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:
Lara Lee
Title of book and/or series:
Gryphendale and The Shadow of the Gryphon – Truthseeker Book 1
Brief summary of the story:
Join three travelers on a witty adventure set in an exotic fairy world. An unusual brownie adventurer named Arthur, and the twin princes, Timothy and Nathaniel, join forces to travel to the underside of their coin-shaped world to break the curse that has turned Nathaniel’s fiancee into stone. Arthur must face his traumatic past as he leads Nathaniel and Timothy on the same journey that killed his friends more than forty years before, getting them all stuck far from home with only one impossible way home. Things continue to go wrong when they learn that this curse is just the beginning of more significant problems threatening to destroy the Guardian of the Ocean. Struggling through a debilitating injury, Nathaniel must risk everything to save the ones he loves. Timothy must let go of his dark magic past to use his fire magic against the alliance that threatens to destroy the world with water. Even if they succeed, death might be their only reward.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Gryphendale is the faerie realm that we sometimes call the Seelie kingdom. It is a floating disk-shaped island located in the center of the earth. It has a tiny sun and moon of its own creating both day and night, but time moves differently there. Their stars are just glittering gems on the inside of the earth’s crust reflecting the light of their sun.
In the distant past, faeries and humans lived together, but because of greed and evil schemes, this could not continue. The creator god, the great blue Gryphon, separated the worlds. A person cannot travel through the earth’s crust to get there. Instead, there exist four portals to connect our worlds.
The underside of their world is called the Shadow of the Gryphon. It is made up of mostly ocean inhabited by nomadic sea-people such as the kelpies, selkies, and merrow. The small land mass on that side is populated by the nix. That realm is ruled by the Guardian of the Oceans.
My books and stories all take place in this world about the size of the state of Texas, both past and present. I wander this land often and would love to introduce you to my favorite places. Safe travels!
If we were to visit Gryphendale as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Both sides of this world are inhabited. The top is made up of nine countries ruled together as the single kingdom of Gryphendale. Each country is dominated by a different race of faerie. The sprites live in tree houses in the tops of the great forest of Caoneag. The shape-shifting hiru live in human-like houses scattered throughout Cuelebre. The gnomes live inside the massive trees of Dwende. The Gryphendale Ocean is the realm of the merpeople, while the river and great lake are ruled by the undine. The ogres dwell deep in the mountains of Rokurokubi. Aberdour is the country of the industrious brownie farmers. The huldra hunt in the forests of Samodivas. They used to own the dryads as slaves, but once freed, the dryads now rule the young country of Greenbow in their historic homeland. The Nomad Desert lies outside of these kingdoms and is inhabited by those who want no king.
What dangers should we avoid in Gryphendale?
Many creatures inhabit Gryphendale who have no country of their own. The giant trolls eat all meat no matter the source. The Red Ladies are magic vampires stealing the life potential of wanders. Deadly animals, thieves, and grumpy ogre could all cause trouble if a traveler isn’t careful, but the people of Gryphendale are friendly to help you out of a bind.Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Gryphendale?
Humans would recognize most foods, but they do have a lot more purple varieties of crops such as purple berries and purple wheat. They also have a unique, intoxicating drink made from distilled cinnamon which they call tonic. Don’t drink it though! It burns human throats.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Gryphendale?
The various faerie races have their own fighting styles, but most use some kind of sword suited to their strengths. One exception is that the hiru transform into long serpent-like dragons. Some rare people do use magic. The Adder Warlocks use dark magic to kill, but those who follow the Way of the Gryphon often avoid violence if they can. Rogue wizards and magic creatures also get involved in the battles, but you never know what will happen with them!
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Gryphendale?
To get to Gryphendale from the human world, you would need to use one of the for portals. In Gryphendale, most people walk or swim. They do ride horses, giant salamanders, carriages, wagons, mules, and the odd steam-powered horseless-carriage.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Gryphendale that we don’t see on Earth?
This is the hardest question of them all! Since it is a faerie world, most fairie creature do exist even if they don’t have a home country. The nine countries on the top side are sprites, hiru, merpeople, undines, brownies, gnomes, huldra, and the ogres. The underside has nix, kelpies, selkies, and a dragon. You can also find banshees, satyrs, trolls, vampires(Red Ladies), phoenix, unicorn, gryphon, seraphs, and talking animals.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Gryphendale? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
All was made by the creator god, the great blue Gryphon. All magic comes from him to sustain the worlds. Seers learn how to pour themselves into the magic potential in each living thing to create good things. Dark magic seeks to steal this magic potential and force it to their will. This is destructive and deadly. All magic and magical creatures were created with abilities to care for the world in unique ways.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Gryphendale as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
Time does move differently between the faerie world and the human world, but they count time the same way (hours, minutes, days, etc.) The two main holidays are the winter and spring solstice. There are some political holidays to celebrate a monarch or an event such as the Day of Remembrance.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Gryphendale? Please describe what it involves.
The beliefs of Gryphendale vary greatly. Some claim to believe nothing at all. Some think magic comes from nature. Other believe in the Gryphon. Even the interpretation of these beliefs can vary some.
What is the political or government structure in Gryphendale? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The governments in the books change drastically, but usually, there is an elected monarch that is often passed down to their children. This varies from country to country.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
I grew up in Florida in which I obsessed about mermaids as a child. I never could read enough fairytales. When my husband and I moved to Scotland for four years, I became emersed in the folklore of Great Britain. Scotland, specifically, has a rich history of faerie stories. I describe inns and taverns for places I visited in Edinburgh and then hills and dirt roads of the countryside. I know exactly how far one can walk in a day because I have done it. Gryphendale was my magical interpretation of my travels.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
I talk about why do bad things happen to good people in the novel Gryphendale. It has no answers, but just some observations. In The Shadow of the Gryphon, I talk about letting go of past mistakes. Sometimes we are unable to move on because we refuse to forgive ourselves.
Author Autobiography:Lara Lee is the author of Gryphendale, a young adult fantasy fiction novel. Sometimes, she is also a graphic designer, wife, mother, and Sunday school teacher. After growing up in Florida with her head stuck in various books, she ran away to Oral Roberts University to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design and a husband. Then, she worked professionally with the children’s curriculum publisher, Mentoring Minds in Texas before following her husband on a crazy adventure in Scotland for four years where her son was born. She has lived in three states and four countries and has visited even more destinations with an insatiable curiosity that shows up in her writing. Currently, she lives in Crosby, Texas with her husband and son who both regularly participate in her misadventures and random schemes.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?
Where can readers connect with you online?
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Gryphendale. 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!
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: Annie Douglass Lima
Title of book and/or series: Heartsong
Brief summary of the story:
Two alien worlds.
One teen emissary.
No reality she can trust.
Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.
But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?
If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Get your copy of Heartsong now to start the journey today!
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Somavia is a planet at the far end of our galaxy. It has two continents, one at each pole, both covered in ice and snow all year round. The Somavians live in underground communities warmed and powered by geothermal energy.
What types of animals or sentient races might we encounter in Somavia that we don’t see on Earth?
You would definitely meet Somavians, the mostly-humanoid alien race native to the planet. They have four arms and fur of various colors, and they’re between 8 and 9 feet tall. You might also meet animals such as bushbouncers, which Somavians often keep as pets. A bushbouncer is the size of a small rabbit and looks a lot like a ball of lint. They have eight legs and can spring from and cling to almost any vertical or horizontal surface.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Somavia?
In the past, the Somavians’ ancestors used pack animals to travel from place to place. Now, however, they use a type of moving sidewalk with benches on it to travel around their underground cities. For the rare trips on the planet’s surface, they have motorized hover vehicles. Every four weeks or so spacecraft travel to and from their moon, Soma, where the Somavians have a mining operation. (Soma is also where Liz and her fellow human colonists hope to set up a mining colony of their own.) More about Soma in a future edition of Realm Explorers!
If we were to visit Somavia as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
I suggest asking for a guided tour of one of the underground cities, such as Ehaooapi, the capital. There are a lot of interesting things to see. You would probably get to ride the moving sidewalks, eat at a neighborhood restaurant, and see ranches and plantations with a variety of domesticated animals and crops. If you’re lucky, you might find yourself in the right place at the right time to watch a concert. Don’t expect this to be like a concert on Earth! It would probably involve a single musician standing or sitting in a public place, playing percussion instruments designed to look like rocks and other natural objects. The Somavian language contains eighty-one separate tones and already sounds a lot like music, so it might sound as though the musician is singing, but he or she would really just be rhythmically chanting lyrics. Somavians in the audience would take turns stepping close enough to lightly touch the musician in order to briefly share his or her heartsong, which greatly enhances the listening experience. Oh, and one more thing: on your tour, make sure you ask to visit the planetarium. It consists of giant floating models of all the planets and moons in the solar system, plus comets and an asteroid belt. It’s okay to handle the models, on which you’ll be able to feel physical features such as mountains, canyons, moisture to indicate bodies of water, and different temperatures representing various climate zones. You’ll even see viscous red liquid spurting from tiny volcanoes. It’s not an experience to be missed. Oh, and make sure you eat at a local restaurant or two during your tour. More about that in a moment.
What dangers should we avoid in Somavia?
Don’t go up onto the surface without plenty of warm clothing and a guide. Temperatures are often below zero, and blizzards are common. You won’t survive long, and it’s easy to get lost in the snowy plains where everything looks the same. The underground cities would be a much safer and more comfortable place to spend your vacation.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Somavia?
The Somavians have a variety of tasty foods. You might enjoy one particular little restaurant in Ehaooapi where customers sit around a U-shaped table and the chef cooks in the middle. With his four arms, he busies himself over multiple pots and skillets at the same time. You don’t get to order from a menu like in most restaurants on Earth, but you can expect to be served a couple different types of soup (one a creamy vegetable puree, the other consisting of mushrooms and bits of meat and grain in a well-seasoned broth). You’ll also get a platter of strips of cooked meat with three kinds of sauce to dip them in. One sauce is spicy, another is sweet, and the third is thick and savory with a hint of exotic seasonings.
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What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Somavia?
Somavians don’t fight. A key part of their communication is the ability to share emotions and physical sensations with anyone they touch. This is known as hearing a person’s heartsong. A Somavian cannot punch a person, for example, without feeling the pain their fist would inflict. Thus, they have developed a peaceful society focused around helping each other rather than fighting or competing with each other.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Somavia? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Somavian medical technology is far beyond ours. For example, they are able to heal a character’s injured legs (nerve damage and multiple compound fractures) within a couple of weeks. Somavians also have computers and devices much like cell phones. But their visual abilities are different from ours, and they cannot clearly see or process two-dimensional images, so they don’t have screens with pictures or text. Instead, they read with their fingertips through a system similar to Braille, where raised bumps and ridges appear and disappear on flat sections of their devices.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Somavia.
Games and activities don’t play a major role in the story. However, it is mentioned that many Somavians enjoy playing a form of video games (tactile, not visual), though their idea of what makes a good story is way different than ours.
What is the political or government structure in Somavia? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The planet is governed by a leader whose title has no direct English translation. She has more power than a president but less than a queen. She is assisted by a council who come together to make decisions, each council member being a representative from a certain geographical region of Somavia.
The planet is governed by a leader whose title has no direct English translation. She has more power than a president but less than a queen. She is assisted by a council who come together to make decisions, each council member being a representative from a certain geographical region of Somavia.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Somavia?
Somavians rarely tell each other their names. If you choose to introduce yourself by name to anyone you meet, they will be surprised and perhaps a little embarrassed, but honored. However, don’t expect them to tell you their name in return. Names are private and are only shared with immediate family members and very close friends. If a Somavian needs to refer to someone else, they will usually mention their color; e.g. “the one with blue fur” or “the pale yellow one”.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
A few years ago, I was jotting down ideas for this story in the car while on a family vacation with my in-laws in California. I didn’t have a name for the planet yet, but when we passed a sign that said “Somavia High School”, I knew that was the right one.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Racism and prejudice are touched on briefly. Also, the question of whether it’s right to harm one individual in order to protect many – or whether harming a large group to save a group of a different species can be justified.
Racism and prejudice are touched on briefly. Also, the question of whether it’s right to harm one individual in order to protect many – or whether harming a large group to save a group of a different species can be justified.
Author Autobiography:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres (science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
Heartsong is available in both Kindle and paperback format here. All my other books are available here.
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Where can readers connect with you online?
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/anniedouglasslima
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Somavia. 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!
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
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Two alien worlds.
One teen emissary.
No reality she can trust.
Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.
But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?
If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Click here to get your copy of Heartsong now and start the journey today! (Shh! For June 30th through July 2nd only, the ebook is available for free!)
Read on for a sample of the story …
Heartsong
Chapter One
My love of reading started the whole thing.The best place to read on the Laika was in the lifeboats. I’d discovered that on the first leg of the trip, during the flight from Earth to the jump point off of Phoebe. I mean, what else was there to do when we couldn’t see much through the viewports? The view was exciting when there was one, but when you’re far away from anything, space all looks the same.
The hyperspace jump that shot us across the galaxy had been quick, of course, so no time to get bored there. And after we came out of it at the jump point off of Somav, the blue giant that would light my skies for the rest of my life, the flight toward the little moon Soma was pretty exciting, too. I couldn’t stop staring as we passed Somavia, the blue and white planet I knew none of us would ever see close up again. I wondered about the aliens whose home it was. What were they like? The pictures and video Forerunner had sent back, from the few passes it had taken in high orbit, left everyone with more questions than they answered.
Of course, we knew the planet had a breathable atmosphere. If it hadn’t been for the alien race who already lived there — and the tirtellium that we were going to mine on Soma, of course — New Horizons Industries might have decided to set up its colony on the planet Somavia instead of on its moon.
We passed Somavia three days ago, and we’d been orbiting Soma ever since. Which was also exciting, at first. I couldn’t wait to actually get down there and start life on my new home. A home I would get to help create, along with the adult scientists and miners and the rest of the Young Explorers. A home I would never be taken away from just when I was starting to settle in. My forever home. Normally I hated new beginnings, but this one was different. This would be the last new beginning of my life.
Even the colony’s name, chosen by the Samoan astronomer who discovered this solar system, was perfect. Avanoa, which apparently meant opportunity in the Samoan language, sounded to me like a kingdom from some fantasy novel.
Not that life in Avanoa was going to be a fantasy. I knew that starting a colony would be hard work, but that didn’t matter. A real home, with friends I would never have to say goodbye to, would be worth any amount of work.
Soma was interesting to look at, though not as pretty as the planet it orbited. The moon was mostly brown, with splotches of gray-green surrounding the dark blue dots that marked the location of its scattered lakes. With no actual oceans, the moon had just enough water to support a little plant and animal life. Nothing too dangerous, at least as far as we could tell from Forerunner’s pictures. Insects. Some fish and crustaceans that might or might not be edible. Small reptilian or maybe amphibian creatures that lived in and around the lakes. A handful of different mammals, all tiny, that made their homes in the hills. Nothing that seemed likely to bother two hundred human colonists setting up a new home on their world.
Of course, the aliens could be another story. We knew the Somavians had developed a limited form of space travel; we knew they had mines on Soma, too. But whatever they were mining for, it wasn’t tirtellium, and they only had a few tunnel mines in a few locations. We planned to set up our colony hundreds of kilometers away, where if all went according to plan, they wouldn’t even know we were around. Forerunner’s sensors had not detected any other artificial satellites in orbit around either Somavia or Soma, and as far as we could tell, the locals had no instruments capable of detecting Forerunner, no way to suspect we were coming. Its orbit was carefully programmed to keep it out of sight of any of their mines after dark, when it might be visible from the ground as a moving point of light.
The adults all said that hopefully we would never have to encounter any Somavians, but all of us kids hoped we would. I mean, why would anyone in their right mind not want to meet the first real live aliens actually confirmed to exist?
Jessie, who loved science fiction movies almost as much as I loved reading, had often kept Maria and Shaliqua and me awake late into the night back in our dorm room discussing all the possible alien-related adventures that awaited us if we ever made contact. Most of those possibilities were a lot more fun — though some were scarier — than the idea of living in isolation and never letting the locals know we were on their moon.
