Dangerous Reflections by Shae West
Alexis Davenport wants to go home. She hates her new school, her mother for moving her away
from her friends, and her father for walking out.
To make matters worse, Alex is haunted by images of strange girls reflected in her mirror. It’s
bad enough juggling homework, a relentless bully, boys, and a deadbeat dad; now, she must
save the world from an evil presence hell-bent on changing the past – and our futures. Who
knew her A+ in history was going to be this important?
We asked Shay why she writes for a YA audience:
When I first had the idea for Dangerous Reflections, I hadn’t planned on writing the novel
targeting a YA audience. But as I worked through the plot and characters, I realized that Alexis
was speaking to me as a teenager. I really had to do my research when it came to writing the
book and got some great advice and feedback along the way. My first series, the Portals of
Destiny, was written from the POV of many characters so that’s how I started writing Dangerous
Reflections. I had both Alex and her mother, Patricia, as POV characters. Some great advice
I received prior to publication was to get rid of the mother’s POV. Teens don’t really care
what’s going on in the mind of an adult; they want to be in the head of the teenager, the one they
identify with.
Once I got into the right mindset, it was easier to focus on Alex’s thoughts and feelings, how she
saw the world. I was able to reach back in my past and use things that happened to me to really
give Alex a unique voice that I think a lot of people, young and old alike, can identify with.
Author information
Author Bio:
Shay West was born in Longmont, CO and earned a doctorate degree in Human Medical
Genetics from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical. Dr. West currently lives in Grand
Junction, CO with her two cats. When not writing novels, she plays with plushie microbes and
teaches biology classes at Colorado Mesa University. She is the author of the Portals of Destiny
series and the Adventures of Alexis Davenport series. She has also been published in several
anthologies: Battlespace (military scifi), Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior (fundraiser), and
Ancient New (steampunk/fantasy).
There are two other books in the Alexis series (Twisted Reflections and Desperate Reflections) that will launch later this summer. The book I’m currently writing is an urban fantasy about people from
another world coming to Earth to steal organs. The working title is The Harvesters. I’ve been
known to change titles so it *could* change but it’s really growing on me so it will probably
stay.
You can find Dr. West and more of her work at Shay-West.com.
Social Media Links:
http://Shay-West.com
Goodreads author page
Goodreads
Amazon
Our second author for this week is Echo Fox
Published: June 30, 2014
EQUILIBRIA SERIES
Trouble is brewing in the harmonious land of Pangaea. Ever since the continent was split into it’s four elemental parts
by Strife, the balance has been edging ever so slightly in favour of the dark. Now, four elementals just coming into
their powers must meet Strife head on and restore balance to their world.
In Wave Singers, we met Merry and the people of Thera, the Mer.
In Earth Drummer, Gentian must make a decision that could save his people - or leave them to face the darkness
alone.
EARTH DRUMMER (BOOK 2, EQUILIBRIA SERIES)
Gentian is tiptoeing uncomfortably around his grieving father and headstrong twin sister, doing as he’s told for the
sake of peace. However, when strange fire-filled dreams start to take over his nights, Gentian faces a tricky decision.
Should he go ahead with his own arranged marriage, his future all planned out before him? Or should he accept the
Shaman’s offer of becoming his initiate and learning about Earth magic? With his animal totem Tern to guide him, will
Gentian be able to make his choice before his entire world spirals out of control?
We asked Echo why she writes for a YA audience:
Young Adult fiction offers so much potential for a great story. As a teenager, you are
experiencing everything for the very first time while also daydreaming and making plans for
the rest of your life. The choices you make as a young adult often feel like they will control
everything that happens next.
When I was embroiled in exam season, or trying to choose a degree course, I always enjoyed
escaping those worries of test results and which university to apply to, what job I was going to
do after graduation, how I was going to live on such a teeny wage…
Fantasy, mythology, legend and fairy stories were my weapon of choice for tackling these things
and they still are! The difference being that now I write about the worlds I’m daydreaming about.
Getting to know a character; to sympathise with them and mentally encourage them or, in the
case of the villain, put them off their plan for world domination, is quite simply wonderful. I love
the feeling you have when you know there is a really good book waiting for you at the end of a
long day. When you can sink into a different world and make anything happen.
Author Information:
Echo Fox lives in a sleepy town in the south of England with her partner and supremely fluffy
cat. She studied Classics and Archaeology at university and is forever inspired by the myths
and legends of the past. Echo finds the best writing fuel is freshly baked cookies and she is
always 100% more productive on a sunny day.
https://twitter.com/EchoFoxBooks
www.echofoxbooks.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/EchoFoxBooks
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Echo-Fox/e/B00GR98CM6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
until the direct link is available the published book will be accessible from my author page
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