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: Chrys
Cymri
Title of book and/or
series: The ‘Penny White’ series currently comprises of three books: ‘The
Temptation of Dragons’; ‘The Cult of Unicorns’; and ‘The Marriage of Gryphons’.
The fourth book will be called ‘The Vengeance of Snails’. At least two more
books are planned.
Brief summary of the
story: Penny White’s life changed forever when, one afternoon, she was
asked by a dying dragon to give him the last rites. She discovered that there
is a parallel world to our own, and that beings such as dragons, unicorns, and
gryphons regularly cross over. In order to help her better understand this
world, she was given an Associate, Morey, a cat sized gryphon with sarcasm
management issues. She also has to deal with a darkly handsome dragon, Raven,
who keeps turning up where she least expects him, and a small snail shark,
Clyde, whom she adopts after accidentally killing his mother. A handsome police
inspector, Peter, is her boyfriend, and she also has to cope with a much
younger brother called James.
Brief description of
the world or location you created for this story:
Lloegyr is the equivalent of Great Britain in the parallel
world of Daear. The national language is Welsh, although a number of citizens
can also speak English. Until recently, the various races such as dragons,
unicorns, gryphons, elves etc. lived apart from each other. But the country is
undergoing an industrial revolution, which has brought them to live alongside
each other in the cities.
If we were to visit Lloegyr
as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there? Book a ride
on a tacsi dragon for wonderful views
over the red roof of Llanbedr Cathedral and the older parts of the city. For
the best ale, albeit in the smelliest conditions, check out the taverns in the
harpy section. Visit the law courts to watch the unicorn judges administer
justice.
What dangers should
we avoid in Lloegyr?
Don’t get into trouble with the vampires, the fine is
usually a portion of your blood. Harpies love to get drunk and fight, so don’t watch
yourself in their bars. Avoid the snail sharks.
Is there a distinct
or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Lloegyr?
So long as you don't expose your teeth in a smile, you’ll be
mistaken for a vampire. So if you go into a tavern, you might be asked what
type of animal blood you fancy.
What types of
weaponry or fighting styles are common in Lloegyr?
Mostly teeth, hooves, or claws. Elves, dwarves, or weres
might carry knives.
What types of
vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in Lloegyr?
Dragons who have hired out their services as tacsis are quite common.
What types of plants,
animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Lloegyr that we don’t see on Earth?
Well, they do cross over to Earth, but most humans can’t see
them. Our brains simply dismiss their existence as being impossible.
What role, if any,
does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Lloegyr? If there is magic, please give some examples
of what it involves or how it’s used.
There must be magic involved for dragons and gryphons to be
able to fly, and weres to be able to shift between humanoid and animal shapes,
but no one uses magic as such.
Are the days of the
week and months of the year the same in Lloegyr as on Earth? What holidays or
special events are celebrated regularly there?
The times and seasons match those of Great Britain, although
the weather is a bit warmer in Lloegyr. Missionaries from Great Britain have
spread various faiths into Lloegyr, so the Christians there, for example, keep
the festivals of Christmas and Easter. The Eisteddfod, a multi-day celebration
of music and drinking, is also very popular.
Is there a particular
religion practiced in Lloegyr? Please
describe what it involves.
Many religions are practiced. The situation is as complex as
on Earth.
What is the political
or government structure in Lloegyr? Who
is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The various races had their own forms of
leadership/government. Now that they are living together, common policies are
coming into existence. The police force is formed of dragon-elf partnerships,
and the judges are unicorns. Democracy is in its infancy.
Has anything in your actual
life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Penny White is a full time Church of England minister who
lives in Northampton and loves ‘Doctor Who,’ single malt whisky, and dragons. I
share all of those characteristics with her!
What, if any, “hot-button”
or controversial topics do you touch on in your book? The industrialisation
of the country has brought the various species together and, as a result, some
are falling in love across the racial divide. A shadowy organisation called Cadw ar Wahân
are against, for example, gryphons marrying were-foxes or dragons falling in
love with humans. The organisation has already arranged the deaths of several beings
who were in mixed species relationships.
Author Autobiography:
Priest by
day, writer at odd times of the day and night, I live with a small green parrot
called Tilly because the upkeep for a dragon is beyond my current budget. Plus
I’m responsible for making good any flame damage to church property. I love
‘Doctor Who’, landscape photography, single malt whisky, and my job, in no
particular order. When I’m not looking after a small parish church in the
Midlands (England), I like to go on far flung adventures to places like Peru,
New Zealand, the Arctic, and North Korea.
Free ebook!
Anyone who
signs up to my newsletter list will receive a free ebook of their choice.
Where, and in what
formats, can we purchase your book(s)?
Please include links.
The books are available on Amazon, both for Kindle and in
paperback.
Where can readers
connect with you online?
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Lloegyr. 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!
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
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