Check out Stephanie Churchill's fabulous new book — The King’s Furies (Crowns of Destiny Book 3) #NewRelease #HistoricalFantasy @WriterChurchill

The King’s Furies Blog Tour – July 18, 2019

The King’s Furies

(Crowns of Destiny Book 3)

By Stephanie Churchill

An Author’s Inspiration…

Have you ever spoken with a friend, or maybe a relative, or perhaps even your spouse, and as you tell a story or relate the details of a certain event or past memory, the other person involved in the conversation recalls the details very differently from you?

Here’s another one:

What if a friend, relative, or spouse reacts to a situation or to a certain piece of news in a way that is vastly different from your expectation based on past history?

Life would be much simpler for all of us if we all had memories like elephants or if our behavior and reactions were always perfectly predictable. If everyone perceived things the way we did, if people reacted the way we did, or at least the way we expected, life would be far less complicated.

But how boring that would be for authors! Stories would be rather mundane, don’t you think?

One of the things I enjoy the most about writing books is the characters who populate them. Don’t get me wrong: the plot is vital to any good book. A character has to interact in the world we’ve created for them, and they have to actually do stuff. But for me, the real fascination is character. Especially the characters who exist in that very uncomfortable in-between of good and evil, who don’t see all black or white, are not always right or wrong. These kinds of characters inhabit a gray area that makes writing about them so interesting. People are complicated, unpredictable, and well beyond fascinating.

These subtly layered characters are what I love to write, and the idea of differing perspectives is what launched my Crowns of Destiny series.

My first two books, The Scribe’s Daughter and The King’s Daughter, focuses on two sisters, each who is unique in both perspective and personality. And like every other human on earth, each of the sisters engages with her environment and reacts to the events unfolding before her very eyes in a vastly different way. And as such, each sister has an adventure which reveals a slightly different series of events, uncovering a slightly different litany of truths, from the other sister.

The second book introduced a new character whose story was too fascinating for me to leave alone. It presented a new puzzle of perspective. I developed a new ‘what if’ question based on perspective.

When push comes to shove, what separates a king from a member of a street gang? Is it his wealth and resources? The king has the power to make law, the member of the street gang can only abide by the law or break it. And what about character? A king can behave with integrity or hide in the moral shadows just like a gangster.

My third and upcoming book, The King’s Furies, take a look at one of my final main characters, Casmir of Agrius. He is a man who never wanted to be king and a man who fights his own internal demons. What is his story, what makes him tick, and is his destiny fated, or can he take control of the becoming the man he can be?

The King’s Furies

(Crowns of Destiny Book 3)

Not all enemies are visible.
 
Sometimes the most defiant ones exist only in the heart and mind.
 
The Defiler of Prilleand his hound are dead. With my marriage to the daughter of Bedic Sajen, ourhouses are united. After the birth of our daughter and heir to the throne, peace settles over Agrius once more.
 
But it's a fragile peace.
 
As I work to restore the former glory of my inheritance, rumors of betrayal and treachery reach the throne, threatening to shatter everything I have worked hard to achieve.
 
When old enemies surface, the rumors become real. Disaster strikes, plunging me into a darkness I fear I cannot escape.
 
Many advisors step forward to help, but it's never easy to determine friend from foe when it comes to the powers swirling around the throne.
 
Faced with the decision to stay true to my honor or to become like my father, a man I despised, the bonds of unity with forged with family and friends are tested. 
 
To the point of breaking.
 
What compromises will I make to secure the future of my family and my kingdom?
 
Will I lose both myself and the ones I love in the process?

Excerpt

From The King’s Furies, chapter 23:

“You are Rækallin in the flesh, I swear by the gods, Casmir. Or you are possessed by his minions at the very least.” Wolf tossed me a flask, and I caught it with one hand, quaffing a good measure then wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “If you and I were not friends as we are, I would have supposed you were doing all you could to kill me before dumping my body into the Sound. But we are, and I know you were not. I can only imagine this has something to do with Rebane?”

I eyed Wolf then took another swig of the flask to avoid answering Wolf’s question. Yes, I had seen Rebane’s face in the fight. I’d wished it had been Rebane, and I had reacted accordingly. I had shown the traitor mercy, and that mercy had been repaid with more treason and treachery, not just against the Crown, but against me personally. Oh, yes, I had seen Rebane’s face in the fight, and I had dreamed of thousands of ways to kill him. I was a king; it was true; oath-bound to uphold the law. But I was a father first. It was good I had to stay home in Prille. If I met up with Rebane in Aksum, likely I’d kill him on the spot.

I tossed the flask back to Wolf who took my silence with a shrug and the offer of a hand to help me up.

Pre-order your copy of

The King’s Furies

Amazon

Out July 30^th 2019

The Scribe's Daughter

(Crowns of Destiny Book 1)

My father had a secret. It will likely kill me.

But he is gone, and only my sharp tongue and recklessness help me survive.

The day a man shows up at my door to hire me for a ridiculous task everything changes. I find myself on the run from powerful men who think I know something. But I don't. How is a scribe's daughter to know the secrets of kings and their thrones?

My only help comes from the son of the leader of a band of exiles, a man with his own secrets. Danger pursues us through mountains and swamps, across the sea and to exotic lands. Only then will I find answers.

But I will pay the price. A very big price.

My sharp tongue and recklessness have saved me in the past. Will they save me now?

Everything I thought I knew is a lie. I am a scribe's daughter, but there is more to the story.

Amazon

The King's Daughter

 (Crowns of Destiny Book 2)

Alone.
Taken from her home.
Facing a future she never expected. Or wanted...

Irisa's father had a secret. And that secret shatters everything she thought she knew.

Her life is a lie. And the man who has taken her will help her find the answers to her future.

Snatched away to a land not her own, Irisa finds herself caught in a web of powerful men who would use her for their own purposes. The line between ally and enemy is subtle, and knowing who to trust is more difficult than she thought possible.

As she begins to unravel the threads of her family's disturbing past, what she discovers is more sinister than she could have imagined.

A battle rages for the throne.

The throne that belongs to her.

And yet... her biggest enemy is her friend. Seizing this truth could cost her everything.

Will Irisa have the courage to claim her inheritance for her own?

Amazon

Stephanie Churchill

Evoking the essence of historical fiction but without the history, Stephanie’s writing draws on her knowledge of history even while set in purely fictional places existing only in her imagination.  Filled with action and romance, loyalty and betrayal, her writing relies on deeply drawn and complex characters, exploring the subtleties of imperfect people living in a gritty, sometimes dark world.  Her unique blend of historical fiction and fantasy ensures that her books are sure to please fans of historical fiction and epic fantasy literature alike.

Connect with Stephanie: Website • Twitter • Goodreads.