THE JOURNEY OF ELEVEN MOONS - A Taste of the Adventure

Alaskan Territory
1868


Anna's hands stopped their rhythmic work of basket weaving and lay still in her lap as she gazed out at the frigid Bering Sea. Kinauquak had gone with the men, and this time he would be allowed to make a kill. Unable to concentrate, she looked around the circle of women.

     Alulak met her gaze.
     Under the old woman's scrutiny, Anna lowered her eyes.
     Alulak laughed and her eyes became half-moons, nearly disappearing into the folds of wrinkled, brown skin toughened from years of cold and wind. With a toothless grin, she boasted. "My grandson Kinauquak will return with a great walrus. Of this I am certain." Eyes bright with anticipation, she said, "Tonight we will feast."
     The other Aleut women grinned and nodded, hands never ceasing to weave the unyielding Aleutian grasses. Each occasionally looked up from her work to scan the empty sea. As always, they waited, anxious for the  men's return, not knowing if her loved one had perished or would come back a successful hunter.
     Yet this hunt was special. Custom dictated that when Kinauquak made his first kill, he would be counted among the men and ready to take a wife. Anna and Kinauquak hade been promised to each other while still children. Once they had played together, but that time was past. Now, as was customary and acceptable, they loved each other as adults.
     Still, Anna could not dwell in Kinauquak's hunt. Not until he came for her. Anna looked at her mother, Luba. "The men will come soon?"


The Journey of Eleven Moons is now available at http://www.amazon.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com, http://smashwords.com, http://www.ashberrylane.com, and other online book distributors. 

If your local book store does not have a copy on hand, ask them to order one.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Journey - A New Adventure

What's on my mind these days?

• We're building a new house and closing in on a move in date of mid-January.

• We just discovered we have a new grandchild on the way.
• 

• My new book, The Journey of Eleven Moons just released

And . . . well there's lots more happening. The holidays are galloping toward us. My son and his wife are coming to visit this weekend, along with baby Cy. I've got book-signings and celebrations fast approaching.

Life is full of goodness. But, since the house isn't completed yet and the baby won't be here until June and my heart and mind is full of my new book I've just got to talk about The Journey of Eleven Moons. I hope you're not bored of listening. This book journey has been very different from those in the past.

This time around, the book is one I'm familiar with. It feels like an old friend, only it's new. And the characters have become like family. I'm desperate to share the story and characters with you. I hate to use the word desperate. It's so often misunderstood. But I use the word in the best way possible. I feel an urgency to introduce readers to the amazing and touching story of Anna, Iya and Erik.

Here's what it says on the back cover.

A successful walrus hunt means Anna and her beloved Kinauquak will soon be joined in marriage. But before they can seal their promise to one another, a tsunami wipes their tribe from the rugged shore - everyone except Anna and her little sister, Iya, who are left alone to face the Alaskan wilderness.

A stranger, a Civil War veteran with golden hair and blue eyes, wanders the untamed Aleutian Islands. He offers help, but can Anna trust him or his God? 

And if she doesn't, 

how will she and Iya survive?

The Journey of Eleven Moons is one of my favorite stories. I wrote the book as a newbie writer when I still had a lot to learn about the craft of writing. When I reread the book a couple of years ago, I felt compelled to revise and update the story - to make it better. This year turned out to be the perfect time to do that and what a journey it has been.

I discovered that revising a book is more difficult than creating one. At least it was for me. I also discovered that I still had a lot to learn as a writer. That's something I love actually. Writers never stop learning, story telling continues to be an adventure. With the help of Christina Tarabochia and the Lord we whipped The Journey of Eleven Moons into shape. It's still not perfect, but who wants perfection anyway?   :-)

Working with a small press has been fabulous - so much more hands on. I feel a part of the complete process. And working with Christina Tarabochia and Sherrie Ashcraft of Ashberry Lane Publishing has been a dream. I know they love and care about the story and its characters. And it's been absolutely grand to watch the Lord step in and work alongside us all. He's been present throughout every step.

There are some challenges to working with a small press. The biggest is getting the word out about a new book. It isn't in all the bookstores and there's not a large budget for marketing. That means we have to roll up our sleeves and work harder to introduce a book to readers. And the readers can help too. Word of mouth is a big deal, even in this techno world we live in. If you haven't read the book, but it sounds like one you'd like, give it a try. And if you like it tell others. 

I want to hear from you. What did you think of the book and have you had any fun experiences sharing the story with someone else? For instance, a couple of days ago I had the sweetest experience with  my grandson, Ezra. He loves books. He asked me if he could take one of my books to school and explained that his friends didn't believe I was a "real live" author, which is better than a "real dead" author. So, he took a book and some book marks to school the following day. When he came home he glad to tell me that his friends believed that I was a "real live" author and that he needed more book marks. Evidently, his school mates were properly impressed and wanted to read my books. Super! 

I love my grandchildren. They are so much fun and make life extra special.

I have booksignings coming up so check out my events page at http://bonnieleon.com/html/speakingandevents.html. I also have a contest running, The Journey of Eleven Moons Giveaway, for nine more days. There are some fabulous gifts. You can find out more about it by dropping in at my website at http://bonnieleon.com/ and clicking on the contest image at the top of the page. And of course you can ask your local bookstore to order the book or they are available on line. 

I hope you'll drop in at some of the online interviews I've had and leave a comment. 

