Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 14

Scavanger Hunt Stop #14

Follow the clues for a Chance to Win a Kindle Fire HDX or 30+ novels!

Welcome to the Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt. You have arrived at Stop #14. The hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014. You may have arrived here before the start which could mean all of the sites aren't ready quite yet. Once the official start has begun, you should go to Stop #1 (www.robinleehatcher.com) and then work your way through the sites, gathering clues and entering bonus giveaways, until you reach the final stop which will also be on the site of Robin Lee Hatcher.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all of the weekend to finish it, so take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors have prepared for you. You will collect a CLUE IN RED at each stop. Write them down as you go. At the end of the hunt, you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form. (The answer will make sense, even if you aren't familiar with the quote.)

The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors.

IN CASE YOU FIND A BROKEN LINK...Robin Lee Hatcher has prepared a "cheat sheet" with direct links to each author's post in case a site goes down or a link gets broken. We hope there will be no such issues, but just in case, please make note of the URL for the Participating Authors Stops page so you can check back and be able to complete the hunt.

Now, it is my pleasure to introduce you to talented historical novelist, Olivia Newport. I have been intrigued by the lovely titles and premises of Olivia's work since her debut novel, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning. Her work has been praised for its attention to detail, elegant entwining of research with engaging plots, and beautiful style. Here is her author bio for you:
OLIVIA NEWPORT chases joy in Colorado, at the foot of the Rockies where daylillies grow as tall as she is. Her husband and two twenty-something children keep her grounded in reality when a cast of characters stomps its way through her head into a story. She is the author of the Avenue of Dreams series, the Valley of Choice series, and Hidden Falls , a 13-part serialization available in digital formats. 

Find out more at www.olivianewport.com, or find her at @OliviaNewport or www.facebook.com/OliviaNewport. 
 
Here is a little info about her newest release:
Wonderful Lonesome
In a struggling Amish settlement on the harsh Colorado plain, Abbie Weaver refuses to concede defeat to hail, drought, and coyotes, even as families begin to give up and return east. The biggest challenge of all is the lack of a spiritual shepherd and regular worship. When Abbie discovers the root of a spiritual divide that runs through the settlement, she faces her own decisions about what she believes. She must choose between a quiet love in her cherished church, passion with a man determined to leave the church, or imagining her life with neither.

Olivia is here today to talk about the journey of discovery she went on while crafting this newest work of hers. I hope you will enjoy!
Feature Post: by Olivia Newport All Baptists believe …All Presbyterians think …All Methodists would agree that …All is a dangerous word—and hardly ever true in general conversation!
When I first considered writing Amish-themed novels, no doubt I was among those who thought “all” Amish believe and live in identical ways. But this is no more true than lumping all Baptists, Presbyterians, or Methodists together.
With each novel I went a little deeper—and found wider divergence. Wonderful Lonesome is the fruit of this journey of understanding.
The story of Abbie and Willem and Rudy, of Ruth and Elam, opens the Amish Turns of Time series, in which I’m having a great time exploring the variety of Amish experience and expressions of faith. Each story in the series delves into a true turning point in Amish history, and some of the results may surprise you.
The Amish are not locked in history any more than the rest of us. They’re living history just as we are. They’re confronting changing times. They’re adapting and sorting out how their values and commitments bind them to each other. They love and strive, mourn and rejoice, hope and pray.
One dimension that drew me to the story behind Wonderful Lonesome is its location—only a scenic drive away from where I’ve lived for the last eighteen years. I’ve driven through that area many times over the years. Now when I go through Limon, Colorado, I’ll always see the farms and faces of my own characters.   ________________________________________
 Thank you for sharing with us today, Olivia! I hope lots of folks will be eager to run out and grab this opening book to your new series.

Now moving on to . . . 

THE SCAVENGER HUNT SKINNYThanks so much for stopping by my site and participating in the new Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. Before you move on to Stop #15 , which is Olivia Newport's site, to pick up your next clue, be sure to write down this Stop #14 clue: OR OFFER YOUR OWN

Also, please note: Many of the authors use Rafflecopter for their giveaways. Rafflecopter requires JavaScript to work. If you can't see the form, please turn JavaScript on in your browser in order to enter. Rafflecopter sometimes doesn't work on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device and can't see the entry form, then you'll need to find a computer.


BUT BEFORE YOU GO . . . I want to offer you a chance to win an autographed copy of my new novel, Golden Daughter, for your bookshelf! All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. Just click this link and enter your email address and confirm that you would like to receive The Haven Chronicler, staying up-to-date on all the newest doings from Goldstone Wood. Confirm that you have signed up in the Rafflecopter form below, and your name will be entered to win! You can earn bonus points as well by liking my facebook page, subscribing to my blog, adding my book on Goodreads, etc.

Happy Hunting!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sorting Through the Library . . .

So Dame Imraldera was sorting through random documents in her library and she came upon a long-forgotten scrap of poetry written by our favorite bard!

Seriously, I don't remember him writing this. But he does try his hand at sonnets here and there, and Dame Imraldera thought this one was surprisingly lyrical for his poetic talents. She and I thought you might enjoy it:


O! Let the light of Lumé's effulgence strong
Be doused within the churning caldron sea,
Let the radiance of Hymlumé's sweet song
Be lost as though it never was to be.
Let all the airy hosts with kindred voice upraised
Be silenced by the clapping curtain Night,
Let all the farthest fields be scored and razed
'Till Near and Far must e'en give up the fight.
Yet we two, we happy two, would sit afar
Beyond this grieving din of silence fall'n,
And our laughter lift the worlds like shining stars,
Soothing ills with symphonies of lilting balm.
Our hearts will race the dark itself and never die
As through resounding perpetuity we fly!

Sadly, right beneath this poem, Imraldera also discovered another little rhyme: 
Oh, Gleamden Fair, I love you,
Forever thinking of you,
Queens of old could only dream
Their limpid eyes would ever gleam
So bright, so clear as Gleamdren dear
The sweetest flower of Ruaine!
 _______

 In all seriousness, I truly did just find a random document among my files that contained nothing more than these two rhymes back-to-back. Rhymes which I have no memory of composing. I wonder if I was trying out a study in contrasts or something? Because I don't think you could get much more disparity between these two styles!
It gave me a laugh and seemed like something Eanrin really would do.

Interview Feature: Brock Eastman

Dear imps, today I am pleased to feature a prolific and exciting novelist, whose work has touched many, many readers! This gentleman is involved in so many cool projects, including The Adventures in Odyssey series, which I know many of you love (I used to listen to those all the time myself!). He writes fantastic novels for children and young adults, and I know you are going to find his work intriguing. Allow me to introduce Brock Eastman!

BROCK EASTMAN has a degree in Marketing, specializing in Integrating Marketing Communications. He currently works for Compassion International as the Retail Partnerships Manager. IN his role he cultivates relationships with hundreds of independent book retailers across the country. His previous role was with Focus on the Family as the Odyssey Adventure Club Producer, marketing and creating new content for Adventures in Odyssey. His involvement with Adventures in Odyssey gives him recognition in a brand with a rich 27 year history, millions of fans, and a global reach.

Over the past five years he has worked the product development cycle for books, videos, and audio products as product marketing manager for kids and parenting products at Focus on the Family.

Brock maintains a blog, Facebook group, Twitter, and posts to each regularly. He has written for Focus on the Family's Thriving Family magazine, Adventures in Odyssey's Clubhouse magazine, and Salem's Family Fiction Edge.

His first series, The Quest for Truth, was published in 2011 by P&R Publishing and Focus on the Family. His second published series, Sages of Darkness, also released in 2011. Brock wrote an Adventures in Odyssey: Imagination Station title in 2011. The series has sold over 275k copies and is published by Focus on the Family and Tyndale House Publishers.

Brock is currently writing devotions for the Odyssey Adventure Club that will be created into two Adventures in Odyssey 365 Day Devotional books, releasing 2015 and 2016.

Brock is here today to share in this great interview feature. Enjoy, and check out the AWESOME giveaway he is offering for my readers down below!

INTERVIEW
Welcome to the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog! First of all, would you mind telling us a little about yourself? Hobbies, personality . . . tea or coffee? 

Brock: First I love your welcome, I feel like I’m now on a journey already into the Wood. Who am I? Most importantly I’m a husband and daddy of three little girls. We live in the Rocky Mountains which provide amazing weather and scenic beauty, a rather inspiring place to be an author. 
I’m a latte-in-the-morning-and-at-3-pm-please kind of guy. And really this addiction to coffee is my wife’s fault and a very recent thing for me. Unlike many students, I never succumbed to it in college, it was after. When my wife started student teaching she got a coffee pot (that was just 6 short years ago.) A few months later, after ‘sampling’ sweeter coffee fair (lattes, mochas, frappes,) I became hooked. And now I blame and thank her at the same time, after all how could I go on midnight writing marathons without it. 
Hobbies, well mostly I enjoy my time with my family, we do all sorts of things together and at their (my girls) young ages, we’re having a lot of first experiences which is really fun and exciting. Plus this journey with my best friend, my wife, is pretty exciting and really keeps us entertained and moving! Parenting and marriage are two adventures all in their own, who needs a hobby? 
What led you into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller? How did you get into publishing? 
Brock: I didn’t follow the typical route into writing. I hated reading and writing all through my younger years, in fact it wasn’t until college and a race against my girlfriend (now wife,) that got me into reading. We chose the Harry Potter series (no I didn’t convert to witchcraft) and raced through it, though we did have to wait on the midnight release for the Deathly Hallows at an extinct Borders Store. I won, yes, I won the race, though it was through perhaps some unfair methods (a later conversation on that). But still I won. 
From there I set out to write my own book in 2005. I had no idea what I was doing, only that I felt God laid a story on my heart. I was supposed to write a book that wouldn’t have death, language, or unnecessary violence in it, a family friendly action adventure series, where the hero exemplifies what it means to have good scruples and beliefs, not one that lied or cheated to get to the end. 
So I wrote 100k words in college (called Evad) with no idea how or plan to get published, after all that’s a one in a million sort of thing, right (not so much anymore.) I printed 6 copies with LuLu, gave one to my parents, sister, and soon to be wife. Put my copy on the bookshelf and was happy with my accomplishment. That was in 2006. 
But God had a plan for that story. I was very surprised when I found myself working at Focus on the Family in 2008 a thousand miles away from anywhere I expected to ever live and married to my best friend. His plan for the series started to be revealed when a year later God opened doors for me to work in product marketing. A year later and I had three book contracts each for different series (The Quest for Truth, Sages of Darkness, and an Imagination Station series book.) I wrote like a madman, while working a full time job. The kid who hated to read and still couldn’t write (I’m very thankful for editors) was publishing kids’ books and getting paid to do it. God opens the doors and we get to walk through them and that adventure alone is amazing. 
Tell us a little about your work! What was your debut novel? 
Brock: Taken was my debt novel, though that same year I released HowlSage and Showdown withthe Shepherd , all in different series. But Taken went to press first. Taken is the first of five in The Quest for Truth (TQ4T). 
My style caters to kids and young adults; I try to use seat of your pants action, quick short chapters, moment to moment events, cool gadgets, scary beasts, weapons, and sometimes space ships! I work hard to write stories both boys and girls will like. For example the Wikk family is three boys and one girl, each find themselves in the lead at some point throughout the series, Oliver in Taken, Austin in Risk , Tiffany in Unleash , Mason in Tangle and in the book, Hope, all fours’ strengths will be at the center as they unify to defeat evil.   I hope my books exemplify Christ and show different facets of living a life to serve Him. In TQ4T (10 and up) my characters are discovering the Truth. It’s a series meant to be evangelistic, hand it to anyone and they’ll slowly learn about what it looks like to follow and trust in our Creator, because the characters themselves go on the same journey. 
In Sages of Darkness (13 and up), I wanted to focus on the spiritual fight that Christians sometimes gloss over. If we’re not aware of the daily battle between angels and demons, then we’re living ignorantly. 
Then I wrote my favorite Bible story, David and Goliath, as an Imagination Station (6 to 9) (Adventures in Odyssey) book. I grew up listening to Adventures in Odyssey and I partnered with Marianne Herring and Paul McCusker to finally bring this early reader series to life. It’s heading toward 18 books and over 250k books sold in the series. 
The Quest for Truth series looks like quite an action-packed set of adventures! How did those stories come about? 
Brock: I’m glad it looks that way, because that’s what I hope it is and my readers tend to confirm that with their emails and comments (by the way I love feedback from readers.) I like to call my readers Questers. At times In TQ4T there are two page chapters because the action jumps back and forth amongst the characters in such an intense in-the-moment way. 
This series started nothing like, but yet exactly like, it is, if that makes sense. It was outlined first as an adventure about four missionary kids traveling the Nile (in Africa) on a houseboat. When their parents are kidnapped, they find themselves trusting no one and trying to rescue their parents. As the story unfolded they began to discover who they were and what they were capable of along the way. 
Somehow through my ever expanding imagination and daydreaming, the kids were soon thrust into space aboard an awesome silver ship and their parents were no longer missionaries but archeologists and they weren’t just trying to rescue their parents, but discovering what Truth is. This provided an amazing backdrop and excuse to let my imagination go wild about what our far future might be like; new technologies, space ships, gadgets, planets, places, creatures, and so much more. 
The characters’ backgrounds also changed allowing me to use the series as an evangelistic tool. My goal was through the characters learning about Truth, so would the readers, and some of those would be kids who don’t yet know who Jesus is. Really God just took the series and made it what He wanted it to be, I’m just the vessel hammering the keyboard. 
Now do tell us about Howl Sage and the Sages series. How long have you been developing the ideas for this series? Did the first book present any unusual challenges? 
Brock: HowlSage came about in a weird way. When I pitched TQ4T, I had several publishers interested. And one in particular had a great offer, but God made it clear that P&R was the right place for the series, and He has proven that to be true time and time again (a bit more on that later.) But as I made the decision to go with P&R for TQ4T I was left with a publisher who’d been very interested in my work and partnering with me to create a new series for kids. 
A few weeks later God struck me with inspiration again. It’s as clear to me as I write this as the moment it happened in 2010. I was driving down Powers Boulevard and headed over an overpass, the mountains were to my left, the rising sun glinting off them in a warm orange color. It was September and fall was upon us, one of my favorite times of year. I heard the word, HowlSage, audibly as I drove to work. I thought to myself what does that mean, what is that? Howl stood out to me as the call of a wolf, and a sage is a magician. So I defined the word to be magician of the moon. 
 I knew the story was going to be about a werewolf, but I wasn’t going to position them as heroes or boyfriends, I wanted to place them where they belonged as demons. By the time I arrived at work I had a story synopsis in my head. A teen who’d just lost his father, and then given his father’s mantle of ‘demon hunter’ from the secret society his father worked for. Immediately he was thrown into the hunt for an evil creature and shouldered with the responsibility to protect the town of Ashley Meadows. 
You are pursuing a new publication path for this series, aren’t you? Can you tell us a little about it (and how we can pitch in and help?) 
Brock: HowlSage was released in 2011 and I’d written BlizzardSage in 2012 and turned it in. Then a month later I got an email from Destiny Image that they were closing their fiction line. This left my characters in the lurch, and my readers without a conclusion. The publisher was kind enough to return all rights back to me, including HowlSage, as well as turn the covers over to me so I could use them. 
Still I was still left with an unedited manuscript and I mean what I said earlier, I need editing. So I’ve turned to KickStarter. It’s a crowdfunding platform that allows creators to raise funds to finish their projects and provide rewards to their backers in return. I’d actually started creating the KickStarter back in 2012, but never launched it. Then this year, I felt it was time to make the series happen. I’d received enough emails and website comments as well as questions at book signings that I wanted to finally give my readers what they’d been asking for; the conclusion to the story. They’d been patient for three years, now it was time.
A friend helped me with the video and I launched the project on September 1st. Crowdfunding is a really cool way to publish because it unites the reader and the author as a team. Together the project happens, the author needs funding and the readers want the story. So I came up with all sorts of rewards and calculated exactly what I needed to get the series edited and pay for the cost of all the rewards. I am happy to report at the time of writing this, I am 65% funded. The campaign ends October 15th, so it’s not too late to join. At the least check out the many rewards, there is something for everyone from $5 to $8000, from your name in the book to writing an entire book with me. So take a look at the KickStarter Campaign HERE. Or go to KickStarter.com and search Sages of Darkness. 
So why go the self-publishing route? Self-publishing is growing quickly, with so many new and accessible distribution platforms available you can release your book in print or electronically and distribute through channels that will reach all the major online retailers, most of the brick & mortar stores, as well as libraries. And with my four years of product marketing experience at Focus on the Family and having an established readership with my traditionally published series, I felt this was the best option for the series. So here we are, in the midst of creating Sages of Darkness series together. And as I mentioned for as low as $5 you can get your name in the acknowledgements of the books. 
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration? 
Brock: I truly believe inspiration comes directly from our Creator, you can read an article I did about just that HERE. I believe that as I write God is speaking to me through my imagination, and I’m interpreting those thoughts as I put them down on paper. 
He surrounds us with a beautiful world full of inspiration. Like I said I live in Colorado, and a quick drive into the mountains can fill my mind with knew thoughts and inspiration. 
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process? 
Brock: My favorite is just flowing, slamming the keys and letting the ideas spew onto the page. I like to lay down my full story or chapter and not let up until it’s down. This can be of course very dangerous, entire chapters or events are laid out that aren’t in my outline, and by the time I let up, I’m struck with, “Oh crud how did I get here and what do I do now?” If you’ve ever heard that a character can come to life to an author, it’s so true. 
Sitting and pondering is one of my least favorite parts of the process. I mean it’s good, but the instead of pondering I’d rather by putting the idea down. 
Another think I dislike, is when I get moving on an idea and I need to slow down for description or to fill in certain areas that provide needed information. I know it’s necessary to help with the deepening of the story and give the readers a breather, but it can be time consuming and slow my pace. To alleviate the potential for losing creative momentum I usually make a note to come back and fill in that area later. And yes I end up really liking those parts of the book, the detail areas. 
Another area I don’t care for is the cutting process during editing. I’ve been pretty blessed by my publisher, to not have to do a lot of it, but there are things that have to change, and it’s a bummer when you think your idea, phrase, character, or description is awesome, and you learn maybe not so great as you thought. But that’s the nice thing about the author editor relationship, they help to look at the book from another perspective, and usually they’re right. They want you want after all; a stronger book for the readers.
What are you actively writing right now? 
Brock I am working on the edits for Tangle, book 4 in The Quest for Truth. It’s been a fun series to write, and I am feeling melancholy as I near the end. Probably one of the reasons it is taking me so long to write and edit this book. Tangle is also the book when many of the story lines draw together and we see the collision of all the forces at work in the series. There is one more in TQ4T to write, Hope, and I look forward to digging into it. Though, I fear how large of a book it might turn out to be.
Would you share a short snippet from HowlSage?

Excerpt fromHOWLSAGEBy Brock Eastman

The sun set a half hour ago leaving Ashley Meadows in a cloak of moonlight. I’m flying over the mines when an alarm at the local jeweler’s goes off. McGarrett confirms the HowlSage’s presence from looking at the jewelry stores security camera feed; though it’s black and white, grainy, and low quality footage. I change direction and twist the throttle on the J-Pak. The thrust increases and I surge forward on silken black wings. I’m over the forest and at the edge of town, when one of the engines misfires. It drives me down. I pull up on the controls, but don’t miss the wispy branches of a willow. Three dozen branches tear across my exposed neck; thankfully my eyes are covered by goggles. The five-story building housing the jewelry store is in sight. “Taylor, it’s escaping. It’s heading to the roof,” McGarrett’s voice echoes in my ear-buds. I don’t speak. I focus on my target. An engine on the J-Pak misfires again. Spiraling toward the ground, I pull back but the wings don’t respond. The pavement nears. And within a couple dozen feet I get control, I zip upward barely missing the brick exterior of a three story building. I land on the west side of the roof with my sword drawn. I slip off my goggles since the roof is semi-lit from a light next to the roof access door. The roof access is less than thirty feet away. A deafening crash echoes from the metal door as it flies forward and scrapes against the ground; a twisted scrap of metal. This is my first look at the demon. The wolf-like beast steps out of the dark stairway; jagged teeth, glowing yellow eyes, and sharply pointed ears. Dark brown matted fur covers all but its chest. The HowlSage glares at me and flashes its white razor sharp teeth in what can only be described as a smile. Saliva drips from it, exploding in green spurts of flame as each acidy drop hits the ground. Yes, green fire; an irrefutable sign of a HowlSage.Pull yourself together, I think. I raise my sword to attack. It has nowhere to go with only the edge of the roof behind it. A glint of light draws my attention to the demon’s right paw. A long silvery chain with a ruby pendant dangles from its claws. Silver? The HowlSage snarls, narrowing its eyes. It hunches to lunge at me. I tell myself I’m ready, but the moisture on the hilt of my sword signals otherwise.The demon bares its teeth in a wide grin of sorts then jumps backward off the roof. Its smile told me all I needed to know; this is nothing more than a game. And I am losing. 

________________________________

Thank you so much, Brock! That was a thrilling and excerpt and a fascinating interview. I enjoyed featuring you here and hope to have you back again soon.

What do you think, dear readers? Intrigued? Well, I hope so, because Brock is offering an awesome giveaway for all of you . . . one lucky winner will win the first three books in the Quest for Truth series! That's right . . . all three, in print! Just in time to read up on them and get ready for book four to release . . .


So be certain to enter your name in the Rafflecopter below for a chance to carry home the prize. And be certain to leave any questions and thanks for Brock in the comments below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Doings at Drakenheath

So this is a good idea of what our house looks like right now:

This is the view from up on what we are calling the Chasm Bridge, down into the living room area with a glimpse of the breakfast nook. It's a bit . . . horrifying.

Actually, things are looking better than this by now. Not a lot, but a little better anyway. Much of the kitchen is unpacked, and other boxes have at least been rearranged to create walking space. But wow . . . it's a work in progress to say the least!

Do notice our fireplace mantel decor, though:


Rohan and I had wondered how we would fill that big empty space above the fireplace, but we needn't have worried. Monster has it all figured out for us! (And really, could we ask for a better decoration?) The kitties all like to take turns lounging up there, so I suppose that means we decorate with "living art." Hey, it works! (Though we'll probably go with something a little more normal-looking later on. Rohan's been looking at beautiful canvas prints of St. George slaying the Dragon . . . )

Oh, and you know that Chasm Bridge I mentioned?

Minerva and Makoose like to reenact the Bridge of Khazad Doom scene from The Lord of the Rings up there. Makoose (clad in grey as he is) plays Gandalf, while Minerva makes a formidable Balrog. She doesn't always want to play this game, though, so Makoose will often perform all the parts himself. Which is entertaining. (So far, he hasn't actually gone so far as Gandalf's dramatic fall, for which I'm thankful. It's only a matter of time, I'm sure . . .)

When Makoose isn't preforming theater for us, Monster spends much of his time lounging up there. Which means I can officially claim to have a Monster guarding my Chasm Bridge in my new home. How many folks get to say that?

The kitties are doing quite well, in case you are wondering. Mutti, my feral rescue from last year, has surprised me the most! The move seems to have been all she needed to kick her into full housecat gear, and she is happier and more contented now than I have ever seen her. I think coming to a new territory where there were no dominant cats already established made a huge difference. Huzzah! Thanks to all of you who were praying for us. We have been enjoying this new home so much, including moonlit walks among our trees, treks with Milly into the woods and down to the creek . . . all the lovely things about country living.

Anyway, what other doings shall I speak of?

Many thanks to those of you who signed up to be influencers for the upcoming Golden Daughter. We filled up that list so fast, it would make your head spin, which was really just wonderful to see. For the next release we might even expand the numbers a little bit. Thank you SO MUCH for being so enthusiastic! Hopefully we'll be able to make this the most successful book launch yet.

Speaking of, I plan to host an extravaganza Chat Party launch for Golden Daughter on the evening of the release date. More details will be forthcoming, but it should be really fun! And I'm going to try to arrange it so that those of you who don't have Facebook will still be able to enter the giveaways (though you'll need Facebook to participate in the actual chat itself.)

And don't forget in the meanwhile, you can share the image below and let folks know that the book is available for pre-order on Kindle! If you pre-order it now, it will show up on your Kindle device the day it launches (which might be a little earlier than the official release date).

Share the link too!

Draven's Light, my Spring 2015 release, is coming along well too. It's about to head off to my editor for the first round of edits, which is exciting. And I plan to do a cover reveal for that book soon after Golden Daughter releases (around the same time it becomes available for pre-order). We might do something a little different from the usual cover reveal blog tour, but I'll let you know more about that later.
Basically, life is SO BUSY these days, I haven't had time to seriously think about blog touring, etc. But do feel free, if you are a blogger, to email me (aestengl@gmail.com) if you would like to feature me for an interview on your blog. I would be very happy to, sometime between now and Christmas. I have a handful of interview requests piled up in my inbox even now, and I promise I'll get back to you patient souls who are awaiting answers. I do want to be featured on your blogs . . . I just need to get my feet under me first.
I have begun serious work on drafting Untitled Book 8 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood. I've been researching it for ages (while working on the Super Secret Project), and it's interesting to now begin pulling all of that research together into actual narrative form. 
Some of that research has included mapping out rough mock-ups of what the featured castles might look like. Here is the map I doodled up for Letania, which stands where Gaheris Castle once stood in Dragonwitch . . . though it is SIGNIFICANTLY bigger than Gaheris, much more of a palace than a mere castle. You can see the House of Lights, situated at the top of the hill.
Many of you have asked about an official map of Goldstone Wood and the countries and worlds. Someday I hope to produce a polished, final map for all of you (I promise!), but in the meanwhile, here's a glimpse of the rough sort of map I use while writing these stories. Each map has to be adjusted for the time-period, and this one is specifically for Untitled Book 8.


Yes, I know it's so ugly! But it keeps me organized when I'm writing about all these folks and their various travels. (And no, I haven't filled in all the Earldoms of this era, only those I need for this particular story. I might fill the rest in just for the heck of it, but right now the focus is on drafting.)

I have a grand total of 10,000 words actually written on this manuscript so far, but I hope to dramatically increase that tally over the next few weeks. My goal is to finish the rough draft by Christmas, but we'll see if that happens.

Oh, and I hope to announce the title of this project at the Golden Daughter chat party. I've made a cool title-reveal banner that will reveal some hints about the story, and it should be really fun. Another reason you should stop in that evening. (Again, more details on that event will be forthcoming.)

The Super Secret Project is on my agent's desk these days, and I believe she is even now reading it. Hope she likes it! I love it and am proud of it (and think it might be an even better book than Golden Daughter), but one never knows how others will react to one's new endeavors. I'll keep you posted on the developments as I am able.

We've received quite a few stories for the Five Enchanted Roses contest! It's strange for me this year, though. Since we have a panel of readers, I feel rather distanced from the contest. I won't even be reading any of the stories until January, and in the meanwhile I just get notes from the various readers to go on as far as knowing what sorts of tales are being submitted. So far the notes have been predominantly enthusiastic, which is very encouraging!

I am VERY eager to see what this collection will end up becoming. I am so delighted with Five Glass Slippers, and something tells me Five Enchanted Roses will be as good or better when it is complete. And I've been very pleased to see the gorgeous cover popping up on random blogs listed among "Most Beautiful Covers of 2015 Releases" etc. It really is quite a lovely work of art.

How are your Enchanted Roses stories coming along? If you've written up blog posts about them (or plan to write up blog posts about them), feel free to share in the comments below so everyone can browse through! I know I would enjoy seeing what you're working on.

Most of you have probably already seen this, but I'll mention it again just in case. Goddess Tithe is currently in production to become an audiobook! I am so excited about this, I can hardly even stand it. We auditioned narrators a few months back, and the gentleman we chose is absolutely fantastic. Today I got to hear his performance of the "Where Did the Songbird Go?" lullaby, and it was so beautiful. We also picked the soundtrack for the opening and closing sequences. It's going to be gorgeous, a very exciting launch into the audiobook world.

I have two other wonderful projects in the works for Rooglewood Press as well . . . unique and beautiful projects, completely different from anything else we've done. But, sadly, both are secret projects for the time being, so I can't talk about them too much just yet. (Though I'm spending quite a lot of time thinking about and planning for them!) In the meanwhile, I must leave you with another enigma . . .

Anyway, I think that's enough doings for the time being. Be sure to keep coming back to this blog over the next several weeks, since I have quite a lineup of fun features and posts scheduled, including a particularly fun interview with a talented and prolific novelist coming up this Monday. (And he's offering a three book giveaway for one lucky winner, so you don't want to miss it!)

In the meanwhile, what have your doings been? Are you well into your new school years? Or focused on exciting new writing projects? Looking forward to the holidays?

Short Question - Short Answer

Today's short question is: "Will Rooglewood Press be accepting manuscript submissions in the future?"

The short answer to this question is . . . I'm not altogether certain.

I know I would like for Rooglewood Press to accept manuscript submissions sometime down the road. And we did early on have a tentative look at a couple of manuscripts, though we ended up turning those down for various reasons. And I have to say I'm glad we did in the long run! As much as I would love to expand on our lineup, we are too small of a company at this point to support many more authors than we currently have. There are just a few of us handling everything--marketing and promotion, typesetting, editing, interior design, cover design or cover design negotiation (depending on if we outsource or not), formatting for print and e-book, research . . . the whole works. And all of us have other jobs besides (for instance, I write novels . . .).

Nevertheless, we do hope to expand eventually, at which point we will begin accepting manuscript submissions. So we'll see how God leads as time goes on! And in the meanwhile, there are bazillions of publishing houses out there looking for great work. So hone your craft, study the market, do your research, and write those query letters.

To Love and to Loathe

Today's blog post is based on this reader-question: "What do you loathe and love about writing."

Most writers, if they are honest, will admit to sometimes absolutely hating that which they love most: writing. And those writers who don't sometimes hate writing probably aren't doing it right.

Good writing is a soul-baring exercise, and through the course of uprooting a story from the unwilling soil of inspiration, we must also uproot much of ourselves which we might sometimes like to remain hidden. Insecurity, for instance, and self-doubt. Fear of discovery . . . "Will this story reveal too much truth about me?" . . . or fear of misunderstanding . . . "Will everyone grasp what it is I'm trying to communicate to them?"

If you are writing well, you are writing vulnerably. It's just a fact. If you're not writing vulnerably, you're not writing well. You might be writing capably and entertainingly. But not well. And there is frustration and dissatisfaction that comes with that sort of writing too . . . but I think much of that dissatisfaction and frustration stems from the secret, inner suspicion that you as the writer are not truly giving your all. You're not writing with vulnerability and truth.

I think this is always the first step of loathing for me as I begin piecing the patchwork of a story. When I hit those snags of realization that I am just putting together plot-pieces. I'm just writing "characters" that do "character things"--like shrug when they're confused or bite their lips when they're frightened or (if they're heroes) run their fingers through their hair as a means to communicate whatever emotion finger-through-hair-running communicates.

If I'm not writing real, if I'm not writing truth . . . I'm going to be frustrated and irritated. At the book. And at myself.

So let's say I've worked through that issue for a particular book. What other loathings am I likely to encounter?

The second loathing common to my work is that of It's Just Not There Right Now. Also known as Writer's Block. It happens. There are days when, no matter what I do, no matter what I try, no matter what bargains with heaven I might try to make--it ain't happening.

I experienced this horror right at the very end of my most recent manuscript. I was writing along beautifully for a week or two only to hit a certain day--with just a handful of chapters left to go--a certain day when NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. I seriously put on my timer (a last-ditch effort if Writer's Block is looming) and forced myself to write for forty minutes. But everything I wrote was awful.

It wasn't that I didn't know what to do. I knew exactly what to do. My heroine needed, for the sake of the plot, to walk across the room and open the window to let someone (or something . . . but this is the Super Secret project, so I'm not saying) into the room. That's all. Just walk across the room. Open the window. Let someone/thing in.

But I couldn't find the words. They simply weren't there.

So I jam-wrote for forty minutes, produced a whole lot of blather that went nowhere, and walked away in a fit of despair and . . . you guessed it . . . loathing.

The next day, however, I sat down to work and very simply walked my heroine over to that same dragon-eaten window to let in the same dragon-eaten something, and everything moved along dragon-eaten fine. I finished the manuscript two days later.

So yeah. It happens. It's Just Not There Right Now happens. And I absolutely despise it!

Do note--Even though I was having an It's Just Not There Right Now day, I didn't immediately get up and walk away. Because those days can and often will turn into Oh That's All It Needed days if you just keep plugging away. But there are days where nothing helps but a good weep, a little gnashing of teeth, a large cup of tea, and an angry nap. On those days, its best to leave the poor manuscript alone until the next morning.

So that's enough about loathing. What do I love about writing?

 Probably much the same things everyone loves: That moment when the story clicks. That moment when the threads begin to weave together naturally into a pattern where all I saw before was snarl. That moment when a character ceases to be a character and becomes a person--a moment which can happen early on or quite late in the manuscript, depending on the character.

That moment when I can accept that this story will never be perfect. But it will be good.

That moment when I can safely say that this story is better than the last story. That even if readers disagree, I know it's true.

That moment when I write "The End." And mean it. (Because sometimes I write "The End" and I'm wrong and have to go back and work a while longer.)

That moment when I've reached the end of a 4,000 word day and know exactly what I want to start writing tomorrow.

That moment when It's Just Not There Right Now melts away into AH! There It Is!

And a single moment like that--a single moment of love--is worth a whole week of loathing.

So how about you? When do you love/loathe your work? What are the best and worst moments of the writing life in your opinion?

Short Question - Short Answer

Here's today's short question: "Will your books become available as audiobooks in the future?"

My answer: I hope so, yes!

Currently there aren't any specific plans for the first six books to come out in audio. We have a variety of thoughts and ideas on that subject bouncing around at Rooglewood Press, and my agent has looked into various audiobook companies as well.  I do believe audiobooks of the novels will happen at some point.

But I can tell you that Goddess Tithe will in fact be releasing in audiobook format sometime in the very near future! We have a wonderful narrator, Stephen John Rees, producing it. He'll be including short musical interludes and his own performance of the "Where Did the Songbird Go" lullaby.

It's going to be gorgeous, and I am so excited to launch into the audiobook world with this project!

Are you readers all audiobook enthusiasts? Back when I was pursuing my artistic career, I used to listen to audiobooks while painting portraits. I listened to the first three of the Series of Unfortunate Events as narrated by Tim Curry while portrait-painting, and they were delightfully depressing. Rohan and I will often grab audiobooks for long car rides too. We listened to the audiobook recording of The Graveyard Book while on an road-trip, and I think I loved it even more than the book itself (which I had purchased in hardbound as soon as it released)! The other audiobook I most enjoyed was The Spook's Apprentice: Curse of the Bane, which was, as the title suggests, frightfully spooky! An excellent audio-recording.

A Word on the Subject of Allegory

Continuing this Q&A series with this great question: "What is your advice about allegorical works? That is, is it a genre you recommend writers pursue? If not, why not?"

Bearing in mind that I do not consider myself an expert on this topic--that these are simply my opinions which should be considered alongside other opinions--here's what I have to say on the subject of allegory.

I think it is unwise for authors to pursue the genre of allegorical fiction.

Does this surprise you? It might, particularly considering my first published novel was an overt allegory of Christ's love for the Church. Not to mention the truth that allegory has a long, lovely literary history that is always fascinating to study and pursue. The problem with allegory, however, is that it so quickly devolves from beautiful story-telling into agenda-pushing. This is true with all forms of allegory, from Christian to secular.

Yes, keep in mind that allegory does not necessarily mean Christian allegory. The definition of the word "allegory" is simply this: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Allegory is symbolic; like most symbolic work, it is best when done subtly. But subtlety and allegory do not often go hand-in-hand!

I read an allegorical book recently: Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper. It is a secular allegory on the topic of beauty in the modern world. Tepper has a point she desperately wants to make and she hammers it home through the course of her novel. And it's a wonderful novel, and Tepper expresses her allegory unashamedly and with skill. However, the preachy tone of the book is often extremely off-putting. One cannot help while reading it wondering how much better the book might have been had she sometimes let the characters and events speak for themselves.

Heartless, my own debut novel, has received criticism of a similar sort time and again. And while some readers would argue that the overt allegory is what makes the book special, others would just as vehemently argue that the allegory gets in the way of the story. I tend to fall somewhere between those two camps. It is difficult for me to envision Heartless without its allegorical themes simply because, as a young novelist, that's what I thought I was supposed to do. A good Christian novelist who wants to write fantasy must write fantasy-allegory.

These days--and quite a few novels later--I don't think so anymore.While allegorical themes and plenty of symbolism run through my work, I rarely write overt allegory anymore. The closest I came to returning to overt allegory was the scene of Eanrin's rescue from the Netherworld in Starflower. That story trod close to the same sort of allegorical overtness to be found in Heartless.

As a rule, however, I don't directly attempt allegory anymore. Instead I try to write books about people. Real people in fantastical situations who react to those situations as real people would react. This in itself provides me with opportunities to write about truth, grace, forgiveness, sin. Sometimes I write about them in a symbolic manner--Daylily's "wolf in her mind" from Shadow Hand for instance. There is plenty of allegorical significance in that theme, but it's not a symbol that can be easily pinpointed and explained away in simplistic Evangelical terms. Daylily is a person. Her sin and her struggle is simultaneously unique and universal.

This is the truth of people--our sins and struggles are always unique and yet always universal.

I have mentioned him many times before, but I'll go ahead and mention him again. One of my favorite modern novelists if Sir Terry Pratchett. I disagree with him on many levels theologically and philosophically. But what I absolutely love about his work is his ability to make a point, to give a message or "preach a sermon," without the reader ever feeling like that is what's happening. Because Sir Terry's purpose is always the people involved in his stories. Not the message. The message comes through the characters; the characters don't act out the message. Is his work allegorical (in the secular sense)? Often it is, yes. Absolutely. Does the reader ever feel as though she is reading an allegory? Rarely!

So that is always my urging to novelists who think they want to write allegory. Focus on the characters. Focus on making them as real as possible. Do you want to include symbolism? That's good. Study the great writers, both novelists and poets, who have handled it well, ingrain their secrets into your brain--and then go back to focusing on those characters.

And pray. If God has a message He wants to communicate through your work, He is more than capable of handling that Himself. But that's not your job. Your job is to write real . . . whether your genre is fantasy, sci fi, contemporary, romance, or whatever. Your job is to write with authenticity. Your job is to write with barefaced honesty. Don't hide behind masks of allegory or symbolism, for that was never the intended purpose of those literary devices!

A skilled writer can use allegorical symbolism to augment her honest portrayal of people. But the goal is ultimately not the allegory but the honesty.


What are your thoughts on the subject of allegory? Are you for or against it? Have you attempted to write it or do you avoid it as a rule?

Inspirational and Influencial Reads

Today I am answering this question: "Do you have any summer reading suggestions, like books that inspired your books or books you think everyone should read once but no one has ever heard of?"
Keep in mind, my answer is based purely on what I think at this moment. And what I think at this moment is subject to change next moment. Also, this moment might be a forgetful one, and I'll leave out something completely vital! But as I sit here early in the morning, my hot drink scalding my mouth at every sip, Monster purring away beside me, and piles of packing surrounding . . . these are the books that pop to mind that have been inspirational to my own work and that I think everyone should read.
 The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. I read this book so many times as a child and young teenager! Of all the lovely works by George MacDonald, this is the one that had the most unconsciously profound effect on my own work. I re-read it a year or two after Heartless released and was surprised to see how many similarities my work shared with MacDonald's. Not in plot, necessarily, but in style, approach, and thematic material.
MacDonald also inspires me with his subtle use of allegory. He is rarely overt when it comes to allegorical threads in his work but allows them to weave so surreptitiously through the tale that some readers might miss them entirely. As my books have progressed, I have tried more and more to mimic that aspect of MacDonald's writing. He is a writer whom I will probably spend much of my life trying to emulate.
Another of MacDonald's works that I recommend is Phantastes. Now this book is a much more difficult read, often as strange as Carrol's Wonderland tales but not so funny. Indeed, much of the book I read thinking, What on earth is this supposed to be about? I don't understand! It's not a simple story like his Princess and the Goblin or some of MacDonald's delightful short fairy tales.
But then you get to a certain passage right at the end. And you realize, Oh! That's why I read this. That's what this is all about. And suddenly the journey is worthwhile.
Phantastes is directly responsible for the invention of Starflower. I sat down and penned out the first notes and ideas for Starflower after coming to the end of Phantastes. As most of you know, Starflower has many other strong literary influences as well, most notable of which is "The Hound of Heaven." But Phantastes is where it started.
I could go on and name quite a lot more of MacDonald's works. But I'll leave off here with a general, sweeping statement of, "MacDonald's fairy tales. Some more than others. But all of them, ultimately."
I'll quickly mention a handful of epic and sort-of-epic poems that have had a distinct and ongoing influence on my work, many of which you can find and read for free online. These include Robert Browning, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and various translations of "Beowulf." For ease of reading, I recommend Seamus Heaney's version of "Beowulf" to start with, though I've read two or three other translations over the years as well, and each adds a unique perspective and flavor.  C.S. Lewis's work has always been an inspiration to me, as will surprise none of you. But his lesser-known Till We Have Faces is directly responsible for my ongoing fascination with veils as a literary symbol. It's a wonderful, profound work, a little more subtle on the allegory than his works for children and very beautiful.
I think students of literature and aspiring novelists can find something wonderful and inspiring from anything written by Shakespeare (practically). My own work has been most directly influenced by A Midsummer Night's Dream (surprise, surprise), and my favorite is Hamlet. If you read no other Shakespeare, I hope you will at least read those two, or one of those two.

 A book that I discovered partway through writing the first draft of Veiled Rose was The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Since then I have read that book so many times--and my copy has become so ratty and dog-eared--it takes only a glance to see how much I love it! It's an odd little story in many ways . . . at one point, we meet a band of Robin Hood-wannabes who are sitting around their campfire deep in the woods, eating tacos. At another point, a prince lounging with his lady in a mystic glade pulls out a magazine to thumb through. But otherwise, it's all set in a fairly-typical fantasy kingdom! Odd, yes. And I found it completely enthralling.

Beagle writes the story with that perfect mixture of humor, horror, and heartbreak. It's not a story for everyone by any means . . . but it's one of those stories that is completely for me. We all of us have those authors we discover whom we feel wrote their work ideally tailored to our specific tastes. That's what The Last Unicorn is for me. I also adored the novella sequel he wrote years later, The Two Hearts. I read it while on a plane for Okinawa and totally broke down in tears, right there, on the plane, probably horrifying all those around me. But it was just so beautiful, I couldn't help it!

I return to The Last Unicorn and Beagle during those dry spells in my writing when I simply need to refresh myself with excellent work.
Okay, the truth is, I could fill this whole post up with "serious" works of literature because I firmly believe that any well-written book of any genre has the potential to be inspiring to any novelist of any other genre. That's just the nature of great writing.
But I'll take a moment to talk about some of my favorite lighthearted reads as well.
It's no secret to anyone reading this blog that I am a huge fan of Sir Terry Pratchett. It might surprise some of you who have read his work since he can be both very silly and very irreverent, often simultaneously.
What I love about Sir Terry Pratchett, though, what keeps me coming back to read his works again and again (and there are PLENTY of them to read!) is his use of real people as protagonists. By this I mean Pratchett doesn't go in for "the hero" or "the heroine" like other novelists of fantasy do. Nor does he write "the villain" all in terms of black and white.
He writes about people. Real, natural, foible-filled people. Once in a blue moon he'll feature a hero or heroine with unusual powers (Tiffany Aching, Moist Von Lipwig, Granny Weatherwax--though even in these instances, his super-characters are so much more real than everyone else's), but for the most part, he likes to focus on the Ordinary Hero in the Unusual Circumstance.
Often his regular hero/heroine must rise to the occasion, to become something more than he or she once was. Sam Vimes is a fantastic example of this, though he never loses his Vimesishness (thank heaven!). We love him because we love to watch him struggle. Nothing comes easy to him. He doesn't have any natural brilliance or secret power to fall back on.
Terry Pratchett writes people we feel like we could actually know. He writes people we feel like we could actually be. And for this reason, Sir Terry will always be one of my all-time favorites.
If you're curious to start reading his work, I recommend both Nation (a YA read and one of my favorite books) and Guards! Guards! (which is aimed at adults but which is also one of my all-time favorites).
There are SO MANY more books I could recommend here, but I think I'll end on an obscure note, a little-known trilogy which I think everyone should read--but not as teenagers. Wait until college-age, perhaps. I know I wouldn't have appreciated this work as a teenager, but a few extra years and I loved it.
I'm talking about The Heaven Tree Trilogy by Edith Pargeter. This series, made up of The Heaven Tree, The Green Branch, and The Scarlet Seed is set in 13th century England and focuses on the turmoil between England and Wales during that time. But it's really not about war and politics, though war and politics come into it. It's a book about art. About the artistic spirit which lives on after death. It's a book about cathedrals and statuary, a book about love and passion. It's the story of Harry Talvace and later on his son, also Harry Talvace.
I don't know if I can really call this trilogy an influence, per se. I've only read it once, and I don't know if any book can truly be an influence after only a single reading. But it's a wonderful work and one I know I will read again.
Anyway, I hope you found some interesting titles among these I've listed! It's not an exhaustive list of influences and recommendations by any means, but these are all books I have thoroughly enjoyed.
What are some of your all-time reading picks and recommendations?

Short Question - Short Answer

Here is a fun short question-short answer for all of you, one I've been looking forward to sharing! This reader asked: "What has been your favorite activity this summer?"

Well, I don't know if favorite is quite the right word since this whole business is quite a stressful one . . . but certainly the most exciting activity this summer has been this!

That's right. We bought a new home! We officially closed on the sale yesterday, and I am probably, even as you read this, in the midst of hauling boxes of belongings over to it and beginning the labor of setting up our new life.

We started house-hunting earlier in the summer, looking for a spot a little bigger than Rooglewood and in more of a neighborhood setting (Rooglewood is located in the downtown and, though surrounded on three sides by a bamboo forest, faces a busy commercial road). This house is the perfect solution, full of character and quirk with a big back yard for Milly to run around in . . . and plenty of room for a future family should that be God's will for us.

I'm a bit sad to leave Rooglewood, I won't lie. Okay, a lot sad. Rohan and I have loved this first home of ours and made so many memories here. But after four years of marriage (not to mention twenty-plus rescue kitties and two rescue doggies later!) the time is right to move on.

The new home has been christened as well . . . it is called Drakenheath.

Why Drakenheath, you ask? Well, I grew up in Lakenheath, England, and this house is situated on a sweet, heath-like landscape. And "Draken" is, of course, in honor of my dragon-books. So next month I hope to post the very first "Doings at Drakenheath" post for all of you!