R.J. Larson's Blog, page 7

Coming soon! The Autumn Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

Join the hunt!
October 17-19th, 30+ awesome offers, plus the chance to win a Kindle Fire HDX, or you could win one copy each of all these novels!

I will also conduct a drawing on this page for three readers to win EXILES, or any ebook from the Books of the Infinite series!

Stop by, and enter--I'd love to see you win!

What I Did on Summer Vacation

It's been two months since my last post. However, I delayed for a purpose--to share news. Dawnlight, written under my Kacy Barnett-Gramckow name, is being released in paperback!

Meanwhile, Dawnlight's new book trailer is featured in Book Fun 
Magazine's August issue, along with one of my lengthier summer projects--an article offering a few secrets, a SALE, and an explanation of my writing journey, as well as my dual writing personality. (page 111)

Drop in for a look-see! 

I've been delighted by Dawnlight's reception among readers. Matthew 27:52-53 is one of the most intriguing yet obscure verses in the New Testament, and bringing that era to life was a prayerful challenge and a joy. Want a sneak peek at chapter 1? You'll find it here.

What's next on my schedule? Elk Lake publishers will soon release Exiles, a spinoff from the Books of the Infinite series, followed by Queen.

More details to follow  in my end-of-August post!

Fun Summer Reads!

Summer's approach makes me long for the beach, or at least the nearest hammock or a cushioned seat in the shade, with a tall glass of iced tea and a book. What have I been reading these past few weeks while the warmer temps tempt me to relax?

In no particular order, here are my four most recent reads!


For fantasy YA readers of all ages!
No one writes fun and (forgive me) cozy Inspirational fantasy adventures like Donita K. Paul. Repeat: No One!

Cantor D'Ahma has waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift, the young Realm Walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms.
But mere hours after he first steps through a portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are not as safe as they once were, and members of the Realm Walkers Guild have become corrupt and can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment---finding a dragon to assist him on his quest---has led him to one who is clearly inept.
With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt Guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But can his skills progress in time? And will Cantor remember where his true allegiance lies?

Medieval Fantasy fans, take note! C. E. Laureano enters the Fantasy publishing realm with the captivating Oath of the Brotherhood. If you love inspy medieval fantasy, grab this one before you head off on vacation!

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

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


Biblical fiction worth waiting for! I love Biblical fiction, and Tessa Afshar's upcoming novelization of Ruth is as tender and delightful as this cover! (Yes, I received an advance copy from River North, so it's not available yet. Sorry. However, this one's worth waiting for.)

Recently widowed, Ruth is left with a broken heart, a barren womb, and an empty future. Yet she's determined not to let her "chosen mother," Naomi, starve---so accompanies her to Israel. When Ruth meets Boaz---a wealthy landowner---she expects no special treatment. But will Boaz lose his heart to this foreign woman with haunted eyes?







Wonderfully written suspense!
 Peggy Levesque's debut romantic suspense is my current read. An unpredictable and fantastically detailed thriller. Peggy, I hope you're writing another one!

DEA Agent Greg Jennings is dead—and now they’re saying he was dirty, on the take. His widow, Sara, hiding out in the Witness Protection program after an attempt on her life, refuses to believe it, though everyone else seems to have accepted it as truth. Everyone, that is, except Drug Enforcement Administration Agent James (Mac) MacIntyre, Greg’s best friend. When yet another attempt on Sara’s life drives her out of the Wit Sec program and back home to Phoenix, Mac makes it his personal mission to protect Sara and, in the process, to clear her late husband’s and his best friend’s name. With a ruthless drug cartel hot on their heels and a mole in the agency undermining their every move, Mac and Sara find themselves literally running for their lives—even as romance tugs at their hearts. Will they unearth the truth and outrun the danger in time to carve out a future for themselves? *E-book. Arrives in Paperback July 1, 2014!


What are you reading this summer???

Dawnlight Giveaway!

