Lynda Williams appeared on the Storytellers with host John Bell on Monday, Jan 31, 2011.

We talked about the characters, the writing process and the history of the series for a half an hour.

Always a pleasure.

Labels: Avim's Oath, CFIS 93.1, John Bell, Lynda Williams

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Fond of this interview for the sake of the people and books I get to mention, the overview of the series I cover and the details about particular characters, as well.

Labels: Avim's Oath, interview

posted by Lynda at 21:49   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

Avim's Oath is one of about 40 books put forward by their publishers for the Endeavor Award this year. Always proud to be considered. Each book is read by seven judges. That's a good bit of exposure. And the publisher has to be willing to send in the copies. Also on the list for Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is Dave Duncan's book Pock's World.

Avim's Oath is my latest novel and the sixth installment in the Okal Rel Saga, a space operatic story populated with larger than life characters who dramatize the underpinning theme of how mankind stops short of self-destruction by means of social control despite radical differences in sexual and political norms across a multi-cultural panorama.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Endeavour Award

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Labels: Avim's Oath, Brian Rathbone, interview

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Great turn out and much fun had by all at Okal Rel Universe event this October 2, 2010, at VCON in Vancouver. Kudos to Steph for the video.

Labels: Appearances, Avim's Oath, filk, Misfit Leaves Home, okal rel, opus 4, VCON

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Ronald Hore of CM Magazine's review of Avim's Oath does a great job of summarizing the conflicts. He recommended it for ages 13 and up. I particularly like the attention he gave to Luthan and Sam, the women-in-skirts in this volume who counterpoint the kick-ass types like Vretla and Alivda. Here's what he says:

"Counterpoint to the brothers, and to the more aggressive women, are two of the younger princesses: Princess Samantha O'Pearl, a rustic who flees her backward home world disguised as her brother, and Princess Luthan Dem H'Us of the Silver Demish, who, at 15, is confused about her sexuality and her future role in the empire. To compound the situation, both Erien and Amel have feelings for Princess Luthan. Amel and Luthan find themselves competing for the same honour as heir to the almost mythical Golden Emperor."

Labels: Avim's Oath, CM Magazine, Review

posted by Lynda at 22:07   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

I'll be appearing as one of the authors in the Edge line up on PodioRacket.com, hosted by Brian Rathbone and Rhonda Carpenter. Guests will be: Nancy Kilpatrick, editor of Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead; Alexandra McKenzie, author of Immortal Quest and Lynda Williams, author of Avim's Oath Part 6 of the Okal Rel saga.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Brian Rathbone, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, interview

posted by Lynda at 21:30   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 

Avim's Oath is out. Available in bookstores and from Amazon

Okal Rel Universe event at VCON Oct 1-3 will celebrate this and two Okal Rel Legacies titles

Love and titles are lost and won as two brothers struggle to attain power, recognition, and acceptance in a world filled with treachery and hatred.

The Queen is dead. Two princes are suddenly thrust center-stage to vie for a throne neither really wants, orchestrated by the ambitions of power-hungry princesses.

Amel, the elder, would prefer a quiet life — but is being pressured into the pursuit of power by the alarmingly beautiful princess Alivda.

Erien, the younger, wants to start an academy of science on their planet — but is being pursued by the leige Vretla, who intends to bear the prince’s child.
Trapped in a tangle of torment, the two brothers must prove themselves, choosing between lives they desire, and the roles for which they are demanded.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Part 6: Avim's Oath

posted by Lynda at 12:02   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 1 comments

 
Sent my last edit, incorporating the work of editor Richard Jenzen, to Edge earlier this week. Release date is April 2010. In this book, Amel and Erien sort out how to share power ...

"I do not want Amel sworn to me," Erien said, as hotly as he had ever spoken to his formidable sire. "I have saved him twice. I've paid the debt I owe him. And I have business of my own to get on with."

Amel confronts new possibilities for his love life ...

'Of course, I can't child-gift to Vretla, Vrellish style, and become a respectably married Demish prince at the same time,' Amel realized, unwisely letting his eyes focus on a section of the wall at the very moment the idea of marriage, as a political expectation, pounced on him.

and the benefits of becoming a religious icon ...

"Abomination!" screamed the assassin.
"No!" cried the man who threw himself in front of Amel.

Luthan tries to make sense of Reetion sex-ed ...

'What do you mean by giving me such a thing!' she wailed at Erien in her thoughts, but with such desperation she could hardly believe it made no sound. 'Is it an insult?' she agonized. 'Or some crude Vrellish suggestion? Or could it possibly be your strange, Reetion notion of trying to help?'

And introducing Alivda ...

"There's gratitude for you," Alivda quipped back. She leaned forward with an elbow on the table. "I did make sure he was a bigger monster than me, first. I mean, when I came across all girly, he could have tried to go for first blood, and he didn't."
"I do the moral check-up for Amel," she added with perfect seriousness. "I have to be able to tell him the bastard deserved it."

And the Princess Samanda O'Pearl, a 'middle-class' Royalblood from a parochial Demish world ...

"You look … fluid," Sam heard herself say, in a small voice. She got the pronouns right, up-speaking Amel with the proper differencing and inflections for an adherent of his order addressing her spiritual leader.
Amel's pale brow constricted, putting a wave in his jet black eyebrows. "Pardon?" he said.

And we meet one very Golden Demish champion ...

The man with Chandra was the greatest living Paladin, Oleander Vesta, and he looked every bit as strong and dignified as his collectible card. He was eighty-five, never married, only twice defeated in tournament duels — once by the infamous champion D’Ander — and the victor of six fatal challenges over his long career as champion to the House of Vesta.

And one very Vrellish champion (Vras Vrel) ...

His bare chest was oiled. He wore leather flight pants and a pair of bright red suspenders barely wide enough for the crimson braid patterns embroidered on them. A sword hung at his right side and an odd-looking platform was strapped to one shoulder, reminding Erien of nothing so much as a perch for a bird of prey.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Richard Janzen

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Saturday morning reading at the Lott home. David captured this time! He's working ten days straight sometimes lately, and long hours, so we were especially pleased to have him May 9, 2009. Seen here in his favorite pose, surrounded by young women: Krysia on his right and Catherine on his left. Catherine is working her way through Part 4: Throne Price for the first time. I must go check out her comments to me in private chat on facebook. Amel appreciates her protective instincts toward him ... although he's embarrassed his really bad days are getting to be so public. :-) A slice of Angela is visible to the right. She's re-reading Part 1: The Courtesan Prince. Honey the cat failed to pose very attractively behind them, on the couch. Also in attendance were Holly, who read the next installment in Artemis Fowl where a fairy swat squad unwisely goes up against Fowl castle in a flubbed attempt to rescue her namesake, LEP officer Holly Short; and Tegan who was in her pajamas. The girls made breakfast this time as a Mother's Day treat for me. Interesting crep-cakes Ang. :-) Sort of crepes, sort of pancakes. Holly made the whipped cream as usual. Everyone helped. I read the penultimate chapter of Part 6: Avim's Oath. Many thanks to all for the squeals of delight over Oleander's dreadful proposal and Luthan's bid for getting educated by a hobbling Amel, for Angie's spontaneous squeal: "This is the best book yet!" and to Krysia for wanting to finish it off right now! Looking forward to delivering the final chapter next Saturday after my visit to Terrace. Thanks to Angie taking over the kitchen this morning, I also got good licks in on Part 7: Healer's Sword.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Catherine, David Lott, Healer's Sword, Krysia

posted by Lynda at 07:57   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 
I've updated summaries on the ORU site for novels 6 through 10. David will be putting them up, soon, at http://www.okalrel.org/saga/saga_list.html Meanwhile, I'm blogging the one for Part 6: Avim's Oath which is with Richard Janzen for editing. This is the one I'm currently reading aloud on Saturday mornings, half an hour at a time, to my daughters and their friends Krysia, Mel and Holly.

Part 6: Avim's Oath – Rejected by Erien, and challenged by Perry to realize the dream of making the Blue Demish a court power, Amel competes with Luthan to win Demora in a bizarre competition to identify which of them is ‘nicer’. Luthan struggles with her love of Erien and Vretla just wants to get pregnant by either Pureblood. When Amel’s new body guard, Alivda, chucks Vretla out of Amel’s bedroom, she joins Erien on a mission to rescue his young nephew, Leksan, who is kidnapped by a rival clan. Amel and Erien struggle to cooperate for the greater good while competing for love and for oaths. (Coming April 2010)

Labels: Avim's Oath, Richard Janzen

posted by Lynda at 08:39   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments

 


News from editor Richard Janzen, on Part 5: Far Arena progress. Meanwhile, I am working on first draft of Part 6: Avim's Oath, which I share just a bit of the rough-draft-in-progress from, below, as a GIF. It's sooo hard to wait until the book's out to get the fun of imagining people reading bits! Bad, bad leaky author.

Labels: Avim's Oath, Far Arena, Richard Janzen

posted by Lynda at 19:40   permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments