I’d like to welcome Jo Anderton to my blog today! Jo’s debut novel, DEBRIS, just came out and she’s here to tell us about its fascinating Russian-inspired setting–the city of Movoc-Under-Keeper.
The Varsnian north-west regional veche are pleased to present:
Movoc-under-Keeper — A Tourist’s Guide
Situated at the foot of the majestic Keeper Mountain, rich in Varsnian history and culture, the city of Movoc-under-Keeper has plenty to offer any traveller.
History
Movoc-under-Keeper was established on the banks of the Keeper’s Tear River in the dark recesses of antiquity, and has played a vital role in Varsnian history ever since. The benevolent ancient Varsnian deity known as the Keeper was believed to reside within the mountain that now bears his name, and as a result Movoc has been a place of power from kings, to ruling families, to veche. As a major centre for commerce and learning, the city played an important role in the pion-binding revolution that, two hundred years ago, ushered in our advanced and enlightened modern era.
Climate
Don’t forget to pack warm clothes! While Movoc-under-Keeper is renowned for its history and beauty, it is just as well known for its snowstorms or freezing clear days. Even if you are travelling in the warmer moons during Newbud and Widesky, remember the wind that rushes down the Keeper’s Tear River has icy fingers any time of the year!
Infrastructure
The Movoc-under-Keeper of today is a pion-binding marvel. The entire city is draped in massive systems of complicated bindings, which not only keep it running, but are also breathtaking in their bright and colourful beauty. Streamers of shining pions deliver everything from heat to water to light from the large factories established throughout the outskirts to every single building in the city.
And never fear, thanks to the national veche’s world-class collecting systems, the buildup of debris is never a problem in Movoc-under-Keeper.
Transport
Getting around Movoc-under-Keeper couldn’t be easier, and there is an option to suit any budget. From elegant landaus that glide by on legs of light, old fashioned coaches on wheels, to the ferries that run on the Keeper’s Tear River.
Food
Thanks to pion-binding innovations, a wide range of food is available in Movoc-under-Keeper all year round — despite the climate! Most food is grown in the enormous greenhouses established outside the city walls, and can be purchased from vendors in one of the many market squares. Local specialties include hot sweet potato with crunchy skin, cooked for you on the spot and perfect for a cold day. Don’t miss your chance to try kasha — a traditional buckwheat porridge most often flavoured with raisins, cinnamon and honey. Try it with stewed fruit and brandy.
The people of Movoc-under-Keeper are also intensely proud of the quality of their coffee. Stop at one of the many coffee houses, and you’ll find out why!
Must-See Attractions
- A guided tour of the old city wall — includes an evening walk through the grand necropolis in search of statues of the Other (the ancient Varsnian deity of death)
- The city centre tour — includes exclusive access to view the regional veche chambers in session, a guide to historical sites (including the excavation of a street believed to be at least a thousand years old!) and a sixnight pass to the country’s premier art galleries and museums
- The Keeper Mountain — the mountain itself has been sealed off by the national veche to preserve its cultural value, but a dawn walk around its base, to the mouth of the Keeper’s Tear River, is well worth the cold!
- And much more!
Movoc-under-Keeper is the perfect tourist destination. Book today!
Thanks, Jo! If you’re ready to spend some time in Movoc-Under-Keeper, Jo has graciously agreed to give away a signed copy of DEBRIS to a random commenter on this post. Just tell us about a favorite or odd tourist destination in your hometown–or your character’s hometown–or just throw your name into the hat. Contest will close Sunday, October 30th at 10pm EST.
In a far future where technology is all but indistinguishable from magic, Tanyana is one of the elite.
She can control pions, the building blocks of matter, shaping them into new forms using ritual gestures and techniques. The rewards are great, and she is one of most highly regarded people in the city. But that was before the “accident”.
Stripped of her powers, bound inside a bizarre powersuit, she finds herself cast down to the very lowest level of society. Powerless, penniless and scarred, Tanyana must adjust to a new life collecting “debris”, the stuff left behind by pions. But as she tries to find who has done all of this to her, she also starts to realize that debris is more important than anyone could guess.
