Paige W. Pendleton
And
The Black Ledge Series
About the Author:
The secrets of the Red Paint People have haunted Maine for 7000 years. Paige is busy writing those tales.
Please tell readers about your current book.
Right now I'm working on The Black Ledge Series. I have the first two books out, and four more planned.
The Black Ledge Series was inspired by The Red Paint People. I became fascinated with them, and decided to explore aspects of their history as a magical adventure, mostly because there was something magical about them, and their “adventures”.
The Red Paint People were a tribe of indigenous people who lived on the coasts of New England and Atlantic Canada regions of North America thousands of years ago.
The name The Red Paint People arose from their use of Red Ochre to decorate their belongings, and themselves. They decorated tools, clothing, and the bodies of their dead in burial preparation.
They were bold seafarers. Swordfish bones discovered in archaeological sites tell us they were navigating deep and treacherous waters in the Atlantic. Thousands of years ago, in canoes.
And here's where the plot thickens. Archaeological excavations in Norway have unearthed tools and belongings with similar red marks/patterns to those discovered on the coast of Maine. Eerily similar red markings. Other clues point to trans-Atlantic travel. Rune Stones in North America that date long before the defined Viking Age. A breed of domestic cat (the Maine Coon) shares DNA with the Norwegian Forest Cat. Strong similarities between some Native American and Ancient Norse myths suggest they gathered around the same campfire more than once.
Did Elves and Dwarves stow away on one of the return trips to Maine? It appears they did.
Our story then takes a darker turn, as things tend to do on the coast of Maine, but our Once upon a time began in a land far, far away.
Who or what inspires your writing?
I never see the answer to that coming. Oddities. Situations. A character hits me over the head. So many things, but they tend to find me. I don't usually go looking for them.
How long did it take you to write your first novel?
Two months to get the first draft down. I tend to mull and plot for quite a while before I actually start typing. I spend longer revising, polishing, tightening.
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Promo-ing. The writing, all aspects, are a pleasure. I am in my element, there. Promo-ing properly? Not so much, although I love events with readers. Kids rock.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I'm not terribly disciplined. I'm kind of a binge writer, and I write until the ink stops flowing. Conversely, if it isn't flowing, I don't force it. I mull and ponder. Always solves the problem.
Have you written any thing else?
Besides the next books in the Black Ledge series, I have a juvenile mystery series I am also working on. No magic, just murder.
I hope to release the first book, UnattendeAd, this year.
I'm also jotting notes and plotting on two adult fiction works. I have notebooks everywhere.
Any advice to aspiring writers?
Just start. Scrawling, typing, or painting on cave walls, however you write, start this minute and don't “pause” until you've finished your first draft.
Who are your favorite Authors?
So many favorites. Juvenile fiction holds a special place in my heart as I enjoyed so many adventures reading as a kid. Madeline L'Engle, Joan Aiken, Mary O'Hara, Robert Lawson.
As an adult, I read everything, except misery fiction. When I want a good story I want something that leaves me satisfied, not troubled. A brownie sundae indulgence would be a Serge Storms adventure from Tim Dorsey.
What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
Probably To Kill a Mockingbird. I read everything as a kid, and my Mother was great. She had hallways of books. No cable or video games, but there was never a lack of good books to read.
What are you currently reading?
Jen Blood and Vernon Baker are two friends, and also favorite authors. I am always waiting for their newest.
How do readers find out more about you?
I live in Maine with my husband and daughters (who are ruthless critics). I love to garden, sail, and read. My daughters show cattle, and we love being on the periphery of that. Great people, great times. We like cows.
Readers can follow the books, my interests, and get updates on the social media links. You may see lots of shoes, chocolate, and horses on Pinterest.
Paige's Blog
Book Facebook Page
Paige on Twitter
and Pinterest
AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY
Lets' see what you can win
Two eBooks for Two Winners!!!
Book One: The Keeper and the Rune Stone
An unholy ritual, a ticking clock. Four children discover there are things that go bump in the night ... Centuries ago a group of Elves committed an unholy ritual. But the ritual was a spectacular failure. It transformed the Elves into the Noctivagi - the beings we know as vampires. Striving to maintain a fragile peace, the ancient Elves and Dwarves negotiated an Accord, which they've renewed every year on the Summer Solstice. The ceremony depends on the magical Rune Stone, but it's missing. If it is not found—and quickly—the consequences could be dire, and not just for Elves and Dwarves. Four children, Rob, Jack, Eleanor, and Flora, stumble into a world of magic and mayhem when they move into Black Ledge, the old estate on the Maine coast, and discover they aren’t the only ones who live there.
Book Two: The Keeper and the Alabaster Chalice
The Black Ledge Series, Book II He’d bonded with the child. It was foretold, and so it would be. Black Ledge is inhabited again, but not everyone in the Realm is pleased. As the Driscolls settle into their new home they meet magical Beings, discover secrets, and exasperate the Elven Guard. They’re having a great time. Charm turns to alarm when they meet Doris, the Acadian Water Witch, who's removed the Alabaster Chalice from its watery grave. The Noctivagi, drawn by the artifact's Water Magyk, seek the Chalice for their own nefarious purpose, and mayhem ensues. Eleanor, Rob, Jack, and Flora fight time and tide to return the Alabaster Chalice to the Undine Prince before the darkness steals it.
Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter.
READ THE TERMS
As an archaeology student I studied the Red Paint People so I am really interested to see where the author takes their story!
ReplyDelete