Monday, February 20, 2017

Realm Explorers Part XCIV: Visit Kaloma with Anna del C. Dye

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. 

Author’s name:
Anna del C. Dye

Title of book and/or series:
A Golden Princess. Book three in A Royal Romance Series

Brief summary of the story:
"Not Trolls strength or wizard's spell will keep me away from you"
Small for her age, Princess Nyala is determined to be noticed and someday rule with fairness and valor in Kaloma. All changes when she looks upon the stars and they predict her accident. After she awakens to a broken body, her father takes to his goblet and she steps into power in her kingdom at sixteen.

Her father said that no man would choose a half-broken princess. Is that how Prince Nicolao sees her after the accident? Her heart is unsure and out of fear she keeps him away to avoid a broken heart.

As soon the other kingdoms in the land determine the predicament of the Royal House of Kaloma, they too will prey on her vulnerability to steal her kingdom. She will have to confront new foes or lose it all.

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
A Golden Princess is loosely based in Brazil. The kingdom's name is Kaloma.

If we were to visit Kaloma as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Kaloma has very artistic people and you will find groups of dancers in many places throughout their cities.
The market place is full of delicious food, colorful materials, trinkets and animals of all kinds.  

What dangers should we avoid in Kaloma?
Kaloma's kingdom is surrounded by many jungles. You should go only with a reputable guide and then follow all their suggestions or you may never return.

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Kaloma?
Yes, but that all depends on from where are you from. They have delicious tropical fruits, but if you are from an island they may not be that new to you. They have banana plantations too, and many different kinds of bananas and also they have bounteous game.

"It pays to hold your tongue"
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Kaloma?
They used machetes, swords and even charms to keep the peace. Though they are not afraid of knives and know how to use them well.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Kaloma?
They travel by horse, foot and wagons. They also use a bed, carried on the shoulders of four strong men.

What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Kaloma?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it's used.
In the neighboring kingdom of Burahm, they have astrologers. One read from the stars and foretold the Golden Princess' accident, the death of her father and his sickness.

Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Kaloma.
They know and play a game they called birdy, which is a racket game of today. They also play the flat ball game, which is a hockey kind of game.

"What a way to go to war"
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Kaloma as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
Yes, they have four seasons. They celebrate the harvest festival every year in autumn. The girls don flower circlets in their hair and dance dressed in colorful apparel. They hold a tasting contest among the ale brewers, in the region during the festival.

Is there a particular religion practiced in Kaloma?  Please describe what it involves.
They have priests but religion is not mentioned much in the story.

What is the political or government structure in Kaloma?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Like many kingdom in this era, Kaloma has a Royal representative at it head. Right now, the throne is occupied by Princess Nyala.
The princess had to pass through quite a lot to be trusted and respected by her people after the accident that left her a half-broken body. Now peace and prosperity is the result of her ultimate sacrifice.

Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Kaloma?
It is said that if a single man enters the room of a single woman at night both will be punished, even put to death.

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Yes, Princess Nyala's personality and life's tests are similar to mine. On the other hand, this story came to me as I watched a young man made of gold. His golden/brown hair, eyes and skin were stunning and I wondered how a golden princess would do for a character. The young man was actually from Brazil. That is how A Golden Princess came to be loosely based on that country.


Author Autobiography:
Anna del C. Dye was born in Valparaiso, Chile amongst some of the world's most famous beaches. She grew up the middle, after her twin, Elena. Her mother died when she was six, but Anna was lucky enough to find a new mother in her husband's mother whom she loves dearly. Anna accredits her mother-in-law with teaching her many things in life.

After meeting Rodney, a native of Idaho, in her hometown, Anna traveled to Utah on Christmas Eve and married him two weeks later. An article about their love story, Why Me? was published in spring 2010 by Covenant in the book Angels Round About. Anna and Rodney reside in Taylorsville, Utah and are the parents of three princes and a princess.
Early on in her life, Anna showed an affinity for sewing and took classes that rewarded her with the opportunities of doing costuming for the cast of four musicals, and a movie, which she enjoyed immensely. She is in charge of the costumes for the Elf Court in Utah's own Fantasy Con. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Anna is an accomplished, multi-award winning author. She received the Editor's Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry. Second place for the first page of A Kingdom by the Sea. Bronze medal for Elfs in a Conquered Realm.  Her short story entitled Amerine—Fairy Princess won an award in the Oquirrh Writers contest and was published by Kalkion Magazine. Her article, A New American Mother, was published by Desert Saints Magazine. Other articles about family and relationships have been published frequently in the MOMS CLUB® of Salt Lake Valley-West.

She is the author of The Silent Warrior Trilogy and four other books in her Elf Series. Anna has also published an electronic book for sixth-graders name Emerine's Nightmare. From her new A Royal Romance Series, A Golden Princess is the stand alone book three of this series.

Anna holds a yearly Book Drive in her community and has given more that 250 books to 6 different Elementary Schools and another 1000 to 3 different Senior Centers in Utah.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books? 
My books are in kobo with produce several formats

Smashwords:

Where can readers connect with you online?

--> https://www.amazon.com/Anna-del-C.-Dye/e/B002BLY7D2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1486504918&sr=8-1-fkmr0


I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Kaloma.  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 another world in next week's edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima

1 comment:

Peggy's Hope 4 U said...

The drawings are wonderful! Thank you for sharing a little about Anna del C. Dye and her writings.