Brain to Books Cyber Convention (FAIRGROUNDS) discussion

Mary R. Woldering



Children of Stone: Voices in Crystal

"We are children made of stone
Tiny voices are as grains of sand
Come to us, Marai
Man of Ai
Man of the sand"

When Marai, a shepherd living at the foot of Mt. Sinai in the third millennium BC, sings to his goddess one night, he sees a falling star. Tracking it, he discovers a strange vessel containing crystalline entities resembling earthly stones and gems: the Children of Stone. The Children delight in this simple shepherd and his songs of love. They ask him to host their intelligence; to bring them to the sages and priests who have spent their lives seeking the wisdom of the stars. When he agrees, he is transformed into a godlike being. Still a passionate shepherd at heart, Marai gathers others, like lambs to his fold. His journey to the wise men of ancient Kemet won't be easy. Things hidden, that wait in darkness, are always there.

Children of Stone Book 1 - Voices in Crystal begins Marai's journey toward wisdom. Blending history, ancient literature, mythology, classic archetypes, and personal inspiration, Woldering takes the reader on a speculative and emotional journey through the ancient world, and worlds beyond. Marai and his companions, through the help of the Children of Stone, find themselves walking into, and becoming part of ancient legends. "Years ago, when I began to study mythology, writes the author, it occurred to me that the gods and goddesses never seemed divine. They acted like super-talented people full of very human passions and shortcomings, appearing in different legends like threads woven into the tapestry of time and culture. This series is the story of some of these 'gods'."



Voices in Crystal is the first book in the Children of Stone series.

Walk into history with MARAI: a humble, goddess-worshipping shepherd who becomes a god!
Voices in Crystal (CHILDREN OF STONE Book 1), Going Forth By Day (CHILDREN OF STONE Book 2) and (CHILDREN OF STONE Book 3) Opener of the Sky

Remnants of an alien race of gods, wizards, shape-shifters, heroic mortals, immortals, slowly transform into the gods of ancient days. Like ancient superheroes, they wander through the reality of legend, RESHAPING myth and history.

And It just MOVES!
It entertains, it romps, It leaps, IT HOWLS and it's just plain fun.

Above is the way Marai looked at the beginning of the story. It's also a character interview! To hear the author read that part listen to the "Trailer's" section http://b2bcycon.com/book-trailers/ Voices in Crystal.

I've often been asked how I come up with my characters. The answer is a bit other-worldly. I've been a lifelong lucid dreamer. I see people and get snippets of their stories. They are sometimes as real to me as going visiting in the waking world. My task as a writer is to draw pictures and take notes, then build the snippets into a story with an arc that works. Sometimes a whole story comes to me. At other times it's a true struggle.
Here is a sketch of Marai from the late 1970's. If you noticed it looks different from the sketch on the character card above, it's because he almost always presents himself in his "renovated" form. (more on that later)

To get the full effect of the renovation the Children of Stone performed on Marai, here's another sketch I will be making into a second character card. Eventually I will make all of the characters a card so readers can meet them fully the way I have met them.

He is still tall and big; a beast of a man with the tender heart of a true romantic and a nurturing soul. His silver and black eyes can't be portrayed well enough, but they can see through the soul. He has super-powers, but would rather never use them.
When enraged or very frustrated he becomes a silver bull with a black face and white-hot eyes.

Here is a look at what readers are saying about Book 1 - Voices in Crystal. I think they like it!

I've also written Book 2 Going Forth By Day. This story takes up right where the first book ends, with Marai's outcome unknown. Here's the blurb from the back.

Shu lifts me up,
the Souls of On set up a stairway for me in order to reach the Above,
and Nut puts her hand on me
just as she did for Asar on the day when he died

...Pyramid Texts, inscribed on the walls of King Unas tomb 5th Dynasty c. 2345 BC

Marai, a former shepherd who discovered a fallen 'star' and was gifted with amazing abilities by the unearthly Children of Stone, has been separated from those he loves. Kept apart by forces seeking to control all of them, they must independently grow to understand their own powers while continuing their journey to wisdom. Will they be reunited? Will Marai rise up and begin to Go Forth By Day? Will those who care for him survive without his guidance and love?

Going Forth By Day, the second book in the Children of Stone series, is the story of Marai's companions, Ariennu, Deka, and Naibe-Ellit. Through their involvement in the lives of the royalty of ancient Kemet, new alliances form, loyalties shift, and the comfortable lives of some are shaken to their core.

And here is what readers have written about installment #2

Where did I get the title for Book 2? Much of the story is woven through the actual ancient literary text found on several walls inside the Tomb of King Unas who lived and ruled about 100 years after my story takes place. It is known as the Pyramid Texts and it details the resurrection through magical means of the dead king. There's evidence that the procedure was part of ritual and shamanistic practices long before these ancient Cliff's Notes were inscribed. The other name of the texts? "Going Forth By Day"

Why is this SciFantasy? Because there is a mixture of many genres, scifantasy had the bigger and better umbrella. In Children of Stone, actual history is blended with legend then added to elements of science fiction, fantasy, the paranormal, magic, speculation, romance, and historical fiction...that's why.

The third book is Opener of the Sky.

A reviewer comments that it is the BEST of the series:

What else am I writing?
I am currently writing Book 4 "Heart of the Lotus". The going is slow but I am hoping to have it ready for my readers very late this year or early next year. No official cover yet, but here is where I was going:

I'll also be working on a novella spinoff called "Miss Hattie and the Hoppers" a steampunk crime story set in post Civil War Blountville, Tennessee. Speculate this: Two characters from Children of Stone who were, at first, enemies find themselves "Hopped" through time and space from Ancient Egypt looking for a key. They meet a prim and prudish schoolteacher who is trying to solve her twin sister's disappearance.

Want to know more?
Want weekly fun, excerpts and a chance at a free e-book from time to time?
Jump over to www.maryrwoldering.com and sign up

So that's all. I'll be here all this weekend off and on, so be sure to post any questions so I can get back to you with answers.

Parting shot? That's me with King Userkaf at the Cleveland Museum of Art. King Userkaf is the same as Prince Wserkaf in Children of Stone. He, too, had a story to tell me!

Voices in Crystal was an exceptional read. I cannot wait to start book II.

Thanks. I can't wait to start your second. I think you will like Book 2 and 3 even better. :-)

Your books look amazing! <3 Glad to see you here!

Thanks! Hoping to get some exposure! You can also learn more at my website/blog www.maryrwoldering.com. Til then, ask away here!

Love the art. The lotus flower is gorgeous! And the stories are right up my alley--love the ancient history / myth brought to life angle!

For book 4 the cover may not be official but I still really like it. Can I ask how you came up with the names for you characters?

Mary wrote: "Thanks! Hoping to get some exposure! You can also learn more at my website/blog www.maryrwoldering.com. Til then, ask away here!"

Thanks! The lotus is the template for the Flower of Life. That's one of the side themes about the matrix of life and decisions we all must make -- that each petal we choose affects the whole of time & space.

Maddy wrote: "For book 4 the cover may not be official but I still really like it. Can I ask how you came up with the names for you characters?"

The names of the Royalty in my story are real historical figures: Menkaure, Wserkaf, Hordjedtef, Djedi etc. etc. The name Marai actually came from the childhood song "They call the wind Maria" (pronounced Mar-eye-a) because I thought of him as powerful like a storm. The women's names came in dreams. I looked them up and tweaked them to make them sound more ancient world. Thanks for asking! :-)

Mary wrote: "Why is this SciFantasy? Because there is a mixture of many genres, scifantasy had the bigger and better umbrella. In Children of Stone, actual history is blended with legend then added to elements ..."

Yes, I write SciFantasy more than SciFi. I know that fans of SciFi want a LOT more Sci than I can deliver.

Mary wrote: "Maddy wrote: "For book 4 the cover may not be official but I still really like it. Can I ask how you came up with the names for you characters?"

The names of the Royalty in my story are real histo..."

Thank you! Sorry I can't help asking I love hearing how authors pick the character names.

Maddy wrote: "Mary wrote: "Maddy wrote: "For book 4 the cover may not be official but I still really like it. Can I ask how you came up with the names for you characters?"

The names of the Royalty in my story a..."

Not a problem. I love to talk about them.

Devorah wrote: "Mary wrote: "Why is this SciFantasy? Because there is a mixture of many genres, scifantasy had the bigger and better umbrella. In Children of Stone, actual history is blended with legend then added..."

I didn't think it was Sci at all, but the books are about extra dimensional creatures coming to earth. So that was the price of admission in an otherwise Historical/epic fantasy cycle

Mary wrote: "I'll also be working on a novella spinoff called "Miss Hattie and the Hoppers" a steampunk crime story set in post Civil War Blountville, Tennessee. Speculate this: Two characters from Children of ..."

I've been reading some steampunk and this sounds really interesting. Looking forward to it.

Ame wrote: "Mary wrote: "I'll also be working on a novella spinoff called "Miss Hattie and the Hoppers" a steampunk crime story set in post Civil War Blountville, Tennessee. Speculate this: Two characters from..."

Hoping to get this out either independently or as part of my Writer's Group Anthology sometime this year.