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Queer Representation
As some readers may already know, Robin and I are queer. Both of us are pansexual, and I identify as genderfluid. Thus, our stories are filled with queer characters.
In The Grasp of Time, among our named characters, there are:
- two pansexuals
- four bisexuals
- one omnisexual
- two demisexuals
- one lesbian
- one gay man
- and a celibate, aromantic psychopath no one should try to get close to
Many of our characters are gender non-conforming, yet still cisgender, however one character is genderfluid, another is non-binary. That’s six heterosexuals to twelve queer people. Because if we can’t put representation into our own stories, what’s the point?
In future books, there will be asexual characters, openly transgender characters, and people who don’t fit into neat categories in the least (Khraesch certainly doesn’t). As with everything, I have a spreadsheet for this.
Thoughts on WildFeather
When going through the final editorial pass before handing The Grasp of Time to our editor, I found myself brought to tears over WildFeather (a.k.a. Aeri). Not over some tragedy in her future, but of her in those early moments, when Eila meets her for the first time.
Since the whole series is mapped out to some extent (the first four books are in some stage of completion, and the last four have their basic structures in place), I know far more about her than I did when we first played out those introductory scenes. Seeing the whole situation from Aeri’s point of view in those moments broke my heart because her words carry so much more weight now than they did when we’d only begun to meet these characters ourselves.
She’s one of my favorites in this series. Always will be. And if you’ve read The Grasp of Time already and loved her, then I have good news. You’ll see her again in Seal Breaker, and several of the other books in the series.
Jan 27th: First Live Reading of TGoT
The Grasp of Time Released!
On November 18th, the first chapter of Eila Corbin’s journey entered the world, resembling only the barest fragments of its original, oral tale shared between a wordsmith (Demers) and a tale spinner (Wood).
Eila Corbin, a modern-day university student, is pulled into a fantastical future where magic and technology are at odds, and mythical beings live among the mundane. While Eila avoids the deadly hands that brought her through time, she finds help from a dwarf, a dragon, and a love that cannot return with her.
The Grasp of Time is the first volume in the new-adult slipstream series, Amakai. This series is linked to coloring pages and invites readers to interact with the story.
The Grasp of Time is available for purchase in print on Amazon, and on Kindle and Nook. The book features eight coloring pages by Emily P. Fuller, cover illustration by Natasha Swan, and editing by Ellen Klowden.
Soundtrack to The Grasp of Time
If you enjoy a musical pairing with your reading, we’ve assembled a mix tape “soundtrack” to listen to while devouring The Grasp of Time.
- Ordinary World by Duran Duran
- Slavery and Suffering by Red Army Choir
- Saturn, Bringer of Old Age by Gustav Holst
- The Ramblin’ Rover by Silly Wizard
- Nuages Gris by Liszt
- Young Offender by New Order
- Dissolved Girl by Massive Attack
- Skin by Madonna
- The Beast by Concrete Blonde
- Hotel by Tori Amos
- Life in Mono by Mono
- Vanilla by Gackt
- Enough by Gravity Kills
- Major Tom (in German)
- Frosti by Bjork
- Dream Set by The Wicked Tinkers
- Take Me On by a-ha
- Donald McGillavry by Silly Wizard
- Take the A Train by Duke Ellington
- Opium by Emilie Simon
- Charlene by Bjork
- Wrong by Depeche Mode
- Come Undone by Duran Duran
- Lacrimosa by Mozart
- I Remember by deadmau5 & Kaskade
- To Dream Away by Numantra
- Konaprivade by Vladimir Vysotsky
- Joga by Bjork
- Take On Me by a-ha
- Ever So Lonely / Eyes / Ocean by Sheila Chandra
- A Thousand Years by Sting
- Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens
- Ebla by E.S. Posthumus
- Home by Depeche Mode
- Bones by MsMr
- Roads by Portishead
- Time by David Bowie
- Prima Nocta by Serge and Francoise Goddeeris
- Into Dust by Mazzy Star
- Thinking About Tomorrow by Beth Orton
Robin and Raven own none of the songs or their corresponding videos and encourage you to seek out the artists you enjoy to purchase their albums to help support their art, as you’ve helped support ours.
The Art of The Grasp of Time
The cover art (by Natasha Swan) and coloring pages (by Emily P. Fuller) of The Grasp of Time are uploaded on the site, ready for viewing under “Multimedia” on the menu above. This includes a preview of all of the coloring pages, and a link to a free page ready to print and color.
