Well friends and fellow wanderers, it is now July and that means that the Song of Leira blog tour has officially come to an end. Thank you all for celebrating this book release month with me. Sending a book out into the world is always equal parts thrilling and terrifying, but I am honestly just so glad to be able to hold all three books in my hands and know that the story has come to the ending it was always meant to have.

I have also updated a new section of this website with a special place for fans of The Songkeeper Chronicles! Through the Explore Leira tab in the top menu, you can now view maps that detail the journeys taken in each of the stories, find an official pronunciation guide (at last!) and view some fantastic fan art!

(And yes, I ADORE receiving fan art for the series. It is so cool to realize that the characters, places, and creatures that started off in your imagination have now found a home in readers’ imaginations as well!)

And if you’re ready to explore some more, I decided to pull together a final round up of all the exciting blog posts and articles that were published during the blog tour!

Interviews:

Family Fiction: Singing Hope into the World

7 Questions with Enclave Publishing

American Christian Fiction Writers Interview: All about The Songkeeper Chronicles, advice for fantasy authors, and what I hope readers take away from the story.

Interview with Sarah Taleweaver: Behind the Scenes Info, Hilarious Questions, & Gillian’s Geekery on Display

Interview with Audrey Caylin: Inspiration behind the series, storyworld questions, and more!

Day in the [writing] Life with Christen Krumm

Interview with H.S.J. Williams: the journey behind the series, biggest author surprises, and favrotie characters.

Song of Leira Themes:

Seek to Do Good

Freeing the Captives

Song of Leira Reviews:

Review by Christen Krumm

Review by Deborah O’Carroll (also pictures with dinosaurs!)

Review by Sarah

Review by Jane Maree (also fangirling)

And Song of Leira Fun:

Spotlight on Amos McElhenny

5 Reasons Why You Should Read Song of Leira

Transformation of a Character

Windowsill Worldbuilding

Song of Leira and the Anthem of Grace

Thanks all for reading! I am so grateful for each and every one of my readers, and I always love to stay in touch with you all through this blog (you can subscribe to receive posts in your inbox through the portal in the right sidebar), my newsletter, Facebook page, and Instagram account!

First off, now that Song of Leira is out, it’s time to choose the winner of the pre-order super fan prize pack (including a map of Leira, a Song of Leira woodmark, and three character cards)! And the winner is …

Andy Sheehan!

Congrats, Andy! I’ll be contacting you directly so I can ship the prize to you.

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Windowsill World-Building

It’s only been four years since Orphan’s Song released, but I started writing the book long before then. Back when I had just finished up my last year of highschool and still lived in my amazing bedroom with a loft at my parents’ home.

A library ladder let me up into my loft each night, and I would sleep beside an arched window that gave me the most magnificent view of the stars. And the moon! When the moon was full, it seemed to hover just beyond the pane of glass, almost as if you could reach out and touch it and be whisked away to magical lands beyond.

I was new enough to the writing game that my mind was full of stories and dreams and ideas, but I hadn’t yet learned the practical aspects of being a writer, like how it is often a good idea to keep a notebook beside your bed so you can catch those fleeting ideas that so often escape your mind on the bridge between dreaming and waking.

So when I awoke in the night with new ideas for my current story – a fantasy adventure involving two characters, Birdie and Amos McElhenny, and the barest hint of a story idea, “a girl who can hear a song that no one else can,” – naturally, I started writing them down on the closest thing to hand.

My windowsill.

I found a pencil and scribbled notes by the light of the moon and the stars. And having begun, well, it became my thing, and the number of notes slowly grew as I dreamed my way through Orphan’s Song and began looking ahead toward Songkeeper and Song of Leira.

And the years passed, and I moved away and finished the fifth and final draft of Orphan’s Song, signed with my agent, and landed a publishing contract.

And I forgot completely about my windowsill notes and my nightly story-dreaming, until one summer, my parents decided to paint the house, and their attempts to clean up my old loft revealed my windowsill scribblings.

At which point, I received a text from my dad with a question mark and a string of pictures!

And of course I was slightly embarrassed because who goes around writing story notes on windowsills? But I told the story to my dad and we had a good laugh at dreamy little writer me. And at the same time, it was so fun to look back at all the old notes and see how the story had changed and where I thought it was going to go in the first place.

So I thought I’d share some of them with you. Because there is some true storytelling magic here … ;)

Warning: there are spoilers for both Orphan’s Song and Songkeeper below …

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1. Birdie’s Companions

So … first up, here’s a glimpse at who I thought Birdie’s companions would be coming into Songkeeper. Amos, of course. And Gundhrold. Yay! (Hopefully you all recognize those two.)

As for the others, well, Corrd, if you recall, was a grouchy Waveryder (sailor) who nearly got into a fight with Amos at the Whistlin’ Waterfly in Orphan’s Song after Amos stepped in to protect the Khelari soldier Hendryk. I thought he had potential to be an interesting character, so I toyed with the idea of having him meet up with Birdie and Amos and Gundhrold at some point and join their crew.

But given the question mark by his name, clearly my thinking didn’t take me much beyond that!

Damson, on the other hand, actually made it into the story, though he went through a series of different names and personality changes before the end. At first, I pictured him as a light-hearted character – almost like George the cat – possibly even a bard of some sort who would wind up turning traitor eventually. (Surprise! Right?)

Clearly that didn’t happen. After a short stint as Damson, he became Runehilde for an even shorter period of time. (Thank goodness! What a name, guys!)

And Runehilde was going to be one of the Shantren, the gifted but twisted individuals who serve the Takhran. (Shantren also apparently went through several versions of the name/spelling options.)

Eventually, Damson/Runehilde morphed into a much better character who we all know and love as Dah Inali! And Inali honestly wound up being far more interesting than Damson or Runehilde combined, and he’s actually become one of my favorite conflicted characters.

And judging by the reports I’ve had from readers, he has quite a few conflicted fans of his own!

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2. Orphan’s Song was originally Song of Leira

Okay, this could get confusing, but the story that’s told in Orphan’s Song, book one of The Songkeeper Chronicles, was originally titled Song of Leira. So all of my old notes labeled Song of Leira have everything to do with Orphan’s Song and absolutely nothing to do with the then unnamed third book which has since been named … Song of Leira.

So this picture shows my brainstorming for both the first chapter (Birdie’s burning of the stew porridge) and the end of Orphan’s Song (Amos picking up Artair’s sword after the battle of Bryllhyn – it was symbolic, y’all, in case you didn’t realize that) and surprisingly, both of those things made it into the final version!

Of Orphan’s Song. Not Song of Leira.

Get it? Got it? Good.

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3. Sa Itera

I totally wanted to give this woman more page time, but the story did what a story does and ran away with me. But as you can see, long before Songkeeper became a story, the image of Sa Itera was set in stone. Or at least in pencil … on a windowsill …

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4. The Plot of Book Two

Honestly, if you were to grind Songkeeper down to its barest bones, this is essentially the plot. Although, Ky’s story took on a bit of a tangent and the vague “rebellion up north” never really materialized.

Instead … Ky stormed the Underground and led a bit of a rebellion of his own … and don’t we all love him for it?

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So there you have it, the results of my brilliant moonlight dreaming and windowsill world-building. My dad was honestly so sweet about the whole thing. He took pictures of all the notes (there were more, lots more, actually, some having to do with my new top secret project – it surprised me to realize how long I’ve been dreaming about that one!) so I wouldn’t lose anything before the painters got to work.

And he didn’t once reprimand me for being a crazy young writer/dreamer who wrote on her windowsill instead of a notebook.

Aren’t dads the best?

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Can you believe it, guys? Song of Leira is out!
You can order it now (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD) and don’t forget to snag a picture of you adventuring with your copy to enter the #SongofLeiraContest.

Well, how’s that for a mouthful of a title?

Today is the official release date for Song of Leira, the third and final book in the Songkeeper Chronicles. This is a huge moment because it is the final book … but also because I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever for you to finally read it.

And now it’s here, I certainly can’t let something like this pass by without celebrating, so I hope you all are ready to have some fun! But first, here’s a glimpse at the book.

SONG OF LEIRA (Book Three of the Songkeeper Chronicles)

THE SONG BIDS HER RISE TO BATTLE.

Reeling from her disastrous foray into the Pit, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, retreats into the mountains. But in the war-torn north, kneeling on bloodstained battlefields to sing the souls of the dying to rest, her resolve to accept her calling is strengthened. Such evil cannot go unchallenged.

Torn between oaths to protect the Underground runners and to rescue his friend from the slave camps, Ky Huntyr enlists Birdie’s aid. Their mission to free the captives unravels the horrifying thread connecting the legendary spring, Artair’s sword, and the slave camps. But the Takhran’s schemes are already in motion. Powerful singers have arisen to lead his army—singers who can shake the earth and master the sea—and monsters rampage across the land.

As Leira falters on the verge of defeat, the Song bids her rise to battle, and the Songkeeper must answer.

