After a year and a half of struggling to finish my second book, it’s finally finished! And not only finished but I have a signed contract with my publisher Clean Reads.
The Prophecy of Mary Anne is a prequel to The Village Green. I don’t have the release date yet, but as soon as I do you’ll be the first to know.
Thanks for reading,
M.A.
I came across an article in my Facebook feed today and had to write about it.
Banning books is something that has always been associated with Nazis and Communists. The picture of armed soldiers and brain-washed citizens standing round a pyre of burning books is something straight from a dystopian novel. Or is it?
In Portland, OR the Public Schools board voted to eliminate the use of any textbooks or other materials that are “found to express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities.”
Whether you believe in man-made global warming or not, this is incredibly wrong. To keep information out of the hands of children (or anyone for that matter) simply because it does not fit one’s world view is pure Nazism.
A school should be a place where children are taught to think critically for themselves. Not a place where they are force-fed the ideology of a school board or teacher. Where are we headed or to where have we already come if the opportunity to think and argue and discover truth is taken from us?
A dystopian society is not just some fantasy world in the YA section at Barnes and Noble. It is a reality waiting to happen and all it needs is for people to stop thinking.
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
― George Orwell, 1984
M.A. Foxworthy, author of The Village Green.
The story that came to mind was dystopian in nature. And the dystopian genre seems to reflect my personality a bit.
Two of my favorite dystopian novels are Brave New World and Animal Farm. My favorite dystopian author is Orwell.
I wrote my book using real facts and so yes, I do see parts of it coming to pass right now and in the future.
There was not one particular event or idea, but many that brought the story to mind.
I certainly tried to do both. I think that all dystopian novels have a moral and my does, but also I hope that the story is good.
I love British mystery novels and I also read a lot of nonfiction.
I would like very much to write a series of mysteries.
I would say that Derek is my favorite character. He’s intelligent, loyal, humble, and self-sacrificing.
Orwell’s 1984 had a real effect on how I view the world. Whenever I see an example of group-think (aka political correctness) I am reminded of this book, and I shudder.
Let’s get to know Katy…
Katy Newton Naas graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a master’s degree in Reading and Language Studies. She currently teaches middle school reading and high school English in southern Illinois, as well as children’s church. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, her husband young son, Aven, and her four-legged sons, Shakespeare and Poe. She expects her second little boy to arrive in the next couple of weeks!
From a young age, Katy was always an avid reader and writer with a big imagination. Though she continues to grow older, her true literature love is and has always been young adult fiction. She loves creating both futuristic and realistic stories about teenagers, and feels so fortunate to get to work with them every day as a teacher.
You can visit Katy here…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katynewtonnaasauthor
Twitter: @KatyNewtonNaas
Now let’s check out her YA novel, The Visitors…
Sometimes soul mates find each other in unlikely places. But is love worth it if it risks your life?
Seventeen-year-old Noah is startled when he awakes one day to find that dangerous, irrational, self-serving, and destructive visitors called “humans” are coming to visit his beautiful, perfect society. All citizens are ordered to have limited contact and share minimal information with these visitors.
Sixteen-year-old Jady is thrilled to accompany her father and his crew on a trip to a recently-discovered planet, Verdant. The United States’ crew is hopeful that they can learn from this advanced yet similar species.
Despite their greatest efforts to fight it, it doesn’t take long for Jady and Noah to fall in love and begin a secret affair. But when their relationship is revealed, danger is created for everyone involved…
Sounds like a fascinating read. You can go and buy here…
THE VISITORS is available in ebook, and now in paperback! Find it at:
Karen King
Let’s get to know Karen…
Karen King has had over one hundred children’s books published. She’s written for many children’s magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. Perfect Summer is her first YA. It was runner up in the Red Telephone books YA Novel 2011 competition.
How did you get started writing?
I’ve always written. I had my first poem published when I was 11. I started my writing career with Jackie magazine, writing articles and photo stories.
Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
It depends whether I’m writing to a commission or not. If I’m commissioned I have to plot as I have to send a synopsis and the first couple of chapters to my editor. If I’m not writing to a commission I plot at first so that I know the basic outline of my story but once I get going I write ‘by the seat of my pants.’
Are you most productive in the morning or evening?
Morning. Often I get out of bed and start writing right away. I’m full of ideas in the morning.
What’s the most frequent question people ask you?
When I visit schools kids always ask me either if I’m rich. I usually say “No, I’m really poor so please go and buy some of my books!”
Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
I didn’t actually set out to write a dystopian, the story that came to me was a dystopian one
Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
I think that if we don’t curb Society’s obsession with physical perfection then there is a real risk that in the not-too-distant future people with disabilities suffer prejudice and are kept out of the public eye.
Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
Yes, I read a magazine article about girls as young as six worrying that they were too fat or too ugly. I thought that was really sad. I started wondering what would happen if people got so obsessed with physical perfection that it became a ‘crime’ to be different in any way.
When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
I wanted to get the message across that we’re all beautiful in our own way and people shouldn’t be so obsessed with trying to have perfect looks. I hope it’s a good story too.
Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
I write in many genres, for children from preschool to teens, fiction and non-fiction. Also romance stories and novels for women.
Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
Morgan from Perfect Summer. She’s feisty, kind and loves her little brother Josh so much she’d do anything for him.
Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
The ‘Just William’ books by Richmal Crompton. They used to make me laugh out loud when I was a young girl. They, and Enid Blyton’s books, inspired my love of reading and writing. I always wanted to write a funny book but I’m no good at humour. I do write joke books though.
Visit Karen here…
Website: www.karenking.net
Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn&__adt=7&__att=iframe#!/KarenKingAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Twitter: @karen_king
Now let’s check out her YA novel, Perfect Summer…
Growing up in a society so obsessed with perfection that the government gives people grants for plastic surgery, 15-year-old Morgan can’t help being a bit envious of her best friend Summer. Summer is beautiful and rich, her father is a top plastic surgeon and her mother is a beauty consultant with a celebrity client list. Her life seems so effortlessly perfect. Whereas Morgan isn’t so rich or beautiful and her little brother, Josh, has Down’s syndrome – which, according to the Ministry and society in general, is a crime. Then Josh is kidnapped and the authorities aren’t interested so Morgan and Summer decide to investigate. They, along with another teenager, Jamie, whose sister, Holly, has also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger. Can they find Josh and Holly before it’s too late?
Sounds like a fascinating read! You can find it at any one of these sites…
Astraea Press: http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=4452103&id=19176172
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfect-summer-karen-king/1114196037?ean=2940016050270
Thanks Karen for sharing with us.
J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.
Interview with fellow Dystopian Author, J.F. Jenkins
1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
It just sort of happened. I hadn’t been planning on it taking on a dystopian nature. Originally, it was supposed to be straight up Science Fiction. Then it started warping into this genre, and I ran with it to stay organic to the story
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
The Stand is a little dystopian, as is The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King. I’m a huge fan of those stories, but they’re not what I would call traditional dystopian. I generally stumble upon the genre on accident. There’s a taste of it in a lot of stories that one might normally overlook. If we’re going on traditional types, I enjoyed the Hunger Games, and Divergent. I’m currently reading Matched by Ally Condie.
3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
I can see some of the crime and punishment system becoming reality. Once people start getting fed up with our justice system, they’ll start calling for harsher punishments for those who deserve it, and Utopia for those who have earned it, which will eventually lead the separation of class. Lack of forgiveness will keep people trapped.
4. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
To only tell a good story. Messages come across all the same, but they are subconscious in the writing process for me.
5. What was the inspiration for your book?
I had a weird dream, and a real life event that I tied together into the story. The whole opening set up is based on something I experienced (working in the mall, celebrity visits, etc.) and the dream warped it into the story it is now.
6. What other genres do you read?
I’ll read anything! YA, Adult, contemporary, sci fi, fantasy. I try not to limit myself.
7. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
I’ve written in just about every genre there is. I can’t say I’ve published all these adventures, but I’ve at least made an attempt!
8. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
In this particular book, I have a soft spot for Timber. He’s my favorite. A lot of people love Wicken the most, and he’s definitely up there on the list, but I always have a thing for the nice guy. It’s a bit of a secret agenda of mine to get girls to start swooning for them again, kidding!
9. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
I still think back to The Stand. That book was powerful and fascinating. I also just read a book called The Night Circus and that book is one that is hard to forget. Definitely recommend both.
The authors of Post Grid, Tony and Nancy Martineau, met while in college, working on an ambulance in the Phoenix Metro area. They have been married almost 30 years.
Tony is a former Deputy U.S. Marshal and Flight Paramedic who continues to work in law enforcement and as a wildfire line medic.
Nancy is a nurse specializing in emergency and pre-hospital medicine.
The couple has been active in search and rescue with the Civil Air Patrol and Maricopa Medical Rescue Posse in the desert areas that they describe in their book. Both are long-time amateur radio operators.
They have two non-fiction books to their credit: Camp Health and First Aid In My Pocket, available on Amazon, and Labor and Delivery In My Pocket, editions one through three, currently out of print.
1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
We were both members of the American Red Cross Disaster Services in Southern California when Tony was there as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. We lived through several earthquakes and realized no one was coming to help for many days.
Tony assisted in relief efforts during the floods in Arizona as a teenager and saw how the most self-sufficient people fared better.
Of late, we have all been witness to increased terrorist attacks around the world. Any massive power-grid failure, such as cyber terrorism, internet failure or coronal mass ejection, could immediately put people into a survival situation that would resemble this book.
Without the internet or electricity you cannot pump gas, use an ATM, check-out at most stores or communicate by phone. Many of our friends and neighbors have less than a week’s worth of non-perishable food in their houses. If their freezers and microwaves go out, they are almost immediately hungry. Water is life and death here in the Arizona desert. Many have just a few water bottles stored in the pantry. At a need of one gallon of water per person, per day, they are in immediate danger of dehydration if the water goes off, even temporarily.
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
Michael Hopf (The New World Series), Ray Gorham (77 days in September), William R. Forstchen (One Second After) — These guys were trying to imagine a world Post Grid just like we are. It’s fun to see the same event through different people’s eyes, you know, different parts of the country, different scenarios.
3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
We hope not, but it’s a persistent possibility. There are so many vulnerabilities in our power delivery system and integrated into that is our communication infrastructure. Threats to the grid include solar activity, cyber terrorism, simple mechanical failure, EMP and new EMP weapons just starting to make their debut on the world scene.
4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
No particular events, although we have seen regional power failures over our lifetimes. Recent memory included the Toronto outage, Katrina, Sandy, and locally monsoon damage. We had a mega-transformer go out here in Phoenix a few years back that took months and months to replace. We watched the 3 mile per hour journey on a flatbed it made through the California/Arizona desert to get here. It’s all sobering.
5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
It’s all about the story. Rather than focus on doom and gloom, our goal was to inspire people to be more prepared and to make connections that can help them in any catastrophe. It can be as simple as having a premature baby to complete societal collapse. Good people in your circle always help. There is a tendency to think preparing is only about waiting for the “big one,” but it really is about coping better with the many little disasters people face.
6. What was the inspiration for your book?
We have spent years in emergency services watching others be unprepared and get into dangerous predicaments.
7. What other genres do you read?
Nancy reads romance, western biographies and Arizona history. Tony enjoys many genres: history, fantasy, biography, sci-fi and how-to books. We both read medical and survival texts.
8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
Steampunk, it just sounds so limitless and adventuresome. We envision Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes.
9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
Nancy’s favorites are Kelly and Emma. Tony doesn’t have a favorite but likes all of the characters. We wanted to show teens as active participants alongside the adults.
10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
There are so many. Books stretch your imagination in ways movies cannot. It makes your brain summon images and settings. These worlds are to your own liking.
#1 Amazon best seller in western science fiction 11/22/14!
8 reviews. All five-stars.
1. Why did you decide to write a Dystopian novel?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I wrote a lot when I was a teen, but college and marriage and kids all happened and somewhere along the way I got sidetracked. I read The Hunger Games in 2011, which led me to revisit the old classic, 1984. Then inspiration struck. The first book I wrote was a YA dystopian and it’s still saved on my computer (along with the sequel). It’s not ready to be published and I’m not sure if it ever will be, but I love it because it proved I could create a whole new world, which is my favorite thing to do!
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
I will always love 1984. It was required reading in high school and definitely my first look into a dystopian world, and I was awed by it. After that I read Brave New World, but at the time I couldn’t find any other books to read in the genre. Of course, this was back when the internet was mostly used for online chatrooms, so it wasn’t like I could just Google it or anything. (I’m showing my age, I know!)
Of the recent dystopian novels I’ve read, I of course have to say The Hunger Games. It’s a fantastic story that’s well-told, and the world created in it feels so real. Plus, I buy it! I totally believe something like that could happen because people are inherently bad. I also love the Shatter Me series. There’s nothing like a dystopian future with a hint of the X-men to get the nerd in me excited!
3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
Well, my book is a zombie tale, so no. I love zombies, but it’s an impossible scenario. I don’t think there could ever be a virus that would kill a person but cause their body to reanimate and become a flesh-eating monster. But the survival aspect of it intrigues me, which is why I love zombie stories so much. It brings people together who would never meet otherwise and forces them to either get along or die. It shows what a person is made of.
4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
I’ve always loved zombies, and with the recent popularity of The Walking Dead it seemed like the right time to get a zombie story out there. When I started writing Broken World I didn’t plan on making it a zombie book, because all I’d heard from agents and editors was how there is no market for zombie books. But after writing one chapter I changed my mind because a zombie story was what I wanted to write, and I’m so glad I did! I love the series and I’m thrilled by the fantastic feedback I’ve gotten from it. You always hope the people are going to respond well to your book, but I still never expected it to do as well as it has. Broken World has been in the top 100 in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction for over three months now, and book two, Shattered World, is right up there with it!
5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
I have no problem with authors who want to use their books as a platform, but that’s not me. Writing is something I love and my stories are just that: stories. I had a reviewer take offence at the way I portray rednecks, insinuating that it somehow reflected how I felt about people from Kentucky (which is where my characters are from). To me that is just silly. I created a character and that’s how she saw the world, not me. My character and I have very little in common.
6. What was the inspiration for your book?
I was very inspired by TWD, as a lot of reviewers have pointed out. But my story is very different than a lot of zombie books out there. It starts when the virus first rears its ugly head and follows the characters on a journey as the world falls down around them. The zombies don’t even show up until halfway through the book. The first half was definitely inspired by The Stand, which is a great post-apocalyptic book and one of my favorites, and the second half is more TWD.
7. What other genres do you read?
I will read anything that keeps my interest, but I do lean more toward post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories. I tend to get bored when reading contemporary, especially a romance, unless there’s something very special about the story to hold my attention. Books where the only plot is whether or not the characters are going to get together lose my interest very fast.
8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
I’ll write anything that grabs my attention. My first book, Collision, is a New Adult romantic mystery. It’s a bit twisted, but has a sweet love story as well. The List, my New Adult contemporary Romance comes out next May from Lyrical Press, and there will be two follow-up books with that. I like the story and had a good time writing it, but I’ll admit that it isn’t as enjoyable as writing my zombie or post-apocalyptic books.
9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
I love all my characters, but I’ll admit that my favorite is Axl. He’s inspired by Daryl Dixon from TWD, and writing him was so much fun. I love a complex character who has a lot of potential for growth, which is exactly what Daryl is, and why I wrote Axl. His brother Angus is such a fun character to shape too. There’s nothing like that character you just love to hate!
