WPFP Character Q&A - In the Kastle part 1

Again, major spoilers if you haven't read WPFP yet.

I survey the people seated around the round table and smile. "I know this room is usually reserved for council meetings, but I asked the Water Princess and Fire Prince very nicely and they said I could use it today," I announce.

"Why aren't they here?" asks Jasmine.

"Because I already asked their questions later in their own world," I answer. "However, I might as well start with you. Alyssa would like to know what is your favorite part about working as a maid for the Water Princess."

The little, black-haired girl scrunches up her face thoughtfully. "She isn't like most ladies. She's funny. I like that about her." Jasmine gets a reproving glance from her older sister, but just shrugs in response.

"All right," I say, thumbing through my notes. "Essua, Anna would like to know what you think of the Water Princess?"

Essua leans back, grinning at me. "She's everything I'd hoped she'd be, and then some. I kinda regret not being here for her arrival, because I wish I could have seen the look on her teachers' faces when she was messing with them. Still, she's awesome, and women fighting is now a thing because of her. Used to, it was just me being me."

"All right. Karlos. Amada wants to know what it feels like to be the son of Lord Abraham?"

Karlos blinks a couple time. "I ... I don't know how to answer that."

"I won't make you," I tell him. "Mnm wants to know what you think of the Water Princess and Fire Prince."

"Oh, they're awesome, I think the Water Princess scares the Fire Prince sometimes, though, but don't tell anyone that I said that."

"Um, I'll see what I can do about that." I bite my lip as I glance through my notes again. "How about this one for Jasmine again. Morgan wants to know what you like about doing hair."

"I like the fact that I can use it to make women look pretty," Jasmine answers. "And I'm good at it, so it makes me feel useful. I wasn't considered good for much else until the Water Princess came, you know."

"Oh, here's a fun one," I say. "Jakob, Mnm wants to know when you plan to ask Jill Anna to marry you."

He stiffens, sitting up straighter in his chair as he glances Jill Anna's direction. "I - uh - not until we've been Tied! If we get Tied! There are children in the room!"

I laugh. "All right, time for a bit of cultural translation. In my world, after a man and a woman have gotten to know each other, the man will ask her to marry him, after which will follow an engagement period while they plan for the marriage ceremony - or wedding, as it's called. There is no such thing as Tying, unless you're in certain countries where it is called the handfastening ceremony, which is similar, but still a marriage ceremony."

"Oh." Jakob swallows and glances Jill Anna's direction. "Well, in Rizkaland, either the man or the woman can ask, but usually only following at least several weeks of serious discussion, upwards to months or years, depending on the couple. Jill Anna knows that I am intrested in being Tied to her, but she says that, until they are certain that the former Bugslayers can have children now that the poison has been removed, and that there will be no immediate bad side affects, that we cannot seriously consider it. She says to wait a year at least, but I think it's because she's a terribly shy thing who still cannot grasp the fact that she has won the heart of Upper Klarand's Lor'son and is making excuses."

"Rashness does not become a future Lord," says Jill Anna, giving him a sidelong glance.

"I see." I nod. "Well, that is useful information. Jill Anna, Amanda would like to know your first impressions of the Water Princess."

"I thought that she was small, but beautiful, and a little wild," Jill Anna answered. "After all, she summoned me for the purpose of making pants. Pants!"

"Ah, and Lord Abraham, Mnm has the same question for you."

"I believe I answered that question in my intrview during your Blog Tour," Lord Abraham answered. "But I'll answer it again - I honestly did know who she was the moment we met. She was small, but unafraid, she was brilliant with a sword, and there was a look to her eye - the same otherwordly sparkle that I also saw in the eye of the Fire Prince. She had the grace of a queen and the skill of a warrior, and yet even as she held the sword against the Fire Prince's throat, I knew there was no malice in her, only a strong instinct to protect. She was the girl sent to us to fight the Dragon - and for the first time, I pitied the Dragon."

"I actually thought quite the same," said Jakob. "Small, feirce, more than she seemed, and very much the match for the Dragon. But also a bit scared. Which made sense, since she was in a new world and she couldn't know for sure that we actually meant her no ill will."

"Actually, she had the same question for you, too, Jakob, so thank you for preemtively answering it for me." I thumb through my notes again. "How about this one for Kiona. Mnm would like to know when Stephan stopped teasing you."

