Indie Author Spotlight: Today I welcome Annie Douglass Lima who is sharing her new release YA fantasy book called The Collar and the Cavvarach.
About the Story:
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little
sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious
tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous
people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.
With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a
life of slavery and abuse?
What is the Collar for,
and What is a Cavvarach?
The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major
differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear
metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious
to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and
where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement
for the remover).
Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.
It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), an
unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from
partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with
their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways:
disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their
hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.
Want to Find out a
Little More?
Click here to read a description of the setting and what life is like for
slaves and others in that world.
About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated
from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd
currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy.
She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and
to date has published ten books (one YA action and adventure novel, four
fantasies, a puppet script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry).
Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science
fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Connect with the Author
Online:
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Excerpt: Excerpt: A Slave
Could Come in Handy
The four officers looked them over, and Bensin
swallowed. Watch officers always made him nervous, even when they weren’t in
uniform.
“A slave could come in handy,” the first woman
admitted. “He’s the likeliest person to be able to get in and take a quick look
around without alarming anyone.” She glanced at Coach Steene. “You don’t mind
letting him do this?”
“It’s his decision to make.”
“Okay.” She turned to Bensin. “It could be
dangerous. Are you willing to take the risk?”
“Yes, ma’am. If it could help my sister, I’ll do
anything.”
“Tell you what, then. Go in through the garage
and see what you can see. Just get an idea of how many people are in there, if
you can, and what parts of the building they’re in. If they’re who we think
they are, they’ll definitely be armed, so pay attention to what weapons they
have, and don’t do anything to get them suspicious. Try to stay out of sight,
but if anyone spots you, you’re on the run from your owner and you’re just
looking for a place to spend the night. Those bruises will help your story. If
they tell you to get lost, you leave right away. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re not on a rescue mission,” Officer Shigo
reminded him. “Just reconnaissance. If there are criminals in there, don’t try
to tangle with them. If you see Ellie or any other prisoners, don’t try to free
them. No heroics. Just come back and bring us the information, and we’ll decide
what to do with it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If these people are really dealing in slaves, how
do we know they won’t try to kidnap Bensin, too?” objected Coach Steene.
“We told you it’s risky,” one of the officers
pointed out.
I really enjoyed The Journey of the Marked, Book 1 in the Miyran Heir series. This planet was originally settled by the Graeliths who are a beastly species now used by the evil Tyrnott race that has taken over the planet. Before that the Graeliths allowed the Miyran people to settle there and they brought in many different races to live together in peace. The Miyran ruler still fights against the Tyrnotts by marking special youths on their sixteenth birthdays to help them overthrow the Tyrnotts.
