The Wilted Flower District By Martin Niewood Q & A and Giveaway

Q&A WITH MARTIN NIEWOOD

 AUTHOR OF THE NEW NOVEL THE WILTED FLOWER DISTRICT

Synopsis

At sixteen Violet Noone is thrown into a world of deception and betrayal when her sister, Ophelia, missing and presumed dead for the last four years, suddenly reenters her life. Violet and her brother, Weylin, venture into in a desolate district of Fairhaven to meet Ophelia but instead of finding her, they discover the brutally murdered body of a young man, Claude Cole. Fleeing the scene, they become suspects, relentlessly pursued by Penny, the officer in charge of the investigation. They soon learn that this murder is no isolated incident as they unravel its mysterious connection to the forbidden fruit, Elsyn. 
Things in the Domain are different than they were on Earth. For one thing, death there holds no promise of rebirth into another realm. Fairhaven is an energized and diverse city with many neighborhoods including the Wilted Flower District, where Violet lives with her adoptive family. Having lost her parents many years ago, Violet relies on her brother, Weylin, and her best friend, Deena, for support while concealing the truth from her adoptive mom, Ivy, whose help she needs the most. 
Determined to solve the mystery and reunite her family, Violet confronts her own beliefs, the political order, and the physical world. The question is how far is she willing to go? 

Q and A with Martin Niewood

Question: Tell us what The Wilted Flower District is all about.

Martin Niewood: The Wilted Flower District is the story of Violet Noone who at sixteen is thrown into a world of deception and betrayal when her sister, Ophelia, missing and presumed dead for the last four years, suddenly reenters her life. The story takes place in a fantastical world of the Domain also known as the afterlife. Ophelia’s reappearance sends Violet down a rabbit hole causing her to question everything in her life. The book is a fun mystery in an unusual setting that will hopefully force readers to question things about their lives and may provide some unexpected answers.

Q: This is the second book in your Forgotten Violets series. How do the books relate and can they be read as stand alones or do you need to go in order?

Niewood: The books are connected through the Noone family with Forgotten Violets being seen through Meadow Noone’s eyes and the sequel, The Wilted Flower District, experienced through the point of view of her daughter, Violet. With that said because of the gap in time between the first and second book it allows the reader to experience each book as a stand alone with a light connection attaching the two books together. There is no need to read the books in order as the reader will completely understand the events of both novels, regardless of the order in which they are read.

Q: Your books provide a “non-traditional view of the afterlife.” What does that mean, and what can readers expect?

Niewood: I think that when people ponder about the universe and the afterlife they have a cemented image of what happens after you die. One of the great things about The Wilted Flower District is that it causes the reader to question those beliefs and gives you a fantastical world where anything is possible. Let’s face it, the only thing that any of us really know about death and an afterlife is that eventually we all have to face it and face it alone. Of course, not everyone believes in the hereafter but many take comfort in the existence of another dimension, which I call the Domain that allows our spirits to continue to grow after death. In The Wilted Flower District, I tried to create a world in which the protagonist, Violet, is able to face challenges that allow her to confront her shortcomings and develop her strengths. 

Q: What relevance does The Wilted Flower District have to teens today?  

Niewood: I think that the beauty of The Wilted Flower District is that it allows the reader to focus on the important things in life. The Domain is a world filled with negativity and adversity that mirrors our own while simultaneously offering the hope that regardless of what happens in life, you need to keep moving forward. Many of Violet’s challenges are shared by teens today. Although most teens don’t encounter siblings that they believed to be dead or be stand accused of horrific murders, all teens do face situations in which their core beliefs are challenged and they feel misjudged by adults. Like Violet, teens are apt to keep secrets from their parents and experience feelings of exclusion when she unravels her brother’s lies. The teen years can be very confusing but somehow like Violet, we survive the angst and insecurities and emerge, hopefully, as better people.

Q: What inspired you to write The Wilted Flower District in first person? 

Niewood: I thought the best way to experience the massive and unusual world of the Domain and specifically the city of Fairhaven where the story takes place was through Violet’s eyes. I believed that the audience would develop a deeper connection with Violet if they could experience the crazy and mysterious events through Violet rather than from an omniscient third person point of view. Since this is a mystery, I wanted to limit what the reader knew to what Violet knew or thought that she knew. 

Q: Although you stayed in first person, why did you change from Meadow’s to Violet’s point of view?

Niewood: After I had written Forgotten Violets, my initial thought was to continue with Meadow’s journey in the Domain. However, when I sat down and started thinking about it Fairhaven had modernized into a very different world and in order for the story to work in this new city, there had to be a large time gap in my story. By then, Meadow would have been too old to serve as the protagonist in a YA novel, so I decided to tell the story through the eyes of her daughter, Violet. For the Forgotten Violet series, this also allowed me to expand my worldview and for future books to delve into the mystery of Meadow’s disappearance.

Q: What do you want the reader to take away from this story?

Niewood: The thing that I want readers, especially teens, to take away from this story is to believe in yourself because we each shape our own reality and control our own destinies. Today’s world is filled with hate and negativity but I believe that Violet can show people that if you remain positive and believe in yourself you can accomplish whatever you can dream. There is no denying that indifference and greed permeate our world but each of us has the power to transform our environment positively with determination and kindness.

MARTIN NIEWOOD lives just outside of Philadelphia where he is a full-time writer. He attended Johnson & Wales University before moving to Los Angeles to work in the talent industry. An avid sports fan, Niewood loves all Philadelphia teams but especially the Eagles. His writing partner is his dog, Mattie. 

Niewood’s debut novel Forgotten Violets was released in 2017.

Connect with Martin Niewood on 

Twitter 

 Instagram 

 www.martinniewood.com

The Wilted Flower District will be available on Amazon and in select brick-and-mortar retailers as of January 2019.

Giveaway is provided by SMITH PUBLICITY, INC.

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Spotlight: Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and The Fading Creeps by A.J. Massey

Synopsis

A normal eighth-grader by day, thirteen-year-old Ben awakens one night in a fantastical dream world where snow burns, the sun disappears and reappears without warning, and magic is addictive.

But the mysterious realm of Meridia is disappearing, eaten by a phenomena called the Fading. Joined by Avery, Marcus, and three dog-like dragonwoofs, Ben journeys across monster-infested oceans and sun-scorched mountains to retrieve the sphinx’s head, the key to saving the world and every astonishing creature that inhabits it. 

But not everyone wants them to succeed. Soon, they find themselves pursued by the Sovereign and his generals, whose armies will stop at nothing to perpetuate the Fading and its consumption of the land.

Advance Praise for Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps:

"Hints of beloved fantasy throwbacks and tons of excitingly one-of-a-kind ideas coalesce into an impressive, unmissable fantasy adventure in WHERE DRAGONWOOFS SLEEP AND THE FADING CREEPS." - IndieReader ★★★★★ (4.7)

"This novel is the enchanting offspring of The Neverending Story and Alice in Wonderland. [...] A charming read with a satisfying plot twist and heartwarming conclusion." - The Booklife Prize by Publishers Weekly 

"Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps is one of the finer works of epic fantasy I’ve come across in some time, and it’s most highly recommended." - Readers' Favorite ★★★★★

"Combining the fundamental challenges of growing up with the universal battle of good and evil doesn’t always work in literature, but Massey delivers a powerful and entertaining story with his debut work of fantasy." - Self-Publishing Review ★★★★½

Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major retailers. Find A.J. Massey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,Goodreads, and at www.dragonwoofs.com. 

About the Author

A.J. Massey writes thrilling fantasy novels for young teens and adults. His first book, Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the Fading Creeps, blends shared dream worlds with middle school, and was influenced by his favorite childhood movies of the 80s, Labyrinth and The Neverending Story. 

Massey studied at the University of Hawaii where he earned his business degree. He was also a former infantry medic in the U.S. Army, and worked as a project manager at several companies, including The Boeing Company and DirectTV. He now works as a Program Manager at a major video game company. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Katie, and pet dragonwoofs, Abby and Peanut.

Spotlight: The Prelapsarians by John Gaiserich

The Prelapsarians

By John Gaiserich

What is the cost of compassion in a dark and deadly world?

EPIC FANTASY, PHILOSOPHY & POST-APOCALYPTIC ACTION COLLIDE IN “AGGRESSIVELY CAPTIVATING” DYSTOPIAN DEBUT 

Pray for revenge, and God will turn a deaf ear.

– Russian proverb 

            If one commits an act of vengeance, are they ever justified? Or have they, by adopting their offender’s tactics in retaliation, become just as vile?

The full-length debut from emerging American novelist John Gaiserich, The Prelapsarians, is a gripping examination of human morality when comfort and security are stretched to their breaking points – and poses important questions that will resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

            Set twenty-five years after the eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano and the world war that followed, The Prelapsarians follows the scattered, dwindling remnants of the human race as they struggle to eke out a primordial existence under the thumb of a group of greedy Oligarchs. For those born before the disaster -- called the Prelapsarians -- the future looks hopeless. But there are some who choose to resist.

            In the south of Russia, a band of retired mercenaries -- led by the formidable, cold, morally ambiguous Andrei Evgenyevich Myshkin -- seek to undermine the Oligarchs' power. Their ardor is invigorated when they join forces with Ani Ohanyan, a headstrong, idealistic young smuggler with dreams of a brighter future and a penchant for getting herself into trouble. Together, their quest takes them across the Caucasus Mountains, through the ruins of once-prosperous cities, and to the shores of the Caspian Sea… along the way facing backroom intrigue, fierce battles, and brewing tensions that threaten to turn them against one another. But amidst their trials, the greatest struggles they face may be against their own demons.

“Early on in the story, one of my characters muses on how much easier charity and compassion were in the old world, when people knew they had a life of luxury waiting for them when they went home at night,” says Gaiserich. “In the aftermath of a worldwide catastrophe, I ask: would humans continue to show benevolence, or would they revert to a Darwinian ‘might is right’ way of life?”

            Heralded by IndieReader.com as “an aggressively captivating meditation on faith and morality as civilization collapses, rebuilds, and threatens to fall once more,” The Prelapsarians introduces Gaiserich as a new and notable voice in the dystopian fiction arena – and is not-to-be-missed by any lover of character-driven, action-packed, philosophically significant storytelling.

About the Author:

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, John Gaiserich began writing fiction in 2009. His debut novel, The Prelapsarians, draws heavily on his interest in Russian history and culture, and is influenced by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. In addition to writing, John works as an aviation professional and takes a great interest in the aerospace industry. 

Connect with John Gaiserich on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and at www.JohnGaiserich.com.

The Prelapsarians is available in both paperback and e-book formats via Amazon.

Spotlight: One Flew Over the Banyan Tree by Alan Jansen

One Flew over the Banyan Tree

By Alan Jansen

​

1960s Post-Colonial Nostalgia Collides with Quirky Characters in Historical Fiction Debut

A LIGHT-HEARTED COMING OF AGE TALE OF ADVENTURE AND TRANSFORMATION

"One Flew over the Banyan Tree is rich with meticulous detail and digression,

and the payoff for the many escapades is worth the wait."

-- Clarion Review  

How does a young boy find his way after his father loses a critical job and abandons his family in a small island town? In Alan Jansen’s stunning historical fiction debut, One Flew over the Banyan Tree, clever eleven-year-old Rohan grapples with this loss as he finds himself navigating a new world among a cast of colorful characters.

Set on the fictitious island of Victoria (resembling Post-Colonial Sri Lanka),

One Flew over the Banyan Tree takes readers through a panoramic journey of life in the 1960s.

Centered on young Rohan through a memorable stay at his Grandmummy’s house in Jellicoe Junction, in One Flew Over the Banyan Tree readers meet loveable and unforgettable characters like Bellakay, the walking encyclopedia; Salgado, a droll glutton; Sonny, owner of the illegal dilapidated restaurant called Nameless; “breakfast-eaters” who enjoy a good session of camaraderie and banter at the illicit eatery; an anthropomorphic canine who ruminates on the human race; headless ghosts who hover above the town’s beloved banyan tree; and many other captivating personalities.

No longer belonging to a functional family, Rohan must come to terms with his transformation into an independent young boy during his surreal stay in impoverished Jellicoe Junction, a lively hub in the island’s capital city – Portopo. After experiencing many perspectives and personalities, will he learn to forgive and transcend — or will he blend into the pauperized place he’s found himself situated in?

The past comes alive in One Flew over the Banyan Tree as generational and class conflicts intensify in the wake of 1960’s counterculture. With great heart and humor, Jansen’s debut is a gripping exposition of the far-reaching impact of British colonization, the ongoing disparities of destitution, and one young boy’s navigation of divided loyalties and decisions that will change the course of his life forever.

In One Flew over the Banyan Tree, Jansen draws inspiration from the wit of O. Henry, the clandestine world-building of Roald Dahl, and the comical storytelling of P.G Wodehouse. This book is a delight for fans of historic fiction, those who enjoy deep character development, and anyone spellbound by the characteristics of post-colonialism.

About the Author:

Alan Jansen was born and raised in British Colonial Ceylon (later Sri Lanka). He studied at the renowned St. Joseph's College in Colombo and currently lives in Stockholm, Sweden after emigrating there as a young man. Giving up a long-time senior position in a Swedish telecom company, Alan decided to concentrate on a writing career. One Flew over the Banyan Tree is his first novel. 

One Flew over the Banyan Tree [iUniverse] paperback is available at most online booksellers including Amazon, iUniverse, Adlibris, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, (Bowker),  Scribd, Chapters Indigo ca, etc, as of September 24, 2015. The e-book is also available at most of these and other online booksellers.

Website: www.alan-jansen-books.com