When I realized I’d been dragged into writing inspirational fantasy fiction, my first, most complicated task was to imagine an entire fantasy world to frame the Books of the Infinite series. I didn't want to slow down the action with tons of detail, but I did need to create a complete and complex world for my beloved characters. Where did I begin? With a continent. After studying maps of ancient countries, including Israel, Egypt, Rome, and Greece, I sketched out my imaginary continent—shown here in parchment and ink by Katharin Fiscaletti, who created all the drawings in this post.
With the boundaries in place, I pondered the next step. What sorts of creatures inhabited this new, imaginary world? Legendary beasts, of course. Leviathans. Lindorms. Griffins. And a few creatures unique to this new continent, such as the ferocious, carnivorous Scaln, portrayed here in all its crimson glory. *Shivers.* Let me just say that Katharin frightened me with this particular sketch!
With my landscapes and beasts all sketched, I imagined my characters. People who might have lived during my imaginary world’s Biblical era. What did they eat? What did they drink? What sort of clothes did they wear? Were there variations in language and clothes between each country? I drew upon my knowledge of ancient lands, and my personal library of history books and decided upon the “look” for my characters, as well as their manners and customs. This world, I decided must be primarily Biblical in flavor, with hints of Earth’s own ancient cultures—leading to more research for details I loved and added to my story. To clothe my characters, I sought colorful examples from our own world. Who knew that the exotic saris of modern India were inspired by garments from ancient Greece?
For interest, and because my collection of medieval research books rival any public library’s shelves, the Bethany House team and I agreed to add a bit of medieval flare, which is evident on the cover of King in Akabe’s long tunic sleeves, and his formidable two handed sword, known here on Earth as a claymore.
The final result…a unique Biblical-fantasy world that Bethany House Publishers and I hope you enjoy as you read King!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
THE CHRISTIAN FICTION SCAVENGER HUNT STOP #15!
Welcome to the 2013 Summer Scavenger Hunt! This hunt has 32 stops and runs 5/17-5/19/13. You can make the loop, reading unique content from 31 different authors, and if you complete the loop, and fill out the Rafflecopter form at Stop #32, you'll be in the running for an iPad Mini (loaded with all our books), or one of two runner-up prizes---all 31 of our new releases in paperback. In addition, some authors are offering additional prizes, so be sure to read each post thoroughly to be in the running for all that are available. The contest is open internationally.
If you've JUST discovered the hunt, I recommend you begin at the beginning, Stop #1, found at LisaBergren.com. But you can also begin here, and keep on rolling. Just be aware that you have to have the COMPLETED phrase in order, which you construct gathering the clue at each stop, within 24 hours of email notification from Lisa Bergren that you won. If Lisa doesn't hear back from you with the correct phrase within the time limit, she will move on to the next winner Rafflecopter draws. Ready? Here we go...
Tracy L. Higley!
I'm thrilled to host Tracy L. Higley for this scavenger hunt--huzzah!!! Tracy's latest book, So Shines the Night, is in the same genre I'd be penning if I weren't writing Biblical fantasy fiction. Tracy is a phenomenal writer and an altogether terrific person, so count me in as one of Tracy's fans!
For those of you who haven't heard of Tracy yet, here's her official bio:
Tracy L. Higley started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored nine novels, including Garden of Madness and Isle of Shadows. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. See her travel journals and more at TracyHigley.com.
Tracy is known for digging into her research--sometimes literally! For So Shines the Night, Tracy traveled to Ephesus, and she's sharing a video clip of her latest adventure; I'm eager to see what Tracy found, and I'm delighted to share it with you today.
Tracy's Adventures in Ephesus
In the Footsteps of Paul
When I jumped into the challenge of writing So Shines the Night, a
first-century suspense novel that would feature Paul and Timothy, Priscilla
and Aquila, and the demonic darkness facing the New Testament church, I
already had the whole city of Ephesus imagined in my mind.
That's because I had already walked the city streets, breathed in the
Ephesus air, and lingered at the site of the massive Temple of Artemis. And
then while writing the novel, I was able to go back and visit a second time!
Ephesus was once a thriving port city, with a harbor that brought exotic
silks, jewels and spices from the east and passed them along to the Roman
Empire in the west, hungry for luxuries. As the years went by, deposits of
silt clogged the harbor, and the entire city was abandoned and lost, left
for archaeologists to discover and explore centuries later.
And what a time I had exploring! My husband and I were part of a tour group
from our cruise ship, but it quickly became clear that I needed to do my own
research and break away from the group. I kept moving backward, branching
off, and lingering behind. Our tour guide was not pleased! At one point, she
called out above the heads of our group - "We're going this way! You need to
keep up!" Embarrassed, I moved to the edge of the group and explained that I
was writing a book, and we were planning to abandon them completely and find
our own way back to the ship. Clearly, she thought we were crazy!
But I needed time to absorb it all, to take notes and to take videos. The
city was the site of one of the most memorable incidents in the book of Acts
- the near-riot of the silversmiths who wanted to see Paul dead for
hampering their business of pagan souvenir-selling.
For a first-hand look at the theater where it happened, watch this
one-minute video:
You can read the story in Acts 19, but I invite you to explore Tracy's Travels on my website, to see the streets, temples, and grand amphitheater where it all took place.
And I hope you'll explore more of So Shines the
Night as well - read an excerpt or
the back cover. It's a novel that will transport you to this magnificent
ancient city, where one woman fights the darkness that threatens to destroy
everyone she loves.
Tracy L. Higley's new release, So Shines the Night, is a Biblical novel detailing the events in ACTS, chapter 19, and I'm adding it to my TBR list! It is available at bookstores or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors, and elsewhere.
AND NOW, YOUR NEXT STEPS:
Write down this clue: Beliefs.
Have it written down? Great! Now head on over to Tracy L. Higley's page, Stop #16 for the next clue! Thanks for stopping by!
BONUS PRIZE!
Follow R. J. Larson's blog, or "Like" R. J.'s Facebook page for a chance to win the complete Books of the Infinite trilogy!
Now that King is on its way to the printing presses--well ahead of deadline--it's time to add to the Books of the Infinite vocabulary list. Here it is, the list for King, Books of the Infinite series, volume 3!
Have fun, everyone. :)
In order of name’s
appearance:
Akabe Garric \Ah-cabeGair-rick\ Former Siphran rebel. The Infinite’s chosen king of
Siphra.
Barth of Siymont \Barth
See-mont\ Royal page and son of Lord
Ruis of Siymont.
Ela Roeh \El-ah Roe-eh\ Prophet of the vanquished city-state of Parne.
Ruis of Siymont \Roo-es See-mont\ A lord of Siphra. Father
of Barth.
Belaal \Bell-A-el\ Kingdom south of Siphra.
Tamri Het \Tam-ree Het\ Former Siphran
revolutionary, and one of Ela’s chaperones.
Cyan Thaenfall \Sigh-an Thane-fall\ Siphran lord and suspected Atean. Caitria’s father.
Kien Lantec \Kee-en Lan-tek\ Military
judge-advocate for the Tracelands.
Aeyrievale \air-ee-veil,
or, eer-ee-veil\ Former rebel
Siphran province in the Snake Mountains.
Ishvah Nesac \Ish-vawNess-ak\ The Infinite’s chief priest of the vanquished city-state
of Parne.
Dan Roeh \Dan Roe-eh\ Ela’s father.
Rade Lantec \Raid Lan-tek\ Kien’s father. The Tracelands
preeminent statesman.
General Rol \Rawl\ The
Traceland’s General of the Army.
Kalme Roeh \Call-may Roe-eh\ Ela’s mother.
Ara Lantec \Are-ah Lan-tek\ Rade Lantec’s wife. Kien’s mother.
Beka Thel \Bek-ah Thell\ Jon Thel’s wife. Kien’s
sister.
Jon Thel \Jon Thell\ A
Tracelands military commander. Beka’s husband.
ToronSea \Tor-on-Sea, or,
Tor-on-Sea\ Southern coastal town in
the Tracelands.
Riddig Tyne\Rid-ig Tine\
Akabe’s field surgeon.
Ruestock \Roo-stock\ Exiled former Siphran
ambassador to the Tracelands.
Caitria Thaenfall \Kay-tree-ah Thane-fall\ Daughter of Cyan Thaenfall.
Bel-Tygeon \Bell-Ty-jee-on\
King of Belaal.
Rtial Vioc \Reh-tee-al Vee-oak\ A commander of Belaal.
Dasarai \Da-Sar-ay\ Princess of Belaal. Sovereign
of Sulaanc’s Women’s Palace.
An author's answer often depends upon the publisher. Many publishers have a design team, and the final design--after much debate and some input from marketing--is presented to the author as a (hopefully) pleasant surprise.
I was thrilled to sign on with Bethany House, which is noted for its beautiful cover designs, and I've been delighted with their visions for the Books of the Infinite series. For each cover, I was asked to hunt up images for the design team to use as references for their work.
While pondering visuals for King, I was suffering from my usual desperate longing for the ocean. Truly, that was my only wish: Water! Give me an ocean!
Bless the Bethany House design team, they responded in grand style and threw in a longsword as a bonus. Huzzah!!!!
Now, if only I could wade into that water for a moment and breathe some salt air.... *Sigh.*
Months earlier, as the design team debated over the look for Prophet, I was asked, "What about Ela's clothes?"
