We have finally moved into our new abode, and M. has been installed as the leader of the church here. Due to COVID, we were forced to delay our move for a couple of months, but we were able to start church by the end of June. We’ve been here for a month now with only a few boxes left to unpack. Or they may…
Category: Behind the Books
To Plot a Novel
This past week was supposed to be our moving week. We had been waiting with excitement to begin our new phase of life pastoring a small church, but COVID-19 came and with it all of the lock-downs, causing our move to be delayed. Disappointing? Very much so, but thank God, He knows what we need and does not just give us what we want. God…
The Undervalued Encourager
The other day, I (B.) was in Walmart, and the elderly gentleman who was ringing up my groceries asked if he could make a personal observation. Confused, I nodded, and he proceeded to tell me that I had a lovely smile. He thanked me for sharing it with him. Now I always feel as though I am socially awkward and not outgoing enough, so that…
Where It All Began
The story of Jerro that we reference in our books is an actual book that I (B.) wrote before we even started writing Elvensty. It was to be the first of a series written for a junior high audience. Though we never released it, the story helped flesh out the concepts that eventually became backstory of The Swordflower Saga. In Elvensty, Palo gives an abbreviated…
On Spreadsheets and Calculators
One of our main writing tools is spreadsheets. This is M.’s specialty, and he may go a bit overboard in the use of them. We have our Master Calendar Spreadsheet along with book specific sub-calendars. We have a spreadsheet of the temperatures for the Crossing and the Hiding and how they would affect the planet’s climate. We have a spreadsheet for the characters split into…
The Uniqueness of Similarities
As an author, one of the most difficult things is writing believable characters. Every person has oddities and unique foibles that make up who they are and yet there are enough similarities to have them begin blending together. For example, one of the popular personality tests places everyone into 16 little boxes which gives indication that each personality type is the same. The idea of…
Aventye
When B. first envisioned the world of our books, it had a dual star system. This begged the question: what kind of impact would such a solar system have on its inhabitants? In two star systems, the suns typically orbit around each other, so they would likely mark their calendar by the orientation of their two stars. As each sun passed in front of the…
The What-ifs Behind the Story
The concept of the world behind Elvensty began as a series of what-if’s that came to my (B’s) mind when I was a teenager. I had read a book set in the time of Noah. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of it nor who wrote it. However, I do remember its concept was that the people of Noah’s time may have been more advanced…