It’s My Birthday!!!

(c) 2019 Available on Amazon.com

-and to celebrate, I’m having The Fairies of Carlow: The Outsider ebook listed for FREE!

Go to amazon.com (or go to the left margin of this website for the direct link) and get your FREE COPY!

Help me celebrate by day by reading all about Princess Fruhlingsmorgen–oops, she likes to be called Morgen–and her engagement to the Crown Prince of Carlow.

Will she find happiness?

Perhaps, but there a many obstacles she must surmount.

Not only will you learn about Princess Morgen, but there is new fairy magic to discover. Not to mention the dastardly Red Caps. They’ll likely want to ruin any chance at happiness by the royal family of Carlow.

I think Morgen is up to the challenges. She’s a feisty fairy, and one who has nothing to lose as she learns to love her handsome prince.

Enjoy this special story! Sonja

#TBT

It’s Throwback Thursday and I’m looking back at my first book series: The Fairies of Carlow.

These middle-grade books have chapters and are based on a fairy kingdom. They come from Ireland and now are in the United States. With magic, they find their way through their teen years. Not only do they grapple with the angst that accompanies that time, but the Red Caps are causing trouble.

These wicked creatures bring chaos and fear to the kingdom and cause trouble throughout the series.

Each book stands alone, but you get to revisit the characters from previous books and can see what they’ve been up to since their story was told in their book.

One of the benefits of staying home these days is the ability to read more. Ebooks are always available while print books may take a while to ship, depending on where they are coming from and how well the shipping lines are doing to your town.

Personally, I love ebooks and carry my Kindle around in my purse. That way, when I’m stuck in a line I can take out my book instead of standing around getting bored or irritated.

Bonus: all of my books are available as ebooks!!! Just for you! Sonja

Writing for Illustrations

(c) 2019

It’s different when you write the text for a chapter book that doesn’t include pictures and writing for an illustrated book. The illustrations help the reader visualize what you’re writing about.

I didn’t have to describe the clothing in ‘The Voyage’ because the artist did such a phenomenal job with her research to show the clothing and the colors that were true to the period.

For ‘The Fairies of Carlow’ series, I took literary license to use clothing that was suggested by the Victorian period and was able to modify it as necessary for the stories.

The ‘Guinness the Therapy Dogs’ stories will be modern-day and the dress of the people he interacts with will be easily drawn. I probably won’t mention the clothing unless it directly affects the plot of the book.

And dogs don’t wear pants! Hey, that’s a good idea for a story!

The illustrations in ‘The Voyage’ also show the world occupied by John Wing as he traveled through Europe as a preacher. It helps the reader see where he stood in The Hague, Oxfordshire, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts (for his family).

Take a look at the beautiful illustrations of ‘The Voyage’. The illustrations for the first two books of the ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ series are being drawn by the artist right now!

I can’t wait to show you. Keep a lookout for the logo that will appear on the front cover of every ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ book. It’s spectacular and I will unveil it here on this website soon!

Keep writing! Keep reading! Sonja

Mood Writing

The above quote really described my writing process. In a previous post, I wrote about being a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’. I’m a ‘plotter’ and need to know the direction of my story.

That doesn’t mean I am strict or regimented in my writing. I like to see where my characters want to take me–and often they surprise me–but I can gently lead them in the direction of my plot. Otherwise, my stories tend to wander around too much.

When I write my fairy stories, you can be sure that I have pictures of Ireland on my computer and a nice cup of tea steaming at the side of my laptop.

When I write about Guinness the Therapy Dog, I like to watch him as he plays with his sister, Lucy. A lot of the time, he’s laying on the floor at my feet or resting his chin on my leg as he begs for a nice petting session.

I get inspiration from everything that’s around me. Hopefully, that flavors my writing and helps with the general mood and descriptions for you, the reader.

Try to write today! Sonja

Prepare Yourself!

Special pricing is coming! On Saturday, November 16, 2019, I have arranged for a discount on my e-book of The Fairies of Carlow: The Outsider. The special pricing will be in effect for 24 hours and will increase incrementally until it returns to full price on November 18.

I hope you take advantage of this opportunity and read the story of Princess Morgen and her adventures as the intended of the crowned prince of Carlow. She finds a healthy respect for herself through her challenges, that range from the easily solved to one that is difficult to surmount. I’ll give you a hint: it involved those terrible Red Caps. I’ll write a post soon about these dastardly creatures and the havoc they wreak.

Enjoy your special discount. Sonja