Introducing the End

or

A Long Journey Comes to a Close

Soon. Very soon, Time Captives will be over. It's really kind of hard for me to believe; I've been working on it since December 10, 2012 at Disney World, and it's been floating around in my head for much longer than that. Calhortea had been in my head for even longer, but it's quite unrecognizable from the original conception. I had so many ideas for stories set in this world, but some are no longer canon, others are now fully written, and others are too underdeveloped for me to actually write. And so this world in which I've spent so much time is bidding me an indefinite farewell.

Not to be too sad -- I'm still determined to write a sequel to Espionage if I can ever iron the kinks out of the plot and I'd love to write that story about Captain Herb's son Edmund since it actually came to me prior to the family's entrance into Time Captives --  but primarily...Crannig Castle is still to come! And that's the main point of this post.

November 7 is coming up fast! Hopefully the paperback will be available on time -- I think the reason I got ahead on proofs is because of the hurricane, if I hadn't, I'd be waiting indefinitely on my first proof, not the second. Also, how in the world did I schedule my publishing date the day before the election and only just realize it now? The schedule of my life has always revolved around election cycles! But I've realized that I haven't talked much about Crannig Castle itself. I'm not quite sure how that happened. Maybe because I didn't want to give away previous books?

SPOILERS FOR CREIGHTON HILL AND THE CROSSWAYS

Crannig Castle was the easiest book of the trilogy to write. I'm not sure if I like it or The Crossways better...it's probably a tie. See, when I started the story, I envisioned it as an easy-to-get-to climax, just the way storming Theotocop was in Across the Stars. Big problem. I had no idea what an ordeal it would be for them to meet up with their ancestors. I was totally clueless about George and Abigail's pasts, and I had no idea about their friendship with Camthalion, Ranna's rescue, Mudan's death, that they ever even were anywhere except the dungeon...actually, though I knew Toarna had tried to execute them, I thought it was simply because they were prophesied to overthrow her. To be perfectly honest, I made up all the flashback stuff in Creighton Hill as I went along.

I had no idea when I started Creighton Hill how Joseph was imprisoned on the island. I knew he lived there, but why did he have to stay? I didn't know until the Hubbards got there, in what was then (even though I knew already it would be multiple books) still Creighton Hill. I had no idea that Adriel even existed, or that it would have to be him that was able to free the king. I didn't even know he was part merfolk until I started imagining out the scene where he arrives at the Crossways. I didn't know that Eleanor would meet the love of her life and be unable to marry because she could not grow up. 

I didn't know that Vannie existed until the end of 2013, and I didn't know just how different Briznom was from my original conception and what role it would play.

END SPOILERS FOR CREIGHTON HILL AND THE CROSSWAYS

But by the time I sat down to write Crannig Castle on October 2, 2014, I had it all pretty well figured out. My characters threw me a few surprises, sure, and I guess I didn't plan everything about the twist in the middle, though it was a natural way to include one of my family's suggestions, but I knew what I was doing, and I'd even prewritten the ending and an Eleanor scene.

Crannig Castle has a lot to do with loose ends and bringing things full circle. That is to say, I connect the end with the beginning, but it's more of a spiral. They're in somewhat of the same place that they were before (as is natural with portal fantasy), but they've been so changed by the experience that they aren't really in the same place. And no, I don't tie up every single loose end, I do want to leave some room for companion novels, and not even master of English fantasy Tolkien tied up every loose end. I mean, whatever happened to the Entwives?! But here are some things you can expect from Crannig Castle.

• Revisiting Eleanor and Grant's story. I've only scratched the surface of their story, and since Eleanor's journey in this book brings up more memories, it was perfect for more flashbacks. And other things.
• More about Adriel's family. They're in Calhortz somewhere, and he's desperate to reunite them, so why not?
• Vannie and Kyle. Briznom has the biggest non-stryte army, so it's only natural that they should ask for help. And how could I not bring those two back?
• My baby Joey growing up. :'( Actually, that's a happy thing, but he was such a little kid at the beginning and now he's displaying leadership qualities. He's grown so much.
• Olithea! A cross between Lothlorien and Swiss Family Robinson, Olithea is the home of my elves. I like it, even if they don't spend a lot of time there.
• Lots of references. I haven't counted, but I like to make fantasy and pop culture references, particularly in Jonathan and Joey's POVs.
• Healing. The Time Captives and Adriel have been through so much, but I can't leave them totally broken. I prefer the hopeful message.
• Have the tissues ready. Because even with a note of hope, well, they've been through so much, things will never be the same. My mom cries through the ending. But it's not totally sad; more bittersweet.

And there you have it: some things to look forward to in Crannig Castle. It's available for preorder on kindle right now. Or sign up for the blog tour and get a free ARC. :D

A Trip to Charleston

So last week, my family and I went to Charleston! All things told, it was a great trip. Charleston, though, would be the perfect place for the insect invasion of the world to begin. Swarms of mosquitoes (I got somewhere around a hundred mosquito bites), the camper invasion of the ants, the gnats on the beach, the roaches that came home with us...yeah, it was an adventure.

The first day we spent on the beach. Nice and relaxing, and I was able to read Sense and Sensibility to the sound of waves. It was glorious. Also, no mosquitoes. ;) It was quite windy, though. It was great. I took a timelapse video of the waves, which was neat, but I don't know if it'll work properly. At least I know the pictures will.

It's a Gilligan's Island tradition now. ;)

Bad Squishy!

The claw!

A live sand dollar...yes, Addy picked it up.

Day number two was cover reveal day. Yes, the trip was already planned when I scheduled the cover reveal. Yes, I forgot. Yes, I announced it online, realized what I did, and went "oooooops...I can't do anything about it now." I'm just brilliant at timing, aren't I?

We went into Charleston that day. We went on a carriage tour and learned about the history of the city. It was pretty cool.

A 20,000 sq. ft. historic home built by a man with "one wife and 11 children." I had to laugh at the tour guide's impressed tone--when you have friends from families with 10 and 14 children, 11 sounds pretty normal. ;)

Most of the historic homes face sideways. The door is a "privacy door" onto the front porch. It supposedly catches the breeze better.

The metal circles are the endcaps of earthquake rods they stuck through the walls. I don't remember when Charleston's earthquake was or all the damage it caused, but every resident does.

We also went to the provost dungeon...

And Fort Sumter! I've been where the Civil War started! It was pretty awesome.

The ugly black structure they added after the Spanish American War. It now houses a museum.

But then the storm came in and produced a downpour.

And because the parade ground flooded, we had to leave early...quite soaked.

And then I left my tennis shoes outside the camper and it rained again overnight soaking them even more. Brilliant. So I had to wear my flip flops the next day, get a blister, strain something in my ankle trying to not make the blister worse, and get ocean water very painfully in said blister. Aren't I the perfect picture of gracefulness? 

Despite blister issues, day number three was pretty glorious. We went to Middleton Place, an old plantation, which was AMAZING. I seriously want a plantation. And I came away with a shiny new story idea--start with Middleton Place, add a dash of Sense and Sensibility and Elsie Dinsmore, throw it in my brain, and mix well.

The view!

The entrance to the original house. It was burned during the Civil War, and the earthquake finished it off.

This was one of their side houses, the gentlemen's quarters, where they lived after the main house was destroyed.

We spent a lot of time talking to the seamstress. It's become a tradition. Also, I'm a bit obsessed with that sort of thing.

I really want some sheep.

I wish I was that good at pottery.

 

The alligators are real, the sign said...

The next morning, we watched the sun rise on the beach. Beautiful...except for the swarms of gnats. I wanted to sing "Sunrise on the Iceberg," but I'm not Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, or Perfect, and it wasn't an iceberg. They felt very much in charge.

And then we went to a tea plantation! It was amazing. I learned all about how they grow and make tea, and drank altogether too much of it. But it tasted so good!

Tea plants! Because it's not native to the area, it has no natural predator. No need for pesticides! Tea is also apparently a very hardy plant.

The machine they use to cut the tea.

I learned that all tea comes from the same plant--it's how they process it that makes it green, black, etc. Black tea dries the longest.

We went back into Charleston after that and walked around the market and through the streets and along the water. And through an old church graveyard.

On our last day, we took a walk down the beach to look for shells one last time, packed up the camper, and drove home. The trip was fun while it lasted, but I'm always glad to get home--especially when I have a proof copy waiting in the mail!

Speaking of Crannig Castle, I still have space in my blog tour, so if you want to volunteer as tribute and get a free sneak peek, you are most welcome. :)

Have you ever been to Charleston? What's your favorite place to visit?

Crannig Castle Cover Reveal

Today's the day! The sun is shining! The tank is clean! And we are getting out... The tank is clean!

I think you've probably figured out by now that I like that quote...Pretty sure I've used it more than once. It's the day I finally reveal the cover to the last book of Time Captives. I'm at the end of my first series! How did that happen already?

Yes, I'm just filling up space so you have to keep scrolling. Why do you ask? ;) 

First the description. I have to thank my mom for some ideas, and Kendra for a few more, and for listening to me complain about how hard it was to write. And for, well, being Kendra about the whole thing. :) Seriously, though, it's so hard to write a 200 some word summary of a 40,000 word book without giving away spoilers. 

God, please look after Adriel. Keep him safe and keep him from acting foolish. And please help him to be able to find me.

Rae knew she could trust God to look after both of them. It was all she had now.

The Time Captives have been reunited. The rightful king has been freed. Now all that remains is to defeat the strytes who still hold a tyrannical rule over the people of Calhortz. But with their lack of soldiers, it’s a task that is easier said than done. They need allies, but are they worth it when it requires facing ghosts from their pasts?

Returning to his home country only brings the loss of Adriel’s family to the forefront of his mind. His determination to find Rae has never ceased, but now that determination could potentially destroy all that he and the Time Captives have been working towards. And his new-found faith may not be able to withstand the challenge.

Will they be able to set aside their personal struggles for the sake of the freedom of all or will they allow their pasts to consume them? Will they manage to win back Crannig Castle from the rule of the strytes? The fate of Calhortz hangs in the balance.

Crannig Castle is the final book of the Time Captives trilogy, a tale of faith, family, fantasy, and a fight for truth and freedom.

 It's actually available for preorder on kindle here.

And you can preorder a signed copy from me here.

And add it to Goodreads.

And here it is!

What do you think of the cover? Are you excited to see how Time Captives ends?

Other participating blogs:

Books, Braids, and Born Again

Bring Your Own Books

Jaye L. Knight

Knitted By God's Plan

Reflections of the Heart

Sarah Allerding

Scattered Journal Pages

On Writing, Revising, and Editing

The Crannig Castle cover reveal is one week from today! So close!

So, I'm about ready to start formatting the last book of the Time Captives trilogy. The LAST book! It's insane that I'm actually at this point. As I reflected on that as I was brainstorming ideas for today's blog post, I realized I've never really explained my writing process. I keep on refining it, trying new things, going back to old ways, but I thought, as I'm bringing probably my biggest project thus far to completion, now would be as good a time as any to describe my writing process.

I get my initial ideas from lots of places: dreams, books and movies, current events, just out of the blue. I generally write down the premise and sometimes make up random scenes throughout the story which may or may not (more likely not) end up in the final version. When I'm ready for a new writing project, I pick one and get going.

For me to actually complete a story, I have to have a general outline in my head. Basically, a beginning, an ending, and a few pit stops in the middle. But those basic points are usually easy to come up with. I say usually because a story I really want to write is driving me nuts by having absolutely nothing for a climax. Trouble is, I can't get serious about the project until I have a climax.

Most of the time, I write my first draft in a notebook. Twisted Dreams is my only completed story to date that was written entirely on the computer. I'll hand it to my youngest sister constantly throughout this first draft, but she's the only one who gets to see it.

My first drafts are usually a mess, some more than others. Once I have a complete notebook draft, I type the entire thing in to the computer. For Across the Stars, The Experiment, and Espionage, this mostly resulted in minor edits. Time Captives and the Cassie story, however, are another story. For Time Captives, I wrote the basic material for the first two books, went to the computer, and wrote the first eight chapters of Creighton Hill three more times before I figured out what was wrong and how to fix it. From scratch. I basically threw out everything but my basic plotline and the Adriel stuff, and completely and totally rewrote it. By the time I'd finished the first computer drafts for those, I had it pretty much figured out, so Crannig Castle's first computer draft was more of just an edit from the handwritten version. The Cassie story is similar to the first two Time Captives books. The first draft was a horrible mess, so I scrapped most of it, and when I wrote it on the computer, it was a whole new book.

Once I complete my first computer draft, I hand it over to my mom. She identifies the plot holes, the things my small life experience doesn't realize is unrealistic, and asks questions that never even occurred to me. Then I go back and revise as needed. Sometimes, like for The Experiment, this results in rearranging the storyline, throwing out some scenes and writing entirely new ones to go in their place. Sometimes, like for Across the Stars, it results in adding multiple additional storylines to fill out the plot.

Once I'm decently satisfied with this version, I give it to my dad and middle sister. They don't usually cause full rewrites, since it's usually pretty decent by then, but with The Crossways, it did. I cared far more about Adriel than the Time Captives when writing it, and my dad noticed. So I rewrote everything with the current Time Captives, reducing the number of POVs, rearranging events to heighten the drama and add conflict, and all round make their story matter again.

After my family has given a book a pass, I give it to friends to beta read. Their feedback usually brings about minor edits, but sometimes they'll ask questions that require explanation, so I'll go in and add dialogue to expound upon things. And then, when I've finished with beta reader feedback, I'll hand it to a few more friends to proofread. I've gone over it so many times by then, there's not much left to catch, but I usually get a few notes.

And then I come to where I am now: ready to format! And that's how I turn a tiny, underdeveloped story idea into a book.

Summer 2016 In Review

Just one more week to sign up for the Crannig Castle cover reveal!

Ask questions of the Time Captives and their friends (and enemies) here!

Summer's not quite officially over, and it still tends to be hot down here in the glorious South, but since school's back in session, summer vacation is at an end. Not that I exactly have a summer vacation these days, but I am back to asking my sister if she's finished her schoolwork when I get home from work and she's turning on Doctor Who (okay, that only happened once). ;) This summer didn't feel quite as jam packed as last summer, but that's probably just because I have a job now, so I'm working instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Regardless, I actually did do quite a bit this summer.

Shortly after coming home from Conner Prairie and the Creation Museum, I played the violin for a wine tasting/art show fundraiser in my town. I love this little town. So cute. My coworkers at the library sometimes refer to it as Mayberry, which I love. Then a few days later, I participated in a book signing that was a part of the same festival.

My sister and I had a booth at an Independence Day festival in town.

The air condition at the library set off the smoke alarm...

My grandpa, grandma, and younger-than-me aunt came to visit and we took a day trip up to the Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega. It was really cool.

I saw a castle!

We went hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park, the site of a mill that was burned out during Sherman's March and one of the filming sites for Mockingjay Part 1. It was amazing! I texted Amanda so many pictures while we were there...

I actually personally took those pictures. Shocking, right?

I won NaNo with a second first draft of the Cassie story. Yes, technically it's the second draft, but since I essentially tossed my entire first draft and rewrote it all from scratch, it's all new. You wouldn't recognize it from the first draft to the second. And I made it, even though Kendra distracted me with a shiny new idea again. :) This idea is rather more likely to happen than last year's shiny new idea. And it'll be pretty amazing if we can actually do it. Sometimes I still think we're crazy, though...

Throughout August, I helped these two awesome patriots teach a Foundations of Freedom: Generation class, a class that goes through America's founding documents and explores how this nation was built. Super awesome material, fantastic co-teachers, and amazing students. Can't wait to do it again! Freedom!

Picture of my dog being cute and cuddling her toys just because. I'm really enjoying having a new iPhone...my pictures actually look like pictures now!

My middle sister turned 18. How is she an adult with a driver's license already?

I had a (very short) violin recital. We did a string orchestra, and played three pieces. Pretty cool, though I'm glad it's over.

Over Labor Day weekend, we went camping at Fort Mountain State Park with some friends. It was so much fun hanging out with them, going hiking, playing games, having s'mores, discussing books and book ideas, traveling through a fantasy world on the Most Amazing Hiking Trail Ever (read Katelyn's take on it here), reading books, playing Ultimate Frisbee...oh yeah, and coming down with a cold the last day with a sore throat that made it painful to talk. Do you know how hard it is not to be able to talk when you're on your last day of hanging out with friends you don't see very often anymore? There were also seven raccoons living in a hollow tree next to our camp site, and several people, including my friend, saw bears. For real. But it was SOOOOO much fun. We have to do it again sometime.

And I worked. But my job is pretty great and hey, I get paid for it, so I don't mind too much. ;)

Looking forward, I have a book release, a trip to Charleston, an election, and the holidays to look forward to. The year is almost over already! How did that happen?

How was your summer?