The Book
Relics
(The Thulukan Chronicles, #1)
by Maer Wilson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Date of Publication: May 1st 2013
Number of pages: Approx 293
Word Count: 105,000
Book Description
When the creatures of myth and magic return to Earth, they're nothing like your mother's fairy tales.
Most of Thulu and La Fi's clients are dead. Which is perfect since their detective agency caters to the supernatural. So, a job finding relics for an ancient daemon should be simple.
The daemon needs the relics to keep a dangerous portal closed. His enemy, Gabriel, wants the relics to open the portal and give his people access to a new feeding ground – Earth.
Stunning humanity with their existence, portals to other worlds begin to open and the creatures of magic return to Earth.
When Gabriel threatens their family, Thulu and La Fi's search becomes personal. They'll need powerful allies in the race to find the relics before Gabriel does. But maybe that's what grateful dead, magical allies and daemonic clients are for.
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Excerpt
I'm not quite sure how old I was when I first saw the dead. Maybe I'd been seeing them all my life and never realized it. They didn't approach me when I was a little kid, so it's hard to tell. Besides, I didn't really pay attention to people in the background. That all changed when I was ten years old and found out that I could communicate with them.
There was a big storm in Phoenix that early-spring day, and it was quite dark when I came out of my after-school computer club meeting. The other kids ran through the rain to waiting cars and SUVs, but my folks were late again.
I sat on the steps under an awning and watched the pounding rain as I waited. My parents were usually pretty good about being on time, but sometimes they got involved with a client in their small accounting firm and time got away from them. Usually they called my cell phone, but it had been silent that day. A sure sign they'd be there any moment.
I pulled my well-used copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix out of my bag and started reading it for about the fifth time.
I loved the smell of rain in the desert. There were a few gusts of wind and rain, but a light jacket was all I needed over my jeans and t-shirt. At one point I heard a loud crashing noise in the distance. I got up to check the sky for lightning, but the cloud cover was a dome of uniform dark gray.
I was always fascinated by the desert light shows of crackling lightning, but the show was dark that night. That one crash of thunder was all there was, so I gave up and went back to my perch on the steps. I got lost in my book, and it must have been half an hour later when I heard voices.
“Oh, there she is. Fiona, I'm sorry we're late.”
I looked up and saw my parents in the rain about twenty feet away, coming toward me. The lights from the well-lit school entrance didn't quite reach them for some reason. Or rather, the light seemed to go through them. I put my book in my bag, slipped a strap over one shoulder and looked up just as they got to me.
That's when I froze. I could see through them – both of them, just a bit.
Fear tinged my voice, “Mom? Dad?”
“I'm sorry we're late.” Dad gave me his crooked grin. “We were in a car accident, and we had to walk. It took a while in the rain.”
I think my horror finally registered with them.
“Fiona, what's wrong?”
“What happened to you – both of you?” I could feel the blood draining from my face. Suddenly, my hands were ice cold and shaking. My bag slipped back to the sidewalk.
They looked at each other in surprise, but they too realized that the other wasn't quite substantial. I don't know how long the three of us stood there, but it seemed an eternity. I watched their facial expressions change from concern to horror to resignation.
“I'm so sorry, my dear, sweet Fiona.” Mom's voice was gentle. “I don't think we will be picking you up after all.”
I felt the rain on my face as I looked from one parent to the other. I was a bright kid. I knew they were there to say goodbye. Whatever had happened, they were no longer alive.
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Guest Post
by Maer Wilson
Thanks for having me on your blog! I’d like to share a little bit on the research I did for various aspects of Relics. I hadn’t expected to do much on history and such since Relics is set present day. But sometimes I reached certain places in the story and realized I knew nothing about a particular topic or area. So, I’d stop writing and start reading.
One of the first things I needed to do was to find out if the freeway accident was plausible, so I turned to a friend who is a highway patrolman in another state. I was assured that a chain reaction accident could have begun as I have it written. The instigating incident got the green light, much to my relief.
In doing research, I discovered there was a difference between demons and daemons, with the latter going back to the ancient Greeks. Daemons, just as Tyler Jones claims, could indeed be perceived as kind and benevolent to ancient peoples. However, I did take creative license with daemon origins.
For one of Tyler Jones’s previous incarnations, I had to do some research on early eighth century China. I read history as well as articles on art techniques from the time for materials used in the panels. I think I spent a couple days off and on researching that era. Initially I hadn’t known exactly what I wanted, but I needed a time of peace and prosperity in medieval China. That took me to the Tang Dynasty. It ended up as less than a page in the book, but it was fascinating reading.
It’s easy for me to get lost in the material when I’m researching because I’ve always loved history and I welcome every chance I get to read about other times. There are many other times and areas that I researched, but they’re too many to tell here. For me, research into history, mythology or anything else is definitely a perk to writing this series.
Thank you again, Krystal, for letting me stop by.
About the Author
Maer Wilson
Turns out she's a writer. She's always loved stories, especially fantasy, mystery and sci fi. Maer was born in the Year of the Dragon and has a dragon-themed room in her home, but sadly no dragons in the back yard.
When she's not writing, Maer plays online video games, teaches college and reads. She also co-hosts the literary podcast, “MythBehaving”. She lives in the high desert of Southern Nevada with her two dogs, a chihuahua and a poodle.
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