Book Release: Hazelby Priors
Can you believe it? Hazelby Priors is finally ready to be introduced to all of you!
And just to shake things up a little, I’m going to turn this introduction into a game. Ever played “Two Truths and a Lie” as an ice breaker at a party? Well, I’m going to give you a chance to play that today.
Here are two truths—and one falsehood—about Hazelby Priors. Go ahead and make your best guess! Then keep reading to find out how well you did.
Introducing Hazelby Priors
With Two Truths and a Lie
1) Hazelby Priors is the most tightly-outlined project (excluding short stories) that I’ve ever completed—and incidentally, the most tightly-outlined project I’d ever see myself completing in the future, too!
2) Hazelby Priors took almost five years to reach a finished first draft—and incidentally, less than five months to go through editing and formatting, once the first draft was finished.
3) Hazelby Priors fits into an easily-defined three-word genre—but incidentally, not a genre Amazon recognizes for either print or e-books.
All About Hazelby Priors
Before we go ahead and find out how well you did on the quiz, here’s an introduction to the Hazelby Priors story, itself:
She didn’t want a governess at all. Now she’s forced to hire TWO, just because they both expect it?
With her husband leaving for a transatlantic voyage, Helen knows she isn’t “qualified” to teach six high-energy students in his place. That doesn’t vanquish her urge to try. After all, who could love her children more—or grasp Frank’s vision better—than Helen herself?
A pair of prestigious teachers with diametrically-opposed philosophies are about to threaten her rosy ideal. Neither of them seems to grasp the one educational principle Helen and Frank actually care about. But neither has anywhere else to go if Helen turns them down.
Will rival governesses tear her schoolroom to pieces? Does Helen have the courage to reach out with compassion—and still hold onto Frank’s original dream? And when an unforeseen disaster puts their anchor to the test, will a motto about God’s glory be enough to steer her children through the storm?
Combining the classic vibes of an authentic 19th century novel with a squeaky-clean content rating and a loveable cast of characters, Hazelby Priors is the story of a Victorian family dedicated to Christian home education, over a century before the modern homeschooling movement began.
Hazelby Priors: Two Truths and A Lie
Did the story synopsis give you any clues? There might be at least one buried in there, if you look hard enough. Either way, here are your answers:
TRUTH: Hazelby Priors is the most tightly-outlined project I’ve ever completed.
Hazelby Priors is hands-down the most structured project I’ve ever worked with. I have used a wide range of outlining techniques over the years, ranging from detailed step-by-step development protocols (for stories like As the Heavens Are Higher) to broader chapter-by-chapter patterns (for Old Ruddy’s Questions) to absolutely no outline or guidelines except for a couple of themes-to-incorporate (in the Homewood Christmas collections).
Hazelby Priors fits into the meticulously-structured end of the spectrum. Not just every chapter, but every 8.5 x 11 page of the original draft had a specific construction. There were definitely upsides to this level of discipline. But I do have to admit, I don’t see myself outlining quite this tightly again in the future. Although I do have a weakness for trying out new outlining techniques—so I guess we never know for sure!
LIE: Hazelby Priors took almost five years to reach a finished first draft.
This one is completely a lie! In fact, I’ve never successfully completed any kind of project that took much more than a year on draft one. (I’ve spent years, and years, AND YEARS taking a first draft to a published novel. But that’s another story!)
Hazelby Priors Draft One was completely finished in a couple of months, during the autumn of 2019. (I wish I’d kept more exact records, because I’d like to know exactly how many weeks it did take, but unfortunately, I’m left estimating.) Once the initial draft was complete, it sat on the shelf for a little while, and then went through intermittent editing/formatting to end up publishing just a bit over four years after the first draft.
TRUTH: Hazelby Priors fits into an easily-defined three-word genre.
The genre is homeschooling historical fiction. And the fact that it’s not a formally-recognized genre (on Amazon or anywhere else!) could easily become my next pet peeve.
Don’t get me wrong. The publishing world is full of historical fiction for homeschoolers. Home educators remain one of the most insatiable history markets in existence, after all. But historical fiction for homeschoolers is pretty much never about homeschoolers. As a community, we’ve bought into the stereotype that home education is a modern phenomena. Quite truthfully—it’s not!
Hazelby Priors hopes to highlight the fact that homeschoolers existed throughout history. And that homeschooling historical fiction is a genre that deserves to thrive in its own right.
Hazelby Priors: On Sale Today!
On sale for just $0.99, no less.
Don’t miss out on our special launch-week promotional! Today through Saturday, (January 30-Feburary 3, 2024,) Hazelby Priors is available on Amazon for $0.99 USD.
If you are outside the U.S.A., you can purchase it at a comparable discount from Amazon.ca or the international Amazon platform of your choice.
Grab your copy of Hazelby Priors right here:
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions about Hazelby Priors! Just drop a comment in the section below!