Sapphire Blue - New Book from Karen King.

I'm delighted to welcome to my blog my good friend, multi-published author, Karen King, and to say congratulations on the release today of her latest YA novel - Sapphire Blue.

With more than 125 books to her credit, ranging from picture books to adult romance (under the name Kay Harborne) this is Karen's second young adult novel. It's published by Solstice and has a very distinct supernatural theme to it. 

Karen has also written for many children's magazines including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. In fact she writes for all ages and all genres: story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction.

I asked Karen a few question – and was really pleased by her first answer... you'll see why!

Q. Placing the story in a spiritual setting is very different from other books you've written. How hard was it to write this and to imagine the locations and backgrounds?

Karen: It was quite a difficult book to write and I kept putting it away and in fact wouldn't have finished it if you and another friend hadn't kept persuading me! Imagining the world and background wasn't too difficult, after all no one knows what the afterlife is like so I could give my imagination free range. What was difficult was working out as things like whether people would still eat, sleep, how they would walk around, would we still have night-time? Also, the story is written in dual viewpoint, from both Sapphire and her boyfriend Will's point of view so I had to try and get into two characters' heads.

Very pleased that my nagging had something to do with you finishing Sapphire Blue, Karen.

Q. The idea of there being different plains when we die is interesting. What inspired that idea? And what inspired you to write Sapphire Blue?

Karen: I've always believed that we live on after we die, that our souls go back to the place we came from, join our friends and family and carry on with our journey. I was talking about this to someone one day and they said that they hoped they didn't forget life on Earth, when they died and that they still had their memories. That started me thinking about what it would be like if you loved someone; would your love still survive in the afterlife? Does everyone go to the same place? It was from this that the idea of Sapphire Blue was born. I started it seven years ago and my synopsis grabbed the attention of a publisher straight away but unfortunately they didn't carry on with their YA fiction list so I shelved it for a while. But the idea wouldn't go away.

So glad the idea didn't go away, Karen.

Q. Sapphire Blue is your second YA book, could you tell the readers something about your first YA book?

Karen: Perfect Summer is set in the not-too distant future when society is so obsessed with perfection that being different in any way is considered a crime. Morgan, the heroine, has a younger brother, Josh, with Down's syndrome and she and her family are under a lot of pressure to have him put away in a home, so life is tough for Morgan. Whereas her best friend, Summer, seems to have a perfect life. Then Josh goes missing and in her quest to find him Morgan encounters great danger and discovers that Summer's life isn't so perfect after all.

I've read Perfect Summer – it's a great book. I know when Karen goes into schools, the story provokes much debate amongst the students. I think Sapphire Blue will do likewise!

Q. With more than 125 books published, what advice would you give to anyone just starting to write.

Karen: Read, read, read so that you're aware of the current market, then write the story that is buzzing around in your head shouting to get out.

Q. Finally, what's next in the pipeline for you?

Karen: I'm working on a few different things but finishing my romance novel and writing the series I'm doing with you is top of my list.

So glad you said that, Karen! Good luck with all your writing projects and especially Sapphire Blue.

Sapphire Blue – Blurb

Can love survive death?

“No one has ever walked out of Red. Once the Soul Catchers get you they don’t let you go.” Denny’s words scare me but I have no choice. If Will is in Red that’s where I have to go.

I’ve never really thought what it was like when you died. I’m only 16, too young to worry about that. At least I thought I was. I’ve heard about Heaven and Hell, of course, but it doesn’t look like I’m in either of them. All I know is that Will is here too and I need to find him. I can’t face spending eternity without him.

Sapphire Blue – Extract

Everywhere Will turns all he can see is mist. It’s inside his head too, wrapping around his mind, stopping him from thinking straight.

He tries to shake the mist away, to find a fragment of memory that will tell him who he is, where he is. But there’s nothing. His mind is a complete blank. He can’t even remember his name.

He squints as a shape starts to form in the mist. It’s a man.

The man strides purposefully as if he’s heading somewhere in particular and needs to get there fast.

“You okay, mate?”

Will shakes his head. “I can’t remember anything. Where am I?”

The man pauses and looks around. “No one meeting you?”

Will frowns, trying to remember. Why would someone be meeting him? “I don’t think so,” he stammers. “Should they be?”

“Sometimes they do.” The man’s tone is casual. He shrugs. “You’d better come with me then.”

Will doesn’t know what else to do, so he follows the man. He has to quicken his pace to keep up with this stranger’s long, effortless strides and constantly looks around, trying to get some idea where they are. After a while the mist starts to fade and Will sees that they’re crossing what looks like barren wasteland. Rugged cliffs jut up along each side, gnarled trees and bushes dot the landscape here and there, and a buzzard caws as it flies overhead. It’s eerie. There’s no one around except him and the man yet Will feels like he’s being watched. Stalked almost.

“Where are we going?” he demands, fear making his voice sound shrill. “Who are you and where the hell am I?”

The man turns around. “You really don’t remember, do you?”

Something about the way he says the words sends an icicle of fear down Will’s spine. “Remember what?”

The man holds out his hand, it’s long, thin and bony. “Take my hand.”

Will stares at the outstretched hand not wanting to touch it.

“Take it if you want to remember. Or leave it if you don’t. It’s all the same to me.”

Will hesitates, a terrible feeling of foreboding seizing him. What is it he has to remember? He’s sure it’s something he’s not going to like. But he has to find out. He needs to know who he is, where he is, what he’s doing here. He takes a deep breath, reaches out and grasps the man’s hand.

Immediately, a bright light explodes across his forehead. He gasps and tries to pull his hand away but the man grips it tight, his nails digging into Will’s flesh. The light fades and pictures flash across his mind like a horror slide show. He’s getting in a car, a girl’s singing, a huge tree zooms in so close that he instinctively step back then there’s a big bang. Now the girl’s lying motionless, blood oozing out of a gap in her forehead, her neck bent at an awkward angle, her eyes open, staring. Will draws in his breath, his hand pressing across his forehead as his memory floods back and his heart shatters into jagged smithereens that puncture him inside. The girl is Sapphire, his girlfriend. He’d just passed his driving test and was taking them for a drive when he crashed.

He killed her. He killed Sapphire.

Links

Website: www.karenking.net

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn&__adt=7&__att=iframe#!/KarenKingAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74448.Karen_King

Twitter: @karen_king

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Karen-King/e/B0034P6W7I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kryski/

Please visit my website: http:www.annevansbooks.co.uk

Take a peep at three of my latest books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celeste-Ann-Evans-ebook/dp/B00KQ8XIGE

and

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uninvited-Ann-Evans-ebook/dp/B00O2I9084

Any teenage reluctant readers in the family?

http://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Teen-Reads-Ann-Evans/dp/1781479720

Welcome Kay Harborne alias Karen King.

I'm very pleased to welcome back my good friend, author Karen King. Today however, she's under the guise of Kay Harborne – her pseudonym for her romantic novels. Laren will be telling us about her latest romance Never Say Forever.

Karen has written around 120 children's books – ranging from beautiful picture books for little toddlers, through to joke books, novelty books, bedtime story books and adventure and mystery novels. She also writes for young adults.

Her first YA book, Perfect Summer is set just a little in the future when society is so obsessed with perfection that the government gives grants for plastic surgery. The book was runner up in the Red Telephone Books YA Novel 2011 competition. The controversial story is proving a lively topic for debate when Karen visits senior schools around the country.

She has also written for many children's comics and magazines, including Jackie, Sindy, Barby, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine.

As Kay Harborne she has written several romance stories for women's magazines. Her romantic novel, The Millionaire Plan was nominated for the RONE Award earlier this year.

Being such a prolific writer, Karen is also an experienced writing tutor and currently tutors for The Writers' Bureau. This year she was also delighted to accept the invitation to become Patron of Reading for Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester.

Her latest book, Never Say Forever was originally published as a People’s Friend Pocket Novel, then in large print by Linford Romance, and has most recently been published by Astraea Press.

I'm pleased to be able to feature it here:

Never Say Forever blurb

Do you follow your dream or follow your heart?

That’s the decision Kendall McKenzie has to make when she meets hunky businessman Jake Newman. It’s obvious that he’s as attracted to her as she is to him. But Kendall has vowed to never get married – and it seems that Jake, too, is determined to never commit. When the two are together however sparks fly and it’s obvious to everyone except themselves that they’re meant to be together. Can Kendall trust Jake enough to give him her heart? And if she does will she have to say goodbye to her dream?

Extract

He turned and saw an open door leading into the kitchen where Kendall, her back towards him, was unplugging the kettle. She was wearing a neat, grey, pinstriped suit, the jacket tapering in at the waist and the skirt finishing just above the knee, with enough of a slit to reveal her very shapely legs.

She turned around and smiled at him, and his heart missed a beat. She was incredibly pretty and fresh, even at this early hour. Her glowing hair was loosely tied back from her face, which was bare of make--‐ up apart from a touch of lipstick, and her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if she’d had a restful night’s sleep.

“OK, I’m ready now. I’ve just got to get my suitcase out of the bedroom.”

Here was where he was supposed to tell her that she was staying at the Birmingham office, that he didn’t need her in Spain, after all. But the words wouldn’t come. He might not need her in Spain with him, but he definitely wanted her there.

“Ouch!” Kendall’s cry of pain interrupted his thoughts. He dashed down the hall and saw her bending down, rubbing the back of her leg, the suitcase on the floor behind her.

“Are you all right?” he asked, worried. His eyes rested on the hole in her tights and the bruise already forming. “That looks nasty,” he said sympathetically.

She flushed. “The case was heavier than I thought. I stumbled and caught the back of my leg with it. I’ll be fine. I just need to change my tights.”

“I’ll wait in the car for you.” He effortlessly picked up the heavy suitcase. “And we’re all right for a few minutes if you want to put some ice on that bruise.” Without waiting for an answer, he carried the suitcase out the front door.

Maybe he was the one who needed the ice, he thought, as he took the case down to the car. The sight of Kendall’s bare skin peeping through the hole in her tights and hint of cleavage as she’d bent down to rub her leg had certainly made his temperature rise.

Don’t even think about it, he warned himself as he pressed the remote to open the car boot. This was a business trip, and he had to keep it that way. He never mixed business with pleasure and he wasn’t about to start now. Not even with Kendall McKenzie.

Especially not with Kendall McKenzie.

****

It was only as she walked into the car park at the back of the flats that Kendall realised she didn’t know what sort of car Jake drove, but the sleek, midnight--‐ blue sedan just had to be his. She was a bit taken aback when he got out, walked around,

and opened the passenger door for her. Not many guys did that nowadays.

“Thank you,” she said as she slid onto the leather seat.

“My pleasure.” There was a hint of teasing in his reply, as if he knew he’d surprised her.

“Love the car,” she said as he got in beside her.

He flashed her a smile. “I quite like it too.”

“It might have been better if you’d got someone to drop us off at the airport so they could take the car back,” she suggested. “I wouldn’t risk leaving a car like this parked at the airport.”

ʺI’m not. I’ve left a spare set of keys with my chauffeur. He’ll pick it up later this morning then drive it home for me. It didn’t seem fair to drag him out of bed this early.”

He’s a nice guy, Kendall thought, kind and considerate yet rich and successful. In her experience, the qualities didnʹt always mix.

As they drove along, she was acutely aware of his presence beside her, of his strong hands holding the wheel casually but firmly, of his left hand reaching down to change gears effortlessly and smoothly, just a few centimetres from her knee.

“How long did you teach in Thailand?” he asked her. “I spent a bit of time over there myself a couple of years ago. It’s a beautiful country.”

“I was there for a year.” She was glad of the diversion. “I taught in a school in Chiang Mai.”

For the rest of the journey they spoke about Thailand and some of the other countries they had both visited, and she realised that he was actually very easy to talk to with a good sense of humour. She was almost sorry when they arrived at the airport; she’d enjoyed his company so much.

Careful, she told herself. I bet he’s as charming as this with all the women he meets. She knew he had a reputation for collecting beautiful girlfriends — Tanya had hinted as much at the engagement party. He was the eternal bachelor. Well, she was the eternal bachelor girl, wasn’t she? She could handle Jake Newman, even if he did make her go all goose-bumpy

Buy Never Say Forever via these links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Read more about Kay Harborne and Karen King at:

Links

Website: http://www.karenking.net/

Twitter: @karen_king

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kay-Harborne/e/B00D5VD6LG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1373543640&sr=8-2

Welcome to author Karen King

Today I'm delighted to welcome my good friend, author Karen King to my blog.

Living only about 25 miles away from each other, we often go to writing events together, and we run a double whammy schools Author Visit project which we call KAT. This stands for Kids and Authors Together. It also, incidentally, stands for Karen and Ann Together!

Karen has had around a hundred and twenty children’s books published. She’s also written for many children's magazines including Jackie, Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. As well as her children's books, she has written some short stories for women’s magazines and has had two romance novels published under the name of Kay Harborne.

There's so much to say about Karen. She has a BA with the Open University, a Certificate In Education, a HNC in Media and many years of experience as a writing tutor. She was a part time lecturer on the MA in Professional Writing course and the BA Illustration course at the University College, Falmouth for many years, where she also ran Summer Schools on writing for the children's market.

She has tutored online for the TrAce Online Writing School, and via correspondence for the Open College of Arts. She now tutors creative writing for Worcestershire County Council, the Writer's Bureau and the London School of Journalism. Her latest accreditation is Patron of Reading in her home town of Worcester. She also offers private writing tuition and a manuscript appraisal service. Details are on her website.

With so much experience in writing under her belt it's not surprising that one of her latest books is her extremely useful - Get Writing: Children's Fiction. The perfect handbook to help you break into writing for children.

Cover blurb

The aim of this book is to get you writing. It's full of inspiration, tips and writing exercises for anyone who wants to write children's fiction. Included are tips from other published writers, useful links and answers to questions you've always wanted to ask.  

Get Writing: Children's Fiction includes chapters on:

Know-how: the difference between writing for children and writing for adults.
How to get ideas for your stories from your family, your work and your life - and how to expand those ideas.
Creating believable characters children will love reading about.
Writing by the seat of your pants, or plotting? Basic things you need to know for either approach.
Writing realistic dialogue.
Writing the first draft
How to create 'reel them in' beginnings, sustain the pace in the middle, and write satisfying endings.
How to write page-turning chapter endings; keeping continuity when writing series.
Writing for the educational market.
Writing a synopsis and a proposal.
Submitting your work to a publisher or agent.
Dealing with rejects and rewrites.
Publicity and marketing.
Publishing your own work.

Get Writing: Children’s Fiction

Is your head full of children's stories?

Will they make a book?

Karen King's, Get Writing: Children’s Fiction, is out now to help you break into writing for children.

Buy Links

Amazon

Waterstones
Barnes and Noble

The Book Depository

Author Links

Website: www.karenking.net

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn&__adt=7&__att=iframe#!/KarenKingAuthor

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-King/e/B0034P6W7I/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Good Reads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74448.Karen_King

Thank you, Karen.

Please visit my website: www.annevansbooks.co.uk