Karalynn Lee's Blog
June 25, 2015
June updates
My fantasy short story, "Court Bindings," is available in the online magazine of literary adventure fantasy, Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I love this venue for short fantasy and am proud to appear in it a second time, although this piece is somewhat darker in tone and devoid of romance; it deals with a court where nobles hire assassins both as political tools and as guards.
Never fear, I'm working on lighter fare for those who prefer such, and better organization of this website has been bumped higher on my to-do list, so it's easier to avoid or find the romantic stuff.
March 12, 2014
Long-awaited mid-March updates
Amidst illness, day job deadlines, and preparation for upcoming travel, I got some unexpected good news: Back Across the Styx is a finalist in the novella category for the annual DABWAHA competition, run by two of the biggest romance sites in the blogosphere. Here I flaunt the graphic to prove the nomination's all official. I've also lowered the price of the ebook, to help other people who share my instinct to buy up all the finalists. (I think I'm supposed to trash talk them, but it's hard to do so with a straight face when I want to read them! Let's just say that my book most assuredly has the largest undead army of Greek soldiers in its category, and leave it at that.)
Current works in progress
I'm hoping to return to this space soon with news about an actual 2014 release — I've been working diligently on the novel set in Hellsgate, which is stretching into my longest work so far, and I've got a couple of short stories making the rounds. Here's the beginning of a science fiction piece, complete with damaged hero and a hint of romance:
They told him to go to Shipyard 4 to see the Necromancer, and the place did look like a graveyard of ships: hulls split open like ribcages, engine parts as scattered as stardust, a tangled labyrinth of circuitry, a leaning stack of metal wings stripped from now-flightless vessels. When he saw the Necromancer, for a moment he thought she’d been scavenged from the pieces as well, with a cybernetic eye to contrast with the warm brown of the other, and a metal hand extended in greeting.
“Is that your ship?” she asked as he automatically took her hand and shook it. It had been an expert job; her fingers pressed against his with just the right amount of pressure.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the Razi, scarred and scorched so badly her markings were nearly indistinguishable. He knew how the ship must feel.
Tentative tweeting
And for slightly more frequent updates, I'm experimenting to see if I can manage coherent 140-character thoughts on Twitter, @karalynnlee.
February 1, 2013
February good news
Out today: my novella about the son of Hades and Persephone, Charon's foster-daughter, and their adventure out of the underworld and into Ancient Greek military history, Back Across the Styx. Here's an excerpt:
Bion's mother was just about to leave to spend the rest of the year in the sunlit realms, and his father's mood was predictably doleful. Bion had never understood their relationship--they maintained a chilly silence when together, yet their parting was always preceded by a storm of recriminations on both sides. They unfailingly followed the same pattern, like two wary beasts circling each other endlessly.
Hades, diffident, as though everyone in the sunlit lands and the underworld alike didn't know of his love for her: "You don't have to go--"
A disdainful glance accompanied her acid response: "And why would I stay here? To be with you?"
Then his rising anger: "How can I make things better if you're never here?"
And her finishing blow: "Feed me more seeds, then! You could keep me here the entire year."
There was never anything Hades could say to that. It was the unforgivable act that would always come between them.
Bion watched them fight because the last thing his mother always did before departing was to give him a kiss, and he wanted to be there to receive it before she left. When he was younger, that small gesture had been all that kept him from believing she left the underworld to get away from him.
"Unsilenced" a Locus-recommended read
My fantasy novelette "Unsilenced" made it onto the Locus 2012 Recommended Reading List! I'm thrilled to have my name in such august company.
January 4, 2013
2012 in review and a look ahead at 2013
My publication highlights were Carina Press's release of Heart of the Dragon's realm, which seems to lie on a nexus of fantasy/romance/young adult appeal; and the appearance of my fantasy story "Unsilenced" in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Thrillingly, the latter won favorable mention by Lois Tilton in Locus Online in her annual round-up of notable short speculative fiction. I'm in fine company there. Huzzah!
I finally fulfilled an ambition from childhood and wrote a short gamebook, Sigil-beasts, to vie for the Windhammer Prize.
And due to publisher/editor hiccoughs (life happens), I also took my first steps into online self-publishing. I learned a lot in the process, met some lovely editors and artists, and will continue to feel out this space. Which leads us to...
2013 plans
The new year will see a new novella from me, a romantic fantasy set in Ancient Greece titled Back Across the Styx. This will be the first in a set of stories taking place during various eras of far history.
I'll also be submitting a duology in the same world as Demon's Fall, tentatively titled Let Slip Glory and And Loose the Hound. I do have some other longer projects percolating, but I want to set aside some time to focus on more short stories that might suit sf/f magazines.
And I'd like to put in another entry for the Windhammer Prize this year, and perhaps even try for IFComp should ambition get the better of me and I remember how to code in Inform.
