Celebration at Realm Cental

Exactly one year ago today, I gathered with family and friends to celebrate the launch of my first novel, Realm.

When the idea for Realm first came to me, I held the concept loosely because it had a sci-fi element, and I didn’t write sci-fi. But I mentioned the story to my mother and expounded on some plots points and character construction that I thought would make the tale interesting, and she was hooked. She encouraged me to begin writing, at least to see where it would take me.

And, since I didn’t have another story swirling around my brain, demanding to be brought to life, I set to work. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a plotting-panster, so without an outline, I pounded away at the laptop, and Realm began to take shape.

I credit everything that Realm is to Adonai alone because, as I said, I didn’t know what the story was going to be until I typed it. Even though I had a few plot points and characters, Realm literally unfolded every time I sat down to work on it.

The story was going well until I reached a point where I had to decide what kind of story, exactly, Realm was going to be. There were elements of science, but as my brilliant beta reader soon discovered, it wasn’t about the science. I wasn’t interested in creating an alien aspect for my novel even though it was set far in the future. Clearly, Realm isn’t true sci-fi or science fantasy.

There are some people my protagonist meets who aren’t humans, and he meets them when he’s not on Earth. Still, those points weren’t the crux of my story. So, what kind of book is Realm? Into which genre should it be placed?

The deciding factor for Realm happened when I needed to build a world for these special people. However, more than their world or their physical appearance, I realized it was extremely important to define the way these off-worlders led their lives. And that’s when it hit me.

Why shouldn’t the Realmers believe in the one and only living God?

I’ve read a couple books that attempted to create a new belief system or borrow tenets of true faith and blend it with their own creations, and in both cases, it was done quite poorly and to the point of distraction. I didn’t want that for Realm.

So, I set about forging a relationship between the Realmers and the One who, in their language, they call the Liabish Tag, or Infinite One. And that’s when the writing really began to flow!

I always wanted Realm to glorify HaShem alone. That was my goal for publishing, and that is why Realm is the success it is even though its genre isn’t one hundred percent accurately depicted by the labels I was required to attach to it for the sake of marketing. Realm is the type of book that must be experienced, and then I leave it up to the individual to decide what genre they read.

It may seem strange to some people to use fiction as a mode of conveyance for El Elyon’s truths, but words have long been a favorite medium of El Shaddai, and I’m humbled and honored that He bestowed upon me the ability to imitate Him in my creative endeavors by also using words. Think parables, if you’re still not convinced.

Last year, I chose to launch Realm after Pesach because I didn’t want anything to distract my loved ones from keeping one of Adonai’s most holy moedim, i.e., appointed times. This year, I’m privileged to be celebrating the one-year anniversary of Realm in the week leading up to Passover. Baruch HaShem for His perfect timing yet again.

This past year, I’ve enjoyed the book signings I was blessed to attend, but even more, the friendships that were established because I stepped out in faith, turned everything over to God, and wrote a book that glorified my Savior.

Haven’t traveled through the Realm yet? Fear not, dear readers. It’s never too late to become a Realmer. Come join us! We’re a good bunch of people all on the same journey toward a glorious conclusion.

Baruch haba b’Shem Adonai!

With much love,

HL Gibson

The Best of Realm Central 2023

Well, Realmers, here we are at the end of 2023! I don’t know about you, but it’s been an exciting year, and I’m thankful for the many blessings Adonai has bestowed upon me and my family. Since I’ll be keeping Shabbat and celebrating New Year’s with family, I thought today would be a good day to reminisce the past year.

My debut novel Realm launched in April. After all the writing, editing, beta reading, editing, more beta reading, professional editing, choosing a launch date, ordering and sending invitations, planning the party, and then going forward with the book launch party, all I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making my dream of publication come true. I couldn’t have done it without all the love and support I received along the way.

One of the neatest experiences I had with promoting Realm was the creation of an unboxing video, book trailer, and scene re-creation with Heath and Michelle Smith. Be sure to check out the videos on YouTube at HL Gibson.

In May, I held a successful book signing at Thirty-two 8 Inspired & Co. where I made a new friend in baker and chocolatier, Michelle Kostich of Shell’s Confections. What a privilege and pleasure it has been to support each other in our chosen professions, but our friendship really is the icing on the cake, cupcakes, and cookies.

Another amazing book signing took place at Therapy Ice Cream & Coffee Bar in June, and several more people became Realmers that day. Many wonderful beta reading and editing sessions took place at Therapy. Lots of ice cream and coffee were consumed at Therapy. And it is with a heavy yet grateful heart that we bid a fond farewell to Therapy and wish the owners a happy retirement. You will be missed.

I kept writing during this time, but it was mostly blog posts regarding what I mentioned above. One of the best things to occur was the large amounts of positive feedback I received about Realm. I produced a decent amount of monthly marketing by creating my own ads for social media, which were well-received. Then there was a bit of a break for the summer, and I worked a bit on writing toward my current WIP.

My next event was my first multi-author book signing at Kern’s Home & Garden & Christian Bookstore. I coordinated with nursery owner, Heidi Flack, and the authors who participated, to create some lovely advertising for the Fall Open House. The weather was perfect on both days of the event, and the customers enjoyed having us there.

So, we did it again in December for the Winter Wonderland Open House! This time, in addition to lovely headshots, the advertising included a short bio about each author. Again, the day was perfect, and customers picked up some great reading material for themselves and as gifts.

Since I found my groove with creating my own ads, I finished my year with social media advertising because I wanted to focus on my family during the holidays. I also threw myself into working steadily on my current WIP, and while I’m cautiously optimistic, I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel for this one.

The big challenge regarding my current WIP in the coming year will be to stay focused and on track with concluding the novel. “What’s vying for your attention?” you ask. Well, it’s faithful fans and followers who keep asking when the next book in the world of Realm is due to be published. I must admit that I honestly did not expect that to occur quite so soon, and I’m going to have to look at my schedule to decide the logistics of publishing the next book. It’s all rather exciting and scary.

Stay tuned as I manage things here at Realm Central. If you haven’t already become a Realmer, be sure to pick up your copy of Realm today. You’re going to require the info in Realm as a foundation for the next book.

As always, I make the plans, commit them to Adonai, and He gives the go-ahead or adjusts the details as needed before I move forward. This is my secret to success, and it’s worked every time.

Wishing you and yours a Blessed New Year in 2024!

Tuesday Tea – Summer Daze Teatail

April was a busy month as I prepared for my book launch celebration for my novel, Realm. With that being said, I didn’t have the opportunity to write a post for Tuesday Tea. I’m hoping that today’s will more than make up for that.

Oolong is one of my favorite teas, and Tie Guan Yin oolong presents the perfect base for Ohio Tea Co.’s Cucumber Lime Oolong. If you’re not familiar with Tie Guan Yin (also written as Ti Kuan or Ti Kwan), apparently, it is the most famous, tastiest, and rarest of Chinese teas. The name translates to Iron Goddess of Mercy, which makes me like it even more. These days it’s only lightly oxidized making it closer to green tea than black tea. It can be roasted or unroasted.

Tie Guan Yin paired with freeze dried cucumber and natural flavor produced a scent combination that inspired me to go straight to icing this beauty. The mention of limes and cucumbers, two items I’ve only ever eaten cold, made me think of all things cool and refreshing.

I didn’t want to stop at simply icing it, however, and I quickly worked it into what I call a teatail, i.e., a cocktail made with tea. Follow the directions below, and you, too, can remain cool, calm, and relaxed for the hot summer days just around the corner.

Summer Daze Teatail

6 c fresh water

6 t Cucumber Lime Oolong

1 ½ c raw sugar

1 c fresh water

Hendrick’s Gin

Bring the water to 180° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the oolong into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the leaves into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To prepare:

You can perform a dry shake with a cocktail shaker if you choose. I recommend Viski products as they are quality and a great place to start building your personal bar. You can, however, achieve the same results, which is to thoroughly combine the Hendrick’s and chilled syrup, using a glass and a fork.

Measure 1 oz. Hendrick’s gin into a cocktail shaker or short glass. Add ½ oz. of the rich syrup. Shake or stir until the liquor and syrup are completely combined. Set aside.

Choose a glass tumbler that is at least 12 oz. in size. Add four to six ice cubes depending on the size of your glass. Pour the chilled Cucumber Lime Oolong tea into your glass to within one inch of the rim. Top with the Hendricks/sugar mixture. Stir gently and sip yourself to contentment.

Enjoy!

Mix Tape from the Realm

I must preface this post with the statement that none of the artists, their music, or any of their affiliates are in any way connected with the Realm project for the purpose of promotion or endorsement thereof. ~HL Gibson

What inspires you to write? For me, it’s overwhelmingly music. I can create and relive entire scenes while listening to music. What I’m listening to is often reflected in the mood of a particular scenario or traits of a character. While I’m writing, the music must be without words, but when driving or working around my home, lyrics play into my visions which are then translated onto the page.

For the reason stated at the beginning of this post, I’m unable to share links directly to the music that most profoundly influenced Realm. I’m hoping you’ll do yourself the favor of taking a few moments to seek the music so you can retrace the steps of my journey as I wrote Realm.

I must admit, this post is a written version of a mix tape, and while we all know mix tapes are cringey, we all secretly enjoy them because of the memories attached to the songs.

Almost eight years ago, I wrote a blog post about E.S. Posthumus called Sound Travels for Your Mind. I was surprised to realize that’s how long my novel had been in the various stages of production, and I know this because the album, Cartographer, supplied the background music for my writing.

There was a point, however, during the lengthy process of editing my manuscript, having it beta read, being further edited by me, and then handing it off for professional editing that I allowed myself to slip away from the music that inspired the story and characters. I didn’t notice at first, but a few days prior to my book launch, I sensed something was missing. I always turn to music to soothe whatever bothers me, but I couldn’t decide what genre of music would do the trick. That’s when Cartographer came to mind.

It had been so long since I listened to the album, but with the first notes of “Nolitus” I was suddenly transported back to the Realm. For me, the songs provided scene description and character sketches. Specifically, “Isunova,” a beautiful, haunting melody that builds in intensity and perfectly depicts Bialig’s internal and external struggles.

Then there was “Selisona,” which I played during any scene wherein the Realmers journeyed with Rogue; “Marunae,” a song that captures Nish’s elegance, beauty, and strength, and which I came to think of as her theme song; “Ashielf Pi,” the opening credits of Realm on the big screen; and “Nasivern,” which I imagined playing during the end credits of Realm, the movie. (Yes, I admit I imagined Realm as a movie many times.)

Then I replayed a song by Adrian Von Ziegler, a Swiss composer from Zürich, who was recommended to me by a friend. For Realm, the piece called “Between Worlds” became my theme for Misko, a troubled young man whose divided heart, mind, and loyalties were a detriment to himself and everyone around him.

“Between Worlds” is incredibly beautiful, but it also sounds cold and lonely, mysterious with a layer of uncertainty, and heavy with the air of expectation. It ends the same way it began, as if one is holding his or her breath in cautious anticipation.

The last song I’d like to mention is Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue.” My husband, William, arriving home in the early hours of the morning, couldn’t wait to have me listen to the song he knew captured the battle both Rogue and Raine were fighting, believing they could save each other and never imagining that their rescue would come from a source greater than them both.

We stood in the darkened kitchen, hovering over Will’s cell with one earbud apiece, eyes locked in agreement that Ms. Daigle’s lyrics were essentially the theme of the relationship between Rogue, Raine, and their Rescuer.

I’ll never tire of listening to the music that helped shape Realm. Even as I build playlists for my other WIPs, the songs I enjoyed while writing Realm, my first published novel, will always be special.

Let me know in the comments how music plays into your chosen art form, even if it’s music!

 

The Artist’s Corner – Forging Ahead with Madeline Bailey

Enjoy this post featuring another talented artist who helped make the Realm book launch celebration memorable. I discovered Madeline at the Hartville Flea Market, where I picked up her card because I was impressed with a young woman working the forge. After perusing her website, I knew she could make a pendant that would be a perfect depiction of something a character in my novel would create and wear.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is Madeline. I am a 19-year-old female artist. I enjoy creating things, whether it be digital art or traditional art, crochet, and writing. My passions are blacksmithing and knifemaking.

What has your experience been?

I’ve been a blacksmith/bladesmith for almost seven years now. I’ve apprenticed under Lockhart Ironworks and Maple Wood Forge. I’ve won awards in Southern Ohio Forge & Anvil’s Quadstate Gallery and am constantly learning from other makers.

Do you put yourself into your forging?

I try to do my best with everything I make. A lot of experience, trial and error, and problem-solving goes into just knowing how to do a simple scroll or taper, even more so how to do it well or quickly. I don’t always succeed how I’d like on the first try, but how I deal with that is also a culmination of patience and a willingness to try again. 

Did your work experience lead to the pursuit of metalworking?

Blacksmithing is the first job I’ve ever really had. I’ve always liked to create things, and the opportunity to learn how to be a blacksmith has been incredible. Something to note is how blacksmithing is the core of so many other fields, and it creates a base knowledge for many other crafts, like welding, farrier work, copper or silver work, jewelry, knifemaking, and many more. I get to explore outward with each new project I try.

How did you develop your passion for metalworking?

I’ve always loved art and helping others, and I never really felt intimidated by the fact that not many young women are blacksmiths. When I was around age twelve, my school had an assignment encouraging us to find someone we could shadow for a day in a job that we liked. I chose blacksmithing. My parents were incredibly supportive even through the difficulty of finding one. I was welcomed into one of Doug Lockhart’s beginner classes and started an apprenticeship soon afterward. I continue to learn and grow in gratitude for my craft each time I pick up the hammer.

What or who is your inspiration?

My family and friends have always been my biggest support. They’ve allowed my interest in this to thrive into a business and continue to be there for me throughout everything. My mentors and the blacksmithing community, their history, and their dedication to the craft are wonderful inspirations as well. In the past year, my unofficial fiancé has been a great motivator especially since he shares my craft, albeit more on the bladesmithing side of things. His own dreams, aspirations, and his unending support are wonderful, and I hope we can continue to help each other far into the future.

What do you enjoy creating?

I love figuring out new things. A good portion of what I sell is of my own design and took many tries to get right. Complex projects always push me forward and give reasons as to why I love blacksmithing. Some of these projects are trivets, scissors, bourbon glass holders, and folding knives.

Where can someone find you online?

You can find me on Instagram.  This account features a number of projects and reals depicting the steps of my processes and showcases my finished works.

Do you have a website?

Everflame Forge is my current website, although I’m developing a new one.

Have you competed in contests?  What awards have you won?

I’ve been in the Southern Ohio Forge & Anvil’s Quadstate gallery for six years now and have won awards most of those years. My first knife, a wine glass holder, and a folding knife won first place, along with other projects getting second and third. Although now that I’m no longer in the youth category, I’m ready for a bigger challenge. 

Have you been featured in a magazine or other publication?

Not yet! Primarily, I sell items through commissioned orders and from my table when I demonstrate blacksmithing at The Hartville Marketplace’s Moonlight Markets. Also, my new website will have online ordering available.

Do you create metal items for people?  How does a client contact you?

Yes, I’ll do my best to talk with anyone who wishes to buy or commission my work, hoping to find a way to make something they like at a fair price. Currently, the best place to contact me is Instagram, although my email works just as well albeit slower.

What is your process for creating an item?

First, I have to figure out the steps it takes to make it and if I have all of the materials. Using the forge, I can heat metal to over 1,800° F. I can control the temperature by how much and how long the metal is exposed to the flame to get an optimal forging color where the metal is soft enough to shape. Other temperatures are needed for different parts of the forging process, such as quenching and tempering. Using a hammer, I can draw the metal out, flatten, round, taper, bend, and texture it. Sometimes, I’ll use pliers or a jig to achieve a particular bend and a butcher’s block brush to remove scale. Depending on the work, I’ll use a belt grinder, angle grinder, drill press, sandpaper, and other tools. I usually finish by quenching in a particular oil to protect against rust and preserve my work for generations to come.

How is what you create for yourself different from what you create for other people?

What I create for myself is usually prototypes. I test and grow my ability by trying to make new things and that often leads to experimentation. If I like an idea enough to make it again, it ends up as one of the things I try to make regularly to sell. 

Has your work ever been used for commercial purposes?

Most of my work is for the personal use of my clients. 

What’s your favorite metal piece that you’ve created?

I’d have to say that so far, the favorite of my works is a lockback pocketknife, one of the first blades I’ve made. It really pushed my experience and took a couple of tries but is a testament to how far I can go. It’s far from perfect, but it always makes me excited to keep trying.

What’s your dream piece to create?

So far, I’ve been able to make a lot of what I’ve put my mind to, but I hope to get into more Damascus steel soon. I’m very excited to be able to work together with my fiancé on Damascus knives in the future.

What’s your biggest complaint about blacksmithing?

I wouldn’t complain about blacksmithing so much as the trouble I have with motivation on occasion. My energy is stretched between a lot of different things. Often, I spend time in my head. I am learning to control this and prioritize myself and my work.

Would you like to work full-time as a blacksmith?  If so, how do you see your business growing?

I would love to work full-time as a blacksmith. I’ll do my best with where I am now, but I definitely hope to partner up with my fiancé and build our businesses together doing what we love.

Do you work alone or with a partner?

While I love working with other people, I work by myself currently. It leaves room for the unfortunate side effects of demotivation and distraction. Although, every once in a while, I’m able to spend time with one of my mentors or friends making something. As I’ve said, hopefully that will soon change, and I’ll be able to work with my life partner.

REALM – Book Launch Celebration

It is my very great pleasure to share the following slideshows from my book launch for my novel, Realm. This was only possible because of the overwhelming support I have received from everyone involved with the Realm project and my fans, formally known as Realmers! With much gratitude, HL Gibson

Your journey begins here . . .

The guests arrive!

Autographing my novel, Realm, for guests.

Realmers enjoying themselves!

A toast & speech

So much love & encouragement

We Interrupt This Broadcast

Happy Wednesday, Realmers! This post is coming to you a little later in the week because Realm Central needed a couple days to catch our breath after a most amazing book launch this past Sunday. More info on that coming soon!

Realm Central is pleased and proud to announce that BookBaby contacted us for permission to use the cover of Realm in their advertising campaigns. So, don’t be surprised if you see that increasingly familiar picture of an open portal popping up on social media and, quite possibly, in your e-mail inbox.

Realm is available across the globe. It’s true! I had fun with a quick search of “where to buy Realm by HL Gibson” and found my novel popped up in online stores in England and Australia. Don’t be surprised if you hear fellow Realmers say, “G’day, mate,” or that they’re “chuffed to bits” about Realm.

And lastly, a tidbit of—what shall we call this?—maintenance. Don’t be dismayed if, when you attempt to purchase Realm at a big online retailer, you’re told that it’s out of stock, on backorder, or only a few copies are left. This is nothing less than a numbers game that big online retailers like to play to manipulate buyers and artists. It’s also the reason why I published through BookBaby.

Go ahead and place your order at your favorite point of purchase. It will arrive . . . eventually . . .

Or you could head over to BookBaby where Realm is always in stock and ready to ship to you in a timely fashion. Hardback, softcover, and eBook are all available at BookBaby whether you order as soon as you finish reading this post or in the year 3039.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

The Artist’s Corner – Beauty Done Right with Aunna Cosmetics

I love shopping and promoting local businesses and small vendors. I find that both strive to create quality products at an affordable price, giving big businesses and corporations a run for their money. It’s even more of a treasure when the items I discover fall under the umbrella of artist.

Such was the case when shopping in my hometown last summer, and I happened upon Aunna Cosmetics. The lady minding the shop that day couldn’t say enough good about the budding entrepreneur who had started her own cosmetics company selling top-notch products sure to fit every budget. I simply had to try some, and let me tell you, I fell in love with Aunna Cosmetics.

Fast forward to the planning of my rapidly approaching book launch. While deciding on items to present as a gift with the purchase of my book, Aunna Cosmetics came to mind, and after reading the interview below, you’ll see why I included her products. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce Aunna.

Welcome to the Artist’s Corner. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Aunna. I’m a high school student, and I will be entering cosmetology school very soon. I collect records, and music is one of the things that inspires a lot of Aunna Cosmetics product names. At twelve years old, I started making cosmetics and selling them to friends and family but eventually opened Aunna Cosmetics in February 2021, so we are quickly approaching the two-year anniversary!

How did you become interested in cosmetics?

I have always had a love for all things beautiful. Ever since I was little, I have made lip scrubs and body scrubs in my kitchen. So, during quarantine, I decided to take my love for beauty to the next level and started Aunna Cosmetics. I began with our hydrating lip glosses and slowly started adding things like our plumping lip gloss, our best-selling whipped lip scrubs, body scrubs, bath salts, and body silks.

Do you take requests for specific products? If so, what’s your process for working with the customer?

At the moment, the only products that are customizable are products I already make (lip glosses, whipped lip scrubs, plumping lip glosses, linen and body sprays, body scrubs, body silk, and bath salts), but I would love to have that flexibility in the future!

If you would like a custom product for things like a gift bag or for your salon, you can contact me directly. I will go through the steps with you to figure out which product you are looking to customize with scent, color, if you want a custom label, etc. Then we can go from there!

Tell me a little bit about the how and why behind choosing your ingredients. What is most important to you?

When I am in the formulation phase of a product, it is really important to me for all my products to be clean, which means making sure they are vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. I also make sure that my body care products are made of natural ingredients like shea butter, mango butter, and coconut oil.

What can we expect from Aunna Cosmetics in the future?

I would love to eventually branch out into making more forms of makeup like eyeshadow pallets, lipsticks, blushes, and highlighters, and I would love to open my own salon at one point and have that tie into Aunna Cosmetics.

Would you say you put yourself into your products, and if so, how?

Things that inspire Aunna Cosmetics products are things I’m interested in and/or love, like pop culture, music, and fashion. I also spend a lot of time on Aunna Cosmetics social media making the products match the aesthetic I think will complement it at that moment.

What’s your favorite product to make and why?

My favorite product to make is definitely any form of lip gloss. But my favorite part is when I make a glitter or pigmented gloss, and I get to mix that into the oils, just to make sure it is the perfect color before adding it into the base.

What’s your favorite product to use and why?

My favorite product to use is the Good Vibes Crystal Body Silks. It leaves your body moisturized and hydrated without being overly greasy, and they smell amazing! Body silks are a great form of hydration when your arms, underarms, feet, legs, or back are feeling dry or dull. It is intended for everyday use and is formulated with skin-loving ingredients like sweet almond oil and coconut oil to bring your skin back to life. They also come with a free crystal!

Are you featured in local stores?

You can find Aunna Cosmetics products in-store at Thirty-two 8 Inspired & Co. in Hartville, Ohio; pH5 Salon in Wadsworth, Ohio; or Handmade Haven in Strongsville, Ohio.

Where can someone find you online? How does a client contact you?

My website, Aunna Cosmetics, features social media buttons at the upper lefthand side for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Please feel free to reach out to me via any one of these as well as the Direct Message icon at the lower righthand side of my website. You can find me on Etsy as AunnaCosmetics where I can be messaged. I can also be contacted at aunnacosmetics@gmail.com.