On Grounding Reality in Fantasy, Kailin Gow – Author Guest Post
In my newest book series, The Wordwick Games, with Rise of the Fire Tamer Book 1 just released, five teens are challenged in a game so real, they don’t know whether to believe it’s real or it isn’t.
Part of this illusion is the establishing of a world so familiar yet so fantastic to us that there is already a sense of reality in this world. As Gem, Sparks, Rio, Jack, and Kat step into the mysterious castle for the first time, they see a castle steep in history. So much has happened in this medieval castle. In The Wordwick Games, Anachronia is the world the five teen gamers enter, thinking it is the 10th level of a virtual game they are playing. To enter this world, they must first begin at Word Castle, a medieval castle I based on Warwick Castle in England. I’ve visited Warwick Castle a number of times and it has always had an impact on me. The castle, the land, the peacocks, and yes, even the ghosts (it’s said to be haunted). Finally, I had to make it a character in a book, and it became a major character in The Wordwick Games Series.
The medieval qualities of Anachronia and our familiarity of this time period through fairy tales and folk tales which brings us knights, ladies, dragons, ogres, trolls, and wizards set the reality of this fantasy adventure novel. Having five teens that walk and talk like real teenagers also provides the realism of this novel. They are familiar faces and people who we know in school or in our daily lives so we are transported with them into this amazing adventure.
Do you know of any books which feature a building or a place so important to the plot, it becomes a main character in the book? If so, which books and what is the name of the building or setting?
After winning a contest for a popular game called Wordwick Games, five teens - Gemma, Sparks, Rio, Kat, and Jack, are invited to stay at Wordwick Games inventor Henry Word's mysterious castle and play the newest level of Workwick Games. Little do they know, the castle is the doorway to a wondrous world call Anachronia where words can be used as weapons, power, and commodity.
There is unrest in Anachronia, and if the five teens can follow the rules of Wordwick Games and prove to be the best player, one of them will be crowned Ruler of Anachronia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Kailin Gow is the multi-published author of The Shy Girls Social Club Handbook for Dealing with Bullies and Other Meanies and 30 more books for teens and young adults, including The Gifted Girls Series which have been recommended by the Parents Teachers Association, PBS Kids, Homeschooling organizations, and Best Teens Books lists. Her fiction titles for older young adults and adults are: Diary of a Discount Donna (A Fashion Fables Novel), and the newly released The Phantom Diaries and Rise of the Fire Tamer (Wordwick Games Book 1). She holds a Masters Degree Communications Management from USC, and Bachelors Degrees in Drama and Social Ecology from UC Irvine. She is a mother, a mentor for young women, and the founder of the social group for girls age 13 to 19 called Shy Girls Social Club at shygirlssocialclub.com.
Read one of her latest interviews here.
Bitter Frost, Kailin Gow – Review
All her life, Breena had always dreamed about fairies as though she lived among them...beautiful fairies living among mortals and living in Feyland. In her dreams, he was always there the breathtakingly handsome but dangerous Winter Prince, Kian, who is her intended. When Breena turns sixteen, she begins seeing fairies and other creatures mortals don t see. Her best friend Logan, suddenly acts very protective. Then she sees Kian, who seems intent on finding her and carrying her off to Feyland. That's fine and all, but for the fact that humans rarely survive a trip to Feyland, a kiss from a fairy generally means death to the human unless that human has fairy blood in them or is very strong, and although Kian seemed to be her intended, he seems to hate her and wants her dead. - FROM THE BOOK BACK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Kailin Gow is the multi-published Author of The Shy Girls Social Club Handbook for Dealing with Bullies and Other Meanies and 30 more books for teens and young adults, including The Gifted Girls Series which have been recommended by the Parents Teachers Association, PBS Kids, Homeschooling organizations, and Best Teens Books lists. Her fiction titles for older young adults and adults are: Diary of a Discount Donna (A Fashion Fables Novel), and the newly released The Phantom Diaries and Rise of the Fire Tamer (Wordwick Games Book 1). She holds a Masters Degree Communications Management from USC, and Bachelors Degrees in Drama and Social Ecology from UC Irvine. She is a mother, a mentor for young women, and the founder of the social group for girls age 13 to 19 called Shy Girls Social Club at shygirlssocialclub.com.
FIND/FOLLOW THE AUTHOR
Website: www.sparklesoup.com - Twitter: @KailinGow
Email: sparklesoup@aol.com - Facebook: Kailin Gow
FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS...Bitter Frost is the first in Gow's latest young adult Fey series. We're introduced to goblins, pixies, werewolves, and fairies. Breena is a shy girl who's constantly picked on by her schoolmates except by her best friend Logan who she later learns is a werewolf. We meet Kian, the Fairy Prince who's come to kidnap her and take her to the Winter Kingdom and the queen, his mom. She learns she is part fairy and princess of the Summer Kingdom; the reason why she always felt more at home in her fairy dreams than in the human world. Things don't turn out well and Breena ends up in the Summer Kingdom, where her father is king. She's arrested and taken to the Queen where she learns some of the reason why she was banned from Feyland. I enjoyed Bitter Frost. The descriptions of the the goblins, pixies, fairies, werewolves, and the different lands were amazing and gave me a clear picture. The book is filled with action and I nearly cried when the book ended before we could meet her father and find out what happened to her human mother. Thankfully we get to continue Breena, Kian, and Logan's story in the next book Forever Frost (September 2010).
MY LAST THOUGHT...I think it's time we get a new movie genre out...move over vamps! Love you guys but I'm ready for some Fey action!
I received a copy of this book for review. Receiving a copy in no way altered my opinion of the book.
The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano, Larry Sweitzer – Author Guest Post
It's the summer of 2004 and Freddie Holtzman can't wait to get to Camp Mason, a summer camp for eggheads or rather, gifted teens. He hopes to reconnect with Ginny Haig, a girl he met at camp last year. Freddie's old friends, Logan and Monty, are there along with some new faces. He tries to win Ginny's affection, but every time he tries to talk to her, he says-and does-nerdy things.
At Camp Mason, a science fair pits the eggheads against one another for the top prize of a five thousand dollar scholarship. But, when the projects go missing, friendships are put to the test, relationships get put on hold, and everyone's a suspect. To make matters worse, the camp is haunted by young Billy Mason who died there decades ago. The boys are determined to solve the mystery of the ghost and the missing science projects.
Freddie's quest to win the scholarship—add the girl of his dreams—are constantly in jeopardy. There are complications at every turn: the ghost, a creepy caretaker, Freddie's high school nemesis, a cantankerous camp manager, and a saboteur all threaten his chance to win the prize and Ginny's heart.
AUTHOR GUEST POST...Writing for Young Adults
I love writing for teens and young adults. It’s fun and rewarding. I was once a young adult, after all, even though my daughters may find it hard to believe.
The fun part comes when I draw from my own childhood memories and turn them into scenes or characters for my books. I don’t know about you, but the most awkward and embarrassing moments of my life came between the ages of twelve and eighteen. There were far more good memories from that time, but the awkward and embarrassing incidents always seem to make it into my stories. Somehow those uncomfortable moments, from so many years ago, are now good memories as well. It helps if you can laugh at yourself.
Times have certainly changed since I was a kid. We didn’t have cell phones, Xbox, or laptops back then. We actually entertained ourselves. We didn’t need or rely on people or things to entertain us. Needless to say, my friends and I got into a lot of things—things, meaning trouble. Some of the situations we got into were unbelievably funny, scary, or embarrassing. You name it; we probably did it, climbed it, broke it, disassembled it and reassembled it (mostly), jumped it with our bikes, or had to explain it to the principal. Still, the trouble we got into was harmless by today’s standards.
The bottom line is that I’ve been through a lot of the things they have yet to experience. Sharing those experiences with them through my stories—and providing them a few cautionary tales—is the rewarding part. At their age, anything is possible. Their world is bigger and emotions are as strong as ever. They’re experiencing so many things for the first time. This is fertile stuff to write about.
There are other reasons that I enjoy writing for teens and young adults. They are insightful and an enthusiastic audience. Talking to them about their experiences and sharing some of my own, keeps my childhood memories alive.
They ask questions that no one else would think of. Like the time one of my daughters, who was about six years old at the time, asked: “Why don’t they make mouse flavored cat food?” I honestly had never thought of that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Larry Sweitzer is a writer, musician, and avid baseball fan. He was born and raised in western Maryland and now lives in Virginia with his wife and two daughters. The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano is his first novel. Visit him at www.larrysweitzer.com.
Cleopatra’s Daughter, Michelle Moran: Author Guest Post
The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.
The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.
Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.
Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart. - FROM THE PRESS RELEASE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Michelle Moran was born in the San Fernando Valley, CA. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve. When she was accepted into Pomona College she took as many classes as possible in British Literature, particularly Milton, Chaucer, and the Bard. Not surprisingly, she majored in English while she was there. Following a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University.
AUTHOR GUEST POST...Life and Libraries in the Classical Age
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked by readers is what life was like two thousand years ago when Julius Caesar walked the corridors of the Senate house and Cleopatra visited Rome. Surprisingly, life for the ancient Romans was not unbelievably different from today. The Romans had many of the little luxuries that we often associate exclusively with the modern world. For example, baths were to be found in every city, and public toilets were viewed as a necessity. The toilets depicted in HBO’s Rome Series are copies of those discovered in Pompeii, where those caught short could find a long stretch of latrines (much like a long bench with different sized holes) and relieve themselves next to their neighbor. Shops sold a variety of wigs, and women could buy irons to put curls their hair. For the rain, there were umbrellas, and for the sun, parasols. Houses for the wealthy were equipped with running water and were often decorated quite lavishly, with elaborate mosaics, painted ceilings, and plush carpets.
In the markets, the eager shopper could find a rich array of silks, along with linen and wool. You could also find slaves, and in this, Roman times certainly differ from our own. While some men spoke out against it, one in three people were enslaved. Most of these slaves came from Greece, or Gaul (an area roughly comprising modern France). Abuse was rampant, and the misery caused by this led desperate men like Spartacus to risk death for freedom.
For those few who were free and wealthy, however, life in Rome provided nearly endless entertainments. As a child, there were dolls and board games to be played with, and as an adult, there was every kind of amusement to be had, from the theatre to the chariot races. Even the poor could afford “bread and circuses,” which, according to Juvenal, was all the Romans were really interested in.
For those more academic minded, however, there were libraries. Although I don’t portray this in Cleopatra’s Daughter, libraries were incredibly noisy places. The male scholars and patrons read aloud to themselves and each other, for nothing was ever read silently (the Romans believed it was impossible!). Other cities were renowned for their learning, too: Pergamum (or Pergamon) was the largest and grandest library in the world. Built by the Greeks, Pergamum became Roman property when Greece was captured and many of its people enslaved. The library was said to be home to more than 200,000 volumes, and it is was in Pergamum that the history of writing was forever changed.
Built by Eumenes II, Pergamum inspired great jealousy in the Egyptian Ptolemies, who believed that their Library of Alexandria was superior. In order to cripple this Greek rival (and also because of crop shortages), Egypt ceased exporting papyrus, on which all manuscripts were written. Looking for an alternative solution, the Library of Pergamum began using parchment, or charta pergamena. For the first time, manuscripts were now being written on thin sheets of calf, sheep or goat’s skin. The result of this change from papyrus to parchment was significant. Now, knowledge could be saved by anyone with access to animal hide. Manuscripts (although still quite rare) were now available to more people. Alas, so impressive was this vast Pergamese library of parchment that Cleopatra asked Marc Antony to ship its entire contents to her as a wedding gift. This transfer marked the end of Pergamum’s scholarly dominance, and is the reason why, today, we remember Alexandria as possessing the ancient world’s greatest library.
CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER: a novel
The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning...
Visit CleopatrasDaughter.com
Check out Michelle's blog at michellemoran.blogspot.com
If you're interested in winning a book, check out the contests she's holding on MichelleMoran.com!
There is even a contest for teens, since Cleopatra’s Daughter is her first Adult/YA crossover.
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