Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Magical Empath, Magical Race: An Interview with Author KH LeMoyne

Today we have the pleasure of chatting with KH LeMoyne, author of Return of the Legacy, Portals of Destiny Book 1. Welcome!

MK: Magical empath, magical race, three dimensions…How did this combination of ideas come together?

KH: My premise for this series was based on magical beings fleeing from persecution on Earth. The Portals allowed for the exodus so magical civilizations could create new worlds. And because nature doesn’t allow a void, magic evolved again on Earth. The lack of non-magical creatures caused problems in the ‘pure’ magical worlds as well. The series deals with the consequences of those problems and the threat of the portals being reopened. Logan MacKenzie and his bloodline, on Earth, possess unique magical powers, his being empathic. His ancestry also bears the blood, the legacy, of the magical beings, the Makir. These beings and their partners were the sentinels who sealed and guarded the portals to the other worlds. The Makir are now targeted for extermination by a mage who seeks to use the portals for his own power and domination.

On the flip side, Briallen and her family exist in the world of Tir Thar, the home of the mage. To save her from capture, Briallen is forced through the portal to another magical world, Loci. Stranded there with Logan, the two search for how to defeat the killers sent to stop them and find a way home. Each of the five books in the series will progress the story of the Makir and the ultimate confrontation with Owain, the mage of Brennagmore.

MK: That's a lot of fascinating elements floating around in your mind at one time! What is your favorite scene in the book?

KH: I enjoyed writing the scenes with Briallen and Logan working and fighting together. And by fighting, I don’t mean battling each other. These two have to escape the killers tracking them. In addition, they have to become comfortable with their team’s strengths and weaknesses. So there’s a fair amount of experimentation in their interaction. However, there is one scene where Bri is retrieving an object she think might aid her defense against the mage’s minions. Her trip takes her to the nearby waterfall and what occurs, the openness and honesty between Briallen and Logan, afterward is something I really enjoyed. That event jerks both of them out of their comfort zones and sets their priorities. To tell more would give this away.

MK: Do you have a favorite character in the book? If so, who and why?

KH: I shift back and forth between Logan and Briallen, depending on who’s point of view I’m writing. He’s very confident in his emotions and able to express his concern and caring as well as push himself to the limit for others. And because he does this in a non-competitive manner, he draws Briallen out of her tunnel vision and provides her a safe haven for her to grow strong and confident. He bolsters her. She in turn becomes his anchor when the rug gets pulled out from beneath him.

MK: Logan sounds like a favorite to me! Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Logan is going to get through his biggest challenges (because they don’t sound easy)?

KH: Logan has lost his parents and his aunts and uncles to the killers seeking the Makir. He refuses to allow his cousins, or Briallen, to die also. His skill as an empath is helpful in this battle, but his strongest quality is resourcefulness and his trust in others. He wants to protect everyone, but he doesn’t refuse help and he looks for ways to augment the powers and strengths he lacks. Ultimately, this story is about integrity and choices, the choices you have to make whether you want to or not. While the conflict and the characters are mired in magic and fantasy, the best choices here are grounded in common sense. And when resourcefulness only takes Logan so far, Briallen is there to pick up the burden. Ying and yang.

MK: What was your greatest challenge in writing this story?

KH: Keeping the romantic tension flowing as well as interlacing the fantasy elements in every scene and action. I always feel like the last story I’ve written is the hardest to write because they all involve a heavy amount of world building. This is true even if much of the backstory and research doesn’t go into the book. Return of the Legacy required an immersion in the alternate worlds and magical elements. Logan, Briallen, Robert, and the others live with those elements as part of their daily existence. And so did I as I wrote this. It’s a fun process but it also takes a lot work.

MK: Do you have any quirks when it comes to your writing process?

KH: LOL. I don’t put on music or light candles or anything. But I do like to have visuals to stimulate creativity. I kept a photo of Duart Castle on the corkboard above my computer while I was writing this book. I also kept several tarot cards that inspired my foundation for Briallen and her three brothers. The cards themselves were shapeshifter cards and these characters aren’t shapeshifters, but I guess something about the poses, colors, and expressions resonated with me. The visuals help me jot down impressions, qualities (magical and emotional), and sometimes scene snippets which developed the characters before I started drafting the story.

MK: Those certainly sound like helpful visuals. So tell us what you have in store next for your readers?

KH: I just finished a spin-off book from the Portals of Destiny series. Dragon Rider’s Gift: A Portal of Destiny Tale, is due out in April. The dragon riders have a brief appearance in Return of the Legacy and this latest book details their battle with the mage of Brennagmore. I am currently writing the third book in my Guardians of Eden urban fantasy series, Destiny’s Mark, which should be out late this summer. And for readers of Return of the Legacy, Rewards of Valor: The Portals of Destiny book 2, should be out early next year.

MK: Well you certainly sound busy enough for two writers and it all sounds exciting! But that's not all KH has for us today...

Yes, there's a Tour Giveaway!
The author will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Additionally, she'll choose two randomly drawn winners of the Dragon Rider’s Gift eBook (A Portal Tale), due for release May 1, 2012.


Visit KH LeMoyne:
Purchase locations - Available in ebook & paperback from: Black Opals Books, Amazon, B&N, All Romance/OmniLit, Smashwords
Twitter –  https://twitter.com/#!/khlemoyne  or  @khlemoyne


 How about a little taste of the story...

“Something’s coming.” Logan’s arm halted Bri. One hand gripped her wrist as he reached over his shoulder for the pommel of his sword. “Ever felt the drop in air pressure right before the lash of a huge storm?”
The stillness extended beyond the deadness of the air. The birds were silent. No rustling issued from the underbrush.
She glanced forward and back.
“In front.” His sword slid free without a sound. The blade reflected the moonlight’s silver.
For a second, she thought the edge of his weapon wavered, a blue rim of light from tip to guard. He shifted and it disappeared.
A loud thunderclap reverberated around them. She expected a burnt tree or roiling clouds. Instead, three figures, cloaked head to toe in black, erupted from a fiery hole of red—a heinous fissure in the night air.
The minions spread out and circled them, pinning them to a small stretch of the clearing.
“We can’t outrun them.” Bri twisted and removed her knife, eying the minion at their back. “Stay clear of their hands. Their bones and claws are infectious.”
“The weapons look deadly.”
“They are.”
The minion before her withdrew a moon-shaped sickle. The one she could see from the corner of her eye brandished a thin glowing rapier. The rapier moved closer to Logan. A brief slash stirred chills of cold past her face.
Back to back with Logan she turned, gauging which minion would strike the first blow.
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11 comments:

  1. Your book sounds fantastic in an other-worldly sort of way. Thanks for joining us today KH!

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  2. It's the alternate worlds and magical elements that draw me to RETURN OF THE LEGACY.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  3. Logan seems to be an interesting character.

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  4. MK, thank you for having me on your blog!

    Good day, Mary and Peaches.I'm glad elements of the story are appealing to both of you. Feel free to drop me a line at my website, if you read the book.

    ~Kate

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  5. This story sounds awesome. I am so glad it is going to be a series.

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  6. This is not a genre I typically read (almost never in fact), but I've just purchased the print version and I look forward to expanding my library with a new genre and a new author. It's had some great chatter!

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  7. Hello, Jane!

    And thank you, MK. I hope you enjoy it!

    ~Kate

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  8. Good luck with the tour.Deb p
    r.d1@myfairpoint.net

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  9. I enjoy being transported to new places...as long as the focus remains on the characters and their story.

    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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  10. Catherine - I completely agree. Too much veering off from the characters is always distracting in other-worldly books. Thought I'd give this one a try and I'll post a review once I've read it!

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  11. Just popping in to say HI and sorry I missed visiting with you on party day!

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