I am so excited that Sing, Goddess! is finally out. I have loved Greek mythology from a very young age. I get my love of books and reading from my mother, and was fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by books, including the illustrated D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths and several volumes of Greek mythology, such as the Anthology of Classical Myth translated from several ancient Greek scholars.

Loving Greek myths as I do, I have always been drawn to tv shows, books, and movies that are based on Greek myths, and I was even able to take a Greek Mythology class in college as one of my electives! (This was especially fun since, as an Art History major, I focused a lot on ancient art and took a lot of other classics classes to integrate with my major.) I was required to take studio art classes as well as art history courses, and I drew on Greek myths for several of my projects. As you can probably guess from the fact that I chose them as the subject for my short story, the myth of Ares and Aphrodite is one of my favorites, and I actually made two different art pieces incorporating them!

When my fellow authors and I at Snowy Wings were working on past anthologies (Magic at Midnight and A Touch of Magic), I kept thinking of how much fun it would be to put together another YA anthology, this time based on Greek mythology. Finally, when I announced that I was putting together Sing, Goddess! I was so excited to see the enthusiasm as people worked on their submissions. (If you want more information on my inspiration for the title, read the foreword in Sing, Goddess! *wink*)

This project has been so much fun to work on. When I was ordering the cover, I had a rough idea of what I wanted it to look like, and Qamber Designs went above and beyond to turn my idea into an absolutely gorgeous cover. Everyone’s short stories are amazing, and I was instantly drawn into each world they created for their story. Even though as we all pulled from the same pool of source material you may see certain Greek gods appear in several of our stories (*cough cough*, Zeus, anyone?) each story is so different, fresh, and imaginative, and it’s so incredible to see everyone’s own take on one figure from the myths.

I hope you will all enjoy Sing, Goddess! as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Sing, Goddess! is available now

About the Author

A voracious reader, Jane Watson has always been a fan of romance, fantasy, adventure and especially happy endings. She received her degree in Art History from the University of Puget Sound where she met many un-tameable dudebros. When she is not writing, Jane works at a museum. She likes to spend her free time doting on her menagerie of pets, riding her bike, crafting, and obsessively shopping for purses. Learn more about Jane at her website.

Aphrodite. Zeus. Medusa. Hercules. You’ve heard their names. You thought you knew their stories… until now.

Lose yourself in this collection of eleven young adult re-imaginings of Greek myths from the authors of Snowy Wings Publishing. From magical kingdoms under the sea to the halls of a modern high school, from Ancient Greece to the distant future, you will find romance, courage, fantasy, danger, and more. With each story bringing a twist on a classic legend, there is something for everyone to enjoy again and again.

Across the ages, the Muses call: SING, GODDESS!

Featuring stories by:

Amy Bearce
Lyssa Chiavari
Sarah Dale
Dorothy Dreyer
Mary Fan
Janina Franck
Jessica Gunn
Leigh Hellman
Amy McNulty
Selenia Paz
Jane Watson

Title: Sing, Goddess! (A Young Adult Anthology of Greek Myth Retellings)
Edited By: Jane Watson
Genre: Young Adult Anthology
Cover Designer: Najla Qamber Designs
Release Date: August 24th, 2021

You can add the anthology to your Goodreads here!

Sylvia here! How much do you adore this gorgeous cover? Leave a comment or fly on over to Instagram and let us know!

Hi, everyone! Jane Watson here. I am very excited today to be joined by one of the main characters of my Dudebro series, a YA Romantic Comedy series based on Shakespeare’s comedies, the Dudebro himself, Kurt Minola!

Kurt: “’Sup! Thanks for having me, Janey.”

Jane: “So, Kurt, why don’t you tell people a little about yourselves?”

Kurt: “Sure thing! Name’s Kurt Minola, I recently graduated from Vista High School in Santa Cruz, California. I love surfing, skateboarding, playing water polo, hanging out with my friends, and spending time with my girlfriend, Grizz.”

Jane: “You and Grizz just started dating recently, is that right?”

