More Release Week News

I'm so glad I added Wednesdays as news day, because there has been a lot of it, and this week is no exception. Yesterday was the "official" release date of Dauntless. I'm not sure what that really means since it was already available online, but I imagine some bookstores probably waited until that day to put it out. Personally, I celebrated with dishes, grocery shopping, and more writing ;) Oh, and a big bowl of ice cream.

In other cool news, Bethany House is running a wonderful Dauntless giveaway including bows and arrows, a backpack, a beatuiful necklace, and best of all a treasure of a $250 amazon gift card. I wish I could enter!!! So don't miss out.

I am also in Family Fiction Edge this week. Click here and then flip to the first page to find the link to my interview. On second thought, check out the whole magazine. It's pretty interesting, and I am personally looking forward to Jody Hedlund's featured book. Speaking of that...

My book isn't the only great release this week either. Jocelyn Green prepared this fun graphic of some of my releasemates. I think I just made that word up.

Oh, but that's still not all. This showed up on cyberspace this week too. And I've added a Chivalrous page to this blog, so you might want to check that out too.

Okay, I think that's quite enough news for one week. Makes me wonder what excitement next week might have in store.

Medieval Acrobats???

Historical research is tough. Even tougher than finding the right information sometimes, is knowing the right questions to ask. For example, in my first medieval novel I assumed they would have cards and coffee. But when I actually thought to check on those issues, I found out my setting was 50 years too early for either of them to have made their way to England. On the coffee issue, I just changed the drink. On the cards issue, I had a crusader bring them back from the Holy Land.

Dauntless has a fun acrobatic twist. I can't tell you how many times I've read about medieval "acrobats" in historical text books. So, I never thought to ask if the word acrobat actually existed at the time. But right before sending out my final version of Dauntless, my daughter's skepticism about the acrobats prompted me to do a little more last minute research. And...I found out the word "acrobat" actually did not exist in English at that time. They would have been called "tumblers" or possibly "aerialists" if they worked off the ground. When used in military training, acrobatics would have been referred to as "agility skills." Mind you, since they spoke Middle English in 1216, I'm fairly lenient with myself on using words from as late as the 1600s when the language stabilized. But "acrobat" wasn't around until the 1800s. 

In my last minute research I also found this cool video of medieval "tumblers." If they claim to be "acrobats," don't you believe them!

Ebooks and Interviews Galore

Wow, talk about a busy week. First and most importantly, Dauntless released on ebook yesterday!!!! That means it is now available online in print and ebook format. Look for it to show up next week in stores on the official release date of March 3rd! And, I had my first pre-recorded radio interview, which I really enjoyed. I'll share a link when it becomes available.

Plus, it's been a busy blog interview week. Each one has it's own unique take. Check out these:

Golden Keyes Parson's Blog, (find out what inspires me)

The Book Club Network, (with some great pictures and the four words that describe me)

And also this extra fun "Face Off" edition on a TransParent Mom. I think the picture says it all.

Yeah, fellow Virginian Charity and I get a little feisty. You definitely need to check it out! And one last fun thing...an early bookstore sighting in Nebraska by Jamie Gil.

If you happen to run into Dauntless while you're out and about, let me know!

The Selection Series

Yes, my obsession with all things YA Dystopian continues. As I've mentioned before, LOVED the Hunger Games, LOVED Divergent, enjoyed Delirium, but I had some reservations for young readers, meh on Matched, although the covers are gorgeous. And speaking of gorgeous covers, drum roll please...

And I'm just getting started. The Selection brings to mind classic stories like Cinderella and Queen Esther, but is set in a dystopian future. Of all the series I've mentioned so far, this one wins for best romance. Despite the dystopian caste system and civil unrest, it is for the most part a romantic and at times even comical read. Our heroine, America Singer, is one of a group of thirty-five normal girls chosen as a potential wife for the handsome Prince Maxton. Problem is, she already has a secret love from a lower caste. The dystopian elements are not the strongest, even a little cheesy at times. The caste system seems a bit illogical, but maybe that's part of the point. And the northern and southern rebels are hazy, hokey, and not terribly believable. But...the love story is awesome! Author Kiera Cass has a light, breezy style that is sure to keep you reading. Now for more gorgeousness...

In book two, The Elite, America has made the cut to the top six girls. She has come to truly like and admire Prince Maxton, but meanwhile, she discovers more about the warped political system surrounding her. Can she ever picture herself as a queen? Then comes...

