Ask the Author: Nicole Sager
Answered Questions (13)
Nicole Sager
Hi Katie! Thanks for reaching out! Hebbros took me about a year and a half from start to publish, with a schedule that allowed for quite a bit of writing time and focus.
Nicole Sager
I am (very) slowly but surely working through book 2 in the Valley of the Roden series!
Nicole Sager
Rachel Rossano at
She is excellent, and very great to work with! I gave her a list of elements I wanted in an ideal cover, and she gave me every single one. Highly recommended.
She is excellent, and very great to work with! I gave her a list of elements I wanted in an ideal cover, and she gave me every single one. Highly recommended.
Nicole Sager
Hi Maddie! Thank you so much for your encouragement and enthusiasm! It really means a lot to me. I love hearing which characters readers are missing, and Elbert and Ned would be (obvious) fun to revisit! ;) I honestly don't have plans for them at the moment, but sometimes characters surprise me by walking onto a scene when I least expect them to, so you never know!
Nicole Sager
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Allison! It means a lot to me.
I wish I knew when Cleftlocke will be out!! I would appreciate prayers for a good stretch of writing, and you can be sure I'll get the word out when a release date is coming up! :) Be sure to keep up with any news on my Facebook page!
I wish I knew when Cleftlocke will be out!! I would appreciate prayers for a good stretch of writing, and you can be sure I'll get the word out when a release date is coming up! :) Be sure to keep up with any news on my Facebook page!
Nicole Sager
Hi Allison! I'm so sorry I'm just answering this! For some reason I've only now been able to see them on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ... :-/
I bought the image rights on Fotolia, and then added the title, etc. on PicMonkey.com (mostly because they let you save images with a high resolution).
I bought the image rights on Fotolia, and then added the title, etc. on PicMonkey.com (mostly because they let you save images with a high resolution).
Nicole Sager
Yes! I'm currently working on Book 3 for this series, and plan to reveal a title soon! I post some updates here on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blog, but you can follow all of my updates over on my Facebook page:
Nicole Sager
With most of my books having a medieval feel, I always try to pick a name that sounds true to the era (or at least one that could have been).While fantasy does allow a small bit of elbow room in coming up with something new, names like Bob or Nancy have the distinct sound of a later era, so I don't use them.
Sometimes I think of a name and then build a character around it. This actually happened with Druet, the hero in The Heart of Arcrea, as well as Dainger in Burdney. Thinking of a name first can sometimes help with deciding on a character's personality (a person's name usually fits them well).
Other times I think of a character (nationality, personality, quirks, etc.) and then try to place a name that adds to their character. Sometimes a name just sounds right, other times I might look for a specific meaning. There are many sources online that list hundreds of [medieval] names and their variations. These lists will get your wheels turning, even if you don't pick one that's listed.
Still other times, a character will simply "walk into a scene" already pieced together. All I have to do is accept the challenge of unraveling their story. This happened in Burdney, when a young woman named Kara walked up studying the world with an empty gaze, and unwilling (or unable) to say a word.
There really is no special formula to finding a name. Each time is different, like a parent finding a name for their next child. Just explore! Find one that you like, one that's special, and one that fits your character like a glove.
Sometimes I think of a name and then build a character around it. This actually happened with Druet, the hero in The Heart of Arcrea, as well as Dainger in Burdney. Thinking of a name first can sometimes help with deciding on a character's personality (a person's name usually fits them well).
Other times I think of a character (nationality, personality, quirks, etc.) and then try to place a name that adds to their character. Sometimes a name just sounds right, other times I might look for a specific meaning. There are many sources online that list hundreds of [medieval] names and their variations. These lists will get your wheels turning, even if you don't pick one that's listed.
Still other times, a character will simply "walk into a scene" already pieced together. All I have to do is accept the challenge of unraveling their story. This happened in Burdney, when a young woman named Kara walked up studying the world with an empty gaze, and unwilling (or unable) to say a word.
There really is no special formula to finding a name. Each time is different, like a parent finding a name for their next child. Just explore! Find one that you like, one that's special, and one that fits your character like a glove.
Nicole Sager
Lord willing, I'll be finishing a non-fiction pamphlet about sibling-relationships. I also have a series of 4 children's fiction books (more fantasy/allegory) that is ready for editing, and I'd love to work on those.
Added to that (I shouldn't say this too loud) I'm also starting to pull together some "threads" for the next Companions of Arcrea novel! I'm really excited about this possibility, but my last few books have taken about 1 year to complete, so I can't promise anything will happen real soon. I'd appreciate your prayers - God answers!
Added to that (I shouldn't say this too loud) I'm also starting to pull together some "threads" for the next Companions of Arcrea novel! I'm really excited about this possibility, but my last few books have taken about 1 year to complete, so I can't promise anything will happen real soon. I'd appreciate your prayers - God answers!
Nicole Sager
Quite frankly, I fell in love with the cover photo early on and knew I wanted to use it for Elaina and Hebbros. It's true the book is more about Luke (at least until 3/4 through), but Elaina is the "Arcrean Companion" in this "Companions of Arcrea" novel, and she is the one who readers will be familiar with if they've read the "Arcrean Conquest". I'm not sure if that will play into the covers for the rest of the series, but for this one it did!
Nicole Sager
Prayer. Prayer. And more prayer! Writer's block is frustrating, but writing by faith allows me to trust that God will provide inspiration in His perfect time.
"Patience is a virtue."
"Patience is a virtue."
Nicole Sager
Make sure writing stays fun. Have a purpose for your writing, and remember to do all things for the glory of God. When used for Him, your talents can soar beyond your wildest imaginings!
Nicole Sager
I'm working on getting started with Book 2 for the "Companions of Arcrea" series. I'm hoping to reconnect with a few names found in "Hebbros" and explore a few new ones. I'm also editing a series of 4 books that I wrote nearly a decade ago. The plots are sound, but the stories are crying for an editor's touch!
About Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
