Author Guest Post with K. M. Warfield: Shield and Scepter

An ancient relic. Two solitary quests. A chance to prove one’s worth.

Welcome to one of the November 24th stops on the blog tour for Shield and Scepter by K. M. Warfield with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

Finding the Spark in the Ordinary

Many thanks to Westveil Publishing for hosting me today!

One thing I’ve had people ask me is where my ideas come from/what inspires me. I’ve got a relatively normal answer in that, at least with the Heroes of Avoch series, it’s the friends I play Dungeons and Dragons with. Getting us into a room where we can be another version of ourselves and laugh with a family we chose is one big idea factory.

What I’ve found, though, is that some of the best moments of inspiration…some of the clearest flashes of ideas or possible twists… don’t come as big flashy billboard moments. They’re much smaller, they snowball quickly, and we all have them.

Inspiration can be found everywhere you look. It could be in the steam rising from a puddle of water as the morning sunlight hits it. It could be the crisp breeze that makes yellow and red leaves dance on the side of the road. It’s wandering into a store just to look around because you’re killing time and finding a throw blanket or coffee mug that you didn’t know you needed but it’s coming home with you. It’s watching a cat chirp in their sleep, dreaming about catching birds. Or the feel of the heat from a cup of coffee permeating your cold hands.

I’m fortunate in that I’m a lucid dreamer, and usually remember what my subconscious plotted out while I slept. My husband can attest to mornings when I bolted out of bed, sprinting for my computer. The perfect path from where I was in a story to where I needed to go will be in my head, and my fingers are itching to put it to paper. Other times, it’s a text or phone call with a good friend….throwing out what if ideas and seeing what sticks.

For me, that’s the ultimate phrase as an author. We’re trying to answer what happens if Thia doesn’t find the loose brick, only to realize it’s far more fun if she does. 

K. M. Warfield
Author – Heroes of Avoch trilogy
She/Her

About the Book

Shield and Scepter
Heroes of Avoch Book Two
by K. M. Warfield

Published 7 November 2023
Creative James Media

Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 330
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

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.

About the Author

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’.

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Giveaway Alert!

K. M. Warfield will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.