Dargo - Eco-Hero! The Classic Tale
by Karina McRoberts
Date of Publication: September 9th 2024
Publisher: Rocanadon Press
Genre: Urban Fantasy
ASIN: B0DGKBYR3P
Number of pages: 121
Word Count: 14,000
Tagline: Enchanting Urban Fantasy
BLURB
AN ENCHANTING NOVELLA TO LIFT YOUR SPIRIT!
In this unique and enticing modern fairytale, a lonely young man suffers a massive defeat . When he believes all is lost, he meets with fiery fortune teller, Flame. Her plea for help sends Dargo on a crucial mission; but can he re-invent himself as a hero?
Light-hearted, but poignant, Dargo is a humorous fairy tale for adults. You can also share it with your children who care about Earth. And if they don't, Dargo will help them do so!
This hilarious and heartwarming tale has been likened to the Wizard of Oz, and will appeal to the magic in all of us.
Dargo - Eco Hero! is a Literary Titan Gold Book Award winner and has been shortlisted for a Chanticleer Fantasy OZMA.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKc6lv3I8s
Reviewed by Natalie Soine for Readers’ Favorite:
Dargo, Eco Hero! by Karina McRoberts is by far one of the best and most unique books I have ever read, with a vitally important message.
Reviewed by Thomas Anderson for Literary Titan:
Dargo, Eco Hero! by Karina McRoberts gives me the best kind of Wizard of Oz vibes. The author has nailed the same type of warmth as L. Frank Baum but puts her own unique spin on main character Dargo and his band of merry cohorts. I was especially impressed with the mixture of personification and metaphors found throughout the writing. The imagery she creates leaves readers breathless at times. Her writing is timely and gives voice to the environment in a way no other writer I have seen has been able to do.
Excerpt:
She threw Dargo more scowls and turned to go, when she was met by the office alpha male; he of the hot and handsome variety.
"There you are, Lucinda,” the man said; his baritone deeper than the Grand Canyon. "C'mon, let's get back to work on this layout."
Her frown did a rapid 180. "Give me a minute, Jake. I'll be right back."
Jake leaned languidly on Dargo's cubicle wall, staring after Lucinda as she made her way to the ladies' room.
"Hi, Jake," Dargo greeted brightly.
Startled, Jake turned around. His face cinched as he took in the Mad poster, now complete with tear.
"You need some new décor, pal."
"Guess so," Dargo replied weakly, not catching the ridicule in Jake’s tone; Dargo was most unhappy about the damage to his cherished Alfred E Neuman poster.
"What's your name again?"
"Dargo."
"Oh yeah. How could I forget? Hey, why weren't you with the guys last night at paintball?"
"Well, I had something to do. But thanks for inviting me."
"I don't think we'll bother anymore. You never come. Just as well. You'd probably get wiped out pronto."
"Really?"
God, this guy is a dweeb, Jake mused. Aloud, he replied, "It's supposed to be a challenge, you know? Real man's stuff." Jake inhaled deeply, his fine physique expanding.
"OK, I'm back," Lucinda said cheerily. She had very obviously 'freshened' her makeup. "I'm ready."
Jake whispered something in Lucinda's ear. Her face reddened to match her lipstick, then she sauntered back to her cubicle; Mister 'tall, dark, and extremely handsome' in tow.
Karina is an American-Australian author, illustrator, musician, scientist and theatre producer. She considers herself to be a true Renaissance woman and strives to help other women achieve the same. She states, "After all, ladies, we didn't get a chance last time!!!!"
She has written several novels in a variety of genres, her fiction is character rich and emotionally engaging, and her stories have won several awards.
Previously working as a conservation scientist, Karina was struck down by a mosquito-borne virus. No longer able to work, she turned her attention to writing fiction; aiming to inspire, encourage, enlighten and entertain—especially those readers active in social justice, humanitarian work, and protection of the Earth. A fervent believer in the value of human creativity, Karina writes without input from artificial intelligence, and works so that her readers can “Escape to the Heights of Their Hearts and the Depths of Their Souls.”
Karina also writes self-instruction books and gives workshops in illustration, music, and creative writing. She lives with her husband William and dog Tahshi, near the heritage town of York, Western Australia (said to be one of Australia’s most haunted) where they’re busy re-wilding degraded farmland.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Karina McRoberts . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I write in many genres, aiming to take readers to the heights of their hearts and the depths of their souls. My fiction is always character-driven, and I want to assure readers that I myself have created them —I do not use AI in my writing.
I strive for beauty of language and for surprising storylines; I like to think readers will not know what’s coming. I want to create rich environments for readers to get lost in. Although I write fun fiction, I often include social themes in my writing. So, I work to create stories that entertain, enlighten, and most of all, will not boring!
Here are a couple of review quotes that illustrate my writing style:
Dargo, Eco Hero! is by far one of the best and most unique books I have ever read. Fascinating characters, places and events — I highly recommend Dargo’s story to anyone looking for something different, something fun, and a book that will leave them smiling.
