Kathleen C. Perrin's Blog

I would like to share with you some very personal experiences I had while working on THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY. This third book was a long and interesting process because Katelyn’s story took me on some unexpected turns I didn’t expect. When I wrote Jehanne’s story in THE SWORD OF THE MAIDEN, my husband and I traveled to France in the winter and followed in her footsteps. My inspiration to tell her story came by actually being there in those places she had been. One night as we slept at a hotel not far from Domrémy, Joan of Arc’s birthplace, I awoke in the middle of the night flooded with ideas of how to tell her story. I spent two hours in the middle of that night (while my husband slept) trying to write those thoughts down as quickly as I could.

Well, writing SECRET was just as amazing in a different way. After three research trips to France in 2016, “Katelyn” let me know that I was headed in the wrong direction, a direction I had well-planned out when I first started writing the series of three books. However, after spending months and hours researching the period of the French Revolution, “she” let me know that I had it all wrong. While the Revolution is an incredibly important and turbulent period in French history, it wasn’t where the final chapter of Katelyn’s and Nicolas’s story takes place. So I had to scrap everything I had outlined, and start from scratch, setting the final book in a completely different era I had never considered earlier, which is why I wasn’t able to get the book out in December 2016. It was as if in spite of my preconceived ideas, Katelyn was telling me her story, and she certainly took me in a direction I didn’t expect. Once I listened to that prompting, everything fell into place, but I had a lot of catching up to do.

Just know that I followed Katelyn’s guidance, and her story is now concluded to her satisfaction. I also promise you that you’ll have answers to all the questions I listed in my previous blog post. And you can find photos of all the important sites in all three books by going to my website at: www.kathleencperrin.com

I'd love to have you post reviews of SECRET (and the first two books) on Goodreads and Amazon. I'm also answering questions about THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY here on Goodreads, so if you have any, fire away!

Thanks,
Kathleen

In THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY, the last installment of THE WATCHMEN SAGA, you will finally have all your questions answered. Maybe you’ve already discovered the secret, or think you have. Maybe you’ve guessed at some of the answers, but still have a lot of questions. Maybe you don’t have any questions at all, and you’ve just been enjoying the setting, history or story line, or maybe you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about! But some of your questions should be:
1. Why was Katelyn chosen as a Watchman? Is it her 21st century techie skills alone, or is there a more significant reason?
2. What is the meaning of the Hebrew letters on the time travel keys?
3. Why is Mont Saint Michel so sacred?
4. What is the big secret the Watchmen have been called upon to protect with their lives?
5. Will Katelyn finally learn the secret for herself?
6. How does the Prologue of THE KEYS OF THE WATCHMEN, relate to that secret?
7. What is so special about Mont Saint Michel Abbey, and specifically about the chapel Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre?

You probably have other questions I haven’t mentioned, but hopefully, they will all be answered in THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY. And of course, there will be answers to the questions every reader is asking: Will Katelyn and Nicolas find a way to be together permanently? If so, in what time period? How will they make it work? Will they continue to be Watchmen?

And now, here are some new questions to ponder. Let’s start with the cover:
What does the cover photo have to do with the story? Where was the photo taken?
What time period will Katelyn be sent to next?
Will Nicolas recover his memory and still have feelings for Katelyn?
Will someone else win the affections of Nicolas and/or Katelyn?
What will be the new threat to Mont Saint Michel that Katelyn must address?

The answers to all the above questions will be revealed in THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY. Once again, thanks for your interest and support!
Kathleen

I hope you enjoy THE SWORD OF THE MAIDEN, where you'll get “the inside scoop” of how Nicolas and Katelyn set out to protect Mont Saint Michel by helping Joan of Arc turn the tide of the Hundred Years’ War, while their avowed enemy Abdon tries to stop them. My aim in writing this novel was to help readers come to appreciate Joan’s remarkable contribution to world history. You will also discover what lies in store for Nicolas and Katelyn in the 3rd and final book in the series, THE SECRET OF THE ABBEY.

In preparation for reading my fictional account of Joan’s incredible story, I encourage you to watch "Joan of Arc," a docudrama about the unwavering faith of this girl who saved a nation, which was produced by BYUtv. Written and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Russell Holt, the 80-minute docudrama chronicles the story of this humble girl guided by the voice of God who became a symbol of courage and faith by leading her country to victory. Check your local listings of BYU TV to see reruns of "Joan of Arc," watch it online, or purchase it on DVD.

By the way, I had no idea this film was being made when I wrote my book, but the filmmaker, Russell Holt, shares my feelings about Joan. I believe as you become more familiar with her story, you will come to gain an understanding of why her intervention was important to America. And this isn’t just me talking! Mr. Holt himself, stated “Joan of Arc played a fundamental role in shaping world history by leading the French army to victory against the English forces. The French Navy would later play an indispensable role in the United States’ Revolutionary War. Without Joan of Arc’s heroic and divine mission, one could argue the nation of France and the United States would not exist as they do today.” Sounds a bit like Jean le Vieux and Nicolas, doesn’t it?

Also, check out my website for photos of the Joan of Arc sites you will read about in THE SWORD OF THE MAIDEN. I promise, it will enhance your reading experience. My website is at: kathleencperrin.com and then click on “Joan of Arc Sites.”

