K is for…

My A to Z Challenge theme is: characters from my trilogy, From the Ashes.

K is for…

Kavi Agni

I was born in the year 410 After the Stellar Wars. I'll admit, I don't play a large role in the future, not that I can imagine anyway. I don't mind. I was given a mission a long time ago, and I never thought it would get this far. Sometimes I doubt myself, sometimes I wonder why the hell I singed up for this in the first place.

My best friend is Jaina Indera. She doesn't know the truth yet, but she will. There will be no hope for freedom if she stays on her current path. I need help, I need serious help with her, I can't change her mind on my own.

***

Thanks for visiting today everyone! I'm so sorry for posting so late again, today has been so busy. Don't worry, in the fun way!

Don't forget to check out more A to Z Challenge Participants here, and my new blog, My Unofficial Guide To Everything.

Have a wonderful day!

–Jess

J is for…

My A to Z Challenge theme is: characters from my trilogy, From the Ashes.

J is for…

Jaina Indera

I thought I knew who I was. I thought I knew what I wanted. I was to live for the Alliance, to win the Trials for the Alliance. I thought it would make my life better. That we would be happy if we could win.

They didn't tell us the cost. They didn't tell us what it would be like, what we would have to lose in order to win. I am so small in this infinite universe, I am lost.

I am so lost in this everlasting darkness that surrounds my soul.

I was never meant to write history, and yet this is what I have been asked to do. I have to honor her life, her sacrifice. Our lives were based on lies, and I have to make it right.

I will die to make it right.

***

Again, I'm sorry I'm so late today! It was so hard writing a perfect part for Jaina, since she is my main character. I hope you like her though!

Don't forget to check out other A to Z Participants here, and check out my new blog, My Unofficial Guide To Everything (a follow or comment would be much appreciated) where I posted today about anxiety. 

Have a lovely rest of the day!

–Jess

F is for…

My A to Z Challenge theme is: characters from my From the Ashes trilogy.

Since none of my characters in my book have a name that starts with the letter F, I have a good excerpt for today from my book.

F is for…

From the Ashes

"Read it," he orders.

"It's the spark that keeps you moving,

The final rope to which you hold,

Hope is a lie, because in the end,

There's only the dark and the cold.

Take from others all you prize,

Through fire you'll prevail,

The sacrifice for victory

Is the same, should you fail.

When lies have finally burned away,

For revenge the silence cries,

When flames of rage have torn us down,

From the ashes, we shall rise."

The words make me shiver. There's an uncomfortable silence after I finish. Azad touches my shoulder and helps me to my feet.

"You know what they're asking for?" Marco asks.

Azad nods. "There's only one thing it could be."

My worst fears are confirmed. My blood runs cold in my veins and I shake my head, backing away from Azad. "No," I say. "No, that's not what it means."

Azad raises an eyebrow. "That's all it could mean, Jaina. This is what the IA demands. We must show no mercy."

***

Thanks for stopping by today everyone! Yesterday I didn't get around to sharing my favorite posts for yesterday, so here we go today!

1. Bean Grower and other F names
2. Found
3. Stormy's Epic Adventurous Quest Journey – F

Comment and leave a link to your blog so that I can check it out! Don't forget to check out other A to Z Challenge Participants here, and make sure to stop by my new blog about life, love, history, science, and all sorts of random things, My Unofficial Guide To Everything.

Have a wonderful day :)

–Jess

C is for…

Day three of the A to Z Challenge. I am still alive! :) My challenge theme is characters from my trilogy From the Ashes. So, let's get to it!

C is for…

Cal Indera

I was born in the year 352 After the Stellar Wars. My mother, Nhadya was a servant to the Empress of the Alliance, as was my father. I was told he died before I was born, though no one cared to mention how he died. My mother and the Empress were close. Best friends, you could say. Empress Lakari was like a second mother to me, and in a lot of ways, I was much more like her than my birth mother.

When I was 16, I was sent away. No one said why, that was just the wish of the Emperor. I didn't complain, though I wish I had, looking back on things. I was sent to work in a Reconstruction Camp in Vera Kaas. The Great Stellar Wars damaged many cities that are now under the tyrannous rule of the Alliance and that's what the Recon Camps were for. Rebuilding what was lost in the war. It was hard work, but when I was 17 I met the love of my life, Sarin. She was a year older than I, but she didn't know her last name. She was beautiful, she had the darkest brown hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. The sapphires in the royal palace did not compare to the blue of her eyes.

We were married when I was 21. She was 22. And several years later, we had a child. Sarin died in childbirth. Devastation doesn't come close to describing the pain of losing my wife, but my daughter Amara gave me more to live for. She changed everything for me. I wanted the best for her, so I tried to get her into a Gifted School, but they would not accept her. She was proclaimed an Inferior, as was I.

She had a fire in her I had never seen in anyone else. She knew she was meant for more. Amara was very unpopular with the local security, she tried escaping camp more than once before the age of 11. When she was 13, we were sent with a new Recon group to Rellyne. We were needed to build an IA outpost. The natives of Rellyne put up a fight now and then. Once, the Alliance forces started to open fire on village children. I stood in front of the troops and they stopped.

That's how I died. I was executed by Lucius Marris. He made my 15 year old daughter an orphan. I pray she finds forgiveness in her heart.

***

This is the sad story of Cal Indera. If you have read From the Ashes, Cal Indera is not written into the story, seeing as he dies long before Jaina, my main character, is born.

Also, my five favorite posts of the day are…

1. The Child and the Prophet
2. Catch The Moment
3. Change
4. Boredom
5. Confessions

Thank you for visiting everyone! Check out more A to Z participants here! Also, I'm starting a thing where I'm posting links to my 5 favorite A to Z posts for the day, so leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can read your post!

–Jess

Drained

Okay yeah, this is really late, but I'd just like to thank everyone who participated in the Kindle release for From the Ashes! Seriously, I can't thank you enough. You made it an amazing release day!

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'm actually published. Does it ever really sink in?

Anyway, as far as writing goes, I have definitely not done enough.

My soul feels deprived of writing.

Honestly, this blog post is the only writing I've done for fun in a few weeks. The rest has been for school, and yeah, okay maybe I am an author, but I'm not good at writing things people tell me to write about.

So this week, I'm going to try my best to wake up really early with my mom so that I have time to do some editing or writing. Lately, I've been feeling completely drained of energy, and I think it's due to a lack of writing. Book two needs lots of work, and I can actually say that people are waiting for me to finish it now.

And I miss Jaina, and I think she misses me. She's been left in suspense about what's going to happen.

LOTS of pressure on me.

So yeah, that's kinda the plan.

What are you guys doing this week?

–Jess