"The Next Big Thing" blog hop

This is the first time I've ever done a blog hop. A blog hop is basically a way for readers to discover new authors.
Thanks to Nadine Ducca for inviting me to participate. You can click on her name to learn more about her work.
In this blog hop, I will answer some questions about my upcoming book, Aundes Aura.
Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions.



What is the title of your book?
Aundes Aura.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
One morning after I woke up, I was lying with my eyes closed and a vision came into my mind of a girl in a cave and a huge flash of light. It was accompanied by the title Aundes Aura. Everything grew from there.

What genre does your book come under?
Fantasy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Since watching Game of Thrones, I've considered Emilia Clarke (Daenerys) for Saera, but that's about it.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
I don't have one for Aundes Aura, although I do have one for the next title I'm working on -- Three Bridges.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Aundes Aura is going to be self-published later this year.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Too long -- it was two years and a few months for the real first draft, but there was a version of it even a few months before then, until I scrapped that and restarted (thankfully).

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Inheritance Cycle, but lengthwise it's on the other side of the spectrum.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Nothing other than the fact that I've always written, always wanted to be a published author, and always wanted to turn writing my books into my job. It's my first full-length novel, so it's a gigantic step for me.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
The first page should do it, right?

* * *

Chapter One
Eoin opened the door as quietly as possible.
“I’ll watch the window,” whispered Saera. “Be careful.”
“I always am.” The moonlight wouldn’t betray him as long as he stayed as silent as the dark. The floorboards in Old Hanne’s house had always been quiet for him as long as he walked the right way. It wasn’t the same as walking through Tarne during the day. He had to put his foot down softly enough that the floorboards wouldn’t squeak. Then the next foot. In his bedroom upstairs, Old Hanne coughed loudly. He coughed like that every night. His age was showing more than ever these days.
Streaks of moonlight fell on Eoin through the windows as he passed the staircase and moved into the kitchen. The fire oven was cleaner than usual, just refilled with new wood. The bread was usually piled on a rack next to the oven, but not tonight. Where is it? It wasn’t on top of the oven. Not by the window. There, on the table in the corner, next to the flour. A new batch had been made, the loaves all perfectly sliced. They were piled in twos. Eoin raised his foot little by little, trying to keep the floorboards from squeaking, and stepped towards the table. He reached out to take the loaves, but was interrupted. An explosion of blinding white light poured into the room from the hallway.
Above Eoin, the floorboards of the next level squeaked and there was a quiet thumping of footsteps. He snatched up two loaves and ran for the hallway. Passing the staircase, he saw Old Hanne’s legs as he came down the stairs. Eoin went straight for the front door, not giving the man a chance to see his face. As he closed the door it creaked unbearably and slammed closed despite his best efforts. His heart pounded as he looked for Saera. Almost hidden around the corner, she was kneeling, her hands covering her face. He pulled her up and ran, holding her by the arm.

* * *

Who's next on the blog hop?

Next Wednesday we'll see:

Anastasia Leach at Worlds Out Of Words

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A Sneak Peek into "Serving Time" by Nadine Ducca



Fellow author Nadine Ducca will soon be releasing her book, "Serving Time"!

As part of her blog hop, yesterday John Kang interviewed one of her characters, Eneld, here.

Today I'll be giving you a sneak peek into "Serving Time". So without any further ado, here it is!
___________________
 
Two large red eyes glared at him from the foot of the bed. Eneld gasped and fumbled for the light.
“We wouldn’t do that if we were you.” The eyes narrowed. Their glow lit up an uneven row of fangs jutting out from beneath a long, dog-like snout.
A shudder slowly crept down Eneld's back. Throx wasn’t supposed to cause hallucinations.
The creature snarled. It thrust its claws forward, dug deep into the covers, and pulled itself onto the bed. With a yelp, Eneld scrambled out from under the covers and toppled backward onto the floor.
The monster crouched in the center of the bed. The gleam from its eyes dowsed the bedroom in a hellish shade of red. “You might not remember us.” Its voice rumbled like a rockslide. “We are your Keeper.” It licked a claw with a black, serpent tongue. A sticky string of saliva dribbled from its fangs onto the comforter.
Eneld flicked his eyes back and forth around the room. “A—are there more of you?”
“Present? Only one. But we are an army of millions.” The creature dropped onto its belly and used its claws to drag itself closer. “Listen. We had a deal.” Its eyes stared through Eneld.
“I—I think you got the wrong guy. I don’t do business with…demons.”
The creature sputtered and rumbled with laughter that clung to Eneld’s skin and made him itch. “So you know what we are. However, you seem to have forgotten what you are.”
“I don’t—” The stench of sulfur made Eneld retch. He hunched forward, his lungs pushing against his ribcage. Like a giant balloon trying to come out his mouth, his throat swelled and his jaw jerked open. “Nybbasss…” he hissed in two voices at once. The pressure abruptly vanished, and he dropped to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.
“Ah, we needed that.” The monster hung his head over the edge of the bed and chuckled. Little black drops of spit splattered Eneld’s face. “Our names hold our power, but you probably knew that already.”
Eneld frantically wiped his face with his hands. Black ooze stinking of rotten eggs clung to his fingers.
Nybbas jumped off the bed. His four sturdy legs made the ground tremble. “True Self 561, we are aware we ask much of your lifetime. But you accepted the challenge. We had a deal. You are breaking it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Nybbas’s claws tapped against the floor as he approached. Their click-clack sounded too real, too sharp to be a dream or a hallucination. Eneld cringed.
“We spoke in the afterlife. We came to an agreement. You are disappointing us.”
“How can I disappoint you if I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do?”
“Redeem a crooked soul.”
“What?”
“You are very close to a soul in need of redemption.” Nybbas hunkered down and growled.
Eneld raised his hands. “Who? I…”
“Your brother.”
“My…brother? No. Haven’t seen him in years.”
“Then that must change.”
_______________
For more on "Serving Time", check out Nadine's original post here.
Be on the lookout tomorrow for the next post in the blog hop at Common Sense is Underrated, where Shane Jeffery will interview Eneld's brother, Tristan.
 

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Welcome to The Dark Corner of the Mind. My name is Ryan Sullivan and my aim with this blog is to help others with their own writing, as well as to make note of some of my own writing endeavours.

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