We’re blitzing the Grand Finale for:
Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
By Heather Graham & Tara Taylor Quinn
This Harlequin Bestseller Author Collection is the re-release of Suspicious by Heather Graham and The Sheriff of Shelter Valley by Tara Taylor Quinn, two best-selling romantic suspense books.
Here are some snippets from each stop. . .
Several years ago my editor suggested that I might want to write a series of books set in the same town. I could pick any town, big or small, real or fictional. I pondered for a day or two. Took the question with me as I went about my life. And the one thing that kept coming back to me, not from a sales standpoint, or even a larger than life one, was that I had to set my town in Arizona. Because if this series was a success, I was going to be spending a lot of mental and emotional time in this town. I was going to have to want to be there. I was going to have to love it. So that my readers would want to be there – and love it – too.
Hot off the press from Harlequin Books: Toronto, New York (May 21, 2015)—Harlequin and HarperCollins Publishers today announced the launch of Harlequin Audio, a new imprint that will produce audio versions of Harlequin titles. The imprint will release its first titles on June 30, 2015. . .
In its first year, Harlequin Audio plans to release 200 titles. . . . All titles will be available in the retail and library space.
AND…ttq is among them!!! SOOOO excited! Along with Heather Graham’s Suspicious, The Sheriff of Shelter Valley, read by the great Cris Dukehart, is out July 7th!!!!! Yep, right up there in the first wave of releases!! Whew, there, I finally got to spill my beans. I’ve been sitting on this news for over a month!
I’m delighted that Suspicious, a popular early (or earlier!) book of mine is being reissued, together with Tara’s The Sheriff of Shelter Valley. Written ten years ago, Suspicious is set in South Florida. . .
In Suspicious, we’re looking mostly at a tract of land that stretches across the lower end of the state. There are really two roads that cross it–Alligator Alley, recently incorporated into I-75. You can pop out of the Weston area of Broward County and visit Big Cypress and a wonderful Seminole museum.
Or you can take the Tamiami Trail.
Go back and read the rest. . .
Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
(Bestselling Author Collection)
Adult Romantic Suspense
Paperback, ebook, & audiobook 544 pages
May 26th 2015 by Harlequin
Suspicious
by Heather Graham
Cold-blooded predators lurk in the Everglades—and not all of them are gators
When Jesse Crane returned to his roots to serve on the Miccosukee police force, he’d hoped to leave behind the violence of the city and the memories of his murdered wife. But bodies start to pile up in Jesse’s corner of the sultry Florida swampland…
As he probes these crimes, Jesse is drawn to the beautiful Lorena Fortier, a new hire at the local gator farm and research facility. Lorena is a little too interested in Jesse’s investigation, but before he can uncover her true motives, they’re both pulled into a dangerous web of greed, ambition and animal cunning. To survive, they’ll have to decide whether they can trust each other…before the hunters become the hunted.
The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
by Tara Taylor Quinn
Six months ago, Beth woke up with no memory of her past, a bruised face and a little boy who called her “Mama.” Until her memory returns, the most dangerous thing she can do is to fall for the sheriff—the one man who can uncover the truth and destroy the person she’s become.
Heather Graham
New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult and Christmas family fare.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages. She has written over 200 novels and has 60 million books in print. She has been honored with awards from booksellers and writers’ organizations for excellence in her work, and she is also proud to be a recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers. (And award for charitable endeavors.) Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.
Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. She also loves ballroom dancing. Each year she hosts the Vampire Ball and Dinner theater at the RT convention raising money for the Pediatric Aids Society and in 2006 she hosted the first Writers for New Orleans Workshop to benefit the stricken Gulf Region. She is also the founder of “The Slush Pile Players,” presenting something that’s “almost like entertainment” for various conferences and benefits. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
Tara Taylor Quinn
The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels of suspense and romance. Tara is a recipient of the Reader’s Choice Award, a five time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award and appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists. Tara is the past-president of Romance Writers of America and served eight years on that board of directors. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning and is a frequent guest speaker. In her spare time Tara likes to travel, climb Arizona mountains, and inline skate.
Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.
Click on the banner to take you to Tara’s landing page for all her tour events.
As part of Spend the Summer with Tara Taylor Quinn, Tara is holding a contest for those who share on social media about how they love life during the summer! Each day you can share an image, picture, or quote, linking to her events’ landing page (http://www.tarataylorquinn.com/Summer%20With%20ttq.html) to enter to win ONE BIG SUMMER BASKET!!!
Beach-themed basket will include: shell wind chime, shell choker and matching bracelet, beach/flip flop note cards, picture frame, 4×6 picture album, plus some surprise print copies of Tara’s books (including Once Upon a Friendship).
Share must be public to be eligible, one each day. US only. Giveaway ends July 16th
Tour Giveaways
GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
(All to one winner – US only.)
$10 VISA Gift Card
Copies of all five books on Tara’s Summer Tour
Spend the Summer with TTQ T-Shirt
Ends July 16th
SUSPICIOUS GIVEAWAY
$10 VISA Gift Card (INT)
Print copy of Suspicious/The Sheriff of Shelter Valley (US only)
2 ebooks of Suspicious/The Sheriff of Shelter Valley (INT)
Spend the Summer with TTQ T-shirt (US only)
Check out the covers for Faith Blum’s three new novellas, I Love Thee, Pass Me Not, and Redeemed. They will all be published this summer! Instead of doing three separate reveals, she chose to do one reveal for all three. To learn how these novellas came into being, check out Faith’s blog post today. Read on to see the covers and learn about each of the stories. Don’t forget to enter to win the novel that started it all!
Synopses
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| Click on image to order now. |
I Love Thee
Mom and Dad dead STOP Please come STOP Gage
Confirmed bachelor, Cole Baxter, finds himself raising his sister’s four young children. After one week of leaving his ranch in the hands of his foreman to take care of the grieving, needy children, he has to admit the task is beyond him and he needs help. But hired help won’t suffice: those children need a mother’s hand. Cole needs a wife. Approximately 17,800 words.
Pass Me Not
Let me at Thy throne of mercy/Find a sweet relief/Kneeling there in deep contrition/Help my unbelief Timothy is at his wit’s end. His twelve year old half-sister has run off five housekeepers in almost a year. Since their parents died, she has grown wilder than ever. What can he do? As he looks for a new housekeeper, his eye catches sight of a mail order bride advertisement. One young lady has a younger sister and sounds like a God-fearing woman. Could this be the answer to his dilemma or will Louise run her off, too? Approximately 15,300 words
Redeemed
Mail Order bride seeks wealthy Western man. Write Mona Sommers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Alexander Granger is tired of his father’s lectures and sermons. It’s time for payback. His plan is to pretend to marry a woman and scandalize his father when he finds out they aren’t really married. Will Mona accept his offer? Can Alex get away with his plan? Approximately 11,600 words.
About the Author
An avid reader, Faith Blum started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, Captaining on the Holy Worlds Historical Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?). As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have. You can find Faith on her Website, Blog, Facebook, and Twitter
Giveaway
How would you like your very own copy of the book that started it all? Well, at least started it all for the novellas. Enter the giveaway below and you could win a signed paperback copy of Amazing Grace.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Or, if you would like another chance to win a signed copy, you can also enter the Goodreads giveaway that is open today through July 2nd!
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See what everybody else is saying:
We’re rich! Run and Hide!
Will Bradshaw is still stuck being King of the Goblins, but there’s a new threat to him and his friends. He’s just learned that the Bottle of Hope is hidden somewhere in his kingdom. The bottle can heal any injury or illness, a prize so great that adventurers, treasure hunters and thieves are flooding into the kingdom to steal it. Even worse, a force of unspeakable evil is after the Bottle of Hope and seeks to destroy it.
Facing this threat is going to take intelligence, courage and strength, qualities that goblins are short on. But Will has already proven that his goblins are better than anyone gave them credit for. With help from greedy witches, helpful monsters and the Bottle of Hope, Will is determined to lead them to victory again.
Author’s Contact Information:
Chapter One
A highwayman waited patiently next to a dirt road while reading a copy of Banditry for Beginners, An Introduction to Wealth Extraction (a best seller for evildoers new to the trade). He was tall and thin, wearing threadbare clothing and a cloak, and was so dirty from weeks without bathing that the smell coming off him wilted flowers and panicked birds. It was early morning and he’d been hiding behind an old oak tree for hours waiting for a victim to pass by, blissfully unaware of the humiliating defeat he was about to receive.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been beaten. Being so far away from a settlement wasn’t a good place to find victims, but a rival gang of thieves had pushed him away from the nearest city. A very determined Girl Scout drove him even further away. He’d also been chased five miles by a rabid groundhog, an event that was the source of recurring nightmares. But that happened weeks ago, and he had a good feeling about his chances here.
The highwayman’s patience was rewarded when a young man walked down the road. The man had brown hair and gray eyes, and wore a green shirt, black vest, black pants, black gloves with green fingers, a black hat with a green ribbon sewn in the base, and a cape, black on the outside and green on the inside. His clothes weren’t the height of fashion, but they were in good condition. The highwayman smiled. Anyone dressed well had money.
Waiting until the young man was close enough to touch, the highwayman leapt out from behind the tree. With a triumphant yell he reached into his grubby cloak, drawing out a battered long sword with one hand and a dagger with the other. Pointing the sword at his victim’s chest, he shouted, “Hands in the air!”
To the highwayman’s surprise, the man seemed more amused than frightened. “Hi there, William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins. And who are you?”
The highwayman stared at him, dumbfounded. “What are you doing?”
“Introducing myself,” his victim replied casually.
The highwayman put his dagger away and took out his book from behind the tree. “You’re supposed to try to run away or hand over your money when you meet a highwayman. It says so in chapter two, right after the part about selecting a good ambush site and not being eaten by wildlife.”
Will pointed a finger at his attacker. “You’re a highwayman?”
“Yes, and a dangerous one at that!”
Still smiling, Will said, “This is a bit of good luck. Do you have something to write on?”
Confused, the highwayman said, “Well, there are margins in the book. It says you can use those for taking notes.”
“That should do,” Will said.
“I’ve been living in these parts for a few months, and the road
conditions are terrible. There are wagon ruts deep enough you could lose a cow in them, and the potholes are even worse if you can believe that.” Puzzled, the highwayman asked, “Potholes?”
Will nodded. “I know Ket Kingdom is strapped for cash, but if the roads are in bad shape then farmers and merchants can’t get to market, and that’s going to cut down on tax revenue. Plus there’s road kill everywhere and nobody’s picking it up. That’s a nasty job, believe me, I know, but it has to be done.”
The highwayman waved his book. “I don’t think you understand. I’m a highwayman.”
“You already said that.”
“That doesn’t mean I work for the highway department.” The highwayman held up his book and explained, “A highwayman is someone who robs people as they go from one place to another. I am, in fact, robbing you.”
“You’re a robber?” Will asked.
“Yes,” the highwayman explained patiently, “I am a robber.”
Will scratched his head. He glanced at the tall grass along the road and saw shapes moving through it. Here and there a head peeked up and a small, goofy looking face stared at the highwayman. Will wanted to keep the highwayman’s attention on him, so he asked, “What’s it like?”
“Oh, it’s grand! There are plenty of advancement opportunities, you get lots of fresh air, travel to new places, and you get to meet the most interesting people and see what’s in their pockets. Speaking of which, empty them out.”
Will did as ordered. The contents of his pockets included a bottle cap, a handkerchief, a handful of lint and a brochure for Eddy’s All You Can Eat Rib Roast Restaurant. The highwayman looked at the meager offering and gave Will a suspicious glare. “You’re joking. That can’t be all you have.”
“Sad but true,” Will replied.
“You said you were a king!”
“Yes,” Will said slowly. “I’m the King of the Goblins. I’d like you to think about that. Do goblins generally have anything worth taking?”
The highwayman rubbed his chin. “Well, no, but you being a king I was hoping for something better than the shiny rocks you’ll find in a goblin’s pockets.”
“I’m sorry to tell you that’s not the case,” Will said. “The kingdom is flat broke. The only reason we’re not in debt is the fact that nobody was crazy enough to lend us money in the first place. You can have the lint if you want.”
“No, you don’t get much for lint.”
The highwayman was stymied.
He had weapons and a victim, but no loot.
This didn’t come up in the book, or at least the parts he’d read.
He wished he’d bought the advanced burglary books or finished the one he had.
Then he saw something shiny hanging from Will’s belt.
A scepter!
“All right, I’ll take your scepter.
Hand it over.”
“This?” Will looked at his bronze scepter set with fire opals, a prize he had no intention of losing. He glanced around and saw more shapes drift through the grass. They weren’t very big, but there were a lot of them and they were all moving toward Will and his attacker. They’d need a few seconds to get into place. He had to stall the highwayman for a bit longer. “You do realize this is a fire scepter, right? I can turn it on pretty fast, and turn youinto 180 pounds of well done steak.”
“You can? Oh, it’s magic! Yes, I heard about those, very good resale value. Uh, let’s see…I’ve got it! You don’t move at all, and I’ll take the scepter from you and won’t stab you. Sound fair?”
“Now that you mention it, no,” Will said. “You’re sure you want to do this? Robbing a king is a bad career move.”
The highwayman laughed. “You said it yourself, you’re the King of the Goblins. Those dirty little things aren’t much of a threat.”
“If there’s only one of them then you’re right, they’re normally not a threat,” Will conceded. “But they do have two things going for them.”
Curious, the highwayman asked, “What’s that?”
“They’re very quiet when they want to be,” Will said as a mob of thirty goblins dressed in rags or miniature WW I German infantry uniforms poured out of the tall grass and ran at the highwayman.
“And there’s never only one goblin.”
Introducing the release of Unexpected Peril, the third book in the Alissia Roswell Series–a passionate fantasy romance without the guilt. 
Savage beasts kidnap Alissia Roswell as she is traveling to meet a separate group of Lamians than the ones that saved her life and physically changed her in the process—gifting her with many special abilities. Just when she was beginning to get accustomed to the bond she and Luke Harrison share, she awakes alone and trapped deep within an eerie bog to find she can no longer feel his presence or reach out to him with her mind.
Unexpected Peril, the third book in the Alissia Roswell Series, will take you to magical lands filled with strange and mysterious creatures. Will Alissia have a chance to adapt to her new life in this alternate reality, or will everything and everyone she has come to love be destroyed by an intense hatred for humanity?
The eBook version of Unexpected Metamorphosis, the first book in the series, is now FREE at all major online bookstores. 
Alissia Roswell worked hard to overcome her past, and she took immense pride in her independence. Just when she thought she was truly satisfied with her life, she wakes up to find herself in another reality. As she searches for answers, her body begins to change in mysterious ways, and for the first time in her life, she is forced to rely upon others. As everything spins out of her control and danger lurks around every corner, her heart begins to betray her, and her mind haunts her with memories of her past.
Join Alissia on her perilous quest full of adventure, magic, and romance as she travels the challenging road of finding one self, maybe even love along the way.
Her adventure continues in Unexpected Entrapment, the third book in the series.
Alissia Roswell is far, far from home, and she won’t be going back any time soon. After having been sucked through a wormhole, spat out half-dead in an alternate reality, and revived by Lamians—an ancient, magical people who trigger a profound metamorphosis in Alissia, giving her powers she never thought possible—Alissia becomes the subject of Alrik Durst’s manipulation. Alrik has already usurped power in the city of Pallen, and with Alissia’s arrival, he sees his opportunity to exploit the power of the Lamians to his bidding as well, driving the land ever closer to civil war. Held prisoner in the luxurious confines of the Eldership castle in Pallen, Alissia is forced to feign memory loss to protect herself and her friends while fending off the romantic overtures of Ian Durst—Alrik’s all-too-charming son. Will the loves of her life, Grady Bolair and Luke Harrison, be able to help her escape? When she finally chooses between the two—Grady, the statesman, or Luke, the assassin—will it rip her alliances to shreds, casting uncertainty on her future? Join Alissia as she learns to reign in her fiery personality, tries to accept her past, and struggles with the one thing that scares her most: vulnerability. Unexpected Entrapment: Alissia Roswell: Book Two will whisk you away to a world of mystical, menacing creatures and fantastic environs, where secrets abound and nothing is quite as it appears.
What people are saying about this series:
*****Ok, I’m totally hooked! I can’t wait for ‘Unexpected Beginning’! Every time I think I know what is going to happen next, there’s an unexpected twist that I have to adjust to. Alissia is a damaged but indomitable heroine with a lot of issues, grit and pure stubbornness. Her metamorphosis is more than purely physical as you continue thru the series, but she still remains true to herself. She is determined to forge her own path but fate keeps tossing her challenge after challenge. I would strongly encourage you to start at the first book and work your way through. This author is obviously one to keep an eye on………..
*****Great imagery and attention to detail. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series from an up-and-coming author.
*****Loved this book! The author did a great job with the “unexpected.” I found myself going from one emotion to the next. Excitement, frustration, joy, and ending with anxious anticipation of what will happen next in Alissia’s adventures. Can’t wait for book three.
Tianna Holley lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and children and has always been an avid reader of fantasy novels. She began writing poetry and short stories in her youth but did not pursue her passion for writing until later in life.
Although her books tend to contain violence and romance, she considers herself a PG-13 author. Her novels do not contain curse words, and her sexual content is limited to heated kissing.
She enjoys talking to her readers and offers free Skype chats to book clubs that have read her writing.
Tianna’s website Goodreads author page Amazon author page Twitter Google+ Pinterest Instagram
Rooglewood Press is delighted to introduce their third fairy tale novella contest—
Five Magic Spindles
a collection of “Sleeping Beauty” stories
The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!
Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Magic Spindles collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe your name will be one of the five listed?
All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.
Rooglewood Press’s first collection,Five Glass Slippers, is available for purchase, and our second collection, Five Enchanted Roses, is scheduled to launch on July 27, and is currently available for pre-order. Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.
Cover Illustration Credit:
This cover illustration was rendered by Julia Popova, “ForestGirl.” You can find out more about this gifted artist on her website: www.forestgirl.ru
Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name:
Laurel A. Rockefeller
Title of book and/or series:
The Peers of Beinan Series (in chronological order):
● Goodbye A672E92 Quintus
● The Poisoned Ground
● The Great Succession Crisis
● The Ghosts of the Past
● Princess Anyu Returns
Brief summary of the story:
Nobles and royals battle against each other for power, wealth, and prestige. Behind the scenes an alien race secretly pulls puppet strings in a quest for revenge against one of their own reborn as a Beinarian.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Located in a bar-spiral galaxy on the other side of M31 Andromeda, planet Beinan is properly known as B345A15 Quartus. Five times the size of Earth, Beinan orbits a blue-white star as its fourth planet. A thick upper atmosphere protects Beinan from the intense heat of its sun. On the ground, humans and animals breathe chlorine gas (called nirlar). Beinarian plants convert toxic oxygen (called bilast) into nirlar.
The planet itself has four continents: Dong-bei, Xi-bei, Dong-nan fang, and Xi-nan fang. The largest ocean is called “Amba Mederi.” The weather is generally stormy with upper atmosphere hurricanes common. From the ground stars can only be seen near the poles where the atmosphere is thin enough for starlight to penetrate.
If we were to visit Beinan as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
The capital city of Hejing is always delightful — or rather was before Lord Yelu began his reign of terror. The coastal city of Bira Hecen, home to house Miyoo, features many grand and ancient temples cut out from the cliffs that protect the city from the Amba Mederi Ocean. In addition, Bira Hecen is home to Our Lady Healing Centre which terrorists famously destroyed in BE 6777. The rebuilt healing centre is one of the top hospitals in all of Beinan. In honour of the many healers who perished in the attack, the healing centre built a beautiful memorial garden that is a must-see. A fountain sits at the heart of this, the names of each healer killed in the bombing lovingly inscribed into it, including that of Lady Healer Keelia of house Ten-Ar, Lord Knight Elendir’s late mother.
If you can gain permission, take a visit to the nearby Isle of Ben-Ar where you will be treated to the sights and sounds of protected wildlife. In particular look for the sacred falco albus, the divine messengers of the goddess Abka Gahun whose temple makes the island a popular pilgrimage site. You can recognize falco albus by their huge wingspans and snowy white feathers, though it can take a sharp eye to spot them when they are hunting. Along the beach, look for raks, a type of crustacean that looks like a cross between a lobster and a crab. Fishing for raks is perfectly legal and the meat is quite delicious.
If an old-world style pub is more your fare, head to the town of Luton in Dong-bei and go to the Luton Town Jiudian. You’ll get great food, friendly service, and the chance to gossip with the locals.
What dangers should we avoid in Beinan?
