In a kingdom where the Old Ways hold fast and a man’s worth
lies entirely in his skill with the sword, Conor Mac Nir is a scholar, a
musician, and a follower of the forbidden Balian faith: problematic for any man,
but disastrous for the son of the king.
When Conor is sent as a hostage
to a neighboring kingdom, he never expects to fall in love with the rival king’s
sister, Aine. Nor does he suspect his gift with the harp (and Aine’s ability to
heal) touches on the realm of magic. Then his clan begins a campaign to
eliminate all Balians from the isle of Seare, putting his newfound home in peril
and entangling him in a plot for control of the island that has been unfolding
since long before his birth.
Only by committing himself to an ancient
warrior brotherhood can Conor discover the part he’s meant to play in Seare’s
future. But is he willing to sacrifice everything—even the woman he loves—to
follow the path his God has laid before him?
I found then that I could not rest until I had hunted down the authoress herself and invited her to come and be introduced to all of you! So I hope you will enjoy meeting Carla Laureano and learning more about her work. Also, she has generously offered a giveaway copy to one lucky reader, so be certain to enter the Rafflecopter down at the bottom of this post!
First, though, here is a little about Carla herself:
C.E. LAUREANO has held many
jobs—including professional marketer, small-business consultant, and martial
arts instructor— but writer is by far her favorite. Her first novel, Five Days in Skye, was recently chosen
as a double-finalist in the RWA’s 2014 RITA Awards. Oath of the Brotherhood marks her fantasy debut.
INTERVIEW
Welcome to the
Tales of Goldstone Wood blog! First of all, would you mind telling us a little
about yourself? Hobbies, personality . . . tea or coffee?
C.E.--Hmm.
I wish I could say I have hobbies, but I’ve had such tight deadlines lately, I
haven’t done a whole lot that qualifies. I do read and knit, and one of these
days, I’ll manage to get myself back into ballet or martial arts, both of which
I’ve studied seriously in the past.
Personality? Um. Big? Loud? I love being with friends, and I love to laugh. I
try not to take life too seriously, but my friends tell me I can be pretty
intense. I’m definitely driven and self-motivated, which is probably a nice way
of saying a little bit obsessive.
And
I love tea, but tea doesn’t love me, so I drink mostly coffee. Still, there’s
nothing like a proper English cuppa.
What led you
into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller? How did you get into publishing?
C.E. -- I’ve
wanted to be a writer for as long as I remember. I wrote my first short story
at the age of 7. In college, I studied English literature, edited the literary
journal for a semester, and began submitting stories to magazines. I also began
my second novel, a fantasy (the first was a really terrible historical I wrote
my junior year of high school), which I can assure you will never see the light
of day. It’s almost as bad as the first!
It
took me years to write the story that became Oath of the Brotherhood, between working full time, lots of
corporate travel, and eventually having kids. When my youngest turned two, I
decided it was time to dig out the manuscript, polish it up, and send it out. I
joined ACFW, found a critique group, and within a year, I had a book contract.
I guess it’s true that timing really is everything! It like to call it my
“twenty year overnight success story.” When I finally got serious about
publishing, it happened quickly, but it took a long time to get to that point.
Tell us a little
about your work! Oath
of the Brotherhood is your first fantasy
but not your first novel, right? What was your debut novel?
C.E. -- Oath of the
Brotherhood is
my first fantasy novel, and it was actually the first book that I sold. The
first book to be released, though, was my contemporary romance, Five Days in Skye. I’m hugely blessed
(and more than a little stunned!) that it was chosen as a double-finalist in
RWA’s RITA Awards this year.
I’m
one of those weird writers who works best when I don’t take much time off, but
I can’t focus on one genre all day, every day. I like publishing in multiple
genres because it gives me a chance to let my brain rest in between drafts, but
I can still continue to write.
Now do tell us
about Oath
of the Brotherhood. How long have you
been work on it? Did it present any unusual challenges? Is it part of a series or a stand-alone?
C. E. -- Oath of the
Brotherhood
went through multiple drafts over a five year period before I ever submitted
it. Then of course, there’s the submission time, and an editorial process that
took almost 18 months. So this book has been an eight year journey from start
to finish.
This
is definitely the most ambitious project I’ve taken on. It is a trilogy, and
each book is pretty long for Christian fiction, almost 450 pages each. Giving
each book its own storyline while sustaining an overall arc for the three books
in the series is way more challenging than I anticipated. I have a whole new
respect for TV writers!
Can
you pick a favorite character from this new novel?
C.E. -- I love all of them, but my favorite has to be my
main character, Conor. He starts out as an uncertain, scholarly boy with lots
of insecurities, and he ends up being a pretty awesome hero. And it’s been
really fun to write the duality of the character: he’s forced to make himself
into the type of person he never wanted to be—a warrior—but he doesn’t want to
lose his true identity in the process.
What inspires
your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
C.E. -- I
love stories of all sorts, so when I feel myself running low, I retreat with a
stack of books and a bunch of movies. Oddly enough, the breakthrough of my plot
for the second book in this series came while I was in the theater watching Star Trek: Into Darkness. JJ Abrams is a
great storyteller, and he understands the Hero’s Journey better than almost
anyone.
I
can usually tell when I’m in need of spiritual renewal because I find the faith
thread nearly impossible to write. It’s a signal I need to take some time away
from work, read my Bible and a devotional or listen to a Bible study podcast.
As a writer, it’s very easy to take more out of the tank than you’re putting
back in.
What are your
favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
C.E. -- I’ll
admit it. I hate first drafts. I write them as quickly as possible, just to get
everything down on the page. But I truly love the editing process. There’s
something satisfying about taking the raw material and transforming it into
something that someone might actually want to read! And I do lots of drafts.
Lots of them. My editors think I’m a little insane.
If you were
forced to pick a single favorite author, who would it be?
C.E. -- Oh,
that is just mean! It’s like picking a favorite child. But the author who has
had the biggest influence on my writing would have to be Guy Gavriel Kay. I can
trace my decision to write historically-based fantasy directly to his books.
He’s an amazing writer.
What are you
actively writing right now?
C.E. -- I’ve
got two projects going simultaneously, including another contemporary romance.
But the current focus is drafting the third book in the fantasy series. This is
definitely the most challenging of the three, but I’m happy with the way it’s
shaping up. (This is the third “first draft” I’ve written so far, by the way.
Told ya. Insane.)
Would you share
a short snippet from Oath
of the Brotherhood?
C.E. --
Sure! This is from the first chapter,
where Conor returns from fosterage to realize his homecoming might not be as
welcoming or as safe as he initially thought. His father, the king, is being
advised by what he thinks is a Red Druid, and he has odd gaps in his memory
about the castle itself.
Excerpt from
OATH OF THE BROTHERHOOD
It was bad enough he was about to face his father
and explain why he had not yet laid hands on a sword. Now he might have to
contend with a Red Druid, whose kind were notorious and ruthless inquisitors, a
man who looked at him as if he already knew Conor’s most dangerous secret.
He forced down his unease and stripped off his travel-stained
garments. His skin prickled, but a quick glance over his shoulder assured him
the door remained closed. He slid quickly into the bath’s meager concealment. Breathe.
They couldn’t know. Labhrás had been careful. No books of
Scripture or religious symbols had come with them, and Dolan’s discretion was
unquestionable.
If the king found out, it would take only a whisper
to destroy Labhrás’s status in the kingdom. Galbraith may have relaxed the
restrictions on Balianism during his reign, but not so long ago, adherence to
the forbidden faith would have landed their severed heads beside the keep’s
gate. Even now, Balian converts did not retain possession of their lands and
titles for long.
Lord Balus, protect us,
Conor prayed silently, not daring to give voice to the words.
May You be the shield between us and our enemies. May You be the Light that
guides our path. May everything we do further the work of Your kingdom.
He let out a long, shuddering sigh and sank further
into the warm water, concentrating on moving his breath in and out of his
lungs. Inch by inch, he forced his mind away from his worries. He could not
afford to seem afraid here. To show any discomfort would only make them wonder
what he was hiding.
Conor.
He sat bolt upright in the bath, sloshing water over
the sides. He whipped his head around, looking for the source of the whispered
voice.
I know what you conceal, Conor. Soon, they
all will. I can protect you.
Gooseflesh prickled his skin, and the warm water
turned cold. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
Join me, Conor. You’ll be safe . . .
______________
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Carla! Best of luck with your launch.
So tell me, dear imps: Aren't you excited to try her story now?
Don't miss out on this giveaway opportunity and the chance to tell others about this exciting new fantasy. And be sure to thank C. E. Laureano for visiting!
A quick update to all of you regarding the Music Contest: If at all possible, would you send me your submissions as YouTube videos? Regular videos should work too, but YouTube videos are by far the easiest.
