"Is your book 'Christian Fiction'"?

No.

And yes.


No, my book is Fantasy Fiction. It is neither an allegory, nor was it written intentionally to be a witnessing or evangelizing tool, nor was it written only for other Christians. The story is first and foremost an adventure tale. It is first and foremost a story, written to entertain.

However, I am first and foremost a Christian; I am an author second. My relationship with Jesus Christ is so much a part of who and what I am that I cannot separate it out from my writing.

The themes and character traits that I value and think about show up in my books. For example: In my books, there is a "creator" that some of the characters acknowledge and follow and serve, he is called Cruithaor Elchiyl (which means "Almighty Creator") and although he takes no visible part in the story, his hand is at work throughout the series and becomes apparent even more so in the fourth and final book (I cannot reveal more without giving away far too much). I tried to follow the example set forth by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien - to acknowledge the need in any world for a Creator, but I also tried to keep "religion" out of the mix of my story except for subtle touches and references here and there that show up because of who I am and what I believe.

"What are some of the themes in your book?"

Unlike the previous two, this question is an easy one for me to answer. The themes in my book sort of unfolded naturally. In other words, I didn't think up a bunch of themes and then try to write a story around them, I wrote a story, and the themes slipped their way in.

1. Good versus Evil - this is a theme that can often be found in fantasy fiction (as well as many other genres), the battle between the "good guy" and the "bad guy." "Evil" in this case is a little bit more complex by the end of the book, as the "bad guy" is not just evil for evil's sake: he has been surrounded by corrupt councilors who are only interested in attaining personal power, he has made some bad decisions in the past that have served to drive him to the brink of madness, and he has been consumed by a jealousy that has driven him to seek revenge where none was truly warranted. None of this excuses his decisions and actions, which just makes those actions all the more evil because he and others have attempted to rationalize his choices.

2. Revenge versus Forgiveness - not as big of a theme in the book, but it definitely plays a part. Is revenge ever okay? Is there ever a point where an "eye for an eye" mentality might be acceptable? Is killing in self-defense or in defense of others ever okay? These are questions that one of the characters deals with throughout the book.

3. Courage versus Fear and Timidity - all of the characters wrestle with fear at different points in the book. What is fear? What is courage? What are the traits of a courageous hero? The story seeks to give some answers to these questions.

4. Heroism, Nobility, Honesty, Strength of Character, Selflessness - these themes appear throughout the book in varying degrees.

5. Loyalty versus Betrayal


I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting, but those are the big ones.

"What is your target audience?"

Also known as "would this book be age-appropriate for my (insert age here) year old?" This is another question that ought to have a simple answer, but it doesn't. Or perhaps it does.

The simple answer is: my target audience is families.

But what does that mean? What age-range will most appreciate my story?

It means that when I wrote the book, my target audience was my 11-year old sister, my 15 and 17-year old brothers, and my parents, who were in their 40s. My dad would read the book out loud to the entire family each night. This is the setting I wrote the book for, specifically.


Alright, but what about families that don't read together? Is there an age this story would not be appropriate for?

Warning: PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD

In the past, the age-range that has responded the best to this book is 14-17 year olds. The group that has responded almost as well is 11-13 year olds. I have a few friends whose younger children (8-10) have read the books recently, I am curious to hear how they did with the book.

Is there anything in the book you would not want your child(ren) to read?

-There is no coarse language or swearing
-There are no sex scenes or even kissing (except one or two kisses between people who are married (e.g. the king kisses his wife, the queen; Brant kisses his wife at the beginning of the story))
-There is no drinking or drugs (although later in the series a few tankards of ale will make an appearance at an inn... as my dad has informed me that no book can truly be fantasy fiction until someone has "downed a tankard of ale or two")


There is a lot of violence, as it is a story about Aom-igh being invaded by an enemy kingdom.
-Brant's family is murdered in the first chapter.
- Brant kills several Dark Warriors in both self-defense and in defense of those with whom he is traveling.
-There is a battle in Pearl Cove in which Wessel (a tertiary character) ends up dying.
-There is a large battle at the end of the book in which a lot of people and dragons end up dead.
-Brant faces, fights, and ends up killing the King of the Dark Country in one-on-one combat

All of this violence is neither graphic nor gory. I have tried to write battle scenes in the style of Tolkien: enough details to help the reader see what is going on, but with much of it left to the imagination.
 



In conclusion: the decision about whether or not a child is at an appropriate age to read any given book is a decision that should be made by the parents with their child, and not by the publisher or author. As a parent, you know what your child is capable of reading and what themes your child is capable of dealing with. I have tried here to present an overview of things that might be concerns to a parent, but I am not going to tell anyone that my book is or is not age-appropriate for any particular child: that is your decision to make.

"What is your book about?"

I get asked this question a lot, and believe it or not, I find it very difficult to answer. Maybe it is because the story has undergone so many changes, maybe it is because the answer isn't simple, or maybe it's just that I'm bad at summarizing my own writing. I don't know, but whatever the reason, I always have a hard time with this question. I always feel put "on the spot" by it. A "quick, make your book sound amazing to this person in fifteen seconds or less!" This self-imposed pressure and time-limit doesn't make things any easier, and probably is to blame for most of my bumbling answers.

So what IS my book about?

Well, in its simplest form, it is a story about a princess: a headstrong, adventurous princess, who is sent on a quest to save her kingdom.

But it is also a story about a squire: a boy on the verge of becoming a man, who desperately wishes to prove himself in combat, but instead is given the task of "babysitting" the aforementioned princess on her quest.

It is a story about a man: a man who was once warrior to the king, who has tried to put his past behind him, but when that past finds him and rips away everything he held most dear, he is forced to become, once again, the King's Warrior.

But it is also a story about a country: a land that has isolated itself from the rest of the world and forgotten much of what made it once great, a land that faces invasion, and a king and his people who must rise up and face the challenges before them.

It is a story about dragons: and various other creatures of myth who are outcasts in the land, but who also once made a promise. Will they keep their promise, even if it means protecting those who fear them?

It is a story about courage, and learning that courage is so much more than the absence of fear.

It is a story about love and friendship and loyalty.

It is a story about heroes, who sometimes arise from the most unlikely of places.

It is also a story about a minstrel... but you have to read the whole series to find out more about him...


But most of all, it is an adventure.