Congratulations to Perrianne Askew who won a copy of The Saturday Night Super Club! Please e-mail my assistant Christen (amy@triciagoyer.com) with your mailing address!
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Kristy Cambron’s The Lost Castle + a signed book bag!
Make Your Writing Space a Home with The Lost Castle author Kristy Cambron
In my first years as an aspiring author, my writing space was typically airports or conference rooms. I was a traveling corporate trainer by day and budding authoress by night, and that meant I had to do the writing where and when I could. So despite the chapters I’d write on my iPhone, I didn’t have a dedicated writing space… yet.
Years down the road, my writing space is a sanctuary. (No more phone writing, most of the time…) Because I spend so much time here, I’ve made it a sanctuary of my favorite things: color, light, memories and stories… They make my days. I surround myself with reminders of where I was once upon a time, and how far Jesus has walked with me on my author journey. (In fact, my newsletter is titled THE WRITING DESK because of this—so I can keep those stories close.)
Today, I’m honored to welcome you into my beloved writing space, and—here’s how you can make one of your own:
MAKE IT YOU:
Being a writer is about bringing stories to life, so why wouldn’t we surround ourselves with the things that bring the most life to us? My space is that, all day long. The former art student in me needs all things organized by hue so my art, history, and fiction book spines are arranged in pretty little colored rows. Over my shoulder is a pin-board with family photos, postcards from friends, and a map from our family’s last research trip to Ireland. I keep favorite books close (like Anglo-American historical dictionaries), and keep memories closer (like my grandfather’s vintage WWII photos). And, I keep a constant reminder of current research fun—here, how we actually bought a tiny piece of the French castle that inspired my latest novel, The Lost Castle!
MAKE IT HOME:
I took this pic of my office for you just today, because THIS is real life. There’s a stack of my favorite books on the shelf. The peach crate was my dad’s—a vintage carry-all he’d carted from home to home since the 1960s. And my Jane Eyre collection is tucked away on the top shelf. But look a little closer: there’s also dust on the lamp, toys on the floor (hello, Lightning McQueen!), and my once lovely, literary pillow now has wrinkles because our kids have used it for making forts in the living room… one too many times. And guess what? I love it. All of it. It means my writing space isn’t a museum; it’s loved and lived in. Messy and true. And, I wouldn’t change it for the world. (Though I should dust a little…)
KEEP THE COLORS REVOLVING:
If you’re a reader, you love story. If you’re a writer, you love it too. Being both, it seems I’m always rotating books (already in 2018)—new, colored spines find their way on my shelves, on the desk, in stacks on the floor… I keep current reads on the writing desk so I’m reminded to pick them up and cover a chapter or two when I see them. (My current read is amazing, by the way!) And what you don’t see are the masses of books (1st century Roman history, concordance, and Bibles) stacked under the desk. (Oh yes… it’s scary, but exhilarating for #versemapping time!) You’re here because you love stories… so make your writing desk space a home by surrounding yourself with that stories that hit you at a soul-deep level. Keep reading and rotating as you continue to grow.
Whatever you decide for your writing desk space, make it YOU. Make it HOME. Make it full of COLOR and life… and you’ll spend precious time there, making faith-walking memories that will last a lifetime.
More about The Lost Castle
Broken-down walls and crumbled stones seemed to possess a secret language all their own. What stories would they tell, if she finally listened?
A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley…
Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved old woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .
Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a forgotten castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.
Bridging the past to present in three time-periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.
Purchase a copy of The Lost Castle
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | KristyCambron.com
Kristy Cambron has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Awards nominations. The Lost Castle (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2018) is her fifth novel. Her first Bible study DVD and study guides, The Verse Mapping Series, will release from HarperCollins Christian Publishing in spring, 2018.
Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University and has 15 years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.
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I would theme it in the mountains/woods.
My daughter pointed out a few months ago that my office has taken on a bird theme — it’s sort of a French country theme. A vintage wooden desk I grabbed off the side of the road, a painting with a bird nest, flowers, and tea cups; bird figures from my sister-in-law, and a shabby chic metal picture frame with a bird on top. The entire room whispers soft feminine beauty in contrast to the rest of my house that screams FIVE SONS LIVE HERE! 🙂
Love finding a new author! This book looks like one I can share with my teen girls!
J
I love the color of your office and how you have it arranged! Its so pretty. I’m looking forward to reading your book too. Would love to win it.
I would theme my writing desk after Ireland or the beach.
I just love how you arranged your book spines by color. I would theme my desk space after the beach and ocean. “The Lost Castle” sounds like a fascinating read. Thank you for the chance to win.
I’m a neat freak! I hate I’m that way sometimes. I have two of my smaller rooms in my house that I made into libraries and I have my desk there too. (I don’t write as an author) but I do spend plenty of time at my desk working on bills income taxes and such. We have lots of bills because my husband has metastasized renal cancer so we get bills from everywhere. I have a window seat to stretch out on in one library but my grandkids use it the most. I think if I had a choice I would have it done in antique pieces old English style.
Mountains/snow/winter.
The beach. Lapping waves, sunsets, a little beach house.
I would theme a desk after a front porch. I know that probably sounds odd but a great front porch can be one of the best outdoor spaces.