All posts by Morgan L. Busse

Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the epic fantasy Follower of the Word series and the award-winning steampunk series, The Soul Chronicles. Her debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.

Book Reviews

Book Release: Secrets Kept

October 16, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 3 Comments

Today is the release day for my friend J.L. Mbewe’s debut fantasy novel, Secrets Kept. As part of her release, I am offering a sneak preview. But before that, here is a quick blurb:

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

Betrothals, sorceresses, secrets. Sounds like a great speculative novel! And now for the preview:

Leaves rustled, and the bush’s slender limbs shuddered. Shadows veiled the intruder; the light of the lantern unable to penetrate the layers of dry leaves and stems. Ayianna peered closer, and a dark mass burst out of the bush toward her face. She flung her arms up. The milk pail slammed into her head, and its warm contents splashed down her face, neck, and clothes. The lantern rocked on its hinge, the flame flashing and flickering wildly. The intruder screeched and a rush of wings brushed against her skin.

Ayianna lowered her arms. A large bird ruffled its dark feathers and made to settle its wings, but one hung at an odd angle. Its round, ebony eyes ogled her.

Could it be?

“Fero?” she asked. “Is brother home already?” She glanced around, but her eyes failed her in the half-light. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, and the breeze grew colder. She shivered and glared at the bird. “Brother or not, look what you made me do? Now, I’ve got no milk, and I’m all wet.”

Fero jerked his wayward wing back and hissed.

“Are you hurt?” Ayianna lifted the lantern, and its glow poured over the falcon, revealing dark stains on his ribbed underbelly. She reached out to touch him, but he gnashed his curved beak at her. The branch shifted, and the bird thrashed about trying to regain his perch, but then he broke free and soared haphazardly into the red-tinged sky.

Atop the bush, a strip of cloth fluttered where Fero had sat. She tore it free. The fabric was damp, soiled, and stunk of decay. It stained her fingertips red. Blood?

J. L. Mbewe is running a giveaway for Secrets Kept. To enter, click on the link: A Rafflecopter Giveaway

To find out more about Secrets Kept, head on over to Amazon and Goodsreads. Or just click on the links below 🙂

October 16^th

J. L. Mbewe: Release Day Kick-Off

The Writer’s Window: Meet the Characters Part 1

Sitting on the Porch with Lynn: Interview

In Darkness, There is Light: Excerpt

October 17^th

The Wonderings of One Person: Meet the Villains

Lightly Salted: Guest Post

Aaron DeMott: Excerpt

Writing without Compromise, Clare Davidson: Top Ten favorite YA novels

October 18^th

J. L. Mbewe: Top Secret Project Reveal

Anne Elisabeth Stengl: Meet the Characters part 2

Emerald Barnes’ Dreaming Awake Blog: Interview

Pauline Creeden: Dream Cast

Sheila Hollinghead’s Rise, Write, Shine: Review of Dragon Thief

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things.

For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at http://www.jlmbewe.com/

Connect with Jennette!

Google+ (But I’m still learning the ropes here!)

My Books, Personal

Birthdays and Giveaway Winner

October 8, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

I love birthdays, which is kind of funny because I’m not a big celebrations kind of person. But there is something about a birthday: it is one day that is all yours and everyone rejoices with you.

I am now a year older, and I don’t mind. Really. I don’t mind getting older. Every year I have more and more things to be thankful for, to celebrate. I am blessed, even with everything that has happened in my life. And with each year that passes, I draw closer and closer to the day when I finally get to meet Jesus face to face, the one that I love.

So here is to birthdays!

I’m also excited because I just clicked on the winner button for my rafflecopter giveaway. Congratulations, Karen Kahne Shoemaker! You are the winner for the Daughter of Light and Son of Truth giveaway! Whoot!

I will be contacting you today and getting those books sent off into cyberspace!

