Today marks the official kickoff of the Legacy of the Brightwash Book Tour presented by Storytellers On Tour, and we’re thrilled to welcome Krystle Matar as we celebrate the publication of her debut novel! We’ve got a great lineup helping us feature her Grimdark Gaslamp Fantasy tale, Legacy of the Brightwash. Back in January I had the privilege of hosting the cover reveal for this beauty, and I’m bursting at the seams with excitement to hear what our hosts have to say in the coming days. Stay tuned for a fantastic week ahead.
Krystle stopped by to have a chat about this chonky book baby of hers, her inspirations, and what lies ahead. So, keep scrolling to learn more about the book and author, the interview, and an international giveaway where you can snag yourself a hardcover copy of Legacy of the Brightwash!
The Tour
We’ve enlisted a group of wonderful and talented bloggers and Bookstagrammers to help us feature Legacy of the Brightwash. This is what we have going on, so make sure to check out each and every one throughout the week for some brilliant content, including reviews and more.
MARCH 7TH – THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder (IG: @whispersandwonder)
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MARCH 8TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies
Out of This World SFF Reviews
Sadie’s Spotlight (IG: @sadiesspotlight)
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MARCH 9TH
Darksidereads
The Book in Hand
@beatrizfayereads_
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MARCH 10TH
I Can Has Books? (IG: @carrieicanhasbooks)
Westveil Publishing (IG: @thewestveilarchives)
@theenchantedshelf
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MARCH 11TH
Fantasy Book Nerd
Luke Tarzian
@dibs.collection
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MARCH 12TH
FanFiAddict
The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy
Al-Alhambra
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MARCH 13TH – THE ENCORE
Queen’s Book Asylum
For more about this tour visit Storytellers On Tour.
Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar
SERIES: Tainted Dominion (#1)
PUBLISHED: February 18, 2021
PAGES: 662
GENRE: Grimdark Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy
CHECK IT OUT ON
AVAILABLE AT
The Blurb
Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?
Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack.
Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.
Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her?
Why was he the only one who cared?
Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?
Meet the Author
Krystle Matar has been writing for a long time, but things got serious when Tashué Blackwood walked into her life, an amber-eyed whirlwind.
When she isn’t arguing with him or any of his friends, she parents and farms. She has a lot of children and even more animals and one very excellent husband.
She is currently working on lots of stories set in the Dominion. She expects to exist in this universe for a while.
WEBSITE: www.krystlematar.com
Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat, Krystle. Since we already have your official bio, care to tell us about yourself in ten words or less?
Reclusive writer who adores the voices in my head.
Give us an idea of how Legacy of the Brightwash came to fruition.
I built this book for Tashué Blackwood. I’ve been writing about him for a long time, but he always existed in our contemporary world. A number of years ago (about 9 now, I guess) I started really missing reading and writing fantasy. There was something about it that was calling me back. Maybe I was tired of the contemporary world? Maybe I was homesick for my roots as a fantasy reader? I’m not sure what it was, exactly, but it was time to go back. My first idea didn’t fly (I hadn’t mastered the very challenging skill of writing a messy first draft and then revising the hell out of it) and I wanted to write Tashué, but in fantasy. So I put him in the world that already existed for the idea that wasn’t working… and the rest was magic. (And hard work. And revising. And more revising.)
Can you share with us something about Legacy of the Brightwash that isn’t in the blurb?
Ultimately, this book became about the many different shades of love that exist in us as humans. Yes it’s grimdark, yes it’s heavy, but these core characters love each other. Blood family and found family. Their relationships drive the whole story, and it wouldn’t be the same without the deep well of love that exists between them.
Was there any specific research you’ve done or inspiration you’ve pulled from for this story of yours?
While it was a return to fantasy, this book was also inspired by the mysteries and thrillers that held me over when I was on my fantasy hiatus. I hope it blurs the genre lines a little, but in the best ways.
As for research—there was tons! When my creative well begins to run dry, usually the quickest way to fill it up again is to start researching things. I pull inspiration from little details about daily lives. The time period that I’m writing in, which was largely inspired by our world’s Industrial Revolution, was a time of massive shifting. Of urban centres becoming over-crowded, of the scramble to meet the needs of growing cities. That scramble and that struggle is massively relatable for us in our time, I think, but also some of the details of day-to-day life are pretty wild and outside out comfort zone. That clash of the familiar and the different was really exciting to me as I did my research, so I hope that feeling has made it into the book!
What do you hope your readers take away from Legacy of the Brightwash?
Broken, hopeful hearts ☺
What comes first, the plot or the characters?
I think it’s pretty obvious that my answer is characters! People drive stories and plots in my head. How they come together, how they clash, those are my favourite things to write about!
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? If so, who? What about them sets them apart from all the others?
It has to be Tashué. Sorry to all the others, but Tashué is like my first love. I’ve been writing about him for 18 years now. And a lot of ideas and new characters have distracted me over the years, but none of them have ever had the staying power that he has.
Honourable mention has to go to Ishmael, Jason, Lorne. They have been around a long time, too. Ishmael is a delightful trouble maker. Jason is a heavy character to write these days, but I love his tenacity. And Lorne. Who doesn’t love a tough-as-nails boxer, amirite?
Stella has been amazing to write, with her quiet, complex strength. Illea is beautifully outrageous and I adore her. I love this people so much, what can I say?
What do you think makes a good story?
People make a good story. People are complex and messy and beautiful. Whatever world or plot is built for them, I think people have the capacity to be surprising and inspiring—and flawed and make mistakes.
If you could go back and change how you approached writing your debut novel, what’s the one thing you’d do differently?
I’d do it more bravely the first time around. I spent a lot of time hemming and hawing about how much I’d include and what choices I would make. I wish that I’d given myself permission to be the writer I wanted to be sooner, which would have spared me some pain and anxiety. But I’m delighted that I made those choices before the book was finished and I was able to write it the way I wanted. This is the book of my soul and I’m so glad it’s being well received.
Writing can be a stressful pursuit. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?
Make writer friends. No one understands the stress better than other writers. There’s something especially comforting about going through this crazy journey with people who know what you’re going through.
Learn your process. Know that it’s probably different from everyone else’s. Lean into your strengths. Take advice with a grain of salt. Write the book of your soul, even if it’s scary.
Ok, let’s see what kind of person you truly are.
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee!
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Winter or Summer?
….Autumn
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Physical books or Ebooks?
Both!
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Mountains or Oceans?
Mountains, with an ocean view
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Beer or Wine?
Beer
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Books or Movies?
So many books.
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Cowboys or Aliens?
Cowboys
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Pie or Cake?
Definitely both
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Rural or Urban?
Rural all the way
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Work hard or Play hard?
Write hard!
Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, Krystle. Tell us what lies ahead for you!
More books! Legacy of Brick & Bone is well under way. The thing about writing people that feel real is they have a lot of demands. My head is full to bursting with ideas! I need to write faster.
That’s all I got for ya! Be sure to keep an eye on the official Legacy of the Brightwash tour page over at Storytellers On Tour (https://www.storytellersontour.online/2021/02/05/tour-schedule-legacy-of-the-brightwash-by-krystle-matar/) to see what the other bloggers and Bookstagrammers have to say!
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Happy Reading!
🖤