Kurt: “Yep! We’ve been going out for a few weeks. We started chillin’ at the beginning of summer, and I realized how crazy I was for her.”

Jane: “How sweet! How’s it been going so far?”

Kurt: “Dude, it’s going great! Grizz is so awesome. We’ve been having a lot of fun. Surfing together, grabbing dinner, going to the Boardwalk… I’m stoked that we won’t have to be long-distance come fall. We’re both going to ASU!”

Jane: “That should be a lot of fun. I notice you’ve started calling her ‘Grizz’…”

Kurt: “Well, yeah, Laney, I mean, that is her preferred nickname. Got to respect my girl. Though she has been letting me get away with calling her Zelly and Rizzy recently. You’ve got to admit, they’re cute, they suit her.”

Jane: “Right. Well, that’s very nice of you, Kurt. Why don’t you tell me more about what you and your friends have been up to this summer?”

Kurt: “My bro, Ben and I have started packing our stuff for college in a few weeks. He’s going to UCLA. We haven’t always been that close, but, we’re twins, you know? I’ll miss him. And he’s been pretty cool recently. Actually, he’s helping me with—uh, I better not say just yet.”

Jane: “I’m intrigued! What else has been going on this summer? Anything new?”

Kurt: “I’ve kept pretty busy! Catching waves, going to parties, but also working a lot. For summer break I got a job at the Merry Mule Coffee Roasters as the mascot, Flute the Mule.”

Jane: *chuckles* “Why don’t you tell us what that’s like?”

Kurt: “It’s a blast! I get to jam to some bumpin’ tunes and people seem to really dig it! Sometimes it makes little kids cry, though, which is too bad. I want to be their friend, you know?”

Jane: “Aww, that’s so sweet! Grizz works at the Merry Mule with you, right?”

Kurt: “Yeah, she’s one of the best baristas! When Obe, our manager, gets too swamped or the weather is too gnarly, I change hats and work the counter as a barista, too. Our co-workers are pretty cool, too. Well, except one Noah in street clothes, Dimitri.”

Jane: “Noah?”

Kurt: “Men in gray suits. Dude. Sharks, Laney.”

Jane: “It’s actually Jane—you know what? Never mind. Anything else you’d like to share?”

Kurt: “Things at work have been a little insane. Obe has the Merry Mule signed up for a local fundraising event, Caffeine with a Dream, where coffee shops compete to raise the most money for a local charity of their choice. If you win, you get the funds doubled to go toward that charity. It’s been a crazy race with Phoenix Cafe. But it’s super important that we win, if we can. We’ve got to save All That Cat—”

Jane: “Wait can you back up for a second, Kurt? What’s this about ‘All That Cat’?”

Kurt: “Oh, it’s the local no-kill cat shelter. It’s a great place. They take in stray cats and give them medical treatments, vaccinations, spay and neutering, the whole deal before they adopt them out. They do a ton. It’s really great for the kitties, too. They aren’t stuck in tiny kennels. Instead they’ve got different rooms with scratching posts, beds, and toys, and they let people come in to play with the cat to see if they get along before they adopt them. That’s where my family got our cat, Marmalade. But they’ve started having financial difficulties since their landlord Is trying to raise their rent.”

Jane: “That’s awful! I hope that everything works out and you can help the shelter!”

Kurt: “Me, too! We’ve been kicking it into high gear, and Grizz has some great ideas, so I hope The Merry Mule can do it, they really need the money.”

Jane: “I hope so, too. Well, Kurt is there anything else you’d like to add before we wrap up the interview?”

Kurt: “Just wanted to say one thing’s for sure, this is going to be one unforgettable summer. Thanks for having me, this has been radical!”

You can read about the (mis)adventures of Kurt, Grizz, Ben, and Patricia in the first two Dudebro installments, THE TAMING OF THE DUDEBRO and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DUDEBRO. TO ERR IS DUDEBRO is coming soon!

The Taming of the Dudebro: Volume 1 is Available Now!

