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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, January 21, 2019

their efforts aren’t enough - A Prophecy Fulfilled (The Vaelinel Trilogy #3) by Andi O’Connor

"A Prophecy Fulfilled is the third and final book in a sweeping, epic fantasy trilogy written in the best tradition of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. O'Connor. [...] This isn't a light-hearted bedtime story for children but if you like dark fantasy where characters suffer and are tested - and sometimes found wanting - you will love this story." - Jane, Goodreads

Description:

Published: December 9th, 2018

Regrouping after their escape from the Light Elves, Irewen and her companions fear the worst after black smoke plumes on the horizon. Allowing compassion to rule over reason, they ignore Finnwyn’s warning and return to Lilendvelle, hoping to help some of the survivors stranded in the city’s wake. Instead, they run into a trap.

Completely surrounded by an endless army of Drulaack, they fight for their lives, but their efforts aren’t enough. Irewen is captured and dragged into the heart of the Corrupter’s lair.

Having his prize, the others in the company are granted their freedom, but at a great cost: the one named in the prophecy who is meant to unite the elf forces and stand against the Corrupter is lost to the world – trapped beneath the Corrupter’s talons.

With the aid of his mother’s spirit, Brendell must now find a way to gather an alliance strong enough to march against the Corrupter and his army, but his time is running out. Each day that passes brings Irewen closer to death.

And the world closer to destruction.

GUEST POST
A Prophecy Fulfilled: Behind the Scenes

If any of you have delved into writing, you probably know that there are two basic types of writers: Planners and Pantsers. I don’t know which category you fall into, but I’m definitely a Pantser and always have been. I find any type of planning, to be extremely restricting. Even creating something as simple as character sheets inhibits my ability to allow the characters and story to evolve to their true potential.

When I try to explain my writing process to someone, especially fellow authors who are Planners, I’m usually met with wide-eyed stares of disbelief and admiration. I truly have no planning involved when I begin writing a book. Many times, I don’t even have an idea of where I want the story to go. I start writing and let the characters develop and take me through.

And although my writing process would want to make most Planners hide under their desks and scream until their eyes bleed, it doesn’t matter whether or not they understand my process that isn’t really a process. It needs to work for me, not them, and most authors will tell you that one of the most difficult things you’ll face when starting out is finding the unique process that works the best for you.
I still have my process, or lack thereof, and as I’ve begun work on my next series, it continues to be the way I write the best. But with A Prophecy Fulfilled, it wasn’t all cupcakes and sparkly unicorns. The story didn’t want to reveal itself, and the characters didn’t want to help me. For a significant chunk of the book, I felt like I was writing to fill up space while simultaneously saying nothing.

I had no idea of where the story was going and didn’t have a clue as to how to resolve the conflicts left open in The Speaker. The characters were stagnant and dull, and the title remained elusive.

Then, one day out of frustration, I went to my cover designer’s website and began browsing through their premade covers. I got about ¾ of the way down the page when I saw a black cover featuring a man’s face behind icicles and snow.
That was it.

The moment I saw that cover, everything clicked into place. The characters shouted at me, telling me exactly where they wanted to go and how they wanted their conflicts to resolve. The title sprang to life, and the story became perfectly clear, staring at me with such obviously clarity that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.

I felt like a child on Christmas morning as I furiously jotted down notes so I wouldn’t forget anything. It was a true “lightbulb” moment, and I’m certain that if I didn’t come across that cover, A Prophecy Fulfilled would have turned out much different.

Inspiration can truly come from anywhere and strike at any moment. As writers, our job is to simply listen.

About the author:
Andi O'Connor is the award-winning author of The Dragonath Chronicles, The Vaelinel Trilogy, and The Legacy of Ilvania. The Speaker is the 2018 Independent Press Award Winner for Fantasy and a Finalist in the 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards. Andi's novel, Awakening, is a 2018 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite for Fantasy. Her critically acclaimed novel, Silevethiel, is the 2015 Best Indie Book Award winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy and the 2015 New Apple Official Selection for Young Adult. Silevethiel was also named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2013. 

You can frequently find Andi as an exhibitor and guest panelist at Comic Cons throughout the country including the Rhode Island Comic Con, Awesome Con, Philcon, Conclave, and Chessiecon. For more information, visit Andi

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2 comments:

Linda Romer said...

Looking forward to reading this series, it sounds great! Thank you

Debra Branigan said...

The series sounds interesting, Good luck with your book.