Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 28

Travel Journal: Washington to Oregon (Grand Canyon Trip)

Could our road trip be jinxed? After I became separated from my family’s small convoy and my cell phone failed to dial I had to wonder. I finally discovered that, although it hadn’t warned me, my cell phone battery was low. When I stopped worrying about my missing family members, my paradigm shifted. Now, they weren’t lost. I was.

Perhaps “jinxed” was too strong a word, at least I thought so until I plugged a phone charger into the cigarette lighter receptacle and my phone refused to charge. Jiggling the charger in the receptacle eventually produced results, and I reconnected with my family. I was assigned the task of locating a place to pull off for lunch. This proved fortunate, because within three exits a name I recognized flashed by on a sign. I pulled off and followed the winding road to AnKeny National Wildlife Refuge.  I’d looked up this site out of curiosity once but hadn’t yet visited.

What a glorious discovery lay before us in the golden sunshine. Grasses waved beneath twisting branches of ancient tree and breezes tossed silvered leaves against a blue sky. We spread a blanket and assembled chicken caesar salad wraps as a hawk wheeled above. It was great to stretch my legs and take a few photos to share with you.

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge  © Janalyn Voigt

 

 

 

 

Trees at Ankey Hill  ©Janalyn Voigt

Silvered Leaves at Ankeny Hill © Janalyn Voigt

 

 

 

DawnSinger, available at Amazon in kindle and paperback and also at Barnes and Noble in book and ebook.

 

 

 

 

 

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

DawnSinger Giveaways and the Grand Canyon Road Trip Begins

[image error] Just knowing that the Grand Canyon exists enriches life, but actually visiting it gives an experience of wonder. Then when the storms of life threaten, you can shelter in the knowledge that your problems are not so large when contrasted with God’s Creation. You may not be able to see the Grand Canyon in person (although I hope someday you can), but I’ll take you there, with stops four National Parks and in the cowboy capital of the world, ghost towns and several Oregon Trail sites. Look for upcoming travel diary posts.

In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

After the mad rush to launch DawnSinger, I started edits (improvements requested by my publisher) for WayFarer, Tales of Faeraven, book two. That was a crazy-busy time, so I’m looking forward with relief to the start of my Grand Canyon road trip, which begins tomorrow.

[image error]I didn’t want to leave without letting you know of three opportunities to win a free copy of DawnSinger.

Goodreads Giveaway of an autographed copy of DawnSinger (ends August 17th): If you don’t know about Goodreads, you should. It’s a great way to discover books and the readers who love them.

Inkslinger Giveaway of a PDF or Mobi copy of DawnSinger (ends July 28th): In this guest post for author Shannon Taylor Vannatter, I describe one of the castles I used as inspiration while writing DawnSinger.

A Family Friendly Blog (ends July 30th): Author Linda Weaver Clarke asked some unusual questions when she interviewed me. Click over and find out what music’s got to do with it.

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Major Blog Tour Opportunity

Here’s an opportunity for bloggers to participate in a major blog tour and request a free copy of DawnSinger, book one of my epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. There’s a $25 Starbucks gift card and an autographed copy of DawnSinger up for grabs by readers. Contact Kathy Carlton Willis at the provided address, and please share via the buttons at the top of the form. Thanks!

Share This:       































click photo for video




ISBN:
978-1-61116-199-1
978-1-61116-200-4
Pages: 342 pgs
Publisher:
Harbourlight Books
(Pelican Book Group)
Paperback: $16.99
Kindle: $4.99








Dear Blogger,
We are excited to bring another blog tour for your consideration – this one features a speculative fiction book by Janalyn Voigt. We’ve included some interesting tour components for you to include in your spotlight, and as always you are welcome to write a personal review of the book. Let us know if there’s anything we can do to assist you.

