Heather Fitzgerald and Free Books!

When Sadie’s parents are kidnapped, she learns of her family’s secret ties to creatures that once roamed the Garden of Eden.

Before we address today's featured author, I want to announce that the winner of the signed copy of Joshua's Mission, by Vannetta Chapman, is:

fishingjan@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll email you for your snail-mail address, and we'll get your book right out to you.

I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.

And now let's visit with novelist Heather Fitzgerald, author of the Young Adult Fantasy, The Tethered World (Mountain Brook Ink, February 2016).

Heather FitzGerald read voraciously to her kids when they were young enough to homeschool. Having always excelled in English and writing, she began to craft stories of her own when she could fit it in to her busy life. Eventually she had the time to blog and was selected as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse magazine (Homeschool Review Crew).

Through this avenue, she met successful author Susan K. Marlow. Susan was a faithful mentor and encouraged Heather’s gifting. Heather attended writer workshops and joined several writer’s groups, honing her craft, while continuing to blog.

She began The Tethered World about six years ago, and landed a contract with Mountain Brook Ink in Spring 2015. Heather has also enjoyed being a judge for Susan K. Marlow’s yearly writing contest for children.

Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

—I have a son who is autistic.

—I’ve taught ballet for 13 years at a homeschool fine arts school with over 900 students.

—Iced lattes are my muse.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of The Tethered World.

“Normal” means different things to different people. Such is the case for sixteen-year-old Sadie Larcen. Having five siblings: normal. Navigating a silent brother with autism: normal. Homeschooling: normal. A cosmetologist father: normal. A Bigfoot expert for a mother: normal.

Waking up to the police knocking on the door and missing parents: definitely not normal!

When life turns inside out for Sadie, she fights for as much “normal” as possible. It becomes a losing battle when she uncovers the reasons behind her parents’ disappearance and the truth about her heritage.

Sadie learns that her mother’s interest in Bigfoot, dwarves, and other lore extends beyond mere fascination. Her family has been entrusted with keeping the secrets of the Tethered World: home to creatures that once roamed the Garden of Eden. Sadie and siblings must venture to this land to rescue their parents; a journey Sadie fears and resents.

What is it about your lead character that will make your readers care about her?

Sadie is a sarcastic introvert that would rather read about adventures than experience them. Readers will connect with Sadie’s fear of the unknown and her anger towards her parents for the secrets they’ve kept. Her struggle is authentic. Sadie is a reluctant heroine.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

I would want my main female character to come off a lot like Rory Gilmore from The Gilmore Girls.




Who is one of your favorite fictional characters?

Just finished listening to the audiobook trilogy of Inkheart , Inkspell , and Inkdeath , by Cornelia Funke. I absolutely loved the character of Eleanor. She was a crabby, brash aunt who evolved from loving nothing but her collection of books to deeply loving her nieces family and doing anything to rescue them from the peril they faced. She made me laugh out loud.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

The Inkheart Trilogy mentioned in the last question is my latest fandom. It’s a satisfyingly long fantasy tale that jumps off the page and cleverly weaves our own world into the world of a book that has been brought to life—quite literally.

Though each book from the trilogy was narrated by a different person, each actor brilliantly brought the characters to life. Would highly recommend experiencing the trilogy via audiobooks. These days I don’t do a lot of reading with my eyeballs :) Audiobooks are a great way to squeeze some reading time into a busy day.

I agree. I love listening to stories while I commute to and from the office.

What are you working on now?

Frantically finishing up book two of my Tethered World Trilogy.

Where else can readers find you online?

Website: www.heatherllfitzgerald.com; Facebook; Twitter: WriteFitz; Instagram: TetheredWorld.
The book can be purchased online via the following buttons:









Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

I’d love to know the last book they have read, and whether or not they’d recommend it (and why!).

I love that question! Thanks, Heather, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel.

Readers, Heather has offered to give an signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Monday, February 22. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Heather's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Remember you can still get 99 cent e-copies of The Guy I'm Not Dating and Too Good to Be True this month. Click HERE to link to the purchase pages on Amazon and Google Play!

Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE.