Kandi J Wyatt

An Unexpected Exploit, book 3 of Myth Coast Adventures trilogy

A regular summer hunting trip takes a new turn when Franklin falls into the mythical realm of Shinwano. When he returns home he finds a poacher, NSA agent, and his friends all interested in the portal—and all for different reasons.

Shinwano exists on a separate plane of the time-space continuum. It looks like Earth but instead of humans populating it, its inhabitants are mythical creatures.

First off, make sure to get the permission of the sanraksaka; otherwise you’re in for trouble. Once you have Ladaku’s approval, then you’ll be free to roam. Be sure to travel north to the Parhada Mountains and visit the dragons there. You’ll also want to meet the gryphons across the lake and, if they’ll let you, the fairies. Keep your eyes open for fauns and brownies as well. A trip to Tsenturi’s cave would be helpful as well. The centaur may allow you to look into his scrying pool.  Of course, your trip wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t look up Kajri the unicorn and hear her story of how she went through the rift in the time-space continuum not once but twice!

For the most part, Shinwano is a peaceful land, but there is one creature that you’ll want to beware of. The guatama prowl through the night seeking creatures they can turn to serve their master. If they can’t trick you to follow them, they’ll destroy you. Their power has been growing recently, so be careful and stay inside at night, especially since they’re invisible!

Ladaku may try to serve you rasa juice. Don’t be put off by the bitter taste. Once you get pass that, the drink will provide energy, help your body heal, and quench your thirst. The rasa berry grows wild on bushes much like Earth’s blueberries do, but they have a taste more like a cranberry or a wolfberry. Cantharellus will show you the best wild mushrooms available and won’t be offended if you don’t like them because he’ll gladly eat what you don’t want.

The manisa of the sanraksaka are known for their bhala, or staff, fighting. They train with tall, hardwood staves that are as tall as them and as thick as their wrists. To humans the Sanraksaka bhalas are as big as tree limbs.

The only way to get to Shinwano is through the rift in the time-space continuum, protected by the Sanraksaka. Once there, you’ll travel on foot unless a unicorn, centaur, or dragon is willing to carry you.

The forests around Gamu, Ladaku’s village, are full of tall, straight eucalyptus trees and bushy, mushroom-shaped myrtlewood trees. The ground cover consists in berries, mushrooms, and ferns.

Deer, rabbits, chipmunks, and other ordinary animals provide food for the inhabitants of Shinwano who prefer something more than vegetables. The lake is full of fish which is excellent grilled over a fire.

The inhabitants are what set Shinwano apart from Earth. Eight distinct races populate the land.

Sanraksaka are large, hairy, and ape-like. Humans may know them as sasquatch, bigfoot, or yeti. The sanraksaka live in villages throughout Shinwano. The women help create weapons for hunting and defending the portals and are in charge of food gathering, while the males are fighters or farmers. Both men and women train their baccaharu, or children, in the ways of Sirjanakarta, the Creator.

North of Gamu, centaurs roam the land. They prefer to live in caves and are known for their wisdom and insight. Across the lake near Gamu, gryphons soar on the thermal currents off the mountains. Fauns and satyrs live in the plains and woods north of Gamu. They interact with the unicorns who prefer the tree-covered areas.

Kopala, or brownies, hide among the lower bushes throughout Shinwano. They love the mushrooms that grow wild in the forests. Kopalalook like living, large teddy bears with their ears higher on their head.

Fairies live in each of the different sections of Shinwano—mountains, lake, grasslands, and woodlands. Every group has distinctive wings. The woodland fairies can be mistaken for butterflies. They flitter among the bushes blending into their surroundings. While in the grasslands, keep your eyes open for flowers that don’t look quite right. The king of the grassland fairies has deep red wings that look like rose petals. Over the lake, the fairies have wings similar to dragonflies, and in the mountains their wings are more durable and resemble beetle wings.

In the mountains to the far north dragons soar. They prefer the rugged terrain where they have ample food in mountain goats, bears, and deer.

In a realm of mythical creatures, magic abounds. Fairies, unicorns, dragons, and kopala wield magic in various amounts. Even centaurs could be considered magical in the use of their scrying pools. Unicorn horns give healing, while their tears provide longevity for skin. By their nature, dragons have magic. Their scales can be used to provide a source of magic to non-magic users. Kopala have the ability to use a small bit of magic, but they can track magic users. Of all the creatures, fairies can wield the most magic. They don’t have spells they cast, but a simple laying of their hands on an object can provide strength, imbue it with magic, or give magic to another. The guatama use their master’s magic. His goal is gather all the magic in the land and pervert it.

No technology exists in Shinwano, but humans have brought technological objects through the portal, even though it doesn’t last long without batteries or any way to recharge.

The manisa train with hand-to-hand combat as well as their bhalas. This happens in a sandy arena outside Sam’mana’s yurt while other sanraksaka watch. At night the sanraksaka sit around the fire and the village storyteller shares tales with the baccaharu and adults alike. All creatures enjoy celebrations and feasts. The fauns and satyrs dance with unicorns observing and enjoying.

Shinwano has seven days in a week and four weeks in a lunar cycle. They count the years in seasons. There aren’t any specific holidays or special events celebrated regularly.

All creatures respect Sirjanakarta, the Creator of Shinwano and Earth. Even the guatama fear Sirjanakarta. The stars remind the sanraksaka of Sirjanakarta’s care and protection. He speaks to the different races in unique ways. The centaurs hear him through their scrying pools, while bhalascommunicate Sirjanakarta’s ways to the sanraksaka. Sirjanakarta speaks directly to fairies. Despite all this, the creatures of Shinwano have no specific religious practices. Their belief in Sirjanakarta permeates everything in their lives.

Each race has a different political structure. Dragons are solitary creatures without much internal governing, as are unicorns, fauns, satyrs, and kopala. The sanraksaka are ruled by the manisa, their warriors. The head manisa has the final say for the village. Each village has their own group of manisa and a head manisa. Fairies have a leader for each of their divisions.

Just be open to different ideas in each people group.

The sanraksaka came about because a sophomore student suggested I write a book about sasquatch. At the time I knew it was going to be part of the Myth Coast Adventures trilogy, but I didn’t know how the story would unfold. As book 2 finished, and Kajri gave us a glimpse of Shinwano, I began to wonder, ‘what if?’ What if the tales of sasquatch, prevalent here in Southwestern Oregon, really were from protectors of portals sliding into our world?

Surprisingly, there are no controversial topics; well, my main character, Franklin does go hunting. The main thing some readers may have issues with is this book has more of a Christian bent to it. As Franklin learns how to use his bhala and the longer he’s in Shinwano, he grows to learn more and more about Sirjanakarta.

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

My books are available on all outlets in both ebook and paperback formats.

Myth Coast Adventures trilogy

Dragon Courage series

Stand-alones

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Shinwano.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

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Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
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I hope you all enjoyed the trip to this cattlepunk town.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Kaiatan.  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!
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Ian Vroon

Ayphae

Book 1 of The Flames Chronicles

They woke up seven years ago with no memory. They found themselves in a land of glowing flowers, mushroom houses and psychedelic spores. They have only dreams, flashbacks—fragments of thoughts they can’t explain.

But now the land is withering. Mushrooms are crumbling to ash, trees turning to mush—and no one knows why.

Enter the aiethepa spore. This fungus grows fast and thick throughout Ayphae. No one knows what it does, and no one can open it. Some blame it for the withering—others think it will breathe life into the land.

Paths cross, and an alliance is born: the three with lost memories, a field scientist, a ranger-turned-speaker and a pragmatic politician. But can they find the problem—before it’s too late?

Ayphae is a world of mushrooms that think using your brain. So for instance, sparkler mushrooms will send out sparkles that arrange themselves in pretty patterns—using your brain to determine what defines “pretty.” Murmuring mushrooms will use your subconscious to bring out thoughts that are comforting to you, which you will hear as a sort of “murmur.” Memory mushrooms will search the recesses of your mind for lost memories and restore them to you (or make you forget things). Mirror mushrooms will alter your visual center so they look like an exact duplicate of you. All these mushrooms think using your brain—provided you’re in their neural net.

Mushrooms with a neural net are known as “net mushrooms.” Apart from you, they have will, but no brain to exercise that will. You grant them that intelligence by wandering into their net. However, you are not aware of them thinking using your brain. It does not affect you in any way, shape or form.

Visit the Obo Mushroom in Obo City (the capital). It’s a giant mushroom the size of several cities—and its cap is so wide, it spans the entire horizon. This mushroom sits at the very center of Ayphae, and people live inside it. The Marden (Ayphae’s ruler) also has his office there.

Though no one knows why, the sun will always rise from behind the Obo Mushroom. No matter where you’re standing, it will always seem like the sun’s rising from behind it and setting behind you. And the Obo Mushroom itself is a net mushroom—it’s sustained by the emotional energy of Ayphae’s inhabitants. Its roots stretch across the whole land.

Beat mushrooms (called “drums”). These dangerous mushrooms are taller than you, have large legs to stomp the ground and are fiercely territorial. If you come across one, it will demand that you match its beat. After stomping out a rhythm, it will expect you to stomp the same rhythm in return. If you don’t, it will attack you. There are five colors of drums in the wild, and they like to travel in herds with the same color. If different colors meet, they will challenge each other for the land by stomping out beats or outright brawling.

Yeast marshes—glowing ponds of ultraviolet muck—should also be avoided, as they are nearly impossible to get out of. You’ll have to be rescued by a pathfinder (Ayphae’s equivalent of a ranger, but more extensive).

Like everything else, the food in Ayphae is quite unique. Marvel mushrooms are usually the main ingredient. These fungi are net mushrooms, and they can change their molecular structure to taste like anything. The caterer programs them to have a specific taste when making the dish, and the best caterers can even invent their own flavors (and combine them). Soups are most prevalent as the main course, as the most nutritious mushrooms (felrusii) can only be eaten cooked. (I actually have a real mushroom soup recipe in the back of my book.)

Scent spores can be programmed to smell like anything, so they help the dish further.

Slingshots are the most common weapon. These can fire frost puffers—fungi that explode and freeze whatever they land on—as well as firebuds. Firebuds are mushrooms that burst into flame when you bop their cap. Firing them is more about intimidation than anything else, as they won’t inflict any serious burns before their flame peters out. In fact, firebuds are usually dropped into jugs of water to make them boil quickly. The frost puffers are better weapons. (Some people use tar as well, though this is less common.)

