Joining us today is...

Katie Hepner!

Welcome to Homeschool Authors! Please, tell us about yourself.

Thank you!  I am eighteen years old and was homeschooled all the way through, graduating in 2010.  I published The Teacher at age 15 and The Tiphereth Trilogy at age 17.  I am currently taking classes at a community college in Early Childhood Development because I love working with kids and hope to someday also become a Certified Professional Midwife.  Besides writing, I love music and working with children.

What is one of the best things that happened during your homeschooling years?

I remember studying ancient history and archeology and the “Wood age, stone age” etc.  I was given the assignment to write what a futuristic evolutionist archeologist might think if he dug up one of our current houses.  I remember really enjoying writing it, as I created an arrogant scientist believing wholeheartedly in the plastic age.

What caused you to start writing?

I’d always enjoyed making up stories but never liked to write them down until I learned to type.  I finished my first story at thirteen and tried to get it published, but it was  mostly pictures and so would have been expensive for me to publish.  I had the idea for The Teacher and wrote it with the intention of publishing it.

What inspired you to write The Tiphereth Trilogy?

I had been thinking a lot about how we are to do what is right before God, and leave the results to him.  I thought of it in the context of a war,  and how God determines the outcome, all we are responsible for is to fight the battle he has placed us in to the death.  And that is the premise of the book.

What is it about?

An epic battle to decide to whom the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong…

Enemy forces are advancing on the kingdom of Basileia.  The kingdom is also at peril from within.  The cities are warring against each other, and the families are not following in the ways of the High King.  All hope will be lost, unless young Prince Aramoth can lead his people not only to victory, but to repentance.

Where can people get it?

Purchasing information can be found at my blog,  I also hope to publish my books as ebooks on amazon soon.  If you know of anyone who would like to sell them, leave a comment on my blog or email me!

Are you planning on writing more books? If so, when can we expect the next one?

I have several ideas I am working on, and hope to publish more books in the future.  However, I doubt that I will be publishing any more books for a few years, with the exception of ebooks, due to high costs and the fact that I’m pretty busy.

If you could tell beginning writers one thing, what would it be?

From Tales and Novels, or, Moral Tales (by Maria Edgeworth) : Preface (preface by R. Edgeworth)

“It has been somewhere said by Johnson, that merely to invent a story is no small effort of the human understanding.  How much more difficult is it to construct stories suited to the early years of youth, and, at the same time, conformable to the complicate relations of modern society—fictions, that shall display examples of virtue, without initiating the young reader into the ways of vice—narratives, written in a style level to his capacity, without tedious detail, or vulgar idiom!  The author, sensible of these difficulties, solicits indulgence for such errors as have escaped her vigilance.
  “In a former work the author has endeavoured to add something to the increasing stock of innocent amusement and early instruction, which the laudable exertions of some excellent modern writers provide for the rising generation; and, in the present, and attempt is made to provide for young people, of a more advanced age, a few Tales, that shall neither dissipate the attention, nor inflame the imagination.”

I think it is important when writing for children, to write stories that will not “inflame the imagination”.  Many children’s books today do not understand the concept of there being consequences to any action.  It is important when writing for children, that we praise the good and show that there are consequences to wrong behavior, as well as good consequences to good behavior.

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Do you have any final thoughts?

I hope you all enjoy reading my books!  Sarah, thank you for interviewing me!  I enjoyed it!

Announcement Saturday: Five more

Followers needed for the big giveaway
5


Authors Added

None

Books Added

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Featured book

Moonbeam by Katie Comstock

Moonbeam lives in the magical land of Glaucio. She is the daughter of Fiona, lead mare of the main herd in the land. When Fiona is brutally killed by Abaddon, Moonbeam is thrust into command of the herd. She must battle against Abaddon and his evil forces using her innocence and a gift from Stardust. Abaddon wishes to kill Stardust, the stallion in charge of all the land. Moonbeam and her friend, Comet, must fight together with mares and stallions of other herds to prevent this. If Abaddon succeeds, the land of Glaucio will be cast into 300 years of darkness, evilness and despair.

It is out Pleasure to Present...

Katie Comstock!

What is you favorite subject in school?

My favorite subject in school is Anatomy and Physiology. I love learning about how God created the human body to work almost flawlessly and all the different systems He put in place.

What inspired you to start writing?

I was inspired to start writing when I decided I didn’t like math. Mom would always find me writing short stories when I was supposed to be doing it. I wrote my first book at the age of 7. It’s around 500 words long and about a TV that danced during the winter. My writing improved slightly after that, taking on more realistic storylines. I really started writing seriously when my Mom bought me the One Year Adventure Novel program. It teaches you how to write a compelling story and goes through the process in one school year.

 What is Moonbeam about?

Moonbeam is about a young horse named Moonbeam. She lives in the land of Glaucio with her mother and herd. The story is an somewhat of an allegory, because at places in the book it’s shown how the world of Glaucio was made and near the end ***spoiler alert*** the Jesus-figure lays down his life for the horses.

What inspired Moonbeam?

Moonbeam was inspired by a poster at Wal-Mart. As silly as it may sound, that’s where the idea came from. My sister and Mom were shopping for something else, probably craft stuff which I’m not interested in, so I went to look at the posters. I saw the horse one and immediately thought “Oh! Story idea!”.

Where can people get it?

People can purchase the paperback or hardcover on Lulu.com and the Kindle edition on Amazon.

Do you plan to write more books?

I definitely plan to write more books! I’m in the process of writing one right now and have several other ideas in the works.

Books by Charissa Lees

Kiliki: She’s a girl on the run. Her parents have sold her hand in marriage. She feels her single hope is to run for her life with only her prayers to guide her. Her life has been one of lies, with a past far different from anything she ever imagined for herself. Now she must come to terms with her new identity. Is there no one she can trust? Tommy: He is the hated Black Panther, a pirate, a rouge, a man of title, and captain of the Guardian Star, the fastest ship on the ocean. He is on a quest to secure his inheritance and avenge his father’s death. The last thing he needs is the distraction of her. They come from separate parts of the land with very separate goals and ideals, yet God has marked them to travel together. Can they fulfill their goals without each other or will they end up needing one another more than either can foresee? Only the true Guardian Star knows.

Did you ever have the capability to destroy a world simply because you knew it existed? Or perhaps you’ve had to choose between your family in one world or your very survival in another? These were the matters that I had to deal with when I fell into and lived in Little Sherwood. It was then that I discovered a new world with limitless possibilities and a life I had lived but never knew existed. I have memories, abilities, and feelings from this unknown life and the only thing I brought with me is the one way to destroy Robin Hood. I don’t know the answers anymore. There are no guarantees in this life, always has no meaning to me, and perhaps far worse, my head and my heart are becoming entwined in Lil’ Sherwood. My name is both Kristy and Leia and this is my story.

The Taldek Heroic Tales are a collection of adventurous stories of three heroes in the fantasy Taldek time line as they fight to save their country and friends from spies, warring kingdoms, and dragons. Caleb will betray a friend to save the girl from the conniving count and his country from destruction. Jamie will buck the status quo save a dragon she believes in, even when only one will stand by her side. Elizabeth is the only one available to go to Dragon Valley and save not only them, but her own home as well, at least, as long as that man doesn't get in her way. Follow Caleb, Jamie, and Elizabeth as their personal adventure becomes your own and proving that anyone can be the star of their own story.

This is a whimsical short story exploring where dreams are created. In an unknown world, Grace is drawn to a dark mountain by a song she hears only inside her. No one that she meets is who they seem and answers are always elusive. Now, she must plunge into the heart of the mountain and the sky above to discover her true destiny in a world where dreaming is everything.

Put Your Hands Together for....

Charissa Taylor Lees!

Welcome to Home school Authors!  Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in a close knit pastor's family of five kids. I was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school and loved every part of it. Next, I attended Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU), where I studied Bible and Communication. In order to help pay for college, I joined the Army National Guard. Now there's an experience! After I graduated college I was totally unsure what I should do. I was in a meeting at our church and they were once again talking about building a youth center some day. I realized no one was ever going to actually do it, so after a long couple of chats with God, I decided to try. From that, came the Solid Rock Youth Center, of which I am still the Executive Director. In the middle of that, I was called on to serve a tour in Iraq with my Guard unit. My future husband would serve the tour with me, despite coming back from a different tour only months before. When I came home, I went back to PBU and earned my Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership. The week after I graduated, Shawn and I got married. It was a busy year! We have now been married for two years and I have finished serving my nine years with the military.

What was your favorite part about being homeschooled?

An easier question, might be what didn't I like! I have quite a few favorite parts about homeschooling, but if I narrow that down, I think one of  my favorite parts, was being about to learn about a favorite subject for as much as I wanted and being able to learn about it across other subjects. For instance, my history turned into a geography project, which then became a paper for my writing. Meanwhile, I did as little math as possible! But even when I had a hard time grasping it, we were able to change tracks and I took business math rather than calculus. So, even on subjects I didn't enjoy, we still found a way to make learning a great experience.

What inspired you to start writing?

Being homeschooled! Seriously. The geography project that turned into a writing project was my first taste of creative fiction writing. I give total credit to my mom. I wasn't great at school like my brother was, so my mom found creative ways for me to figure out what I liked to do. She discovered that when I made my island for geography I had amused myself by naming all the towns a certain way and giving it a complex history. She encouraged me to write one of my three page papers on it. It turned out to be five pages. The next one was thirteen. I found when I started writing this way, rather than just repeating facts, I had tons of ideas!

What inspired your book The Guardian Star's True Mark?

I think I was working on this book my whole life. The Guardian Star's True Mark was biased completely on the main characters Tommy and Kiliki. Tommy is a real person and Kiliki is me. I always thought that pirates were fascinating and would make a great story. Hence, their setting was in place. I knew I wanted Kiliki to have a brother, because I am so close to mine, so family became a vital part of the story. I wanted a story where Tommy and Kiliki could finally be together, so I took all those elements and the book was born. I was also reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Linda Chaikin, and realized that her main male character was a lot like Tommy. I figured if a published author could have a character that was so much like mine, I had nothing to lose by writing Tommy's story!

What is it about?

At its heart, it is about finding and fighting for your family and God fighting for you as He marks you as His own child. Kiliki grew up in a house where she really felt unloved. Her only true friend is her maid and her little sister. So, when her parents force her to marry to secure their own place in society and be quiet about it, she decides it is time to get away. She stows away on a ship headed for anywhere but her home town. What she doesn't know is the ship she has stowed away on is The Guardian Star, ship of the infamous Black Panther. The Black Panther is known to hit more pirate ships than he does merchants and he is equally hated by both. Tommy is the pirate captain's name and he is on a mission of his own. His inheritance has been claimed by his uncle and unless he can find a painting and prove his own claim, his uncle will steal everything. Tommy is less than pleased to discover his stowaway, but Kiliki is terrified. Not only is she on the ship of a well known pirate, but one of his crew members seems to be searching for her! If her parents find her, she will be forced into the loveless marriage. But this crew member holds a secret about her past that will change everything she knows. She and Tommy soon realize the only one they can trust is God and whatever destiny He has planned for them, because it certainly isn't what they thought!

Where can people get it?

The easiest way is to go to the book section of my website. I have links to all my books there. 

I have both ebooks and books.

What was your most rewarding moment as a writer?

My most rewarding moment is hearing about those who have read the book and how it has helped or changed them. A close second would be holding The Guardian Star's True Mark in my hands for the first time. It was so amazing to see Tommy and Kiliki's names in writing with a full book cover. I have lived with these characters for so long, to finally give them a real book was amazing.

Do you have any final thoughts?
Thank you so much for interviewing me! This was fun! I love talking about homeschooling and writing. My life would be drastically different without both. I've always said that the best decision my parents could have made for me was homeschooling me. It took me places I would never have imagined and it gave me the freedom and ability to fall into worlds where anything is possible with characters I know as well as my own family. I'm eternally grateful that God lets me write every day just because I love it. I am always writing a new story and I can't wait to see what happens next just as much as the readers! My favorite genres are action/adventure romance and fantasy. Although, I admit right now I am working on a Revolutionary War trilogy. I pray that my writing gives those that read it an incredible journey into the worlds and with the  people I live with everyday, but more so, that they can see the God that loves them in this world and wants to place His mark on them. I love to hear what people thought of my books and what may have impacted them, so please go to my website or Facebook  and talk to me!

Announcement Saturday: 11 more to go

We only need 11 followers to start our giveaway! Tell your friends about Homeschool Authors and get them to follow the blog.

Authors Added

Amy Dashwood

Rebekah Wall

Books Added

Only a Novel by Amy Dashwood

A Nation Apart by Rebekah Wall

Featured Book

Books by Rachel Rossano

A stand alone novella set in a medieval world tentative named "Five Kingdoms," The Mercenary's Marriage follows the relationship of a mercenary and a slave. Choosing Brice as his part of the plunder after a siege, Darius marries her and spends most of the book trying to earn her trust (and love). Brice resists him because of the many years of abuse at the hands of her master and his family.

Available on Amazon and Smashwords

Book Trailer

The first of four books following the Theodoric family, The Crown of Anavrea follows the relationship of Labren/Trahern and Eve. Labren, a man on the run, has reached the end of his strength until Eve steps in and refuses to let him give up. She nurses him back to health at risk to herself, and he offers her the legal and physical protection of marriage. A bit of a choosing to love despite fierce opposition tale. Like The Mercenary's Marriage, it takes place in the world of the "Five Kingdoms" during a different time period. It is another novella.

