Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Writing a Book is an Adventure!

Writing a book is an adventure. 

The excitement builds within your stomach as you etch your first word onto a blank page. Your mind unlocks as hundreds of I walked paths expose themselves to you.
It is time to create your own world, fill it with unique characters, and ultimately tell a story. 

I began my journey to the Netherworld last November. It all began as an experiment. I was inspired by my friend, Melinda Metz, the author of the Roswell series and many other amazing books. 

Each week I would write a chapter and before I knew it, people all over the world were reading and telling me how much they enjoyed Koa, Halston, and their team of supernatural agents. Before I knew it, I had a book. Well...two actually.
I had the skeleton of The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld, and the sequel, Dark Prophet

Writing a book is fun...but it is not always easy. Netherworld seemed to write itself. Dark Prophet...not so much. I find myself at a crossroads. There are so many characters that I want to give the spotlight and so little time. I'm a perfectionist, but sometimes that can work to my disadvantage. 

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I've changed the plot to Dark Prophet at least three times! Whew! It's true. Once you change a book's plot so many times, you can being confused or...lost. Thankfully, I found my way once again by:

1st- Letting the manuscript rest
2nd- Listening to my dreams

By taking a step away from the manuscript, it somehow (through the power and magic of the fairy muses) worked itself out. 


And now, I am energized and ready to share this incredible tale of revenge, the bond between a mother and her daughter, love, betrayal, and as always...one bad-ass half-blood with an enchanted sword. ;) Stay tuned, Dark Prophet will be released March 2014!

Update:
Dark Prophet is now an Amazon best seller and available now!

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prophet-Book-Chronicles-Series-ebook/dp/B00ISEO5H4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0EDEJ9M8NVA6W27SCC6Vhttp://www.amazon.com/Dark-Prophet-Book-Chronicles-Series-ebook/dp/B00ISEO5H4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0EDEJ9M8NVA6W27SCC6V



Monday, October 28, 2013

Enchanted Winter (Chapter 3)

Enchanted Winter
Chapter 3
 K.N. Lee

As Winter fell, her breath was sucked from her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut and reached for Dancer. Dancer grabbed her by the arm with its claw and held tight.

Winter opened her eyes to the cold of the wind as Dancer flew her high above the clouds. She sucked in the cool air and tried to calm her breathing. The dart in her neck left her paralyzed and sent a shock of searing hot pain into her bloodstream. 

Winter winced and cried out. Her neck froze, her shoulders followed, and she realized with horror that soon, her entire body would be completely frozen.

Her mind raced with her options. As long as Dancer didn't let go, she might escape the dangerous tribes of the Wild Lands. 
Winter tried to keep her eyes open. If she closed her eyes before she froze, she would not be able to see what was happening. 

