Author Kami King Larsen
Author of A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping
There’s nothing like losing yourself in a good story. The chaos and stress of the real world just melt away as the pages turn and the characters make you fall in love with them. This is something I’ve known since I was a kid– first reading collections of Shel Silverstein and Judy Blume then transitioning into my horror phase with Stephen King, Dean Koontz and anything else I could get my hands on.
ABOUT ME
As I got older, my life became much more scientific. After studying biology in college, I went on to medical school. I read textbooks and case studies and it was a special treat when I had time for a good horror or sci-fi novel. I rewarded myself with books full of fantasy and whimsy.
On occasion, I’d grab a notebook and jot down rough ideas about the kinds of stories I’d like to read and over time I started writing those stories myself. They were just for me. Just a place where I could escape and drive the tale in the direction I wanted it to go.
FOLKLORE
At times I feel like I live a double life. In the real world, I still continue to live a life of science but my writing is chock-full of fantasy, folklore, and magic. Those mischievous settings are a balm for my mind and soul. As a practicing pediatrician in a community health center, I see pain and suffering in our most vulnerable populations. During the early days of the pandemic, I experienced a level of stress at work I’d never experienced before.
The only way I could think to escape it safely was to write a story full of kindness and adventure. Love and acceptance. Add to that my desire for more Celtic folklore stories– in particular, the Selkie mythology– and this beautiful little tale was born. It was my therapy. When the story was comp[lete, I decided I wanted to share it with others.
A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping is the story of Aylee Garrow. A shopkeeper’s daughter in a small coastal town at the turn of the century. She has recently had her heart broken and finds herself entertaining the idea of marrying a much older man. One morning, while working, she discovers a stranger hiding in the store room of the family business. He is lost and confused and just happens to be completely naked.
Aylee finds herself offering the stranger as much kindness and assistance as she can. Over the course of the following days, she befriends the man– Cailean Vann. But Cailean isn’t all that he seems. He’s hiding a secret of his own.
The town’s residents are wary. Perhaps the stories of the fey are more than just stories. As Aylee and Cailean race to find an important item, the two find themselves falling for each other. If they fail to find what Cailean is searching for, it might mean his life. But if they succeed, they might be separated forever.
Aylee is brave and kind, but she isn’t free of faults. She grows during her time with Cailean, learning to accept herself and to be mindful of judging those around her. And Cailean? Well he is just the perfect mix of all my favorite swoon worthy characteristics.
He is confident but not cocky. He’s brave but not rash. He’s tall and handsome. Mysterious and patient. And, he’s a selkie.
I’ve taken some liberties with my portrayal of the selkies. For those who aren’t familiar with the folklore, selkies were depicted as mythical creatures who lived their lives in the sea in the form of a seal. When they come to land, they shed their seal coat and become beautiful women. In the traditional tales, the women would seduce mortal men in order to bear children. Occasionally, the men on land would steal the coat of the selkie in order to force her into marriage and prevent her from leaving to return to the sea. In my story, there’s a bit of a gender swap in that my selkie is a handsome man. While he isn’t looking to seduce anyone, he must find his coat or risk losing his life.
It was such a joy to write this story of love and acceptance, but my favorite bits to conjure up were the scenes surrounding the creepy creatures of Celtic folklore– the banshees and kelpies.
MORE ABOUT ME:
I am a native of the desert southwest but dream of living near the ocean where it’s cool and green. I continue to read more than I write and I love discovering other indie authors. Fantasy is my go-to genre, but I still love a good horror story and the occasional romance or thriller. I tend to stay away from heavy family drama or other heavy subject reads. Life is tough enough in the real world. When I read, and when I write, I want to escape to somewhere altogether different.
Since the release of my first novel, A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping in 2021, I just can’t shake the bug to continue sending my stories out into the universe. I’ve since published the first two books in a medical fantasy/Western dystopian/ grumpy sunshine romance series! If that sounds like a mix of genres, it is! I continue to write daily and recently have been finishing the first draft of a new stand-alone novel set in the same world as A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping as well as honing my short story skills by working on a series of fantasy romance short fiction. The audiobook for Water and Weeping is currently in production and should be available this summer and the voice actor has the most beautiful Irish accent!
FOLLOW ME HERE:
You can find me on my website www.kamikinglarsenbooks.com to sign up for my newsletter and to get on my mailing list for other ARC and freebie opportunities. I have an active Instagram account where I review books @klarsenmd_booksand bits or for author-only updates @authrokamikinglarsen.