Continuity by Helen Henderson

Windmaster Golem by Helen Henderson
Click the cover for purchase information.

The original inspiration for the title was the post,  My Grandmother by J. Q. Rose. It was expanded with the approach of the holiday season and the reflections and traditions that come with it. In many ways, I can blame (oops, I mean credit) my heritage for my writing in the fantasy genre. My mother and both grandmothers taught me a love of reading. I grew up knowing the simple life of a farm and my favorite hangout was the county library. Yet I had the contrast of technology due to the aviation flight crew career of my father.

The past may give way to the present and form the basis for continuity into the future, but not always. My one grandmother was a skilled seamstress. However that particular talent skipped not one, but two generations on one branch of the family tree. As you read through my books you might notice that I don't focus on food. Grammy B gave us her Old World recipes. While there have been many attempts over the years to re-create her halupka (filled cabbage), some dishes, especially lokse and pierogies just don't measure up. So in my writing I turned to another part of my heritage and the themes of duty and honor due to my kin (and kin-in-laws) who served in uniform from the Civil War to the present time.

A heritage recipee- Lokse

 

A question I worry about when writing these posts is not only sharing too much personal information, but also too much about my books, an issue with a series. Sometimes the characters can seem as real as the person next door. They have their own lives and family history and possibly their own version of continuity. However, their full story can give away a book's ending.

To celebrate the release of Windmaster Golem, let me introduce Kiansel, the lovely lady on the cover at the beginning of the post. I first heard of her when her father sent her away to protect her from the attention of the leader of the false oracle's mercenary troops. Now years (and books later,) she is an instructor at the Temple of Givneh, which is now led by her brother.

And for the future? Magic calls Kia with its siren lure. She has an intolerable decision for to study the Way of magic, means abandoning her heritage, her family, and rejecting the teachings of the temple. I don't like spoilers, so I'm not telling what the future holds.

~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination.
 

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Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky and a feisty who have adopted her as one of their pack.