Beautiful Books 2016 | The Desert Knight

 

Happy Monday and Happy Halloween Friends!

November is fast approaching (aka: it’s tomorrow!) and with it comes NaNoWriMo!

In honour of it Cait of PaperFury and Sky of FurtherUpFurtherIn are hosting the Beautiful Books link-up, a change-up from the usual Beautiful People! But the idea is the same: ten question prompts to introduce your work in progress.

Today, I’m sharing one of the two books I’ll be working on for NaNoWriMo: The Desert Knight.

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What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

The Desert Knight is set in the realm where Pirate Eyes is located. I loved the world I created so much that I started to imagine different ideas. I marked it down maybe five years ago, but only now realized that it would be a great idea to bring to life as another novella.

Describe what your novel is about!

The Desert Knight is the story of a masked vigilante who travels the dunes at night, protecting innocents from bandits and murderers.

What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!

If you want to take a look at The Desert Knight’s aesthetics, you should check out my pinterest board 🙂

Introduce us to each of your characters!

Our main character is a young woman named Parvana. She has a dark past and pursues justice as a vigilante in the night.

Nitareva is a young girl whose life will never the same after one calculated act of violence.

Daltan is a holy man who is devoted to the god Rika, and Parvana’s mentor.

Ghazeen is a famed warrior, dishonorably discharged for a crime committed.

Sristi is a soothsayer and a servant of the goddess Kari. She has been Parvana’s adopted mother.

How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)

All of the above 😉

In truth, I mostly focus on developing my characters, getting inside their head and creating a general plan of action for the plot. With this one, I’m focusing a lot on researching too, focusing on the culture, religion and magic system of this Dalosian desert territory.

What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

The ensemble of characters that will support Parvana on her quest. I really love this cast. They remind me a lot of Keira’s crew mates in my Pirate Eyes novel. The same bunch of loveable misfits 🙂

List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

1. Arid and dangerous.
2. Lush and exotic.
3. Restless and changing.

What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?

Parvana’s goal is to protect the innocent residents of the desert from the injustices of evil humans. Think that covers the who (or what) as well 😉

How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

I’d like to imagine that Parvana succeeds in recapturing a bit of the innocence she had previously lost but we’ll have to wait and see…

What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?

The main themes are the loss of innocence, the bond of family, the search for justice.

I hope that readers leave the story feeling thoughtful and satisfied, maybe a little sad, but mostly hopeful.

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Okay, that’s it for today’s post 🙂

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and my days are going to be packed writing The Desert Knight and editing Eléonore! Look out for an announcement on Friday by the way! I have some exciting news to share 🙂

And if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, let me know what story your working on. You can find me under the username faith_therivens! Let’s join forces and conquer this month together!

May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith