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Book Spotlight: Starting Chains


Starting Chains by Nicole C. Luttrell

After years of war between Montelair and Septa, the two thrones are united by family. Victor's nephew, Morgan, is sharing the throne with the last heir of the royal line, Jacob. He and Lenore decide to travel to Montelair with their newborn daughters to help broker peace.

But peace among their own people is harder to achieve. The city is tormented by a terrorist who calls himself The Tinker. He and his group of anarchists plant bombs through the city and call for the death of the new kings from every street corner.

Meanwhile in Calistar, Sultiana and Devon are marching to war with Kussier. The ancient hatred between the two countries is sprung anew when Sultiana is declared heir to the Calistar throne.

Waiting at the border, though, is a much darker enemy. A force from legend threatens to consume both countries, and possibly the world.


 
 
 

Book Spotlight: Guarding Charon


Hello! I had the pleasure in speaking to KateMarie Collins about her book Guarding Charon and more.

K.A. Meng (KAM): Thank you KateMarie for being a part of my blog. Let's jump right into this interview. What can we expect from you in the future?

KateMarie Collins (KMC): More books! I’ve got an idea for another series now, but I want to get The Waystation Guardians to a place where I feel most of the story has been told. For now. LOL. The setting and characters have a lot of room for additional books, but I’m not going to force myself to write a story before it’s ready to be told.

KAM: What genre(s) do you write?

KMC: I’ve always loved fantasy and scifi, being able to create worlds that don’t always line up to the one we live in. With The Waystation Guardians, I went with a modern setting. It took more research, as details are important, but that makes it believable. Is this happening now? We don’t know. But it’s plausible.

KAM: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definite pantser! I start with an idea of a start, and where it will end. Then I let the characters and plot evolve as I write. I love the moments where I think, 'what if' and can take the story into a new area I hadn't thought of.

KAM: I am also a pantser, and I start with an idea and an editing too. I sometimes need to plot a little because the story went off course. That's why I truly believe authors get ideas from any aspect of their life. Speaking of ideas, I love to hear where other writers get their ideas from. Where did you get your idea for Guarding Charon?

KMC: I was working on another book (Emile’s Blade), when I woke up one morning. I had the entire first chapter for ‘Guarding Charon’ in my head, including dialogue. When the muse talks THAT loud, I listen. I put the other one aside and started working on this story.

KAM: Chuckles. I know those muses well. My own force me to write a few chapters on a new work and let me be for a bit on the project I am supposed to write. Have your muses been depending a third book in The Waystation Guardians? I mean. Will there be a third book in The Waystation Guardians?

KMC: Yes! I’m working on ‘Guarding William’ now. If you’ve finished ‘Guarding Amber’, you know who that is!

KAM: How do you find the time to write with a husband, two kids, and three cats?

It’s hard, believe me! LOL. But my family’s supportive. If I get a good writing binge going, they go order pizza instead of interrupting me. LOL. The cats are not as understanding, but mostly leave me alone after a brief interruption to give them attention.

KAM: I need to learn that trick. My son is always like "What's for supper?" when I am in the middle of writing. We have two cats. What are the names of your cats?

KMC: Depending on the cat, and what they’re doing….LOL

Caspar – aka The Mighty Hunter or His Royal Fluffiness

Muse – aka The Purrbot or Mama Kitty

Toothless – aka The Night Fury, 10 Cats, or Bear Cub

Guarding Charon

One should always read the fine print...especially with an inheritance from a relative you didn't know existed.

In a rut doesn't even begin to describe Grace's life at 22. Her ex is using his position as a cop to stalk her, getting her fired from every job she finds. Her parents, not knowing how abusive he could be, believe all her problems would vanish if she'd simply marry him.

After losing yet another job, a lawyer arrives. A relative has died and left her entire estate in Maine to Grace. Eager to shake the dust of Bruce and small town Texas off of her for good, she leaps at the chance. She even changes her name.

Then she learns that her great aunt was a Witch...and the house has some big secrets. Secrets that she has to protect for six months if she hopes to inherit the entire estate and truly be free of her past.

KateMarie Collins

Born in the late 60's, KateMarie has lived most of her life in the Pacific NW. While she's always been creative, she didn't turn towards writing until 2008. She found a love for the craft. With the encouragement of her husband and two children, she started submitting her work to publishers.

When she's not taking care of her family, KateMarie enjoys attending events for the Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA has allowed her to combine both a creative nature and love of history. She currently resides with her family and three cats in what she likes to refer to as "Seattle Suburbia".

You can find KateMarie at the following sites:

Twitter: @DaughterHauk

Thank you KateMarie for stopping by. And thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. Until next time.

-K.A.

 
 
 

#TwitterTales April 2018


Welcome to my monthly Twitter Tales share. Twitter Tales or #TwitterTales is a month long project that uses a single image and tells the story of it. Several different authors, myself included, write their own flash fiction tale. The goal is to post on Twitter on Thursday & Friday every week for the whole month. Here is the latest flash fiction from me if you missed it for April 2018. Enjoy!

“Should we be doing this?” Gretchen asked. Her lower lip quivered, and her grip tightened on the lantern.

“Don’t be scared. We have nothing to fear here,” Eliza whispered.

“Why aren’t you talking louder then? What about the witch?”

“She doesn’t come where we’ll go for the herbs.” Eliza shushed her little sister the next second. She thought she heard something. When nothing but an owl hooted, she continued onto the path. Only animals were out here this late, not the witch.

They took a good ten minutes until they reached a fork in the path. The road diverted in three different directions. Going straight would lead to a bridge and past that was the witch’s cabin. Eliza steered her sister to the left.

They continued, passing by an abandon one room cabin. When their father was younger, he spoke about how many more there used to be. The purpose behind them was for travelers to take shelter from the bitter cold. Not many were left now.

The path opened, revealing the bright red lights from the CVS Pharmacy sign. A few horses and buggies were parked in front of the store.

“Do we have to go in there? The witch may be inside,” Gretchen said, sounding scared.

“If we want to help father, we do,” Eliza said. She stood in front of the magical doors and they swung open.

“See witchcraft.”

Eliza selected a bottle of the good tasting purple medicine and set it on the counter to pay.

“You’re not old enough to buy this,” the attendant said.

“But miss, my father will die without it,” Eliza said.

“If he needs this, he has a cold. He isn’t going to die. It’ll only seem like he is with all the complaining he’s doing.”

“The witch!” Gretchen said.

“Stop calling me that. I'm not a witch." A sigh escaped her lips. "You can buy these magical throat drops without being of age.”

“We’ll take it,” Eliza said. Her father wouldn’t get better without something.

For those who want to know more about #TwitterTales check out #TwitterTales @kamengauthor on twitter. Look for a new post every Thursday and Friday by me and several other authors from my publisher's company. Here is a sneak peak of my next one:

“Where are we headed?” Mike asked.

“To some special beach Casey knows about,” his girl, Anna, answered. She handed him her things to shove inside the back of the SUV.

“But where?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Casey winked at them.

 
 
 
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