Gillian Welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Glad to be here!
I’m a sword-wielding, horse-riding, coffee-loving speculative fiction author
from the great state of Texas. During the day, I manage the equine program at a
Christian youth camp, but at night, I kick off my boots and spurs, pull out my
trusty laptop, brew a pot of coffee, and transform into a novelist.
Everyone’s homeshooling experience is different. What do
you think made yours unique?
My homeschooling
experience enabled me to combine study with play and learning with life and
fun. Scarcely a day went by where I didn’t complete my reading “assignment” up
in the boughs of a tree or study history from the back of a grazing horse. Not
a bad way to instill a love of learning!
How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
One of the nice
things about homeschooling is that it allows you to tailor your studies to
match your pursuits. I suffered through my due share of the required subjects,
but I dove into history, creative writing, and reading with a passion.
All of the reading
I did helped me understand what lies beneath a lasting story and within a
memorable turn of phrase. My study of history endowed me with a love of
cultures and countries and the events that shape the rise and fall of
nations—something I draw heavily upon in writing fantasy. And writing, well, I
experimented with dozens of stories and hundreds of thousands of words—practice
makes perfect, right?
What caused you to start writing?
Honestly, I can
hardly remember a time when I didn’t
write. My first story, penned at the ripe age of seven, was a terrible blend of
Lord of the Rings, cats, and a kid’s mystery solving club. Sounds like a
bestseller, right?
It wasn’t until a
friend invited sixteen-year-old me to participate in a NaNoWriMo type challenge
that I started to take writing more seriously. I entered the challenge with
only thirteen days to go and managed to pound out my fifty thousand words
before midnight on the final day. That accomplishment and the joy I got from
seeing a story take place and the words flow from my fingertips led me to keep
writing and wonder if maybe—someday—I couldn’t be published.
What inspired Orphan's Song?
C.S. Lewis started
with a picture of a lamppost and a faun in the snow. I started with a sticky
note on which I’d scribbled something to the effect of “Birdie—an orphan girl
who can hear snippets of a song that no one else can” and “Amos
McElhenny—peddler friend, “Scottish,” likes insults.”
Not a plot, not a
premise, not even complete characters, but I sat down with those two names and
that smidgeon of an idea and began to write.
Four wild and
meandering drafts later, Orphan’s Song was born.
Would you give us a synopsis?
Orphan’s Song is the first book in the Songkeeper Chronicles where every
generation has a Songkeeper - one chosen to keep the memory of the Song alive.
And in every generation, there are those who seek to destroy the chosen one.
When Birdie's song draws the attention of a dangerous
Khelari soldier, she is kidnapped and thrust into a world of ancient secrets
and betrayals. Rescued by her old friend, traveling peddler Amos McElhenny,
Birdie flees the clutches of her enemies in pursuit of the truth behind the
Song’s power.
Ky is a street-wise thief and a member of the Underground—a group of
orphans banded together to survive . . . and to fight the Khelari. Haunted by a
tragic raid, Ky joins Birdie and Amos in hopes of a new life beyond the reach
of the soldiers. But the enemy is closing in, and when Amos’ shadowed past
threatens to undo them all, Birdie is forced to face the destiny that awaits
her as the Songkeeper of Leira.
Who will enjoy Orphan's Song?
I wish I could say everyone—the universal novel, as it
were—but unfortunately, I don’t believe that exists! Orphan’s Song is aimed for readers of fantasy ages ten and beyond.
Think fans of the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson and the Chronicles of
Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
Fantasy, of course,
is not for everyone, but if you enjoy a story with plenty of adventure,
battles, heart, and characters you want to root for, then you may just want to
give Orphan’s Song a chance. Try it
and let me know what you think!
Do you plan to write more books?
Yes, I am currently
in the middle of editing a novella, Out
of Darkness Rising, set to come
out in February of 2015, and writing book two out of three in the Songkeeper
Chronicles! I’ve got another half dozen or so novel ideas simmering on the
back burner, but they’ll have to stay there until I’ve made it through the next
year and a half of deadlines!
Where can people connect with you online (social media,
websites, blog)?
Best places to find
me are my facebook page and my blog Of Battles Dragons and Swords of Adamant where I post about all things fantasy, bookish,
adventuresome, and currently run what I call a “serial short-ish story” where
the readers get to vote on what happens in the next installment. It’s loads of
fun!
I can also be found
on trying to keep up on twitter and searching out
new books on goodreads!
Do you have any final thoughts?
I’m currently
hosting a fantabulously fun contest with awesome prizes on my blog to celebrate
the launch of Orphan’s Song and also having
a Facebook Launch Party on October 15th which you should definitely
come to—prizes, giveaways, story snippets, and more! Stop by my blog to learn
how to enter the contest and leave me a comment letting me know that you heard
about it here on Homeschool Authors to earn an extra entry!
And “may the odds
be ever in your favor!”
No,
I couldn’t resist. J
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