Saturday 16 March 2013

Throat of the Night Blog Tour: Guest Post with Karyn Henley

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
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 1Breath of Angel, June 21, 2011

Book 2Eye of the Sword, March 13, 2012

 
Book 3: Throat of the Night, March 12, 2013
 

 



 GUEST POST
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/



 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

 

 Connect with Karyn:
Twitter: @KarynHenley
Facebook: Karyn Henley

 

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