I suspect this will get confusing for my readers, so another goal is to revamp my website, dividing it into three parts: romance, fantasy, and interactive fiction. This should let you receive only the announcements you care about (although you'll be more than welcome to continue perusing all my work).
Finally, here's to hoping I leave enough breathing space between writing and the day job to resume regular correspondence with friends I sorely neglected over the last year!
October 29, 2012
Heart of the Dragon’s Realm released
Carina Press just put out another one of my ebooks, this time a sweet romantic fantasy. Heart of the Dragon's Realm has received reviews by both people who thought the fantasy element was slight (it's true, it lurks for a while), and by folks who don't particularly care for romance but took a chance on this one because it's fantasy. I like to think that means I hit just the right intersection, and I'm glad of the opportunity to reach some readers who might not be interested in my more explicit romances.
Although this story centers around Kimri — a rebellious princess — and Tathan — the reclusive king who offers her an unexpected sense of belonging — I was fond enough of one of the minor characters to feature her in an entire one-paragraph epilogue. (Best enjoyed after reading the book.)
Where to buy it:
Carina Press (DRM-free EPUB) · Amazon.com · Amazon.co.uk · Barnes & Noble · All Romance eBooks
It's also out as an audio book at Audible.com.
For those hoping for something with more sensuality, rest assured I'm hard at work on a pair of stories set in the world of Demon's Fall.
October 11, 2012
“Unsilenced” available
"Unsilenced" is now available to read online for free in the Fourth Anniversary Double Issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, alongside three other stories. BCS is a class act that will also allow you to download the entire issue in PDF, MOBI PRC, and EPUB formats, as well as purchase from the Kindle Store — it's well worth checking out this and previous (and future!) issues if you like literary adventure fantasy (a subgenre that fits a surprisingly broad range).
I was thrilled to pieces by Keith's review of my story at Adventures Fantastic:
This story reminded me very much of Patrica A. McKillip's work, and she's one of my favorites. This was a complex, moving story about the ways we destroy what we love by trying to hold onto it. The characters, the young Empress and her brother as well as the mages, are fully flawed and fully realized people. There's a depth and complexity to the story, the themes, and the characters that you usually don't see in short fiction.
September 30, 2012
September updates
"Unsilenced" publication date
"Unsilenced" will be published in the fourth anniversary double issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies on October 4th. For those unfamiliar with BCS, it's a online webzine (free to read!) focused on high-quality adventure fantasy with lush prose. My story: There have only ever been and only ever will be four mages, but they make the same mistakes as any other man or woman where their hearts are concerned.
Sigil-beasts available
You can now get a PDF version of my entry in the Windhammer Prize for Short Gamebook Fiction. Sigil-beasts puts you in the place of a mage who is searching for a way to restore a dragon's skeleton to life, so that you can answer an even deadlier creature's challenge to your homeland. Take a look at the (22!) (not a factorial, just excitement) entries if you're interested, and vote for the two you like best. The voting period ends October 30th.
Current writing projects
More romantic interactive fiction
Now that I've got a gamebook under my belt, I'm tackling an interactive reinterpretation of Swan Lake where you are Odile (the black swan), seeking to deceive the prince. Or perhaps you'll decide not to. It'll be up to you. (It's up to me to make both choices satisfying...)
Recent reading
Songs & Swords series by Elaine Cunningham
I read these back when I was a kid and picked them up again because I remembered them as being among the better game-setting-related novels I'd read. Arilyn's an over-powerful character (expert assassin who wields a sword with multiple powers), but I liked her struggle with her mixed elf-human heritage, and just the fact that she was a competent female. This time around, though, it was Danilo, her (supposedly) accidental companion who appealed to me. He puts on a façade as a spoiled noble fop who uses magic for party tricks, although in actuality he's quite a skilled mage who uses his position in society to pick up useful information. What I admire most is that while Danilo keeps up this front for most of the book, it's successfully more amusing than annoying, and I can see how Arilyn still formed a genuine friendship with him despite that deception. The first book is the best, but if you insist on a romantic relationship, read through the rest of the series. (Note that the third book decidedly does not follow romance conventions.)
Miscellaneous updates
More travel
I'm going to be traveling, and as always am equipped with my trusty e-reader (loaded with a bunch of gamebook PDFs, of course). Writing implements are also packed. The fact that I'll have no Internet access might actually lead to their use. I will note that I would be much more likely to write on planes if only every single seatmate I've had did not try to read what I was writing...
August 31, 2012
August updates
Heart of the Dragon's Realm available for pre-order...
You can now pre-order Heart of the Dragon's Realm from the Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites, if you'd like to have the book automatically delivered to your ereader on the release date (October 29th).
...and also to be released as an audio book
I've also learned that there will be an audio version available on Audible.com, probably around the same time as the ebook.
Current writing projects
"Sigil-beasts" gamebook
Still working on wrapping up this gamebook. (I got distracted by "researching" other gamebooks.) If all goes well, it'll be available on August 14th from the Windhammer Prize website.
