Giveaway details below!!!
A haven for myths and legends . . .until evil discovers a way in.
With evil darkening the mountains to the north, the fairy queen, Fauna, must journey from the island realm of Bellanok to the modern world to find the man the Creator appointed to save their Kingdom. A man she had been dreaming of her whole life.
Brian is a down-on-his-luck pastor on the verge of giving up on God. He's tired and frustrated—a failure. No sooner does he make a decision that jeopardizes his career than an unusual blonde woman shows up and tries to convince him he is some kind of savior.
Fauna must open Brian's eyes to a different reality, and Brian needs to embrace the haven's secrets. If neither of them succeeds, Bellanok will succumb to evil and the world will lose all trace of innocence.
Talk about getting sucked into an alternate universe! Ralene Burke, author of the beautiful novel above, is here. She is such a busy lady, but I actually jetted into her world for a moment or two to talk about her new book. Float in closer on your lacy fairy wings so you don't miss a word!
PT: Hi, Ralene! So glad you are here! I've let the Cheshire cat out of the bag about your genre, but give us a little more details about you!
RB: Hey, y’all! I’m a fantasy author, social media maven, and freelance editor. On top of that, I homeschool our 3 kids! Yes, it’s a little bit busy around here. I’ve always been a storyteller—just ask
PT: Whoa! I know a lot of authors that really want to shine! What brought you to this world of words and this unusual genre?
RB:Well, my first short story was published when I was in the 3rd grade … Ha! No, really, it’s true. A short story about Martin Luther King, Jr. was published in a city-wide literary magazine. Although I kept writing, it wasn’t until I was in my 20s that a story idea grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go. This began my journey into the writing world. That story will never see the light of day again, but I’m so incredibly thankful for everything I learned from it! My first story was a contemporary YA, but my voice—and therefore my taste in genres—changed over the next 3 books. I went from YA to adult suspense to supernatural suspense and finally landed in fantasy land! I’m still planning to revamp the supernatural suspense to try and sell to a publisher one of these days …
PT: Interesting evolution of genres! So let's get into your typical day to day routine. Take us through.
RB: Ha! One thing I’ve learned many times over is that there is no typical day around here. My Type-A brain wants to plan everything out, but the best laid plans …
Ideally, I get up early in the morning and write for a couple hours. Slowly I move over to social media stuff for myself and clients. Around 10 a.m., I put everything up and move out into the rest of the house with the kids, where we are doing anything and everything from homeschool to chores to playdates/appointments. The list never ends!
After dinner, though, it’s back to the office to edit for clients and work more on social media stuff until my brain falls apart. Ah, but it’s the life I love!
PT: Classic fantasy movies always have iconic music. Does music play a part in your life or during your writing time?
RB: In life, yes! I’m a huge fan of music … and I have pretty eclectic tastes. Although, my go-to is still Christian music. Whether I’m cleaning the house, driving in the car, or just hanging out, I have to have some tunes.
However—big however—I can’t have music on when I’m writing. Well, music with lyrics anyway. It’s too distracting. I’ve found in recent months, though, that I actually like instrumental music if it’s in tone with what I’m writing.
PT: Do, do, do do do DO do (Star Wars theme, in case that didn't translate :) ) Now my favorite! Name 5 things fast about Ralene Burke that have NOTHING to do with writing. (I'll continue to hum in the background.)
RB:
• I’m allergic to coffee.
• I only have one vocal cord that works.
• My favorite fandoms are Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings.
• My favorite color is purple!
• When I’m not busy, I love playing board games and cards.
PT: Tell us what is next on your fantasy horizon!
RB: I have a YA fantasy allegory coming out in September
(hopefully) from Elk Lake Publishing Inc. Armor
of Alehteia is based on the premise question, “What if the armor of God
were real?” It follows the tale of an orphan-turned-priestess who has been
challenged to retrieve the Armor of the Creator before an ancient evil destroys
their world.
PT: Bahahaaaa! The old ancient twist of Good vs. Evil! The readers can't wait! Thanks for stopping by Ralene!
Now you know everything about Ralene Burke. (Well, almost.) But I bet you didn't know she is giving away—NOT A TYPO—yes, giving away one copy of her beauteous books for one of our humble readers. All you have to do is drop your email in the comments/and/or actually leave a comment and your email so we can get ahold of ya when ya win. If ya can't wait, you're ready to launch into an alternate reality before the drawing, you can find Ralene's book here:
RALENE BURKE BIO:
Whether she’s wielding a fantasy writer’s pen, a
social media wand, or a freelance editor’s sword, Ralene Burke always has her
head in some dreamer’s world. And her goal is to help everyone SHINE BEYOND!
She has worked for a variety of groups, including Realm Makers, The Christian
PEN, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and for several freelance clients.
Her novel, Bellanok, is available on Amazon,
and her next one from Elk Lake Publishing will be out September 2017!
When her head’s not in the publishing world, she is
wife to a veteran and homeschooling mama to their three kids. Her Pinterest
board would have you believe she is a master chef, excellent seamstress, and
all around crafty diva. If she only had the time . . .
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