Today we have author Laurie Lucking sharing a little more about building language and culture into our stories. Her new book Traitor, book 2 of Tales of the Mystics, is available for pre-order! (and I’ve read it–sooo good! 🙂 ) Thanks, Laurie!
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I know I’m probably (okay, definitely!) a bit biased, but I adored the setting I created for the first book in my series, Common. Castles, gowns, carriages…wandering manicured gardens, reading by candlelight, taking a gentleman’s arm to be escorted to dinner. Enough chivalry and manners and banquets to make my fairy tale and Jane Austen-loving heart brim with joy. 🙂
But while the technology constraints of my fantasy world, along with the formality associated with royalty in general, caused many of these elements to carry over into Traitor, I wanted to fashion a distinctive new culture for Princess Penelope to immerse herself in when she travels overseas to fulfill a new betrothal. After all, Penelope’s natural beauty and elegance cause her to fit perfectly into her own society (at least until her involvement in a traitorous plot made her the subject of gossip and contempt). In order for her to grow and truly step outside her comfort zone in Traitor, I needed to expose her to something new and foreign.
Much of my inspiration for Delunia came from Greece, Italy, and other Mediterranean countries. The weather is sunny and hot, the people are affectionate and boisterous, and everything from the colors to the flavors is a bit more vibrant. Prim Penelope is initially overwhelmed by the clamoring sounds and vivid hues of her new home. But over time, she comes to see the beauty in the art she’d passed off as garish and the gardens she’d dismissed as wild and unkempt. She loosens up enough to learn the lively dances and visit the bustling marketplace, and she can’t deny the practicality and elegance of a more streamlined style of dress. But she doesn’t think she’ll ever adjust to the Delunians’ insistence that soon-to-be-married couples should show affection, especially since Penelope has no intention of falling in love with her new fiancé! She struggles to find a balance between the desire to embrace her new home and the fear of losing her former identity and connections to her family.
I also took on the challenge of introducing a new language in Traitor. Though I’ll be the first to admit I’m no J.R.R. Tolkien—I only came up with translations of words I actually needed for my story. 🙂 I took the Delunian language as another opportunity to give the country a unique feel, both in the sounds of the words and in their meanings. For example, poloi ipa asteria is a traditional Delunian phrase for bidding someone goodnight and translates to “sleep under a blanket of stars.” Let’s just say, when spoken by her new fiancé, it has more of a romantic impact on Penelope than she’d care to admit!
Teaching Penelope the new language and having her gradually incorporate it into her own speech patterns offered another way to show her slow acceptance of and acclimation to Delunia as her home. Plus, it offered some additional opportunities for character development along the way as she deals with the frustration and awkwardness of not being able to communicate with the people around her!
Thank you so much for inviting me to share about my series today! I hope you have as much fun exploring Delunia as I did creating it! I’d love to hear about some of your favorite fantasy worlds and languages!
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Thanks again for stopping by, Laurie! Want to learn more about Traitor? Here’s the blurb!
Princess Penelope has finally found a way to redeem her past mistakes-if only it didn’t require betraying her new fiancé.
Princess Penelope has been the object of gossip and ridicule ever since she returned home in disgrace following her failed engagement to the Crown Prince of Imperia. When her father offers a new start in a country far across the sea, she has no choice but to accept.
Even if it means another betrothal, this time to a total stranger.
Penelope arrives in Delunia determined to avoid bringing further shame upon her family. But her devoted, caring fiancé makes it harder to guard her heart than she anticipated, and rumors of dark magic haunt her with memories she’d rather keep buried far beneath her pristine exterior.
When a poverty-stricken village outside the palace gates looks to her as their hope for a brighter future, Penelope embraces the opportunity to make amends for her transgressions. But in order to help, she must manipulate her new fiancé, putting her reputation on the line once more. And her heart.
Can Penelope rise above the failures of her past, or will she forever be branded a traitor?
Don’t forget to stop by the other sites on the blog tour!
- Monday, 19th, “Redeeming a ‘Villain’ in Traitor” Laura A. Grace, www.lauraagrace.com
- Tuesday, 20th, “Connecting Companion Novels in the Tales of the Mystics” Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com/fairiesfantasyfaith
- Wednesday, 21st, “Visual Post: Characters of Traitor” Anne Wheeler, www.anne-wheeler.com/blog
- Thursday, 22nd, “Integrating a New Language and Culture into Traitor” J.M. Hackamn, www.jmhackman.com
- Friday, 23rd, “Author Interview with Laurie Lucking: Traitor Blog Tour” Riella Cristobal, www.booksandeverydaylife.home.blog
- Saturday, 24th, “Interview with Traitor Author Laurie Lucking” Amelia Nichole, www.amelianichole.com
- Sunday, 25th, “Review of Traitor” Breny Maurtua, www.brenyandbooks.home.blog
- Monday, 26th, “Dive-in Review: Traitor” Cathrine Bonham, www.cobonham.com
- Monday, 26th, “Review of Traitor” Laurin Boyle, www.laurinboyle.wordpress.com
- Tuesday, 27th, “Welcoming My Second Book into the World” Laurie Lucking, www.laurielucking.com
- Wednesday, 28th, “Visual Post: Traitor Storyworld” Jenelle Schmidt, www.jenelleschmidt.com
- Thursday, 29th, “Celebrate Laurie Lucking’s New Release Traitor Tonight” Michele Israel Harper, www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com
- Friday, 30th, “What’s Coming Next in the Tales of the Mystics” Peter Adler, www.arsilverberry.com/blog
Oh. My. Gosh. Now I reeeeeeeeeally want to read Traitor!! hahaha!
Reading the “behind-the-scenes” information really piques my interest too!
I really really enjoyed this!
Yes, I thought it was interesting, too. Thanks for commenting, Laura!