Hello Therians!!
Today Karyn Henley stops by to give us her take on what drives a story!
I am honored to have such a talented author on my blog :)
Thank you to JKS Communications for organising this tour!
Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the chance to win a copy of Eye of the Sword, book 2 in the Angelaeon Circle.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Paperback, $9.99
Paperback, $9.99
eBook, $4.99
247 pages
Young Adult
Fantasy
March 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1933803364
SYNOPSIS
Lies,
Deceit, Kidnapping, Treason.
When
friends can’t be trusted and courage becomes costly, can Melaia and Trevin
trust their love to hold?
Melaia
sends Trevin into enemy territory to retrieve the third harp she needs to
restore the stairway to heaven and free the angels trapped in a human world.
But an assailant wants Trevin dead, an unknown traitor is passing information
to the invading enemy army, and the Firstborn immortal has vowed to destroy all
three harps, along with anyone who stands in his way.
Separated,
Trevin and Melaia try to keep their faith, hope, and love for each other alive.
From the land of Windwing horses to the mountaintop lookouts of Stargazers,
from the blight-ridden fields of the Camrithian homeland to the night-dark
caverns of the Under-Realm, they face the ultimate test: What are they willing
to sacrifice to restore the stairway and save their world? Will they lay aside
their love for each other? Will they give up their future together?
Grab the trilogy!
Book
1: Breath of
Angel, June 21, 2011
Book
2: Eye of the
Sword, March 13,
2012
Driving a Story
Several years ago I rode from Durango, Colorado to
Silverton on an old steam-powered train, the last narrow gauge railroad in the
U.S. As you can imagine, the Rocky Mountain scenery was awe-inspiring. I'll never
forget watching from my window as the steam-puffing engine ahead curved along
the tracks.
In a way, a novel is like a train, and readers are
passengers traveling through the story. Maybe the scenery is high fantasy with
dragons and imaginary lands left and right – or urban fantasy with angels and
demons watching from the shadows of tenements. Maybe you see a dystopian,
fire-scarred landscape, or a historical town with Victorian carriages on the
roads. But whatever genre or sub-genre the novel is, one engine drives the
train. The writer selects that engine from a choice of four.
The Idea
of the novel may be so intriguing and powerful that it drives the train.
Mysteries are often driven by an idea. Discovering information is what draws
readers through the story.
Character
could be the engine. Character-driven novels are all about the transformation
of the protagonist. In Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea
novels, we follow the young boy Ged as he makes choices – some good, some poor
– and grows into a wise old man. In my own Angelaeon trilogy, both Melaia and
Trevin face challenges to their vision of themselves and their world, and they
grow to embrace a much larger view of their destinies. Coming-of-age novels
follow the character engine.
Events
may drive the novel. Action-adventures fit this category. Indiana Jones does not change much as a protagonist, but the events
he encounters propel us through the story.
An unusual Setting
may transport us. The Wizard of Oz, Gulliver's Travels, The Hobbit. We turn
the pages, wondering where we'll be next.
Of course, every novel is based on an idea. (In the
Angelaeon trilogy, the idea is that the stairway to heaven has been destroyed,
trapping angels in the world.) Usually novels contain characters, events, and
settings as well. But even though all four elements are in a book, the writer
lays the tracks for the story knowing that one or the other of these four will
drive the novel. Writer's choice.
As a reader you don't have to know which engine is
pulling you along. Although I would describe the Angelaeon trilogy as
character-driven, the books contain high action, and they're shelved with
fantasy adventure. You can enjoy them either way. But if you ever find that a
novel you're reading seems off-track somehow, it may be because the writer
switched engines on you, and the ride became bumpy.
So welcome aboard. Thanks for reading. And I wish
you a smooth but exciting ride.
If you're having trouble viewing the book trailer go to the below link:
http://maybeso.wordpress.com/book-trailers/
Award-winning author Karyn Henley
has written more than 100 titles, including a mix of children’s books and
articles; parent-teacher books, articles, and curricula; and preschool musicals
and CD’s/DVD’s of original music for children. Karyn revitalized the category
of children's Bibles when she wrote the original The Beginner's Bible,
which sold over five million copies and was translated into seventeen
languages.
Venturing into the young adult
market, Karyn’s first book of The Angelaeon
Circle,
Breath of Angel, hit
bookshelves in June 2011 from WaterBook Press (Random House), followed by Eye of the Sword March 2012. She
releases the final planned installment of the fantasy trilogy, Throat of the Night, just one year
later.
An accomplished songwriter, Karyn
has been a Dove Award nominee and received a regional Emmy Award as Music
Composer for a Christmas television special. She has traveled worldwide
speaking to parents and teachers about child development and communication with
children and teens, as well as entertaining children and their families in
storytelling/active movement sessions and concerts.
A graduate of Abilene
Christian University
(BSEd), Karyn received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and
Young Adults from Vermont College
of Fine Arts
in 2004.
Karyn lives in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Website:
KarynHenleyFiction.com
Twitter:
@KarynHenley
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