Today on my blog I have the Silently Still blog tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, review, and guest post.
Author: Julieanne Lynch
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Young Adult Coming of Age
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: May 19 2015
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Everyone is entitled to making their own choices in life,
but a decision can make or break you. For Jacinta Kelly, hers came in the form
of running away from everything that reminded her of her roots.
Living in rural Ireland was hard enough, but living with her
mother’s mental illness and her obsession with her garden took its toll. One
winter, the world as she knows it changes. Jacinta becomes aware of her own
mortality, and how fragile her existence truly is.
Alone and frightened; to live or die, the choice is hers.
Excerpt:
The salty water coursed down her throat as she went under
for the third time. Flailing her arms, she struggled to the surface, gasping
for breath, trying to find something to grab a hold of.
It was pointless. The relentless current tugged at her legs,
pulling her under. Wave after wave crashed down on her head, making her tread
harder. Her heart resounded in her head. When she finally grew tired, her legs
felt heavy and numb.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
This was it. That singular fleeting moment in her life when
she felt at peace.
She felt nothing else. No pain. No anger. No grief. Just
harmony.
An ethereal silence and warmth wrapped itself around her, a
sensation like nothing she had experienced before. A weightless feeling, void
of the burdens that had weighed her down, surrounded her.
It felt both heavenly and majestic. As if the sun’s rays
radiated down on her, easing the chill of the night, setting her free from the
hurt, the sorrow, and the taste of the sea.
It was then that everything became silently still.
Review:
I am a huge fan of Julieanne's and have devoured everyone of her books and just when I think she can't get any better she comes out with Silently Still and blows my mind and it has became my favorite book but I say that with each book she writes until her next one comes out.
As much as I loved this book it was also hard to read due to everything that Jacinta has gone through in her life and the way she deals with the pain is hard. But the way Julieanne handles the emotion of her characters is done so well that she really makes you connect to them and everything they are going through. She really dives into topics that a lot of people don't want to talk about and she does it with respect and passion and she opened up my eyes to somethings and made me start to think about how people handle heart break, pain, and mental disease. I am really impressed with Julieanne and have to give her the respect she deserves for the emotions she brought out in me while reading this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. 5/5 Bloody Fangs
Book Links:
Julieanne Lynch is an
author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Julieanne lives in
Northern Ireland, with her husband and five children, where she works on novels
full-time. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career
paths, a rock star being one of them. She studied English Literature and
Creative Writing at The Open University, and considered journalism as a career
path. However, she decided writing was the way for her and is thankful for each
day she lives her dream.
Guest Post:
How does writing Paranormal differ from
Contemporary?
For me, I find
the transition easy from writing in one genre to the other, simply because I am
a storyteller. I enjoy creating worlds, characters, conflicting plots, whether
they are in this world or somewhere far from here.
As a writer I
don’t want my creativity to be restricted. Whilst I execute caution when
creating something, I have to remember to be true to myself and my first love -
writing.
But it is very
true that writing my paranormal novels is different to my more contemporary
fiction.
How?
Because you have
to inject a little more realism into your plot and characters. In my more
contemporary fiction, I use a lot of what I’ve experienced in my own life and
in a way; my characters are a vessel telling my story. Not that I’ve been
raised by abusive parents or anything like that, but more the inner turmoil,
the angst, the frustration and sadness.
Contemporary
fiction allows me to use everything that I’ve experienced in life and put it to
use in real life situations. I like my storyline to be unique but also
something that my readers can relate to. For me that is one of the most
important factors when writing a more contemporary novel. I want my readers to
feel the pain, the joy, the sadness, the anger - all the human emotions that
make us who we are.
In my more
paranormal works, there is a set structure, because let’s face it, our readers
have certain expectations with regards to our hero or heroine, the love
interests, the battles with hints of magical or fantastical elements. The
otherworldly elements the driving force behind the book/story. And in
paranormal works, the story tends to be plot driven, faster paced and full of
adrenaline that it’s hard to stop writing because the excitement can be too
much.
Whereas in my
contemporary books, I tend to focus on my characters, their journey, their
struggles and more often than not, the writing process becomes a journey of my
own.
Why?
Because I take
great care. My language/prose is much more different. It’s written in a way
that can only be described as a slow dance; soft and beautiful, yet with enough
edge to hurt the readers. Sounds bad, right?
Not at all.
I take my time
when writing a more dramatic literary piece. I am careful with how I tell the
story and am overly aware of how each line is a representation of my time and
care.
There is never a
real set structure to how I write my contemporary novels. I allow my love of
storytelling to be the foundation of the book. It’s as simple as that.
For me, writing a
contemporary novel can feel like I am dying inside (sounds painful but true),
almost like I am baring my soul to the world, and I feel vulnerable. But I get
a kick out of it. I enjoy torturing myself (I never admit that at the time) and
I love the outcome.
Which do I
prefer?
I
adore one just as much as the other. I think I have found the balance right.
Just as long as I have enough Kleenex, chocolate and Netflix, I shall be fine.
Stalker Links:
Blog A
Novelists Ramblings
Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank You to Julieanne for the guest post and say Thank You to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour.
~Sabrina
