Author Interview & Cover Reveal: Kendra E. Ardnek

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Kendra E. Ardnek about her soon-to-be-released novel, My Kingdom for a Quest. Kendra's books are near the top of my to-read list!

Author Interview

1. What gave you the idea for the book?

The series itself was inspired by the desire to cram as many fairy tales as I could into one world, however I was stuck on the second chapter of the second book of the series, and so I did what I always do in this situation, and took my problem to my mother. As I was reading it to her, she commented on the motive of one of the characters, and suddenly I had some fairly complicated backstory and a Prince Arthur character. And since I now had an Arthur, I had to work those legends in, and thus this book was born.

2. Where do you do most of your writing?

I'm a flexible person and will write wherever I am, whether in notebooks, on my laptop, or on my tablet. Currently, most of my writing is done on my laptop at my desk, which sits right under the loft bed I bought myself a few weeks ago.

3. Do you have a writing fuel? (Coffee, tea, candy, peaches...)

Um ... tic-tacs .... and I like popcorn a lot too. When it's cold I'll drink hot cider or tea (because that's what I happen to have) though usually I stick with water.

Book Description

Arthur is the rightful king of Briton, but his Uncle Mordreth refuses to give up the regency. Arthur and Grandfather are now returning with allies to wrestle the kingdom from his uncle's grasp. But not all is as it seems among his allies, and everyone has secrets. New loves, old loves, lost loves, kingdoms conquered and kingdoms stolen. Who is the real "rightful heir" and will the nearly forgotten sword in the stone finally answer this question?

Author Bio

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been practicing her skills on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years, "Finish your story, Kendra", is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children's tales that also glorify God and his Word. You can read more about her on her blog, knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com.

More about Kendra

Goodreads

Previous Books:

Sew, It's a Quest

Do You Take This Quest?

Book Launch, Cover Reveal, and Giveaway!

I'm excited to announce the launch of Lena Goldfinch's short story, Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe. I'm looking forward to reading it (review pending)!

About the Short Story

What's a wife to do when her Christmas plans fall apart?

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises.

It's Christmas Eve, and smoke isn't just rising from the chimney—it's pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair...or with a happy Christmas dream?

Reconnect with your favorite characters from Book 1 of "The Brides" series and learn more about Jem (the hero of Book 2) in Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe. Includes an excerpt from Book 2, The Bartered Bride.

Short Story 1.5 in The Brides Series 

Sweet Historical Western Romance / A Mail-Order Bride Short Story

Now available in Kindle format for only $.99!

Coming Soon—About Book 2, The Bartered Bride

What’s a confirmed widower to do when he finds a bride in need of rescue?

James (“Jem”) Wheeler just wants to get back to the ranch in Colorado and make a fresh start after the loss of his wife. But when his train stops at a town in the middle of nowhere, his 2-year-old daughter runs off—straight to a mute young woman and a puppy. Before he has a chance to reclaim little Mae, he overhears an itinerant preacher preparing to sell off the woman to the highest bidder. It’s an injustice he can’t ignore, no matter the fact that he’d never planned on remarrying.

From a young age, all Annie has wanted is to belong. Abandoned and cast aside by those who should have loved her, and with no voice to protest against the wrongdoings she’s witnessed, her hope is but a faint flicker. When Jem steps into her life, she simply tries to get him to save the puppy—never expecting him to save her too.

Could a bartered bride and a grieving widower ever make a happy home together?

Book Two in The Brides Series

Sweet Historical Western Romance

Coming 2015

Author Bio

LENA GOLDFINCH writes romance and fantasy for adults and teens. She’s a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even when she's writing historicals or something light and contemporary. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. Visit Lena at www.LenaGoldfinch.blogspot.com.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Deck the halls and bring on the books! One winner will receive mistletoe earrings from the LuvlyMint Etsy shop, as well as a signed paperback copy of The Unexpected Bride, Book 1 in “The Brides” series. This prize is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Three runners-up (can be international) will receive one e-copy each of Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe.

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Author Interview: Amber Stokes

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber Stokes, author of (among other books) the newly-released How a Star Falls. (Bonus: There's more info about the book and the author and even a giveaway at the end!)

What first inspired How a Star Falls?

It was a little impression of an idea—my “star story” that would explore a community of stars personified and follow one star’s journey to earth. But you could say the inspiration behind How a Star Falls as it actually turned out to be (a new-adult contemporary romance novella) came from a combination of my life experiences after college (living at home for two years and moving out for the first time this past summer) and a love for my home county (and dancing). I think it ended up being a way for me to express my feelings from the life transtion and to spend some time remembering things I love about where I grew up.

What are your ‘author quirks’?

Well, I ended up returning to my journal when I first started writing this novella. (I used to write more story scenes by hand when I was in high school, but I’ve become a computer fiend of late.) I didn’t write out the whole story with my pen, as it eventually became faster to straight-out type, but it helped to get the story flowing by avoiding the Internet a bit more and taking advantage of the lunch hour at work.

But none of that really lists any real quirks, does it? I’d say one of my author quirks is incorporating music into my writing process. Singing and/or dancing to certain songs helps me to more deeply feel my characters’ emotions and get into their frames of mind—and it especially helps when I actually include dancing scenes like the ones in How a Star Falls. :)

What do you most want your readers to know?

I want them to know they’re not alone in their frustrations and longings. I want them to be reminded of hope and happiness, even in the midst of those difficult feelings.

About the Book

Sweet NA Contemporary Romance Novella

How does a star fall?

Quickly. Completely. Unexpectedly.

Derrick Knolane escapes to Trinidad Head most evenings, avoiding his apartment and planning for the day he'll break free of Humboldt County. Working in a music store might be fine for a while, but it's far from the goal he had in mind when he got his college degree. Not to mention the fact that his roommate is a jerk and his family won't stop trying to run his life.

Then Brielle falls into his world.

She claims to be a star. Not from Hollywood, but from heaven. He thinks she's crazy. Certainly delusional. Yet, he can't just leave her alone on the cliffs. So he takes her home.

And his whole world falls apart.

A heartfelt and fanciful contemporary romance novella, How a Star Falls explores the uncertain season of new adulthood and shows that sometimes the worst inconveniences make for the best miracles of all.

Purchase on Amazon

Author Bio

Amber Stokes works as a content writer (marketing services) for a Christian publisher. On the side, she self-publishes inspirational fiction depicting the seasons of life and love. Her passion for books compelled her to earn a bachelor's degree in English and to run her own freelance editing and publicity business for over a year. Happily, this new chapter of her career takes place in the Pacific Northwest—a part of the world she's always considered home. Learn more about Amber’s books at www.SeasonsofaStory.blogspot.com.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @SeasonsHumility

Blog: www.seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com

Website: www.seasonsofastory.blogspot.com

Pinterest: pinterest.com/seasonshumility

Goodreads: Amber Stokes

Google +:  +AmberStokes

Endorsements

"Perfect for when you want a whimsical, heartwarming read, How a Star Falls is more than an inspirational romance...it's a wink and a smile."

- Joanne Bischof, award winning author of This Quiet Sky

"Amber Stokes has perfectly expressed the challenges of twenty-something life in her sweet contemporary new adult novella, How a Star Falls. Brielle and Derrick's journey reminds us all of the search to find ourselves in the midst of young adulthood. Their story is charming and wistful with emotions we can all relate to experiencing at some point in our lives. It is a tale about letting go in order to find yourself once again while never losing the importance of who you are...and who you can be."

- Cerella Sechrist, author of Gentle Persuasion and The Paris Connection

"Though not typically a reader of contemporary fiction, I found How a Star Falls to be a wonderfully told story of both sweet romance and coming to terms with the fact that even though life doesn't always turn out exactly as we dreamed it would, even our undesirable circumstances can lead to a bright future."

- Jaye L. Knight, author of Ilyon Chronicles

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Share in the excitement of Amber’s new release with a special starry giveaway! You can enter to win one of three prize packs using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to U.S. residents only.

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The King’s Scrolls Cover Reveal

Today I'm delighted to be a part of the cover reveal of the soon-to-be released book, The King's Scrolls (Ilyon Chronicles - Book Two). Look for it in early 2015!

About the Book

Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor’s persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance—not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia’s last surviving copies of the King’s Scrolls—the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican’s men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.

When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy’s triumph?

About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is a homeschool graduated indie author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean new adult fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

Giveaway

To celebrate her revealing of the cover, Jaye is giving away one of her handcrafted quill pen necklaces and a $5 Amazon gift card! Enter for a chance to win using the form below! U.S. entries only please.

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Excerpt

The other younger crete took a swig of his coffee and set his eyes past her. Kyrin peeked over her shoulder at Kaden who, of course, was staring at the dragon. The female creature stared back in mutual interest.

“Go ahead,” the crete said suddenly. “You can touch her. She loves attention, and she’ll only attack if I tell her to.” A sly glint sparkled in his spring-green eyes.

Besides Jace, Kyrin had never seen anyone with such bright and colorful eyes as these cretes.

Kaden looked at him, his brows rising. “You can do that?”

The crete nodded. “Dragons are highly intelligent. You can teach them almost any command. Storm here is young, but she learns fast.”

Kyrin smiled at the delight in her brother’s eyes as he stepped closer to the dragon and ran his hand over her bluish-gray neck scales. A grin split his face.

“She’s so smooth. Kyrin, come and feel it.”

Kyrin stepped to his side and laid her hand on the dragon. The scales were indeed very smooth, reminding her of the polished marble stair-railings in Auréa Palace, but they weren’t cold. Warmth radiated through them. The dragon, still watching them, let out a little rumble, almost like a giant cat’s purr.

“I told you she liked attention,” the crete said, grinning.

Kyrin chuckled and glanced at Jace to see if he wanted to touch the dragon, but he made no move to come closer. This certainly had more to do with the crete than the dragon. He was very fond of any type of animal. She faced the crete again.

“So they can breathe fire?”

“For short bursts, but that’s usually all it takes to deter any threat.”

“That’s incredible,” Kaden breathed.

While he continued admiring Storm, Kyrin observed the dragon’s rider. He appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties—about ten years younger than Captain Darq—though his exact age was impossible to guess. Cretes were said to mature faster than humans, so he could be anywhere from seventeen to twenty-five. He too wore a sleeveless jerkin. Brown tattoos, a little darker than his skin, marked both shoulders. Darq and the other cretes had them as well, but Kyrin hadn’t taken a good look at them until now. This man’s were a complicated pattern of spirals and dots, but the shape of a fox stood out in the center of his right shoulder.

Though she tried to be discreet, he must have caught her studying him and suddenly extended his hand to her. “I’m Talas, by the way. Talas Folkan of the Fox Clan.”

To see the other blogs participating and to visit the author's blog, click here.

My New Favorite Site

One of them, anyway.

It's exciting to find a new resource for covers and book layouts, and Creative Market is exactly that. They have fonts, photos, graphics, templates, illustrations, fonts, web themes, and Photoshop add-ons (brushes, actions, layer styles, &c.).

The prices are reasonable, and the use license is generous - the purchase of one license gives you (but only you, of course) access to the item for as many commercial or personal projects as you'd like.

Here are some products I've been eyeing...

$80 $60 (until November 1st)

The designs here would work well in a book layout! Only $5!

This one is very fun! $19

By the way, I should tell you I enjoyed the site so much that I signed up as a partner - all links included here and in future posts are affiliate.

Enjoy!

Blog Train: Margaret Weston

Today, I'm delighted to participate in the Indie Christian Authors blog train!

What's a blog train? Blogs are cars, and the train is what links us together. The author of the first blog posts about the next, and that continues until the final author posts about the first.

It's a great way to get to know indie authors you may not have heard of (or get to know them better).

What is Indie Christian Authors (ICA)? ICA is a Facebook group for Christian authors. It's one of my favorite groups, and I'm grateful to be one of the admins. Although our main focus is indie (independent / self-published) authors, we also welcome those who have gone (or are going) the traditional route, and those (like me) who fall somewhere in between and use a nontraditional publisher. Our goal is to be a place of support and advice for authors in every stage. You are very welcome to join us!

I have the honor of hosting nonfiction author Margaret Weston.

Tell us about the first book you published. Brief Description, target audience, etc…

This was ‘How do I know I know God?’ I wrote it because I wanted my friends to know Jesus! I have been asked questions by people who don’t believe in God or the Bible, and often felt I didn’t answer them very well. So one day I thought I would write down as many of the questions I could remember that people had asked me, and those I had asked others, about God, the Bible and Christianity. Then I attempted to answer from my own experience and understanding. My idea was that if anyone then asked me anything, I could simply hand over my sheet of ‘questions and answers’!

However, once I had done this I had so much material that I decided to put it in the form of a book. I thought this would be easier to read. Now I could point people to the book when they asked questions in the future! I hoped that maybe a few of my friends would buy it, and that would be the end of the matter.

However, to my absolute amazement, when I used the KDP free promotion tool a couple of months after publishing the book, about 600 people from many different parts of the world downloaded it! I couldn’t believe it. And as I had included an email contact address, people were writing to me with comments and more questions.

So, I then seriously considered having it published. I wrote to a few traditional publishers and two were interested. However, both wanted me to make significant changes, which I was not prepared to do. I then discovered that I could publish via the ‘indie’ route and this has proved to be the perfect solution. I am in control of what I write and what I do, and all the money I make goes to Tearfund – a wonderful Christian charity releasing people from material and spiritual poverty all over the world – www.tearfund.org

What or who inspires you to write? Is there a “real person” you pattern either your protagonist or antagonist after?

Well I suppose it is my friends who inspire me to write because I want to tell them about Jesus! All my books are in a question and answer format because that’s how it all started. The books use real questions from real persons – although obviously no names are given. 

Where do you want to be in your writing career five years from now?

I have no idea! I didn’t plan where I am today and I have no plan for the next five years. All I want to do is to try and do what God wants me to do – whatever that is. After I wrote the first book the others were a continuation of the same conversation. People contacted me with other questions which led to the next two books – ‘How do I know what God wants me to do?’ and then ‘How do I know God answers prayer?’ I don’t have another book in this series planned at the moment, but this may change!

What social media do you use? Which is your favorite and/or most productive? Why?

I put links on facebook and my own website but I don’t try and get followers. I don’t want people to follow me, I want them to follow Jesus!

I have a huge admiration for authors like John Bunyan, Andrew Murray and A W Tozer and have learned so much from reading many of their books. Some people have said my books have a flavour of Socrates, but I’m not too sure about that!

What book project/s are you working on right now? 

At the moment I am concentrating on my Bible Studies – the BSBP series – Bible Studies for Busy People. I have been writing these for my Ladies Group for many years and then I discovered other churches were using them. There seems to be a demand for these short and basic Bible Studies. They suit people who don’t have much time to sit and study the Bible, and yet who want to know more about it. I published three Bible Studies and once again was amazed that they began to sell in many places in the world. I have published eight of these now and plan to continue. This could take me the rest of my life if I cover the entire Bible!!

You can find Margaret's books on Amazon

Margaret's Latest Book 

How Do I Know God Answers Prayer?

“If you have questions about prayer, or if you feel that sometimes God does not answer your prayers, then this book is for you!”

Margaret is on Facebook

Her website: www.howdoiknowbooks.com

And her blog: blog.howdoiknowbooks.com

Next up: Margaret Weston will share about Elinor Ferrars on her blog, How Do I Know Books!

Giveaway: Two Days Left!

Two days left to enter the Book Lovers' Giveaways!

Many entries can be done with a simple Twitter, Facebook, blog, or Pinterest post. I finished this entire post (worth 12 entries!) in just a little over an hour.

Even better? One person could win all three giveaways - a combined total of 30% off, $30 in gift cards, and all five of my ebooks (plus a sneak peek at my WIP, since I don't have a sixth book to give)!

The more you do, the better chance you have of winning, but even just one entry could get you a prize (that's the beauty of raffles).

Medium

3. Write to an author whose books you enjoy: I wrote to Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of Conquering your Goliaths (among others), to let her know how much I enjoyed her audiobook.

4. Write a book review: I reviewed Reasons My Kid Is Crying by Greg Pembroke.

Read my review here.

5. Check out an indie author whose books you haven't read yet: I got an ebook version of David Bergsland's newest, Designing ePUBs With InDesign.

6. Organize your bookshelf.

My newly-organized (little) shelf of books:

Expert

1. Create a new cover for a book you love. I picked Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.

2. Paint a scene from a book. Anne's unpleasant hair-dying experience from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. "She said it would be a beautiful, raven black!"

(I'm not an artist, so I "cheated" with Photoshop and stock photos. Feel free to do the same!)

Original artwork by Morgan LaRue

3. Rewrite a famous book scene: Lucy discovering Narnia in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Lucy stepped into the cold, wishing she had thought to bring her coat. But how would I have known? I certainly didn't expect it to be winter here when I was just playing in the warm sun! The door she'd gone through was the same one she had come out of an hour before, wasn't it?

Her curiosity grew as her eyes focused upon a man with furry legs. I would give my left shoe to have a snowsuit like his! Maybe he'd accept it, too, since he didn't seem to have any shoes of his own.

Are those...hooves?

4. Draw a character who interests you: Foehn from Toxic by Vicki V. Lucas.

(Again, I "cheated.")

(Yes, it's thilly.)

5. Create a "movie" poster based on a book: When It Rains by C.M. Stewart isn't yet released, but I've had a chance to get to know her characters and her writing style, and I know it will be wonderful!

6. Write a newspaper article about a book you loved or hated. Treat it like a news release.

Debut author makes a big splash! Monster by Mirriam Neal arrived in online stores everywhere on June 30th, 2013. Already a fan favorite with at least one award to its name, this is sure to be a classic. Get your copy today! Just $3.99 on the Kindle.

8. Are there any author signings happening in your area? On September 7th, there is a book signing for Nathan Johnson's book, Legendary Locals of Pine City. I hadn't heard of this book or author before, but I'm intrigued!

9. Act out a scene from your favorite book - on your own or with friends. I acted out a scene from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night when I was in England. Yes, this was years ago. It still counts! (The same goes for you, of course.)

(That's me on the far right, playing Viola.)

I have just two entries left! (Go on a book tour and create a fort with your books.) I can't promise they'll be done before the giveaways end, but they will be done soon!