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Book-Fiction Virtual Book Tours

August’s Gardens by @Shelly_Barclay Virtual Book Tour Interview by #thetoiboxofwords via @RABTBookTours #horror


Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I’m sharing a special interview with author, Michelle Barclay, about her fiction book entitled, August’s Gardens. Enjoy!

Amazon.com

Where did the idea for August’s Gardens come from?

The idea for August’s Gardens came from its predecessor, Morrigan’s Shadows. The story just kept on going, so I kept on writing it.

How did the title of this book come about?

August’s Gardens derives from the name of one of the characters and a running theme in the novel. I wanted to shift the focus of the story to this character, even though it is truly a cast of characters.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

August’s Gardens is a fantasy horror novel. I just wrote a book with hopefully scary bits in it. The fantasy part came about because the story needed some fantastic elements. Horror is a lot of fun to write, but so is fantasy.

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

August’s Gardens isn’t quite literary fiction. There is no underlying message about the human condition or anything like that. If anything, I just hope I gross people out or give them a chill here or there.

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

August’s Gardens took several years, but only because I set it aside for one of them so I could get married. I started writing it a few months after Morrigan’s Shadows came out. There was some research involved in injuries and characters, but the nature of the book makes it easy to wing it without too much study. I would have to give away a sort of tongue-in-cheek aspect of the story to say too much about research. Hopefully, people will pick up on it.

Tell me about the main storyline within this book.

August’s Gardens is the continuation of the plot in Morrigan’s Shadows. However, it primarily takes place in a fantasy world with some seriously bad creatures hanging out in it. This world was glimpsed only briefly in Morrigan’s Shadows.

Who is the protagonist of this story?

There are actually several protagonists in August’s Gardens. The Winged Man is back. The Artist plays a much larger role and there are some hopefully unexpected additions to that list.

Who is the antagonist of this story?

The antagonist is without a doubt the Dark Man, an amalgamation of all the devil figures in lore. He is the source behind the bulk of the conflict and an enemy of even the protagonist’s enemies, which might tell you something about who fights on which side when it comes down to it.

What is the major conflict in this story?

It is time for the conflict between the Dark Man and the god-like protagonists of the story to erupt. The Dark Man hates everyone, but mostly the Winged Man. The Winged Man is rightly angry over everything the Dark Man has done to his family, namely his wife. They have yet to come face to face and it is time.

Where and when is this story taking place?

August’s Gardens mostly takes place in the Dream and Dark Realms, fantastic worlds where a set of brothers control dreams and an evil creature lords over the dead. A portion of the story takes place in turn of the century France where the Artist’s backstory is revealed.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

The Artist is without a doubt my favorite character in this book. He is the most redeemable and respectable. Most of my other characters are a blend of good and bad. The Artist is the only one who resists the evil that surrounds him and works only for the betterment of the people he loves.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

There is nothing in August’s Gardens that exists in any way in my life. That would be very strange. However, the series itself has some elements from my life. I have really vivid dreams and nightmares. That prompted me to write about dreams and nightmares. I was a cook for nearly a decade. Morrigan owned a restaurant.

~

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. To obtain your copy of August’s Gardens, please visit the links provided.

Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Kobo  | CreateSpace

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Whispers from the East by @amietheauthor Virtual Book Tour Interview by #thetoiboxofwords via @RABTBookTours #historicalnovel

Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I’m sharing a special interview with author, Amie Ali, about her fiction book entitled, Whispers from the East. Enjoy!

Amazon

Where did the idea for Whispers from the East come from?

I am a part of a support group for Western women who are born to non-Western born Muslim men. The stories I hear from the women who pass through and my friends who have committed to the group are amazing. Some are wonderful, some are terrible, and some are just like any other relationship that doesn’t cross cultural and religious barriers. I felt like these stories needed to be heard. None of the characters are based on any one person or experience. I think every woman I have spoken with that is in this type of relationship will see a bit of herself in all the characters.

How did the title of this book come about?

The title was the result of a huge amount of brainstorming. Plays on words and phrases that are catchy and memorable, in the hope it might entice a reader to look closer. Whispers from the East was a title that I was excited about the moment it was presented to me. This is the story of three women with ties to South Asia, a land they have been drawn to through their experiences and love lives. One was born there, and two were gently coaxed. There were no loud sirens or declarations to the East…just the whispers of their hearts.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

The book is Literary Fiction under the sub-genres of Historical Fiction and Women’s Fiction. I didn’t choose the genres, the genres chose me!

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

The overall message is that there are many, many different kinds of love. It doesn’t fit into a box. People have different expectations on what a relationship and a marriage should be like, and no matter where you are in the world, ultimately we are all looking for love.

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

I’ve actually only been asked this once before and even I find the answer to be quite shocking. I wrote Whispers from the East in under 90 days. Once I started, it just poured out of my soul.

Who is the protagonist of this story?

There are three women in this book who all share the role of protagonist, and they are Ammi, Carolyn, and Ivy. Ammi is the Pakistani mother of three sons, two of whom immigrate to America and eventually marry Carolyn and Ivy. The story is told from the point of view of each woman.

Who is the antagonist of this story?

The antagonists are misconception and miscommunication. All of the protagonists have their own internal battles to fight, and their inner struggles are the only antagonists in Whispers from the East. And those demons are fierce!

Where and when is this story taking place?

There are three distinctive time settings and three locations the stories take place. Ammi is a migrant in the 1947 Partition of India, so we see her move during that time from New Delhi, India to Lahore, Pakistan, where she raises her family. We then meet Carolyn in the 1970’s San Francisco Bay, followed by Ivy, in 1980’s Florida.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

Ammi is central in the story and, as their mother-in-law, in the lives of Carolyn and Ivy. She’s definitely the one who pulls at my heart strings the most.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

You know, it’s almost impossible to not have bits of yourself in what you write. Where Amie Ali is in Whispers from the East is in the scenery. I have traveled pretty extensively and that tends to translate onto the pages. It would be hard to write about a place I have never experienced first hand, but thankfully, I don’t have to!

What is one thing from this book you wish was real or could happen to you?

I wish I could buy canned chickpeas instead of uncooked, but my husband wouldn’t go for that!

Let’s say your book is being turned into a feature length film; quick- cast the main two characters and pick a theme song or score.

I have THREE main characters and I’d give them to: Mahira Khan (young Ammi), Amanda Seyfried (Carolyn), and Anna Kendrick (Ivy).

As for the score, I’d have to leave that in the expert hands of Hans Zimmer.

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

While Whispers from the East is a stand alone and not the start of a series, I do have a tie-in to follow it that will be out next year. Exciting!

~

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. To obtain your copy of Whispers from the East, a Reader’s Favorite, please visit the links provided.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ReadersFavorite.com

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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A Dewdrop Away by @c_a_allen Virtual Book Tour Interview by #thetoiboxofwords via @RABTBookTours #fantasy


Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I’m sharing a special interview with author, C.A. Allen, about her fiction book entitled, A Dewdrop Away. Enjoy!

Amazon.com

Where did the idea for A Dewdrop Away come from?

I can’t remember the where or when of it, really. The world just popped into my head one day, and I built it up until I just had to write about it.

How did the title of this book come about?

The title of this book is based on one of the last things the main character Rupert’s mother says to him before she dies at the beginning of the novel- that though everyone is different in the divided world in which they live, their souls are “only a dewdrop away” meaning they’re essentially similar in the ways that really matter.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

Fantasy. It’s really all I write (apart from poetry) and at the time I had the idea for this book, it was all I read as well (I’ve since branched out with reading, but fantasy is my first and best love).

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

I don’t really write with a message or theme in mind- I’m much more story and character-driven as an author. But I would have to say the core of the book goes back to the title and to the fact that it’s when we focus only on our differences instead of what we have in common- even if it’s just the experience of being a living creature- that we grow truly, hopelessly divided and lost. Also, think for yourself and give your intuition more credit than it usually gets- it’s often right (so much so that in Dewdrop, it’s considered a form of magic).

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

From conception to finished, edited book this took me about ten years- though there were a LOT of breaks in there.

Where and when is this story taking place?

A Dewdrop Away takes place in the fictional, squirrel-run land of Arborand, in which there are six major territories: Oakwood, Pinewood, Firwood, Maplewood, Ashwood and Beechwood. Arborand is surrounded on all sides by water and it is unknown what other lands- or creatures-  lie across the water, if any.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

I really like Rupert, I’ve put him through a lot and he’s been an amazing sport about it. Kyan was amazingly fun to write. I also love Perris the chipmunk, he’s a really genuinely good soul and someone I would like to know in real life. His interactions with Theo were some of my favorite parts to write, in turns touching and funny.

As you can see, I can never pick just one.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

There are probably elements of my personality scattered about through all of my characters.

What is one thing from this book you wish was real or could happen to you?

I sometimes wish that magical artifacts like the golden chestnut actually existed, though it might cause a lot of trouble- being immortal would be an experience. Also, running around in trees without breaking my neck sounds like a good time.

What is something you wish wasn’t real and hope doesn’t happen to you?

I am really glad mind-control doesn’t operate on the same level in real life as it does in this book.

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

Not at the moment. I would love if this book were someday made into an animation of some sort, that would be baller on so many levels, but right now there’s nothing to report. I’ve already written a prequel trilogy to Dewdrop, consisting of the books Flight, Fall and Overworld, all available on Amazon as well. No further books in the land of Arborand are currently planned, but that could change.

~

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. To obtain your copy of A Dewdrop Away, please visit the link provided.

Amazon.com

This has been a

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords