Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: The Matriarch Messiah by Maxime Trencavel @GoddessFish

THE MATRIARCH MESSIAH

Maxime Trencavel

GENRE: SciFi

BLURB:

Zara Khatum, a woman haunted by ancient visions, finds herself drawn deeper into the heart of a perilous quest. Guided by a mysterious voice, she seeks to fulfill an ancient prophecy and find the cavern of blue light - a sanctuary rumored to hold the key to saving humanity. But the path to salvation is fraught with danger, and Zara is torn between her destiny and her heart.

A shadowy organization, known as NiQihs, seeks to exploit the power of the legendary black object, the source of Zara's visions, for their own sinister ends. They are not alone. The world's superpowers, driven by greed and ambition, race to control the artifact, threatening to unleash unimaginable devastation.

Joining Zara in this dangerous pursuit is Rachel Capsali, a brilliant Israeli archaeologist driven by a personal quest to uncover evidence of Asherah, a forgotten goddess who held a pivotal place in ancient Israelite faith. Unbeknownst to them, both women are bound by a shared destiny - a prophecy foretelling the cavern of blue light and a final, heartbreaking truth: two women will fight to the death, and only one will save us all.

Adding to the complexity, a passionate triangle forms as Rachel vies for Peter Gollinger's affection, a man deeply entangled in the ancient mystery. Zara, torn between fulfilling her destiny and her own feelings for Peter, finds herself caught in a web of conflicting desires.

As Zara and Rachel navigate a treacherous landscape of hidden agendas, betrayal, and relentless pursuit, their rivalry for Peter's affections intensifies. Can love survive the forces that threaten to tear them apart? Will the quest for salvation lead to a heart-wrenching sacrifice?

Links to The Matriarch Messiah pre-sale at $0.99 intro pricing (release date March 17, 2025): Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, and Google Books.

Excerpt:

"So, what's so special about some random legend?" says Rachel. "My safta raba Ariella said, 'She said one day Nearat and her daughter will return. Humanity will wane and wobble. And the woman who will save humanity will bring peace from the blue light. But to return, one must overcome one's fear of death. Two women will fight so that one will die. For only in the death of life as one knows it can she be in the light. Until then, Inanna awaits.'""

With a light chuckle, Mei combs through ground-penetrating radiation scans as she says, "Be thankful you only had to memorize seven sentences. That guy from California with the Kurdish woman had to memorize four times that much. His grandfather made him say it backwards, even. As random as your safta raba's saying may seem, it isn't to Murometz, and even Jean-Paul, who's aggregating oral traditions like yours with thousands of others he's collected, including those from the Vatican archives. They are far from random now."

Slowly walking in concentric circles from the black box MoxWorld loaned her, Rachel views the real-time scan images as she says, "I wish I could have met Mr. Murometz when you and Jean-Paul screened me. Not that I didn't relish our time together."

"Come on, Rach. You wouldn't wear that dress I made for you, much less the vamp shoes and makeup we designed," says Mei.

"I didn't mean to meet him in 'that' way," says Rachel as she runs her hand along her braids. "If I'm not worthy enough minus my lady bits, then he isn't worthy enough for my time, I say."

"I never said you had to wear those simply ravishing clothes for him," says Mei.

"Well, certainly it wasn't for Father Sobiros, I assumed. And you said Murometz was fascinated that my safta raba's words included a reference to a Sumerian goddess whose priestesses were known for prostitution. I only assumed he was hinting he wanted the same out of me, as all the rumors would suggest," jests Rachel. "Wait. Do you see what I see?"

"Hold on, Rach. I have an incoming call from the president of China."

Interview with Maxime Trencavel

What is your favorite part of the book?

The love triangle that develops as the story progresses. The first reader review really loved this aspect of the book which she found unexpected given the genre descriptors. I learned a lot of craft from studying with the Romance Writers of America. My favorite chapter is the romance payoff where my developmental editor had these comments:

"This is a really well-done chapter. The fight between them is well-written and emotionally charged, answering a lot of questions readers have carried throughout both books. The passion is what really sells it, though. The emotional resonance. Fantastic job on this scene!"

Does your book have a lesson? Moral?

