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:
Janeen Ippolito
Title of book and/or series:
Lawless: The Ironfire Legacy (Book 1)
Brief summary of the story:
The salvation of humans and dragons lies within a convicted murderer.
Dragonshifter Kesia Ironfire has one goal—to redeem her past by serving the cruel dragon Pinnacle as a soldier in the dragon-human war.
Then a rogue mission to spy on a new airship explodes into sickening green smoke. The same mysterious green smoke that was present the night of Kesia’s crime. When her dragon overlords deny any involvement, she and her tactical partner Zephryn Nightstalker try to investigate–and are sentenced to death.
Still searching for answers, Kesia and Zephryn flee to the human military capital, where Captain Shance Windkeeper has been furloughed after the destruction of his airship. Eager to discover what–and who–blew up his vessel, he agrees to help Kesia and Zephryn infiltrate High Command. In exchange, Kesia must pretend to be his betrothed so Shance can escape an arranged marriage. If only she knew what ‘betrothed’ and ‘arranged marriage’ meant.
But human social customs are the least of her worries. Dark secrets surface as Kesia delves deeper–secrets that challenge the facts of her crime and undermine the war itself.
A steampunk fantasy adventure with a side of quirky romance and snark.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Sekastra is a large continental landmass on a fantasy planet. The overall setting is fantasy steampunk.
Sekastra is divided into four Scepters, which each function as semi-independent city-states that together form the Congruency. In the northwest is the Scepter of Knowledge, in the northeast is the Scepter of Industry, in the southwest is the Scepter of Pleasure, and in the Southeast is the Scepter of Commerce. In the center is the Pinnacle, settled in the Cloudpeaks. The Pinnacle is ruled by dragonshifters. In between all the Scepters are the plains, where a lot of the smaller cities and villages are located.
In Lawless the featured city-state is the Scepter of Commerce, so this article will focus on that city.
If we were to visit The Scepter of Commerce as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
If you have money, the sky is the limit! Go on tours through the Junglelands, sail one (or all) of the Trebbian Seas (Ilyon, Olyon, and Tryon), and visit the Music Quarter and Art Quarter. When you find yourself out of money (which is easy to do in the Scepter of Commerce), there are beautiful mosaics inlaid in many of the walls and floors. The Central Market is resplendent with gold and silver tiles. Local folklore claims if you toss a penny in the fountains in front of the Central Market, your deity of choice will grant your wish.
What dangers should we avoid in Sekastra?
Well, there’s currently a war going on between the humans and the dragonshifters, and the Scepter of Commerce is military central. It’s far safer to travel by train, although there are bandits and train-robbers, so it can still get treacherous.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in The Scepter of Commerce?Lawless focuses on the Scepter of Commerce (each book focuses on activities in one Scepter). In the Scepter of Commerce you can get delicious roasted crenbird and fresh, tart strewsberry juice. There are also a variety of vegetables that come in from the surrounding Junglelands.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in The Scepter of Commerce?
Money and bribery are much preferred over violence, but since it is wartime, many people are armed with a variety of weapons: cheap Berringer pistols, military-grade Heotzlers, and elegant Starvens that are easy to hide under clothing.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to The Scepter of Commerce?
In the Scepter of Pleasure, they have shiny ground cars for transportation—but they give off a lot of smelly fumes. For air travel (if you dare), there are airships, but not the kinds with balloons. Instead, they use turbines. The adaptation happened when humans realized dragons could set their hot air devices on fire. There are also trains between each Scepter. In the plains, people often use horses, and there are a variety of ships that travel the rivers to the Trebbian Seas.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Sekastra that we don’t see on Earth?
In Sekastra, humans share the territory with dragonshifters, who are simply referred to as dragons whether they are in scale form or skin form. But you shouldn’t see any in the Scepter of Commerce because of the dragon-human war. Theoretically. There are rumors of dragon spies…
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in the Scepter of Commerce? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
One unique element of Sekastra are that all humans and some dragons have innate Talents. These Talents can be passed down through families. Talents aren’t always useful or powerful. For every individual who has a Talent for telekinesis or invisibility, there’s someone who has a Talent that lets them detect the color of an object through touch. Talents do not always lend to societal influence or leadership because the steampunk technology is advance enough to counter many abilities.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in The Scepter of Commerce? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
The overall technology is fantasy steampunk with airships. Devices include voicelators (dragon tech pendants that modified vocal timbre and tone), clipse-mirrors that project visuals (think of it like steampunk Facetime), and wireless commers used for general communication.
The Scepter of Commerce doesn’t have much distinctive tech apart from this. The populace is very pragmatic, so they’ll adapt things from the Scepter of Pleasure, Scepter of Knowledge, and Scepter of Industry that make marketable and practical sense.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in the Scepter of Commerce.
In the Scepter of Commerce it doesn’t really matter what is being played, as long as people can bet on it. And if you want to play a game, you can find plenty of people in the Low Quarter who will take part as long as you pay them.
Is there a particular religion practiced in the Scepter of Commerce? Please describe what it involves.
The Scepter of Commerce has the same freedom of religion practices as all of the Scepters. There are numerous temples around the city-state, from the elemental temples that Jungleland natives used to worship various spirits to the open-air altars where many airship sailors make sacrifices to Fiarston and Viorstan for safe travels.
There are also worship houses for the Four Corners religion, the oldest religion in Sekastra. Adherents to the Four Corners religion worship Bonilus the Beneficent and strive to imitate his apostles, Allandra and Olosael. There are monastic orders known as the Sons of Olosael and the Daughters of Allandra.
What is the political or government structure in the Scepter of Commerce? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The Scepter of Commerce is traditionally run by a ruling council of the leading merchants and counts/countesses in the city. Power is inherited, but is leveraged and balanced by the court system. Currently, however, the Scepter of Commerce houses the High Command of the Congruency military fleet, so the military has ultimate say.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit The Scepter of Commerce?
The fashion is considered the most modern out of all of the Scepters. A lot of the fashion is adapted to the humid temperatures. Women wear loose pants with blouses and short-sleeved corset coats as daily fashion. Men wear pants, short-sleeved collared shirts, and vests. Military uniforms are standard throughout the Congruency fleet, and consist of boots, black pants, plain black waistcoats, long-sleeved button-down shirts, rank insignia, and caps. The color of the shirt denotes area of service: engineering, command, medical. Since it’s wartime, so everyone is expected to fight if necessary.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?I may have partly stolen from different biospheres in the United States for different geographical elements of Sekastra and then flagrantly shoved all the biospheres all closer together. I’ve adapted the steampunk elements to the different native cultures and histories of Sekastra, so that is why The Ironfire Legacy books are fantasy steampunk, not Victorian steampunk. The Scepter of Commerce has elements of chromepunk, and the other Scepters also have elements from other ‘punk periods.
Author Autobiography:
Janeen Ippolito is two authors for the price of one! She creates writing resources and writes speculative fiction with monsters, misfits, and mushy stuff. She’s also an experienced author coach, editor, teacher, and the Fearless Leader (president) of Uncommon Universes Press. In her spare time, she enjoys sword-fighting, reading, geeky TV, and brownie batter. A lifelong misfit, she believes different is beautiful and that everyone has the ability to tell their story. Two of her goals are eating fried tarantulas and traveling to Antarctica.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.Where can readers connect with you online?
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Janeen Ippolito is an extroverted writer who loves to connect online! You can find her on her
Facebook page, on Twitter (@TheQuietPen), and on Instagram (janeen_ippolito). She also cordially invites you to the
Lawless Facebook Launch Party on Wednesday, October 4!
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Sekastra. 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 another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima
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: D.J. Torres
Title of book and/or series: The Nature of Gods: The Awakening
Brief summary of the story:
When gods and goddesses abruptly overthrow Earth, humans are given two choices – worship or die. Desperate to survive, Olivia and her family devote their days to fulfilling the will of the gods. But the wrath of the gods is insatiable and unpredictable. With her hope crushed, Olivia is resigned to her bleak fate . . . until she meets Nature.
Immediately, Olivia knows this charismatic girl with color-changing eyes isn’t normal. Nature looks like a teenager yet she has the power to control the weather and converse with animals. Nature opens Olivia’s eyes to a hidden world that had always existed in harmony with her own. However, know-it-all butterflies and mystical creatures aren’t the only secrets revealed as Olivia discovers the dark plan of the gods.
When Nature decides to confront the gods, Olivia is catapulted to the forefront of humanity’s battle for survival. Olivia must rely on her courage, strength, and newfound gifts as she faces monster-infested pathways and ever-looming traps. But does she have enough courage or skill to battle brutal gods eager to rule the world and dole out punishment to anyone who defies them? Nature and the world depend on it.
The Nature of Gods is a fantasy adventure appropriate for tweens and middle grade readers.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Within the world of The Nature of Gods, ancient gods (such as Neptune and Zeus) have risen in a huge display of elemental power. The gods demand all of humanity on Earth to worship their recently unearthed idols. Humanity doesn’t have any power to fight back against these deities that are capable of wielding the earth, lava, sky, and ocean, so people do as they are told and settle into a life of endless worship. But things get really interesting when Nature wakes to discover her world is not how she left it. The world she created was a utopian paradise. Now Nature is on a mission to take back her world from the gods and return Earth to her original design.
If we were to visit as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Earth is in shambles, so unless you desire to worship these demanding gods for at least eight hours a day, you should probably steer clear of all the cities. However, Nature’s place of slumber is a sight to behold. After she finished designing Earth and all its creatures, she fell into a deep sleep. This is the only place on Earth that is left untouched by modern society and the gods. It is a beautiful tropical island where everything blooms full all the time. The plants respond to Nature’s power so all the flora becomes lusher and brighter in her presence. You will see animals from all walks of life living in harmony with one another. You will even see such sights as a monkey riding atop an alligator. Totally worth the price of admission, right?
What dangers should we avoid on Earth?
You definitely don’t want to do anything to anger a god. Hades can melt you with his bare hand. And if the gods are too busy to discipline you, they will send their monsters to deal with you. But danger also lies within communities. Because people live in such fear of the gods, groups known as Zealots have developed. These Zealots have made it their responsibility to create and enforce rules designed to keep people safe. In the eyes of the Zealots, if you don’t worship, you are considered a threat because you could be the subject of the gods’ wrath via one of their monsters and others might be collateral damage. If you cross the Zealots, you risk expulsion from these communities and are left out in the cold to fend for yourself, which isn’t easy to do in a world ruled by ruthless gods.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served by Nature?
Nature is all about eating from the earth, so get ready for a lot of fruit and vegetables, uncooked and unseasoned. While that doesn’t sound particularly appetizing, the food Nature grows is second to none. Her apples are crisper yet juicier than anything you can imagine.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles does Nature utilize?
Earth and all it’s resources respond to Nature, so if you are planning on getting in a fight with Nature, be prepared for the land to slap you silly. Being a warrior is not something that comes easily to Nature. Her desire is not to fight, but when pushed, she definitely packs a punch.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in Nature’s world?
Nature has wings that take her wherever she wants to go, and if she really likes you, she might just gift you wings of your own. But if you aren’t one of the lucky few to don wings, her animals provide a pretty decent ride. Riding a dolphin is Nature’s favorite way to travel.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Nature’s world that we don’t see on Earth?
Nunitzes are everywhere, watching everything, though you would never know. A Nunitz is a Messenger Butterfly. You can identify them by their golden wings. Nature created the Nunitzes with the intent for them to record every memory on Earth. Once she was awake, they were to inform her of everything that happened in her absence. Don’t be startled if they talk your ear off. They are known to be quite chatty, opinionated, and are horrible secret keepers.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Nature’s world.
Nittle Tag is the famed game of the Nunitzes. The rules of their game are fairly simple: one player, the Flyer, moves through the field, hiding clues to a secret, while the second player, the Seeker, tries to either catch the Flyer or discover the secret before the Flyer reaches the finish line. The dust on Nunitz’s wings contains memories, so if you’re the Seeker, you have to maneuver through the plants, searching for clues in the Nunitz dust.
Is there a particular religion practiced? Please describe what it involves.
Every continent has their own way of worshiping the elemental deities. In the United States, the gods declared themselves to be Greek deities like Zeus, Neptune, Pan, and Hades. But in South America, the God of Fire is known as Huallallo-Carhuincho. The gods made sure they became all things to all people so their reach would not be limited.
What is the political or government structure of Nature’s Earth? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
I’ve already touched on the ruling systems within the community, so I will touch on Nature’s rule of Earth. After Nature was done creating Earth, she knew sleep would soon capture her. During her absence, she put four horn bearers in charge of maintaining her design. Vanada, a dragon, was in charge of the sky. Baldev, a dinosaur, was put in charge of fire and creating more land for Earth to grow. Sumudra, a narwhal, was in charge of the ocean and all it’s creatures. Nairi, a unicorn, was in charge of the forest. All the animals respected the four horn bearers, but everything changed with the creation of man.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?I spend a lot of my time trying to interact with animals. If I can pet or feed any animal, I will be the first in line. I have played with dolphins, hung out with lemurs, and fed giraffes. I am dying to do this monkey experience at a local animal rehabilitation center. I am also really inspired by anything that gets me to think outside of my normal thought process. Whether it is through music, pictures, or fashion, the creativity of others sparks my creativity.
Author Autobiography:
D.J. Torres is the author of The Nature of Gods series. Her works reflect her passion of fantasy, adventure, and escaping into new worlds. After struggling through many awkward years of her own, D.J. began writing to empower young girls to be confident in themselves and own their unique brand of individuality, quirks and all.
D.J. is a renowned nature lover and spends much of her time with animals. She has a huge passion for people, an affinity for yummy desserts, and can’t stop binge-watching TV. If D.J. isn’t writing, you may find her frolicking in a field, mastering her Xbox dance moves, or twisting herself into a yoga pretzel. More than anything, she hopes to pioneer imagination and share her story with you.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
Where can readers connect with you online?I love meeting new people!
www.djtorresbooks.com has all my social media links, but I am most active on my Instagram and I do plan to start blogging more. Stop by and say hi.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to the World of Nature. 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 another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima
Book Tour Grand Finale for
Breakup in a Small Town
By Kristina Knight
We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stopsyou can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to be back with you all for the next book in my Slippery Rock series! Breakup in a Small Town picks up about three months post-tornado. Adam is home from the hospital, but things aren’t right for him. . .and things are definitely not right for Jenny, either…
I am a sucker for a great movie couple – Joan Wilder and Jack T. Colton (Romancing the Stone), Vivien and Edward (Pretty Woman), and Jack and Rose (Titanic) are all on my list. I like couples that banter, couples that laugh together, couples that are hot for each other…even if they’d lost a little of that sparkle.
Here are a few of my favorite movie couples…
Do you have any personal heroes/heroines?
I do! I find Nora Roberts’ dedication to writing inspiring, and I’m awed at everything Lisa Kleypas does. I have a friend (Hi, Heather!!) who has started a handmade greeting card company – she writes amazing, inspirational, heartfelt cards that are simply beautiful.
Last but not least, my sister-in-law, who became a runner for the first time over the age of 30, has run in marathons and half-marathons, and helped me through my first 5K this summer (Hi, Janell!) is one of the most genuine people I know, and I admire her so much!
“It occurs to me that I’ve been too soft on you.” Jenny said the words carefully as she pulled to the stoplight outside Mallard’s Grocery. No inflection. No anger. Just words. Calm, cool, concise words. From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam’s head snap in her direction. Maybe this change in tactics was a good idea. “I don’t like this any more than you do, and I know you have it much worse than me because you’re living it. But I’m living it, too.”
“Turmoil and heartache snare our attention with this latest dip into Kristina Knight’s Slippery Rock series. If you’ve read the previous books, you will recognize Adam and Jenny and already be familiar with what happened to him. I was hooked on the story just from enjoying the series, but watching them fight for their relationship kept me even more enthralled. She was hard to like, but I enjoyed their story.”
He liked the prickliness even less than he liked that look he’d seen in Jenny’s beautiful eyes a moment before.
He didn’t want to talk about whoever she’d met for lunch or what that meant. He didn’t want to talk at all. He just wanted to feel her mouth on his. Adam reached across the space between them and pulled her closer. Her mouth opened slightly, and her hazel eyes went dark.
“This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was not sure what was going to happen between Jenny and Adam. Stay together or stay apart? It was nice reading about a couple that was married already and facing a life event that changed so much in both Jenny and Adam’s life.”
It took her asking me to leave to see how much I wanted to stay. How much I wanted her, and I had no idea how to get her back. I needed a plan, and I’ve never been much of a planner. Things just kind of happened for me: I played football and happened to be good at it, I took a job with my dad because I enjoyed it, and I married Jenny because she took my breath away. I never had to work hard at anything.
I had to work hard to win her back, though. Here’s how I did it…
“This is all about you.”
“No, it’s not. It’s about you. You haven’t done one thing for me.”
“I sent you flowers to apologize.”
“I hate cut flowers. I’ve never once asked for cut flowers. I didn’t carry them when we eloped. I don’t keep them in vases around the house.”
“You work in the garden all the time.”
“Because I like plants,” she exclaimed, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice.
“This book was hard to read, but rewarding at the same time, because Adam and Jenny do (eventually–talk about waiting until the last minute; argh!) figure it out. And watching two people who have been together forever but are just finally figuring out how to really be together at last makes for one heck of a story.”
Her gaze met his, and it didn’t matter that she’d asked him to move out. That their marriage might be over. What mattered was the look in his eyes. The green darkened to nearly emerald, and seemed to cut right through the confusion she felt at what she wanted, professionally and personally. All that mattered was that, for this moment, the two of them were together. He’d come out of the shell she had begged him to exit.
“I should have been paying more attention,” she admitted.
“I should have ducked. My reflexes are a little slower than I remember.” But he didn’t seem upset by that fact. A few weeks ago, slower reflexes might have sent him into a days-long funk. He put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m okay, Jenny.”
“I know.”
“If a tornado can’t break me by collapsing a building on my head, you’re not going to do it with an umbrella.”
“I just adored this book and this series is fast becoming one of all time favorites. The characters are vivid, emotional, funny, realistic and it’s always fun to go back and see where the other characters are in the town. And I can’t wait for Aiden’s story; whenever that may be. Again, I just loved how Ms. Knight made the story so realistic, emotional, at times raw and I truly felt sympathetic to both characters. I was cheering for them to the very end. And what an ending it was. *sigh, swoon, sniffles*”
Falling in love is the easy part. I didn’t know that until my life fell apart a couple of months ago, but what I’ve realized is that falling in love? It’s easy. A romantic gesture, candlelight, focused attention . . . those things make it so easy to fall in love with another person.
Staying in love? That is a whole different battle. So, if you were in love but now you think love might have left you behind? Here’s what you do…
She had to figure out what she wanted, without Adam’s hands in her hair, making her wish for things that just weren’t true. She had been frustrated before the accident. She wanted more than to take the kids to school and pick them up. To cook the meals and clean the house. She wanted to go on dates with her husband. There had to be more to life than being a mom and a housekeeper.
“Breakup in a Small Town is the third book in the Slipper Rock series by Kristina Knight. I can’t help it I absolutely love every single visit I make to this town. I don’t know what it is but Kristina always blows me away. Jenny and Adam’s story is no different. This couple has been through so much and this has caused a rocky marriage. . . . You will adore this series. I recommend all three books!”
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…
Breakup in a Small Town
(Slippery Rock #3)
Kristina Knight
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
September 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
This isn’t the man she married…
Jenny Buchanan never considered what “for better or for worse” meant when she married Adam Buchanan at nineteen. Six years and two little boys later, “for worse” arrives in the form of a tornado that ravages Slippery Rock and injures Adam. Now he’s a stranger to his family…and love won’t be enough to bring him back.
Only when Jenny asks him to move out does Adam become the husband she needs…but Adam isn’t the only one who’s changed. As their attraction sparks back to life, Jenny and Adam must learn what it is to grow up—and grow together—before this small-town breakup lasts forever.
Other Books in the Series
Famous in a Small Town
(Slippery Rock #1)
Kristina Knight
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
May 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
Lifestyles of the small-town famous
Forced to leave Nashville after a scandal, Savannah Walters has come home to Slippery Rock, Missouri, with a bruised ego and her singing career in jeopardy. As if that isn’t humiliating enough, on her way into town she’s rescued by her swoon-worthy childhood crush, Collin Tyler.
His hands are full running the family orchard and dealing with his delinquent teen sister, so Collin doesn’t need to get involved with someone as fiery and unpredictable as Savannah. But the intense attraction between them can’t be denied. And when disaster strikes, they’ll both be surprised by who’s still standing when the dust settles.
Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin│iBooks│Kobo
Rebel in a Small Town
(Slippery Rock #2)
Kristina Knight
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
July 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
He’s not giving up his family without a fight
James Calhoun has never been able to resist Mara Tyler, or her knack for mischief. Her reputation as a reckless teenager drove Mara from their hometown. So Slippery Rock is the last place James ever expected to see her, and Mara’s timing couldn’t be worse. With the upcoming election for sheriff, she threatens the squeaky-clean image James needs to win. Because Mara has brought with her the result of their steamy affair: his two-year-old son, Zeke. After the initial shock, James is determined to have both his family and career. He just needs to convince Mara that her home is where it’s always been. With him.
And coming November 2017…
Christmas in a Small Town
(Slippery Rock #4)
Kristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
November 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
Running out on her wedding was the best decision ever!
A cheating fiancé sends Camden Harris fleeing to her grandparents’ home in Missouri. When her ex follows, determined to win her back, Camden makes a deal with neighbor Levi Walters: they’ll pretend to be in love and she’ll support his plan to buy her grandparents’ land.
The boy from her childhood has grown up into an impressive man. His charm, good looks and sweet gestures make it difficult for Camden to remember this is fake. And Levi’s kisses only confuse her more.
About the Author
Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was a journalist. Her career took her all over the United States, writing about everything from a serial killer’s capture to the National Finals Rodeo. Along the way, she found her very own Knight in Shining Cowboy Boots and an abiding love for romance novels. And just like the characters from her favorite books, she’s living her own happily ever after.
Kristina writes sassy contemporary romance novels; her books have appeared on Kindle Best Seller Lists. She loves hearing from readers, so drop her a line!
Tour Giveaway
– 1 winner will receive a signed copy of Famous in a Small Town and some fun swag
– US residents only
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:
Kandi J Wyatt
Title of book and/or series:
Journey from Skioria
Brief summary of the story:
Tania is lost, shipwrecked on an unfamiliar shore. With no friends or family, the nine-year-old girl must make her way through the realm of the woodland people to a town she’s never heard of. With unexpected allies from the forest, Tania departs on a wild adventure where storms rage and the forces of nature do their very best to end her journey before it has truly begun.
In a land full of forests, oceans, and small people, what will it take for one young girl to make it home alive?
Lord of the Rings meets Narnia in this standalone middle-grade fantasy by author Kandi J Wyatt.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:Skioria and the rest of the world Tania travels through are based off the area where I live, the Southern Oregon Coast. Skioria itself is almost like the Redwoods with large trees, old-growth forest, and space between. The forest is next to the ocean which enables the characters to enjoy strolls on the beach or even the hazards of a spring storm. You can find out more about the trees of the forest on my website.
If we were to visit Skioria as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
You’ll definitely want some help getting up the trees to go visit Trilicious and Kern. These two Skiorians are accustomed to travelers and will gladly welcome you into their home and share some nut bread with you. They’ll even accompany you to a storytelling hour you won’t want to miss.
Storytelling takes place in a large tree with a window cut out that looks out to the stars. You may even hear the story of Aryx and his dipper. If you do, you’ll want to be sure to allow him to guide your journeyings.
What dangers should we avoid in Skioria?
You’ll want to be careful to stay on the pathways because Skiorians live twenty to thirty feet up in the air. Their homes are carved out of large trees and walkways connect each home to the next.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Skioria?
Pine nut flour is common. It’s used to create pancakes, bread, and many other dishes we know. Acorn soup tastes wonderful especially accompanied with a nut bread.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Skioria?Skiorians live in peace with each other and their surroundings. If they fought it’d be with their retractable claws that they use to climb the trees.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Skioria?
To get to Skioria you need to use your own two legs. The wooded paths from human civilization to Skioria don’t allow for any technology. You might be able to take a horse part of the way, but the horse would have to be willing to walk down river, across a lake, through the woods, down a long, steep embankment, along the beach for several days, over a mountain filled with trees and ferns, and then through thick huckleberry bushes. I think walking and having a boat available at the first part would be best.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Skioria that we don’t see on Earth?
If you visit Skioria while a council meeting is held, you’ll get to meet all the woodland people. The Skiorians although fully-grown still are only as big as nine-year-olds. Think of a stocky dwarf and you’ll have the idea—complete with beards, long hair, and hairy arms and legs. Just north of Skioria among thick huckleberry bushes lies Terra. Terrans are shorter than Skiorians to accommodate their surroundings. They also have shorter and less hair so they don’t get caught in the huckleberry branches. The most exotic people who visit during council meetings are the Avarians. You may mistake them for three-year-olds until one turns around and you see a blond beard! They’re short and slender people who love wearing bright colors. The other shock you may have is watching how they leave the pathways of Skioria. Don’t let your mouth drop open, and most definitely don’t scream when they step off the tree and float down to the ground.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Skioria? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.The Skiorians wouldn’t even know what you meant by magic. They live ordinary lives fishing, gathering berries or nuts, and weaving using the fibers in the forest. If they’re superstitious it’s more along the lines of sharing myths and stories of how things came about.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Skioria.
The kids enjoy making their way to the bottom of the trees and finding a clear spot to play tag or other chasing games. Trilicius’s favorite activity is to go fishing. He has a special song he sings at the top of his lungs and off-key. It makes him happy, and he still catches fish.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Skioria as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
The days and months roll by the same in Skioria, except they track them by the cycle of the moon. As for holidays they celebrate the longest day and the shortest day of the year as well as the first sighting of various constellations.
What is the political or government structure in Skioria? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?The council leader has the most say in the community. Conifer is the current leader who abides by the rules and holds all others to those rules. As a leader he’s fine, but as a father he fails. His son, Fyrh can never live up to his father’s expectations.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
I live on the Southern Oregon Coast. As I gazed out my window at the tall evergreens and old-growth forest with ferns, ivy, rhododendrons, huckleberries, and myrtlewood, I wondered what creatures would live in. The sound of chipmunks chattering, the sight of squirrels winding their way up the trunk of trees, and the flicker of birds’ wings among the rhododendron gave way to the people of the forest. As for their cultures, I tried to go with the personalities of the squirrels, chipmunks, and birds I saw.
The various encounters along the journey all come from places between Gold Beach and Langlois, Oregon. The mountain resides south of us as Humbug Mountain. The brownish-red water in the ocean actually happened the year I wrote the story and was from a landslide. The lake they cross is famous in our area for windsurfing, and has a river that spills out of it and flows north. Our family kayaked the river and found where a creek (as big if not bigger than the river) met the river. The goal of the journey is to reach a town where humans live and find the store owner. That store was patterned off Langlois Market. If you ever find yourself on the Southern Oregon Coast, be sure to stop in and have a hot dog or the Cransan, a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, both are excellent with the homemade mustard.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
The book is a middle-grade fantasy journey. It really has no ‘hot-button’ or controversial topics. Instead I focus on friendship.
Author Autobiography:
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.
My books are available in all formats—ebooks and print—and can be found on most outlets.
The Dragon Courage series: Where dragons and humans live at peace with each other most of the time, and dragon riders learn to survive they must rely on family and friends and set aside justice for mercy, revenge for peace, and bitterness for forgiveness.
The One Who Sees Me: A stand-alone Biblical retelling set in medieval times. When life doesn’t make sense Faru learns there is One who cares about servant girls as well as masters.Where can readers connect with you online?
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Skioria. 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 another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima
It’s finally here! The cover for
Burning Rose, a paperback collection of the first three
Legends of Light novellas!
A war, founded in ancient legends, changes the lives of those it touches forever.
Elissa, a villager from the northern mountains, attempts to save her brother and ends up trapped in a hidden valley with a strange host and a treacherous enemy.
Evrard, the Wingmaster of the Prince’s army, races against his own weakening powers to discover the location of his twin and save her from deadly mistbenders.
Haydn, a pardoned rebel from Tauscher’s army, confronts shadows of myth and former comrades in his struggle to keep his sister safe and find the stolen Stormestone.
BONUS
Before the war, before the legends, before the Separation, there was a man who started it all. There was a curse, a promise, and a sacrifice. There was the Oathkeeper.
Fairy tales retold as you have never heard them before.
ROSE OF THE OATH: Beauty and the Beast
SONG OF THE SWORD: Rapunzel
SHADOWS OF THE HERSWEALD: Hansel and Gretel
and
ROSE OF THE NIGHT: a Rose of the Oath prequel
You can check out each ebook individually here or the Burning Rose page here. The Kindle version is available for preorder, but the paperback won’t be up to buy until the launch on October 3rd. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it then. In the meantime, you can add Burning Rose to your lists on Goodreads.
I suppose you’d like to actually see the cover now? Very well. It is glorious.
Designed by Kate Flournoy
Worth the wait? Because I love it. And it’s less than a month before you can hold a copy of Burning Rose in your own hands! Also, if you want blow by blow updates as well as cool tidbits and a behind-the-scenes look of the launch, you can hop over here to Facebook and join the Readers of Aslaria launch group!
Hope Ann is a Christian wordsmith, avid reader, and dedicated author. Her time is taken up with writing, reading, playing with inspirational photos, blogging, helping care for the house and eight younger siblings, and generally enjoying the adventures of life on a small farm at the crossroads of America. She is the author of Legends of Light is currently working on several projects including a fantasy novel and futuristic trilogy. You can find out more about her at https://authorhopeann.com/
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in The Scepter of Commerce?
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
D.J. Torres is the author of The Nature of Gods series. Her works reflect her passion of fantasy, adventure, and escaping into new worlds. After struggling through many awkward years of her own, D.J. began writing to empower young girls to be confident in themselves and own their unique brand of individuality, quirks and all.
On Tour with Prism Book Tours.
Thoughts of a Blonde – Review
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Excerpt
Breakup in a Small Town
Famous in a Small Town
Rebel in a Small Town
Christmas in a Small Town
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Skioria?
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Skioria? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
What is the political or government structure in Skioria? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.
The One Who Sees Me: A stand-alone Biblical retelling set in medieval times. When life doesn’t make sense Faru learns there is One who cares about servant girls as well as masters.
