Publishing
L.J. Stanton
READERS WANTED

Advance Review (or sometimes called Reader) Copies are books released to reviewers ahead of publication. These reviewers then post their honest opinions about the book on release day across multiple platforms (like Amazon and GoodReads). Whether it’s a 5 or a 1 star, an honest review is worth it’s weight in gold—which is one of the reasons ARC editions are free to the reviewer.

READERS WANTED
Book Club
L.J. Stanton
Book Club: FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros

Our first read is FOURTH WING, by Rebecca Yarros! Book club starts today, but if you're seeing this after Sept. 1 2023 don't worry: you have until the end of October to join and finish the book!

Book Club: FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros
Other, Patreon, Book Club
L.J. Stanton
Introducing: The Sword & Board Book Club

Life has been a little all over the place for the past couple months. I had surgery, my sister had surgery, my husband was let go from Twitch, and now we're in the middle of moving! So with all that excitement, the newsletter and Book of the Month went to the wayside. 

I want a way to continue Book of the Month, but in a way that lets me get to know you all better, and lets you see what an author looks for when analyzing and learning from a novel. That means, Book Club Time!

HOW TO JOIN

1. Sign up for a Fable.co Account
2. Join the Sword & Board Discord  
3. Click on the Fable Link pinned in #Book-Club
4. Follow the Fable instructions on how to pick up the book. 

Introducing: The Sword & Board Book Club
Media Critiques, Writing Advice, World Building
L.J. Stanton
Sexual Violence in Speculative Fiction

As an author, my mantra is to tell challenging stories and minimize harm. The major failing I see with sexual violence in many media forms is where the point of view and gaze fall. Particularly in western media, that gaze is often heterosexual masculine. That means sexual violence comes from that same perspective, and makes grotesque GoT Sansa scenes where her rape is all about the men (either perpetrator or witness). The violence is there to horrify and titillate the viewer. We should be horrified. We should never be titillated. Respect for the survivor is missing in these situations. I could break down where this failing is in a lot of media, but I don’t think that is the most important conversation to have. I think the more important questions are: 1) should sexual violence be included in stories for shock value, and 2) how can sexual violence be written.

Sexual Violence in Speculative Fiction
MoA Short Stories, Patreon
L.J. Stanton
The Gods Chronicle Anthology eBook Sampler

If you’re looking at this before May 1, 2022, we’re currently running a special promotion on our Patreon where when you sign up at any tier, you receive the patron-only Gods Chronicle Anthology, volume 1. It is an alpha read edition that gives a great deal of backstory for characters within The Dying Sun, such as Merikh, Loralee, and Nikias. It also gives perspective to oft talked about characters Mansur and Rajiya.

Below are snippets from each of the shorts within the anthology. If you’d like to read them in full, please consider becoming a patron. Tiers start at $5/month. Thank you!

The Gods Chronicle Anthology eBook Sampler

Sword & Board Updates

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting Sword & Board! The primary purpose of this blog is to provide updates on our current projects. In the future, you’ll see posts regarding The Dying Sun, book reviews from L.J, and the occasional relevant musing from L.J’s imagination. As new projects within the world of Cala come to life, they’ll be posted here (perhaps with updates from S&B’s cofounder, Rob). Each of these will be tagged accordingly.


What is Sword & Board?

Sword & Board was started by L.J and Rob Stanton as a means to create and manage content within the world of L.J’s future books. We believe in creating content that promotes inspiration, introspection, wonder, and empathy.


What is The Dying Sun about?

Mist covers the oceans, concealing the dangerous islands within the Aldruin Sea. Sailors tell stories of monsters in these waters, of islands with gods and their horrific children. The Akhenic Temple dismisses these stories as mere tall tales, amusing children’s stories. Nothing for the god fearing to worry over. There is only Akhenios, His holy Great Prophet, and the only monsters such as djinns and their servants. That truth has kept Shai’Khal unified under the Great Prophet’s descendants for nine hundred years. Until now.

Merikh has never had time for religion. After murdering his tyrannical father for the throne, Merikh has spent four years attempting to undo the harm done to Shai’Khal. To end the indulgent excess of Mansur’s rule is no small feat. But when a would-be assassin is captured, claiming to be sent by the High Priestess of Death and the Champion of War, religion comes to the fore. The High Priestess and Champion have quite a following on Shai’Khal’s coastline, claiming that all the tales about the Aldruin are true. That their gods await within the mists, that the Akhenic Scrolls lie, and that freeing the gods will usher in a new age of prosperity for Shai’Khal. Divisive talk begins to lay the foundation for religious and civil war. Merikh finds himself torn between the ancient traditions securing his birthright, and the promise of a new world: One with power beyond imagining at his fingertips.