Addendum

Dear Bloggers,

It seems that there was a little mix-upishness about how to contact me for beta reading.  It was all on my part, but just so you know, you can contact me at j.bassfrench@gmail.com.

Also, just so some of you who have not been following this blog for a long time know,  Alicia is a fantasy/adventure novel, NOT a murder mystery.  Although there are fantasy elements in the story, I make it very clear that humans cannot use them without harming themselves.  I would recommend this story for people twelve and up.  I know a lady that I very much respect who allowed her twelve-year-old daughter to read this, but I would not give it to anyone very much younger  Please, if you are younger than twelve, I would not recommend this book, not because there are major objections, but because I specifically wrote it for an older audience.  There are themes in this book of good vs. evil, and it gets dark at times.  Alicia herself is meant to be picture of what people would be like if they had no restraints on their temper, hence, she is a pretty awful person.

Because I am a Christian, I do not believe in putting any worldly language (swearing) into my books, so there are no swear words in Alicia.  Just so you know!  Also, the romance in this story is minimal and almost nonexistent, so if you don't like a lot of romance in your stories, then this is the book for you!

Alicia, Princess of Valewin

My whole point in writing Alicia was to write a fantasy that had a deeper message than "Be yourself" or to show a girl who was stronger than the men.  I wanted a story with great depth and a strong message to it, and I wanted to show that a person's God-given responsibilities are more important than being yourself or following your heart.  Alicia is meant to be read with thought, and Alicia herself is not necessarily a role model, especially at the beginning of the novel.  I also wanted to get the message through that no matter how good your intentions are, if you go about accomplishing them in the wrong way, you will fail.

If you are going to beta read for me, I want you to know that Alicia might not be for everyone.  I put a lot of thought into it, but if you have convictions against fantasy, please understand that there is fantasy in this book.  Magic is not portrayed in a very good light, and courage, loyalty, and love are given a higher premium, but there is still a fantasy element.

OK, that was a really serious post.  I just want to make my position abundantly clear.  If you want to beta read for me, please contact me at the above email address.

Thanks for reading, and God bless,