# The Kinshield Legacy - a heroic fantasy adventure!



## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

My epic fantasy novel, The Kinshield Legacy, was first published in hardcover in 2005 by a small press. At the five-year mark, they reverted rights back to me, and so I've made it available in various eBook formats.

*Kindle*: The Kinshield Legacy on Kindle
*Smashwords*: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18996
*ISBN*: 978-1-4523-8789-5
*Author web site*: http://www.kcmay.com/
*Print version*: Amazon

Read a sample online now!

*The Kinshield Legacy*
"...a rousing hard-hitting fantasy adventure."
_~ Piers Anthony, best-selling author of the Xanth novels_

A mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems has sat abandoned in a cave for two hundred years. The kingdom is in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. But then, the gems in the tablet, one by one, disappear.

Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. He's the one deciphering the runes in the tablet. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he'll be Thendylath's next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, champion to King Arek, confessing the truth of how the king perished.

Daia Saberheart, warrior of the Viragon Sisterhood, wants to find the future king and help him claim his rightful place.

Blacksmith Risan Stronghammer wants to reward him with a powerful weapon.

And the sorcerer Brodas Ravenkind wants to capture him, steal his secret and claim the throne for himself.

But when Gavin finally tracks down Ronor's letter, he gets far more than he's bargained for, for the truth of King Arek's demise is far darker than he ever imagined.

*Read what others are saying about The Kinshield Legacy:*

"The Kinshield Legacy is a rousing good fantasy tale, with nice characterization and some ferocious action. These days I read primarily for business rather than pleasure, but I found myself eager to return to this novel."
~ Piers Anthony, Author of the Xanth novels

"From the very first page, The Kinshield Legacy grabs you by the throat and propels you into a world of magic, sorcery, jeweled-eyed gargoyles and a sisterhood of female warriors. A world where beyonders savage unsuspecting travelers; where a dark, yet charismatic, wizard covets the king's throne for his own and will let no one get in his way-including the rightful ruler. He who claims the King's Bloodstone shall reign as king. Enter Gavin Kinshield, warrant knight and rune solver, a man haunted by his past, and a hero like no other. A rousing debut from K. C. May, an author worth watching."
~ Carol Davis Luce, Author of Night Passage

"I'm not an experienced fantasy reader, with only a couple of books behind me, but for me this was the best fantasy I've read so far.
I feel with the characters and want to know more as the book progresses. The story is captivating from page 1 all the way to the last page."
~ a Smashwords reviewer

"This book is great and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy novels."
~ a Smashwords reviewer

"I throughly enjoyed this book! It is a good fantasy adventure with a variety of interesting characters."
~ a Smashwords reviewer

"The Kinshield Legacy, is a spellbinding tale of magical moments with truly unforgettable characters. You will find this book difficult to put down as you follow the twists and turns of a finely woven story, cheering on the main character as he follows the path to his destiny."
~ a B&N reviewer

"A wonderful, fascinating read from cover to cover. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. As a first novel, The Kinshield Legacy shows an author with extraordinary talent for weaving an intricate tale with believable characters and dialogue."
~ a B&N reviewer

"This fantasy grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the last one...although it's clear this is just the beginning of a great series. The characters are gritty and real, the scenes unforgettable, the chemistry between the main characters irrisistable."
~ a B&N reviewer

Amazon reviews are available at Amazon.com.

Named a top four read of 2010 on DailyCheapReads.com!

Be sure to check out The Wayfarer King - book 2 of The Kinshield Saga.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

Let us know when it is available directly from Kindle. Good to see another fantasy author on board!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi KC! Welcome and congratulations on your book ( if a little late  )

Here's a link to our forum decorum for your reference: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html. No, you've not done anything wrong, we just like to make sure it's handy. 

We ask that authors have only one thread per Book, rather than start a new thread each time, it helps members who may be following you. Please bookmark this thread so that you may find it again to update.

We also have a seven day rule, and ask that you bump (make back-to-back posts) no less than seven days apart. You may, of course, respond to member posts at any time. Once you do, it resets the clock and you must wait seven days...

