Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 18

Guest Post: Heather Day Gilbert

Dear imps, I have a treat for you today! Heather Day Gilbert is visiting this blog with a guest post about her new release, Miranda Warning . It sounds like such a fascinating story, and I hope you will enjoy learning about how Heather developed this idea! She is also offering a lovely giveaway for a print copy of the book, so be sure to check that out at the end.

And now, welcome to Heather!


The Idea that Wouldn't Let GoInspiration for Miranda Warning

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Anne! I appreciate it so much!
Today is release day for my very first mystery novel, Miranda Warning. This is the first book in A Murder in the Mountains series. I just wanted to share a little background on how this book came to be.
Long ago, when my three children were mere toddlers, I wanted to write a book. I started writing said book. The main character's name was Tess Spencer, and she was married to a guy named Thomas (in an homage to Agatha Christie's knockout duo, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford). In this book, Tess had two children. She got involved in a mystery involving a woman named Rose.
I had only gotten about the first ten chapters written, and I decided to let my husband take a peek. His reaction when I told him how the book would end? "You have a nice start to this story, but that's not all of it."
Author reaction: Flaming. Outrage. Inability to continue writing said book. Giving up on writing books till about six years later. At that point, I had no ability to take a critique.
Fast forward to about nine years later. I'd written a book, and I wanted to write another book while the first one (God's Daughter, my Viking historical), was out on submission. So I sat down that winter and Tess sauntered back into my head. In this book, Tess is still married to Thomas, but she's newly pregnant; no kiddos yet. She's also pulled into a mystery with a dead woman named Rose.This time, the book unfolded for me. The more I got into it, the more I realized the things I thought were going to happen did not. The characters I thought were key were not. The villain was not who I thought it was. In other words, I finally fully developed that story, just like my husband had told me I could.
I have a thicker skin now and can take well-meant critiques. I've had to accept numerous rejections. I'm learning how to take harsh reviews, too.
But my husband still isn't an early reader for my books! I value his opinion too highly and as an author, if he dislikes something, it just torpedoes my desire to finish the book. But I realize he doesn't represent my normal reader demographic. He's actually a big non-fiction and Louis L'amour/western fan.
I'm thankful God brought Tess back to me. Nowadays, I've noticed my author-plotting brain is working overtime, collecting details about locations and people (the series is set in contemporary West Virginia—where I live now). I can't wait to write the next book in this series: Trial by Twelve. Most of all, I'm so glad that even though I briefly let go of that mystery-writing idea, the idea never let go of me. 
HEATHER DAY GILBERT enjoys writing stories about authentic, believable marriages. Seventeen years of marriage to her sweet Yankee husband have given her some perspective, as well as eleven years spent homeschooling. Heather regularly posts on Novel Rocket about self-publishing.
You can find Heather at her website, Heather Day Gilbert--Author, and at her Facebook Author Page, as well as Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads. Her Viking novel, God's Daughter , is an Amazon bestseller. You can find it on Amazon and Audible.com. Her Appalachian mystery, Miranda Warning , releases today, June 20th, on Amazon. You can find an excerpt of the first chapters here on Scribd.



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Goldstone Wood Concert

The time has come for the first ever Tales of Goldstone Wood music contest! I've been looking forward to sharing these submissions with all of you for quite some time now, and I hope you will enjoy this demonstration of talent as much as I do.

If you would like to vote on your favorite, send the title of the song and the composer name to me at my email address (aestengl@gmail.com). The votes will be tallied, and the winner will receive the Goldstone Wood novel of her choice along with a beautiful Goldstone Wood mug and various paraphernalia (stickers, bookmarks, pencils, etc.)

Voting lasts through Saturday. Winner to be announced on Sunday, June 22.

And don't forget, we have an alternate storyboarding prize offered by Melanie J. Morgan, who will pick her favorite of the submissions to use in a Goldstone Wood animatic! I can hardly wait to see how that turns out myself.

Note to all of you: For some reason, my blog glitched out and didn't want to upload anymore Youtube videos. So while the first few videos are present, the others are all links to Youtube. I do apologize! And I hope you'll enjoy the concert anyway.

Now adjust your speakers and enjoy these wonderful, original compositions by various talented musicians.






TRAPPED BETWEENAn original music and lyrics composition by Meredith BurtonPerformed by Meredith Burton  Inspired by Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood




UNA'S STORYOriginal lyrics by Meredith Burton, set to the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus."
Performed by Meredith Burton Inspired by Heartless, book 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood




WALTZ OF ARPIAROriginal composition by Marisa MirandaInspired by Moonblood, book 3 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood




STARFLOWER'S SONG TO FAIRBIRD
Original composition and lyrics by Therru Ghibli
Performed by Therru Ghibli
Inspired by Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood




THE SONG OF THE SPHERES Original composition by Allison RuvidichPerformed by Allison Ruvidich Inspired by a poem from Heartless, book 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Allison's Introduction: "In "Song of the Spheres," I wanted to create the impression of layers of melody and harmony unfolding into a complex whole.  Originally, I thought I could do that with the piano (ahem; harpsichord), but then I thought of something much easier: doing it with my voice!  : )  I chose the harpsichord for its classic, fairytale feel.  Listen for the thrush!"



