Scales and Stingers

Welcome to Jinaari Althir, from Scales and Stingers: Heroes of Avoch, Book One, a low fantasy by K. M. Warfield.

Jinaari kept his hands folded in front of him, ignoring the urge to adjust the collar of the formal uniform he wore. He’d been able to avoid official duties for years now. Maybe winning the title of Lord Defender of Avoch was a mistake, he thought. He pushed the idea aside. First and foremost, he was one of Garret’s Paladins. Crown Prince of Avoch, and all that went with it, meant nothing to him. When his God told him to enter the contest, he didn’t question it. Ever since he first entered the chapterhouse as an initiate, he knew he would obey all of Garret’s Laws. The man at the door nodded once, and Jinaari did the same. Like it or not, it was time to be a diplomat. If Avoch went to war, Queen Titania would be a useful ally.

---

Character Questions

Are you a leader or a follower? I’m a leader. But I’d rather lead my friends, or my brother Paladins, over ruling all of Avoch.

What is your greatest fear? Having one of my chosen family perish when I could’ve prevented it.

Author Questions

What was the inspiration for your series? A 3+ year long D&D campaign. The story’s different, and set in my own world, but I immortalized 7 of the characters from the game in the series.

Who do you want to read your stories? Gamers, or anyone who understands what it’s like to have friends who accept you for you. The friends that are family.

---

Scales and Stingers

Thia Bransdottir is shunned for being half Fallen, a race feared by many. She tries to disguise her lineage, but her lilac eyes make it impossible. When her Father is killed, she is taken to the cloister to be a servant of her faith. Jinaari Althir is sworn to protect Thia from the disgraced half of her heritage. Under his holy vows, he must keep others from killing her for their prejudice and using her for her power. He must succeed, there is no room for failure. Trust for someone like Thia is difficult. Jinaari may say he is there to protect her, but can he truly do his best when he knows she is of the Fallen? Will Thia stay safe in order to fulfill her purpose or is she fated to die for her origins?

Get it here!

---

K. M. Warfield

Born in the late 1960’s, K. M. has lived most of her life in the Pacific NW. While she’s always been creative, she didn’t turn towards writing until 2008. Writing under the name of KateMarie Collins, she released several titles. In 2019, the decision was made to forge a new path with her books. The Heroes of Avoch series, along with a new pen name, are the end result.

When she’s not writing, she loves playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends, watching movies, and cuddling up with her cat. K. M. resides with her family in what she likes to refer to as “Seattle Suburbia”.

You can find K. M. at her website or CounterSocial, Facebook and Twitter.

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Queen Titania’s Court, 2023

The dawn air was soft with mist as you ventured into the swamp. You had to hurry — the herbs you meant to gather would be spoiled within the hour. Silently the reeds parted. Out slid an enormous snail with a fantastic leather saddle perched atop the dome of its shell. A little goblin in smart livery tugged on the reins and tipped his hat to you.

Tall oak trees shaded your path that sunny day. You caught a flash of something white, and heard a piercing cry. Moments later, an elegant bird with trailing plumes drifted down to you. It angled its head and extended a pearly wing for you to climb aboard.

The sea at dusk was turbulent, hardly settled from the storm that had passed earlier. Yet as you hiked along the shore, there somehow was a boat. A little coracle bobbed and danced as if the water was perfectly calm. A single oar poked out, just waiting for you to take hold.

You were walking alone late at night, fearing no one, for nothing in your city is more deadly than you. A self-driving car glided to the curb just ahead of you. With a sprightly chirp-chirp, it popped its door open and idled invitingly.

By land, by sea or by sky, you have come on this mystical night. All people and beasts who know the power of magic are summoned and made welcome. The Midsummer Night Ball is now under way. Welcome to Queen Titania’s Court!

---

Order of Appearances

6/4, K. M. Warfield, “Scales and Stingers”

6/7, David Lee Summers, “A Cast of Crows”

6/10, Sanan Kolva, “Ghost and Guardian”

6/14, Sheryl Hayes, “Chaos Unleashed”

6/17, J. C. Simonds, “The Midsummer Wife”

6/21, Janna Ruth, “Ghosts of the Catacombs”

6/24, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, “Becoming Solo”

6/28, Lyndi Alexander, “The Elf Child”

7/1, Fredericks, “Masters of Air & Fire”

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Loose Ends

I’m working on the last few posts for Queen Titania’s Court today. Some of the authors who contacted me have fallen off the map since. That’s a bit disappointing, but I can adjust. I hope to get it all finished and scheduled, so I can focus on MisCon, next weekend. We’ve had our reservations and memberships for quite a while, but it’s time to seriously prepare. So far I only know about the writing workshop. I need to print out the author’s excerpt and plan for that. There’s also supposed to be a book seller who will consign for indy authors. I need to find the details and decide what books to bring.

It’s supposed to be pretty hot today, so I’m bailing here to do yard work while it’s still a bit cool. Hope you all have a good weekend!

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

MisCon 2023

Coming up on Memorial Day weekend, I’ll be over in Missoula, MT for a SF convention called MisCon. It’s one of the longest running conventions in the region, and I’m super excited to be back again.

It’s been stressful to prepare, though. Usually by now I have a schedule of programs and I’m starting to mentally prepare. I really hadn’t heard a word this year, until just today. I’ve only been advised I have a writer’s workshop that will be one-on-one with an author. (For two hours! Wow, I’m not sure what I’ll do with that length of time.) Other than that, I have no idea what panels I’m on.

It’s freaking me out a little, honestly. I’ve done the programming design many times, and I always make sure to communicate frequently with speakers. At times, I wondered if I was communicating too much and they thought I was that needy. Having this experience reminds me why I did it that way.

Before then, I really do need to get moving on the actual layouts for Queen Titania’s Court. Then I can have that set up to begin over the same Memorial Day weekend.

Anyhow, this is where I bring in my school skills of being flexible and just going with it. The weekend will be great.

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Reminder

That short story? I finished it. A quickie at just under 1,000 words. Now I discover that the anthology I intend it for doesn’t actually begin reading until November. Okay, fine. I’ll be super ready for it.

Meanwhile, I still need authors for Queen Titania’s Court! If you know a fantasy author, please mention it to them. This page has all the details. To see some of last year’s gala, start here.

Our weather has been turning out super nice this week, so I’m off to a garden show. Have a great weekend, all of you!

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

What Next?

The website hosting has been worked out. All in all, it was pretty easy. With that handled and the second draft revisions for The Tale of the Drakanox being complete, I have time on my hands. What should I work on next?

Queen Titania’s Court is coming up and I still need more authors to participate. If you know any fantasy writers, I hope you’ll suggest it to them.

The re-release of The Seven Exalted Orders is pending, but I don’t have a firm date for that. I had planned for that to be my own feature in Queen Titania’s Court, but I may need a backup. There’s Masters of Air & Fire, which I recently re-issued. Some of you probably recall that this blog used to be completely focused on dragons. Having my character be a dragon would be very on-brand.

I could also bear down on a paperback omnibus of the fourth and fifth Minstrels of Skaythe novellas. Summer book releases are dicey, but it would allow me to then bring out The Tale of the Drakanox in November. There’s something to be said for releasing books in quick succession, especially where it completes a series.

This is where I open the floor for suggestions. Would it be better to publish The Tale of the Drakanox first, and the omnibus later? Should I publish one this May or June and one in November, or one in November and one in May of 2024? I’m interested in your ideas!

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Advance Notice

This is the first call for my summer book event, Queen Titania’s Court! If you’ve been following for a few years, you know what it’s about. But for any new readers, here are the deets:

Coming up in June, this humble blog will host Queen Titania’s Court, a celebration of fantasy books. Titania, Queen of all Faeries, summons magical people and beasts from every corner of the fantastic world to join her for a grand ball on Midsummer Night.

This invitation is for any and all fantasy writers, especially independent authors. Each day in the month of June, I’ll feature one author’s book. Pick ONE character from ONE of your books to attend the Midsummer Ball.

This is the fourth year I’m hosting this event. It’s been fun every year, and hopefully it helped some fellow authors draw attention to their work. There’s always room for more guests, so here’s where I appeal for your help. If you are a fantasy author, you are welcome to participate. Or if you know some fantasy authors, I hope you’ll suggest it to them.

***IMPORTANT! You have to e-mail me in order to take part. You can’t just comment on a blog post! ***

Check out this page if you want all the details. My e-mail is there, too. To see some of last year’s gala, start here.

---

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

A Fond Farewell (Queen Titania’s Court)

As dawn draws near, Queen Titania steps down from her throne. After many lively dances and much good conversation, the magical moon is setting. Titania circulates through the diminishing throng, bidding her guests farewell. Occasionally she speaks with the fey folk who have made the evening’s success possible. The elves in charge of the feasting are apologetic over running short of honey cakes, while goblin guardsmen report a single incident of dueling was quickly resolved.

It is of little concern compared to the personal and diplomatic connections that were established this night. Now, all about the festival hall, the guests whisk away to their domains of origin. Mystic portals close one by one and enchanted music fades…

Until another year has passed, and the summer moon glows brightly once again!

---

This is where I thank all of you for making Queen Titania’s Court such a wonderful success. I appreciate everyone who participated, whether you offered up your own book or merely commented on a post. I’m especially amazed and grateful for the contingent of New Zealand authors who bring international exposure to Queen Titania’s Court.

I hope you all reap the rewards of your effort, whatever that means to you. Perhaps a few books sold, or new followers for your own blog, or just a chance to talk shop with new friends.

Thank you so much. I hope to see you again in 2023!

---

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Prisoners of the Wailing Tower (Queen Titania’s Court)

Last but not least… Yes, it’s my turn in the spotlight. My character is Alemin, from my high fantasy novella, Prisoners of the Wailing Tower. It’s the latest in my Minstrels of Skaythe series.

Alemin stared in wonder. He had been meditating, waiting through the endless hours of his imprisonment, and now he was… here?

The chamber was huge, crowded with people in the richest and most outlandish attire. Many were dancing, while others mingled in gay conversation. Only, they were not all human. Some had wings, or animal heads. Some were unusually large, others impossibly small. Above their heads, a vaulted ceiling was studded with stars. At the center, a full moon flooded the scene with silvery light.

And there was food! Alemin smelled sweet fruits, marinated meats, and delicate pastries. His starved body demanded that he instantly find that buffet! Yet he hesitated. How was it possible that this could be real? He felt like a beggar in his tattered prison robe.

Yet, if this was a dream, he greatly preferred it to the heavy labor, brutal heat, and shortened meals of the Larder. Alemin was a minstrel, too, accustomed to performing no matter the circumstances. He casually strolled forward to make his greetings — and find that delicious banquet he smelled!

---

Character Questions

Tell us about the greatest mystery in your world. It is said that, long ago, all people had magic. Everything was shared among them, with no divisions of rich and poor, magic and commons, or even men and women. This seems like an impossible daydream, but there is evidence that it may really be true!

Who are the most dangerous people in your society? Mages, with our great power, have become dominant over the common people. With unlimited power, mages have developed a reputation for unrestrained cruelty. However, there are mages like myself and the other minstrels, who try to undo their evil and teach the world a better way. Most mages would probably say that we are the most dangerous people of all!

Author Questions

Are there any authors who inspire your work? Yes, and we should always acknowledge our forebears. As a kid, I discovered the fantasy of Andre Norton. She was the first author I realized I could save my allowance to buy her books. I also wrote extensive fan fiction for Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series. I love the lyricism of Patricia McKillip, and the philosophy of Ursula LeGuin.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I have always been fascinated by ruined cities and lost civilizations, which is a vibe I often bring to my stories. I’ve already visited places like Mesa Verde, CO, and I would love to broaden my horizons. If money and safety were not a concern, I would visit somewhere like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or Machu Picchu in Peru.

---

Prisoners of the Wailing Tower

Alemin only wanted to help an innocent. Instead, he was caught by the dreaded hunter-guards. Now he finds himself flung into the Larder, where the very walls are steeped in nightmares and his fellow inmates are vicious killers. Worse, Warden Ar-Lizelle seems intent on tracking down his friends, the Minstrels, who have devoted their lives to undermining Skaythe’s tyrannical regime.

On the outside, the renegade mage Lorrah receives a premonition of Alemin’s plight. She’s desperate to save a man she cares for, but the Larder is commanded by someone she has hated for years and can’t bear to face: her cruel sister, Ar-Lizelle. Luckily, Lorrah is not alone. She has help from the fierce women warriors of Badger Squad. Yet even their combined forces might not be enough to get Alemin free from Dar-Gothull’s Larder!

About Deby Fredericks

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but viewed it as just a fun hobby until the late 1990s. Her first sale, in 2000, was a children’s poem under her byline Lucy D. Ford. Deby writes for adults, while “Lucy” is oriented to young readers.

Fredericks has long been involved in SF fandom, including running and writing for fan clubs, hosting anime viewings in her home, and helping run conventions. She also has volunteered as RA and ARA for the Inland Northwest Region of SCBWI, International.

Web site: http://www.debyfredericks.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@debyfredercks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebyFredericks

---

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Running Interference (Queen Titania’s Court)

Today I’m featuring a forthcoming novella. New Zealand author Sam Schenk is bringing out their witchy urban fantasy, Running Interference. It’s the sequel to A Gap in the Veil (pictured at right) and the character is Aiden Latimer.

Aiden pauses, uncomfortable in a slick suit, blue with black suede shoes. This is what one wears to a ball, but he’s never worn anything like this in his life. It’s a little too big, and the soles of the shoes are slick so he’s walking carefully. He’s a sneaker guy. With any luck, all eyes will be on his twin sister, Aya, whose smile lights up the room. She’s wearing light natural makeup and absolutely nails a fitted, peach coloured full length gown with a trail, despite having never worn something like this before.

Together, they find their seats. Aiden makes sure he knows where everything is — where the band will be playing, the best place to observe all the dancers, and he takes a look at the name cards on the surrounding seats to see if there’s anyone he knows. Next, he’ll check out the food and pile up a plate for both he and Aya to nibble while he gets used to his surroundings.

---

Character Questions

How does magic work for you? Is it different from the usual? Most people think about magic as like, brewing potions and working with herbs, or even working with the dead. But I think it’s time for a new kind of witch. My powers revolve around technology. I can sense the people behind the screen, and I can make sure a wifi cloud follows me. It’d be super useful if mom let me have an updated phone.

Who is your best friend? Stephen has been my mate since we were toddlers. I used to visit his place and go on his Minecraft server to help out. I guess that’s when he started ordering me around (laughs). Now that we’re getting older, it’s more serious. He’s great at finding things for us to do to make a brand online – including a task to embarrass a high profile hacker. That’s going to be dangerous, but I’m excited to try (and the money will get me enough for a new phone)!

Author Questions

How do you handle multiple points of view in a story? For me, multiple viewpoints have to compliment and foil each other. I love choosing contrasting point of views to help to world build without infodumping. While Running Interference and A Gap in the Veil don’t have multiple POVs, what I love to do is have one ‘weird’ pov character that sees the world in a very different way, and one that’s closer to what the audience would perceive.

Is the landscape important in telling your stories? How do you use it? Landscape builds culture. It’s important to have an understanding of the difference between a people who live underground, in trees, on mountains, on the ocean. It provides resource constraints — a people living on the ocean will need to solve for fresh water, and vegetable nutrients, land based construction materials etc. A people living in a mine may have good material wealth, and may be good at trade, but may be hopeless with animal husbandry. By contrast, I love transient or immigrant characters, because you can explore characteristics that might be inherent, or developed without roots.

---

About Sam Schenk

I was born in Canada, raised in Texas, and matured in New Zealand, where I’ve lived for the past 20 years. I’m a business analyst by day, a mum, writer, and gamer by night.

I love speculative fiction, particularly dystopia, transhumanism, and anything that normalises the rainbow and outside the normal curve of humanity. I’m a sci-fi and fantasy nerd, and love anything that explores life outside of the modern-day.

My first publication came out in 2021, A Gap in the Veil, in association with Contemporary Witchy Fiction. It’s been amazing to be part of the New Zealand speculative fiction gang, and meeting some amazing writers. I’m looking at producing another part to the collection in the same universe, which will be middle grade.

---

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »