Congradualtions!

Congratulations to the winners of the eBook giveaway!! Happy Reading to Olivia, Hailey, Rachel, Marrok, Raechel, Jennifer, Bailey, and Cory! I hope you enjoy these wonderful works of art as much as we enjoyed writing them!

For the rest of you readers, be sure to stay tuned after Christmas when I'll be posting my 2016 reading chart of every single book I've finished and what I think about them!

Merry Christmas cyberspace friends!

Interview!

Yay for interviews! I don't know about the rest of you, but I adore interviewing people! Especially when it's a fellow author! Remember the whole eBook giveaway I announced last post? If you missed it you can click Here and enter to try and win free books! (Who doesn't love free books?)
But now, allow me to introduce the author of the day: Faith Blum!

Q 1: What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always loved writing, so I’m not exactly sure what inspired me to actually get started. What got me started writing to publish was a couple of contests. One inspired the story though I was too old to actually enter my story. The other one inspired me to pick the story back up and edit it. Since then, I’ve independently published over 18 eBooks and 8 paperbacks.

Q2: Can you give a brief summary of your book Be Thou My Vision and what inspired you to write it.

Summary: After learning of her younger brother's death, an outspoken spinster defies her father and starts going to church, where she begins to care for the widower pastor's two rambunctious boys who need a mother's love.

Inspiration: What inspired this book was a beta-reader’s question after he read the first book in my series: What’s the next book about? I hadn’t been planning to write a series, but after that question, I started wondering what else I could do, so I wrote about the villain’s sister.

Q3: If you could go into any book, as any character, who would you be and where would you go?

Echo Sackett in Louis L’Amour’s book, Ride the River and go on her adventure, but also go beyond where Mr. L’Amour ended his book.

Q4: What is your favorite book, series, and author? (They can all be the same or all different.)

My favorite book is Samara’s Peril by Jaye L. Knight, my favorite series is The Sackett’s by Louis L’Amour, and I have too many favorite authors to name, but for this interview I’ll say Amanda Tero.

Q5: What is your favorite music to listen to while you write?

Um… Classical mixed with soundtracks. I have a list of Pandora stations that I put on shuffle. Although, right now, I mainly listen to Christmas music.

Q6: Because it’s Christmas time: What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Love this question!!! My favorite tradition started just a few years ago, but Dad and Mom got 4 large Christmas bulbs, and 12 small frosted bulbs and used them to tell the Christmas story. In the 4 large bulbs, they put in a few symbolic items: hay in one, a plastic sword in another, a piece of white and silver garland (for a star), and musical notes (for Mary’s song). Then on the frosted bulbs Mom wrote down some Bible references. On one side, she put an Old Testament prophecy and on the other was the New Testament fulfillment. On some of them, there are also some of the names of Jesus. When we have our family Christmas (usually before Christmas Day), we open the boxes, read the Scripture references, and hang the bulbs on the tree.

Q7: How long ago did you start writing?

I think I really started when I was about 10 years old.

Q8: How long did it take you to write Be Thou My Vision?

I think it took me about a year from the rough draft to publication. Maybe a little more. I can’t really remember.

Q9: What is the easiest part of writing?

That really depends on the book. Sometimes the easiest part is the rough draft. Other times, it’s the editing.

Q10: What is the hardest part of writing?

See the answer above. :P

Q11: Do you have any special talents? (e.g wiggling your ears, doing backflips, riding horses faster than a walk.)

Playing piano and singing the harmony at the same time. Does that count? Oh, but I have to be familiar with the song.

Q12: What is your favorite Bible verse?

This is like telling a mom to pick her favorite child. Um… Let’s see, we’ll go with Philippians 4:5 because I recently read the chapter and that was the one verse there I didn’t know super well and it really impacted me on the day I read it.

Thank you, Faith, for allowing me to interview you! 

Pssst, readers, check back here to find the other bloggers/authors and their interviews! If you love digging up the inside information on authors as much as I do, I advise you start clicking over!

Merry Christmas!

Hello, from a galaxy far far away! (random star wars spurt.)
With the Christmas season now upon us, many people begin thinking about gifts. Well, bloggers/authors think about the same thing!
I'm honored to be joined by seven other amazing authors as we host an eBook giveaway! If you want to win one of these lovely thingies, follow the steps below, choose one of the entry options, and follow the instructions to gain a point. (Hint: you can enter with as many options as you like to increase your chances of winning.) The giveaway starts December 3rd and ends on the 20th, so you'll have plenty of time to enter. We'll pick eight winners at random and contact them before Christmas so you can have your ebook delivered whenever you like. Here's how it works.
Step 1: Get a nice warm cup of cocoa with a candy cane in it.
Step 2: Listen to Christmas music and sing along like nobody's listening.
Step 3: Check the weather to see if there's any snow in the forecast.
Step 4: Make another cup of cocoa and check the cupboard for more candy canes.
Step 5: Get sidetracked watching The Polar Express.
Step 6: Grab a few sugar cookies on your way to the computer to go with another cup of cocoa.
Step 7: Follow THIS link and do what it tells you. 
Done!

If you want to know more about the authors and their blogs you can follow the directory below. And stay tuned to these blogs and mine to get some inside information via interviews with the authors themselves!

Water Princess, Fire Prince by Kendra E. Ardnek

Be Thou My Vision by Faith Blum.

Becoming Nikki by Ashley Elliott

Alen's War by Hannah A. Krynicki

Where the Woods Grow Wild by Nate Philbrick

Song of the Sword by Hope Ann Schmidt

Befriending the Beast by Amanda Tero

The Wings of Antheon by Ellyanna J. Wenceslao

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hard Core: Part 3

Lets Get Hard Core

Part 3

 

Sorry it has been a bit. We are on a limited internet service and ran out so I couldn't get on the computer. Some people might call that a problem, but I see it differently. You get an amazing amount of time to play piano and read! Imagine this with me: what if you have no TV channels (Which means no Netflix), your internet doesn't allow you to watch youtube or download videos, and you only a cable phone that has to be shared with all family members. You don't have any friends except those that live 5 hours away and you are home schooled with your siblings. (are you sweating yet?) What would you do all day?! I bet I would be pretty close to hitting the nail on the head when I say that most kids my age would be sinking through the floor at this stage.

You might have guessed it already; but that's me ever since we moved. And I do some crazy things. Right now my siblings and are are taking up an entire room to build a Playmobile city (great bonding time!) I have no homework at night so I can read to my sisters before they go to bed! (More bonding time) I can spend as much time as I want reading my bible (Spiritual growth and learning His Will to direct my life) and applying it to my life. I have tons of free time so I've taught myself 4 instruments. I also got a job as a stable girl and am being trained to race horses on 50 mile Endurance races with some of the most amazing horses ever! I can ride a Stallion, tan a deer hide, crotchet and knit, babysit, cook and bake, make wire jewelry, read like there's no tomorrow, write and publish my own books, keep a house, learn any subject in school that I want, and serve in ministries that help kids in broken homes. My life is so full!

I'm not letting this time slip away and I don't want you to either. I don't enjoy being with the people who are constantly talking about the newest movies coming out or asking if I've seen this or that. Their focus is not on life, but on a fantasy. At least books can teach you something through vocabulary - but even then there are some junky books! God gave us such an amazing life! Why would we spend it watching a movie we probably won't remember when we're 50 when we could be building lasting relationships with our friends and family so that, when we are 50, we can sit around and remember the fun times we had while making new ones! I've hiked mountains and looked down at the world and just couldn't imagine what it would be like to be inside watching TV when there's such a beautiful sky waiting to be touched. 

Now, I'm probably rubbing on TV a bit hard. There are some funny movies to be seen and good times to be had while watching them. I've had a blast with popcorn battles or watching Star Wars and then trying to mimic their lightsabers with my siblings. (Requires slow motion option on a camera ;) But don't spend so much time watching TV that it keeps you from living the life God gave you. Don't spend so much time with friends that you miss out on the siblings who want you as their friend. Don't think your so busy that you can't help the mom that cared for you even in the busiest times of life. Don't forget that there's a God who loves you and gave you every single thing you have. The next generation for this world is us teens! Are we going to make the world better, or sit by and let it move on?

I really suggest checking out this website. It's written by two brothers, who also wrote a book called Do Hard Things, and I love it! Another Gold mine!   

 This marks the end of the Lets Get Hard Core series. (Unless I think of some other point that I need to explode)  I hope this doesn't pass, but leaves an imprint in your life. The devil doesn't work openly anymore. He's more subtle. We must arm ourselves with the Word of God if we are going to survive in this battle of Life. 

 

Hard Core: Part 2

Let's Get Hard Core

Part 2

When I ask most girls if they've ever read a mystery book, 90% of them will admit they've read Nancy Drew. I could never understand why. Franklin W Dixon is the author of both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys mystery series. From what I always found, everybody knew Nancy Drew, but the Hardys were left behind. I'm sure I'll figure it out... one of these days.

Sorry, that's a little off topic. My point was that I love mystery books! I especially liked the Hardys because they were filled with action and near-death scenarios. (I figured out the mystery in Nancy Drew before I was halfway and got sick of reading about girls fainting because they're scared.) But it eventually got to the point where I could figure out the Hardys' mystery before it ended, therefore taking out a lot of the excitement. That's when I advanced to reading Agatha Christie and I'll never go back. I have never been able to figure out answer to the mystery before she announces it and blows me away with how complicated it was and I never knew. I'll think I have everything sorted out and then I find it was the last person I ever suspected. (Read The secret adversary.)

All the characters, who are trying to solve the mystery, have a similar pattern in how they go about it. They may change it around or come about indirectly, but it follows the same line: Who did it, Why, When, Where, and for What. Most of you know that as the 5 W's. I've always added in a How because I think that's important. (Note: I'm the one who needs to know how it happened so I can see if I could have done it better.)

In Part 1 of this series I talked about the importance of change. In this section I want to lay out some of the ways to do that. And we are going to do it Sleuth style!

Who are you changing? 

No more of the, "Well if you knew my family." "I'm just so busy."  "People expect me to be -" "Everybody else is doing it."

Those are all excuses. My 6th grade Sunday school teacher once told my that an excuse is like a bubble. It has the skin of a reason and is packed with a lie. Nobody is stopping you from changing but yourself. You can't be trying to change the people around you in the hopes that then you will change. 

Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Once you've changed your heart to be devoted to God, His light will shine through all that you do and be a witness to others. 

Why should you change/When should you change?

I'm hoping I made the answer to these points abundantly clear in Part 1. You aren't promised that you will have tomorrow. You can't put things off until "another day." If you die and God asks you why you didn't do more, what are you going to say? It just doesn't work that way. We can't keep waiting. We are given NOW!
 James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Where does this change take place?
I'm working through a book as big as a bible right now called Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy and loving every bit of it! It's an entire Gold mine! There is one Golden point in particular that struck me as totally true! 
Pearcy talks about how our culture has separated Religion from Reality. We pull the bible out for Sundays and our devotional (If we even do that. We might be to "busy" that day.) and then carry on with the the world for the rest of the week. Pearcy talks about how religion is considered to fog your mind and blind you to the scientific and rational truth. In other words, it blinds you reality. But really, there isn't any other Truth or reality outside of the bible and God. We need to break down that barrier and bring God back into our life - every aspect of it. Whether it's interacting with friends or people we work with, the decisions we make, how we use our time, what we watch, what we listen too, how we talk, or just how we view facts. We need to stop putting God into a box and stuffing Him in our pockets, only to pull Him out for bible studies, church, and devotional. There is nothing outside of Him! 
What is something you think about a lot? Facebook, friends, fantasy, books, movies, activities? How much time do you think you spend dwelling upon those thoughts? Now think about how much time you spend thinking about God. If you were to measure the time you spend thinking about those other things and the time you spend thinking about God, which one do you spend the most time on? 
 
What is the purpose?
God is our Father. He wants to give us so much, but we need to turn to him and hold our hands cupped and ready to catch His blessings. That means letting go of whatever you are holding onto in this life and turning to Him. I can't express the peace and joy I find in knowing that I have God watching my back for me. As long as I stay tuned into His music, I'll dance to the right beat. But once you start getting distracted by what this finite world has to offer - things that get destroyed and are only temporary - you lose the comforting and guiding melody and begin dancing to your own imperfect and broken beat. 

How do we change?
This is a personal question that you need to ask yourself. I don't know where you are or what you are struggling with, but God does. And He can help you. Start bringing Him into your life and allowing Him to guide your actions. I guarantee it will be worth it. You get one shot at this life, and what you do here will affect your eternity in heaven. Eternity is a long time.

Hard Core - part 1

Let's Get Hard Core

Part 1 

The Phone Call came late at night - my siblings and I were about to crawl into bed when it came... I shall never forget that night. I knew something was wrong when my dad got really silent on the phone. It was a pastor from our church. What could have happened that would warrant so late a phone call and so serious a face? Why did I have the feeling that something terrible - something that I had feared - had just happened. Dad pushes the red button on his phone and ends the call. He tells us: My grandpa is dead. 

At first the news was too shocking for tears. I guess my stubbornness refused to accept that he was actually gone. Grandpa Freddie wasn't actually my grandpa at all. He was a member of our bible study and I loved him so much. He was easy to talk to with a funny Texas accent. I knew that if I was facing a spiritual problem - he was there for me. He worked in the prison ministry and brought more people to Christ than anybody I have ever met. He truly lived his life entirely devoted to Christ. We were going to have him over and "adopt" him as our grandpa. But The Phone Call got to us first - I would never get to call him grandpa... I never even got to say goodbye. 

That was the night that changed my life, though not as drastically as some people might think. It was a gradual process. The acceptance that he was gone, the grief and tears that followed, and the questions seemed like they would overpower me. Why did God take my grandpa away? I still needed him, I still wanted him. Why? 
I found my answer. Life is to quick to lay by and wait for changes to just happen. I've seen far to many teens, kids who could do so much, just sit by and wait for the Change to take place in their life. But you may not have tomorrow to change. You may not have next year. What if you learned that you weren't going to live to see your next birthday? Would you be living you life any differently? In James it says:  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)
 

God has given you a life, not so you can live passively, but so you can glorify Him. God is a jealous God and created you as His child. Yes, that includes you teenagers! 
I hear people talk about teenagers like it's a stage in life to be detested and nobody can do anything about it. But I don't believe that's true! Teens can do so much to affect the world, and it can be as easy as turning off the TV and helping your family. 
But you have to be motivated to change. Nobody can make you change your heart. You can go through the motions of being helpful, you can plaster on a smile that gets peeled off as soon as you're behind closed doors, but that's not doing anything. If you're heart isn't serving, then neither are you.
We should live our lives to glorify the One who created everything and who we will one day live with for all of eternity! In the end, will you ever remember that TV series you watched instead of helping your brother or sister? On your death bed will you want somebody to bring your shoes that you bought so you can say goodbye? No. The thing that will matter is your family, friends, and your relationship with God. God is going to show you, imagine a big screen TV, everything you missed out on, every chance that got passed by, that you could have taken advantage of. We should be striving to hear God say "well done, good and faithful servant." Because this life isn't about us! It's about Him! 
So where am I going with this? How does this tie into my grandpa's death? When he died, I realized how easily I could died as well. It just takes one dumb car driver to swerve into you on the road and you're gone. I honestly realized that I wasn't ready, but I wanted to be. 
Since then I've been reading my bible and realizing just how awesome a God we serve. I wanted to please Him. I changed my heart. There's no one like Him, and He wants to love and care for us! We just need to turn to Him. And if you do that, He will use you to accomplish a lot more than finishing a level on a video game. 
But you need to get Hard Core. 

I'm going to end with this story. If you have never read the book Do Hard Things by Bret and Alex Harris - you need to. I would quote the entire book if I could because it is one big Gold mine of wisdom.
Before I started writing this I got an email from their website - Therebelution.come . I would like to share it with you.

"It's one thing to promise you that adventures await those who step outside their comfort zones...

It's another to PROVE it with real life examples.

That's why I love the story of Riley Banks.

She's a shy girl who went to visit Kenya at 13-years-old and repeatedly felt in over her head.

In fact, Riley even fainted while trying to help care for babies at a Kenyan hospital (see picture below). Not a great way to start your missionary career!

But rather than letting herself give up and crawl back to Branson, Missouri to live a normal teenage life, Riley decided to go back to Kenya the following year… 

And the year after that… 

And the year after that…

And the year after that…

Seven years later, Riley runs her own non-profit organization, operates a school in Kibwezi, and oversees a thrift shop and food pantry in Branson to fund operations. 

In the near future she’ll be opening a five-acre community center in Kenya with a feeding program for kids and a training facility for single mothers to learn a trade and provide for their families.

She is changing lives… And it has changed her life.

Here’s how Riley puts it:

“God doesn’t call the bravest, the strongest, or the smartest, but when He calls and we respond with simple child-like faith, amazing things can happen.”

Isn’t that inspiring?"

 Are you willing to change?

Hard Core

Let's Get Hard Core

Introduction

 I love reading about as much as much I love chocolate. So it should come as no surprise that I come across some pretty amazing books, along with some pretty rotten ones. One thing reading has done, though, is open my eyes to a reality I never thought existed: The declining of Youth today.

When I interact with teenagers I find that most of them are rushing across the surface of life like a skipping rock does over water. They never take the time to dive down into what is truly important or even why we are here in the first place. This life goes by so quickly. You don't have time to waste. 

In this series I'm hoping to address some of the main issues I see occurring and some that I've struggled with myself. Along the way I'll be inserting quotes from many books - quotes which I like to call Gold Nuggets. At the end of each chapter I'm going to be asking some questions for you to ask yourself. You don't have to tell anybody your answers, so be completely honest. This series is for you to take a good honestly look at your life. If you don't like the answer that you have to give then I hope I've accomplished the task of bringing to light an area of your life that might need to change. 

 

I would encourage you to keep a note book with the answers to your questions, along with any other notes that would help you. Or write down solutions that you know help you specifically. Everybody is different so we can't treat them all the same. 

When you take the time to write it helps slow down your thoughts enough for you to look deeper. 

Step #1: Slow down.

• What is your goal in life?
• What are you doing to accomplish it?
• When was the last time you checked in with God?

Q&A Tag

Well hello everybody! I'm so sorry I haven't been blogging, like, at all! Am I allowed to blame right now? Because moving into a new house - in a totally new area -, senior year of High School, our dog having puppies, and being the oldest of 6 can actually make you kinda busy. Oh, and I'm still writing - so any spare time I get to sit in front of the computer, besides emailing friends and family, is solely devoted to that.
But now, thanks to Olivia, I have been tagged once again. Now, this one looks pretty interesting, so I'll do my best to scrounge up some bloggers to tag!

Here's the rules.

• Generously thank the person who tagged you. (That would be Olivia at her blog.)
• Answer the questions you were given by the previous blogger.
• With pleasure, nominate 10 other bloggers, give them 10 questions, and let them know they've been signed up fun!

I think I've stated many times that I am not a super big blog follower due to me not really being on the computer very much. But I will do my best even if it is pitiful! If you want to be tagged, PLEASE leave a comment telling me so!

The Guitar or the Piano?
 Now this is tricky for me because I am an avid fan of both! However, I am hopefully going to be enrolling in a University with the ambition of getting my bachelors in Music Education so I can be a Piano teacher - So I guess I'll have to go with Piano. It's a hard toss because you can't really sling a Piano on your back and head down the campfire. But the Piano is certainly a diverse instrument that can cover a wide variety of songs.

Chess or Checkers?
Chess. Although, because our chess set is made after Star Wars my brother just ends up making Darth Vader do a Jedi Slam move and destroy the entire board if he's losing. That or he's just playing with the figures in between turns in the most distracting manner!

Tolkien or C.S. Lewis?
Lewis all the way! I admire the extreme amount of work Tolkien put into his books, but in the end Lewis' way or writing is beautiful. (I also get kind of depressed by Tolkien's work after a few chapters. My apologies to Tolkien fans!)

Instrumental soundtracks or songs with lyrics?
Instrumental is my favorite when I'm writing or in deep thought while slaving through school. Especially if it's Celtic! But when it comes to Christmas or just jamming out with my siblings there better be nothing in my way for lyrics because we will be singing as loud as we can... until mom gets home.

Cake, Ice cream, or Ice cream cake?
Ice cream please! And make it Mint Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter something!

Roughly how long does it take for you to write a blog post?
It really depends on what is going on in the rest of the house and what I'm writing. It can take me anywhere from an hour to several days.

What was the last book you read?
Tortured for Christ. And it is incredible!

What is your MBTI type?
ISTP

Why did you start blogging? Or what inspired you to begin writing in general?
It was the need to tell other people the things I'm learning. I think if more people shared their experiences we would all be a lot wiser because we wouldn't be keeping the information to ourselves and other people could gain from it.

Favorite fantasy book?Narnia! (About to start yelling, "For NARNIA!")

Favorite Number?
... ... ... 7. Because 7, 8, 9, so it's the toughest. (Say it out loud if you didn't get it the first time.)

Did you notice I've asked 12 questions and not 10?
I did not notice until you mentioned it.

So now I get to tag some other people!!

• Hannah. I rave about her blog and book so you probably know her already.
• Beth. I just found her blog and love the costumes she makes.
• and last but not least Tiger. She's another great writing blogger like Hannah!

Now I can do the fun part: Questions!

• If you could be any character from any book, who would it be?
• Hiking outside or playing a board game inside?
• Summer or Winter?
• What is your favorite Holiday?
• Future career dream: be it unrealistic or completely serious.
• What's your favorite animal?
• Would you rather spend the day at the ocean or in the forest?
• You have all day to do whatever you want at home: What would it be?
• What's the job you tend to avoid?
• Do you love God? If so, why? and if not, why?

Have fun!
P.S And honestly, I'm hoping to get back into blogging because I have some cool things I've been thinking about!

 

An Interview with one of my favorite Characters

You've heard me speak and rave about my blogging friend Hannah! She has such a beautiful way of writing that is truly elegant and sparks your imagination. I loved her book and will continue to love it as I read and re-read it! I highly suggest you add this amazing work of art to your book shelf. If you want to learn more, you can find lots of information on her blog here.
I love reading books and stepping into the shoes of the characters - allowing myself to be completely swept away to the Shire, Narnia, Old England, Sherwood forest, or wherever else my book takes me. (I preferably read old English books, therefore I am not particularly familiar with fairy tale lands.) That is, perhaps, one of the greatest things about being an author - creating my own world and the people in it, and going on adventures without all the uncomfortable parts. (Such as going without second breakfast ;) So it was a wonderful pleasure to "interview" Hannah's main character Alen. I also interviewed the author herself and you can read that here.

But enough of my talk. Allow me to introduce Hanna's vibrant character, Alen.  

How would you describe yourself?

Answer: Ah… short, curious, and noncommanding? It’s hard to explain who I am. I try to be a loyal prince, but I also like to be a fierce warrior and a clever planner. Although my friends would describe me differently.   

Looking back on your adventure, when would you say you were at your darkest?

Answer: My time as a raider was of course dark and dangerous, but the worst days were those just before my final encounter with Galer. I had so much guilt and fear trapped inside of me that I could hardly see clearly what was in front of me. 

 Who would you say was the most difficult person to deal with? 

Answer: I hope he won't be affronted, but Turomar was troublesome. I believe Brandis used to call him a faultfinder- and that was one of the gentler names. And as harsh as that sounds, Turomar was not the easiest companion for any mission, least of all mine. 

If you could go back and change one mistake you made, which would it be?

Answer: I would erase everything and start again if I could. I think my gravest mistake was abandoning Tian and the other innocent people in Arail to Galer’s fire, for if I had stayed and faced that trouble, the civil war and all the rest would never have happened. 

Do you feel more comfortable with a Bow or Sword?

Answer: A crossbow, of course! I can use a sword in a pinch, and I have a nice one from my raiding days, but my father himself taught me to use a crossbow. Anyway, I don't much like getting close to my enemy to kill him. 

  

Do you think your time with the raiders was beneficial in any way? If so, please explain how.

Answer: Well, for one, I met one of my dearest friends and allies, Brandis. I also learned to sail, to fight on the sea as well as on land, and how to use a gun. At the end of six months, I was a good deal stronger and tougher-skinned than I had been as a prince in Agran. Yet I also saw a new side of life- the one of hard everyday decisions and constant trouble. It is true that kings have their own trouble, but a ruler also needs to know what the common people of Agran face. 

 Just for fun. If you had one day with no responsibilities, what would you do?

Answer: First I would read books. I never tire of hearing about the ancient legends of the sedalfen, and I learned most of what I know of practical politics from old stories of adventure. Then, if I had any time before night, I would love to sail on the sea on one of Arila’s smaller barges and feel the sunset wind. 

 What was the worst thing you had to do on your adventure?

Answer: Oh. Pleasant thoughts... I did many terrible things on my adventure, though not all of them were necessary. The very worst was having to pull the warships out of the harbor at Abil after a mistake, leaving at least a quarter of my men to fight a losing battle. I can never forget that fight. 

What was the best moment of your adventure?

Answer: The best moment was when I realized the truth, just before the end of the war. I realized that night that no matter who won the final battle, no matter who became the king of all Agran, I would still have the forgiveness of the people dearest to me. I wish you could have been there to see it- it seemed that the entire world changed before my eyes. 

What will you do now that the war is over?

Answer: I will need to continue learning about governing a kingdom. I have much to learn about being a king, but after all, I don't see as I have much choice in the matter. But besides that, I want to work at mending Agran. My father once told me that a civil war is worse than one between two different kingdoms because the kingdom has to live with itself after the war is over. One half wins over the other, and people have to learn how to treat their own families after so much hurt and betrayal. I want to help Agran learn to do that- to live again.

If you find yourself intrigued by this bold and daring young prince, please join him on his adventure through the kingdom of Agran with a troublesome navigator, amusing/dangerous raider, and so many other characters that will capture your heart.

At Long Last!!!

Well, I can finally say that we are completely moved in! It's taken us long enough. Everything is so different where we live now that it's taken quiet a bit of adjusting. (Having two Stallions has also been a learning experience.) But I think it can finally make the announcement...

!!I PUBLISHED BY BOOK!!

Yes! It has finally happened! I know a lot of you have been waiting for me to actually follow through on this. Trust me, I have been as anxious as you have! But now it has actually happened. You can go onto Amazon.com, right now, and get the long-awaited-for book! No more promises that I can't keep because I've realized live in a wild family.

Then I say to myself, "Good job, Elly. Now you can sit back and relax a bit." Nope. That might be true for somebody; but for me, I'm already onto the sequel/prequel! (More details on that when we come to it.) 
If you are interested you can find my book here.
But if you want to know more about it you can read about it and here

 

Sorry!

Well, once again I must offer my dearest apologies. But I did warn you something crazy might happen....And it did. My family and I are moving across the state in a matter of 7 days! It was a sudden decision and there will be no time to go and make the necessary changes which my book needs to be available for publishing. Also, changing my address causes complications with the publication process in general which will cause further puzzles that I do not have the time to solve. I will be postponing once again, but this time I do not know the date to which I am postponing too. It will take my family and I a bit to settle in. Once again and again I am SO sorry for so many problems and delays!!!!!

Book Bumping

Firstly, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to any of you who have been looking forward to the publication of The Wings of Antheon. (And a hug for looking forward to it:) Unfortunately I will be postponing the release date until July 11th due to editing, crazy schedules, and a friend who has offered some wonderful advice. The good news, to console you with, is that the book will be better and I'm sure the grammar will be much improved. (A point in which I am lacking, though not in any ways terrible.) Once again I give my apologies. Trust me, I was looking forward to publishing too! I would not postpone this date for anything short of necessary. So you can now look forward to July 11th with the fullest guarantee of the release. (Unless something crazy happens, which might very well happen in a family such as mine. One never knows what tomorrow holds.)

Alen's War

I have the highest pleasure and honor of being allowed to proof-read my friend, Hannah's, book! You've heard me mention her writing accomplishments and I rave about her writing blog. She is a wonderful fantasy writer who will suck you into her amazing world of nobility, adventure, and heart-felt trials. Plus, to put the cherry on top of the ice cream - Magic! Allow me to share the synopsis. (That word sounds as funny as it looks. I promise you, me and parents spent a good 10 minutes saying it over and over.)

Alen, the son of the king of Agran, is given a simple secret task: find an insurrectionist named Galer and bring him back quietly to the capital for trial. Yet in a series of tragic mistakes Alen sets off a full-blown rebellion, abandons a burning city, and betrays his own father. He flees and six months later finds himself on a raiding ship, killing and stealing for his life, full of guilt.

When Alen finally returns to his father, he repents of all he has done; yet Agran is still at war, and she will be out to have Alen's head for a wereguild. His only hope for acquittal is to do his part and capture Galer once and for all, so Alen recruits Brandis, an old companion from his raiding days, and Turomar, an ill-disposed surveyor with a brain for strategy. All three are dedicated and competent to find the troublemaker, but their own dark secrets haunt them at every turn and foil their plans.

Best of all, Hannah has the most wonderful balance of humor and dark trials. I loved every sentence of it! There are few fantasy books that I enjoy, and fewer still those that I will recommend others read. Her characters have a depth of personality and their lives quickly become your own if you're not careful to remember your simply reading a book. (But by all means, get sucked into the story. It's worth the ride!)
But please, allow me to introduce her to you! I was able to interview her and will share it with you! (And if you want to learn more about her characters you can check out her blog Here. I didn't want to create a mile long blog post.)

                                             Q:   What inspired you to start writing?

Hannah: It was mostly other authors and stories. Tolkien, Lewis, Stowe, Zusak, and countless others wrote books that have impacted the world to this day, and I knew I could get in on that mission. I could tell stories; why not write them down and share them with others?

Q:   In two words, describe your character's main attitude.

Hannah: Well… this is certainly easier than it would be for all my characters in Son of Ren. (I apologize in advance for all the “isms.”)

Alen: Loyal trepidation

Brandis: Brave utilitarianism

Turomar: Competent individualism

Galer: Bold idealism

Reyis: Calm circumspection

Arila: Wise loyalty

Tian: Humorous camaraderie

Q:   I’ve noticed you favor the medieval/mythological settings. Why?

Hannah: I honestly can't give one definitive reason. I have always enjoyed traditional fantasy stories like LotR and Narnia, and it seemed a natural next step to write my own. On the other hand, while writing I like to do whatever I want when I feel like it, and medieval/mythological worlds offer that flexibility. I can put Napoleon Bonaparte on a dragon whenever I like, and nobody can complain. 

Q:   Is there a character that you would say shares your characteristics?

Hannah: Lots of them do. Tom Hiddleston once said that acting is like playing a piano; everyone has all the keys, but each person or character plays on a different octave. I am not an actor (nor a Marvel fan, for the record!) but it's the same way with writing. Every character gets a little piece of my personality. Turomar, Elkay, and Reyis are probably most like me- but then I can even act like Aldal after eating too much sugar. 

Q:   What was the easiest part to write? What about the hardest?

Hannah: I found it really easy to write the dramatic scenes or turning points of the story. When something with large stakes happens or characters discover a great secret, I rarely have trouble writing what ensues. However, writing the battles was tricky; I had to keep a nice balance between action and drama without making anything too choppy or telling rather than showing. 

Q:  Who is your favorite character?

Hannah: Ever? Wow. Brandis is probably my current favorite; I would love to write a book all about him and his mysterious, adventurous life. Of course, I might change my favorite when I write the next story… 

 Q:  Simply for the fun of it. If you could play any character in any book or movie, which one would it be in what book/movie?

Hannah: Blimey, I don't know. I would love to play Yavanna in The Silmarillion because she is such an intriguing mythological figure. On the other hand, I would enjoy playing a villain like Jadis or the Snow Queen. Then again, Elizabeth Bennett might be fun. 

Q:  Which part of your book do you like the best?

Hannah: My favorite part to both write and read is the first act, the one with the raiders. All the narrative just turned out so nicely. It's no secret that I like writing about icy wind, salt-seas, fire, and Viking ships- not to mention Brandis. 

Q:  Why did you start writing?

Hannah: Pardon my double negative, but I can't not write. God wired me to write the way He made trees to grow and birds to fly. Whether I am feeling stressed, excited, outraged, or silly, I can find an outlet for those thoughts and feelings in a way that will help others learn truth. 

Q:  Where can we get your book once it’s published?

Hannah: Always Amazon. You can get it in either print or eBook format- or both, if that's your kind of thing.

Q:  Do you have any parting thoughts for us?

Hannah: I would not dare add to your exhaustive genius, E.J! :) I think you have asked about everything. Thank you for the chance to rant about a few of my favorite things.