When an enemy army
threatens eleven-year old Mara’s home, she makes up her mind to
save her family, one way or another. But when the knights protecting
her village arrest her favorite aunt for witchcraft, she discovers
that the difference between friend and foe may not be as obvious as
she once thought.
This is a story of war and espionage, set in a low fantasy world. It is also
about a child getting to know her mother and father in a new way.
Thomas M. Kane is a fantasy author living high on a wooded hilltop. He
taught international relations at a British university for close to
twenty years and brings his insights concerning real-life war and
politics into his fiction. He takes a character-based approach to
writing, paying attention to his protagonists’ personal relationships
and inner lives.
There’s no other way to say it; cancer is a bitch. When I was fifteen,
Doctor’s diagnosed me with a rare brain tumor and gave me five years
to live. With my death imminent, I made a deal with the Devil. Well,
not the real Devil, but one of his minions for sure. Out of options,
I accepted an offer for eternal life. I agreed to become a vampire.
And all I had to offer in exchange was one year of service to a Duke
named Aldric. What is one year in the grand scheme of things?
Especially, when I’d live forever.
Now, two years later, I have a different view of vampires. I live in the
shadows and have no contact with any of my friends or family. I hate
what I’ve become and If I could go back and do it all over again, I
would. To make matters worse, Aldric is summoning me for my one year
of service. When I refuse, they hunt me like an animal. I’m run over
by a car and witness my mother’s death at the hands of Aldric’s
minions. No one stands up to-let alone refuses-Aldric, but enough is
enough. I can’t live like this. I’m always watching over my shoulder,
and fear each new person I meet is on a mission to kill me. This is
not a second lease on life; its torture and the only way it will end
is if I kill Aldric. It’s time for him to die.
THE RETURN OF KING LILLIAN is a new hero’s journey for dreamers of all ages.When Lillian, the one and only heir to the throne, is cast out of her kingdom by malevolent forces, she accidentally wanders into the Forest of Forgetfullness, where she is rescued by wolves and raised by an eccentric old wise woman. When she comes of age, she is called by Destiny to return home. The trouble is, when Lillian steps out of the Forest, she has no memory of who she is or from whence she hails. Undaunted, the spirited, self-reliant young woman sets off into the unknown, determined to rediscover her long lost self and to reclaim her stolen birthright.Early readers and listeners have compared this allegorical saga toThe Last Unicorn,The Alchemist, The Princess Bride, andThe Once and Future King. The Return of King Lillian is a story for people who take the road less traveled, people who live outside the box, people who love fantasy, fairy tales, myth, and metaphysics. This debut novel, written and narrated by multi-media artist Suzie Plakson, is a journey full of comedy, calamity, and a host of unforgettable characters.2019 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner2019 Readers’ Favorite Award WinnerEDITORIAL REVIEWS:“The Return of King Lillian is entrancing, audacious, and addictive in the very best way. A splendidly creative allegory told by Suzie Plakson with flair, wit, and passion.”— Marianne de Pierres, author of Parrish Plessisand The Peacemaker series“The Return of King Lillian is a basket of magic. Echoing Joseph Campbell’s feeling that the world needs new storytellers and new myths to help us greet the coming age, I’ll say that Suzie Plakson is one of those storytellers, and King Lillian is one of those myths.”— Jacob Nordby, author ofBlessed are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives“With The Return of King Lillian, Suzie Plakson has done the impossible, telling a tale that at once seems both like a timeless classic and something modern, fresh, and entirely new. And her audiobook performance is a joy in its own right. Suzie casts you under her spell as she inhabits the character of Lillian, as well as every other magical creature and person Lillian encounters along her journey. This impeccably-produced recording is guaranteed to brighten your day and lift your spirits!”— David Briggs, Supervising Sound Editor, Tales of the City, Divorce“To say that King Lillianthoroughly enchanted me and left me spellbound would be the understatement of the century. I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks, andKing Lillianis my favorite of all. Suzie Plakson’s voice is velvet mixed with grit mixed with enchantment. It takes you into another realm – into the mystic.”— Kelly Sullivan Walden, author ofIt’s All in Your Dreams
Suzie Plakson has been in love with fairy tale and myth ever since she was a young lass growing up in the wilds of suburbia. The idea for “The Return of King Lillian” first came to her when she was a struggling theatre actor in New York City, doing odd jobs, improv comedy, and various off-off-Broadway productions. She eventually landed a lead in a national tour, which dropped her off in Hollywood, and since that time she has appeared in such films and television shows as “Mad About You,” “Love and War,” “Wag the Dog,” “Dinosaurs,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Star Trek.” She has also done voiceovers, written short stories and poetry, written and recorded an alternative country album, created an allegorical solo show, and produced sculptures large and small in her otherwise unused oven. “The Return of King Lillian” is her debut novel. Read more at: kinglillian.com and suzieplakson.com
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Pilmsthistle & Co. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Q&A with Author/Narrator Suzie Plakson
When you were writing this, were you always thinking of this as an audiobook?
Well, I’ve always wanted to narrate fairy tales, so this is most certainly an age-old dream come true. And when I write prose, I tend to write as if people are conversationally telling the tale, so I’m certain the audiobook was a natural expression of this story from the very beginning.
In The Return of King Lillian, The Prologue and Part III are a fairy tale narrated in omniscient third person – and being read to as a child by a wise narrator speaks to so many of us so primordially. Also, Lillian’s diary – which comprises the lion’s share of the story – is told in direct address which, though it’s a wee bit unusual on the page, is the natural way most people tell stories.
You clearly have a deep love of language. Have you always been a collector of words?
I’ve always been charmed by words, and enchanted by people who could weave them together into something that sounded and felt like music. For instance, I’ve always been smitten by Dickens and Tolstoy and Twain. And I’m a sucker for a massive old dictionary, filled with beautiful words nobody uses anymore.
In other stories I’ve written, other characters have had very limited vocabularies; however, Lillian’s love of language spoke to me and through me, and the story is told in her own very particular (some might say peculiar) vernacular.
How did you select your narrator?
Well, Suzie Plakson kept pestering me to hire her, and finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I caved in. But, believe me, I looked everywhere to find somebody who was a lot less difficult to work with.
Is there a dream author or a dream book that you would like to narrate?
Probably Through the Looking Glass. I just love the characters and the dialogue in that book so much! I once did a little solo scene in a college performance and literature class. It was the scene at the end of the chess game, and I was playing the Red Queen, the White Queen, Alice and the Narrator. Damn, that was challenging but so much fun! And I have such a love of the fairy tales by brilliant authors like Oscar Wilde and Herman Hesse and e.e. cummings and Anne Sexton.
What type of training have you undergone?
I’m a theatre actor from way back. I went to school at Northwestern University in Chicago, and I’ve worked on stage, in film and TV as a professional actor, and have always adored voicework. I’ve discovered that just letting all the worries about the outer shell slide off and making magic in a booth over a microphone is pretty heavenly.
What were your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating your audiobook?
Well, art-making is art-making no matter what the medium – meaning whether I sculpt or act or sing or write there’s a price to be paid in the nerves of it. As I’ve said, I adore being in the booth, but I am always wrestling with performance nerves, which is never, ever comfortable and certainly my least favorite part.
But then, in the recording of The Return of King Lillian, in the manifesting of something that had been in my psyche for so many years, there was so much joy and satisfaction. I absolutely loved the fun of projecting an emotion, a character, a scene, a world, with only my voice. And I just adored working with my director/collaborator Kristin Overn, and our amazing sound engineer, Kevin Cleland. Much laughter, for sure, along with many comical threats to replace the talent (me).
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
Holy moly, that’s a big question because it’s a really big answer! In fact, decades ago, I first saw Lillian in a flash of a dream, galloping uphill on a big chestnut horse, disappearing under an archway of gigantic trees, in a setting so saturated with color and majesty it took my breath away. Then, over time, I had more and more dream-visions of this enchanted place, and I became determined to bring Lillian and that world into this one. Over a period of many years, the story and the world grew through dreams, trials, errors and finally, collaboration. So, you see, this whole story stemmed from those initial dream-sightings of that character and that world.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
I’ve always been fascinated by faerie tale and myth ever since I was a young lass. And of course, over the years, I’ve been influenced by everything I’ve ever been passionate about in art and life and nature, and I’m certain all of those influences got tossed into the cuisinart of my mind.
However, ultimately, my predilections aside, I really do believe – and as I’ve learned whenever I’m sculpting or songwriting or whatever – each work of art has its own mind, its own time frame, its own personality, and thereby its own demands and ideas. So, I’m just a sort of portal through which the story passes.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonant in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
In the microcosm, there are, sprinkled through the audiobook, a few “crowd scenes” with overlapping voices – so the listener can experience more than one person speaking simultaneously and hopefully get a clearer idea of the personality of these crowds.
In the macrocosm, some people who have read the paperback have remarked that in places it reads “like a libretto,” and to some it feels a bit like a script. And many people have said that when they’re reading, they’re often tempted to read out loud (which I find so exciting). So, The Return of King Lillian is a bit eccentric on the page, while on “the stage” (that is, in the audiobook), it just feels like someone’s reading you a story or telling you a tale.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
Yes, I would definitely want to use it, and definitely want to go backwards in time. I’m not sure where exactly, but I do know that I’d most definitely seek a place and time that was quiet and purely peaceful, where the air was fresher and birdsong was the ruling sound. Maybe that was one of my longings in creating the world of King Lillian. By and large, Lillian roams in quiet, lush, pastoral settings, like life inside a Maxfield Parrish painting.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
First off, however we choose to escape, however we nurture our spirits with art and ideas and information, well, that’s our business.
Secondly, I would put forth that reading and listening are apples and oranges. The focus is different, the inward muscles we use are different, the benefits are different. I would say that listening is more physical and possibly more visceral, and perhaps contacts the right brain more directly, like music does.
I remember once reading an article about some scientists who proved that DNA can be re-programmed and rejuvenated by words and frequencies – which makes perfect sense to me, as it will to anyone who is particularly sensitive and receptive to sound. Also, oral storytelling is one of the earliest forms of art, and what with this astonishing proliferation of podcasts and audiobooks, maybe it’s all a return to the primal instinct to feel more meaningfully connected with each other somehow.
What would you like for people get out of listening to your audiobook?
I hope they’ll laugh a lot, I hope it’ll move them, and of course, I’d be so happy if it inspired them. And perhaps my fondest hope is that The Return of King Lillian will be a place of Joy and respite in a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
The world nations are suddenly faced with terrorism in an unprecedented simultaneous attack worldwide. An urgent secret meeting is held with religious and political authorities of all nations to discuss the ensuing message from a ghostly character by the name of Fantasy Man, who not only claims full responsibility, but challenges all with a precise ultimatum. General Timothy Powell is assigned to the leadership of the taskforce with mission to find and stop Fantasy Man, but this assignment could not come at a worse time for the General who faces some very personal and delicate problems. A British archeologist sets up an elaborate scheme to select a group of civilians to accompany him through a paranormal adventure never before attempted, an adventure that he has nicknamed ‘The war to end all wars’. Fascinated at the prospects of this paranormal adventure, the civilians will soon find themselves in a web of deceit while truly embarking in the unknown world of the supernatural. By the time the hidden agenda of the archeologist is understood, deepest and darkest secrets will have been revealed and only friendship and love will provide a slim chance for the civilians to come out alive. But who has deceived who? A mastermind engineer disillusioned with the lethargy and inertia of the corporate world seizes an unexpected opportunity to start his own business, an entertainment outfit unlike any other. How could he possibly have known that he would become entangled with the taskforce against Fantasy Man? Racing around the globe as well as around the clock to piece the challenging puzzle laid out by Fantasy Man will prove to be a quasi-impossible task for the authorities… until fate does what it does best, bringing together the most unlikely group of people to solve the riddle. But Fantasy Man had one last defiant act up his sleeve, another simultaneous worldwide show of force with a fatal outcome… What would you do faced with the enormity of Fantasy Man’s challenge and a deadline to stop him? If you were selected for the archeologist’s paranormal adventure, would you willingly take on the challenge of ‘war to end all wars’? Would you give up your dream of a highly successful self-made career in the entertainment domain, to save the world, or simply to ease the burden of a troubled soul? Fantasy Man will change your world forever, if you dare take his challenge…
Jean-Michel Désiré was born on the magnificent tropical island of Mauritius,
where he completed his primary and secondary studies in compulsory
bilingual French and English languages. An acute love of reading
combined with a great interest in art (drawing and painting) pushed
Jean-Michel from a young age to want to write his own comic books,
but a lack of opportunity blocked his efforts. It was this same lack
of opportunity of the time that triggered a need to perform further
studies. At age 22, Jean-Michel left Mauritius for North London,
England, where he completed a bachelor of Engineering in Electronics
followed by a Master of Philosophy in Microelectronics.
While concluding his Master’s degree, Jean-Michel met the lady who became
his wife a year later, year during which they also moved to Montreal
Canada where Jean-Michel had been offered an engineering position in
the Aerospace industry. Life had its own agenda, and within the first
eighteen months, their daughter was born in the middle of a snow
storm in Montreal. Six years later, their son came into the world and
the obvious demands of family life became the main priorities.
During the winter of 2008, Jean-Michel slipped on the ice during a storm and
fractured his ankle in multiple locations. Recovering at home after
surgery, Jean-Michel decided that the time had come to revive his
passion for writing. Within two years, his first book ‘The
Storyteller’s Nights’ was published. The positive feedback from
readers fueled Jean-Michel to exploit his bilingualism and he
translated the story into French, ‘Les Nuits du Conteur’ being
published in 2015. He then felt the wind in his sails and published
‘Fantasy Man’ in 2017, and recently, ‘Revanche (Revenge)’
(the follow-up to ‘Les Nuits du Conteur’) in 2019. ‘Fantasy
Man’ is presently nominated for an award, top ten finalist to be
announced on 22 August 2019. He has just completed the first draft to
his next English book, entitled ‘The Miracle Ladies’, which he
plans to send to the publisher within the next few months, after the
essential rounds of self-editing.
Engineer by day, writer by night, Jean-Michel plans to keep letting his
imagination go wild while capturing it all on paper. Surrounded by a
great family, he plans to write a whole lot more. When he is not
writing, he spends quality time with his family and travels yearly
back to Mauritius to visit his Mom and brothers.
It’s been six months since Dr. Rhett “Jack” Jackson and Dr.
Kamala Anjali had their dragon cloning project shut down by the
government. Just when they think they’ve gotten their lives back
together, an agency within the government hits them with another
suckerpunch: a criminal organization has cloned dozens of dragons in
order to hold vicious dragon fighting rings. The government recruits
Jack and Kamala to help them track down the organization. Jack and
Kamala set out to put a stop to the illegal fights before any more
dragons die…or worse, escape.
Of Dawn and Embers is the third novel in Kyoko M’s sci-fi/contemporary
fantasy series, following Of Cinder and Bone and Of Blood and Ashes.
The world’s deadliest dragon, the infamous Baba Yaga,
is loose on the streets of Tokyo.
Dr. Rhett “Jack” Jackson and Dr. Kamala Anjali have been tasked
with helping the government take down a dragon the size of a
Tyrannosaurus Rex after it sends part of the city up in flames.
Things worsen when they lose track of dragon in none other than
Aokigahara, the Suicide Forest–a section of woods in Japan that is
rumored to be one of the most haunted places on earth. They’ve also
got the yakuza who cloned the dragon hellbent on getting her back,
and they don’t care who they kill in order to re-capture the dragon.
Jack and Kamala are joined by CIA field agent William Fry and
dragon-hunting expert Juniper Snow as they infiltrate the forest to
hunt the dragon before she can hurt anyone else. Between the ruthless
yakuza hot on their trail and the growing mistrust in their small
hunting party, it will take a miracle for Jack and Kamala to make it
out alive…
Of Blood and Ashes is the second book in the series, following the
Amazon bestselling Of Cinder and Bone.
After centuries of being the most dangerous predators on the planet,
dragons were hunted to extinction. That is, until Dr. Rhett “Jack”
Jackson and Dr. Kamala Anjali cracked the code to bring them back.
Through their research at MIT, they resurrected the first dragon
anyone has seen alive since the 15th century. There’s just one problem.
Someone stole it.
Caught between two ruthless yakuza clans who want to clone the dragon, Jack
and Kamala brave the dangerous streets of Tokyo to steal their dragon
back in a race against time before the world is taken over by
mutated, bloodthirsty monsters that will raze it to ashes.
Of Cinder and Bone is an all-new sci-fi thriller from the author of the
Amazon bestselling Black Parade novels. Don’t miss out on this
explosive first-in-series! Fans of Westworld, I Robot, Pacific Rim,
and Reign of Fire will fall in love with this mashup novel that opens
up a whole new world of possibilities into what we know and love
about dragons.
Kyoko M is a USA Today bestselling author, a fangirl, and an avid book
reader. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the
University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour
book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian
mythology. When not working feverishly on a manuscript (or two), she
can be found buried under her Dashboard on Tumblr, or chatting with
fellow nerds on Twitter, or curled up with a good Harry Dresden novel
on a warm Georgia night. Like any author, she wants nothing more than
to contribute something great to the best profession in the world, no
matter how small.
Ariel Paiement and I met through social media. We both share a love of fantasy.
Author Bio
Ariel Paiement is a fantasy author who writes the occasional historical fiction or science fiction novel. She enjoys all ranges of books and writing when it comes to reading, though fantasy and science fiction are her favorites. She likes to spend time coming up with new ideas or in wild flights of imagination. If asked what she spends most of her time doing, she’d tell you that she spends most of it reading or writing one thing or another. She is the author of On the Narrow Way in the anthology Above and Beneath: The World of Angels and Demons and has also written and published In Darkness Lost, a stand-alone fantasy adventure novel. Her novel, Bane of Ashkarith, is coming out on July 31st and is the first in the Legends of Alcardia series.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a fantasy author who dabbles
in some sci-fi and historical fiction. I also occasionally write Christian
fiction. I’m not predominantly a Christian fiction author, but since I am a
Christian, some of the traditional values from a Judeo-Christian worldview do
come out in the books I write. Of course, that’s true of any author’s viewpoint
since no one writes without a bias.
As a writer, one of the things
that I’m committed to is showing that doing the wrong thing does have
consequences on the characters and those around them. I realize this is
becoming less and less important to many people, but I believe that showing
that there are consequences to morally incorrect or generally poor
decision-making is a part of making the books I write truer to reality.
Besides creating well-rounded
characters, I’m pretty big on world-building. I love creating and fleshing out
the worlds I place my characters in, and in many cases, the worlds become
almost like another character in the book’s cast for me. My goal with every
book is to immerse the reader in the world through the character’s eyes so that
the reader can have the full high fantasy or alternate world fantasy
experience.
But above all, my greatest goal with each book I write is to
create something that people of varied backgrounds and age groups can enjoy.
While not every book will be “family-friendly” or YA, I strive to have a
variety so that younger and older readers can find something within the worlds
I’ve created that will appeal to them.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I’m not sure I had a specific defining moment where I
thought, yeah, I’m going to be an author. I’ve been writing since I was pretty
young, and I always wanted to tell my stories to the rest of the world, so I
guess you could say that the idea of being an author started fairly young even
if I didn’t have enough understanding of the concept at the time to put a label
on it.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
Definitely fantasy and sci-fi! But I also enjoy lots of
other genres. I’m not a particularly picky reader, though my favorites tend to
be fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal. Those are pretty much the same genres I
write, though I haven’t really done anything paranormal. I stick to fantasy and
the occasional sci-fi short story or experimental piece.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
Bane of Ashkarith is suitable for anyone in their pre-teens
or above. The book is written to appeal mainly to a young adult and adult
audience, but it doesn’t contain content that would be objectionable for older
children to enjoy. There is some violence and a bit of gore in places, but
nothing extreme, and there are only a few places where it’s shown.
What is your current release or project?
Bane of Ashkarith is my current release with the revised
version of In Darkness Lost, my first published novel, following it at the end
of November.
Tell us about the key characters
The two main characters in Bane of Ashkarith are a husband-and-wife
team. They work as Seekers—their world’s equivalent of archaeologists—for the
Society of the Learned, or the Society for short. The two of them specialize in
the mythology of their world, and on a dig site, while trying to prove that
there really was a battle between the gods there, they come across a journal
that belongs to the Queen of one of the sides in the battle. This sends them
off on a mission to determine the validity of the journal’s claims.
Both characters are stubborn and determined, and both value
truth a great deal. They risk life and limb throughout the novel’s course just
to find out whether or not the diary is telling the truth about what happened
between the supposed gods of the old world. They keep going despite the dangers
and uncertainty, and they work well as a team through the whole thing.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Kaidan Tadegan is
working on a new site trying to prove the myth that two armies of the gods clashed
there. While on the dig site, he discovers the evidence he’s looking for, but
he gets more than he bargained for when he discovers a woman’s bones in a
section of the dig site where no other remains have been found.
As he digs the
bones out, he discovers a journal with the woman’s body, which tells a story
that, if true, will turn the myths of the old world and the established
concepts of good and evil on their heads. Startled by the find, Kaidan sets out
to discover whether the diary’s claims have any validity.
But when the
diary leads to a city that’s supposedly long gone, Kaidan’s journey becomes
more difficult than expected. Things become even more tangled when he discovers
that the city isn’t gone, but it’s no place for the living.
Unable to give up
on his quest, he forges ahead. What lies ahead is uncertain, and even more
uncertain is whether Kaidan will survive this quest. He has only two questions
in his mind. Will he find the truth in this city of the dead? And will the
world accept the truth?
Share an excerpt
KAIDAN Tadegan straightened for a moment, pausing in
his work. He wiped the sweat from his brow and craned his neck to see over the
hill’s rise. The rest of the dig crew was still working on the opposite side of
the hill. Stretching, he picked his shovel back up and returned to digging into
the side of Dubarin Hill.
He worked with fervor but
also with care, not wanting to damage anything. The sun glared down on him,
roasting him alive, and he wiped the back of his neck with a cloth. Nothing had
rewarded him for his labor yet, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t. Perhaps he
might find something on this side of the hill to answer the questions they’d
come here to answer.
He took a deep breath, the
musty scent of freshly turned soil filling his senses. Well, even if they never
determined whether those who had clashed here were the old gods, they’d at
least proven that there had been a battle. That was something. They could hold
their heads high when they spoke to the king of Argos about the dig, and when
they returned to the Society of the Learned, they’d have something to report.
The hole he was digging
had turned into an open-roofed tunnel that sloped gradually downward as he
went. Perhaps he’d gone a bit overboard. But he had a good feeling about this
area. He could just sense it in his bones. There was something here. He just
had to find it.
At around seven feet down
into the side of the hill, his shovel struck something with a dull thud. He
tested the soil with the tip of the shovel, trying to determine what it was.
When he shifted some more dirt, he saw a flash of white under the sun. More
bones?
Kaidan knelt in the hole
and brushed the loose layer of dirt away. The yellow-white bones of a corpse
glared up at him in the harsh rays of the sun, dirt still packed around the
majority of the remains. He hadn’t found any bones on this side of the hill,
and he’d begun to think the battle hadn’t raged this far. Perhaps they just
hadn’t dug in the right places. It seemed they’d given up too soon.
Kneeling, he brushed the dirt away and grabbed
a trowel, gently clearing packed clods of dirt and loose soil away from the
corpse. When he had, he backed further up the slope and sat on his heels,
staring down at it.
Inside the tunnel, the
bones rested. Time and worms had rotted through the clothing of the deceased
individual. The slender facial structure of the skull and the tiny stature
indicated it was a woman. He frowned. Who
is this? They hadn’t found any women’s corpses in the battlefield. What was
this one doing all by herself out here?
A book lay locked against
the corpse’s chest, her skeletal hands clutching it to her even in the rigor of
death. He leaned down, seeking to pry it from the hands of the skeleton. The
hands wouldn’t budge. Strange. The tendons were long gone. Nothing should be
stopping him from moving the bones. Kaidan put his hands on his hips. Well,
destroying the corpse wouldn’t do. Too disrespectful to the dead. He’d have to
try a different angle. Jumping down into the hole again, he tried to slide the
book out of the corpse’s grasp.
This time, the hands
relinquished their prize, and he stared down at the book’s unmarked leather
cover, which was worn with age and crusted in dirt. A quiver ran through him, and
he grinned. What treasures of knowledge did this find contain? He took a closer
look at it, rubbing at the dirt on the corners before pausing in his attempts
to clean the item. The leather binding was in remarkable condition for the age
of the corpse.
He glanced back at the
bones. Far too old for the condition of the book. So how had the skeleton come
to be clutching the book in the tight grip of death? He clambered back up to
the mouth of his open-roofed tunnel and sat down, dropping the book beside him.
What secrets did the skeleton hold that she would never share now? His mind
whirred through the possibilities, and he glanced down at the book. Perhaps it
held the answers.
Do you have a favorite scene?
This one is tough because I have lots that I like. But I’d
say one of my favorite scenes takes place after the air captain, who transported
the two main characters to the area around Ashkarith, has just picked them back
up at a village in the same area. The two had just returned from their trip into
Ashkarith, and they were looking for an air ship to take them home when he
showed up. I love the scene because the two main characters are so confused
about how the captain knew to show up, and the banter between the three as they
reunite was a lot of fun to write. But I think my favorite thing about the
scene is the last part where the captain tells them that “sometimes people
would rather stay blind” to the truth. This is really the pivotal moment where
Kaidan and Zerua come face to face with what it might cost them to tell the
truth. They knew before this moment, but now it really sinks in fully, and they
make the final decision that they’re going to share the truth they uncovered
anyway. They’d been struggling with that very decision the entire novel, and
here they finally settle that struggle.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Keep writing, and don’t ignore the advice of those who have
gone before you. Don’t let your pride or your insecurity get in the way of your
growth. I’ve known writers on both sides of the spectrum, and both end up
quitting. Writing is hard work. Whether you tend to have a better opinion of
your work than you should or are more insecure about it than you should be, you
need to understand that what you’re writing is going to stink—at first. But
that’s okay. That’s why you need to stick with it. Because the only way you can
stop stinking at it is to work at it and to learn from the people who have
already walked the path you’re now taking. If you enjoy it, don’t give up even
when it’s hard.
Be humble and have an honest perspective of your work. Know
your flaws, but know your strengths too. Then find the ways you can fix the
flaws and improve the strengths. Never turn down free help, no matter how harsh
the person might seem.
Not everyone will be a fan, but knowing why they’re not a
fan might help you find a way to convert them to being part of your fan group
later on. You don’t get that chance if you dismiss their criticism just because
it doesn’t paint a perfect picture of your work.
There’s a grain of truth even in the harshest critiques most
of the time. Be discerning and don’t swallow everything you’re told—this is
where reading books on writing and learning about the craft from published
authors and well-known writers or editors helps—but at least consider
everything you’re given for a moment aside from pride or insecurity.
Faharen was a contented enough young lad, living a simple farming life with
his adopted kin the Manxii, on the North Western Plain of the Animal Kingdoms.
After a mysterious blight begins to ravage the pastures of his homeland, he
must embark on a perilous quest only he can complete; to cross the
Great Forest, entering the Realms of Men to retrieve a piece of ivory
with healing properties from a legendary monster, the Merewyrm; a
creature so ancient it predates both man and animal kind.
Not long into his journey, it dawns on Faharen that he is part of a much
larger, darker world than he thought existed and must mine hidden
depths he wasn’t aware he possessed to survive.
Created by the gods to divide fallen men from the faithful animals and
forsaken by them long ago, traversing the Great Forest will not be
easy, for it hides many malevolent creatures such as the Satyrs to
name but one; a half man, half cloven hooved beast that knows only
spite and treachery!
With the body of a man and the heart of a Manxii, Faharen must do what is
deemed impossible; cross the worlds to save his people.
Residing in a monastery far to the east of the North Western Plain, troubling
nightmares stalk Faharen’s sleep as he seeks inner peace and
answers to profound questions, stirred up by his quest for the
Merewyrm’s tooth.
But in the Realms of Men, all is not well.
Out of the deserts to the south, like a sandstorm on an
ill wind, a force of occultists, led by an armoured giant calling
himself the Ferra Demiurge, or Forged Lord, wielding the strongest
ever blades made of a mysterious metal, have taken the Achaean lands
by coup and sorcery. Their ambition and greed is insatiable and the
Demiurge will not be satisfied until the entire known world is his,
including what lies beyond the Great Forest.
With the worlds
of the Animal Kingdoms and men alike set in flux by recent events,
the ancient prophecy of the wild men seems to be unravelling.
Now, all those standing against the Achaeans will be tested in their
defence of the sacred. Some will conquer, some will die, but all will
struggle to survive.
Oliver Paglia is a writer/filmmaker and was born and bred in Hampshire,
south England, where he grew up on a small farm in the picturesque
Test valley countryside. He now lives in Reykjavik, Iceland with his
veterinary nurse partner, Snæfriður Stefanssdottír. For many years
Oliver has worked as a videographer in England and has a substantial
portfolio of commercial and artistic film work spanning a broad
variety of subjects.
Oliver’s artistic preoccupation is with the mythic; it is his view that it is
one of the highest forms of artistic expression. It can be vague, yet
illuminating, without a contemporary context yet insightful as to the
human condition, absurd yet wise and dark yet moral. The legends of
old are the stories that resonate with us on all levels.
As the late Professor Joseph Campbell put it, “The myth is the public
domain and the dream is the private myth. If your private myth, your
dream, happens to coincide with that of the society, you are in good
accord with your group. If it isn’t, you’ve got a long adventure
in the dark forest ahead of you.” Also, “Myth must be kept alive.
The people who can keep it alive are the artists of one kind or another.”
And that is what Oliver hopes to do, to keep myth alive in his own modest way.
Rose Taggert awakens in a greenhouse with no clear memory of the
past two years and, to her horror, finds her body transformed into an
unrecognizable form.
Paris Kuyper has convinced Rose that they are lovers and as Paris
could not bear for her to die, he has used an ancient and dark magic
to save her from certain death.
But the dark magic Paris has used comes at a price. A price which a
terrible demon is determined to extract from Rose.
As Rose struggles to understand what is happening to her, she must
navigate Paris’s lies and secrets; secrets that Paris will
do anything to protect.
Rami Ungar knew he wanted to be a writer from the age of five, when he
first became exposed to the world of Harry Potter and
wanted to create imaginative worlds like Harry’s. As a tween, he
fell in love with the works of Anne Rice and Stephen King and, as he
was getting too old to sneak up on people and shout “Boo!’ (not
that that ever stopped him), he decided to merge his two loves and
become a horror writer.
Today, Rami lives and writes in Columbus, Ohio. He’s self-published three
novels and one collection of short stories, and his stories have
appeared in other publications here and there. Rose, his first novel
with Castrum Press, released June 21st, 2019.
When he’s not writing your nightmares or coming up with those, he’s
enjoying anything from the latest horror novel or movie to anime and
manga to ballet, collecting anything that catches his fancy, and
giving you the impression he may not be entirely human.
When a Royal dies, the realms elect the one to take their place. By
reasons Camaria does not know, her realm elects her as the next
Royal. Now that she is the new-found sixteenth Royal of the nation of
Mirabelle, Cam embarks on a journey with her sisters and a young
huntsman to the four realms of the nation to complete training in the
four kinds of magic. Once she has completed this training, she will
then be permitted to consume her annual amount of magic and possess
manifested powers. Her ventures are unexpectedly steeped in
precarious events when Cam discovers a secret plan of revolt, a past
she never knew, and an ancient people group thought dead who call
themselves the Spirit Followers.
Camaria is chasing the sparks of a war and trying to put them out before her
world erupts into flames and all is gone. The vanishing of the magic
of Mirabelle is only the beginning and the Seekers are formed to find
its captors. Camaria, her sister Fiera, the young huntsman Caleb,
Cinis Lumen leader Tyron, former Gnosi heir Riah, and two others are
sent east to find their stolen magic, but each has a mission of their
own. Cam, having been banished from two of Mirabelle’s realms, is
determined to redeem herself by locating the legendary Crown of
Caelae, prophesied by the Watchers, one of which was Peter’s
father. Riah continues his secret quest to become one of the
unidentified master’s seven warriors. Fiera still holds the wooden
ball with its strange message inside, and Caleb has a secret past of
his own. Peter, who remains in Mirabelle, is on the brink of
discovering all of his father’s secrets and forming a plot of
revenge on those who had killed Daniel years ago. Their own ventures
are put on hold when they suddenly cross paths with an unexpected
enemy in the perilous land called the Valley of Poison.
Lydia Redwine is a young author from Cincinnati, Ohio, who, by the age of
18, has published a fantasy novel and a poetry collection in aim to
create work that is both refreshing and impactful.
There’s no place like Avalon, land of mists and magic. Exiled to your world
for my father’s sins, I longed for home. But Avalon is no place for
the dark lord’s daughter.
Until I’m invited home to attend the academy of magic. I’m no fool. I
know there are strings attached.
Those strings may have something to do with three handsome, alluring men
who befriend me.
I can’t trust them, but I can’t resist the pull I feel for them,
either. It’s been a long time since I had friends.
I don’t know how long I’ll last at the academy. My father’s
henchmen, the True, want me to restore his wicked glory. The Crown
wants to use me to destroy the True.
And in the midst of all this swirling intrigue, I’m getting abysmal
grades in both Calculus *and* Casting.
These men seem determined to tutor me, fix me and most of all, protect me.
But my deep, dark secret is that the dread magician’s daughter…doesn’t
have her magic anymore.
When they realize how useless I am, will they still stand by my side?
Welcome to a world where redemption is possible, where friendship and
adventure and magic abound, and where love means never having to
choose.
One Kind of Wicked is the first in a five book university-age academy
reverse harem series
The True want me. The Crown wants to use me. But what do I want?
The academy of magic doesn’t have frat parties; it has balls with tuxedos and
flowing champagne and chocolate fountains. Oh, and masked debauchery.
Lots of that.
Unfortunately, instead of enjoying the debauchery with the three alluring magicians
I’m falling for, I’m there to draw out the True henchmen. I’m
nothing but bait in a ball gown.
To serve my country—and to stay in Avalon—I need to play the part of a
villain. The True need to think I can be persuaded stand alongside
them as they destroy Avalon.
At least these three men see me as I really am: a woman who just wants a
second chance.
Unfortunately, they’re hiding secrets of their own…
And some of those secrets will be revealed, even before the masks come off.
The university of magic is no place for the dark lord’s daughter…and
the Crown Prince’s birthday ball is no place for her either.
But it’s not the kind of invitation that a girl can reject. So, my men and I
pack up our fancy clothes and off we go to the prince’s castle. We
have a mission along the way. The secrets that have kept me safe
until now are crumbling. I need my magic back, now.
Without my magic, without being useful to the Crown, I can look forward to a
one-way ticket back to your world.
Or a one-way ticket to dead.
But while my men and I hunt the man who stole my magic and
destroyed part of my soul…
…he’s hunting me too.
By the time our battle is over, every truth will be revealed. Every lie will be
destroyed.
May Dawson writes reverse harem romance about magic, strong women,
and the men who love them. A native New Yorker, she’s settled in
Virginia, where she is raising two red-headed troublemakers and a
passel of cats.
Sep. 17th:
