Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 56

T is is for Tarekus

Image courtesy of Pixabay T is for Tarekus

Tarekus is an island continent at the far end of the Southern Sea that was the setting for Windmaster Legacy. While fictional, the land of Tarekus was inspired by Australia. 

During the writing of Windmaster Legacy, the series notebook was filled with pictures. The large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia called Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, held center court along with images of the Australia outback.

As described in Windmaster Legacy. Fine white sands form a glittering ring between scrub-covered rolling hills and warm turquoise waters. Hills steepen into forested mountains and valleys. The interior is called the hinterland by the sailors and the bush by natives. In the center of the hinterland, running north-south, is a wide swath of veldt. Occasionally, great cracks in the earth form valleys hundreds of feet below the main ground level or thrust great plateaus skyward.


Like the land that inspired Tarekus, the land Ellspeth and Dal visit is home to many strange animals. Some hop, others have other means of ambulation. Among the inhabitants of Tarekus is a small bear that only eats the leaves of one species of tree. 


In the veldt, you can encounter long-necked animals that eat the tender leaves off the top of trees. These creatures are called by tree-trimmers by the locals.







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Tomorrow’s post is a change of pace, the darker science fiction of the short story, Uncommon Mercy. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

S is for Shipfish

S is for shipfish

The sea and its creatures appear in many ways in the world of the Windmaster Novels. Vessels are named after the inhabitants of the deep blue (Sea Falcon, Red Fish, Loch Bird) or the ocean’s fickle nature (Dragon Wave, Cloud Dancer.) Monsters from the deep blue form the basis of myth and legend.


Image courtesy of Pixabay
On the other end of the scale, are the shipfish, commonly regarded as a sailor's friend. The sight of the tall fins skimming through the waves and the luminescent trail left in their wake provided the sailors a sense of safety and security. Most captains kept a supply of fresh bait fish to toss to the shipfish as offerings to the sea gods for the boon of a smooth voyage.


According to legend of Iol and Pelra, the lovers jumped into the sea to avoid capture and the water gods turned the pair into shipfish. Since the legend was already covered in the A-Z post for the letter "L," here's an excerpt from Windmaster where shipfish perform a special service, the final requiem.

Dal’s somber rendition of the words of final journey seemed far away. She hardly noticed when four crewmen took the wizard’s place at the opening in the rail. Her fingers moved of their own volition to send the flute’s haunting refrain over the water. On the dirge’s final note, the crew tilted the board. A solitary ripple marred the surface of the lake when the body dropped into its dark depths.

A crewman’s cry of surprise at the two shipfish who rose alongside the ship broke Ellspeth’s inward focus. She felt the crew’s awe as the sea creatures’ whispery sounds repeated the funeral dirge. Their silver bodies surged upward to balance on split tails. “Almost like the King’s Guard,” a grizzled crewman at the rail offered. His observation of an honor guard came true when two more shipfish surfaced—the body balanced between their large back fins. The Sea Falcon’s crew stood motionless while eerie whistles echoed across the lake. When the final note of the unusual dirge faded away, the shipfish and their cherished burden slipped out of sight. Full dark had settled upon the still lake before the crew sought their bunks.

Unwilling to move, Ellspeth stood alone at the bow rail.

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Windmaster Legend - universal buy link

Next up is the letter, "T." If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.
 
~ till next time, Helen

R is for Redemption

R is for Redemption

When I reached the letter “R” in the list, the cover of Hatchling’s Vengeance appeared. Now, vengeance doesn’t start with "R" so why should that book come to mind. There is a flip-side to vengeance, and that is “Redemption.”

Merriam-Webster defined redemption as “the fact of being saved from sin or evil.” And it relates to Hatchling’s Vengeance because of the question the book prompts. “For those who the Parant commands, will vengeance yield to love and provide a path to redemption? Or will retribution decree the punishment for past acts be death?”

Haldric served the Parant whose hatred of dragons and dragon shifters demanded their deaths. Leirche also served the Parant as military leader and tactician. Their actions both in commanding the Parant’s followers and against both innocent and dragshi alike meet the criteria of "evil."

So where does redemption come in? Through love, both in giving it and receiving it, two men have a chance at redemption. Here one stands before the tribunal whose decree will mean life... or death, redemption or vengeance.

Shock and anger registered on the faces of those behind the rulers. Rough hands pushed Leirche. As he shambled forward, hampered by the ropes on his arms and the shackles around his ankles, he noted those he passed. Each showed shock at Galiel’s flat statement of the Parant’s order. Except one—Talann. What his features showed was beyond anger. No man stood before Leirche, but an avenging angel.

The force of a hand sent Leirche to his knees before Eirwen. He looked up at Galiel. “You should not have come. You were safe.” A blow to the back of his head from one of the soldiers cut off what else he would have said.

“My dear child,” Eirwen said. Despite her soft tone, it seemed to rip through the pounding in Leirche’s ears. “That one led the Parant’s forces.”

A harsh edge tinged her features. “And killed two innocent oldsters who wanted nothing more than to spend their last hours on this world in peace.”

Where before he felt a glimmer of hope, Eirwen’s statement told Leirche his life was forfeit. But what of Galiel? Have I doomed her too?

Hatchling's Vengeance - universal buy link

Tomorrow’s post "S" is for Shipfish. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

Q is for Queen

Q is for Queen

A scan of the character sheets in the novel notebooks for Imprisoned in Stone and Hearth and Sand yielded nothing to use as a post topic. The series notebooks for the Draghsi Chronicles and the Windmaster Novels provided a single name, Qaralzha. However, that is from the story Fire and Ice in the First Change anthology. Since references to Mirabeesh's tale were already done in this challenge in the posts Diovi and Daxa and Eruichin, I decided to try another approach.

So, I opened the dictionary to the letter "Q." Eyes closed I ran a finger down the pages and where it stopped the nearest word was "Queen." Although an occasional king has appeared in my two series, no story really featured royalty. A review of the various storylines provided a single item tangentially related to queen--Glacier Queen.

Glacier Queen is a lug-sailed ketch that sailed Botunn Loghes. At the time, priests from the Oracle of Givneh were confiscating property and services. As protection, Glacier Queen's captain took unusual precautions. Here is how the vessel appeared at first meeting.

Dal pointed to the derelict at the end of the dock. “You want me to go out on the lake in that?”

Ellspeth tried to see the Glacier Queen through Dal’s eyes. Usually a ship matched its berth. The dock was canted and several of the floorboards did not look able to support the weight of a child. “

Ellspeth and Dal were desperate for transport. Mercenaries working for the Oracle were in close pursuit. But a different obstacle presented itself, the ship's captain.

“I’m Captain Vika of Glacier Queen. Why should I take your fare?”

Ellspeth studied the grizzled beard and Vika’s gold bracelets. “I’m Captain Ellspeth of the Sea Falcon of the House of Cszabo. I’d like transport across the lake for myself, my escort, and our four horses.” She ignored Dal’s startled look at her honest identification. “The wind’s about to change. So that we don’t have to wait another day, I’ll pay twice the normal fare. And, I’d rather not travel with pilgrims.”

“Captain of Cszabo, huh? Got any proof? Those aren’t sailor’s clothes.”

Ellspeth smiled. She unwrapped the small bundle Dal slipped her. Her fingers trembled as they dropped her own mark of rank in Vika’s hand. “Will these do?”

The bracelets glittered in the noonday sun as he tilted them for a closer look. His expression changed when he noted the engraved symbols that identified ship and trading house. “Prove to me they’re yours.”

Ellspeth searched for an answer. She straightened her back and put the full force of authority into her voice. “I am Ellspeth of the Clan Cszabo, daughter of Mirrim, granddaughter of Rima. I captain the Sea Falcon.”

The old man’s laugh took her by surprise. “Yup, you’re related to Rima.”

Windmaster - one click to estores


Tomorrow’s post is the letter "R" and that means it's time for "Redemption." If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

P is for Pelra

P is for Pelra.

Who is Pelra?

Lady Pelra of the House of Pirri is a lady of legend from the World of Windmaster, Pelra was first introduced in Windmaster when Captain Ellspeth told the tale of the star-crossed lovers to the Archmage Dal. The post about the encounter is part of the A-Z Challenge as the letter, "L."

But what about Pelra the person?

She is tall and slender. On special occasions, her har is worn in a braid that is turned into a golden crown, held by glittering pins. Despite having devoted her life to earning the bold bracelets of a captain, she is an accomplished musician and composer.

Excerpts featuring Lady Pelra as seen through other's eyes can be found in the following posts.

Meeting a Lady
Shall We Dance?

And before I forget, the lady herself.


Windmaster - one click to estores
Windmaster Legend - one click to estores

The next post up is for the letter X, and it stands for Xelme. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

O is for One

O is for One

When writing the posts for this challenge, the ones that gave me the most trouble were O, U, V, and Z. After quite a bit of investigation, I decided that "O" stands for "One," as in the "Cyrcle of One."

The Cyrcle of One is a meditative state which connects all living things. In the Windmaster Novels, it was used to locate and communicate with a person afar.

Ever since the sun sank beneath the edge of the plateau, Dal had searched in the Cyrcle of One for Ellspeth. The fleeting contacts he had been able to make with his scrying crystal were more frustrating than helpful. All he ever sensed was her presence in a place devoid of light.

Not all contact is verbal. Read on as an apprentice enters the Cyrcle of One to keep a fatally wounded woman alive until his master can come and heal her. And as always, magic has a price to pay, even if it is only exhaustion and the pins and needles of circulation too long denied to cramped limbs

Barris forced himself to his feet and staggered yet again into the small room where Eilidh lay on a bed piled high with rushes. Dumping his small bag of materials onto the floor, he picked up the blue chalk. Clumsily, with the moves of something newly learned, Barris drew the healing spell Dal had taught him. Fighting his exhaustion, he entered into the Cyrcle of One. Dark clouds enveloped him. Deeper and deeper he sank until he located the silver cord that marked Eilidh’s lifeline. Willing his shadow-self to move, Barris watched the purple orb of his life flash to the spot where Eilidh’s lifeline joined her soul.

He reviewed the instructions Dal left. Now to strengthen the ties between her body and spirit. Back and forth Barris wove an invisible rope between the two aspects of Eilidh’s being. “Ancestors of Clan Daimh beyond the veil, guard and guide your kinswoman,” he prayed. “Eilidh has served you well in this world. Strengthen her in this journey and at the designated time, welcome her to the next.”

Having done all he could, Barris began his passage back into his own body. His first sensations after returning to the here and now were limbs tingling from lack of circulation.

Tomorrow’s post is from Windmaster Legend.  “P is for Pelra.” If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

N is for Najest

N is for Najest

Previously in the A-Z posts, the letter “G” stood for Givneh, the home of the Oracle of Giveneh and his temple. In the time of Windmaster Legend, Najest wore the white robe of the oracle. He often travelled the countryside incognito to get the lay of the land. On one of his trips, he needed transport across Botunn Loghes to the city of Berife. The winds that take the boats between the ports of Aigeal and Berife were unusual. In the morning they blew the boats taking pilgrims bound for Giveneh to Berife. Then at dusk, the winds reversed sending the ships back to their berths at Aigeal.

Between Iol’s skillful handling of his ship and knowledge of the currents beneath the surface, and Najest’s ability to control the wind, Loch Bird avoided being becalmed in the middle of the lake and enabled Najest to return to his temple undetected.

That encounter set the scene for Iol to keep a woman escape her abuser by gaining sanctuary in the temple.

Now that you’ve met Najest, if you see a tall thin man with a regal air who moves with the sure step of one familiar with a sword, just nod as you pass him by—unless you need a blessing from the Oracle.


Windmaster Legend - one click to buy links

Tomorrow’s post "O is for One." If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

Tuesday's Title Seven Aprils, Historical Romance

A tale of love and war, sex and friendship between a Union doctor and his cross-dressing comrade.

Title: Seven Aprils (American Civil War Brides)

Author: Eileen Charbonneau

Date of Release: 04/07/2019
Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: BWL Publishing

Buy Links:   books2read.com/seven-aprils 

Blurb:

In April 1860, Dr. Ryder Cole returns home from his studies, sure of his abilities and on fire to serve his country and preserve the Union. A panther attack threatens to cut his life short until a young woman with a rife and a sure-shot eye appears out of the mist. Then she disappears, returning as Tom Boyde, his comrade throughout America’s Civil War, and as Diana, met in a Washington D.C. whore house. The seven Aprils from 1860 to 1866 tell their tale of love and war, sex and friendship. And the price of crossing gender lines.

Behind The Scene:

My very brave and self-sufficient sister Tess was my inspiration for Tess Barton. As usual, as the novel moved along my fictional Tess took over and found her own way through the story. Ryder was my most conventional hero, a man of his time with some very victorian notions of a woman and her place and binary sexuality. Of course, he had to do a lot of changing! I was very impatient with him at times, but he always redeemed himself by his acts of kindness.

Author Bio:

Eileen Charbonneau’s unique viewpoint reflects heritage that includes immigrant Irish, French Canadian, Eastern European ancestors and Huron and Shoshone relatives. Eileen has published historical fiction for adult as well for young readers. She lives in the brave little state of Vermont, where she and her husband run a small Bed and Breakfast where the whole world comes to see the glorious changing colors

Eileen's young adult novels The Woods Family Trilogy is composed of The Ghosts of Stony Clove, In the Time of the Wolves, and Honor To the Hills. The novels are set in the Catskill Mountains from 1809 through 1852. Books in the series were chosen as a Best Book by the Children's Book Council for Social Studies curriculum, and have won the Golden Medallion for excellence in young adult fiction.

The American Century Novel Series begins in Federal era Virginia in The Randolph Legacy, moving to the Trail of Tears and mid-century 19th century Manifest Destiny in Rachel LeMoyne to California’s early 20th century conservation movement in Waltzing in Ragtime. Books in this series have been nominated for Hearts of the West and Rita awards from Romance Writers of America.

Eileen’s Code Talker Chronicles suspense series follows the World War II exploits of Luke Kayenta, a Navaho Code Talker officer in the Office of Strategic Services and his fellow officer Kitty Charante, war widow and spy. The first two books are I’ll Be Seeing You and Watch Over Me, which has won a Chanticleer Award for Women’s fiction and been named a finalist in the Daphne duMaurier Award and Golden Leaf Award for Romantic Suspense.

American Civil War Brides series follows the lives of couples brought together by the most soul-searing conflict the United States has endured. The first of the series is Seven Aprils.

For more on Eileen Charbonneau and her works, find her on the web at: Website | Facebook |

M is for Mage

M is for Mage

Being a mage is more than just wielding magic. One of the rules of magic is that its use comes with a price. In the case of Lord Dal, Archmage of the World, the price is everyone and everything he holds dear. Because he held the master spells, Dal was responsible for every wizard from the fullness of their powers to those in the throes of awakening. Which increased his guilt when everyone on the isle that is the heart home of all wizards is killed. No one is spared not woman nor child, nor wizard or villager.

Dal must save the future of magic for the generations to come. For those with power will have magic, whether good or bad. First he has to find the murderer of his brethren. Not only has to keep a powerful token out of the rogue mage’s hand, but prevent the power-hungry man from killing the next generation of wizards, including the woman Dal loves—Ellspeth.



A different price is asked in Windmaster Legend. The lure of magic could cost Subcommander Pelra the gold bracelets of rank, the man she loves... and her life. When the accused weapon is magic, not even being a continent away can save you from the charges of sinking a ship or kinslaying.

Sometimes the price of being a mage is more physical as Colwynn finds out in the fantasy, Imprisoned in Stone. His father wants to learn the secret of binding a mage to the earth, preventing him passing through the veil. The key ingredient to the dark magic is blood. And Colwynn's father decrees the source will be? Colwynn.

Windmaster - one click to estores
Windmaster Legacy - one click to estores
Windmaster Legend - one click to estores

Imprisoned In Stone - one click to estores

Hope you'll return tomorrow’s for "N is for Najest." If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

~ till next time, Helen

Fulfilling the #AtoZChallenge, the Midpoint

The month of April is half over and we're at the midpoint of the #AtoZ Challenge. The theme I chose for the challenge is fantasy from A to Z. Settings, characters, and insights into the fantasy worlds of the Windmaster Novels, the Dragshi Chronicles, and a few words on the writing life.

Since the challenge takes Sundays off, the slot is being used to reflect on the topics covered so far. A list of posts for easier following of the challenge follows. I hope you'll find a post or two of interest and that you'll consider stopping by for the rest of the challenge.

~till next time, Helen


A is for Anastasia
B is for Broch
C is for Cailin
D is for Diovi and Daxa 
E is for Eurichin 
F is for FATE
G is for Givneh
H is for horses
I  is for Imprisoned
J  is for Jardrese
K is for the Kapuna Tree
L is for Legend