About the Author

A voracious reader, Jane Watson has always been a fan of romance, fantasy, adventure and especially happy endings. She received her degree in Art History from the University of Puget Sound where she met many un-tameable dudebros. When she is not writing, Jane works at a museum. She likes to spend her free time doting on her menagerie of pets, riding her bike, crafting, and obsessively shopping for purses. Learn more about Jane at her website.

1.) How is the color green connected to your book?

Green is connected to “A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro,” because one of the characters, Tuck Robinson has green eyes, and I use them a lot to describe his mischief-making. It’s also related in that there is a lot of jealousy in the book.

2) A leprechaun randomly walks into a scene in your book…who finds it?

This is hilarious. I think it would have to be Kurt. The scene would go something like this:
Kurt: “Dude! There’s a leprechaun! You want some coffee, tiny dude? We’ve got an Irish latte… oh, I’m sorry, did I just insult you? Don’t want to be playing into stereotypes, man.”
Grizz: “What are you doing?”
Kurt: “Oh, hey, Rizzo, there’s a leprechaun… wait, where did he go?”
Grizz backed away slowly. “Obe, I think you’d better call Kurt’s parents—he finally lost it!”
Then I think the leprechaun would put a spell on Kurt so that anything he does or says in front of Grizz goes horribly wrong.

3) They say leprechauns hide gold at the end of a rainbow. Suddenly a pot of gold has been given to your characters-how does this impact/change your story.

If a pot of gold was given to Grizz, she wouldn’t need her summer job to fix her car—that would impact the story a lot. If she didn’t work at Merry Mule Coffee, she wouldn’t meet Dimitri, and she wouldn’t be stuck with Kurt half of the time.

4) If your characters were forced to wear green for the entire length of your book would that make a difference in your story? 

No, the color wouldn’t impact the story, except it might drive Grizz, who is a fashionista, nuts if she was stuck wearing one color all summer long.

5) Green is sometimes connected to envy…are you envious of any of the characters in your book?

I have to say, Kurt’s car, Kahuna, a Pacific Blue Jeep Wrangler Islander (with a lucky tiki on the dash) is my dream car. I definitely envy him that!

6) What’s one awesome thing happening this month in your life?

The cover reveal for the paperback bind-up of “A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro” (including “The Taming of the Dudebro!) is on March 15th, so I’m super excited.

7) Tell us a story about you, won’t you?

I think my kitten has a sixth sense about snow. She started hitting my blinds really early this morning and knocked something over, which woke me up. I decided to humor her by lifting my blinds, and the moment I did, she dive-bombed the window, chattering as she pounced the snowflakes.

8) Have any big news? 

“A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro” is coming out on April 18th. I will be receiving the paperback proof in a couple of weeks!

9.) What’s the last line you wrote?
“If you pardon, we will mend.” (Grizz quoting Shakespeare).

10.) Give a shout out to someone who has been really helpful to you recently.

I’m going to give a shout-out to Lyssa Chiavari, who designed both the e-book and paperback of “A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro.” They look amazing!

Thanks so much to Jane for chatting with us about her book, her kitten, and how her book would be different if there was a surprise pot of gold.

Cover designed by Key of Heart Designs

Title: The Taming of the Dudebro, Volume 1
Author: Jane Watson
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing

This special paperback bind-up includes the first two books of the series, The Taming of the Dudebro and A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro!

In The Taming of the Dudebro, Patricia’s dream is coming true: she is directing her own play, a one-act written by her best friend, Grizz, for the school’s annual Drama Festival. Everything seems to be perfect until her teacher assigns Kurt Minola, the biggest jerk in the school, to work on her play. Kurt is lazy, selfish and irresponsible. The only good thing about him is his attractive twin brother, Ben—but even he can’t seem to change Kurt’s attitude. Kurt’s presence turns Patricia’s dream into a nightmare… until Patricia and Grizz decide to take matters into their own hands, and subject this insufferable surfer-dude to some taming.

Then, in A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro, with the theater festival behind her and graduation around the corner, Grizz Sheridan figured she was done with Kurt Minola. She wants to focus on spending time with her friends and enjoying her last summer before she goes off to college. No such luck now that Kurt’s crushing on her best friend (and his twin brother’s girlfriend), Patricia. It seems like he’s glued to her side no matter where she goes—class, parties, even Prom.

