Today’s guest post is by author C.M. Estopare where she talks about what inspired her exciting new novel, Winterskin. Check it out!

Winterskin was inspired by a combination of things. My love of snow, Norse mythology, and morally ambiguous dark fantasy. I began writing Winterskin a couple of weeks after finishing my first fantasy novel, Heartfelt Sounds. Heartfelt Sounds was a coming of age novel inspired by my years of living in Okinawa. It was aesthetically pleasing, and in many ways, the soft journey of a young woman into adulthood. Once I finished Heartfelt Sounds, I had the inkling to write something a bit more…gray. I wanted to try my hand at writing something similar to my favorite fantasy author, Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the Tower of Swallows and a multitude of other dark fantasy novels. While the protagonist of Heartfelt Sounds was keen and kind, I wanted to write about a bad-ass heroine who could kill vampires and take down dragons…and so, Winterskin was born.

Delving into the genre of dark fantasy, I found that most authors wrote about vampires and werewolves. While there are political thrillers here and there, I found that I wanted to write about a mix of the two. Paranormal fights are inspiring and exhilarating to me, but so are political page-turners. I wanted to write about a monster hunter who could win with her brawn, as well as her brain–a complete contrast to the protagonist of Heartfelt Sounds. So, in preparation for writing Winterskin, I read about Norse mythology and vVikinghistory and decided that she would be a shieldmaiden charged with protecting others. She would be a woman with ample control over her life while, at the same time, having no control at all. Like other dark fantasies, I wanted the world to have a large part in her character arc–religion and the gods. Even magic itself. Thus, the plot of Winterskin was grafted and the shieldmaiden, Katell, was created.

About the book

Title: Winterskin

Author: C.M. Estopare

Genre: Dark / Epic Fantasy

The Path.

Perilous. Brutal. Deadly.

It is said that if a man journeys in alone, he’ll never return and there will be no corpse to bury.

Thousands of lives hang in the balance. Braving the Path is the key to saving them, but their survival is not guaranteed. For the Path is brimming with flesh ravenous monsters and the threat of a sinister presence known only as “the Lady”, an eerie entity dwelling deep within the confines of the black forest.

Escorted by a chosen few, the Chaperon is prepared to move forward to preserve the lives of a mountain town planted deep within the forest. But even in the dead of winter, the dark creatures prowling the surrounding forest remain unsettled and are bent on decimating any who encroach upon their territory.

Katell Maeva, one of those assigned to escort the Chaperon, will have to prove herself on this journey if she wants to be deemed a full-fledged shieldmaiden. But even her unique abilities may not be strong enough to withstand the brutal attacks they’ll face. Can this young woman, desperate to save her own family, complete her mission to escort the Chaperon and lead the convoy to safety?

For her, this journey is more than just a challenge; it’s the key to her future.

A world frozen within the cusp of winter, teetering upon an age that promises the evolution of mortals into gods, WINTERSKIN weaves the consequences of brutal ambition into the personal tale of shieldmaiden Katell Maeva’s growth into a woman bound in a darkening world gone feral.

WINTERSKIN is book one in the exciting dark fantasy series KINDRED SOULS. A fast-paced read, filled with jaw-dropping action, and savage femme fatales, WINTERSKIN is a riveting page-turner that is impossible to put down.

About the Author

Author Bio

C.M. Estopare is a full-time author, avid yoga enthusiast, and veteran of the United States military. She is the author of HEARTFELT SOUNDS, a young adult coming of age fantasy about the enthralling power of one young woman’s voice.

KINDRED SOULS is a five part epic and dark fantasy series hitting Amazon and Kindle Unlimited beginning in February 2017. Look out for the first book, WINTERSKIN, debuting February 9th, 2017.

When not writing, C.M. Estopare enjoys reading about the fantastical worlds in the minds of others. She also enjoys playing around with her puppy,Duke, and adventuring with her husband.

Links

http://cmestopare.blogspot.com/

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