Brianna MacMahon's Blog
December 24, 2024
End of the Goodreads Giveaway
Thank you to everyone who requested a free Kindle copy of "The Great Dempseys"! I hope those who won a copy enjoy the book, and I also hope those who entered the giveaway but didn't win are still keen on diving into my story!
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to all!
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to all!
November 23, 2024
Goodreads Giveaway
Want a copy of my new book, “The Great Dempseys”? Enter the Goodreads giveaway, which is running from November 23 to December 22. Link below! Good luck! 🍀
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
April 24, 2024
The Political Parties
On the Precipice
I thought I would give you some detailed information about each of the three political parties' stances on particular issues. The parties and their wings will be explored more in later books, but here's some more information for those who are curious about the "common ground" among these parties!
The Expansionist Party (Red and White)
Leader: Cyno Banner
Party Wings:
1. Fundamentalists (Astrophel and Avitus)
The Fundamentalists are an extreme wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe it is Imperium’s destiny to not only control the entire universe but also to spread the word of Mystis to every corner of the universe. Other religions and spiritualities must be rooted out, and people must be taught the word of Mystis.
2. Mystics (Kosabeus and Caine)
The Mystics are a moderate wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe that Imperium should liberate other planets from the Core’s tyranny, but it should annex those planets only if the planets hold referendums and decide that they want to join Imperium. While Mystics believe in spreading the word of Mystis, they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others.
3. Hawks (Banner)
The Hawks are the mainstream wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe that it is Imperium’s destiny to control the entire universe. Religion does not really factor into their worldview, as they are more concerned with annihilating the Core.
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core can be confronted through not only military measures but also political measures/pressures. (Mystics)
-The Core must be confronted primarily through military measures. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium and the Core cannot coexist; one power must prevail over the other for the good of the universe. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Mystics)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe. (All)
2. Economics:
-War and Defense and Intelligence and Espionage should receive higher budgets than Diplomacy. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-All the divisions should have equal budgets. (Mystics)
-Imperium must give law enforcement the proper tools and budget to protect the Imperial people. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (Mystics)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (All)
-Veterans should not pay any taxes. (All)
-Numites should not pay any taxes. (Fundamentalists)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (All)
3. Military:
-Imperium must continue to expand and improve its military to prepare for an encounter with the Core. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-It should be mandatory for all Imperials, including Keepers and Numites, to serve in the military for at least two years. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (All)
-Imperium should have a military presence in every part of the universe. (All)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 10% for each year of active military service. (All)
4. Social:
-More should be done to help veterans. (All)
-Veterans should receive discounts on housing. (All)
-Law enforcement should focus more on punishment than rehabilitation, regardless of the severity of the crime. (Fundamentalists and Hawks)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, except when it comes to those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Mystics)
-Keepers should be given special circumstances and should not be held to the same legal standards as all other Imperials. (Hawks)
-Numites should be given special circumstances and should not be held to the same legal standards as all other Imperials. (Fundamentalists)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (Mystics)
5. Religion:
-Imperials should pledge their allegiance to Mystis every morning. (Fundamentalists)
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Fundamentalists and Mystics)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Hawks)
The Affiliate Party (Blue and Black)
Leader: Levin Liston
Party Wings:
1. Dissidents (Nisha)
The Dissidents are an extreme wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe it is Imperium’s destiny to not only control the entire universe but also to annex the Core as part of Imperium. Other religions and spiritualities must be rooted out, and people must be taught the word of Mystis. The Core and Imperium cannot coexist.
2. Allies (Silver and Viscardia)
The Allies are a moderate wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe that Imperium should liberate other planets from the Core’s tyranny, but it should annex those planets only if the planets hold referendums and decide that they want to join Imperium. Allies do not believe in spreading the word of Mystis, and they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others. The Core and Imperium must learn how to coexist.
