FIRE & FANTASY
The Fire King is the third in the Evolin series, beginning with Fireheart and The Fallen. Originally, Fireheart was intended as a one off. When Sully and Tylan went off into their happy ever after at the end, I thought that was it. But, the boys had other ideas and back they came, full of angst and relationship problems.
During the course of The Fallen, it was revealed that the fire living inside Tylan had a personality, thoughts and feelings of its own. Again, I had not planned it that way, but it was something that seemed to naturally emerge as the story went along. So when Tylan was fatally injured, it felt right for the fire to take control and the Fire King was born.
I like the idea of the fire becoming a living and breathing person. Not only that, but a person who is good and decent and desperate not to simply burn his way through the problems he faces. Because the fire is a magical being, I could do that with him. I could make him into who and what I wanted and nobody could point a finger and say he couldn’t or wouldn’t be that way.
That’s one of the main things I like about writing fantasy. It’s my world, made up in my head and nobody can tell me it’s right or wrong. I guess, if I had to compare it to a particular period or place in history, I would say the country of Evolin is based on medieval England. There’s the king in his castle, soldiers, horses and sword fights. The difference is knights have been replaced by Riders and there’s magic.
I do feel that a fantasy world offers so much more than contemporary in that there is virtually no limit as to what can happen. In a medieval fantasy world, nothing is instant. There’s no phones or internet, no guns or high tech military weapons and no cars, bikes or planes. If my characters want to talk, they have to go find each other and do it face to face. If they have to fight, it’s done hand to hand with swords. If they need to go somewhere, they have to get on a horse and a journey takes hours or days, not just a few minutes.
A year or so ago, I watched a very tense and gripping TV programme and just as you reached the point of thinking ‘how on earth are they going to survive?’, the main character found a hidden button, pushed it and everything stopped. I was so disappointed. I’ve often thought that one of the best things about this kind of fantasy is that there is no quick fix and nothing can be solved with the push of a big red button. If my guys want their happy-ever-after they have to work for it.
~Kay
Blurb: Sully is summoned back to Maestraad by the entity who took control of Tylan’s body when Tylan perished. This Fire King—now calling himself Okhela—offers Sully a bargain he cannot refuse: if, after six months, Sully fails to fall in love with him, Okhela will return Tylan. The trouble is, as much as Sully wants to hate Okhela, the Fire King rules with wisdom and generosity… and Sully cannot resist the attraction he feels toward the handsome king. Though his heart will always belong to Tylan, Sully gives in to his body’s demands.
But can Sully trust Okhela to keep his word? With assassins on the loose, can Sully keep the Fire King alive long enough to find out? With the future of the kingdom—as well as his heart—at stake, Sully must call upon old friends and new to protect the Fire King, who might hold the keys to both.
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About the Author: Kay Ellis lives in rural Oxfordshire with her two daughters. She has written stories from an early age, starting with an epic adventure penned at primary school which sadly had to end when a hard-hearted teacher refused to supply any more writing paper.
Over the years Kay’s style has changed as she has grown more confident in her writing, developing a relaxed and informal style. She has also become braver in content, turning her hand to writing gay and straight erotica.
Kay writes for the love of writing and from a fear her head will explode if she doesn’t have a release for her vivid imagination.
It’s only now Kay has found the courage to submit work for publication, having recently finished in the top three of a national writing competition.
Kay Ellis can now be found on Facebook.
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