+Author Guest Post+ with Zana Bell, ChocLit Author of “Close to the Wind” #ChocLitSaturdays!

Posted Saturday, 29 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Zana Bell stops by to discuss

her passion for Kiwi Historicals!

I had the pleasure of reviewing

Close to the Wind

as a #ChocLitSaturdays Feature!

#ChocLitSaturdays | a feature exclusive to Jorie Loves A Story

Proposed Topic for Zana Bell: If she could expound on her cross-genre exploration of the book, as it combines “Adventure, Historical, & Victorian” and perhaps a bit about what motivated her to select those genres in particular and how she found her personal niche in bringing the characters and story to life? I love genre-bending fiction as it adds such a healthy dynamic to what your reading!

I am thrilled to welcome Ms. Zana Bell to Jorie Loves A Story, on this ChocLitSaturday special feature where I had become a bit curious about her inspiration behind her writing style and asked her to expand a bit on her craft! Ms. Bell is one of the first four ChocLitUK authors I had the pleasure of becoming introduced too this year! You can follow along with me on my reading adventures as I read one ChocLit author at a time! And, as my new badge describes: “Romance, chocolate, and a cuppa tea is simply divine on the weekends!” Consider this my new “ChocLitSaturdays” tagline! If you are dropping by today for the first time, I welcome you and ask what is your favourite kind of chocolate and tea?! Do you prefer loose leaf or bagged!? Dark or white chocolate barks?! I look forward to seeing your engaging answers in the comment threads!

I am honoured to be able to read British Romantic fiction by the gracious offerings of ChocLitUK, as I have such a hearty penchant for British Fiction! The stories I find inside each ChocLit novel uplift my very soul as they are endearing stories of courage, strength during adversity, and most of all romantically realistic! I implore you to sit back a bit and read Ms. Bell’s musings on where her writer’s heart leads her!

 

Ingredients for a Ripping Tale

I’m often asked why I write NZ historicals – even by Kiwis!
The simple fact is that the 1860s gold rush has all the ingredients for a ripping tale.

First there is the setting: huge, snow-capped mountains, clear, fast flowing rivers, dazzlingly blue lakes, treacherous mountain passes, deep forests and huge moors. Remember being wowed by the scenery in Lord of the Rings? It’s the self-same terrain.

Now bring in the men – thousands of them. At the first cry of, “Gold!” they began flooding in from all over the world, from every walk of life. Aristocrats pitched tents next to lawyers, shepherds and bankers. They were a fine-looking bunch, noted Lady Barker approvingly. Strong, tanned, hard-living, optimistic sorts, many with a fine education behind them. They were there for the gold certainly, but also for adventure. These were not men who sat waiting for life to come to them; they were men who went out and conquered it.

And then there were the women. They left Britain where they vastly outnumbered the men (the colonies, the Crimean War, the Indian War etc.) to arrive in New Zealand where they were suddenly in huge demand. Such high demand that colonists desperately sought the plainest maids they could find – but to no avail. Most of the immigrants were in their teens and twenties and almost all were married within two years of arriving here. With such a huge range of intrepid, good-looking men to choose from, the air must have been redolent with whirlwind romances.

I love Victorian women. They were to be found, petticoated and bonneted, in the most remote, dangerous and exotic places in the world. And while they were meant to be tending hearth and home, a quiet revolution was going on. They were beginning to challenge laws that disadvantaged women. They were learning to be scientists, mathematicians, photographers and astronomers. There were women masquerading as men in the American Civil War – often following a loved one. There were wives accompanying their captain husbands on the high seas. There were girls as young as 12 and 14 deciding to travel across the world, alone, to find a better life.

Finally there were the dreams: of escaping grinding poverty, of providing children with better opportunities, of founding better, classless societies. Amongst the gold diggers and opportunists there were visionaries of courage and conviction. New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote and was one of the earliest adopters of extensive social welfare. The diaries and letters of the time are filled with high hopes, excitement, danger, opportunity, fear humour and – of course! – love.

So, as you can see, with all these ingredients, it’s simply impossible to resist writing rollicking adventures set in 1860s New Zealand. It was an extraordinary era.

Close to the Wind by Zana BellBook Synopsis:

What would you give to be free?

Georgiana da Silva is catapulted out of the Victorian drawing rooms and into a world of danger when she escapes her fiendish fiancé to engage in a mad dash across the world to save her brother before an unknown assassin can find him.

Meanwhile, Captain Harry Trent is setting sail for New Zealand. With a mission to complete and the law on his heels, he’s got enough trouble of his own without further complications.

Thrown together, unable to trust anyone, Georgiana and Harry are intent on fulfilling their missions despite the distractions of the other. But liberty comes at a price and the closer they get, the more they must question the true cost of being free.

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Facebook | Twitter 

Converse via: #CloseToTheWind

Oh, my goodness Ms. Bell! You have tapped into the very key ingredients of why I appreciated watching The Lord of the Rings on the silver screen! The breath-taking natural wonderment of beauty enraptured my eyes with such a fierce conviction it was as though I had known Middle Earth by some coincidence of foreknowledge! The wilds of New Zealand of her rugged coastline which in effect create this natural vagabond wonderland would be the most brilliant setting for a historical romance! I oft wondered how the natural environs play a part in creating an impetus of creativity for writers, in this I thank you for giving my readers and myself a bit of a nodding of what motivates you personally in this regard!

The Gold Rush was such a leveling of the playing field insofar as creating an equality of skills and prospects out of those who ventured off to seek their claims of fortune. No one was above the other and everyone had a fighting chance of succeeding towards financial freedom and endowed wealth. I would imagine at first, the men might have found it a bit odd to be hugged so close together given that in their previous lives their paths might not have crossed as easily as they were now! Or, perhaps not?! Perhaps the equalising pursuance of their endeavours held strong!?

New Zealand’s amorous embrace of the women reminds me a bit of how Alaskan men still struggle a bit to seek out the women they are in hopes of meeting themselves! Ever so often I come across another Alaskan Men story which warms my heart and tickles my romantic fever of optimistic matches sought out of hope! I have a feeling had I been bourne out of the era I was placed inside, I would have been one of those daring souls who ventured far, far afield in search of ‘something quite different’ in the pursuit of where to land my feet! I still recollect musing about travelling aboard ship like the strong-willed souls in MaryLu Tyndall’s Forsaken Dreams.

The history of women’s suffrage has always fascinated me as to how hard we fought for our individual rights and liberties, but also, the upward battle women had to face even on smaller levels within their own families. The world might have taken awhile to hinge their ideals to the rights of women, but I oft wonder the kind of strength it would have taken to strike out on your own and dare to give your family the opportunity to recognise not only your self-worth but your free spirit?! I have always had one foot in science and one foot in the creative arts. I am a modern Renaissance girl in that one regard, and I am everso thankful I had the option to be wholly true and unique unto my own inclinations!

The journals left behind by generations past are some of the best keepsakes and glimpses into how our everyday lives were lived. A true internal introspective reflection of the inner workings of change as it was being laid to mind. I can imagine your well of stories runs deep and true! How fascinating it will be to follow you along and seeing where your next published novel takes all of us! I am one ChocLit girl who is *excited!* for more Kiwi-inspired fiction! The land of New Zealand has been cherished for such a long time, as it was the home of one of my very first overseas friends! I have been a correspondent by postal mail for the near-full of my days, and I’ll never forget my early letters sent off to Auckland to this far-off place which was such an extraordinary breath of fresh air! I loved learning about the natural ecosystems and how the communities there were a bit more forward in thinking towards slow food movements, local harvesting of crops, and the ability to balance environmental conservation with the preservation of resources. It was always a land I wanted to visit, and I thank you for giving me a bit more of her essence in your wickedly divine stories of love!

This Author Guest Post is courtesy of ChocLitUK,

ChocLitUK Reviewercheck out my upcoming bookish event and mark your calendars!

Readers and Romance enthusiasts, what do you think about the exotic nature of New Zealand and the heart-warming courage of her inhabitants?! Of being of strong mind to seek out a different continent during the age of land & gold claims having the ability to change ones stars of course!? Do you think you could have been as daring & adventurous as the women of the Victorian age!? What do you like the most about adventure, danger, and romance inside novels similar to “Close to the Wind”!? What stirs your emotional heart!?

Stop back next Saturday, as I resume my ChocLit book reviews! Which story will I select to read next!? Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover, The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay, Romancing the Soul by Sarah Tranter, The Road Back by Liz Harris, The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay, OR The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikli! You’ll have to stay tuned to my #ChocLitSaturdays tag to discover which one will be featured!

+ Previous #ChocLitSaturdays Features +

{NOTE: Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.}

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, and ChocLit Reviewer badge were provided by ChocLitUK and were used by permission. Jorie requested an Author Guest Post from Zana Bell through ChocLitUK of which she received a reply. She was curious after having read “Close to the Wind” about the author’s writing styles. Blog dividers are provided by Shabby Blogs. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits by Jorie in FotoFlexer.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Saturday, 29 March, 2014 by jorielov in Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Historical Romance, Indie Author, New Zealand, Pirates and Swashbucklers, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Romance Fiction

+Author Guest Post+ “On writing the “In the Land of Magnanthia” series by B.R. Maul

Posted Thursday, 27 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , 11 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Proposed Topic for B.R. Maul: As my first impression of “Passages, Portals, & Pathways” B.R. Maulreflected this statement of excited anticipation: “Even before the reference to “The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe” (of which, I prefer the film over the book! ironically or not!) and “The Lord of the Rings” (on my Classics Club list of books to read!), I was simply hooked into the idea of Simon being chosen as a Guardian! I love stories which are stitched together like this, as I still remember being rapt in awe over “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising” (motion picture again – hadn’t realised it was a book!)!!” Therefore I knew I had to simply ask Mr. Maul about what prompted the impetus for his new Young Adult Fantasy series as much as the inspiration to tell the story therein!

I am thrilled as peaches to welcome B.R. Maul back to Jorie Loves A Story, after spotlighting a book showcase revealing all the important bits of information on his wicked keen début novel! As you most likely have garnished from my piece yesterday, his novel resonated with me as being one story I am most apt to read as soon as it goes into print! Which as they say, could very well be on the fringe of happening sooner than we all might realise! Due lend your support of which edition of preference you’d like to read his collective works within the comment threads on either post!  Otherwise, tweet Mr. Maul directly, as that would be most kind on his inaugural blog tour! Let me yield now to his creative ear whilst he gives us an insight into his writer’s road towards publication!

}: Book Synopsis :{

Portals, Passages, & Pathways by B.R. MaulWhen a portal to another world cracks open just outside the small town of Riverside, it sets off a series of events forever changing the lives of two boys; one boy is chosen to lead a world to peace while the other one is chosen to tear it apart.

Simon Whittaker lives an ordinary teenage life. That is until the most powerful ring in the land of Magnanthia chooses him to become its guardian. Overnight, Simon has had to flee from something trying to kill him, seen magical spells he had only read about in stories, and stepped into the most majestic world ever imagined.

Swept away to the fantastic world that’s in the midst of a brutal war, Simon must place his life in the hands of four unlikely travelers, a swordsman, ranger, cleric, and wizard, sent to lead him down the right path. While King Elderten has ordered death to Magnanthia’s nine guardians, the group he believes is responsible for the kingdom’s devastation, Simon remains the only hope for those who believe the guardians are innocent.

Meanwhile, Jak Jakobsin has been pulled through a portal by two of Bedlam’s undead scouts. Bedlam’s overlord plans to use Jak, along with his army of undead, goblins, and trolls, to build a force so powerful that Magnanthia will be his forever. “Portals, Passages & Pathways” is a story of our greatest journey, to discover our purpose in this life, and the consequences of the choices we make to get there. “In the Land of Magnanthia” is the first novel in the series and is complete just under 115,000 words. It’s told from the alternating viewpoints of Jak and Simon.

 

}: World-Building – The Land of Magnanthia :{

Magnanthia was pieced together, named, and expanded upon almost seven years ago. But her creation started over three decades ago. There is no mistaking it; Magnanthia is a compilation of my favorite fantasy worlds mixed together and then molded into a figment of the imagination.

The first time I was introduced to C. S. Lewis was between the pages of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. As a little boy I fell in love with an idea, an idea that walking through a wardrobe, a portal, could take me to a world where animals talked and magic was real. From that day forward, my childhood was filled with adventure! Every closet and closed-door was potentially a portal leading to a world of wizards, castles, and lost treasures. That’s all I had to do was find the portal and step into it.

