The Imago Dei of Storytelling

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you teach someone something? Often, we use illustrations or metaphors to prove a point. Take the fables, for instance. These were used to teach a moral, such as a warning against laziness (“The Grasshopper and the Ant”), or the dangers of ease over hard work (“The Three Little Pigs”).
Stories have been used since the beginning of time itself. Moses was the first to use this method when he depicted the beginning of creation with prose: “In the beginning, God created…” We learned of the downfall of Lucifer from heaven through story (Ezekiel 28). We learn of the great heroes of the faith through story. Jesus even taught through parable.

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Of Monsters and Heroes

What is it about monsters that brings out the best in us? I’m not being facetious. Think about it. Any action hero movie or epic fantasy novel has them. Take Thor for example. Thor: Ragnarok, in the opening scene, stars a huge, scary monster and the superhero himself. After some pithy dialogue exchanges, Thor extricates himself from a hairy situation and destroys yet another bad guy.
It’s not just in film that there are monsters, either. Middle Earth has them. Narnia has them. Harry Potter has them. The Wheel of Time has them.

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Want a free book?

Yes? I thought so. If you have read Rift in the Deep, you might have been left with questions. And if you haven’t read it (why not!? Just kidding. Kind of) then you’re in luck. You don’t have to have read it to enjoy this FREE (yes, free) eBook novella.

Introducing The Tale of Briton’s Fury. A free novella available now. Check out the blurb below, and dive into a Steward Saga story unlike any other.

A dangerous warlock. A beautiful stranger. Three Lands amidst the havoc of war. Can two accessors make the difference?

 Briton the Brown is a madman. Or so it would seem. Colin wants nothing more than to hide away at the top of the sphere and live in peace. But with Briton entering the Scrape Lands, the Warlock Council summons him to tell his story. A story that sends shafts of fear through his core just thinking about it. When he travels to Shroud, he encounters a young woman with strange power and sparkling eyes. But does her power control him? Are the feelings that arise really his own?

Tiberius leads the Brotherhood, tasked with recording history and protecting the Jin’tai’s way of life. But when the Warlock Council sought refuge, he couldn’t refuse. And now? Briton invades the peace talks, and he brings chaos with him. There is only one way to protect the Scrape Lands from becoming engulfed in the war that has wreaked havoc through the other Lands. But is the price worth it?

Step into a tale of fury and romance, of friendship and hate, of loss and sorrow. This is the tale that started it all…and that has far reaching effects into the history of the Stewards.

April Promo: Fantasy for Free

 

I will be running a promotion through my blog for the month of April for those of you, readers AND authors, who love fantasy. Here is how it will work: authors will submit their fantasy novel (any subgenre), as long as it is free, to the promotion. There are only three rules: First, a link must be submitted for the free book, whether through book funnel or any other website you use 2) If you will be using the promo to get more email subscribers, you must at least have 50 in your mailing list, or the equivalent followers of your blog or twitter and 3) you must share the promo on your social media account and to your mailing list. That’s it.

Readers, check out the links and get access to 75 books for free. For some submissions, this might require signing up for authors mailing lists (but seriously, for a free book? And updates on the authors works? Totally worth it. Just saying.)

If you want to participate, shoot me an email at janellegarrettwriter@gmail.com or leave a comment with your email address, and I will send you the link for further info. Happy reading and writing!

–Janelle G.

You Should Read More

 

That’s not just a suggestion. And I’m not saying that because I’m a writer (and an avid reader.) The Alantic wrote a piece in 2014 about how reading a novel actually changes your brain. And not just in a limited way, but in a long-term way, too.

What is the first thing educators say you should do with your children, even from a young age? That’s right. Read to them. It’s not too far-fetched, then, that if reading helps develop young brains that it can develop “old” brains too.

That being said, here are a few things I’ve been digging into recently that I think you should, as well. Of course there is my own work “Rift in the Deep.” This work is full of magic, strong characters with strong stories, a smattering of romance, and lots of adventure. And politics. And religion. But you if you know me, you aren’t surprised by that!

I’ve also just finished SM Holland’s novel “Get in My Head: Sara’s Story.”

 

The whole series is based around teens who struggle with mental illness. Sara in particular struggles with anxiety and depression. It’s a moving story, and one I think everyone who struggles or loves someone who struggles with depression should read.

Of course, there is JE Purrazzi’s “Infraction.” Her characters are fantastic. So well rounded, and the plot is fast-paced without being too fast paced. You can get it for free by signing up for my mailing list.

I just finished some popular ones, too. “Red Rising” was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but it picked up momentum and I ended up loving it. Then there was “The Name of the Wind.” LOVED IT. The Kitchen House was…well, let’s just say that if you want to cry, then read it. If you don’t want to cry, run from it as far as you can as fast as you can.

Hopefully those recommendations spur you to pick up something and dig in. If I could force you to choose, I would almost always force you to pick an indie author work. But the “popular” ones are -usually- popular for a reason. So maybe grab one of each. But hey, that might just be me.

Silent Call

Gone are the days of fearless joy

Sinking ship afloat

Flounder in the deepening void

Cling to drifting boat

See the sailor, see the sky!

Frightened singing, day gone by

Lift a fleeting hand for help

No one comes, drifting kelp

 

Constant ringing in my ears

Can the silence whisper?

Do the Heavens hear my fears?

Hear my fading whimper?

See the sun, see the rain!

Fading guilt! Fading shame!

One last grasp at wooden door

Sink, float, to the shore

 

One will answer screaming call

If he deigns to help me

Lift the shadow’s hope enthrall

Ocean tide so faintly

Radiant beam, radiant face!

Cold slumber, warm embrace

One so silent lifts the veil

Calm within the gale

 

 

 

 

 

Why Not Just Talk About It?

Social media EXPLODES these days when something horrible happens. Whether it’s a school shooting, a sports controversy, a fallen religious leader, or celebrity divorce…the Twitter and Facebook culture warriors furiously pound on their keyboards and send their thoughts out to the world. Now, don’t assume I’m saying this is a bad thing. In many cases, it’s not. But in this day and age, we are sacrificing a LOT when we hide behind a keyboard instead of looking someone in the face and saying the same thing.

For example, would you look in the eye of the students in Parkland and tell them that stricter gun control laws wouldn’t have stopped the tragedy? Be honest. If the answer is yes, then HOW would you say it? Maybe that is how you should communicate it on social media.

Would you look President Trump in the eye and call him a pervert? If the answer is yes, HOW would you say it? That’s probably how you should communicate it on social media.

Would you look a pregnant teenager in the face and tell them they are going to hell for sleeping with their boyfriend? If yes…well, you get the point.

We won’t be taken seriously if all we do is shout “outrage!” at every. single. thing. Especially as a Christian, I must ask myself “How does this reflect on Jesus?” And even if you aren’t religious, the same thing applies. How will what you say reflect on your stance? On your personal beliefs? Will you want your kids, family, friends, etc to think of you as that type of person?

Better yet, have these types of conversations face to face. If you know me at all, you know that I don’t shy away from hard discussions. I’m always willing to go bat to bat with someone over a hot button issue. But I should care more about my relationship with them than I do my opinion. Why not just TALK about it instead of write about it?

Look, I get the irony of telling someone to talk about something as I write! But I hope my heart comes through. Enough writing. More talking. So get off your laptop, or your phone, and got sit down and have coffee with a friend. You might just learn something.

 

It’s That Time

 

It’s a little strange saying this but…my book is now available in both E-book (also Kindle Unlimited) and print. Really? How is that possible? It’s a bit surreal, to be honest.

Something that only seemed a dim possibility, with months and months of hard work, has become reality. The dream that all writers have…you know the one. Publication. Holding your work in your hands. For indie authors, though, that is just the beginning. Now comes that hard part (at least for me.)

Marketing. Ugh. So with that being said, will you buy it? Write an honest review? Sign up for my email list? Maybe, with a little help from my friends (and readers!) I can hit the #1 spot. For the pre-order, I reached #43 in the Christian fantasy category, and somewhere in the 80’s and 70’s for two other categories. That being said, it’s loosely Christian fantasy, so anyone will enjoy it who enjoys good old epic fantasy. Or just a good story. So help a girl out. Thank you to everyone who has purchased it already. You’re the real heroes *fist bump*