Izabela Raittila's Blog, page 2

Yahweh, the omniscient deity in ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’

Since writing the Spheres of Heaven’ article I figured it would be worth doing a similar post about Yahweh, the omniscient creator deity of my ‘Reign in Hell: Gothic Romance’ universe and my inspirations behind the character.

Unlike the Erai gods of the Gragiyan Empire universe, who are physical beings, Yahweh is a strong force of energy with no humanoid features at all. Instead, he’s depicted as a powerful ray of ethereal light surrounding a throne and speaks in a voice resembling roaring thunder. Much like the Christian and Jewish God, he is an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent deity as well as the sole creator of the universe and all living things. His first creations were the angels, starting with the eight Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Lucifer, Metatron, Raphael, Jophiel, Zadkiel and Arielle, who he refers to as The Firstborn. These are the only beings permitted to speak to him directly and hold the highest ranks among the celestials. Other angels may only appear in front of him wearing a blindfold and must remain silent when he talks to them. He sends Malakim angels as his messengers when addressing other races, such as the demons of Hell in the Prologue.

The angels refer to him as Almighty Father and treat him with the greatest of reverence and respect. Each of the Firstborn has a throne by his side and they regularly consult him on important matters when not busy with their duties.

Though the character is heavily influenced by the Christian and Jewish God, but I didn’t want to call him by that name. Instead, I chose to use the term Yahweh based on the ancient Levantine deity and the Hebrew Tetragrammaton “YHWH or YHVH“. Though known for his benevolence, wisdom and patience, the Almighty Yahweh can also be cruel at times. As the sole creator, he has the power to destroy his creations if they fail in their purpose or disobey his orders. Even the angels aren’t exempt from this cruel fate. Should they dare to disobey the Almighty Father, they too will be stripped of the powers or may even perish in a heavenly flame if they don’t heed his orders.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Protagonist Speaks interview with Emperor Tiriyanin from ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’

I’ve recently did a guest post for a blog called The Protagonist Speaks where I interview Emperor Tiriyanin, one of the main characters from ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’. Here’s an extract from that interview:

“Dear readers, tonight with us is Emperor Tiriyanin from the Gragiyan Empire, the ruler of an ancient land where humans live among gods, elves and other mythical beings. He’s here to tell us about his duties and the new woman in his life, his new mistress Ducissa Skaraila.

I’ve heard that Your Highness was born after the war with the northern kingdom of Misoa? Tell us a little was it like growing up at the imperial palace at that time?

Yes, I was born in the sixth year of my father’s reign, a year after he and King Arkon of Misoa signed the peace treaty, putting an end to a bloody war. Arkon married my aunt Princess Lorli as part of the peace agreement, and their union meant the start of friendship between our nations. I grew up at the palace in the capital city of Ifirium, in the province of Gragiya, the heartland of our empire. Though our nation was at peace, five years of fighting had wrecked our economy. Several of our major cities had sustained severe damage, some places were reduced to ruins. My father spent the rest of his reign establishing new trade deals with his brother-in-law and planning the reconstruction projects in each province with the High Council, with hopes of restoring our empire to its former glory.

Many of these projects consumed a lot of his time and I didn’t see much of him during the first few years of my life. I spent my early years at the imperial palace in Ifirium, where he entrusted a man named Ferision to be my advisor and mentor. His role was to oversee my education and training while my father focused on his duties. When not busy with my studies, sports and combat training, I would sit by my father’s side at official gatherings, listening to him address his court.”

You can read the full interview here:

Emperor Tiriyanin (of Tiriyanin’s Riddles, by Izabela Raittila)

Tiriyanin’s Riddles is out in both e-book and paperback formats on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CQNXTBD7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQNXTBD7

A love riddle from ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’ and paperback book release

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. On this special day of romance I’d like to share a riddle from my fantasy romance novella ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’. Let’s see if anyone can guess this one:

“I’m freely given, yet more precious than the finest gems. I can bring great joy or immense sorrow. I’m so powerful that not even the mighty Erai are able to resist me. What am I ?“

In addition to the eBook, Tiriyanin’s Riddles: The Emperor, the Orchid the Rose is now also available in paperback.

Here’s my proof-copy for those who want a preview of the gorgeous artwork by Rose Goga & Catherine Bowen:

Grab your copy today from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Tiriyanins-Riddles-Emperor-Orchid-Rose/dp/B0CTN65FLT https://www.amazon.com/Tiriyanins-Riddles-Emperor-Orchid-Rose/dp/B0CTN65FLT

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiriyanins-Riddles-Emperor-Orchid-Rose/dp/B0CTN65FLT/

The Spheres of Heaven in ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’

Last month I posted a visitor’s guide of the Nine Circles of Hell which feature prominently in my Gothic horror WIP ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’. Here’s the link for those who wish to check it out: https://izaforestspritstories.com/2023/08/12/a-gothic-romance-cover-reveal-and-a-visitors-guide-to-the-nine-circles-of-hell/

Though most of the story takes place in Hell, the novella will also contain a few scenes set in Heaven. So I thought I’d share some details about my version of Heaven in this universe.

The concept of Heaven is loosely inspired by Dante’s Paradiso (the final part of The Divine Comedy’ following Purgatorio and Inferno) and Jewish folklore. The first thing a soul landing in Heaven would see, is a set of golden gates guarded by either Archangel Michael or Metatron, depending on who is on duty at the time. As well as greeting the souls, these Archangels also keep a record of each individual that enters the realm. Metatron makes a note of the soul’s name on a large scroll, which is later added to the Book of Righteous Souls inside Yahweh’s throne room.

Beyond the gates lies a massive golden palace in the clouds. The inside of the palace is shaped like a gigantic beehive. The Almighty Yahweh’s throne room is in the centre followed by nine spheres, each occupied by a different group of angels and the righteous souls they look after. These are arranged by hierarchy. The first sphere, the one closest to the omniscient deity, is the home to the top ranking celestials, the seven Archangels, the oldest of the seraphim and the first celestials to be created by Yahweh, whom he refers to as the Firstborn. These are the only angels who are permitted to speak to the Almighty directly and each one has a throne by Yahweh’s side. The second sphere is occupied the seraphim, the celestial soldiers and healers. The third is where the cherubim like Malakai live. They are watchers and guardian angels. The lower ranking angels live in the spheres further away from Yahweh’s throne room. Out of these, only the malakim messengers appear in the story and they are not named. Their purpose is to deliver a message from the Almighty and they speak in the voice of Yahweh. The ninth sphere belongs to the ishim, the lowest ranking angels who can communicate with some humans such as the prophets via visions.

Beyond the palace is a body water of known as the Pool of Eternal Youth where the souls and celestials, regardless of their rank, may bathe. The angels swim there when off duty. Though each sphere contains rooms for spirits and celestials, there are no beds because they sleep on clouds. Being immortal, angels don’t need to eat food to survive. They do however, drink nectar to revitalize their bodies and to regenerate their powers.

‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’ eBook Goodreads Giveaway

This month. I’m giving away 20 copies of my new fantasy romance eBook ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’, to the lucky winners in the USA on Goodreads. Offer starts on 9th January 2024.

Enter today for a free download!

Goodreads Book Giveaway Tiriyanin’s Riddlesby Izabela Raittila

Giveaway ends January 21, 2024.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

and don’t forget to follow my Profile:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22986756.Izabela_Raittila

‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’ available for pre-order

I have some exciting news. The e-book version of my fantasy romance novella ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’ is now available for pre-order on Amazon. The release date is set for Christmas Eve, 24th December 2023. Here’s the blurb:

For those who prefer the print version, the release date for the physical version will be next year, 14th January. You can pre-order the ebook here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQNXTBD7?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CQNXTBD7?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100

Baba Yaga and other Slavic folklore influences in ‘Reign In Hell: A Gothic Romance’

I was hoping to writing something spooky for the Halloween season this year. Sadly I was really busy at the time, so I decided to share it with you today instead. As mentioned previously my latest WIP, the Gothic horror novella ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’ takes its inspiration from Dante’s ‘Inferno’, the Bible, Neil Gaiman’s and Mike Carey’s Lucifer series plus various myths and folktales. It’s also the first of my works to feature references to Slavic folklore.

One of the characters who the protagonists encounter during the quest through the Nine Circles of Hell is a witch named Baba Yaga. For those unfamiliar with the name, this creature bears a strong resemblance to the cannibal witch in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale by the brothers Grimm. I’ve kept the main aspects of her appearance and that of her creepy home, but I’ve made two significant changes with my take on the evil witch. In ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’, Baba isn’t just a witch but also a lilim who feeds on human blood rather than consuming human flesh. There’s another monster in her realm who eats the humans once they’ve been drained of blood. Also, she’s not alone but lives with her family, a coven made up of her four daughters and eight granddaughters.

Each member of this coven is inspired by a demon or other supernatural being from Slavic folklore. For example, her daughters names are: Rusulka (inspired by the water spirit who drowns people), Kikimora (inspired by a malevolent house spirit associated with nightmares), Kuga (inspired by the goddess of plague) and Blednica (inspired by Błędnica, a female forest demon). Baba Yaga also mentions the male members of her family who are either deceased or trapped in western Hell. These are: Rokita, her mate and the father of her children and her two son in laws Chort and Boruta, the mates of her daughters Kuga and Rusulka. These demons are named after the trickster demons that feature in Slavic folktales. Chort is “czart” in Polish. Rather than a specific character, the term refers to a species of devils who trick humans into selling their souls in exchange for wealth, power or the completion of a task.

Baba Yaga and other Slavic folklore influences in ‘A Gothic Romance’

I was hoping to writing something spooky for the Halloween season this year. Sadly I was really busy at the time, so I decided to share it with you today instead. As mentioned previously my latest WIP, the Gothic horror novella ‘A Gothic Romance’ takes its inspiration from Dante’s ‘Inferno’, the Bible, Neil Gaiman’s Lucifer series plus various myths and folktales. It’s also the first of my works to feature references to Slavic folklore.

One of the characters who the protagonists encounter during the quest through the Nine Circles of Hell is a witch named Baba Yaga. For those unfamiliar with the name, this creature bears a strong resemblance to the cannibal witch in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale by the brothers Grimm. I’ve kept the main aspects of her appearance and that of her creepy home, but I’ve made two significant changes with my take on the evil witch. In ‘A Gothic Romance’, Baba isn’t just a witch but also a lilim who feeds on human blood rather than consuming human flesh. There’s another monster in her realm who eats the humans once they’ve been drained of blood. Also, she’s not alone but lives with her family, a coven made up of her four daughters and eight granddaughters.

Each member of this coven is inspired by a demon or other supernatural being from Slavic folklore. For example, her daughters names are: Rusulka (inspired by the water spirit who drowns people), Kikimora (inspired by a malevolent house spirit associated with nightmares), Kuga (inspired by the goddess of plague) and Blednica (inspired by Błędnica, a female forest demon). Baba Yaga also mentions the male members of her family who are either deceased or trapped in western Hell. These are: Rokita, her mate and the father of her children and her two son in laws Chort and Boruta, the mates of her daughters Kuga and Rusulka. These demons are named after the trickster demons that feature in Slavic folktales. Chort is “czart” in Polish. Rather than a specific character, the term refers to a species of devils who trick humans into selling their souls in exchange for wealth, power or the completion of a task.

‘Reign In Hell: A Gothic Romance’ mood-board and main themes

I’ve recently created a mood-board for my new Gothic horror story ‘REign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’ using Canva and GIMP software. This one doesn’t contain any text apart from the title, but the images should give you a good ideas of some of themes and style of the story.

Though there is a romance element to the story, the main themes are: inter-racial relationships, self-discovery, hope, a chance for redemption and how violence and a need for vengeance can tear a family part. This is a world where the lines between light and darkness, good and evil, Heaven and Hell are blurred. Angels and demons are part of the community that maintains the afterlife for mortals. Each one has a specific function and a purpose. Angels are instruments of Yahweh, they are messengers, soldiers, guardians and watchers. The demons punish sinners.

‘A Gothic Romance’ mood-board and main themes

I’ve recently created a mood-board for my new Gothic horror story ‘A Gothic Romance’ using Canva and GIMP software. This one doesn’t contain any text apart from the title, but the images should give you a good ideas of some of themes and style of the story.

Though there is a romance element to the story, the main themes are: inter-racial relationships, self-discovery, hope, a chance for redemption and how violence and a need for vengeance can tear a family part. This is a world where the lines between light and darkness, good and evil, Heaven and Hell are blurred. Angels and demons are part of the community that maintains the afterlife for mortals. Each one has a specific function and a purpose. Angels are instruments of Yahweh, they are messengers, soldiers, guardians and watchers. The demons punish sinners.