Anyway, judging by Forerunner’s footage, Somavian culture seemed peaceful, with no evidence of any wars going on down on their home world. If they did find out about the humans in their solar system, hopefully they wouldn’t mind us being there. We wouldn’t bother them, and with any luck, they wouldn’t bother us. And if they did get mad, well, the Laika had some weapons. Not enough to wage war with, but hopefully enough to convince them to leave us alone.
So much to wonder about. So much to look forward to. I could hardly wait to get down to the surface and start my new life. But here we all were, stuck in orbit for three whole days so far. Three painfully long and boring days. Earth days, that is. It had been nearly five Soman days, though we wouldn’t officially switch to using Soman time until we landed.
Atmospheric storms. Who would have thought that storms would be this big of an issue on a world with virtually no precipitation? Our science team had come up with a theory about minerals in the soil reflecting particles and wavelengths from the solar flares that Somav had been throwing out since our arrival. Whatever the case, the result was some pretty impressive windstorms in parts of the atmosphere. Since the spot picked out for Avanoa was directly underneath one of the worst storms, Captain Tyler insisted it wouldn’t be safe to try to land yet.
But no one had anticipated that the flares and storms would go on this long. At first, I was glad of the opportunity to orbit my new home and see what it looked like from space. But after a while the excitement faded, and everyone turned grouchy as we all grew more and more bored and impatient. The movies and games preloaded on our Horizon-brand tablets weren’t good enough to keep everyone happy, not while we had to put the adventure we’d all waited over a year to start on hold indefinitely. And I’d never been a big fan of video games or movies anyway.
So I did what I always do when real people get too annoying. I pulled out my old-school Novareader and turned to my true friends, the ones who never got annoying, who would always be there for me no matter what, who I never had to say goodbye to. And I escaped to the one place I had found on board where nobody would bother me or interrupt my adventures to ask what I was reading or exclaim over their new high score in who-cares-what-virtual-adventure on their RizeTab.
The Laika was designed to be taken apart when we arrived. Its decking and bulkheads would be used to help create Avanoa’s buildings until we could construct permanent residences from local rock, and that was one of the reasons the ship was so large. But big though it was, it had no extra empty space. Every compartment was full of freeze-dried food items, mining equipment, packages of seeds for genetically modified crops designed to grow well in the moon’s dry soil, and educational resources for us youth, because even on an interstellar adventure, there was no escaping school in some form.
So I had discovered in between Earth and Phoebe that the lifeboats were the best place to read. I wasn’t sure if I was really supposed to hang out in them, but they were unlocked, because after all, what would be the point in locking something that people would need to get into in a hurry in an emergency?
I sat curled up on a seat in Lifeboat 1, alternating between reading and looking out to see if anything interesting had come into sight down below. But from this angle, the one window — a wide viewport at the very front — was mostly full of stars, only a tiny sliver of Soma visible from one edge. I could have turned on the screen at the lifeboat’s navigational console and adjusted it to show me any view I liked, but that might trigger some sort of alert, and I didn’t want anyone showing up to tell me I wasn’t supposed to be in here.
So I joined Caz and her friends on their travels across the Granbo system, caught up in their space adventure on my Novareader screen, since my own space adventure had turned pretty dull. Lunch was another two hours away, so I might as well enjoy myself in the meantime.
And I did — until the ship vibrated more vigorously than usual and the fasten seatbelts sign flicked on.
I often felt as though several of me were debating inside my head. For a moment, Cautious Liz wondered if I should return to my seat. But what was the point? Practical Liz reminded me that I would be just as safe here in the lifeboat, and if the turbulence got bad, walking around with the Laika lurching under me would not be the smartest idea.
I already had my seatbelt on, since that was the best way to keep from floating around. Not that floating around wasn’t fun, but there was too little room in the lifeboat to do mid-air flips and spins without banging into things, and drifting around while I read made it hard to focus on the book. Of course my magnetic-soled shoes could have kept me anchored to the deck, but not when I wanted to sit cross-legged.
So I just tightened my seatbelt a little and turned back to The Gypsy Pearl. We had encountered turbulence lots of times in the last few days, thanks to the solar flares. It was no big deal.
But the vibrations grew stronger, and then the ship started lurching under me. I lowered my Novareader and looked around, but there was nothing to see here in the little lifeboat. The stars jumped and jerked outside the window, and if it hadn’t been for my seatbelt, I knew I would have been thrown about and probably injured already.
I waited for the crackle of the intercom and Captain Tyler’s voice to explain what was happening or issue instructions. But I heard nothing, and I wondered if the flares had damaged the lifeboat’s intercom system. They had interfered with the Laika’s electrical systems before, after all. Now I wished I’d returned to my seat while I could. If something dangerous was happening, I would rather face it with the others in the main cabin, where at least I would know what was going on.
Without warning, the lights flickered and then went out. Now that was a first. An instant later, an alarm screeched, making me jump. I gasped, really worried for the first time since we left Earth. The screeching continued as the stars swirled and zigzagged, sending faint but frightening shadows thrashing around me like alien spirits trying to take over the ship. For a second I wondered if that could actually be happening. Maybe the Somavians had powers we didn’t know about. Maybe they were trying to drive us out of their system … or worse.
Then the emergency lights embedded in the deck glowed to life, and I let out my breath in relief. The navigational computer two rows ahead of me powered on automatically, its screen lighting up green.
My relief was short-lived, though. The alarm kept blaring its intermittent warning. Screech! Silence. Screech! Silence. Screech! The turbulence was worse than ever, as though the Laika was a wild horse, bucking and leaping and trying to throw its rider off. And that rider gripped the edge of her seat all alone there in the lifeboat, wondering what in the universe was happening.
Suddenly the whirling stars vanished and Soma swung into view, filling the viewport ahead of me, a blur of brown-blue-gray-green-brown. I barely had time to notice before it was gone and the streaking stars reappeared. Then the moon appeared again.
My stomach was spinning as fast as the ship. Thank goodness I had inherited the Smith Stomach of Steel, or my breakfast would probably have ended up all around me. I could only imagine what a nasty experience that would be in zero gravity with the ship thrashing around like this.
A new noise caught my attention. A mechanical noise, a series of clicks and clinks and the sliding of metal against metal. I had only ever heard it before in simulations, but I recognized it right away, and my heart lurched in terror. “No!”
Words flashed across the computer screen, large enough to read from where I sat. LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING.
“No! I yelled again. I fumbled for the seatbelt clasp and flung myself across the tiny cabin, lunging for the manual override button beside the door. Not a smart move, I have to admit, considering how wildly everything was jerking around me. But I panicked. Can you blame me? None of our training, none of the simulations, had dealt with what to do if the lifeboat you were sitting in alone accidentally detached from the ship.
I knew what to do if a lifeboat didn’t detach when it was supposed to. I knew which lifeboat I was supposed to board in an emergency. Not this one, though they were all the same. I knew who my lifeboat buddies would be — a fairly even cross-section of the ship’s crew in terms of age and abilities, so we would have the best possible chance of survival in case not every lifeboat made it. I knew how to steer the lifeboat and bring it down for a controlled landing, even though I wasn’t the assigned helmsperson in my group. We had all learned all those skills, just in case.
But I didn’t know how to survive in deep space or on Soma’s surface on my own. The cupboards contained emergency rations and survival gear, of course, but not enough to live off of indefinitely. Of course the lifeboat would emit a signal that the ship’s sensors would pick up — I knew they were picking it up already, as of the moment my craft started to detach — but what if no one could come and get me right away? What if I landed on Soma, but the Laika couldn’t land for days or even weeks? They would have no way to rescue a stranded teenager who shouldn’t have been reading in a lifeboat in the first place.
And what if the aliens found me before my people did?
All that went swirling through my brain within a couple of seconds as I slammed my fist into the manual override button again and again. But nothing happened. That is, the hatch didn’t open to let me out into the ship’s corridor. But the incessant alarm finally went silent, and the frantic jerking and thrashing stopped, replaced by a slow, gentle twirl.
For a second, Optimistic Liz dared to hope that the trouble was over. But I knew that wasn’t it.
The lifeboat was no longer connected to the ship.
Too horrified even to yell again, I watched the Laika drift past the window, Somav’s light tinting her silver-white hull a metallic frostbite-blue against the blackness of space. She was still spinning and dancing like some huge bird as the solar flares played havoc with her electrical systems. And then I saw only stars, and then the mottled brown of the moon, then more stars. And then there went the Laika once more, further away this time.
Grabbing the back of a seat for leverage, I shoved off from the deck, thankful for the zero-gravity training. Floating was faster than clomping along in magnetic shoes, and I had to get to the controls now. I had to steer myself back to the ship.
But as I seized the arm of the helmsperson’s chair and maneuvered my body into it, I realized I had no idea how to reattach a lifeboat to its socket on the ship’s side. They had never taught us that. Were lifeboats even designed to reattach once they were separated?
Well, somebody must know the proper procedure for this kind of emergency. Captain Tyler or one of the other adults could talk me through the process. Right?
I fumbled for the seatbelt, twisting my ankles around the legs of the chair so I wouldn’t float off in the meantime. Jabbing the intercom button, I called, “Help! I’m in a lifeboat that just detached! What do I do?”
Realizing how panicked and little-girly I sounded, I took a deep breath and tried again. “I mean, this is Liz Smith on Lifeboat 1, calling anybody on the Laika who can hear me. Come in, please.”
There was no response, and I realized that the communication light wasn’t even on. The intercom was offline.
Great. Dang solar flares.
I took another deep breath. I had never felt so alone.
But the controls in front of me looked exactly like the ones in the simulator. I could do this. It would be just the same as I had practiced.
Except this was no game, where the only real struggle was to beat my classmates, to be the first to land my virtual lifeboat safely.
This was a real emergency.
This was my life at stake.
About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres (science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
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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.
D.R. Grady
Title of book and/or series:
Seeking: Warrior King
Brief summary of the story:
With her beloved mother dying, Crown Princess Raene of Montequirst must prepare to be queen and choose a husband within hours of the death. By law, he must be the greatest warrior in the land. The only man who fits that description, who she can tolerate, is her friend and mentor, Vidar the Loyal. He’s a member of the elite Aasguard warriors, who have never married in their centuries of existence.
While the mightiest men of the nation circle Raene in an attempt to boost their own rank and wealth, a neighboring country is also making plans against Montequirst. With the aid of his clumsy dragon companion, Vidar has been teaching Raene to wield her legendary sword in order to defend her throne. Meanwhile, they’re both battling an attraction neither understands.
Can they possibly break the age-old traditions that bind them and choose their heart’s desire?
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Montequirst is a prosperous, busy country. The homes are well cared for and the crops plentiful. Their animals are considered among the finest in the surrounding regions.
A queendom—Montequirst has been run by a queen for the last five hundred years. Queen Margina, Raene’s mother, dies and leaves the throne to her beloved daughter, Raene.
The men of Montequirst use swords and canons to defend themselves. Sword fighting, and being a warrior, is the best profession for a male, although there are other options. If the nation is wealthy enough, it might also have an Aasguard warrior and dragon to guard the treasury, which Montequirst does.
Aasguard warriors, such as Vidar the Loyal, are no longer human, but are a more advanced version. For instance, they can withstand dragonfyre. While not immortal, they are difficult to kill. If they are fortunate enough to have a dragon companion, the long years aren’t so lonely.
If we were to visit Montequirst as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?The farmers markets would offer an array of fruits and vegetables, and fine wares. And now that spring is upon them, even more so. If you’re fortunate enough, you might be invited to one of the many manor homes for a meal and perhaps a gathering.
What dangers should we avoid in Montequirst?
Don’t run afoul of Aern, the castle dragon. He contains plenty of dragonfyre.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Monequirst?
Again, swords are prevalent. Hand-to-hand combat skills are a necessity, and if you achieve the proper rank, you might be trained to blast a canon. (Be aware, only males are always trained in swords and self-defense. A ridiculous notion Raene chaffs against.)
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Monequirst?
Horses are prevalent for one person. But for multiple people and to convey wares, they use cream colored transports, hulled out cocol pods, which are round and after being outfitted with seating and wheels, make a comfortable mode of transportation. The original fruit is used in the making of many products in Montequirst.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Montequirst? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Handheld crystals, after some wizardry, have the capability of texting one another, keeping track of appointments and tasks, and the like. Whether these simple crystals are magic or technology is up for debate.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Montequirst as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
Montequirst is much like Earth in the weeks and months. They do enjoy four seasons.
As for holidays, the day Raene’s mother, the Queen of Montequirst, dies will be known as Accession Day. Also, a celebration every year will mark Raene’s wedding—an indication of their continued prosperity.
What is the political or government structure in Montequirst? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Montequirst is again, a queendom. Raene’s mother ruled before her, and upon Queen Margina’s death, Raene rules. Her husband, who is made a king upon their marriage, protects her and oversees their vast military. He aids her should she need it, but Raene has been learning the queen’s duties since birth. Her choices—such as the warrior she chooses to wed—will determine whether the nation’s current prosperity continues, or not.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Montequirst?
Besides the antiquated practice that upon her mother’s death, Raene is therefore forced to name her husband? Yes, and she has a few pithy things to say about this barbaric practice as well as the lack of sword and self-defense training for all females.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
A battery ad, and then a dream, inspired this first story in the series. Book two is entitled Seeking: Maiden Queen. Book two takes up where book one left off with two characters we meet in book one.
Author Autobiography:-Clean, heartwarming stories, every time.-
D.R. Grady is the author of over twenty clean, heartwarming romance novels. She lives with her husband near Hershey, PA and adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes. Oh, and writing clean stories that resonate with others.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.
You can purchase Seeking: Warrior King at the following retailers:
Google Play (epub)
Smashwords (multiple formats)
The paper book is coming…
Where can readers connect with you online?
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I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Montequirst. 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!
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: Annie Douglass Lima
Title of book and/or series: The Nameless Soldier (book 4 in the Annals of Alasia)
Other books in the series:
Prince of Alasia
In the Enemy’s Service
Prince of Malorn
Other books in the series:
Prince of Alasia
In the Enemy’s Service
Prince of Malorn
Brief summary of the story:
What do you do when you’re the only survivor?
Nineteen-year-old Tarvic bears the name of a mighty hero from Alasia’s past. However, the young soldier feels anything but heroic when he regains consciousness to find himself the lone survivor of a brutal attack by invaders from the neighboring kingdom.
Forced to leave his identity behind, Tarvic is thrust into civilian life in the role of protector to three war orphans. When the four of them encounter a mysterious stranger, he must choose between keeping the young girls safe and taking on a mission that could help free his kingdom. Can Tarvic live up to his noble name and find a way to balance his duty and his dreams?
The Nameless Soldier is the fourth book in the Annals of Alasia, but the series can be read in any order, and each book can stand on its own.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:Alasia has long been a peaceful kingdom, with only occasional minor border skirmishes with neighboring Malorn. There hasn’t been an actual war in six generations … until recently when the Malornians attacked, invading suddenly with no apparent provocation.
If we were to visit Alasia as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Alasia is a peninsula, with hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline. It’s winter now, so not an ideal time for swimming or sunbathing, but the scenery would still make for a gorgeous stroll along the water in many areas.
Ordinarily, I would suggest visiting the king’s palace in the capital city of Almar, if you can manage to get an invitation. But the palace has been taken over by Malornians and turned into their headquarters, so it would be best to stay away.
For a taste of local culture, try visiting one of the large markets, where vendors sell everything from fresh baked pastries to leather goods to homemade cheese. There are taverns and restaurants where you can stop for a drink or a meal, but you’ll want to be careful. Malornian soldiers frequent many of them, and some go around looking for trouble.
What dangers should we avoid in Malornian-occupied Alasia?
Try to stay away from Malornian soldiers if you can. Lately they have been pillaging crops and livestock from farming communities. After one very close call at the farm where he’s staying, Tarvic finds a creative and unusual way to make sure anyone else who passes that way won’t steal from them. The soldiers also sometimes harrass civilians in the cities, so it’s best to give them a wide berth and not make eye contact as you pass. If you travel into or out of Almar, the capital, you can expect to be stopped at one of the roadblocks. If you cooperate, chances are you won’t be harmed, but they’ll want to search your cart or wagon. (Rumor has it they’re looking for someone ….)
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Alasia?That depends on your budget or whom you’re visiting. Tarvic and the three girls he ends up helping don’t have money to spare, though they have access to milk and butter thanks to the family’s cows. Their meals tend to consist of watered-down soup or thin slices of bread with plenty of butter and tall glasses of milk. However, if you can afford to eat at a restaurant, you could dine on roast beef and other hearty fare.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Malornian-Occupied Alasia?
The Malornian soldiers carry swords around with them, but they don’t allow Alasians to bear arms in the city. If you arrive with a weapon, you can expect to have it confiscated as you enter town. Tarvic is a trained hunter and makes good use of the sturdy bow and arrows that once belonged to the girls’ father. Later he seizes the opportunity to use them for more than just hunting ….
The Malornian soldiers carry swords around with them, but they don’t allow Alasians to bear arms in the city. If you arrive with a weapon, you can expect to have it confiscated as you enter town. Tarvic is a trained hunter and makes good use of the sturdy bow and arrows that once belonged to the girls’ father. Later he seizes the opportunity to use them for more than just hunting ….
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Alasia?
Most people ride on horseback or in a cart or wagon if they have one. At one point Tarvic and the girls are forced to make a journey on foot, bringing supplies along in a wheelbarrow.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Alasia.Like most Alasian soldiers, Tarvic enjoys card games, though he learned his lesson about playing for money when he lost two days’ pay to a man in his company named Dannel. He was surprised to learn that the girls under his care know most of the same card games he does, and the four of them often play in the evenings. The youngest girl, Sennie, doesn’t have much concept of strategy and needs lots of help from her sisters, but the four of them have a good time together just the same.
What is the political or government structure in Malornian-occupied Alasia? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Officially, Malorn is ruled by the teenage Prince Korram (his father King Kerman died a few years ago). Young Korram is technically now the ruler of Alasia as well. However, since Korram is not yet eighteen, a regent named Rampus assists him in the rule of both kingdoms. Partway through the story, Rampus moves to Alasia to oversee his – er, Korram’s – new conquest.
Author Autobiography:Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published seventeen books (four YA action and adventure novels, five fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?
Click on the following links to see or purchase the books on Amazon:
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The Nameless Soldier
Prince of Alasia
In the Enemy’s Service
Prince of Malorn
Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews (not available for purchase, but click on the link to tell me your email address and I’ll send you a free copy!)
Where can readers connect with you online?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Sign up for my email list to find out when I release a new book (and receive a free copy of Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews): http://bit.ly/LimaUpdates
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Malornian-occupied Alasia. 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!
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
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The Nameless Soldier is book 4 in the Annals of Alasia young adult fantasy series. Haven’t read all (or any) of the others? That’s okay! The books can be read in any order, and each one can stand on its own.
Description:
What do you do when you’re the only survivor?
Nineteen-year-old Tarvic bears the name of a mighty hero from Alasia’s past. However, the young soldier feels anything but heroic when he regains consciousness to find himself the lone survivor of a brutal attack by invaders from the neighboring kingdom.
Forced to leave his identity behind, Tarvic is thrust into civilian life in the role of protector to three war orphans. When the four of them encounter a mysterious stranger, he must choose between keeping the young girls safe and taking on a mission that could help free his kingdom. Can Tarvic live up to his noble name and find a way to balance his duty and his dreams?
Where to Get a Copy:
Click here to buy the ebook or paperback from Amazon.
Not sure if you’ll like the story or not? Take a look at the first chapter and see!
The Nameless Soldier
Chapter One
Tarvic woke to the sound of a distant yell, abruptly silenced. He pushed his blankets aside and sat up, puzzled, but heard only the light patter of rain on the canvas. “What was that?”
Drevel, his roommate in the barracks and tentmate out on campaigns like this, stirred and rolled over. “What?”
“I heard something. Someone shouting.”
“It’s probably just another drill.” But Drevel sat up too, shoving his own blankets away, as Tarvic crawled over and untied the tent flap.
A blast of wintry air and raindrops greeted him as he leaned out, peering across the tent-studded hillside. Clouds hid the moon and stars, and on every side the thick dark of the forest leaned in from the edges of the large clearing. But the telltale flickering light of distant torches sent shadows leaping over tents and across the open spaces between them. Why would someone be using torches out here? Any soldier in camp had easy access to lanterns among the supplies.
Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tarvic pulled back into the tent and yanked on his breeches and jacket.
They both heard the next yell, closer this time, and then the unmistakable clash of swords. Both men snatched up their own swords, jamming their feet into their boots and fumbling for shields. From all around them, shouts of alarm erupted as men in their company woke up.
And then the enemy was upon them. Horses exploded through the camp, trampling tents and the soldiers just crawling out of them. Riders leaned low off their mounts’ backs, swinging swords and waving torches.
Halfway out of his tent, Tarvic threw himself flat on his face to avoid a slash that would probably have decapitated him. He scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked off them again by a blow that he barely caught on his shield.
Light, shadows, horses, blades, rain. Chaos raged through the clearing to the sound of crashing metal, pounding hooves, shouts of challenge and desperation. Tarvic regained his feet and fought as best he could from the ground while enemy riders thundered around him. Dodging and ducking, he aimed for the men’s legs and tried to keep out from under their horses’ hooves. With no idea who he was fighting or why, his only goal to stay alive for the next heartbeat, he dodged and darted through the tumult looking for spots where horses and enemy swords weren’t. All around him, men fought and ran and crumpled to lie as limply as the trampled tents.
Slipping and stumbling in the mud, Tarvic felt a surge of satisfaction as his sword met flesh and an enemy yelled in pain. And then the man wheeled his horse and charged back toward him, and Tarvic turned to flee.
He tripped on something soft that groaned. Pain shot through Tarvic’s wrist as he caught his fall, and only a quick roll saved him from being trampled as the man’s horse cantered over him.
Its rider wheeled again, and Tarvic rose to his knees, barely raising his shield in time to protect his face. The force of the blow threw him backward, jarring his already sore wrist.
Another horse leaped over him, and Tarvic cried out in pain as a hoof struck him on the shoulder. He stumbled to his feet, ducking low to present as small a target as possible, and ran through the melee.
He saw fewer people on foot now, more obstacles in the mud. Was it cowardly to flee from a battle you couldn’t win? Nothing in Tarvic’s eight months in the military had prepared him for this. Not counting occasional minor border skirmishes, the kingdom of Alasia hadn’t seen an actual war in six generations. Besides routine patrols, city peacekeeping, and the frequent drills and training, the military’s primary duties involved escorting merchant wagons through robber-frequented stretches of rural highway and keeping an eye on the sections of coastline where seafaring raiders were known to attack. Tarvic had never fought in a battle that involved more than a handful of opponents at a time, and none of those opponents had been anywhere near this organized — or this deadly.
If we escape, we can regroup somewhere safer and — A hard blow to the back knocked him to the ground again as another horse pounded over him. Giving up all pretense of courage, Tarvic scrambled to his feet once more and fled for the edge of the clearing and the relative safety of the trees beyond. I can’t do anything here. They’re going to slaughter us all!
He was practically there when another rider appeared in front of him, leaning low with sword outstretched. Tarvic almost impaled himself on the blade, raising his shield just in time. He fought back frantically as the man slashed, swinging his weapon again and again. I need my horse! Military training had included nothing about how to fight a mounted enemy from the ground. But Lightning was tethered in the row of makeshift stalls on the far side of the camp, probably prancing restlessly under his blanket and wondering why his rider didn’t come to spur him into battle.
Tarvic didn’t even see the blow that almost killed him. His ears barely registered the thudding of more galloping hooves from behind, nearly drowned out by the rain and the sounds of battle. But the world exploded in light and pain as something struck the back of his head harder than anything had ever hit him before.
He lurched forward, feeling his sword drop from limp fingers. Managing two steps before his legs buckled, he was just conscious enough to recognize the urgent need to crawl. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Or they’ll kill you out here. That was the only thought left in his mind as he pulled himself toward the concealing shadows behind the line of tree trunks. And then even that faded, giving way to darkness.
Want to know what happens to Tarvic? Click here to purchase the book and find out!
About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published seventeen books (fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Email: [email protected]
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
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:
Olivia Lynn Jarmusch
Title of book and/or series:
The Tales of Tarsurella #1: The Coronation, The Tales of Tarsurella #2: The Rebellion
Brief summary of the story:Something is brewing. Like the far-off rumble of a train in the distance, a rebellion is stirring. A cry for change arises in the midst of a traditional monarchy, where King Addison has inherited the throne. Who are the underground troublemakers? What is stirring their defiant banner and demand for change? Find out in The Rebellion! (The Tales of Tarsurella #2)
Vanessa Bennett lands her dream job working at the Palace in Tarsurella. She struggles to balance everything on her plate: life in a new country, stressful deadlines, crabby co-workers, college classes at the local University, and blossoming feelings of romantic adoration toward her boss–King Addison. Keeping up with her To-Do list, while trying to earn respect in Addison’s male-dominated administration, presents its challenges. Nevertheless, she can’t help but fight a reoccurring thought and the excitement rising with it: is Addison interested in her?
Vanessa Bennett lands her dream job working at the Palace in Tarsurella. She struggles to balance everything on her plate: life in a new country, stressful deadlines, crabby co-workers, college classes at the local University, and blossoming feelings of romantic adoration toward her boss–King Addison. Keeping up with her To-Do list, while trying to earn respect in Addison’s male-dominated administration, presents its challenges. Nevertheless, she can’t help but fight a reoccurring thought and the excitement rising with it: is Addison interested in her?
Addison is adjusting to his new role as King. Rumors of a rebellious uprising among the youth in Tarsurella intensifies, as acts of violence and protest break out across the city. Addison is determined to uncover the hidden instigator who fearlessly blogs democracy-driven ideals with a secretive pen name. Will Addison discover and expose the fiery rebellion leader? Or will his efforts fail to stop the rebellious thoughts spreading like wildfire, causing a heartbreaking rift in his divided nation?
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
The tiny nation of Tarsurella is located in modern day Europe, between France and England.
If we were to visit Tarsurella as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
The crowning jewel of Tarsurella is most certainly the Palace of Tarsurella. Tourists flock from all over the world to visit the ancient Palace, which is listed as one of the Top 25 Must See Palaces in Europe. The capital city is totally adorable as well, and has tailored their downtown area to appease to tourists. Tourism is what keeps this tiny little nation afloat, so a vast majority of jobs within Tarsurella are connected to the tourist industry. Main Street offers classic carriage rides and is speckled with gift shops and restaurants on every corner. The historic downtown area strives to keep some of the charm of their early years, so you can find employees dressed in vintage paper boy outfits and women in fanciful hoop skirts, entertaining the crowds. Ice-cream and fudge are a huge tourist fave! Eating at The Royal Restaurant is a must, as well as strolling through the Queen’s Gardens. Especially in the springtime, when everything is in bloom, and there’s a lively little flower festival! Tarsurella has a lot to offer to Tourists, so I hope you’ll come take a trip!
What dangers should we avoid in Tarsurella?Tarsurella has always been a safe, friendly, welcoming country. But political unrest is stirring, and has resulted in recent riots and protests in the streets. It’s a tough time for the nation. I’d hate to say, “Don’t come to Tarusrella, because you never know what might happen on the streets”, but honestly, things have been very rocky. So please still come visit, but just stay aware of your surroundings, and pray for the peace of this country!
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Tarsurella?
Sea food is pretty big in Tarsurella, as it is in many parts of the Europe, but Clark Myers, the head cook at the Royal Restaurant, is famous for his seafood dishes. Many travel to this country just so they can get a taste of Clark’s food! One of his most popular dishes is a Sea Food Melody, with oyster, crab, sushi and clam sea-weed wraps, dipped in a sweet tangerine sauce. Foodies pretty much freak out after their first bite. Tarsurella is also known for their fried baby octopus.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Tarsurella.One of Tarsurella’s biggest sports and favorite pastimes is horse racing. The Bellington Derby is one of the largest races in Tarsurella, where families gather to watch their favorite thoroughbreds thunder down the track and compete for a large monetary sum. Horse racing, often referred to as “The Sport of Kings”, has a very rich history in Tarsurella.
What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly in Tarsurella?
Tarsurella celebrates most all of the same holidays we do here in the States. Founders Day – often jokingly referred to as Orange Throwing Day, is a traditional celebration of Tarsurella history. The holiday is very similar to the Fourth of July, with extravagant picnics, fireworks, and sparklers. The Orange Throwing competition is a comical tradition that some have abandoned, but many locals still get a kick out of it.
What is the political or government structure in Tarsurella? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?Tarsurella is a traditional monarchy. Prince Addison has recently inherited the throne from his father, and he now reigns as King. Many within Tarsurella believe the King shouldn’t have absolute power, and the y desire to see a constitutional monarchy established, which means all political decisions would be handled by a new government, and parliament. Though parliament is actively involved with voting on decisions made within the country, many citizens would still like to see Tarsurella shift into a more traditional, democratic form of government.
In my personal opinion, I think Addison is doing a fantastic job running the country, but I can see how his traditional Christian values might feel like too much like a controlling theocracy for this progressive generation. I guess the best way to tell how Addison is truly doing with his role, is to come visit Tarsruella and find out!
Author Autobiography:
I’m a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. I enjoy crafting YA fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When I’m not writing, you can usually find me playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning my next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?
You can come to www.livylynnblog.com or find all my titles on Amazon, both in paperback and on Amazon Kindle.
I recommend starting with The Coronation https://www.amazon.com/Coronation-Tales-Tarsurella-1/dp/1547070854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525457079&sr=8-1&keywords=the+coronation+olivia+jarmusch then you’ll be ready for The Rebellion on May 8th!
Where can readers connect with you online? I’m pretty much everywhere, haha!
Blog – www.livylynnblog.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/livylynnlibrary/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/livylynnglittergirl/
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Twitter – https://twitter.com/livylynnmusic
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Tarsurella. 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!
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: Juli D. Revezzo
Title of book and/or series: Frigga’s Lost Army
Brief summary of the story:
An Army cook is taken prisoner in the second world war, only to find a divine benefactor he never thought to encounter.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Frigga’s Lost Army takes place mainly in and around a POW camp in Naples, Italy after the Battle of Tunisia that happened in 1942. Though this is an “alternate Italy”, so to speak, tried to create the look and feel of the Naples area as much as I could. Some parts of the story also take place in Frigga’s castle, Fensalir, and that was easier to play with. So Ben (the main character) shifts between the world of WWII to the more Medieval-type world of her castle of Fensalir when she summons him.
If we were to visit Fensalir as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
I would look for the cats. Frigga’s cats can be very helpful and generous. Also, she has this magical music room you won’t want to miss. J Oh! And if you head down to Ben’s pow camp in Naples, Italy, check out the umbrella trees (a.k.a. stone pines). Weird, fascinating things. They really do resemble umbrellas! Man are they cool.
What dangers should we avoid in Fensalir and Ben’s real world?
In Frigga’s world, the forest leading up to Fensalir can be tricky to navigate. Also, back in the “real world” Ben is under the thumb of the Fascist army so, yeah, with them, you’d want to be careful what you say and do around them. You (or he, rather) wouldn’t want to anger them, when they’re basically holding the power of life and death over him.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in this world?
Being as Benjamin’s “real life” takes place in Italy, and he’s the platoon cook, he’s become very proficient at all types of Italian food. In Frigga’s world, she shows him how to make big fat cheeseburgers that are to die for. Definitely, we’d want to try those out. J
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common here?
Being in the Army, Benjamin was taught to handle an M1 machine gun, but… throughout his captivity, he’s denied that. Until he meets a guard (who, like him, has ties to Frigga) who teaches him a little more about hand-to-hand and fighting with any available weapon. I have a brother who teaches Self-defense so referred to him when necessary.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to the area?
Oh, well, in Italy, it’s the usual Jeeps and transport trucks. Ben gets around Fensalir by good old foot power. As for animals, Frigga’s cats are able to help him hide things when necessary, and can fetch and deliver, more than your average cat will. 😉
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in alternate Italy that we don’t see on Earth?
Oh, let’s see…Even though we’re on Earth, here in Italy, there are Frigga’s cats, which as I’ve said can cross the realms easily enough at her behest. They also pull her chariot in battle. She also has Valkyries and berserkers in her army and a few assorted other mythical creatures.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in alternate Italy? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
Huge. While Frigga can’t do everything here, like free Ben and his friends, she sends her cats, like I said, to our realm to assist him, and she uses her to ease Ben’s pain, when it’s necessary. She also amasses an army when it’s necessary.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in alternate Italy? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Not specifically, but 1942-43 was the first use of Sherman tanks in battle. And Ben and his comrades in the POW camp fashion stoves and working radios out bits and pieces, (that’s actual period; POW’s in WW2, did just that.)
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in alternate Italy.
One of Ben’s colleagues in the camp builds a radio out of scraps that they listen to to keep informed and pass the time.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in alternate Italy as in our world? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
The same. M-F, Easter, July 4th, Christmas, etc.
Is there a particular religion practiced in alternate Italy? Please describe what it involves.
For the most part, the usual you’d find in our world. With a touch of paganism.
What is the political or government structure in alternate Italy? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Mussolini and the Fascists, oh, boy (Which, though this is an alternate version of Italian/world history, he/they really were in charge during the time period). Whole books have been written about them! They took over after World War I and Mussolini decided he was going to restore the glory of Ancient Rome. Unfortunately, a lot of young men followed his beliefs, right into war. *grumble* Luckily, they ended up coming to their senses, and dispatching Mussolini.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Ben’s world?
For the most part, the Italians are Catholic, but… The guard I mentioned above who befriends Ben shows him that one local church is a portal into Valhalla.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
My family is from Naples, Italy, originally, the same city-state the book takes place in. So when I saw that one of the prison camps was built there, I couldn’t resist setting Frigga’s Lost Army in Naples. I also had two grandfathers and a grandmother (a nurse) involved with the Army and Navy in WWII.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
*thinks* Outside maybe the treatment of POW’s at the time, or how the Italians felt about Mussolini, I don’t think there are many.
Author Autobiography:
Juli D. Revezzo loves fantasy and Celtic mythology and writing stories with all kinds of fantastical elements. She is the author of the Antique Magic series and the Paranormal Romance Celtic Stewards Chronicles series, historical fantasy Frigga’s Lost Army, as well as the Victorian romances House of Dark Envy and Watchmaker’s Heart, the Gothic fantasy romance, Lady of the Tarot, and more. She is also a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
Where can readers connect with you online?
My audiobooks (I have a few) are at: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_offers_30_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Juli+D.+Revezzo&x=0&y=0%22
Website: https://www.julidrevezzo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julidrevezzo/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/julidrevezzo
and they can join my newsletter here: http://bit.ly/SNI5K6
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to alternate Italy. 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!
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
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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: Blake Bisciotti
Title of book and/or series: Kingdom Come – (Price of Power, Book 1)
Brief summary of the story: When an unlikely mix of races joins together to create a thriving civilization, the nations of southern Herridon find that the peace they had known for over a hundred years is suddenly in jeopardy. For some, the thralls of war might create opportunity, but for others it could lead to a precipitous fall from power. The winds of change are passing through the lands giving way to heroic acts of valor and honor, but also to plots of deceit and destruction.
The three cities by the South Sea are in the middle of the fray, which leads a bold Captain, Victus Antonel, to take matters into his own hands. He raises an army with the intentions of eradicating the threat posed by the upstart nation. With the help of an unscrupulous ally, the Captain and the cities are immersed into the chaos of war and the enemy may not be quite what, or who, it had seemed to be.
Life for all who reside in southern Herridon will be forever changed; however whether it will be for better or for worse hangs in the balance.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: Herridon lies on a large continent surrounded by small islands in some places. The terrain varies depending on location. There are mountain ranges, forests, plains, hills, swamps, and small deserts. There are long plains that stretch across the southern central region of Herridon like a belt on the land. Kingdom Come takes place below the plains.
If we were to visit Herridon as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there? North of the vast plains you would find the expansive Sadic empire which is a civilization of developed cities and societies; however the story of Kingdom Come takes place south of the plains. Here you would want to visit the three cities by the South Sea. Each has an illustrious harbor and commercial zone, which include pubs and markets. North of the cities, you could always visit the home of the industrious dwarves burrowed in the large mountain range called the Singrin Peaks. If you were really adventurous, you could explore Lirrowick forest, home to the uncanny elves of whom little is known.
What dangers should we avoid in Herridon? The primary danger you would encounter would be wandering tribes of orcs or goblins, although human highwaymen can be equally as dangerous. There used to be more small tribes wandering the lands in southern Herridon however, as you find out early in Kingdom Come, they seem to have come together to try and foster a more prosperous life while gaining the benefits and strengths of numbers.
Whatever you do, avoid the mountains in the west by the Salty Sea, its not a safe place, the inhabitants are volatile and dangerous.
Another danger would be getting involved with the Crimson Fox. The Crimson Fox is a shady underground guild that is present in all three cities by the South Sea. They deal in many of the sinful pleasures of southern Herridon including prostitution, dangerous substances and…magic. Getting too involved with this dubious group often ends in peril.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Herridon? The cuisine is quite diverse. The cities by the South Sea are all coastal so there is quite a bit of seafood; however they do well cultivating the land as well. Hunting is probably best in the planes, but the barbarians that inhabit the area have control there.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Herridon? In the cities by the South Sea you would mostly see swords, knives and bow and arrow; however there certainly are other weapons such as maces, axes, war hammers, spears etc. Certain religious orders are forbidden to use bladed or sharpened weapons due to ancient edicts. For the dwarves axes and war hammers reign supreme. They also use crossbows. The weapons of orcs and goblins vary as well, however they are often poorly made and crude.
The rare ogres and rarer giants prefer clubs and axes…massive clubs and axes of course.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Herridon? Typically travel is done on foot or horseback. Horses can draw carriages as well.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Herridon that we don’t see on Earth? As mentioned, there are various races other than humans such as: dwarves, elves, orcs, goblins, ogres, and giants. The animals and plants are rather similar to Earth. There could be, however, more interesting and unique life forms deeper into the mountains or within the expanses of Lirrowick forest.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Herridon? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used. There is indeed magic in Herridon, however far less prevalent and powerful than it was in eras past. There are two types of magic: divine and arcane. Divine magic is granted by various gods by way of their followers. Arcane magic is a mysterious force that has almost gone extinct due to its abuses by men. There does remain a group, an unscrupulous guild called the Crimson Fox, that can still harness its powers.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Herridon? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples. No, but the dwarves are known to use their subterranean furnaces to create very sought after goods. They are also great engineers.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Herridon. There are board games and dice games. Also, there are team activity games played with balls.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Herridon as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there? The weeks are about the same (7 days) as well as months. It is all driven off of seasons. There are various holidays that come from the various gods. Zentiog, The Day of Life, is one that is specifically mentioned in Kingdom Come. It is a holiday of the sun god although it is observed by the followers of many gods in a week long celebration.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Herridon? Please describe what it involves. As mentioned, there are various religions that follow a diverse group of gods. This includes, for example, Phelios god of the sun, Tuemis god of hearth and home, Aya goddess of air, Ramdeen dwarven god of the mountains, Zatelboz orcish god of the moon.
What is the political or government structure in Herridon? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she? The three cities by the South Sea are run by governing councils as has been the way since the cities were founded. It is rather well known that the councils are corrupt and act in their own interest, much to the dismay of the common people, however they have always been often too afraid or complacent to push for change, but perhaps that will change…
The dwarves are run by their clans, who come together in a council.
Faletonia, the collective civilization of orcs, goblins, ogres, giants and some humans, is run by a council with representatives of each race
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Herridon? Each of the three cities has slightly different culture, but are typically the same. The culture of the dwarves is significantly different though. One can only guess that the elves have a strange culture themselves. The cultures of the mixed races in Faletonia will have to figure out how they will mix together.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book? No, just my love of fantasy.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book? Although not directly intentional, there could be some underlying geopolitical tones derived in this series.
Author Autobiography: I grew up in New Jersey and live in Brooklyn with my wife and kids.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book? My book is available in soft cover and kindle, both on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1974587886/
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Herridon. 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!
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: Annie Douglass Lima
Title of book and/or series: The Student and the Slave (Book 3 in the Krillonian Chronicles)
Also:
Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach
Book 2: The Gladiator and the Guard
Also:
Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach
Book 2: The Gladiator and the Guard
Brief summary of the story:
Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the money for an even more important purpose, though: to rescue Coach Steene, who sacrificed himself for Bensin’s freedom. When members of two rival street gangs express interest in Bensin’s martial arts skills, he realizes he may have a chance to save his father figure after all … at a cost.
Meanwhile, Steene struggles with his new life of slavery in far-away Neliria. Raymond, his young owner, seizes any opportunity to make his life miserable. But while Steene longs to escape and rejoin Bensin and Ellie, he starts to realize that Raymond needs him too. His choices will affect not only his own future, but that of everyone he cares about. Can he make the right ones … and live with the consequences?
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
The story takes place in the Krillonian Empire, which is in a world whose culture and technology are almost exactly like our own in most ways. The main difference is that slavery is legal there. (To learn more about the Krillonian Empire, click here.) In today’s post, however, we will focus on life in the province of Tarnestra (also called Tarnestran Province). Tarnestra is unique in that it recently became the first province in the empire to outlaw slavery. As you can imagine, this history-making event sparked hope in the hearts of slaves throughout the empire, and for many, dreams of escape suddenly became a real possibility. As a result, in addition to freeing all its local slaves, Tarnestra has recently seen an influx of escaped slaves from Imperia and other provinces. These changes have had unfortunate effects on the economy, since many businesses cannot afford to hire as many employees and have had to shut down or cut way back. (The accepted salary for enslaved workers – paid to their owners, of course – is two-thirds what free workers earn.) Tarnestra is now dealing with huge numbers of unemployed and homeless people.
The story takes place in the Krillonian Empire, which is in a world whose culture and technology are almost exactly like our own in most ways. The main difference is that slavery is legal there. (To learn more about the Krillonian Empire, click here.) In today’s post, however, we will focus on life in the province of Tarnestra (also called Tarnestran Province). Tarnestra is unique in that it recently became the first province in the empire to outlaw slavery. As you can imagine, this history-making event sparked hope in the hearts of slaves throughout the empire, and for many, dreams of escape suddenly became a real possibility. As a result, in addition to freeing all its local slaves, Tarnestra has recently seen an influx of escaped slaves from Imperia and other provinces. These changes have had unfortunate effects on the economy, since many businesses cannot afford to hire as many employees and have had to shut down or cut way back. (The accepted salary for enslaved workers – paid to their owners, of course – is two-thirds what free workers earn.) Tarnestra is now dealing with huge numbers of unemployed and homeless people.
If we were to visit Tarnestra as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?Snow sports are popular. Tarnestra’s Rurionis Range has several mountains high enough to have snow at the top all year round, and it’s a common destination for anyone who likes skiing, snowboarding, or sledding.
What dangers should we avoid in Tarnestra?
Because of the high homeless population and the fact that so many people are unemployed, there’s been an increase in crime recently. In addition, you’ll want to watch out for the street gangs, especially if you go out alone at night. Rumor has it that at least one of the gangs has even been involved in kidnapping people to sell them as slaves in other provinces where slavery is still legal.
Because of the high homeless population and the fact that so many people are unemployed, there’s been an increase in crime recently. In addition, you’ll want to watch out for the street gangs, especially if you go out alone at night. Rumor has it that at least one of the gangs has even been involved in kidnapping people to sell them as slaves in other provinces where slavery is still legal.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Tarnestra?
Since it’s by the ocean, seafood is popular. A dish containing cheese dumplings with mushroom gravy is considered a delicacy. Most foods in Tarnestra are very similar to what you might eat on Earth.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Tarnestra?
Tarnestra is not known for its martial arts. Street gangs battle with knives, clubs, and the occasional gun (though firearms are not as easy to obtain there as in some other parts of the Krillonian Empire). One gang, the Corner Creepers, have designed a weapon known as a bladeclub, which involves a short bat spring-loaded with a knife blade. Meanwhile, Bensin misses the cavvarach he had to leave behind: a sword-like weapon with a hook about halfway down the blade.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Tarnestra?
Cars and trucks are the norm in the city. Many people who live on the coast own boats of various kind. People travel to Tarnestra from other parts of the empire by airplane or boat.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Tarnestra as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
As in the rest of the Krillonian Empire, the calendar is the same as Earth’s. Some holidays are different or are given more importance, however. New Year is the most important day of the year, and is celebrated similarly to Christmas on Earth, with decorations, gift giving, music, and feasts with family and friends.
What is the political or government structure in Tarnestra? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
An emperor, who is never named, governs the whole Krillonian Empire from the capital city, Krillonia, on the continent known as Imperia. Tarnestra is one of eight separate provinces on nearby continents. Like the others, Tarnestra is allowed to elect its own legislature and decide on many of its own laws, but the emperor reserves the right to veto any of them and make changes as he sees fit.
An emperor, who is never named, governs the whole Krillonian Empire from the capital city, Krillonia, on the continent known as Imperia. Tarnestra is one of eight separate provinces on nearby continents. Like the others, Tarnestra is allowed to elect its own legislature and decide on many of its own laws, but the emperor reserves the right to veto any of them and make changes as he sees fit.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Tarnestra?
Some Tarnestrans consider it stylish to wear silver in their hair. (Most Tarnestrans have blond or brown hair.) It’s not uncommon to see men, especially, in dreadlocks entwined with silver wires, or braids with silver beads on the end. If you choose to follow this particular custom, though, beware: a dangerous gang known as the Silverheads is famous for doing this, and it’s possible you’ll be mistaken for a gang member, especially if you have a burly build and go out at night with a weapon. If you happen to meet any of the Corner Creepers, their rivals, watch out!
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
I borrowed a few details from places I’ve been. For example, the Corner Creepers’ bladeclubs are made from rounders bats, which are about half the length of baseball bats. Rounders is a sport similar to baseball that is played in Kenya, where I grew up. And the character Boris has a bad habit of chewing betel nut, a mild narcotic that is common in Taiwan, where I live now. (It’s legal in Taiwan, but not in Tarnestra!)
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Is it better to live as a slave or to be homeless, unemployed, and starving? Is it okay to participate in activities you know are illegal or unethical in order to bring about good for someone else? What do you do when you are forced to make the choice between being there for two separate sets of people who both need you in their lives? Can someone be justified in making a promise they know they will break to a person who trusts them if that’s the only way to help someone else? Is it a good thing to have ended slavery when the results are mass unemployment, a huge rise in homelessness, and the economy taking a “deep sea dive”? These are all issues characters have to wrestle with in The Student and the Slave.
Is it better to live as a slave or to be homeless, unemployed, and starving? Is it okay to participate in activities you know are illegal or unethical in order to bring about good for someone else? What do you do when you are forced to make the choice between being there for two separate sets of people who both need you in their lives? Can someone be justified in making a promise they know they will break to a person who trusts them if that’s the only way to help someone else? Is it a good thing to have ended slavery when the results are mass unemployment, a huge rise in homelessness, and the economy taking a “deep sea dive”? These are all issues characters have to wrestle with in The Student and the Slave.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?
The Student and the Slave is available on Amazon here in both Kindle and paperback formats. Its regular price will be $2.99, but I’ve discounted it to 99 cents for the month of November!
Here are the links to my other books:
The Collar and the Cavvarach
The Gladiator and the Guard
Annals of Alasia fantasy series
Hide it In Your Heart (Bible verse coloring/activity book)
Student poetry anthologies
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Sign up for my author emailing list and receive a free copy of one of my fantasy books: http://bit.ly/LimaUpdates
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Tarnestra. 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!
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
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