Karyne (00:00:07) - Hi fantasy readers. This is Karyne Norton, your fellow book binger, and you are listening to the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast where you can test out a new fantasy story every single week to find your next favorite author.

Today's story is one that newsletter subscribers have already heard for the past few months. I've been sending it out as a thank you when people sign up for the newsletter. Today, I'm bringing it out for everyone for a very special reason. This morning, about the same time that this episode went live, I launched a Kickstarter campaign for my debut epic fantasy novel, Blood of the Stars. The book is full of found family, reluctant royalty, blood magic, and descendants of Stars on the brink of war.

If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, it's a crowdfunding platform that authors can use to jumpstart the release of their book. It's a bit like a pre-order campaign in the sense that everyone who backs the project now will get their book and pre-order goodies well before the official release of the book, which isn't until March of 2024. I'll have more about the Kickstarter at the end as well as links in the show notes.

The reason I even bring it up is because today you get to hear my brother Paeter Frandsen, host of Christian Geek Central, read the prequel short story to the series. You'll meet Gaeren and Aeliana, who are friends who were separated as children, and you'll find out why Gaeren is so desperate to find Aeliana in Blood of the Stars.

And if you're a newsletter subscriber who's already heard this story, never fear. There's a new bonus blooper episode that I sent out for subscribers. So go check your email! For the rest of you, please enjoy The Light That Takes by Karyne Norton.

Paeter (00:01:49) -  The Light That Takes is read by Paeter Frandsen. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here. Please go to karynenorton.com to get your free ebook copy of the short story.

Karyne (00:54:36) - I hope you enjoyed listening to The Light That Takes by me, Karyne Norton, narrated by Paeter Frandsen of Christian Geek Central. If you enjoyed the story, please go check out the Kickstarter because I think you'll love reading Blood of the Stars. It picks up with Gaeren and Aeliana less than a year after the events of the prequel, and by backing the Kickstarter, you'll get to read their story as early as October instead of having to wait until March. The Kickstarter runs through September 26th, but the earlier you back, the better deals and more goodies you can get. I'll have a direct link for it in the show notes.

If you enjoyed listening to Paeter narrate the story, you might also enjoy listening to his podcast, Christian Geek Central, where he discusses movies, video games, and all things enjoyed by self-proclaimed geeks from a Christian worldview.

Last but not least, it's a new month with a new giveaway, and for the first time, I have my own book to include along with the other featured authors. So if you want a chance to win, go to findingfantasyreads.com/giveaway to enter.

Thank you all for listening and happy reading.