K.M. Shea's Blog, page 61

Cover Reveal: Puss in Boots

It’s time for Puss in Boot’s cover reveal! Drum roll, please.

Here kitty, kitty!

As usual, clicking on the image will take you to the larger version. Anyway, this cover has been in the works for a LONG time. Usually Myrrhlynn uses stockphotos to craft covers, but this time we decided to take the photo ourselves, which is why this has been such an extended the project.

The reason for our little project is the cat. He is an exact physical representation of my Puss because I based Puss on him, and he belongs to my parents. His name is Chewie (named after Chewbacca) and he is a handsome, snuggly fellow. To get this image Myrrhlynn and I had a photo shoot with him last year. Chewie, you see, has the unfortunate tendency to get his face scratched up–in particularly the bridge of nose–and we weren’t sure what time of year I would release Puss in Boots, but the book itself is solidly placed in summer. Fearing an out of season photo, or that Chewie would get his handsome face beat up, last August we seized the opportunity and snapped over thirty photos of him. The boots are a pair of Myrrhlynn’s old riding boots. To get the grass flat we had to stomp around on it–otherwise it would have been over Chewie’s head. During the photo shoot we gave Chewie a lot of treats, so I can confidentially say he enjoyed himself but if you want some proof check out some of the blooper photos below!

While Chewie is clearly the adorable part of the cover, I continue to be a font nerd. From the fancy p of Puss to the kitty paw print dotting the i, I am so in love with this cover’s font! As I was actually hanging around when Myrrhlynn made this cover, I have to say it was surprising to see the great deliberation that goes into choosing the font. After I thought about it for a while, though, I realized that the font usually represents the tone of the book, which made me all the more thankful Myrrhlynn reads my drafts so she knows what the book is about.

I owe Myrrhlynn a big thank you for once again producing a beautiful, meaningful cover, and for taking the photos with me. This photo and cover so perfectly represents Puss it makes me really impatient for Thursday to come! (Remember, it will be available Thursday, August 6.)

Sadly, I don’t think I’ll get a chance to update again before Puss in Boots is released, but the second I learn its available on Amazon I’ll post here! Until then, have a wonderful weekend, Champions!

 

That’s a package of cat treats Myrrhlynn is holding. Poor cat, eh?

An End to Summer Reading

Today is the last day of my Summer Reading Program. The free book of the day is Enchanted, book two of King Arthurs and her Knights, pick up your copy today!

Myrrhlynn finished the cover for Puss in Boots, so it is on track for its August 6 release date. I won’t be doing a standard “Read & Review” contest, but I will have a deal that will bag you all an extra chapter of Puss, so get ready for that as well!

This is a really wimpy update, but in all seriousness that’s all I have for now. I’m trying to gear up simultaneously for Puss In Boot’s release, and writing The Snow Queen, so it’s a little hectic. Have a wonderful week, Champions! I will post again this weekend, with Myrrhlyn’s beautiful cover!

Announcements and Reminders

Just a reminder that today Robyn Hood is free on Amazon–download it here. Enchanted will be available for free starting tomorrow, and going through Tuesday, July 28, which will bring a conclusion to my Summer Reading program.

But, never fear! I’m excited to say it looks like Puss In Boots is on schedule for an August 6 release! Woohoo! Myrrhlynn will build the cover this weekend, and once I put a few final touches on it, Editor #1 will do a final read through for typos and abused punctuation. If all goes well, in a little over a week, Gabrielle and Puss will enthrall you with the story of their dynamic partnership.

That’s all for today–I’m going for short but powerful. Have a wonderful weekend, Champions!

Long Live the King!

Wow! For the King Arthur Popularity Poll, Britt Arthurs had a runaway win, consisting of 163 votes! Second came Merlin with 131 votes, and Kay trailing just behind him with 116 votes. Next came Sir Gawain (38 votes) Nymue (27 votes) and Morgan (26 votes). You can check out the rest of the results in the post below, but I’m thrilled that Britt is such a resounding favorite! (She got nearly 30% of the votes. You go girl!)

So far this month I’ve managed to close out a few projects and get a few edits live. I’ve also been able to catch up on some reading, so I thought I would share a few of the books I’ve found.

Jackaby: I got this gem at the local library, it’s a historical, paranormal, mystery. It might sound like an odd mash-up, but it’s absolutely delightful! It follows the heroine who is in desperate need of employment and ends up serving as the assistant for Jackaby–investigator of the paranormal.

If you are a fan of fantasy and Sherlock Holmes, this book is meant for you. Because I know it’s a concern for some of you, I need to say it can be bloody–although not to the levels of thriller-gore as it is a YA book. It’s got more blood and death than I usually read, but the characters are so brilliant and the dialogue is fun and snappy!

Frederica: I bought myself a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I devoured a lot of Georgette Heyer’s books. This is a sweet historical novel with a touch of romance that is guaranteed to keep you laughing! The story follows our Frederica and her efforts to launch her younger sister into London society with the help of her reluctant-bachelor-guardian-who-isn’t-really-her-guardian.

I felt like the last fourth of the book dragged a little because there was less humor and a little more drama, but it was still a charming book with clean romance and a lot of laughter.

The Emperor’s Edge: Wow, just, wow. This book can be picked up for free on Amazon (it’s the first in the series) and it is an absolute treasure. The characters in the book are hysterical and unique, and the plot is gripping. This book follows Amaranthe, one of the few female enforcers (police) in her fantasy/steam-punk world. Through a series of unfortunate events, Amaranthe is marked for death by the commanding general–who also happens to be guilty of drugging and manipulating the young emperor. For the good of the country, Amaranthe must get the general cast out of favor, rescue the emperor, and hopefully restore her honor with the help of her unlikely, motley crew.

Like Jackaby, it had more blood than I usually go for–one of the main characters is an assassin, so you can imagine how much carnage he causes–but these characters! They do the funniest things and they have some of the best conversations! I don’t know if I can give the rest of the series my stamp of approval (I’m reading book two, and so far it hasn’t been as funny, its had a few crude lines as you see the motley crew without Amaranthe there to civilize them, and it is a little worse gore-wise, although the plot is just as inventive and dynamic) but book one is definitely worth the download. (Note, for you romance lovers King’s Edge has only the tiniest smidgen, so don’t enter into it expecting a love story. The author says the romance builds as the series progresses.)

So that’s what I’ve read recently. How about you guys?

King Arthurs Popularity Poll

I’m back on my work computer, so I can finally post the popularity poll for King Arthurs characters! Woohoo! This has been a long time in coming, but please vote for your favorite THREE King Arthurs characters. (I’m giving you three votes as I know Britt is a wildly popular character, but I want to know who else you like!)

Take Our Poll

Puss In Boots has gone through its first round with Editor #2. I finished my round of editing, and it’s been sent back to her for round two. Also, this week I’m finally getting a chance to go back over Cinderella, so it can be prepped for formatting for a paperback release. That’s about all I have the brain capacity for today–concentrating so intently on Cinderella really takes it out of me! Have a great week, Champions. I can’t wait to see who your favorites are!

Summer Reading

Salutations, Champions! I was going to do a King Arthurs wrap-up post and finish with a character popularity poll today, but I’m on a vacation and I’m using a laptop that is, apparently, very much against polls and such, so instead today is an announcement post for my Summer Reading Program!

In summer, American Libraries typically have children and adult summer reading programs that reward people for reading. I used to work at a library, so summer reading programs have a special place in my heart, which is why I decided to create my own version. In the month of July I’m offering four of my books for free on three different weekends. The books and their free dates are listed below, and can be found on Amazon.

Beauty and the Beast: Free July 9-11
Enthroned: Free July 16-18
Robyn Hood: A Girl’s Tale: Free July 23-25
Enchanted: Free July 26-28

I’ll be posting reminders, but these dates are set in stone so feel free to mark your calendars!

In other news, I’m working on the first round of Puss In Boots edits from Editor #2. It looks like we’ll be on schedule for an early/mid August release. Editor #1 is hacking her way through the King Arthur books, and I’ve been busy writing…a book. ;) In July I’m hoping to finish that book, edit Cinderella and the Colonel for a paperback release, and finish one other smaller writing project I’ve had sitting on the back burners for a while. (Information about these projects will be released in a few weeks.)

That’s all for today! I’ll be back on my work computer later this week, so you can expect to see a King Arthurs popularity poll  by the weekend. Thanks for reading, Champions. Have a marvelous week!

Arthurian Cycles

It took a while to decide what other sort of King Arthurs things I wanted to take a look at. In the end I decided to show you all where in the “Arthur Cycle” we are. Now I’ve bounced around the original legends and ballands quite a bit, and sometimes I stick more closely to the novel interpretations–King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles and The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle–but even the novels follow Arthur through various cycles. These cycles are called “The Matter of Britain” or, by those of use who are less scholarly, Arthurian Cycles. (Also, please take my notes here as a grain of sand. I’ve done a lot of research on Arthur, but for the sake of keeping things short, I am over simplifying things.)

There’s a few cycles that involve Welsh and Breton sources. These cycles so barely resemble our modern vision of Arthur, you would be hard pressed to recognize it. (There’s no round table, no Camelot, and none of the usual knights.) The first real cycle that has anything we would recognize, is a narrative written by Geoffrey of Monomouth. Geoffrey brought in Merlin and Uther Pendragon, and the strange circumstances of Arthur’s birth. After Uther dies Arthur inherits the throne at age 15, and sets out to unit England. Guinevere makes an appearance–although her name is slightly different–as does Mordred.

Next you have the traditional romances–which were predominantly written in the 12th and 13th century and usually by the French. These stories introduce the knights into the story. Actually, most of the stories focus on the knights, and Arthur is a background figure. In fact, he’s actually pretty useless. In Geoffrey’s account he’s a widely celebrated warrior. In the romances, Arthur is mild mannered and feeble. The French poet Chrétien de Troyes played a big role in this segment of Arthurian history, as he introduced Lancelot and crafted the Lancelot/Guinevere love affair. (Some say he was forced to write the affair against his will as it was much desired by his patron, and there is evidence in the stories that Troyes sincerely disliked Lancelot.)

This era sparked the creation of the Vulgate Cycle–or the Lancelot-Grail cycle. These stories focused on finding the Holy Grail and Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair. The Post-Vulgate Cycle was created later, and is basically the writers’ attempt to focus on the Holy Grail quest, instead of Lancelot and Guinevere. The culmination of these cycles is Le Morte d’Arthur was published in 1485. It’s probably one of the most widely recognized volumes of Arthurian literature in circulation today.

With the birth of the Renaissance, interest in King Arthur significantly died off until the 19th century, when the Gothic revival and Alfred Lord Tennyson sparked a rebirth of sorts. The code of ethics the knights followed became a major focus point instead of the French’s version of courtly love. The renewal of interest sparked another publishing of Le Morte d’Arthur, and new novels–like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court published 1889, and written by Mark Twain. The interest continued–The Once and Future King was published in 1958, and The Mists of Avalon in 1992. There are many, many more books written about King Arthur after the Gothic Revival, but I don’t have time to list them all here.

So…what about my story?

King Arthurs and her Knights books 1-3 focuses on Geoffrey’s account. I bring in the characters from the romances, but the focus is on Britt and her actions. Embark and Enlightened borrow more heavily from early stories in the Vulgate Cycle, although they retain Geoffrey’s focus on Arthur’s adventures being the most important actions of the kingdom. However, we’re about to dive deeper into the Vulgate cycle.

With the Knights of Camelot aware of Britt’s identity–and growing older–they’ll spend more time questing and conquering for Britt than they do kicking up their heels in Camelot. I refuse to put Britt in the back of the story–her role is a central one, even if Vulgate stories made Arthur into a tame kitten–and fortunately there’s plenty of content to play with. In the Vulgate cycle there is: Lancelot and Gunievere’s betrayal, feuds between knights, Merlin’s abandonment, the quest for the Holy Grail, the arrival of the famous knight Sir Galahad (whom I have already brought into the story with Enlightened) Tristen and Isolde’s love, the list goes on and on.

These are the stories that I generally don’t like because they all spell out a disastrous end for King Arthur. That being said I’ve got some fun plans for Endeavor and beyond. Still, this is your warning shot. Things are about to get really ugly. However, I’m asking you to trust me (because I have a proven antipathy for sad endings) and I’m asking you to trust Britt as a character.

Most importantly, I took the time to explain the cycles because it’s essential that you understand that in all of the legends, Arthur’s life is not filled with happy times like Sir Gawain or Sir Lancelot. Arthur’s life is a romantic tragedy. While Britt isn’t going to take any of this sitting down, she’s got a rough road ahead of her.

Thanks for reading, Champions! Have a great week!

Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day, Champions! For those who aren’t from the USA, June 21 is the American celebration of Father’s Day–the companion holiday to Mother’s Day–in which father figures are honored.

I am incredibly blessed with a straight-laced but funny dad who, although he is very practical and logical, was incredibly patient and supportive of me as I worked stubbornly towards my goal of being an author. My Dad is an accountant, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him with a fiction book, but he always accepted and supported my passion for writing stories. Although you haven’t met him, all of you have read lines and dialog pieces inspired by my Dad’s wry humor.

In honor of all the father’s out there, as well as all the grandfathers and father-figures, I’m giving you guys another short Extra from the King Arthurs series: Father’s Feast–CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF FILE. The timing of Enlighten’s recent release is perfect as Britt is one of the few heroines who has a caring father figure. (I considered doing a short about Raven from life reader, and her Black Dog/spy father, but my cover-artist, Myrrhlynn, pointed out for father’s day he would probably take all his kids to a shooting range and then put them through a hellish obstacle course. I wanted to go for a sappy story, not comedic, so King Arthurs it was!)

As I mentioned with Mother’s Day, no matter your status–grandparent, parent, child–when you boil it down, Father’s Day is about celebrating love. I hope you enjoy the day, and extra! Thanks for reading.

Enlighten: The Legend

I’m back from my long weekend–which was wonderful! Thank you for patiently waiting for your Enlightened extra, I appreciate it. I’m all caught up on my emails, so if you emailed me for the Enlightened extra and haven’t heard back, please send the message again! I had several Champions who sent in their reviews, but I couldn’t reply because there was an error with their email address. (My email postmaster insists no such email address exist) I want to get the extra out to everyone who would like it, so please submit your email again!

As Enlighten has been out for a bit, so I can finally discuss the plot! This post will have spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, you’ve been warned!

Obviously a huge portion of Enlightened is my own content–the legendary King Arthur was male and the only rightful King of England, not a place-holder, like Britt. However, the story of Sir Damas kidnapping Arthur to fight for him against his brother, Sir Ontzlake, is part of the King Arthur legends. Additionally, both Sir James Knowles–author of King Arthur and His Knights–and Howard Pyle–author of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights–include this legend in their books–and it is worth noting that these men are the authors of the “classic” King Arthur books as we know them.

In the original legend, King Arthur is riding with a knight named Sir Accalon and the two happen upon a empty castle with a feast. Because they’ve never heard of Stranger Danger, they sit down, eat the food, and fall asleep. When Arthur awakens he finds himself captive in Sir Damas’ dungeon with a bunch of knights who have refused to fight for the evil man. The stories differ based on the author, but both men agree that Morgan le Fay plays a treacherous role in the story and either sets Arthur up with the banquet, or swipes Excalibur’s scabbard–which, remember, has the power to keep all wounds from bleeding.

Sir Accalon ends up acting as Sir Ontzlake’s champion because Ontzlake was injured in a tournament, and Morgan le Fay gives him Excalibur and its scabbard before his fight against Arthur. (It’s worth mentioning that, due to the armor, neither man knows who they are fighting.) Sir Accalon gravely injures Arthur and, quite frankly, is a total jerk during the match. In one version of the story he gets the best of Arthur and almost kills him–as everyone watching shouts at him to have mercy–and in another version he actively plots against Arthur as he considers Morgan le Fay his lady. Sir Accalon gets his comeuppance, though, when Arthur retrieves Excalibur and pounds the snot out of him. Arthur then wins the match and reveals who he is. Sir Accalon is horrified, and begs for forgiveness, which Arthur grants him before the knight dies of his wounds. Arthur then gives all of Sir Damas’ possessions and lands to Sir Ontzlake and returns to Camelot.

To me, this is one of the first sad legends of King Arthur. Arthur is betrayed by his half sister–Morgan le Fay–nearly killed by one of his own knights, and was forced to mortally wound his knight to survive. Even Sir Ontzlake–who is supposedly a good knight–comes off sketchy and not nearly as good as Arthur’s other companions, like King Pellinore. It is important to note that in the original legends, this story takes place directly after Merlin has left Arthur forever, which might explain Arthur’s sudden run of bad luck.

Arthur’s actions–mortally wounding his knight–wouldn’t sit well with Britt, so I knew I needed to adjust the ending, but the idea of wounding Britt without any of her usual entourage around appealed to me as it would be the perfect way for her men to accidentally find out her gender without resorting to throwing her in a river–which I frequently did with Robyn of Robyn Hood. Once I figured that out, the rest of the adjustments came readily.

I didn’t particularly like Ontzlake as he was the brother constantly asking for the matches, so I wasn’t hot to trot to give him all of Sir Damas’ things. Instead I invented their little sister and gave her the inheritance. As my Morgan le Fay is alined with her earlier roles  in the King Arthur legends–a good magic user–I tossed out her side of the story and instead used her as Britt’s first aid kit. It was just as well–Britt would never be stupid enough to sit down and eat at a full banquet table in an otherwise abandoned castle. I didn’t want to bring Sir Accalon into the story just to kill him off–and I would have enough drama with the rest of the Round Table Knights after their enlightenment–so I decided to exclude him from the story and used Lancelot to attack Britt.

It was a fun story to adapt! Some of the lines and details were unbelievable (all the knights in Damas’ dungeons might be the funniest part of Sir James Knowles’ story) and it was a delight to drive a streak of Lancelot’s darker side into the open. This post is getting lengthy, so I’m going to cut it off here. Thank you for reading, Champions!

Enlightened Winners!

Enlightened is now available to purchase and read! A few of you have already read it (Bravo!) but it will take a day or two for it to become apparent with how well it is received.

In reminder I am running a Read and Review special for King Arthurs (see top post for details) but the timing is a little different. Since I will be away from my computer from 6/12 through 6/15, I’m not officially starting the special until Tuesday, 6/16. However! If you email me your review today (Of ANY King Arthurs book) there is a fairly good chance I’ll be able to email you the two page extra. Also, don’t feel like you have to wait for the special to start to email me. You won’t be disqualified, it’s merely that I won’t be able to respond until 6/16.

Finally, the Rafflecopter raffle is over! I found the raffle widget a little vexing as there were several problems, but thank you for staying with me as I experimented with it. Hopefully the next one will go smoother. Anyway, the randomly selected winners are: Meaghan, Catie L., Karra I., Marie N., and Kathy B! The winners have been notified via emails, and can expect their ebook copies as soon as I receive a confirmation that they got my message.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and I hope you enjoy Enlightened!