I thought you might like to know that I’ve just signed the contract for Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar series. It’s called Immortal’s Death. I’ll keep you informed as to the progress!
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Exploring the World of Vimar in The Wolves of Vimar Series
Last week I sent the manuscript of Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar series. It’s called Immortal’s Death.
I thought you might like to know a bit more about the world of Vimar, so here’s a post about it.
Map created using Inkarnate
Vimar circles its sun in almost exactly 360 days. This leads the people to have divided their year into 12 months of 30 days. Since it is not exactly 360 days, but in fact 360 days and 4 hours, this means that every 6 years an extra day is added to the year. This is added at the end of the year and is called the Day of the Gods. It is a holiday for everyone and as it comes just before Grillon’s Day, also a holiday, when the New Year is celebrated. Everyone looks forward to this time.
Because all the important astronomical timings are 6 or multiples of 6, the people of Vimar have come to believe that six is a holy number. Thus when they came to devise the timings of the day, they decided to divide it into 24 hours, much as we do on Earth, However, they begin to count their day from the time of sunrise on the 2 equinoxes, unlike Earth, where timing is taken from the mid-point of darkness at this time, more or less.
Once every place began their day at dawn, regardless of time of year or place on the planet, but as trade increased this became somewhat confusing, and so the standardised time began. Thus what on Earth would be 6am, on Vimar it is 0 hour, and Earth’s 12pm is Vimar’s 6th hour.
Vimar has 2 moons, Lyndor and Ullin. Lyndor is slightly nearer to Vimar than Ullin and appears to be a gold colour. Ullin appears more silvery. It is considered propitious when the moons are both full together, and if both moons are dark, that is considered to be the least lucky time for any ventures. The best times for starting any venture is when both moons are waxing, and conversely, if they are both waning, that is a bad time, although endings can be good at this time.
The world has 2 large continents, The one featured in the Wolf Pack is the continent of Khalram. Grosmer is the largest country on this landmass and has a climate ranging from Mediterranean in the south to cool temperate in the north. To the west, beyond the Western Mountains is a vast plain on which live the nomadic people known as the Horselords for their mastery of the beautiful horses they rear. It is said that a huge ocean lies beyond this plain, but no one knows for sure.
Beyond the Mountains of Doom, a volcanic range in the east, are the lands of Pelimar, a loose coalition of city states, Erian, ruled by an elected Master and the elven land of Rindisillaron.
The north of Grosmer is bounded by a huge range of mountains known as the ‘Roof of the World.’ What lies beyond that is unknown. No one who ventured over the mountains has ever returned.
There is a large, mysterious continent to the far east that occasionally comes to the attention of the people of Khalram because of the Raiders who come for plunder and slaves.
Millennia ago, three huge volcanoes stood at around the mid-point of the continent. Over a hundred years, all three exploded violently, plunging the land into a terrible darkness that lasted many years. Eventually, the eastern ocean broke through and created the Three Seas that now sit to the south of Grosmer and Erian.
To the south of the Three Seas is the Great Desert. That, together with the three seas, acts as a barrier. Little is known of the lands beyond.
It was from here that Fero came to live in Grosmer.
Building a believable world can be a daunting task. I did research into geography and geology in order to make it believable. The deserts, for example, are in the same places as they are on Earth.
North of the three seas, the climate is Mediterranean, and as one progresses northwards, it becomes more like the UK, especially around Frind, just south of the Roof of the World.
The Band by David Kummer. A Review .
OVERVIEW
An exciting tale of violence and mystery.
WHAT AMAZON SAYS
Because of Johnny, I went with the band. Because of Kate, I stayed. They played anywhere, all through Appalachia. They were the best show for miles around. But even I didn’t expect Oakville to be the end.Oakville, WV. It was supposed to be a quiet place: to catch our breaths, to fall in love. It was a chance to know each other completely. As long as Johnny didn’t find out.It would also be the last show they ever played.In a foggy Appalachian town, one of us wouldn’t make it home. And everyone else would never be the same.
STORY
This is a tale told in the first person. The protagonist is a young man, Aiden, who is the sound engineer with a band that is trying to break into the big time.
The Band have left their homes in Tennessee to travel around getting gigs wherever they can.They all have problems and reasons for wanting to spend the summer away from their families.
Tensions abound between the band members, but when they reach the small town of Oakville, things come to a head.
They play an impromptu gig outside the Courthouse one hot afternoon, which leads to a Saturday night gig in one of two bars in the town.
