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SPELLSLINGER #Free on #Smashwords
SPELLSLINGER #Free on #Smashwords
In "Bad Spelling," Sami shamans play a major role in tribal life, but they have a big effect on Kat's life as well. Kat's father is a Sami tribesman (he's the one caught between life and death in an ice cave). That's why Kat is searching for the Samis. Another character, Andy, has an interest in the Samis as well. Both depend on the decision of the shamans. Will they live or die?
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| Trolls aren't ugly like this. |
However, when Gorm is near death, she tells Andy that he's bortbyting, a changeling. His real family is the Sami tribe of Siberia. Well, we already know that Kat's father is a Sami from Siberia. Hmm. Coincidence? I think not.
Let's talk about the Siberian side of the family.
The Samis (also spelled Sámi or Saami) are a widespread extended clan of people closely related to the North American Eskimos and Aleutes. You've heard of Samoyed dogs, the breed of sled dog bred by these northernmost indigenous people. The Lapps are the same people just a little further west. There is lots of interesting information on the Sami people out on the internet. I discovered them by trundling around the web looking for an indigenous people living in Siberia. I wanted Kat's father to be completely different from the Euro-Nordic witches of Galdorheim. I hit the motherload with the Samis. These are the perfect folks to be the middle link between witches and trolls. The Free Encyclopedia is a treasure trove of information. I spent a lot of time following links and reading. These are people not widely known by the "civilized" world.
The Samis of Siberia are primarily hunter/gatherers with fishing being a major food source. You can imagine that near the Arctic Circle, farming is not possible. Russia pulled the same dirty trick on the Samis as the US pulled on the indigenous tribes of North America: relocation. They moved them all next door to the Barents Sea, which, naturally, is not a desirable piece of real estate. I know we could all go on and on about the injustices of the world, but that's not what I'm doing here. I encourage you to follow the links from the Free Encyclopedia. It's an addictive trail of fascintating information.
But the central idea in the Witches of Galdorheim books is the existence of this type of people exactly where they are in Siberia. Worked out great for my story. In "Bad Spelling," Kat has to deal with a shaman of the Sami people. First she has to find him, and that's a pretty long journey in itself. Along the way, she meets Andy and they travel to the Siberian north to find him.
The Samis practice shamanism with various shamans handling different parts of life.
The Tadebya advises on the right time to go fishing or move the village (the Samis are nomadic). He handles the practical day-to-day needs of the people.
The Vidutana deals with the heavens so is the go-to guy if you're in need of heavenly guidance.
The Sambana is more like the crazy monk living in a cave somewhere. Everybody around knows he's got some kind of power, but he's also dangerous. He can cast evil spells, deals with black magic, and is an all-around unsavory character.
This is very simplistic, and you won't have to try very hard to find differences in my interpretations of shamanistic matters with real-world examples. But, hey, I'm writing a fantasy here and am allowed to mess with all things magical to my heart's content.
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Follow the adventures of Katrina and her half-vampire brother, Rune, as they chase down an evil shaman. Dodging the shaman's curses on a dangerous trip across the ice-bound arctic seas, they meet both friends and foes. Kat and Rune must find the shaman and stop him before their beloved island home is destroyed.
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Tales of a Texas Boy
Missing, Assumed Dead
Bad Spelling
Midnight Oil
Spellslinger (listen to this entire short book on SoundCloud for free)
I'm surprised at how people would like to have free ebooks and audiobooks. I guess this series has run its course, although I'm not sue why. It's more original than most of the genre and certainly has a lot more humor. Like a singer or comedian, I crave the attention of others for my work. Since that's not happening, my humor and imagination of dried up. What's my WIP? I'm asked. There isn't one. The world has pounded that right out of me.
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