Weekend Reads: The Tethered World (Heather)

Are you ready to snuggle beside the fire with your coffee/tea/cocoa and enjoy a virtual adventure? This weekend's Weekend Reads recommendation (say that 5x fast) is close to my heart because it is my very own book baby!

Before you assume I'm self-promoting to pad the ol' bank account, let me put your mind at ease. The Tethered World ebook, the first book in my fantasy trilogy, is FREE on your favorite bookish website. Of course, if you love a 'real' book, to have and to hold, The Tethered World is also available in paperback at a not-so-free price ;) 

Since it would be a little tacky to tell you to "you'll love this book" I'll leave you with the back cover copy and a few of my favorite reviews to whet your curiosity. Of course, I do hope you'll download this clean, family-friendly fantasy and save it for one of your weekend reads, soon! And if you happen to have Kindle Unlimited, the other two books in The Tethered World Chronicles can be read for free, as well. Oh, and if you like audiobooks, I just might have some codes to LISTEN for FREE, if you email me @: heather@heatherllfitzgerald.com 

So, FREE is the buzzword here!

Writer's Life: Storytelling As a Way of Life (Heather)

Ahoy, Lands Uncharted adventurers!

Hope this finds you healthy, full of hope, and finding new ways to redeem your time so that when this period of isolation is over, you will be stronger than before. Have you taken up a new hobby? Have you read or reread that series that you previously hadn’t made time for? Try a new recipe? Organize and decorate? 

I love this sign that my middle daughter made for me!

As today’s ‘Writer’s Life’ guest, I thought I’d give you a peek at my eclectic side. We right-brained types usually have our quirks in areas outside of writing. For me, storytelling began before I set my heart on a professional writing career.

"Home is Where Your Story Begins" is true for each of us, whatever our occupation.

This is my tiniest Gnome friend, a gift from one of my besties that I placed in this funky toy VW Van.

From elementary through high school, for instance, I can remember the anticipation of deciding what I was going to wear to school as I lay in bed at night (my brain likes to kick it into high gear when I lay down to sleep). I loved clothes and fashion and considered each day’s outfit my own personal photoshoot. Was I going for romantic? Whimsical? Vibrant? Though many of my outfits were cringe-worthy—such as my rainbow jersey shirt with my jeans rolled up to reveal my rainbow-ringed tube socks, along with my rainbow shoelaces with an extra one tied as a choker around my neck—I wore them with all the confidence of a runway model in her own personal fashion show. 

We finished our screened in porch last spring and it's become one of my favorite writing spots!

Looking back, I see the storytelling-side of myself being expressed in each unusual outfit. In a sense I was asking myself what story I wanted to tell each day. From a ceramic bowtie (which I still have because it’s just cool) to an Asian inspired outfit with cat-eye liner to help my very blue, caucasian eyes look more slanted, I was the main character in my own little tale that only I understood. Sorry I don't have pictures to share--this was in the 80s before camera phone selfies.

I love my trees and so does this little Gnome who was given to me by one of my BFFs.

When I found this lampshade at a store I knew it was the perfect
pairing for my 60s garage sale lamp base.
It's one of those items I would want to rescue if my house was on fire!

The day I met my future husband, I had an “I Dream of Jeanie” ponytail on top of my head and iridescent, pointy shoes. Guess he couldn’t be too surprised when I eventually had him hang a disco ball in our den and wallpapered our dining room ceiling, right?

Doesn't everyone have a disco ball?

Meet Shadrach, another gift from a friend.
He keeps watch over my den and the disco ball.

As a homeschooling mom of four on a budget, not decorating was never a consideration. From stapling fabric on the walls in rental houses to hot gluing jewels to photo frames, plain white walls wouldn’t survive long when I moved in.

My late father drew these black and white sketches.
He was a very creative man who also loved to read fantasy and science fiction.
My first book is dedicated to him.

Eventually my kiddos would attend a fine arts school for homeschoolers and I would get a job there teaching ballet. My favorite part of the year was choreographing dances for the spring recital. A dance is a story told through movement and its interpretation of the music. Whatever song I chose, whether it had lyrics or was instrumental, spoke to me like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. 

Tumnus helping one of many Lucys to feel safe in Narnia.

My fifteenth and final year of teaching, our ballet department chose to do The Chronicles of Narnia for our recital. Talk about going out on a high! CS Lewis’s books are how I discovered my many ways of storytelling were drawing me to writing. 

One of my adorable Reepicheep ballerinas.

I had the joy of choreographing Lucy going through the wardrobe and meeting Tumnus (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), getting fifteen five-year-old Reepicheeps to dance and ‘fight’ with their plastic swords (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), and helping a dozen children sneak into the castle of the giants (The Silver Chair), Oh, and I had waaaay too much fun getting to play the White Witch in another class’s interpretation of the battle scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Muahahahaha!

And although my house has colorful walls, metal ceilings, and (until recently) a red kitchen sink, I suppose it’s no surprise that once my fantasy books were published, many friends gifted me with gnomes and Bigfoot items—two characters from my Tethered World Chronicles. I’ve had fun fitting them into the decor and adding some touches of my own that remind me of my book babies (octopi and mushrooms, in particular). 

This shelf is full of fun memories, including some Gnome and Bigfoot gifts that I've been given. 

After all, a house is an extension of those that live in it, right? My house happens to tell the story of someone who likes to tell stories. Although my husband is quite the opposite of me…a math-minded engineer who is in construction, I’m super blessed to have his encouragement in all of my crazy endeavors. He used to be an insurance adjuster and spent his days going in and out of others’ houses. Often he came home and said, “I love our colorful house! Most houses I see are full of neutral walls with a few simple pictures.” I guess the Lord knew that I’d probably shrivel up in a house where I couldn’t express myself!

So that’s a look into this particular writer’s life! Like, the whole thing :) Guess I’m comfortable being the oddball. How about you? I think we all have our idiosyncrasies. I’ve just admitted to mine and now it’s your turn!

Not Write Now (Heather)

Howdy from Texas to all of my new Lands Uncharted friends! I’m so happy to be a part of this diverse and talented group. Thanks for letting me share a bit of my “writer’s life” with you today.

As I work on this post, I’m tempted to retitle the heading as “Non-Writer’s Life” because I’m literally typing this from my mother’s hospital room. She’s had a lot of health challenges lately, one of which was the need for a hip replacement this past week. Unfortunately, she suffered a small stroke the night after surgery, making recovery even more difficult. We are praying and looking towards rehab to get her moving. 

My mum and I at the Realm Maker Awards in St. Louis.
My third book, The Genesis Tree, was a finalist!

Soooo, as you might guess, I’m not doing much in the writing realm lately (we’ve been dealing with problems since October, so this isn’t a recent phenomenon). But! I just signed a contract for two additional books to add to my current YA fantasy trilogy, The Tethered World Chronicles. Plus, my second and third books, from said trilogy, are being made into audiobooks (to go along with the first one) as I write this! 

These things are writing wins and I’m so grateful for them—and grateful for my wonderful publisher, Mountain Brook Fire, and their willingness to work with me through this new set of challenges. Speaking of MBF, did you see the writing contest they’re hosting? I mentioned it in an earlier post but thought I’d bring it up in case you missed it! If you’re a writer, you need to check it out.

Though my current writing groove is in the two-steps-forward-one-step-back rhythm, it’s not always been this unpredictable. Though I am a definite pantser—writing by the seat of my pants—I somehow managed to write my first novel, The Tethered World, while homeschooling four kiddos. 

When my oldest graduated high school, and my youngest was headed to sixth grade, I decided to begin my writing career in earnest. Wasn’t my graduate also in the sixth grade, like two years earlier? Felt that way! I knew the next six years would fly by. And I didn’t want to wait until then to figure out what to do with myself—although I did have a job teaching ballet, which I kept even after my youngest graduated. 

One of my classes performing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
That's Tumnus and multiple "Lucys" :)

I had TONS of fun playing the White Witch for another Narnia number!

In my heart, I was a storyteller. Whether with dance or words, that was what I loved to do.

God brought along a wonderful mentor in children’s author Susan K. Marlow who helped me learn a lot of the writing ropes. She encouraged me to send her whatever I was working on and offered oodles of helpful feedback. She even used an actual red pen to bleed all over my rough draft, which I had printed out on actual paper. Susan also introduced me to my publisher, Miralee Ferrell, a successful author-turned-publisher. 

That early, providential relationship has taught me the value of making connections in the writing world. Thank the Lord for the internet! It holds so many opportunities, especially for us introverts. Though I’ve finally met both Susan and Miralee in person, those meetings happened after my first book was published.

This past July I reached the half century mark! I now have two delightful granddaughters and my husband and I are official empty-nesters. You may be in a season of diapers and homework and dirty dishes, but, trust me, one day you will have time to pursue those quiet passions, lurking inside your heart. Someone once said that, “the days are long but the years are short” and truer words haven’t been spoken in regards to parenting. Be patient with your self and with life. You can depend on seasons to change.

My granddaughters, W and K. They bring such joy!
It's heartwarming to think that one day they will read my books.

Though I may not be swimming through diapers and dishes myself, these past few months have brought similar time-challenges with my mom’s health crisis. Writing today’s post has been a good reminder from my younger self. Wow! I actually managed to write a novel in the midst of a full house—a little here, a little there—and I will, with God’s grace, manage it again. And, like those valuable, early internet relationships, I now have a new relationship here, with all of you Lands Uncharted peeps! I am truly blessed.

Do you have a mentor, a writer’s group, or someone encouraging you in whatever you love to do? How did you meet them? Are there dear friends in your life, thanks to the internet, that you’ve yet to meet in person? If time constraints weren’t a thing, what would your dream job be? 

I'd love to hear what's going on with you!

Top 3 Unique Elements of The Tethered World by Heather L.L. Fitzgerald (Lauricia)

The Tethered World features Sadie Larcen, the eldest daughter of six children. As a homeschooled student whose mother runs a popular blog about myth and lore, she’s used to a life that defies definition as “normal”. When her parents mysteriously disappear, it’s up to Sadie to keep everyone calm, safe, and protected. That’s a lot to ask of a sixteen-year-old, but it’s only the beginning of the seemingly-impossible things Sadie will have to deal with in order to get her parents back.

The things I enjoyed the most about this story were the unique elements the author incorporated. My favorite of these were:

The Twist on the Bigfoot Legend

In The Tethered World, Sadie’s mother is deeply knowledgeable of folktales and fables, especially when it comes to the legend of Bigfoot. So when Sadie’s parents appear to have been abducted by a genuine Sasquatch, Sadie finds this unusual but not outside the realm of possibility. She doesn’t even begin to consider the word “impossible” until she discovers that Bigfoot is real, there are quite a few of them, and humans have a hard time finding them simply because we’ve been misidentifying them for so long.

The Twist on Autism

Sadie’s brothers Broc and Brody are twins identical in every way except one: Broc has Autism. As the mother of a child with high-functioning Autism, I found Broc to be especially endearing. I appreciated the way Fitzgerald presented Broc’s manifestations of Autism with dignity and respect, and I loved the way she made a qualifying strength out of this condition that mainstream culture often perceives as a weakness and, sometimes, even as a liability.

The Twist on Setting

The Tethered World is a cross-over story. Although Sadie and her family live in contemporary America, most of the story takes place in a fairy world that is richly developed with original details. This isn’t Narnia or Middle-Earth; it’s a unique fae realm unlike anywhere else explored before.

Readers who enjoy middle-grade books with strong female protagonists and a light romance thread (free of clichéd love triangles) will enjoy this book, as well as the already completed sequels The Genesis Tree and The Flaming Sword.