Rugby intimidation and New Zealand magic

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Ann Videan

Magical New Zealand forms the backdrop for my Delfaerune Rhapsody series. The land of the Maori. Are you thinking, “Maori? Wha—?” They are the native people of those majestic and diverse islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

One way the Maori have become better known in our current culture is through the All Blacks’s “Ka Mate,” which they perform as a group before each rugby match. This “haka“—traditional Maori war cry, war dance, or challenge—incorporates bulging eyes, long tongues, threatening stances, and shouts. Intimidating, right?

That’s why I pull elements from the haka to liven up my battle scenes, especially by my burned-out-rock-star-esque Dark Fae.

All_Blacks_Haka

Rotorua, New Zealand “Hangi” village 3/2008 ©ANVidean

Also, many of the words I use in the stories come from the native people’s language. To represent “bad magic,” I use the Maori term “mākutu.” Another is “karakia.” It doesn’t translate exactly to “good magic,” but you can see how my use of it captures the spirit when you visit the official online Maori Dictionary.

Yes, that is a thing, and, if you click on the links I provide, you can read the Maori definitions and hear the pronunciations, too.

If you want a real trip, look at all the words that come up under “spell.” Don’t be surprised if you find a few more of these terms in my future writings.

What other words/translations do you know for “spell or “magic?” Please share!

…………………..

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
ann@annvidean.com

Author, Song of the Ocarina
Author/illustrator, Enchanted Faerie Portals Coloring & Creative Writing Pages
Co-founder, Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy

Write. Edit. Publish. Word-of-mouth strategy.
Check out my Book Shepherding consultations.

Novel excerpt reveals fearsome Fae leader, plus blue suede shoes

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Ann Videan

shoes-2106637_640 In this excerpt from my upcoming book, Beat of the Pakiri, my protagonist Lark has just returned home from a near disaster, while out practicing her new unauthorized spell. As she faces the wrath of the realm’s leadership, you’ll find out why even the powerful teenaged protagonist fears this intimidating Fae leader.

You’ll also meet one of the little winged faeries… who has earned a king of a name.

The Acting Magistra of Karakia—among the most powerful spell casters in the realm—wasn’t someone Lark ever wanted to cross, let alone annoy. Summer Windish stalked forward, her elegant frame stiff, hazel eyes blazing, with energy wafting off of her like a sirocco wind. With her brunette hair lifting in billowy waves around her head, she engendered the dark queen Galadriel’s visage as she rejected the offer of The One Ring.

The human movie image playing through Lark’s mind cut off abruptly when the acting magistra stopped inside her comfort zone and leaned in.

“Lady Lark, what in the realm do you think you are doing? Throwing new spells around without appropriate clearance or support. As if we don’t have enough elemental upheaval already! And, doing it in the lap of our enemies and kidnappers of your parents, our leaders. What were you thinking?”

Lark drew back, grasping for the confidence to deal with her situation. She remembered how her father handled conflict, even among the most powerful Fae in the realm, when he was the Magistrate of Karakia. The mental image of his fierce frown and piercing brown eyes buoyed her inner strength. Feigning a calm demeanor, she turned her father’s adopted stare on the acting magistra.

No matter what Summer Windish said, trying the unauthorized elemental spell was the right thing to do. And, it had almost worked. If the blasted Stones family hadn’t shown up to interrupt her, she and The Earth Mother might have actually helped to partially reverse Delfaerune’s elemental devastation.

She tightened her lips and continued to stare levelly at the acting magistra, who clearly waited for a response. Allowing the silence to stretch, Lark took the moment to compose the emotion vibrating through her body. How better to diffuse a heated accusation than to change the topic?

“How do you even know what happened? I’ve just returned.”

“You can’t possibly know of the machinations the Division has in place to keep the realm, not to mention you, safe, M’Lady. Do you think we’d just allow you to go running around the realm alone and unguarded?”

Lark’s gaze moved to her bodyguards, who stood among the security contingent in formation around River. She thought she’d been so smart to escape her Bulky Boys before dawn this morning. Guess not. When her gaze caught Leif Derrick’s, he hung his head. Next to him, Sonny Wattyr turned an alarming shade of red as a little winged faerie, sporting a bedazzled white cape, flew over their heads. The creature landed his little blue suede shoes on the guard’s broad shoulder and stared at Lark, his wide grin spreading between long sideburns.

What in the realm is the notorious “Elvish” doing here?

Let me know what you think, will you? 🙂

…………………..

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write. Edit. Publish. Word-of-mouth strategy.
Check out my books on Amazon and Kindle.
ann@annvidean.com

Real deaf hero inspires a story hero

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Ann Videan

Learning to re-sing after going deaf…

What Mandy Harvey went through to earn Simon Cowell’s heartfelt response in the video below, is exactly what my character Lark will be dealing with in Beat of the Pakiri, book 2-in-progress of my Delfaerune Rhapsody series.

How can Lark be “The Maestra” and write musical spells for the realm, when she’s deaf?

If you have suggestions, processes, or resources to help me make Lark’s experience feel authentic to readers, please comment.

Absolutely Wild! enchanted faerie products to help emerging young writers

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Ann Videan

One of our original faerie portals, Spektralized.

Yeah, I know, it’s an absolutely wild idea: sell a book by creating a whole business around it. Still, when the idea is cool and whimsical, teaches you new things, and also supports something you adore… why not!

My long-time friend Cherie Scott read book 1 in my Delfaerune Rhapsody series, Song of the Ocarina, and the Fae characters inspired her to sculpt a faerie portal for me. As a thank you, I wrote a short story about the faerie who lived within it. (You can see both, below.) That gave us the idea to craft custom portals and tales for others who like the idea of having a faerie friend around.

One of our custom faerie portals and Faerie’s Tale: Auntie’s Visitors

The creativity of it all moved us right into developing Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy.

Our faerie products include a special Delfaerune Rhapsody line of portals and tales. We also published a faerie portals coloring book with writing prompts, packs of coloring note cards, and themed Faeries’ Tales.

The best part is that your gift of imagination and whimsy—whether for yourself or a special someone—helps us support our passion: emerging young writers and creatives.

So, as of this week, we are open for business! [Yes, that’s me bouncing from foot to foot so I don’t squeal and pierce your eardrums.] Wanna help us realize our dream and our dream for young writers? Check it out.

Our original faerie portal sculpted by
Cherie Scott.

Excerpt from
Fidget’s Visitor: A Faerie’s Tale

The fluffy cinnamon-spotted dog sniffed at the wee wooden door. His yips made the spindly mushrooms lining the front walk vibrate in time with the faerie’s gossamer wings.

The tiny creature inside the door risked a peep through a thin crack in the wood, and trembled when a giant brown eye moved closer. It blinked, and she whipped back against the stone wall of her kitchen, throwing her hands over her eyes.

What could he want? Did he smell the ChocoLavender cookies baking in her wood stove?

: Our original Faerie’s Tale, written by Ann Videan… in booklet form.

She found her courage and turned to peer through the crevice again. The dog cocked his head and one ear flopped into the crackling leaves blown against the door from her garden. He gently nipped a small Aspen-illustrated card from a basket hanging around his neck, and nudged it under her door with his nose.

The fairy jumped. Her arms flailed and, on tippity-toes, beat a quick retreat.
Mustn’t come in contact with the paper! It could be laced with poison! Or, at the very least, contain a highly threatening message. p1370192

Careful not to move too close, she used a sprinkle of faerie dust to open the card, and gingerly leaned forward to read the large scribbles.

P.S. Yes, there really is such a thing as ChocoLavendar cookies!

Beyond whimsy: Experience the impact of faerie doors

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Ann Videan

One of my drawings for the Absolutely Wild! faerie door coloring book.

As you may have heard, my dear friend Cherie and I recently embarked on a journey to create Absolutely Wild! faerie doors. The New Zealand Fae characters in my Delfaerune Rhapsody fantasy novel series inspired the idea, and we plan to do a line of Delfaerune Fae doors tied into the books. We also plan to write custom faerie tales to accompany the wee whimsical doors we craft for art
and gifts. A coloring book is also in the works.

But… we’re finding that more than whimsy can come into play with this idea.

Check out the faerie doors gracing the city in this video. Public art and imagination bloom with the possibilities…

Also, to further experience the power of a faerie door, read and watch the touching short film, The Gnomist. Make sure you have tissues nearby.

Where else have you seen the impact of faerie doors?

Absolutely Wild! coming soon

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Ann Videan

My long-time creative friend, Cherie Scott and I are creating a line of customized faerie doors and tales: Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy.

After you fill out one of our questionnaires asking about a few of your favorite things, Cherie crafts a faerie door incorporating those details, and I write a short story about your portal. One line of doors and tales will tie in with my Delfaerune Rhapsody novel series, which served as Cherie’s inspiration for this idea in the first place.

Here’s the first one she created, with an excerpt from the story I wrote about it.

Fidget’s Visitor

(Excerpt)

The fluffy cinnamon-spotted dog sniffed at the wee wooden door. His yips made the spindly mushrooms lining the front walk vibrate in time with the fairy’s gossamer wings.

The tiny creature inside the door risked a peep through a thin crack in the wood, and trembled when a giant brown eye moved closer. It blinked, and she whipped back against the stone wall of her kitchen, throwing her hands over her eyes.

What could he want? Did he smell the ChocoLavendar cookies baking in her wood stove?

The fairy jumped. Her arms flailed and, on tippity-toes, beat a quick retreat.

Mustn’t come in contact with the paper! It could be laced with poison! Or, at the very least, contain a highly threatening message.

Careful not to move too close, she used a sprinkle of fairy dust to open the card, and gingerly leaned forward to read the large scribbles…

Want to help us make Absolutely Wild! the most whimsical faerie doors ever? Give us some ideas and we’ll give you credit in our marketing. (Jot your comment below.)

Fantastical read, top-notch gift idea, relaxing price – this weekend only

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Ann Videan

Character image by John Taylor.

Looking for an escape from holiday pressures, or need a solid gift idea for someone who loves fantasy adventure?

Here’s an easy — and super affordable — way to ease into a new realm… In the Zealynd realm of Delfaeurune, music joins with Earth energy to conjure balance among all creatures, “extinct” and mythical creatures talk and live peacefully, and the Dark Fae pattern themselves after burned-out human rock stars.

I’m offering my newly published Song of the Ocarina (ebook version) for a special Kindle Countdown price of $2.99 for three days only: F., Dec. 12–Sun., Dec. 14. Here’s a link describing how to give a Kindle ebook as a gift, just in case you don’t know how. (I didn’t.)

Wondering what the book’s all about? Here’s an excerpt:

Lark’s heart beat quickly. The room tugged at her. Not just because of its rich natural garden tones, but something undefined, too. A tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.

Noel stepped toward her. “Are you alright, Alouette?”

Without thinking, Lark threw her arms around him. He hesitated at first, obviously surprised, but quickly responded by pulling her in close. The calming rhythm of his quickly beating heart helped her regain her composure, and she drew back to arm’s length.

He wiped tears from her cheeks as she looked up into his handsome face. “I… I’m sorry, Noel. I’m not sure what it is.” She glanced around. “This is my old room, right?”

He simply smiled, placed his hat on the table, and began humming a slow haunting melody. He held out his hands to her, and she took them, not sure what to expect. Hands joined, he moved their arms gracefully back and forth, all the time focusing intently on her eyes. She sensed powerful restraint behind their brilliant blue, but no matter what they hid from her, she never wanted to stop gazing into their depths.

As he sang, a soft thrumming emanated from the foliage in the room. The combined musical hum crescendoed, and the vine bed curtains and bright floral swags above the windows started to sway in time with his movements. Strands of light drew her gaze as they streamed out of the living greens and into Noel, their luminescence joining his energy field. She could see it flowing through him, brightening and widening his aura. As he continued his song, the light raced down along his arms and around Lark’s hands. When it hit, a gentle buzz reverberated through her body with a tingle. A cloud of human memories and anxiety washed out of her mind with a splash of clarity.

Lark became aware of herself as the oldest Fae daughter of Delfaerune Magisters Knyt Tūrehu and Fern Tūrehu. She knew she had grown up here in this beautiful Division home with her younger sister B’rook.

She had trained since age four to learn the secrets of the Fae world’s three most sacred instruments. The Kura Ocarina, a hand flute capable of carrying messages through foliage to affect physical changes in living beings. The Sacred Pākiri, a drum designed to control the emotional state of Fae. And, the Aroha Autangi, a zither with the power to control elements and spark spiritual healing.

All of Delfaerune knew her as the next Maestra… the one fae, Dark or Noble, with a matchless connection to Mother Earth, and an undeniable musical prowess. She would be chosen as her generation’s virtuoso and musical leader, in the footsteps of her father, once she came of age.

She had turned seventeen while in the human realm, so her testing would come soon.

With this realization, Lark pulled away from Noel, breaking the spell’s thrumming. She covered her mouth with her hand, and scanned her bedroom.

P.S. Song of the Ocarina earned a Top Five Finish in the April 2014 Realizing The Dream Contest, by editors and agents attending the RWA Desert Dreams Writer’s Conference.

Author secrets—from world-building to a writers’ residence exchange—ALWAYS

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Ann Videan

Our November 2014 tips from established writers attending the
Alliance of Literary Writers, Authors and Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) gathering.
Read ’em and reap.

I was asked by one of the ALWAYS authors to share some world-building tips with our tribe, on the heels of publishing my new fantasy adventure Song of the Ocarina.

For a copy of my handout, visit the Files link on the ALWAYS Facebook page. Here are the high-level points from my wee presentation*:

1. Pick a unique idea or set of ideas to frame the world.
Mine centered around:

Noel Stone, newly Noble Fae, musician, and sometime sheep shearer. Image by John Taylor. ©2013 VUPublishing

Noel, a 6-1/2′ tall character who came to me in a dream
A New Zealand-type realm influenced by the Maori culture
Fae names:
- Noble Fae all natural (Lark, Glenn, B’rook)
- Dark Fae based on burned-out rock stars (Mikk, Kert, Axyl)

2. Rules – establish logical rules for your world (especially putting limitations around magic, or developing cultural activities)

3. Rituals – structure a set of set activities in the world’s culture (greetings, birthdays, weddings/funerals, art/music, sports)

4. Power – develop a series of hierarchies (government, education, communities)

5. Place – more than setting, describe the place from a character’s perspective

* Malinda Lo’s blog provided world-building inspiration for my comments.

Additional tips from our authors:

Support indie authors by buying their books rather than sharing or free downloads. Your support means they can continue creating the stories you love.
Looking for a place to write? Check out Poets & Writers‘ writer’s residency exchange. I am SO excited about learning more about this!
The 3-Day Novel Contest. This writing challenge has happened every Labor Day weekend since 1977. “Entrants pre-register, grit their teeth, lock their doors and try to produce a literary masterwork in 72 short hours. A panel of experienced judges reads the results and the winning novel is published.
To see what readers like about a genre, look at Amazon reviews about similar books.
Write a series rather than a one-off. Consider making the first book in the series Perma-free (permanently free ) on Amazon to allow readers to sample your writing and get hooked on the series.
Read Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them, by Francine Prose
Write more than you read about writing. Ah, the temptation!

…………………..

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth
avidean@videanunlimited.com

Share an evening with award-winning authors, books, and music… even award-winning cookies!

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Ann Videan

Cheryl’s and my books are both filled with music and love. Her romance, A Friend Request, will appeal to adults (18+), while my fantasy adventure, Song of the Ocarina, is geared to new adults (ages 15-25+).

Join in our book celebration!

The music-filled, fantastical world of Delfaerune awaits your exploration in my newly published novel Song of the Ocarina. I’ll share the spotlight with Cheryl Gillmore, author of A Friend Request—an adult story of first love rekindled online—which I had the honor to edit.

Capture 12 Photo Gallery
417 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ

Sat., Nov. 22, 4 p.m.–8 p.m.

What’s in it for you? Everything award-winning!

Win a free 5-page sample edit of your writing.
Earn an entry for my drawing for a free signed copy of Song of the Ocarina, a Top Five Finisher in the”Realizing The Dream Contest.”
Just bring proof you found the special image identified in my blog’s Delfaerune Rhapsody section.(At the event, show me a screen capture, Instagram photo, my live blog page on your mobile device, etc.)
Meet at 7 p.m. with other “new adults” to discuss forming a tribe geared to leveraging your creative works.
Meet Cheryl Gillmore, author of A Friend Request, which I had the honor to edit. Her poetry book, Of Roots, Shoes and Rhymes, won the Sixth Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in poetry. Her first novel, Uncommon Bond, won the 2012 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards for Fiction-Romance.
Hear the playlists associated with our books, both of which are filled with popular music references.
If you have no other reason, come on down for a taste of my family’s award-winning Molasses Crinkles cookies. (Really, the annual ZooTeens cookie baking contest, thought our cookies were “Most Like Grandma’s.”)

Another opportunity for a book-drawing entry…

Independent authors rely on loyal supporters like you to allow them to continue writing the stories you love. Can you help by spreading the word? If you bring evidence of posting or re-posting any announcement for this book signing, I’ll add a second entry into my book drawing for you, and send you home with a bag of those delicious Molasses Crinkles.

Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth

P.S. Learn more about my novels on Google+.

Musical, fantastical novel debuts: Song of the Ocarina

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Ann Videan

Today, the post brought to my door a large box filled with copies of my new novel—Song of the Ocarina, book 1 of the Delfaerune Rhapsody series. I experienced an absolute, glorious, Back to the Future George McFly moment! (You remember the character receiving his box of books in the 1985 film?)

That moment… opening the box and lifting out your creation… well, it’s an indescribable. Definitely worth a movie score subtext… if only!

You can currently find my music-filled, fantastical, new-adult novel on Amazon—in both paperback and Kindle format, but…

You may want to consider purchasing it in-person between noon and 4 p.m., Nov. 1, 2014, at the Author Palooza Book Signing Release Celebration at Dog-Eared Pages in Phoenix. [She grins, hoping to see you there. C.L. Gillmore, a wonderful author friend, will also participate with her book A Friend Request, which I edited.]

I’m also staging a one-day “Amazon Rank-Up” sales event, probably on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Watch my Facebook page and this blog for more details.

Another amazing image of secondary characters Axyl Thorne and B’rook Turehu as envisioned by Stacy Lefevre.

So, what’s it all about, you wonder?

My Song of the Ocarina manuscript won a Top Five Finish award, in the “Realizing The Dream Contest” at the RWA Desert Dreams Writer’s Conference in April 2014.

A great start for something I began writing during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2010, even before I self-published my first novel Rhythms & Muse.

Four years later, here I sit with a new book and great gratitude for input from:

Seven critique partners
Three beta readers
Three Maori/New Zealand expert resources
Two Fae culture creative consultants
Three vegetarian recipe providers
Nineteen song aficionados
One content editor
One generous production designer
Two brilliant character illustrators

In a companion post, I list the names of all these contributors… Many more lovely people helped make this book possible. A humble thank you.

About the Novel

Desperate to understand her place in the world, teenage musical prodigy Lark Tūrehu unwittingly follows her handsome music teacher Noel Stone into the parallel realm of Delfaerune. With her extreme height and long, silver-white hair, she already considers herself a freak in her Queenstown, New Zealand university, so how can she possibly deal with the added burden of her role as the Noble Fae’s leading musical spell caster? Not only must she retrieve and master the Kura Ocarina to earn the title of the realm’s “Maestra,” but the faefolk expect her to use the ancient wind instrument to save the human race from extinction at the hands of the Dark Fae.

♫♫♫♫♫

In Delfaerune, you’ll discover a lush world where music joins with Earth energy to conjure balance among all creatures, extinct and mythical creatures talk and live peacefully, and the Dark Fae pattern themselves after burned-out human rock stars.

Explore the Playlists

Song of the Ocarina is filled with music. Listen to and/or watch videos of all the songs mentioned in the novel on my YouTube or Spotify playlists.

Praise for Song of the Ocarina

“Ann N. Videan’s writing, descriptive and engaging, pulled me into the imaginative story she created with all my senses. Lovable characters, vivid descriptions, a truly magical, musical world. I eagerly await the next installment!”
—Jennifer Hartz, author of The Future Savior Series

“Teens and adults alike will find Videan’s story and characters appealing. I enjoyed the Fae musicians’ original lyrics, the animal personas—kiwi, moa, even the dragon—and the New Zealand flora and fauna enhanced the narrative.”—Sara Rebennack, bookseller

About the Author

Ann at Carmel’s Cafe in Phoenix, AZ

I live in Mesa, Arizona, with my awe-inspiring husband and two college-age children. As a Literary Architect, I book-shepherd authors through the writing, editing, self-publishing and word-of-mouth marketing of fiction and non-fiction titles

My women’s fiction novel Rhythms & Muse, along with its complementary soundtrack of five original songs inspired by the story, debuted in 2011. I now create fantastical adventures for new adults in my Delfaerune Rhapsody Series.

A professional writer since 1981, I opened my own award-winning home-based marketing firm, vIDEAn Unlimited, LLC, in 1996. I have served as an editor for corporations, visionary entrepreneurs, and national publishers.

My most joyful moments involve filling pages with words, exploring music, documenting memories in photos, gathering people around me with a cup of green tea in my hand, and rolling smoothly down new pathways on my in-line skates.

Explore blog posts about writing, my books and music CD, and my writing community here on this site. You can always contact me at avidean@videanunlimited.com.

So, could you possibly want to know anything else? I doubt it but, just in case, feel free to ask away!

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