Questions About the Setting of Conor and the Crossworlds
Why did you pick the setting you used in your story? I'm not looking for -- "because I live there". I want you to dig deep and tell us...
Why you chose that particular setting?
I chose the Crossworlds because it is infinite. It is an endless series of worlds of light and darkness where anything can happen. What could be better than that for a fantasy writer?
What does the setting add to the story?
Surprises around every corner. There are four main venues that Conor and the other characters populate from time to time.
The realm of the creators is the home of the Council of Seven, a group of creators emeritus who oversee the Crossworlds. It is a place of unparalleled beauty and wellbeing. It is where Conor and the Champions go to rejuvenate themselves and prepare for battle.
The Glade of Champions is the world where the giant protectors of the Crossworlds live. Heavily forested and filled with lakes and small hills where the great cats can sun themselves, this is where Conor first meets Purugama’s brothers.
Earth – Conor lives there with his family in
The Shadow World is the home of the Circle of Evil. The destroyers; Drazian, Gandron, Fumemos, Seefra, Pikiwik Loff, and the horrible assassin Nemelissi all stage their attacks in this place. Zelexa, the Lady of the Shadows, controls this world along with the three arcs of the ruling body.
Could you write the same story in a different setting?
Why would I ever want to do that?
Why or why couldn't you use a different setting?
It’s not that I wouldn’t, I simply couldn’t. To me, the Crossworlds is as real as the world we all know. Conor is alive, as is Purugama and the rest of the Champions. The Lady of the Light has come alive with all the others, the destroyers, shadow warriors, the ezuvex, and on and on. This is a real live dimension I’ve created, and I could never change a thing about it. To do so would be an injustice to all the characters in the Conor and the Crossworlds story.
Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting?
Only on earth. I went to
Or, did you create the setting from scratch?
Everything besides earth came right out of my runaway imagination, including the Crossworlds, the corridors, the shadow world, the Champions, seekers, guardians, and the armies of the shadow world. I have to say, though, that I have been influenced by many wonderful writers. I’m certain the Lady of the Light emerged from my love of the science fiction / fantasy genre.
Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share.
Anything can happen, and usually does. The great wonder about fantasy writing is the spontaneity of the experience. Imagine freeing your mind completely and allowing yourself to write absolutely anything. That’s where great stories come from.
One thing that I’ll tell you is that very little in the Crossworlds is synthetic. I love the idea that the corridors are living, organic creatures. In Book Two they began to unravel because the Circle of Evil attacked the spiritual and social health of the planets connected to them. In Book Three you really get the sense of how emotional the corridors can be.
Please provide your website link.
http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com
What is the link to buy your book?
Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Borders.com – go to any of these sites and search for Conor and the Crossworlds.
Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there? If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us? For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?
If you went to the Glade of Champions, you might encounter a 5000 pound lion, a 2800 pound jaguar, a 2100 pound cheetah, a 3000 pound tiger, a 3000 pound flying cougar, and if you were lucky, you might see Maya, the Lord of the Champions, a 1900 pound alley cat. They are all cordial gentlemen, to a point.
If you went to the realm of the creators, your jaw would drop as you looked upon glorious gardens, waterfalls, pools, and perfect sunlight. The weather is always perfectly soothing to the spirit and soul. Young creators tend to the grounds constantly, and attend to the needs of the creators emeritus. Seekers (powerful visionaries with a gift finding lost souls) and guardians (healers from an ancient race of ezuvex warriors) might be roaming about. Bring relaxing clothing; you may pass by a healing water wall and want to stop for a moment’s rest.
Beware if you enter the Shadow World, for no one who perishes there can ever be rejuvenated by the creators. If you hear that the destroyer Nemelissi is on the loose, hide somewhere and stay absolutely quiet. Nemelissi the assassin is the most horrible of all destroyers, a disgusting creature who relishes new methods of slaughtering its victims.
Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
Conor and the Crossworlds: Breaking the Barrier
Conor and the Crossworlds: Peril in the Corridors
Conor and the Crossworlds: Surviving an Altered World
Conor and the Crossworlds: Charge of the Champions – October 2009
Conor and the Crossworlds: The Author of All Worlds – October 2010
Stop by any tour stop and share your thoughts and comments with author Kevin Gerard as he prepares for the December release of Book 3 Surviving an Altered World. He will check in throughout the day at each stop to answer questions. You’ll learn more and have a chance to win one of his books, and the more you learn about Conor and his exciting realm the more you'll want to know. Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com today to keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World. While your there click on the contest video for exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators which begins in January.
For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html
Surviving an Altered World Blurb:
Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know, including the Crossworlds Champions and the creators. The Lady of the Light appears, explaining that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored
Amazon Link for Surviving an Altered World: http://tinyurl.com/55akjz
About Conor and the Crossworlds
Conor and the Crossworlds series: This series opens with book 1, Conor and the Crossworlds, when 10-year-old Conor Jameson unconsciously calls forth the power of the crossworlds creators who send the mystical beast, Purugama, to accompany the boy on a fantastic journey into the realm of the crosswords. This immense collection of mystical worlds connects by organic "corridors" that allow creators, champions, seekers, and at the other end of the spectrum, destroyers, shadow warriors, slayers and keepers to travel between worlds as easily as Conor walks between the rooms of his home. In book 2, Peril in the Corridors, the story continues when Conor and his huge mentor disturb the integrity of the crossworlds corridors, and must join the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions, Maya, on a mission to repair them, with all of creation hanging in the balance. In book 3, Surviving an Altered World (due to be released in December 2008), Conor and Janine Cochran, two everyday high school students find themselves caught in a race to save an altered world after Conor ignores his mentors' warnings and divulges secrets about his past.
About the Author:
After running three companies and working a variety of jobs during his life, Mr. Gerard returned to school and earned a master's degree in sociology from Humboldt State University. He returned to San Diego after completing the program and worked with two professional research organizations over the next seven years. In 2004, he resigned from the second position in order to pursue a writing career. While still teaching at the university, he spends the bulk of his time writing for publication. The Conor and the Crossworlds series provided the main impetus for his decision to permanently extricate himself from formal employment.
"Stepping away from full-time work was the best decision I ever made. Writing this story has given me tremendous personal satisfaction, and it has shown me an avenue for expression I will always treasure."
Kevin Gerard lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and four children. He teaches sociology and statistics for the California State University. When not writing or teaching, Mr. Gerard enjoys walking the grounds at the San Diego Zoo, golfing with his father, hitting the waves and his favorite pizza hangout with his brother, nieces and nephews, and loving his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing Halo on the internet; look for him in the rocket games as Drazian, the destroyer in the first Conor and the Crossworlds adventure, Breaking the Barrier.
Conor and the Crossworlds Contest
Visit his website and click on the contest video for exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators which begins in January http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com
Website Address: http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com
Primary Blog: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A1Y85GB3KR02Y6/ref=cm_blog_dp_artist