I slowly side-stepped the narrow, fantasy fiction isle in my elementary school’s library. I was looking for a book to read. That’s when I stumbled upon J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I opened the worn cover and looked at the table of contents. Chapter five’s title grabbed my attention; I had to know why it was so cleverly named “Riddles in the Dark.” I checked the book out of the little library and brought it home with me. Middle Earth, a world filled with dwarves, elves, hobbits, goblins, giant spiders, dragons, creatures of all kinds, and of course magic, began its contribution to the making of Magnanthia.

The discovery of a fantasy world where worthy travelers could become heroes exploring haunted castles, goblin-infested dungeons, and finding hidden gold and magic items, became my favorite pastime. My older brother took me and a good friend of ours into the spellbinding world of Dungeons & Dragons. My favorite character to play was a magic-user.

Later in life, years of working to pay the bills disconnected me from the beautiful gift of imagination. It was finding my way into the Great Hall at Hogwarts with Harry Potter that rekindled my love of stories and my passion for magical adventures. I found it refreshing Harry Potter and his friends lived in contemporary times, cloaked in a medieval backdrop with magic and wonderment mixed into the works. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were about midway into their schooling at Hogwarts when I realized what I had and what I needed to do. Magnanthia was almost tangible in my mind, along with a handful of characters who had already made Magnanthia their home. I needed to create; I needed to write the story.

In 2007, the year the Harry Potter series ended, Portals, Passages & Pathways was born. I love that parts and pieces of Lewis, Tolkien, and Rowling are embedded within the fabric that is weaving Portals, Passages & Pathways together. I hope readers around the world find it as easy as I have to fall in love with the characters, and are exhilarated in the land of Magnanthia!

Author Connections:

Site | @BRMaul_author | GoodReads
Converse on Twitter: #LandofMagnanthia
& #BRMaul

 

I must confess, the one fantasy novel I had difficulty in soaking into was the precise fantasy series which inspired you to write Magnanthia! The Lion, The Witch, & the Wardrobe for me was greater appreciated in its motion picture adaptation over the printed word in which C.S. Lewis left behind! It was one of the first times where I noticed that I had trouble shifting into the heart of a narrative I already knew I would enjoy! Perhaps an early nod to realising that not every story is tangible to our hearts through our eyes, and that sometimes we have to seek out an adaptation of the story in a new medium in order to allow the merit of why the story was left behind to resonate with us fully.

On a similar vein, I was experiencing a reader’s rut (I am sure this will make most of my dear readers gaff with disbelief!) during the years of Harry Potter’s epic adventures at Hogwarts, yet I was the happy spirited twenty-something who felt as though she had a renewed childhood whilst wandering off into the local movie-houses on release days, weekends, and even at midnight releases! Ah, yes, young Harry Potter will forevermore hold a special niche in my heart! His stories I know I will appreciate on long cold Wintry nights, where the blizzards are howling and the warmth of his character and friends will guide me from one book straight-through to the startling conclusion! These are the types of fantasy series I long to unearth and discover,… as I was reflecting yesterday fantasy gives us such a beautiful window into fantastically honest worlds where characters are able to do things that modern contemporaries are oft-times limited in achieving. Fantasy of today are the fables, folk, mythological stories of an ancient age. Sage advice wrapped inside a heroic adventure!

The fact that your sharing the kernels and seeds of inspiration behind Magnanthia is a credit to your own character and bold confidence as a writer, as often you will find new authors a bit hesitative about discussing their craft and progress towards getting the words onto paper rather than being stored inside their imaginations! I always felt that the best gift the writing community has given all writers through the generations is the ability to reach out and connect with each other! The sharing of knowledge, of strife and of joy, all the tools in which are needed to encompass a novel’s birth and straight-through back over the day-to-day journey of what a writer on the verge of discovery is experiencing! Bless you for being open and responsive!

Alas, I kept Tolkien for my concluding thoughts, because I fear before I sit myself down to read Middle Earth (in the Order of Middle Earth — inclusive of the Histories!), I am always going to be on the brink of relaying my total thoughts as once more, I yielded to the adaptations, this time through the grace and eloquence of Peter Jackson whose capturing finesse for the extraordinary world which is Middle Earth left me forever changed afterwards! The depth of the narrative is hard to not lay a pensive thought upon each installment’s endings, and yet, it’s the capstone of what pulls each of us into our own stories. By allowing us not to limit our potential or the girth of the final draft, in which lies our epic tales!