It’s just wonderful to giveaway gifts on my birthday 🙂

For the rest of you, my publisher is running a great deal right now: 25% off almost every Marcher Lord book (including my series). I have personally read almost 1/3 of the titles and slowly making my way through the rest and I can tell you that these are good books. And I’m not saying that because I’m published with MLP. I was reading these books before I was published!

If you are interested, here is the link to get the code.

Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful birthday wishes and for entering my book giveaway 🙂

My Books, Writing

Daughter of Light and Son of Truth Book Giveaway

October 1, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 17 Comments

Autumn Once again October is upon us, my most favorite month of the year! To celebrate October, every year I feature anything and everything speculative on my blog: books, movies, sites to visit, etc…

To kick off my celebration of October, I am giving away an ebook bundle of my own books: Daughter of Light and Son of Truth, the first two books in the Follower of the Word series. This series follows the life of Rowen, a woman who discovers a mark on her hand, a mark that–when she touches someone–allows her to see inside that person’s soul. If you enjoy Terry Brooks or Terry Goodkind and are looking for a fantasy series that is not YA, then enter and try this one out.

There are many ways to enter: tweet about the giveaway, like my facebook page, leave a comment, etc… Just click on the link to go to the giveaway and start entering. I will randomly choose the winner on October 8th, my birthday to be exact. I thought this would be a great way to celebrate, by giving away books 🙂

So what are you waiting for? Click on the link! Rafflecopter Giveaway

And, if that giveaway isn’t enough, you have another chance to win my books, along with every other book my publisher (Marcher Lord Press) has ever published, in celebration of its 5th year anniversary: www.marcherlordpress.com

Christian Life, Personal

I refuse to be Bullied

September 22, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 13 Comments

I wrote this post a couple weeks ago, but couldn’t quite hit the publish button. It is hard to share when I feel vulnerable. After I tucked this post away, the topic of cyberbullying started popping up all over, both in my real life and cyber life. I realized I needed to share because people need to know it is okay to say no, to delete that comment, to walk away from that conversation.

I am generally a quiet, patient person. But lately what I have seen on both social media and online games has made me cringe. It would seem people no longer care about their words. They fling them out across cyberspace like darts, hitting anyone that comes by. They belittle, demean, and use sarcasm as a way to get their point across. People are using words as a weapon. And unlike a real weapon, words leave deep wounds that people may never see.

Usually I let people comment on facebook and on my own website. I am open to people disagreeing with me. And the majority of the time the people I interact with know how to disagree in a respectful way. Then one day someone left a comment on a topic I shared on Facebook. I let it sit there. After all, they have the right to disagree with me. But the way they said it was not nice and not at all respectful. Finally, I removed the comment, the first one I have ever removed. Why? Because this person wasn’t simply disagreeing with me. They were using their words to belittle me. That’s when I said no more. I refuse to be used that way. I refuse to allow someone to tear me down in order to build up their own idea.

I refuse to be bullied.

And I refuse to watch others be bullied.

As a writer, I understand the power of words. One word can shatter a person’s soul. It can lodge inside a person’s heart and mind until the day he or she dies. Yet on the internet we have no problem saying things that I doubt many of us would ever say if we were face to face with that person. Or if we did, we would immediately see the hurt we had inflicted.

I no longer remain silent when I see people ganging up on another person in cyberspace. I carefully choose my words and say something. I stick up for the person being beat over the head with words. Because if I don’t, then who will?

And I will no longer allow comments to remain on my Facebook page or website that tear either myself or other people down. I will not bully others, nor will I participate by remaining quietly on the sidelines. It stops here, with me.

My friends, do not let other people tear you down. There is a respectful way to disagree with people, and then there is simple bullying to get you to join their side. You can delete the comment. You can leave the conversation. You can close the account. You are not what other people say about you. Let me say that again: You are not what other people say about you. You are not stupid. You are not a whore. You are not ugly. You are not lazy. You are not a noob.

You are a unique person, created in the image of God who loves you. Your soul matters so much more than your body. You have the potential to change the world simply by allowing God to transform you from the inside out.

