Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 85
July 13, 2016
XPost - For the Love of a Library
Sometimes you read a post that deserves more than just a plus+ or a share on your favorite social media site. "For the Love of a Library" by Ella Jay Olsen is one such article. To me, libraries have always been a second home. Books... books... and did I say books? As a child I would go through a bagfull a week. I'm grateful to my parents who instilled a life-long love of reading.
Even with online searches, libraries still provide valuable services to individuals and to their community. Results from a search engine may provide an alternative to the encyclopedias of some of our youth, but nothing replaces the human brain and the skilled search of a reference librarian.
Many libraries serve as a community center, hosting talks, meetings, and other small get-togethers. As a sidenote, I'll be spending a lot of time in October at the Tipton County Public Library (Covington TN). First Date is October 1 and the talk is "Help! I've Been Elected Organization Historian and there's an anniversary coming up." Then I'll be shifting back and the remaining two talks wil deal with fiction.
As for that original post by Olsen, go to For the Love of a Library. As she says, "Libraries are magical places." Go find out why, even in this digital age, libraries are still important and why they need to be supported and most of all... used.
~Till next time, Helen
July 11, 2016
Cover Reveal - Hatchling's Vengeance
How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that the Dragshi Chronicles was just a short story written to help a coma victim relearn to read. Then later, the novel was used as a reward for completing their physical therapy. Each day after they therapy, they got a new chapter or scene. Now it is years later and the story expanded beyond the original tale of the trader girl Anastasia and the dragon shifter Lord Branin Llewlyn to include the next generation.
But this post is about covers. It was supposed to be a reveal, but if you paid careful attention you'll see the cover for Hatchling's Vengeance was already added to the blog banner and is on my twitter feed. So I chose to discuss what went into the cover design.
A point to remember when dealing with a series, is how they relate to each other. Hatchling's Vengeance is the 4th book in the Dragshi Chronicles which meand that there are three other covers already in existence to relate to. If you look at cover banner at the top of the blog, you'll see how the colors for the series are coordinated.
Another major consideration when designing a cover is whether or not to include a person. That leads to the characteristics, such as hair color, wardrobe, and pose. For fantasy, an additional item might be the choice of weapon. Long bow, short bow, sword, or halberd.
Although a traditional seating arrangement is boy-girl, boy-girl. A different approach was taken with the Dragshi Chronicles. The first book was Dragon Destiny and the character featured was Anastasia. For Hatchlings Curse, instead of reprising the same character, the other main character, Lord Brannin Llewlyn allowed himself to be pictured.
If I went with the traditional approach, the next book in the series would feature a woman. The character Glyn, bodyguard to the shifter Lady Lexii Beylnea, was introduced in Hatchling's Mate and could have been used. However, Hatchling's Mate was more Talann's story rather than Glyn's. Which left Glyn to be pictured on Hatchling's Vengeance. Several models were looked at before the one finally chosen.
The back image carried the same color from the front. However, without the character to pull the eye, the back presents a major tone of the story. The clouds lay across the land like the evil influence of the cult leader, the Parant.
A special thank you to Fantasia Frog Designs for their skill in selecting and blending images to create the fantasy world of the dragshi.
Now that you've been introduced to Glyn and the rest of the dragon shifters, click on the covers in the banner for excerpts and a read of the first chapter.
Hatchling's Vengeance - Ebook available for pre-order at Amazon Barnes&Noble iTunes Kobo. Stay tuned for news about the print version.
~Till next time, Helen
But this post is about covers. It was supposed to be a reveal, but if you paid careful attention you'll see the cover for Hatchling's Vengeance was already added to the blog banner and is on my twitter feed. So I chose to discuss what went into the cover design.
A point to remember when dealing with a series, is how they relate to each other. Hatchling's Vengeance is the 4th book in the Dragshi Chronicles which meand that there are three other covers already in existence to relate to. If you look at cover banner at the top of the blog, you'll see how the colors for the series are coordinated.
Another major consideration when designing a cover is whether or not to include a person. That leads to the characteristics, such as hair color, wardrobe, and pose. For fantasy, an additional item might be the choice of weapon. Long bow, short bow, sword, or halberd.
Although a traditional seating arrangement is boy-girl, boy-girl. A different approach was taken with the Dragshi Chronicles. The first book was Dragon Destiny and the character featured was Anastasia. For Hatchlings Curse, instead of reprising the same character, the other main character, Lord Brannin Llewlyn allowed himself to be pictured.
If I went with the traditional approach, the next book in the series would feature a woman. The character Glyn, bodyguard to the shifter Lady Lexii Beylnea, was introduced in Hatchling's Mate and could have been used. However, Hatchling's Mate was more Talann's story rather than Glyn's. Which left Glyn to be pictured on Hatchling's Vengeance. Several models were looked at before the one finally chosen.
The back image carried the same color from the front. However, without the character to pull the eye, the back presents a major tone of the story. The clouds lay across the land like the evil influence of the cult leader, the Parant.
A special thank you to Fantasia Frog Designs for their skill in selecting and blending images to create the fantasy world of the dragshi.
Now that you've been introduced to Glyn and the rest of the dragon shifters, click on the covers in the banner for excerpts and a read of the first chapter.
Hatchling's Vengeance - Ebook available for pre-order at Amazon Barnes&Noble iTunes Kobo. Stay tuned for news about the print version.
~Till next time, Helen
July 9, 2016
Fly with Dragons - Hatchling's Vengeance
Who hoo. Hatchlings Vengeance (Book 4 of the Dragshi Chronicles) Available Now.Vengeance takes many paths—and has a long memory.
Buy Links:
Amazon Kobo iTunes Barnes and Noble
Vengeance takes many paths. The cult leader, the Parant, means to have his. No matter how long it takes or how many innocents die, he will kill all dragon shifters. For those who the Parant commands, will vengeance yield to love and provide a path to redemption? Or will retribution decree the punishment for past acts be death?
For the last two unattached dragon shifters, their only weapons to save their kind are their swords—and love. Sometimes not even dragon fire and talons are enough to overcome the mind control wielded by the one called—the Parant.
Dragon shifter and follower alike stand on the knife’s edge with happiness and loss fighting to control the balance.
Click here for an excerpt.
Fly with Dragons - Pre-Order Hatchling's Vengeance
Who hoo. Release day is 3 days and counting. Pre-order Hatchlings Vengeance (Book 4 of the Dragshi Chronicles) now.Vengeance takes many paths—and has a long memory.
Buy Links:
Amazon Kobo iTunes Barnes and Noble
Vengeance takes many paths. The cult leader, the Parant, means to have his. No matter how long it takes or how many innocents die, he will kill all dragon shifters. For those who the Parant commands, will vengeance yield to love and provide a path to redemption? Or will retribution decree the punishment for past acts be death?
For the last two unattached dragon shifters, their only weapons to save their kind are their swords—and love. Sometimes not even dragon fire and talons are enough to overcome the mind control wielded by the one called—the Parant.
Dragon shifter and follower alike stand on the knife’s edge with happiness and loss fighting to control the balance.
Click here for an excerpt.
Fly with Dragons - Hatchling's Vengeance Available for Pre-Order
Who hoo. Release day is 7 days and counting. Pre-order Hatchlings Vengeance (Book 4 of the Dragshi Chronicles) now.Vengeance takes many paths—and has a long memory.
Buy Links:
Amazon Kobo iTunes Barnes and Noble
Vengeance takes many paths. The cult leader, the Parant, means to have his. No matter how long it takes or how many innocents die, he will kill all dragon shifters. For those who the Parant commands, will vengeance yield to love and provide a path to redemption? Or will retribution decree the punishment for past acts be death?
For the last two unattached dragon shifters, their only weapons to save their kind are their swords—and love. Sometimes not even dragon fire and talons are enough to overcome the mind control wielded by the one called—the Parant.
Dragon shifter and follower alike stand on the knife’s edge with happiness and loss fighting to control the balance.
Click here for an excerpt.
June 29, 2016
New Book - New Playlist
A scan of authors' posts show how they use music when they write. It can trigger a mood or emotion or take you to another place and tiime. It doesn't even have to be an entire song. Sometimes just a few notes of a reprise brings a character to mind. I admit I don't always have music on when writing. Jotting notes while at an outdoor concert or sitting in a doctor's office while waiting for your appointment isn't conducive to headphones or even worse, playing tunes on a cell phone.
But that doesn't mean that music is not part of my writing life.
Some of the music that inspired Hatchling's Vengeance have appeared in other posts regarding the world of the dragshi.
Celtic flute and harp always send my mind to a fantasy world where magic rules and dragon fly. On the player now is Celtic Twilight by Gabrielle Angelique.
"Desperado" from the Eagles set the title characters, Lord Talann Fitheach and Lady Glynnes Janaleigh firmly in my mind.
I couldn't decide on what song to use for Gynnes as her own. One was "Brothers In Arms" chosen because Glynnes was as much as warrior as any man... and paid the price. Note, the character featured on the cover of Hatchling's Vengeance is Glynnes in her alter ego as Glyn, bodyguard to the dragon lord Lady Lexii.
One song carried over between books in the series. In Hatching's Mate, Roger Whitaker's "The Last Farewell" set the tone for the night before a battle. However, combining it with the "Lonely Man" reprise that was used as the theme for the television series, The Incredible Hulk, brings both sides of Glynnes to mind. The one for the years spent in waiting to be able to love, and the other for the world that threatened to keep her away from him.
Coming up next, the cover reveal for Hatchling's Vengeance, available for pre-order now. Release date July 15th.
~Till next time, Helen
June 18, 2016
What Makes A Good Cover?
Covers have been on my mind a lot recently. And I mean a lot. The final two books of the Dragshi Chronicles recently underwent their final production and along with it a review of all material, including the cover design notes.
Did the overall design of each book in the series blend? Check.
Does the cover reflect the storyline? Check.
And a full-moon surprise. My first series, The Windmaster Novels, is going to be re-released. Of course, with a new publisher comes a new cover, and its accompanying model search, and element review. A reveal of the cover and its design points is coming.
Now to the inspiration of this post. An article by E. Ayers made me take a critical look at the covers. Before you think about your next cover, read the excellent perpective by Ayers on "What Makes A Good Cover."
The link is https://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/what-makes-for-a-good-cover.
~till next time, Helen
Did the overall design of each book in the series blend? Check.
Does the cover reflect the storyline? Check.
And a full-moon surprise. My first series, The Windmaster Novels, is going to be re-released. Of course, with a new publisher comes a new cover, and its accompanying model search, and element review. A reveal of the cover and its design points is coming.
Now to the inspiration of this post. An article by E. Ayers made me take a critical look at the covers. Before you think about your next cover, read the excellent perpective by Ayers on "What Makes A Good Cover."
The link is https://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/what-makes-for-a-good-cover.
~till next time, Helen
June 6, 2016
Tuesday's Title - Ancient Curse by Barbara Edwards
Intense, riveting romance with an edge
Title: Ancient Curse (Finding Rhodes End, Book 3)
Author: Barbara Edwards
Date of Release: Nov. 11, 2014Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal RomancePublisher: The Wild Rose PressBuy Links: Amazon Wild Rose Press
Blurb:
Evil never dies; and for psychic Rainie Gamble who accepts a job to weed out evil artifacts, this could not be more true. When she arrives at the home of Thomas Broquette, her new boss, she isn’t sure what to expect. But the handsome and intriguing Thomas is only the tip of the paranormal activity she encounters while going through his library.
After several near misses when Rainie is injured by evil forces, she wonders if her new boss is hiding a secret? What does the previous owner Mason have to do with the threads of doom encasing the estate? And why does Thomas bring her father, a well-known art thief, into their midst.
The attraction she feels for Thomas grows, as does the evil winning its battle against the inhabitants of what could be her new home. Rainie wonders if she will find and defeat the inhuman force causing all their problems before she and Thomas are sucked into its evil forever.
Behind the Scenes: For those who want to read more about Rhodes End, the town that inspired (or is it haunted?) the tales captured in the series, information on its background and location can be found here.
And while there read the blurbs on the other books in the Finding Rhodes End series. Ancient Blood (Book 2), Ancient Awakening (Book 1).
Author Bio:
Barbara Edwards is a native New Englander. She writes poetry for herself and novels when she needs to tell a longer tale. Barbara is fascinated by the past so naturally turned to writing historical romance. The dark stories evolve from nightmares. The romance comes from her belief in people's basic goodness and longing for love. Barbara lived in Florida for several years and is past president of the Central Florida Romance Writers.
Among her interests are target shooting and camping. An avid Civil War re-enactor, Barbara travels the eastern states to participate in events. She loves visiting museums, galleries and battle sites, gathering information for her stories.
