Hello, readers! Welcome to another edition of the blog! I have a fabulous YA author for you to meet today – author Jordan Elizabeth. She is a Clean Reads author who I met through our fabulous Clean Reads Author Facebook page where we can connect, cross promote, share advice, and generally support and encourage one another. One of the many wonderful things about Clean Reads Publishing! Love it! At any rate, let me stop blabbering and get to Jordan.
Thanks for being on the blog, Jordan! First, can you tell us a little about your novel?
In Kistishi Island, Serena is an outcast. She is plagued by imaginary friends, and everyone tells her she needs to grow up. She runs away to join her mother on an archeological dig on the fictional Kistishi Island. There, Serena learns her imaginary friends are actually goddesses.
What an interesting concept….turning fictional friends into reality. What was the inspiration for Kitishi Island?
Long ago, I read an article about a man who was sad that his imaginary friends abandoned him. That stuck with me, and then when I was vacationing in Niagara Falls, I came up with the idea to do a story about a girl with imaginary friends who runs away to a tourist destination.
I, too, find that new places inspire me. But I also find that something as simple as a historical object can as well. It is true that inspiration can come from anywhere…
Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?
Always! I wanted to be a writer and a teacher. I’m currently both, so that makes me ecstatic.
Neat. I love when I hear of young dreams coming true!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
As a toddler, I would sit in my stroller making up stories based on picture books my mother bought me. I would do that the entire time she and my grandmother went shopping.
Now, as I always say, there are parts of the process we love (or we wouldn’t be doing this), but there are parts we don’t necessarily like. What part of the writing process do you dread?
Not having enough time! I have a one-year-old son and he keeps me busy. I try to squeeze in a chapter a night depending on what else is going on.
Truth! There is never enough time!
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer?
Write what you love. Don’t write a story just because you think it’s what others want to read.
I agree whole-heartedly. You always hear “write what you know”…and I agree with that to a certain extent, but I do agree with you that it is just as important (if not more so) to write what you love.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading a nonfiction piece – The Lost Village of Delta by Mary J. Centro. My current manuscript is a young adult novella based on the flooding of Delta, NY to create a reservoir.
I like to set the mood for my writing sessions. I find I need to about 80% of the time to transition from the craiziness of life 🙂
What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?
I need complete silence. The slightest thing distracts me.
Do you have a favorite time of day to write? What about a favorite place?
I like to write best at night. I have to be alone at my desk or I’m too distracted. My cat doesn’t count. She offers moral support.
That’s sweet 🙂 Though I’m more of a dog person…
How long does it take you to write a book?
It used to take me 3-4 months to write a book. Lately, it’s been about one book a year. I understand it’s because of growing up and having new responsibilities. I love my life.
I am in the same boat. With the marketing and promoting, plus the other life stuff, there’s just not as much time to dedicate to writing only.
Can you tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb?
The story involves a romance between the main character and the king’s advisor. It’s a sweet romance that will have you saying “aww.”
I can get on board with that! Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?
My WIP is tentatively titled Delta. The story will span a few years, from when the state decides to flood the village of Delta to when they do. It is seen through the eyes of a young girl.
Interesting. Thanks again for joining me today and for sharing about your book and your process. And I will now turn it over to the readers and let them do what they do: read about the book!
Kitishi Island
Serena Cole can kick serious butt thanks to young women only she can see. School bullies aren’t a problem, but Serena’s mental health might be. To shield Serena from a dark secret, her family tries to convince her that her friends are imaginary.
Fleeing her distrustful aunt, Serena joins her mother on an archeological dig at Kistishi Island. There, Serena discovers an ancient scroll and realizes her invisible friends are goddesses native to the island, and they are in danger of enslavement for their abilities. Only Serena can save her friends if she can discover the past her family has hidden her entire life – the reason why only she can see the goddesses.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Aunt Nikki’s scream tore her from her fears. The creature had her aunt’s arm twisted behind her, while its other hand pinned her leg down. As its mouth descended toward Aunt Nikki’s shoulder, Serena slammed the tome across the creature’s face and heard something snap. For a moment, she thought it was dead, but the creature moved its head back into position, its red eyes boring into hers.
When it hissed and snapped at her, she swung the tome again, slapping it harder. Talons brushed her back. Her pleather pants dug into her hips by the belt loops as her feet lifted off the ground.
Serena twisted around, but the creature lifting her a few feet off the ground only shrilled in triumph. Its feet caught around her legs, turning her so it could get a better grip. She fought harder, thrashing her body more violently. One of the shirt’s straps tore and she sagged, her body spinning in its grasp. Serena’s heart thudded against her chest. She stabbed the edge of the tome into the creature’s arm; the cut welled with green slime. It released her, beating its wings, and she fell to land in a roll.
She darted between the tents as the wounded creature shrieked its pain. As she sped around another tent, a second creature slammed into her. It scrabbled for the tome, snaring the velvet. She turned on her heels, felt the velvet tear. The ground rose up, sand spinning under her boots. She slid, and in the next second, her feet touched nothing.
The creature held her under the arms, talons scraping her skin as it attempted to jerk the tome away. She spat at it, kicked. She lashed her heel across its face.
A third gargoyle grabbed her around the waist, ascending into the sky. As the world spun, Stanomar screamed, “Serena!”
Something grabbed the creature from behind. It shouted, twisting in the air to throw off the hindrance. The talons dug into her hips, one tearing a hole in her pants. She craned her head and spotted Stanomar’s face over the creature’s shoulder. He was flushed red, his lips parted in a growl.
They rose higher. Serena sensed the land dipping away. The wind tore at her, brushing over her skin faster as the creature increased the flapping of its wings. She dared to look down, screaming as she saw desert pass beneath them. Even when she craned her head, she couldn’t see the ruins anymore…no – not ruins at all, but underground pyramids of a labyrinthine society.
Stanomar wrapped his hands around its thick throat to force it into submission, but the creature tried to knock him off with its spiked tail.
“Be careful!” Serena craned her head to see him. Beyond, another black streak appeared in the sky, drawing nearer. “There’s another coming!”
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More About the Author
Jordan Elizabeth is the author of thirteen young adult fantasy novels. She writes down her nightmares in order to live her dreams. When she’s not creating art or searching for lost history in the woods, she’s updating her blog. Jordan roams Central New York, but she loves to travel.
You can contact Jordan via her website, JordanElizabethBooks.com. Signed copies are available on her website.
Connect with Jordan and her books
https://www.facebook.com/JordanElizabethAuthor
GIVEAWAY
Jordan is offering to one (1) winner, randomly chosen by Rafflecopter, an ebook copy of her novel Rogue Crystal. Please follow the directions below: