Blog Hop: Meet My Main Character, by Farida Mestek

I liked Debbie Brown's idea about introducing our main characters very much and decided to take part in the blog hop too. So here is my main character. I'd love to know what you think! I haven't shared this version of the story with anyone but my critique partner yet.

What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

The name of my character is Almendra. It means 'almond' in Spanish but - alas! - I can't remember when and why and how I decided that it would be her name. Though, she is quite fictional, she's been a part of my life for such a long time that my family and friends treat her like a real person.

When and where is the story set?

The story is set in the fantasy world of my own creation. I discovered it a long time ago and I've been exploring it ever since. I always thought of it as taking place some time in the latter part of Middle Ages in the world that exists next to ours but is separated by an invisible magical barrier. I also try to incorporate those bits of history that I know of into the story.

What should we know about him/her?

Almendra is seventeen and she is the queen of a once magical and powerful kingdom ruled entirely by women. Her favourite pastimes include reading, dreaming, climbing trees, running races with her best friend Woo (who happens to be a wolf), and driving her granny up the wall.  Despite her lonely life, Almendra is high-spirited and optimistic and greets every new day with a big smile and in high hopes that it will be the one that will change her life forever. Her granny oversees her education and allows Almendra a few hours of repose every day, ostensibly overlooking the fact that she runs races with the wolf, climbs trees like a monkey and brings back twigs, leaves and brambles tangled in her hair, that is so long it sweeps the ground when she walks, because she likes to have a nap on the edge of the cliff.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Fifteen years ago her kingdom was attacked and plunged into ruin and oblivion, its people and magic gone. Almendra, her granny and Woo are the only survivors. The kingdom has become big enough to accommodate just the three of them, so now they live on a small plot of land in the castle (with wood and cliff behind), able to use many of its magical objects but unable to do magic themselves. Almendra's life is extremely isolated and restricted and she spends much of her time bickering with her granny about pretty much anything as a way to relieve her feelings of such unnatural confinement. Her dream is to get out from under her granny's control and to become the mistress of her own fate.

What is the personal goal of the character?

Almendra's personal goal is to find true love, bring back magic, save her kingdom and reunite with her dethroned mother. Hopefully, she will be granted the chance, once she manages to accomplish the first three points.

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

At the moment the working title is "Almendra's Journey". I'm also contemplating "Almendra's Quest" as an alternative. I'm afraid that you can't read more about it now, because I'm in the process of revising it and I don't want to show it to anyone but my critique partner (who has seen it at its worst) until I'm quite happy with it.

When can we expect the book to be published?

Ah! That is the question, isn't it? I expect it depends on my good fortune. It is my dream to find an agent for it and to have it published by a traditional publisher, so it may take... Oh, I shudder to think about it actually!     

Thank you for stopping by! I would really like to know what you think about Almendra so far!

I'm tagging my critique partner - Anna Shevchenko - who has just begun her blogging experience. I hope you'll visit her blog too, because she needs all the encouragement she can get to proceed. At the moment she's doing short posts about her five favourite things since childhood there. Her blog hop post "Meet My Main Character" will be up on the 15th.