King Arthurs: Series History

So I believe the general consensus has been that everyone liked Endeavor–particularly the last scene of the book–which I am really thrilled about! That last scene was tough to write. Editor #1 (Jeri) and I were going back and forth, trying to the actions just right. (Thanks Jeri!) It was also tough for me to write the book in general because as Britt loosens up her hold on her knights, I have to loosen up my hold. It sounds a little weird, but I got teary eyed when Britt realizes she’s going to be riding off without Ywain.

So I thought today might be a good day to review the King Arthurs series–not the story itself, but it’s very existence and history.

Around the time I finished Robyn Hood Fight For Freedom, I came up with the idea for Britt and her story. Just as I did for King Arthurs, I completed a ton of research for Robyn Hood and I read a lot of traditional ballads in books and on the internet. It just so happened that a lot of those ballads would be sandwiched between King Arthur stories. I’ve always loved King Arthur, so I perused some of the older stories, and it made me realize just how progressive King Arthur’s court was for women. Because I’m a writer and tinkering is what I do, I started trying to come up with fictional reasons for it, and I thought how awesome it would be if a modern girl was sent back to rule in King Arthur’s place. I decided to make Britt American, mostly because I was really worried I would bungle the accent, and I knew nothing of what normal life is like for females in their early twenties in Britain.

I played around with the idea before bringing it to light way back in…I think it was in summer 2013. I listed several story ideas I was playing around with and let readers vote on which series interested them the most. King Arthurs won.

As King Arthur is traditionally portrayed by handsome guys, I was a little worried what the reaction would be to a sharp-mouthed female Arthur.

I released Enthroned and Enchanted pretty soon after, and then I wrote Beauty and the Beast, which became a great success and let me quit my day job and become a full time author. King Arthurs got pushed to the side during that time while I was trying to get the Timeless Fairy Tales structure into place. Embittered was the only King Arthurs book released in 2014, but I followed it up by releasing Embark, Enlighten, and Endeavor in 2015.

The series will have 7 books total if you don’t include the three packs, and I’m determined to finish it in 2016.

Most parts of the series is drawn upon from the original legends. Surprisingly I didn’t have to bend many stories to make a female Arthur believable. The biggest changes I’ve made, really, are that Britt is still competent. I’ve said it before, but after Arthur marries Guinevere things go downhill fast. The stories stop following Arthur and shift their attention to his knights–not a bad thing. Meanwhile Arthur stays in Camelot and gets old and fat, not noticing when his best friend and wife have an affair. This is my biggest departure from Arthur lore. In the beginning stories–the originals, not mine–Merlin is really careful to watch Arthur. He has a vision about Arthur and knows he’s the guy who can unite Britain. I decided to forget the depressing stuff (Arthur turning incompetent) and to focus on that. Britt is a fairly accurate reflection of young Arthur–or what old Arthur should be.

I have bittersweet feelings for King Arthur books and movies, because while all of them start so well, very few finish with happy endings. (Even my most favorite Arthur Book: Sword of the Rightful King, hints that Guinevere will regret her marriage to Arthur and will go after Lancelot.) Everyone takes it for granted that they have to follow the depressing originals and watch King Arthur–and Camelot–decay. King Arthur was something of a childhood hero of mine, so in a way King Arthurs and Her Knights is me offering him a lifeline and a chance to redeem himself. Britt might be a different gender, but she is not going to bring shame upon Arthur’s name, and she is not going lose.

I hope you found that interesting, Champions! Thank you to those who were with me way back in 2013 and voted for King Arthurs, it’s been a blast to write. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you again soon!

Endeavor: Legends

As usual, I based Endeavor–book six of King Arthurs and Her Knights–off a number of Arthurian ballads and lore. The tricky party about this book is that we enter into three different traditional stories, and technically none of them are finished.

The first legend is the story of Sir Galahad and how he obtained his white shield with the red cross. This particular story doesn’t have a name, but it is part of the Quest for the Holy Grail. When the quest starts Sir Galahad sets off with a few other knights, but he leaves Camelot without a shield. He rides to an abbey where a White Knight (who attacked other members of the round table for trying to steal the shield he protects) gives the shield to Galahad’s squire and tells the squire to give it to Galahad–because only he is worthy of it. I cut off the legend there, but it continues into the search for the Holy Grail–which I will explore in future King Arthurs books.

I made a few changes to the original legend. I removed it from the Grail Cycle because Britt and her boys aren’t ready for that adventure yet, and I had Sir Mordred ride out with her instead of the other Grail companions. If I stuck to the legend Britt would have met Ywain there, but he was off starring in his own story which brings us to the next unfinished legend: Ywain, the Knight of the Lion.

Galahad’s white shield with the red cross is something that can be found in almost all of his legends.

I constructed Ywain’s story to stay true to the original. One of Arthur’s knights is killed by a knight guarding a mythical fountain thingie. This obscure knight happens to be related to Ywain, who sets out to fight Esclados to avenge his cousin. As Britt’s Ywain did, the original Ywain also set off in secret. Why the cloak and dagger? Because in the original story King Arthur was interested in the fountain and decided he would take a large party of knights with him, and Ywain wanted to beat the knights before they arrived. So, off he goes! He encounters and wounds the knight, who flees to his castle as Ywain chases him. Ywain is captured in the castle gatehouse and is eventually taken prisoner while Esclados dies of his wounds. Esclados’s wife, Laudine, knows the fountain must be protected, and Ywain–with the help of Laudine’s servant, Lunete–wins her over and marries her. There’s a bit of scuffle when King Arthur and his knights arrive, but Ywain remains true to Arthur and everyone feasts for days.

Sounds like a happily ever after, right? Wrong! Ywain’s story continues, giving you a peek at his married life. I cut off where I did because you will see the rest of Ywain’s story in King Arthurs and Her Knights book seven.

Okay, so we’ve covered Galahad and Ywain, what story is left? It’s a piece of lore I think a lot of my readers will have a difficult time swallowing: the story of Vivien and Merlin. This story is just getting started, but I can summarize the beginning by saying that Vivien–a beautiful young girl who is gifted in black arts–shows up in Camelot with the intention of seducing Merlin so she can learn magic from him. Remember, in the old stories Merlin is pretty old, but he is out-of-this-world powerful, which is partially why Arthur’s kingdom is so great.

So there you have it, three legends, all of them technically unfinished–although Book Seven will see the completion of at least one of them. Thanks for reading, Champions, and a special thank you to everyone who has reviewed Endeavor–I appreciate it! I hope you have a lovely week!

A King Arthurs Short Story: Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Champions! Today–November 26–is the American holiday of Thanksgiving. It’s become more of a food frenzy and a huge shopping day, but it used to be a day when Americans got together with their families and reflected on what they were thankful for.

As I will always be thankful for you, Champions, I wrote a little King Arthur drabble to celebrate the day. You can check out the PDF version HERE!

Thank you for reading, Champions–and I mean that sincerely. I love my job, and I feel incredibly blessed to have all of you. Happy Thanksgiving!