Gloria Clover writes romantic fiction with the hope of showing God’s love and our need in both humorous and haunting ways. She’s diving deep into the fantasy realm with her five-book speculative romance series The Children of the King for By the Vine Press. The series is set in the future when the King sends out his children to reclaim his lost lands. In this interview, Gloria tells us how the novels are connected, explains her transition from romance to writing fantasy, and shares the challenges for a Christian author writing stories set in a fantastical world…
Gloria, what can you tell us about the Children of the King series? How are these novels connected?
Each novel is a standalone story about one specific island in the fictional Archipelago of Solumnus. The group of islands are hidden to our 21st Century eyes, so don’t try to find them on a modern map, but they are nestled in the vast waters of Earth.
The series is set in the future, again unspecified, but the islands are still mostly hidden from what the characters call the outside world. Because many of the islands have been untouched since they were settled by their original founders, the stories have a fantasy or Middle Ages feel—except for societal changes that would likely take place over thousands of years naturally, including language shifts.
Each novel is connected by the King who has sent one of his children to reclaim his lost lands. Each novel starts with the arrival of one of the King’s ambassadors. The child of the King may be either male or female, but this person will make a love connection with one of the island characters while bringing the truth of the King’s love to the entire populace.
Each island is founded by people from different ancient cultures, so the exploration of ancient cultures are a connection. And each island’s people live under a specific to that culture deception that I hope translates into a modern issue for the modern reader to consider and explore.
For example, Undae Island in Washed Under the Waves was founded by people from the ancient Roman Empire, and the deception the people of Undae have is believing the best way to deal with pain is to suppress it by entertainment and games.
A series thread of pirates with lasers also works its way through all the novels. While they are stand-alone novels, which can be read in any order, there are certain elements, themes, and even plot points that are built upon as the series progresses.
You’re a romance author who is now writing her first fantasy series. What has that transition been like for you?
My favorite genres to read are the escapism genres of romance and fantasy. As Christian fiction has grown over the years, I’ve found myself enjoying Christian fantasy with a romantic subplot more than Christian romance. (Though I enjoy romantic suspense, too.)
The move to write the Children of the King wasn’t a huge jump for me. The story focus is still the love journey, with subplots of speculation, adventure, and Christian themes.
Do you think your romance readers will follow you over to this series, or are these books for a completely different set of readers altogether?
Each novel contains plenty of romance to meet the romance reader and enough quest and adventure to meet the fantasy reader. For people who enjoy both genres, like me, it should be a great journey.
What are the challenges for a Christian author writing stories set in a fantastical world like this?
Being true to the Word and keeping the speculative elements obviously speculative to the reader without throwing the reader out of the story. I share this conversation for what it’s worth: I recently had a discussion with a lady who couldn’t get into this series. My “religious experience just wasn’t” hers and it bothered her to read about it.
The more we talked, the more my eyes widened, until I blurted, “You do know the medallion is made up, right? One of the speculative elements? I don’t have a medallion that takes me into the throne room of God.” Her shocked silence was all the response I needed.
This series has some fantasy elements. I hope the readers recognize them and embrace them. And, in the case of the medallion, have their prayer lives challenged, but certainly not derailed.
My tagline is Seek Truth. Read fiction for a reason. Seek the Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ, as you would a precious treasure. Read fiction for all the reasons. Fiction is such a blessing, and allow the Holy Spirit to enhance the adventure. But please don’t confuse the two.
These novels are being released within a five-month period. What was the strategy behind publishing them on this schedule?
I believe my publisher took two major things into account. The first four books of this series were previously published a year apart from 2011 to 2014. The fifth book is brand-new, and some stats showed that readers really get behind a series by book five.
Given that we had five books to play with, and given that we are hoping to widen the viewing audience of this series, it seemed good to build that audience by meeting their interest quickly, with only a little anticipation between the books we have completed.
We hope to add many books to the series, as a reader can guess by the Map of Solumnus in the beginning of each novel. And we hope that after the reader’s appetite is whetted—but not completely sated—by five novels within five months, she will be eager to wait for the sixth, and so on.
What do you hope readers will come away with after reading the Children of the King novels?
Always that God is real and involved in this world He created. He sees you. He doesn’t forget you. And He loves you. He loves you, broken, confused, deceived, rebellious you. He’s coming for you.
What are the best things readers can do to support their favorite authors?
I think the best thing readers can do is to talk about their favorite author’s books. Talk about them with friends and coworkers. Talk about them with people they see reading. Just talk honestly about stories that speak to you long after you’ve put down the book. Word of mouth remains the best form of promotion.
Visit Gloria Clover’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/gloria-clover
Lost in Beauty
Children of the King #5
Gloria Clover
By the Vine Press