Tuesday 14 April 2015

APRIL: Of DRYAD snippets and a BEAST blog tour


How long has it been since I last wrote a post? Three months? Jesus. That I had literally nothing to report for those months is quite sad. I'm disappointed my monthly post schedule has fallen behind, but at least I have something to show for it now. By the end of this week, I will have finished the first draft of The DRYAD of Callaire, which means things can finally start happening. I can edit it and fix everything and write the draft of the next book! Covers for DRYAD and the redesigned BEAST cover will be revealed! The Legend Mirror will make a scary debut on Netgalley. Lots of things.

This month I'm taking part in Camp Nanowrimo, and so far I've written 24,293 words which is pretty awesome. April is also the month of The BEAST of Callaire blog tour with Diverse Book Tours! Here are some posts you may have missed:

My interview over at Twinja Book Reviews

Why do you find diversity important in your writing?
I write diversely because I can walk into any bookshop in any city and see myself, a cis white person, reflected in every single book. Because there are so many people out there who can’t do the same, and because I wish there were books for them in every bookshop, too.

I wrote 30 Random Things about The Beast of Callaire and The Legend Mirror. You can find 10 on Howling For Books, 10 on Donnie Darko Girl, and 10 over at Constance Burris's blog! There are some hints about future TLM books in there, too, so you don't wanna miss 'em.

3 – One of the characters isn't who they claim to be.

BEAST was featured by THHernandez and Authors To Watch where you can also read an excerpt.

Talons unfurl from my fingers. My vision sharpens all at once and I know I look beastly, that my eyes are the most golden they’ve ever been.

On top of this (so many things happening!) Angie at Pinkindle and Tamara Philip reviewed The Beast of Callaire. Here's what they're saying:

"I also really liked how this wasn’t a story about coming out or accepting ones sexual identity. Yasmin just happens to be gay and that’s that. She has bigger things to worry about than who she’s attracted to."


"This book is a definite must read especially for someone looking for something DIFFERENT and diverse in the YA genre."



Now for the snippets I promised in the title. To make up for the lack of posts these past few months, below are two unedited snippets of DRYAD, one from Fray, one from Yasmin. The Dryad of Callaire is out this August and will be able to pre-order from July! Add it to your Goodreads.

“I’m all human, actually,” I say. I keep my voice even, as though I’m not scared, as though I’m not even moved by his presence. I know enough from experience that it’s more frightening when your opponent is deadly calm than when they’re blazing fury. “But I have a lot of Majick. More than I had this morning, actually. Enough to knock out an Incar, and more than enough to deal with you.” 

---



I hear the others climb out of the van and stand behind us but I’m too transfixed on the boy in front of us to look at them, because I recognise him. The last time I saw him he was still, sat in a basement cellar, staring at nothing. There were more of them, though. At least a handful more. I scan the road and scrubby trees around the gates, expecting more than one boy, but I can’t see another stranger. I reach out with my Majick but all I sense is us, and him. He’s wrong, inhuman—not even Legendary, not even Numen—he’s made entirely of Majick but that’s not what feels wrong. The Majick is tarnished, dark.

“He’s dead,” Mavers says.

I hope you enjoyed these glimpses at DRYAD and followed the Beast of Callaire blog tour!
For more regular content, you might want to follow me on The Lux Guardians and The Legend Mirror facebook pages, where I post weekly :)

Hope you're all having a great April!
~Saruuh