The Legendary Tour Grand Finale!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

The Legendary Tour Grand Finale

As the lighting blazed in a dancing, arcing column to the sky, a voice deep and powerful as thunder said, “My son, today my powers are bestowed upon you.”

                                                   

Special Tour Price!!!

$3 off each book through Createspace.
(Click on the cover to take you there.)

   

Use coupon code: GS9D2K7C 

Combining legitimate legends with actual historical events, Marshall Best weaves an epic story that portrays the ancient world as it might have been, a world which the ancient historians recorded as fact; a time when gods ruled the earth and strange creatures dominated the land. It is the era of civilized conquerors exploring distant and primitive new lands. Scant recordings left to us today only touch on the fringe of the fantastic and brutal reality that existed in those distant lands of the west. 

Into this age, young Guiamo enters the world stage as the great game-changer, and by his hand the gods and beasts become destined to disappear into myth and legend.

Find out more about the writing of The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo

and his world from where we stopped along the tour:

11/25: Launch

11/26: My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Reviews of all four books

"With every book I keep thinking that it cannot get more intense but it seems that Marshall Best has a fabulous way of describing battle scenes.  I know I have said it before but I am still surprised at how much I love this series because it’s not something I would have read if not given this opportunity to review." 

+ Beck Valley Books - Guest Post

*Interviewed by the author!*

The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo, like many stories before them, would never have come to be if it were not for the love of a father. Having written The Princess Meredith Bedtime Tales for his six year old daughter, Marshall Best decided to begin writing stories for his other children as well.  He began with 10 year old William, fashioning Guiamo, the main character in his series, after his son.

11/27: Cu's Ebook Giveaways - Guest Post

Marshall’s son, although a typical boy with a temper, is also very caring. He respects the older generation a great deal, looks out for the weak or downtrodden around him and is kind to children. These characteristics come out in Guiamo as he interacts with the brigands and their leader, Actus, the “Driven One”, as well as Suadusegus, Guiamo’s teacher. His actions toward them are anything but ordinary.

11/29: Mel's Shelves - Reviews of Guiamo and Cumoro

"The author has definitely done his research. I like the way certain details are brought back into the story later on so I feel that every part of the story is significant. I also love what I'm learning from Guiamo's character and how he deals with the situations he finds himself in."

12/1: Life as Leels - Review of Cumoro
* Review of Guiamo *

"I thoroughly recommend the entire The Chronicles of Guiamo series. I really don’t think there is “one audience” that this appeals to. Whether you be man, woman or young adult reader, I think this series appeals to all."

12/2: The Wonderings of One Person - Guest Post

Ancient history, especially, is filled with myths and legends galore of fantastical creatures, gods intermingling with man, fierce beasts and quests of heroes battling against evil. 

12/3: Tressa’s Wishful Endings - Guest Post

In this region, Old Irish is the oldest recorded language and can be tied back to around 500 A.D. which is much later than the period in which the stories take place. 

12/4: Bookworm Lisa - Guest Post

All battles in book one are real battles that Mr. Best has described as best he could.  As in other historical fiction novels, he takes known facts and fashions a story around those facts to fill in the gaps of what we do not know.  What makes it fantasy is the fantastical creatures and magic that accompany it.

12/5: Mythical Books - Review of Cumoro
* Review of Guiamo *

"What this volume brings extra? Action! Yes, action with a capital A! You will have full pages of atrocious battles, of bloody fights whose outcome will oscillate to one side to the other. There will be no more the elegant and brilliant Caesar's maneuvers that could win a battle like a game of chess. Will be the wild frays of those feral times and places.

12/6: All Fantasy Worlds - Review of Guiamo

"Oh, how I love a well written book with a carefully built plot! And how I love to see the characters grow with every page I turn!

. . . One of the things I loved about this book is that the main character, Guiamo, needs to learn in order to become a great man."

12/8: Pieces of Whimsy - Guest Post

One fun example of something that was crafted by Credne was a clostellum or lock, with a very special key, clavicula.  The reason this is fun is that it shows how authors put a part of themselves into their stories.  Marshall Best is from a family with a long history in the locking industry.  He is involved in collecting locks and knows a lot about ancient locks as well.

12/9: Mother Daughter Book Reviews - Author Interview

4. What is YOUR favorite part of the book?

I really like the parts where Guiamo learns about the ancient gods, Roman, Greek and Egyptian, when they lived among us as the men and women they were in the ancient days.

12/10: My Devotional Thoughts

Did you answer this quiz correctly?

Q: What is special about the spear given to Guiamo by Mars?

A: It can understand Guiamo and take orders.

This is true when Guiamo commands it in the ancient tongue.

12/11: Colorimetry

Marshall hopes to travel to England and Ireland someday to see and experience the places in his novels.  We asked him to share where he would plan to visit... 

+ Jessica's Casserole - Review

"This series has a VERY well developed plot and distinctive characters. I had an easy time keeping the characters straight and following the story.  There was plenty of imagery that inspired my imagination to really get involved with the book."

+ Interview with author, Christy Nicholas, about Ireland

The Hill of Tara plays a major role in the Guiamo Chronicles books. Can you tell us a little bit about its history and the myths surrounding it?

The Hill of Tara is one of many sacred sites in Ireland. It has been the site, for hundreds of years, where the High King is crowned. For any potential king, he must pass several tests. One is that he must drive his chariot between two standing stones, which form a V. These two stones must widen to let him pass, an indication that the land has accepted him as High King. Another test is that he must drive his chariot over the Lia Fáil, another standing stone, and it would screech in response. That screech showed to the surrounding countryside that Queen Madb, the goddess of the land, has accepted him as king...

12/12: Books for Kids - Guest Post

     "Now that part of the story pertains to a stone that was discovered that is red and white and looks like a big eyeball, and is involved with activities at a big lake. Then I turned to the map just north of Limerick, and there I found an enormous lake, Lough Derg... 
     Then I read the meaning of its name. It means “loch of the Red Eye.” Who would have thought such a coincidence would present itself so fittingly." 

+ Dalene's Book Reviews - Guest Post

Marshall also enjoys putting real life issues into his books, delving into a bit of philosophy while entertaining with orcs, dragons, magic and battles...

12/13: Celtic Myth Podshow - Excerpt

Julius Caesar, in his writings, De Bello Gallico, tells of the Brittani coloring their bodies blue.  We see this portrayed in the movie Braveheart as well. Marshall Best, in his series The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo, has a new twist as to why these warriors painted themselves blue. 

Read more, plus an excerpt at Celtic Myth Podshow... 

+ Grande Finale

The Chronicles:

Guiamo

In 60 B.C., ten-year-old Guiamo Durmius Stolo, an exceptionally gifted Roman orphan, is abandoned in Gaul . Left to fend for himself, Guiamo is set onto a path of legend. Recognized by the gods as having world-changing talents, he is given a weapon that changes his destiny and the world’s forever. 

Goodreads * Creatspace * Smashwords
Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Excerpt

Cumoro

Guiamo Durmius Stolo sails in 55 B.C. with Rome’s 7th Legion as Julius Caesar invades Britain. But Caesar has not before encountered the Fomori, a dominion of wicked creatures which wage war against the human inhabitants and dominate much of Britain. Armed with his god-made spear, Guiamo joins with the tribal kings against their Fomori foe when Caesar departs. 

Goodreads * Creatspace * Smashwords
Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Morlanos

Having destroyed the Fomori in Britain , Guiamo Durmius Stolo decides in 51 B.C. to bring the Cruthin people, once slaves to the Fomori, to Ireland , but encounters the Fomori who reside there as well. Guiamo discovers that the gods venerated by the Druids are unworthy. The gods are displeased with him and begin to work against him.

Goodreads * Creatspace * Smashwords
Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble

Inis Emain Ablach

In 50 B.C. Guiamo Durmius Stolo finds himself victor over the detested Fomori whose leader, Cichol, is slain and those few who survived are scattered. Guiamo explores the secret places where Cichol kept his most important secrets and discovers there the treasures of Cichol's master, the goddess Domnu.

Goodreads * Creatspace * Smashwords

Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

The Author:

Marshall Best is an avid reader, father of six and business owner. In the past several years he has found his love of writing as well. What began as a desire to write a story for his children has evolved into a nine book series.

