E L Croucher has decided to make Horned Winged Blessed available for free, due to the outbreak of coronavirus and the need for self-isolation and quarantine across the globe.
Claim you free digital copy by commenting below or on any of her social media platforms.
It’s not much… but with the dystopian pandemic going on outside, Horned Winged Blessed is the perfect novel to keep you occupied indoors.
@emi13230
It’s finally confirmed!
The novella version of my first novel, The Butterfly on Fire: Caterpillar to Chrysalis, is officially part of the Well-being selection in a local school in central London.
The novella features just the main story of Eric. It’s a real tear-jerking, empowering tale of self-discovery and triumph.
I know from personal experience that if I had read a book like The Butterfly on Fire: Caterpillar to Chrysalis as a child, things would have made much more sense from a young age.
Let me know what you think about children reading LGBTQ+ themed novels in the comments below!
I’m so happy to announce that Horned Winged Blessed has received its first review from Random Reviews!
With a wonderful 4 / 5 stars, it’s a great start!
Check it out below, or via the following links:
Amazon UK – Horned Winged Blessed
16 December 2019
Our protagonist is Joan Wood, the daughter of the founder of the Silver Party, a political party in Britain which has remained in power since the end of World War III. Joan’s privileged lifestyle means she believes the society her mother created is indeed a utopia. However, she is in for a rude awakening when her house is attacked by underground rebels. After discovering the truth about the society the Silver Party has created, Joan must decide whether to join the rebels in helping bring down her own mother.
Croucher’s worldbuilding is excellent, and the reader is thrown into the midst of this Britain instantly. Admittedly, it takes a few pages to navigate this different society but once I understood it, I was gripped. There is great attention to detail and the world Croucher depicts is very rich. Croucher evokes the sights and smells of London expertly, reminding me of my times visiting the city. It was fun exploring a world familiar to our own, but also a different society within it.
The character of Joan is also nicely portrayed. She goes through quite a transformation, essentially starting out as a spoilt young girl to becoming a free-thinking young woman rebelling against an unjust society. Her character development throughout the story was very well-written, and Croucher balanced the action of the plot with quieter moments of character study really well. I also liked how the book opened with Joan’s mother, or Joan’s memory of that day. It gives the reader some understanding of why she started the Silver Party, and her motives for creating this ‘utopia’. This helped to stop her from being a mere, throwaway villain, but someone who wanted to change her society for the better. Whilst it is hard to agree with her actions, by revealing her motives they become (somewhat) understandable.
Horned Winged Blessed is a fun, action-packed YA novel with some great characters. In a market crowded with young adult dystopian fiction – spearheaded by The Hunger Games – Croucher has delivered something fresh to the genre. Teenagers and young adults will find plenty to enjoy here.
E L Croucher here, celebrating a wonderful weekend as Horned Winged Blessed was officially released!
A huge thank you to everyone that made it to the party and bought their copy of the novel!
I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed bringing it into the world.
Check out the full list of shout-outs, author interviews and guest posts below:
NOVEL KNIGHT
ELISHA’S BOOK REVIEWS
SPARKLING BOOK REVIEWS
RAGING BOOK REVIEWS
SASSY REDHEAD BOOK REVIEWS
BOOKS TEACUP AND REVIEWS
ALEX BEECROFT
JEANNIE ZELOS
ANNA BUTLER
LALA’S BOOK REVIEWS
Tell us a bit about what inspired you to create a post-apocalyptic, all female run government concept?
The main concept came from wanting to create an ironic world that swaps the patriarchy for the matriarchy. Women predominantly in charge, rather than men. Women controlling how men use their bodies, rather than men telling women whether or not they can get an abortion. It’s a topical and rather “taboo” topic at the moment – which is exactly why I chose it as the setting of my dystopian novel. It’s dark. That allows me to use it as the perfect platform to make a social commentary and set up a post-apocalyptic world.
The reason behind setting Horned Winged Blessed in a post-world war III time period was because war is something that my generation have no idea about. We’ve heard about it in History lessons at school, but that’s it. I’m using the fear of the unknown to start out with a certain element of gloominess.
Which character in your latest novel are most like you? And why?
This is 100% the antagonist, haha! Simone Wood, the mother of the protagonist. I actually based the character around the type of parent and woman that I don’t want to become.
When starting the novel, I was going through my own dark times – my ex left me because I couldn’t give him biological children. That in itself remains to be a theme throughout Horned Winged Blessed, albeit very subtly and delicately.
Simone Wood is the character of who I wouldn’t want to be as a mother. Joan Wood, the protagonist, grows to despise her. She is always drunk, and prioritises work over her daughter. Simone is everything I want to avoid becoming, but she’s still based around me.
If you could be re-spawned as any creature (real or imaginary), what would it be and why did you choose it?
It would have to be a butterfly. The symbolism is too great for me to say anything else! ^^
I’m a transgender woman, and the process that a butterfly goes through, from caterpillar to chrysalis, is just so similar to what we also go through. I’ve always been a butterfly on the inside, my body just now reflects that.
When you write your novels, what are 3 must-haves in your writing space?
Give us the book-track of your life. List a book you loved as a child, young adult and currently.
I’m afraid none of these are going to be ground-breaking or special.
I grew up with books all around me, as my mother was a big reader. I went to sleep at night with Harry Potter under my pillow. Another favourite of mine was the ‘Wicca’ series, by Cate Tiernan.
In my teens I started reading books like The Handmaid’s tale, To Kill and Mocking Bird and other classics. I also spent a lot of time reading about Wiccan and Pagan lore, if I’m permitted to add non-fiction books to this list!
As a young adult I loved A Song of Ice and Fire. Dany is my idol and I love her. My favourite quote of all time is her line “If I look back, I am lost.”
These days, I keep in the dystopian genre. I’m re-reading Divergent. Another non-fiction book on my list is Pure, White and Deadly… as I’m cutting out all processed sugar.
Want to know more about E.L. Croucher? Here’s a brief background:
E L Croucher is a young author, living in London. She started writing over two years, with her first novel The Butterfly on Fire, which she published on Amazon. Alongside her career as a writer, she works as a Japanese translator and interpreter for a well-known Japanese gaming company, after studying Japanese at university and living in Tokyo, Japan.
Her latest novel, Horned Winged Blessed is an ironic look into a world in which gender roles are swapped, and minorities are forced into labels that they did not choose. With a mix of feminist views and a pro-LGBTQ+ stance, E L Croucher writes to further her dream of a world free from prejudice, hate-crimes and bullying.
Follow her story on her website or find her on social media:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
ELCroucher.com | Emi Louise Croucher| @emi13230
About The Book
Follow Joan on her adventure of discovery, as she learns the hard way that her post-apocalyptic utopia isn’t always full of rainbows and Merlot.
Yes, she lives on the nicer side of the settlement, as the daughter of the Mother Founder. But after a life-threatening attack on her home, she soon realizes that many out there are against the Silver Party regime.
Horned Winged Blessed is the story of one girl fighting against a tyrannous government, elected to power amidst the unending chaos of World War III. Heavily enriched in their pagan values, the Silver Party are to thank for pulling Broken Britain up from the brink of a depression, but at what cost?
Will Joan decide to take down the Silver Party from the inside…
…or will she go on to fight alongside the rebel faction that allures her so intensely?
Title: Horned Winged Blessed
Author: E L Croucher
Category: LGBTQ+ Dystopian Fiction
Publication Date: 29th November 2019
Publisher: Amazon
Editor: Jake Ratcliff
Cover Artist: Dawn M Larder
Buy Links
Amazon UK| Amazon US
For the full Blog Post, check out this URL
AUTHOR Q&A
Can you tell readers little about your book, Horned Winged Blessed? What they can expect from the book?
The world is built around a post-apocalyptic Broken Britain, and sees an all-female, all-wiccan government in power. The story follows the protagonist Joan, who is daughter to the leader of the above government, as she realises that the world her mother has built isn’t always rainbows and Merlot. There is a serious issue in how gender is “labelled” against the people’s will, and Joan is faced with the choice of either joining the rebels that plot against her mother’s government, or trying and take it down from the inside.
Horned Winged Blessed is my attempt at spinning the current patriarchal society on its head, as well as bringing to light the oppression that various minorities in our society goes through every day.
You can expect a dark, thought-provoking and empowering read, as you start to pick away at the paintwork of the world in Horned Winged Blessed.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I wanted to start in the realm of a dystopian-style gender swap, to bring an ironic light on what we are currently seeing in society today. The pay gap, abortion rights, the murder of transgender women of colour… there are so many issues that we cannot ignore. So I started by wanting to focus on a dystopian world that mirrors ours. That makes it a lot easier to show the successes and flaws within it.
What inspired you for dystopian setting of Horned Winged Blessed?
I knew I wanted to set Horned Winged Blessed around ten years from now, based on the age of my main characters. From there, I worked backwards until the present day and came up with a plausible chain of events until things get really dark, I.e. Brexit, the next election, nuclear threats. Eventually, without giving too much away, something triggers World War III in the novel. Luckily for the protagonist (and probably the reader!) the novel doesn’t started until WWIII is coming to an end and the government in charge is already paving the way to a new world…
What type of characters do you love and hate to write? What is your favorite quality in protagonists? Does anyone in real life inspired you to write them?
In Horned Winged Blessed, I really liked playing with the age of my characters. My generation have grown to be the middle-aged generation in the novel and I loved writing the characters in that way. That was exciting for me as a millennial. The protagonist, however, is of course a slightly younger generation, so writing her was a lot tougher. Would they speak differently? Would they think about the world differently? My generation has never known war, but for Joan’s generation it is all they know. Those elements were a challenge at times.
As far as real-life inspiration goes, there are of course people that I tend to channel when writing. The love interest in the novel was based on my boyfriend (at the time… we broke up three weeks ago!). However, as above, it’s a lot harder to base the characters on anyone from my real life as no-one I know has gone through a World War that they saw through their friend’s Instagram stories!
What was the most interesting aspect of writing Horned Winged Blessed?
The main theme is the daughter vs. mother, “my-generation-knows-best” divide. It was extremely interesting to write as a daughter that loathes her mother so intensely, when I am so close with mine. In fact, people may think that I based the Mother Founder on my mother, but they couldn’t be further from the truth! I actually based it on me, and everything I don’t want to be as a mum.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
I went down the self-published route, purely because I’m impatient and love having something to do. Marketing my own novel, creating a buzz and hosting a huge launch party are all things I wanted to do. I started writing this novel a year ago, finishing the first draft in around 7 months. It’s been ripped apart and edited since then. Last weekend I posted in on Amazon, and I ordered the hard copies for my launch party tonight. It’s all finally happening!
What are your most favorite and least favorite thing about being an author?
My favorite part about being an author is actually sitting down and writing, but unfortunately that is a shockingly small percentage of what I have found that being an author entails. My fondest memory was jetting off to Peterborough to a small hotel by the side of a river, all on my own. I just wrote and ate for an entire week. It was heaven. However, I of course love the organisation needed in self-publishing a novel. The ultimate reward is when people tell you that they laughed or cried whilst reading my book. It’s the most motivating feeling in the world.
My least favorite part has to be how it’s morphed what and how I read. I can’t just pick up a book and enjoy it now. It becomes research. Research becomes an effort. I start to think to myself “well if you have time to read that, why don’t you also read this”, “oh, that’s a good idea, jot that down”. The worst one is without a doubt “oh, why can’t I write like that!” Once Horned Winged Blessed is truly finished, I can’t wait to read for fun again!
Do you have any writing rituals?
It starts from the night before. I shower, pack my bag in advance and set out my clothes on my counter. Then, I sleep as early as I can. When the morning arrives – often on the weekend – I’m up and getting ready to go out within seconds.
I walk down my road, no further than a couple of streets away to the cutest little independent coffee shop in town. Headphones in, coffee steaming to my left and laptop out.
Heaven.
What is the next project you’re working on?
I wish I had a say in this, but my family have personally asked me to put anything else on hold for a while, so that I can enjoy Christmas with them. How cute!
In the new year I plan to re-write my first novel. It’s going to be a big task, but I’ve developed so much as a writer, than I really want to rework what I did when I first started in this industry. It will take a lot of time and energy, but unlike with Horned Winged Blessed I won’t tell a single soul about it until it’s done!
Can you describe Horned Winged Blessed in five words?
Relevant. Unapologetic. Dark. Empowering. Enlightening.
And the last one, top 3 tips for aspiring authors.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website | Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Book Link
Reporting a major plot alteration made within Horned Winged Blessed.
As many of you know, my latest novel is in editing and will soon be ready for publication on Amazon in preparation for the launch.
However, after several discussions with my beta readers and main editor, the meanings behind what Horned Winged and Blessed actually stand for is being revealed much earlier in the book than previously scheduled.
I was planning to have it written subtly within the pages of the novel, so that readers could put the pieces together as and when they were able. (And don’t worry, there are still plenty of other aspects in the book that readers will be able to do exactly that with!)
But as this is something as crucial as what the title of the book actually means, I’ve altered it to now reveal this vital information within the first chapter instead.
In a post-world war III, dystopian future my next novel is set in what is portrayed (at first) as a utopia. A new Wiccan government is in power and is doing what they can to revive Broken Britain after the war.
One of their main new laws is the introduction of the new words given to the three genders:
Men are now called Horned ones.
Women are now called Winged ones.
Anyone other than that are called Blessed ones.
Some of you will see the issue there already.
If you don’t, then make sure to grab a copy of Horned Winged Blessed as soon as it’s out!
Writing this book was the easy part.
Now it’s all about organising the launch party, gathering the media’s attention and editing my work word by word.
The launch date is fast approaching, and I’m busier than ever.
Early mornings, late nights and missing out on seeing my friends and family has become the norm.
But I’m motivated. I want to make this book a success.
Even still, a lot of close friends and family ask me “Why bother with this book? It’s unlikely to do well…”
It’s a great question, and I’ve often asked myself the same thing when I’m yawning at 6:32 A.M. on my second coffee, going through feedback from my editor before my day job.
The reason I carry on is because I truly want to change peoples lives.
I remember when I got a message on my Instagram (@emi13230) from a person that told me they were about to kill themselves. They had found my book and wanted to ask me what it’s like to transition.
This beautiful soul told me that they were like me, but hadn’t transitioned yet. Sadly, due to social pressures, a religious family and lack of confidence, they feared that they never could.
To them, suicide seemed like the only option.
I’ve been there. Trust me. Read my first book and you’ll see.
So what did I do? I stayed up all night, constantly messaging with them, keeping them active, making sure they weren’t alone.
I didn’t give up until I had convinced them that if I can do it, anyone can.
Never give up.
That was my message.
So on my way into the office this morning, when I woke up at 3 A.M. in order to find plenty of time to edit before work, I asked myself that same old question…
“Why, though?”
The answer is simple.
“Because even if I save just one life, it’s all worth it.”
The Butterfly on Fire has been reduced in price, in preparation for my next book!
All versions (full fantasy and the fiction only novella) are down from £8.88. The Ebook for both is now only £1.99, and the paperback for the full novel is only £5.99!
I wanted to do this to make The Butterfly on Fire a little bit more easily obtainable. The story doesn’t have any connection with my next novel – they are not the same series. However, a lot of people have been showing their support for the next book, so I thought that this promotion would be a good idea!
For anyone on the fence about giving The Butterfly on Fire a go – now is the time!
HORNED WINGED BLESSED
will be released on the
29th of November.
FACEBOOK EVENT
I’ll be having a launch party at JACK’S BAR in Blackfriars.
It’s open to anyone, so come along!
The novel will be available in Ebook and paperback format.
Pre-purchase options are available, so check them out below!
HORNED WINGED BLESSED is a very dark novel,
which tackles issues that are extremely topical in society today.
If you’re a fan of dystopian, pro-LGBTQ+ feminist literature,
then it’s right for you.
It’s DIVERGENT meets A HANDMAID’S TALE.
***PRE-PURCHASE OFFERS***
Note, the event itself is free to attend – so there is no need to buy tickets for entry itself. The book will also be available to buy on the night.
Pre-purchase Standard Set @ £15
Includes:
HORNED WINGED BLESSED Pre-release Ebook (PDF for Amazon Kindle)
HORNED WINGED BLESSED Signed Paperback Copy
1x Drink Token*
Pre-purchase YAAAS QUEEN VIP Set @ £30
Includes:
HORNED WINGED BLESSED Pre-release Ebook (PDF for Amazon Kindle)
HORNED WINGED BLESSED Signed Paperback Copy
The Butterfly on Fire: Maiden Mother Crone Ebook (PDF for Amazon Kindle)
The Butterfly on Fire: Maiden Mother Crone Signed Paperback Copy
Set of 3x HORNED WINGED BLESSED Bespoke Silicone Wristbands
1x Drink Token*
*Drinks available from a pre-selected menu:
Flying Zebra White Wine (175ml)
Flying Zebra Red Wine (175ml)
Small Beer
Aspall Cider
PRAVHA
2x Soft Drinks
Please make your payment via Paypal, leaving your Name and Email Address. You will receive the Ebook via that email account upon early release on the Ebook only.
Tickets will be delivered on the night of the launch party with the name given at the point of purchase. This ticket will include tokens for your drink(s), paperback book(s) and wristband sets.
Drink tokens can only be exchanged at the bar for drinks from the pre-selected menu. This selection is subject to change.
Paperback books and wristbands will be delivered in person on the day to the name given at the point of purchase.
Paypal payments of £15 or £30 should be made to:
paypal.me/emi13230
E L Croucher 