Monday, September 30, 2024

Crack the Stone by Emily Golus

About the Book

Book: Crack the Stone

Author: Emily Golus

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: September 22, 2023

I am Valshara, the black stone born of fire. Break me, and my edges turn into knives.

Condemned to a slave camp for her crimes, goblin convict Valshara Sh’a makes a death-defying escape to freedom. But navigating Vindor’s treacherous cavern system is only the beginning of her troubles. An encounter with a rogue king turns her world upside down, and a bargain with fairy tricksters leaves her with a human child she doesn’t know how to care for.

As she tries to smuggle the boy through the walls of a barricaded city, Valshara can’t let down her guard. Because somewhere in the darkness behind her, a bounty hunter rises—relentless as nightfall and merciless as death itself.

Emily Golus re-imagines Victor Hugo’s beloved Les Misérables as an epic fantasy adventure about suffering, redemption, and the extraordinary power of love.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

Crack the Stone is a retelling of Les Misérables, which is a simply enormous novel. I knew how I wanted to adapt the core of the story (the redemption of Jean Valjean and the adoption of Cosette), but one of the most fun parts for me was finding ways to “remix” other elements of the original into this main plotline. The innkeepers, Éponine, the ABC, the barricade, the Elephant of the Bastille, Cosette’s doll—they’re all re-spun into something new and different.

You don’t have to be familiar with Hugo’s novel or the musical adaptation to enjoy Crack the Stone, but if you are I hope you enjoy the Les Mis Easter eggs!

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

When I write, I often try to illustrate biblical concepts in new ways. For example, what would it look like if a society adopted the New Testament’s principle of radical hospitality to strangers? What might distract them from that?

For Crack the Stone, I had a rich resource to work with in Les Misérables, which very beautifully illustrates the mercy of God. I wrote the character of Valshara (my version of Jean Valjean) trying to show the deep, transforming power of forgiveness and love on a hardened heart. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the mysterious Faceless (Javert), a bounty hunter who’s very scrupulous about following rules and pursuing “righteousness” to advance his own status, but at his core he’s selfish and spiritually dead.

Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Yes! Five-year-old Makozi is based on my son, David. Ever since David started speaking, I’ve been writing down the funny or unique things he says. When I went to write Valshara’s young ward, I realized I had a trove of realistic childish dialogue to pullfrom.

Makozi’s high energy level and some of his quirks (such as the chaotic way he hikes through the woods) are drawn from David as well.

Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

Before I had kids, I did my best work in the wee hours of the morning. I often got up at five a.m. and got a few hours of writing in before I headed into my marketing job. Now I work whenever I have the chance—typically in the evenings or when my kids are in preschool. I’ve learned to be a lot more flexible and can write anywhere I can fit my laptop!

What is your next big goal as an author?

I’m turning my attention from the underground world of goblins to the undersea world of Vindor’s merfolk. I have a short story coming out in The Realm Beneath anthology in October, which is a prequel to a full-length mermaid novel (still in the drafting stages).

You can keep up with news about these projects on my website, EmilyGolusBooks.com, or follow me on Instagram @worldofvindor.

About the Author

Emily Golus is an award-winning fantasy author with nearly 20 years of professional writing experience. Golus aims to engage, inspire, and show how small acts of courage and love create meaningful change. Her books feature diverse cultures, authentic characters, and cinematic fantasy settings.

Her first novel, Escape to Vindor, won the 2018 Selah Award for Young Adult Fiction, and a spin-off novel, Crack the Stone, won the 2024 Kudos Award for Fiction. Golus lives in Greenville, S.C., with her husband, Mike, who is her greatest supporter. They have two active little boys and enjoy hiking, making Thai food, and exploring small towns in the Carolinas.

More from Emily

Crack the Stone is a fantasy re-spinning of Victor Hugo’s redemptive masterpiece, Les Misérables. I’ve taken the major themes and characters of the original novel and recast them within the fantastical world of Vindor. The heart of the story is the same—a stone-hearted convict on the run from the law finds unexpected redemption—but there are new twists and turns along the way.

The Jean Valjean character—now a fierce goblin warrior named Valshara Sh’a—finds herself fleeing through treacherous caverns, an ensnaring forest, and a West African-inspired city under siege. Her pursuer, an expert bounty hunter who has never failed to catch his quarry, is dead-set on returning her to slavery.

