Abbi Hastings had never been fearless. She'd been firmly tangled
in her small town roots her entire life until an unexpected inheritance
provided her a chance to escape. As she took the only chance she’d have to get
out, Abbi left all of the what if’s behind as she boarded the plane with her
one way ticket to Los Angeles.
Relentless to not fail and fighting for her own independence, it
all goes to hell when fate throws a curve in her path. Everything changed the
day she accidentally falls into the arms of Ryan Dixon. The tall, dark eyed,
and handsome CEO of LA’s hottest bodyguard service who is fighting his own dark
demons.
Can Abbi let go of her fears to take a leap of faith and allow
Ryan to protect her? From what, she doesn’t yet know…
I was born and raised in a small town that until maybe a year ago, you
couldn't find on a map. After high school I did what every wild child from a
small town would do and kicked rocks to the farthest college I could go to.
Which happened to be about 20 miles out of town, I didn't trust my old clunker
of a truck to go much farther than that. After graduating college with a shiny
new piece of paper hung in a $3.00 Wal-mart frame I got my first "big
girl" job with Synovus Financial Corporation.
During the five
years I stayed at the company, I bought a new truck, moved into my own
apartment (in the same small town), and met the man who would eventually accept
my craziness and ask me to marry him. I am privileged to call myself a US Navy
Wife. My husband currently serves on the USS Hue City, which has been deployed
more times during our marriage than it has been home. But we look forward to a
three year shore duty in Colorado Springs.
I have been very
lucky to have had the support of my friends and family during the years and I
look forward to many more years full of there snide remarks and sarcasm. I
wouldn't want them any other way.
A mercenary who skirts light and dark must protect a reclusive Seelie noblewoman, but when they discover a common link, they must surrender…
Niamh McNamara has always been a little different from the rest of the Seelie Court. Their natural mirth and playfulness is something she has to force, so she won’t stand out much during the midsummer’s festivities. That becomes nearly impossible when an attempt is made on her life by a violent masked fae. Content with seclusion, she’s unhappy when the queen requests her back at court to meet her new bodyguard.
Doyle Kearney is mercenary who skirts the light and dark courts. Some think he’s Unseelie, while others are sure he’s Seelie. When Queen Titania brings him to protect a sullen noble, he almost refuses—he’s a warrior, not a bodyguard—until he sees Niamh. His body reacts to the golden goddess, but he can’t forget how his noble parents had easily tossed him aside to protect their titles. He questions if she’ll do the same if he surrenders his heart.
Summer’s warm magic glittered in the night air. Nature drank deep of it and flourished with life and growth. The delightful party playing out around Niamh McNamara didn’t interest her one bit. As a member of the light court, she should’ve enjoyed the merry festivities that Midsummer’s Eve brought on, but her sour mood wouldn’t let go of her. Then again, she’d never been like the rest of her people.
Darkness constantly ached within her chest beneath her golden appearance. Before she’d been able to ignore it, but now it wasn’t so easy, especially after overhearing whispers about her from the other members of court. Hiding away had helped, but she couldn’t always stay hidden.
Queen Titania had requested her presence back at court for a while, and when the queen asked, one didn’t say no. The queen held a special interest in seeing Niamh, as a female noble, commit to a worthy relationship. At Niamh’s age, she should’ve at least had one potential suitor, yet she did her best to avoid them and had been fairly successful.
Niamh took another sip from her goblet. The faeries around her sang, laughed and danced, yet she could barely gather the enthusiasm to smile. How cruel life was that she had to watch their happiness while she didn’t share their feelings.
There were men who seemed determined to court her. The more she dissuaded them, the more eagerly they flocked to her. A familiar male elf took her elbow to sweep her off to dance, but she brushed off his hand. "Sorry, I’m not interested in dancing at the moment."
Another reason why she preferred to stay away from court these days. She hated presumptuousness and what tended to happen next.
His face fell, and confusion creased his brow. The lady next to Niamh gawked at her like she was crazy before grabbing the male’s hand and waltzing away with him. The lady leaned close to him and whispered something, causing them to both break out into laughter.
Niamh bristled. She didn’t want to feel like an outsider amongst her own people.
A happy, albeit drunken, pixie flew by her, nearly colliding with her shoulder. The tiny being apologised in a high-pitched tinkling voice, then it was gone, darting away to join a group of pixies near the mead.
Most of the pixies there had already drunk their share. Their amorous personalities, combined with the summer’s fertility magic, heated the group until their moans of pleasure chimed through the warm breeze. Others nearby reacted to the intimacy, their clothes slipping off in their fervour.
Yet another sign of how nature’s power innately affected the Seelie.
The group she stood with were still chatting merrily amongst themselves, though their attention was beginning to drift to the playful fledgling orgy.
Niamh slipped away into the forest, making sure no one saw her. She needed a break from the laughter and shallow niceties. Her face ached from the plastic smile she wore for the party. Once safely out of view, she leaned against a tree and let out a ragged breath. Her fake smile fell, and she stared into the sky between the leaves. If only she were home, away from the misery of joy she had to force. Warmth and happiness permeated the air around her, but a part buried within her retracted from those emotions, shying away from the silky caress. Most of the time, she wondered if she had something wrong with her. Darkness held solace for her while light made her aware of what she lacked.
The snap of a branch startled her, and she peeked around the tree. No one was there. Thoughts about her inner darkness dissipated. Her shoulders tensed, and she strained her ears to hear more signs of movement. Another twig snapped behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Before her stood a man in an elaborately decorated mask, which covered most of his face. A dark hood and cape cloaked the rest of him, making it impossible to distinguish any of his features. He was most definitely fae like her—he had that kind of aura. He must’ve hidden his wings beneath his grand cape.
She looked him over with a frown. Why was he here, away from the party? Especially dressed as he was? I left the party behind to rest, not to give someone the opportunity to make my acquaintance in private. She sighed but forced herself to smile.
A scream caught her attention from the party, turning her towards the sound, but the laughter that followed reassured her that everything was still safe.
The foreboding man spun her to face him. He clasped his hands around her throat, and slammed her folded wings back against the tree. Her head bounced against the hard oak. She clawed at his glove-covered hands, trying to get him off her, trying to draw air into her lungs.
He smashed her against the tree again, but his grip slipped slightly.
"What do you want?" she squeaked, gulping in air.
"You. That’s what I wanted."
She’d never heard this man’s voice before. How could he want her while she couldn’t figure out who he was? He must’ve used glamour so she wouldn’t recognize him.
Naming Fantasy Characters
I may be in the minority in this regard, but I’m not a fan of characters having crazy fantasy names I stumble over while reading. I prefer something that at least resembles a name someone might actually use. Anything with a ton of apostrophes are also no-no’s for me.
In Surrendered and its companion story Captivated, I tried to make things relatively simple for myself. I went to Behind the Name and Behind the Name for Surnames to name my characters. I also knew that with the story taking place in a medieval UK setting, I wanted names authentic to that area. I’m also very big on the meaning of the characters’ names.For instance, the name of my hero, Doyle Kearney, means “dark stranger” and “warrior.” This fits since he’s not accepted within either the Seelie or Unseelie courts as well as the fact he’s a mercenary. For Niamh McNamara, the heroine, her name means “bright” and “sea hound.” She’s a Seelie fae, and they’re known for their bright, cheery demeanors. It’s also interesting that in Irish legends, Niamh was the daughter of the sea god whereas her last name also connects with the sea.
One might think I did something connecting her to the sea intentionally, but...I guess my intuition was more with it than I was that day. My lesson of that story is always listen to your gut, even if you don’t understand it at that moment!What is your take on fantasy character names?
Sarah Mäkelä lives in North Carolina with her husband and cats. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, computer and video games, and travelling all over the world. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapters.
