Shield and Scepter
by K. M. Warfield
GENRE: Fantasy
BLURB:
An
ancient relic. Two solitary quests. A chance to prove one’s
worth.
After
an intense battle against the malicious Goddess, Lolc Aon, and
freeing the Fallen citizens of Byd Cudd, Jinaari and Thia are
presented with new challenges while in the public eye. Even
though Thia has been granted nearly unlimited healing power through
the God Keroys, many still doubt her because of her Fallen lineage.
Jinaari does his best to support her, but his lessons are cut short
after his sister is kidnapped.
Faced
with life altering obstacles, will Jinaari keep his vow to protect
Thia even from afar? Can Thia learn to trust herself and win over the
public? Or will it be too late?
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Excerpt:
“Is that why I’ve got paladins refusing to leave the common room?” Elian placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “Which one decided you need people hovering over you? Because I’ll give them a piece of my mind when I see them!” She picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the contents of the pot. “It was Jinaari, wasn’t it?” She sighed, and Thia smiled a little at the sound. “That man…he’s an arrogant one. I’ve never met anyone so certain he’s the best at anything and everything as he is.”
“It’s not without reason,” Thia said. “He’s never failed at a task, and I doubt anyone can best him in a sword fight.”
“He’s not the brightest lad, though.” Walking back to the tray, she picked up a bowl and carried it back toward the fireplace. Ladling food into it, she continued, “Wilim’s told me plenty of stories. I didn’t believe them at first, and then I met both of them. Jinaari may know how to use that sword at his hip, but Adam’s the smarter of the two.” She put the full bowl back on the tray and grabbed the other one. “You can tell him I said so, too!”
Imagining the cook going toe to toe with Jinaari almost made her laugh. “I’ve heard him tell Adam he thinks too much.”
“Well, he thinks enough to keep Jinaari alive. To me, that’s the right amount. As long as that man doesn’t get the both of them, or you ladies, killed then I can live with the arrogance.” She placed a small plate with dried fruit on the tray, along with a full teapot and two cups.
Interview with K. M. Warfield
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
Overall, over 20. However, you can’t find the ones I wrote under my former pen name. They’re all out of print. I parted ways with my former publisher in 2019. Over the course of several months, I chose a new pen name and rediscovered my voice. The experience, especially around my exit, from the prior House wasn’t the best. It taught me a lot, though. I trust my writing more now, have a higher standard, than I did in the earlier books.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
There will be a 3rd book! ‘Sword and Soul’ is done and waiting somewhat impatiently for its release in May of 2024. Beyond that…I’ve had to do some serious work on me. Figuring out the PTSD behind my anxiety and depression hasn’t been fun, but it’s necessary. I do plan to revisit the world of Avoch with the same characters. The ones that survive, anyhow.
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?
When I started ‘Scales and Stingers’ (that’s book 1), I didn’t plan on a sequel. Let alone a trilogy. Each book has its own storyline, and favorite parts, but there’s definitely a connecting thread that binds the characters together.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
It was easy with book 1. Once I started this one (book 2), I knew I wanted a thematic title for it. I confuse myself sometimes, when I’m looking for a certain file. LOL. The downside of locking myself into the theme I suppose. This series sets the standard, the precedence, for Avoch as I write it. There’s a high probability that future books set in this world will be a similar title structure.
How long did it take you to write this book?
This one took over a year. It was during the early stages of the pandemic and I’d just gotten back to work (was in retail at the time). That’s when my hands went kaput! I found out I had mild carpal tunnel in both wrists, the start of arthritis in both thumbs, and trigger finger in the middle finger on both hands. Physical therapy, braces, ergonomic keyboard/mouse, and eventually surgery for the trigger finger issue. They’re definitely better now, but I didn’t write much for months as I was worried I was doing more damage by typing. Lucky for me, I was told that typing wasn’t going to make anything worse.
What does the title mean?
‘Shield and Scepter’ is first and foremost a reference to some relics that Thia and Jinaari end up finding. There’s another meaning behind ‘Shield’. But I can’t share it without spoiling things!
What did you learn when writing the book?
That it’s okay to not be okay. That the hardest points in our lives can be overcome, if we’re willing to do the work. If you’re truly fortunate, you have friends with you on the road. Sometimes those friends are the best family you can ever have.
What surprised you the most?
Getting to a point in my own journey where I can say the series is good without feeling like I’m bragging or anything. I was raised to never draw attention to myself, that tooting my own horn was the worst sort of thing imaginable. Somewhere along the way of writing this series, I realized that it’s not wrong. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of what I accomplished in the series.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Early on, yes. In this series? You’ll have to read it to find out. I will say that I don’t think that death is the worst thing that can happen to someone, though.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
I have a playlist that gets adjusted a lot on Spotify. I took two years of typing in high school, way back when we used typewriters. I don’t have to look at a keyboard to type. I’ll read where I left off, put my fingers on the keys, and close my eyes. The scene will play like a movie in my head. Somehow, the fingers find the right words to translate it onto paper. I’ve been known to be like that for 2-3 hours when I’m really in the zone.
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
5 comments:
We appreciate you featuring this author. Thank you.
The cover looks really good. The blurb and excerpt sound interesting.
So happy to visit!
This sounds like a book I'd enjoy reading. Thanks for sharing the excerpt.
This sounds like a good book.
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