COUNTDOWN: 3 Weeks
COMING SOON! There are only 3 more weeks until Book 2 in the Threshold Series releases. The Hidden Deep will be in bookstores on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. To count down, I’m doing a weekly post to share newsy tidbits, sneak peeks at sketches, and brand new story art. This week, I thought I’d debunk one of my own flights of fancy. Let’s talk a little about the Threshold Series‘s littlest angels—yahavim!
Harvesttime is in full swing when Prissie Pomeroy learns that something terrible happened in her family’s orchard. With school back in session, the rift between Prissie and her friends widens while Ransom and his friends keep getting on her nerves. As Koji and Milo introduce Prissie to the rest of Jedrick’s Flight, she’s drawn increasingly deeper into their world and closer to its dangers. A kidnapped apprentice suffers. A chained door bodes ill. A tiny angel makes a big difference. A battle line is drawn. Everything Prissie thought she knew is about to change… again!
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The Food of Angels. I couldn’t very well do a story centered around angels without taking manna into account. After all, it’s an angel’s food (Psalm 78:25), also called “the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:58). It’s the stuff that sustained the children of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness. “In the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was” (Exodus 16:13–15). Manna actually means, what is it? And folks did their best to describe it. “It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31). “The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin” (Numbers 11:7).
Abner’s Flock. As per usual, these scanty accounts sent my brain into a spin. “Is manna a naturally occurring substance? Where does it come from? What if…?” (Ah, I wonder how many stories have been sparked by asking what if…?) And so I created the yahavim, and they quickly became essential to the plot. In The Blue Door, readers meet Omri, the yahavim who sticks close to Taweel. And as the summary for The Hidden Deep states, a little angel will make a big difference!
Yahavim are the lowest order of angels, essential to the well-being of those who tend them; I suppose you could consider them pets. Their name comes from the Hebrew word yahav, which means “provide.” While they’re clever enough to understand what’s needed, they aren’t capable of speech. These little guys are 5 to 6 inches tall and have some insect characteristics: faceted eyes and translucent wings. Their ears come to elfin points, and they need light. Glimpses of them probably gave rise to tales of pixies, fairies, sprites, and the like. When they’re happy and healthy, these manna-makers are dazzlingly bright, and the easiest way to tell them apart is by their hair.
New Art! Today, I’m adding a new piece to the story art gallery that features two yahavim from the series. Omri has the long ponytail. The other fellow (who actually appears on Book 2′s cover) is named Lavi.
Fun Fact! I will often ask readers if they have a favorite angel. It’s an informal poll of sorts, largely self-indulgent. Most people choose Koji. My two daughters were quick to stake their claims on Baird and Kester. Much to my surprise, my mother picked Omri. I think that’s awfully sweet. ♥
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