(Natalie Soine, Readers’ Favorite)
McRoberts's writing style is notable for its vivid atmosphere.
(Thomas Anderson, Literary Titan, for The Last Rays of Ra)
Richly realised and highly evocative.
(Will Yeoman, The West Australian, for The Palace of the Stars)
Karina McRoberts brings a unique style of storytelling in her book A Man For All Seasons. This fascinating book is a beautiful work of science fiction and includes an enthralling account of Vidor’s mission to conserve nature from those who want to destroy it for their own benefit. The friendship between Vidor and Clarissa is precious, and so are the animal characters. In Vidor’s plan to save nature from destruction at the hands of humanity, he also makes an effort to give dying people dignified death, which is so heart-touching.
(Karen Almeida, Literary Titan, for A Man for All Seasons)
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page?
Oh, yes. Characters are paramount. Of course, I do need a good storyline, but without exceptional, engaging characters, the story dies. I find I have something of a rough idea of my main character when I begin. But once she or he or it is committed to paper, the character begins to take on a life of its own. This process is so surprising and very cool. It’s one of the things I like best about writing. Throughout the story, as events develop and relationships form, all kinds of things can happen! When I finish a story or a series, my character is almost like someone I have actually met and come to know. They are all a kind of family to me. It’s magic!
Do you people watch to help with character(s) development? Or do you build upon your characters during story creation?
Character research is so much fun. Yes, people watching. I like to visit special events and places to really ‘live’ the character. As per the photo — taken at a Renaissance Faire. That’s a raw bone he’s been gnawing on.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
Yes. Without spoilers, I am presently working on a gothic novel (my first). It’s taking a long time, partly because it needs very much to be about the main character, what happens to her, but most importantly, how she deals with what happens. I have never been haunted, so I’m trying very hard to imagine exactly what that would be like. I need it to be authentic so that it’s genuinely scary. It’s really hard.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so, which one(s)?
Oooh, that’s a hard one. My fiction is very character-driven. I have many favorites, and it depends on what’s happening at the time. For example, when I need to be in an everyone can win out over tough times frame of mind, I love Dargo Fernandez. Here are some others:
Justice engineers — Mari Linden (from the Love, Magic, and Mystery series) and Jasamin Beaumónde, Hoodoo High Priestess (from The Ladies of Karma).
High-spectrum characters (empathy, ‘oddness’, intellect, compassion) — Vidor Servitor, the master’s assistant, and Alban, the white raven (A Man for All Seasons), Detective Inspector Jackson Randolph (The Last Rays of Ra).
Magical Mentor — Kahnilla — singing, dancing, ass-kicking dragon (Kahnilla the Dragon).
Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?
Yes. A young scientist driven to (justifiable) patricide in an earlier book — my Courage, Cunning, and Craft epic fantasy trilogy. He was a minor character, but these days I’m often thinking about writing his full story. It will be very in-depth — how he overcomes what happened to him, how he deals with people who think he’s useless or evil, how he learns to navigate life. He needs to be very clever, very wise. These Chelandra stories are high fantasy, but they are very rooted in everyday themes and modern dilemmas. What would we do? They’re mainly about people, their challenges and relationships.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Apart from the new Chelandra story mentioned above, I am torn between writing a story about a time-travelling musician (I myself am an amateur musician and am interested in music from around the world and throughout time), or, a sequel to the Last Rays of Ra, my Egyptian thriller featuring rogue Egyptologist Vahlona Selket Faralay and her colleague, empathic English detective Jackson Randolph. They’re great characters and I know I can develop them more richly. As such, I left the first book ready for a sequel. These trailers will show readers a little about the original stories, and I’m sure you will enjoy the music. I work with great musicians and videographers!
Dargo — Eco-Hero! The Classic Tale
Chelandra
The Last Rays of Ra
The Palace of the Stars
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I’m aiming to finish would like to finish my gothic novel.
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so, what? If no, what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
Oh, my goodness, I hate not being in control! I work at it, for sure.
I am always keen to reach for the unexperienced. It’s all out there and I want to find as much of it (the good stuff, of course) as I can. My upcoming adventure is diving in the lagoon and stack of an extinct ocean volcano (Lord Howe Island). Let’s explore! Yay!
If you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern, and spend one full year. Where would you go and what would you do with this time?
Eastern Europe and Central Asia — villages, learning stories and songs. Apart from being a wonderful adventure, this would help me with an upcoming novel I want to write about a time-travelling musician.
Or, I could visit every oceanic site possible to thoroughly explore the world’s seas. I have a character in my Time-travel/ historical fiction novel, The Light (3rd book in my Love, Magic, and Mystery trilogy) based on Captain Nemo; she is Cassandra Se Toh, who seeks justice for sea creatures from her own submarine Nautilus. I could definitely write more about her!
Thanks greatly, Book Junkie for interviewing me and everyone for reading. Glad to answer any questions. Happy reading everyone!
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