Intimacy with her results in healing and rejuvenation.
Simply as a diversion, Hilendra has taken two lovers from the village. They're both members of Galdesh's Higher Orders. Elswin is a Dragon Healer; Purnab, a Royal Armorer. Hilendra doesn't understand why these fairly important men bother with her, a humble woman who lives among outcasts, when they could easily have their fun at the Redames Lodge with the professional prostitutes of Galdesh. And she doesn't find the pair particularly attractive--in fact, her best friend calls them "gilded pigs"--but at least they bring her sexual pleasure.
That changes, though, when the shadowy but far more seductive form of another man appears in her cottage one night. Strange events have heralded his arrival. Saaldon seems to have some connection both to a local witch and to the Farfields dragons. And he's been in the Cauldron before.
As Hilendra's dream lover becomes more real and increasingly more captivating, his true identity comes to light. She also discovers her two former lovers are not what they seem. A plot is afoot . . . and it has endangered not only Hilendra but the Kingdom of Galdesh and the Farfields dragons.
Cauldron of Keridwen represents the Ace of Cups card in EC's "Torrid Tarot" series. It is the sequel to Wing and Tongue, the first Galdeshian fantasy, but can be read as a stand-alone. Prince of Glacier Glas, the third and longest book in the cycle, will also be issued by Ellora's Cave.
Reviews of Cauldron of Keridwen
"...a well written, beautiful love story with sensual play and a touch of humor...." - Literary Nymphs Reviews
Read an excerpt from Cauldron of Keridwen
Visit K.Z. Snow on the web
About K.Z. Snow
K. Z. Snow--a former English teacher, advertising copywriter, and editor--just plain loves to write, and in a variety of genres. She lives in the oft-frozen tundra of Wisconsin with three significant others: two dogs and, alas, a man.
Backlist
Double Dragon Publishing -
* Hoochie Coochie Man (urban fantasy), as K. A. Schuster
Ellora's Cave -
* Cemetery Dancer (paranormal, 2008 EPPIE finalist)
* Cheer Givers & Mischief Makers (contemp. fairy tale, also available in the Candy Cravings print anthology)
* Plagued (vampire w/ historical element)
* Wing and Tongue (1st Galdeshian fantasy)
* Cauldron of Keridwen (2nd Galdeshian fantasy, "Torrid Tarot" series)
* Liberation (Ellora's Cave "Oh Yum!" series, 5-16-08)
* Prince of Glacier Glas (3rd Galdeshian fantasy, tba)
Cerridwen Press -
* Pirate King (contemporary romance/mystery)
* Two Out of Three Ain't Bad (women's fiction/romance)
* Mrs. Claws (holiday romantic comedy)
Samhain Publishing -
* Acts of the Saints (dystopian spec fic/thriller, ebook & softcover), as K. A. Schuster
eBookLove -
* Silvermist (traditional contemporary romance)
Changeling Press -
* Elevator Magic (paranormal contemporary)
* Tormented (vampire, sequel to Plagued, 4-24-08 )
MojoCastle Press -
* All That Is Right (paranormal contemporary, tba)
An Interview with K.Z. Snow
By Holly Hewson, Marketing Director for The Romance Studio
HH: K.Z., welcome to TRS BLUE! Please tell us about your featured work, Cauldron of Keridwen.KZ: Thanks so much for inviting me, Holly. Cauldron is an alternate-world fantasy -- yes, complete with dragons! -- and the follow-up tale to Wing and Tongue, also published by EC. Each book can be read independently.
HH: This is part of the very popular Tarot series at Ellora's Cave. Can you tell us which card is yours and what it means? KZ: I chose the Ace of Cups. Like all aces in the tarot deck, it's a distillation of the entire suit's characteristics. The Cups are ruled by water and have to do with emotional bonding. The Ace of Cups primarily represents the potential for profound romantic love and the importance of heeding one's intuition in finding and cultivating that love. Dreams may play an important part in this. But the card also cautions against being led astray by illusion or delusion.
HH: How does the card tie to your story? KZ: Some tarot experts view the Ace of Cups as a variation of the Christian Holy Grail or the pagan Cauldron of Ceridwen -- hence, the title of my book. In Welsh legend, Ceridwen (there are many variations in spelling) is the mother of the great enchanter Taliesin. Depicted both as the goddess of poetic inspiration and a kind of witch with considerable supernatural abilities, Ceridwen was not only an adroit shape-shifter but also had a wondrous cauldron in which she brewed a wisdom-bestowing potion. So . . . I added romance to these elements (and those in answer #2) and stirred them all together in a fertile valley known as the Cauldron of Keridwen.
HH: There is a lot going on in this sizzling story. <g> Where did you get the idea for it? KZ: I wanted to do a sequel to Wing and Tongue, so when the Torrid Tarot series was announced, I searched for a card that represented qualities I could explore within the context of my strange little kingdom of Galdesh. The card's related mythical symbolism really attracted me, too. My imagination just ran with it all.
HH: What do you like best about Hilendra? KZ: I like that she's free-spirited enough to revel in her sexuality yet level-headed enough to admit to making bad choices. She's also courageous enough to try undoing the results of those choices. I like her combination of humility and quiet strength. (I am so not into "Mary Sue" heroines!) I like her open-mindedness . . . and, boy, she needs it to accept the hero!
HH:What are you working on now? What else can readers look forward to in the near future from you? KZ: The third and longest book in my Galdeshian fantasy cycle, Prince of Glacier Glas, has just been contracted with EC and should be going into edits soon. I also have three books coming out between the end of March and the end of May: Elevator Magic, a saucy little contemporary with a paranormal element, from Changeling Press; Tormented, a sequel to my novel Plagued, from Changeling Press; Liberation, my contribution to the Ellora's Cave "Oh Yum!" (older woman/younger man) series.
Regarding works-in-progress, I'm toiling away on an urban fantasy that keeps getting more complex and is driving me crazy! I'm also revising a ghost story.
HH: How did you get your start as a writer?
KZ: That could entail a lengthy answer, so I'll just cut to the chase. A job layoff led to my first published novel. It came out through a small but well regarded e-pub. After that, I just kept going.
HH: How have things changed for you since then?
KZ: People are finally reading my stuff! Every writer desires a readership, just as every singer or dancer or actor craves an audience. Writing is a form of communication, after all, so personal satisfaction in doing the work (and doing it well) goes hand-in-hand with other people's enjoyment of it.
HH: What do you enjoy reading? KZ: That is not a good question to ask me. <g> I spent nine years in college devouring and analyzing literary classics. Following that binge, I purged myself by reading a lot of popular fiction at home and occult texts at work, since doing so was part and parcel of my job at the time. I've been a big fan of gore-free horror since first reading Poe as a kid and Lovecraft when I was a bit older. Lately, I've been gravitating toward nonfiction -- history, for the most part. And then there's the encyclopedia . . .
HH: Any vacation plans this year? KZ: I'll certainly be taking many trips, but only through my imagination. Considering the price of gas and the number of projects I'll likely have going on, my vacation will be spent on my deck, in the evenings, listening to whippoorwills and looking for shooting stars. And that suits me just fine!
HH: Thank you!
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