Author’s name: Lana Axe

Title of book and/or series: The Golden Owl – Clockwork Calico Book 1

Ticswyk is a steampunk city that’s not quite London, not quite St. Louis. It’s set in the Victorian era, but with the addition fantastic technology.

Not to be missed is the Exhibition, a showcase of technological inventions held once a year. It’s the highlight of the town, drawing visitors from across the globe. It’s also home to one of the finest museums around, featuring art and artifacts from all over the world.

Ticswyk is home to several Guilds, most of which function like organized crime. It’s best to stay away from them. In addition, if you spot any sort of clockwork spiders skittering about town, it’s best to stay as far from them as possible.

Ticswyk actually has a fine selection of eating establishments. Bakeries offer a wide variety of sweets, and the selection of tinned cat food is top notch.

Sentinels powered by steam are not uncommon guarding some of the more upscale establishments. Most buildings employ security systems of some sort, ranging from simple cameras to automatic missile launchers.

Horses do their fair share of the work in Ticswyk, pulling carts and transporting passengers around the cities. But visitors from distant locations prefer to travel by balloon or airship. Steam powered engines are also starting to be seen around town, pulling carriages without the need of a horse.

Cali herself is the most fascinating piece of technology in Ticswyk. Enhanced with implants designed by her dear friend, Lionel, she is given extraordinary abilities that set her apart from other felines. She’s faster, jumps higher, and sees farther than any other cat. Her mousing abilities are unparalleled.

Unfortunately, the corrupt Guilds run most facets of the city. They have a hand in almost everything, bribing those in charge to pass laws in their favor. They even bribe the police to look the other way when crimes are committed. Anyone not associated with the Guilds risks being run out of town.

My four dear cats are the inspiration for Cali and her feisty feline attitude. The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, MO (my home state) as well as the infamous Sherlock Holmes as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle heavily inspired the setting for this series.

Lana Axe lives in Missouri near the edge of the woods. She is inspired by her love of nature to write about elves, magic, and adventure. Growing up in Mark Twain’s backyard inspired her love of fiction from an early age. She grew up an avid reader and went on to study literature in college.

The Golden Owl is available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback.

Website: http://lana-axe.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanaAxe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lanaaxe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7102583.Lana_Axe

Shaun Stevenson

Book 1: Secret of the Lost King

Book 2: Sword of the Broken Son (Coming Fall 2016)

Book 3: Skin of the Dragon Lord (Coming Winter 2017)

Tale 1: Betrayal of the Green Archer

Long ago, the Emperor Morogh stole the throne of Tanniyn from the rightful king. Ruling from the Dark Castle, Morogh seeks three lost children spoken of in a prophecy from the night he took over the kingdom. Those three children are the only ones who may be able to end Morogh’s reign forever.

With the Emperor’s soldiers on their tail, Jack, Maggie, and Molly must escape and find a traitor, restore a lost king, and discover the secret memory the three of them share. Hidden away in the depths of their minds is knowledge – knowledge Morogh wants very badly. And once Morogh gains that knowledge? He will remain Emperor for all eternity.

Tanniyn is a kingdom built by the Northern Kings long ago before those same kings abandoned everything and disappeared. From the eastern mountains to the swamps of the south, the people live in fear of the Emperor Morogh and the ancient evil some believe still exists beneath the ground.

Visiting some of the local villages would give a great flavor of the daily life, and there are some magnificent views in the Eastern Mountains from the Star Castles, hidden above the clouds. There are also the Star Tropics to the east of the mountains, one of the last beautiful oases left in the kingdom. Palm trees, and long, white beaches stretch for miles along inland seas.

Some have found the stained glass windows of the Dark Castle where the Emperor Morogh rules to be quite enchanting. Some say the windows depict the ancient legends of the kingdom, but others say there is more truth in two specks of glass than any book.

Watch out for quicksand pits in the swamps. Creatures lurk beneath the muck, waiting for helpless travelers who wander a little too close. Also, I would generally recommend avoiding the Library of Secrets located beneath an active volcano. Every quarter hour the volcano erupts rock and ash, changing the landscape dramatically. When visiting the Library of Secrets, be sure to avoid the catacombs as they are filled with ancient prisoners and hungry arachnids. And never, ever, drink the water of any fountain. Its effects could be… hazardous to your health and wellbeing.

Once a paradise, food of all kinds grow throughout the kingdom wildly. You may find some berries growing along the path through the woods, or you may find some beautiful rainbow trout hopping its way upstream. Generally, grains are the meal of the land, and every farmer is worth their weight in wheat.

Scrapy fighters abound in Tanniyn, trained long ago by the Grand Weapons Master of the Star Tropics. However, since Emperor Morogh took over and murdered the Grand Weapons Master, true training in swordplay and archery have gone by the wayside – at least for the common people.

Most travel by foot or horseback, but the elite have elaborate carriages that will take them throughout the kingdom. However, why anyone would leave the safety of their home is beyond even the wisest of Tanniyn.

Everything wants to eat you. From the deadly plant pods of the Star Castles to the quicksand lurkers to the large arachnid living away its years in the Library of Secrets, the best plan is to lock your doors at night and hope nothing has crawled in while you weren’t watching.

Supernatural forces are definitely afoot in Tanniyn. Whenever the kingdom’s fate is threatened, there is always one chosen to bear the weight of visions. Once selected, this person will fall asleep in Tanniyn and wake up elsewhere. Whether they actually arrive in other lands through their dreams is a mystery, but ancient legends come to life once the waking world fades away.

Once, a prophet lived in the Dark Castle, and his prophecy about the Three Lost Heroes still haunts the kingdom. Alas, he was killed during the coup that allowed the Emperor Morogh to take the Dark Castle, and his prophetic skills died with him.

There are also many supernatural items throughout the kingdom. Most of these have been hidden away, but some remain known. The Book of Secrets mysteriously contains knowledge of every known act and secret within the kingdom, but written in a strange language only Caretakers of the book will understand. The Golden Sword is rumored to grant unspeakable strength to anyone who holds it, but it was lost long, long ago in the Star Castle Wars. Other secrets lurk within the depths of the kingdom, waiting for the right person to come along and unleash them.

The people of Tanniyn celebrate few precious holidays, but the Week of Grains is most definitely the one event everyone looks forward to. Celebrated secretly in recent years, the Week of Grains is a time when villages band together and dance away the weeks after harvest, hoping for another bountiful year. Many villages perform special songs, and orators share the stories of legends long told.

There are some who believe in God, and read the stories of the ancient Bible, but most typically fear an ancient power – spoken of in hushed whispers but never spoken outside the safety of homes. Some say this power ruled the land long ago, but others say it doesn’t exist. No one truly knows, not even the Caretaker of Secrets in the Library of Secrets. Those pages went missing from The Book of Secrets a thousand years ago…

Tanniyn is a monarchy, ruled from the Dark Castle by one King. In the past, a group of kings from the north ruled the land from the Star Castles in the Eastern Mountains, but they were driven north ages ago. Currently, the Emperor Morogh rules from the Dark Castle, and he rules with a spiked fist, plowing over any who would dare stand in his way.

I have always loved world travel, and so far I only have two continents left to visit: Antartica and Australia. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to the South Pole, but Australia is on my bucket list. From riding camels through the deserts of northern Africa and exploring the snowy woods in Heidelberg, Germany, to watching the sun rise on the eastern coast of Russia to the overgrown mountains of Ecuador, I love seeing everything this world has to offer. I would definitely not be surprised if those real life locations have sneaked their way into Tanniyn. I’ve only begun exploring this world, and can’t wait to see what else is hiding away in the corners of this enchanted kingdom.

** SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING **

Family is a complicated topic. So often in middle grade fiction, parents are portrayed in two ways: extremely aloof and useless, or they are generally good people who care about their kids.

But my experience in life is that there are many kids growing up without a parent. Or with parents who are dangerous. Or who watch their parents do awful things. It’s a scary idea to wrestle with them. For Secret of the Lost King, I wanted to tackle the question: What if someone discovered their parents were not good people? What if someone who wanted a family became part of a family that wasn’t good?

While the book doesn’t go anywhere near some of the horrors children today face, it does look at the concept of parents who are not good people.

I have always loved a good story. Ever since I picked up my great-grandmother’s copy of THE WIZARD OF OZ as a second grade reader, I’ve always known that stories, writing, and adventures on the written page were in my future. I love to read, and some of the my favorite authors to follow are Travis Thrasher, Brandon Mull, Wayne Thomas Batson, and Robert Liparulo. I’m also a movie fanatic, and more than once I have heard that some of my books read like 1980’s adventure films. When I’m not writing, I spend my time as a Children’s Pastor, telling stories and sharing hope.

My books are available on Amazon in both ebook and printformat.

Visit my website: shaunstevensonbooks.com for info on all of my books, as well as blog posting and exclusive behind the scenes content. You can also sign up for my email newsletter and receive a bonus short story for free: Thrones: Betrayal of the Green Archer.

You can also find me on my Facebook page, on Twitter, on Goodreads, or on my Amazon Author Page.

Sue Bridgwater

Author’s name: Dawn Blair

Title of book and/or series: Sacred Knight: The Three Books (Legend 1), Manifest the Magic(Legend 2), To Birth a Destiny(Legend 3), and History of a Dead Man(a companion novella). There are two more titles still to be released.

It’s about a young man, Steigan, who discovers that magic is returning to his world. He’s always been told that magic is evil and dangerous, so he sets out to stop it. To do this, Steigan has to find three books that contain the secrets to restrain magic. In his quest, he learns about his namesake, who was both saint and betrayer to the Temple. Saint Steigan had been responsible for hiding away the books a thousand cycles before. When Steigan finds the books, he gets led into a larger quest to discover why magic was taken from the world and to defeat the enemies that couldn’t be overcome before.

My planet has a tilt to its orbit which keeps one side constantly facing the sun and the other pole is always away. There are three continents on this planet that I’m currently aware of: the northernmost which always faces the sun, and this area is very much fashioned like ancient Arabia. It’s sandy and sparsely populated. The southernmost continent is obviously like Antartica. It is just too inhospitable to make a living on that part of the planet, especially where they are in nearly constant darkness and cold, so no one lives there. I imagine that there have been shipwrecks down there, with no rescue or salvage missions planned – at least none I’m aware of. Located near the equator, with most of the land falling in northern hemisphere is the third continent. It is here where my Sacred Knight series takes place. There is no official name for the continent as the three main civilizations splitting it the land would never get along long enough to decide on a name. The west holds the territories of New Lilinar. To the southeast beyond the Palin Mountains is Plenelia. To the northeast is the kingdom of Dubinshire. These are smaller towns throughout, some falling under the larger domain’s control and some remaining independent. The planet has one sun, but it is orbited by three moons which make the nights very bright because there are always at least two in the sky.

While you’re in New Lilinar, you’ll want to visit the Temple. It sits in the middle of a lake which is pretty much the center of town. If you’re brave, you might want to see if you can sneak into the ruins of Lilinar. But beware; there are nasties in there. It truly is as haunted as the rumors say.

When you visit Dubinshire, you’ll want to tour the main castle. The nobility of Dubinshire have always been very nice and humble. Ask to see the curios that Lord Ithanes gathered over the cycles. We’re not sure how many of them work, but they certainly are pretty with their silver and gold and crystals. There’s also Dubinshire Park where they hold the annual Springsday Festival. From here, you can see far out over the ocean for miles. If you dare to look down from the cliffs, you might see one of the fisherman from Montikovert. Legend has it that Montikovert broke away from Dubinshire after a civil war. Today, the citizens get along well enough for trade, but there’s still a few animosities that run deep.

Aside from these two major towns, there are a number of smaller, quaint towns that you can visit or take a sail from one port town to the next for easy traveling. If you’re lucky, you might run into a centaur or two in the less populated areas. They don’t much like to visit Dubinshire or New Lilinar for all the stares they get.

At the moment, gargaxes have been spotted flying around near New Lilinar. Certainly that’s just someone’s imagination gone wild though. After all, gargaxes are a mythical beast, told of to scare children, right?

Strickleberries. Oh, my word! Strickleberries can be eaten right off the bush. Just be careful of the prickly leaves. If you really want a treat, just heat the berries up a bit and that makes them as sweet as can be. They make all sorts of things with strickleberries: ale, tea, pie, jam, tarts, cake, bread, syrups, etc. The list goes on and on. Steigan is absolutely addicted to strickleberries, which is probably why I’ve heard so much about them. 

Swords are the main weapons used. Daggers are commonly used as secondary weapons.

Most travel is on horseback or with a carriage or wagon pulled by horses.

I’ve mentioned the centaurs. They aren’t very fond of humans, so a sighting is really rare. But they need supplies too and often trade for what they require. Generally, they keep to themselves. It hasn’t always been this way, so I’m told, and at one time they got along very well with the humans. The world just hasn’t been the same since the fairies went away.

Another rare sight is the unicorns. Steigan’s unicorn, Tyana, is probably the most well-known because she’s frequently with him. But to see another unicorn is nearly unheard of.

Should we talk about the gargaxes here too? Well, yes, they are a sentient race if you hold the term loosely. They start off as Shant’olin, ghostly wisps with barely any form at all. Once they have taken enough of someone’s soul, they transform into a gray beast with wings. These winged beasts circle in the sky looking for magic. They’re purpose was once to keep the humans scattered into small groups over the land so that no one group got too powerful. Now they are just hungry for magic, so watch out for them.

Then there are the cahasters, or at least one that I know of. He’s about the size of a large kitten but looks like a baby dragon. Oh, he’s so cute! Or is he? I just don’t know if I’d want to trust a cahaster with my life.

Insider secret here: magic is returning. A thousand cycles ago, the crazy Queen of Lilinar sealed away magic after her kingdom was destroyed during The Breaking, a time when the domini and maeges turned on each other. Or that’s the story. Now, many people in New Lilinar believe magic is superstitious nonsense. They both hate and fear the people of Dubinshire, who are said to still practice magic.

Of course, the Plenelians really hate magic, so much so that they recently started a war with New Lilinar called the Palin Wars. Even though the domini of New Lilinar drove back the Plenelians at the time, the people of New Lilinar still aren’t sure why the Plenelians initiated their attacks.

It is said that the mythical creatures known as gargaxes feed on a person’s magic, and that they can poke a hole in a person’s magical aura which will keep draining the person’s magic and feeding the gargax until the person dies. Let’s hope that’s not true because no one knows how to heal such a wound and if the gargaxes are returning…

No, not really. I do have some theories about this though as I have often wondered why in a basically a thousand years or two time there hasn’t been much change in technology. Galault, the watcher of worlds, gave me the answer. This planet is orbited by three moons so it’s very uncommon for there to be a moonless night. Often, there are two moons in the sky at any given time. These drown out many of the stars. So, since no one has ever had the chance to study the movement of the stars, there has been no need for mathematics. The people of this world have yet to discover that their planet has a dual elliptical orbit around their sun, with one of the ellipses being a shorter timespan than the other. Not by much, but it does slightly warp their years. Because of all this, no true calendar has been developed. They mark time by the seasons. Dubinshire has four seasons because they are higher in the mountains: warming, growing, harvesting, and cold. New Lilinar which is down in a vast valley has three seasons: rainy, growing, and harvesting. Because their continent is pretty much on the equator of their planet, it never snows in New Lilinar. Dubinshire, again being higher in the mountains, does get snow. Plenelia will occasionally get snow since they are kind of in-between the two and does have a chain of mountainous terrain.

There is the Brackchoi triathalon which is run every seven years. I’ve never been to one of these, but I’m told the event is quite fun. It involves horseback riding, running, caber tossing. 

The Tachin Board is a game played in taverns which is similar to darts except the point is to land your dart in a special area which allows you to move a piece on a board which is similar to the three dimensional chess boards seen on Star Trek.

Card games are also popular in New Lilinar and its territories. At one time, divination cards were popular.

In Dubinshire, there is a game similar to mancala, but that can occasionally get a little bloody, so I’m told.

As mentioned above, there is no true calendar. As some reader will undoubtedly note, when Steigan finds the tomb of his namesake, Saint Steigan, there is a dated inscription on the tomb. This is because when Lilinar and Dubinshire were actually friendly countries and the world was prosperous, many saperes did try to establish a way to mark time. They tried to come up with a calendar system, but they were just beginning to note that it wasn’t accurate. They were so close to discovering the dual orbits of their planet and being able to calculate an adjustment for that when Lilinar was destroyed in The Breaking. Now I’m sure the saperes of Dubinshire had enough information to make the adjustment and if not, they still continued their work. But as the people of Lilinar went through The Reunification, Holy Sapere Tanold did not think this was a priority and probably had all the work burned, if it hadn’t already been destroyed in The Breaking. Many of the traditions that Lilinar had, such as the tri-lunar ceremony, were done away with as New Lilinar rose from the ashes. After Holy Sapere Tanold died, it was decided that a Holy Sapere should only rule for 15 years, after which he went to serve on the Council of Elders for the remainder of his life. That’s when they began the Sacred Knight challenges to determine the next Holy Sapere. During a Sacred Knight challenge, candidates for the position of Holy Sapere chose two Sacred Knights to represent them during the three tests. The first challenge is standard: the Sacred Knights go out tracking a wastile, a rather large and brightly feathered bird. The next two challenges vary during every contest and are chosen by the Council of Elders. The council read the results of the contests to determine which candidate the Goddess prefers.

Both Dubinshire and New Lilinar have Holy Saperes, but in each territory their functions are a little different. Dubinshire still follows the old ways. They have become very secretive about their religion and close it off to only citizens of Dubinshire. I would hope that they send saperes out among their citizens to help give them guidance and direction, since the chapel in Dubinshire castle cannot possibly hold all the citizens of Dubinshire, but they won’t even answer that question for me.

New Lilinar does have saperes that travel, both within New Lilinar and to its outlying territories.  Also, many of the citizens in the outlying towns perform a role as a sapere as well as have other duties in the towns where they live; that is to say that they have primary jobs and only dedicate themselves to service of the Temple on their rotating shifts. Steigan’s adoptive father, Sim, is a good example. Sim owns an inn and tavern, but he also is a sapere of second rank.

New Lilinar worships the Goddess Alityka. There is speculation as to her having once been a warrior who led an uprising against Gohaldinest and its demons, but since neither Gohaldinest nor demons exist, either she was successful or it was just a story. The stories of Alityka and her beliefs are written down in a book called the Lilton. I have come across old versions of the Lilton which look a little strange to me, almost as if their words were erased and written over. I guess the clerics who once translated all the old texts occasionally made errors. That has to be it, right?

New Lilinar is lead by the Holy Sapere as discussed above. Holy Sapere Adonid is about to be replaced and move onto the Council of Elders. Steigan has been chosen as Sacred Knight for Sapere Martias, a most unlikely candidate. Rarely seen in public, Adonid is a soft-spoken man who moves with a gentle grace. With his long, straight blond hair, he looks absolutely divine in the Holy Sapere robes, which come behind his head like a sunburst.

Dubinshire is currently ruled by Lord Irragon. He seems like a pleasant enough man and a good ruler. Of course, he’d knew that I’d just come from New Lilinar, so he was probably trying to make a good impression. I’m told his daughters are quite beautiful, but I haven’t seen either of them around.

I came up with the idea of strickleberries long before I started wildcrafting my own herbs. I was out on a foraging workshop when I first came across Oregon Grapes. I knew I’d found my strickleberries! In learning about Oregon Grapes, I was able to develop my strickleberries in more detail. Of course, there is no “Oregon” in my book, so I was really glad I already had a name. More of my own herbalism and love of precious stones comes out in the second and third books of the series as we delve deeper into the magic.

The ideas for the saperes in a town to hold dual roles came out of our own history. Many of the ancient Egyptian priests also had other jobs or other functions within their society.

The outside of the Temple in New Lilinar is actually based on Bodiam Castle. I had to change the inside to fit my story, but when I saw the castle on the lake, I knew it was my Temple.

Well, there are a couple of scenes that I like people to be aware of with The Three Books. My character’s adoptive parents own a tavern. There’s a scene early in the book where Steigan thinks his life has just fallen apart (oh, little does he know how bad it’s going to get!). He goes back to the tavern and orders up some strickleberry ale. Now, he’s pretty sure that his ma has watered it down, but it’s his first experience with alcohol. I never say that there is an age limit on drinking in my world and for all I know, giving mead and ale to kids might be perfectly acceptable on this planet. It probably is. But here’s the backstory: my mother was an alcoholic and so I have very strong views on alcohol. My son was 13 when he was reading a draft of this and came to me with the question, “Mom, are you sure you want to do this?” I told him to keep reading and finish the scene and we’d talk about it after he finished. When he had, he came back and said that he was good with the scene and how it wrapped up. There were ramifications to the drinking. It’s also the last time Steigan does so – a lesson well learned.

There is another scene where the princess from Dubinshire is trying to get physically close Steigan. I wanted a scene to show a female character as an aggressor because it does happen. Now, Steigan is an orphan and realizes that his life is given to the Temple as one of their warriors. He certainly doesn’t want to leave any fatherless children behind and he knows what this kind of behavior can lead to, so he puts a stop to her. Don’t think he wasn’t enchanted by her though; he spends the rest of the book trying to resist after she’s awoken new feelings within him. He’s no saint after all.

Just ask and I will tell you I’m a multi-dimensional, time-traveling tour guide. I love telling stories about noble hearts and fantastic places. In addition to writing, I also draw and paint, which has lead me into other areas such as comic illustration, animating, and photography. Because I’ve always loved cartoons and would have loved to be a voice actor had I known that it was actually a career choice, I’ve recently started recording my own audiobooks.

In addition to my Sacred Knight series, I’m writing another series called The Loki Adventures, novellas about Loki, Norse god of mischief and his life under parole in Midgard. I wrote a non-fiction editing book for authors titled The Write Edit. I’ve won numerous awards for writing, art, and photography and have collectors of my paintings in Canada, Spain, Australia, and the United States. When I have extra time, I work on a webcomic called Weblinks about vampires trying to save the world.

 

Currently, my books are all on Kindle and available for print through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I do plan on expanding my distribution in May, making the titles available through other outlets such as Kobo. Please watch my website for availability.

All of my books can be found at www.morningskystudios.com as well as my page on Amazon. You can also find links to book trailer videos for Sacred Knight at each place as well as on YouTube.

Sacred Knight has a Facebook page.

On my blog, you can also sign up for my newsletter which is full of additional writing and art goodies. I’m also on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the _____ world of ______, in Realm Explorers Part XCVI!

Author’s name:K.M. Weiland

Title of book: Dreamlander

Brief summary of the story: 

Every night, Chicago-born journalist Chris Redston dreams of a woman riding a black warhorse through the mist. The only thing she ever says is, “Don’t come.” And then she shoots him—every single time. And every single time, he wakes up in a cold sweat and wonders … what if dreams aren’t what we’ve always been told they are?

Only one person in a generation may cross the barrier of dreams to reach the other world—a world of war-scarred countries and fallen faiths. When Chris finds himself on the far side of his dreams, he must hurl himself into battle to save a princess from her own people, two worlds from annihilation, and himself from a dream come way too true.

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Lael is a parallel world to our own. Every person in our world also has a body in Lael–in which they live while dreaming in our world, and vice versa. I had a lot of fun building Lael. In the beginning, it was much more medieval. No technology. Very Crusades era. But then I had the fun idea for the water-powered guns. That immediately gave me a 16th-century/Three Musketeers vibe. So I started exploring that era a little more, particularly in regards to fashion and architecture. The skycar was a very late addition, during the last big rewrite.

If we were to visit Lael as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there? 

I really love the skycar stations, particularly the five-story Faramore Station in the capital city. Réon Couteau, with its waterfall caverns, was pretty fun too. And I love the Karilus Wall, just for sheer geographic massiveness.

What dangers should we avoid in Lael? 

Mostly, the war. The neighboring duchy of Koraud, on the eastern border, is threatening war, especially now that rumors are circulating of the resurrection of its famed warlord Faolan Mactalde. Plus, there’s the threat of religious and political unrest from the Nateros protesters—a faction of fanatical traditionalists—within Lael’s own borders.

The traditional meal at the ceremony to anoint the latest Gifted—the only person in a generation who can cross between the “dream” world of Lael and the “real” world—includes capon with olives and chestnuts, roasted salmon, eggs with cream and honey, chocolate-covered dassberries, and craniss wine.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Lael? 

Single-shot firearms, powered by a hydraulic system that draws moisture from the air, are popular. However, they take too long to reload to be of any use in close combat.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Lael? 

Horses and skycars are the most common. The skycar is a glass-encased cable car that glides upon the steel cables that crisscross most of the country. The skycar trains run on a basic pulley system, operated by steam engines at stations spaced along the tracks. Depending on variables such as rain and wind, the skycars can maintain the speed of a horse’s gallop all the way across half the kingdom, gliding half a league above terrain too rough with hills and lakes to offer straight roads.

What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Lael that we don’t see on Earth? 

You might encounter Cherazii—a race of berserking warriors, who are servants to the traditions of the Gifted, passed down through the ages. Their skin is the color and translucency of an egg white, veined with blue. Both men and women traditionally wear their hair long, veiling but not hiding the batwing ears that rise two or three inches above their heads.

There is no magic in the traditional sense, only the ability of the Gifted to cross between the worlds and use the sacred Orimere—or “dreamstone”—to transport physical objects from one world to the other.

Although the Cherazii keep their own time among themselves, pretty much everyone recognizes the central calendar of 365 days a year. The hours are counted down from dawn. Laelers observe several holy days, including the Commemorating Festival, the Feast of the Camp, and the Day of Prayer. They also customarily celebrate the king’s birthday, a day of prayer and thanksgiving at the end of the harvest, and, although not official, a mid-winter week of merry-making.

Lael is monotheistic and worships the “God of all.” Clergy are paid by the tithe tax of the people. The entire government is actually considered to be part of the church. But only a select few actually stand in the position of “pastor” or “orator.” The priests in the city temples are chosen and elected in much the same manner as the judges. A man does not have to be ordained to preach, so many smaller churches throughout the country exist, but these men are not paid by the government.

Lael is a monarchy, currently ruled by King Tireus II. He is a strong, if not particularly diplomatic, leader, but he will be remembered primarily as the father of the current Searcher, Allara Katadin—whose responsibility is to find and guide the Gifted when he first crosses into Lael.

The original idea for the book was my brother’s. He suggested I write a story about a parallel world we visit in our dreams. My imagination took it from there!

The primary theme of the book centers around the conundrums and difficulties of faith. I wanted to build a fantasy society in which religion was widespread and widely accepted, but I dealt with Chris—my “real world” character—and his faith much more subtly, because, although I wanted to deal with religious themes, I didn’t want the story to necessarily be one that was about his personal redemption. So I got to discuss faith-based elements much more obviously in the POV of the dream-world character Allara.

Dreamlander is available in paperback, Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.

Readers can find me on my website, my writing blog HelpingWriters Become Authors, Facebook, and Twitter.

My name is M.T. Magee and I live in New England on our small farm with my husband and son. We raise an assortment of silly goats, quiet rabbits, far too many ducks and chickens, and a high strung Border collie cross named Gronk. I have always loved fantasy and fell in love with Tolkien at age eleven. I read all of his works at age twelve. I have been writing stories since I was ten years old and have always wanted to be an author. After fulfilling my dream of becoming a nurse, marrying the love of my life and having two wonderful sons, I have finally been able to fulfill my first dream of publishing my first book. My youngest son is severely disabled and I am his full-time caregiver. The long winter months here in New England make it virtually impossible to go out very often, so I used this time to begin my story The Treasure of Gwenlais. Fifteen months and 1144 pages later I am very happy to present my story to all of you. I love strong female characters, who are still able to convey a sense of vulnerability and be very relatable. I also love strong male leads who are not afraid to show their soft side. Love of family is important to me as I am sure it is to everyone and I convey this in my story. So welcome to the world I have created and I hope you enjoy visiting often.

Title of book: The Kingdom of Arke Book I Fading Light

Brief summary of the story: My story unfolds while following the life of a young boy, named Ryker. He is an orphan living on the streets of Tervan. The story begins while Ryker is being chased over rooftops and through the streets of the Shuul. He escapes his pursuer, only briefly, and is captured that night by a shadowy being with glowing red eyes engulfed in a black cloud.

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: The Kingdom of Arke: Fading Light takes place on the Island of Arke, which is surrounded by a vast sea. When The King first landed on Arke, the island was a desolate wasteland filled with monstrous creatures. With the help of His Paladins, The King defeated the creatures and cleansed the island. After establishing The Kingdom of Arke, The King helped many races from other islands in the vast sea to find safety and new homes within the Thraans and Shuuls of Arke.

There are many sights to witness in Arke. There is the Spine or Tsudesah as many call it, a mountain range that stretches from Mount Tsudah to the lake Marruhs. The Tsudesah splits the island nearly in half. On his journey, Ryker will experience many sights and places, so you’ll have to tag along with him to see the beauty that resides in Arke.

What dangers should we avoid in Arke? If at all possible, DO NOT travel through the streets of either the Thraans and Shuuls on moonless night. The Shadow Keepers or Khoshekh, as they refer to themselves, are always looking for their next victim. What they do with those they capture is a mystery. No one has ever lived to tell about it.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Arke? Arke is still in the age of the sword. So the weaponry resembles that of the medieval period in Europe. The Drudin Gaur, are men looking to get coin through intimidation and cruelty. The Shafel Gaur, however are men who would gladly give their life for those they protect.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Arke? Horseback and horse drawn carts and carriages are the most common form of transportation. Many other forms of transportation will open up to Ryker as his journey progresses, though you’ll have to find out along with him.

What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Arke that we don’t see on Earth? There are many. I can only give you the names they call themselves. Those who did trade with them have ceased and those that did forgot what they looked like. The Tsudians live in Mount Tsudah. The Osuhrians live in the western plains of Arke. The Kevaak live in the massive forest to the east. The Ves live on the peninsula near the bay of fangs. There are many other races that reside in Arke, though even their names have been forgotten.

What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Arke?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used. Magic, in itself does not exist in Arke. However the Venahtri, The King’s Light, does. It resides throughout the kingdom in and around everything. Many people have completely forgotten it even exists. Some claim it never did. Ryker will find out first hand what is true about the Venahtri and The King.

Is there a particular religion practiced in Arke?  Please describe what it involves. This will be more of an author’s note than my previous answers. I did not want to create a religion in Arke because I myself don’t believe in religion. I believe in the Bible that true religion is caring for the widows and the orphan. Religion in itself resides all around us and that is what I portrayed in Arke. I don’t want to single one act out as religion. I think that every act you do for the glory of our God and King is religion.

What is the political or government structure in Arke?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she? The King left the island long ago and left His Son, with the aid of the Drudin, to rule in his stead. What happened next is unclear; The King’s Son is gone as well. Now the Drudin and their Gaur rule The Kingdom of Arke with an iron fist and a ruthless heart. The people are hopelessly oppressed by the Drudin and their greed for power. Though they claim The King himself gave them authority to rule Arke their ways of judgment doesn’t reflect that of The Kings.

Michael Bergman is an aspiring young author from western Kentucky. He works full time as a marine technician and an electrician. Michael’s family operates an orphanage located in Hinche, Haiti, which currently provides for thirty-five children. While growing up, Michael was an avid reader who hoped to someday become an author. He was especially inspired by the works of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Michael resides in Eddyville, Kentucky, with his beautiful wife, Marissa.

You can read a short preview of the book at http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-001016540/The-Kingdom-of-Arke.aspxand purchase, paper, hard backed as well as ebook there.

Or if you’d rather shop on http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Arke-Fading-Light/dp/1512727121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454279806&sr=8-1&keywords=the+kingdom+of+arkeor http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kingdom-of-arke-michael-bergman/1123305854?ean=9781512727128

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The kingdom we live in now has forgotten and forsaken our great and mighty God and His Son Jesus. Our world began in much the same way that Arke did, but acts of human selfishness took us further away from the light of the King. I believe that God helped me to create the Kingdom of Arke to tell the story of His infinite love toward His creation.

            We cannot fathom how desperately God loves us. He loves all of us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to dwell among us and teach us how to serve Him and shed light on the world. Jesus took on the darkness of sin itself for all of us, and He destroyed it at the cross with His crucifixion. With the darkness destroyed, Jesus rose from the grave and poured out His spirit of light for each and every one of us.

            I hope that this story will reveal to others the light that I have found. I want everyone to see the terrible contrast between light and dark within this world. I believe there is a darkness that is consuming all of us, one that we don’t even see, that we are not even aware of.

            I believe we are allowing sin’s shadow to suffocate us and blind us from the beautiful light of God’s love.

            There is hope. The light shall come forth and consume all shadow of sorrow and fear. It will rise like the dawn, evaporating the cold and bitterness of night, bringing a glorious new day.

            With all my heart, I hope the words you have read have helped you to see the light; to see it for the first time or to see it anew. I hope these words speak into your heart, speaking life over death and joy over sorrow. I pray that you will draw closer to the light.

            Let us become citizens of the light, keepers of its infinite glow. Let us rid this world of all shadow. Let us shine forth until all might see His light through us.