INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Stealing Magic
(The Legacy of Androva Book 1)
(The Legacy of Androva Book 1)
by Alex C. Vick
Stealing Magic is the first book in The Legacy of Androva series by Alex C. Vick. Also available: Capturing Magic, Seeking Magic, and Controlling Magic.
Stealing Magic is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The book will be ON SALE for only $0.99 for the duration of the tour, so don't miss out! The tour stops here today for my interview with the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Shannon thought there was no such thing as real magic. Until that day. The day that changed everything.
Put yourself in her shoes. Would you open your eyes, if you were the one that heard them? Two magic-takers from another world, arguing about whether they can collect what they came for before you wake up. It sounds like a crazy dream, or a practical joke.
But what if the air around you started to vibrate with an invisible force field? What if, all at once, it felt scary, yet familiar too? You would have no way of knowing that this discovery would set you on a path no-one from our world has taken for centuries. Towards a deadly enemy, and a fight you will almost certainly lose.
All you know is that your heart is beating so fast you're worried they will hear it, and your brain is starting to buzz as the force field reaches it. Would you open your eyes?
Join Jax and Shannon as they live through the most exciting and terrifying ten days of their lives!
Excerpt
Jax reacted first, grabbing Shannon and Darius by the arms and pulling them backwards towards the bookshelves. They ran deep into one of the sections, as far as they could go, not stopping until they reached the end. Staring anxiously at each other, hearts pounding with fear, they waited to hear who had come through the door.
There was no sound at first. Whoever had entered the room had done so with silent footsteps. Then there was an exclamation of discovery, and a man’s voice could be heard calling “Dorian? Can you come in here for a moment?”
Apparently Dorian was the Custodian who had been sitting outside. A short conversation then took place, but the voices were too quiet for Jax, Shannon and Darius to hear what was being discussed. It was soon clear what had happened however.
The same man’s voice was raised to say “You might as well show yourself, I know there is someone in here. And I also know you are not permitted. I can recognise that the Treaty has been read just a few moments ago, but Dorian tells me he has seen no-one gain entry this night.”
There was a pause, and then the voice continued, becoming angrier.
“Come now, this is a waste of my time and yours. I will find you, and you will not enjoy the methods I will use.”
Jax had gone completely white. He recognised the voice as belonging to Marcus. For a few seconds he tried to think frantically of a way that they could escape, but almost straight away he realised that it was impossible.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"I am so in love with this series and the characters! I love the books from this author and was disappointed that she has only written these 4 books. I look forward to any other book she has written!" ~ Glory Banogon
"I really enjoyed following Jax, Darius, Shannon and all the other characters on their quest of harvesting the magic and finding out all the secrets that the people on Androva have been keeping through the generations. The world building was out of this world magnificent. I can’t wait to read more about Jax, Darius and Shannon and what adventures they will take us on next." ~ Nancy Allen (The Avid Reader)
"Overall Stealing Magic is a good book and great start to The Legacy of Androva series. I look forward to reading more about the adventures of Shannon, Jax and Darius as they grow from teens into powerful magicians. There is a lot left for Alex Vick to cover in this series as the first book just gives you a taste of the world of Androva and its connection with Terra." ~ Hungry Monster
"With likable characters and an interesting plot, this is a highly enjoyable read, particularly for tweens. It has adventure, discovery, excitement, danger, friendship, a tiny touch of romance and plenty of magic. In all this is a good start to the series and leaves you wondering just where it will head next." ~ Book Gannet
"This book was a unique book about parallel dimensions and magic. The author has lots of action and some great adventure in this book. The characters are easy to like and you want to help them save both worlds. I would love to read book 2. This book was a fun exciting read for me!" ~ ALY
"Keeps you entertained from beginning to ending. Hoping for these two young people fighting for their worlds. Can't wait to read the next books." ~ DragonTn
Interview With the Author
Hi Alex, thanks for joining me today to discuss your book, Stealing Magic.
Thank you for inviting me, Lynda, I’m really happy to be here!
For what age group do you recommend your book?
Stealing Magic is primarily aimed at the Middle Grade age group, around 10-12 years of age. However, I’m obviously delighted when older readers are interested in the series as well!
What sparked the idea for this book?
It started life as a short story for my daughters, when I was encouraging them to enter a writing competition. I was trying to lead by example. When I sat down to come up with an idea, all I had in mind was that I wanted two characters, a girl and a boy, and a lot of magic.
So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
Definitely the characters’ stories. I heard Jax’s voice in my head first. I knew he was from another world, and that he was breaking the rules. He was talking about portals and spellstations, and Shannon not waking up. Darius, who wasn’t happy at all, was with him.
I also knew Shannon was about to become a magician and discover that she was capable of a lot more than she realized. She was going to be the catalyst for revealing what was going on between our world and Jax’s world, and why our world apparently has no magic. That was about it, until I actually started writing!
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
There are often days when I struggle to translate my ideas into words on the page. But the hardest parts to write are when I have to put my characters into a difficult situation, because I’m not detached when I’m writing. I’m living the story alongside my characters. And I don’t plan ahead, which means that I sometimes wonder how I’m going to get them out of trouble after I’ve written them into it!
In Stealing Magic, there is a rather unpleasant person on the Androvan Council who gets the better of Jax and Shannon. I didn’t enjoy allowing him to do that, even though it was necessary for the story.
How do you hope this book affects its readers?
The book is a fantasy adventure, but it’s also about friendship, loyalty and letting go of the past. I hope that readers are entertained by the story, but also that they connect with the characters enough to care what happens to them.
How long did it take you to write this book?
Writing the first draft was a bit of a stop/start process, because I hadn’t intended to write a book. It just became impossible to stop until I had followed the story through to its conclusion. I think it took about four months in total, helped by a block of vacation time at the end when I was able to write full-time.
What is your writing routine?
I really wish that I had a better one! I write whenever I can. It’s not every day, because I have a full-time job. It’s not even every weekend, because sometimes there is just too much going on. But if I haven’t written anything at all for a few days in a row, I get a bit restless until I have time to sit down at the laptop again.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Family time is obviously precious, and I love reading, photography, and visiting new places. I also have a cat who sometimes allows me to spend time with her, depending on her mood!
What does your family think of your writing?
I’m lucky, because they’re very supportive. Evenings and weekends are already very busy, making it a challenge to set aside time to write. I couldn’t do it without my husband’s help.
My daughters are more forgiving about the time I spend writing once a book is properly underway, because they want to find out what happens next. Editing time, however, they’re not so keen on!
Did you like reading when you were a child?
Yes, I absolutely loved it. I always had a book either in my hand or on the chair next to me. Whenever I was having a tough time in my real life, reading was the perfect way to escape into a different world, where no-one judged me.
Sounds familiar! When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It was a gradual thing. As I got older, I wanted to be more than just the reader. I remember reading two Jack London books, White Fang and The Call of the Wild, when I was in the UK equivalent of Middle School. They weren’t really my type of book, because I tended to gravitate towards fantasy and science fiction, but the power of the writing was so incredible that the genre didn’t matter. The stories were scary and exciting, and they made me cry. Then I began to realize that I wanted to be the person who created the words on the page.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
I read a lot, and if I were to name all of the writers who have influenced me it would be a very long list! I like different books for different reasons. Some I read for research, some for entertainment, and some for inspiration. It’s a brilliant time to be a reader right now, not just because there is so much choice, but because it’s accessible too.
Here is my short list of writers from the last five to ten years:
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love hearing from readers! I often hear about most and least favorite characters, and sometimes I get suggestions for what should be in the next book of the series. Readers’ views on the characters give me a great new perspective because (in the best possible way) no one ever has the same opinion as me.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I released the fourth book in The Legacy of Androva series, Controlling Magic, at the end of 2016. Right now I’m making good progress with the fifth book. I introduced a world called Imbera in Controlling Magic, and I really want to get to know a certain character on that world a bit better. Because I don’t seem to be able to plan my books in advance, the only way for me to find out what happens to him is to sit down and write about it!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Alex. Best of luck with your future projects.
Thank you very much for the interesting questions, I really enjoyed the interview.
About the Author
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon or B&N gift card.
Links
