The Chateaux of Kill the Beast (Kill the Beast Blog Tour)

We are thrilled to welcome Michele Israel Harper to Lands Uncharted today as part of the blog tour celebrating the release of her latest novel, Kill the Beast! I can't wait to dive into this fabulous book, and I can't wait to show the you the treat Michele has prepared for us today - a look into the castles, or chateaux, of Kill the Beast! Prepare for some gorgeous, drool-worthy pictures ahead :)


Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having me on your blog today, Laurie!

I cannot wait to show you the beautiful châteaux I used for inspiration for my new book, Kill the Beast. You see, I went to Paris, France in February of 2018, and before that, I was having so much trouble writing a few of the scenes in my book.

But then I walked through le Château de Versailles and le Musée du Louvre, and scenes that had until that time laughed in my face, burst into vibrant life. I still close my eyes and give a happy sigh whenever I remember either of these lovely places.

So here, let me show you what I saw!

1) Le Château de Versailles

Le Château de Versailles is my blueprint for le Château de Champagne, the summer home of the king and queen of France. The prince is vacationing there when his parents’ ship sinks and he is cursed and turned into a massive beast. But the curse doesn’t stop at him and his château. The curse envelops all of France and twists his château into something unrecognizable—le Château des Roses Noires, or the Castle of the Black Roses.

2) La Musée du Louvre

Ah, the residence of the kings while they were in Paris. Well, one of them, anyway. Wandering this massive museum and envisioning it as someone’s home was vital to my Kill the Beast story world. And although I wasn’t able to use this particular Parisian residence in Kill the Beast, I have oh so many plans for it—and the many other places I saw in Paris—in book three.

And now for a few places I love to look at online and that are on my bucket list for the next time I am in France.


3) Le Château de la Breteshe

Story world: When the curse fell, the well-laid out Château de Champagne twisted itself into an unrecognizable château—one that had not been there before—called le Château des Roses Noires, the Castle of the Black Roses. A cursed château.

My view: Although Bretesche is much smaller and the stone is not black as the beast’s château, this is the château that is on Kill the Beast’s cover and that fired my imagination of how I wanted the other château to look, though completely wrapped around an inner courtyard. I simply must visit here one day!

4) La Domaine de la Breteshe

This cottage on the property of la Domaine de la Bretesche is what I envision Ro’s family’s wealthy cottage to look like, before they were forced to move. Big enough to have servants galore and no sharing rooms—this home is sorely missed!

5) Cottage in Marie Antoinette’s Estate in le Parc de Versailles

After living in luxury, the squalor of the cottage in the little village of Champagne is more than Ro’s sisters can bear. Well, all except Cosette, of course. She bears it with the patience of a patron saint. All seven girls share one room, Claude and Pascal another, and who knows what their père does in his study—if he even bothers to show up at all. He hasn’t been quite the same since his wife died and his merchant vessels sank and the curse fell—fifteen years ago. And where they live shows it.

6) City Hall of Reims, France

This city hall in Reims, France is what I envision Gautier’s small château to look like. After all, he is waiting—and waiting and waiting—at Reims for the curse to be lifted so he can be crowned king. And although this steward has his eye on the king’s palais in Paris, the much smaller and much less grand château will have to do. For now.

7) Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims, France

This is where the kings of France were crowned for hundreds of years. (Not to be confused with Notre Dame in Paris.) One of the other reasons Gautier wants the beast killed so badly is, no matter how many times he has been through the crowning ceremony, no one remembers that he is trying to crown himself king. A nice little part of the counter-curse from the Queen of the Fairies. Gautier is not amused.

*All images are purchased stock images from DepositPhotos.com and are approved for editorial use


Thank you so much for sharing these, Michele - I'm more excited than ever to read your book!! Here's a little more about the author:

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as a work-at-home mom and her nights typing away furiously on her laptop. Sleep? Sometimes… She has her Bachelor of Arts in history, is slightly obsessed with all things French—including Jeanne d’Arc and La Belle et la Bête— and loves curling up with a good book more than just about anything else. Author of Wisdom & Folly: Sisters, Zombie Takeover, Beast Hunter, and Kill the Beast, Michele prays her involvement in writing, editing, and publishing will touch many lives in the years to come. Visit www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com to learn more about her. You can also connect with Michele on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads, and Amazon.


