Wednesday, March 20, 2013

"Silently Screaming" by D. L. Husted


NEW RELEASE
Silently Screaming
by D. L. Husted


Description
It's the spring semester of their senior year at Centerville High and a place away from their current situations are what Nikki and Caroline desperately want. Senior year was supposed to be filled with excitement and careless fun, instead Caroline is pregnant and Nikki's dealing with her mom's reckless drug habit plus the shady associates unfortunately attached. Throughout their lives, the two friends always stuck by one another, however the year continues to produce unforeseen problems, leaving each of them deciding what kind of paths lay ahead.

Book Trailer



Excerpt
“Well, what do you want me to do?” Nikki began getting a little nervous. This couldn’t be a good thing. The baby wasn’t supposed to come for a few more weeks. What if he wasn’t developed a hundred percent? 
What if he is…what’s the word…premature?

“I dropped my phone on the ground and it slid under the wall. I need you to find it and call my mom, FAST.”

Nikki bent down and looked beneath the door on the right. A shiny glittery case sparkled back at her and she grabbed the phone, then tried to open the door where Caroline was.

But it didn’t budge.

She tried the door again.

Nothing.

“Caroline!” Nikki’s chest rose up and down, and her hands felt weak.

Caroline still hadn’t responded.

Nikki knew it would be gross, however she didn’t care and knew that she had to. She leaned down and slid underneath the stall door touching as little of the ground as possible, and that’s when she saw Caroline.

Her hands were permanently pressed against the side walls and her eyes were focused on an invisible area in space. Nikki unlocked the door right away, providing more room for air to flow, trying to jar Caroline from her comatose state.

“Okay, don’t worry,” Nikki said. “I’m going to call your mom, and she’s going to take you straight to the hospital.”

She immediately scrolled through her contacts, finding the correct phone number. When she called Mrs. Roberts, all she got was a voicemail recording.

Review
By janel
Silently Screaming is a great book with over 900 reads pre-publishing. While the author was writing the book, she posted parts on Wattpad to gain valuable feedback from a fan base that showed their support through voting. Once the book was completed, it was exclusively published on Amazon and is finally available for purchase! I follow her work regularly and REALLY enjoyed this one!!

Interview With the Author
Hi Dawn, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book Silently Screaming.

Which writers have influenced you the most?
My answer is more general. Pretty much all books I read influence me in one way or another. And I love to read all genres, though my favorite is science fiction and fantasy.

What age group do you recommend your book for? 
I wrote it for the young adults, mainly teenage girls. However, I’ve discovered that no matter what age you are, if you like YA fiction, then this book is for you.

Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel? Definitely for me is the idea. Once I get a few ideas in my head that I can’t seem to get out, I start writing them down. Then those ideas began to intertwine themselves with one another. However for this book in particular, the idea came first, but the characters came immediately after; normally it takes a few days or weeks to generate different ideas for one of my books, but this one happened all at once. I had to write all the ideas and characters down instantly so that I could start building on top of them. 

What was the hardest part to write in this book?
When I was writing Silently Screaming, I wanted to touch on a lot of different issues in society including the adult world as well as the teen world. And even more so, I wanted it to be believable. The entire time I was writing, I already knew the ending, there was never a question about that. However, once I wrote it, I realized I hated the ending and completely rewrote the last couple of chapters. I felt that the ending needed to be more realistic and happier. This was the first book for me to write that had nothing to do with science fiction or fantasy, and I loved it.

How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I hope they enjoy the ride; it’s fiction and has deep meaning, but it’s also a lot of fun to read. When writing, I wanted to scream and shake the characters into doing what I wanted, however I couldn’t. I hope the reader is compelled with the same strong emotions as I had.

How long did it take you to write this book?
It took a few months to write and rewrite.

What is your writing routine?
I’m still learning my routine, because it changes with every book. Currently I wake up and go to sleep writing any chance I get. I just finished a post-apocalyptic novel that I’ve put away in my drawer while a few people read the first draft and let me know what they think. After that, I’ll fix scenes and add new ones, create more info around characters that need more background. Then I’ll have other people read the story and give me their opinion and start the process over.

How did you get your book published?
Currently I self-publish through KDP. I’ve never sought out traditional publishing, and who knows, maybe one day I will. However, right now I love the excitement in self-publishing and the control that I have over my stories.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
It all starts with that first book, even though it may never touch the light of day. If you write, don’t give up, keep writing more books, short-stories, blogs, novels, everything helps you become a better writer. If you have tenacity, then it will happen.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I have two toddlers, so when I’m not writing, I’m playing with them or cleaning and cooking. They’re both busy jobs!

What does your family think of your writing?
I think they love it, at least that’s what they tell me! Kidding aside, I wouldn’t be writing if I didn’t have such a supportive husband. With any job, especially one that makes you feel so vulnerable, you need that strong encouraging person in your life. That’s him.

Did you enjoy school?
I loved school, however I wasn’t the biggest reader. Instead of reading, I went to movies. I was the teenager who read the cliff notes before tests. Imagine that! College and life changes you. Now, I love reading and I still love going to movies. Can’t get enough of either!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? In 2008, I began writing my first book, Nicova. It was a children’s fantasy book filled with mermaids and wizards. I never saw myself as a writer, and never thought that writing Nicova would lead to where it has now. Even though I took the book out of publishing, I still have it in my drawer reminding me of how this whole adventure began.

What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Most of my work will always be written with science fiction and fantasy twists. Silently Screaming wasn’t one of them. Readers have asked if I’ll be writing a sequel. I don’t think I will. I really feel like the characters ended where they needed to be. But who knows, I don’t know the future!

My newest book Safe (name changed from diVINE Order) is a post-apocalyptic novel and it will hopefully be coming out by summer time 2013.

Thanks so much for visiting today, Dawn. And thanks for offering your book free for a few days. I wish you all the best for the future.

About the Author
Dawn Husted started writing in the fall of 2008, though she didn't start publishing her work until 2011. Dawn graduated with a Bachelor degree from Texas A&M University and spent the next couple of years trying to figure out what she wanted to do.
In 2008, she dabbled with writing a book intended for her first child and published it three years later. Since then, she has published Worlds Apart, a short story prequel to the Sci-Fi Windor series, as well as the first two Windor books, Concealed Refuge and City H888. In November 2012, Dawn released Silently Screaming, a literary fictional work geared towards young adults.



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