Guest Post: V.A. Jeffrey

I'm honored and happy to be writing a guest post for 1000 + Books to Read. Thanks so much!

I've always written science fiction and fantasy stories and of course those are my favorite kinds of stories to read. What has surprised me during the writing process this year is that I have chosen to write a children's middle grade fiction series. I never thought that I would write such a book but here I am with a children's fantasy series and it's so much fun to write! I've found when writing books for kids that I feel far more comfortable adding whimsy and wonder to the stories than when writing for adults. Stories for children don't have to be gritty or 'realistic', though I do enjoy those kinds of stories for adults. So far, I have just finished working on the third book in the series which is now published and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and also Smashwords. The series is called Secret Doorway Tales and the third book in the series is called The Winter Wolves. Soon I'll be starting on the fourth book.

How I came to write this series is an interesting path. Years ago I had a few snatches and fragments of story left over from a brainstorming session. I've always wanted the story to be about a pumpkin princess and a little girl that goes on an adventure into another magical world full of magic pumpkins. I kept those fragments and thought to write a short story about it but that story never quite formed and I put it on the back burner to work on other things. This was over a decade ago. This year, the muse has been far stronger and insistent than ever before and I have been extremely productive. It came to me that this story idea could be more than a short story and as I began to write it, the themes and ideas expanded into a full blown story arc with a number of adventures that the girl would have in this magical land. I realized that I wanted more than a piece of short fiction with this little girl having these adventures. There were so many things I wanted to write about in this world and the short story idea became a series of novellas and the title that I had always had in mind, the pumpkin princess, actually became the second novella in the series. I plan to write six in the series before I move on to other ideas.

One thing that stood out in my mind is to have a heroine who has a conscience; she has a strong sense of right and wrong, she is thoughtful, loves nature, old objects and likes helping people. She's a good kid with a good heart who and she encounters both people she can trust and those not so trustworthy on her adventures. Respecting nature, holding to principles and a desire to help others in need and being curious about the world around you and valuing your imagination are themes that I wanted to put in these books for kids. Even in the face of danger or uncertainty good principles can square you and give you inner strength and courage and being good to others can come back in wonderful ways to help you when you most need it. And never losing your sense of imagination and adventure is important too.

When writing, it is a strange and wonderful thing where the process can take you and how you travel there. Sometimes it's expected and goes exactly the way you intend and that's good. This is especially so for me since I tend to work from rough outlines, but sometimes it's very unexpected and surprising. Either way, the process for me is an enjoyable one. The first book in the series, a novelette, is free and will always remain free at Smashwords, B&N, iBooks, Feedbooks, Wattpad and Scribd. It is also currently free on Amazon.com. Whether it will remain free throughout December I do not know, but it will always be free elsewhere. The second book is $0.99 on Amazon, B&N, Diesel, iBooks and Smashwords. The third book is $1.49. The rest I plan to keep between $0.99 and $1.49 depending on the word count. I think they are fun reads for both adults and children!

You can check out my books and my thoughts about writng, books and other authorly doings at http://pencilword.blogspot.com and you can subscribe to my blog by RSS or email as well!

Victoria (goes by V.A. Jeffrey) is the author of The Pumpkin Princess, book 2 of the Secret Doorway Tales children's fantasy series. Her children's middle grade fiction fantasy is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, Smashwords.

Victoria A. Jeffrey grew up in Portland Oregon, attended Portland Community College and studied graphic design. She is an author and an avid reader of science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and non-fiction. She has written two collections of poetry and some short stories. She is currently working on the Secret Doorway Tales children's fantasy series.