A romantic fantasy fairytale retelling explores themes of loss and redemption

Professional copywriter and avid reader Avani Clare is launching the second installment of her fiction series, "A Viking's Curse." The series went live with Book Number 1 on July 25, 2022, and Book 2 on September 22, 2022. Both books are available on Amazon with Books 3, 4, and 5 scheduled to be released in December, January and February 2023. Each installment is 20K-25K in length.

More information on Book 1 can be found here: https://mybook.to/avikingscurse

This is the first fiction book Clare has authored. The book was written with the aim in mind to simply entertain readers who love romantic fantasy. Clare hopes the series will do well because of the popularity of romantic fantasy among the young adult age group as well as adult age demography.

A Viking's Curse sets its main focus on the journey two people go through from being sworn enemies to the point where they finally fall in love.

All books' cover art was designed by the author, and all series books published by Lighthouse Publications.

Avani Clare has a background in Journalism and Communication Management, with a special interest in history and social research and is currently working as a professional copywriter. She says her love for history and the study of conflict management and resolutions communications helped shape the development of the story.

A Viking's Curse is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the Viking wars. The hero is a Viking and the heroine is an English warrior whose life's purpose is to rid the land of Vikings.

The Viking in this story, Eric Algar, is a peaceful man. He had escaped his frost-covered Norse homeland and come to England so he could settle down in his dream occupation -- which is to be a simple farmer. Hating the violence that prevents him from farming in peace, he ends up being a much sought-after negotiator who risks his life to promote the end of violence between the English and Vikings.

The female character is the total opposite of what one might imagine an English lady to be. Lady Catelyn Hastings is a tough English warrior. Furthermore, she hates the Vikings and everything they stand for, as they murdered her mother when she was little. In Catelyn, Clare wanted to explore the idea of a woman who was strong and brave in a time when women were expected to be meek and submissive.

By writing about characters who go against the expectations of their time, culture, and their society, Clare hopes to inspire readers to think outside the box, and to accept people for who they are, not who society tells them they should be.

She hopes that readers will appreciate the beauty of a story about an unlikely romance, and that they will be intrigued by the historical setting.

"I did a lot of research to make sure that the details in my book were accurate to the time period, and I really enjoyed learning about Viking and old English culture," she said. "It was interesting to see how their way of life was so different from our own, yet in some ways, very similar. I hope that readers will enjoy my book and come to love the characters as much as I do."

This positive outlook from the author is certainly testament to her optimism considering some of the challenges she had during its creation. She chuckles, "I had originally planned for this to be a short story of 20,000 words, just a short retelling of Beauty and the Beast." But as Clare was writing the story, the story took on a life of its own and she suddenly saw the potential of it being a full-length novel.

"I'm actually quite happy with the way it's turning out, even though it wasn't what I had originally planned," she says. "I think that's part of the beauty of writing; you never quite know where the story is going to take you."

Clare is currently working on Book 3 of the series, and really excited to see some positive reviews and receive emails from readers.

In a recent interview, Clare made a point to thank her mentors, publisher and coach Caroline Treanor and publishing and business consultant, Ty Cohen.

Clare says, "I can't thank them enough for their part in helping me get started on my publishing journey," she says. ""They literally took me by the hand and helped me get out of my comfort zone. I've been a copywriter for years, but writing fiction is a totally new experience needing a different set of skills skills."

Clare thanks more people who continue to support the creation of the series, saying: "I also want to call out members of my author circle with whom I meet weekly to share our challenges and wins, and encourage each other: Lauren MD, Heather Healy, RJ Radisson, and Joy Sparks."

The book series trailer can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooNc_xuiDP0

Those interested in learning more about the book can visit here: https://mybook.to/avikingscurse