Raised by her cold, but caring uncle, the city’s Captain of the Guards, she has learned to shut off her emotions and is well versed in the ways of battle. When the bishop is sent to her bed, will this descendent of an infamous necromancer allow him to live, or will she adhere to her uncle’s wishes and murder him?
Reviews for Shahzar Warrior Queen
"Lose yourself in the mystic beauty of the desert. Become immersed into a world of dark magic and age old traditions that will soon change when the next Queen of Kaladia takes the throne. I highly recommend Shahzar to any avid fantasy reader. Anastasia Rabiyah does not disappoint." - Dawné Dominique Author of Ridley's Rival
"Anastasia Rabiyah ensorceles the reader with her fantasy novel Shahzar Warrior Queen, each and every character no matter how small was detailed and brought such life to this story. I loved that her main character went against each and every rule because she knew in her heart what must be done, no matter what the old traditions were. Such a strong willed woman but still soft and feminine enough to feel comfort in the arms of a man."
"I loved reading this exciting, adventurous work of art. Then next book in the series is called Last Shan-Sei and I can not begin to tell you how excited I will be once that book is released. I look forward to following Queen Shahzar in her quests to rebuild her city." - 5 Hearts Crystal Adkins http://www.bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/
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Read an excerpt from Shahzar Warrior Queen
About Anastasia Rabiyah
Anastasia Rabiyah writes erotic romance, paranormal erotic romance, and fantasy. She often crosses genres in order to follow her muses into the darkness where they seek out destiny in all its forms. She believes in fairies, demons, angels, magic, passion, chocolate, supportive friends, e-books and writing critique groups. Her deepest desire is to pursue her creative dreams and realize them. Every spare moment she devotes to writing for her haunting muses.
Back list
Fantasy/Romance:
Shahzar Last Shan-Sei (Book Two in the Series) Available E-Book from Forbidden Publications and releasing in print this month from Lulu.com, Amazon.com and orderable from major bookstores.
Last Kiss of the Clan Dancer Available e-book from Lulu.com
Erotic Romance:
Demon in the Basement Available E-Book from ForbiddenPublications.com
The Noonday Demon Available E-Book from AmiraPress.com
Oikoni Stone Available E-Book from ForbiddenPublications.com
Rope Available E-Book from loveyoudivine.com
The Skeleton's Shadow Available E-Book from Lulu.com
Wolf's Gift Available E-Book from ForbiddenPublications.com
Releasing this month:
Cowboys in Print from loveyoudivine.com, Amazon.com and orderable from major bookstores
Naughty Nine in Print from loveyoudivine.com, Amazon.com and orderable from major bookstores
An Interview with Anastasia Rabiyah
By Holly Hewson, Marketing Director for The Romance StudioHH: Anastasia, welcome back to TRS! Please tell us about your featured work, Shahzar Warrior Queen. AR: Hi Holly and thank you so much for the opportunity to be in the hot seat!
Shahzar Warrior Queen is the first book in a four part fantasy/romance series. Book one and book two are currently available from FrobiddenPublications.com in e-book and Lulu.com in print. The main character is a young woman determined to change her city. Here’s the teaser:
Journey to the cursed, desert city of Kaladia where Shahzar, heir to the throne, faces an arcane rite to attain her position as Queen. She must bear a child blessed by the failing Shan-Sei Temple’s bishop. Raised by her cold, but caring uncle, the city’s Captain of the Guards, she has learned to shut off her emotions and is well versed in the ways of battle. When the bishop is sent to her bed, will this descendant of an infamous necromancer allow him to live, or will she adhere to her uncle’s wishes and murder him?
HH: Your heroine is in quite a predicament, her options limited greatly by the ways of her people. Where did you get the idea for this intriguing story? AR: Shahzar is actually a prequel to the first story I created in this world. That first story isn’t done and needs heavy revisions before I dare to place it into the public eye. The idea to create a willful woman who would do whatever it takes to get things done came from writing about her second son. Many tales spring up from “backstory” when an author writes a little bit about what shaped a main character. In this case I wrote a little bit about what shaped Shahzar so I could better understand her son. I was writing his tale at the time. I set down Shahzar’s notes and left it there for a few years until I came back to it. (Or I should say I got tired of her nagging me to write story.)
In her city, she is the only heir to the throne, but a guild council has been ruling since her birth. Kaladia is a matriarchal society ruled traditionally by a queen. Shahzar’s mother died in childbirth and her uncle was not sired by a bishop from the local temple, so he cannot rule. This first book is about her coming of age and struggling to take the power that is her birthright.
In order to gain the throne, she must bear a child fathered by the temple bishop, Raynier, a shy man who is taken with her from the moment he sees her. His gentle nature and ways are hardly a match for her harsh, often cold demeanor. She is told by her uncle that she must kill him and end the local temple’s power once and for all.