Shine On!
Kathy







“Janalyn Voigt is a fresh voice in the realm of fantasy. Her writing is crisp, her verbs muscular, and it’s all wrapped up in a lyrical style. Blending action and romance, DawnSinger is a journey through fear, failure, and faith, and I look forward to its sequel.” 
 – Eric Wilson, NY Times bestselling author
     of Valley of Bones and One Step Away



Paradoxical Truths Revealed






 A new speculative fiction story releases this summer that captures several paradoxical truths, including: freedom comes through sacrifice – AND – victory comes through surrender. allegorical fantasy readers will be spellbound by the incredible imagery and symbolism throughout DawnSinger, authored by Janalyn Voigt. Some of the key points in the book include:

Freedom through sacrifice. When the willful but reverent main character, Shae, learns her secret identity, she has to decide whether to accept her true calling. Although it may cost her everything, the salvation of a nation hangs in the balance. Shae represents the church. We each must lay down our will and our lives to bring freedom to others.

Overcoming prejudice with unity. In DawnSinger, the clash is not over color of skin but between classes of being. Elderland was already inhabited by the Elder nation when the Kindren entered it from another world through a gate that closed behind them. The Elder accepted the Kindren’s occupation of Elderland because they didn’t want to live in the areas where they settled—areas within reach of garns (goblenesque creatures) and welkes (giant birds of prey). DawnSinger opens as an unknown enemy stirs strife between Kindren and Elder in an attempt to divide and conquer Elderland. As a result, the alliance of Faeraven, a group of Kindren kingdoms ruled by a widowed High Queen, begins to fall apart. This story arc, which spans three novels, is based in large part on Voigt’s father’s experiences of prejudice as a half-breed Native American.

Serving rather than ruling. As the High Queen’s health fails, Kai, the hero of DawnSinger, must choose whether to reign and rule in his homeland or to continue in service to the new High King at her death. Kai’s decision inspires Shae to make her own.

Conquering fear by not letting it consume you. In Pilaer Hold, an ancient place of defeat for the Kindren, wraiths rush toward Kai and Shae’s other protectors. They draw their swords, but the more wraiths they dispatch, the more arise. They learn that to defeat fear, something else is needed.


From the Back Cover:
The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender.











Janalyn Voigt, Author











About the Author:




Janalyn Voigt’s epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven, starting withDawnSinger, is published by Harbourlight Books. Janalyn also writes in the western romance genre. She is represented by Barbara Scott of Wordserve Literary. Her nonfiction publication credits include Focus on the Family, Scripture Press (now David C. Cook) and Pentecostal Evangel. She serves as a literary judge for several national contests and is an active book reviewer. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. Janalyn lives in a quiet corner of the Pacific Northwest, where she discovers worlds of adventure in the great outdoors. 

CREATING WORLDS OF BEAUTY AND DANGER
Website: http://janalynvoigt.com
Blog: http://janalynvoigt.com/blog


















To benefit the readers of this blog, Shae of Whellein, the main character fromDawnSinger, first of the epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven, granted a rare interview to Janalyn Voigt, her author.




Janalyn: Tell me Shae, why you always seem to be at the center of trouble.
Shae: I often wonder that too. Problems just seem to follow me around. Maybe I’m too much like my brother, Daeven. He didn’t want to settle down to the responsibilities of a first-born son, so he ran away to sail the seas. They say wreckers lured his ship to its doom on the Coast of Bones. I don’t want to end up like Daeven. If only I could be more like my twin sister, Katera. She seems made for a simple life. It doesn’t help that sometimes visions warn me of lurking evil, or that souls touch mine in the night.

Janalyn: Visions of evil? Souls touching in the night? That sounds serious.
Shae: Things have gotten intense ever since Kai rode into the garden at Whellein Hold on the back of a wingabeast, a kind of winged horse ridden only by Guardians of Rivenn. Kai brought a summons that changed my life forever. But he was followed.

Janalyn: Followed? Why?
Shae: Ask Kai. He won’t tell me his secrets, no matter how irritated I become.

Janalyn: For those who haven’t met him, who is Kai?
Shae: I’m not certain I really know. He’s always been there, in the background of my life. But things have changed, and I’m not sure where I fit in his life any more.

Janalyn: Won’t he tell you that either?
Shae: He says he loves me, despite everything. I’m grateful for that anyway, especially after what happened that night with Freaer.

Janalyn: Care to elaborate? Let’s start with introducing Freaer.
Shae: Beyond the fact that he’s a musician, I don’t exactly know who Freaer is either. He fascinates me, and whenever he’s near I don’t feel quite – safe.

Janalyn: But something happened with this Freaer you don’t know?
Shae: Don’t look so smug when you say that! I’d answer your question but Kai told me not to tell.

Janalyn: *Sigh.* I begin to understand why trouble follows you around. So, is there anyone else we should know about?
Shae: Well, there’s also Elcon, heir to the throne of Faeraven. I’m drawn to him, and he seems kind. He’s sad right now because his mother is dying, and I think he’s a little scared. He’s young to become a High King, especially with trouble brewing in Elderland.

Janalyn: Do you think the evil you mentioned earlier lies behind the trouble in Elderland?
Shae: I don’t doubt it. There’s an answer somewhere in all the riddles that surround me. I know it. I only hope I can find it in time, and that I’ll have the courage to face the trials that come, no matter what they cost me. Maybe then I can redeem myself a little.

Janalyn: Thanks for being so candid, Shae. I appreciate this chance to get to know you better.
Shae: Thanks for thinking of me. I guess we’ll both find out what happens as you continue writing. What are the names of your novels again?

Janalyn: I’m glad you asked. The three books in the Tales of Faeraven trilogy are DawnSinger,Wayfarer and DawnKing.





















GRANDPRIZE DRAWING


$25 Starbucks Gift Card
Autographed Copy of DawnSinger

Tour Instructions:

Choose a date between August 13-17 to post the blog tour information on your site.
Email Kathy with your name, blog address and tour date. Your book will be sent by media mail upon receiving your request.
On the designated day, pick and choose the material you want to use:

* Book Information and photo

* Author photo and biography

* Bonus material: Interview with Shae, Book Video Teaser

* Giveaway details
By August 24, 2012 send  the name you’ve chosen from those who commented on the blog tour. We’ll enter all the names submittted into the grand prize giveaway.
On August 27, 2012 KCWC will draw and announce a winner of the grand prize.
 Extra promo you may want to try to increase your traffic:

* post a review of the book (on your blog, on various online bookstores)

* post links to your blog tour on facebook, twitter, linked-in, etc.

* split up the content if you need shorter posts (Example: do the article and bio one day; the review and book summary one day)







































Kathy Carlton Willis Communications

P.O. Box 677 | Brenham, TX 77834

WillisWay@aol.com | kathy@kathycarltonwillis.com | 956-642-6319 | www.kathycarltonwillis.com



























©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Today Only! DawnSinger Launch Celebration Drawings & Giveaways!

Special Limited-time offer!

Buy DawnSinger Tuesday, July 3rd, to receive a gift from the author and other free e-gifts. As a thank-you for your interest, you’re invited to enter to win some fantastic prizes. (No purchase necessary to take part in the drawing.)

With freedom as its central theme, DawnSinger is the perfect companion for the 4th of July holiday. Why not treat yourself or someone you love to a reading adventure?

About DawnSinger

Sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Praise for DawnSinger

“Janalyn Voigt is a fresh voice in the realm of fantasy. Her writing is crisp, her verbs muscular, and it’s all wrapped up in a lyrical style. Blending action and romance, DawnSinger is a journey through fear, failure, and faith, and I look forward to its sequel.” Eric Wilson, NY Times bestselling author of Valley of Bones andOne Step Away

“In DawnSinger, Janalyn Voigt has penned a novel full of surprises. With adventure, mystery, and an unlikely romance, this beautiful, epic fantasy debut will leave you scrambling for the next book in the trilogy.” Jill Williamson, Christy Award-winning author of By Darkness Hid

“DawnSinger is a delightful fantasy spun with bardic prose and threaded with danger and intrigue.” Linda Windsor, author of Healer, Thief and Rebel, Brides of Alba Historical Trilogy

“Janalyn Voigt builds an exciting world, tranquil on the surface but filled with danger, ancient enemies, and a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. DawnSinger leads you into a land only imagined in dreams. I can’t wait to read the second book in the Tales of Faeraven trilogy.” Lisa Grace, best-selling author of the Angel in the Shadows series.

Special Gift From the Author

Janalyn Voigt

 ~ A signed, personalized book plate (sticker to place inside the book)–one for each book you purchase!

Janalyn explains how she discovered books.

It happened over time. My father instilled a love of literature in me at an early age when he read chapters from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Robinson Crusoe” and other classics as bedtime stories. When I grew older, and he stopped reading bedtime stories, I put myself to sleep with tales I “wrote” in my head.

As a precocious reader, I soon graduated to the novels in my parent’s bookcase. I’m sure those books contributed to my growth as a writer. Eventually, I scribbled my own stories on paper. A teacher noticed my ability to tell a story when I was twelve. As a result of his encouragement, I identified my desire to write novels.

DawnSinger is my debut novel and the first offering in Tales of Faeraven. I’ve already begun work on WayFarer, the next book in my epic fantasy series.

I live in a beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, gardening, and finding adventures in the great outdoors. I dream of owning a horse, exploring all the national parks, and visiting European castles. 

 Steps to Receive Your Thank-You Gifts

Step 1: Buy  DawnSinger  on July 3rd on Amazon; then proceed to Step 2 below with your Order # to claim your FREE GIFTS. 

 PURCHASE DAWNSINGER!

Note: If Amazon indicates a low supply or “out of stock” status, ORDER TUESDAY ANYWAY so that you can receive the bonus gifts. Their supply will restock immediately and you should not have a long wait for your book(s).

Step 2: Entering your information in the form below will take you to a page where you can request your author gift and that will redirect you to your other e-gifts. (Preview additional e-gifts below my launch celebration drawings.)

ENTER THE DAWNSINGER LAUNCH CELEBRATION DRAWINGS!


(No purchase necessary)

Giveaways include a $20 Starbucks Card & Free Copies of Tales of Faeraven, book two

DRAWING 1: ONE winner will receive a $20 STARBUCKS CARD and a signed print copy of WayFarer, BOOK TWO of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.


DRAWING 2: TWO winners will receive a signed print copy of WayFarer, book two of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.


DRAWING 3: THREE winners will receive a free kindle copy of WayFarer, book two of Tales of Faeraven, available upon its release.

Giveaway and Contest Rules

Post to Facebook about these great drawings!


Copy and Paste:


Today only, author Janalyn Voigt, is launching her debut novel, DawnSinger, book one in the epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. She’s giving away gifts and offering some amazing prizes, including a $20 Starbucks card, in three different drawings!!


http://tinyurl.com/2u8bbj2

 
Tweet about this amazing offer!


Copy and Paste:


Buy the epic fantasy novel, DawnSinger, today and enter three amazing drawings! #fantasy #fiction #drawings http://tinyurl.com/2u8bbj2

 

 
Join the Party!




Besides the author’s gift of a free signed book plate, when you purchase DawnSinger at Amazon.com on July 3rd, you will also receive free bonus gifts from Janalyn’s generous supporters. Learn more at  http://janalynvoigt.com

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Writing Retreat On a Secluded Island

This week I’m on retreat with five other writers on an island in the San Juan archipalago, tucked away from many of the cares of life. Such chances to breathe are important to people who constantly create for others. I’ll get back to my writing, but first I wanted to share with you some of the natural beauty captured with my camera. [image error]

Can’t you just hear the lapping of water against the shore?

[image error]

I took this picture of a boat  one afternoon from our deck.

[image error]

 This rock at the edge of the water looks basaltic to me.

[image error]

Water’s edge seems to beckon, but there’s a drop-off here.

[image error]

I liked the contrast of the silky water through the rough tree leaves.

One thing we’ve noticed is that the ocean air seems to make us sleepy. Or maybe we just needed a chance to rest. Despite that, and although we’re surrounded by incredible natural beauty, this has so far been a productive time. I’ve been working on the launch of my debut novel, DawnSinger. Visit the home page of my Janalyn Voigt website to find out about special giveaways and offers for my soon-coming launch.

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

DawnSinger Teaser Video

With DawnSinger soon to release, I’ve put together a book teaser video. Enjoy!

