How the story progressed - Quests

An autographed copy of Quests will be given to one person who lets me know how to reach them.

Quests is the third book in a series. The quests in the story are three. The now nine young teens now must find more of the gems that enhance their affinities, the remaining young people iwth affinities to round out their group of sixteen, four in each affinity and the remaining talismans they use with their affinities, fire sword, flute, scrying cup and staff of living wood. I happen to like casts of thousands. Somehow at least for this story I needed all these characters, though the four plus one are featured in the story. Multiple viewpoints in the book allow me to show what's happening and to move from one event to the other. Makes writing a bit complicated since one is switching characters.

During each of the quests the characters face different problems and find their solutions using their affinities for the elements. One group must face rain and more rain bringing dangers of damaged bridges and sink holes. Another group faces the desert and an underground area with rasis and scorpons. Not very nice creatures. The third group must find a new viewpoint character and her sister who are being pursued by two groups of bad guys. This story has action in plenty.

Part of the interesting thing to me was in having the characters mature. They are facing danger and there is the evil Dom Senet and his minions to avoid. A group of these are four boys with affinities subverted by Dom Senet. One is his son. This fact leaped out at me and pointed me to the ending in the fourth book. Still waiting to hear if it's going to be published by the one who has the other three.

Quests was a fun part of the series to write and devising dangers without repeating myself was a challenge.

How the book Progressed -- Refuge - 2nd of The Henge Betrayed Series

One copy of Refuge will be given away to the person who gives me a way to reach them.

Weeks ago I began talking about how the series The Henge Betrayed began and got sidetracked. Happens sometimes these days but I'll get back to that now. Refuge is the second book in the fantasy series suitable for children and adults. One reviewer said this was perfect for the ten year old to read. Another thought adults would enjoy the series.

When I began the second story in the series, some things had changed in the long outline, which actually could be called a novella. I had to think about what those changes meant to the characters. There were alos new characters to introduce, one of them being a mentor. The first book has a scene near the ending when the young heir to Wesren learns he must die. Having written this and knowing he was one of the recurring characters, I had to figure what I meant. Each of these young people has a gem to enhance their affinity for one of the elements. He also had one. Aha, I thought. If the gem is destroyed he could die or be thought dead by Dom Senet the villain. How to accomplish this. In the mean time the four siblings are running away and have no clear destination. During this time Ash attempts to reach their friends and Dom Senet hears her on the winds. This evil man has all four affinities. She panics and her siblings unite to bring her out of this. Their flight continues and they still seek a mentor. During their flight Ash falls into an icy pond and becomes ill. The siblings watch her draw close to death. They then decide to seek an elderly Doma named Jandia.

This woman becomes their mentor and frankly could have taken over the story but I managed to keep the four siblings and their other friends in charge of the story and the action by not giving this woman or any of the other adults a viewpoint in the story. They are also concerned with two friends they left in Cedris and want these friends to join them. Once they rescue their prince friend who has appeared to die, they now must go to Cedris to rescue their two new friends who have affinities.

During this time their affinities are sharpened. They search for a place where they can be free to learn how to use their affinities for Earth, Water, Fire and Air.