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Thursday, September 29, 2016

CE AWANA - Ashna

Via Pinterest
Ah, AWANA. It was the highlight of my week, growing up. Now, I'm sitting in the fellowship room while my younger siblings attend. Nearby, my mom is tutoring a friend in her math, while I'm, as per usual, typing away at a story on my tablet.

Normally, I stay home and work on my computer, but I had a slight ride issue coming home from work this week, and ended up coming with.

"Hello, Kendra, how's the story coming?"

I glance up at the petite girl who sits down next to me, and a grin spreads across my face. "Hi, Ash. It's ... coming. Robert and Marie are breaking my heart right now."

"Why? They're so sweet together," Ashna - or Ashley, as she is now - asks, scrunching her nose.

"You'll find out," I answer, flicking off my tablet. "Well, in just a few weeks, you'll be a published character. How does that sound?"

"If it means that I'll get to go home again, I'm excited," she answers, tucking a bit of hair behind her subtly pointed ear. "As fascinating as your world is, Kendra, there's nothing like one's native world."

"Mm, I suppose so," I agree. I drum my fingers against the table. "Are you looking forward to seeing your father again?"

Her brow knits, but she nods. "And having my memories complete again. And I hope Sarah will come back, for Petra's sake."

"You believe that Sarah exists? Only Petra and Reuben can remember her," I prompt.

"I know far too well how easily memories can be meddled with," Ashley answers. "As adamant as Petra and Reuben are, I'm sure they remember something."

"Well, I need to get back to writing book 3," I wave her off. "And you'll find out about Sarah soon enough."

Monday, September 26, 2016

Cover Reveal - Crannig Castle


Hello, world! I'm here today to share the lovely cover of my friend's newest lovely book.

I'm not sure if you've heard me gush about Morgan's Time Captives before or not, but it's one of my favorite portal fantasies, and she's releasing the last book in November. I've already read it (#BetaPrivileges), and let me just say - it's a fantastic finish.

But, first, before I show you the cover (you know how it is), I asked her to share some of her pinterest inspiration pins with us.


This one was for Adriel. And for me. It’s for all those times when we make big mistakes and start to wonder “Am I really a Christian? If I’m really a Christian, how could I have done that?” But we’re not going to be perfect while we’re still on earth. Making mistakes doesn’t mean we’re not saved, it just means we still need grace.


I’m pretty sure I pinned this one for Eleanor and Grant. Those two make my heart hurt. This pin is definitely what’s in Eleanor’s heart on the subject, but whether or not things work out this way…well, you’ll just have to read the book and see.



And Rae, because she’s little and cute and a very important part of the story.

Now the author information:

About the Author
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment as well as the Time Captives fantasy trilogy.


You can connect with Morgan on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, and Pinterest.





And now the Book information.

About the Book
God, please look after Adriel. Keep him safe and keep him from acting foolish. And please help him to be able to find me.
Rae knew she could trust God to look after both of them. It was all she had now.

The Time Captives have been reunited. The rightful king has been freed. Now all that remains is to defeat the strytes who still hold a tyrannical rule over the people of Calhortz. But with their lack of soldiers, it’s a task that is easier said than done. They need allies, but are they worth it when it requires facing ghosts from their pasts?

Returning to his home country only brings the loss of Adriel’s family to the forefront of his mind. His determination to find Rae has never ceased, but now that determination could potentially destroy all that he and the Time Captives have been working towards. And his new-found faith may not be able to withstand the challenge.

Will they be able to set aside their personal struggles for the sake of the freedom of all or will they allow their pasts to consume them? Will they manage to win back Crannig Castle from the rule of the strytes? The fate of Calhortz hangs in the balance.

Crannig Castle is the final book of the Time Captives trilogy, a tale of faith, family, fantasy, and a fight for truth and freedom.

Release Date
Crannig Castle, will be released on November 7th, 2016. Stay tuned on Morgan’s blog and Facebook page for more information and sneak peeks.


And now, finally, the cover!



I've got to head off to work now, but you can swing by Morgan's blog to see the other stops she's making.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Hello! Hi!

I've not fallen off the face of the earth lately. It just feels like it.

I need to figure out how to blog again.

I used to have a post up at least two or three times a week. Now it seems that, unless I have a party going, two or three posts in a month is doing good. And I don't like that. I like talking to you guys. I just don't feel like I know what to say, and between work and editing, I feel so drained at the end of the day, I don't feel like figuring out what to say to you guys here.

So ... I dunno. What would you like to hear me talk about? Writing advice? Writing rants? Behind the scene stuff? Shows and books that I like to read and watch? Link-ups? If so, what link-ups? Tags? (But not the elevensies tag, no matter what name it goes by.) Spaghetti?

Help!

Also, I hope to have the blog tour finalized by next week, but would like a few more people to sign up, in particular on the 22nd, the 23rd, and reviews on the 25th. It's going to be a ton of fun, just you watch!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

The Problem With MBTI in Fiction

Some of you who've been reading my blog for a while may have noticed that I have a slight obsession with MBTI. Actually, obsession isn't the right word - that would be my sister - but it is something that thoroughly fascinates me. I like learning about the way that different people's minds work. I like understanding how different people's brains work.

But there is one thing that bothers me - when people start using fictional characters as examples of personality types.

You want to know why?

Because they're fiction. They're written by an author who sees the world in a certain way, and, try as they might, their own personality type is going to bleed all over their story and into every character. Even for characters of their own personality types, there's a certain amount of distance they have to make between themselves, a certain amount of glazing over their faults that will happen.

I'm an author myself. I'm an ENFP. I write ENFP characters who don't always think or act like ENFP's, and I write characters who aren't supposed to be ENFP ... but the ENFP thought process still snuck in while I wasn't looking.

Take Petra, for instance - I meant for her to be an INTJ, and most of my beta readers recognized her as such ... except for the one who was an actual INTJ. (She tried to pin her as an ISTP ... but frankly, that isn't Petra AT ALL. ISTJ would be more likely.)

My mom is an INTJ, and we're about 75% sure that my baby sis is one too. I read tons of articles about INTJ's ...

But here's the thing.

I'm not an INTJ. I'm an ENFP.

(And, second thing - for the longest time, Petra was going to be an INFJ, and there are a few moments when that showed through.)

I don't see the world through introverted intuition, but extroverted intuition. While I do understand extroverted thinking, my comfort decision process is introverted feeling. And that bled through.

No, I don't think she's not an INTJ, but she is an INTJ written through an ENFP filter.

Now take Clara - she's supposed to be an ENFP. And her perception and decisions processes are very ENFP much of the time. But there are elements of her character that are NOT true of me, and I've as yet to meet an ENFP who adheres to a schedule as well as she does. If you're looking for an ENFP model, I'd highly recommend Robin instead, but even with her, there are elements that I know aren't strictly ENFP about her,

Because you see, there are elements of my ENFP-ness that I'm frankly embarrassed about, that I know won't make a good hero. So I quietly shave them out and slide in other flaws instead. Or play up weaknesses that I'm not so embarrassed about.

And this is why it bothers me when I see people holding up fictional characters as models of personality types, because with fictional characters, it's never clear-cut or obvious. I was looking at a number of charts the other day and found Katniss sorted as ISTP, ISTJ, and ISFP. Frankly, my lean is ISTP, but she's fictional. Her brain functions according to the whim of her author and perhaps some feedback from an editorial staff.

It's a little better in TV, where you can have multiple writers for one series, because you can bring a multitude of personalities to the story. Even there, and taking MLP as an example now, some writers present Pinkie Pie as an ESFP, others as and ENFP. Sometimes Twilight seems more like an INTJ, other times she acts more INTP. It depends on the writer and the plot.

Do I mind the typing of fictional characters? No, I don't. If it helps you identify with the characters, all the more power to you. But what I do mind is people touting fictional characters as supreme examples of personalities. Because they're fictional. They're going to contradict themselves in ways that no real human being ever will.

But here's one more secret - if you know the personality type of an author, you can learn a lot about the way they think from their writing. I may not write the perfect ENFP characters, but I myself am all over my writing, in the depth of my POV's, in the richness and wildness of my worldbuilding, in the complexity of the plot twists. Stuff that, I've noticed, also seems to be true of INFP's, but then, we do have the same functions, just in a slightly different order.

And that, my friends, is why I've been asking everyone what their personality types are and how they feel it bleeds into their writing. Academic study.

Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on the subject, and, hey, if you're a writer, and you know your type, can you tell me what it is and you feel it affects your writing?

(And yes, Miss Melody Muffin, I wrote this post because of our conversation about Petra, but a lot of this is thoughts I've been having for a while)

Friday, September 2, 2016

Character Encounters - September 2016

So it's occurred to me that it's been forever since I last did a Character Encounter link up. Terribly sorry about that. I've just not been inspired, I guess.

But I remembered yesterday, and decided to put a post together.

First, though, before I tell you about our glorious location, just a reminder to sign up for LDTD's blog tour. I'd like at least eight more bloggers to sign up, so even if you have, spread the word and we can make this my biggest release yet? Yes? Maybe?

Also, I'll be holding a ball on Facebook, so if you haven't signed up for that yet, make sure you do! It's going to be a ton of fun. And invite all of your friends, because the more, the merrier.

Now for the Character Encounter location.

As always, thank you so much, Kiri, for making this button for me.

AWANA

AWANA has always been a big thing in our family, and even when we don't personally attend a church with an AWANA program, we'll find another church that does for the Wednesday night program. I have fond memories of passing off verses and earning prizes, and even now, my favorite t-shirt in my closet is my old Trek uniform. My mom's dad was the first AWANA commander in the East Texas area, and my dad's aunt actually wrote the original Cubbie's program. The program has had two major overhauls since then, but they still use the song she wrote.

However, I do understand if you don't personally attend AWANA, or have an AWANA on hand to pop in on, so if you want, you can fudge it over to any Wednesday night program, or even a Sunday night program if you're really grasping at straws. Just have fun with it.