Fight We Must

Two unlikely heroes.

One impossible quest.

Charlotte, a village girl from one of the conquered isles, is the last hope to restore her family after the Emperor ripped them apart.

Sonos, the second son of the Emperor, is on the run after accidentally killing a man, and more importantly defying his father.

From their once-sheltered lives, neither ever imagined they might be heroes; but a powerful force will bind them together and set them to a purpose that will change the world.

Fight We Must is a Teen Fantasy flavored with elements of Sci-Fi and Steampunk. It is the first book of the K’Luma series, by debut author, Heidi Alert.

The setting is the K’Luma Empire, a fantasy world, but the conquered isles draw strong inspiration from the Caribbean, especially Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica. You’ll also see reflections of the Samoan culture, including their beautiful language.

If you’re looking for a values-based story that the whole family will enjoy, dive into the K’Luma world and learn why we must fight!

Link to purchase on Amazon.

Help spread the word on social media: IG: @heidialert FB: heidialertauthor

Acknowledgments

As I write this blog post, I also feel compelled to share my acknowledgments for the book. I know they usually are reserved for after someone reads the story, but you all deserve to be seen and acknowledged before, during, and after. So here we go…

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” This African proverb captures the heart and soul of my author journey.

So often, writing is a solitary venture. Staring at a blank screen, writing for hours on end, toiling to bring an idea to life. Quite frankly, although I’ve been a reader all my life, I never knew what it would take to turn a basic storyline into a novel with characters, plot, pacing, dialogue, and all the million little pieces required for a finished novel.

But we’re here! And please indulge me a few acknowledgments to those who made this possible.

Firstly, I want to thank you, dear reader. Without you, everything is for naught. I hoped you loved the story and felt connected to Charlotte, Sonos, and the rest of the gang. But more than anything, my greatest wish is for the words to inspire, give hope and make you think.

As an indie author, one of the greatest ways you can help support and ensure that more stories like this come to life is to leave a review. Every single rating and recommendation does a lot to help spread the word, improve rankings and help this book reach a wide pool of readers. I’d love to connect on social media, and if you’re able to engage and spread the word to your own networks, those efforts also mean a great deal! You can find links and contact info on my website: www.heidialert.com

While I took great liberties in the storytelling, the unseen realm is real. The core of this story, inclusive of the title, is linked to my Congress-WBN community. You’ll also see inspiration from Moses, Joshua, and Isaiah, just to name a few. I hope those who know the “thing behind the thing” enjoy all the references that you know and love!

You may have also picked up multiple references to the Caribbean – especially Jamaica with flavors from Trinidad & Tobago, where I lived for eleven years. Jumping oceans to the Pacific, Samoa was the inspiration for Kimwaki – I simply love their language.

I already named my family in the dedication, but I must again acknowledge them here. Gordon, aside from being my best friend and confidant, you are my biggest supporter and champion. You were the first one to read my rawest attempt and the last to read my final version before going off to the editor. You were my developmental editor and helped ensure all the characters had an arc, not just a two-dimensional journey. Our life together in Trinidad & Tobago was infused with your own Guyanese-Jamaican roots, and helped make this story all the richer.

Zakyla, it was your drawing and naming of Charlotte that first inspired the main character for this story. Your avid reading also gave this mama a deep-seated desire to provide clean fantasy options for you, and others like you, to devour. I can’t wait to read your own book one day!

Zhaun, whether you meant it as a challenge or not, your declaration that “I’ll read the book after you sell a million copies,” helped me to think and dream bigger. Thank you.

To my alpha readers who stuck with the story through the earliest version on Scrib, thank you! Special shout-out to Kathryn Elliott and Kalten Browning! Even in those rough chapters, you saw what was possible.

To my weekly writing group, Mosaic, who walked with me through the grueling rewrite of version two. Thank you, Richard Ince, Shala Alert, and Gordon Alert.

To my beta readers: even though it was more polished than versions one and two, it was still quite rough around the edges. Notwithstanding, you found a way to both encourage and challenge me. Kevin Khelawan, Ruth Rudden, Kalten, and Allison Browning – thank you!

Sara Coombes, my editor extraordinaire – thank you for the extra time to fix the final holes and rewrite the last chapter about 20 times. Your flexibility and collaborative approach were wonderful to bring the final polish to the book.

My dear Alert ones… Grayson, Shala, and Koen, you worked magic, passion, and grace to come up with an amazing cover. Koen, I love that you made your voice heard and became a champion of the book! Thank you all for putting your fingerprints all over this venture – it’s better because of all three of you.

Special mention to Ilya Spencer who also played a part in the journey to a finished product.

To my Gilliland crew: Mom and Dad (a.k.a. Mr. and Mrs. Kim), Crystal, Brock… you guys are my rocks. You’ve always believed in me, encouraged me, and loved me through every up, down, turn, and phase of life. Thank you! Special shout out to Becky, Josh, and all my Pittsburgh nieces: Molly, Emily, Addy, Leah, and Lib. Love yinz.

To all my friends and family, too numerous to mention each by name, who spoke life and encouragement along the way – thank you for being part of the process in every way both big and small.

Lastly, to my roots and community: Elijah Centre. Plain and simple, without you, this book would not exist. You are the heart, soul, and spirit — the essence — of both the story and the author. This is for you, with all of my love.