Top Ten Purple Books!

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is "Books with My Favorite Color on the Cover." I'm a huge fan intense, saturated colors - reds, blues, hot pinks, and purple. Purple's my favorite, though, so let's go with that.

1. Of course, we're going to start with my own purple book, the cover I designed myself. While this isn't my favorite of the Bookania Quests, it is my favorite of the covers - although my current plans for Honor's cover might give it a run for its money.

2. Okay, just to warn you all now - there's going to be a LOT of fairy tale retellings on this list. This book is, to me, the high point of the series ... book three I was meh about (though it wasn't bad), and thereafter, other authors have handled the world/characters, and I really preferred Hale's treatment of the characters. But ... let me just say. Maddie Hatter.

3. This was a book I read back in the dark ages. And I really don't remember much about it except that there were orphans, storytelling, and I rather liked it. 

 

4&5. These books were interesting. I need to continue the series. But orphan princesses!

6. Back to the fairy tale retellings! This is an adorable little series that I'm quite in love with. This isn't my favorite of the collection, but it's delightful nonetheless.

7. This is a series I read for the sole reason of the main character sharing my name. And it's quite a good little series, too. Highly recommend. And this particular volume is my favorite (though please don't read them out of order). Time travel awesomeness is always awesome.

8. Now, THIS is a book from the dark ages. I devoured this series back when I was little and squishy ... although, confession, I don't think I ever read this particular one. I ... uh ... lost the copy that we borrowed from the library. (We did find it, eventually, but I never actually read it) Rose (Beauty) was never my favorite character (she had had the unfortunate honor of being the NoTP of my first Love Triangle), but I otherwise quite loved these books.

9. Here's a book I just read this year. Lovely story. The author will be taking part in Indie e-Con this year, so please stay tuned.

10. And, finally, we abandon fantasy and Kingdom fiction for a sci-fi. I'm thoroughly in love with Pennington's Firmamant series. Highly recommend. 

What's your favorite purple book?

The LAAAAAST Beautiful People

Linking up with Cait and Sky's LAST Beautiful People. *sheds a few tears* I've never been quite consistent with these, unless they have a specific theme (Your NaNo novel, a villain, love interests), but I'm still sad to see it go. It seems that all the great linkups have died away. (Sidewise glance at Character Encounters ... of which I've not done one since the last Indie e-Con.)

So, anyway. Some of these questions are general to my writing, and some are specific to a book/character. So, for the specific questions, I'm going with my upcoming release, The Worth of a King, cycling through its characters.

1. Favorite genre to write in?
   Fantasy. Hands down and without a doubt.
2. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?
   I'm debating between giving Obsidia the Bible and giving Delaney the Constitution. Each for reasons that I don't feel like disclosing.
3. Favorite piece of dialogue you’ve written?
   I have no particular favorite ... because I love a LOT of my dialogue - but this is a bit that I especially love:
   
