#PWPoePrompts #BoostMyBio

Although I have been trying hard to find someone who is interested in Feathers & Fae (and I am still awaiting a few responses), I have decided that I will try to take part in Pitch Wars mentoring program. After all, there is still so much more that I need to learn - not just about the industry, but a writer should never stop learning how to improve at their craft.

So, without further ado, I present to you, me and my novel.

Who in the world is Crystal L. Kirkham?

Writer, graphic designer, parent to two pups and willing servant to feline overlady. Rumours say I have a heart in a jar on my desk. Rumours forget to mention the bottle of reader's tears right next to it.

All such things aside, let us start with a few facts.

- I am 37 years old

- I currently live in rural Alberta, Canada. My hamlet is home to less than 200 people.

- Most of my life revolves around my dogs, Treble (a standard poodle) and Nahni (an Australian shepherd), and my 19-year-old feline overlady, Missy (better known as The Princess).

My love of writing started when I was just a wee thing. I wrote a story about a caterpillar when I was in Grade 2. My teacher told me how much she loved it. I never looked back. I've always wanted to be a writer, but at some
point, someone convinced me that I needed to find a real job and save writing as 'something to do the side'. I tried to do that, meandering through college taking political science, then biotechnology and finally web technologies (web design). I never finished any of them.

And, at some point, I stopped writing.

When I was in my late 20's dreaming about writing but not actually writing, I was introduced to the concept of NaNoWriMo. On October 30 of 2008, I bit the bullet and gave it a try. I never finished that novel, but I crossed the 50K word mark. I haven't stopped writing since. Since then I have completed a handful of full-length novels, one novella and a few pieces of flash fiction.

Oh yeah, this is me:

So, this novel, what's it about?

I'm just going to back up and tell you something interesting about FEATHERS & FAE. It started as a NaNoWriMo challenge with friends. Three random, unrelated prompts were given to a few of us. Our story had to incorporate all three prompts. I received my prompts on noon of October 31st.

These prompts were:

And, yes, all these elements made it into the story. And, even after umpteen million edits, they are all a part of the story still.

We repeat, what is it ABOUT?

FEATHERS & FAE is a standalone young adult fantasy novel. However, there is potential for it to be developed into a series. Our story focuses on the friendship between Emmett and Kami, starting in our own world in the town of Blakely Grove. However, the story quickly takes you on a journey into the realm of Mythos. A place where all the creatures of myth and legend live.

While the focus is on Emmett and Kami, the story expands to include Jewel, a seer, and Bob, a yeti. It’s a fun cast of diverse personalities, wrought with secrets and lies – and a very handsome villain who will stop at nothing to reach his goal – destroying Emmett and Kami. Oh, and ruling over all the five realms – Mundialis, Mythos, Immortui, Anabasa, and Castus.

I am still trying to get better at writing synopses. So, forgive me if it doesn’t sound as enchanting as the novel is.

Emmett and Kami have always been best friends, but Emmett has a secret. Part of that secret is that he sees it as his job to keep Kami safe. Not that she makes it easy on him. When a dark fae chases them down, Emmett doesn’t hesitate to do what he has always done – protect her. In his rush to keep her safe they are transported from their quiet home in Blakely Grove to the realm of Mythos.

In this strange new world, Kami can tell when people are lying and almost everything that Emmett has told her since they woke up in Mythos has been a lie – even his name. As the lies and secrets pile up and the threat of the dark fae known as the Erlkrönig grows closer, she demands the truth. A truth that will shake the foundations of everything she ever believed.

What makes this novel special?

For me, it’s the characters and how their relationship changes and develops over the course of the journey that takes you from forest to peat bog to the frozen mountaintops. It’s a slow and deliberate reveal of the secrets that Emmett is hiding and the lies he tells to protect those with him. Although, you can be the judge of whether the lies did more harm or good in the end.

Pitch it, baby.

FEATHERS & FAE summed up in a single line?

When a dark fae from Emmett’s past chases him and his BFF Kami into the realm of Mythos, the world of lies that Emmett created begins to unravel and Kami is about to discover that neither of them are who they seem to be.  

And just for fun…

Here are a couple of aesthetics that might hopefully pique your interest a little more. These feature our key protags on one and our delightful villain on the other.

Thanks for stopping by!