Amber R. Duell's Blog, page 5
November 12, 2016
World of Huvaria Map Reveal: Week #4
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 3: Shadow Cove
Shadow Cove
Population: 73,284
Three decades ago, Shadow Cove in south-western Asgya was little more than a fishing spot for a nearby town. Then a famous pirate and his crew claimed it as their own. A watch tower was erected first on the highest strip land, followed by a dozen buildings held off the ground with stilts to protect them against high tide. Steep cliffs with hanging vegetation cut the cove off from the mainland. Water stagnated around the base all year, but the cove quickly became the largest pirate town in the west.
As the population grew, care of the homes became nearly impossible to maintain. The cove only grew larger when the granddaughter of the founding pirate inherited her legacy. With twenty-three fleets owing her their allegiance, and thirty ships under her direct control, business boomed. Men and women came from all over the world to join one of the formidable crews. Some returned home years later, having made themselves rich. Others loved the lifestyle and their comrades more than they hated the stench of overcrowding, and made Shadow Cove their permanent home.
The larger the crews grew, the more the nearby populous complained. As a solution, the granddaughter ordered no one in the Bluohm Sea to be harassed so the locals wouldn’t pressure the government to step in. The order worked—port cities learned to coexist with Shadow Cove, and tradesmen sailed around the Kisken islands to avoid potential contact. The Asgyan Navy understood the amount of weaponry both the pirates’ modern brigantines and frigates held, so as long as the pirates limited their activities in international waters, they were left alone.
Check back on November 12th for the fourth map fragment!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
In case you missed it:
Week 1 – Kisk & Temple of War
October 31, 2016
#SFFpit Success Story + Pitch Critique Giveaway
Another #SFFpit is coming up in December so I figured it was a good time to share my success story!
Over the years I’ve entered a variety of contests but never got in. I’ve done pitch parties. I’ve stalked #MSWL and emailed queries. The rejections sucked, of course, but I didn’t let it get me down. I figured if this manuscript got me nowhere, maybe the next one would. Or the next.
Fragile Chaos was the third manuscript I queried, although not the third I’ve written. I only sent out about two dozen queries before #SFFpit. I put together a 140-character pitch and went for it.
I got a few favorites—one of them from Radiant Crown Publishing, a new publishing imprint of Cherubim Scribes. I had never heard of them before so I checked out their website. They had nice branding, an awesome mission statement, and seemed open in their F.A.Q. answers. But I hesitated to submit, not because they were new, but because they preferred a length of 60,000 words or less.
I think it was something like two weeks later that I decided what the heck. As John Greenleaf Whittier said, “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been’.” The worst that could happen was they saw my word count and sent a rejection. It wouldn’t be my first, it wouldn’t be my last. I crossed my fingers and hit send.
But instead of a rejection, I got a full request. *Cue embarrassing happy dance*
Then, days later, they followed me back on Twitter and sent me a message that they would be emailing me at the end of the week. *Cue heart attack*
I’m pretty sure I wasn’t easy to live with that week because I was a distracted mess. Was I reading too much into that message? Maybe they wanted an R&R so I shouldn’t get too excited. (Right? I don’t know! Maybe?!)
Then the email came. We talked about the book and expectations. They answered all the questions I had in detail, answering questions I didn’t know I had in the process. I read over the contract 100x, clarified a couple things, and took a few days to think things over. Obviously, I signed the contract! *Cue flailing*
Now Fragile Chaos is now coming out July 2017!
Radiant Crown has been amazing so far. They’ve been open to my suggestions and ask for my opinion while keeping me in the loop every step of the way. I couldn’t be happier working with them!
If you’re hesitating to enter a pitch contest, don’t! Go for it! They aren’t the only path to publication, but they do work.
Now for the contest!
I’m giving away three separate pitch critiques plus one pitch + query letter critique. I will do one pass on the query, and three on each pitch. (Each winner may send up to 3 different pitches.)
Enter the Rafflecopter here. Winners will be chosen on November 6,2016.
October 29, 2016
WORLD OF HUVARIA MAP REVEAL: WEEK #3
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 3: Bluohm Sea
The Bluohm Sea was famous for the legend of the Pamurine—an enormous horned serpent with fanned gills, and a penchant for dragging down ships that sailed near the caves on the rocky Volk shore. Despite the old stories, visitors and locals alike carried no fear of the fabled sea monster.
Cruise ships brought tourists by the hundreds to Kisken and Asgyan shores. There, they could snorkel through the cool blue water, and view an assortment of colorful sea life. Whale watches set out each afternoon, and guided scuba tours took a daily trip to ancient ship wrecks. Old statues, now covered in barnacles and sponges, rested on the seabed in deeper areas. For those that wanted to stay closer to the pristine beaches, jet skiing and surfing were a popular past time.
While cyclones were rare, they did occasionally hit certain parts of the sea. More often, tectonic plates beneath the sea caused low-level tremors with little damage. Infrequently, high magnitude earthquakes would hit the region, resulting in devastating tsunamis.
With Bluohm Sea standing between Volkana and Asgya, the war quickly turned the waterway into a battlefield with Kisk at its center. The ocean fed into the sea in the west, and exited again to the south through a narrow straight, making it one of the largest trade routes in existence. Business quickly reduced with the increased number of warships, though, and sailing around either country added weeks to a journey. With few eastern imports coming in, and no exports going out, all economies took a hit. As the war continued, trade shut down completely.
Check back on November 12th for the fourth map fragment!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
In case you missed it:
Week 1 – Kisk & Temple of War
WORLD OF HUVARIA MAP REVEAL WEEK #3
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 3: Bluohm Sea
The Bluohm Sea was famous for the legend of the Pamurine—an enormous horned serpent with fanned gills, and a penchant for dragging down ships that sailed near the caves on the rocky Volk shore. Despite the old stories, visitors and locals alike carried no fear of the fabled sea monster.
Cruise ships brought tourists by the hundreds to Kisken and Asgyan shores. There, they could snorkel through the cool blue water, and view an assortment of colorful sea life. Whale watches set out each afternoon, and guided scuba tours took a daily trip to ancient ship wrecks. Old statues, now covered in barnacles and sponges, rested on the seabed in deeper areas. For those that wanted to stay closer to the pristine beaches, jet skiing and surfing were a popular past time.
While cyclones were rare, they did occasionally hit certain parts of the sea. More often, tectonic plates beneath the sea caused low-level tremors with little damage. Infrequently, high magnitude earthquakes would hit the region, resulting in devastating tsunamis.
With Bluohm Sea standing between Volkana and Asgya, the war quickly turned the waterway into a battlefield with Kisk at its center. The ocean fed into the sea in the west, and exited again to the south through a narrow straight, making it one of the largest trade routes in existence. Business quickly reduced with the increased number of warships, though, and sailing around either country added weeks to a journey. With few eastern imports coming in, and no exports going out, all economies took a hit. As the war continued, trade shut down completely.
Check back on November 12th for the fourth map fragment!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
In case you missed it:
Week 1 – Kisk & Temple of War
October 15, 2016
World of Huvaria Map Reveal: Week #2
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 2: Gull Island
Population – 1,038
Gull Island, a 200-square-foot Kisken island, was home to 302 families. The entire island was used for agricultural purposes—mainly dairy farms, and regional crops. A portion of land was sold to beekeepers from the smaller Kisken islands, and seeded with wild flowers. With honey being the largest export before the war, they were having a hard time keeping up with supply and demand.
With so few children on Gull Island, they were either home schooled or sent to a boarding school on the main island during the week. Those that stayed home were also expected to help their parents around the farm. Those that attended the mainland school returned every weekend to do the same.
Most travel back and forth from Gull Island to Kisk was done with individual motorboats, but a small ferry made round trips twice a day. If there was room, small cargo ships transporting produce allowed a limited number of passengers to catch a ride. Few stores were scattered across the small island with every day necessities, but trips to the mainland were a must for any large purchases. One doctor’s office served all of Gull Island, restricting their cases to emergencies.
Despite the wide berth the pirates of Shadow Cove gave the island, a small unit of soldiers were stationed along the eastern border to ease fears. Once the war began, the soldiers were able to evacuate the entire population to the main island on an empty cargo ship without a single casualty.
Check back on October 29 for the third map fragment!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
In case you missed it:
Week 1 – Kisk & Temple of War
World of Huvaria Map Reveal Week #2
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 2: Gull Island
Population – 1,038
Gull Island, a 200-square-foot Kisken island, was home to 302 families. The entire island was used for agricultural purposes—mainly dairy farms, and regional crops. A portion of land was sold to beekeepers from the smaller Kisken islands, and seeded with wild flowers. With honey being the largest export before the war, they were having a hard time keeping up with supply and demand.
With so few children on Gull Island, they were either home schooled or sent to a boarding school on the main island during the week. Those that stayed home were also expected to help their parents around the farm. Those that attended the mainland school returned every weekend to do the same.
Most travel back and forth from Gull Island to Kisk was done with individual motorboats, but a small ferry made round trips twice a day. If there was room, small cargo ships transporting produce allowed a limited number of passengers to catch a ride. Few stores were scattered across the small island with every day necessities, but trips to the mainland were a must for any large purchases. One doctor’s office served all of Gull Island, restricting their cases to emergencies.
Despite the wide berth the pirates of Shadow Cove gave the island, a small unit of soldiers were stationed along the eastern border to ease fears. Once the war began, the soldiers were able to evacuate the entire population to the main island on an empty cargo ship without a single casualty.
Check back on October 29 for the third map fragment!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
In case you missed it:
Week 1 – Kisk & Temple of War
October 4, 2016
World of Huvaria Map Reveal: Week #1
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 1 – Kisk & The Temple of War
Island of Kisk
Population: 1,657,000
Language: Kisken
Symbol: A yellow sun
Between two warring countries, in the middle of the Bluohm Sea, was the Island of Kisk. Rocky cliffs lined the western border with picturesque views of the sea while low, sweeping plains in the east gave way to crystal clear beaches. Winters were mild with comfortable days and cold nights, and the summers were hot and dry. Paired with savory food and welcoming cities, Kisk had long been the largest vacation destination in the western hemisphere before the war began.
After nearly eight hundred years of oppression from their northern neighbors, a newly crowned Asgyan king offered Kisk a treaty to regain their freedom. The royal lineage was no long clear, so the Kiskens appointed a prime minister, and began resurrecting their culture. While values placed on family and friends survived, others hadn’t. The connection ancient Kiskens felt to nature was lost across the generations, as was the tradition of tattoos to represent certain milestones. Most knowledge of the gods vanished in the recent centuries, crushed under Asgyan monotheism and scientific discoveries, but the six god and goddess temples still circled the country. Less than one hundred believers were left to worship in them.
Unfortunately, Kisk only enjoyed sixty years as a free country before being pulled into the war. The Kisken military was efficient, but too small to stand on its own. They quickly fell when soldiers from both sides of the conflict began using their island as a battlefield. Their government officials were missing or dead, and their cities destroyed. Anyone that could, fled east. Those that couldn’t either joined the militia or formed groups of survivors to wait out the conflict. None of them turned to the temples for salvation.
Temple of War
Once, when the entire world was devoted to the gods and goddesses, every country hosted six temples—one for each deity. Centuries passed, borders changed, and countries were left with an uneven balance. Natural disasters destroyed more temples while others fell into disrepair. But, against all odds, all six of Kisk’s temples survived—none in better condition than the Temple of War.
Looming atop cliff, overlooking the sea and a bustling tourist town, was a round three-story building made of grey stone. Five turrets were evenly spaced between narrow windows. Behind massive wooden doors was a cavernous room with red banners running down the stone walls. A round pit tunneled into the center of the floor with an altar on the opposite side where followers would pray. The turrets housed alcoves for each of the god’s siblings. They allowed followers of Theodric to still pray to the other deities, and offer tokens of appreciation during a ritual to their brother. The mortal Temple of the War God was a direct link to the temple in Theodric’s realm, so anything offered to him would be delivered. In turn, Theodric was also able to travel from his temple to any of the mortal sites.
Lead by a High Priest, and governed by a Temple Mother, fourteen Kisken men and women devoted their life to Theodric, God of War. They lived in the lower levels of the temple, burrowed into the rocky hillside, as a way to prove they believed themselves below their god. Upgrades also made the underground rooms better suited to withstand a bombing, and supplies were stockpiled. A special room was reserved for chickens, which served both as a food source and for ceremonial sacrifices. In case of emergency, traditional supplies were also set aside for a different kind of sacrifice.
Check back on October 15 for the second map fragment & more information on Gull Island!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
World of Huvaria Map Reveal – Week #1
The world of Fragile Chaos is slowly being revealed in bi-weekly posts! Please join me during the series to learn more about Cassia’s world, and get a new glimpse of the map! A reveal of the entire map is planned for December 17, 2016.
Week 1 – Kisk & The Temple of War
Island of Kisk
Population: 1,657,000
Language: Kisken
Symbol: A yellow sun
Between two warring countries, in the middle of the Bluohm Sea, was the Island of Kisk. Rocky cliffs lined the western border with picturesque views of the sea while low, sweeping plains in the east gave way to crystal clear beaches. Winters were mild with comfortable days and cold nights, and the summers were hot and dry. Paired with savory food and welcoming cities, Kisk had long been the largest vacation destination in the western hemisphere before the war began.
After nearly eight hundred years of oppression from their northern neighbors, a newly crowned Asgyan king offered Kisk a treaty to regain their freedom. The royal lineage was no long clear, so the Kiskens appointed a prime minister, and began resurrecting their culture. While values placed on family and friends survived, others hadn’t. The connection ancient Kiskens felt to nature was lost across the generations, as was the tradition of tattoos to represent certain milestones. Most knowledge of the gods vanished in the recent centuries, crushed under Asgyan monotheism and scientific discoveries, but the six god and goddess temples still circled the country. Less than one hundred believers were left to worship in them.
Unfortunately, Kisk only enjoyed sixty years as a free country before being pulled into the war. The Kisken military was efficient, but too small to stand on its own. They quickly fell when soldiers from both sides of the conflict began using their island as a battlefield. Their government officials were missing or dead, and their cities destroyed. Anyone that could, fled east. Those that couldn’t either joined the militia or formed groups of survivors to wait out the conflict. None of them turned to the temples for salvation.
Temple of War
Once, when the entire world was devoted to the gods and goddesses, every country hosted six temples—one for each deity. Centuries passed, borders changed, and countries were left with an uneven balance. Natural disasters destroyed more temples while others fell into disrepair. But, against all odds, all six of Kisk’s temples survived—none in better condition than the Temple of War.
Looming atop cliff, overlooking the sea and a bustling tourist town, was a round three-story building made of grey stone. Five turrets were evenly spaced between narrow windows. Behind massive wooden doors was a cavernous room with red banners running down the stone walls. A round pit tunneled into the center of the floor with an altar on the opposite side where followers would pray. The turrets housed alcoves for each of the god’s siblings. They allowed followers of Theodric to still pray to the other deities, and offer tokens of appreciation during a ritual to their brother. The mortal Temple of the War God was a direct link to the temple in Theodric’s realm, so anything offered to him would be delivered. In turn, Theodric was also able to travel from his temple to any of the mortal sites.
Lead by a High Priest, and governed by a Temple Mother, fourteen Kisken men and women devoted their life to Theodric, God of War. They lived in the lower levels of the temple, burrowed into the rocky hillside, as a way to prove they believed themselves below their god. Upgrades also made the underground rooms better suited to withstand a bombing, and supplies were stockpiled. A special room was reserved for chickens, which served both as a food source and for ceremonial sacrifices. In case of emergency, traditional supplies were also set aside for a different kind of sacrifice.
Check back on October 15 for the second map fragment & more information on Gull Island!
Also, there are two giveaways going on throughout the series:
Twitter – Retweet any of the map reveals I tweet for a chance to win an exclusive Huvaria notebook and a printout of the game Fate (a dice game played by the characters in Fragile Chaos).
Facebook – Share any of the map reveals I post for a chance to win a printout of the game of Fate.
Winners for both contests will be chosen 12/20/16. Good luck!
September 22, 2016
FRAGILE CHAOS has a home!
As of August 30, 2016, I’m so happy to announce that I signed my YA Fantasy Romance novel, Fragile Chaos, with Radiant Crown Publishing. A release date is scheduled for July/August 2017.
http://radiantcrownpublishing.com/index.php/2016/08/12/spotlight-amber-r-duell/
Welcome!
Hey, there! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m Amber R. Duell, a young adult author. I run on a special blend of Red Bull & Dr. Pepper, eat one thing on my plate at a time, and get incredibly embarrassed if I have to tell anyone my first name. My YA Fantasy Romance, FRAGILE CHAOS, releases July 2017 (Radiant Crown Publishing).
This is my official blog, but for more immediate up-to-date information, follow me on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Official Website
For questions or comments, feel free to email me at amberrduell@gmail.com
