Do you write in different genres?
I do, actually. While my primary focus is fantasy, at the moment, I have multiple published titles in historical fiction as well. In fact, I’ve won two awards for my historical mystery/romance A is for Arson as well as my historical romance A Promise Kept. For now, however, I remained focused on building my fantasy universe by expanding my titles in that realm.
If yes which is your favorite genre to write? Fantasy, by far. I thoroughly enjoy the act of world building rather than the research which accompanies historical fiction. Fantasy also happens to be my favorite genre to read.
Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?
I wait until it’s complete. Generally, I stumble across an idea while I’m writing but put it on the back burner until I’ve completed the story. I want to make sure it matches the entirety of the tale rather than a particular moment in time.
Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life? As many of my ARC readers have already noted, there are a lot of thematic elements in The Third Ring that speak on the situation of today. I don’t always seek to make political statements with my writing but a dystopian tale is always a poignant commentary on society and I feel that the current state of our world is ripe for thought-provoking literary criticism. Outside of that aspect of the novel, there is always a bit of myself in each of my characters. I identify with Adrian’s overwhelming and somewhat self-destructive need to care for and protect her loved ones as well as Dante’s self-doubt and struggles with familial expectations. I like to think a part of myself lies with each of them and a part of them lives in me.
Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
This is so hard! I like all of my characters for different reasons. Some because they’re fun, some because they’re relatable, and many because they’re flawed. If I’m being honest, my current favorite character is probably one from book two of The Sanctum Series which hasn’t been released yet. So instead, I’ll say my favorite is Adrian. It may be recency bias but her tough, take-no-nonsense attitude paired with her unflinching loyalty to her family and friends make her a force to be reckoned with. And when though she’s flawed, even though she’s heartbroken and grieving, she has a strength that is both enviable and so undeniably sad. I love her the most because she makes me feel the most.
If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?
The next book of the Sanctum Series will be The Second Sanctum and I can’t share too much since book one ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger and I don’t want to spoil the result of it. But I will say that it’s already the longest book I’ve ever written and I’m still working on it. I am about 90% of the way done though and loving how it’s turned out. I can guarantee my readers new characters they’re going to love, a better understanding of Dante and Adrian’s world, more political intrigue, and an incredible magic system we’ve only scratched the surface of in book one.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I like to say that Victoria Aveyard got me into reading but Leigh Bardugo got me into writing. Her books were what showed me that I was fascinated with exploring the dark side of human nature. A villain can’t be a villain just because a writer says they are and the best villains are often complex. The best villains make you think, for a moment, you might understand them, make you almost root for them. And sometimes a character is the villain without you even knowing. That concept is something I’ve enjoyed toying with in my worlds and I have Leigh Bardugo to thank.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write. The. Book. Forget the imposter syndrome, forget the doubt and fear of criticism, forget the probabilities of success. Just sit down and write. Lose yourself in your story, in your world. Even if it never makes it off your screen, it’s yours, and it’s something to be proud of. I’ve met so many writers who never finish their book (some never ever start) because of fear. Get words on the page. You can worry about what to do with them later.
When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?
I’m a mom of littles so most of my time is spent caring for them, the house, and working a full time job. Writing is my hobby. It’s become a second business lately but one I love. Outside of all that, I enjoy reading works by other indie and traditionally published authors, interacting with readers on social media, and binging some of my favorite tv shows. Right now, I’m rewatching New Girl for the millionth time and watching Wheel of Time with my husband.
What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?
I’m currently hard at work on book two of The Sanctum Series. I think my readers would riot if I wasn’t. I’m also working diligently on a companion novella for my completed Immortal Plane Trilogy from the POV of everybody’s favorite side character, Rook. Those chapters are being uploaded as a work in progress, as I complete them, on both Patreon and Substack. I’m also working on the fifth anniversary editions of The Langley & Porter Mystery Series. I’m hoping to re-release all four books this summer with new covers and an omnibus edition to boot. Other than that, the Immortal Plane Trilogy books are getting hardback editions so I’m always busy with something! As an indie author, I am my own marketer, publicist, graphic designer, and more for most things so I’m always working, but I love it, of course.
The Sanctum Series
Book One
A. N. Horton
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Veil and Valor Books
Date of Publication: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 979-8-9911249-6-6
ASIN: B0DY949XBH
Number of pages: 404 Pages
Word Count: 112,000
Cover Artist: Adrian Păsărin
Tagline: Ten Trials. Two Oaths. One Chance.
Book Description:
To Adrian, the gods were never anything to be worshipped, just tolerated. But in the walled city of Sanctuary, whether through the religious fervor of the elite or the quaking fear of the poor, the Geist have always been served. And now it's Adrian's turn.
Born into power and raised for greatness, Dante stands for everything Adrian has come to despise, but he may be her only hope of survival. When the two of them are bonded against their will and forced to compete together in the Trials, the god's ancient gauntlet of physical brutality and psychological torture, they have no choice but to set aside old prejudices and work together. Navigating religious zealots, a patriarch intent on breeding the pair for power, and the increasingly obvious cruelty of the gods, Adrian must come to terms with the fact that, whether Culled or Championed, we all serve the gods in the end. And, for her, betrayal has always been waiting just around the corner.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcZCgrRLlGQ
Excerpt:
I
was in a vast, open chamber. The walls were made of solid, smooth gray stone,
almost the color of charcoal, with thin veins of white running through them at
odd angles. That singular, faint light shone down on a massive hunk of porous
stone which took up most of the room. I approached it slowly, in awe of the
size. I’d always thought the Oath Stone was small, something you held in both
hands while reciting some vow the attendants guided you through or had written
on the walls.
I
glanced around. There were no words. Not on the walls, not on the floors, not
even on the stone itself. There were no words written anywhere, no
instructions, no Oath. I spun around again and again, searching in vain as my
panic rose to the surface.
How
do I know what to say?
How
pathetic. Utterly, depressingly pathetic. How was I ever to make it past a
single Trial if I couldn’t even figure out how to take my Oath?
My
palms itched. I scratched them with my fingernails as I walked toward one of
the walls. I narrowed my gaze, trying to discern a pattern in the white lines
running through them. There was nothing.
I
huffed, my nails continuously running back and forth on the sensitive skin of
my palms. But the more I scratched them, the more they burned. I switched to
rubbing them as I approached the stone. I leaned down, staring at the hunk of
porous stone, tilting my head side to side as I inspected the bumps and
crevices until I hissed—the burning in my palms had become an inferno.
Frantic,
I held up my hands, expecting to see inflamed skin, a rash even, but they
weren’t even red.
Still,
they burned.
Flooded
with an overwhelming compulsion to find relief from the cool surface of the
Oathstone, I reached out and pressed my palms flat against the massive rock.
The burning stopped, the itching soothed. I closed my eyes and took a breath.
Then
I heard it. A faint voice in the back of my mind getting louder and louder…
I
jerked back in surprise, but the moment my hands left the stone, they began to
burn even worse than before. I hissed and stared at them again. I still saw
nothing but my own skin. Shaking, I reached for the stone again.
The
moment flesh met rock, the voice returned. I twitched, uneasy, but
concentrated, frowning and pressing my eyes shut tight as if that would help me
hear it. It spoke in a whisper and cycled through its message before I could
finally make out the words.
“Repeat
after me.”
I
again startled. The words echoing around in my head were coming from my own
voice. I tried to pull my hands from the stone, but I couldn’t. My palms were
fused to the rock.
“I
vow to obey the tenets of the Trials.”
I
hesitated. Did I truly want to go through with this? As confident as I’d been
this morning, as resigned to follow through with Darius’s last wish of me, this
was…something else entirely. Something I hadn’t expected.
“Make
your Oath,” my own voice hissed at me.
“I-I
vow…to obey the tenets of the Trials,” I repeated. It seemed to be my only way
out of here.
“I
shall not speak of my experiences in the Trials, neither now nor upon their
completion,” my voice whispered, then waited for me to repeat before
continuing. “I shall use my blessings in service to the Geist. I shall seek to
keep all knowledge and capability given as a result of my success between
myself and my partner. I shall train my body, mind, and soul to be a proper
reflection of the holiness of the Geist. For the duration of my candidacy in
the Trials, I forfeit all worldly obsessions and submit myself to the will of
my gods.”
Again,
I hesitated. It seemed a lofty price to pay in honor of a friend I’d never see
again. A friend the Geist had stolen from me. The thought of Darius, in this
moment of all things, was like a punch to the gut. But it was a reminder as
well: I wouldn’t be swearing it for them. So I took a deep breath and made my
Oath. The words turned bitter on my tongue.
About the Author:
A. N. Horton is a two-time award-winning author living in Nashville, TN with her husband, children, and moderately chunky Corgi. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, baking more cookies than her family can eat, and plotting crimes against her characters. Best known for crafting characters that steal her readers’ hearts as much as they shatter them, A. N. Horton is a cross-genre writer focused mainly on fantasy and romance.
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