Month: August 2019

Historical Names–or Not | Blog Tour Stop at We’ve Got Pockets

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

Dumphey, Betin, Stephan, Arther, Patey, Dickie, Noel, Feroci, Barat, Lydda, Zuzene… I was going to look into each of these names and share some history behind them. Then, I decided to try to find definitions. Yeah. Turns out, I didn’t choose very historically accurate names–or names that have a given meaning to them at all. So I’m asking: what would you define these names as? Read the full post and list of undefined names over on We’ve Got Pockets blog.

11 Days!

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Who else was raised on a bushy-tailed Robin Hood? Yeah… that Disney cartoon… 😉 It’s been years since I’ve watched it, but that and Disney Richard Todd movie were the foundation of my Robin Hood knowledge. 

In more recent years, I’ve become hooked on BBC’s Robin Hood series (note: I’ve only watched the first two seasons because I’ve heard details of the third season that I didn’t want to watch; added to that, a few episodes in the first two seasons contain details I’ll not plan on re-watching). 

Who else has watched any of these? How has your Robin Hood education been?

12 Days!

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// First Paragraph // 
Lord Feroci slammed the desk with his fists. “I didn’t send you on a fool’s errand, Barat.” He clenched his teeth as he glared at the missive opened before him.     “Aye, sir. I cannot help that others are the fools.”     Feroci released his anger in a growl. Barat stood patiently, his arms crossed. 
(Protecting the Poor, Tales of Faith, book 3)

13 Days!

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// First Paragraph // 

Another grave. This time, a short one. Nes tossed the spade onto a patch of unturned earth and stood straight. Mayhap the plague would take him next and spare him from seeing body after body plunge from healthy to dead. He was old enough. His aching back provoked the reminder. He looked at the hole in front of him. He’d rather die himself than bury another child—let alone the lord’s child. 
(TheSecret Slipper, Tales of Faith, book 2)

14 Days!

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// First Paragraph // 

Belle wasn’t sure she was ready to return. But she knew it was time. She sank back into the plush red cushions of the carriage and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. The next second, she leaned forward to stare out the window. The scenery should look familiar by now, yet it didn’t. But then, didn’t things change with time? 

(Befriending theBeast, Tales of Faith, book 1)

15 Days!

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It is always interesting to see the theme of a story unfold. When I started “Protectingthe Poor,” I wasn’t fully sure where Noel’s and Dumphey’s journeys would take them. They are two very different characters—and one thing that I find unique is they both have strengths that the other person envies. 
Noel is the shy, quiet type, but he is grounded firm in what he believes is right and wrong Biblically. Dumphey tends to be more headstrong, leaning on his own understanding, but one of the first to take action when he feels it’s needed. 
In “Protecting the Poor,” they both have to learn to do something that God is leading them to do, but they are scared to do it. Have you been there before? What helped you to follow God regardless of your fears?

16 Days!

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The whole kingdom around these three books is something I didn’t actually plan about until… well… book three. 

Ouch. Yeah. 

In “Befriending the Beast,” I just needed where Belle had lived and where she was living now. In “The SecretSlipper,” I needed a little more, so I added a few towns. Then, when it came to “Protecting the Poor,” I needed to know more intricate details of Abtshire. So finally—belatedly—I drew a map. 
And now you see why I’m not an artist. ;P 
So I sat down to plan. What was north, south, west, east of Abtshire? I’m visual, so I needed to see the layout. Oh the woes of pantsering. But I think I learned a lesson. Next time I worldbuild, I’ll start at the beginning of the series (though in my defense, I didn’t know this was going to be a series). 
Have you done any world-building? What things helped you? What would you recommend to other world builders?

17 Days!

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Now that the Tales of Faith series is wrapping up, my brain is going to other projects. Will I write anything similar? Another series of retellings? 
The answer: I don’t know. 
Currently, all of the ideas on my desk are original, no retellings. But I do have a soft spot in my heart for a retelling. If I were to predict another retelling, it would likely be a Jane Austen retelling. But we’ll see. 
What about you? Do you prefer retellings or original stories best? If you were to write a retelling, what would it be?