Now that I’ve had enough rest for my brain to properly function again, I wanted to recap my time at Realm Makers while it’s still fresh on my mind :).
For those of you who don’t know what Realm Makers is, it is a conference for Christian writers of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, time travel, steampunk, etc…). And not just book writers, but screen writers, manga writers, and even illustrators. This year was Realm Maker’s third year and wow has it grown since I first attended two years ago! One hundred fifty attendees, stellar teachers including David Farland, Rober Lipaurulo, and Jeff Gerke, and lots of great classes.
This year was a different year for me. Instead of going as an attendee, I was one of the teachers and mentors. And I loved it! I loved meeting one-on-one with budding writers and brainstorming with them, helping them with their character development or story arc, or just encouraging them on their writing journey.
I also loved teaching. I have been blessed with wonderful teachers in the past and I now I am in the position to pass on what I have learned. I taught a class on how to show the gospel through fiction without preaching and participated on the fight scene panel. Both were well received and it warms my heart knowing that I helped other writers.
Of course, one of the best parts of Realm Makers is the costume banquet. I don’t know of any other conference where you get to dress up as a favorite character or genre for dinner :). Here are some of my pictures from that evening (along with other moments at Realm Makers):
David Farland and Me 🙂
Fellow Enclave Authors
Steampunk!
I found Waldo!
More Steampunk!
Me and My Critique Partners 🙂
Realm Makers 2015 was a blast! I can’t wait until I can go back. And for those of you interested in my steampunk costume, next week I will be doing a post on how to build your own costume without breaking the bank. So stay tuned!
The Ryn by Serena Chase. The story is your typical young person finds out they are royalty, but I love how Serena puts a unique twist on this by giving Rose (who later finds out she is the Ryn, the future savior of her people) the ability to hear other people’s thoughts. That and Rose has red hair (I love red hair!). To read my complete review of The Ryn, click 
The Blood of the Kings series by Jill Williamson. Another fantasy with people who can hear minds. This three book series is a two time Christy awarding series (along with multiple other awards) and just plain good. To find out more about In Darkness Hid (the first book) click 
Crosswind by Steve Rzasa. The Stark brothers live in a western steampunk world filled with aeroplanes and trains, and lots of adventure! Click 
Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee. When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Click 
A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz. In the future, Earth is ruled by Sharia law. Follow Sandfly, a debugger and a slave, who goes to a space station to fix a robot for his masters, a robot that has went mad. But little does he know his life is about to change. To read my full review, click 
Melanie Dickerson has written many great fairytale retellings, minus the magic. In other words, what if the story really happened hundreds of years ago in our world? I love her stories and you will to. You can start with any of them, there is no particular order. So I will point you to the first one she wrote: The Healer’s Apprentice (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty). Click 
wasn’t sure how to categorize these last books until I saw someone else label it as myth. Yes, myth, but more like celtic or some other medieval myth, not Roman or Greek. Anne Elizabeth Stengl writes some amazing stories filled with dragons, princesses, elves, and trolls. Generally, I get tired of the same fantasy trope characters, but Anne breathes fresh air into these stories. They are truly unique and some of my favorites. The first book in her Tales of Goldstone Woods is Heartless. Click 
Yes, that is the category I would put this book in (all puns intended). Amish Vampires in Space by Kerry Nietz is just that: Amish vampires in space. But less you think this book is a spoof, I personally know Kerry has taken the time to really flesh out the Amish culture and ask what would happen in the future with this group of people? How would they live, what would their lives be like if there was planet colonization and space travel? And the vampire part, more science than horror. Really, you need to check it out. Click 
I just came back from a weekend-long women’s retreat where I did my first speaking gig. I met many wonderful woman, had lots of fun, and now am absolutely tired. So instead of trying to squeeze my brain for a post this week, I thought I would share about a conference coming up in August that I am totally excited about.
Starfire is an otherworld military science fiction filled with… dinosaurs! Actually, a more accurate term for the cold-blooded fighting force would be the Saurn.
Before I jump into the Spiritual Factor of The Skin Map, I want to highlight two of the participants of this blog tour. First is
Morgan L. Busse 