Tuesday, October 21, 2014

A Forgotten Princess

Today, I'd like to welcome Rachel James to my blog. She's been coerced, I mean, invited to share her writerly thoughts on inspiration, camaraderie, and humor.  Take it away, Rachel.


          Humor:
When I first made the decision to write The Forgotten Princess of Elmetia, I knew I would need some kind of target to ensure I finished writing it. I opted to enter the Operation First Novel Contest to give me a deadline, as well as an opportunity to receive professional feedback. The night before I submitted, I asked my eldest daughter, Abigail, who at the time was just 7, to pray for me. 
She looked at me with an excited face. “A competition? Do you get a prize?”
“Yes,” I said, “The winner gets published.”
She drew a blanked expression. “What does that mean?”
“Er, well, they would take the story I’ve written, and put it in a book, so that people can buy it.”
Abigail pulled a face. “The prize is… you get to buy your own book?” she flung her arms in the air. “You don’t even get a trophy?”
Whilst attempting to contain my laughter, I tried to explain to her that getting published is better than any trophy, however, she is yet to be convinced.  
       Camaraderie:
Living in the UK, there are not that many opportunities to link and network with other Christian romance writers, so I decided early on this year to take a trip over to Colorado to attend the Christian Writers Guild conference. The experience was amazing, to be able to meet like-minded people who ‘get you’. I just love the ‘buzz’ of mixing with fellow writers who encourage and inspire each other to continue to fulfil their calling as authors. 



Since coming back to the UK, and becoming a Prism author, I can honestly say the camaraderie I find with fellow Prism writers to be totally unique, and I thank God for them. I find it so amazing that through the wonders of technology I can connect with authors across the other side of the world.
          Inspiration:
As I write medieval romance, I love visiting historical sites to glean inspiration. I’ve been doing this since I was a child, and now at every opportunity I do the same with my own children. 





The Forgotten Princess of Elmetia 



It is 616AD, and one fatal night the ancient Kingdom of Elmetia falls. Saxons kill the Elmetian King, and capture Princess Teagen. Teagen poses as a slave girl and works for the Saxons in the Kingdom of Deira, until she discovers her brother is alive. She finds a way to escape, and her path crosses with Ryce the Warrior.
Struggling with his past, and angry against the tyrant Saxon king, Ryce helps the princess in pursuit of her brother. But just as the connection between them intensifies, obstacles get in their way. The Saxon king now wants vengeance, and will stop at nothing to get it. 

Book Trailer

Buy on  Amazon
Connect with Rachel through her Website or on Facebook


More about Rachel:

Rachel grew fascinated with the medieval time period as a child. Dubbed a bookworm from a young age, Rachel found herself surrounded by places steeped in history and adventure. She enjoyed trips with her family to visit nearby derelict castles and Roman ruins, and that coupled with a zealous imagination and love for stories, sparked her interest in knights, fortresses and ancient kingdoms.  

Born and bred in England, Rachel writes adventure driven historical romance, she is also a pastor’s wife, and has three beautiful little princesses. She minored in creative writing at university and strives to entertain, inspire and encourage others in their own spiritual journey. She’s also captivated by romantic tales… combine it with a little history and a hot cup of tea, and she’s smitten! 

Thanks so much, Rachel for being here on my blog, and good luck with your new release.

As always feel free to comment or ask a question.





Wednesday, October 8, 2014

10 Books or Authors That Have Stuck



Maybe you’ve seen the posts around Facebook, or Brian Klems post on Writer's Digest, or around read on other blogs about the list of 10 books that never left you. Michelle Garrett of Utah Children's Writers blog couldn’t nail down her books so she chose 10 authorsI like the idea of choosing authors because it frees me up to include more books. :)

Here is my list of ten authors that have stuck with me (Suzanne Purvis.)  A literary soup across the genres from picture books to adult literary fiction. Some classics, some contemporaries, some serious, some hilarious. 

Dr. Seuss - Horton Hears a Who - plus every other one of his fantastical rhyming tales. I loved them growing up, I loved reading them to my kids and I still love them now, including Oh the Places You’ll Go, and You're Only Old Once.


Louisa May Alcott - Little Women - the first book that I cried while reading

Margaret Mitchell - Gone With the Wind - maybe the reason I ended up in the South :)




William Shakespeare - for his love stories - Romeo and Juliet, comedies - Taming of the Shrew, and tragedies, Hamlet and Macbeth - hard to read, but the stories and plots have stuck

Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights - because as a teen I fell in love with Heathcliff (who didn’t?)

Margaret Atwood - Edible Woman is my favorite, but Surfacing is a close second


John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meaney, The Hotel New Hampshire, The World According to Garp



Jennifer Crusie - Faking It, Bet Me, Agnes and the Hitman

John Green - this summer I binge-read all his books, but Abundance of Katherines is my favorite, probably because I’m a bit of a math-geek 



Kate DiCamillo - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is wonderful, and her newest Flora and Ulysses is sensational, and who can forget Because of Winn-Dixie




How about you? Which books or authors have had an impact on you?  

Feel free to share and comment.