Find her on the web at: Website http://www.barbaraedwards.net My Blog https://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003F6ZK1A/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraEdwards.Author/Google+ https://plus.google.com/+BarbaraEdwards2/Tsu http://www.tsu.co/BarbaraEdwards_ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbarae1892/
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Ancient Curse as gift. That did not make me read the book from cover to cover, the description, the historical setting, fine prose and strong, sensuous characters did.
Title: Ancient Curse (Finding Rhodes End, Book 3)
Author: Barbara EdwardsDate of Release: Nov. 11, 2014Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal RomancePublisher: The Wild Rose PressBuy Links: Amazon Wild Rose Press
Blurb:
Evil never dies; and for psychic Rainie Gamble who accepts a job to weed out evil artifacts, this could not be more true. When she arrives at the home of Thomas Broquette, her new boss, she isn’t sure what to expect. But the handsome and intriguing Thomas is only the tip of the paranormal activity she encounters while going through his library.
After several near misses when Rainie is injured by evil forces, she wonders if her new boss is hiding a secret? What does the previous owner Mason have to do with the threads of doom encasing the estate? And why does Thomas bring her father, a well-known art thief, into their midst.
The attraction she feels for Thomas grows, as does the evil winning its battle against the inhabitants of what could be her new home. Rainie wonders if she will find and defeat the inhuman force causing all their problems before she and Thomas are sucked into its evil forever.
Behind the Scenes: For those who want to read more about Rhodes End, the town that inspired (or is it haunted?) the tales captured in the series, information on its background and location can be found here.
And while there read the blurbs on the other books in the Finding Rhodes End series. Ancient Blood (Book 2), Ancient Awakening (Book 1).
Author Bio:
Barbara Edwards is a native New Englander. She writes poetry for herself and novels when she needs to tell a longer tale. Barbara is fascinated by the past so naturally turned to writing historical romance. The dark stories evolve from nightmares. The romance comes from her belief in people's basic goodness and longing for love. Barbara lived in Florida for several years and is past president of the Central Florida Romance Writers.
Among her interests are target shooting and camping. An avid Civil War re-enactor, Barbara travels the eastern states to participate in events. She loves visiting museums, galleries and battle sites, gathering information for her stories.
Find her on the web at: Website http://www.barbaraedwards.net My Blog https://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003F6ZK1A/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraEdwards.Author/Google+ https://plus.google.com/+BarbaraEdwards2/Tsu http://www.tsu.co/BarbaraEdwards_ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbarae1892/
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Ancient Curse as gift. That did not make me read the book from cover to cover, the description, the historical setting, fine prose and strong, sensuous characters did.
May 24, 2016
Fiction and Research by Jacqueline Seewald
You’ll notice that a lot of writers set their novels and short stories in places they either live in or have lived in. This may seem provincial, but in fact, it makes for good writing. If authors know a place well, they can create a realistic setting, an intriguing background for their writing. Setting is one of the important components of any piece of fiction.
The rest of the post can be found at Fiction and Research by Jacqueline Seewald.
~till next time, Helen
And if you haven't read Jacqueline's fiction, check out the following Tuesday Titles: The Killing Land or The Dark Moon Rising by this very talented author.
The rest of the post can be found at Fiction and Research by Jacqueline Seewald.
~till next time, Helen
And if you haven't read Jacqueline's fiction, check out the following Tuesday Titles: The Killing Land or The Dark Moon Rising by this very talented author.
May 16, 2016
Tuesday's Title - Enchantment of a Highlander
Love is the most potent of remedies.
Title: Enchantment of a Highlander
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical Romance
Date of Release: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Diversion Books
Buy Links: Amazon More sites
Blurb:
The sweeping historical romance that began with DECEPTION OF A HIGHLANDER, and continued with POSSESSION OF A HIGHLANDER, reaches its dazzling conclusion in this scorcher set on the Scottish plains.
Alec MacLean returns home after a decade to find his recently deceased father has let his inheritance fall to ruin. As the new laird, it’s Alec’s responsibility to rebuild the castle and restore the lands. He must also regain the people’s trust after having abandoned them so long ago, a feat not easily done when he fears he’s plagued with the same darkness as his father.
Celia escaped the North Berwick witch trials at a young age, surviving because of the sacrifice of her beloved caretaker. She’s made a life for herself in the wilds of Scotland where no laird rules, a life where she heals for coin, a life without love so she can never feel the hurt of loss again.
When the new laird comes back to claim his land, his determination to restore order threatens everything Celia has worked so hard to gain, especially with the undeniable attraction sizzling between them. Together, they will face all challenges, from the tangle of their own damaged pasts to the fire-fueled witch hunts sweeping the Isle of Mull. Together, they will find that the best way to overcome darkness and war is through the undeniable light of love.
Madeline's Behind the Tale Note: I confess I liked foxes before, but never so much as after having created the heroine’s fox, Ruadh, in my head. I hadn’t intended for her to have a fox when I began constructing the bones of Enchantment of a Highlander. As with all my characters, he just emerged in my head in those first few chapters.
In my mind, he was dog-like with just enough skittishness to make one want to draw him closer I an effort to have more of his wary trust. He’s also fiercely loyal despite that skittishness, which made him all the more endearing to my heart. I think he’s my favorite character in Enchantment of a Highlander and I’ve become a huge fox fan as a result. (Helen's note - And Ruadh was my favorite character also.)
Author Bio: Madeline Martin lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA OldestMinion and YoungestMinion). Her hobbies include rock climbing, running, doing crazy races (like Mud Runs and Color Runs). She is a huge history fan with a deep burning curiosity for how people lived way back in the day and enjoy digging into the hows and whys.
Writing has been a passion of hers since she was a child and now she finally gets to see her lifelong dream come true.
Find Martin online at:
Author website: www.madelinemartin.com
Twitter: @MadelineMMartin
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ByLMIy
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/12062937.Madeline_Martin
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Enchantment of a Highlander as part of the TheRomanceReviews anniversary event. That did not make me read the book from cover to cover, the description, the historical setting, fine prose and strong, sensuous characters did.
Title: Enchantment of a Highlander
Author: Madeline MartinGenre: Historical Romance
Date of Release: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Diversion Books
Buy Links: Amazon More sites
Blurb:
The sweeping historical romance that began with DECEPTION OF A HIGHLANDER, and continued with POSSESSION OF A HIGHLANDER, reaches its dazzling conclusion in this scorcher set on the Scottish plains.
Alec MacLean returns home after a decade to find his recently deceased father has let his inheritance fall to ruin. As the new laird, it’s Alec’s responsibility to rebuild the castle and restore the lands. He must also regain the people’s trust after having abandoned them so long ago, a feat not easily done when he fears he’s plagued with the same darkness as his father.
Celia escaped the North Berwick witch trials at a young age, surviving because of the sacrifice of her beloved caretaker. She’s made a life for herself in the wilds of Scotland where no laird rules, a life where she heals for coin, a life without love so she can never feel the hurt of loss again.
When the new laird comes back to claim his land, his determination to restore order threatens everything Celia has worked so hard to gain, especially with the undeniable attraction sizzling between them. Together, they will face all challenges, from the tangle of their own damaged pasts to the fire-fueled witch hunts sweeping the Isle of Mull. Together, they will find that the best way to overcome darkness and war is through the undeniable light of love.
Madeline's Behind the Tale Note: I confess I liked foxes before, but never so much as after having created the heroine’s fox, Ruadh, in my head. I hadn’t intended for her to have a fox when I began constructing the bones of Enchantment of a Highlander. As with all my characters, he just emerged in my head in those first few chapters.
In my mind, he was dog-like with just enough skittishness to make one want to draw him closer I an effort to have more of his wary trust. He’s also fiercely loyal despite that skittishness, which made him all the more endearing to my heart. I think he’s my favorite character in Enchantment of a Highlander and I’ve become a huge fox fan as a result. (Helen's note - And Ruadh was my favorite character also.)
Author Bio: Madeline Martin lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA OldestMinion and YoungestMinion). Her hobbies include rock climbing, running, doing crazy races (like Mud Runs and Color Runs). She is a huge history fan with a deep burning curiosity for how people lived way back in the day and enjoy digging into the hows and whys.
Writing has been a passion of hers since she was a child and now she finally gets to see her lifelong dream come true.
Find Martin online at:
Author website: www.madelinemartin.com
Twitter: @MadelineMMartin
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ByLMIy
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/12062937.Madeline_Martin
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Enchantment of a Highlander as part of the TheRomanceReviews anniversary event. That did not make me read the book from cover to cover, the description, the historical setting, fine prose and strong, sensuous characters did.
