All The Write Stuff: The Origins of Darkness

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.

Interview

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!

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

**On Sale for Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Kindle Vella Part 1 * Kindle Vella Part 2 * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R2L24WD

Kindle Vella Part 1: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09TQ3LNMC

Kindle Vella Part 2: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B75VYBWF

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-origins-of-darkness-a-schatten-novel-the-schatten-chronicles-book-1-by-ka-stefana

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194662202-the-origins-of-darkness

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.

**On Sale for Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Kindle Vella * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N11HCJH

Kindle Vella: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BTXYPM86

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-daughters-of-darkness-a-schatten-novel-the-schatten-chronicles-book-2-by-ka-stefana

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179709144-the-daughters-of-darkness

About the Author

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.

~ A million hugs! Thanks for joining the Shadowverse.

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