Nilla: Water, Air, Fire

TITLE: Nila: Water (Book One)

RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2018

AUTHOR: Daniel G Linsteadt

CATEGORIES: Fantasy/Paranormal/Supernatural

SYNOPSIS: Nila-Water, the first in a series, emerges as a blend of the parallel realities that
Seth lives in. Developing a debilitating illness with an excruciating skin condition, he has lived a
life of isolation. He escapes to the bedtime stories told by his father, of a beneficent race of Nila,
who live on earth and in the oceans. Suffering also the loss of his father, who abruptly
disappears from his life, he becomes attracted to his beautiful, tantalizing caretaker, Kate, who
shares the house entrusted to him by his father. They mutually agree he should undergo four
risky treatments recommended by his doctor, Eshe, to curb his ailing condition.
The questionable intentions of Seth’s powerful father for humans and for Nila are
revealed during the course of treatments. Are Seth’s real-life experiences during the
treatments actually his new life in the ocean, or a result of the drug being administered?

ONE-LINER: An unusual medical treatment leads Seth into a heroic role in a mystical life
based on his father's bedtime stories of the oceanic Nila race.

BOOK PAGE: http://ravenswoodpublishing.com/bookpages/nilawater.html

AUTHOR BIO: Author of Oaf in Ophir and Oaf in Bear River, Daniel shares his passion for
inspiring and uplifting stories—where entering the realm of the magical and spiritual blend with
the heartbeat of all life—and creatures see answers to those deep questions that stir within us.
Daniel received two BAs from the University of California Santa Barbara and spent most of his
career as an IT programmer, but his passion is creating stories.

EMAIL: dglinsteadt@gmail.com

PUBLISHER EMAIL: ravenswoodpublishing@gmail.com

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKWM4DD

AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BKWM4DD

AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BKWM4DD

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

The Nila story was created out of my love for the ocean and my unending questions of why I exist, and what is the purpose of life.

After a winter storm, my wife and I walked the Coronado Island beach. The summer accumulation of sand had been stripped away by the aggressive waves and the sand dollars with it. Left behind was an exposed pile of rocks, which required work to traverse. Scattered about on these jagged stones were large pink and opalescent spiral shells. Surprisingly, many of them were only cracked and chipped, and the seagulls had yet to discover the awaiting treasure. Life still stirred within each intact shell, their flesh slightly exposed. As I sat rubbing a battered shell with my thumb and gazing out over the rough, gray water, I pondered the meaning of life and how it might be to live in the ocean. Playing with conjured up images, and adding a few of my own potent life experiences, Nila entered my life.

            A storyline and characters began to emerge over the next month while I resisted the urge to write. For I knew it would be an all encompassing project. My wife awoke me from a potent dream one fateful night, and I knew it was time. Once the words began to flow, the characters began to take on a life of their own. They guided me down paths I had not considered. Each character was a part of me, and each response to a question or situation came from my heart, which needed to be explored.

            Not needing a storyboard or feeling the need to bend the story toward my agenda, I wrote linearly. I’m still amazed how the words Sam spoke in the very first chapter organically came to fruition in the third book, Nila-Fire. Writing this story became a love affair—my wife had to remind me to eat or take a break. Often at the end of an emotional charged chapter I would step out into the real world. Sometimes not sure what was going to happen next, I would go for a walk under the forest canopy, barefoot on wet sand of a receding tide, or lie back in a chair under the shade of my favorite maple tree. On more than one occasion my walk was cut short from a flood of knowing, and I’d hurry back to my laptop. It was as if Sam was telling me his story and I only dictating.

            Like in real life, a person opens up organically … only seeing the vulnerabilities willing to be revealed. The Nila characters also unfolded in the same manner. Discovering a potential lover is the foreplay, which is how Sam, Seth, Eshe and the other characters unveiled themselves to me. Each contained one of my qualities: determined, timid, sassy, kind, and loving. Each situation called out a different me. The story provided a way for merging all my strengths and fragilities. An internal healing is what I gained.

            So, be careful of first impressions—even of yourself. Actions and behaviors may shift from appearing negatively charged to being positive when a higher perspective is achieved.