Giveaway!!! TEN e-copies of Dawnlight
Starting Wednesday April 16th at 12:01 AM through Saturday April 19th at
midnight, Elk Lake Publishers will offer Dawnlight at .99 cents on Amazon, for Kindle readers!
To celebrate, I'm offering ten copies free--to be sent out to ten random picks on Friday evening,
April 17, 2014.

Celebrate your Holy-Day weekend by relaxing with this joyous Resurrection story inspired by Matthew 27:52-53!

To enter the random no-strings drawing, send me a note via the form on this webpage:
http://www.rjlarsonbooks.com/About-Us.html


I won't add your email to a list, nor will I sell it, I promise.

If your name is chosen on Friday evening at 6:00pm MT, I'll simply send Dawnlight your way, and Amazon will notify you! Please, in your entry email, let me know which Amazon email you'd prefer to use.

If you prefer to have your prize sent to another reader, please enclose their Amazon-friendly address in your email.

Winners will be listed on this blog next week!



 

"...And the tombs were opened and many bodies of the righteous who had fallen asleep were brought to life again, and after His resurrection, they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many."

 

Resource Page for Catch Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt

Catch Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger HuntResource page





Welcome hunters! Have you wandered over here, wondering where to start the hunt? Look no further! Start HERE.

Have you gathered your clues and completed your phrase? Congratulations! You can officially enter the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this page for your chance to win the Grand prize!

Are you lost and searching for a link to one particular Stop # on the hunt? Look no further! You've come to the right place.

1.   Kacy Barnett-Gramckow/R. J. Larson
2.   Karen Whiting
3.   Carla Stewart
4.   Sharon Srock
5.   Anne Greene
6.   Kathy Harris
7.   Margaret Daley
8.   Miralee Ferrell
9.   Jocelyn Green
10. Janet Bly
11. Lena Nelson Dooley
12. Martha Rogers
13. Gail Gaymer Martin
14. Marti Pieper
15. Winnie Griggs
16. Liz Tolsma
17. Doreen Hanna
18. Sarah Sundin
19. Linda J. White
20. Vickie McDonough
21. Sherry Kyle
22. Ava Pennington
23. Diane Stortz
24. Cheri Cowell
25. Golden Keyes Parsons
26. Linda S. Clare
27. Rebecca Ondov
28. Kathy Collard Miller
29. Christine Lindsey


FINISHED with the Hunt? Congratulations! If you've gathered all your clues--no spoilers, please!--enter your name and info into the Rafflecopter form below. Thanks for visiting our sites!Sincerely, the Christian Authors Network hunt team.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Catch Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt Stop #1

 Welcome to the Catch-Us-if-You-CAN Spring Scavenger Hunt!
We hope you enjoy meeting Christian Authors Network members as you chase down clues for the chance to win our grand prize: $200 in USD gift cards from CBD, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, plus 29 free books, one from each participating CAN author!2nd and 3rd Prizes: $50 Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or CBD gift certificate!
Here are the CAN Hunt’s official guidelines:

·     Catch us on this hunt beginning at Noon on Friday, 03/21/14 and ending at Midnight on Thursday, 03/27/14. No needto hurry as you search for clues—you have almost an entire week! If you need help at any time during the hunt, check in here: HELP


·     Enjoy 29 stops, each featuring a different CAN author!


·     Gather the clues from each post, beginning at STOP # 1 and ending at Stop #29. Follow the directions and fill out the Rafflecopter form. Be ready to provide the complete clue in sentence form, gathered from all 29 stops within 2 days of email notification or another winner will be randomly drawn. There is no need to email/submit the clue, unless you are notified by 03/29/13.


Sorry, due to international regulations and postage costs, the top prizes will be awarded to US Residents only. Individual contests within the hunt may vary, so please read rules presented with each giveaway.
Karen Whiting         Karen Whiting
Welcome, Hunters! I'm pleased to introduce Karen Whiting at this stop.



Karen is a busy Mom of five and serves the Christian Author's Network as its treasurer. When asked what inspired her to write, Karen replied, "I never wanted to write (my degree is math so I stayed as far away from writing as possible). For many years people said I should write about the things I did for my children to develop their faith. Just before my oldest started college and youngest started preschool I went off on a retreat and prayer and God gave me a vision about writing. The next morning the flip side of our place-mats were paintings for each of us. Mine was a painting of the vision with Proverbs 3:4-5 on it."

While trusting the Lord and leaning not on her own understanding, Karen has written 20 books! That's an awesome number for someone who never wanted to write!
 Karen adds fun and whimsy to her work, as this image proves. Think:  The One Year My Princess Devotions: Preschool Edition.  Princess Karen


But don't believe for an instant that Karen is only all about tiaras! Her latest book, Nature Girl: A Guide to Caring for God's Creation, encourages readers to join her in practicing good stewardship of our planet while teaching our kids a hands-on approach to conserving Earth's precious resources. 







Karen, thank you for your time and the fun images!Find Karen's upcoming books  on:FacebookandPinterest!




Now, onward!


THE SCAVENGER HUNT CAN-DOs: 
Before you go, write down this STOP #1 clue:  "Welcome! We

But WAIT! Check out these giveaways!
Free e-book!R. J. Larson's Biblical Fantasy Prophet, the e-book, is free through April 31st on CBD, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon!  "Character-driven and suspenseful, this outstanding young adult speculative fiction launch does a great job of world building." --Library Journal (starred review)






Also, fill out the Rafflecopter form below for the chance to win an e-copy of Kacy Barnett-Gramckow's Biblical novel, Dawnlight, inspired by the joyous, mysterious verses of Matthew 27:52-53! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now, proceed to stop #2, Karen Whiting's site! CLICK HERE!

COMING SOON! Christian Author's Network Scavenger Hunt!

30 authors, and the chance to win a $200 dollar gift card to either CBD, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon!2nd and 3rd prizes, $50 gift cards! Are you ready?

2014 Resolved. Or, My Year is Booked

This past autumn, I experienced an Epiphany. In 2014, I would clear my authorly schedule of all obligations and write. Just me, my computer and time to plot and scheme my way through two new manuscripts,followed by a serious and prayerful consideration of future projects. (With my trusty crockpot simmering in the kitchen to placate my starving family.) Yes, it was a beautiful resolution for 2014.

2014 Inspiration. "What is it, Precious?"

Can't you just hear Divine laughter?

Blog art by Katharin GramckowWithin one week, I'd signed a
publishing contract with multiple deadlines, allowed myself to be volunteered for a major promotional undertaking, and realized that I must prepare two additional manuscripts--spin-offs of the Books of the Infinite series.

I'm dizzied just considering my schedule (did I mention the full-time day job?), but I'm also elated and eager to test the brave new hybrid-author world.

Stay tuned, and if you're following me on Facebook, be prepared for LOTS of posts involving...caffeine!

Blessings, dear everyone, and have an amazing New Year's!

32 Author Scavenger Hunt #17

Anne Elisabeth StenglTales of Goldstone Wood
Welcome to the 17th stop on the 32 Author Scavenger hunt. I hope you enjoy this interview with author Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Anne Elisabeth is the delightful author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series. Be sure to check out her giveaway at the next stop, Dragonwitch!Hunters, don't forget to write down the clue and continue to the next stop on the hunt. If you've missed a stop, or if you are ready to enter the full phrase (clue), head on over HERE. Otherwise, enjoy the interview!

First off, Anne Elisabeth, tell us a little about yourself.Well, I am the author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a rescuer of kittens and lost dogs, a devoted fan of my handsome husband, Rohan, a wannabe-connoisseur of the opera, and a wearer of fuzzy socks.
Who/what is your inspiration for your writing?Great books are my inspiration! I was an English Lit. student at University, and I don’t think I would be the writer I am today if I hadn’t spend years studying the great masters, learning their tricks, discovering their passions, absorbing their themes.
How long does it take you to write a book?It depends on the book. Most of the time, somewhere between six and eight months. But I wrote Veiled Rose in two months! Which was madness, but I had a deadline.
Do you outline or do you write by the seat of your pants?My stories are far too complex to succeed with seat-of-the-pants writing. I actually tried that with Dragonwitch, and utterly failed. I need a good solid outline of what is going to happen. I don’t always know how it will happen—that’s where the spontaneous creativity comes in. But I need to know what will happen to all the characters, how they serve the plot, how their goals and desires work together or at odds.
Do you have a favorite of the novels you have written?My favorite is always the one I’ve just finished. So currently that means my recently finished manuscript for Book 7, which is under the working title of Golden Daughter.
How did you create the world of the Tales of Goldstone Wood?I started out penning random ideas in a notebook . . . little fairy tale notions that came to me while reading great works by older authors. Dragonwitchwas one such fairytale, starting out as a few little notes, later expanding into a more complex fairy tale, and then resulting in the novel I now present to you. As I set to writing each of the fairy tales, I would see them referencing and depending on each other. Thus a world was born. When I started writing novels, it was much the same: I’d write one novel, but it would be subtly tied to four or five other seemingly independent works, not to mention already-written fairy tales.
Do you have a theme in mind when you write each book?I never do. I just have a story. But I spend a lot of time in prayer as I write each book, and I let God provide the theme as I go. I write as an act of worship, and in worship, each theme develops. But I can take no credit for any of them.
What made you decide to pursue publishing?After completing the third draft of my first novel, Heartless, it seemed a shame to simply sit on the story! My mother is a professional novelist, and I am friends with a number of her novelist contacts. They all encouraged me and offered advice along the way.
What books have influenced you in your writing?Oh, so many! C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories, of course. George MacDonald’s fairy tales, the short ones such as The Light Princess or Photogen and Nycteris more than the longer novels, though I did draw from some themes in Phantastes when I wrote Starflower. A number of the Victorian and Romantic-era poets have been major influences, particularly Robert Browning, who is my favorite. And, of course, you can hardly dabble in the Faerie world without drawing from Shakespeare!
What is the hardest part for you in writing a book?Always the beginning. I have the hardest time figuring out where and how things ought to start! Usually once I get the first 40,000 words properly in place, the rest of the novel will fall together beautifully. But if those first 40,000 words aren’t quite right, the novel won’t work, and major revisions will have to be made. With Dragonwitch, I had so much trouble finding the right beginning, I finally picked up in the middle and wrote to the end, then went back and added the opening chapters! But I don’t prefer working that way.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?Good writers are good readers. So READ A LOT. Don’t just read books that are easy for you. Pick up the classics and study what it was that set them apart from other, forgotten books of their day. Figure out which genre is your favorite, the genre you want to write in, and read a ton in that genre.
Coffee or Tea?Absolutely tea. Especially the black Ceylon tea to which my husband introduced me. The perfect brew for a writing session!

R. J. Larson here: I hope you've enjoyed the interview and will take a moment to check out Anne Elisabeth's amazing books. Before you go though, you'll want to write down this part of the clue:  Without you,  and you might want to enter an extra giveaway I'm hosting below. Now, head on over to Anne Elisabeth Stengl's website for stop # 18 HERE
 Giveaway Starting DECEMBER 1st!!!!  R.J. Larson's first book, Prophet, is FREE on all e-readers at CBD, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!!! Click on any of these three retailer links and grab a copy! 

Also, enter the Rafflecopter form below to win the complete Books of the Infinite series by R. J. Larson! Enter NOW!!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

The 32 Author Online Hunt is coming!

Win an iPad Mini, plus 32 Speculative Fiction books and more--just in time for the holidays!
Stay tuned for details, and join the fun. 11.30.13-12.06.13
#32AuthorHunt