Tag: Ending Fear

Guest post by Deanna Fugett … and a Scavenger Hunt

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Hi! Today, on the Island we’re celebrating with my friend and fellow author, Deanna Fugett. Her YA dystopian debut novel, Ending Fear, releases on the 18th, and this is the fourth stop on her blog tour. I read the book, enjoyed it,  and then promptly endorsed it — it’s that good!

At the end of this blog post, I’ll have all the bookish information you need to grab a copy of your own. I’ll also list the other stops on her blog tour so you can learn more about Ending Fear. And lastly, you’ll have a chance to participate in a virtual scavenger hunt! Find one word per blog stop, which when put together, will make a sentence. One lucky participant who collects all 14 words will receive their own signed copy, as well as the Ending Fear coloring book. (Or an e-book for international participants).

After reading Ending Fear, I sent Deanna an email with a question. Why did you write it? She was nice enough to give me (and now you) an insight into the process.

Why I Wrote Ending Fear

Well, that’s a loaded question. Hmm…quite a few reasons actually. My first reason: I wanted to write a book since I was in 6th grade. Probably before that. I had a love for writing since I got published in a local newspaper at six years of age, so that probably sparked the flame of storytelling within me.

My 6th grade teacher Mrs. Olson had our whole class promise her that we would write a book someday. She never said we had to publish it, but I decided I would take it even further by pursuing publishing. Wasn’t going through all the hard work of writing an entire manuscript just to have it sit in a drawer and never seen by anyone.

A few years back I’d finally come to a place in my life where I felt comfortable with starting the writing process. My fingers had been itching for years, but I wanted to make sure my life was in order before I began this monumental task of novel crafting.

I had been inspired by watching the Hunger Games movie and reading the book. Something about it spoke to me. I didn’t even know what dystopian was at the time, but I knew I wanted to write a book in that realm of thinking. I had never heard of the word dystopian. You can imagine how difficult it was for me to figure out what genre I had actually written once I had finished my rough draft. I hadn’t paid much attention to genres before. I literally judged a book by its cover.

Every time I’d visit a library or a bookstore, if a cover or a back cover blurb sparked my interest, that’s what I’d borrow/buy. Didn’t matter the genre. I didn’t care about that at all. I guess, in a way, it helped me develop a more well-rounded view of writing.

Since I had been well read in multiple genres, I could easily incorporate all the good things from each one into my story, creating a unique perspective. It’s funny because I’ve experienced a tad bit of confusion over this just recently. I was asked by someone to turn in some romantic bits from my story, and they were all “wow, that’s some good romance there, but where’s all the sci-fi techy stuff?” And then when I show my sci-fi techy stuff to someone else they’re all “but where’s the romance?”

See, I have both in my books. But not always in the same parts. So it’s funny. And that’s why I love dystopian so much. You can incorporate the cutesy romance stuff along with the futuristic world building of Sci-Fi. It’s fun.

My main reason for writing Ending Fear was simply the fact that I wanted to write a Hunger Games type book but add more hope. I saw a lack of hope with that series. A lack of morals. A lack of… something more. Inner spiritual struggles, perhaps.

I wanted to create a futuristic world, add dynamic characters and excellent, fun dialogue and manage to infuse God in there somehow. Make it from a Christian worldview, but not make it preachy. I hope I succeeded with that. My betas and critique partners seem to think so. I’m hoping the rest of the world does, too.

Ending Fear came from a place of healing in my own life too. And although I don’t share the same struggles as my main character Fear, I still was able to find healing through writing the words down on the page. Connecting to her character and feeling her feelings.

I wrote this story for me.

I needed this story. I hope there’s people out there that do, too. People who can connect to it.

I wrote this story for you.

For the people who will be touched by the story. I hope it finds you, wherever you are. Helps you to feel something and maybe even come out the other side with something you may not have had before reading it. Maybe hope, peace, bravery? Whatever it is, I pray the story is powerful in your life, and I hope God uses it for His glory.

Thanks, Deanna, for giving us a peek into how Ending Fear came to be.  Below, is some more information on Ending Fear, as well as her blog tour dates — you won’t want to miss them. And don’t forget to participate in the scavenger hunt — the link is at the very bottom of he post!

Ending Fear: Book One of the Gliding Lands

Deanna Fugett

Release Date: July 18, 2017

Paperback: $15.99, eBook: $4.99 (Pre-order Price of $2.99)

Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC

Genre: YA Dystopian, 400 pages, ISBN: 978-1-943788-16-3

 

From The Back Cover:

Fourteen-year-old Fear learns she was a parachute baby, dumped over the edge of the Gliding Lands as an infant. Fascinated by the floating cities in the sky before, now she’s desperate for answers.

But a slave isn’t likely to get those answers.

When her abusive Downer family throws her from their hovel, Fear takes refuge with a family who shows her love for the first time. Surely they can’t be trusted. Years of abuse and molestation has taught her that. Then her brother discovers where she’s hiding and tries to kidnap her. Fear will never let him touch her again. Her new family conceals her at The Fallen, a ranch that hides parachute babies from the Uppers who discarded them. Just as she’s beginning to embrace yet another home, Fear’s new little sister, Happy, is kidnapped and taken to the Uppers’ temple harem. Fear must go against her namesake, find a working hoverpod, and journey to the dreaded Gliding Lands before the little girl’s innocence is ripped from her forever.

Can she save Happy in time?

And will she find answers to the burning question of why anyone would throw her away?

Bio:

Deanna Fugett’s heart belongs to writing. Author of edgy YA Dystopian fiction with an underlying message of hope, this stay-at-home mom of four focuses on writing as much as humanly possible. She was published at the young age of six in a local newspaper and is excited to be published again. It only took twenty-six years. She enjoys the thrill of writing fiction that deals with intense topics and prays it will impact people for the better. Visit www.DeannaFugett.com to learn more about her.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.deannafugett.com/ 

Blog: http://quillsandinkblotts.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeannaFugettAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dutchessofdork3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/37187086-deanna-fugett

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/DutchessOfDork3/

Purchase Link (L2L2 website): http://www.love2readlove2writepublishing.com/books/ending-fear/

Facebook Launch Party : Thursday, July 20, 2017, 7-9 PM MST https://www.facebook.com/events/722598937920317/

And don’t forget to check out the other blog stops!