Today is the day.
It is surreal.
Years of struggling, rewrites, fear, doubt, determination, joy, pain, editing, and so much more, and this is the final moment. Now is the time that GOLGOTHA is released into the world for all to read.
This novel surprised me in every single way possible. And I hope it surprises readers.
In this post, I’ll be talking a bit about the themes in GOLGOTHA, but first, let’s do our run down.
GOLGOTHA
Four unlikely companions must band together to escape the Realm of Bones and save their kingdom from a reign of darkness.
Prince Moray will lead his empire to glory, even if it means dabbling with forbidden black magic. But when their parents are murdered, Moray and his brother, Finnigan, are cast into Golgotha—a realm where hope is dead. Finnigan fiercely believes his god, Elohai, will rescue them, but Moray will never trust again.
Princess Ama, promised in marriage to Moray to ensure her clan’s safety from rival tribes, arrives just before a coup and becomes trapped in Golgotha with the smart-mouthed mercenary, Gunnar. Surrounded by strange monsters and ravenous demons, Ama must fight to hold on to her faith—or lose everything.
Despite Ama’s Gift of prophetic dreams, Finnigan’s Gift of energy, Moray’s magic, and Gunnar’s blades, nothing can rescue them from themselves. If they fail to escape, darkness will devour the entire kingdom.
Shadow and Bone meets Mark of the Raven in this epic for fans of faith-based young adult fantasy.
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
April 8th
Nathan Renfroe | Spotlight
Joshua Reid | Review
Merie Shen | Review
April 9th
Laura A. Grace | Author Interview
Emily Seaver | Guest Post
April 10th – Release Day
Stephen Howard | Author Interview
Jaye L. Knight | Spotlight
Michaela Bush | Author Interview
April 11th
Ian Wilson | Author Interview
Nicole Dust | Spotlight
Madisyn Zeller | Spotlight
April 12th
Hannah Gaudette | Guest Post
Lacie Ryder | Spotlight
Yakira Goldsberry | Spotlight
GIVEAWAY
One winner will receive a signed paperback copy of GOLGOTHA, along with a bookmark, and a GOLGOTHA map.
FACEBOOK EVENT
6 PM – 10 PM Central TODAY, I am hosting a release party for GOLGOTHA on Facebook! Click “going” now HERE! I’ll be hosting games, giveaways, exclusive posts, and I’ll be LIVE with my publisher, too!
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A lot of people have asked me what my favorite themes are from GOLGOTHA. My answer: all of them. Some themes scare me, like fighting against darkness when you feel weak. Some themes inspire me, like hanging onto hope because it’s all you have.
Redemption, salvation, revenge, loyalty, courage, darkness vs. light, family, free will, sacrifice… these are just a few of the themes present in GOLGOTHA. And each one resonates with me. As I wrote, each theme pulled at my heart and drained me. Questions I tried pushing away tugged at my head as I wrote and I had to ask myself each one, even if the characters didn’t find answers. Sometimes, I didn’t find answers, either. Sometimes I felt as hopeless and as angry as the characters.
Each theme has a place. Each question had a place. I hated some of them. I wanted to ignore some of them. I wanted to “write out” a few. But I didn’t, because I continued to listen to God the best I could. So I can’t write a short post about what the themes mean to me… because that answer is within the pages and then some. One theme is listening to God, even when we don’t understand His voice, and I did this when I wrote the novel. It has paid off way more than I ever imagined!
If you look around and see something lacking, be the difference. Don’t see a novel that features a theme you believe in? Write one. That’s what I did. And it grew into something bigger.
Keep being bold and using your voice.
Angela