Fantasy Author Christen Stovall ("Song of Souls Trilogy")!

The podcast that you're listening to is being presented to you with the cooperation of the SJ Network. If you're a person who needs a publicist and you want to appear on podcasts, contact Steven Joyner at s-j-network.com. Let's get on with the show. Today's guest on the Sherpas screening room is Chris Instoval, author of the Song of Soul's Trilogy. Her books have gotten rave reviews on Amazon. Didn't you write a book also, Henry? I did. It was a story of two star crossed lovers from feuding families. You mean, like Romeo and Juliet? Weren't they the ones who did that voice over for the underarm hair removal ad? Don't the words wear for our Thou, Romeo mean anything to you? Hey, if she can't keep tabs on her boyfriend, maybe she should send simple text messages. Attention! Rebels of the Sherpa Luton. Today's podcast is brought to you by Audible. We would like to give you a free audiobook download and 30-day free trial, simply by heading to www.audibletrial.com/shurpa. There are over 180,000 titles of audiobooks and podcasts, including this one, to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle, or MP3 player. And now, the one and only Mr. Bruce will lead you into the Sherpa Shallay. As a reminder, today's dinner special consists of whatever we can steal from the restaurant next door. Hello there, Rebels and welcome to the Sherpa Screening Room, coming to you from beautiful downtown mouth podcast here. This is a production of too many podcasts and me and Jim the podcast Sherpa, I will be guiding you through this special interview today and we will be talking to a lady named Kristen Stovall and Kristen is the author of the Song of Souls trilogy along with its prequel, The Twisted Path. Now, if you're a big fan of fantasy novels, well today is your lucky day because they are fantasy novels and Kristen was a real pleasure to speak with and I got to learn a little bit about how her creative process works as well and she talks about the trilogy and the prequel as well. So, kick back, gather up your favorite elves and hop goblins and have a listen to my conversation with Kristen Stovall. Well there Rebels, we are here in the Sherpa Screening Room with a writer today. Her name is Kristen Stovall and she is the author of a trilogy and a prequel to that trilogy. The trilogy is called, sorry, The Song of Souls trilogy. The trilogy is called the author just suddenly went off somewhere in her mind. (laughing) I was ready for it, you know. I wasn't sure. (laughing) It's the Song of Souls trilogy. It comes posing of three books which of course, you know, when it works for a trilogy, you know. (laughing) We have Soul Bound, Soul Fire and Boundless and also the prequel that should be probably by the time you are listening to this. The Twisted Path. Let's say a nice hello to Kristen Stovall. How's it going, Kristen? It's going great, how are things for you? I'm doing very well, thank you. So, you've always been a big reader, apparently. Yeah, I haven't been able to do as much lately because when I'm in the middle of writing something, I actually do tend to sort of back off of reading so I don't accidentally take things and put them in without even realizing it and also by the time I get done with what I'm working on, I usually just go to bed and that's it. (laughing) I wouldn't blame you for that. (laughing) By that point in the day, my brain is gone. I'm mentally exhausted. It's done. (laughing) These books are trilogy and the prequel, they're all in fantasy genre. Now, you were always a fan of fantasy books growing up. What were the types that you enjoyed? Oh, I love Tolkien. I actually started reading him very, very early. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother reading the Hobbit to me. So, absolutely, Tolkien is just up there for me. He's completely influenced my taste and my work. There's also an author by the name of Juliet Marlier, who writes some just beautiful novels. My favorite is her Seven Waters trilogy, which deals with fantasy elements and like Irish folklore. And it's just fantastic. Now, is fantasy harder to write or is it easier? I mean, on one hand, you can say, "Well, if you just kind of make stuff up and it'll fit in the book." On the other hand, you don't want to get too incredulous because then, after a while, people can be like, "Wait a minute, they're writing it to make the story too convenient." Right, yeah. You have to keep some things based in reality. There has to be that connection point. Because otherwise, it's so far outside the realm of the reader's experience that they just don't have a frame of reference for it. I don't know if it's any harder or easier. I think probably in any genre has its drawbacks. Things that are more difficult and things that are more easy. It's easier for me because I love it and they say, "Right, what you know, and I know fantasy." And I guess with those types of books, especially if you're doing a trilogy, you need that kind of continuity. So, I guess you're creating a world that's got to work in books one through three. Yeah, that takes. There's a lot of going back and looking at manuscripts and going, "Wait, what did I name that town? How did I spell that character's name?" I can't. I don't claim to remember all of it. Sometimes I get lucky and do remember it, but I usually double-check. You have a big chart. I know sometimes, you show them the little storyboards. You're like, "Okay, what name was you?" I know authors that do that. I just have random notes stuck in places that I lose half the time. And I do hand-write my outlines and I don't really do a traditional outline. I kind of write out broad strokes of chapters, but look at each of them with its own beginning, middle, and end. So, the outlines are like little tiny mini first drafts that usually get changed up quite a bit. That's understandable. And I guess really, especially with a large cast of characters too, you got to kind of keep a balance between them as well. Oh, yeah. The trilogy, I think, I kind of kept it to a smaller group for the first and second books. Certainly, other characters kind of come in, but you've got your four core characters. The third book, there are more that come in because, of course, this is the ending and all of the stuff has to come together and tie in. But the Twisted Path has a broader character base. And just, yeah, there's just a lot more going on. I always have to kind of stop myself and go, "Okay, what should I say and what shouldn't I say?" Because I'm terrible. I will give it all away. Now, the trilogy follows a character named Aselin. And this, the prequel deal with her growing up, or does it deal with her parents? Prequel actually takes place 200 years before the trilogy does. And it deals with other characters ancestors. Certainly, there are some familiar places. We go back to her. We see certain cities and things mentioned in the books. And there are some connections made that we'll tie into her later on. But none of her ancestors are actually characters in the book. It's a couple of the others. You know what? I mean, we're kind of getting a little into the woods here with the book. And we haven't really said what the story is about. Why don't we kind of start from Soulbound? And if you go, if you want to give everybody a little synopsis. Oh, yeah. Well, Soulbound follows a young widow named Aselin. Her husband dies very unexpectedly. And it turns out that they were soulmates. And sometimes in this world, when one of the soulmates dies through traumatic means, their soul, a connection is formed between their souls. And the one alive can still see and speak and hear with the one that's passed on. But they can't ever touch them or anything. And due to that connection, they achieve that they have some powers to heal. And magically, of course. And so through that, she ends up going to this city of the blast where all of the magic users are trained. And I don't really dwell on the training very much. But she gets started in that training. And we do a little time jump to three years later where she's got a nice base going on there. She's made friends with a young wizard in training by Xander. And they end up finding themselves sort of thrown into events that took place or, you know, the roots of which happened about 200 years before. Intense? Yeah. So it's definitely a story where you have a normal person thrown into situational they did not expect, you know, well, I was just going to say that the inspiration for the story came from my experiences as being widowed at a young age. So it was my way of dealing with the grieving process and the emotions that go with it, the ups and downs. But it certainly doesn't just focus in on that. It goes more into the adventure and each book has its own feel and its own focus on that. >> Do you think that like a lot of the other characters is in the books as well are a little bit of you too? >> Oh, absolutely. I think every character that I write, there's a little part of me in them. There's a word I'm able to explore a different part of myself. I really end up liking when I can write from a male perspective. I love my male characters as much as I love my female characters. It's kind of fun to explore that as well. But yeah, they're all there's parts of me and all of them and they're all very special to me. I know what they sound like. I know what they look like. I always sort of mentally cast them with favorite actors and actresses anyway. >> You always kind of had that movie in your head, I guess, right? >> Exactly. You find the music that's the soundtrack for the scene and I find a lot of times pieces of music will be something that inspires it. It was a piece of music that put the first scene in my head that kind of got the ball rolling. >> I think on your website aren't there little clips for the book with actually some music in the background? >> Yeah, just some of the songs that I kind of like equate to like the spirit of the story, I guess. I mean, they weren't written for the story. I just put them on there because it's like mood music. >> So in the first book, we really just meet the main characters and we kind of get to know their back stories. And the second book, Soul Fire, that goes into their journey. >> Yeah, the first book is we meet the characters, we meet the ideas, we meet the world. And then the second book we find out what's really going on. >> And then the third book? >> Well, the third book, of course, is the big climax. You know, how everything comes to a head and will good, defeat evil and what will it cost? >> Now, I think we'll need previously spoken. Didn't you say that you had written about 600 pages? >> In the prequel, yes, it took on a life of its own. A pandemic happened and there was nothing open. And in three months, I wrote 600 pages. >> Wow. >> This is what happens when I don't get to go anywhere. I was supposed to go to Disney World. That's what happened. And so I pouted by torturing characters. >> If any of the characters you'd happen to say in the book, it's a small world after all. That's just purely coincidental and not bordering on copyright infringement or anything like that, right? >> Right, right. It's purely. No, I think I've managed to not copyright anything too much. The thing is, fantasy stories have been out there so long. There are certain themes that happen. And you see them. And there probably are things that are influenced by what I like. There's really just no way to avoid that. Everyone is all the time. But it's its own story with its own characters. And I actually draw a lot from history. So, you know, I don't think any historical figures are going to come knocking on my door and be like, "Copyright infringement." And be like, "You've been dead forever." >> The lawyers might still be alive in that business. I don't think any of the Renaissance lawyers will be alive. I don't think their laws would apply. >> Has Val used my client's name? >> Exactly. I mean, if that happened, I think I'd just mostly be freaked out. This Renaissance lawyer showed up at my door. >> And then that could be a whole new book. >> Right, there we go. A Renaissance lawyer in Solana, Kansas. It's a new twist on the famous Mark Twain story. >> The idea is, I think that's another easy 600 pages, so just in case. >> No, I already proposed another idea to my co-author today. And she was like, "Yeah, that's interesting." And I'm like, "Okay, we're going to put that in the idea vault. We've got to finish these other ones first." Do you have a system for formulating the books? With a trilogy, I guess it's kind of easy because first book sets up for the second book, which sets up for the third book. You know what direction you're going in, but I know you still have to navigate through it. >> Right. When it comes to writing on my own, mine's the only opinion, so I don't have to go through anybody first. So it's a little different depending on whether or not I'm writing with someone, but for the trilogy I wrote on my own, I really let the idea percolate for, I don't know, two or three years before I set pen to paper figuratively. And during that time, I would write ideas down or have little ideas for scenes and kind of store them away. And then when it came time to sit down and write it, I kind of had think of each chapter and what would happen and is this enough? And it certainly evolved as I went along. I didn't know the ending of the trilogy for sure until I got almost done with the second book. I knew there were two possibilities, but I didn't know which one I was going to go with. >> You know, I was reading one of the reviews of your book, which was a positive thing. And they felt that the style that you wrote in, it's very poetic. Like I guess a poetic feel to it. >> You know, I've never considered myself a poet. I cannot sit down and go, I'm going to write a poem today because then I just like ice cream is very nice. Like I said, not good at it. I know my strengths that admit. But I do notice that I like to write with a certain rhythm and a flow. And if a sentence doesn't have that right feel to it, then I don't like it. So I do enjoy when there's just a nice rhythm to a book, even if you know whether I'm writing it or reading it. It helps me just be immersed in the world. And I guess also with that fantasy writing, you know, because you're dealing with elves and berries and stuff like that, they probably have a sort of cadence when they speak. So I guess you want your writing to kind of have that feel to it. >> Yeah, and I do, I keep that in mind with the language, but I also tried to make it. I made it more modern than it probably would have been in a medieval type setting just because it's a modern audience and it needs to be readable to a modern reader. And you do just get tired of saying the and thou. I definitely give it a more modern feel with the language, but try to bring in some elements and sentence structure that gives it a little bit of an old feel. So it's still relatable and understandable to a modern reader, but has that feels a bit. Hopefully. >> So you're writing is keeping clear of like the Canterbury tales and middle English and all of that. So when you don't have to turn the book upside down and say, wait a minute, I just don't understand what I just read. >> I mean, I love Shakespeare, but a lot of people have trouble understanding it. So I tried to keep it easy for people to understand. So you didn't have to sit there and worry about, well, what does that mean when you're just trying to get through the story? >> Did you end up kind of creating a new language at all or any new terms when you were writing the book or is it pretty much grounded in English? >> The trilogy is pretty much grounded in English. There are a few things that I name. The Soulbound, that's what the group of women are called who can heal. It's only women who get the ability to heal and get that bond. The bond happens male or female, but it's only women that it ends up doing this. But in the prequel, I do sort of dabble a little bit in there being another language. I don't write out another language. I'm not qualified to do that. But I give new terms to different words. I make it clear that these countries speak a different language and certainly imply that there's another language in there. And that's been fun. It's been a lot of fun to take it and kind of go, okay, so. And I've basically just kind of looked at other languages and seen what blends well together and tried to make it seem like something real. Probably a linguist would look at this and go, oh my gosh. >> Okay, well, we'll absolve you of any of any problems that may arise. >> Not a linguist. >> And I think with, you know, especially when you've got a good story. And that's like the one thing that kept seeing the reviews of your book that people just felt so drawn into this whole journey with, you know, with a swim and all the other characters that they say, like, you couldn't put it down. You just, you had to a certain point and we're like, okay, what's going to happen next? >> And I love when they say that. I think that what works in this is just that there are. are some deeper emotional elements that we can all connect with like everybody's lost someone and everyone's been faced with things that just seem so much bigger than themselves and then to have to face it while grieving. I just think there's some very human elements that are kind of the backbone and heart of what progresses the story. All right. I have one weird question for you. What is a hobgoblin? I mean, it's basically just a goblin. It's another, you know, it's, it's another term for goblin. I like, off, I know there are some differences, but off the top of my head, I can't remember them folklore wise, but it's essentially a form of okay. I don't know if there was special goblin rules or anything like that. You're a goblin and you're a hobgoblin. I didn't make him off. I was just like, well, everybody uses goblin. So I'm going to use hobgoblins because I like to take from actual folklore and stuff like that. I like to draw from that. I love looking at folklore. I think that's half of it. Was there any specific type of folklore that you used in your book? I do tend more toward Irish and English folklore. Just that's, I definitely seem to like this sort of European fantasy elements. So I think I lean more that way. I know there have been others that I've pulled from that are from the Middle East. It sort of depends on what I need at that time. Whenever fits, do you just kind of work it into the story, bet? Exactly. Exactly. And then sometimes I'll take elements of folklore and kind of weave them together and make it do what I want it to do. I do use banshees, which that's Irish folklore. So I'm going to put you on the spot here. A movie version of your book. What actors and actresses do you have in mind for some of your characters? Oh, I already have like, I know this one real well. I know that asin soulmate, Rory would totally be Bimburns. Bimburns gets cast in many things in my brain. Kirin would be Richard Matten. Liesander would be an actor who he's not really super well-known in like the larger circles, but his name is Jake Stormowen. I believe that's how the last name is pronounced. He's it. I've actually had the pleasure of speaking to him, just a little bit via messages on Twitter at one point. And he's a very sweet guy. So he would be Liesander. Aisland changes frequently. I'll see someone go, oh, she'd be good. And then I'll see someone else. I go, oh, she'll be good. But I've never found anyone that I felt was just like perfect. And then I have characters for the twisted path too. I am ready if they ever make these movies. You know, I can also see you like when, you know, if you're meeting with the the casting people coming out with those one of those big scrolls where you just kind of open up and say, okay, let's start here. Is that off base? Sorry, but with the pictures spread of the actors in the various things that I want them to have that look. Unfortunately, I doubt I would have that kind of power, but I would suggest people. There you go. I mean, nothing well with the power of suggestions. Exactly. I don't think there's anything wrong with the power of suggestion. And it's funny because when books become movies, usually when they cast them, it's either right on the money or you walk out of the theater saying what were they thinking seeing that person in the role. Yeah, yeah. I just like, I mean, that's, that's certainly a pipe dream at this point. But yeah, I hope if it ever happens, they just, they get it right. I was a big fan of the late Clive Custler. The reason why a lot of his books and become movies was that he always seemed to have issue with whomever the studios wanted to cast. And I know they, the last one that they did up Sahara. And it was Matthew McConaughey and Steve's on. And he just was like, no, these were just I hadn't mind at all. And having read the books, I mean, I didn't see the movie, but I was just kind of like, no, I couldn't take to either one of those in the roles. Yeah, he just doesn't work. And then there's other times where you're like, yes, this is the right person. I know. Like they did so well with the Lord of the Rings movies. It was so good. And then with the Hobbit movies, I'm like, well, they're under a lot of makeup. So I can, I can see this working. And I wasn't unhappy with Aiden Turner. I was like, no, no, you can have a hot war if I never thought that I would be down with that, but that's fine. I'm an elf fancier. But yeah, I mean, I do have these characters sort of cast in my mind, but I have noticed that, you know, as the book evolves and everything, the characters will sort of still be that person, but they also look a little bit different in my head at the same time. They're also themselves that doesn't keep me from looking at pictures of these people to sort of get my head in the right space. But it's my co-author and I do this as well. We cast it. We've got all of our characters cast and there are a couple of repeats, you know, there's there's a Richard Madden and a Ben Barnes. I have to find room for Ben Barnes. I have to keep him gamefully employed. I don't think there's a problem. He has very emotive eyes. That's what I need a character that can have a certain emotional impact and I'm like, Ben Barnes, come here. Paging Ben Barnes. Start reading, friend. It may be horrifying if he ever lives. Here's from now, watch me run into him