Happy Wednesday!
It's been almost a month since I wrote this book and I still can't stop thinking about it and wanting to share about it so here we go! Project Xion has gotten a lot of interest and hype, but before I can publish that one... Desert Flower has to come first, so I thought I'd share a little more about it.
Title: Desert Flower
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rough Blurb: After her coming of age ceremony, Rayla believes she is cursed by the gods and runs away from her small village where she will never be able to fit in. She stumbles across desert pirates and hides out with them as she tries to accept the truth of what was told to her during her ceremony.
Length: 71,652
Days to Complete: 20 days
Favorite Songs on the Playlist: Welcome to Wherever You are by Bon Jovi, Runaway by AURORA, Trying My Best by Anson Seabra, I'm Not Okay by Citizen Soldier, Road Less Traveled by Lauren Alaina, Journey (Ready to Fly) by Natasha Blume, Gotta Be a Reason by Alec Benjamin and Unpack Your Heart by Phillip Phillips
Fun Facts: Desert Flower is the first completely fantasy story I've written since I was fifteen. I didn't realize it until a friend asked, but I haven't written in and created a fantasy world in seven years. This story is also less plot driven and more character driven. It's more about the emotional journey of Rayla than anything else. I know this may seem strange for a young adult fantasy book, but the biggest theme in the book is infertility since Rayla realizes during her coming of age ceremony that she will never be able to carry a child.
This is a theme I've wanted to write about ever since I realized at sixteen that I had a medical condition that makes it so I'm unable to carry and have biological children of my own. A lot of what Rayla feels and experiences throughout Desert Flower is how I've felt and the things I've experienced through the years as I've come to terms with my own condition. Ever since I found out I've always wished I had had a book in my favorite genre with a character I could relate to. I feel like maybe it would have brought me comfort if I had had a book like Desert Flower with a character like Rayla to read about after I found out about my condition. From the moment I started writing this book, I wrote it for the younger version of me and for other girls out there who have or are experiencing the same things I have.
Character Intros
Rayla
Age: 16 (her age may change, I'm still deciding on whether I want her to be 16 or 18)
Physical Appearance: Average height with long legs and tan skin. Long dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Always wears a scarf around her neck, shoulders or head.
About Her: Grew up in a small oasis village in the deepest depths of the Badlands where they get very few newcomers. The community isn't very welcoming to outsiders or people who are strange or different in any way.
Favorite Things: Spending time with her friends, helping out with chores around the house, babysitting the little ones in the village and telling spooky stories around the fires late at night.
Least Favorite Things: Small, cramped spaces or being underground, dust dogs, the way her village can't accept people who are different or new
Sadina (Sadi)
Age: 18
Physical Appearance: Petite with tan skin and vibrant blue eyes. Her brown hair is always in interesting updos and she almost always wears shades of blue.
About Her: She's Sadek's twin sister and is good at keeping secrets, is light on her feet and an excellent shot with guns. Went through some pretty awful things growing up.
Favorite Things: Dancing, cute baby animals (even if it happens to be a killer dust dog), traveling, pancakes and shopping.
Least Favorite Things: How hot the desert is all the time, scared of the dark, when her brother eats all the pancakes and doesn't leave her any.
Sadek
Age: 18
Physical Appearance: Tall and lean with tan skin and bright blue eyes. Brown hair that goes a little below his shoulders that he either ties back or puts up in a bun.
About Him: Sadi's twin brother. He'll do anything to protect his sister. He and Sadi lost their parents when they were little and she's all she has left, so she means everything to him. Is also an excellent shot, but is also good with a sword too.
Favorite Things: Teasing and bugging Sadi, going on adventures, pancakes, train rides, the City of a Thousand Lanterns and looking at himself in the mirror.
Least Favorite Things: Sleeping, feeling tied down, dust dogs and large bodies of water.
Aldric
Age: Possibly in his 40's?
Physical Appearance: Tall and broad shouldered with short dark hair shot through with a few streaks of silver. Some scruff along his face and rough dark brown eyes and dark tan skin.
About Him: He saved the twin from slavers when they were little and took them in and raised them. He's originally from Cyracuse and used to a seafaring pirate until he was kicked off the ship for freeing kidnapped victims. Despite having a bit of a bigger heart than most pirates, he still doesn't mind stealing to make a living.
Favorite Things: A good fight, hanging out with the twins and just teasing each other, haggling, the ocean, saltwater taffies.
Least Favorite Things: Sand getting everywhere, the smoke that comes from the steam engine factories, when Sadi won't stop talking.
End Intro!
What do you think? Desert Flower is definitely a heart story and something that I'm super proud of. Not only because it's the first fantasy world I've built in years but also because of the type of story I get to tell through Rayla for those who need it. I always hope all of my stories can be meaningful to someone out there, but this book was very specifically written for other girls who have gone through and have what I have. But I also hope that even if you don't struggle with infertility the way Rayla does that you'll be able to relate to other aspects of her story too.
I love a good fantasy story! All of your books sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I seriously can't wait to share it (hopefully next year)! :b
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