Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Quest for Redemption Cover Reveal Sheri Velarde

 My dear friend and author, Sheri Velarde, is putting out her first ever fantasy. :D I'm so excited to have been apart of it. With our combined health issues, the holidays, the sweat and tears as we both work to up our A-game to new heights, this book has been through the wringer! It's currently at lines, and will be at proofreader soon to be released on pre-order :D For now, you'll just have to placate yourself with this scrumptious cover by the best Victoria Miller!!!

Without further ado, I give you the Quest for Redemption by Sheri Velarde!

The fate of the realms rests on the hands of an elven princess yet to prove herself and an orphan just learning his powers.

 

Zanna is an elven warrior princess, who seems to have it all, yet really has nothing. Her fate is not in her own hands. Instead, it is bound to an ancient magic she has no control over. She wants to rule the elves, yet must prove herself worthy before she is accepted. She also wants to find her mate, but after two thousand years, didn't hold much hope. Her existence has become mundane, and she craves something new. A routine assignment suddenly turns into something bigger that could ruin all of them. Is she strong enough to save the world and find her own happiness too? Can she change and help change the fate of the world with her?

Will is an orphan who has always been confused by his strangeness. He keeps himself apart, separate from those around him. A chance meeting with a remarkable woman changes everything. He not only learns about himself, but about a whole other world that he is a part of by birthright. However the father that abandoned him as an infant stands to ruin his future and the future of the world unless he can be stopped.

Will and Zanna must face loved ones who work against them and their past as well as find the strength to fight a bigger enemy and save the realms from evil. Can love, friendship, family, and acceptance defeat evil before it brings the realms crashing down? Can Zanna prove herself worthy to rule the kingdom?

Author Bio:

Author Sheri Velarde

Sheri Velarde is an author, artist, independent comic creator and jewelry designer out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a creative soul with eclectic taste and style when it comes to her art and writing. Sheri is a multi-publisher romance author who is now branching into fantasy as well with her Defender of the Realms series. When not creating (which her fiancé argues is never), Sheri can be found spending time with her fiancé and their two dogs, reading, watching fantasy movies, attending metal concerts and just taking time to stop and enjoy life.

You can view Sheri’s work on her website/blog: http://sherivelarde.weebly.com/, on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheri-VelardeKelly-Ryan/, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sher_V.

Quest for Redemption will be out on Three Worlds Press soon!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Cage Match

It's on!!! Fantasy in the Cage Match sponsored by Al Boudreau is on! It's myself and my CP partner, Anne-Mhairi, better known for her pink mice :P she's @AMhairiSimpson on Twitter! I'm @L_Bushman in case you don't already follow me :D


So what's up? He gives a writing prompt--basically sets up a scenario, and us writers write a 2k word story in 24 hrs (or less, since I believe he's putting this on EDT and I'm Pacific :) He then posts our stories up with a chance for you to vote!!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

I wrote a bloooooggg :P

Looks like I'll be getting some sleep after posting this :D My new site is up and running and starting one day this week, I'll be posting blogs over there as well as here. Not the same blog, mind you, although they'll most likely be related somehow. My mind wanders where it will and that's what I'll write about. The blogs I try to force are the ones that come out as the most unintersting.

I have so much writing on the horizon that I'm doubly glad I got over the stress blockers! I have so much to do!

Which reminds me, I have a serial to polish and send off! Now I have to remember what my CP tweeted me about it...only something minor so no biggie. he he.

My brain should feel fried. You know how hard I worked on editing today? hard! but it was worth it! IN the course of my writing career, I've gone from too much back story to not enough details except when I like to throw the double adjectives in :D Mostly, it can work in the thriller genre, but I also write fantasy. It will NOT work there. I'll have to work on it.

I'm thinking that before I had to put my life on pause during my daughter's recent illness, I'd thought of having a special day of the week dedicated to writing mechanics. Is there enough to fill a day aweek? possible. I shall try :D

For now, I'm going to go get that sleep I'm craving! You think about back story and exposition because I do believer that's what we're going to tackle first in a very open forum! I'll also have the grand opening of my website very soon!! Stay tuned for details!b

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Yo Yo

So much of life is ups and downs for me right now. I've almost forgotten what it feels like to be on cruise control :D

Writing has been on back burner for two days. I had a really bad headache yesterday. After five minutes on the computer, I'd feel sick, so I did a bit of hit and run on twitter yesterday and concentrated on my art side of things. Printing out pics when I could stand the computer, and cutting, taping and laminating the stuff together when I couldn't. I did get a few things done...until I ran out of tape. What happened when I ran out of double sided tape?

Well, I had to stop and did some clean up. I love how my art and writing work together for me. Being out of tape is like being out of words. I might have these wonderful characters and ideas, but if the words are lost, they're going to sit there in a jumble until I can organize them and tape them all together to form a cohesive thought.

Sometimes, having that day off can rejuvinate my writing. And it will. I'm feeling it now. I'm going to write the first installment of the serial for splintered lands so we can get that up and running. I'm also going to watch some Doctor Who or Supernatural depending on what mood I'm in when I sit down to do some paper edits.

Then I'm going to REWRITE the MS I just finished. I learned something new about frist person and the difference between it and first person present tense (didn't know there was a difference. UGH) So, wish me luck in my endeavors. One day I will pay it forward as it has been for me.

As writers, we all pay it forward. There is so much free advice out there--some of it's even good :P --and we all give freely. We want each other to succeed, even as we want success for ourselves. Of course, like any group of people there are bad seeds out there; you just hope you don't fall under the shade of anything that grows from that seed and that you stay under the boughs that grew from the seeds of knowledge of the rest who want your success!

I wish you and yours peace and prosperity as we move forward. Especially to my friend who's grandpa has cancer. Love Ya little sis of my heart...

Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday Exerpts - fantasy

This excerpt is again from my fantasy. I'm getting it ready for smashwords and kindle to be released soon.

This is from end of first chapter. The king and queen from the Land of Drache are the parents of Lucian, our heroine's best friend.



The queen paced in her dragon form. She was a green dragon—rare among her kind—with a deep red under belly. Her scales glowed luminescent under the floating magical lights they used for scrying on other worlds and kingdoms, especially those linked to the Land of Drache by magic.

“We can’t help what Fate is asking of Cerisa. We can only offer our support. Lucian is strong, my love. With his help and the teachings of her parents, Cerisa has learned to respect other races and has grown strong in her magic.” He was anxious as well, but knew that Serena needed his comforting. He refrained from pacing—just—as even the greatness of their throne room would feel restricted if both were pacing in dragon forms.

“And Lucian can call on his older brother, Daniel, if he needs to, or any of the other Draches we have in the dimension they are currently in. We must not lose faith,” King Pythes continued, following her with his head. He was black with a red tint to his scales and underbelly. He was sleek like his wife; merely being in his presence made you cognizant of his power. The two of them often used their scrying orb, the Illessence, to watch their son and his charge, as well as her parents, whom she lived with near the small village of Glasuisce.

“The seers in times past have said that there would be untold bloodshed in Riverhand before the rightful heir to the throne reclaimed it,” King Pythes said into the silence as his wife glared at him.

“They also said Cerisa will be pivotal in these events. Events that will decide if all of the Land of Drache will continue to exist on this plane or not, or if the Old Magik will return,” she replied tightly.

“Not the current magic that is so weak it can’t carry the proper name, but real Magik.” Strong disdain laced her words. She was old enough to remember the ways and power of the Old Magik.

“Yes, but that is all they agree on. Cerisa Andersen of Glasuisce is important to us. We have known that for a long time. That is why we sent our son to protect her; she is our best hope. Already, she shows signs of having the Old Magik.”

She nodded her great maw. “Yes, that is true. However, I believe that the time foreseen is upon us, now. Lord Kyle Namred has been torturing and killing to keep his rule strong for many years. Although he has claimed the throne in the name of the missing heiress, there are still those who oppose him despite the harsh punishment they receive for their troubles.” Her voice cracked, as her agitation increased.

“I agree. There has been much bloodletting in the human realm of Riverhand as was foretold. Our people have witnessed horrifying incidents and have even been hurt on occasion. Whatever Cerisa’s role is to be, I believe it will happen soon," he agreed.
“Pythes, we must do something,” Queen Serena implored. She swished over the blue marble flooring, away from the Illessence. She changed into human form, swaying her hips. Her long, dark hair retained a green strip from her temple. A reflection of her true color.

“My love, there is nothing we can do from here.” He changed to human form to match hers. Strong strides took him quickly across the room to her. He grabbed her hand. “It is part of the checks and balances of the worlds that we are dependent upon the humans' balance. That they must have the proper authority on the throne of Riverhand in their dimension in order to exist beyond the gates of our lands is part of fate's decree for us.”

“I hate it,” she said, a rumble sounding under the words, despite her human form, emphasizing her frustration. “It is not right that in order for us to exist beyond their imagination, the humans have to do things right. They are the biggest despoilers of all intelligent races. Even the damned Orcs seem able to keep their species balanced.”

“It is not the Orcs, but those who oppose them that keeps those foul creatures in check. All races have a check and balance—someone more powerful than they are in order to keep any one race from annihilating the rest of us. Humans are fate’s choice for equalizing the scales, so to speak, whether we like it or not.”

“Decidedly not,” she said emphatically. “We are more powerful than they and we are not cruel. We are wise. We have found balance and peace in our disputes here on the Land of Drache. Why do we need them to balance us? I’m powerful enough to control any of us who aren’t willing to follow our lead. You are as well. Together, you and I have had a peaceful reign for almost a hundred years, despite the turmoil in their lands these past years.” Queen Serena said fervently.

“It was not always so. There is good and bad in every species. At least it is the humans balance us," he said. "Despite that they figured out long ago how to kill our kind despite our obvious advantages in a fight." Queen Serena waved her hands in frustration at him, as if to wipe out what he was saying. He was undaunted. "We are fortunate that they are our balance because, although it is rare, we are able to breed with the humans. The ruling family has dragon’s blood in it, as it was meant to be from the beginning as our destinies are so entwined. Fates weren’t completely cruel in setting up our balance. They made sure that our needs would be felt by the ones in charge of keeping magic alive in the lands we depend on.”

“Of course, you're right. It could have been a much less compassionate race that held our lives in the palm of their hands. I’m afraid though, Pythes. I am afraid that Cerisa may be too late in saving Riverhand. If that is the case, then it is too late for us as well.”

The king and queen looked at each other sadly. He took her other hand in his. “Do not give up hope. She is strong in the Old Magik, as well as the new; I feel it in her. She is also a warrior. We may not know why she is so important to the fate of us all, but we know that she will do her best when the time comes.”

“And if that is not enough? What then?”

He had no answer for her. He moved back to the pulpit and looked into the Illessence, hoping for a clue as to help his kind not become extinct. However, what he saw did not bring hope. At times like this, he would gladly give his right eye to be able to hear as well as see into his scrying orb. For when he looked into the clearing where his son and his son’s young charge lived, he saw something that brought terror and fear that Riverhand, and therefore the Land of Drache, was lost before the greatest war ever foretold in any of their lands in either dimension had seen in a millennia had even begun.



Please comment and tell me what you think :) Including typos!! I've edited this story so many times, (this is one I initially edited my voice and too much description out of) that my eyes start to bleed when I read it lol. Because I was putting stuff back in when editing, it's easy for me to miss the typos.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Word time :)

It's Friday and I remembered that I wanted to do excerpts on Fridays!! Let's here it for a memory success!! This is from my fantasy novel, Quest For Riverhand. I love this story and how my mage warrior (Is there a femal word for warrior??? Besides Amazon princess I mean! LOL), Cerisa, has to battle her own inner demons as well as do the right thing for her mother and the lands.

Here is an excerpt from the battle where her heart and mind align to bring her powers to their together.



The man in the bushes came out and started to circle behind her. The first one that had spoken to her and the other one on the road tried to crowd her to their partner. She pretended to ignore the one behind her, but she was aware of every foul breath he took.

“What have we here? A lost waif. Poor innocent thing is waiting the direction of a man like me. Let me take care of you, sweetie pie. I know lots of ways to keep a woman happy.” The man’s voice was as oily as his hair. She felt the adrenaline and lust coming off all of them in waves. It angered her further, but she kept in mind that if they managed to live through the fight, they still would never be capable to fulfill that threat again.

She looked up at them, her eyes dark in the confines of the hood. She looked into the eyes of the man closest to her and some of her magic and rage must have spilled out. He took an involuntary step back. She pulled back the hood that had been hiding her face and hair and the three of them gasped.

“She can’t be. He never said a word.” The fear was running higher than the lust. She found it to be a singularly curious turn in the conversation. One she hadn’t expected.

“I can’t be what?” this time when she spoke, she put the Truth Command into her voice. She had neither time nor inclination for lies. Whether it was the Truth Command or the natural authority she spoke with, they tripped over their words trying to answer her.

“You look exactly like our leader. Are you related to Lord Kyle Namred, known throughout the villages as Lord Kyle the Horrible?” Well, that told her a few things. One, she had the right men. Two, Lord Kyle was proud of the nickname the commoners had given him in pubs as a slur. And in fact, may even be fostering it. Three, they were cowards and idiots. And four, he hadn’t told them of her. Did he know? Curiously, it didn’t matter to her. Whether he knew or not, he would eventually die by her hand. It made no difference in the current fight.

“Lucian.” She put magic into her voice. She spoke in normal tones, yet the sound vibrated in the air. It resonated and moved in waves around them. The men looked at her in fright. They stared at her as if they believed she was summoning the great legendary demon himself. She smiled grimly at them and pulled out her sword.

“You are lower than filth as is the man you follow. I am his daughter by blood. My father of by love and choice was Jaren Andersen, murdered these last days by Lord Kyle Namred. He, as well as everyone riding with him, shall be held accountable. I am claiming my Right to Vengeance under the old laws. I also claim the Right to Vengeance in the name of the villagers you terrorized and tortured. For these crimes against my people and many more, you are sentenced to death.” She hadn’t known she was going to claim the old laws.

It had left her mouth in the storm of her power and she knew it to be right. She felt the binding of the claim on her soul. The land around her glowed as if recording her vow. She was bound to her word by the Old Magik of the land. There was no going back.


You like??? I can't wait until I have the cover ready and get everything working the way it's supposed to. Also, I'm working on the sequel to Rebellion on Piza 7 again as I found a copy of it. :) As most of you know, I work on more than one WIP at the same time. Never the same type of story. That helps me keep them straight LOL

So right now, my main two are the Gal Friday Noir series: Paranormal/detective type and a science fiction as my two works in progress.

I welcome any thoughts/comments on my writing :) HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!