Author: Tiffany Golden
Series: N/A
Pages: N/A
Date Published: N/A
Publisher: N/A
Format: N/A
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Synopsis:
In the
magical land of Shina, Midnight is the Keeper of Dreams and Protector of
Children. On her nightly journey down the river of dreams, she meets the
Red Family, whose child is going with Midnight for the first time.
The dark cloud of sadness that consumes their house confuses Midnight, and the entire family must embark on a journey to find out why an angry father can show no kindness to his only child.
The dark cloud of sadness that consumes their house confuses Midnight, and the entire family must embark on a journey to find out why an angry father can show no kindness to his only child.
~Guest Post!~
There’s something very poetic about being a writer. You have
the ability to synthesize your experiences, your research, and your visioning to
create something new. You create worlds, like a mad scientist in print. How amazing is that?
That’s not to say that it doesn’t come with its unique
challenges. Sometimes “muses” don’t like their lives in your work, and
sometimes family members get a bit angry when you rewrite their stories (if
they can recognize them, lol).
But, with all that said, I love writing. I love my craft. I love the people that inspire me. They make me ask the question, what if? This is exactly what happened when writing Midnight and the Man Who Had No Tears. I had been working with school-aged children
for a number of years when I started this story in 2003. I had seen the direct effects on children of
emotionally harsh upbringings. It was
heartbreaking to hear how the children talked to and to see how they treated
one another. In one class in particular, I remember the name-calling and the
fighting didn’t seem like “regular” playground antics, it seemed like WAR. But
more importantly, I knew that this was learned behavior.
I looked at my culture, my community, and there was a
long-standing history of having to survive without allowing intentional vulnerability. By that I mean, my parents, grandparents, and
ancestors before them didn’t have the luxury of fostering a collective
“gentleness” due to the times they were born in. Times were hard; coping in historically
violent times was not easy. Much of that
trauma got passed from generation to generation.
In this story, I wanted to explore a particular what if.
What if what once was a protective and necessary collective coping
method no longer served us in the same way and
could be damaging to those coming up now?
Time and experience has shown me that no one really wants to intentionally hurt their children, and
most people are really doing the best they can with the information they have while
also nursing their own hurts.
As a writer, you get this lens—an objectivity—through which
you can see characters as whole people.
You see what motivates them (whether or not you fully agree, you understand), and you will find what you’re looking for. In this story, I wanted to find the
underlying love. We know the pain and
trauma, but what about the healing and compassion in all of this? It’s there, too.
The effects of constantly masking vulnerability comes out in
our most quiet hours or when we feel threatened, so I wanted to highlight that
underneath that crack in our mask, there is a beautiful light. I’ve met a lot of writers and artists who
like to deal with the “not so pretty” side of humanity, and I think, for me,
what’s more important is to honor my ancestors through my storytelling. The story of their full humanity, their deep
love, and their resilience has not been shared to the extent that negative
narratives have. So this work is a labor
of love and something I’m deeply proud of.
I thank you for providing space to share my thoughts and
this book, and I appreciate your followers for taking time to learn more about
my process.
~Try an Excerpt!~
There is a land called Shina so far away that
the only way to get there is to close your eyes and dream. It is a land where magic’s mystery makes
itself known. Where the light of LIFE,
the gift of the MOST HIGH, burns in everyone’s eyes. Where the Spiritfolk live and walk amongst
the peoplefolk, and it is where you can find Midnight, the Keeper of Dreams and
Protector of Children.
Now, everyone agreed that Midnight was the most
beautiful spirit to ever be born to the land of Shina. She had the richest, blackest hair with the
richest, blackest skin, and the richest, blackest face you ever did see. And without a question, she had the richest,
blackest eyes known to her land. Eyes so
deep, that when she opened them, she eclipsed the sun, calling forth the
richest, blackest night. And when her
work was done, she rested her melanin-filled eyes, letting the sun once again
shine brightly on the land.
Now Midnight, just like everyone who lived in
Shina, had a job or a duty called upon her in order to keep the land in
balance. Midnight’s job was to guide the
sleeping children down the Ndoto River, the river of dreams, taking them to
Asili, the most mystical part of Shina—where rainbows were made, where stars
got their tickle, where butterflies got their colors, and where each child was
blessed to enjoy the magic of childhood, a marvelous gift from the MOST HIGH.
~Meet Tiffany!~
The author will award one randomly drawn winner a
$25 Amazon or B&N GC via rafflecopter.
Writer/Director Tiffany Golden was trained in Motion
Picture Production at the Academy of Art University. She has worked
creatively with school-aged youth for 15 years in an effort to support their
voices being heard and shared. Her work with young people has led to
dozens of her students being published, having their films featured in
festivals, installations in major museums, and the highlight of many
community-based events.
“I have worked with children for a long time, and I
have witnessed firsthand their magic and resilience. I wanted to create a
legacy that holds them sacred, reminding us all of the true gift that they are,
so they may be cherished. This story was channeled out of complete love;
inspired by individuals, and written with an open heart for the collective
'we'.”
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteThe cover of your book s so beautiful and mystical. I would like to read your story Midnight and the Man Who Had No Tears
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Tiffany Golden. I would like to read more about the angry father and what makes him tick. I truly believe children are products of their upbringing.
Thank you so much Deanne. I tried to incorporate that exact notion into the story.
DeleteGreat excerpt! Thanks
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the guest post.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the comments. The excerpt is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I appreciate your time.
DeleteA fun cover.
ReplyDeleteI loved the guest post part. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt best and then the guest post. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. I will totally have to add this book to my "to-read" list.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading the post!
DeleteEnjoyed reading your guest post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteI liked the guest post
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThe guest post was really fun to read. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the excerpt. Sounds like a great book
ReplyDeleteThis is definately a book to reflect on. I would like to read it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the guest post and the excerpt, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove that you work with young people. I play competitive badminton five nights a week, and I am often helping teenagers learn social skills more than playing skills, and I think they really appreciate my efforts.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the post is the author bio. I find it quite interesting that an author was trained in Motion Picture Production at the Academy of Art University
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt the most.
ReplyDeleteI love reading an authors bio to glean alittle about what makes them tick and it is always interesting to me
ReplyDelete