Scales and Stingers
by K. M. Warfield
GENRE: Fantasy
BLURB:
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?
Excerpt:
“Are you sure about her?” Adam’s voice was low, but she could hear him easily.
“Garret and Keroys both are. The priest said she was the best they had. She healed me at one point.”
“What happened?”
“Alesso got a cheap shot.”
“I don’t know, Jinaari. She’s Fallen. They’re not known for holding to laws or vows.”
“She’s also human, Adam. On our way here, we got jumped by a pack of Dangreth. She turned them into ash faster than I could blink.” There was admiration in his voice. “I only took out two . . . she took out ten. Keroys instilled his hatred of the undead in her. She asked if we’d be encountering more in Tanisal. I think she’s looking forward to wiping the city clean of anything evil.”
“Where’s she from? Humans and the Fallen rarely interact, let alone mate.”
“Ask her.”
“Don’t you know?” Adam asked.
“I do,” Jinaari paused, “and she trusted me enough to give me an answer. I’m not going to betray that. I don’t think she told me everything, not yet. Her life this far hasn’t been easy, even at the cloister. Trust isn’t something that she blindly gives. You gotta earn it. Garret said I had to keep her safe. From what, I don’t know. But I made a vow to him and Keroys to do that.” He paused. “She’s not like what Alesso and his kind think, Adam. She takes after her human side. As long as you show you’re okay with her heritage, trust her, she’ll come around. And she’s damn good at magic.”
Interview with K.M. Warfield
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
Under this pen name, 3. I previously released approximately 20 titles under another name. None of those are available. As to a favorite title in this series – Sword and Soul. It’s the 3rd book in the trilogy.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
Actually, it’s a complete trilogy! Book 2 is titled Shield and Scepter. All I can say is that Thia grows up!
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I’m a pantser. When I started Scales and Stingers, I didn’t anticipate a second book, let alone a full trilogy. Each book has an end to it. Granted, it’s very open and leads to the next one. But you really can say each one is a complete adventure in its own way.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
The title is derived from the symbols of two of the Gods in the series. Keroys, who Thia follows, has a set of balanced scales as his symbol. The stingers are tied to Lolc Aon, a not so nice Goddess.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I started it about the time the pandemic hit. I was out of work (retail) for three months, so there was a lot of time to write. I’m an extrovert, and we don’t quarantine well! The first draft was done in approximately 3 months, because I had the time.
What does the title mean?
It’s symbolic of the loyalties and struggles of the characters.
What did you learn when writing the book?
There’s a lot of my own anxieties in Thia. By having her grow as a character, I was able to find the strength in myself to fight some of my personal traumas.
What surprised you the most?
How easy it was for me to get lost in the story. I will reread it and smile. I genuinely believe this trilogy is my best work, and deserves to be read.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Can’t say! It’s a spoiler! LOL! But, yes, that’s always a possibility. Bad things happen to good people in real life. It should be the same in books.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
Music is a big help. I have a playlist that’s constantly evolving. Every character has a theme song on it. Thia has several.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Born in the late 1960's, K. M. has lived most of her live in the Pacific NW. While she's always been creative, she didn't turn towards writing until 2008. Writing under the pen 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, is 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'.
Connect with K. M. Warfield
6 comments:
I like the cover. Looks great.
Thanks for hosting!
I love the cover and look forward to reading the book.
K.M. Warfield is a new author to me, but I want to thank this blog for the introduction. I look forward to reading this book.
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I love the cover art, synopsis and excerpt and I am looking forward to reading Scales and Stingers. If given the choice, would you prefer to see this trilogy made into a movie or an animated film and if the former, who is in your dream cast?
Thanks, Bea! I've always seen film (live action or animated) and books as different forms of media. I'd love to have it done, but understand that some things just don't translate well to film - and there's some things film can do that books can't! A dream cast? I could see several actors! Zendaya, Jason Mamoa, Chris Pine, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mark Hamill, and Daniel Radcliffe would all work for different characters!
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