At age sixteen, Mink Jollè still hasn’t discovered his Elemental affinity, which is an identity crisis unheard of on the planet Georra. He has endured constant bullying while being held back in school, and his parents have come to employ drastic measures to help him mature. Their current ruse is a camping trip on Rift Ridge, where they test Mink to the breaking point, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Mink and his parents run across a Machinist scout searching out a mother lode of ore, who finds more than he bargains for. An immense geode buried deep in the ground is fabled to be the Tear of God, and the first nation to claim it will hold power and protection unrivaled on Georra.
The race is on as Mink’s parents stand guard at the Tear of God, sending Mink back to his homeland for help. Defying the odds and surprising himself, Mink succeeds in delivering the news to his people, and is chosen to assist a Team in returning to the site to relieve his parents and acquire the Tear of God for Octernal. Along the way, Mink is forced to rely on his strengths without an Element in order to win respect and ultimately discover his true identity.
Raymond has enjoyed writing from an early age. He lives in Coastal North Carolina with his wife and two daughters. His character driven stories reflect the diversity of the places he has lived and the jobs he has had, focusing on animals and film.
The two most unique concepts of Elemental use in the book were Spirit and Body. We don't regard them as elements, but Elementalists have held them as two of the Holy Elements for over thirty-thousand years. It worked out great to have Mink's parents represent them and demonstrate the possibilities (both positive and dangerous) of such power.
I really had way too much fun developing the sense of reality to a near indifference over abilities we would consider superhuman. And yet, it was important to show where the lines were drawn. Of even greater importance, I gave Mink a perspective that probably echoed our own discomfort with what was happening with him, making him more relatable to the reader.
Book Excerpt
Tear of God – Elements
“Eat this. I’ve Imbued it to restore your eyes and give you more than enough strength for my testing.”
Mink accepted the food, meaning to take as much time as he could to stall the next phase with her. His mother was never as gentle as his father. Body users weren’t known for finesse. Nyam had been healing Mink for years of damage caused by every Elemental type. She had seen the worst of it and Mink didn’t have so much as a blemish. In the more recent testing attempts, his mom became habitualized to causing severe damage.
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