The Challenge
Cover designer: Natasha Brown
Official genre of book: Historical Fantasy
Arthur the High King of Breatein has fallen captive of a longtime enemy, the Saxon warrior-princess Camilla, who lusts to avenge the death of her betrothed at Gyan’s hands and will stop at nothing, even the black arts, to achieve her goal. Because Gyan and Arthur have grown estranged, she fears that Arthur may side with Camilla to make her his new queen.
To meet Camilla’s challenge, Gyan must face all her demons—public as well as private.
REVIEWS:
- Foodmuser Andrea Mosier: The Challenge "promises all the pageantry and subtlety of Arthurian Romance."
- Liza O'Connor - Author: 5* "The battle is riveting and the conclusion unexpected but heartwarming... leaving me hungry."
- Mama Reads Ashley: 4.5* The Challenge is "another wonderful addition to the Dragon’s Dove Chronicles universe, and a great showcase of Gyan’s determination to do what’s right, even when she isn’t totally sure what 'right' may be."
- Voluptuous Book Diva Laura: 4.5* "I felt like I was right there cheering Gyan on as she battled Camilla."
- Kathy Heare Watts on Goodreads: 5* The Challenge is "a short story that packs a punch!"
AS GYAN PACED the riverbank, she glared at Caer Alclyd’s soaring granite walls as though by sheer force of will she could force out its occupants to fight on her terms, army to army. Her husband, Arthur the High King, was a prisoner of their longtime enemy, the Sasunach warrior-princess Camilla. A decade ago Gyan had killed Camilla’s betrothed in battle, and Camilla had sworn revenge.
The One God alone knew what form that revenge would take. With a shudder Gyan recalled the rumor she had heard about Camilla, that she had enlisted demonic aid…
Gyan banished those thoughts, and their attendant fears, by pondering the irony that Camilla had tried to strike at her through Arthur. It might have worked, once. The passion that had colored the early years of their marriage was still celebrated in song throughout Breatein and Caledon.
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet.
Kim is a Seattle native and a direct descendent of twentieth-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim’s novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband’s ancestor, the seventh-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.
For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, and other novels. She has been a published novelist since 1999, beginning with the original editions of Dawnflight (Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0671020412) and Liberty (writing as Kimberly Iverson, HQN Books, Harlequin, ISBN 0373771347).
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| ALL BOOKS 99 cents/pence/etc or less! |
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To learn about Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre, hero of Snow in July, and my unique challenges in writing about him, please visit the RLF Blog. (And help me earn "Top Blogger" points there, thanks! :)
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All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of Snow in July. Please enter often, and good luck!
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of Snow in July. Please enter often, and good luck!
Very good luck, Kim!
ReplyDeleteKim, Another winner. I read "Liberty" and it was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Misty! Have you downloaded your free copy of a related story, THE COLOR OF VENGEANCE yet?? :)
DeleteThank you both so much!
ReplyDelete(Getting a late start this morning because we had the power go out last night... in time to go see a late movie. Nothing like an unplanned date night! :D
And yes the power was back on when we returned, thankfully.)
Looking forward to reading more of your books.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, and good luck in the giveaway! :)
DeleteLooking forward to reading more of your books.
ReplyDeleteExcellent story of Good versus Evil. Short but powerful, kept the pages turning.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy, and I look forward to being able to see your full review on Goodreads! (It wasn't quite available yet when I checked a little while ago. :)
DeleteBest wishes
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Ron! :)
DeleteHi! This is super late but I just heard about this short story and I'm so excited to read more about The Dragon Dove's Chronicles! I loved Dawnflight and Morning's Journey and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Your portrayal of Gyanhumara is perfect and I love her and Arthur together.
ReplyDeleteNow I just wanted to know if this short story will actually take place later in the The Dragon Dove's Chronicles books or if The Challenge is more of a stand-alone book?
Aw, that's so very kind of you to say, thanks! And THE CHALLENGE is going to be FREE again on Kindle (worldwide) Sept. 16-18, with more Rafflecopter giveaways! So please pass the word, and get your own copy if you haven't done so already!
DeleteTo answer your specific question, THE CHALLENGE takes place 10-15 years later in the chronology than the ending of MORNING'S JOURNEY. The central event -- Arthur's capture & rescue -- will occur in book 4, ZENITH GLORY. I am presently working on book 3, RAGING SEA, and in fact I plant the seeds of this plan in the chapter I'm working on at the moment. :)
Since RAGING SEA is taking a whole lot longer than expected, I am going to be releasing part 1 (Raging Sea: Reckonings) in early November; or sooner, if my cover designer can squeeze me in. Raging Sea picks up right after Morning's Journey leaves off, and it concentrates on Angusel, for the most part.
Also -- please feel free to sign up for my monthly newsletter so you won't miss a thing!
Thanks again for visiting, and have a wonderful rest of the week. :)
I'm so late with this reply! Real life got in the way and I forgot all about my message. Thank you so much for such an in-depth answer. Made my week! :D
DeleteI've already read The Challenge and I really liked it, even though I was kinda sad to see Gyan and Arthur estranged at the beginning. I'm glad you ended it on a hopeful note though! And I'm so excited to hear about the first part of Raging Sea being released soon. I've been gushing so much about Dawnflight to my friends that they also ending up buying the book.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply! I hope you have a great weekend ahead, and all the best.
Well! Who's made whose week?? :) Thanks so much, and I hope you have a great rest of the week & weekend too!
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