Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "desert-series"
A couple of new releases I've heard about
I've just found out about 2 new releases and these books are going straight on my to-read list, in fact, I've already started reading one of them.
Firstly, Lisette Brodey has released the second book in her paranormal YA series: the "Desert Series", DESERT STAR. Having read the first book in the series, I'm very much looking forward to reading this one.
You can get a copy from Amazon by following the link: http://www.amazon.com/DESERT-STAR-Des...
This series would make a great Christmas gift for the book lover in your life. Even though it's listed as a Young Adult series, I think it can be enjoyed by all ages.
The first book in the series, Mystical High is currently available at just 99 cents: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
The second new release I've heard about is a collection of short stories with Christmas as a theme. Justin Bog has just published Hark---A Christmas Collection. This is a collection of six short stories. I couldn't wait to start reading them and have read the first three already. They are not your typical Christmas stories, they uncover and examine the darker and lonelier side of Christmas. Justin's writing is compulsive reading and I'm enjoying this book. It's the perfect time of year to read it.
You can get your copy here (in Kindle or paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Hark--Christmas...
I think this would make the perfect gift for the short story lover in your life.
Firstly, Lisette Brodey has released the second book in her paranormal YA series: the "Desert Series", DESERT STAR. Having read the first book in the series, I'm very much looking forward to reading this one.
You can get a copy from Amazon by following the link: http://www.amazon.com/DESERT-STAR-Des...
This series would make a great Christmas gift for the book lover in your life. Even though it's listed as a Young Adult series, I think it can be enjoyed by all ages.
The first book in the series, Mystical High is currently available at just 99 cents: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
The second new release I've heard about is a collection of short stories with Christmas as a theme. Justin Bog has just published Hark---A Christmas Collection. This is a collection of six short stories. I couldn't wait to start reading them and have read the first three already. They are not your typical Christmas stories, they uncover and examine the darker and lonelier side of Christmas. Justin's writing is compulsive reading and I'm enjoying this book. It's the perfect time of year to read it.
You can get your copy here (in Kindle or paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Hark--Christmas...
I think this would make the perfect gift for the short story lover in your life.
3 novels for one low price! The Desert Series, by Lisette Brodey
Lisette Brodey's Desert Series is on sale for just $2.99 on Kindle from today until the last day of February 2016.
The Young Adult Paranormal trilogy boxed set edition includes all three novels: MYSTICAL HIGH, DESERT STAR, & DRAWN APART.
The series spans six years in a Southern California town called Mystekal.
You can pick up the series here: http://amzn.to/1NydnkE
For those on Kindle Unlimited, you can read The Desert Series and all of Lisette Brodey's novels for free.
About the books:
Mystical High:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
In Mystekal, a small, dying town in the Southern California desert, only 75 students attend the old, sometimes creepy high school dubbed “Mystical High,” where strange things have been known to happen. Jessie Dalworth and Jinxsy Patterson are juniors and lifelong best friends. At home, Jessie deals with the pain of an absentee mother who has abandoned the family for the lure of Hollywood; Jinxsy contends with a 17th “birthday present” she never wanted or expected.
Meanwhile, at school, the unexplained activity begins to escalate when Jinxsy keeps seeing a long-haired guy in the hallway checking her out. Jessie can’t see him, but her younger brother, River, can.
Then, in English class, a stapler mysteriously flies off teacher Eve Carrow’s desk, hitting a student in the face who has just mouthed off to her. The beloved teacher is in the unenviable position of having her brute of a father as principal, so she hates sending any student to his office. As Principal Ernest Carrow begins to terrorize Eve and others more openly, something or someone unseen decides that it’s payback time.
School is getting stranger, and Jinxsy and Jessie are faced with mind-boggling changes in their home lives that complicate everything. When a string of shocking events expose explosive secrets, decades-long mysteries are finally revealed.
CONTENT WARNING: Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanity. Recommended age: 14+
2014 eFestival of Words winner for Best Young Adult novel
Desert Star:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DESERT-STAR-Des...
Larsen Davis isn’t afraid to stand up to those who bully him, but in a two-against-one situation at Mystekal High, it’s never easy. When classmate River Dalworth witnesses the abuse and intervenes, the two seniors become good friends. Larsen explains that he’s fighting another battle at home: his own mother, Raylene, bullies him for being gay.
When Larsen meets River’s mother, Arielle, and learns she is overseeing the renovation of the Desert Theater, he shares his dream for a career on stage. Soon, Arielle offers Larsen a job as her assistant, but Raylene is dead set against the idea of her son doing what she considers “gay work.” After Raylene gets a new boyfriend, Reggie, the bad situation at home worsens and Larsen has no choice but to leave.
Now working at the Desert Theater, Larsen feels the unearthly presence of someone in the long-abandoned theater. Meanwhile, as the theater nears completion, a talent show is scheduled for opening night. As it becomes more evident that the theater may have a ghost, it also comes to light that someone may be sabotaging the renovation and the show. Is the ghost real or just the handiwork of someone with a grudge?
Opening night at the Desert Theater sets the stage for a crime, never-imagined reunions, long-awaited explanations, and otherworldly miracles.
CONTENT WARNING: Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanity. Recommended age: 14+
Drawn Apart:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DRAWN-APART-Des...
When Avalon Martelli and Stephanie Lambert meet at the start of their junior year at Mystekal High, they form an instant connection. Stephanie is from South Jersey and Avalon from North Jersey, and they both feel out of place in the Southern California desert.
Aside from having a home state in common, they each possess a talent for art and the heartbreak of a broken family. Avalon has the gift of sight, where the future is sometimes revealed in her paintings, while Stephanie’s drawings are all about forever love. As Stephanie, a self-described poetry geek and hopeless romantic, talks about past lives and eternal happiness, Avalon denies she’s in love with her best guy friend, River Dalworth, who is attending art school in Los Angeles.
Only weeks before graduation, Stephanie is in a car accident and falls into a coma. Devastated, Avalon believes it is all her fault. The night before, she had painted Stephanie with her head against the steering wheel—and hadn’t told her. She confides this to River, who has come home to be with her, but he can’t convince her she’s not to blame. Avalon loudly proclaims to the universe that she no longer wants her gift, but River warns her she may receive another one in its place.
Avalon and her family, along with Stephanie’s mother, pray for a miracle. River tries to console her, but she finds his presence difficult, knowing he has someone else who “just might be the one.” Trying to push her own pain and disappointment aside, Avalon keeps vigil for her best friend, hoping that Stephanie will wake up and have her greatest wish fulfilled— the meeting of her soul mate.
Author links:
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lisette-Brodey/...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisetteBrodey
Website: http://lisettebrodey.com/
The Young Adult Paranormal trilogy boxed set edition includes all three novels: MYSTICAL HIGH, DESERT STAR, & DRAWN APART.
The series spans six years in a Southern California town called Mystekal.
You can pick up the series here: http://amzn.to/1NydnkE
For those on Kindle Unlimited, you can read The Desert Series and all of Lisette Brodey's novels for free.
About the books:
Mystical High:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
In Mystekal, a small, dying town in the Southern California desert, only 75 students attend the old, sometimes creepy high school dubbed “Mystical High,” where strange things have been known to happen. Jessie Dalworth and Jinxsy Patterson are juniors and lifelong best friends. At home, Jessie deals with the pain of an absentee mother who has abandoned the family for the lure of Hollywood; Jinxsy contends with a 17th “birthday present” she never wanted or expected.
Meanwhile, at school, the unexplained activity begins to escalate when Jinxsy keeps seeing a long-haired guy in the hallway checking her out. Jessie can’t see him, but her younger brother, River, can.
