Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 6

Google Play Expands Distribution of My Fantasy Ebooks to Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries

I noticed in the news that nine countries have been added to the global distribution of my fantasy novels through Google Play Books. People in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain  now have easy access to my fiction, especially on Android phones and tablets that probably have a link to the Play Store on their home screens.

I appreciate the international reach that I'm able to achieve as an author on Google Play. Although most of my sales come from English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, sometimes sales pop up in places like Switzerland or France or Spain. Now, maybe a few people in Middle Eastern countries might read my stories.

My works at Google Play are mostly fantasy fiction titles. I've authored three different series and all of them start with free ebooks. See more about them below and pick one out to read.

Rys Rising: Book I
Serving Onja makes it right.

In this passionate epic told from many angles, the young outlaw Amar becomes a dreaded warlord, the terror of kings. His ambitions blind him to the trivial diversions of mere female company until he must block a treaty marriage between two powerful tribes. Confronted by the desperate Princess Demeda, he feels temptation again, but the longings of his ruined heart cannot overcome his pure love for Onja. She is a mysterious outcast from the magical rys race that is oppressed by the tabre of Nufal. Onja has commanded Amar to dominate the humans of Gyhwen while she plots to overthrow her tabre masters. To support her cause, she aims to seduce Dacian, a prodigy among rys whose powers have been hobbled by his loyalty to the ruling tabre order. Will he endure more dark abuses for the sake of peace or reach out to Onja?

While a rys rebellion secretly brews, the human minions of the tabre battle pillaging savages. The young estate lord Cruce Chenomet joins the fight. Violent trials and sensual surprises break the trail on his journey to manhood. Packed with primitive energy and complex motivations, the intertwining stories and rising stakes of this fantasy world will indulge your cravings for intrigue, bravery, desire, and freedom.

Read it for free


Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I
Have you ever looked at the facts of your life and realized your dreams won't come true? Have you ever looked into the unknown and seen opportunity? For Dreibrand Veta, a young officer in the Horde of the Atrophane Empire, these questions explode from his spirit in a fit of rage and launch him into an epic struggle. After he encounters a rare super race, the rys, he is forced to choose sides between passionate rivals and navigate his way through a foreign culture all while plotting to seize his own wealth and glory.

In this opening novel of The Rys Chronicles you'll meet a man scarred by bad deeds who answers the call of a heroic cause. An unconventional heroine will tug at your sympathies as she bravely faces adversity with all the strengths and vulnerabilities of her womanhood. And overarching it all are the rys. Their magic makes them superior to humans, but they are not above employing humans in their deadly schemes.

Read it for free


Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale
Thal is wanted for Devil worship and shape shifting but still boldly walks the streets of 16th century Prague. Jesuits hunt him. Mercenaries fear him. Musicians sing his praise, and women are captivated by his alpha swagger.

Born of a witch and a sorcerer, he is summoned when his desperate mother casts the werewolf spell before facing torture and execution. Burdened with her magical call for vengeance Thal seeks the men that killed her. His hunt is complicated when the Magistrate’s stepdaughter Altea Kardas crosses his path. Horrified that her community is burning women to death, she can confide her doubt and fear only to Thal.

He desires her greatly but knows he will bring ruin upon her. Across Bohemia and beyond people who are different are labeled heretics in a restless world hobbled by tyrannical ignorance. The Renaissance has thrown the Holy Roman Empire into turmoil. Printed books are spreading radical ideas. Firearms are triggering a new age of warfare. And the human spirit is shaking off obedience.

Thal embodies the ancient magic of the pagan past. He challenges a world conquered by a spiritual system that denies the flesh and forgets the Earth. And he awakens within Altea recognition of these truths. She believes any risk is worth loving him until she becomes the bait in a trap set by Thal’s enemies.

Read it for free



Source:
http://9to5google.com/2016/01/13/google-play-books-comes-to-egypt-lebanon-saudi-arabia-uae-and-5-more-new-countries/



A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Kobo Books Offers $10,000 prizes to Canadian Authors

Kobo Books, an international ebook retailer that distributes my titles, has announced a writing prize for Canadian authors that debuted a novel in 2015. Qualifying titles must be for sale at the Kobo site. Both publishers and self publishers may submit entries in the categories of Romance, Nonfiction, and Literary Fiction.

The winner in each category will receive $10,000 and merchandising love in the Kobo store. 

Authors or publishers that wish to enter a title have until March 11, 2016 to apply at http://www.kobo.com/emergingwriter

I thought I'd spread the word about this although I can't enter because my books aren't in the right categories and I don't live in Canada. My novels are epic fantasy or historical fantasy. They've earned some good ratings from readers.

All my series start with a free ebook, so there's no risk in picking one up to read. See my novels at Kobo.


A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Save 50% at Kobo Books This Weekend - Get the Promo Code here

As an author with fantasy series selling worldwide at Kobo Books, I get alerted to special promotions.

This weekend, January 28th to 31st, readers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom can save 50 percent on select ebooks at Kobo.

When you checkout, enter promo code JAN1650

This code can be applied unlimited times on purchases all weekend. So, if you're in the mood for some binge reading, write down that promo code.

Save 50% on my fantasy box set The Rys Chronicles!

I have an excellent value bundle box set included in this promotion. Normally, $8.99 in the U.S., this is your chance to get it at half price, less than the price of a single title in the series! At over 600,000 words, this box set brings together all 4 epic novels in the series:
Union of RenegadesThe Goddess QueenJudgment RisingThe Borderlands of PowerThis saga cover 7 years in the lives of the characters. For a true romance amid magic battles and duels, read The Rys Chronicles. In this fantasy world, the magical rys reign supreme and use humans as pawns in their schemes.

Enjoy The Rys Chronicles this weekend for half price!


A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Recovering from adrenal gland fatigue and returning to fiction writing

It's tough when you're self employed and have to take time to deal with a health problem. I'm a novelist and there's no one to fill in for me. That means my readers have been waiting for my next novel.

Earlier this month, I was reminded of this when I noticed a 5-star review in the Nook store for Journey of the Hunted.

"I love this series, and I am dying for the next."



Such comments really motivate me. I sincerely try to make each novel I write worthy of my readers.

And I am writing the next book in this series. I'm currently working on Chapter 5. of Werewolf Castle. I've begun this novel after a full-year hiatus from fiction writing. I had to stop writing novels in 2014 for a couple reasons, the foremost of which being the need to treat my adrenal gland fatigue.

I discovered adrenal gland fatigue when I did a Google search for how to cope with chronic stress. It turns out chronic stress contributes greatly to adrenal gland fatigue. The adrenal glands secrete their hormones to keep the human body going when things get tough, especially cortisol and adrenaline. When things are always tough, then the glands never get a break. They are also the system that gets boosted up by coffee. So, my stress coupled with coffee consumption had worn down my adrenals.

As I researched the condition, I discovered I had about 90 percent of symptoms. One of the most alarming symptoms for me was the body jolting. I had wondered for a couple years what these little seizure-like surges were. Turns out they were my adrenal glands randomly thrashing my body back into action.

There's some controversy about whether adrenal gland fatigue is an actual medical condition. WebMD claims it is not, and critics say it's just a condition made up to sell vitamins. I really don't care if it's been officially labeled as medically real. What I know is that it described my problems quite accurately and the suggested therapies have helped me feel better. I also know that the small areas of pain in my lower back, which correspond with the placement of the adrenal glands over the kidneys, have mostly gone away.

By the time I had Google diagnosed myself, my health had gotten quite bad. My gross and fine motor skills were deteriorating. My memory was fuzzy. I couldn't make decisions, at least not good ones. In general, my performance was very low, which really bothered me because I had been a very competent person most of my life. I don't even know when precisely I started to go downhill. I just know that I've been pushing myself relentlessly for years, and at some point I went over the edge.

Adrenal Fatigue Therapies

Confronted with a greatly reduced ability to function, I had to take steps to heal. There are a range of therapies for adrenal gland fatigue. Two of the most important are sleep and cutting back on caffeine. For the past 15 months, I've been forcing myself to go to bed earlier, which I hate, but it was necessary.

Increasing protein in the diet and reducing sugar also reduce strain on the adrenals. I focus on protein-based snacks more, including protein shakes, and save sugar for treats instead of a constant fuel supply.

I'll admit that had been abusing sugar more and more over the years. I used it as an energy source. Please don't hate me, but I'm one of those people who can eat endless carbs and not get fat. I just turn them into energy, so I can keep going. And by keep going, I mean working 12 to 14 hours a day 7 days a week with no days off for a decade. This made my adrenal glands function as spark plugs on my body's engine. I still have no days off, but I've gotten things down to about 10 hours a day.


At this point, I am beginning to feel much better. From what I've read, recovering from adrenal fatigue can take up to two years. Even when I can consider myself healed, I'll always have to watch my diet and get more sleep. I don't want to feel the way I did.

I've had to learn to slow down for the sake of my health. This is a difficult lesson. I've driven myself so hard for so many years that I don't even really know how to relax. During my recovery, I've made some progress in that department. I've been allowing myself to simply stop working by 8 or 9 at night. The problem is that writing novels requires burning a lot of midnight oil. I'm not one of those people who can get up early and write. I understand this works for some people, but I've always preferred writing in the afternoon, evening, or late at night.

For the sake of completing Werewolf Castle, I need to develop a new routine. Slowly, I'm slipping fiction writing back into my busy over-burdened life. Writing novels is my greatest solace in life. The creative work makes me feel good.


Although it will be a while before Werewolf Castle is complete, I have 10 other novels already published.

If you'd like to start the Werewolves in the Renaissance series, the first book Werelord Thal is a free ebook or you can buy the paperback at Amazon.

See complete information about all of my fantasy series at my website.

Werewolves in the Renaissance
Rys Rising
The Rys Chronicles

Follow this blog or like my Brave Luck Books Facebook page to find out about sales and promotions at various retail outlets.



A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Best-Selling Amazon Kindle box set for only 99 cents

Since its release in November, the Legacy Box Set that includes my novel Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale has been performing well on the Amazon Kindle charts. Today, the publisher, Paper Gold Publishing, pointed out on Facebook that Legacy Fantasy Box Set Vol. 2 had reached #4 in the fantasy anthologies and short stories category.

Its companion publication, Legends SF/Fantasy Box Set Vol. 1 is at #1 in the same category. I'm very pleased to be part of such a successful promotional effort. I must be in very good company with the other authors because we've been gaining plenty of wonderful reviews.

Each box set is only $0.99 US. Both collections offer tremendous value. Volume 1 contains 13 stories and Volume 2 has 10, including my full-length novel Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale.

Get your copy of Legacy Fantasy Box Set Vol. 2 and see why we've been moving up the charts.

Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle Canada
Kindle Australia

This box set contains:

WHITE HART — Sarah Dalton
DESTINY'S WINGS — D.S. Schmeckpeper
WANDERING TO BELONG — Jess Mountifield
WHEN SHADOWS FALL — Bruce Blake
PARADOX: THE ANGELS ARE HERE — Patti Roberts
WERELORD THAL: A RENAISSANCE WEREWOLF TALE — Tracy Falbe
THE DRAGIL: BROKEN MAGIC — Holly Barbo
THE AVALON TRILOGY I: THE STAR REALM — Julie Elizabeth Powell
THE AVALON TRILOGY II: INVASION — Julie Elizabeth Powell
THE AVALON TRILOGY III: SECRETS OF THE ICE — Julie Elizabeth Powell


 
A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Save 50 percent at Google Play Books on The Goddess Queen

Did you download Union of Renegades, the free fantasy ebook at the Google Play Store, and now you want to know what happens next?

This is the week to pick up the sequel, The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book I.

It's 50 percent off all week through Friday, January 15th.

The Goddess Queen has a 4.5 star rating at the Play store, and it's been my best-selling novel for years.

About the book:

The Rys Chronicles continue in the second book as Shan’s rebellion grows. Queen Onja sends her Kezanada agents to hunt Shan with enchanted weapons, and she also begins to teach another rys in the ways of battle magic to aid her in the coming war.

Dreibrand Veta, now Shan’s general, works hard to prepare their armies for the invasion of the rys homeland. Miranda dedicates herself to Shan and his rebellion even when it means breaking the strict patriarchal traditions of the larger culture.

Once the armies begin to march, everyone must endure the many horrors of war. Tempers fray and ambitions flare as the costs of attacking Onja mount. But Shan stomachs his guilt over inspiring such conflict and finally challenges Onja in a duel of magic. To defend her throne, Onja summons her magic secrets that have been buried since ancient times.

Get The Goddess Queen for half price this week. 
Enjoy reading!



A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Get this promo code to save 30% on box sets at Kobo

I wanted to let Kobo readers know that they can save 30 percent on select box sets at Kobo through January 11th. 
At checkout, use promo code BOX30 to apply the discount.

Browse the box sets in the promotion right now. You'll still earn super points on your purchases.

If you like epic fantasy, I have a box set available at Kobo. It's The Rys Chronicles Complete Series. This value bundle combines four novels: Union of Renegades, The Goddess Queen, Judgment Rising, and The Borderlands of Power.

This series will take you into the world of the rys, a magical race that rules over humans and whose leaders struggle with the temptations that their awesome powers give them.

Consider this excerpt from Union of Renegades (a free ebook at Kobo by the way):

By now, Dreibrand had hoped Shan would want to talk. Dreibrand burned with curiosity to know what had happened with the Kezanada.
Shan must have sensed that Dreibrand was about to attempt a conversation, and his cowl swung toward Dreibrand before he spoke. Dreibrand saw blue fire blazing in the depths of the cowl, as if Shan worked magic at that moment. Although he had seen light in Shan’s eyes before, he was taken aback this time.
“Is something wrong?” he asked quietly.
“No. My enemies lie dead in the forest,” Shan said as if he looked at the bodies at that moment.
“So what happened?” Dreibrand asked.
From within the hanging hood, Shan gazed at Dreibrand and truly wanted to answer his friend, but the fever of what he had done in the night still burned inside him. Shan boiled with a turmoil of new thoughts and sensations, and the events of the night replayed in his head.
Last night had been perfectly black after the sliver of a moon had set and the cloud cover had rolled in. Taischek had made sure that his most trusted men were manning the gate that Shan used to leave the city.
On the open road Shan bolted into a full gallop. His voluminous black cloak billowed from his shoulders like bats pouring from a cave. When he decided he had been on the road long enough, he headed cross-country to the north. Shan did not need his rys’s perception to hear riders thunder down the road he had just left. Looking back, he saw the lights of Dengar Nor across the black fields and Taischek’s castle twinkling high on the mesa. Soon the spies would realize Shan had left the road, and for their sake, he hoped they did not find his trail.
He had many hasas to ride before reaching the Kezanada encampment. The Temu farmlands yielded to wooded hills, and Shan eventually felt the presence of the old growth forest envelop him. Some of the trees in the Nolesh were older than he was and they told no secrets.
Probing the forest with his mind, Shan located the Kezanada sentries and dismounted to continue on foot. Beyond the sentries, he could feel the mass of men camped in the forest. Shan hoped what he was about to do would shock the Kezanada into rethinking their pursuit of his bounty.
Shan put a spell of sleepiness on the first two outer sentries that he approached. Lulled into a doze, the sentries awaited their death. Shan crept closer until he could see the campfires. Most of the Kezanada slept, but a few sat up talking.
Shan lowered himself into a cross-legged position, trying to limit the crackling of the ferns and forest litter. He focused his mind on his grim task but his conscience struggled to distract him. He had killed, but now he would kill with much greater intimacy. To magically extinguish life, especially in stealth, grated against his sense of honor. Deep down he judged himself harshly, knowing that what he did was wrong, but the Kezanada had to be deterred from hunting him or Taischek’s family. He had to gain more allies among the humans in order to weaken Onja’s position, and he could not allow the Kezanada to hinder him. Most importantly, those who were already his loyal friends relied on him to lead them to victory.
Banishing his natural revulsion, Shan began to meditate on his spell, gathering all the lifeforces of the surrounding men into his awareness. The rys felt the blood moving in their veins and the air passing through their lungs. He heard every word of conversation and the rattle of every snore. Shan linked to every man in the camp, sentries included, latching onto them like an invisible lamprey. Shan focused on their hearts. Only their hearts. The unsynchronized beating of a hundred hearts stormed his mind with a terrible roar, and Shan had to hold in a scream of agony.
He concentrated on only the rushing blood and the pumping hearts. Then, like the stockade at Dursalene but with a thousand times more refinement, Shan shattered the hearts. Valves flapped in useless tatters and the muscles of life screeched to a torn halt. Shan saw every internal detail of each man’s death as he released the spell’s visualization.
Most of the Kezanada clutched their chests in a terrible moment of pain before quickly dying. Some sat straight up out of their sleep and gasped before slumping back into a permanent rest. Every heart had been assaulted simultaneously, and as the Kezanada died, they did not know their comrades shared the same fate.
Shan sprang to his feet with outstretched arms, trembling with the awesome power he felt. His mind had been intimately entwined with each man at the moment of death, and Shan now held their souls. He experienced a sudden clarity of understanding as he grasped the many fresh spirits.
This is how Dacian and Onja made the Deamedron! he realized. He could conjure magical monoliths to imprison these souls restrained by his mind and create his own ghost soldiers who obeyed him.
The possibilities intoxicated him. He did not need to court the favor of the humans when he could create his own force of faithful and eternal Deamedron. Why should he care about the humans anyway? He was a million times greater than the best of their short-lived race. Rys deserved respect and they should demand the servitude of humans. He sullied himself by cultivating friendships with humans and promising them freedom.
I should be the master of all!
These mad thoughts filled Shan’s mind while the power of his spell surged through him. Holding the helpless souls made him feel so potent. Shan’s concept of magic swelled to a higher level that truly approached Onja’s power.
Finally, the thin wail of souls realizing their state of limbo reached Shan’s mind. The compassionate part of Shan shuddered at the sound, making the rys see that the thrill of his power had twisted his ambitions in awful ways, and had done it quickly.
“No!” Shan physically screamed and he released the Kezanada souls.
Sick with guilt Shan hurled himself onto the ground and wept until his face was muddied. Great sobs shook his blue body as he punished himself with unmitigated grief.
Is this how it started with Onja? he wondered. Was Onja once a decent being with caring feelings? Did her extreme talent for magic twist her into the Queen who loved her supremacy so much she claimed divinity?
Now Shan asked himself the most frightful question of all. Will I decay into such an evil being?
Rising to his knees, Shan cried, “I did not know the power would cause me such wretched temptation!”

Pick up the whole series at Kobo. Promo code BOX30 works through January 11th. 

The Rys Chronicles Complete Series



A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Audiobook sale - Save 50 percent on The Rys Chronicles

Fantasy audiobook Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I


Listen to a sample right now.



Through the month of January, enjoy 19 hours of mp3 audio for only $4.47 - a savings of 50 percent.



If you like it, then pick up the sequel, The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book II.


It'll give you another 16 hours of action-packed audio for $4.47.



You'll pick up 25 hours of audio for less than $10, and they are sold worldwide.

This is a great value, especially if you don't want the commitment of an Audible membership. Prices for these audiobooks tend to be high when purchased ala carte at Audible and iTunes, but, as the author, I can give you this great online deal.

About the Novels

Union of Renegades

The epic begins as Dreibrand Veta and the conquering Horde of the Atrophane Empire reach a mythic Wilderness that beckons with a magical call to glory. But Onja, Queen of the rys, a race far more powerful than the greatest human state, guards this land. She has the power to imprison souls and her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for her desperate enemies, the union of renegades.

The Goddess Queen

The Kezanada agents of Queen Onja stalk Shan with enchanted weapons. Dreibrand Veta's growing list of victories has increased his influence, but the rebellion proceeds slowly for Miranda whose children remain captive in Jingten. Shan's armies will soon confront Onja, but she will tenaciously defend her throne, and Shan will discover that he does not know the powerful secrets of the Goddess Queen.

What fans have had to say:

I love your books! The human characters are so real, my heart really goes out to them. In good times and bad. The Rys are unlike any characters in any other fantasy books I've ever read, and believe me, I've read a few! I hope you keep them coming!!!!

I really did love your RYS books! I've read them twice! Veta and Shan are two of my favorite characters EVER! Thanks for putting them out there for us!

Through the month of January, enjoy 19 hours of mp3 audio for only $4.47 - a savings of 50 percent.



The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book II.


16 hours mp3 audio for $4.47.






A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Aquarius fantasy author offers 25% off Smashwords coupons

Born on January 21st, I'm an Aquarius, whose time of year lasts from January 20th to February 18th. I've always been fond of my astrological sign. The water bearer is an apt symbol for me. I love rainwater harvesting, fish tanks, swimming, and boating. I've done an above average amount of water hauling to keep plants watered over the years too.

To celebrate my birthday this year, I've started a 25 percent off sale on all titles of the Rys Rising fantasy series at Smashwords, one of my online ebook distributors.

I don't claim to know much about astrology, but the whole concept fascinates me. As a spiritual being who is part of the universe, I find it plausible that your orientation within the stars at the time of birth could influence your being.

Ancient traditions and beliefs often inspire my imagination that manifests itself in novels. I'm the author of 10 fantasy books. My Aquarius birthday promotion starts now and lasts until February 18th. You can save 25 percent on the Rys Rising series when you buy the ebooks at Smashwords.

The best is that Rys Rising: Book I is always a free ebook.



If you'd like to get one or all of the other books at the sale price, then please use the coupon codes listed below each title. You'll need to paste them into the discount box during checkout. Then, you'll see the discount applied. Smashwords provides all popular ebook formats, including Kindle, and sells worldwide.

Savage Storm: Rys Rising Book II

SAVE 25% WITH CODE FE28B



New Religion: Rys Rising Book III

SAVE 25% WITH CODE UA28U



Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV

SAVE 25% WITH CODE CQ23D







A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.

Han Solo and the Powerful Family Tragedy in The Force Awakens

Be it known that this blog post contains spoilers.Since seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I’ve been grappling with the death of Han Solo. He’s easily one of the most influential fictional characters in my life. The smuggler was easy to love. His tough-guy persona was real, but he had a heart. He was only reluctant to join the rebels because a hard galaxy had taught him not to trust in idealism.

His cynicism pleased me immensely because I’m a natural cynic. Even though he came to accept the reality of the Force, he never much relied on it. He knew his ass depended on having a good blaster at his side.

Harrison Ford played the elder Han Solo well. He clearly portrayed Han’s wariness of the Force. He had never trusted in it, and he knew that those who were strong with the Force could be unpredictable, dangerous even.

The tragedy of losing his son to the Dark Side hurt him deeply, as it would any parent, and surely worsened his misgivings about Jedi powers.

Although Han Solo wanted his son to come home, he could not discount his doubts about convincings his son to give up the Dark Side. He knew from grim experience that the power of the Dark Side was strong and certainly stronger than one man.

Yet, he opened his arms and asked his son to come home. He did the right thing. He set a fine example of fatherhood. He was willing to love and accept his son, even after his son had made mistakes.

The family tragedy that unfolded within The Force Awakens moved me deeply. I admired the choice to portray Han and Leia as separated. I imagined that the loss of their son to the Dark Side had diminished their romance. Both might have blamed the other along with themselves. Both might have seen in the other a reminder of the son that was lost. Such things can end marriages even when people love each other.

I likened their son’s seduction to the Dark Side to addiction. Han and Leia metaphorically represented parents that had lost a child to addiction. Not all addicts are redeemable, and that fact makes me both curious about and frightened of what will happen in the rest of the story. It was a masterful choice in storytelling. Now, Star Wars has a new villain in Kylo Ren that truly frightens me, but I’ll remain emotionally engaged with his character because I know how much his father loved him. 

Tracy Falbe is a life-long Star Wars fan. She saw the original movie in 1977 at the age of five and knows that Han Solo shot first. She creates her own worlds of tragedy and triumph now. She’s the author of 10 fantasy novels available worldwide at:

Brave Luck Books (author website)
Smashwords
Google Play
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple iBooks


A note from Tracy Falbe: Be the first to know about my new releases and special sales at Brave Luck Books. Join the Readers' List. Ebooks and audiobooks available worldwide. Print in select countries.