Annie Douglass Lima's Blog, page 76
March 23, 2014
Aleris: Interview with the Malornian Queen
With my third novel, Prince of Malorn, hopefully ready to publish by the beginning of May, I'm conducting a series of "interviews" with my characters. This one is the fifth. Enjoy!
http://willow-wood.tumblr.com/
I meet with Queen Aleris in one of the richly furnished parlors on the second floor of the Malornian royal palace. Servants have brought in wine and a tray of tiny, delicately frosted cakes, and we recline on velvet-cushioned sofas as we talk. The queen, resplendent in a scarlet gown, gestures for me to ask the first question.
What object would you save if your home was on fire?“Korram’s crown – that is, the crown that will be his in a few months. It belonged to my late husband, King Kerman, and to Malornian kings before that for generations beyond count. Regent Rampus is determined to get his hands on it, but I’m just as determined that he will not steal what rightfully belongs to my son.” She smiles. “Ironically, Korram hates gold and jewels. He will be one of those kings who wears the crown only on formal occasions, and even then, perhaps only when I remind him. Still, it will be enough to know that it’s his.”
Have you ever been in love? How did that work out? She smiles again, sadly this time. “Kerman was the first and only person I ever gave my heart to, though it happened gradually. Ours was partly an arranged marriage; we knew each other, but we weren’t close. My parents were courtiers, and so I was no stranger to the inside of the palace. Prince Kerman and I had danced together at balls a few times, and I saw him regularly at royal functions. Once he had even asked me to go out riding with him, and we both enjoyed that. But I must admit I was quite surprised and flattered when my parents took me aside one day and told me that his royal highness had spoken to them requesting my hand in marriage. Our first few years together were challenging; he was always busy, and there’s more to building a solid marriage than saying “I do” to a handsome prince. Things only grew more difficult after his father died and he was crowned king. But as the years went by we grew to love each other more and more. Kerman’s death was just over four years ago now, and I still miss him.”
Describe the view from your bedroom window.“From out on my balcony, I can see nearly the whole back lawn and garden. It’s a lovely view, especially in spring when the grass is bright green and all the flowers are blooming. There are dozens of varieties, and I enjoy them all, but my favorites are the purple irises by the pond. We have a large, winding pond full of brightly colored fish and water lilies, with willows bending over it from the bank and a little arched bridge over the narrowest part. There are fruit trees and winding paths all through the garden, with marble sculptures and carved stone benches scattered here and there. Arden likes to sit out under the apricot tree and practice new songs on his malute. When the breeze is right, I can hear it from my balcony, and sometimes I sit out there in the evenings to listen. Beyond the garden, the stone wall is covered with climbing morning glories in six different colors; those are Kalendria’s favorites. And beyond that, the city of Sazellia stretches for as far as I can see from the third floor.”
What makes you happy now?“My children,” the queen replies simply. “Korram and Kalendria are my greatest joys in life. I only wish Kerman could have been here to watch them grow up; he would have been so proud. To be honest, though, he had little enough time for them when he was alive. Ruling a kingdom well takes more time and energy than any one person can really give as it is, and the job doesn’t leave much time for family. That’s the way it was with his father as well. I know Kerman meant to spend more time with Korram when our son grew older, to start preparing him for the responsibilities of leadership, but that time never came.” She sighs. “One never knows how much time one has left until it’s gone. But Arden has been a mentor and role model to my son in recent years, and I’m thankful for that.”
What is your greatest fear?She turns to gaze out the window in silence for a moment. “That Korram will not live long enough to rule Malorn,” she replies finally, her voice low. “His eighteenth birthday, the day of his coronation, is just a few months away. If the regent means to try anything – and we are certain he does – it will doubtless be before then. That’s why Korram has taken on this mission in the Impassables. We feel it’s his only hope of survival against Rampus’s schemes. Of course, Rampus hopes he will never return, and I fear that as well. The mountains are a dangerous place. But at the moment I believe the capital would be more dangerous for Korram.”
How did you feel when Korram left for the Impassable Mountains?She laughs. “Terrified, of course. And proud – so proud. My only son, still a boy, voluntarily stepping out into danger and the unknown to attempt a difficult mission for the good of the kingdom. And to ensure his own survival, of course. Kalendria and I were afraid we would never see him again.” The laughter goes out of her eyes. “We still are, to be honest. But we heard from him last month. A messenger arrived from a small town in the foothills and said Korram had been seen there recently. Apparently he said to tell Kalendria and me that he’s all right and will see us soon. When ‘soon’ is, though, who knows? And there was no word as to how his mission was progressing. I suspect he was being purposefully vague, knowing that Rampus was likely to hear of anything he said.”
What would you say Korram’s best and worst traits are?“My son is stubborn. That can be good and bad, but it has led to perseverance and great determination. He never gives up when there’s something he really wants, and that helps me believe he will succeed in this mission. No matter the obstacles, he always seems to find a way. And he’s headstrong, which goes with the stubbornness. He doesn’t always heed advice or the wisdom of others when he’s set his mind to something. He’s bold – that can be a fault as well; I’ve had to caution him to be careful in what he says to Rampus. It doesn’t do to let one’s enemy know you suspect him before you are in a position to do anything about it, after all. But that boldness is what gives Korram the courage to do things like set out into the wilderness to confidently attempt what most people would say is impossible. And Korram is open-minded, refusing to accept that things have to be the way they have always been. For example, most of our people see the Mountain Folk as danger and inconvenience; he sees them as potential. But he is impulsive and doesn’t always think before he speaks or acts. And he doesn’t like crowds or attention or etiquette or formal events – all inescapable parts of life for royalty. His patience in dealing with them is sometimes less than exemplary.”
What would you say Kalendria’s best and worst traits are?“My daughter is compassionate and understanding, quick to sympathize with others and stand up for them. She’s creative and imaginative, and she loves animals and has a way with them. She has a good eye for color and fashion, but I fear she takes it too far sometimes. Yes, a princess should be fashionable, but if Kalendria put half the focus into her studies that she does into her wardrobe and hair, she would be the best educated young lady in Sazellia. Still, she applies herself well when she chooses to, and she knows far more about the workings of the government than I did when I was eleven. And she’s determined too, persevering to reach her goals even when things are hard.”
Finish this sentence: I have never told anyone this before but….If I’m not mistaken, I see a blush rise to the queen’s cheeks. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I could fall in love with Arden if I let myself. I won’t, of course. It would never do. The widowed queen, falling for the court minstrel? Still, he has been my family’s most loyal friend, not to mention an invaluable adviser to both Kerman and Korram. And he will make some woman very happy if he can ever tear himself away from his music long enough to give his heart away.”
What’s been your favorite travel destination?“I’ve always enjoyed visiting Alasia. I fear that sounds a little disloyal, coming from a Malornian queen, but I like to see new places. Apart from the Impassable Mountains, Alasia is the one destination we really can’t get to easily from here, not to mention all the possible political problems that could arise from attempting to make more frequent visits. And so I’ve only been twice: once to attend their previous king’s funeral – that was the year after Kerman and I were married – and once for the current king and queen’s wedding. Their royal family came here for our wedding, too, and for Kerman’s funeral. If that rickety little ferry across the Grenn River were safer and more practical, perhaps we could visit each other’s kingdoms more often and conduct trade on a larger scale. As it is, I fear Alasia and Malorn are likely to remain distantly cordial neighbors for the foreseeable future.”
Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
http://willow-wood.tumblr.com/I meet with Queen Aleris in one of the richly furnished parlors on the second floor of the Malornian royal palace. Servants have brought in wine and a tray of tiny, delicately frosted cakes, and we recline on velvet-cushioned sofas as we talk. The queen, resplendent in a scarlet gown, gestures for me to ask the first question.
What object would you save if your home was on fire?“Korram’s crown – that is, the crown that will be his in a few months. It belonged to my late husband, King Kerman, and to Malornian kings before that for generations beyond count. Regent Rampus is determined to get his hands on it, but I’m just as determined that he will not steal what rightfully belongs to my son.” She smiles. “Ironically, Korram hates gold and jewels. He will be one of those kings who wears the crown only on formal occasions, and even then, perhaps only when I remind him. Still, it will be enough to know that it’s his.”
Have you ever been in love? How did that work out? She smiles again, sadly this time. “Kerman was the first and only person I ever gave my heart to, though it happened gradually. Ours was partly an arranged marriage; we knew each other, but we weren’t close. My parents were courtiers, and so I was no stranger to the inside of the palace. Prince Kerman and I had danced together at balls a few times, and I saw him regularly at royal functions. Once he had even asked me to go out riding with him, and we both enjoyed that. But I must admit I was quite surprised and flattered when my parents took me aside one day and told me that his royal highness had spoken to them requesting my hand in marriage. Our first few years together were challenging; he was always busy, and there’s more to building a solid marriage than saying “I do” to a handsome prince. Things only grew more difficult after his father died and he was crowned king. But as the years went by we grew to love each other more and more. Kerman’s death was just over four years ago now, and I still miss him.”
Describe the view from your bedroom window.“From out on my balcony, I can see nearly the whole back lawn and garden. It’s a lovely view, especially in spring when the grass is bright green and all the flowers are blooming. There are dozens of varieties, and I enjoy them all, but my favorites are the purple irises by the pond. We have a large, winding pond full of brightly colored fish and water lilies, with willows bending over it from the bank and a little arched bridge over the narrowest part. There are fruit trees and winding paths all through the garden, with marble sculptures and carved stone benches scattered here and there. Arden likes to sit out under the apricot tree and practice new songs on his malute. When the breeze is right, I can hear it from my balcony, and sometimes I sit out there in the evenings to listen. Beyond the garden, the stone wall is covered with climbing morning glories in six different colors; those are Kalendria’s favorites. And beyond that, the city of Sazellia stretches for as far as I can see from the third floor.”
What makes you happy now?“My children,” the queen replies simply. “Korram and Kalendria are my greatest joys in life. I only wish Kerman could have been here to watch them grow up; he would have been so proud. To be honest, though, he had little enough time for them when he was alive. Ruling a kingdom well takes more time and energy than any one person can really give as it is, and the job doesn’t leave much time for family. That’s the way it was with his father as well. I know Kerman meant to spend more time with Korram when our son grew older, to start preparing him for the responsibilities of leadership, but that time never came.” She sighs. “One never knows how much time one has left until it’s gone. But Arden has been a mentor and role model to my son in recent years, and I’m thankful for that.”
What is your greatest fear?She turns to gaze out the window in silence for a moment. “That Korram will not live long enough to rule Malorn,” she replies finally, her voice low. “His eighteenth birthday, the day of his coronation, is just a few months away. If the regent means to try anything – and we are certain he does – it will doubtless be before then. That’s why Korram has taken on this mission in the Impassables. We feel it’s his only hope of survival against Rampus’s schemes. Of course, Rampus hopes he will never return, and I fear that as well. The mountains are a dangerous place. But at the moment I believe the capital would be more dangerous for Korram.”
How did you feel when Korram left for the Impassable Mountains?She laughs. “Terrified, of course. And proud – so proud. My only son, still a boy, voluntarily stepping out into danger and the unknown to attempt a difficult mission for the good of the kingdom. And to ensure his own survival, of course. Kalendria and I were afraid we would never see him again.” The laughter goes out of her eyes. “We still are, to be honest. But we heard from him last month. A messenger arrived from a small town in the foothills and said Korram had been seen there recently. Apparently he said to tell Kalendria and me that he’s all right and will see us soon. When ‘soon’ is, though, who knows? And there was no word as to how his mission was progressing. I suspect he was being purposefully vague, knowing that Rampus was likely to hear of anything he said.”
What would you say Korram’s best and worst traits are?“My son is stubborn. That can be good and bad, but it has led to perseverance and great determination. He never gives up when there’s something he really wants, and that helps me believe he will succeed in this mission. No matter the obstacles, he always seems to find a way. And he’s headstrong, which goes with the stubbornness. He doesn’t always heed advice or the wisdom of others when he’s set his mind to something. He’s bold – that can be a fault as well; I’ve had to caution him to be careful in what he says to Rampus. It doesn’t do to let one’s enemy know you suspect him before you are in a position to do anything about it, after all. But that boldness is what gives Korram the courage to do things like set out into the wilderness to confidently attempt what most people would say is impossible. And Korram is open-minded, refusing to accept that things have to be the way they have always been. For example, most of our people see the Mountain Folk as danger and inconvenience; he sees them as potential. But he is impulsive and doesn’t always think before he speaks or acts. And he doesn’t like crowds or attention or etiquette or formal events – all inescapable parts of life for royalty. His patience in dealing with them is sometimes less than exemplary.”
What would you say Kalendria’s best and worst traits are?“My daughter is compassionate and understanding, quick to sympathize with others and stand up for them. She’s creative and imaginative, and she loves animals and has a way with them. She has a good eye for color and fashion, but I fear she takes it too far sometimes. Yes, a princess should be fashionable, but if Kalendria put half the focus into her studies that she does into her wardrobe and hair, she would be the best educated young lady in Sazellia. Still, she applies herself well when she chooses to, and she knows far more about the workings of the government than I did when I was eleven. And she’s determined too, persevering to reach her goals even when things are hard.”
Finish this sentence: I have never told anyone this before but….If I’m not mistaken, I see a blush rise to the queen’s cheeks. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I could fall in love with Arden if I let myself. I won’t, of course. It would never do. The widowed queen, falling for the court minstrel? Still, he has been my family’s most loyal friend, not to mention an invaluable adviser to both Kerman and Korram. And he will make some woman very happy if he can ever tear himself away from his music long enough to give his heart away.”
What’s been your favorite travel destination?“I’ve always enjoyed visiting Alasia. I fear that sounds a little disloyal, coming from a Malornian queen, but I like to see new places. Apart from the Impassable Mountains, Alasia is the one destination we really can’t get to easily from here, not to mention all the possible political problems that could arise from attempting to make more frequent visits. And so I’ve only been twice: once to attend their previous king’s funeral – that was the year after Kerman and I were married – and once for the current king and queen’s wedding. Their royal family came here for our wedding, too, and for Kerman’s funeral. If that rickety little ferry across the Grenn River were safer and more practical, perhaps we could visit each other’s kingdoms more often and conduct trade on a larger scale. As it is, I fear Alasia and Malorn are likely to remain distantly cordial neighbors for the foreseeable future.”
Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
March 22, 2014
Death by the Book Grand Finale
To post this Grand Finale and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email us at PrismBookTours(at)gmail.com with "Death by the Book GF" in the subject line.
A themed review tour by Prism Book Tours...
It's the Grand Finale for Death by the Book by Julianna Deering
Did you learn a little more about Drew Farthering and this suspenseful series? If you missed any of the posts, go back and check them out now! Then go on and enter the giveaway, if you haven't already.
Books & Chocolates - Review
There's murders, controversy and destruction going on in this mind blowing read. Derring will captivate you with each page you turn. "You also wont believe who the real killer is."
Angels With Attitude Book Reviews - Excerpt
“Not much to go on.” Drew stood and picked up the two halves of the bookend, a bust of Shakespeare only recently separated at the neck. “You did say this had been checked for fingerprints?”
“I did not say. But yes, it has. There aren’t any.” Chief Inspector Birdsong pursed his lips under his shaggy mustache. “Weren’t any.”
Pieces of Whimsy - Author Interview
What do you hope readers take with them when they read your books?
My books vary widely from series to series, but I would say throughout them all is the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation, that God is a merciful, loving God who never leaves us and who walks with us through every trial and that it is never, never too late to turn to Him. Even though my Drew Farthering books tend to be lighter, fun reads, there is still that element in them.
JoJo's Corner - Review
"Julianna Deering has done it again!!! Spectacular!!!
I love love love this series and I hope it never ends!!!
Drew is absolutely one of my fave all time amateur sleuths- right up there with Hercule Poirot (not an amateur, I know) and Miss Marple.
Who wouldn’t fall for a man who smelled of fresh linen, new books, tea and honey?!?"
Kelly P's Blog - Excerpt
“I just managed to slip out the back way.” Nick jumped into the car and wiped his sweating face with his handkerchief. “Madeline. She said I had to warn you.”
“What’s happened? Is she all right?”
Crafty Booksheeps - Top Ten Mystery Novels
In choosing my top ten favorite mystery novels, I couldn't possibly go farther than my trio of favorite authors from the Golden Age of Mystery: Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers.
Continue reading to found out what her top picks were...
The Written Adventure - Excerpt
The chief inspector managed a grim smile. “Ah, Detective Farthering. Good of you to come.”
“Not at all, Inspector. What’s happened?”
“Act Two, it would seem, of our little drama in Winchester last week. I thought perhaps another pair of eyes that saw the aftermath of the Montford murder might help us here.” Birdsong shrugged a little self-consciously. “Saw your car turn into the drive.”
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - Interview About the Cover
About how much time does it take to design a cover like this?
...Rules of Murder roughly took 50 hours, give or take, for art direction and design—composition, layout , typography. That included research, team discussions, Illustrator reviews, art direction, thumbnail sketches, type development, character development, image and inspiration research, and revisions/finessing to nail down an approved, final look...
Mel's Shelves - Review
"I loved this book! As soon as I started reading it, I knew it would be hard to put down. I enjoyed everything about it: the time period--1930's, the location--London (Farthering St. John), a compelling mystery (hatpin murderer), an obstinate aunt, humor, polite society and a light, clean romance."
Deal Sharing Aunt - Series Inspiration
I am often asked why I started writing my Drew Farthering mysteries. It all came about because I love to read Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers, the queens of the golden age of crime fiction, the 1920s and '30s. Their famous detectives (Poirot, Campion and Wimsey, respectively) are a delight to read. And the BBC has filmed versions of many of their novels which are always a sumptuous treat. After enjoying the genre for so long, I simply had to try my hand at writing it.
The Wonderings of One Person - Drew Description
There was a little spark of mischief in his gray eyes that she had already come to know so well. Surely even Aunt Ruth couldn’t dislike him for long. In the weeks Madeline had been here in Hampshire, she had seen him with the older ladies in the village– well, with all the women to be honest. He didn’t intentionally flirt, not really, but he was never lacking in charm, charm that was all the more attractive for its artlessness, charm that made them girlish and indulgent whenever he was around.
Cherry Mischievous - Excerpt
“Hello there.”
They both turned at the decidedly American voice, and Madeline’s face was all-over smiles.
“Well, hello to you. What are you doing here? Oh, let me introduce you to Drew Farthering. Drew, this is Freddie Bell. I met him yesterday when I was out.”
My Devotional Thoughts - Spotlight
Beck Valley Books - Excerpt
Madeline turned from the shelf where Mrs. Harkness kept books on lace making and other traditional crafts.
“And just why couldn’t she have done it?” She put her hands on her hips and looked up into Drew’s face, a challenge in her periwinkle-blue eyes and a defiant set to her mouth that made it not a whit less captivating than usual. “You never think women are capable of real crime.”
LDS and Lovin' it - Review
I also found Drew an engaging, sympathetic character who sincerely cared about those he was trying to help. The romance between him and Madeline was sweet and the interfering Aunt Ruth provided a humorous touch. With plenty of unexpected events and suspicious characters, Death by the Book, provides an entertaining and enjoyable read.
My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Mikado (book 3) Teaser
Even though Death by the Book, the second in my series of Drew Farthering Mysteries, is hot off the press right now, I am thrilled to tell you a little bit about Book Three, Murder at the Mikado.
After everything that happened during the past summer, Drew is happy to have some peace in his life. His company, Farlinford Processing, is doing nicely under competent, trustworthy management, and his relationship with Madeline Parker is better than ever. Everything is going well until an old flame, Fleur Hargreaves, suddenly makes an appearance at Farthering Place begging for Drew to prove her innocence in a murder case.
Tell Tale Book Reviews - Excerpt
Roger’s voice was scarcely a whisper, and so broken that Drew knew he wouldn’t have recognized it if he hadn’t known who it was.
“Drew. Oh . . .”
Drew heard a wrenching sob, then silence once more.
“Roger? I say, Roger!”
“You’ve got to help me. I just . . . I don’t . . . Sweet mercy, she’s dead. She’s dead.”
The Pensive Chronicler - Review
"Julianna Derring did a remarkable job of weaving a wondrous murder mystery set in England around the late 1920's. It kept me reading into the wee small hours of morning to find out if my suspicions of who the killer could be were right or not."
Death by the Book
by Julianna Deering
Christian Mystery
Paperback, 320 pages
March 4th 2014 by Bethany House Publishers
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?
Bethany House * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository
Other Books in the Series:
ALL readers, who are interested, can receive an autographed bookmark.
You can see a picture of the bookmark here.
Just send a self-address STAMPED (7" long) envelope to:
Julianna Deering
P. O. Box 375
Aubrey, Texas 76227
Julianna Derring has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014).
Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon * Novel Crossing * Bethany House
From the author regarding the fabulous GIVEAWAY:
How could one possibly have a cozy mystery set in an old manor house in the English countryside near a quaint little village and not have tea? Drew doesn't usually take lemon or milk in his. He prefers honey, especially if it's fresh from the hive. Mrs. Devon, his housekeeper, spoils him terribly and makes sure he has it.
Print copies of The Rules of Murder and Death by the Book and a Tea Gift Basket (US ONLY)
March 10th - 28th
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A themed review tour by Prism Book Tours...It's the Grand Finale for Death by the Book by Julianna Deering
Did you learn a little more about Drew Farthering and this suspenseful series? If you missed any of the posts, go back and check them out now! Then go on and enter the giveaway, if you haven't already.
Books & Chocolates - Review
There's murders, controversy and destruction going on in this mind blowing read. Derring will captivate you with each page you turn. "You also wont believe who the real killer is."
Angels With Attitude Book Reviews - Excerpt
“Not much to go on.” Drew stood and picked up the two halves of the bookend, a bust of Shakespeare only recently separated at the neck. “You did say this had been checked for fingerprints?”
“I did not say. But yes, it has. There aren’t any.” Chief Inspector Birdsong pursed his lips under his shaggy mustache. “Weren’t any.”
Pieces of Whimsy - Author Interview
What do you hope readers take with them when they read your books?
My books vary widely from series to series, but I would say throughout them all is the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation, that God is a merciful, loving God who never leaves us and who walks with us through every trial and that it is never, never too late to turn to Him. Even though my Drew Farthering books tend to be lighter, fun reads, there is still that element in them.
JoJo's Corner - Review
"Julianna Deering has done it again!!! Spectacular!!!
I love love love this series and I hope it never ends!!!
Drew is absolutely one of my fave all time amateur sleuths- right up there with Hercule Poirot (not an amateur, I know) and Miss Marple.
Who wouldn’t fall for a man who smelled of fresh linen, new books, tea and honey?!?"
Kelly P's Blog - Excerpt
“I just managed to slip out the back way.” Nick jumped into the car and wiped his sweating face with his handkerchief. “Madeline. She said I had to warn you.”
“What’s happened? Is she all right?”
Crafty Booksheeps - Top Ten Mystery Novels
In choosing my top ten favorite mystery novels, I couldn't possibly go farther than my trio of favorite authors from the Golden Age of Mystery: Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers.
Continue reading to found out what her top picks were...
The Written Adventure - Excerpt
The chief inspector managed a grim smile. “Ah, Detective Farthering. Good of you to come.”
“Not at all, Inspector. What’s happened?”
“Act Two, it would seem, of our little drama in Winchester last week. I thought perhaps another pair of eyes that saw the aftermath of the Montford murder might help us here.” Birdsong shrugged a little self-consciously. “Saw your car turn into the drive.”
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - Interview About the Cover
About how much time does it take to design a cover like this?
...Rules of Murder roughly took 50 hours, give or take, for art direction and design—composition, layout , typography. That included research, team discussions, Illustrator reviews, art direction, thumbnail sketches, type development, character development, image and inspiration research, and revisions/finessing to nail down an approved, final look...
Mel's Shelves - Review
"I loved this book! As soon as I started reading it, I knew it would be hard to put down. I enjoyed everything about it: the time period--1930's, the location--London (Farthering St. John), a compelling mystery (hatpin murderer), an obstinate aunt, humor, polite society and a light, clean romance."
Deal Sharing Aunt - Series Inspiration
I am often asked why I started writing my Drew Farthering mysteries. It all came about because I love to read Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers, the queens of the golden age of crime fiction, the 1920s and '30s. Their famous detectives (Poirot, Campion and Wimsey, respectively) are a delight to read. And the BBC has filmed versions of many of their novels which are always a sumptuous treat. After enjoying the genre for so long, I simply had to try my hand at writing it.
The Wonderings of One Person - Drew Description
There was a little spark of mischief in his gray eyes that she had already come to know so well. Surely even Aunt Ruth couldn’t dislike him for long. In the weeks Madeline had been here in Hampshire, she had seen him with the older ladies in the village– well, with all the women to be honest. He didn’t intentionally flirt, not really, but he was never lacking in charm, charm that was all the more attractive for its artlessness, charm that made them girlish and indulgent whenever he was around.
Cherry Mischievous - Excerpt
“Hello there.”
They both turned at the decidedly American voice, and Madeline’s face was all-over smiles.
“Well, hello to you. What are you doing here? Oh, let me introduce you to Drew Farthering. Drew, this is Freddie Bell. I met him yesterday when I was out.”
My Devotional Thoughts - Spotlight
Beck Valley Books - Excerpt
Madeline turned from the shelf where Mrs. Harkness kept books on lace making and other traditional crafts.
“And just why couldn’t she have done it?” She put her hands on her hips and looked up into Drew’s face, a challenge in her periwinkle-blue eyes and a defiant set to her mouth that made it not a whit less captivating than usual. “You never think women are capable of real crime.”
LDS and Lovin' it - Review
I also found Drew an engaging, sympathetic character who sincerely cared about those he was trying to help. The romance between him and Madeline was sweet and the interfering Aunt Ruth provided a humorous touch. With plenty of unexpected events and suspicious characters, Death by the Book, provides an entertaining and enjoyable read.
My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Mikado (book 3) Teaser
Even though Death by the Book, the second in my series of Drew Farthering Mysteries, is hot off the press right now, I am thrilled to tell you a little bit about Book Three, Murder at the Mikado.
After everything that happened during the past summer, Drew is happy to have some peace in his life. His company, Farlinford Processing, is doing nicely under competent, trustworthy management, and his relationship with Madeline Parker is better than ever. Everything is going well until an old flame, Fleur Hargreaves, suddenly makes an appearance at Farthering Place begging for Drew to prove her innocence in a murder case.
Tell Tale Book Reviews - Excerpt
Roger’s voice was scarcely a whisper, and so broken that Drew knew he wouldn’t have recognized it if he hadn’t known who it was.
“Drew. Oh . . .”
Drew heard a wrenching sob, then silence once more.
“Roger? I say, Roger!”
“You’ve got to help me. I just . . . I don’t . . . Sweet mercy, she’s dead. She’s dead.”
The Pensive Chronicler - Review
"Julianna Derring did a remarkable job of weaving a wondrous murder mystery set in England around the late 1920's. It kept me reading into the wee small hours of morning to find out if my suspicions of who the killer could be were right or not."
Death by the Book
by Julianna Deering
Christian Mystery
Paperback, 320 pages
March 4th 2014 by Bethany House Publishers
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?
Bethany House * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository
Other Books in the Series:
ALL readers, who are interested, can receive an autographed bookmark.
You can see a picture of the bookmark here.
Just send a self-address STAMPED (7" long) envelope to:
Julianna Deering
P. O. Box 375
Aubrey, Texas 76227
Julianna Derring has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014).Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon * Novel Crossing * Bethany House
From the author regarding the fabulous GIVEAWAY:
How could one possibly have a cozy mystery set in an old manor house in the English countryside near a quaint little village and not have tea? Drew doesn't usually take lemon or milk in his. He prefers honey, especially if it's fresh from the hive. Mrs. Devon, his housekeeper, spoils him terribly and makes sure he has it.
Print copies of The Rules of Murder and Death by the Book and a Tea Gift Basket (US ONLY)
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Trayven: Interview with an Ex-Palace Servant
With my third novel, Prince of Malorn, hopefully ready to publish by the beginning of May, I'm conducting a series of "interviews" with my characters. This one is the fourth. Enjoy!
I meet Trayven in the room of the inn where he has been staying in the Malornian town of Daveen. He offers me a seat in the chair at the rickety wooden desk, and he sits on the bed under the window. I pull out my list of questions.
Do you prefer cities or the countryside? “Cities, definitely. I hate wilderness life; always have.”What is the one sentence you would never say?He scowls. “I volunteer to attend the prince on his futile trek through the wilderness and report back about his every move.” His voice is mocking. “Of course, it made no difference in the end whether I volunteered or not.”What makes you angry? “Being used.” He sighs and picks at the woolen blanket on the neatly made bed. “That’s the dangerous thing about working in the palace. You’re basically giving Regent Rampus access to your life, to use it for whatever he wants. It pays well, though, and if you’re lucky you’ll never have to do anything but your actual job. But you never know when you might be ordered to do something else, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You’d better do it well, or you may not live to regret it.” Where were you born?“In a village in the foothills of the Impassables.” He lowers his gaze as though ashamed to admit it. “I lived there till I was fifteen, and then finally I couldn’t take it any more and ran away to the capital.” What do you do for a living, and why did you choose this career? Do you like your job? Why or why not?“I’m a servant in the palace in Sazellia, or at least, I was until the incident with the prince. I don’t really know if I still have my job now or not, and I don’t think I want it if I do.” He looks worried. “When I ran away to the city, I first found work in an inn a lot like this one. Cleaning the rooms, serving food in the dining hall, that sort of thing. Did that for six years and was pretty happy with my life. Nothing glamorous, but I was in the city, and that’s what I’d always wanted. Lots to see and do, new people to meet all the time, it didn’t get as cold in the winter, and you never had to worry about Mountain Folk. I should have just stuck with that, but I met a girl who worked as a maid in the palace, and she told me stories about how grand it was. I heard they had some positions open, so I went and applied, and next thing I knew they had hired me. I worked there as a servant for twelve years, and at first I liked it a lot. But then King Kerman died, and things started to change. High Councilor Rampus became Regent Rampus since the prince was too young to rule yet, and he was stricter than the king had been. Bad things happened to people who made mistakes or didn’t do their jobs right. Not just their pay getting docked the way it used to be. The regent would give them strange and dangerous things to do. I don’t know most of the details because nobody ever wanted to talk about it, but you’d see how worried they were, and sometimes they’d be gone on errands for days or even weeks. And it wasn’t just us servants, either. It was the same with high councilors and nobles and everyone. It started gradually, but after a few years with the regent in charge, everyone was afraid to cross him. A few people tried, but then their family members died, or their businesses failed, or now and then they’d just disappear. But as long as you did what you were told, things went well for you, so I didn’t worry. At least, not until recently.” He sighs.Where do you live? Is it the best place for you? “Right now?” He gestures around at the tiny room with its bed, desk, chair, and closet. “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks, in between expeditions to the foothills. It isn’t much of a home, but at least I’m alive and have a roof over my head. I hate the camping I have to do on each trip, but it’s nice to know I’ve got some place to come back to. I hope when this is all over I can go home to Sazellia again, but it depends on whether I find what the regent wants and he forgives me. I’m sure I’ll have to look for another job, but at this point, I’ll be content just to keep my life.” He shivers and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.What is your most embarrassing memory? Trayven’s face turns red before he can even reply. “It was about three months ago. There was a banquet at the palace, and I was serving wine to the guests after the meal. Everyone was listening to the minstrel as he sang one of those historical ballads he’s always coming up with; it was really exciting, and I couldn’t help listening too as I went around with my tray of wine goblets. I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing, but when that minstrel sings, it’s like there’s a magic spell in the room. If you’ve ever heard him, you’ll know what it was like. But the spell broke pretty fast, let me tell you, when I fumbled with my tray right as I was serving the regent and the whole thing slipped out of my hands .” He shakes his head at the memory. “Eight silver goblets hit the floor with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard, and wine splashed all over him and me and everyone else sitting close by. I wished it was the floor itself that had shattered so I could just dive into a hole and let it swallow me up. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life – or so terrified. I was sure the regent was going to have my head then and there. You should have seen his expression. But that isn’t his way. He had my job switched so I was emptying chamber pots and scrubbing latrines after that. And do you have any idea how expensive Alasian glass is? I could barely afford to pay my rent for the next two months. And then when Prince Korram announced this plan of his, of course I was the one who got picked to go with him. I suppose the regent must have asked around and found out that I grew up in the foothills and knew about wilderness living, so it made sense, but I know it was his way of getting back at me.”What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to someone? Trayven is instantly defensive. “I didn’t do it to be mean. If Prince Korram hadn’t sent me away, I never would have. But how was I supposed to go back to Regent Rampus without him? Did he think I could just return to the regent and tell the regent I’d failed in the task he assigned me? He would have had me executed for certain! I tried to explain that to the prince, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want me around any longer, probably because he had plans of his own up there in the mountains that were different than he’d told people, and he didn’t want anyone finding out. So all I could think to do was to go hide somewhere, start a new life in another part of Malorn where the regent wouldn’t find me. And for that I needed money.” He glares at me as though I’ve accused him of something. “I had no choice!” He thumps his fist against the pillow. “But how was I supposed to know that Dannel would find out and come after me for it? And now the regent’s going to have me executed anyway, unless I succeed in my new mission.”What was it like spending those weeks with Prince Korram in the wilderness?“I hated it, mostly. I mean, being with the prince was all right. He’s the quiet sort, which is what I prefer. He doesn’t make pointless conversation for the sake of hearing himself talk, like some people do. And he learns fast. I figured I was going to have to wait on him hand and foot, but he wanted me to teach him everything I knew about wilderness survival, and as soon as he’d learned, he did his share. Hunting, fishing, how to light a fire, finding the spots that made the best campsites, even loading the mules. It was like he couldn’t wait to get out of the palace and try life in the wilderness, just the opposite of me. He loved sitting by the campfire at night roasting meat on a spit, and all I wanted to do was get home to where I could sleep in a real bed and buy a supper I didn’t have to catch and skin myself. Worst of all, he wanted to find some of those Mountain Folk. The boy had some crazy idea he could get them to help him, but anyone who’s grown up in the foothills knows those savages don’t help anyone but themselves. And then when we actually found some, he insisted on camping close by and spending every day with them, talking to them, trying to get to know them.” Trayven’s voice is filled with disgust. “They’re filthy and ignorant and they smell as bad as the goats they keep. When I was a boy we always had to watch out for them, especially in winter when they come down low to escape the snow on the higher peaks. They would steal crops and eggs from our chickens, and then either run away like the cowards they are or threaten us with their spears if we tried to stop them. I hate those vermin! The whole time we were camped by them, I always felt like they were watching me. As worried as I was when the prince sent me away, in some ways it was a relief to leave.”What is your political leaning?“Oh, politics don’t matter much to me. Prince Korram’s a decent person, but he’s young and foolish and probably won’t make much of a king. Regent Rampus is smart and always knows what he’s doing, but he’s dangerous and cruel and I don’t know what kind of king he’d be either.” He glances over at me worriedly. “You won’t tell him I said that, will you?” I assure him I won’t. “So personally, I don’t care, as long as I can stay out of both of their ways. I suppose they probably both want my head now. Fortunately, only one of them is likely to live past the next few months, and then things will be a little simpler.”What is your greatest fear?“That I won’t find what I’m looking for. I’m afraid all the time; I hardly sleep at night. But if that Dannel fellow is right, I can redeem myself for what I did – as long as I succeed now. I just hope he is telling the truth and the regent will forgive me. It’s my only chance.” Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
I meet Trayven in the room of the inn where he has been staying in the Malornian town of Daveen. He offers me a seat in the chair at the rickety wooden desk, and he sits on the bed under the window. I pull out my list of questions.
Do you prefer cities or the countryside? “Cities, definitely. I hate wilderness life; always have.”What is the one sentence you would never say?He scowls. “I volunteer to attend the prince on his futile trek through the wilderness and report back about his every move.” His voice is mocking. “Of course, it made no difference in the end whether I volunteered or not.”What makes you angry? “Being used.” He sighs and picks at the woolen blanket on the neatly made bed. “That’s the dangerous thing about working in the palace. You’re basically giving Regent Rampus access to your life, to use it for whatever he wants. It pays well, though, and if you’re lucky you’ll never have to do anything but your actual job. But you never know when you might be ordered to do something else, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You’d better do it well, or you may not live to regret it.” Where were you born?“In a village in the foothills of the Impassables.” He lowers his gaze as though ashamed to admit it. “I lived there till I was fifteen, and then finally I couldn’t take it any more and ran away to the capital.” What do you do for a living, and why did you choose this career? Do you like your job? Why or why not?“I’m a servant in the palace in Sazellia, or at least, I was until the incident with the prince. I don’t really know if I still have my job now or not, and I don’t think I want it if I do.” He looks worried. “When I ran away to the city, I first found work in an inn a lot like this one. Cleaning the rooms, serving food in the dining hall, that sort of thing. Did that for six years and was pretty happy with my life. Nothing glamorous, but I was in the city, and that’s what I’d always wanted. Lots to see and do, new people to meet all the time, it didn’t get as cold in the winter, and you never had to worry about Mountain Folk. I should have just stuck with that, but I met a girl who worked as a maid in the palace, and she told me stories about how grand it was. I heard they had some positions open, so I went and applied, and next thing I knew they had hired me. I worked there as a servant for twelve years, and at first I liked it a lot. But then King Kerman died, and things started to change. High Councilor Rampus became Regent Rampus since the prince was too young to rule yet, and he was stricter than the king had been. Bad things happened to people who made mistakes or didn’t do their jobs right. Not just their pay getting docked the way it used to be. The regent would give them strange and dangerous things to do. I don’t know most of the details because nobody ever wanted to talk about it, but you’d see how worried they were, and sometimes they’d be gone on errands for days or even weeks. And it wasn’t just us servants, either. It was the same with high councilors and nobles and everyone. It started gradually, but after a few years with the regent in charge, everyone was afraid to cross him. A few people tried, but then their family members died, or their businesses failed, or now and then they’d just disappear. But as long as you did what you were told, things went well for you, so I didn’t worry. At least, not until recently.” He sighs.Where do you live? Is it the best place for you? “Right now?” He gestures around at the tiny room with its bed, desk, chair, and closet. “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks, in between expeditions to the foothills. It isn’t much of a home, but at least I’m alive and have a roof over my head. I hate the camping I have to do on each trip, but it’s nice to know I’ve got some place to come back to. I hope when this is all over I can go home to Sazellia again, but it depends on whether I find what the regent wants and he forgives me. I’m sure I’ll have to look for another job, but at this point, I’ll be content just to keep my life.” He shivers and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.What is your most embarrassing memory? Trayven’s face turns red before he can even reply. “It was about three months ago. There was a banquet at the palace, and I was serving wine to the guests after the meal. Everyone was listening to the minstrel as he sang one of those historical ballads he’s always coming up with; it was really exciting, and I couldn’t help listening too as I went around with my tray of wine goblets. I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing, but when that minstrel sings, it’s like there’s a magic spell in the room. If you’ve ever heard him, you’ll know what it was like. But the spell broke pretty fast, let me tell you, when I fumbled with my tray right as I was serving the regent and the whole thing slipped out of my hands .” He shakes his head at the memory. “Eight silver goblets hit the floor with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard, and wine splashed all over him and me and everyone else sitting close by. I wished it was the floor itself that had shattered so I could just dive into a hole and let it swallow me up. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life – or so terrified. I was sure the regent was going to have my head then and there. You should have seen his expression. But that isn’t his way. He had my job switched so I was emptying chamber pots and scrubbing latrines after that. And do you have any idea how expensive Alasian glass is? I could barely afford to pay my rent for the next two months. And then when Prince Korram announced this plan of his, of course I was the one who got picked to go with him. I suppose the regent must have asked around and found out that I grew up in the foothills and knew about wilderness living, so it made sense, but I know it was his way of getting back at me.”What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to someone? Trayven is instantly defensive. “I didn’t do it to be mean. If Prince Korram hadn’t sent me away, I never would have. But how was I supposed to go back to Regent Rampus without him? Did he think I could just return to the regent and tell the regent I’d failed in the task he assigned me? He would have had me executed for certain! I tried to explain that to the prince, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want me around any longer, probably because he had plans of his own up there in the mountains that were different than he’d told people, and he didn’t want anyone finding out. So all I could think to do was to go hide somewhere, start a new life in another part of Malorn where the regent wouldn’t find me. And for that I needed money.” He glares at me as though I’ve accused him of something. “I had no choice!” He thumps his fist against the pillow. “But how was I supposed to know that Dannel would find out and come after me for it? And now the regent’s going to have me executed anyway, unless I succeed in my new mission.”What was it like spending those weeks with Prince Korram in the wilderness?“I hated it, mostly. I mean, being with the prince was all right. He’s the quiet sort, which is what I prefer. He doesn’t make pointless conversation for the sake of hearing himself talk, like some people do. And he learns fast. I figured I was going to have to wait on him hand and foot, but he wanted me to teach him everything I knew about wilderness survival, and as soon as he’d learned, he did his share. Hunting, fishing, how to light a fire, finding the spots that made the best campsites, even loading the mules. It was like he couldn’t wait to get out of the palace and try life in the wilderness, just the opposite of me. He loved sitting by the campfire at night roasting meat on a spit, and all I wanted to do was get home to where I could sleep in a real bed and buy a supper I didn’t have to catch and skin myself. Worst of all, he wanted to find some of those Mountain Folk. The boy had some crazy idea he could get them to help him, but anyone who’s grown up in the foothills knows those savages don’t help anyone but themselves. And then when we actually found some, he insisted on camping close by and spending every day with them, talking to them, trying to get to know them.” Trayven’s voice is filled with disgust. “They’re filthy and ignorant and they smell as bad as the goats they keep. When I was a boy we always had to watch out for them, especially in winter when they come down low to escape the snow on the higher peaks. They would steal crops and eggs from our chickens, and then either run away like the cowards they are or threaten us with their spears if we tried to stop them. I hate those vermin! The whole time we were camped by them, I always felt like they were watching me. As worried as I was when the prince sent me away, in some ways it was a relief to leave.”What is your political leaning?“Oh, politics don’t matter much to me. Prince Korram’s a decent person, but he’s young and foolish and probably won’t make much of a king. Regent Rampus is smart and always knows what he’s doing, but he’s dangerous and cruel and I don’t know what kind of king he’d be either.” He glances over at me worriedly. “You won’t tell him I said that, will you?” I assure him I won’t. “So personally, I don’t care, as long as I can stay out of both of their ways. I suppose they probably both want my head now. Fortunately, only one of them is likely to live past the next few months, and then things will be a little simpler.”What is your greatest fear?“That I won’t find what I’m looking for. I’m afraid all the time; I hardly sleep at night. But if that Dannel fellow is right, I can redeem myself for what I did – as long as I succeed now. I just hope he is telling the truth and the regent will forgive me. It’s my only chance.” Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
Trayven: Interview with a Palace Servant
With my third novel, Prince of Malorn, hopefully ready to publish by the beginning of May, I'm conducting a series of "interviews" with my characters. This one is the fourth. Enjoy!
I meet Trayven in the room of the inn where he has been staying in the Malornian town of Daveen. He offers me a seat in the chair at the rickety wooden desk, and he sits on the bed under the window. I pull out my list of questions.
Do you prefer cities or the countryside? “Cities, definitely. I hate wilderness life; always have.”What is the one sentence you would never say?He scowls. “I volunteer to attend the prince on his futile trek through the wilderness and report back about his every move.” His voice is mocking. “Of course, it made no difference in the end whether I volunteered or not.”What makes you angry? “Being used.” He sighs and picks at the woolen blanket on the neatly made bed. “That’s the dangerous thing about working in the palace. You’re basically giving Regent Rampus access to your life, to use it for whatever he wants. It pays well, though, and if you’re lucky you’ll never have to do anything but your actual job. But you never know when you might be ordered to do something else, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You’d better do it well, or you may not live to regret it.” Where were you born?“In a village in the foothills of the Impassables.” He lowers his gaze as though ashamed to admit it. “I lived there till I was fifteen, and then finally I couldn’t take it any more and ran away to the capital.” What do you do for a living, and why did you choose this career? Do you like your job? Why or why not?“I’m a servant in the palace in Sazellia, or at least, I was until the incident with the prince. I don’t really know if I still have my job now or not, and I don’t think I want it if I do.” He looks worried. “When I ran away to the city, I first found work in an inn a lot like this one. Cleaning the rooms, serving food in the dining hall, that sort of thing. Did that for six years and was pretty happy with my life. Nothing glamorous, but I was in the city, and that’s what I’d always wanted. Lots to see and do, new people to meet all the time, it didn’t get as cold in the winter, and you never had to worry about Mountain Folk. I should have just stuck with that, but I met a girl who worked as a maid in the palace, and she told me stories about how grand it was. I heard they had some positions open, so I went and applied, and next thing I knew they had hired me. I worked there as a servant for twelve years, and at first I liked it a lot. But then King Kerman died, and things started to change. High Councilor Rampus became Regent Rampus since the prince was too young to rule yet, and he was stricter than the king had been. Bad things happened to people who made mistakes or didn’t do their jobs right. Not just their pay getting docked the way it used to be. The regent would give them strange and dangerous things to do. I don’t know most of the details because nobody ever wanted to talk about it, but you’d see how worried they were, and sometimes they’d be gone on errands for days or even weeks. And it wasn’t just us servants, either. It was the same with high councilors and nobles and everyone. It started gradually, but after a few years with the regent in charge, everyone was afraid to cross him. A few people tried, but then their family members died, or their businesses failed, or now and then they’d just disappear. But as long as you did what you were told, things went well for you, so I didn’t worry. At least, not until recently.” He sighs.Where do you live? Is it the best place for you? “Right now?” He gestures around at the tiny room with its bed, desk, chair, and closet. “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks, in between expeditions to the foothills. It isn’t much of a home, but at least I’m alive and have a roof over my head. I hate the camping I have to do on each trip, but it’s nice to know I’ve got some place to come back to. I hope when this is all over I can go home to Sazellia again, but it depends on whether I find what the regent wants and he forgives me. I’m sure I’ll have to look for another job, but at this point, I’ll be content just to keep my life.” He shivers and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.What is your most embarrassing memory? Trayven’s face turns red before he can even reply. “It was about three months ago. There was a banquet at the palace, and I was serving wine to the guests after the meal. Everyone was listening to the minstrel as he sang one of those historical ballads he’s always coming up with; it was really exciting, and I couldn’t help listening too as I went around with my tray of wine goblets. I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing, but when that minstrel sings, it’s like there’s a magic spell in the room. If you’ve ever heard him, you’ll know what it was like. But the spell broke pretty fast, let me tell you, when I fumbled with my tray right as I was serving the regent and the whole thing slipped out of my hands .” He shakes his head at the memory. “Eight silver goblets hit the floor with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard, and wine splashed all over him and me and everyone else sitting close by. I wished it was the floor itself that had shattered so I could just dive into a hole and let it swallow me up. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life – or so terrified. I was sure the regent was going to have my head then and there. You should have seen his expression. But that isn’t his way. He had my job switched so I was emptying chamber pots and scrubbing latrines after that. And do you have any idea how expensive Alasian glass is? I could barely afford to pay my rent for the next two months. And then when Prince Korram announced this plan of his, of course I was the one who got picked to go with him. I suppose the regent must have asked around and found out that I grew up in the foothills and knew about wilderness living, so it made sense, but I know it was his way of getting back at me.”What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to someone? Trayven is instantly defensive. “I didn’t do it to be mean. If Prince Korram hadn’t sent me away, I never would have. But how was I supposed to go back to Regent Rampus without him? Did he think I could just return to the regent and tell the regent I’d failed in the task he assigned me? He would have had me executed for certain! I tried to explain that to the prince, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want me around any longer, probably because he had plans of his own up there in the mountains that were different than he’d told people, and he didn’t want anyone finding out. So all I could think to do was to go hide somewhere, start a new life in another part of Malorn where the regent wouldn’t find me. And for that I needed money.” He glares at me as though I’ve accused him of something. “I had no choice!” He thumps his fist against the pillow. “But how was I supposed to know that Dannel would find out and come after me for it? And now the regent’s going to have me executed anyway, unless I succeed in my new mission.”What was it like spending those weeks with Prince Korram in the wilderness?“I hated it, mostly. I mean, being with the prince was all right. He’s the quiet sort, which is what I prefer. He doesn’t make pointless conversation for the sake of hearing himself talk, like some people do. And he learns fast. I figured I was going to have to wait on him hand and foot, but he wanted me to teach him everything I knew about wilderness survival, and as soon as he’d learned, he did his share. Hunting, fishing, how to light a fire, finding the spots that made the best campsites, even loading the mules. It was like he couldn’t wait to get out of the palace and try life in the wilderness, just the opposite of me. He loved sitting by the campfire at night roasting meat on a spit, and all I wanted to do was get home to where I could sleep in a real bed and buy a supper I didn’t have to catch and skin myself. Worst of all, he wanted to find some of those Mountain Folk. The boy had some crazy idea he could get them to help him, but anyone who’s grown up in the foothills knows those savages don’t help anyone but themselves. And then when we actually found some, he insisted on camping close by and spending every day with them, talking to them, trying to get to know them.” Trayven’s voice is filled with disgust. “They’re filthy and ignorant and they smell as bad as the goats they keep. When I was a boy we always had to watch out for them, especially in winter when they come down low to escape the snow on the higher peaks. They would steal crops and eggs from our chickens, and then either run away like the cowards they are or threaten us with their spears if we tried to stop them. I hate those vermin! The whole time we were camped by them, I always felt like they were watching me. As worried as I was when the prince sent me away, in some ways it was a relief to leave.”What is your political leaning?“Oh, politics don’t matter much to me. Prince Korram’s a decent person, but he’s young and foolish and probably won’t make much of a king. Regent Rampus is smart and always knows what he’s doing, but he’s dangerous and cruel and I don’t know what kind of king he’d be either.” He glances over at me worriedly. “You won’t tell him I said that, will you?” I assure him I won’t. “So personally, I don’t care, as long as I can stay out of both of their ways. I suppose they probably both want my head now. Fortunately, only one of them is likely to live past the next few months, and then things will be a little simpler.”What is your greatest fear?“That I won’t find what I’m looking for. I’m afraid all the time; I hardly sleep at night. But if that Dannel fellow is right, I can redeem myself for what I did – as long as I succeed now. I just hope he is telling the truth and the regent will forgive me. It’s my only chance.” Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
I meet Trayven in the room of the inn where he has been staying in the Malornian town of Daveen. He offers me a seat in the chair at the rickety wooden desk, and he sits on the bed under the window. I pull out my list of questions.
Do you prefer cities or the countryside? “Cities, definitely. I hate wilderness life; always have.”What is the one sentence you would never say?He scowls. “I volunteer to attend the prince on his futile trek through the wilderness and report back about his every move.” His voice is mocking. “Of course, it made no difference in the end whether I volunteered or not.”What makes you angry? “Being used.” He sighs and picks at the woolen blanket on the neatly made bed. “That’s the dangerous thing about working in the palace. You’re basically giving Regent Rampus access to your life, to use it for whatever he wants. It pays well, though, and if you’re lucky you’ll never have to do anything but your actual job. But you never know when you might be ordered to do something else, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You’d better do it well, or you may not live to regret it.” Where were you born?“In a village in the foothills of the Impassables.” He lowers his gaze as though ashamed to admit it. “I lived there till I was fifteen, and then finally I couldn’t take it any more and ran away to the capital.” What do you do for a living, and why did you choose this career? Do you like your job? Why or why not?“I’m a servant in the palace in Sazellia, or at least, I was until the incident with the prince. I don’t really know if I still have my job now or not, and I don’t think I want it if I do.” He looks worried. “When I ran away to the city, I first found work in an inn a lot like this one. Cleaning the rooms, serving food in the dining hall, that sort of thing. Did that for six years and was pretty happy with my life. Nothing glamorous, but I was in the city, and that’s what I’d always wanted. Lots to see and do, new people to meet all the time, it didn’t get as cold in the winter, and you never had to worry about Mountain Folk. I should have just stuck with that, but I met a girl who worked as a maid in the palace, and she told me stories about how grand it was. I heard they had some positions open, so I went and applied, and next thing I knew they had hired me. I worked there as a servant for twelve years, and at first I liked it a lot. But then King Kerman died, and things started to change. High Councilor Rampus became Regent Rampus since the prince was too young to rule yet, and he was stricter than the king had been. Bad things happened to people who made mistakes or didn’t do their jobs right. Not just their pay getting docked the way it used to be. The regent would give them strange and dangerous things to do. I don’t know most of the details because nobody ever wanted to talk about it, but you’d see how worried they were, and sometimes they’d be gone on errands for days or even weeks. And it wasn’t just us servants, either. It was the same with high councilors and nobles and everyone. It started gradually, but after a few years with the regent in charge, everyone was afraid to cross him. A few people tried, but then their family members died, or their businesses failed, or now and then they’d just disappear. But as long as you did what you were told, things went well for you, so I didn’t worry. At least, not until recently.” He sighs.Where do you live? Is it the best place for you? “Right now?” He gestures around at the tiny room with its bed, desk, chair, and closet. “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks, in between expeditions to the foothills. It isn’t much of a home, but at least I’m alive and have a roof over my head. I hate the camping I have to do on each trip, but it’s nice to know I’ve got some place to come back to. I hope when this is all over I can go home to Sazellia again, but it depends on whether I find what the regent wants and he forgives me. I’m sure I’ll have to look for another job, but at this point, I’ll be content just to keep my life.” He shivers and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.What is your most embarrassing memory? Trayven’s face turns red before he can even reply. “It was about three months ago. There was a banquet at the palace, and I was serving wine to the guests after the meal. Everyone was listening to the minstrel as he sang one of those historical ballads he’s always coming up with; it was really exciting, and I couldn’t help listening too as I went around with my tray of wine goblets. I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing, but when that minstrel sings, it’s like there’s a magic spell in the room. If you’ve ever heard him, you’ll know what it was like. But the spell broke pretty fast, let me tell you, when I fumbled with my tray right as I was serving the regent and the whole thing slipped out of my hands .” He shakes his head at the memory. “Eight silver goblets hit the floor with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard, and wine splashed all over him and me and everyone else sitting close by. I wished it was the floor itself that had shattered so I could just dive into a hole and let it swallow me up. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life – or so terrified. I was sure the regent was going to have my head then and there. You should have seen his expression. But that isn’t his way. He had my job switched so I was emptying chamber pots and scrubbing latrines after that. And do you have any idea how expensive Alasian glass is? I could barely afford to pay my rent for the next two months. And then when Prince Korram announced this plan of his, of course I was the one who got picked to go with him. I suppose the regent must have asked around and found out that I grew up in the foothills and knew about wilderness living, so it made sense, but I know it was his way of getting back at me.”What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to someone? Trayven is instantly defensive. “I didn’t do it to be mean. If Prince Korram hadn’t sent me away, I never would have. But how was I supposed to go back to Regent Rampus without him? Did he think I could just return to the regent and tell the regent I’d failed in the task he assigned me? He would have had me executed for certain! I tried to explain that to the prince, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want me around any longer, probably because he had plans of his own up there in the mountains that were different than he’d told people, and he didn’t want anyone finding out. So all I could think to do was to go hide somewhere, start a new life in another part of Malorn where the regent wouldn’t find me. And for that I needed money.” He glares at me as though I’ve accused him of something. “I had no choice!” He thumps his fist against the pillow. “But how was I supposed to know that Dannel would find out and come after me for it? And now the regent’s going to have me executed anyway, unless I succeed in my new mission.”What was it like spending those weeks with Prince Korram in the wilderness?“I hated it, mostly. I mean, being with the prince was all right. He’s the quiet sort, which is what I prefer. He doesn’t make pointless conversation for the sake of hearing himself talk, like some people do. And he learns fast. I figured I was going to have to wait on him hand and foot, but he wanted me to teach him everything I knew about wilderness survival, and as soon as he’d learned, he did his share. Hunting, fishing, how to light a fire, finding the spots that made the best campsites, even loading the mules. It was like he couldn’t wait to get out of the palace and try life in the wilderness, just the opposite of me. He loved sitting by the campfire at night roasting meat on a spit, and all I wanted to do was get home to where I could sleep in a real bed and buy a supper I didn’t have to catch and skin myself. Worst of all, he wanted to find some of those Mountain Folk. The boy had some crazy idea he could get them to help him, but anyone who’s grown up in the foothills knows those savages don’t help anyone but themselves. And then when we actually found some, he insisted on camping close by and spending every day with them, talking to them, trying to get to know them.” Trayven’s voice is filled with disgust. “They’re filthy and ignorant and they smell as bad as the goats they keep. When I was a boy we always had to watch out for them, especially in winter when they come down low to escape the snow on the higher peaks. They would steal crops and eggs from our chickens, and then either run away like the cowards they are or threaten us with their spears if we tried to stop them. I hate those vermin! The whole time we were camped by them, I always felt like they were watching me. As worried as I was when the prince sent me away, in some ways it was a relief to leave.”What is your political leaning?“Oh, politics don’t matter much to me. Prince Korram’s a decent person, but he’s young and foolish and probably won’t make much of a king. Regent Rampus is smart and always knows what he’s doing, but he’s dangerous and cruel and I don’t know what kind of king he’d be either.” He glances over at me worriedly. “You won’t tell him I said that, will you?” I assure him I won’t. “So personally, I don’t care, as long as I can stay out of both of their ways. I suppose they probably both want my head now. Fortunately, only one of them is likely to live past the next few months, and then things will be a little simpler.”What is your greatest fear?“That I won’t find what I’m looking for. I’m afraid all the time; I hardly sleep at night. But if that Dannel fellow is right, I can redeem myself for what I did – as long as I succeed now. I just hope he is telling the truth and the regent will forgive me. It’s my only chance.” Click here to find out about Prince of Malorn, the third book in the Annals of Alasia, and read more interviews with the characters in it.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
March 13, 2014
Death by the Book - Win Free Copies of a Murder Mystery!
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?
Bethany House * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository
Other Books in the Series:
Q&A with Paul Higdon, Bethany House Art Director
Did you base the people on photos of models, and the background on a specific scenery photo, or did you create them from scratch?
To answer this question, I’ll explain the process. At the beginning I needed a brand look for the series. To create this I needed to team with a designer and illustrator. I reviewed perhaps a dozen U.S. and overseas artists before selecting John Mattos from San Francisco for Julianna’s series. Then I chose Jeff Miller, an award winning designer at Faceout Studio in Bend, Oregon for his layout and conceptual skills.
The cover models were established from a mix of character descriptions from the author’s early manuscript, model/photo references, and various time period inspirations. The info was collected to be given to John. This nationally renowned artist used his illustrative genius to envision and create the Drew Farthering and Madeline Parker characters.
John was very in-tune with the styling we wanted for the cover art, so his experience helped push details to next level. The art deco graphic style also influenced the colors and architectural elements in the background and overall composition. Jeff then applied his typographic layout to John’s art. In all I probably evaluated six or seven variations before deciding on the final design.
About how much time does it take to design a cover like this?
Each cover varies in time and is unique to its story, setting, and list of characters. Death by the Book was a follow-up title to the first book, Rules of Murder. So there was some advantage when designing Death by the Book because we were able to pick up and continue a lot of the styles established on Rules of Murder.
Rules of Murder roughly took 50 hours, give or take, for art direction and design—composition, layout , typography. That included research, team discussions, Illustrator reviews, art direction, thumbnail sketches, type development, character development, image and inspiration research, and revisions/finessing to nail down an approved, final look.
Once the series was established the following titles average around 15-20 hours, give or take, of art direction and design. The actual artwork by John occurs separately from this process and each cover takes approximately 30 hours, using his computer illustration skills.
What are the challenges of creating an illustrated cover compared to a more traditional cover?
Creating an illustrated cover can be much more challenging than a photographic and/or traditional cover because the latter is usually driven by photography that is already established, or can be more easily manipulated to suit a cover design. That's not always the case, but pure illustrative covers require more leg work from the get-go because you're creating imagery from a blank canvas, and that usually means more heavily involved steps. Finding an illustrator who is a good fit is also an unique challenge, and you have to be able to communicate in visual terms with them in order to get the results our marketing/sales team needs, and the quality our readers expect.
Another challenge facing us today is the reluctance by sales leaders to try new ways of doing things. Because DREW FARTHERING MYSTERIES employs a stylized illustration concept, our sales team had to be convinced this would work for our market. Bethany is known as a leader in fiction cover design and it is important we continually seek out fresh ways of representing our authors and their stories.
Which of the three covers in the series do you like best, and why?
This is tough. I honestly like all three covers for different reasons. Rules of Murder will always be a favorite, because it established the series look and feel. We were proud of the final results. Jeff, the designer, is also a huge car fan, so to be able to include a vintage car from the early part of last century was fun for him. Murder at the Mikado is also a stand out in my mind because of the layering, and slightly more abstract perspectives. It was also a fun challenge to depict the setting with a night scene. Because of the overall dramatic perspective I would have say that Murder at the Mikado is my favorite, so far…
Links to download the covers:
Rules of Murder: http://assets.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/books/covers/original/9780764210952.jpg?1370886035
Death by the Book: http://assets.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/books/covers/original/9780764210969.jpg?1389213497
Murder at the Mikado: http://assets.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/books/covers/original/9780764210976.jpg?1383376023
Julianna Deering has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014).Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon * Novel Crossing * Bethany House
ALL readers who are interested can receive an autographed bookmark.
You can see a picture of the bookmark here.
Just send a self-address STAMPED (7" long) envelope to:
Julianna Deering
P. O. Box 375
Aubrey, Texas 76227
From the author regarding the fabulous GIVEAWAY:
How could one possibly have a cozy mystery set in an old manor house in the English countryside near a quaint little village and not have tea? Drew doesn't usually take lemon or milk in his. He prefers honey, especially if it's fresh from the hive. Mrs. Devon, his housekeeper, spoils him terribly and makes sure he has it.
Print copies of The Rules of Murder and Death by the Book and a Tea Gift Basket (US ONLY)
March 10th - 28th
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Follow the Tour:
3/11 Books & Chocolates Angels With Attitude Book Reviews
3/12 Pieces of Whimsy JoJo's Corner
3/13 Kelly P's Blog Crafty Booksheeps
3/14 The Written Adventure Letters from Annie Douglass Lima
3/16 My Devotional Thoughts Beck Valley Books
3/17 Mel's Shelves Deal Sharing Aunt
3/18 The Wonderings of One Person Cherry Mischievous
3/19 LDS and Lovin' it My Love for Reading Keeps Growing
3/20 Tell Tale Book Reviews The Pensive Chronicler
3/21 - Grand Finale
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March 12, 2014
His Hometown Girl - Win Free Romance Novels or an Amish Quilt!
On tour with Prism Book Tours...Welcome to my Book Tour stop for
His Hometown Girl
His Hometown Girl
by Karen Rock
Mass Market Paperback, Large Print, 331 pages
March 1st 2014 by Harlequin
He'd always managed to best her…
Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he's not playing fair.
Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that's always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * eHarlequin
Book Depository
An Excerpt from the Novel:
Red, pink, yellow and purple flashed as she watched fireworks paint colorful patterns against black velvet. Her mouth trembled when she felt his eyes on her. “Daniel. Aren’t you going to watch the show?” “When I see something more beautiful, I will.” She looked at him then, her mouth parted in surprise and, as if unable to resist, he pulled her against him. The feel of him drove away rational thought, the drumbeat of her heart registering in her stomach. “Daniel. No,” she murmured, but couldn’t move from such warm arms, every breath drawing in his faint smell of musk and fresh air, her heart full of him. He laid his cheek against hers. “Why?” he whispered in her ear, his voice rough. “You know why,” she whispered back, though there was no one to hear them, the distant crowd more focused on the sky. It was getting harder and harder to remember her reasons for resisting him. Her gaze drank in the shape of him—the breadth and contours of his chest, the sharp line of his widow’s peak that her fingers had traced so many times, and his eyes, above all his incredible eyes. Confronted with his nearness, Jodi understood that she was fighting familiarity, a profound kind of recognition. He stroked the back of her head. “I know the timing is lousy, but if we—” “But we’re not. It makes no sense when I imagine it,” she said, almost to herself, and pulled away. His absence registered, the way it had once before, as cold rushing in to fill the void. “So you do think about it.” His eyes lit up. “About us.” Her sigh felt as though it came from the deepest part of her. “Oh, Daniel.” He cupped her cheeks. “We can make this work.” Her brows came together. “Impossible. We both have too much to lose.” He seemed ready to argue, opening his mouth and then closing it at her firm head shake. At last, he pulled her close instead. “Our loss, yes.” The thought caught in her soul as he let her go. She rose unsteadily, an impressive display of pyrotechnics signaling the show’s end. “I’d better get back in case Tyler wakes.” They looked at each other. She didn’t want to go, the thought of leaving him and this beautiful moment behind an almost physical ache. “If you’re sure.” “I’m sure,” she said, her trembling voice giving her away. There was nothing more to say. Or too much.
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Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love. For more information about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website, Facebook page, or follow her on twitter. She’d love to hear from you!
Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Grand Prize: Hand-stitched, authentic Amish quilt (uses their overlapping heart-stitching- pattern), with matching dust ruffle for a king-sized bed, signed copies of Wish Me Tomorrow & Camp Boyfriend, and some surprise swag (US Only)
1 - Paperback/ebook copies of Wish Me Tomorrow and Camp Boyfriend (format is winner's choice, paperback for US Only) and $20 Amazon gift card2 - ebooks of Wish Me Tomorrow and Camp Boyfriend (INT)March 3 - 23
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Follow the Tour!
3/3 - Tour Launch & Excerpt
3/4 Katie's Clean Book Collection Just Jeannies Books & Bling First Page to the Last
3/5 All That's Written Cinnamon Cindy's Book Blog
3/6 I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Kelly P's Blog Harlie's Books Fiona's Book Reviews Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
3/7 Mel's Shelves Read a Book Reviews By Molly
3/9 My Devotional Thoughts Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews Tressa's Wishful Endings
3/10 Giveaway Breaking News for Indonesia That's the Way it Goes
3/11 Getting Your Read On Copywrite1985 Bottles & Books Reviews
3/12 The Wonderings of One Person Letters from Annie Douglass Lima
3/13 Lola's Reviews I Would Rather Be Reading... The Written Adventure Angels With Attitude Book Reviews
3/14 Brooke Blogs Jessie's Book Place Total Book Geek
3/16 - Tour Grand Finale
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March 10, 2014
3 Books by Ben Kniskern on Sale for $.99 - and Enter to Win an Amazon Gift Card!
The Vineyard Fray
By Ben Kniskern
About the Book:
What happens to a nation that rebels against its Creator? In the middle eastern land known as the Vineyard, time seems to pass unaffected by the people’s growing rebellion. Their bountiful, prosperous life suddenly changes when the Owner of the Vineyard decides He’s had enough.
In the midst of chaos and war, several individuals who are loyal to the Owner must band together to save their kingdom. Follow this unlikely group of heroes as they encounter mysterious messengers, battle against ruthless enemies and endeavor to turn the hearts of the people back to the One who created them.
“Great book. Struggles of real life, history and faith—what more could you want?”
LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Which God Should I Choose?
By Ben Kniskern
About the Book:
The question isn't "Is there a God" so much as "Which God should I choose?" With so many choices available, how can we ever be sure we are choosing the right one?
This book takes a closer look at some of the more prevalent and popular gods of today to see how they stack up against the qualities a real God should possess. The author's goal is to help you or someone you are concerned about make an educated decision when faced with the question, "Which God should I choose?"
"Ben's book presented so many different beliefs in an informative and simple way so that whoever picked up the book could understand."
LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Should I Get My Baby Baptized?
By Ben Kniskern
About the Book:
Having a child makes you a parent, and parents-in God's eyes-are responsible for training their child in the teachings of the Lord. This book first helps you understand God's teaching on the subject of baptism, and then moves on from there to share proven Christian child raising techniques that will help you raise a child that will bring you joy as a parent.
"Read as a book of ideas for a great parent-child relationship and child raising, this book is a good read for any parent."
All three of Ben Kniskern's books are designed to heighten the reader's spiritual awareness and strengthen their walk with the God who created them.
LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Ben Kniskern was born on November 25, 1954 in Albany, New York. He was raised nearby in Delmar, where he graduated from Bethlehem Central High School in 1972. Over the past eighteen years, Ben has ministered in the lives of many individuals ranging from children to adults. He has spent time as a Christian school teacher, Word of Life Clubs teen leader, church guest speaker, teen and adult Sunday school teacher, T&T Leader in AWANA Clubs, and, since 2001, he has been a summer volunteer at the Word of Life Family Campground in Pottersville, New York. Ben is currently working on his fourth book, "The Owner's Son," which is the second book in The Vineyard Fray trilogy and due to be released in 2014.
Follow Ben Kniskern
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March 9, 2014
Jeskie: Interview with a Street Urchin
With my third novel, Prince of Malorn, hopefully ready to publish by the beginning of May, I'm conducting a series of "interviews" with my characters. This one is the third. Enjoy!
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I meet Jeskie, a young freckle-faced boy who looks about eleven, at a quiet table in a tavern. The lunch rush is over but it’s too early for dinner, and we’re the only guests in there at the moment.He grins at me from his seat. “You said you had some questions for me. How about buying me some coffee and a fruit pastry, and then I’ll answer them.” He waves the tavern keeper over before I can reply."Why not?" I place his order and then pull out my list of questions.How would you describe yourself?He considers this. “I’m smart. I know a lotta people. Actually, I make sure on purpose that I get to know all different kinds o’ people all over Sazellia in all different trades. I can make them like me, and I learn fast and know how to earn money doin’ all sorts of different things. I’m good at listenin’ to people talk and not even hardly let ’em notice me, and I know ways to use the things I hear. I know where it’s safe to spend the night, and where not to go alone after dark. I can survive on the streets where most people can’t.”What makes you angry? “I don’t get angry all that often. But when I do, I s’pose it’s usually because someone’s been treatin' me as though I don’t know anythin’ or can’t do much. I’m as capable as most grown people. I work here at Bertam’s tavern sometimes, in the kitchen and serving food both, as well as cleanin' up at the end of the evenin’, and he says he don’t know what he’d do without me on busy days. And it’s the same thing all over. I work for people all over Malorn in ’most every trade, and they can all tell you I learn quick and do a good job.” He grins. “It’s nice havin' lots of choices. If I don’t feel like serving ale, I can go polish boots or sweep floors or cut wood or muck out stalls.”Where do you live?“All over Sazellia. Most o’ the people I work for will let me stay the night when I’m done, and if not, I know places here and there in the city where no one’ll bother me. When it’s cold or rainy, there’s a couple people I can go to who’ll always let me sleep on their couch.” Bertam, the tavern keeper, appears with his dessert and coffee. Jeskie seizes a fork and digs in with relish as I go on to the next question.Tell me about your family.“I don’t have a family,” he says matter-of-factly with his mouth full. “My mother died when I was little, and I don’t remember my father. But I’ve got lotsa friends, and that’s just as good.” He takes a sip of coffee to wash down his bite. “It’s fun being free to go where I want and do what I like, and when I need somethin’ or get in trouble there are people like Bertam here who will help me.”You helped out in a military training camp for a while. What was that like?“That was fun.” Jeskie takes a sip of his coffee. “Fun but busy. I liked watchin’ the soldiers practice with their spears, even though they never let me join in. Sometimes I would grab an extra spear and try the moves by myself over behind the wagon, though. In the evenin’ I got to sit with them by their campfires and listen to them tell stories, and that was fun. But the part I didn’t like was that I couldn’t just go what I wanted and decide what kinda work I felt like doin’ each day, like I do here. I had to stay around camp except when I was goin’ on errands. Sarge sent me out with the wagon a lot to get supplies. I got some here in Sazellia at first, but then they decided it would be safer not to come here, just in case, you know? So I went back and forth to lots of little villages and farms all around that part of the foothills. I never spent so much time on the road before, specially by myself. It was kinda fun seein’ all those places, but I like the city better.”If someone were to offer you any gift you liked, what would you ask for?“That’s another easy one.” He sips from his mug again, grinning. “A spear. A few months ago I woulda said a sword, but now I know spears are better. They’re longer, and you can jab your enemy with ’em before he’s close enough to use his sword on you. The Mountain Folk are better with their spears than anyone I’ve ever seen, but I know I could get good too if I had one o’ my own to practice with all the time.”You were seen with Prince Korram at this very tavern recently. Did it surprise you when he showed up here?“It certainly did.” Jeskie laughs. “You don't expect to see royalty in a place like this, specially after he'd been outta town so long. I was helpin' out here for the evenin', and when I came out to see what the guests who had just sat down wanted to order, I realized one of them was the prince. He wasn't dressed like it, but he was wearin' a ring with the Malornian royal crest, you see, just like the big one painted on the side of the queen’s carriage. But he looked like he didn’t wanna be recognized, so I thought I shouldn’t say anythin’. It was fun talkin' to him, though, knowin’ who he was and knowin’ that no one else at the table knew and that he didn’t know I knew. And it was fun meetin’ his two Mountain Folk friends. You could tell they weren’t from around here just by the way they stared at everythin'. And the way they ate!” He laughs again, remembering. “I live mostly on the streets, and even I’ve got better table manners than them. ’Course, now I know that’s ’cause their people usually eat sittin' round a campfire, and they don’t use dishes up in the Impassables. Still, it was pretty funny watchin' them that evenin'.”Finish this sentence: I have never told anyone this before but….“That’s easy,” he exclaims, downing the last of his coffee in one long draft. “I hope there will be a war with Alasia like people are sayin’ there might be. Wars are so excitin’, and nothin’ much excitin’ ever happens around here. If a war does start, I’m gonna find a way to go join in. I know some soldiers over at the barracks. I’m sure I can get them to let me tag along.” He stuffs another bite of pastry into his mouth.“Do you know how to fight?” I wonder.“Well, not exactly. I mean, I can use my fists, but no one’s ever let me train with a sword or anythin’. But I've seen soldiers practice with swords and with spears, and like I said, I've tried the spear moves myself a bit. It can’t be that hard, and in a battle I’m sure you can find lotsa dropped weapons, so I know I’ll manage. I’ve always wanted to be a hero, and that’s definitely the best way.”
Click here to read my interview with Ernth, one of the Mountain Folk.Click here to read my interview with Lantil, a Malornian coffee farmer.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/ori...I meet Jeskie, a young freckle-faced boy who looks about eleven, at a quiet table in a tavern. The lunch rush is over but it’s too early for dinner, and we’re the only guests in there at the moment.He grins at me from his seat. “You said you had some questions for me. How about buying me some coffee and a fruit pastry, and then I’ll answer them.” He waves the tavern keeper over before I can reply."Why not?" I place his order and then pull out my list of questions.How would you describe yourself?He considers this. “I’m smart. I know a lotta people. Actually, I make sure on purpose that I get to know all different kinds o’ people all over Sazellia in all different trades. I can make them like me, and I learn fast and know how to earn money doin’ all sorts of different things. I’m good at listenin’ to people talk and not even hardly let ’em notice me, and I know ways to use the things I hear. I know where it’s safe to spend the night, and where not to go alone after dark. I can survive on the streets where most people can’t.”What makes you angry? “I don’t get angry all that often. But when I do, I s’pose it’s usually because someone’s been treatin' me as though I don’t know anythin’ or can’t do much. I’m as capable as most grown people. I work here at Bertam’s tavern sometimes, in the kitchen and serving food both, as well as cleanin' up at the end of the evenin’, and he says he don’t know what he’d do without me on busy days. And it’s the same thing all over. I work for people all over Malorn in ’most every trade, and they can all tell you I learn quick and do a good job.” He grins. “It’s nice havin' lots of choices. If I don’t feel like serving ale, I can go polish boots or sweep floors or cut wood or muck out stalls.”Where do you live?“All over Sazellia. Most o’ the people I work for will let me stay the night when I’m done, and if not, I know places here and there in the city where no one’ll bother me. When it’s cold or rainy, there’s a couple people I can go to who’ll always let me sleep on their couch.” Bertam, the tavern keeper, appears with his dessert and coffee. Jeskie seizes a fork and digs in with relish as I go on to the next question.Tell me about your family.“I don’t have a family,” he says matter-of-factly with his mouth full. “My mother died when I was little, and I don’t remember my father. But I’ve got lotsa friends, and that’s just as good.” He takes a sip of coffee to wash down his bite. “It’s fun being free to go where I want and do what I like, and when I need somethin’ or get in trouble there are people like Bertam here who will help me.”You helped out in a military training camp for a while. What was that like?“That was fun.” Jeskie takes a sip of his coffee. “Fun but busy. I liked watchin’ the soldiers practice with their spears, even though they never let me join in. Sometimes I would grab an extra spear and try the moves by myself over behind the wagon, though. In the evenin’ I got to sit with them by their campfires and listen to them tell stories, and that was fun. But the part I didn’t like was that I couldn’t just go what I wanted and decide what kinda work I felt like doin’ each day, like I do here. I had to stay around camp except when I was goin’ on errands. Sarge sent me out with the wagon a lot to get supplies. I got some here in Sazellia at first, but then they decided it would be safer not to come here, just in case, you know? So I went back and forth to lots of little villages and farms all around that part of the foothills. I never spent so much time on the road before, specially by myself. It was kinda fun seein’ all those places, but I like the city better.”If someone were to offer you any gift you liked, what would you ask for?“That’s another easy one.” He sips from his mug again, grinning. “A spear. A few months ago I woulda said a sword, but now I know spears are better. They’re longer, and you can jab your enemy with ’em before he’s close enough to use his sword on you. The Mountain Folk are better with their spears than anyone I’ve ever seen, but I know I could get good too if I had one o’ my own to practice with all the time.”You were seen with Prince Korram at this very tavern recently. Did it surprise you when he showed up here?“It certainly did.” Jeskie laughs. “You don't expect to see royalty in a place like this, specially after he'd been outta town so long. I was helpin' out here for the evenin', and when I came out to see what the guests who had just sat down wanted to order, I realized one of them was the prince. He wasn't dressed like it, but he was wearin' a ring with the Malornian royal crest, you see, just like the big one painted on the side of the queen’s carriage. But he looked like he didn’t wanna be recognized, so I thought I shouldn’t say anythin’. It was fun talkin' to him, though, knowin’ who he was and knowin’ that no one else at the table knew and that he didn’t know I knew. And it was fun meetin’ his two Mountain Folk friends. You could tell they weren’t from around here just by the way they stared at everythin'. And the way they ate!” He laughs again, remembering. “I live mostly on the streets, and even I’ve got better table manners than them. ’Course, now I know that’s ’cause their people usually eat sittin' round a campfire, and they don’t use dishes up in the Impassables. Still, it was pretty funny watchin' them that evenin'.”Finish this sentence: I have never told anyone this before but….“That’s easy,” he exclaims, downing the last of his coffee in one long draft. “I hope there will be a war with Alasia like people are sayin’ there might be. Wars are so excitin’, and nothin’ much excitin’ ever happens around here. If a war does start, I’m gonna find a way to go join in. I know some soldiers over at the barracks. I’m sure I can get them to let me tag along.” He stuffs another bite of pastry into his mouth.“Do you know how to fight?” I wonder.“Well, not exactly. I mean, I can use my fists, but no one’s ever let me train with a sword or anythin’. But I've seen soldiers practice with swords and with spears, and like I said, I've tried the spear moves myself a bit. It can’t be that hard, and in a battle I’m sure you can find lotsa dropped weapons, so I know I’ll manage. I’ve always wanted to be a hero, and that’s definitely the best way.”
Click here to read my interview with Ernth, one of the Mountain Folk.Click here to read my interview with Lantil, a Malornian coffee farmer.
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy's Service.
March 6, 2014
Slave Again: an International Suspense Novel
She escaped a North Korean prison camp only to find herself enslaved again.
Slave Again , by inspirational suspense novelist Alana Terry.
Synopsis: Mee-Kyong endured a childhood fending for herself in a North Korean prison camp. When she finally flees across the border into China, Mee-Kyong must draw upon all her survival skills. Does Mee-Kyong have the cunning she needs to escape the world of abuse and shame into which she's been sold? Can she manage to save both herself and the innocent child under her protection?
About the Author: Alana Terry is a homeschool mom, pastor's wife, and Christian author. Her debut novel, The Beloved Daughter , has won awards from Women of Faith and the Book Club Network. The Beloved Daughter was a number one bestseller in Christian suspense on amazon. Her next novel, Slave Again, is due out this summer.
First Chapter Reveal: Want to read the first chapter from Slave Again? Scroll down below the giveaway to get your own sneak preview.
Click here to watch the "book trailer" for Slave Again!
Giveaway Time! Alana is giving away free copies of her next release to anyone who makes a donation to Liberty in North Korea, an organization dedicated to rescuing refugees who escape North Korea. She's also giving away a mini kobo e-reader and several copies of Slave Again, so be sure to enter the giveaway below!
Click here to enter the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway
READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF SLAVE AGAIN (if the widget below isn't working, click here).
Slave Again , by inspirational suspense novelist Alana Terry.
Synopsis: Mee-Kyong endured a childhood fending for herself in a North Korean prison camp. When she finally flees across the border into China, Mee-Kyong must draw upon all her survival skills. Does Mee-Kyong have the cunning she needs to escape the world of abuse and shame into which she's been sold? Can she manage to save both herself and the innocent child under her protection?
About the Author: Alana Terry is a homeschool mom, pastor's wife, and Christian author. Her debut novel, The Beloved Daughter , has won awards from Women of Faith and the Book Club Network. The Beloved Daughter was a number one bestseller in Christian suspense on amazon. Her next novel, Slave Again, is due out this summer.
First Chapter Reveal: Want to read the first chapter from Slave Again? Scroll down below the giveaway to get your own sneak preview.
Click here to watch the "book trailer" for Slave Again!
Giveaway Time! Alana is giving away free copies of her next release to anyone who makes a donation to Liberty in North Korea, an organization dedicated to rescuing refugees who escape North Korea. She's also giving away a mini kobo e-reader and several copies of Slave Again, so be sure to enter the giveaway below!
Click here to enter the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway
READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF SLAVE AGAIN (if the widget below isn't working, click here).
March 4, 2014
Interview with Anne Elisabeth Stengl
I'm so excited to be interviewing one of my all-time favorite authors on my blog today! Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the author of the fantasy series Tales of Goldstone Wood. Her latest book, Shadow Hand, is available on Amazon today (you can read a description of the story at the bottom of this post). Now she's taken the time to answer some questions about the book and about her writing in general.
Tell us a little about your “real” (non-writing) life: family, pets, job, church, etc. Does it give you inspiration for your writing? Does it get in the way of your writing, or are there times when you get help from people or circumstances?
Hmmm, let’s see . . . in my real life I am a crazy-cat-lady/introverted bookworm, who somehow managed to meet Prince Charming despite all of the above! His name is Rohan, and we have been married for three-and-a-half years. We live in a little house on a hill beside a bamboo forest. We’ve named our house Rooglewood. Just because we can. The bamboo forest is home to a whole colony of feral cats, so I spend a good bit of my free time rescuing and finding homes for wild kittens—and getting the adults spayed/neutered. I just successfully rescued and tamed my first wild adult, a mother cat from whom we got three litters of kittens before I could catch her and have her spayed! She is now named Mutti, and she is going to live with us, bringing our total cat-count up to six. I told you—crazy-cat-lady.
I am also an artist, and I dabble in design projects for marketing purposes. I’ve been learning the ways of photo-manipulation this last year, which has been very interesting and challenging at the same time. I used to be a pretty decent classical pianist, but I’ve gone quite rusty in recent years. I love to teach, and I have a lovely host of creative writing students whom I mentor online. They are all so talented and inspiring! I’m sure you will all be reading their work someday. I run a small editing business called Stengl Fiction Editing Services. I and my fellow editors provide many kinds of edits to suit stories at various stages of polish.
All of this does, yes, keep me very busy, and it can be difficult sometimes to carve out writing time. But the cats are very inspirational. As is Rooglewood itself, for that matter. My husband helped me create a cozy little writing study out of one of the rooms, and I spend most of my days in here, surrounded by my cats and my long-suffering miniature Newfoundland (aka mutt), Milly. My husband makes a big difference in helping me create time for my writing career . . . he does most of the laundry, cooks better than I do, and brings me mugs of tea or warm milk to soothe me at need. He really is an angel come to earth.
Tell us about working with any people who help you create your books. Do you use beta readers? Hire an editor or proofreader? How do you get your covers?
My mother helps me the most when it comes to creating books. She is always the first person to hear the story ideas, and she patiently brainstorms with me as I chop away the “dead-wood ideas” to get to the solid story underneath. She reads every chapter as I write it and encourages me when I hit rough spots. Later on, she is my first and most detailed line and copy editor, going over the manuscripts before my publishing house even sees them. I seriously could not do these stories without her!
My husband is my other great contributor. Aside from basically just keeping me sane when I’m in the throes of creativity, he also brainstorms, helping me find solutions to problems when I can’t see my way clear of a sticky patch. He has written poetry (Bard Eanrin’s poetic verses have to come from somewhere!) and designed castles and locations. He’s very patient when we go on dates and I spend the bulk of a romantic dinner talking about the weird research I’ve been doing lately.
AE: “Oh Rohan, let me tell you all about guanine, which is this disgusting slimy substance I just read about today . . .”Rohan: “Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”AE: “. . . it coats the hides of certain deep sea fish; isn’t that fascinating?”
I recently started working with a new cover designer, Julia Popova. She has been so much fun to work with! I get to be involved in much of the design process, though all of the beautiful artistry is hers. Readers who are interested can see the step-by-step design process of my newest book cover, Golden Daughter.
Since you have several books out, tell us what you think works for promotion. What are your thoughts on ebooks versus print books and different ways to let people know about you and your books?
I mostly work on promoting via the blog world. I do interviews (like this one!) and have done blog tours in the past. I also participate in scavenger hunts (I’m part of a new one this spring), which is a fun way to join up with other authors to promote each other’s work. On my own blog I host fun contests such as the fan-fiction and fan-art contests, which generate a lot of interest in the series and give my fans a chance to demonstrate their own creativity!
Ebooks are great. They provide a whole new, wonderful way for readers to access good fiction. I’m a huge fan! My husband and I try to run free or low-priced specials for my ebooks, and we make certain to run ads for those with various companies such as BookBub or BookGorilla.
For the most part, I adhere to the philosophy that your “front list sells your back list.” That is to say, the more books you put out, the more all of the books sell. So I try to always have the next big thing in the works for my readers, whether it’s a full-length novel or a novella.
Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?
Well, my husband and I also run a small publishing imprint called Rooglewood Press. We hosted an exciting writing contest last year—the Five Glass Slippers contest. This was for novella-length retellings of Cinderella. We ended up with submissions from across the world! So many wonderful stories were sent in. And the result is a fantastic collection of Cinderella retellings which will be releasing this summer. This contest was so successful, we’re hosting another one this year, based on another fairy tale. Info on that will be available in June! This was definitely an exciting writing-related task, and one I hope to repeat and improve in years to come.
Rooglewood Press is also excited to be releasing a new historical-fiction novel this spring. It is called Until That Distant Day and was written by award-winning novelist Jill Stengl . . . who also happens to be my mother. J It is a beautiful book set during the French Revolution, and I can hardly wait until it hits the shelves!
Tell us about Shadow Hand. Make us want to read it.
Shadow Hand is a dark fairy tale featuring the most frightening villain yet seen in Goldstone Wood . . . the disembodied, soulless parasite, Cren Cru. We rediscover familiar characters from the first three Goldstone Wood books and learn how their stories directly entwine with stories from the past. Many questions of the series are resolved in this tale . . . and many new questions are asked. It is a story about blood and love . . . and all things that lie Between.
Dragons are a common theme in fantasy, but the ones in your books are very different than most! Why have you chosen to portray them like this, and where did you get the idea?
I have always particularly enjoyed stories featuring evil dragons. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good dragon now and then, but I never met a friendly dragon that could compete with Tolkien’s Smaug for pure, delightful fascination. So I knew that my series would be peppered with evil dragons . . . though when I first began developing Goldstone Wood, I didn’t realize how important the dragon theme would be!
The original idea for my dragons and their origin stems from classic sources. Many people have compared the idea to C.S. Lewis’s Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but the idea is actually much older than that. Fafnir, the most famous dragon of Norse mythology, underwent a transformation similar to Eustace’s (a likely source of Lewis’s inspiration for that tale). The notion of “dragons of the heart” is very old and interesting.
It also fit the point I was trying to make when I wrote the book Heartless—that ultimately my heroine, Princess Una, was her own worst enemy. Her own sin nature, as represented by her dragon form, was the true, crippling villain of her story.
This theme worked so dynamically in Heartlessthat it went on to become one of the core themes of the entire series.
What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to promote old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)
I always say that the central theme of this entire series is undeserved grace. I don’t write about perfect heroes or heroines. My characters never make sudden transformations, nor do they discover some brilliant talent that suddenly enables them to conquer all. They are flawed individuals, very much like you and like me. They struggle and they often fail. They never deserve to succeed, for they are as flawed at heart as any of the villains they face. But grace is offered to them despite their flaws. The same grace, by the way, which is offered to the villains. For ultimately everyone in this series is offered the same gift, whether or not they choose to accept it.
What’s the worst trouble you ever had with getting a book written (plots, finding needed information, getting a cover done)?
The opening of Dragonwitch proved the most difficult piece of writing I have ever attempted. While the plot was strong, and I loved the premise, I struggled and struggled to find the right place to open that story! I tried five different beginnings, all of them about 40,000 words long . . . all of which had to be scrapped as I tried again. I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get that story started! I have always struggled a little bit with openings, but nothing before or since has equaled the Dragonwitchopening. And this was all on a very tight deadline, I hardly need add! I finally had to start that book in the middle, write to the end, then go back and plug in an opening that worked. This is not a method I would ever recommend—I’m a firm believer in the organic unfolding of a plot—but it is what finally worked for Dragonwitch. I love that book, but I will always look back on the drafting of it with a shudder!
What’s your next project? Tell us so we can’t wait for it to come out!
