Songs Of Autumn by Lauren Sevier
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GENRE: YA Fantasy
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BLURB:
What if your entire life you knew the exact day you were going to die?
Liz does.
Magick in the Kingdom of Aegis has almost run out. When that happens, the seasons will stop changing, the tides will cease to turn, and the sun will no longer be able to rise and set. The only way to save the lives of her people is if Liz agrees to be a blood sacrifice in a brutal ceremony that will take her life.
The problem is… Liz isn't ready to go.
With the help of a mischievous wanna-be soldier, Matioch Steele, Liz dares to take her fate into her own hands. Defying a blood-thirsty sorcerer, her desperate flight teaches her how to truly live while Mat finds out what's worth dying for. Each other.
Love, Death, Magick, and Mystery come together to weave one girl's epic tale of self-discovery.
Her song will echo within us all.
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Excerpt:
Liz’s guilt coated her like an inky film, soaking deep into her skin. She was keeping so many things from Mat. Seeing him there, surrounded by his friends with an easy open smile, she couldn't bear to speak of her secrets now. What if, somehow, her words hastened his impending demise? As if speaking them aloud would spur the gods to action. Like a bad omen, she followed after him with a prophecy of her own. She would not wish such a fate on an enemy, much less someone she had grown to trust.
Tia tugged her inside the lodge, a familiar conspiratorial smile on her lips. Liz's heart ached beneath its beauty, evoking memories that had sharp edges. Pain and relief mixed together, indistinguishable from each other.
She missed her mother.
Somehow, innately, Liz knew she was dead. Perhaps the same way she could see through the mists and sense the threads of fate. All Liz knew was that she woke up one morning and the world was grey, her heart heavier.
Gone.
Now she only remained alive within Liz's memory, within her pain.
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From The Author:
What’s In A Title? Written By: Lauren Sevier
A book title is arguably just as, if not more, important than its cover. This opinion of mine has been more contentious than I expected among other indie author communities I’ve been lucky enough to find myself a part of over the last year or so. The title, being the identity of a book, sets the tone for everything. From the cover art, marketing plan, formatting design, to the expectations readers will have when they crack it open for the first time.
For my debut YA Fantasy novel, Songs Of Autumn, the title went through several phases before I finally discovered the book’s (and subsequently the series as a whole) identity. I think this is a normal process for author’s as the themes of a particular book don’t usually become apparent until well into the editing phase of development. At least, for me personally.
When I first started writing the first draft of Songs Of Autumn I had a vague inclination of the story. Mainly, just the inciting incident, the ending, and a few plot points in between. The rest of drafting was a process of discovery and pure creation. The working title at that time was The Gifted Princess. The only anchor I had to the story then was that I knew I wanted my main character, Liz, to be a Princess and that I wanted her to be incredibly intuitive as a character. I wanted her to be able to relate to other characters from different circumstances and to see them as equals. That was really important to me since Liz was coming from a position of privilege and power.
It was glaringly obvious after the first draft was finished that the title wasn’t working however, as the world and the main conflict grew to overwhelm Liz’s story. I knew at that point the title needed to be more centrally focused. After another couple of drafts and having a cleaner version of the book, I started to focus on the main conflict more and more. That Liz, despite being a princess, was slated to be a sacrifice in a ceremony meant to save the Kingdom. It was because of a prophecy that she was chosen. Thus, The Dragon’s Prophecy, became the working title for my book. This one lasted for a much longer time, almost too long, as it nearly stayed the title of the book.
In fact, it wasn’t until I started the cover art development with my immensely talented cover artist, Asha Hossain, that it was changed for the final time. While working with her on the cover art, Asha prompted me to ask questions of my story that I hadn’t even asked myself yet. About the theme, the importance of certain symbols and customs in the world I created. I realized the title was completely wrong when I looked beyond the surface of my story to the heart of it. In the context of the world I created, ‘Songs’ are how you mourn the dead. When anyone dies in Aegis their loved ones left behind sing them into the halls of the gods. Autumn, as a time of rebirth and transition in nature, is also symbolic.
The final title Songs Of Autumn is about the lives of the characters and the transitions they’re going through over the course of the first novel. While being a lyrical title, which mirrors the lyrical tone of the writing, it’s also haunting in its symbolism and captures perfectly the identity of the story I wrote. I can’t wait to share this book and the entire series with the world.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lauren Sevier lives a simple life in small town Walker, Louisiana with her family and two mischievous dogs. She’s a proud firefighter wife and mother to her miracle son, born through IVF after an eight-year battle with infertility. She works full-time for a non-profit hospital in Cardiology caring for the elderly and low-income families all over the state of Louisiana in satellite and outreach clinics. Writing and being in the service of helping others are her two passions in life.
She started writing song lyrics and poems on the front porch swing of her family home nestled amidst a 200-year-old pecan tree orchard that was once part of a Civil War plantation. She’s inspired the most by Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and JK Rowling. Her background in Theatre introduced her to classic British literature, playwrights, and poets from a very young age. This helped her to understand story concepts, dramatization, and character development the way Shakespeare once did, as an actor.
Now her biggest inspiration for writing is her son who, like all children, learns by example. Lauren is determined to set a specific example for him; to live simply, work hard, and to never stop chasing her dreams. Because, one day, you just might catch them.
Links to Socials/Book
UBL: https://books2read.com/u/3LDDkJ
Website: www.laurensevier.com
Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/laurensevier
Twitter: www.twitter.com/laurensevier
Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurensevier
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlaurensevier
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49204479-songs-of-autumn
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Autumn-Book-1-ebook/dp/B082MRDZXN
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-autumn-lauren-sevier/1136242243
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Lauren Sevier will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