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Seeds Of Transition The Genesis Project Book One by Carolyn Holland Co-Author: Kef Hollenbach Genre:Speculative-Fiction, Science-Fiction Publisher:Books, Authors, and Artists Date of Publication:July 19, 2013 ISBN:978-1482657647 ASIN:B00DB7UERS Number of pages:150 pages Word Count:54,184 Cover Artist:Shae Thoman Available on: Paperback | Amazon
Smashwords Coupon Code worth 73% discount!
XV34P
Bringing the price to $1.02
Good until July 27, 2013
Press Announcement:
Blurb:
Seeds
Of Transition: Book One - The Genesis Project is full of gripping adventure,
psychological thrills, and emotional conflict from start to finish.
As the world’s population approaches 10 billion
people, and severe weather extremes impact crop and livestock production, the
demand for and price of food is rising. The American government, as well as
other powerful individuals, find themselves looking for intelligent, albeit
unlikely heroes in the world of academia.
Jarod Farra, a professor of agriculture at
Cornell University, quickly finds himself at the forefront of both his
longstanding dreams, and perhaps, some of his worst fears. Out of the turmoil
and fear of an impending international food shortage, a range of characters
come together to perform an experiment that will forever change the world as we
know it, and provide new hope for generations to come.
Chapter 1
Noakhali, Bangladesh
2030 AD
“Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm.”
~Thomas Fuller ~
The warm air
enveloped the sleeping village as if the dawn would bring with it the start of
a day like any other. Farmers slumbered, their bodies fatigued from the hard
day’s work in the paddies. Mothers rose quickly and quietly to nurse crying
babies, hushing them so their fathers could rest. The wind was picking up,
ushering with it a blanket of clouds that blocked the light of the full moon,
making the night very dark. The rain started to come down, softly at first and
then more heavily as the night wore on.
The slosh of
waves slapped against the hulls of fishing boats tied to submerged docks. The
thumping sound of wood meeting wood as the swells pushed the boats against the
quays was getting deeper and deeper as the rain filled the crafts, making them
heavier and heavier. Soon they would sink, their tethers preventing them from
reaching the muddy bottom. Oars and net staffs would soon float away.
Not so very far
away the balmy, moist air was rising from the water’s surface and mounting the
wind on its trek toward the sky. More warm air rushed in to replace it and then
it too began to rise. The repeating cycle continued and went on through the
night; air swirled in and up, over and over again.
Overhead, a
platform of cool air waited to meet the rising warm moisture, the collision
transforming the mist into heavy, thick clouds. The wind swooped in and the
dance commenced, slowly at first but steadily gaining pace. It tirelessly
whirled the new clouds around and around as the phase below repeated over and
over again. The tempo swelled and the wind began to howl its delight as more
clouds rose to meet her, whirling and churning, the action became more savage,
more intense, building, and building until finally, she was delivered and the
tempest was born; beautiful and exquisitely formed liked no other before her.
The rising warm air fed her, and the wind
strengthened her and her rage grew more powerful with every passing hour. Soon,
she would realize her full potential and she would be unstoppable and
unforgiving as she fulfilled her destiny. All people would remember her name,
she would never be forgotten.
Not so very far
away, slumbering in their tiny homes, farmers rested from a hard day’s work and
mothers gently placed their sleeping infants back in their beds. It was still
hours from dawn; still time for sleep before the new day began.
Ghazi woke
suddenly, startled as he shot straight up in bed, his heart beating so hard
that he could hear it; a steady, deafening thump in his ears. A desperate look
around the room assured him that all was well within the walls of his tiny
home. Aala and Jarood were sleeping peacefully. He realized that he must have
been dreaming although he could not remember it, his heart slowed to a normal
pace but he was wide awake now and not likely to go back to sleep.
The sounds of
rain falling hard outside and the gustiness of the wind caught his attention.
It was still dark outside, at least two hours from dawn but he looked out the
window anyway. Nothing; at least, nothing that he could see. He glanced at the
small table in the corner which held the union VHF radio. Had a bulletin come
across and awakened him? Something was wrong, he knew it, and he felt it. He
watched the radio intently for a few minutes, waiting, and then it happened.
The cyclone
warning came in a frantic voice, thick with the Noakhali dialect of the area.
It said that the BMD, Bangladesh Meteorological Department had issued a cyclone
warning at 4am. The storm had developed
overnight and was expected to make landfall in the Noakhali district in the
Upazila of Hatiya in two to three hours. Village units were to proceed
immediately with warning and evacuation procedures. Maximum sustained winds had
been recorded at 225 kilometers per hour, and the tidal surge was projected to
be approximately 4.5 meters.
Ghazi’s blood
became ice in his veins. He looked over
toward his bed and saw Aala staring back at him, wide eyed as the fear gripped
her; she had also heard the alert.
He sprang into
action, all of the volunteer training coming back to him now; he remembered
what he had to do. He pulled on his day clothes hurriedly; Aala roused the boy
and directed him to dress quickly while she went behind the curtain to do the same.
Within seconds she was back in the center of the room. She held two bags, one
she handed to her son and the other she filled with the most important items in
the room. The boy gathered food from the shelves, knowing exactly what to grab
as his father had performed this drill with his family many times; only this
time it was not practice. Ghazi donned the sash and hat that identified him as
a Red Crescent volunteer, and seized the megaphone that had been assigned to
him.
Exactly three
minutes had passed since the warning had come across the radio, and the Farra
family was at the door ready to leave their tiny mud brick home. Ghazi quickly
ran through what they were to do and where they were to go. He would meet them
at the shelter as soon as the warnings were out to the people of the village. A
quick look into each other’s eyes, and everything that needed to be said
between them had been said. Ghazi opened the door and they entered the windy,
wet darkness.
They separated;
Aala and Jarood went in one direction, Ghazi in the other. Mother and son
trudged through the water and sucking mud that had been the road just
yesterday. She clutched at ...
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I have always been an avid reader, my
love of books started at a very early age. I so admired the authors, the
creators of these wondrous stories and characters and daydreamed about joining
their ranks someday.
Yes, I would have to say that I have
always wanted to be an author, since I can remember.
Can you share with us your typical
writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
My
writing routine is simple actually. I am most creative and productive in the
early morning. When I am working on a project, I usually wake up with ideas so it
is best for me to get started right away. I often joke that it takes one pot of
coffee to create one chapter.
My desk is situated
in front of a large window that overlooks my garden and I prefer to have the
curtains pulled back so that I can see the outdoors while I am working. I
typically “camp” at my desk for many hours at a time, so comfort is important.
I have an old office chair that has fallen into ill repair from so much use, we
purchased a new one, but I just did not seem able to concentrate while sitting
in it. If there is a “must have” item for me while writing, I would have to say
it’s this old chair.
What would you say is the most
challenging or rewarding part of writing?
For me, I would have to say that
the most challenging part of writing is deadlines. Creativity does not always
flow on command, and the pressure alone of a deadline can squelch the artistic
bug. When this happens, I have found that it is best for me to step away from
it for a short time, take a little walk or wander in the garden and then come
back with fresh eyes and renewed purpose.
The greatest reward of writing
for me is the completion of a project. As soon as I typed the last few words of
Seeds of Transition, I felt an immediate sense of accomplishment and
pride. It was far from finished at that point, there was still editing to be
done, final rubbing to polish it so to speak, but the idea was complete.
Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Seeds of Transition is the first book in The Genesis Project trilogy. While the story
surrounds a very real problem of today and our near future, we took a very creative
approach in the telling of it. We created strong characters, the kind of people
we think it will take to bring positive, necessary change to the way we grow
our food and wrote our story about them.
The setting is 2057 America and
worldwide crop loss caused by extreme weather events coupled with a population
explosion have created global food shortages. The increased demand for food has
caused prices to soar at an alarming rate. Average working class people are
finding it difficult to buy the foods their families need and the problem is
escalating.
Our characters, unlikely heroes if you
will, strive together to conduct the largest agriculture experiment in the
world in an attempt to solve the problems before it is too late. They employ
new, brilliant technologies and use these tools to find answers and solutions
against all odds.
Conflict arises when those who benefit
most by the rising demand for food find that the “New deal” of agriculture
threatens their control of the world’s food supply and they will stop at
nothing to maintain their power.
The story is full of twists and turns,
and in the good spirit of science fiction it contains fantastical technologies like
we have never seen before. It contains suspense and betrayal, and “roller
coaster” quality action in the form of extreme weather events.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
Kef and
I share a concern for the future of agriculture and the effect we are having on
the environment. We were both inspired by Dr. Dickson Despommier’s concept of
the Vertical Urban Farm and what it could mean to our future as it could
potentially solve several problems simultaneously. We were further intrigued by
the fact that even though his concept has been around since 1999, it has still
not been put to use in any great scale.
It
seemed at the time to be a great idea, to take an existing concept and write a
fiction work where we explored some of the challenges to vertical farming and
overcame them in a setting where its success was crucial.
In writing Seeds
of Transition, it was our hope that through an entertaining fiction work,
we might be able to inspire people to think about the future of Agriculture,
and to stop and realize, wow…this really is everybody’s problem. While our
agriculture system is having a major impact on our environment, our environment
is likewise having a major impact on agriculture. I think it is a reality that
we are going to have to change the way we grow our food in the very near
future.
Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Presently, we are working on the second book in “The
Genesis Project” series titled Stems of Discord. All of our favorite
characters will return, and many new ones will appear as The Genesis Project
continues its quest to reestablish food security and expand its efforts into
our water crisis. Our heroes work harder and our villains become bolder.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
My all time favorite author is John
Steinbeck. He was a bold writer and a very forward thinking individual. My
favorite science fiction author is L.Ron Hubbard, particularly his “Mission
Earth” series. As a fan of fantasy, it is a tossup between Terry Goodkind and
George R.R.Martin as to who I would say my favorite author for this genre is.
What I love most about these two authors are their heroes. They are often
ordinary people who find they have an extraordinary purpose.
Do you feel that any of your favorite
authors have inspired your writing style?
Good stories are always rooted
in well developed characters and all of my favorite authors have a gift for
character development. It is this talent that I admire most about all of them
and the skill that I concentrate most on developing.
Open your book to a random page and
please reads us a few lines.
“The anger
escalated, and the lightening became fiercer, cloud to cloud, illuminating the
dark masses from within with explosions of light. The rotating winds continued
on their separate quest to become mesocyclones, frightening and terrible
children of the super cell, determined to outperform the other. They began
their southeasterly journey, their race to determine which was the fittest;
would their rivalry make them stronger? Would their short lives have been for
naught? Or would man remember them for all time?”~Seeds
of Transition; Chapter 4
What is in your To Read Pile that you
are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am eagerly awaiting the
release of Veronica Roth’s third book in the “Divergent” series titled Allegiant.
I am also dying to read the fourth
book in George R.R. Martins “Song of Ice and Fire”: series titled A Feast for
Crows. Although this title is available, and I do own the book, I have been
too busy to pick it up. I am saving it as a special treat for after we have
finished Stems of Discord.
Have you ever used anyone from your
real life encounters in any of your books?
Not so much individuals but I have met people
and know people whose personality dynamics are just too hard to resist, and I
have developed characters fashioned after them.
What was the most surprising thing
you learned about yourself while you were writing?
Oh my, well I would have to say
that I was quite surprised at how involved I became with the characters in Seeds
of Transition. These people became real to me, like people that I knew on a
very personal level and at times, I would catch myself talking about them. My
family was quite amused when I would tell them something that James Hilder had
said or how Ras Advani felt about this or that.
But my most surprising discovery was that I realized just
how deep my passion for agriculture reform really is, and through writing, I
have the opportunity to share that with others.
Author:
Carolyn Holland grew up during the 70’s in the coastal wetlands of
North Carolina in a small, rural fishing village. She married right after high
school and started her family, in the same community where she grew up. Though
life took her to other places, she lived in the Appalachians for a time and
later in Alabama, she found herself drawn back to her roots in Coastal North
Carolina. With her three children grown now, she resides there still with her
husband James Holland, a retired US Marine.
Co-Author:
Kef Hollenbach
was born and raised in Kentucky, USA. Going into business management after
graduating from university yielded an eclectic set of experiences ranging from
production work to mid-level management to business owner.
The
very proud parent of a son and daughter and husband to a deeply appreciated
wife, Kef revels in learning new things and visiting new places. With a strong
propensity for sharing, he strives to weave his experiences and what he has
learned into all of his writing.
Additional information about the authors may be found at:
Release Date: July 19, 2013 Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Available on:
Blurb:
The Four Kingdoms are in peril. A demon Lord thought forever imprisoned in limbo has escaped and begins to summon his Horde once again to take his revenge. In his twisted black iron tower he summons a massive wall of darkness that brings the winter storms in the fullest.
Now the Four Kingdoms are each proud and full of itself. All the races of the realms must come together and fight the demon lord once again. Magic has been outlawed, and it is up to the reawakened Grand Mage, an eccentric old man, and what is left of the Mage Knights, as well as a budding Guardian to try to keep the peace.
Can the Grand Mage and his friends get the other kingdoms to move in time to stop the Demon Lord? Does the Demon Lord have more than one objective now that he is free? Only time will tell.
Can you
share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have
while writing? I like music to be playing in the back ground for the most part... Usually
something mellow. What is the most
challenging or rewarding part of writing? I have found that the completion of each work is the most
satisfyingthus far. Can you please tell us
about your latest book, what was your favorite part?
My latest book Winter Night Falling is the only work I have published.
I could tell you about my favorite part but at the same time I don’t wanna ruin the
story for those who haven’t read it yet. How did you come with the
idea for this story? It has been a work in progress since 1998. I started
a story because I was bored and didn’t have anything else to do. I
then adapted the world in said story into a tabletop roleplaying world I
gamed in and the rest just kind of flowed into place. Can you share with us your
current work in progress? My current work in Progress is Spring Dawn Rising... the
sequel to the first book. Who are some of your
favorite authors (Besides your wife, of course)? Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind... though my ultimate favorite is Raymond E Feist
Do you feel that any of
your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? A little...... Ray Feist and I used the same concept in a way...
He adapted his book to recollect adventures he had in tabletop roleplaying
as well. Open your book to a random
page and please reads us a few lines.
J’Lann stood and drew his sword,
starting an incantation before running into the compound. The blast of a
Fireball launched skyward to pierce the back of the nearestDrakee and reduced it to ash. From the tunnel entrance a
blast of Earth blew outward and Tomas emerged from the dust at the cave
entrance. He raised his hands and a blast of Guardian’s Fire tore into
the four Shadar-Kai. The remaining untouched Shadar-Kai stepped into the
shadows and disappeared from view. Tomas had incinerated three of them to
ash. J’Lann ran towards his position and screamed as the remaining Shadar-Kai
stepped out of the shadows behind Tomas. ”Behind you!”
What is in your To Read Pile
that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Magician’s End
By Raymond E. Fiest... It will be the last book he writes in his world of
Midkemia... the previous 23 book were amazing and I am dying to see how he
ends the series!! Bryan, it has been great to
pick your brain and learn a little more. Before you go, is there anything else
you want to leave your fans with?
I am also working on the next trilogy in the Chronicles of Ti-ara
series which takes place twenty years after the 1st two books and inan another kingdom. Only two of the characters from the first
two books will be in the next series. I will leave it your curious mind to
figure out which ones =)
This is a great
book, I had a wonderful time reading the interactions between the characters. If you are into classic fantasy including demons, elves, mage, and of course warriors then you won't be disappointed with this read. All of the characters, their dynamics and their relationships with one another kept me wanting more. I liked all the characters on the side of good and the evil side really made it an interesting story. There was just enough plot twists and turns to keep me intrigued without becoming like a roller coaster ride. This was more than just a classic good versus evil and will pull you in from page one.
I give this book a solid 4 Shields!!
Dramatis Personae
Orindyll Ravenslock – Arch mage of the First Order, Acting Grand Mage of the Orders of Five, Earl of Raven’s Bluff
J’Lann Silverhand-- Mage-Knight; First Sword of the 2nd Order, Later Preceptor (commanding officer) of the Mage-Knights.
Joran Silverhand—Mage-Knight; 3rd Order
Tomas Silverhand-- First thought to be a magus of the First Order; he is later discovered to be the Last of the Guardians, as well as a Divine Agent of Adara the Lost. Goddess of Knowledge, Nature, and Magic.
Count Evan Dupont-- Count of the Township of North Keep
Zatchion D’Orsk— Arch Magus of the 2nd Order. Great Grandson of Orindyll Ravenslock. Baron of Caer Percivor.
Sarah D’Orsk -- Arch Magus of the 3rd Order. Great Granddaughter of Orindyll Ravenslock.
Sirenthial Silverbranch -- Arch Magus of the 4th Order. Heir to the Elven Throne of Erinor. Chronicler of the Orders of Five.
Chase Summers – Mage-Knight of the First Order, Traitor
Gregory Pecorian – Mage-Knight of the 2nd Order; Sergeant
Aileen Mistwinter—an Elven Hunter of Erinor; Twin of Tariel
Tariel Mistwinter – An Elven Hunter of Erinor; Twin of Aileen
Duke Echias of High Point – Duke of the City of High Point.
Captain Rancos – Captain of the Black Watch of High Point
Jack – Arch Mage of the 5th order. From Tiramon
Haicho – A portly Journeyman Mage of the 5th Order from North Keep
Kelvin – Former Grand Mage of the Orders of Five; Arch Mage of the First Order, King of Tiramon
Arrowthorn— Ranger of Tiramon, Heir to the Throne of Tiramon. Kelvin’s son
Alindryia Silverbranch—Queen of the Elven Kingdom of Erinor. Priestess of Adara. Mother of Sirenthial
Korinthial Silverbranch—Son of Sirenthial, Heir Presumptive of the Elven Kingdom of Erinor. Blade-Weaver.
Sebastion Thr’ask— Mage-Knight of the 4th Order. First Sword.
Orion Brighthammer— Mage-Knight of the 3rd Order. First Sword
Erik Joruss— Heir to the throne of the High Kingdom of Pendys
General Tapi— General of the Armies of Tiramon
Tir’alac— Shadar-Hai War-Leader.
Balin Ironfist— Dwarven KingsGuard. The maker of Joran’s Broadsword (though both do not seem to mention it in the story) Brother to Borodor
Borodor Ironfist— Dwarven KingsGuard. Brother to Balin.
Lee Featherhand— Mage-Knight of the 2nd Order
Charles Stormcloak— Mage-Knight of the 5th Order
Brother Bradley— A powerful Priest of Galaen the Just. God of Justice
Akbar— Dwarven Journeymen Mage of the 2nd Order
Ermina— a Sylph bound to Joran’s Sword
Jarrack—A powerful Corrupted Portal Master of Limbo.
Cassandra— Lady of the Oak Glade, Guardian
Nysander – Shade of the Great Guardian of Erinor . Cassandra’s Grandfather.
Tyramononix—The Very First Guardian of the Four Kingdoms, Soul is bound to a Golden Torc Tomas wears
Bryan R South was born and Raised in the Pacific Northwest.He Graduated Kamiakin High-school in 1993. Bryan has had several poems published and has been working on the Rise of the Guardians Series since he was 16, and did his senior year paper on being a fantasy novelist. He has worked as a Line-cook, in construction, and other odd jobs.
He resides with his wife and fellow author, S. Cu’Anam Policar, and their children in the Pacific Northwest still.
I was born and raised in a small town that until maybe a year ago, you
couldn't find on a map. After high school I did what every wild child from a
small town would do and kicked rocks to the farthest college I could go to.
Which happened to be about 20 miles out of town, I didn't trust my old clunker
of a truck to go much farther than that. After graduating college with a shiny
new piece of paper hung in a $3.00 Wal-mart frame I got my first "big
girl" job with Synovus Financial Corporation. 
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