Blooded (Lisen of Solsta Book 3)
Page 38
Pretor Cabell (B), Melanda’s brother.
Sirin Tor (B), councilor representing Terane and member of the expanded privy council.
Dekar (B), Emperi saddle maker.
Haf (B), sergeant set up by Lorain.
Alron (B), corporal set up by Lorain.
Opseth Geranda (F), Ariel’s watcher, responsible for pushing Flandari’s assassin, once trained as a hermit and necropath but left and went rogue.
Reger (F), Opseth’s spouse.
Rasendir Mirta (F), Flandari’s servant and her assassin.
Jazel Iscador (F), head clerk to the Empir.
Elsin Cabell, deceased spouse of Empir Flandari, father to Ariel and Ariannas.
Benir (F), Nalin’s servant.
THE KHARED
Desit Ortanga (B), one of Lisen’s captors.
Barok (T), Elder in Mesa Terses and one of Lisen’s captors.
Esar (B), one of Lisen’s captors.
Jadda (B), one of Lisen’s captors.
Mohmed (B), one of Lisen’s captors.
SEFFA
Jozan Tuane (F), age 19, heir to Minol, Nalin’s friend, murdered by Stellet Arspas in Fractured.
Elsba Tuane (F), holder of Minol, Jozan and Bala’s father.
Bala Tuane (F), age 17, heir to Minol after Jozan’s death.
Tak (F), the Tuanes’ head servant.
PASS GARRISON
Ezret Cunbae (B), under-commander at Pass Garrison.
Garin Kopol (B), sergeant at Pass Garrison, later Lisen’s new captain.
THRISTAS
Ondra (T), age 24, old friend of Korin’s.
Rika (T), age 24, Ondra’s spouse, also old friend of Korin’s.
Hozia (T), Elder in Mesa Terses, helps train Lisen.
Madlen (B), age 3, new friend of Korin’s.
Arma (B), Madlen’s father.
Rinli (B), e. 9/22/YA1, Lisen and Korin’s daughter.
Tronin (T), the oldest Elder in Mesa Terses, greets Korin on arrival to mesa.
Paken (T), Elder in Mesa Terses.
Larus (T), Elder in Mesa Terses.
Askrolo (T), Elder in Mesa Terses.
Latlor (B), Korin’s tasker.
Hakor, deceased, Korin’s father, family color is orange.
Enka Rosarel, deceased, Korin’s mother, captain in the Emperi Guard.
EARTH
Daisy (Dr. Marguerite) Holt, neurosurgeon at UCLA Medical Center, married to Simon Holt, Lisen’s co-guardian from age 10 to age 17.
Simon Holt, Ph.D. in linguistics, professor at UCLA, married to Daisy Holt, Lisen’s co-guardian from age 10 to age 17.
Betsy, Lisen’s best friend.
Rusty, Lisen’s other best friend, got her into Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
DEDICATION
To Kate Kelly.
(Korin’s statement that “You can never give a woman too much power” in Chapter 25 was written three days after Ms. Kelly was summoned to the bishop’s court that would ultimately excommunicate her from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for her vocal participation in the Ordain Women movement.)
To the courageous women and men committed to the ordination of women in the Mormon church.
To all the women throughout time who have stepped forward and fought to find the balance.
All are heroes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, to my muse. You outdid yourself.
To the members of the Claremont Writers Workshop. I have mentioned them in both Fractured and Tainted, but I cannot convey how invaluable the contributions of this group have been. These people are, for the most part, not fans of fantasy or science fiction, yet they’ve given all they have to making my fantasy the very best it can be. Thank you. Here’s the current crop who went through Blooded with me.
To Barbara Smythe, who tells me where the scene really needs to begin.
To Lavon Urbonas, who continued following Lisen’s adventures even while on sabbatical from the group.
To Daniella Franco, who not only listens as I formulate the telling but also gave Pharaoh his name.
To Teri Tompkins, who applauded when I finished reading Chapter 31.
To Judith Favor, who never fails to find a better verb.
To Judy Kohnen, who offered a door of opportunity.
To John Rogers, who keeps us sane with laughter.
To Lissa Petersen, who wanted to hear the sounds of blacksmiths working on the weapons. Come to mention it, I did, too, once I thought about it.
To Don Coleman, who gamely took on the task of critiquing a work in the middle of my presentation of the book to the group.
To Peggy Redman, who was the last one to sign on before I finished presenting Blooded to the workshop but who jumped right into the process.
To the many who preceded those named above and who also offered their encouragement and kept me going, no matter what.
And, finally, to Lin Humphrey, who demanded more description. Color, Lin? In a cave? Really? But “color” meant filling in the details. Lin passed away the summer before this book was published. Lin, we are all going to miss you.
To my amazing cover artist, Aidana WillowRaven, who gave Lisen a face that looked nothing like I’d pictured and yet conveyed the truth of her character.
To Todd Barselow, my editor, whom I took on for the first time with this book and from whom I learned something vital about myself.
To my sister, Laura Saint Martin, who puts up with my pushy, selfish self. You deserve better than me.
To Nancy Mueller, who reads my books prepublication, denies her skills as a beta reader, yet often gives the best feedback.
To Susan Johnson, who wants to remind me daily that I’m brilliant. I have forbidden her to do so, but she does it anyway while avoiding the word “brilliant.”
Once again, to Brian Tyler for the soaring and inspiring soundtrack to Children of Dune. Wow, what a rush.
To Christina Perri for “A Thousand Years Part 2.” It may have begun as Bella and Edward’s song in Breaking Dawn Part 2, but in my heart it belongs to Lisen and Korin and their struggle to find each other.
MAP OF GARLA
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Let’s set aside the pretense. This is me, Hart-the-person, telling you-the-reader about D.-Hart-St.-Martin-the-author. I’m supposed to put it in third person and make it sound like someone else wrote it, but just this once I’m going to talk directly to you.
When I finished the first draft of Blooded, I cried. For thirty-seven years, I’d worked on making my vision live on paper, and finally, after all that time, I’d done it. I’d made Lisen, et al., live and breathe in a world where gender neutrality was the only available, the only thinkable option. So I cried.
The other thing I’d accomplished, though I hadn’t set it as a goal, was to show a hero saying “let’s not fight; let’s find another way to work it out,” thus ending a war before it got beyond its first day. I really hadn’t begun Lisen’s story to say that, but that’s the magic of allowing the muse to work her way with you; sometimes you sit back and stare at what you’ve just written and all you can feel is utter amazement.
So here I am, your humble narrator, telling you what I’m about. I’m pretty much about what you’ve read in this trilogy. I believe that women are equal to men and that they deserve equal treatment. I believe that a girl raised in the San Fernando Valley (which I wasn’t, by the way, but I did live there for twenty years) can rise to the occasion and become a leader of nations. I believe that a girl who grew up under the oppression of the Taliban can and will see children of all nations properly educated. I believe that a girl conditioned by the Mormon church can step out of line and ask politely though firmly for the priesthood in that church which has denied it to all women throughout its history. And, I believe that someday, somehow, Lisen’s story will be possible on Earth.
Here’s how to find me on the internet:
Web page: https://www.dhartstmartin.weebly.com
Facebook
: https://facebook.com/dhartstmartinauthor
Twitter: @hartstm
Blog: http://dhartstmartin.wordpress.com/