The lands beyond the capital city mountains are untamed and frightening, and Laszlo has no intention of exploring those lands. Fun and adventure can be had by Prince Endre, his best friend and only connection to the world outside of baking. It’s the prince’s job, after all, along with the Knights of Orszli to protect their people from any danger, but in spite of his best efforts to remain distant from anything that would complicate his life, Laszlo finds himself in possession of a stolen relic, belonging to a tribe of people he has never heard of, in a country nothing like his own. With the only skill at his disposal being that of making pastry, Laszlo will have to go above and beyond what any sane baker would face if he wishes to protect his family and his peaceful way of life.

This book was originally published under my pseudonym, Rory Hovington. I wanted to test out formatting and printing a book through Amazon, and this was the story I decided to use. It does not have the nicest formatting style, but I plan to update it and get a second edition put out there, as well as do a hardcover edition. It’s not so easy to just update a printable book, there’s a whole lot of steps to go through, but I’ll get it done, no worries, and you people will be the first to know!

The way the idea for West of Borsala came about was a funny thought. I had read so many stories that take place in made up countries based off of real world cultures and I absolutely loved watching those cultures come to life through the eyes of someone who was unfamiliar with them. It got me to thinking… what if I wrote a book like that where the main character went to a “foreign land”… but that foreign land was actually a culture I myself, and most people reading the story, would be quite familiar with? And thus, this story was born!

Laszlo is a character who I sympathize with a great deal. I am not sure if I relate to him, since I’m a pretty adaptable person, but I understand his difficulties, how he clings to the life and world he knows for safety, yet recognizes that there is so much he could learn if he could simply step outside of his comfort zone. The journey of going from a boy to a man is rarely ever an easy one, and Laszlo has a lot to overcome. The great thing about journeys like these that Laszlo will discover is that you don’t have to change who you are to grow stronger and braver. Often, the greatest strengths we have are ones that are already within us. We simply need to let them shine.

Even though Laszlo’s own culture is not in the spotlight for very long, as he immediately sets off on a trip to save his best friend, I was inspired by Hungarian and German culture in the creation of Borsala. I also am quite partial to bakers and bakeries, so it was wonderful to let their work shine a bit in this story.