Well, the next book to release is going to be Golden Daughter . This one is book 7 in the series, and it picks up just a few years after the (historical) events of Shadow Hand. It is set in the far eastern Noorhitam Empire, which was an extremely fun setting to write about and to research! The cast of characters includes Sairu, the titular “Golden Daughter,” who is a highly trained bodyguard. She is given the task of guarding a temple girl, one of the sacred Dream Walkers, who is being stalked by a variety of assassins and villains, all of whom want her for different purposes. Sairu is not told why but is left to sleuth out her new mistress’s secrets on her own.
Of all the heroines I have ever written about, Sairu might be my favorite. She is smart (almost frighteningly so), intuitive, and extremely tough. She is a bright, perky, lighthearted, ever-smiling young lady—the exact opposite personality one would expect in someone with her training and performing her role.
She also owns three fluffy little dogs whom she adores: Dumpling, Rice Cake, and Sticky Bun. You can imagine how much Bard Eanrin (the fan-favorite poet-cat) enjoys interacting with them . . .
What future writing projects do you have in mind?
There are MANY more Goldstone Wood stories to come! I am currently working on a new novella set far back in the ancient days of Parumvir (loooong before Dragonwitch) during the time the Brothers Ashiun still served the Near World of mortals. Once that is complete, I’ll be getting to work on book 8 in the series (the title of which is still secret). More news on that should be forthcoming!
What is your favorite of your books/characters?
My favorite book is always the one I just finished. So right now, that would be Golden Daughter, though I have high hopes of surpassing Golden Daughterwith my various plans for book 8. My favorite character is Eanrin. I do love all of my characters, but I am a crazy-cat-lady! So you know I’m going to love the cat. He’s also just so much fun to write. Every scene in which he features is bound to be interesting and entertaining. I know him very well, having been writing about him since high school days. He and I seem to understand each other rather well.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Annie! These were fun questions to answer. J
Author Bio:Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series, adventure fantasies told in the classic Fairy Tale style. Her books include Christy Award-winning Heartless and Veiled Rose, and Clive Staples Award-winning Starflower. She makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration and English literature at Grace College and Campbell University. Shadow Hand , book 6 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood, releases on March 4, 2014. Golden Daughter, book 7 in the series, is coming November 2014.To learn more about Anne Elisabeth, visit:blog: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.comFacebook: Anne Elisabeth Stengl, AuthorTwitter: @AEStengl_________Shadow Hand (available now):
This is a story about love, and blood, and the many things that lie between . . . By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. Unable to bear the future she sees as her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.
But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal fey parasite . . .
A world that is hauntingly familiar.
__________
Golden Daughter (coming November 2014)
BEYOND THE REALM OF DREAMSIS A WORLD SHE NEVER IMAGINED
Masayi Sairu was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day, Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard for the rest of her life.
But when she learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from evils she can neither see nor touch?
For the Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.
Tell us a little about your “real” (non-writing) life: family, pets, job, church, etc. Does it give you inspiration for your writing? Does it get in the way of your writing, or are there times when you get help from people or circumstances?
Hmmm, let’s see . . . in my real life I am a crazy-cat-lady/introverted bookworm, who somehow managed to meet Prince Charming despite all of the above! His name is Rohan, and we have been married for three-and-a-half years. We live in a little house on a hill beside a bamboo forest. We’ve named our house Rooglewood. Just because we can. The bamboo forest is home to a whole colony of feral cats, so I spend a good bit of my free time rescuing and finding homes for wild kittens—and getting the adults spayed/neutered. I just successfully rescued and tamed my first wild adult, a mother cat from whom we got three litters of kittens before I could catch her and have her spayed! She is now named Mutti, and she is going to live with us, bringing our total cat-count up to six. I told you—crazy-cat-lady.
I am also an artist, and I dabble in design projects for marketing purposes. I’ve been learning the ways of photo-manipulation this last year, which has been very interesting and challenging at the same time. I used to be a pretty decent classical pianist, but I’ve gone quite rusty in recent years. I love to teach, and I have a lovely host of creative writing students whom I mentor online. They are all so talented and inspiring! I’m sure you will all be reading their work someday. I run a small editing business called Stengl Fiction Editing Services. I and my fellow editors provide many kinds of edits to suit stories at various stages of polish.
All of this does, yes, keep me very busy, and it can be difficult sometimes to carve out writing time. But the cats are very inspirational. As is Rooglewood itself, for that matter. My husband helped me create a cozy little writing study out of one of the rooms, and I spend most of my days in here, surrounded by my cats and my long-suffering miniature Newfoundland (aka mutt), Milly. My husband makes a big difference in helping me create time for my writing career . . . he does most of the laundry, cooks better than I do, and brings me mugs of tea or warm milk to soothe me at need. He really is an angel come to earth.
Tell us about working with any people who help you create your books. Do you use beta readers? Hire an editor or proofreader? How do you get your covers?
My mother helps me the most when it comes to creating books. She is always the first person to hear the story ideas, and she patiently brainstorms with me as I chop away the “dead-wood ideas” to get to the solid story underneath. She reads every chapter as I write it and encourages me when I hit rough spots. Later on, she is my first and most detailed line and copy editor, going over the manuscripts before my publishing house even sees them. I seriously could not do these stories without her!
My husband is my other great contributor. Aside from basically just keeping me sane when I’m in the throes of creativity, he also brainstorms, helping me find solutions to problems when I can’t see my way clear of a sticky patch. He has written poetry (Bard Eanrin’s poetic verses have to come from somewhere!) and designed castles and locations. He’s very patient when we go on dates and I spend the bulk of a romantic dinner talking about the weird research I’ve been doing lately.
AE: “Oh Rohan, let me tell you all about guanine, which is this disgusting slimy substance I just read about today . . .”Rohan: “Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”AE: “. . . it coats the hides of certain deep sea fish; isn’t that fascinating?”
I recently started working with a new cover designer, Julia Popova. She has been so much fun to work with! I get to be involved in much of the design process, though all of the beautiful artistry is hers. Readers who are interested can see the step-by-step design process of my newest book cover, Golden Daughter.
Since you have several books out, tell us what you think works for promotion. What are your thoughts on ebooks versus print books and different ways to let people know about you and your books?
I mostly work on promoting via the blog world. I do interviews (like this one!) and have done blog tours in the past. I also participate in scavenger hunts (I’m part of a new one this spring), which is a fun way to join up with other authors to promote each other’s work. On my own blog I host fun contests such as the fan-fiction and fan-art contests, which generate a lot of interest in the series and give my fans a chance to demonstrate their own creativity!
Ebooks are great. They provide a whole new, wonderful way for readers to access good fiction. I’m a huge fan! My husband and I try to run free or low-priced specials for my ebooks, and we make certain to run ads for those with various companies such as BookBub or BookGorilla.
For the most part, I adhere to the philosophy that your “front list sells your back list.” That is to say, the more books you put out, the more all of the books sell. So I try to always have the next big thing in the works for my readers, whether it’s a full-length novel or a novella.
Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?
Well, my husband and I also run a small publishing imprint called Rooglewood Press. We hosted an exciting writing contest last year—the Five Glass Slippers contest. This was for novella-length retellings of Cinderella. We ended up with submissions from across the world! So many wonderful stories were sent in. And the result is a fantastic collection of Cinderella retellings which will be releasing this summer. This contest was so successful, we’re hosting another one this year, based on another fairy tale. Info on that will be available in June! This was definitely an exciting writing-related task, and one I hope to repeat and improve in years to come.
Rooglewood Press is also excited to be releasing a new historical-fiction novel this spring. It is called Until That Distant Day and was written by award-winning novelist Jill Stengl . . . who also happens to be my mother. J It is a beautiful book set during the French Revolution, and I can hardly wait until it hits the shelves!
Tell us about Shadow Hand. Make us want to read it.
Shadow Hand is a dark fairy tale featuring the most frightening villain yet seen in Goldstone Wood . . . the disembodied, soulless parasite, Cren Cru. We rediscover familiar characters from the first three Goldstone Wood books and learn how their stories directly entwine with stories from the past. Many questions of the series are resolved in this tale . . . and many new questions are asked. It is a story about blood and love . . . and all things that lie Between.
Dragons are a common theme in fantasy, but the ones in your books are very different than most! Why have you chosen to portray them like this, and where did you get the idea?
I have always particularly enjoyed stories featuring evil dragons. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good dragon now and then, but I never met a friendly dragon that could compete with Tolkien’s Smaug for pure, delightful fascination. So I knew that my series would be peppered with evil dragons . . . though when I first began developing Goldstone Wood, I didn’t realize how important the dragon theme would be!
The original idea for my dragons and their origin stems from classic sources. Many people have compared the idea to C.S. Lewis’s Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but the idea is actually much older than that. Fafnir, the most famous dragon of Norse mythology, underwent a transformation similar to Eustace’s (a likely source of Lewis’s inspiration for that tale). The notion of “dragons of the heart” is very old and interesting.
It also fit the point I was trying to make when I wrote the book Heartless—that ultimately my heroine, Princess Una, was her own worst enemy. Her own sin nature, as represented by her dragon form, was the true, crippling villain of her story.
This theme worked so dynamically in Heartlessthat it went on to become one of the core themes of the entire series.
What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to promote old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)
I always say that the central theme of this entire series is undeserved grace. I don’t write about perfect heroes or heroines. My characters never make sudden transformations, nor do they discover some brilliant talent that suddenly enables them to conquer all. They are flawed individuals, very much like you and like me. They struggle and they often fail. They never deserve to succeed, for they are as flawed at heart as any of the villains they face. But grace is offered to them despite their flaws. The same grace, by the way, which is offered to the villains. For ultimately everyone in this series is offered the same gift, whether or not they choose to accept it.
What’s the worst trouble you ever had with getting a book written (plots, finding needed information, getting a cover done)?
The opening of Dragonwitch proved the most difficult piece of writing I have ever attempted. While the plot was strong, and I loved the premise, I struggled and struggled to find the right place to open that story! I tried five different beginnings, all of them about 40,000 words long . . . all of which had to be scrapped as I tried again. I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to get that story started! I have always struggled a little bit with openings, but nothing before or since has equaled the Dragonwitchopening. And this was all on a very tight deadline, I hardly need add! I finally had to start that book in the middle, write to the end, then go back and plug in an opening that worked. This is not a method I would ever recommend—I’m a firm believer in the organic unfolding of a plot—but it is what finally worked for Dragonwitch. I love that book, but I will always look back on the drafting of it with a shudder!
What’s your next project? Tell us so we can’t wait for it to come out!
Well, the next book to release is going to be Golden Daughter . This one is book 7 in the series, and it picks up just a few years after the (historical) events of Shadow Hand. It is set in the far eastern Noorhitam Empire, which was an extremely fun setting to write about and to research! The cast of characters includes Sairu, the titular “Golden Daughter,” who is a highly trained bodyguard. She is given the task of guarding a temple girl, one of the sacred Dream Walkers, who is being stalked by a variety of assassins and villains, all of whom want her for different purposes. Sairu is not told why but is left to sleuth out her new mistress’s secrets on her own.
Of all the heroines I have ever written about, Sairu might be my favorite. She is smart (almost frighteningly so), intuitive, and extremely tough. She is a bright, perky, lighthearted, ever-smiling young lady—the exact opposite personality one would expect in someone with her training and performing her role.
She also owns three fluffy little dogs whom she adores: Dumpling, Rice Cake, and Sticky Bun. You can imagine how much Bard Eanrin (the fan-favorite poet-cat) enjoys interacting with them . . .
What future writing projects do you have in mind?
There are MANY more Goldstone Wood stories to come! I am currently working on a new novella set far back in the ancient days of Parumvir (loooong before Dragonwitch) during the time the Brothers Ashiun still served the Near World of mortals. Once that is complete, I’ll be getting to work on book 8 in the series (the title of which is still secret). More news on that should be forthcoming!
What is your favorite of your books/characters?
My favorite book is always the one I just finished. So right now, that would be Golden Daughter, though I have high hopes of surpassing Golden Daughterwith my various plans for book 8. My favorite character is Eanrin. I do love all of my characters, but I am a crazy-cat-lady! So you know I’m going to love the cat. He’s also just so much fun to write. Every scene in which he features is bound to be interesting and entertaining. I know him very well, having been writing about him since high school days. He and I seem to understand each other rather well.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Annie! These were fun questions to answer. J
Author Bio:Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series, adventure fantasies told in the classic Fairy Tale style. Her books include Christy Award-winning Heartless and Veiled Rose, and Clive Staples Award-winning Starflower. She makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration and English literature at Grace College and Campbell University. Shadow Hand , book 6 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood, releases on March 4, 2014. Golden Daughter, book 7 in the series, is coming November 2014.To learn more about Anne Elisabeth, visit:blog: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.comFacebook: Anne Elisabeth Stengl, AuthorTwitter: @AEStengl_________Shadow Hand (available now):
This is a story about love, and blood, and the many things that lie between . . . By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. Unable to bear the future she sees as her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.
But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal fey parasite . . .
A world that is hauntingly familiar.
__________
Golden Daughter (coming November 2014)
BEYOND THE REALM OF DREAMSIS A WORLD SHE NEVER IMAGINED
Masayi Sairu was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day, Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard for the rest of her life.
But when she learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from evils she can neither see nor touch?
For the Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.