Find Song of Leira online: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD

Add Song of Leira to your Goodreads Shelf

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#SongofLeira Contest

Along with the release, today we are launching into probably the most fun contest I’ve ever done for the release of a book. I am honestly so excited about it, guys, and I think you will have so much fun with it too.

Before I tell you what it is though, here’s a glimpse at what’s at stake!

Don’t you guys just love that mug? (I do!)

And now, are you curious about what exactly the contest is? Watch the video to find out!

What do y’all think? Are you ready to “Adventure with Your Book” this summer?

How to Enter the Contest:

Summer is about adventuring! I think reading and real-life adventuring can go hand in hand, so we’re going to give it a try.

• Step 1: Choose your adventure! Example: kayking, hiking, picnic, visiting with friends, roller coaster rides, baseball games, etc.
• Step 2: Take your copy of Song of Leira with you and take a picture/video of your adventure and book!
• Step 3: Post your picture/video online (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and don’t forget to use the hashtag #SongofLeiraContest and tag me (@GillianBronteAdams on Facebook/Instagram or @theSongkeeper on Twitter). THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, y’all. If you forget the hashtag and tag … I won’t be able to find your picture and you won’t be entered into the contest … which would be so sad!
• Step 4: An illustrious panel of judges will review the photos and videos and select one MOST ADVENTURESOME WINNER who will take home the GRAND PRIZE. The judges will also select several other categories of winners that will depend entirely on the types of adventures and pictures you guys come up with!
  (Potential categories: “Most like the book”, “craziest adventure”, “wackiest photo”, “Largest Fellowship” – for the most people in your photo, etc. Like I said, the categories aren’t final yet, because I want to see the awesome pictures you guys come up with.)
• Step 5: Winners and the winning photos will be announced at the Song of Leira/King’s War Facebook Party on June 22nd! That’s only a few weeks away guys, so get adventuring!

Official #SongofLeiraContest Guidelines:

(Because, of course, we must have guidelines!)

• Participants under 18 must have parental permission before entering the contest
• By tagging the photo with #SongofLeiraContest, you are agreeing to let me share the image again as part of the contest. I will tag and credit the photo to you.
• Only submit photos that you have the right to submit. Don’t tag and share photos of others without their permission. (This should go without saying!)
• This contest is … sadly … only open in the US. (Apologies to all my dear international friends! But don’t worry, we’ll have some international giveaways at the Facebook Party – invite below!)

And just to get your creative juices flowing, here are some pictures from my #SongofLeiraContest adventure.

Needless to say, I had way too much fun adventuring with my book. And my darling wild thing was a great sport!

Ready? Well, let’s get adventuring!

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YOU’RE INVITED TO A FACEBOOK PARTY

Okay, I know I’ve mentioned this one before … but today I thought it was high time I let you guys in on some of the awesome giveaways that we’ll have up for grabs. Seriously. I wish I could attend this one! It is going to be way cool because …

1. Jill Williamson – Y’all know I have fangirled over Jill’s books for years and that is not only because her books are awesome but because Jill herself is awesome. I’m so thrilled to call her my friend and so excited to be doing a Facebook party with her, and I know you guys are going to love it!!!

2. The prizes …Okay, this is why I wish I could attend the party instead of host the party, because I really want some of these prizes! I don’t want to spoil all the surprises at once, but I will share the Three Grand Prizes with you! Ready?

• Kinsman Chronicles Trilogy & Swag Set: Autographed copies of the entire trilogy, buttons, bookmarks, and a Kinsman Chronicles poster!
• Songkeeper Chronicles Trilogy & Swag Set: Autographed copies of the entire trilogy, a special Song of Leira wooden bookmark, character cards, and a map of Leira!
• And a 3 Month Subscription to Owlcrate: You’ll be surprised with a brand new YA novel in your mail box for the next three months and you’ll get lots of awesome bookish swag with it. :D
• We’ll also have a special prize for the person who invites the most friends! So … you know … the more the merrier! (And, yes, some of the prizes will be open internationally!)

3. You’re going to be there! Right? Okay, okay, cheesy, I know. But you guys are what make these Facebook parties AWESOME! So I really hope you come.

RSVP TO THE PARTY HERE!

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With Song of Leira‘s release, I decided it was high time to create a special corner of the website specifically for The Songkeeper Chronicles so you guys can explore the world of Leira and the characters and creatures within.

I have been promising y’all a pronunciation guide for the past four years … and we finally have one! You can find it along with several new maps, a fan art gallery, and all the character info you could ever want over in the Explore The World of Leira section of this site.

