Gabriella Slade's Blog: The JOY of Writing, page 5

Sneak Peak inside Show Me PLUS Title of Book 2 Reveal

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

Today is a very exciting post!

You might remember a while back I shared Chapter 1 of Show Me here on my blog, but it was the old, old version of the book, which was also completely stuffed with spelling and grammar errors. Now, I have completely finished editing Show Me, so today, I’m sharing with you the complete first chapter of my book. Stay tuned because, at the end of the post, I’m REVEALING the title of the second book in the series!!

Let’s just dive right in!

Chapter One
From The Divine

Magic is not all it seems.

It’s a curse. An evil plague.

He had seen it bring ruin and chaos to anyone in its pathway. It never would stop–It couldn’t. And who would help him bring an end to this evil? Certainly not the Soul Questers, who did nothing but bring popularity to the darkness. No, he was going to have to work in secret.

If he lost, failure, and possibly death could be his punishment.

And if he won?

Freedom and light, for all elves.

***

Fifteen-year-old Kade Bolthunter closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh summery air floating around him. The early morning sun, peeking out from a blanket of clouds, heating his pale skin. It was absolutely picture-perfect.

Kade stopped in the middle of the dirt path, taking a minute to soak up the sunlight and cool air. People in southern Arjedia didn’t typically get this much sun–it was usually just rain and humidity–nothing this mild. This rare occasion was one he didn’t want to miss.

“Hey kids!” called Jasmine, the elderly hobo sitting on the side of the road. Her large hoops dangled, brushing her shoulders. She removed her shawl from her arms and reached for her black lacy fan, trying to fight the daunting heat. Kade turned, stepping towards her as he dug into his pocket for some change.

“Morning” he smiled at her as he dropped the coins in her hands like he did every morning.

“Good morning, Kade. Fine day, isn’t it?” Jasmine asked with a playful smile, tucking the coins into her shawl.

“Sure,” Kade shrugged. He glanced at the crowds of students talking and laughing with one another.

“I’ve got to go or I’ll be late,” he said, bounding towards the road, his brown curls bouncing with excitement. In the distance came a laugh from the group of students, all in Kade’s class.

Go talk to them his innards urged him. Smiling, and taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Kade pushed his hair falling into his eyes, and scampered towards the group. “Hey guys!” he called with a smile. His heartbeat, threatening to break loose from his chest. But Kade swallowed his nerves, determined to be friendly.

“What’s up?” Kade asked when no one acknowledged his arrival. A boy shrugged but said nothing. His eyes didn’t even meet Kade’s. Couldn’t they just give him a chance at making friends? They hadn’t for years.

“Harry?” Kade asked, his voice choked with suppressed emotion.

“Leave him alone,” sneered another one of the boys from behind him. “He’s not required to listen to anything you have to say.”

A couple of other students chuckled in response. Kade’s cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Of course he’s not required, Jonny,” Kade stated, trying to remain calm, though hurt and anger built up, bubbling like a volcano, ready to burst. “But you guys won’t even give me a chance at being your friend. I’m hardly different from the rest of you guys.”

“Lies. All lies. Go take your supernatural emotions somewhere else, freak. We’ve told you before–you’re not welcome here,” the boy retorted, pushing Kade aside, who noted how Jonny avoided making eye contact with him.

Kade stopped in his tracks, letting the group go on without him. He bit his lip, watching as the group continued to laugh and push each other around. Freak. Wizard. Kade had heard all these names before. But they still hurt as if he were hearing them for the first time.

The noise of the conversation from his fellow classmates continued to ring in Kade’s small ears, as he continued to follow, staying far enough behind them so they wouldn’t notice him.

The village he walked through, which he’d grown

up in, consisted of small brown houses, all lined up, one after another. There was little that distinguished them as being different from each other, except for the small variety of fruit trees that had been planted in the front lawn.

Many of the houses’ residents sat outside, also enjoying this nice spout of weather. Some tended their gardens, while others sat on the porch with a book. Kade himself longed at this moment to escape reality within the pages of a story.

Passing the local bakers, he inhaled the tempting aroma of freshly baked bread. But with no more pocket money to spend, Kade only hurried past by with a longing inside his empty stomach for what he couldn’t have.

Tripping over his feet as he reached into his bag and clutched the latest edition of the Depot Catalogue, Kade hurried to stay close to the group of classmates, without merging with their group.

He flipped through the pages, landing on the one with a red circle drawn around the latest camera and stared for minutes, though he tried to make sure he didn’t end up running into a pole or something.

Kade had asked for a camera for his birthday for the last 5 years, but of course, they could never afford one. They had a hard time affording food as it was. But he still had an inner yearning to have it for himself. He’d always loved photography and the idea of being to capture a moment in a picture forever.

Then the emotions kicked in. And they weren’t his own.

The vibes, thrills, and desires of all the students in front of him sought out Kade like a magnet. Joy. Humor. Disgust at the idea of going to school. Cravings for food.

Kade struggled, trying to block out the emotions, but this only made the pain worse, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them. Kade gasped for breath.

A searing pain ripped through Kade’s head, burning like fire. Several emotions rolled through his consciousness like one flipped through a shelf of books. Though Kade could feel them, they weren’t real. Not for him. These emotions belonged to someone else. They just tortured Kade like a whip lashing at his back. Breathe Kade, Breath. Just ignore them. Ignore the emotions.

In a minute, the pain melted, but the emotions continued to buzz inside Kade.

The group of students now stood quite a bit ahead of Kade. A couple looked back at him, some laughing under their breath. They gestured to one another and their chortles could probably have been heard had they been miles away. The adults in their yards, however, completely ignored Kade. Of course. By now, this was a completely normal thing to them, despite the fact that this had never before been seen in a human society until now.

Kade’s cheeks heated. This odd ability to be able to sense emotions should be considered a good thing. A gift. But the people he lived with thought otherwise. That he was different. Odd. Why couldn’t he just be loved and accepted by these people for who he was? Now, Kade hated it. He would give it all up just to be accepted as a normal person.

Reaching down to grab his bag, Kade hurried to catch up with the students, though he still stayed hidden behind them. All he wanted to do was get this day over with so he could go home.

***

Later that afternoon, Kade ducked into the bustling diner, brimming with students like himself who’d just gotten out of school. Kade squeezed between a few of them, heading straight towards the counter and bar stools. He let his schoolbag fall to the ground beside him as he plopped onto one of the stools.

“Bolthunter.” Kade turned as the man who owned the diner, Jack, approached him from across the marble counter. Kade rested his elbows on the counter in front of him. “Hello, Jack.”

“You getting anything?” Jack asked.

Kade shrugged. “I don’t exactly have the money at the moment,” he admitted. Jack gave a knowing nod. He sniffed, his white mustache twitching at the curl. He turned.

Kade tried to stare over his shoulder with his denim blue eyes. “Whatcha doing?” he asked. He could sense Jack’s calmness. It buzzed through him.

