About Laura Winter
Laura Winter is a romantic fantasy author obsessed with found family, sassy female main characters, and pointy objects. When she’s not acting out her fight scenes, she is wrangling a new baby or hiding under her desk for some fantasy smut reading in peace and quiet.
Laura writes books featuring queer representation and she is passionate about that representation being positive and normalized.
The Blade of Severed Bonds
A blade, a bargain, and a curse.Adrienne wants nothing more than to hone her skills in the forge, find an apprenticeship, and save enough to one day study her magic at the shadow temple. She’s worked tirelessly to complete the sword that will be her ticket out of Calcheth and the oppression of Lord Irazin.
Until that blade is taken from her.
Every month, Irazin steals from his people in order to lay an offering to the shadow wolf that stalks their streets, but Adrienne refuses to lose her greatest achievement. Armed with nothing but stubborn determination, she braves the night to steal back her sword.
Only to find someone else is there stealing it first.
If she wants it back, she’ll have to make a deal. Can she trust this stranger's offer of protection, or will she trade one tyrant for another?
A loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, TBOSB is a short romantasy novella featuring a dyslexic, plus-size heroine and despite having some dark elements, ends with a HEA. This is part of the larger Smoke and Shadow world but is not required to understand the series.
**Please note that TBOSB is collection of 5 stories (2 contained stories, 3 deleted scenes). They can each exist on their own, but knowing the characters in the last 4 stories can enhance the reading experience. The Curse of Broken Shadows and The Wings of Shattered Fire are books one and two in the Smoke and Shadow world.
Content Warnings- The Blade of Severed Bonds: dyslexic main character, FMC is taunted as unintelligent and fat (not by MMC), forced marriage / marriage of convenience, passing mention of using sex for money (consensual), some blood and sword fighting, leadership holding town hostage for wealth, mild language
- Short stories and deleted scenes: alcohol, mentions of sex, sexual content (all consensual between MCs), FFM polyamorous scene, rough sex (consensual), mentions of past abuse (not by MCs)
Review Requirements:
- Can post on social media or review site by February 29 (release day)
- Will read and review on GR or Amazon NO LATER THAN March 15
- Have left a review in the past 3 months of a romantasy book on GR, Amazon, or StoryGraph
- Have a bookstagram/booktok account where you have posted at least one romantasy book in the past 3 months (no audience requirement)
- Automatic acceptance: Have reviewed The Curse of Broken Shadows or The Wings of Shattered Fire on Goodreads or Amazon
If you have any questions, you can reach Laura via:
IG: @authorlaurawinter
Email: author.laurawinter@gmail.com
Website: https://www.laura-winter.com/
You can also reach Laura's assistant, Alyssa via:
IG: @catsandbookstacks
Email: catsandbookstacks@gmail.com
