K.M. Shea's Blog, page 30
February 10, 2020
What’s Coming in 2020?
The cat’s out of the bag about Hall of Blood and Mercy and its seven week launch, so now I can finally clear up on what to expect for the rest of the year.
As some of you noticed, I didn’t hold my annual Hero Poll. Worry not! It’s still coming, I’m just rearranging my schedule this year!
Let’s start with New Books.
As you know, you’re getting an urban fantasy trilogy–Magic Forged, Magic Redeemed, Magic Unleashed–this February, March, and April.
Next, I hope to start working on Book #3 of the Elves of Lessa, and ideally I miiiiggghhttt write #4 right after I finish #3. (Don’t quote me on that, though. It’s mostly going to depend on how I’m doing.)
Those books will take me through spring and summer to complete, so I’ll hopefully begin writing Trial of Magic (Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) in late summer with a December release as the latest-possible time you can expect to get it. (That might sound like a while, but the Fairy Tale Enchantress series is a beast to write and a beast to edit, so the whole process takes at least double the amount of time of a regular book.) This brings us to….
Summer of Polls!
Since Trial of Magic is the last timeline intensive book that will be a…well…trial, instead of doing a summer reading event this year we’re going to have a summer of polls! We’ll have the Annual Hero and Heroine Poll, but we’ll also have a poll for secondary characters, and favorite animal sidekicks! (There are A LOT of secondary characters, so there will be a lot of polls!)
As far as additional events go, as usual around December you can expect a Christmas event, and hopefully we get to do some fun stuff with the return to Lessa and when we return to Angelique. Don’t take the planned writing times as 100% set in stone–a lot of it depends on me (aka if I or Perfect Dog gets sick, I lose WEEKS of writing time)–but also how complex the stories are and how quickly I can work through them. This is my ideal but reasonable schedule, and hopefully I’ll be able to keep to it!
The post What’s Coming in 2020? appeared first on K. M. Shea.
What’s Coming in 2019
The cat’s out of the bag about Hall of Blood and Mercy and its seven week launch, so now I can finally clear up on what to expect for the rest of the year.
As some of you noticed, I didn’t hold my annual Hero Poll. Worry not! It’s still coming, I’m just rearranging my schedule this year!
Let’s start with New Books.
As you know, you’re getting an urban fantasy trilogy–Magic Forged, Magic Redeemed, Magic Unleashed–this February, March, and April.
Next, I hope to start working on Book #3 of the Elves of Lessa, and ideally I miiiiggghhttt write #4 right after I finish #3. (Don’t quote me on that, though. It’s mostly going to depend on how I’m doing.)
Those books will take me through spring and summer to complete, so I’ll hopefully begin writing Trial of Magic (Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) in late summer with a December release as the latest-possible time you can expect to get it. (That might sound like a while, but the Fairy Tale Enchantress series is a beast to write and a beast to edit, so the whole process takes at least double the amount of time of a regular book.) This brings us to….
Summer of Polls!
Since Trial of Magic is the last timeline intensive book that will be a…well…trial, instead of doing a summer reading event this year we’re going to have a summer of polls! We’ll have the Annual Hero and Heroine Poll, but we’ll also have a poll for secondary characters, and favorite animal sidekicks! (There are A LOT of secondary characters, so there will be a lot of polls!)
As far as additional events go, as usual around December you can expect a Christmas event, and hopefully we get to do some fun stuff with the return to Lessa and when we return to Angelique. Don’t take the planned writing times as 100% set in stone–a lot of it depends on me (aka if I or Perfect Dog gets sick, I lose WEEKS of writing time)–but also how complex the stories are and how quickly I can work through them. This is my ideal but reasonable schedule, and hopefully I’ll be able to keep to it!
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February 5, 2020
Hall of Blood and Mercy Reveal!
You thought the surprises were over because you’ve all seen the cover for book one, and figured out what fairy tale it’s based on, huh? Well, hold on, because I’m about to blow your minds, Champions!
That’s right, Hall of Blood and Mercy is a trilogy! Even better, all three are already written! (Or nearly written. I’m working on book #3, Magic Unleashed right now.) Magic Forged drops February 28th, Magic Redeemed will launch 3 weeks later in mid March, and the final book in the series, Magic Unleashed, will launch 4 weeks after that, in mid April! (We’ll have solid dates out soon!) For those of you who just did a double-take, let me say that yes, that’s right. You are getting three books over the course of seven weeks! And yes, it ends at three, so it will be a complete, finished series!
Buwahahah, how is that for the surprise of the year? (Please, please be surprised. I really don’t think I can top this in 2020.)
I planned the series out after I realized I was burned-out from epic fantasy once I completed Reign of Magic. Originally I was planning to just take all of November and December off, but it turns out I’m terrible at taking vacations and not working, but the idea of working on the next Angelique book made me sick.
Myrrhlynn suggested I try something entirely different from what I’d recently been writing–to clear the slate so to speak, and to give me the chance to use some writing muscles I hadn’t used in a long time. Her advice was right, because I just flew through writing Magic Forged and Magic Redeemed. I think it’s the fastest I’ve written in about two years. More importantly, I do feel a lot better having written them–the provided the exact sort of break I needed.
And hey, you guys are getting three books–an entire complete series–in less than three months! 
January 30, 2020
Hall of Blood & Mercy Fairy Tale Reveal!
On Discord, my blog, and Facebook we’ve had brilliant champions correctly guess what fairy tale Hall of Blood and Mercy is based on, so I decided to confirm! It’s…
Yes, Donkeyskin–a tale that is equal parts icky and charming.
Not gonna lie to you, Champions, when you first started asking for a retelling of this one roughly two years ago, I wasn’t going to touch it with a ten-foot-pole due to some of the content in the original story. (The dead giveaway is the icky-ness that is the Father deciding to marry his daughter.) But the more I chewed it over, the more I thought I could change up the icky parts a bit and have a whole lot of fun with the story if I really explored the relationship between the princess and the prince, and how it evolved as a result of the plot.
Rather that go into detail here, in a future post I’m going to take an in depth look at the original story–so ya’ll can see why I didn’t want to plunk it down in my Timeless Fairy Tales world, ugh.
I did change the story a lot–as you know from the description both of Hazel’s parents are dead. But what didn’t fit in the description is that the wizard who betrays her initially tries to blackmail her into marrying him, which is why she runs, just as the heroine from the original Donkeyskin tale runs from an unwanted marriage.
It’s been so much fun revealing bits and pieces of this series. I had a great time–though I know some of you would say all the teasing was awful, hahah. (Going over the Donkeyskin fairytale will be a lot of…’fun.’ I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of that in a future post!) Next week I have some really big news about the book/series that will (hopefully) blow you away!
January 28, 2020
Magic Forged Cover Reveal
The Cover Reveal for Magic Forged is here!
As you can see, Magic Forged is book #1 in Hall of Blood and Mercy. Our intrepid heroine is named Hazel Medeis who is–as shown by the lightning in her hands–a wizard. As I’ve teased before, her story is based on a fairytale–you’ll find out what specific one in the next post!
Across Facebook and Discord, I’ve been releasing little bits of a description! In warning, it’s pretty bad–it usually takes me weeks to write these things, and I’m so incredibly BAD at them, so this isn’t the final product!
22-year-old Hazel is a wizard and heir to the magical House Medeis. Unfortunately, she has barely any magic at all, and has been bullied all her life as a result. When her parents die in a tragic car accident, Hazel is left to care for House Medeis and all the wizards sworn to it with only her flicker of magic…but it’s not enough.
Betrayed by a member of House Medeis who wants the House for himself, Hazel is forced to flee for her life. Allies abandon her, and everyone refuses to aid her, except Killian Drake…the most feared vampire in the region. But when Killian accepts her as a servant he isn’t doing so out of the kindness of his heart.
On the brink of a war with the fae, Killian believes Hazel could become a powerful weapon for the vampires. He never imagined she’d become so much more…
***
Now let’s have a bit of a conversation with the wizard herself so you Champions can get to know her better!
Kitty: Okay, Hazel. You are part of a top secret series so you cannot give too much away, but please say hello to all the wonderful Champions!
Hazel: Hi, everyone! Thanks for inviting me here, today. It was so nice to get out of Drake–
Kitty: No spoilers!!
Hazel: Sorry.
Kitty: Could you describe yourself for us?
Hazel: That’s kind of a hard question. Uh, I guess I’ll start with I don’t have much magic at all–which is pretty miserable because, go figure, wizards are snobs–and I’d like to think I’m smart.
Kitty: You are also quite short.
Hazel: Should I be concerned that you’re my author and you think that’s one of the most remarkable things about me?
Kitty: I thought I should mention it so people are aware just how badly you struck out on the DNA lottery. You don’t have your parents’ magic or their height, which means you are a prime target for a bully!
Hazel: Yeah…you are on my side, right?
Kitty: Always!
Hazel: Okay, good.
Kitty: Which is why I wish to promote personal and emotional growth for you!
Hazel: …I am really not liking the sound of that.
And we’ll end it there! In my next post I’ll reveal a little more about the series, as well as the fairytale Hazel’s story is based on! Do we have any last minute guesses what it could be? Or now that we have the series name, does anyone want to guess what other paranormal race–besides wizards–is prominently featured in this book?
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January 23, 2020
Genre & Title CONFIRMED
I’ve been releasing some “aesthetic” teasers on Facebook and in discord, so some of you Champions have already figured it out, but the new book is…an Urban Fantasy!
It’s called Magic Forged, and it does not take place in the same world as my Magical Beings Rehabilitation Center series, but it does have a lot of humor, magic, romance, and tons of paranormal goodness like fae, vampires, and werewolves
However, even though it’s an Urban Fantasy, I have some good news for all you fairytale lovers out there, it’s inspired by a fairytale! (Congrats to everyone who suspected I’d have a modern-day fairy tale!) There’s a lesser known fairytale I’ve gotten a few requests to retell for my Timeless Fairy Tale series, but it’s the kind of one I couldn’t easily adapt to the world because…reasons. So I decided to pull it out and had a blast combining it with an Urban Fantasy setting and giving it a big makeover. Who wants to make a guess what fairytale it is? Leave a comment down below to share your theories with all the other Champions!
And also, who is dying to see the cover?? I’ll be revealing it piece by piece on Facebook and Discord this weekend, and let me tell you, the cover tells you a lot–including the new series title! 
January 20, 2020
YOUR THEORIES CONFIRMED
I’ve delighted in the agony of your ignorance about February 28th long enough. It’s time to reveal what’s coming.
AN EBOOK! That’s right, you’re getting a brand new ebook and February 28th! What’s the title? The genre? The cover! I’m so glad you asked, it’s–HAH!! NOT TELLING YET!!
Before I run off cackling into the sunset, I’ll confirm that this book is the super secret project I’ve mentioned in a few places that I’ve been working on, and over the next few days and weeks I’ll slowly be doing a cover reveal and dropping various hints and teasers about the book genre and story.
January 15, 2020
February 28
Something’s Coming…
(Comment down below if you like, but neither Meg nor I will be confirming anything just yet…)
January 10, 2020
Timeless Fairy Tales: Timelines!
I’ve had a general timeline of all the Timeless Fairy Tale events posted in the Timeless Fairy Tale section of the website (you can check it–along with a world map–out by clicking here) But for a long time I’ve had requests for a more detailed copy. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to do anything. However, two amazing, dedicated, and incredibly intelligent Champions stepped up to the plate!
First up we have Liz, who created a beautifully detailed–color coded by season–timeline of events that include everything from the shorts, to extras, to the events of the Fairy Tale Enchantress series! She recorded the specific event location, the book/books it’s found in, the time of year–seriously, this thing is a work of art.
Up above is a screen shot of part of it, but if you want to view the whole thing you can check out this link! It’s worth noting that by looking at the timeline and checking out the “book it occurs in” column, you can actually get a time-accurate reading order if that’s something you’ve been looking for! It also shows just how much Timeless Fairy Tales and the Fairy Tale Enchantress series are intertwined.
Our second featured Champion–who is just as talented and incredible–is Mikayla! Her accurately detailed timeline is also color coded–something my poor brain is thankful for–but she divides everything out by country! If you’re trying to get a better picture of what each country is going through at a specific time, this is going to be your priceless guide. (She even separated out the pre-Evariste getting taken events in a separate tab!)
Once again I have a screenshot above, but if you want to check it out for yourself, click on this link! Mikayla has done an outstanding job! Like Liz, she also included all the shorts and extras–she even has a section for the Princess and the Pea gang!
Liz and Mikayla deserve a special shout out for all the time and effort they’ve put into their masterpieces and mad props because they’ve sorted through events and times that I’m not even 100% certain about the timing, which means you might not necessarily agree with the placement of all details depending how you interpret the books, but these really are fantastic guides and both of these Champions deserve our thanks as a community! (Thank you, Mikayla and Liz–we appreciate all your efforts!)
We’ll put a link to both of these fabulous timelines in the Timeless Fairy Tale section, so in the future you can look at it whenever you like!
This is another example of the way you Champions never fail to amaze me, and nothing makes me happier than witnessing the ways you guys share, create, and come together.
That covers everything! I hope you all enjoy these new guidelines/time-maps to the fairy tale events. (Not gonna lie, I wish I had these when I was writing Reign of Magic, hahah!) Thanks for reading, and have an amazing weekend!
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January 1, 2020
Timeless Fairy Tale Sale: Once upon a time…
Welcome, Champions, to year 2020! I thought we’d ring in the year right! There’s so much to celebrate–from a start of the new year to all the new Timeless Fairy Tale covers–so we’re going to begin it with a massive Timeless Fairy Tale series sale!
Free:
Beauty and the Beast: Amazon.com | All other stores
Wild Swans: Amazon.com | All other stores
Cinderella and the Colonel: Amazon.com | All other stores
On sale for 99 cents:
Rumpelstiltskin: Amazon.com | All other stores
The Little Selkie: Amazon.com | All other stores
Puss in Boots: Amazon.com | All other stores
That’s right, over half of the Timeless Fairy Tale series is free/discounted right now. This is the biggest sale I’ve ever done on this series, and it’s been around since 2013! If you’ve been waiting to try it–or if you’ve been trying to get your friends/family to give it a try, now is your chance! The sale starts today and ends January 5th, so get your victims–I mean friends–on board so they can snag their free copies before then!
I’ve got a few more fun festivities tucked up my sleeve for the month, so stick around. And, most importantly, Happy New Year!
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