Blood
Royal
Legacy
of Albessind
Book
One
Lloyd
A. Meeker
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: February 26,
2015
Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0606-3
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0607-0
Number of pages: 333
Word Count: 85k
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Book Description:
Struggling artist Eva Milaras is
in the midst of buying groceries when a bomb blast tears the store apart. A
handsome man with mysterious powers saves her life and stuffs her into a limo
without a steering wheel—while treating her like royalty. Caught in a deadly
web of magic and murder, Eva faces an aristocratic destiny she didn’t know
about and doesn't want. Now in a strange world she has to survive the deadly
schemes of her new-found relatives as they maneuver for advantage in a
murderous royal court.
Talak has loved Eva long before
he saved her life, but that love is doomed. She must marry a man from a royal
bloodline, and Talak is duty-bound to protect her until she marries—regardless
of his torn heart. Together they battle intrigue and betrayal, only to discover
they must choose between letting go of each other...or certain death for
treason. A choice Eva refuses to make.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Instead of the
large, perfect fruit shown in the flyer, the Granny Smiths at Budget Foods were
small and beaten up—yet another disappointing win for reality over promise. Eva
Milaras gazed at the poor things as she tore off the coupon and stuffed the
rest of the pages back into her bag. I guess we’re all bruised in one way or
another.
Still, she was
sure she could find half a dozen decent ones in the stack. She’d get some yams
and put them together in a casserole—a tasty and inexpensive declaration that
she was now back in charge of her life in spite of being broke.
She’d tough this
out with what little cash she had in her purse until the gallery could figure
out what was causing the mysterious delay in her payment. They owed her for two
large paintings, and that money would be more than enough to get her back on
her feet again. It was just a matter of time. She yanked a plastic bag from the
dispenser and began picking through the apples.
She flashed on
her little studio. It had great light, decent ventilation, and was within
walking distance of most everything she needed. So what if she had to maneuver
around her bed to get to the tiny kitchen? With Derek gone, it was all the room
she needed for her easel and canvases. She’d love to keep it if she could, but
the rent was due in two weeks and...well, she’d go to the gallery this
afternoon, see what Leslie had to say. She found two more unbruised apples and
took them as a sign of better times coming. She really would take charge of her
life—simplify, concentrate on her work, and avoid complications like an
unemployed boyfriend.
“Pardon,
Serenissima.” A strong, warm voice from behind pulled her from her reverie.
Turning, she saw a man, early thirties
probably, tall and well-built, dressed completely in black. Who wears such an
expensive silk shirt and slacks to Budget Foods on a Saturday morning? They had
to be club clothes, but he didn’t look like he’d been out partying all night.
And what a great face to paint! A delicious olive tone to his skin, deep eyes,
strong angular face-planes, so... compelling, framed by black hair that fell
unbound, thick and dangerously sexy, past his shoulders. Great shoulders. Lean
waist. Yes, he’d make a terrific model. She found herself smiling at him,
realizing too late that it probably wasn’t a good idea. He was already standing
uncomfortably close.
About
the Author:
Lloyd A. Meeker credits Walter de
la Mare’s “The Listeners” as the first poem to steal both his heart and his
imagination. That was in seventh grade, and he’s never been the same since. At
university he devoured Lord of the Rings in a single weekend. Then came
Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea.
Fantasy became his home turf.
He’s led what can only be
described as an eventful life, and he’s grateful for all of it. He’s been a
minister, a pilot, a janitor, a drinker, a cancer survivor, and a software
developer on his way to becoming a writer. His work includes five novels, two
books of poetry, a few essays, and several short stories.
He’s happily entangled in a
life-long love affair with metaphor and the potent mystery of the Hero’s
Journey, especially in its metaphysical and psychological aspects. He lives in
southern Florida among friends and family with his husband, working on his next
novel, practicing subtle energy healing, reading, wallowing in classical music
and celebrating a very active retirement.
Interview:
Where are you from?
I was born on a farm in northern
Colorado, but have dual citizenship – US and Canadian. Without really planning
to, I might add, but I’m glad it turned out that way. It was something good to
come out of losing my parents at a very young age. I’ve lived in both countries
about the same length of time, and I think it’s given me useful perspectives on
society in general.
Tell us your latest news?
Most immediate news is the new
edition of Blood Royal released three
days ago! I’m thrilled Wild Rose Press picked it up. I’m
currently working on the sequel and it’s an exciting, demanding project. I never
expected the first book to lead to a second and third, but it’s turned into a
really interesting (imvho!) story stretching over two generations.
In other news, as they say, last
year saw some exciting recognition for two of my books: The Companion was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Literary Awards,
and my murder mystery Blood and Dirt
was runner up in the 2015 Rainbow Awards for mystery.
When and why did you begin writing?
When I was a little boy, my two
sisters and I had a box in which we kept our most treasured books and toys. Our
favorite book was a big collection of illustrated fairy tales, stories we read
over and over. I think they seeded my interest in telling stories, even though
I didn’t try to write one myself until I was in grade school.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think the penny dropped when I physically
held a print copy of my second novel, Traveling
Light (my first novel was published only in ebook format and mercifully has
disappeared into well-deserved obscurity) for the first time. When I saw my
name on the cover it was such a rush! My heart raced, I broke out in a sweat
and teetered on the verge of tears. With the release of every book that moment
just gets better. I hope that never changes for me—it’s an incredible feeling.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I can’t tell you exactly what got
me started, but I can tell you what inspired me to finish it. When I came out
in my 40s I had to start a new life, and that drastic change seemed to catalyze
my need to write stories. Suddenly I was writing a lot, and the raw adventure
of it grabbed me. Those efforts languished while I spent a few years drinking
too much, but after I got sober I began to write again.
In 2003 I had a pulmonary
embolism and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. After my surgery I spent my
first nights ever in a hospital. As I lay there basking in a lovely morphine
cloud a stern voice cut through the fog: “You’ve always said you wanted to
write. Well, you’d better get on it, because you’re now on bonus time.”
The next day I asked my husband
to bring my laptop to the hospital, and I began to sift through the pieces of
what I’d done. It took me two more years to get the finished ms to a publisher,
but writing has been a non-negotiable priority for me since that fateful night
in the hospital.
As I wrote I fell in love with
the craft, too—I took classes and attended workshops (I’m doing a post-grad
writing workshop at FIU at the moment) and so far the thrill of writing and
working at my craft hasn’t let go of me. I hope it drives me until I expire.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I can’t explain why, but for a
long time I wrote mostly poetry, but since I began my new life I’ve focused
almost exclusively on long fiction. I’d like to think my prose has a poetic
quality to it that deepens emotional experience of the story. Some readers like
that, and others are turned off by it. I just have to write the way I do.
How did you come up with the title?
Blood Royal
identifies the core problem in the story. Eva Milaras is a struggling artist in
Roanoke, VA, when a magical stranger saves her life from a grocery store bomb.
Turns out Eva is not who she’s always thought she was. She’s the product of a
gene-pool maintenance program for the royal families of a parallel world,
Riardan, and it’s time for her to assume her place in her real mother’s immensely
wealthy clan. She’s furious at being kidnapped into a life of privilege and
luxury, but she carries the essential recessive gene that renders her immune to
magic, the single requirement for those in the line of succession to the throne
of Riardan. How she copes, survives attempted murders and other skullduggery to
master the political games of Riardan and win freedom for herself and her lower-caste
lover is the story.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to
grasp?
Certainly—even if she’s trapped
in a strange and deadly environment where she’s expected to marry and have
royal babies, never underestimate a smart, resourceful and courageous heroine!
How much of the book is realistic?
That depends on how you see
realism. Magic is the core technology of Riardan, just as electronics is at the
heart of technology in our culture. That’s not particularly realistic, but
attitudes in Riardan about caste-systems, privilege, power and wealth, about
obligation to society and tradition are all recognizable as existing in our in
our world’s cultures.
Blood Royal is
very much a fantasy, but I hope that in spite of its fantastical elements, the
human behaviors that drive the story will be recognizable as psychologically
consistent with what we find in our familiar world.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your
own life?
Sure. For example, I’m very
familiar with microcosmic political intrigue, especially as it exists in the
boardrooms and committees of altruistic non-profit organizations. It wasn’t
hard to make the jump from the little assassinations of petty competition to
the outright murder of political enemies.
On top of that, the core
structure of Blood Royal is a
Cinderella story, although in this case a very unwilling one. Just about
everyone knows a little about a long-shot chance to change something big in
their lives.
What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m between books. I
just finished The Madonnas of Leningrad
by Debra Dean. It’s an absolutely stunning work of insight and beauty. I
recommend it highly.
What are your current projects?
Right now I’m working on the next
book in the series started by Blood Royal.
It’s set entirely in Riardan at the end of Blood Royal and before its epilogue.
It focuses on a young witch of very humble birth coming into her power. And
yes, finding love! Books one and two will eventually tie together in book
three.
What would you like my readers to know?
I love feedback from readers! If
you have any questions or comments right now, please leave them here on this
site. If a question comes up later, drop by my website, lloydmeeker.com and send
me a message from there. I’ll answer, I promise.
Web and Blog: www.lloydmeeker.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LloydAMeeker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.a.meeker
Tour
giveaway
3 Signed print copies Blood Royal
open to US Shipping
3 Digital copies of Blood Royal
in epub or mobi format – winner’s choice
Thank you for the interview. It certainly makes me want to read this book!
ReplyDeleteDeborah
Blood Royal sounds like an amazing read!
ReplyDelete