Marshall has done extensive research into the history behind the legends, people and places of England, Scotland and Ireland involved in his books. He loves being able to weave real people and legends into his stories making them come alive. He is definitely a writer that tends to the details often mapping out timetables, calendars, geneologies, etc. that pertain to his book to ensure that it is as realistic as possible. 

Marshall also enjoys putting real life issues into his books, delving into a bit of philosophy while entertaining with orcs, dragons, magic and battles. He is someone who loves a grand adventure but makes sure it's not a shallow one.

Website * Goodreads * Google + * Facebook * Twitter

Tour-Wide Giveaway:

-One print set signed by author – world wide giveaway

-One complete e-book set – codes provided to smashwords

-Two winners: e-book of Cumoro and a $5 Amazon gift card each

-Two winners: e-book of Morlanos and a $5 Amazon gift card each

-Two winners: e-book of Inis Emain Ablach and a $5 Amazon gift card each

Ends 12/20. Please see restrictions on Rafflecopter.

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A New Meeting Place for Readers and Writers

     Many times in life, our job is just that - work.  It's a joy when our vocation can intersect with our passion.  Today, I'd like to introduce you to someone who has taken something they enjoy immensely and created an enterprise of sorts from that love.  I ran across Paul Martin in the twitter-verse one day as he was preparing to launch his new endeavor. He has been very kind in helping us present Guiamo Chronicles to a new group of readers.  If you're looking for a place for readers to connect with new writers, spend a few minutes with me while I talk to Paul regarding Self Publisher's Showcase.

~Thanks for taking the time to spend a few minutes sharing with us about Self Publishers Showcase. 

Anytime, Tracey. Thanks for having me; it certainly makes a pleasant change to be answering the questions.

~First, can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your background.

I’m a ‘thirtysomething’ married, father of 5 very hyperactive youngsters. My background, for the most part, is rooted in luxury hospitality in both the UK and the US. It may not be immediately clear how I have managed to end up where I am now(even to me) but I have always had a deep love of the written word; it was only always a matter of time before I found myself doing something in the world of literature. When I’m not Showcasing the work of a fantastically talented group of Authors I can also occasionally be found working with many author’s ‘elixir of life’ through a great Artisan Coffee Start-up in ‘eightpointnine’. Definitely worth a look for any UK based readers. 

~Transforming an idea into an actual product or organization takes time.  Can you share with us some of the background of Self Publisher’s Showcase and what inspired you?

This really should be the part where I explain the months, if not years, of arduous preparation. But it really hasn’t been that way. Around 12 months ago I found myself in conversation with a few authors whose work I had enjoyed, through  social media. I then approached a close friend in Steve Taylor-Bryant at The Cult Den.com about the possibility of doing some interviews with these authors, that could then be published on his site. Having enjoyed the experience immensely and seeing the positive reactions of my author friends I set about coming up with a way to do this on a grander, all-encompassing scale. The idea for The Showcase was finalized after a period of brainstorming and went from the ideas stage to the launch stage in a relatively short space of time.

~There are many sites on the web offering publicity for authors.  What sets Self Publisher’s Showcase apart from all the rest?

I had a clear idea in my head from the outset of how I wanted the site to work. Luckily working on the site myself has fortunately allowed me to keep incredibly close to these ideals. Other sites that I’ve visited have in my opinion always fallen down in 2 or 3 areas: A lack of good, fresh content, a lack of personality and most notably the ability to take what should be a clean and simple platform and turn it into a jumbled mixture that can turn finding something of interest to you into a kind of scavenger hunt...

The Showcase, to me at least says: Great original content – Whether it’s Interviews, Reviews, Short Fiction etc. A constant helpful presence; if you need us for anything we are always at hand. And, an easy to navigate site; If you come to us looking for something new in Fantasy to get your teeth into it won’t take you half a day to find what you are looking for.

 ~I know you represent many authors, but if you had to pick three stories that have personally intrigued you from the books that you offer, what would they be?

I’m going to cheat here and tell you about four, though in fairness one book predates the Showcase so maybe we can just pretend that it’s three after all? Firstly, I’ve always been a big Fantasy reader so it’s no great surprise that the first couple are Fantasy books. Before the Showcase was launched I came across ANGST from DavidPedersen, an author we are now lucky enough to feature on the site. The main character is a middle-aged, reluctant hero and the story is to this day one of my absolute favourites. 

Secondly I was immediately intrigued by Marshall Best’s GUIAMO novels (someone I think you may be familiar with). The story shows such commitment to research and weaves fiction with legend seamlessly. In fact I am currently around two-thirds of the way through Cumoro, the second book in the planned 9 book series as we speak.

Moving out of Fantasy, my third choice would be DEAD WEST, a Weird Western / Zombie mash-up that is the start of what promises to be a very interesting series, co-written by Tim Marquitz, J.M. Martin and Kenny Soward. 

Finally, well out of my comfort zone, I recently picked up a copy of James Knight’s HEAD TRAUMAS and I have to say, the intrigue paid off in a big way. It is not something I would normally have read, and for me that just goes to prove what we are trying to achieve here at The Showcase. It really does pay to try something different every now and again, you really do find some absolute gems.

~What can readers expect to find when they visit your site?

If everyone sees the site as I do, and I really hope they do, they’ll find a plethora of fantastic authors across a multitude of genres. Many incredibly open and honest interviews, book reviews, original short fiction and giveaways. We’ve also just this week added a new section to the site. Some of our authors are utilising crowd funding to get amazing projects off the ground, so we’ve now made it possible for our readers to get involved without any hassle. There are some great incentives on offer and it goes without saying, any donations are greatly appreciated by our authors. All of this is presented in what we consider to be a fresh and well-designed platform; easy to navigate and a great place to visit time and time again.

~What are your goals with Self Publisher’s Showcase?  What will make you look back with satisfaction knowing you have succeeded in what you set out to do?

My goals, for all of the right reasons, are constantly being reassessed. I started with the modest goal of hoping to make a difference in perhaps 1 or 2 author’s daily lives. Perhaps helping increase sales and my work was done? Now though, with the constant stream of positive feedback, I just want to take the training wheels off and see how far I can take us. Every day the interest grows as more and more authors take the step to be pro-active and join us on our exciting journey. I would love to sit here in 5 or 10 years time and tell you how hundreds of authors have found their audience through the work The Self-Publisher’s Showcase has done. In fact, that’s a goal, right? Pencil that interview in 5 years from now. Easier questions though...

~Is this a one man show?  If not, who else is involved?

It is to a degree... The day to day running of the site, the interviewing, the social accounts, the back and forth between the site and our fabulous authors is all me. But then I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m lucky enough to be involved in something I’m very passionate about and hopefully that comes across with everyone who interacts with The Showcase. That said, I’m also lucky enough to have a very dedicated review team in place already in James [Fox], Reece [Jones] and Matthew [Cunliffe]. As the site continues to grow I’m sure that there will come a time where I have to lessen the role I play in some aspects of the site, I’m just not ready to hand over too much of my baby right now.

~If you’re looking for a place to discover new books and new authors, take a moment and head over to Self Publisher’sShowcase.  Thanks Paul for taking the time to talk with us!

My absolute pleasure, Tracey. If you’re reading this, do pop by and say ‘Hello’, it’s always great to hear from anyone with an interest in what we are trying to achieve. If anyone has any questions at all about what we do I can be reached directly via paul(at)selfpublishershowcase(dot)com or via twitter @selfpubshowcase.

Happy Reading Everyone!

A Helping Hand ~ Connecting With Readers

Back in December of 2012, I began to experiment with Twitter.  My teenager knew all about it.  I knew nothing.  I made some mistakes and blunders along the way.  If I annoyed any of you ( or am doing so now) I apologize.  Many an author (or author's significant other) looking to connect with readers through social media have made mistakes.  Not being one to study, observe and learn before jumping in, I was no exception.  Over the last several months I have attempted to help others in spreading the word about their works as well as forward on helpful articles I have run across.  And of course, I've consistently told whoever would listen about Marshall's books.  The writing community as a whole has truly been helpful, gracious and understanding.  I know there is still a lot to learn.  I'm looking forward to the days ahead.

I've heard of stumbleupon but have no experience using it.  As I've traveled the twitter-verse, that's exactly the term I would use for some of the best connections I've made in promoting the Guiamo Chronicles.  In exploring, browsing, searching, I "stumbled upon" a blog advertising book tours. The comments were positive, the blog well done and so I took a stab and reached out inquiring about their possible interest in doing a tour for Guiamo.  The rest is history. The Guiamo Book Tour was an incredible success and encouragement. 

Our experience with Beck Valley Books was a positive one from start to finish.  Sharon, who does the computer side of things, was quick to answer any questions I had and stayed on top of all that needed to be done.  She went above and beyond in helping to promote Guiamo.  Even after the tour was over, she offered to post about a giveaway we were doing as part of the Blogger Book Fair.  Many companies do what they were paid for and then move on.  Not so with Sharon! I'm confident that Beck Valley Books will be a valuable partner in continuing to share the news of Guiamo with others.  

As I've told Sharon via e-mail, if we ever make it over to England, we would love to meet in person. We wish Sharon and Stephen all our best.


And now, pull up a chair as I interview the people behind Beck Valley Books to learn a little more about their journey into the literary world. 

Introducing Beck Valley Books!

~ Could you introduce yourselves to our readers and share a little bit about the two of you?

Hi everyone we are Sharon & Stephen, a pair of book lovers who live in the UK.  We have been married for almost 20 years and have two lovely teenage boys who keep us very busy indeed!   We both work full time as well as running our online bookstore and book blog.

~ We met through the Beck Valley Books book blog, but originally you started as book sellers. Tell us a little bit about your journey in the business of selling and blogging as well as how long you have been a part of the book world.

Our passion for books started many years ago, we love books and constantly went to as many car boots, jumble sales and auctions as we could to find more books for our ever expanding collection. From many visits to the beautiful Northumberland, filled with lovely old bookshops, our dream started of owning our own bookshop one day. After one particular visit we returned home to the news of a bereavement and due to my own ill health which meant I could not return to my previous occupation we decided that there was no need to wait any longer and that is when it all began.

~ What makes Beck Valley Books different than other online bookstores?
 

I would say because we are a small family run business and value our loyal customers. We have our books on site and know the true condition of them which is always reflected in the books description.  We love our books and want to share our passion with other book readers. 

~ Do you have any hopes and plans for the future?
 

Stephen hopes one day to have a physical bookstore, a book lovers paradise I think with sofa's, a coffee maker and even a chess board!!  We bought a beautiful book shaped table from an auction a couple of years ago and the first thing Stephen said was that it would go lovely in his book shop !!

~ The two of you work as a team. How do you split up the work? I know with our family, Marshall writes the books and I do the marketing.
 

I do all the computer side of things, which is massive, putting individual books online is quite time consuming especially the old books, but I love doing it.  Stephen does the buying and delivering and of course all the heavy lifting.

~ Share with us one or two of your successes. What things have you done in your journey that really worked?
 

I received a wonderful email from a customer who had been looking for his childhood book for over fifty years and finally found it on our store, he was absolutely overjoyed and we were thrilled for him.

The other obvious success is the book tours we now do, at first we started our Beck Valley Books blog to promote our bookstore but it has now become far more important which in a way is quite sad as we love our old, rare books and we are spending less and less time with them.  For me each old book has their own unique history and it's wonderful to pass this onto a new owner.

~ On the same note, what mistakes have you made in the past years that you hope others don’t repeat?
 

We started out selling every type of book possible but in time you will find a niche that fits your style and you can focus on selling in that particular area.  You have to be in it for the long haul, it isn't an easy way to make money you have to have the motivation to make it work.

~ What are some of the unwritten rules you go by in doing business with others online?

To be honest I don't think I have any x

~ Can you share a fun story of a book you have been involved with doing book tours over the years, perhaps finding an all time favorite read or an author success story?
 

We have met so many wonderful author's over the last couple of years and it has been an absolute pleasure working alongside all of them, they are such fun people to work with.  I love to hear that our book tours have made a difference in the books sales and online presence.  We have been very lucky up to now that there hasn't been one book that we haven't enjoyed, I think that may be down to the fact that we only review the books we feel that we would really enjoy ourselves.  

My all time favourite read has to be the general fiction book Swallowtail by Sheri Meshal, it was a spiritual delight and it left myself and many of the other reviewers still feeling the effects from reading it even now.

~ Thanks Stephen and Sharon for spending a little bit of time with us!  I'd have to say whether you know it or not, your unwritten rule is to treat others with courtesy, kindness and respect.  It's been a real pleasure!  

Support a Bookstore Today!

I know many are concerned that the bookstore may become a thing of the past.  Stephen and Sharon's dream is to own one of these jewels that are becoming  more rare.  Why not visit them today at Beck Valley Books and browse their selection.  You too might find a treasure!

Visit Beck Valley Books

For more information on tours or new authors to follow

Visit The Beck Valley Book Blog

Guiamo Chronicles Giveaway - Ending Soon

     As part of our participation in Blogger Book Fair this past week, we are hosting a WW giveaway of the first four books in The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo signed by Marshall.  As of this writing, there are a mere 25 entries, pretty good odds for several hours of enjoyable reading.    For those of you who have joined us during our book tour with Beck Valley Books, you may not be aware of the giveaway.  We wanted to make sure all of our followers were aware of this chance to own print copies of the first four books in the series.  You can enter the giveaway to the right.  Please share with anyone else you feel may enjoy this historical fantasy journey with Guiamo.  Thanks to all of our readers so far.  We're thrilled you are falling in love with Guiamo as much as our family has.  

     If you are new to Guiamo and would like to read what others have to say, you can read many favorable reviews on Amazon.  For those looking to read the adventure through an e-book, Guiamo will be free until the end of this month.  Books 2, 3 and 4 will also be $0.99 through Sunday.  You can download the books through Smashwords.  Smashwords is holding their July/Winter sale this month and you may find other great reads on discount as well.  

     Please keep in touch and let us know what you think of Guiamo.  We love to hear your feedback.  Thank you once again for taking a chance on an unknown author.  He has many more grand adventures in store for Guiamo. Book five is well on its way and four more will come after that.  I will be writing a new post soon linking to several interviews Marshall has done with various bloggers so that you can learn more about the author, his ideas and the background for Guiamo.

ENTER NOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

    

Blogger Book Fair - Interview with Katie O'Sullivan, Author of Son of a Mermaid

Shea MacNamara's life just got complicated.

After a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, the fifteen-year-old orphan moves to Cape Cod to live with a grandmother he's never met. Struggling to make sense of his new surroundings, he meets a girl along the shore who changes his life forever.

Kae belongs to an undersea world hidden from drylanders. The daughter of royal servants, she knows the planned marriage of her Princess to the foreign King should put an end to the war between the clans. Two things stand in the way of lasting peace: an ambitious Regent and rumors of a half-human child who will save the oceans.

Sparks fly when she meets Shea, but could the cute drylander really be the Son of a Mermaid?

 

It’s a pleasure to have Katie O’Sullivan here with us today to talk about her book Son of a Mermaid.   I read it recently and truly enjoyed the story. 

-         Tell us a little bit about your book.  What inspired your choice of the storyline, characters, setting, etc.?

SON OF A MERMAID is a coming of age story with a paranormal twist, in that the main character didn’t know his mother was a mermaid. When a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, 15-year-old Shea MacNamara moves to Cape Cod to live with his grandmother, and discovers that his roots – and his destiny – lie far below the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

My family lives on Cape Cod year round, and we walk along the beach daily with our dogs. One day my middle child and I found an unusual stone on the beach with a strange hole cut through the middle. He and I spent the rest of the walk making up stories about the mermaid who must have lost it… and the novel grew from there.

-         Tell us about yourself and your journey to become a writer

I’ve always loved books and reading, and dreamed of being an author from an early age. In fact, I wrote my first mystery in third grade and my aunt “published” it for me. Now a recovering English major, I’ve worked over the years as both a reporter and editor. When my third child started full-day kindergarten, I started writing my first manuscript and decided I really want to be an author when I grow up. With three published books and a fourth in production, I think I’m getting there.

-         I notice from your author page that you have three kids and two dogs.  How do you balance your time with family and your writing time?  It’s often difficult to find time to even think as a mom, let alone write a novel.

Actually, we now have three dogs… and yes, it’s a tough balancing act, but one that all moms struggle with in some form or another. I try to do the majority of my creative writing while the kids are in school, but I also get up very early in the morning to get things done like answering emails and posting on my blog. When I first started writing, I could write after they went off to bed, but now they all stay up later than I do!

-         Can you describe your favorite scene in the book without spoiling the book for readers?

It’s not a spoiler to say that my main character, Shea, discovers that his mother is really a mermaid – it’s in the title of the book, lol. I loved writing the underwater scenes, and imagining what mermaid life would feel like to Shea.

One of my favorite scenes is when he falls into the saltwater by accident and almost drowns, in an eerily similar scenario to the nightmares that have been haunting him – except that when he finally gives in and releases the breath he’s been holding, he finds he can “breathe” the water! Another of my favorite scenes occurs when Shea is first learning to use the transformational magick that will turn his two legs into one tail. It’s like a scene straight out of one of his drowning dreams, except this time he’s not afraid.

-         Describe your target audience.  Who did you write Son of a Mermaid for?

SON OF A MERMAID is young YA, aimed at middle grade readers who are looking for something more. I usually say the age range is 9-14, but it’s a good read-together book for younger readers and I’ve received emails and reviews from adult readers who have loved the story as well.

-         Son of a Mermaid is your third novel.  What have you learned over the years that might be helpful to other authors just starting out?

Patience is the most important item in an author’s toolbox. I thought finishing a manuscript was the end of the journey, but then I found it’s really only the beginning. Have patience. Do your homework. And always act like a professional. Even though our stories and characters are personal, writing is a business, and the faster you learn that, the easier it is to deal with the inevitable rejections.

-         Every author has a different goal in writing a story, some want to express things they’ve experienced in life in story form, some merely want to entertain, some hope to teach through their stories.  What were your goals in writing your story?

Reading has always played a huge role in my own life. I love the idea of connecting with young readers, and helping them develop a life-long love of reading. I also love that the current YA genre has exploded into such a vibrant and disparate collection of authors and book topics. Young readers today have so many great choices!

-         I know in writing Guiamo, Marshall has had to decide how to explain the magic in his stories in a way that it is believable.  He often has “aha” moments when he figures out how to incorporate certain elements into the story.  Can you share an “aha” moment you had while writing Son of a Mermaid?

Well, I’m not sure if this is what you mean, but I had a kind of “aha” moment about writing YA, in terms of Point of View. Lots of YA books are written in first person POV, but I prefer writing in third person with a definite viewpoint. My “aha” was when I realized I couldn’t use any adult POVs, and needed to tell the story as Shea and Kae, the main characters, were experiencing it. That cut out a lot of backstory and side schemes, but it drove the storyline to be all the more immediate. Now the reader discovers things at the same time as Shea does, which makes for a stronger story.

-         Do you have another story in the works?  What’s next?

A sequel to SON OF A MERMAID is already in production with the same publisher, Crescent Moon Press. The working title of the second book is “Blood of a Mermaid” and the blurb reads like this:

At fifteen, Shea McNamara discovered he’s the heir to an undersea kingdom. And even more important, he fell in love…with a mermaid. Big life changers for a farmboy from Oklahoma.

Seventeen-year-old Zan commands powerful magick, and owes his allegiance to Prince Demyan. Kidnapping the heir’s girlfriend is just another step in Demyan’s twisted plans for world domination. But Zan has never met anyone like the beautiful mermaid Kae. She makes him feel things that he never thought he deserved, and he makes promises that put both their lives at risk.

Kae is torn between two mermen battling not only for her affections, but also for the future of the undersea world they inhabit. In the clashes between good and evil, the lines are not always clearly drawn. Especially when love is involved.

Thanks for having me as your guest during Blogger Book Fair! It’s been fun!

 

Find Katie online:

Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com

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Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com

Add Son of a Mermaid on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17184560-son-of-a-mermaid

Buy Son of a Mermaid on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Mermaid-Katie-OSullivan/dp/1939173299/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

 

My Review

     I thoroughly enjoyed Son of a Mermaid.  It was a light hearted read and one I'm sure many young people will enjoy.  I would have liked to see a little more development of the story at the beginning.  The sudden change in Shae's life seemed like it could have had a little more development.  After that I felt the story flowed well.  I wished for more at the end but am thrilled to hear that a sequel is already in the works. 

I was provided a free copy for this review.