You do not need to let other people stomp all over you with their words. You have the power to walk away.

The moment I realized this a couple weeks ago, I found freedom. I was not chained to that comment. And neither are you.

I refuse to be bullied. How about you?

Book Reviews

Book Review: If One Falls

September 7, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

If One Falls is a fantasy novel by Elaine H. Baldwin. The story is about two young women who are caught in a war between the Emperor and the Cardinal and Allelon, the exiled true king of Terrah.

Esa is young, beautiful, and selfish. She trains to someday be the bride of a rich man. But little does she know what that life will really entail. Wynn is her companion, a woman of sense and duty, and bearer of a secret: She is part of the Allelon family. When Esa is auctioned off to the highest bidding rich man to become his future wife, the women discover that he killed his previous wives and plans on leaving Wynn (Esa’s companion) at a temple to become a temple prostitute.

So the women run. While running, they stumble upon a community that exists outside Terrah, a community filled with magic. It seems like an idyllic village filled with peace and communion between the inhabitants. Then Wynn discovers that someone in the village has used magic to suppress her and Esa’s memories, replacing them instead with false memories.

I enjoyed If One Falls. It is not the usual medieval fantasy. Instead, the story takes place in a fantasy world that feels more like the 1800’s. I liked how it was a different kind of world. I also enjoyed the characters, especially Wynn. She is a no-nonsense, get things done kind of woman. And she is (most of the time) patient with Esa.

And speaking of Esa, usually characters like her (young, beautiful, naive, selfish) can annoy me, but Esa did not. Instead, I saw her the way Wynn did, as someone who need protection and guidance.

I recommend If One Falls for anyone looking for a fantasy novel 🙂

Book Reviews, Writing

Daughter of Light on Tour

August 31, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

This weekend my first novel, Daughter of Light, is on tour with Team Novel Teen! I have enjoyed the tour and met new readers. But I don’t want to hog all the fun. So here are the links to the blogs on tour. Many of them are holding giveaways including ebook and paperbook copies of Daughter of Light. And if you already own a copy, then enter to win one for a friend or family member :). So what are you waiting for? Click away!

The Librarian’s Bookshelf

The Ramblings of a Young Author

Christian Life, Personal

Sometimes it’s more about the Journey…

August 26, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 6 Comments

When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for Christmas. Or camp. Or summer to come. Or for school to start. Long car rides to grandma’s house were excruciating. Or waiting for the bell to ring at 3pm.

As an adult, I haven’t changed much. I couldn’t wait to find out the gender of our first child. Or the second, third, or fourth. Then I couldn’t wait for nine months to be over. Or for my kids to be potty trained. Or to go to school.

I couldn’t wait for nap time so I could write. Or for that highly anticipated conference where I could pitch my novel. Or for that letter of acceptance. For that deadline to pass, or that release date.

I seem to always be waiting for something. But it wasn’t until I started biking a year ago that I realized there can by joy in the journey, not just in reaching the destination.

Near my house is a paved bike path that meanders through the countryside and follows the river in my hometown. It is a beautiful, calming ride. While biking one day, I realized how much I would miss if I was only focused on getting home. I would miss the turtles sunning themselves by the river. I would miss the way the wind would blow, moving the fields of wheat in waves like the ocean. I would miss the birds singing, or the bullfrogs croaking. I would be missing the wonders of my ride.

Ever since then, I have looked at areas in my life where I find I am in a hurry to reach the end. For example: I wanted to redeem this summer with my family. In the past, I couldn’t wait for everyone to go back to school, partly because I am an introvert and the chaos brought on by four loud, active children in a tiny house can drain me immensely. But this year, I chose instead to spend as much time as I could with them. It wasn’t easy, and I was tuckered out a lot. But I built memories with my kids: memories of bike rides and feeding the neighbor’s horses, of swimming along lazy rivers, of tea parties and baking cookies. The journey was a joy.

Now my kids are in school and I am looking for other ways to enjoy the journey. I have wasted too much of my past waiting for something to come. I want to enjoy what I have now. I want to enjoy the small rental house we have instead of pining for the day I own my own house. I want to enjoy writing the third book in my series instead of getting it done. I want to enjoy my husband and savor the times I have with him. These are the little joys God gives us, only sometimes we are in such a hurry we miss them.

How about you? Do you hurry toward the next thing, or do you savor what you have now? What small thing have you enjoyed today?

Writing

How to become a Writer

August 18, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 6 Comments

Writer

I am asked all the time where a person interested in writing should start. I remember wondering the same thing. It took two years for me to finally find resources, people, and places where I could learn the craft of writing. Here is what I found. Hopefully you find my list useful 🙂

There are two parts to writing for a new writer: learning how to write and practicing it.

First, learning. I learned the craft of writing by reading books, attending classes or conferences, and learning from other writers. Here are some great resources to get you started.

Books:

–The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke (he’s my editor and good at what he does. His books and seminars are phenomenal)

–Plot vs Character by Jeff Gerke

–Fiction Writing for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson

–Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

–Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

–Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

Conferences:

The Oregon Christian Writers put on some great one day seminars and a summer conference. Here is their website: Oregon Christian Writers

Two nation conferences I have been to and recommend are the ACFW Conference and Mt Hermon Writers Conference

Organizations/Blogs:

Here are some blogs or organizations I am a part of that help writers learn:

-Randy Ingermanson’s blog Advancedfictionwriting

–Bestseller SocietyThis site is a great place for video and audio teaching and the instructor is Jeff Gerke for the fiction track. I think it’s about $35 a month and you can pay for one month or more.

–ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). This organization offers local chapters you can be a part of, online classes, a place to ask seasoned authors questions, and a yearly conference.

All of the above are great places to start learning the craft of writing.

As far as practice: write, write, write! My friend Randy says that you usually need to write a million words before you start writing something worth reading. I wrote for about six years and had a finished novel and the rough draft of another before I was published. I wrote when the kids napped, early in the morning, or at night. Even now I write for about 1-2 hours most days and get in about 500-1,000 words (everything in writing is measured by words).

Now, go forth and write!

Uncategorized

CSFF Blog Tour-Captives

August 12, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 2 Comments

Captives by Jill Williamson This month I have the pleasure of joining the CSFF Blog tour (Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy). The book featured is Captives by Jill Williamson.

Captives is a dystopia novel that revolves around a futuristic world where most humans live inside a walled city known as the Safe Lands. These humans, however, are infected with disease that has made them sterile. So now they are searching outside their city for uninfected blood by which to reproduce the human population.

Outside the Safe Lands are pockets of uninfected humans who live in small, rural communities. The protagonists of Captives are three teen brothers who live in one such community. The youngest brother longs for something more than the bare life he has and a chance to please his harsh father. So when an opportunity comes up for him to leave the outside and join the Safe Lands, he takes it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that by doing so, he has turned his entire community over to the Safe Lands to be breed for future human beings. The middle brother is captured by the Safe Lands and the oldest seeks a way inside to save both his people and his fiancée.

I really enjoyed Captives. The feel of the book reminded me of the Syfy show Defiance and The Hunger Games. The three different brothers and their story arcs were interesting to follow; each one presented a different picture of the Safe Lands and their own place in their family (the beloved oldest brother, the smart middle brother, the artsy youngest brother who doesn’t fit in).

I highly recommended Captives for teen readers and up who enjoy futuristic dystopia novels.

To find out more about Captives and what others on this tour had to say, click on the links below!

Julie Bihn

Thomas Fletcher Booher

Meagan @ Blooming with Books

Rebecca LuElla Miller

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Christian Life

Christian Speculative Cons

August 9, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

Today I am a guest over at Speculative Faith where I talk about the future of Realm Makers: the potential for this burgeoning alliance to grow into a true Christian speculative con. Head on over and join the discussion, especially if you have some ideas for panels, guests, and classes.

See you there!