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Living, Writing, Breathing…and Waiting

Northwoods Sunset © 2011 Janalyn Voigt

Upcoming Journeys

I and a group of writing friends will soon invade one of the San Juan Islands for a week of writing, researching, catching up on one another’s lives, and talking shop. Our yearly Live Write Breathe retreat is something none of us would willingly miss. I’ll also venture out on side trips, camera in hand, ready to capture the wild beauty and mystery of my surroundings. But we’ll only need to look out the window of our rental home to drink in the changing beauty of Puget Sound. I’ll report on this retreat and post pictures upon my return.

This year will include two adventures farther afield, one for pleasure and the other for business. I’ll explore the Grand Canyon and its environs with my family, and then drive with a friend to Texas for a writing conference. I’ll post my observations and, of course, some of the images from these trips in the coming months.

Book News

DawnSinger is about to release. I’ll celebrate my debut novel’s launch on July 3rd. That should be happy news, and it is. And yet…launching a book is an emotional ride for its author. One day I’m thrilled, and the next wondering if people will like my novel. These days discoverability is the issue. Can I gain enough attention for my book so that its readers will find it? Time will supply the answer. Meanwhile, I wait.

Watch for announcements of promotional giveaway drawings for free copies of DawnSinger and special discounts offered only to members of my email lists.

About DawnSinger, Tales of Faeraven, book one:

The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Winner of The Free Scrapbooking Software Giveaway

Thanks for entering my giveaway and participating in the John 3:16 blog hop. We’re talking about doing it again at some point, so be sure to sign up for Worlds of Beauty and Danger in the sidebar at http://janalynvoigt.com for notification of the next hop, my author updates, and notes of interest from my travels and research.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: The winner of a free copy of My Memories Suite scrapbooking software is:

Gigi Murfitt. Congratulations, Gigi!

My Surprise:

Even if you didn’t win my giveaway, you can still take advantage of this sharing code: STMMMS54994 for a $10 discount on the purchase of the MyMemories Suite V3 scrapbook software from the website (to visit My Memories online, click the image, below). When you purchase you win two ways, because the software also comes with a $10 coupon for downloads-a total value of $20!

You are welcome to share this code with your family, friends, associates, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and anyone else you can think of.

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Ready to Hop? Over 50 Authors Want to Give You Free Stuff

Welcome to the John 3:16 Blog Hop.

I can’t wait to give away a free copy of the My Memories Scrapbooking Software Suite. I’ve created lots of fun things with my review copy, including the letterhead banner below, which I’m giving away free today in celebration of the blog hop. Just right click on the image to save it to your computer. In MS Word, from the Insert tab, select header, blank, picture (in the menu bar), navigate to the saved letterhead banner jpeg and double click.  

I found this software user-friendly and intuitive. It comes with lots of free decorations like the ship and sun and waves in my banner.  It’s possible to make gradient backgrounds (as I did when designing this website’s banner with this software) and even to embed videos in your pages. Another great feature of this software is that you can have multiple pages open at once. 

To enter the drawing for a free copy of My Memories Suite, leave a comment to this post. I’ll post the winner when the blog hop is over next week and include a special surprise. Please also consider signing up for Worlds of Beauty and Danger in the right sidebar for updates on my travels and stories from my author journey. You’ll also receive notification of giveaways and contests, not to mention exclusive discounts on my novels. But that’s not all. I’ll also highlight fascinating facts from my historical research, bringing forgotten details from past worlds to light in posts like Greek Fire: Lost in the Mists of Time and Forgotten in Time: Titanic of the Mississippi, America’s Greatest Maritime Disaster.  Why not sign up now? I’ll wait.

Now that you’ve returned, don’t forget to leave a comment to enter yourself in my drawing for the My Memories Scrapbooking Software Suite. Once you’ve done that, learn how you can win one of two kindles and visit over 50 other authors giving away not-to-be-missed prizes by visiting my John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop Page.

©2012 Janalyn Voigt

Giveaway Blog Hop

Only one month to go until the John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop –

May 7th – 14th!

Join over fifty authors and bloggers who will be offering great books and other prizes on their blogs during that week. As a reader, you just "hop" from blog to blog and sign up to win some great prizes at each blog.

But wait…you also have a chance of winning one of two Kindles!

How's that for fun?

Tell all your friends and join us May 7th – 14th for the

John 3:16 Marketing Network Giveaway Blog Hop!

© 2010 Janalyn Voigt

Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email




|