Title: Pouraka
Series: N/A
Author: Dianne Lynn Gardner
Publisher: Self/Indie
Release Date: 14th February 2015
BLURB supplied by Bewitching Blog Tours
Pouraka is a
magical sea cavern tucked under the rocky cliffs near Barnacle Bay. Cora, a
Pouraka mer, is torn between her friends in the seaside town, and her true love
Tas, a foreign mer whose people fled when men invaded their waters.
Life becomes
difficult for all mers when an arrogant oil rigger's son, Tom, finds the bay
and the rich aquatic life it harbors. When Tas attempts to rescue a pod of
dolphins from Tom's gill net, he is captured and taken away as a prize to be
sold to a theme park. When Cora hears of his capture she changes into human form
and travels south to find him, risking her life to free him.
Time away from
Pouraka leaves the cavern vulnerable, and a new threat arises when tourists
discover its magic.
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
The
sand was cool, the shells sharp and prickly, making her toes itch. She strolled
to the wet sand where the foam still bubbled into clam holes and the remnants
of waves frothed over her feet. Seagulls clustered, pecking at shellfish and
welcoming the end of day. Farther out the ocean throbbed, constant and
carefree. Ever faithful, the sea rocked back and forth over the earth as it
harbored its creatures, protecting them from the sun’s vicious heat, feeding
them, nourishing them and cradling them. Cora should be in its belly, accepting
its nurturing. She was the oceans’ charge and yet here she was, walking the
land as though she were human. She’d been denying her heritage all this time.
A
surge of shame swept over her. Why did she even want to be human? Merpeople
were so much kinder to each other, and to the animals they lived among. Why did
she ever doubt that she should live as a mermaid?
Cora
took the basket off of her back and unfastened the lid. The water inside was so
clear she could see the interior weave of kelp even in the fading sunlight.
Scooting closer to the surf so that the waves rolled over her, she held the
basket above her head.
Pouraka’s
water dripped over her hair, onto her shoulders and her face. She lifted her
chin and let it run down her neck, her chest, her belly. Cora poured the water
over her hips, her legs, and her toes as the sea rumbled and came to her, a
white roll of salt water rushing to immerse her. Cora leaned back and let the
ocean swallow her human body. The sea wanted her home, grabbing her form and
pulling her far away from shore. She tumbled in the breakers until she was
saturated and far from land. Cora came to the surface and viewed the vanishing
shoreline one last time. Sunset shined its face on her scales as golden
fragments of evening glitter. She hadn’t felt so alive in a long time. She felt
good, and somehow she would bring this freedom to Tas. She had to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne is an author and illustrator of
YA adventure fantasy with a dab of historical content thrown in. Building
worlds that might resemble the forests of her home in the Pacific Northwest, or
the shimmering deserts of Arizona, add to that a pinch of magic dust and a few
million stars and you just might find the portal to another Realm.
Happily married to a man that puts up
with her celestial wanderings and wonderings, she is the mother of seven lovely
adult children and grandmother to sixteen gorgeous boys and girls.
Dianne loves writing, painting in oils
and living in other dimensions. She finds life much more colorful that way! Her
books are middle grade to young adult adventure fantasies with dragons and
wizards and sorcery and battles on the high seas. Her grandchildren are a big
inspiration for her stories. There’s a shared camaraderie, something akin to
what C.S. Lewis said about someday being old enough to enjoy fairy tales again.
Dianne’s newest series Pouraka dives
into the depths to explore life as a mer. She also has a series that is being
re released by PDMI publishing called the Ian’s Realm Saga.
Stretching her tent stakes, she is
working on an Indie Film production of her V book Cassandra’s Castle.
AUTHOR LINKS
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
From the beginning outline to final
draft it took about six months to write Pouraka. That included research.
Which of your books were easier/harder
to write than the others?
I think the easiest book to write was
Rubies and Robbers because it was the third book in a trilogy and all I had to
do was resolve the conflicts that had been introduced. Also, I had plenty of
time to think about where I wanted the story to go, how I wanted to end it,
what ends I wanted to leave open. Since I had already outlined Ian’s character
arc, that was the final book to bring him full circle.
Do you have a favourite out of the books
you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
Since I find that my writing improves
with each book, I would have to say “the one I’m working on now”. Today that
would be the book I am querying, The Unconventional Mr. Preadlebody.
Do you have a favourite character from
your books? and why are they your favourite?
I think Ian will always be my favorite
character. We watched him grow from a 15 year old to a young man and now in
Cassandra’s Castle, he’s a dad.
If you had to choose to be one of your
characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
I’d probably choose to be Cassie from
Cassandra’s Castle. She has a real adventure, and the biggest reward!
Your books fall into a “Paranormal,
Fantasy” type of genre, what made you decide to write this type of book?
It just happens. I have some pretty
quirky ideas and a wild imagination. I think my whole life is para-normal!
Where do you get your book plot ideas
from? What/Who is your inspiration?
Each one is different. The Ian’s Realm
trilogy came from painting a dragon. Cassandra’s Castle came from a moment in
history when a 17 year old boy suddenly became a king to a rebelling
nation. Altered came from reading the
news about Monsanto. Pouraka came from hearing about the dolphin slaughters in
Japan. Mr. Peadlebody is just a freak.
How do you come up with the Title and
Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
I do my own covers. The trilogy is a 9
foot tryptech that I painted in oils and each panel has an element of the book
covers. I.e. a mountain, a dragon and a ship. Altered is the only cover that I
didn’t paint. My publisher wanted to use her niece for the photo. I’ve wanted
to paint a mermaid and merman together for a long time.
Do you choose a title first, or write
the book then choose the title?
Usually the book gets written first
except for Pouraka. When I discovered the name of the cavern I knew it was
going to be my title as well.
How do you come up with characters names
and place names in your books?
I research. Depending on where the
characters live and come from, and what year they were born I go through lists
and lists of names.
Are character names and place names
decided after creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent
them?
I decide on the characters first and
find a name that would suit them. Usually the names reflect their
personalities, the place they live, whether they are religious, athletic, that
kind of thing.
Do you decide on character traits (ie
shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
The story calls for a certain kind of
character and so I put them in it. For instance, when I outline, I develop the
character arc. So if I know how I want the character to end up as, I’ll figure
out how he’s going to have to start to make the biggest arc I can. Then I bring
in the villain, and he’s going to have conflict with the MC. The supporting
characters all have their roles to play, so a lot of times that will decide
what kind of person they are.
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?
Yes I do. I plan the book by chapter and
then let it develop and flow. But I always have a plotline. I think it’s
important in order for the story to be meaningful. At least for me.
Have you ever based characters on people
you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Yes. But I try not to be obvious.
If you could choose one of your book
titles/book series to be made into a movie/TV show which one would you choose
and why?
I’m in the process of filming
Cassandra’s Castle as a TV series now. We have a team already working on it!
[Thank you Dianne Lynn Gardner for taking the time to answer my Interview Questions!]
***GIVEAWAY***
1 ebook copy of
Sasha which introduces the story.
5 8 X 10 prints of
Pouraka's cover without the text, authographed by the author
1 digital copy of
dystopia novel Altered
1 pair of earrings
open to US Shipping
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for taking the time to include Pouraka on your lovely blog!
ReplyDeletePouraka sounds like a lovely story, I would like to read this book. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, I hope you get a chance to read Pouraka!
ReplyDeletePouraka is no longer available on Amazon. Right now the print book is available on Createspace, and I’ll be releasing an ebook on my website. Again, thank you. http://gardnersart.com
ReplyDelete