Available on Amazon and Smashwords

Book Trailer

Exchange is my first published attempt at writing a short story and my first attempt at science fiction. Isolated on a distant planet, she is incarcerated for a crime she doesn’t recall. She has no name, no idea where she came from, or why she is injected with drugs to hold these vital facts from her grasp. Despite small rebellions, she wastes away, worn and losing hope of ever being whole again. Then he arrives. Claiming to hold the answers burned daily from her brain, he offers her a way out. But at what cost?

Available on Amazon and Smashwords

Book Trailer

Word and Deed is a short story set in the Medieval time period. Verity Favian's father dies unexpectedly. Her half-brother, Verdon, lays claim to all their father left behind: title, castle, and her. Verdon cannot touch the land set aside for her dowry so he offers her hand for sale to the highest bidder. Lord Silvanticus, a man renowned for his military power and close ties to the king, makes the winning bid. Despite the rumors of Silvanticus’ madness and cruelty, Verdon accepts.

Available on Amazon and Smashwords

Book Trailer

Put Your Hands Together for....

Rachel Rossano!

First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a happily married mother of three young children. My days overflow with housework, teaching my oldest son, and potty training my almost- two-year-old twins. My writing squeezes into naptime and after bedtime. Still, my latest project is rarely far from my thoughts. Even my hobbies--reading, book cover design, and book trailer creating--are connected to writing.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you as a homeschooling kid?

One of my fondest memories of homeschooling was keeping my fellow homeschoolers eager for more of my stories. Our homeschool group met once a week. I wrote mostly play-style bantering romps that showed off my latest vocabulary words. I incorporated my own odd sense of humor and featured personas of myself and some of my friends. Very little description was incorporated with the dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed keeping everyone eager for the next installment. I frequently stopped writing mid scene or mid-sentence, insisting they wait until the next week to find out what happened.

How did being homeschooled affect your writing?

Learning at home taught me self-discipline, initiative, and the confidence to be different. If I don’t understand something, I seek out resources. No one stood over me saying that I could not learn what I want to learn or accomplish what I set out to do. I have no perception of “you can’t do that because it isn’t something (fill in the blank) do.” Although I care about others’ opinions as much as the next person, I tend to not let them hold me back from what I believe is important.

What inspired you to start writing?

I have always been a huge reader. As a young fairytale lover, I developed a taste for happily ever after endings. As my reading experience expanded into other genres and grew in new directions, I became dissatisfied with some aspects of the storylines. I began rewriting the books in my head, taking characters in new directions and exploring ideas the author chose to ignore. The progression to writing my own stories happened naturally.

What is The Crown of Anavrea about?

The first book of my four book series following the Theodoric family, The Crown of Anavrea focuses on the relationship of a man with a complicated past and the slave woman who gives him hope. Their story is set in a fantasy world I created while still a teen. The focus is on their decision to love and the difficult decisions that follow. I originally wrote it while a newlywed myself. The novel was published years ago, but I recently re-obtained the rights. The current version is a reworking of the original story, polished and expanded slightly.

Who do you recommend it for?

It is a sweet romance and appropriate for teens. However, the book has quite an adult following as well. As a novella, it doesn’t explore all of the themes in great depth. There is a mild thread of faith, but I don’t develop it extensively in this book.

Where can people buy it?

The Crown of Anavrea is available in print through Amazon or Lulu. The ebook is available through most ebook retailers including Amazon, Barnes& Noble, and Smashwords.

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

Write. Like any skill, writing improves with practice. So, write, edit, seek feedback, and write some more.

Do you have any final thoughts?

I am a wholehearted believer in the power of words. As a writer, I hope to change people with my stories. I know might sounds strange coming from an author of clean romantic fiction, but I believe even romantic fiction has a place in transforming people for the better. Marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5). By exploring the motivations, choices, emotions, and other nuances of love and marriage, I hope to show a bit of the Christ’s love for his bride, the church. That might be why I tend toward the theme of choosing to love in many of my stories.

Announcement Saturday: Goal of 90 update

We now have 77 followers! We only need 13 more followers to reach 90.  When we do, we will be giving away a copy of Amy Wiley's book Bring your Writing to Life and * drum-roll* Hannah Mills will be giving away a copy of both Called and Plague of Darkness. More prizes may be added so check back next week. So spread the word and tell your friends to follow Homeschool Authors.

Authors Added

Sarah Brown

Jordan Smith

Books Added

Learning Lessons From Furry Friends by Sarah Brown

Finding the Core of Your Story by Jordan Smith

Caralyst ZX-10 by Luke Alistar

Deep Water by Luke Alistar

Featured Book

Books By Bethany Faith

The Northern Mountains are all that separate the three villages containing human life from the dangerous and forgotten territories. A place with hidden monsters and unknown enemies. All are forbidden to go there. Only one had been lost to the terrors that hide in the uncharted lands until the day when an accident leaves three teenagers trapped in the caves of the mountains. They know their only chance to survive is to travel deeper into the caves in hopes to emerge on the other side of the mountains. Soon, what starts out as an attempt to keep alive turns into a journey to discover a power beyond explanation and defeat their enemy, a man who is more than just a hidden foe, but their troubles do not end there.

Gavin, Brian, and Emuna return to Realta after having gotten lost in the Northern Mountains months before, but they are met with the shattered remains of what once was their hometown. When plans to rescue their captive families do not meet up to Emuna's expectations, she decides to save them herself. However, her attempt quickly turns to disaster when an old enemy comes back to haunt her.

Announcing the arrival of....

Bethany Faith!

Bethany, tell the readers a little bit about yourself.

Well, my name is Bethany Faith - which is my first and middle name - and I've been writing since I was four years old; I'm fourteen now. Writing has always been my passion and it's what I love doing. Since I've been homeschooled my entire life, I've been allowed to work on my strengths and have been able to pursue my loves. 

I self-published my first book in June of 2011 and just published the sequel to that book on New Year's day this year. They are part of a four or five book series that I am currently in the process of writing. 

Due to my past experience with friends that suffered from depression and low-self esteem, I tend to target that type of teenage audience, but the books I've published so far are more overtly Christian than many other things I intend to write. They have strong allegory, because I specifically wrote them for Christians when I started them, but I intend to write other books targeted to different audiences in the future.

Along with writing, I also love music and draw a little bit. I write a lot of poetry because of this, and have mapped out a few of my Fantasy worlds that I've created. 

What are your favorite subjects in homeschool?

I love English and Science, which is a fun combination for a Fantasy writer. I've always been intrigued in the scientific side of why things happen, and when you're inventing a world or plotting out a scene knowing that sort of stuff can really come in handy. So I always payed extra-attention in Science class; I'm usually the one always asking when we get to start dissecting stuff. 

You sort of need to apply yourself in English for writing too, so that's definitely a helpful skill to have. Due to my writing, I've always been into grammar so English is usually the subject with the highest grades.  

What is your least favorite subject?

I don't really like Math. I started Algebra this year and it's very quickly turned my moderate dislike of the subject into major dislike. They actually started off the school year by telling me that Algebra was another language. That freaked me out a bit, haha. It's still pretty fun when I put my mind to making it fun though. 

What made you start writing?

I was really little so I really can't remember very much other than asking for lots of notebooks and coming up with crazy stories every time I had a free moment. I think it was probably a combination of watching my mum journal a lot, my love of reading, and just a very active imagination. I needed something to pour all that creativity into and writing was one of the things I chose as an outlet. 

I don't really think there was a deciding moment where I thought to myself "I want to be a writer." It just sort of happened that my stories were put on paper and I decided to share them with people. 

What inspired your book What Lies in the Dark?

Ironically, it didn't really have a base when I started it. The verse which I put on the back of the books was actually brought to me by a friend of mine after the first book had been completed, and I quickly adopted it as the series' sort of 'theme' verse. I can't actually say that verse inspired the book, though most people think that.

Originally though, I think what I wanted to do was to write a Christian Fantasy story that didn't involve a maiden, a knight, and a castle, and might attract an audience that liked whimsical or magical elements in stories. So, really, I think it was the undeniable need for wholesome Fantasy stories that everyone can read (that aren't as old as Tolkien or Lewis) that really urged me to write. From there I decided to go with the theme of lies and uncovering truth, which is something that can be done in so many abstract ways that I figured it would be nice to write about.

Where can people get your books?

I publish with CreateSpace, which is an Amazon-run indie publishing company, so all of my books are available atamazon.com. 

Are you planning on writing more books?

Certainly. Just right now I'm working on the third book in my 'Trials of Three' series, a novel called 'Exceeding Flesh & Blood' along with several other series, a trilogy, and countless ideas that just haven't been smoothed out enough yet for me to start writing. I'll be keeping busy with my writing, and intend to publish more books in the near future for sure. 

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

I'd like to encourage every writer to just keep writing. A lot of people get discouraged when they realize how much time and effort publishing or even just writing the first draft of a book can be, but it's completely worth it. Being able to hold those thousands of words that contain aspects of your life and worldview is very rewarding.