Hi Treasures! Welcome back to day of the release tour for Playgrounds and Black Markers day two! Today I want to talk about the adventure that was writing this book.
If you’ve been following my blog for a little while you’ll know that I never planned to write a second book. At least not as a sequel. While editing Dewdrops and Butterflies, I stumbled upon a friend that she had, and when he looked up at my face I was stuck. I had to know what his story was!
Jake was an only child from the beginning, but I didn’t plan to take his dad from him until I really started to develop his back story. As much as I wanted Rose to be a big part of his story, I couldn’t seem to find all the connections I wanted with her growing up in an abusive home, and basing this story off a story that was already published, there wasn’t much I could change about her!
This presented a really fun challenge. Growing this little eleven-year-old boy into the man he became was inspiring. The relationship with his mom grew as he did, and presented me with the task of writing yet another troubled mom character. Which is so hard for me because my mom is amazing! For spoilers sake I won’t say more on this topic XD.
Jake himself wasn’t hard to write. He was a talker, and if you’re an author you’ll understand. I didn’t have to develop him with too much effort because he just told me about himself, similar to our Rose. His name, age, childhood, thoughts, and the things that were important to him just CAME with the story, and for that I was thankful! Taming him back was a problem though, which you can read about in tomorrow’s tour stop XD.
THE GIVEAWAY
It’s a FUN giveaway and there will be two (2) winners! Here’s what you win:
- Signed Paperback of Playgrounds and Black Markers
- Custom Character card of Jake Jett designed by @calf_artist on Instagram
- *A genuine set of dog tags from Jake’s dad Captain Robert Jett, (small tag printing shop online)
- Corner Bookmarks (handmade by yours truly)
- 2 pairs of Crazy Socks (from a local thrift store that supports youth in foster care! Don’t worry, the socks are new.)
- A Signed card and stickers
- Assorted handmade soap (from a small online shop)
- A sealed glitter jar. (also handmade by yours truly)
* There are only ONE set of dog tags. “First Place” gets the dog tags. Second place matches all other items.
How you win:
To enter to win this giveaway, answer the question at the bottom of each of my posts this week for 1 entry each (1 entry per day).
Share this on your blog and link back to mine for 2 entries (2 entries per day, please comment below with a link for me to see!)
Share this on your Instagram and tag me @elizabethmay117 for 1 Entry (1 entry per day).
Add to your Goodreads TBR here for 1 entry (1 entry total).
Pin the cover onto a board on Pinterest for 1 entry (1 entry total).
Tell a friend! For every person who mentions you as a referral, you each get 2 entires (no limit, please use honesty).
There are additional ways to earn entries on my Instagram!
Be sure to come back tomorrow if you want to know about the stats, dates, and technicalities of the process in writing a book. XD
Question of the day: What is something in your life that God directed/encouraged you to do that you never would have thought of on your own?
To find out the schedule for the tour and read the first post, go here!
Writing for encouragement is something God directed me to. Once upon a time, I thought stories were created as an escape from reality. And while I still believe that, I now believe stories are meant to *teach* as well. Why else would bible stories exist?
Writing subjects that I didn’t plan on every writing. I so did not expect to start writing military fiction (with a big focus on PTSD, the hard side of being in the military, or loving someone in the military.) like I am and I don’t always want to write what I am, haha.
Characters who talk are the best <33