K.R. Gastreich's Blog, page 25

In Earthen Vessels

Autumn colors at Konza Prairie.

Among the things that linger from a Catholic upbringing are songs from Sunday mass. One can hear those songs thirty years hence and still remember them word for word, note for note.

So it was today, while we were driving back from Konza Biological Station, that the lyrics of a particular hymn returned to me:

We hold a treasure, not made of gold, in earthen vessels wealth untold.

The hymn is based on a passage in 2 Corinthians that likens our bodies to earthen vessels, the treasure within being the presence of God in our hearts.

Today I find myself reflecting on the fact that there are many earthen vessels in this world that hold many treasures. All too often, these treasures go unnoticed and under appreciated in the busy, self-serving rush of our lives. Konza Prairie is one of those treasures, held in an earthen vessel of shale and limestone laid down by millennia of rising and falling seas. Superimposed upon this bed of hidden fire and tiny fossils is a thin rocky layer of soil that supports one of the few remnants of tall grass prairie in North America.

I had the privilege of immersing myself in this rich environment, along with my colleague Dr. Amy Milakovic and eleven adventurous students who enrolled in our new course Ecology Through the Writers Lens at Avila University.

Bison keeping an eye on us as we pass through their home.

For three very intense days, we explored a mysterious intertwining of the minuscule with the vast. We learned that all grasses are not alike, that the summation of a thousand subtle colors results in an intensely vivid landscape. We looked bison in the eye and held a horned lizard in our hands. We studied tiny insects and spiders and watched deer leap across fields. Turkeys danced and fought in our presence. Coyotes called at night. Overhead, the stars glimmered with the promise of an even greater universe.

All of us were transformed by this experience in big and small ways. Some students overcame fears of wilderness and the unknown; others found their vocation as biologists or story tellers, or both. Everyone came away with a new appreciation of this magnificent ecosystem that unfolds over quiet hilltops and under expansive skies.

Those of you who follow me know it has long been a dream of mine to implement this course. The idea was sparked by my residency at Andrews Experimental Forest back in the summer of 2011. We have faced no small number of obstacles trying to turn that dream into reality, including one failed attempt to take the course to Costa Rica last spring.

As often happens in hindsight, now I look upon all those obstacles and moments of frustration as blessings in disguise. Every time we were turned from a particular vision of how to run this course, we were brought a step closer to its current manifestation in Konza Prairie – a field site that I would not have considered even a year ago, but that has proven so wonderfully appropriate in so many ways.

Now that I’ve seen the treasures within Konza Prairie, I cannot imagine having done this course anywhere else.

~*~

As a closing treat for today, here’s a video we put together last spring about Ecology Through the Writers Lens:

One Child, One Teacher, One Book, and One Pen

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to express in my journal how very happy I am to see Malala Yousafzai announced as one of the winners of the Nobel Peace Price. I have the deepest admiration for her and her struggle to bring international attention to the oppression of women in Pakistan and the world over.

Personally, it’s hard for me to get my head around the fact that we still live in a world where girls are systematically denied access to education. That anyone should attempt to assassinate a girl for going to school seems a situation more apt for the world of dystopian fiction than for this very real planet we all call home. It is tragic, in the deepest sense of the word.

I hope that we will all unite with Malala and support her cause, in small in big ways, by whatever means are within our reach, during the months and years to come. Education, particularly education for girls, should never be taken for granted.

Malala is much better at speaking to her mission and experience than I could ever hope to be, so I’ll leave you with an interview conducted by the PBS News Hour a year ago in October. Please take a moment to watch; I think you will find her as inspiring as I do.

~*~

Don’t forget to join us this week on  Heroines of Fantasy for three more installments in our month-long Fright Fest.

Dragons in the Heart

Alicia Borrachera interprets the formidable role of Aixa. She will see her beloved Granada fall to the infidels Isabella and Ferdinand, but not without giving them a good fight.

So here’s the thing:

I am two episodes away from finishing the second season of TVE’s Isabel, an excellent series based on the life of Queen Isabella of Spain. I have raved about this series before, and I am going to rave about it again.

The story never once shies away from the harsh brutalities of the middle ages, and yet it is full of humanity and beauty. Deadly intrigue, deep passion, timeless love, human failure, unflinching prejudice, religious fervor, implacable dogmatism, ambition, triumph, cruelty, and compassion. Name an element of the human experience, and I bet you will find it in ISABEL.

Best of all, the women characters are not in any way shortchanged. Isabel is not presented as a token woman in a man’s world, but as a powerful figure who stands at the center of a diverse array of equally complex male and female characters.There are many women among Isabel’s friends, rivals, and enemies. They have their own interests and ambitions, and they assume important roles in the unfolding of Spain’s history.

Who’d’ve thought there were so many women during the middle ages? We hardly see them in all those other films and movies and books set in this period.

And I haven’t even gotten started on the costuming, the casting, the acting, the writing, and the directing. . . There are so many wonderful dimensions to this intriguing story. I am, in a word, spell bound.

Alnhoa Santamaria as Beatriz de Bobadilla, Isabella’s closest friend. Even medieval queens need a BFF!

I am also constantly tempted to compare ISABEL to that “other” medieval-style series that is so popular on this side of the Atlantic, Game of Thrones. And with all due respect to the much admired George R.R. Martin (I admire him too!), HBO’s interpretation of his classic series cannot hold a candle to what the producers of ISABEL have accomplished.

ISABEL regularly moves me to tears; that is how engaged I am in the fate of each of its characters, no matter what side of the conflict they are on. And ISABEL has many characters – at least as many as GoT – yet somehow they are easier to keep track of, more memorable in their unique contributions to Isabella’s journey, and more capable of inspiring my empathy.

An example: Yesterday’s episode included the first appearance of Christopher Columbus. In one short scene, the character had me captivated. How often does that happen in a series? (The only other series that I can remember accomplishing such one-scene-wonders is HBO’s ROME, but that is a rave for another day.)

A minor character played by Nuria Gallardo, Beatriz de Braganza impresses with her smooth management of Isabella’s interests in Portugal.

Of course, GoT has some things ISABEL does not. GoT has gratuitous sex and graphic violence. Like many resigned consumers of the modern age, I’d begun to believe you couldn’t make a series anymore without gratuitous sex and graphic violence. Yet ISABEL manages to deliver an extraordinarily engaging story (including heart wrenching scenes of torture) without ever once resorting to the distasteful (even perverse) excesses of HBO’s GoT.

Oh, yeah. And GoT has those dragons.

But you know, sometimes the most interesting dragons reside in the human heart. In the end those are the dragons that make or break a story.

ISABEL does an exquisite job of letting each character’s personal dragon flourish, and this more than anything else is what marks it as an amazing series.

The Good, the Bad, and the Evil

You’d be hard-pressed to find an author who doesn’t fantasize about seeing her book interpreted on film. I’m no exception. I’d love to see Rodolfo Sancho of TVE’s ISABEL interpret the role of Mechnes, 10-15 years down the road.

Wow, that man is evil!  Who is this character I’ve written?

These were my thoughts when I arrived at work this morning, having listened to another chapter of the freshly minted audio edition of High Maga, narrated by Darla Middlebrook.

The character in question is Prince Mechnes. I’ve written about him elsewhere. Brilliant and ruthless. Conqueror of nations. A master of violence and manipulation, an artist in sensual pleasures. My skin crawls every time I hear another scene with him. Which is weird, right? I wrote the guy, after all. Crafted him with my imagination. Why should he continue to surprise and dismay, two years after I finished the manuscript, six months after the novel was released?

Maybe it’s the same syndrome that keeps me wishing for a happy ending every time I see Romeo and Juliet. The implacable optimism that this time there will be a break in the vicious storm that is Mechnes; that the way I remember writing him wasn’t actually the way I wrote him in the end.

I’ve had readers praise Mechnes for being the single most important character of this book; while others haven’t been able to get past the opening chapters because of the horrors he encourages and commits. I suppose that polarizing effect is the sign of something good within the bad; a character that strikes at the heart of us all, whether we respond by pushing forward or pulling back.

I would love to see a Goodreads discussion on Mechnes. Just putting that out there. Maybe someday it will happen.

While contemplating the Great Evil that is Mechnes, I’ve had some very good news this week.

First of all, my editor, fellow author, partner in crime, and sister at Hadley Rille Books Terri-Lynne DeFino is a FINALIST for the 2014 Cygnus Award!  I can’t imagine a more deserving fantasy author. The book that earned her this honor is Beyond the Gate, which was released last year by Hadley Rille Books.

We are one month away from World Fantasy, and I have been invited to participate in a panel on the work of Robert Aickman.  I couldn’t be more thrilled, not only for the panel, but also because it gives me an excuse to spend the Halloween season brushing up on Aickman’s horror shorts. Dark Side, here I come! (Yeah, I know – as if Mechnes weren’t enough. . .)

Speaking of the Dark Side you must visit Heroines of Fantasy for our FRIGHT FEST. Both Terri-Lynne DeFino and Kim Vandervort have posted creepy excerpts from their books, and we have another horror short coming up this Friday from Julia Dvorin.

Next Monday on Heroines of Fantasy, I’ll treat you to a scene from High Maga, undoubtedly featuring my new favorite villain.

Hearing the Voices

Every story I write presents a brand new journey with unexpected challenges. Daughter of Aithne is no exception. The first 12 months of writing this novel were like a dream. Ideas flowed without ceasing; I felt like I had a clearer vision than ever of who everyone was and where everything was going.

Then I hit a wall, or perhaps more accurately, a very murky bog. What began as a routine revision of the first half of the novel culminated in a sense of stagnation. It did not help that my editor had a stroke early this year, greatly complicating the release of High Maga. And then, I decided to accept the co-coordinator position for OTS’s NAPIRE Program in Costa Rica. A great decision, but…there went my summer. Many many unforgettable and invaluable experiences meant zip on the writing.

Since my return to KC in August, I’ve been gradually settling back into routine, though not without hiccups. I came home to a broken air conditioner and a garden that had been overtaken by wilderness. (She likes jungle? I could hear the plants whispering. We’ll show her JUNGLE!) Most of all, I jumped into a fall semester virtually unprepared, as all the time I would have normally dedicated to course prep had been eaten up by my summer job.

It’s always hard to tell how a break from the writing routine will affect my work. Sometimes after a period away, I come back fresher than ever. Other times, I lose touch with the thread of the story, and capturing that thread again can be quite difficult. Over the past ten months, this is what I have felt: a loss of that thread. On the few occasions I’ve had a chance to write, it’s been like pulling teeth.

Yesterday, once again, my writing routine was blasted out of the water. Thursday afternoon is my sacred writing time this semester, but my parents needed to be taken to the airport, and I very much wanted to accompany them. By the time I returned home, I had one hour left before evening set in and my stomach demanded dinner. (And believe me, my stomach can NOT be ignored!)

Should I try to write something? I thought.

Yes. Why not?

So I sat down to tackle the third major reworking of a chapter that has caused me much grief, each reiteration a complete departure from the last. The scenes and circumstances had been altered multiple times, though I kept coming back to the same set of characters. I knew they had something to say in the presence of each other, I just wasn’t sure what it was or how best to say it. Mulling over the problem this week, I’d decided to try one more variation: a conversation between Eolyn and one of her students, Mariel.

And then it happened: Magic.

Eolyn came alive at my fingertips in a way I had not felt for a very long time. Mariel said what had been so difficult for her to say in all the other drafts. I could hear their voices again, and in hearing their voices, I found mine.

~*~

Congratulations to the winners of the Goodreads Giveaway for High Maga! I don’t think I’m allowed to release their names, so I’ll just say, you know who you are! Your books go in the mail today. Enjoy the adventure.

FRIGHT FEST is up and running on Heroines of Fantasy! This week’s creep-out is brought to you by Terri-Lynne DeFino. Check out her story on possession, if you dare.

Don’t forget that High Maga is still on sale for just $0.99 on Kindle, Kobo, and Nook. That special price will certainly end this weekend, so get it while you can.

New Beginnings

Welcome, friends and fans of Eolyn, to my new web site and on line journal!

I am very excited to be opening up a new venue in my very own domain. Of course, I am also still in the process of figuring out the system here, so please have patience as I add features and work out the kinks going forward.

I have some very exciting news to usher in the month of October.

First, I am currently listening to the audio recording of High Maga, interpreted by the wonderful Darla Middlebrook.  Eeeeeeeeeeh!  I couldn’t be more excited. Darla was also the narrator for the audio edition of Eolyn. She has a wonderful and versatile voice that captures the spirit of Eolyn’s world. If everything goes well, we’ll be looking at the release of the audio edition in November.

My other favorite blog Heroines of Fantasy is gearing up for FRIGHT FEST 2014, a month-long celebration of the edge (and sometimes the depths!) of darkness. At least twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, we will feature a scary story from our contributors or reviewers. The party starts this Thursday with an opening post by yours truly. Our first scary story will be from Terri-Lynne DeFino on Friday October 3. The festival of spooks will culminate on October 31, when we invite everyone to participate in Build-a-Scary-Story. Join us if you dare.

Speaking of spooky, to celebrate the launch of this new web site the electronic editions of High Maga are on sale for just $0.99! This is a great price that will get you some solid dark fantasy, complete with ominous demons and bloodthirsty villains – just in time for Halloween. Download your copy from Amazon, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

Here’s one of my goals for this journal: Shorter posts, but more of ‘em. So I will wrap up here and be back again soon. Please explore my new web site, and let me know what you think, what you’d like to see, and where you’d like to go on our next adventure.

Thank you so much for visiting!

 

Small Escapes

I've been reflecting lately on the importance of momentary escapes in our lives, when we break away from routine on a small but important scale. The afternoon cup of coffee, for example. Or the evening glass of wine. A walk through the woods at sunset. An unexpected call from an old friend.

This past weekend I had two small escapes worth noting, one expected and one unexpected.

A new friend from Konza Prairie.My expected escape was an overnight trip to Konza Prairie, a reserve and biological station located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The site is truly spectacular. The wildflowers are in bloom right now, and the sumacs are beginning to turn scarlet red, leaving splashes of color across a sage sea. We saw bees, butterflies, and beautiful spiders; hawks, turkeys, deer, and bison.  Amy Milakovic and I will be taking a course there in a few weeks, and I look forward to sharing that adventure with you.

My unexpected small escape was sinking into the opening passages of a truly engaging novel.

I've read a lot of good books these past few months, but not every story teller can convince you in the first couple of pages that you are in for a great tale. It's been a while since I've come across an author with that particular gift.

The author in question is Susan Carroll, and the novel is The Dark Queen, a historical fantasy set in France during the reign of Catherine de Medici. It has been on my shelf for a long while. I believe I picked it up in the used section of the Boulder Book Store during one of my visits to Colorado. It caught my attention because I had just read a biography about the infamous queen. I brought the novel home, put it on my shelf, and promptly forgot about it for months and years to come.

A new treasure for my reading list.I have a habit of doing this; snatching up a book in the moment and then setting it aside for rediscovery at a later date. It's kind of like organizing my own personal Easter egg hunt. Because I have a variety of books I've stashed away for later, I'm never quite sure what treasure I'll find the next time I search my shelf.

In addition to the book being very well written, I feel like I may have come across a kindred spirit in the author. Carroll's main character, Ariane, is a "daughter of the earth", a descendant of practitioners of white magic whose craft has long been forbidden and buried beneath the customs of her people. The parallels with Eolyn and the magas are apparent, though of course the stories are very different. Still, reading this book feels like coming home and settling into a familiar place.

Those are some of my small escapes right now.

To celebrate the fall equinox, the Kindle and Nook editions of Eolyn are on sale this week for just $0.99!  Also, don't forget to enter the Goodreads Giveaway for High Maga, which ends on September 30.

We are in the final countdown to moving to my new web site at krgastreich.com. I'm excited, but also nervous and nostalgic. I've been at this blogspot site since 2010, and I've really enjoyed it. But I also feel it's time for a change. I'm looking forward to exploring my new domain and sharing it with you. Plus, the site looks great!  Be sure to join us on October 1 as we inaugurate the new site. There will be more special offers and giveaways then.

Ask the Author

This week I'm trying out Goodreads new "Ask the Author" program as a way of engaging with readers and other lovers of fantasy, sci fi, and historical fiction. If you're a Goodreads member, please visit my profile page for a chance to ask any questions you like about my books, writing, and publishing in general.  Friend and follow me, too! I'm always looking to widen my circle of fellow book lovers, and I'd love to see you in that neck of the virtual woods.

Don't forget we are running a Goodreads Giveaway for High Maga. The Giveaway ends on September 30. You can enter by clicking the announcement at the end of this post, or on the right hand bar of the blog.

Last week, I started back in my regular slot on Heroines of Fantasy. If you haven't already, stop by to check out my latest post on romantic elements in epic fantasy. For the next six months, I will have a regular spot on HoF every second Monday of the month.

As HoF coordinator for September and October, I am also lining up our guest posts. On September 22, DelSheree Gladden returns to talk about her dark and intriguing Wicked Hunger series. September 29, we will welcome Jon Cleaves, owner of DGS Games, in a first-ever post from a gaming master. On October 27 we will feature historical fiction and fantasy author Joseph Finley.

Only two weeks left before we move this blog to the new website at krgastreich.com. That move will be celebrated with some very special offers, events, and giveaways as well. Stay tuned!


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Goodreads Book Giveaway High Maga by Karin Rita Gastreich Giveaway ends September 30, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

The Magic of Kir

I am very happy today to welcome L. Blankenship as a guest author. I met L. Blankenship through the Magic Appreciation Tour.

L. Blankenship started writing animal stories as a kid and it's just gotten completely out of hand since then. Now she's out publishing her gritty fantasy and hard science fiction adventures. L grew up in New Hampshire but currently lives near Washington, DC.

L. Blankenship has written a great post on the unique magic system of her Disciple series. Please join me in welcoming her to the blog!

A simple plan

The kir-magic system in Disciple is rooted in three deceptively simple rules:
1. All magical charms (spells) are fueled by kir.2. The laws of physics, conservation of mass and energy, etc., fully apply.3. No other “para-normal” forces or beings actually exist.
Kir
Kir is sort of a cold plasma that’s reactive to willpower. The stuff wells up out of the earth in select places called founts. Kir founts always involve a water spring as well, regardless of whether a spring “ought” to be in that location, and kir-laced water is especially bright, clear, and attractive.
There’s energy inherent in kir. In its raw state, it takes the form of a green mist that even un-gifted people (or animals) can detect when it’s close by or concentrated. Drinking kir-laced water or absorbing raw kir is energizing for anybody, but few people get the chance to do that.  Since kir is in limited supply, it’s carefully controlled.
Humans generate small amounts of surplus kir simply by living -- it’s an energy reserve, both biological and mental. It’s only enough for one small charm every few days, though. Once used in a charm, kir disintegrates and returns to the earth.
Laws of physics
Within these, kir can do almost anything. I took a fairly conservative, reality-based version of physics -- no quantum effects or anything too theoretical, and came up with these limitations: No teleportation. Time/space can’t be torn open, worm-holed or otherwise screwed with. No clairvoyance/ESP. See above.No true telepathy or mind reading. Body language can be read to a fine degree and that can resemble mind-reading. Saint-bonds allow for a limited sort of telepathy. No “luck” manipulation.No prophesy.No “spirit-walking”.Conservation of mass applies to shape-shifters, though they can play with their density a bit if they are skilled enough. Plus two rules:
Line-of-sight limitation. Charms cannot be targeted at something or someone the caster cannot see. If the enemy’s standing behind a door, it’s perfectly legit to kill him by ramming the door into the far wall -- but you can’t telekinetically reach through the keyhole and strangle him, for example.
Only kir cuts kir. When it’s acting under the influence of a mage, kir can project force. It can be a club or a blade, but no ordinary club or blade can break it. Kir-blades also have an unnerving ability to “skip” armor or flesh and cut through the victim’s vitals. So when a kir-mage goes on a rampage, the goodfolk’s only defense is another kir-mage.
Only game in town
The goodfolk believe in kobolds (goblins), shades (ghosts), various denizens of the Winter Wood (hell), and things like luck, fate, or prophetic visions -- but these spring from the same roots as they do in our world.
Innate skill
Everyone has at least a little ability to manipulate kir. Training will improve one’s skill, but the ultimate limit is determined by innate talent. Technically speaking, this a multi-factor para-genomic predisposition which I am not going to clarify any further than that.
Saints are the strongest of the kir-mages, and the Elect are the next step down. It’s said that there might be a hundred saints in the world, at any given time. Perhaps two or three hundred Elect.
As of Disciple, Part V, Kate has reached the rank of Elect and works directly with Saint Qadeem in defending the kingdom against the invading Empire. The rest of her life, however, is in shambles. Love and war have both taken their toll on her, but she must find her strength and face the final attack.
Back cover

Kate faces winter with a broken heart: betrayed by one lover, the other lost to her.
Kiefan will not give up on the alliance his kingdom desperately needs — even though the Caer queen refuses to speak to him.
Anders, alone and despairing, faces the Empress’s seductive offers of power and privilege.
Each of them must carry the ongoing war in their own way, whether cold, alone, or backed into a corner. Each must patch together a broken heart as best they can. Duty will throw them together soon enough and they must be ready. On Sale Now! Amazon • B & N • Other retailers  Read Disciple, Part I for FREE Amazon • B & N • Other retailers
Disciple, Part VI ends the series early next year! Join my mailing list to get reminders  

Back to School Blog Hop

I am very happy today to welcome author Linda Ulleseit to my blog.
Linda was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and has taught elementary school in San Jose since 1996. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family. Her favorite subject is writing, and her students get a lot of practice scribbling stories and essays. Someday Linda hopes to see books written by former students alongside hers in bookstores.
Her first novel, ON A WING AND A DARE, was published in 2012. It is a Young Adult fantasy set in medieval Wales, complete with flying horses, a love triangle, and treachery. It’s sequel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER, was released March, 2013. The focus of that book is the misty past of a groom and the murky future of a rider. The last book in the trilogy is UNDER A WILD AND DARKENING SKY, May 2014. It follows a brother and sister, new to High Meadow, who become involved in a plot to steal flying horses.
As a child, Linda always loved to write. She took her first creative writing course in seventh grade, accumulating a closet full of stories that she never showed anyone until 2007. At that time, she gave the first draft of a flying horse book to a teacher colleague to read. ON A WING AND A DARE began as a NaNoWriMo novel in 2009. It was revised with the help of reviewers on thenextbigwriter.com over the next two years. For NaNo 2011, Linda drafted the sequel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER. NaNoWriMo 2012 brought the first draft of UNDER A WILD AND DARKENING SKY, and NaNoWriMo 2013 saw the completion of UNDER THE ALMOND TREES. This last is a historical fiction that follows three women who struggle for women’s rights in early California.
Linda has also written a novella titled WINGS OVER TREMEIRCHSON, released as an ebook in Fall 2013. It follows the story of Hoel and Neste, parents of a main character in ON A WING AND A DARE. 

Linda is celebrating the new school year with a month-long blog hop. Check out her novels below; you just might find your next favorite book. You can visit Linda at her blog Books Books Books



ON A WING AND A DARE PurchaseOn Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wing-Flying-Horse-Books-ebook/dp/B00B3OF412On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/282169Book Blurb: Flying horses…a love triangle…poison….Welcome to Tremeirchson.
In Tremeirchson, a barn leader’s children are expected to follow their parents into the sky, becoming riders of the magnificent winged horses that are the medieval Welsh village’s legacy. Neither Emma nor Davyd, however, want to follow that tradition.
Sixteen-year-old Emma risks losing her family by following her heart. Eager to take her place in the air, she longs to ride a forbidden winged colt born in barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she truly loves. Bold and exciting, Evan will someday lead his father’s barn. Davyd is quieter, more dependable, with an ability to get things done. Her father disapproves of both boys and pushes her toward an ambitious newcomer. He also insists she ride the colt he’s picked for her.
Davyd, also sixteen, is plagued with a secret—he is afraid of heights. Refusing to become a rider means public humiliation, his parents’ disappointment, and lifelong ridicule from his brother, Evan. He reluctantly prepares to join his family aloft in the Aerial Games that provide the entire village with its livelihood and tries desperately to think of an alternative.
As Tremeirchson’s barns prepare for the Rider Ceremony, winged horses suddenly start dying. Shocked, the adults hesitate, mired in tradition and politics. Is it a disease or poison? Accidental or purposeful? Someone must discover the answer and act before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.
IN THE WINDS OF DANGER PurchaseOn Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Danger-Flying-Horse-Books/dp/1482302489/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406429133&sr=8-3
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/324425
Book blurb:Nineteen year old Nia is shocked when she is secretly offered the leadership of Third Barn. This new barn full of flying horses will need someone confident, experienced, and innovative, so why are both warring factions pursuing an untried girl? Suspicious that both sides want a puppet instead of a leader, Nia races to discover their secrets before making the biggest decision of her life.

Some of those secrets are unknowingly buried in the disconnected memories of a young groom named Owain. Terror and guilt haunt Owain’s dreams – and then a face from his nightmare arrives in High Meadow. Owain looks for answers in his past and uncovers a dangerous plot that could doom High Meadow's future. How can he foil the plot and save his people as well as the winged horses?
UNDER A WILD AND DARKENING SKY PurchaseOn Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Darkening-Flying-Horse-Books/dp/1499260717/ref=la_B004HA7L0G_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406429304&sr=1-4
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/437332
Ralf knows he must take over his father’s bakery, but is it wrong to want some adventure before he does? New to High Meadow, he is befriended by the beautiful and dangerous Branwen, who has her own goal—to entice Ralf to help her steal a winged horse and return it to Tremeirchson.
Meanwhile, Ralf’s sister, Alyna, dives into barn life. Becoming a groom to a winged foal is a lot of responsibility to the horse, to the barn, and to her father, who idolizes the wrong barn leader. Politics, greed, and revenge swirl around the teenaged siblings as they struggle to be true to their family and their future.
WINGS OVER TREMEIRCHSON (a flying horse novella) Book Blurb: Eighteen year old Neste rides a winged horse in Tremeirchson's Aerial Games and she is betrothed to the barn leader's son, Hoel. Life would be wonderful if Hoel wasn't so unpleasant to the other riders. Adam, on the other hand, is handsome and nice but a terrible rider. Together, Hoel and Adam are the perfect man. Obviously she can't have both of them. When Neste's winged horse is involved in a terrible accident, her life changes and she must make different choices about her future. Can she go against her father's dying wish that she marry Hoel? Can she forgive Adam? Can she make a life away from the barn and the winged horses she loves?
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/story/7819282-wings-over-tremeirchsonFree on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/444563



ALSO BY LINDA ULLESEIT:
UNDER THE ALMOND TREES PurchaseOn Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Almond-Trees-Linda-Ulleseit/dp/149925220X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406430428&sr=8-1&keywords=under+the+almond+trees
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/438310

Under the Almond Trees is the story of my family – three ordinary women in California who lived extraordinary lives. It started with a falling tree branch that killed Ellen VanValkenburgh’s husband in 1862, forcing her to assume leadership of his paper mill, something women weren’t allowed to do. Women weren’t allowed to vote yet, either. Ellen decided that had to change, and became a suffragette. In 1901, Emily Williams , Ellen’s daughter-in-law, became an architect – very much against her family’s wishes. No one would hire a woman, but Emily would not be deterred. She and her life partner Lillian set out to build homes themselves. By the 1930’s women enjoyed more freedom, including the vote. Even so, Ellen’s granddaughter Eva VanValkenburgh chose a traditional life of marriage and children, even closing her photography business at her husband’s insistence. When he later refused to pay for their daughter’s college education, Eva followed the example of her Aunt Emily and reopened her photography business. I am proud to call these women family and honored to share their story.