The Devil is in the Details. Guest post by K. L. Schwengel

I want to welcome K. L. Schwengel to my blog. Today she’s talking about keeping it real in fantasy writing, or in other words, how to convince people your fantasy world is real. It’s all in the details. And of course, I love this topic… Horses!
When Julie graciously agreed to turn over her Blog for a day for my debut novel’s
Blog Tour, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to write about. I started three
or four different posts, then while staring blankly at the computer screen, the image of
Julie’s new horse popped into my mind, and the answer became clear.
I read to escape. It’s also, coincidentally, why I write. I’m not a picky reader,
and I try not to allow my internal editor to rise to the surface and ruin my moments of
suspended disbelief. There are some things, however, that can throw me out of a story
quicker than anything.
Um . . . and what does that have to do with the image of Triska? Well, one of the
things that can send me packing from a story is when authors don’t give any thought to
the horses they add into their tales. It may seem obvious, but horses need to eat and drink,
and really can’t gallop full out for hundreds of miles day after day. But too often, authors
treat horses as nothing more than props.
In First of Her Kind, Bolin’s stallion Sandeen becomes a character in his own
right. He’s Bolin’s constant companion, and has been for over twelve years. He’s a
strong horse, opinionated, battle trained, but gets ornery, hungry, tired, and occasionally
obstinate. It helps that I have some familiarity with horses and riding, and perhaps that’s
why as a reader I’m a bit pickier than some.
But whether it’s horses, a traveler on foot, or the weight of a sword, even fantasy
writers need to pay attention to the details. We can never be sure what our readers know,
and what little point may cause them to suddenly lose their trust in us. The devil, they
say, is in the details. It’s up to us to vanquish that devil through thorough research.
So, what missed details can throw you out of a story? What’s your pet peeve?

(Julie) – That’s one of my biggest pet peeves too. LOL. Imagine that. Thank you so much for being here today!

First of her Kind Available now. Amazon

Blurb:
Everyone, it seems, wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt. All Ciara wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart.

And that won’t be easy.

Not only are they in complete opposition to each other, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there’s Bolin, the man sworn to protect her. There’s no denying the growing attraction between them, but is it Ciara he wants? Or her power?

None of which will matter if Ciara can’t overcome her fear and learn to use her gifts.No one knows the depths
of the ancient power she possesses, or what will happen if it manages to escape her control.

Will she lose herself entirely? Or be forever trapped between darkness & light?

About the author:
K. L. Schwengel lives in southeast Wisconsin on a small farm with her husband, a handful of Australian Shepherds, Her Royal Highness Princess Fiona the Cat, and assorted livestock. Growing up as the youngest of nine children, and the daughter of a librarian, Kathi spent many hours between stacks of books, and secluded away in dusty archives, drawn to tales of medieval heroes and conquering knights. With so many characters and ideas spinning in her head, she had to get them onto paper or risk what little sanity she possessed. She has been penning wild tales of magic and mayhem as long as she can remember but opted to follow her artistic muse first. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and spending many years working as a freelance artist, grocery clerk, art teacher, graphic designer, stable hand, advertising account coordinator, dog trainer, and process technician (among other things) she answered the call of her writing muse. When not writing, Kathi trains and trials working Australian Shepherds, still paints, dabbles in photography, graphic design and anything else creative her assorted muses send her way.

Connect with me online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kl.schwengel.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KLSchwengel
Blog: http://myrandommuse.wordpress.com
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kls
Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/klschwengel
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6871795.K_L_Schwengel