No Post Today

Merry Christmas, my friends!  Since I posted two posts over the last 2 days and am now buried in my to be read pile, I'm going to skip posting today.  Enjoy reading your new books, trying on clothes, exchanging items at stores, painting, writing, or whatever your day may hold.

-Alea Harper

The Sky on Christmas Eve ||| a science fiction Christmas short story

Before the story begins, I'm going to shout because IT'S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS!  I love Christmas so much.

If you're like me, you're awake scrolling through your computer begging someone to put up new content.  That's exactly why I created this story and posted it at midnight.

Without further ado, may I present a science fiction short story/flash fiction.

            The second Christmas Eve transforms into Christmas Day holds special meaning to me.  Though my house is dark and my parents and siblings are asleep, I am not.  By the light of my phone, I fumble into my snowsuit, slip a hat on my head, and go outside.  I don’t have to look at my phone to know that it’s now midnight.

            The sky suddenly lights up with bright greens and blues.  They dance through the sky like ribbons in the wind.  I lay in the white powdery snow and watch the lights play together.

            Another light joins in, but this one isn’t like the others.  It’s harsh, white, and coming from a specific place.

            “What on earth?” I whisper.  I stand up, brushing the snow from my back.

            The light comes closer and closer until it shines directly on me.  I shade my eyes just as the light turns off.

            “Madalyn Treadway?” a voice booms.

            I jump back.  I’ve always been the only one awake on Christmas Eve?

            “Who is asking?” I ask cautiously.

            “A friend.”  I’ve read way too many books to know that “a friend” may or may not be just that.

            “You’re going to have to give me more information than that,” I say.

            Something steps towards me.  Instinctually, I step back.

            “Do not be afraid.  I am one who brings gifts to families who cannot afford gifts for their children,” the voice—it sounds like a man’s voice—says.

            For some reason, a smile crosses my face.  “Really?”

            The person steps even closer, close enough that I can see his human outline.  "I am Davion, thought you might like to help."

            Before I know what I'm doing, I'm nodding my head yes.

            "Well then, hop in," Davion motions behind him to something that takes my breath away: a spaceship.  "Yes, I realize that I have a spaceship.  Do you want to help or not?"

            I do, but can I trust him?  He does have a spaceship.  I get inside the large metal disk.  The inside has red and green buttons flashing, just begging Davion to take this ship back into space.  Davion presses a few buttons and we're in the air.

            A moment later, we've landed in a quiet suburb.  There isn't any snow.  Are we in Florida?

           "Welcome to Orlando, Florida.  This spot is quite near Walt Disney World," Davion says.  "The child we are visiting is receiving a year-long pass to the parks."

           I grin.  "That's so exciting!"  Oh my goodness, the look on this boy's face is going to be priceless.

           We sneak into the house using some sort of device Davion has.  The only Christmas decoration is a small stocking hanging over the brick fireplace.

          Davion hands me a piece of paper.  "Put this in the stocking."  And I do.

          This little child will be so happy tomorrow morning.  A grin slips across my face.  It is truly better to give than recieve.

10 Things To Do When You Can't Sleep on Christmas Eve

If you're anything like me, you probably have a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve.  After quite a few sleepless Christmas Eves, I've come up with some tips to make my night awake go faster, and actually be something I look forward to.  Honestly, I don't think it would be Christmas without staying awake some of the night. :)

1. Listen to an audiobook.

The past few Christmases, my mom, sister, and I have gone to our grandparents' house (lovingly named Grammy and Grampy's house) on Christmas Eve to stay a few nights.  They only live 12 minutes away from us, but who cares?  I love sleeping over at Grammy and Grampy's house!  Since they only have one guest room, I can't really do anything that requires a light.  Here's where audiobooks come in handy.  (Not to mention your eyes can rest while you listen.)  A couple of years ago, I listened to Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen (narrated by J. Grace Pennington).  It's free online and you can listen to it here.

2. Listen to Adventures in Odyssey.

A few years ago, I listened to a single two-part episode 7 times.  Don't judge.  Anyway, AIO still offers a free episode every day.  That should take up 25 minutes of your night.

