We are pleased to present....

Rachel Coker!

What is your favorite subject in school?
Definitely history. I love reading about past events and cultures. Obviously it can get tedious sometimes, like when plugging through massive textbooks on the battles of the Civil War. But when I remember that I am reading about real events that happened to real people, just like me, I get tingles. It’s an incredible experience to read about life as it used to be, and imagine what it would have been like to grow up in that kind of world.


What is your favorite part of being homeschooled?
Oh, I am such a homeschool geek. ;) I love everything about it! I enjoy all the freedoms homeschooling allows me to have—I can work at my own pace, take time off to pursue other interests, and use whatever curriculum is best for me. I love being able to learn things from a Biblical worldview. And what homeschooler doesn’t get a kick out of making fun of themselves and cracking jokes about “unsociable homeschoolers”? On days when it seems like I have too much of a social life to deal with, I love joking about my lack of socialization. ;)


What inspired you to write Interrupted?
My uncle passed away from a brain tumor when I was thirteen. I remember feeling a lot of different emotions at that time. Anger, sadness, confusion… Not understanding why God lets things like that happen that hurts the people we love. Allie’s story sort of grew out of a lot of the emotions that I was working through at that time. She found healing the same way I did—through Christ.


What has been your most rewarding moment as a writer?
There have been two really amazing moments that first come to mind. The first was one afternoon when I received my first “fan letter” in the mail. It was from this teenage girl who was so excited and inspired it made me want to cry. It was months before my book even came out, but it humbled me to realize that there were kids and teens looking up to me. The other rewarding moment was when my dad finally read my book. He never reads any fiction, but he read Interrupted and when he told me how proud he was of me, it was one of the best moments of my life. I think every kid lives for the day when their parents just glow because of something they did. It’s a really amazing feeling.
 

Tell us about your book.
This is from the back cover. "Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn’t shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept. Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie’s heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved." 


Where can people get your book?
Readers can buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and just about everywhere books are sold! Isn't that great? :) 



Do you have any advice for those who are just starting to write?
Write from your own life experiences. Don’t start off trying to pen some tragic Gothic romance or the next Lord of the Rings. Base your stories and characters on things you can relate to. If everything you write is be close to your heart, it will resonate as true and honest and people will enjoy reading it!


Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?
Thank you so much to everyone who has shown me love and encouragement! It has been really inspiring to me to see this community build up around my story, not only of fellow homeschoolers, but Christians, writers, and teenagers. Hearing about others’ aspirations only pushes me to work even harder toward my own dreams.  Also, if anyone is interested in hearing from me on a more daily basis, I’d encourage you to follow my blog: www.rachelcoker.wordpress.com.

Announcement Saturday: New Books

Freebies and Deals



Get Parry Kirkpatrick's newest book, Pearl's Practice, for free on Smashwords.  Click here and enter the promo code: FC26P

Would you rather have the book in print? Get 20% off here by entering this coupon code during the checkout process: X33YUSWW.
(This offer is not valid on Amazon.com, but only at the link provided above.)

Free monthly desktop wallpaper by homeschool author Sarah Bryant.  Click here

Authors Added

Alyssa Liljequist

Books Added

Deadly Delirium by Alyssa Liljequist

(now available) Lady Moon by Rachel Starr Thomson  

(now available) Angel in the Woods by Rachel Starr Thomson 

Butterflies Dancing by Rachel Starr Thomson
(now available) Pearls Practice by Perry Kirkpatrick

Featured Book

Out of Darkness Rising

Darkness reigns unchallenged.  

For the villagers on the accursed Island, life has only one meaning - death.  Bound to the Island by the curse, the villagers suffer beneath the iron claw of the serpent, daily breathing the poison of his breath and dying to appease his insatiable appetite. 

When Marya’s parents are slain by the serpent for their belief in a legendary king, she becomes an Outcast.  Struggling to survive and avoid the vengeance of the Tribunal, Marya is torn between legend and the harsh reality of the Island.  Yet when a forgotten promise springs to life, she cannot help wondering if the old stories might in fact be true.  And if they are, will the promise prove stronger than the curse?

Out of Darkness Rising is being published by Flaming Pen Press and will be released summer 2012. It is an allegorical fantasy novella intended for a young adult audience.  

Presenting...

Gillian Adams!!

Welcome to Homeschool Authors!  Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Gillian Adams and I’m a fantasy writer.  I’ve been writing stories ever since I could read, but I started writing more seriously four years ago and landed my first publishing contract in September of 2011.  Whenever I’m not off battling monsters, slaying dragons, or exploring the ins and outs of complex fantasy worlds, I live in the great state of Texas.  My other interests include acting, directing plays, and working with my favorite combination of kids and horses at a Christian youth camp during the summer.

What is your favorite part of being homeschooled?

Being homeschooled gave me the freedom to pursue my interests, whether it was studying oceanography when I was 10, or Scottish history at 15, or hard core writing from then on.  It allowed me to think outside of the box when it came to deciding what I wanted to do with my life after school.  I think I can honestly say that I would not have considered writing as a “career” if I had not been homeschooled. 

What caused you to start writing?

My older sister loved to read and write and, since I looked up to her as my hero, I decided to read lots of books and write as well.  Anything that she read instantly received bonus points in my eyes.  So, I started reading harder books younger just so that I could read the same books she was reading at the same time.  It annoyed her to no end (especially when I tried to read over her shoulder in the car!), but it started me off on a lifetime of reading and then writing.  I have to credit J.R.R Tolkien for my love of fantasy.  My dad read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings aloud to me when I was six and I loved it so much that he gave me a copy for my seventh birthday!  It’s been my favorite series ever since. 

What inspired Out of Darkness Rising? 

Like C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Out of Darkness Rising was first inspired by a picture.  In the picture, a King stood on the shore of a lake with a castle in the background.  A girl stood behind the King and a Prince knelt at the King’s feet.  In the corner of the picture, the spiked tail of a dragon curled across the shore.  Now, the scene from the picture doesn’t factor into the book at all, but the concept of the characters and the Loch, and the Serpent’s tail gave rise to the story that became Out of Darkness Rising.

What is it about?

Out of Darkness Rising is an allegorical/fantasy novella scheduled to be released this summer by Flaming Pen Press.  It’s basically a fantasy retelling of the Gospel starting before the fall and continuing through the restoration! 

Out of Darkness Rising follows the life of Marya, one of the villagers bound to the Island by a thousand year curse.  The villagers live in constant fear of the Serpent, dying to appease his appetite.  When Marya’s parents are slain for refusing to worship the Serpent, she becomes an Outcast.  Struggling to survive and avoid the vengeance of the Tribunal, Marya is torn between legend and the harsh reality of the Island.  But when a forgotten promise springs to life, she begins to wonder if the old stories might in fact be true.  And if they are, will the promise prove stronger than the curse?

When and where will people be able to get your book?

I have not yet received the official release date from my publisher, Flaming Pen Press, but Out of Darkness Rising will release this summer, sometime after July!  So, be on the lookout.  I’ll be posting updates on my blog and website as the release date comes nearer.  You will be able to buy the book off of Amazon, as well as my personal website, the publisher’s website, and certain select stores. 

Do you plan to write more books?

Yes!  I’m currently rewriting my next novel, Song of Leira. It’s the first in a YA medieval fantasy trilogy about a girl, a thief, a peddler, and a mysterious song.  I won’t say much more than that though.  I also have nearly a dozen more book ideas “composting” (to borrow the phrase from Stephanie Morrill of Go Teen Writers)) at the moment and I can’t wait to write them all.

Do you have any final thoughts?

Hold your dreams loosely.  I had a lot of different dreams before I started pursuing writing and for a while, I didn’t see writing as an option because I was focused on those other dreams.  But, God’s plan for my life is far better than anything I can imagine.  So, even now, as happy as I am writing, I want to stay open to his plan, my dreams subject to His.  And if at some point He calls me to something else, I want to be willing to let it go and follow Him.

For now though, I will write!  I believe that my writing is a gift from Him and I want to honor Him with it. 

Announcement Saturday

Authors Added
Anya VonderLuft


Books Added

Magdalene By Rachel Starr Thomson

Biblical Femininity by Anya VonderLuft

The Magical Keystone by Anya VonderLuft

Thoughts on the Theme of Life by Anya VonderLuft

Book Reviews

The Mercenary Marriage

The Jewelers Apprentice

Featured Book

 

Book Review: Tales for the Heartily Homeschooled

By Sarah Holman

Recommend for: Homeschoolers, families, all ages, big families, those looking for a humorous read

From the back cover:

What do you get when you throw 20 children, four parents, several cross-country trips, and a sense of humor between the covers of one book? Lots and lots of big family fun that will tickle the funny bones and warm the hearts of your entire clan. Rachel Starr Thomson is the oldest of twelve children. Carolyn Currey, her second cousin, is the oldest of eight. Not only are their families huge, they also homeschool Drawing on some of their favorite memories, Rachel and Carolyn have written a book of essays that will make you laugh, think, and thank God for family.

I was sick and couldn’t sleep, so I pulled out a book that I had gotten off one of my favorite sites PaperBackSwap.  I kept my sister Rose up with my laughter.  I couldn’t help it!  This book kept me in stitches.  Until I finished it about three hours later and was finally able to go to sleep.

This book by Rachel Thompson and Carolyn Curry was an excellent collection of real life humor of a large, homeschooling family like my own.  Many of the stories ended with moral or lesson being taught, but wasn’t preachy.  This book is at the top of my great-gift-book list.  Yes, some of my friends might get a copy for their birthday or Christmas.

What I liked about the book:

I love reading stories from real life.  Humorous stories are some of my favorite to read. The stories were told in such a real, relatable way that I felt like I was in the living room with these two girls, listening to them recount these stories.

This was a very easy and quick read. I was able to read it in two or three hours, but it didn’t feel too short.

What I didn’t like about it:

…..?

I encourage you to buy this book and sit down and read it someday when you need a good laugh.

Other book by Rachel Starr Thomson

Taerith Romany, banished from his home by a cruel guardian, is a gentle warrior with a poet’s soul. Traveling west in search of work, he falls in with a group of circus performers who hope for good fortune at the upcoming wedding of a local king—a spoiled, selfish tyrant who is starving his people and undermining his own monarchy. 
When Taerith rescues a beautiful young woman from bandits on his way to the castle, he finds himself deep in circumstances he did not want. Because the young woman, Lilia, is the future queen—and though he cannot love her, neither he can bring himself to abandon her to life as Annar’s bride without a friend.
Vowing to help Lilia in any way he can, Taerith takes up his role as a soldier and servant in the household of Annar. Their destinies quickly become intertwined with that of Mirian, a slave girl with a mysterious past and a fierce pride that cannot be quenched, who is forced into service as Lilia’s maid. As Mirian and Lilia form an unlikely friendship, Taerith discovers more about the threats overshadowing them all: Annar’s rule is only a knife’s edge from slipping, and Taerith must fight alongside the king’s brother to combat starvation, invasion, and a death cult that wants Lilia’s life.
In a land of fog and fens, unicorns and wild men, Taerith stands at the crossroads of good and evil, where men are vanquished by their own obsessions or saved by faith in the higher things of loyalty, love, and the haunting call of a winged god.
Taerith, a gripping adventure at the crossroads of good and evil, is one the Romany Epistles, a multi-author online writing project about nine siblings who are banished from their home and each other and must find their way—and their God—in an unfriendly world.

 

Eight-year-old Theodore Pharris lives an incredibly boring life until the day he accidentally shoots a spaceship out of the sky with his slingshot. Discovering a crackpot alien plot to blow up the universe, Theodore, his quirky adult friends, and his faithful dogs Balfour and Breck launch out on a mission to save . . . well, everyone.
From the local planetarium to the local jail, from the veterinarian’s office to the far-flung reaches of space, Theodore’s adventures put his wits, his size, and his friendships to the ultimate test. Along the way, important questions are raised: Why is King Marvin called “The Nasty”? Will Edgartina Richards ever get a driver’s license? And how much can Jenny Fowler fit in that purse, anyway?
Being the good guys, they’re almost certain to win. The question is, can they do it in time?

Poetry and short stories exploring the dimensions of grace -- peace, deliverance, and justice. Based on three ballet/spoken word compositions performed by Rachel Starr Thomson and Carolyn Currey of Soli Deo Gloria Ballet during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

What do you get when you throw 20 children, four parents, several cross-country trips, and a sense of humour between the covers of one book? Lots and lots of big family fun that will tickle the funny bones and warm the hearts of your entire clan. Rachel Starr Thomson is the oldest of twelve children. Carolyn Currey, her second cousin, is the oldest of eight. Not only are their families huge, they also homeschool! Drawing on some of their favourite memories, Rachel and Carolyn have written a book of essays that will make you laugh, think, and thank God for family.

Find more books by Rachel on her Website

Seventh World Trilogy

The Council for Exploration Into Worlds Unseen believed there was more to the world and its history than the empire had taught them. Treating ancient legends as history, they came a little too close to the truth. Betrayed by one of their own, the Council was torn apart before they could finish their work. Forty years later, Maggie Sheffield just wants to leave the past behind. Memories of the Orphan House where she grew up are fading; memories of her guardians' murder are harder to shake. When a dying friend shows up on her doorstep bearing the truth about the Seventh World--in the form of a written covenant with evil--Maggie is sent on a journey that will change her forever. Along with the Gifted gypsy Nicolas Fisher, who hears things no one else can, Maggie joins with the last surviving members of the Council and a group of eastern rebels led by a ploughman and a princess to discover the truth. It won't be easy. The Seventh World has long been controlled by the Blackness, and its monstrous forces are already on Maggie's trail.

After five hundred years of oppression, the Seventh World is beginning to wake to the realities of the unseen world behind their own. The rise of the Gifted, young men and women with uncommon abilities, portends the coming of the King of ancient days-but evil is also waking. Aware that their control is beginning to slip, the Order of the Spider sets out to convert the Gifted or destroy them. Among those caught in the conflict are Nicolas Fisher, a young Gypsy running from the past, and Maggie Sheffield, driven underground in the city of Pravik. Others also stand against the Blackness: the young chieftain Michael O'Roarke, the mysterious healer called Miracle, and the indomitable rebels of Pravik. Together, they will unearth a terrible plot and stand against the greatest evil their world has ever known. As the world takes sides, their lives will play an integral role-in the coming of light, or the triumph of darkness. Burning Light is the second book in The Seventh World Trilogy.

After rescuing the Gypsies from destruction at the hands of the emperor, the warrior farmers of Pravik have returned home to dwell above ground. But peace is proving to be as dangerous as war, as their food stores run out and they find themselves unable to go beyond the city to grow crops. Neighbouring towns, afraid of the rumours they've heard about Pravik, are unwilling to trade with them. When emissaries arrive from the emperor, inviting the Ploughman to form an alliance with him, he has no choice but to go. Along with Professor Huss, the Darkworld prince Harutek, and an unwilling Maggie, he rides for Athrom. But in doing so, he ignores the vision of the blind seer Virginia Ramsey, who has seen deadly consequences at the end of the Ploughman's journey. Desperate for help from another source, Virginia sets out on a journey of her own, accompanied by the Darkworld priestess Rehtse - a journey to find the King and bring him to Pravik's aid. Their parallel journeys will at last open the way to the worlds unseen, bringing in powers, terrors, beauties, and a final confrontation no one could imagine. Central to the fate of their world are the Gifted: the Singer, Seer, Healer, Listener, Warrior, and Voice. Coming Day is the third book in the Seventh World Trilogy.

Joining us today is...

Rachel Starr Thomson!

Welcome Rachel! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Thanks, Sarah! Where to start? I'm a homeschool graduate in my late 20s who lives in Canada, writes and edits for a living, indie publishes, and travels around with a Christian performing arts group I co-direct, called Soli Deo Gloria Ballet. It's an out-of-the-box life, and I love it! 

What is the best part about being homeschooled?

Two things: time and the ability to invest time and effort in things that interested me. So many people are forced to waste incredible amounts of their time doing and learning things that truly are not relevant to their lives. On the nonacademic side, the time and ability to invest in relationships with family and with God's people were invaluable and still benefit me today!

What inspired your first book?

My very first book (well, the first one I ever finished)--which is actually available as an e-book through Little Dozen Press--is called Theodore Pharris Saves the Universe, and I honestly could not tell you what inspired it. I just sat down and started writing, with a humourous voice that isn't typical for me, and it was so much fun I finished it.

What made you keep writing? 

Well, either it was dreams of grandeur or it was just all the stories that were always kicking around in my head. I started writing seriously in my midteens (the era of Theodore and another book I'll soon be releasing as an e-book, a much more serious fantasy novel called Reap the Whirlwind), but then I actually put it down for several years. I picked it back up in my early twenties, at which point I knew I loved to write and that I had gifts I needed to do something with in faithfulness to my Creator.

Tell us what The Seventh World Trilogy is about?

My most ambitious writing project to date has been The Seventh World Trilogy, which I started in 2001 and finished in 2011. It's a fantasy set in a world that's medieval/Victorian in its feel, and it tells the story of a group of supernaturally Gifted young people who start poking around in history and find out that everything they know in their world is a lie--and that some pretty powerful forces are out to reinforce it. At the same time, the truth is also alive, and it's going to reveal itself. The cast ends up caught in a war between Light and Darkness and playing a role they never expected.

Where can people buy The Seventh World Trilogy?

The trilogy is made up of Worlds Unseen, Burning Light, and Coming Day, and all three books can be bought in paperback from any online retailer or in e-book from Kindle. They'll be available from most other e-book retailers as of March.

Do you have any advice for beginner writers?

Learn the rules and learn your craft, but don't forget to trust your own voice, experiment, and enjoy what you're doing. Read a lot. Learn what works not because you read it in a rule book, but because you've seen it working in stories that deeply moved you.

Announcement Saturday; Update

Authors Added

Becky Dan

Scott Macintyre

Books Added

The Rainbow Promise By Becky Dan

By Faith, Not by Sight by Scott Macintyre

We now have 55 authors listed and 160 books

Featrerd books

$0.99 Kindle books


The Destiny of One by Sarah Holman
Moonbeam by Katie Comstock
Truth by Molly Evangeline
The Pirate Daughter's Promise by Molly Evangeline
Delivered by Peculiar People
Word and Deed by Rachel Rossano
Exchange by Rachel Rossano
The Amulet of Renari by Sarah Scheele
Behold the Dawn by K.M. Weiland
The Memory Lights by K.M. Weiland
The Saddle Daddy Rode by K.M. Weiland 

The Shadow Things by Jennifer Freitag

The Legions have left the province of Britain and the Western Roman Empire has dissolved into chaos. With the world plunged into darkness, paganism and superstition are as rampant as ever. In the Down country of southern Britain, young Indi has grown up knowing nothing more than his gods of horses and thunder; so when a man from across the sea comes preaching a single God slain on a cross, Indi must choose between his gods or the one God and face the consequences of his decision.

Give a Warm Welcome to...

Jennifer Freitag!!

How did being homeschooled prepare you as a writer?

Being homeschooled doesn’t necessarily mean I had a fluid schedule.  My mother kept us at our work until the school-day let out at three in the afternoon.  However, our curriculum was heavily book-based and required a lot of reading, largely from historical novels, oftentimes from textbooks.  Additionally, my father has always been an avid reader.  Books and the love of reading books were always around us. 

These factors, coupled with my personality, started me writing at an early age.  Oddly enough, I detested my English courses and never progressed far in them; what I lacked in cold grammatical knowledge I made up intuitively by learning how to construct sentences, paragraphs, and ultimately stories from the authors I read for school.

What inspired you to start writing?

The English civil war.  My imaginary friend as a child was Oliver Cromwell, my real friend was the boy who would one day grow up to become my husband.  I mixed these two with an overpowering dosage of fantasy and began writing the most outlandish stories. 

What is The Shadow Things about?

Not the English civil war, nor fantasy, but it is based in England and it is definitely about faith.  I went clear back to the age of Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire (which, incidentally, was also made interesting to me by my homeschooling) and took up the story of Indi, a young British tribesman struggling to find the truth in his pagan gods and learning to suffer for the cause of Christ.  It is perhaps not exactly a happy story, but I sincerely hope it is a joyful and truthful one.

Where can people get your book?

There is one on my bookshelf, but that is mine.  If you want a copy of your own you can go on Amazon, or check your local bookstore, or buy it off my blog at The Penslayer—that way you can get an autographed copy!

Do you plan to write anymore books?

I have one more book in the editing stage, and one in the writing stage, and gobs more unwritten in my head.  When I die I will probably go out with an unfinished manuscript under my fallen forehead and people will be most distressed with me.

Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?

I read a quote by Voltaire once which went “To hold a pen is to be at war.”  Not being intimately acquainted with Voltaire I do not know precisely what he meant, but my own pen knows what it is like to be at war.  The Shadow Things is not a book which is likely to be widely popular.  It isn’t fuzzy, it isn’t romantic; it can be grim and stark and sometimes jarring—even for me.  When I took it upon myself to write The Shadow Things I wanted, not to write a happy story, but a true one, one about faith and bearing one’s cross and the reality of the forces of darkness which truly hate the light.  I had a prevailing disbelief in the forces of darkness and the Kingdom of Heaven to war against with my little pen.  I am still warring against it.  It isn’t popular and it can be discouraging, but they do say the pen is mightier than the sword, and I am told the truth will set men free.

Book By Aubrey Hansen

Government regulations said they had no choice. 17-year-old Philadelphia must stay on Earth in the care of complete strangers while her father is sent against his will to Mars. When a benevolent official gives her the opportunity to accompany her father, Philadelphia knows she must keep her head down or be sent back to Earth. But when a search for her deceased brother’s Bible leads her into a hallway that isn’t supposed to exist, Philadelphia is faced with a question she doesn't want to answer – the choice between returning to Earth or destroying it.

Coming in June

His angel saved him, but can he save his angel?

When a mysterious boy rescues him from kidnappers, Peter, a passionate prince, sets out to find his "angel" - and discovers that his rescuer is the rightful heir of a neighboring country.  Determined, Peter takes it upon himself to restore the long-lost king.  Can the young ruler outsmart a powerful overlord, or will his rebellion end in death - for both him and his angel?  

Book Review: Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen

Recommend for: All ages, mild sci-fi lovers, those looking for a short read, those wanting to support homeschool authors.

From the back cover:

Government regulations said they had no choice. 17-year-old Philadelphia must stay on Earth in the care of complete strangers while her father is sent against his will to Mars. When a benevolent official gives her the opportunity to accompany her father, Philadelphia knows she must keep her head down or be sent back to Earth. But when a search for her deceased brother’s Bible leads her into a hallway that isn’t supposed to exist, Philadelphia is faced with a question she doesn’t want to answer – the choice between returning to Earth or destroying it.

Can I be honest? I don’t read a lot of Sci-Fi because I don’t like most of it that is out there. I know, this is hard to believe coming from a science fiction writer, but it’s true. Red Rain was a resounding exception.
One day, while working on Homeschool Authors, I found out about Aubrey Hanson. When I stumbled on her website, I saw that there was a free audio book. One day while I was busy mindlessly entering data into the computer at work, I put on my head phones and started listening to the book. I was hooked from the first few sentences. In fact, I stayed up late when I got home (even though I had to get up early the next morning) to finish the book.

A week or so later I bought the Kindle book and thrust the Kindle at my twelve-year-old sister, telling her she would love this book (my twelve-year-old sister is one of the few people in the family that will sit and watch corny old sci-fi movies with me). She brought the Kindle back to me the next day declaring that the book had been too short. “It was such a good book! Why didn’t you make it longer?”

What I loved about it:

First off; Grace Pennington, the girl who read the book, has an amazing voice. If I ever had an audio book done of my books, she would be the one I would choose to do it.

The suspense was excellent and made me frustrated when the downloader didn’t buffer fast enough to keep up. I loved the faith displayed in this book. Without giving anything away, in the end they make a decision that goes against what many Christians would have chosen. It is the hard, much less traveled road of doing what is right, even if sets you back personally. I applaud Aubrey for the courage she showed in her writing.

One of the best things about this book is you felt you were in a real place. You could see the place where Philadelphia lived. You good feel the cold, hard walls of the star base. It all seemed so real, so believable.

What I didn’t like:
Does too-short and wish-there-was-more count?


I encourage you to listen to it for yourself and then, if you like it, show your support and buy the book.

Announcing the arrival of....

Aubrey Hansen!!

So, Aubrey, tell us a little bit about yourself?

Howdy!  I’m a twenty-something homeschool graduate from Wisconsin.  I write both scripts and novels, and I’m a moderator on holyworlds.org.  Animated movies, Pepsi, and dinosaurs are some random things I like.  When I’m avoiding my writing, I like to crochet, color with markers, and clean.  Reorganizing your desk is a very productive way to procrastinate.

What is your favorite homeschool memory?

I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I still remember writing a fairytale for a school assignment.  I got on a roll and wrote well over the page limit – and then didn’t touch writing again for years.  I still remember that story – it is, in fact, about the only school assignment I remember – and my mother thinks I should revise it sometime.  Perhaps one day I will.  Besides that, my most vivid homeschool memory is the time a family member hid a rubber snake in Mom’s stack of books.  (It wasn’t me.)

What got you interested in writing Christian Sci-Fi?

My first “real” novel was sci-fi – fanfiction, actually.  I was fascinated with the futuristic world involving slick metal buildings and intelligent robots, and that fascination has never died.  I love the endless possibilities that exist with sci-fi settings, and it’s a perfect playground to explore with Christian characters.

What is Red Rain about?

Red Rain follows the adventures of a (formerly homeschooled!) teenage girl as she fights against an oppressive futuristic society.  The government has taken away the right to homeschool, the freedom of religion, and her mother’s life.  What happens when the government wants to send her father to Mars – and force her to stay behind with complete strangers?

Where can people get it?

The ebook is available on Smashwords.com and Amazon.com.  There is also a paperback edition available on Amazon.  If you want to read my book for free, you can listen to the entire audiobook on my website!  

What is the best piece of writing advice you have received?

“Omit needless words.”  I heard this advice first from Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, but it wasn’t until I started screenwriting with the help of my film mentor that I really learned how to apply it.  If you use concrete words and precise details, you can create a vibrant picture in fewer words – and your writing is often more powerful as a result.  Cut the excess, and you might be surprised at how fluidly your writing flows.

Do you have any final thoughts?

There is a great need for well-written Christian fiction in our society – and that includes fiction about homeschoolers.  How many books have you read that feature accurately-portrayed homeschoolers?  I encourage all the other homeschooled authors out there to consider featuring homeschoolers in their books.  Your characters don’t have to go to public school to have an adventure!