The Key to All Things by Cindy Lynn Speer 💕 Behind the Scenes, Book Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Fantasy/Adventure Romance)

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Every day, Lady Avriel hears the bards sing about the greatest love story of all times, a heartbreaking romance between a human nobleman, Captain Edward de Vere, and the beautiful Queen of the Fae, who shattered his heart when she abandoned him to accept her throne. Avriel secretly longs for the sad and romantic captain as she works as a double agent, serving at both human and fae courts to keep the peace between the two kingdoms.

But for three hours every night she remembers a completely different world, where the greatest love story is a lie, and Edward belongs to her. She believes this reality to be the true one, even if no one else does. The world has fallen under a spell, and it is up to Avriel to find its source and undo it.

To set things right, Avriel must face the all-powerful Elder Fae and confront the darkest powers that rule her destiny – only to learn that if she proceeds, her actions will bring chaos and open her kingdom to destruction. Is this a choice she is willing to make to bring her love back?

Well, I started this book – or, rather, a version of this book probably 9, 10 years ago. It started with the “Everyone knows the story of x, how lovely and wonderful it was, how everyone sighed and desperately wanted to have a story like theirs…until she betrayed them” theme. It had a knight, tired, done with it all, and a young woman who admired the story and who was going to use her powers to help him on his quest to enter faery land and find a sword. I knew the woman who betrayed the main male character was a fae princess.

But the story kept getting stopped. I liked my main female character. She could see magic, and who, like everyone else, needed stories to survive. And this was THE story, and she helps him find redemption and happiness, and love, etc. And I could not find a way to make the story work.

So, it stopped. I wrote other things, instead, including Wishes and Sorrows. The story was simply not ready, and I had other things to do. It would come when it wad ready…when I had everything the writey spot in the back of my mind needed.

I revisited the concept again. The hero became a Comte, and the captain of the King’s Guard, who loved the Queen of the Fae, and this time there were airships, and Avriel was a half fae, half human woman who was going to help him solve a murder mystery.

And I stopped, again. I wrote The Chocolatier’s Ghost, instead.

Then, one day there was a snow delay. I slept late. I went to work…and I heard Avriel in my head. I saw Edward clearer. And Avriel told me that she remembered a different world, one where Edward was not married to the Queen of the fae, it was all a lie. That he was married to her, Avriel, but only she knew it, and that only a few hours a night.

And everything came together. I needed to tell two stories, not one. The first story was about Avriel and Edward, and the mystery of who crushed the dragon egg. A story of spies and politics, and trying to find the answer before the fae declared war.

The second was another mystery, about why Avriel remembered a different world than everyone else. Why would someone do this…and how could she fix it?

Because it is two stories…one twisted, braided, overlaid next to and around another, I needed a lot of help polishing it. You all don’t live in my head, so things that seemed evident, seemed logical weren’t. I am grateful to everyone who worked on it and helped me really fix and improve it. I’ve never worked so hard on a book! But I think, in the end, the work was worth it.

Avriel blinked. Blood rushed into her head, and suddenly there was too much of everything – too much sound, too much scent, too many visions clouding her head. It pulled her in like a wave, all cacophony and fear of being overwhelmed. And then silence, abrupt and complete, before her senses started to work again. She had to school her features, to look calm while the turmoil sorted itself.

Nine o’clock. The Remembering Time. For the next three hours, she would remember a completely different world, a different reality.

“What is it?” Northram asked sharply, staring into her face. Jervis had the grace to look worried, Charlotte was studying her fingernails.

“Just this awful headache all the sudden.” She took a deep breath, and held it as the world clicked back into place.

She did not want to meet Northram’s gaze, fearing that he would see the truth – that she was a different person sitting here, staring back at him. She wondered for the thousandth time how he did not remember the truth of things. The spell, whatever it was, was strong indeed; for when she finally looked into his eyes, she could find no warmth, no concern. She was just one of his puppets… if he knew her as anything else, his expression did not give it away.

“Very well, then,” he said. “You may go.”

Jervis helped her up and walked with her. Charlotte stayed behind, as usual.

“Do you need a doctor?” Jervis asked.

“No.” Avriel forced herself to keep a hand on his arm. With her recovered memory, she now knew how she despised his cowardice, how cruel he could be. Her skin crawled at his touch. But since the Avriel of a few moments ago did not remember Jervis in such a fashion, she was forced to submit. Fortunately, her room was not far. “Thank you for your help.”

Jervis searched her face, much like Northram had a moment ago. “Avriel, what is it?”

“Pain. Just lots of pain. I will take some headache powder and take to my bed.”

She closed the door quickly before he could say anything else. Some nights the truth wanted to come pouring out in a torrent. She wanted to punish people like Jervis for sins they doubtless didn’t even remember.

Cindy is the author of the Amazon bestselling The Chocolatier’s Wife, and it’s sequel, The Chocolatier’s Ghost, among others, including the brand new Key to All Things. She loves reading, taking road trips, hiking, pretending to garden (really, I need to feed my poor tomatoes) and sword fighting. You can find out more about her at http://www.cindylynnspeer.com or her facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cindylynnspeer/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/cindylynnspeer