Hi all!
Please help me welcome Author Frankie Ash to my blog today!
Bio:
Frankie Ash is the author of the YA novel Eramane, COMING SOON! She holds a B.A. in English and resides on the east-coast somewhere between “Will it ever be warm again?” and “The summers here are too short!” She is currently writing book #2 of The Eramane Trilogy, to be published in 2014.
Interview:
What inspired you to write ERAMANE?
I really don’t remember. It was over ten years ago when the idea
popped in my head. I think I was driving in my car. But that’s the awesome
thrill of being a writer, when those great ideas just peek-a-boo in on you.
What are some of your favorite books/authors?
The Hobbit, anything from
Poe or King, I added a new fav when I read The
Hunger Games, Ann Rice has a special place in my heart, and I read every
single R.L Stein book I could get my hands on when I was a kid.
How did you get in to writing?
From reading, there is something about a really great book that
takes hold of you and won’t let go, and you find yourself thinking, “Man, I want
to create something that awesome too!”
What do you like to do other than write?
I love listening to music and hanging with my family. I like
catching a movie here and there. I really like to drink coffee and think about
writing. Umm, does that count?
Did you listen to music when you wrote ERAMANE, and if so, who were some of the
artists?
I sure did. But the experience of music is so individual, and
tagging Eramane with the music that helped inspire me to write it might spoil
the experience for others. It might not be that big of a deal, I don’t know.
How long did it take to write ERAMANE?
Well like I said, the idea came to me over ten years ago. I
began writing immediately but not steadily. I didn’t actually finish it until
2005. Then I sat on it for several years before deciding to publish. And there
were some developmental changes made during the editing process, but for the
most part my initial story remained. So in short…haha…about 13 years. Don’t
worry though; book two is moving along at a much faster rateJ
Did you have the whole trilogy planned before you
began writing book #1?
Not even close. I know how I want ERAMANE to end, and I know
certain things that I want to happen in the story, certain things that have to happen, and with that I will
take her to the end…the path is plotted daily.
Book Details:
Eramane by Frankie Ash
(Eramane Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: Summer, 2013
by Archway Publishing
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
In the village of Eludwid, seventeen-year-old Eramane Fahnestock goes about her life, cheerfully disregarding a prophecy made to her parents that she would have a great gift. Not yet wed and beset with boredom, Eramane cannot shake the feeling that something exciting awaits her beyond Eludwid. But when she is invited to picnic with a handsome young suitor, Eramane has no idea that her life will soon change forever.
As Eramane prepares for her date, she is suddenly hypnotized by a strange voice that tells her he will be coming for her that night. Unsettled but determined to press forward, Eramane and her suitor, Lebis, head to the woods to enjoy their picnic. As darkness falls on the forest, however, a beast emerges, transforming their beautiful outing into a terrifying scene. Taken captive and carried away to a mountain hideaway, Eramane finds her memories are soon clouded, even as her family frantically searches for her back home.
In this gripping fantasy tale, evil is summoned to the mountaintop, forcing a young woman to discover her magical gifts and exact revenge against a beast determined to destroy everything she has ever loved.
Excerpt:
Crackling flames from the oversized
hearth touch my face with their heat and wake me from my void. I feel as though
I have been asleep for days, without having dreams or any other reassurance of
existence. I am lying on a white fur on the floor of a chamber. The bright fur
stuns my vision momentarily; I have had my eyes closed for too long. I move my
fingers through the fur; it is soft and smells like wood and smoke. Where am I?
I blink my eyes to adjust my vision, and it begins to clear. Then my mind
clears. Lebis! I sit up, and fright
surges through me. My eyes search the room for my abductor. Where is it? It is
dark in the corners of the chamber; does it lurk there? The chamber is a large
stone room with no outside openings, and the ceiling is so high that I cannot
see where it ends. I rise from the soft fur bedding and put my feet onto the
cold floor. It is not until I stand on the chamber floor that I notice my foot
has been re-bandaged. I look around the room, desperately trying to see into
the darkness. If that thing is in
here with me, I would rather discover it now than wait in wonder of my fate. I
make my way to the shadowed corners. I see nothing, for now I am alone.
The
rock walls have pieces of crystal that catch the reflection from the fire,
causing them to twinkle like the night sky. I feel as if I am atop a mountain,
surrounded only by the starlit skies. I walk slowly toward one of the walls,
touching one of the sparkling crystals. The warmth of the large fire does not
reach the walls, so I go back to it for comfort. I stand in front of the hearth
feeling the flame’s heat begin to lightly toast my skin. I stare into the
flames, and their color reminds me of what brought me here, those fire-colored
eyes! Images of Lebis flash inside of the flames, like a reflection in a mirror
replaying that horrible event. Tears fill my eyes and blur the flames. I lie
down on the white fur again and weep until I lose myself again to the bliss of
sleep.
My
breath is taken by a swift, musky draft. I am aware that I am still in the room
with the twinkling walls and golden fire pit, but when I wake this time I can
sense the presence of someone else in the chamber. However, my eyes cannot find
anyone. I had hoped that death would find me in my slumber; instead it passed
me over, left me alive, in the captivity of a monster. I am at the mercy of the
beast that murdered Lebis, robbed me of an innocent life, and confiscated my
future. Only where is this murderer? I do not believe that I can bear to gaze upon
that creature again. The horrid memories spin through my head, and I wonder if
I will go mad harboring all of them.
Creak, the door to my chamber opens.
Hinges squeak and rattle, taking me away from my thoughts. I am suddenly keenly
aware of my vulnerability, not having the safety of a closed door. “Come,
Eramane,” a raspy, cracking voice says. I stand and listen for the voice to
speak again. “Do not be afraid; you are safe here,” it says. My eyes dart
around intently, not finding the source of these words.
“What
do you want from me? Why have you brought me here?” I shout. My voice carries
around the chamber, echoing off the stone. The door closes, leaving me alone
once more, alone with my thoughts.
I
do not know how long I have been held captive—hours, days? It could be either,
for I have battled exhaustion the entire time, sleeping most of it. I am
certain that my brother is searching for me by now. I imagine him and his
Riders invading this stone prison and saving me. I have dreamt that scenario
several times. It is a hope that keeps me from walking into the fire that
continuously burns, hot and strong. My daydream of rescue is intruded on as the
creaking of hinges and jarring of metal accompany the opening of my chamber
door. There is no dark, odorous cloud this time. Again a voice, seeming to
radiate from the walls themselves, offers a meal to me. Taking the offer as a
cue, my stomach rumbles and gnaws at me, as if trying to claw its way out,
hoping to find food on its own, in the belief that I have given up on its need
of sustenance. I am starving but afraid to leave the chamber. I stare at the
open door, wondering what fate awaits me if I walk through it. The door begins
to close, but this time my fear of the unknown is second to my need of
nourishment. “Wait, please,” I say, choking back my words, afraid to actually
say them. The door pauses. I walk toward it, and it waits for me.
I
cannot see anything outside of the door, but I am compelled to continue through
the opening anyway. I look to my right, into the darkness, and there is
nothing. I look left, and it offers the same. My body is numb with fear, but I
cannot seem to control its will to find food. My body moves me forward while my
mind pleads for me to turn around and run back to the warm fur next to the
hearth; it is desperately trying to fight against going into the dark hallway
As
I proceed down the dark corridor, torches hanging from the walls begin to
ignite with my every step. The walkway appears to be endless, yet with each
grumble from my belly, I am compelled to proceed. I turn to look behind me;
there is nothing there, not even the torches that burned a moment ago. Complete
darkness backs me. All I can navigate is the way in front of me. I follow the
torches until I come to another door, an oversized, wooden double door, with
black iron rings the size of wagon wheels hanging from the center. The doors are
so big that it seems like I will need a team of plow horses to open them. I stand
in front of the wooden barriers and watch with intense curiosity as they slowly
open on their own. Finally, the enormous doors cease to move, and my eyes take
in a beautiful sight.
Links:
Purchase:
GIVEAWAYS
Grand prize giveaway
Prize:
50$ Amazon Gift Card + eBook of Eramane (Open internationally)
Please thank Frankie for joining us today! Please check out her links and good luck!
Keep Writing!
Jodie Pierce
About the Author
