Book Review: Avenir Eclectia

I really enjoyed this book, very engaging and full in interesting stories. As with any collection of stories, there were some stories I liked better then others. Travis Parry and H.A. Titus were my favorite authors. Fred Warren was my least favorite and I even skipped some of them because they were to bizarre for my taste.

Many of the characters appear in more then one story and over the course of the book, you get to know them and the culture of Avenir Eclectia.

I loved the style of this book. I don't think I have ever read short stories so well put together or cohesive. The well built culture that is so different then our own pulls all the stories together and makes you want more. The faith elements in many of the stories were so wonderful to see in a genre that has it so rarely

As I said, there were a few bizarre stories, and telepathic communication is used some (though not between humans). Creatures that are called angles (or demons if bad) can be a bit weird but didn't keep me from liking most of the stories about them.

I recommend this to Sci-Fi lovers, or those interested in learning how good, multi-authored micro-fiction is done

With us Today is....

Heather Titus!

Heather. Welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us about yourself.
Thanks Sarah! The first thing that anyone meeting me for the first time will notice is that I'm an introvert with a bit of a bohemian/eclectic taste in clothes. Then they discover that I'm a fairly active person (notice I did not say athletic) who quickly gets bored with things that do not engage her brain continually. I'm also an absolute nerd about anything science fiction and fantasy and I have a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor.

What was/is your favorite part of being homeschooled?
My favorite part about being homeschooled was that I got to help tailor my curriculum to things that interested me. I also appreciate that my parents taught me to think for myself and not blindly accept anything I was told.

When did you start writing?

 I started writing when I was about 8, but began to seriously consider it as a career when I was 12.

What kept you writing?

A combination of things...my parents and siblings were very supportive, and I tended to get grumpy if I didn't get the stories in my imagination out on paper. Few things make me happier than when I'm creating a new story or new characters.
 

How did you get involved in Avenir Eclectia?

I was browsing the Internet and ran across the website, which was run by one of my favorite small Christian presses, Splashdown Books. I'd been wanting to try my hand at short stories (before 2011, I wrote mostly novels), so I wrote a story and sent it in. The publisher asked for more, and before I knew it, it was 2012 and an anthology was coming out with some of my stories in it. :) 

Who will enjoy Avenir Eclectia: Volume 1?

Anyone who likes science fiction or fantasy. The world of Avenir Eclectia is very diverse, with lots of storylines going at any given time, so I bet that anyone who checks it out is bound to find at least one story or character they like. 
 

What is you favorite book and why?

My favorite book...that's a hard one! I think that out of every book I've ever read, The Lord of the Rings has stayed my favorite. It is beautifully written, with an intricate history and story, and it's what drew me into writing fantasy in the first place. 

What inspires you to keep writing?

Curiosity. I have a lot of characters in my head clamoring for attention, and I really want to find out their stories. My husband Justin also plays a big part in it--he's constantly encouraging me and helping me wrangle my way out of plot holes, even though he's not a big reader himself. 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned it writing for Avenir Eclectia?
Writing tight. The word count is very short (150-400 words), and at first, I didn't know if I could do that. But I've learned how to edit my words for precisely the right choice. I think it has made my writing a lot better.

Do you have any final thoughts?

Thanks for hosting me here, Sarah! It's always fun to visit this website and read about other homeschoolers who share my passion for books and writing. :) If anyone is interested in hearing more about my writing, you can visit my website,  (where I also ramble about my life, favorite tv shows, and anything else that catches my interest) or keep up with me at my Author Facebook page. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Announcement Saturday

News

Enter to win a copy of Peter's Angel here!

Authors Added

Abigail Rogers

Books Added

Cooks and Queens by Abigail Rogers

Here's....

Tessa Hall!

Tessa, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm an 18-year-old coffeeholic and author of Purple Moon, my YA Christian fiction novel to be published spring 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. I am also the editor over the faith department for Temperance Magazine, a column writer for Whole Magazine, as well as a contributing writer for Imagine Mag. I love God, acting, music, Starbucks, and my imperial Shih Tzu—who is named Brewer after a character in my book, as well as my love for coffee

What was your favorite part of being homeschooled? 

I seriously loved everything about being homeschooled: being able to create my own schedule (which included writing), doing school in my pajamas, going to the library or a coffee shop for a change of location, and being able to work on my own pace. I'm more of an introvert, so it was also nice being by myself rather than surrounded by extroverts seven hours a day.

What inspired you to write Purple Moon? 

I wanted to write a story about a girl who used to know God as a child, but over the years began falling away from him because of a broken family and crushed dreams. It was inspired by the song "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North, as well as the skit to "Everything" by Lifehouse (which you can view here).

What is it about?

I'm horrible at summing up the story in just a few sentences. How about I give you the back cover blurb instead? It's only the first draft, but hopefully it'll give everyone an idea of what the story is about:

Selena’s life isn’t turning out to be the fairytale she imagined as a kid. That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad—a preacher—kicked her and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a new beginning for Selena… but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn’t how Selena was planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to give up her “bad habits” for this. 

Things don’t seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn desperately needs her, a secret that’s been hidden from Selena for years is revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin’s nasty pranks, she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that come along with them. Will she follow her mom’s example in running away, or trust that God still has a fairytale life written just for her?

How did you land your book contact? 

I went to my first writer's conference when I was 16-years-old with the first three chapters of Purple Moon. I didn't actually schedule an appointment with an agent or an editor since there wasn't anyone who was looking for YA at the time. However, as I was having a meeting with an editor for Ibegat--a Christian teen website--a man came up to me and asked to see the first chapter of my manuscript. After my appointment, he wanted to know more about Purple Moon and seemed very interested. He told me that he was the Acquisition Editor at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (the book division for Ibegat & Christian Devotions), and gave me his email so I could send him the next chapters. A few months went by and eventually he ended up offering me a contract. After careful consideration and much prayer, in March 2011 I signed my first book contract with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. It was very exciting to say the least!

Who will like this book? 

Any teenager who can relate to Selena and the struggles she's had to face, such as insecurity, anxiety, crushed dreams, a broken family, etc. She's an artist as well as a dreamer, wishing that life could have turned out to be the fairytale she imagined when growing up in Kentucky. Since it's a contemporary novel, it deals with issues that teenagers have to face almost every day. Some Christian authors often try to steer away from presenting these kind of topics in YA books, however I believe it's a powerful way to really minister to teenagers and get on their level.

What is your favorite book or author and why? 

I absolutely love the Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn. These books were a big part of the reason why I was inspired to write my own series as well. Some other favorites of mine include: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Caleb + Kate by Cindy Coloma, Glass Girl by Laura Kurk, and basically anything that is written by Karen Kingsbury.

Are you planning on writing more books? 

This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so yes. Definitely. I'm currently working on the first draft for my next book. I'm also hoping to turn Purple Moon into a 3-book series in the future, and possibly write a Purple Moon spin-off series as well. I get a new book idea almost every day, and I'm not even exaggerating. If only I could just write a bit faster...

Do you have any final thoughts? 

I want to leave you all with a verse I found when I was 15 that has encouraged me to pursue my dreams as a teenager, but to make sure that I'm keeping God first.

"You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it."

~Ecclesiastes 11:9 (MSG)

Thank you for the interview, Sarah!

You are very welcome, Tessa!

Announcement Saturday

Authors Added

Lauralea Harriott

Vicki V. Lucas

Books Added

I Didn't Choose Singleness  by Lauralea Harriott

Toxic by Vicki V. Lucas

Novel Concept by Teagan Bentley

Write a book with Monica and Julie! When two homeschooling best friends team up to enter a novel writing contest, things get busy fast! Through planning for birthdays and getting ready for Halloween, Monica and Julie's writing adventure becomes one novel concept!

Give a Warm Welcome to...

Teagan Bentley!

Welcome to Homeschool Authors, Teagan. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Teagan and I'm the author of NOVEL CONCEPT. Here are a few things you can know about me:
* I've been on The Today Show, as well as two other news segments. (I'm
about to be on a couple more, but those are still secret.) [Link to The
Today Show:, KTVU:, KGUN9:
* I was in the documentary movie: Life in a Day.
* I can hula hoop while solving the Rubik's Cube.
* I am vegan.
* I'm homeschooled, but that's pretty obvious or I wouldn't be on this site.
* I've been taking ballet since I was five.
* I love Bollywood, and I've been taking Bollywood dance classes for the
past year.
* I recently started taking Tae Kwon Do, and I love it! I just broke a
board for the first time yesterday.
* I love designing and sewing outfits. I specialize in skirts.
* A few jobs I want to have are: author (of course), model, dancer, fashion
designer, and custom boutique owner.

What is your favorite part of being homeschooled?
One thing that's really nice about being homeschooled is that it allows me to have a very flexible schedule.

What is your favorite book genre?
It's hard to choose just one, but I'm thinking probably mystery because I find it really fun how you can try to solve the mystery before the detective in the book figures it out.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
Some books that I love include:
Secrets of My Hollywood Life (series) by Jen Calonita
The Howling Vowels by Leslie Schultz
Matched (series) by Ally Condie
Cody Greene and the Rainbow Mystery by Linda Fields
Fractured Fate by Caja Coyote (my sister is a co-author)
and, of course, the Wright on Time series by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley (my mom)


What first made you want to write a book?
  This is a hard question to answer because there are more than one responses to it:

(1) It just plain sounded like fun.

(2) I already had a bunch of story ideas, and I thought I might as well
write them out to see if I could.

(3) My mom is always writing (she's the author of the WRIGHT ON TIME series about an RV-living homeschooling family) and she is always brainstorming and editing with my sister, Zoe (also an author), and me. Since that is always so fun, I thought I'd give my own ideas a try.

What caused you to write a story about two girls writing a novel?  
I think its really cool whenever anybody does "something" about that something. For example, writing a book about writing a book, or maybe acting out a scene about acting, etc. So I thought it would be fun to do just that. When I was having difficulty coming up with what to write about, I realized that I could just write about that.:)

Tell us a little bit about A Novel Concept.
In NOVEL CONCEPT, the main plot is about writing a book. I actually found at few points that I was learning about things at the same time as Monica and Julie (the two main characters in my book). For example, I found I was still deciding on the GMC (Goal, Motivation and Conflict) for Monica and Julie at the same time as I was writing about them deciding on their GMC for their book. This was fun. I added in things that I like, such as Halloween and vegan foods, and I was set.

Where can people buy it?
I sell autographed copies on my website: The most popular place to buy it is Amazon:

Do you plan to write more books?
Yes! I do plan to write more books and I currently have a bunch of ideas about future books. Several are in the works, but most are just a list of ideas.

Can you give us a hint of what it is going to be about?
Well, of course, I want my next book to be a surprise, but I can say it's going to have a little bit of adventure and involve some of my hobbies and interests.:)

Any final thoughts? 
I love your website! Thanks for interviewing me!:)

Thank you for stopping by Teagan

Books By Natalie Wickham

Do you get to wear your pajamas to school? Do you have recess or snow days? What about socialization? Every homeschooler fields dozens of questions like these. Natalie goes beyond providing simple answers and shares candidly about the experiences that led her to conclude that education is about much more than academics. Whether you’ve been homeschooling since the days of the New England Primer or are just embarking on this educational adventure, you will find hope, humor, and an ample dose of reality in the pages of Pajama School.

The long hallway gave way to cold, sterile walls as Kathy was ushered into a room that would forever change her life The Green Room. It held the first of many secrets to come, but she wasn't about to let anything get in the way of her quest for happiness. With steely determination, Kathy s elusive dream led to a string of boyfriends, unwanted pregnancies, and failed relationships. Little did she know that while she was weaving her own web of deceptions and destructive choices, God was writing the plot of an even bigger mystery that was about to be revealed in a way she never could have imagined.

Join me in welcoming...

 Natalie Wickham!

What is your favorite homeschool memory?

Traveling together was always a fun and enriching experience! From small towns across Kansas, to the metropolis of Washington D.C., to the battlefield of Gettysburg, my siblings and I had numerous opportunities to learn about history and culture experientially. Those memories are still vivid, and also birthed in me a love for traveling to new places and viewing all of it as an educational experience.

What was your favorite subject when you were being homeschooled?

Honestly, my parents adopted a very flexible approach to our education and gave us lots of freedom to pursue and study areas that were of interest to them. As my interests changed and developed in different directions, I spent more time learning about those areas. One year I was really into American history, and read numerous books and wrote essays on specific time periods or events. Another year I studied creation science more in depth. When law and government piqued my curiosity, I checked out related books from the library and learned about the political process and the foundations of our nation. At one point I developed more of an interest in finances and business, so I took an accounting class and spent time asking questions and learning from successful business owners. At different times, I participated in writing contests, attended music workshops, took a calligraphy class, and so on. My parents both have a love for learning and instilled that love in me from a young age, then gave me the flexibility and freedom to follow my interests. I am so grateful to them for their influence and encouragement in every area I’ve studied and pursue!

 

What inspired you to write Pajama School?

The idea came pretty suddenly, at the end of 2006, as I was thinking and praying about goals for the following year. My theme verse was Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” As I reflected on some specific goals, one of the ideas that popped into my head was to write a book. Even though I wanted a lot of people to read and benefit from Pajama School, my primary motivation was to write a book that would encourage homeschool moms and help them see that in spite of all the challenges and sacrifices, it will be worth it in the end. My constant prayer is that God will “turn many to righteousness” as they read stories from my life about His faithfulness in spite of my sinfulness.

What is the book about?

It’s a collection of stories beginning when I transitioned into homeschooling in 4^th grade and continuing all the way through my college years. I talk about learning to get along with my siblings, dealing with having our mentally ill Grandma living with us, involvement in grassroots politics, what curriculum we used, how I started my music teaching business, why and how I continued homeschooling through college, how I struggled with and came to understand God’s role for me as an older unmarried girl, the life lessons I learned from my Mom and Dad and others, and lots more. As it says on the back cover, Pajama School is written to give readers “hope, humor, and an ample dose of reality.”

Where can people get it?

You can get it directly from me by clicking the link on the Pajama School website (http://pajamaschool.com) or you can check out the list of stores that carry it if you’d rather get it through one of our distributors: http://www.pajamaschool.com/blog/store-locations/.

How can people connect with you?

Anyone is welcome to e-mail me at natalie@pajamaschool.com. I keep up with the Pajama School blog sporadically, but I’m more actively involved right now with Music Matters Blog (http://musicmattersblog.com) and Born to Deliver (http://borntodeliver.com), my soon-to-be-released book!

Do you have any final thoughts?

Psalm 103:14 has become one of my favorite verses, “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” This is right after a beautiful recounting of God’s abundant grace and mercy toward His people. God has graciously and mercifully blessed me in many ways. But He remembers – and so must I – that I am dust. The greatest, most satisfying, most fulfilling experience in my life is knowing Jesus Christ. There is nothing that compares to His friendship and love and faithfulness as He walks with me through every situation in life. He is the source of joy in this life and hope for eternity. My heart’s desire more and more is that in every way possible I would communicate to others the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ.