K: Hey all, I am so pleased to welcome Kari Lynn West, author of The Secrets of Islayne, to the blog today. My review for her book can be found here, and if you'd like to connect more with Kari, you can reach her at her website, here. I hope you'll join me in welcoming Kari to The Underground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi
there,
First
off, thank you Katie for hosting me on your blog today! I appreciate the chance
to introduce myself and talk a bit about my novel with all of your lovely
readers J
To
all those lovely readers, my name is Kari Lynn West, and I recently released my
debut YA fantasy, The Secrets of Islayne.
You should also know that I love coffee much more than is probably good for
me. One of my favorite things to do is to curl up on the couch with a cup of
strong coffee and a good story.
At
some point in the past few days, I hope you've also had the chance to do just
that.
Speaking
of stories, I'd like to share a short tale with you about my writing journey
and how my debut novel, The Secrets of
Islayne, came to be. If you want, feel free to brew some good coffee first
and find that favorite spot on your couch. I don't mind waiting.
...All set? Let's begin. :)
...All set? Let's begin. :)
A
Young Story Fanatic
It was a dark and stormy night...
It was a dark and stormy night...
Kidding,
everyone, kidding.
Let's start that again:
Books have long been my obsession. As a kid, I could spend an entire Saturday curled up on the couch with the latest Little House on the Prairie, Redwall, or Dear America novel. The adventure, friendship, and fun I found between the pages opened up my imagination and sparked a never-ending search for my next favorite story.
In college, I majored in English so no one could fault me for reading so much. One summer, I worked weekends at a tiny, mostly-forgotten used bookstore where they paid me in books (which served as my inspiration for where Ronan finds himself working at the beginning of The Secrets of Islayne). There is a kind of magic in well-penned words that I’ve been drawn to my whole life. For me, the desire to write novels was just a natural extension of my love of reading.
Let's start that again:
Books have long been my obsession. As a kid, I could spend an entire Saturday curled up on the couch with the latest Little House on the Prairie, Redwall, or Dear America novel. The adventure, friendship, and fun I found between the pages opened up my imagination and sparked a never-ending search for my next favorite story.
In college, I majored in English so no one could fault me for reading so much. One summer, I worked weekends at a tiny, mostly-forgotten used bookstore where they paid me in books (which served as my inspiration for where Ronan finds himself working at the beginning of The Secrets of Islayne). There is a kind of magic in well-penned words that I’ve been drawn to my whole life. For me, the desire to write novels was just a natural extension of my love of reading.
The
Glimmer and the Grind
Have you ever had an idea that you just can't get out of your head?
Years before I put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard), I watched a news story about a woman who could remember each moment of her life as clearly as if it had just happened to her. For months after I saw that news feature, I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to remember your life that clearly. The concept was utterly fascinating to me (in part because I have a terrible memory).
The seed for The Secrets of Islayne was planted in that moment, but it didn't come to fruition for quite a while. Like a lot of would-be writers, I had big dreams but little self-discipline when it came to my craft. It took several years for me to consistently sit down at my computer each day and add to my word count. But slowly, I learned the art of faithful creativity in the midst of the craziness of life (aka working my day job, having two kids, and moving twice).
Fast forward a few years. After several drafts, a lot of helpful feedback from trusted, story-smart readers, hundreds of hours spent re-writing and editing—and an embarrassing amount of time banging my head against a wall, crying that I would never get the story right—I finally had a novel worth sharing.
Have you ever had an idea that you just can't get out of your head?
Years before I put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard), I watched a news story about a woman who could remember each moment of her life as clearly as if it had just happened to her. For months after I saw that news feature, I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to remember your life that clearly. The concept was utterly fascinating to me (in part because I have a terrible memory).
The seed for The Secrets of Islayne was planted in that moment, but it didn't come to fruition for quite a while. Like a lot of would-be writers, I had big dreams but little self-discipline when it came to my craft. It took several years for me to consistently sit down at my computer each day and add to my word count. But slowly, I learned the art of faithful creativity in the midst of the craziness of life (aka working my day job, having two kids, and moving twice).
Fast forward a few years. After several drafts, a lot of helpful feedback from trusted, story-smart readers, hundreds of hours spent re-writing and editing—and an embarrassing amount of time banging my head against a wall, crying that I would never get the story right—I finally had a novel worth sharing.
Happy
Readers, Happy Life
But I'm the author of the story, so I may be a little biased (nobody's perfect). If you'd like to know what a few other readers had to say, feel free to read the quotes below or check out the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
"It's one of those books where 'just one more page' turns into you reading the entire chapter. The Secrets of Islayne is full of unexpected turns and whimsical writing that will pull you in from the first page. Highly recommend it!"
"...a wonderful tale filled with adventure, romance, intrigue, and beauty that you won't be able to put down!"
"A must read for anyone with an appetite for suspense, humor, young love, and just great storytelling!"
But I'm the author of the story, so I may be a little biased (nobody's perfect). If you'd like to know what a few other readers had to say, feel free to read the quotes below or check out the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
"It's one of those books where 'just one more page' turns into you reading the entire chapter. The Secrets of Islayne is full of unexpected turns and whimsical writing that will pull you in from the first page. Highly recommend it!"
"...a wonderful tale filled with adventure, romance, intrigue, and beauty that you won't be able to put down!"
"A must read for anyone with an appetite for suspense, humor, young love, and just great storytelling!"
Want
to Join the Fun?
You can grab a copy of The Secrets of Islayne today to see for yourself how the adventure unfolds. You can get your paperback book on Amazon, or download your ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or iBooks.
You can grab a copy of The Secrets of Islayne today to see for yourself how the adventure unfolds. You can get your paperback book on Amazon, or download your ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or iBooks.
If I
were you, I'd be sure to read it in that same comfy spot on the couch, with a
fresh cup of coffee in hand.
Happy reading,
Kari
Happy reading,
Kari
P.S. If you’d like to stay in touch and get some free
preview chapters of my story, I’d love to have you join my readers’ group! http://bit.ly/2qPQqkU
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