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Friday, October 17, 2014

Blog Tour: King of Anavrea by Rachel Rossano

Hello! Today I am hosting Rachel Rossano's blog tour for King of Anavrea, Book 2 of the Theodoric Saga. Rachel's book Duty: A Novel of Rhynan is one of the first books I ever reviewed, and I quite enjoyed it. So I was extremely happy to be able to be a host in her blog tour and interview her. I hope you will enjoy everything!
 

Author Bio

Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virture set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.
Rachel Rossano loves to interact with readers.
 

Interview

Welcome, Rachel! Thank you for joining us on my blog Zerina Blossom. Please tell us a little about yourself. Hobbies? Furry friends? Tea or Coffee?
Thank you for inviting me. I am a happily married mother of three children. We are a homeschooling family so my life is very full of teaching and activities. Writing and book cover design are my hobbies/business that I fit around the rest of my life. No furry friends at the moment, though I love dogs. We had two before we had kids, a Chocolate Labrador and a Greyhound. I am definitely a tea drinker. I love a large mug of mint or raspberry tea with honey. I prefer caffeinated tea.
What is your day like?
My mornings are full of schoolwork and housework. My first writing opportunity is usually during my twins’ naptime in the afternoon. Evenings are full of family and church activities. Then after the kid’s bedtime, I spend a couple hours writing or designing book covers. Other book business things usually get stuck in spare moments throughout the day.
 
What is your favorite book, series, or author and why?
I have many favorites. I loved Kathy Tyer’s Firebird Trilogy. The concept of sacrifice despite the chance of death or lifelong consequences for the sake of the glory of God and His greater purpose fascinates me. All too often we lose sight of the eternal in our temporal struggles.
 
Very true. When did you first start writing?
I started writing in my early teens. A serious focus on writing well didn’t come until I was in my twenties when I set about pursuing publishing my books.
 
Is there someone (or something) who was instrumental in inspiring you to begin writing to publish?
My parents taught me to love reading, history, and storytelling. From those loves, I have grown into writing. Without that basis, I think my writing lack dimension and depth.
 
What was the toughest obstacle you had to overcome to publish your first book?
My own foolishness and naivety definitely worked against me and publishing my first book, but that didn’t stop me from indie-publishing my second, third, and fourth. It also didn’t stop be from re-publishing my first book (the prequel to this one). Don’t let your own mistakes hold you back. Learn from them and move forward.
 
That is a good thing to remember. I am also glad of your success. Why did you choose to self-publish rather than go through the traditional publishing companies?
Most traditional publishing companies aren’t interested in publishing what I write, at least they weren’t when I started publishing my books. Non-magical non-allegorical Christian fantasy with a historical feel doesn’t really fit nicely into any particular genre and isn’t easy for them to market. Now that I have been indie-publishing for a while, I would be reluctant to go traditional, but I can’t say I would definitely say no to a good offer. I am enjoying my independence.
 
How much research do you generally have to do?
It depends on the book and the depth needed. I am working on the next book in my Novels of Rhynan series and researching medieval painting and art techniques since my heroine is going to be the daughter of a painter. I suspect my hero is going to breed horses so I am reading about that. However, for The King of Anavrea I didn’t do much research at all.
 
What inspired you to write The King of Anavrea?
After I finished writing The Crown of Anavrea, I felt badly for leaving Ireic with all the responsibilities of ruling Anavrea when he clearly didn’t want the job. Besides, I quite liked him. So despite declaring to my friends that I didn’t like writing politics, I spent a whole book writing about the politics of Anavrea.
 
What do you love best about The King of Anavrea?
Lirth’s internal beauty. She genuinely desires to do the Lord’s will in everything she does, even if it means she must die for Him. She doesn’t hate Him for taking her sight or letting her be a pawn in her father’s political games. Instead, she waits on him with a peace and patience I cannot claim to share. She is an example of how I would like to be. I am definitely not, though.
 
Which of your novels is your favorite and why?
Oh, that is a hard question. It is like choosing one’s favorite child. The answer is dangerous to consider, let alone answer. I would say my current is Living Sacrifice, an Epic Inspirational Fantasy.
In a country which values the seventh sons because of their power, Zezilia Ilar began life as the disappointment. She was born the only girl after six boys and he father never let her forget that her gender ruined all chances that she could restore the family honor by becoming the next Sept Son. Now at fifteen, she is poised to bring honor to her family by making a good marriage alliance until she catches the eye of the man who is about to become Sept Son because she is displaying an ability for telepathy and telekinetic movement unprecedented in a woman.
Hadrian Aleron was born the seventh son of a seventh son. As the most powerful talent in fifteen generations, he is more than qualified to assume the responsibilities of the job. On the other hand, many do not want him in the position. In a country devoted to the worship of a goddess, Hadrian has rejected the accepted religion. He follows the teaching of the Almighty. This alone causes for the foremost leader of the official religion to oppose Hadrian’s appointment.
Zezilia discovers that the Almighty has a greater purpose for her. Hadrian learns to lean on the Almighty to navigate a trying situation. As the story plays out they slowly realize the unacknowledged God of the universe has big plans for them, their families, and their country. I love the theme of faith in adversity and living a life of sacrifice to the Lord.
 
Living Sacrific sound really interesting. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write what you love. Be disciplined and systematic toward attaining your goals. Write and read constantly. Accept criticism when it is given, even when it isn’t spoken in love. You don’t have to take it, but it would be wise to evaluate it. Also, pursue God’s will, even when it means going outside your comfort zone.
 
Is there anything you would like to say?
Thank you so much for inviting me here and sharing the news of my new book. I love meeting new people (readers or authors). Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I love talking about writing, reading, cover design, and just about anything book related.
Rachel, thank you for joining me on my blog and for writing such lovely books!
Speaking of which, here is her newest book, King of Anavrea. Enjoy!
 

Description

A reluctant king, a blind queen, and a marriage that sparked a rebellion... 
Ireic Theodoric, King of Anavrea, constantly battles with his council over who will run the country. When the council insists on a treaty with Sardmara, he agrees. However, the treaty quickly becomes an arranged marriage. Ireic offers up himself for the sake of Anavrea. But after he signs, no princess appears. 
Lirth Parnan, only daughter of the king of Sardmara, survives alone in a cold, damp tower room. Baron Tor kidnapped her in an attempt to control her father. No one came to claim her. She suspects her father considers her flawed beyond use in his political games. After five years of waiting, her hope of rescue wanes with her health. 
After Ireic fights his way into Lirth’s tower, he realizes the depths of her father’s deception. Instead of being an answer to his problems, Lirth creates new ones. The council will not accept her as queen, but Ireic has sworn an oath that he will marry her. His choice could cost him his throne, perhaps his life.
Book Trailer Link
 
Buy Links

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