For the past several days, I’ve been practically bursting to share some news with y’all. And yet, each time I fingered the keys and started typing this post, something held me back. By the time you read this, I will probably have scrapped and rewritten multiple drafts only to pause at the very end with my cursor hovering over the “publish” button at least a dozen different times before finally summoning enough courage to release my news to the world. It is good news, actually. Thrilling news! You see, the Song of Leira trilogy found a publisher! (Thrilling, right? Cue whooping and hollering and dancing all around!) The first book, Orphan’s Song, is slotted to release Fall 2014 from Marcher Lord Press! Many of my favorite books and authors are with Marcher Lord Press, so it’s an honor and a thrill to join the “team.” 
It’s been a long journey from start to finish, and it’s not over yet. There were many times along the way where I was temped to lose heart and wonder how I—an ordinary gal from Texas—could have been insanely confident enough to venture into the unknown wilds of the publishing world and expect to return with a contract! To be sure, I had plenty of help and encouragement along the way, and an incredible agent in Amanda Luedeke! More news will be forthcoming soon. I’m about to dive into the busiest time of my year, and I’m also pounding furiously at the keys trying to work on book two of the trilogy, but I will try to keep y’all updated as we reach the important milestones prior to the book’s release. For now, to find out more about the series, check out the Song of Leira page. (Be sure to stop by and meet the characters too!)
The Fiddler’s Tune – A Short Story
“The ragged man lifted his fiddle, cradled it beneath his chin, and laid the bow on the strings. A deep note rang out—an agonized groan. It struck Maria to the heart and left her gasping for breath. On and on it wailed, that single note encapsulating pure pain, suffering, and loss.” (Read more …) Some of you may recall this short story. I had an earlier version posted on my blog last year, though I took it down for editing a little while back and ended up submitting the new and improved story to a contest. In fact, if you would like to read the rest of the story, you can head over to the contest page and read it there. And if the story strikes home—and you’re feeling especially kindly—give the story a thumbs up or share it with your friends, family … even your enemies. I would certainly appreciate it. You see, The Fiddler’s Tune has a sort of death grip on my heart. I jotted down snippets of the story for about a year before I dared to write it. And it’s only a thousand words long! It may not be my usual type of action and adventure story, full of perilous battles where brave deeds await, but it’s a story with heart—my heart—written into it. It’s about what happens when you allow others to direct your life instead of Christ; about who we listen to and what we allow to influence our actions. But more than that, it’s the story of a girl. A girl who pursues her gifts and passions purely for the love of doing … until the accolades she receives begin to go to her head and she strives instead to please those around her. And slowly, the joy and beauty fade from her work. As a writer, I find I face this same problem when the temptation comes to write to please others, to write for the market, to write what I expect others will want to hear, instead of writing for the joy of writing, or using my gift well in order to bring honor to the One who gave it. In a way, The Fiddler’s Tune is my story. But it’s not mine alone. It belongs to everyone who has ever felt the crushing pressure of the world to become something different, to conform to a different image or pattern, or to use their gifts to achieve honor and fame until they feel more like curses than blessings. This story can be your story too as you, like Maria, dance to the fiddler’s tune. “Eyes closed, arms lifted, hair and scarf flying in joyous abandon, Maria danced upon the village green like a morning wind breathed upon the world.” Follow this link to read the short story … and if you like, cast your vote in favor of The Fiddler’s Tune: A Short Story.
Fantasy Reflections: Portals
Growing up, I was always daydreaming about portals to distant lands—magic doorways that could take you to new and wondrous places full of adventure and excitement where brave deeds awaited heroes. We didn’t have any wardrobes in my house, but we did have a good number of closets as well as one of those little attic access doors in my bedroom. I can’t tell you how much time I spent cramped in ridiculously small places, hoping beyond hope that this time it would work. The door would magically open, and I would find myself in Narnia, Middle Earth, or some new fantastic world. Inevitably, the door would open. But instead of seeing myself hailed as a hero by the poor and enslaved of whatever fantasy world I found myself in, I would see my mom with a stack of clean towels in her arms, or my sister coming to ask me to play. And so with a reluctant sigh, I would emerge to the real world and softly close the door behind me, lingering just before releasing the knob in the hopes that the magical world might yet still appear through the crack. Today’s Fantasy Reflection is about … you guess it … portals! Magic doorways. World traveling. 
When I dreamed of traveling to the fantasy realms, it never bothered me that most fantasy realms seemed to be in a constant state of upheaval, embroiled in a ferocious battle between good and evil while their armies laid waste to the countryside. Now I must admit that there are some places it’s a lot of fun to read about … but I might have second thoughts before choosing to drop in for a month’s visit. Still, if I were gifted with the ability, I would travel to Middle Earth without a moment’s hesitation. Some worlds are worth the danger. Some fights are worth the risk. I would not want to enter the Final Empire from Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy. It wouldn’t be so bad during the events of books one and two … especially if I just happened to discover hitherto dormant Mistborn abilities. But knowing my luck, I would wind up stranded in the Final Empire smack-dab in the middle of the climax of the events of book three, and that is something I would prefer to avoid. How about you? Which fantasy realm would you visit first? And which fantasy realm would you never wish to enter? As always, answer in the comments! Feel free to pin or share the picture, post, or question elsewhere online to continue the discussion—all I ask is that you link back to this original post. Thanks!
Fantasy Advertisements
I really wanted to come up with some sort of a witty title for this post, but in that regard wit unfortunately proved elusive. Still, there is something to be said for being straight to the point. Something of a rarity for me … but I digress. Writing that post about dragons—Fire Inside the Mountain—a few weeks back set me to thinking, especially once I discovered that Craigslist listing for a dragon slayer. Brilliant, wasn’t it? I couldn’t help imagining some of the crazy things you would see listed if internet ads existed in any of the fantasy realms. So I thought I would explore some of the options … 
Just smells of intrigue doesn’t it? I rather suspect a situation similar to that in The Ordinary Princess, where the King and Queen were so desperate to marry off their daughter, they actually discussed hiring a dragon to take her captive in the hopes that some dashing young prince would come rushing to the rescue and be forced to marry her! How about this one? 
Pretty sure I would have answered that advertisement. Not sure what that says about me though … 
Any educated guesses as to which fairy tale character might have placed this services advertisement? I guarantee you won’t want to hire this fellow. Turns out a “guarantee of future trade” is generally not such a good deal. We’re barely scraping the tip of the iceberg here! What are some fun fantasy/fairy tale advertisements you can think of?
Fantasy Reflections: Jail Birds
Morning lads and lasses! Welcome to your weekly fantasy reflections post—my favorite time of the blogging week. We’ve covered a lot of ground since starting these reflection posts. We’ve talked about everything from moving to a fantasy world, to stealing a fantasy character’s identity, to building your own Fellowship of the Ring. Today, we’re taking this discussion a step or two down the proverbial ladder to the dungeons. That’s right. The dark, dank, damp dungeons. 
At first glance, it looks pretty easy, right? Wrong. It’s only easy until you think about all the different options there are! This time I’ve decided to branch out a bit from my “safe” answers always relating to the Lord of the Rings, and go with Gonff, Prince of Mousethieves, from Mossflower by Brian Jacques. After all, if you’re going to be “locked up,” it might as well be with someone who opens locks for a living. And whenever things got too dull, Gonff could sing a song or play a tune on his reed flute to keep up our spirits. How about you? What fantasy character would you choose to keep you company in the dungeons while you plan a daring escape? As always, answer in the comments! I love hearing from people. Also, if you like, you are welcome to repost the picture or question elsewhere to continue the discussion. All I ask is that you link back to this original post. Thanks!
Novel Withdrawal
The verdict is in. For the past month, I’ve been suffering from an acute case of novel withdrawal. It’s a nasty business. Trust me. 
When I reached the last sentence on the last page, shut the book, and set it on my shelf, I knew it was going to be rough. I’d just spent the last week immersing myself in the lives of some very beloved characters in some very trying circumstances. Twelve hundred pages of it. And it was over. With a cliffhanger ending too. Sometimes I really wish I could read just a tad slower and really savor the story, instead of simply devouring it. But this novel was just so good. I couldn’t help myself. And so I’ve spent the past month dutifully trying to start other novels … only to scarce get past the first page before setting them back on my to-read shelf, sadly disappointed. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with them. It’s not because they’re bad novels with hole-ridden plot lines, poorly written prose, or cartoon characters. They’re just not the story I want to read right now. Yep. Novel withdrawal. Reckon I’ve got it pretty bad. And the worst of it is … the next book in the series won’t be available for quite a while. *sigh* Reader problems. Have you ever suffered through a bad case of novel withdrawal? (Please tell me I’m not the only one who goes through this …) What book were you reading and how long was it before you felt like picking up another book?
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