10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
There are a lot of books I love, but I can’t say there’s one that really made a difference. I’ve bounced around a lot over the years when it came to what I read. In high school it was mostly classics, then historical fiction. Of course, that was back when YA didn’t have much to offer. I went through a period where I read a lot of crime/mystery books, then gravitated back to YA when it started to grow and expand. Now that I’ve taken the step and written things of my own, I’d say those are the books that have really affected me.
Goodreads │ Facebook │ Website │ Twitter
Author Bio:
Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She grew up in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California.
Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.
Be sure to check out her bestselling BROKEN WORLD series, which is a top 100 book in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction on Amazon.
Broken World blurb:
When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.
The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl.
While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.
Ben Reeder’s parents claim they found him in a pineapple patch in Hawai’i and brought him home, which was their way of telling him that he was adopted. He grew up in South Texas reading Tolkien, Asimov, and Robert E. Howard. Ben has always loved telling stories, and in high school, he wrote pulp style action adventures for his friends. Ben has been filling notebooks and hard drives with stories and ideas ever since.
1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
I wrote dystopian as a sort of illogical extension of what I thought the world would be like if some people got their way. I keep seeing all of these elements of what certain fringe groups are demanding, and I started to ask myself what the world they want would be like.
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
My first taste of dystopia was Orwell’s 1984, so it has a special little dark place in my heart, but I’m also fond of Emma Bull’s Bone Dance. While it’s a post-apocalyptic piece, it also creates a world where the powerful gain so much by the suffering of others.
3.. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality?
If so explain. In my upcoming book Dämonjäger, I can see much more of it becoming a political reality if the extreme elements of the so-called Christian right were to get their way. Bearing in mind that these aren’t what I’d consider true adherents to that faith, but rather opportunists who have found that certain extreme measures can be justified with the right leverage along with the right passages from the Bible.
4.. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
The primaries for the 2012 election were a huge influence on Dämonjäger, mostly because of the demands from the extreme edges on both sides. The world these people want is a utopia only for a few, and Hell on Earth for anyone else.
5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
A good story, in my opinion, always teaches us something, or inspires us while entertaining us at the same time. Truly great stories never leave us the same as we were when we started them.
6. What was the inspiration for your book?
Dämonjäger started life as my first and only attempt at fan fiction for a game. I wanted to explore the conscience of an assassin seeking redemption. Instead, I found that I liked the idea of a wolf in the fold, a woman who was a total badass walking around among “normal” people.
7. What other genres do you read?
Fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk are among my favorites.
8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
I’ve written in YA and post-apocalyptic (zombie).
9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
I’m particularly fond of Lukas, of one of the supporting characters in my YA urban fantasy stories. He’s a geek, like me, and in the midst of all this power around him, he’s perhaps the bravest of all of the characters, even more so than my main character. Where the main character is a badass with dark magick, Lukas is an otherwise normal guy who faces down the same monsters with little more than his wits and a smart mouth.
10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
Jim Butcher’s Dead Beat is the one book that has had the biggest impact on me as a writer. From the first chapter, I felt like I was hearing my own voice, my own style. That was the book that made me realize that there was an audience for my voice. I finished my first novel about two years later.
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQP0JQQ/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Kelsey Cooper lives in the Village Green where her life is tightly controlled by the rules of her community and the fear of Public Shaming.
The necessities of daily life are scarce and the people are getting angry. And although hunger and want are no strangers to Kelsey, she begins to wonder if it has
always been this way.
When Kelsey and her friend Derek leave the boundaries of their village Kelsey finds an ancient journal and the knowledge and events that follow will answer her questions and much more.
The Village Green is a YA Dystopian novel. Available now!
Buy Links:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483049
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Village-Green-M-Foxworthy-ebook/dp/B00O92QV8U
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-village-green-m-a-foxworthy/1120483015?ean=2940150575226
M.A.Foxworthy 