and be like, oh, you're gone. Was it thou who wanted me in that movie? Exactly. I would turn. So if he, I would turn so pink. It's your bribe red. You know what she's kind of hinted at, you know, being co-authoring the book. Want to talk a little bit about that if you can. Oh, absolutely. In fact, we're getting close to finishing one of them. My co-author's name is Jennifer Sanders and she actually has a few books out as well with somebody else. And we've been friends for years and years and years. She's been a huge, she's been another actual huge influence on my writing. So I'm unbelievably excited that we're finally doing this. The series is going to be called The Fae Touched Chronicles. And I don't know, maybe by the time this comes out one or two, the books will be out. We're doing it a little differently and we're writing, we have four books planned so far. More may come, but right now that's where we are. And we're writing all of them, the first draft of each of them before we even put the first one out. So it's been different. It's been a different experience, but it takes place in at least some of them take place in Victorian Scotland around the time of Jack the Ripper, even though he was in London. And it has a fantasy lean to it in that it has these people who have magic because, well, they have fang in their bloodline. So it's called The Fae Touched Chronicles. And it chronicles each book sort of chronicles a different set of characters that we meet in the first book. So is it a spoiler alert to say that there are no Renaissance lawyers in any of these books? It's one I'll give you, there are no Renaissance lawyers in these books. Okay, I see. We're just going to let you have that much information. Anything else you can have to go and get these books through your local bookstore or online retailer like that Amazon people, are you there up in commerce? Yeah, but there should be just good fun reads. They're not 600 page monsters. So if you like shorter books. And I'm my co-authors having to rain me in because I'm always like, let's make it mega book. And she's like, no, let's not do that. All things should be mega book. You have a website where people can find add a little bit about the stories and about you as well. Yes, it's Kristen Stovall books. If they look bad up, they'll be able to find it. C-H-R-I-S-T-E-N-S-T-O-V-A-L-L books. Yes, exactly perfect. And I know you have the links right through the website too, where they can buy them on Amazon or wherever find books are sold. I'm not set up to have them buy them directly from the website yet. That might be something that comes along down the road as there's just a lot of sort of moving parts to get that. And I'm not that organized. That's where it is. And then I'm doing events. I'm starting to go to Comic-Con some things so they can maybe if I'm in a city near somebody, they can come on in and get a book and get it signed. By the time this comes out, there's Tulsa Khan, is that what are you going to do? Tulsa Khan. Yeah, it's a play on Tolkien and Tulsa. And that is, let me just look at, I know the days, I just have to make sure I get them exactly right. April 29th through May 1st in Tulsa, of 2022, we got to let people just in case you're listening to this five years from now and they show up and like, well, where are you, Kristen? You're right there, you lied. And you just random back say, you missed it. And I was looking for you. And I do put the things on the website as well. I do update it. Anytime there's a big event, I'll go and update it and put it on there. Okay. So we wanted to encourage everybody to check out these books. The Song of Souls, Trilogy. Yeah, I got it right out of the first right out of the shoot. Not like that. Tricking important at the beginning. And if you go to Kristen's Stovle Books, you can check those books out and again, buy them through your favorite bookseller. Kristen's Stovle, thank you so much for coming on the show thanks for having me. Be a rebel, follow the show, add evolution on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks so much for waiting by the show, the screening room and thanks so much to Kristen's Stovle for coming on by and you can get her books of course at amazon.com or anywhere else that you may find books sold. They're all there. And if you want to listen to our show, you can just follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And if you're following me on Facebook, there's a tab right there that says podcasts, click on it and you will see the episodes that you can listen to. Pretty cool, huh? And you can also hear it on my website, SherpoLution.com or on any podcast app that you may download on your phone. I'm on about 80 to 90% of them. The ones that I'm not on, let me know. I will give them a piece of my money and they will show up. Okay, we'll better come down. I'm down. Anyway, thank you for coming. And next week we will be speaking to a guy named Gabriel Simbalista and he is the host of Symbolistic Sinicism and it's a podcast about movies and we're going to get to know him and he's got a really interesting story. Everybody does on this show, right? Well, we hope that you've enjoyed it and don't forget if you can leave me a nice review on Apple podcasts. Great. We appreciate it, folks. Till then, Viva La SherpoLution. Mr. Bruce, let's ask a hobgoblin. If they know a shortcut of getting out of the Sherpo Shelley. Bye, Rebels. Viva La SherpoLution. Thanks for listening to the Sherpo Screening Room. Don't forget to subscribe, write, review and share this podcast. I'm Mr. Bruce and this has been a SherpoLuce Studios production. [BLANK_AUDIO]