The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 
Mel recently gave me some "chibbie" art -- which is a sort of anime style -- featuring characters in Righteous Anger. I'm puttering at getting it up in the gallery whenever she's around to supervise my work in photoshop doing the coloring. She has also agreed to take on the organizing for a student art show at the launch for Book #3: Pretenders, September 30, 2008, at the Prince George Public Library. Go Mel. One less thing for me to worry about as I slog away at porting titles with some help from First Expansion friends.

Labels: art, Book Launch, First Expansion, Mel, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 14:50   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org

 

Yesterday, I finished cleaning up the manuscript for Pretenders, as phase one of getting the document ready for the publisher. It will now be proof read by wonderful, willing members of the First Expansion and their corrections input prior to its delivery to Brian Hades of Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy at ConVersion in Calgary this August.

Pretenders, Book #3 in the Okal Rel saga, features POV characters Amel,Ayrium, Di Mon and Ev'rel. The central question of the plot is who will fill the empty throne of the Gelack empire. The personal challenge for the characters caught up in that struggle is how to sustain a false front, when their true selves are always threatening to burst out. Amel, raised a commoner, wants to survie as a highborn. Ayrium must make friends at court to protect her home. Di Mon must swear to whoever will keep the empire strong, despite his personal inclinations, and juggle his feelings for the Reetion, Ranar. Ev'rel puts on a "Demish woman" act to keep the support of Silver Hearth. Everyone is his/her own worst enemy in maintaining false fronts, even before their plans are scrambled by the outcomes of duels and the awakening spirit of a legend.

Amel Snippet Amel was speechless. A wife? A princess? he thought. Just like that? All the places inside him that ought to react to a thing like that felt numb. Ev?rel patted his hand. ?Close your mouth, dear, and don?t fret. You can thank me later. Now I must go back to my guests. Can I trust you to behave until you are sent for?? He nodded. It seemed the only way to get rid of her.

Labels: Amel, Ayrium, Di Mon, Ev'rel, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 07:48   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org

 
Follow the link to a positive reception for Righteous Anger from T.M. Martin of the Yet Another Book Review site. Best of all, he concludes with "Bring on the third volume" which is both exciting and daunting as I struggle with same. Horth was a dream to work with as an author - he's so direct! Di Mon plays a larger role in the third volume, Pretenders, and is anything but straight forward, damn him. Not to mention the multiple story line challenge. But at least I have the theme which is how power (fear of it, desire for it, or the mere fact it exists in the form it does) forces people to "pretend" to be something they aren't; the impact on identity which results; and how people either break or cope.

Labels: Di Mon, Horth, Pretenders, Review, Righteous Anger, T.M. Martin, Yet Another Book Review

posted by Lynda at 09:10   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org