Anelthalien: An Excerpt

Have you ever longed for a family?

I’m thrilled to share an excerpt from Anelthalien by H.A. Pruitt, a young adult Christian fantasy.

Read on as Kindle struggles to come to terms with this longing and begins to understand that family can look quite different than we might expect.

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“Kindle, what’s on your mind? Something is bothering you.”

Kindle took longer than necessary to swallow her bite before she peered sideways at Naam. She hadn’t intended to answer, but everything about the mother who was smiling down at her baby was so caring and inviting that she divulged, “I just… I dunno. It’s like I’m not ever gunna see my family again, and then all you guys start to feel like my family, and everything gets okay, but now I have to leave you guys too. It just doesn’t feel fair, you know? Like I don’t ever get to have a family now.” Kindle stopped and stared into her mush. She hoped Naam would have a way to fix everything or at least say she could stay, but Naam didn’t say a word. “You know what I mean? Like, I don’t sound stupid or weird, do I?” Kindle asked in sudden embarrassment.

Naam turned her warm brown eyes to her. “No, Kindle. I can see why you’re upset, and it is completely understandable. Everyone wants a family.”

“So… so can I…,” Kindle began to ask but forsook her request and simply turned pleading eyes to Naam.

“Can you stay?” Naam finished, and Kindle enthusiastically nodded until Naam shook her head and sighed, “No, Kindle, I’m sorry, but you cannot stay here. Listen, you do have a family somewhere waiting to see you again. And you will see them, don’t worry over that. I know Azildor said it will be a long time until then, but you can’t look at that time as a loss of family. You have to see it as a gaining of one.”

“But you said I couldn’t stay here.”

“Yes, you’re right. The family I’m talking about isn’t this one; it is Ella, Andrew, and Tad.”

“Oh,” Kindle groaned, deflated again.

Naam gave her a sympathetic smile. “The four of you have a long road ahead, and you must be a family if you want to make it past our doorstep.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t mean to sound all whiney,” Kindle apologized. “It’s just, like, not the same, you know? I mean, a family’s like a mom and dad and kids like you guys, not… us.”

“Kindle,” Naam whispered kindly but seriously, “family is not always who your blood links you to but is always who you choose to tie yourself to. Those necklaces you four wear have tied you all.”

“Does that mean I don’t get a choice? Like I have to let them be my family?”

“No Kindle, you do have a choice. The makers of Anelthalien have extended to you the gift of joining hteir family, and you may deny it, but if you do, know that Ella, Andrew, and Tad will be incomplete along with the entire story of Anelthalien. Your choice to leave us and to go on this journey that you have been chosen to take affects many more than you or I will ever know. You are part of a family and a plan larger than you can imagine, Kindle, but if you stay here and try to hold onto this family not meant for you, you will miss out on everything ahead of you.”

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Anelthalien is available on Bookshop, Amazon, and other bookseller sites.

Grab your copy and soak in the adventure before the sequel, Earth Quaking, releases this summer! You can join the launch team here.

You’ll get sneak peeks at Earth Quaking, learn all about writing and publishing, and be entered to win fun giveaways each month!

Learn more about H.A. Pruitt by following her writing adventures on Instagram or by heading to her website.

Once you’ve read Anelthalien, please leave a review on Goodreads! Reviews are the best way to help support authors, and it will make their day!

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Next week, I’ll be sharing an interview with Careena Campbell, author of Free.

And don’t miss an exciting announcement next Tuesday! Winter is losing its grip, and a young rabbit named Chip is waiting for you to join him in Everleaf Forest.

Best not to keep him waiting 😉

Happy Reading,

Alexandria