Lela Markham's Blog - Posts Tagged "amwriting"
Alaska Author Launches Debut Fantasy Novel
The Willow Branch - Book 1 of the Daermad Cycle
“A healer must mend a fractured kingdom and bring two enemy races together before a greater enemy destroys them both.”
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, October 20, 2014—Alaska independent author Lela Markham announces the release of her new book The Willow Branch introducing readers to the land of Daermad, where centuries of strife have left the Kingdom of Celdrya without a king and the neighboring Kin without the resources to counter a looming invasion.
Lela Markham combines a background in journalism with a lifelong avocation as a storyteller to tell an engaging story of conflict, destruction and faith in a richly drawn world torn by human factions, black mages, racial bigotry and vengeful Celtic goddesses, backdropped against a forgotten history that holds vital keys to survival.
“You have really put a lot of thought into your creation and the depth of the characters and their relationships are tightly woven. I like that you bring a true flavor to this story, an almost alien yet familiar feel to the lore behind it. Much enjoyed.” writes Joe Attanasio (author of A Butcher’s Tale)
The Daermad Cycle enters the uncrowded field of Christian speculative fiction with a book to be enjoyed by all readers of all faiths, that treats Celtic polytheism and Christianity as options in a world where ordinary heroes live in authentic ways and meet challenges with both strength of arms and the long hand of the One God.
“As a Christian reader, I have long been frustrated with the lack of stong characters and conflict that makes for an exciting plot. As a writer, I decided to leave the rules behind and write a great story that can be enjoyed by anyone, but that does not disrespect what I believe.”
Markham, who blogs at aurorawatcherak.wordpress.com, is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book signings contact lelamarkham@gmail.com.
Lela Markham grew up in the Last Frontier in a house built of books where she’s been telling tales since she could talk. She and her family of fearless adventurers combine summers of outdoor exploration with winters of artistic creation.
“A healer must mend a fractured kingdom and bring two enemy races together before a greater enemy destroys them both.”
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, October 20, 2014—Alaska independent author Lela Markham announces the release of her new book The Willow Branch introducing readers to the land of Daermad, where centuries of strife have left the Kingdom of Celdrya without a king and the neighboring Kin without the resources to counter a looming invasion.
Lela Markham combines a background in journalism with a lifelong avocation as a storyteller to tell an engaging story of conflict, destruction and faith in a richly drawn world torn by human factions, black mages, racial bigotry and vengeful Celtic goddesses, backdropped against a forgotten history that holds vital keys to survival.
“You have really put a lot of thought into your creation and the depth of the characters and their relationships are tightly woven. I like that you bring a true flavor to this story, an almost alien yet familiar feel to the lore behind it. Much enjoyed.” writes Joe Attanasio (author of A Butcher’s Tale)
The Daermad Cycle enters the uncrowded field of Christian speculative fiction with a book to be enjoyed by all readers of all faiths, that treats Celtic polytheism and Christianity as options in a world where ordinary heroes live in authentic ways and meet challenges with both strength of arms and the long hand of the One God.
“As a Christian reader, I have long been frustrated with the lack of stong characters and conflict that makes for an exciting plot. As a writer, I decided to leave the rules behind and write a great story that can be enjoyed by anyone, but that does not disrespect what I believe.”
Markham, who blogs at aurorawatcherak.wordpress.com, is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book signings contact lelamarkham@gmail.com.
Lela Markham grew up in the Last Frontier in a house built of books where she’s been telling tales since she could talk. She and her family of fearless adventurers combine summers of outdoor exploration with winters of artistic creation.
Thunderclap
I'm working on ways to generate interest in my book. Thunderclap is a promotion program that does not ask for money, but instead asks for your support. On a specified date in November, all those who agree, will automatically send out a coordinated message on Facebook, Twitter and Goggle to all of their followers. Once you agree, you can forget about it because the message is automatic. I need 100 followers for the message to go out. Check it out.
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...
A Taste of "Gathering In"
Next book in Transformation Project Series.
The latest book in Transformation Project – Gathering In – launches October 22. It’s the 5th book in the series about a small mid-western town that must cope when terrorists bomb distant cities and disrupt communications, transportation and supply lines. Already a self-sufficient people, the folks in Emmaus form their own disaster plan, dealing with challenges like protecting their livestock and themselves from radioactive rain, dealing with the breakdown of modern technology, and starting a war with the USDA to keep their crops from being confiscated. In the 4th book, Day’s End, they dealt with a smashed electrical grid, the fall of the big cities, and migrants on the move away from the encroaching winter.
So what more could I put these people through?
From the Prologue
It’s funny how your perspective on who is your neighbor can change when resources become scarce. Emmaus lucked out compared to most places after the Pulse. We were surrounded by corn. When we harvested all that belonged to us or the corporations abandoned, we had enough food to last until December or January. Or to feed half the five thousand residents who lived in the area until spring, when hopefully things might change for the better. Some families had more. The farmers had more. Most of them wanted something in return for sharing, which meant that shopkeepers, mayors and school teachers had to find something they could trade. Without electricity and with a lot of engines permanently stalled by the Pulse that most often meant labor.
Passersby, running from the cold northern winter that loomed – well, they weren’t welcome at all. Day after day, they pushed past our borders, now secured by electrified barbed wire and men and women carrying AR15s. It felt so wrong and yet there was no arguing with the fact those migrants represented starvation for us. It wasn’t our fault they hadn’t prepared for terrorist attacks. We hadn’t expected to either, but we’d grown the food so it was ours. We either secured our borders so we who were inside could live – maybe – or we didn’t, and we all starved.
In a world that had spun out of control, there were no good answers for how to live our increasingly fragile lives. Some reached out, others turned in, and some would make decisions with devastating results. And none of them were evil – not the migrants, not the townspeople — maybe the USDA.
JT Delaney
Gathering In is available for Pre-Order at $1.99 until October 21, but be aware the price increases by $2 after launch. If you’re interested in doing a review, however, contact me and we can work out a deal for an ARC — including the rest of the series if you haven’t read it yet.
The latest book in Transformation Project – Gathering In – launches October 22. It’s the 5th book in the series about a small mid-western town that must cope when terrorists bomb distant cities and disrupt communications, transportation and supply lines. Already a self-sufficient people, the folks in Emmaus form their own disaster plan, dealing with challenges like protecting their livestock and themselves from radioactive rain, dealing with the breakdown of modern technology, and starting a war with the USDA to keep their crops from being confiscated. In the 4th book, Day’s End, they dealt with a smashed electrical grid, the fall of the big cities, and migrants on the move away from the encroaching winter.
So what more could I put these people through?
From the Prologue
It’s funny how your perspective on who is your neighbor can change when resources become scarce. Emmaus lucked out compared to most places after the Pulse. We were surrounded by corn. When we harvested all that belonged to us or the corporations abandoned, we had enough food to last until December or January. Or to feed half the five thousand residents who lived in the area until spring, when hopefully things might change for the better. Some families had more. The farmers had more. Most of them wanted something in return for sharing, which meant that shopkeepers, mayors and school teachers had to find something they could trade. Without electricity and with a lot of engines permanently stalled by the Pulse that most often meant labor.
Passersby, running from the cold northern winter that loomed – well, they weren’t welcome at all. Day after day, they pushed past our borders, now secured by electrified barbed wire and men and women carrying AR15s. It felt so wrong and yet there was no arguing with the fact those migrants represented starvation for us. It wasn’t our fault they hadn’t prepared for terrorist attacks. We hadn’t expected to either, but we’d grown the food so it was ours. We either secured our borders so we who were inside could live – maybe – or we didn’t, and we all starved.
In a world that had spun out of control, there were no good answers for how to live our increasingly fragile lives. Some reached out, others turned in, and some would make decisions with devastating results. And none of them were evil – not the migrants, not the townspeople — maybe the USDA.
JT Delaney
Gathering In is available for Pre-Order at $1.99 until October 21, but be aware the price increases by $2 after launch. If you’re interested in doing a review, however, contact me and we can work out a deal for an ARC — including the rest of the series if you haven’t read it yet.
