World of Fire & Flight: Happy Serenmae!

Can you believe it’s winter already? Neither can I! It seems like only yesterday I was introducing Harvum from my upcoming YA Fantasy novel, Fire & Flight, as autumn and now I get to talk about my favorite season of all: Serenmae (or winter)!

Serenmae (pronounced ser-ren-may) is when the world grows cooler and eventually bitter cold. Throughout most of Tenebris, there’s the possibility of snow, although it rarely ever snows in the Amber Dunelands of the southern Tenebris. On occasion, it even snows in the southern reaches of the Barrier Plains, but the Shadow Forest and the Godberd Woods are almost always blanketed with snow at one time or another during the Serenmae season.

With the growing and harvesting season at a close, many folks in the country turn to other occupations for a means of income. Some who are fortunate enough to have a Magicitric (pronounced ma-jist-tric*) greenhouse can continue growing throughout the year. But most importantly, Serenmae is a time of tranquility throughout Tenebris. Even the busiest cities like Huntington and even the capital of Mageffery experience a bit of peace.

Even with the Pagmas holiday, Serenmae is a time of reflection and hope for the future. While the world slumbers, a new day is on the horizon for those who wish to seize it and begin anew. Pagmas’ light, hope, and gratitude is often a more intimate celebration than those held in Harvum. While neighbors often share goodwill amongst friends, Pagmas is traditionally spent with close family. Quiet, reminiscent, and hopeful, Pagmas is a Tenebrese tradition that has lived on for centuries.

Despite being the coldest season of the year, Serenmae has become synonymous with warmth and happiness to Fire & Flight’s main characters, Nyla and Xander. Whether it was spent by the heady scent of a pine tree or sipping cocoa by the family hearth, Serenmae is a special time of year for both teens, one of family and peace.

Experience the world of Tenebris and some of my characters’ fondest memories in Fire & Flight, coming soon!

(*magically fueled power, enchanted energy that provides light, heat, etc., to homes in most areas; some places are too remote or widespread to fuel with Magicity at this time and people are against Magicity because they don’t trust in its dependability.)