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 Books That Exceeded My Expectations (Laurie)

Haven't all these guest Top 3s posts been fun? We have another one coming up next week, but I'm afraid for today you're stuck with me :)

As you might expect, I typically try to stick to reading books that I think I will like. But on occasion I have reason to read a book that I have a bad feeling I won't enjoy, and those are the books I want to talk about today. Because some of those books have managed to take me by surprise, and my opinion of them turned out to be far higher than I would've guessed. So here are my Top 3 books that exceeded my expectations:


3. Beast, by Chawna Schroeder

I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know Chawna Schroeder through my local writing group. We connected early on due to the fact that fantasy writers tend to be a rare breed among Christian authors, and I so appreciate her sense of humor, strong faith, and extensive knowledge of speculative fiction (you can find our interview with her here). I had also heard great things about her writing, and knew that she had worked long and hard on her journey to publication. So when I had a chance to buy her debut novel, Beast, of course I snatched it up!

But I have to confess that while I expected it to be well-written and was curious about the story, it didn't really sound like my kind of book. Allegory isn't my cup of tea, nor is a protagonist who identifies more with animals than people (plus, not a hint of romance!). But I'm so glad I gave it a try, because even though it's not my usual fare, I ended up being completely drawn into the story. The writing was excellent, and the protagonist's voice as a beast / girl turned out to be one of the most fascinating aspects of the book, showing the world through the eyes of someone who's been raised among animals but has human intelligence. The action and plot twists kept the allegory from feeling too simplistic, and the ending delivered a beautiful message of God's never-failing love.


2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

When I first heard the premise for The Hunger Games, years before I actually read it, I thought it sounded dreadful. Violence and gore are not my thing, so a "game" where kids are trapped in an arena and expected to kill each other? No, thank you. But it continued to grow in popularity, and more and more people recommended the series. Finally, when the first movie was about to release, I requested the audiobook from the library.

I soon discovered the difference between digging into a story versus just knowing the premise. Yes, The Hunger Games centers around a competition where teenagers are forced to kill each other, but the reader experiences it not as a spectator, but through the eyes of the participants. Even though Katniss was far from the most warm and fuzzy character I've ever read, I couldn't help but feel a connection with her when she volunteered for the games to save her little sister. Then the strategy of the events and interviews leading up to the games intrigued me, and even the dreaded games themselves were compelling as Katniss fought for survival, tested out different tactics, and made alliances. And of course I'm always drawn to romance, so the love triangle sucked me in and kept me turning pages. While I didn't enjoy the rest of the series as much as the first book, it was obvious after reading it why the books had gained such a following.


1. Zombie Takeover, by Michele Israel Harper

I would never in a million years have guessed I'd end up recommending a book titled Zombie Takeover to all my friends! I make a point of steering clear of anything zombie-related, so put it in the title and I'm running in the opposite direction. But then this story came along. I'd gotten to know Michele Israel Harper through Facebook, and she's sweet, fun, and always makes me smile. And at the time, I was very interested in Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, which has since become the publishing home for my book as well :) So when I received a free e-book of Zombie Takeover as part of the blog tour celebrating its release, I decided, with great reluctance, that I should give it a try. (Check out Michele's guest Top 3s post here.)

Several chapters in, I was completely hooked. Yes, this book involves a lot of zombies, but it's so much more than that! Candace had a hilarious, memorable voice that reflected how I would feel in so many of the situations she found herself in, and Gavin was a swoon-worthy hero of epic proportions. The action and mystery kept it exciting, but it wasn't scary enough to be problematic (which is a low threshold - I scare easily!). The author even managed to work in a spiritual thread that really hit home for me. So don't let the zombies scare you off from this awesome book, I'd categorize it much more as a romantic comedy with a dash of action / suspense than a horror or thriller.



Now I want to hear from YOU! Have you read any books that you ended up liking much more than you expected? Are there certain types of books you usually try to avoid?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Top 3 Spec Fic Books (by special guest Michele Israel Harper!)

We're thrilled to welcome Michele Israel Harper to Lands Uncharted today as part of the blog tour for her upcoming new release, Zombie Takeover! Since we scored the Saturday spot of her blog tour, Michele was a great sport and did a guest Top 3s post for us, plus we've included more about Michele and Zombie Takeover below. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for having me today, Laurie. I’m so excited to be a guest on your blog!

Okay, I love books more than anything, and since I’ve discovered Speculative Fiction, I just can’t get enough! So I chose to share my top 3 spec fic books (that I just love and adore and could gush over all day!):

1. Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s books. Which one? All of them. Yes, every single one! But perhaps because I just finished it, I’m particularly in love with her newest release, A Branch of Silver, A Branch of Gold. This story is a loose retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, only with a cursebreaker, twelve sisters caught in a spell that erases other’s memory of them, and a magical world caught in a mirror by the Family of Night. I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I savor each one of her books and come away completely satisfied yet parched for the next. In love.







2. Debbie Viguié’s Kiss of Night. The first of her Kiss Trilogy, Kiss of Night completely blew me away. I have never read a vampire story—Christian at that!— so detailed and rich in vampire lore. Her characters were unbelievably real, and the story world she built around well-known vampire myth actually sent me bolting from my chair to dance around the room a few times. (I get so into my books…) I couldn’t believe I had never though of that! I wish she would write a thousand more books in this series. Or more. Best vampire series in the entire world.






3. The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan. Life outside of Rachel Morgan’s world completely ceased for me while I read this series. I burned lunch, I forgot I had kids, my husband would come home and find me in my pajamas…at 6PM. Okay, so it wasn’t pretty, but this faerie world embraced me and wouldn’t let me go. And, of course, when I’m in love with a book, everyone and their pet needs to know about it. Everyone. Yes, that means you. So beautifully written, and the covers are divine! (And the first book is free on Amazon. Get. It!)







What about you? What are your three favorite books in the spec fic genre?


Here's some more information about Michele:

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as a stay-at-home mom and her nights typing away furiously on her laptop. Sleep? Sometimes… A member of the Heartland Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, as well as the treasurer for the Indiana chapter of ACFW, Michele has her bachelor’s degree in History and can most often be found with her nose in a book when not chasing her two rambunctious boys or cuddling her new baby daughter. Visit her website at www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com to learn more about her.

You can also connect with Michele on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, and Amazon.



Zombie Takeover releases on July 12th! This is the back-cover blurb:

I was the bravest, fiercest warrior, singlehandedly stopping the zombie apocalypse and earning the respect and admiration of those who fought with me. Just kidding. I pretty much peed my pants and wasted a ton of ammo. At least everyone else shot what they were aiming at. Me? Not so much. This is my story—me, Candace Marshall, the world’s biggest scaredy-cat, facing my biggest fear. Zombies. It was awesome. (As in, not at all.)

Candace Marshall hates zombie movies. She hates anything scary, in fact. In his usual, not-so-thoughtful way, her boyfriend surprises her with advanced screening tickets to the latest zombie flick, complete with interactive features and a tour. She refuses to watch it, but it doesn’t matter.

Horror becomes reality when an experiment gone wrong transforms her peaceful town into a mess of slathering zombies. Thrown together with the only other survivor, Gavin Bailey, her favorite actor and secret crush, she somehow fights her way through the mess, making plenty of blunders and surprising herself with…courage?

But, just when Candace thinks it can’t get worse than zombies, it does.


Sounds awesome, right? I had the opportunity to read an advance review copy, and believe me, it is! Humor, romance, action, zombies, plot twists - this book has it all! You can purchase Zombie Takeover on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, or Kobo. Also, make sure to stop by Zombie Takeover's Facebook Launch Party on Thursday, July 14th at 7:00 P.M. EDT (seriously, there will be SO MANY giveaways!) and check out the next stop on the blog tour, a review of Zombie Takeover at www.snippetsoffaith.com tomorrow.

Thank you so much for visiting, Michele, and for sharing your favorite spec fic books with us, they all look amazing! Congratulations on your new release!