3. Mediators (Liston)
The Mediators are the mainstream wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe that it is Imperium’s destiny to control the entire universe. Though Mediators believe that the Numentis faith is the true faith, they do not believe in forcing other planets to believe in it. They are more concerned with ending the perpetual standoff with the Core and coexisting as two separate entities, and in order to coexist, they need to learn how to accept each other’s differences (including religion).
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core can be confronted through not only political measures/pressures but also military measures, depending on the situation. (Dissidents)
-The Core must be confronted primarily through political measures/pressures. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium and the Core cannot coexist; one power must prevail over the other for the good of the universe. (Dissidents)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, even if that means engaging in military action right away. (Dissidents)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, but diplomacy should always be the first course of action. If, however, that fails, then Imperium should resort to military action right away. (Allies)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, but diplomacy should always be the first course of action. If, however, that fails, then Imperium should wait for the Core to make the first move before striking back. (Mediators)
2. Economics:
-Diplomacy should receive a higher budget than War and Defense. (Mediators)
-All the divisions should have equal budgets. (Dissidents and Allies)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (All)
-Imperium should allocate more money to helping other planets undergo regime change. (Dissidents and Mediators)
-Imperium should not actively encourage regime changes but should allow planets to choose their own path. (Allies)
-Keepers should pay less in taxes. (Mediators)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (Dissidents)
-All Imperials should pay the same tax rate. (Allies)
-Veterans should pay taxes. (All)
-Numites should pay taxes. (All)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (All)
3. Military:
-Imperium must continue to expand and improve its military to prepare for an encounter with the Core. (Dissidents)
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military. (Allies and Mediators)
-Military service should not be compulsory. (All)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (Dissidents)
-Veterans must go through the same citizenship process as all other people who wish to become Imperial citizens. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium should have a military presence in every part of the universe. (Dissidents)
-Imperium should have a diplomatic presence in every part of the universe. (Allies and Mediators)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 5% for each year of active military service. (All)
4. Social:
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, even for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Mediators)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, except when it comes to those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Dissidents and Allies)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (All)
5. Religion:
-Imperials should pledge their allegiance to Mystis every morning. (Dissidents)
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Mediators)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Allies)
The Grounder Party (Green and Gray)
Leader: Pinn Bryson
Party Wings:
1. Patrons (Puck)
The Patrons are a somewhat extreme wing of the Grounder Party, and they believe that Imperium should involve itself in other planets’ affairs only when its help is requested by the planet in question. Otherwise, Imperium should retain a policy of noninterference. Though Patrons believe that the Numentis faith is the true faith, they do not believe in forcing other planets to believe in it.
2. Guardians (Taymor and Embry)
The Guardians are the mainstream wing of the Grounder Party, and they believe that Imperium should stop involving itself in other planets’ affairs. No planets should be annexed to Imperium; they should retain their autonomy. Guardians do not believe in spreading the word of Mystis, and they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others. The Core and Imperium must learn how to coexist.
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core must be confronted primarily through political measures/pressures. (Patrons)
-The Core must be left alone, and Imperium should not involve itself in the Core’s affairs or try to provoke it. (Guardians)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Both)
-Imperium should not confront the Core’s tyranny, as doing so will incite a hostile reaction from the Core. (Guardians)
-Imperium should confront the Core’s tyranny only when its help is requested by a planet that is currently suffering under Coronian rule. (Patrons)
2. Economics:
-War and Defense and Intelligence and Espionage should receive lower budgets than the other divisions. (Both)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (Both)
-Imperium should stop allocating money to helping other planets undergo regime change. (Guardians)
-Imperium should not actively encourage regime changes but should allow planets to choose their own path. (Patrons)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (Both)
-Veterans should not pay taxes. (Both)
-Numites should not pay taxes. (Both)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (Both)
3. Military:
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military and scale down its military presence in all corners of the universe. (Guardians)
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military but maintain some sort of military presence in all corners of the universe, just in case. (Patrons)
-Military service should not be compulsory. (Guardians)
-It should be mandatory for all Imperials, excluding Keepers and Numites, to serve in the military for at least two years. Keepers and Numites should have the option to enlist in the military. (Patrons)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (Patrons)
-Veterans must go through the same citizenship process as all other people who wish to become Imperial citizens. (Guardians)
-Imperium should have both a military and diplomatic presence in every part of the universe. (Patrons)
-Imperium should not be encroaching on other planets’ sovereignty or involving itself in other planets’ affairs. (Guardians)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 10% for each year of active military service. (Both)
4. Social:
-Law enforcement should focus more on punishment than rehabilitation, particularly for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Patrons)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, even for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Guardians)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (Both)
5. Religion:
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Patrons)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Guardians)
I thought I would give you some detailed information about each of the three political parties' stances on particular issues. The parties and their wings will be explored more in later books, but here's some more information for those who are curious about the "common ground" among these parties!
The Expansionist Party (Red and White)
Leader: Cyno Banner
Party Wings:
1. Fundamentalists (Astrophel and Avitus)
The Fundamentalists are an extreme wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe it is Imperium’s destiny to not only control the entire universe but also to spread the word of Mystis to every corner of the universe. Other religions and spiritualities must be rooted out, and people must be taught the word of Mystis.
2. Mystics (Kosabeus and Caine)
The Mystics are a moderate wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe that Imperium should liberate other planets from the Core’s tyranny, but it should annex those planets only if the planets hold referendums and decide that they want to join Imperium. While Mystics believe in spreading the word of Mystis, they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others.
3. Hawks (Banner)
The Hawks are the mainstream wing of the Expansionist Party, and they believe that it is Imperium’s destiny to control the entire universe. Religion does not really factor into their worldview, as they are more concerned with annihilating the Core.
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core can be confronted through not only military measures but also political measures/pressures. (Mystics)
-The Core must be confronted primarily through military measures. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium and the Core cannot coexist; one power must prevail over the other for the good of the universe. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Mystics)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe. (All)
2. Economics:
-War and Defense and Intelligence and Espionage should receive higher budgets than Diplomacy. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-All the divisions should have equal budgets. (Mystics)
-Imperium must give law enforcement the proper tools and budget to protect the Imperial people. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (Mystics)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (All)
-Veterans should not pay any taxes. (All)
-Numites should not pay any taxes. (Fundamentalists)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (All)
3. Military:
-Imperium must continue to expand and improve its military to prepare for an encounter with the Core. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-It should be mandatory for all Imperials, including Keepers and Numites, to serve in the military for at least two years. (Hawks and Fundamentalists)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (All)
-Imperium should have a military presence in every part of the universe. (All)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 10% for each year of active military service. (All)
4. Social:
-More should be done to help veterans. (All)
-Veterans should receive discounts on housing. (All)
-Law enforcement should focus more on punishment than rehabilitation, regardless of the severity of the crime. (Fundamentalists and Hawks)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, except when it comes to those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Mystics)
-Keepers should be given special circumstances and should not be held to the same legal standards as all other Imperials. (Hawks)
-Numites should be given special circumstances and should not be held to the same legal standards as all other Imperials. (Fundamentalists)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (Mystics)
5. Religion:
-Imperials should pledge their allegiance to Mystis every morning. (Fundamentalists)
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Fundamentalists and Mystics)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Hawks)
The Affiliate Party (Blue and Black)
Leader: Levin Liston
Party Wings:
1. Dissidents (Nisha)
The Dissidents are an extreme wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe it is Imperium’s destiny to not only control the entire universe but also to annex the Core as part of Imperium. Other religions and spiritualities must be rooted out, and people must be taught the word of Mystis. The Core and Imperium cannot coexist.
2. Allies (Silver and Viscardia)
The Allies are a moderate wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe that Imperium should liberate other planets from the Core’s tyranny, but it should annex those planets only if the planets hold referendums and decide that they want to join Imperium. Allies do not believe in spreading the word of Mystis, and they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others. The Core and Imperium must learn how to coexist.
