Author Christen Stovall of Salina, will read a portion and sign copies of her much anticipated second fantasy novel, Soulfire, from 7 to 9PM Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, at Ad Astra Books and Coffeehouse, 141 N. Santa Fe Ave. in Salina.
Soulfire was released on Nov. 5, 2016, the birthday of Stovall’s late husband, Dustin, and is the second book in her Song of Souls trilogy and the sequel to her well-received first novel, Soulbound. Also planning to be at the Dec. 10 book-signing are cover artist Rachel Gegen, who is Stovall’s sister, as well as Stovall’s editor, Alisha Mattingly.
The idea for the Song of Souls fantasy fiction trilogy sprang from tragedy. Six and a half years ago, after her husband Dustin took his own life, Stovall found herself struggling to find meaning and purpose in the brief 18 months of marriage she had shared with him.
“I desperately wished I could see him, speak to him, even if it was just a moment to say goodbye,” said Stovall. “It was from that desire that an idea began to form in my mind, and a scene started to take shape.”
At its heart, Soulbound is a fairytale about finding courage in the face of insurmountable odds. It’s a story about love, loss, and finding the strength to face the future, no matter how dark. Stovall drew ideas for characters from among her close friends, like Eric Tweedy, who was the inspiration for the fan favorite character Lyzandar, a wizard that Stovall describes as good-natured, very loyal, optimistic, and extremely intelligent.
“Eric and I met when we were working at Salina Regional Health Center,” said Stovall. “Just like Lyzandar, Eric has a beagle. I changed the dog’s name from Bradley to Bailley for the books. Lyzandar is in both books. Eric was a tremendous source of support and encouragement after I lost Dustin. He was the person who suggested going to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. We went in costume together, and the experience was a turning point from grief to rebuilding my life.”
The trilogy plotline deepens with the second book. The first one provided the foundational material and introduced characters and themes for the three-part story.
“Soulbound was really more of an introduction to the world, the characters and the concept of being one of the ‘Soulbound,’ and the magic of that world in general,” said Stovall. “The characters are pretty naive at the beginning of the book. They’re young, they don’t really have any idea what’s in store for them, or how life challenges your expectations. I pulled a lot of that book from the emotions and thoughts I experienced in the first few years of being a widow. The world suddenly was a very large and scary place.”
“As to the adventure aspect of the first book, there’s a lot more going on there than you realize. There are some subtle hints to what’s coming. I had fun writing those, knowing that at face value they didn’t seem like anything, but that they held significance to the rest of the trilogy.”
“Soulfire delves more deeply into the character’s emotions. In this second book, Rorin, Aislynn’s soulmate, becomes a point-of-view character, so the readers will get to know him better. The book is definitely darker than the first. The characters are dealing with the repercussions of what they faced in Soulbound. They’ve matured and the challenges they face come from within themselves, as well as from outside forces.”
“Working on these books has helped me to find the closure and purpose that felt so out of reach after I lost my husband,” said Stovall. “It has also provided a sense of legacy for the time I was given with my Dustin. He touched so many people during his brief 28 years in this life. It is my hope that he can continue to do so through these first two books and the one that is to follow. This trilogy will be my tribute to him. If even one person finds comfort and escape from pain in the story, it will make everything I’ve experienced worthwhile.”