Elite Reads: Of Blood & Stone by AJ Braun

January 9, 2025: Elite Reads
😃   Subscribe for Weekly Posts:
We're excited to announce the release of AJ Braun's debut novel, Of Blood & Stone! This adult stand-alone romantasy novel features magic with consequences, reluctant allies-to-lovers, and a dangerous quest that will have you biting your fingernails all the way until the end.
Check out their compelling novel here, and keep reading to learn more about Of Blood & Stone and AJ.
Book cover
Favored by her goddess, Sylzenya must use her divine magic to keep her kingdom’s lands fertile and stave off the famine sweeping the continent. But when her father poisons her and renders her powerless, Sylzenya seeks out her goddess who graces her with a vision: find the mythical healing willow, or lose her power and people forever.
Elnok knows nothing but thievery and the pain of hunger. But when his friend contracts the plague sweeping the land, the only option is one he swore he’d never take —accept aid from his abusive brother and travel to a kingdom rumored to carry a healing tree.
Sylzenya is just as unimpressed with Elnok’s roguish nature as he is with her piousness, but they have no choice than to forge an unlikely alliance to accomplish their goal. But when they uncover the nefarious plans of an evil, ancient god, Sylzenya and Elnok must race against time — and their growing feelings — to find the goddess’ willow…
…or else risk the extinction of humanity.

About the Author:

AJ is a Fantasy & Romance author who currently resides in the beautiful PNW. If they aren't sitting at their desk and pouring into their current manuscript, you can also find them reading, hanging out with their family and friends, playing sports, or playing Dungeons & Dragons. AJ thrives off of finding both the humor and depth in life and always looking to advocate for others in whatever capacity is available.
Book cover
Congratulations on your debut, AJ, Of Blood & Stone is a novel to be proud of! Your hard work and determination set an example for all, and we're honored to be a part of your writing journey. We know this is just the first of many excellent stories, and can't wait to see what you write next.
While we're here, we can't help but mention that AJ found Bardsy through a First Chapter Anthology contest! Not only will you receive editorial feedback on your first chapter and have a shot at $$ and publication, but you might also find that—like AJ—the Bardsy community is a good fit for you. Check out our current anthology contest here: here
TO DO SCRATCHPAD PRIVATE JOURNAL TRACKING Update Assessment
CLICK A TAB TO USE WILL.POWER

TO DO LIST:
Add tasks to your sortable list, then revel in checking them off.

SCRATCHPAD:
Cache your gems as they fall in this always accessible place.

PRIVATE JOURNAL:
Reflect on your process — good, bad and ugly — in your dated diary.

TRACKING:
Measure your progress with key writing metrics, automatically,
ADD DO
Show Dones
Metric:
Words
Minutes
ADD
Click anywhere to close