Welcome to the second month of Escapism Entertainment's blog, and boy, do we have a BUSY month in store for you.

First up, we've got YOUTUBE VIDEOS. These lists will be updated as new videos come out, so be sure to check back in after a few days!

MARIA'S CHANNEL

June 2025 Channel Update - Let's talk about our May 2025 achievements and set goals going forward.

Fields of Mistria Episode 6: You Voted I'm Crafting it! See Also: Skilling Up Like a Boss - Remember that poll Maria put out where nothing at all could go wrong? Well, you proved her wrong. Thank you for helping her choose the one tool upgrade that wouldn't progress the storyline faster. She's not angry about it at all.

Let's Play Fields of Mistria Episode 7: The Town Gopher - If this were an episode of Friends, it would be titled, "The one with all the fetch quests!"

How Much Did I Spend Publishing My Book Be Still My Undying Heart - This title may sound familiar. If it does, that's because it's also the title of our newsletter this week! Here Maria goes, repurposing like a boss. Let's go, baby!

Let's Play Fields of Mistria Episode 8: Breath of Spring - Celine arrives at our front door with a task for us one morning. Of course, we take on the challenge!

Let's Play Fields of Mistria Episode 9: All the Renown - In this episode, we try to collect more Breath of Spring, but we also finish a lot of quests! Time to collect ALL THE RENOWN.

Book Review: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown - This book literally changed Maria's life and made her want to write something "worth a damn." Watch to learn more!

JOHN'S CHANNEL

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 02 - John has been playing Skyrim for the first time. Yes, you know that game that came out in 2011? He was overseas in the army when it released. Now, he gets to play it for the first time.

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 03 - John has accelerated his Skyrim posting schedule. Otherwise, "I will be posting this game for over a year." His words, not mine.

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025 Part 04 - You guessed it... we've got another episode coming at you.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Episode 01 - Alright, I admit, yours truly doesn't know how to caption this one. It's a first episode. It grossed me out. John told me it gets better after this episode.

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025 Part 05 - Look, I'm going to have to write 30 of these because the crazy man decided to upload 30+ videos in a 30 day month. Just get used to disappointing descriptions.

In Alleycat We Trust Low MMR (5-5.8k) Hearthstone Battlegrounds - Just like John's username implies, he tends to lose 50/50's, but he does still sometimes win games. He hasn't become one of those rage gamers that you see on the internet yet, so that's a plus. Thankfully, his controllers are safe... for now.

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025 Part 06 - Alright, John has decided that he doesn't want to post multiple videos in a day (respect). So you might not get 30 of my epic descriptions (for shame).

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Episode 02 - Alright, the author of this blog ain't going to lie... that first episode of Avalon had major ick factor for me, but it does get better in this episode. Maybe I can convince John to write a bit about this game later... Maybe.

Let's Play Skyrim A Blind Playthrough in 2025 Part 07 - As I type this, I am still watching episode 6 and John FINALLY figured out how to access magic. XD.

Chenvaala It's Either 1st or 8th - Low MMR (5-5.8k) Hearthstone Battlegrounds - Maaaan, I just got finished watching this, and when the steamroll starts, it hits hard.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 08 - [Insert 1000 yard stare here] There be dragons in that city.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 03 - John is at it again, making me cackle at his dry humor in under 1 minute of video. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 09 - John decided to roll back on doing a Skyrim video every day. You can expect a video 3-4 times a week. And yes, he's still out there murder hoboing instead of moving the story forward... LOL.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 10 - Will John ever move the story forward? At the beginning of this episode, he says he plans to. If you don't watch, you may never know.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 04 - I'm not going to lie, the words are not with me today, but you can blame me for what John does in this episode! Sorry not sorry. <3

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 11 - Look, I'm an author. Writing is my thing, not writing copy for a website. It's more Skyrim. John was hilarious in this one... FOR THE BUN-BUN!

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 12 - John FINALLY goes to talk to the Graybeards... I'm pretty sure he's allergic to moving the story forward. LOL.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 13 - Will John face his first death in Skyrim? Will he remember how to use magic? And will he consider once again progressing the storyline? Find out next time on Skyrim-ball Z...

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 05 - Well, well, well, John's trying to not use the magic he said he would use... I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 06 - FOR THE PLOT!!! Ahem... John finds himself in a target rich environment for quests.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 14 - Murder... Mayhem... Air... Fire... Only the Avatar could control all four elements, but when the world needed him to follow the plot most, John disappeared....

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 15 - Happy Friday drop to you! Relax and enjoy.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 08 - I scream, you scream, we all scream... For loot!

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 16 - Hi Folks! It's been a whirlwind of a few days since I watched this episode and I have no memory of this place. LOL. Safe to assume that John gets distracted by a side quest and doesn't continue the main storyline.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 17 - A.K.A... WHERE IS SHE?!?!?!

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 09 - I feel like if this one were a Friends episode it would be titled: The One with Non-Stop fighting.

All We Have is 2HP and a Dream Low MMR (5-5.8k) Hearthstone Battlegrounds - I feel like John's title says it all with this one. 10/10, no notes.

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 18 - Okay, look... I learned my lesson about thinking that I could come up with a different, fun, "cute" description each time John dropped a video. The fact is that I'm really not that clever. Next month, I'm just going to drop the links for these. Sorry in advance for my lack of creativity on this one.

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 10

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 19

Let's Play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon! Episode 11

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 20

Let's Play Skyrim! A Blind Playthrough in 2025?? Part 21

Second, we have NEWSLETTERS. These are currently going out weekly to help build hype for Maria's upcoming release, Be Still my Undying Heart.

Real Indie Author Royalties - In our June 1st newsletter, I talk about how book royalties work and share my actual sales numbers and royalties. This will be a recurring segment in my newsletters going forward.

The "What's Next" Phase - Maria's June 8th new sletter talks about her plotting her next book. Be sure to look for the next update here, and don't forget to subscribe!

How Much Did I Spend On My New Release? - In this week's newsletter, we talk marketing, editing, cover design and more. What really goes into publishing a book, and how much does it cost when you're trying to keep costs low?

Book Review: The Book of Doors - This book honestly changed my life. Read all about it while I ramble on and try to explain why this book resonated so strongly with me.

Monthly Updates and Real Indie Author Royalties Part 2 - This one is a more "traditional" newsletter, but here's our second Indie Author Royalties update as well!

See you next month!

Third, we have BOOK PROMOS. These links are time-sensitive and labelled with deactivation dates where possible.

In the author world, promoting your novels is a difficult thing. If you post anything about your books on social media and it even smells of self-promotion, your algorithm gets throttled unless you pay to get views and potential clicks, which usually don't earn out on the investment. So, authors band together and share each others books in newsletter swaps and cross promotions in hopes of getting similarly interested reader's eyes on their book. I admit, my mailing list is small (about 100 people). I plan to do a post about that sometime, but I'll save that for my new, shiny Substack. Let's get to the links, shall we?

Paranormal Soulmates Romance - Demons, witches, vampires, oh my! If it's got paranormal creatures and soulmates, you'll find it in this promo. (6/30/2025)

Wizard's Bunker - Only a daring heist will save them. Aaliyah is the most powerful psychic alive, strong enough to twist the fabric of space time. But even Aaliyah is caught wrong-footed when powerful sorcerers of the Society of the Golden Mean are killed simultaneously by mysterious supernatural assassinations. (6/30/2025)

June Short Reads - All books in this group are 20,000 words or less. It can be hard to tell a whole story with a beginning, middle, and end in so few years, but these indies have mastered the art of the short story. (6/30/2025)

Escape, Lake of Sins Book 1 - Trinity risks everything to venture beyond the encampment to try and find her friend. When she’s hunted from land and sea, surrender is her only option, but which enemy should she choose? (6/5/2025)

Coyote - Coyote is an action-packed standalone cartel, kidnapped, romantic suspense novel containing dark themes. (6/2/2025)

Dark Fantasy and Sci-Fi Readers Bundle - Looking for more dark fantasy books to tickle your fancy? We've found an amazing selection of books from indie authors for you to choose from. (Ends 6/23/2025)

Asterius & Thesius Walk Into the Light - In the heroic age, man lives under the shadow of imperial ambitions, both past and present. The perfect gods reign openly, and none dare question their motives, in fear of their wrath. Seeking power, Minos, an empire of man, has built a temple to the perfect darkness, and seeks to use it for an unspeakable purpose... (Ends 6/25/2025)

All Genre Audiobook Extravaganza - Love audiobooks? Look no further! (7/31/2025)

Sound of Stories Audiobook Fair - Find your next bingeable listen here. (6/30/2025)

Myth, Legends, and Fairy Tales - This is your one stop shop for all things mythological or legendary. (6/30/2025)

Romantasy Summer Magic Ball - All books contained within contain magic and fantasy of some kind, even if they are set in the real world. (6/30/2025)

Dark Romance Bargains - Love dark romance and cheap books? All books contained within are $2.99 or less. (6/30/2025)

Fated Mates and Magical Connections - Soulmate romance is a trope that will never die. Come read different takes on it from these fabulous authors. (6/6/2025 - 6/27/2025)

Be Transported by Great Stories - Find clean historical and literary fiction picks here. (6/30/2025)

Whispers of Historical Mysteries and Romance - Looking for historical romance and mystery books. Check out these book deals! (6/30/2025)

Coming Soon Preorder Event - These future best selle rs aren't out yet. Buy yours and get in on the ground floor, so you can say you read it before it was popular. (6/30/2025)

Support Indie Authors in 2025 - When you support indie boo ks, you are supporting somebody's family directly. You not only help put food on our tables, but help feed the dream that one day we can choose our own fates and write for a living. (6/30/2025)

Shadowy Summer Secrets - Looking for dark pa ranormal and fantasy romance? These books are either $.99, free, or on Kindle Unlimited. (6/30/2025)

Immortalis - Find yo ur must-read vampire romance here. (6/30/2025)

Low-to-No Spice Romantasy, UF Romance, & PNR - Love your romance without on the page intercourse? You'll love these books. (6/30/2025)

Vampires and Shifters Sale - Love books where the hero or heroine is a vampire or werewolf? Look no further. (6/30/2025)

Spellbound and Sunkissed - Pick up these magical books for your next beach read this summer! (7/1/2025)

Some Promises Come with Chains - Promises can be a blessing and a curse. These books explore the fine line promises walk on. (6/2/2025 - 6/30/2025)

He Saved Me from the Fire - These books feature a character that needs rescuing. (6/7/2025 - 6/25/2025)

Villainous Love - Do you ever find yourself swooning over the villain? This is your chance to scoop up some amazing reads. (6/11/2025 - 6/30/2025)

In Love with the Villain - Bad boys, mafia, and dark romance. Need I say more? (6/15/2025 - 6/30/2025)

Free Discounted or $.99 Sales - This curated list of dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and gothic romance features cheap books you can scoop up by the bucket load.

Over My Undead Body - When I land in the wrong world as a ghost, I think nothing can be worse. Koschei, the god of the dead, proves me wrong the moment he appears and drags me into his kingdom. (7/6/2025)

Remotely Love - Like so many love stories, they met on the job. Unlike most of those stories, they had never been in the same room. (7/13/2025)

Antiques to Die For - Cats, haikus and cadavers—amateur sleuth Lola didn’t expect that her new inheritance would come with such killer poetry. (7/20/2025)

The Fae's Heritage - Orphaned at a young age, Ruby knows nothing about her family. She hires a professional genealogist to help her investigate. Silas teaches at the local college and runs a genealogy business on the side. He has no interest in a relationship yet feels an undeniable attraction to Ruby. In his investigations, Silas discovers Ruby’s grandfather is Alwyn, a Fae prince. This means Ruby is a Quarter-Fae princess. Furthermore, Ruby inherited her grandfather’s gift of foresight. (7/5/2025)

Stolen Hearts: A Small Town Opposites Attract Romance - Opinionated, rebellious, and a tad disorganized, teacher Ember Donner-Mills never imagined herself stuck in the stifling confines of a JoyMart office. But here she is, waiting not for a truant student, but for her own reckoning. Caught shoplifting, Ember's facing a one-way ticket to jail. Enter Officer Jacob Jones, as tough as the concrete he walks on. Will he be the force that straightens out Ember's crooked path, or will she lead him astray with her fiery charm? (7/22/2025)

Shadows and Roses - Called the Prince of the Night, Castien hasn't met an aristocrat that he can't bend to his will. His next target — Her Cruel Majesty, Queen Anais — will be no exception. But he's not just after a night of pleasure. The sadistic Queen and her court are everything that is wrong with the world. A rebellion lurks in the abused populace, and Castien has a vital role to play. In this deadly game of seduction, he must slip into Anais' heart and steal her secrets — secrets that will give rebellion a chance to destroy the throne. (7/22/2025)

Velvet Vendetta - I went to the Velvet Lounge to celebrate my 21st birthday, and escape my father’s iron grip. He secretly betrothed me to his client’s son… Now I’m expected to marry him on my birthday!(7/29/2025)

A Throne of Claws and Shadows - Elizabeth faces an impossible reality in the mystical realm of Anima, where beast-spirits rule and power flows through ancient rites. Torn from her world and chosen as a sacrificial 'pure one,' she's saved by the intervention of King Theros - only to find herself thrust into the role of queen. As she struggles to adapt to the savage customs of her new home, Elizabeth discovers that Theros is no stranger; their paths crossed in her world years ago. But their growing connection faces fierce opposition from the wolf tribes, especially the warrior Lucine, who sees their union as an affront to tradition. When a deadly threat emerges from the wildwood and whispers of rebellion echo through the mountain halls, Elizabeth must prove she's more than just a human playing at queen. With enemies closing in and her position growing more precarious by the day, can she embrace her destiny before the kingdom tears itself apart?

The Volcan Knights - Lost memories. Supernatural powers. A daughter taken by shadows. One woman's world shatters as she discovers her true identity as a winged warrior sworn to protect humanity from soul-devouring creatures.

Forth, we have FEATURED BOOKS. Maria's latest book Be Still My Undying Heart releases on July 6th, but if you're an audiobook reader, you can grab a copy now on Audible. You can also grab a copy on pre-sale over on Smashwords. Pre-order your copy at other retailers here.

Meet the YouTubers