Daryl Devore's Blog

Daryl Devore's Blog

Thursday 12 January 2023

What unusual place provided the inspiration for the grumpy troll in Daryl Devore's A Voice in the Air? #medieval #fantasy #romance

 

This is Yvnge. The grumpy troll.

I have an app on my cell phone called Happy Color. It is a paint-by-number app.

I use it when I'm in a boring place and want to distract myself - like waiting in the dentist's office.

The picture came up of the troll. When I finished colouring it - I said - I have to use him in my story - and Yvnge - the grumpy troll was created.

Excerpt

But the serenity of the place and cheerful sounds of the rushing water helped soothe Cadi's aching soul. When more tears threatened, she sang the faerie song. The first two times, it only eased the pain a little. But midway through the third time a small man about the size of a tree stump stormed up onto the bridge and confronted her.

“Will ye stop that caterwauling. Ye sound like someone stepped on a bunch of cat tails. Nay, that would sound better than ye.” He tapped his wooden walking stick on the bridge.

She crossed her hands and placed them on her chest. “But… but, I have been told that I have a beautiful voice and it soothes people’s hearts.”

He snorted so hard it made the strands of his to-the-ground beard flutter. “Bigs told ye that, did they?”

“Aye.”

He grumbled under his breath. “Bigs never tell the truth. They told ye that to keep ye happy with the hopes that ye would stop what ye think is singing.” He jumped up onto the ledge. “This is my bridge. I am Yngve, the guardian of the bridge.”

“I have been here many times. I have never seen ye.”

He curled his upper lip. “I am quite aware of that. I had to listen to yer… screeches. Hands pressed against my head couldn’t block out the sounds.”

She stood, then moved to the opposite ledge and rested against it. “Why did ye not tell me ye didn’t wish me to be here?”

“It was sunny.”

She blinked. That made no sense. Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “Why does a sunny day keep ye from talking to me?”

With his right hand, he planted his cane on a stone, then placed his left hand on his hip and shook his head. “Bigs.” In an annoyed and derogatory tone, he replied, “Trolls don’t like the sun.”

“Ye are a troll?”

“What did ye think I was? A faerie?” A scowl crossed his face at the word faerie.

“I’ve never met an actual troll.” She brushed a hair off her face. “I’ve met imps that I was told were trolls, but then was told they weren’t.”

The troll closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Bigs are so stupid.”

She stamped her foot. “I am not. I had never seen the being before and everyone was calling them trolls. Then I discovered that they were just cursed imps.”

“All imps should be cursed.”

A happy memory danced about in her head – Ba and Ta and their joy for life. No. They didn’t deserve to be cursed. “Ye certainly are a grumpy troll. Are all trolls as grumpy as ye?”

“Are ye going to leave and stop bothering me?”

“Ye did not ask me to.”

“I just did.”

 

Leading an army of faeries and pixies into battle against mountain trolls was not what Cadi expected when she accepted the task of rescuing Ewen - the son of the Overseer of the Faeries.

Squire Ewen followed his liege into battle with a head full of romantic notions of knights, heroics, and damsels in distress. Being captured by a troll, thrown into a cave, and awaiting a hideous death was not how he had foreseen his adventure to play out.

Can Ewen stay out of trouble long enough for Cadi to rescue him? Will Cadi overcome her doubts and fears and bring her beloved Ewen home to Plucks Ridge?

Or will the petty evilness of The Scorned One defeat all and destroy the magickal realm?

If you love action, humour, quirky characters, and romance, then Daryl Devoré’s latest medieval fantasy romance – A Voice in the Air – is a must read.

UBL

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Good Reads

 What’s on in January

13 - My Blog. My Post. My Books
14 - Backlist Saturday Spotlight
15 - Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
16A – Open Book Blog Hop #OpenBook
16B – Books & More Blog Hop #BooksandMore
17 – Spotlight - Everything You Dream is Real – Lisa De Nikolits
18 - Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor
19 -
20 - My Blog. My Post. My Books
21 - Backlist Saturday Spotlight
22 - Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23A – Open Book Blog Hop #OpenBook
23B – Books & More Blog Hop #BooksandMore
24 – Spotlight - Melody Johnson - Sight Beyond the Sun
25 - Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor
26 -
27 - My Blog. My Post. My Books
28 - Backlist Saturday Spotlight
29 - Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30A – Open Book Blog Hop #OpenBook
30B – Books & More Blog Hop #BooksandMore
31 – Cover Reveal - Abbie Roads - Dangerous Dream
 
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