Dark Desires

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Pam Lazos

Dark Desires

Award-winning author Ronel Janse van Vuuren mainly writes for teens and tweens, though she is known to write mythology-filled short stories for anthologies aimed at older readers. Her dark fantasy works, usually full of folklore, can be viewed on her website and on Goodreads.

When she’s not actually writing, Ronel can be found tweeting about writing and other things that interest her, arguing with her characters, researching folklore for her newest story or playing with her Rottweilers.

Ronel is a native of South Africa (so she also writes in Afrikaans) and we met virtually in the blogosphere.  I enjoy her entertaining and enlightening posts, especially the touching stories about her dogs so I asked her what I could do to help promote her new book, Dark Desires.

Ronel responded with a guest post, a most endearing one as it mirrors the various topics that I like to talk about on this blog:  ecosystem deterioration, the lack of access to clean water for many; the overall degradation of the environmental health of the planet; you know, fun stuff.  And who knew the Fae kingdom suffers from environmental pollution much the same as the rest of us?

Here’s what Ronel has to say about how environmental pollution has infiltrated her fictional world of the Fae:

 

Radioactive – the Effects of Pollution on the Fae

Pollution is a horrible fact of life. We see it in the smog in urban and suburban areas; the melting polar icecaps and glaciers; the rise of freak weather patterns; the eyesore in the Pacific Ocean choking marine-life; the death of the Great Barrier Reef; factory run-off creating a mass growth of algae in the ocean that dies, leading to oxygen-poor water. The list goes on. Some people take action against this: recycling, composting, walking or cycling instead of driving, reducing their carbon footprint in measurable ways. And there are, of course, others who turn a blind eye and do their best to re-open the hole in the ozone.

But pollution isn’t just the things we can see, taste, smell, hear and touch. Some of it goes unnoticed. Some we don’t even see as pollution anymore.

The fae in Dark Desires are affected by pollution much more than are humans. Car exhausts, aerosol deodorant, smog, burning rubbish, weeds, leaves, paint fumes, building materials such as iron, brick and mortar, and so much more affects them in ways that we have stopped noticing. Pollution saps them of their Glamour — their magic —  and weakens them. It takes everything in Tasha to stay conscious during a school day.  For fun, she chose the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons to sing during karaoke because it describes her life among humans so well.

If pollution has this effect on creatures so in tune with Nature, what is pollution doing to the planet and the rest of us?

 

Synopsis for Dark Desires

Iron and fae aren’t friends. But Tasha has no choice but to be in the human realm: her very life is at stake.

High School isn’t much safer than Faerie, though. Clicks, falling in love and navigating day-to-day activities are dangerous enough without the added dread of being unmasked as being otherworldly.

But when something happens and everyone reveals their true selves, Tasha has a choice to make: will she save them from the curse thrust upon them and reveal her true nature, or will she let them die and remain safe?

Want to read more?  All of Ronel’s books are available for purchase from major online retailers.  UBL: https://books2read.com/u/ba0W56

Sign up to be notified of new releases, giveaways and pre-release specials – plus get a free eBook – when you join Ronel’s newsletter. https://mailchi.mp/020d96f05055/ronelthemythmakernewslettersignup 

Connect with Ronel online

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@miladyronel/ 

Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/miladyronel/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17528826.Ronel_Janse_van_Vuuren 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miladyronel/?hl=en 

Amazon author page: https://amazon.com/author/roneljansevanvuurenmythmaker  

Website of Dark Fantasy Author Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Ronel the Mythmaker: http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/  

Thanks Ronel, for sharing a bit of your Fae fiction and dog wisdom with us.  Good luck with the book launch!

6.23.19 pam lazos

About Pam Lazos

writer, blogger, environmentally hopeful
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24 Responses to Dark Desires

  1. Pingback: Monthly Wrap-Up: August #writersjourney #writingupdate – Ronel the Mythmaker

  2. jeanleesworld says:
    July 17, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Indeed! We see how animals retreat or adapt to the corrupted environment; why wouldn’t it be any different for the magical species?
    Excellent post, both of you! 🙂 xxxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Susan Scott says:
    June 26, 2019 at 2:57 pm

    What a lovely novel approach to the environment Ronel … somehow these fragile faeries being affected by man’s inhumanity touches me especially. Good luck with your launch and thanks Pam for this brief –

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  4. Ken Dowell says:
    June 25, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    A whole new genre — environmental fantasy!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
  5. cath says:
    June 24, 2019 at 11:00 am

    I’ve not come across Ronel’s books before, they sound like they would work for me too, even though I’m way past YA age.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  6. Yeah, Another Blogger says:
    June 23, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    Our planet has been sending out an SOS for a long time. Will mankind ever respond in truly meaningful ways?

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
  7. Jacqui Murray says:
    June 23, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Really good book, Pam. How fun to find you here, Ronel!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  8. Ally Bean says:
    June 23, 2019 at 2:10 pm

    I especially like the quietly snarky line: “do their best to re-open the hole in the ozone.”

    Isn’t that the truth of it? I thought I was the only person who saw people doing, what appears to me to be, intentionally creating more waste. I don’t get it, both from a save the planet pov and from a frugal budget pov. 🤷‍♀️

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
    • Pam Lazos says:
      June 23, 2019 at 2:36 pm

      I know, right?! Especially with things like plastic packaging and mining! At first blush, they don’t look like they have much in common, but they’re both incredibly waste-making.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    • Ronel Janse van Vuuren says:
      June 24, 2019 at 4:45 pm

      I’m always happy when people notice my snark and like it 😉

      You’re not alone, Ally. I like to live frugally — it means there is money to spare when something important needs to be done. I also like giving away my unused stuff — someone else will cherish that which I no longer want/need. Yet, there are people who would rather buy name brand herbs than grow them in pots or in their garden (even I can’t kill herbs and I have a notorious black thumb), increasing the carbon footprint of that tiny bottle of herbs, not to mention the accompanied waste generated by the cap, label and bottle… *Sigh*

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

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