BLOG HOP WEDNESDAY

Blog Hop Wednesday with author Marilyn A. Hudson.  Directions: You are supposed to post on a Wednesday then whoever you tag posts theirs the following Wednesday.  Be sure and  share your link.

1: What is the working title of your book? 

The fiction book I am currently finishing is called THE SWORD OF ANATH .

2: Where did the idea come from for the book? 

The idea was birthed in the research and co-writing of the novel THE MOUND with author Cullan Hudson.  I kept it in the back of my mind and played with it awhile. It is set in an ancient time in the Fertile Crescent before the birth of Sumer or Babylon.

3: What genre does your book come under? Fantasy-Adventure.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?   In the role of Anath  a character of strength, dedication and a slightly exotic athletic beauty, I could see Alex Meneses or even Kirsten Williamson in that role, her sister Asheroth could be played by Ksenia Solo (of Lost Girl)  and the villan Mott would be played brilliantly by Greg Parker of "Spartacus" fame.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  A young woman fulfills her destiny as she learns the warrior ways amid violent storms of chaos and evil that threaten her people and her life.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? A surprisingly short time.  In about three months I had nearly 400 pages of manuscript completed in a first draft. I think the early musings about it made the work go faster when I set about crafting the text.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Perhaps, The Horse Goddess by Morgan Llewelyn comes closest.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?  I have always had an interest in mythology, women's history and the origins of ancient beliefs.  I was noting in research the extreme ways  a similar ancient goddess was viewed by people in several cultures.  It was obvious they were based on the same root story but why the differences?  It seemed to me that perhaps all ancient stories held a kernel of truth and changed as layers of many ages settled onto them.  I asked the classic writer question, what if?  What if those ancient stories had been based on real flesh and blood people?  What if...

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? A small sample ...

Anath knew the man creeping towards them had halted. If she knew er sister, she too had her blade out.   The men may have thought them easy prey but that idea would be quickly swept away. Quickly, her mind was reviewing every lesson and every tactic she had ever learned or heard the others discuss.

'You will pay for that!" He snarled. His eyes flicked quickly between the two. "You will both pay for that."

“Animal!” she spat out the word. She looked him in the face and moved in closer. She was glad of her height because now they were nearly eye to eye. “You are little more than an animal! Get back now, before I slit you from side to side.”

The other men were pressing forward but he impatiently waved them back.  He pointed at Asheroth with a smile that was all bravado. ”You little one,  I will see again and very soon.”

Holding his cut arm, he spun around toward Anath and leaned into her face, almost hissing the words, “And I will enjoy every moment of your payment for this!”

As the party moved away, Jamm leading the way with angry stride, Asheroh slumped down into the hot sand.             

“What were you thinking! He could have killed you…us.” She told her sister. “Without even trying he could have skinned us alive.”