Hi Champions! This post is your reminder that the 2018 Reader Survey will only be live for a few more days. If you haven’t filled it out I’d love to hear from you as the answers will help me plan what books to write in the future! This is also your last chance to get the sneak peek of Snow White before it is released in December (you’ll get redirected to the sample when you finish the survey).
Click here to fill out the survey now!
Now we have to talk about something that quite frankly I find a little scandalous. If you’ve already taken the reader survey you know that one of the questions asks which of my book series you’ve read. There is also a question asking what genres you like to read.
The clear winner so far for the “genres you like to read” question is “fairy tales” which as a fellow fairy tale lover is not a surprise to me. 😉 What IS a surprise is the answers for which of my books series you’ve read. I’m including a screenshot below so you can see the responses so far.
I actually swooned a bit like those delicate Victorian ladies you read about when I saw that The Snow Queen series really far behind the Timeless Fairy Tale series. I feel a bit strange asking this, but is it obvious Snow Queen is a fairy tale? Have I not made it clear that it’s connected to the Timeless Fairy Tales series and they should be read together? If you’ve haven’t read Snow Queen but have read the Timeless Fairy Tales series can you leave a comment below telling me why? (I’m totally flummoxed by this, and it’s pretty important given how closely intertwined Snow Queen is with the Timeless Fairy Tales. I’m starting to sweat a bit about Angelique’s books, ahahaha.)
On the happier end, I’m shocked that Robyn Hood is ranking so high. I’m saying this with all the love of a mother, but it is not well edited and frankly you can tell it was one of the first books I launched, so its popularity is a bit puzzling. (It’s beating out The MBRC and Second Age of Retha series which are much more polished.) If you have chosen to read Robyn Hood but decided to skip stuff like the MBRC and Retha, could please let me know why in the comments below? (I’m trying to figure out if this is purely a genre based decision, or something else, as this will affect what book projects I take on in the future.)
And finally, I have a somewhat sad message for everyone who keeps asking when will I write a sequel to Life Reader. I’m so happy you all love that book and it has a special place in my heart too since it has so much of the magic and humor I love packed into it. But if you look at the graph…It’s in last place right now. 🙁
This is a good example of how the results of the reader survey really do impact what I do in the future. I can’t justify devoting time to writing a sequel for the least popular series right now, particularly when I have some big projects coming on deck. BUT! Don’t panic, I still am planning to write a sequel to Life Reader. It’s just going to be quite a long time (as in, several years) before I can get to it.
Once again, a big thanks to everyone who filled out the survey and is helping me fill in the gaps of my understanding! 😉 I hope you guys have liked the free sample. I’ve been thrilled by the feedback I’ve gotten as I’m taking a slightly…different approach to Snow White than the usual retellings.
I am happy to share that Snow White (the first draft anyway) is tapping out at roughly 92,000 words, which is about 10,000 words longer than 12 Dancing Princesses and Sacrifice, so I’m hoping you guys will enjoy the extra pages. (Lol, and I cannot WAIT for you to meet all the characters. This book has some of my favorite character interactions ever!)
But I digress. Thanks for reading–and commenting, and taking the survey–and have a lovely week!
I feel like I should preface this with a *disclaimer.* I am a big fan and love all your works (and I apologize ahead of time for fan-girling and going off on tangents as I am known to do…*cough*…case in point…sorry. lol)! I do, however, have a slightly different favorites list than a lot of your readers (at least according to the poll). 😉
I first found your books a few years ago and absolutely loved them all ( I think I actually started with King Arthur). I now make it a point to outright buy them (rather than borrow on Kindle Unlimited) as soon as I hear you have released a new one. For the record, I may be a bit biased as I love EVERYTHING you have written…and I was also a teen librarian for a few years, so I love books that can be enjoyed by that age group (even if I’m not *cough* *cough* quite that young anymore *cough*. =p). I especially enjoy coming across those that can be viewed as clean with positive messages and yet are still laugh out loud fun. There are far too many out there that are filled with dark and depressing topics (which I feel there is a need for too, as books can allow people to learn about, express, connect with, and work through things that they might not be able to do otherwise).
That being said, I am perhaps more in the minority of your fans as, even though I love them all, some of my favorites are the less read/popular series (according to the chart at least). As a /closet/ gamer (i.e. I didn’t go around shouting from the rooftops that I played…*gasp!* games…o.O) who has mostly played MMORPGs (starting back with LOTRO, moving on to SWTOR, and currently ESO); I definitely connected with, laughed hysterically (I mean, come on…how could you not…Kit’s great sense of humor…and desperate desire to find a decent set of armor…level grinding with Solus, impossible boss fights…been there, the awesome variety of players and personalities that were right on point, and so much more!), and adored the Retha books (and look forward to the next installment when you are able to release it). I have also always been a big fan of the King Arthur series, Life Reader, MBRC, and Elves of Lessa. Quite honestly (although, I still love them and am looking forward to the future stories in that realm, including the Angelique stories…very excited to see that. lol), I actually have liked your other stories a little more than the fairy tales (don’t hate me…); even though, again, they are still great and your books are all at the top of my favorite lists.
I guess all of this is a long winded (and possibly confusing due to my tangent-like /side-notes/…sorry about that) way to say, thank you for sharing your work (all of it, they are all awesome) and I eagerly look forward to all you share with us in the future!
Wahooo! Another Retha fan!
Awww, thank you for your really sweet comment, Heather! (It came at a time right when I needed it most!)
And as a fellow library-lover and secret gamer (I loved Lotro!! and I enjoyed SWToR, but I haven’t tried ESO) I feel like we should have a secret handshake or something! 😉
But thanks for your loyalty as a reader, and for supporting my stories. I really appreciate it!
I preface this by saying I LOVE your books but as your survey is informing your decisions I want you to have acccurate information. Your results are skewed in favour of Timeless Tales because you lumped them as a category instead of as individual books. It is understandable why but the results are giving you false information. Eg. I would tap Timeless Tales because I have read a few of the series but not the rest YET. The results for Beauty and the Beast will be different from Rumplestiltskin. On the other hand, I have made it a priority to read all 3 Age of Retha, both Elves of Lessa, and all the Snow Queen (even the short stories) with their release dates in my calendar. You also need to factor in how long they have been out in the world so more people have been exposed to them. Finally, fairytales are easy to find on Amazon but not as many people know to look for LitRPG or GameLit. A multiple analysis of variance would be better. In short, I just don’t want you to limit yourself because I am greedy greedy GREEDY for more books in a variety of genres from you. Thank you for all the effort you put into keeping in touch with your readers and giving us fantastic stories with amazing characters.
Yes, what you said!
I loved the Timeless Fairy Tales, I never read the Snow Queen series because it didn’t seem necessary. We were given enough of her story just as a summary I never felt the need or want. I’m sure I’ll get around to sometime this month as I wait for Snow White.
I did not realize Snow Queen was a part of the Timeless fairy tales until I started reading it. And then I was so excited it linked in! The first Robyn Hood book was suggested to me on Amazon heavily. It was literally always in my suggested book list until I bought it. I’m wondering if that is why so many people have read it? Also everyone, read The Second Age of Retha NOW! It’s one of my favorite books EVER!
In my quest to re-read all of the Timeless Tales (in order this time) I took a detour right before Rumplestiltskin to read the Snow Queen books, as the comments here made it clear it would be in my best interest.
I loved them, and the short stories gave me goosebumps. I do look forward to re-reading them. Actually I may re-read them right now before going back to Timeless. I found the Snow Queen books to be heavy, the kind where I ignore my small child and work around the house and make noncomital sounds to my husband while he talks to me because I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Books like that are not sustainable for me. One of the reasons I adore the Timeless series is that I CAN put it down without a punch to the rhetorical gut. I can do what I have to do during the day but know that as soon as I have free time, I can pick up where I left off in this charming, funny and uplifting world Shea has built.
So on sum, I would love to read more about the Snow Queen, her world, her ancestors. I would pay money to do so in a heartbeat. But my real bread and butter is the more light hearted and comical Timeless style, because that is the literary comfort I need to keep my going on a day to day basis.
Thank you Kitty for these wonderful stories!
….POSSIBLE SPOILER…..
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P.s. WAS there something between Phile and Oskar? Was it never rekindled?
OH MY GOODNESS! /Was/ there!? I have to know. Also, how do you pronounce Phile? Is it like philly, or file, or what? Me and my sister have an ongoing debate about this . . .
So true, I decided on “philly”. I also wondered if Snorri is really “snore-y” and of Knut if “kuh-nut”. Oh and I want to BADLY to know if Gerta and Kai end up “together” as adults, or simply the best of friends? and either way I love them and want to know what their lives were like! I wanna read their story! I’d pay top dollar for it. Snow Queen def left me with lots of questions. I wish it had its own message board on the site so we could all grab about it at length! Lol. I love Phile so much. Omg. And Oskar. And Snorri. Such great books.
To answer your question about gerta and kai, they do end up together. You should read the 2018 hero poll interview. Farrin mentioned it.
I cannot find it. Help?
Its in 2018 hero poll. You will find it on the blog. The interview is a pdf.
I found a fabulous poll where people sent in questions for the top three of four heroes of the books. Still, Farrin, Merlin etc. I assume that’s the right one. But I cannot find where the answers are posted.
Its a blog post of april 30, 2018.
It has a link for the pdf.
Hi Annie! There is now a link to the 2018 Hero poll character interview on the freebies / extra page. Enjoy! https://kmshea.com/freebies/
I’m pretty sure it’s pronounced Phil with a silent e. I don’t remember Farrin saying that? Time for a re-read!
Oh. I’ve been pronouncing it “Fee-lay”. Too much Latin in HS, lol!
I thought it was fun because it looks like the Greek “phileo” which means “brotherly (or in this case, sisterly) love”
I pronounce it the same way too. Kitty should put a blog post about pronunciation. I am also confused about elle nd emele.
I went with fee-lay too and now I can’t go back.
I googled it and the pronunciation was ‘file’ but i still like the feelay one better.
Rethea series needs to be ranked higher! Best LITRPG genre series I have read so far. They are the first set of books I have read written by Kitty. That being said, can anyone point me to another series written by her that is kind of similar in adventure (doesn’t have to be litrpg), tone, and witty humor by her? Something with the same level of romance The Revived had.
In kitty’s words retha has a slow burn romance that’s also quite visible in King Arthur and her knights. The romance actually really starts from the 4th book and is really slow but very cute. There are total 7 books though the first 6 are quite short (novellas type) and are available as 2 packs. I may be biased but the series is super. Britt is a totally sarcastic heroine too. There is adventure present as well but it consists mainly of sword fights, going on quests and the like. And despite the whole fighting thing it isn’t gory at all. The series actually has some of my most favourite characters. So please check it out!!!
Hope that helped.
Kinshuk,
I’ll will check out the King Arthur series. It does sound like it might be a good fit. Thanks for the suggestion!
Your wlcm.
And i hope you fall in love with the series too. Britt is my favourite heroine.
The whole thing being said you should atleast try reading every book kitty has ever written on KU or by reading their samples. They have varying degrees of romance but all are totally awesome. Especially the Snow queen series, the elves of lessa series and the timeless fairy tales. In the last two romance is quite a main thing but they have a lot of adventure and humor too like puss in boots and Cinderella and the colonel.
After reading all of these comments, I am taking a break from re-reading to timeless fair tales series (in order and back to back for the first time) to read the snow queen trilogy. Just signed up for KU trial and started the first book. I already like it. After I finish these three I will pick back up on Timeless with Rumpelstiltskin.
Another thing with the results that may be worth noting, Kitty, is that the top 4 results have all had a book released in the last 12 months (I’m lumping SQ in with TFT here), so if people (especially newer readers) have been following your blog, these are the series they’ve been hearing about, and are therefore more likely to read. Retha is the only exception, and it sounds as though that may be a genre based decision for some.
My sister and I both started reading Timeless fairy tales when Cinderella and the Colonel was free. She read it and loved it and I had seen it but realized it was the third book in a series so I got the first two from KU and read them all in order. Neither of us realized Snow Queen was intertwined with them. I guess we figured it would have had the “Timeless” mark on them if that was case. I was actually waiting for the Frog Prince to come out when I picked up the Snow Queen books and once I started reading is when it dawned on me that it was part of the that series. My sister did not read them and at the end of Frog Prince I was explaining the back story of the Snow Queen to her. She still hasn’t read them but I’ll get her to soon. 😉 She’s reading the Eldentimber series (Shari L Tapscott) so I’ll let her finish that first.
I’m sad I missed the deadline for this(I’m a horrid procrastinator…)but for what it’s worth, an answer to why I’ve basically read everything you’ve written with a handful of exceptions. Including Life Reader, MBRC stuff, and Retha, although, yes, I’ve read Robyn Hood. The short version is I read your King Arthurs books and loved them to pieces(I may have cried at the end of Endings*blushes*)and wanted to see what you did with Robin Hood. They are…ok? Goodness knows they’re are not horrible and I’ve read far worse, but I can certainly see what you mean about young writing. I have stories I love to pieces but I came up with them when I was younger and they haven’t always aged well. Robyn Hood has that young, still good, but young feeling.
I’m more fairy tales and romance a lot of the time though the King Arthurs tone of epic legend and adventures mix is definitely my jive as well, so I loved them. I just don’t get that feeling with MBRC and haven’t had a chance to try Life Reader yet(for some reason the description makes me think of Inkspell and that book gave me the heebie jeebies!) Retha is not a reflection of you, I’ve just read all the “virtual reality” stories I can stomach for a while.
I DO adore the Elves of Lessa books, those are great! Pure romantic fun but with a fun little under hint of stuff to come. I remember reading Snow Queen and loving the background it gave to what was going on in the Timeless Fairy Tales series. Reading the end of Frog Prince was a ride because it felt like the characters were FINALLY catching up with what I knew!
Having read LifeReader, I can tell you that it was not as creepy as Inkspell (it gave me the heebie jeebies too, even though my best friend classes it among her favorites). Like all of Kitty’s books, LifeReader retains that wholesome feel that counteracts any possible creepiness.
I’ve been slowly reading my way through timeless fairytales for a couple years now. I finally read the last one a few days ago and I’m like, “why have I been half hazarsly reading my way through these books in between other books that are always hit or miss?”. K.m. Shea is what I come back to when I’ve suffered through a string of books that let me down, and I need something that I know will make me laugh, make me happy and have characters I love. So I’ve started re-reading the whole series now, savoring every moment and loving it. It honestly makes my days more enjoyable knowing I have these wonderful characters and stories to come back to when I have a chance to sit down. Once I finish timeless fairytales, I looking forward to the snow queen books. I nearly screamed when I found this site and learned there will be a series for my girl Angelique. CANNOT WAIT! I am anxious to see if my answer changes after the reread, but right now Twelve Dancing Sisters is my fav. I love the main guy and gal in that one. So much. I also look forward to reading all of the posts on here! It’s like a k.m. shea message board! Exciting!
Annie
Age 32
Devoted fan
Of course Snow Queen is part of Timeless Fairy Tales! At the same time, I wasn’t surprised that her story is at least thought of as a stand-alone. I think it may be primarily because it has a bit more of an epic feel to it than the rest of the series, and partly because it’s a series in itself and the time setting is way in advance of everything else. It’s a grand, sweeping story that sort of stands apart in its own right. You should take it as a compliment, because it means you kind of outdid yourself with that particular one. 😉
I would guess, though, that the GREAT majority of your readers know that it’s part of the Timeless Fairy Tale world/series even if they think of it a bit separately. You could run a poll to test that if you want to!
As far as Robyn Hood goes, I think you’re sweating writer-stuff and not story-stuff (and there IS a difference sometimes!). You started with a well-known legend with its own following, and your retelling is just really good. People forgive bad editing when the story’s great. I’m no writer, but I have never really known what you mean when you complain about how badly written it is. It’s a series I revisit from time to time, and I’ve read all your work. 🙂
There’s your daily pep talk. Now go write! 😀
Ooh, writer-stuff vs story-stuff!!! That’s exactly what it is!
Life Reader, and some of the other earlier ones work the same way!
First books of yours that I read were the MBRC ones. I really enjoyed the world set up, characters and writing style and decided to see what else you had written.
There were quite a few of the timeless fairytales (I think this was shortly before the snow queen was published) but rather than read the series in order I picked out the ones that were among my favourite fairytales to start or had the most interesting seeming blurbs. So I started with puss in boots followed by rumplestiltskin and the little selkie. I don’t recall an exact order for the rest but wild swans was pretty much the last one left to read and then i was all caught up and it became a case of rereading my favourites whilst waiting for the next book to come out. I liked the wild swans fairytale as a child but I ended up reading your version of it last i think if I hadn’t read puss in boots and glimpsed the characters in that i might have had more interest to read it.
I would have preferred elise to end up with falk but I also think that if you really wanted to put her with rune you should have then you would have been able to use falk in another story further down the line. You’ve said falk is a popular character so I doubt anyone would have objected to him finding a Happily ever after in a later book.
I definitely consider the snow queen duology an integral part of the timeless fairytales. Pretty sure I put myself down as having read both in the survey. I also put myself down as having read Robyn hood and King Arthur series because I did start to read them. Robyn hood seemed more aimed at a younger audience and with King Arthur i got distracted part way through before I could get properly invested in the characters/story because the frog prince came out and then I forgot to go back to reading it afteR because my brain was full of the frog prince. The survey didn’t have an option for having only read part of or started but not finished a series and I hadn’t not read them so I ended up putting myself as having read them.
I started reading the entwined tales because you had written the goosegirl one and I really enjoyed the short story of the princess/shepherdess. I have also read the princess ahira and I have a couple other books of yours, about elves, on my kindle waiting to be read. I feel like I have written a rather long and rambling response I hope it makes sense and is helpful to you.
I feel I should elaborate on Faulk. I would have prefered him to end up with Elise because I believe he was more deserving of her than rune. Faulks love was more about Elise whilst runes was more about himself.
Faulk was aware of her in swan form and in human form put her health and well being above his desire to have her to himself. Rune was oblivious as a swan and as human seemed way more concerned with having Elise to himself away from Faulk than anything else. Also as someone else already observed she had friend zoned him into the brother category.
At the same time I dont think Elise was the best match for Faulk. She completely misread his behaviour/feelings toward her and this misunderstanding lasted for years. Which is why I would be perfectly ok if you had chosen for Elise to end up with rune and have Faulk find his own hea in a later story with someone who could understand him better.
Sorry for further ramblings
I think Elise misread Faulk because she was already convinced she wasn’t wanted, that she had something to prove. Faulk saw who she really was and once she saw him, I think a great deal of the misunderstandings would go away. Faulk loved Elise for her mind, her heart, and her strength. That is the kind of love you should look for.
Rune flirted with other women, no matter what excuse he used for it, it is not okay to play with people like that. He was always touching her, and it bugged me because she didn’t know what it meant. Rune would move on, if he let go of his fixation and that’s what his emotions seem to be.
I whole heartedly agree with your assessment of rune and Faulk and why Elise misread Faulk so badly.
What bothers me and makes me doubt whether Elise was the best match for Faulk is that the misunderstanding went on for years when they work and live so closely together. Also I don’t really connect with Elise as well as some of the other heroines. I am left wanting her to end up with Faulk because he is my favourite character in this book and is so much more genuine in his feelings than rune but also with a slight feeling that Faulk could do better.
Those are my own feelings though and we all have different thoughts/feelings about who Elise should be with
Same here. I only preferred Faulk with Elise because he’s my favourite character from the book and you just want to have a hero with that sort of emotional depth and commitment for the main heroine. I read the book twice, but some time ago, so I don’t remember many details, but Rune was definitely not on the same level as Faulk with regards to this. However, I believe that both endings were unfair to both Rune and Faulk, and to Faulk to a much higher degree. Elise was a bit too much like a double swing door. Her choices almost seemed to be based on uncertain chance epiphanies and whimsy, and when it comes to relationships at least I prefer to see the steadily growing mutual commitment between main characters. Due to the double ending Faulk seems to be robbed of this. Rune and Elise seems to be better matched here but I don’t like that ending anymore than the one with Faulk just because their feelings happen to be equally shallow. Rune could’ve found someone else who he would’ve loved with real depth, and Elise by choosing Rune robbed him of this. Both endings seem to be unfair to Faulk, one ending is unfair to Rune and I think that made me resent Elise just a little.
I skipped Robyn Hood on my sister’s suggestion. (I will grab the freebie and try it at Halloween.) I don’t actually remember why I haven’t read life reader. I’m pretty sure I thought it was shorter than your other books, which apparently is backwards!
It took me a long time before I read Retha, and that was entirely due to the cover art. Usually a book with a belly shirt on the cover is not as clean as I want to read. Also, I’m not a gamer. Once I gave in and read it, though, I fell in love with it. I have to be careful not to read it too many times, because I don’t want to burn myself out! So the feedback on Retha is that the cover, while awesome for those who’ve read the books, may be driving away some of your dedicated clean-book readers. (As a side note, I think you should plan on Retha 5 to be 5 and 6. That’s what’s happened every time so far!)
Yeah, that’s a good point about the belly shirt. If I hadnt read all of Kitty’s other books first & had her assurance that Retha was clean, I probably wouldn’t have sprung for it. But then, I’m not a gamer, either. I dont know if more invested gaming fans would be fazed or not. Gamers, what did you think of the cover?
I have only skimmed prior comments, so I apologize if this is very redundant :-).
I have read everything except Robyn Hood, and that not for lack of trying. I have a KU subscription, so it’s a sunk cost and nearly nothing at the margin to try it…and I just cannot get into it. I’m reassured to hear it was an early work, because my thought trying to read it was “this reads like an early work, almost juvenalia.” Every single author has that stuff, it’s no biggie, but I just couldn’t get into it as a result. There’s another factor as well, an extension of the juvenalia feel–it reads like teen lit, and while I actually DO read teen lit sometimes despite being a big old grownup, it was not an engaging instance of such and I found myself with little patience for the more childish behavior of the characters. Long story short, it’s not bad for what it is, but if someone like me (who “joined up” a little before 12 Dancing Princesses came out) who has read a great deal of your more mature work comes to it, it’s likely to fail to engage. (Side Note: From what I did read, it almost feels like a precursor in your ideas to the King Arthur series, with the gender-swapped heroes and classic English tale base. I do really enjoy Brit and Co.)
MBRC is also functionally teen lit, of course, and I do enjoy those…but not as much as other works. The humor saves that one–it’s almost Retha-like humor and benefits from that shared tone enough to “save” some of the less mature aspects of the story. I would actually be happy to read more in that world :-).
The Timeless Fairy Tales (and, personally, I always included SQ with those in my head, as prequels) got me through a really rough 10 days between being pretty sure I’d lost a baby in the second trimester, and the confirmation that yes, he was gone, and the subsequent miscarriage. As such, they have a special place in my heart. I found that series on KU when I was absolutely desperate for a world to disappear into so I could stop thinking about things for a while while I was stuck in limbo, and they did that so very well. Even now, on re-reads, I get joy from them due to the quality world-building and writing, the unique use of fairy tale retellings in an overall plot, and the ability to have realism and happy endings. I am so glad you plan to do a whole trilogy with Angelique, because it’s been clear for a while she was going to be pivotal and linked to SQ in some ways, and so I’m really looking forward to seeing that play out.
I have favorites and not, of course. Wild Swans is by far my least favorite, and since I remember the events well, I skip it on re-reads. It frustrates me in large part because I feel you painted yourself into a corner with the world overall by not picking an ending. It was clear from my first reading that you didn’t pick because YOU would like to have Rune (you know, if you were in Elise’s place), but you could see with author-vision that Falk was a much better fit for her, the story, and the world. The split ending causes ripple-on problems later (mostly that you have to “waste” the world building for Arcania because you can’t bring them in too much without some fancy dancing to avoid saying who she is married to) and is very unsatisfying.
My favorite is Cinderella and the Colonel. A quality retelling of a story I normally actually don’t like much, and I love the characters in it a lot. They’re so strong and real. I’d happily read novellas/short spin-offs from that world, where some of our side characters get more page time and HEAs :-)!
I read your A.M. Sohma stuff, too, honestly because it’s a little bit perfect for the tad bit of gamer in me–I’m a terrible “driver” in video games for several reasons, so I don’t play them, but I’ve always enjoyed watching my friends play-through the more story-based games, and thus I enjoy the “playing but not playing and with some over-arching story” aspect of that world. Plus, I am very engaged with those characters and so much looking forward to learning more about them!