LULLABY Original composition by Allison RuvidichPerformed by Allison Ruvidich Inspired by a poem from Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Allison's Introduction: "In "Lullaby," I wanted to create the sense of a grand river, spilling over rocks and crashing down a waterfall before fading into stillness.  I chose piano for its muted, mellow tone that allows a great variety of volume.  Listen for the river!"



GOLDEN DAUGHTER Original composition by Allison RuvidichPerformed by Allison Ruvidich Inspired by Golden Daughter, upcoming book 7 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Allison's Introduction: "In "Golden Daughter," an instrumental, I hoped to conjured up the mystic, Arabian-Nights feel of the Orient.  To accomplish this, I wrote it in pentatonic, a scale associated with traditional Asian music.  I also chose to play it on violin, an instrument similar to the erhu, on which such music would've been played.  You may observe that this song has no final resolution.  That is because there is much more to come.  : )  Listen for the cat!"



PRINCE OF DREAMS Original compositin and lyrics by BrittneyPerformed by BrittneyInspired by Heartless, book 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Britt's Introduction: "This song references the time when Una longs for true love and has not yet realized the consequences of giving your heart away too freely. Though Una appears to be overly-willing to fall in love and perhaps does not see the broader aspects of life, this song attempts to voice a deeper side to Una's premature interests- a side of simply wanting someone to love and to be loved by with deep affection and sincerity."



VOICES OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE Original composition and lyrics by BrittneyPerformed by BrittneyInspired by Veiled Rose, book 2 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Britt's Introduction: "At the time of this song, Rose Red is feeling very alone on her mountain, with only her "father,' an old goat, and the many haunting voices around her for company. She has yet to meet Leo, and is venting her distress of being shunned by most and hounded by others, and having yet to know what true friendship is."



THE NIGHT OF MOONBLOODOriginal composition by GypsyStarflowerPerformed by GypsyStarflowerInspired by a poem from Moonblood, book 3 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood



THE MAIDEN I ADORE Original composition by RebekahPerformed by RebekahInspired by a poem from Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Rebekah's Introduction: "This is my idea of what the song Eanrin is composing all through out "Starflower" might sound like."
 Lyrics:Oh, woe is me, I am undone,In sweet affliction lying!  For though my labor's scarce begun,It leaves me sorely sighingAfter the maiden I adore,Who marches bravely to Death's door.Be bold, my heart! Now is the hour!You've dared to love the Maid Starflower.



HALFLIGHT REALM  Original composition by RebekahPerformed by RebekahInspired by the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Rebekah's Introduction: "This song is kind of like the theme music for the Wood Between."



LILLA LAY Original composition by TheEuphonagePerformance by Cat "Paige" ReederInspired by a poem from Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood





STARFLOWER AND THE WOLF LORDOriginal composition by Camryn LockhartPerformance by Camryn LockhartInspired by Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood



 SONG OF THE SPHERESOriginal composition by Clara DarlingPerformed by Clara DarlingInspired by a song in Heartless, book 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood





EANRIN'S LULLABYOriginal composition by Clara DarlingPerformed by Clara DarlingInspired by lyrics from Starflower, book 4 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood




OH, GLEAMDREN FAIROriginal composition by Clara DarlingPerformed by Clara DarlingInspired by lyrics from Veiled Rose, book 2 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood





GERVAIS'S SONGBased on "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose,"Performed by Clara DarlingInspired by lyrics from Heartless, book 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood

Writing Process Blog Tour

Huzzah! I've been tagged for a blog tour about my personal writing process. Thanks to bestselling novelist, Jill Eileen Smith, for the tag. And be certain to check out her newest release, RACHEL, book 3 in her Wives of the Patriarchs series. She brings out the humanity and the drama in the familiar biblical stories, making them feel exciting and new!

Anyway, on to the questions . . . .

What am I working on at the moment?

At this particular moment, I am working on galleys for Golden Daughter, which is swamping my week. Actually, by the time this posts (it's scheduled for a few days from now!), I hope to have those done, though. Keeping my eye on that light at the end of the tunnel . . .

I just finished the revisions for Draven's Light, my upcoming 2015 novella. I'm in the process this week of watching the cover design for that project as well. Oh, my! What a  gorgeous cover this is going to be! Very excited.

And on Monday, I hope to start the MASSIVE revisions necessary on my new work-in-progress-about-which-I-am-not-yet-speaking. The story is right on the very verge of really coming together, but it's going to need those revisions in order to truly shine!

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, these days the major difference between my work and other fantasy is my use of the omniscient narrative. It's amazing, though, what a difference in narrative choice can make! By using the omniscient narrative, I am able to bring in many more characters and threads in a compact amount of word count. This narrative also gives my work more of a classic, throw-back feel, since this is also the narrative used by favorite fantasy novelists, Tolkien, Lewis, and George MacDonald. But I try to use this old fashioned narrative in a contemporary style, such as the brilliant Sir Terry Pratchett and always-inventive Neil Gaiman use in their works.

Why do I write what I do?

I write what I write because it's also what I love to read. I love the omniscient narrative. I love complex worlds and interlinking story lines. I like books with a touch of romance that never interferes with the real drama of the plot. I like characters who aren't supermen or superwomen, but real people caught up in supercircumstances (if you'll pardon my coining a new word there). I love the challenge of trying to blend a sense of classicism with modern-day tastes and styles. I love my characters. I love my stories.

Seriously, I cannot imagine not writing what I write!

How does my writing process work?

Okay, this is what happens when I write a book. I don't know if it's a process . . . certainly not one to be emulated! But it's what happens for me when I write a new novel.

I get a seed of an idea. This is usually a good year, sometimes many more, before I'm going to actually write it. (Though my new project came to me only a month before I started writing it, which might be a record.) I will pound out a few sentences in a document somewhere about this seed of an idea. Then I'll forget where I put that document and never look at it again.

But the seed sits there in my brain. And eventually it begins to grow.

As it grows, a variety of new ideas concerning that seed grow with it. These I do not write down. Not yet. I let them swim around in my brain (oh, dear. What a mixed metaphor! Swimming seeds?) for a few months or years. The good ideas thrive and grow. The bad ones shrivel up and die. I'm pretty ruthless. I don't write anything down unless it's survived this stage of brewing. And it will often surprise me which ideas make it to the writing-it-down stage and which do not.

When the time approaches for me to write that particular novel (and this has nothing to do with, "Oh, I'm inspired to write it now!" It's entirely a matter of, "Oh, this is the next one in the timeline of my world! Yikes!"), only then will I open a new file, title it whatever the working title for that project is, and start writing. (This is after a fruitless search for that original note I made and lost somewhere. But who knows where I put that? Oh, well. It probably wasn't much good anyway.)

I start writing by simply pounding out all the ideas still swimming in my brain. There is no order to this. No rhyme or reason. Sometimes I can't see how certain ideas can ever POSSIBLY fit with others! But there's always some unconscious part of my creativity that sees a connection, so I stick with it.

After I've pounded out all the ideas, I start shuffling, shifting, deleting, and adding. Connections eventually begin to present themselves to me. In the case of Golden Daughter, the main character herself, Sairu, emerged at this stage and created all the connections necessary for the ideas to work. In the case of Shadow Hand, I realized that I couldn't bring Eanrin and Imraldera into the story until Part Two, and that made all the other story connections work.

Once this stage is complete, and I have a document that roughly details how all those swimming ideas create something cohesive, I build an outline. This is a detailed outline . . . often extremely detailed! It takes me hours to create, even days.

And then I don't really follow it.

I mean, I do follow it. But an outline and a story are not the same thing. What looked good in outline form might completely stink in book form! So the outline is very flexible. It's there to keep me on track (no rabbit trails for this cookie! Wow. Another odd metaphor.), but it's not there to constrain me. It also details how these stories fit with other stories, so I don't lose those threads along the way. At this stage in the game (about to start writing book 8 in the series), keeping track of those threads is important!

Once the outline is complete, I start drafting the opening. This is usually where the agony sets in. Openings are completely devilish for me! Absolutely appalling. I usually have five different possible openings in mind going into it, and I often have to try TEN until I find one that works. These stories are so complicated, finding the right place to start them is ridiculous.

But once the opening comes together, the rest of it starts to fall into place. That doesn't mean there isn't other agony. Rough drafting is, for me, a laborious process. Which is why I usually try to rough out my manuscripts as quickly as possible. Two to six months is the norm for me, even for my longest works. Golden Daughter, my longest work by a long shot, was begun in April and finished in October--but that was with that weird sickness knocking me out every month or so for two weeks at a stretch. Not to mention quite a bit of travel thrown in there too, which interrupted everything. So it took me a little longer. Still, not a bad pace.

Once the rough draft is done, I expect the whole thing to be utter garbage . . . but then I read through it and usually find that it's quite good. Needs help. Needs revision. But it's basically quite good. Revisions are then fairly pleasant to accomplish . . . though, in a weird sort of way, I kind of miss the horror of drafting. As much as I hate drafting, it's also tremendously exciting. Revisions, by contrast, are not as challenging and, therefore, not as interesting. (I know, I just can't be pleased!)

My favorite part of the whole process: calling it done. Ah, the relief!

And then, of course, it's not done. It still has to be looked over by editors, polished, perfected, tweaked, and read, and reread, and reread, and reread, and reread, and reread (are you seeing a pattern here?), and reread . . . until I absolutely hate it. Just before the book releases, I make a solemn to NEVER READ THAT BOOK AGAIN.

A vow which I honor . . . up until the Christmas Read-Along comes around. Then I read it with all of you. And by then, I don't hate it so much anymore.

So that is the gist of my writing process. What do you think? Ready to try it for yourselves? (Don't. Seriously. Spare yourselves.)

 And there you have it! The end of my part in this tour. I am tagging Morgan Busse (author of the acclaimed Followers of the Word fantasy series), and Rachel Starr Thomson (author of . . . seriously, SO MANY exciting projects. And she puts them out amazingly fast. Once you discover her, you'll be set on reading material for AGES!)

They will be posting their features and tags sometime next week. So be certain to go check out their blogs! And you might as well check out their books while you're at it. Book 1 in Morgan's series is called Daughter of Light , and Rachel just released a new novel called Abaddon's Eve.

So now I'm curious . . . what does YOUR writing process look like? Does it vary per book, or do you see a pattern?

A Cover for DRAVEN'S LIGHT

Dear imps, I need your help . . .

We are in the process of deciding a cover for my upcoming novella, Draven's Light, which will be releasing next spring (but should be up for pre-order this fall).

My regular cover artist, the wonderful Julia Popova, felt that this particular project was too dark for her talents, and graciously asked to bow out of it. We are definitely keeping Julia on as the artist for the fairy tale collections, but we are now looking for a new artist going forward with the Tales of Goldstone Wood series.

So we are hosting a cover design contest. And so many wonderful designs were sent in, it makes my head spin! But out of all of them, two different artists with two very different designs kept standing out to us.

And now, we need your input. We are asking you to give your vote on which of these two designs you like best! This is possibly the ONLY time we will ever have a quandary like this, so I hope you will enjoy participating in this fun event.

Keep in mind that the text is not final. You are voting only on the cover image itself. Our Rooglewood Press typesetters will be applying the final text to the winning image, so it will match the other books in the series. The two artists simply inserted text so that we could have a visual of what it will look like.

Also, keep in mind that these are not the final images. The artists have not purchased high-resolution stock yet (it's expensive, and they want to know if their design wins before they purchase anything!), so there are "shutterstock" and "depositphoto" watermarks. Try to ignore these and focus simply on the design itself!

Which one stands out to you? Which one makes you most interested to read the book? Which one looks the most magical and enticing?

THIS IS THE LINK if you would like to go see them and vote.

And this is the back-cover description:


In the Darkness of the Pit
The Light Shines Brightest

Drums summon the chieftain’s powerful son to slay a man in cold blood and thereby earn his place among the warriors. But instead of glory, he earns the name Draven, “Coward.” When the men of his tribe march off to war, Draven remains behind with the women and his shame. Only fearless but crippled Ita values her brother’s honor.


The warriors return from battle victorious yet trailing a dire curse in their wake. One by one the strong and the weak of the tribe fall prey to a ravening illness of supernatural power. The secret source of this predatory evil can be found and destroyed by only the bravest heart.


But when the curse attacks the one Draven loves most, can this coward find the courage he needs to face the darkness?

Doings at Rooglewood: June, Spoon, Moon, Loon . . . Tune . . .

Dear imps, there are so many doings! I can't keep up with them all! Nor do I expect you to. But I want you to be aware of them at least just because some of them are really awesome . . .


The lovely Amber Stokes of Seasons of Humility is hosting a blog tour for Five Glass Slippers . . . coming up VERY soon now! And if you are a blogger, we would love to have you participate. All the details are here, so do jump on board if you'd like to!

And you know what this means? It means FIVE GLASS SLIPPERS IS RELEASING SOON! Actually very soon. The official release date is next Saturday, though some of you might get your pre-order copies sooner than that. I can hardly wait to share these stories! It's been fun to see the early reviews going up. I am so proud of these authors and all their hard work. I hope this collection introduces their names to thousands of new readers who will be eager to read much more work by each of them.

Oh, and speaking of awesome collections . . .

Most of you have probably seen this, but just in case . . . the new Rooglewood Press fairy tale collection contest has launched. All the rules are here. We are looking forward to seeing your wonderful submissions! How is the brainstorming coming along for you? Do you have a great idea? A couple of great ideas???

We have a couple of fun features coming up. First of all, for those of you participating, don't forget that the deadline for the Goldstone Wood music contest is this Saturday. All the rules for this contest may be found here. And we do request that submissions be sent in as Youtube video links for ease of sharing.

We have received a handful of wonderful submissions already, and I know you are all going to love them! I know I have been very impressed with what I have heard. It's going to be awesome!!!

Other fun features coming up include a guest post written by awesome indie author Heather Day Gilbert about her new novel, Miranda Warning.Not to mention an awesome release day interview with Ashlee Willis about her debut fantasy novel, The Word Changers. These are both going to be very fun, including giveaways!


I just finished the first round of revisions on Draven's Light, which feels good. Very pleased with that story. Though . . . wow. It is very heavy. Not too dark for all of you, but heavy for my usual style. I really love the story, though. It's one that just begged to be told, and I'm looking forward to sharing it!

But before that, we have Golden Daughter coming this autumn. Huzzah! I'm hoping to see the book go up for pre-order sometime by the end of this month. There are a number of things that have to be done before that point, many of which I'm dealing with this next week. One of the biggest doings of the month, actually, is getting Golden Daughter ready for pre-order, so wish me luck!

I finished the rough draft of a new project about which I am not yet talking . . . It's reeeeeeeally rough. But I hope to start the revisions on it by the end of this month, and . . . well, I'm not talking about it yet, so that's all I can say!

Oh, dear. I feel like there are more things happening, but I can't remember them just now. If I think of them, I'll write a follow post, I promise!

What are your doings for June? Any fun events? Projects? Ideas for events or projects?

THE CENDRILLON CYCLE: Cover Reveal

This is definitely a good week for cover reveals . . .

Some of you might recognize the name "Stephanie Ricker." Others of you won't yet . . . but soon will after you read Five Glass Slippers and Stephanie's sci-fi contribution to that collection, A Cinder's Tale. And I know that once you've read her story, you will be as eager as I am to pick up . . .


Get ready to explore the universe! The Cendrillon Cycle A series of novellas recounting the past and future adventures of Elsa, Karl, Bruno, and the rest of the cinder crew from A Cinder's Tale. VOLUME I MAKES WORLDFALLDECEMBER 21, 2014______________
For those of you curious, The Cendrillon Cycle will be a series of ebook shorts, published over the course of several months/years. After a certain number of shorts are complete, they will be compiled into a single paperback.

Details about the first story are yet to come, though Stephanie has hinted to me what the title might be . . . and what an intriguing hint it is!

In the meanwhile, be sure to grab your copy of Five Glass Slippers so you'll be prepared to enter the fantastic, sci-fi world of The Cendrillon Cyle. Believe me, once you've read A Cinder's Tale, you'll be itching to see more of Stephanie's imagination and world-building.

Don't forget to add the book on your Goodreads shelves!


What do you think of that cover???


Note: The Cendrillon Cycle is not a Rooglewood Press production.

Thoughts on Originiality

Many and most of you have probably already seen the exciting announcement for Five Enchanted Roses, Rooglewood Press's second fairy tale writing contest. But here's the cover for you again anyway (just because it's so pretty!) and a link to the rules.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to see the stories for this contest and to begin putting together this wonderful new volume. I love being part of the enthusiasm and brainstorming and masses of creativity taking place! I hope this contest will end up being a memorable and blessed experience for all of the participants, both the winners and the runners-up.

I had a little note from Beka yesterday with an interesting question regarding the contest and brainstorming for her story. She suggested that I might like to make my answer into a blog post . . . and I thought that was quite a good idea! So this is for you, Beka, and for all of you who may be wondering much the same thing.

First, here was her question: "Hannah and I were brainstorming the other night and I came away with lots of wonderful ideas for my Beauty and the Beast retelling, as you already know. Now, I had a climax scene sketched out in my head. But have you ever run across it where you have your story all planned out, and then you read a novel that has a similar climax scene to the one you're writing? For me, it makes me worry that my story will be too similar to the other one. What do you do in that situation--or what would you do?"

Here is the short answer to this question:

THERE ARE NO ORIGINAL PLOTS.

And you know what? That's a good thing . . .

Okay, let me now embellish what I mean by this: You, as a novelist, are highly unlikely to come up with an original plot. That means you are unlikely to come up with an original climax either. Your climax may be very much like another story out there. So might your beginning . . . your middle . . . your core character motivation . . . It's all been done before.

What you bring to your novel is not an original plot. What you bring to your novel is an original you.

You have never been done before. Your perspective, your experiences, your way with words. You may be somewhat similar to those around you, but there will always be key differences that make you completely unique. And that's where your story has the chance to stand out.

In order for your climax--which, plot-wise, might be an exact replica of that climax you just read, not to mention fifty other books which also share the same basic climax--to be unique, you yourself must be authentic.

You must write characters who are real and true. Don't write the caricatures. Don't fall into the trap of tropes. Don't write the Hero Who Is Super Awesome . . . write the Hero Who Is Real. Don't write the Villain Who Is Super Evil . . . write the Villain Who Is Just As Real As The Hero.

This involves quite a lot of self-study and even self-abasement. Writing with authenticity is frightening and often embarrassing. (Don't believe me? Go look up my one-star reviews on Heartless and see what people have to say about Princess Una, possibly the most authentic heroine I have ever written.)To write authentic characters, you must be authentic. You cannot categorize yourself or your characters according to literary molds. Simple answers are unlikely to be true answers.

It's in authentic characterizations that your story will become unique. The same basic events and catalysts can take place, but it will feel fresh and new because YOU are writing it TRUTHFULLY.

This is such a hard concept to understand. It's also very hard to communicate. I suspect I'll spend the rest of my writing career trying to help other authors understand what I mean.

It's popular to write Supermen and Superwomen. It's popular to give a character a major case of Nobody Likes Me Syndrom, and then have that character discover a super power or innate brilliance at something and suddenly be Lauded and Praised by All. This is popular. This is not authentic.

Put yourself in that character's shoes when the crisis comes. Do you have a super power? No. So how would you react in those circumstances? You don't have the luxury of Being Awesome, so you have to be real. And that means real consequences. And possibly failure. And then dealing with the failure and trying again. And possibly failing again. In fact, possibly never succeeding (i.e. Una and Lionheart). So how do you deal with that?


The plot can be the same. But if the character is authentic, it will be fresh, invigorating, and always new.

So, my answer to you, Beka, is simply this: Write the climax you have in mind. But write it the way you would write it. Write it with your own voice and words.Write it with authenticity.


And here is another, somewhat-related thought concerning brainstorming for Five Enchanted Roses . . .

Writers, don't get TOO hung up on "being original" as you brainstorm your ideas. Be original, for sure, but don't cripple yourselves either. Some of you will come up with fantastically original spins. Some of you might see the story only a little altered from the original.

But here's the secret: I am looking for both kinds of stories. I want the completely, fantastically unique tales, but I also want to see stories that are close to the original fairy tale, with the classic Beast and the classic bargain with the father, etc.

So if you think your idea may not be "original enough," don't worry! Write it anyway and send it in. What I am looking for is a charming writing voice, compelling characters, and that certain je ne sais quoi that sticks in my heart.

Look at Five Glass Slippers for your example. That collection includes the completely WAY out there stories of A Cinder's Tale and Broken Glass . . . but it also includes What Eyes Can See, which is a simple little tale. It's not a wildly different retelling from the original. Elisabeth Brown worked in one small twist (Cinderella is really shy), and went from there. She wrote in her own, natural voice about natural, flawed, sweet, and authentic characters. She didn't cast a desperately wicked villain or a desperately awesome hero. She didn't worry about crazy plot twists or fantastical settings. She just wrote her story.

And we at Rooglewood Press loved it. There was no doubt in my mind after I read it that it would end up in the final collection. When the other contest readers read it, they all confirmed my feeling.

So that's not to say we don't want to see your crazy, out-there, fantastical retellings. We definitely do! But if that's not how your storytelling brain works . . . if you can really only come up with one very small twist on the original . . . no worries! Write it authentically and send it in. Because we're looking for those too.

That's the great beauty of a collection like this.

Let me know if you have any questions about this post! Some of these concepts are difficult to communicate, and I'm happy to try to clarify my thoughts.

Be watching for an awesome cover reveal coming up on Friday! And I hope to do a new "Doings at Rooglewood" post soon to update you on all the exciting news and projects.

Rooglewood Press's 2nd Fairy Tale Collection

Dear readers, the time has come at last to reveal the 2nd of Rooglewood Press's fairy tale collections. Behold!


Five Enchanted Roses a collection of “Beauty and the Beast” stories 
The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Beauty and the Beast,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!
Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Enchanted Roses collection, which will be packaged up with the gorgeous cover you see here. Perhaps your name will be one of the five displayed on this cover?
All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.
Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers, is available for pre-order now and will be released on June 14. Do grab yourself a copy and see what these talented writers have done with the timeless “Cinderella” tale!
You can tell others about this writing opportunity by sharing the blog button on your blog or even posting it on Facebook or Twitter. Just be sure to include the link to the rules page!
I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this cover image, which was created by the ever-brilliant Julia Popova, or "ForestGirl." Be sure to look up her website and like her on Facebook.
So what do you think, dear readers and writers? Have you been brainstorming fairy tale retelling ideas already? Did you guess (or at least suspect) I would be picking Beauty and the Beast, which is possibly the most well-loved fairy tale of all time? I know it's one of my personal favorites, and I can hardly wait to see what stories all of you invent. I was completely amazed by the submissions sent in for Five Glass Slippers, and I anticipate that this year will be even more fantastic.
If you have any questions not covered in the clarifications section of the rules page, feel free to ask them below. I am happy to further clarify things for you.
And I'll be watching for your submission forms and looking forward to reading your tales!

Musical Contest 2014--Update!

A quick update to all of you regarding the Music Contest: If at all possible, would you send me your submissions as YouTube videos? Regular videos should work too, but YouTube videos are by far the easiest.

MP3s, as I discovered recently, are going to be MUCH more complicated for me to share here. Not impossible, but complicated. So if you could send your work as videos, it would be greatly appreciated.

You don't have to personally APPEAR on your video. As long as we can hear the music, that's what counts!

We've received several awesome submissions already, but it's still quite a small contest at this point . . . so don't be shy! The more who participate, the merrier!

And if this is the first you're hearing about this contest, you can find all the rules HERE.

Interview Feature: C. E. Laureano

So the other day, dear imps, I was browsing about on Amazon, and suddenly a certain cover caught my eye. It was this one:

Naturally I was bound to click on it and discover what more I could! And I discovered this description:

OATH OF THE BROTHERHOOD
In a kingdom where the Old Ways hold fast and a man’s worth lies entirely in his skill with the sword, Conor Mac Nir is a scholar, a musician, and a follower of the forbidden Balian faith: problematic for any man, but disastrous for the son of the king.

When Conor is sent as a hostage to a neighboring kingdom, he never expects to fall in love with the rival king’s sister, Aine. Nor does he suspect his gift with the harp (and Aine’s ability to heal) touches on the realm of magic. Then his clan begins a campaign to eliminate all Balians from the isle of Seare, putting his newfound home in peril and entangling him in a plot for control of the island that has been unfolding since long before his birth.

Only by committing himself to an ancient warrior brotherhood can Conor discover the part he’s meant to play in Seare’s future. But is he willing to sacrifice everything—even the woman he loves—to follow the path his God has laid before him?I found then that I could not rest until I had hunted down the authoress herself and invited her to come and be introduced to all of you! So I hope you will enjoy meeting Carla Laureano and learning more about her work. Also, she has generously offered a giveaway copy to one lucky reader, so be certain to enter the Rafflecopter down at the bottom of this post!
First, though, here is a little about Carla herself:


C.E. LAUREANO has held many jobs—including professional marketer, small-business consultant, and martial arts instructor— but writer is by far her favorite. Her first novel, Five Days in Skye, was recently chosen as a double-finalist in the RWA’s 2014 RITA Awards. Oath of the Brotherhood marks her fantasy debut.
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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? 

C.E.--Hmm. I wish I could say I have hobbies, but I’ve had such tight deadlines lately, I haven’t done a whole lot that qualifies. I do read and knit, and one of these days, I’ll manage to get myself back into ballet or martial arts, both of which I’ve studied seriously in the past. 

Personality? Um. Big? Loud? I love being with friends, and I love to laugh. I try not to take life too seriously, but my friends tell me I can be pretty intense. I’m definitely driven and self-motivated, which is probably a nice way of saying a little bit obsessive. 

And I love tea, but tea doesn’t love me, so I drink mostly coffee. Still, there’s nothing like a proper English cuppa. 

What led you into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller? How did you get into publishing? 

C.E. -- I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I remember. I wrote my first short story at the age of 7. In college, I studied English literature, edited the literary journal for a semester, and began submitting stories to magazines. I also began my second novel, a fantasy (the first was a really terrible historical I wrote my junior year of high school), which I can assure you will never see the light of day. It’s almost as bad as the first!

It took me years to write the story that became Oath of the Brotherhood, between working full time, lots of corporate travel, and eventually having kids. When my youngest turned two, I decided it was time to dig out the manuscript, polish it up, and send it out. I joined ACFW, found a critique group, and within a year, I had a book contract. I guess it’s true that timing really is everything! It like to call it my “twenty year overnight success story.” When I finally got serious about publishing, it happened quickly, but it took a long time to get to that point. 

Tell us a little about your work! Oath of the Brotherhood is your first fantasy but not your first novel, right? What was your debut novel? 

C.E. -- Oath of the Brotherhood is my first fantasy novel, and it was actually the first book that I sold. The first book to be released, though, was my contemporary romance, Five Days in Skye. I’m hugely blessed (and more than a little stunned!) that it was chosen as a double-finalist in RWA’s RITA Awards this year.

I’m one of those weird writers who works best when I don’t take much time off, but I can’t focus on one genre all day, every day. I like publishing in multiple genres because it gives me a chance to let my brain rest in between drafts, but I can still continue to write. 

Now do tell us about Oath of the Brotherhood. How long have you been work on it? Did it present any unusual challenges? Is it part of a series or a stand-alone? 

C. E. -- Oath of the Brotherhoodwent through multiple drafts over a five year period before I ever submitted it. Then of course, there’s the submission time, and an editorial process that took almost 18 months. So this book has been an eight year journey from start to finish.

This is definitely the most ambitious project I’ve taken on. It is a trilogy, and each book is pretty long for Christian fiction, almost 450 pages each. Giving each book its own storyline while sustaining an overall arc for the three books in the series is way more challenging than I anticipated. I have a whole new respect for TV writers! 

Can you pick a favorite character from this new novel? 

C.E. -- I love all of them, but my favorite has to be my main character, Conor. He starts out as an uncertain, scholarly boy with lots of insecurities, and he ends up being a pretty awesome hero. And it’s been really fun to write the duality of the character: he’s forced to make himself into the type of person he never wanted to be—a warrior—but he doesn’t want to lose his true identity in the process. 

What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration? 

C.E. --  I love stories of all sorts, so when I feel myself running low, I retreat with a stack of books and a bunch of movies. Oddly enough, the breakthrough of my plot for the second book in this series came while I was in the theater watching Star Trek: Into Darkness. JJ Abrams is a great storyteller, and he understands the Hero’s Journey better than almost anyone.
I can usually tell when I’m in need of spiritual renewal because I find the faith thread nearly impossible to write. It’s a signal I need to take some time away from work, read my Bible and a devotional or listen to a Bible study podcast. As a writer, it’s very easy to take more out of the tank than you’re putting back in. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process? 

C.E. -- I’ll admit it. I hate first drafts. I write them as quickly as possible, just to get everything down on the page. But I truly love the editing process. There’s something satisfying about taking the raw material and transforming it into something that someone might actually want to read! And I do lots of drafts. Lots of them. My editors think I’m a little insane. 

If you were forced to pick a single favorite author, who would it be? 

C.E. -- Oh, that is just mean! It’s like picking a favorite child. But the author who has had the biggest influence on my writing would have to be Guy Gavriel Kay. I can trace my decision to write historically-based fantasy directly to his books. He’s an amazing writer. 

What are you actively writing right now? 

C.E. --  I’ve got two projects going simultaneously, including another contemporary romance. But the current focus is drafting the third book in the fantasy series. This is definitely the most challenging of the three, but I’m happy with the way it’s shaping up. (This is the third “first draft” I’ve written so far, by the way. Told ya. Insane.) 

Would you share a short snippet from Oath of the Brotherhood? 

C.E. -- Sure! This is from the first chapter, where Conor returns from fosterage to realize his homecoming might not be as welcoming or as safe as he initially thought. His father, the king, is being advised by what he thinks is a Red Druid, and he has odd gaps in his memory about the castle itself.Excerpt fromOATH OF THE BROTHERHOOD

It was bad enough he was about to face his father and explain why he had not yet laid hands on a sword. Now he might have to contend with a Red Druid, whose kind were notorious and ruthless inquisitors, a man who looked at him as if he already knew Conor’s most dangerous secret.He forced down his unease and stripped off his travel-stained garments. His skin prickled, but a quick glance over his shoulder assured him the door remained closed. He slid quickly into the bath’s meager concealment. Breathe. They couldn’t know. Labhrás had been careful. No books of Scripture or religious symbols had come with them, and Dolan’s discretion was unquestionable.If the king found out, it would take only a whisper to destroy Labhrás’s status in the kingdom. Galbraith may have relaxed the restrictions on Balianism during his reign, but not so long ago, adherence to the forbidden faith would have landed their severed heads beside the keep’s gate. Even now, Balian converts did not retain possession of their lands and titles for long.Lord Balus, protect us, Conor prayed silently, not daring to give voice to the words.May You be the shield between us and our enemies. May You be the Light that guides our path. May everything we do further the work of Your kingdom.
He let out a long, shuddering sigh and sank further into the warm water, concentrating on moving his breath in and out of his lungs. Inch by inch, he forced his mind away from his worries. He could not afford to seem afraid here. To show any discomfort would only make them wonder what he was hiding. Conor.
He sat bolt upright in the bath, sloshing water over the sides. He whipped his head around, looking for the source of the whispered voice.I know what you conceal, Conor. Soon, they all will. I can protect you.
Gooseflesh prickled his skin, and the warm water turned cold. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
Join me, Conor. You’ll be safe . . .

______________
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Carla! Best of luck with your launch.

So tell me, dear imps: Aren't you excited to try her story now?

Don't miss out on this giveaway opportunity and the chance to tell others about this exciting new fantasy. And be sure to thank C. E. Laureano for visiting!

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