Guest Post from V R Janis - Native American Young Adult Fantasy Writer

As writers we have to ask ourselves with every creation - What do I want to leave behind for the future? I have the goal of creating books that inspire the desire to learn our traditional languages and cultures in our children and to also create a sense of pride of who they are. I use my language and other languages for the elves, dwarfs and other magical creatures that are found in my books.

The thing that makes my books unique is the aspects of Ojibwe / Lakota and other Native American cultures that I have placed throughout the books. Blending Native American culture with any form of fantasy is a fairly new concept. However, storytelling is not. Stories remind of us of where we stand and what we stand for. It was a way that our culture and values were told to our children.

There are many elements to fantasy that are in my books - magic; good vs. evil; special character types such as elves, fairies, giants and dragons; and fantastic objects in the form of tokens. There are also the Native American aspects that I added. Cultural events such as ricing camp, offering, greeting of the day, a buffalo hunt, environmental respect and many more.

If you are curious or interested in my books check out my website www.vrjanis.com. My books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and eBook format.