3. Mediators (Liston)
The Mediators are the mainstream wing of the Affiliate Party, and they believe that it is Imperium’s destiny to control the entire universe. Though Mediators believe that the Numentis faith is the true faith, they do not believe in forcing other planets to believe in it. They are more concerned with ending the perpetual standoff with the Core and coexisting as two separate entities, and in order to coexist, they need to learn how to accept each other’s differences (including religion).
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core can be confronted through not only political measures/pressures but also military measures, depending on the situation. (Dissidents)
-The Core must be confronted primarily through political measures/pressures. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium and the Core cannot coexist; one power must prevail over the other for the good of the universe. (Dissidents)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, even if that means engaging in military action right away. (Dissidents)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, but diplomacy should always be the first course of action. If, however, that fails, then Imperium should resort to military action right away. (Allies)
-Imperium must do what it can to confront the Core’s tyranny in all corners of the universe, but diplomacy should always be the first course of action. If, however, that fails, then Imperium should wait for the Core to make the first move before striking back. (Mediators)
2. Economics:
-Diplomacy should receive a higher budget than War and Defense. (Mediators)
-All the divisions should have equal budgets. (Dissidents and Allies)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (All)
-Imperium should allocate more money to helping other planets undergo regime change. (Dissidents and Mediators)
-Imperium should not actively encourage regime changes but should allow planets to choose their own path. (Allies)
-Keepers should pay less in taxes. (Mediators)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (Dissidents)
-All Imperials should pay the same tax rate. (Allies)
-Veterans should pay taxes. (All)
-Numites should pay taxes. (All)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (All)
3. Military:
-Imperium must continue to expand and improve its military to prepare for an encounter with the Core. (Dissidents)
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military. (Allies and Mediators)
-Military service should not be compulsory. (All)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (Dissidents)
-Veterans must go through the same citizenship process as all other people who wish to become Imperial citizens. (Allies and Mediators)
-Imperium should have a military presence in every part of the universe. (Dissidents)
-Imperium should have a diplomatic presence in every part of the universe. (Allies and Mediators)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 5% for each year of active military service. (All)
4. Social:
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, even for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Mediators)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, except when it comes to those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Dissidents and Allies)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (All)
5. Religion:
-Imperials should pledge their allegiance to Mystis every morning. (Dissidents)
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Mediators)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Allies)
The Grounder Party (Green and Gray)
Leader: Pinn Bryson
Party Wings:
1. Patrons (Puck)
The Patrons are a somewhat extreme wing of the Grounder Party, and they believe that Imperium should involve itself in other planets’ affairs only when its help is requested by the planet in question. Otherwise, Imperium should retain a policy of noninterference. Though Patrons believe that the Numentis faith is the true faith, they do not believe in forcing other planets to believe in it.
2. Guardians (Taymor and Embry)
The Guardians are the mainstream wing of the Grounder Party, and they believe that Imperium should stop involving itself in other planets’ affairs. No planets should be annexed to Imperium; they should retain their autonomy. Guardians do not believe in spreading the word of Mystis, and they do not believe that Imperium should force its beliefs onto others. The Core and Imperium must learn how to coexist.
Stances:
1. The Core:
-The Core must be confronted primarily through political measures/pressures. (Patrons)
-The Core must be left alone, and Imperium should not involve itself in the Core’s affairs or try to provoke it. (Guardians)
-Imperium and the Core can coexist; they should both learn how to operate separate spheres of influence. (Both)
-Imperium should not confront the Core’s tyranny, as doing so will incite a hostile reaction from the Core. (Guardians)
-Imperium should confront the Core’s tyranny only when its help is requested by a planet that is currently suffering under Coronian rule. (Patrons)
2. Economics:
-War and Defense and Intelligence and Espionage should receive lower budgets than the other divisions. (Both)
-Imperium should focus more on investing in community outreach programs instead of militarizing law enforcement. (Both)
-Imperium should stop allocating money to helping other planets undergo regime change. (Guardians)
-Imperium should not actively encourage regime changes but should allow planets to choose their own path. (Patrons)
-Keepers should pay more in taxes. (Both)
-Veterans should not pay taxes. (Both)
-Numites should not pay taxes. (Both)
-Imperium should invest more money in sustainable energy sources. (Both)
3. Military:
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military and scale down its military presence in all corners of the universe. (Guardians)
-Imperium must decrease the size of its military but maintain some sort of military presence in all corners of the universe, just in case. (Patrons)
-Military service should not be compulsory. (Guardians)
-It should be mandatory for all Imperials, excluding Keepers and Numites, to serve in the military for at least two years. Keepers and Numites should have the option to enlist in the military. (Patrons)
-Veterans should be granted automatic citizenship. (Patrons)
-Veterans must go through the same citizenship process as all other people who wish to become Imperial citizens. (Guardians)
-Imperium should have both a military and diplomatic presence in every part of the universe. (Patrons)
-Imperium should not be encroaching on other planets’ sovereignty or involving itself in other planets’ affairs. (Guardians)
-Salaries for military personnel should increase by 10% for each year of active military service. (Both)
4. Social:
-Law enforcement should focus more on punishment than rehabilitation, particularly for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Patrons)
-Law enforcement should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, even for those who have been found guilty of violent crimes. (Guardians)
-All Imperials should be treated equally under the law; neither Keepers nor Numites should be given special treatment. (Both)
5. Religion:
-The Numentis faith is a core part of the Imperial identity. (Patrons)
-The Numentis faith is not a core part of the Imperial identity. (Guardians)
March 20, 2024
Creating the World of Imperium
On the Precipice
Hello, readers! First, I want to thank everyone who has purchased a copy of On the Precipice and left a review. This helps me out a lot, and I am so thankful for your support. Second, I thought I would start off my blog by giving some background information on how I developed this series.
I started working on this series as an undergraduate. The first version was wildly different from the version available today. It's fascinating to look back through my old drafts and notes and see what my initial direction for the series was. The story has evolved a lot, all for the better, but it's interesting how much has stayed the same. The core of the story has always been the rivalry between Banner and Liston. Over time, I introduced the Prophates into the story, and more of the Lord Regents became involved in the main plot. I can't believe a version of this story existed without the Prophates, as they are now such integral characters in the series. But that's the writing process for you! So many things can change along the way!
With the New Caelus Series, I wanted to create a fictional world with political intrigue, heavy world building, and deeply flawed characters. As a college student, I majored in political science and history, and I wanted to use my knowledge to build my own political system. There are, of course, allusions to our world in the series, and by no means is Imperium's political system perfect. As the series goes on, readers will learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the political system, which I think will be very exciting.
I can't wait to share more with you about the world of Imperium and its characters! Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the New Caelus Series. In the meantime, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there.
Read on!
Hello, readers! First, I want to thank everyone who has purchased a copy of On the Precipice and left a review. This helps me out a lot, and I am so thankful for your support. Second, I thought I would start off my blog by giving some background information on how I developed this series.
I started working on this series as an undergraduate. The first version was wildly different from the version available today. It's fascinating to look back through my old drafts and notes and see what my initial direction for the series was. The story has evolved a lot, all for the better, but it's interesting how much has stayed the same. The core of the story has always been the rivalry between Banner and Liston. Over time, I introduced the Prophates into the story, and more of the Lord Regents became involved in the main plot. I can't believe a version of this story existed without the Prophates, as they are now such integral characters in the series. But that's the writing process for you! So many things can change along the way!
With the New Caelus Series, I wanted to create a fictional world with political intrigue, heavy world building, and deeply flawed characters. As a college student, I majored in political science and history, and I wanted to use my knowledge to build my own political system. There are, of course, allusions to our world in the series, and by no means is Imperium's political system perfect. As the series goes on, readers will learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the political system, which I think will be very exciting.
I can't wait to share more with you about the world of Imperium and its characters! Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the New Caelus Series. In the meantime, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there.
Read on!
