Goddess Tithe by Anne Elisabeth Stengl Cover Reveal

I have the great honor of sharing a special treat today, my dear friend's newest book cover! Anne Elisabeth Stengl writes wonderful fantasy novels intended mostly for young adults, but my husband and I have also greatly enjoyed reading them. You can find all of her books on Amazon.com or any major bookstore.

Title: Goddess Tithe

Author: Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Series: Tales of Goldstone Wood

Expected Release Date: November 12, 2013

Publisher: Rooglewood Press

Page Count: 130 pages

The Vengeful Goddess Demands Her Tithe

When a stowaway is discovered aboard the merchant ship Kulap Kanya, Munny, a cabin boy on his first voyage, knows what must be done. All stowaways are sacrificed to Risafeth, the evil goddess of the sea. Such is her right, and the Kulap Kanya's only hope to return safely home.

Yet, to the horror of his crew, Captain Sunan vows to protect the stowaway, a foreigner in clown's garb. A curse falls upon the ship and all who sail with her, for Risafeth will stop at nothing to claim her tithe.

Will Munny find the courage to trust his captain and to protect the strange clown who has become his friend?

Goodreads * Blog Page

You can learn more about Goddess Tithe, which novel it's connected to and read Chapter 1, here: 

About the Cover Design:

I had the fun of designing this cover—finding reference photos, inventing the composition, applying the text, etc.—but the actual artistic work was done by talented cover artist Phatpuppy (www.phatpuppyart.com), whose work I have admired for many years. It was such a thrill for me to contact and commission this artist to create a look for Goddess Tithe that is reminiscent of the original novels but has a style and drama all its own.

The boy on the front was quite a find. I hunted high and low for an image of a boy the right age, the right look, with the right expression on his face. Phatpuppy and I worked with a different model through most of the cover development stage. But then I happened upon this image, and both she and I were delighted with his blend of youth, stubbornness, and strength of character! It wasn’t difficult to switch the original boy for this young man. He simply is Munny, and this cover is a perfect window into the world of my story.

You can’t see it here, but the wrap-around back cover for the print copy contains some of the prettiest work . . . including quite a scary sea monster! Possibly my favorite detail is the inclusion of the ghostly white flowers framing the outer edge. These are an important symbol in the story itself, and when Phatpuppy sent me the first mock-up cover with these included, I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement!

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a kindle of kitties, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, including Heartless, Veiled Rose, Moonblood, Starflower, and Dragonwitch. Heartless and Veiled Rose have each been honored with a Christy Award, and Starflower was voted winner of the 2013 Clive Staples Award.

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Giveaway:

Anne Elisabeth is offering two proof copies of Goddess Tithe as prizes! (U.S. and Canada only) 

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Apple Crisp Oatmeal: Crock Pot Recipe

I doubt I'm alone when I say that I'm starting to look forward to (and crave) yummy fall recipes. Today I'll share one of my new favorites with you:

Image from chickfluff.org

Crock Pot Apple Crisp Oatmeal 

(serves about 6)

5 apples (I used 4 Granny Smith and 1 Red Delicious)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 cups of oatmeal

4 cups water

Crumb Topping 

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1. Wash, peel, & slice apples and place them in the crock pot.

2. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the apple slices.

3. Pour oatmeal on top, then add the water.

4. Do not stir the mixture.

5. Bake in the crock pot on high for 4.5 hours, or on low for no more than 6 hours.

6. About 30 minutes before the oatmeal is done, make the crumb topping.

7. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder) together.

8. Add the brown sugar and melted butter.

9. Mix together with a fork until crumbly and sprinkle on top of the oatmeal mixture.

10. Allow it to bake for another 30 minutes or so and enjoy! 

Start with apples: peel, core, slice. Use your favorite flavors. This is my favorite combo. 

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Don't stir it up, just sprinkle on top.

After you add the oatmeal and water, it will start to bake and look like this. No need to stir.

And here it is, right before serving with the apple crisp topping added. The warm oatmeal mixture will start to bubble up through the topping when it's ready to serve. Yum! It goes great with a tall glass of milk. :-) Enjoy!

Seeing the Signs of Human Trafficking [1]

Before I begin, let me tell you that this problem seems so much bigger than me. I am just one small voice, but I feel compelled to at least try to make others aware, if nothing else. Modern day slavery is what they call it, but it seems much more like a living Hell for its victims.

I recently attended a training session that opened my eyes to evils of this world that I never really wanted to know about. I heard details of horrific conditions that thousands of women, children and even babies are sold into on a daily basis. Details so horrific, I don't even want to write the words. I heard from police in my own area about recent cases of sex trafficking that I never knew existed. I heard from a survivor who was kidnapped, thrust into sex slavery, escaped..and lived to tell about it. I left the conference with a heavy heart and a killer headache. It seems like such a hopeless world filled with so much unthinkable evil. I had a hard time processing what I heard, much in the same way I had a hard time processing the depravity of abortion.

Human trafficking is another terrible violation of basic human rights. People are bought and sold for various reasons, but the most common are labor and sex.  Thousands of children are sold daily here in the Land of the Free. They can be kidnapped or sold by their parents/caregivers. And not all traffickers are men. In fact, some traffickers are mothers and elderly women.

Human trafficking is a lucrative business where women and young children are ripped from their homes, beaten and raped repeatedly. It's sex abuse on steroids. The crazy thing is...it's not about sex. It's about power and money. Lots of money. Why is it so lucrative, even more than drugs?  Because drugs can only be used once but a woman or child can be used many, many times per day, like 30 times or more. I read that the average life expectancy of a sex slave is about 7 years.

Just think about that.

It's happening in America.

It's happening in my town.

Chances are, it's happening in your town, too.

At the conference, I was given resources to help respond if I ever suspect or witness human trafficking in my area. After learning what I learned, I have to share.

In my opinion, the first two steps in helping to stop human trafficking are:

1. Know what it is.
2. Understand your community's risk factors.

I learned that your town is at risk of human trafficking if you have any of these things:

• oceans
• ports
• major highways
• tourism
• military bases
• children
• drugs
• minority communities
• entertainment (massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, etc.)
• poverty 
• organized crime
• internet communication
• secrecy

So now you know (1) what it is and (2) if your community is at risk. Later this month, I'll post again about how you can get involved in your community to help fight this. 

However, if you can't wait for my post, check out Women At Risk International for ways to get involved. This organization provided the training session that I attended and they provide many ways for the average American woman (like me) to get involved. Watch their video below:

Just thinking about this topic makes my head swirl. I have to remind myself of my Precious Savior who said these words,

"...In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

 How thankful I am that there is hope in Christ!

Seeing The Signs of Human Trafficking [2]