Blog Tour: WATER AND BLOOD by N.K. Carlson

 

Water and Blood

by N. K. Carlson

 

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GENRE: YA Fantasy

 

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BLURB: Clashes on a pirate ship, battles on a castle wall, and an ancient secret unfolds. When life or death is at stake, one side must make a sacrifice to win.

 

After fleeing the Elven capital, Reith and his friends must race across Terrasohnen to warn the dwarves of the Shadow's long reach. Each new revelation brings even more questions and Reith has so much to learn about Shadows and his mysterious sword. Time is against Reith. Death stalks him in the desert, mountains, and sea, and the ever present darkness looms large over all.

 

Will they reach the dwarves in time to prevent more death? Or will the Shadow's destruction be too great, consuming everyone in the kingdoms of Terrasohnen?

 

 

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Excerpt One:

 

“So, if a fight is coming, what then? What does find me mean?” Reith asked.

 

“I have no idea,” Romulus said. “I have a suspicion that the Voice belongs to a Guardian of Light, or even the God of Light. You have a destiny, Reith.”

 

“Why me?”

 

“All chosen by the God of Light for one task or another ask that question. It is beyond our wisdom. The God of Light has purposes and plans we can know nothing about. He has written the story of Terrasohnen on the world, and we are following along as best we can, though the ending is hidden from our eyes. But as for your question, I do not believe the God of Light calls someone unless he purposes to accomplish something in and through them.”

 

“So you think I will be successful in whatever this is?”

 

“I don’t think it, I believe it. I have faith in the God of Light. I think he or someone speaking for him is speaking to you, so I trust that he will be with you.”

 

“Easy for you to say,” Reith said, “You’re not the one facing fighting and finding.”

 

“Perhaps not finding, but certainly fighting.”

 

They rode on in silence for a few minutes.

 

“You promised to return the favor,” Reith said. “Tell me about you.”

 

“I am Romulus, firstborn son of King Koinas, heir to the throne of the elves. My mother died seven winters ago. I am the only remaining child of her and my father. He shall be furious that I have gone, but it is for the best. I was raised in the palace of Sardis and had the greatest tutors in history, mathematics, law, military strategy, astronomy, jousting, archery, and swordplay. As prince, I felt a great concern for my people, that all would be treated with fairness and justice. I have taken an interest in hearing the grievances of my people against one another and against the crown, which I did my best to decide equitably. I know rulers do not choose their monikers, but Romulus the Just has a nice ring to it. I hope to live up to it. And now, I am afraid that the greatest threat to the kingdom and my people is my father, and so I am on this quest beside you, fleeing from his wrath to a foreign land to beg for aid.”

 

“Sounds bleak,” Reith said, not really knowing what to say to the prince.

 

“It’s not as bleak as one might think. The God of Light is with us. We saw that at the funeral pyre for Kydar. And when the God of Light is with us, who can oppose us?”

 

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Topic:  What drives the characters in your story?

What a question! It really comes back to why do any of us do any of the things we do? And even deeper than that, what does it mean to be human, living in a complex world with competing goods and a plethora of options set before us?

 

Let’s look at a few of my characters and see what motivates them, what drives them. We’ll start with Reith, our 16 year-old human protagonist. When we meet Reith at the beginning of “Shadow and Sword,” he is simply focused on doing the next right thing in front of him. He doesn’t have a long term plan, he doesn’t seek selfish gain, he just looks a few feet ahead and does the next right thing. As he moves about the world, he begins to establish an identity that is separate from what he does, and he starts to figure out who he is. So, in the narrative, he continues to do the next right thing, but the motivation, the drive shifts from duty to identity. He begins to identify with goodness itself. While his actions look outwardly the same, inwardly, there’s a transformation happening.

 

Now let’s look at our main villain, the Gray Man. We learn more about the Gray Man (his real name is Solzar) at the end of “Shadow and Sword” and even more in “Water and Blood.” Without giving too much away, Solzar has a Freudian childhood trauma that shapes him and makes him see the world in a certain way. The evil he does is a direct result of that trauma, and it turned him into the villain he is today.

 

All of the characters have complex personalities and personal histories that shape how they view and react to the world. Some are dealing with issues with their fathers, who either are completely absent or are emotionally absent. Some are responding to tragedy and picking up the pieces of their lives after everything shatters. Some characters are running from their pasts and the bad decisions they made. Most of the characters are earnestly trying to be the “good guys” in the story, and to live in light of goodness and beauty and truth. While they don’t always succeed in being good, most of the characters have a trajectory toward goodness.

 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

N. K. Carlson is an author living in Texas. Originally from the Chicago area, he graduated from the University of Illinois before studying at Logsdon Seminary, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree. He has published two books.

 

The Things that Charm Us and the Smelly Gospel (which was co-written with Drew Doss) both came out in 2020.

His love of writing began in elementary school when each student was given a blank white book to fill with a story. In college, he took an interest in blogging and writing novels.

 

https://www.nkcarlson.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nkcarlson

https://twitter.com/nkcarlsonauthor

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/water-and-blood-n-k-carlson/1142920220

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1956183884

 

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GIVEAWAY 

N. K. Carlson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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