Title: Daughter Of Sea and Sky
Author: David Litwack
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Genre: Speculative, Literary Fiction
Release Date: 19th May 2014
BLURB supplied by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours
After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world
has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in
the Republic, reason is the guiding light-two different realms, kept apart and
at peace by a treaty and an ocean.
Children of the Republic, Helena and Jason were
inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down different paths. Grief
and duty sidetracked Helena's plans, and Jason came to detest the hollowness of
his ambitions.
These two damaged souls are reunited when a tiny boat
from the Blessed Lands crashes onto the rocks near Helena's home after an
impossible journey across the forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger,
a nine-year-old girl named Kailani, who calls herself The Daughter of the
Sea and the Sky. A new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together
again, as they vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the
authorities, no matter the risk to their future and freedom.
But is the mysterious child simply a troubled little girl
longing to return home? Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric
of a godless Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would
have them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever... and
perhaps their world as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic .
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
He's published three novels so far in this new stage of his life: There Comes a Prophet, Along the Watchtower, and the recently released The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What
is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
What
is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20
words what would you say?
What
can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre?
Books of a different genre?
What
genre would you place your books into? What made you decide to write that genre
of book?
Where
do you get your book plot ideas from?
I wrote a blog post about how I came up
with ideas for The Stuff of Stars, the second book of The Seeker series that
I’m working on now. You can read more here.
Do
you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Do
you read all the reviews of your books?
What
was the best review you have ever had?
A reviewer of Along the Watchtower wrote
that it brought back memories of being a young college student, witnessing the
twin towers fall on 9/11. The book touched him deeply, because it reminded him
that, as a result of that tragic event, we’ve been at war his entire adult
life. The shock he felt on 9/11 all came back to him in reading the struggles
of the recovering Lt. Freddie Williams.
Interestingly enough, that same reviewer
had a powerful reaction to the dystopian world of There Comes a Prophet (soon
to be republished in revised form as The Children of Darkness). In that book, a
ruling power limits learning and growth. This reviewer associated my story with
the courageous young Malala Yousafzai (who just won the Nobel peace prize), the
Pakastani girl who the Taliban tried to kill for advocating education for
women.
Do
you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or
do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
Are
there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books?
Is
there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
What
are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook,
hardback or paperback)
Are
there any new authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? Why should
we watch out for them?
What
piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
If you love it, never give up. If not,
find something easier to do.
AUTHOR LINKS
Website: http://www.davidlitwack.com
Twitter:@DavidLitwack
Blog: http://davidlitwack.com/wordpress1/blog/
(Wow you're upcoming book re-released and called "The Seekers" sounds interesting as does Along The Watchtower and The Daughter Of Sea And Sky. . . .I think I may be adding your books to my ever lengthening Want To Read Wishlist! lol. Thank you for such a great, detailed Interview. ~ Jeanz)
EXCERPT
THE GIRL FROM THE BLESSED LANDS
Jason offered his bottle, but the girl shied away. Helena cradled
the child’s head and tilted her chin while he trickled a
few drops into her mouth.
The girl licked her cracked lips and opened
for more. After she’d drunk her fill, she turned to Helena. Her eyes grabbed
and held. “The dream,” she said. “It’s true. I can see it in your eyes.”
Helena felt a sudden urge to distract the
girl, to disrupt that penetrating gaze. “Who are you?”
The girl ignored the question, instead
resting her hand on Jason’s forearm.
His muscles twitched as if he were unsure
whether to linger or jerk away.
“Your arm is hot,” she said.
“That’s because I’ve been running.”
The girl’s ocean-blue eyes opened wider.
“From what?”
He withdrew his arm and flexed his fingers.
“Are you from the Blessed Lands?”
The girl nodded.
“Why would you make such a dangerous voyage
alone in such a small boat?”
“I was in no danger,” she said.
He waved a hand at the flotsam, still
surging in the tide. “But your boat’s destroyed, and it took us to save you.”
“Yes, I suppose.” She looked back out to
sea as if expecting to find her boat still afloat. “Then I thank Lord Kanakunai
for sparing me and delivering me to kind people who would help.”
“But who are you?” Helena said more
insistently.
The girl motioned for more to drink, this
time grasping the bottle with both hands and emptying it. When she finished,
she sat up and lifted her chin like royalty. “I am Kailani, the daughter of the
sea and the sky.”
(Mmm loved the Excerpt as I did? Why not treat yourself to the book? - Jeanz)
PURCHASE LINKS
The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic .Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
He's published three novels so far in this new stage of his life: There Comes a Prophet, Along the Watchtower, and the recently released The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
What
are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook,
hardback or paperback)
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What
is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
I’m David Litwack. I was born and raised
in the Boston area. My wife and I now split our time with summers on Cape Cod
and winters in Florida.
What
is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20
words what would you say?
The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky is
the story of a troubled couple and a mysterious child, caught in the clash
between reason and faith
What
can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre?
Books of a different genre?
I’m working on a dystopian trilogy
called The Seeker series. The first book, The Children of Darkness, will be
published in June, 2015, followed by the second, The Stuff of Stars, the
following November. Anyone interested in learning more can sign up for my
newsletter here.
What
genre would you place your books into? What made you decide to write that genre
of book?
I write speculative fiction because I’ve
always been suspicious about absolute reality. Different cultures see the world
so differently. We conveniently choose to construct a world view that suits
us—at least until something challenges it. What better way to challenge our
view of reality—and therefore enable the potential for change—than to invent
new worlds and show how characters cope with them.
Where
do you get your book plot ideas from?
I’ve always believed the difference
between the creative and non-creative person is not the ability to come up with
new ideas, but rather being open to them when they present themselves. That’s
why it’s so important to write regularly. When I’m writing every day, I live in
two worlds, the world of my evolving story and the real world. As a result,
when I see something in the real world that strikes me, my mind starts making
connections. The images I see morph into scenes in my story. What would the
mood of the setting be like? How would my characters experience it? In what way
would the experience alter their actions and change the plot.
I wrote a blog post about how I came up
with ideas for The Stuff of Stars, the second book of The Seeker series that
I’m working on now. You can read more here.
Do
you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Yes. I’m always offering books for
review. Anyone interested can contact me via my website: http://www.davidlitwack.com
Do
you read all the reviews of your books?
I try to read them all, believing I can
learn from the good and the bad. Fiction is a partnership between the author
and the reader. The author provides the framework to stimulate the imagination
and the reader fills in to make the story seem real to them. I find it
fascinating to see how different readers perceive my characters and stories.
What
was the best review you have ever had?
Here’s a couple of reviews where my
books stirred up strong (and unexpected) emotions from a reader:
A reviewer of Along the Watchtower wrote
that it brought back memories of being a young college student, witnessing the
twin towers fall on 9/11. The book touched him deeply, because it reminded him
that, as a result of that tragic event, we’ve been at war his entire adult
life. The shock he felt on 9/11 all came back to him in reading the struggles
of the recovering Lt. Freddie Williams.
Interestingly enough, that same reviewer
had a powerful reaction to the dystopian world of There Comes a Prophet (soon
to be republished in revised form as The Children of Darkness). In that book, a
ruling power limits learning and growth. This reviewer associated my story with
the courageous young Malala Yousafzai (who just won the Nobel peace prize), the
Pakastani girl who the Taliban tried to kill for advocating education for
women.
Do
you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or
do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I usually conceive of a new book as a
series of images and scenes, daydreaming about them while I finish work on the
prior novel. I maintain a file for the new novel and do a rough draft of these
scenes—a very rough draft, what some
people might call “riff writing” like improvisation in jazz. The file can get
pretty chaotic. Every now and then I make a feeble attempt to organize it (when
I’m finishing up a novel, I try to avoid distractions and stay focused on
getting it out to the publisher). By the time I’m ready to start the new novel,
I usually have about 20,000 words of loosely connected prose—20-25% of the
eventual novel but probably 80% of its essence. I take a couple of months to
read, edit and organize that file into a dense plot outline. Then I start a new
file from scratch, cutting and pasting prose as appropriate.
It’s a pretty messy process. I have days
when I wish I spent more time upfront getting organized. But unlike those who start with an outline, I
need that amount of writing to get to know the characters and live in the
story.
Are
there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books?
My books certainly have themes, but I
wouldn’t say they have morals. I believe it’s the writer’s job to raise
questions that make the reader think, but not to give hard and fast answers.
Is
there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
Growing up, I loved scifi/fantasy like
Arthur C. Clarke and Tolkien, but also John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway.
That’s perhaps why my writing is a blend of speculative and literary fiction.
What
are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook,
hardback or paperback)
I’m reading Maya Angelou’s I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, some decent
stories but mediocre writing. It’s a pleasure to read a work from such a master
of style. I mostly read on Kindle because it’s so convenient. If I have a few
minutes here and there, I can just pull out my phone, open the Kindle app, and
sneak a chapter in.
Are
there any new authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? Why should
we watch out for them?
My publisher, Evolved Publishing, is
committed to quality and has produced some great books from new authors. Two of
my favorites are Robb Grindstaff and Angela Scott. You can check these and
others out at http://www.evolvedpub.com/
What
piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
If you love it, never give up. If not,
find something easier to do.
AUTHOR LINKS
Website: http://www.davidlitwack.com
Twitter:@DavidLitwack
Blog: http://davidlitwack.com/wordpress1/blog/
(Wow you're upcoming book re-released and called "The Seekers" sounds interesting as does Along The Watchtower and The Daughter Of Sea And Sky. . . .I think I may be adding your books to my ever lengthening Want To Read Wishlist! lol. Thank you for such a great, detailed Interview. ~ Jeanz)
EXCERPT
THE GIRL FROM THE BLESSED LANDS
Jason offered his bottle, but the girl shied away. Helena cradled
the child’s head and tilted her chin while he trickled a
few drops into her mouth.
The girl licked her cracked lips and opened
for more. After she’d drunk her fill, she turned to Helena. Her eyes grabbed
and held. “The dream,” she said. “It’s true. I can see it in your eyes.”
Helena felt a sudden urge to distract the
girl, to disrupt that penetrating gaze. “Who are you?”
The girl ignored the question, instead
resting her hand on Jason’s forearm.
His muscles twitched as if he were unsure
whether to linger or jerk away.
“Your arm is hot,” she said.
“That’s because I’ve been running.”
The girl’s ocean-blue eyes opened wider.
“From what?”
He withdrew his arm and flexed his fingers.
“Are you from the Blessed Lands?”
The girl nodded.
“Why would you make such a dangerous voyage
alone in such a small boat?”
“I was in no danger,” she said.
He waved a hand at the flotsam, still
surging in the tide. “But your boat’s destroyed, and it took us to save you.”
“Yes, I suppose.” She looked back out to
sea as if expecting to find her boat still afloat. “Then I thank Lord Kanakunai
for sparing me and delivering me to kind people who would help.”
“But who are you?” Helena said more
insistently.
The girl motioned for more to drink, this
time grasping the bottle with both hands and emptying it. When she finished,
she sat up and lifted her chin like royalty. “I am Kailani, the daughter of the
sea and the sky.”
(Mmm loved the Excerpt as I did? Why not treat yourself to the book? - Jeanz)
(Mmm loved the Excerpt as I did? Why not treat yourself to the book? - Jeanz)
PURCHASE LINKS
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