Heirs of War
Book One
New Adult/Upper Young Adult Fantasy
October 13, 2013
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.
As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.
Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.
Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.
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Soundtrack Series Part 3: Heartbreak
On any given day, you can find me typing away furiously as my soundtrack blares throughout my house. Sometimes I might even be singing along, or just closing my eyes as I imagine what is happening to my characters during that particular song. Without music, I really don’t think I’d be able to write. I’ve changed entire plots based on what I see when I listen to one song. Last time, I talked about the broken hearts and battered souls I’ve created and the songs that inspired them. But you can’t have broken hearts without having lovebirds, right? Well, here are some of the songs that inspired those pairings.
Within Temptation “Memories”
“In this world you tried, not leaving me alone, behind. There’s no other way. I’ll pray to the gods: Let him stay. The memories ease the pain inside, and now I know why. All of my memories keep you near. In silent moments, imagine you’d be here. All of my memories keep you near, in silent moments, silent tear.”
You know, there’s still part of me that is mad at myself for even creating Garrett. Why? Because I love him, and I love him with Terrena. But the fact is, she knew from the beginning of their relationship that she could never tell him the truth of who she is, and she would one day have to leave him. In some ways, being raised with full knowledge of who she is and what she must one day do makes it worse for her than the other girls, who didn’t have a clue. She loves Garrett, but she only tortures herself by being with him, because she knows she is constantly on the edge of saying goodbye. One day, he will just be a memory, and that thought breaks her heart.
Lifehouse “Whatever It Takes”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to turn this around. I know what’s at stake, I know that I’ve let you down. And if you give me a chance, believe that I can change, I’ll keep us together, whatever it takes. She said ‘If we’re gonna make this work, you’ve gotta let me inside even though it hurts. Don’t hide the broken parts that I need to see.’ She said ‘Like it or not, it’s the way it’s gotta be. You gotta love yourself if you can ever love me.’”
This song is all about Ariana and Alec, with lots of what is to come. I don’t think I make it any secret that these two are drawn to one another, or that Alec has some serious baggage with him. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep Ariana safe, but it seems he is always struggling to keep her at arm’s length. He doesn’t want to let her in and doesn’t realize he already has.
Adele “Set Fire to the Rain”
“I let it fall, my heart, and when it fell, you rose to claim it. It was dark, and I was over. But then you kissed my lips, and you saved me. My hands, they’re strong, but knees are far too weak to stand in your arms without falling to your feet. But there’s a side to you that I never knew, never knew. All the things you’d say, they were never true. Never true. And the games you play, you would always win. Always win.”
This song is all about Zelene and Kyle, from Zelene’s perspective. Keep in mind, she has no idea why they broke up. Not really. You, as the clever reader, know that Kyle still has feelings for her that he tries to hide, because he thinks being with her would put her in danger for some reason. But Zelene has no clue. She just knows that the boy she loves—the boy she fell hard for—broke her heart into a million pieces only to sometimes come back and sweep her off her feet once more. It’s a constant roller coaster for her, full of moments where he is an ass and moments where she catches him looking at her like she is the only thing on this planet that matters to him. And every moment with him, regardless of how bipolar they are, is full of intensity and emotion that she doesn’t understand.
Thank you, Katy, for letting me stop by and talk about some of my favorite songs on my soundtrack. And thank you, gentle readers, for spending some time in my writerly world. Now tell me, what are some of your favorite love songs? Keep in mind, they don’t have to be happy! I’d love to hear about what songs inspire you, or what songs come to mind when you are reading about your favorite love stories.
About the Author:
Mara Valderran has been coming up with stories pretty almost since she could talk, often commandeering her brother's G.I. Joes to play out her fictional tales alongside her Barbies. Once she hit adolescence and realized playing with dolls wasn't cool anymore, she started putting her ideas to paper. And she hasn’t stopped since.
Mara has worn many different artistic hats throughout her life. She has dabbled in screenwriting, plucked guitars and basses, toyed with singing, retired from acting, and drawn some pretty mean stick figures in her time. However, writing books seems to fit her best as she finds nothing more fulfilling than creating worlds and characters she can lose herself in.
Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She lives in the south with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or spending time at her favorite local coffee shop.
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