The ship for Satis has set sail and the story of Daphne's little sister Deirdre is unfolding!
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have finally started work on Deirdre, the second book in the Annals of Orbis, and I am now deep into the story. Though the world of Orbis remains the same, the journey has taken us across the ocean from Arietes, kingdom of the antlered Cievo, to the land of the Humans where things are quite different. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let me inform you that the first impressions of Humans by Cievo princess Adrastea, title character and protagonist of the first book in the Annals, were not far from my own. Whoever said that a writer controls their own world is lying to you. My characters shock me, honestly. It isn't healthy.
Ahem, now on to the important things.
RELEASE DATE
We have yet to choose an exact date, but Deirdre is on track for release in the Spring of 2021. The date will be determined after the first few edits have been completed and then you can all mark those calendars with that red pen! Once again, launch day will have free eBooks so you won't want to miss out.
CHARACTERS
If you have read Adrastea, I am sure you know the basic premise of Deirdre, but in case you missed it, I will include the short blurb at the end of this post.
Let's talk about characters!
My favorite part of most stories is the characters. Characters of all shapes and sizes with an array of personalities and quirks are what really makes a story appealing to me. Though I am sworn to secrecy (by myself) and cannot give away too much, I will mention a few characters that will be playing key roles in Deirdre, Book 2 in the Annals of Orbis.
Deirdre
We all know who this is, but in case you skipped the first part of this post or somehow forgot; Deirdre is the main protagonist of this story, and the sister of well-beloved Daphne.
Miguel
Miguel! Our tall, dark and handsome, silent statue of a man is going to make an astounding - but quiet - return in this book as the co-protagonist. With current problems facing the Pavia gang, Miguel is forced out of his life of thievery to help his brother infiltrate a kingdom where he has an unfortunate encounter with a young gladiator. (Deirdre).
Falcon
Every story needs a good villain, and Falcon is probably more fun to write than he should be. In his position as the recruiter for slaves to fight in the weekly gladiator fights at Crow Haven, Falcon is feared by anyone in possession of two arms and legs and under the age of thirty.
Petra
Though not the main antagonist, this girl is used to being the champion. When Deirdre comes into the picture and the odds change, her feathers get more than a little ruffled.
Elaine
Cellmate of Deirdre, friend to all slaves, and possibly the most unobtrusive deadly enemy of the Crows, organizers of the gladiator fights, Elaine takes the cake when it comes to catching adversaries off their guard.
Moon
Cellmate to Deirdre, Petra and Elaine, Moon lost her memory after being captured by Falcon and is now somewhat...insane.
Flamma
And lastly, Flamma, a strange, young girl who will not leave Deirdre alone, and whom Deirdre finds rather mysterious.
There they are, some of the new characters who will inhabit the pages of Deirdre. I hope you will enjoy them and, if you want to get a first look at how they fare in the story, please consider joining my launch team! For more information on the launch, for what goes into being a launch team member and how to become one, click here.
Once again, thank you for tuning in and I hope you have a wonderfully adventurous day!
- Anna
PLOT
The Kingdom of Satis, one of the five kingdoms of Orbis, is inhabited by the Humans, one of the five peoples of Orbis. Everyone there lives in fear of being selected by the Grapevine as the 'newest member of the fighting class', the doubtful honor bestowed upon gladiator slaves who either fight or die. The Grapevine not only organizes games. This band of merciless villains is holding Satis in a tight grip.
Deirdre, a young acrobat, never dreamed that upon returning home to her native land, she would be picked up by the Grapevine and thrown into a world of 'kill or be killed'. Fighting just to stay alive, Deirdre struggles to uphold the moral life she used to live, finding herself up against cruel brigands who find entertainment in the torment of others.
Will Deirdre fight as a slave for the Grapevine, or as a rebel against the tyranny that has befallen her kingdom?