Thursday 9 April 2015

BLOG TOUR - POURAKA BY DIANNE LYNN GARDNER

 
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

How long did it take you to write a Pouraka, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
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







4 comments:

  1. Thanks for taking the time to include Pouraka on your lovely blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pouraka sounds like a lovely story, I would like to read this book. Thank you

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  3. Thank you Linda, I hope you get a chance to read Pouraka!

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  4. Pouraka 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