Epic Fantasy with Magic

All he wanted was to prove himself a man.

All she wanted was to learn to use her new-found magic.

Neither of them knew the price of their desires.

A rope bound his feet together, and another held his arms at his sides. Each of his fellow captives was secured in the same way. His arms itched where the hemp fibers dug into them. He wiggled trying to reposition, to somehow scratch it.

The slave beside him gave a warning shake of his head. Slave. He’d been taken captive—by a jiddee’adar slaver. Weren’t the jiddee’adar supposed to be Jeeah’s protectors—advisors to kings or chieftains, using their abilities to serve? He shook his head. He’d seen how Olechario used his power.

Fantasy that Questions Your Core Beliefs

What if being who you were meant to be, meant you’d be trafficked, sent half-way around the world, and sold into slavery? Would you be able to see meaning from the despair? Or would you be like Paskal?

As the young girl came to a stop, her eyes widened, and she walked toward Paskal, her hand extended. “You’re a slave?” She reached for his hand and pulled him down to her, then traced the mark on his arm.

He wanted to hide, to have the ground open up and swallow him. Instead of the hatred and disdain that he’d grown accustomed to, though, she placed both hands on his cheeks and turned him to her.

“Jeeah loves you.”

The words struck him harder than the physical blow he’d expected. What did she mean? Of course, he knew about Jeeah, but since he’d woken in Olechario’s care, his faith that the god was good had dwindled. How could Jeeah allow him to be treated like he had?

Like a good slave, he didn’t reply. There was nothing he could say anyway.

Fantasy that Brings Hope from Loss

Paskal only wants to prove himself a man, but when he’s captured by an evil mage and sold down the Inferno Trail, he loses more than he ever thought possible. And yet, through the fire and pain he finds hope.

What would you do if faced with immeasurable loss?

Cover for Paskal’s Hope

Where to Get Paskal’s Hope

Instead of a pre-order on Amazon or other outlets, Paskal’s Hope is being released as a Kickstarter project. It’s currently in pre-launch which means you follow it to get notifications of when it goes live. The more people who follow it, the more Kickstarter promotes it.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding option that allows you–the reader–to get early access to special edition books. Paskal’s Hope will have four different chapter headers that will correspond to his place in the story. The hardcover outside will match Kristjan’s Rise so the duology will look great on your bookshelf.

If you haven’t already purchased Kristjan’s Rise, you’ll have the opportunity in the Kickstarter to get both books.

The year was 2017 or ’18, and my famiily had the privilege of doing what they do–be dragons. Oh, wait, perform fire shows. (Doesn’t be dragons sound better. They blow fire after all.) Anyway, we went up the mountain to church camp.

We left early to catch the evening chapel and meet up with our boys who were volunteering that week. As I rounded the corner to the chapel, I saw the two young men who were leading worship and was struck with awe. 

You see, the one had lost his older brother to death by suicide and the other’s older sister’s best friend had died by suicide in his house! Yet, these two were still remaining strong despite the adversity. 

The still small voice said, “Write a story for the Davids and Christinas.”

I replied, “No! I can’t do that!”

What ensued was a 30-45 minute argument with the still small voice, lots of tears, and finally, surrender with a compromise. Together, we could do it.

Once I had the world of Ardatz–the one where the north is always in darkness and the south always in light–I knew this story had to be set in the far north. But I still didn’t know what it would be about. A parent and a child. That much I knew. 

At Realm Makers 2018, I purchased a tree in a snowy night scene. It was Eelarga. No doubt about it. For two years, I stared at the tree wondering what more would come. 

In April of 2020, an Italian photographer took a photo of his brother and shared it in a facebook group. I couldn’t get those eyes out of my mind. In fact, I spent a week drawing the portrait in colored pencils (with permission, of course). But while I was drawing, I knew this was the son!

A year later, I began writing.

With the story written, it came time for the cover. I reached out to both artists–the photographer and the one who painted the tree–and received permission to use their work. Without futher ado, I present Kristjan’s Rise.

Instead of doing a normal pre-order, I’ll be offering the book in ebook, paperback, hardback, and special edition hardback via Kickstarter as an early release. The goal is by mid-May to have it go live, but that will depend on another wedding. 

What does that mean? That means you can get the ebook with any special digital goodies we earn before the book releases in November. You can get the paperback and hardback with any extra goodies (think extra map, extra art, etc) again before the official release in November and that specific offering of items won’t be available until after the duology is released next year or later).

Or you can get the special edition hardback. I’m going all out on this one–foil dust jacket, different foil cover, sprayed edges, end pages–and any extras in color in your book. If there’s art awarded, it’ll go into the book in color at the spot where the scene took place.

At this moment, you can click follow on Kickstarter to help build the momentum, and you can share it with your friends. If you’ve never been a part of Kickstarter, you can just follow along and see what it’s all about.

About the Book

All fifteen-year-old Akeela has ever wanted is an ordinary family who will love her. But the only mother she has ever known is the old hag, Krezma, who berates her night and day. Why did the old woman even take her in?

But Krezma knows her charge is no ordinary child. She can see the auras surrounding living things and can communicate with fairies. And the birthmark on her palm reveals a secret Krezma must hold close for the child’s safety.

A secret that the witch, Tzmet, hunts for night and day, drying and eating fairies for the power they contain. When Akeela discovers her fate lies in being the next Fairy Guardian, all hope for an ordinary life dissipates like the dreams they were. She must protect the fairies from the witch–and an even darker power that threatens them all.

Akeela is unwillingly thrust into an adventure that will not end until she decides to accept her fate and give up on her dream.

Maybe even her life.

Cover Reveal

Where to pre-order the book

Pam’s publisher has the book (and others) on their bookstore.

The story itself was inspired by a photo creation idea that Eric had back in 2019. I helped him make his images into the fantasy idea he had. One photo–nine images to tell a story of a queen and her daughter. I thought it’d make a nice short story, but as I started to write, I realized a character was missing–the father! Back to the drawing board I went, and what came of it was this story.

Blurb

Sold as a slave, and uprooted from home, 18-year-old Hest must decide where his loyalties lie or risk losing his new friends.

At peace in the stable, Hest cares for the visitors to Stad while spinning tales of adventure for the innkeeper’s son. But when a foreign warrior purchases him as a slave, he must decide if he’s willing to live the adventures he’s told.

With his new country under attack from an old enemy, Hest must learn to fight or lose his life in battle. While recuperating from injuries, he overhears a plot of treason. Choosing where his loyalties lie will seal his fate and that of a kingdom.

Hest’s already lost one family. He’ll do anything to keep his new one—even ride out to battle and most-certain death.

Uprooted is the first book in the coming-of-age, epic fantasy series, Sovereigns.

Cover Reveal

Links to learn more

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