The Schatten Chronicles - Book Tour and Giveaway

​ The Darkness will invade their dreams and turn their reality into nightmares.  

The Origins of Darkness
The Schatten Chronicles Book 1
by KA Stefana
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance  

 They witnessed the death of the evil king and thought that they had saved the land from the darkness within, but he survived and hid within the Northern Boundaries for almost a century. He found a way to escape and regain his powers but he could not break the curse that bound him to the icy wasteland, until one day. One spell bound within ancient magic. One spell that unleashed his plan.

Night after night he visited young innocent maidens in the remotest villages as they were just about to come of age. He entered their dreams and tempted them with raw desire. As they fell prey to his evil plan, he took from them what he wanted and destroyed their futures so that he could rise again.

Soon his daughters would rise, the daughters of darkness. They would travel to lands beyond, where his feet could no longer touch the ground. His daughters, sired for evil, would reign terror down on the southern kings and he would reclaim what was stolen from him and break the curse that bound him.

This is the prequel to The Daughters of Darkness, A Schatten Novel by KA STefana.


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The Daughters of Darkness
The Schatten Chronicles Book 2  

 In the peaceful Land of the Rhein, the Darkness looms on the horizon. Evil infiltrates the castle walls, and traitors lurk in the shadows. Can King William protect his beloved land from the impending doom? Enter Idalia, an enigmatic outcast whose fate is uncertain. Could she be the one to fulfill the prophecy, to save the kingdom from its imminent downfall?

But as the truth about Idalia's past unravels, King William must decide whether to trust her or condemn her to death. Amidst betrayal and treachery, the dragon Morgan holds the key to the prophecy that will determine the fate of the land. Will the outcast born for evil rise to power and defeat her father? Or will she betray those who trust her in the heat of battle?

With twists and turns at every corner, only time can reveal what lies ahead in this epic tale of romance, betrayal, and banishment.


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Welcome Readers! Followers and Members of the Shadowverse. I am so excited that you are taking this journey with me. I love to weave tales of darkness and light, pushing my characters to the end of themselves. How will they react? Some may fall into evil, spiraling into a never-ending vortex of darkness. Others may walk the line between the realms of darkness and light. Only a few will rise above the chaos. They are the defenders and heroes in the world of shadows, but they, too, wrestle with the shadows surrounding them, trying to lure them down dark alleyways and into the back rooms of iniquity. 

My friends always ask me where my tales come from. I guess it comes from years of reading great tales from the likes of Tolkien, Lewis, and so many others. In reality, I don't have a clue. The stories somehow flow from the unruly characters that beg to be written yet refuse to follow their storylines. Just the way I like it!
Past the shadows, you will find a twist of romance between kings and outcasts, enemies to lovers, and everything in between.

As for me, I started my writing journey during quarantine and haven't stopped writing since. I am thankful for the writing community and their support and for my family and friends. Most of all, I am blessed to have a husband who supports all of my late-night shenanigans, wrestling with characters and pounding away at the keyboard until the wee hours of the morning.
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~ A million hugs! Thanks for joining the Shadowverse.


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Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
My pen name is KA Stefana. KA is the initial for my first and middle name, but Stefana is the name that is very special to me. It was my grandmother’s first name. So, I honor her as I write. I started writing in 2020 during quarantine and haven’t stopped since. It started just as a hobby. With four books and multiple Kindle Vellas, I feel that I can now officially say that I am an author.
The first chapter that I ever wrote was in The Daughters of Darkness, which is about King William finding Idalia. After many edits, you have the current version. Writing creatively was a struggle, as I spent years writing technical papers. It took a lot of work to write freely and to show the passion of the characters.

Where were you born/grew up?
I was born in Providence, RI, and was adopted at four months old. My family grew up in a close-knit community where family was the centerpiece of our lives.

What kind of world ruler would you be?
I would hope that I would be fair and compassionate if I ruled a kingdom, but it would be a dark and feudal kingdom in a faraway land.

What do you do to unwind and relax?
Unwind! Relax! What is that? Actually, I try to take a nap every Sunday as a form of self-care. On a daily basis, we sit and watch TV for about an hour and relax. The best part about that is cuddling with my dog.

How do I find time to write as a parent?
When the world sleeps, I write. My children are all adults, but I still write late at night when my ADHD is under control and my concentration is at its optimal level.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Geeky art-loving engineer and author

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Sometimes, I wonder if I am a writer, even after my fourth book. In reality, I probably started to consider myself a writer when I finished my first book. At that point, it became a reality and an accomplishment. It didn’t matter that I self-published but the fact that I wrote over 120K words into a cohesive story.

Do you have a favorite movie?
Not really, but I do have a favorite play, Les Miserables. I could watch the concert version on TV all of the time. In fact, if I scroll through the TV channels and see it on PBS, I stop and watch.
Why don’t I have a favorite movie? I don’t know. I don’t get attached to characters in the movies the way I do in books. I really loved the Longmire series and Vera. It is kind of strange, but I love to watch detective shows more than fantasy movies, which I prefer to read.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
The Schatten Chronicles - The first book, The Origins of Darkness, follows two female protagonists who are polar opposites of each other yet face the same antagonist. Katriona is a fiery redhead who is hopelessly independent, while Emmeline is sweet and gentle, wanting nothing more than to marry her golden-haired lover, Ash. Their worlds are turned upside down by King Stefan, The Darkness.
I can imagine the scenery from the 1100s.  The dark and dirty villages, the stone and uninviting castles, and the magic that the Darkness spins, invading dreams, scheming and plotting, with a singular goal of destroying his enemies.
Katriona would be the warrior, wielding her sword, refusing to love her mate, and standing against the dark forces gathering around her. Emmeline, dressed as a peasant girl in a remote village, falls prey to his plans as he turns her dreams into nightmares.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Oh, that’s simple! A dragon. I love Eragon! Obviously, Saphira belongs to his story, but I have my own dragon, Morgan, the Keeper of the Light!

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
For The Forgotten, I am working on some really cozy fantasy stories to explore some of my favorite characters. The short stories can be found on REAM, The Reluctant Rider, and The Dragon Rider’s Journey. The Reluctant Rider follows Sofia and Etienne. The Dragon Rider’s Journey follows Olivia.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Sometime in 2024, I will be releasing a book of poems. I have been writing poetry since I was in grammar school, so this is a special project. Be on the lookout for Shadows and Mist, Poems, and Other Musings. Additionally, I will be releasing two short stories, The Shadow Wolf on May 1st and a short Vampire/Fae Thieve short story. Both stories are a part of shared universes.

What inspired you to write this book?
In most of my stories, you will find the characters wrestling with the darkness in their souls. They are given a chance to choose the light or the darkness. King Stefan chose the darkness, but  King William wrestled with it. His love for Idalia will alter his path as she is chosen to fight alongside him to defeat the growing darkness. Then there is the dragon, the keeper of the light.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Names are so important for me when starting a new story. As The Schatten Chronicles takes place in the medieval region of Germany, I used databases that had older versions of modern names, i.e., Idalia and Emmeline. One thing that I do not do is name characters after family and friends.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
When I started writing The Daughters of the Darkness, I didn’t have a plan, a plot, or an ending. I wrote chapter by chapter, day by day, on my phone before I went to bed. Of course, the version you see now is not the original from my phone, but what I loved was the freedom to create without deadlines. Since then, many edits later, you have the plot hole-free version of The Daughters of Darkness.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

King William: He’s a stern ruler, a womanizer, and an ancient grump. He’s never truly loved a woman and is standoffish to those around him. When he finds Idalia ready to fade to the netherworld, he is ready to let her go, knowing that she could be an enemy. It will take her strength to soften him into the ruler that he is meant to become.

Idalia: She was born into poverty, banished, and betrayed by her mother’s family. They were forced to live alone in the woods, known to all as the untouchables. She was loved dearly by her mother, Emmeline, but her world was shattered when she was abducted, beaten, and abused by strangers. Left on the border of King William’s land, she was leery of this king and his intentions. As their bond grew, so did her strength. She is a force!

Katriona: My red-haired heroine. Katja is wild and spirited, impetuous and brave. She has a true warrior’s spirit. Her story begins in The Origins of Darkness but doesn’t end in the Daughters. There’s more to come in The Aftermath of Darkness.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
The title for The Daughters of Darkness came right from the plot of the story. King Stefan was creating an army of his daughters as he was becoming the Darkness that he sought.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do on that day?
This is a really hard question. If I can only pick one character, then I would choose Morgan, The Keeper of the Light. Why? Because I’d want to fly in his cave and become a Dragon Rider and hear the details of the dragons before they disappeared from Earth.

Are your characters based on real people, or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Always imaginary! It’s a rule of mine to ensure that I never write about someone I know.

Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have a story that isn’t published. It is probably my favorite story. It takes place in modern times, with the storyline tracing back to King William and Queen Idalia. Morgan plays a central role again. It was one of my first stories and really needs to be rewritten. The plot and characters are great, but my writing style has improved, so I can’t release it as is.

Is there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be, and why?
Jeffery Wheeler. Why? Because he was a bi-vocational writer and my inspiration. Once I read his story, I knew that I could write part-time while still working my geeky engineering job.

Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book, or the writing process of the book.
I wrote the first chapter of the book without knowing where The Daughters of Darkness would end up. There wasn’t an evil king with vile plans, a path for William and Idalia. Nothing. Just one chapter. In the end, that little chapter will turn into The Schatten Chronicles.

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Jeff Wheeler for his Muirwood series. Honestly, his personal story and books are the foundation for my writing.
Christopher Paolini for the Eragon series.
Ken Follett
Micheal Connelly - The Harry  Bosch series
Ted Dekker - I loved Three and everything else that I read from him
Elizabeth George - Inspector Linley Mysteries
Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH
 
What book do you think everyone should read?
How long have you been writing? I began writing as a hobby during quarantine. I had always written poetry and spent most of my career writing R&D technical papers. It was so much fun writing with passion and not about another chemical formula or research blend.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time, or do some of them come to you as you write?

Do you read yourself, and if so, what is your favorite genre?
I love to read fantasy and romance, but mostly fantasy. I want to be taken to a new world with great world-building and character development. One of my absolute favorites was the Muirwood series by Jeff Wheeler.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I need absolute silence to hear the voices of the characters. Background noise is OK, but I cannot have conversations surrounding me.

Do you write one book at a time, or do you have several going at a time?
How about a thousand at a time? I have so many ideas that I started to write short stories, about 3000 words, just to get the idea on paper and out of my head. It really helps me focus on the active stories that I am working on. I usually have one that I am editing to get ready for a book launch, a couple of active Vellas, and a short story or two that I wrestle with.

Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. Unless it is a poem. I can write a poem anywhere or anytime. When I first started, I wrote a lot on my phone before I went to bed at night, and then I would edit on the computer during the day.

What makes a good story?
I want a story that is going to take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from the first to the last page, with characters that are alive, snarky, sharp-witted, and everything in between.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I typically mull around the story idea for a few days to a week before I even attempt to start writing it. Then I will write the first few chapters, wanting to draw the reader in, and rework those until I am satisfied. Once the first 3 to 5 chapters are finished, I will roughly outline the book, knowing a few things that will happen and a potential conclusion. I cannot guarantee that I will get there because characters have a way of rewriting the storyline. I have learned to go with it.
One thing that I love to do is to write a character into an impossible scene. How will they escape? I won’t plot their escape until after I finish the scene. This way, I am just as nervous for them as the reader is, and I cannot accidentally give away how they will escape.
As to the common traps of aspiring writers, I am still in that phase, but here is a bit of what I have learned. Word and Google editing are not sufficient to bring your story to life. You need an editor! Don’t fret when your story goes off course because your characters refuse to follow your plot. Let them scheme and plot. At the end of the day, enjoy the process.

What is your writing Kryptonite? Time!
I don’t have enough time in the day to write.

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
If I could write every day, I could probably write a book in two to three months. I really prefer to write a few chapters a week at this point to ensure that I am not stressing myself out. At that pace, it takes about 7 to 9 months to write the book and another couple to edit.

Do you believe in writer’s block?
Absolutely, but I believe in unruly characters more.

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