You can check out The Land in the Woods on Amazon if you haven’t yet (link below).
It is now available on Kindle- free for Kindle Unlimited users and $0.99 for others.
You can buy this middle-grade fantasy adventure story for a child you know between the ages of 9 and 12, or for yourself! It makes a great gift and a fun summer read.
Here’s the blurb:
The woods can be a magical place. At least, that is what young Maurie, Janine, and Bobby Wells find when they discover.
There, they must face dangers and overcome their fear, envy, and resentment. They must learn to trust Prince as he guides them to the King.
As their beliefs are tested and reshaped, the children learn and grow. They marvel at the wonders, magic, and strange creatures in the land. If they ever get home, they will have quite the tales to tell!
Also, here’s an author reading of the first chapter:
Meanwhile,
I have just finished the Neverending Story and am more than halfway through Howl’s Moving Castle. They are amazing stories and page-turning adventures! I am excited to share about each of them later in a full-length blog. Stay tuned 🙂
I wanted to share my author reading of the first chapter of my new children fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods. You can pass this along to a child you think might enjoy it- the book is for ages 9-12.
Here’s the blurb:
You never know what adventure is waiting for you in the woods.
While exploring the woods near their house, Janine, Maurie, and Bobby Wells find a portal to a magical land. This new land has strange laws and magical creatures, and a looming threat of encroaching darkness. The children are summoned to appear before the King of the land, to receive His protection.
As the children escape danger and villains and meet the mysterious and kind Prince, they wrestle with questions of justice, forgiveness, and mercy.
This middle grade fantasy novel draws on themes and characters from classics such as Alice in Wonderland; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Pilgrim’s Progress; and Phantastes.
Here’s the Book Promo Video I created, which tells you a little more about my new children’s fantasy book, The Land in the Woods. It is for ages 9-12, and is an adventure story about three children that includes Christian themes.
Here’s the blurb:
You never know what adventure is waiting for you in the woods.
While exploring the woods near their house, Janine, Maurie, and Bobby Wells find a portal to a magical land. This new land has strange laws and magical creatures, and a looming threat of encroaching darkness. The children are summoned to appear before the King of the land, to receive His protection.
As the children escape danger and villains and meet the mysterious and kind Prince, they wrestle with questions of justice, forgiveness, and mercy.
This middle grade fantasy novel draws on themes and characters from classics such as Alice in Wonderland; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Pilgrim’s Progress; and Phantastes.
I’m excited to announce that my debut children’s fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods, is coming out this Friday, June 4th!
You can buy this middle-grade fantasy adventure novel for a child you know, ages 9-12. It makes a great gift, and makes a fun summer read.
Here’s the description:
You never know what adventure is waiting for you in the woods.
While exploring the woods near their house, Janine, Maurie, and Bobby Wells find a portal to a magical land.
This new land has strange laws and magical creatures, and a looming threat of encroaching darkness.
The children are summoned to appear before the King of the land, to receive His protection.
As the children escape danger and villains and meet the mysterious and kind Prince, they wrestle with questions of justice, forgiveness, and mercy.
This middle-grade fantasy adventure novel draws on themes and characters from classics such as Alice in Wonderland; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Pilgrim’s Progress; and Phantastes.
Here’s the Amazon link:
Stay tuned! I will be sharing excerpts, book promo videos, and behind the scenes about making and publishing my book.
I will continue with blogging about some of the classic books I am reading, too, and might even share how some of those influenced my writing!
I decided to read some of the most popular middle-grade (ages 8-12) fantasy books on Amazon, and I am really enjoying it so far!
The Neverending Story (Die Unendliche Geschichte)
Written in 1979 by German author Michael Ende, and translated into English by Ralph Manheim in 1983, this classic children’s fantasy work is definitely worth the read! I am only a third of the way through it, but I am already admiring the post-modern elements, creativity, and fast-moving plot. I can’t help but see the movie as I’m reading it, and it’s really taking me back to my childhood (and childhood imagination) in a good way.
If you’re not familiar with it, its about a boy named Bastian who is bullied, finds a fantasy book in a bookstore, steals it and reads it in secret. The main story is the book, but Ende plays with the line between imagination and reality as the boy finds himself increasingly drawn into the story until he becomes a part of it.
Howl’s Moving Castle
I was intrigued by the unique plot and popularity of this one, and am looking forward to reading it next. It was written by English author Diana Wynne Jones and first published in 1986.
Here’s the description:
“Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.
In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl’s castle?”
Ella Enchanted
I am rereading this book, as I read it when it first came out in 1997 (I was 9!). I absolutely loved this book and related a little too much to Ella, who is forced to be obedient all the time. It’s not only a clever twist on the story of Cinderella, but I loved the world Gail Carson Levine created, and how clever and book smart Ella was (she could speak ogre!). I felt like they lost some of that when they translated this story into the movie with Anne Hathaway, though I still enjoyed the film as a separate story.
The Adventurers Guild
This is the most modern book I am reading (published in 2017), and is written by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopolus. It’s very highly reviewed by others, and I like the premise.
Here’s the description:
“In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone’s only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he’ll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild.
But just as it seems the boys’ dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn . . . and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new allies-Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarf-must prove their worth once and for all.”
Also, I saw that the Shadow and Bones books are very popular (now a Netflix series). I started reading a review and they seemed very interesting and engaging. I may pick those up at some point.
If you liked Harry Potter, you might like A Wizard of Earthsea. Both feature young boy wizards who become legends and attend wizarding school.
Overall, this was a good book that I recommend. However, the story can be a little slow at times, but that is mainly because it is a story of self-discovery and not just action. I also found the author’s style to be a little confusing at times.
From the Afterword:
To give you a taste of the intention behind this book, here’s a note from the author, Ursula K. LeGuin, as she looks back to when she first published it in 1968, at the end of the civil rights movement:
“The hero does what a man is supposed to do: he uses his strength, wits, and courage to rise from humble beginnings to great fame and power, in a world where women are secondary, a man’s world.”
“In other ways my story didn’t follow the tradition. Its subversive elements attracted little attention, no doubt because I was deliberately sneaky about them. A great many white readers in 1967 were not ready to accept a brown-skinned hero. But they weren’t expecting one. I didn’t make an issue of it, and you have to be well into the book before you realize that Ged, like most of the characters, isn’t white.”
“To be the man he can be, Ged has to find out who and what his real enemy is. He has to find out what it means to be himself. That requires not a war but a search and discovery. The search takes him through mortal danger, loss, and suffering. The discovery brings him victory, the kind of victory that isn’t the end of a battle but the beginning of a life.”
LeGuin distinguishes her story from others in that it is a fantasy without war in it. It also has persons of color as the main and supporting heroes.
At the time LeGuin wrote it, the civil rights movement was still in full swing. It was published in 1968, the same year Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
Mystery
The mystery LeGuin develops definitely kept me reading. A dark shadow haunts the main character, Ged, throughout most of the book. He greatly fears it, but doesn’t know what it is.
You don’t find out who or what the shadow is until the end, but the reveal is definitely profound and worth waiting for.
The Pride of Youth
LeGuin shows Ged’s impetuousness at times, and his desire to prove himself. Jasper, a student who is unimpressed with Ged’s abilities, really brings this out of him:
“He has either skill or power, or the doorkeeper wouldn’t have let him in. Why shouldn’t he show it, now as well as later? Right, Sparrowhawk?”
“I have both skill and power,” Ged said. “Show me what kind of thing you’re talking about.”
Then, Jasper takes the opportunity to show Ged what he can do, and Ged begins to pridefully defend himself and his abilities, while secretly feeling insecure.
It is Ged’s pride that eventually gets him into trouble, when he tries to raise the dead to prove his power to Jasper.
Philosophy of Language
I loved all the philosophy of language elements LeGuin had in Earthsea. One of these is the ability to know something’s true name.
This concept is introduced early, when Ged is learning from his master Ogion:
“When you know the fourfoil in all its seasons root and leaf and flower by sight and scent and seed, then you may learn its true name, knowing its being: which is more than its use. What, after all, is the use of you? or of myself?”
There is a constant distinction between calling something by a name and discovering the true name of something- which in an ontological sense is its essence.
Overall, an enjoyable read. I may circle back and read the next book in the series, but I have many others on my list at the moment.
My Upcoming Book Release
I am excited about my upcoming children’s fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods! It comes out June 4th on Amazon. Below is the cover and the blurb.
You never know what adventure is waiting for you in the woods.
While exploring the woods near their house, Janine, Maurie, and Bobby Wells find a portal to a magical land. This new land has strange laws and magical creatures, and a looming threat of encroaching darkness. The children are summoned to appear before the King of the land, to receive His protection.
As the children escape dangerous villains and meet the mysterious and kind Prince, they wrestle with questions of justice, forgiveness, and mercy.
This middle grade fantasy novel draws on themes and characters from classics such as Alice in Wonderland; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Pilgrim’s Progress; and Phantastes.
I finally finished formatting and uploading all the components of my book to Amazon, complete with all the blurbs and keywords. Now, it is under review. I will order a copy for myself before it goes live.
In the meantime, I thought I would share some things I learned along the way. I have been learning a lot in this process.
If you are self-publishing, I hope you find these helpful!
Think about all the book components you want to include at the beginning and it will make the process go much faster! Remember that you need a copyright page, a title page, a table of contents, etc. I suggest doing an author page because you can’t fit much about the author on the back cover.
Consider adding an excerpt of your next book (or one you’ve already published) as a “teaser” at the end. Keep your readers coming back for more 🙂
Make sure your book is at least 100 pages, or Amazon will tell you it is too narrow for the spine.
The rule of thumb with book formatting is, don’t try anything fancy. Save your creativity for your content. Professional book formatting will allow for easy reading. Pick simpler fonts, align paragraphs and headings, etc.
Though many people advise you to download a template, plug it in to Canva, and make your book cover there, Amazon has a tool that allows you to create your book cover with less steps, and more checks. I’ll let you know how it turned out when I get the preview copy in my hands, but so far I’d say that method is easier.
Make your fonts match. This is an easy way to make your book look a little more professional. Since my book is fantasy, I went with Baskerville. If you use Arial, Times New Roman, or another basic font, you could make the title a bit of a fancier font. But for the most part, especially if this is your first book, I’d say use the same font/ family of fonts.
That’s all I have right now, but I’ll share more updates, tips and resources along the way.
My middle grade fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods, will be launched June 4th. I am very excited!
I am excited to share the book cover to my upcoming debut children’s novel, The Land in the Woods!
If all goes well, I plan to publish it June 4th on Amazon.
The story is about three siblings who find a magical land in the woods. They meet various creatures and encounter dangers.
The children must make moral decisions and learn and grow along the way. They must meet the King of the land, who they fear, with the help and protection of His Son, the Prince.
It is a Christian allegory after the tradition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Pilgrim’s Progress, and The Wise Woman.
I watched many videos and read lots of material on the internet to figure out how to make a book cover. I also just played around with various programs and effects before I found something I liked.
I painted the illustration and used Adobe InDesign for the font.
This may not be the absolute final version, but it’s close enough to call this a cover reveal.
I will share some resources and tips in another post.
This week, I’ve been formatting my children’s fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods.
Once I got the formatting process down, it went pretty quickly. I was using Adobe InDesign, which allows you to make text presets that you can easily apply to a body of text.
As I got closer to the end, I got very excited.
I’ve never had a problem with creating a concept and telling a story. I’m not nervous about whether someone will like my book or not based on the content, because that is largely a matter of taste.
I have been concerned, however, about learning how to edit and format my book well. I believe after a year of learning, I have finally arrived.
I feel confident in the work I’ve put into this book, and I’m excited to see a print copy of it later this month!
After watching Becca’s video (which I will post below for those who missed it in the last blog), I was able to do the book formatting for about 30,000 words (it’s a middle grade novel) in about 5 hours total. I spend the most time getting all of my “steps” set up.
Stayed tuned for my book cover reveal tomorrow, along with some more self-publishing helps!
Written by Dyami Millarson The Operation X foundation, which has been working on this blog since 2016, has set its eye on a particular domain which is in the possession of another organisation and our foundation is currently in the process of preparing for negotiating the transfer of this domain to the Operation X foundation. […]
Classic Reads 