Giveaway: The Return of the Key

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16 year old Eliza Aurelio grapples with her mixed race identity amid rising racial tensions on her little island. For their safety, Eliza’s grandfather sends her and her grandmother to a quiet town in Southwest England to stay with a relative. But this otherwise quiet town has been turned upside down by people mysteriously disappearing. Eliza eventually encounters a magical but dangerous realm accessible through a doorway in the town, and sees its connection to the abductions. She intends to put things right, only wanting to protect her family. To do this, she must return a stolen key to lock the open doorway. But Eliza has to overcome her own inner conflicts if she is to stand any chance of being successful and leaving the other realm alive. 
Suspenseful and enchanting, The Return of the Key explores the power of love, sacrifice and the journey to self acceptance. 
The Return of the Key on Amazon

Author Interview: Alisha Nurse

What inspired you to write your book?

I have always loved the fantasy genre. From childhood it was an escape from depression. Some years ago I had a really bad depressive episode and I tried to end my life. When I woke in hospital I realised if I had been successful I would have moved on from this life without saying all the things I wanted to say to the people I love, to my detractors and to the people struggling like me. Mostly, I would have departed without letting my grandparents the extent of my love for them. I thought that until I achieved this I needed to find a way to keep going. And I have this weird idiosyncrasy where I have to complete anything I start, so I thought I could embark on a project involving something that would hold my interest and it would be dedicated to my grandparents. I settled on writing a fantasy novel.

What literary character would you want to be best friends with?

Hmmm, tough one but I’d have to say Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is such a powerful character and he highlighted so many valuable lessons that we can learn from. My second favourite quote from him was when he told his daughter Scout “courage is ...when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Ten or twenty years or whatever from now, kids and adults reading this book will continue to learn from Atticus Finch.

Could you talk a bit about your publishing experience?

I decided to self publish. I didn’t have a clue! 

First of all, I wanted a publishing deal but I had had so many rejections. It really got me down. There was also a time factor because I really wrote the novel for my grandparents and they’re both 91 and 87 years old. They’re not exactly spring chickens and I wanted to give it to them as soon as possible. I had a couple publishing offers which I wasn’t keen on, plus I didn’t want to publish a story following popular trends and models for today’s YA novels, as I was advised. I want to write the kind of books I like to read, so I took a chance. There are a lot of resources online and after doing tonnes of research, I planned how I was going to approach the process. Thankfully I also received a lot of help and support from other indie authors online. 

What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

Lie in bed and try to fall asleep while listening to sound of the rain drops falling. I love, love, I mean lurve the rain. It’s so refreshing. It washes away things and cleanses. It represents a chance to start anew.

What literary/musical/artistic works inspire you?

Works that are quirky, magical or full of creative imagination inspire me. I’m a very visually stimulated person so a lot of the works that inspire me appeal to me in that way. If I’m reading, I have to be able to paint a picture mentally. JRR Tolkien’s works really move me. The fantasy genre is very therapeutic, especially for someone like me who lives with depression. It allows one to achieve the impossible. Tolkien masterfully created characters, spaces and storylines that could draw in even people with the dullest imagination. 

Fantasy films in particular really appeal to me and I particularly love work from Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Book of Life...)

Emotive music inspires me as well, the kinds that conjure magical feelings (like Enya’s). 

Creative paintings and illustrations really send my imagination crazy. My illustrator friend, Vicky Scott, does really unusual collages. She puts all of these very different things together and just make them look so right you’d think that was the way they were meant to be.

What are three things that you look for in books that you feel your book has?

An unusual story line, characters and/or situations.

An entertaining way of storytelling.

An out of this world sense of imagination.

16 year old Eliza Aurelio grapples with her mixed race identity amid rising racial tensions on her little island. For their safety, Eliza’s grandfather sends her and her grandmother to a quiet town in Southwest England to stay with a relative. But this otherwise quiet town has been turned upside down by people mysteriously disappearing. Eliza eventually encounters a magical but dangerous realm accessible through a doorway in the town, and sees its connection to the abductions. She intends to put things right, only wanting to protect her family. To do this, she must return a stolen key to lock the open doorway. But Eliza has to overcome her own inner conflicts if she is to stand any chance of being successful and leaving the other realm alive. 
Suspenseful and enchanting, The Return of the Key explores the power of love, sacrifice and the journey to self acceptance. 

Visit Alisha's Website
Amazon

Spotlight: The Lebrus Stone

Title: The Lebrus Stone

Author: Miriam Khan
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

When eighteen-year-old orphan, Crystal Valdez, accepts an invitation to the small town of Blacksville, West Virginia, she hopes to have a summer to remember and a chance to learn more about her parents, to also get to know the family she never knew existed.
But the Lockes begin to act strange and erratic; eerie movements in the night fuel her vivid and gruesome nightmares. To complicate her summer further, she becomes attracted to the menacing yet handsome Cray Locke: her none blood related cousin.
He seems determined to keep his distance. The only bonus to her trip seems to be the housekeeper and gardener.
And when a local informs Crystal of the secrets buried at Thorncrest Manor, the kind consisting of a forbidden relationship and a war between hidden worlds, and witchcraft, she must decide whom to trust. Even if it means leaving behind those she has come to love.

About the Author:

Miriam is from Cheshire, England and a family of six siblings. Her love for creativity led to acting at her local theatre before being a lead vocalist in rock bands. During those years, she often found solace penning her thoughts and feelings through lyrics or poetry. She chose not to continue singing in 2006, and two years later she woke up with the idea for The Lebrus Stone and began typing. revising and editing it for the next six years. She is now eager to see what readers will think.

“I was compelled to keep reading. It was brilliant.”
"I can't put my finger on it. But there is something about Crystal that makes you want to keep reading her story. I ate a whole bag of Haribos whilst reading the first few chapters without realising. I was that engrossed."
“A really great book like this gives you that feeling.”
“Cray being cast as a cold yet lust worthy hero who was just as broken was nailed.”
“I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what happened.”
“Cray is delicious, manly, wanted by many, and a guy who know how to play the game.”
“Cray is at times a douche, but in a way he needs to be. It makes a woman want to know what makes a guy like him tick.”
"The writing, at times, is almost reminiscent of authors such as Daphne Du Maurier."
"A writer who seems to have a fine ear for dialogue. Every character seems to have a distinct voice."
"The descriptions are excellent. Very vivid. Some may think it slows the reading, but I love it." 

The Lebrus Stone on Amazon

Spotlight: The Return of the Key

16 year old Eliza Aurelio grapples with her mixed race identity amid rising racial tensions on her little island. For their safety, Eliza’s grandfather sends her and her grandmother to a quiet town in Southwest England to stay with a relative. But this otherwise quiet town has been turned upside down by people mysteriously disappearing. Eliza eventually encounters a magical but dangerous realm accessible through a doorway in the town, and sees its connection to the abductions. She intends to put things right, only wanting to protect her family. To do this, she must return a stolen key to lock the open doorway. But Eliza has to overcome her own inner conflicts if she is to stand any chance of being successful and leaving the other realm alive.
Suspenseful and enchanting, The Return of the Key explores the power of love, sacrifice and the journey to self acceptance. 

Alisha Nurse grew up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. She holds an MA in International Journalism from the University of Westminster, London. Alisha loves exploring culture and ethnic identities having come from a mixed race family. She loves curry, sharing stories and talking to random people on public transportation. Alisha lives with fibromyalgia and clinical depression is keen to raise awareness. She blogs about her experiences at www.theinvisiblef.com
The Return of the Key on Amazon

Spotlight: Michael Hanson and the Desolate Woods

MICHAEL HANSON AND THE DESOLATE WOODS

Puberty brings changes, it’s true.

Michael Hanson’s pretty sure those changes don’t usually include waking up floating over your bed, but he’s begun levitating with alarming frequency. He’s also having strange dreams. Oh, and he’s starting to see through solid objects, too.

Michael’s coming into his heritage, even if he doesn’t know it. The teenager is an immortal of a powerful and ancient bloodline. After growing up an oddball, he’s going to discover he’s not the only one of his kind; once he finds his way to planet Ezron. Some, like the lovely Penelope Blazen and her parents, welcome him with open arms. Others wish the newly arrived Michael ill, including Penelope’s evil, chaos-driven uncle Zaric.

To fulfill his destiny and defeat Zaric, Michael will have to master his new powers and accept help from the unlikeliest of allies. If he fails, Michael’s immortality won’t outlast his adolescence.

Author Bio:

I am a lover of all things good: reading, traveling, food, movies, and chocolate!

And I absolutely believe that a good fantasy book should leave you feeling exhausted, like you took the journey yourself.   

I am a US Navy veteran pursing my dream of  becoming an author. I have loved reading since before I could write my own name, and I started writing my own stories and poems   early, completing an entire novel at eight years old.

I have been working on writing a series for a few years and was able to come up with this adeventurous young adult fantasy series of the Michael Hanson journeys.

I am very excited to bring you a new fantasy story that you will love and cherish!

Author Interview: Diana S. Zimmerman

How long have you been writing?

Since I was a young girl. When I was child, I wrote plays and stories about faerys and magic. Then I wrote my own scripts as a magician. As an adult in the business world, my left brain kicked in and I began writing marketing materials, executive speeches, and articles for the couture jewelry industry. I didn’t write my first novel until 2008. “Kandide: The Secret of the Mists,” along with the other two books in the series are my first fiction books.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

Creating new worlds and the characters in them. The juxtaposition of being able to transform the challenges of everyday life, such as those Kandide faces in her magical world of Calabiyau, and solve them through intelligence, wit, and cunning, along with her magic, is irresistible. I also love the marketing challenges of being an author and making a book successful.

If you could jump inside the world of your book, what would you be and what would you do?

Wow! What a great question. In many ways, I have jumped inside Calabiyau, the magical land of the Kandide trilogy. So much of what Kandide, the lead character, fights to do, including overcoming her own insecurities, and then working to eliminate prejudice and bullying, comes from my own belief that people, regardless of who they are, should be afforded the opportunity to achieve. Not handed success, but allowed to be more than they ever dreamed. That is the true magic of life. Each of the characters such as Teren, who is a wannabe wizard and prankster; Tara, who loves animals; or Viviana, who is a powerful High Priestess, all possess qualities I embrace. Even Lady Aron, the horrific villain, has a few qualities that can be appreciated. 

Could you talk a bit about your publication process?

I first published “Kandide: The Secret of the Mists” through Greenleaf. Then Scholastic picked it up for Book Fairs and Book Clubs. It sold double what they expected, but was a most frustrating experience. So, I decided to re-publish Book 1 and Book 2, “Kandide: The Lady’s Revenge,” myself, through CreateSpace and Amazon Kindle. The experience has been wonderful, and I could not be happier as an independant publisher. 

Are you working on any other projects?

I am currently working on the third book in the series, “Kandide: The Flame is Fleeting,” as well as my second business book, “Why Most Branding Fails – What Stanislavsky knew.” Both books are due out the first half of 2015. 

 I would love to find some pre-readers for “Kandide: The Flame is Fleeting.”  Anyone who has read Book 2 and would like a pre-pub copy of Book 3 can send me a note through my website. www.kandide.com

If you were a newsie from the turn of the century and your book was an article in the paper, what would you say to get people to buy the issue? 

Another great question... 

You won’t like Kandide. But you will find her irresistible. Welcome to Calabiyau, where magic is as normal as the sunrise and evil is on a rampage. Some days being Queen just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Kandide and the Secret of the Mists: The Calabiyau Chronicles-book 1 on Amazon
KANDIDE THE Lady's Revenge: Book Two on Amazon

Review: Wild Summer

Title: Wild Summer
Author: Suki Fleet
Page Count: 107
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Description:
At fifteen, Christopher falls in love with a boy whose life he saves. But things go wrong and four years later, he wishes he'd acted differently. His conscience begins to haunt him and he knows he must find Summer again.

At seventeen, Summer pushes away the boy who saved him. Four years later, he is stuck in an abusive, damaging relationship. When he sees Christopher again, it's a sign he can't go on living like he is, but he can't begin to see a way out.

For either boy to stand a chance at happiness, they must find each other and obliterate the wrongs of their shared past.

Review:
The publisher gave me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


This book is a stand alone companion to the author's other book, This is Not a Love Story, and while there were references to that book in Wild Summer that I did not get, overall it is quite possible to read and enjoy Wild Summer without reading This is Not a Love Story.

When I am reading a book for review, one of the most important things for me when I finish is whether I feel satisfied as a reader. Did I enjoy the book I just read? Did I ever forget that I was supposed to be reviewing it? If I answer yes to either of those questions I know the book will be at least four turtles, regardless of how exceptional the writing was or if there were grammatical errors in the text. In regard to Wild Summer I answered yes to both.

There is so much good in this book. Suki Fleet has found a new reader in me! Her characters are interesting and the plot is engaging. I found myself getting very emotionally involved in the story, which rarely happens with me, but when it does there are few things I like better as a reader. 

Another thing that I loved about this story was that It featured people that are often underrepresented in literature. The publisher, Harmony Ink Press, is dedicated to publishing stories with dynamic, LGBT main characters, and Fleet further adds diversity by having characters in the deaf/mute community as well. I also loved how the story wasn't ABOUT the main character, Chris, being gay and deaf. Those two things played into his life where they obviously would (and I thought it was really cool how Fleet portrayed lip-reading and signing) but they weren't the main focus. Not that I would have minded if the story had been about either of those things specifically. But I think an important aspect of bringing diversity into literature and YA especially is not just saying, "I wrote a story about a character whose life is different than many people's" but saying, "I wrote a story where the main character happens to live differently than most people." I am not saying at all that it is a bad thing to write a story about a member of the LGBT community and have the story be about the struggle of their coming out. Or a story about a deaf person that focuses on how they communicate in a world that uses sound so much of the time. Those are compelling, enlightening, and important stories, but they are not the only stories that people from the LGBT, deaf, insert-minority/underrepresented - group - here communities have to tell, and I am thrilled that Suki Fleet gets and represents that.

The only complaint I really had while reading the book was that there were times when I found things worded in a confusing way. I found myself rereading passages at times to figure out what was going on. This was especially true with the pronouns. Because many do the characters are male, there would be passages where Fleet said "he" and I was confused about which "he" she meant.

I highly recommend Wild Summer. Fleet is a terrific writer who is able to bring to life complex characters and leave her readers wanting more. Needless to say I have already added This is Not a Love Story to my to-read list. I'm not ready to let these characters go.

Wild Summer on Amazon