Book Tour & Giveaway (US/Int): Lore of Fei’s Kathleen S. Allen on faeries… do you believe?

ARE FAERIES REAL?

In 1917 the world was at war and the Industrial Revolution was marching us forward. Two English girls from Cottingley, in West Yorkshire, England Elsie Wright, age 16 and her cousin, Frances Griffiths, age 10 borrowed the camera that belonged to Elsie’s father and took photographs of faeries. They took a series of five photos, and had several published. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of Sherlock Holmes who was also a spiritualist saw the photos and, along with his good friend, Harry Houdini (1874-1926), a famous magician set out to prove if the photos were real or not. Houdini was skeptical but Doyle believed the photos were real. For many years it was believed the photos of the faeries the girls took at the bottom of the garden, were indeed real photos of faeries. It wasn’t until Elsie and Frances were adults that they said that four of the photos were fake paper doll cutouts but that the fifth photo was a true picture of a faerie. Their story was told in the 1997 movie, FAIRY TALE: A TRUE STORY.

And, we all remember in Peter Pan having to clap if you believe in faeries so Tinkerbell doesn’t die. Faeries come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Cottingley faeries, to the lifesize Robin Goodfellow or Puck in A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

Why are we so fascinated with faeries? What is about them that makes us want to believe the Fey exist? Is it our sense of childlike wonder, our belief in magic? Or is it the idea that another world, a world full of beauty and magic exists somewhere if we only can find it? Whatever the reason, we do believe in faeries. And, I’m one of those that believe. One of my favourite memories was when my daughter was four and we were in a park walking. We came upon a ring of mushrooms, a “fairy ring.” I started to step inside of it but my daughter yanked me back telling me if I did I’d be a prisoner in the land of the Fey forever.

I haven’t had any other encounters with faeries except in my imagination. It is this fascination that led me to write LORE OF FEI. It’s about a land of faeries, parallel to the human world. The faeries are magical, their magic or magos is in their wings. As soon as they reach the Age of Maturity, they become magical. They can fly, use glamour to disguise themselves and infuse their magos into crafts, metalwork, fabrics, even food. In my book the faeries are the good guys and the humans are evil, well, most of them. I could see living in Fei, with the faeries. The River Fei cleanses and refreshes, each class of faerie is known for something special, the Coryphee sing and do crafts, the Shimmer are the chefs, the Forge make metalwork including weapons, the Dreogans are the growers who harvest the crops, the Healers heal and the Cozen are the merchants. Each class of faerie has different coloured wings that match their class. The main character, Ariela, is a mutant faerie. She has no wings. Therefore, she has no magos. Or does she?

I’d like to think that the land of Fei exists somewhere, perhaps in the wilds of Wales, or Ireland or the remote sections of Northern Scotland. Or even in England in Yorkshire. And, someday, if I’m lucky, I will find the land of Fei and live among the faeries. What about you, do you believe in faeries?

Kathleen S. Allen

Ariela is a mutant faerie, born without wings. No wings means she has no magic. Her faerie parents hide her deformity from the humans in Hege, especially from Kel, the Warlord of Kel’s Lair. But, when rumors of a human child living in Fei reach his ears he sends his warriors in to rescue her.  In one horrific night her faerie parents are murdered and she is brought to Kel’s Lair to live. It is there she learns the truth about her parentage. The Veil of Enclosure that separates Fei from the human world is dissolving allowing the humans to enter Fei and kidnap the faerie children in order to enslave them and take away their magic by clipping their wings. In the faerie Book of Lore is a legend that a silver-winged faerie will be born to save Fei but no such faerie has been born. The Faerie Council asks Ariela to free the faerie children and restore the Veil before it’s too late. But, Ariela has no magic, or does she?

Excerpt

“I am not a human girl, Duri. I am a faerie, like you. I was born without wings.” His eyes widened, but he still did not speak. “The Old Ones sent me to find a way to stop the humans. There can be no war on Fei. I need to know what the humans plan and when they will raid Fei again. You can help save Fei from extinction, Duri. Will you help me and be loyal to me and to Fei?”

He nodded. It was a slight nod, but it was a nod.

“Thank you Duri.” I sensed relief from him. “Sunvi, of the Old Ones has been captured and is ensconced in the food area. His wings have been clipped, too. He will help us restore Fei to the land it once was.” I moved away from Duri toward the dragons. Tashie spotted me and flew over. She gave me a look, and I laughed at her. I sensed hunger from her. I reached in my pouch and pulled a sweet out. She took it and gobbled it down. I scratched under her chin, feeling the happiness flowing from her into me. I looked over to where Duri had stood, but he had gone back to the Lair. I hoped I could trust him. Faeries were much harder to read than humans.

Meet the author I am an urban faerie born without wings but I fly on the wings of imagination tethered to this mortal coil. Moonlight sustains me and sunlight devours me. Stars swim in my eyes and my soul bleeds on a daily basis. I am a writer. Webpage Twitter Facebook

Giveaway (US/Int)

Ms. Allen is giving away several prizes tour-wide. Up for grabs are: two (2) ebooks of Lore of Fei, 1 tote bag pack, and 2 ecopies of any book in her backlist. To enter to win…

Do you believe in faeries? What fascinates you most about them?

… then fill out the Rafflecopter widget.  Note that shipping for the Tote is US-only, but the ebooks are open internationally.

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