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Looks like you've got things covered, but do please ask if you have any questions.

Ann


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Finally, I got my rights ironed out with Amazon, thanks to my hardcover publisher sending them an email to corroborate my story.  This book is now available for the Kindle! Hurray!

The Kinshield Legacy

I could use some tips for promoting it. Anyone find something that works well, or a forum topic I should browse?

Thanks!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

KC. . . you've got this thread and that's a great start. . . .I would suggest that you shrink the size of the image in your signature a little . . .forum guidelines say a height of 125 should be the max.  When it's too big it just annoys people, and doesn't work well for those on netbooks and other small screen displays.  

But then, just make yourself visible by joining in discussions all around KindleBoards. . .the more people see your name and get to know you in all areas of the board, the more likely they are to buy your book. . . .I'll be checking it out myself. . . . .

Elsewhere than KB:  check out the Writer's Cafe. . .I expect there are several threads with suggestions and anecdotes about what works and what doesn't.  Good luck!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks, Ann. I had the width on the image set to 150, rather than the height. Oops!    It's much better now.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Two updates:

The Kinshield Legacy got another 5-star review at the US Amazon site! 

It's also available now in the UK Amazon store.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Updated the description and added a couple more review comments. Soon I'll have a brand new cover, thanks to RonnellDPorter!


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

Cool! Hey, check my blog, K.C.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Moses, you're my new hero! I'd started a Listmania list of fantasy books by up-and-coming authors, but I've sort of misplaced it. Once I find it again, I'll be adding those same books you have on yours!


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

Ha!

Five years, huh? Wow, that's a long time to wander the desert of no book rights.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

While I was disappointed that my expectations hadn't been met, the timing worked out great for me. I got the rights back when ebooks are young and


Spoiler



sexy


.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Blogger GraceKrispy wrote a wonderful review of my book on her blog Motherlode. What a nice way to start the week! I'm grateful to GraceKrispy for reading it (and so quickly, too) and thrilled that she enjoyed it so much!


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2010)

I am getting the sample for this one. I'm gonna be reading samples for ever...  But I'll probably bump this one up to the top of the list as epic fantasy is what I love best!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks a bunch! I hope you enjoy it.


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## Steven L. Hawk (Jul 10, 2010)

Hey, K.C.... Just finished _The Kinshield Legacy_. Very well done, I loved it! I posted a review on Amazon.

S.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful review of my story! I'm delighted that you enjoyed it enough to tell others -- that is the highest form of praise. Thank you for reading, and thank you for letting me know you liked it!


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2010)

Your sig photos and your avatar have dissapeared!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Doh! Thanks for the head's up, MR. I'd posted all those front covers of my upcoming book on my regular web site, forgetting completely that I have the Cheap Plan that doesn't allow unlimited bandwidth, and I hit the ceiling! I'll move my images to flickr and redo the URLs.


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2010)

I use my facebook authors page images


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## Jeansaint (May 29, 2009)

About 3/4 through the book and love it. Its the best thing I have read in long time. I have really taken a liking or disliking to the characters as the case may be. I wrote a poorly typed review (was in a hurry) at Amazon but gave it five stars. 
I found out about it from this thread so posting your stuff here does pay off for you authors as this is my main site for where I decide what to buy and read and I am sure many others are the same way.The book is well worth the price I paid and its nice to get a great book for less than $9.99. Its seems like all the ebooks have jumped up in price lately and its killing me as I am an avid reader. Thanks for the affordable price and such a great read.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Gosh, thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying it!  I'm actually getting excited about writing the sequel again. It sure helps to know the story is appreciated.

I'm all warm and fuzzy now.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Congratulations on the great reviews, KC!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks, Monique! Four 5-star reviews in a single week (Sun-Sun) has me on cloud nine! And considering my Kindle Nation Daily sponsorship is tomorrow, they couldn't be more timely.


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## Jeansaint (May 29, 2009)

Please write a sequel. I want to know more about what happens to Gavin, Daia and Brawna as well as the other characters. I will most likely finish it tonight (I was getting sleepy last night and didn't want to rush to the ending just to get to sleep) and I am already craving a sequel. If you had one available I would happily jump right into it tonight....think you can have the sequel done by about 9 PM tonight?


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Music to my ears!

I was actually about half-way done with the first draft when the current SF story demanded to be written. Once this one's out the door, I'll be able to get back to Gavin and friends, and hopefully finish it up next year! (I'm not the fastest writer in the world.)


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Congratulations on your KND success. Looks like you've got a winner!


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2010)

Looking good on the charts I see.  Good work!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks, Monique and MR! I'm stoked. Never thought I'd get as high as #25 in epic fantasy!

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,262 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#25 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fantasy > Epic
#5 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fiction > World Literature > Mythology

I've taken a screenshot for when I'm back out of the top 100.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Today, The Kinshield Legacy received its tenth 5-star review on Amazon (out of eleven reviews). I'm absolutely elated! This new review came from a reader who'd won my LibraryThing giveaway on Aug 31.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce that The Kinshield Legacy is our next KB Book of the Day! Originally published in hardcover, this book is now available for Kindle. Click the link to read more, and sample or purchase this highly-rated book from KindleBoards author K.C. May.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thank you, Harvey. I'm delighted to have The Kinshield Legacy as today's Book of the Day! It's a wonderful way for us authors to support the Kindle Boards that we love so well.

I hope y'all will head over to Amazon and sample the story, even if fantasy isn't usually your thing. It might surprise you!


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Go kcmay!  The great cover alone should draw in a few interested sight-seers... really curious to see how your day ends up


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks to everyone who's purchased a copy or taken a look at my novel. I really appreciate your support and sincerely hope the story entertains you.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

I don't know if I've ever told you ten kinds of awesome it is that Piers Anthony read and enjoyed your book. That's. Just. Cool.


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## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

Looks intriguing! Bought a copy this morning!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thank you! I really hope you enjoy it!

Monique, I felt very fortunate that Piers Anthony was willing to read it AND that he liked it! I've been tempted to send him my upcoming SF novel to see if he'd blurb it for me. He's an advocate for writers trying to break in, and he speaks out against the scam publishers at every opportunity. It's just that he's been so kind, and it's not like we're buds. I feel greedy for asking AGAIN! lol (I might anyway. He's free to say no!)


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks to Harvey and to Amazon Kindle-for-the-Web, I've added a link on the OP to enable viewers to read the Kindle sample on the web.

Chances are most folks here have a Kindle or Kindle application, but for those who are considering gifting a non-Kindle owner with a copy of my novel in paperback, Barnes & Noble is currently selling it for $3.92 off the Amazon price! Get it for only $10.07!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

The Kinshield Legacy is today's ebook of the day at Kindle Nation Daily!


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

This sounds quite intriguing. Finally downloaded it for our reading pleasure.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks, Matthew & Stefanie! Somehow my subscription to my own book thread went away, so I didn't see this until just now.  Hope you like the story!

Kinshield has received a few really nice reviews lately! It's up to 15 on Amazon, with an average of 4.7/5.

On Amazon, Wulfstan, a top-500 reviewer, wrote, "This book was one of the best First Books by a new author I have been privileged to read and review."

On December 6, a reader from Canada gave it five stars and says he's looking forward to the sequel.

And this one just today, Antony of sfbook.com wrote, "It's difficult to believe that this could possible be KC May's first novel, if I didn't know I would have said she had been writing for years."
His full review is at http://sfbook.com/the-kinshield-legacy.htm


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Today, The Kinshield Legacy was listed as one of the top four reads of 2010 on DailyCheapReads.com! I'm beside myself with JOY!!!

I can't tell you how much it pleases me that readers are liking my books. It's such a satisfying feeling - nothing in my life has compared!


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Extremely cool, KC.  I'm beside myself with your joy.  

Seriously, great job.  That's something to be proud of, no two ways about it...


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Darkiss, on his review blog Darkiss reads, wrote this about The Kinshield Legacy:

"Well written and highly entertaining, you are taken on an adrenalin fuelled roller-coaster ride of excitement and exhilaration. K.C.May is well worth adding to your fantasy collection and will sit comfortably beside David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist and Stephen Donaldson."

Full review can be read at http://www.darkissreads.com/2011/01/kinshield-legacy-by-k-c-may.html


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Hello all! 

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be awarding a copy of KC May's epic fantasy "The Kinshield Legacy" as one of today's prizes in the *Angel Fire Fantasy Contest * held right here in the Book Bazaar.

As a bonus, KC is offering another copy of The Kinshield Legacy to the runner up!

And as a DOUBLE BONUS, she is also offering a copy of her novella,  Sole Sacrifice, to both the winner and the runner up!

Click here for details: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,50055.msg872558.html#msg872558


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## Sebastian Kirby (Jan 3, 2011)

Good to see SF making waves!

Seb


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm excited to be a part of Valmore's giveaway contest! Angel Fire is sure to be a great read -- I look forward to starting it, myself.

The Kinshield Legacy received its 23rd review today: 5 stars from ReadersFavorite.com! That brings the total to 16 5-star and 7 4-star reviews. It thrills me to no end that readers are enjoying the story so much!


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

I’d like to give a big shout out to all the kindleboards authors who participated in my book launch. It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun. 

Thank you all


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to welcome The Kinshield Legacy as our KB Book of the Day!


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

:blink: wait.. wasn't it the book of the day a few months ago?  Am I trapped in a time-loop?    Either way, good luck with the promo KCMay


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

You have entered the Twilight Zone! do-do do-do, do-do do-do


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Yes, it feels a bit like that :laugh:  Strange being back here.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

I've seen a bump in sales for Kinshield today, which I assume is due, at least in part, to folks from the KB noticing, clicking on and trying today's Book of the Day. I thank you most kindly and hope you have a fun reading adventure!

FYI, I've started the second draft of the sequel slightly ahead of schedule. Hurray! It's still a mess, so it won't be out this month, next month or even April, but maybe... June or July (). There are a lot of Is to dot and Ts to cross!


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## edwardgtalbot (Apr 28, 2010)

KC -

The book looks intriguing!  I downloaded a sample.  It will probably be a number of weeks given how many other samples I have downloaded, so I imagine the effect of this will last for several weeks (and hopefully beyond).

Congrats!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks for giving it a try!


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## David M. Baum (Apr 21, 2011)

Jeansaint said:


> Please write a sequel. I want to know more about what happens to Gavin, Daia and Brawna as well as the other characters.


 LOL, I wrote almost the same thing in my Amazon review. This was the first novel I've read on my Kindle, and what a great read it was.

For everyone who likes epic fantasy with a tight plot and engaging characters, The Kinshield Legacy delivers an entertaining and smooth read.

Thank you, K.C. May!


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

The Kinshield Legacy will be included in the giveaway book pack. If you don't have an Amazon Kindle yet (or you want another one!), be sure to check this out!

http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2011/06/indie-day-giveaway-win-amazon-kindle.html


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

K.C. I don't remember when I one-clicked the Legacy, but I am reading it now.  Great  book.  Ditto all the other comments.  Will wait until I finish to post a review.

Glad you already have the sequel out now, because I am going to want more when I do finish Legacy.

Just sayin....


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Thank you, Geoff! I'm glad you're enjoying it.  It's only 17 reviews away from 100.


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## David M. Baum (Apr 21, 2011)

geoffthomas said:


> Glad you already have the sequel out now, because I am going to want more when I do finish Legacy.
> 
> Just sayin....


 Well, I'm actually reading the sequel at the moment, Geoff. And so far (half way through) it doesn't disappoint at all (and sequels often do disappoint me).


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

So when am I going to get book 3? When? When? Come on! Come on!


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