I know it’s looked pretty quiet on the blog for the last couple weeks, but it’s been quiet like a duck is quiet. Beneath the surface, my little legs are peddling like mad. So, first, a quick personal/professional update from me, and then I have the great privilege of sharing an interview with author Suzy Vadori, wherein she talks about her new Young Adult urban fantasy book, Wall of Wishes, which comes out next week. (Suzy is one of the greatest people ever. I’m so thrilled she agreed to do this.)

So, first, what’s this little ducky been doing?

The Waterboy Going into Audio Book

It seems that with everyone staying home more, there are certain things we have all started doing more of, including listening to content on audio. (Or is that just me?)

I’ve been wanting to start putting my books into audio for a while, and am finally taking the plunge, starting with my prequel novella to the Rise of the Grigori series. Starting late last week, I started receiving the requested auditions from several narrators, and am in the final stages of deciding which one to partner with.

I have to say, listening to those auditions was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Here were my words being interpreted in someone else’s voice, with the authentic accents and everything! (The vast number of accents in my novels is one reason why I chose not to even attempt to narrate my own.)

If all goes well, that book should be available for purchase later this summer. If you don’t want to wait to find out more, this is the story my newsletter subscribers get as a free eBook, so go sign up and get yours, okay? (That won’t change anytime soon, but the audio book will be a paid purchase.)

You can find out more about this gripping historical fantasy on this page.

Inspiring Art

I wanted to share this beautiful piece of art I found recently on my stock photo provider that reminded me of Zale, the main character in The Waterboy and one of the main point of view characters in the entire Rise of the Grigori series. The painting is by Thai artist Tithi Luadthong. The night I found his work, I literally spent an hour (when I probably should have been sleeping) going through his massive collection. His work is gorgeous and inspiring and actually sparked some new story ideas. (I recognized a few paintings that have graced covers of my friends’ books in there, too.)

If you want to check out more of his stuff, see his profile on 123rf.com here.

I’ll save the rest of my more personal tidbits for my next post. I think it’s high time we got into the interview with Suzy, don’t you? Onward!

Suzy Vadori: Making The Fountain a trilogy with Wall of Wishes

In May, I featured Suzy’s newest book in a cover reveal post. Since the book is coming out next week (on June 30), she agreed to give us a bit of a behind-the-scenes peek at the series and her #writerslife.

My son has the first book of the series, The Fountain, and he loved it! (It’s on my TBR pile, too.) This third installment looks just as fantastic as that book and the second in the series, The West Woods. All three books centre around a magical fountain in the woods behind a school.

I’ll let Suzy take it from here.

Wall of Wishes (The Fountain Book 3) by Suzy Vadori

Save the fountain or risk being erased.

Hidden deep in the woods is a fountain that has granted St. Augustus students' wishes for nearly a century, including the wish responsible for Ava's very existence. When she learns that the woods will soon be destroyed to make way for a new road, Ava must do whatever it takes to save the fountain, or risk her own life being erased.

New girl Courtney knows more about the school's magic than she's letting on and has something to gain from the fountain's destruction. Joining forces with Courtney seems the only way to stop the road, but Ava and Courtney share a thorny past. Trusting her is impossible, but if she doesn't, Ava could disappear forever.

Now let’s dive into why this book got written, Suzy’s upcoming projects, and more!

Wall of Wishes is the third book in The Fountain series. Which book number is this for you altogether?
Wall of Wishes is the fourth full length book I’ve written. After writing The Fountain and The West Woods in The Fountain Series, I took a break from the world of St. Augustus and wrote the first Book in a new Young Adult fantasy series (I hope to be able to share news on this project soon!) before heading back into the boarding school setting to write Book 3, Wall of Wishes.

What was the inspiration behind this story?
I always had a plan for how the series would end, but the true inspiration for this book came from my readers. The tension between Courtney and Ava has been a focal point of the series, and I really wanted to set the scene for the girls to hash out their differences. The book is written with dual perspective to highlight how different their goals are and why they clash. It was a ton of fun to put them in scenes together and force them to work together.

Who is your favourite character and why, or what is your favourite scene and why?
My favourite character is Ava’s love interest, Ethan. His sense of humour is a bit off the wall like my own, and he’s not afraid to break rules. He’s who I hope I’d be if I were a character in this series. I just love him.

My favourite scene is where Ms. Krick, the eccentric English teacher, decides to put on an Ice Capades–style skating performance, which ends in disaster. Her awkward, well-intended antics had me laughing out loud while I wrote.

What is a theme or message that runs through this series that is very important to you?
The whole series is about the consequences of its characters getting everything they’ve ever wanted. Throughout the series, as characters discover the school’s power, how they deal with it shows a lot about their character. Their wishes range from frivolous wardrobe changes, to altering world events, to avoiding the fountain all together.

Wall of Wishes continues the theme of the series and thrusts some impossible choices at its characters that challenge their core beliefs.

You travel to schools a lot to promote your work. What is one cool moment you've had with a young reader you would like to share?
When I speak to groups of kids, my focus is on making literacy approachable, and showing that reading and writing are useful for so much more than what they are doing in the classroom.

My favorite moments are in workshops when students start having FUN with their writing, and feeling safe enough to try, and share. I’ve been told by a teacher later that a student wrote more in my workshop than they’d written the whole school year, and that gets me really jazzed.

Of course, I also love meeting kids who’ve read my series and want to talk about the characters all day long. That makes this whole journey worth it.

Do you have any other projects on the horizon right now?
Yes, I have MANY projects on the go…

I’m writing young adult fantasy as well as dipping a toe into contemporary. I’m really proud of the work I’ve been doing with organizations to deliver online content while I can’t be out in the community. I’ve delivered online programs with Alexandra Writers’ Centre, the Young Alberta Book Society and have presented at online conferences.

And with so many in-person appearances delayed or cancelled because of COVID-19, I’ve been able to take on more editing and Book Coaching projects with other writers. I’m so pleased to be able to help writers at all points in their journey, and I’m always looking for ways to give back. I’ll be launching some new coaching packages later this summer that writers are asking for, so stay tuned!

Is there anything you'd like to add?
I’m so grateful for the readers of The Fountain Series who pushed me to write Wall of Wishes. This series and its characters have such a special place in my heart, because its readers have changed the course of my career, allowing me to pursue writing full time. I can’t thank my readers enough for their unwavering support and for waiting patiently (some not so patiently!) for this book, which took a while to form in my mind. I had a lot of expectations from this book, and I wanted to get it right.

My goal with Wall of Wishes was to give my readers the gift of answering every question I’ve ever been asked about the St. Augustus world, while giving Ava and Courtney the futures they deserve. I’m excited to get this book into the hands of readers, and I hope they love it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Sounds amazing, right? You can preorder the book on Amazon here. Comes out June 30.

Or, get started with the series by buying The Fountain today. (Universal Books2Read links that go to Amazon.com, .ca, .co.uk, or Kobo are affiliate links, which means if you purchase from one of these platforms, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you. However, please purchase from your preferred platform.)

OR! Be part of the virtual launch event next week (June 21-25) and get a signed, personalized print copy. Check that out here:

More personal stuff from me to come soon, but I just wanted to include my recent Instagram post about my oldest son, Jude, who has officially graduated. We’re so proud of him! (Better photos coming, I promise.)

Happy Thursday!