About the Book

Book: Freedom Rings

Author: Rachel Keith

Genre: Christian Middle-grade Animal Fantasy

Release Date: June 16, 2025

Freedom rings out. Who will hear it?

Tina the wolf and her adopted animal siblings narrowly escaped childhood enslavement and lead a quiet, secluded life together. But when they find out the usurping Authorities ravage their world of Neftar to capture more slaves, Tina feels that she and her squad are being called to free their fellow Neftarians.

As they plunge into their abolition quest, however, untold dangers arise—from betrayals, to life-threatening peril, to the discovery of Tina’s forbidden heritage.

Can Tina and her siblings fight for freedom, or will they be put to death for their rebellion… and for Tina’s outlawed bloodline?

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About the Author

Rachel Keith created and finished the world of The Squad at an early age. Inspired to share her faith and glorify God through her passion of writing, she used her extensive knowledge of animals, artistry, graphic design, and fanaticism for a certain video game hedgehog to bring the world of Neftar to life.

When not writing, praying, or geeking out over her video games, Rachel draws custom betta fish portraits, pampers her unusual pets, jams to Christian radio, and reads. And reads. And READS.

Because there’s no such thing as too much of a great story.

Rachel lives in her native land of Nashville, Tennessee, with her menagerie, Bible, and animal encyclopedia.

More from Rachel

I’m Rachel Keith, an 18-year-old homeschool graduate from Franklin, Tennessee. I understand how difficult it is for homeschool families to find safe, clean, Christ-centered fiction that also resonates with young readers, and that’s why I wrote The Squad: Rising series. The series focuses on Tina, an anthropomorphic wolf in a vibrant world of anthropomorphic animals. She and her squad of adopted siblings see the oppression their world is facing, and together, they fight to free their world and establish peace. Though they face plenty of perils, they trust that The Most High will guide them. Each book includes fun resources, including an animal species guide and discussion questions! Inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog and The Chronicles of Narnia, this series—beginning with book 1, Freedom Rings—is a fun new trailblazing series for middle grade fantasy, especially for Christians and anthro lovers!

Author Interview

What is your favorite genre of books? Why?

I enjoy a multitude of book genres but if I had to pick a favorite one, it would probably be YA. I think there’s a couple different reasons why I’ll always circle back to this genre. Naturally, it was the first genre I ever read as a kid so there’s a long-time familiarity with these types of stories. They’re also a nice break from longer, complex, verbose, adult books that can really wear a reader out. The quicker chapters, high stakes drama, clean humor, and life lessons learned seem to hit home with me time after time.

Are you a one project at a time author or do you have multiple projects going at once?

I typically have two projects going in my head at one time. Usually, I have one that’s further along so I’ll make myself concentrate on finishing that one—unless I have a period of inspiration where I have to get a fresh idea down in my second book. I tend to write different genres, so it doesn’t seem to be a problem to juggle two fictional worlds at one time.

How do you relax after a long day of writing?

I tend to function best in two-hour periods of time. With another job and children, I would have a difficult time sitting and writing for an eight-hour period. So, on my best day, I might be able to write eight pages. After staring at the laptop screen for two hours, I like to go for a walk outside. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, what the temperature is, or anything else weather related. I just need to walk in the woods and rerun the scenes through my head. It’s peaceful and calming. Often, I pull more inspiration from these side quests then while I’m writing.

Do you have extensive outlines when writing or do you write a book as you go?

I have an extremely limited outline to begin. It’s usually one page in length and doesn’t have an entire map of the story. I’ve always been a “big picture” person in real life and I suppose that carries over into my writing. So, I have my story’s beginning and ending, I have my overall theme of the story with a main character, and I let the story unravel from there.

What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

The biggest need for my writing space is quiet. I tend to write best early in the morning before anyone else is awake. I feel like my mind is clearest at 4:30 in the morning, which it gives me my two-hour window until my girls wake up. Once I’m making breakfast and diverting my attention elsewhere, I have a difficult time getting back into a story. The second most important thing is a comfortable chair!