In answer, Jack turned, holding a grilled sandwich in one hand, and a glass of milk in the other. “This one’s on the house. Just don’t tell the boss.” He said, before setting them in front of Kade, who grinned. “Thanks.”

“So…” Jack turned, apparently feeling awkward, as he avoided Kade’s eyes. “…How’s school?”

Kade sighed. “There’s no point in trying to hide that you’re uncomfortable” he chuckled, as he bit into his sandwich.

Of course, he was uncomfortable. Everyone else in this town was. And why wouldn’t they be? Kade was the odd boy whose parents had left him inside the room of an inn, the only note reading they were leaving him behind for his own good. The boy who could feel your emotions as if they were your own.

Of course, they were uncomfortable. They didn’t trust Kade. And perhaps they shouldn’t. Maybe it was better that way. He was different. They had every right in the world to be.

Jack fumbled with his apron, tied around his waist. “I’m sorry,” Kade mumbled, casting his eyes downwards. Hopefully, he hadn’t offended him. “Maybe I should go.”

“No. You’re fine,” Jack smoothed out his clothing and heightened his posture. “I apologize for sounding rude.”

“You had every right to,” Kade sighed, swallowing the last of his snack. Now he was the one feeling uncomfortable. A silence lingered between the two. Kade pushed his plate away and reached for his bag.

“Axel’ll be waiting; I better go,” he said.

“Ah yes. Send Axel my good wishes” Jack said, now waving to the newcomers entering the diner. He was clearly distracted and focused on anything but Kade. Without giving as much as a farewell to anyone else in the diner, Kade headed out, and towards home.

When his little brown cottage came into view, Kade’s heavy body eased into a sigh of relief. Home. Another day full of emotions and pain had come to a close.

A grin broke on his face, and Kade ran up the dirt path, passing Axel’s well-tendered garden and pushing the sunny yellow door open. “Axel? I’m home.”

Kade stepped inside the small cottage, the smell of wood filling his nostrils. His eyes passed over the familiar room. A fire crackled in the fireplace. The few pieces of furniture still in good condition wobbled on their legs, threatening to collapse at any given minute. “Axel?” he called again. From the other room, the sweet melody of music from their musty piano swelled, and then stopped abruptly.

“I’m here!” came his voice. After another second or two, a man stepped from a back hall, leaning on a wooden cane. His thick, bushy beard, both white and gray hair poking out, was wild and carefree. His eyes, brown and kind, twinkled when they laid on Kade.

Axel was Kade’s adopted father, though he was old enough to be his grandfather. He knew Kade better than anyone. Perhaps even better than Kade knew himself. Kade couldn’t be happier to be home with him.” How was school?” Axel asked as he made his way to his chair–the one he sat in every night.

“Same old same old” Kade slammed his brown schoolbag on the old oak floors and settled on their simple green sofa. “But I did get a B on that history test I was telling you about last week, so that’s great.”

Axel gave a small nod. “Good job,” he smiled. “And what about your…” his voice trailed off. Axel didn’t have to say it, for Kade know he was talking about his gift.

“I think it’s getting worse,” Kade sighed after a moment. “It seems that nowadays I can’t even be near someone without feeling pain and emotions. And Jonny and his friends were pushing me around again.”

Axel groaned. “I’m worried for you. You know you can school at home if you’d like. I’m sure your teacher wouldn’t object to it.”

Kade gave a weak smile. “I know you’re just as concerned as I am…” He sent Axel a knowing nod while trying to ignore the burn attempting to press into his skull. Axel’s concern wedged itself into him. “However,” he went on, “hiding isn’t going make them go away. It’s just going to make me a coward. I wish you would just listen to me after all this time, and have someone take a look at me.”

What do you think they’re gonna find, Kade?” Axel asked, annoyance playing on his tongue. “I’ve told you, this is a mental issue, not a physical one.”

“I know.” Kade paused. “But I can’t possibly be the only one out there who has dealt with this problem in the past.” As he spoke, Kade stood, wandering towards their tiny kitchen and began digging through their chipping cupboards for a snack.

“Kade, I’m not paying to have you looked at,” Axel said. “We’re already short on money as it is.” Kade rolled his eyes. He’d heard this conversation a million times. “They’re just going to tell me to have you indulge in medicine of some sort that’s only going to make it worse,” Axel went on, sipping his cup of tea.

“We’ve been over this before,” Kade argued, grabbing an already open box of crackers and heading back towards the living room. “We’ll never know for sure if we never try. They might have a solution.”

Axel didn’t answer. Kade rolled his eyes. “Never mind.” No matter how many times Kade and Axel discussed Kade’s condition, it always did no good. He’d pushed him over and over again, and Axel seemed concerned, but it was very obvious that there was nothing he would do about it. Oh, well. Time to change the subject.

“Why don’t you tell me about the elves again?” he asked.

Clearly pleased with the idea, Axel set his cane aside and began to rock in his chair as he re-awoke the story with his words:

“In the olden days, before we even discovered the world of Arjedia, there was another race, much wiser and smarter than us,” Axel began.

“The elves,” Kade smiled, as he wondered what such a people might have looked like. What they might have acted like. What made them different from humans like himself?

“Every elf was born with an imprint,” Axel continued. His eyes were closed as if he was trying to lift the dust from the ancient story. “These imprints contain an elf’s magic. Some imprints were large, while others were tiny! If your imprint was large enough, you got trained to be part of a magic society.”

“The Soul Questers,” Kade finished. He grinned.

“Yes! The Soul Questers were known for their ability to read thoughts, communicate through thoughts, and even fight using their own thoughts.”

“Could they read emotions?” Kade asked a spark of hope flickering within him.

“No. Never has it been mentioned that there was a Soul Quester capable of feeling emotions,” Axel said. The spark Kade had lit died as quickly as it had been awakened.

Kade tried to not look too disappointed, but it wasn’t exactly easy. “I don’t mean to crush your dreams,” said Axel, reaching over to grab a cracker from the box in Kade’s lap. “But the chances of you having potential Soul Quester powers is nearly impossible. No human in our history has been known to be born with them. That’s what makes elves so different and unique.”

“Yeah, but..” Kade’s thoughts slowly began to wander. After a moment, he asked, “did my parents know about the Soul Questers?” Seeing the look on Axel’s face, and feeling the hurt in him, he winced.

“I…think they knew about the stories, Kade” Axel began, “but honestly, what do you think?” Kade paused to think. He wished he knew the answer, but it was hard, having grown up without them.

“Maybe…yes?” he said, slight hesitation hanging off the tone of his voice.

“Well,” Axel chuckled, “you would know best–you’re their son after all.”

“I know.” Kade’s voice was dead. Dead. Just like his parents. “What about your parents?” Axel smiled.

“Well of course! How do you think I knew all of these stories? They were absolutely fascinated by the Soul Questers.” Kade sighed.

“If only the stories were still told more often,” he said. Axel gave a slow nod in agreement. He was mournful, Kade saw.

“I would certainly love it,” he agreed. “But they would be nothing more than bedtime stories to the general public, and not legends.”

“But they aren’t just legends, right?” Kade protested, almost jumping from his seat. “And what’s the difference with a bedtime story?”

“First of all,” Axel shifted in his seat. “They are legends, Kade. Don’t mistake story for truth. And second, a legend is a tale that is treasured, while a bedtime story is only a nursery rhyme thrown around, and twisted until it’s nothing like what it was originally told.”

Kade nodded. He let the story of the Questers linger in his mind for another precious second before pushing it all away. “I should probably get to bed. I do have school tomorrow.” He got up.

“Any homework?” Axel asked.

“No, I did it during lunch”

“You also have a birthday tomorrow,” Axel reminded him as if Kade didn’t already know this.

“Yay,” Kade said unenthusiastically. “I’m another year older than before.”

“Most kids your age like getting older,” Axel commented as he snatched the box of crackers from Kade’s hands. Kade shrugged carelessly.

. “I don’t really care that much, to be honest,” he said. Axel gave Kade a kind smile–the one Kade loved seeing.

“Wait, I want to give you your present,” he smiled, reaching over and grabbing a wrapped box from beside him. He handed it to Kade.

“Thanks.” Kade smiled, accepting the box. He held it for a moment, trying to guess what it could possibly be.

“Well go on–open it.”

Kade tore at the brown paper, removing it from the cardboard box. He flipped the lid open, peeking at what was inside. His jaw dropped in surprise.

Inside was the actual camera Kade had been staring at in The Depot just this morning.

“No, you didn’t.”

Axel smiled. “Do you like it?”

Kade pulled the shiny black camera, the round lens jutting out from the case, the screen polished to a shine. The cardboard box dropped at his feet as he inspected the camera with wide eyes.

“Like it? I love it.” Kade held his eye up to the viewfinder for a moment. But then he lowered it.

“How could you have possibly afforded this?”

“Never mind that,” Axel said with a wave of his hand.

“Thank you, Axel,” Kade said, grinning and inspecting every little gadget on the device.

“Use it well,” Axel told him, winking.

“Oh, I will.”

***

Kade was all too happy when the small one-room schoolhouse came into view the following morning. A hard shower of rain splashed all over Kade’s school uniform–the green knit sweater with his white button-down. Over his uniform, he wore his hoodie and beanie hat.

He’d brought his new camera, hoping to get some good shots during the walk to school, but the moment he’d stepped outside, he’d had to throw it in his duffel so it wouldn’t get touched by the water bursting out of the clouds.

Kade shivered, the smell of rain in the air, and the light breeze climbing up and down his already protected arms. The humidity hadn’t yet fallen, thank goodness, which meant the weather was nice and cool. This was how he preferred it: nice and breezy.

Thankfully this morning, Jonny and his friends were nowhere to be seen. Kade couldn’t have been happier to be able to run free through the streets, soaking his ankles in mud, and with no one around to call him names or whisper about him. And definitely no emotions other than his own bursting joy.

As Kade mounted the steps to the safe and warm schoolhouse, he paused, something catching his alert blue eyes. He turned as a swift shadow drifted into the alleyway across the road. He shuddered as the figure passed his eyes. His face was dark, so Kade couldn’t see it clearly. But he left Kade with a spooky feeling crawling up his spine

As Kade reached for the handle to open the door, his eyes caught the shadow flash by again. Curiosity filled Kade, who stared down into the dark shadows of the alley, which almost seem to beckon to him to come. Kade placed his schoolbag under the safety of the school awning before dashing back down the school steps and towards the alley shadows.

Of course, this could simply be a stalker trying to lure him in. Or one of the people from the town trying to get rid of him. I should go back. Though Kade’s good conscience enticed him to leave and return to school, the curious, more dominant side of Kade ignored the thoughts, and he crossed the path towards the calling shadows of the alleyway.

Kade’s eyes scanned for the shadow he knew he’d seen. He stepped into the alleyway, inhaling the rotten vegetables and dead rodents rotting in the dark. Tripping over a loose bag of garbage sprawled in the middle of the cobblestone path, he pushed it aside and tried to block out the stench as he scanned the narrow street squished between the grocers and the tiny library. “Hello?” His voice bounced off the walls. He was answered with only his echo. Maybe it was nothing. I should go back Kade decided. I’m already late for school as it is.

Then there was hiss.

And a growl.

Kade hardly moved. In fact, he couldn’t. It was as if he was frozen out of fear. Like an invisible force was actually forcing him to stay still. Kade’s eyes darted around the darkness. The fear welling up inside of him clamped his mouth from saying another word.

“Ah..what is this?” hissed a voice coming from the eerie shadows.

“Who are you?” Kade asked. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths; he tensed.

Wouldn’t you like to know.” The voice chuckled. Kade was quiet. “Why is it an anthro can see me, may I ask?” the voice went on.

“I can’t,” Kade sneered, jerking his arms in hope that he would regain control of them. What kind of sorcery was this? Maybe he should shout and hope that someone would hear him. Not that anyone would listen anyway.

“But you can hear me.” Kade rolled his eyes in disgust. Who was this freak? “What’s an anthro?” he asked. As he did, a silhouette came into view. A stocky, tall figure, with a tall hairy mane. Its color still a mystery to him.

“So you are him–the Landau boy” the figure hissed. I would never have guessed. What a great responsibility has been placed on your shoulders. It’s too bad you’ll never have the chance to complete your destiny.”

“Look, I don’t know who you are,” Kade began. His voice shook, but he forced it calm. “Or what you want from me, but I can promise you this–I’m just an ordinary person. I can’t help you with anything. Now let me go.”

“You’re not ordinary, though, are you?” The voice took another step towards Kade. “You feel things other people don’t. Emotions–am I right?”

Kade stuttered for a moment, shocked. “How did you know that?”

“I guess the best thing for me to do is kill you and get you out of the picture. Best for all of us,” the voice snorted, ignoring Kade’s question.

“What?” Kade gasped. “No–please–answer my question!” The figure gave a snap of his fingers. Immediately–all oxygen seemed to be sucked from Kade’s lungs with a vacuum. He gasped for breath and reached for his voice, but there was nothing to reach for. How was this possible? His limbs shook and his stomach tightened as a bead of sweat eased off cheekbones.

The figure slowly stepped into the light, revealing his taunting smile, his teeth painted white against charcoal black skin. His hair, a bright green, and a white tattoo was painted across his neck.

“What’s wrong? Can’t catch your breath?” the creature smiled wryly. “It’s too bad.” He pursed his lips, faking sympathy. “The elves will be so sad to lose the only person able to save them from destruction.”

Kade stared at the creature. Anger, fear and even distress was all fading as the realization dawned on him: I’m dying.

“Let him go.” Another person stepped into the alley, moving his dusty blond hair out of his green eyes. The first creature turned, his face plastered with a mixture of horror and fear.

“How dare you interfere with my affairs you elf?” he asked with a sniff of annoyance.

“How dare you interfere with the affairs of an anthro?” the second man demanded. “I’m sure your master had much better things for you to be doing than pestering anthros around.”

“If you must know, my master sent me to get rid of him.” He glanced at Kade with a devious eye. “He is the only hope for your people. Therefore, I must squash that hope before the spark grows out of control.”

Kade met the eyes of the second man. Help, he thought, though he knew the man couldn’t hear him. But as he did, breath filled his lungs, and the tightening grip around him began to loosen. Kade collapsed on the ground. As he caught his breath, he continued to stare up at the two figures. The first creature’s eyes were stuck on the second man’s.

“Oh no. You won’t be doing any more of your master’s dirty work,” the man went on with a shake of his head. As he did, he removed his own gleaming knife from his waist and plunged it into the first creature’s chest. The creature cried out in agony. Blood oozed from the wound, and he slumped to the ground, limp and lifeless.

Time froze, for only a second. Kade stared at his apparent rescuer. A black mark, shaped like a scripted x, was inked near the front of his neck. A tattoo, perhaps? The man stared at Kade with a sense of wonder. But why Kade wondered.

“What was that?” Kade asked, his voice still hoarse from the lack of breathing. His body shook with fear.

“A Kaminza.” The man reached down and helped Kade to his feet. “What’s your name?”

“Kade Bolthunter. Why do you ask, stranger? You look unfamiliar,” Kade said, trying to sound tough.

“That’s because I’m not from around here,” the man said. “I have business here, and I won’t be staying long.” What kind of business, Kade wondered. The man took a couple of steps closer to Kade. His small green eyes narrowed. “Is it really you?”

“What?” Kade said with a shake of his head. “I don’t understand. What’s going on? What’s all this talk of hope, and destiny?” he gestured to the dead body behind them, though he refused to look at it. “Who are you guys, and what do you want?”

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I can’t tell you who I am. Not yet at least. But you should trust me because I just saved your life from a Kaminza, which would have been a slow and very painful death indeed. I’m a friend, and that’s all you need to know for the time being.”

Kade avoided rolling his eyes, “I can help you with whatever business you have. I know everyone and everything that goes on here. What are you looking for?”

The man sighed. “I shouldn’t be even telling you this stuff,” he groaned. A smile hid in his bright green eyes Kade gave him a loose smirk. It must have been convincing.

“I’m looking for a man who I haven’t seen in a very long time,” the man explained. “He goes by the name Axel.”

Kade grinned, surprised. “How do you know Axel?” he asked, a bit curious. As far as Kade knew, Axel was not well known. “Axel is my adopted father,” he explained with a bit of pride and joy in his voice.

The man stared at Kade. Who was this guy? In the village, the only visitors were typically family or people passing by. And Axel hadn’t told them they were expecting visitors. “Take me to him.” Kade gestured down the path outside the alley. He smiled once he felt rain pouring on his face, and the mud under his shoes.

Kade glanced at the schoolhouse. Its white doors closed shut tight. No point in even going now. “Wait, I need to get something first,” he called, dashing back towards the steps and retrieving his satchel.

A quick peek told him someone hadn’t dared steal his camera. He rushed back to the man. “Sorry.” The stranger seemed on edge. Nervous, even. He didn’t answer Kade. For most of the walk, they didn’t speak to one another.

Kade couldn’t believe it. In a matter of minutes, his day had completely flipped. What was he doing with this stranger? Was he going to attempt to kill him, too?

“Is everything OK?” Kade dared ask.

“Just take me to Axel,” the man said. “We’ll get this all sorted when I get to talk to him.”

Kade didn’t answer. There was silence on the rest of the walk down the road. It was quite awkward, but at least the rain had stopped. But he did have to take off his sweater and tie it around his waist due to the humidity.

Kade felt quite a bit of relief when the thatched roof of the cottage he called home came into view behind the rolling hills outside the village.

But something wasn’t right. His blue eyes squinted and then widened. Black clouds rose thick and dark like angry thunder. Its smell reminded Kade of the time Axel had burned dinner on their gas stove, but worse.

Kade burst into a run down the path, dashing towards his house.

Behind him, the stranger called, “Wait, where are you going?” Kade ignored him. Where was Axel? Was he OK? Kade’s eyes watered trying to get past the wall of smoke. He stopped in front of the door, grabbing on to the metal doorknob. He yanked and pulled. Why can’t I get it open?

“Here, let me help.” Kade stepped aside, mostly unwilling. He should be the one helping Axel, not this stranger. The man kicked the wooden door off its already rusting hinges. It dropped into an abundance of smoke, which faded to reveal a burning arena, with flames dancing like they were acrobats performing in the capital.

“Axel!” Kade gasped, resisting the urge to dive headfirst into the pool of fire. Smoke flooded his eyes. It burned. Before Kade could take another step, he felt a shove and was pushed into the dirt.

“Stay there!” the man hollered as he disappeared into the house. Kade wiped the tears from his watering eyes, his eyes locked onto the place he’d always called home, now consumed in heat. Who started the fire? Why? Kade tried his hardest not to panic. This wasn’t the time for that

At the first grunt, Kade’s eyes locked onto the broken doorway, just as thick black smoke plummeted out the door, couching up two figures. The man was dragging Axel out into the open.

“Axel!” Kade ran to his side. A large dagger was stuck in his chest. Axel made a choking sound in his throat, which probably came from all the smoke he’d taken in.

“What did you do?” Kade gasped in horror, touching the handle of the knife, several jewels encrusted in it.

“This wasn’t me, “the man insisted as he dropped next to Axel, who was still coughing smoke, ash painted over him. He grabbed the hilt of the knife, and jerked it out of Axel’s body, revealing a blade, red blood stained on the silver.

Tossing it to the side, the man ripped Axel’s shirt open, revealing the crimson wound. Kade cringed. “We’ve got to stop the bleeding,” the man began, before smoke gushed into the air, provoked by the wind, polluting the clean atmosphere. Kade resisted the urge to cry out in agony.

Let’s get out of here!” the man called. He hefted Axel over his shoulder and ambled farther down the road, attempting to escape the fire. Kade scrambled to his feet, taking one last look at the place he had always known as home, engulfed in an array of wild flames. It was gone. All of Kade’s childhood. Just like that. This is no time to be emotional Kade told himself as he followed the stranger.

Axel was laid in a grassy field, sprinkled with violets. The man used the rags of Axel’s torn shirt, pushing at the wound in his chest. Red stained the more he pushed. Kade winced. “Is he going to be OK?”

“For now,” the man sighed and looked up, meeting Kade’s eyes. Looking into them, Kade could sense his worry and helplessness. It was stronger than ever.

“He needs help. We’re not going to be able to get it here.” Kade nodded.

“Where do we go?” he asked.

“My place,” the man announced, still pushing at Axel’s wound.

“But, what about your business?” He was cut off by the man’s softened words:

“I completed my mission. I found who I was looking for.” He looked up to meet Kade’s widened eyes.

“You’re looking for me?” he gasped. “Why?”

“That’s a bit hard to explain,” the man said, “but I highly reckon that you want to know who I am. And I think that is what I should tell you now, before anything else. My name is Jerome. I’m a Soul Quester, sent to bring you back with me to Kesha. We’ve waited for you for a long time, Kade Bolthunter.”

That’s it for Chapter One! Thoughts? Questions? Leave them all in the comments below! I’d love to chat with you guys.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The title of book two.

Now, why, you may ask, am I announcing the title so early? Well, because the title is already inside book 1, so I thought why not share it in an upcoming blog post before the release? 

Soo, drumroll pleasee…

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Meet Kade: An Interview

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

Before we get into today’s post, I feel that I owe you an apology and explanation as to why this post didn’ go up LAST week.

If you’ve been following me on social media, specifically Instagram (@soulquestersaga), then you probably already know that my computer broke. I don’t know what exactly is wrong with it, but it would either not start up or if it did, the screen would flicker and/or blackout altogether. Because of this, I was not on the internet very much.

But fear not! Last week was my birthday, and I inherited my moms old MacBook Pro, which is what I’m currently typing with!  So, yay!!

So, today’s post is an exciting one! I actually got the opportunity to sit down with the MC of my debut, Show Me. Please join me in welcoming Kade Bolthunter!!

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Welcome, Kade! Thank you for your time.

No problem! I’m glad to be here.

Let’s get started with these questions!! First thing’s first–tell me a little bit about your childhood. 

OK, but I can promise you that it really isn’t that interesting.

I’m sure it can’t be that bad.

Well, I grew up in this remote village with my adopted father, Axel. We’ve lived in this cottage my entire life. My parents abandoned me in this old hotel after they gave birth to me. I don’t remember them, and I don’t care to. Anyways, I went to school…like any other kid, and in the evenings and on the weekends I listen to Axel tell stories and play the piano. I never had any friends.

Wow, I’m sorry, Kade. I can’t imagine having not any friends. So, if this isn’t too sensitive of a topic, can you please tell me what it’s like to be able to sense other people’s emotions?

This is a little too sensitive for me to want to discuss at the moment. I will say though, is that it’s very painful.

Oh, OK. Do you believe in the legend of the Soul Questers?

This is an interesting question. Axel talks about them a lot, and I asked if they were real, and he really didn’t like it. I’d like to believe they’re real, but I have never seen them myself.
Well, Kade, I like to think the Soul Questers are real, so I’m with you. What do you most fear?

Hmm, well heights is a big one, but I don’t know if it counts as my biggest fear. My greatest fear though…(thinks for a moment) …I think is drowning. I almost drowned when I was a little kid, and since then I don’t go near large bodies of water.

You mean you can’t even swim?

(Kade shakes his head.) No. I never learned.

Oh, wow. So, what’s something a lot of people don’t know about you?

OK, this is an easy one! No one knows this, but I love photography! I want a camera for my birthday.

Oooh! What kind of photography?

Mainly landscape photography, but also photojournalism.

Cool! OK, we’re running low on time, so the next question is actually a question from one of my followers! She asked: Who’s the weirdest person you know?

Well if I’m being honest, I don’t know that many people. I like to think of myself as pretty weird, but Axel’s weird as well. He gardens. He tells stories. He plays the piano. But he’s also very secretive and doesn’t tell me a lot about his past.

Your definition of weird is certainly different from mine. I don’t see what’s weird about telling stories. 

Well, you don’t know Axel.

If you say so. OK, last question: If you could meet anyone–dead or alive–who would it be? 

I know a lot of people would expect me to say my parents, but no. I’d actually love to meet Anthony Mills, who wrote my favorite book–Twilight of Destiny!

Never heard of it! I’ll make sure to look into it.

You definitely should.

Well, that wraps up this interview. Thank you, Kade, for your time here today.

No problem! We should totally do it again sometime!

 

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Meet The Main Cast of Show Me

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

Throughout the months of June and July, in the weeks leading up to Show Me’s release on July 20th, 2018 (Pre-Order here!) I am going to be doing several Soul Quester themed blog posts!! These are to help you understand the world better and add to the excitement of the release.

Today, I’m going to introduce you to the main cast of my debut novel!

Let’s get right into it!!

Introducing…The Main Cast Of Show Me!!
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Kade

Of course, to start us off, I have to introduce you to the lead of the story: Kade Bolthunter.

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Kade is a very closed off guy. He grew up without either of his parents in a remote village with a man named Axel. At the age of 7 however, he began to experience something no human had ever before: the emotions of the people around him. Not only did he understand what another person was feeling, but he actually was experiencing the emotion himself. Because of this gift (or curse, as Kade would probably call it,), Kade never got along with the other boys in the village, and spends most of his days reading or photographing the world around him.

To be honest, it’s hard to explain Kade in a single paragraph, but luckily, I was able to convince Axel to stop by and talk to him personally!! Stay tuned!

Argent

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Argent is a character whom I’ve really grown to appreciate more throughout my final pre-release read through of the book. He grew up in The Guild, which is the center where all Soul Questers are born. He has a deep sense of compassion for other people and is a strict rule follower, though that changes a bit once he meets Kade.

Argent also happens to be one of the more creative characters of the leading cast, with an interest in both baking and playing acoustic guitar in his spare time.

Adrian

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Adrian is a girl who attaches herself to Kade pretty early on after she meets him. She grew up with only her father, as her mother was never really in the picture after giving birth. Adrian is smart, a bookworm, and probably one of the most open of all of Kade’s friend group. She also has an obsession with painting her nails and has been a vegetarian since she was 14.

Ethan

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Ethan is actually Adrian’s cousin, which may be hard to be based on their photos. Ethan is a super supportive dude. He sticks up for his friends and is obsessed with protecting them, whether that means sticking up for them or attempting to convince them to not go through with something stupid. he’s very social and actually has a small obsession with eating hot Cheetos. He also collects comic books.

Storm

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Of the entire cast of Show Me, Storm is probably the one you see the least within book 1. (If you didn’t already know, Show Me is the first of a series.)

Storm is a very complex character. Once, she was bright, bubbly and cheerful. But a tragedy struck her family, and Storm became very closed off. She stays very close to her group of friends and is actually quite bitter towards Kade. It’s not that she hates him per say, but she’s full of a lot of grief and finds it’s easiest to take that out on Kade. Storm’s character will be further developed throughout the series. In her spare time, Storm likes to draw, do word searches and spend time with the dragons in the stables.

Jerome

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Now that we’ve met all the teens in the cast, there are two grown-ups I want you to meet.

The first of the two is Jerome Shea. Jerome is Kade’s mentor and is the one who introduced Kade to the Soul Quester world. He’s a patroller, a husband, and father. He may or may not have a small addiction to caffeinated drinks. Jerome is the person who Kade goes to for help. He stands up for Kade and protects him in sticky situations. Personally, I think Kade is a bit too attached to Jerome.

Axel

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And last but certainly not least is Kade’s adopted father, Axel.

Axel is a very secretive person. And unfortunately, he’s a pretty good liar. He’s the one who introduced the legend of Soul Questers to Kade but failed to mention the fact that this legend was really truth. He loves playing piano and gardening. You’ll learn a lot about him in Show Me.

 

And that’s it!

I hope you enjoyed meeting the main cast of Show Me. These characters are very near and dear to me, and I can’t wait for you guys to read about them. If you enjoyed this post, please SHARE it and help spread the word about my book. It would mean so, so much to me!!

Stay tuned for next week’s insider post!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

 

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The Rebellion Blog Tour: Interviewing Princess Hope

Happy Monday Soul Questers!

Today is a very exciting post! I’m apart of the amazing blog tour for The Rebellion, which is Book 2 in the Tales of Tarsurella series!!

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I had the honor and privilege to get to sit with Princess Hope and ask her some questions! I hope you enjoy.

Welcome, Your Highness! I’m so honored to be able to sit and talk with you. Let’s get started with these questions. What do you do find to be the hardest thing about being royalty?

I think one of the hardest parts about living in this family are the assumptions and judgments people make toward us. It’s easy to stand on the outside looking in, and think you know enough to blast your opinions about this or that, but our citizens must remember that things are not always as they appear to be. We live in an age where it’s so easy for anyone to spread their opinions all over the internet and report false information as so-called “truth:”. It is hurtful when people spread rumors and lies, but I think our family just experiences a dramatic version of what everyone on this planet endures. It is everyone’s responsibility, especially in the age of social media, to refrain from judging one another, talking about matters we know nothing about, and spreading gossip. If we do so, I think the world would be a much happier place!

What’s one of the wackiest stories the press has written about you?

Oh dear! I’ve seen some real doozy’s! I think I probably get my biggest laughs out of the daily updates on who myself or my sisters are currently “Dating”. I remember one instance, within the span of a single week, all three of us girls supposedly swapped the same boyfriend while in Paris for a photo-shoot. As I read the article, Bridget laughed so hard, she almost choked on her lemon water! Another memorable one was how our little brother Willie isn’t really our brother, that we’d adopted him from Ireland as an infant because of some sort of political move on my Father’s behalf.  Sometimes the media can get so utterly ridiculous, all we can do is laugh it off.

Which Disney Princess is your favorite?

I really like Pocahontas. I find the real Pocahontas, you know, the famous historical figure, so inspiring! She extended much love and kindness toward the settlers who desired to establish the American Colonies, and instead of getting offended with the strangers, she extended much grace and helped them survive the winter. Her acts of love and patience, despite the fact that these men were so strange and different from her, are very inspiring to me.

Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate!
If you had a say, what’s one thing about living at the palace that you would change? Oh, that’s a very good question. But honestly, I don’t think I would change a thing. I think my Mother did an amazing job establishing such a strong sense of comfort and homey-ness within our palace walls, both with her decor and the balance of our family schedule, that even after her passing, we’ve continued to honor her traditions. Life in the palace just feels “right”, so no, I don’t think I would change anything at all.

Go-to dance song?

Oooh! Well, I’m not a very good dancer, but I do enjoy “No Excuses Just Dance with Me” by Lavender Jupiter. It’s a family favorite for karaoke night, haha!

Of all the places you’ve traveled, which was your favorite?

Oh wow, that’s a tough one! I love going to France! I also love vacationing in The Caribbean, and visiting the States is always such a blast as well. Ahh, so hard! But I think Paris will always be a top favorite.

What’s one must-have trait for a potential boyfriend?

Hmm…purpose and integrity are very important to me. I could never quite envision myself giving the time of day to someone who doesn’t know why they’re on this earth, or have a reason for doing the things they’re doing. Passion, energy, and a determination to make the world a better place are all very attractive traits.

If you had the ability to travel in time, which period of time would you travel, and why?

I think I would travel to the early nineteen-hundreds! High fashion was so exciting at that point, I would’ve loved tooling around in a massive hoop skirt, and trying on a bunch of fancy hats! Plus, all the guys were total gentlemen, and the era just has such a romantic essence of sophistication to it! Sign me up!

Pineapple on pizza, yes or no?

Eh, not so much.

Name one of your favorite Bible verses.

Hebrew 6:19. My mother always said this was “my” verse. She said it’s the reason she and Daddy gave me the name Hope. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” It’s from the passage which talks about Jesus, our High Priest, and how He has broken down the veil, the barrier of sin between us and our Heavenly Father. Mother always said she believed my destiny was to bring hope to this world, and for me, I know the hope I carry comes from one place. It can only be found in Jesus Christ.

That is SO Sweet!

Well, thank you SO MUCH, Your Highness, for answering all my questions. This was a great experience, and I won’t forget it.

If you guys haven’t you need to go check our Livy Jarmusch and all her royal books, including The Coronation and The Rebellion which are the first two books in the Tales of Tarsurella Series, you totally should! They’re such fun, lighthearted reads, and I’m so honored to have gotten to take part in celebrating this new release!

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About Livy:

Livy Jarmusch is a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. She enjoys crafting YA fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she’s not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.

Connect With Livy:
https://www.livylynnblog.com/

https://www.facebook.com/livylynnlibrary/https://www.instagram.com/livylynnglittergirl/

https://www.pinterest.com/livyglittergirl/

https://twitter.com/livylynnmusic

Purchase The Rebellion Here: 

https://www.amazon.com/Rebellion-Tales-Tarsurella-2/dp/1718757255/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525721941&sr=8-2&keywords=the+rebellion+olivia+jarmusch

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Behind The Scenes: 10+ of My Crazy Author Dreams

Happy Monday Soul Questers!

Today, I’m going to list some of my dreams as an author, or milestones I’d love to reach throughout my author journey.

Now, of course, every author, and probably every kind of entrepreneur has some sort of crazy dreams, and I thought it’d be really fun to share with you guys some of my dreams or goals for myself.

Without further ado, let’s get into this list!

10+ of My Crazy Author Dreams

Get 10K Followers on Instagram
Become an Amazon Bestselling Author
Win an Award for one of my books.
Release a Foreign edition of one of my books
Get a publishing deal
Create a fandom
Recieve fanart
Read fanfiction based on my books
Release a special edition of one of my books.
See my books on reader’s social media: on bookshelves, featured in videos, etc.
Get my book in an OwlCrate or some other bookish box.
Get professional book reviews
Find Soul Quester memes on the internet
Physically meet some of my fans
Impact people’s lives with my books.

I know this blog post is more of just a list, but I thought it’d be cool to share some of my dreams/goals with you guys. Maybe a year or two from today, I’ll reshare this list and see how many things I’ve checked off.

Book Review: Honey Butter By Millie Florance

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

Today, I’ll be reviewing Honey Butter, written by fellow teen author, Millie Florence.

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Honey Butter follows seven year old, Jamie, who collects paint cards as a hobby. One day, a teen girl name Lauren moves in next door to her house. This book follows the friendship they have, as well as Jamie’s relationship with her older sister, Erica.

If you follow me on Goodreads, (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...) then you already know that this was a 4/5 star read for me. I don’t read a lot of contemporary, much less middle grade, but I’d been following Millie on Instagram for a while now, and she was a super sweet girl. So when she asked me if I’d be interested in reading her book and reviewing it on Amazon and Goodreads, I, of course, said yes!

I binged this book in one night. It pulled me in so easily, and I loved little Jamie! She’s so adorable, and her hobby of collecting paint cards was so unique. I remember going to Home Depot when I was younger, and picking out the flyers with all different colors in case my parents ever let me paint my room.

Jamie is one of 5 siblings. I myself happen to be the eldest of seven. Personally, I think Millie really nailed down the large family aspect of the book. It was both realistic and relatable.

The plot of Honey Butter was super simple, yet cute and inspiring. It was a good reminder for me to be that good older sister towards my younger brothers and sisters. Lauren was a fun character and was also a relatable one. I tend to befriend girls who are quite younger than me sometimes, just like Lauren did with Jamie.

If I had to critique anything about this book, I would say the only thing I noticed, was some random head hops that happened. I’d be in Jamie’s head but suddenly would get a random thought from Erica. It kind of pulled me out of the story a bit, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal. Just a little confusing at times.

I must truly commend Millie for writing such a cute and inspiring story. I definitely am going to have my younger sisters read it and see what they think. If you read Millie’s book, I’d love to hear your opinions on it in the comments! But please keep it spoiler free!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

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Miss Greene–A Soul Quester Story

Happy Monday Soul Questers!

Today, I’m sharing with you a short story, featuring a girl who would later be known as Kade’s mother, and it shows her first day of training as a Soul Quester. Be sure to stay tuned to the END  of this post for THE RELEASE DATE FOR SHOW ME! 

Enjoy!

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Silva was having a staring contest with her reflection.

She blinked. The game was over, and it had done nothing to ease the nervous butterflies zooming inside of her.

Straightening the hump from her back, Sixteen-year-old Silva Greene smoothed down her straight blonde hair. Blonde like an overripe banana after you’ve peeled it. Ew. No. Silva couldn’t stand the taste of bananas.

“My name is Miss Greene” she recited with her silvery voice. “How do you do?” Ugh. Being the Head Rider’s daughter made everything so difficult. She could almost guarantee that not one other student of the Guild, was having to worry about practicing good manners or polite talk in the full-length mirror of their bedroom.

Double checking her black uniform was perfectly smooth and without a single ripple, she pivoted away from the mirror, and towards the window.

Outside, the sun had just peeked out behind the clouds. Man, it was such a nice day, and Silva knew she’d be stuck inside reciting elven songs or whatever stupid things were apart of training to be A Soul Quester.

“Silva?” A light knock followed. Silva turned away from the window. “I’m coming” she called, smoothing down her hair one more time and grabbing her bag of books, she stepped outside, where her brother, Ozzie was waiting for her. He was 2 1/2 years older than her, standing over a head taller than his younger sister. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Silva shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

Walking the long hall towards the dining hall where they’d have breakfast, Ozzie ran his hands through his hair. “Do I look OK?” he asked, trembles running up his body.

Silva rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you go ask your girlfriend?” Ozzie’s cheeks heated up but he did not reply.

They turned the corner. The sound of a crowd was already starting to fill Silva’s ears. Her heart pounded like a set of drums. Why was she so nervous? She interacted with elves nearly every single day. Maybe it was just the fact that she just had no interest in becoming a Soul Quester.

“Good luck Silva” Ozzie smiled. “And don’t worry. You’ll do great. There’s no reason to be nervous. An imprint your size should leave you with little road bumps on your road to becoming a Soul Quester.”

“Says the guy who had an imprint of 100% which has never before been seen in elven history. It’s easy for you to tell me it’s going to be painless” Silva reminded him, sticking her nose in the air.

The two separated once they’d gone inside the dining hall, buzzing with noise. Silva slipped through the crowd, towards her table. Several people greeted her as she took her seat and reached for a single piece of toast.

“Aren’t you hungry?” asked the girl across from her. Silva glanced at the rest of the food–scrambled eggs and milk.

“Can’t eat that stuff” she admitted with a careless shrug.

“Oh?” the girl seemed even more interested now. “How come?”

“Lactose Intolerant. I can’t have any sort of dairy.”

“But they’re just scrambled eggs.”

“Our cook, Patricia, usually adds a cup of cheese. It’s a classic recipe.”  Silva’s mouth watered at the thought of cheese. She hadn’t had a bite of it since she was 11 years old, and boy did she miss it.

“Oh. Well, that’s too bad” the girl said, giving Silva a sad smile. She held her hand out across the table. “I’m Marina. Marina Eris. You’re Silva, right? Osborne’s sister?”

Silva resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of her brother. “Yes, I am.”

“That’s so cool. What’s it like growing up as The Head Elder’s daughter?” Marina took a bite of her own breakfast.

Silva shrugged. “Nothing special if I’m being that honest. My dad’s always busy. He hardly has any time for me anymore.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marina said, pursing her lips in sympathy.

“Yeah,” Silva nodded, biting her now cold toast.

Marina opened her mouth to say something else, but the large gong on the other side of the room rang, signaling the start of class.

“Let’s walk together” Marina suggested as she slid off the bench and grabbed her stuff. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hoisted her school books in her arms. Silva took another bite of the toast before also standing.

“OK.”

The two were silent most of the walk towards class. Silva was inwardly fighting with herself. There’d always been that part of her that wanted to leave The Guild. She’d never agreed with the way things were done. Her father was an unjust leader, and plus, the big plans she had for herself and her life would never happen while she was trapped as a prisoner behind the walls of Kesha.

Crap. A quester had turned the corner. Silva quickly readjusted her thoughts before he passed. Uhh…she was sooo nervous for her first day. Surely she wasn’t going to do better than her A+ brother. Hopefully, that was convincing. The quester passed her lifting a hand. “Morning Miss Greene.”

Silva forced a bright, somewhat cheery smile. “Morning Hawks.”

The quester stopped walking. “Big day for you, isn’t it? Your first day. You nervous?”

Silva nodded. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine. Good day.” Without waiting for him to reply, Silva turned and continued walking towards her class. After giving Hawks a quick apology, Marina hurried back to Silva’s side.

“That was rude” she noted stoutly.

Silva shrugged. “That’s not my problem. Besides, I have much better things to worry about.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The two girls hurried into class and threw themselves in the last two desks. The teacher, whom Silva recognized as Miss Bethel Obed, raised her eyebrows, shaking her head.

“Silva, you’re late.”

Silva tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to sound perfectly innocent. “Oh? My apologies, Miss Obed. I had no idea. I must have lost track of the time.” The students around her giggled. Silva’s cheeks heated, and she covered them with both her hands.

“Well next time you and your new friend should learn how to read a clock. You’ll find it’s much more useful than simply guessing the time.”

“Thanks,” Silva said dully. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced at Marina, who’d not spoken a word in her defense. Some friend.

“Well now that that’s been taken care of, let’s get started with class…”

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The first day of training only confirmed Silva’s decision to leave The Guild. When she would, she wasn’t sure at the moment. But she was very sure that she couldn’t see herself spending the rest of her life trapped with the rules of The Guild. She needed freedom. Freedom was the one thing she wanted in life. She didn’t want to have to worry about doing something with the possibility getting in trouble.

Silva Greene would be free one day.

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So That’s that.

Below, is the set release day for Show Me–my debut novel! Please share!!! And mark your calender’s!!

 

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When Do I Consider My Author Journey A Success?

Happy Monday Soul Questers!

Today, I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a while now: When do I consider my journey as a budding author to be successful? This is a bit of a deeper topic than some of my recent blog posts, but I also think it’s an important one.

As a teen getting ready to self-publish her first book, I’m constantly looking at the platform I’ve built, and the followers I gained and wondered if it’s really enough. I know I’m not popular enough to have tens of thousands of followers like Sara J. Maas or Sasha Alsberg. But maybe another 100 will do the trick. Maybe if I get my first 1000 followers on Instagram, then I’ll truly be successful. Maybe if I have that many followers, then my book will sell well. Maybe I’ll even become an Amazon bestseller.

Those are a lot of maybes.

But let’s be honest. When we first started our writing journeys, we weren’t thinking of the about of followers we wanted, or how many people liked our status update on Facebook. We just wanted to tell our story. We wanted to actually write.

Social Media has become both the best and worse thing to happen to an author.

It’s true. Because of Social media, we have the chance for our books to be seen by millions of people. We can promote ourselves without having to spend a bunch of money. But just like girls staring at models in a magazine, wishing that our bodies could be as perfect as them, we also can look longingly at other authors and wonder: Will I ever be as successful as them?

Of course, no one said it ever hurt to dream a little. But if we let our dreams get in the way of our reality, we aren’t ever going to get anywhere.

Every Author started with 0 followers. That’s right–zero.

They too had to watch that number slowly go up and up and maybe even down too before they got anywhere. But why do they have so many followers? Because people liked their story.

If I want a million people to follow me on social media, then I need something to offer them. A reason for them to follow. But if I care too much about being a successful author, then I probably won’t put in the real amount of effort it takes to write a good book.

In short, The journey is never truly over for me. I considered myself a success when I got my first 50 followers. And then my first 100. But I was always looking at the future, and how many followers I was striving to gain, and not the quality of the story I was telling.

If you’re like me, always wishing for more–don’t. Remember that every author–even J.K. Rowling–started with zero. And even if you don’t gain hundreds or thousands of followers right away, or maybe at all, that doesn’t mean you weren’t a success. It just means the that’s the path God has placed you on, and that’s OK.

Do YOU Consider your journey to be a success as it is, or are you currently striving for more? Let me know in the comments. I always love reading your responses!

In HIS Joy,

Gabriella Slade

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Guest Post: Why I Keep The Books I Disliked by Olivia J. The Wordshaker

Happy Monday Soul Questers!

Today, we have a very special guest with us: Olivia Bennett, AKA Olivia J. The Wordshaker, author A Cactus In The Valley! She’s going to be talking about why she keeps the books she doesn’t like.

Let’s Just roll right on into the post!

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If you’ve never had a book that absolutely filled you with seething rage . . . . then you’re probably not a reader. And that’s fine.

However, this post is for readers. And even readers might be confused about this post.

But yes, I do keep books that I didn’t like. Even ones that I hated. Sometimes, I don’t keep them on my shelf necessarily so they don’t take up space, but I still have them in my inventory.

For the most part, I keep these books because I bought them or got them as gifts. I keep them because they look nice on my shelf, and sometimes I photograph with them.

However, I really keep these books as reminders. Sometimes, I go back and reference them when I’m writing to see what worked and what didn’t. I keep them as memorabilia of the horrific reading experience, reminders of what not to do.

Weird? Probably. Effective? Definitely.

However, there’s more to the story if you’re still clutching the books you despise and are ready to throw them into a fiery abyss. I also keep books I hated because it means I’m willing to give them a second chance. I’m not one to read a book, hate it, and then toss it aside. In fact, I’ve read some books that I didn’t much like, reread them, and through the reread they grew on me. (The opposite has also happened, but I digress.)

Unless you liked absolutely nothing about a book or you just cannot pull yourself through it without feeling homicidal, I think it deserves a second chance. And you never know when you might need to pull it out to talk to your friends and rip it apart.

~The WordShaker

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Olivia J, The WordShaker is the award-winning author of A Cactus In the Valley. She blogs at oliviajthewordshaker.blogspot.com and bookstagrams at @olivia.j.the.wordshaker

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Anticipated Releases of 2018

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

Today’s post is all about new releases. As always, with each new years comes many more new books that we readers die to get our hands on. So today, I’m going to share with you (in no particular order) some of my most anticipated new releases of 2018! let’s get into it!

Anticipated Release of 2018

Renegade Cruex By Kristen Martin: If you don’t know the wonderful Kristen Martin, I actually interviewed her a little while back! (insert interview link here.) She is the successful (bestselling!) indie author of The Alpha Drive Series and Shadow Crown. The second book, Renegade Cruex is coming out in October of this year, and I’m super, super pumped to read it!
50 Days By Brittney Kristina: Fellow teen Author, Brittney is publishing her second book in March…I think. Her first book, Forsaken, was absolutely amazing and I’ve heard great things about 50 Days, so I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
Porch Swing Girls by Taylor Bennett: This beauty comes out in July. I’ve technically already read this since I’m on her launch team, but still! I don’t usually read a super lot of contemporaries, but this one is super cute and I think everyone should try it.
Fawkes By Nadine Brandes: If you haven’t seen Nadine’s Instagram Feed, it’s absolute GOALS! Not to mention, the cover is stunning and the plot sounds really interesting! It’s considered a historical fantasy, which I’ve never really read before, so I’m curious to try it out.
Unbreakable By Sara Ella: Granted, I should probably get to the second book in this trilogy, but Unblemished, Sara’s debut was amazing, and I love it so much! I love the characters in Sara’s world, and the plot was really gripping.
Skyridge By Kara Swanson: I’m not totally positive if this is coming out in 2018, but I thought I’d put it on this list. I have also read this novel as well. I beta read it for Kara, and I am telling you right now that You. Must. Read. This. Book. If you read her first book, The Girl Who Could See and loved it: This book is like levels up from that already amazing novella.
Reclaiming Shilo Snow By Mary Weber: I haven’t read the first book, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, but I’ve heard such good things for this series, so I’m just anticipating the second book already.
Show Me By Myself: What?? I can’t help the fact that I’m anticipating the release of my own book. And for those of you who might be wondering, no it does not have a final release date, but I think I’m going to be releasing it in July or August, so we’ll see.

As of now, these are some of my anticipated books releasing in 2018! Let me know down below of some books you can’t wait to be out in the world. I’m sure I’ll come up with many new books in the near future.

That’s it for today, and I’ll see you all next week for a new post: all about teen authors I love and think you should too! Stay tuned for that.

In HIS JOY,

Gabriella Slade

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