ŷ������

Queen, Fantasy Inspired by EstherBringing Queen Esther into a fantasy realm, and entwining her story with another heroine, was a challenge I thoroughly enjoyed. While I was writing Prophet, Judge, and King, one of my editors wrote to me about the importance of bringing the mood and intent of the scriptures to life, while making the fantasy realm and its stories unique. How did I bring Esther’s story into Serena’s world? If it helps, Serena is actually based on two women from the Scriptures. One is Esther, so both storylines are entwined and not the second character-inspiration from Scripture is more overt until the end. (I'm not mentioning the second O.T. woman's name due to spoilers.)��
Queen’s parallels to Esther actually begin in Exiles. Nik (Nikaros) is Serena's relative, who protects and rescues the king while rising to power within the kingdom, and his kinship with Serena strengthens his position, as well as brings him favor with the king. Vashti's disgrace is reflected in Zaria's rebellion and scheming, and Dasarai and Ebatenai are Serena’s final judges (within the harem). When Serena meets Bel-Tygeon in his own kingdom, I've drawn some oblique comparisons in her thoughts and resolutions as she prepares to meet the king. Also, Serena is chosen throughout her journey over and over again based on her looks, and she is chosen against her will, as Esther implied. I made a deliberate decision to show the Infinite working quietly in the background, as the Lord did during the story of Esther, to save His people (in this case, the Eosyths who love and revere Him despite the threats from their enemies).��
As for the king, I had such FUN bringing Ty (Bel-Tygeon) into an ordinary family, and his longing to have a family and children of his own really came to the surface here, when it was only hinted at in Exiles. Which beloved names from the Scriptures are represented in Ty’s character? There are several—one no one has guessed yet!
Blessings, and happy reading!

News! Elk Lake has released QUEEN!����Yes, my baby has been sent out into the world, and I'm delighted.
Celebrating with chocolates and tea--not in that order. ;)

To preserve the book's formatting, Elk Lake is offering Queen in ebook for all Kindle Fire tablets, and all Kindle apps for PCs and portable electronic devices. The is also available, and audio versions are being discussed! I'm hoping for a "standard" version of Queen compatible with
older Kindles like my beloved non-backlit model, but we shall see.

I hope you enjoy Serena's story, inspired by Esther and another epic heroine from the scriptures. No spoilers!


And...we have a cover for DownFallen! At last, my adventuresome antihero has its official "Face"! I'm not sure if the battle-worn protagonist on the cover is the renegade nobleman from Exiles, Corban Thaenfall, or our hunted and haunted royal, Matteo of Darzeq. Either way, I'm pleased with the new look and hope you'll follow Corban, Matteo, and Matteo's valiant cousin Anji into the Realms of the Infinite!

Sample chapters from Queen are available through Amazon and DownFallen, Chapter 1, is now in pdf form �� Gather your weapons, Dear Everyone, and follow Corban, Matteo, and Anji!

Welcome to the Spring 2015 Scavenger Hunt Stop #9!You've reached R. J. Larson's blog, just in time to visit with R. J. and Margaret Brownley!

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! I am a part of TEAM PINK, and this is Stop #9. If you’re just joining us, there are two loops—pink and purple—and they begin at and for stop #1 for either stream. If you complete either the or , you can enter for a Kindle paperwhite and the 17 autographed books from that loop. If you complete BOTH loops, you can enter for the Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire HDX and ALL 34 autographed books.��For an overview of the complete hunt, click When you complete the pink loop for its top prize, for the entry form. When you complete the purple loop, OR both loops (for the grand prize!) . The Hunt begins at NOON Mountain time on April 16 and ends at midnight Mountain on April 19, 2015, so you have a long weekend to complete all 34 stops and maximize your chances at prizes!��BE SURE to keep track of the clues at the bottom of every post in the loop and the favorite number mentioned. You’ll need those clues to enter for the loop prize and every number mentioned in order to enter for the grand prize.��ALSO, please don’t use Internet Explorer to navigate through the loops. Some web sites won’t show up using IE. Please use Chrome or Firefox—they’re better anyway!��Without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to my guest for the Scavenger Hunt, the amazing Margaret Brownley, who encouraged me to continue writing after she read my first--UGH, my very first--attempt at a novel. (I do hope Margaret has forgotten it!) Margaret Brownley is a N.Y. Times bestselling author with more than 35 books to her credit.�� A former RITA finalist, she has won numerous writing awards and wrote for a TV daytime soap.�� Margaret and her husband have three grown children and make their home in Southern California.Margaret Brownley

More Love and Laughter from Margaret Brownley
Taking a Chance—a Big Chance—on LoveMy June release Undercover Bride is a mail order bride story with a twist.�� Maggie Michaels is a Pinkerton detective working undercover to nab the Whistle-Stop Bandit.�� To do this she is posing as his mail order bride.�� If she doesn't find the proof she needs to put him in jail soon, she could end up as his wife!My heroine has a good reason for doing what she's doing, but what about the thousands of other women who left family and friends to travel west and into the arms of strangers?
Shortage of MenThe original mail order bride business grew out of necessity.�� The lack of marriageable women in the west was partly responsible, but so was the Civil War.�� The war not only created thousands of widows but a shortage of men, especially in the south. As a result, marriage brokers and “Heart and Hand�� catalogues popped up all around the country. Ads averaged five to fifteen cents and letters were exchanged along with photographs. It took ten days for a letter to travel by Pony Express and often the wax seals would melt in the desert heat, causing letters to be thrown away before reaching their destinations.����

According to an article in the Toledo Bladelonely men even wrote to the Sears catalogue company asking for brides (the latest such letter received was from a lonely Marine during the Vietnam War).
Cultural AttitudesMarriage was thought to be the only path to female respectability. Anyone not conforming to society's expectations was often subjected to public scorn. ��Women who had reached the "age" of spinsterhood with no promising prospects were more likely to take a chance on answering a mail order bride ad than younger women.Not Always Love at First SightFor some mail-order couples, it was love (or lust) at first sight. In 1886, one man and his mail order bride were so enamored with each other they scandalized fellow passengers on the Union Pacific Railroad during their honeymoon.
Not every bride was so lucky.�� In her book Hearts West, Christ Enss tells the story of mail order bride Eleanor Berry. En route to her wedding her stage was held up at gunpoint by four masked men.�� Shortly after saying “I do,�� and while signing the marriage license, she suddenly realized that her husband was one of the outlaws who had robbed her. The marriage lasted less than an hour.
No one seems to know how many mail order brides there were during the ��1800s, but the most successful matchmaker of all appears to be Fred Harvey who, by the turn of the century, had married off 5000 Harvey girls.
Under what circumstances might you have considered becoming a mail order bride in the Old West?����

Purchase Links:, ,
THE SCAVENGER HUNT SKINNY:Enter to win Queen!Thanks for stopping by on the hunt to visit with Margaret Brownley! Before you go, make sure you WRITE DOWN THESE CLUES:


Secret Word(s): be

Secret Number: 54, a number I chose, because it's my dh's number.

Got ‘em down?? Great! Your next stop is #10, . Click on over there now. And if you get lost, a complete list of the pink loop with links can be found at . BUT WAIT!!!�� Don't forget to sign up for the chance to win an e-copy of QUEEN, inspired by the Book of Esther and other amazing favorites from the Scriptures!��Thank you, dear Hunters, we're delighted that you've stopped by! ������������

Three years ago, when I began to write as R. J. Larson, I promised myself that I would return to the beloved 1890's historical I set aside when the whirlwind story of Prophet swept into my life, complete with a contract and deadlines. Now is the time. However, I've become smitten with two new Biblical Fantasy characters, both inspired by the Scriptures, and both rarely, perhaps never before told--which I hope to unfold in one novella set within the Infinite realm.
I'm now wondering: Can I write two books simultaneously?

I'm planning to try.�� If not, I'll be forced to choose, and it's like deciding between my own kids, which can't be done. Wish me blessings, Dear Everyone!



��

Let the MindSharing begin!

Getting caught up after a hectic winter--sorry for the delay, dear Everyone!

Have you seen Mesu Andrew's latest release? Behind this stunning cover--one of my all-time faves!--is the amazing story of Anippe, the adoptive mother of Moses.

To celebrate, Mesu Andrews has offered a copy for a giveaway! Interested? Leave a comment below, or on . No strings attached, just fun, and a truly absorbing read.

Blessings and enjoy!




"Inspired by the Scriptures, Mesu Andrews brings the ancient world to glowing life!" R. J. Larson, author of Prophet.

Love and blessings to you and your family as we remember the Lord's embodied grace and mercy, freely given to us!

DAWNLIGHT has arrived!At LAST!













Biblical-speculative fiction!
Inspired by the mysterious events of Matthew 27:52-53: Amid first-century Jerusalem's political and religious unrest, Elisheba loses her beloved husband, Joseph. Though she is mourning, Elisheba must fight to protect herself and her young son from the schemes and deceptions of others who wish to control her fortune and her future. While Elisheba defies her enemies, her husband's closest friends must decide what they believe—and risk death. When another tragedy strikes, an impossible miracle shakes their lives—and their world is forever changed...at Dawnlight.


To share my bundle of joy, I'm giving away three signed copies of Dawnlight!
Interested?

Enter the Rafflecopter form below!

Follow the clues for a Chance to Win a Kindle Fire HDX or 30+ novels!
Welcome to the Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt. You have arrived at Stop #16, R. J. Larson's blog. The hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014. You may have arrived here before the start which could mean all of the sites aren't ready quite yet. Once the official start has begun, you should go to Stop #1 () and then work your way through the sites, gathering clues and entering bonus giveaways, until you reach the final stop which will also be on the site of Robin Lee Hatcher.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all of the weekend to finish it, so take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors have prepared for you. You will collect a CLUE IN RED at each stop. Write them down as you go. At the end of the hunt, you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form. (The answer will make sense, even if you aren't familiar with the quote.)

The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors.

IN CASE YOU FIND A BROKEN LINK...

Robin Lee Hatcher has prepared a "cheat sheet" with direct links to each author's post in case a site goes down or a link gets broken. We hope there will be no such issues, but just in case, please make note of the URL for the Participating Authors & Stops page so you can check back and be able to complete the hunt.

Anne Mateer ��Introducing Anne Mateer!

��R. J. Larson here: I'm delighted to introduce the amazing Anne Mateer! Anne is a three time Genesis contest finalist, and a contributor to A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.��
Anne Mateer loves imagining what life in other times would have been like. She the author of 4 historical novels and a 2013 Carol Award finalist. Find Anne on the web at

Read on for Anne's exclusive story behind her latest book, Playing by Heart!������Three Personal Experiences that Shaped Playing by Heart
Over the years, I’ve learned that “write what you know�� doesn’t necessarily apply to situations, places or professions that appear in your stories. Instead, it refers to the fact that authors must call on their own experiences to mine the emotions their characters will experience in similar but different circumstances. Often this happens unconsciously as we write and it is only in looking back over the story that we see that we have, indeed, written what we know. At least such is the case with me! Today I’d like to share three of my personal experiences that I feel shaped the story Playing by Heart.
Joining drill team in high school
I am not a dancer. Oh, I took a few lessons as a child, but it was not my talent. At. All. And yet I entered high school and found myself yearning to be part of the dazzling group of girls dancing on the football field at halftime. Simply making the squad took an enormous amount of determination on my part, but being chosen to participate in the halftime and competition performances took a year of relentless tenacity, a year of training both my body and my mind to learn and do something that didn’t come naturally to me. I drew on this experience as Lula Bowman faced the unknown of learning to coach basketball—a game she’d never even seen played! Anne's drill team!Mothering my eldest son
Anne's eldest son, centerMy husband and I love books and learning, but our middle child, our oldest boy struggled in the classroom, often feeling defeated. But put a ball in that boy’s hands, place him on a court or a field or even the track and he comes alive! He love sports of all kinds—the strategy, the competition—but beyond understanding and performance, he is a natural teacher and leader. He doesn’t always see these people skills as the amazing gifts they are, but I do. Mothering him taught me to appreciate his gifts and to encourage them, much as Chet does for Blaze in Playing by Heart.




Pursuing my writing dream
Playing by Heart, Bethany House PublishersMy writing journey has been a trek of both determined focus and generous sacrifice. Like Lula, I have maintained a determined hold on my calling even while often sacrificing my writing time to build relationships and memories with my kids and my husband and take care of our home. It wasn’t always easy. And yes, sometimes I resented having to set aside my goals to tend to someone else’s needs. But those years, those experiences, built greater trust in the Lord and strengthened my character, much as Lula’s time helping her sister’s family does for her.
Every author puts something of their own inner life experiences into their stories, whether in a main character for in snippets of secondary characters. These are just a few of the ways my own life has found its way into the pages of Playing by Heart.��

Thank you, Anne!��
Buy Playing by Heart! Catch Anne on Facebook and Twitter!
R. J. Here!��Write down this Stop #16 clue!�� - Salman Rushdie
That's - Salman RushdieNow, go forth and hunt up Anne Mateer's blog, ��But WAIT!
Before you go, check out my Rafflecopter giveaway below!����

Please note that the Rafflecopter widget doesn't work with some phones or tablets. If the entry form fails to appear on your device, please enter using your home computer. Thank you!��

USEFUL LINKS:
The link to Stop #1 (the start of the hunt) is:
��

The link to the Participating Authors page is:
��

The link to the final stop where people will enter the answers is:
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At last! Exiles, the ebook has been released!

When will it be released in paperback? I'll get back to you when I find out!

Blessings, dear everyone, and hope you enjoy Araine's story.

�������������������� ���������������������� After signing my first contract, I learned the dreadful truth: somewhere, in all publishers' contracts, three invisible yet critical words firmly state, “You will ����𲹰�.��
���������������������� �����ǰ���,�� I cried, when faced with my first speaking invitation, ��help me!�� ���������������������� Being perfect—and displaying His sense of humor—the Lord answered my wail with a gift: He granted me the uncanny ability to break things. Computerized things. Electrical things. All sound equipment things. ������������������������ The day I faced my first audience—an auditorium full of precious, restless elementary-school students—one of the teachers approached me worriedly. “We don’t know what’s wrong. The mike went down and our technician can’t figure it out. And he’s a genius with these things.”���������������������� Unwilling to disappoint the kids by sending them back to their classrooms for real schoolwork, I cleared my throat and yelled out answers to all their questions. The result? Minimal jitters, maximum happy kids, relieved teachers, and a hoarse voice for me.���������������������� Weeks later, as I was trembling, awaiting my first phone-radio-station interview, I heard the talk-show host cough, then mutter beneath his breath, “Uh-oh.�� Switches clicked, a door slammed, and the host—sounding shaken—apologized, “Um, I’m sorry . . . . We’ve never had this happen before: the studio’s sound system went down. Hang on! I’m running to another studio.”������������������������ Compassion for my agitated host overwhelmed my sense of nervousness. I was able to laugh, and speak, finishing the taping with ease.���������������������� That same year, while sweating through my first two cable-TV shows, a prop fell, a light flickered, and—you guessed it—the studio’s sound system irretrievably failed. The show’s hosts apologized profusely. “Our sound system has never done this before. It’s a disaster!�� ���������������������� The show aired a month later with carefully chosen clips of me smiling (proving that I had truly been in the studio) interspersed with generous compliments from my hosts as they enthusiastically discussed my books. That 'disaster' has become one of my favorite interview memories, and to this day, I count the show’s hosts as friends.���������������������� As my disaster list grew, I felt obligated to warn my publisher’s publicist, “I need a big label plastered to my forehead, warning everyone, ‘Breaks things.’�� ���������������������� “You don’t break things,�� she insisted, “that’s just part of life.”���������������������� Sure. ���������������������� A few months later, my publisher’s publicist arranged for me to attend the International Christian Retailer’s Show for a signing. I arrived at my hotel and dutifully proceeded to the convention center, joining a long line of other authors and attendees, to confirm my registration. The line moved briskly until I stepped up to the counter. ���������������������� “We have no record of you,�� the important-person-in-charge said, eying me coolly over the rim of her reading glasses. Behind Important Person, her subordinates manned the computers and hurriedly tapped every conceivable variation of my name into their keyboards.������������������������ One of the subordinates gasped and stepped back from her computer. “System’s down.”���������������������� I had to call my publicist to gain official admittance to the show. ���������������������� Sadly, I haven’t fully learned my lesson. I forgot to warn my new publisher of my propensity for creating publishing chaos, and Exiles was delayed when the final manuscript refused to cooperate with the publisher’s systems. ���������������������� The publisher emailed me. “You would not believe…”���������������������� Yes. Yes, I believe. My dubious gift for disaster remains.���������������������� Thank you, Lord!