HH: This is the first in a series of books. What can you tell us about the books to come? AR: In book two, Shahzar Last Shan-Sei, Shahzar is determined to hunt down the last Shan-Sei priest. She wants to bring back the magical powers once prominent in the local temple that were lost during a great war in generations past. She hopes she can convince him to return to Kaladia with her to fight her enemies from the rival city of Klem. Mourning the loss of her uncle, she goes on a hermitage to the forestlands to hunt down a healer known as Roderick Belshing, a man she hopes is the last Shan-Sei. Raynier finds a way to accompany her on this journey even though she wants him to stay behind. Shahzar gets much more than she bargained for when she meets the sorcerer and she must decide between a future she never imagined or the child and city she’s leaving behind.
In book three, Shahzar Sorcerer and Shadow, (due to release February 5, 2008 from Forbidden Publications) the warrior queen is faced with a new challenge. War is returning to her city and she feels the call of the goddess buried beneath its temple. In book four, Shahzar Last Queen of Kaladia, she hopes to finally make peace with Klem.. I have no release date for book four yet. It’s sitting on my desktop staring at me and awaiting edits.
HH: What do you like best about Shahzar? AR: I love this character because she makes choices. They may not always be the best ones, but she carries on and remains steadfast in her decisions. I admire people who can see a goal and race toward it. I also admire strong women who are willing to stand up and fight against what’s wrong.
HH: How did you approach world building for this project? AR: Worldbuilding for this set of tales was a grand project. As a child I had already mapped out the lands and created some of the characters in the world. I have many more tales to write based in this world, but not all of them are in Shahzar’s city or in the same era. It’s quite a feat to create a religion, lands, and governments. I have a great many ledgers of notes, sketches and timelines. I’ve created family trees and backstory listings. The nice thing is, once all of that is done, I have a viable world in which to write. I can fall into what I already have set before me and create other tales about characters related to Shahzar.
The city of Shan-Sei has its basis in a fallen goddess, Ishas, who descended from the single moon in the sky when the heavenly body broke into three pieces. After her fall, three men of a nomadic tribe discovered her and were gifted with magical abilities which would in turn be passed to their descendants. When dawn came, Ishas turned to ash and her remains were buried on the future site of a temple in her honor. A religious run society grew from this temple of Shan-Sei. All was well for many years until a great war broke out among the sects of the temple and the guilds in the surrounding city who wanted autonomy and freedom from tithes. The result of the war split Shan-Sei into two parts: Kaladia (Shahzar’s city) and the refugees who fled and created their own city of Klem. The two cities warred from then on.
I’ve added in a loosely Arabic theme to the city. Kaladia is in the midst of a massive desert. Before the war, it was forest, but the magic unleashed destroyed the lush vegetation. There are many mysterious places in the land, such as where the forestlands and desert meet. No natural gradation parts the two. It’s as if an invisible barrier keeps the one from melding with the other. Shan-Sei and Ishas are not the only religions followed. In book two, Shahzar encounters Belshing who follows the healing ways of the Temple of Edchir.
A small detail that only a few of the critiques in my writing group noticed is that last names are carried through the mother, not the father. It’s a detail that might throw off readers when my characters wed.
HH: What are you working on now? AR: I’m revising The Division of Shan-Sei which is a prequel to Shahzar and covers her mother’s life and loves. It also shows how the great war came about. It’s reaching epic proportions as well and is currently at 80K words. Plotting is a puzzle I still need to be happy with before I can write the final chapter. I want it all to fit in place perfectly.
HH: What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
AR: I love being able to escape into new worlds, to journey along with my muses. It’s like being a reader, only better. The creative process is my haven from the drudgery of laundry!
HH: What do you consider to be your unique contribution to the romance genre? AR: I’m not following the norm with these tales. Happily ever after is not exactly what you’ll find, but you will find love and passion. You will find a journey and character growth even the character didn’t know was possible. I offer my readers an escape which I hope is unique enough to keep them coming back to me. It’s kept me coming back to these characters for years now. My fantasy series tales are lighter romance.
I also write erotic romance in many cross genres.
Another unique way in which I contribute to the genre is by critiquing fellow authors in my writing groups. Currently I moderate an erotica authors group and a fantasy authors group. By supporting others I have learned how to better my writing and I’m happy to share the knowledge with those starting out.
HH: What do you enjoy reading? AR: I love to read fantasy and erotic romance. Lately my alone time with a non-edited book is limited to just before bedtime. Right now I’m reading Lady Midnight’s Enslaved, an erotica not for the faint of heart. I started reading it last night and I’m already halfway through. It’s tough to take, but I can’t put it down. Before that I finished the latest Harry Potter.
When I’m not reading for pleasure, I’m editing. I edit for two e-publishers and do occasional freelance work for self-publishing authors. This can be fun and it can be hard work. Some of the latest ones I’d recommend are Brieanna Robertson’s Dark Masterpiece and also Better Than Chocolate. She has a grip on humanity and reality I love. She has humor and real life drama that can’t be beat. I love her style. It’s sweet romance at its best.
My favorite erotica writer lately is Bryn Colvin. This author pushes the envelope and always catches me off guard with her subject matter. The last one I read by her (that’s available now) is Alternative Therapies.
HH: If you could spend a day any way you like, what would you do? AR: My husband would kill me for saying this, but I’d rather be writing. I just need coffee, my laptop and a three prong plug for power. If I can be in the comfort of my jammies, that’s even better.
HH: Thank you!
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