I am happy to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for THE MASKS OF UNDER Series by Kathryn Ann Kingsley! I have an interview with Kathryn to share with you today check it out and enter to win the giveaway below!
About The Books:
Title: KING OF FLAMES
Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Pub. Date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Limitless Publishing, LLC
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 193
READ FOR FREE ON KU!
Everything about my life has been pretty normal working as a forensic
autopsy technician. Until the day I woke up with a mysterious symbol tattooed
on my arm.
Suddenly normal no longer existed. The barrier between Earth and a world
called Under, dissolved...
Now I’m trapped with dozens of other people. Held prisoner by the
creators of myths and legends, where the realm is ruled by two masked kings who
want to turn us into creatures like them.
But even though I didn’t choose to be here, this new world manages to
pull me deeper, affecting me differently than other humans. Unfortunately King
Edu, also known as the King of Flames, notices this and I’m now considered a
threat.
If I want to survive King Edu and the dangers of Under, I need to escape.
The only problem is, there’s another masked king who seems to have an interest
in me. Aon, the King of Shadows, wants me here in this world, and he wants me
alive.
I just need to figure out why.
Title: KING OF SHADOWS (The Masks of Under #2)
Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Pub. Date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 225
READ FOR FREE ON KU!
Some call him a madman. Others call him a warlock. Both are true.
But if it wasn’t for Aon, I’d be dead. I was mere seconds away from dying
by Edu’s hands when the King of Shadows appeared in a flash of lightning,
saving me from Edu’s murderous plans.
Now I’m under his protection, living in his home. The more time I’m forced
to spend with him, the more I start to piece together the puzzle of why Aon and
Edu are at war.
Despite how everyone else seems to hate Aon, there’s something that pulls
me towards him—like gravity, refusing to let go. My heart is telling me to believe what
he says is true, yet there’s this prickle of warning in the back of my skull
cautioning me against falling for the King of Shadows.
In the world of Under trusting the wrong person can get you killed. Only
the strong survive out here, and that’s what I intend to do.
Survive.
Now on to the interview!
Hey Kathryn! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m
glad you could stop by for a chat! THE MASKS OF UNDER SERIES sounds AWESOME and
I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
For the readers:
can you tell us a little bit about the THE MASKS OF UNDER SERIES and the
characters?
“No souls are born in this place.”
Under is a world of myths and monsters. It’s a parallel universe to
ours, where all our legends of the creatures that hunt the shadows originate.
It falls into alignment with Earth, and when it does, the monsters who dwell
within can pass into our world and take those who are marked by the Ancients—their eldritch
creators. There, they are turned into a creature like the rest of them.
When they’re turned, they wind up with ink markings on their faces
called soulmarks. The more they have, the more powerful they are. The color of
the ink denotes what house they belong to. If they are strong enough, they wear
a mask to protect and hide the marks from those around them. To remove the
marks is to make them mortal again.
Lydia, whose life had been fairly normal until the day she wakes up
with a mark mysteriously tattooed on her arm, finds herself hunted by creatures
that she thought only dwelled within her favorite horror movies. Dragged into
the world of Under, she must fight to escape in order to survive.
Unfortunately, Under has other plans for her. When brought to the Pool of the
Ancients to be turned into a creature like them, the unexpected happens.
She crosses paths with Edu, the King of Flames. He suspects she is
dangerous and in order to keep her out of the hands of Aon, the King of
Shadows, he wants her dead. Aon is a warlock and a madman—and his desires for
Lydia are far more mysterious, and potentially far more dangerous.
The Masks of Under is a dark fantasy/romance series.
How many more
books are planned for the series?
Currently, there are six books written and scheduled for release! That
completes Lydia’s story—but the world of Under is ancient and
there’s a lot of possibilities to write other stories in the
future. I already have a few planned!
Were any of the
characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
Only one. Nick, Lydia’s friend, is based very loosely on a coworker of
mine. He’s a fascinating archetype I dubbed a ‘nerd-bro.’ Everyone else is
(hopefully) an invention.
Who was your
favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
Oh, my favorite is easily Aon, the King of Shadows. He’s both the
villain and the love interest. He’s what I call a “gentleman fiend.” He’s a
madman, a warlock and a sadist. He’s doomed the world of Under to the void. But
he’s sexy, charming, witty, and oddly compassionate at times. He’s a challenge
and a joy to write.
What is your
favorite passages/scenes in THE MASKS OF UNDER SERIES?
Here’s one of my favorite scenes, from “King of Shadows,” the second
book in the series;
Another night and another nightmare.
This time, there was no running involved. Usually, dreams like
this never really bothered Lydia. They
were never scary, in the same way her favorite movies were no longer
frightening to her. Usually, she found them entertaining. But now the context
had changed. Now she knew what it was like to be caught by a monster.
Lydia was strapped to a medical table. Her mind had conjured up
that recent memory and somehow made it even darker and more twisted. A creature whose medical mask had been
stitched directly to his face was busy dismembering her. He ripped away at
flesh and sinew, digging into her organs and cutting them free.
In a way that only dreams would allow, she was not dying, just suffering. Only
experiencing the fear. Lydia was crying and begging for mercy, but the creature
that was butchering her like a slab of meat didn’t care. It didn’t respond to
her in the slightest as she writhed in agony.
“And here I am, insulted to not have been invited to the party.”
Aon’s voice broke into her dream, laughing. “Forgive me for my intrusion, but
even inside your mind I fear I do not like the prospect of sharing.”
Lydia felt someone grasp her shoulder. All in one movement he
pulled, and the scene around her shattered. But the terror still gripped her.
She shot up, straight into someone’s arms. Her heart was pounding too hard for
her to care. She felt them press her head against their shoulder. It took her a
long moment to process where she was and what was happening. She was still in
bed, and not strapped to some horrifying medical table. It had just been a
nightmare.
Aon was next to her, sitting on the edge of the plush mattress.
His bare hand was stroking her hair, and he was shushing her quietly. Lydia
realized she was clinging to him, her hands twisting the fabric of his coat.
Finally, she let go of him and lifted her head from his shoulder. Confused, she
shot him a quizzical look. “What happened?”
“You were crying out in your sleep. I came to ensure you were not
in danger and found you mired within a dream from which I could not wake you.”
Aon combed his hand slowly through her hair, his voice a low rumble. She
shivered at his touch and was entirely unsure as to why. As he reached to touch her again, she grew shy and shrank
away from him.
“Thanks, I guess,” Lydia muttered.
“You are quite welcome.”
“It’s incredibly weird that you can be inside of my dreams, by the
way.”
“Perhaps I was not there. Perhaps you were merely dreaming of me
on your own. Your dark pursuer and savior all at once,” Aon mused playfully.
“Really?”
“No.”
What kind of
research did you have to do for the story?
Lydia’s day-job is as a forensic autopsy technician. So, I had to do a
great deal of research for the first few chapters where she’s gathering
evidence off a body. I had to watch a bunch of gross videos. Luckily though,
she winds up in Under quickly and her day job becomes pretty moot.
But many, if not most of the characters, are all 500+ years old. When I
write from the point of view of a character like that, I have to change how I
write to be more archaic.
That’s a hard thing not to get stuck in. My poor
editor!
Who is your
ultimate book boyfriend?
Dracula, easily. The original Gentleman Fiend.
What inspired you
to write this series?
I had a dream where I saw the ‘Pool of the Ancients,’ which was the
very first image I ever drew for the series. I remember being chased by people
who were wearing masks. They were wearing them to hide the marks on their faces
that spelled out what kind of monster they were—and how powerful.
Everything after that kind of clicked into place.
Lightning Round
Questions
What are you
reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Honestly, I bought myself a Kindle Unlimited subscription and I’ve been
having a blast with it. There’s a lot of fun stuff on there! I just finished up
reading “Lera of Lunos” by Alex Lidel. Then, I need to go back and re-read Good
Omens before watching the tv-show!
What Hogwarts
House would the Sorting Hat place you in?
I feel like I’m obligated to say Slytherin. Seeing as I have a tattoo
of a snake on my ankle. And c’mon…villains ftw.
Twitter or
Facebook?
I Social Media only because I have to. I’m much more of a Discord
person, myself. But I’m around on both. I think, if I had to pick, Twitter.
Favorite
Superhero?
Deadpool. Favorite supervillain? The Riddler.
Favorite TV show?
Currently, Game of Thrones. I also adore the Castlevania Netflix
series. (See: Previous obsession with Dracula.)
Sweet or Salty?
Sweet all the way. I have a vicious sweet tooth.
Any Phobias?
Spiders. Little leggy bastards. If I see one on my terms, it’s fine.
But if one of them sneaks up on me? It’s shrieky time. I’m also dodgy around
bees, but I’m allergic to them, so I think I have an excuse there.
Song you can’t get
enough of right now?
“Arsonist’s Lullabye” by Hozier, and “Once Upon a Dream” by Lana Del
Rey. Both are major inspirations for the series as I’m writing.
2019 Movie you’re
most looking forward to?
Avengers: Endgame. Star Wars as a close second.
Thanks so much Kathryn for answering my questions! I can’t wait for
everyone to read THE MASKS OF UNDER SERIES!
About Kathryn:
Kat has always been a storyteller.
With ten years in script-writing for
performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing in
one form or another. When she isn’t penning down fiction, she works as Creative
Director for a company that designs and builds large-scale interactive
adventure games. There, she is the lead concept designer, handling everything
from game and set design, to audio and lighting, to illustration and script
writing. Also on her list of skills are artistic direction, scenic painting and
props, special effects, and electronics. A graduate of Boston University with a
BFA in Theatre Design, she has a passion for unique, creative, and
unconventional experiences. In her spare time, she builds animatronics and
takes trapeze classes.Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive ebooks of KING OF FLAMES & KING OF SHADOWS,
International.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
4/15/2019- BookHounds- Excerpt
4/15/2019- Dorky Girl and Skeletor- Spotlight
4/16/2019- Lone Tree Reviews- Excerpt
4/16/2019- Jaime's World- Excerpt
4/17/2019- Bri's Book Nook- Review
4/17/2019- ❧Defining Ways❧-
Excerpt
4/18/2019- Down the rabbit hole- Review
4/18/2019- Writing on the Sunny Side of the Street-
Excerpt
4/19/2019- Lisa Loves Literature- Spotlight
4/19/2019- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt
Week Two:
4/22/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
4/22/2019- Parajunkee- Excerpt
4/23/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews-
Review
4/23/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt
4/24/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Review
4/24/2019- Reese's Reviews- Review
4/25/2019- A Gingerly Review- Review
4/25/2019- Taking It One Book at a time-
Review
4/26/2019- TheSecret Reader- Review
4/26/2019- Book Briefs- Review
