Saturday, March 2, 2013

Book Spotlight: The Puppet Spell by E. L. Adams + Author Interview


Synopsis:

Unlike her rebellious sister Lucinda, fifteen-year-old Lexa prefers to spend her free time playing video games, fighting the forces of evil with her partner-in-crime Marlon. But when Lucinda steals an invisibility potion from their uncle’s storeroom, she unleashes chaos into their lives. Lexa and Marlon find themselves catapulted into a world far more dangerous than any video game, full of misleading illusions, sinister Conjurors and deadly Fey, and threatened by a man with a grudge known as the Puppeteer. Accompanied only by Lexa’s uncle’s unreliable (and rather dangerous) Chimera, Lexa and Marlon must navigate this world to find Lucinda- before they too fall under the spell of the puppet master...



Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo

Find It: Goodreads | Website-1st Chapter


Reviewer's Comments:

'It reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth if it were to meet Return to Oz. The end result was a well woven tale of magic, darkness, and wonder...I will recommend it to anyone who remains young at heart, or wants to read a wonderful, well-written fantastical adventure.' - children's author Najeev Raj Nadarajah (Goodreads review)

'Kudos to author Emma L. Adams and her debut novel! She has created a beautifully creepy work of art and I look forward to her future works.' - Fantasy author Amy Joy Lutchen (Goodreads review)

'OMG, my hat goes off to Miss Adams. "The Puppet Spell", is a mind-bogglingly crafted novel... It's Harry Potter meets The Matrix. It's a fast-paced story that left me gripping the end of my seat waiting for the next scene to start. Adams's debut novel is a must have! Its original take on magic and other worlds will have you placed under a spell of its own.' - YA author Elle A. Rose (Amazon review)

'Adams has crafted an entertaining fantasy tale with some nicely creepy moments. This novel is aimed at a young audience and should be extremely well received...a brilliantly written adventure story.' - Fantasy author Sharon Stevenson (Amazon review)

 About the Author

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Emma is a 21-year-old author from Birmingham, UK. When she isn't reading voraciously, studying, or taking every opportunity to travel, she can be found in front of her writing desk.
Having aspired to be a writer since the age of ten, Emma aims to give life to her (admittedly bizarre) daydreams, through creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel THE PUPPET SPELL, published in January 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, inspired by her lifelong love of traditional fantasy, mythology, and video games.

When not living the crazy life of an English Literature with Creative Writing student at Lancaster University, Emma reluctantly resides in the attic in her parents' house in Birmingham. Local rumour is that she is working on a dark fantasy series for mature young adults featuring demons and other assorted night terrors. 


I first met Emma Adams on Twitter and I have to say that she is super friendly and very approachable. She is always open for conversation and will never leave you hanging. And when I heard that she needed help pimping her debut novel I was like, sign me up! Make sure you show her some love and stop by and tell her hi. She won't bite, promise!

And now to get to know her a little more on with.....


1) When did you first know you could be a writer?

 I’ve always written, but it was when I was ten that my teacher suggested that I could be a writer. And that was it: I knew what I wanted to do with my life! I was fourteen when I wrote my first novel (it was terrible…) but it’s taken me years to learn about the business side of being a writer. And I’m still learning!

2) How did you come up with the title?

After hours of agonizing and making lists. I’m terrible at coming up with a suitable title before I start writing a book, and I often change it. But ‘The Puppet Spell’ is the best title I could come up with, and there don’t seem to be any problems with it.


3) Can you tell us about your main character?

 Lexa is socially awkward, constantly living in the shadow of her overly-confident sister, but in The Puppet Spell she begins to realise her own inner strength.

4) What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

 Publishing my book! I’ve wanted to do this for over eleven years, and it still feels like I’m dreaming when I see it on Amazon.

5) Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot?


Not so much in The Puppet Spell - I don’t have a sister or a crazy nomadic uncle, or even a cat! A real cat, that is. I just have a goldfish called Shiny Orange the Fourth.

Mind you, I’ve incorporated several real-life experiences into my next book series, but that’s because it’s set at a university, a place where the bizarre is a daily occurrence!

6) Can we expect any more books from you in the future?

Definitely! I’m a compulsive writer and always have several projects on the go at once. I’m working on a dark and creepy supernatural fantasy series for older teens (not for the faint-hearted!) as well as the sequel to The Puppet Spell.

7)  Do you have any advice for writers?

It’s not as easy as bestsellers make it seem! Keep working on your craft, read widely within and outside your genre of choice. And if you really want to be published, keep trying! :)

8) What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Australia. I went there for a month a couple of years ago and I loved it. But if I had to pick somewhere in the UK, I’d say Lancaster, because it’s been my home for the past three years, or Edinburgh.

9) Who is your favorite author and why?

It’s probably an obvious one, but I really admire J.K. Rowling for creating a fantasy world millions of people want to live in. That’s some achievement! (I think Errol might have been given my Hogwarts letter. I’ve been waiting ten years…)

Other fantasy authors I really admire are Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones.

10) How do you find balance between writing, going to school and family?

With difficulty! Because I live at the university I have lectures and meetings at random times and days, which makes it tricky to stick to a writing routine. I tend to write whenever I can, and I see my family when they come to visit me from home every month or so. But when I’m at home during the holidays, they have to put up with my grumpy writer’s moods! :P

11) If you could have dinner with any 3 book characters who would they be and why?

I always find these questions hard to answer! Off the top of my head, I’d go with Dumbledore from Harry Potter because I’m sure he’d have interesting and wise things to say; Wizard Howl from Howls Moving Castle because he’s just hilarious; and Tyrion Lannister from A Game of Thrones because I’m pretty sure he’d be an entertaining guest!


12)  If you were stranded on a deserted island, with water and food provided, what 5 things (no people or transportation) would you want with you?

Definitely my laptop, my Kindle (and a few hundred pre-downloaded books!), iPod, Nintendo DS – and some kind of portable charger!

13) Do you have a particular place you like to write? A place that really helps get your imaginative juices flowing?

I can write pretty much anywhere, provided it’s quiet – although when I’m really inspired, noise isn’t an issue since I just tune it out! I get most inspired when I’m in my room surrounded by all my books and notes, though.

14) If you could be a character in any book, even yours, who would you be and why?

Another tricky one! I think I’d have to go with Hermione from Harry Potter – just so I could go to Hogwarts! 

*It would be so much fun to go to Hogwarts*

15) Who is your favorite author and why?

It’s probably an obvious one, but I really admire J.K. Rowling for creating a fantasy world millions of people want to live in. That’s some achievement! (I think Errol might have been given my Hogwarts letter. I’ve been waiting ten years…)

Other fantasy authors I really admire are Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones.

So there you have it, now go out and buy the book, then read the book!!! Go, go on!

"Devouring worlds, one book and recipe at a time."

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