Welcome to my tour stop! Check out an interview with the author and giveaway below...
Light of MineBy Alen Brokken
Christian Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 214 Pages
November 3rd 2019
Summary
Light of Mine, introduces Lauren (12), Aiden (9), and Ethan (5) who bear the responsibility of keeping their Father’s newly constructed Tower of Light shining in his absence.
Darkness is spreading through Zoura. Beyond the borders of the heathlands, innocent animals are being turned into monsters, and good men into pawns of the Dark One. Father has vanished after joining the Mighty Mercenaries and mother has gone missing in search of him.
Alone on the farm, twelve-year-old Lauren and her brave little brothers, Aiden and Ethan, must guard the Tower of Light that will guide both parents home. But when a hooded stranger is caught trespassing the farm, and a new bishop claims the church, confusion pervades their close-knit community. Will the children be able to recognize who is a threat to the Tower and who is there to help them protect it?
With little else but the aid of a trio of blessed pets, three mysterious weapons, and their growing faith, Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan find it is up to them to stop the agents of The Dark One from putting out the Light and dooming the heathlands to Darkness.
Fans of Little House on the Prairie will feel at home in the series’ classic farmstead setting, and the sincerity of the children’s love for one another— nurtured by the example of their parents—will bring a smile to readers and listeners of all ages.
Read Light of Mine aloud to your family or confidently give it to your middle grade reader, knowing he or she will be ensconced in a wholesome and riveting experience, beginning to end.
Interview
Would you tell us what inspired you to write LIGHT OF MINE?
When my kids were young there was really nothing better than getting out of my car at the end of a long day at work and having my three little kiddos run up to me and give hugs because Daddy’s Home! As a Father of three young children I was very concerned about the direction society was taking. I wasn’t sure that with how things were going that I had the knowledge or the skill to train them up in the way they should go, as the Bible directs.
Then in 2008 I took a new job that had me traveling four days a week. It was one of the hardest times of my life, the stress of a high pressure job, the loneliness of being on the road, and uncertainty of being a young parent really brought me to the end of myself. However, all of the travel gave me a lot of time to study the scriptures and learn from the writing of great bible teachers.
It was during this time that I began to write stories for my children. At first I brought my children’s stuffed animals to life for silly adventures. But then one day while we were putting together a play fort in our back yard I saw a sunrise pattern in the wood in the top of the tower. I thought:
"What if there was a Tower of Light shining God’s goodness over the children and their animals?"
"What if the children experienced the indwelling of the holy spirit in a real way like Sampson or David?"
"What if the full armor of God was physical armor they could use to defeat the darkness?"
As I shared my story with my children, they loved it.
I believe you and your children will love it too.
What is your favorite thing about the book’s cover?
Magpie designs did such an amazing job with the cover. This was the third go at publishing this book and while you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, this cover was so amazing. The light effects she was able to put into it and the overally layout was just amazing. It’s what I envisioned for the second time I published, but couldn’t do on my own.
What challenged you about writing LIGHT OF MINE?
It took me 10 years to get it right. So the initial writing which was closer to 3 years took time, but I was just thinking fantastic thoughts. Adding suspense, conflict, action beats, inner thoughts, physical emotional responses, rising and falling action were all things I had to learn that made it difficult to write and re-write. Essentially it went through 7 major edits and 18 revisions with almost a dozen collaborators by the time it was all said and done.
Do you have any specific snacks you eat or music you listen to when you write?
I regularly listen to the Star Wars sound tracks on Spotify. Orchestral music is amazing for activating the brain. But I don’t know much about real “Classical” composers so John Williams has to be good enough. 😊
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Find a tribe. The best thing that ever happened to my writing is I asked my friend Jason to write with me. We watched Brandon Sanderson’s lectures Sci/Fi Fantasy writing and talked about them, then critiqued each others work. My story got so much better with direct feedback from a trusted friend. Later I got connected to the Realm Makers consortium and there I really met “my people” I’ve been in critique groups there ever since. It is such a great encouragement for a writer to have people to share their work with.
What are you working on next?
Still Small Voice - Book 2 of the Towers of Light Series is coming out July 24th. I’m finalizing it’s launch and working on Fear No Evil – Book 3 of the series. Along the way I’m also collaborating with JJ Johnson on TwoDadsandaJoke where we tell DadJokes and some parenting advice on youtube a weekly basis.
About the Author
Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. Follow his endeavors @towersoflight, @twodadsandajoke, and http://www.brokken.net. Your children can grow their own faith and love of God by following the adventures of Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan (plus their pets!) at instagram.com/towersoflight.Stay tuned for book two, launching in June 2020, and book three in December 2020.
The faith journey continues! Onward and upward.
More from Allen
When my kids were young there was really nothing better than getting out of my car at the end of a long day at work and having my three little kiddos run up to me and give hugs because Daddy’s Home! As a Father of three young children I was very concerned about the direction society was taking. I wasn’t sure that with how things were going that I had the knowledge or the skill to train them up in the way they should go, as the Bible directs.
Then in 2008 I took a new job that had me traveling four days a week. It was one of the hardest times of my life, the stress of a high pressure job, the loneliness of being on the road, and uncertainty of being a young parent really brought me to the end of myself. However, all of the travel gave me a lot of time to study the scriptures and learn from the writing of great bible teachers.
It was during this time that I began to write stories for my children. At first I brought my children’s stuffed animals to life for silly adventures. But then one day while we were putting together a play fort in our back yard I saw a sunrise pattern in the wood in the top of the tower. I thought:
“What if there was a Tower of Light shining God’s goodness over the children and their animals?”
“What if the children experienced the indwelling of the holy spirit in a real way like Sampson or David?”
“What if the full armor of God was physical armor they could use to defeat the darkness?”
As I shared my story with my children, they loved it.
I believe you and your children will love it too.
Tour Schedule
Inklings and notions, April 4
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 5
Texas Book-aholic, April 6
Seasons of Opportunities, April 7
Wishful Endings, April 8 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 9
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 10
For Him and My Family, April 11
For the Love of Literature, April 12
deb’s Book Review, April 13
Blogging With Carol, April 14
Blossoms and Blessings, April 15
Simple Harvest Reads, April 16 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, April 17 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Tour-Wide Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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