Rise of the Red Harbinger
The Drowned Realm Series
Book 1
Khalid Uddin
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Publisher: Open Door Publications
Date of Publication: June 6, 2016
ASIN: B01DZ63YPI
Number of pages: Around 400
Word Count: 180,000
Cover Artist: Genevieve LaVo Cosdon, LaVo Design
Book Description:
Thousands of years ago, the realm of Ashur was drowned by Darian, Harbinger of the god Orijin, to save it from the evil Red Harbinger, Jahmash. But the prophecies say Jahmash will return—and only Darian’s chosen Descendants, those who bear a black line on their face, can save mankind.
Baltaszar: An untried lad from a hidden village. He must find the House of Darian to learn how to use his mysterious powers.
Marshall: The last of a race of warriors slaughtered by Jahmash’s army. Will the other Descendants help him avenge his family and his race?
Prince Garrison: He spent years following his father, the king’s orders to kill all who bear the mark of Darian—even though he bears it himself. Can the other Descendants accept him? Or will they kill him?
Time is running short for the Descendants. Hunted by the people they are supposed to protect, can they save Ashur from its greatest threat: The Red Harbinger?
Amazon
The Drowned Realm Series
Book 1
Khalid Uddin
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Publisher: Open Door Publications
Date of Publication: June 6, 2016
ASIN: B01DZ63YPI
Number of pages: Around 400
Word Count: 180,000
Cover Artist: Genevieve LaVo Cosdon, LaVo Design
Book Description:
Thousands of years ago, the realm of Ashur was drowned by Darian, Harbinger of the god Orijin, to save it from the evil Red Harbinger, Jahmash. But the prophecies say Jahmash will return—and only Darian’s chosen Descendants, those who bear a black line on their face, can save mankind.
Baltaszar: An untried lad from a hidden village. He must find the House of Darian to learn how to use his mysterious powers.
Marshall: The last of a race of warriors slaughtered by Jahmash’s army. Will the other Descendants help him avenge his family and his race?
Prince Garrison: He spent years following his father, the king’s orders to kill all who bear the mark of Darian—even though he bears it himself. Can the other Descendants accept him? Or will they kill him?
Time is running short for the Descendants. Hunted by the people they are supposed to protect, can they save Ashur from its greatest threat: The Red Harbinger?
Amazon
About the Author:
Khalid Uddin’s credits his creative beginnings to comic books, specifically “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “X-Men”. Throughout middle school and high school, his predominant hobby was drawing his favorite characters, original characters, and just about everything that was put in front of him. Once his college roommate introduced Khalid to Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” book series (later completed by Brandon Sanderson), his imagination evolved. He had already been familiar with Tolkien’s vivid world, but Jordan’s was something new and far grander. Khalid saw the beginnings of his own fantasy world coming to life, thanks to these authors and to many of his own coming of age experiences.
When his head is not stuck in the fantasy world, Khalid spends his free time with his wife Jen and adorable one year-old daughter, Emme, who have both been incredibly generous with giving him time to write and finish his novel. He makes a living with literature, being a high school English teacher in New Jersey.
Khalid regularly posts updates and news about his novel and the writing process on his website, www.khaliduddin.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaluddin23
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khaliduddin23
Khalid Uddin’s credits his creative beginnings to comic books, specifically “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “X-Men”. Throughout middle school and high school, his predominant hobby was drawing his favorite characters, original characters, and just about everything that was put in front of him. Once his college roommate introduced Khalid to Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” book series (later completed by Brandon Sanderson), his imagination evolved. He had already been familiar with Tolkien’s vivid world, but Jordan’s was something new and far grander. Khalid saw the beginnings of his own fantasy world coming to life, thanks to these authors and to many of his own coming of age experiences.
When his head is not stuck in the fantasy world, Khalid spends his free time with his wife Jen and adorable one year-old daughter, Emme, who have both been incredibly generous with giving him time to write and finish his novel. He makes a living with literature, being a high school English teacher in New Jersey.
Khalid regularly posts updates and news about his novel and the writing process on his website, www.khaliduddin.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaluddin23
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khaliduddin23
Interview:
1. Where do you get your ideas?
My ideas and inspiration have come from a number of sources, and they’re pretty much all over the place. I draw ideas from things I randomly picture, from music, history, movies, television, comic books, religion, literature, friends, and experiences. I have a habit of looking at or hearing something simple and then just embellishing it as I picture it in my mind.
2. Do you have a dream cast for your book?
I wouldn’t say I do for the entire cast because I always assumed that if this book had a chance at becoming a movie, it probably wouldn’t be in the next few years anyway. But I could definitely see specific people playing certain roles. For instance, Farrah was inspired by Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones. Also, I pictured Maximillian as Jeffrey Wright.
3. How do you handle writer’s block?
I tend to work around it by doing something book-related. If I can’t write, I’ll work at outlining a chapter or developing a culture a bit more. To be honest, though, music tends to be my remedy for writer’s block. I’d say that about 95% of the time, as long as my ears are plugged in, then I can write.
4. What inspired you to write this book?
It was a combination of a few things. I was definitely inspired early on by other fantasy series, namely The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time. I recognized that many of the random things I would imagine or daydream about were similar to ideas portrayed in both of those series.
Along with that, it was my closest friends from college that pushed me even further into thinking I could write this. Our bond has been strong for nearly two decades and it was really that brotherhood that provided the biggest inspiration. Most of the main characters are based off of them.
5. What’s the hardest part of being an author?
For me, the uncertainty of how it will be received. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I think writing the book is the easy part, compared to marketing yourself. With the prominence of e-books now, there are so many novels coming out every day that it can be tough thinking about how my book will stand out when there are so many other options. I think that’s the biggest reality check. Yes, I’ve written my novel and gotten a publishing deal, but how do I get people to read it?
My ideas and inspiration have come from a number of sources, and they’re pretty much all over the place. I draw ideas from things I randomly picture, from music, history, movies, television, comic books, religion, literature, friends, and experiences. I have a habit of looking at or hearing something simple and then just embellishing it as I picture it in my mind.
2. Do you have a dream cast for your book?
I wouldn’t say I do for the entire cast because I always assumed that if this book had a chance at becoming a movie, it probably wouldn’t be in the next few years anyway. But I could definitely see specific people playing certain roles. For instance, Farrah was inspired by Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones. Also, I pictured Maximillian as Jeffrey Wright.
3. How do you handle writer’s block?
I tend to work around it by doing something book-related. If I can’t write, I’ll work at outlining a chapter or developing a culture a bit more. To be honest, though, music tends to be my remedy for writer’s block. I’d say that about 95% of the time, as long as my ears are plugged in, then I can write.
4. What inspired you to write this book?
It was a combination of a few things. I was definitely inspired early on by other fantasy series, namely The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time. I recognized that many of the random things I would imagine or daydream about were similar to ideas portrayed in both of those series.
Along with that, it was my closest friends from college that pushed me even further into thinking I could write this. Our bond has been strong for nearly two decades and it was really that brotherhood that provided the biggest inspiration. Most of the main characters are based off of them.
5. What’s the hardest part of being an author?
For me, the uncertainty of how it will be received. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I think writing the book is the easy part, compared to marketing yourself. With the prominence of e-books now, there are so many novels coming out every day that it can be tough thinking about how my book will stand out when there are so many other options. I think that’s the biggest reality check. Yes, I’ve written my novel and gotten a publishing deal, but how do I get people to read it?