"Not until after Bookholder Rindar had a long conversation with him one day about the abuse of power," Kiona answered. "I don't know what all they talked about, but I know that after that, Stephan stopped talking almost completely, unless he had to, and he started being nice to me. And that's when I fell in love."

"Aw," I said. "How about another one for Jill Anna. Mnm would also like to know if Jasmine is your only sister."

Jill Anna actually laughed. "Oh, no, far from it. She's merely my youngest sister. There are two older than me, and three between Jasmine and I. And then we have three younger brothers after Jasmine."

"All right, everyone, I think that's good for now," I say, folding my notes away. "We have a few more questions, but they can wait a bit longer."

LDTD Winners!

Greetings and solutions, everyone!

That was a smashing success of a party, I think at least, and now it's time for the good ol' prizes.

First off, the main prize goes to ...

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Erudessa! Just email me with your mailing address and we'll be in business. Keep in mind, though, that I'm currently not working and therefore tight on money, so it'll probably be December before I'm able to send the package. But it'll be an awesome package when you do get it.

Now for the comment prize ...

There were two girls who both worked very hard for the prize, one with 66 comments and the other 74. So I've decided that I'll reward them both. Sarah, at second place, you'll get to alpha Worth of a King, while first place commenter Erika gets to read Love and Memory. You can expect your books in five chapter increments as I write them, though I do have something I can send you immediately, Erika.

Thank you all for making this a wonderful party, however!

Snippet!!!

  “That’s Clara’s ringtone,” Parker announced, as Andrew’s phone went off. “Guess she isn’t mad at you after all.”

  Andrew gave a sigh of relief as he flipped open his phone. “You all right Alyce?” he asked.

  “Yeah, fine, actually,” she answered. “Sorry about not answering ‘till now. I was … distracted. Forgot I had a phone.”

  “What happened?” Andrew asked, and then he glanced at the table and his brothers. “No, wait, hang on a moment.” Pulling the phone away, he addressed his brothers. “Quick recess in the back yard. Don’t kill each other.”

  He didn’t need to tell his brothers twice, though there was a comment of, “I think I might like Clara now,” from Kyle.

  “Don’t get used to recess every time she calls!” Andrew shouted after him, but they were all out of the door. He sighed as he positioned himself in front of the window to watch his brothers. 

You'll Wanna Stick Around For This

So I managed to not write down the post I planned to write today on the schedule. Therefore, you guys have no idea that I decided to toss it out the window and run with a completely different idea.

I'm going to talk about the stories that are to come with the Rizkaland Legends, both in the official series and the connected novels, and why you're going to want to read them.

Love and Memory. We'll start out with the newly announced book three. I talked about it on the second day of the tour, so all that I'm going to say is that there will be Clarand, there will be Reutra, and there will be pain. You guys are going to hate me, but will love the story by the end of it. I know what I'm doing, Life is pain. Everyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

Book 4. This volume will introduce you to new main characters Edna, Alex, Quentin, and Louise. Planning-wise, this is one of my weaker stories, I'll admit, so I actually pulled out a notebook to begin writing a VERY rough draft yesterday. Hopefully I'll pull this book together and it won't be the weak point in the series, because I don't want it to be the weak point, and I'm scared it will be. (Though, frankly, I can't point to a single other book in the series and say 'hey, why can't you be the weak one.) But THINGS will happen in this book, and I don't want it to be a failure.

Book 5. I may have mentioned that you'll find out the fate of Andrew's mother in this book. I may have mentioned that Rhoda and Kevin are main characters in this book. I may have also mentioned that two of Clara and Andrew's children are in the book - Timothea and Flynn. I don't think I need to tell you anything else to make you want to read it.

Book 6. Book six happens to be the only book in the series that STILL doesn't have an official title. Which is kinda frustrated. This book happens to have been inspired by some Percy Jackson fanfiction  where Annabeth moves across the US to be closer to Percy and finds that there's a girl at his school who has a crush on Percy and jealousy ensues. How much of that will remain in the book, I won't say, but the main characters include Tina, Kevin's younger sister and Kyle, Andrew's younger brother. Oh, and my pinterest followers have made the observation that there are babies in this book, which I find to be an interesting observation.

Book 7 or JEJS, because I have revealed its initials already. Is the last book in the series, *cue tears* and if you follow me on Instagram or are my friend on facebook, you might have seen me post a picture yesterday where I have the Earth dates of the books in the series, And you may have noticed that this book is set about twenty years after WPFP. So yes, this does mean that it stars the second generation - I have a Clarand daughter and a Reutra daughter confirmed for main characters. I also know that a few of the older generation will be returning to Rizkaland, and that there are five comfirmed deaths.

