Welcome to the third stop in the #exploreleira blog tour where we’re celebrating the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! It is the second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles, which tells the story of a girl who can hear the song that created the world.

If this is your first encounter with the blog tour, we are continuing a series of alphabet posts looking at the world and characters and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles.

Today, we’re looking at the letter C for … Carhartan!

C is for Carhartan …

Carhartan serves the Takhran as the Second Marshal of the Khelari and plays the role of the antagonist in Orphan’s Song. I’ll admit to having a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Carhartan. But it wasn’t always that way. When he first appeared on the page, I despised him and did everything I could to make him completely unlikeable. And it was great.

He was so wicked and villainous …

Only, he wasn’t very human.

So, I went back to the drawing board. I figured out his backstory, started peppering the novel with hints, and even threw in a scene with the Takhran to garner a little sympathy. And it worked. At first. Only I still didn’t like him … and it bled through into every scene, into every word that he said, every action, every little mannerism or characteristic, so that once again, he was a villain …

And he wasn’t human.

So I went back to the drawing board again, and this time, I threw out all my preconceived notions about Carhartan the villain … and started thinking about how to make Carhartan a hero instead. If you follow my blog or Facebook page, it’s no secret that I practically grew up on the Lord of the Rings books and always adored Aragorn. And in the movie, Ranger Aragorn (as opposed to King Aragorn) was the height of coolness.

So … in order to get over my dislike of Carhartan, I decided to make him like Ranger Aragorn. (Crazy, right? Isn’t he supposed to be the villain? Why pattern any part of him after a hero?) I’m glad you asked. I realized that in order to create an antagonist who would come across as human, rather than as a cardboard cutout of an evil villain, I had to give him some redeeming quality. Something that would make me as the author like him.

It started with giving Carhartan a pipe … and yes, the scene in which we first see Carhartan’s pipe is reminiscent of the hobbits’ first glimpse of Ranger Aragorn at the Prancing Pony inn. Call it a nod, if you will, to Ranger Aragorn.

She followed Madame’s directing arm into the common room, her bare feet thudding against the cold, stone floor. The long trestle table gleamed in the firelight. Its lone occupant sat at the far end like a lurking shadow. A pipe in his mouth, meal untouched, studying Birdie with his strange dark eyes. Carhartan.

– Orphan’s Song

It seems so trivial, doesn’t it? Transforming a character with a pipe. But as soon as I put that pipe in Carhartan’s hand, I stopped looking at him as a villain, and instead started thinking about him as a character. From there, I made a few more changes, giving Carhartan and his character things that I liked, instead of things that I despised.

The stranger’s voice halted any further movement. “Drop your weapon.” His horse—a massive armored creature with an odd reddish-black mane and tail—danced in place, but he scarcely seemed to notice, moving with the horse like a tree swaying in the wind.

– Orphan’s Song

I made him a good horseman and gave him spurs. I made his horse gray, since heroes typically ride “white” steeds. And lo and behold, that subtle change in my thinking seeped into Carhartan’s scenes and his true character began to emerge on the page. He became much less of a cardboard cutout of a villain and much more interesting to me.

All of a sudden, I found myself not only liking Carhartan but feeling a tinge of pity for him. After all, he was fated to be a villain. An author can’t help feeling sorry for that.

“Time to move out.” Carhartan tapped his pipe against the sole of his boot and stood, nodding toward Birdie and Ky. “Bring them.”

– Orphan’s Song

Who are some of your favorite antagonists and what things made them seem more “human” and less “evil villain?”

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Want to find out more about Carhartan? Check out the links below to purchase the books:

Amazon: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira

Barnes and Nobles: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira

Welcome to the second stop in the #exploreleira blog tour where we’re celebrating the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! It is the second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles, which tells the story of a girl who can hear the song that created the world.

If this is your first encounter with the blog tour, we are continuing a series of alphabet posts looking at the world and characters and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles.

Today, we’re looking at the letter …

 

B is for Birdie …

When I first set pen to page on the first draft of the first book in the series, it was with Birdie’s name, the idea of a world created through music, and a vague notion of a rascally, red-headed peddler named Amos. But even though I started with Birdie’s name, it took me a while to figure out who she really was inside.

On the outside, it was easy enough. A young girl. Petite. Dark haired. With eyes that often seem too large for her face. Orphaned and abandoned as a baby, she serves as a drudge at an inn at the beginning of Orphan’s Song. But when it is discovered that she is gifted to hear and sing the Song that created the world, she is forced to flee for her life. Simple, right?

On the inside, it was much more difficult. She is not a flashy, swashbuckling, show-stealer like Amos, nor an indomitable, fight-your-way-up-from-the-ground troublemaker like Ky. So nailing down her character was a challenge. But after a number of drafts, I felt like her true character at last emerged on the page.

She is young, yes. Untrained. Desperate for home and a sense of belonging. And yet … she has steel beneath her skin. There is built within her a sense of self that grounds her even when she does not completely understand what it means to be who she is. Her journey through Orphan’s Song and Songkeeper is one of continued growth.

And in Songkeeper, at last, we see Birdie begin to come into her own—though it is not without a struggle. Throughout the story, Birdie battles with overwhelming fear, anxiety, and an unsettled feeling in her soul. She cannot recall the last time that she felt peace. It is a feeling that I have experienced, and I am sure that others have as well. There are times when I allow the weight of the world, the burden of the things that I feel I must accomplish, or the relentless barrage of my own critique to fester inside, until the turmoil is so great that it feels like it must explode.

In Songkeeper, Birdie fears that she is an imposter. That she will fail in the end and the hope that others have put in her will prove wanting. (Hmm, now how many times have I felt like that as an author?) And in her fear, she seeks control, forgetting that the Song was never her power to begin with.

One of the verses that I thought a lot about when writing Songkeeper was Psalm 46:10. It is a verse many are familiar with, and yet when I truly stop and think about the words, I cannot help but be impressed with the weight that they bear.

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Be still.

Be. Still.

Man, I need those words stamped on the back of my hands so I can see them all the time.

When I am anxious, be still. Know that He is God.

When I worn thin from striving, be still. Know that He is God.

When I am fearful and trying to wrest things under my control, be still. Know that He is God.

And notice that in our stillness and our knowledge of His power, His name is exalted. He gets the glory.

We see this truth reflected in Birdie’s journey in Songkeeper, and I think that’s what made her story resonate even more with me after the second book. For though there is steel beneath her skin, she feels like there is fear caged inside her chest … struggling to break free. And like us, she must combat that fear through learning to be still and to trust.

She held her breath.

The notes crept toward her and around her, visible now, like specks of fire, of light, of power untold. They swept over and through her, gentle but fierce. Tearing but rebuilding anew. Behind them, the vast melody rose in all its glorious splendor to surround her, and she felt herself pulled into the warmth of that embrace.

Listen, little Songkeeper, the voice whispered, and I will sing you a Song.

– Songkeeper

Have you ever struggled with being still and simply trusting that the Lord is God?

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Want to find out more about Birdie? Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books:

Amazon: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira

Barnes and Nobles: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira

Thanks for joining us on our first stop on the #exploreleira blog tour to celebrate the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! It is the second book in the Songkeeper Chronicles, which tells the story of a girl who can hear the song that created the world.

For the blog tour, we are embarking on a series of alphabet posts looking at the world, characters, and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles.

Today, we’re looking at the letter …

A is for Amos McElhenny …

Because really, could I start with anyone but Amos? From the moment the blustery peddler stomped his way onto the page, he’s held a soft spot in my heart. He’s a man on the run from a varied past, making a measly living on the road with no sight to the future, until the danger that threatens his “wee lass” lands him face to face with the past that’s dogged his heels.

He’s often reckless, impulsive, and prone to rely far too much on his own strength. Though of course, he would sooner drown than admit that he’s in over his head. He is, after all, the great Amos McElhenny—a fact that he is not above throwing in his own teeth on the rare occasion when he is forced to admit his “boggswoggling foolery.”

In all honesty, there are few things that I love more than throwing unlikely characters together and letting them hash their way through all sorts of challenges. It is ridiculously amusing. And Amos, well, Amos breeds conflict by his very nature, which in my opinion, makes him just oh-so-very-fun to read about.

But that’s enough talking about him, because what better way is there to get a feeling for the man than to “watch” some of his interactions? Imagine this as a sort of “best-of” reel. Pull up a chair. Help yourself to a bowl of popcorn. And enjoy!

Warning … there may be spoilers ahead.

Amos is a traveler. A man of the road.

He took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. “We’ve supplies aplenty, the wind at our backs, an’ the open road before our feet. What more could a man wish for?”

– Orphan’s Song

He is not known for his patience …

“C’mon, ye fly-swoggled lollygaggin’ worthless lump o’ dragon bait! ’Tis only a wee bit further!” Amos yanked at Balaam’s lead rope, forcing the donkey to stumble after him into the yard of the Sylvan Swan.

– Orphan’s Song

Though he can be quite longsuffering when the need arises …

Brog’s voice stopped him halfway to the door. “Amos, haven’t you forgotten something?”

Amos filled his lungs with air and slowly turned around. “No, I don’t think I have.”

“A small matter of four coins…”

Amos dug around in his pouch as he stumped over to Brog, and then dropped the coins into the tavern keeper’s hand. He swept his cap from his head, bowed to the tavern and its inmates, and stalked out into the night, thoroughly disgusted with himself and the whole evening.

“Bloodwuthering blodknockers!”

– Orphan’s Song

Some would say that he is not overly good at making friends …

The sword was up to its old tricks again. Amos spat a glob of blood out of his mouth and grinned at the pirate. “Smarts, don’t it?”

The pirate snarled at him and tore the cloak from Amos’s neck, tossing it over the sword before he picked it up again. Then the other pirates closed around Amos and hustled him down the beach.

– Orphan’s Song

But his enemies know better than to mess with him …

“Aye, we’ve naught t’ fear from you, Khelari. But ye’ve quite a bit t’ fear from me if ye don’t turn yer prancin’ pony around and get out o’ the Midlands an’ back t’ the North where ye belong.”

– Orphan’s Song

And his friends know him well enough to know they can mess with him …

“Ah, ye’ve missed me, have ye? So the first thing ye do when we meet again, is try t’ kill me an’ the wee lass? Fine way t’ greet an old friend,” Amos said.

“Kill you?” The first dwarf snorted. “Well, how do you like that? And here we thought we’d saved your lives.”

“Do not bother asking for an apology, Jirkar,” Nisus said. “Or a thank you. That never was his way.”

– Orphan’s Song

When it comes to pure stubbornness, Amos tends to rank at the top.

Dalton swallowed visibly. “Time changes many things, Amos … even men.”

“I’ve heard it said. But there are some things that don’t change, even with time. Amos McElhenny won’t change. The Takhran can be his life on it.”

– Orphan’s Song

But he may have met his match in the griffin, Gundhrold. I’ll leave it to you to decide.

With a sigh, he turned back to the griffin. “D’ ye have any idea where we’re goin’?”

“In truth, peddler?” The look of disgust on the griffin’s face might have melted a less hardy man, but Amos McElhenny had walked the secret paths below Mount Eiphyr and witnessed the horrors of the Pit. He was not a man easily dismayed. So he whispered to himself as the griffin’s unblinking stare settled on him.

– Songkeeper 

Amos is a warrior through and through.

Amos clasped his wrists behind his back, coaxing the stiff muscles in his wounded side to stretch. “We are always too few.”

“But fight we will.”

Amos huffed a laugh. “Aye, ‘cause that’s what we do. Ye and I. We’re warriors. It’s how we lived an’ it’s how we’ll die, fightin’ till the last breath leaves our lungs an’ our bodies cling t’ the dust whence we came. It’s the only thing we know.”

– Songkeeper 

And yet, when it comes to his wee lass, he has a heart as soft and gooey as melted chocolate, and that is why we love him.

His arms settled about her battered and bruised shoulders and held her tight. “There now, lass,” he muttered. “It’s all goin’ t’ be all right. Ye’re safe now. Safe.”

– Songkeeper 

Did you enjoy our “best-of” look at Amos McElhenny? If you’ve read the series, what is your favorite Amos moment?

Test your knowledge of the Songkeeper Chronicles! Which of the following is NOT a phrase used by Amos in the series? Leave your answer in the comments.

1. Crook-pated moldwarps
2. Blithering barnacles
3. Clambakes and cribbage sticks
4. Bleating bollywags
5. Flibbersticks and roughnash

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Want to find out more about Amos? Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books.

Amazon: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira

Barnes and Nobles: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, Song of Leira