Hello, my name is Katie Zaber. I’m a fantasy author, a caregiver to my grandparents, and own an Etsy Sticker store. My life is a disorganized mess on a good day and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps me on my toes. Thank God one of my skills is balancing.
I thrive in chaos and procrastinate to the last minute with everything. (Ask my editor and personal assistant, I drive them nuts.) When I have free time—which is rare—I’m on the beach, no matter the time of year. No, I’m not crazy, I just love the beach. Every winter, I’m queen of the beach. No one fights with me for a perfect view. I don’t hear other people’s music. No kids screaming. The only sound is the waves crashing onto the shore, drowning out the abundant wildlife that hides during the busy summer months. All I need is a warm coat, a thermos full of hot chocolate, a blanket, and a camp chair for extra warmth and comfort.
At home, my happy spot is in the kitchen, baking and making country wine. I love to eat and drink anything sweet. My partner is the cook in our home and I must say, I wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s not fond of my extra-crispy-charcoal-flavor meals, and I love his amazing palate.
My author journey has been accidental. I was hurt while working at my office job. Those filing boxes are heavier than they look. Trust me. I moved a room full of them for a week and thought I had only pulled a muscle in my shoulder and neck, but that wasn’t the case. I needed three surgeries and years of physical therapy.
My whole life, I’ve been an avid reader. At one point during my recovery, I couldn’t find a book that interested me. So, I jotted down a dream, which was about ten chapters long. It was complete crap. Truly, it was awful. However, as I edited the first draft, I was inspired. I killed some characters, changed and added to the world building, and six drafts later, I ended up with my first book, Ashes and Blood.
I love writing fantasy stories from a nobody or an average person’s perspective. A character whose identity is a mystery, along with what powers they may manifest, how to fight, who their enemy is, or how to prepare for the chaos that’s about to envelop their lives. I love turning characters’ lives upside down and giving them almost impossible challenges to overcome. It brings out the best and worst in them, pushing them to become more than who they were, while making them more relatable and interesting.
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Title Ashes and Blood
Author Katie Zaber
Genre Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
Book Blurb
You can travel the same path countless times, but it can sometimes lead to another realm.
A mystical tree captures the attention of Megan and her friends, morphing the surrounding environment, transferring them to an exotic planet with bloodthirsty creatures. Saved from the deadly beasts by hunters, Megan finds herself stuck in a rural town still maimed by the plague. A chance encounter with a familiar face gives Megan and her friends some security during their adjustment to this new world.
While settling into promising lives, they are stalked and attacked by planet Dalya's humanoid inhabitants, who focus solely on Megan. One dark night, after a magical attack, the Fae King's knight is sent to fetch Megan for a reason she can't possibly guess. When she wakes up a prisoner, she learns that there is much more to this strange place, and it's oddly more like home than she ever would have expected.
The more Megan learns about the strange world of Dalya, the more she realizes, finding a way home is insignificant compared to everything else at stake.
Excerpt
It gives me chills to stand in front of the forest that morphed in front of my very eyes. I’m hesitant to walk through the tree line and down the path. The last time I walked down a path for leisure was a week ago. We had planned a picnic. Something simple, always easy to organize and do. It wasn’t hard planning our walk to Brynjar’s cabin today. What could go wrong?
I try hard not to think of all the possible outcomes—from returning to Earth to traveling to a completely new world.
Sarah and Dana were able to walk by without stopping to take notice or reflect. Ciara paused for a moment and then smiled gleefully, saying she had a good feeling.
I don’t. I feel dizzy, angry, and like I need to vomit. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to go into the woods that changed my life, I don’t want to meet Brynjar, and I don’t want to go back where it all started.
I don’t.
Dana turns around and shrugs, jogging to the spot where my feet have rooted themselves.
“Come on. We are all together. If it happens again, we’ll go together,” Dana says, grabbing my hand to pull me along.
All I can do is nod.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Author Biography
Katie Zaber is originally from Southern New Jersey. Her childhood home is just minutes from the Long Beach Island Bridge. When not writing, Katie can be found at wineries, sunbathing at the beach, going for hikes, screaming at Six Flags, reading, or in her favorite place, her kitchen, baking desserts, breads, and making wine. She currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey, with her boyfriend.
Social Media Links
Website- https://zaberbooks.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dalyaseries
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Zaberbooks
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zaberbooks/
Title What to Expect When You’re Expecting Something Different
Author Katie Zaber
Genre Paranormal, Women’s Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Book Blurb
It’s weird how every woman reacts differently. How each pregnancy differs.
Mine is definitely unique.
My sense of smell became stronger, picking up the faintest odors, and my stomach was in constant turmoil. Those were the first signs.
And then I started eating. And eating. If I don’t, I get a migraine and people’s faces become blurry. Electronics seem to malfunction in my presence. And the nightmares—they don’t stop.
Something is changing my body.
Something that should have never happened.
Something that my husband and I had prevented from happening.
Something people say is miraculous.
The bigger I get, the more frequently I encounter people who become possessed. And the more often I wind up questioning if I am carrying a miracle baby.
The closer I get to the due date, the more I love this child and the more confident I am that I will protect my baby from anything.
Even its fate.
DNA Demons N Angels contains violence, swearing, and sex scenes.
Excerpt
The office has a homey feel instead of the normal sterile environment I’ve been experiencing since my first doctor’s appointment.
This isn’t the room where the doctor examines me. This is the room where they tell me the bad news. Grieve with me and give me counsel.
My fingers curl under the blue tank top I have on and press against the little bump. Will you make it past the orange phase? Will you grow any bigger? Or will you become a bittersweet memory?
“Good morning. How are you feeling today?” Doctor I-have-forgotten-her-name-because-I’ve-seen-too-many-doctors, walks into her office, closes the door for privacy, and struts to her desk, holding a forbidden cup of decadent caffeinated coffee.
I inhale and savor the flavor lingering in the air. “That caffeine smells good.”
“I’m sure it does,” she says with a chuckle, sitting behind her desk, eyeing me behind her mug, questioning if I’ve been sneaking caffeinated beverages, crippling my child even more. “I have all your test results. Before I continue, would you like to know the sex?”
“No, I want it to be a surprise.” Like everything else has been, it seems more fitting. “How bad is it? What disease does it have?”
She bites her lip and tilts her head, placing her mug on the desk. “Not a disease. No. But your child is different.”
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