SFR Brigade Showcase – The Chess Motif in Grand Master’s Pawn

Welcome to the March Showcase

At the start of my Blog Tour, I will describe the chess analogy for my new release, Grand Master's Pawn. The key themes in this story are: perseverance, the search for truth, and the power of kindness.

This novel channels Lewis Carroll with humor and weird characters. The Pawn, Violet, is “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” She ports to different planets on missions for her Grand Master. Initially naïve, she gains power and allies until she confronts the Grand Master(s).

There are four missions. In the chess analogy, the first move takes the pawn to the fourth square on the board. Each mission is a chess move, so the fourth mission takes Violet to the seventh square. She experiences a transforming experience, although her true promotion to queen will occur in Book 3 of the trilogy.

The story acquired the White Mother and the Red Queen, almost by accident. But, the chess analog breaks down, as in “Looking Glass.” There are twelve Grand Masters, not eight for the chess pieces. I wanted a good mix of humans, male and female, and alien Grand Masters. Eight was not enough to eliminate some in each book, and leave some at the end.

The main characters have secrets. Violet has hidden her psi talent for half her life. Her Grand Master is represented by the griffin avatar with blue eyes and a Darth Vader voice. Does he have a man’s body, or is he an alien or artificial intelligence? Violet doesn’t know. She doesn’t believe him when he says it is impossible for them to meet.

Excerpt

He growled, “Why did you block off my vision several times?” 

“Grand Master, the dragon lord Ythris wished to talk in private,” Violet replied calmly. She had anticipated his question and used the dragon’s clever suggestion.

His gruff voice grew sinister, “You are unwise to thwart me, Violet Hunter. How did you block me? Why in thunder can’t you tell me the truth?” The griffin’s eyes flashed electric blue, blinding her.

Violet covered her eyes with her hands and shielded strongly. After a few minutes, she grew curious and peeped through her fingers. The blue fire had dimmed in the uncanny stone eyes. She lowered her shield very gradually, alert for another attack.

No assault came until she shut off her shield, and then he played a new tactic. Impelled by psi force, Violet shot into the air, shrieking as she flew towards the ceiling. Her rapid ascent halted just before she hit the ceiling. She slammed on her physical shield and hung in midair, rotating slowly under his power. He was playing with her!

She yelled, “Stop it! Put me down, or else I’ll never tell you the secret of the dragons.”

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
 

Please comment and return to read the other contributions at SFR Brigade Showcase.