Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of a dystopian
London where thugs and criminals run rife, Skye Archer possesses a rare gift,
the ability to transform into her spirit animal at will. Widely regarding her
morphing ability as a curse, Skye's aim is to keep it a secret at all costs.
But one day she meets the intriguing and affluent, Raphael Renzo, who soon
proves to have a secret of his own, one that could heal the downtrodden city
and affect Skye in ways she never thought possible...
This debut novel from author, Sarah Brownlee, is a compelling and gripping read, taking the reader into a world where both the heart of a city and the heart of a girl are simultaneously pierced by one man.
This debut novel from author, Sarah Brownlee, is a compelling and gripping read, taking the reader into a world where both the heart of a city and the heart of a girl are simultaneously pierced by one man.
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Today we have a very special guest on the blog. Below we'll get to know her and her book! You'll also get to read an exclusive excerpt. She's very sweet and I look forward to reading books by her. Without further ado...
1. We are
so happy to have you on the blog today. What got you started writing?
Thank
you, it is a pleasure to be here! As to writing, I can't remember exactly when,
why or how I started writing, other than that I was extremely young and it was
something I felt I had to "do". Trying to fathom it in later years, I
can only conclude that I came to Earth with a mission - to tell stories!
2. Tell us
about your book?
It's
a Young Adult Paranormal Romance called 'How the Wolf Lost Her Heart'. It is
set two hundred years down the line in a dystopian London where thugs and
criminals run the city. Skye Archer is our main character; she happens to be a
Morpher (someone who can transform into their spirit animal at will). One day,
when she is almost attacked by a gang of thugs, a man called Raphael Renzo
comes to her aid. It all kicks off from there. There's romance, action, humour,
tragedy and heartbreak, pretty much all rolled into one.
3. What is
your current WIP?
I'm
working on a couple at the moment, both the sequel and prequel to 'How the Wolf
Lost Her Heart'. The sequel is somewhat darker and delves more into the
historical side as opposed to the romantic side; by contrast, the prequel is
much more light-hearted and also suitable for children. This one throws us
right back to modern-day London and tells how Morphers came to exist in the
first place.
4. We want
to know what your favorite book of all time is!
'The
Eagle has Landed' by Jack Higgins, a war novel set during World War II. It
tells of a plot to kidnap Winston Churchill and highlights that sometimes there
are good men fighting for a rotten cause. It's insightful, clever and powerful.
I highly recommend.
5. Who is
your current book boyfriend?
Peeta
Mellark *giggles*
6. What do
you like to do outside of writing?
Eat.
I'm a particular fan of fish and meat, particularly sashimi and steak. Also,
despite being a rather tuneless crooner, I enjoy some karaoke every now and
then. I am half-Filipino and karaoke is an extremely popular past-time among
Filipinos; I can't recall a time when we didn't have a karaoke machine in our
house!
7.
Favorite movie?
Wow,
that's difficult. Probably Constantine.
8. Are you
a fan of Fifty Shades?
I
am an admirer of the success E.L. James has achieved with her books. What
writer doesn't dream of their work exploding as a worldwide phenomenon?
Incidentally, we come from the same town whereby on a number of occasions I
would bump into Mr. E.L James and we would walk our dogs in the local park.
When he told me some years ago that his wife was writing a book online, I had
no idea it would become the bestselling Fifty Shades of Grey series! I applaud
their success and wish them the very best.
9. When writing,
is there anything you must have? Such a diet coke, coffee, Charlie Hunnam, etc
;)
Tea
is often a desirable requirement, particularly white tea. Please don't ever
hesitate to talk to me about tea - I find it makes for highly pleasant
conversation!
Write.
Keep writing. Let the words spill out. The more you write, the better you get.
Focus.
I'm one writer who has struggled with distraction for years; sometimes I still
do. But like anything worth doing, it takes dedication, hard work and
discipline.
Don't
be disheartened. You'll get knocked down numerous times, both from people who
reject your work to critics who verbally thrash it. You have to keep going
anyway - like Teddy Roosevelt said, "It's not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of
deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena." Not everyone will love your work - what
matters is that you love to write. So don't ever give up.
Excerpt:
‘Children were screaming. Buildings burned with
unstoppable flames; in the distance, the tall, erect shopping centre that had
once been Westfields looked like nothing more than a vast ball of fire. A woman cried out
in terrror as she was snatched by a gang of men in balaclavas and dragged into
the middle of the road where they proceeded to strip her and brutally defile
her. Three men were being repeatedly stabbed by another group of masked men,
blood pouring from their wounds and mouths, until they were kicked carelessly
to the ground. Thugs yelled wildly with laughter as they doused petrol over the
row of shops and buildings, striking matches and flicking them so that the
buildings rose up in blazes. A group of thugs, men and women, seized two
children who were wailing in the street, slapping them harshly, and throwing
them into the back of a van, which drove off amidst the horror. Several men and
women could be seen fighting the thugs, but they were outnumbered five to one.
“My
Lord, it’s no good! There’s too many of them!”
“Fall
back!” commanded Lord Renzo. “Fall back!”
“Sir –
what of the women and children trapped in the cinema?”
“There is nothing we can do … Fall back!”
At that moment, Skye felt Lord Renzo’s pain
and she howled in despair.
Lord
Renzo and the man who had spoken to him dashed away from the burning buildings
and from the terrified screams. To their left, a man screamed at them, pleading
with them to save him as he was battered with bargepoles by a gang of masked
men. But they kept on going. They could not help him. They would be slaughtered
if they remained and then this nightmare would never end. Everywhere they
turned, buildings burned, people were being killed, thugs laughed uproariously
at the evil they had created; policemen lay dead on the ground in pools of
blood while children screamed for their parents; one child was snatched away
into the darkness by a masked man; two hysterical girls had been pinned to a
wall and several thugs were shooting at them with guns from a distance as
though they were playing a sick game of darts; Lord Renzo and his companion
kept running, but there was no escaping the terror …’
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