It's That Time of Year, Again

Has anyone else noticed that it's November? Like October is GONE, and we're suddenly in the middle of NaNoWriMo?

My schedule didn't realize that.

My Little Writer, however, is happy since I'm currently NaNo-ing and plugging away on adding at least 50,000 words to my Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, The Twelfth Kingdom... which I've left sitting stagnate since, like, 2012. I had worked hard on it for about two months, written about 25,000 words, and then had gotten distracted with another story. Yeah, I had twelve very angry princesses waiting to pounce on me when I opened that dusty document.

To be honest, I toyed with the idea of starting a brand new novel for this year's NaNo, and my Little Writer immediately vetoed that. But I had a spark of new inspiration for this story, and I'm happy to jump back into it. I'm praying that this gives me the nudge I need to get the story out of being a "started-but-abandoned-draft" sitting in my documents folder.

And since I just hit 14K this morning, I thought I'd pop onto dear Blogger and give you all an update.

Firstly, I'm super excited to being doing NaNo again... FINALLY. With the last four years of my life being swallowed over in college and classes, I had absolutely no time to try to write 10K, let alone 50K. Now, I'm graduated and (metaphorically) pulling on my boxing gloves again. I'm also a wife and a mommy this time around, but so far keeping baby alive and trying to keep the house from falling down hasn't been too difficult to maneuver around.

My good friend, Christine of Musings of an Elf, is hosting a great writer's link-up for those of us participating in NaNo this year. This is the first of a three-part link-up, dedicated to NaNo enthusiasts knowing their novel. And I'm ignoring my Little Writer (who's demanding that this tag below is the October edition of the link-up, and I'm officially a month behind the times) and filling out the questions below for your enjoyment.

So there, Little Writer. I have to introduce my NaNo novel at some point, don't you know.

~*~

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

I believe it was actually first inspired by the film Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I had just watched it for the fourth(teenth) time with my sisters and was wondering how one woman could have twelve daughters all so close in age without having multiple twins and triplets and quads, etc. I mean, come on. The story makes the most sense to have the girls fairly close in age. Fairytale age for a marriageable princess is typically 18 or 16; 12 daughters later, the youngest would have to be 6 or 4. Can you imagine a four-year-old dancing the night away? Uh, yeah. Me, too. If the oldest is 22, say, then the youngest (without multiples) has to be at most 10. Those ages could technically work with the story, but it still just didn't seem realistic to me.

So, I began brainstorming. And the thought struck me while I was doing the dishes (which just so happens to be my best brainstorming activity): What if the twelve princesses were adopted? They could all be super close in age that way, and the storyline would make more sense. The problem with that: What monarch would adopt twelve girls? And WHY?

Thus, The Twelfth Kingdom was born.

Mock cover for inspiration :)

2. Share a blurb!

Still pretty rough, but this is a scene from the beginning of the novel.

At last, J and B made it all the way to the iron fence. They pressed their faces to the bars and looked up, just as the crowd fell silent. 

“Thank You, Père,” B breathed. “We made it.”

The balcony doors opened and a man dressed in a crimson coat stepped out. He held a golden trumpet to his lips and blew a single note. 

“Why would he do that when he already has everyone's attention?” J whispered to B.

“Shh,” she waved her hand vaguely at her friend, not willing to look away from the balcony for one second. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, people of Tellorn, and all Findenland!” the man yelled. J was instantly glad that B had suggested they get closer. Otherwise, they would never have been able to hear him, and they would have to resign themselves to waiting for the gossip to reach them and learn the new princess's name. 

A real name. J licked her lips in anticipation. This was the part that excited her the most. Each of the orphan girls the king had adopted were given names suitable for princesses. The days of being labeled a solitary letter were over. Only people from the upper classes and royalty had real names. People of the street, like J, were not allowed to have names, only letter labels that they could use to refer to themselves.

“It gives me great pleasure,” the man continued, “to introduce you all to newest princess of Findenland, King Jakken's new daughter: Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelburna!” 


The doors opened again and this time a lithe figure wearing a pink gown and a silver necklace that caught the rays of the morning sun stepped out onto the balcony. For one silent moment, she stood nervously, as if unsure what to do. But the next moment, the crowd erupted. Cheers and shrill whistles rang out and echoed down the streets. J winced. The noise was deafening. Princess Zelburna blushed but waved as perfectly as one of her station should.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?

This story takes place in the completely fictional kingdom of Findenland. It is one of twelve kingdoms on a single continent, firstly inspired by (but not truly modeled after) the twelve tribes of Israel. This continent is actually where most of my stories take place, and Findenland is south of Secret of the Hazel Tree's Troisem.

Findenland is a mix somewhere between Denmark and Switzerland. While part of a large continent of twelve kingdoms, it is the only kingdom of the twelve to be completely landlocked, meaning their military advantage is handicapped due to not being able to have a navy like the other kingdoms. Instead, Findenland has to be creative with its trade and diplomatic relationships to remain stable. Diamond mining is their greatest asset, and they have plenty of lovely mountain views. While it is not as cold as Troisem, Findenland still boasts impressive winters, and one would be well-advised to not traipse alone through the mountains because wild cats run faster than humans.

4. Tell us about your protagonist.

J is a young girl living in the streets, trying to survive and take care of her best friend, B. That is, until they both get chosen to become the eleventh and twelfth orphan girls the king has adopted. While the opportunity seems like a miracle, it doesn't take J long to discover that being one of King Jakken's daughters isn't all it's made out to be.

J, to me, is a type of Esther Summerson. She's quiet, but she has a temper enough to speak her mind from time to time. She's compassionate, and she's got a good amount of courage that she keeps tucked in her back pocket. At the start of the story, J is about 15 or so years old.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

This one is actually difficult to answer, because I'm not exactly sure. That's one of the things I'm fully discovering as I'm writing the novel. King Jakken would probably be the best answer, though. Although he is a father figure to the princesses, seeing as he saved them from the streets, he is incredibly selfish and only wants to use the girls he adopts to his own advantage. His patriotism probably runs deeper than it should, and he would do just about anything for his kingdom and his title.

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

Right now, a new pantsing exercise with a former minor character. What re-sparked my interest in writing this story was a minor character complaining that he wasn't getting enough attention. Although he had a big-ish role near the end of the novel, he insisted that he was big at the beginning, too. And then went on to prove it to me by trying to assassinate the king. I mean, if that doesn't grab the writer's attention, I don't know what will.

Then I realized that this was a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling... and I didn't have the soldier anywhere in the story. The soldier is probably one of the most iconic characters of the story, as it is he who discovers the princess's secret and exposes them. Of course, I had to have the soldier in the tale to make it as genuine as possible, and this guy who was supposed to be minor-ish was insisting that he was the soldier.

The only problem was he wasn't. He was the character of the soldier from the original fairytale, but he wasn't actually a soldier. He needed to have military experience to qualify for the job.

THAT'S when I saw political tensions creeping in from foreign parts, and then BOOM... I had another plot with a soldier that I hadn't ever planned on.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?

Lord willing, standalone. It may be close to the near 200K Hazel Tree was, but that's how I like my fairytales. Thick, complicated, genuine, and chock full of gorgeous WORDS.

I have no idea what this pic is from, but -- all 12 girls right here. 

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting?

Typically, I'm a total pantser (as made obvious with the answer to #6 above). However, I actually have most of this story planned out. I took the time to write down everything that should happen, and that's why my interest in this book died like it did. When I knew everything that was going to happen, why did I need to write the story?

Now, I've decided to use my six-page outline as more of a guideline of what might happen, rather than a specific roadmap dictating what exactly needs to happen. And things are a lot more exciting.

9. Name a few things that makes this story unique.

Twelve adopted princesses with backstories that don't leave them as 2D characters.

A law stating that commoners aren't allowed real names, only letter labels.

An assassin-turned-soldier serving under the very king he was trying to kill.

No magic.

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

I do have a map I've created of the Twelve Kingdoms, but as it includes private author notes and was made with the amateur-ish Windows Paint software, I'm not super ready to share it with the world.

Instead, how about a look at Pinterest?

~*~

And there you have it! Now, if you'll excuse me, folks, I have a novel to write.

God bless!

News on Spindle Dreams

For those of you have been chomping at the bit wondering what in the world I'm doing with the latest novella that I said was coming out this fall...

Or for those of you who completely forgot I'd promised Amazon another book...

I'm still working on it. We hit a couple of snags in the publishing process, namely that of the cover, and I regret to announce that I'm gonna have to push the release date back. My goal was to have it available by the end of October, but we're looking at a date closer to the end of the year now. I haven't been able to nail down an exact date yet, but Spindle Dreams is coming! I will let you all know once the release date is set.

In the meantime, please think about participating in my cover reveal (TBA; once I have the final cover), and have a snippet to sample.

~*~

Obstinate as always, Samson refused to move.

“Come on, Samson.”

The horse snorted and tossed his head for good measure.

Felix groaned. “You’re not going to be stubborn now, are you? Please move.” He was certain Samson was pretending not to hear him. He dug his heels in again. “You definitely know how to try my patience.” 

The horse’s ears went up.

“Now I know you can hear me…”

Samson bolted. Caught unaware, Felix lost his hold and, with a yell, toppled out of the saddle. He hit the ground hard and rolled. When he finally managed to regain his feet, the rough forest floor had rewarded him with several painful scrapes and bruises for his trouble.

“Samson!”

The horse was gone.

Felix resisted the urge to shiver, even though the wind had picked up a little. He would have to walk back to the palace. “Look on the bright side of things,” he said aloud. “You could have fallen in the river again. At least your clothes are still dry.” He turned to follow the river out and froze.

There, standing on the river’s opposite bank and only a few yards away from him, was a woman. 

~*~

God bless!

Joy in Brokenness?

How do you deal with feeling broken? 

When your health always seems to get the better of you, is there any joy to be found?

I used to be a really healthy kid. You know -- the kind that could walk into a dentist's office and walk out again without any cavities. Staying healthy was easy. And other than your average cold during the wet season, I was hardly ever laid up in bed or stuck on the couch.

It's amazing how quickly something like that can change, though. In 2007, my family moved to a new house which was surrounded by fields on three sides. Those fields got liberally sprayed with pesticides and all sorts of chemical nastiness every spring, and my family never realized how dangerous that situation could be. In 2011, I suffered a pretty severe case of bronchitis -- after which I was quickly diagnosed with asthma and multiple allergies. I won't bog you down with the entire list of allergies, but besides being allergic to half of outside, I couldn't eat chocolate, soy, buckwheat, fish, and walnuts.

After being so free for so many years, it was a huge blow. I couldn't run around and play outside like I used to. I couldn't eat whatever I wanted. In fact, there were several restaurants that I couldn't eat at period. Seriously, have you tried to eat out with a soy allergy? Forget Chinese.

I'd never had health restrictions before. I couldn't understand why God gave them to me.

To be honest, I got rather bitter about it. My body had basically been poisoned. In addition to the allergies and asthma, I contracted mono (ebstein barr virus) in the next few years. The changes to my body also put me at a high risk for cancer and infertility. For years, I worried that, if God did lead me to marry someone, I would never be able to have kids.

Infertility was really hard to accept because most of my life I've wanted the chance to be a mom. And taking the step to dating my to-be husband, Jed, only made it worse. I knew how much he wanted a family; we both wanted a large family. But considering that I was a carrier of mono, I'd probably pass the virus onto Jed after we were married, and there was a pretty good chance I'd pass it onto any children that we might have together.

I felt utterly broken and useless. 

Jed really was a true blessing sent from the Lord. In those low emotional moments (which happened more often than I'd care to admit), he would always point me back to God. Every time I complained about feeling broken, he was quick to assure me that I wasn't. True, my body may have been limited physically, but that didn't mean I was broken. There was still joy I could embrace while avoiding eating chocolate and contemplating a future with no children.

My joy doesn't come from being complete and unbroken. My joy doesn't come from a healthy body without dietary and physical limitations. My joy doesn't come from ten robust children running around in a big farmhouse. My joy doesn't even come from my practically perfect husband/then boyfriend.

My joy comes from the Lord. 

God is my Sustainer and the source of all my joy. To step beyond the feeling of brokenness, I had to change my perspective. God didn't allow the multiple health issues because He wanted me to have a hard life. He gave all of this to me as a gift because He knew I could handle it. Even in the moments when it feels most overwhelming, I have to keep that outlook. I can handle the hard stuff because I have an Everlasting Rock in my Creator. And that will never change.

It is still difficult to accept the health challenges. I think God used the allergies and other things to get my attention. I was focused so much on myself and my perfect future that I didn't think about what future God might have planned out for me. I had to let go of my own dreams and learn to willingly follow God wherever He might lead.

Today, I am happy to say that the mono is more under control, and I am the very proud mother of a healthy 5-month-old baby girl. As an added bonus, during my pregnancy, I discovered that some of my allergies cleared up, specifically the food intolerances to chocolate and soy.

I don't know if my kids will experience the mono virus. I don't know if God's plan for my life could be flare-ups of mono and a battle with cancer in the future. I don't know that my allergies will return, or if the laundry list of ones I still have will ever go away.

But I do know that Christ is sufficient. Whatever He gives me He knows I can manage it. 

And I think that's been the most helpful thing of all. If I can change my attitude towards my circumstance and find a way to praise God in it, the problems almost melt away. Yes, they're still there, but they don't feel as consuming anymore.

If I have the body that God intended me to have, health problems and all, I can rejoice because I'm living inside His plan for me. If I only ever have one child instead of ten, that's the best thing ever. If I can't walk outside in the spring without my inhaler, so be it. It's so comforting to know that God is still in control. And even if He never allows me the perfect future I envisioned for myself, it's okay because He has an even better plan for my life. I just have to keep stepping up in faith and trust Him to lead me.

There is joy in brokenness. 

God bless!

Happy Palindrome Week!

Because of my synesthesia, cool numbers always fascinate me. When the stars line up and the colors just scream at me, I can't help but admire them. But it's not always the colors; sometimes the technical, analytical aspect is just too awesome to ignore. Although I'm not a huge math person, I enjoy seeing things line up perfectly. I guess you could say I have a bit of synesthetic OCD.

Lately (this week, in fact), the internet has been blowing up celebrating an odd occurrence known as "Palindrome Week." For those of you who don't know, this week (or so) of August is the only week this year that is the same forwards and backwards. See below.

*Image not mine; found via Google search.

Isn't that so cool?? Every date is the same backwards AND forwards. The little synesthete in me is just so happy with this. Yes, this sort of thing has happened more than just this year, and technically Palindrome Week this year (2018) extends from August 10th to Augusth 19th (longer than the picture above acknowledges). That's 10 days in a row that can be read the same backwards and forwards!

August 11th happens to be my birthday and, on top of celebrating with a free pizza from a local restaurant and my hubby surprising me with a special date to get ice cream, I got to celebrate my birthday as being part of Palindrome Week! (Yes, I'm a nerd.)

Palindromes are one of those number things that fascinate me. So do consecutive numbers. And to help celebrate this week of cool numbers, I have another "week" of cool numbers that I'd like to share with you all in a short, nerdy post. These are not palindrome dates, bur rather consecutive dates that fell so perfectly that it would be a shame not to share during this week of weeks.

Ready?

June 20, 2015

I found out that Jed was interested in me. 

April 21, 2018

I gave birth to our first baby -- a little girl named Annika. 

April 22, 2017

Jed and I got engaged. 

April 23, 2018

Little Annika's duedate.

June 24, 2017

Jed and I were married. 

August 25, 2017

Jed and I found out that we were going to be parents. 

April 26, 2015

I severely friend-zoned Jed and told him we'd never be anything more than friends. 

It alternatively boggles and fascinates me that the the days of the "20s" are so key to every big step that Jed and I have made together. Please note that these events did not all happen in the same year. This has been a four-year process; though, I never thought that in just four years I'd go from friend-zoning a guy to giving birth to our first child.

Isn't it cool how God works things out according to His plan? I'm so glad for this four-year, consecutive-date plan. Of course, now I'm going to be pretty alert for big changes anytime another consecutive date rolls around.

How about you? Any special consecutive dates in your life? How are you celebrating Palindrome Week?

God bless!

Free Book, Anyone?

The Rose and the Balloon is officially two years old today! 

I cannot believe that it's already been that long since I sent Janelle and Dmitri off to Amazon. Any writer will tell you that it's an adventure to write a book; an indie author will also emphatically tell you that it's an adventure to publish it yourself.

And the adventure with Spindle Dreams is only half over. The book is in the final stages of being complete, then comes the dreaded formatting stage, and then somehow I have to survive all of the marketing and publishing gimmicks, but I'm excited to share my Sleeping Beauty tale with everyone! It's definitely coming out this fall, but I'm still trying to nail down an exact date. We may be looking at something nearer October, but we'll see.

There are some important links I'd like to share with you guys.

First off, I'm on Facebook! If you'd like to follow my author page there, I'll probably be keeping that page updated more about my writing, books, and publishing news than I will this blog.

And second -- Spindle Dreams is on Goodreads! Be sure to add it to your to-read shelf!

Now, you're probably thinking, Kiri, your title said something about a free book. What's that all about? That's the reason I clicked over here to read this blog post. 

Don't fret; here it is: In honor of The Rose and the Balloon being 2 years old today, my offer for a PDF copy of that novella still stands for a few reviewers. If you're interested in posting a review of this book on Amazon for me, please contact me at liannetaimenlore(at)gmail(dot)com. All reviews must be posted publicly on Amazon (and whatever other sites you please) by September 30th.

God bless!

One I Forgot...

Looking back through my posts I discovered there were a few drafts I had begun on awards. Apparently, back in the day, I'd been awarded and never got around to finishing a post about it.

And get this -- the awards were from 2014.

2014!! 

I guess these were something I'd gotten right before I started my freshman year at college, and then crazy school life kicked in and I completely forgot about them. So they sat, cold and neglected in my drafts folder, waiting for the day when they might see the sun again (if ever).

My original draft had included links and a big thank you to the two bloggers who had tagged/awarded me, but when I went back through the links, both posts were gone. Both blogs were gone, too. Either they'd been deleted or turned into a private blog. I neglected these things for so long that the bloggers who awarded me had already moved on with their lives. If one of those bloggers is reading this now -- I'm very grateful for your nomination and I apologize that I never got around to finishing a post about it until now.

I'm not huge into the awards now, but one of these had some tag questions that I thought would be fun to answer. Who doesn't like a fun tag? I love reading them on other people's blog because it's like one of those "Get out of jail free" cards from Monopoly -- except it's a free card for blog readers to snoop and learn interesting tidbits about the blog writer's life. Yes, I'm curious. And I apologize -- I have no idea with which award these questions go to.

~*~

 1. What type of music do you listen to? (Genre, artists, songs?)

Honestly? Mostly soundtracks. For writing, I prefer composers like James Newton Howard, Patrick Doyle, Alan Silvestri, John Powell, Alexandre Desplat, Andrew Lockington, Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Howard Shore, James Horner, John Williams... and the list could keep going. 

For cleaning, it's always fun Christmas music or Broadway musicals. And don't start that about Christmas music only being for December. EVERY MONTH IS CHRISTMAS MUSIC MONTH. Broadway... too many favorites. I would end up keeping you for hours. 

For general listening, I enjoy sacred albums from conservative groups like The Wilds or Soundforth. Or some good Emile Pandolfi, Sir James Galloway, or Andrea Bochelli. Tchaikovsky is my favorite classical composer, hands down. I could listen to the entire Swan Lake ballet on repeat. AND I HAVE. No regrets. 

~*~

2. What usually cheers you up?

My husband. :) I know it's cliche, but he always knows how to make me smile. It doesn't take him long at all to figure out my mood; he knows me sometimes better than I know myself. 

And while he's at work, I cuddle with my baby. She's almost 3 months old now and getting to the stage where she wants to "talk" and make the most adorable baby noises. Also, she's super cute. 

~*~

3. What makes you sad?

Watching my husband leave for work. I am so grateful he has a job, but watching him walk out and then watching the car drive away is devastating for me. So, typically, I can't watch him leave. If I'm tired enough after a rough night with baby, I'll start crying. I didn't use to be an emotional mess... and then I got married. I tell my husband it's his fault I'm so emotional now. 

~*~

4. Is there something you constantly misplace at your house or anywhere?

I'm sure we'll be losing things more and more as baby starts to get older. For now... probably my water bottle. Or baby wipes -- I have a million packages all around the house, but unless it's in plain sight, I don't usually remember where I left the last package.

~*~

5. Do you have a favorite book? Why or why not?

I do not have a favorite book. Because I have favorite bookSSSSSS. I honestly don't understand how people can only have one favorite book. It'd be like living life with only one favorite meal. You just can't do it. There will always be more than one.

~*~

6. What is the longest you have slept?

Recently? 7 hours. Which for me is really good. #newmom I don't know that I've slept longer than 8 hours at a time in the last 4 years. I get tired, but I can't seem to stay asleep for long amounts of time. If someone has the secret to napping, please let me know. I would send you all the virtual gingerbread you want for a secret like that.

~*~

7. Do you have anyone you go to for advice?

I always talk to my husband first (no brainer). Personally, I think he's a genius in every area of life (I mean, seriously -- he's getting a doctorate!!). Before I was married I always went to my dad, and I still do ask for his opinion on a lot of stuff. Unless it's baby advice... then I talk to my mom (who's had 6 kids) or my two sisters (who worked for a combined 6 years in daycare). 

~*~

8. What is the one habit you are proud of breaking or want to break?

One habit I'd like to break? Biting my nails. I don't gnaw and chew on them endlessly, but I'm constantly forgetting where the nail clippers are. My husband has a specific spot for them in the house, but I can't ever remember it. (I guess this would be the correct answer for #4 above; technically, they're not lost -- I just don't remember where to look, or sometimes just to actually look.) I just think, Wow, those are long. I could hurt baby. And then I quickly take care of them.

~*~

9. What do you usually order at a restaurant? What is your favorite restaurant?

BEEF. Of any kind. I am a steak, burger, complete cow girl, hands down. I'm open to other options, of course, but I don't cook with beef very often at home, so when we go out, I like getting that.

I don't know that I go out to eat often enough to have a favorite restaurant. My husband recently treated me to Steak 'N Shake for the first time for our anniversary, and IT WAS AMAZING. I got a delicious burger AND a mint Oreo milkshake. Basically, paradise in one meal.

~*~

10. What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

Fika. The Swedish word for "coffee break" -- translated loosely. It involves coffee, friends, and something sweet to eat, and I normally try to have my fika every day. Lately, I've been substituting hot chocolate for the coffee (because of my other favorite word "mama"), but it's still awesome. 

Least favorite? Good-bye. For obvious reasons. 

~*~

11. Describe something that happened to you for which there was no reasonable explanation?

Give me a minute. I'm sure there's something; I'm just not thinking of anything right now.

While working at the library, I found two $10 Walmart giftcards (on separate occasions). I tried to track down each time the person who'd lost the card, but both times was unsuccessful. Every email I sent came back negative, and no one called in for a lost giftcard. After letting them sit in the library safe for a month, my boss let me take the cards. One of the cards I found during the summer, but the other was during the school year, and I thought it really weird that I was the one who ended up finding and keeping both when I had another twenty coworkers who could have found one of the cards. I was sorry I couldn't return the cards, but it was nice to add it to the week's groceries.

Is that odd enough?

~*~

If anyone would like to steal these questions for his/her own post, please feel free! Or, comment your answers below! I'd love to read your answers -- like I said, I'm a very curious person. 

God bless!

Mark Your Calendars!

I am excited to announce that Volume 2 of the Once Upon A Twist Tales will be available this fall!

It's been a while since I indie-published the first volume of this series, The Rose and the Balloon, and I can't wait to show this second installment to everyone! I don't have a publishing date set down in stone yet, but once I do I'll be letting you know. I've already been in contact with my cover designer, and Lord willing in a few months Spindle Dreams will be yours to order from Amazon and CreateSpace!

Spindle Dreams is the follow-up to The Rose and the Balloon. We're still in the same kingdom, though only a year down the road. Instead of following Dmitri and Janelle (since they already had their own adventure), we're instead focusing on the tale of a young weaver and her loyal dog, as well as a nobleman with his mischievous horse.

About the book:

Marita Kadlec is the only daughter of Rohesia's poorest – and laziest – weaver. Her father prefers to spend his days gambling in the tavern, leaving the spinning up to Marita. She hates the family business because she's constantly pricking her finger on the spindle. She'd much rather be tinkering on an invention that she hasn't had the courage to show anyone yet. A special invention that will rid her of spinning for the rest of her life. 

Felix is a young nobleman plagued with the same nightmare – a giant machine, twisting and clanking, shrouded in fire, bent on pain and death. He's determined to find out what it means, no matter where the answers may lead him. 

This is Sleeping Beauty with a twist like you've never seen it before.

COMING THIS FALL!

~*~*~*~

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

We're starting the celebrations off early for this new book! I'm offering a PDF copy of The Rose and the Balloon to a few readers for review to kick things off. If you're interested in getting a copy to review, please email me at liannetaimenlore(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm asking each reviewer to post a review on Amazon (copied to their own blog, or Goodreads, or wherever) by September 30th.

God bless!
 

Once We Make the Big Announcement... !

I can feel a lurking, lurid, evil presence behind me. I know instantly what -- or rather, who -- it is even before he speaks.

"What are you up to, Kiri?"

I quickly close out the tab and pretend not to have heard him. I open up my email. Checking my inbox always makes me feel like I'm doing something profitable.

"Was that Cake Boss?" My little writer peers over my shoulder, his presence now thick and choking. There's no way to ignore him now.

"Of course not! This is my email!" I click through a couple of links on my inbox. "Wow, there's a lot of useless stuff coming in today."

My little writer sighs. "Kiri, when was the last time you opened something to work on?"

"I had The Dragon Tamer opened last week for a while."

"Yeah, but you didn't do much with it."

"I even had Secret of the Hazel Tree up."

"To re-read your favorite scene! When are you going to get serious about something this summer?"

"I am serious about my writing!"

"Then why are you watching clips of Cake Boss on Youtube?"

"I'm not now," I mutter dejectedly. "Besides, the cakes look really good. You know he made a taco cake once, and a giant pizza slice..."

"It doesn't matter what the Cake Boss makes," my little writer argues, "it's wasting your time."

"Not completely. Watching these clips has inspired me to bake more."

"Yes -- to bake more cakes. Which you don't need."

I close Diomedes -- my laptop -- with a distinct snap. "Actually, gissel, I've got big profitable plans, so you needn't worry about me at all."

"Gissel?" He looks puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's the Swedish word for scourge. Or curse."

"And that's what you think of me?"

"Don't yell. I know you're pleased."

Scowling, he changes topics. "What plans?"

I just grin. "Oh, you can find out with everybody else on Friday." I love that he looks astonished and furious all at the same time. It's not often I can strip him wordless like this. "Wait for the big announcement."

God bless!

Getting To Know Me Tag (Writer's Edition)

My good friend, fairytale enthusiast, and writing buddy Christine recently posted a really cool looking getting-to-know-you writer's tag. I read through her whole post, thinking, What a great tag! Man, I'm so jealous no one tagged me with it! This would be so much fun to fill out! To be honest, it's been a while since I've filled out a tag of any kind, and it's also been a while since I've consistently posted on my blog. This tag looked like just the thing to get me going again. 

And then, lo and behold, I got to the bottom of the post... and she had tagged me. 

Thanks, Christine! *grins* 

So, let's jump into this thing. 

~*~*~*~

RULES

Link back to the person who created the tag

Thank the person who tagged you

Share the tag graphic (Optional)

Tag eleven bloggers

~*~*~*~

THE TAG

Vital Stats And Appearance

Name: Which one do you want? My online name is Kiri Liz, my writing pseudonym is Kirsten Fichter, and my real name is Kirsten Davis. Take your pick; I'll answer to all of them. Just NEVER Kristen.

Nicknames: Kiri, mostly. A lot of family members call me Kitty. When I went to college, I got tired of people pronouncing my name wrong or just not remembering my name, so I introduced myself as Kit for a while. I also answer to Dee, Kirsty, Kirry, and now Mama. *grins*

Birthday: August 11th -- the same as Chris Hemsworth; I get weird looks when I tell people I'm Thor's twin (just 10 years younger). At least, we looked more like twins before his haircut. 

Hair color and length: Dirty blonde and long-ish. I just had a huuuuuge trim so it's just to my mid-back now, but before it was cut I was just sitting on it. 

Eye color: Blue/gray/ish. I used to be very blue, but I think it's changed over the years.

Braces/piercings/tattoos: None. Piercings and tattoos are probably my biggest fear; the thought of putting a hole or foreign ink into my body makes me feel sick. It's not the needles, though -- I went through a whole summer of allergy shots and was just fine.

Righty or Lefty: Righty.

Ethnicity: Germish. That's German and English combined, for those of you who don't know. And then I've got some Scot, Scandinavian, Native American, and random bits of other things thrown in. I'm a true American mutt.

~*~*~*~

Firsts

First novel written: The first book I ever began working on was a Civil War story about a girl named Ruth. I can't remember what I called it, but I still have the notebook of handwritten chapters somewhere in my writing paraphernalia. Ruth disguises herself as a boy and joins the Union army with her brother. I was very proud of it.

First novel completed: Lianne Taimenlore. Yes, the same story I named my blog after. I completed writing the first book of the series back in, oh boy -- years ago, but I lost the beginning of the second book when my sister accidentally knocked over our computer and I've actually not gone back to it since. Lianne is a half-elf who, after her father dies, has to flee from a killer and have all sorts of adventures. I planned at least a trilogy of adventures for her, and I hope I get around to writing it all one day.

Award for writing: I won "grand prize" in my local county fair for a poem when I was a teenager. I liked to think that it was a big deal, but basically every kid who entered something in the fair got a prize.

First publication: Well, that depends. I've had a poem published in an online writing magazine for Christian youth. The magazine was discontinued in 2013. Since then, I've self-published The Rose and the Balloon through Amazon. Link in picture below. *shameless advertising* 

Conference: None... yet.

Query/Pitch: I began writing a query and pitch for Secret of the Hazel Tree, but never got the courage to send it to an agent or editor since I was still working on edits. Writing isn't easy, folks. Especially when you remember that other people will be reading your words and making judgment on every one of them.

~*~*~*~

Favorites

Novel (that you wrote): Probably Secret of the Hazel Tree. It's long and everything that I wanted in a fairytale retelling. My goal was not to twist Cinderella in my own way, but to stay as true to the original tale as possible while making all the fairytale elements and Cinderella under-explained plot points seem believable. I still can't believe I wrote it all in 5 months.

Genre: FANTASY. Seriously, I don't know that I really have another genre that I write in. I've begun a couple contemporary, historical fiction, dystopian, fan fiction, etc. novels, but never really got past a few chapters. Technically, I've done a little steampunk with The Rose and the Balloon but it's only light steampunk.

Author: Why must you ask this question??? TOO MANY. Charles Dickens, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Donita K. Paul, Wayne Thomas Batson, Jaye L. Knight, Jan Brett, Margaret Wise Brown, Jane Austen... and the list goes on and on.

Writing Music: Typically soundtracks by James Newton Howard and Patrick Doyle. It used to be the LOTR and HTTYD soundtracks, but I've had to shy away from those since the music gets me thinking about and quoting the movies as I listen to the songs. I've learned it's better for me if I don't know the movie too well, so I don't get distracted with the soundtrack. Anything with lyrics is bad, too.

Time To Write: In the morning before everyone's awake, or in the evenings after everyone has gone to bed. So... basically when no one but me is awake. 

Writing Snack/Drink: Depends on my mood. Sometimes, it's a nice cup of coffee with creamer. Sometimes, a bowl of pretzels. Sometimes, applesauce. Sometimes, chocolate. 

Movie: The Lord of the Rings. Was that even a question??

Writing Memory: Probably the first time I ever participated in NaNoWriMo. I did it in April, just to see what it was like, and I wrote 50K words in 30 days. And that was the beginning of The Dragon Tamer. 

Childhood Book: Ooh, that's a tough one. When I was really little, it was The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (illustrations by Jan Brett); in my teens, Life of Faith: Millie Keith series. 

~*~*~*~

Currently

Reading: My husband and I are reading the Wheel of Time series aloud, and we're currently in book four, The Shadow Rising. I did not think I would get sucked into this series so fast. Yeah, the books are like 700 pages apiece, but we're flying through this thing. A lot of our conversations lately have been about the books, asking each other questions about the characters, making predictions about what we think is going to happen. It's been so much fun. 

Writing: Ha. Actively working on one project right now? Shamefully, no. I just came off of a week and a half vacation for visiting family and my cousin's wedding, so it's taking me a bit to jump back in. Wheel of Time has me itching to get my hands back into The Dragon Tamer series, but I'm trying to keep myself focused on editing right now. FOR REASONS. *be on the lookout for updates in the near future* *waggles eyebrows importantly* No, I'm not spilling secrets yet. 

Listening to: I've been stuck on Dan Forrest's Jubilate Deo recently, but that doesn't make good writing music at all. I had the immense privilege to perform this epic of a piece as part of a choral concert in college. Hours of practice, guys. It was amazing. So worth the effort. And now I can't listen to it without singing along. Seriously, if you want something that's going to send chills up and down your spine, you have to listen to it. It's Psalm 100, giving praise to the Lord in, I think, 6 or more different languages. GIVE IT A LISTEN. 

Watching: Just watched both HTTYDs while visiting my family, and SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE THIRD. So far, Dreamworks hasn't messed this series up for me and THAT TRAILER looks so incredibly EPIC. I'm also really stuck on watching Cake Boss clips. And consequently making cake because I get so hungry. That's the problem with watching anything with food. 

Learning: How to Mama. It's been a new adventure, being a first-time mom, but I'm loving it. Our little girl has been so good -- we don't deserve that. Yes, she has her cranky moments, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. 

~*~*~*~

Future

Want To Be Published: I'm hoping to get something else self-published sometime soon, so we'll see what happens. That's my goal, anyway. 

Indie or Traditional: Indie for some things, definitely, since it takes less time and I can control everything going into it. *ducks head* Yeah, I'm a little bit of a control freak when it comes to my work. One day, I'd love to get into traditional publishing, too. 

Wildest Goal: My husband laughed when he saw this one and said, "Have 19 kids, right?" I watched a lot of the Duggars and Bates while in recovery after birth (they both are families of 19 kids, for those of you who don't know), and we've talked about having that many, too. Can't say for certain if it'll happen or not; only the Lord knows how big our family is. I'm so happy with the one little girl we have right now, but I'm looking forward to being able to give her a partner in crime. 

~*~*~*~

Thanks, Christine, for tagging me in such a fun post! I'm not going to tag anyone at this moment, but any writer who would like to steal this for himself/herself, please feel free! Rules are posted above, but the tag questions I've copied down below so it's easier to copy and paste onto your own post. And no -- don't glare at me for neglecting to tag people. I'm claiming Mommy rights right now. Baby comes first. Yes, I pulled that card. Plus, I've got to get this thing posted and I don't have a lot of time. 

Enjoy! 

~*~*~*~

Vital Stats And Appearance

Name:

Nicknames:

Birthday:

Hair color and length:

Eye color:

Braces/piercings/tattoos:

Righty or Lefty:

Ethnicity:


Firsts

First novel written:

First novel completed:

Award for writing:

First publication:

Conference:

Query/Pitch:


Favorites

Novel (that you wrote):

Genre:

Author:

Writing Music:

Time To Write:

Writing Snack/Drink:

Movie:

Writing Memory:

Childhood Book:


Currently

Reading:

Writing:

Listening to:

Watching:

Learning:


Future

Want To Be Published:

Indie or Traditional:

Wildest Goal:

Snippets From Spindle Dreams

See? I'm back. This makes the second blog post this month for me... which, considering my record from the last four years, is pretty good. 

I began this summer with great plans for writing, books, editing, etc. While I've not been as consistent as I would have liked, I have knuckled down on a few things. FIRST OF WHICH was actually finishing The Rose and the Balloon's companion novella: Spindle Dreams. 

Confession time, folks. I began writing this short story back when Rooglewood announced its third fairytale retelling contest. IN 2015!! Yeah, I was in college and writing for fun doesn't come easily when you're cramming for tests and procrastinating on homework assignments. Three years, though. And do you know what the sad part was? I wrote most of the story that summer (2015) and then stopped a few chapters from the end. I picked it up again in 2016 and wrote all but the last half of the last chapter. 

And then the story sat that way for 2 years. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Anyway, that was one of the first things I knew I needed to do this summer. FINISH THE STORY. It was practically at the end anyway. My Little Writer was after me to complete the thing. Ha. And that was after he'd forbidden me to begin writing it in the first place. 

Anyway, we're at some 23K words right now, and I've already jumped into editing. I'm more pleased overall with how Spindle Dreams turned out -- almost more pleased than my first draft of The Rose and the Balloon. No promises, but I'm hoping to have SD self-published here in the somewhat near future. We'll have to see how things go. 

But I promised you snippets, and so snippets you shall have. Here you go. 

~*~

Dmitri noticed his odd attire for the first time. “What happened? Did you meet up with bandits?”

Felix waved away the concern. “No such luck. Samson decided I needed an impromptu bath. Twice.”

“You still have that rebel animal?”

“He's not a complete rebel. Just active and slightly mischievous. But he means well.”

Dmitri grinned. “Slightly?” 

~*~

Felix shut his eyes against the sight of the fire. The deed did no good, for he could still see fire with his eyes closed. He opened them again. The same dark laugh that permeated every dream was still clinging to his memory, taunting him, mocking him, squeezing his sanity to shreds.

“It was just another nightmare,” he whispered to the night, hoping to alleviate his thumping head.

The words, however, were too powerful. The echo of Dmitri's scream still rang in his mind, and the more Felix thought about it, the more he was certain he could never go back to sleep. With a strangled groan, he threw the blankets off and got out of bed.

No – tumbled out of bed described it better, for Felix's legs gave out and he hit the stone floor on all fours. Rubbing his stinging palms, he was suddenly very glad that bedrooms were private chambers.

After he had gotten dressed and finished the mug of hot chocolate left by the servants – now cold – he headed for the stable. The grooms, to be honest, were more than a little surprised to see the Crown Prince's cousin wanting to ride in the dead of night, but Felix needed some air. The hard, confining walls of the castle were too close. After he'd convinced the grooms he wasn't mad or sick, he rode out on Samson.

It was only then that he realized he’d forgotten to pull some shoes on. He suppressed a groan and looked away from his stockinged feet. Dmitri had loaned him a very nice pair of riding boots, too. 

Samson, the jovial creature that he was, delighted in the midnight ride. It wasn't often that he got the chance to frolic about when all other sensible animals were asleep. Felix let him go full out, and the night swallowed the echo of his hooves.

~*~

“We are very pleased,” Erland crooned, raising his glass, “to have such friends with this Rohesia. We have a long history of alliance, and it is the hope of us that we go together far in the future.”

The lord's thick accent did not merit him well-understood, but Felix thought he could stand firmly behind that claim of friendship so he raised his glass as well. Lord Erland, however, apparently was not finished. After giving Felix a glare until the latter lowered his glass, he cleared his throat and continued.

“We know that this fair land will not be the cost of our trade, and that our dear king will not harm his friendship with us. Trothen has seen her woes, but there is a time soon that she will rise again! From dirt she will rich, and from pain she will glory. She once the brightest star will shine forever.”

As his toast droned on, Felix tried hard not to show his confusion. National pride was definitely a virtue for all men, but the ambassador's thick accent did not merit him well-understood. When Erland began to quote the kings of Trothen, in order from the first crowning, Felix sighed. Nicolas and Nicoline would have smashed a pie over his head long before this.

~*~

Dmitri, looking worried, met him outside his room. “Felix! Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?”

“Couldn’t be that late, cousin, surely?”

Dmitri looked him up and down. “It’s well past midnight, surely. Janelle was certain something had happened to you and was ready to send a search party out. Is something wrong?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Felix smiled again.

Dmitri’s eyes narrowed and twinkled in the same motion. “We need to talk, then.”

A half hour later, Felix was still sitting in his sitting room with his cousin, both with cups of hot chocolate at their disposal. He’d already told the entire tale to Dmitri, but the prince insisted on hashing out all the good parts just to make Felix’s face go red. Why cousins made a hobby of that sort of thing, Felix didn't know. All he knew was that his cousin was thoroughly enjoying himself.

~*~

Janelle watched him walk away and then turned her eyes on Felix. “I know you’re not going to like this, but I’m putting food into you, getting you into a bed, and having the doctor look at those burns. And you can’t deny a royal order.” 

Merryweather let out a whimper. 

“The dog can go with you.”

~*~

Felix didn’t waste any time. As soon as the doctor left, he bolted for the door. He was already sixteen bounds down the hallway before he realized that he’d forgotten to pull his boots on and that Merryweather was close at his heels. The dog had become a close companion the last three days of confinement, and he was grateful for the company. As for the boots -- he’d already been making a fashion statement in the kingdom, so he didn’t bother with going back for his footwear. 

God bless!