Writer Miriam Verbeek joins me today to chat about her new urban fantasy, Skyseeker’s Princess.
Bio:
Miriam Verbeek is a versatile and dynamic writer, academic editor, and scholar with several degrees, including a BA in Secretarial Studies, MBA, a PhD in Management Ethics, and graduate diplomas in Foreign Affairs and Editing. She has shown a deep commitment to human rights and justice issues throughout her career. With her extensive education and wealth of life experiences, Verbeek enjoys writing entertaining, thought-provoking, and insightful books. She strives to create works infused with compassion, intelligence, and a genuine love of life.
When she is not writing, Verbeek never fails to find time for the things she loves, including spending time with friends, family, and her dogs, and exploring the natural world through bushwalking, scuba diving, snowshoeing and travel. She also finds joy in reading, listening to audiobooks, learning new things, and indulging in hobbies such as gardening and doing puzzles.
Welcome, Miriam. Please tell us about your current release.
Skyseeker’s Princess is the thrilling kickoff to an epic coming-of-age tale of adventure, courage, and the power of friendship. Packed with incredible world-building and led by an inspirational yet relatable heroine, this urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Lindsay Buroker’s ‘Legacy of Magic’ and Leigh Bardugo’s ‘Alex Stern’ series.
Ellen is in line to become the next ruler of the Skyseekers, one of three societies on the isolated arctic and volcanic island of Si’Empra. When a shocking betrayal pulls her away from the throne and puts it in the hands of her power-hungry and abusive half-brother, Ellen’s life plan is thrown to the wind. Forced to flee into the mountains, Ellen must face a choice – she can find a way to outsmart her brother and prove herself as a capable leader of the Skyseekers, or she can hide in exile.
As Ellen embarks on a journey through the far-flung Skyseeker villages, she becomes embroiled in a battle to save one village from financial abuse and corruption, quickly proving herself a skilled negotiator and woman of the people. However, as she navigates the treacherous waters of Si’Empra to secure a better future for the island’s inhabitants, there remains a past to face and many things left to learn – like not making deadly promises.
The unique world of Si’Empra is intricately drawn, with fascinating characters and a rich tapestry of cultures and traditions. Whether you’re a long-time fantasy fan or just looking for a thrilling new world to explore, Skyseeker’s Princess is a must-read. Join the adventure.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to explore real world issues in a real world setting with real people.
Real people are not two dimensional or seek a single goal in life. What they experience throughout their lives give them courage sometimes and cowardice at other times. Ellen, the main character, for example, grew up as a much-loved and indulged princess till her father died when she was in her teens. She was then abused by her half-brother and witnessed how her mother wilted under the same abuse. She carries the scars of that trauma throughout her life, balancing it constantly against childhood lessons to care for the welfare of others. Seeking love and romance are not what drive her, rather, it is understanding the complexities of the situations she finds herself in, prioritizing her people and her community, and nurturing friendships for moral support and assistance. Her naturally impetuous, quick-thinking, and determined nature gets her into as much trouble as out of trouble. Ellen’s grandmother, Elthán, is also a strong character with a background that could have crushed her. She has come to terms with her past by accepting the cards life dealt her and becoming stronger for it. Redel, Ellen’s abusive half-brother, certainly seems to be, initially, an unsavory character but people aren’t born ‘evil’; things happen in their lives that nudge them towards the way they behave. Ellen, despite being repulsed by Redel, is capable of seeing that her half-brother is also crying for help.
It might seem a strange thing to write that I wanted to explore real world issues in a real world setting since Si’Empra island, at first blush, is a figment of my imagination – a fantasy. However, the creation of Si’Empra, allowed me to draw parallels with the planet Earth we inhabit. For example, humans are bound to planet Earth and cannot escape the consequences of human activities on the planet – this is the case with the people of Si’Empra who are bound to their island and must face the consequences of overharvesting its resources. I also explore the interactions of cultures and societies and how they, throughout human history, have both enriched and endangered one-another. On Si’Empra, there are three societies – Skyseeker’s, Crystalmakers and Cryptals. For millennia, they have worked out ways to live with one another, relying on each society’s unique contributions to enable life in the hostile environment of Si’Empra. This harmony is upended when Si’Empra is discovered by the outside world and the introduction of new technology and ideas, a fate that has impacted many of planet Earth’s nations throughout history.
Excerpt from Chapter 21 of Skyseeker’s Princess:
Ellen lounged back against the saddle brace; one knee crossed over the other, free foot swinging idly to Rosa’s motion. She was contented to be on her way again, finally released from Greçia’s care after a month of inactivity.
She frowned at the page clipped against a plastic board that rested against her thigh. She tapped the end of a pencil against her bottom lip as she inspected the page. The writing was rather haphazard, given the unstable surface. She grumbled to Rosa about “movement” from time to time, drawing aggrieved glances from the bird when she did so.
Muttering, Ellen added a few more words, wrinkled her nose and carefully erased what she had just written. She tapped the end of the pencil against her lip again then sighed dramatically.
“Listen to this, Rosa. It’s in no way finished but listen anyway.” Ellen cleared her throat and began to read what she had written. She was not two paragraphs into the story when she wrinkled her nose with distaste. It was not good at all.
This is nonsense!
She looked over the top of her knee to check for Rosa’s reaction. Rosa stretched her neck forward and plucked at a delectable-looking herb growing between two rocks. “As I expected, you didn’t listen to a word,” Ellen huffed. “You could at least pretend to listen! Just because you think I should stick to reading and forget writing you shouldn’t ignore me. I like writing – so a bit of encouragement would be appreciated.”
Storytelling was a well-loved pastime for Si’Emprans. Some of Ellen’s earliest memories were of sitting on one or other parent’s lap and listening to skilled storytellers take her into the lives of other people and events. When she learnt how to read, especially when she learnt how to read in the English language, she discovered an even greater universe of stories. Her desire to become a storyteller had blossomed early and her tutors had indulged her, as had foreign visitors.
Her father had been less enthralled.
“Your duties are to learn leadership,” he reminded her time and again.
Ellen focused on the page on her lap again. “Of course,” she muttered. “I could think of another –”
Rosa dropped to the ground, making a soft warbling sound. Ellen stilled. Without moving her head, she scanned her surroundings. To her right, a slope rose steeply toward the sky and, as far as she could tell, nothing moved on it. To her left, the slope dipped to a degraded cart track – about 200 metres away – that she and Rosa had crossed fifteen minutes ago and gradually moved away from. Slowly, Ellen turned her head to get a better view. A group of men were facing toward her. From the way they behaved, it was obvious that they did not have a clear idea of what they might have seen. One of the men was pointing in her direction.
With minimal movement, Ellen unclipped her harness. She saw a man pull a backpack off his shoulders and drop it to the ground. The others turned towards him.
In that instant of their distraction, Ellen slipped behind Rosa’s black back. She crept past the glasaur’s shoulder and peered carefully over the outstretched neck. All the men were looking up again. The one who had been pointing was again gesturing, his head close to a man with binoculars to his eyes.
This would be a test! Ellen glanced at the sky. It was its usual overcast self. If the sun broke through the clouds, chances were Rosa’s black bulk would be recognisable. In the more uncertain light, Ellen was confident that Rosa would be well camouflaged. Not that it really mattered if the men did see her, she just preferred it that Redel did not have word of her whereabouts.
The man with the binoculars shook his head, lowering the glasses. Ellen recognised him from his bulk and movements: Lian Cecil.
The man who had pointed began to climb up the slope. It was a steep climb but physically possible. If they all climbed, then she and Rosa might have a chance to slip away as the men disappeared temporarily behind a drop-off. If some stayed behind, then any movement Rosa made would give away her position.
The climber paused; there appeared to be a discussion and he scrambled back down. The party set off again along the track.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I have finished the three books in the ‘Songs of Si’Empra’ series (‘Skyseeker’s Princess’ is the first book and the other books are ‘Cryptal’s Champion’ and ‘Si’Empra’s Queen’). I had an idea when writing ‘Si’Empra’s Queen’ to include a side-story about the impact of technology on a naïve society but it would have made the book too long and complicated. So, I wrote The Website, which is set in the Si’Empra world but with a Dutch sleuth, Saskia van Essen, who is a financial techno whizz (geek) and unearths the crime.
My current project is writing the story of another investigation Saskia is involved in. This time, the story is set in Australia and involves unearthing crimes being committed by a forestry organization.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
At the moment when I realized that the reviews I received for Skyseeker’s Princess were not only positive but enthusiastic. I even had one reader contact me to tell me that she’d never immersed herself so deeply in a story before and wants desperately to visit Si’Empra.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full-time. I am an academic editor and, when I have a job on, I am focused on completing that job. I am also the major carer in my household, so my days are often pulled into ensuring the household is running smoothly. In between the pulls of other tasks (and pleasures), I write the stories that are in my head. They are often colored by what I’ve learnt in the academic work I do and, of course, my experiences in life.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Complexity. I find it very difficult to just have one idea or plot line or theme. My stories usually start with a tangle of ideas as I see the whole pattern of events spread before me. I spend a lot of time untangling the ideas so they have a chance of making sense to others.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to be. I’ve always written stories but it wasn’t something my parents encouraged I pursue, so I drifted through various jobs then into academia, then into consulting and then into editing (as well as starting a family, building houses, travelling and all that sort of life things). In many ways, I don’t regret that I am not finally able to indulge my passion for writing. I’ve got a ton of life experience to draw on.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
When I wrote my first book, the feedback I received from a publisher was: “This is some of the most powerful writing I’ve read, but I don’t know where it fits”. I had no idea what to make of this feedback. Because I had no training in writing fiction and I am a very eclectic reader, enjoying any story if it is well written, I didn’t have a good sense of things like ‘genre’, ‘tropes’, ‘story arcs’ and the like. I’m a bit wiser now, but my stories don’t neatly follow genre lines. My fantasy series don’t have magic or magical creatures (though Cryptals come close). My crime series are as much about familial relationships as they are about uncovering crime. Sometimes I wonder whether I should try to force myself to ‘toe the line’ but I think, for the time being, I’ll continue to write what I want to write. That first book is still not published but I intend to return to it and offer it to readers whether it ‘fits’ or not.