The Fellowship of Fantasy Writer’s Blog Tour (that is quite a mouthful) continues! Today we have a story based on the unique culture of New Mexico. I lived there briefly and had the good fortune of discovering what the most mouth-watering food on the planet tastes like. There is nothing like New Mexican food. I also had the pleasure of taking two semesters of creative writing from Rudolfo Anaya at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Rudolfo Anaya is probably best known for his novel Bless Me Ultima – a story with many levels to it. Based on RJ’s description below, it sounds like he, like Rudolfo Anaya, was touched by the mysticism that runs through the land of New Mexico.

Book title: The Tower of Il Serrohe (Book 1 of Rio Grande Parallax Series)

Author:     RJ Mirabal

• A man who has lost his way.
• A rundown casita near the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico.
• A bat offering a formidable quest to this unlikely hero.
• A Portal to another valley called the Valle Abajo.
• Clans in the Valle needing help to overcome the evil Soreyes.
• A Tower, the mysterious source of Soreye power.

Early in the past century Teresa, a young curandera, traveled to the Valle Abajo to bring down the Tower. But the Tower still stands and Don Vargas, an alcoholic looking for escape from failure, may be the only one to destroy it.

Don travels through the Portal to the Valle, encountering beautiful Raquela and feisty Nersite who join him to fight the Soreyes. Meanwhile Nightwing, the enigmatic bat, manipulates events behind the scenes. Many surprises and revelations await as this contemporary fantasy unfolds.

Though the book ends, the story doesn’t. Coming this winter, Book 2 of the Rio Grande Parallax: Extreme Dust Storms May Exist. Many familiar characters from The Tower return along with new exciting personalities to spice up the adventure:

Extreme Dust Storms May Exist:

• Esther has dreams of a valley much like her Rio Luna home, yet ominously different. A bat slams its body against her window in the night. Markey, her best buddy, thinks she might be going crazy.
• It is five years after the final events of The Tower of Il Serrohe and Esther, a young cousin of the missing Don Vargas, is drawn to the Portal in Don’s old Casita.
• In the Valle Abajo, an old enemy of the clanspeople returns. And a mysterious presence makes itself known.

Personal Comments: Why New Mexico Fantasy?

I’ve always loved the way fantasy and science fiction take my imagination beyond the ordinary. Realizing the obsessive creation of stories in my head meant I should be a writer, I set out to fashion a unique niche for my musings calling it Southwest Contemporary Fantasy, specifically New Mexico fantasy. Thus Don, Nersite, Raquela and all the other characters were born and sent out on their unpredictable adventures.

But like many children, they have their own ideas, and I struggle to keep up with them, attempting to tell their story as accurately as I can. I admit they share some of my life experience growing up in New Mexico with its unique culture, terrain, and climate. But at times, I wonder where these people came from!

Join me as I chronicle their adventures and challenges.

 RJ’s Blog Link:

RJ’s Blog: http://rjmirabal.wordpress.com/

 Buy links for The Tower of Il Serrohe:
Black Rose Writing: http://goo.gl/fZXWgF
Amazon: http://goo.gl/GvXAUT

  Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/42OHpk

  Smashwords: http://goo.gl/2LmWHu

  Signed copy from the author or other questions, email: rjmirabal@gmail.com