Category Archives: Kate Serine

Ever After by Kate Serine
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Transplanted Tales, Book 4

Synopsis: To Catch a Thief…

For centuries, Gideon Montrose has served the King of Fairies without question and, often, without mercy. So when the King orders him to apprehend a notorious thief, Gideon obeys. But when he finally gets his hands on the beautiful culprit, Gideon’s in for a shock.

Arabella Locksley is none other than the spirited, unpredictable woman he knew back in Make Believe as Robin Hood — the love of his life whose tragic death destroyed his chance at Happily Ever After.

Now, he has an impossible choice. Betray the woman he once loved, or the king he’s bound to serve?

Review: I love Kate Serine and her retellings are always a treat to discover. They are always full of ideas and mix all kinds of stories we know. We have a nice mix between the Arthurian story and the one of Robin Hood. Several characters we know are present again to our delight and others appear here.

We follow this time Gideon as we had the chance to meet him as a secondary character in other volumes. His history is not very easy, his lover died before his eyes and he has since become the slave of the king of the fairies. But times have changed and Gideon has befriended the king whom he helps whenever he can. However, when one day he is led to seek the thief plaguing the country, he does not expect to fall face to face with the young woman he thought dead for years. And then he discovers a new truth, the story of this young woman he thought he had lost forever and he will do anything to help her now. He will therefore team up with her to collect all the Arthurian artifacts existing in this world before anyone else does it to protect them whatever it might cost. But the woman he thought he knew is ultimately far more important than it seems and her relationship with the king is not what it appeared to be. Gideon will learn along the Chapters many things, as some stories combining characters such as Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake, Arthur and many others.

I really enjoyed reading this new novel even if it is true that I still have a preference for the first novel featuring Red. Gideon is a character we had seen many times before and I really enjoyed learning more about him. It was very touching to see him reunited with Arabella and see him fight for her. Oh yes, because of course their history will not be easy and many pitfalls are sown in their path. I confess that I had a little trouble understanding the young woman, I found it sad that she didn’t try to contact him before the man she has always loved. I know that the events are not only lent but I think they would have lost a lot less time. She is also trying to protect Gideon as best as she can but she does it in a fairly clumsy way which ultimately hurts more than anything. But here too we understand the reason behind all this. In all cases the couple is really touching and I enjoyed discovering their history.

Kate Serine once again presents us with a pretty novel, leaving us with a few questions and I am very curious to find out who will be featured in the next volume and if we’ll conclude some of the problems presented here.

3-5

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Ever After de Kate Serine (VO)
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Transplanted Tales, Tome 4

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Pour attraper un voleur …

Pendant des siècles, Gideon Montrose a servi le roi des fées sans questions et, souvent, sans pitié. Ainsi, lorsque le roi lui ordonne d’arrêter un voleur notoire, Gidéon obéit. Mais quand il met enfin ses mains sur la belle coupable, Gideon reste sous le choc.

Arabella Locksley n’est autre que l’intelligente et imprévisible femme qu’il connaissait à Make Believe en tant que Robin des Bois – l’amour de sa vie, dont la mort tragique avait détruit sa chance à Happily Ever After.

Maintenant, il a un choix impossible à faire. Trahir la femme qu’il aime, ou le roi, qu’il est lié à servir?

Avis : J’adore Kate Serine et ses reprises de contes sont toujours un régal à découvrir. Elles sont en effet toujours pleines d’idées et de mélanges de toutes sortes d’histoires. Nous avons ici un joli mélange entre l’histoire arthurienne et celle de Robin des bois. Plusieurs personnages que nous connaissons sont présents à nouveau pour notre plus grand plaisir et d’autres apparaissent ici.

Nous suivons donc cette fois ci Gideon que nous avons eu la chance de découvrir en tant que personnage secondaire dans les autres volumes. Son histoire n’est pas très facile, son amour est morte sous ses yeux et il est depuis devenu l’esclave du roi des fées. Mais les temps ont changé depuis et Gideon s’est pris d’amitié pour ce roi qu’il aide dès qu’il le peut. Pourtant, quand un jour il est amené à rechercher le voleur qui sévit dans le pays, il ne s’attend pas à tomber face à face avec la jeune femme qu’il croyait morte depuis des années. Et alors qu’il découvre une nouvelle vérité, l’histoire de cette jeune femme qu’il croyait avoir perdu pour toujours, il sait qu’il fera tout pour l’aider. Il fera donc équipe avec elle pour recouvrer tous les artéfacts arthuriens existant dans ce monde avant que quelqu’un d’autre ne le fasse et essaiera de la protéger quoi qu’il lui en coûte. Mais cette femme qu’il croyait connaître est finalement bien plus importante qu’il ne le semblerait et son lien avec le roi n’est pas ce qu’il semblait être et Gideon va apprendre au cours des chapitres bien plus de choses qu’il ne l’aurait cru, des histoires mêlant des personnages tels que Guenièvre, la Dame du lac, Arthur et pleins d’autres.

J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce nouveau roman même si c’est vrai que j’ai toujours une préférence pour le premier roman mettant en scène Red. Gideon est un personnage que nous avions vu à de nombreuses reprises et j’ai beaucoup aimé en apprendre plus sur lui. C’était très touchant de le voir réuni avec Arabella et de le voir se battre pour elle. Oh oui parce que bien sûr leur histoire ne sera pas simple et beaucoup d’embuches sont semées sur leur chemin. J’avoue que j’ai eu un peu plus de mal à comprendre la jeune femme, j’ai trouvé triste le fait qu’elle n’ait pas cherché à contacter avant cet homme qu’elle aime depuis toujours. Je sais que les événements ne s’y sont pas prêtés mais je pense qu’ils auraient perdu beaucoup moins de temps. Elle essaie elle aussi de protéger Gideon du mieux qu’elle peut mais elle le fait de façon assez maladroite qui finalement blesse plus qu’autre chose. Mais là aussi nous comprenons parfaitement la raison derrière tout ceci. Dans tous les cas le couple est vraiment touchant et j’ai aimé découvrir leur histoire.

Kate Serine nous présente encore une fois un joli roman, nous laissant avec quelques questions et je suis très curieuse de découvrir qui sera mis en avant la prochaine fois et si nous pourrons conclure quelques problèmes ouverts ici.

3-5

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Interview with Kate Serine + Giveaway
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Grimm Consequences Blog Tour BannerWe’re very happy to welcome today Kate Serine, the wonderful author of the Transplanted Tales series. Grimm Consequences is her last release, a novella placed after the first book and featuring Nate and Red. Thanks to the author for her questions and we hope you’ll like it as much as we did.

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Welcome on Between Dreams and Reality, Can you present you in a few words?

Thanks for having me by for a visit! In addition to being the author of the Transplanted Tales series, I’m a wife, mom, and coffee addict. I love anything and everything that has to do with science, science fiction, mysteries/true crime, history, and the paranormal. You’ll also find me geeking out over pretty much any movie adaptation of a Marvel comic book.

How would you describe the Transplanted Tales series?

Around two hundred years ago, a magical duel went awry, transplanting hundreds of fairytale characters from the world of Make Believe into the human world of the Here and Now. Since then, others have come over at random, including characters from nursery rhymes, folklore, mythology, and literature. Suddenly granted the freedom to write their own stories and choose their own destinies, some of the Tales have made the most of their circumstances, but others have had a tough time adjusting. The Fairytale Management Authority (FMA) is the law enforcement bureau that attempts to keep everyone in line.

The series is a little bit urban fantasy, a little bit paranormal romance, so I hope the books will appeal to both audiences. My current release, Grimm Consequences, is the novella sequel to Red and continues the story of Tess “Red” Little and Nate Grimm.

How did you come up with the idea to write a story with characters from tales?

The idea for the Transplanted Tales came to me during a conversation with my eldest son, who was 8 or 9 years old at the time. We like to have what we call “What if” conversations where he’ll ask me a question that’s totally out there and then we chat about it. That day he asked the question: “What if fairytale characters were living next door to us?” As we chatted about who it would be, what that Tale would do for a living, and so on, I started to get a very clear picture in my head of a tough, hard-hitting version of Little Red Riding Hood — all grown up and ready to knock some heads. And everything just fell into place. I wrote Red in record time for me—about four months.

Was it difficult to create them a new life?

Some characters were definitely more difficult than others! But it was great fun trying to put a new twist on the old tales and come up with something that would surprise and entertain my readers. If I couldn’t immediately come up with a fun “new life” for them, I would do a little research on that character to see if I could find something in the history of the story/rhyme/folklore that would inspire me.

How many books do you intend to write for this series?

Right now, I just have one more full length novel scheduled. Ever After will release in August 2014. I’d certainly consider writing additional books in the series under the right circumstances and have planned out stories for other characters, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Who is your favorite character in the series?