Let's face it, this series is worth reading for the exquisite gowns alone. Unlike many of the other dystopian series, book 3, The One, is just as good as (if not better than) the other books. The dystopian elements finally become clearer and more believable. The climax to the series is exciting and full of twists and turns. And for once, YES!!!, a happy ending full of light and hope.

As for younger readers, this series is very appropriate for teens. The books are safely PG, and there is nothing I need to warn you about beyond some steamy kissing scenes. Unlike some of the other dystopian books, there is no dark, psychological trauma. I felt it offered good lessons about what is truly important in love, life, and friendship. Some adults might find the heroine a little young for their tastes, but if you enjoy a good fairy tale, I doubt you'll mind.

I can't really put this series in the same category as Hunger Games and Divergent. It's a little silly in comparison. But if you would enjoy reading "dystopian lite" with lots of romance, then I say go for it.

Libraries, Contests, and Extras, Oh My!

My most exciting news this week, is that one of my supporters sent me this screen shot of Dauntless in its first ever library appearance. Which is also my first ever library appearance. Translate: super excited!!!!

Also this week in news, Anne Elisabeth Stengl is featuring me on her Tales of Goldstone Wood Blog, and she is holding a special contest to giveaway three copies of Dauntless to blogger/reviewers. She asked some pretty fun and unique interview questions. Click here to check it out. 

Finally, I wanted to point you to some cool extras that Bethany House has put online for Dauntless.
Author Q & A
Reader Discussion Questions

So in short, this has been a pretty exciting week. I hope you have a great week too!

The Delirium Series

Thanks to my daughter, I read a lot of YA dystopian novels. High on her list of favorites is the Delirium series, and she absolutely insisted that I read all of them.

 This series is about a future society that seeks to eliminate love and passion, seeing them as a sickness called the deliria, with horrible symptoms like loss of focus, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, sweating, etc… I imagine most of us have joyfully suffered all those symptoms and more. LOL. So I thought close to Valentine's Day would be a great time to post about it.

While fairly sensual, full of profanity, and too mature for all but the oldest teens in my opinion, this series was a great compliment to the study of the heart I was conducting at the time when I read it. The author made some wonderful observations about the nature of love and all of its many facets, not to mention the enormous risk and cost involved in loving. Although her choice of language left much to be desired, I felt that her theme was very much in line with Christian beliefs. The dystopian society in Delirium had twisted scripture to their purposes and created their own religion, but the series seemed to subtly honor true Biblical beliefs and pointed out that the “old” religions had been based upon love and sacrifice. In fact, the heroine’s epiphany involved learning a true Biblical story which helped her understand the sacrificial nature of love.

Of the three books, I enjoyed book 2 the least. It came to nearly a grinding halt as it unveiled several months of the main character's life through backstory summary. However, I'm glad I stuck with the series, because it really picked up again after that. Most of all, I loved the ending. Here are some powerful quotes from the end of book three, Requiem by Lauren Oliver.

“But it’s not about knowing. It is simply about going forward. The cureds [those cured of love] want to know; we have chosen faith instead…We will have to trust too—that the world won’t end, that tomorrow will come, and that the truth will come too.”

“Take down the walls. That is, after all, the whole point. You do not know what will happen if you take down the walls; you cannot see through to the other side, don't know whether it will bring freedom or ruin, resolution or chaos. It might be paradise or destruction. Take down the walls. Otherwise you must live closely, in fear, building barricades against the unknown, saying prayers against the darkness, speaking verse of terror and tightness. Otherwise you may never know hell; but you will not find heaven, either. You will not know fresh air and flying.”

What do you think about this idea of the "deliria" and a society without love?

Dauntless Makes Some Early Appearances

Fun with Dauntless!

Well, this week in the news I'm excited to mention that the print version of Dauntless is already available on amazon almost a month early! If you pre-ordered the book, it should be on its way to you now. Some early reviews are coming in from netgalley reviewers as well. Here's a link to a review I especially liked because I felt like the woman really "got" what I was going for with the book. Click here for review.

I also received my copy...or rather my 100 copies!!! of Dauntless this week. I keep fantasizing about how fun it would be to build a fort with them in my living room and just hide out there for a while, but I'm afraid my little dogs would think that was way too fun and end up ruining at least a handful of books.

Book fort anyone?

And I've been busy organizing my launch team. If you're on the team, I'm hopeful that you will be receiving your copy soon. If you'd like to join the team, check us out here on facebook. I plan to share some fun insider information and to offer a special contest for those who support the book.

In other fun news, Chivalrous has already shown up for pre-order on several sites, but without a cover. I've seen the new cover, and it's gor-ge-ous! I'll be showing it to all of you soon :)