Why I Write Fantasy
by
Kristen Taber
I’m shy. Painfully, miserably shy. I can’t exactly pinpoint
a moment that turned me that way. Maybe some stranger made a scary face at me
when I was six-months-old. Or maybe I was just born this way. However it
happened, I’ve been shy as far back as I can remember. Don’t get me wrong, I
love people. I just prefer to watch them from the outskirts of the party, not
as a center point of it.
Because of this temperament and because my sisters and I
moved a lot as children, I spent much of my childhood crafting stories in my
head. I’d invent backgrounds for strangers or create imaginary playmates to
keep me company. And when I got together with kids in my neighborhood, I’d make
up plays that they could act out with me. They welcomed my rich imagination and
some of them became friends as a result of it.
Once I learned how to write, my stories became more
elaborate. Streets became sand lots on Mars. A cluster of trees turned into a dangerous
jungle. Games of tag became laser gun shoot-outs. Monsters and mythical creatures
stalked us while we played hide-and-seek. Moving vans became rocket ships or
Oregon Trail wagons. My sisters and I turned into doctors, nurses, and
explorers.
In tough times, I escaped into my books, valuing fantasy the
most. I loved that I could find escape not just in other tales on this planet,
but in whole new worlds. I loved the adventures and the way battles made my
heart race. I loved how magic could transform people into animals, how a spell
could make nothing turn into something, or perhaps even change a shy girl into
a popular one. At least on paper, anyway.
I began to imagine myself in fantasy stories and write them
out. I’d be an ogre one day or a magician another. I could wield a sword or
fire an arrow, fight against evil queens and command dragons. I’d never felt so
free. And though I knew my stories were made up, they seemed real. Real enough
to get me through the hardest times of childhood, anyway, the middle school
bullying years.
In high school, I found better ways to cope with my shyness.
I started making friends through social clubs, finding similar interests with
my classmates. I shared my stories with them in English class or at the end of
the day as we gossiped in the hallways. I relished the idea that they loved
them as much as I did, and encouraged me to write books. I never did, at least
not until years later. I set the words and the coping mechanism aside and
started on a business career path instead.
But the stories never really left me. They found me again
and I began to write in earnest. Not to cope or because I’m shy, but because I’m
good at it. And I write fantasy because it’s like visiting old friends. The
worlds I created back then still exist; the characters greet me as family. I
let others wield the swords in battles and fell monsters with
arrows, but I’m more than happy to encourage them in their quests and share
their journeys in my books. And maybe those stories will reach out to a shy kid
who will write fantasy tales of his or her own someday. I like to hope so, anyway.
Aerenden Series (The Child Returns, The
Gildonae Alliance and The Zeiihbu Master)
by Kristen
Taber
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Seventeen-year-old
Meaghan has no idea her perfect life has been a lie — until she witnesses her
parents’ brutal murders at the hands of red-eyed creatures.
After
nearly sharing their fate, she escapes with her best friend, Nick, who tells
her the creatures are called Mardróch. They come from another world, and so
does she. Now that the Mardróch have found her, she must return to her homeland
of Ærenden or face death.
Left
with little choice, she follows Nick into a strange world both similar to Earth
and drastically different. Vines have the ability to attack. Monkeys freeze
their victims with a glare. Men create bombs from thin air. Even Meaghan’s
newly discovered empath power turns into a danger she cannot control.
But
control becomes the least of her worries once the Mardróch begin targeting her.
When Nick confesses he knows the reason they want her, she learns the truth
behind the kingdom's fifteen-year civil war — a long-buried secret that could
cost Meaghan her life.
Several
months after Meaghan’s return to Ærenden, the kingdom’s war has taken a turn
for the worse. The Mardróch army hunts the new King and Queen, destroying
villages in its wake. And Meaghan and Nick, training for battle in their remote
section of wilderness, are far from safe. Danger hides in shadows and behind
innocent faces. Allies become foes. Each day is a fight to survive. But in the
end, only one threat matters. And it’s a threat they never see coming.
Separated
and on opposite sides of the kingdom, Nick and Meaghan face different pursuits
which could change the balance of power in Ærenden forever.
While
Nick trains the villagers to be soldiers, Meaghan and a small rescue party
venture into Zeiihbu to find Faillen's young son, before Garon can use the
boy's power to destroy those still fighting against his rule.
Everyone
knows Meaghan could be on a suicide mission, but when Nick stumbles upon a
secret concealed in one of the southern villages, he realizes that Garon might
not be Meaghan's greatest foe. The enemy most likely to kill her is someone who
has also promised to keep her safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPTS:
THE CHILD RETURNS:
Meg,” her father spoke again and her eyes filled with tears.
His voice was no more than a whisper. “Trust Nick. He’ll keep you safe.”
She nodded, and then shook as her father gathered his last
breath. The footsteps reached the top of the stairs. Her father shuddered into
stillness, but she had no time to mourn before Nick grabbed her hand and yanked
her out the front door.
Cold air bit her face. Black clouds gathered overhead,
shadowing the day in darkness. A gust of wind whipped leaves across the yard,
building small funnel clouds, but she ignored them. She focused on the back of
Nick’s head, then on her car when she realized they would need it to escape.
They had nearly reached the driveway before she remembered she did not have her
keys. She skidded to a stop. Turning back toward the house, she caught her
breath when she saw their pursuers exiting the front door.
There were three of them, each taller than the last. Dark
brown cloaks covered them from head to foot and they all carried heavy wood
clubs stained with blood. They moved with an unnatural speed and disjointed
grace, as if they floated instead of touching the ground. A putrid, rotting
scent emanated from them in waves. It rolled Meaghan’s stomach, pitching her
breakfast mid-way up her throat before she controlled the reaction. Nick
grabbed her arm and pulled her toward her parents’ SUV.
Book
Two: The Gildonae Alliance
Less than a quarter of a mile from their destination, the
air took on the distinct smell of smoke. Although it started out faint, within
a matter of minutes, Meaghan could see a heavy black cloud rolling toward them,
chased by an unmistakable orange glow.
“Fire,” she started to warn Nick, but choked on the word
before she could complete it. Nick glanced toward the advancing fury, grabbed
her hand and pulled her along behind him, hastening their pace toward the cave.
It all seemed too familiar, like she had returned to the
fire Cal had set in the field. But this time, though the sense of déjà vu made
it seem surreal, she realized Cal’s power did not control it. They had no
protection from the flames.
Her eyes stung. Her nose burned. She pulled the neck of her
sweater over her mouth and breathed through it. It helped, but it would not
keep her alive for long. They would only be safe when they reached the cave.
Even if Cal had not yet arrived, they could teleport somewhere else. She did
not care where, so long as they escaped the inferno chasing them.
She moved faster, watching Nick’s feet as the smoke grew
thick, clouding her eyes. She recognized a boulder with a red vein running
through it, and a stump shaped like a chair. They crossed the frozen stream,
now trickling with new melt. A hundred yards remained. She could almost taste
the clean air that would greet them when they found their way to the deeper
caverns. The need drove her, and then something tugged at her awareness and she
froze mid-stride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kristen
spent her childhood at the feet of an Irish storytelling grandfather, learning
to blend fact with fiction and imagination with reality. She lived within the
realm of the tales that captivated her, breathing life into characters and
crafting stories even before she could read. Those stories have since turned
into over a hundred poems, several short tales, and five manuscripts in both
the Young Adult and Adult genres. Currently, Kristen is completing the
five-part Ærenden series from her home office in the suburbs of Washington D.C.
Website:
http://www.aerenden.com/
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/kristentaberauthor
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/kristentaber
Google
+: plus.google.com/+KristenTaber
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/kristentaber/
Buy
Links for Book 1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084UZ5GM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0084UZ5GM&linkCode=as2&tag=sad06-20
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aerenden-kristen-taber/1111767014?ean=2940044899988
Buy
Links for Book 2
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ5BEFI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BQ5BEFI&linkCode=as2&tag=sad06-20
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aerenden-kristen-taber/1114843982?ean=2940044371811
GIVEAWAY:
Kristen will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour as Grand Prize and an audiobook will be issued to 10 runnerup commenters.
Please follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thank you for featuring me and the Aerenden series today!
ReplyDeleteNo seriously...they shy ones are always the ones to look out for!
ReplyDeleteLol, Andra. I'll second that :)
DeleteSounds like a great series.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks :)
DeleteGreat excerpts! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you, Collenga!
Delete