Grizz thinks her luck is changing when she begins working at Merry Mule Coffee Roasters and meets super hottie, Dimitri. That is, until a certain surfer boy starts working there, too—and suddenly seems to have turned his romantic interests elsewhere…

Will Grizz survive the summer?

Add The Taming of the Dudebro, Volume 1 on Goodreads!

Learn more about Jane Watson at her website, janewatsonauthor.com, or visit her on social media: Twitter: @janewatauthor, Instagram: @janewatsonauthor

In order of reveal date:

Life and Death by Selenia Paz

Release date: April 4 (update: this release has been rescheduled! Watch our blog for info about the new release date)
Cover reveal date: March 8
Sign up here!

The Taming of the Dudebro (Paperback) by Jane Watson

Release date: April 18
Cover reveal date: March 15
Sign up here!

Crown of Ice/Scepter of Fire by Vicki L. Weavil

Release dates: May 9 (Crown of Ice) and May 23 (Scepter of Fire)
Cover reveal date: March 22
Sign up here!

Touch of Fondness by Joy Penny

Release date: May 2
Cover reveal date: April 5
Sign up here!

1.) What is one thing your character loves?

Patricia Verona from my “Dudebro” series really loves old movies. Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, and Cary Grant are some of her favorite actors!

2.) What is one thing you love about being an author?

I like being able to do my work anywhere—at a coffee shop, in my backyard, waiting at the doctor’s office—I put Scrivener on my iPhone, so I can work on my books anytime and sync it up to my computer when I’m ready!

3.) Flowers or candy?

Personally, I love candy, especially chocolate. Reeses peanut butter cups are my secret addiction.

4.) If your character were to celebrate Valentine’s Day, what would they do?

I am going to go with Grizz Sheridan from my “Dudebro” series on this one. I think, if she had a date, she would like to go to a movie, and then out to dinner. If she didn’t have a date, she’d get her girlfriends over and have a movie marathon while they do their nails.

5.) What character should win an award for best book boyfriend? What character should win for best book girlfriend?

I think Tommy Sullivan from Meg Cabot’s “Pants on Fire” would take home the best book boyfriend award. He’s loyal and sweet, and really cares about the protagonist and her dreams and talents. I would have to say best book girlfriend/wife is Sophie Hatter Pendragon from Diana Wynne Jones’ “Howl” series. She loves Howl and is good to him, but not only manages to put up with his slitherer-outing and vain ways, but whips him and his habits into shape.

6.) What was the best Valentine’s Day card you ever received?

One time in college, my friends made valentines and taped them to my door—cute pictures of puppies, Disney Princess coloring pages, pom poms and glitter—it was so cute and special! My grandpa had just passed away, so it was really sweet of them to come together and cheer me up.

7.) If we were to give out Valentine’s Day cards this year, what would they say?

I think valentines with our mascot, Sylvia, would be so cute! They could say, “You make my heart soar on snowy wings!”

8.) Do you have anything fun planned this month? 

I’m going to a chocolate-themed tea this month. I can’t wait to taste all of the goodies!

9.) Give us an update on what you’re working on right now. 

I am putting the finishing touches on “A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro,” and have started working on a standalone fantasy novel!

10.) What is your current most-used-word. 

I noticed when writing “The Taming of the Dudebro” that Patricia crossed her arms a lot, so most of those were edited out. As I write some of my other books, I’m seeing words like “wry” and “playfully” pop up a lot. Every author I think goes through phases where a certain word or phrase sticks with them from book to book.

Thanks so much to Jane for joining us this month to chat about her Valentine’s day, what she’s working on right now, and her most used word. We can’t wait to have you back!

Until then,

Thanks for joining us at SWP, where we’re taking the book world by storm!

Today we’re bringing you an exclusive interview from Jane Watson, author of “A Midsummer Night’s Dudebro” (April 2017)

1.) Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?

My New Year’s resolution is to try and get several of my books and series published this year. No matter how busy I am, I am going to make a concerted effort to write every day. I really hope that I can accomplish it!

