The World of "Secrets of the Sands"
copyright 2009 Leona Wisoker
Leona may be contacted by email at the following address:
leona at leonawisoker dot com (no spaces, of course)
leona at leonawisoker dot com (no spaces, of course)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did it take you to write "Secrets"?
From the time I wrote the first paragraph to the time I considered it "done," about two years. However, that two years included a whole lot of world-building and background development; following books have gone much faster as a result. As a contrast, the second book in the series, tentatively titled "Bells of the Kingdom" (I'm sure that name will change!), took me about three weeks on the first 90,000 word draft. That's my personal record, though, and involved several twelve hour days! I don't plan to repeat that -- but then, I didn't plan to do that in the first place.
From the time I wrote the first paragraph to the time I considered it "done," about two years. However, that two years included a whole lot of world-building and background development; following books have gone much faster as a result. As a contrast, the second book in the series, tentatively titled "Bells of the Kingdom" (I'm sure that name will change!), took me about three weeks on the first 90,000 word draft. That's my personal record, though, and involved several twelve hour days! I don't plan to repeat that -- but then, I didn't plan to do that in the first place.
Are you self-published? (Alternately: so, you're self-published, right?)
Actually, no, I'm not. Mercury Retrograde Press is a real publisher, not a subsidy or even a hidden subsidy press. They are a small press, and are just starting out, so their catalog is still small; but I've read the works of most of the other writers on board and I am absolutely thrilled that I'm in such good company. But Mercury Retrograde Press pays me, not the other way around.
Actually, no, I'm not. Mercury Retrograde Press is a real publisher, not a subsidy or even a hidden subsidy press. They are a small press, and are just starting out, so their catalog is still small; but I've read the works of most of the other writers on board and I am absolutely thrilled that I'm in such good company. But Mercury Retrograde Press pays me, not the other way around.
Have you written other books?
Yes, I have. "Secrets of the Sands" is book one of a planned three-book series, "Children of the Desert," and the second book is already in the publisher's hands for review. The third book is, at this point, an extensive series of fragments and notes which will no doubt magically pull itself together over the next couple of years; well, that's what it always feels like to me, anyway!
Three more novels set in this world are already written or are in the extensive-fragments stage; one, tentatively titled "Blood of the Kingdom," which tracks Cafad Scratha as a child during the days after his family is killed; a second almost done, which will be a sequel to "Blood"; and a third, which will probably be the beginning of the next three-book series: it starts out about five years or so after the end of "Secrets."
I also have a science-fiction novel well on its way to being completed (target: 90K words), and enough fragments and ideas to keep me going for years -- which is a good thing, since I plan on doing this for the rest of my life!
Yes, I have. "Secrets of the Sands" is book one of a planned three-book series, "Children of the Desert," and the second book is already in the publisher's hands for review. The third book is, at this point, an extensive series of fragments and notes which will no doubt magically pull itself together over the next couple of years; well, that's what it always feels like to me, anyway!
Three more novels set in this world are already written or are in the extensive-fragments stage; one, tentatively titled "Blood of the Kingdom," which tracks Cafad Scratha as a child during the days after his family is killed; a second almost done, which will be a sequel to "Blood"; and a third, which will probably be the beginning of the next three-book series: it starts out about five years or so after the end of "Secrets."
I also have a science-fiction novel well on its way to being completed (target: 90K words), and enough fragments and ideas to keep me going for years -- which is a good thing, since I plan on doing this for the rest of my life!
Do you have questions? Email Leona at the address below!
LEONA WISOKER
Is the Northern Church based on any "real world" religions?
No! Absolutely not. The Northern Church--or, as followers call it, The Church of the Four Gods--developed as a corruption of the much older southern faith, which consists of three gods: Comos, Ishrai, and Datda. In the southern pantheon, Comos represents neutrality, Ishrai female/ growth/ positive energies, and Datda symbolizes male/ death/ negative energies (note that positive is not the same thing as "good"; neither is negative the same thing as "evil"). The founder of the Northern Church, Wezel, claimed to have experienced a vision revealing that the southern belief was fundamentally wrong, and that in fact four gods existed: Payti (fire), Eki (wind), Wae (water), and Syrta (earth). More details on both southern and northern pantheons and practices will be given in following books; but for now, rest assured that I do not intend to parody or copy any real world religions in this series. While inevitable, similarities are completely coincidental, non-intentional, and not meant as a slam on any real world faith.