Hi what always struck me as an odd tourist stop ,is an old sort of truck bay on Canning road Karragullen.
Karragullen is where i grew up , plenty of orchards two petrol stations not much else. People would stop at the side of the road and have picnics .Funny because if people drove a bit further there are many beautiful picnic areas , in the bush away from the road !
Fun! My copy of Derbris is already ordered and on the way! Can’t wait!
Great! But, just to make sure–you still want to be entered for a chance to win a signed copy, right? 😀
I can’t wait until the sequel to Debris. Wonderful book.
There is a tower near my home.
In real life it was a silo, now abandoned. As a teen, I had great dreams of someday buying it and making it into my own tower. Attached to a great hall, sort of a boxy building; I’m afraid I didn’t have very creative ideas about the latter. It was the tower that inspired me.
I still love that tower. You can see it from the state road. I wonder what it would be like to make it habitable, with a firehouse pole down in the nether regions. Arrow slit windows. Part of why I love it is because of The Stronghold by Mollie Hunter…
Best,
Anne*—
Any visitor to the small town of Brantley, where Cassie and her friends live, absolutely must stop in at Grace’s Tea Room. It is a small, quaint wood-paneled chamber with wide windows and lacy curtains, round tea tables and ivory tablecloths, always warm and inviting with the aroma of fresh-baked crumpets and scones and brewing herbal and flowering teas.
Not quite my home town, but very close by. One of the odder tourist attractions close by is Southfork Ranch. You might remember it as the home of JR Ewing and clan from the ’80s show ‘Dallas’. It’s actually much smaller than you probably remember from the show – and while there is still ranch land attached, most of the surrounding area is now filled with houses. But they still have daily tours of the building (I haven’t taken it so I don’t know if it’s interesting), they have banquet halls available for rent, and the worlds largest Christian concert takes place there every summer. *shrug*
No shoes? No shirt? That’s not a problem at the Hacienda Bar and Grill, a beach retreat nestled on the long stretch of sand that lies just south of Newport Beach in sunny Orange County. If you pull up at sunset you’ll see pickup trucks with surfboards stowed in back parked next to shiny SUV’s as the restaurant fills up with surfers and tourists looking for a place to relax and unwind. It’s an unpretentious place, built of cedar planks and cinder blocks, with Christmas lights adorning the eaves all year ‘round. You can hear the house band jamming as you get closer, and their songs compete with the surf in the background, sometimes blending with the murmur, sometimes rising above it in a shrill rebuke.
When you get to the door, which is not much more than a couple timbers with pictures of celebrities tacked around its frame, a skinny kid who barely looks old enough to be allowed in himself will check your I.D. He only got the job ‘cuz his dad’s a cop, after all. He looks you over to see if you meet the criteria, and a potent mix of tequila, salt breezes and sunscreen assaults your senses. Once he waves you in, you drift inside, mesmerized by the music and the mood.
Long wooden tables, with the initials of lovers who have dined here before inscribed like Greek hieroglyphics along their length, greet the hungry guests. A paper menu featuring Corona beers, fish tacos, and overpriced margaritas is held down against the stiff ocean wind with a blushing pink conch shell. Now that Living Proof, the house band, is on break Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett take turns crooning about how it’s five o’clock somewhere, and you settle in for a peaceful evening, one that you wish would never end.
But if you really were to search for this place, somewhere along PCH-1 between Newport and Laguna, you’d be outta luck. Hacienda only exists in the fictional world of my novel-in-progress, titled ‘The Tempest’s Serenade’.
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Well, that was fun to do! Thanks for suggesting it. The novel sounds like a fascinating read. I hope I win! 🙂
I live within driving distance of DC, so there’s a plethora of tourist destinations in my general area. One of the coolest is probably the International Spy Museum. Gadgets and gizmos aplenty, interactive exhibits, histories of real-life spies — all kinds of awesome stuff. And a cool gift shop!