If we are to survive, to thrive as a species, humanity needs to learn to overcome cultural and religious differences to solve what is most important to us all. This theme is embodied in the juxtaposition of Zara's and Rachel's opposing faiths and cultures. As well, other characters are challenged by their misguided perceptions of each other. To win, to get to the chamber of the blue light where humanity could be saved, they all must learn to work together and overcome these seemingly insurmountable differences.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come

entirely from your imagination?

The lead female protagonist, Zara, developed from extensive reviews of Kurdish women autobiographies, women's fiction, and essays. As well, I hired an outspoken female Kurdish author and spokesperson to provide feedback on the cultural accuracies of both Zara and her people.

I designed the character of her paramour, Peter, as diametrically opposed to Zara's. Two people who should normally never meet, fall in love, much less in The Matriarch Messiah, have the relationship strengthen. I based his character on sci-fi loving tech introverts in Silicon Valley and folks I knew at Peter's alma mater, whose mascot is his beloved banana slug.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and

why?

By far, reviewers have hailed Zara's strength of characterization - a very complex woman with a devastating history and inner wound. In The Matriarch Messiah, her "raw and realistic" battles with Rachel are getting early positive thumbs up.

But my favorite is the Jesuit Father Jean-Paul Sobiros who one of my happily married alpha readers said she'd drool after him. Why him? He stands for a rare and admirable ethical core. So much so, the suspicious Zara eventually trusts him the most by the end of The Matriarch Matrix.

With the Catholic church taking so much of a public beating in recent years, I thought creating a positive portrayal of a Jesuit priest was needed. Maybe only fantasy, but maybe, as they say, most are good apples in a barrel, with only one or two bad ones getting the bad press.

Look for Jesuit Cardinal Jean-Paul Sobiros to play a more expansive role in the third book in the series, The Matriarch Mandate.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

On purpose, I created three characters who meet their deserved endings—one for each of the principal characters. For Zara, it is her ultra-orthodox cousin who calls her out for violating their faith. For Rachel, it is a graduate student who violently opposed her "idolatrous" zeal in chasing the truth behind Asherah. And for Peter, it was the HR Head of MoxWorld who [spoiler censor] in the first book and is engaged to another [spoiler censor] in the second book. None of these three overly judgmental characters are ones I would enjoy even a casual coffee with.

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

To quote Zara in the romance climax, Chapter 48:

The obsidian disks in her eyes now burn at the edges like a sun spitting out solar flares. She yells back at him, "You know nothing of personal death. You know nothing of what it is like to fight for your life. Do not denigrate me or my loved ones. You are just a little cowardly [insert most disliked noun] who plays with words."

Very few North American readers will have lived under occupation where loved ones have been tortured, violated, falsely imprisoned, viciously executed, as is portrayed in Zara's character based on actual accounts. Her viperous outcries reflect this deep pain which readers in the first book may not have fully appreciated. All my alpha readers have family who have endured occupation and found her account compelling.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build

a body of work with connections between each book?

I started The Matriarch Matrix with a much fuller story in mind. The Matriarch Messiah is the second in the series and based on initial reader and editorial reviews stands on its on—a testament to the art of subtle backstory.

The first manuscript draft for the prequel, The Matriarch Mission, should be completed by end of March, 2025. While beta readers are reviewing this draft, I will craft the fourth book in the series, The Matriarch Mandate, while hanging out in the spring breezes of Mallorca.

The world building in these books is constantly hailed by editors, editorials, and readers. Whether other stories within this Matriarch world will be created with spin-off characters is yet to be seen. Vote with your reviews and I'll be inspired! 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Maxime has been scribbling stories since grade school, from adventure epics to morality plays. Blessed with living in multicultural pluralistic settings and having earned degrees in science and marketing, Maxime has worked in business and sports, traveling to countries across five continents and learning about cultures, traditions, and the importance of tolerance and understanding. Maxime's second novel, The Matriarch Messiah, was conceived, outlined, written, and edited in different locations in Belgium, including the Turkish and Kurdish neighborhoods of Brussels, in various islands of the Caribbean, in Colombia, in Madrid, Malaga, Mallorca, Spain, London, UK, and on the two coasts of the United States.

Connect with Maxime Trencavel

Book and Author Website ~ Author Blog ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

 

Giveaway:

$20 Amazon/BN GC

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