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Well … that’s everything I have to announce right now! Thanks for letting me share my excitement, guys. I hope y’all join in the fun and have a blast reading Song of Leira. There’s a lot of my heart in this book, and I can never get over how amazing it is that I get to write the stories that I love and share them with you guys. I’m just so grateful for all my readers and I think y’all are pretty boggswoggling amazing.

Your Turn: What do you think of all the fun? Are you ready to adventure this summer?

It’s here! Well, my copies are here. Song of Leira will officially go out to the world on June 5th, which is amazingly, only one week from today! And in the meantime, we’re launching an online blog tour! I’ll be sharing posts here and on my Facebook page and Twitter so you guys can see how the early readers are reacting to the book.

Nearly four years since Orphan’s Song first came out, The Songkeeper Chronicles is complete at last. And I’m still slightly in awe. Seeing the three books together just sets my heart winging for the sky.

So y’all will have to bear with me, because I honestly can’t talk about this story without getting a little emotional – in a good way.

The night my copies arrived, I sat and read Song of Leira long into the morning. It was the first time I’ve done that with one of my books once it was past the publication process and immediately prior to release. I suppose in the past, I had this sense of fear that I would find errors too late to fix them or that I would somehow be ashamed of the story that I was about to present to the world.

Lately, I am realizing that I have spent much of my writing career operating under that sort of vague sense of fear.

But this time, I read. And I read. And I read until I turned the final page and I closed the book, and I didn’t quite cry tears, but I sat there holding this book in my hands – this big, beautiful, imperfect book – and I was reminded of a phrase from a verse.

“Perfect love casts out fear.”

And while I don’t think we should ever pull phrases out of the context of the rest of that passage (and you can read the rest of it in I John 4:18) that specific phrase did stick in my mind.

Because as odd as it may sound, to me this book is the fruit of love and an evidence of God’s grace from start to finish and that knowledge drives out so much of that pre-release fear and anxiety.

Writing this series has been a journey that brought me through my share of trials and struggles, and grace has been evident every step of the way, through the car accident that interrupted the prep for Orphan’s Song’s release, through a dry and barren time of recovery during the writing and publication of Songkeeper, and then through months of challenge and struggle and wrestling to finish this story, to wrap up all the threads, to somehow bring the characters back from pain and suffering and horror toward restoration and hope.

And I struggled, y’all. And my writing deadline crept ever closer.

That final two months of the writing process is all a blur of exhaustion and struggle and challenge in my mind, and I started each day with prayer and prayed through each writing session because I was sure there was no way I could finish.

I don’t know how many times I muttered to myself, “I can’t do this. I can’t! There’s just not enough time!”

I felt like a failure.

I felt so alone.

But somehow, the story progressed, and I wrote faster and harder than I have ever written before.

Grace.

In the wee hours of the morning of my deadline, I typed the final sentence. The story was complete at nearly 40,000 words longer than it was supposed to be. I read through it once.

I sent it in to my editor.

I waited with bated breath.

And when his response finally came in, I just about cried. Because he didn’t make a single big picture change to the story. And even though he purposefully searched for passages to cut and for ways to trim the story down, he didn’t take out a single scene. Not one.

Grace. Unending grace, pouring down.

(Now before you guys panic, Song of Leira did go through edits, like any book! We cleaned it up. We tightened and clarified and polished and shined it up for you all. And I’m so grateful for all my editors!)

But the fact that this rough draft that I’d hammered out and cried over and lost so much sleep finishing could have become what it is, there is no other explanation but grace.

And yet even now, a part of me struggles with typing that because it feels arrogant to claim that God’s grace enabled me to finish writing this book. “What does it matter?” I want to ask. “It’s just a book.” And yet I remind myself that it is grace that allows me to draw my next breath. And grace that provides my next meal. And the grace of a loving Father that carries me through triumph and excitement and sorrow and grief and joy.

So though I love this book more than any of the other books I’ve yet written, and though there’s a part of me that would be tempted to be more proud of this book than anything else I’ve written, I can honestly say that I have nothing to be proud of because I know that I did not make it through the writing process on my own.

But I will write of grace and be grateful for grace, and if like Birdie, I could sing one master melody, it would be the anthem of grace unending.

Your Turn: How have you seen that anthem of grace at work in your life recently?

Ready to read the first two chapters of Song of Leira? Access them here!

Ready to Pre-Order Song of Leira? Find the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD.

And don’t forget that we have a special pre-order reward (a short story, River of Song) that you can claim by uploading your receipt through the pre-order form.