Creating the world of Asharra
July 2008
Asharra, the land of the purple sky, is a far cry from the day to day routine of modern life. Devoid of modern technology, highly sensual in nature and utilizing unusual materials such as crystals and "zim" for daily needs, the world decribed in this novel is more than its fantasy and adventure elements suggest. It's a New Age location for a New Age world. Surprisingly, behind the fantasy, romance and adventure is also a New Age philosophy, safely tucked away but beckoning the casual Fantasy and Romance reader, nevertheless. That is the real secret being carried on the Winds of Asharra, the secret of a way of life apart from Western ideas of competition, greed, guilt and sin, a way of life that is natural and mystical at the same time. The world described in The Winds of Asharra is not only an entertaining backdrop for mainstream adventure, fantasy, and romance fans, it is a home away from home for followers of New Age philosophy, and is at its core a work of New Age fiction.
Creating the mystical world of Asharra meant much more than transposing images of tranquil beaches or lush jungles into the story, and populating them with fanciful creatures including musical dragons, sexy evolved felines, telepathic trees or dream inducing crystal beings. They are all a "nice bunch of beings" but without a compelling and rich culture and philosophy, Asharra would be as elusive as any myth. That would not be my Asharra. My world carries its own flavor of New Age advice, making it a second home for those who do not follow a Western theistic approach. Yes, everyone from Taoists to Wiccans will find some familiar elements on Asharra. The concepts of Uatu, sha, the Doings and the Asharra-dobar are metaphors for another path, a New Age path, similar in intent to George Lucas' sly insertion of Taoist and Buddhist philosophy into his Star Wars movies.
There are many core concepts and issues addressed in the Winds of Asharra that are familiar to followers of so-called New Age philosophy including defintions of being, the struggle to live naturally and authentically in the world, and a quest to define personal identity in spite of the larger society. These concepts and more are played out by the human and non-human characters in Asharra.
The idea of embedding a New Age philosophy into a fantasy/adventure novel took time and effort. After an exhaustive study of comparative earth cultures and their associated religions for approximately ten years, and armed with my own mystical feelings of serendipitity, interconnectedness and societal empathy, I began to create something different from anything I had ever encountered, something wonderful and magical. I created the philosophy of Asharra, which is the backbone of the story.
Describing a complex philosophy and making it believable and the prime motivation for the (alien) characters was a challenge, especially when it had to be done in such a way as to not disrupt the flow of the adventure and the sizzle of the story, or frighten away readers unfamiliar with New Age concepts or ideas. The saga of Victor, Zoe and Ionera (and all of the rest) had to blend harmoniously with all aspects of Asharran culture, so that the the reader forgets that he/she is learning about another place and another way of life. He/She becomes Asharran, inch by inch, as do the two main characters in the Winds of Asharra, the two 18 year old teenagers.
For ten years prior to publishing the Winds of Asharra, I lived and experienced life, travelling and absorbing (mostly through books) as many different cultures and beliefs as I could. The "pressure" part of the equation in this literary diamond creation came from my unconscious, relentlessly pushing me to put it all together. The silent nagging in my brain continued for years until something magical happened. I sat down at my computer and the world of Asharra burst onto the screen. Sure, there are elements of shamanism, Taoism, and a dozen other "-isms" within the world of the Asharrans, but the mystery is that the culture and world sprung forth almost fully formed.
The results matter far more than the process, and the resulting diamond is the world of Asharra. After 600 pages, the readers are comfortable with the mundane elements such as looshi's, doh-rah, dreegins and zim but also with the "feel" and the philosophy of Asharran life. They learn through Victor and Zoe's eyes, step by step, how to be Asharran, distinguishing "true", "shallow" and "empty" words, and engaging in the "Friendship Doings" and the "Uatu".
While the Winds of Asharra can be viewed by mainstream adventure, fantasy, and romance fans as a work of fiction, we hope our core audience, the New Age fiction market, will appreciate and resonate with the Asharran culture and way of life. At last, there is a myth for us.
Creating the mystical world of Asharra meant much more than transposing images of tranquil beaches or lush jungles into the story, and populating them with fanciful creatures including musical dragons, sexy evolved felines, telepathic trees or dream inducing crystal beings. They are all a "nice bunch of beings" but without a compelling and rich culture and philosophy, Asharra would be as elusive as any myth. That would not be my Asharra. My world carries its own flavor of New Age advice, making it a second home for those who do not follow a Western theistic approach. Yes, everyone from Taoists to Wiccans will find some familiar elements on Asharra. The concepts of Uatu, sha, the Doings and the Asharra-dobar are metaphors for another path, a New Age path, similar in intent to George Lucas' sly insertion of Taoist and Buddhist philosophy into his Star Wars movies.
There are many core concepts and issues addressed in the Winds of Asharra that are familiar to followers of so-called New Age philosophy including defintions of being, the struggle to live naturally and authentically in the world, and a quest to define personal identity in spite of the larger society. These concepts and more are played out by the human and non-human characters in Asharra.
The idea of embedding a New Age philosophy into a fantasy/adventure novel took time and effort. After an exhaustive study of comparative earth cultures and their associated religions for approximately ten years, and armed with my own mystical feelings of serendipitity, interconnectedness and societal empathy, I began to create something different from anything I had ever encountered, something wonderful and magical. I created the philosophy of Asharra, which is the backbone of the story.
Describing a complex philosophy and making it believable and the prime motivation for the (alien) characters was a challenge, especially when it had to be done in such a way as to not disrupt the flow of the adventure and the sizzle of the story, or frighten away readers unfamiliar with New Age concepts or ideas. The saga of Victor, Zoe and Ionera (and all of the rest) had to blend harmoniously with all aspects of Asharran culture, so that the the reader forgets that he/she is learning about another place and another way of life. He/She becomes Asharran, inch by inch, as do the two main characters in the Winds of Asharra, the two 18 year old teenagers.
For ten years prior to publishing the Winds of Asharra, I lived and experienced life, travelling and absorbing (mostly through books) as many different cultures and beliefs as I could. The "pressure" part of the equation in this literary diamond creation came from my unconscious, relentlessly pushing me to put it all together. The silent nagging in my brain continued for years until something magical happened. I sat down at my computer and the world of Asharra burst onto the screen. Sure, there are elements of shamanism, Taoism, and a dozen other "-isms" within the world of the Asharrans, but the mystery is that the culture and world sprung forth almost fully formed.
The results matter far more than the process, and the resulting diamond is the world of Asharra. After 600 pages, the readers are comfortable with the mundane elements such as looshi's, doh-rah, dreegins and zim but also with the "feel" and the philosophy of Asharran life. They learn through Victor and Zoe's eyes, step by step, how to be Asharran, distinguishing "true", "shallow" and "empty" words, and engaging in the "Friendship Doings" and the "Uatu".
While the Winds of Asharra can be viewed by mainstream adventure, fantasy, and romance fans as a work of fiction, we hope our core audience, the New Age fiction market, will appreciate and resonate with the Asharran culture and way of life. At last, there is a myth for us.
