Most people who have encountered Anelthalien have asked about the name. They wonder what it is, where it came from, what it means, and how to say it. Those same questions have arisen when readers encounter the names and places in Anelthalien. No concrete rule guides the process of how each character or place receives its name. Some names mean something, others don't exist outside of Anelthalien. The naming process (if I have to call it something) really was as unplanned and

The adventure with God was meant for just that: experiencing God. God wanted you to go with Him so you would be with Him and grow closer to

Seconds, weeks, years slide by. All that time you keep your eyes shut to the bleak, hopeless reality. All that time you keep your mind open to God. He tells you that it's okay you see no way forward and to not focus on that. He tells you that it's okay you see no way back and to not focus on that. God says, "Just be here with Me." It's hard to just "be here", to not do or know anything about what you thought would happen. It is very hard to know so surely that God brought you

Sometimes when you're running with God--and you just start to run well--life steps from the shadows and punches you in the gut. You lay on the ground trying to reclaim the air that has been knocked out of you. When you finally find oxygen, you sit up and lose it again. Life didn't just knock you down, it shattered everything. You're sitting in a dark field full of brokenness, hopelessness, death, and defeat that stretches beyond your range of comprehension. Seeing it, you sud

I had heard God tell me to just start and go wherever He led. We started a run together. Our run through the countryside was easy, eye-opening, and lovely. When I first set eyes on the mountains, I temporarily panicked and forgot to follow God's lead. God calmed me and returned me to His side. Our run continued through the mountains. I wondered where we would end up but kept my eyes on God. The run through the mountains just started to feel natural, when suddenly, I froze. I

Right now I'm working on the interior of my book. Part of that means reading through the story again (for about the seventh time). Critically examining something I've created or something about myself is not fun. I don't like analyzing my actions and output because my mind always starts wondering if they are good enough. Technically, I wonder if my efforts were correct. The thoughts never remain technical or superficial, though. They run deeper and make me believe I am not an

When we follow God and just focus on His guiding voice, we don't worry about what is happening beyond His voice. We all are human, though, and do end up distracted by the immense plan God is submerging us in. The moment our eyes slide off God and see the towering cliffs ahead, we remember that we have no idea what we're doing. That leads to a scramble to figure out what to do. As unable humans that desire to be capable, we determine that we will tackle those on coming obstacl

When I first started writing Anelthalien, it was the first time I stopped trying to write Anelthalien. I had been trying to compose a story, but it never meshed together. When I had been doing something else and God told me to start writing, I began a journey I never had nor could have imagined on my own. When God says go and we start running according to His moment-by-moment direction, we fly. We not only speed through beautiful scenery we've never seen before, we also get t