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Friday, February 20, 2015

Blog Tour, Author Interview, Review, Giveaway: The King's Scrolls


Today, I am excited to be hosting The King's Scrolls Blog Tour. Jaye L Knight has graciously  answered several questions for an interview and has provided me with a copy of her featured book, The King's Scrolls, to review. In addition, Jaye is having an awesome giveaway I am sure you will all enjoy.

Description

The King's Scrolls
Jaye L. Knight


Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor’s persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance—not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia’s last surviving copies of the King’s Scrolls—the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican’s men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.

When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy’s triumph?

Available on Amazon!


About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is a homeschool graduated indie author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean new adult fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Etsy.




Interview


Welcome to Zerina Blossom's Books! We look forward to this interview.
Why did you feel you had to tell this story?

Well, Ilyon Chronicles is one of those stories that kind of showed up out of nowhere and demanded to be written. It didn’t really give me much choice. ;) But I think the reason I felt so strongly about it is it came during a really difficult time in my life. It was sort of a way to work through that. Also I feel very strongly about the themes in this story—themes of God loving you even when you don’t think you could possibly deserve it, of not treating people differently or badly just because they’re not like you, and of sticking to your faith even through persecution.

Those themes are very evident, which is what I love most about your books.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

In The King’s Scrolls, I think my favorite part to write was with Kyrin’s brothers. They have a much bigger role in TKS than they did in Resistance, and I loved working with their sibling relationships. Anything with interesting sibling dynamics is always fun for me.

Family relationships are always interesting.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

The Lord of the Rings had a huge influence on me as a teenager and even now. I’m not sure I would be writing fantasy right now if not for discovering LOTR. It was just after reading it that I first decided I wanted to be a true author.

Awesome!
Our study of memory in one of my classes made my think of Kyrin's abilities. What inspired you to give Kyrin photographic and autobiographic memory? What kind of research did you do?

That development in Kyrin’s character is one of my favorite memories of first starting Ilyon Chronicles. Originally, she was just going to be very observant. Then, shortly after I started writing it, I was watching TV with my mom and saw a commercial for the TV show, Unforgettable, which is about a detective with a perfect memory. I consider it a God moment, having that commercial catch my attention and inspire a critical detail about Kyrin. As for research, I looked up some people who had this ability and read their stories. I also ended up watching the first episode of Unforgettable, and that gave me a good starting point for Kyrin’s abilities.

Very interesting. You did a good job with Kyrin's abilities. They appear real.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I’ve gotten my share of bad reviews on some of my earlier books. It always stings for a bit. The worst was probably my first one star review on Resistance. It’s not actually the worst review I’ve ever received, but just the fact that it was Resistance made it a bit harder since I’ve poured everything I am as a writer into this series. But that’s a writer’s life. I’m not sure I could pick only one compliment as the best because I’ve gotten so many wonderful reviews and sweet emails from readers that have been a huge encouragement, but I always especially love it when someone who doesn’t usually like fantasy tells me how much they enjoy my books. That always brings a huge grin to my face.
We always love those good reviews!
Thank you, Jaye, for the thoughtful answers to my questions. It has been a pleasure.
 

Review

The King’s Scrolls picks up Kyrin, Jace, and Kaden’s story not long after Resistance ended. Their company along with the emperor have discovered the existence of a man writing letters about The King’s Scrolls, the holy books of Elom. After joining forces with several cretes and receiving dragons from the cretes for their help, the group sets off to find this man and the last known, complete copy of The King’s Scrolls before the emperor does.
 
After loving Resistance, I found that The King’s Scrolls was just as fantastic. Characters were added and relationships were deepened between the characters and their God. Each of them grew spiritually as well as in maturity. I love these books because Jaye has created a fun, adventurous story that is balanced with deep struggle and growth in the characters that influences me to do likewise.
 
A major part of The King’s Scrolls was focused on family relationships. The estrangement of Kyrin and Kaden from their country, and therefore family, certainly took its toll on all of them. The spiritual beliefs formed a barrier between them and their mother, brothers, and grandfather. It was interesting to see who became followers of Elom and who chose their own desires over family and faith.
 
A large portion of the book was spent in grief and sadness over lost loved ones. The majority of the characters lost someone. They each grew as a result of their losses, but they were devastated nonetheless. The deep growth that resulted from the grief and struggle was well worth the effort of reading it. All seemed lost, but hope won in the end. As a side note, I did not find the period of the characters’ grief boring, but those who love only the action might.
 
The book introduced another awesome addition—Dragons! Did I mention that I love them? Well, dragons are a large part of the King’s Scrolls. While they may not be sentient creatures, they still present awesome additions to the cast of characters.
 
The plot was intriguing with its dramatic ups and downs. Things never went as planned for the characters, but that is what made the story great.
 
In conclusion, Jaye has written another amazing book, with deep topics as well as an intriguing story. I eagerly look forward to book three.
 
I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 
 

Sale

Haven’t begun the adventure into Ilyon? From February 17th - 23rd, get Resistance , the award-winning first book of Ilyon Chronicles for your Kindle on sale for only 99 cents! Check it out on Amazon!
 

Giveaway

Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed Epic Winter giveaway! Prize pack includes an autographed copy of The King’s Scrolls, a CD by Future World Music (some of Jaye’s favorite writing music), a dragon bookmark, a stone hawk pendant (much like the ones mentioned in the book), and a few packages of Twining’s Winter Spice tea to sip while you read! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule


Tuesday, February 17
·        Tour Introduction at Jaye L. Knight
·        Author Interview at Crafty Booksheeps
·        Review at Musings of a Middle Age Author
·        Author Interview at Seasons of Humility
·        Author Interview and Book Spotlight at A Brighter Destiny
·        Review and Author Interview at A Writer’s Heart

Wednesday, February 18
·        Review at To Be A Person
·        Author Interview at Leah’s Bookshelf
·        Review at The Destiny of One
·        Author Interview and Book Spotlight at Reflection
·        Author Interview and Character Spotlight (Liam) at Thilly Little Nothings
·        Author Interview at Dreams and Dragons
·        Book Spotlight at One Servant's Heart
·        Book Spotlight at Venturing to Other Worlds

Thursday, February 19
·        Q&A Session at Ilyon Chronicles - Behind the Scenes
·        Review and Author Interview at Crumpets 'n' Cream
·        Character Interview (Marcus) at Morgan Elizabeth Huneke
·        Review and Author Interview at Spreading the Word
·        Character Spotlight (Marcus) at Reflection
·        Author Interview at Rivershore Books
·        Review and Author Interview at Red Lettering
·        Review at Written Rest

Friday, February 20
·        Q&A Session at Ilyon Chronicles - Behind the Scenes
·        Review at Melody Jackson, Author
·        Review at Anything, Everything
·        Author Interview at Guns and Roses
·        Character Interview (Talas) at The Writer’s Window
·        Review at O. Scarlett! Reviews
·        Review and Author Interview at Zerina Blossom
·        Review at Leah’s Bookshelf

Saturday, February 21
·        Q&A Session at Ilyon Chronicles - Behind the Scenes
·        Review at The American Anglophile
·        Review and Book Spotlight at Vic's Media Room
·        Author Interview at Butterflies of the Imagination
·        Review and Author Interview at Tialla’s Tellings
·        Review and Character Interview (Liam) at Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections
·        Character Spotlight and Character Interview (Timothy) at Written Rest

Sunday, February 22
·        Review and Author Interview at Claire M. Banschbach- Thoughts and Rants
·        Character Spotlight (Aaron) at The Art of Storytelling
·        Book and Character Spotlight (General Veshiron) at Tell Tale Book Reviews
·        Review at Reality Calling
·        Character Spotlight (Leetra) at Zerina Blossom

Monday, February 23
·        Q&A Session at Ilyon Chronicles - Behind the Scenes
·        Character Interview (Captain Darq) at Knitted By God's Plan
·        Review at Backing Books
·        Realm Explorers post at Letters from Annie Douglass Lima
·        Character Interview (Aaron) at However Improbable
·        Character Spotlight (Daniel) at Finding the True Fairy Tale
·        Author Interview at Pencils Can Change the World

Tuesday, February 24
·        Q&A Session at Ilyon Chronicles - Behind the Scenes
·        Review at Shire Reviews
·        Review and Author Interview at Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings
·        Review and Author Interview at The Pen of a Ready Writer
·        Character Interview (Leetra) at A Writer’s Faith

Wednesday, February 25
·        Tour Conclusion at Jaye L. Knight

6 comments:

  1. This looks really interesting. I like the idea of a character with a photographic memory! Also, I don't think I've ever read a book with nonsentient dragons. I'd love to see how they're portrayed. Thanks for sharing this interview and review!

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    1. You are welcome, Annie. I certainly enjoyed Kyrin's memory abilities. They added a new aspect to the story. Hers and the other characters' abilities were not like some of the other abilities I have almost come to expect in fantasy. They are almost normal, or reachable. I liked it.

      And, as usual, the dragons are awesome, even if they don't talk or think like people do.

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  2. The captivating novel has a fascinating and wonderful story with memorable characters and plot. Thanks for this great review which is intriguing.What a wonderful feature and great giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by.

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  3. Thank you so much for your review and fun interview questions, Emily!

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    1. You're welcome, Jaye. I enjoyed your responses and your book. Thank you for letting me be part of your blog tour!

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