Thankful for My Readers

This is a week to give thanks. Often writing can seem like a lonely endeavor, but the best part of writing is certainly hearing from my readers. Whether it's a favorable review, a friendly comment on my blog, an encouraging word on facebook, or an actual fan letter, hearing from readers who connect with my books always brightens my day and makes the hard work worthwhile.

Here are just a few of the reader comments that have blessed me since the release of Chivalrous.

Chivalrous is book two in Dina L. Sleiman’s Valiant Heart series. I loved Dauntless, but I gotta say . . . this one is even better! Ms. Sleiman has stepped up her game (jousting perhaps?!) and given us an Arthurian-inspired medieval story filled with believable characters and a plot packed with twists you won’t see coming...I give Chivalrous five lances!  ~ Darlene L. Turner

This novel has so many threads that make it a rich tapestry befitting the walls of a castle throne room. The exploration of identity can effect both teens and adults alike as people are ever changing. ~ Shannon L. Gonzalez

It’s books like these that give me hope for the Christian fiction genre. I don’t think I rolled my eyes once, which is a habit of mine while reading most Christian fiction novels. I’m so glad to be seeing this kind of material emerge. While I only read a sample of Dauntless, book #1 in the Valiant Heart Series, I can now say that I look forward to reading the rest and anything else from Dina L. Sleiman. ~ Brittney, Goodreads

This book just felt like home – you know how some books do that? I just felt soo happy reading it. ~ Raechel Lenore

Gwen is an awesome role model. I know it's typical to dream of being a princess but I'm sure I'm not the only one to also dream of being a knight. Books like this help me to fulfill that dream a little. I absolutely loved Chivalrous! ~ Amazon Reviewer "Afternoon Snack"

I delighted in the love story. My husband enjoyed the action. I like when both of us can read the same book. We will be passing this book on to our daughter. We are looking forward to the next book in the series. This set will be ideal to use in conjunction with studying Medieval English history. ~ Jennifer Hibdon

I have only one piece of advice concerning this book. Read it. If you like King Arthur, read it. If you enjoy lovely prose, read it. If you couldn't put down her first book in this series, Dauntless, read Chivalrous. This book is brilliant. ~ Michele Harper

One of the things I enjoy about Sleiman's novels is her egalitarian treatment of her male and female protagonists. They are often both a mix of strength and vulnerability and both have moments of being leaders or being support, yet their masculinity and femininity are distinct. ~ The Artist Librarian

One of my favorite authors, Dina Sleiman has outdone herself with Chivalrous. This book has wonderful characters, great adventure, and a charming romance. ~ Susan Johnson

So a huge thank you along with a big hug to all of my wonderful readers. You guys rock!

The Sneakiest Sin

While writing Chivalrous, I had the challenge of taking the nearly perfect spiritual paragon, Allen of Ellsworth from Dauntless, and giving him a flaw that he needed to overcome. As I considered my options, I decided to go with that sneaky character issue that tends to creep in when someone, especially a Christian, is pretty much doing everything right: the sin of pride.

The truth is that we all need a savior, and none of us are good enough on our own. But many Christians fall into the trap of thinking that they have to do things through their own strength and self-determination. It's almost as if Christ saved them once, and it's been their job to save themselves every day since.

Allen was easy pickings for that spirit of pride to creep in due to his subtle issue of insecurity. He had been born and raised a peasant. He had been told that his place was to do nothing more than work the land, and that he would never be good enough for fine ladies such as Merry and Gwendolyn. So when he was offered more than he could have ever dreamed of, it was easy for him to become confused and put his pride and sense of duty before that still, small voice of God that had always led and guided him in the past.

I've noticed that a few reviewers that hadn't read Dauntless weren't sure if they liked Allen because of that pride. And not surprisingly most of them mentioned that they were not Christians. It's easy for Christians to overlook pride, but the truth is, it is very ugly to those outside of the faith. I think pride, judgmentalism, and hypocrisy are the three main downfalls among Christians that the enemy uses to drive people away from faith in Christ. That is why it was so important to me to include this issue in Chivalrous.

Fortunately, Allen overcomes his pride just in the nick of time. But if you think you've got your act all together and that you're an awesome Christian, watch out! None of us are perfect. We all need Christ, and if we start to think we can do it on our own, chances are that sneaky sin of pride has crept in.

Some Knight's Tale Fun

It probably won't surprise you to learn that one of my favorite movies is A Knight's Tale. Although it takes significant liberties with history, it's just so much fun! I admit I might have watched it a time or two while writing Chivalrous. Based on the ages of Chaucer and the Black Knight, this would have to be about 150 years after my story. The armor was different and many of the tournament rules were different. But I definitely got some ideas for how a tournament ground might have been set up, and I tried to pull some of the energy and excitement from the movie. Of course this was also blended with more scholarly research, reading other medieval novels, and my own trip to Medieval Times. Since my story was set in a fictional area, in the end I made up my own brand of tournament that fit the story.

I thought you might want to join in on some of the fun today.

More Chivalrous Fun!!!

I wanted to share a few fun new blog articles about Chivalrous with my readers today. The first is about how my two badly behaved malti-poos helped to inspire some endearing characters for the book. Can you handle the cuteness? Click here to read the article on USA Today's Happy-Ever-After blog.

The second is about me and my critique partner Roseanna White. We've been partners in this writing quest since 2010, and in a surprising twist of fate, we both had books releasing with Bethany House this year on September 8th. I mean, seriously, what are the odds? All I can say is that it's a God thing. Beyond being critique partners, she is also my senior editor at WhiteFire Publishing, where I work as a part-time in acquisitions. She is also a great friend of mine, and my favorite author. To top it all off, we only live about six hours apart, and so we've had several opportunities over the years to visit in person. The best was when she came to town for a surprise party some of my friends threw for me celebrating my contract with Bethany House Publishers. I was indeed surprised by the party, but especially stunned to see Roseanna, and excited to learn that she and her husband were staying the night at my house :) Anyway, here's the article about our critique partnership that was featured on the Bethany House blog. 

That should be enough reading to keep you busy for a while. And while your at it, don't forget to read Chivalrous for yourself!

Chivalrous Beginnings

* The winner of last week's Valiant Hearts "Swag" giveaway is "Princessica of books." I will be contacting you by email soon :) *

Chivalrous at Barnes and Noble

This week I thought it would be fun to tell you a little bit about the origins of Chivalrous. In the spring of 2013 I was walking and praying about an idea for a young adult medieval novel. Suddenly it came to me: books with strong heroines in legendary male medieval roles! I'm sure part of my inspiration came from the BBC Robin Hood I had been watching with its tough Maid Marian and female Djaq, but even Once Upon a Time was doing fairy tale retellings with kick butt heroines. Not to mention other strong heroines like Merida in Brave and Katniss in the Hunger Games.

I knew in an instant I had found a stellar idea, and my mind entered that magical creative haze. By the end of the evening I had landed on the series name Valiant Hearts, and I had premises for several books based on legends. Then I played around combining strong words with romantic words for titles: Dauntless Love, Chivalrous Dreams, Gallant Beauty, ect... Originally I planned to write them as stand alone books in different medieval times and places.

The second book in the series would be Chivalrous Dreams, an Athurian type story with a Lancelot and Guinevere twist. I was going to place it in a fictional kingdom in the mountainous part of Germany in the Holy Roman Empire in the late 1200s.

But I was also very open to working with a publisher and incorporating their ideas for this series. When Bethany offered me a contract for book one, formerly titled Dauntless Love, they asked for a few changes in direction. First, they chopped down the titles to one word, thus Dauntless, Chivalrous, and Courageous. Second, they wanted me to add more point of view characters and bring out the epic adventure feel. And third, they wanted the books to spin directly off one another by time, place, and linking characters.

Picture from "The Artist Librarian"

That required some big changes to my Chivalrous idea. It moved to 1217 when the armor was still chain mail and tournaments were still pretty wild. And it needed to take place in a fictional dukedom (technically duchy, but I felt like that word was too weird) in England instead of a kingdom, so I was dealing with dukes and duchesses rather than kings and queens. I decided that in my fictional Athurian dukedom, they would have more progressive, civilized rules for their tournaments and focus them more on jousts the way I had originally envisioned the story.

But the story itself had to undergo some significant changes too. The biggest was that peasant and outsider, Allen of Ellsworth from book one, would now be my hero. Originally the hero of this book was going to be a nobleman from the country who already knew Gwendolyn but just didn't know the secret that she fought as a knight. I had to get pretty creative to work out a scenario that allowed this former peasant to fit my plot, but evidently I managed that part pretty well, because I haven't had any complaints so far.

