Saturday, November 29, 2014

Realm Explorers Part XXV: Visit Everland with Juli D. Revezzo

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: Juli D. Revezzo   

Title of book and/or series: Changeling’s Crown

Brief summary of the story: 

Disgraced faery godmother Ianthe doesn’t count on her new assignment throwing her into the path of handsome ranch hand Briak McGee. Even stranger, she never thought she’d fall in love with a human. But everything she touches these days seems to backfire on her. Could love be just the thing to turn her luck around?

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

Some of Changeling’s Crown takes place in “Everland” and “Everland Central” which is the home base for the faery godmothers, and dark faeries. On the “light” side you have crystalline streets, fields of lush gold and greenery, gleaming tours (for the king and queen—naturally) and quaint mansions and cottages for the faeries and faery godparents. There are also Crystal towering offices and lecture halls for the use of the administration, and the education sectors. And wide open lanes for grand coaches once moved (now the faery king favors hot rods, but who’s judging? ;))

On the other side of the grove, a sulfuric mist ignites the trees and glazes the hovels of the dark fae aglow. Terrific beasts, winged and horned, and twisted beasts, respectively—move over it all, seeking out their dinner—of fae and human flesh. The king’s places dominates the landscape like a twisted, rock giant flanked by, oddly enough, roses, more dead than alive.

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

The Crystal Falls, most definitely. Lovely place and if you’re really lucky, a mermaid might turn up.

What dangers should we avoid in Everland Central ?

J Just stay away from the dark side of the grove and you should be fine. Oh, and if you see a dandy faery godfather prancing around like he knows something, that’s Geldon, the worst pain in the neck you’ll ever meet. Stay away from him.

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

It varies region to region and person to person—er, I mean, fae to fae. Though I can say most of the “light” faeries (that comprise the faery godparents pool) love particularly sweet foods—sweetened meats like roast, and honeyed carrots, cakes and cookies.  I gather from them that holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s day see a lot of them gaining extra pounds from all the sweet treats their kitchens whip up. By contrast, the “dark” fae are meat eaters and some don’t mind it raw and rancid. They’re not too fond of sweeteners in their food at all.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Everland Central?

Their weaponry is fairly traditional: swords, armor, staves. That kind of thing.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Everland?

To get to Everland from Earth, the faery godparents and dark fae take a staircase down, or the subelevators; sometimes they fly depending on how much time they have (or who they want to avoid!). Once in Everland, they have their pick of transportation, mainly horses and carriages, but the King Heath has imported a car or two for his own amusement.

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

EC horses speak, and also there are pterodactyl-like dragon beasts that stalk on the dark side of the grove. Also, the king of the dark faeries employs three headed, troll-like guardians; while the king of the faery godparents employs cherubs in menial jobs. Unicorns also graze around in the sacred grove from time to time.

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

Magic is integral to the work of the faery godparents. Convincing humans of their one true loves isn’t always so easy with mere logic. Sometimes, a handful of pixie dust is needed. And if the technology that the humans love so much goes down, how else are the faery godparents supposed to communicate with each other, without magic?

Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Everland Central?  If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.

Some of the older residents of Everland like to communicate via Magic Mirror. Some (like Ianthe’s mentor) think they’re as slow as human computers. ;) 

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

There’s fencing and horse racing. True, they are mostly used to train for the Wild Hunt, but they're good sport on their own. J

Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Everland Central as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?

The boring answer to this question is, pretty much, except that they have a few days out of the year dedicated to the Wild Hunt.

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

Thumbelina is the faery godmothers’ goddess and they send prayers to her whenever they need a little divine help.

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

They are, for the most part, a monarchy. King Heath rules the light side of the grove and to a fault. He doesn’t care if the balance tips, so long as everyone has their happy ending. Whatever he deems that might be. But he is a benevolent ruler. Probably much more forgiving than he should be. He does give Ianthe more chances than she should have. King Briak rules the dark side of the grove and though he can be ruthless when it’s required of him, he’s probably the fairest ruler those folks have ever had. He’ll torture me for telling you this but, though, he’s testy, he prefers peace to battle. As long as the balance remains intact, he’s happy. If not, well, watch out.

Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Everland Central?

Don’t try to cross into the dark side of the grove. At best, you’ll come out with a raging headache. At worst, you might get eaten!

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

Yes, I set the ranch sequences in my home state, and like Ianthe, I didn’t have the best luck with horses. I once fell off one after it stopped moving.

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

Throughout the course of Changeling’s Crown the dark faery king’s place on the royal council is remarked upon, so I suppose that constitutes a fairly hot button issue among the residents of Everland. Also there’s debate as to the work of the faery godparents in matters of the heart. Some think the faery godparents are meddlers and some…don’t.

Author Autobiography

Juli D. Revezzo is a Florida girl with a love of fantasy, science fiction, and Arthurian legend, and she loves writing stories with all kinds of fantastical elements. Aside from Changeling's Crown, she is the author of The Antique Magic series, the Paranormal Romance Harshad Wars series, and many short stories. She is also a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour. Come learn more about her at http://julidrevezzo.com

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)? 

Changeling’s Crown is available at:

Amazon (all venues), Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and in paperback from Createspace.

Click here to see the book trailer for Changeling’s Crown.


Where can readers connect with you online?  

They can find me at: 
Or they can sign up for my newsletter here.


I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Everland.  
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 fantasy world of Faylinn, in Realm Explorers Part XXVI!
-Annie Douglass Lima

2 comments:

Juli D. Revezzo said...

Thanks for hosting me, today, Annie!

Annie Douglass Lima said...

You're welcome - it's my pleasure!