Peter's Angel

So I don’t typically advertise new book releases and such, (or post multiple days in a row, either!) but as I am rather invested in this one, I decided I should. Plus, I told ya’ll that I would keep you up to date on the recording process, so I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Peter’s Angel was officially released to eager crowds on September 15th, 2012. I attended the celebratory events that occurred, and a steady stream of people rolled in all day. A friend faithfully reported Ms. Hansen’s book statistics on Amazon and it rose up in the sellers list rather quickly, beating out many other books. Now, because I would be failing in my duty to faithfully market this book if I didn’t tell you something about it, I will share with you all a brief summary of the first book in Aubrey Hansen’s historical fiction trilogy.

In the wake of a lost War for Independence, Peter Jameson, a young colonel, struggles to protect his tiny patriot state of Rhode Island from the oppression of New Britain, the wealthy British duchy. When New Britain invades and attempts to seize Rhode Island’s newly-discovered mine, Peter finds himself leading his small cavalry against the massive British army. But war becomes the least of his worries when his own men kidnap him and hold him for ransom. Facing certain death, Peter is freed by a mysterious boy who vanishes without leaving his name. Indebted, Peter determines to find his "angel" and reward him. But his rescuer has a secret of his own—he is the exiled rightful heir of New Britain, and he will do anything to keep from being found.

Marketing for the book has apparently gone well, and I have several links for you all, for those interested. Firstly, I was able to interview Ms. Hansen on the Holy Worlds Podcast, of which I am the primary host. That interview can be listened to on the Podcast website, through iTunes, or it can be downloaded to your computer for free. In this Podcast you can hear the many questions asked by her readership, as well as reading the answers to all the questions I was unable to showcase in the podcast.

While preorders are no longer available (having taunted buyers with promises of an author signed copy), it is available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook format. However, while you might have missed the ability to obtain an autographed copy, Aubrey still has Easter eggs (not literally, but figuratively) in store for you. Following the current, and rather popular, trend of having a book giveaway, Ms. Hansen is offering a signed paperback copy- and possibly other prizes for those who already have one- to the person who can tell her what the Earl’s first name is. More details are available on her blog, so go check it out!

Now, why should you purchase this book? Well, quite simply because I said so, right? I mean, isn’t that reason enough? Well all right then, if you aren’t satisfied with that answer, I’ll give you a couple other reasons why you should.

First off, I’m a history buff, so I get really picky when I see authors use stereotypical historical info that is cliché and isn’t based in reality. Often times historical fiction authors will use facts and details in their books that simply show poor research. Aubrey’s book is not that way. So for those of you who love historical fiction, this book will not rub you wrong with inaccurate portrayals or facts concerning the time period.

Secondly, Aubrey’s book is not only historical fiction, but it is faith based. Now, I get funny about Christian fiction. I’m not a big fan, to be honest. Shocking, I know, but it is true. Why? Because, as a whole, it’s just plain bad. Now, I have some favorites that are great pieces of fiction with strong stories, plots, and characters, but as a whole, Christian Fiction is weak. One of my biggest pet peeves with Christian fiction is the fact that they don’t really deal with anything. We live in a world fraught with difficulties, trials, temptations, and negative influences. Why aren’t we writing about those things? Why do Christians feel the need to pretend like those things don’t exist? For that matter, why do so many literary characters in Christian Fiction end up being these cardboard cutouts without flaws? There’s only one man who was flawless. His name was Jesus Christ.

*realizes she is on a soap box and promptly gets off it and returns to the purpose of this blog post *

So, back to secondly. Aubrey’s book, though safe for readers of varying ages, doesn’t shy away from tough subjects or character flaws. In fact, my character, Mariah (okay, so technically she’s not my character, but that’s what I’m calling her), is not an angelic being, by far. She’s full of flaws and will undergo a character arc through the trilogy which I am excited to see. And Peter, Mariah’s fiancé, is fraught with human tendencies and pride. But that’s why I like the book. This is Christian fiction that deals with the real world, just set back a few hundred years. Aubrey deals with mature topics, but she does so in ways that are not violating, keeping the details to a low and focusing more on the emotions of the characters and how they deal with these types of situations as they come up.

With the book now out, that means the audio book will be hitting full swing. The first assignment, read the entire book to be able to understand your characters better, and their interactions with the other characters, was given a week ago. I have completed that and am looking forward to the meetings with my fellow cast members before we begin recording. I’m excited to see things progressing, and before I know it I will be recording and discussing presentation with the author. Before you know it, the finished product will be in your hands!

So, head on over and buy your own copy of Peter’s Angel, and stay tuned for Peter’s Angel, the audio book.