Tag: YA books

Meet KD Williams Author of THE MYSTERIES OF WOODLAND ACADEMY

June 11, 2024 / Katie L. Carroll

I recently reached out to a bunch of authors while writing an article for Teen Librarian Toolbox called “Self-Published Authors Fill the Gap with Books Featuring Characters Ages 13-15.” Due to the timing of deadlines, I wasn’t able to include KD Williams in the article, so I’m so please to welcome KD and her book THE MYSTERIES OF WOODLAND ACADEMY to the blog today.

About THE MYSTERIES OF WOODLAND ACADEMY:

Natalie Evergreen’s best friend, Samantha Harper, is moving away to attend Woodland Academy, a prestigious private preparatory school in Virginia, far away from Memphis, TN. Natalie is unwilling to break up their friendship, so she agrees to attend Woodland Academy with her, where they encounter supernatural occurrences. Although, Natalie is smitten by the school’s enchantments, splendor, and wonders, Natalie is determined to understand these mysteries with Sam. Natalie learns there’s more to Woodland Academy than meets the eye. Natalie quickly rises to fame when she is elected to participate in the school’s annual games. Things take an unexpected turn when unbelieving Natalie converts to Christianity. However, she finds it struggling to share her newfound faith with her devout atheist parents, who want nothing to do with God. Can Natalie get her parents to accept her faith in time before their fate takes a turn for the worst? Natalie knows every decision she makes is crucial, but one thing is certain, her life will never be the same again. Find out what awaits Natalie in this coming-of-age story of a young girl who learns faith doesn’t come without a price… in The Mysteries of Woodland Academy.

Purchase it at Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Target.

About the Author:

K. D. Williams is a Christian author who lives in Mississippi with her family. The Mysteries of Woodland Academy is her young adult debut. K.D. Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in History at Mississippi Valley State University and a Master of Arts in Education specializing in Child Development at Ashford University. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her grandchildren. K.D. Williams has a heart for the homeless and wants to start a homeless shelter one day.

You find her on Twitter @KdwilliamsA or Instagram @kdwilliams26.

Celebrating (or not) the Release of the YA Dystopian Thriller BLACK BUTTERFFLY

May 22, 2024 / Katie L. Carroll

Honesty time…I don’t enjoy book release days. Part of that is because by the time a book comes out, it’s old news to the author. My brain is like, “Been there, done that, let’s move on.” I’ve already been working on a bunch of other projects since I finished BLACK BUTTERFLY, and now I’m supposed to keep talking about that old project?!

It’s not that I don’t love the book that’s just come out. I’ve probably spent years working on it, which is most certainly true for BLACK BUTTERFLY (see “The 10-Year, 230-Rejection Journey of the YA Thriller BLACK BUTTERFLY”). I love all my books and want them to find readers, but I’m also ready to move on to my newer projects, which are much more exciting to me than my finished books.

There’s also the inevitable disappointment of release day. My release days aren’t exactly leading to big sales numbers, and I’m not sure what number might make it feel less disappointing, but I certainly haven’t reached that on release day. Maybe I never will, even if I started hitting big numbers. The sales numbers (or lack thereof) aren’t what keeps me going as a writer.

The excitement of a new idea popping into my head at the most unexpected moment. An idea sticking around in my mind long enough to quietly develop in the background until it demands I open up a blank page and start writing. The satisfaction of finishing a draft, typing The End, even though I know there’s more work to be done. Noticing an interesting theme in a draft and teasing it out with imagery and metaphor in revisions.

Those are the things that keep me going as a writer!

Once the book is released, there’s nothing left for me to do except try and get people to read it. And I’m not particularly good at that. I’m much better at writing and putting out a good story than selling one. I’m a writer, not a marketer. Though I do my best to do both things, it’s painfully obvious to me which is the one I meant to do.

With that being said, yesterday my YA dystopian thriller BLACK BUTTERFLY released. The day was “mid” as my 12-year-old so often says about his better days at school. Yet, I want to take this moment to recognize the huge accomplishment it has been to now have ten (!!!) published books to my name. That is no small feat. And no matter how “mid” the day felt, it’s a notable one for sure.

Is she the hero or the villain?

Black Butterfly wakes to a country devastated by terrorist attacks, supposedly at the hands of the Chinese government. She remembers nothing of her personal life—not even her name. All she knows is that she was in New York City on the day of the attacks. Though, she soon discovers she has an unsettling repertoire of violent talents.

Elijah and his found family of off-gridders from upstate New York take in Black Butterfly and mend her wounds. With nowhere else to go, she joins them as they head to a rally in Washington D.C. The eclectic group begins to feel like the family she can’t remember—or never had.

An encounter with Luca, a spy for a shadowy government agency, confirms Black Butterfly’s worst suspicions about who she was in the life she can’t remember. As more memories surface, Black Butterfly heads to the agency’s headquarters to find out who’s behind the terrorist attacks. It’s unclear whether she intends to reveal the truth or go back to her villainous way. And it’s more than her life she’s putting at risk.

Find the paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org and the ebook on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

Happy Book Birthday ONLY DARK EDGES by Katie L. Carroll

July 25, 2023 / Katie L. Carroll

Today is release day for my YA psychological thriller ONLY DARK EDGES! It’s hard to believe I have now published eight books. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me through all these many genres and age categories. And please consider leaving a review for my books on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you talk about books (reviews really do help readers find my books).

Only Dark Edges a modern-day, gender-swapped Hamlet retelling that’s about trying to find a way out of grief to what I’ve always called a “new normal.” But things are certainly conspiring against our main character Delta, so she’s having a hard time doing that.

I’ve written about grief before in my books, particularly in WITCH TEST, but Only Dark Edges was a particular challenge for me because it’s about the death of Delta’s sister. Those of you who have followed me for awhile know that it was the death of my own sister, Kylene, that inspired me to begin writing books (see “The Story of How I Became a Writer”). Having Hamlet as something of a framework gave me enough emotional distance from the book to be able to write something so emotionally charged.

I took a bit of an unusual approach to the book trailer with the voice over being a quote from Hamlet. I think it perfectly encapsulates Delta’s state of mind at the beginning of the book.

Hamlet meets You’ve Reached Sam in this YA psychological thriller that is both heart-pounding and heart-wrenching.

Delta’s spent the summer navigating the treacherous waters of losing her older sister, Gemma. Determined to brave junior year of high school without her sister, Delta finds solace in the arms of a new girlfriend. But grief takes a twisted turn when Gemma’s tortured ghost appears with a dire warning.

Beware the storm.

Plagued by the haunting suspicion that Gemma’s death involved foul play, Delta is plunged into a downward spiral of grief and paranoia. No one can be trusted—not her girlfriend, their friends, or her sister’s once-loyal boyfriend. Not even Delta’s own mind.

With a hurricane bearing down, two tempests collide at the abandoned Sea Glass Lodge. Accusations fly. Secrets unravel. And everyone is a target of the storm.

Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, and Smashwords.

Buy Signed Book Directly from Author Katie L. Carroll

March 29, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

The big news this week is that I’ve set up a bookstore right here on my website! Now you can order signed copies of any of my four books directly from me, simply visit the Purchase Books page. If you’d like them personalized, follow the instructions on the page.

For those of you who may not be familiar with my books, here’s a little bit about each one. I think you’ll be able to find something for every young reader!

The Bedtime Knight – picture book

When the lights turn off at bedtime, a young mouse’s imagination runs wild. Daddy Knight charges in to the rescue and sheds light on what the shadows really are. Then he empowers his daughter to turn the scary shadows into fun imaginings. Written by Katie L. Carroll with illustrations by Erika Baird.

Pirate Island – middle grade fiction

A thrice cursed island, a legendary pirate treasure, and one not-so-brave boy. What could possibly go wrong?

For centuries, the whereabouts of Captain William Kidd’s lost pirate treasure has remained a mystery. When Billy’s best friend, Andy, proposes they look for it on nearby Pirate Island, Billy thinks it’s just another one of their crazy adventures. It’s usually Billy who ends up in trouble as a result, but he goes along for the ride…like always. The more he delves into the life and death of Kidd, the more he thinks the treasure is real and that it might be buried on the small island in Long Island Sound. Billy—nope, call him William—becomes obsessed with the captain of the same first name. He even believes he’s possessed by Kidd’s restless soul. Now he and the spirit of a long-dead pirate are leading the crazy adventure on Pirate Island. And what they find is far bigger than the treasure they imagined.

Elixir Bound – young adult fantasy

Take an epic journey in this award-winning young adult fantasy, winner of Best YA Book for the 2019 Connecticut Author Project! A young woman’s quest to become the next guardian of a secret healing Elixir is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas

Katora Kase isn’t the firstborn son nor does she possess the type of magic that can conjure spells or bewitch others. In the land of the Great Peninsula—an epic fantasy world ruled by the Great Mother Nature and her offspring—those things aren’t a measure of one’s worth. And what Katora does possess is the subtle magic running through her blood that marks her as the next guardian of a secret healing Elixir that is her family’s legacy. It is such a highly guarded secret that Katora doesn’t know of its existence until a rare snowstorm blows through with a message for her father, the current guardian.

Katora sets off on a quest into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the flowers that give the Elixir its potency. Even though she is accompanied by her sister, her brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker, she feels alone. For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir’s magic to serve and protect it until a new guardian is chosen. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

ELIXIR SAVED – young adult fantasy

Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.

The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen—one of Mother Nature’s higher beings—sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.

Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND.

Q&A with Estelle Laure, Author of MAYHEM

July 17, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

Let’s give a big welcome to Estelle Laure as she celebrates the release of her latest YA novel MAYHEM and answers some questions about the book and writing.

Was there something in particular about 1987 that compelled you to set MAYHEM in that year?

Originally it had to do with the book being inspired by The Lost Boys which came out in 1987. That is also a summer I happen to remember really well. It was the peak of big hair and leather jackets and soft focus. It felt like a time with so much potentially entertaining material.

What one book do you wish you had written?

Firestarter. That’s my favorite Stephen King and I think it’s brilliant. Little girl sets things on fire with mind and takes down huge company run by terrifying men? Yes, please.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

Don’t write to the market. Write to your heart. But while you do that, make sure you educate yourself about what’s happening in publishing. Like, don’t write a jock bully or a blonde mean girl and if you’re white try to get clear with yourself about your blind spots. Also read everything you can get your hands on. Stay in it. Dig in. That’s my advice. Play the long game.

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

My friends all know that when I’m embarrassed by something someone else is doing, tears pour down my face. This happens pretty much every time I see politicians speak, bad performances, bad concerts, people exhibiting a wild amount of hubris or overconfidence, and when very bad dancing happens. It’s a totally subconscious response and cannot be controlled, so sometimes I have to leave a place to deal with it. My friends say, “Oh no, she’s tearing up. She’s tearing up!” it’s like my mirror neurons have gone all sideways or something. Oh, this also happens when I embarrass myself. It’s totally cool.

MAYHEM blurb:

The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.

It’s 1987 and unfortunately it’s not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy’s constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem’s own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren’t like everyone else.

But when May’s stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem’s questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good.

But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.

From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.

Link to a buy-this-book: https://wednesdaybooks.com/galaxies-and-kingdom/mayhem/

About the Author:

Estelle Laure, the author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back believes in love, magic, and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and she lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her family. Her work is translated widely around the world.

Find the author on Twitter @starlaure and Instagram @estellelaurebooks.