Hi,
I’m fantasy author Sarah Ashwood, and I have a confession to make: I’ve only written a couple of blog posts before, so please bear with me as we go through this. When Annie kindly offered a spot on her blog for me to chat about my new book, I struggled with what to say. Of course, I could try to tell you the plot without giving away spoilers. (Unless you happen to be like me and actually like spoilers. I admit it, I’m that person—that horrible person who loves spoilers! I always read the end of the book before I reach it to see what happens.) Confessions aside, it was suggested I highlight what’s unique about this book and hopefully makes it stand out in the fantasy genre, so let me go there. To begin with, Aerisian Refrain is the first book in a brand new series called Beyond the Sunset Lands. It’s a planned four book series, and it’s a companion series to my Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy. It’s set in the same world, Aerisia, which Annie has already featured on Realm Explorers.
You don’t actually have to have read the first trilogy to read Aerisian Refrain. I tried to include enough information in Aerisian Refrain that readers new to my world wouldn’t be lost. So, these books, the first trilogy and this new series, are epic fantasy and portal fantasy, but they’re also heavily tinged with a fairytale influence, because I grew up on fairytales and still love them. You’ll meet characters and races in my books that you may not see as much in standard epic fantasy, like fairies and giants and unicorns. I enjoy mixing it up: I also have pirates based off 18th century buccaneers, as well as an army patterned after the military of ancient Rome. (Ancient Rome is another obsession of mine.)
Those are some of the fun features of my world building. As for Aerisian Refrain itself, what makes this particular book unique is that my MC, Annie Richards, is from Oklahoma and is part Cherokee. I’m a lifelong Okie myself, and grew up in the part of the state where the Cherokees have their capital. I’ve always been intrigued by Cherokee history and culture. I didn’t actually set Annie where I’m from, however. I had her grow up out in the panhandle of Oklahoma, which is sparsely populated. I’ve driven through there a couple of times, and thought it was such a wild, beautiful place. It was very inspiring to the background of this book, and formative to Annie’s character. Now, Native Americans are not heavily featured in epic fantasy literature or art, the latter of which was a little frustrating when I was writing this book. I like to create Pinterest boards for each of my books and save pins for characters that I find inspirational. It drove me crazy that I had such a difficult time finding any epic-fantasy-type art featuring Native Americans. I wanted so badly to find a picture of a Native American girl with a dragon, and never did. One of my favorite scenes of Aerisian Refrain is where Annie sings a Cherokee lullaby to a dragon. I would’ve loved a pin that resembled this scene in any way. Couldn’t find it, but in my searching I ultimately did discover the art of Traci Rabbit, a Cherokee artist from Oklahoma. That’s a whole ‘nother story, but I mention it because I fell deeply in love with Ms. Rabbit’s work, with its blend of heritage and fantasy, and I think it’s well worth mentioning.
But back to what I was saying. When I realized in the course of plotting that Annie was going to be from Oklahoma and that she was part Cherokee, I knew I had to delve into Cherokee culture and heritage and weave elements of that into my book. Cherokee mythology and folklore are chalk full of interesting characters and stories. Honestly, it was very hard to narrow them down, but I finally settled on three prominent figures that absolutely fascinated me. The first was a Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï: a Raven Mocker. This creature is scary. I mean, scary. I read up on stories about Raven Mockers that had me looking over my shoulder at night. (I get spooked easily.) Check out this moment from Aerisian Refrain when Annie first encounters the Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï :
I would’ve run, but where could I go? There were probably still people on the road, people to whom I couldn’t risk leading the Raven Mocker, a creature so powerful that, according to the Cherokee legends I’d heard, other witches flee before their kind. The raven-like cry of a Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï, which is where the Raven Mocker earns its name, means someone is going to die—much like banshees in Irish folklore. Often, they appear when a person is dying to steal and consume the liver or the heart. Sometimes they torture and kill their victim by cutting open the head, then eating the heart. A year is added to their life for every year their victim would have lived, making a Raven Mocker almost immortal, and accounting for their appearance as an old, wizened man or woman when in human form. They can fly through the air in fiery bird shape, trailing sparks while in the sky, which is what confirmed the identity of the woman standing in front of me. They are usually invisible, except to the most powerful of magic workers. Like me. Only a medicine man or woman of much training and strength can stand against them, which meant I was in serious danger.
The other two characters I chose to feature are a little more benevolent. One group are the Thunderers, who Cherokee believe are storm spirits that live in the sky. Thunderers are usually benevolent to humans, and sometimes even helpful. The same with the last figure from Cherokee folklore, a Stoneclad, or rock giant. I loved the Stoneclad. He almost made me think of a Marvel character. There weren’t tons of descriptions of Stoneclads, but most of my research indicated they are giants that wear a suit of armor fashioned from stone. Like the Thunderers, they aren’t feared by the Cherokee—certainly not like the Raven Mockers. In fact, there are stories of them coming to the aid of the Cherokee. As Annie explains in Aerisian Refrain when she’s discussing her people’s folklore,
“I remember Grandma telling me about the Stoneclads: rock giants, and the Aniyvdaqualosgi or Ani-Yuntikwalaski. Those are the Thunderers, or powerful storm spirits. If they took a shape, it was usually human, and they were okay with people. I guess it’s no wonder we’d have legends about great storm spirits, living in Tornado Alley.”
At this point in the book, Annie has no idea she’s going to actually encounter rock giants or storm spirits, and she’s in a for a big surprise when she does!So there you go—a little peek into what I feel makes my book baby unique. I hope you’ll check out Aerisian Refrain, and, if you do, I hope you enjoy it! I had so much fun researching the stories of the Cherokee and weaving just a few elements from their rich traditions into this novel. If you’d like to research any of this further, some of my favorite sources were http://www.native-languages.org/ and www.cherokeeregistry.com and www.firstpeople.us and http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/index.htm. Also, if you’d like to see the art of Traci Rabbit, this is her website: https://billandtracirabbit.com/ .
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Thanks for reading my blog post and giving me a little of your time. Have a great day!
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Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. One of these is FREE on Amazon!
Author’s name:
Sarah Ashwood
Title of book and/or series:
Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset (free!)
Aerisia: Gateway to the Underworld
Aerisia: Field of Battle
Books 1, 2, and 3 of the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy
Brief summary of the story:
From Earth to Aerisia, Hannah Winters has unexpectedly gone from college student to prophesied savior of a parallel world. Here in Aerisia, the existence and survival of all depend upon her as Aerisia’s Artan who must battle and defeat the dread Dark Powers. Plenty of people, including fairies, giants, the Moonkind, and even the Simathe, a mysterious race of immortal warriors, are willing to help Hannah navigate this new world and its pitfalls. However, there’s only one person Hannah can count on to truly save her, and that’s herself. Unfortunately, saving herself may mean becoming someone she doesn’t know and doesn’t know how to become. And that’s a woman with magic: the Artan.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Aerisia is a beautiful land full of magic and promise that lies beyond Earth’s sunsets. In Aerisia, there exist many new creatures and races of people, such as the evil drocnords, deathcats, the Moonkind (people of the moon), and the immortal Simathe. Also in Aerisia, are more familiar fairytale creatures like fairies, dragons, gargoyles, and giants. Ages ago, the ways between our two worlds were open and inhabitants of one realm could travel to the other. As time went by, the ways between Earth and Aerisia were eventually closed; however, memories of Aerisia have remained in Earth’s memory, handed down to us in fairytales, myth, and legend.
If we were to visit Aerisia as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
My first stop would be Laytrii’s palace, which is also the first stop of our heroine, Hannah Winters, when she arrives in Aerisia. Carved from the heart of a mountain, Laytrii’s palace is a marble edifice where both magic and the ruling body of Aerisia reside. It is, in effect, the life center of the whole realm. I would also like to meet the Galandorf, a piratical sea people, and travel to the land of the Warkin, the dragon tamers. Lastly, I wouldn’t mind meeting a fairy or a dragon or two—or even a Simathe!
What dangers should we avoid in Aerisia?
Definitely the drocnords! Although they aren’t the wiliest servants of the Dark Powers, they are fierce, fast, and merciless.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Aerisia?
The Simathe, a band of immortal warriors and Aerisia’s strongest, if most secretive, military asset, are well versed in all forms of weaponry. Their High-Chief, Ilgard, is usually seen carrying a sword or yedin, while his Chief Captain, Norband, prefers a bow. Under the tutelage of the Simathe, Hannah learns to use a sword, but a bow is her weapon of choice.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Aerisia?
The most common type of transportation would be the horse and any horse drawn vehicle. The most uncommon would be the fairies’ transporting doors, an invisible method of moving instantaneously from one place to another. Typically, this is used only by the fairies, but Hannah does make use of them when she travels to the Underworld in book two. Fairies are also sometimes seen riding golden unicorns, which is the emblem on their standard, as well.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Aerisia that we don’t see on Earth?I’ve already mentioned some of the races, such as the Simathe, fairies, and giants. As far as animals go, the Simathe have their own distinct breed of horses, the Restless, that are tireless and fearless. There are also deathcats—a breed of cat larger than an ox, with the ability to think on an almost human level. They sometimes work alone, but are often found working with the Cistweigh, the living dead.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Aerisia? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
Magic abounds in Aerisia and colors much of everyday life, from the immortality of the Simathe, to the healing powers of the Moonkind, to the ability of the fairies to protect and preserve the natural realm. In Aerisia, magic stems either from the Powers of Good or the Dark Powers. As Artan, Hannah must learn to wield the magic imparted to her by the Powers of Good to such an extent that she can finally and fully defeat the growing evil of the Dark Powers.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Aerisia? Please describe what it involves.
Religion, per se, does not play heavily into the world of Aerisia. The main religion referenced is the Peace of the Moon, which is followed by the Moonkind. Basically, it is a set of beliefs that promotes pacifism and abhors violence. Although the Moonkind are instrumental in bringing Hannah to Aerisia so she can fight the Dark Powers as the Artan, and although they are some of her main teachers in learning to use her magic, they do not follow her into the climatic final battle in book three, except as healers of the wounded.
What is the political or government structure in Aerisia? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Aerisia is ruled by the Council, which consists of twelve Elders chosen from among the people by the people. There are also four Pronconcil: a Ranetron (military leader), a Simathe (also a military leader), a Cortain (leader of a group of female warriors), and a Spinner (female keepers of Aerisia’s history, legends, and lore). Presiding over Council and its members is the High Elder.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
A sunset walk down a country road when I was teenager birthed the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy. The scene in the opening chapter of book one, Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset, where Hannah meets the Moonkind Guardian, Risean Wy’ Curlm, who whisks her away from her Colorado home to Laytrii’s palace in the land of Aerisia, was inspired by an incident in real life. I used to walk/run country roads at evening when it was cooler, I had a neighbor who raised horses and had a huge, old stump in his pasture, and my overactive imagination sometimes tricked me into thinking that stump was something it wasn’t. Once, it was a bear, once a dog, once a stranger in flowing robes…which got me to thinking. What would happen if I actually ran across a stranger from another time period or world? Put these factors together, and Aerisia was born.
Author Autobiography:A genuine Okie from Muskogee, Sarah Ashwood grew up in the wooded hills outside the oldest town in Oklahoma. She is author of the Sunset Lands Beyond fantasy trilogy, a poetry volume “A Minstrel’s Musings,” and the fantasy novella “Amana,” along with numerous other published works. In her imagination, she soars effortlessly through historical and fantastical worlds. In real life, she lives (mostly) quietly at home with her husband and sons. Besides writing, she enjoys running and completed her first half marathon in November of 2014.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? Please include links.
My Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy is available in ebook and print editions. The best place to find all purchase links for each book in the trilogy is my author page on Ultimate Fantasy Books, here. (Don’t forget to download Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset for free!)
Where can readers connect with you online?
You can find me on my Sarah Ashwood Facebook author page, friend me on my Sarah Ashwood Goodreads page, follow me on Twitter @1sarahashwood, or on Instagram where I go by @runnerwritermom. If you want to see lots of pins related to fairytales, fantasy, magic, castles, reading, and writing (and occasionally fitness and running), you can follow me on my Pinterest page, as well.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Aerisia. 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 fantasy world of Terramara, in Realm Explorers Part LII!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Terramara, in Realm Explorers Part LII!
-Annie Douglass Lima