3. Read a book.

Still have some reading to finish up before your TBR pile grows from the copious amounts your "reluctantly" accept on Christmas day?  Christmas eve is the perfect time to get that done.

4. Write a Christmas short story (or novel if you're a writing wizard).

I really want someone to write a retelling of A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is a writer who kills way too many characters and generally loves breaking readers' hearts.  Then the Ghosts of Characters Past, Present, and Future swoop in to save the day.

5. Watch a Christmas movie.

I'm one of those people who will binge watch Hallmark Christmas movies.  They're so cheesy and literally all the same, but they're good?

6. Eat allllll the Christmas cookies.

Midnight snacks are great, especially when they involve sugar.

7. Listen to music.

Preferably Christmas music.  My go to Christmas music is by Mannheim Steamroller.

8. Watch the Great Christmas Light Fight.

This show is awesome  (and some full episodes are on the ABC website).  Who doesn't love amazing Christmas light displays?!

Katie Grace and I two years ago at Christmas
light thing at Disney World.Yes, it was cold.
Yes, I was crazy enough to not wear a jacket.
I think I was way too excited to meet Katie
(my first Internet friend) for the first time.  Ahh,
such great memories with my "twin sister".

9. Read a serial story on a blog.

My favorite is Flickering Lights by Rosalie Valentine.  Also, I am working on a special Christmas story that will be posted here at midnight tomorrow night!

10. Watch Vlogs

Some of my favorite book/writing bloggers have some great blogs.  Check out: Katie Grace, Hosanna Emily, Savannah Grace, Hope Pennington (she actually has a whole Youtube channel filled with nerdy Christian goodness), and JostieFlicks (clean comedy videos made by a Christian homeschool family).

Can you sleep on Christmas Eve?  What do you do to keep yourself occupied?

Should Christians Only Write Overtly Christian Books?

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the quality of Christian media and how most people turn their brains off when they see the word "Christian".  (For this discussion, head over to Aimee's blog post.)  That post/discussion got me thinking about the subject of Christian books and where God wants my writing career to go.  (I also would like to apologize in advance for the weird formatting.  Blogger has been freaking out on me and won't let me make the text bigger.)  So...let's jump right in.

This weekend, I've spent a lot of time researching publishers for my novella, The Clockshifter.  During this time, I've asked a lot of questions like:

• Should I write overtly Christian books?
• Should I write books that share the love of God without being a "Christian" book?
• What on earth does God even want me to do with my passion for writing?

Disclaimer: This was not brought on by the lack of good Christian publishers.  It only made me think about where God wants me to take my writing and what audience He wants my writing to reach.  I just thought I'd make that very clear.

So...should Christians only write Christian books?

I think the answer is yes and no.  God calls each person to do something different.  I believe God called some people to only write overtly Christian books.  But, I don't believe that it is sinful for a Christian to not write only Christian books.

Why?

As Christians, our job, so to speak, is to share the Gospel, to evangelize to people.  (Of course, we can't change the hearts of others, but God can.  I think you understand my point.)  Here is one of the many verses in the Bible about this.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

In order to reach someone, you must go to them, wherever they are at.  This means writing books that they will read.  Will a non-Believer pick up a Christian book?  Probably not.  Who did Jesus eat with on earth?  The lowest of the low.  The "non-Christians" of the time.  He went to where they were so that they would hear of God's love for them.

Does this mean writing sinful things as good?  No.  As Christians, no matter what we write, say or do, we should never glorify sin.  Our world is getting more sinful each second.  We know the answer, we know that there is hope in Christ.  We know how to tell if something is right or wrong. So I don't think there is anything wrong will telling the world about hope in Christ in a less preachy, less overt way.  So what if your book isn't labeled "Christian"  It's just a label that will most likely deter lost people from reading it.  Make the book cause people to question.  Is there something deeper to this book?  What is the real message?  What does the theme mean?  Why does the theme speak so much to me?  What does this writer have that I don't have?

Think about the band Twenty One Pilots.  They sing songs that make people ask questions about their life.  When looked into deep enough, those songs point directly to God.

I think the real question now is what God wants you and I to do?  Does He want me to write books for a Christian audience or brave the secular terrain?  Where does He want me to shine my light?  Where does He want you to shine your light?

I realize this is probably a bit of a controversial topic.  If you disagree with me, that's perfectly fine  (just please remember to be kind to others).  I would love to hear where you stand on this!  Who has God called you to reach?

How is 2016 Almost Over? ||| Looking Back At My Resolutions

So a little over a year ago, on January 11, 2016, I wrote a post about all of my goals for this year.

I actually completed most of them?!

Writing

-Finish The Clockshifter - Check!
-Finish the first draft of To Be Awake - I put this novel on hold and started another one, which I hope to complete by the end of NaNoWriMo.
-Query agents and publishers - I pitched to publishers at Realm Makers, edited more, and submitted again!
-Attend Realm Makers - CHECK!

Blogging

-Create a blogging schedule (and follow it). - I only missed a few posts, which I think is pretty good!
-Make my blog more interesting for readers - I hope I did this. :)
-Find the right writing style for my blog - I think I actually did!
-Make it as professional as possible - I'll let you all decide that.
-Have at least one person guest post - Check!  Claire Banschbach guest posted on why she writes fantasy.

Reading

-Read 100 books - Ha.  Ha.  Ha... *wistfully looks into the distance* This so did not happen.  BUT I did read some pretty amazing books, some of which I will review on here soon.
-Have at least one book signed - Check!  Realm Makers sure took care of that.

Life

-Exercise more - Me?  Exercise?  That's hilarious.
-Read the Bible every day - Unfortunately, this did not happen.  I'm really trying to get into the habit of spending time with God every day.

-Visit Katie Grace again - REALM MAKERS!

NaNoWriMo 2016 Recap ||| I Wrote A Novella + Snippets

NaNoWriMo is almost over, but it's over for me.  Yet again, I did not write the big 50,000 words.  But, I did write a novella!  (For some reason, I write super short.)

Here is a little bit about my NaNoWriMo 2016 experience!

• I wrote 6k in one day.
• I took a couple of breaks for various activities.
• I randomly switched from past tense to present tense on the first page.

Snippet 1

(Please ignore all spelling/grammar errors.  It's the first draft.  Oh, and you can click the text to make the image larger.)

• My MC, Nora Mae, is not a brave person.  In a fight or flight situation, she will RUN.
• My characters travel to the set of Avengers: Infinity War, which I accidently put in Los Angeles instead of Atlanta.

Snippet 2

(For the record, I just made up stuff that might happen in Infinity War.)

• I had an awesome time with this story.
• I put a TON of references in it.  #sorrynotsorry

Snippet 3

• I used Google Earth to walk around Russia, England, and France.
• I used Google Translate a lot.

Snippet 4

• Originally, the book wasn't going to be overtly Christian...but it just sort of...happened anyway.

Snippet 5

How was your NaNoWriMo experience?  Did you finish?  Do you have tips on writing full-length novels?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Black Friday Book Sale ||| so you can buy Christmas gifts for yourselves.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone!  I hope you all enjoyed family time and delicious food!

I have one more thing this year that I'm thankful for: The Black Friday Book Sale from Indie Christian Authors.  A bunch of indie Christian authors are discounting their books from November 25 (today) to the 28.  You can get free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals, and more!  (Plus, there is also some free stuff on there, so be sure to grab that.)

They also have a nifty quiz to help you find books that you (or a bookish friend) will probably like.

I thought I'd share all of this so a.) you can support these fabulous authors and b.) so you can save money on books.

A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as "Sold Out." This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks. Also, some of the authors this year chose to not sell their paperbacks directly through the site. Those books are also marked "Sold Out" but if you click them open, you'll find a link to the site where they are on sale and a discount code for you to use at check out.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good and Kendra E. Ardnek for their work organizing this sale, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

*Disclaimer* I received free ebooks for posting this.  While obviously free books are great, I mainly posted this to help you find new books and save some money along the way!

What awesome reads of 2016 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2017?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to pop in and say HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  Remember to give thanks for your family and friends.  Send a message to a friend saying you are thankful for him or her!

I'm so thankful for all of you.  You encourage me all the time and are just generally awesome people!  Thank you so much for being my faithful readers. :)

3 Creative Ways to Get Some Words Written (+ a Vlog)

Here are some fun, creative ways to get words written for NaNoWriMo.  I think partly I'm writing this post for myself because I am incredibly behind.

1. Word Crawls.

Want to go on an epic adventure while you write?  Try a word crawl! (I'm pretty sure I just sounded like a commercial.)  These things are a blast.  They are reminiscent of a choose-your-own-adventure book, but the amount of words you write in a certain amount of time dictates what happens next.

Some cool Fandom-related word Crawls...

Avengers Word Crawl

Doctor Who Word Crawl

Star Wars Word Crawl

The Hunger Games Word Crawl

Harry Potter Year 1 Word Crawl

Link to allllll the word crawls

2. The Apples to Apples creative writing game.

This is a game Katie Grace, her sister, Laura, and my sister, Mickayla Jansen invented.  Basically, you play Apples to Apples normally, except the winning player keeps the red card, not the green card.  At the end of the game, everyone has to write a short story with all of the items on the red card in the story.

3. Act out a Scene.

When you're home alone (unless you want an audience), act out the next scene in your WIP, video it, and write what happens as you play it back.  This is similar to what Hope Pennington does when she writes.

Vlog

Savannah Grace from Scattered Scribblings tagged me to do the Q and A tag, so I decided I would try my hand at vlogging.  So get ready for awkwardness, and my strange adoption of some sort of accent that I don't actually have, and watch me answer Savannah's questions!

Music Credits:

Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What creative ways do you write?  I would love to hear your writing methods!

Crannig Castle BLOG TOUR | REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

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.

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Time Captives trilogy.  They were imaginative, Narnia-esque, and overall a joy to read.  Crannig Castle, however, wasn't my favorite in the trilogy.

What I Liked.  I enjoyed returning to the epic battle against the strytes.  Morgan created such a fascinating world with such intricate characters.  I loved getting so see how everything turned out.

What I Didn't Like as Much. I really tried to get into this book, but I just couldn't for some reason.  I think maybe the pacing was too fast.  Also, I didn't really like the ending.  The entire conflict with the strytes seemed to wrap up too easily.  *shrugs* I just liked the other books a lot better.

Overall, I highly recommend the entire series, even though the third isn't my favorite.  If you haven't read any of the Time Captives books, please do!

Buy Now

Kindle ~ Paperback ~ Signed Copy

Blog Tour Introduction Post

Giveaway

Join in the excitement of Crannig Castle and enter to win a special prize! The first prize winner will receive signed copies of the entire Time Captives trilogy. The second prize winner will receive a signed copy of Crannig Castle. The third prize winner will receive an eCopy of Crannig Castle in the eBook format of his/her choice. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/63d9bc8b7/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Books have always been a big part of her life, never more so than when working at the local library. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics.

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Why I'm Not Going to Edit My NaNo Novel

I'm not planning on editing my NaNoWriMo novel.  So why am I writing it if no one else will look at it?

1. I want to have fun writing it.

I always feel pressured when I write something I know someone else is going to someday read it.  I just want to have pure fun writing something with no pressure, just hands flowing across a keyboard.

2. I'm honing my storytelling skills.

I think of this novel as my experimental writing ground.  I've never written a full length novel.  The Clockshifter doesn't really count because it was once 2 separate books rolled into 1 (before I edited that version to oblivion).  I'm attempting to make this a full length novel.  I'm also experimenting with other storytelling stuff.

3. I can put as many references as I want in it.

Yes, this means I can keep the scene where my characters "accidentally" end up on The Avengers: Infinity War set.  *mischievous grin*

4. The story is for me.

It's not really a personal story, but I guess it is?

5. It's a bunch of craziness.

Yes, I do actually have a semi-detailed plan of where this novel is going, but it's pretty out there.  I'm just a really weird person who tells weird stories.  (Honestly, I think I'm the only one who will actually like this story.)

Even though you all will probably never read this novel, here's a little bit about it.........

Title: What No One Remembers

Main Character: Nora Rae

What makes her unique? 

She was born with a weird tattoo on her arm.

Where does this novel take place?

A town somewhere in the southwest that I have yet to name.  It's based off of a super small town called Chloride.  Look it up, it's a real place.

That's the main setting of this book, but the characters travel to LA and other cool parts of the world.

Why on earth is it called What No One Remembers?

Well...in this small town, everyone forgets everything every morning...except for Nora Rae.  (Yes, this is inspired by a prompt on Pinterest.)  So there's this cool circular plot thing at the end because Nora Rae is the only one who remembers the adventure.

What else is this book about?

Aliens.  Lots of aliens.  Just accept it.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I broke the NaNo rules and started this novel before NaNo actually started.  No, I'm not counting the words I wrote before November for NaNoWriMo.

I want to stalk your progress on this weird-looking novel.

My username for nanowrimo.org is AleaHarper

Am I the only one writing a book no one will read?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

5 Ways to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo

Yes, I do realize this is supposed to say
www.elvishpensfantasticalwritings.blogspot.com.

NaNoWriMo starts TOMORROW and I'm kind of freaking out because I have school, lines to finish memorizing, and a play to perform this weekend.  It looks like late nights and lots of coffee for me.  The real question, though, is how on earth will I stay motivated to see this novel through to the end over the course of November?

(If you want to hear about my NaNo novel this year,

1. Set deadlines and reward yourself when you crush them.

I've set a lot of deadlines before, but I've only met a few of them.  Why?  Because I had a good reward waiting for me at the end.  I spent last summer majorly editing my book so I could pitch it to publishers at Realm Makers.  I've been editing a lot recently because I know in November I'm going to start querying publishers.  Of course, your rewards don't have to be something as big as a writer's conference, but make sure it's something that motivates you.  Tell yourself (or even have someone keep you accountable) that you can't watch a movie or read this book until you've written X amount of words.

2. Epic Soundtracks

I'm a huge fan of listening to movie soundtracks while I write.  It helps me get in the zone and sparks my imagination.
Some of my favorites are...

• Jason Bourne
• Doctor Who (any season)
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Thor
• Captain America: Civil War
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Interstellar
• Inception
• Tomorrowland

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I can think of right now.

3. Sit back and daydream before you write.

Get that storytelling awesomeness started in your head.  Don't worry about putting down the right words, just picture it in your head.  Picture action.  Hear the dialogue.  Feel the feelings.

4. Turn off your Internet.

Yes, I know you need Internet to listen to your movie soundtracks, but those Twitter notifications are distracting.  Turn off Google Hangouts.  Stop refreshing your email and blog feed.

5. Word War

If you aren't on self-implicated Internet restriction, word war with a friend.  Never heard of a word war?  It's a race to see who can write the most words in X amount of time.  It's lots of fun and insanity.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?  Tell me about your NaNo novels!  How do you stay motivated during NaNo?

Why I Love Having a Sister - Creative Edition

Until fairly recently, I wished I was an only child.  My sister and I never got along and didn't really like the same things.  Now, I can honestly say I love having a sister.  So, shout out to Mickayla Jansen, my amazing not-so-little sister!  (We both use pen names.)  Make sure and check her blog out because it's awesome.  (Not that I'm biased or anything...)

1. I can loan books to her without fear of them getting damaged or lost.

Damaged or lost books is probably ever bookish person's fear.  With a sister, I can keep my books in sight.  Besides, I trust her.  ;)

2. I always have someone to fangirl with.

Who even talks about real life crushes anymore?  Our girl talks consist of books and movies.  It's awesome.

3. If I ever need to talk out a problem with my WIP, I can brainstorm with her.

Something that's awesome about Mickayla is that she has great ideas and she's always completely honest.  If she doesn't like something, she will speak her mind.  It's super helpful.

4. We're filmmaking partners in crime.

Yup.  We make movies together.  I don't think I've filmed anything without her.

5. We word war together.

We haven't done this in a while, but it's awesome when we do.  (And we're both super competitive so...)

6. She's just an awesome person!

I'm totally going to brag on her here.  She's funny, athletic, artistic, and bookish!  And she's a radiant light for the Lord.  And did I mention that her blog is awesome?  Make sure and check it out here.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Lady Dragon, Tela Du BLOG TOUR ||| Character Interview with Summer

The sequel to Water Princess, Fire Prince is finally here!