2.)What would one of your character’s resolutions be? 

I thought it would be cute to have my characters (Kurt and Grizz from my “Dudebro” series) respond for themselves… particularly Kurt, because he’s, well, Kurt.

Well, how about it, Grizz? What’s your New Year’s Resolution?
Grizz: “Okay, I admit that sometimes I can be a little impatient for things to happen, or lose my temper when someone—I mean, some thing gets on my nerves. So, I’m going to try to be more patient in the new year. Even if it’s a little hard when there’s that insufferable surfer-dude around… he’s everywhere I go!”

3.) If you could assign any resolution to that character that you think would help them, what would it be?

Grizz: “Kurt could resolve to be less irritating, thick-headed… you know, Kurt-ish.”

Kurt: “What do you mean? I don’t need help. Resolutions are great, but I already brush my teeth and all that jazz that Mom and Dad put on me when I was little.”

Grizz: “Don’t you think there’s room for improvement? You could be more organized, for starters.”

Kurt: “Ah, come on, Zelda, I don’t think I could get any greater than I am!”

Grizz: *sigh*

4.) How did you celebrate New Year’s? 

I stayed in and watched reruns of my favorite classic shows (Car 54 Where Are You?, Newhart and I Love Lucy, to name a few). I also embellished my new 2017 planner and got to work adding both my job and writing schedule to it.

5.) Would your character be happy having a big party to celebrate or would they prefer a small gathering of close friends?

Grizz would rather have several of her friends over for a small party—watching movies, playing charades, having snacks and cookies. Kurt, on the other hand, would want a big party, with lots of liveliness and music, and a few competitive activities—foosball, ping pong, and holding swimming races if there’s a heated pool.

6.) January tends to be a cold month, are you a fan of cold or warm weather?

I thrive on cold weather. Give me grey skies, crisp air, and rain or snow any time. There’s something inspiring to me about it—I don’t know what it is, really!

7.) When it’s colder out, where is your favorite place to write? 

I like to write with my computer on my lap, especially in my living room on the big velvet couch—I can look out the window and admire the scenery (or the snow!) Plus our living room is filled to the brim with books, so I feel like I’m in a library. A hot beverage is a must—I love coffee, but can only handle so much caffeine, so I will switch off with herbal tea and hot chocolate.

8.) January is a time of new beginnings…are you beginning anything?

I am starting on a new romance novel, plus I began working on a holiday story for my Dudebro series last month. It’s been snowing a lot here, and it has really given me inspiration—it’s too bad it will have to wait so many months to be released!

9.) What is one thing you are looking forward to in January?

I’m looking forward to getting a lot of writing done, hopefully to the view of more snow!

10.) What is your wish for the SWP readers this January? 

I wish that SWP readers will find that perfect book that they have been waiting for this year. I hope that with each book we release, we will be fulfilling someone’s wish—with a story they wanted told, a character that they can relate to, or a new world they were dying to dive into.

Thanks so much to Jane Watson for joining us this month to chat about her New Years plans, the cold weather, and her wish for our readers. We can’t wait to have you back!

Until then,

Thanks for joining us at SWP, where we’re taking the book world by storm!

Snowy Wings Publishing will be releasing A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DUDEBRO, the second installment and first full-length novel of THE TAMING OF THE DUDEBRO series, a YA/NA hybrid contemporary romance by Jane Watson, in April 2017. The series follows the hilarious misadventures of aspiring playwright Patricia Verona and her best friend Grizz Sheridan as they try to tame an incorrigible surfer-dude, graduate high school and navigate the new world of college. Additionally, SWP will be releasing a paperback bind-up of the first two installments of the series, THE TAMING OF THE DUDEBRO (a novella originally published in the 2015 anthology Perchance to Dream) and its sequel A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DUDEBRO, also in April 2017.

The first installment of the series, “The Taming of the Dudebro,” was a fan-favorite when it was first released in 2015, and we are so excited to see the series continue as part of the SWP family. Please join us in welcoming Jane to the team!