I feel like giving you another treat ^^

You guys have all been so supportive that it made me realise during the time before the book is published I'll need to provide you with some treats. I'm spending a lot of time on the finishing touches of my book right now and adding two or three new chapters to it, so there's not much time for anything big.
But when I'm finished with it (probably this week or the next) I'll update a lot of things. Here are some of the things I have planned:

- Short character descriptions of the main villains
- Short character descriptions of the six Gods
- The Map of the world I called "Arcanum"
- The character inspirations will be revealed after the competition
- Video-Updates on my new YouTube Channel VWinterOfficial
...
and most likely a lot more! Your support is very valuable as the publishing house I'm aiming for the most highly appreciates when a writer already has fan pages, blogs and stuff like that. It mainly publishes new writers so I'm very anxious about it! I like their concept and I hope it'll work out there =)

And just to let you know, guys - every bit of love from you is returned a million times. I sincerely love each and every one of you for your help. No matter what it is you do. And even if it's just wishing me "Good Luck" - I am very grateful! That's why I'll work extremely hard, just for you who help me grow.
I hope "The Golden Heart" will live up to your expectations and that attending the writing school will pay off.


LOVE YOU!
Vanessa

The plot of "The Golden Heart"

People have been asking me to write what the story is all about and I'll give it a try. I can't reveal too much yet. I've already registered my story at the Writer's Guild Europe, it's not about being scared of it being stolen - it's just because I don't want to give away too much and spoil the fun of reading.


But here goes nothing:

What if your destiny was written and there was no way to change it? Would you go on and accept it? Or would you try and fight the inevitable? 3977 years after the Great Change in 2012 AD twelve people are forced to travel the world together and prepare it for the war that is near. They have bound their lives to stopping a man who wants to take over the planet. Most of them think they are doing the right thing - protecting their earth from doom. Until they figure out the line between right and wrong is very, very thin. 

Book 1 will be dedicated to the history of this earth. It'll explain why some people in 3977 AGC can control elements. "Book 1: Ager" will reveal what "the golden heart" is and what soul mates are. And most importantly you'll be introduced to the heroes. Read of friendships forming and a romance so wonderful yet heartbreakingly real and anything but perfect. My approach to writing a romantic relationship is very different. I try to reach the deepest emotions of my readers instead of focusing on superficial feelings. I hope you'll be taken in by it!


Thank you for reading =)

The Quiz Question

You've certainly been wondering what the quiz question will be for you to get your hands on

"The Golden Heart - Book 1: Ager" (Unedited Colin Morgan version)

Well it's simple. I'll give you the names of my inspirations for the characters, and you'll have to guess:
Which character did he/she inspire me for? I like to imagine my dream cast and let the story play like a movie in my head - it really helps realising if what you wrote sounds too boring - and it helps making the characters come alive.
The one with the most correct answers will get the unedited book for free. All others will get the chance to order the book once it's published and probably get a small prize if I can think of a good one. I'm not sure if it'll be published in other languages than German, but I'll talk to my publishing house about that (whichever it'll be) and try to make sure that you can order at least a full English version on my blog.

Please send me your answers as a comment on this blog OR as a direct message on http://www.facebook.com/TheGoldenHeartVanessaWinter /// OR as a direct message on https://twitter.com/winter_vanessa


Here is my list of inspirations in random order:

My sister Nadja
Colin Morgan
Sigourney Weaver
My husband Mário
My friend and "bro" Vitor
Forest Whitaker
Garrett Hedlund
Myself (yeah, I'm an actress - it's in my blood to find a character I'd love to play ;))
f (x)'s Amber Liu
Zachary Quinto
Taylor Swift


The character descriptions can be found here:

http://thegoldenheartauthor.blogspot.de/p/characters.html


Good luck! And have fun!
The competition will end 17th December 2012 so you'll hopefully receive it in time for Christmas <3



OH YEAH IMPORTANT! I forgot to mention that one person inspired me for both twin brothers.

Thank You!

I've been checking the statistics on my page and the clicks get a lot more each day! Thank you all so much for just clicking on it and taking a look. This means the world to me. The story is a whole new chapter of my life now. It's officially registered since September and now next week I'll be sending it out to various publishing houses. The only problem is it'll most likely only be available in German - at least in the beginning. I'll see what can be done about that. The more support I get from you guys, the better chances I have for an international release! So please keep clicking, spamming and sharing - I don't mind it at all! Like my facebook page www.facebook.com/TheGoldenHeartVanessaWinter and follow my twitter page www.twitter.com/winter_vanessa! Your help is always appreciated and my love for the ones who help me is infinite! I hope you'll enjoy the final result of my baby I've been working on for three long years. There'll be six books and a sequel to them is planned. It took me a lot of time to create a whole new world, its history and to make the characters colorful and interesting.

If you participate in the quiz that I'll post today you can win one unedited, shortened English version of The Golden Heart, Book 1: Ager. It's the exact same that Colin Morgan received from me, just with a different cover. Unfortunately it doesn't have as many chapters as the final version and there are a few mistakes. After all it was translated in only 2 very busy weeks - originally this version was for Colin, but because the delivery took too long I had to improvise and he received one with a less pretty cover :/  Please participate! I'm still thinking of a little prize for the other participants.

Lots of Love,
Vanessa

Spotlight on: Leigh Carmen - "Self-Reliance"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                              LEIGH CARMEN

Leigh is a very talkative person who doesn't like being alone. Even when her husband reveals his homosexuality to her she stays close friends with him and his boyfriend. There is no place for drama in her life. She's optimistic and strives for harmony, enjoying life as it comes and being grateful for everything she is given. Like her family's sheep farm that she runs all by herself after the divorce. Her ex-husband and his boyfriend come over to help her out every now and then - just as on the day she goes to sell wool in the capital. When she returns there is nothing left of her farm or her ex-husband. Someone had burnt it down. Confused and depressed she tries to find help in a nearby village. The Elder of Zephyrus then talks to her and promises she'd find the one responsible for what happened if she were to bind her life to a mission. 

Will Leigh find her answers? And will she seek revenge? 

Spotlight on: Catus Tenerum - "Loyalty"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                                  CATUS TENERUM

Catus starts travelling around the world early as he decides to become a merchant. He loves the adventurous life, but it will soon come to an end. When he visits his family on the Island Lucida during his journey he finds out his older sister is deathly ill with a disease even the best of Light Magi can't heal. His parents ask him to stay by her side through the last days she might have. Catus sadly gives up his merchant life and instead applies for the job as the Queen's servant so he can be near his family. He'd never have expected the trouble this work will make him get into though. Catus will be approached by the Goddess of Light who seems to have a cure for his sister Una - but the price is very high. 

Spotlight on: Clarus Placidum - "Logic"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                          CLARUS PLACIDUM

Clarus is born a Non-Magus while his twin brother is born a Water-Magus. This affects Clarus as he is younger, making him a fragile boy who doesn't talk much and keeps hiding in his brother's shadow.  

When Clarus and his twin brother lose their parents at the age of 14 they grow up in different families. The brothers get to see each other very rarely for Weldon lives in the Water province Fons and Clarus on the faraway Island of Darkness, Caligo. Clarus' aunt is an alchemist who teaches him everything about alchemy and brewing potions to cure ills. It becomes his profession later on. But Weldon decides to go another path that enrages him. Temple guardian is a dangerous job which they lost their parents to. Angry at Weldon's decision he doesn't move to the province Fons to live with him when he's 18. For 17 years they don't see each other anymore until the Elder of Caligo approaches Clarus saying his brother had bound his life to fulfilling a prophecy for the Gods. Even though Clarus hates the immortal humans and religion in general his desire to see his twin once again is greater - just like his wish to protect Weldon. No matter what.  

Spotlight on: Weldon Placidum - "Compassion"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                                WELDON PLACIDUM

When Weldon and his twin brother lose their parents at the age of 14 they grow up in different families. The brothers get to see each other very rarely for Weldon lives in the Water province Fons and his brother Clarus on the faraway Island of Darkness, Caligo. Weldon decides to follow his parents' footsteps and become a temple guardian. Clarus doesn't approve of it for it was during duty that their parents lost their lives. For 17 years they don't see each other anymore until one day a prophecy decides to unite them again. Will the religious Weldon and the sceptic Clarus be able to cooperate? 

Spotlight on: Ian Vehemens - "Love"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                          IAN VEHEMENS

Ian's parents divorce when he is twelve years old. He then lives with his mother on the Island Lucida while his one year younger brother stays with the father in the province Ager. While his brother, raised by the rude drunkard becomes the owner of a brothel at age 18 - Ian goes a quite different path. He makes his dream of becoming chef of a noble restaurant come true when he's 22. Ian opens his own restaurant in Vitrea, the Crystal town of Lucida. Being a workaholic he is hardly interested in mindless flirting which makes him turn down the singer Celerina. Then one day, a year after he started his business a girl in torn pirate clothes steps into his restaurant with his friend Ardor. She says her name is Aurea and that she had lived her whole life in slavery. Ian immediately feels protective of the unusual and naive young woman who seems to know little about the world. He teaches her a lot of things, including what it's like to be loved. During her Light Magus apprenticeship their life seems perfect, but from the moment it ends and she is crowned queen - it all starts falling apart. What really happens on their wedding day? Why does Ian leave Aurea? And how does he feel about meeting her again a year after that - with a king by her side?

             

Spotlight on: Notin Vitae - "Guardianship"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                                           NOTIN VITAE

Notin Vitae grows up believing to be an only child after her mother has a miscarriage. When she is 14 she meets her first boyfriend who she marries ten years later. She lives a pretty normal childhood. After her Air Magus apprenticeship in the province Zephyrus she ends up becoming the owner of a dog shelter on the Island Lucida where her parents live. Taking care of dogs is her way of dealing with being infertile. Notin is also taught fighting by her father and becomes pretty good at handling throwing stars. When she meets her sister her whole world turns around. She doesn't believe her to be her sibling at first for quite a while until Aurea has no other choice but to make her relive her past with the help of her gift. Notin sees and feels all that her sister went through in her slavery which will change her for life. She makes up for her hostile behavior and ends up not only accepting her sister but also becoming Aurea's best friend. Even though they are very different from each other - Notin being like a strong lioness and Aurea a fragile butterfly - they have a lot of things in common. Whenever Aurea is down, Notin will be there to help her stand up again - and vice versa. She joins her sister's mission without hesitation and agrees to become one of her guardians. Notin is just as desperate as Ardor about finding a solution to get Aurea out of her miserable marriage. Aurea and her are sisters by blood - but friends by choice.

Spotlight on: Aurea Vitae - "Forgiveness"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                             AUREA VITAE

Aurea Vitae is born on the Island of Light, Lucida, but is abducted at birth and raised as a slave on the Island of Darkness, Caligo. The woman who abducted her had a miscarriage and tries to calm her evil husband Ater Cor by bringing him another's child. Ater makes sure that her true parents can never look for her by laying a curse on them. In her childhood Aurea is abused and raped to the point that she gives birth at the age of 14. The Dark Magus Ater takes away her baby and decides to make money with her giving birth. Aurea pleads a man named Eruditus for help who seems sympathetic with her. He makes her infertile but for a high price. The price is that she'll have to promise to marry him when she's 18. When the time has come and Aurea's suffering had gotten no less for rape itself was something to make money with, Aurea's friend Macayle can't keep on watching. Aurea tells her how she overheard her mother talking to another woman about Ater not being her real father and her true parents living on the Island of Light, Lucida. Macayle then stops the wedding with Eruditus in order to give Aurea a chance to escape. She runs but is caught by one of Ater's men. Her and Macayle are to be sentenced to death publicly in the "Arena Et Turris" for embarrassing the now rich and powerful Ater. In an attempt to protect Macayle, Aurea realises she has Light Magus powers and flees from the arena with her. They get on a ship that is leaving the harbor of Caligo and are finally free. The owners of the ship - a group of pirates led by a girl called Rebecca - take care of the two strangers and make them join their team of rebels. While Macalye loves the pirate life, Aurea - after losing someone she loves along the way - soon notices she doesn't want to live that life. She is still eager to find her parents so Rebecca and the others bring her to the Island of Light. After saying their goodbyes she meets Ardor, a Knight Magus who takes the hungry woman to a restaurant where she sees its owner, Ian, for the first time. She likes him immediately and falls in love with him in no time. The Goddess of Light herself who says she has been expecting her arrival teaches her how to use her Light. In this period of learning and while searching for her parents Ian is supportive and kind. He shows her what it's like to really live. The peace only lasts for two years though. The Goddess of Light reveals her motive of teaching Aurea by herself was a prophecy. She forces her to bind her life to a mission that could mean her death by crowning her Queen of Arcanum. Aurea tells Ian nothing about the burden that this duty brings. He also doesn't know about her being abused in the past which is the cause of her fear of getting intimate with him. Ian is patient with her and agrees to wait until their wedding night. But in the morning of their wedding strange things happen. Why does Aurea wake up next to her servant? Who arranged this little set-up to make it look like she cheated on her fiancé? Celerina? Ian himself? Or is there another person involved? Either way Ian won't appear for the wedding. As Aurea receives a farewell letter from him and runs to the harbor she sees a ship leave with Celerina and Ian on it. She is left behind confused and devastated.
After months of depression another man tries to court her. She ignores him and is then forced to marry him by the Goddess of Light. Devius is a Dark Magus which is one but not the only reason she thinks the golden heart must be wrong about them being soul mates. When one year later on her mission she meets Celerina and Ian again things start to get really complicated. Will she be able to distinguish truth from illusion?

Spotlight on: Ardor Leonis - "Courage"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                                     ARDOR LEONIS

Ardor is just a little boy when his father leaves the family for another woman. Having many female cousins he decides to be the family's heroic guardian and helper. Everything his cowardly father never was. He becomes a Knight Magus, keeper of the law on the Island of Lucida. He chases criminals and is proud of his profession. Without realising it he does behave a lot like his father though. Like him Ardor flirts quite much, but has a huge problem with commitment. In his breaks he often eats at "The Crystal Restaurant" where he gets acquainted with its owner Ian. The two are often sarcastic with each other, but in a friendly way. The womaniser and the hard-working Earth Magus couldn't be more different. One day when Ardor is on duty he runs into a woman in torn pirate clothes who says her name is "Aurea". When he realises she is unarmed he brings her to Ian's restaurant in order to hear her story of how she had gotten there. That's when Ian suddenly shows another side of himself. Ardor gets to recognise how much Ian likes her and doesn't intervene. In time Aurea and him get closer as well. She is like a younger sister to him. When Ian leaves her on their wedding day Ardor takes care of the newly crowned Queen of Arcanum along with Aurea's servant Catus and her sister Notin. He binds his life to protecting Aurea and seems to be the only person who realises just how unhappy her new husband is making her. However neither Notin nor him manage to free the woman from her ordeal before the mission begins. Will their travel open up a solution to the problem?

Spotlight on: Devius Domus - "Regret"

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

                               DEVIUS DOMUS

As a child Devius is rejected by his parents for being a Dark Magus. The sensitive little boy can't handle the darkness inside of him well and in a moment of anger he hurts his father with it. Scared of their own child his parents want nothing to do with him anymore. He is then raised by his Dark Magus master. Devius is afraid he won't be liked by others because of his temper. As he grows up he lives a life of solitude, sometimes visited by his younger sister Rebecca, a pirate who leaves home when she is sixteen rebelling against her parents who abandoned her brother.
Devius becomes a gravedigger on the Island of Darkness, Caligo when he's contacted by the Goddess of Light herself. It is short after his sister's death. The Goddess promises him revenge. She says if he joins a mission and agrees to marry Queen Aurea he will get to face the one who killed his sister. He accepts, but will soon realise that Queen Aurea is still love sick about Ian, her fiancé who left her on their wedding day. She does not respond to his courting which upsets him. The Goddess of Light then tricks Aurea into marrying Devius. The prophecy says for the mission to succeed "Light and Darkness will become one". They are united through the golden heart that on their wedding day proves them to be soul mates. Neither Devius nor Aurea understand how they can be soul mates while hating each other. Being constantly rejected by Aurea, Devius uses his darkness to make her obey him. In time the power, rage and darkness consume him until there's nothing left of the shy man he used to be. Is there any hope for King Devius?