Ah, I knew that word came from Psalms but could not remember where
👍🏻👍🏻 One of my new favorite verses 🙂
*salute* Aye aye! Your wish is my command! XD
YES!! *bounces up and down* *regains composure* Oh yes, THANK YOU!!
I have a deep fascination and somewhat obligation to create my own original names when it comes to fantasy stories (again I blame Tolkien lol XD). I went through 6-8 name variations before I landed with Sylvendra. I was thinking of giving her 5 surviving blood related siblings 1 toddler girl of 1.5 yrs, 1 boy 3 yrs, 1 boy 5yrs, and 1 set of twin sisters 7 yrs. She also has adopted siblings who referred to as wards of her house but raised alongside her. I have around 8 wards of 3 boys and 5 girls.
Wait, you were the one who came up with that name? Did I read that right? Well BRAVO!! (yeah, I blame Tolkien for the fact that Medieval fantasy is all I write XD) Aaww little kids are so CUTE!! I want to hug them all!!
No please do ask away. 🙂 I like hard questions as it challenges me to ponder deeper into details I might not have thought of. Yes! as long as you don’t serve in her infamous battalion, you may call her Sylvie and she needs unlimited hugs as there are lonely and harsh times ahead. XD She can be a right ole terror of a drill sergeant if she catches her troops getting too personal with her or cheeking her. XD I hope to capture around a third of her life where she becomes queen with the happiest ending the story can allow by the end of the series. I will probably cover 3-4 years in the first book.
Oh you have no idea what you just unleashed…the questions writers can come up….*ha ha* Yay! Okay, Sylvie, I’m not a soldier – and hope I never am…. You have my hugs any time you need them!! XD I bet! XD Cool!! Ummm so – does she get a king at the very end *wink wink*Â Sorry I had to ask that!!
Yep she has the desired affect. XD She reminds me of “Mulan” in some ways lol Judging by the ding of pure pandemonium…..you would think they are trying to murder her if you stood on the other side of the heavily locked and barred door. I could see the maidens wearing something close to football gear, carrying heavy nets, padded shields, and padded hooked poles to pin her down…. It can be a dangerous job to keep your powerful rebellious teen MC clean and civil. XD
XD
Yeah, I kind of got some of those vibes lol
*cracks up* Oh man, do you have this scene written out yet? Oh yes, it can! Trust me, I have to work with Payton and keep him from pushing Nathan too far…Not like he ever listens. But I did just make him blind and he’s so scared and now all his scenes are making me cry!
Yes and no…… sooo spoiler alert….. her mother is not dead but everyone thinks she is for a while. Some big and shocking things will be revealed when her mother is found. No I have not read that book yet or heard of it till now. It definitely seems interesting.
I love spoilers!! People give me alerts and I’m like OH NO I SHOULD SKIP THIS and then I go read them anyway…. Now I’m intrigued….
You should! Just as an fyi, I’m not 100% on board with all of Peretti’s theology, but I really enjoy his duology. Its main focus is on spiritual warfare – and I love that aspect. (The second book is more intense than the first, but nothing beyond the bounds of what you find in Scripture and good is always shown as good and the bad is always bad.) The angels…okay, I’ll stop b/c I could just start ranting on these books….
Lol ok deal XD Excellent hard question……. I have a hard time getting myself in the right proper motivation to write dark and hopeless scenes especially when it involves throwing children into hardship. I want my reader to feel and join me in the hatefulness of how this is wrong and should never be like this in reality. However I want them to unleash those emotions with me when we find those responsible for their suffering..*rubbing and knocking your fists together with a satisfactory grin as you corner the culprit*.
Oh, that’s tricky. But in the Bible, we have terrible scenes of evil/dark and then the light always overcomes! (CALVARY!!) Oh yeah, I love seeing the bad guys get what was coming to them the whole time! *cracks knuckles and glares at my villains* SORREN AND OWAIN I AM TAKING YOU DOWN!! Especially you Sorren….
One part I hate about Sylvendra is that she forces me to write these scenes because she is compelled to take on the hardships of others and constantly puts herself near death’s door as a small young girl as shield against the darkness that threatens to destroy everyone she loves. Again spoilers…… For example she takes the flogging sentence on a soldier’s behalf who is under her command because he disobeyed orders and put one of her best friends in dire harm and got others killed. She does it partially because it was her fault that she put him at that post. She is also convicted to teach him a lesson that will possibly save lives in future to see how selfish actions will harm and possibly kill those around you that you care about. Plus she knows her best friend really likes him and would wound her friend further to see him badly hurt. Her friend would not take it kindly either to see Sylvendra hurt either but also knows this is not the first time she has taken a beating or whipping as she was there with her as a slave for several long….. agonizing days. Just a hint…. Sylvendra made sure the slavers whipped/beat her and only her… it is by God’s grace that she is not maimed or dead. So she forces him to watch her take his punishment, to shed her blood for his mistake. Those who do not know her, will see her as foolish and reckless to do such a thing but she is treasured and endeared by her soldiers and citizens. It would speak a volume of massive magnitude that essentially says “I will always be on the frontlines for you and will lay down my life for you, however this is my fate as well and also yours if we all don’t do our best for the good of all.” She has to actually order the soldiers to do the punishment as they stare dumbly with eyes and faces aghast and horror at the countless scars that already mar her exposed back and shoulders. She then has to quickly order everyone to stand their ground, to not interfere, and to not take part in her punishment otherwise they would all freely offer themselves in her place. This is will probably be one of my hardest scenes as all of her people stand tall with reddened and glistening eyes as they force themselves to burn this scene into their minds of the pain, anguish, and blood that will befall their own loved ones if they fail to do what they know is right. Any thoughts?
Oooof. That is hard. But I mean, I really think it reminds me of how Jesus took our punishment. And how His followers are called to show sacrificial love towards each other. I think that will really cement her army’s loyalty. If I was a soldier there – well, one I would be crying my eyes out. Umm actually I’d probably have passed out at the start but anyway – I would be like, there is a leader I would follow to the end of the world and beyond. If there are any doubters in her army, b/c she’s a princess not a man, I think this would be the one thing that would make them stop dead in their tracks and turn their complete loyalty over to her. Also, one thing I would add is that the man who is DOING the whipping/punishment, maybe have some kind of scene where he’s questioning her if she really wants to do this. But he can’t stop her. Power puncher scene!! And all your resders are going to be crying too…
I have a question for you. In my next book, the MC’s brother is going to die, and I have never killed a charrie before. Much less a charrie’s sibling. This isn’t going to be until the very end and I haven’t even started writing the book but I need some help with how to handle that scene….
I often have to listen a playlist of solemn and sad music/soundtracks that would help me bring out the right emotions in this kind of scene otherwise I tend to be light and get them over with.
I do the same thing! I feel like music really helps me write. 🙂
Wow! I am already loving this setting , theme, and plot, very rich! It sets up nicely for God to use mercy and kindness. Is his reason for staying because of the good morals of Alvastian culture and how those compare to his own culture? Does he think that this war was wrong for his people to wage war on those who are kind even to invaders and had no right do so?
Oh thank you! So the reason he stays in Alvastia is because he’s pretty much turned his back on his entire old life – and that includes the North and all it stands for. Nathan used to be a Northerner, heart and soul. He was wholeheartedly fighting against the Alvastians in the war. He was hardened clear through to his bones and would have done anything to win the battle against the Alvastians. It’s only after the battle when he comes to see how wrong he was. It breaks him and heals him at the same time, and his life is a complete 180 degree turn around. Hope that makes sense! Sorry if it was confusing!
Yes! This sounds like my favorite kind of duo combination of characters. I could see comical heated discussions between the two. XD lol How does Nathan get paired up with Payton?
Ha ha – it’s been a rough ride with the two of them for sure. Leaving Payton and Nathan together is like leaving a match next to a barrel of gunpowder – an explosion waiting to happen! And it usually does happen. XD A LOT!! XD So, Nathan helps train some of the young Alvastian boys who want to be soldiers – and that is Payton’s goal in life (he’s got all the makings of a soldier too lol) So that’s how they meet – and clash. B/c Nathan is an amazing trainer, Payton’s his best pupil – and they NEVER SEE EYE TO EYE!! (Until Nathan *small spoiler alert* saves Payton from burning barn)
