M. H. Elrich!

M. H. Elrich and I grew up telling stories and creating characters and worlds together. I am so honored and pleased to host her on my blog today as she launches her first book, Etania’s Worth. I hope you enjoy her stories as much as I do!

M.H. Elrich is a writer, reader, teacher and editor who wears too many hats. This means she consumes coffee and tea with a mug that reads “Wait until I’ve drained the cup.” In her free time (if she has any), she watches T.V. with her husband, rides horses, and travels to places with lots of trees. She received her B.A. in English at a local university where they handed her a paper certificate that said she could write term papers the night before and still pass. She was published in The Write Word, Orpheus, and Short Fiction Break. She currently resides in a part of California where “perfect” weather comes with a layer of smog.

Etania’s new apprenticeship as a librarian is shattered when she fends off an attacker with a power, or Neuma, she didn’t know she had: the ability to disable evil beings. When her father discovers Etania’s gift, he wants to use her as a weapon to stop a new threat rising over Tamnarae. Etania doesn’t want to be her father’s new weapon and wonders if that really is the purpose of her Neuma. Yet, the death of a loved one brings the struggle closer to home, forcing Etania on a journey to embrace her newfound power before it’s too late.

Find Etania’s Worth through the links below!

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KFRXRYG?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
• Other Bookstores: books2read.com/u/4EyrZe

Interview with M. H. Elrich

What made you want to write Etania’s Worth?

I’ve always been interested in Christian fantasy since I read The Chronicles of Narnia and my father read me The Lord of the Rings. Then I wrote stories along with my friend, C.M. Fritzen, eventually expanding in to writing my own worlds and characters. From those foundations came Etania’s Worth.

Were any characters based on people in your life?

I think Etania and her companions are all different parts of my personality more fleshed out and walking around. I did base Jakin loosely on my brother, whose humor I tried to infuse into my character and Keyel loosely on my husband, whose quiet confidence is echoed in Keyel. However, that is where the similarities end, because I strive to make my characters unique.

How long did it take you to write Etania’s Worth?

I’ve been writing Etania’s Worth consistently for two years, but the ideas and clippings have been around for eight years. Even after I finished the first draft of Etania’s Worth, I had to rewrite it entirely and then edit the second draft several times before formatting and publishing. It’s been a long journey for me, but well worth it.

How have you created or found a community through your writing?

Stephen King has perpetuated the writing advice that writers should write their first draft in a vacuum, and then present it to the world. I disagree. I have found that my writing community, Inklings, extremely valuable through all the process of writing. They helped me remain accountable and gave me immediate feedback on my work in progress. So I highly recommend a community of writers online or otherwise

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I find it really challenging to come up with characters who differ from one another. I can always think of what happens in the story and how to make something new happen, but I have a hard time with character development. It wasn’t until I wrote several drafts of Etania’s Worth that I truly understood the nuances of my characters, Etania, Keyel, Jakin, Jazel, and Toren.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

The first story I ever wrote was terrible. I think it was called “Kit, Kat, and Kitty” and it was about three cats. I wrote it in second grade for my elementary teacher, Ms. Bowman. However, the process of writing the story inspired me and I decided that I wanted to continue writing stories from that point forward.

Why did you choose to write a Christian fantasy instead of a regular fantasy?

Christianity is so infused in my blood that I found it difficult to try to write a more symbolic fantasy instead of a fantasy in the vein of C.S. Lewis. So I decided to give up trying to be the next Tolkein and strove to write the story God placed on my heart.

Does Etania’s Worth contain magic?

No. The Neuma of the peoples in my novel is based on the idea that God gives special gifts and abilities to each person that is for them to use responsibly. Spells, incantations, or anything remotely like sorcery is emphasized as evil and ungodly.

Is this book appropriate for children?

The ideal reader of this book is a young adult, ages 16+. This book is appropriate for readers with an older vocabulary and tolerance for some violent content.

Why did you name the book Etania’s Worth?

I love Proverbs 31 and in it, there is a verse that stood out to me: A virtuous wife who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. That one word, worth, stood out to me because Etania struggles to accept her identity. Women who struggle to accept their identity realize that they must embrace their worth in Christ to have confidence. I know, because I was one of those women. So that’s where I got the title.

To contact M.H. Elrich find her at the following links!

M.H. Elrich author@mhelrich.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mhelrichbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhelrich247/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mhelrichbooks

M. H. Elrich will be featured on four other blogs this week as a part of her blog tour. The dates and links to the blogs are listed below. Be sure to check them out as each blogger has their own questions and answers from Elrich! 

Blog Tour Information

Monday, December 3- C.M. Fritzen

Tuesday, December 4-Stacey Patrick

Wednesday, December 5-Tricia Mingerink

Thursday, December 6- Jaye L. Knight

Friday, December 7-C.E. Stone

If you would like to see your book featured on my blog, contact me at cmfritzenbooks@gmail.com.