Sign up for The Goblin Grace Gazette to download a FREE ebook and stay up to date on my stories and projects!
THE SMITH & THE SPOONS: Twenty-year-old Fi'eren Smith is eager to deliver his first real commission to the Looms at the Plonthian abbey — a set of charmed silverware that bears his magic! He has grand dreams of gaining a good reputation and becoming a successful silversmith just like his Emph Hesh before him. But when he runs into a beautiful half-human girl and scatters his precious silverware across the kitchen floor, have his dreams shattered before they began? Or is a whole new adventure about to start?
Share
7 Worship Songs + Matching Character Arcs (which one are you?)
Published 2 days ago • 6 min read
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the Laura Cheever • Author newsletter when you downloaded The Smith & The Spoons: A Fralsningdor Chronicles Short Story. If you'd like to opt out, please click here. Thank you!
Hello dear friend!
I wanted to start today's email with a confession that might sound a little strange, especially for a fantasy author who intentionally writes spice-free romance! HERE GOES: I don't think about teens AT ALL when I'm writing. That sounds a bit rude, perhaps, so please allow me to explain! So far my MCs have been ages 29, 30, and early 40s. By definition, this makes my books "adult," as books are typically categorized by the ages of the protagonists. But my heart posture in writing goes beyond just the ages of the MCs. I believe that "happily ever after" is not the end of a love story; it's actually just the beginning. But because we live in a broken world, marriages are often messy and ruined by sin. Thankfully, through the grace of Jesus, they don't have to stay that way!!! My books are about adult couples who have long since met, fallen in love, gotten married, built lives together... and then watched in abject horror as all their dreams fall apart. THAT'S where I begin my tales. Right in the middle of that mess. Because the middle of the mess is where God does His finest work. It's also where I've seen God perform the most amazing miracles, and by calling me to write already-married romance, He truly has turned some incredibly heartbreaking situations from my life for His glory and my good (Romans 8:28). Which is why my books discuss daily married life, the kind of betrayal that can only be felt from a broken vow, the highs and lows of parenting, and yes... intimacy. My books remain closed door/spice free, but I make a very intentional point to talk about marriage bed issues. Because when was the last time any of us read a book where the adult married couple made a point to work on having a healthy sex life? Honestly, it's probably been a minute. Is that appropriate for teens? Idk. Maybe. Probably??? But they're not who I'm thinking of when I VERY CAREFULLY write these scenes. I'm thinking of the adult Christian wife who needs to feel seen in her life and marriage. Now to be clear, I do have some teen readers and I ADORE them, but I don't write FOR them. I don't have any plans to write YA now or any time in the future, and unless God very CLEARLY calls me to do so, I'll be staying in my lane. Do you prefer to read middle grade, young adult, new adult, or adult books?
In this week's issue of the Goblin Grace Gazette:
Work in Progress Updates
7 Worship Songs + Matching Character Arcs
Meme of the Week
Out of Context COTT Quote
Contemporary/Sci-Fi Book Rec
WIP UPDATES:
Lost King of the Pattern author copies are on their way! I got most of my preorder goodies (bookmarks, art prints, stickers, etc.), and now I'm waiting on the last couple of things to arrive. One of them will be SO TASTY, but that one's only for a select few readers. Stay tuned if you want to be one of those special few!
Project Needle betas are finished reading, and they're giving me some AMAZING feedback! Right now, I'm writing a few extra scenes to help flush out some worldbuilding and pacing issues.
The Fralsningdor Chronicles, Book III is still at 1%. I didn't get any drafting done this week, but we did finish our homeschool year for summer break, which means I should have more time this month to write.
Do you have a favorite worship song/hymn that you turn to in times of fear or darkness? I would reckon that many of us do! Proper worship is powerful, and there's something about music that seems to reach up towards the heavens, far beyond this broken world. The Westminster Shorter Catechism starts in this way: Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. In light of that, it is no wonder singing praises to our God is so powerful; it is an intentional act of meeting man's chief end! The Cadowen Looms from Lost King of the Pattern know this all too well. When you read LKOTP, keep your eyes peeled for chapter 27 and their achingly beautiful response to the elves' unjust and sacrilegious actions. I assembled the following worship playlist based on characters from LKOTP and their individual relationships with the Weaver, along with their personal journeys of faith and redemption.
The Weaver is NOT the living God, but he is intended to represent Him — in the same way that the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, Melchizedek, Moses, Joshua, Joseph, and Aslan all do. These songs are not for the Weaver. They are for JESUS, and the way He has spoken into and overcome the same fears and doubts and struggles that I share with my characters from TFC.
All seven of these worship artists are favorites of mine, and their music never fails to turn my heart to praise for the one true and living God! I hope this playlist is edifying for you and that it points you to Christ. Based on this playlist, which LKOTP character are you? Email me back and let me know!
FI'EREN LA'ARRETH — I Feel Home by Joseph O'Brien When he’d first come here he’d been so on fire for the Pattern that he’d felt every word like they’d been etched onto his own heart. Tonight he felt adrift, but he held onto the anchor of the words his god had penned all the same. They were just as true today as they had been then. And the Weaver was still good — still faithful — even in the darkness. Fi’eren had to believe that. - LKOTP Chapter 10
FRAN LA'ARRETH — Won't Start Now by Seph Schlueter When the wealthy merchants of Cadowen saw her tonight, they would see a woman beaten and bruised but standing straight and strong by the grace of the Weaver. - LKOTP Chapter 29
BORRETHYN FURRENDALE — Jesus Loves by Zach Williams It wouldn’t be the first time the Weaver had claimed the wretched and made them his own. Borrethyn was still alive after last night, too. - LKOTP Chapter 28
THE WEFT — Holy Trouble by Rend Collective “This is the tale of how I set out to become a pirate and instead became a prophet.” - LKOTP Chapter 6
GISH LA'ARRETH — Jesus Strong and Kind by CityAlight feat. Colin Buchanan “You can count on me, Mi’isha,” he said. “I’ll pray for you too. Mi’ishama Conchessa told me that prayers are powerful. I bet if I prayed real hard, the Weaver would listen." - LKOTP Chapter 23
CONRAD & CONCHESSA — Not In Me by Sovereign Grace Music “When the Weaver takes hold of your heart, you begin to see things differently. Suddenly all you’ve worked for is no longer spoils for your own enjoyment. It becomes resources that you can use for his glory and the good of his people." - LKOTP Chapter 19 Five days before the ball, scurrying around the manor with a pocket sized copy of the Pattern in hand, Conchessa softly prayed over every detail of the party.“I can’t give them hearts to believe,” she kept saying, “but he can. - LKOTP Chapter 25
THE CADOWEN LOOMS — In The Night by Andrew Peterson In the face of torture and death, these women had chosen to worship. - LKOTP Chapter 27
Puck was using a stick to dig for worms. He had stubbornly insisted that the ones he’d tried to eat yesterday were simply “rotting” and a fresh batch would greatly improve the flavor. Fran was disgusted by the venture, but she figured a few slimy earthworms couldn’t actually hurt the boy and had decided to not fight it.
CHOSEN OF THE TAPESTRY
⭐⭐⭐⭐
There’s nothing worse than being alone, in Hallee’s humble opinion. Extremely ironic, considering The Gift of Forgetting forces a fresh start every New Year’s Day, rendering it nearly impossible to get attached to anyone. Surely the promised “wild and free” life wasn’t supposed to include Hallee’s obsessive hyperfixation on questioning her purpose—right? After all…what purpose would that serve?
Unfortunately, drowning herself in copious amounts of vanilla lattes doesn’t medicate her growing anxiety. (What a surprise!) So when Dean, a true gentleman with galaxy eyes and a kind heart, offers an escape from her ever-present intrusive thoughts, getting attached doesn’t seem like such a challenge.
Hallee and Dean are better together. They’re a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise, the first flower after a long winter, and a desperate wish on a shooting star. But as New Year’s Day quickly approaches, they’re forced to face the ultimate question…are people permanently marked by the experiences of their lives? Can the great love of Hallee and Dean prove that hearts remember—even if minds do not?
Sign up for The Goblin Grace Gazette to download a FREE ebook and stay up to date on my stories and projects!
(Please check your spam folder so your free ebook and weekly newsletters don't get lost! You can unsubscribe at any time.)
THE SMITH & THE SPOONS: Twenty-year-old Fi'eren Smith is eager to deliver his first real commission to the Looms at the Plonthian abbey — a set of charmed silverware that bears his magic! He has grand dreams of gaining a good reputation and becoming a successful silversmith just like his Emph Hesh before him. But when he runs into a beautiful half-human girl and scatters his precious silverware across the kitchen floor, have his dreams shattered before they began? Or is a whole new adventure about to start?
Read more from Sign up for The Goblin Grace Gazette to download a FREE ebook and stay up to date on my stories and projects!
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the Laura Cheever • Author newsletter when you downloaded The Smith & The Spoons. If you'd like to opt out, please click here. Thank you! Hello dear friend! First things first, unless you're new here (and if you are, hi, it's a pleasure to have you), you probably noticed my new email header! Welcome to my new and improved weekly email newsletter: The Goblin Grace Gazette! If you have an eagle eye (and if you've read COTT + LKOTP) you...
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the Laura Cheever • Author newsletter when you downloaded The Smith & The Spoons: A Fralsningdor Chronicles Short Story. If you'd like to opt out, please click here. Thank you! Hello dear friend! There's only one more week left of homeschool for my family before summer break! (Which is WILD because it was literally snowing yesterday morning. Just Wyoming things.) In June my family plans on doing lots of fishing at the lake, in July my big...
You are receiving this email because you signed up for the Laura Cheever • Author newsletter when you downloaded The Smith & The Spoons: A Fralsningdor Chronicles Short Story. If you'd like to opt out, please click here. Thank you! Hello dear friend! I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day weekend!To all the mamas, whether you are a motherly figure by pregnancy, birth, adoption, marriage, fostering, church family, or mentorship — you have made an impact on those you nurture that cannot be...