Tiffany Daune
YA Paranormal
July 1, 2014
Jester Ink Press
Amazon
Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.
Excerpt
"See who you are," the
mermaid whispered.
Halen's eyes clouded over and when
the smoke cleared she found herself standing in an open field. She was dressed
in a cotton dress which fell around her ankles. Soft grass tickled her toes.
She took a step forward and a flower sprung from the ground beside her. She
leaned down to pick the red poppy. As she took another step a flower sprang up
from between the blades of grass. Halen smiled. She walked a little farther and
with each step a new poppy sprouted and bloomed. She ran faster and the field
blossomed under her feet, and when she waved her hand, the entire valley filled
with red poppies. She inhaled their sweet scent and when she exhaled, the birds
glided in the breeze of her breath through an endless blue sky.
Halen laughed when the wind caught
her skirt and swept the fabric up over her head, but when she pushed it down,
dark clouds rolled overhead. She took one step forward and the grass beneath
her feet sizzled to a crisp. Taking another step, the poppies burst into
flames. The fire licked the hem of her skirt and she gathered it up over her
knees. Scanning the field, she spotted a boulder; if she could make it there,
remove her feet from the ground, she could save the rest of the field.
She ran in long strides, and with
each step, she scorched the ground with her fiery feet. Suddenly, she tripped.
Her hands touched down and the ground combusted with a brilliant light. The
fire raced through the field, spreading to the trees. The flames reached up,
lassoing the birds from the sky, dragging them to the ground. Halen crawled to
the rock and hoisted herself up. She stared out to the barren land. "No,
no. What have I done?" She clawed the air and the clouds rumbled with
thunder. The fire burned hotter and hotter under her flesh. The only way to
extinguish the flames was to release them. Tilting her head back, she opened
her mouth wide and screamed. What birds had not been burned turned now to black
beasts swirling in the torrid sky.
Interview with Author Tiffany Daune
Can you tell me a little
bit about your book and what inspired it?
I love mermaids and magick, so
I thought why not bring them together. Of course I couldn't leave out shape
shifters and sirens. I love fantasy realms and worlds. Heck my husband says I
live in one, so why not write about one. Coral
& Bone is set in the Earth realm and the underwater realm of Elosia. Coral & Bone
is a meld of all my years of watching Disney movies and thrillers.
The Etlins in Coral &
Bone are shifters. If you could be a shifter what animal would you want to be
and why?
A crow because they are wickedly smart and eerie.
Coral & Bone is filled
with magick and spells. If you could cast magick what would your first spell
be?
I could have a lot of fun with magick. First, I would make
sure no kids ever went to school hungry. So many kids start their day without
breakfast because they can't afford it. I don't know how they can enjoy the
school day with a rumbly tummy. I would cast a feast spell, so whenever they
got up in the morning there would always be food on the table.
Your first book SURFACE
was published with a traditional publisher and CORAL & BONE was self-published,
did you enjoy self-publishing and would you do it again?
There are pros and cons to both methods. A lot of writers are
choosing a blended method and I think that's a great way to go. I loved every
bit of the process, but it was a lot of work. I was fortunate to have a great
team of women working on Coral & Bone.
I was blessed to have Alix Reid as an editor. She worked for Harper Collins for
12 years, and then the very talented Nathalia Suellen created the cover. Lastly,
Tamara Cribley designed the inside. With this team, I would definitely do it
again.
What book is currently on
your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?
I have five on my nightstand right now. I'm currently lost in
the pages of Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
I could never pick just one, but I a few of my faves are
Alyson Noel, Tehereh Mafi, Holly Black, Casandra Clare, John Green, and Kendare
Blake.
What is next on your to
read list?
I want to finish Looking
for Alaska by John Green. I was busy with Coral & Bone edits when I started reading it and I had to take
it back to the library before I could finish. I may just buy this one.
Can you share a little
about the current title you are working on?
I'm currently writing book two of the Coral & Bone series. I hadn't planned on writing a series, but
the novel evolved and I found there was so much more I wanted to explore with
Halen and Dax's characters. In book two, I'm taking my main character Halen on
one heck of a ride, so she better hang on!
What do you do to recharge
your batteries?
This is a tough one, I'm kind of a workaholic because let face it I play
all day. I love getting up knowing I'm going to make up a whole new world with
new characters and bring them to life. I kind of know how Victor Frankenstein
felt, crazy obsessed and thrilled when the story comes ALIVE. So when I do need
to recharge, I unplug. I have to get away from the screen and spend time with
my family. My family boosts me up and I'm good to go back to my lab, I mean
laptop.
Why mermaids?
You know when someone reads you a story as a child and it
sticks with you forever? Hans Christian
Andersen's The Little Mermaid was
that story for me. I love the original
and I adore the Disney version. But, it wasn't until I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides
did I find my mermaid muse for Coral
& Bone.
If you could meet one of
your characters in real life, who would it be and why?
Halen. Then I could apologize for all the crap I put her
through. I'm not done with her yet, so she may need a hug.
A biography has been
written about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?
Believe
About the Author
I
write stories about magick, love and dark creatures lurking in the shadows.
When I'm not lost in Edit Land you can find me reading a book from
my towering TBR pile or at the movie theater nibbling licorice. I don't
have a lucky number, but my favorite time is 11:11. I completely believe that
the fortunes found inside cookies will come true and that you must be
careful when wishing on stars. I live on an island, so if you want to visit
you'll need a boat, and if you want to survive the passage, be sure to
bring candy for the mermaids. Author links:
Blitz-Wide Giveaway
Coral & Bone seems like an interesting book! I always love to read a good mermaid book. :) Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI like mermaids too. Good luck!
DeleteThat excerpt turned dark real quick. I'm really looking forward to reading this!
ReplyDelete