The genre-bender aspects of Harry Potter were not lost on me either, and I only had hoped in some of the bits of the films (as I presumed they were reflective of the stories) they could have held the tradition of their clothes a bit more, but I respected the fact that it was a modern story lit inside as you say a world of yesterday! Being a Dragon Master and player you might want to read my recollections of gaming on my Virtual Blue review! Congratulations for holding onto your world and for being daring enough to build the story in the hours and moons long after it was originally breathed into life!

This Author Guest Post is courtesy of:

In the Land of Magnanthia by B.R. Maul Blog Tour with JKS Communications Literary Publicity FirmBe sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events

to mark your calendars!!

Be sure to drop by my Book Spotlight Showcase

on “Portals, Passages, & Pathways”!

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
Kindly post notes in both B.R. Maul comment threads, discussing what you enjoy about Young Adult Fantasy series! Leave behind a reflection of how you started to read fantasy series and novels, and what you are hopeful to find inside this new one by a Mid-West writer! All comments are welcome, short or long! I look forward to reading your thoughts & engaging with you afterwards! Remember to come back to see my responses! And, the author himself might surprise you with a reply as well!

+ Open Invitation for Book Discussion +

+ 28 March, 2014 +

Author B.R. Maul has expressed a desire to converse with readers who pick up “Portals, Passages, & Pathways” to return to Jorie Loves A Story giving all of us a hearty discussion about the life lessons & attributes of each of the character’s arc which translated directly into the reader’s heart! I am hoping to read a print copy of the story myself one day, and therefore, this is an Open Discussion Post where the comment threads will be waiting for you to return & share your experiences & thoughts about the story as you read it! I look forward to hearing your recollections & to dig a bit deeper into the heart of the narrative!!

{SOURCES: Book Cover art for “Portals, Passages, & Pathways”, B.R. Maul photograph and book synopsis were provided by JKS Communications Literary Publicity Firm and used with permission. I requested an Author Guest Post via Samantha Lien at JKS on behalf of B.R. Maul’s new Young Adult Fantasy series Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Thursday, 27 March, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Passionate Researcher, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Self-Published Author, The Natural World, The Writers Life, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage, Writing Style & Voice, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

+Book Spotlight & Announcement+ B.R. Maul [debut author] of “Portals, Passages, & Pathways”, a YAFantasy selection of epic proportions!

Posted Wednesday, 26 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

}: Book Spotlight & Announcement :{

Portals, Passages, & Pathways by B.R. Maul
Published BySelf-Published by Author, 11 March 2014
Official Author WebsitesSite | @BRMaul_author | GoodReads
Converse on Twitter: #LandofMagnanthia
& #BRMaul
Available Formats: E-Book
Page Count: approx. 478

 

Portals, Passages, & Pathways by B.R. Maul

}: Book Synopsis :{

When a portal to another world cracks open just outside the small town of Riverside, it sets off a series of events forever changing the lives of two boys; one boy is chosen to lead a world to peace while the other one is chosen to tear it apart.

Simon Whittaker lives an ordinary teenage life. That is until the most powerful ring in the land of Magnanthia chooses him to become its guardian. Overnight, Simon has had to flee from something trying to kill him, seen magical spells he had only read about in stories, and stepped into the most majestic world ever imagined.

Swept away to the fantastic world that’s in the midst of a brutal war, Simon must place his life in the hands of four unlikely travelers, a swordsman, ranger, cleric, and wizard, sent to lead him down the right path. While King Elderten has ordered death to Magnanthia’s nine guardians, the group he believes is responsible for the kingdom’s devastation, Simon remains the only hope for those who believe the guardians are innocent.

Meanwhile, Jak Jakobsin has been pulled through a portal by two of Bedlam’s undead scouts. Bedlam’s overlord plans to use Jak, along with his army of undead, goblins, and trolls, to build a force so powerful that Magnanthia will be his forever. “Portals, Passages & Pathways” is a story of our greatest journey, to discover our purpose in this life, and the consequences of the choices we make to get there. “In the Land of Magnanthia” is the first novel in the series and is complete just under 115,000 words. It’s told from the alternating viewpoints of Jak and Simon.

}: Author Biography :{

B.R. Maul

A fan of fantasy fiction since he was a child, B.R. Maul has always enjoyed a good story, whether it came in the form of books or role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Maul has lived in the heart of the Red River Valley for most of his life. He was born in Fargo, N.D. in 1974. A house fire changed his family’s course when he was a child, and in the early ‘80s, his parents took over a small family business in Moorhead, MN, where he remained for his school years.

Maul holds an undergraduate degree in secondary English education with an emphasis in creative writing. He spent a few years working as a substitute teacher, and since fall 2013, he has dedicated all of his time to writing. Maul’s first novel, “Portals, Passages & Pathways Part 1: In the Land of Magnanthia” debuts March 25. The book is the first installment in a fantasy series. Maul lives in Fargo with his wife and two kids. The couple is expecting their third child in March.

}: Jorie’s Thoughts on Behalf of B.R. Maul :{

I initially signed up for this particular blog tour wholly enthused and genuinely excited! to participate in Maul’s literary début! I had hoped to read and review “Portals, Passages, & Pathways” as its the first installment of an epic fantasy series which perked my attention due to the story-line and depth of where Maul is choosing to take his characters! A journey into a new fantasy world where imaginations are lit with anxious anticipation! An appreciator of fantasy fiction for over 17 years, I am on a Quest to seek out wicked new emerging writers in the craft as a genre; due to the enormity of how far the market has endevoured to give the hearty reader a choice in narrative, style, and voice!

Realising this novel would not release in print! or POD formats, I opted instead to showcase Maul on Jorie Loves A Story, because I had a strong belief in his novel and in his approach of the writer’s craft. I wanted to feature his début in order to help spread the word of his remarkable world taking flight into the hands of readers world-wide via e-book and e-reader release! Although, I am not able to read those formats myself, I will at times continue to feature e-book authors of whom I feel could garnish a larger net of readers (such as myself) once their able to get their stories into a printed and bound copy!

Maul is a self-published author who is going to make a nice splash in the Young Adult Fantasy arena, for providing his young readers with a golden opportunity to dig into a soundly built world full of magical intrigue and a character arc which will give all of us (irregardless of age!) the promise of what is yet to come next in the sequels! One of the key reasons I appreciate fantasy series is due to being able to re-visit the characters we’ve become attached too whilst seeing where their next chapters within their lives lead them to venture next! The cinemascope appealment of seeing all the action and heart develop through your mind’s eye with such a reel of precision to have it feel tangibly real as its read is my singular hope for each new novelist I discover!

Although billed as ‘young adult fantasy’, you might have realised by now that I, Jorie, of Jorie Loves A Story appreciates a wide spectrum of literature and one of my greatest joys is highlighting positive innovators of Children’s Literature who paint a stroke of positivity inside their stories! May Maul have a wonderful success in stitching together a readership who will be just as on pins as I am to soak into the Land of Magnanthia!

}: Author Q&A :{

{ in the Land of Magnanthia,

through the eyes of the writer }

“Portals, Passages & Pathways” is billed as “a story of our greatest journey, to discover our purpose in this life, and the consequences of the choices we make to get there.” How did you get started writing this series?

We all have a purpose in life. We just need to take time to discover what that purpose is. Mine, I learned, is storytelling. When I was a teenager I remember thinking that it sounded ridiculous to wait until the end of my life to do what my heart longed for. Unfortunately, like the majority of people, I bought into the lie I was supposed to pick a “real” career, make as much money as I could, and then retire. After fifteen years of making, spending, and chasing money, something happened. People dear to me were struck down from terminal illness, and some died. I came to realize I was on the wrong path…but, like all paths, it would still lead me to the inevitable, my own death. I’d been arrogant, and naïve, assuming I knew what tomorrow was going to bring and that there were going to be enough tomorrows so I could retire and live purposefully. I quickly got off that path while I still could and started down the right path. I began writing.

I could not agree more about our individual journey in life involving not only the acceptance of our individual gifts to partake with us as we head off in life to pursue our dreams, but in the ability to recognise that it’s the arrival of where we’re meant to be can only be lessened by the path in which we traversed to get there! All our experiences leading up to understanding our full potential and our innate gift to share with others is what makes living such a great joy! You have to remain open and cognizant of the truths which alight on your shoulders, knowing how and when to trust your instincts as much as allowing your heart to guide you!

For each door which is closed for reasons we are never quite sure of, windows start to emerge out of the ether giving us a new opportunity to pursue our innermost desire and aspirations. Sometimes it takes a ‘wake-up call’ in life to re-assert the hidden truths we always were keenly aware of but perhaps lacked the confidence to shift forward towards. Sorrow, grief, and death of loved ones enlightens us on our mortality but also, the breadth of everything we are endowed to learn whilst we live. Life as it’s lived is the greatest adventure, and keying into who we are and who we want to be whilst we’re alive is the greatest discovery we can make! Next to love, of course! Love knits together Hope; whereas Faith emboldens us to Believe in the Light of our Dreams!

As a reader, it’s easy to get lost in the world of Magnanthia. For people who haven’t read your book yet, can you describe the setting?

Magnanthia is enchanting and extremely beautiful. The spiritwood trees almost glow their colors are so vibrant, and the intricate design of sea silk, a.k.a. blue quagmire, is miraculous. Magnanthia is also monumental. Shiftwood trees grow hundreds of feet high with girths bigger than houses, and Paramount Peak is so large they say all the other mountains in Magnanthia could fit into it. The indigenous life is spectacular…and mysterious. The land has energy of its own. It’s also foreboding. A small part of it has spread like cancer to outlying lands creating a chaotic environment where glamour and wasteland collide.

My soul and spirit regenerate whilst walking in the lushness of nature, where the balance of life itself is represented in such wonderful splendor as to give us a portal in which to walk through where time itself can stand still! Our eyes can alight and adjust to the balance of the natural world’s beauty whilst endeavouring ourselves to seek a way to see the muted and bright colours which make all of nature quite majestic and lovely! Ancient trees too wide in girth to properly hug, lest to pull back our heads to see where their canopies end or begin is a world in which I long to become familiar with myself! A land in and out of harmony and in conflict against itself is surely a story which proves the full breadth of what a fantasy reader is hoping to find inside its chapters!

Simon and Jak are such divergent characters, but what are some ways that they are similar to each other?

Simon and Jak both feel segregated from the rest of the world. They don’t fit in with their peers and have a hard time relating to others. They are also both bullied. However, how they respond to feeling segregated and to being bullied are completely different.

I will always champion writers who take a bold step towards addressing, highlighting, and ruminating about the state of bullies and the bullied. I have already featured two wonderful Children’s Lit novels which give a unique perspective of not only those who find themselves bullied but the point-of-cause of how a bully starts the behaviour to negatively address their situations and emotions. The books were “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio & “The Pact” by Mitchell S. Karnes, of whose sequel will be reviewed in June 2014. I will look forward one day to seeing how you have stitched this sequence of our living reality into your story!

What do you think makes them so relatable?

They’re genuine. Simon and Jak may have different backgrounds and circumstances, but they have the same kinds of feelings, emotions, and reactions to their problems like the rest of us. They, too, want to love, be loved, be happy, and find their place in this world. And like you and me, Simon and Jak make their share of mistakes along the way.

I oft find the best way to guide and teach children (especially teens) is to give them an honest and real portrayal of real-life events or events which could develop in real-life yet presented in fictional form as an outlet and plausible platform for the heart of the messages to sink into their minds. Giving them something to grow pensive about and hopefully realise the proper ways in which to react and cope with negativity and strong emotions which effectively can lead to choices they may regret. As much as I hope it can show how strong you have to be within your own spirit and shoes to rise above the tides when bullies enter your life.

What drew you to the fantasy genre when you were a kid, and why do you think that genre has stuck with you all these years?

The adventure! There’s something about dragons, castles, heroic knights, journeys to faraway places, creatures and monsters, spells, magical items, and lost treasures that whisks me away from the endless grind of reality, straight into the depths of the wondrous imagination. The fantasy genre has stuck with me for so long because it had the greatest impact on my childhood, and for that reason, the rest of my being.

Oh, dear my, yes! That is precisely why I have been entrenched into the fantasy genre myself! I still remember being wickedly excited to see “Willow” on the silver screen in a darkened theater! The excitement of renting “Pete’s Dragon” from the video store giving me a joyous heart for ‘long weekends’! I garnished an appreciation for fantasy novels by seeking out fantasy in motion pictures; which is quite the opposite way of doing it, even though I did read a limited amount of science fiction & fantasy as a child! As I grew, I took my love of everything you’ve mentioned whilst being mindful of finding wordsmiths and world-builders who could leave me in a state of ‘awe’ and ‘inspiration’! Re-lighting our passion for our imaginations is the best gift a writer can be given by a story!

Did growing up in the Red River Valley influence your writing at all?

The Red River Valley has a unique way of growing at its own pace, almost untouched from the rest of the nation. It’s the last place to catch onto trends, fashions, and movements, if at all. I’d have to say I grew up with a rather wholesome perspective morally, spiritually, and culturally. I believe this may have influenced the fact I enjoy reading and writing young adult fiction. Our teenage years are full of first-time moments that sculpt us into the adults we eventually become. And as a writer, I find it more challenging to bring a reader into an intense moment without using obscene or abrasive language.

Whilst travelling through the Mid-West, one of my favourite stop-overs was Fargo, North Dakota & Moorhead, Minnesota, which is precisely where you hail from and create your fantasy worlds! I believe there are certain enfolds of townes and communities within our country who have chosen to forestall time a bit to keep the softer side of living intact. To go back to community stronghold of neighbourly kindness, local events where friends outweigh outside visitors, and where the pace of living is not set against a clock or a time-stamp, but rather the enjoyment of the days, the hours, and the way in which life ebbs at its own rate of arrival! Despite living in a metropolis, I believe I achieved a similar background of childhood & growing years by having a family who was rooted in the timeless belief that children deserve to have innocence and freedom to learn and grow in an environment where the outside world takes a backseat for a number of years!

You might find a curious notation of an indexed category on Jorie Loves A Story, entitled simply as “Fly in the Ointment”, which is my cheeky and clever way of speaking about what I am propelled to be turnt off inside the books I read and choose to showcase on my blog! The number one vexation I have is the abrasive and explicit use of vulgarity in literature. I’m not a prude, but if the level of its usage is bent-on shock rather than language, I am not going to be content to let it pass. Personally, the writers who endear me long-term have stories which never even think of broaching a harsher word than ‘hell’ or ‘damn’ in their novels! IF you can sort out how to keep the innocence inside your stories but reflect the stronger emotions without resorting to vulgarity, you’ll not only win me over but all readers who are gentle in spirit!

}: Author Quotation :{

“There is also much to be said about the fantasy realm
where Magnanthia is located,” Maul says. “The realm holds
true to the traditional sense of fantasy worlds, and there
are some fun and exciting new creatures
and magical
items.”

This Book Spotlight & Announcement is courtesy of:

In the Land of Magnanthia by B.R. Maul Blog Tour with JKS Communications Literary Publicity Firm

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!

Return on the morrow, to read Mr. Maul’s Author Guest Post!

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

Kindly leave a note for Mr. Maul in the comment threads about how this spotlight encouraged you to seek out his début novel! And, I want to open the comment threads in relating what you seek first and foremost out of a new release in fantasy!? What kinds of stories whet your palette of interest and are you attracted to high fantasy tales where characters have epic adventures set with a magically beautiful setting and world!? Which Young Adult Fantasy novelists do you feel are bridging the gaps for Children’s Literature to give a hearty & true story, but without the harshness or dark undertones of the adult releases!? What stood out to you about Maul’s approach to his craft!?

+ Open Invitation for Book Discussion +

+ 28 March, 2014 +

Author B.R. Maul has expressed a desire to converse with readers who pick up “Portals, Passages, & Pathways” to return to Jorie Loves A Story giving all of us a hearty discussion about the life lessons & attributes of each of the character’s arc which translated directly into the reader’s heart! I am hoping to read a print copy of the story myself one day, and therefore, this is an Open Discussion Post where the comment threads will be waiting for you to return & share your experiences & thoughts about the story as you read it! I look forward to hearing your recollections & to dig a bit deeper into the heart of the narrative!!

{SOURCES: Book Cover art for “Portals, Passages, & Pathways”, B.R. Maul photograph, book synopsis, author biography, author quotation & author Q&A (taken from the Press Kit) were provided by JKS Communications Literary Publicity Firm and used with permission. Although, the Author Q&A was provided for me to incorporate into my Book Spotlight, I chose to do so because the Questions were similar to ones I would have pitched to the author myself had I elected to host a separate Author Interview &/or Author Q&A. My replies are given to highlight a bit more insight into why I am quite eager to read this novel in print! Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Wednesday, 26 March, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Self-Published Author, The Natural World, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction