Book #1 of the Flin's Destiny Series
By Erik Olsen
It is October 13th and it is Flin’s 13th birthday – the birthday he has been eagerly awaiting, the birthday when he will finally get his destiny ring! As he reaches into the emerald silk bag Flin shuts his eys, suddenly the bag starts rattling and bright light flashes from the bag. As his family backs away from this strange sight, a ring with five colored stones slides onto Flin’s finger.
Flin and his debate team are headed to Ireland for a week of competition. As a special treat all the debate teams are spending their last day in Ireland touring the Irish ocean coastline. The last bus, an old broken down looking bus with an equally tattered driver named Luftin was going to transport the Stockhaus and Hausdale debate teams. But as they drive towards their destination an earthquake shakes the bus and boulders begin to fall edging the bus closer to the edge of the cliff it driving along! Luftin drives the bus into an old abandoned mine to keep from being forced off the cliff. An aftershock causes the mine's entrance to collapse and a rift to open in the floor of the tunnel! As another aftershock hits the bus falls into the rift. The bus lands in mud and starts flowing into a downward sloping tunnel. After a terrorizing ride the bus comes to stop in a gravel pit.
The next morning Flin and his best friend Pilt volunteer to explore the cavern and the funnel shaped hole in the middle of it. The teams all lowered themselves into the hole and split up to examine the various tunnels. Flin and Pilt slid down a slimy muddy slope. As the boys try to get out they suddenly hear a hissing screech and it is moving towards them fast! With quick thinking Flin and Pilt manage to escape from the Snazzard!
The Snazzard is the first of many perils the students face beneath Ireland. But when they come upon the Cobbles Flin comes face to face with his destiny and he knows that his destiny ring was indeed meant for him! As Flin discovers an important part of his history will the students ever be able to return home? Or will each discovered path bring them greater danger?
But as Flin develops strange powers can he control them or will they end up controlling him instead? What will happen next? Stay tuned for book 2!
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First of all Erik I’d like to thank you for taking the time to give a little behind the scenes look at Cobble Cavern.
Thank you Meagan for your effort and your consideration in interviewing me.
1) Judging by the reactions of Flin’s family his ring choosing is most unusual, what normal happens when a ring is chosen? Well, in the book I tried to portray to the reader that the Destiny Ring tradition over time had slowly lost the respect it once had. It had become expected, common, unappreciated. But in Flin’s case, because of the passion and desire he had for the ring, the ceremony took on a higher meaning.
2) Will we ever learn what happened to Flinnigan Hovgard Newby’s wife? Yes. Did he kill her or did she simply disappear? Or is it something that hasn’t yet been revealed to you? Great Question, one I haven’t been asked. Book two gives you great insight as to what happened and answers all of your questions. I can’t tell you much more, you’ll just have to read it to find out.
3) The earthquake that set everything into motion, was it localized to where Flin’s bus was or was it felt throughout Ireland? It was more localized to where Flin and the others were. I didn’t want to get to specific with the earthquake and divert the reader’s attention by going elsewhere outside of the here and now.
4) Snazzards, Grimgolblins, Daglids, and Cobbles where did these names come from? I know Flin mentions learning about Snazzards in school, I guess I went to the wrong school! In the book, Pilt remembers learning about Snazzards from back at Stockhaus. The other characters in the book are either told to them by the Cobbles themselves, or by Luftin, who has a unique appreciation for creatures of all kinds.
5) Other than becoming nastier will we be seeing any consequences from Parcell’s encounter with the seed? Yes, the seed or pits were used in the book to only intensify to the youth readers to understand that the choices we make in life eventually create who we will ultimately become. Will it be in the next book? Definitely!
6) Where did Flin’s pits and seeds come from? Flin’s Great Grandfather Flinnigan Hovgard created them and then hid them in the crawlspace where Flin eventually finds them. Where did Flinnigan Hovgard Newby get them? He took many types of seeds and pits with fertilizers and combined them all together, making trees and plants that grew multiple kinds of fruits all at the same time.
7) Who is your favorite character in Cobble Cavern and why? Mr. Sump was probably the most fun character to create. But I like Mr. Luftin, he’s not about trying to impress anybody.
8) Are any of the characters based (even loosely) on someone? Many, some are my kids, Mr. Luftin’s character was based on Mr. Edwards on Little House on the Prairie. Some were teachers I had. Mr. Tronsel was based on Ichabod Crane.
9) What is your favorite scene? When the Snazzard has them trapped in the cave, and there’s no chance for escape. Flin, instead of lying on the ground and giving up like Pilt, he fights on.
10) As a writer is there a question you wish someone would ask and if so how would you answer them? Yes, can anyone write a book? As my mom used to always say to me growing up when I was about to give up, ‘where there’s a will Erik, there’s a way’.
11) How long do we have to wait for book 2 and do you already have a name picked out?Book 2, ‘Garden of the Lost Souls’ comes out in July of this year. In fact, four of the five books have already been completed and the fifth and final book is close to being done.
Again Erik thank for your time. I am eagerly awaiting book 2!
Thank you Meagan for the great questions, this has been lots of fun.
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