Author’s name: Kandi J Wyatt
Title of book and/or series: Uprooted Book 1 Four Stars over Ardatz: Sovereigns
Brief summary of the story: Far from home, an 18-year-old servant caught between castle intrigue and kingdom infighting must decide where his loyalties lie or lose those closest to him.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: The world was a normal planet, until the smallest of three moons drifted from its orbit and a part of the moon slammed into the northern hemisphere, knocking the planet off its axis. Now the northern-most side of the planet is in constant darkness and the southern half is in constant sun with only a very narrow strip of just-right climate where plants can grow. There’s a youtube video that tells the legend of the four stars.
If we were to visit Ardatz as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there? There are several regions to Ardatz. If you go to the darklands, visit Skymna. You’ll want to be sure to visit the capital, Huvudstadan, then go north to Stad. It’s just a small village, but if you visit the first lunar cycle of the synod (twelve lunar cycles), you’ll catch the Festival of Stars, an event that is a highlight and celebrates the two moons as well as the stars that light our way in the absence of Handi and Tsiki.
If you can handle the ball of fire in the sky known as Graen, you’ll enjoy a visit to the brightlands. Muintir has a stable government and provides most of the produce for both the brightlands and the darklands. The best place to visit is Cahar, its capital city, and if you get a chance to visit the castle, do so. It’s open during the Queen’s Feast during the Worker’s Festival.
What dangers should we avoid in Ardatz? There are several dangers. Dragons are known to roam the extreme areas of Ardatz, and everyone knows how nice they are! The tales say dragons would rather eat you than let you live in peace.
Besides that, the farther south you travel, Graen itself becomes a danger. Its rays kill all plant life and will burn any skin that’s exposed. I’ve heard of people who live in Aeguskey. They cover their faces to protect themselves from Graen. There are even tales of merchants on the Inferno Trail. I’d not go there, but then again, I grew up under Handi and Tsiki’s light and Graen is too bright for me.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Ardatz? Again, it depends on where you’re at. Tsiki’s Choice, the inn where I’m a stable hand, serves a hearty stew, and Malene, the innkeeper, has an excellent ale. As for Muintir, I’d love to taste a good apple—one that’s not mushy or tough when I bite into it.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Ardatz? Up until I was sold to a warrior, I wouldn’t have known much about fighting except what I’ve heard in stories. But recently, I’ve discovered that Muintir uses leather armor and fights well on horses. Skymnian soldiers wear chain mail and are excellent against archers. The Skymnian army is the reason we’ve known the peace we have for many synods. Aeguskian warriors are excellent horsemen and mounted archers. They can take out a regiment of soldiers without any problem, much to my mentor’s despair.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Ardatz? We travel by horseback and wagons. I’ve been told the ancients used other travel means, but I have no idea how they would have worked.
As for animals, there are cows, sheep, goats, pucklings. Oh, yeah, you might not have heard of the wooly ducks. They look like a llama on a duck body. Their wool is prized by royalty. As for predators, there are fox, wolves, hawks, owls, you name it.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Ardatz that we don’t see on Earth? I met my first jiddee’adar on my trip to Muintir. He seemed ordinary enough, but then I saw him in action! A jiddee’adar can manipulate the natural order of things using either earth, air, water, fire, or plants. They usually find a creature that’s at home in that element that works with them. Their power is portrayed in a glow that emits along their wrists and temples. It’s either white, brownish, blue, green, or red depending on the focus of their magic.
I mentioned dragons. They’re known to come in many different colors. Blues control storms, while whites use the cold around them as a weapon. Both of these are found in the far reaches of the darklands. Browns and oranges are known to roam in Aeguskey’s hot deserts, and greens can be found in any region, although I’ve never met a dragon. Muintir and the other habitable brightlands countries have known dragon kings in their histories. These are men who have bonded with silver dragons.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Ardatz? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used. Jeeah gave us the jiddee’adar to help transition after the impact. Their ability to manipulate the elements protected the people of Ardatz. But with all power comes those who’d twist it. Those who sought to use the power wrongly or who weren’t naturally gifted became sanyalee. They use stones imbued with power as focus points or other powerful items.
The more I’m around jiddee’adar, I realize they have great power. They can cast bolts of magic, call up fire, or even control plants or the wind. Jiddee’adar mold their element to their needs and to the people’s needs around them.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Ardatz? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples. Before the Impact, I’ve heard there were wonderous items once. There’s a story of a young man in the darklands going out to prove himself by staying out in the elements. He stumbled upon a stash of the ancients. No one really knows what they were used for, though.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Ardatz. There are the regular games that kids play with balls and such. Cahar’s Queen’s Feast showcases the Rittider, the king’s elite body guards, as they dual with swords.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Ardatz as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there? At one point in time, before the Impact, time was measured by Graen’s movements, but after the Impact, time now revolves around the moons—predominantly Handi since it can be seen both in the darklands and the brightlands. What used to be called days are now moonsteps. Seven moonsteps are a phase, and four phases are a lunar cycle. There are twelve lunar cycles in a turn or rotation (darklands’ term) or synod.
As for holidays and special events. The Festival of Stars is once a turn at the beginning of the synod when neither Handi nor Tsiki grace the sky. The citizens go to the center of the village and send up lanterns into the sky. Leading up to it, there are songs and everyone gives gifts during that time.
I’ve already mentioned the Workers’ Festival earlier.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Ardatz? Please describe what it involves. Some people worship Jeeah. I’d never really heard about him until I traveled to Muintir. He’s the one they believe is the creator. As far as I can tell, they pray to Jeeah and read works that are said to be from Him or His followers. His followers tend to be kind and loving people.
What is the political or government structure in Ardatz? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she? Ardatz has three large regions—Eelarga in the dark north, Atsegena—the just right area—and Aeguesky. Then those regions are divided into individual countries. Most are ruled by kings and queens. Twilli has an emperor. Before that, there were tribal-ruled areas. In Skymna, Orvar Melkar is the king. His dynasty has ruled as long as histories exist of Skymna. Muintir is a relatively new country, and King Athair and Queen Kaylynn rule. Their daughter Siobhan is a beauty, but also a fireball. Don’t tell her I said that. I’m in enough trouble with her as it is.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Ardatz? Not really. I did learn when visiting Ovar Melkar, you need an appointment and must never look up at him.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book? Skymna is from Sweden while Muintir is based on the Irish language and loosely on Ireland itself. The royal home of the kings of Muintir is from Castle Balleynahinch. My family heritage is from both Sweden and Ireland. One of my ancestors was Swedish, and he saved the king’s life during battle. As a reward, he got to marry the princess!
Author Autobiography:
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.
Uprooted, Book 1 Four Stars over Ardatz: Sovereigns is available in all formats—paperback, ebook, and hardback. You can watch the trailer on youtube.
Where can readers connect with you online? I’m available on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, youtube, pinterest with a dedicated board for Four Stars over Ardatz Sovereigns, and my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter and receive book 2 of my Dragon Courage series for free. (Book 1 is permanently free).
A Note from the Author:
Witches Tales came to be because of six little girls with very interesting fears or challenges that I hoped to quench in a cute yet poignant way. Halloween presented the opportunity since they all love this holiday and were excited to be witches.
Since Spanish is my language, I decided to make my children’s books bilingual and enter that market.
In Witches Tales/Cuentos de Brujitas you will find:
A little witch who loves camping, reading her letters and colors. Therefore that tale has all of them included; in addition, you read it in a spooooooky voice.
A detective witch who has to find all the things stolen from her family and friends, while learning a good lesson about respecting others property.
A witch that is afraid of too many things to be healthy.
Another that loves to dance and has to figure how to include others in her performance.
The witch that doesn’t like to do chores and finds a way of doing them with a bit of magic as three new friends come to help.
The last witch shows us that when we get scared, we may put ourselves in danger by staying alone. And that we can solve problems together, and being safe is a better way.
Now, you have all these tales in one colorful book: Witches Tales/Cuentos de Brujitas by A. C. Dye
Click here to purchase your copy.
