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Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #16

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Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

  • The hunt BEGINS on 10/21 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
  • Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
  • There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/24 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
  • Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

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I’m Carla Laureano, and I’m the author of contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and fantasy fiction! As you might guess, I have a lot of different interests, among them being travel, the outdoors, and architecture—which was why I had a great time writing my newest romantic contemporary novel, Provenance! In it, I got to explore arts and crafts architecture and interior design, as well as depict a fictional version of one of my favorite small Colorado towns.

It also gave me the chance to do something I’ve never before attempted in a contemporary novel: incorporated not one, but two mysteries into the storyline, one historical and one more recent.

Los Angeles interior designer Kendall Green has pushed her memories of her childhood into the past—abandoned at the age of five, she never truly knew her mother or why she was left behind. She just knows that no good came from dwelling on her painful history. But when she receives a letter saying she’s inherited property in the mountains of Colorado from a grandmother she never knew, she figures no good can come of digging into her past. The best and easiest option is to sell the property and fly home as quickly as possible.

But when she arrives in the small town of Jasper Lake, she realizes that plan might not be quite so easy. The town is filled with people who knew her family—and this might be her only chance to find out the truth of her past. Plus, the property she inherited isn’t just a simple house—it’s five historic houses, all built in a distinctive style by an obscure architect… and they’re in danger of being demolished to build a summer resort.

It was fun to write the slow uncovering of the truth about both Kendall’s past and the mysterious architect with a link to her family, but it was also an opportunity to explore how both the recent and distant past shapes us into the people we are today. As Kendall is welcomed into the small town that should have been her home, she realizes that no matter how much she has pretended the past doesn’t matter, it has permeated every part of her life: her choices, her relationships, her faith. The truth is slowly revealed, bringing with it awareness of her own hurts and the need for forgiveness and reconciliation in her life.

Of course, our own pasts don’t have to involve such dramatic or mysterious events to affect us. But as Kendall learns, it’s only by truly coming to terms with everything that happened before that we can truly move forward into a fulfilling future.

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Learn more about the book here, or find out more details about me by following me on Facebook, Instagram, or BookBub!

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Here’s the Stop #16 Basics:

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But wait! Before you go, I’m giving away three books to three lucky participants*—your choice of any my romantic fiction! All you have to do is sign up to get my newsletter. You can get additional entries by following me on Facebook, Instagram, or BookBub.

*Winners with US shipping addresses will receive a paperback; international winners will receive an ebook.

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Giveaway – Fall 2021

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Provenance is here!

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Hello, friends! I’m thrilled to announce that my newest standalone romance/women’s fiction novel, Provenance, has made its way into the world!

I’m so excited to finally share this story with you. It’s about the meaning of home and family and how they can take forms which are different than we expect but no less valid. It’s about historic houses and the fight against irresponsible development and family mysteries. But most of all, it’s about how God’s hand is present in all of our days, even when it feels like we’re toiling alone. I hope this story means as much to you to read as it did to me to write!

For more information on the book and a list of retailers, please visit this page. And keep an eye on this blog and my social media, because I’m participating in some fun events and giveaways over the next couple of weeks!

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Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #12

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Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 3/18 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/21 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

I’m Carla Laureano, award-winning author of contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and historical fantasy! It may not seem like those genres have a lot in common, but my favorite thing is showing how people react to and overcome adversity, whether it’s the loss of a job in the real world or finding out they have magic in a fictional one. You can find out more about me and my books here on this site, or you can visit me on Facebook, Instagram, or BookBub for additional information. My newest release is the Celtic fantasy series starter, Oath of the Brotherhood. Here’s what it’s about:

In an island kingdom where the Old Ways hold fast and a man’s worth lies entirely in his skill with the sword, Conor Mac Nir is a musician and a follower of a forbidden faith—problematic for any man, but disastrous for the son of the king.

When Conor is sent away to a neighboring kingdom to secure a treaty, he learns that his ability with the harp is a talent that traces back to the magical foundations of a once-united Seare. But his newfound home is soon placed in peril, entangling Conor in a plot that has been unfolding since long before his birth.

Only by leaving both kingdoms behind and committing himself to an ancient warrior brotherhood can Conor discover the part he’s meant to play in Seare’s future. But is he willing to sacrifice everything—including the woman he loves—to follow the path his God has laid before him?

This book incorporates three things I love dearly: Ireland, romance, and fantasy fiction. If you’re a newcomer to the genre and don’t know if it’s your thing… or you’re not even sure where to start, you’re in luck. I’ve compiled a super easy, super abbreviated reference guide so the next time you’re staring down that Fantasy & Sci Fi section in the bookstore, you’ll know exactly what to look for!

Carla’s Super Simple Fantasy Guide for Beginners

My first published books were contemporary romance, so most readers are surprised to find out that I’m also a fantasy writer. The comment I hear most often is not “I don’t like fantasy” but “How do I even know if I might like fantasy?”

I get it. The genre can be intimidating, simply because it spans a wide spectrum from historically plausible to completely invented, from recognizable to utterly foreign.

So, if you’re one of the newcomers to the genre and you’re not sure where to start, here’s a handy-dandy guide to fantasy genres to guide you on your way.

High Fantasy

High fantasy is a descriptor for a story that takes place in a fully made-up world with its own rules, culture, and often its own magic. It has a high amount of fantastic or fictional elements. This is the form of the genre that most people think of when they talk about fantasy.

Examples: Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, The Mark of the Raven, Oath of the Brotherhood

Low Fantasy

Low fantasy, in contrast to its counterpart, high fantasy, is a story that takes place in our recognizable “real” world, whether it be modern times or a historical time period, in which fantasy or magical elements intrude or co-exist. It has a low amount of fantastic or fictional elements.

Examples: Harry Potter, Twilight, City of Bones, Storm Front

Epic Fantasy

Epic fantasy is often conflated with high fantasy, but it doesn’t necessarily have to take place in a fully made-up world. Epic fantasy generally takes a wide-angle view, concerning itself more with big events and world-ending consequences, often involves a quest, and may follow one or very few characters through a big, overarching story.

Examples: Lord of the Rings, Tigana

Portal Fantasy

Portal fantasy is a subgenre in which the characters are literally transported by magic from the real world, through some sort of door or passage, into a fantasy world. This is a very common sub-type among children’s fiction, because it allows readers to discover a fantastic world through the eyes of a character who possesses the same points of reference as their own. In some ways, it’s a combination of high and low fantasy.

Examples: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Summer Tree

Heroic Fantasy/Sword-and-Sorcery

Sword-and-sorcery is often looked down upon when it comes to fantasy subgenres, but it can be of the most fun! Books in this subgenre usually focus on the fighting prowess of a main heroic character; sometimes the protagonist possesses magic himself, but often he fights sorcery with nothing more than a sword and his own cleverness. The lead is often, but not always, male. (Actually, I could do with some more female sword-and-sorcery? Someone? Anyone?)

Examples: Conan the Barbarian, The Blade Itself, Silverglass, Xena: Warrior Princess (novelizations)

Historical Fantasy/Alternate History

I’ve grouped historical fantasy and alternate history into the same category, because often authors who write in one subgenre also write in the other. The main difference is that the historical fantasy world is modeled on an existing historical culture or uses historical events only for inspiration; alternate history uses real world history up to a particular point, then diverges from it, either because of the emergence of magic or because of supernatural/time travel/magical interference. (You can also have largely-realistic alternate history that does not fall into the fantasy genre, such as The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.)

Examples: Sailing to Sarantium, The Dark Mirror, Oath of the Brotherhood, Clan of the Cave Bear

As you can see, several of the example books fit into several different categories, including my own book, Oath of the Brotherhood. In it, I borrowed from the real-life history and culture of ancient Ireland to create a new fantasy world in which magic and religion collide and the fate of the nation hangs on the bravery of an unlikely trio of characters.

Did you discover any new genres/subgenres today? Is there one in particular that you’re excited to try? Do you have a favorite fantasy subgenre that I didn’t cover?

Here’s the Stop #12 Basics:
If you’re interested, you can order Oath of the Brotherhood on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook, or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: and ready
Link to Stop #13, the Next Stop on the Loop: Carrie Turansky’s site!

But wait! Before you go, enter my giveaway below to win your own hardcover copy of Oath of the Brotherhood and this beautiful hand-tooled leather Celtic knot bookmark!

 

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Giveaway – Spring 2021

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The Myth of the Magic Swordsman (Or Why There Had to Be a Training Montage)

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I’m a sucker for battle and swordplay in fantasy novels. It probably comes from my own martial arts background—I studied the Korean art of Tang Soo Do for five years and earned my first-degree black belt, then moved on to kung fu where after two years, I earned an intermediate rank in the White Lotus style. Shortly after that, I took up foil fencing at a studio in Southern California. While the studio is best known for stage fencing, I, having a bit of a masochistic personality, asked for the strictest teacher they had and ended up with a former Russian Olympic coach whose favorite word seemed to be “Again!” Between having gotten soundly beaten in my Chinese weapons training and being quickly humiliated by my fellow students in this western martial art, it became pretty clear to me that all the depictions in fantasy of farm boys who pick up a sword for the first time and show a preternatural ability with it are just… well, fantasy.

That’s why when I decided to use the weakling-to-warrior trope in my own novel, I wanted Conor’s progress to be based on something other than wishful thinking. Enter the training montage section of the book.

Sure, a lot more is going on in the time that Conor spends with the Fíréin brotherhood than just learning the sword (I’m really not giving anything away here… after all, the book is called Oath of the Brotherhood), but if I was going to have him fight some spectacular battles, I was going to make sure that he had legitimately earned the skills to do so. It’s one thing to be able to pick up a sword and defend yourself against the average landholder who doesn’t fight for a living; it’s another to hold your own against professional warriors. I gave him some natural talent with which to accomplish these feats, but mostly I gave him single-minded determination and a compelling reason to become one of Seare’s most skilled swordsmen.

While the making of a warrior might be a common theme in fantasy novels, the making of Conor into a warrior was based in sound, if somewhat brutal, reality.

Do you enjoy fight scenes in adventure, fantasy, and suspense novels? Which book has your favorite one? Comment below for your daily entry to win your own copy of the limited hardcover edition of Oath of the Brotherhood and don’t forget your extra one-time entries as well!

Oath of the Brotherhood HC Release

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