The martial arts style used is unique to Ayphae, and mostly focuses on agility and defense. Ayphae doesn’t have much crime, so the police usually don’t have to bother.

Spincars • These cars use spinning mushrooms for wheels. Spinning mushrooms will spin by themselves (they go faster when injected with alter spores), so they can propel wooden carts. Since the carts are covered, you would most likely view them as a wooden car. Spincars can come in many sizes and be convertible, but they all share a few common features. Rearview mirrors, brake stems (flowers growing in the spincar’s wood whose roots grip the spinners to keep them from moving—as otherwise you wouldn’t be able to park the car!), a shroomshift to change speed or go in reverse (they just change the level and type of alter spores being injected into the spinners), and so forth. Now and then you need to replace the spinners, as they do wear out.

Pravel • To keep the roads in good condition, a type of pavement called pravel is used. It’s actually an intelligent yeast that repairs itself as you walk or drive over it. It compensates based on pressure, so areas where more people walk will still be in pristine condition. Essentially, the roads you walk on in Ayphae’s cities are one unicellular creature that adapts to your footsteps.

Jellibs • Transparent pink eggs with the consistency of Jell-O that grow on the ground like watermelons. They open up so you can hop in (size varies—some carry only two people, while others can house an entire dance troupe), and you float along the stream. They can also travel through the roots of obosas (giant mushrooms people live in) at about 60mph. This allows swift transportation, and it’s the standard means of getting around outside the big city. Spincars would be used in the villages, but dirt roads can’t handle them very well. Since pravel is in limited supply, only the cities use spincars.

Aerophytes • these glider-like spores appear to have leaves for wings. They can fly you along any air current, but they nest inside aerophytus flowers to rest. Like other net flora, they read your mind.

Dancing Mushrooms • They usually travel in “troupes.” If you come across some in the wild, they’ll want you to dance with them. They’re especially impressed by good dancers—so if you perform well enough, you’ll get a reputation across Ayphae. Pretty soon, any dance troupe will be able to recognize you and demand your performance.

Mirror Mushrooms • When you look at a mirror mushroom, all you’ll see is yourself. And your reflection might be doing something different—so it’s not quite like staring into a mirror. Instead, these fungi read your mind and alter your visual center so you always see what they want you to see when you look at them. They’re quite mischievous, and their laughing sounds like birds chirping. But they really value athletic feats, and they’ll shower you with applause (a sound like rustling leaves) when you do backflips and other tricks. They’re classified as prankster mushrooms because they like to mess with you.

Flying Mushrooms • These unruly mushrooms fly across the sky. When they land, they usually nestle in groupings. Frills likes feather dusters spread out from beneath their caps, which are very sensitive to movement. Their most common predators are birds.

These are just a couple examples, but you can find others in this questionnaire. Most of the transportation uses wildlife (aerophytes, spinners, etc.), for instance. In fact, pretty much everything in Ayphae relies upon mushrooms of some sort. Clocks, houses, cars, medicine, you name it. Everything is a fungus or flower of some kind, from the pavement to the lamps.

Ayphae has a plant-like Sage who protects it (his name is L’Hwon). However, he can only protect it from outside dangers. Currently, there is a barrier protecting the land of Ayphae and isolating it from the outside world. No one can come in or out, and no one knows how the barrier got there. Otherwise, magic has no impact upon Ayphaeans.

These are the only magical elements in Ayphae. Some limited magic will be involved in future books, but I’m more of a sci-fi-in-a-fantasy-setting kind of guy. I want rational explanations, imaginative functions and things that will make people wonder. None of the same-old dwarves and elves kind of thing.

Earphones • Have you ever seen a picture of a fungus that looks like an ear? Imagine one growing on a tree—then imagine you can speak into it and someone will answer. These are Ayphae’s equivalent of telephones. An operator sits at a central earphone and patches people into other earphones (they’re net fungi, so they read the operator’s mind). This allows information to travel much more quickly across Ayphae. It also allows for tunes to become popular, along with talkshows.

Running mushrooms • these small mushrooms can run very quickly. No human can keep up with them, so there used to relay messages. A note is tied to them, the sender concentrates on the destination in their mind—and the runner reads your mind and sprints to that location. This can also be used to deliver small packages, although jellibs are preferred for larger products. Running mushrooms are used to steer cargo jellibs, so no one has to make the trip from town to town.

Malady mushrooms and bevel lichen • These net mushrooms (and lichen) can be programmed to combat any disease—viral, bacterial, fungal or protistal. As a result, disease has been virtually eradicated in Ayphae, along with allergies and other nuisances. The malady mushrooms tend to be better at combating more advanced diseases…but they have a nasty sense of humor. Sometimes their spores will make you sicker instead of curing you. For that reason, they’re usually kept in reserve and only used if the bevel won’t work.

Bubble-scopes • a special tree resin creates a bubblelike film over these microscopes, allowing scientists to see on a microscopic level. This has given them an atomic-era level understanding of chemistry, so they are beginning to understand fission (though they lack the tools to split the atom or do anything remotely close). They do have laser tulips—special plants that emit a laser from their piston—but that only helps them so much. Their ability to conduct advanced chemistry has allowed them to create mixes from all sorts of different mushrooms in Ayphae. These mixes can do crazy things, like make you sweat mist that glows in colors that represent the emotion you’re feeling.

Shroomlamps • In lieu of electricity, which has not been developed, people light their houses with shining mushrooms that act as lamps. With their caps reversed, the smaller lamps can be used as flashlights. Glowing mushrooms are also a thing. They are planted near the front walkway and light up when anyone comes near. They act as porch lights.

There’s so much more. For instance, trumpet mushrooms project your voice, like speaker boxes on a stage. I don’t want to detail everything here, though. You’ll find out more when you read Ayphae.

Parties are the main feature in Ayphae. People gather around to hear singers, speakers and debaters—not to mention watching dances, eating food and whatever other special events are present.

The dances are quite unique. Dancers can ingest special mixes to make them glow. In addition, they can camouflage themselves, sweat glowing mist and so forth—all depending on the fungal mix they ingest. They often dance on a field of glowing flowers that makes ripples of light with each step—like waves from a pebble tossed into a still pond. Many other tricks are used involving mirror mushrooms (you’ll see what those are), but I don’t want to spoil it for you. (I’ve got over 40,000 words’ worth of notes on Ayphae, so there’s a lot to tell. It’s quite a world, and I’m only showing you a little in this questionnaire.)

As for sports, it’s mostly about hopperball. Hoppers are mushrooms with stems coiled like a spring, which propel you if you jump on them—much like a trampoline. In hopperball, one of the few rules is that you cannot touch a hopper while holding the ball. You must toss it into the air—then in your next jump so you will catch it before it lands. You can also pass to a teammate. Opposing players try to intercept the ball whenever you toss it, so there is a constant give-and-take. Four timed quarters are played.

People also like to play with melody mushrooms (melodies). If you eat them, melodies can give you perfect pitch or make you sing off tune—but either way, they’ll make it so you sound perfect to yourself. You might be singing horribly, but you’ll sound fine to your own ears. People like to eat them, sing to their friends—and based off their friends’ reaction, guess whether they got the positive or negative effect. It’s really more a game about reading people than anything else.

Days of the week, months, etc. are the same. One peculiarity is the complete absence of holidays. Ayphae has no real concept of special days—other than days when certain events are going on, such as an election or party. People are usually more laid back about things like time.

Informally, yes. There is a general belief in a set of moral systems set into effect by something, but no real concept of an afterlife or specific deity to go with it. It’s more cultural than anything else.

Truth be told, I wanted the emphasis to be on this society’s real deity: entertainment. I do mention a church somewhere in there, but Christianity or whatever is not present. I made this choice because I wanted to focus more on core issues of philosophy and morality rather than centralizing on a specific system of beliefs. I also wanted to avoid making an allegory. Another fantasy world that does this kind of thing is J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle earth. However, I hope to foster critical thinking about deep issues significantly more than he did as the series unfolds.

Democratic Monarchy. That is to say, the people elect a king. So he’s not really a king so much as a president with almost absolute power. He must abide by the sacred rules: a seven-year term, after which you can reelect him or elect a new ruler; no executions (that’s for the court of law); no silencing the press…and if he’s smart, he’ll hold a vote and let the people decide on major issues. This makes the people feel listened to. His official title is the Marden.

The current Marden is Joven Marshalltoe. He’s quite a character, and in Ayphae he feels like everyone is getting on his case for the withering land. They’re blaming him for just about everything. He’s done what he can policy-wise, but it’s clearly not enough—the land is going downhill, the crops are failing, everything’s going wrong. He doesn’t want to let the people down—but something has to be done.

And no, he’s not supposed to represent Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton or any other president. He’s his own character, and should be treated as such. I really like his pragmatism, as it sells his polite but no-nonsense demeanor.

Everyone gets up early. This is because the houses they live in—obosas—are giant mushrooms that feed off the neuroelectric energy they emit. Specifically, they feed off your emotions. They do this the way you would absorb heat from a campfire—they don’t drain you or anything. So it’s a mutualistic relationship between the humans and their mushroom houses.

This is important because humans put out less emotional energy while asleep (obviously). The obosas need them to be awake for a good part of the day, so they have musical cords running through them called tonal cords. The obosas twang these cords to wake up their inhabitants. Think harp strings, but longer.

This means if you sleep in, your obosa must not be working properly. People will express concern immediately. Getting to bed earlier is an excellent way to compensate.

Otherwise, the culture is remarkably similar to ours. Out in the small towns, people are touchy about private business—but in the big city, they may be straightforward to the point of rudeness. Nothing too unexpected. (Their colloquialisms may throw you off, however. They’re all fungi-related expressions.)

I love studying science, so whenever I come across new and interesting fungi, they get featured. I also love geology, which will be featured in an upcoming book. Basically, whatever inspires me in creation gets a slot in my books.

The idea of giant mushrooms is just natural. You see something strange and weird, and you want to enlarge it to make it even stranger and weirder. One should think the dancing mushrooms would be credited to a certain Disney movie…but surprisingly, Fantasia had nothing to do with it. I just thought it would be fun if the mushrooms danced. That’s how most of my ideas work. They just happen. (I give credit to God for my creativity.) 🙂

Most people would like to blame their problems on one political party or the other. In Ayphae, everyone is pointing the finger at the politicians. The question I raise is whether people should look in the mirror. Politicians can’t change your heart—only reflect what you value. Rather than blaming this political party or that party for everything, why don’t we look at ourselves as the potential problem?

I don’t take a conservative or liberal approach. I dismiss politics altogether and foist the responsibility to produce change on us. If we don’t fix things, no one will.

But I don’t like preaching at my audience. So I bring in some counter arguments as well. Government can surely do a few things right—some problems can only be fixed by them. I admit that. But again, I’m as politically neutral as possible. I really want to emphasize individual responsibility. Honestly, it feels like an appropriate message for our time. Everyone wants to play the blame game.

I’ve also taken safeguards to prevent any of my characters from being mouthpieces. I’ve ensured that each protagonist disagrees with me on at least one major thing (different for each character)—and to prevent villains from being reversed mouthpieces, I’ve ensured that each of them agrees with me on at least one major thing. I want my readers to think and question rather than being spoonfed my morality. I believe critical thinking is the best tool we have, as without it we can never improve.

Everything I write puts a new spin on fantasy as you know it. And when I’m not writing, I’m imagining my next book.

I love science and incorporate it heavily into my fantasy worlds. I also love philosophy—and since I hate going with the crowd, I resolve to take the reader on a journey of questioning and suspense, watching my characters struggle with interpreting and reacting to unfolding events.

As I live near the foothills of Colorado, I enjoy exploring the outdoors with my wife—soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of creation. But we are most passionate about our strategy games, usually spending hours or even days nerding out on one game alone.

You can preorder Ayphae at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Ayphae-Vibrant-Dying-Ian-Vroon-ebook/dp/B07SBY3CD1/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ayphae+ian+vroon

Enjoy! You can also subscribe to my newsletter on my blog and get a free copy of part 1. That way you can sample it. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts. (Since I’m still looking for more reviewers, you could be one of them.) 😊

Where can readers connect with you online?  Connect with me at https://ianvroon.blog/

I love interacting with my readers!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Ayphae.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Pipto.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

The first half of King of Malorn takes place mostly in the kingdom of Malorn. I’m choosing not to focus on that setting in this post, since I featured Malorn in a previous edition of Realm Explorers after Prince of Malorn was published. The second half of the book is set partly in Malorn and partly in the bordering kingdom of Alasia, which I also featured previously in Realm Explorers, when I focused on Prince of Alasia and again for The Nameless Soldier.

This post will focus on a new and relatively tiny nation known as Karvasi Territory, which our heroes must pass through on their journey to safety from Malorn to Alasia. Formerly known as the Western Wilderness, this area was part of Malorn until just before the beginning of King of Malorn. Long inhabited by bandits who attacked and robbed travelers and the few settlers who lived there, the Western Wilderness (sometimes called Bandit Territory) has always been dangerous. Malorn’s government finally decided it wasn’t worth the expense and manpower to protect it, and they gave the land to the bandits, requiring all Malornian residents to leave. (King Korram was furious about this decision, but his High Council outvoted him. Since Malorn is a constitutional monarchy, the king does not have the power to make decisions that the rest of the government disagrees with.)

See the triangular area to the west, between the two rivers and the mountains (enlarged in the image below)? That’s where the Karvasi live.

Stay away! Karvasi Territory is no place for tourists. The bandits (or Karvasi, as their race calls themselves) do not welcome outsiders. You may find yourself stopped and forced to pay a “toll” before you go on. Furthermore, the land is dry and rocky, full of thornbushes and coarse brush, and only a few crops can even grow there. You may be lucky enough to find a stream for water, but in general, the land itself isn’t even friendly.

However, if you find yourself forced to travel through Karvasi Territory, there are a few sights worth seeing. One of the streams there winds through a ravine of reddish rock, in which you can see a scenic waterfall. (The scene depicted on the book cover actually takes place in that ravine.) However, there aren’t many safe paths into or out of the ravine. If, like Kalendria and her companions, you find yourself trapped in there and in a hurry to get away, beware! The waterfall is located at a dead end. Unless you can climb straight up the cliff, your enemies will likely catch you.

The Karvasi, of course! Apart from robbing travelers, if they think you mean them harm, they will likely kill you, especially if you are Malornian. However, they do have a cordial trading relationship with the Alasians, so if you can convince them you’re Alasian, they’ll be more likely to let you live. If you must travel through their territory, I recommend bringing a gift of food, tools, or other supplies for them. If you ask nicely and they can see you don’t pose a threat, they might even be convinced to give you something in return. But they know that the Malornian government has ceded the land to them, and that no one is supposed to pass through without their permission now, so they don’t take kindly to the sight of anyone else in their territory. Unfortunately for them, the Malornian government recently sent a large number of soldiers through their land to guard the Telleck River against the Alasians army (after all, the Alasians have reason to believe the Malornians recently assassinated their king). So, the Karvasi have been grumpy about that and inclined to resent anyone they see.

You’ll want to avoid those Malornian soldiers, too. Nothing much has happened since they set up camp by the river, and many of them are bored and looking for trouble.

Once Malorn’s government ceded the land to them, the Karvasi built a village and planted gardens, but those haven’t started producing yet. At this point, most of their food comes from birds or rabbits that they hunt or whatever they can trade from the Alasians. However, since so many Malornian soldiers are camped out by the Telleck River, trade has been difficult lately, and the Karvasi have been tightening their belts.

If they have enough to spare and decide that they like you, you may be served a type of round, flat bread folded around slices of cooked meat (rabbit is most common), seasoned with a variety of herbs. They may also include sprigs of raw green onion or other vegetables and leftover fried eggs.

The Karvasi fight with short, curved scimitars. Some (like the burly Blenniel, one of the men our characters encounter) are experts in unarmed combat, and many are proficient with the longbow. They make a particular type of poison that they often smear on their blades and arrowheads, so even if they don’t strike a killing blow, a scratch that merely breaks the skin will leave their victim dead in minutes. So I recommend avoiding fighting with them if at all possible – unless you dare to challenge one of them to unarmed combat, as King Jaymin’s bodyguard Erik does.

The Karvasi travel on foot. Others who pass through their territory might use horses, carts, or wagons. Boats are common on the two rivers that form part of their border.

At this point, the Karvasi have to put a lot of energy into trying to survive and avoid their enemies. They don’t have a lot of time for games or fun activities. However, they do enjoy contests of strength and skill, such as the one in which Erik pits himself against their best warrior. Of course, the stakes are extremely high, so I suggest enjoying such activities as a spectator, not a participant, unless you’re quite confident in your own abilities.

The Karvasi are ruled by a chief named Raddiek. He is in charge not only of the residents of the hidden village our heroes stumble into, but of thousands more Karvasi waiting back in the mountains to the west. When he sends word that it’s safe, the rest will come and join the first wave back in their ancestral homeland.

Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and Bible verse coloring and activity books. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.

King of Malorn is available in both paperback and Kindle formats here.

You can see the rest of the Annals of Alasia here.

Or, take a look at all my books on Amazon here.

Where can readers connect with you online? 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads 

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/letters-from-annie-douglass-lima-6275229

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Karvasi Territory.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

Author’s name: Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Title of book and/or series: Shard & Shield (The Shard of Elan, 1)

He can save her life—if he sacrifices himself and those he swore to protect.

King’s bastard Shianan Becknam buries himself in his military career to avoid the family that never wanted him and the dangers of drawing political attention. When the artifact intended to end an interdimensional war is damaged, the mage Ariana is trapped on the other side of the rift with her servant—only the cheery young boy is really one of the monstrous enemy, disguised as a human. Shianan is desperate to rescue Ariana, one of his few friends, but to do so requires committing treason and betraying his duty, leaving his people open to attack.

State mage Ariana struggles to survive as a prisoner of war in a world of deadly magic and unfamiliar customs. Her only ally is her former servant, now a renowned warrior caught up in political machinations. To survive, he’ll have to once again take up the fight against Ariana’s world.

As their people’s wasted armies prepare for fresh battle that will devastate both sides, bastard, mage, and monster must set aside prejudices and rivalries to find an end to centuries of conflict, before they die as traitors.

This was really fun, because I got to create twoworlds!

Chrenada is a land in the human world, surrounded by countries and states such as Vandoga, Tyrg, and the trading empire of the Wakari Coast (settled originally by pirates but no one talks about that now). Chrenada is most similar to, but not exactly like, southern Europe during our Renaissance, if Greco-Roman culture had persisted a bit longer.

But there’s also the Ryuven world, and its inhabitants can magically intrude into the human world, wreaking devastating raids like interdimensional Vikings. When Ariana finds herself there, she discovers cities of wide avenues and tall buildings, where glittering nets shield private areas from other winged citizens.

Bridging the culture gap, especially in a generations-long war, is a part of the story.

And now, I’m going to turn you over to Captain Torg, a career soldier who is going to take you around and answer your questions. Have a good trip!

Hello, your lordships and ladyships. As the scribe said, I’m Captain Torg. Mind your step as we go around.

There’s an annual festival in the capital city of Alham which is usually enjoyable, even though it’s a lot of work for us officers. The military gives a big parade, and then there are duel tournaments to watch, featuring the best fighters like Shianan Becknam. This is important because it’s the soldiers who protect the people from the marauding Ryuven.

Well, the usual. Bandits come in human form as well as the raiding Ryuven. Or you could be caught by an unscrupulous slaver and sold, as slavery is such a large part of the economy. And of course the big danger is the Ryuven, but they tend to strike agricultural targets more than cities, so just stay inside Alham. No worries about the beasts, all the worst ones tend to stay in the mountains these days.

You know, it’s funny you should ask, because we have just the usual vegetables, grains, meats like chicken and mutton and pork, all the regular staples. There’s always the worry that the Ryuven will take it and supplies will be short, but fortunately we have plenty of plains for growing and grazing and a good trade network. But some other of you Realm Explorers visitors have asked for strange meats, like—what was it called—beef? From a really large goat? What did they call them… Something like cats, except obviously cats are small and not good eating… Oh, cattle! That’s the word. I’ve never heard of any domestic animal so large as what they describe, to be honest! Except for a horse, of course, but no one would eat a horse; it would be like eating gold.

The oddest part was a lady tourist asked once, if we had no cattle and with horses so rare, how did we use our wagons and plows? ‘Soats, I have to say I don’t understand you Realm Explorer folk sometimes. We were walking right through a slave market.

We’ve got all kinds of fighting, plenty of opportunity to develop it and adapt it to fending off the Ryuven. You’ve got to fight a fast, aerial enemy differently than a human army. Our armor is specialized to provide extra defense from above, and we have arrowheads that are harder to pull out so that the Ryuven can’t heal so quickly.

The good news is, while they can fly and they’ve got magic, they’re pretty fragile things. Break like birds if you can hit them. You’ve just got to finish the job before they can heal.

Oh, and I guess I ought to mention the mages. We’ve got mages for defense, too, grey mages for all the common work and then the Great Circle for strategy and magical defense. But take my word as a captain that it’s the soldiers who do most of the real fighting.

Oh, look, there’s the Great White Mage himself, Ewan Hazelrig! Yes, we certainly do owe a lot to the Great Circle for keeping us all protected!

Here in Chrenada, we mostly walk, or we’ll use wagons for loads or if someone can’t walk well or far. Over on the Wakari Coast they use litters, too, with bearers, but you don’t see that as much here.

Well, you should hope you don’t, really. The most likely is the Ryuven, and that means you’re caught in a raid. They’re tall and lean, like youths that haven’t really filled out yet, with big skin wings coming out their torsos. A little delicate, almost, because their bones are hollow. Like birds. But they’re dangerous.

There are some of the old monsters still around, but mostly in the mountains now, as I said. Leucrocutas and the occasional catoblepas. But you’re not likely to see them unless you go into the passes at the wrong time of year.

We’ve got one primary religion, though to be honest it’s not the important beyond a cultural tradition. I guess I mean a lot of people don’t use it that much beyond swearing by it. But some people take it pretty seriously.

There’s a scattering of other beliefs around, too. There’s even some sort of war cult with little strongholds spread all over the kingdom. Mostly rituals about preparing for the war of wars, or something. I don’t understand it, except I know Commander Becknam had to offer them his townhouse as a new property to get the Shard of Elan from them. Weird folk. Don’t see any of them volunteering to fight the Ryuven, don’t think they know much about real fighting.

We’re a kingdom, so we’ve got a king. He’s good enough, as kings go, mostly makes decent policy and listens to his council for the most part.

What’s that? Yes, two sons, the prince-heir Soren and the younger prince Alasdair.

Well, yes, there is another son, the bastard Shianan Becknam. How is he with the third son? Well, I don’t know that it’s my place to comment, and I certainly wouldn’t have any insight to that, not as a captain, would I? By the way, how’s the weather where you folks are from? No need to rush out, it’s been lovely to have you, but that’s enough here and I have work to do. I hope you have a great trip back home! Take care!

Thanks everyone, this is Laura again! I hope Captain Torg gave you an informative tour.

It wouldn’t be fair to call this an East-versus-West book, as the cultures are not that defined, but of course I drew on aspects and influences from our own world. There’s a lot of historic Italy, north and south, represented in Chrenada and the Wakari Coast, Alham and Chrenada are named from my time living in southern Spain, and I drew on historic Asian cultures for some Ryuven practices.

There are some messed-up relationships in this book, no question, which have created some broken people. There are themes of abuse, and I would alert readers that if this were a film, it would likely carry the MPAA rating of PG-13. However, the story is written from a positive worldview and the intent is not to wallow in the dark but to provide hope, so please look for the light!

Shard & Shield is available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. You can find it at many of your favorite outlets at https://books2read.com/ShardandShield, or ask at your favorite local bookstore or library.

My website is www.LauraVAB.com and all my social media links can be found there as well. Please be sure to sign up for the newsletter—it goes out only occasionally and you get free stories! 😊

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Chrenada.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Neverica.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

Savannah Jezowski

The Witching Hour Series

The lights are going out.Part One: As shadows encroach on the city of Lite, one cat stands between humanity and the hounds of darkness. Romeo takes it upon himself to find a suitor for his human Isabel in order to save the city and sets his sights on the unlikeliest of candidates. Will Romeo find that perfect match for his human before it’s too late? Can true love really save the day?

Part Two: When Isabel disappears in the middle of the night, the city of Lite is once again plunged to the brink of disaster. This magical cat finds himself trekking through the dangerous wildlands to rescue the young queen with a clownish wizard, a sassy she-cat, a pretty healer, and a mysterious soldier. However, their only hope may be the very thing Romeo fears most. Can Romeo and his friends save the day before the shadows consume them?The Witching Hour is a frolicking fantasy adventure with fairy tale themes and clean romance. Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Lloyd Alexander.

The Witching Hour takes place in a world that strongly contrast light and dark. Darkness has taken over most of the world, so that even in the middle of the day, the wild lands are covered in shadows. The city of Lite is one of the few safe havens left in Romeo’s world. (Romeo is a magical cat, if you’d like to know). Lite is known especially for its glass rooftops and glittering lights. The city is protected behind a towering wall that is kept secure by a magical connection to the king and queen.

You definitely need to go see the royal palace. It’s a breathtaking structure of vaulted rooms and glass rooftops. Romeo would also suggest you visit the kitchens. Cook is stingy and won’t give you treats, but the maids will slip you a snack when Cook’s back is turned. He also says the mice are quite tasty in Lite and ought to be sampled. (I don’t recommend that, however).

Don’t leave the city. Ever. There are shadows and hounds and other beastly things beyond the city walls that will drag you away, where you’ll never be found.

The weapons in Lite are of the usual sort in a fairy tale setting—swords and knives and the like—However, magic is the greatest weapon at your disposal. There are wizards and magical cats to keep the city safe from the hounds of darkness lurking outside in the shadows.

Due to the dangerous conditions outside the city, travel rarely occurs in Lite. If you simply must venture outside the city, you will have to travel by horse or on foot, I’m afraid. I don’t recommend it.

There are several species you will encounter in Lite. Magical cats are the most important ones (so they say), but you will also find sentient hounds in the wild lands, and other creatures like golems and a positively horrid monster known as the darkening king. He’s rather an unpleasant combination of tree and shadow and pure evil. The shadows are also alive. They have the power to influence your emotions and thoughts, luring you away from what you ought to be doing and into dark places you shouldn’t go.

As I’ve already mentioned, magic is very important in Lite, as vital as air and water to the people and creatures who live there. Without it, they’d be overrun by the shadows and lost to the darkness. The magic system isn’t spell based and doesn’t require the use of wands or anything of that nature. It’s more instinctual—a gift that some people and creature are born with. There is also a very special connection between the royal couple and the city. If something happens to the king and queen, the lights begin to go out and unpleasant things happen. Light is the primary source of magic and keeps everyone safe.

The days and months are pretty much the same, as are many of the major holidays. However, there is one special event that happens in Lite that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the real world (or other fictional ones, that I know of). There is this special Alignment, and a new king and queen can ONLY be chosen on the day of the Alignment, also known as the Witching Hour. They even wrote a song about it. When the moons merge, the magic activates, and the light chooses the people who are destined to rule and keep the city safe.

This stanza of the “Witching Song” refers to the moment of choosing—if the man or woman the light chooses to become the next king or queen falters or runs away from their calling, the city would fall prey to the darkness. It’s a very serious matter.

When the story begins, an elderly woman named Sylvia is struggling to rule the city on her own. The magical strain of keeping the lights on by herself is causing her to buckle, though. She’s a very determined and gentle soul. Young Isabel was chosen years ago to replace her, but a king needs to be found first before the young couple can relieve Sylvia of her duties. That’s where Romeo comes in. He takes it upon himself to find a suitor for Isabel, but the bloke he chooses isn’t the most likely candidate.

I suggest you be careful what you say around the animals. You never know which ones are magical and which are just normal cats and dogs. If you accidentally insult the magical variety, you’re likely to find mice on your pillow for the rest of your life or get beaned on the head by small flying objects.

The animals in my story were inspired by own dogs and kitties. The mannerisms, likes and dislikes, and general temperaments of Romeo, Pursy, and Ash are blatant reflections of my own dear fur babies. You’ll also find some subtle Cinderella influences in Part One of the story: the glass rooftops, the magical cat in place of a fairy godmother, a gender-swapped chimney sweep and princess, the grand ball where a prince is to be chosen, and things of that nature. Also, the whole concept of the Alignment, of the king and queen being chosen, light versus darkness, good versus evil, is heavily influenced by my Christian upbringing. I had planned for the original tale to be more heavily allegorical in nature, but the story and characters wanted to take a lighter, more fairy tale spin. So I slipped in some Christian themes where they fit naturally and let the story run its course. Besides, who am I to argue with magical cats?

Savannah Jezowski lives in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor and a wee warrior princess. She is the founder of Dragonpen Designs and Dragonpen Press, which offers author services such as cover design, developmental edits, and interior formatting. Her debut novella “Wither” is featured in Five Enchanted Roses, an anthology of Beauty and the Beast, and is a prequel to The Neverway Chronicles, a Christian fantasy series filled with tragic heroes and the living dead. She is also the author of When Ravens Fall, a Norse Beauty and the Beast retelling. She is featured in several Fellowship of Fantasy anthologies, including Mythical Doorways, Tales of Ever After, and Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales. When she isn’t writing, Savannah likes to read books, watch BBC miniseries, and play with cover design. She also enjoys having tea with her imaginary friends.

You can enter to win a FREE paperback of THE COMPLETE STORY, Parts One AND Two in one cute paperback. To enter, simply enter the rafflecopter giveaway. Winner will be chosen March 30th. This giveaway is US ONLY. Enter the Giveaway!

March 18 – http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

March 19 – http://cobonham.com

March 20 – https://thefoldedworld.wordpress.com

March 21 – https://tammylash.wordpress.com/

March 22 – http://jenelleschmidt.com

March 24 – http://corinnejet.wordpress.com

March 26 – http://annie-louise-twitchell.blogspot.com/

March 27 – www.hlburkeauthor.com/blog

March 28 – http://megdendler.blogspot.com/

March 29 – http://sjeckert.wordpress.com

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Lite.  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!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!