Tina Glasneck, USA Today Bestselling Author

Enter the story world of dragons, magic, and romantasy

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Understanding Urban Fantasy Fiction & the Importance of Diversity

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What if magic existed, as well as the supernatural and paranormal, only hidden?

Welcome to Urban Fantasy, a genre that has it all.

When I say Urban Fantasy, you might think of The Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill or the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. It’s where the supernatural is real, in the shadows, and fantasy collides with a contemporary setting.

Urban Fantasy, though, also offers so much more.

What is Urban Fantasy?

But first, what is Urban Fantasy?

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in a contemporary, urban setting. This type of fiction often features supernatural elements, such as vampires, werewolves, and other creatures hidden among the human population. The stories often revolve around the conflict between these supernatural beings and humans and may explore themes of good vs. evil, the supernatural in everyday life, and the power of belief.

Diversity in Urban Fantasy

I like to think of it as we find the magic into “the every day,” along with the problems of what it might mean if that secret is revealed to the mass population. Although Urban Fantasy is similar to paranormal romance, paranormal romance focuses on the romance of the couple, while Urban Fantasy spotlights more of the mystery, suspense, and horror elements of the genre.

Representation Matters

Representation in fiction is important, as we all wish to see ourselves in the worlds we read about.

I choose to write diverse characters, as the characters that come forth often appear as a part of my life. It is me, seeing myself as a black woman in an urban setting with magic being real and everything possible. Sure, in fiction, this evil can be metaphorical, but writing urban fantasy also gives me the power to come up with applicable solutions to defeat a big bad in a book that might not be as conquered in my reality.

I write a world in which I am a part, one that is filled with diverse and interesting characters.

Diversity is not a monolith

No culture or people group is a monolith. I write from my experiences, my joy, and my happiness. You might even say, it’s my divine magical spark. Life peppers my fiction (but fiction the stories remain).

There is another reason that diversity is so important. It allows readers an opportunity to see also themselves, their worldviews, and their experiences reflected in the stories they read. Even more, we can learn about others by reading stories outside our everyday purview. Therefore, such reading can also help to broaden readers’ understanding of the world and promote empathy and understanding. When diverse characters are included in urban fantasy stories, it can add depth and richness to the narrative and make the story more relatable and engaging for a wider range of readers.

Urban Fantasy casts spells on us daily. Through those tales, we find magic, conjure up a bit of magic, and come to terms with ways to defeat the threat of evil. We can take strength. We hold onto the beauty of these tales, the passions they stir, and the calls to an adventure we hear. Through the lessons, we learn to live authentically, never cowering to the threat of evil in this reality, even if we can’t all be drafted into a werewolf v. vampire war.

For Authors

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Hi, I'm USA Today best selling author Tina Glasneck.

If you are anything like me, then you know that there is never enough time in the day to do it all! As writers we have to write, market, engage with our readers, and that often means finding time to search for graphic to use for marketing, in our reader groups, and helping to build community with our readers. It can take hours to find that perfect image.

But what if there was a way to save you time, and all you'd have to do would be to personalize the image for your needs?

Now there is with my Social Media Templates.

SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATES

I created these sets, at first, to help myself. My thought was if I created templates, then I'd be able to plug and play easily. No more spending hours searching for "just the right" image. Even more, I wouldn't have to wonder about what I should be posting. Instead, I'd have it all there, ready.

Then the idea hit. Well, if I need this help, maybe some of my dear author friends do too.

 

And that is how I came up with this wonderful idea to create these bundles. Each one is different. The multi-genre pack includes several genres, including general templates, as well as special holiday bonus templates.

 

The Steamy Contemporary Set is all about steam and innuendo! And I'm sure if you write steam, these will hit that spot!!

 

Lastly, when it comes to celebrating black love, it is hard to find images. It is like pulling teeth, but NO MORE! The Black Love bundle includes over 100 images that feature black couples and black men for that much-needed man-chests look we often need for our promos.

 

I hope you will give these a try while they are on special.

 

If you have a genre/niche you'd like me to create a bundle for, let me know, and I will add it to the list of forthcoming sets.

 

Now, instead of spending hours searching, you'll do what you want to do -- get back to writing. Yes, I did all of the searching and all you will need to do is plug in your book cover, your tagline/hook, and your social media handle!

BLACK LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
100+ IMAGES

Do you write Black Love romance? Are you tired of spending valuable time searching for images to use on your social media but coming up with only a handful of useful pictures? Save time and money with this done-for-you African American Romance Social Media Template pack!
These are designed to be used with CANVA Pro.

Learn more

STEAMY ROMANCE SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
100+ IMAGES

Do you write steamy romance? Are you tired of taking up valuable time searching for images to use on your social media? Save time and money with this done-for-you Steamy Romance Social Media Template pack!

These are designed to be used with CANVA Pro.

Learn more. 

MULTI-GENRE SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
100+ IMAGES

Save time and money with this done-for-you Social Media Template pack created with the multi-genre author in mind or for those who wanted to test out the templates without specializing in one niche.

Yes, it's time to make your life easier by creating social media graphics that not only highlight your book, message, and genre but also will help you have more time to get other things done.

These are designed to be used with CANVA Pro.

Learn more

Darkest of Dreams Anthology!

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I’m so happy to share that The Darkest of Dreams anthology (a horror cryptid anthology) received the coveted Projects We love badge!!!

This is huge, and we’re so happy that you are jumping in to support this supernatural horror anthology (think more Stephen King than Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

So, are you using Kickstarter? Are you aware of what it is?

Kickstarter is a funding platform that helps creative projects get “started” and off the ground. 

For publishing, Kickstarter is another way for independent and small press authors to gear up their releases, but also a way to offer an entire experience around their books.

There are tons of ways that you can support a Kickstarter campaign, too, from backing the project to even just sharing about it with your circle of friends. With the holiday season approaching, Kickstarter will be a great way to find one-of-a-kind gifts for those on your list too. 

Thank you for believing in this project! We’re in the final 6 days of this Kickstarter campaign and are closing in on $10k for this anthology. We are ecstatic about the massive outpouring of support that we’ve received. Thank you so very much!

Now is your chance to back so you can get in on these wonderful creature art prints. Yes! Here is a preview of the art being created for the Darkest of Dreams for a stretch goal. Aren’t these wonderful? There will be 17 of them too! 

When you support authors, it doesn’t just help us but also the great creatives we collaborate with to create content. Physical art prints mean you can also have a collectible connected to this limited campaign. So, don’t miss your chance for a unique gift for the holiday season and your personal collection! Learn more and go back the campaign!

A Vampire’s Blessing

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A Vampire's Blessing
Blurb

Unicorns, vampires, and obscure legends…oh, my!

Leslie Love is adjusting to vampire life, but when she receives an invitation to attend a writer's conference in Scotland, she's gung-ho to get back to normal. Whatever that is now.

But normal isn't getting caught in a territory run by a Fae prince where nothing is as it seems. She should just walk away.
Trouble is she can't.

Someone is hunting unicorns. And Leslie learns that their blood, considered a delicacy in the supernatural world, is so rich, pure, and magical that it can cure any ailment, including restoring life to the undead. Like her...

Dare she attempt to change her new normal for the old life she longs to have back? Or is there more to the legend than meets her undead eye? Action, suspense, and fantastical mystery converge in this True Blood meets The Last Unicorn Urban Fantasy mashup.

Why this book?

Since Zero Hour, the prequel tale, Unicorns have been in the background of the Order of the Dragon world.

Unicorns and vampires have been warring for as long as anyone can remember. The unicorns are noble, sworn to protect mortals from harm. The vampires are a treacherous and evil race, hell-bent on enslaving humans for their dark purposes. For centuries, the two sides have fought each other to a standstill. But now, the unicorns are in retreat, and the vampires are on the march. Unless something is done, vampires will drive the unicorns into extinction, and the vampires will rule the world...

That is part of why the Order is so important. The organization ensures continued safety for its members and that the vampires, who’ve proven to be primarily diabolical, don’t drive the unicorn to extinction. 

It is a battle against time and opportunity.

That’s why we should care about unicorns and vampires: they’re our last hope against a dark future.

A future the Order wants to keep on track despite maleficent attempts.

And Leslie? For Leslie, she might be a vampire (one created from dragon blood, according to the Norse tradition of the Draugr, and she still has that sense of duty, to use her newfound “gift” to help others...to be a light when darkness is all around.

I applaud Leslie and her delightful way of ensuring we don’t allow the darkness around us to snuff out our light. And that is why it was time for me to re-release this story (it was initially released as a part of the Love and Legends anthology). When things go dark, it doesn’t mean we have to give up and allow that darkness to define who we are. Our actions define that for us.

Where to Find it!

Rate and like it on BookBub

Add it to your bookshelf on Goodreads

Audiobooks bring accessibility

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Making books accessible has been on my mind, and with so many different formats – ebooks, print, and audiobooks, I knew something had to change…

and I’m so happy finally to share the great news!!!

This month, I’ve been thinking about accessibility, especially when we feel so alone and have so many things happening.

Image of woman with headphones
Audiobooks provide inclusion and are a new way to read my books!


So, after much thought and figuring out the how, I came up with my solution: Audiobooks.

Not just one audiobook, but getting them all done so that people can read with print, ebook, or even listening. 

It will allow you to journey with me whenever and wherever you are. 

So, with that in mind, I’ve uploaded the first full audiobook on Youtube to give readers a chance to enter this magnificent world.

I have several available for sale- both with human narration and those created with AI. The AI is very well done for google, and I think it will be a game changer in accessibility and inclusiveness.

And to get you started, I’m offering the first one, Hellbent, for free on Youtube for August! I love how AI-generated storytelling has improved over the years, too.

Hellbent is a Norse-mythology inspired fantasy.

What happens when Thor, the Norse god of Thunder, pulls me out of my mundane life by claiming me as the Chosen One? Find out in Hellbent!

Listen to Hellbent on Youtube for FREE!

View the audiobooks page to see which audiobooks are now available for your reading pleasure!