Today, we welcome a guest post from Laura Zimmerman, author of Keen and the soon-to-be-released Lament! For those of you who think fantasy writers don’t do research, think again! Laura studied up on faerie folklore to write these wonderful tales of magic!

Thanks for being here, Laura! What can you tell us about faerie lore and how you wove it through the Banshee Song series?

The first book in the Banshee Song Series takes place in the Mortal Realm (that’s earth to us!) in a contemporary setting of high school. Since Caoine never visited either of the Faerie Realms in Keen, there was a lot of world building to be done for Lament. Luckily, I love to dream up fictional places!

In classic faerie lore, the Unseelie Realm is called the Winter Court or Winter Realm. Because of this, it is often described as mostly snow, very cold, and with an abundance of dead foliage. But I wasn’t satisfied with this type of setting for the Unseelie Realm within the world of Lament. I chose to introduce the idea of it still being quite wintry (think cold and snow!) but with color and plant life unlike any you’d find in your backyard. I had a blast creating beautiful and strange new plants and flowers, not only in their physical appearance, but in the way they might react to the world around them. (Yes, some plant life is definitely alive!)

Another aspect of faerie lore I enjoyed exploring were the faerie tricks and behaviors. I stick a bit closer to traditional fae legends when it comes to lying (something the fae cannot do,) healing (something the fae definitely can do,) and enchantments over humans (something Caoine learns to avoid quickly!) While the fae are an immortal people not easily killed, they also each inhabit a specific power that makes them different from one another. This is an addition I added not only because it goes well with the inhuman ways of the fae, but also to make faeries that much more mystical to Caoine as she discovers all the things about the other half of her life.

The creatures of Faerie added another way to explore this fictional land. Although there are a few traditional faerie creatures, there weren’t any that stood out to me that would lend themselves to the story. So, I created my own, of course! The Wild Gowher is a creature simply referred to, not one we get to meet in this trip to the Unseelie Realm (which is quite fortunate!) Although not described physically, this dangerous creature is basically a faerie goat. A creature we do get to meet in Lament is the scarlet reynard. The closest thing the Mortal Realm has is a fox, although this creature is far different. A scarlet reynard will rip its prey to shreds in a matter of minutes. It may not have a taste for fae blood, but it certainly enjoys humans, something Caoine learns all too quickly!

Have you had fun learning about the faerie lore within Lament? Grab the book to learn more about Caoine’s adventures within the Unseelie Realm!

Thanks so much, Laura! I’m finishing up Lament, and it’s so worth the read!

Here’s a little more about the book:

Half-fae banshee, Caoine, is devastated by the loss of her father, and graduation is just around the corner. Ignorant of an old enemy seeking revenge, she is whisked away to the Unseelie Realm where she learns someone dear to her is being held captive. She vows not to go home until he’s free.

Then she finds out she’s trapped, unable to return to the human realm.

In order to go home, she must set aside old prejudices and work with a nemesis to survive faerie tricks and fae creatures hungry for human blood. Only then will she discover the secret to her escape and her loved one’s freedom.

Aided by an unlikely band of fae, she uncovers more about her banshee powers than she dreamed possible, even as the fae remind her just how human she really is.

She’ll take the drama of high school over the pettiness of the fae any day.

Get your copy here!

Blog Tour Schedule:

Tuesday, January 19th, “Review of Lament” Abigail McKenna,  www.novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 20th, “Interview with the Characters of Lament” Kellie Parker, www.kelliemichelleparker.com
Thursday, January 21st, “Lament Character Spotlights” Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com
Thursday, January 21st, “Insta Post of Lament” Marie Godsey, www.instagram.com/IfCatsCouldRead
Friday, January 22nd, “Guest Post: The Writing Process” Laura A. Grace, www.lauraagrace.com
Saturday, January 23rd, “Visual Post: the World of Lament” Tabitha Caplinger, www.tabithacaplinger.com
Sunday, January 24th, “Lament: Banshee Song Series, Book Two—A Review” Tammy Ayers, www.cryptidworld.com
Monday, January 25th, “Interview with the Author of Lament” Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com
Tuesday, January 26th, “Themes of Lament” Laura L. Zimmerman, www.lauralzimmerman.com
Wednesday, January 27th, “Lament Blog Tour + an Interview with the Author” Hailey Huntington, www.haileyhuntington.com
Thursday, January 28th, “Lament’s Online Release Party is Today!” Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com
Friday, January 29th, “Visual Post: the Characters of Lament” Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com