Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 19
May 23, 2014
Race Against Time . . .
You know, I almost completely forgot about this! I had intended to include it in the "Doings at Rooglewood" post, but it slipped my mind. And some of you might not have seen this yet, so I definitely want to give you the opportunity.
I did a recorded interview, my very first ever, a few weeks back. You can click here to follow the link. It's about forty minutes long or more, so be sure you have a cup of tea on hand! I hope you'll enjoy it. I haven't had the gumption to listen to it myself--never like the sound of my own voice in recording, plus I'm really afraid I may have said something goofy, but as long as I don't hear myself say it I can pretend it never happened. Let me know if it's not too painful!
I am working on a book. Have been most of this month. And it's just about wringing my neck.
Writing is getting harder for me, not easier. I have written seven complete works in the last four years, which is a lot of material. But each one has been harder than the last (except for Goddess Tithe, which was a sweet little writerly picnic). Even Draven's Light, my 2015 novella, was a monster, and it's only a little over 50,000 words long.
Length has nothing to do with it. Nor complexity, I'm discovering. For the project I am currently writing is no where near as complex as Golden Daughter, but I'm finding it far more difficult to write . . . which isn't to say Golden Daughter was always a walk in the park!
Rohan, being the fount of wisdom he is (there's a lot of brain matter behind that beautiful face), says he thinks the reason each book is getting harder to write is because I am pushing myself more each time. I think there's something to that. I always want my newest project to be that much better than the last. But if the last project was hard, the new one must be harder.
And, if you'll pardon the cliche, I'm definitely struggling to see the forest for the trees. I did the same thing with Draven's Light. Iubdan's beard, did I ever hate that manuscript the whole time I was writing it! I felt as though I was just "putting words on the screen," not telling a story at all. This current project feels very much the same way . . .
But the other day, after pounding out a few thousand "words on the screen" and fully believing I was producing nothing worth anybody's time, I decided to take a look at Draven's Light. I hadn't looked at it since finishing it, and I wrote that story SO FAST I didn't remember it all that well. So I opened it up and gave it a little browse.
And discovered . . . hey! It's not a complete disaster after all. In fact, it might even be pretty wonderful . . . with a little tweaking . . .
So I am hoping that's what's happening with this current manuscript as well. Hoping there are good bones to be had beneath all this flabby word count. I know the idea is good. It's been a good idea in theory since I was seventeen. It's been a better idea in practice since two months ago. But a good idea and a good manuscript are two very different animals.
Anyway, I'm really writing all of this tell you about the new trick I'm playing on myself these days to get this manuscript done. Or not done but rough drafted.
I've started timing myself. I set my timer for half an hour or 45 minute increments. And then I try to pound out as many words as I can in that time. No worries about quality, just pushing for quantity.
I've discovered that I can write over 1,000 words in a half hour if I'm timing myself. And I've had some pretty good writing days even though the inspiration has been low. This week, I've managed 21,500 words, and I'll probably try to get another few thousand in before the day is done. Probably.
And granted, most of it isn't stunning material. But that's the not the point. The point is to get the draft done. Once it's done, it can be manipulated into something worth reading. But how can you manipulate something that isn't there?
Anyway, I've been a bit quiet on the blogs and facebooks and networks various, and now you know why. I'm sitting at my desk, my timer counting down the minutes and seconds, racing against time to defuse the bomb, er, get that word count in!
It's really kind of exciting . . .
I did a recorded interview, my very first ever, a few weeks back. You can click here to follow the link. It's about forty minutes long or more, so be sure you have a cup of tea on hand! I hope you'll enjoy it. I haven't had the gumption to listen to it myself--never like the sound of my own voice in recording, plus I'm really afraid I may have said something goofy, but as long as I don't hear myself say it I can pretend it never happened. Let me know if it's not too painful!
I am working on a book. Have been most of this month. And it's just about wringing my neck.
Writing is getting harder for me, not easier. I have written seven complete works in the last four years, which is a lot of material. But each one has been harder than the last (except for Goddess Tithe, which was a sweet little writerly picnic). Even Draven's Light, my 2015 novella, was a monster, and it's only a little over 50,000 words long.
Length has nothing to do with it. Nor complexity, I'm discovering. For the project I am currently writing is no where near as complex as Golden Daughter, but I'm finding it far more difficult to write . . . which isn't to say Golden Daughter was always a walk in the park!
Rohan, being the fount of wisdom he is (there's a lot of brain matter behind that beautiful face), says he thinks the reason each book is getting harder to write is because I am pushing myself more each time. I think there's something to that. I always want my newest project to be that much better than the last. But if the last project was hard, the new one must be harder.
And, if you'll pardon the cliche, I'm definitely struggling to see the forest for the trees. I did the same thing with Draven's Light. Iubdan's beard, did I ever hate that manuscript the whole time I was writing it! I felt as though I was just "putting words on the screen," not telling a story at all. This current project feels very much the same way . . .
But the other day, after pounding out a few thousand "words on the screen" and fully believing I was producing nothing worth anybody's time, I decided to take a look at Draven's Light. I hadn't looked at it since finishing it, and I wrote that story SO FAST I didn't remember it all that well. So I opened it up and gave it a little browse.
And discovered . . . hey! It's not a complete disaster after all. In fact, it might even be pretty wonderful . . . with a little tweaking . . .
So I am hoping that's what's happening with this current manuscript as well. Hoping there are good bones to be had beneath all this flabby word count. I know the idea is good. It's been a good idea in theory since I was seventeen. It's been a better idea in practice since two months ago. But a good idea and a good manuscript are two very different animals.
Anyway, I'm really writing all of this tell you about the new trick I'm playing on myself these days to get this manuscript done. Or not done but rough drafted.
I've started timing myself. I set my timer for half an hour or 45 minute increments. And then I try to pound out as many words as I can in that time. No worries about quality, just pushing for quantity.
I've discovered that I can write over 1,000 words in a half hour if I'm timing myself. And I've had some pretty good writing days even though the inspiration has been low. This week, I've managed 21,500 words, and I'll probably try to get another few thousand in before the day is done. Probably.
And granted, most of it isn't stunning material. But that's the not the point. The point is to get the draft done. Once it's done, it can be manipulated into something worth reading. But how can you manipulate something that isn't there?
Anyway, I've been a bit quiet on the blogs and facebooks and networks various, and now you know why. I'm sitting at my desk, my timer counting down the minutes and seconds, racing against time to defuse the bomb, er, get that word count in!
It's really kind of exciting . . .
May 19, 2014
Introducing: PRINCE OF MALORN
Dear imps, I am very excited to be featuring today Annie Douglas Lima and her fantastic new novel, Prince of Malorn. What a gorgeous cover it has! And what an exciting premise. I hope you will all enjoy getting to know Annie a little better and will be eager to get your hands on Prince of Malorn.
First, here's a little about the authoress herself:
ANNIE DOUGLAS LIMA spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published five books (two YA action adventure/fantasy and three anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
____________
Annie has written two other books in her series, THE ANNALS OF ALASIA. The first two are, Prince of Alasia and In the Enemy's Service . You should definitely grab both of them and get ready to dive into Prince of Malorn.
Annie is with us today for an interview to talk about her writing and her series. She's offering a giveaway at the end as well, so be certain to enter your name!
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?
Annie: Thanks – it’s great to be here! I’m an American who grew up as a missionary kid in Kenya, and my husband Floyd and I now live in Taiwan. I teach 5th grade in an international school and love it, even though it leaves me with a lot less time for writing than I’d like. When I’m not teaching or writing, I enjoy reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, travel, and outdoor adventures. Oh, and I love tea! Both Kenya and Taiwan are great places to get really good tea (though totally different kinds).
What led you into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller? How did you get into publishing?
Annie: I’ve been writing for as long as I can recall. When I was seven years old, I had a sudden inspiration for what I thought was an amazing story and decided then and there that I was going to write a book and be the world's youngest author. I ran to my room in great excitement, found an old notebook and a pencil, and started in. Well, that first novel was never actually finished, let alone published, but it got me started. After that, I can't remember a time that I wasn't working on at least one book. Prince of Alasia, which I started in college, was the first one I finished that I thought was worth trying to get published. I looked into traditional publishing and spent a long time trying to get an agent, but to no avail. Finally I learned about Kindle publishing and did it myself the indie way, eleven years after I first started writing the book. A few months later I added the paperback edition. It was quite a thrill to me to finally fulfill my childhood dream!
Tell us a little about your work! Your first two books are Prince of Alasia and In the Enemy’s Service. Are they part of a series? How long have you been working on this series?
Annie:Yes, they’re all part of Annals of Alasia series, which I began about fourteen years ago now.
Now tell us about your new release, Prince of Malorn. Is it part of the same world featured in the first two books? How does it connect? How does it stand alone?
Annie: Prince of Malorn is the third book in the series, but like the other two, it can stand on its own. Each book deals with events surrounding the same major political incident: the invasion of the kingdom of Alasia by the neighboring kingdom of Malorn. Prince of Alasia begins on the night of the Invasion and describes what happens to twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin after he is forced to flee for his life. In the Enemy’s Service features a girl as the protagonist and tells the story of those who were not able to escape from the Alasian palace when the enemy invaded. Prince of Malorn begins several months earlier and focuses on the Malornian perspective of the events leading up to the Invasion. In each of the books, main characters from the others make brief appearances and interact with each other at the point where the time frames and settings overlap.
Can you pick a favorite character from this new novel?
Annie: That’s like asking a parent to pick her favorite child! They’re all special to me in different ways. But I’ll tell you about one of the characters I feel I’ve gotten to know better as I wrote Prince of Malorn. His name is Dannel, and he’s actually a villain. I wouldn’t want to meet him in real life, but he’s so much fun to write about! He’s clever, conniving, has a sense of humor, loves the thrill of danger, and does whatever it takes to make as much money as he can from whomever he can. Oh, and he has no moral standards to speak of. I’ve had a lot of fun working with Dannel’s character in the next book in the series, too.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Annie: I’m always working with my characters in my mind, creating new experiences and adventures for them. Most of these will probably never make it onto the pages of a book, but they help me flesh out the characters and give me ideas for where to take the series. When I’m stuck for ideas, I’ll often skip ahead to a different scene or write about something else I’ve imagined until the story starts to flow better.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
Annie: I enjoy writing new scenes when inspiration is white-hot, and it’s fun to reread them for the first time and do the first round of editing. I really don’t like marketing or writing my back-cover blurbs.
If you were forced to pick a single favorite author, who would it be?
Annie: Um – I’m not just saying this, but you are!I’ve enjoyed each of your books on its own, but I think the best thing about them is the way the stories intertwine to create such a deep, rich world. It’s like reading exciting historical fiction from a real country you know little about, where the more you learn, the more you realize you’re only scratching the surface and there’s more there than you’ll probably ever be able to fully grasp. I’ve tried to achieve a similar effect in my own series, but I don’t think it comes close to how you’ve been able to do it! (Oh, dear! That's terribly embarrassing . . . and terribly flattering! Thank you, Annie. I'm now blushing.)
What are you actively writing right now?
Annie: I’m nearly done with the next book in the series, tentatively titled King of Malorn. It takes place five years later and brings together the main characters from all three of the other books. In addition, I’m working on an unrelated story that will probably be the first in a completely different series. It’s called The Collar and the Cavvarach, and is set in a world very much like our own except that slavery is legal. Though still a young adult novel, it’s geared toward a slightly older audience than my Annals of Alasia and deals with darker issues. Writing it has been both an exciting and disturbing experience for me.
Can you share a short snippet from Prince of Malorn?
Excerpt fromPRINCE OF MALORN
Korram saw the snowcat shift a little on the rock. Is it getting ready to spring? His heart pounding anew, he took a quiet step forward, and then another. He had to get closer, just in case.Now he stood right at the bank of the stream, only about ten feet behind the creature. It was perched out in the middle of the water, maybe eight feet from the edge. What was he supposed to do? He supposed he could wade out to the rock it was on, but he didn’t fancy battling a powerful animal in the middle of a river, let alone at the brink of a waterfall. That scenario didn’t seem likely to end well.The snowcat shifted again, gathering its hind legs under its body. Its tail, stretched out behind, twitched a little. Korram had seen Sir Fluffle gather himself just like that before he lunged at a squirrel in the palace garden. This is it, he thought desperately. I have to do something now! But he wouldn’t panic and throw his spear this time. Gripping the weapon with his right hand, he snatched up a loose pebble with his left and flung it at the cat, yelling, “Over here!”The snowcat turned its head, saw him, and bared long gleaming teeth in a snarl. Korram felt a stab of guilt at the glimpse of a red stain on its chest, and knew the cat was indeed angry and in pain. He gripped the spear in a two-handed stance as he had seen Ernth do, bracing his feet. “All right, come on! Over here! Let’s get this over with.” He wasn’t at all sure which of them would survive the encounter, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do.But the snowcat did not leap across the water to attack him. It turned its head once more to stare over the cliff, and Korram saw its muscles bunch and ripple as it shifted position again. It was going to leap over the waterfall! Ernth had said snowcats were clever. Apparently it had made the choice between the enemy who was ready for him and the one who was not.“Hey! Hey! Over here!” Korram yelled again, dashing forward along the bank and waving his arms. But the beast paid him no attention, and Korram knew there was only one remaining course of action, one chance he had to save Ernth’s life. Without pausing to consider the consequences, he leaped into the water and splashed his way toward the rock where the creature crouched. The streambed was slippery underfoot, and icy water rushed into his deerskin boots, filling them and slowing him down. The current was stronger than he had expected, and for a moment Korram was afraid he would be swept off his feet and over the falls. Desperately he braced himself against the force of the water and lunged forward.He was only one step away from the rock when the snowcat sprang. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Korram saw its body lengthen, its forelegs reaching out and over. Desperate, he leaped too, spear extended. His other arm stretched out in a frantic attempt to grab, to hold the creature back, to slow it down, to somehow stop what could no longer be stopped. He felt the tip of his weapon strike flesh as he seized a handful of thick fur. The animal was still leaping, pulling him forward with it, but he was half on top of it now, and he could feel the bulging muscles of its haunches rippling beneath his chest. It gave a strangled cry, half snarl, half scream, and whirled around, flailing its claws at him. Korram struck out with his spear again, still clutching a handful of fur. Then he felt his ribs hit the edge of the rock, and he realized that his head was lower than the rest of him and that the snowcat’s momentum was pulling them both over the edge.He had a quick glimpse of Ernth balancing on a boulder at the foot of the falls, poking his spear through the curtain of water, and of the astonished expression on his face as he caught sight of Korram and the snowcat toppling over the edge toward him. Then there was no time to notice anything else before Korram felt himself tumbling through the air, still clutching the writhing animal, a curtain of water shimmering all around them.
________________
Thank you for such a fun interview, Annie!
Readers, you have lots of options for connection with Annie. Be certain to follow her blog and like her facebook! And absolutely support this author by purchasing copies of her work. The Annals of Alasia sounds like such an exciting, intertwining series, and I'm sure you won't want to miss it!
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.comFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasiaBuy Prince of Malorn(Kindle): http://smarturl.it/PrinceofMalornBuy In the Enemy’s Service (Kindle): http://smarturl.it/EnemysServiceBuy Prince of Alasia (Kindle): http://smarturl.it/PrinceofAlasiaBuy any of the books for Nook or other formats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Annals+of+Alasia
Thank you again, Annie! I hope to have you back on the Tales of Goldstone Wood in the future.
Dear readers, click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a $20 Amazon gift card.
First, here's a little about the authoress herself:
ANNIE DOUGLAS LIMA spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published five books (two YA action adventure/fantasy and three anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel. ____________
Annie has written two other books in her series, THE ANNALS OF ALASIA. The first two are, Prince of Alasia and In the Enemy's Service . You should definitely grab both of them and get ready to dive into Prince of Malorn.
Annie is with us today for an interview to talk about her writing and her series. She's offering a giveaway at the end as well, so be certain to enter your name!
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?
Annie: Thanks – it’s great to be here! I’m an American who grew up as a missionary kid in Kenya, and my husband Floyd and I now live in Taiwan. I teach 5th grade in an international school and love it, even though it leaves me with a lot less time for writing than I’d like. When I’m not teaching or writing, I enjoy reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, travel, and outdoor adventures. Oh, and I love tea! Both Kenya and Taiwan are great places to get really good tea (though totally different kinds).
What led you into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller? How did you get into publishing?
Annie: I’ve been writing for as long as I can recall. When I was seven years old, I had a sudden inspiration for what I thought was an amazing story and decided then and there that I was going to write a book and be the world's youngest author. I ran to my room in great excitement, found an old notebook and a pencil, and started in. Well, that first novel was never actually finished, let alone published, but it got me started. After that, I can't remember a time that I wasn't working on at least one book. Prince of Alasia, which I started in college, was the first one I finished that I thought was worth trying to get published. I looked into traditional publishing and spent a long time trying to get an agent, but to no avail. Finally I learned about Kindle publishing and did it myself the indie way, eleven years after I first started writing the book. A few months later I added the paperback edition. It was quite a thrill to me to finally fulfill my childhood dream!Tell us a little about your work! Your first two books are Prince of Alasia and In the Enemy’s Service. Are they part of a series? How long have you been working on this series?
Annie:Yes, they’re all part of Annals of Alasia series, which I began about fourteen years ago now.
Now tell us about your new release, Prince of Malorn. Is it part of the same world featured in the first two books? How does it connect? How does it stand alone?
Annie: Prince of Malorn is the third book in the series, but like the other two, it can stand on its own. Each book deals with events surrounding the same major political incident: the invasion of the kingdom of Alasia by the neighboring kingdom of Malorn. Prince of Alasia begins on the night of the Invasion and describes what happens to twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin after he is forced to flee for his life. In the Enemy’s Service features a girl as the protagonist and tells the story of those who were not able to escape from the Alasian palace when the enemy invaded. Prince of Malorn begins several months earlier and focuses on the Malornian perspective of the events leading up to the Invasion. In each of the books, main characters from the others make brief appearances and interact with each other at the point where the time frames and settings overlap.Can you pick a favorite character from this new novel?
Annie: That’s like asking a parent to pick her favorite child! They’re all special to me in different ways. But I’ll tell you about one of the characters I feel I’ve gotten to know better as I wrote Prince of Malorn. His name is Dannel, and he’s actually a villain. I wouldn’t want to meet him in real life, but he’s so much fun to write about! He’s clever, conniving, has a sense of humor, loves the thrill of danger, and does whatever it takes to make as much money as he can from whomever he can. Oh, and he has no moral standards to speak of. I’ve had a lot of fun working with Dannel’s character in the next book in the series, too.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Annie: I’m always working with my characters in my mind, creating new experiences and adventures for them. Most of these will probably never make it onto the pages of a book, but they help me flesh out the characters and give me ideas for where to take the series. When I’m stuck for ideas, I’ll often skip ahead to a different scene or write about something else I’ve imagined until the story starts to flow better.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
Annie: I enjoy writing new scenes when inspiration is white-hot, and it’s fun to reread them for the first time and do the first round of editing. I really don’t like marketing or writing my back-cover blurbs.
If you were forced to pick a single favorite author, who would it be?
Annie: Um – I’m not just saying this, but you are!I’ve enjoyed each of your books on its own, but I think the best thing about them is the way the stories intertwine to create such a deep, rich world. It’s like reading exciting historical fiction from a real country you know little about, where the more you learn, the more you realize you’re only scratching the surface and there’s more there than you’ll probably ever be able to fully grasp. I’ve tried to achieve a similar effect in my own series, but I don’t think it comes close to how you’ve been able to do it! (Oh, dear! That's terribly embarrassing . . . and terribly flattering! Thank you, Annie. I'm now blushing.)
What are you actively writing right now?
Annie: I’m nearly done with the next book in the series, tentatively titled King of Malorn. It takes place five years later and brings together the main characters from all three of the other books. In addition, I’m working on an unrelated story that will probably be the first in a completely different series. It’s called The Collar and the Cavvarach, and is set in a world very much like our own except that slavery is legal. Though still a young adult novel, it’s geared toward a slightly older audience than my Annals of Alasia and deals with darker issues. Writing it has been both an exciting and disturbing experience for me.
Can you share a short snippet from Prince of Malorn?
Excerpt fromPRINCE OF MALORN
Korram saw the snowcat shift a little on the rock. Is it getting ready to spring? His heart pounding anew, he took a quiet step forward, and then another. He had to get closer, just in case.Now he stood right at the bank of the stream, only about ten feet behind the creature. It was perched out in the middle of the water, maybe eight feet from the edge. What was he supposed to do? He supposed he could wade out to the rock it was on, but he didn’t fancy battling a powerful animal in the middle of a river, let alone at the brink of a waterfall. That scenario didn’t seem likely to end well.The snowcat shifted again, gathering its hind legs under its body. Its tail, stretched out behind, twitched a little. Korram had seen Sir Fluffle gather himself just like that before he lunged at a squirrel in the palace garden. This is it, he thought desperately. I have to do something now! But he wouldn’t panic and throw his spear this time. Gripping the weapon with his right hand, he snatched up a loose pebble with his left and flung it at the cat, yelling, “Over here!”The snowcat turned its head, saw him, and bared long gleaming teeth in a snarl. Korram felt a stab of guilt at the glimpse of a red stain on its chest, and knew the cat was indeed angry and in pain. He gripped the spear in a two-handed stance as he had seen Ernth do, bracing his feet. “All right, come on! Over here! Let’s get this over with.” He wasn’t at all sure which of them would survive the encounter, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do.But the snowcat did not leap across the water to attack him. It turned its head once more to stare over the cliff, and Korram saw its muscles bunch and ripple as it shifted position again. It was going to leap over the waterfall! Ernth had said snowcats were clever. Apparently it had made the choice between the enemy who was ready for him and the one who was not.“Hey! Hey! Over here!” Korram yelled again, dashing forward along the bank and waving his arms. But the beast paid him no attention, and Korram knew there was only one remaining course of action, one chance he had to save Ernth’s life. Without pausing to consider the consequences, he leaped into the water and splashed his way toward the rock where the creature crouched. The streambed was slippery underfoot, and icy water rushed into his deerskin boots, filling them and slowing him down. The current was stronger than he had expected, and for a moment Korram was afraid he would be swept off his feet and over the falls. Desperately he braced himself against the force of the water and lunged forward.He was only one step away from the rock when the snowcat sprang. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Korram saw its body lengthen, its forelegs reaching out and over. Desperate, he leaped too, spear extended. His other arm stretched out in a frantic attempt to grab, to hold the creature back, to slow it down, to somehow stop what could no longer be stopped. He felt the tip of his weapon strike flesh as he seized a handful of thick fur. The animal was still leaping, pulling him forward with it, but he was half on top of it now, and he could feel the bulging muscles of its haunches rippling beneath his chest. It gave a strangled cry, half snarl, half scream, and whirled around, flailing its claws at him. Korram struck out with his spear again, still clutching a handful of fur. Then he felt his ribs hit the edge of the rock, and he realized that his head was lower than the rest of him and that the snowcat’s momentum was pulling them both over the edge.He had a quick glimpse of Ernth balancing on a boulder at the foot of the falls, poking his spear through the curtain of water, and of the astonished expression on his face as he caught sight of Korram and the snowcat toppling over the edge toward him. Then there was no time to notice anything else before Korram felt himself tumbling through the air, still clutching the writhing animal, a curtain of water shimmering all around them.
________________
Thank you for such a fun interview, Annie!
Readers, you have lots of options for connection with Annie. Be certain to follow her blog and like her facebook! And absolutely support this author by purchasing copies of her work. The Annals of Alasia sounds like such an exciting, intertwining series, and I'm sure you won't want to miss it!
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.comFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasiaBuy Prince of Malorn(Kindle): http://smarturl.it/PrinceofMalornBuy In the Enemy’s Service (Kindle): http://smarturl.it/EnemysServiceBuy Prince of Alasia (Kindle): http://smarturl.it/PrinceofAlasiaBuy any of the books for Nook or other formats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Annals+of+Alasia
Thank you again, Annie! I hope to have you back on the Tales of Goldstone Wood in the future.
Dear readers, click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a $20 Amazon gift card.
May 14, 2014
Doings at Rooglewood: Come What May
Oh dear. I'm sorry. That's not a very propitious beginning is it? I don't normally indulge in a pun, but . . . this month tends to be ripe with them.
Anyway, I know I've been a wee bit quiet on the blogging front lately, and I do apologize. I have had many doings, many of which I can't really talk about in a big way just yet, so this may be a bit of an abbreviated "Doings" post. But I'll try to touch on all the most important points!
First of all . . . my mother's launch tour for Until That Distant Day was a great success thanks to all of you hardworking bloggers and enthusiastic readers out there! We both appreciated the love, and we hope that you'll keep on telling your friends about this wonderful book (and encouraging them to actually buy it, of course. I would love to see my mother get a little return for all her hard work!). The .99 Kindle special is over, but the book can still be downloaded for just 3.99, which is a great deal for the amount of story contained therein.
Oh, and the lovely Joy C. of the Fullness of Joy blog won the giveaway. Huzzah for Joy! She will be receiving thepaperback book and a tin of tea from my mother.
Now my current BIG project is getting Five Glass Slippers ready for publication. We are just about ready to send out PDF review files to a select number of readers.
If you are a blogger and prepared to post your review of Five Glass Slippers on Amazon between June 14 and June 31, feel free to write and request a PDF file. We are only sending out 15 copies, so preference will be given to reviewers who also have Goodreads accounts and are willing to post their reviews there as well. Bloggers are requested to review the book on their blogs.
We'll be putting together a blog tour later on, but for now we're focusing on getting those advance readers in. Email me (aestengl@gmail.com) if you are interested! I anticipate having the review file ready by next weekend.
And while we're on the subject of Five Glass Slippers . . .
I am preparing to launch the cover and contest details for the next Rooglewood Press fairy tale collection. And this year, I want to do an honest-to-goodness cover reveal tour! Are you a blogger and would you like to take part in that cover reveal? This would mean getting an advance glimpse of the gorgeous cover and insider's knowledge as to which fairy tale it will be. Email me if you'd like to take part. The reveal is scheduled for June 1 . . . coming up soon.
And of course we're all looking forward to THIS contest, coming up next month!
Details can be found here. I've received a lot of interest but no actual files yet . . . Hoping for a great turnout nevertheless! (But we'll see. This is such an unusual contest, so I hardly know what to expect.) Be sure you get your files to me by the deadline. Music will be posted on June 16.
I have a couple of fun features coming up on this blog over the month of May. These next two Mondays I will be featuring two exciting fantasy novelists, each of whom is offering a giveaway. Their stories look exciting, dramatic, suspenseful . . . all that a reader could ask for in a fantasy tale. You'll have to stop by to meet these authors and learn about their works!
I realized that I haven't yet shown off the birthday cake my Rohan made for me this year . . . so the time has come! Behold:
That, my dears, is a dense chocolate torte with two different chocolate ganache layers and a butter-cream chocolate frosting. And he learned how to make beautiful chocolate curls for garnish:
I promise that I don't love my husband merely for his baking skills; but my word, they certainly don't hurt anything!
For those of you interested to know how the feline denizens of Rooglewood are fairing these days . . . . Monster is still delightfully fluffy:
And Marmaduke is, apparently, headless:
But he's beautiful, so we won't judge him.
Everyone else is doing well too, and Mutti-cat (my feral rescue kitty, for those of you who don't know) is making great strides as she adjusts to housecat life. She has decided that people as a whole are nice, and she will allow anyone to pet her who wants to . . . just so long as they are willing to crouch down beside her Piano of Solitude, behind which she spends most of her days. She's still pretty terrified of Milly the Black Dog (except at meal times, when she loses all fear in her need to join the other beasts in telling me what time it is). But still! I couldn't ask for better progress. So many feral rescues never adjust as much as she has.
I'm writing a book, but it's still in early stages, so I'm not talking about it much (so don't ask!).
I will be contacting my cover artist quite soon now about finishing the cover for Draven's Light, my 2015 novella. Most of the basic design is settled, but the illustration itself still needs to be rendered. I'll be shipping that off to Julia Popova's capable hands. Looking forward to that cover reveal, hopefully in October . . . which may seem far away to some of you, but the way this year is speeding by seems just around the corner to me!
I'm hard at work on Golden Daughter these days.
Just got through the first round of galley edits and am getting ready to dive into typeset galleys soon as well. Pleased with this story, but tremendously intimidated by how much work is yet to be done on it! But I'm starting to see how the interior design work is going to look, and it's soooo pretty. Definitely looking forward to sharing it with all of you.
And . . . I think that's enough doings for one post!
Let me know if you'd like to be an influencer reader for Five Glass Slippers or a cover reveal host for the next fairy tale collection. I would love to have you on board. And let us know in the comments what doings you are up to during the merry month of May. Are you writing anything new these days? Anything old? Are other creative projects taking up your time? Or school? Or work? Do tell!
Anyway, I know I've been a wee bit quiet on the blogging front lately, and I do apologize. I have had many doings, many of which I can't really talk about in a big way just yet, so this may be a bit of an abbreviated "Doings" post. But I'll try to touch on all the most important points!
First of all . . . my mother's launch tour for Until That Distant Day was a great success thanks to all of you hardworking bloggers and enthusiastic readers out there! We both appreciated the love, and we hope that you'll keep on telling your friends about this wonderful book (and encouraging them to actually buy it, of course. I would love to see my mother get a little return for all her hard work!). The .99 Kindle special is over, but the book can still be downloaded for just 3.99, which is a great deal for the amount of story contained therein.Oh, and the lovely Joy C. of the Fullness of Joy blog won the giveaway. Huzzah for Joy! She will be receiving thepaperback book and a tin of tea from my mother.
Now my current BIG project is getting Five Glass Slippers ready for publication. We are just about ready to send out PDF review files to a select number of readers.
If you are a blogger and prepared to post your review of Five Glass Slippers on Amazon between June 14 and June 31, feel free to write and request a PDF file. We are only sending out 15 copies, so preference will be given to reviewers who also have Goodreads accounts and are willing to post their reviews there as well. Bloggers are requested to review the book on their blogs.We'll be putting together a blog tour later on, but for now we're focusing on getting those advance readers in. Email me (aestengl@gmail.com) if you are interested! I anticipate having the review file ready by next weekend.
And while we're on the subject of Five Glass Slippers . . .
I am preparing to launch the cover and contest details for the next Rooglewood Press fairy tale collection. And this year, I want to do an honest-to-goodness cover reveal tour! Are you a blogger and would you like to take part in that cover reveal? This would mean getting an advance glimpse of the gorgeous cover and insider's knowledge as to which fairy tale it will be. Email me if you'd like to take part. The reveal is scheduled for June 1 . . . coming up soon.
And of course we're all looking forward to THIS contest, coming up next month!
Details can be found here. I've received a lot of interest but no actual files yet . . . Hoping for a great turnout nevertheless! (But we'll see. This is such an unusual contest, so I hardly know what to expect.) Be sure you get your files to me by the deadline. Music will be posted on June 16.I have a couple of fun features coming up on this blog over the month of May. These next two Mondays I will be featuring two exciting fantasy novelists, each of whom is offering a giveaway. Their stories look exciting, dramatic, suspenseful . . . all that a reader could ask for in a fantasy tale. You'll have to stop by to meet these authors and learn about their works!
I realized that I haven't yet shown off the birthday cake my Rohan made for me this year . . . so the time has come! Behold:
That, my dears, is a dense chocolate torte with two different chocolate ganache layers and a butter-cream chocolate frosting. And he learned how to make beautiful chocolate curls for garnish:
I promise that I don't love my husband merely for his baking skills; but my word, they certainly don't hurt anything! For those of you interested to know how the feline denizens of Rooglewood are fairing these days . . . . Monster is still delightfully fluffy:
And Marmaduke is, apparently, headless:
But he's beautiful, so we won't judge him.Everyone else is doing well too, and Mutti-cat (my feral rescue kitty, for those of you who don't know) is making great strides as she adjusts to housecat life. She has decided that people as a whole are nice, and she will allow anyone to pet her who wants to . . . just so long as they are willing to crouch down beside her Piano of Solitude, behind which she spends most of her days. She's still pretty terrified of Milly the Black Dog (except at meal times, when she loses all fear in her need to join the other beasts in telling me what time it is). But still! I couldn't ask for better progress. So many feral rescues never adjust as much as she has.
I'm writing a book, but it's still in early stages, so I'm not talking about it much (so don't ask!).
I will be contacting my cover artist quite soon now about finishing the cover for Draven's Light, my 2015 novella. Most of the basic design is settled, but the illustration itself still needs to be rendered. I'll be shipping that off to Julia Popova's capable hands. Looking forward to that cover reveal, hopefully in October . . . which may seem far away to some of you, but the way this year is speeding by seems just around the corner to me!
I'm hard at work on Golden Daughter these days.
Just got through the first round of galley edits and am getting ready to dive into typeset galleys soon as well. Pleased with this story, but tremendously intimidated by how much work is yet to be done on it! But I'm starting to see how the interior design work is going to look, and it's soooo pretty. Definitely looking forward to sharing it with all of you.And . . . I think that's enough doings for one post!
Let me know if you'd like to be an influencer reader for Five Glass Slippers or a cover reveal host for the next fairy tale collection. I would love to have you on board. And let us know in the comments what doings you are up to during the merry month of May. Are you writing anything new these days? Anything old? Are other creative projects taking up your time? Or school? Or work? Do tell!
May 5, 2014
UNTIL THAT DISTANT DAY - Launch Tour
It was just a little over a year ago when my mother and I started talking seriously about the idea of her revising an old novella of hers into a full-length novel. And now . . . that novel is not only written but also published and available for all of you to read! I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe it, but it's true.
I am so thrilled to be hosting this blog tour, celebrating the launch of Until That Distant Day, my multiple award-winning mother's finest, most compelling, most beautiful novel yet. You can read my review of it on Goodreads if you like. And be sure to take advantage of the .99 Kindle special, which runs through the whole week of this tour! I hope all of you will enjoy spending the next week getting to know Jill Stengl and her story a little better in this "interview" tour. Each blogger got to ask her one question, and her answers are surprising, insightful, and hilarious by turns! (Yes, I got to sneak a peek at all of them in advance.)To start things off, I decided to ask a lighthearted sort of question. It's one I always struggle to answer myself, so it's a bit unfair of me, I'll grant you. But I was curious to know what she'd say! So I asked her: "Who would you cast to play the main characters in the movie version of Until That Distant Day."
Here's what she had to say:
Jill Stengl: I never “cast” my characters while writing a book, but it was fun, although slightly frustrating, to try to cast them after this book was complete.
Frustrating because nearly every actor I could find to play either Doctor Hilliard or Saint-Jude Fillion had blue eyes! And red-haired actors suitable to play all the various Girardeaux proved nonexistent—I settled for fair-skinned actors who could convincingly dye their hair and eyebrows.
You (Anne Elisabeth) suggested Romola Garai for Colette Girardeau DeMer, and I found this lovely photo of her in period clothing . . . and with red hair. Perhaps Colette wore her hair in such an ornate fashion for the masked ball?
Alex Pettyfer has suitable features to play Pascoe Girardeau—just picture him as being short and red haired!
Chris Evans works well as Étienne Girardeau. He has the right boyish face and the big shoulders of a blacksmith.
Claude Girardeau was harder to find. I’m not entirely satisfied with Simon Woods to play him, but close enough.
Except . . . he needs dimples!I like this actor, Josh Bowman, in the role of Saint-Jude Fillion.
Adrienne needed to be young and delicate-looking. I like this actress, Saoirse Ronan, to play her.
Doctor Hilliard is supposed to be tall and lean with dark eyes and angular features. Picture Ralph Fiennes with brown eyes, and he is just about right.
Last, but certainly not least, Leonie Hilliard. I needed a tall, slender girl with angular features, icy gray eyes, curly dark hair, and a wide mouth. Ruth Wilson has the sulky look, the mouth, and the eyes—she will do rather nicely. Here she is in the role of Jane Eyre.These are the major characters in Until That Distant Day. If anyone can suggest other actors to play these roles or others I haven’t mentioned, I would be delighted to see them! _____________Thank you so much, Mumsy, for indulging me. I really love this list of casting. In my opinion, Ralph Fiennes makes an ideal Doctor Hilliard . . . and there is no one ever in the history of movie making who could play a better Colette than Romola Garai.
All right, dear readers, that's it for my post . . . but the tour is only just begun! Do follow the links listed below to see more questions and answers along the way.
Until That Distant Day Launch Tour Schedule
May 5Tales of Goldstone WoodEdgyInspirational RomanceFullnessof JoyTheInkpen AuthoressCovers and Ink
May 6Blooming with BooksQuoth the GirlThe Wonderings of One Person
May 7The Writer’s WindowJill Eileen SmithThe Writer of Dream Things
May 8Letters from Annie Douglas LimaRina’s ReadingTo Find a Castle
May 9JLMbewe.comTo Be a PersonWritings of Rosie
May 10Seasons of HumilityNotes by OywenThe Overweight Bookshelf
May 11Too Read or Not Too ReadFictionallyBluerose’s Heart
May 12Mel’s ShelvesLabor Not in VainCreative Madness Mama
May 13 – Giveaway Winner AnnouncedTales of Goldstone Wood
And be sure to enter your name in the giveaway! My mother is offering a delightful prize for one lucky winner: an autographed print copy of her new novel and a tin a of Harney and Sons "Paris" tea!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 25, 2014
Introducing: Clara Diane Thompson
Hard to believe it's already our last day of these five features! But don't be too sad. Today you get to meet the lovely Clara Diane Thompson, author of the final book in our collection, The Moon Master's Ball . . . an enigmatic fantasy tale.
Here's a little bit about Clara herself (known to many of you by her blogging name, Clara Darling):
CLARA DIANE THOMPSON lives in the swamps of Louisiana with her loving family, dashing dog, and a very confused frog that resides in the birdhouse outside her window. Aside from writing she enjoys playing guitar, singing, and Broadway plays (particularly The Phantom of the Opera), ballet, tea with friends, and long BBC movies. An enchanted circus may or may not appear occasionally in her back yard.You can find out more about Clara and her writing on her blog: To Find a Castle.
Enjoy learning more about Clara and be sure to leave her questions and comments below! (And don't forget to enter the giveaway for that Five Glass Slippers mug. You know you don't want to miss that!)
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? Hello, Anne Elisabeth! Thank you so much for allowing me into the world of Goldstone Wood…what an honor! Some of my hobbies include camping, hiking, reading (naturally), guitar and ukulele playing, and movie-watching (can that be counted as a hobby?). I would like to be able to say that bee-keeping is a hobby as well, but I’m afraid that I only watch my Dad’s bees from a distance, running as soon has their soft humming changes to something a little more sinister! As for personality, I’m more of a quiet person than a shy one, but after a sugary cup of tea I have been known to talk a bit more! Which leads into the next question: while tea is definitely my preference, I do love a good cup ‘o joe every once in a while! What led you into the writing life? Have you always been a storyteller? How did you get into publishing? Growing up my siblings and I would hold different writing contests on long car rides, plus I had some very dear friends who were (and still are) writing companions, so yes, I suppose I have always been a storyteller. I never took writing seriously, though, until four years ago when I stumbled upon a book called Heartless. It was your fan-fiction contests and kind mentoring that made me actually believeI had a shot at writing -- and publishing -- my own story. When you announced the Five Glass Slippers contest, I knew I had to participate! Tell us a little about your work! The Moon Master’s Ball is your debut novella, right?
It is indeed my debut novella, and I’m still in shock when I see my name on the front cover of a book! The Moon Master’s Ball is a rather chilling, emotional story that hopefully readers will enjoy. It has its humorous moments as well as sad ones…I was surprised when I got a little teary-eyed while writing one particular scene! How did you come up with the initial ideas for The Moon Master’s Ball? Is this a story you’ve been brewing for a while, or was it a sudden inspiration? I actually had a crazy dream about a circus that inspired the idea for Moon Master’s. I thought the idea of a traveling circus come to pay homage to a mysterious castle might be something interesting to write. Although there are no castles in my short story, when the contest was announced I immediately began thinking how I could make a well-known story like Cinderella into something new that would keep readers guessing how it could possibly be related to the classic tale. Can you pick a favorite character from this story? Oh dear. This might just be the hardest question to answer! I have to say the one I enjoyed writing the most is Rodger. He’s full of dash and self-confidence, but there’s a gentle kindness to him that really makes him stand out from the other characters.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Pretty much anything down to a sign on the road could cause an idea to pop randomly in my head! Ufridias Billings, the confused frog in my birdhouse, is also an excellent source of inspiration. He always looks so suspicious and arrogant when I see him, staring out at me like I’m conspiring against him, or like he’s conspiring against me.
I must confess that I need renewal of inspiration constantly, so therefore I’m constantly reading! Nothing urges me to write like reading a good book.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
My absolute favorite part of the writing process is getting cozy in my chair with a big mug of tea, and startingthe story! I mean really, what’s more thrilling than the thinking of the possibilities of a story before you’ve even started it?
Editing would be my least favorite part. All the words start to run together and I can’t ever seem to tell what’s wrong and what isn’t. That’s when a fresh pair of eyes comes in handy! ;)
What are you actively writing right now?
The story I’m currently working on is called To Find a Castle. It’s about young baron’s daughter, Roxanne Birtwhistle, who is summoned to petition to become a ladies maid in the far away kingdom of Guaire. Unable to refuse a queen’s wishes, she leaves her beloved homeland, carrying with her the burden of dark warnings from an old friend. But with whispers of rebellion and the sudden reappearance of a long forgotten castle disrupting alliances, Roxanne wonders if she was called to Guaire simply to be a ladies maid, or something else entirely…
Would you share a short snippet from The Moon Master’s Ball? Something to entice us!
I’d be delighted to! Here’s a bit from chapter one.
Excerpt fromThe Moon Master's Ball
The street’s emptiness caused chills to crawl up her spine, and she suddenly wished she had accepted Rodger’s invitation to accompany her home. A gap between the cottages and Winslow Manor gave her a perfect view of Bromley Meadow—to most people, a place of magic and delight.
To Tilly, a place of fear.
She knew it wasn’t wise to stop and look at the meadow on such an eerie night, but there was something enticing about the silver halo the moon cast over the rolling hills. She peered to her left and gazed at its haunting beauty.
The meadow itself had never seemed terribly extraordinary to Tilly, but extraordinary things did occur amongst its soft grass and swaying dandelions. Rodger was hoping she would go to Bromley Meadow this year, but she didn’t think she had the courage.
An image of blood-red eyes and sharp yellow teeth flashed in her mind.
Tilly rushed around behind the manor and flew to the back door, desperate to get away from the moon’s glow highlighting the meadow.
_____________
Click Here to Pre-OrderOooh, I remember reading this little passage for the first time when I was reading The Moon Master's Ball for the contest. I was so intrigued!I hope all of you readers are equally intrigued to encounter Clara's magical story. And, someday, To Find a Castle as well . . .
And that about wraps up our week of Five Glass Slippers features. I hope all of you readers enjoyed it and are even more excited about the upcoming collection.
Keep your eyes open for more news concerning the next contest as well. I plan to do a cover reveal on June 1st, at which time Rooglewood Press will also release the contest details. It's going to be fantastic!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 24, 2014
Introducing: Stephanie Ricker
Today, dear readers, I am delighted to introduce you to Stephanie Ricker, author of A Cinder's Tale, fourth story in the Five Glass Slippers collection. Stephanie has provided us with the most "alternative" genre . . . something unusual in a fairy tale collection. And I am here to tell you that her story is fantastically fun!
First, here's a little about Stephanie herself:
STEPHANIE RICKER is a writer, editor, and tree-climber. She adores the cold and the snow but lives in North Carolina anyway, where she enjoys archery, hiking, canoeing, and exploring with friends. Stephanie's fiction has been published in
Bull-Spec
, a magazine of speculative fiction, and in four consecutive editions of The Lyricist, Campbell University's annual literary magazine. Do enjoy getting to know Stephanie a little bit . . . and be sure to enter your name in the giveaway down below! You might just win yourself a Five Glass Slippers coffee (or tea!) mug. 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? Thank you for having me! Oh, I’m definitely a tea girl. My good friend Danielle works at a tea shop, and she fortifies me with amazing loose-leaf tea of all varieties. I’m currently enjoying some vanilla mint pu erh. Many of my friends are coffee connoisseurs, however, so I’ve learned to grind coffee and use a French press out of necessity. Aside from writing, my hobbies include reading (surprise, surprise), editing, archery, hiking, canoeing, and spending time with family and friends, not necessarily in that order. I’m an inveterate tree-climber. I relish snow, cold weather, indie music, and sesquipedalian words.What led you into the writing life? Have you always been a storyteller? I’ve always loved telling stories, and if you spend enough time around me, you’ll probably hear the same tales more than once. As a kid, I read constantly, and I think doing so made me view my own life as a narrative. I wrote my first story, an extremely melodramatic mystery involving horses and way too much purple, at the age of eight, but I only became serious about writing in college. Being around a lot of imaginative people who were all pursuing creativity in one way or another was extremely motivating, and I wrote many stories during those years.
Tell us a little about your work! Have you published other stories before? Is sci-fi your genre of choice or do you dabble in other genres as well? I started out in short stories, and I enjoy that medium very much. I enjoy twists, unexpected “what if” scenarios, and flipping narrative expectations. My stories have been published in four consecutive issues of The Lyricist, Campbell University’s annual literary publication, and my short story “Inseparables’ War” was published in Bull Spec , a speculative fiction magazine. I find that I end up in the science fiction (or at least speculative fiction) genre more often than not, simply because I enjoy the endless possibilities. I do enjoy dipping my toes in other genres once in a while, and I have the opportunity to write a lot of nonfiction at my job with an association management company.
How did you come up with the initial ideas for A Cinder’s Tale? Is this a story you’ve been brewing for a while or was it a sudden inspiration?
Sudden inspiration, for sure! A friend and I were discussing the contest, and she urged me to enter. I didn’t think a fairy tale retelling was really my area, but she told me to mix it up and set Cinderella in another time and place. “Like Cinderella in spaaaaaace,” I joked, referencing Pigs in Space from The Muppet Show. “Why not?” she said, and I realized it was a valid question. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had to write the story in the last three weeks before the deadline, which is probably the fastest I’ve ever written a piece of fiction in my life. Can you pick a favorite character from this story? I’m biased towards all of them, and I do love my protagonist, Elsa, but I’d have to pick Bruno. He’s an older, fatherly figure, and he’s a sweetheart with a steely edge to him. I hope the readers love him as much as I do. I’d love to tell more of his story one day.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration? Good reading makes for good writing. When I’m down to inspirational dregs, I like to revisit writers with a lot of energy: Ray Bradbury and Guy Gavriel Kay come to mind. I enjoy incorporating pieces of reality in my stories, and a few of the characters in A Cinder’s Tale are loosely based on acquaintances of mine. Ideas come from nowhere and anywhere, usually when I’m not thinking about writing.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process? Brainstorming is a lot of fun. With A Cinder’s Tale, I had a blast sitting down and thinking up ways to include references to different versions of Cinderella. Getting to know the characters in the early stages of a story is like getting to know new friends. Least favorite: revisions. By the time I reach that point, I’m invariably sick of the story and ready to move on to something else, and my perspective on the story is blurred by being too close to it. Having others review it and provide constructive criticism is invaluable at that stage of the writing process.
Are you actively pursuing any other exciting writing projects? I certainly am! Fans of A Cinder’s Tale will be pleased (I hope) to know that I’m working on The Cendrillon Cycle, a cycle of novellas set in the same universe. The next story, which follows Elsa’s life before she became a cinder, will release in December of this year.
Would you share a short snippet from A Cinder’s Tale? Something to entice us! Absolutely! Here’s a taste of chapter one.
Excerpt fromA Cinder's Tale The substance that put hitherto-ignored Aschen on the map was cendrillon. Strong enough to withstand the tidal forces of planets and light enough to manipulate even in standard gravity, the material could only be found in the forged remains of a cthonian planet, a gas giant compressed and drained of its atmosphere. From such planets, named after the denizens of the Greek underworld, came the cendrillon to build better space stations, starships, and weapons. The galaxy could hardly spin without the stuff.Pity it lurked in the hottest, most inhospitable corners of the worlds, Elsa thought. She maneuvered her coach closer to the pumpkin patch, avoiding the hottest spots, her eyes glancing from the heat sensors to the spectroscope on her console and back again. The patches harbored large concentrations of cendrillon; the temptation of a big ore haul lured many cinders to brave the dangers of explosive magma. Her machine picked its way daintily over the lava flow, and Elsa edged the coach right up to the perimeter of the patch. Her spectroscope chimed obligingly. A lovely concentration of cendrillon lay just beneath her. Elsa deployed the collectors, watching as the arms descended from the body of the coach, plunged elbow-deep into the lava, and scooped up the heavier cendrillon beneath. Dripping liquid fire, the collector scoops emerged again, dragging their burden into the body of the coach. Elsa’s gloved fingers hovered over the thruster controls as she kept her gaze on the heat sensors. She couldn’t stay in this position much longer. The first of the heat alarms sounded quietly just as the scoop arms completed their retraction. Time to go.She slapped the thruster controls with a gloved hand, and her coach leapt into the air. The pumpkin patch exploded in a fiery splash, the superheated magma splatter just missing the underside of Elsa’s coach.
_____________
What did I tell you, dear readers? Isn't that an intriguing world? I hope you're as eager now to explore planet Aschen as I was when I first encountered Elsa in her coach above the lava-seething surface.Be sure to come back and visit tomorrow with Clara Diane Thompson, author of The Moon Master's Ball, the final story in our collection. And in the meanwhile, do ask Stephanie some questions and leave comments below as you enter your name to win the Five Glass Slippers mug!a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 23, 2014
Introducing: Rachel Heffington
On Monday you got to meet Elisabeth Brown, author of What Eyes Can See. Then on Tuesday we chatted with Emma Clifton, author of Broken Glass. If you missed those features, do feel free to go back and read them and leave comments for those talented young authors.
But today, Rachel Heffington is with us. She is the author of The Windy Side of Care, the third story in the Five Glass Slippers collection. And what a wonderful story it is, featuring possibly my favorite version of the Cinderella character yet!
First, here's a little about the author:
RACHEL HEFFINGTON is a Christian, a novelist, and a people-lover. Outside of the realm of words, Rachel enjoys the arts, traveling, mucking about in the kitchen, listening for accents, and making people laugh. She dwells in rural Virginia with her boisterous family and her black cat, Cricket.For more on Rachel, her current projects, and writing in general, visit her on her blog: www.InkpenAuthoress.blogspot.com.I hope you will enjoy getting to know Rachel through this interview. And don't forget to check out the giveaway at the very end!
INTERVIEWWelcome to the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog! First of all, would you mind telling us a little about yourself? Hobbies, personality . . . tea or coffee? I am an outgoing girl with a penchant for seeing the world through a cock-eyed optimism. I like both tea and coffee and when I’m not writing, my brain is going cockawhoop with creativity. I’m a part time nanny/teacher for two little girls which is an awesome way to keep the creativity renewed--kids have the best view of the world. Additional hobbies include: gourmet cooking, watercolor painting, lecturing myself in a British accent, and dancing.
What led you into the writing life? Have you always been a storyteller?
I was never consciously a storyteller until the age of twelve at which time my penchant for gobbling books had caught up with me. I mistakenly figured I had read every book worth reading and therefore must set myself to writing the next great classic. This idea soon tamed into a purring passion for writing stories myself. I process by writing--my words seldom reflect my mood, but somehow the art of putting one phrase after another soothes my soul. I am now almost twenty-two and therefore have quite ten years under my belt of this habit.
Tell us a little about your work! You released your debut novel earlier this year, right?
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I did release my debut novel,
Fly Away Home
, on Valentine’s Day. Though when pressed, I labeled it historical romance, my writing tends to be rather genreless. There is a distinct Rachel style that I can spin to any genre; indeed, I’ve spent most of my writing genre-hopping. I don’t hold to sticking in one style, and large, epic series aren’t my thing. There are stories to be told and I follow them into whatever territory they may fall. Currently, I am editing a 1930’s-era British mystery and planning a comic (as in humorous) novel.How did you come up with the initial ideas for The Windy Side of Care? Is this a story you’ve been brewing for a while, or was it a sudden inspiration?
The Windy Side of Care was definitely a case of sudden inspiration. I had started off with an entirely different story and setting and felt it was just going to Not Win. Then I got one little scrap of dialog and had the idea to cast my best friend as a Cinderella and see what came of it ... and boy ... she was quite the pickle. Can you pick a favorite character from this story? I really do have a soft spot for Auguste, the prince. In fact, after I’d written the story, I came across a song that exactly fits him (“Me, Who am I?” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella) and includes the lyrics:
“Me, who am I?A far from perfect guy.A bum who wants to do what’s rightbut often does what’s wrong,A kid whose voice is way off-keybut loves to sing his song...”But then there’s Lord Humphries and Stockton, and Ellen-Best, and, of course, Alis herself. It’s hard to choose.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Being around strangers inspires my work. If I’m feeling blocked, I love to go out in public and wander around someplace full of history (easy enough to find in South-eastern Virginia) or bustle (or both) and watch people. I keep a notebook in my purse in which to write down anything that makes its way into my thoughts. I literally saw a man who could have been the Man in the Moon at dinner the other night, and captured his likeness in my notebook around my goat cheese and micro-basil crostatta. The poor fellow will never see my verbal portrait of him...or maybe he will. That is the fun of it .
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
My least favorite part, really, is that middle part of the book. My stories are character-driven and generally begin with people or a scrap of dialog and I’m always set for looking for a plot for them to inhabit. I am not a plotter, so I get the beginning and end and flounder through the middle. Generally I panic about 25,000 words in, and bend my head to the wind and don’t think about the panic and realize I’ve reached the end and have a plot after all. It’s a terror, though, that moment when I realize I haven’t the foggiest what’s really next.
What are you actively writing right now?
I’m in one of those in-between stages of writing where I’m editing the latest creation and simmering over which will be next. We shall see. Currently, I’m toying with Mob Ink, a 30’s Chicago-gangster-inspired Sheherezade-ish comical fol-de-rol. It will be a lark if I actually write it. Would you share a short snippet from The Windy Side of Care? Something to entice us!
Certainly! Nothing like whetting the reader’s appetite, right?
Excerpt fromThe Windy Side of Care It was three o'clock on Tuesday when the doorbell rang. I knew destiny and treason were on the other end of the bell rope, but those aren't things you rush toward as if you were glad to see them; you're likely to end with your neck in a noose. These thoughts playing herald to the summons, I removed my apron in dead calmness and hung it on the coat peg, then wrenched open the door. Bright, city sunlight glared into my eyes, and I had a hard time seeing the person on the steps.
“Message from Lord Humphries, miss,” a voice said. Through the blaze I could make out a red feather curled over a purple velvet hat and a fat face adorned with a bit of mustache.
“I'll take it,” I said.
“It's for Lady Alisandra Carlisle, miss.”
“I'll take it.”
“For her hands only, miss.”
By now my eyes had adjusted to the white light, and I glared at the fat man on the doorstep; he was so short as to require me to tilt my chin downward. “If you must know, I am Alisandra Carlisle. What have you for me?”
The jowls quivered like an unstable blancmange, and two beady eyes took the measure of me. At last the man put a plump hand into his pocket and brought it back out grasping a velvet sack and a letter.
I grabbed the sack, and my pulse quickened at its weight and the dull clink. These were not silver coins; Lord Humphries had lent me gold.
“Any reply?” the messenger asked.
“A moment, Sir Imperative.” I broke the heavy amber-colored wax and unfolded a single sheet upon which were scrawled the following words:
Lady Carlisle: For the love of king and country, don't delay. Or, in your case, for the hatred of king and astonishment of country, make haste. Women are expensive; hence, I have never kept one. There should be enough money here to supply you with a dress or two and a bit of lace. Jewelry too. Don't look shabby; I hate shabby women, as do all anarchists. I expect to see you Wednesday when I attend your stepmother at dinner. You will be present and you will have made your purchases. That is all.
Until I See Fit to Excuse Myself,
Lord Humphries
I folded the note with a quick glance at the messenger. “You may tell his lordship I thank him and am his humble servant always.”
_____________
Click Here to Pre-Order!What an intriguing little tidbit! Thank you for sharing, Rachel.I hope that leaves all of you, dear readers, eagerly looking forward to learning more about Alis and her intriguing plots and plans. In the meanwhile, don't forget to enter your name in the giveaway below to win a charming Five Glass Slippers mug.
Be sure to stop back in tomorrow to meet Stephanie Ricker, author of A Cinder's Tale . . . our "Cinderella in Space" story of the collection! a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 22, 2014
Introducing: Emma Clifton
Welcome back, dear readers, to our series of features about the Five Glass Slippers authors! Today we are chatting with Emma Clifton, author of Broken Glass, the second story in our collection. I am very excited to get to know Emma little better and to offer some enticing hints about her delightful and hilarious story.
First here's a little about the author:
EMMA CLIFTON has been thinking up stories since before she knew how to type them out. Reading books such as the Chronicles of Narnia, The Door Within Trilogy, and Redwall inspired her to take her writing more seriously. Though her rigorous homeschool education keeps her busy, she also enjoys sewing, reading, and spending time with her family in beautiful Northern Virginia. I hope all of you will enjoy this interview. And don't forget to enter your names in the giveaway down below! You could become the proud owner of a lovely Five Glass Slippers coffee mug . . .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? I’m a somewhat shy homeschooler whose education is focused on the classics. That means I spend far more time translating Latin than I would like. Some of my other hobbies are sewing, knitting, crocheting, and reading (when I have the time). I also enjoy watching British television shows such as Downtown Abby, Foyle’s War, and Merlin. Sewing is probably my biggest hobby other than writing; I enjoy designing and sewing plush, such as the ones below:
I have a wonderful family and I love vacationing with them. My big sister (and only sibling), Sophia, is my best friend and editor; I spend a lot of time chumming around with her. And as for tea or coffee, I love both. I drink coffee in the morning and generally have some form of tea in the afternoon. Peppermint tea is my favorite, but Teavana also makes a lovely blend called Youthberry. What led you into the writing life? Have you always been a storyteller? Being a writer has been my aspiration for a long time; the first story I remember writing was one about two hermit crabs, Hermie and Shellie (I wasn’t very creative with names back then). I continued in this vein for a while, piddling around with stories about my stuffed animals. Then when I was about eight years old, I read the Chronicles of Narnia; this series opened my eyes to the wonderful realm of fantasy. I began concocting more stories about the Pevensies and their Narnian friends until I discovered another excellent author—Wayne Thomas Batson. It was after reading his Door Within Trilogy that I really tried to come up with my own original stories. My attempt at a fantasy wasn’t very good; it lacked plot and I had a bad habit of planning future books in the series before writing the first one. Tell us a little about your work! Broken Glass is your debut novella, right? Yes, Broken Glass is my debut. It is also the first story I’ve fully completed (editing and all), so it’s a big achievement for me. I’m very excited for the release!
How did you come up with the initial ideas for Broken Glass? Is this a story you’ve been brewing for a while, or was it a sudden inspiration?
The inspiration for Broken Glass came very suddenly, and actually before I found out about the Five Glass Slippers contest. Last summer, Sophia and I had been watching a bunch of old Disney movies to prepare for our trip to Walt Disney World in early fall. We were near the end of Cinderella when the idea hit me—what if the slipper had fit on someone else? Would she have been forced to marry Prince Charming? I tucked the idea in the back of my head; then a few days later I discovered the contest and I was thrilled! However, the original version of Broken Glass was not a very happy story; though it did have a happy ending, it was rather serious and dismal. The fairy-godmother and Cinderella were evil and the entire story was had gloomy overtones. I let Sophia read it, and she basically said, “It’s good, but really depressing.” Getting rather tired of a humorless story and Rosalind moaning on and on, I completely overhauled my story. Thus I began Broken Glass with less than two months until the deadline. I was getting very worried as December 31st rapidly approached and almost didn’t turn Broken Glass in; but Sophia encouraged me to, so I did.Can you pick a favorite character from this story? This is a hard question to answer—I love them all, especially the three princes! But I think I’ll have to pick Marius; he was just so much fun to write. His snarky, narcissistic personality bloomed so wonderfully during the process of writing and editing. He’s such an anti-Prince Charming; he’s arrogant, selfish, and whiny.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration? I get a lot inspiration from reading the blogs of other writers; it wasn’t until last year that I started doing this, and I’ve found that my writing has improved greatly since then. There are so many writers out there with good advice to give. My inspiration comes from many other sources too—it depends on what sort of shows I’m watching on TV (I’m currently enjoying the second season of Mr. Selfridge); I also get a lot of inspiration from anything Disney-related. I grew up on Disney movies and trips to Walt Disney World, so Disney has a special place in my heart. Also, watching epic movies such as Marvel superhero movies, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Lord of the Rings give me a lot of inspiration. Reading good books is also inspiring, but I don’t read as much as I should outside of my schoolwork.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process? My favorite part is either conceptualizing a story or writing the first draft. For my least favorite parts—well, editing isn’t my strong point. I’m not a detail person, so I’m prone to grammar and spelling errors in my writing. Thankfully God blessed me with a detail-oriented mother and older sister. Sophia kindly helped me edit Broken Glass, drastically reducing the number of embarrassing errors. Thanks, Sophia!
Are you working on any new writing projects now? Yes, I am! My current work-in-progress is a nonsensical romp called A Ticket to Yonder, in which a young boy named Jamie teams up with a walrus, a balloon, and a snobby princess to earn his gold star and join his grandmother in the magical land of Yonder. I’ve shared some snippets of this story on my blog. I’m also outlining and researching for some other stories, including a couple of fantasies and a satirical sci-fi set in the Cold War. I’m very excited about that one.
Would you share a short snippet from Broken Glass? Something to entice us!
Excerpt fromBroken Glass With one fluid movement, Rosalind raised her head and delicately tossed the hair out of her eyes. “What are you getting at?” she demanded. “I’m trying to draw, and you are standing in my light. So either start talking or get out of the way.”“I’ll block your light as long as I like.” Marius crossed his arms. “It’s technically my light, by the way.”The pencil snapped between Rosalind’s fingers. “We’ve been over this,” she hissed. “It’s your father’s palace. Your father’s light. Can you stop avoiding my question?”“You were the one changing the subject.”Half of the pencil sailed from her fingers and smacked him squarely between the eyes. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing his forehead. “What was that for?”“Figure it out, genius,” she grumbled. “By the way, that was your pencil.”His fingers curled into fists. “How I’d love to smack you . . .”“You’re scared of hitting me.” She smiled sweetly up at him. “Aren’t you?”Marius let out a groan and clutched his head. “This is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about,” he seethed through clenched teeth. “We’ll kill each other before our honeymoon is over.”“I think you’re being a little too optimistic,” Rosalind replied. “What would you like me to do with the other half of your pencil? Stick it up your nose?” “Stick it up your own nose, I don’t care,” he grumbled.
_____
Click Here to Pre-OrderThank you for sharing, Emma! I hope you readers got a good chuckle out of that scene. I know I was snickering pretty hard when I read it the first time and very eager to see where the antagonistic relationship between Rosalind and her unwanted Prince Charming would lead.Be sure to stop in again tomorrow to meet Rachel Heffington, author of The Windy Side of Care, the third story in this collection. And in the meanwhile, feel free chat with Emma, asking her questions about her writing, her plushies, TV shows . . . whatever you like. a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 21, 2014
Introducing: Elisabeth Brown
Dear imps, this week we are expressing our excitement over the upcoming Five Glass Slippers anthology with a series of interviews featuring each of the five talented novelists! I am excited to get to know these young women, and I hope you are too.
Be sure to check the end of each post for the fun giveaway. At the end of the week, one lucky winner will be selected to receive a beautiful Five Glass Slippers mug--decorated with the same banner you see up above. You imps are all coffee and tea drinkers, right? Or at least hot chocolate . . .
Today we are meeting the first novelist in this collection, Ms. Elisabeth Brown. Here is a little about her first:
ELISABETH BROWN has always loved words. The third of seven children, she enjoyed being homeschooled through her senior year of high school, and is now studying piano performance at Appalachian Bible College. When she's ignoring the fact that she should probably be practicing more or doing Greek homework, you'll find her sewing, baking, reading, singing along to basically any musical ever created, hiking through the woods, or laughing at incredibly silly puns.What Eyes Can See is her first published story, but she also rambles at www.MetaphoricalCello.wordpress.com.
INTERVIEW Welcome to the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog, Betsy! First of all, would you mind telling us a little about yourself? Hobbies, personality . . . tea or coffee?
Hello, and thanks for having me! Let’s see…well, I’m a college sophomore studying piano performance, which sort of takes over all other hobbies during the school year. I’m a fairly social person, so if you stop by my campus, you’ll probably find me talking. My walls are covered with pictures drawn by my younger siblings, I’m addicted to chapstick, I use a different color of pen every day, I wear flowers in my hair, and my Pandora station is normally playing Ramin Karimloo and Josh Groban. Tea or coffee? Tea, every time. Black, green, chai, herbal, sweetened, unsweetened, in a china cup or in a plain mug…I really love tea.
What led you into the writing life? Have you always been a storyteller?
My family tells a lot of stories: Mom read us all the Little House books, Dad read us James Herriot and A Christmas Carol. They told us stories while we fell asleep on camping trips and let us check out piles of books on tape from the library. Eventually, it became natural for me to start making up my own. My sister and I used to create the most elaborate imaginary worlds together, with our own heroes and villains, romances and heartbreaks. Without my family, I would have no creativity at all; it’s thanks to their influence that I started writing.
Tell us a little about your work! What Eyes Can See is your debut novella, right?
Yes, ma'am! In fact, it's also the first story I've completed, so I feel quite fond of it. What Eyes Can See is set in an imaginary kingdom long ago and far away--typical fairytale stuff. I wrote it specifically for the Five Glass Slippers contest, so it was simple to decide on a fairytale feeling. (Though there's no magic or fairy godmother or anything, so maybe it isn't a fairytale. I'm not sure.) There's not a lot of action, no true bad guy--it's just a simple romance, a story about love the way it looks to my inexperienced imagination.
How did you come up with the initial ideas for What Eyes Can See? Is this a story you’ve been brewing for a while or was it a sudden inspiration?
What Eyes Can Seedefinitely falls into the “sudden inspiration” category. I was brainstorming ideas for the “Five Glass Slippers” contest, and for some reason I found myself wondering if Cinderella were really as mistreated as we’ve been led to believe… Initially, I envisioned Cinderella as an odious young lady, and the stepmother and stepsisters were the mistreated heroines. That’s not what I ended up with—instead, Arella is simply a shy girl fonder of dusting than dancing—but it got the creative juices flowing.Can you pick a favorite character from this story?
That would easily be Arella’s stepsister Drusilla. She’s not the prettiest, she’s not the cleverest, she’s not the most talented…but she’s not bitter about it.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Regarding What Eyes Can See, the biggest inspiration I had was merely the challenge of actually finishing something for once. Otherwise, a lot of ideas come from reading. I devour Charles Dickens and Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters and Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. People watching is another big inspiration: I love those little quirks that set one person apart from everyone else in the world. I have a whole list of people waiting to have stories written about them. None of them know.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
I love letting my imagination run wild for hours on end. I love making characters from my head come to life on a page. I love the satisfaction I felt when I wrote the last sentence and knew I had finished. I didn’t love editing. That was more like real work. And coming up with a name—that was super hard. My sister actually came up with the title for me. (Thanks, Ruth!!)
Are you working on any new story ideas these days?
At the moment, the most I have is some vague ideas of things I could work on this summer in my free time. I’d love to try my hand at some historical fiction…we’ll see what happens.
Would you share a short snippet from What Eyes Can See? Something to entice us!
I would be delighted to share! Here’s a bit from when the family is at the royal ball…
Excerpt fromWhat Eyes Can See
“I have to dance with him!” Arella whispered frantically to Drusilla behind her fan, out of earshot of the prince. He continued to bow to young ladies and their parents but sent frequent glances in Arella’s direction.“Just what every other girl wishes to do,” Drusilla whispered back. Now was not the time to let Arella indulge in solitude. Like it or not, she would have to make herself agreeable.“Why can’t he dance with every other girl, then?” Arella whimpered.“Because you are the prettiest.”“I hate being the prettiest!”It was the most vehement speech Drusilla had ever heard her stepsister utter. “I’m afraid that isn’t for you to choose. Dance with him, agree with what he says, smile a little, and then it will be over. Surely you can manage that?” Arella bit her lip.“It will be just like dancing with any other young man,” Drusilla continued. “Don’t be nervous. Everything will turn out well.”Arella cast a dissatisfied glance at Drusilla. “I hate dancing with all of them, too!”Their conversation was interrupted when a friend of the duchess joined their party to visit. Drusilla sighed. Please, Arella, just behave.
_________
Click Here To Pre-Order!What a great little scene, Betsy! I love seeing the dynamic between shy Arella and practical Drusilla. They have such a charming dynamic between them, and I loved watching their interactions throughout the story.I hope, dear readers, that all of you are eager to pick up a copy of Five Glass Slippers to find out what will happen when poor Arella is forced to dance with the handsome prince . . .
Be sure to stop by tomorrow so you can meet Emma Clifton, the author of book 2 in the anthology, Broken Glass.
Below you have the giveaway options for a chance to win the pretty mug. Several of the options are to ask questions of the other four authors . . . I request that you come back in the next few days to enter those options, however. Post your questions to those authors on their individual interviews. But Elisabeth Brown will be happy to read your comments today!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 19, 2014
Fan Art Contest Winners
The voting for this year's Fan Art Contest was really close! I seriously didn't know until late last night who the winners were going to be . . . and even then, these were only within a few points of each other. But I know you will all agree with me that these winning pieces truly deserve their prizes. So allow me to present to you:
THIRD PLACE
A Never-Ending Loveby: Kristene T.Pencil DrawingFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
SECOND PLACE
Hymlumé's Gardenby: Hannah W.Acrylic and Digital PaintFrom MoonbloodBook 3 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
FIRST PLACE
Etanun Ashiun: Vengeanceby: Jenelle HovdePencil DrawingFrom DragonwitchBook 5 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
Congratulations to all of the winners! And special congratulations to Jenelle, who submitted this gorgeous portrait of a beloved hero of Goldstone Wood. You three artists produced stunning work that struck the hearts of viewers all over the world. I personally feel tremendously blessed by your talent!
But, as I said above, the voting was extremely close this year. So I have decided to also name three runners-up who were all within a point or two of placing. These winners, if they choose to claim their prizes, will receive a collection of seven Goldstone Wood bookmarks, one for each of the published stories.
RUNNER UP
Lost, but Not Forgottenby: Courtney E. DusenburyPhoto ManipulationFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
RUNNER-UP
A Weddingby: Gabrielle SilversteinDigital ArtFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
RUNNER-UP
Trust Meby: Christa W.Watercolor PaintingFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood
I wish I could go on naming all of the fantastic work submitted. The artists this year completely took my breath away! Thanks to all of you, and do keep on pursuing your various talents.
All of you winners, feel free to email me (aestengl@gmail.com) with your mailing addresses so I can send off your prizes! Book winners, please let me know which titles you would like to receive and if you would like them signed to you, to someone else, or just with my signature.
And I will see you this summer for the first-ever Goldstone Wood Musical Contest.
THIRD PLACE
A Never-Ending Loveby: Kristene T.Pencil DrawingFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood SECOND PLACE
Hymlumé's Gardenby: Hannah W.Acrylic and Digital PaintFrom MoonbloodBook 3 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood FIRST PLACE
Etanun Ashiun: Vengeanceby: Jenelle HovdePencil DrawingFrom DragonwitchBook 5 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood Congratulations to all of the winners! And special congratulations to Jenelle, who submitted this gorgeous portrait of a beloved hero of Goldstone Wood. You three artists produced stunning work that struck the hearts of viewers all over the world. I personally feel tremendously blessed by your talent!
But, as I said above, the voting was extremely close this year. So I have decided to also name three runners-up who were all within a point or two of placing. These winners, if they choose to claim their prizes, will receive a collection of seven Goldstone Wood bookmarks, one for each of the published stories.
RUNNER UP
Lost, but Not Forgottenby: Courtney E. DusenburyPhoto ManipulationFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood RUNNER-UP
A Weddingby: Gabrielle SilversteinDigital ArtFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood RUNNER-UP
Trust Meby: Christa W.Watercolor PaintingFrom HeartlessBook 1 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood I wish I could go on naming all of the fantastic work submitted. The artists this year completely took my breath away! Thanks to all of you, and do keep on pursuing your various talents.
All of you winners, feel free to email me (aestengl@gmail.com) with your mailing addresses so I can send off your prizes! Book winners, please let me know which titles you would like to receive and if you would like them signed to you, to someone else, or just with my signature.
And I will see you this summer for the first-ever Goldstone Wood Musical Contest.