Thank you so much for the gift of your books and worlds. Even if I hadn’t found them at a moment when I so desperately needed them, I would have greatly enjoyed them and followed your work. As it is, they (and by extension, you as an author) hold a special place in my personal cannon.
Oh, I forgot Life Reader. I have read that one in its entirety, and I can see that it’s a labor of love for you, but it desperately needs a detail-oriented editing and some serious polish. The world is also one that I find less well-explained/built and thus less engaging than some of the others. Personally, I’d be on the fence about reading a sequel. I would be more likely to if it were in KU (thus, low cost to me) and/or if a re-polished version of the first were re-released first.
I found your books on KU and I believe Robyn Hood is the first book I read. I enjoyed the playful banter and went on to read all of your books. Life Reader is actually my second favorite book of yours, but it has multiple dropped hints for another book and isn’t as polished as the TFT series, so I struggle to re-read it as I feel disappointed and even a little confused at the end with the lack of closure. Also, from a purely aestic viewpoint, Life Reader is one of your least polished and eye catching covers, and my eye tends to slide over it. It isn’t a bad cover, it is just easy to overlook.
I’ve always enjoyed Red Rope of Fate, but with the edits that add in some of Captain Arion’s POV, it became my favorite book of yours and was the first one I bought.
As far as Snow Queen, you’ve made it obvious from its release that is a part of the Timeless Fairy Tales, but it didn’t become obvious it was necessary to read until the more recent books. I personally didn’t click well with Rakel (which is weird because we foster and adopt kids from hard places, so I understood where she is coming from); it was just difficult to get into the story. It took me three tries to get all the way through the first book. My teen daughter felt the same and didn’t finish the book. I re-read the Snow Queen books after The Frog Prince came out and enjoyed them more the second time around, possibly because there was more connection to the TFT series.
I started reading your books when Rumpelstiltskin came out. Since then I have read every book AT LEAST twice, with the exception of the Robyn Hood books, they just didn’t do it for me. (Though it may be time for a re-read?) The only other book(s) of your I was not a fan of was Life Reader. An opinion which I seem to be a minority in, I also did appreciate it a lot more upon the second reading. As for you question the Snow Queen is very obviously a fairytale to me. I love the larger connection to TTFT and it has probably my favorite cast of characters as a whole out of all of your books/series.
Also adding I was sixteen when I first started reading your books, I am twenty now and sadly don’t have as much time for reading. I still never fail to buy your books once they come out (and stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning devouring them), my guilty pleasure. 😀 Truly appreciate that your books are so clean and can relate to a plethora of ages, please never stop writing. Also just a random P.S. I am super stoked for Angelique’s story, but for the longest time I envisioned Evariste as a Handalf-the-Grey-esque wizard, white beard and all. I don’t think I realized he wasn’t old until maybe Sleeping Beauty? *embarrassed*
Hahaha
Kitty has a knack for blowing up Gandalfy characters in our face. First merlin then see ringali and now this..
Nope, not alone! I had the same image 😉 Seeing how Kitty’s ideas differ from my own is part of what’s going to make Angelique’s story so much fun!
Third or Forth this, when I read Puss in Boots(which happened to be my first KM Shea book)I got the impression of older mentor figure with like a fatherly/family love and then came Sleeping Beauty…Here’s hoping he’s another Merlin, I’m all for that!
This whole discussion has been a fascinating study in how a group of people can love the same thing, but not always for the same reasons, and that the reason one person likes a thing may be the very reason another person doesnt.
How do you handle it/ interpret it, Kitty? Knowing that a person doesnt like something precious to you, or trying to figure out what we do like, when the opinions are as diverse as the individuals themselves? I’m genuinely curious now.
I have read all of your books that you have out and it all started with Beauty and the Beast. I have also read your Retha series and love them all. Life Reader and Retha has to be my favorites. The adventures, hilarity, the character, I could reader over and over. (And I do). It’s a shame that Life Reader is the least read but I might not have read it if I had not brought up a list of your books that your had wrote on Goodreads.com. Out of all your books I think it gets the least advertisement on websites. Robyn Hood is the same as it has not as much coverage on it and I found it on goodreads.com. The story was very amusing to me and often I would find myself laughing out loud due to the situations Robyn was thrust into by her merry men. My least favorite would be Sleeping Beauty mostly because I was frustrated with the hero for not acknowledging his feelings for Rose sooner. I am one of the readers who though Faulk was the better ending for the Wild Swans because it seem like he truly loved Elsie more than Rune because he was most humanly conscious of Elsie when he was a swan. (true love shining through) Plus I might have a soft spot for the misunderstood heroes. 😉
Totally agree with being annoyed with Isaia. And Faulk!! He was such a loveable weirdo. I found Rune’s ending kinda weird because out of all her brothers he was the most friend-zoned (or brother-zoned) so that transition from doing older brother to possible-future-husband didn’t really do it for me.
Yes, Isaia drove me nuts as well. I spent most of the story internally screaming at him, lol
But the diversity of characters is part of what makes Kitty’s writing so good! Even when I want to smack them 😉
I randomly came across Beauty and the Beast free on BookBub, and once I read it I was hooked! I really enjoy your writing style and the cleanness of your stories. I also love that the romances are not overly sappy :). I didn’t know the Snow Queen’s story was related until I got to the Frog Prince, so I immediately read it once I realized that. I love the Elves of Lessa, the Second Age of Retha (oh my goodness I’m DYING for the next installment!!), and Princess Ahira. The MRBC made me laugh at times, and I really enjoyed the Goose Girl retelling (its about time someone spun the story so poor Falada doesn’t die). I haven’t gotten to Robyn Hood or King Arthur just yet, but I’m looking forward to trying them. I did read Life Reader and mostly enjoyed it, but I honestly felt confused for most of the beginning as to what magical world Raven belonged to. I can’t wait to keep reading as you publish and am really forward to Snow White!
I have read all but two of the TFT series (Puss in boots arrives tomorrow), binge read (And re-re-read) the Second Age of Retha series- the humor was absofrigginlutely fantabulous! I am planning on working my way through all of the rest of your books as well. I’m going to get the Snow Queen series before reading the Frog Prince so that I don’t spoil everything, although I am excited to see Lucien as a frog. I believe it is his just desserts. Love all your books I’ve read so far, and can’t wait to read the rest!
Back when I was just starting to use the Kindle App on my phone, Beauty and the Beast popped up for free. A few pages in and I was hooked.
I have been a serious bookworm since I learnt to read and I’ve lost quite a few hours of sleep (and spent lunch breaks in front of my computer reading on my phone) on weekdays because I couldn’t put your books down. They’re on my list of things that never fail to cheer me up when I need some love and happiness.
I’ve reread most of the Timeless Fairytales at least 3 times and even got my mom hooked. Besides B&B, Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella and 12 Dancing Princesses are my favourites, with Princess and the Frog rounding out the top 5.
We’d really love to get all of them in paperback but shipping to South Africa is costly, so I’m settling for just getting them all on Kindle for now. Keeping my fingers crossed for the future!
I can’t wait to read Angelique’s story! I’ve started to love her in the last couple of books and was really happy to see her feature more and learn some of her backstory.
I did know Snow Queen was connected to Timeless Fairytales but wasn’t aware that it actively touches on the universe’s current storine, so I’ll definitely give it a try!
The strong characters, humour and romance has firmly put you in my Top 10 fave authors, alongside Terry Pratchett, Derek Landy and Nora Roberts…and (after your recommendation) WR Gingell. My favourite book of all time is Howl’s Moving Castle and I marathoned Spindle and the rest of the series after discovering it during Fairy tale week.
I also LOVE Second Age of Retha and not just because my name is Retha. (Haha, I loved the coincidence). I have also reread all 3 books several times as I totally get the humour and gamer references.
I’ve wanted to experience VR stories since I first saw the Holodeck on Star Trek Next Generation as a kid (somewhere in the late ’90s) and I would play Retha for sure if that was ever an option!
I can’t wait to see where you take the characters both in the game and real life!
I’ll slowly work my way through the rest of the books and hopefully be able to tick more boxes in the next survey.
Keep up the great work!
I was wondering if the Elves of Lessa and MBRC are in the same universe but at different times? With Clanor and Lessa being set in the past?
I *think* Elves of Lessa is its own universe, but MBRC and King Arthurs are set in the same storyverse (and someday there may be a crossover!!! I’ve been waiting for it since KA finished!!!)
WHAT?? MBRC and King Arthurs is in ONE universe??? Oh my goodness I need a crossover now
Also, yeah, I’m pretty sure the Elves of Lessa is its own universe…
Dear Kitty, I came across Sleeping Beauty quite some time ago when it was offered for free. I loved it and then started watching out for the rest of the series. But it wasn’t until I signed up for your starter pack just this year, that I learned more about you and your books. After reading the starter pack I ABSOLUTELY had to read the King Arthur series. Great books. From there I was willing to try Snow Queen and I also loved those and then I read Robyn Hood:). Before the starter pack I simply did not realize that the Snow Queen was part of the Timeless Fairy Tales. I don’t have lots of time, but I read something for entertainment every day before going to bed, kind of like an addiction. I also look for authors that I can trust. You know, the one’s that aren’t going to through in a major downer or something very negative. I do NOT find those things entertaining. So please know that I will now try all of your books as soon as I have time. Many thanks for your work.
Hi Kitty! I do consider myself one of your biggest fans, haha, but that’s because I’ve read more than half of your books and am solidly trying to wade myself through the rest. So far the only books I haven’t read are the sequel to MBRC, the Snow Queen series, and books five through ten in the Timeless Fairy Tales series. The thing is, school doesn’t allow for too much time spent on reading, and I obviously also have tons of other books on my to-read list, so I have to go through everything veeerrrryyyyy slowly. Don’t worry though, I’m totally working on it and am SUPER excited for the release of Snow White. (Shy Snow White AGHHH!)
I have to say, MBRC is my go-to series when I need a laugh! All the pop-culture references!!! I’m still a little annoyed with who Morgan ended up with. I was cheering for…2 other possibilities, but they aeem happy together, so I’ll live 😉
I also really enjoyed the Robyn Hood books. You’re right, they arent as well constructed as your later books, but there’s a magic to them nonetheless. You captured the energy & adventure & epic Robin-Hood-Ness I remember from when I was little (I’ve had a Robin Hood obsession since I was 3 – 20 yrs now!), and you did it really, really well!!!
Also wild swans is my least favourite timeless fairy tale.
I don’t like love triangles and the alternative ending is a bit of a sore spot.
Well this isn’t related to the topic but would you please increase the number of heroes we can vote in next year’s poll. My list is very long and I have a feeling it’s not going to become any shorter in the upcoming months( with snow and angel’s stories coming up).
I just wished to add a few things to my earlier comment.
I am 15 and I started reading your books only this year (after the hero poll, yeah that one really hurt).
Also I don’t know why but the description of Cinderella and the colonel really put me off. Maybe coz it made me think of fred as a creepy stalker.It was sometime before I ventured to try it and yeah now I love it, mostly coz fred wasn’t what I thought.
Also I agree that the luckless’ cover is a bit risque.
I can’t wait for snow Nd Angelique’s story. Go Angel!!
I agree
The description for C&C really doesnt do the story justice. I couldnt get excited about taxes (how mundane!) And a mere Colonel (why not a prince?) So it wasnt until Kitty’s writing had really won my trust that I tried it. And then I was blown away by the depth and the strength of the story!!! It’s one of my most underlined TFT stories (Forgiveness is something I struggle with, so I really appreciated a story that gets into it)
Yeah fred is pretty awesome
The Snow Queen was the first of your series that I read. I loved it and started looking for the rest of your books. I’ve just finished reading it for the third time – still awesome! I can’t wait to see how Angelique’s story bookends that one – it was fun trying to see how the characters will match up from both.
I’ve read the Timeless Fairy Tales all at least twice. But, Britt’s story is my absolute favorite. I went into mourning when I finished it and have read it more times than I know. I think it’s your best work.
I recently read the MBRC series and enjoyed it. And, took you up on your request that non-gamers give The Age of Retha a try. It took until about halfway through the second book before I was really hooked, but now I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I thought the last book was so fun and really well done.
I’m working on Robyn Hood right now and it’s a bit of a struggle. I think after having read so many of your later works it’s hard going back to the beginning before the plots and characters became so much more robust.
Oh, and I LOVED Royal Magic! I liked how we got both POVs so much.
I’m so glad you gave Second Age of Retha a try–that really does mean a lot to me!
And I do agree with you on Robyn Hood. I’m fond of it, but it WAS one of the first books I launched, so I would like to think I’ve improved since then. 😉
But thanks for your feedback! It is really useful to be able to piece this kind of stuff together.
Love the timeless fairytales and plan to read the snow queen books but not quite there yet bit behind on my reading
Woohoo, that’s great to hear! I hope you enjoy it! (And I heavily suggest you read it before Snow White comes out. 😉 😉 Because….reasons. 😉 )
I read Robyn Hood years ago when I first discovered your series. I think it is not that it is popular just that oeople would have read it before your new works have come out.
That’s a good point as well–and I hadn’t quite put it together that I’ve offered it for free more than some of my other books so that might have an impact as well.
I love the Timeless Fairy Tales and Snow Queen series. You have done such a good job at interconnecting all the stories. I just reread all of them and reading 12 Dancing Princesses again just gave me goosebumps! Everything starting to connect and come together and knowing that you have been so purposeful and prepared from the very beginning just makes my nerdy self so happy. And the fact that all of this is so interconnected with the happenings from Snow Queen makes me confused that people have been skipping it!! I was just so crazy excited and pumped with all that was happening and all my guesses for what is going to happen next in the Timeless Fairy Tales that I have been making my husband listen to me go on and on about each book. Haha. He may not read fairy tales but I know he will think it is so cool what you have done with the over arching story line. And I absolutely cannot wait for Angelique’s story. Girlfriend needs her story told! And her happy ending(hopefully!!).
My husband is a gamer and has been reading your Retha series. It is on my list but because you had mentioned it is lighter on romance(which is something I really like to have in all the books I read) I decided to wait to read it myself until the series is complete.
I loved Life Reader and as other comments have mentioned, it baffles me that people haven’t read and loved it.
The MBRC was the first book of yours that I read. Which was actually a little while ago. It wasn’t my favorite, though I do like contemporary. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the outcome of the series. My friend actually recommended the Timeless Fairy Tale books to me back when I think Cinderella and the Colonel(or maybe Rumpelstiltskin) had just come out. I didn’t realize at the time that you were the same author as the MBRC. After reading Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella and the Colonel I was hooked(I initially skipped Wild Swans based on reviews but then read it before Puss in Boots since they were connected…also, I definitely wish you would have picked Rune…I read both endings and I just felt like Rune’s ending fit better with the rest of the story, sigh) But I have been following you ever since.
I have a KU membership but I still buy your books anyway, lol!
High five for a fellow KU reader. 😀 I like to use it to scout out new authors first–especially since I can usually get a year’s subscription for sale a little cheaper at black friday on Amazon!
And confession, personally I would have picked Rune for Elise in Wild Swans, but I KNEW, I just KNEW Falk was going to be more popular, so the duo ending was because I couldn’t quite let either go. *Insert sheepish laugh here.*
But thank you for your loyalty, and for sharing your thoughts about the series! My assistants and I are going to pore over these comments and the survey responses as we try to figure out what I should do in the future, so this is a big help. 🙂
I started reading your books several years ago, when I was about 13 (I’m 17 now). The King Arthurs books were the first I read, but it was Robyn Hood I fell in love with. I think it’s because the book wasn’t so polished- the characters were fiery and untameable, and the book itself was just so much fun! It was my go-to for a rainy day, because I didn’t have to think- just read. It always managed to cheer me up, and I never tired of it, because the spontenaity of the plot and characters made it seem like every reading was the first. That said, I’ve gone on to read all your books, and the MBRC series is one of my favourites. It’s likely a case of different ages within the reader audience- when I first started reading your books, I loved Robyn Hood, the MBRC, Life Reader and anything with plenty of angst and love triangles. Now, I still love most of your books (one exception is probably The Wild Swans; 13 year old me adored the alternate ending, now I can’t face the decision so haven’t read it in some time), but for different reasons, and outgrowing characters age wise makes it harder for me to relate to and be engaged in their plights.
Just a bit of random perspective from a younger reader, I suppose! Love your books, and can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for the feedback, Georgia!
Sometimes I can be a little too harsh on my stories, so it’s nice to get a gentle reminder that Robyn Hood and my earlier books can still cheer people up and make them laugh even if my more recent stuff is a little more polished. 🙂 So thank you for your supportive message!
And I have to agree with you on the reader age thing. It never really occurred to me that it could be an issue, but that’s because I love adult fiction, YA fiction, and children’s fiction. So this is a great example of why it’s important to ask others so I don’t come to the wrong conclusion, ahahahaaaaa.
Robyn Hood is how I survived one of ky lowest points in college. It was the middle of winter, I was exhausted, sick, and away from my parents. Robyn Hood (really all of your books, but Robyn Hood included the nostalgia trip) made me smile and feel warm & cozy and that maybe the world wasnt so bad after all.
I’m sad life reader is so low, it’s such a great book! Robyn hood is close to my heart because it was the first of your books id ever read! Im surprised people didn’t know snow queen is apart of the timeless fairytale series!
I do have to give Life Reader a good scrubbing (aka: grammar edit) but I do love it too much to put it aside forever. (Plus libraries are like my kryptonite. I just love them soooooo much!!)
I promise I’ll be first in line when it comes out in paperback! Also is the second elves of lessa available on paperback?
We’re fixing a few typos/errors some readers found, but I’m hoping to have it out sometime in November! 😀
Found your books from the Snow Queen series which I adored but I wasn’t really reading fairy tales at the time so I didn’t read anything else for a while. Then Red rope of fate popped up and I fell in love with that but didn’t realise it was the same author as the snow queen series. Fast forward a bit more and I start reading fairy tales and find yours, again not realising that you had written some of my favourite books on my kindle. It took me way longer than it should have to connect the series given how amazon works and the fact your name is on the book cover. But I have the attention span and the memory of a goldfish. And then as a Brit, I saw your Robin Hood and King Arthur series, your books are an instant buy for me now. I’m also a gamer, though I haven’t played an mmo in years, I’m seriously considering jumping back into it again thanks to second age of Retha. Full subversion games has been on my list of “things I need humanity to figure out before I die list” since the VR headsets first started making the rounds. Reading the series has been so much fun. This was a lot of words, sorry about that. I’m also 20. Looking forward to what you come out with in the future.
I’m with you on wanting full submersion games to be a thing in my lifetime. (That and self-driving cars, but I’m hopeful that will happen in the next decade!!)
But thank you for all your awesome feedback! 😀 It’s really useful to learn stories of how people have worked their way through my stuff and what they like/dislike!
I’ve read everything you have written except the MBRC series (I’m not into paranormal) and the Age of Retha (it’s on my TBR list). I wasn’t thrilled with Robyn Hood but I’ve read many of the others multiple times (thanks for helping me reach my goal for the year 4 months early).
I’m waiting with eager anticipation for the Angelique book (series). Definitely hoping her cynical views on love will undergo a change (wink). Mostly hoping she will get a chance for some self-care, that woman needs a break!
Thanks for the feedback, Kyra! While I am fond of Robyn Hood, I view her story as sort of like a tricycle–I learned a lot on it, but it’s not quite as…complete(?) as my other books.
And I hope you like Angelique! She’s such a hoot, she might be my most hilarious heroine yet. (At least when she gets to a certain stage in her life, anyway.) Her story also has the greatest potential for heartbreak, but it IS the finale of this arc! 😀
I think I first read the Snow Queen books after I read several of the Timeless Fairy Tales books. Mostly because I wanted more to read. But I will agree with several of the others… there is SO MUCH to know from Snow Queen, so many things make sense in the core Timeless books.
One thing I think would be really helpful would be a recommended reading order for the fairy tale books that includes the extras. Like which short story fits in where in the timeline. Because let’s face it, this is a long-haul story arc, and knowing where each piece fits makes it easier to read and more accessible.
MmmM! Amen to that!
My assistants and lead beta reader are actually working on putting together a Timeless Fairy Tale encyclopedia! (Partially because it will give us a chance to put everything together, but also because I need it for writing Angelique’s books! It is going to be crazy trying to stitch everything together, but I want to do it justice!)
I started a document on my laptop with the Champion comments conversations we’ve had, Kitty, if you need/ want a copy
Ooo, I’m so excited! I’ve been thinking about making my own, but since I don’t own all the books . . . that idea kinda flopped.
Great Idea.
An encyclopedia will be very helpful and fun.
Will it include character descriptions like in the king Arthurs books?
That would actually be helpful – especially if their home country is listed! There’s so many now (characters and nations) that it’s getting hard to keep track!
Hi! I have read all of the Fairy Tale stories, including The Snow Queen (which I loved). I have also read the Red Rope of Fate series (two books so far). I started to read the Robin Hood series, but was put off by the “teenage” language and all the slang. I think it was just too contemporary for me (I don’t read a lot of contemporary stuff unless it is suspense or military or FBI, etc… and I don’t read a lot of that). I also tried the Rethra series, but again, the language threw me off (and the picture on the front is pretty risque). If I were into those kinds of games maybe I would have liked it better, but I’m not so I just couldn’t get into it. I’m also 59 years old! I read a lot of YA stuff, but if it has a feel like a teen book, then I don’t usually continue reading. I haven’t read the library one and haven’t really been attracted to read it. I’ve tried to read the Robin Hood series a couple of times, but just couldn’t get into it. I think you did a Robin Hood story with a girl??? I liked that one – whether you wrote it or not. My brain doesn’t work like it did when I was 25, even though in heart I am still that age! LOL! Please keep writing, I get such a blessing out of your stories. Thanks for keeping them clean!
Hi Kim! Thanks for your feedback, it is especially helpful to learn that the teen language turned you off! I’m trying to pick projects for the future (because I usually mull a story over for a year or two before I even write it) and it seems like there are others like you who (understandably) aren’t big fans of modern teen main characters. I a SO GLAD I’m coming to learn that now when I assumed it was all a genre-based decision! Thank you for taking the time to write out your response!
That’s a very good point! Although I would personally like to point out that the teen language in MBRC (and to an extent in RH) was what made the stories (and the ages of their characters) feel legit to me.
The Snow Queen series is what introduced me to your books. From there, I’ve read all of your series, including Second Age of Retha. <3
Awww, thank you! <3 I feel a bit like a detective as I go through this. It helps a lot in terms of figuring out what kind of giveaways I should do for things like the Summer Reading Event, but it's also helping me figure out what future projects I should go after.
(I have more ideas than I'll ever be able to write, so I'm using this feedback to narrow down the options.)
I TRIED! I love your books so much, Kitty, but I could not get into your Retha series. I tried so hard to get all excited about them. Perhaps it was the video game thing that threw me off, or the advanced technology-ness, I don’t know. On a more positive note, all of your other series are the best things I have ever read! I need more Elves of Lessa in the near future or I am going to read the two already published ones until I can recite both books by heart (I suppose that would be pretty cool if I could memorize them, but nevertheless, I need more).
Hey Katy, thanks for your feedback! 😉 It’s fine if Retha wasn’t your jive–that’s useful to know, actually! I’m trying to play detective here, and use what everyone says as a compass of sorts so I know what projects I want to pursue in the future. (Lol, thus far I have learned I should never quit my dayjob to become a detective!)
Personally, I am dying over here about the thought there will be no life reader sequel for years to come, as that was the book which got me started on your books. Snow Queen (both of them) are my favorite of your books so far (beside life reader. They’re like my top three). But I’m not up on all your Timeless fairy tales. I’ve read a few but not all of them Mainly because of money issues. I can’t afford all of them so I like to wait until I can but then life happens. And the books often offered for free are ones I’ve already bought so… Anyway they are on my TBR list.
Totally skipped Robyn Hood, mostly because I’m not really into Robin hood retelling.Besides you were already doing the gender-bend thing with Arthur so the premise for Brit’s story sounded more interesting so my energies were focused there. I did read MBRC. Which highly amused me. Not my favorite series, but I enjoy rereading them from time to time. Retha is on my TBR list as well, but as it’s a video game book it’s rather low priority for me. I don’t mind the genre I’ve enjoyed books in it before. But I have to be in a certain mindset in order to enjoy it. much like when I have to be in the mood for a superhero novel or something. (I’m going through a cozy mystery anthology phase at the moment.)
Thanks, Bethany, for your feedback! It’s seems like you aren’t the only one doesn’t have a complete set, which is great to know as it means I really CAN do giveaways with my own books as prizes and not worry that I’m being lame. (Or I can even do free books!) So thanks for taking the time to comment!
I’m more likely to enter your giveaways if you have your own books or free books. I’m not very excited about books I’ve never heard of! 🙂
And that is pure gold to know. Thanks, RD!
Yep! Same here!
Although I would also accept Timeless Fairytales Merch. Like T-shirts with favorite quotes on them. Or an Angelique t-shirt. She’s been through so much, she deserves a sparkly pegasus t-shirt with a snarky comment on it
That’s one awesome idea. 😂
Yes! Yes!
You mentioned that you haven’t read them because of money issues. I think most of Kitty’s books are available on Kindle unlimited. It’s basically a paid lending library. For $10 a month you can read as many KU books as you like for free. So if you have the time, you could pay $10 this month, borrow the books you haven’t read, and cancel the subscription before it renews. You don’t get to keep the books after it expires, but at least you can read them!
I first encountered your works via Beauty and the Beast back in the spring of 2014, and then through that King Arthurs and Her Knights (which I reviewed on the blog Camelot’s Library). Since then I’ve been cherrypicking through your collected works based on time, interest in a particular fairy tale, and what I can afford. I’ve had to be selective about which of the Timeless Fairy Tales universe books I purchase, and since Snow Queen is two books I didn’t want to purchase one and then have to wait until I can justify buying the second in my mind. Maybe if you offered them as a discounted omnibus, like the first few King Arthurs books (which is how I acquired them and got hooked on the rest of the series)?
I always make it a point to review anything of yours I’ve read on goodreads and Amazon, especially if I got something as a freebie or at a discount, because as someone slowly working on building a self-published repertoire myself I know how much those reviews help signal boost.
Thanks Samoaphoenix, your feedback does help! I really was thinking this was all a solid genre-based decision, so it does help to know that the book cost is a big part of it too! (It means I can be a little more free with my book giveaways–something I’ve always been pretty reserved with because I assumed putting my books up as the prizes wouldn’t really be that interesting to you all. So this was a big help!)
I have read everything of yours. Reading Britt’s story was what got me hooked to your books. I was initially skeptical about some of the fairy tales but ‘puss in boots’ and ‘the little selkie’ got me into them too. I am not really fond of the MBRC or of Robyn hood though mbrc is definitely the better one. Robyn hoodis perhaps my least favourite of your books. I wasn’t really mad about the elves of lessa(though I understand Tari and arion are popular) but oh God Ben and gwen have now made me crazy about the upcoming books. Ahira was an original and a light read.
And about the snow queen, I read its sample and instantly bought it. No reservations there.
As for life reader I simply don’t understand why people don’t like the book. I was so excited when I read its description and it didn’t fail.
AND YES I WANT THE SEQUEL TOO, LIKE REALLY WANT IT.
I so much want to know about that world. The possibilities, the small hints going here and there; every time I read it, my yearning just increases.
Anyway, I tried Retha in the summer reading event and wouldn’t have tried it for sometime if it wasn’t for free.
And even though I haven’t played video games very few times( single digit times), I love it. And i can’t wait to read books 4 and 5.
So yeah I love your works (though some less and others more), I will NEVER regret reading them.
Would actually regret if I didn’t 😁
Awww, thanks for your loyalty Kinshuk! <3 And thanks for the feedback. It's helpful to see your thought process in what you liked and disliked.
As I've mentioned to other readers, I'm finding I was a bit clueless in some of the areas of why some books are more popular than others, so this feedback is becoming invaluable as I think about what I want to write in 2020. (I try to plan out a year or two ahead of time because it gives me a chance to mull over a book for a year or two and hammer out finer details before I write anything.)
Kitty, I totally read the Snow Queen books. Actually, I first picked up on your fantastic books just before the release of Heart of Ice-a weekend of strep throat got me through all of the King Arthur books you’d published up until that point. I was obsessed with figuring out what was going to happen in Sacrifice in the time before it was published; I must have read Rumpelstiltskin at least a dozen times looking for clues-there are actually quite a few to be found. So, to anyone who hasn’t read them: READ THEM. Especially, because it gives you such an important new view point on the Timeless Fariytale series. The end of the Frog Prince will make almost ZERO sense unless you have read them.
Secondly, I had some opinions on the whole Life Reader thing. I don’t think Life Reader is actually that unpopular. I’m in a Stats class right now, and we learned a lot about response bias, and how underlying factors affect the response being given. One of the reasons I think it is ranked so low, is I am not sure how many readers who are just now picking up your books even hear about Life reader. You have so many books at this point, as well as the fact that is pretty different from most of your other books, it doesn’t often pop up on the recommendation list that Kindle, and Nook provide. Personally, I love the Life Reader book itself. The characters are superb, the plot keeps you completely hook in until it is finished. That being said, as a whole, it is one of my least favorites compared to your other books/series. But the reason for that is, BECAUSE it doesn’t have a sequel. I don’t often reread Life Reader because I get so frustrated with the ending and lack of sequel. Everyone I know who read your books feel the same way. Just food for thought.
P.S.
For the people who don’t want to read Retha because you think it is a “video-game book”, I would suggest you consider trying it anyway. The Retha books, aside from the gamer jargon-which isn’t too hard to pick up on-is more like the most recent Jumanji movie than a “video-game book” when you really get into it. I play computer games, but would not come anywhere close to considering myself a gamer; I didn’t understand all of the jargon at first either, but it really isn’t that hard to get past. I think ya’ll will really appreciate Vic if you do decide to read them.
Thanks, Kenzie, for your feedback! 😀
I suspect you are right about Life Reader, and if I really want to be fair to it, I haven’t spent much time promoting it as I have my other series.
I will eventually turn my focus to it–I think it will be a bit easier to pull off side projects one I finish Angelique’s books and the new Timeless Fairy Tale stories become much more self contained so I won’t have 13 heroines rattling around in my brain, ahahah.
And I’m also really glad you have enjoyed the Retha books! 🙂 Thanks for giving them a try!
The reason why I started to read many of the non-Timeless fairy tale books (like Robin Hood, King Arthurs, etc.) is because I got the first one free and then got stuck. The reason why I haven’t read Life Reader and Princess Ahira is because like someone else mentioned I’m trying to have self control with my money and time haha. The single books never go on sale as freebies since they don’t have sequels and so I never get caught up hook line and sinker into them. When the books are not free and I haven’t read the first in the series its a lot easier to have self control not to buy them. If I had the time and money I would buy everything because I’ve enjoyed all your books that I’be read. So yeah I know that’s only semi-helpful saying that the only reason I (and probably a lot of us) have not read Life reader is basically because there is no sequel and so it hasn’t been given as a freebie to get us to read the sequel, but its the truth haha.) thabks so much Kitty for all your books though, they bring me much enjoyment!
Thanks, Sarah, for the feedback!
That’s actually pretty useful to learn. I used to offer Princess Ahira and Life Reader as free about once per year, but for the last two years time scheduling has been a major problem for me so that was something that fell by the wayside.
If I know, however, that you guys do find it to be a “treat” of sorts when I do that, I can make a bigger effort to do something involving them! (Or better yet, I can have one of my assistants do it, buwahahah!)
Thanks so much Kitty!!!!! And haha yeah thinking about it I think I read all or almost all the non-timeless series that I did because I got the first as a freebie (King Arthurs, Robin Hood, Retha, Red Rope) or because I read the first for free on amazon prime (MRBC). 🙂
I too love the freebies and because I read so many books per month, can’t afford to pay more than a penny a page for a book that I really really want! I have gotten a number of books through Kindle Unlimited (which you pay a subscription for once every six months or year), as well as using my library and borrowing e-books from my home computer. Not sure if your books are at the library or not, Kitty, but it’s a useful tool. I also borrow e-books from friends – so check with your friends to see if they have the e-book and if it’s loanable! Just my two cents. Kim
I’ve read everything of yours but Retha because I love the way you tell a story. I’ve read the pitches and comments from people to read Retha but it honestly has no appeal to me. It concerns me that the book is written under a different pen name (usually that signals a major change in writing style) and, while I’m sure it’s well written, I have absolutely no interest in a story set in a video game. I am a highly visual person and like to imagine myself immersed in the world and I have no desire to get in a video game. I’ve played with and watched my brothers play enough video games to know it isn’t for me.
There was also one comment from a reader that you advertised about the series that was supposed to get skeptics in to the book but actually solidified me not reading it. I wish I could remember the comment but I can’t.
I hope Retha enjoys a great fan base, but I just can’t bring myself to be a part of it.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the feedback! Hopefully my post didn’t make it sound like I expect you guys to read everything, because a fellow reader I agree with you that if something doesn’t seem like it would interest you, it’s not meant to be your cup of tea. 😉
But it is helpful to know it was a subject/genre decision for you. (That was what I assumed. However! There’s been some other surprising responses, so it’s good to know I was’t COMPLETELY off and that for some readers it is purely genre based.)
The only reason I’ve NOT read the Snow Queen, is because, due to money being tight, I’ve been unable to purchase them. I’m rather intrigued by the series, especially after I read the first chapter somewhere.
That’s great to know, Erudessa! That actually helps me with making giveaway/prize decisions, too. (I always feel a bit lame whenever I make a free ebook a contest prize, BUT if I know you guys want it that does change things.)
Yes! I have KU and I still LOVE when you offer free e-books of yours! (It frees up spots for more books! Royal Magic has been one of my KU 10 since it came out in July) So don’t feel lame! Free books from you are my favorite giveaway! I’m one of those who have read everything you’ve written. And enjoyed them all! I started out with Beauty & the Beast and fell in love with the Timeless Fairy Tales and I cannot wait for December and then Angelique’s story. In fact, my sister and I used your timeline and put together a chronological list of your Timeless Fairy Tale- and Snow Queen- books & all the extra chapters- so we can read them in rough chronological order before Snow White comes out. I think I also prefer the Timeless Fairy Tales series better than the Life Reader and MBRC, though they are super enjoyable and funny- partially because of genre (I don’t prefer contemporary stories as much), partially because of age (though I love young adult- and children’s books- all, those teenage characters are harder for me to relate to for some reason) and but perhaps mostly because there are not as many of them. With the Timeless Fairy Tales, I am so intrigued by all of your little threads! (Though your Elves of Lessa series is SO. AMAZING. I think Royal Magic is my favorite of your books right now.) Your Age of Retha is the first video game book I’ve read and made me very sentimental about my WoW gaming days in my guild.
I finally read the Snow Queen. OH MY GOLDFISH!! I don’t have words to describe my feelings for that series. It’s just WOW! And question, how is Phile’s name pronounced?
First off.. if you haven’t read Snow Queen, get off your hineys and do it.
I just finished my 3rd reading of it, and let me tell you, oh, Lordy, there is a lots of back story and pieces in there that is in other books. I didn’t even realize.
Also, it’s a must that you read all the extras. And if you don’t know what i am talking about, you are totally missing out. It’s under ‘Champions’ in the menu.
LIFE READER, people. Read it. C’mon. Help a girl out. I am totally jonesing over here for a sequel, but if you don’t read it, Kitty won’t write it for me.
Also, I think it’s time for a total reread of the whole timeless series, just in time for Snow White.
Question. Does Evariste live on Fresler’s Helm? I can’t remember.
Thanks
Nope, Evariste lived in Torrens–as you’ll see in Angelique’s book. 😀
But I’m glad you agree the backstory is important! (I was starting to wring my hands as I eye the end of this arc and look at the poll, hahah…hah…)
I agree, Tina! About Snow Queen AND ESPECIALLY Life Reader!
I do admit, however, that in my quest to read all of Kitty’s books a couple years ago, Life Reader was lower on my list for a couple reasons. It’s longer than the others, so more of a time investment, so I worried that if it was going to be as unpolished as Robyn Hood, I might get frustrated before the end. (For those of you who have not read it yet, Life Reader IS polished and a PHENOMENAL read!) Also, the premise is a lot different from anything else Kitty has written. It’s set in the modern world and not for the purposes of a mock paranormal romance like the MBRC; it contains magic-y goodness but not with the familiarity of elves and magicians like the Elves of Lessa; it uses a completely original storyline instead of following a beloved fairy tale or legend.
So, even though Life Reader is AMAZING IN EVERY WAY AND YOU SHOULD ALL GO BUY IT AND READ IT AND LOVE IT AND BEG FOR A SEQUEL, those were my reasons for not reading it right away.
Ahahaha, thank you for the high praise for Life Reader. (Though I personally love that story because of the setting and magic, personally I feel like it does need Editor #1 to go over it with a toothbrush, but we haven’t had time yet.)
But your feedback does help! (Sometimes I make conclusions about why a series is or is not popular that end up being completely wrong, so it’s helpful to hear!)
ALSO! Another great feature of the Snow Queen sieries is the 3rd book, which has SO many plot connectey things in it, so that one is SO great. XD
Dear Kitty, I am one of those “scandalous champions”, *cracks up*, and this is why: I was introduced to your work by my sister. That means that she buys some of you books when she has money, and when I have money I buy the books. Usually we will let each other read them, but we always give feedback first. “This one was okay, but it was a lot like some of her other books.” “Frankly, this one was not my favorite.” Because we are so busy, if the book gets negative feedback we’ll often skip it.
About the Robin Hood books, I can say: The discription of the first one is very enticing. And then the book goes on to be a light, enjoyable read so of course you want the second one! (Though I didn’t actually end up caring for the 2nd one, I did want to read it.)
As for the other books you mentioned: it’s a money/time thing again. There’s a lot to read out there, and I don’t like to buy from a new author or series unless I KNOW it’s gonna be worth it. How I judge this is: discription/back jacket flap, reviews (if I know the person reviewing it has more weight), and my own previous reading experience with books and authors in similar circumstances or genres.
Hopefully that helps!
Thanks for the feed back RD! I’m glad you lend books to each other–that’s actually exactly why I toggle that option for everything I publish, because I want you guys to be able to share! And your notes about your buying habits did help shed some light on the matter! (You also managed to remind me that Robyn Hood has been put free multiple times as well, which probably ups the read count. I was starting to wonder if it was just because it was a historic gender-bend like King Arthur, so this is useful to realize!)
I skipped the books because they seemed aimed for High School students. I’m much older.
A fair (and possibly true) assessment! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback–the age didn’t really strike me. I was thinking it was more a genre thing, so that is REALLY useful to know.
That actually makes sense with Life Reader and gives you an opportunity! Let the character age like you do in MBRC. That way it transitions out of high school and it can regain the popularity it always deserved to have!
P.S. Please write a sequel to Princess Ahira. I really want to see Zerah end up with someone. Or turn into a kitten again. I’m not particular.
Yes. Or even a short. I could handle a Princess Ahira short.
You could throw shorts at me all the time, i’d take them.
I will probably just admit, i could take sequels to everything you write. I know that will put your schedule WAY out of whack…. sorry not sorry…
I second wanting to see Zerah end up with someone. I imagine it would be a very entertaining read . 😉
I absolutely love all the books! For me I didn’t read the Retha books until my daughter said how wonderful they are. My choice not to read them was genre based but I am so glad I finally did, they are hysterical and have a great storyline. Can’t wait for the new material to come for all series!
Thanks for the helpful feedback! 😀 (And I’m glad you and your daughter enjoy the Retha books!)
I loved MBRC but I haven’t gotten to Robyn Hood yet…it’s on my TBR list. I’ve considered the Reatha books, but I’m not a gamer so, while I do plan to read them, they are further down my TBR list.
Juuuuuuust wait for Robyn Hood. This spoils a bit of the surprise, but they’ll be free for Halloween so if you wait a bit you’ll get them for free. 😉
Oh! Thanks so much. I have actually *bought* books, only to see them go on sale a month or two later. ARGH!
(I emphasize ‘bought’ because I use kindle unlimited – the monthly thing- to read the books that I don’t have)
Yeah, I have a KU membership too, and I know what you mean!
Scheduling freebies is something I really want to improve on, but it seems like whenever I decide to do it, it’s last minute. The only one I’m actually good at scheduling out ahead of time is my Valentine’s freebie, and that’s because the newsletter readers get to vote for that one in January so I HAVE to be prepared ahead of time.
I do drive both of my assistants crazy with my lack of scheduling, and that is something they’re trying to fix, ahahah.