Hello readers, welcome back to the guest blog. Things have been slightly busy for me and sort of behind again. There is a possibility I will take another break from doing more guest blogs. August is going to be a busy month for my family, and I have a deadline on my project and in September—I feel I might need time to set back from interviewing. But don’t worry I’ll be back. This month’s guest blog I’ll be interviewing Leah Ann Brown, a Christian fantasy author of her debut novel, Chronicles of the Hidden Realms: Return of the Light, and she’ll be sharing her journey of creating the story and publishing it. Let’s welcome her.
Before I begin asking you questions, can you tell us about yourself?
Leah: “Hi, my name is Leah Ann Brown and I'm an author of a middle grade epic fantasy. I love hiking, drawing, reading, and spending time in nature and it inspires me to write.”
When did you start writing?
Leah: “I started writing in 2015 and at that point it was just a hobby.”
Lot of writers started off as a hobby to see if that’s something they like to do. We have to start somewhere. What genre do you love writing and would like to try?
Leah: “I love writing epic fantasy but would love to try Sci-Fi and write some children's books.”
That’s cool. I never really wrote an epic fantasy. I have written some fantasy stories, but they are not epic. Sci-fi is a pretty popular genre and I hear it is challenging and not easy to tackle but on the other hand can be fun to explore. I wish you all the best. Writing Children’s books can be really fun to write. Lot of people tell me I am good at writing stories for children. Maybe one day I will share some. Speaking of young readers, you write Middle Grade fiction, why?
Leah: “I love middle grade because that's the age I was most impressionable and also loved fantasy books and movies. It's a difficult age and in my stories I share some difficult decisions and problems kids face. And wanted to impact that age group.”
Yes! I have watched several movies primarily focused on young kids and their journey. I also read some books as well. In fact, I’m working on my first Middle Grade fiction, and it is interesting how different it is from YA or New Adult. But at the same time, it is important we show the challenges and difficulties the kids face and how they work through that.
I think what you are doing is great! That's probably why I really enjoyed reading your book. Please tell me what inspired you to create the Chronicles of the Hidden Realms?
Leah: “As a young girl I loved to make plays and stories/movies. These stories and characters inspired me to face difficult things in my life. That even when faced with hard problems or situations you can still work hard for achievements in life. Bible stories had a huge impact too. I saw ordinary people achieving great things with God and not backing down in the face of fear. Light conquering darkness is a huge theme in my story. I want people to see good and light always wins when we partner with our Creator. I have a desire for this next generation to walk in the fullness of who they were created to be, and I wanted my book to show this.
I can definitely see that when I read the book. It was beautifully done! We need more stories like that. There are too many books right now that focus on really dark, depressing heavy themes. We need stories with good intentions and hopeful messages. I love how you use Biblical aspects in the story, especially how you incorporated faith. How did you come up with characters to represent the Holy Spirit or God?
Leah: “C. S. Lewis was a huge impact in my writing. I loved his allegories and wanted to show God in my book without saying God. I had the idea to have the Holy Spirit in my book because He is the one present with Christians today. I found the Greek word, “Eliora” which means God is light and I knew that was the character name I wanted to represent the Holy Spirit. In books there is always a source of power so why not a character like Eliora who gives gifts of power and the great King of Old who first brought the light which represents Jesus.”
That’s so cool! I like C.S. Lewis and his works. I’m reading a book about him writing letters to the people who asked for writing tips. His advice is valid. We should always learn something from other authors and writers. Thanks for sharing that. I think it is pretty neat you create that in your story. How long did it take you to write the book?
Leah: “It took six years to write because I was just treating it like a hobby. It wasn't until 2019 that I started taking it more seriously and challenged myself to finish it for publication.”
It is okay. I have some projects I have worked on and am still playing with it. When You Returned took about eight years (off and on project) before I eventually published it. It is not a bad thing. Some things take longer and more time. You should be proud of yourself for accomplishing the story and publishing your debut! I’m curious, why self-publishing?
Leah: “I decided to self-publish because I didn't want my story changed in any way and I wanted to own the rights to my book.”
I understand that. You spend a lot of time crafting the story. Yes, one of the benefits of being an independent author, you have the rights to do whatever you want with your works. When do we expect a sequel? Share a little bit about that.
Leah: “I've been working on the sequel "The Forgotten Kingdom" and have a couple chapters finished. I hope to have it finished by the end of the year and be editing too. In the second book Isabella and Peter, go to a dark realm blackened from the Book of Realms to find their mother who was stolen by Lord Gog. I'm excited to build this realm because it will be a lot more advanced and different. It will be fun for readers to explore a new realm.”
Oo exciting! I’m looking forward to reading it. Leah, I had so much fun interviewing you and chatting about middle grade fiction and your debut novel.
Leah: “Thank you, Havelah for the interview. It was fun to share my journey.”
If you like a fantasy tale with adventure, dragons, faith and unexpected twists, then you might like this book. Chronicles of the Hidden Realms: Return of the Light is available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle on Amazon. You can follow the author on Instagram and Facebook or visit her website https://leahannbrown.com/.