Today, I'm happy to have guest author Marlene Wynn here to share a character interview with the antagonist of her new release, Chandrea: The Return of the Avatar Queen.
Character Name: Leilah Averill (Antagonist)
Character Bio: At the tender age of fourteen, Leilah’s
family discover that her powers are vastly different than expected. Afraid that her unusual powers will leave
their kingdom defenseless, they send the young princess to live in the far away
kingdom of Svara. Devastated by the
betrayal of her family, Leilah vows to someday prove that they were just as
vulnerable with magic as they would have been without. Eventually, she overthrows the Svaran
government and becomes their queen. Bent on revenge, she sends her troops to wage
war on the Averill kingdom and kill her family.
Are you sorry your
family is gone?
No.
They abandoned me when I most needed them. They gave into their baseless fears and threw
me away like unwanted trash.
Do you have any
regrets?
Regrets? Why would I have any regrets? Stars, they protested to love me one minute,
then cast me out the next. They deserved
what they got. Every one of them.
Even your twin
sister?
Especially her. The bond between twins is sacred. One that should never, ever be broken. But, she ignored that bond and cast me away
like the rest of them. Of all of them, I
hate her the most.
But Chandrea wasn’t
even born when you were sent away. Why
hunt her?
I was sent from Averill because I
was different. Because my magic would
make them defenseless. In order to drive
my point home, all of them must die. Then,
I will be the only Averill left alive.
The one who was sent away because she was different.
Do you miss your
family at all?
At times.
I remember the smell of my mother when she held me close, or the sound
of my father when he laughed. I remember
how close my twin sister and I were.
But, remembering these things only makes their betrayal worse. It rips my heart open each time and, like a
festering wound, will not give me peace.
When I recall these moments, it only makes me hate them more.
In all this time,
why haven’t you left the capital city of Svara?
Because my very presence here keeps
Fairhaven safe. The Svaran’s are now my
people and I will do all in my power to keep them and my home secure from
magical threat. Besides, I have a very
special captive here that I must keep restrained at all times…
You’ve worked very
hard in your time as queen to overthrow the surrounding governments and
kingdoms. If they weren’t part of your
family’s betrayal, why go after them?
They were loyal to my parents, and
would therefore be loyal to Chandrea if she ever took the throne. I need those who are loyal to me.
To Svara. So, I destroyed those in power and put others
devoted to me in their place. I used my
scouts and troops to search their lands for any trace of the Averill princess,
and used fear to bring their people under my control.
Why use fear?
Why not? If it works, why use anything different? If they are harboring or aiding the Averill
fugitive princess, then they are nothing to me.
Why are you hunting
and killing those who can use magic?
Magic has been the bane of my
life! Its very existence tore me from my
loving family. I hate magic and will do
all in my power to see it erased from Itova!
Tell me about your
son, Ayden.
Ayden is my right hand man and my
most prized possession. He has been
raised as the crown prince of Svara, and will someday be the commander of my
armies. He is as dedicated to finding
and killing the Averill princess as I am.
Do you think you
will find Chandra and kill her?
Of course. She can hide, but the moment she shows her
face again, the moment it becomes known that she is still alive, my scouts will
find her and bring her to me. I will
torture any pertinent information I need from her, then kill her. Then, and only then, will I be avenged.
Chandrea:
The
Return of the Avatar Queen
Marlene
Wynn
Book Description:
Chandrea Averill thinks she’s
just like any other normal young woman.
But, on the day of her 23rd birthday, her life changes forever. Surrounded by magical creatures, dangerous sorcery,
and insidious political intrigue,
Chandrea desperately wants to
return to Earth and the only life she’s ever known. But, the longer she stays, the more she
realizes that she may be the only one with the power – both magical and
political – to save the people of Lyrunia.
Will she find the courage to
remain and fight for her home world?
Book trailer http://youtu.be/lzJpY3nai34
Available at BN Smashwords Amazon Kobo iTunes
Add it to your Goodreads
Shelf
Prologue:
The assassination changed
everything.
On the day Crown Princess Chandrea Averill was born, the entire
Kingdom of Averill celebrated. The streets of Cellia, her capital city, were
overflowing with people honoring the birth of the new heir. Food and drink were
plentiful and the mood of those gathered was joyous. Songs and laughter echoed
gaily off the walls of the great stone buildings.
Those in the know speculated on what powers the crown princess
would eventually develop, as no female born of the queen’s lineage ever had the
same powers as those who came before her. The form and strength of the magic
varied from female to female, but – without fail – magic was present in some form.
The merrymaking went on for hours into the night, and all at the
Llireva Palace celebrated. Wrinkled old men sat in the corners, smoking their
pipes and spinning grand and fanciful tales of the Averill family. Small
children gathered at their feet, listening raptly to tales of magic and
bravery. Gaily dressed dancers spun and swirled as the eager audience clapped
to the rhythm. Jewels glittered and gleamed in the warm candlelight as they
moved, dazzling the eye.
As the night eased into the early morning hours, those who
should’ve retired long ago still remained. Sleepy-eyed and =yawning,
they nevertheless continued with the celebration even as the moon set on the
horizon and dawn approached. Drinks were handed out generously, and drunken,
happy people roamed the palace. Staggering about, their laughter filled the
hallways of the grand palace. Guards became lackadaisical about their duties,
laughing and drinking with their friends as they came wandering by.
This made the attack on the Llireva Palace and those inside
exceedingly simple.
The assault was ruthlessly calculated and seamless. Having been
there for hours, posing as drunken guests, the invaders easily overtook and
dispatched the inebriated guards. Thousands of the enemy swarmed over the
palace, slaughtering all in sight, whether guest or staff. Swords and knives
flashed in the candlelight, and terror-filled screams filled the warm night
air.
Taken completely by
surprise, the guests and staff were easily overcome. Some tried to fight back,
but were ruthlessly cut down where they stood. Stepping carelessly over the
bloodied bodies of the dead, hard-faced officers ordered their men to look for
the king, queen, and the newly-born crown princess. The enemy soldiers
scattered, each keen to be the one to find the royal family and draw first
blood.
One loyal servant – Adelaide – was tasked with caring for the new
crown princess while the queen recovered. Like the queen, Adelaide was a
powerful sorceress, and served in the capacity of royal advisor and friend to
the queen.
After giving birth, the queen had been exhausted and was resting
peacefully in her chambers, while the king attended to her. Princess Chandrea
was in the nursery, being cared for by Adelaide. So, when the assassination of
the king and queen occurred, the princess was nowhere to be found. Enemy
soldiers then spread out in search of the newborn.
Unknown to the intruders, in the days prior to her birth,
protective spell webs had been cast by Adelaide and the queen in the hallways
of the family wing. These spells prevented unauthorized access to the nursery
by causing an agonizing death. The magic also alerted the creator of the spells
of anyone entering the space. Unfortunately, the queen had been too wearied and
depleted from giving birth to act upon the warnings that had been sent by her
spells, and thus, she and the king soon perished. But Adelaide was not at such
a disadvantage. As the assailants crossed her protective spells, she was
alerted immediately by their piercing screams as the magic seared the flesh
from their bones.
Adelaide quickly picked up the baby, and with an urgently
muttered spell, opened a hidden passageway known only by the royal family and
their most trusted advisors. Slipping out of the nursery, she turned and sealed
the door with a wave of her hand, eliminating any chance that any marauders
lucky enough to have a sorceress strong enough to penetrate the defensive
spells could follow.
Rushing down the stairs, holding the princess close to her bosom,
she finally reached the bottom. There she entered the back of a large cave.
Moving quickly forward to the front, she found herself looking out at the dark
expanse of the Averill Bay, named after the royal family who ruled the
bordering land. She turned and gently laid the baby in a small depression in
the rock, sat beside her, and allowed herself to momentarily succumb to her
grief and fear. Adelaide knew that for the invading soldiers to have gotten as
far as her protective shields, they would have had to defeat the queen first—
and she would have been in no condition to fight them off.
Sitting quietly for a few moments to collect herself and her
thoughts, she was able to form a plan of action, and to gather the resolve for
what she knew would be required from her.
Taking a deep breath, she stood and faced the now-orphaned crown
princess lying on the rocks. Adelaide knew without a doubt that if this tiny
child were killed, all hope for Averill, and the surrounding kingdoms and
cities that made up Lyrunia, would be lost. The freedom and peace they’d known
under the reign of the Averill family and the Triad would make way for a dark
and violent time. Above all else, Princess Chandrea must survive not only this
night, but also grow safely to adulthood so that she could take her rightful
place on the throne.
Raising her hands into the air, Adelaide urgently weaved them
back and forth as she cast her spells. Many hours passed as she chanted through
the night, knowing that in the palace above her, an intense search for the
princess was being conducted, and that she and the baby could be discovered at
any time. Her voice grew hoarse and her arms weary, but still she labored on,
until, finally, only one more spell needed to be cast.
Sweat-soaked and exhausted, she reached down and picked up
Princess Chandrea. Expecting that this would be the last time she held this
dear, tiny child, Adelaide cuddled her close for a few moments. Then, looking
at the precious little wrinkled face, she gazed directly into the princess’s
eyes, and cast her last spell.
Bright, white light blazed forth from the infant, transforming
the cave into a dazzling, glittering chamber. Princess Chandrea slowly rose
from Adelaide’s hands until she hung suspended in the air. The soft blanket
covering her fell unnoticed to the floor. Adelaide’s hands moved in harmony
with her voice as she chanted the final spell that would transport the crown
princess from Itova—the world into which she’d been born—to another one. The
only place that she would truly be safe until she reached adulthood and her
powers had fully manifested.
Air swirled madly about the infant and the light grew brighter
and stronger. Then, with the sound of a massive thunderclap and a final burst
of brilliance, the crown princess vanished.
About
the Author:
Marlene Wynn is a Utah native -
fondly referred to as "Utonian" by a friend. She transplanted herself in 1992 from the
majestic Rocky Mountains to the beachy shores of sunny Virginia Beach, Virginia
and has been there ever since. Though
she has worked in the benefits field for several years, she finally worked up
the courage to chase her dream as an author.
Website: https://www.marlenewynn.com
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