New Novel Takes Readers on an Adventure from Arizona to a Magical World

Dec. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- Scottsdale, AZ, December 02, 2010 -- President Mik Wilkens’ new novel, The Silver Cage, marks her debut as a fantasy writer, but Wilkens’ residence isn't the novel’s only tie to Arizona. The main character, business consultant David Conner, was born and raised in Flagstaff and now lives in Scottsdale.

“People tell you to write what you know,” Wilkens said. “I write fantasy and science fiction, so I don’t get many opportunities to do that. With The Silver Cage, I realized I could finally take that advice to heart by setting some of it in places I’m familiar with.”

Several scenes in the novel take place at David’s Scottsdale home, at the Tempe Festival of the Arts, and in Flagstaff, but the majority of events happen on the magical world of Lucasia. After coming to the aid of a mysterious young woman, David finds himself transported to the strange world where he encounters dragons, shapeshifters, and other creatures of myth.

“I wrote The Silver Cage as a modern fairy tale,” Wilkens said. “By ‘fairy tale,’ I don’t mean the traditional, short folk tales written for children. Instead, I use the term as defined by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien in his essay ‘On Fairy-Stories.’ Tolkien said that fairy tales are not stories about fairies or other fantastic creatures; rather they are about the interaction between humans and such beings. David, a sensible, modern-day businessman, is the human that interacts with the fantastic creatures.”

In the novel, David acts as a guide for the reader as he explores Lucasia, investigates how and why he ended up there, and uncovers the layers of intrigue that surround the lives of the world’s inhabitants. Along the way, the reader encounters familiar fantasy elements such as unicorns, werewolves, dragons, and magic swords, but each has a twist that makes it different from similar elements found in other fantasy stories.

Wilkens hoped that by having a modern person interact with standard but slightly skewed fantasy elements, the story could be enjoyed by people who have never read fantasy as well as by those who are already fans of the genre. She appears to have succeeded. When asked about her acquisition of The Silver Cage for publication, Staci Helling, senior editor at LazyDay Publishing, said, “Fantasy has never appealed to me, so when I came across The Silver Cage, I was amazed that I really enjoyed it. It was a fantasy, but written in a way that made me want to read more. Mik Wilkens has changed my entire opinion of the genre. Her book captured my attention, and I can’t wait to read more.”

The Silver Cage is available for Kindle, Nook, and other ebook readers through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and other leading digital distributors. It was published by LazyDay Publishing, www.LazyDayPub.com.

About Mik Wilkens:
Mik Wilkens is a writer, graphic designer, and illustrator. She owns Mik Wilkens Design Inc., a website design company, and co-owns Digital Mayhem, LLC, a company that specializes in domain hosting, Internet application development, and e-commerce. A medical condition affecting her hands has her on hiatus from her design and illustration work, but speech-to-text software has allowed her to continue writing. Her science fiction novella The Price of Conquest will be released in 2011, and she has several other writing projects in progress.

For more information about The Silver Cage, please visit www.TheSilverCage.com or contact Mik Wilkens at 480-206-5151 or mik@mikdesign.com.

Contact:
Mik Wilkens
Mik Wilkens Desigh Inc.
16632 North 105th Way
Scottsdale, Arizona  85255-9038
480-206-5151
mik@mikdesign.com
http://www.mikdesign.com

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