About the Book

Book: Chaos Woods, Chronicles of the Ever-Guise, Book I

Author: Scott T. Barnes

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: November 14, 2025

After a thieves’ auction goes wrong, young barmaid Telyn Brower winds up with a shard from a magical mask.

Only one problem: In this world, humans are forbidden to use magic. In fact, they’re the only sentient beings without any innate magical powers.

That doesn’t stop Telyn and her friends from using the mask to improve life in their isolated mountain town of Harlech.

At first, the changes seem small. Helpful. Necessary.

But good intentions only carry them so far.

Soon, lies begin to surface. Trust erodes. With every spell they cast, the mask tightens its grip. The power is seductive, addictive. The consequences are dangerous.

As the subjugation of humans intensifies and enemies draw near, the only way out seems to lie deep in the Chaos Woods—an ancient forest where magic itself bends and frays.

To survive, the friends must face the cost of their choices and decide whether they can truly trust one another.

Discover the young adult fantasy Chaos Woods, rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by IndieReader, and described as “an ambitious, character-driven fantasy.”

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

An afficionado of small towns, forests, and mountains, you can find Scott T. Barnes writing in coffee shops all over Southern California. Scott won the Writers of the Future Award for his story “Insect Sculptor.” His contemporary fantasy, Memories of Lucinda Eco, set in Baja California, received a coveted “Editor’s Pick” from BookLife, while his epic fantasy Chaos Woods earned 4.8 out of 5 stars from IndieReader. Kirkus Reviews called it, “An absorbing, character-driven YA tale of camaraderie and redemption.”

 

 

More from Scott

One of the things that makes the fantasy genre so powerful, so important even, is that it often deals with existential questions, especially life versus death and good versus evil. Many other genres shy away from such question, or pretend that evil is, in fact, “relative.”

However, sharing the same stakes also means that many fantasy tales may come to resemble one another a little too much.

For Chaos Woods, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Given that the main character winds up with a magical mask, it did not take long to realize that the primary stakes of this story would be truth versus lies. This realization made the writing of the story much easier. Conflict and confrontation came easily through the turning of these two poles. This led IndieReader in a 4.8/5-star review to remark, “Scott T. Barnes delivers a richly imagined, character-driven coming-of-age fantasy that balances cozy adventure with thoughtful themes of morality, addiction, and the consequences of one’s choices.”

In addition to unique stakes, there is a lot of me in this tale. I grew up in a gold-mining town, surrounded by fields and live oak stands, and the mountains, forests, and small-town vibe enrich Telyn’s adventures. I hope the reader finds the Chaos Woods a place they want to visit again and again.

Author Interview

• What is your favorite genre of books? Why?

Fantasy has to be number one. I believe the appeal is the sense of wonder, that feeling you get when you step up to the rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time. A great fantasy novel can give you that same feeling while also delivering an action-packed, character-rich story.

• Are you a one project at a time author or do you have multiple projects going at once?

I have discovered that I need to work on one project at a time. When life and deadlines disagree, then I have to put aside project A and give 100% of my attention to project B. Splitting my attention doesn’t work.

• How has your life experience helped in your writing journey?

Everything that you do is fodder for story. While the big things are more obvious: for example, we just returned from a vacation to Iceland—what an otherworldly place full of glaciers, waterfalls, and trolls—the little things are just as important. For example, how did it make you feel when your co-worker claimed that your idea for the new marketing campaign was actually his idea? That feeling of betrayal, that bile in the back of your throat, the memory of how you invited him over to your family barbecue and took him into your confidence because you thought him a friend—that feeling can be mined for the next time one of your fictional characters is betrayed.

• What is the funniest thing to happen in the process of writing one of your books?

The first thing that comes to mind isn’t exactly when I was writing the book, but when I was autographing it. An author I admire, Eric James Stone, bought a copy and asked for an autograph. I was so nervous that I dedicated the book to myself!

• How do you relax after a long day of writing?

It takes me about 20 minutes for my brain to come down from “fiction-land” to reality. During that time, giving coherent answers doesn’t come easily. But, once down, I can easily move onto the next project. No relaxation necessary.

If I have 20 minutes of down time in the evening, I like to watch figure skating or rhythmic gymnastics on YouTube. I don’t care who wins, I just enjoy the beauty of the sports.

• Where do you find your greatest inspiration?

Reading, bien sûr. I keep a giant file of brainstorm ideas which I go through now and then, and I probably get more ideas from nonfiction than fiction.

• Who is your favorite author? Why?

Difficult question, but here is a nearly forgotten one: Robert Enstrom. His novel Encounter Program is in my top five favorite novels of all time, and I happened to grow up near him. (Bob is probably 20 years older than me.) We became Dungeons and Dragons partners. Knowing that this awesome Encounter Program was written by someone I knew and ate chili with made me realize that novels aren’t created by wizards, they are written by regular folks. And I can write one, too!

• Do you have extensive outlines when writing or do you write a book as you go?

I always try to outline the entire novel before starting, but I can never complete it. I get about halfway through when the outline peters out. Then I need to write several chapters of the actual story and discover the characters. Then I can push the outline a few chapters forward. Then I write again, then outline again. When I discovered J.R.R. Tolkien had a similar approach, it was inspiring.

• Do you remember the first book you read? What sort of impact did it make on you?

Probably not, but I certainly remember curling up with various tomes of The Chronicles of Narnia whenever there was a nice thunderstorm and re-reading them multiple times. Thunderstorms are definitely the best time to read! If the electricity dies, reading by candlelight is even better.

• What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

People! I like to write in coffee shops so that I can essentially be alone while simultaneously associating with people. Writing is a lonely business, and it helps me to be around people (and away from the distractions of my house, such as my cats).

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, May 27 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, May 28 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, May 29 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 29

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 30

Fiction Book Lover, May 31 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, June 1 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, June 1

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, June 2 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, June 3

Books, Books, & More Books, June 4 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 5 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, June 6 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, June 7

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, June 8 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, June 9 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Scott is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/E1JY7/chaos-woods-celebration-tour-giveaway