Her head spun and her heart thumped so loudly that it was she could hear. Her ears burned with the sound of her own heartbeat. It was steady, and continued to slow, until, it stopped. 

~~~ 

A soft murmur woke Winter. She opened her silver eyes and stared into the eyes of a little girl. Winter tried to move. Her arms were pinned to her sides and her legs were bound by thick, rough, ropes. Winter's eyes widened.

"Let me go. Please," she pleaded to the little girl. They were in a tent made out of hides and painted with clay and dull green paint. The little girl touched Winter's face with her cold hands and sat back on her heels. Her hair was yellow like Lady Cecily's and she had green eyes that matched the paint on the inside of the tents walls. Her skin was brown like Winter's though, and covered with blue markings.

Winter could tell by the child's markings that she was a hunter and part of the Oaiku tribe. Many tribes escaped through the slit in between worlds in the final days. Winter knew all of them. She wondered if they knew who she was.

Winter felt her eyes water. She hoped that they didn't know who she was. She could not risk her identity being discovered. Not even by a tribe that was related to her own. Once the Morai and the Oaiku were bonded and shared many relatives and racial traits.

Winter heard footsteps outside and her skin tightened with fear. She met the girl's eyes, with a look of intensity that drew the child in like a moth to a flame. 

"Please, sweet girl. Help me get free from these binds."

The girl shook her head. She traced a line across her neck indicating death.

Winter was speechless. She watched the girl, feeling her hopes fade. The tents flap opened and an old man bent over to enter. He was followed by a much younger man. The old man wore cloaks, gray and covered with the history of his people. He was a shaman.

Winter tensed. She would not be able to hide her identity from that man. She closed her eyes, speaking inside her head, hoping that her mother's gifts hadn't completely left her.

Her body filled with warmth and she glowed. 

Mother please bless me
With all the gifts of land and sea
Carry me
From this place
With wings of silver
And strides of grace

Winter recited the words over and over inside her head. She had no other choice. She knew that they were staring at her, but she hoped that perhaps this time, when she opened her eyes, she would be somewhere else. Somewhere far away from Master Blakeney's manor, the Wildlands, and back in the Old World.

When she heard the old man speak, she knew that once again, her words were not heard. Her magic had failed her again. 

"They took much more from you than your freedom," the old man said.

Winter didn't open her eyes. She simply sobbed softly. She was heartbroken. Being a slave for so long was not as painful as having her power abandon her.

Winter opened her eyes when she felt him draw closer. She did have one measure of power that would never fail her, and she was ready to use it if he tried to harm her. Winter's eyes burned a silver light into the old man's as she glared at him.

He lowered his eyes as he knelt beside her cot. He bowed.

"Forgive me, Enchanted Winter," he said. "I have not come to harm you. I am Gulati. I am not the one who tied you up, but the one who convinced the tribe's folk not to send you back to the humans."

Winter let the intensity of her eyes fade slightly as she listened to his words. "Why would they send me back? If you know who I am, what good would it do to let the humans use me?"
 
Gulati nodded, eagerly. "Exactly! That's what I tried to explain to them. We were once bonded, the Morais and the Oaiku. Fairies like us as are a dying breed. They would send you back to the fairies, just for a few more seasons of sun."

Winter frowned. "Why? We never needed Summer, Spring, or Fall before? There was a reason they were only allowed to thrive in Earth."

Gulati shrugged. "When Earth was opened to us, the people became used to the other fairy gods. They no longer want Winter to rule us anymore. They no longer want you."

Winter wished that she could sit up. She felt a strong warning in her belly. What she was hearing was deeply unsettling.

Gulati reached for her and she cringed. He touched her forehead with his red fingers and chanted. 

Winter calmed then. She knew the chant and slowly felt the sensation return to her body. She could move again. Still bound, it was better than being completely paralyzed.

When Winter opened her eyes, she saw the girl smiling at her. The girl's two front teeth were missing and yet she was prettier than ever.

Gulati gave her a half smile. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can do right now."

Winter nodded. "Thank you."