Kathleen

Hi All,

In October 2015, my husband arranged for a guide to lead us on a walk across the celebrated Mont Saint Michel Bay. We went with one other couple, and because it was overcast and chilly that day, we were the only ones in the entire bay. It was quite literally ‘other-worldly!’ We forded four rivers that flow into the bay to get to Tombelaine Island, which is 2.2 miles from Mont Saint Michel. The expedition took us 3½ hours, and it was fascinating experiencing the sables mouvants, which literally means “moving sands.” The sables mouvants are what we in English would call quicksand. I can guarantee that you would never want to venture out into the bay without a guide, and since we couldn’t get Nicolas le Breton, we had to settle on Guillaume le Normand! Please, check out my blog post about the journey on my website at: kathleencperrin.com and then click on Blog. You’ll be able to read all about it and see some great photos of our “Bay Walk.”

In Book 2 of THE WATCHMEN SAGA, THE SWORD OF THE MAIDEN, Katelyn Michaels helps one of the most iconic figures in the history of The Hundred Years’ War, and in fact in all of French and world history: Joan of Arc. Get used to calling her Jehanne, or La Pucelle, because that was her name in the fifteenth century, and even though Jehanne is written with an ‘h,’ in French, the ‘h’ is silent, so it’s pronounced as it would be in modern French, which is Jeanne (zhan). You’ll learn why Katelyn is so uniquely qualified to help Jehanne, and of course Nicolas is involved as well. You’ll also meet a loveable new character who does his best to take the place of Jean le Vieux: Frére Thibault, a retired Benedictine monk. I think you’ll like him!

Please, let your family, friends, and neighbors know about the WATCHMEN SAGA. In this world of a gazillion choices in reading material, I need your help to spread the news.

Thanks for your support!
Kathleen

I just got back from an 18-day trip to France to do research and take photographs for Book II in the WATCHMEN
Saga. Much of the action for Book II takes place in the winter months, and so I wanted to see what it would have been like for Katelyn and Nicolas both in the 21st Century and someplace back in time! Trust me, it wouldn't have been much fun without our modern comforts!
Not only did I get a great idea of the weather-related challenges they would have faced, but as I visited each site that will be featured in Book II, I found special inspiration. Maybe it was the Archangel Michael speaking to my soul! I'm soooo excited about Book Two!

I have always had a passion for words. I come by it honestly. My father was a true wordsmith and a storyteller par excellence. He made up tales of Rocky Mountain critters to entertain his children, and he wrote light verse that could compete with Ogden Nash any day.
Both he and my mother were largely self-educated, but they both appreciated the value of words and proper grammar. They didn't have the advantage of being college educated, for they came of age during WWII and Uncle Sam had other ideas about how they should be spending their time. While my father served in the Army Air Corps, my mother joined forces with her sister-in-law to simply survive, each with a baby born while their husbands fought overseas (my father in the European theater and my uncle in the navy in the Pacific).
My father flew thirty-six bombing missions over Europe in a B-17 bomber, including sorties on D-Day and during the Battle of the Bulge. During those dark days, he and my mother wrote letters to each other every day. Oh, how I wish I could rub my fingers over the agonizing words they both must have used to portray events that I cannot even begin to imagine. However, that period was so painful and excruciating for them both, that they burned the letters after my father safely returned. I think often of the book those missives could have written, of the legacy those words could have left for their five children, twenty-four grandchildren, and an endless posterity that continues to grow.
My parents instilled in each of their children a passion for reading and a love of proper grammar. They lovingly but firmly corrected us if we ever had the misfortune of making a grammatical error. Without being pushy , without any pressure, they quietly inspired us to apply ourselves in school. They expected us to excel, and so we tried to meet their expectations. They encouraged us to think for ourselves and to use our imaginations.
I thought that is what all parents did, but I have since come to understand that I was blessed to grow up in a home where good literature, proper English, and imaginative thinking was valued.
I once told my daughter that I have never been bored, and I haven’t. I grew up knowing how to entertain myself long before video games and non-stop television reality shows. Since the time I was a little girl, I have loved to write, tell stories, and concoct silly poetry like my father. I have loved to play with words, measure words, weigh words and dissect words.
To me, words are like music. They have different pitches, different tempos, different values and different rhythms. Words are like colors, used to paint pictures in every hue and shade possible: somber paintings or bright, blissful canvases. The writer is the artist, and his palette is filled not with dabs of paint, but with an endless supply of words. What a stimulating artistic brush!
And I have been blessed with a muse. My muse is and has always been La Belle France. My husband is French, and we have a family cottage we have renovated in France. We have spent endless hours discovering, exploring, and uncovering the beauties and mysteries of France, and there are just not enough words I can put to paper to describe all I have seen and all that I love about France. My children are half-French, and they are all bi-lingual. I am a French translator, and so my bank of words to choose from has doubled, because words in French are just so lyrical. Speaking French has nourished my passion for words.
And my 94-year-old mother has maintained her passion for words. Her home is filled with so many books, you could spend a lifetime perusing them. She does a crossword puzzle every day, and our way of passing the time while on road trips together is working on crossword puzzles together. Except for certain questions regarding pop culture, she can ‘out-word’ me every time! She lives alone, and so I speak to her twice a day by telephone so that she can get in her day’s quota of words. Each day, she shares words from an inspirational thought to lift and inspire me. She is still using words to bless the lives of others.
So I use words to honor my parents. I use my word-brush to paint stories to compensate for the stories they lost when they burned their own words. I use words to write silly poems to brighten the days of family and friends, like my father. If someone needs a silly poem, I am the go-to person! I have even put to paper tales of Rocky Mountain critters for my own children and grandchildren. It is not only my legacy for my grandchildren, but his legacy. I am thrilled to see one of my granddaughters who continues that legacy. She, too, has a passion for words. And so I write not only to honor my past, but I write to honor my future, to leave a legacy for my own posterity.
With words, the world is an empty page with endless possibilities. Words constitute the most precious commodity we have. And they are free! I will use and cherish them as long as I am able. Words are my passion.

The Keys of the WatchmenThe Keys of the Watchmen