The novel has taken a very interesting turn for the better, I believe. While I don't want to get into the juicy details, I have had a brainstorm of epic proportions in relation to how the story will progress. Thanks to a brilliant suggestion by my good friend, C.M. Wright.  (Yes, I mentioned you in my blog, girlfiend! ;) )Love You tons! I am re-planning  the order of events, where I plan to begin the novel, and which character will lead off.  




With this character, I will go into the back   story, allowing the audience to see  how it all began, and then progress from there.

My hopes and goals? To make it into a trilogy or a full blown series, not sure, depending on where my characters lead me! All-in-all it is becoming quite an adventure, and to top it off, I have found an awesome editor to help me shape the story into the success I know it is capable of!

Thanks to all my supporters! Once I get more written I will share teasers, and will blog more for the series. For now, this concludes the blog series for A Son for Ibiza!

When deciding upon my characters for the story, I had to maintain the historical attributes, as well as the Arabic culture, for my main characters. I wanted my characters names to have a meaning to them. To me, this was crucial to their development of their story.  I searched for Arabic baby names that symbolized who they were, and sometimes provided an ironic dynamic to them.  For the Sheik, I wanted his name to be literal.  Mutazz means noble, superior. My harem mistress, Azizah, means Beloved one- Which she is... or was until her exile. Muhibb, the Sheik's brother, means loyal--the irony? well, He has an affair with Mutazz's favored harem mistress, Azizah... how loyal is he, now? ;)  I added Khalilah, a minor supporting character for Azizah's maidservant. Her name describes exactly who she is to Azizah...bosom friend, confidante. Azizah trusts her implicitly and can tell her anything, including the trist she has with Muhibb!  Khalilah being so loyal to Azizah, does not give her away to Mutazz, even when he insists. 

While in exile, Azizah discovers she is pregnant, and since this child is possibly the lost heir of Ibiza, his name, Khalaf, means successor or heir!
Now, even though he is not a major character, and not Arabic, but Greek. Captain Aeneas becomes a brief love interest for Azizah.  I came up with the  name, Aeneas, because it is a strong, Grecian name, an epitome of strength and ruggedness. He is a bit of a tragic character himself, but you'll have to read the book to find out what I mean. ;)

Once I had the names, I googled artwork of arabic men and women during the renaissance period, which was close to the time period of my novel. I knew what I was looking for, but did not want to give too much away, so I have a "muse" painting for Azizah, and a suggestive one for Her and Muhibb together, which you see here. They fit with the romance and poetry of the  story, they tell a story themselves, which I loved. The only one I had trouble finding was a Mother/child portrait that resembles Azizah and Khalaf, but that's ok. Having these bring my characters more to life, and makes you want to know more about them....or at least that's my goal!

Stay tuned for next week....The Progression , hopes, and goals for the Novel!

The setting: Ibiza, August 8, 1235 A.D.-The Arabs have ruled for 500 years when the Catalans invade. The Catalans, being from mainland Spain want to also claim Ibiza as their own. This makes sense, as the Island is just off the coast of  Spain, with the Balearic Sea flowing through them; making Ibiza, Frontemera, Cabrera, Mallorca, and Minorco, the Balearic Islands. 

As the Catalans are prepared to invade, the ruling Sheik and his brother are quarrelled over a mistress of the harem.  The brother gets back at the  Sheik and shows the Catalans the secret passage under the Dalta Villa, called Calle de san Ciriaco. This passage allows the Catalans to enter the city and take over.  (So much for the fortified Citadel!)  While the historical facts do not reveal the fate of the Sheik, the brother, or the mistress, that is where my story takes off and gives it life. 

Before the Catalans or the Arabs, the Romans, Phoenicians, Carthaginians,  Byzantines, and the Moors all ruled over Ibiza.   Not at the same time, mind you, but they each had their turn immersing their beliefs, culture, food,art,  and traditions into the fiber of Ibiza. There are even ancient Carthaginian burial grounds that still exist today. 


Having researched the native food, vegetation, industry, and atmosphere of Ibiza and Es Vedra, I wanted to keep that authentic and maintain historical accuracy of the time. I also researched the Arabic clothing, and am still researching clothing, artillery, and other implements used during the 9th Century.  Weaving these aspects of history into fiction allows readers to want to put themselves into the story; see ancient Ibiza through the characters' eyes. This breathes life into the story and the characters.


The mysterious island of Es Vedra is my chosen exile Island for my mistress character, Azizah.  Many strange occurrences have been reported on this island which is the reason why I have added a special element to the story. You will know it when you read it! ;) Legend has it,  Es Vedra is the upturned sunken lost city of Atlantis.   

I am looking forward to learning more about the culture of Ibiza as I continue to write and develop my characters around the history of the Island. it is an amazing experience so far, and hopefully I can travel to Ibiza one day and see it in all it's ancient, majestic, exotic beauty that my characters saw 900 hundred years ago!


Stay tuned for next week's installment- Breathing Life Into My Characters!


Historical references: http://www.ibizaspotlight.com/ibizamagic/history_i.htm

The title for this book isn't something that I would have conceived on my own. I truly believe it was Divine Intervention. I woke up in the middle of the night with this "phrase" running through my head..."A Son for Ibiza"..."A Son for Ibiza"...it almost kept repeating in my head until I wrote it down. It wouldn't let me rest until I did. So, I sat up, picked up my writing journal and jotted it down, having no idea what would become of it. It kept nudging me for the next couple of days. More like a quiet whisper just reminding me not to forget about it. I had no idea what I was going to do with this title., but I found myself looking up the name, Ibiza. I mean, I had never heard of it before, and I seriously thought I was going to write about a girl named Ibiza. However, then it was "whispered" into my ear again that it was about a city. I began researching Ibiza, and was pleasantly surprised with the amazing history of this Spanish Mediterranean Island. I honestly had no idea that it existed. I know, it sounds like I've been hiding under a rock, right? 

During my research, I discovered an intriguing love triangle involving the ruling Sheik, his favored mistress, and his brother. That's when I knew I had to run with that. I knew it was really meant for me to write this story, and I now had an angle and a direction in which to go with the story I was already planning in my head. 
Before, I discovered that juicy piece of history, I was tossing the "lost heir" idea around, but wasn't really sure how I was going to introduce it. When I found my little gem, it was a Eureka moment! I couldn't believe my fortune,

Anyways, it has now evolved into a full-fledged historical fiction about a lost heir, Khalaf, that comes back to Ibiza to claim the throne after being exiled with his mother, Azizah. It has truly been an adventure writing this novel, getting to know my characters as they develop, and especially learning the history and mysterious legends that surround the island, and those that surround Ibiza. It may be a series, if successful, but we shall see. 

Keep following for more installments of the series.  A new one each week!

Stay tuned for next week's...Vol. 2- The History Behind the Fiction