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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

A web of lies woven into the fabric of Time - Fissure (Chronicles of the Interred #2) by Marilyn Almodóvar

Description:

Baxter Jacobs just survived the worst Sweet Sixteen in history: buried in a coffin, hunted down by assassins, and losing almost everything that mattered to her. She’s ready for some normalcy, but “normal” won’t play any part of this Time Bender’s future.

Now that the immediate threat is over, Baxter learns just how much the English Council expects of the newest Interred. The pressure has her seriously considering her uncle’s offer to take her to New York, especially since she thinks it will keep her Healer, Jack, from overusing his abilities. Knowing the New York Council’s ranks are filled with beings using dark powers, however, makes her hesitate.

Before she can choose, the decision is wrenched from her. Fissures in Time result in a new battle with an old enemy. Someone she thought she’d lost reenters her life, and she’ll discover a web of lies woven into the fabric of Time…lies only she can unravel. Baxter will have to use her growing abilities to try and reveal the truth, even if it forever changes the reality she knows.

GUEST POST
The Challenges of a Time Travel Novel
by Marilyn Almodóvar
When I first started writing Interred, I had no idea what the main plot would be like, or whether or not Declan was a ghost. That’s probably because I’m a pantser, but once I sat down and stopped listening to Declan and found Baxter’s voice, I realized that I had a Time Bender on my hands. This, of course, made me feel elated, but at the same time it was very daunting. 

Book#1
Overwhelming is another word that comes to mind. As a huge fan of Doctor Who and other time traveling series, I had to make sure that Baxter’s story would be unique once I was certain that she would have the ability to travel through Time. 

There are many challenges when writing a Time Traveling novel. First there are the World Building and society rules. These need to be solid, or at least they needed to be solid in Baxter’s world. It was hard sticking to them, but by doing so, I discovered Baxter’s resilience. 

The challenge that takes the cake is the Time Traveling timeline itself. I knew I wanted a heroine who could hold herself together, and who would do what needed to be done. Baxter is only sixteen, but even though she wasn’t brought up in a family that practiced magic openly, Mara, her mother, did give her life lessons which taught her to keep calm and carry on. So once I knew Baxter could hold her own, keeping that intricate timeline clean and easy to follow was the biggest challenge by far. 

She does a bit of traveling in the first book, but in the second book, she must go back and forth between similar dates. It was these dates which gave me the biggest headaches. That said, it was extremely fun to weather the pressure and let Baxter do a bit more Time Bending with a better understanding of her ability in the second book, Fissure.

EXCERPT




All of my priorities changed after the Interment. My mother’s cousin, Fred, killed my family and several of my friends before almost killing me. Since then, I’ve been left with an emptiness in my heart and a constant worry about Jack’s well-being. That worry has been explained by Moira, Morgan’s friend and second in command, as the connection between Healer and Time Bender. 

I must confess that this connection gives me a headache. Jack’s thoughts can invade my mind at any given time. Since he’s been unconscious, the slightest touch during his nightmares sends images of his dreams to my mind. 

Now, Jack mutters my name again as his eyes move fast behind his closed eyelids. This is my cue to hold him tighter. His fraught state changes when our hands join. I brace myself for the flood of images as I press my palm against his. 

We share thoughts, and I can see and feel everything that he does. The moment the connection deepens and my mind opens to accept it, I recognize the setting. This is where I last saw Fred alive…the place where a battle I can’t remember took place. Though my memories are gone, all of the emotions from the battle still ravage my heart. 

In the dream, Jack runs as the rumble around him increases. He falls to the ground as it opens up beneath him, his pulse throbbing in his temple as he shields his eyes from the bright light that separates him from me. The deafening sound of the English Council’s Warriors pushes him on. He screams my name, fear threatening to paralyze his legs. 

I move my free hand to rest against his chest over his heart, but the thumping of its beat doesn’t slow. Frustration leaves a new scar in my mind as I try and fail to remember what happened to me. All I know is that my ability has made me a prized possession. Fred wanted to take it from me, and he’s not the only one. 

Jack’s dream transitions. His fear is replaced by joy as he finally reaches me. I’m lying at the bottom of a cliff, broken. Fred’s body is not far from mine. 

I’m reeling from the fear and the anger that settle once more in my body. I can’t remember how I got to the bottom of the cliff or how Fred died. Emptiness leaves a blank space where my memories should be. 

Only one thought gnaws at my brain. I’m no longer safe here in England. Worst still, I might not be safe anywhere. 





About the authors:
Marilyn Almodóvar is the author of a series of YA paranormal novels. Born in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, Lyn is a lover of words whose reading tastes range from Victorian novels to the books of Stephen King. Her favorite past-times have always been reading and writing, two activities that let her escape to other worlds.

It was this love that propelled her to choose Theater and French as majors in University, with a minor in English Victorian Literature. Lyn lived for almost a decade in England followed by three years in France before returning home to the States. A self-confessed citizen of the world, she is fluent in English, French and Spanish, with basic knowledge of the Italian language.

Lyn could happily exist breathing the clean air of Narnia, trapped in a cupboard under the stairs with Harry, fighting alongside Captain Jack Sparrow, doing an internship in Torchwood, or traveling around time and space with the Doctor…as long as she can have Mr. Spock, Captain Kirk and Captain Mal as companions.

Lyn currently lives in Central Florida with her French husband, English-born eldest son, and French-born youngest son. Her debut YA Novel, Interred, was be published by Iambe books on 01/22/2013.

Website ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter 


2 comments:

Giselle said...

I've always wondered how authors even do it I would probably get lost in my own timeline baha. It sounds like a very complex world building. I love time travel books, too, so it def makes for a great read! :)

Raine Thomas said...

I agree with Giselle that tracking the timeline would probably do me in, but I'm really impressed by Lyn's style. Hat's off!