Two girls with one face
Two girls with twisted fate
One in purple, one in red
One shall speak the other’s death
Who shall win their final war?
Lady Dragon or Tela Du?

Amber, the Lady Dragon, has been promised a fifty-year reign over Rizkaland and nothing can stop her from claiming it. But when you've lived six thousand years, fifty is such a pitiful number. Only one person can keep her from making this reign permanent - the Tela Du, a girl who shall share Amber's face.

The last thing Petra wants is a magical world interrupting her plans for a normal life, let alone an ultimate battle against the Lady Dragon with only one prophesied survivor. She has her childhood best friend, Reuben, at her side, but she's not sure if he's more of a help or a hindrance right now. Though she'd much prefer to just return home and forget about this whole crazy affair, things change when she discovers that the world has surprising connections to her own family - including her sister who disappeared without a trace two years before. Still, Rizkaland can't possibly expect her to risk her very life, can it?

Alea: Thank you so much for joining me, Summer!
           As a child, did you ever daydream about going to another world?

Summer: No, but sometimes I allowed my brother to talk me into taking part in his games. Not often, because he often made me the evil witch. Which could be fun ... but one can only take so much of being the bad guy.

Alea: Hehe. :) I have a friend who always played the "everyone else" roll in our pretend games.  So, since you don't daydream about world-hopping, what are some of your hobbies?

Summer: Hobbies are things people do as an excuse to not socialize. Although I do enjoy photography. My mom gave me a digital camera for Christmas last year, and let me tell you - those things are the future!

Alea: Photography is a wonderful hobby!
Does your name fit your personality?

Summer: Does yours? I mean, I'm told I'm pretty hot, and Summer's hot, and I'm more of an in-the-moment girl and summer is the best for living in the moment.

Alea: I'll take that as a yes, then.  :) Coffee, tea, or spiced pomella cider?

Summer: Coffee. Black and bitter.

Alea: Coffee is an awesome invention...though I don't like it black.
What is family life like at your house?

Summer: Uh, well, I have older brothers who are identical twins and are frequently annoying. My parents run a jewelry shop. We homeschool with my cousins, Mondays at my Aunt Helen's, Tuesdays at the Ardens, Wednesdays at Aunt Violet's, Thursday's at my house, and Friday is homework on your own. Although Reuben is at the Arden's whenever he has the chance because he and Petra are a thing, but not a thing, and it's ridiculous.

Alea: Thank you so much for joining me today, Summer!  It was lovely talking with you!

           You can read some more of Summer in the snippet below!

Ashley didn’t hesitate. She ran back out of the house and then walked across the street to Queen Michelle’s house. Summer answered the door when she knocked.

“Did Petra change her mind and chase you off?” Summer asked, narrowing her eyes as she leaned against the doorframe.

Ashley took a step backward and hastily shook her head. “I – I need to talk to your mother.”

“Why?”

“Because…” It was sometimes so difficult to not mention Rizkaland to people who didn’t know about it. “Because Mum wants to talk to her.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “You do know that you really don’t have to call her that just because Petra does. In fact, it annoys Petra when you do. Unless you enjoy annoying Petra, and last time I checked, you didn’t.”

“Mum suits her,” Ashley quickly answered, glancing down. “It sounds more respectful than ‘mom,’ and I can’t call her ‘Mother.’”

Summer raised an eyebrow, but instead of questioning Ashley’s statement, she straightened with a toss of her hair. “Well, why are we standing in the doorway wasting cold air? If you want to talk to my mom, come in and find her. Last time I checked, she was home.”

To read the first chapter, you can visit this link, or you can buy the book!

Book 1 in the Rizkaland  Legends is FREE on Kindle until the 24th of October!

You can read my review of it here.

Kendra E. Ardnek is a homeschool graduate who picked up a pen at an early age and never put it down. The eldest of four, she makes her home in the Piney Woods of East Texas with her parents, younger siblings, giant herd of giraffes, and honor guard of nutcrackers.

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