Today as part of the StoryQuest Academy Clean Fiction Blog Tour, I wanted to share some of the inspiration behind The Firebrand Chronicles (includes Spark, Flare, & Burn).
And don’t forget to comment on the posts for a chance to win some bookish prizes!
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I’m a firm believer God gives each of us a special gift that makes us unique and distinctive. This fact and the question “What if…?” inspired the beginning of my YA portal fantasy trilogy the Firebrand Chronicles.
What if God’s gifts were more dramatic than being a good teacher or a great speaker? Don’t get me wrong—those are valuable gifts (especially the speaking gift—I’m often unclear or awkward!) But what if God gave each person a highly visible gift, like firestarting or control of the weather? Could being able to control time be used for good or evil? How would individuals use these talents?
These questions were the basis for Spark, book one of the Firebrand Chronicles. I added another component to the main character due to my youngest daughter. Around the time I was writing Spark, she was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive). This means rather than being hyperactive and loud, she was more often distracted and unfocused. I learned how ADHD affects children—lack of focus, impulsivity, and low self-esteem are often present. I couldn’t even imagine how an impulsive, distracted teen would handle firestarting, but I was interested in exploring it.
The YA fantasy landscape lacks characters with ADHD, especially girls. Percy Jackson’s ADHD and dyslexia are mentioned briefly in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief then explained away. In fact, few literary characters at all, male or female, are neurodiverse (this term covers ADHD, autism, Tourette’s, dyslexia, as well as a host of other disorders). Adhdaware.org.uk says 30%-40% of the population is neurodiverse, and the CDC says 11% of American children have ADHD. The YA fantasy genre doesn’t reflect this.
In response, I created Brenna James who struggles with ADHD while also being the Chosen One. I wanted my daughter and other neurodiverse kids to know they weren’t broken or damaged; they are creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who process the world differently. They can ride a griffin, battle the evil villain, and use their gift to save the world.
Because some YA reads more adult than young, my series is clean yet with lots of nail-biting action, some snark (because snark is a teen’s second language), and a touch of romance.
Here’s a little more about Spark:
Brenna James wants three things for her sixteenth birthday: to find her history notes before the test, to have her mother return from her business trip, and to stop creating fire with her bare hands.
Yeah, that’s so not happening. Unfortunately.
When Brenna learns her mother is missing in an alternate reality called Linneah, she travels through a portal to find her. Who knew portals even existed? But Brenna’s arrival in Linneah begins the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, including a royal murder and the theft of Linneah’s most powerful relic: the Sacred Veil.
Hold up. Can everything just slow down for a sec?
Unwilling yet left with no other choice, Brenna and her new friend Baldwin pursue the thief into the dangerous woods of Silvastamen and beyond. Exactly what Brenna wanted to do for her sixteenth birthday. Exactly. When they spy an army marching toward Linneah, Brenna is horrified. Can she find the veil, save her mother, and warn Linneah in time?
And more importantly, why on earth doesn’t this alternity have Belgian waffles?
Spark (and the entire Firebrand Chronicles boxed set!) is available at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Firebrand-Chronicles-Book-One-ebook/dp/B06Y1DSKRB) and anywhere else books are sold.
Check out the rest of the blog tour participants below!
But when I learned there would be a boxed set, with all three of my books plus some extra stories included, it was hard to imagine. Today that news is a reality as the
After Burn was released, there was a flurry of emails between me and my publisher discussing this. I got to work and wrote four short stories about Brenna and beloved side characters. It was a lot of fun to flesh out the world of the Jasper Territory a bit more. I’m thrilled to share it all with you!
Also, if you’ve beta read or critiqued the Firebrand Chronicles, blogged or posted on social media, left a book review, gushed about them to a friend, or stopped me on the street to say you liked the book or asked about the next one–THANK YOU. Knowing my stories gave you the chance to escape to Linneah with Brenna and Baldwin for a few hours is a huge honor.