A Wonderland inspired Book Blitz: Insanity by Cameron Jace

Insanity by Cameron Jace

Release Date: December 20th 2013
Publisher: Jawigi Publishing
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal, Fantasy
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

{Chapter 1 Excerpt}

The writing on the wall says it's January 14^th. I am not sure what year. I haven't been sure of many things lately, but I’m wondering if it’s my handwriting I’m looking at.

There is an strange key drawn underneath the date. It's carved with a sharp object, probably a broken mirror. I couldn’t have written this. I'm terrified of mirrors. They love to call it Catoptrophobia around here.

Unlike regular patients in the asylum, my room is windowless, stripped down to a single mattress in the middle, a sink, and bucket for peeing--or puking--when necessary. The tiles on the floor are black-and-white squares, like a chessboard. I never step on black. Always white. Again, I'm not sure why.

The walls are smeared with a greasy pale green everywhere. I wonder if it's the previous patient's brains spattered all over from shock therapy. In the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, politely known as the Warneford hospital, the doctors have a sweet spot for shock therapy. They love watching patients with bulging eyes and shivering limbs begging for relief from the electricity. It makes me question who is really mad in here.

It's been a while since I was sent to shock therapy myself. Dr. Tom Truckle, my supervising physician, said I don't need it anymore, particularly after I stopped mentioning Wonderland. He told me that I used to talk about it all the time; a dangerous place I claim I have been whisked away to when my elder sister lost me at the age of seven.

Truth is, I don't remember this Wonderland they are talking about. I don't even know why I am here. My oldest vivid memory is from a week ago. Before that, it's all a purple haze.

I have only one friend in this asylum. It's not a doctor or a nurse. And it's not a human. It doesn't hate, envy, or point a finger at you. My friend is an orange flower I keep in a pot; a Tiger Lily I can't live without. I keep it safe next to a small crack in the wall where a single sun ray sneaks through for only ten minutes a day. It might not be enough light to grow a flower, but my Tiger Lily is a tough girl.

Each day, I save half of the water they give me for my flower. As for me, better thirsty than mad.

My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn't reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If it talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen. Insanity prevails. There must be a reason why I am here. It doesn’t mean I will easily give in to such a fate.

"Alice Pleasance Wonder. Are you ready?" the nurse knocks with her electric prod on my steel door. Her name is Waltraud Wagner. She is German. Everything she says sounds like a threat and smells like smoke. My fellow mad people say she is a Nazi; that she used to kill her own patients back in Germany. "Get avay vrom za dor. I an coming in," she demands.

Listening to the rattling of her large keychain, my heart pounds in my chest. The turn of the key makes me want to swallow. When the door opens, all I can think of is choking her before she begins to hurt me. Sadly, her neck is too thick for my nimble hands. I stare at her almost-square figure for a moment. Everything about her is four sizes too big, all except her feet, which are as small as mine. My sympathies, little feet.

"Time for your daily ten-minute break," she approaches me with a straitjacket, a devilish grin on her face. I never get out. My ward is underground, and I take my break in another empty ward upstairs, where patients love to play soccer with a hedgehog’s head.

A big muscled warden stands behind Watlraud. Thomas Ogier. He is bald, has an angry-red face and a silver tooth he likes to flash whenever he sees me. His biceps are the size of my head. I have a hard time believing he has ever been a 4-pound baby.

"Slide your arms into the jacket," Waltraud demands in her German accent, a cigarette puckered between her lips. "Slow and easy, Alice," she nods at warden Ogier, in case I misbehave.

I comply obediently and stretch out my arms for her to do whatever she wants. Waltraud twists my right arm slightly and checks the tattoo on my arm. It’s the only tattoo I have. It’s a handwritten sentence that looks like a thin arm band from afar. Waltraud feels the need to read it allowed, “’I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’” I was told I have written it myself while still believing in Wonderland. “That Alice in Wonderland has really messed with your head.” She puffs smoke into my face as she mocks me.

The tattoo and Waltraud’s mocking is the least of my concerns right now. I let her tie me, and while she does, I close my eyes. I imagine I am a sixteenth century princess, some kind of a lucky Cinderella, being squeezed into a corset by my chain smoking servant in a fairy tale castle above ground, just about to go meet my Prince Charming. Such imagery always helps me breathe. I once heard that it was hope that saves the day, not sanity. I need to cool down before I begin my grand escape. 

{Author Interview}

Q: Is insanity an Alice in Wonderland retelling where fact and fiction intermingle like in your previous series the Grimm Diaries?

A: It’s not quite a retelling of Alice in Wonderland as much as inspired by it. It has all the whimsical and nonsensical wonderland fantasy parts, but it’s more grounded to reality because it happens in our time. Fact and fiction do walk side by side in this book. For instance, Lewis Carroll is present as character himself.

Q: Why did you call it Insanity?

 A: Well, insanity is the main theme of the book. All what Alice has seen could be interpreted as madness in many ways. Also, when you read the book, it’s insane. I mean like really insane. You will either love or hate it. I don’t think there is a middle zone.

Q: Is the story told from many point of views like the Grimm Diaries?

A: Just a few, but most of the story is Alice’s personal journey.

Q: The Grimm Diaries was filled with research, how much did you put in Insanity?

A: I think the research in Insanity is even greater than the Grimm Diaries. The book is also more action oriented. Alice travels from Oxford, London, Vatican City then Belgium in a couple of days. Each city had to be researches and connected with Lewis Carroll and his books.

Q: The blurb says Alice’s sanity can only be proved through Lewis Carroll’s photography and writing. We thought this is about Wonderland.

A: It’s about Wonderland. The idea is that all puzzles, action scenes, and even romance have a Lewis Carroll background to them. The main reason why this book came to my mind is my fascination with both Alice in Wonderland and Lewis Carroll himself. If you learn the reasons behind each character and location in his book, you will love Alice in Wonderland even more. It’s no coincidence that we all relate to the book. It’s a masterpiece.

Q: You said Insanity is more of a TV pilot. How so?

A: I did write it as a novel but also as TV pilot. The reason is that once you get the idea of the book, the possibilities are infinite, and incredibly amusing. When outlining my plot, I found out it would take books and books to write it. So I wrote one story with a beginning, middle, and end. It’s satisfying on its own, but if I succeeded in peaking your interest you should like to read the next books. The beauty of it is that once you read one book, each other book will be a story of its own. It’s very much like a TV series.

Q: Anything you want to add?

A: I wish everyone and awesome Christmas and a Fantabulous new yearJ And if I messed with you childhood memories of Alice in Wonderland a bit, don’t hate me. Lol.

{Giveaway}

Both giveaways are International! You can enter both my giveaway and the blitz wide giveaway. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{About the Author}

Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters      I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales.  I live in San Francisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.

Book Blitz & GIVEAWAY: Counting Shadows by Olivia Rivers

County Shadows by Olivia Rivers

Series: Duplicity, #1
Release Date: June 30th 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Two hearts, one kiss...
...Nothing left. 

Faye’s soul-mate is everything she should hate—an Angel, an outcast, an enemy. Ashe is just one more imperfection in her life that somehow makes everything… perfect.

Until he’s murdered.

With the only person she loves ripped away, Faye sets out to avenge Ashe’s death. The task seems impossible, until she finds Lor—an Angel who looks nearly identical to Ashe’s killer. Arrogant and hot-headed, Lor is everything Ashe wasn’t. But Lor is connected to her soul-mate’s past, and Faye needs him to find the killer—even if Lor is potentially deadly.

But when Faye discovers that Ashe’s past isn’t as black and white as she thought, she faces an impossible choice: Give up the hunt, and risk the lives of others. Or continue pursuing Ashe’s murderer, and forfeit the lives of everyone in her family—including herself. 

 

{Author Interview}

Q: What inspired you to write "Counting Shadows"?

A: I've always loved Epic Fantasy, whether I'm reading it or writing it. One day, about a year ago, I had this random thought of, "What if I took a bunch of Urban Fantasy creatures, and transferred them into an Epic Fantasy world?" And voila! "Counting Shadows" was born.

Q: Is there ever going to be a romance between Lor and Faye?

A: Perhaps. Faye will definitely end up in a serious relationship, as will Lor. But whether or not they'll end up together is a question only answered in the next book in the series.

Q: Who is your favorite character to write in the "Duplicity" series?

A: Cyrus, most definitely. Readers see very little of him in "Counting Shadows", but he plays a major role in the rest of the series. He's a Dragon/Fairy hybrid, who is slowly going insane, like all hybrids eventually do. He also happens to have a major crush on Lor. His insanity makes him a difficult character to write, but also an extremely fun one. Also, his history with Lor is so heartbreaking that it makes me wish Cyrus was a real person, just so I could give him a hug.

Q: You're currently a high school student. How does your young age influence your writing?

A: It really doesn't influence my writing very much. I go through the exact same process as any other author: drafting, rewrites, alpha readers, beta readers, line edits, ect. I try not to let my age get in the way of creating a good book, and I never use it as an excuse for my mistakes.

Q: Who did the cover for "Counting Shadows"?

A: I do all my own covers. It's a time-consuming process, but I adore digital art, and I just love having control over this aspect of publishing.

Q: What's the hardest part about being an author?

A: For me, it's the first draft. I despise first drafts with a passion. They're so messy and bad and icky. I always celebrate when I finish a first draft, because I know the worst part is over, and I can have fun rewriting and editing.

Q: What's your favorite part about being an author?

A: My readers are by far my favorite part. It's the absolute best feeling in the world to have people contact me about my books. I've had people from practically every continent email me about my novels, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that my writing gives some people joy.

Q: When will the next book in the "Duplicity" series be coming out?

A: "Eluding Light", the second book of the "Duplicity" series, will be out March 2014.

 

{About the Author}

Olivia Rivers is the author of five novels, ranging in genres from Epic Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. Along with being a writer, she’s a freelance digital artist, a literary agent assistant, and a high school student. She’s a nerd at heart, and is a hopeless fan-girl for Doctor Who and Pokémon. Olivia lives in California with a dog who thinks he’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and a kitten who is just generally confused. 

{Giveaway}

Thanks to the author I am able to give away one (1) ebook copy of Counting Shadows! This is open internationally.  

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz & GIVEAWAY: Tyler Nitbone by Imran Siddiq

 

Tyler Nitbone by Imran Siddiq  

Release Date: November 29th 2013
Publisher: Flickimp Publishing
Format: ebook
Pages: 346
Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Tyler can Cross into parallel realities. Employed by a secret organization, he collects data about worlds encountered to improve the Alternate Worlds Map.

Except the organization have apprehended him, tampered with his memory, and accused him of a crime he can't recollect.

They must have the wrong seventeen-year old? Nope - even Tyler's friends have evidence against him.

There are rules to being a Alternate Worlds Viewer:

DO NOT interact with the environment.

DO NOT interfere with events.

DO NOT reveal the ability to Cross.

Tyler has broken with one. But which? All of them?

Worst of all he hates his surname: Nitbone.

Chased by the organization, he will Cross into explosive worlds to uncover the real traitor or risk the lives of zillions.

Tyler Nitbone must interfere to undo the interference.

 

 

{Interview Questions}

How did you come up with the title?Unlike previous novels where the title is a representation of a theme, TN is the protagonist – and the name – Tyler Nitbone – makes me take notice and giggle. Nitbone rolls off the tongue. I wouldn’t have used the name if it didn’t have that extra punch.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Oh most definitely. In fact it’s there on the cover as a tagline. Interfering in anything has consequences. They won’t always be bad, but they won’t always mean good either. Often people say or do something without realising the long term effect. TN is about how he must interfere to do the interference of a previous action.

How much of the book is realistic? 

The bits that don’t involve the non-realistic parts… like parallel universes… and robots… and a certain orang-utan. Then again, maybe it is all possible.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? 

TN is an extension of me whereby I always try to help and do good, but sometimes it can be misconstrued and put me in trouble. Poor TN… he doesn’t know when to stop and reflect.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Every writer in the forums, Facebook and Twitter. All of them. They all inspired me to keep working hard. They are the shadows that we want to lurk with because they never leave your side.

Do you see writing as a career? 

[Starts begging] – Yes, please.

It’s a difficult career to make a mark and claw back enough income to survive on, but hopefully one day, I will reach it.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Maybe make it more of a Poirot mystery, though, that would take away the fun factor and the youth that the protagonist brings to the plot.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

My mother complained to my teacher, when I was 5 years old, that I was always reading under the duvet (at night) with a torch. I loved reading, and experimenting with my own stories. I loved to escape to another place. Hang on – is that a white rabbit I see running with a watch – see you later.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 

Descriptive narrative. How much is too much? How much is not enough? What words to use? Do they need to know about the lever on the door because it might become important later. There are moments where I cringe at long passages of descriptions. Reading other authors’ and how they tackle this always helps.

Who designed the covers? 

I seek out top-notch artists to create the character art. I pull together the art, and then create my text, style, background, colour changes, adaptations, tweaks and go all nuclear on creating what would grasp my attention. Covers are massively important. The TN cover is quirky and rather different from similar books in its genre, but still says YA Fiction from a visual viewpoint.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? 

Not making the real antagonist obvious or to give away the conclusion without pushing the reader to read on. So throughout, I’ve placed red herrings, and questions upon answers. It’s like a mini-version of LOST but without making the reader frustrated.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

To relax more and not try to make everything perfect in the first draft. By becoming the carefree writer that matched the attitude of the protagonist, I enjoyed my time more and reached the ending with confidence. Redrafting felt like walking a journey again with the map laid out.

Do you have any advice for other writers? 

Think Less and Write More.

Don’t aim for perfection. Yes, have a plot and an idea of what will happen, but just write. Don’t worry about the grammar, the edit, the change of names, scenery or people appearing/disappearing. Just write and reach the end. After that, you can be clinical with how you correct any issues. You’ll be surprised at how many words you can belt out.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

I’m a hard working author that has to balance the day job, which a strenuous role of responsibility, be ever present on the Social Media scene, and always look after my dearest cats. The time it takes to write and bring out something to the public eye takes courage, effort and belief. Please, do leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and other Vendors to let me know if I’ve done well, bad, or just enough. Your feedback helps to reward or instruct us of how to continue. We need you.

I am also hosting a GIVEAWAY! Fill out the the Raffelcopter for your chance to win one (1) ebook cop of Tyler Nitbone & ebooks #1-3 of his Divided World series!

(Also check out Goodreads for a chance to win a paperback copy of Tyler Nitbone)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{About the Author}

Imran Siddiq may have tried to leave Leicester a few times, but it’s become his place to wake up to two cats, freeze when the heating’s off and most of all, get down to writing. At a young age, his primary school teacher commented on his creativity and ability to tell stories.  At the age of 29, during a night in the jungle, the bug inside awakened, and for the last 5 years he’s been sacrificing every second that he can to write. A veteran of writing festivals, a presence on Twitter and gobbling up all forms of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, he hopes he can bring a smile to others in the same way that he had, aged 5, reading with a torch under his duvet. Imran’s preferred genre is YA Sci Fi, and he has a tendency to throw a droid in every novel.