Valuing Differences — The Journey of the Marked

November 8, 2015 / Rebecca P. / 0 Comments

Bullying. Bias. Judgment. Almost daily we see news reports and articles about someone being treated negatively because he or she is different. Yet, it’s those differences that make the world an interesting place. I couldn’t imagine living in a world of cookie cutter people like me. So when I started to write my story, I focused on creating something that was entertaining, but carried a strong message.

Valuing differences.

This is the fundamental message behind my novel, The Journey of the Marked, and the related series. Regardless of ability or appearance, everyone can contribute, everyone can make a difference.

The Miyran Heir

The Miyran Heir

While I wanted to highlight the advantages of differences, I also wanted to write something entertaining that I loved, which led me down the path of gritty sci-fi mixed with high fantasy. My story takes place on a different world and, while there are Humans, I created a number of species, each with unique abilities, which allowed me to highlight ways their various strengths were important.

There’s the Plinte that are land-based, but have breathing slits that allow them to breathe underwater. They’re raised to fight, which is a carryover from their culture prior to landing on the planet. Then there’s the Liput — While they don’t train to fight, the Liput are extremely skilled mechanics and can be quite clever. As well, there’s the Krystic female, a beauty that can tame even the scariest of beasts on the planet. The Krystics tend to avoid fighting, as well, but if properly trained, have some unique skills that are useful.

Red WingsThe dire circumstances on the planet throws a group of teenagers together, attempting to reach a training camp while being hunted. While tempers flare, they must learn to work together and accept each others’ strengths and weaknesses in order to survive.

The fundamental concept of the book will continue throughout the series. And, of course, where there are differences, there’s also often persecution. So don’t be surprised if that surfaces in various forms in the series.

Eros, the Voice of Reason (The Miyran Heir)

May 4, 2015 / Rebecca P. / 0 Comments

Let’s talk about Eros, another character from The Journey of the Marked and one of the marked youth. The book description includes a brief introduction to his journey and he appears in chapter one, along with a marked female (I’ll talk about her later). I recently discovered two readers who are taken with him. So, a bit more about him.

Twitter_snipFirst, he’s Human, so that part is simple. Outside of describing his blond, disorderly hair, most of what you learn about him is driven by his thoughts and actions. However, he’s the boy depicted on the cover of the novel (picture to the left — by my artist, EJ Wright). I’ll attach a second picture below (fan art), created by Heather L. McCray.

When Eros first arrives in the city, he encounters trouble with the Graeliths. He happens into an alley where a marked girl, Kenrya, is hiding and she saves his life. This begins their journey together…and the start of their troubles. Kenrya is cynical and stubborn, while Eros has a broader view of life.

ErosEros provides a calm perspective to most situations. His mother believed he would be marked, so she prepared him for this future. While he doesn’t consider himself a leader, he posses a confidence and reason that draws others to him. Well, all except for Kenrya.

While adult males guided him throughout his childhood, Eros was raised by a single mother. His mother never told him about his father, which surfaces early in the story. Part of the journey becomes his own self-discovery about his heritage and abilities.

Red WingsEros wants to protect his family and friends and their way of life. He finds honor in the mark. But, will he be able to leverage all his mother taught him and survive? Even more important to him, will he be able to protect his newly found friends?