Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 42

Read-along Weekly Winners!

Happy Sunday, dear readers! Time to announce the three winners of this week's giveaway.

Remember, to enter the giveaway, you had to leave at least one comment for every day of the giveaway. You are, of course, allowed to go back and leave comments on days you missed. But you have to have at least one comment per day.

Quite a number of you were eligible for this week's giveaway. But, there are only three winners, and they are . . .

Jennette -- Veiled Rose
Molly -- Moonblood
Clara Darling -- Starflower

Congratulations, ladies! Do email me your mailing addresses here: aestengl@gmail.com. And I will package up and mail off your winnings in the next few days!

To the rest of you, we'll be having another giveaway next Sunday. Comments begin counting as of today, so be sure to participate in the read-along! It's been a fun time already, and I'm looking forward to exploring Una's continued adventures with all of you.

Read-along: chapter 8

Welcome back to the Heartless read-along! I certainly have been enjoying celebrating the Christmas season with all of you in this fun way. Feels like a party on my computer every morning!

Be sure to check later today to see if you won a copy of Veiled Rose, Moonblood, or Starflower. Everyone who left a comment for each day's post will be entered in the drawing! And if you didn't win this week . . . no worries. You can always try again next week.

And now, back to the story . . .

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sir Eanrin: When Felix hurries down to the practice yard, hoping to find Prince Aethelbald, he discovers the Prince of Farthestshore talking to a knight Felix has not previously seen.

Aknight who is blind in both eyes.

Hold on there! you say. Blind like . . . like Monster?

Exactly! And now, for the first time, we see the shape-shifting cat in his other form, as the tall, slender, golden haired Sir Eanrin, poet, warrior, and romantic expert (at least, according to himself). Also my favorite character of the series!

Gervais's Gambling: Along with Felix, we overhear Aethelbald and Sir Eanrin discussing . . . someone's gambling proclivities. Doesn't take a whole lot of sleuthing to figure out who they mean! And suddenly, we know better than ever that we don't want our foolish Princess Una mixed up with this particular loser, charming or otherwise.

Notice the above picture, a fan-art depiction of Gervais gambling with the mysterious blind Eanrin . . . courtesy of the ever-talented Hannah Williams!

Felix's Duel: All right, who doesn't love to see Felix using what he learned from Prince Aethelbald to put that stuck-up Gervais in his place? And here Gervais showers him with compliments first, intending only to make a fool of him. Honestly, I'd forgotten just how thoroughly unlikable Gervais was! I was cheering for Felix in this scene. Glad he learned from Prince Aethelbald and remembered to apply his new skills.

Tidbit: When Felix mutters, "If she marries that goblin's son, why I'll . . ." he's actually using some pretty bad language for this world. In a later book (much later--not finished yet!), we'll learn that to be called a "goblin son" is one of the worst insults there is in Parumvir. And it's an important story-element in that later book, though I can't say why! I just find it interesting seeing little clues dropped like this. Later on, you'll be able to re-read Heartless and go, "Oh, yeah! So that's why that is important!"

Una's Thoughts: So I think it's pretty safe to say that Una is, despite herself, softening a bit toward Prince Aethelbald. Oh, I know she's pretending to herself otherwise! And maybe I'm wrong . . . But don't you think her continued concern over what Aethelbald thinks might mean she's not as indifferent to him as she might be? Maybe Una has better taste than even she realizes.

The family dinner: I think this is one of the few scenes in the novel that hardly changed at all from the first draft to the final. It's funny to read it now, all these years later! I remember sitting in my living room with a spiral notebook in my lap, writing this out by hand. I'm sure it was tweaked along the way, but otherwise, it's pretty familiar! (Though, I believe in the original draft, I gave Una two brothers, who were later condensed into Felix.)

Gervais' banishment: And it's in this scene that we learn exactly why Gervais came to "pay his respects" to Una. The fortune-hunter! Banished from his own father's court for gambling debts, Gervais needs to marry well and marry soon. Our little Una looked like an excellent prospect.

So much for romance. Una's dreams really aren't coming true quite how she wanted, are they?

Did she want to marry him? Finally, Una stops long enough to think the one question we've all been wondering ourselves! She's been so caught up in romantic fancies, she never once stopped to think whether or not this "dream come true" was really all that desirable.

Una's stutter: Once more, in the scene with Aethelbald, Una demonstrates her inability to form a complete sentence when angry. Again, something she inherited directly from her creator, me! I am a terrible fumble-mouth, particularly when I am feeling most urgent. Why is eloquence never there upon command? But it makes for a comic moment for my poor heroine . . . even if readers have to do a double-take and read it again to understand what's happening!

My personal favorite lines:

Monster hopped into her lap and started chewing on her thread. Una watched him do it without seeing until he had unraveled half an armored bean man. Coming to herself suddenly, Una growled, "Monster, you beast!" She tossed the cat over the arm of the chair, then set to embroidered with more will than ever. (p. 94)

Her thread tangled again, and she pulled it so tight that the poor embroidered man's face twisted grotesquely. (p. 94)

Felix, who was sipping coffee, snorted and burnt his tongue, cpped a hand around his mouth, and bawled for water. During his uproar King Fidel could not speak and Una was left to wonder. (p. 96)

Una wanted desperately to spit out elegant barbs, but all that came out was an emphatic, "Don't wan you mister noble go away not your business!" (p. 98)

Una passed her evening imagining all the brilliant things she should have said to Aethelbald but didn't, but jolly well would next chance she got, so help her! They were most of them verbose, all of them witty, and each would have fallen flat if stuttered, but she didn't consider that. She penned them in her journal and practiced them in her mind until they rolled perfectly off her imaginary tongue and Prince Aethelbald, cowed, crawled into his place. (p. 99)

Questions on the Text:

1. What more of Una's character does this chapter reveal? Do you think she's on a road toward growth or not?

2. Do you think Prince Aethelbald did the right thing in this situation, speaking to Prince Gervais about his gambling? Or should he have minded his own business?

3. Felix is used in this chapter (and the other fencing scene) to give us a new perspective on Aethelbald. What do we learn about Aethelbald from Felix's perspective that we miss from Una's? Do you find Aethelbald more or less likable as seen through Felix's eyes?

4. Any favorite lines?

Reader Questions

1. "Your world is so multi-layered and intricate. What is a trick you use to keep all your characters straight? Do you outline?" -- Meredith

Good question! It's not actually as difficult for me to keep track of things as you might think, however. I've had most of these stories and characters in my head for years, so the connections and intricacies come naturally to me. I do outline every novel before I write it . . . though I consider an outline a flexible guideline, not set in stone! And I keep files of historical notes and timelines. There isn't any great system, I confess, but I keep up with it all right.

2. "How many books have you planned for the series? Sounds as if you have many more plot threads to come. This series resembles a tapestry, and I like how each story seems to somehow point to all the others. Amazing! Keep up the outstanding work." -- Meredith

Thank you, Meredith! :) That was my hope from the beginning. I wanted to write a series of mostly stand-alone novels that all pointed back to each other to create a bigger, overall picture. Because that's more how life is! All or our own personal stories connect to the personal stories of those around us, back through history, on through the future.

As for how many I have planned . . . lots. But I am currently contracted through six. I hope to write more, but we'll have to wait and see what doors God opens. I know He has a plan for this series. He's created amazing opportunities for me all along. But it's a step-by-step process of faith. I think that's part of God's way of reminding me that He is in control of this series, not me. I'm only the writer!

Book Banter WINNERS!

I had a delightful time on Bethany House Publisher's facebook page yesterday with the Book Banter event. Lots of great people showed up with great questions . . . the two hours FLEW by at a dizzying pace!

And now, I get to announce the winners--those lucky seven who have won themselves a FREE copy of Starflower! And they are . . .

1. Janette Foreman

2. Regina Lavy Baker

3. Kristin Lail

4. Paul Hein

5. Lacee Hogg

6. Susan Gibson Snodgrass

7. Linda McFarland

Congratulations, all of you! Email Noelle Buss here: noelle.buss@bethanyhouse.com to claim your free book!

Read-along: Chapter 7

Don't forget, if you want to be included in this week's giveaway, you need to answer at least one question on each day's post. Then you'll have your name entered to win a copy of Veiled Rose, Moonblood, or Starflower!

Back to the  story . . . .

CHAPTER SEVEN:

Una the romantic: Here at the opening of chapter 7, we really see Una for the romantic little fool that she is. "Prince Gervais was so handsome! Prince Gervais was so charming! Prince Gervais was come to pay his respects!" Without a thought for actual character or even whether or not they might have a reasonable conversation! But that's typical Una for you . . . sweet, but not very wise.

The second dream: This second vision of Una's is much shorter than the first. But it provides some interesting hints! She sees an "enormous face surrounded by fire," and this face says, "Where are you? Five years I have searched. Five years I have wasted."

So now we know that this person--whoever he might be--has been searching for Una for five years . . . the same amount of time that she has had Monster, her secret guardian. And so far, though obviously powerful, this dream danger has been unable to locate her . . . possibly due to the protections Monster (who we now know serves Prince Aethelbald) has offered.

You will also notice that the dream-stranger says, "Are you not the one I seek?" Is he speaking to Una when he says this? Or--as a reading of Veiled Rose might reveal--is he speaking to someone else and Una is merely overhearing it in her dream?

