Welcome to my tour stop! Check out an interview with the author and giveaway below...
Journey to TwilightBy Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Christian Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 113 Pages
November 1st 2019 by Capture Books
Summary
Sam and Lorna’s bike challenge becomes far more than a neighborhood race in this action-adventure fantasy for middle-schoolers.
Riding over a cairn at sunset, Lorna surfaces in Twilight, where she is given three impossible tasks to complete before her heart’s desire is granted.
Story Line: Avid fifth-grade mountain biker, Lorna Thompson, moves to Arizona after her parents’ divorce. Unpacking boxes, Lorna begins seeking a way to fit into the neighborhood crowd when a girl named Ally knocks on her front door.
Splashing in the pool at Ally’s house, Lorna learns about the Crestwood Challenge, a bike race created by a scar-faced neighborhood legend, Samuel Black. She hears herself boasting that she can take on Sam Black in his own race and win. Lorna’s words quickly come back to bite her.
Although none of the kids will root for the new girl, an ancient cairn opens to the Land of Twilight giving Lorna an opportunity to win anything her heart desires.
Illustrations are by award-winning artist, Brianna Osaseri.
Thematic: Fantasy ages 9-12; Female protagonist dealing with parents’ divorce finds confidence and friendship in conflict and opportunity; Celtic; Jamaican; Multi-racial; Action-Adventure; coming of age fantasy for pre-teens with some paranormal, mystical places and events.
Story Line: Avid fifth-grade mountain biker, Lorna Thompson, moves to Arizona after her parents’ divorce. Unpacking boxes, Lorna begins seeking a way to fit into the neighborhood crowd when a girl named Ally knocks on her front door.
Splashing in the pool at Ally’s house, Lorna learns about the Crestwood Challenge, a bike race created by a scar-faced neighborhood legend, Samuel Black. She hears herself boasting that she can take on Sam Black in his own race and win. Lorna’s words quickly come back to bite her.
Although none of the kids will root for the new girl, an ancient cairn opens to the Land of Twilight giving Lorna an opportunity to win anything her heart desires.
Illustrations are by award-winning artist, Brianna Osaseri.
Thematic: Fantasy ages 9-12; Female protagonist dealing with parents’ divorce finds confidence and friendship in conflict and opportunity; Celtic; Jamaican; Multi-racial; Action-Adventure; coming of age fantasy for pre-teens with some paranormal, mystical places and events.
Interview
Would you tell us what inspired you to write Journey to Twilight?
Statistics now show that about 40% of all marriages end in divorce. That’s better than it used to be 20 years ago but its still a big number. I wanted to write something for kids that have to deal with this challenging subject. My parents divorced when I was two and both remarried when I was three. I felt many of the emotions my main character, Lorna, experiences throughout the story. I hope this book will make kids feel less alone in their struggles with divorce as well as challenges such as moving to a neighborhood or being the new kid in school.
What one piece of advice would Lorna give?
Friends are more important than anything for which you could ever wish.
What is your favorite thing about the book’s cover?
I love the upward movement in the cover. In Journey to Twilight, my characters experience the sensation of falling up and I believe the cover captures the intrigue and mystery of the book.
What part or aspect of this story do you love the most?
I would have to say the scene in which Lorna has a heart to heart talk with her dad about the divorce. I am a child of divorce and have a great deal of emotion about the subject. When I journal, the writing is just for me and I feel free to fling my emotion here and there on the page. When I write for my readers, I want to convey the emotion in a way that is enjoyable for the reader. I work to refine and polish until the finished product conveys the emotion in a way that becomes personal for the reader.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t think too much. Just start writing and try to write every day. Writing is a muscle that must be exercised and developed. It’s a lifestyle to adopt in a sense. As writers we are observers of life; investigators of the unusual, celebrators of beauty, and detectives of the divine even in the darkest alleys of this journey. Go forth and write!
About the Author
Charmayne Hafen is a graduate of John Brown University and has her masters in counseling from the Denver Seminary. She’s not only gifted in creative writing, but uses skills in organization, facilitation, and administration in the company she and her husband started 18 years ago.Her love of Celtic mythology inspired her to write her debut chapter book, Journey to Twilight, for ages 9-12. In 2011, she lost her younger brother, and she dedicates this first book to Tim. When she’s not writing, Charmayne is running counseling groups for adults and a therapeutic photography group for children. She has run a grief support group for several years. She is a member of a novel book club, and she is an avid fan of the author, Stephen Lawhead.
She has written several short stories for children, teens, and adults, as well as the current fantasy series, The Land Of Twilight, being published in 2020 by Capture Books.
The first book, Journey To Twilight, is about the heartfelt needs and choices of a child of divorce. It also wrestles with what it is like to be a newcomer in a town and school. Charmayne relates personally to these themes as a child of divorce who moved consistently throughout her elementary and middle school years. She believes stories can provide not only a way of escape for kids, but also teach them how to handle difficult issues. As the characters in The Land Of Twilight struggle through different challenges, they come to understand that life requires more than what we do with what can be seen. To truly live, there must be faith in what has not yet come, in what is unseen.
Charmayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and psychology as well as a Master of Arts degree in counseling. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband John and her two chihuahuas, Pepe and Frida.
More from Charmayne
Welcome to Journey To Twilight, the first book in the Land Of Twilight Trilogy, where Lorna and her friend, Sam, begin a journey that will lead them to discover the true meaning of friendship and faith.
In a world that can only be accessed by what is known in Celtic mythology as a cairn, Lorna is shocked to find herself in the Land of Twilight where the real adventure begins. She must learn some important lessons in her quest to have one wish granted and Sam is part of her greatest challenge.
The adventure continues in Return To Twilight, where Lorna meets a new girl that proves to be a bad influence. She and Sam are at odds and things aren’t the way they were back in sixth grade. Middle school is an entirely different scene. Faith becomes a central theme in this book along with the ongoing exploration of friendship. Can Sam help Lorna remember her faith with the help of Twilight?
Trouble In Twilight, the third book in the Land Of Twilight trilogy, will be published early next year. This has been my most challenging book to write as the characters travel through time to discover the basis of faith and the philosophy at work against faith in the Savior. The Land of Twilight is in jeopardy and it’s up to Sam and Lorna to help restore what is slowly fading away.
It is my hope that my readers will come away from this trilogy with a deeper appreciation for the power of faith and friendship. I pray it will lead many to faith in the Savior and be an enjoyable ride in the process. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these important topics and the stories that shed new light.
In a world that can only be accessed by what is known in Celtic mythology as a cairn, Lorna is shocked to find herself in the Land of Twilight where the real adventure begins. She must learn some important lessons in her quest to have one wish granted and Sam is part of her greatest challenge.
The adventure continues in Return To Twilight, where Lorna meets a new girl that proves to be a bad influence. She and Sam are at odds and things aren’t the way they were back in sixth grade. Middle school is an entirely different scene. Faith becomes a central theme in this book along with the ongoing exploration of friendship. Can Sam help Lorna remember her faith with the help of Twilight?
Trouble In Twilight, the third book in the Land Of Twilight trilogy, will be published early next year. This has been my most challenging book to write as the characters travel through time to discover the basis of faith and the philosophy at work against faith in the Savior. The Land of Twilight is in jeopardy and it’s up to Sam and Lorna to help restore what is slowly fading away.
It is my hope that my readers will come away from this trilogy with a deeper appreciation for the power of faith and friendship. I pray it will lead many to faith in the Savior and be an enjoyable ride in the process. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these important topics and the stories that shed new light.
Tour Schedule
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 27
Texas Book-aholic, February 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 29
Blossoms and Blessings, March 1 (Author Interview)
Inklings and notions, March 2
For Him and My Family, March 3
Aryn the Libraryan 📚, March 4
For the Love of Literature, March 5 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, March 6
Just the Write Escape, March 7
Artistic Nobody, March 8 (Author Interview)
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, March 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 9
Blogging With Carol, March 10
Wishful Endings, March 11 (Author Interview)
Tour-Wide Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Charmayne is giving away the grand prize of silver bicycle necklace like you suggested along with a signed hard cover copy of both books!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
What did you think of the interview? Any thoughts on the book?
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