Today’s author interview features debut novelist L.A. Thornhill! A lifelong storyteller, she’s released a novella and now a related novel, The Prophetess of Arden. To find out about her book, faith, writing, and how that relates to puppeteering, read on!
Up first: who is L.A. Thornhill?
About L.A. Thornhill
L. A. Thornhill was bitten by the writing bug at the age of thirteen and never looked for a cure. She is a member of ACFW and Christian Writers Guild of Greater San Antonio since 2016 and Realm Makers since 2018. She has self-published one novella, The Lost Descendants; three devotions for the CWG Christmas Devotionals of 2017-2019; contributed short stories to What Darkness Fears, Fool’s Honor, Wither and Bloom, and Briars & Blood. Her short story “Possession” was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Realm Awards. She is a Jedi Master with dual citizenship in Narnia and Middle-Earth.
The Prophetess of Arden
An unwanted prophetess. A faithless prince. The two must fulfill their destinies if there is any hope for North Arden.
Ripped from her dorm room, Beckah Conrad finds herself pitched into an ancient world. When she accidentally rescues Princess Hadassah Hal-Titus from assassin shades, Beckah is tasked with returning the princess to her brother, the deposed heir to the throne of conquered North Arden.
Beckah fights her attraction to the stubborn prince as they continue their journey toward safety. Even when it is revealed that Beckah is the foretold prophetess, Prince Seth Hal-Titus seems determined to see her as nothing but an outsider. But as her prophetic abilities help them survive shades and Duramonti conquerors, the prince finds himself feeling a begrudging sense of trust, accompanied by an unsettling attraction. How can this girl from another world possibly help him reclaim his kingdom and his throne?
Review
I’m going to do something a little different with my review here and talk about the companion novella, The Lost Descendants, as well as The Prophetess of Arden. I’m not sure which officially comes first—I think they could be read in either order since the timelines overlap—but I read Lost Descendants first and I would recommend doing so for a couple reasons.
The novella (Descendants) takes place roughly during the opening chapters of the novel (Arden), at which point the character storylines intersect. The disadvantage of reading Descendants first is that this makes the end of the novella feel a little incomplete because it introduces characters and questions that are more thoroughly handled in the novel, even though it has a complete story arc where the main goal of the story is resolved.
The greater advantage of reading it first is that it generates a lot of sympathy and understanding for the male lead character, Seth, and his best friend, Judah. Seeing these guys together in their element is endearing (and impressive as they fight together against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy). I don’t believe I would have connected as deeply with Seth if I didn’t have this background on the struggles he’s gone through and his incredible love for his sister that he wants desperately to see safe again.
The second advantage of reading Descendants first is that it provides an intriguing introduction to this fantastical world, which whetted my appetite to find out more in Prophetess. Prophetess is technically a portal fantasy, where the main character starts off in our world before journeying to the fantastical realm, and I tend to be more quickly gripped by other-world fantasy than portal fantasy, which is why Descendants grabbed my attention.
With that (way too long) explanation out of the way, let me now get to my joint review of the novella/novel. What I found most fascinating about this story is actually the world. It’s a biblically-based world apart from Earth with familiar parallels and name references, yet its own rich cultures and fantastical creatures. I won’t spoil the explanation, but trust me, it’s brilliant. It’s especially brilliant because it allows for a strong theological component that doesn’t fit exactly into either the allegory or Christian Fiction boxes and avoids the cheesiness one can find in both.
The characters are all very distinct and loveable in their own ways, from the sarcastic and sassy heroine to the fierce but thoughtful hero. I related to them even though I have a wildly different personality and experience from theirs, which really speaks to Thornhill’s ability to portray their raw struggles, flaws, and triumphs in a compelling manner.
That does lead me to one caution, that the story does have some more intense content than most of the books I review. The violence can be a little more gruesome (but not descriptive or graphic) in combat, torture, and evil creatures, and there are some references to trigger topics in the characters’ backstories such as attempted suicide and adult situations. Again, these are not graphic or overdone, and they are justified in the plot, but if these are particularly sensitive areas for you, use some caution.
All in all, this made for a compelling read with a gripping climax, satisfying romance, fascinating world, and strong spiritual component.
Find The Lost Descendants and The Prophetess of Arden on Amazon (affiliate links).
Interview with L.A. Thornhill
Now it’s time to dig a little deeper into L.A. Thornhill’s passion for stories and how she came to release these books into the world with this author interview.
1.) What do you love about The Prophetess of Arden that made you want to share this book with the world?
I love my characters! There’s much about my story world that I enjoyed creating and spent far too much of my life trying to understand, but it’s my characters that always brought me back to the story. The way Beckah talks and overthinks things. Seth’s struggles and love for his family. Hadassah’s absolutely irritating behavior yet extraordinary strength of character. And Judah, loyal and immovable to a fault. I truly hope the readers want to see these characters develop as much as I do.
2.) What fuels your passion to write?
I’ve always been a storyteller. I was blessed and cursed with an overactive imagination and a need to express it. When I was a kid I wrote adventures and mystery “books” that were roughly a few pages long. Great effort on my part. Ha ha. Then I got into drawing cartoons and created my own comic books in elementary school. It wasn’t until I was a preteen that I realized how much I loved writing and had decided to become an author someday. It’s just always been in me to tell stories one way or another, and writing turned out to be my favorite outlet.
3.) What was your path to publication like? (Did you pursue an agent, go direct to a publisher, or decide to indie publish? Why?)
My path to publication felt more like tripping and stumbling down one hill after another. I took creative writing in high school and college, so of course I knew what I was doing, right? Ha, not even close. I had no one to help me with publication for years. The only writers I knew were college grads like myself with more story ideas than publishing experience. My first draft of what became “Prophetess of Arden” was finished only a year or two after I graduated and I had sent it out to many agents. Did I get rejected? No. They simply ignored me, which was worse than rejection because I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. After years of the same, I finally found an editor who directed me to attend writers conferences (something I had no idea existed) and join critique groups (another thing I was ignorant of). That changed everything. I was blessed to be a part of a few critique groups of talented authors and teachers, I joined a tribe of Christian nerds at Realm Makers. I found the courage to self-publish a novella based on the same story world as “Prophetess” and then eventually did the same for it. I do hope to be traditionally published someday but that will have to be another story of mine.
4.) Do you make your living as an author? What other work or hobbies do you have?
I do not make my living as an author. I am a Quality Assurance advisor for Kohl’s department stores. I have a great schedule that allows me to focus on writing. Ah, my hobbies include gaming and buying more books and collectibles than my shelf space can handle.
5.) How do your personal beliefs/faith system shape your writing?
My faith is the very veins of my novel. I take a big leap by creating a world inhabited by the children of Abel and I get that. But the entire time I wrote my novel, I never wanted to contradict the Bible, even for my story purposes. And I make no apologies for the things Beckah says in faith or the spiritual authority she exerts in the name of Jesus in the book. Fantasy world, fantasy story, but a very real God. She a New Testament Christian in a Old Testament world and I loved writing it.
6.) What is a fun fact about you?
I used to be a puppeteer. It was part of a children’s ministry team called “The Master’s Hands.” We were a bunch of kids who traveled to churches and performed all sorts of puppetry. We even competed a few years at One Way Street’s convention. I also trained several kids and teachers when I was older to help their ministry. Come to think of it, I guess it was another story telling outlet. Life is funny like that.
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Thanks to L.A. Thornhill for sharing with us about her book, her love for her characters, and her fascinating story world! You can find out more at her website and even get The Lost Descendents novella for free at lathornhill.com.
Who’s ready to go support this debut author? Share your excitement in the comments!
Author Interview Series:
Carrie Anne Noble, The Mermaid’s Sister
Tara Grayce, Lost in Averell
Ariel Avelar, Influent
H.L. Burke, Ashen
Constance Lopez, Of Stormlarks and Silence
E.J. Kitchens, Wrought of Silver and Ravens
Ashley Bustamante, Vivid
L.A. Thornhill, The Prophetess of Arden
Sharon Hinck, Hidden Current
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