Good morning and it is a wonderful morning. I'm the first one up in my household, in fact, I've been up since around 4:00 a.m. because I am in the middle of a plot in next novel SECRET ROMANCES: A FORBIDDEN THIRST FOR LOVE. This book is nothing like my other novels, in fact, as the title reflects, it is a romance novel. After writing three psychological thrillers back-to-back, my brain is enjoying the romance. Readers need not worry as the second book in THE KEYSTROKE KILLER is almost finished and I am about two-thirds into NEVER STOP RUNNING part two.
Speaking of NEVER STOP RUNNING, the sales for the audible book are increasing daily as word gets out about this thriller. With more than fifty five-star reviews on ACX, it is quickly becoming in the ranks of the top 100 books on audible after opening up as the #1 New Release in paperback, eBook and audiobook narrated by Jessie Drumm. This is an action-packed thriller with many twists and turns. Order your copy today.
Another reason I am excited is that tonight I get to go to the Saints versus the Vikings preseason game in the Superdome. If you have followed me for any time at all, you know how much I love NFL football and the New Orleans Saints. So, maybe that's the real reason I'm up so early.
Yesterday I hit a milestone on my blog and my followers are now are the 200,000 mark. I am humbled that so many take the time to read my blog as I love sharing with you author tips and introducing you to new books and their authors. Today is no exception as a I a special one in store. Joshua C. Carroll and the book THE ADVENTURES OF SARAH ANN LEWIS AND THE MEMORY THIEVES. Think of an adventure similar to A WRINKLE IN TIME and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Set is the 1980s and filled with spies and mad scientists, this sci-fi tale is perfect for pre-teens and teens to get one last book in their reading corner before they head back to school.
I hope you enjoy learning about the author and the book in my featured Author Interview.
The Adventures of Sarah Ann Lewis and the Memory Thieves (The Sentinels Book 1)
JOSHUA C CARROLL
website: JoshuaCCarroll.com
email: joshua@joshuaccarroll.com
email: joshua@joshuaccarroll.com
- Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I was born in Colorado, but I grew up in Abilene, Texas, and lived there until I was in my 30s. Abilene is where I went to college, met and married my wife, bought our first house, and became a dad for the first time. It's a great big little town, and it's the only thing for a long way around, so it's got a really interesting social dynamic. In a lot of ways, growing up in that sort-of-rural-but-not-quite place has shaped the way I relate to the world and how I write.
These days, I live in Fort Worth, Texas. My wife and I have been married for 16 years, and in addition to our two biological daughters (5 and 13), we also have two wonderful foster daughters (2 months and 14 months). - What inspired you to author this book?When I first moved to Fort Worth, my family was still in Abilene finishing out the school year and trying to sell our house. During that time, I had a lot of extra alone time on my hands, and when I have time to think, I get creative. This story was born in that time as something I wanted to give my oldest daughter.
- Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?The cover is a scene straight out of the book. In it, Sarah sneaks onto her neighbor's property one night, still wearing her pajamas and discovers a secret laboratory inside a cave.
- Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit over and over. Without Tolkien and Lewis, I don't think I'd be writing stories today.
- What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?This was my first novel. Just convincing myself that I could finish was such a battle, especially at first. And then, once it was written and revised, it was a shock to discover that most publishers won't touch a middle-grade novel that's more than 50,000 words long. There was a lot of rejection.
- Tell your readers about your book.
BUY NOW The Adventures of Sarah Ann Lewis and the Memory Thieves is, first and foremost, a spy thriller. There are mystery and elements of science fiction. But there's also a magical fantasy thing going on in the way the story is told and in the way Sarah experiences the world she uncovers It's been compared a lot to A Wrinkle in Time and I Am Number Four, and since it's set in a rural area during the 80s, some have drawn parallels to Stranger Things. There are lots of Easter eggs for fans of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Sarah, the main character, is 13 years old and lives with her Grandpa. She's had a hard life and is trying to find a sense of normality as the book opens. She's curious to the point of getting into trouble, and she hates going to school.
What she doesn't know is that her family has some big secrets. And now, spies are stalking her because of those secrets.
People she loves are hurt and endangered. And to save the day, Sarah has to team up with people she never knew existed. People who, it turns out, aren't even human.
It's a lot of fun, and it gets pretty intense. It's a lot closer to, say, Harry Potter than to Diary of a Wimpy Kid.WATCH THE TRAILER HERE - Who is your target audience, and why?This book is technically categorized for "upper middle grade" readers, but really, it's for anybody who loves the sorts of books my oldest daughter and I love: the Percy Jackson series, the Pittacus Lore books, A Wrinkle in Time, Narnia, etc. If you like mysteries, spies, mad scientists, alternate dimensions, talking animals, shapeshifters, and 1980s nostalgia, this book is for you.
It's also found a home among other foster/adoptive families. Sarah Ann contains some themes around belonging in the family that has chosen you, even if they aren't the family you were born into, and that really resonates with people who are living that reality. Seeing their positive response to this story has been one of my favorite outcomes of publishing it. - What do you consider your greatest success in life?I don't know that I have achieved it, but my number one goal is to be a great husband and dad for my family.
- What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?I didn't set out to be different, but I definitely seem to have landed there. Maybe that's because I didn't set out to write a book that people would buy. I just set out to write the sort of story my daughter and I would want to read together. I can't help but pull a lot of broad influences together into my stories, so they tend to be a little hard to nail down.THE BOOK'S REVIEWS1: Memory Thieves is an imaginative and very well-written book that provides a glimpse into a world we will probably be seeing a lot of in the future. Sarah Ann Lewis provides us with a likable young girl who is thrust into the forefront of a battle between unseen universes and good and evil, and her relationships with characters from these unseen universes provide us with examples of loyalty, bravery, duty, and honor. What more could we hope for in a hero? The story was rich in adventure and really engaging for the reader. There is much to like on each page, beginning to end.
Joshua Carroll has made an auspicious debut in this book, filled with memorable characters and a fun storyline. My expectation is that there will be a strong following for this series for many years to come.
2: This book is amazingly awesome. It is a science fiction, mystery, good vs. bad, awesome book. Do not hesitate in ordering. If you don’t order, you will live a very sorry, miserable, horrible life, knowing you did not order a book that is AWESOME. Such, such, such an amazing book. (Do not hesitate. I am so serious. This is an awesome book.)
I think someone put glue on my hands while I was sleeping. Because, I was pretty much “read, read, read, but mom! This is a really exciting part! Read, read, read, go to bed, wondering what will happen next, can’t go to sleep, read some more, fall asleep, read while eating breakfast, etc., etc.” Very good book. Can’t wait until the next one comes out! This is what I was like when I started:
!!!!!
3: When was the last time you read a book that you just couldn't put down? This was one of those books for me. I read it in just 2 sessions, which is unusual for me. The mystery of Sarah's past drew me in. Mr. Carroll does an excellent job of revealing enough information to engage the reader while at the same time holding back enough information to keep the mystery alive.
Reading this book was extraordinarily fun. Any young fans of adventure and fantasy would enjoy reading it. Mr. Carroll brings us an exciting, engaging world to be in for a while. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
