Cas lives in the lovely county of Hampshire, southern UK, where she was born. On leaving school she trained for two years before qualifying as horse-riding instructor. During this time she also learned to carriage-drive. She spent thirteen years in the British Civil Service before moving to Rome, Italy, where she and her husband, Dave, lived for three years. They enjoy returning whenever they can. Cas supports many animal charities and owns two rescue dogs. She has a large collection of cacti and loves gardening. She is also a folk singer/songwriter and is currently writing and recording nine folk-style songs to accompany each of her fantasy books. You can listen to and download all the songs from her website: www.caspeace.com
See the video of her performing live at the King’s Envoy book launch here: http://www.caspeace.com/cas-
Taran Elijah’s quest for knowledge uncovers a plot that threatens the world...
Desperate to learn how to control his innate Artesan powers, Taran embarks on a foolhardy plan to acquire the teaching he craves. The military backlash his action unleashes forces Albia’s High King to send Major Sullyan as an envoy to the Fifth Realm. But a dark and treacherous power is moving through the realms and all will feel its influence.
Captured and tortured by the power-hungry Lord Rykan, Sullyan is trapped in Andaryon. Aided by the unlikeliest sources, the major formulates a plan to defeat Rykan and end his quest for the throne. But Sullyan’s strength is fading fast and time is running out. The only thing that can save her is Rykan’s mysterious Staff, which lies buried in the ruins of Taran’s cellar.
Sullyan’s lover, Robin Tamsen, sets out to recover the artefact, but the enemy is two steps ahead of him. If Robin fails to secure the Staff, Sullyan’s life, the Artesan craft, and the very existence of their world is under threat.
Review:
"Cas Peace's Artesans of Albia trilogy immediately sweeps you away: the drama starts with King's Envoy, continues unabated in King's Champion, and climaxes in King's Artesan, yet each volume is complete, satisfying. The Artesan series propels you into a world so deftly written that you see, feel, touch, and even smell each twist and turn. These nesting novels are evocative, hauntingly real. Smart. Powerful. Compelling.
Janet E Morris: Bestselling Author of The Sacred Band of Stepsons series; the Dream Dancer series; I, the Sun; Outpassage; The Silistra Quartet;and editor of the Bangsian In Hell series. Famed contributor to the shared universe fantasy series, Thieves World.
Q&A With the Author:
1. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I have two rescue lurchers, so walking is a big part of my life. So is
singing and recording folk songs, and caring for my large collection of
cacti.
I have two rescue lurchers, so walking is a big part of my life. So is
singing and recording folk songs, and caring for my large collection of
cacti.
2. What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you
overcome it?
The hardest part was actually gathering the courage to show it to
someone. I hadn’t planned on being a writer, so had no confidence in
what I’d written at first. Laying myself open to criticism—however
constructive and well intentioned—was terribly hard for me. Luckily, it
all worked out ok!
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
There are many places in the world I’d still like to see. The Great
Barrier Reef, for the fish and coral; the Maldives to swim with giant
Manta rays; and more of the US national parks because they’re so
beautiful.
4. Where do you get information and ideas for your books?
Many of my ideas come from watching fantasy and sci-fi films and reading
books in the same genres. I then let my imagination run and spawn new
ideas. If I need to research anything, I use the internet and I also ask
my fellow writers. The writing community is awesome and so helpful.
5. Tell us a bit about a future project you are working on? Do you have
any little sneak peeks you can share?
I’m currently writing a YA prequel to my Artesan series. I’m focusing on
Sullyan’s early life, how she developed her Artesan powers, and the
traumas and experiences that shaped her and made her the person she is.
It’s wonderful to be able to expand on characters in her past that
appear only briefly in my triple-trilogy series. For example, I’m loving
exploring her relationship with Fiann, the exiled Sinnian bard, and
discovering more about why he was exiled and how his experiences
impacted in her psyche.
6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell us a story of a
favorite childhood activity you used to do during the summer. It can be
long or short. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's
yours. Tell us a story?
When I was a child, I was fascinated by butterflies and moths. My
parents and I used to love countryside trips and I would take along a
butterfly net to catch and identify any I could find. I then became
interested in breeding them and we made netting cages so I could rear
the larvae and watch them hatch into beautiful butterflies. I’d then
release them an watch them fly away. My biggest joy was spotting a
Purple Emperor butterfly on one walk – they were rare even then, and I
felt like some great, intrepid explorer for having seen it!