Author Biography
A. C. Dye is a pen name of the award-winning young adult author Anna del C. Dye. As Anna del C., she has published over twenty books, mostly young adult fantasy and medieval romance, all in English.
Her children’s books, written as A. C. Dye, are all bilingual. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, U.S.A., but is originally from Chile, S.A.
You may connect with her and her works at https://www.annadelc.com
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Marisol Holmes, great-great-granddaugther of Sherlock Holmes and jaguar shifter, is being held captive in a castle belonging to her mortal enemy Mannix, surrounded by people who want her dead. Meanwhile, Mannix’s sidekick Indra is roaming around, pretending to be Marisol.
The more Marisol learns about Mannix’s plans, the more she realizes she has to stop him at all costs. Underneath the castle is an underground labyrinth filled with riddles that were once solved by her famous ancestor, Sherlock Holmes. The labyrinth holds the powers of ancient mythological creatures, similar to the power held by the Sigils.
Mannix having access to the might of the legendary wolf Fenrir is bad enough, but to allow him access to other, similarly magnificent powers, is a recipe for disaster.
Marisol will have to do whatever it takes to stop Mannix, even if it means risking her own life.
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Historical Fantasy Romance
Date Published: February 16, 2021
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
WE ARE OUR FUTURE
Alyssa asked Jerrik to marry her when she was eight-years-old. When he finally makes good on his promise to return when she’s old enough to wed, nothing could prepare her for what becoming his queen truly means.
Jerrik is haunted by a tortured past, and has done everything he can to avoid any ties to his parents’ mistakes. Life has other plans, and against his wishes, he agrees to assume the cursed throne that has taken the lives of his loved ones. Now a king, he must wed, and the only real choice is his best friend’s sister – the girl who has loved him since she was a child.
His bride has grown into a beautiful, tempting woman, and Jerrik succumbs willingly to her charms. But lies and betrayal surround them at every turn, and while she holds true, he makes the ultimate mistake, almost ruining an incandescent love.
Other Books in the Destined Series:
Destined, Book 1
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Published: January 2020
STAR CROSSED
A northern princess captured by pirates is sold into slavery and gifted as dowry to the cruel father of a prince betrothed to a woman he despises. So is the lot of Oona, the Swan, an exceptional singer and dancer, stolen from her father’s ship along with her sister, the Dove. Of all the horrors that awaits them, including training to be pleasure women for the brutal king, Oona never would have believed his son, Asad, the lion, Prince Black Mane of the Southern Great Valleys, would capture her heart. Any contact or familiarity between her and the prince with the glowing amber eyes, guarantees a flaying, if not death, and Oona, grief stricken over the prospect of never again seeing the prince for whom she has fallen, must get her sister home, or the delicate Dove will surely perish at the hands of the despicable king.
Destined, Book 2
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Published: September 2020
A BATTLE OF HEARTS
Bastard son of a king, Aleksandr has scrimped and saved to attend the races at King Asad’s City by the Sea. Nothing will stop Aleksi from returning home with a string of fine horses, a sizable purse of gold, and an easy tempered wife who will bear his children. What he finds is a spitting tigress with unparalleled beauty, a will of iron, and a mare she assures him will beat his stallion. She’s also the king’s pampered, spoiled daughter and is off limits. But that doesn’t seem to matter when passion burns so hot propriety is ignored and all the rules are broken.
About the Author
Michele James lives in a southern California beach town with her understanding husband, two lazy house cats, and two crazy cattle dogs. She is the proud mother of two fully functional adults, and is Oma to the world’s most adorable grandson.
A mostly retired veterinarian technician, she enjoys reading everything from cereal boxes to serious tomes, watching movies without commercials, cooking, gardening, walks on the beach (especially in winter), and practicing yoga.
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Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere
Juvenile Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle-Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books
A shapeshifting magic fantasy adventure filled with dragons, witches, wizards, fairies and fun.
Dirk is a budding boy wizard who hatched as a dragon and has a ring that turns him back into one. For his summer vacation, he’s leaving Roman Britannia on a secret journey to tell the dragon who raised him she’s free from a curse.
He doesn’t realize he’s being tracked by his worst enemy, the sorceress who abducted him as a baby and blames him for her husband’s death. Treacherous Ethelda thinks Dirk has her fiendishly powerful wand and she’ll do anything to get it back.
The Roman Army wants the Wand of the Black Sphere, too, worried Ethelda will use it against them, and they’re looking for Dirk, the last one seen with it. But Dirk’s halfway around the world dealing with monsters and magic they couldn’t imagine.
Praise for Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere:
“The third volume of Stevens’ middle-grade series is a perfect balance of education and entertainment. … Detailed illustrations by the author enliven scenes throughout. … The lively final volume of a charming series.” – Kirkus Reviews
Other Books in the Dragon Lad Trilogy:
Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg
Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books
Fly through page after page of adventures with Dorg as the young dragon discovers an astonishing truth about himself: he may not be a dragon after all.
Dorg hatches small due to a magic curse. A tough start in the biting, clawing, flame-spitting world he lives in. At first, all he wants to do is end the curse, so he can be like the other dragons. But friends and enemies help him see that being a big, mean dragon isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
Along the way, he encounters a mysterious pendant, shapeshifting dragons, a grouchy witch who loves wildlife, an absentminded wizard, and a swarm of friendly insects.
Heartwarming and humorous, this book is the first in a trilogy of stories about learning to live in harmony with one’s self as well as with nature. An egg-straordinary fantasy awaits the reader.
Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman
Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books
Magic and adventure abound in this second book in the Dragon Lad trilogy.
“Tale of the Talisman” follows our young, dragon-hatched hero as he seeks his parents, his past and his destiny in Roman-ruled Britannia. A boy without a history — at least one that he can remember — Dirk turns to his shape-shifting friends for help. They launch him on a quest involving the one clue he has to his previous existence: a magic talisman.
The wizard Beldor gives Dirk a ring that allows him to re-enter the realm he thought he’d left behind. Armed with this ring and a magic map, he travels a trail leading to a raging dragon, a slippery mermaid, two grasping sorcerers and a legion of Roman soldiers. He also rediscovers a long-lost friend and powers he never imagined.
Fast-paced and funny, “Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman” is a modern classic that can be read alone or as a companion to the first novel in the trilogy, “Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg.”
Excerpt
Chapter Nineteen
Dorg tried to pull up. It only reduced the speed of his impact. He hit the ground hard and blacked out.
He regained consciousness in a daze of pain. His ears were ringing, jaw ached, wing burned, shoulder throbbed. Turning on his side to touch the inflamed shoulder, he dislodged the raven perched there. He grimaced at the bird as it squawked to the ground, then took in his surroundings.
He lay on a mat of animal skin in one of the human dwellings. Dug into the ground like a burrow, with stonework above and below the level of the ground, it had a domed, willow-frame roof covered with skins. In the center, some sort of animal fat burned in a soapstone trough with moss wicks, illuminating a short entry tunnel, benches, clothing hung from leather cords, and
baskets full of herbs, plants and tools made of antler, stone and bone. The dwelling was crowded, yet they’d managed to fit a dragon with large wings and a body the size of a small bull inside. As he wondered how, the raven demanded his attention.
“Tok!”
“Sorry, I don’t speak raven,” Dorg responded in the hawk language. “Do you speak hawk?”
The raven uttered a “pruk” that reminded him of a human sigh. Then, revolving on his claws, he transformed into a handsome hawk with brilliant eyes and glossy feathers.
About the Author
J. C. Stevens began writing fiction, nonfiction and poetry at age five. The author’s first and favorite stories were about ghosts, witches and other spooky creatures. As an adult, Stevens served as a newspaper reporter, editor and teacher.
“Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg,” the first book in the Dragon Lad trilogy, debuted in 2015. The second book in the trilogy, “Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman,” appeared in 2017. The third and final book, “Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere,” was published in 2019. Stevens lives in Southern California. To learn more, visit http://www.dragonseggbooks.com.
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