Phoenix
Awakens
by Eliza Nolan
Release
Date: 10/12/15
Summary from Goodreads:
Paranormal debut about a high school senior who finds herself in a fight with a secret society for control of ancient magic.
Julia never believed in magic.
Julia Long is starting her senior year with an extra dose of crazy. The dreams of cultish, bloody rituals are weird enough, but the victim in her lifelike dreams is her new classmate, Southern charmer Graham.
Graham admits he was part of the Phoenixes — a centuries old secret society — but swears he left it all behind. As Julia works with Graham to figure out why she is dreaming about his past, she's discovering she has other abilities. She heals Graham’s migraines with a touch, and there’s her superhuman strength that comes and goes. Julia doesn’t know where her new talents come from, but there’s no denying that when Graham is near, her powers kick into overdrive.
But the Phoenixes want Graham back. They need his blood to awaken the magic they seek, and they'll do whatever it takes to get it.
In a mundane world where magic does not exist, Julia is the only one with a shot at stopping them. Will Julia learn to control her new abilities in time to stop the Phoenixes from harnessing this powerful magic?
Buy Links:
Amazon
Interview
Excerpt
I rush down the wooded path as fast as I can. My
legs throb and my lungs burn as I push forward through the night.
I should be heading in the other direction, away
from danger, but my survival instinct is overpowered by an even deeper need. A
need so primal I can't name it; I only feel its pull and have to obey.
A man's yell cuts through the forest. I race even
faster towards the bloodcurdling sound.
But when I get there, it's too late. I hide behind a
tree at the edge of the clearing.
Light from a bonfire illuminates a group of men in hooded
cloaks. At their feet kneels a teenage boy. He's wearing jeans and nothing
else. Blood drips down his chest from fresh cuts. One of the men stands over
him, a bloody knife in his hand. The boy wavers on his knees and collapses to
the ground. The others move away, leaving him where he lies, motionless.
The shuffle of their feet fades as they head towards
the swamp.
The only sound left is the racing thump, thump of my
heart, so loud I'm sure all the creatures in the forest can hear. I tiptoe out
into the clearing and, seeing no one else, rush over to the guy. Still
breathing, he is curled up in a ball on the ground. His body is covered in a
mixture of dirt and his own blood. So much blood!
"Hey." My voice comes out in an unsteady
whisper. "Are you okay?"
He turns to face me and I startle when I recognize
him.
My hands shake as I reach out to him. I brush his
shoulder with my fingertips and sharp pain shoots through them and up my arm.
It's like a million pin pricks at once.
I jerk my hand away, crying out.
Interview
Which writers inspire you?
I grew up reading Stephen King.
I love his books. But I didn’t start writing until I read Twilight. Stephanie
Meyer’s story really clicked with me. I found myself wishing I’d had something
like that to read when I was in high school. Swoony paranormal guys? Yes
please!
When did you decide to become a
writer?
In October of 2009 I heard
about International Novel Writing Month (every November). I’d just finished
reading the Twilight series and thought writing a novel sounded like fun. The
book I started writing that November was the very rough first draft of Phoenix
Awakens.
Shortly after I finished the
first draft, I realized I wanted to make writing more than just a hobby. I’ve
spent the last several years working on my craft.
Did you learn anything from
writing your book?
Since Phoenix Awakens was my
first, I had to learn how to write. Seriously, my first draft was so
awful that I wouldn’t even show it to my cat.
What does your writing process
look like?
It’s always changing; no two
books write the same. I had no idea how Phoenix Awakens was going to end when I
started writing it. Since then I’ve done a bit more work with outlines. Each
story has its own process. The trick for me is to figure out what the process
is for each story, and then go through that process so that I can find the
story and share it.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written three full-length
books, and have two partially written. I know I should say they are all my
children and I love them equally--I actually do really love all my stories a
ton--but my favorite is Phoenix Awakens. It’s always been my baby, and I’m
insanely excited to finally share it!
If you had to do it all over
again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No way. I’ve had some ups and
downs, but the story is what it is because of those ups and downs. I wouldn’t
change a thing.
What is your next project?
I would like to write more in
the Phoenix series. I also have a contemporary young adult in draft form, and a
post-apocalyptic story. I’ve always got a few things going.
About the Author
Eliza Nolan was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for a few years, after which she returned to icy Minnesota - where she now lives with her two cats in a house smaller than your closet.
She is an avid reader and writer of YA. She has ghostwritten a novel or two, but also writes her own stuff, and is FINALLY getting ready (to get ready) to publish her debut young adult urban fantasy novel, Phoenix Awakens.
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:
No comments:
Post a Comment