The Stone of Destiny – Lia Fail

While researching places and mythology for my book, The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles, I came across a lot of interesting facts about the Celts, Ireland, Magik and even Los Angeles.  Having been raised in Los Angeles, it was great to learn new things about my home, but I was even more intrigued to discover so much information about the Celts.

The ancient Celts believed they were descended from the Tuatha Du Danann.  A “god-like” or fae people (fae being fairy like) who had arrived in Ireland for a mythical land.  There are several articles online that I have read and these people claim to have read and re-read ancient Celtic texts and they often discuss how these texts often contradict themselves.  I have read what they have to say and I have come to my own conclusions.

Lia Fail (the Stone of Destiny) is often referred to as the Coronation Stone or Jacob’s Pillar.  It is connected to the Kings of Israel and supposedly found it’s way to Briton when an Israeli princess was married to a British King.  That stone is currently in Westminster Abbey; well, according to those passionate about it on the internet.   And I don’t think that the Coronation Stone and Jacob’s Pillar are the same stone.  The Pillar is in County Meath at Tara and is believed to be the Danann Stone.  The Coronation Stone, at the Abbey, is the Israeli stone.

There is great debate over the Coronation Stone.  Does it belong back in Israel of today?  The Scots have laid claim to it… should it stay in England, after all, it’s been there for quite some time.  Not sure, but I do not believe that Jacob’s Pillar, the Coronation Stone, is the “real” Lai Fail.

Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny, was believed to be brought by the Tuatha Du Danann when they arrived in Ireland.  It was held as sacred and protected. It was often said that when one touched the Lai Fail, it would roar.  When you look a little deeper you see that Lia Fail actually seems to translate into something like a “keeper of the sacred knowledge”.  Maybe it was a book or stone that held the secrets of the Danann.  Unfortunately, we will most likely never know for certain, as it is thought that the original Lia Fail disappeared many, many years ago.  Maybe, the Fail was just a representation of the wisdom of the magical people of the Danann… maybe its just an idea, or a way of being.

Either way, I was inspired enough by the concept of the stone to name the main village of my stories after the mystical stone of the people of my ancestors…  Lia Fail.  I would like to think that the knowledge and magik of the Tuatha Du Danann might be here now.  Searching near and far to find those that believe… after all, magik is everywhere.

Information discovered at http://www.danann.org/library/symb/lia.html, http://jahtruth.net/liafail.htm,http://www.alba.org.uk/scotching/liafail.html, http://www.knowth.com, http://www.redicecreations.com/winterwonderland/stoneofscone.html

News was reported on May 29, 2014 – Someone had vandalized the 5,000 year-old-stone by pouring paint over it.  – http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-investigation-after-iconic-ancient-stone-at-hill-of-tara-vandalised-with-paint-30314709.html

 

A little interview from Me – Guest Author: S.L. Dearing

So I did an interview for Author Sarah M. Cradit. It’s posted over at her blog.  Hope you like it.  Also, if you’re so inclined, I’m hanging with talented artists at Dauntless Indies today.

https://facebook.com/DauntlessIndies

Guest Author: S.L. Dearing.

Cover Reveal of The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles by S. L. Dearing

Cover Reveal and Re-Release Party for
The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles by S.L. Dearing

Synopsis: Another world war has happened and everything we knew is now gone. There are no more countries. No more government… only survivors who have created a new world made up of small colonies. It has been thirteen years and the village of Lia Fail sits peacefully above the Hollywood Reservoir in the Santa Monica Mountains. The settlement is making ready to host the fall Gathering, a time where every six months the other colonies from various parts of what was once Southern California visit for ten days of fun and reminiscence. The Gathering begins as any other party. A time for new loves, old friends, family, dancing and fun, but all too soon that changes. The people in Lia Fail begin to experience strange goings on they can’t explain, unseen forces attack several guests and friends begin to distrust friends. When they receive news of a horrific massacre, they realize they must face an impending dark evil that threatens to descend on the tranquil village.

Alia Stark, the queen of Lia Fail, must face this darkness. But she will face the evil along side her oldest and dearest friends, as well as an amazing new ally. The fate of her people, the lives of her children and freedom itself rests in her hands. Will she have the courage to do what must be done?

This is the beginning of a journey that will change all of their lives forever.

The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles is the first in a new Paranormal, Fantasy, and Adventure Series.

Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gathering-Book-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004DCB5X2/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Gathering-Book-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004DCB5X2/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gathering-s-l-dearing/1025141705
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10735287-the-gathering
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1514822952
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLiaFailChronicles

Join us October 5 from 3-7pm PST on Facebook for a grand party event. There will be games and prizes from LOTS of authors and Swag artists. Please come and join the fun!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/523140221098615/

About the Author: Although she grew up in Arizona, S. L. Dearing was born and raised in California and considers the Golden State her home. Shannon attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, studying biology, then moved to Los Angeles where she spent several years studying at Los Angeles City College’s renowned Television/ Film program. She learned the art of storytelling from her father when she was very young and has been writing since the tender age of five. As an author of many genres, she is always hoping to learn more by exploring the world of story.

She has written her first novel The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles. She also has short stories in several anthologies: Apocalypse: An Anthology by Readers & Authors, Paranormal Anthology with a Twist and the soon to be released Stalkers: A Collection of Thriller Stories. Shannon currently resides in Los Angeles.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sldearing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/S.L.Dearing.Author
Website: http://www.sldearing.com

 

Next Big Thing Blog Tour

I am horribly delinquent on this and I must apologize to Luna Nightwyn and Sophie Davis, but here we go.  I was brought in by the two of them.  You can find their wonderful blogs below.  Also, Sophie is hosting an event on Facebook right now called Fall in Love with Fabulous Giveaways (https://www.facebook.com/events/556374757706194/)

Luna Nightwyn: http://www.nightwyn.com/d/

Sophie Davis: www.SophieDavisBooks.com

This is my Q & A… my interview as it were 🙂  Hope you enjoy reading about my writing experience… well, with these questions 🙂

What is the working title of your next book?  The working title is The Awakening and it’s the sequel to The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles… available now at Amazon!! LOL!

Where did the idea come from for the book?  Well, its a series, so it’s really The Gathering that was the catalyst.  It was when the invasion of Iraq was about to take place.  And North Korea was being crazy and I thought, what would happen if World War 3 hit?  But I’m kind of an optimist, so I began to wonder what life would be like in the aftermath and since I don’t believe most people would use nuclear weapons, I cam e up with new weapons that killed people but made the land still livable.

What genre does your book fall under?  It’s really a culmination of many genres, but I suppose it would best be classified as a Paranormal, Epic Fantasy/ Adventure with Romantic overtones and a Horror/Thriller undertow.  that should be a new genre 🙂

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?  Oh, Wow… um, Maybe Jessica Chastain would be good to play the lead character… she’s a little young right now, but maybe by the time she’s the right age… wink, wink… other characters, I don’t know.  

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?  Hmmm,  A journey of self-discovery set in a post-apocalyptic world of magic, where evil demands a sacrifice, but love is the greatest weapon.  I don’t know… that’s hard…

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Ha ha… I’m my own agency.  Self-Published and Self-marketed. 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?  Oh, wow, from idea to finished book, about 7 and half years.  But they always say to write the first book then toss it.  I figure I wrote and re-wrote this book like 3 times.  So I already did that. 🙂

What other books would you compare this to within your genre?  Honestly, I haven’t read anything like my book, but I did have one person compare it to the Dies The Fire Series.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?  As I said above, I started to think about war.  As far as sitting down to write a novel… I’ve always written and I think when I finished reading the Harry Potter Series and the Series of Unfortunate Events, I though “Why not”?

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?  Well, I’ve split up the majority of villages by religion.  It seems to me that people follow a path to their beliefs before anything else… before race, or heritage.  My books are really about change, acceptance and tolerance.  That’s where the war theme really plays out… it’s about everyone, everywhere learning to tolerate each other.  You don’t have to like each other, but we should all tolerate each other 🙂