Month: January 2018

The Inspiration Behind Disowned: A guest blog post by Sarah Addison-Fox

2 Comments

Today, I’m pleased to welcome author Sarah Addison-Fox to Jilligan’s Island. Sarah has recently released her book, Disowned, and I thought everyone would like to know the inspiration behind it.

Read on to find out!

What Inspired the Story?

Yikes! Answering this question is really hard! Because I’m a ‘Panster’ and I really create what I write on the fly, Disowned really just sort of happened. I kid you not. I had an opening scene, two names, and a question I wanted to answer….

 

What would happen if a slave girl tossed away was shown a different life?

 

As soon as I asked this question, Celeste’s journey began with her introduction to a family willing to hide her even though harboring a slave would bring them trouble.

I wanted to show the differences between the two countries both with very different religious structures, one country that values human life, and another which traps slaves in an inescapable system.

So, I guess if I had to pin my inspiration down to one thing, it would be wanting to write about Celeste’s struggle for freedom, emotionally, spiritually and physically. For me Celeste represents so many girls who have been tossed aside, stepped on or mistreated. Celeste’s story is only beginning in Disowned, like so many she is searching for her place, and desperately trying to find value and purpose to her life.

Over the course of the Allegiance series, there will many trials as Celeste battles to find the freedom found only in God’s love.

Want to know more about disowned?
Two countries, two choices, one life. When Kyraenean slave Celeste risks her life to reach the free nation of Etraea, a country filled with technology and wealth, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.
After escaping her new owner, Celeste awakens in the home of an Etraean soldier, sworn to protect the fragile peace. For Corporal Mick Haynes, life is simple. Follow the rules, do your job and work your way up the ranks. Getting shot and finding a wanted slave at his family’s farm wasn’t part of the plan.
When a Kyraenean bounty hunter locates Celeste, Mick’s loyalty will be stretched to the limit.
With war on the horizon, Celeste faces two impossible choices. Both securing her freedom, but both at a cost she could never have imagined. Will Etraea provide the freedom she’s longed for or shackle her to an entirely new master?
Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who
loves action-packed, clean, fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing
amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer
somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush.
When she’s not working on both her YA fantasy series’ she can be found
fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.

Sarah Addison’s Official Website: http://www.sarahaddisonfox.com/

Social Media Links:
Instagram: sarahaddisonfox/
Twitter: @Saddisonfox
To Read more about Disowned, check out the Full blog Tour schedule!

Jan 2nd: Book Review – Unicorn Quester – https://unicornquester.com/blog/
Jan 3rd: Post Written by Host Blogger – SKG Fun – http://www.southkakalakigirl.com/the-blog/
Jan 4th: Guest Post from Author, Sarah Addison Fox – Teens n Tiaras – https://teensntiaras.weebly.com/blog
Jan 5th: Book Review – Ashley Bogner – http://www.ashleybogner.com/
Jan 6th: Author Interview – Karyssa – http://gottahavecoffee.blogspot.com/
Jan 7th: Post Written by Host Blogger – Anna –http://www.cupofthoughts.blog/
Jan 8th: Book Review Abigail – http://novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com/
Jan 9th: Post Written by Host Blogger – Abi- https://theleft-handedtypist.blogspot.com
Jan 10th: Giveaway – Annie – http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Jan 11th: Giveaway – Jaye – http://www.jayelknight.blogspot.com
Jan 12th: Book Review – Angel – www.purelyunorthodox.com
Jan 13th: Post Written by Host Blogger –  Anna – https://jumbledthoughtsofawriter.wordpress.com
Jan 14th: Book Review – Hannah – www.thedifferentgirl.com
Jan 15th: Interview – Kate –  https://onceuponanordinary.wordpress.com/  –
Jan 16th: Guest Post from Author – New Authors -https://newauthors.wordpress.com/
Jan 17th: Book Review – Audrey- http://audreycaylin.com/
Jan 18th: Book Review – Kellyn – https://reveriesreviews.wordpress.com/
Jan 19th: Guest Post from Author – Liv – http://livkfisher.blogspot.com/
Jan 20th: Author Interview – Medomfo –  https://writingsfromagodgirl.wordpress.com/
Jan 21st: Book Review – Victoria – https://rufflesandgrace.com/
Jan 22nd: Post Written by Host Blogger – Jebraun – https://jebraunclifford.com
Jan 23rd: Review – Chloe – https://purelybyfaithreviews.wordpress.com/
Jan 24th: Review – Kiara -kiarasbookends.wordpress.com
Jan 25th: Author Guest Post – J.M. Hackman – www.jmhackman.com
Jan 26th: Book Review – Lelia – http://www.leilatualla.com/leilasbookshelf
Jan 27th: Author Interview – Riley – rileyalinewrites.wordpress.com
Jan 28th: Review – Sarah – www.smylinggirl.blogspot.com
Jan 29th: Review – Shay –  www.elvenpadawan.com
Review – Jessi – https://theartfulauthor.wordpress.com/
Jan 30th: Guest Post from Author – Lands Uncharted- www.landsuncharted.com
Jan 31st: Spotlight Post – Raechel – https://godspeculiartreasurerae.wordpress.com/

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Writing

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be         ~MercyMe

I’ve been writing for a long time, about fifteen years. And like the song Dear Younger Me, there are some things I wish I could tell my younger self, so I’d be better prepared.

  1. Don’t stop writing—ever. That condescending editor? I should’ve brushed off the criticism. The days when I didn’t have to write? I should’ve put my butt in the chair and written anyway. When things got hard and the criticism stung, I shouldn’t have slowed down, but instead pushed harder.
  2. Develop a thick skin. This one I’m still working on. I know words are only words. But whether it’s a bit of untrue gossip or a scathing review, these are the things downloaded unto the hard drive of my memory.
  3. It’s a hard industry to break into. Much, much harder than I thought. In fact, I’ve heard the professional advice: if you can do anything else, do it. And I would… except the characters and plots keep coming. I don’t only write because I like to, but because I can’t not write.
  4. Feedback is essential… Whether it’s beta readers or a critique group, listen to the advice. (If they’re all saying the same thing, it’d be wise to take notes and then edit.)
  5. …But it’s also just someone else’ opinion. These opinions are not commandments from God. They’re just someone else’s viewpoint. You’re the one who gets to decide how the story unfolds.

I’ve got five more tips that I wished I knew when I started. I’ll share those in my next personal post. Next week, Sarah Addison-Fox will be stopping by to share more about her new book Disowned! See you then!

 

Photo by Kalle Kortelainen on Unsplash

My Most Anticipated Films of 2018

3 Comments

Happy New Year! After covering the most anticipated books of 2018 in my quarterly newsletter, True North Tales, I wanted to share an overview of the films I’m most excited about this year. There’s so many movies, more than what I have room for here, but this is a list of films and trailers that caught my eye.

A Wrinkle In Time: releases March 9     There’s been a lot of hype about this, and I’ve already seen the trailer which is full of beautiful special effects and thrilling action. My biggest fear? That it won’t be as good as the book. I LOVE A Wrinkle In Time, and I hope the production company does this film well. (XX fingers crossed…)

Solo: A Star Wars Story: releases May 25     This movie intrigues me, and I’ll probably go to see it, if early reviews are good. Despite my love of Star Wars, I refused to see Rogue One because of the ending. Let’s hope Ron Howard gives Solo a better finish.

The Incredibles II: releases June 15        Can I just say I’m thrilled about this film? The Incredibles is/was my favorite animated Pixar movie, so the news of a sequel is just fantastic. It focuses on Elastagirl (aka Helen Parr) and the emerging power of their little boy, Jack-Jack. Check out the adorable teaser trailer here.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom: releases June 22     For those of you who didn’t get enough dinos from the last film, I present this one. The characters head back to the island to save the remaining dinosaurs, but find far more. I like the idea, but I’ll be honest–although I enjoyed it, the original Jurassic World scared me. I don’t know if I’ll spend money at the theater for this one.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: releases Nov. 16     I loved the first FB film. Did you know there are five films planned? The producer, David Heyman, plans to release one film every two years. I can’t wait to see Johnny Depp’s performance as Grindelwald.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: releases November 21     This sequel to Wreck-it Ralph finds Ralph and Vanellope searching for a spare part to fix an arcade game. Their hunt leads them to new worlds and new characters, such as the Disney princesses.

As I said, there are so many more movies to be excited about, but these are the ones I’ll be watching. If you have any others on your “To Watch” list, please share them in the comments. I’d love to know about them!

And have a wonderful New Year!

Photos by NordWood Themes, Connor Limbocker, and Georgia Vagim on Unsplash