Then, in English class, a stapler mysteriously flies off teacher Eve Carrow’s desk, hitting a student in the face who has just mouthed off to her. The beloved teacher is in the unenviable position of having her brute of a father as principal, so she hates sending any student to his office. As Principal Ernest Carrow begins to terrorize Eve and others more openly, something or someone unseen decides that it’s payback time.
School is getting stranger, and Jinxsy and Jessie are faced with mind-boggling changes in their home lives that complicate everything. When a string of shocking events expose explosive secrets, decades-long mysteries are finally revealed.
CONTENT WARNING: Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanity. Recommended age: 14+
2014 eFestival of Words winner for Best Young Adult novel
Desert Star:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DESERT-STAR-Des...
Larsen Davis isn’t afraid to stand up to those who bully him, but in a two-against-one situation at Mystekal High, it’s never easy. When classmate River Dalworth witnesses the abuse and intervenes, the two seniors become good friends. Larsen explains that he’s fighting another battle at home: his own mother, Raylene, bullies him for being gay.
When Larsen meets River’s mother, Arielle, and learns she is overseeing the renovation of the Desert Theater, he shares his dream for a career on stage. Soon, Arielle offers Larsen a job as her assistant, but Raylene is dead set against the idea of her son doing what she considers “gay work.” After Raylene gets a new boyfriend, Reggie, the bad situation at home worsens and Larsen has no choice but to leave.
Now working at the Desert Theater, Larsen feels the unearthly presence of someone in the long-abandoned theater. Meanwhile, as the theater nears completion, a talent show is scheduled for opening night. As it becomes more evident that the theater may have a ghost, it also comes to light that someone may be sabotaging the renovation and the show. Is the ghost real or just the handiwork of someone with a grudge?
Opening night at the Desert Theater sets the stage for a crime, never-imagined reunions, long-awaited explanations, and otherworldly miracles.
CONTENT WARNING: Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanity. Recommended age: 14+
Drawn Apart:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DRAWN-APART-Des...
When Avalon Martelli and Stephanie Lambert meet at the start of their junior year at Mystekal High, they form an instant connection. Stephanie is from South Jersey and Avalon from North Jersey, and they both feel out of place in the Southern California desert.
Aside from having a home state in common, they each possess a talent for art and the heartbreak of a broken family. Avalon has the gift of sight, where the future is sometimes revealed in her paintings, while Stephanie’s drawings are all about forever love. As Stephanie, a self-described poetry geek and hopeless romantic, talks about past lives and eternal happiness, Avalon denies she’s in love with her best guy friend, River Dalworth, who is attending art school in Los Angeles.
Only weeks before graduation, Stephanie is in a car accident and falls into a coma. Devastated, Avalon believes it is all her fault. The night before, she had painted Stephanie with her head against the steering wheel—and hadn’t told her. She confides this to River, who has come home to be with her, but he can’t convince her she’s not to blame. Avalon loudly proclaims to the universe that she no longer wants her gift, but River warns her she may receive another one in its place.
Avalon and her family, along with Stephanie’s mother, pray for a miracle. River tries to console her, but she finds his presence difficult, knowing he has someone else who “just might be the one.” Trying to push her own pain and disappointment aside, Avalon keeps vigil for her best friend, hoping that Stephanie will wake up and have her greatest wish fulfilled— the meeting of her soul mate.
Author links:
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lisette-Brodey/...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisetteBrodey
Website: http://lisettebrodey.com/
Interview with Lisette Brodey
I have been a fan of Lisette Brodey's books for a few years now. Lisette is a talented author who has written many novels. I've particularly enjoyed her novels Crooked Moon and Squalor, New Mexico.
("Squalor, New Mexico" is currently on sale at 99c until 1st July 2016)
Whether she is writing Young Adult fiction, Chick Lit, or general fiction, Lisette's books are always full of realistic characters, and her writing is entertaining and thought-provoking.
She recently joined us as a contributing author for the Mind's Eye series. Her short stories in Triptychs are fantastic.
I always know when I start reading a book by this author that it will keep me interested. I've read most of her books and each one has something special.
I invited her here for a chat about her writing.
INTERVIEW WITH LISETTE BRODEY
Hi Lisette, welcome to my blog! Thanks for joining me here. Please introduce yourself.
My name is Lisette Brodey. I’m the multi-genre author of six books: Crooked Moon; Squalor, New Mexico; Molly Hacker Is Too Picky!; and The Desert Series, a YA Paranormal trilogy that includes: Mystical High, Desert Star, and Drawn Apart.
Originally, from a suburb of Philadelphia, I have lived in New York City and now live, for the second time, in Los Angeles. (It’s a long story!)
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
There isn’t one character in any of my books who is based on one specific person. There are many characters who have the traits of people I know or who are hybrids of real people and/or my imagination. Even if I were to start a book and write a character as a specific person, it wouldn’t be long before the character would take over and his or her unique personality would emerge.
When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?
I’m glad you asked this, Maria. Like many areas of publishing, proper word count is one area in which there are many opinions and no definitive answer. I believe, for the most part, that a story is finished when the author is done telling it as it should be told. I’m not a fan of arbitrary word counts: If a book is in X genre, it should be X number of words. Yes, there may be suggested word counts that serve as guides, but I’ve seen so many cases where an author was told to cut 20K from a book not because it was long and rambling, but for the sole purpose of being X number of words.
I totally agree, Lisette.
Do you have a preferred writing space?
Yes, it is up on a mountain in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is beautiful, quiet, and there is nothing to interrupt my thoughts or tangle with my creativity. Even when the gulls pass, they just wave and keep going. Unfortunately, this is my preferred spot and it does not exist in my life.
Hahahaha! I would like that spot too!
I write at my desk in the living room. However, I often take my laptop to a quieter place where I don’t see anything but the screen. Often, this does help me to focus much better.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest book is Drawn Apart. It’s the third book in The Desert Series. While this series is classified as YA Paranormal, I see it more as a coming-of-age series (spanning six years) with paranormal elements. The stories deal with real-life issues (bullying, parental abandonment, mental illness etc.). Each of the three novels can be read as standalone books, although they are written to be read as a series.
Drawn Apart is the most romance-oriented book in the trilogy with themes of friendship, true love, soulmates, poetry, and past lives.
Each novel is published separately, but The Desert Series is available as a boxed set on Kindle, too.
What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
First: Write the story you really want to tell. Don’t write for a particular market because it’s “hot” right now. Write your passion.
Second: Don’t show your WIP to everyone you know. Why? You’ll get so many different reactions that it will confuse you and very likely mess with your confidence. If you are a person who likes to share as you write (which I’m usually not), be judicious.
Third: Do not rush to publication! Take the time to make your work the best it can be. Don’t skimp on editing, proofreading, or cover design. Even on a next-to-nothing budget, there are ways to make things work. By networking with other authors, reading blogs, and being active on social media, you can get a lot of terrific advice.
Great advice, Lisette.
What type of music do you prefer to listen to?
My favorite genre of music is R&B. There’s no one I enjoy more than Marvin Gaye. I also listen to a lot of show music, pop/rock, and sometimes classical. I also love a lot of music that is outside of my usual genres. For example, I just love listening to Evanescence with Amy Lee. That said, I do not listen to music while writing. Once in a while, if I have to drown out noise around me, I can write with classical music playing.
Where are your books on sale?
All of my books are on Amazon.com. Additionally, they can all be read for free for members of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Maria.
It's been a pleasure, Lisette!
****************************
Author links:
Website: www.lisettebrodey.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisettebrodey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/lisette...
Molly Hacker website: www.mollyhacker.com
("Squalor, New Mexico" is currently on sale at 99c until 1st July 2016)
Whether she is writing Young Adult fiction, Chick Lit, or general fiction, Lisette's books are always full of realistic characters, and her writing is entertaining and thought-provoking.
She recently joined us as a contributing author for the Mind's Eye series. Her short stories in Triptychs are fantastic.
I always know when I start reading a book by this author that it will keep me interested. I've read most of her books and each one has something special.
I invited her here for a chat about her writing.
INTERVIEW WITH LISETTE BRODEY
Hi Lisette, welcome to my blog! Thanks for joining me here. Please introduce yourself.
My name is Lisette Brodey. I’m the multi-genre author of six books: Crooked Moon; Squalor, New Mexico; Molly Hacker Is Too Picky!; and The Desert Series, a YA Paranormal trilogy that includes: Mystical High, Desert Star, and Drawn Apart.
Originally, from a suburb of Philadelphia, I have lived in New York City and now live, for the second time, in Los Angeles. (It’s a long story!)
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
There isn’t one character in any of my books who is based on one specific person. There are many characters who have the traits of people I know or who are hybrids of real people and/or my imagination. Even if I were to start a book and write a character as a specific person, it wouldn’t be long before the character would take over and his or her unique personality would emerge.
When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?
I’m glad you asked this, Maria. Like many areas of publishing, proper word count is one area in which there are many opinions and no definitive answer. I believe, for the most part, that a story is finished when the author is done telling it as it should be told. I’m not a fan of arbitrary word counts: If a book is in X genre, it should be X number of words. Yes, there may be suggested word counts that serve as guides, but I’ve seen so many cases where an author was told to cut 20K from a book not because it was long and rambling, but for the sole purpose of being X number of words.
I totally agree, Lisette.
Do you have a preferred writing space?
Yes, it is up on a mountain in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is beautiful, quiet, and there is nothing to interrupt my thoughts or tangle with my creativity. Even when the gulls pass, they just wave and keep going. Unfortunately, this is my preferred spot and it does not exist in my life.
Hahahaha! I would like that spot too!
I write at my desk in the living room. However, I often take my laptop to a quieter place where I don’t see anything but the screen. Often, this does help me to focus much better.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest book is Drawn Apart. It’s the third book in The Desert Series. While this series is classified as YA Paranormal, I see it more as a coming-of-age series (spanning six years) with paranormal elements. The stories deal with real-life issues (bullying, parental abandonment, mental illness etc.). Each of the three novels can be read as standalone books, although they are written to be read as a series.
Drawn Apart is the most romance-oriented book in the trilogy with themes of friendship, true love, soulmates, poetry, and past lives.
Each novel is published separately, but The Desert Series is available as a boxed set on Kindle, too.
What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
First: Write the story you really want to tell. Don’t write for a particular market because it’s “hot” right now. Write your passion.
Second: Don’t show your WIP to everyone you know. Why? You’ll get so many different reactions that it will confuse you and very likely mess with your confidence. If you are a person who likes to share as you write (which I’m usually not), be judicious.
Third: Do not rush to publication! Take the time to make your work the best it can be. Don’t skimp on editing, proofreading, or cover design. Even on a next-to-nothing budget, there are ways to make things work. By networking with other authors, reading blogs, and being active on social media, you can get a lot of terrific advice.
Great advice, Lisette.
What type of music do you prefer to listen to?
My favorite genre of music is R&B. There’s no one I enjoy more than Marvin Gaye. I also listen to a lot of show music, pop/rock, and sometimes classical. I also love a lot of music that is outside of my usual genres. For example, I just love listening to Evanescence with Amy Lee. That said, I do not listen to music while writing. Once in a while, if I have to drown out noise around me, I can write with classical music playing.
Where are your books on sale?
All of my books are on Amazon.com. Additionally, they can all be read for free for members of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Maria.
It's been a pleasure, Lisette!
****************************
Author links:
Website: www.lisettebrodey.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lisettebrodey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/lisette...
Molly Hacker website: www.mollyhacker.com
