Brain to Books Blog Tour
Fast Facts
Author: Rawls E. Remy
Genres: Epic Fantasy, YA, Adventure, Christian, Speculative Fiction
Book: Misfits of Harlow Book #1 of the V Chronicles Series
Bio
Rawls E. Remy dwells in Rivendell and other imaginary worlds, and dreams of becoming an epic swordsmaster, learning how to ride a wild dragon, mastering the art of drawing/painting, and to one day fluently speak Tolkien’s language of the Elves. She lives off of chocolate, iced coffee, good humor and fantasy. When she isn’t writing or blogging, Rawls can be found either sitting outside in the sun with a book in hand, or pedaling away on her bike, or working to create that next piece of art. She is an Epic Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Steampunk, and Christian author in the making, with her first Epic Fantasy novel set to be released in 2016.
Blurb
The world fell to ruin long ago at the hands of the Vampiric Emperor, and according to prophecy he will soon return from the dead to finish what he started. There is only one power that can stop him, an ancient power of a soul reborn, only she doesn’t know it yet…
Living with the enemy. That’s what happens to Cyrus Sole when her elven people cast her out for being a half-blood with Elemental powers—feared even by her own family. She finds herself in the capital of elven kind’s most hated enemy, at the only place able to teach her how to master her power over metal: the elite school of the D.G. League. But there are obstacles. It’s a school for “boys,” and they hate elves. In this kingdom, elves are slaves.
Cyrus must create a new identity for herself, praying she can hide behind it until her training is complete—and hope she can survive her unusual new classmates:
Aken the dreamer and prankster; Hercule the broody, fire breathing noble; Zartanian the shy and blossoming swordsman; genii-like Bakaro of the desert sands; Lykale the suspicious genius; and Mamoru the mysterious puppet master.
Did her life take a turn for the better or the worse…?
Excerpt
“Hey!” she called out, “There’s no reason to throw rocks. Leave him alone.”
Did she just say that? Out loud? When she was only one person, and they were seven?
Oh crud. Too late to back down now.
“Well well, boys. Looky who it is!” The tallest elf gave an unpleasant grin.
“Hehe, I guess their kind come in packs, don’t they?” smirked a second. “Where one is, there’s bound to be more.”
All eyes fixed on her and they took a step near.
A frightened breath escaped her throat and she took a step back before catching herself. ‘No, I can’t let people bully me forever!’ She dashed forward, placing herself between the gang and the cage. The humanoid imprisoned within eyed her through narrow, shadowed lids. “They are people too! They have feelings, same as you,” she affirmed.
“Puh-leeze. Don’t try ‘n get us with the ‘they’ve got feelings and emotions’ bit. We don’t care!” mocked the tall boy through a sneer, and they edged closer. “Hey, I know~ How about you come play with us? You motherless tramp…”
Her hand gripped the iron pole by which the death-cage hung, steadying herself, her mind in a race for what she should do. She had to think fast as the gang moved close, circling her. How had she moved that spoon before? How had she manipulated the metal?
The scraping of footsteps ceased, and she looked up. The elves had stopped, suddenly motionless; eyes bulged wide and jaws slack, staring at something. Puzzled, she followed their gaze over to her left hand touching the pole—an ordinary iron pole, only pieces of iron were separating and peeling off, liquefying and elongating, reaching out like fingers bearing knife-point tips…fingers flying forward like thrown knives.
“AaaaH!” They hollered, ducking and leaping aside.
“She’s a freak like them!”
“She’s a monster!”
“Quick, call the Hunter Elves!”
The seven boys split up, sprinting in all directions, off to get the Hunter Elves Corps—her worst nightmare.
‘Oh no, nonono! They’re coming for me; they’ll kill me; they’ll sentence me to a death-cage!’ Panic took hold. ‘Forgive me, Lord God, I should’ve kept it secret… My life is condemned—condemned to execution! They’ve been waiting for this chance to get rid of me.’
This was the end. The end of everything.
“Girl!”
She jumped at a husky voice suddenly spoke at her back, and half turned toward the cage, raising her eyes up to meet the man’s intense gaze. Already tears of fright streaked her cheeks.
“Girl, set me free and I can take you away from this place.”
Away…what? How? They would track her down! They were called “Hunters” for a reason!
Despite her despair, she imagined the cage’s bars bending open—eyelids closed and right hand fingers outstretched.
Brrrreeee—kk!
The iron bended, almost snapping off, enough for him to climb out and drop down onto starved-thin feet. The gaunt humanoid stumbled from having gone who-knew-how-long without using his legs. But his blood’s Healing capability must already be working its rejuvenating power or else he couldn’t stay standing—the average humanoid would be wailing agony and require a wheelchair.
‘Woah, their resilience is amazing! Wish I had inherited that bit from Mom…’ Out loud she asked if he was sure he could make it.
He waved her concern aside. “I can handle myself without life-energy, missy.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her with him down the nearest alley. “You know this town better than I do. Guide me to the edge, and I’ll take matters from there.”
A sudden chill ran through her veins. She was speaking to one of her mother’s kind, and he was holding her arm.
Who was it that had killed Mother? Could these humanoids really be trusted? She swallowed. But then, what choice did she have right now? Her life among elf kind was over.
She nodded, taking the lead and making sure to keep to narrow and dim alleys and pathways. There was one place she had to stop by first. If she really was leaving Elvenstone for good, then there were some important things she had to bring with her…
Connect with Rawls
- Chronicles: Misfits of Harlow will be available in print format and ebook format in bookstores worldwide 2016. Keep up-to-date via any of the links above.
Angela Interviews Rawls E. Remy
Angela: I want to take a moment to welcome Rawls E. Remy, soon-to-be author of Misfits of Harlow (V. Chronicles: Book 1).
Thank you so much for speaking with me, Rawls E. Please take a moment to tell us about your book.
Thank you for having me, Angela.
Misfits of Harlow focuses on the lives of a group of misfits, foremost among them Aken-Shou and Cyrus. Much of Book 1 revolves around Cyrus the elf as she is chased out of her hometown and banished for the power she possesses. She finds herself in enemy territory—a people who hate elves—and creates a disguise she will have to live under.
She is of mixed blood: half elf, and the other half elves’ bitter enemy, and she is an Elemental Manipulation user. When her own kind turn on her because of these secrets, she is forced to run away and begin a new life in Draethvyle city—within the kingdom of elf kind’s enemy. But she has to hide her half-elf blood, hence the need for a disguise. As if that wasn’t enough trouble, the school she wishes to attend in order to develop her Elemental power with metal happens to be a school for “boys.” Girls with Elemental power are rare, and so the focus is on training males. She must pull out her tomboy side and hide her entire identity.
The story follows Cyrus and her new group of misfit comrades through daily training and schooling they must endure to master their Elemental powers and to one day become a part of the elite guardian force: the D. G. League. We are also shown the sad state their world and kingdom is in, the tragedy of war, the resulting hatred between humanoid kinds, aristocracy life, abuse, and slavery. It is clear that things need to change, and Cyrus and Aken-Shou are determined to do just that.
Angela: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
It was a gradual process. But I would say that my time living in Italy was where the idea first began to blossom. European stories, their myths and legends of elves, fairies, vampires, trolls, etc. sparked my imagination, and this series is the result.
I must also say that Lord of the Rings and Narnia helped fuel the ideas running through my head, and classic animes grew my interest for Asian cultures and languages.
Angela: Stories always require some form of research. What kind of research did you do for your book?
A lot of weapons and combat research. Names and language research. Different peoples in V. Chronicles have similarities to cultures and languages of our world, so I studied some things about other countries. For example, Japan’s language and culture, Romania’s architecture and myths, Finland names, and Western European architecture and clothing.
Angela: Which scene or chapter was the hardest for you to write?
The chapter that details the harsh past of Zarren, who is a sub main character in the series, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write. He’s a survivor of abuse, and knowing that there are so many children and young people in the world suffering through the same thing is what made it so difficult to write.
Angela: Please describe your favorite scene or chapter in your book and tell us why it’s your favorite?
One of my favorite scenes is when Zarren and his twin brother, Elijob, are walking a long, dirt road, and they come across fields of wild flowers. It’s their first taste of freedom, and the world is beautiful and bright in ways they’d never seen before. It is also one of their happiest memories together, and it stays with Zarren forever.
Angela: Which of your characters do you relate to the most (or) who is your favorite character and why?
Such a hard question to answer! I feel that every character, in some way, is a part of me, and I like each of them for different reasons. Aken is entertaining and gets into trouble. Zarren is the sweetest thing ever, despite all that he’s been through. Mamoru is mysterious, wise, and a “big brother” figure. Hercule is a resilient noble, who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Ellefsen, my favorite antagonist, who brings villain humor and cunning to a whole new level, is a character I have lots of fun writing. So basically, I can’t choose. 🙂
Angela: I once read that every author is simply a compilation of his/her favorite authors. Which authors have done the most to influence your writing and why?
In my younger writing life, my influences were mostly the places we visited as I grew up in Italy, and the shows I watched on TV. It wasn’t until high school that I really got into reading the big authors. Among my favorite were Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Masashi Kishimoto, Robert Jordan, and Brian Jacques. Their work showed me how to create the worlds I’d been wanting to. They showed me how to formulate battles and strategies, taught me of ships and sailing, and of weapons and combat. I also really enjoyed how much personality they put into each of their characters, and I liked all the different races they’d created. This influenced me to create my own races, cultures, and character personalities.
Angela: “Story” has always been the center of all human cultures. We need it. We seek it out. We invent it. What does “story” mean to you?
It teaches us something, tells us about ourselves, and shows to us both the bad and the good. To me, that is what “story” does, and why it has meaning.
Angela: Tells us about your next project.
Because V. Chronicles is a series, my next projects are book 2 and 3, and several novellas. Also, on the side, is my Steampunk Fantasy blog series: Madnes Solver. No that is not a misspell; go find out why and read it on the blog.
Angela: Where can we find you and your book?
You can find me at my author website and blog: Rawlse.wordpress.com. My book, however, is currently being edited. I will keep everyone up-to-date on my book’s status through the blog and monthly newsletter.
Angela: Thank you, again, so much for speaking with me.
Thank you for having me, Angela! It’s been a pleasure.