Gulati took her hand in his and Winter tried to sit up. He helped her prop herself against the wooden headboard of the cot. The candle flickered in the on the small table beside the little girl. She grinned at Winter and waved her hand through the fire, catching a flame in the palm of her hand.

Winter's brows furrowed as she watched the child play. She was a special child. That was clear.

Winter licked her dry lips and glanced at Gulati. "Does the tribe know who I am?"

Gulati shook his head. His messy white hair fell into his face. "No. Only I know of your identity."

Winter breathed with relief. "Good."

Gulati motioned for the younger man to come kneel beside him. Winter observed him. His hair was yellow like the child's, and long.

"Reki and Mionna will help you escape tonight."

Winter raised a brow. "The child?"

Gulati nodded. "She's my apprentice. She has excellent tracking skills. Don't worry, she is mature for a seven year old."

Winter looked from Mionna to Reki. He never let his eyes leave her. He never smiled either. He was older than her, perhaps by a decade or so. He had an attractive face, a little roughened by age and the sun, but nice enough for Winter to take notice. She swallowed and looked away.

Gulati noticed. "Reki is a warrior. He'll protect you, and help you make it through the Wild Lands."
 
Alarm came to Winter's face. "Where is my tetra?"

Gulati's face paled. He looked to Reki.

Reki didn't betray any emotion, but he answered her question. "The archers shot it out of the sky."

Winter felt her eyes sting with fresh tears, and her body fill with a rage that threatened to turn everyone in the vicinity to dust. She shook but controlled the rage. There were innocent people around. She must control herself. 

Gulati came to his feet and Reki handed him his staff.

Mionna snipped her binds away with a sharp knife. The girl brought her face close to Winter's.

"Sorry, Enchanted Winter," she said. "I couldn't let you go until master said so. You will forgive me. Won't you?"

Winter looked into Mionna's eyes. She cupped the girls face in her hands and kissed her forehead. There were nights that she dreamt of a daughter of her own. A daughter that she could pass her gifts onto. A daughter that would one day take her place as a fairy god.

Mionna smiled. "Thank you."

Winter nodded and returned the smile. She came to her feet. stretched her wings, and retracted them once more, so that they lie flat against her back.

She looked over to Gulati. "Thank you. I won't forget your kindness."

Gulati bowed to her. Reki and Mionna did as well. "I never thought I'd be in the presence of a god."

Winter put her finger to her mouth. "Shh. No one must know. Let the people think what they want, but not that they had their own season god in their midst. I have work to do. This world needs to be put right once again."

Gulati nodded. His green eyes sparkled. Winter felt saddened. She had to get her powers back. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Dread washed over her. 

Many people were going to have to die.



 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Join Author, K.N. Lee, on an adventure!!



Join me on an adventure!

It's crunch time! Woohoo! Next week, October 31st to be exact, I'll be heading to the World Fantasy Con in Brighton, UK! 

Hooray! 

I'm attending this convention to promote my books, The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld and Thicker Than Blood, and in hopes of finding an agent. 

I've managed to raise half of my goal thanks to a few generous friends, fans, and family! Now, I'm hoping you can help me raise the rest before I leave next week! 

I'm not asking for charity. No way! I'm actually giving rewards for donations:

Signed copies of The Chronicles of Koa
Koa t-shirts
Koa key chains
Koa notepads
I'll even name a character after you in the series! 
You'll also receive recognition in the sequel and on my website www.thechroniclesofkoa.com

I'll be documenting my journey to the UK through a series of photos, video, journal entries, and articles on all of my sites:


The World Fantasy Con is only the beginning. When I return I will be touring the US:

New York
Georgia
North Carolina
Washington
California

Let's do this! 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Waking Up Dead!! **BOOK BLAST**

When Callie Taylor died, she expected to go to heaven—or maybe hell. Instead, when she was murdered in Dallas by some jerk with a knife and a bad-mommy complex, she went to Alabama. Now she’s seen another murder, and she can’t just let it go; she must find a way to make sure the police figure out who really killed Molly McClatchy before an innocent man goes to prison, all the while trying to determine how and why she woke up dead in Alabama.


Review

Callie, the unlikely hero in Margo Bond Collins' paranormal mystery, Waking Up Dead, is smart, sarcastic, and very funny. It's fun to watch her figure out her limitations as a ghost and see how she works at getting the real murderer caught. The other supporting characters in the book are almost as much fun. They're real-life people who somehow are able to see and communicate with Callie. Along with the fun and paranormal stuff, however, Collins has written a first-rate mystery with spot-on detection headed by Callie and her unlikely sidekick, Maw-Maw. Waking Up Dead rocks. I loved every minute I spent reading it. ~Jack Magnus

The author has deftly woven a tale of mystery, murder, and suspense. It is a fast paced book that leaves the reader wanting more. There are two plots in the story, both of which are equally filled with suspense. Mystery books are always exciting for readers because there are many avenues for readers to put on their thinking caps and solve the puzzle before the author reveals all. Apart from how Callie landed up in Alabama after her death, the plot of Molly McClatchey's murder is equally intriguing. The author has managed to run the two murder stories together without making it too heavy for reader. ~Mamta Madhavan

Callie is amazing because even though she's dead and most would assume she has limitless powers (she doesn't), she's just like a regular person. Her biting wit and sarcasm are evident on every page but the people who are chosen to help her are just as interesting and funny along the way. Waking up Dead is great in how it details a life after death and the truth of what happens to those ghosts who are simply stuck in the real world with no way of moving on or going home. ~Samantha Rivera 
 

About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is the author of the paranormal mystery Waking up Dead from Solstice Shadows Publishing, and Legally Undead, first in the Vampirarchy urban fantasy series, coming in 2014 from World Weaver Press. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college English online. She loves paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. 
 
 
Connect with Margo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Be sure to add Waking Up Dead to your Goodreads bookshelves: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18428064-waking-up-dead
_____________________________________________
Book Trailers:
http://youtu.be/KUBg83s4BOU

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Lyrinian Blade (The Chronicles of Koa #2) Chapter 1 Sample


The Chronicles of Koa:
Lyrinian Blade



K.N. Lee



Chapter 1

A red dress. Koa would never have been caught dead in all red, but today was the day of her wedding. This wasn’t to be a human wedding, but a Netherworld wedding…a vampire wedding.
Koa scrunched up her nose as she looked down at the billowy gown, littered with crystals and black taffeta. She looked like a gothic spin on a Disney princess. Even at twelve, Koa knew she did not fit the role of such a character. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves.
Koa’s stomach was filled with anxious feelings. Her small hands shook and she wanted to cry.
What am I doing here, Koa kept asking herself.
She kind of understood what was happening, but most of it still didn’t make sense to her. Koa was afraid of this dark and mysterious place, where the population was composed of creatures that would have given normal girls nightmares.
Koa was glad that her father still held her hand.
            From the time that they had arrived, he had held her hand and told her to trust him. It was hard. Entering a world of nightmares would be frightening to any little girl.
Koa tried to hide her fear. She didn’t want to show her father that she was weak. She didn’t want to shame him on this important day.
I have to do this, Koa thought as she tugged at the high collar of her gown. She frowned. The lace made her throat itch.
To make father proud. Koa rolled her eyes.
            Koa looked up at her father, who walked steadily by her side as they led the procession through the streets of the Central Dominance, formerly known as Lyrinia before the Great Divide.
            The Netherworld was no longer at peace. It hadn’t been that way for centuries. Koa swallowed as she looked at the creatures that stared at her as she passed by.
Netherworld vamps, War-Breeders, Jems, Syths, even ghouls came out of their hiding spots to catch a glimpse at the mysterious half-blood princess.
Koa was the girl that was meant to bring peace back to the Netherworld.
            Koa tried not to stare back at the horrific creatures all around. Most of all, the Scayors frightened her. They reminded her of police, always watching and patrolling. Made out of metal and Syth bodies, they towered over the crowd, with their eyes casting a green glow over wherever they gazed. She shuddered when their eyes lingered over her. Syths scared her as well. Like monks, they stayed in groups, big and bald, with black cloaks and tattoos on their white faces.
            Vampire women and men stared at her. She wasn’t nearly as afraid of them as she was of the Syths and Scayors. She’d seen plenty in her years. Father had various vampires over at the manor from time to time, but none of them looked as picturesque as these Netherworld vamps.
Painted faces stared at her. The vampire women were the most beautiful women she’d ever seen, and yet none compared to her mother’s simple and natural beauty. These women were like painted dolls. Koa noticed how they seemed to be separated into groups. The red lipsticks on the left and the black lipsticks on the right. Koa didn’t know if it was simply a fashion trend or something more, but all of the women had the most elaborate Grecian gowns and jeweled arrangements in the perfectly sculptured hairdos.
They watched her, unblinking, unsmiling. She could see the judgment in their expressions.
            “Father,” Koa breathed. She looked away from their dark violet or blue eyes and clutched her father’s arm.
Koa’s father, King Atticus of Elyan looked down at her. His soft green eyes that matched hers were serious today. This was an important moment. Koa was the only one that could stop the slaughter of his people.
            “What is it, darling?”
            Koa looked ahead at the sparkling, golden, palace before them. The golden plates along the palaces walls shimmered and reflected all light of the disc moon. Her voice was caught in her throat. Something felt odd. Her stomach was twisted with worry. She’d been gazing at the palace from the moment they emerged from the caverns. It called to her as if by magic, pulling her in like a moth to a porch light.
From the cliffs that led down to the levels of the Netherworld by steep narrow staircases, she could see the golden palace. The palace stood out like a candle’s flame in the dark.
Stretched high towards the level above, it was an enchanted place. Surrounded by black buildings and towers, no one could mistake that the golden structure was the palace that housed an ancient line of Netherworld vamps and a king that had been trying to conquer her father’s kingdom for centuries.
This was the place that would be Koa’s new home and King Greggan’s teenage son, Prince Jax would be her new husband.
            Koa felt sick to her stomach. The palace was indeed beautiful, but she missed her mother more than anything. She missed the sound of her voice and her sweet scent. She missed having her mother hold her and smooth her hair whenever she was sad and lonely.
            Koa stopped abruptly. Her father frowned. Everyone was watching. The guards that were leading them looked ready to seize her and force her forward.
            He leaned down to her ear. “What’s wrong?”
            Koa tensed. “I want to go home.”
            Her father patted her hand and when one of the Syth guards stepped forward, he whipped out the Lyrinian sword with lightning speed. Everyone gasped and stepped back as the ring of steel rang throughout the air. Even Koa held her breath as her eyes shot to the blade.
The Syths were like monks, but covered in tattoos of Netherworld dialect all over their bald heads. They wore heavy black cloaks with the hoods down and carried whips and crossbows.
King Atticus’s raptor like glare burned into the Syths, warning them to keep their distance. He didn’t even have to say a word. The glow of the black blade was enough to make the large, brutish creatures rethink their actions.
Black, beady, eyes glanced down at the red glow and stepped back.
            Atticus waited a moment longer, making sure they knew how serious he was. Koa had trained with that sword before. One day it would be hers.
Koa remembered the euphoric feeling of holding that hilt. The heaviness of it, and the pulsing of the power into her body. She also knew how deadly it was, and how it would not be put away until all surrounding evil was vanquished.
Koa still held her breath, wondering if she and her father were going to have to fight her way out because of her inability to accept her fate.
She flinched when her father’s glare came down on her. “Koa,” he began softly. “This is your home.”
            Koa shook her head, but avoided his eyes. She looked around. The air was stale, not like the fresh, fragrant air of Paris. The sky was dark, lit only by an artificial Disc Moon that cast different colors across the land whenever the hour changed.
She missed the moon of Earth. She missed the sun, the trees, and flowers. The Netherworld felt like a nightmare that she would never awaken from. No matter what color the day was in the Netherworld, it was always too dark for her. Koa’s father didn’t understand her love for daylight.
King Atticus had never seen real daylight. The sun’s rays would kill him, as it would any other vampire, Netherworld or New World. Koa was different. She wished he would understand.
            Her father gave her hand a squeeze. “You are half Netherworld vampire, Koa. This is where you belong, amongst your people.”
            Koa shook her head. “I am also half human, Father.”
            Atticus didn’t say anything. He looked down at her and pursed his thin lips. Koa thought of how her father looked like an Italian mobster from movies. His imposing stature and sharp features demanded respect. Most people were afraid of him. Koa could see why.
He had a look about him that was completely different from her mother’s. Her mother had delicate features. She was Korean, and had the gentlest brown eyes Koa had ever seen.
Once again, her stomach tied into knots. She tried to push down the anger she felt towards her father.
Koa didn’t like feeling that way. It threatened to ruin the relationship she had just started to develop with him. He’d taken Koa and her mother from poverty, and shown them a life of privilege and riches.
            “Bring mother here, and maybe I won’t feel so homesick,” Koa reasoned, her green eyes hopeful.
            Atticus shook his head. “My darling girl. You will see that this is the place for you. You belong here with your people. The treaty has already been signed.” He leaned closer to her ear and whispered. “Your mother cannot come here Koa. She is safe in the mortal world. If we do not fulfill our side of the treaty, she will be in danger. Now, is that what you want?”
            Koa’s face paled. Her lips trembled. She shook her head quickly. Just the thought of someone harming her mother made her feel sick. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost that sweet, loving, woman.
            She looked into her father’s eyes.
“Do you understand what I am telling you?”
            Koa nodded. She understood, but she still didn’t agree with what was happening.
            Atticus smiled and stroked her pale white cheek.
“But I don’t want to do this,” Koa whispered.
Atticus’s smile faded, but his eyes didn’t turn cold on her as she expected. He knelt down to her level and cupped her cheek.
“I know, my dear girl, but sometimes we have to do things that we don’t want to…to protect those that we love.”
Koa frowned and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. All she knew was that this entire ordeal was unfair, and that no one had asked her permission.
“May I?” Faun, one of the vampire women sent to dress and prepare Koa asked of Atticus.
Atticus nodded and Faun scampered over to fix Koa’s long black hair that reached the small of her back. Koa didn’t take her eyes from her father’s. She hoped that he would see how miserable she was. She tried to look as sad and pathetic as possible.
Faun glanced at Koa’s face with dull violet eyes. She was adamant about making sure Koa’s part was perfectly straight so that her hair fell in long ringlets that had taken nearly an hour to do just right. She checked that the red lipstick hadn’t bled onto Koa’s teeth or chin.
Black liner, red lips, and rosy cheeks. Koa was ready. Still, her heart was broken.
Atticus locked arms with Koa. “Shall we continue, darling?”
Koa couldn’t bring herself to look at her father again. Her eyes were burning from the tears that threatened to gush forth.
She gave a quick nod, and once again, they were walking down the black stone walkway that led to the large stone doors of the Lyrinian palace.
Koa felt her heart pattering against her ribcage. She felt like she might have an anxiety attack. So many eyes staring. So much anticipation in the air.
When Koa stepped through the doors and followed the guards through the long, brightly lit corridors, she contemplated flying away. She’d thought of it often. She could simply lift herself into the air, and head for the Gate, but visions of her mother being harmed kept her firmly planted to the ground.
Koa felt numb, like she was walking to her prison cell. She felt her eyes pool when she saw the entrance to the grand ballroom, where she would meet this mysterious prince and be forever doomed.
Koa stepped into the room, into a flood of light and decorations. Her heart thumped. She felt something she hadn’t expected. Koa’s face flooded with blood as her eyes met those of the prince.
No one else mattered. Nothing else existed as Koa’s eyes cut through the crowd and down to the set of five thrones as Koa and her father stopped before the platform.
“Princess Evina, 1st Queen Katya, 2nd Queen Lera, your highness, King Greggan, and Prince Jax, behold King Atticus of Elyan and Princess Koa.”
Koa heard the introductions but something odd was happening. She stared at Prince Jax with her mouth agape.
He was the most attractive person she had ever seen in her life. Piercing dark blue eyes, dark blood red hair and a perfectly sculpted chin and nose. Koa felt her face flush as he looked her up and down. Then, he did something that made her grin, despite her previous fears and doubts.
Prince Jax winked at her.