10 Things About Sentinel’s Song

So here are ten random facts about The Sentinel’s Song: A Retelling of St. George.

1. The Setting

St. George may be the patron saint of England, but the real Saint George lived in what we know as modern day Turkey. He was in the Roman military but was martyred by Emperor Diocletian for refusing to recant his Christianity. So in honor of the man, I based the dress, architecture, and landscape on what would be found in Turkey, rather than England.

2. The Fortier Connection

The reason I connected the Sentinels to the Fortier line is because I figured that with all the fame the Destiniant kinds had gained over the years, there was a good chance at least one of their kids had gone off and done something pretty amazing as well.

3. Pink Lakes

There really is a pink lake in Turkey. (Though it, apparently, can change color and evaporates in the summer.) Its name is Lake Tuz, and it’s a saline lake.

4. Inspiration

When I was little, my parents read us the book, St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges. I was enchanted. (I still am.) This piece of literature introduced me to that Arthurian sort of romance and sacrifice. The brave knight was everything a man should be, and the princess was courageous and strong. I think what struck my young heart most, however, was the realization that they were sad. And yet, they did what needed to be done for the sake of others.

So you can thank this book, in part, for the stories I write today.

5. The Use of Staff

Growing up, my brother trained in staff while learning martial arts, and I always thought it was a fascinating exercise to watch. That’s probably why it appears in so many of my books, including this one.

6. Point of View

This is only the third book in the Classical Kingdoms Collection that uses only the female protagonist’s point of view. All of the others have the male and female protagonists trading off. The other two are The Green-Eyed Prince: A Retelling of The Frog Prince and Girl in the Red Hood: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

7. Future Role Reprises…

While writing this book, I was struck by the accidental perfection that sometimes hits you in the face while writing. Demir is one of my favorite characters in this book, and I quickly realized that he would be the perfect King Thrushbeard. So that is exactly who he is going to be in a future fairy tale of his own…

8. Dragons…

Mahzar was a difficult dragon to write, largely because I was also outlining my dragon trilogy at the same time, in which the main dragon is good. So it was hard going back and forth in my head between desirable and undesirable. I finally had to take a bit of a break so I could focus on making Mahzar’s dragon more animalistic.

9. Length

My books are always difficult to predict as far as length goes. Usually, because I underwrite, and my editor and beta readers tell me I need to add…which usually adds anywhere from 10K words to 20K. This one finished at just under 125,000 words, which puts it at about the length of Silent Mermaid: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid.

10. ESTJ

I didn’t mean to do this, but Sabra is an ESTJ on the Meyers-Briggs personality test…which is my personality type. Elaina is also an ESTJ.

E – Extroverted

S – Observant (don’t ask me where they got “S” out of that.)

T – Thinking

J – Judging

We get stuff done. Lol. Life of the party we may not be (although, Sabra could easily keep things fun), but we’ll make sure that the water and electricity run, the roads are in good condition, and dragons aren’t taking over the city.

You’re welcome.

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What are some interesting things you noticed or want to know about Sentinel’s Song? No direct spoilers please, but I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and make sure you’re part of my newsletter so you don’t miss out on my exclusive short stories, sales notifications, and sneak peeks.