Favorite quote meme by Janeen Ippolito

That left one final problem. Allen and Gwen didn't know each other, and I hate whirlwind romances. I tried to give them some extended time together off the page, but I'm not sure if everyone caught that, and even then, it was only about a few weeks total. And I tried to make their relationship more about God's will than romantic tingles and shivers. Finally, the romance tied into the plot and at some point became an issue of survival. I hope I managed all of that.The truth remains, I don't generally think whirlwind romances are smart. You need time to really know a person and their character.

Having Allen in the book provided for some other great surprises I never pictured in the early versions, but I wouldn't want to give those away. And of course every story takes on a life of its own and follows unexpected twists and turns. The inclusion of dark magic and Morgaine in Chivalrous was a complete surprise to me, but became necessary to provide motivation for the villain. Since it fit the Arthur feel perfectly, I went with it, although I felt strongly about depicting magic as evil rather than in the light way it is treated in the Arthur stories. Even after all of that was said and done, the publisher requested some additional tweaks, like more action and less introspection, which is always a good idea.

So that is the evolution of Chivalrous. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

What's something in your life that didn't turn out the way you expected it?

A Chivalrous Release Party!!!

Welcome to 1217, Edendale, England. The minstrels are warming up, and dancing will commence shortly. So pull up a bench in the great hall, grab a goose leg, and prepare to party! Chivalrous "officially" releases today, although it has already been available on amazon for a week or so.

Meet Sir Allen, a newcomer to our fair Edendale, but already well-loved by those who spent time with him in Dauntless. Quite a cutie, right? And no, of course you didn't see him on the Gilmore Girls, that must have been some distant ancestor. Excuse me Sir Allen, could you please fetch me some mulled cider from yon serving wench?

Okay, I confess, this is actor Jared Padalecki

And here is Gwendolyn, ready for a party for once thanks to the careful ministrations of her faithful lady's maid, Rosalind. We get a glimpse at the gentle side of the fierce female knight in this picture, although I'm sure she's itching to get back into something more comfortable. Looks like she's reading that book that Sir Allen recommended to her.

I was picturing actress LeeLee Sobieski as Gwen

My launch team has been hard at work spreading the news. Here is an awesome image created by Laura Pol with her favorite quote from the book.

And here is an image with my code of chivalry created by Raechel Lenore. Click on it for a better look.

This is Raechel herself, who definitely wins the prize for most adorable and enthusiastic launch picture. Way to get in the spirit!

Early reviews have already been coming in for the book. Here are a few of my favorite quotes to whet your appetite. 

What reviewers are saying...

Chivalrous is book two in Dina L. Sleiman’s Valiant Heart series. I loved Dauntless, but I gotta say . . . this one is even better! Ms. Sleiman has stepped up her game (jousting perhaps?!) and given us an Arthurian-inspired medieval story filled with believable characters and a plot packed with twists you won’t see coming...I give Chivalrous five lances!  ~ Darlene L. Turner

This novel has so many threads that make it a rich tapestry befitting the walls of a castle throne room. The exploration of identity can effect both teens and adults alike as people are ever changing. ~ Shannon L. Gonzalez

It’s books like these that give me hope for the Christian fiction genre. I don’t think I rolled my eyes once, which is a habit of mine while reading most Christian fiction novels. I’m so glad to be seeing this kind of material emerge. While I only read a sample of Dauntless, book #1 in the Valiant Heart Series, I can now say that I look forward to reading the rest and anything else from Dina L. Sleiman. ~ Brittney, Goodreads

This book just felt like home – you know how some books do that? I just felt soo happy reading it. ~ Raechel Lenore

I have only one piece of advice concerning this book. Read it. If you like King Arthur, read it. If you enjoy lovely prose, read it. If you couldn't put down her first book in this series, Dauntless, read Chivalrous. This book is brilliant. ~ Michele Harper

One of my favorite authors, Dina Sleiman has outdone herself with Chivalrous. This book has wonderful characters, great adventure, and a charming romance. ~ Susan Johnson

Still not convinced? Read a free sample here.  Or check out this great interview in Family Fiction Edge Magazine.

Oh! The minstrels are ready and the dance space has been cleared. You know I can't miss out on the dancing, so you must excuse me. I hear Gwendolyn might give us a magical performance on her pipe later, so be sure to stick around for the fun!

