by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
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GENRE: fantasy/science fiction
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BLURB:
Priya, a name that suggests beautiful. Amell, a name that suggests all powerful. One is a beautiful young lady; the other a beast. Their paths have crossed before, only Priya doesn’t remember Amell from her past. Or does she? And what does it all mean? The Amell she meets is part beast. So are the others at Castle Mutasim. Is she one of them, too? How can this be? What manner of creature would experiment on other living creatures, to mutate them into something bizarre and, sometimes, downright dangerous? Priya has to know. She wants to know. And she wants to make things right.
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EXCERPT
“Amell,” she screamed. “Amell. Help me.”
She was pinned in a hunk of metal, the world around her growing darker by the minute. And it was cold. Bitter. Bone-chilling. A soft tongue licked her cheek. Whines and a warm breath slipped into her ear. Bear. Her three-year-old mutt, a Border Collie-Black Lab mix. Black and white. Full of love and mischief. Her strength in a time of need. Like right now.
She had rescued Bear. A puppy tossed in a dumpster. Left to die. The two were inseparable. Now, she was failing Bear. And they would die.
One final scream, “Amell.”
“I’m so sorry, Bear,” she whispered.
As she slipped into oblivion, she felt a fog of confusion slither through her brain. Who is Amell?
A Word With the Author
1.Did you always want to be an author?
I think so. As soon as I could hold a pencil or pen in my hand, I was writing stories. Being the youngest in a family of aural storytellers, it was hard to get a word in edgewise. So, while everyone else shared their stories aurally, I wrote them down. I remember my Grade 4 teacher being amazed at a descriptive paragraph I wrote, describing a black stallion on a hilltop overlooking his herd. I think I gave her a ‘wow’ moment with my use of adjectives to aptly describe the scene, a bit above and beyond what the other Grade 4s were writing. My teacher’s ‘wow’ moment spurred me on and writing became my passion.
2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.
Now, this is complicated. The first book I wrote, “Personal Notes”, was my grandmother’s story, written in the creative nonfiction genre that echoed her gift of aural storytelling. However, this wasn’t my first book; it was actually my second. My first published book, “Spring,” was the first in my “Four Seasons” series that follows the lives of classical musicians the mysteries that haunt their valuable instruments. “Spring” follows a young violinist with a valuable Giovanni violin that has a hidden mystery that threatens both her life and her musical career. Melanie, the main character, travels the world to perform and there’s someone after her and her instrument. With a strong background in music (as well as a writer, I’m a retired music teacher), I wanted to write a story with the main character being a classical musician. It’s a career that many overlook as exciting, but these people have lives and adventures, too. “Spring” ended with a cliffhanger, or so my readers claimed. With high demand for more musical adventures, I wrote “Summer,” followed by “Autumn” and “Winter.” Two new books in the series, “Songs of the Ottawa Valley” and “Hidden Music” are awaiting publication. I never seem to run out of ideas of what to write about.
3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?
I write in several different genres, but my recent book could be defined as fantasy/ science fiction. In this genre, I think my favorite author is Genevieve Cogman. I love her “Secret Library” series.
4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best part? The writing, of course. I have so much fun weaving my plots and developing my characters.
The worst? Editing and book promotion are perhaps a tie for the worst part. I’m not an extrovert and I find it difficult pushing myself to launch my books, to promote myself, to do talks about my writing and readings from my books. Editing is just never ending and not very exciting. And, it doesn’t matter how many editors, how many readers, how many times you go through a manuscript pre-publication, there’s always a lot of errors in the published book. Even the big-name authors have the same problem. Spell check can only catch so much.
5.What are you working on now?
Book 5 of the “Piccadilly Street” series: “Mrs. Murray Goes to High School.” The series is loosely based on my experiences growing up in a haunted house combined with what my grandmother always described as my vivid imagination. So far, the books, aimed at the Middle Grade to early young adult age group (and loved by readers of all ages), have received favorable reviews. The first book, “Mrs. Murray’s Ghost,” is followed by “Mrs. Murray’s Hidden Treasure,” “Mrs. Murray’s Home,” and “Mr. Murray’s Gun.” I had so much fun writing these stories. Oh! And my grandmother (Granny) plays a big role in this series; I know she’d love that.
Thanks so much for doing this interview for us. I wish you all the luck in the world with your writing.
Elaine
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a country writer, living just outside the tiny community of North Gower, Ontario, near the nation’s capital. With degrees in art history, music and Canadian studies, the retired music teacher enjoys the quiet nature of her country home and the inspiration of working at her antique Jane Austen-style spinet desk, feeling quite complete as she writes and stares out the large picture window at the birds and the forest. She writes in several genres, including creative nonfiction, memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction. http://emilyjanebooks.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realpeoplestories
Twitter: @ejhomusic
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Emily-Jane-Hills-Orford-ebook/dp/B09TH1T6J6/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Emily-Jane Hills Orford will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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