Blog Tour:Awakening (The Geis #1) by Christy Dorrity {Author Interview + Giveaway}

Author: Christy Dorrity
Title: Awakening
Series: The Geis #1
Publication Date:  September 24th 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy



Blurb

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. 

After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened. When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy.

A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

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Author Interview

Thank you so much for answering my questions Christy!
Awakening…I love the cover by the way! Tell us a few things about it.

Thank you. I am tickled with the way it turned out. My husband designed the cover and we have received so many compliments about it. We hired a model and a photographer, and my brother in law illustrated the photo.

What was your inspiration?

I love Irish dancing, and all of the mythology, culture, music, and history that are associated with it. It felt natural to write about something I'm so passionate about.

Awakening is your debut YA novel. Tell us, how was it to write a novel and have it published?

It's surreal. There were times that I didn't think I could do it. I am pleased to have seen it all the way through. Now on to book two...

How long did it take you to finish it?

Not counting a full year that I put it away, it took me four years.

Was there a moment that you said, "I give up"?

Yes, there were many of those moments when I doubted. My husband has been my strength through it all. I never could have done it without him!

What do you like most about writing for this age group?

I love that young adults are going through such an intense transition phase. I want to have a positive influence on young adults as they try to figure out who they are and what they want to be. Plus, I love to read YA, so it's only natural that I write it!

What are you currently reading?

I'm reading Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn, a fellow Indie writer. I love it, and highly recommend it!

When can we expect the sequel?

Book Two in The Geis will come out in 2014.

Any tips for aspiring authors?

Don't let yourself be paralyzed by an empty page, just start writing. You can always edit later. And do your homework--find out what it takes to make a great book!

Other plans?

I have an early reader series in the works, and some picture books as well. And many more fantasies for YA.

Author Bio

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

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