Showing posts with label Books of the Infinite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books of the Infinite. Show all posts

Friday, February 21, 2020

JUDGE: German Translation!



Books of the Infinite, Volume 2

Exciting news this week!


JUDGE, book 2 in the Books of the Infinite series has just been signed for by ReformaZion Media to
produce a translation in the German language! The paperback version is expected to reach shelves in October.

Thank you, ReformaZion Media, and dear readers in Germany, who have requested Kien's story. I am praying you enjoy reading it as much as I (Kacy as R. J. Larson) have enjoyed writing it.


Blessings, and more news soon!

Saturday, October 05, 2019

Our (or, rather, my) New Website!


R.J. and Kacy: Some of our books

At last!


After more than a year, I've created a joint website for Kacy Barnett-Gramckow and R. J. Larson.
Apologies for the delay. Throughout the past year, I debated the value of an author website, and whether I should create one for both of my writing names, or a separate site for each.

Why did I decide on a new website at all? One word: emails. Some readers strongly prefer to land on an author's website and submit genuine emails--and I (we) love receiving emails!

I finally decided on a host, paid fees, transferred domains, paid for domains, jumped through hoops, paid for email addys, and possibly yelled in frustration once, then made numerous phone calls to very patient techies who ironed out wrinkles. After making all those payments for just one domain, I (we) decided that one site had to work for both genres--despite all the rumors, authors need to budget their money.

Yes, the site's 'look' is more Kacy Barnett-Gramckow than R. J. Larson, but R. J. must learn to share, right?

Without further ado, here's my (our) new site!  https://www.gramcoink.com



Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Forsaken Empire Origins

Recently, I was searching for copies of my original files for The Genesis Trilogy (see previous posts) when I came across copies of my first book, my apprenticeship book, laboriously stored on 3.5-inch "floppy" disks. Who remembers those compact floppies and the original floppies? Ancient history, right?

Deservedly so.
Forsaken Empire Origins

Four 3.5 compact disks held my single precious manuscript in backup, just in case our PC crashed and offered only the heart-stopping blue screen of writing death. Actually, I might be guilty of using as many as 12 disks to back up my massive tome. Excessive? Perhaps. However, because my research involved reading more than 300 books I'd either purchased or borrowed from the regional library when the fledgling worldwideweb couldn't provide answers to my authorly questions concerning all things medieval, the prospect of losing my work induced nightmares.

Nowadays, my nightmares involve storing info in The Cloud (aren't thunderstorms possible?) as well as emails and random thumb drives--all more convenient than my vintage 3.5 compact disks. Even so, these 3.5 inch babies make me smile. After all, they hold the framework for my current Forsaken Empire series. Thankfully, I've managed to protect my PC's files for more than two decades, because .... I no longer have a computer capable of reading these shiny little disks.

Does anyone still use these?

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Keeping Secrets From Characters




 Ancient verses hold links to their own pasts.



While writing Legends of the Forsaken Empire, book 1, I've realized that I'm keeping secrets from my characters.

The mysterious, dangerous manuscript they've translated holds hints, links to their families' pasts, and their own spiritual heritage.

My characters haven't a clue.


Ela and Scythe, from Natalie B.
Their world's Dark Ages and the chaos following the empire's collapse has completely obscured all knowledge of the wondrous lands and creatures their ancestors took for granted.


Readers of the Infinite series will open Book One and within the first chapter, they'll know long-vanished secrets pertaining to my new characters' heritage.

Should the secrets remain hidden? 

 

Being a history fanatic, I've often wondered which ancient events from my research books were witnessed by my ancestors.

I haven't a clue.

Should my characters learn about their ancestors' lives?

Or should I take a page from real life and allow them to face events armed with their own resources and whispers of the past hidden within their own dna?

Who knows?  

     

I'm trying to decide.
Somehow, allowing readers of the Infinite series to open book one and chance upon clues, granting them knowledge about my characters is appealing.

Time will tell. ;)




Blessings,

R. J.                                        

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Lost At Sea Scavenger Hunt Stop #16



Welcome to the Lost At Sea Scavenger Hunt where we are helping the Kinsman people find a new home. If you’ve just found us, be sure to start the adventure at Stop #1, which is Jill Williamson’s blog.

Collect all the clue words in order so you can enter to win the Kindle. If you want to enter to win the second Kindle, you’ll have to take a quiz at the end, so take your time and read each post carefully. The main prizes in the hunt are open to international entries. Individual author contests, however, might have different rules, so please read the parameters on each site. You have until Sunday night, February 19, at midnight, Pacific time to finish.

If you need help, or get lost along the way, click here for assistance.


The war in Leira kept the Wilek, Trevn, and the kinsman party from getting too close to the area. They backtracked some, and headed east, around a deep crack in the earth that reminded them on their homeland. The ocean came into sight in the east, but before they could reach it, they arrived at Stop #16, Adar-iyr, featured in R. J. Larson’s novel Judge, the second installment in the Books of the Infinite series, continuing the story of Prophet’s Ela of Parne. Sidenote! Prophet, the ebook, is free this month on Nook, Kindle, and most online retailers! Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Koorong, and more!

Watchman of Adar-iyr~~Bonus Scene for the Books of the Infinite series! 

 

Should he try to forget the dream? 

Jemmy shivered and gently scooted past his snoring grandfather in their makeshift shelter of reeds and palms. Poppy Hal would wake soon and talk about going into the city to scrounge for food. But, why? Fishing and gleaning the beach was safer. Sure, fish and sea-greens weren’t filling as proper bread and meat, but one day, Poppy would go into the city and never return—unless they threw his body out of the city gates to clean the streets.

Adar-iyr was cruel-bad. Worse than Jemmy could ever remember, and Poppy Hal vowed he remembered too much for a boy of eight. He remembered every kick and curse from the ruffians in the city’s streets. Every vicious and desperate person he’d met within those walls. The weeping widow, the laughing thief, the beaten child, the sold-girl with the empty gaze, and the hissing sword that had cut down his parents last year, leaving crimson pools seeping into the streets’ pavings. Poppy said it was no use to remember the man who’d swung that sword. Why bother when Jemmy and Poppy’d never receive justice? That day, the dying day, he’d try for the rest of his life to forget.

Yet, should he also forget the dream when it offered hope bright as a sunrise? Adar-iyr clean, shining, and peaceful … Impossible. No prophet could save Adar-iyr. Not even the famous prophet, Ela of Parne, who’d brought down the kingdom Siphra a few months back. Why would she bother? Why would anyone care to save Adar-iyr? The city’s own god, Nereus, ruler of the sea, certainly didn’t care.

Jemmy walked down to the beach. Sand, cold and loose, sifted between his brown toes at every step, sending chills up his rag-covered body to his scalp. Same chills as every morning since he and Poppy Hal had taken refuge on the beach after the dying day. Nothing had changed since his dream last night. Except—

Pale, sunlit sails caught Jemmy’s gaze, dazzling as his hopeful dream. A ship. Anchored just beyond the far edge of Adar-iyr’s long beach. Had a prophet arrived as he’d dreamed?

Men, tiny in the distance, walked toward Jemmy, glints of light playing off their weapons and gear. No girl-prophet walked with them. But ….

Jemmy ran toward the men, every panting breath a prayer. “Please! Please!” He reached the men and wheezed out a greeting. “Please! Is one of you a prophet?”

The lead man, whose face seemed more trustworthy than any in Adar-iyr, shook his head. “No. Sorry. My people and I are looking for a safe place to live.”

Jemmy's rasping breath caught painfully in his throat. They’d no more safety than he and Poppy? The city would kill them or turn them all bad. Tears threatened Jemmy’s vision. He wobbled, blinked hard, and shook his head. He had to tell them the awful truth. “You gotta go. If your people stay, some of you’ll be killed.”   ~~R. J. Larson, author of The Books of the Infinite series.


R. J. Larson is the author of numerous devotionals and is suspected of eating chocolate and potato chips for lunch while writing. She lives in Colorado with her husband and their two sons. The Books of the Infinite series marks her debut in the fantasy genre. Visit R.J. at: www.rjlarsonbooks.com

Here’s a closer look at Prophet, book one in the Books of the Infinite series.
Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she's much too young. In addition, no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as Parne's elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.
Free ebook on Nook, Kindle, CBD!

Yet she can't imagine living without Him.
Determined to hear the Infinite's voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite's word to a nation torn apart by war. There she meets Kien Lantec, a young ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela battles how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.

You can order Prophet, Judge, and other books from the Infinite series on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD or at your local bookstore! 

CLUE! Write down this clue: will

The next stop on our map is Stop #17, World City, on Morgan Busse’s blog.

Before you move on, R. J. Larson is giving away an e-copy of any of the Infinite books to three lucky winners. To enter, click on the Rafflecopter form and follow instructions. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy the rest of the scavenger hunt!


Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Valor Cover

 Valor Cover

At last, we have a cover image for Valor, the seventh volume in the Books of the Infinite stories!

Valor was inspired by Judges, chapter 11, specifically, the tragic story of Jephthah and his heroic daughter--verses from the Scriptures, which distressed and absorbed me when I first read them at age eight. 

For readers of the Books of the Infinite, Valor is set in Agocii lands, which is perfect for unfolding this tragic story, so horrifically bound by its own times, traditions, and laws, as well as eternal expectations. 

Yes, you might cry--never say I didn't warn you--but I pray that Valor will leave you with hope!

Blessings, Dear Everyone! You are in my prayers. 

Saturday, October 03, 2015

Quiet Characters

Not long ago, a reader sent me an email--YAY!--listing his favorite characters thus far in the Infinite series.
1. Bryce, the dauntless household steward turned spy in Judge.
2. Tsir Aun, the calm, efficient commander in Prophet.
3. Pet/Scythe, the ever-hungry monster warhorse in Prophet, Judge, and King, who is not, I repeat NOT, based on Maximus from Tangled. (Prophet was on my editor's desk months before Tangled hit the big screens. I bought tickets to Tangled, enjoyed the show, bought the dvd, and told DH, "I'll receive mail asking about Max/Scythe." Sure enough.)

I was intrigued by this list because this reader, Jeff, had chosen two of my favorite supporting characters, Bryce and Tsir Aun. I replied, of course, and asked why these two made the top of his list, and in our ensuing emails, we agreed that Bryce and Tsir Aun were quiet characters. The sort of friends we should all be lucky enough to number among our own. Read more Here.

Ever since this email exchange, I've been pondering Quiet Characters. Why are they important in life and, as a result, in fiction?

I'd like to think of Quiet Characters as the everyday heroes who cross our paths and our Main Characters' paths routinely--calm, efficient, dauntless, honorable and faithful souls who are pleased to remain in the shadows while they work in humble occupations. In short, Quiet Characters provide glue that holds our societies together. This is not to say that Quiet Characters lead boring lives and are content with everyday humdrum. They don't, and they aren't. Didn't Bryce volunteer himself as a spy and infiltrate an enemy army's encampment to aid his own people? Didn't Tsir Aun accept and undertake (honorably and efficiently) a punishing political task after striving mightily to lead his country away from defeat in battle?

Hats off to you, dear Quiet Characters, in life, poems and prose. Life on Earth would be bedlam without you.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Clarifying Characters

This morning, while shuffling through files, I came across this charming yet out-of-focus test image taken at a photo-shoot earlier this summer. Here, Brianna Anderson poses as one of my protagonists, Araine of ToronSea, as she appeared in an earlier manuscript.

What made me pause and give this previously neglected image a second look?
Potential. Glimmers of promise for the Araine-images yet to follow—a mood that reflects my current writing stage. I’m in the rough draft arena again and loving it.

As Araine’s story progresses and all my ideas tumble into the computer in a semi-organized fashion, I’m still seeing many of my newer characters in this fascinating slightly out-of-focus fashion. 

What will these characters become as the plot intensifies, sharpening and clarifying their personalities?

Will my current gathering of fictional personalities, particularly the minor ones, help or hinder Araine and her friends as they embark on new adventures?

I’m eager to find out! Which means…I must clarify my new characters by writing until they come into focus, starting NOW. 

Blessings, everyone, and have a phenomenal day!

R. J.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Imagining the Books of the Infinite world (Revised from Scavenger Hunt)



When I realized I’d been dragged into writing inspirational fantasy fiction, my first, most complicated task was to imagine an entire fantasy world to frame the Books of the Infinite series. I didn't want to slow down the action with tons of detail, but I did need to create a complete and complex world for my beloved characters. Where did I begin? With a continent. After studying maps of ancient countries, including Israel, Egypt, Rome, and Greece, I sketched out my imaginary continent—shown here in parchment and ink by Katharin Fiscaletti, who created all the drawings in this post.


 With the boundaries in place, I pondered the next step. What sorts of creatures inhabited this new, imaginary world? Legendary beasts, of course. Leviathans. Lindorms. Griffins. And a few creatures unique to this new continent, such as the ferocious, carnivorous Scaln, portrayed here in all its crimson glory. *Shivers.* Let me just say that Katharin frightened me with this particular sketch!




With my landscapes and beasts all sketched, I imagined my characters. People who might have lived during my imaginary world’s Biblical era. What did they eat? What did they drink? What sort of clothes did they wear? Were there variations in language and clothes between each country? I drew upon my knowledge of ancient lands, and my personal library of history books and decided upon the “look” for my characters, as well as their manners and customs. This world, I decided must be primarily Biblical in flavor, with hints of Earth’s own ancient cultures—leading to more research for details I loved and added to my story. To clothe my characters, I sought colorful examples from our own world. Who knew that the exotic saris of modern India were inspired by garments from ancient Greece?













For interest, and because my collection of medieval research books rival any public library’s shelves, the Bethany House team and I agreed to add a bit of medieval flare, which is evident on the cover of King in Akabe’s long tunic sleeves, and his formidable two handed sword, known here on Earth as a claymore. The final result…a unique Biblical-fantasy world that Bethany House Publishers and I hope you enjoy as you read King!

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

KING Vocabulary List


Now that King is on its way to the printing presses--well ahead of deadline--it's time to add to the Books of the Infinite vocabulary list. Here it is, the list for King, Books of the Infinite series, volume 3!

Have fun, everyone. :)

In order of name’s appearance:

Akabe Garric \Ah-cabe Gair-rick\ Former Siphran rebel. The Infinite’s chosen king of Siphra.
Barth of Siymont \Barth See-mont\ Royal page and son of Lord Ruis of Siymont.
Ela Roeh \El-ah Roe-eh\ Prophet of the vanquished city-state of Parne.
Ruis of Siymont \Roo-es See-mont\ A lord of Siphra. Father of Barth.
Belaal \Bell-A-el\ Kingdom south of Siphra.
Tamri Het \Tam-ree Het\ Former Siphran revolutionary, and one of Ela’s chaperones.
Cyan Thaenfall \Sigh-an Thane-fall\ Siphran lord and suspected Atean. Caitria’s father.
Kien Lantec \Kee-en Lan-tek\ Military judge-advocate for the Tracelands.
Aeyrievale \air-ee-veil, or, eer-ee-veil\ Former rebel Siphran province in the Snake Mountains.
Ishvah Nesac \Ish-vaw Ness-ak\ The Infinite’s chief priest of the vanquished city-state of Parne.
Dan Roeh \Dan Roe-eh\ Ela’s father.
Rade Lantec \Raid Lan-tek\ Kien’s father. The Tracelands preeminent statesman.
General Rol \Rawl\ The Traceland’s General of the Army.
Kalme Roeh \Call-may Roe-eh\ Ela’s mother.
Ara Lantec \Are-ah Lan-tek\ Rade Lantec’s wife. Kien’s mother.
Beka Thel \Bek-ah Thell\ Jon Thel’s wife. Kien’s sister.
Jon Thel \Jon Thell\ A Tracelands military commander. Beka’s husband.
ToronSea \Tor-on-Sea, or, Tor-on-Sea\ Southern coastal town in the Tracelands.
Riddig Tyne\Rid-ig Tine\ Akabe’s field surgeon.
Ruestock \Roo-stock\ Exiled former Siphran ambassador to the Tracelands.
Caitria Thaenfall \Kay-tree-ah Thane-fall\ Daughter of Cyan Thaenfall.
Bel-Tygeon \Bell-Ty-jee-on\ King of Belaal.
Rtial Vioc \Reh-tee-al Vee-oak\ A commander of Belaal.
Dasarai \Da-Sar-ay\ Princess of Belaal. Sovereign of Sulaanc’s Women’s Palace.
Siyrsun \Seer-sun\ Belaal’s General of the Army.
Tzana Roeh \Tsaw-nah Roe-eh\ Ela’s sister.