CONKLIN
CHRISTA
CHRISTA CONKLIN
What motivates you as a writer?
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A few things motivate me. The joy of writing characters into life and seeing how the story further develops each personality keeps the creative juices flowing. My readers inspire me. They’re asking for more, and I take that responsibility to heart. Finally, spending time in conversation with people and remaining quiet in nature both energize me. Setting and characters are key elements to good writing. Real people and the beauty of our world are endless inspiration for story development.
What types of books do you like to read?
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Fantasy is my favorite genre to read and write. I also love classics like those of Dickens, Bronte, and Alcott.
How has becoming a writer affected your own reading habits?
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Writing definitely eats into my reading time, so I read less now that I am an author. I definitely read differently, as well. I find myself analyzing point of view, wanting to edit info dumps, and wishing I'd thought of great ideas. I will read outside my usual genres to just enjoy reading. I read "The Martian" recently (told you I don't read as much as I used to) and found myself simply reading for the fun of it.
PUBLISHER: Elk Lake Publishing, 2019
The One People find guidance to peace and unity in the pages of TRANQUILITY. Drethene views the methods prescribed in the book as hurtful attempts to escape their diverse ancestry. Such pain is personal, as her parents aim to conceal how different she looks from the rest of their people.
Even her job keeps Drethene quiet and secluded. While working in the Academy library, she secretly reads histories used only to teach future leaders to loathe the past. Drethene is inspired by these books filled with cultural variety. When she discovers another world as part of her people's heritage, a well established enemy is revealed, and she rises to meet the truth and save both worlds.
Drethene must convince the One People that their lives aren't as tranquil as they seem. They're being hunted and must reunite with a sister-world that has been erased from their past. If they choose to remain in the comfort of their rewritten history and false sense of peace, they will be dragged into the maelstrom they have forgotten to fear.
PRAISE FOR
tranquility
"Tranquility is a story as wondrous as its name. Drethene, the main character, lives in a world where there is no such thing as diversity. Everyone is the same and lives according to Tranquility. Their lives are tranquil, from beginning to end. Drethene is one of the very, very few, who is slightly different. When she begins to question everything around her and searches through their history, she discovers a dangerous secret. Their world was not always 'tranquil'. Instead, they were part of a sister-world, which had been long forgotten. But the real trouble begins, when she discovers that there was a purpose behind this division, and it has nothing to do with tranquility, but rather an evil plan.
I enjoyed reading this one from beginning to end. The world building was amazing and allowed me to sink right in. The characters, including Drethene, are well depicted and grab with their different personalities and problems. The tale is well woven with just the right amount of tension at the right time, which glides deeper and deeper into the mystery behind the history. I loved the entire idea behind this one, and found it, in many ways, refreshing and intriguing. It's definitely worth a read."
-TONJA DRECKER, Top 100 Children Book Bloggers, Best of Blogs Middle Grade Shelf Magazine