Recent reading
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This book probably doesn't need my recommendation, given the attention it's already gained. It's the story of Patroclus, Achilles's beloved, a character I never cared about, but whom I fell into within these pages. Its narrator's tone — reverent, aching — may not be for everyone, but I was made breathless by how fiercely they felt for each other. The siege of Troy came almost as an unwanted interruption. Miller made the song of Achilles into a surprisingly poignant love song.
July 31, 2012
July updates
Sea Gifts available more widely
You can now buy Sea Gifts from Barnes & Noble (for Nook) and Kobo.
Current writing projects
Back Across the Styx
Inspired by an submissions call, I dropped my other works-in-progress to wrap up a novella about Charon's foster-daughter and Hades and Persephone's son. In "Back Across the Styx," Myrrine gets kidnapped from the underworld and becomes entangled in a war against the Persians; Bion doesn't quite end up rescuing her. The beginning:
She was born on the ferry over the River Styx as her parents fled the underworld. Her father passed her into the arms of her exhausted mother. Then the new parents leaned their foreheads against each other in a moment of unparalleled relief: they had escaped the realm past death, and brought forth new life.
On the other end of the boat, the ferryman ceased the long strokes of his pole and held out his palm.
“She wasn’t yet born when we paid,” the mother protested, cradling the girl to herself.
The ferryman looked at her with dark eyes.
“We have nothing left,” the father said, anguished.
And so a man and a woman boarded the ferry from the underworld, and a man and a woman disembarked in the sunlit lands. Charon stood in his boat, holding a baby with her mouth still golden with her first milk. He named her Myrrine.
Recent reading
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
This book hit a lot of my buttons: fantastic world-building, a protagonist facing culture shock and slow integration, a female character who wields power well. It's got both mid-air battles and taut internal conflict, plus a relationship which, despite being between two people who were born into positions where they'd make suitable mates, doesn't feel forced at all. I found this a refreshing read in the fantasy genre (a genre I adore, but isn't always known for its originality).
Miscellaneous updates
NEO 2
I couldn't have written "Back Across the Styx" without a plethora of Web sources (plus a bunch of research books), but it'll surprise no one to know that the Internet was also a source of distraction. I used to own an AlphaSmart word processor, which consists of just a keyboard, a small display for a few lines of text, and some storage. I lost track of it during one of my moves, but it was a wonderfully efficient single-purpose machine. So I've now got my hands on the latest model, the NEO 2, and will use it for those times when I need to double-down on my writing.
June 30, 2012
June updates
Page up for Heart of the Dragon's Realm
You can now read the first chapter of Heart of the Dragon's Realm, as well view the cover:
Current writing projects
Sigil-beasts drafted
So I've got a short gamebook planned out. Now I need to fill out the sections with more graceful writing, then test it all not only for story soundness, but also gameplay enjoyment. Guinea pigs have been located and inducement is underway. I had a lot of fun working on this, and someday I may share a picture of the 17″-by-22″ sheet of paper where I madly scribbled all my ideas. In the meantime, here's a bit from the beginning:
You live in the desert inside a petrified dragon’s bones: the gaping jaws your front door, the arches of the ribcage your living room, the empty left eye socket your window. Cloth wrapped over the skeleton shields you from sun and sandstorms, while scorpions and rattlesnakes know better than to venture near. The desert nomad tribes sometimes wander onto your lands, and you trade food and stories.
It is a proper home for a dragon-mage, when there are no more dragons.
After you rode your last wind, you forsook the Janari court and its lord — your twin brother — to seek the peace of the black sands and desolate sky. Oddly, the bones are a comfort as well: a reminder that there truly once were dragons, that you did not weave them from the threads of your imagination and vanity as the creature you could command. You helped your brother carve out an empire with your powers; surely there’s no more he can ask of you.
So it is a surprise when the messenger comes to your home to evict you.
Recent reading
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
Romance and intrigue amongst concubines and senators, gladiators and emperors. This is a complex weave of interactions among a bevy of flawed characters, but in loose terms you could see it as the oddly parallel and intersecting lives of a slave girl and a scheming heiress as they scale society — down to the men they encounter. I couldn't help being reminded of Downton Abbey, although against an epic backdrop and with far more fluid positions. Avoid if too many points of view, or an antagonist's perspective, is a turn-off, but I found it entertaining despite these thanks to generous heapings of schemings and high-stakes relationships.
Miscellaneous updates
Traveling, reading, writing
I'll be heading out of town soon, which means stocking up on books to read on the flight and in my connecting airport. This is where reading fast is a curse, because I need several books to tide me over for the whole trip, and finding good travel reading is hard. Obviously I have to want to read the books I choose, but not so much that I've devoured them already. (Also: erotic romance, even safely ensconced in my ereader, tends to be a bad choice for someone who blushes easily.) My recourse shall be my faithful netbook, although it's always a toss-up whether I'll get any serious writing done while I'm on vacation.
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