Mariposa AristeoMariposa Aristeo is a writer of fantastical adventures filled with heart, humor, hope, and sometimes dinosaurs. But, most importantly, she’s a creative who seeks to glorify God on every page of her life.
She is the author of The Boy Who Didn’t Exist (grab a free copy here), and she was a finalist in the 2021 ACFW First Impressions Contest and a semi-finalist in the 2023 Realm Makers Aurora Contest. Keep an eye open for her debut fantasy-adventure novel releasing with Enclave Publishing!
Besides writing snarky characters who sass everybody, Mariposa loves bringing stories to life in full color as a freelance artist. She also enjoys inspiring other creatives as the Public Relations Director at Story Embers and the Social Media Manager at the Young Writer’s Workshop.
You can check out her favorite clean fantasy recommendations and bookish shenanigans on her Instagram.
“Be yourself” has been ingrained in our heads thanks to social media and graphic T-shirts. We all love books, movies, coffee mugs, and anything else that inspires us to live out those two words. But the application can be complicated, and oftentimes we end up being an...
Last February, I contracted a severe case of creative block. Inspiration seemed to pack its bags and depart for an unknown region. Everything I wrote sounded wrong, and artistic feats became a struggle. I couldn’t craft a poem, paint a canvas, or sketch a character! I’d never experienced such a widespread form of mental paralysis before.
“Please read me!” Hardcover whispered as the top of a brown-haired head paused in front of his shelf. Though he knew humans couldn’t hear him, he repeated the plea over and over. Fingers crept toward him, creating a trail in the dust. If Hardcover had lungs, he would have held his breath. Just a couple more inches…
Conversions in literature used to be so common that a person could hardly stroll into a Christian bookstore without the gospel screaming at them the instant they opened a book. One out of every five novels seemed to be another Pilgrim’s Progress (with the rest being Amish romance). Thankfully, with the focus of Christian fiction changing, this is less of a problem. However, you may still be wondering: Should conversions in Christian fiction be eliminated completely?
Esther is one of the most beautiful books of all time, teaching us more lessons than a college class. It’s the Mona Lisa of literature. Yet, surprisingly, God’s name is absent from the 167 verses, which has caused some people to doubt Esther’s authenticity in the canon.
At intervals throughout your journey, you’ve probably wondered whether you’re a good writer. Unfortunately, I can’t sympathize because that thought hasn’t occasionally crossed my mind.
Silver bells ring, tinkling to “Let It Snow.” Dozens of lights blink the colors of the rainbow. Bows, strings, paper, and tape clutter the floor. Cards avalanche when you open the door, sparkling all December long.
Typing on my tiny typewriter, I’m an incorrigible plotter. Color splashes onto the page, green, coral, orange, and beige.
Stomp, rumble, thump, roar! Overhead pterodactyls soar! Jurassic, Triassic, Cretaceous, Iguanodon, Protoceratops, Diplodocus. A flood washed these creatures away, preserving their bones for a future day.
Many great women have trod this earth, Their light flickering like a burning hearth, Blazing inspiration into the heart of every American, Like Sacajawea, Earhart, and Harriet Tubman. Others preferred to cast their light on a library, Like Alcott, Austen, and Lucy...
