Today we have a guest post from Janalyn Voigt, telling us about her dream to become a published author. See below for a book giveaway!
My Tales of Faeraven series began as a story to entertain my little girl during a drive. For the main character of my story, I twisted the name of her doll, Cinda, and came up with “Syl Marinda,” a half-breed princess in a divided land. Long after my daughter had forgotten that first story, the world of Elderland took shape in my mind. I could picture its trees, creatures, and landscapes. As time passed, the characters deepened and grew, and so did the struggles of the alliance of Faeraven, a group of kingdoms unified under a High Queen in Elderland. Through several attempts, I tried to record the story as it unfolded for me, but I kept backing up in time because much of the history in the story demanded to be told. Syl Marinda doesn’t even enter the scene until close to the end of WayFarer, book two in the series. She is the heroine of DawnKing, book three.
I had quite a story lodged in my mind, but I needed to grow as a writer before I could do it justice. I gleaned magazine credits, but I seemed unable to take the next step into becoming a published novelist. I needed to let go of my own vision of how my writing career would play out. It took my receiving a series of disappointments and turning away from writing for a number of years for me to do that. When I returned, I prayed about what I should write, and the answer popped into my head almost immediately. DawnSinger, the first novel of the series I’d abandoned all those years ago. Although I abandoned my writing dream, Tales of Faeraven and its people never left me. If anything they matured as I did, becoming more complex. I now knew them well.
A little over a year after I began writing DawnSinger, I signed with a small press that would later back out of the contract. That was devastating, but I needed to see that I wouldn’t turn away from writing ever again. I signed with Harbourlight just a few months later. I lost a contract for one novel but received a two-book contract and found an agent in a single day. Barbara Scott of Wordserve Literary agreed to negotiate my contract and to represent me.
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Janalyn Voigt’s unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Beginning with DawnSinger, her epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven, carries the reader into a land only imagined in dreams. Janalyn also writes western romance novels, and will publish in that genre under Janalyn Irene Voigt. She is represented by Barbara Scott of Wordserve Literary. She serves as a literary judge for several national contests and is an active book reviewer. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she’s not writing, Janalyn loves to find adventures in the great outdoors.
And about her book Dawnsinger: The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender. Read Phyllis Wheeler’s review.
Interested in a free copy of the book, your choice of paperback or ebook? Comment on this blog post to enter a random drawing, to be held Friday Aug. 24 after 3 p.m. Central Time. Paperbacks will not be mailed to anywhere but the United States. Answer this question: what interests you about Faeraven?
Author Site for Janalyn Voigt: http://janalynvoigt.com
Blog: Check out the grand prize for her blog tour
Phyllis, thanks for hosting me during my blog tour for DawnSinger. I’m standing by to award a free copy to one of your readers. 🙂
What an interesting mini-biography. Thank you for sharing.
Dawnsinger doesn’t seem to be stuck in the same-old world of elves and orcs. I’m interested in finding out how the main characters fit in this world and what their quest is as they battle garns, waevens and wraiths. It sounds like a great read.
one man per prison or jail gets out to a hut shack 1000 miles of the dirt road. 4000 foot strap or 3000 foot strap-locktite new clothes from the store and a picture standing in desert to give to friends tray comes with a locked lid the one scared of murduree or been there to long gets this privlige quitest spot on the map the prison warden will escort the man deliverd by the courts to the new sector one man per prison. Hospital is a lock up biulding to dont forget!! HE wants out!!!! a matress outside they can sleep outside under the stars if they want
Congrats on winning a copy of Dawn Singer, Cate!!