Monster: Monster is so full of mystery, but he is also SO full of cattishness! As a cat-person myself, I can't tell you how many times I have been woken by prickling whiskers in my face, opening my eyes to a pink, prodding nose.

The ring: Una's ring continues to be an important reference in this chapter. Here we have it described as a "cluster of opals."

This ring was originally inspired by the opal ring worn by Princess Irene in George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin.In that book, the princess is given the ring by her magical grandmother, but it could still be said to symbolize her heart . . . though in a different way than the opal ring Una's mother gave her. I loved The Princess and the Goblin when I was growing up, so I liked slipping in a little nod to MacDonald here in my first novel.

I described the ring to look like one that mygrandmother gave me. That's a picture of it up there . . . not very good quality picture, but you get the idea. Isn't it pretty? I don't wear it too often since opals are soft stones and too-easily break. But I still really like it!

Here's another opal ring, modeled by the lovely Clara in a Heartless photo-shoot.

Una's braid: Whenever I picture my sweet Princess Una, I always picture her in the look described in this chapter . . . a loose braid down her back, a simple gown, a journal in her pocket. For all she's a spoiled princess, she's also a sweet girl. I feel like she's someone I could be friends with!

King Abundiantus V makes another appearance in this chapter, this time as a marble statue. We get a few interesting details about him when this statue is described. We're told he's got one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other "resting upon his breast, fingering a pair of incongruous spectacles on a chain." Spectacles? Really?

But you know if it's slipped in there, it's going to be important later . . . Sadly, you'll have to keep reading for many books before you'll find out why! But don't forget King Abundiantus and his spectacles.

The Rose Garden: "It was called the Rose Garden, though no roses had bloomed there in over twenty years." Another little mysterious thread in Heartless that is not resolved within this novel. In Veiled Rose, we learn that roses haven't bloomed in any other country for twenty years as well. But the reason why, we won't learn until Moonblood. Rest assured, dear reader! There is an explanation.

Gervais's song: A sad little mimic of the beautiful Burns' ballad, My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose . . . Gervais's song for Una was written by "the great Eanrin of Rudiobus."

Eanrin? Wait! Isn't that the name Prince  Aethelbald called Monster in an earlier chapter?

Why, yes it is . . . And the enigma deepens!

And Gervais, of course, uses the song to further enchant Una. He flirts with rare gusto and obviously knows much more about wooing than my inexperienced little princess does. Poor Una can do nothing but blush in hot, red blotches! But it doesn't take a whole lot of smarts to realize Gervais is merely throwing clichéd romanticism at the princess without a sincere word in the mix. He doesn't even get her eye-color right, and she's standing right in front of him!

Una and Aethelbald: Following this "romantic" interlude with Prince Gervais, Una finds Prince Aethelbald that much more infuriating . . . especially when he continues to be as sweet and solicitous as always, no matter how nasty she gets! Poor Una really does get the worst of it in this scene, leaping from embarrassment to embarrassment.

Una's burns: Once more, Aethelbald inquires after Una's hands. He tells her she is badly burned, but she insists that there is no burn to be seen. Aethelbald gently tells her, "I see what you cannot."

Foreshadowing!!! Gotta love it, right?

Una's speech issues: When Aethelbald asks Una if she will allow him to tend to her hurts, she refuses, stumbling over her words rather badly as she does so. Do any of you do that? Get so caught up in what you want to say that you can't quite get it to come out right? I sure do! At least when I'm nervous. That's where Una's little speech-problem stemmed from . . . my own shyness when speaking in public. (I'm much better now, but when I was Una's age I had the worst time trying to keep my words in order!)

My personal favorite lines:

She plumped her pillows so many times that Monster gave an irate squawk and stalked to the foot of the bed, curling up like a chipmunk with his tail wrapped over his nose. (p. 82)

[King Abundiantus's] marble face scowled severely down upon Una as though to say there were far more important things to consider on a spring morning than love and romance.
Una did not believe she and her great-grandsire would have seen eye to eye on many subjects. (p. 83)

"Princess Una," he said, his voice low and soft, "did you know that your eyes shine like the stars?"
Where the star analogy might have come from so early in the morning, Una could not guess, but that hardly mattered at such a moment. (p. 85)

"The first moment I gazed into the limid blue depths of your eyes," he said, "I knew I might drown there and die a happy man."
Some small part of her deep inside winced that he'd gotten her eye color wrong. (p. 85)

"Oh!" she gasped, then inwardly kicked herself when the next word from her mouth was a resounding, "Uh!" (p. 86)

"Sneaking up on people," she snapped. "Really, sir, there are proprieties to maintain!"
"I was standing in plain sight."
"I couldn't have been that plain since I didn't see you!"
"You might have seen me had you been looking where you went."
"I was looking where I went right up until I stopped . . . looking . . . " (p. 87)

"And now all this rot about invisible injuries and interrupting Prince Gervais as he and I don’t see what business it is of I can do what I like and I think you're simply and that's that!"
Una paused there, wondering if what she'd just said had made a lick of sense. Judging from Prince Aethelbald's face, it hadn't. "Well, now you know," she finished. (p. 88)

Heaven help her, she would not turn around to see whether or not he was still watching her!
But she did.
And he was.
Grinding her teeth, Una fled to her chambers, determined never to leave them again. (p. 88)

Questions for the Text:

1. So, if you were Una, would you have fallen for Gervais's charm? Would you have fallen for Aethelbald?

2.  While this chapter focuses primarily on Una's interest in Gervais, there are a number of hints of developing danger and storyline to come. Which hints did you pick out? Which ones intrigued you most?

3. Any favorite lines?

Reader Questions

1. "If cats have nine lives, how many does Eanrin have? And is it just the Faerie royalty that have three lives (like Dragonwitch and Vahe)?" -- the Ever-Mysterious Anonymous

I'm afraid Eanrin only has one. I'm sure he would like you to think he has nine (and sometimes, with the variety of scrapes he barely makes it through, it would be easy to believe he has nine). But he only has one. A nice loooooong, immortal one, but one. Only the Faerie lords and ladies, rulers of demesnes have three lives. And then, they only get three lives when the come into power. So, for instance, Vahe's daughter does not have three lives until she becomes Queen of Arpiar.

Great question!

2. "How far apart are Una and Felix (in age)?" -- Caitlyn

I think they're about three years apart. I picture Una as approximately 18 (she just came of age that year), and Felix as about 15. Sound about right to you?

REVEAL on Dragonwitch Page!

A great story is comprised of great characters. Even more importantly, a great story is comprised of great relationships among those characters.

Well, I can't spoil all the relational-dynamics of Dragonwitch for you. If I did that, I'd ruin the story. But I can give you a glimpse into the individual lives and histories of those you are going to meet this coming summer.

So allow me to present to you the wonderful men and women--mortals and immortals alike--who have been my imaginary friends for these last several years. I hope they will soon be as dear to you as they are to me.

Ladies and gentlemen, click to view my all new Characters You Will Meet page! ______________   Things are developing beautifully for the Prism Book Tour of Starflower. If you need to catch up, here are all the places it has been featured so far! 
Starflower December Tour
And, of course, don't forget to enter your name in the giveaway. You could win the Grand Prize!  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/18d8bf112/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway



Read-along: Chapter 6

Don't forget: If you answer at least one question a day every day this week, you'll be eligible for a name-drawing giveaway.
Also, I am very happy to answer any questions you might have on the text. So feel free to leave them in the comments box!

Now, on with the story . . .

CHAPTER SIX

Imagery: All right, so the whole image of Una, wearing gauntlets, holding Monster by a death-grip while she bathes him, just tickles me! And especially in the context of later books in the series, where we see Monster/Eanrin in more dramatic and even romantic roles. Immortal Faerie, bard and knight, being given a bubble bath by a mortal girl! It just delights me on so many levels . . .

Here is a fan art illustration of the scene drawn by the wonderfully talented Hannah Williams.

Rumor: Una has obviously heard rumors of Prince Gervais since long before this. He is a figure of immediate romance and intrigue to her dreamy young mind! Though she's not met him yet, she is inclined to like him. Gervais is a  much nicer name than Aethelbald, after all!

Miss Princess: I keep smiling when I read Nurse's nickname for Una. It's cute to see her royal title turned into a slightly-peevish pet-name.

Prince Gervais: I had a lot of fun writing this second of Una's suitors. I could see him very clearly in my mind! A man doesn't have to be overtly handsome to be very charming and attractive. Gervais is that sort of man, oozing confidence wherever he goes. One can see why an impressionable young girl like Una would fall for him right off the bat.

He is such a bright and shining personality that quiet Prince Aethelbald immediately fades into obscurity by comparison . . .

Dreams Come True: The theme of dream fulfillment/destruction is an ongoing one in the Tales of Goldstone Wood. In this chapter, we see Una in the throes of having one of her dreams come true. Not one, but two suitors sit at her father's table! But it's not exactly what she had imagined in chapter one, is it? It's a lot more uncomfortable, for one thing (though Prince Gervais is very charming).

Gervais' Story: Prince Gervais is, I think, one of those people who cannot bear not to have all the attention fixed upon him. Thus he tells story after story, including the very silly one about the dragon/bullfrog. I personally wonder if it's even a true story. And if it is, whether or not there might be more to it than meets the eye.

He does entertain everyone present, however! We must give him that. I can't honestly say that, were I in Una's place, I wouldn't have gone for Gervais instead of Aethelbald myself.

Though I do think that Una is actually far more aware of Prince Aethelbald than she is willing to admit . . .

Dragons: After Gervais tells his story, he turns to Aethelbald and asks him whether or not he has hunted dragons. Aethelbald admits that he has . . . and when he turns to Una, his expression is deeply sad. Aethelbald knows a lot more about dragons than does anyone else present.

He also, I believe, knows what is coming for Una.

My personal favorite lines:

She knelt beside a basin brimful of sudsy bubbles, holding Monster in a death grip by the back of the neck with one hand, wielding a scrub brush with the other, which was difficult to manage while wearing heavy leather gauntlets. Her tongue poked into her cheek in concentration. Monster's caterwauls had diminished into low, seditious growls that boded ill for the future. She scrubbed for her life while she had a chance. (p. 71)

Prince Gervais was not a handsome man.
But it did not matter. He possessed an air of graciousness with perhaps the smallest hint of disdain about the coerners of his mouth, which was altogether alluring. And when he smiled, one forgot any flaws in his face or figure. (p. 74)

Una found herself beside Gervais, which both delighted and distressed her. she found it difficult to eat with his gaze constantly sliding to rest upon her, and she desperately hoped the red blotches faded under candlelight. She spent most of the meal rearranging the food on her plate, unable to transport any of it to her mouth. A subtly scented Monster sat at her feet under the table, grooming himself and sometimes touching her leg with a paw to beg, but she resisted slipping him tidbits in the present company. (p. 76)


Questions for the text:

1. Why do you think Aethelbald's expression was so sad when he was asked about dragon hunting?

2. Have you ever heard a bullfrog's bellow? I remember the first time I heard one. I was out walking one fine summer day, and suddenly the most enormous roaring ripped the air! I was totally flabbergasted and stared around, looking for some sort of monster . . . but at last I  located the bullfrog in the pond nearby. Who knew such a little creature could make such a BIG sound?

3. Any favorite lines?

Reader Questions

In light of Clive Owen cast yesterday as Aethelbald, Courtney would like to know who I envision as Una and Lionheart. Again, I don't really pick actors in advance. They just are who they are in my head. But after trolling around the internets a bit, I found a few who might work in a pinch . . .

 This young lady is named Skylar Vallo, and she looks sweet and fresh-faced enough to play my golden haired princess! Of course, I also think our own Clara Darling makes a particularly adorable Una . . . But if I have to pick an actual actress, this girl seems about right to me. For Lionheart, I found this young actor named Ali Zafar.   He's got a young, boyish face like Lionheart is supposed to have, but compelling eyes. I think he works rather well! But who would you pick? That's what I want to know! "I heard you were going to have audio books for 'Heartless' and etc. Who would read them?" -- Anonymous Mystery Reader Actually, we're still in the process of finding an audio book company, so I don't know yet! But I'll keep all of you posted on that. Hopefully we'll have word soon! 

Read-along: Chapter 5

Don't forget, if you answer at least one question on the text a day for the whole week, you'll have your name entered in a drawing at the end of the week. Want to win an autographed copy of Veiled Rose, Moonblood, or Starflower?

And please tell your friends that Heartless is still available for free e-book download through the end of the month. Now is the time to start reading the Tales of Goldstone Wood!

Back to Heartless . . .


CHAPTER FIVE

Fencing: For those of you who don't know, this scene of Felix going to practice fencing is directly responsible for me meeting my husband! After writing the first draft of this scene, I decided I should probably try to take fencing class myself in order  to write it with a little more conviction and knowledge.

And guess who happened to be studying fencing at the club where I signed up? You can read the whole story here if you like. J

Swashbuckling romance aside, Felix's scene in the soldiers' yard is one of my favorites. It's fun to get Felix's perspective on Aethelbald, and the scene itself is full of funny moments and action. I like seeing Aethelbald in the teacher role. He's a good influence on pestly Felix, I think.

Una's tapestry: Poor Una really seems to hate her tapestry, doesn't she? Personally I enjoy embroidery and quilting, though I probably have better needles and thread, so I shouldn't judge.

Una's tapestry gives us our first glimpse of yet another famous figure in the world: The Bane of Corrilond. The red dragon is scene raining fire down upon the heads of little stitched soldiers--little bean-men, as Una thinks of them, since they look like beans stacked on top of each other with twig arms and legs. It's a dramatic story, but a comic rendition, and Una is obviously less than impressed by the whole business.

But all of this is foreshadowing for a character we will meet in just another few chapters . . . and a character who will be important in books to come!

Supposedly the scene of the Bane of Corrilond is taken from an epic poem. Can you guess who wrote that poem? (Is he possibly even now sleeping at the foot of Una's bed under the covers?)

Monster's bath: In the context of what we learned in the previous chapter--that Monster is not only a talking cat, but Sir Eanrin, a servant of Prince Aethelbald--the idea of Una scruffing him and dragging him away for a bath just tickles me! Poor ginger cat.

Felix and Aethelbald talk: When Aethelbald and Felix take a break, we get a little more information about Aethelbald and his followers via their subsequent conversation. We learn, for instance, that the knights who came with Aethelbald are not originally from Farthestshore, but from many varied countries.

We also hear our first rumor of King Vahe of the Veiled People . . .

Arpiar: In this conversation, we also learn a little more about Arpiar, which was mentioned by Torkom in Chapter 1. We learn that it is the land of the goblins, and the Oeric originated there. But, according to Prince Aethelbald, Oeric is not a goblin.

An important arrival: And right at the end of this chapter, we glimpse the second of Una's princely suitors. Gervais, Crown Prince of Beauclair, rides up with his entourage, ready to pay his respects. Will he win Una's vulnerable young heart? Before quiet Prince Aethelbald even has a chance?

We'll have to watch that drama unfold tomorrow . . . 

My personal favorite lines:

He lunged again and struck the dummy in the shoulder. It rocked about, its blank face spinning balefully before him, and Felix suddenly wanted very badly to whack it a few times over the head. (p. 59)

Felix sneered at him. "Everyone's a critic."
"Yes," Aethelbald said, "but no one else, I gather, has bothered to voice his criticism." (p. 59)

That morning Una woke freezing. Nurse scolded her, saying it was her own fault for letting in all that unhealthy fresh air when sensible people would have left the windows shut. Monster refused to leave his next beneath the covers at the foot of the bed, obliging the maid to make the bed around him. (p. 62)

Nurse caught her and made her sit down to her tapestry stitching.
"It'll steady your nerves," Nurse said.
"I'll impale myself." Una's skill with a needle was feeble at best and worsened by her strong dislike of the pastime.
"Nonsense," Nurse replied. Against this argument there could be no rebuttal, so Una took her place (p. 62).


Questions for the text:

1. What do you think Prince Aethelbald meant when he told Felix that Oeric wasn't a goblin?

2. Could you relate to Una as her poor mind goes back over and over the embarrassing events of the night before?

3. On the whole, do you think Monster enjoys being a housecat? Why or why not?

Reader Questions

"In which book (book 7, book 8...) do we get learn the full story of Eanrin's eyes getting destroyed by...?" -- Hannah

I really shouldn't say! It might spoil the suspense of all the other books. Every time my husband reads a new manuscript of mine (he gets to read them even before the editors), he's always on edge about Eanrin's fate. I feel a little mean . . . but really, would you want me to destroy one of the most suspenseful threads in the series?

"Also loved all the lines you mentioned. Aethelbald is remarkable by being so unremarkable. Subtle reference to Isaiah 53:2:3?" -- Meredith

Yes, it was. But not in a "planned" sort of way, if that makes sense. It just worked so well with the character, and later on I realized why!

"Do you have a specific actor or anyone picked out that is your vision of Aethelbald?" -- Clara

You know, I never have an actor in mind when I write my novels. I get asked in interviews who I would cast, so after the fact I'll go searching around for someone who might work! But when I write the books themselves, the characters are just themselves in my head.

But my husband said that he pictured Clive Owen as Aethelbald when he first read Heartless. So I guess I'll make Clive Owen my pick as well!



What do you think, readers all? Who would you pick?

Book Banter!

Hey, all of you! I want to invite you to a special event coming up this Friday. I am going to be the guest author on Bethany House's Book Banter event on facebook. This means, if you have a facebook account, you can come join in on Bethany House's facebook page, and we'll have a chat! You can post questions, make comments, or just simply enjoy the fun things going on that day.

Here is the link. It will taking place between 11:00 and 1:00 CST, so hopefully that will be a good time for you!

You'll be eligible to win free copies of Starflower simply by participating with comments and questions. Winners will be announced here on my blog a day or so after the event.

Hope to see you there!

Read-along: Chapter 4

Welcome back to the Heartless read-along! If you are just joining us, be sure to go back and answer at least one question from the last several chapters. If you do that, you'll be entered in a name-drawing at the end of the week and could possibly win one of my three other novels, Veiled Rose, Moonblood, and Starflower! You don't want to miss out.

Things are just really getting interesting for my poor little heroine . . .  let's get back into the story!

CHAPTER FOUR

Practical Nurse: Once more, Una and Nurse butt heads. This time, I have to say, I'm more on Una's side, however. I wouldn't want to agree to marry someone I had only met earlier that very day! But Nurse, ever the voice of practicality, thinks that princesses should marry princes and can't understand what more Una wants. But Una gets even more angry with Nurse's prodding and ends up more frustrated than she might have been had she processed her thoughts and feelings on her own.

The wood thrush: In this first scene of chapter 4, we get our second reference to the wood thrush. It must have overheard Una's declarations that she would never marry Prince Aethelbald. And when she goes back inside, it sings sadly to the moon . . .

Una's canopy: In a complicated fairy tale story with its own world, history, and traditions, one of the more difficult tricks is figuring out how to slip information about the world in without sounding heavy-handed.

Lumé and Hymlumé are important features of the series. While they don't have a big role in Heartless, I knew I needed to introduce them in this first book so that they would be established for all the stories to come. Una's canopy, embroidered for her by her mother, served as a fun way to introduce the Lord Sun and the Lady Moon, singers of Melody and Harmony. This way, we also learn for the first time about the Sphere Songs.

Obviously, Parumvir is steeped in mythology and traditions, though Una doesn't believe in them anymore.

It would be fun to see the image on Una's canopy . . . Any of you talented fan artists out there want to tackle it? J

Monster: Una and Monster's little battle over the pillow makes me smile! Can you tell I have cats? I've had this pillow-battle myself . . .and it is impossible to convince them to do anything they don't want to do!

The dream: Now we meet the Dragon and his dark sister for the first time! They both wear human-like shapes, but they are monsters even so. Una sees them in the realm of dreams, before the Lady's throne. And they play dice for Una's life, a game which the Dragon wins. Then he takes flight . . . And we must expect that he is now on the hunt for Una, the Beloved of his enemy!

Una's burning hands: Following the dream, Una sees the burn on her fingers once more. It is searing and painful! Yet more evidence to us of the dangerous reality that is the Dragon . . . but Una still doesn't believe.

A secret revealed! Monster can talk! We knew already that he couldn't be an ordinary cat, coming out of Goldstone Wood as he did. But  now we know that he can talk, and he is very sentient! Aethelbald calls him Sir Eanrin . . . and so we first meet the most famous immortal bard in all history (not to mention the fan-favorite character of the series).

More than that, we also learn that Monster is a servant of Prince Aethelbald sent to guard Una. Aethelbald is very aware of the Dragon and his search for the little princess. But he is also aware that Una is going to have to experience some awful pain and danger before all can be made right.

My Personal Favorite Lines:

"It's romantic."
"It's ridiculous."
"Look who's talking." (p. 50)

Suddenly [the cat's] head popped up and he started grooming his paws. The movement annoyed her. She shoved him off the bed, counted to ten, and felt him hop back up again. He returned to the pillow, plopped down, and flicked his tail over her nose. She pinched the end of it. He tucked it around his body, and that battle ended for the night. (p. 52)

The air shivered with vapors. She saw them moving in the moonlight, and even the moonlight boiled. (p. 52)

Questions for the text:

1. What did you think when you learned the Monster was Prince Aethelbald's servant? Did it take you by surprise when the blind cat started talking?

2.  What did you think of the scene between the Dragon and the Lady? Do you think they work together or against each other? Why or why not?

3. What were your favorite lines?

Reader Questions:

"Where did the idea for the dragon and his sister first originate? So excited to hear your thoughts on "the game" in chapter 4! Really chilling." -- Meredith

The Dragon and his sister first originated when I was seventeen and encountered Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" for the first time. It's an epic poem about a cursed mariner, and there is one amazing sequence where the mariner encounters a ghastly apparition:

Are those her ribs through which the sun
Did peer, as through a grate?
And is that Woman all her crew?
Is that a Death? and are there two?
Is Death that Woman’s mate?

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Nightmare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man’s blood with cold.

The naked hulk alongside came,
And the twain were casting dice;
`The game is done! I’ve won! I’ve won!’
Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

I was so thrilled when reading that sequence--and the whole of the poem, actually--that I began at once incorporating Life-in-Death into the mythology of the world I was then creating . . . the world that went on to become Goldstone Wood.

Read-along: Chapter 3

Welcome to chapter three of our chapter-by-chapter read-along of Heartless, the first in the Tales of Goldstone Wood. If you haven't read this book yet, it is available for FREE e-book download until the end of the month, so get it while you can!

If you would like to have your name entered in a name-drawing for the end of the week giveaway, leave an answer to at least one of the questions for each day of the week.

And remember, if you have any questions yourself, feel free to ask, and I'll try to answer them over the next few days!

CHAPTER THREE

Abundiantus V: Once more, we see Abundiantus V mentioned . . . that's at least the second or third time within these first three chapters! Abundiantus doesn't feature in this novel (he was alive a good five hundred years ago), but, based off of all these references, you can bet he's an important character in the series. Be watching for Abundiantuses in later books!

The King's Hall: I was also tickled to notice the description of King Fidel's hall, which was built "in the old style with enormous doors opening to the east and the west." This is another important detail . . . not in this book, but in later books! There was a reason the old halls were built this way. You will see the first of them come Dragonwitch.

Felix's clothes: I was cracking up as a read the description of Felix's princely garments, that big collar sticking out behind his head. I've always envisioned it looking a bit Elizabethan, I suppose. Not something Felix would enjoy at all! But it's only fair since Una's stuck in her monstrosity of a dress . . . 

Una's mother: We learn in this chapter that Una's mother, the queen, is dead. She's been dead for many years, in fact. But she remains an important influence in Una's life via the opal ring she gave her . . . the "gift of the heart." I can't help but wonder how different Una's story might have been if she'd had a mother through all of this to offer her council and perspective.

Una's hands: In this chapter, for the first time, we see Aethelbald inquire after Una's burnt hands . . .  but she's forgotten already that she burned them! This ongoing little mystery of the burns on Una's hands was a thread I wove into the story in a later draft, and it created some fun and interesting moments between her and Aethelbald. And still more fun foreshadowing of the Dragon!

The proposal: Iubdan's beard! How embarrassing.

This scene with Aethelbald's startling proposal used to be the ending of chapter one . . . and it was at least as embarrassing for poor Una there as it is here! But Aethelbald certainly doesn't beat around the bush now, does he? A bit unexpected from such a quiet, self-possessed sort of man as he.

This was quite a short chapter. But I bet we can still get some fun discussion going!

My Personal Favorite Lines:

Of all the remarkable sights she had seen that day, Prince Aethelbald had surpassed them all simply by virtue of being so remarkably unremarkable. The notion of that soft-spoken gentleman casting spells on anybody was a stretch even Una's limber imagination could not make. (p. 43)

Was Nurse right and he'd already fallen in love with her? Despite the feathers? (p. 45)

Aethelbald smiled again, and Una wished she could take both the plumes from her hair, flap them hard, and fly away. (p. 46)

Questions on the text:

1. (This one is for my girl readers.) How would you react to such a proposal? Would you be horrified? Amused? How do you think you would react to Prince Aethelbald upon first meeting him?

2. Can you find how many times King Abundiantus V (or his father, Abundiantus IV) is mentioned in Heartless? Can you remember another reference to him from Moonblood? See if you can find that reference!

3. Any ideas what kind of food might have been served at a banquet like this? I read the chapter hoping for culinary details, but the me-of-several-years-ago left them out! So what do you think they should have eaten? Feel free to share links to pictures!

4. What were some of your favorite lines?

Reader Questions

"How do you pronounce Aethelbald's name? I could never exactly figure that out :D"  -- Jenna C.

I think it's SUPPOSED to be pronounced Aay-thelbald, like "Day." I've always pronounced with a hard "A" more like "Apple." (Thus the apple jokes.) But I'm actually probably wrong! LOL.

"One thing I'm curious about, but I'm thinking we might not get the answer to yet...but how did Monster get his eyes scratched out?" -- Jennette

Can't tell you! You'll get a HINT about that in Moonblood, but the actual story won't be told for a little while yet. Hopefully I'll be able to share it with you soon, though!

Why did you write Heartless? -- AC

That's a very . . . BIG question. It started out as a short story that I put upon the blog I was keeping at the time. I wrote the short story in order to process some things I had been considering at the time: For instance, the fact that gentlemen these days aren't as bold when it comes to being the hero and fighting evil and valuing the ladies in their lives, particularly in the context of romantic relationships. And then I started thinking that perhaps that's because we girls aren't the "ladies" we should be. Perhaps we are expecting men to fight the dragons, but then we become the dragons ourselves.

All of this, coupled with some recent disappointment in my personal life, when a guy didn't follow through on his promises and half-promises--leaving me a bit bitter--led to me writing the short story version of Heartless, which can be read here.

And I am VERY thankful for those disappointing circumstances now. If I hadn't experienced them, I wouldn't have written Heartless!

Reader Sharing

I asked in the comments of the Chapter One read-along if anyone had ideas for a song the sea unicorns might sing. And Clara took that question and, inspired, created a beautiful piece of music! I know you would all love to hear it, so I'm posting a link to it HERE .