In my countdown posts for the release of High Maga, I never really did a character sketch of Eolyn, so I thought I'd devote some time to her today. Here are the blog hop questions, with my answers:
1. What is the name of my main character? Is he/she fictional or historical?
Eolyn is a fictional character, but many historical figures inspired her creation.
2. When and where is the story set?
The story is set in a medieval pagan kingdom called Moisehén, a place with a rich tradition of magic that dates back centuries. Eolyn was born in the aftermath of a great civil war that put an end to this tradition. During the war, the Magas, female practitioners of magic, rose up against the Mage King Kedehen. After crushing the rebellion, Kedehen forbade women to practice magic and set out to destroy the magas. Eolyn's mother Kaie was in hiding when she gave birth to her daughter, but eventually the purges consumed her life as well.
3. What should we know about her?
Eolyn is the sole heiress to the tradition of the magas. She is a gifted and powerful maga, but cautious in her actions -- as well she should be, because any misstep could cost her life. Eolyn abhors violence but will do what she must to see her dreams realized.
4. What is the personal goal of the character?
She wishes to practice magic freely and openly, and to restore the tradition of women's magic to the people of Moisehén.
5. What is the main source of conflict; what messes up her life?
As a young girl, Eolyn befriends a boy, Akmael, who also studies magic. They develop a great affection for each other, though they are parted before that affection matures into love. When Eolyn again finds Akmael, she discovers he is Kedehen's only son and heir, a formidable and dangerous mage in his own right, destined to continue his father's legacy of oppressing women's magic. If Eolyn is to see her own dream realized, she must, against the desires of her own heart, take up arms against Akmael.
6. Is there a working title of this story and can we read more about it?
I am describing the main character of my first novel, Eolyn, which covers her childhood and the early years of her journey in magic. Eolyn has multiple reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Its companion novel, High Maga, was just released this month. In High Maga, Eolyn is older, with greater responsibilities and even more complex challenges ahead of her. You don't necessarily need to read Eolyn before High Maga, but you will likely have a richer reading experience if you do.
7. When can we expect the book to be published?
Both Eolyn and High Maga are currently available from Hadley Rille Books. The third and final novel of the series, Daughter of Aithne, is in progress and will be available in late 2015.
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Next week's bloggers for the Meet My Character Blog Hop will be Linda Ulleseit and DelSheree Gladden.
Linda Ulleseit is the author of several YA fantasy novels, including the Flying Horse series, and the historical fiction novel Under the Almond Trees.
DelSheree Gladden writes YA fantasy that tends toward the dark side and incorporates mythologies of the American Southwest.
Both of them are great story tellers, so I hope you will stop by their blogs to check out their work. Look for their Meet My Character posts on or around May 5th!