They find a week’s lodging in a run-down basement flat belonging to a mysterious old lady.
Then some gruesome murders take place. Rumour has it the old lady had killed three husbands and buried them in her garden.
Who has been killing the teenagers? Was it the old lady? Sam, a young man who appears to be following the band around? One of a biker gang, with whom the Band had an argument?
Nothing more shall be said by me as I don’t want to write a spoiler.
CHARACTERS
Aiden is the sound man for the Band. He has joined them because of problems at home. Like others in the Band, he’s running away from a dysfunctional family.
He has a thing for the only female in the band, but is lacking in confidence, so says nothing.
Johnny is the leader of the band. He is a very mixed up kid. With his family background making him crave attention, he is easily pushed into jealous outbursts if someone appears to be getting more than what he considers their correct amount.
He’s a bit of a loner, and often goes off on his own.
Kate, otherwise known as Echo, when in the Band, is a young woman who is an amazing singer. It’s she who ensures the Saturday night gig in Oakville. Whenever she sings, the place comes alive with her energy.
She enjoys nature and walking and often persuaded Aiden to go with her on her rambles. Sometimes she seems to reciprocate Aiden’s feelings, and at others she appears to think of him as just a friend.
River is a very good looking young man. The girls all fall over themselves for his attention, and he enjoys this aspect of being in the Band.
He is the most talented guitarist of them all, and also has a superb voice. He has his share of solos.
Finally, Bobby. He is known as Pistol in the Band, and is the drummer. He always wears a cowboy hat, and Aiden thinks he sounds ‘country’ when singing. He has ambitions to play guitar, but Johnny tells him he’s not good enough, so he sticks to the drums.
He seems to be about the most ‘normal’ of the Band.
The characters are all well-drawn and fully rounded, having both positive and negative traits. I’m not going to go into the others or this will never finish.
WRITING
David Kummer does an excellent job of building up the tension in this book. There are several places where I couldn’t have put it down if asked.
He uses the setting well to add to the tension. Hot sultry weather, sudden rain, rickety bridges etc.
There are a few typos, and some grammatical errors, but not enough to make me stop reading.
I did, however, get a bit irritated when he used ‘lay’ every time when it should be ‘lie.’ But as this is a very common error, I don’t suppose it would annoy most people.
I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4*
My ranking of books.
In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.
5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.
4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.
3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.
2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.
1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.
Review of The Reviled. Book 1 of The Dark Fey by Cynthia Morgan
OVERVIEW
An original and intriguing story.
BLURB
From a young age, Ayla has learned about the mortal enemy of all Fey of the Light: The cruel Reviled Fey.
Gairynzvl is a Fey of the Light who was abducted by the Reviled when he was young. Now, he is one of them.
Lurking in the shadows, he lingers near Ayla and secretly whispers to her. The mystery he presents is irresistible, although she knows the Reviled Fey are menacing and devious.
Learning what he wants is only the beginning.
Should she trust him? Or will he tear her world apart?
STORY
Ayla is a fey of the Light. She has unusual gifts. She can distinguish truth from lies, and her empathy is so great that she can take on the pain of others and relieve their suffering.
She is a retiring person, but when her best friend, Nayina, suggests she go to a festival with a young fey of Nayina’s acquaintance, she is at first reluctant. However, the pair are attracted to each other and soon form a bond.
But Ayla has a secret she’s kept from everyone, including Nayina. She has sensed a male presence that seems to be watching her. He hides in the shadows and doesn’t reveal himself.
Could he be one of the Dark Fey, known as the Reviled? These creatures steal young fey and, by means of torture and harsh treatment, turn them to evil?
Eventually, Ayla tells Nayina who urges her to tell the Elders, but, strangely, Ayla doesn’t want to. At least not until she has more idea who the stranger is.
Is this person one of the Reviled? He seems reluctant to leave the shadows, as a Reviled would be. The Light actually hurts and injures them, eventually leading to their death. And what does he want with her?
CHARACTERS.
Ayla is a gentle soul who likes her own company. She is employed to look after the children, along with Nayina.
Her encounter with the mysterious stranger makes her plumb depths she never knew she had.
Nayina is not so developed but she isn’t a major character.
Ayla’s ‘boyfriend’, Mardan, is another character who develops through the story. He is a likeable person, and cares deeply for Ayla. He does change throughout the story.
As does the mysterious figure, when we finally meet him.
I don’t want to say much more as the development of the characters is such that to discuss it more would be a spoiler.
WRITING
Cynthia Morgan gives a good description of the Fey and we can picture these wonderful people quite clearly. Maybe a little more description of the setting might make it easier to visualise it, but I did not find it detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
There are few typos and grammar errors.
One thing that did stand out to me, though, was that occasionally the author swapped the point of view character in the middle of a scene. On one occasion this was in the middle of a paragraph. I didn’t find it much of a problem–more an irritation. I think this is because the pronoun changed, from Ayla to Mardan (I think).
I enjoyed the story very much and am looking forward to reading the next part.
I give it 4*
My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.
5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.
4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.
3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.
2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.
1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.
Have you read any of the other Dark Fey books? Let us know what you thought of them in the comments.
Read My Exclusive Interview on Mary Deal’s Blog
I was recently interviewed by Mary Deal and the interview is now released on her website.
Mary is one of my favourite authors. She writes mystery, suspense and romance. Her writing is excellent and I am honoured that she wanted me to appear on her blog.
Thank you, Mary, for allowing me to visit.
If you would like to pop over and read the interview, click on the button below.
Healing the World: The Power of Individual Actions
I’ve had a lot going on recently, so I’m a little late with this week’s post.
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
This post is inspired by Morgan’s post. You can read her post, Healing the World, here.
There are two things I would like to mention in regard to healing the world.
The first, is about a couple whom I knew slightly.
They had a daughter with cerebral palsy. She was grown up, but very severely brain damaged. She had no speech and couldn’t walk, thus was confined to a wheelchair.
They were staunch Christians and, although not Roman Catholic, decided to take her to Lourdes in France to pray at the shrine for healing.
They said, ‘She wasn’t healed, but we were.’
On returning, they fostered many handicapped children, all the while still looking after their own severely handicapped daughter.
They also set up a school in an African country (I forget which) and raised money for it as well as visiting.
While no one but a few people know of them, and they will never be known by the Vatican, nor Canterbury, in my mind they are true saints.
The second occurred during Lent, in 1989. There were Lent groups that year on the theme of persecuted Christians around the world. Prayers were said, especially for those in the Soviet Union.
These groups were held throughout the Anglican Church, once a week for the duration of Lent. I believe they still are.
In November of that year, the Berlin Wall came down.
Thus the power of many people acting together can have a result, and the actions of individuals can be a wonderful way to help others and have wide-ranging effects.
WILL EVERYONE WHO HATES THE WAY THE WORLD IS GOING, PLEASE 🙏 THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS, OR PRAY, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER OF ANY RELIGION.
MAYBE IF ENOUGH OF US DO THIS, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN MY STORIES ABOVE, THINGS WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
A Story About Wealth
Savoury Pancake Recipe for Shrove Tuesday
Image by Kavinda F from Pixabay
Today is Shrove Tuesday, AKA Pancake Day.
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins, with Ash Wednesday the following day.
Many thanks to Wikipedia for the following information.
The name “Shrove Tuesday” comes from to shrive, meaning absolution following confession. Christians traditionally visit their church on Shrove Tuesday to confess their sins and cleanse their soul before the start of Lent.
Indulging in food that might be given up as a sacrifice for the upcoming forty days of Lent, is associated with Shrove Tuesday.
The Mardi Gras celebrations held, most famously in New Orleans, are a part of this. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, so called because of the eating of rich food that will be given up for the duration of Lent.
Many people still observe the day through eating pancakes.
On Shrove Tuesday, churches burn the palms distributed during the previous year’s Palm Sunday liturgies to make the ashes used during the services held on the next day, Ash Wednesday, when a penitential service is held.
The priest puts a cross of ashes (usually from the palm crosses burned the previous day) on the foreheads of the penitents, saying “From dust you came and to dust you will return.” This is a reminder of mortality and the need to repent of sins.
Lent is a time of remembering Jesus withdrawing to the Wilderness before His arrest and crucifixion. Here He fasted, was tempted by Satan, but held firm.
Christians fast in memory of this event.
But on Shrove Tuesday people eat foods they are going to give up during the 40 days of Lent.
This has come down to us as eating pancakes made from, nowadays, flour, eggs and milk.
Maybe you would like to try something different for your pancakes this year. Often they are served sweet, with sugar and lemon, chocolate spread or other sweet things. My Grandma served a delicious savoury pancake that is also excellent for vegetarians.
Here is the recipe,
Savoury Pancake filling
(Grandma’s recipe)
Pancakes made however you like them, or you can buy unsweetened ones.
Ingredients
125g large open capped mushrooms
2 onions
2 tomatoes
½ x1 teaspoon of sweet herbs (I would guess that this is similar to Herbes de Provence, since you seem to be no longer able to get sweet herbs. I have used Herbes de Provence quite successfully.)
Method
Fry the onion a little and add the mushrooms and tomatoes.
Continue cooking until all vegetables are done, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot on pancakes, rolled up.
Are you interested in historical recipes? If so, you might be interested in Viv’s Family Recipes.
This recipe book is the culmination of many years of cooking and baking by the author. She is passionate about food quality and believes that home cooked is best.
She has inherited a recipe book from her mother’s eldest sister and a small one from her grandmother that contains recipes from the turn of the 19th century. She has also included many recipes from other family and friends from many places and times.
It is an interesting look at how our diets have changed over the years as well as our cooking methods. Many of the older recipes are done by long steaming. There are also some interesting ‘Hints and Tips’ from long ago.
The book also has some interesting comments about the people whose recipes appear in the book.
Like to explore more about these recipes? Then click the button below.
Do you have any favourite pancake recipes? Let us know in the comments.
Creating Sound: Childhood Instruments and Memories
I was changing the toilet roll in the bathroom the other morning when I inexplicably thought about how toilet rolls were in the 1950s.
Yes, I’m that old.
Anyway, I thought about the old Izal toilet rolls.
They were a bit like tracing paper. In fact, we sometimes used them as such. They were hard and very scratchy. Horrid.
‘What has this to do with music?’ I hear you ask.
Well, while it was not good for its original purpose, it was brilliant to use with a comb to make a paper and comb musical instrument.
For those who don’t know about this, you wrapped the paper loosely around the teeth of the comb and made a buzzing sound with your lips. This made the paper vibrate and make a sound. By altering the pitch, you could play a tune.
We used to take a piece of broad-leaved grass, hold it vertically between our thumbs. Blowing our thumbs made a sound.
Admittedly, not a nice one!
Paper straws could also be made into a kind of noise-producing item. Cut the end of the straw so it made an inverted V shape and blow. This didn’t last long, though, as the end got wet and stopped working. Pitch could be varied by the length of the straw. A group could play a simple tune. (Theoretically!)
Blowing across the end of bottles was a good noise-maker, too. If you got different sized bottles, you could make different notes.
We also made noises by cupping our hands together and blowing between our thumbs. But raising the fingers of the top hand, we made different notes. Favourite was a cuckoo’s call.
Tapping a pencil on your teeth and moving your mouth would also change the pitch of the tap, and you could ‘play’ a tune.
The last one I remember took some organising.
You took a wine glass (your mother’s best worked well) and added a little water. You dipped your finger in to make it damp, then ran it gently around the rim. It made a ringing sound.
If you added different amounts of water to several glasses, you could, with a lot of trial and error, get a scale, thus play a simple tune.
Admittedly, some of these can hardly be described as music, but still…
Did you do any of these things? Do you know of any other things we did in childhood to make sounds? Let us know in the comments.
If you would like to buy any of my books, simply click on the image in the sidebar and you will be taken to a page where you can buy in any format from your favourite online store.
The ebook of each of the series is free.
Discover Haikus & Poetry Inspired by Winter
I am currently reading D Wallace Peach’s latest book, The Season’s Weaver. It deals with a world plunged into perpetual winter. I will be reviewing it shortly.
It made me think of a Haiku I wrote. It’s still winter, and although we have no snow here, at least not in the south of England where I live, I know there is a lot of it in the US where many of you live.
Here is the Haiku.
Gently, silently
Throughout the night the snow fell.
A monochrome world.
And some more I wrote that you can find in my Miscellaneous Thoughts poetry book.
SNOW
Flakes drop gently down,
Turning all the land to white.
A magical sight.
Nothing can be seen.
Earth and sky blend into one
In the blizzard’s rage.
Waking in the dawn,
Mysterious light shines in.
It snowed in the night.
If you are interested in reading more of my poetry, you can go to a page where you can Miscellaneous Thoughts from your favourite online retailer by clicking on the link or the book cover in the sidebar..
It is available in different formats from ebooks to physical books.
Please leave a comment. Comments are GOOD.
Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 