Speaking of fun, if you haven't ordered Chivalrous yet, what are you waiting for?

CBD.com
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com

And it wouldn't be a party without a prize, so leave a comment with your email address below for your chance to win some great Valiant Hearts "swag." Deadline is Sunday September 13th. Winner will be announced next Monday.

Worried about Rosalind???

Early reviews of Chivalrous (officially releasing September 8th, but available in print on amazon now) are starting to come in, and it seems some readers are very worried about Rosalind. Rosalind is my heroine's lady's maid, and she is already well-loved by those who have met her.

How I picture Rosalind, cover to come soon!!!

But without giving away too many spoilers, I leave Rosalind in quite a lurch at the end of book 2. Readers, don't despair. I promise that I love Rosalind as much as you do, and that I have a plan for her. Namely book 3, Courageous. Yes, it's true! Rosalind is the heroine of book 3, so there really is a method to my madness.

Here's the tentative back cover copy for the upcoming third installment in the Valiant Hearts Series...

Rosalind of Ipsworth is haunted by a tragic mistake. A crusade to the Holy Land just might offer her the chance to earn her redemption. Inspired by the vision of the Young Lady Sapphira, Rosalind joins a group of men, women, and children as a defender of the cross, seeking to set captives free from Saracen prisons in the area of Tripoli. She will gladly give herself to the cause of Christ, as she believes she no longer deserves such joys as normal life, marriage, and family might bring.

Sir Randel Penigree was reared for a life in the church and a tonsured scalp, but his own desire is to fight and protect the innocent as a knight. After his stunning defeat at Gravensworth Castle, his parents issue an ultimatum: join the church or be disowned. A crusade to the Holy Land will offer him the opportunity to meet up with the famed Knights Templar to become a warrior monk, finally merging his parents’ wishes with his own.

As they work together to train and protect a group of young adolescents, their hearts begin to heal, and Randel and Rosalind find themselves undeniably drawn to one another. When they face political machinations, danger, and an unknown enemy bent on their destruction, they are forced to reconsider their priorities, and the very nature of the God they serve.

Courageous is coming July 2016. Hopefully Rosalind can hang in there until I can get her out of that rough spot. But she's a pretty tough chick. I think she'll make it.

Me and My Heroines

Often readers confuse an author with the characters they create. I imagine the truth is that each character we write has a hint of us inside of them. But it is also true that professional novelists go to great lengths to create unique and separate characters with distinctive personalities. So today I’m going to share with you how I am both similar to and different from some of my female heroines.

Typical Dina

Let’s start with the general idea of these tough Valiant Hearts heroines I've been working on the last few years. I’ve always been strong, healthy, and athletic, but not quite a tough sporty girl. During my school years I did play some sports, mostly because I went to small Christian schools and everyone needed to be involved. I was pretty good at basketball, but always preferred dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading. As an adult, I like quiet physical activities like walking, biking, hiking, and canoeing. I still dance from time to time as part of my church’s worship dance team. But…I believe in female empowerment and that women should follow whatever path God lays on their hearts. I don’t like to see arbitrary limits put on what girls can and can’t do, and that was very important to me as I wrote this Valiant Hearts Series. My Meyer’s Briggs personality type is INFJ, which in addition to being creative, is also very individualistic and idealistic, so I guess that explains my strong feelings about this issue. And I'm a bit of a romantic.

My Robin Hood-esque Merry Ellison from Dauntless and I actually have very little in common. On the Meyers Briggs scale, Merry was my opposite on three out of four indicators. She is more extroverted, sensory, and thinking. This made Merry the most challenging character I’ve ever written, yet I loved and admired her. Her ESTJ personality was the same as my middle child, my outdoor enthusiast and adrenaline junky. It’s a great leadership personality. I often thought of tough sporty girls I’ve been friends with over the years while writing Merry. Merry and I have a few things in common like a love of children and a love of acrobatics, but even her motivations and inner thoughts were often different than mine. I do have a tomboy side, but it does not go as far as weaponry and hunting. In addition to all of that, tiny, dark haired, exotic Merry is pretty much my physical opposite in every way too. 

Chivalrous with my female knight is releasing soon, and I certainly have more in common with Gwendolyn Barnes than with Merry. I was picturing Gwendolyn as a INFP/ISFP hybrid.  Gwendolyn hates mingling at a big party, much like me, and she loves music, dance, and sunshine, again like me. Her biggest flaw is that she tends to fade into a fantasy world rather than deal with reality, which is something I have been guilty of from time to time, but not to the same degree as Gwendolyn. She has more of a temper than I do, although I share her abhorrence of injustice and can get pretty riled up when faced with it. And again, she is tougher than me, although I think if I had been raised with her hang ups, I might have turned out even more like her. Finally, Gwendolyn’s tall, blonde, and curvy physical description is pretty close to mine at that age. At 5’10” I’m used to looking men in the eye and feeling like I can do anything they can.

How I picture Rosalind

Next on the horizon is Courageous with my crusader heroine. It won’t release until July 2016, but you will be introduced to its main character in Chivalrous. Rosalind of Ipsworth is Gwendolyn’s lady’s maid, best friend, and partner in crime. Of the three Valiant Hearts heroines so far, I definitely have the most in common with Rosalind. With her ENFJ personality, she is more of a typical emotional, romantic girl, although she is tough enough to rise to whatever occasion is thrown at her. She’s more outgoing than me, and she makes some unfortunate choices that my upbringing protected me from. But her thoughts, speech, and motivations are pretty similar to what I imagine mine being in those circumstances. And Rosalind is a passionate woman, which is also a trait I share. 

Passion is a characteristic that is often avoided in Christian heroines, and yet a characteristic I think God highly values when channeled in the right direction. In fact, I’ve used the ENFJ personality for two other heroines in the past. Both Dandelion in Dance of the Dandelion and Constance in Love in Three-Quarter Time are feisty, passionate heroines as well. Each makes mistakes, like Rosalind, but each learns to channel that passion toward an intimate relationship with God. My daughter has an ENFJ personality, and I have loved watching her grow in her passion toward God.

Maybe you’re wondering if I’ve ever written myself into a book. I would say the closest I’ve come is with Allie, my Christian ballerina in Dance from Deep Within. She shares my INFJ personality, my love of dance and reading, my blonde coloring, and many of my experiences. Her thoughts, tastes, opinions, fashion sensibilities, and beliefs certainly mirror mine, especially when I was her age. But of course her life is different than mine in some ways too, and her experiences are more extreme, including a trauma I didn’t share. Still, I would say if you want to know what I’m all about, Allie would provide the best clues.

So that’s me and my heroines. I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick foray into our personalities.

Which of my heroines do you think you would relate with the most? What is your personality like?

Chivalrous Pre-Order Special!!!

Chivalrous releases in less than a month! Which means that now is the perfect time to pre-order to get it hot off the press. In fact, while I can't make any promises, often people who pre-order the print books online find it in their mailboxes weeks before the official release. And yes, ebooks are also available for pre-order on amazon and barnesandnoble. They should magically appear on your kindle or nook September 8th.

CBD.com

Amazon.com

Barnesandnoble.com

So here's my special offer. If you pre-order Chivalrous, and message some sort of confirmation of the order along with you home address to me by facebook messenger or email, in return I will send you a small package of Valiant Hearts "swag," including a Dauntless button, a Valiant Hearts key chain, bookmarks, and post cards. Find me on facebook here.

Want to read a free sample first? No problem. Click here. 

Let the pre-order party begin!

Chivalrous is Written!!!

I'm happy to share that I have typed the magical words, "The End," for book 2 in the Valiant Hearts series. And since I've been calling it Chivalrous for months, I am also happy to announce that the title has been officially approved by the publisher.

Chivalrous is the story of Gwendolyn Barnes, a tall, strong, adventurous young lady who longs to be a knight like her gallant brothers. However that isn't an option for her, not even in the Arthurian inspired Eden where she dwells. Her parents view her only as a marriage pawn, and her domineering father is determined to see her wed to a brutish man who will break her spirit. When handsome, good-hearted Allen of Ellsworth arrives in Edendale searching for his place in the world, Gwendolyn spies in him the sort of fellow she could imagine marrying. Yet fate seems determined to keep them apart. Tournaments, battles, and intrigue--along with twists and turns aplenty--await these two as they struggle to find love, identity, and their true destinies.

Chivalrous is about discerning God's plan for the future and understanding His purpose for our lives. It deals with hard questions about gender roles and abuse of authority. I'm really excited about this book. It will release in fall 2015, after about 100 rounds of editing ;)