   
   WELL then, my dear Sidi,” said Delaney, dropping a stack of books onto the table in front of Obsidia and winking. “I know that your girls are no doubt itching to catch us doing something scandalous, but such is not our way.”
   Obsidia fought a blush as she picked up the top book from the stack. “The Life of Queen Katina,” she read, and a grin pulled at her lips. “Oh, Del, you know me too well.”
   “Queen Katina’s situation was not unlike your own,” Delaney remarked, taking the next book from the stack and sitting down in the chair opposite her. “She was also the daughter of an assassinated king and chose to marry the son of the man who’d killed her father. She later ruled as regent for her son after her husband’s death.”
   “It is often speculated that she poisoned him,” Obsidia mentioned, as she opened her book.
   “Indeed, you’ve mentioned that fact before,” said Delaney, cracking open his book, a massive tome of law that made Obsidia shudder. He glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “Is this a subtle hint that I should worry for my own life?”
   She shook her head, smiling playfully. “If I killed you, who would handle the politics? I’m in charge of history, you have law. Remember?”
   Delaney gave a laugh. “Ah, good. I can now sleep easy at night knowing that I am so essential to you.”
   Obsidia shrugged. “I hate politics.”
4. What did your character want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?
   Adrian wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become the village printer ... but then he found out on his eighteenth birthday that he was actually the son of the late king and had to go win back his rightful throne. Does he succeed or not? Well, that's kiiiinda the point of the book.
5. Favorite character name(s)?
   Um, apparently Richard and William. And Richard William. I have an embarrassingly high number of characters by those names spread across. Fortunately, there aren't any by those names in Worth. Well ... except ... spoiler.
6. What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?
   Obsidia feels loved when she feels safe. Unfortunately, it's been a long time since she's last felt that way. Delaney tries, and she appreciates that, but he has his father hanging over him.
7. Favorite character you’ve ever written?
   Maryanne of my Bookania Quests. But Laura the Doorkeeper gives her a run for her money. She might win out, save for the fact that Maryanne is jealous of the position and has ways to get her way....
8. If your character were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? (Why?)
   Well, when Nadilynn skips town, she only takes with her a necklace that had belonged to her mother. Her mother had died at her birth, she's insecure about that, and it's the only thing she has connecting her to her mother.
9. Favorite tropes to write!
   Rebellious Princesses (I love giving swords to my ladies), reverse-rebellious princesses (I love giving swords to the ladies who don't want them), arranged marriages, prophecies, chosen ones, and a number of others that I'm not calling off the top of my head.
10. Which story has your heart and won’t let go?
    At the moment, it's The Worth of a King, though Honor: A Quest In, the fourth volume of my Bookania Quests, is also making a desperate vie.
11. Favorite relationship between characters you’ve written?
    Ooooooh, boy. Relationships are my favorite part of writing, and even just in The Worth of a King, I can't pick any one relationship out. Let's just go with Reuben and Petra of the Rizkaland Legends. They're best friends first and then a couple, and they have a telepathic link that has been such fun to explore.
12. Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?Ooh. Good question. I'm not a "this is a hole, let me fill it" sort of person. I'm more "this is an idea that excites me, let me make it happen." I'm always down for a good fairy tale retelling ... how about retellings for the obscure tales? I love pulling out old gems and showing them off.
13. Favourite pinterest board / aesthetic for a book?I have a lot of boards. Lots of gorgeous boards. But right now I'm going to go with the character aesthetic board that I have for Laura. She's the only individual character to have a board all to herself. Something that Maryanne is jealous of, but Maryanne didn't overgrow her series. Anywho.
14. Favourite time periods & settings to work with?
    I gravitate towards Medieval. But, honestly, I like my settings high-concept and unique.
15. When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?
    I want them to come away encouraged by the scope of God's power, and the depth of His love. 

I am not a Hand

My sister doesn't know how much I envy her. While I managed to inherit all of the talent and IQ ... she was the angel child. She was never in trouble, always thinking of others, always giving.

Me, on the other hand ... I am, and always have been ... a mess. Disorganized, distracted, frequently disobedient, etc. I was saved at an early age because I was very aware that I was a sinner and could NOT make it into Heaven on my own merit. Yet, even so, while the spirit is willing ... the flesh is weak.

Try as I might. I am not my sister.

And it doesn't help that I'm surrounded by so many other women to whom this servant attitude is second nature. Aunts, my late Grammy, my sister's best friend. All these women to whom I compare myself and just fall short. Women who look at me and shake their heads because how can I possibly justify just sitting at my computer writing all day.

And sometimes ... I question my salvation because of it. How can I possibly be a Christian if I can't give of myself freely like all of these other women I know and respect?

And then one day, as my mother and I were discussing spiritual gifts, a second passage in the Bible sprang to mind. One that I'd considered many times, but ... suddenly ... it struck me.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

...

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

1 Corinthians 12:15-16, 21

I'm surrounded by women who are hands - reaching forward to the community, administering to needs. Service is their spiritual gift, and they give of themselves so beautifully.

But, much as I wish it were, service isn't my gift. It's exhortation - encouragement. I'm a mouth, not a hand. God has given me words to say and write and they're no less valuable. I see people down and my drive is to comfort and cheer them. I give of myself just as freely - just in a different way.

I respect and admire these women, but I am not them. God has not called me to fill their shoes.

I am a mouth. And I will speak encouragement to the people around me. I will BE an encouragement to those around me.

And to all of the rest of you who aren't hands either, and who aren't mouths (though I imagine, in my world of authors, there are a good number of mouths), you're just as valuable. Because the body needs feet, ears, eyes, arms, stomachs, noses, even little pinkie toes.

Minstrel's Call Blog Tour - Interview with the Author

Happy Thursday everyone!

And of course it's Thursday, because Thursday is the day that I'm supposed to share this lovely interview with Jenelle Leanne Schmidt.

SPARKLY WIZARDESS AUTHORESSES ARE NEVER LATE, I TELL YOU.

Book Blurb:
War threatens. The game board is set. But the Minstrel is missing...

Advancing his growing power, the Dread Prince breaks free of his prison and brings a faction of dragons under his control, stirring unrest and hatred in the newly united kingdoms of Tellurae Aquaous.

When the dragon wards of Kallayohm are targeted in a ruthless attack, the High King travels there to administer justice. But the trial results in a crippling blow that leaves him reeling.

On the heels of defeat, an unexpected message from the erstwhile Minstrel arrives, pleading with his friends for rescue. Together, the High King and his companions must follow the fragile trail, braving peril and darkness that will test the measure of them all...

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Minstrels-Call-Song-Book-ebook/dp/B079CLZYZB/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38524538-minstrel-s-call?from_search=true

Tell me three fun facts about yourself.

I am a compulsive opener-of-doors. Ever since my dad read me The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was little, I’ve been looking for a way into Narnia. The “grown-up” part of me fears I may never find it, but the part of me that will never grow up still likes to look behind doors, insides closets and cabinets, and around corners... hoping to find a magical land filled with grand adventures.

I have this amazing superpower that causes people around me to get lost on road trips. I don’t even have to be the one driving or navigating... I just have to be in the car. Thankfully, the wide-spread availability of GPS has helped to negate this somewhat dubiously useful superpower.

I don’t fit neatly in any of those personality tests. No matter what it is, I always end up pretty close to the exact middle on any spectrum. In college, when I had to take the actual Meyers-Briggs test, my scores were all within 48%-51% on every result except Introvert-Extravert (I am an introvert... though the people I love/feel comfortable with would never guess that)

Tell me a bit about your book, Minstrel's Call, and why my readers need to rush to their nearest Amazon and read it RIGHT NOW.

Minstrel’s Call is the fourth and final book in my YA fantasy series and it has all the amazing things, which is obviously why everyone should rush off and get their hands on a copy right now! (And the rest of the series, if you haven’t read it yet...)

Oh. 

Did you want more specifics?

Well, it has awesome dragons, an epic fantasy ship and ocean voyage, a high-stakes battle for the fate of the world, an evil villain bent on destroying everything, magical weapons, and is filled with themes of friendship, loyalty, courage, and the importance of family. It also reveals much of the mystery behind Kiernan Kane... this is his story, more than anything else.

What is your biggest piece of writing advice?

If you want to be a writer, you should be writing. It is, to this day, the best and biggest piece of writing advice I’ve ever received, and now I’ve passed it on to you! It seems fairly simple, but that is where most of its beauty lies. You can read about writing, you can hone your craft, you can listen to music, you can debate outlines versus discovery writing, you can contemplate the best way to hook a reader and argue about the use of tropes, but until you begin putting words down on the page, that story in your heart will remain untold, unshared with others.

Describe your writing process in seven words.

Chaotic. Tedious. Thrilling. Terrifying. Cathartic. Emotional. Analytical.

Author Links:

Website/Blog: http://jenelleschmidt.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JenelleLSchmidt/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jenelle-Leanne-Schmidt/e/B008J4H9ZS/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3636.Jenelle_Schmidt

Also, there's a giveaway.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6c7e337d20/?

Minstrel's Call Blog Tour - Interview with Kamarie

Greetings and solutions!

Yes, I'm aware that this post is way late, but I erased Monday from my memory and thought that yesterday was Tuesday. Even though I knew it was Wednesday. I'm sure you've never had a week like that.

Anywho, I'm participating in a blog tour for the final book of Jenelle LeAnne Schmidt's final book in the Minstrel's Song series, Minstrel's Call.

I love this series, everyone should go read it.

Book Blurb:
War threatens. The game board is set. But the Minstrel is missing...

Advancing his growing power, the Dread Prince breaks free of his prison and brings a faction of dragons under his control, stirring unrest and hatred in the newly united kingdoms of Tellurae Aquaous.

When the dragon wards of Kallayohm are targeted in a ruthless attack, the High King travels there to administer justice. But the trial results in a crippling blow that leaves him reeling.

On the heels of defeat, an unexpected message from the erstwhile Minstrel arrives, pleading with his friends for rescue. Together, the High King and his companions must follow the fragile trail, braving peril and darkness that will test the measure of them all...

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Minstrels-Call-Song-Book-ebook/dp/B079CLZYZB/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38524538-minstrel-s-call?from_search=true
Oh, and I get to interview Kamarie, who is my favorite character in the series.

So. You and Oraeyn? Would you kindly tell me a bit about your courtship and the three things you love most about him? (Yes, I'm slightly miffed that their relationship 90% happened during the time skip between books 1 and 3.)

Kamarie laughs and crosses her arms. “Well, Oraeyn and I didn’t start out on the best of terms. He really annoyed me at first, mostly because I figured he would get in the way of us having any exciting adventures. In all honesty, I aggravated him rather a lot, as well... he threw me in a river shortly after we started getting to know each other. But after that... well... we sort of gained a lot of respect for each other as our journey continued. That respect turned into friendship, and somehow, somewhere along the way, I realized that he was my best friend, and that I never wanted to go through life without him.” She gazes off across the room for a minute. “What are the three things I love most about him? I enjoy his sense of fun. He’s always surprising me with different idea of things to do. Picnics on the beach, rock-climbing in the Mountains of Dusk, exploring the Aura Wood, racing our horses, unexpected bouquets of wildflowers. I can’t believe I ever thought he might be the sort of person who didn’t love adventure! I also love that he listens to me. I mean, he really listens, and he is always there to help me if I need it, but he’s also willing to just listen and then let me try to solve the problem on my own if that’s what I say I want. And third, I just love how much he cares about everyone. He is always kind and respectful to everyone he meets, from the poorest farmer to the youngest servant to the highest noble to the king of the dragons... he treats everyone the same.” Kamarie laughs and continues, "Also, my author wishes to apologize for the fact that most of our romance happens between books! She says that romance is not her favorite thing to read or write, and that when she originally wrote us, she'd never been in love herself, and felt inadequate to the task. She actually left out our entire wedding except as a mention in the original draft of Yorien's Hand, but wrote it in later after a beta reader yelled at her about it!"

You're good friends with the young Yole. Care to tell me a bit about him?

Kamarie grins and leans forward. “Yole is like the brother I never had. He used to be like my little brother. He was someone I felt I needed to watch out for and protect. But he’s grown so much in the past eight years, and now he has really come into his own and seems to be finding his place in the world. I think he believes he’s sort of become my big brother, and thinks he needs to help protect me... I let him believe that... but just because he’s a dragon doesn’t mean I don’t still remember him as a scared little boy lost and wandering through the Mountains of Dusk!”


What would be your biggest piece of advice to any princess who wants to learn the sword?

“Ooh, that’s a good question. Well, I’m no expert, though I can definitely handle them. I would say that it would be good to get your parents’ approval. I should have done that... though I found out later that my father gave his approval to Sir Garen without my knowing it.” She shrugs, and gives a tiny, rueful grin. “And then I would say that you have to have patience, with yourself and your teacher. You can’t go into anything and just expect to be perfect at it - or even good at it - right from the start. We’re not all blessed that way by our fairy godmothers, after all. It takes a lot of practice, sore muscles, and getting knocked to the ground. But it isn’t about falling down... learning the sword, like most other things in life, is about whether or not you choose to get back up.”

Author Links:

Website/Blog: http://jenelleschmidt.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JenelleLSchmidt/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jenelle-Leanne-Schmidt/e/B008J4H9ZS/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3636.Jenelle_Schmidt

Also, there's a giveaway.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6c7e337d20/?

Tune in next time and maybe Kendra will feel a bit more chatty.