ADDED: We will pick a commenter below to receive a signed copy of the first book in this series, Grit of Berth and Stone. It's a book birthday--6 years old!
Welcome! Please introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you.
Thanks for having me on the blog. I’m Lisa Dunn, author, editor, and homeschool mom. Yes, I wear a lot of hats! I grew up in Florida and currently live in small town South Carolina with my husband, four kids (when the oldest isn’t at college), and a really needy boxer mix. My first three books were published by Anaiah Press between 2015 and 2016.
Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb.
Hearken the Song of Kilcarraig is the long-awaited sequel to the Chasmaria Chronicles, published by Anaiah Press between 2015 and 2016. New readers should be able to jump right in, but Hearken doesn’t come out until October, so you have plenty of time to catch up with the trilogy. In the meantime, here’s a bit about Hearken…
Slate of Berth and Stone is running away from his reputation as Chasmaria’s greatest hero, a title he earned with a shameful stab in his enemy's back, and from the memories of war that haunt his dreams. He sails from Chasmaria with Bard of Harding, a poet who wants nothing more than to sing away the warrior’s demons.
When the best friends land in Kilcarraig, a nation held captive by devouring dragons, Slate vows to redeem himself or, more likely, die trying. He sets off alone to fight Kilcarraig’s dragon tormentors. Left behind, Bard must sift through the lies of a thousand hearts in order to discover the one song that will chase away not only Slate’s demons, but every shadow of doubt, fear, and regret in his own heart and in the hearts of all Kilcarraig.
Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book.
I conceived this book partway through writing the Chasmaria Trilogy. I thought it would be a lighthearted romp with dragons, but as I completed the trilogy, I realized Slate had a lot of trauma to work through. There went lighthearted.
Then, Bard came along, asking to be written into the story, and it turns out, the character who was searching the hearts of everyone he met was holding a lot of himself back from the author. In many ways, I was right there with Bard, peering deep into clouded hearts to get this story out.
The bulk of the story, especially its fleshing out, was done during the Covid-19 pandemic, and let me tell you, it was a strange sensation to be writing about people in hiding while the world was cloistered.
Oh, wait. You said ONE thing… Oops!
Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two. I want to encourage comments and engagement. An example might be their best or worst Christmas memory. Share your answer and then look for theirs.
One surprisingly fun thing that emerged as I wrote this book was the bromance between Slate and Bard. I mean, they’re just so incredibly sweet together, especially how each one tries to protect the other. Who is YOUR favorite pair of literary besties and why? Or have you had a friend in real life who’s totally different from you but gets you perfectly?
Some literary besties I adore are Ivy & Bean, Anne & Diana, and, although their relationship is decidedly complex in some very troubling ways, Gene Forrester & Phineas of A Separate Peace. I KNOW I’m leaving someone out. Bonus points if your favorite bestie reminds me who I forgot!
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