K.M. Shea's Blog, page 36

Short on Time

I’m gonna be upfront, Champions, I’m a bit short on time these days as I really try to work on Angelique’s series, so I don’t actually have a true topic for this blog post, this is more of an “I’m alive and okay” post, ahahah.

Though I do have some good news! This summer I’m going to have another event–you can expect more information about it very shortly as it it spans the month of June! (And is yet another reason why I’m a bit short on time.)

So, to hold you over until then, here are a few funny book memes!

 

Thanks for reading Champions, and I can’t wait for June!

The post Short on Time appeared first on K. M. Shea.

Timeless Fairy Tale Encyclopedia

Hello K.M. Shea Champions! Do you love the Timeless Fairy Tales series? Do you want to help Kitty as she toils to write Angelique’s series?

We need your help!

(This is MyrrhLynn talking, I’ve been helping Kitty out with the book covers, Pinterest graphics and other stuff behind the scenes for years.)

As you probably noticed in Curse of Magic, Kitty has to do a lot of fact checking to keep all the timelines and characters consistent with everything mentioned in the Timeless Fairy Tales series. And since many of the books have events happening at the same time it’s not an easy task! It also takes a lot of time to do all this double checking, which slows down Kitty’s writing process and in general wears her out.

So to try to make things easier for Kitty I started a project to collect all the basic facts about each book in the Timeless Fairy Tales series into an encyclopedia. Kitty will use all the information as she’s writing the Angelique series, and I will help her clean it up so we can eventually publish it as a bonus addition to the series. (The final, published edition will also have secret info that Kitty wasn’t able to include in the actual books!)

To those of you who have already helped, thank you so much! Kitty has already used the information collected when writing Curse of Magic, and Reign of Magic so you work has made a difference!

If you are interested in helping, here’s how you can jump in:

If you haven’t already, please sign up for Kitty’s Discord chat server (there are instructions here:  http://kmshea.com/fan-discussion/ ). There is a channel just for the encyclopedia project, so if you have questions or need help editing the documents you can ask on that channel and everyone would be happy to help you out.
We are using Google Docs to organize everythin.! You can signup to review as specific book on this Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_R3h49SWGi4XzLy0PGvV1YuDqTPZmisYEIoBedarzvE/edit

The signup Google Doc also has links to the documents for each book and some tips on how to easily add to the documents. Only a few of the books are finished so there is plenty of opportunity to help out! You’ll basically need to re-read whatever book you sign up for, so be sure to pick one of your favorites!

Clothing Inspiration

I am neck deep in writing Reign of Magic right now, but I thought I’d take a little time off to discuss inspiration–specifically inspiration for character appearances and clothing.

Most of the time in the Timeless Fairy Tale universe, I have a more specific style of clothing I’m following because of the country of origin. (ie: the Erlauf soldiers have their swallow tail jackets, Snow White and Queen Faina follow the Mullberg style of puffed sleeves, female characters in Verglas wear bunads, Lucien wears puffed petticoat breeches inspired by French fashion, etc.)

The majority of my research time is spent looking into historical fashion, but I do try to put unique twists on the clothes whether it’s through color, fabric, or embroidery. I want these clothes to look beautiful in your mind when you’re reading my descriptions, so to do that I also look up various dress and armor designers to help me write with a more theatrical flair.

Fell and Fair

These guys are my go-to for armor, ranger gear, etc. They have an amazing Instagram page that you NEED to check out, but they also have a super could Youtube page. That contains both short films and clips that discuss making armor.

Firefly Path

Firefly Path makes gorgeous custom dresses and wedding gowns. She particularly enjoys designing fairy and elf gowns, and she’s a bit famous because she’s designed several fantasy patterns that are available at craft stores, including a pattern for a Princess Zelda gown from Legend of Zelda.

Designer Daddy

I’ve discussed Designer Daddy before–he’s famous for his gorgeous re-creations of Disney princess gowns. I like scouting out his work, however, because he makes the dresses a lot more intricate and uses amazing fabrics. (Also, I love his instagram page just because I am a huge Disney nerd, lol.)

What designers/artists do you love to follow, Champions? Share your recommendations in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

The post Clothing Inspiration appeared first on K. M. Shea.

Tolkien

I am a HUGE fan of C. S. Lewis and Tolkien. I love their work, but even their lives fascinate me, so I’ve been looking forward to the new Tolkien biopic for months!

Who is going to see it–or has seen it already?

 

Based on some of the trailers it looks like they’re going to bring in Inklings–the writer group both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were a part of. I can’t wait to see what they do with all of it!

In general I’m a huge sucker for biopics and/or documentaries about my favorite writers–Jane Austen, or Agetha Christie, in example. What are some authors whose lives you would like to see turned into a movie, Champions?

The post Tolkien appeared first on K. M. Shea.

2019 Most Wanted Hero Poll Results

The 2019 Most Wanted Hero (Arch Type) poll wrapped up several weeks ago, so it’s time to talk about the results. I thought I didn’t really have any expectations about how it would go, but somehow I still ended up surprised!

First of all, yes you could vote for a few different choices, but overall there were a lot more votes cast that last year: in 2018 there were 2,400 votes placed and in 2019 there were almost 5,400 votes! So to anyone who participated this year for the first time, welcome!

Another way I was surprised was by how close most of the categories were. In 2018 the Villain Turned Good guy choice won by a landslide. Take a look at how the Top 10 ranked this time:

Dangerous, but with a great heart – 396
Sherlock or Macgyver type genius – 378
Rival to the Heroine – 351
Villain Turned Good Guy – 308
Quiet / Strong / Gentle Giant / Introvert – 262
Genuinely Kind / Steady Good Guy – 257
Indiana Jones / Rick O’Connel from the Mummy – 235
Reluctant Hero – 225
Guy who hides his real self behind humor/jokes – 212
Best Friend / Guy Next Door – 207

The top 2 categories were so close to each other! And so many of the others were so close to each other too!

I host this poll every year because it’s really fun to talk about all the different kinds of heroes out there, and hear from you regarding the kind of heroes you like. But the poll also helps me decide what types of book projects to work on.

For example, in 2018 when Villain Turned Good Guy won by a wide margin it helped me decide to move forward with the idea I already had for a sequel to Red Rope of Fate featuring a new couple where the hero was a villain in the first book. (It’s called Royal Magic if you haven’t tried it yet.) I wasn’t sure how the redeemed villain, Prince Benjimir, would be received, so if that arch type hadn’t won the poll I probably would have put off the idea even longer. So a big thanks to everyone who voted for that last year and welcomed the book, Royal Magic, with open arms!

At this time I don’t have any heroes planned that would match the “dangerous, but with a great heart” arch type, but it’s something I’ll keep in mind for future series. I also take into account the results of the poll when I am planning some side characters, including the huge cast of my Second Age of Retha series. So don’t worry if your idea didn’t get a lot of votes, you still might see a character like that in one of my future books!

However, I am happy to announce that book 3 in the Elves of Lessa series, which is coming later in 2019, will feature a hero who is a book worm and a bit of a Sherlock/Macgyver type. For those of you who have read the series, the hero will be Crown Prince Arvel, who ironically is the brother of the “villain turned good guy” from book 2.

Author Friends

Whether it’s because we can sympathize, or because it’s important to compare professional notes, authors–indie authors in particular–have the tendency to flock together and forge friendships between conferences, Facebook events, and other marketing efforts. As some of you Champions seem curious, I thought I’d talk about a few of my friends today!

Best (Epic) Fantasy Heroine

It’s time for another Best of booklist! Since I’m closing out the Curse of Magic posts (unless there’s something more you guys want me to cover that isn’t spoiler filled) I thought it would be fun to list the best Heroines from Epic and adventure Fantasy. I decided to specify epic fantasy, because there are a ton of amazing heroines in Paranormal and Urban fantasy, so much so I was having a hard time choosing, so I’ll be taking a dive into those subsections later. But here are my top heroines! Note: I was tempted to put a lot of my usual favorites, but in the interest of trying to vary my book lists so they aren’t all repeats of my favorite series, I refrained and instead listed them as honorable mentions.

Disclaimer: The following books vary in terms of blood/gore, swear words, and romance, so you might want to check out the reviews before reading them.

Kelandry of Protector of the Small: by Tamora Pierce

I love many of Tamora Pierce’s books, but my favorite heroine by far is Kelandry. The series follows her fight to become a Lady Knight in the fantasy land of Tortall. But what sets Kelandry apart from Pierce’s other heroines is that Kelandry–while talented at fighting and noble to her bones–is not gifted with magic, nor is she considered chosen by the gods. She has a regular family and…to put it plainly she’s something of an average noble girl. Perhaps a bit taller than most girls, but every fight she wins and battle she launches is done in her own power. Moreover, she is an excellent leader and commander. Most fantasy books follow a rag tag group of heroes–or sometimes even a single hero–who are on a mission to save the world. Kel works with soldiers, other knights, and members of nobility to achieve her goals. If you want a realistic Lady Knight, Kel is your gal.

Sabriel: By Garth Nix: Sabriel is the heroine of Book 1 of the Old Kingdom series. She is brave, competent, and not afraid to jump into a dangerous situation if it means saving the world. Her story follows her journey as she leaves the safety of her school for the dangers of the Old Kingdom, where the dead don’t stay dead, in a journey to find her father, the Abhorson who is responsible for keeping the kingdom safe. Sabriel is my favorite book by Garth Nix, and is a spectacular example of Nix’s ability to weave new kingdoms and unique brands of magic into a glorious adventure. (It should be noted that the heroines of the Old Kingdom books do change. Sabriel is the title character only  in book 1.)

Amaranthe of The Emperor’s Edge: By Lindsay Buroker

Amaranthe is the incredibly likable heroine of The Emperor’s Edge series, which follows Amaranthe’s adventures after she experiences a fall from grace as a law enforcement officer, but does everything in her power to help the Imperial Emperor despite her wrongly deserved reputation as a traitor. She’s smart (And not just intellectually, but in a people-smart, street-smart sort of way as well) clever, and good with a weapon. Her crew of friends get her flung into some of the wackiest situations ever, but for those readers who prefer their books on the clean stuff I would say this series rates along the lines of a PG-13 movie so proceed with review reading. Amaranthe is awesome–as are her friends. If you love long fantasy reads and want to laugh, this is so absolutely your book!

Meliara of Crown Duel: by Sherwood Smith

There is no story like Crown Duel–a fantastic tale that takes you from the fight on the battlefield with weapons and blood, to an altogether different sort of fight in glittering palaces. Similarly, there is no heroine like Meliara, a gutsy young lady who is more comfortable with fighting than she is with typical female pursuits. The lengthy book follows her struggle as she learns that overthrowing the evil king doesn’t mean the struggle for the kingdom is over. If you enjoy plot twists, tales of political maneuvering, and strong heroines, Meliara’s tale will be perfectly to your taste!

Ryn of Darkest Drae: by Kelly St. Clare and Raye Wagner

Ryn is one of my favorite heroines, hands down. She’s clever, fast-thinking, and she is more emotionally stable than most of the heroines you read about, despite the tough things she goes through in her series. When she is captured by the deadly Lord Irrik–the dragon-shifter-servant of the evil King Irdelron–Ryn knows her life, by all rights, is forfeit. But our plucky heroine doesn’t give up, even though she is embroiled in the politics between the king, his dragon, and the starving people of her homeland. Seriously, though this book has many grim and dark moments with some scenes of torture, Ryn will keep you laughing and engaged.

Giannine of Heir Apparent: By Vivian Vande Velde

To my Champions this won’t come as a surprise, but Heir Apparent is one of my absolute most favorite books, and Giannine is also one of my favorite characters EVER. Though Giannine is from modern society (actually a slightly futuristic society) the bulk of her story takes place in a video game that has an epic fantasy setting. The story follows Giannine as she stumbles through a castle siege, fighting a dragon, encounters with wizards, and more. Giannine is an incredibly sympathetic character–you will laugh and scream with her as she progresses through the game. If you are a fan of fantasy, you will LOVE this book, even if you don’t like video games!

Coriel of Summers at Castle Auburn: By Sharon Shinn

Coriel is on this list because her story is an interesting twist on an old fantasy trope. Coriel is the younger daughter who stands in the shadow of her beautiful and talented sister who is engaged to a prince–the same prince Coriel herself has fallen in love with. The book follows her journey and some interesting plot twists as she matures and becomes more confident and competent young lady.

 

As usual, I have my list of honorable mentions, and I’ll be starting it off with a plug for one of my own series.

Meet the Villains

Curse of Magic introduced one of the most crucial characters to the Fairy Tale Enchantress series–and even the Timeless Fairy Tale world: Liliane, the series’ villain.

Really she’s more like the lead villain. She has her henchmen like Suzu and her own son Acri, so by no means is she doing this alone. Liliane was a tricky character to design because I didn’t want her to be a dark, mysterious threat looming in the background. I wanted to ground her character so she was a tangible enemy. Moreover, I wanted her character to be unusual–or something not often seen as a fantasy villain.

So I chose to make my lead villain a female, a mother, and I gave her a beautiful bright appearance. Most books I’ve read that have female characters as villains really vamp it up so they wear dark colors and are more of a temptress type. Liliane is beautiful, but if you were judging only by her appearance you’d say she looks more like a kind enchantress than a seductress of evil.

Also, as I said earlier, she’s a mom. Acri is a little closer to the typical YA villain–except in the way he clearly respects and listens to his mother. And he is about Evariste’s age, so he’s not some pushover teenager who doesn’t know any better. (Which makes you wonder…what does he know that makes him so quickly follow his mother’s leadership??)

I also gave Liliane powers that weren’t inherently evil–her ability to summon any creature she paints gets uncomfortably close to edging in on Evariste’s portal magic. (Though Evariste’s magic is more rare and more powerful.)

All of Evariste’s scenes were painstakingly designed and written to reveal tiny bits about Liliane and her cohorts. (In fact, I spent the most time on Evariste’s scenes–a pattern that looks like it’s going to repeat for Reign of Magic.) So keep a special eye on his scenes, and know that even the Lord Enchanter hasn’t gotten a full measure of Liliane’s depths just yet.

And as a side reference, Suzu is probably the most prominent member of Liliane’s entourage, and you can find her in lots of different Timeless Fairy Tale books–though she’s rarely referenced by name. You’ll get to learn more about her in Reign of Magic–Acri, too, though CoM serves as his introduction and lets you witness his magic. A good start to his future endeavors.

But as you wait for the next book, don’t let Liliane sway you into thinking she’s a shallow villain with no substance. Because that’s exactly what she wants you to think. But if you study her carefully, you might uncover more than you expect.

The post Meet the Villains appeared first on K. M. Shea.

Curse of Magic: Angelique’s Journey

Today we’re going to talk about Angelique’s personal journey thus far. It was something I so badly wanted to bring up with the first book, but really you don’t see any big changes until Curse of Magic, so now is the perfect time to begin the discussion.

In Apprentice of Magic we saw how Angelique feared her powers. She was wary of using any form of her magic, and did her best to appear unassuming when meeting people. (She also actively held her powers in check, something that normally just isn’t done.) In that way she resembles Rakel of Snow Queen–though there is a stark difference in the why. Rakel tried to appear unintimidating because she didn’t want people to fear her–she never regretted her powers of ice and snow. Angelique, however, did her best to appear unintimidating because she felt she had to mislead people into thinking she was good, when she personally felt like a monster.

Mostly, she spent her time as an apprentice in fear. Not of Evariste, but a general fear of the Veneno Conclave and what they might do to her. At the end of the book she does give herself a freer rein and no longer strangles her magic.

But it’s still not enough.

By the time Curse of Magic, begins, Angelique realizes that her kind but slightly dense apprentice persona won’t serve her very well anymore. Running around alone and chatting with royalty means she needs to exude a certain amount of confidence and competence, or she’ll be questioned–something she can’t afford given her precarious position. And so she takes on the mantle of elegant enchantress–an act my longtime Champions have seen before the in the Timeless Fairy Tale series.

She doesn’t feel the part, but she’s willing to fake it if it means searching for Evariste–and fulfilling her duty as a mage.

But Angelique’s attitude isn’t the only change in Curse of Magic, her use of magic alters as well. For the first time ever she experiences her price and uses war magic without direct supervision. (Not willingly, mind you, but at least she uses it.) She’s starting to progress–because of Evariste’s actions, because she has to help the royal families of the continent, or no one else will.

And Curse of Magic closes with another moment of growth for Angelique. She’s finished with groveling and scraping. She still fully intends to follow Conclave law, but no longer will she allow herself to cower in fear of the Council and what they may do.

She still doesn’t believe in herself, and she absolutely doesn’t believe she’s good, but give her a chance.

Angelique’s Journey

Today we’re going to talk about Angelique’s personal journey thus far. It was something I so badly wanted to bring up with the first book, but really you don’t see any big changes until Curse of Magic, so now is the perfect time to begin the discussion.

In Apprentice of Magic we saw how Angelique feared her powers. She was wary of using any form of her magic, and did her best to appear unassuming when meeting people. (She also actively held her powers in check, something that normally just isn’t done.) In that way she resembles Rakel of Snow Queen–though there is a stark difference in the why. Rakel tried to appear unintimidating because she didn’t want people to fear her–she never regretted her powers of ice and snow. Angelique, however, did her best to appear unintimidating because she felt she had to mislead people into thinking she was good, when she personally felt like a monster.

Mostly, she spent her time as an apprentice in fear. Not of Evariste, but a general fear of the Veneno Conclave and what they might do to her. At the end of the book she does give herself a freer rein and no longer strangles her magic.

But it’s still not enough.

By the time Curse of Magic, begins, Angelique realizes that her kind but slightly dense apprentice persona won’t serve her very well anymore. Running around alone and chatting with royalty means she needs to exude a certain amount of confidence and competence, or she’ll be questioned–something she can’t afford given her precarious position. And so she takes on the mantle of elegant enchantress–an act my longtime Champions have seen before the in the Timeless Fairy Tale series.

She doesn’t feel the part, but she’s willing to fake it if it means searching for Evariste–and fulfilling her duty as a mage.

But Angelique’s attitude isn’t the only change in Curse of Magic, her use of magic alters as well. For the first time ever she experiences her price and uses war magic without direct supervision. (Not willingly, mind you, but at least she uses it.) She’s starting to progress–because of Evariste’s actions, because she has to help the royal families of the continent, or no one else will.

And Curse of Magic closes with another moment of growth for Angelique. She’s finished with groveling and scraping. She still fully intends to follow Conclave law, but no longer will she allow herself to cower in fear of the Council and what they may do.

She still doesn’t believe in herself, and she absolutely doesn’t believe she’s good, but give her a chance.