Realm Explorers Part LXXV: Visit Eden with Anna Lindsay

Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 
Also at the bottom: a FREE downloadable coloring page that goes with this story!

Author’s name:

Anna Lindsay

Title of book and/or series:

Eden Undone

Brief summary of the story:

What if Eve had said no?

Take the biblical tale of Creation. And then ask… what if Eve… had said no? Would evil have given up all attempt? Or would it instead have carried on, scheming, waiting to pounce? And what then? From that joy-filled world where the lion lies down with the lamb, where we are in perfect relationship with Glory and where there is neither death nor sadness nor dissonance… how would that Unfallen family, mirroring God’s heart, react to the Fallen – and the other way around?

By imagining a universe in which the Fall is deferred by a generation, the book allows us to go behind the scenes to live and experience the events and characters of Genesis 1-4 from the inside, rather than reading about them from the outside. From first temptation to eventual fall, and the unravelling of relationship leading to that first, most shocking, conclusion, and the grace which follows, we smile, laugh, wince, mourn and rejoice with those inhabiting those days. What might it really have been like before the Fall? In practical terms. And after?

The novel is in two halves. Part I is set in Eden, and traces the tale from first moments of consciousness to cataclysmic Fall. Part II follows Cain and his family as they build their lives outside Eden’s boundaries, and the relationships which are destroyed and rebuilt.

Two great Trees. Of Life, and of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Only one forbidden. What happens when the fruit of the forbidden one is eaten? And why?

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:

Part I: Eden, that place where the lion lays down with the lamb, and there is perfect relationship between human and God, human and human, and human and Creation.

Part II: Fallen Earth. How would you cope with the practicalities if you were suddenly stripped of your powers and exiled to a harsher land?

If we were to visit Eden as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?

Join in the Great Dance!

What dangers should we avoid in Eden?

Allowing that little voice to convince you that you are unloved and unloveable, or that you have rights but no responsibility, and that consequences of your actions are unfair and unjust.

Also: I recommend that you avoid eating the fruit of that Great Tree.

And after the Fall, on earth… well, avoiding fratricidal brothers might be sensible. And relegating Glory to distant religion…

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Eden?

The fruit of the Bassar Tree. It serves the nutritional function of meat. Best roasted, unless you’re a furred or feathered carnivore.

What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Eden that we don’t see on Earth?

Dodos and other currently extinct creatures.

What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Eden?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.

No magic. Merely Glory’s supernatural power, that binds up the broken and heals the wounded wing, that creates a universe with His Word, and loves beyond measure. And unmarred communication – including the ability to communicate telepathically between all creatures.

Until it’s all thrown away…

Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Eden.

Flying with eagles. Diving with dolphins. Tending the earth with all creation. Anything involving positive creativity or ingenuity.

Is there a particular religion practiced in Eden?  Please describe what it involves.

No religion. Merely relationship.

Religion and religiosity don’t come into the picture until after they have left Eden.

What is the political or government structure in Eden?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?

Glory. The best sort of leader!

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?

Yes. Both real-life and fiction (e.g. CS Lewis’ Narnia series)

What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?

God. Sin. Abuse. Jealousy. Murder. Responsibility. The environment. The Bible. Free will. Multi-racial relationships…

Author Autobiography:

I graduated from St.John’s College (Cambridge University) and have worked everywhere from Hong Kong (as a volunteer working with Jackie Pullinger to help drug addicts) to temping in Switzerland and as a teacher in the UK. Health challenges forced retirement, since when I have served the local community in a volunteer capacity including 16 years as a Trustee of a tiny local Registered Charity.

I am available for book signings and interviews, and if you have been encouraged, stirred, uplifted, or generally blessed by ‘Eden Undone’, then I would love to hear from you!

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?  Please include links.

As of Friday, 27 November, 2015, you can purchase Eden Undone both via Amazon.co.uk and at last [*jumping for joy!*] via Amazon.com, in both paperback and Kindle formats! Also, click here to read the first few chapters for free on this blog.

Where can readers connect with you online? Ooooh, lots of places. I’m on Twitter (my Twitter name is simply @Eden_Undone) and Facebook. And I’ve even got a website for Eden Undone, though as you’ll see, there’s still room for improvement there. But if you message me, I’ll receive it.

And now for your free coloring page! Simply right-click on the image below, save it to your computer, and print. Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Eden.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the magical Camp Hollyhook, in Realm Explorers Part LXXVI!

-Annie Douglass Lima