That’s a tough question! I love all my characters—even the villains. I spend a good six months or more on each novel and get to know them pretty well. 😉 But if I had to choose one character, it would probably be Tess “Red” Little. Her voice was the loudest and most insistent from the beginning, and I had such an amazing time writing that first novel that Tess will always have a special place in my heart.

That said, if you ask me the same question tomorrow, I might have a different answer. 😉

What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as an author?

There have been so many! Getting “the call”, signing with my agent, seeing my cover of Red for the first time, getting my first message from a fan, winning the National Readers Choice Award… It’s all been incredible! There are days I still find it hard to believe that I’ve been so blessed to be able to share my stories with others. That’s honestly the best part and brings me the most joy.

Do you write full time? If no, do you hope to eventually do so?

No, I still work full-time and only get to write in the evenings and on the weekends. But, yes, I’d love to be able to write full-time one day! That has been a life-long dream.

Do you have a favorite author? Or a favorite book?

I have so many favorite authors and favorite books I don’t know where to start! Here are just a few:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

And I love Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe… And those are just the classics! In paranormal romance, my all-time favorite is probably Lara Adrian. Love her Midnight Breed series! But I could go on and on about other amazing authors whose work I adore. I’m slowly making my way through the books of my fellow Seymour Agency authors and every one of them is incredibly talented.

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

I have a couple of other projects in development. One is paranormal romance, another is romantic suspense, but the wheels of publishing can turn very slowly and there are no guarantees. I’m also really interested in writing horror and sci-fi eventually and have several ideas for stories in those genres, so we’ll see what happens!

Thanks so much for letting me come by for a chat!

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Grimm Consequences by Kate Serine
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Transplanted Tales, Book 1.5

Synopsis:You reap what you sow…

Saying Nate Grimm has a dark past is an understatement. Fortunately, no one’s bothered to look too closely at the Fairytale Management Authority’s lead detective and part-time Reaper. And that’s the way Nate wants to keep it. For after centuries of torment and loneliness, he’s finally found happiness with the hot and hard-charging love of his life, Tess “Red” Little.

Of course, his love for Tess is the reason there’s a posse of Reaper judges after him, led by a sadistic bastard acquainted with Nate from once upon a time. Now, Tess will pay the price for Nate’s transgressions unless Nate severs his ties to the transplanted Tales–and Tess–forever. His enemy has the advantage in speed, malice and brutality. But the Reapers have underestimated the depth of Nate’s love and devotion. And the fury of his wrath. . .

Review: Nobody knows how to rewrite tales like Kate Serine and it is true that I fell in love with Red. So you can understand my joy when I learned that the author was going to release a novella, featuring my fave characters Red and Nate! I was really looking forward to discover the story and to learn more about the two heroes. Moreover, although the volume is released this month, the story starts at the end of the first one and we can see what the two characters have endured to get to stay together.

We thus find our little couple, but this time from the Nate’s perspective. It was really interesting to find both of them, especially knowing that this is my favorite couple of the series. But it is true that at the end of the first volume, we can’t imagine the consequences of what Nate did, and I must say that there are a lot of them. It is also in this context that a judge appears, to punish our dear Reaper… However, the punishment could be worse than expected and Nate isn’t the only one at stake now but also those close to him. This judge is twisted and has a crazy mind. He is ready to do anything to make pay our hero and he knows about his weak point.

I enjoyed this story because in addition to see my two favorite characters, we also have the chance to learn more about the Nate’s past and I confess that I did not expect that at all. Everything was really good and it was a great surprise to find out as much about him. A new tale character is staged, and I’ll let you discover him, and of course, there are all the characters that we have come to appreciate for our greatest pleasure. A new very good novel that I can only warn you to read, Kate Serine always manages to take us into her world populated by characters we love.

5

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Grimm Consequences de Kate Serine (VO)
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Transplanted Tales, Tome 1.5

Résumé (traduction personnelle) :Vous récoltez ce que vous semez …

Dire que Nate Grimm a un passé sombre est un euphémisme. Heureusement, personne ne s’est pris la peine de regarder de trop près le détective de the Fairytale Management Authority qui est aussi à temps partiel Faucheur. Et c’est ainsi que Nate veut que ça reste. Car, après des siècles de tourments et de solitude, il a enfin trouvé le bonheur avec l’amour de sa vie, Tess, Petit Chaperon Rouge.

Bien sûr, son amour pour Tess est la raison pour laquelle il y a un détachement de juges Faucheurs après lui, conduit par un bâtard sadique ancien ami de Nate il y a très longtemps. Maintenant, Tess va payer le prix pour les transgressions de Nate à moins que Nate ne rompe ses liens avec les Contes transplantés – et avec Tess – pour toujours. Son ennemi a l’avantage de la vitesse, de la méchanceté et de la brutalité. Mais les Faucheurs ont sous-estimé la profondeur de l’amour et de la dévotion de Nate. Et la fureur de sa colère. . .

Avis : Personne ne sait réécrire les contes comme Kate Serine et c’est vrai que j’avais eu un gros coup de cœur pour Red. Quelle ne fut pas alors ma joie quand j’ai appris que l’auteure sortait une nouvelle, remettant en scène ce personnage ainsi que Nate ! J’étais vraiment impatiente de pouvoir découvrir l’histoire et en apprendre plus sur les deux personnages. D’ailleurs, bien que ce volume ne sorte que maintenant, l’histoire se place à la fin du premier et nous permet alors de découvrir ce que les deux personnages ont enduré pour arriver à rester ensemble.

On retrouve donc notre petit couple, mais cette fois ci du point de vue de Nate. C’était vraiment intéressant de les retrouver tous les deux, surtout sachant que c’est mon couple préféré de la série pour le moment. Mais c’est vrai qu’à la fin du premier tome, on ne réfléchit pas vraiment aux retombées des actes de Nate sur sa vie, et il faut dire qu’il y en a quand même un grand nombre. C’est d’ailleurs dans ce contexte là qu’apparait un juge, venu sanctionner notre cher Faucheur… Pourtant, la punition pourrait bien être pire que prévu et non seulement la vie de Nate mais aussi celle de ceux qui sont proches de lui pourrait avoir à en pâtir. Cet homme à l’esprit tordu et fou est prêt à tout pour faire payer notre héros et il sait parfaitement où son point faible réside.

J’ai beaucoup apprécié cette petite histoire, car en plus de voir mes deux personnages préférés, on a aussi la chance d’en apprendre plus sur le passé de Nate et j’avoue que je ne m’y attendais pas du tout. Le tout était vraiment bien trouvé et c’était une très bonne surprise d’en découvrir autant. Un nouveau personnage de conte est mis en scène, et je vous laisserai le découvrir par vous-même, et bien sûr, on retrouve tous les personnages que l’on a appris à apprécier pour notre plus grand plaisir. Un nouveau très bon tome que je vous conseille, Kate Serine parvient toujours à nous emporter dans son monde peuplé de personnages que l’on adore.

5

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Cover Reveal: Ever After by Kate Serine
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Transplanted Tales, Book 4

To Catch a Thief.

For centuries, Gideon Montrose has served the King of Fairies without question and, often, without mercy. So when the King orders him to apprehend a notorious thief, Gideon obeys. But when he finally gets his hands on the beautiful culprit, Gideon’s in for a shock.

Arabella Locksley is none other than the spirited, unpredictable woman he knew back in Make Believe as Robin Hood — the love of his life whose tragic death destroyed his chance at Happily Ever After.

Now, he has an impossible choice. Betray the woman he once loved, or the king he’s bound to serve?

 

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Guest Post ~ Kate Serine – Concours / Giveaway
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Et voici un nouveau post de notre joli événement. N’oubliez pas de suivre l’ajout des liens en suivant ce lien. Un jour sur deux, un nouvel auteur se retrouve chez mon amie Carien. Alors aujourd’hui nous pouvons retrouver Kate Serine, l’auteure de la série d’urban fantasy Transplanted Tales dont le troisème tome est sorti aux Etats-Unis le 1er Aout. Merci à Kate pour ce joli post.

And here it is, a new post for our event. Don’t forget to check the new links here. Indeed, you can find a new author on Carien‘s blog as well. So today, you’ll discover Kate Serine, the author of the urban fantasy series: Transplanted Tales. The third novel was released on August 1st. Thanks to Kate for this nice post!

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Finding Inspiration

One of the questions I get most often (from both readers and other writers) is, “Where do you get the ideas for your stories?” I wish I could point to just one thing that inspires me, but I honestly draw inspiration from anything and everything. I never quite know what is going to spark a new idea.