And now, a little more about Kill the Beast :) It doesn't release until September 25th, but you can go here to pre-order now! Here's the back cover blurb:

Ro remembers the castle before. Before the gates closed. Before silence overtook the kingdom. Before the castle disappeared. Now it shimmers to life one night a year, seen by her alone.

Once a lady, now a huntress, Ro does what it takes to survive—just like the rest of the kingdom plunged into despair never before known. But a beast has overtaken the castle. A beast that killed the prince and holds the castle and kingdom captive in his cruel power. A beast Ro has been hired to kill. Thankful the mystery of the prince’s disappearance has been solved, furious the magical creature has killed her hero, Ro eagerly accepts the job to end him. But things are not as they seem.

Trapped in the castle, a prisoner alongside the beast, Ro wonders what she should fear most: the beast, the magic that holds them both captive, or the one who hired her to kill the beast.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling.


Thanks again for joining us today, Michele, and congratulations on your new release! Make sure to stop by the Facebook party celebrating Kill the Beast on Thursday, September 27th, and check out the rest of the blog tour stops below!

Kill the Beast Blog Tour Schedule:


Monday, Sept. 17th, Guest Post: “Fairies in the World of Kill the Beast,” Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com/fairiesfantasyfaith

Monday, Sept. 17th, Review of Kill the Beast,” Cathy Jeppsen, www.mybookaday.com

Tuesday, Sept. 18th, “Review of Kill the Beast,” Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com

Wednesday, Sept. 19th, Guest Post: “French Inspiration Behind Kill the Beast,” J.M. Hackman, www.jmhackman.com

Thursday, Sept. 20th, Visual Post: “The Châteaux of Kill the Beast,” Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com

Thursday, Sept. 20th, Visual Post: “The Characters of Kill the Beast,” Christina Morley, www.abooksandmore.blogspot.com

Friday, Sept. 21st, Behind-the-Scenes Feature: “Kill the Beast: It Only Took Four Years,” Kristen Stieffel, www.newauthors.wordpress.com

Saturday, Sept. 22nd, “Review of Kill the Beast,” Rachel Poli, www.rachelpoli.com

Saturday, Sept. 22nd, “Kill the Beast Excerpt,” Mehsi S., https://twirlingbookprincess.com

Sunday, Sept. 23rd, “Interview with Author Michele Israel Harper,” Jebraun Clifford, www.quillsandinkblotts.wordpress.com

Monday, Sept. 24th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature: “The Story Behind Beast Hunter,” Jannette Fuller, www.jannettefuller.com/blog

Monday, Sept. 24th, Guest Post: “Kill the Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling,” Jaye L. Knight, www.jayelknight.blogspot.com

Tuesday, Sept. 25th, Release-Day Post: “Kill the Beast Releases Today!” Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com

Wednesday, Sept. 26th, “Review of Kill the Beast: Why I Identify with the Beast,” Cathrine Bonham, www.cobonham.com

Thursday, Sept. 27th, “Author Interview with French Enthusiast Michele Israel Harper,” Laura A. Grace, www.unicornquester.com

Friday, Sept. 28th, “Kill the Beast Excerpt,” Teresa Beasley, www.arbookcorner.wordpress.com

Friday, Sept. 28th, Visual Post: “Kill the Beast: Fashion in 18th Century France,” Lea Doué, www.leadoue.com

Top 3 Most Anticipated Books of the Second Half of 2017 (Laurie)

Me again! We did a little reshuffling this week so my review of Illusionary could land during Desiree Williams' blog tour, but it will all even out in the end, I promise :)

Last week, Jill did a post on her Top 3 Most Anticipated Books of 2017. I loved seeing which books she couldn't wait to read, and it got me thinking about the books I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year. So much so, that I decided to do my own post of books I'm anticipating for the second half of 2017 :) It turns out I have a long list of book releases I'm eagerly awaiting, but here are the ones that made my top 3:

3) Kill the Beast, by Michele Israel Harper

Ro remembers the castle as it was before. Before the gates closed. Before silence overtook the kingdom. Before the castle disappeared. Now it shimmers to life one night a year, seen by her alone.

Once a lady, now a huntress, Ro does what it takes to survive, just like the rest of the kingdom plunged into despair never before known.

But a beast has overtaken the castle; a beast that killed the prince and holds the castle and kingdom captive in his cruel power. A beast Ro has been hired to kill.

Thankful the mystery of the prince’s disappearance has been solved, furious the magical creature has killed her hero, Ro eagerly accepts the job to end him.

But things are not as they seem.

Trapped in the castle, a prisoner alongside the beast, Ro wonders what she should fear most: the beast, the magic that holds them both captive, or the one who hired her to kill the beast.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling.


That cover! That premise! *happy sigh* It probably comes as no surprise that I love fairy tale retellings, and this one looks like it has amazing potential. Plus, thanks to Zombie Takeover, I already know that Michele Israel Harper is more than capable of writing swoon-worthy romance. So I've been awaiting this book with bated breath ever since I heard about it. But, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not entirely sure whether this book will actually end up coming out in 2017 - you can find a blog post by the author about why its release date has been moved back here. But I've got my fingers crossed!!


2) White Dawn, by Sara Baysinger

This is the beginning of a new era. The slate is clean. 

A white dawning has emerged, and I’m ready to face the day.

AURORA WHITCOMB has taken the place as Chief of Ky, but the ghosts of her past continue to haunt her future.

RAIN TURNER has lost the the embers that kept his hope burning, and all he’s left with is a raging desire to avenge the love of his life.

With an insatiable hatred toward each other, Aurora and Rain must learn to work together to bring the country back to its feet. In order to do so, they must be invincible. But being invincible isn’t only about conquering the battles in the physical world. When their journey to rescue Ky takes a violent turn for the worst, Aurora and Rain must learn the true meaning of forgiveness, not only for each other, but for those who haunt their pasts.



Speaking of amazing covers, isn't this gorgeous?? White Dawn is the third and final book in Sara Baysinger's Black Tiger series (Sara shared her Top 3 Favorite Dystopian Novels with us back in April). Without revealing spoilers, the second book, Ashen City, left me with a "Wait, what?? No!" kind of reaction. There may have been yelling involved... So suffice it to say that I'm approaching the series finale with caution, but also great anticipation. Based on the first two books, this conclusion is bound to be epic, and I'm trying to put my faith in the author that she won't break my heart too much - right, Sara? Right?? At least I won't have to wait too much longer, it releases on July 6th!


1) The Gold-Son, by Carrie Anne Noble

All sixteen-year-old Tommin wants is to make beautiful shoes and care for his beloved grandmother, but his insatiable need to steal threatens to destroy everything. Driven by a curse that demands more and more gold, he’s sure to get caught eventually.

When mysterious Lorcan Reilly arrives in town with his “niece,” Eve, Tommin believes the fellow wants to help him. Instead, Lorcan whisks him off to the underground realm of the Leprechauns, where, alongside Eve, he’s forced to prepare to become one of them.

As Lorcan’s plans for his “gold-children” are slowly revealed, Tommin and Eve plan their escape. But with Tommin’s humanity slipping away, the fate-crossed pair has everything to lose unless they can find a way to outsmart a magical curse centuries in the making.


 
Yet another incredible cover! Carrie Anne Noble's debut novel, The Mermaid's Sister, absolutely blew me away. The writing is stunning, it had just the right balance of fantasy, romance, and character growth, and I loved that it read almost like a folk tale. I can't wait to read more of her work, and the leprechaun premise of The Gold-Son sounds fresh and intriguing. I already have my copy pre-ordered, and I only have to wait a few more weeks - it releases on June 20th! Make sure to stop by next Friday, when Carrie Anne Noble will be stopping by Lands Uncharted for an interview!



I hardly know where to start with honorable mentions - did I mention my list is long? Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing has several other books coming out later this year that I'm looking forward to (including Ending Fear, which Jill included on her list!), H.L. Burke has several new releases on the way, and Julie Hall plans to release the third book in her Life After series at the end of 2017 (I reviewed the first book in her series, Huntress, here). Eeeep, so many wonderful books! Time for me to sign off so I can get reading!


What books are you looking forward to? Do you have certain authors you follow closely to make sure you don't miss a new release? Have there been any series finales you've been especially eager to read?


See you next time!
Laurie