If you have followed my blog for a while you may remember when I did some fan art for Gillian Bronte Adams fantasy story, and I'm glad to say that today she is guest posting here! In case you have never heard of her here is a little bio, then ill hand it over to Gillian.
Bio: GILLIAN BRONTE ADAMS is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, coffee-loving speculative fiction author from the great state of Texas (America). During the day, she manages the equestrian program at a youth camp. But at night, she kicks off her boots and spurs, pulls out her trusty laptop, and transforms into a novelist. She is the author of Orphan’s Song, book one of the Songkeeper Chronicles, and Out of Darkness Rising. Visit Gillian online at her blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.
Today, we’re looking at the letter G.
G is for Gundhrold
They were coming.
Gundhrold peered into the moonless dark, feathered wings ruffling in the breeze. Distant howls sounded to the beat of thundering hooves and clinking armor. Distant, but rapidly approaching. Foul murderers. His claws dug into the bark of the limb, and dark sap bubbled out of the scratches. A fresh scent hovered around him, strange amidst the eerie screams borne upon the wind, and he studied the russet sap staining his claws like blood.
Writing the prologue of Orphan’s Song (book one) from a non-human perspective was both challenging and fun. Gundhrold is a griffin, which in our world is considered a mythical creature with the body and tawny colored fur of a lion, crowned with the head of an eagle and russet feathered wings. At the opening of
Orphan’s Song, he is already long past his prime, though he would never admit it. Particularly not to the peddler, Amos McElhenny.
In the world of Leira, griffins served the Songkeepers and Songlings as Protectors, and as such, they were ever hunted by the Takhran. It fell to the council of griffins to determine which individuals had received a partial gifting (Songlings) and which had received the full gifting (Songkeepers). In Songkeeper, we learn that one such decision led an angry young man named Rav—brother of the Songling Zahar—to betray the griffins to the Takhran, a deed which led to a horrible tragedy. Now as the last of his kind, the task of protecting the Songkeeper falls to Gundhrold alone.
“For centuries, my kind have served as Protectors for the Songkeepers and for anyone who showed promise of possessing their abilities—Songlings, we called them.” – Songkeeper
By the time the story begins, Gundhrold has lived long enough, traveled wide enough, and endured hardship enough to not suffer fools kindly. He is the king of acerbic wit. Although he is far from human in matters of social niceties, sarcasm is one human habit that he has completely mastered.
One of my favorite parts of writing is when you get to pit vastly different characters together in tough circumstances and see what hilarities ensue. As an author, it’s like having front row seats to a cage match—albeit, generally a comedic one. It’s time to kick back, settle in with a bowl of popcorn, and wait for the fists to fly.
Gundhrold was such a strong personality in and of himself that he needed an equally strong personality to butt heads with, and Amos … well, Amos was the perfect candidate. If you haven’t met Amos McElhenny yet, he’s a traveling peddler with a fierce temper and tongue to match. So—SPOILER ALERT—at the end of Orphan’s Song, throwing Amos and Gundhrold into a do or die mission together was just too good an opportunity to pass up. *evil chuckle*
Gundhrold’s head lowered until his massive beak was only inches away from Amos’s nose. “I am a son of the desert. This was once my home—the home of all my kind. I know every crag, every slope, every crick and hollow—”
Amos rolled his eyes. “Every blatherin’ speck o’ sand?”
“I know where I’m going. Don’t interfere.” The griffin padded off, broken wing still trailing the ground, leaving Amos racking his brain for a suitable insult for the … the … insufferable beast.
Needless to say, much hilarity (and fist throwing) ensued …
Gundhrold is fierce in battle. Not at all the sort to trifle with. But beneath his ferocity and rigid exterior, he hides a heart that beats with the truest affection for those under his care. He will fight to the death for those that he seeks to protect.
Gundhrold bared his teeth. This was death. This was the end. And he would meet it with all the fury in his soul and wake in Emhran’s land to greet the dawn.
Songkeeper Blurb: War ravages Leira and the Song has fallen silent.
Freed from the hold of a slave ship, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, and Ky, a street-wise thief, emerge to a world at war. Hordes of dark soldiers march across Leira, shadowed by whispers of plague and massacres, prompting Ky to return to his besieged home city in hopes of leading his fellow runners to safety.
Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Takhran’s fortress. Legend speaks of a mythical spring buried within and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it to achieve victory. Everyone believes Birdie is the one, but the elusive nature of the Song and rumors of other gifted individuals lead her to doubt her role. Unleashing the spring could defeat the Takhran once and for all, but can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?
Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books.
And before you leave, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! One lucky winner will take home a copy of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and a gorgeous handmade mug. Two lucky winners will take home copies of Songkeeper! Enter through the Rafflecopter below and be sure to visit www.gillianbronteadams.com to continue following the blog tour. You can earn new entries for each post that you visit along the way. Winners will be announced after April 15th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you encountered a griffin in a fantasy book/movie before? What is your favorite type of mythological creature?
