Guest Kathryne Kennedy: Historical Magic

Linda Banche here. Today I welcome Kathryne Kennedy and her magical Georgian historical romance, The Fire Lord's Lover. Romance is already magical, but it becomes even more so when Kathryne adds her magic to the mix.

Leave a comment for a chance to win one of the two copies of The Fire Lord's Lover which Sourcebooks has generously provided. Kathryne will select the winners. Check the comments to see who won, and how to contact me to claim your book. If I cannot contact the winners within a week of their selection, I will award the books to alternates. Note, Sourcebooks can mail to USA and Canada addresses only.

The winners are Stephanie McCarthy and Kelley Heckart (Celtic Chick). Kelley, I've sent you an email. Stephanie, please send me an email at linda@lindabanche.com. If I do not hear from you by July 20, I will select alternates.

Hello Historical Hussies! Thank you so much for having me as a guest on your blog today. I’m glad to be here.

In my new book, The Fire Lord’s Lover, I’ve created an elven world that exists during an established time period—Georgian and Regency England, which I thought I’d talk about a little bit today on this blog, because you all love historicals so much! As I thought about this, I realized I have to go back in my writing career to the second novel I wrote, which was a straight historical. I spent months researching the Victorian era, and I had a lot of fun writing what would become My Unfair Lady (which was released last year!). However, the entire time I was writing the novel, I kept asking myself, “What if?” What if magic, and not gender, was the basis for inheriting aristocratic titles? What if there were those who might be immune to the magic, being magical creatures themselves? I then had to go farther back into history to create the basis for the creation of my magical world, which was Merlin’s bloodline.

So, I started with my research into the time period before I ventured to add magic to alter it.

For my new series, The Elven Lords, I did the same thing; going farther back into history than the time period I knew I would be writing in. I established the basis for my magical world during the invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Instead of unifying England under one rule, my seven elven lords breeched the barrier between their world and ours and created seven sovereignties based on their own magical strength: Black for Mor'ded who rules fire, Blue for Breden who rules sea and sky, Green for Mi'cal who rules the forests, Gold for Roden who is master of glamour and illusion, Silver for Lan'dor who masters the blade, Brown for Annanor who rules the earth, and Violet for La'laylia who enspells gems.

With the release of book one, The Fire Lord’s Lover, I focused on Elven Lord Mor'ded and his magical powers, giving him a range of them as well:

White fire: cold, harmless, for light.
Blue fire: heals.
Black fire: burns in the mind, most powerful.
Gray fire: neither hot nor cold, an impenetrable wall of flame.
Red fire: burns powerfully, can be used to spy.
Yellow flame: is gently warm.
Orange: much hotter.
Green fire: a link to the undead realm.

My heroes and heroines became half-breeds, inheriting the beauty and magic of the elven lords, but with a human heart as well. So powers not only differed from realm to realm, but from person to person. World building has been a popular topic on this tour, and at the end of my blog tour (which goes until the end of this month!), I will have all the links from my blog tour on my website, if anyone would like to explore further into how I do my world building! www.KathryneKennedy.com

I think it can be more difficult and time-consuming to base a fantasy world in a historical backdrop, due to the amount of research it requires. It’s easier to create an entirely new world and make up the clothing, social mores, etc. But for me, it’s so much more satisfying to delve into the pageantry of historical eras because it’s a world I long to visit myself. Even if I do alter it with magic.

And one final note: the nice thing about adding magic to my world is that I can alter it to suit my modern sensibilities. For example, the elven lords brought bathing to England with them. I still reference that many consider bathing unhealthy, but in The Fire Lord’s Lover, my hero and heroines are clean.

By combining historical fantasy, I have the best of both worlds!

If anyone has any questions or comments, I’d love to respond to them, and I’ll be dropping by all day, so don’t hesitate!

My Magical Best,
Kathryne


THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY
Kathryne Kennedy's historical fantasy romances have garnered awards and a growing readership. This exciting new series, set against the lavish backdrops of Georgian and Victorian England so beloved by romance readers, is deliciously dark and exciting.

Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she's been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathryne Kennedy is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: www.KathryneKennedy.com.

To Purchase The Fire Lord’s Lover:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Borders
BooksAMillion
Chapters/Indigo
Kathryne’s Bookseller Directory