The Midsummer Captives (Firethorn Chronicles Book 2)
Page 21
This book was inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a roundabout way. I knew it would focus on Gwen and Hazel, but I had absolutely no story for them, unlike many of the other sisters. Then my oldest son and I went to see Strange Magic in the theater, which George Lucas admitted in an interview was loosely based on Shakespeare’s play. I reread the play—it had been at least a dozen years since I’d looked at it—and things snowballed from there. Add an antagonist inspired by the poem La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats, and I finally had my story.
A great big thank you to my husband, Brian, for his unending support and for cooking when I was too busy with dragons to feed people. Thanks to my boys for their patience throughout this process and for watching Strange Magic with me over and over again. Thank you to my sister, Shannon—my cheerleader and sounding board. We did it again!
I owe a big thank you to my beta readers, David Millican, Regina Pike (hi, mom!), and Margie MacDonald for your valuable feedback and encouragement. Getting those first thumbs up are always exciting. And I also want to mention the ladies and gentlemen of Whitney Writers Ink for taking me in and sharing their own words with me. Thank you.
A great big shout out to my awesome editor, Laurel Garver. I feel truly blessed to have had her work with me on this book, and I owe her a lot of credit for helping to get the story where it is. She’s a gem.
And last, but certainly not least, thank you to my readers. You’re seriously awesome! For years, I wrote in a bubble with no audience but myself. It’s been an amazing experience hearing from people who have enjoyed reading my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. If you would consider recommending this book to someone, please also consider leaving a review on the site where you purchased it. Having honest reviews helps indie authors tremendously in sharing our stories with more readers.
You can connect with me online—I’d love to hear from you!
Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
About the Author
Lea is the author of The Firethorn Chronicles, a series inspired by fairy tales and other classic stories. Homeschooling and writing take up most of her time, but she also enjoys directing a small puppet team at her church. A native of south Georgia, Lea currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her husband, their two boys, a rescue greyhound, and three cats. But, sadly, no dragons.
Read more in The Firethorn Chronicles
The crown is her strength. The crown is her weakness.
Princess Lily, the eldest of twelve sisters and heir to a mighty kingdom, desperately seeks a break from her mother’s matchmaking. Tradition forbids marriage with the man Lily loves, so she would rather rule alone than marry someone who only wants the crown.
Fleeing an overzealous suitor, Lily stumbles into a secret underground kingdom where she and her sisters encounter a mysterious sorcerer-prince and become entangled in a curse that threatens the safety of her family and her people. Lily can free them, but the price for freedom may be more than she’s willing to pay.
The Firethorn Crown, a re-imagining of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, is the first novel in The Firethorn Chronicles, a series inspired by fairy tales and other classic stories. Follow the sisters on their adventures in a land where sorcery is feared, women can rule, and dragons fly.