These are dangerous times. Terrorists have targeted healing centres planet-wide, especially those staffed by houses Ten-Ar and Gurun.
In addition, visitors to the southwestern continent of Xi-Nan Fang must be careful about the air quality. Xi-Nan Fang is home to most of the planet’s mining operations. As a result, toxic bilast pollutes the air. If that is not enough, radioactive argene dust and argun ore is everywhere, the inevitable product of the area’s many mining operations.
Rumour has it that Nan-li City in Xi-Nan Fang is home to the most dangerous of the terrorists. Watch your back if you dare tread there!
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Beinan?
The Luton Town Jiudian is an excellent pub for affordable and quality dining. The steamed rak tails and rak legs are especially well prepared. Complete your meal with seasoned buttered bread, an assortment of cheeses, minced fruit, and berries, including kelan, nanla, and nara berries.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Beinan?
Beinarian nobles use both heritage and modern weapons including laser épée, laser crossbows, and laser spears. Knights of Ten-Ar are known for their circling martial arts styles which resemble ba gua gongfu to Earth humans.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Beinan?
Low altitude shuttles are the primary form of transportation planet-wide. Mid-range shuttles operate within the B345A15 solar system, readily moving within and across all Beinarian atmospheric, aquatic, land, and intrasolar environments. Star craft are largely small to medium sized vessels used to travel between worlds and between galaxies.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Beinan that we don’t see on Earth?
Beinan is full of many plants and animals, all of them silicon based. On planet Beinan plants breathe in toxic bilast (oxygen) and release nirlar (chlorine gas) which is breathed in by animals of all types, including Beinarian humans. Nanla, nara, and kelan trees grow in abundance, producing some of the tastiest fruits and berries. Animals include losos (a type of salmon), rak (a cross between a lobster and a crab), konyn (a long haired rodent whose fur is sheared for wool), falco albus (a massive white bird of prey), and songbirds fabuku and fafiku.
Human life is not native to planet Beinan. Beinarians arrived from their original homeworld of A672E92 Quintus nearly 7000 yen-ars ago.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Beinan? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used
Beinarians are naturally psychic though to what degree largely depends on the individual. Members of houses Miyoo and Ten-Ar cultivate their psychic and precognitive abilities more than the other houses, particularly among the priestesses of Miyoo and the knights of Ten-Ar. The dominate religion on Beinan, headed by the High Priestess of Miyoo, teaches reincarnation, a belief abhorrent to its monotheistic rivals in house Shem. As a result the idea of past lives and past life memories are mainstream across Beinarian society.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Beinan? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.Modern weapons on planet Beinan use lasers and plasma bolts such as in laser spears, laser crossbows (laser beams firing plasma bolts), and laser épées. Low altitude and mid-range shuttles fly instead of moving on the ground. Trains run on a monorail in an advanced version of maglev technology. Star craft are able to travel to worlds in distant galaxies, often doing so with the help of advanced alien technology.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Beinan.
Beinarian nobles and royals love fine food and dancing, particularly the Beinarian variant on English country dancing. In addition martial arts, fencing, and archery remain popular across many noble houses.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Beinan as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
There are 197.26 beinors (Beinarian days) per yen-ar (Beinarian years). Beinors (Beinarian days) are numbered 1 to 197 or 198 in the case of a yeap yen-ar. “Beinor 1” is the start of the Beinarian yen-ar and is typically celebrated with fireworks, feasting, and dancing.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Beinan? Please describe what it involves.
There are two major religions on planet Beinan. The primary religion worships a triple goddess similar to the Morrigan of ancient Britain. The three goddesses are: Abka Biya (goddess of the moon), Abka Gahun (goddess of birds of prey), and Banumu Hehe (goddess of Beinan the land). The high priestess of house Miyoo heads this dominant religion where both women and men serve as priestesses and priests as equals. In this tradition, belief is in reincarnation. Direct, mystical experiences are the main ways that worshippers discover and understand the goddesses. Science is regarded as a sacred form of religious expression. As you might expect, environmental stewardship is also key to belief and practice as the divine faces are manifest across nature. Followers of the triple goddesses uphold generally liberal values, allowing worshippers to follow their own conscience on matters of marriage, child rearing, divorce, and sexuality.
The other major religion is centred in house Shem where they worship the Shemai, a male creator god similar to the one worshipped in Abrahamic religions. People are believed to be born and die only once after which they go into an eternal afterlife. Like in the Abrahamic religions, worshippers have a written scripture they use to learn about and understand the Shemai’s commands. Religious leadership is restricted to men with priests called sacerdos and the high priest called sacerdos maximus. Psychic abilities are regarded as evil and perverse. Values are conservative with non-marital sex, contraception, abortion, and divorce all highly discouraged.
What is the political or government structure in Beinan? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Beinan is ruled by a feudal constitutional monarchy based on medieval, renaissance, and modern England and Scotland. The Great Council of Beinan serves as the lawmaking branch of government with delegates from all of the noble houses represented; excluding the non-noble houses of Plover, Skeinera, and Croften making these houses a form of under class. Executive and supreme judicial powers are vested in the monarchy. Kings and queens rule with the consent of the Great Council and, in theory, can be overthrown at any time if they abuse their power. In practice, government corruption runs rampant enabling absolute despots like King Gareth I (The Poisoned Ground) free rein to do as they please.
Dynastic change is achieved by votes of the Great Council. As dynastic change is usually contested (often by force of arms) by the outgoing noble house, the Great Council rarely votes in favour of it.
Most of the Peers of Beinan Series focuses on the Gurun dynasty which reigned the longest in the Beinarian Era. The Legacy of Princess Anlei begins with Queen Isabelle and her consort Prince Bevin, a knight of Ten-Ar. The last Gurun monarch in the trilogy is Queen Constance the Kind who is eventually overthrown by the murderous Lord Yelu in The Great Revolution. Queen Constance’s daughter Princess Anyu escapes at the end of “The Ghosts of the Past” with her exile, return to Beinan, and fight against Lord Yelu’s tyranny being told in the series’ final book, “Princess Anyu Returns.”
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
The Peers of Beinan Series follows in the Star Trek tradition of offering thought provoking explorations of social issues.
In particular the Poisoned Ground was ripped from the headlines with its look at the effects of strip mining on local communities. In this novella government corruption and corporate greed come together to endanger the population of the southwestern city of Nan-li, consciously ignoring safety measures designed to protect the city. In part two of the Poisoned Ground I look at rape and domestic violence with a special message to women.
In the Legacy of Princess Anlei Trilogy I look at how in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology might be abused for political purposes if we are not careful to put in place strong ethical standards.
Finally I explore the question of terrorism and religion in the Ghosts of the Past, reflecting on my own 9/11 experiences living just five to ten miles from the World Trade Center at the time.
Author Autobiography:Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, author-historian Laurel A. Rockefeller has written over a dozen book titles since August 2012 including The Peers of Beinan science fiction series, American Stories, the Legendary Women of World History biography series, and her latest passion: the My First Cockatiel Series.
A literary author with a cosy fireside narrative style, Ms. Rockefeller’s books come to life in audio editions narrated by Mr. Richard Mann on Audible and UK Audible.
A devoted animal lover, Ms. Rockefeller is owned by her two beautiful cockatiels, both of whom will be moving with her to England following approval of her UK residency visa.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?
Find these and other Peers of Beinan Series books on Amazon:
Enjoy the Legendary Women of World History Series on Amazon:
Enjoy the entire Legendary Women of World History Series on Smashwordsin your choice of formats.
UK residents: come out to Southcart Books in Walsall and discover the Peers of Beinan and Legendary Women of World History Series from the comfort of their cosy reading room or head to their Amazon store.
Where can readers connect with you online?
Skype: peersofbeinan
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Beinan. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Aerisia, in Realm Explorers Part LI!
-Annie Douglass Lima
Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
“That should do,” Will said. “I’ve been living in these parts for a few months, and the road conditions are terrible. There are wagon ruts deep enough you could lose a cow in them, and the potholes are even worse if you can believe that.”
“No, you don’t get much for lint.” The highwayman was stymied. He had weapons and a victim, but no loot. This didn’t come up in the book, or at least the parts he’d read. He wished he’d bought the advanced burglary books or finished the one he had. Then he saw something shiny hanging from Will’s belt. A scepter! “All right, I’ll take your scepter. Hand it over.”
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Beinan? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Author Autobiography: