantime, A Problem of Ghosts is in the final editing stages and will be available for purchase hopefully by the end of January.  Here is the semi-final cover design for this book.

Both of these books are part of the 'Red Slipper Series' which features Regency; with a twist. Are they in the same universe? It's possible. It's possible. :)

A little interview

Just a few moments ago, I was sitting outside in Oregon's relentless heat wave, chatting it up with Author and Passion In Portland organizer, AJ Harmon.  Here it is, and here I am, in all my blurry wonder.  I hope I will see some of you at the PiP event. Remember, although admission is free, you should register for special benefits.  Please try to ignore our neighbour's manky looking camper.

 

An update and some event details

Hi Everyone!

It's been a few months of ups and downs. I lost my mom last month.  It's an interesting dynamic, considering how many relationship issues I had with her--any of you who read the Tinna trilogy know this. I dealt with my issues in my fiction. I imagine I will somehow cope with my grief in the same way.  It's weird to lose a parent you don't get along with. I find myself grieving the parent she *could* have been. How strange we are, we human creatures. :)  I guess the idea that Fantasy is an escape from reality is kind of BS. I think there are lots of elements of the authors' lives intermingled with the fantastical creatures and five-mooned skies.

So what else is new? Well, lots.  I've already posted my participation in a few events, but here's a refresher:

The Passion in Portland Author Event -- September 15, 2015

You can find details HERE. General admission is FREE, but registration is required. So please click through and look at the ticket options. There are some 'buy-up' opportunities where you get a chance to get in early, get to stalk your favourite authors (like me!) and more.

Here is an interview of the Organizer, who explains the packages and also talks about the charity to which the event will be donating:




The Rose City Comic Con - September 19 - 20, 2015 

This will be my first year at Rose City Comic Con, hopefully the first of many years! It's a local con and it seems like it's going to be great fun. I will be co-tabling with my friend and fellow author Shéa MacLeod [Website - Facebook - Twitter]. She is my 'Wing-Chick" so to speak, and we have a good time together at events.  Come and visit us!

Wizard World Comic Con Portland - February 19, 20 and 21 2016

This will be my fourth year attending, third year participating the Wizard World Comic Con Portland. Shéa and I will be present and accounted for with fine corner tables in the Artist's Alley.  This year, I've drafted my Amazing Über Fan Jathia as my table helper. So be prepared for uninhibited enthusiasm and cuteness.

So... if you're in the Portland area during these times, come in and see me. I'm a schmoozer, I'll sign books and make bad jokes. It's what I do! See you soon, I hope. :D

What's new and wonderful?

First and foremost, Tinna's Reign; Book Three of the Trilogy of Tinna is available for download in eBook format.  The hard-copy will follow soon.  Along with the release of this book is a full redesign of the covers for the trilogy and I think all three are mighty bold and fun.  Do you not agree?

Book 1, Tinna's Promise
Available at Barnes & Noble for DL.

  

Book 2; Tinna's Might
Available at Barnes & Noble for DL

Book 3: Tinna's Reign
Available for DL at Barnes & Noble.

Or just click here to view the series.

So that's one project that's finally done. ::Oy:: It hasn't been easy to get my stuff together, I won't lie, but I've gotten a bit of a boot in the pants from this year's Wizard World Convention. I had such a great time, and met a couple of fans, and there's nothing better than that for validation, is there?

So I have other projects underway. Something post-apocalyptic, some of the ones I mentioned prior, and another alternate timeline, which will take time, because it requires some research.  But I am working on stuff, this I promise you. :)

So download book three and enjoy the conclusion to this trilogy. Will there be another set of books in Oromoii? Who is to know? ::smile::

Some convention/signing news!

It looks like I will be at the Wizard World Comic Con in Portland again in January. I'll be sharing a table with author Shéa MacLeod, whose website describes her books as 'urban fantasy scifi post-apocalyptic paranormal romance with a twist of steampunk.'  What's not to like about that? We're both Oregonians, and we hang out with the same costuming people, so why not team up and present our work at the 2015 Portland 'Con? It's all very exciting.  We will have candy and swag. So come and see us!

Next September both of us also will be attending the 'Passion in Portland' author signing event. I am especially excited about this event, because I get to meet so many new local(ish) authors.  I hope I will see you there too! By then, I should hopefully have another release or two to promote.

I'm working hard now that my baby has gotten a bit older to involve myself in more events to promote my books and get to know my readers, and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. :)  I will announce any other events I may be doing in the interim.  Like the Passion in Portland page on FaceBook for more information, and like my new Facebook page (completely politics-free!) too! I'm always offering little giveaways to the followers on the page. Join me.

An interview by Indie Author Land!

Click here to view the original interview: [Indie Author Land]

Why you must read Miranda Mayer’s The Wizard King

Ynith starts off a sheltered, naïve little thing with no talent for magic (that she is aware of) but a rather strong taste for learning about all the forbidden forms of it. Her life is limited to one place, and has been for some years. But everything changes when she bumps into an awkward, gangly character in the library, where she develops an initial dislike towards him–and in part is inexcusably rude to him. She discovers to her horror that she was rude to the Crown Prince. But the strange character takes her rudeness in stride, and instead immediately becomes strongly attracted to her. Ynith comes to discover to her dismay, that the man that has selected her as the single object of his affection is without reservation, evil. What she does with that knowledge, remains to be seen. The story follows Ynith; her evil beloved is not the main focus. Instead, it is Ynith’s journey as she equips herself with what she needs to cope with the consequences of being loved by an evil Wizard King. It is a story of a young woman taking her fate into her own hands, a story of sacrifice and of so much more. What genre is this?  The Wizard King is a blending of both my love for Magic and Fantasy and my passion for the Regency period in history. Although it’s a different world, the theme is still painted in the colours and styles of Regency, with the addition of wizards, life-draining creatures called Ogrein, and magic aplenty. Fantasy-coloured Regency? That’s a new angle to us. We like the sound of it.  Readers that enjoy Jane Austen might enjoy this as a change of pace from the romances of the English Regency, but still have familiar themes and language to carry them along. This book will also appeal to anyone who enjoys a story where the lady is a strong character. Fantasy and magic readers would surely fall in step with the book as well. It is surely more of a lady’s read than it is for a man, but that doesn’t mean a man could not derive enjoyment from the story. You’ve described Ynith as a strong character.  Ynith is an orphaned girl of nineteen, living in a learning academy. She has lived there since she was very young, sent there for her own protection after her parents were killed. She has wealth, and even a title, but has no advantages because her family is a danger to her. They want what she has; her title and what remains of her legacy. She is sheltered and innocent in some ways. Utterly guileless with a kind heart. She loves simple things, and takes great enjoyment in the special attentions from an elderly Docent and his sister. She isn’t ready for the things that are about to befall her, but that is her challenge. To overcome her innocence, and to take matters into her own hands. Have you written any other books that we should read next? Book one and book two of the Trilogy of Tinna are available now, and I am currently working on book 3.Tinna’s Promise, book 1; Tinna’s Might, book 2. I also have an anthology and another book called Blackroot available for purchase in either eBook or hard-copy. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a new mother–and had my first child at a rather ripe age. I live in the forests at the foot of Mount Hood in Oregon. I ride horses, and have all my life. I enjoy riding sidesaddle. I also enjoy costuming, illustrating, reading, sewing, and creating things in general. I’m married to a wonderful, tolerant man who puts up with my many quirks. I also delve quite deeply into various forms of geekery, and can sometimes be found to be sailing about dressed as a RavenClaw professor, wearing a Jayne hat, or dressing my poor baby up as an Ewok. Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work? http://www.MirandaMayer.com. How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook? @MirandaMayer https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMirandaMayer. What’s next? Tinna’s Reign is next, and then a book called ‘The House of Black’; a YA novel about witches. See my blog for details!

Some 'refreshing'

I deleted my Facebook account recently, along with all of its pages. And yes, it was a drastic thing to do. But I Miranda Mayer needed a refreshing. A new 'Like' page was in order, something freshly made, with none of my randomness all over it. It's a given that authors can be themselves on social media, but to a point. When my arguments on religion and politics start to take over where the books leave off, we have a problem. So a fresh start is in order! So please like my new page. I dropped hundreds of likes by doing this and need to rebuild!

So like my new page and click HERE!

What's new?

Hello all. I've been a bit preoccupied by the Portland Wizard World Comic Con, and then life itself, which also tends to take over. Especially for new(ish) moms.  The Wizard King has had its release and it is being received very well. I hope it continues! I have a few projects on the fire including book 3 of the Trilogy of Tinna; Tinna's Reign, which is being padded out and revised before I send it to be edited.

The third and final cover by Abigail Larson. :)

The second project i'm working on, but is at present only about a 1/4 written is the House of Black. It is a story of a little witch by the name of Kimber and her battle to save her sisters and her house from attack by an ancient enemy.

Long before the days of old,

When ic-ed skies bore naught but cold,

When crops did wither and war did rage,

Were born the saviours of this age.

Tamed the land, the beasts, the dead

Did light and dark and vibrant red.

Holders of the mother’s gift

From despair they did us lift.

But virtue ruled with golden mane

And enemies the three were named.

Driven into secrecy,

Were the mother’s gifted three.

Hunted by their very own,

The Gifted now must live unknown.

Gilded swords were raised to fight,

To end the Black, the Red, the White.

And finally, it's so new I haven't even begun to work on the cover, I am working on 'Wolven' -- which is not about werewolves, and also dabbling into the idea of another book for the Wizard King world.

Introducing The Wizard King!

A quiet, sheltered, passive girl, Ynith never suspected that the awkward young man she encountered in the library was none other than the Crown Prince Arnsword. Nor would she expect that this baleful character would set his sights upon her as the singular object of his undying affection. But what Ynith could never prepare herself for would be the cost of being loved by a man who is by all rights, evil. 

A powerful budding Wizard, Ynith’s beau is about to wreak havoc upon the world, and force Ynith to discover facets of herself that she finds terrifying, including dabbling in the magic she has deliberately avoided since childhood. 

 Must Ynith love this man or must she escape him to save herself, and ultimately, her world?

For sale on Smashwords.com (and all other channels upon approval) Hard copy available on The Book Patch and other channels soon.

Finalizing the editing, formatting for print and eBook

The Wizard King is now in the final stages before it transforms from manuscript to book. Today, I sat down with my editing team, Two Girls Friday, and we went over the edits they proposed for the manuscript. The double set of eyes really helped to find a variety of problems, and what one might have missed, the other girl Friday caught.  They sat with me on Skype, and discussed the issues they had with continuity, repetitiveness, run-on blathering and so much more. They were absolutely amazing, and I am really fortunate to get both girls Friday to work together on my manuscript. I am now in the process of merging the two separate editings, and we'll be on our way!

The cover is also in process, the front is almost finalized, the back is in the works, and the whole thing will be ready for release on February 1, 2014 (with copies available for early release for the Wizard World Comic Con).

So that's my update for today. Please don't forget to enroll in the Dragons of Midwinter Fantasy Book Giveaway. You could not only win the Wizard King, but over 20 more wonderful Fantasy books as well.