Children
of the Veil
The
Aisling Chronicles
Book
2
Colleen
Halverson
Genre:
Urban Fantasy
Publisher:
Entangled
Date
of Publication: October 26, 2016
ISBN:
9781633757738
ASIN:
B01LZDAFQY
Number
of pages: 400
Word
Count: 120K
Book
Description:
Elizabeth
Tanner has one goal: to find her mother in whatever dimension she’s
imprisoned. But to do that, she has to face her estranged father, and
to do that, she needs a shot of whiskey…or seven. But after an
attempt on her life and the return of her lost love, she wakes up
with one hell of a hangover and a whole barrage of questions.
Finn
O’Connell doesn’t know why the Fianna want him to aid Elizabeth
in her search, but he’ll take any excuse to be near her again.
Together, they dive headlong into the shadows of her mother’s
secrets and find themselves embroiled in a Fae rebellion that will
test Finn’s loyalties and their love.
With
the Faerie realm verging on chaos, Elizabeth and Finn will embark on
a quest that will lead them from the streets of Chicago to London’s
seedy Fae underground. But rescuing Elizabeth’s mother means
journeying to a place Finn can’t follow, and Elizabeth is forced to
make a choice between finding her at last or saving her own soul.
Teaser
Excerpt:
Elizabeth
Tanner has one goal: find her mother and free her. But after an
attempt on her life and the return of her lost love, her search leads
to more questions than answers. Finn O’Connell doesn’t know why
the Fianna want him to help Elizabeth, but he’ll take any excuse to
be near her. Diving into the shadows of her mother’s secrets throws
them into a Fae rebellion that will test their love, and rescuing
Elizabeth’s mother means making a choice between finding her or
saving her own soul.
About
the Author:
As
a child, Colleen Halverson used to play in the woods imagining worlds
and telling stories to herself. Growing up on military bases, she
found solace in her local library and later decided to make a living
sharing the wonders of literature to poor, unsuspecting college
freshmen. After backpacking through Ireland and singing in a
traditional Irish music band, she earned a PhD in English with a
specialization in Irish literature. When she’s not making up
stories or teaching, she can be found hiking the rolling hills of the
Driftless area of Wisconsin with her husband and two children.
CHILDREN OF THE VEIL is the follow up to her debut urban fantasy
novel, THROUGH THE VEIL.
twitter:
https://twitter.com/cbhalverson
facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/cbhalverson/
***
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
CHILDREN OF THE VEIL came out of my head fully formed. I had no idea what the story was going to be before I began it, but I did have a bit of a vague notion where I wanted to end up. Elizabeth and Finn have a tendency to drag me to some wild places, and most of the time I have no choice but to follow them. I’ve become a bit more responsible lately with trying to plan novels, but I write to discover and I believe my best ideas arrive in the moment of composition. Every time I start a book, I’m like Bilbo Baggins running through the shire, shouting, “I’m going on an adventure!” Sometimes I have moments where I might need to pause, backtrack, regroup, brainstorm, but I always push forward. Every novel I’ve written has been an incredible journey, and I always emerge a different person at the end of writing one.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Oh, yes, absolutely. My characters always ruin my good intentions! But this openness works for me. When I don’t listen to my characters carefully, that’s when the story rings false. It may take me several drafts to understand their motivations and sometimes their choices just baffle me, but I keep digging in my revisions to discover the core truths that fuel them and decisions. If a character says, “We’re going into the spooky woods,” then we’re going in the spooky woods, regardless of whatever it is I had planned.
What is your favourite food?
Sushi. I live in the country, so I only eat it about once or twice a year on my birthday. The waiter always asks if anyone else is coming to join me…
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Neither? Maybe both? As a wife, mother of two small children with a full-time job and a lot of crazy characters to take care of, my schedule is really not my own. I’m up at the crack of dawn getting kids to school and going to work and then writing and editing well into the night. I hope someday I’ll have the luxury to choose one! :)
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
My husband and I travel a lot, but one day I would really love to go to Nepal and backpack through the foothills of the Himalayas. I’ve always been attracted to the mountains, and I’ve been a practicing Buddhist for almost ten years now. I would love to visit the ancient temples and see the dramatic views firsthand.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Yes! Elizabeth and Finn travel to all sorts of distant places like Ireland and London. They also travel to the Faerie realm and the fourth dimension, but I’m not sure if that counts.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Always. I wrote most of CHILDREN OF THE VEIL listening to the latest Of Monsters and Men album, Beneath the Skin. When I’m feeling unmotivated, I snap on my noise-cancelling headphones, set that on rotation, and I’m flying.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
CHILDREN OF THE VEIL is the sequel to my debut novel, THROUGH THE VEIL. Readers who followed Elizabeth and Finn through the first book, will go on a journey from Chicago to the Faerie realm, to London as they search for Elizabeth’s mother. It contains a lot of romance, but it’s also a story about family secrets and the power of complete and unconditional love in the face of incredible adversity. In many ways, this is also a bit of a coming-of-age story for Elizabeth. In THROUGH THE VEIL, we see Elizabeth come into her Fae powers, but in CHILDREN OF THE VEIL, we will see her struggle as she learns to wield and focus her abilities.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
Ah, where to start with this question? I think the one thing I’ve learned about publishing is to stop looking for validation from others—in editors, readers, reviewers. I think when I first started out, I was so terrified of being awful, so I sought out confirmation of my talent in anyone who could supply it. But this way madness lies! What I’ve learned is that you have to have complete and utter belief in yourself, your voice, and your creative vision. This doesn’t mean you turn away from valuable feedback and criticism, but you have to be prepared to stand by your work and radically accept the fact that you are on an artistic journey. Whether people love your writing or not is inconsequential, in the end. The question for you, the writer, is not “did people like this?” But rather, “am I a better artist for creating this novel? Am I walking away from this experience a little wiser? A little stronger in my storytelling abilities?” If the answer is yes, then you cannot fail.
Is there anything you would do differently?
No. I have been truly blessed by my experiences in publishing so far. Perhaps the only thing I would have done differently is to start writing sooner.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
I grew up in a family of professional musicians, so music has been a big part of my life. I also sing and play guitar. I think growing up in that creative environment really helped fuel my commitment to my craft, but more importantly, I saw a lot of the struggle, the rejection, and the business side of things. My father is a composer and he wrote every night after teaching college band. My brother is a jazz musician and is now a professor, but he practices several hours a day. Talent is important. The love is important. But artistic success is a marriage between that passion and a lot of hard work.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Everyone sucks at first. Everyone. I once read an excerpt from a first draft of The Great Gatsby and I was horrified by how just god awful it was. Excellence takes time and many, many revisions. You need to give yourself time to experiment, try different things, and uncover your voice. It’s not something that happens overnight. Also, find your writing tribe. If you’re serious about writing, find people who have similar goals and swap your work at every possible opportunity.
What are three words that describe you?
Resilient. Creative. Driven.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Charlotte Bronte. The voice in Jane Eyre still reads as strong and fresh as it did 150 years ago.
List of previous books if any
THROUGH THE VEIL
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web
***
Tour
giveaway
Signed
copy of THROUGH THE VEIL, Book 1 The Aisling Chronicles
Signed
copy of CHILDREN OF THE VEIL, Book 2 The Aisling Chronicles
A
select collection of pins, patches, and stickers from Creepy Company
$50
Amazon Gift Card
OPEN
TO US ONLY
Interesting! Thanks for the giveaway! :)
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