Greetings New Classics Subscribers,

The life of a teen can be difficult, and parenting a teen even more so. If you don’t have teens yet, the best advice I can give you is to build your relationship now and prepare for the future.

One of the main issues facing teens is depression. Since 2020 especially, even younger teens are fighting mental health problems. As parents, this topic is one that sends fear into our hearts, but if we avoid it, then we’ll lose our kids—either literally or emotionally.

As a parent of five and a friend who’s been there for multiple young adults who’ve died by suicide, I’ve put together a resource for parents to open a discussion with your teen. You can find that here >

It used to be that just thinking about the topic would send me into a PTSD fit. So you can imagine my surprise when the still small voice of God said write a story for the ones who died by suicide and those who struggle every single day. I fought the idea for a whole camp chapel session, then said, “Fine, but you’ll have to help me.” The result of those twenty to thirty minutes was Kristjan’s Rise.

This young adult story set in the northern wastes of Ardatz—a world tilted off its axis so one side’s always in darkness and the other in light—has two points of view: Kristjan’s, the eighteen-year-old next in line to be chief, and Geirfinnur’s, Kristjan’s dad and chief of Storeheltur.

Telling the story from both angles—the father who loves him, and the son who struggles—enables this novel to be for more than just teens.

If only the voices would be silent.

Eighteen-year-old Kristjan has grown up under the weight of his clan’s expectations. Living in the shadow of his father’s mighty leadership, he has spent years trying to measure up to the office he’ll one day hold. Everyone says he’ll be an excellent chief, but he doesn’t see it that way, and then, as if to prove his point, a hunting expedition to the icy wastes of Toppur goes awry, and Kristjan’s party returns one member short.

As if the guilt wasn’t enough to grapple with, the community is struggling to locate a fresh vein of ore–the only way to revive the trade they rely on for survival. When his future father-in-law is trapped in a cave-in, a desperate Kristjan sees an opportunity to redeem himself, but the success he’d yearned for does nothing to ease his growing doubts.

Meanwhile, the incessant whispers in his head are growing louder—a repeating chorus of condemnation and inadequacy that echoes, telling him that the people in his life would be better off without him. When his best efforts become a blunder, it seals the conviction—how can his betrothed even look at him after what he’s done? And how can a person dogged by such darkness dream of anything but further failure?

Burdened by his shortcomings, both past and future, Kristjan must confront the void that resides where his faith once stood.

This coming-of-age fantasy is the first of a duology that follows two different young men, and the women who love them, trying to find their place in the world and discover where their worth lies.

As my editor said, our prayers for this book is that “it brings light to everyone who reads it—for those who struggle with depression, hope; for those who know someone with depression, understanding.”

To make that prayer possible, Kristjan’s Rise will be released via Kickstarter. This provides the reader with a special, early edition of the book, gives them personal contact with the author, and makes them part of something spectacular when stretch goals kick in. (Those are special treats like expanded maps, art, and other goodies that come with your book.)

Kickstarter is like GoFundMe, but those who back the project get specific rewards based on the amount of backing. In this instance, you’ll have the option of purchasing ebook, paperback, hardback, and embossed hardback. But more than that, once the goal is met, you’ll be able to see what all we can put into the book, and everyone gets those either in digital or physical formats.

If you know someone who needs this book, please follow the Kickstarter and back when it goes live. If you, too, have a heart for those who struggle with mental health, then you can share the Kickstarter with others. The more followers and backers we get, the more the light can go out to those who need it.

. . . writes “family-friendly fantasy that brings light and hope” and is the author of An Unexpected Adventure, for which you can download a free study guide here > Kandi lives with dragons, most in human form--and some even blow fire! She spends her days providing space for teens to be themselves, inspiring them to be more than meets the eye, and spilling hope into their world.

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