But “inspiration” can be fickle, and there are days my muse seems to have deserted me completely. Every writer experiences writer’s block from time to time and I’m no different!  So when I’m looking for inspiration for a new project, a character, a scene, and no ideas are coming to me, there are certain things I do in hopes my muse will speak to me.

I listen – To music, to conversations, to movies… I always play music when I write, so if I need some inspiration, I put on some tunes, close my eyes, and let my mind wander. And I love to write dialogue. When I get stuck, one of the best ways to get things moving forward again is to listen to people talking. I have certain movies that I watch just to listen to the dialogue.

I read — This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many authors say they don’t read much. Sometimes they don’t read by choice; most of the time I think it’s just because of lack of time. But I know after I read an amazing book, I always feel energized and ready to get back to work, so I make it a point to have reading a book built into my schedule. Sometimes I just need a little break to recharge.

I write – Believe it or not, one of the best ways for me to get past writer’s block is to keep writing. I might end up having to throw out two-thirds of what I’ve written once during these periods, but that’s what editing is for.

I walk –Authors keep very hectic schedules, often trying to squeeze in our writing time around day-jobs, family, friends, school… It’s easy to let stress and the pressure of deadlines, promotion, and juggling multiple projects get to you. Sometimes I just need to walk away from what I’m working on and give it some time.

Well, there you have it – a little glimpse inside my head. I guess the most important thing to note is that sometimes inspiration strikes like lightning; sometimes I have to go out there and grab it! And, hopefully, the result is something my readers will love!

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Trouver l’inspiration

Une des questions qu’on me pose le plus souvent (de lecteurs et d’autres écrivains), c’est :  «Où trouvez-vous les idées pour vos histoires?”.  J’aimerais pouvoir pointer vers une seule chose qui m’inspire, mais je tire honnêtement mon inspiration de tout et de rien. Je ne sais jamais ce qui va déclencher une nouvelle idée.

Mais “l’inspiration” peut être volage, et il y a des jours où ma muse semble m’avoir abandonné complètement. Chaque écrivain éprouve  un blocage de temps en temps et je ne suis pas différente! Alors, quand je suis à la recherche d’inspiration pour un nouveau projet, un personnage, une scène, et qu’aucune idée ne me vient, il y a certaines choses que je fais dans l’espoir que ma muse me parlera.

J’écoute – de la musique, des conversations, des films … J’écoute toujours de la musique quand j’écris, donc si j’ai besoin d’un peu d’inspiration, je mets des airs, je ferme les yeux et je laisse mon esprit vagabonder. Et j’aime écrire des dialogues. Quand je suis coincée, l’un des meilleurs moyens pour faire avancer les choses de nouveau, c’est d’écouter les gens parler. J’ai certains films que je regarde juste pour écouter les dialogues.

Je lis – Cela peut sembler évident, mais vous seriez surpris du nombre d’auteurs disent qu’ils ne lisent pas beaucoup. Parfois, ils ne lisent pas par choix, la plupart du temps, je pense que c’est juste à cause du manque de temps. Mais je sais qu’après avoir lu un livre étonnant, je me sens toujours sous tension et prête à me remettre au travail, donc je me note toujours un livre dans mon agenda. Parfois, j’ai juste besoin d’une petite pause pour me ressourcer.

J’écris – croyez-le ou non, l’une des meilleures façons pour moi de me débloquer est de continuer à écrire. Je pourrais finir par avoir à jeter les deux tiers de ce que j’ai écrit au cours de ces périodes, mais c’est ce à quoi l’édition sert.

Je marche-Les auteurs ont des horaires très chargés, souvent essayant de concilier l’écriture autour de la Journée-emploi, famille, amis, école … Il est facile de se laisser déborder par le stress et la pression des délais, la promotion, en jonglant avec plusieurs projets. Parfois, j’ai juste besoin de marcher loin de ce que je suis en train et de me donner un peu de temps.

Eh bien, là vous l’avez – un petit aperçu de l’intérieur de ma tête. Je pense que la chose la plus importante à noter est que, parfois, l’inspiration frappe comme la foudre, parfois je dois aller là-bas et l’attraper! Et, espérons-le, le résultat est quelque chose que mes lecteurs vont adorer!

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Merci à l’auteure vous pouvez gagner de jolies petites choses pour la série Transplanted Tales.

Thanks to the author, you can win many wonderful things for the Transplanted Tales series.

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N’hésitez pas à revenir pour plus d’auteurs et de concours en suivant notre événement ici.

Come and Check all the authors and giveaways of our event here !