Complicating everything is the human boy Valshara rescues from a fairy ring. The precocious and chaotic child not only jeopardizes the goblin’s escape, but starts to melt her obsidian heart.

Crack the Stone focuses primarily on Hugo’s themes of scandalous redemption, legalism, and the transforming love between a mother and child. Other elements of the novel—lovesick Éponine, the red revolution flag, the barricade, the Elephant of the Bastille—have been remixed in unexpected ways to support the redemption arc.

If you’re a fan of the book (or the musical!) you’ll enjoy the fun Les Mis “Easter eggs” throughout. But even if you’re not familiar with the original, you can still get swept up in Crack the Stone’s epic story of suffering, love, and light in the darkest places.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, September 21

Vicky Sluiter, September 22 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 23

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 24 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 25

For the Love of Literature, September 26 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 27 (Author Interview)

Through the Fire Blogs, September 28 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, September 29

Guild Master, September 30 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, October 1 (Author Interview)

Back Porch Reads, October 2 (Author Interview)

Just Your Average reviews, October 3

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 4 (Author Interview)

Denise L. Barela, October 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Emily is giving away the grand prize of a paperback copy of Crack the Stone, an obsidian arrowhead pendant, two Vindor stickers, a Vindor mini-map, a Vindor bookmark, and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5447

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Ronnie by Jennifer Lynn Cary

About the Book

Book: Ronnie

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet Romcom

Release Date: June 12, 2024

She’s literally stuck in her engagement…

…He’s trying to keep her there.

But when you take the couple out of Texas, is the romance lost too?

Ronnie Webb has broken her engagement to the love of her life, Carlos (Cal) Garcia, or would have if the stupid ring would come off her finger.

To find the space to get over him and the rest of what is going wrong in her life, she leaves her dad’s Texas ranch to visit her aunt and family in Kokomo, Indiana.

But hanging out with the Weather Girls, especially with their cardinal in the sycamore legend sending out strong vibes, Ronnie’s love life may not be as dead as she thinks.

Carlitos can’t believe the letter Ronnie left him right before Christmas—his last one at home before his enlistment starts. However, his broken wrist might just be the break he needs to get Ronnie back before it’s too late.

But what does this native Texan know about mid-western Hoosier romance?

And can he learn, or is this the end?

Ronnie: A Sweet, Quirky Romantic Yarn is book five in the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series. Inspired by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ 1960’s song of the name, this charming tale with a bit of western influence finishes off 1972 and brings you into the New Year in Kokomo, Indiana.

You will enjoy this sweet and wholesome romcom with a touch of western flavor because everyone dreams of their own cowboy romance.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

• What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

The most challenging part, I think, was trying to write a cowboy flavor to it. I mean, I’ve got Kokomo imprinted in my mind. I’m writing about the place where I grew up, at least until my junior year of high school. But even though I live in Arizona, I’m limited on knowing what all goes on on a ranch. Plus, the ranch was in Texas. Some of my husband’s farm days could translate over, but understanding how Carlitos viewed his home, his rodeo job, that called for some research.

I also had a tough time writing the first scene. Started it more times than I can count. It was important to see Ronnie as wounded and scared, not self-centered. And of course, I needed to get at least a chuckle in there. It’s okay to deal with hard subjects, but I also need to leave my reader feeling good.

• What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

This book is special because it gives the readers who’ve been following this series and the one that came before—The Weather Girls—an update. Usually for this series, the girls and their families just pop in for cameos, or because there’s a connection to their business. Plus, of course, we have to have the cardinal in the sycamore make his appearance. But it was fun to have Sunny and Pat back and expecting since their romance started it all.

If this is the first book of mine that someone picks up, that’s not a problem. All the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue books are meant to be read in any order. But as a nod to those who’ve followed them all, I had fun getting them caught up without dragging the story down.

• How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Honestly, I rarely know what Biblical truths God will reveal in my writing as I start. It often comes out in the push-pull of what the character must go through and why they don’t want to. And, for some crazy reason (ahem) God sort of points out where I need the message too. I often have to finish the first draft to figure the message out completely.

That being said, with Ronnie, the message was loud and clear from the beginning. And yes, I’ve struggled with fear, just as she does. The verse that keeps knocking on her door is the same one that has helped me in my battles.

• Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

There’s probably a little of myself in my female main characters though it’s more for helping to understand her than to inspire her. I think there’s also a bit of my hubs in the hero as well, because he’s mine. However, here’s a little secret I’ve only told one person. Carlitos was named for one of my former students. I was blessed to have him in my class several times—it worked out that I was his preschool teacher before I started teaching a third/fourth grade loop. By the time he was in third grade, I’d gotten to see how gifted he was with math. I made the hero in the book gifted with language though instead. Carlitos is now a husband and father. When he responded to a FB happy birthday message, I told him I’d used his first name in the book. He bought it before I could give him a copy.

• What is your next big goal as an author?

I want to keep writing as many books for this series as I possibly can, though I think I’ll need to take a break and write something else so as not to get bored with it. I want this to remain fresh.

That’s one reason I’m working with another author on a different trilogy. She is adept at tugging on the heartstrings. I’m bringing the lighter side. The problem is we’re both busy, but we both have an opportunity to pitch the idea this fall, and we’ll see what happens. If it works out, it most likely will be traditionally published rather than indy.

I think working with another author who gets my writing (she’s my editor so she really does know my style), and who I respect and enjoy her writing voice, can help us both to reach a new level.

I’d give you more information, but until things are finalized that’s about it. Oh, I can tell you the idea is based on three mondegreens from 1960s music. A mondegreen is where you hear the words and can’t make them out, so your mind substitutes what it thinks it hears. One famous example is from the song “Groovin’” by the Young Rascals. There’s a line in the bridge that, correctly sung, is “You and me, endlessly” but a lot of radio listeners thought it was “You and me and Leslie.” That’s a mondegreen.

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

In the first chapter of Ronnie, Carlitos comes home to his mom making his favorite, Pozole. It is a Mexican soup, and the first time I had it was at my neighbor’s house. She has given me her recipe and permission to share it with you all. Two things to keep in mind: first, she and I had to work to translate this from Spanish to English. We did our best, but if you don’t understand something, just give it your best shot—or ask me. I might be able to figure it out. Maybe. 😉 Two, she usually makes big batches of this, and she cut it back for a “normal” size. So feel free to adjust as needed.

Most of all, though, enjoy!

Pozole Recipe by Araceli Estrada (my amazing neighbor and friend)

Ingredients:

For meat pot-

4 lbs. of bone-in pork loin

½ white onion–diced

1 head of garlic—clean off the paper

2 bay leaves

1 T oregano

1 T ground cumin

1 T powdered chicken bouillon

1 large can of hominy

For chili sauce-

10 chili pods

10 Ancho chilis

10-15 black pepper corns

4 cloves of garlic

For garnish—

Shredded cabbage

Diced onion

Sliced radishes

Chopped cilantro

Chunked avocado

Lime wedges—to squeeze over

Directions:

Place in a Dutch oven, the pork loin, the half onion, the head of garlic, the bay leaves, the oregano, and cumin. Add enough water to cover up to ¾ of pot. Bring to a boil and then heat. Simmer for 2 hours stirring often and skimming off the foam.

Slice open chilis and remove seeds and membranes. In a second pot, add chili pods and Ancho chilis. Cover with water and bring to a boil. After two minutes, turn off heat and allow chilis to rest in hot water for at least ten minutes. The chilis should feel soft and pliable.

Remove from water and put into blender with black peppercorns, 4 cloves of garlic, and a cup of water. Add water a little at a time, careful to not add too much. Puree until smooth. Then pour through a strainer into the meat pot.

Strain the hominy and add it plus the chicken bouillon to the meat pot. Salt to taste. Allow to simmer while preparing the garnishes.

Set garnishes out so guests can choose. Serve with warm tortillas.

(From Jenny: Not sure home much this will serve, but it is so good!)

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 18

Blossoms and Blessings, September 19 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 19

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 20

Artistic Nobody, September 21 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 22

Guild Master, September 23 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 24

A Reader’s Brain, September 25 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 26

Back Porch Reads, September 27 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 29 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, September 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 30

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 1 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5444

Thursday, September 19, 2024

The Burning Tree by Helen Dent

About the Book

Book: The Burning Tree

Author: Helen Dent

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: September 10, 2024

There’s a secret growing in the woods.

In Ellie Caster’s town of Bishop’s Gap, the Casters and the powerful Levy family have been feuding for generations. The families share just one thing in common—they both dread the mark, a scorch that appears at random on their doors, bringing a curse from the Burning Tree. When the mark hits Ellie’s door, her sister Jean falls into a coma. Ellie knows the Burning Tree is to blame, and desperate to save her sister, she braves the forbidden woods to confront it. But this choice ignites a chain of unintended consequences, forcing her to work with her nemesis, Charlotte Levy.

Together, they must complete an impossible task, uncover the ancient secret of Bishop’s Gap, and end the curse before time runs out for their entire town.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all authors opinions.

Author Interview

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

I love seeing how the the big picture story of God’s mercy in rescuing His people and His creation plays itself out in so many individual stories of redemption throughout Scripture. Joseph,for example, and Daniel and Esther and Paul. Who could anticipate the trajectory of any of those story arcs? They’ve transformed my imagination. So when I write, my stories revolve around that same theme of mercy.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Yes, if setting counts as a type of character (which to me, it does!). Every summer, I visited my grandparents in a place that seemed larger than life. My grandmother grew mint and tomatoes in a back garden that always seemed to be misted with dew, and a few times a week my grandad would take me with him on his errands into town, which oddly involved buying cheese (at a discount) at a gas station. He and my grandmother were the librarians for their church, so the errands also included a trip to the church library for a fresh supply of books. Grandad would open the creaking library door with a skeleton key, and then I’d have the whole library to myself. I still remember how it smelled like sun-warmed wood and old paper and lemon pledge. That place has definitely found its way into my stories, though the characters themselves are NOT based on anyone in real life!

● Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why?

The idea for The Burning Tree actually hit me while I was waiting for one of my children at a sports practice. Fortunately, I had a notebook with me and I scribbled the whole plot down. Some details changed in the writing process (which took several years), but the basic idea remained the same.

● Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

I’m most productive just after breakfast or very late at night. I’ve tried pre-dawn writing — the idea of having pages done before the sun even comes up is inspiring — but apparently my creativity takes more time than that to warm up!

● Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I’ve always been drawn to stories that are grounded in this world but also have a magical or fantastical element. One of my favorite scenes of all time comes from Phantastes by George MacDonald (who was one of the most important influences on C.S. Lewis in his journey to faith). In this book, the main character wakes up to find that his very ordinary room has become entwined with vines. In fact, it is now half-room, half-forest, and he’s invited into a journey where everything is more than meets the eye. I wanted to capture that same feeling of awe and surprise in The Burning Tree, which is why I chose the genre of low fantasy for this book.

About the Author

Helen Dent’s career as a writer began at age nine, when her grandfather paid her a dollar a page for what turned into quite a lengthy story. She studied monster theory (among other things) in graduate school, taught English at a Chinese university, and toured the Scottish Hebrides in a car with a needy radiator. Now she lives in Texas with her husband, kids, a cat, and a hamster. She belongs to the DFW Writers Workshop, the Fort Worth Poetry Society, and Art House Dallas.

More from Helen

“‘Oh, Trees, Trees, Trees,’ said Lucy (though she had not been intending to speak at all). ‘Oh, Trees, wake, wake, wake.’

. . .

Though there was not a breath of wind they all stirred about her. The rustling noise of the leaves was almost like words.” - C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

This scene of the enchanted trees in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia sparked my imagination the very first time I read it. As a child, like Lucy, I could picture how the trees in my own backyard might look as wood-people, what they might say if they spoke. Even now, when I walk through woods, they still hold an enchanted quality for me. I want to follow all the footpaths . . . to a meadow, maybe, rich in wildflowers . . . or a haunt of bats . . . or an ancient, lightning-struck tree.

There’s a particular wood near my house that I walked week by week during a difficult season in my life. Flowers bloomed, birds nested. The light changed. Leaves fell, then budded again. It was a comfort to wander under the sheltering trees – and that comfort wasn’t just the peace of being out in nature.

Each rustle of the trees carried an echo of a much greater story.

It’s always struck me as particularly beautiful that there are individual trees at the beginning and end of the Bible: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, and then the tree of life again in Revelation, this time described as having “twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22: 2b ESV).

So every walk in the woods reminds me that brokenness isn’t the end of the story. Death isn’t the end of the story.

It’s probably no surprise, then, that I set my book, The Burning Tree, in an enchanted forest. where the trees have been twisted into something destructive, but where there’s always the possibility of a different outcome . . . just waiting to be unlocked.