Now on to the other books.

First the 'lesser' legends that will probably become novellas.

Alphego's Hill. I'm actually not sure I'll ever write this thing in its entirety. But I can promise more snippets on the AA blog.
Through the Mountain. Featuring more Amber being mean, and a Joash story which will be awesome.
Ear of the People. A lot of people want to ship Jasmine and Karlos. This book will confirm or sink this ship. And mwahaha, even thogh there's a sumary of the story at the back of LDTD, I didn't actually confirm if they were a thing or not.

Now the other books.

The Worth of a King. I added Worth to Goodreads last night. You should add it to your book shelf. I'm going to make an effort to release this book, if not the fall of next year, then early in 2018. Because you guys want to read it. Not only is there awesome wordbuilding, political intrigue, and a set of twins whose story will make you cry, but there's a younger Amber and Granite. And by "younger" I mean "nearly three thousand years old." They're a force for good in this novel, and you'll see how totally in love they were back then. Here's a bit of fanart so you can see a glipse of what this book will hold.

The New Division, The next book I'd like to release after Worth is TND, a portal fantasy that begins during the Great Depression on Arden Orphanage. The orphanage where Andrew's dad grew up. Which just so happens to be the house where Petra lives. There are elves, and I'll be dealing with issues such as segregation. slavery, human (well, elven, because the characters in this book are elves) sacrifice, and salvation. Oh, and Jane, Petra's mother, has a scene at the end.

Dragon Song. This book is sort of a companion to Worth, as they tell the story of two sides of one event. However, this is a book you won't be able to read unless you already read Lady Dragon, Tela Du, because it was supposed to be book 3, and there are cameos from Petra and her gang that may ruin your read of LDTD. Just a warning. But this is the book where I developed the stars of Lintooalintae and the Dragon Scale that corrupted Amber.

Fire and Song, This book has almost the weakest connection to the main series. It's set in the same world as Dragon Song, though, and will feature a breif cameo from members of that books cast. But there's a firebird and lots of political and social intrigue, and it's going to be fun.

The Trilogy of Secrets. I have this book down as a series on my WIP page, but it'll probably be released as one book. This book has been going through some plot overhaul lately, though, so I'm not sure. I can tell you that it's about Collie Liano, whose electrical problems cameoed in LDTD, and that there may be a brief cameo from the Rizkaland gang somwhere in the middle.

The Eternal Queen. This is the story of the Eternal Queen of Solar, referenced in LDTD. It's the story of the creation of the cloths that give Amber and Granite their immortality. It's the story of some of Laura's darker days.

And then I have a number of Laura stories planned, from many stages in her life, all of them will make you laugh and cry. Look forward to them, too.

Kindle

Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Interviews:

One Sparrow Song - Ashna

Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE - Amber

Reviews:

Thoughts of Anna S. Brie

Other:

Tyrean Martinson - 5 Reasons to Write with Pinterest Guest post

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.) Comments on AA posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du tag also count. (The AA is my extra blog where I post snippets and in-between bits about my characters that have spoilers. It's member only, but if you'll email me telling me that you've read the three Bookanias or at least Water Princess, Fire Prince, I'll add you to the access list.) And I decided yesterday that I'll also count any and all speculations about future Rizkaland and the connecting stories posted on this thread on Goodreads during the the tour. 

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Ships I Ship because of Reutra

When WPFP released, I shared the ships that reminded me of Clarand for one reason or another. Now I'm going to share the ships that I ship because of Reutra.

Percy and Annabeth

I shared this one on Clarand, too, but for a different reason. While their rivalry-turned-ship reminds me of Clarand, their personalities remind me more of Reuben and Petra. She's the smart one who has her head on her shoulders while he ... he might be smart, but he enjoys acting like an idiot.

Emma and Mr. Knightly

Clarand was my Pride and Prejudice ship. Reutra reminds me more of Emma and Knightly - especially in their Emma Approved incarnation. Not personality-wise, so much, but situation-wise.

David Copperfield and Agnes

Again, the situation thing. Childhood friends who end up together.

Ladybug and Chat Noir

So ... earlier this year I heard about this show "Miraculous Ladybug" or something like that. I love ladybugs but thought it sounded cheesy. And then I found fancomics and decided that I'd give it a try. I have since watched almost every episode twice. 

Anywho, in their Ladybug and Chat Noir guises. the main characters of this show have a relationship and interplay that remind me very much of Reutra. 

Ella and Prince Char

In Ella Enchanted. Again, childhood friends who end up together. They're also adorable.

Ivy and Dor

From Xanth. Again. childhood friends. They have the added bonus of their relationship being kinda expected - she's the princess, but he's set to be the next king because his Talent is Magician status.

Madeline and Pepito

I was a HUGE fan of Madeline as a child (no doubt an influence on my love of Miraculous Ladybug now). Now, Madeline and Pepito aren't a confirmed ship ... but I'd like to think that they ended up together eventually.

Trask and Anne

From Ilyon. Again, childhood friends. Again, he's a bit impulsive while she's practical.

Will and ... I forget. Alice, wasn't it?

From the Ranger's Apprentice. The girl he grew up with as a fellow orphan, The one who was really smart and joined the ambassador/lawyer group. I think. Anywho. I ship 'em.

Makilien and Aedan

Now this is my rebel ship, because they aren't a ship at all, unless it strictly a friendship. But I swear they would have been adorable together, and might have strengthened the plot of the book. Not that I think she shouldn't have ended up with Sirion - they're totally cute together. I just ... wasn't satisfied with his romance.

And that's all I can think of right now. If you know of any ships that remind you of Reutra, feel free to toss them into the mix.

Kindle

Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Interviews:

Morgan Huneke - Reuben

The Flowering Vales - Me

The Rambling Rose - Me

Reviews:

Writing Anyone?

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.) Comments on AA posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du tag also count. (The AA is my extra blog where I post snippets and in-between bits about my characters that have spoilers. It's member only, but if you'll email me telling me that you've read the three Bookanias or at least Water Princess, Fire Prince, I'll add you to the access list.) And I decided yesterday that I'll also count any and all speculations about future Rizkaland and the connecting stories posted on this thread on Goodreads during the the tour. 

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Petra and Clara

Clara pulled out a chair and sat down across from her fellow character. "Well, Petra, the day has come at last."

"It was Wednesday, actually," said Petra, glancing up from her book. "But yes, I suppose it has."

"They say that your book is better than mine," Clara continued.

"Kendra did take a few more years to develop my story," Petra pointed out. "She poured her heart and soul into it, while yours was merely a prequel to introduce people to the world." She shut the book. "So what do you need of me, Water Princess?"

Clara shrugged. "Frankly? Nothing. Kendra shoved me into the room and told me that I have to talk to you."

"Ah," said Petra. "Yes, it's hard to believe that after all these years of change in Kendra's head, it's good to finally be released into the hands of readers."

Clara scowled. "What make you say that? We're now where everyone can judge us. Have you seen some of the nasty reviews that my book have received? They say that I'm rude and unappreciative of the people around me!"

"You can have a very abrasive personality," answered Petra. "I can see how people could get that impression."

"I'd been thrust into another world against my will, people there seemed to expect things of me, and I hadn't any idea if I could trust anyone or not!" Clara exclaimed. "And then the Andrew incident..."

"Mm, I suppose I acted little better," Petra admitted. "But I had Reuben with me, and you were on your own."

"And you already knew Reuben," said Clara. "Andrew and I were strangers." She shrugged. "I'm sure readers will find stuff to nitpick on your story, too. Just you wait and see."

"Of course," said Petra, giving a small smile. "I've found some nitpicks of my own that Kendra ignores me on. Still, it's nice to have the story done and complete. Kendra won't bother it anymore. She'll move on to the next project."

"The next project being the next book in the series which is about both of us," said Clara. "I hear tell that it's based on the plot of the old book 5. Do you remember that story?"

Petra drew back. "Unfortunately, yes," she admitted. "Still, I think that after our years in Rizkaland, we can handle anything, yes?"

"I wish I had that confidence. But we could have a worse author. At least Kendra isn't sadistic and insistent on killing characters off every other chapter."

"That is a wise way of looking at things," said Petra. She stood and offered her hand to Clara. "I look forward to facing the plot of the next story together with you."

Clara stood and accepted the offered hand. "The same to you. You seem like a good ally."

Kindle
Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Check out my stops on the tour:

Interviews:

Writing in the Light: Me

Reviews:

Dreams and Dragons

Other:

Lianne Taimenlore - Colors of LDTD Guest Post

Oh, and Water Princess, Fire Prince is currently free on kindle, but today is the LAST DAY. So grab your copy and tell your friends to grab theirs. And if you'd like to leave a review when you're done, I'd be much obliged.

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.) Comments on AA posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du tag also count. (The AA is my extra blog where I post snippets and in-between bits about my characters that have spoilers. It's member only, but if you'll email me telling me that you've read the three Bookanias or at least Water Princess, Fire Prince, I'll add you to the access list.) And I decided yesterday that I'll also count any and all speculations about future Rizkaland and the connecting stories posted on this thread on Goodreads during the the tour. 

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The Stuff that Didn't Make It

LDTD went through a LOT of changes during its development, and changes mean that I tossed a LOT of things out. Stuff like it being winter, and the Snow Witch, and Jeptha the Giraffe.

Some of the ideas I tossed were truly stupid, but others ... others were actually pretty good. I just didn't have room for them.

The Power of a Name I knew from early on that I wanted some form of talking animal, but I didn't want to do it the same way that Narnia did it. So I had a brilliant idea - animals in Rizkaland could talk, but only if they were given a name. Also, they'd have a special bond with the person who named them. It didn't happen and I invented the Isle of Talking Beasts instead. But this is where Spiraldream and Greenhorn came from. Ashna had a rowanda named Swifthoof.

The Naming Ceremony I mentioned the Naming Ceremony over on the Goodreads Group yesterday. The naming ceremony was something that I think was created for the last script-draft, though it might have been the draft before, and it lasted until the final draft where it just ... didn't happen. (And also, it's to blame for the nasty bout of writer's block that resulted in evil plot twists.) Before the days where elves had boxes, instead they'd get their gifts somewhere in their childhood. And on their ... I don't remember which birthday, but it was before I made the elves' lifespans longer than humans' - they'd go with their parents to these tents set up in the middle of nowhere and receive their True Name, which would be based on their gift. Awesome concept, and I may use it again later, but it wasn't right for Rizkaland, I guess.

Ruklow and Delta Subplot. Delta and Ruklow are Ashna's younger/older half-brothers. (It's complicated. You'll understand if you read the book). But I had a subplot that was supposed to be a large part of the story, then didn't really show up involving the two of them and Ruklow working as something of a double agent and being on Amber's side. It was going to be exciting ... but I didn't have room for it.

More siblings! So have I mentioned that there were going to be ten main characters at one point? BEFORE I added Amber and Granite as POV's? Basically, Petra had two younger brothers, and Reuben had two more younger sisters. Now they've been moved over to cousin status, and the cousins I did have for them - Leslie, LeAnne, and I forget the names of the boys - were removed. LeAnne was recycled into the middle name of Clara and Andrew's youngest Rizkand daughter, though.

Different Powers. If you'll read the back of WPFP, you'll find a list of the Eight and their realms of control - which cover the four elements. But it wasn't always so. In fact, up until late in the writing of WPFP, it Helen and John had Plants and Insects, and Violet and Michael had Temperature and Seasons. Petra and Reuben were going to get Mammals, not Elieu, Summer and Tyler were going to receive Birds, and the other new king and queen would receive Wind, Water, and Gravity.

Actual Gifts! In WPFP, you met the kings and queens of Rizkaland, who had gifts like elves to mark them as Alphego's chosen heir. When Petra and Reuben and Co. get the necklaces that contain said gifts, it proves to be their powers mentioned above. However, this wasn't always going to be the case. Petra was going to get the ability to shrink. Reuben would be able to run extreemly fast. Summer first had the ability to walk on air, and then I changed it to immunity to fire. Tyler went through two, too. I forget the original, but the second was the ability to tell truth from lies. Robert could turn invisible. Edna (I'm getting into the extra siblings now), had the gift of dance - she did things faster and more efficiently if she was dancing. I forget Alex and Louise's gifts, but Quentin had the power of ventriliquism.

More Weapons. These days, the weapons belonging to the Eight and the ... I'm going to call them the Six ... are all in matching sets. A few of them *coughcough*thebowls*coughcough* are boderline ridculous. However, they pale in comparison to theweapons I had before, when they weren't all in matching sets. Petra still had a staff, but Reuben was going to weild a ball. Summer still had the bow, but Tyler was going to weild  ... a rope. Robert had a drum at first, but then switched with Quentin for the sling. Louise had a hoop. Edna had a flashlight. I won't get into all of the weapons of the Eight, because I don't remember most of them.

More Books. If my characters weren't overpowered enough with their weapons, gifts, and powers, at the end of the book, Jeptha gave each of them one last present - this one to aid with ruling. Petra and Reuben had a book that gave a basic rundown of everything that had happened in the kingdom in the last 24 hours. Robert and his then-love interest had a book that would give them specific information on anything they request. Summer and Tyler had a telescope. Edna and Alex had a stone that would show whatever scene they requested. (Although, in hindsight, why did they need the stone AND the telescope?), and Quentin and Louise had a music box that would play and conversation they requested. Again, I gave them to the characters at the END of the book. And then added several more scenes and invented Rintae Island for the sole purpose of showing the items in practice.

Hats and Shawls. Another thing I considered for the powers. Hats functioned as bottomless satchesls, and shawls could be used for flight.

Everyone gets a stick! This was a thing for a draft...

...

...

This book has come a long way. It really has,

Kindle
Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Check out my stops on the tour:

Interviews:

The Flowering Vales: Laura

Written Rest - Granite

Reviews:

One Sparrow Song

Oh, and Water Princess, Fire Prince is currently free on kindle and will be so until Sunday. So grab your copy and tell your friends to grab theirs. And if you'd like to leave a review when you're done, I'd be much obliged.

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Inspirations of LDTD

LDTD was a book over ten years in the making. Ten years of reading many different shows and watching movies and TV shows. Ten years of stealing everything that I thought was a good idea and cramming it into the story.

The problem is, with eleven years of plotting, I don't remember what ALL of the inspiration was. We'll start writing and see what I come up with.

Narnia. The obvious one. After all, the story began as my attempt to write a better version of the Narnia movie. (Because I was vain and thought I could do it better than movie producers.) And while I have taken care to distance the plot from Narnia, there are still traces of Narnia in it and the plots are connected. Distantly.

Lord of the Rings. So when we sat down to rewrite Narnia in a way that we could replace the various characters of Narnia with characters we could feasibly cast. Fauns were out of the question, so we brainstormed around for a replacement and I blame Middle Earth for our decision to use elves. Also, Amber's dragon scale is vaguely inspired by the One Ring.

Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville. Once upon a time I read this book and fell in love with Unicorns. And then I invented Harandas for Rizkaland. Then I decided to let Petra and Reuben ride Harandas and it was epic.

The Samantha Movie. Before we decided to do the Arcaland play, my friend, sister, and I were going to do the Samantha movie, using the movie's actual script that my friend just so happened to have. And I rather suspect that our decision to substitute an orphanage for Professor Kirke's house stemmed from that, possibly with a bit of influence from Little Orphan Annie and Madeline.

Star Trek. This is a specific element. You see, there is a character whose gift is teleportation, and when she teleports, I describe it as "disappearing in a burst of glitter." And I have had beta readers ask if she gets glitter everywhere. The answer is no, she doesn't. Because it's based off of what happens with the teleporter devices in Star Trek. (Incidentally, that special effect was produced by swirling glitter around in water. Fun fact of the day!)

Blood of Kings by Jill Williamson. This book influenced the telepathy aspect of the book. It'd already been in the story, but it refined my thoughts on the topic.

Dragons in our Midst by Bryan Davis. Kinda spoilery what this series influenced, but like Blood of Kings, it took something that I had already planned to include and solidified my thoughts.

The Hobbit. This one is ... indirect. You see, my sister and I did a story game once upon a time based on the Hobbit, and in that story we invented the Rowandas and the Hinequas, which I later repurposed into Rizkaland.

Barbie of Swan Lake. Another indirect one. But a character mentioned in part one has a story inspired by Barbie of Swan Lake.

Percy Jackson Series. Apart from being one of the main series I read to get a grasp of how a guy's brain works, the Mist of the Percy Jackson world influenced the World Continuity Effect that I touched on but never addressed in LDTD. Basically, the WCE is how a lot of people don't notice that world travel happens - unless they themselves have world travelled. They simply can't see the effects - or if they can see, it, their brains just can't make the connection that it's the result of another world. I'll probably get into this more in the third book.

And that's everything I can think of right now. if I think of anything else, I'll come back and add it, but now I need to get to work on the facebook party. Do come join us tonight. It'll be fun.


Kindle
Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Check out my stops on the tour:

Interviews:

Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE - Me

The Rambling Rose - Noraeto

Whispers on the Wind - Me

Reviews:

Shire Reviews

Written Rest

Oh, and Water Princess, Fire Prince is currently free on kindle and will be so until Sunday. So grab your copy and tell your friends to grab theirs. And if you'd like to leave a review when you're done, I'd be much obliged.

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rizkaland #3

And now for that wonderful, exciting day when you get to find out the title for the third volume of the Rizkaland Legends.

Here you go -

Unicorn Sword,

Dragon Song.

There you go, your curiosities are sated. Carry on with your lives.

....

....

...

What are you still doing here?

You think I'm fooling you? That I honestly wouldn't give up such priceless information as a title this easily?

You're right. I wouldn't. That's ... the old title for the old book 3. It's now just "Dragon Song" which some of you voted for me to write for NaNo this year, but ultimately lost out against ROCKS. 

It was going to be a great book three, with lots of adventure, a sweet romance ... a glimpse into Amber's backstory, but nope. Morgan got whiney because Andrew and Clara weren't in it, and I had to move it out and make it a standalone, and create a book out of scratch that would have Clarand in it.

Actually, no, I didn't make it completely out of scratch. I repurposed an old plot idea from a retired book 5. Theme of the story - pain, pain, and more pain.

Have my inspiration pins:

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As you can tell, this book will have a lot of feels and will probably make you cry. It almost makes me cry. (I'm not an emotional writer. Writing is my emotion.) I yell at Morgan frequently for making me write this book. Go add it on Goodreads.

...

....

...

Oh, wait, I still need to give you the title! (Even though you probably could read it on Goodreads.)

It's ...

Love

and

Memory.

You can expect it fall of 2018 at the earliest. I'm only in the first draft.

Have a snippet: Slight spoilers if you haven't read WPFP.

  “Why, sweetheart, what are you doing on the pantry floor?”

  Clara removed her head from her knees just long enough to look up at her mother. “I thought I heard Timothea crying,” she mumbled. “But I couldn’t find the nursery.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” her mother breathed, and the next moment, she was on the pantry floor next to Clara, arms tight around Clara’s shoulders. “I wish I could say it gets easier…”

  “Night before last, I couldn’t find the door to Andrew’ room,” Clara admitted. “Ended up just crying in my closet.”

  “I do wish that the two of you didn’t have to be separated – and by so great a distance, at that!” Mom ran a hand through Clara’s hair. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if your father … it was bad enough that we had to go back to being bitter rivals.”

  “And that didn’t even last very long,” Clara mumbled.

  “No. It didn’t.” Mom gave Clara’s shoulder a squeeze, and then stood up. “All right, darling, I’m afraid breakfast can’t cook with us sitting on the floor, and your dad is going to be hungry when he comes downstairs.”

  Clara managed something of a smile as she stood up. “Any way I can help without burning down the house?”

  “Maybe … no, eggshells.” Mom shook her head. “Why don’t you set the table?”

  “Sure, table,” said Clara. “I can do the table.”

Kindle
Paperback - Yes, it's out. And get it now while it's $14.99, because after the tour is over, it'll go up to $19.99 because it's a big book and I can't put it in the Expanded distribution otherwise.

Check out my stops on the tour:

Interviews:

One Sparrow Song - Me

Dreams and Dragons - Petra

Overactive Imagination - Me

Reviews:

Morgan Huneke

The Flowering Vales

Scattered Journal Pages

Oh, and Water Princess, Fire Prince is currently free on kindle and will be so until Sunday. So grab your copy and tell your friends to grab theirs. And if you'd like to leave a review when you're done, I'd be much obliged.

I'm doing a giveaway, as per normal for a tour. Prize is an autographed copy of LDTD, a 2.5 oz bottle of Citrus Bliss Lotion - my favorite lotion that smells like citrus and vanilla - and a Serenity Bath Bar - which smells like lavender and vanilla and is awesome for relaxing before bed. Giveaway is US ONLY, however. Sorry about that, but ... shipping.

I'm also doing a comment giveaway. The person who leaves the most comments on the blog tour posts - including the interviews, reviews, and guest posts - and my back posts with the Lady Dragon Tela Du or Rizkaland Legend lables will get a sneak peak at either book three or Worth of a King. Possibly both. I'm generous. This giveaway is international, because there is no shipping. (Well, there may be shipping, on your end, once you get the book, but I don't have to pay for it.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway