March 11, 2014

AWAKENING & Giveaway! Guest Post with Natalie King


I recently read and loved Awakening by Natalie King
(you can find my review HERE)
and it is with great pleasure that I welcome her to My Book Chatter today!!



Thanks so much to Book Chatter Cath for having me here today! I’m absolutely thrilled to celebrate the release of my first young adult novel. AWAKENING is an ‘ooky-spooky’ story set on the edges of Lake Tekapo deep in the heart of the South Island of New Zealand.

I’ve always been drawn to this particular lake. It is large, deep and very cold. The water is the most eerie milky blue colour unlike anything you’ve seen and though there’s a rational scientific explanation for that colour, it’s always teased my imagination, sparking so many of those fun ‘what if’ questions…

To be honest, much of the New Zealand landscape does that to me -- especially parts of the South Island (yes, I’m a South Island stalwart, here we call it the ‘mainland’). From the sci-fi appeal of the Moeraki Boulders, to the blinking beauty of gloworms in the deep caves, the downright crazy formation of the pancake rocks and the stormy power of the blowholes and the wonderful green wilds of the West Coast and of course, the majestic Southern Alps… yeah, there’s a reason Peter Jackson likes to film his movies here - it’s inspirational :)

I was living in a town not far from Lake Tekapo when I got the idea for AWAKENING. I love it when you get an idea and it takes hold of you and just won’t let go. That’s what happened when Zelie and Tamas came knocking in my head. They wouldn’t go away and they wouldn’t be quiet! I had to write their story down because every time I closed my eyes, they were there. I took several drives to Tekapo to take in the scenery - to go up to Mt John and feel the wind and see the view over the lakes. The first draft was written in a mad frenzy over a summer…

But now, the book has made it to the shelves and it’s so wonderful to see it there. If you get the chance, I do hope you enjoy reading about Tamas and Zelie and the magic around the lake.

Here’s the blurb to explain a little further…

The cold spread like anaesthetic in her veins.
Fear resurged, driving deeper into every cell.

‘Why would my looking in a mirror help you see me?’

‘Because I see through your eyes.’

When Zelie Taylor pulls a lost necklace out of the icy waters of the lake, she has no idea what the consequences will be.

At first the pendant is just freezing cold – unnaturally so – but then she hears a voice inside her head and Zelie thinks she must be going mad. She’s not. Seventeen-year-old Tamas’ soul has been trapped in the silver necklace since 1918. His body is nearby, sleeping, and Zelie must help him awaken.

At first Zelie would like nothing better than for Tamas’ moody, enigmatic presence to be out of her life, but after a while she isn’t so sure. And what is waiting for Tamas when he does emerge? It seems that the sinister force that trapped him all those years ago has returned and is growing more powerful.

A hundred-year-old mystery steeped in dark magic will make Zelie question everything she thought she knew.



photo indicative of prize only
To be in to win a signed copy of AWAKENING, and one of the pretty pendants to match (as pictured!), just comment and let me know which place within New Zealand you think is the most magical!?
(Overseas entrants don’t fret - just Google images of ‘beautiful New Zealand’ and choose from there!).

With very best wishes,
Natalie


Natalie King has always had imaginary friends in her head. This proved a distraction during school and beyond, and she ultimately abandoned her various jobs as researcher, mystery shopper and recruitment specialist because she was forever imagining herself elsewhere.

Fortunately she now locks herself in her little garden shed to spend her days scribbling the stories those imaginary characters entice her with.

Natalie also writes contemporary romance under another name. In this genre she’s had more than twenty-five novels published, been translated into more than twenty languages, and sold over two million books.

A USA TODAY bestseller, she’s also been a Romantic Times Award nominee and a finalist for the R*BY (Romantic Book of the Year). She lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. Follow the links for more information.

~~~~~

What are you waiting for - enter now!!

20 comments:

  1. I'd have to say christchurh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great choice, I hear it is lovely down there :)

      Delete
    2. Well - it's getting lovely again after the earthquakes :) We lost a lot but there are some really dynamic things happening! Thanks for your comment Tanya!

      Delete
  2. I would say Mount cook and Pukaki Lake, and south Island of Abel Tasman National Park. All the photos that I looked at were just beautiful. I would love to one visit New Zealand!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does look amazing, it's definitely somewhere I'd like to one day visit too :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks Stacie! Yeah - the Alps are beautiful and Lake Pukaki is the same milky colour as Tekapo I think - just gorgeous!

      Delete
  3. I can't pick just one!
    I went to Christchurch on a Uni conference a lifetime ago and regret not getting to travel at all.
    Somewhere with mountains and snow and beauty... still too hard. Perhaps I would like tovisit lots of places.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live in NZ and have hardly seen the country myself!
      A visit to some snowy mountains sounds very appealing though :)

      Delete
    2. I think that's a plan Beck - travel round the whole country!!!! :) And Cath - you've GOT to come south!!!

      Delete
  4. Glenorchy is quiet and peaceful, plus it's handy to Queenstown being 1/2hour past it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glenorchy looks amazing and would be a fantastic place to visit, maybe a leisurely cruise on the paddle boat or the jet boats for a bit of a thrill!!

      Delete
    2. I've never been to Glenorchy - andI love peaceful - its totally goign on my list!!! :)

      Delete
  5. It's my dream to be able to visit New Zealand someday. I live far far away. New Zealand must be very beautiful and has a natural beauty.
    I think The Milford Track is the most magical place or Tongariro National Park.

    Thank you for the giveaway!
    Artemis
    artgiote at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now I'm not much for tramping, but I hear there are some amazing tracks up there. I have driven through that part of the country and it is lovely and my daughters have been on school camps there and loved it :)
      Hope you get here some day!

      Delete
    2. I've not done the Milford either - I love tramping but I attract all those biting flying bugs which puts me off... but I think the scenery there would more than make up for it! Thanks for stopping by, Diana!

      Delete
  6. Curio Bay in the Catlins - breathtaking.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Of all the places ive been, which isnt many, id have to say the stunning waikato and also hobbiton :) thanks for the giveaway
    danielsangel101@yahoo.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have to admit to Waikato as well. There's something about waking up to a silent foggy morning that enhances the lights of the morning.
    Many times I've walked the girls to school and not come across traffic til a bit later in the walk, and you feel like you could be the only people in the world......in the mist

    ReplyDelete
  9. Giveaway is now OVER!!

    The winner has been contacted and her prize will be sent out shortly!

    CONGRATULATIONS Stacie Marquart :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. My book came today!!!!!!!! Thank you so much. Looking forward to reading it.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please don't hesitate to leave a comment :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...