It is my pleasure to host author, C.S. Boyack on my blog today. I’m going to let him tell you about his neswest book, Serang!
Thanks for having me over today, Jan. I’m here to promote my newest book, Serang. This is supporting story to the Lanternfish trilogy, but it will stand on its own for those who haven’t read Voyage of the Lanternfish.
I’m trying to let the hosts have some input about what I present, and Jan asked for an excerpt. Excerpts are a great way to tease the story, so I’m happy to comply.
In this scene, Master Yong left Serang alone at their shack while he went to a village for supplies. A heavy fog rolled in, and it’s stayed for days. He’s about to return, so we’ll pick up the excerpt here:
Yong strode confidently onto the porch. Serang wiped her brow, then flicked her wrist to get the heavy moisture off.
“Where are you?” Yong asked in a soft voice.
“Here, Master.” She walked to the patio area.
“Have you done your chores and exercises?” He sat an overloaded basket on the ground.
“Yes, but something’s wrong.”
“How so?”
“The fog is unnatural. The animals have gone silent.”
“What do your meditations tell you?”
“To be cautious.”
“Have you been meditating? Tell me the truth.”
“I don’t need to. Something is wrong.”
“Do them now. Clear your mind.” He smirked at her. “I’ll protect you from the forest.”
She sat and crossed her legs but kept the wall to her back.
“What do you hear?”
“Nothing, Master. Not even insects.”
“Listen again.”
She took several deep breaths. “A light wind in the high leaves.”
“Shouldn’t wind blow this fog away?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean. Something is wrong–”
“Stop. Try again. What do you smell?”
“Brine… And charcoal.”
“Taste?”
“More brine. Master the fog is cursed or something–”
“Tut!”
Serang tried to focus.
“What do you feel?”
She remained silent for a long time. “Concern. Worry even. Apprehension.”
“Is that you, or the natural world?”
“Both, maybe.”
“At least you’re honest about it. Your feelings are correct. We are witnessing something that has not been seen in fifteen hundred years. Breathe it deep inside. Let it surround you.”
She opened her mouth for deeper breaths.
“Do you feel danger? Fear?”
She kept breathing. “No, Master.”
He knelt before her. “We are in the presence of lóng de hái ze.”
“The child of the dragon? I don’t understand.”
“Something is wrong with our world. Lóng de hái ze, lives between the worlds and heaven. This one is here because it is concerned. Try again. What else do you feel?”
“Yang, but also a female presence.”
“Very good. This dragon’s child is female. She is trying to decide whether to return to her world or go on to the sea. There she will evolve into a dragon, then try to set things right. To restore balance.”
“Will she… eat us?”
Yong sat before her and crossed his legs. “Someone has needed to tell you this for a long time. Dragons have been known to kill people but do not make a habit of it. They are more concerned with the natural world, and equity among all things.”
“But my father–”
Monastic life is all about duty, service, harmony. For Serang, a young girl abandoned at the temple by her mother after the death of her father, that life becomes all she knows. The monks give her purpose, and become her new family.
When political upheaval causes chaos throughout the land, Serang again loses everything and everyone she loves. Alone, she struggles to survive. She convinces a wandering monk to take her under his wing and complete her training. Thus begin her adventures through strange lands and her trials to become a confident, capable, independent adult.
This is a coming of age story set in a fantasy world. It’s filled with monsters and martial arts, difficulties and dangers. The serious situations preclude the story from the levity of its predecessor, Voyage of the Lanternfish, but it provides a compelling look at the origin of one of the saga’s most fascinating characters.
Purchase Link http://mybook.to/Serang
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I hope you enjoyed Craig’s introduction to Serang! Hop on over and pick up your copy! I did! And don’t forget to follow him on social media. He’s an entertaining author!
Thank you for visiting!
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