Thursday, October 25, 2012

FOODFIC: Please Welcome Wendy Owens, Author of The Guardians Series



One of the things I love so much about food in stories is how it can really give you insight into a character’s journey.  What they are eating can tell you when they are low on their luck, or living the life many only dream of.  Is the person stealing food at a local street market just to survive, or are they attending lush balls with buffets as far as the eye can see - covered in delectable and scrumptious nosh?  This tells us a lot about their current station in life.

What do you picture in your mind when I use words like lavish, bounteous, luxurious, extravagant?  Were there any folks out there thinking of an orphanage?  Of course not, we have these ideas in our head of how places are, and an orphanage is none of these things.  Therefore, it’s not surprising to find out, Gabe, the main character in The Guardians series lives at a home for wayward boys where they force a breakfast of burnt toast and powdered eggs on their charges.

When Gabe is brought to a new and strange place by an interesting character, named Uri, he has no idea what to expect.  At that point, Gabe imagines few things can be worse than his current lot in life.  Gabe begins to question this logic when he and his escorts are attacked by winged demonic beasts.

When at last, he is at his destination, he is brought to their leader, a younger looking man, named Michael.  Gabe is given cryptic answers, and while he doesn’t feel directly threatened he also doesn’t feel secure.  One thing helps put him at ease however... food!

In Sacred Bloodlines, when Michael takes him to the kitchen after their talk and this is what he finds:

There were stacks of flapjacks with butter pooling on the top and drips running down the side.  Another plate was overflowing with twisted cinnamon buns that were smothered with homemade icing so thick the top of the buns were barely visible.  Crisp bacon, brown sausage (links and patties) and ham slices were artistically spiraled on another platter.  Scrambled eggs, any fruit you can imagine, biscuits, and gravy so creamy and smooth that Gabe mistook it for buttermilk.

Food signaled a significant change for Gabe and his outlook moving forward.  What we eat plays a special part in our daily lives, so think about that the next time you are preparing a meal - is it delicious or boring?  I think I am off to have a pumpkin spice latte and a warm blueberry muffin while I work on finishing up book 3 of The Guardians!  Happy Reading!


Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Wendy!


 
You can find Wendy here: 


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