Disciple, part III

Nothing’s simple when defending a besieged city — or a human heart.

World-building is easy. Just add a unicorn or two, a few alien children, a dystopian world, and Boom! there it is.

Making that world believable? Not so much. 

But doing both, creating and making it believable? Ask the readers of L. Blankenship's Disciple. They'll whoop and holler, Heck Yeah!

Disciple, part III continues the story of Kate, the peasant girl who rocked the status quo. From the highest born to the lowest. And all the Deity in between.


Author Interview:
Tell us about yourself.

Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain! No, seriously, there isn't much to say. I'm forty-something, I live near Washington, DC, I have two cats and a dog. I love music and maintain a hefty iTunes library. All things fantasy, science fiction, or non-fiction fascinate me, whether it's books, movies, or TV shows.

Tell us about your book.

Disciple is the story of a young woman fighting to defend her homeland with her developing magical skills. And trying to not get her heart broken along the way.

It's a six-part story, which I know because I've written them all. Today I'm releasing Disciple, Part III – we're halfway there!

If you could only have one superpower what would it be?

I kinda like the one I already have, to be honest. This writing thing rocks.

Who is your favorite character from one of your books and why?

(thinks long and hard) I have a tremendous amount of sympathy for Kiefan because he felt so trapped by his sense of duty and by factors that were completely out of his control. The progress he made, over the course of Disciple, toward being able to say no to certain people and to have the courage to pursue what he needed personally... that was a journey that I needed to take right alongside him. And I'll always be grateful to him for that.

What are you working on now?

I am working on, in no particular order: prepping Disciple, Part IV for publication, organizing a new science fiction novel, and revising Hawks & Rams.

What’s your favorite movie?

I hate having to pick just one! The complexity of Inception was delicious. I can quote most of The Princess Bride from memory. Amadeus is one of the few movies to ever make me cry. 2010 left a huge imprint on my young sci-fi mind. There's plenty more where that came from...

What’s your favorite quote?

My favorite changes every few weeks. Currently, it's a quote from C.S. Lewis: “When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

What genre do you write and why?

I write fantasy and science fiction because I love world-building. I love the research, I love the what-ifs, I love all of it.

 

Name five things that are on your desk right now?

Tins of Altoids (cinnamon and peppermint), nail clippers, a spray bottle of glasses-cleaning fluid, the marked-up current draft of Disciple, Part IV, and my wedding ring.

Chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, apple pie, or pecan pie?

Strawberry shortcake, as long as it's completely home-made. Well... the whipped cream can be from a spray can, but no Cool Whip allowed. Because if I'm going to be wearing it for the rest of my life it should be worth it, you know?

How can readers find you?

I'm all over the place:

Book blog: 

Writing blog:

Twitter: 

Facebook: 

Google +: 

Goodreads: 

* * * *

Blurb for Disciple, Part III:

Kate fought for her place as a healer in the war’s front lines. Serving her homeland has been her goal since her magical gifts earned her a coveted apprenticeship with the kingdom’s greatest healer. She believes she’s prepared.

But nothing’s simple when defending a besieged capital city — or her heart.

She loves the prince, who means to protect her even though his duties as a knight keep him on the battlements, fighting the enemy’s monstrous army.

Kate’s husband is the one who checks on her, lingers over dinner, and slowly but surely charms her. She’s all too aware that her beloved prince threatened to kill him if he touches her.

As the enemy thunders against the city walls, the kingdom needs more from Kate than just her healing magic. All disciples must put aside their tangled feelings and stand in the homeland’s defense.

Kate believed she's ready for a war. She isn't.