Welcome to the Lost At Sea Scavenger Hunt where we are helping the Kinsman people find a new home. If you’ve just found us, be sure to start the adventure at Stop #1, which is Jill Williamson’s blog.
There was something alive in that forest that Wilek didn’t trust. He led his people southwest, along a river, hoping at this point he might find the sea and his fleet waiting. They came upon a castle on a grassy plain, Stop #14, Acktar, from Tricia Mingerink’s novel Dare, the first volume in The Blades of Acktar series.
Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn’t writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country. Visit Tricia on her website at www.triciamingerink.com.
Courage could cost him everything. 
If you’re looking for the ocean, you won’t find it anywhere near Acktar. It’s a land-locked country of rolling prairie for hundreds of miles in nearly every direction. Its northern border is the Sheered Rock Hills, a stretch of mountains covered in scrub pine and juniper. The Spires Canyon, a deep trench with the Ondieda River at the bottom, marks the eastern border. Beyond the northeastern corner of Acktar, a desert known as the Waste stretches in miles of dusty earth where even the water is too contaminated to drink.
Acktar’s culture is a mix of American West meets Medieval. There are lords, ladies, and manor houses, but also western saddles, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions.
Nalgar Castle, the only castle in Acktar, rises from the prairie near the center of Acktar. King Respen, a usurper and murderer, rules here with his Blades, his group of highly-trained assassins.
Acktar is in the midst of a war between King Respen and the Resistance. If you’re looking to settle here, be prepared to pick a side and fight for it.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy the rest of the scavenger hunt!
Tricia Mingerink 
This sounds like such a cool series! The Western/Medieval mash-up sounds vaguely similar to the setting for A Canticle for Leibowitz.
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I’ve never read the Canticle for Leibowitz. I’ll have to check it out.
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I would probably live in Acktar, as long as can avoid rattlesnakes.
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I would want to avoid the rattlesnakes too!
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I’m not quite sure if I would like to live in Acktar…Iwould have to visit it first, 🙂
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If you travel across South Dakota, you can get a taste of what Acktar is like.
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Yes I would like to live in Acktar!
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Ha, ha! Would should’ve guessed you would. 😉
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Yes I would Love to live in Acktar!!!
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I’m missing the third book in my collection, so I’m DEFINITELY hoping to win! 😉
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Maybe you’ll get it just in time for the 4th book’s release. 😉
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Sure! I love the old west, and you’d never be bored in Acktar from the sounds of it!
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I grew up reading westerns! Acktar is a pretty adventurous place…unless you are one of the farmers who spends their whole life trying to eek out a living farming the prairie. That probably wouldn’t be so interesting.
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Acktar sounds very dangerous. I don’t think it would be my favorite place to live.
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I’m rather glad I don’t have to deal with Acktar’s amount of danger either!
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Acktar sounds interesting, but also extremely dangerous. The mix of medieval and western intrigues me. I shall definitely look into your books.
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I hope you enjoy them if you get a chance to read them!
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I would like to live in Acktar.
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🙂
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I’m not very brave, so I’d prefer to live at Eagle Heights.
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I would probably prefer Eagle Heights also.
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I would LOVE to live in Aktar!
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Ha, ha! Should’ve guessed. 😉
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Not too sure. I’d want to know more.
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I think I would like to live in Acktar, but I think I would miss the ocean! Sounds intriguing.
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I would probably miss large bodies of water as well.
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Yes, I would like to live in Acktar….except for the Blades sound a wee bit intimidating. The series sounds really neat!!
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Understandable. Knife-wielding assassins are a bit intimidating. 🙂
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Living in Acktar might be interesting but I think i’d rather stay at home and read about it. It sounds pretty cool though.
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That’s how I feel about a lot of fantasy worlds. I think I like curling up on my comfy couch and reading about it rather than experiencing all that danger myself.
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No ocean, no problem! I wouldn’t mind living in Acktar!
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I’m not overly fond of the ocean either. There is something really amazing about miles and miles of open prairie.
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These books sound interesting. I’m always looking for new reads and new additions to our church library. Acktar sounds like an interesting place, but I like my hills and valleys. 🙂
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I hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to read them!
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I’ve no idea… haven’t read the book yet. 🙂
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Makes sense. I hope you enjoy the books if you get a chance to read them.
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I love castles and anything medieval but don’t like anything with a western touch. Would read it but wouldn’t want to live in it. Sorry!
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Understandable!
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Acktar would be an interesting place to live.
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🙂
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Great giveaway!! I’ve heard lots of good things about this series 🙂
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I hope you enjoy them if you get a chance to read them!
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The idea of a Western/medieval type setting is definitely original! I enjoyed this stop and thanks for the chance at an awesome giveaway. ^_^
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I’m glad you enjoyed the scavenger hunt!
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not sure
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A chance to win free Acktar books? I’m in.
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🙂 If I’d been smart, I should’ve run a sale on Amazon as well. Oh, well. There’ll be a book launch coming up for book 4, so there will be lots more book giveaways coming soon. 🙂
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This blog hop is SO much fun!!!
And to answer your question….YES OF COURSE I’d want to live in Acktar!! Leith and Renna and Brandi would be there too, right? 😉
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Of course Leith and Renna and Brandi would be there! 😉
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Definitely sounds like an interesting place but, rather dangerous!
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I wouldn’t be a big fan of all the danger either.
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I’ve heard lots of good things about these books. 🙂 It’d be interesting to check them out.
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I hope you enjoy the books if you get a chance to read them!
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I haven’t read the books, so I don’t know if I’d want to live in Acktar or not. But I want to read them! 🙂
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I hope you get a chance to read them!
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I’m not sure I’d want to live in Acktar. Sounds like a rough place! But maybe I’d like to visit…
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If you travel across the Black Hills, Badlands, and prairie of South Dakota, you can get a taste of Acktar without actually going there.
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I would love to live in Acktar, as long as I fought for that which is righteous and had money enough to live well.
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This sounds like a great series to read!! It’s added to my list.
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I’m glad you found my books! I hope you enjoy them if you get a chance to read them!
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I’d like to live in a nice old-fashioned castle. Thanks for participating in the hunt!
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It would be fun to stay in a castle. Especially in a place that is mostly dry so that the castle isn’t as damp and drafty as castles tend to be.
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Cool stories! I’ll be adding them to my TBR list 🙂
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Yay!
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What? How is it that I’m not subscribed to your mailing list yet? Well, the trouble is mended.
Your novel looks very remarkable, Tricia. I look forward to the chance to read it someday!
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I hope you enjoy the books when you read them! 🙂
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No, I wouldn’t want to live in Acktar! I like the ocean too much. 🙂
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Nalgar castle sounds like a cool place to live!
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Not sure I want to live in Acktar, but it would be interesting
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Hmm, I don’t know….
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It could be neat to live there.
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I think I might like to live there. I love castles, swords, armor stories.
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I’ve never read your books so I don’t know if I would like to live in Acktar, but it does sound like a place I would like.
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I already have each of these, and I loved them! Be ready,folks! You’re not going to want to leave Acktar!
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Awww! Thanks for the sweet words, Rachel!
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Sure! As long as there is horses! Im good!
jennydtipton at gmail dot com
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Horses are the main means of travel, so pretty much everyone has a horse! 🙂
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Well, I’m new to your books so I don’t know if I would want to live in Acktar. But since there are assassins and deserts and rattlesnakes…maybe not. 😉
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I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do well with all those dangers either!
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Living in Acktar would be an arduous endeavor, to say the least. To be persecuted for my faith; fear of death, and warring peoples. Would I want to live in a world like that? Well, with my God and friends like Leith and Jamie, Renna and Brandie, who wouldn’t?! I love your work, love the Acktar world, and love that you participated in this enjoyable scavenger hunt! How fun!
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I think if I lived in Acktar, I would want to live there after book 4 is over and things are all peaceful and safe.
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I might like to love in Actar. I might miss forests, though…
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Yes, I would like to live in Acktar.
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I would LOVE to live in Acktar! I’ve never found a fantasy world quite like it (though I’ve discovered my fair share of them.) There is only one downfall for me though… No ocean!! (It’s pretty much my favorite thing in the world, though, sadly, lacking in this one☹️) lol
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No ocean would be pretty strange! I live in Michigan, so it is hard to picture living in a place where there isn’t a large body of water within easy distance.
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It sounds very dangerous, but kind of fun.
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