Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Coming Soon: MOON DANCER, a novelette within the world of BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, By Kathryne Kennedy



As I’ve mentioned before, I have been writing short novelettes as I recover my health enough to eventually write a new series. I also recently went through short stories I have written that I never pursued for publication (or were published in print magazines) because I started to write full length novels. You may have seen some of the story titles and a brief description on the SHORT STORY page of my website. Since the stories are no longer available, I have decided to publish some of them for my readers through the magical land of ebook publishing.

Today I am happy to announce that I finished the cover for MOON DANCER, a story I actually wrote before the novel, BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS. I hope to have the cover up on my website for pre-order as I revise and edit the story. This is one that I did not pursue for publication since I started the book shortly after, so I’m happy to say it’s an original story that has not been in print before. However, it needs a bit of editing.
  
A Moon Dancer (or Bone Dancer) is mentioned in BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, but only a paragraph during Mahri and Korl’s lifemate ceremony. MOON DANCER gives the reader a more detailed look into the world of a dancer of Sea Forest. They use one or more bones, depending on the skill of the dancer, carved of the great Narwhal horn, the strongest and most rare substance on Sea Forest. The bones have natural spirals that are raised and sharp as knives, and half the allure of watching a Moon Dancer is the threat of peril to the dancer. Many of them carry scars from previous dances, and if the dancer is unskilled, or not attuned to her ‘ka (dancing bones), they often die a bloody death by the cuts they receive during the dance. But if skilled, and given the proper amount of the magical zabba root, the ‘ka produce a melody unlike any other, creating a song that enchants any who are lucky enough to hear it. You will read a bit more about how the ‘ka are created in MOON DANCER. But, the story is primarily about rivalry disguised as friendship, and the struggle between two women over the same man.

And love that can only blossom from tragedy.

I’m looking forward to getting started on the revisions, and hope to finish within a few months. In the meantime, what do you think of the cover? Does it portray the movement and mystery of a Moon Dancer? I kept it similar in design to the cover of BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, so readers can readily identify it with the novel. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My Magical Best,
Kathryne

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