Mallory Wanless
Young & New Adult Fantasy Author
Read
Write
Repeat
Wife. Mom. Booknerd.
I have always been a massive bookworm. Books are my outlet when the world is overwhelming or too busy. Since having my kids, I've used books and stories to escape from the day-to-day of stay-at-home parenting.
I started writing my debut novel, Storm and Flame, in 2018. It is a mix of Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian, Cruel Prince by Holly Black, and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, with a dash of Legend and Tella's banter from Legendary by Stephanie Garber, and a sprinkling of made-up words in a magical story that I thoroughly enjoy diving into. I'm hopeful that my future readers will love this story as much as I do.
Between raising very young kids, balancing homeschooling, and navigating a pandemic, it took 3.5 years to complete the first draft.
Thanks to my incredibly supportive husband, Storm and Flame finally made its debut in the world on Sept 22, 2022.
Blood and Destiny—the sequel to Storm and Flame—was published on December 21, 2022.
Reign and Ruin was published on March 20, 2023. It is the final book in the Storm and Flame trilogy, but not the last book I'll write in this world. As it stands, I've already started writing 3 more books in this world... There are just so many stories to tell!
![Coming this summer! [Probably]
Sidenote: I may or may not have a proclamation of love similar to this lyric in this book... because of course.
THE MARKED AND THE MENACED
The Marked...
Tameer always believed love was a weakness—a dangerous distraction no one in his line of work could afford. But after watching Leah fall for Ash, and spending a year alongside Irena and Dimitri as their love—and their son—grew, he started to question that belief. Back in Vexia, he decides it's time to carve out a life of his own. Maybe not one filled with love, but one that’s his. No more living in service of his sisters. It’s time to forge his own path.
But the Thieves’ Guild has other plans.
Retirement isn’t an option when you’ve been marked for death the moment you walk away.
The Menaced...
Oliver hated everything.
Well—maybe not everything—but how do you enjoy anything when the threat of your brother’s death never leaves your mind? The Guild has been using Matty’s illness to control their family for years. One job, one dose. Just enough to keep Matty alive for another month.
Oliver should be numb to it by now.
But this job is different. This one requires a kill.
And Oliver is no killer.
Now he must choose: take a stranger’s life, or lose Matty forever.
Some choices aren’t choices at all.
#themarkedandthemenaced #enchantedtalesofmagicandmayhem #titlereveal #fantasybooks #indieauthor #selfpublished #selfpublishing #authorsofinsta #yafantasy #fantasybooks #yafantasybooks #bookswithmagic #readeveryday #readreadread #fantasyfiction #fantasynovel #fantasy #yafiction #yaauthor #nafantasyromance #nafantasyrecs #nafantasyreads #nafantasyreaders #newadultromantasy #newadultfantasyreads #nafantasylover #readersofinstagram #naromantasy #adultromantasylover #lgbtqiaromance](https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/496076717_18044420186612036_4595184047280734770_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=4lSy-54_NswQ7kNvwHJN-iI&_nc_oc=AdlyJG4MZMwh1Hkfi_aHfBuRnOnlPI55XB426a1bNtGeZb5ybtqi32FYt_pSOr22Lz4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=OAjoD0wbZMD0R8soz6Tpbw&oh=00_AfOunQID_uz6b72R7Oxvk-ixcS3LiocXxoD-g09bc_S60w&oe=68535253)
![I just finished the first draft of my 7th book (3rd novella). I wrote for 4 hours straight today. I never do that! Over 4,000 words, but damn, it feels gooooooooood.
Now, I'm kinda [very] exhausted. So, naturally, I'm gonna take this time to go walk 2.5 miles. ✌️
#awriterslifeforme #writechat #writegoal #authorlove #writingprompt #wordnerd #ilovewriting #livebywords #lovetowrite #writeon #womenwriters #womenauthors #wordsbyme #writtenbyme #womenwriter #amwritingfantasy #amwritingya #writermom #writingadvice #writingofig #novelwriting #writerofinstagram #writerofig #thewritinglife #thewriterslife #writerssupportingwriters #womenwrite #authorsofinsta #igauthor #igauthorlife](https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/494667503_18043865567612036_6095071413307940452_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=WIFWAjqEJ_QQ7kNvwFadLFN&_nc_oc=AdkIk00r94Aa9h5dzxwaQDoXen-ojXiqtGl43joBR8nelVe8Mk2DNUVUcKVCaame0MY&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=OAjoD0wbZMD0R8soz6Tpbw&oh=00_AfN__KHopa1IzzjUUUgW0fvgF3Rsv2Pu0KzJ7KJE70_MLg&oe=68535384)
![In an effort to keep things 100% fair, I only compared ebook sales of my wide books (Storm and Flame, Blood and Destiny, Reign and Ruin, and Reclaiming the Frost). This is also my sales so far this month as of March 22th when I made this graphic.
As a smaller author, these numbers are exciting to me. Truthfully, I first published in 2022, and I still celebrate every single sale.
When I first decided to self-published, I debated [a lot] on whether or not I should go "wide" or stick with Amazon exclusively so I could be on Kindle Unlimited. I know a lot of people do really well on KU, and readers are more inclined to try a new author if they're on KU and don't have to put their money on the line. But I wanted to be in libraries. That has *always* been one of my top author goals. Amazon requires 100% exclusivity, no exceptions. So I decided to try "going wide" knowing I could always pull my books and switch to KU if I changed my mind.
I have never once changed my mind.
At least half my ebook sales come from EVERYWHERE else. Kobo. Overdrive. Hoopla. Apple books. Barnes and Noble. Places I've never heard of, but thanks to Draft2Digital, I'm there! Like Tolino, Smashwords, and Everand.
Yes, half of my ebook sales come from Amazon, but half come from a dozen other places I never would have had access to if I'd put all of my metaphorical eggs in the Amazon exclusivity basket.
I'm not saying every author should always go wide. I'm just telling you my story. Why it works for me. In case you're unsure of what to do and you're looking for real life experiences. I love that I'm wide. I love that every single month, I have 3 or 4 "sales" at various libraries. Library sales are my FAVORITE.
#awriterslifeforme #writechat #writegoal #authorlove #writingprompt #wordnerd #ilovewriting #livebywords #lovetowrite #writeon #womenwriters #womenauthors #wordsbyme #writtenbyme #womenwriter #amwritingfantasy #amwritingya #writermom #writingadvice #writingofig #novelwriting #writerofinstagram #writerofig #thewritinglife #thewriterslife #writerssupportingwriters #womenwrite #authorsofinsta #igauthor #igauthorlife](https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/486402332_1041072280784180_6318597138273544197_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=Pk8nxRwxPp8Q7kNvwHyQeVo&_nc_oc=Adl4gR_sOoxMpZ-aAk4inhD_LQEE9ARoQ9Vm3MYJdDB7IDzcXs3_7w4u5S6CdCzqOCQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=OAjoD0wbZMD0R8soz6Tpbw&oh=00_AfMwNLDyqZEb28L4VxNIXJf1wY9t7WcZtimGekv89ZUJPg&oe=68535DA0)
