K.R. Gastreich's Blog, page 33

Children's Book Week: Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)This week, thanks to Christopher Kellen and the Genre Underground, we are celebrating Children's Book Week with a series of blog posts by different authors.

Christopher began the festivities with A Tribute to Bruce Coville .  Yesterday, Jennifer Brozek chimed in by talking about Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising.  

Today, it's my turn. 

I'd originally told Chris I was going to write about Grimm's Fairy Tales, but after some thought, I've decided to devote my spot to Hans Christian Andersen instead. 

Not that I want to shun the Brothers Grimm -- quite the contrary; those of you who follow my blog know by now how much I love those classic tales, and how much they influence my writing even today.  (In fact, the opening chapters of Eolyn include a personal tribute to the Grimm legacy in a scene called 'The House of Sweet Bread', where Eolyn first meets her tutor Ghemena.) 

But many, many myths and stories influenced me as a child growing up, and with all the time I've devoted to the Brothers Grimm (and to a lesser extent, E.T.A. Hoffman), I've neglected this very important story teller, whose birthday on April 2nd is also celebrated as International Children's Book Day.

Hans Christian Andersen was a 19th century Danish author and poet.  Although he wrote plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his fairy tales.  Even if you have never heard of Andersen, you have almost certainly run into at least one of his stories along the way.  Some of the best known include:

The Emperor's New ClothesThe Little Match GirlThe Little MermaidThe Princess and the PeaThe Red ShoesThe Snow QueenThumbelinaThe Ugly Duckling
When I was a young girl, the H.C. Andersen story that most haunted my imagination was The Snow Queen.  To this day, the very title brings on a mood of mystery for me.  This is in part because the Snow Queen remains a mysterious character. 

Where did the Snow Queen come from?  What did she want?  Why did she kidnap the boy Kai?  Was she villainess or heroine?  Was her intention to forever imprison Kai? Or did she know that her act would inspire Gerda to set this boy free, not only from the spell of the Snow Queen, but more importantly from the malicious effects of the splinters of the troll mirror?

As a child, I was at once afraid of and intrigued by the Snow Queen, and I felt a little sorry for her too; because she began the story all alone, and she ended it that way, as well.

My favorite character, of course, was the brave Gerda, the young girl who undertook a long and dangerous journey to reach the Snow Queen's northern realm and free her beloved friend Kai.

Gerda was one of the many heroines who inspired my childhood; and one could argue that there are elements of Gerda -- in her humble origins, in her stubborn loyalty to her childhood friend, and in her courage -- that were eventually infused into the character of Eolyn, in my first novel. 

In recent years, the magic and mystery of The Snow Queen was brought to life once again in Patricia McKillip's Winter Rose.  Whether it was her intention or not, McKillip's novel comes across as a beautifully elaborated, grown-up version of Andersen's famous tale -- complete with the magical symbolism of the rose bush, which binds McKillip's spirited Rois and mysterious Corbet, just as it bound Andersens' courageous Gerda and beloved Kai.

How about you?  Any H.C. Andersen tales that were your favorite growing up?  And if Andersen didn't strike your fancy, what other tales do you remember from those early, magical days of story telling?

  For more posts about Children's Book Week, visit the blogs of Ariele Sieling on Thursday and Frances Pauli on Friday.  The complete list of posts for Children's Book Week is available on the Events Page of the Genre Underground. 

Virgina Beach

I'm at an annual writing retreat with 9 amazing women authors at Virginia Beach.  The focus of this week is 'real' writing -- not blog writing, not email writing, not FB writing, and certainly not Twitter writing. 

So it'll be hard for you to find me on any of the usual social networks over the next few days. I am trying very hard to focus all my energies on Daughter of Aithne.  (And I'm having some success -- over 4500 words so far this week!)

In lieu of a regular post, I do have a special treat.  A new preview has been posted for High Maga. 

You can thank one of my editors, Terri-Lynne DeFino, for this surprise.  A recent consultation with her has resulted in a new arrangement for the opening chapters of the novel.  What used to be chapter one has now been moved elsewhere; what used to be chapter three will now be read first.

If you've already read the old preview, this means you get to indulge in a brand new excerpt from the novel!  (And yes, that old preview will still be part of High Maga; it's just been moved to a slightly different place.) 

If you didn't read the old preview, don't worry.  I'll be posting excerpts from it in the months to come.  The other good news is that the new preview involves fewer spoilers than the old one, so if you haven't yet read Eolyn, you are less likely to run any big risks by peeking at this excerpt from High Maga.

So, check out the new preview!  I know you'll enjoy it.

If you're still hungry to read a true blog post, I invite you to visit Heroines of Fantasy this week, where Mark Nelson offers a wonderful reflection on the Magical Libraries of our minds.

Have a great rest of the week.  Summer is almost here!

Bel-Aethne

In truth, it's a little hard to get into the mood to write about Bel-Aethne, what with Kansas City in the grip of yet another arctic front.  Rain mixes with sleet outside; my winter sweaters have yet to be packed away.  Bel-Aethne is a festival of early summer, of warm winds and bright flowers, of seeds sprouting in a pale green carpet over sun-warmed fields. For whatever reason, Kansas City just ain't there yet.

The real-world counterpart of Bel-Aethne is the pagan celebration of Beltane, coming up on May 5th.

In the tradition of Moisehén, Bel-Aethne has its roots in the epic love of Aithne and Caradoc, the woman and man who first discovered magic. As a young girl, Eolyn learns their story, which forms the foundation of magical belief and thought in Moisehén:

. . .Aithne and Caradoc consecrated their love under a full spring moon, and the heat of their hearts sparked a fire in the center of the village.  The villagers gathered in awe to observe the blaze. With branches of pine they divided the flame so that each family took a piece back to their own home.  This is how fire came to our people. . .

Bel-Aethne, then, is a celebration of fire as well as of love and desire, all very powerful forms of Primitive Magic. 

Dance and music play a central role in the high festival, which lasts for three days and culminates in the sacred rites of Aen-lasati, the awakening of the fire within. For one night the portals of magic are thrown open to all the people of Moisehén -- whether they are practitioners or not -- making all women Aithne and all men Caradoc, free to partake fully in the pleasure of the Gods and to experience the seeds of magic that transformed the history of their people. 

The legend of Aithne and Caradoc is a transcendent myth in Eolyn's world.  Pieces of it turn up throughout all three novels, in countless moments and countless ways.  Even the mages of Tzeremond and Kedehen, who nearly destroyed the magas, could do little to diminish Aithne's importance in the imagination of their subjects.  One of the climactic sequences of Eolyn takes place during an elaborate festival of Bel-Aethne, staged to celebrate the coronation of the new Mage King. 

Here's a brief excerpt:

As the music gathered force, each mage sent an arc of bright flame from the palm of his hand into the center of the circle.  They integrated their powers into a single swirling core of viscous light. The whirlpool spread swift upon the ground before contracting into a glowing pillar that billowed high over the square, evoking cries of wonder from the people. In the gathering twilight the mages crafted an awe-inspiring choreography, splitting the brilliant light into multicolored images that portrayed the many legends of Aithne and Caradoc. The mythical lovers danced through the flames, unveiling the mysteries of magic, fleeing from Thunder, responding to the call of Dragon, forging their passion and knowledge into a thousand fire-bearing branches. . .

Even though Aithne and Caradoc were devoted lovers for the greater part of their lives, in Moisehén the liaisons created during the high festival of Bel-Aethne are considered ephemeral. According to an old saying of the Clan of East Selen, what is woven at Bel-Aethne becomes unraveled before the dawn.

This is not always true, of course, as Primitive Magic tends to break free of any rule we try to impose upon it.  In fact, as part of the unrevealed backstory of Eolyn, one of the most enduring and troubled romances in the history of Moisehén -- that of Akmael's father Kedehen and his mother Briana of East Selen -- began with a kiss at Bel-Aethne.

Eolyn's New Coven

I'm going to give you a preview of High Maga today: a glimpse of the coven Eolyn establishes in the highlands of Moehn. 
 
Those of you who have read the first novel will recognize some of the characters from this scene that takes place around the hearth of the Aekelahr.  Renate, a maga of the Old Orders, and Adiana, a musician from Selkynsen, have joined Eolyn in this humble but happy enterprise.  Together, these women provide a new home for five young girls gifted in the ways of magic, from oldest to youngest:  Sirena, Mariel, Catarina, Tasha, and Ghemena.
 
This scene happens early in the book, shortly before the Syrnte invasion will bring chaos into their lives. 

If you'd like to know more about this companion novel to Eolyn, you can also visit the page for High Maga on this blog. 
 
~*~  High MagaChapter 10 (excerpt)  Adiana hovered over the breakfast table, refreshing supplies of bread, fruit, and Berenben cheese. She glanced up as Eolyn set down her satchel, winked and said, “Well, don’t you look like the maga warrior this morning, with a sword on your hip and a staff in your hand!” There were gasps of delight and giggles from the girls, but Ghemena’s disappointed moan rose over it all. “You’re taking Kel’Baru?” “Of course she is, child,” replied Renate. “It’s her weapon, isn’t it? She can take it wherever she pleases.” Ghemena pushed out her lower lip in a frown. “You should get yourself some chain mail, too,” said Adiana, “and a nice shiny helmet. And a pair of a fancy gauntlets like the ones Sir Borten had delivered from Moisehén.” “I’d lose myself under so much metal.” Eolyn took a place at the table. and accepted the tea Renate poured for her. “I wouldn’t be able to hear anything, not the trees or the animals. Not the plants whispering on the wind, or the earth pulsing beneath them.” “Doesn’t matter.” Adiana helped herself to a generous portion of Berenben cheese, and served Eolyn as well. “You don’t need to hear anything if you’ve got a plate of metal over your chest and a sword in your hand. That’s why men don’t bother listening. Once they’re armed, all they really need to settle an argument is a few good blows.” “Adiana.” Eolyn’s reproach was quiet, held in the tone of her voice. She had come to accept her friend’s cynicism regarding men, and to understand its origins, but she worried the girls might pick up the musician’s constant disparaging banter. “If you’re taking Kel’Baru, you should take all of us!” Ghemena blurted. “Catarina and Tasha want to go, too.” At once the three youngest sprang upon Eolyn with wide suffering eyes. “She’s right, Maga Eolyn. Please take us along!” “There’ll be nothing to do here when you’re gone.” “What do you mean there’ll be nothing to do?” Eolyn threw up her hands in mock irritation. “All of you have spells I expect you to master before we return. Maga Renate and Mistress Adiana will have plenty of lessons and chores for you. Your days will be very full. Even if they weren't, a maga is never bored, because her joy--” “--comes from the endless renewal of the earth itself,” they recited in unison, before breaking into exaggerated groans and sighs. “We’re going to make pies, breads, and jellies.” Adiana draped her arms around the young girls’ shoulders and spoke into their ears with a mischievous grin. “We’ll eat all the sweets we want while Maga Eolyn’s away.” “That’s not true.” Ghemena shrugged her off, indignant. “You said that the last time she left, and it wasn’t true then, either.” “Well you caught me in the act, didn’t you? Clever girl!” Adiana seized Ghemena and tickled her without mercy. “Now you know not to listen to my promises. And it’s a good lesson that one, never believe a promise.” Squealing, the girl wriggled out of Adiana’s grasp and darted around the table, taking shelter beside Eolyn. Her small body heaved with breathless laughter as the maga pulled her close. The girl wrapped her arms around Eolyn’s waist. “I want to go with you to the South Woods,” she said. Eolyn’s heart wavered, overtaken by a sudden nostalgia, the intense joy of companionship intermingled with the haunting sense that everything she most loved in life was constantly slipping away. “You will.” She looked at all of them as she spoke. “When Melanie, Sirena, and I return, we will organize another trip for everyone. We will journey to the South Woods together, and we will dance with the trees under the light of the next full moon.” They cheered and clapped and set to work clearing the table. 

Progress on DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, and Plans for May

I've been working this week on a scene with a new character, Mariel.  She is one of Eolyn's students, part of a new generation of magas, and a maga warrior.

I like Mariel a lot.  She has a lot in common with Eolyn -- similar origins and temperament. I tend to think of her as the kind of maga Eolyn might have become, had she not been burdened with the love of a King. 

Not that I have any issues with the kind of maga Eolyn became.  I love Eolyn just as she is!  But Mariel enjoys a freedom that her tutor did not, in part because of the constraints of her relationship with Akmael.

As much as I like Mariel, things will go badly for her in this third novel. The noose is starting to tighten around Eolyn and her followers.  Mariel is one of the primary targets of the enemies of the magas; they know that if they get to her, they can bring down almost everything Eolyn has managed to rebuild in a single, devastating strike.  Worst of all, Mariel has no clue as to her own importance, or the danger she is in.

I'll stop there -- have to, or we will start getting into spoilers.

May is on the horizon, and it is going to be a very exciting month.  I'll be returning to Virginia Beach for another writing retreat this year with Terri-Lynne DeFino and eight other magnificent women writers.  I am so looking forward to that week; I can almost taste the salty air of the sea already!

The last weekend of May, as I hope all of you already know, is ConQuesT, Kansas City's own science fiction and fantasy convention.  It's going to be a great weekend with authors and fans from all over the country, and a few from beyond the borders as well. Guests of Honor include author Patrick Rothfuss, artist John Picacio, and editor Teresa Nielsen Hayden. 

Hadley Rille Books will be well-represented, with editor Eric T. Reynolds, and authors Terri-Lynne DeFino, Mark Nelson, Lawrence M. Schoen, Christopher McKitterick, and Mary C. Chambers, among others.  Artist Tom Vandenberg will also be there.  HRB will be launching Mark Nelson's second novel King's Gambit, which just received an awesome review from Publisher's Weekly.

As a warm-up to ConQuesT, Hadley Rille Books and Prospero's Parkside Bookstore are hosting a Tolkien night the Thursday before the con.  There will be reading and food contests, games, roundtable discussions, and all-around Tolkien revelry.  I'll be talking about this a lot more as the dates get closer and plans firm up, so please keep an eye on this site (or follow Eolyn on Twitter & Facebook) if you'd like more information. 

I invite you this week to visit Heroines of Fantasy , where my post on empathy and fiction has inspired some fun discussion.  Does reading make us more empathetic?  Or do empathetic people simply like to read more? Hope to see you there!

One year to the release of HIGH MAGA


an image that reminds
me very much of the
captivating Rishona
We are now officially one year away from the release of High Maga, the long-awaited companion novel to Eolyn. The launch party will be on or around April 25th, 2014, with the release date a couple weeks earlier.

Fans of Eolyn are in for a very special treat with this sequel.  Many of your favorite characters will return -- Eolyn and Akmael, of course, lead the cast of characters.  Mage Corey will be back, along with a host of people who were minor characters in the first novel, but now have the opportunity to step foreward with their own stories: 

Adiana, the lovely and talented musician of Selkynsen; Rishona, beguiling warrior princess of the Syrnte; the noble Sir Drostan and troubled Renate, mage and maga of the Old Orders; and the handsome Sir Borten, a loyal knight of the Mage King. 

Among its new characters, High Maga features a most wonderful villain in the person of Lord Mechnes, a ruthless and brilliant Syrnte general.  We also have a new generation of magas with Eolyn's students, from oldest to youngest:  Sirena, Mariel, Catarina, Tasha, and Ghemena.  (And yes, that's a little bit of author-imposed karma there, that Eolyn's youngest student should have the same name as her beloved tutor.)

If someone out there should ever
decide to design an Eolyn tarot,
Lord Mechnes would make an
excellent King of Swords High Maga will be Hadley Rille Books' first release in 2014.  The manuscript is ready to go, though it has yet to be run through the copy editing mill.  Tom Vandenberg, artist for Mark Nelson's Poets of Pevana and King's Gambit, will do the cover art for High Maga.  I am so very excited to see what he puts together!  If everything goes as planned, we will have advanced reading copies ready -- and perhaps start some giveaways -- as early as next fall. 

As we begin the countdown toward release day, I want to take a moment to extend my deepest gratitude to all the loyal followers of Eolyn, especially those who have been with me from the beginning.  I appreciate your patience in waiting for the sequel, and I promise you that very shortly after the release High Maga next spring, we will start the one-year count down to third and final novel of the series, Daughter of Aithne. 

The coming months are going to be a very exciting.  I'll be talking about different characters, posting selected scenes from the new novel, making audio recordings of excerpts, and of course keeping you updated at every step on the road to publication. 

In truth, when I first wrote Eolyn, I did not envision expanding her story into a trilogy. 

Now not only am I glad to have written the second -- and started the third -- book; it's hard for me to imagine this epic journey as anything less than three complete novels.  I am very excited to share the next stage of Eolyn's story with you.  The adventure has only just begun!

Guest Author: J. Ellyne

Today I welcome J. Ellyne, a new author of erotic alternate history. 

I met Jini through Goodreads, and have read her first novel Maginaugh.  Jini brings to vivid life a world few fantasy authors have explored:  Maginaugh is set in North America some 9,000 years ago, in a lush territory inhabited by three very different cultures. 

Jini is 39 years young, writes songs as well as books, plays guitar, does yoga daily and loves to play tennis and swim in the ocean at Vero Beach, Florida, where she lives.

In addition to Maginaugh, Jini has published a second novel in the series, Maahilund. She is currently working on the third novel The Fair and Fey, and anticipates it will be available sometime mid year.

Please join me in welcoming Jini, and don't be shy with your questions and comments about her wonderful new series and the fascinating world it depicts.

About Maginaugh
Hello to all Karin's blog readers. I'm happy and honored to be here as her guest today. My pen name is J. Ellyne and I'm the author of an epic adult fantasy series with the first two books published and the third almost finished. You can call me by my real first name - Jini. Today we're going to talk mostly about the first book, Maginaugh, but let me tell you a little about the series as a whole first. The protagonist is a strong female character with an interesting background and an even more interesting future. More about her later. The series is called The Fair and Fey. The specific genre is adult, erotic, alternate-history, fantasy. Each of the three books take the reader to a different world. Each world is in a place you might recognize within our real world but the events that take place there are events of fantasy - or are they?

Maybe these events really could have happened. I did a ton of research before and during the writing of each book, to make the worlds as real as possible. The research included names of real people, religious beliefs of the time, folklore of the place and period, and scientific evidence of things that might otherwise be thought of as fantasy. To me folklore of ancient times was the most interesting part of my research. No one wrote history books until relatively recent times. So what we call mythology is sometimes simply an oral history, passed down by word of mouth. Of course facts can get stretched when repeated from one story teller to the next. Maginaugh, for example, is set in a time approximately 9,000 years ago.
In her review of Maginaugh, Karin mentions that the setting is quite unusual for a fantasy. I wrote about the region where I was born and where I spent every summer, even after I left my hometown. This was the upper peninsula of Michigan where I used to take walks in the north woods much like my characters do in the book. I used to paddle canoes just like they did. I even once made myself a deerskin shirt, just like my protagonist in the book wears.
My main character's name is Sashegh and I have to admit that much of her is based on my personality and my experiences. In the book she experiments with her sexuality as have I. She marries a man who is similar in some ways to my husband and has a female lover who is very similar to someone very special to me. Oops, this is getting quite personal isn't it? Maybe it's more than you want to know?
I want to tell you that what inspired me to write was a love of the books I was reading at the time I began, in particular Stephen King and Tom Robbins. My favorite book of all time is Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume and my favorite series of all time is King's Dark Tower. I bought everything they wrote. I have to say I more consistently enjoyed Robbins. I'm not into horror stories at all so it's hard for me to read some of King's stuff. I read him for his fantasies. I love being taken to fantastic other worlds and that's what I hope to do for all my readers.
So when I found a book of King's called On Writing, I was eager to read what he had to say about the art of writing. It was way better than any English composition course or writing workshop could ever be. To me, it's the bible for anyone who wants to write well. And, it's inspirational. It gave me the kick in the panties I needed to begin a novel and stick with it to the end. It's lots of work believe me and most published authors will tell you the pay's not great.
So when I started writing, I used fantasies I had as a young girl, playing Indian in the woods. Gradually my protagonist, Sashegh, being the strong character she is, took over and did her own thing. I just followed her around and wrote about her adventures. Strangely they seemed to parallel many experiences I've had in my own life. I guess I have a lot in common with Sashegh. So the book took an unexpected turn (even to me) halfway through when something surprising happened to Sashegh. I won't tell you what though; it would be a spoiler.
My favorite character in the book is Nanong, a native american. What a man he is: strong, handsome, brave, loyal, faithful, and a terrific lover. I still get all gooey when I think about him. No, Sashegh doesn't get to sleep with him, I'll tell you that much. He's too much older, he's faithful to his mate, Sashegh already has a man/boy when she meets him, and she has her eye on a certain girl instead. But if he wasn't taken .... hmmm.
Anything else anyone wants to know about me or my fantasy novels, please ask. I will be monitoring this blog thread and give answers.

Guest Author: Linda Ulleseit

I am very happy today to welcome Linda Ulleseit to my blog.  I met Linda a few years back through the on-line writers worskhop, thenextbigwriter.com.
Linda Ulleseit 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.  Its sequel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER, was just released last month. 

You can visit Linda at http://ulleseit.wordpress.com/

Please join me in welcoming Linda, who has written a fun post today on magical realism. 

Magical Realism
Most well-read students of literature have a working knowledge of magic realism. For one class or another they’ve read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges. It wasn’t until an early critic said of my own novel, “It approaches magic realism” that I delved deeper into what exactly magic realism is.

Like all post-twentieth century researchers, I started with Wikipedia, which stated, “Magic realism is a genre where magic elements are a natural part in an otherwise mundane, realistic environment.” My own novels, On a Wing and a Dare and In the Winds of Danger , certainly do that. They are basically realistic fiction novels set in a medieval mountain town where horses fly.
Magic realism in its original form comes from Latin America. Magic realism observes the world as it is and tells that reality from a different frame of reference. Latin Americans can be very passionate about life and spirituality. Their normal beliefs include things that are supernatural or magic to Westerners. By way of illustration, in One Hundred Years of Solitude, Garcia Marquez creates the character of Melquiades, a traveling gypsy. Over the span of hundreds of years, this gypsy visits the town and brings wonders such as ice and flying carpets. A Westerner sees much to question in that sentence, but my Spanish grandmother-in-law would accept every word as possible.
On a Wing and a Dare assumes the reader will not dwell on the scientific possibility of a flying horse and instead will look at the symbolism of living out a dream. When people ask what my novel is about, I generally respond, “It’s about flying horses.” I say that because the horses are the coolest part, but that’s not really the significance of the plot. When the winged horses are threatened, the adults in the town are trapped by tradition and policy. Only the fresh ideas of the teenagers, and the courage to take a risk, will save the horses and the town itself. That, however, sounds too normal. So I say it’s about flying horses.
On most sites, On a Wing and a Dare is labeled fantasy, which has a lot in common with magic realism. Fantasy gives readers an opportunity to try out new roles and see ways to work through situations. They learn perseverance pays off, and that setbacks don’t always cause failure. In essence, we are looking deeper inside the human experience with both fantasy and magic realism. Fantasy speculates on worlds that might be, however, and magic realism deals with the world that is. In addition, magic realism is considered a serious form of literature while fantasy is escapist.
In conclusion, I have a great deal of respect for Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and I’m flattered that someone thought of my work as approaching the quality of his. I cannot, however, refer to On a Wing and a Dare or In the Winds of Danger as magic realism and be totally honest. They are fantasy, maybe historical fantasy. And that’s just fine! On a Wing and a Dare  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 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?


 

Mage Corey's Surprise

Those of you who aren't too thrilled by my hardcore marketing side will be pleased to know that March Madness -- and all the promotions that came with it -- has now ended. 

I want to extend a very special thanks to the folks at The Magic Appreciation Tour and the Genre Underground, especially Daniel Marvello and Christopher Kellen, for organizing these events.  I also want to thank all of you who participated in the giveaways and/or purchased a copy of Eolyn. Welcome to the magic of Moisehén!  You are in for a wonderful reading adventure. 

In other exciting news, it is now possible to follow Eolyn on Twitter.  Be the first to receive important for updates on giveaways and promotions as we start the countdown to the release of High Maga. If you don't have a Twitter account, maybe now is a good time to check it out.  It's easy to sign up, and free.

I am so thrilled with the opening chapters of my latest project, Daughter of Aithne.  Last week, I devoted my sacred Thursday afternoon writing time to a wonderful scene with Mage Corey. 

There's something about Corey -- no matter how well I've come to know him, he still manages to surprise me.

This scene was no exception.  It was a meeting of the Council of King Akmael, as told from Corey's point of view.  Fans of Eolyn, on the day they read this, will recognize certain parallels between this chapter and another in book one, in which the wizard Tzeremond relates a meeting of the Council of Akmael's father, Kedehen. 

And so the sons take the place of their fathers -- figuratively speaking, of course, as Corey is not Tzeremond's son in the biological sense, though one could call him Tzeremond's son in magic. And he is now the most powerful wizard of Moisehén, clearly making him Tzeremond's heir. (Something Tzeremond would probably not be too happy about.)

Of course, the resemblance ends there.  Corey and Akmael have different temperaments and ambitions when compared to their predecessors; and many members of the Council have changed since book one.  (About 14 years pass between the end of book 1 and the beginning of book 3, including the 10-year interval between High Maga and Daughter of Aithne.  This has allowed me to put a lot of water under the bridge, let a few of the older characters go to their peaceful deaths, and bring in some new characters and younger blood along the way.)

But I digress.  Back to Corey's surprise:

I knew when I started writing that although the entire meeting would be told from Corey's point of view, he himself would intervene only once.  I also knew his intervention would be pointed and brilliant, a classic Corey moment in which an all-too-subtle kindness would be veiled by apparently cruel and honest words.

What I did not know -- until I was right on top of the moment -- was exactly when he would intervene, and what he would say. 


From Virgil C. Robinson's FB Fan Page. 
I promise you, the snake is there!These moments of surprise are hidden treasures in the writing process.  For me, it's like coming across a snake on a forest trail.  Walking through a forest, you know the snakes are there, but you never see one until you are almost right on top of it.  Then the serpent seems to melt out of the leaf litter, as vivid as death itself at your feet.  Awe, wonder, and a good dose of adrenalin rush through your veins while Snake looks up at you and you, quite speechless and just a little afraid, look down at it. 

Ah, there you are, you think.  I knew you'd be around.  Sorry I almost stepped on you.  I'll try to be more careful next time. 

Snake says nothing, just turns its unblinking eyes away and slithers back into hiding, smug in the knowledge that it will always have the upper hand.

Mage Corey and Snake are different from one another in at least one important respect:  Corey is not fool enough to sink into the illusion that he always has the upper hand.  But he is an expert in making certain everyone around him believes he does. 

Everyone including me, the unwitting author who has taken on the ever unpredictable task of writing his story. 

Tolkien Reading Day is March 25th

As the Spectacular Spring Equinox Fantasy Sale draws to a close, another great promotional event begins.

On Monday, March 25th, the Genre Underground is hosting Tolkien Reading Day.  Choose from over 20 great new titles in fantasy for just $0.99 each. 

In addition to my novel Eolyn, you'll find exciting work by authors Christopher Kellen, Daniel Marvello, Nicolette Andrews, and Julie Revezzo.  To browse titles, visit the Genre Undergound.  This sale lasts one day only, so take advantage of it while you can!

If you are new to Eolyn and would like to know more about the novel and its companions, High Maga and Daughter of Aithne, please browse this site, and ask me any questions you like. I'd love to hear from you!  Previews of Eolyn and High Maga can be found in the top menu tabs. 

Eolyn is now available in print and electronic editions, through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  High Maga will be released in spring of 2014, with Daughter of Aithne to follow in 2015.  All three novels relate the journey of Eolyn, an extraordinary woman who rises from humble origins to challenge the most powerful lords and wizards of her time. 

As part of Tolkien Reading Day, for just $0.99 you can meet Eolyn and venture into her world of friendship, magic, betrayal and war. AND you can also choose from many other fantastic characters offered by the very talented authors of the Genre Underground.  Enjoy March Madness, and happy spring reading!