By the time we were done exchanging emails and discussing images for Ela's "other-world Biblical" attire, I felt as if I'd been on a lavish shopping spree without spending a dime, and I loved the results. See my baby? Isn't she pretty?
The cover for Judge on the other hand, was less about Kien's attire and more about his weapons and the background. Kien's beloved sword, of course, was a must, as was his dark traveling cloak. The arm guards were a bonus, chosen by the design team--and I was instantly smitten with the look. (Yes, I still want those arm guards!)
As for the mountains in the background...well...those started in Colorado.
I was hiking around with my husband, DearJerry, in Colorado's foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains. While we were enjoying the scenery, this caught my attention->
I wanted to build a log cabin and live here. With a trustworthy and plentiful water supply, of course.
Unfortunately--or fortunately--we already have a house with a mortgage, so the log cabin idea had to remain in dreamland.
However, I sent the foothills image to my editors. "Perhaps something like this would work for the Judge background."
This was their reply:
Dear Reader, I've a feeling we're not in Colorado anymore!
But that's okay. I'm willing to follow Kien into the Snake Mountains.
Welcome back, everyone! It's late January, time for the Christmas decorations to come down, and time for a new blog post! This month, the amazing Robin Lee Hatcher volunteered me for a blog hop. My mission is to answer ten questions about my latest WIP (work-in-progress) which is The Next Big Thing, and then I will tag three new fantasy authors with links to their blogs! To add to the fun, I will give three different readers their choice of one book: Prophet, Judge, or (when it's published) King. The winners will be chosen by RaffleCopter on January 30th, and announced on the 31st. Ready? Here goes:
Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big
Thing:
What is the working title of your book?
King.
This was the working title and it’s now set in stone. Or, rather, in the book’s
just-released cover image.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
King
portrays difficult situations faced by several Old Testament kings and
prophets. King isn’t so much a
retelling of the scriptures as a variation of OT spiritual themes, and
adventures.
What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy
fiction, teens and up!
Which actors would you choose to play your
characters in a movie rendition?
I
have a terrible time trying to match actors with my characters—each one is
unique. However, Ioan Gruffudd might portray Akabe, the Siphran King:
And Anne
Hathaway as Caitria:
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your
book?
King Akabe of Siphra’s lifelong
dream—to rebuild the Infinite’s temple in Siphra—is threatened by powerful
enemies who have vowed to kill Akabe and his mysterious new queen.
Will your book be self-published or
represented by an agency?
King
is scheduled for publication by Bethany House on July 1, 2013. I’ve heard other
authors compare publication timeframes to pregnancies, and it’s so true. But
like a baby, books are worth the wait.
How long did it take you to write the first
draft of your manuscript?
Usually,
I can write a first draft in six months on my two days off per week, if I
resist Facebook and Pinterest, and seriously focus on the task. Chocolate
helps! What other books would you compare this
story to within your genre? Though
I haven’t yet read this one, Kingdom’s
Dawn, by Chuck Black, seems to reflect King’s sense of other-world
adventure.
Who or What inspired you to write this
book?
As
strange as it sounds, the entire Books of the
Infinite series, including King was inspired by a dream fragment. In 2010, I woke up one
morning, still seeing a brief, stark dream of a young woman in a dim chamber.
She was struggling to make a life-changing choice, and there was a glowing
branch in that same dream, so I knew that if I wrote the story behind the dream
it must be a fantasy. It was odd. Usually my dreams are bright and colorful.
However, this dark fragment became Prophet,
which was published two years later.
What else about your book might pique the
reader’s interest?
King’s plotline, like
Prophet and Judge, is written to appeal to men and women, young and old.
Parents are reading these books with their teens!
*** Now, readers, it's time for some fun! Hope over to the following pages to visit these three fantasy authors, who will be posting their Next Big Thing answers within the next seven days: Patrick W. Carr Carla Laureano and Pauline Creeden And enter to win a copy of Prophet, or Judge, or (soon) King, in the Rafflecopter entry form below:
Authors are often asked about cover designs.
By the time we were done exchanging emails and discussing images for Ela's "other-world Biblical" attire, I felt as if I'd been on a lavish shopping spree without spending a dime, and I loved the results. See my baby? Isn't she pretty? 
I was hiking around with my husband, DearJerry, in Colorado's foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains. While we were enjoying the scenery, this caught my attention-> 
As
strange as it sounds, the entire Books of the
Infinite series, including King was inspired by a dream fragment. In 2010, I woke up one
morning, still seeing a brief, stark dream of a young woman in a dim chamber.
She was struggling to make a life-changing choice, and there was a glowing
branch in that same dream, so I knew that if I wrote the story behind the dream
it must be a fantasy. It was odd. Usually my dreams are bright and colorful.
However, this dark fragment became Prophet,
which was published two years later.
