Interview with Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

Jenelle, welcome to Homeschool Authors. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Introspective, imaginative, devoted

What are some of your hobbies?
I don't have much time for hobbies after being a stay-at-home mom of 2 young daughters (4 and 1), about to dive into homeschooling a kindergartener, and writing fantasy novels... but if I had time for hobbies I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, biking, reading, horseback riding, downhill skiing, ice skating, and ultimate frisbee.

Have you always loved fantasy?
Pretty much. Growing up, my Dad would read out loud to my younger siblings and me every night before bed. That was where I was introduced to The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Taran of Caer Dalban, Charles Wallace and Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, and many other wonderful fantasy classics. These story times inspired my imagination and my siblings, cousins and I spent countless hours trying to find a door into Narnia.

The homeschooling experience is different for everyone. What do you feel made your experience unique?
I don't know about unique, but I have 8 girl cousins all within 4 years of my age and we were all homeschooled... so our homeschool "co-op" was all family. I think that's one of the reasons I have always had such a close, almost sibling-like, relationship with my cousins. I loved being homeschooled, I love that it cemented my friendship with my younger brothers and sister in a way that might not have happened otherwise as there are 4 years between myself and my next oldest sibling.

What caused you to start writing?
I've been writing since I could hold a pen and form words. I recently found a short story I had written when I was six or seven about my then baby brother. My grandma wrote a book, and most of my family loves reading, so I guess it's just in my blood. In high school I co-authored a science fiction novel with my best friend, it was kind of cheesy, but we had a lot of fun doing it. I think that was when I first started to think about writing seriously.

What inspired King's Warrior?

My dad asked me to write an adventure story that he could read out loud to my siblings at night. The idea sort of inspired me. I went and started hunting through old creative writing journals, looking for somewhere to start, and I came across an old journal entry I had written about the sun rising over a pond. In the journal entry I likened the sun to a dragon and the pond to its cave. This got me thinking about how in a world with dragons, the sun might be seen as a sort of dragon to the people, and maybe even called something like The Dragon's Eye instead of the sun. From there, the story sprang to life.

Could you give us a description?
When Dark Warriors invade her country, it is up to Princess Kamarie to seek out the legendary king's warrior and request his aid. The feisty princess has spent her life dreaming of adventure and is thrilled to be tasked with such a quest. However, the adventure merely begins when she meets Brant: a warrior with a mysterious past. He joins her cause readily, his heart smoldering with a vendetta Kamarie cannot completely understand. But whether she trusts him or not, the hope of their world rests on the steel he wears at his side.

Who will enjoy this story?
I wrote the story originally for my dad to read out loud to my family. At the time, my audience consisted of myself (20), my high school aged brothers (16 & 14), my younger sister (10), and my parents (40s). My goal with writing fantasy is to provide clean, adventure-filled stories that can be enjoyed together by families.

Where can they buy King's Warrior?
Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, anywhere books are sold online. They are also available in the Raleigh, NC area libraries. We are working to get them into more libraries, as well.

What is the best writing advice you every received?
"If you want to be a writer, you need to be writing." My dad told me that when he challenged me to write that very first book the summer after my freshman year of college. It's the best advice I've ever gotten when it comes to writing.

Do you have any final thoughts?
I'm not sure about final thoughts, but I'd love to share a snippet from my book with you. This is my favorite scene in the entire book. It's from near the beginning of the story:
"And which way do you think we should follow the river, your highness?" Oraeyn asked through gritted teeth.

"That way, of course," Kamarie said, pointing upstream, which she knew full well was the wrong direction, back towards the palace, just to annoy him; it worked.

"Fine!" Oraeyn exploded. "Have it your way! But when we show up back at the palace, I'm not going to take the blame for getting us lost, I know which way we are supposed to go, and you, apparently, have no experience in following directions at all! You want to go up-river,¦ then¦ you... go up-river!" He knew he was sputtering, but he no longer cared, “I, on the other hand, am going to go down-river, through the Mountains of Dusk, and into the village called Peak's Shadow, to find your father's friend and explain why you are not with me. But I won't have to explain that will I? Because you know where you're going. You know your way around, don't you?" 

Of course I knew we had to head down-river, stable boy, Kamarie said in a chilly tone. As he began his tirade, Kamarie was simply amused, but by the time he finished, she was no longer amused and in no mood to explain that she had been teasing.

At that, Oraeyn completely lost any and all grip he had on his loosely controlled frustration. What right did she have to treat him like this? She was only a princess, after all. And he was a squire, in training to become a defender of her nation. Without people like him, she might have been born a peasant's daughter. The nerve of her referring to him as a stable boy!

He dismounted from his chestnut horse and marched over to her. Glaring up at her through the rain that had been pouring down on them all day, he grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the saddle. She let out a startled yelp and started beating on him with her fists. He had to admit, the girl could throw a punch. He swung her into his arms and turned as she started yelling and protesting.

"Now, young man" Darby started, but stopped when he threw her a withering glare.

"I am not going to hurt her. I am just going to teach her that she can't treat people the way she does and get away with it," he said.

He slowly and deliberately carried Kamarie to the riverbank and dumped her into the four feet of chilly, slow-moving water. He watched until she came up, making sure that she was not hurt. Then he turned and walked back to his horse.

 Thanks so much for having me!

Jenelle is giving away a copy of her book! Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

>

Announcement Saturday

Announcement 

Morgan Huneke is having a giveaway of her upcoming book, The Experiment, next week. Watch her blog for the details!

There is still time to enter Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Five Slippers writing contest

Books Added

(coming soon) The Experiment by Morgan Elizabeth Huneke

Interview with Alexa Schnee

Alexa, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! Well, I just turned twenty-two and have finished up my college education. I published my first novel when I was twenty, and I wrote a good chunk of it when I was still a homeschooled student. Right now, I'm getting ready to move to Italy to teach English, applying for grad programs, and writing, of course.

I see you have done a lot of traveling. What has been your favorite place to visit.
That's really hard. I've been to over ten countries in the past year, so it's hard to narrow down a specific place I like the most. I loved Wales when I went through there last (I hope to live there someday), and I'm always up for France or Italy. I also recently got to go to Stratford and see Shakespeare's birthplace and home, which was amazing.

The homeschooling experience is different for everyone. What do you feel made your experience unique?
One of the best things about homeschooling for me was that I was able to travel a lot and see new things. My parents both contributed to my education, and they wanted to make sure that we learned outside the classroom as well as in it. I also had a lot of time to think and create and imagine, and I think that gave me the time to think about being a writer for a career.

Have you always been interesting in Shakespeare?
I have been! I remember reading Shakespeare when I was very young, and I have always had an interest in him as a both a writer and as a person. Me and my siblings used to put on excerpts of his plays, and my mother made sure it was required reading for us.

What caused you to start writing?
I've always written for pretty much as long as I can remember. There was never a time where I didn't have a pen in my hand, really. I would write short stories, novellas, plays, whatever I was interested in at the time.

What inspired you to write Shakespeare's Lady?
I was actually writing my last report as a homeschooled student (I graduated high school early and started taking college classes at sixteen) and I was writing about Shakespeare's poetry. I came across this woman whom he wrote sonnets for, the "Dark Lady," and was amazed that no one still knows who she is. After doing some research, I found a woman several scholars have contended was the "Dark Lady"--Emilia Bassano Lanier, one of England's first published female poets.

Could you give us a description of the book?

Shakespeare's Lady is about Emilia, who arrives at court during Queen Elizabeth I's reign. She is forced to deal with all the court intrigue and her unsanctioned relationship with Shakespeare. It's also about writing and the development of some of Shakespeare's greatest works, which is kind of fun.

Who will enjoy it?
Anyone who loves Tudor fiction or historical fiction. Shakespeare fans should like it, and those who like historical mysteries.

What process did you go through to get Shakespeare's Lady published by Guidepost?
I went to a writer's conference in California. I would recommend any young writer to go to Mount Hermon. Everyone there was so encouraging and wonderful. I met both my agent and my editor there, and pitched Shakespeare's Lady to them. After a month or two of negotiating contracts and things, I had signed the dotted line and we went into the editing process. That took a long time, but it definitely made it a better book.

Do you plan to write more books?
I do! I have written two others. We're pitching my second to a few publishing houses right now, so we'll see when it comes out. Writing is my life, and I can't imagine not working on some book or another.

If you had to pick your favorite line by Shakespeare, what would it be?
I love the line from Hamlet: "My words fly up, but my thoughts remain below..." (Act III, Scene iii). For me, it represents the fact that words can take us places, but we are still grounded in our own humanity. In the context of the play, Hamlet's uncle, Polonius, is asking for forgiveness for murdering the king. He knows he is still human no matter what. Hamlet is also my favorite Shakespeare play.

Do you have any final thoughts?
Just thanks for interviewing me! This has been a ton of fun.

Book Review: Across the Stars

Buy it Here

Age Appropriate For: All Ages

Best for Ages: 8 to 16

Description: A prince becomes king. A boy comes to grips with his mother’s death. A girl faces a difficult decision. A young man learns the consequences of his rashness. A rabbit travels through space. And in another part of the universe, five children begin the adventure of a lifetime. After a midnight journey through the far reaches of space, Sara, Charles, Jack, Hetty, and Lu Watson find themselves on Emoria; a planet ruled by wicked King Jorrid, and the home of an oppressed people, waiting to be set free. There they meet Felix Walker, the poorly treated son of King Jorrid’s general. Together with Felix, the Watsons put together a force for the purpose of freeing Emoria. But will their small band of farmers and children be able to stand against the king’s massive army?

It seems I go into every fantasy and sci-fi book thinking I’m not going to like it. This is probably due to the fact I have been given several books from those genres and been very disappointed. This book did not disappoint me. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations.

The whole story has the feeling of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe about it. It has the same charm as the C. S. Lewis stories, yet there is no doubt that this is a different tale. It is a very original story which combines science fiction and non-magical fantasy for a tale that will delight children and adults alike.

The children of the story are delightful, each with their own personality. They work together and use their combined knowledge of scripture, history, and strategy to help the people of Emoria win their freedom. Even the smallest children have a part in the plan.

Morgan Huneke has a wonderful style. She has a charming way of telling a story. She was able to incorporate flashbacks into her story in a very effective way. She also did a great job incorporating large amounts of scripture into the story in a very powerful way. Even I, who normally would roll my eyes at quite so much scripture being used in a book, found it refreshing and a blessing.

There were only two things that I didn’t care for. First, I found the Declaration of Emoria Independence was a bit long. I loved the idea, but it was a bit long for the book.  Second, the Gettysburg Address was also included in its entirety. Although it fit the situation, again it seemed a little long for the story.

At the end, there was a hint of a possible sequel. I hope there is, because I loved this story. I highly recommend this for a family read-aloud, or as a fun adventure for children.

Was this helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.

I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Interview with Morgan Huneke

Morgan, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Thanks for having me! I am a seventeen-year-old homeschooled high school student, the oldest of three girls, and now, after a childhood of dreaming about it, finally an author! I love God, books, playing the piano and violin, babysitting, sewing, pottery, Ultimate Frisbee, Civil War era dancing, campaigning, American history well, I think I've covered the main things. I've been homeschooled ever since kindergarten and I've loved to read and write since I learned how. When I was eight, a family friend ran for State House, and, as a result, my family became extremely politically active. I have worked on multiple campaigns growing up, and am greatly looking forward to being able to vote next year. Honestly, I'm a lot more excited about getting to vote than learning to drive!

What is your favorite part of being homeschooled?
That's a tough one. There are a lot of things I like about being homeschooled, but probably one of the top things is that it has enabled our family to be close. Too often, you see that when children go to school, a wedge is driven between them and their families. They would rather hang out with their friends than their siblings, and they disrespect, and sometimes even hate, their parents. I, on the other hand, like spending time with my family. My sisters are my best friends. I like being with my parents, and I'm glad when they tell me what to do. While I have lots of friends and I enjoy hanging out with them, my family is more important. I feel sure that if my sisters and I were not homeschooled, things would not be this way.

How did being homeschooled affect your writing?
One way homeschooling affects my writing is the content. I'm pretty sure I would not be writing Christian books if I had gone to school. And there probably wouldn't be any of America's heritage in them either. Being homeschooled has also allowed me to stretch my mind and exposed me to classic literature, which has affected my writing style. Plus, most of my characters have ended up being homeschooled.

What caused you to start writing?
I've been writing so long it's hard to pick out what actually got me to start, but most likely it was my love of books. My parents read to me from the time I was a baby. When I was little, I would bring my mom stacks of books for her to read to me. My parents also read children's classics and historical fiction to me and my sisters at bedtime and during lunch. And I read loads of books on my own. I loved to pretend. I constantly imagined I was someone from a story, or someone I had made up. That developed into stories, though most of them were never finished. But I think what it boils down to is that God gave me a desire to tell stories, and it didn't really take anything special to bring it out.

What inspired you to write Across the Stars?
I honestly don't know where the idea for the story itself came from, just that I started to make it up because I wanted to tell my sisters a story. I made up the beginning while I was riding my bike in our neighborhood, told it to my sisters, and it took off from there. The struggle for independence is inspired by American history, the dungeon by The Tale of Despereaux, and I'm sure The Chronicles of Narnia shaped my mind for it, but the story itself seemed to come out of nowhere. Most of my story ideas have very definite inspiration, but Across the Stars is not one of them.

What is it about?
Five children find a spaceship in their backyard, which transports them to a planet two galaxies away from ours. This planet has been ruled by a wicked tyrant by the name of King Jorrid for twenty years. The children, the Watsons, find that they are meant to lead these people to freedom. The Watsons use their knowledge of American history and the Declaration of Independence to work to free the planet. There are also three subplots woven into the Watson narrative exploring the events surrounding Jorrid's rise to the throne and his twenty year reign. I also want to say that though the story takes place on a foreign planet, the setting is a mixture of 1860s America and medieval times rather than anything futuristic.

Where can people purchase it?
On Amazon, both as a paperback and a Kindle book, and through the CreateSpace eStore. There are links to each of these on my website, www.morganhuneke.com.

Who do you think will enjoy it?
When I wrote Across the Stars I had children ages 8-14 in mind, but it has proved to appeal to a much wider audience. Actually, my friend told me quite recently that Across the Stars is for all ages. So if you like a good adventure story filled with Christian faith and American heritage, you will probably like Across the Stars.

If someone really enjoys Across the Stars, what other books would you recommend?
Probably The Chronicles of Narnia for one. C. S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors and no doubt has had quite an influence on my writing. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is another one I might recommend, being a space adventure with a fight of good versus evil, and also one of my longtime favorite books. Also, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. I mention the American Revolution a lot in Across the Stars, and this is one of my favorite Revolutionary War stories.


Do you have any final thoughts?
I've always found it easier to understand and remember things if they were presented through a story. I think a lot of other people are that way as well. So when I write, I think of it as a ministry opportunity. My characters always turn to God in times of need. And they know the Christian heritage of America. I have tried to have a purpose greater than entertainment when I write, and hopefully that will help my books to endure.

Morgan is giving away a copy of her book! Enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Ashton Sweeney

Ashton, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi, Sarah, thank you for this opportunity. Well, I'm a recent homeschool graduate, the second in my family. I love animals, especially dogs and I enjoy reading, photography, drawing, organizing, learning Spanish and Indonesian, and of course, writing. I am very serious about my faith in Jesus Christ. I want others to know Him and I feel called to serve Him in another land. Therefore, I pray I will become a missionary to some country in Central or South America.  What is your favorite part of being homeschooled? That is a tough question! I love a lot about it. Probably for its flexibility and NO peer pressure. I can study at my own pace and study the subjects I excel in.    How did being homeschooled effect your writing? Honestly, it probably gave me more time to write. I didn't have a busy schedule (like I would in public school) so I had more time to write. Plus my mom counted it as English so that was great.    What caused you to start writing. After watching The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for the first time when I was fourteen, I began thinking about wanting to write a story. Not really like C.S Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, but something different and unique. During some sort of school work for history class (that I don't remember), I got inspired to start writing a book. It was then I penned my first novel, The Kingdom of Gemstone.    What inspired you to write Amber's Quest?  My imagination. Seriously!  I've always had a wild imagination, but in 2010 I began thinking of another book idea. I love medieval fantasy and wanted to create a book with a young maiden who goes on this quest... Which leads me to the next question! What is it about? It is, like I mentioned above, about a young maiden who was once a peasant, becomes a Royal Lady in the palace in my city of Scarlet. She then is thrust into an adventure to save the people and king of Wyvern. But I can't say anymore, because I might give it all away!    Where can people purchase it? They can purchase it only on Amazon.com for now. I hope on getting extended distributing when my other books come out. (Extended distributing will allow people to purchase it on Barnes & Nobles, etc.)    Who do you think will enjoy it? Mostly mature 14 year-olds and up. I do have some romance in it, thus it might not be so great for a younger audience.  If someone really enjoys Amber's Quest, what other books would you recommend? I would recommend other medieval fantasy books such as IronHeart and The Iron Spear by Victoria Kasten and The Kingdom Series & The Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black. All these I enjoy immensely. Do you have any final thoughts? I believe God gave me my talent or gift of writing, and I intend on using it for His glory. For as it says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. And that is my prayer to the readers of this interview (and authors as well). To use all your talents, gifts, and abilities to the honor and praise of the One who gave them to you.  If you want to read my blog or know more about my upcoming books, go to:  my personal blog and my writer's website. Thank you, Sarah, for allowing me to be in this interview! God bless!

Giveaway

Elisha Press is running a “blitz giveaway” of some signed softcover books. Five copies of “The Sparrow Found A House,” autographed by author Jason McIntire, will be given away on Saturday night. You can enter with just your email address here: http://elishapress.com/blog/sept-2013-giveaway?referrer=sarah .

“The Sparrow Found A House” is a Christian novel targeted toward young adults, but advertised to be suitable for all ages. The author is a 2005 homeschool graduate, and homeschooling plays a major role in the story. Here’s the synopsis from the back of the book:

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Rivera is living every teenager’s nightmare. Her widowed mom has married a man who wears his heavy Christian values like his sergeant’s stripes – on both sleeves.

Glenn Sparrow is persistent, immovable, and not afraid to be firm. Worse than that, he’s loving, kind – even fun – and he has Chris, Moe, and Katie completely won over.

But Jessie is determined that she won’t be won over, or give up her “freedom” without a fight. She knows what she wants, and it isn’t what they’ve got.

Or is it?

Reviewers have used phrases such as “realistic,” “true to life,” “believable,” and “hard-hitting but understandable” to describe The Sparrow Found A House. All seem to agree that it's a little different from most Christian fiction.

Be sure to get your entry in soon, as the giveaway ends at 8PM Central on Saturday:

Interview with Aidyl Ewoh

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

Thank you, Sarah. You’ve got a great blog and I’m excited about being interviewed on it. Let’s see: I’m a twenty-year-old girl who writes, lives in a barn, works on a private retreat, travels the world, and helped build a life-size model of a dinosaur. Exciting, right? More importantly though I’m a follower of God and hope to change the world. That’s me in a nutshell. A very little nutshell. 

What did you enjoy most about being homeschooled?

What did I enjoy most? That’s a hard one! I really liked the freedom to learn according to what I was interested in. Meaning I could focus more on the writing aspect of school then math (although I did do math!), because although I need math skills, I don’t have the desire to be the greatest math-brain of all time. Plus, being around my family and learning what my parents wanted me to learn was great. 

How did your homeschool experience prepare you to be a writer?

A big thing about writing is you don’t (generally) have a boss hanging over your shoulder hounding you to keep going. Same way with writing. You have to learn to be responsible (which everyone does, but I think homeschooling helped me with this). 

Also, I think I had more time than the average kid my age because I could incorporate writing into my every-day-schooling. 

And if I found a subject that was more interesting to me, I had the freedom to study it in more depth which is how I started writing in the first place. 

What caused you to start writing?

I enjoyed writing short little stories since who knows when. I got serious about it though right before I turned 14. My grandma was in the hospital and my mom was staying at a hotel to be near her. I would stay with my mom so she wouldn’t be lonely. Being a country girl I felt very overwhelmed by the huge city, so when I had the chance to write a short story for school, I latched on to it and that ‘short story’ turned into a 60,000 plus story. I haven’t stopped since then. =) 

What inspired you to write Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl?

I love Christian apologetics. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh for a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:". I wanted to help kids learn to defend their faith while still having fun. 

What is it about?

It’s written by a twelve-year-old wannabe writer who is based off of me. She travels around with her parents, Buddy and Kay Davis and works at the Creation Museum. She gets to have a lot of adventures while on the road. 

Where can people get Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl?

Answers in Genesis Store 

Who will enjoy it?

It’s written mainly for kids 8-12, but I think others would enjoy it as well. 

Are there any books that you would recommend for those who enjoy Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl?

Tim Chaffey was my first editor. He has some cool creation books as well.

Do you have any final thoughts?

I actually go by two different names, depending on what I’m writing: This book is published under the name of Lydia Howe. 

 If anyone wants to find me online they can do so here: 

Blog

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Google+