In this New Adult urban fantasy, A.K. Morgen blends current shapeshifter and wolf tales with deep, apocalyptic Norse mythology.
When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don’t understand what’s happening to them or why, and they’re running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
And without further ado, I turn it over to A.K. Thank you for being here!
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The world is full of beautiful animals that awe and inspire
us in turns, and the wolf certainly fits that category. The animal is one that
we have come to revere over the years. Our love is proudly displayed in
beautiful artwork, thought-provoking poetry, and even on the shelves of the
average toy store. But there's another side to our relationship with this
majestic animal, and it is one full of fear and disquiet.
For decades, wolves in the United States and elsewhere in
the world were considered a prime hunting target. The animals were accused of
brutal attacks on humans and livestock, causing those who lived side-by-side
with the species a great amount of fear and anger. As a result, red wolves were
hunted to extinction in the Southwest by the early 1980s, and gray wolves in
northern states came very near following their brothers. This prompted a move
to place the gray wolf on the Endangered Species List, which ended hunting of
the animal in favor of replenishing the rapidly dwindling population.
Despite these protections, however, the odd relationship
between man and wolf continued. Over the last decade, the species has been
considered for delisting and a reintroduction of hunting in multiple states
several times. Just this week, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the
wolf would be removed from the list in Wyoming by the end of September, and regulated
hunting would resume. This news has been met with mixed feelings across the
board.
There are those who proclaim the animal the lowest of the
low, worthy of being exterminated down to the last pup. And then there are
those who see things differently. Those who view the wolf as that majestic,
inspiring animal worthy of our respect, reverence, and protection.
How this extreme polarized relationship came about is one of
great debate, but there is no doubt that mythology and folklore helped build
the foundations of modern man's relationship with the animal. In nearly every
culture, you run across mythology that paints wolves in very differing lights. Many
even have their own stories to explain how our confusing, dichotic relationship
with the animals came about.
The Cherokee people, for instance, tell of a time in which
the wolf lived alongside man while dog lived in the wild. When winter set in,
the dog came to the fires of man and chased the wolf away. This was no great
loss to the wolf. He found that living in the wild suited him far better than
living alongside man, so he remained in the mountains. Eventually, man forgot
their bond with wolf, and when the wolf returned from the wild to hunt man's
animals, man reacted with anger.
In Norse mythology, the wolf was also loved and hated in
turns, even by Odin himself. His most beloved companions were a pair of wolves
fed from his table. They followed him everywhere, hunting with him and
providing him comfort. And when he created man, he sent his wolves to teach men
how to love one another. But there was another wolf that caused Odin great
concern. He was the giant Fenrir, who grew so massive, Odin feared what he
might do left to his own devices. Odin and his brethren tricked Fenrir into a
magical chain, and bound him in the bowels of the earth. Fenrir swore vengeance
upon Odin, and the Northern people say that if Fenrir ever breaks free, he will
kill Odin in revenge, thus ushering in the end of life as we know it.
In Fade, my new
young adult novel, you'll be introduced to a pack of gray wolves who
understand, perhaps better than anyone, how tenuous their acceptance in our
world can be. They are tolerated. They are feared. And eventually, they are
hated. But Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews realize what many of their
neighbors do not: sometimes, the things that separate us from wolves are a
whole lot smaller than we like to believe.
xoxo,
A.K.M.
A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband,
and three crazy pets. Her debut young adult novel, Fade (The Ragnarök
Prophesies: Book One) is available now from Curiosity Quills Press. You can
learn more about Ayden and her writing at: http://akmorgen.com
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Sharon! :)
ReplyDeleteBig congratulations, Ayden. How exciting to see your book in print:)
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon! I hope your new little sweet pea is doing well and you are enjoying your precious angel and getting some sleep. Somehow!
I like the piece of work. I really want to read this book!
ReplyDelete