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Dacia, and her cousin LouLou, are traveling to Romania to meet their mothers' family for the first time.  While Lou visits Paris and shops the fashion houses there, Dacia travels by ship with her Aunt Kate.  Dacia, ever the rebel, is in disgrace since she had an escapade with a certain nobleman in England.

Dacia catches sight of her prim aunt passionately kissing a stranger when the train they have boarded is stopped by snow in the mountains.

Meanwhile, Lou is stalked by That Awful Man, a stranger who accosts her on the ship asking if she is The Wing or the Claw.  Another time, he announces that she is the Smoke and an houri, which upsets her terribly.

In Romania, Dacia meets Prince Mihai, charming to the nth degree.  Then she meets her maternal grandmother, the dread Lady Ioana.  "Dread" does not come close to describing this woman.

Dacia and Lou are trapped by their genetic make-up in a destiny that neither wants nor can control.

But things are worse.  Their family believes that these two girls are the answer to a prophecy.  And the family is at odds about what the prophecy means.

And the English Lord, That Awful Man and Prince Mihai are, none of them, what they seem to be.

Ahh, a proper paranormal romance, set in the home of paranormal activity, the mountains of Eastern Europe!   Terror, entrapment, kidnapping, poison, armed guards, swoon worthy men, Victorian fashions and manners... It's all in here.   Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George.

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Genevieve Crownson graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelors of Science degree. A love of writing led her to pen her debut novel, The Soul of the Sun. This is book one in her highly anticipated trilogy, The Argos Dynasty. She currently lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with her family and beloved four-legged friends.

You can find her at www.genevievecrownson.com.

Where did you grow up?

My family must have had the gypsy gene, because we moved around a great deal when I was growing up. I was born in Maryland, but have also lived in Massachusetts and several different places in Vermont. Since I spent the majority of my time in Vermont I feel that was my childhood home.

When did you begin writing?

I began to write stories in first grade after I had my first writing assignment. I have been hooked ever since. In college I began to write full length novels and fell in love with the process.

 Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write whenever I can. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is. Inspiration can come anywhere, anytime. I have also learned to be flexible because I have a full time job. I’ve discovered how to make the most of my spare moments.

What is this book about?

Since the days of Ancient Greece the Argos Dynasty has kept a secret.  A great healer and time traveler will be born of their blood. Their only clue to the healer’s identity is an ancient amulet as old as time itself. In a cat and mouse game fraught with peril, evil stalks them, watching and waiting tosee who has the ultimatepower. For only she who is called The Soul of the Sun can save the earth. If The Watcher discovers her identity first the planet could be destroyed. 

What inspired you to write it?

I have always been inspired to write. I have this inner desire to go into worlds where anything is possible. This particular story, The Soul of the Sun, came to me in a dream as all of my novel ideas do. This dream was so real; I knew I had to write it. It has an important message of love, strength and power that I believe should be shared with the world. 

Who is your favorite character from the book?

I really love all of my characters, but if I had to pick a favorite it would definitely be Margaret. She holds a special place in my heart because she has pieces of my Grandmother in her. My Grandmother has Margaret’s strength, and that ability to see the good in everyone. She is the person I admire most in this world. Oh, and Margaret always wears red lipstick. That’s totally my Grandma.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

It was definitely bumpy! Publishing a book requires you to wear many hats. You need to learn how to format your books, make sure you have an amazing cover and all those little things you don’t think about when you’re writing your novel. When you finish your book it’s just the beginning. I have learned so much and every bump in the road has been worth it. I am now a published author, which is a dream come true for me.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

I don’t think so. Everything I have done up to this point has led me to where I am today. Dive in and take the plunge you won’t regret it. We only have this moment. Keep moving forward, and do what you can to make your dreams come true.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

My book The Soul of the Sun is available in both paperback and e-book on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GVAAABC/

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

I was given a fabulous piece of advice when I first started looking into promoting my work. First, invest in an amazing cover. The cover is what will draw people in. It will get them to pick up your book and take a second look. You need a cover that says I am a professional and I take this seriously. Second, even before you start to promote your book make sure you get it edited. That is so important. Make sure your book is the best it can be and the success will follow.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Don’t give up. Believe in yourself. If you dream of being a writer do everything you can to make it happen. You can share your stories with the world. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams and love you. Live your life fearlessly. I strive to do this every day.

What is up next for you?

I am working on book two and three of the Argos Dynasty, the follow up to The Soul of the Sun. I think that you will enjoy where the story goes next. Stay tuned for The Power of Alchemy coming soon. I will post on my website as soon as I have dates for the release. You can find me at www.genevievecrownson.com 

Is there anything you would like to add?

I just want to thank all my readers that have reached out to me and told me how much they love my book. I love all of you.

Title: The Soul of the Sun
Genre: Paranormal/Young Adult
Author: Genevieve Crownson
Publisher: Genevieve Crownson
Pages: 348
Format: Paperback; Kindle

Social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Genevieve-Crownson/399531700175632

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GCrownson

 Instagram: http://instagram.com/gcrownson

 

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E-book ISBN: B007IIXZ0O
Print ISBN-13: 978-0615613291
Print ISBN-10: 0615613292

If you haven’t read my paranormal young adult…

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Today, I got an offer from Flamingnet to download a free copy of Sprite by Leigh Michael.  It's a Kindle book, of course, and I don't own a Kindle.  I guess I could just download it to my computer.  And I might! Go ahead and take advantage of this offer.  It's FREE!

Do you know about Flamingnet?  It's a book review site for teens.  A lot of the reviewers are teens, themselves.  It's fun to know what teens really think about the books they read.  And what they really think is usually, "Give us more books!"  So Flamingnet is my KBW for this Tuesday.

But back to Sprite - The book that inspired this post.  She's human.  She's sprite. And she has to save the world for humans and sprites.  It is a very popular formula.  Pick a magical creature.  Create a character who has mixed parentage - one human, one magical creature.  Now, put that character in a life or world threatening situation.  Voila!  A best seller.

Here is a partial catalog of magical creatures who have - according to current YA fiction - coupled with humans: gods, goddesses, fairies, naiads, demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, merpeople, sprites, zombies - well maybe not zombies.  And here are some of the paranormal creatures with whom teens have fallen in love: vampires, ghosts - lots of ghosts of many different types - werewolves, fairies, demons, angels, zombies - yes, zombies, my personal un-favorite - merpeople, wereowls, were-anything, gods, goddesses, demigods and demigoddesses.

I have not read anything about the sidhe.  But I am sure that somewhere there is a book in which a teen falls in love with - or discovers that one of his or her parents is - a member of the sidhe.  And let's not forget fauns, centaurs and other chimera; dragons, gryphons, and other mythical beasts.

The late, great Diana Wynne-Jones went a little further in this mixture of species.  Her Dark Lord of Derkholm dabbled in magical gene modification.  His children included griffins, winged humans (angels?) and humans.  Each child was a combination of his genes, his wife's genes and magical genes.  The children are all splendid characters, as evidenced in the follow up novel, The Year of the Griffin.  Man, I miss Diann Wynne-Jones.  Sigh.

YA authors around the globe raise silent prayers of thanks for the centuries of folklore they can mine for ideas.  Now, which magical creature can I research?  Where's my Bulfinch's Mythology?

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Maybe it’s because it’s spring and that just makes me happy, maybe it’s because the person in the Starbucks drive-through…

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Hi, all. If you’re in the mood for some short fiction, you can now read two of my short stories, written last year while I was deep into my quantum physics research for my upcoming trilogy, INTO THE PARALLEL. You can tell my brain was pretty physicsy at the time.

They are:

A SKIP OF THE MIND: A physicist must find a unique solution to the problem of time travel if he wants to save his wife.

GAMEMASTER: They say high school is a game . . . For one girl, it’s a game she’s in charge of. A stroke of a key, an equation, a few changes in molecules and atoms here and there, and suddenly the losers aren’t such outcasts anymore. Nicki isn’t doing it to be noble, she’s doing it for sport. Because she can. But what happens to the people she’s remade? Who’s in charge of them now?

Hope you like them!

Technorati Tags: Computers, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Paranormal, Gaming, Paranormal, Paranormal Fiction, Physics, Quantum Physics, Science Fiction, Science Stories, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Time Travel

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Full name: Alaya Dawn Johnson

Birth date: March 31, 1982

Location: Washington, DC

Website/blog: www.alayadawnjohnson.com

Genre: Fantasy





WiP or most recently published work: Moonshine or The Burning City (they came out within weeks of each other)




Writing credits: The first two books of The Spirit Binders trilogy: Racing the Dark and The Burning City. Also, unrelated, Moonshine, the start of a historical fantasy series staring Zephyr Hollis.




How frequently do you update your site?
Infrequently. Mostly when I have big publishing news to share (book covers, pub dates, big sales, etc.)





Is your site designed for reader interaction? No.





Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out: I wrote a guest post for The Angry Black Woman this summer about race issues on one of my favorite television shows, Supernatural: http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/09/an-open-letter-to-eric-kripke/



Top 5 reads you’re looking forward to reading in 2010?


Blackout by Connie Willis

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

Bite Marks by Terence Taylor

White Cat by Holly Black




100 words or less how would you describe your work?
I hate repeating myself with my writing, so the next thing I'm working on is usually very different from the last. Moonshine and The Spirit Binders trilogy are about as far apart thematically as you can get while still falling under the broad category of fantasy. But my overarching themes tend to center around issues of family, female relationships, love (romantic and platonic), and broader issues of coming of age and identity.


100 words on less please share your thoughts on one of the following topics:

Writing life

It's a cliche, but writing is one of the hardest things you can do, and one of the most rewarding. When it's going well, I'm immersed in my stories, my characters and my worlds and I can barely spare the time to eat before I have to get back to them. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go well--many days I stare at my computer screen and wonder why I ever thought I was capable of putting a sentence together. But no matter how difficult it gets, there's never been anything else I've wanted to do. Frustration comes with the territory, but I never forget how lucky I am.

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Moonshine
Alaya Johnson
St. Martin's Press
2010
paranormal historical fiction

Imagine it's New York City in the roaring twenties and you teach English in a night school for immigrants. Sounds pretty normal, but add in the fact that vampires and all sorts of "Others" are integrated into society alongside humans. Not sounding so typical anymore, unless you're Zephyr Hollis. Zephyr, reformed "Defender", is a "blessed" blade wielding, social activist extraordinaire, feminist, and closet Jazz singer. The vampire suffragette, as she's affectionately and mockingly known, is sent into a tail spin when a series of events beginning with a half dead little boy she finds in an alley on her way to teach one evening. Zephyr's comings and goings include a charming cast of characters including her hypocritically prudish landlady Mrs. Brodsky, roommate with a sixth sense Aileen, socialite and journalist Lily, and the ever mysterious Amir. Amir is not only an "Other" unlike any Zephyr's ever encountered, but also he's flirtatious, sarcastic, and dangerous- a winning combination for an intense budding romance.


Alaya Johnson has written a fast-paced, engaging novel. Her no nonsense, sharp tongued characterizations of Zephyr and Amir make this an enchanting read. The notion of Moonshine being merely another vampire or paranormal fiction novel is taking it a bit too lightly. Though a quirky and supernatural tale, it's also a guise for a more grounded critique on race. Zephyr struggles daily to get humans to see that the "Others", who openly live, work, and play in mainstream society, are still deserving of humanity even if not human.


Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher.

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As the genre of books on multicultural adoption grows in popularity, lists of such books, with sub-genres, are also proliferating. The Comeunity site offers book lists for kids and adults, along with other resources for adopting families. The AdoptShoppe site offers books specifically for kids from China, Korea, and Russia. Adopt Korea has a list for Korean adoptees. Adopt Vietnam has lists for fiction and non-fiction. Here’s another resource for kids’ multicultural adoption books and one of multiracial adoption books from PACT. Adoption counselor and author Betty J. Lifton writes on the subject, for children and for adults.

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