Character Preview- Andur

Anyone who has never wished for death has never truly lived.

 

Does that sound harsh to you?

 

It is. But it is true. I wish it weren’t so but it is. The universe is harsh; those who thrive it more so.

 

However, that doesn’t mean joy can’t be found.

 

As I put these thoughts down I am a woman of considerable age.

 

I have flown from one side of the Galaxy to the other. I’ve killed men and women of all races.

 

Often in defense, often for money. Occasionally, for vengeance.

 

By the values of all the Galaxy’s peoples and the tenants of all religions I am considered irredeemable.

 

I understand this. Being a thug, a war criminal, a religious fanatic, a pirate, an assassin, a bounty hunter, a turncoat and a thief- any of these are horrible vocations. I was all of them at one point in my life.

 

I was pushed into many by circumstance. Still, my actions are mine and the bad deeds far outweigh the redeeming ones.

 

Yet I have known joy and love. I have gained and lost them and come close to turning my own lethal hands against myself.

 

Still, I am here to put these words down and share my story for those who care to know it.

 

I think perhaps, I am rambling a bit. Let me start with the basics.

 

Who am I? What am I? Where do I come from? What have I done?

 

Who am I?

 

My name is Andur. Many peoples of many races in our Galaxy have a surname. I do not, though I am sure my ancestors did at some point.

 

What am I? This is a complex question to me.

 

There are many answers I could give. Many answers you could give.

 

So I will tell you the two aspects of myself most others notice when they first meet me.

 

I am human. This is how Jideenians, Boroshians, Voshens, Centuri, the Bezon and all the other non-teren races of our Galaxy define me when I first meet them.

Some say we humans are judgmental, gruff, or if you follow Earth’s frequent conflicts with her neighbors, militaristic.

 

I will only say this in response: We are, but so is everyone else.

 

So, for better and worse, I am human. 

 

I am also a woman a female. This is usually the second thing noticed about me by non-humans. The first if I am among my own kind.

 

I have always been female. In body and spirit. I do not identify with any other gender, though sometimes I wish humans had more than one as other races do.

 

So now you know I am a woman.

 

There are many other aspects of what I am but that will be elaborated on later.

 

Now to the last two questions.

 

Where do I come from and what have I done with my terrible life? 

Only the Sky is Forever- Preview

Below is a short excerpt from my new book, 'Only the Sky is Forever'. It's the opening prolouge which provides the foundational story for the book's universe. 'Only the Sky is Forever' comes out this week exclusively on Amazon.

 The Making of the World

The Maker created our world and the two that came before it.

In the world before ours, the people of the land were powerful and blessed by the hands that made them. They lived well off the land. There was game to hunt in the forests, water to drink in the streams, corn to harvest in the fields.

But the people of the land grew greedy, proud and took much more than they needed. The animals and other creatures began to suffer and starve.

Seeking to rebuke them for their trespasses, the Maker appeared to the people of the land and gave them a warning.

'Take only what you need,” the Maker said. “Do not abuse the other creatures or each other and I shall promise to one day give you all my power and wisdom. Become greedy again, and I shall sweep you away and make a new people in your place.”

The people of the land consented to their Maker's offer, promising not to take as much as they had before.

Yet within a short time the people turned their backs on their promise, slaughtering all the animals, cutting the trees and spoiling the soil.

Enraged and saddened, the Maker took vengeance. From the Maker's shed tears Unktehi the horned water serpent of deconstruction was born. She covered the land in a flood, drowning the people.

When all were gone and the lands submerged, the Maker looked over the waters with the Sun above them. Playing four songs on a medicine lute, the Maker created a new world, the one we know today.

The first song, caused the earth to rise from beneath the waters

The second song, caused the mountains, trees and animals to rise from the earth.

The third song, brought forth the new people, other walking and speaking beings and those great spirits that are both human and animal.

The fourth song, removed the heart of Unktehi from her body which caused the great snake to fall into the lake on the top of Serpent Mountain where her body remains to this day.

The Maker hid Unktehi's heart, that the serpent could not return. To this day, the Maker keeps the new watch over the world and all those who inhabit it. 

 

 

Only the Sky is Forever- Plot Summary

“Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way.” -Blackfoot Proverb

For as long as their world has existed, skin-changers Coyote and Iktome have walked its fields, traveled its forests and climbed its mountains. One day, all that they know is put in danger when a force of nature known only as 'the girl' emerges from the South. As the 'the girl' threatens everything they care for, these two old friends embark on a journey with a group of companions to find the key to unlocking the girl's past and their future.

Creation, destruction and finding purpose in the face of annihilation are some of the themes in this Native American Fantasy novel, 'Only the Sky is Forever'. 

 

 

 

Available on Amazon in E-Book Format April 28th.