Fantasy Tuesdays: The Fantasy World of Creepy Hollow

 

We have a special guest post today. Rachel Morgan is here to talk about her new series Creepy Hollow. Guardian, book one, is now available, and it's awesome. Take it away, Rachel.

The Fantasy World of Creepy Hollow

For Cherie’s Fantasy Tuesday I’m sharing a little about the fantasy world I created for the Creepy Hollow series.


The Faeries
They’re not tiny and winged. In fact, they look pretty much like humans, apart from their hair and eyes. To make things interesting, I decided that all faeries are born with streaks of bright color in their hair, and that color matches their eyes. So Violet, for example (you can guess this one) has purple streaks in her dark hair, and purple eyes to match (yeah, her parents thought they were being clever giving her that name).

The Fae Realm
This is a realm not accessible by humans (at least, not without the help of a faerie). The part of the fae realm that Violet lives in is called Creepy Hollow (hence the name of the series. Duh). It’s a forest. The Guild of Guardians that Violet is a member of (as there are several Guilds throughout the world) is situated here.

The Faerie Paths

Faeries travel within and between the fae and human realms by using the faeries paths. The paths are basically a black, empty nothingness between the realms, and they can lead anywhere. A faerie needs to open a doorway to the paths and, once inside, think of the destination he/she wishes to arrive at. It’s a pretty lazy way of traveling, actually. Only faeries use the faerie paths (hence the name), while other fae creatures have their own magical methods of disappearing and reappearing.

The Guild
The Guild is the protective force of the fae realm. There are several Guilds throughout the world, and they train and employ guardians. The Guild Councils, together with the Seelie Queen, determine the Laws that should be upheld by all fae (I say 'should' because, of course, not everyone obeys the Law . . .).

The Guardians

Guardian are faeries that have been specially trained to protect humans (and other innocent fae) from attack by dangerous magical creatures. A faerie choosing to be a guardian would begin training with the Guild at age 13, and continue for a period of 5 years (like high school, but fighting is actually part of the curriculum). After graduation, a guardian would continue working for the Guild, or find some other job requiring a guardian’s skills, such as a guard in the Seelie palace.

The Stylus

This is kinda like a wand, but not exactly. It has no magic of its own, but rather it “channels” a faerie’s magic when necessary. Faeries need their styli to perform certain magic, like writing the words that open a doorway to the faerie paths.


Thanks, Cherie, for letting me share some of the stuff that’s been bouncing around in my imagination!

~  ~  ~

Rachel Morgan is the author of Guardian, the first novelette in the Creepy Hollow series. She was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. These days, in between teaching mathematics to high school children, she writes fiction for young adults.

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Fantasy Tuesdays: Trends

 

Today I would like to talk about trends in fantasy.

Years ago, it seemed like the great sweeping epic fantasies had taken over. Think Lord of the Rings.

Lately, it seems the paranormal trends have taken over, but it feels like that might be changing a little. We've seen witches to vampires to mermaids. Dragons were big for a while (I still think dragons are pretty awesome!). Fairies do well. Epic fantasy is slowly growing again due to Game of Thrones.

I couldn't even begin to guess what might be the next big thing when it comes to fantasy, but do you find you read one type of fantasy more than another?

Fantasy Tuesdays: First Fantasy Book Read

 

Going off of yesterday's Book Chat, I've been thinking about the first fantasy book I've read. I'm sure there were earlier ones, but my mind is drawing a blank. Most of the books I've read as a child were mysteries. I loved Nancy Drew, The Cat Who books, and more. I read Stephen King and Michael Crichton. Some comes close to fantasy (and I loved Disney movies...Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite), but pure fantasy? Blank, blank, blank!

Until these books by Mercedes Lackey: Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price. My friend told me about them, and I was hooked. I read almost every book the library had at the time by Mercedes Lackey, and I went on from there. There is so much great fantasy out there now. A lot of great fantasy from the past too (still don't know how I missed it).

What was the first fantasy book you remember reading?

Fantasy Tuesdays: Space Fantasy, The Final Frontier

First off, I am talking about the importance of critique partners with Aubrie Dionne. I am also giving away a copy of my space fantasy romance novelette Defying Gravity, so please drop by and enter. Plus, Aubrie Dionne writes some wonderful space operas/science fiction romance, so be sure to check out her novels too.

Space fantasy is perhaps the final frontier when it comes to the fantasy genres. It’s so borderline science fiction that some would argue it is closer to science fiction than fantasy. For me, though, science fiction involves well, science. Defying Gravity has wormholes, spaceships, and mentions stars and galaxies, but the science part ends there. I created the planets (Persea, Medusa, the brief mention of Aresia). I created the aliens much like I would create a fantasy world with their cultures, type of magic, and creatures. I deposited the main characters on a post-apocalyptic Earth of my imagination.

When our Earth isn’t enough, I believe we writers of fantasy can sometimes have fun in other planets.

Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, and Stargate are some well-known space fantasy/sci-fi fantasy/space operas.

Today my space fantasy romance novelette Defying Gravity officially debuts. What a better day than Valentine’s Day to have space aliens, cannibalistic humans, and romance.

Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.

Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan Army in his quest for adventure.

When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ space cruisers, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.

Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing 

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What space fantasy novels, TV shows, or movies do you enjoy?

Fantasy Tuesdays: Taming Werewolves with Douglas R. Brown, author of TAMED

 

Please welcome author Douglas R. Brown to the blog! His newest novel Tamed involves werewolves as pets.

From idea to publication, how long did Tamed take you?
 

About 2 and a half years. But that was because it wasn't my writing focus at the time. I was working on Tamed in between writing and seeking a publisher for my The Light of Epertase trilogy. I submitted Tamed last May or June and it was released on Jan. 26 of this year.

Congratulations on The Light of Epertase trilogy too! The idea of werewolves as pets fascinates me. How are your werewolves different from the typical werewolf? How are they similar?

 

Great questions. Hopefully, it fascinates everyone. My werewolves are different than other werewolves in that the WereHouse (company selling the werepets) has found a way to prevent the creatures from returning to their human form, figured out a way to domesticate them like a dog, and then convinced the wealthier parts of our society that they make great pets. Physically, my werewolves are more like the creatures in The Howling than the ones in Twilight.

My werewolves are similar to the typical werewolves in stories in their ferocity when they break their tames. Of course, that would never happen though, right? Am I telling too much here?

Of course the cute little werepets wouldn't break their tames. *winks* How did you come about to write fantasy?

I am a firefighter/paramedic by trade. My first book (unpublished) was written to help me deal with a horrific emergency call where a 6 year-old boy died. (I write about that call here if you'd like to read.) When I finished writing that book, I knew I wanted to continue writing, but I didn't want to write about the real world as much. I have always enjoyed fantasy and thought it would give me an escape along with an escape for my readers. I still write about the fire department on occasion over at my blog and some of the stories are quite comical, if I do say so myself. Feel free to follow.

Yes, everyone go and follow! What do you have forthcoming?

The second book in my The Light of Epertase trilogy is finished and will release in August of this year. I am currently neck-deep in writing Epertase 3 which will release in August of 2013. Other than that, I have a few WIP's that when I figure out how to write 5 books at once, I'll get to. Currently, I am only contracted for Tamed and my trilogy, so I don't know what will come after that.

Best wishes for your books! I'm curious about what people read. If you could recommend any book, what book would that be?

If you are a writer, I recommend On Writing by Stephen King. It is my favorite book of all time and the only book I have read more than 3 times (besides my Fire department promotional material). I like Brandon Sanderson and Stephen King quite a bit. I'm currently reading The Hunger Games and though I think it is good, I don't find the idea too terribly unique.

Thank you so much for having me over to your blog. I loved your questions and thank you for such a wonderful review of Tamed.

I plan to read Stephen King's On Writing this month, and I've been meaning to read The Hunger Games too.

Congratulations on Tamed, and I look forward to reading more works from you.

Douglas R. Brown is a fantasy writer who lives in Pataskala, Ohio. He began writing more than five years ago as a cathartic way of dealing with the day-to-day stresses of life as a firefighter/paramedic for the Columbus Division of Fire. Now he focuses his writing on fantasy, where he draws on his lifelong love of the genre. He has been married for 14 years and has a son and two dogs. 

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Werewolves are real.

And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists their werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Tamed is a werewolf tale with a twist from the author of the The Light of Epertase trilogy.

Fantasy Tuesdays: World Building

 

World building is perhaps one of the most challenging and greatest thing about fantasy novels. Even in urban/contemporary fantasy, there is world building (of course, all novels have it to some extent). What does the world look like? What are the people's customs? Language? Religion? Seasons? Clothing? The list goes on and on about figuring out characters' worlds.

Worlds can be mundane to the fantastical. Beautiful to dark. Under the sea and on top of mountains. It's all up to the writer to convey this new-to-the-reader world.

Even if you aren't a plotter, I do suggest lists to keep track of your world. Plus, the writer doesn't have to add every detail into the book. The fantasy worlds writers create are often even more complex than what is mentioned in the book, and this is probably how it should be too. 

I think one of the best fantasy world builders was J.R.R. Tolkien. His lands were amazing, and he put so much into them, so readers would feel like they could live with hobbits or elves too. Readers could even learn and speak some Elvish.

For my own writing, I like to play off of things in our own world or history and bring them into my fantasy world with new names. For example, the city of Amora (a Roma, or "to Rome" backwards) is similar to ancient Rome. Foxwick is like a mini-Medieval realm.

What's your favorite fantasy world to travel to? If you're a writer, how do you approach world building in your books?

Fantasy Tuesdays: Magic

 

One of the neatest things about fantasy writing is creating your own set of magic in the novel. I would say most fantasies have some form of magic to them. Typically, not everyone in the land is magical. People have different skill levels, even involving magic. A lot of magic involves world building (topic for next week).

A few questions a writer should ask when approaching magic:

Who has the magic abilities and why?

Born magical or can magic be learned?

Is it natural magic or do you have to have something to produce the magic (wand, special ingredients, etc.)?

I love the use of wands and wand-work in the Harry Potter series. They create a great visual, like sword-fighting. I also love the simpler magics, where an incantation can work, a mixture of herbs/plants, or even just energy building into the power of magic. In Lord of the Rings, I love how magic and power are entwined in the objects of the rings.

For The Phoenix Prophetess, I used their own inner power to create and manipulate the world around them. Yet, in The Foxwick Chronicles, there are more incantations and herbs/plants magic. It's fun to work in magic for novels because the possibilities are endless and well, magical.

If you're a writer, what type of magic have you used in your works? As a reader of fantasy, what type of magic do you like to see best?

Fantasy Tuesdays: Creatures

Bookworm with the uni-horned dragon(?)

One of my favorite things about fantasy worlds is the creatures. To list all the creatures in such worlds would probably be near impossible. There are too many to count. Some of the more well-known creatures that appear in fantasy are:

Dragons

Elves

Trolls

Goblins

Fairies

Phoenixes

Winged Horses

Centaurs

Basilisks

Unicorns

Merpeople

Seriously, the list could go on and on. One of my favorite books that includes fantasy creatures in them is Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling). As a fantasy writer, I love using well-known creatures as well as lesser known and even made-up ones. In the Phoenix Trilogy, I have dragons, phoenixes, centaurs, griffons, woodwoses, karshiptas, hippocampi, and more. In the Foxwick Chronicles, I have dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns. In my Gravity series (space fantasy romance), so far I have daimons, pegasiflies, and the draken to name a few.

I'm not sure which would be my favorite fantasy creature. I'm probably leaning more toward dragons, since I'm very fond of dinosaurs.

What is your favorite fantasy creature? If you're a writer, what fantasy creatures do you use in your stories?

Fantasy Tuesdays: Subgenres of Fantasy

 

Today we have subgenres of Fantasy. Like all broad genres, Fantasy does have many subgenres within it, and all of these subgenres are found through children's books, middle grade, YA, and adult. I'll give you a brief overview of some of the subgenres, and in later Fantasy Tuesdays, we'll go more in-depth.

Fantasy can be broken into theme and setting.

By Theme

Comic Fantasy - Primarily uses humorous in intent and tone, also known as low fantasy. Ex. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Dark Fantasy - A fantasy story with a pronounced horror element. Ex. Stephen King's The Dark Tower series

Magic Realism - Blends magical elements into realism. Ex. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Mythic - Fantasy involving myths and legends. Ex. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Paranormal Fantasy - Involves all things paranormal, vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, paranormal gifts like telekinesis. Ex. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Superhero Fantasy - The form is a type of speculative fiction examining the adventures of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains. Ex. Batman series

Sword and Sorcery - Generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters. Ex. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

By Setting

Epic Fantasy/High Fantasy - Set in invented or parallel worlds. Ex. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (My Phoenix Trilogy would also fall under this category as well as my Foxwick Chronicles.)

Low Fantasy - Nonrational happenings that are without casuality or rationality because they occur in the rational world where such things are not supposed to occur. Low fantasy stories are set in the real world. Ex. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Historical Fantasy - makes use of specific elements of real world history. Ex. Kingdom of Arnhem series by Nicole Zoltack

Urban Fantasy - The fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. Ex. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series

Science/Space Fantasy - A writer can write a fantasy using magic of various sorts, and yet turn the story into science fiction by positing some highly advanced technology, or as-yet-unknown but ultimately thoroughly provable science, as an explanation for how the magic can occur. Another writer can describe a future world where technologies are so advanced to be invisible, and the effects produced would be classified as magical if they were only described as such. A world might include magic which only some people (or only the reader) know to be in fact technological effects. Ex. Star Wars by George Lucas (My novelette Defying Gravity fits under this category.)

Which subgenre of fantasy do you think you read the most?

Fantasy Tuesdays: What is Fantasy?

If you are looking for Teaser Tuesdays, I've moved them to Surrounded by Books Reviews.

 

For our first Fantasy Tuesdays, I will talk about Fantasy as a genre. Later posts will go more in-depth.

So what is Fantasy?

According to Wikipedia, "Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of (pseudo-)scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three, all of which are subgenres of speculative fiction." As mentioned in the quote, sometimes the lines between fantasy and science fiction and horror are blurred, of course, but that's for another day's topic. Mythology and folklore are often found interspersed within fantasy as well.

I believe fantasy brings us closer to our childhoods. From a very early age, we grow up believing in magic, from Santa to the Tooth Fairy to the fae and dragons to mythologies from our own culture and others. Fantasy makes us open our eyes a bit wider. We sit up and pay attention. It helps us organize our every day life into something spectacular. This is why I enjoy writing fantasy.

The three series that shaped myself as a fantasy author are J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Mercedes Lackey.

What fantasy books do you enjoy reading?

Changes in Blogging in 2012

As a new year unfolds, I figured it was time to do some changes to the blog and the blogging schedule. I'm keeping to my five days a week, but I'm changing a few things.

Mondays

 

That's right. Promo Mondays are no more. Now we have "Book Chat." It's more open than promos, and I hope to have more discussion about books. Of course, all interviews and giveaways will occur during Book Chat too.

Tuesdays

 

It's time for some fantasy in your life in Fantasy Tuesdays. I mainly write fantasy, so I'll be talking about fantasy. For those that come around for Teaser Tuesdays, don't worry. I'll be doing those on my book reviews blog, Surrounded by Books Reviews.

Wednesdays

 

Yes, Wednesdays will continue with a writing update. Also, I've joined Alex's awesome Insecure Writer's Support Group, so the first Wednesday of each month will be a post relating to it.

 

Thursdays

 

Every 1st and 3rd Thursday as usual. Bring on your editorial questions.

 

And what's a blog without a personal story here and there? I'll have them every 2nd and 4th Thursdays.

Fridays

 

And a new year, new flash fiction on Fridays.

So 2012 will bring in the old, the new, and much more. The schedule is subject to change as always. Also, in April 2012, I'll be participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge again, so stay tune to 26 days of flash fiction in April.

Bloggers, do you like to change things up? Keep to a schedule? Or just post whatever, whenever?