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Books & Writing - The Journey of Eleven Moons

In 1993 I made my very first attempt at novel writing. It was a real challenge and I remember feeling like I was blindly feeling my way through each chapter. Even so, it was more fun than I had imagined. 

The process was filled with wonderment. It was amazing to discover the story and become deeply acquainted with the characters . . . and to care about them. I'd never experienced anything like it. I laughed while I wrote. I found myself exhausted and out of breath when I finished some of the scenes. And I cried my way through others. It was the most surprising and amazing experience. Each day I could barely wait to get back to the story.

Ten months after beginning I had a completed manuscript. It felt like a miracle. But now the nerves set in. I'd promised myself I'd present it to an editor at the OCW Summer Conference that year. I barely dredged up the courage, but I did manage to share the story with two editors. A few months following that meeting the book sold to Thomas Nelson Publishing and I was astounded and thrilled when it made the CBA bestsellers list soon after being released.

Years later, with lots more writing experience under my belt, I reread the book. I still loved the story but the writing needed polishing and I could see gaps in the story where new scenes would be helpful. I longed to go back and rework it. But there never seemed to be time.

Years passed, twenty actually. Finally this year I had the opportunity to revise The Journey of Eleven Moons. I jumped in and went to work. It was more difficult than I had anticipated, but when I had the rewrite completed I thought I'd be heading out on my own to present the new and improved book. That's when my good friends and colleagues Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Tarabochia casually mentioned that their publishing company, Ashberry Lane, might be interested in the book.

Soon we had a contract and a plan. I was ecstatic and so were they. Christina dove in and lent her expert editorial skills to the project, bringing even more life to the story. The next step - a search for the perfect cover. Christina had photographer Ashlee Murr and cover designer Nicole Miller set up . . . we just needed the right model. 

I love it when God steps in and leads us down a path of His choosing. Christina and I both agreed to pray and see what God had to say to us about models. That's when Sherrie suggested a young woman she knew - Maria Aguillon. I looked at a few photos and thought she was perfect. Christina made the call and she said, "Yes." Whoo Hoo! Then seemingly out of the blue, Christina's daughter's face popped into her mind. Lili would make a perfect Iya. 

The photo shoot was done (you can go to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor to see photos). The cover was created while Christina and I worked hard on edits. The book is nearly ready and I'm over the moon at the results. I absolutely love the cover and the story shines. People are going to love it. Anyway I hope so. I do.

The book will be available in mid-November (that's only 3 weeks) at www.amazon.com and www.ashberrylane.com. I hope you'll give it a first or even second read. It's a fabulous story, even if I do say so myself.  :-)

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

The Journey - Adventures In Writing

In 1989 I was thrown into the world of writing. At that time, I had an interest but never really thought it was possible that someone like me could become a full-time author. I was one of those "trouble-makers" in school and didn't do well, but I always loved to read and actually enjoyed my literature classes.

The adventure began when I was bitten by the writing bug in 1989. My mind came alive with personal experiences, poems and short stories. And I filled up legal pads with my thoughts. It was fun! 

In 1991 friend knew about my hobby and encouraged me to attend a one day writing conference. I went with great trepidation, but left feeling uplifted and ready to write . . . for real. My dream still seemed to be an impossibility but at least I was willing to admit that I had a dream of one day becoming a published author.

A month later I was seriously side-tracked when a log truck came barreling around a corner and slammed into my van. My life changed. I was left with injuries that meant my life would never be the same, and I needed to find something to do with the person I was, a way to contribute to the world. God challenged me to write. 

My injuries lingered and through bitterness and tears God led me down a new path. Unbelievably, two years after the accident I sold my first novel, The Journey of Eleven Moons, to Thomas Nelson Publishing. It was a startling turn of events. I'd never really believed it could happen.

I remember the day the advance copy of my book arrived via Federal Express. I tore open the envelope and held  it in my hands and for the longest time I just stared at it. I don't even think I breathed. The book was beautiful! Incredible! And my name was on the cover!

That was the beginning. Several years later I was still writing and also teaching and mentoring new writers. I loved that - still do. One day at the OCW Summer Conference I sat across from a mother/daughter writing team - Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Tarabochia. They were working on a book together and hoping to find direction from another writer.

I immediately fell in love with these two ladies. They were full of energy, grace, joy and fun. And they were good writers. We've been friends ever since.

Life is interesting, offering up surprising turns and unexpected adventures.

After that first meeting, Christina went on to write an award winning novel and the mother/daughter team recently released their first co-written book. I am, once again, working with these two women only the roles are reversed. They are helping me. Sherrie and Christina are co-owners of Ashberry Lane Publishing. 

Here we are today.

About a year ago, I decided to rework my first book, The Journey of Eleven Moons. I've always loved the story, but as a newbie author I had a lot to learn about writing and always wished I could reel it back in and make it better. And so I have. 

Guess who's helping me publish the new version. I'm now part of the Ashberry Lane family! And the new and improved Journey of Eleven Moons will release in mid-November! It has a few new plot twists, better writing and a new cover.

I think re-releasing this book is the perfect way to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of The Journey of Eleven Moons. If you haven't read it I hope you'll give it a try and if you have read it . . . you might want to have another look.

I'll have more details along with the new cover here for you soon. If you want to make sure not to miss out there are two places you can sign up for newsletters -  
http://ashberrylane.com/bonnieleon/ or you can go to my home page and sign up for my Table Talk newsletter.

Life is truly an adventure - enjoy every moment.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie