Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway - Chains of the Sciell by Auden Johnson

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Chains of the Sciell

Author: Auden Johnson

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Aubey LLC

Book Description:

Over, fifty years have passed. A mysterious Plague swept through Middle Jael. Walls of Darkness now surround cities around the world. Supplies are low. Prices are high. Still, humans survive. For Sciell and Miners, Lifeblood beings, the new Darkness won’t let them touch their power source without punishment.

How can they draw the power they need to survive? Their Lifeblood evolves. These beings can now see auras. Connections only existed between two beings. Now, these family bonds form between most Sciell. They can feel the other's need no matter the distance. If one is enraged, the other becomes infected with that same anger. They always have someone else in their heads. They share power.

Divine Mathews, Josephine Royal, Blea and Aliceanna Carlton's connections told them they weren't alone. The connections felt like home. These four know they're different. They can do things...see things. They don’t know why. They become trapped inside MidnightPrysn- a twisted mansion created to keep them weak. Divine, Royal, Blae and Aliceanna finally meet those they're connected to. Only, they feel like they've met before.

As Midnight Prysn's new residents regain their memories, they realize these connections aren't just a source of comfort. They can be chains.

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Author Interview

1. What inspired you to write your first book?

My first real book was either about a group of magical kids trapped in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC or a group of kids who went away to camp and got possessed by aliens. One story came from the other. I wrote them when I was in middle school. I’ve always been in to the supernatural. I devoured Annette Curtis Klause’s books Blood and Chocolate and The Silver Kiss.

2. Do you have a specific writing style?

I enjoy witty banter. I usually create characters who use some creative insults. They tend to dislike people they don’t know, but are fiercely loyal to those they like. They usually aren’t human. Atmospheric descriptions in Poe and Lovecraft stories have always fascinated me. They usually find their way into my stories so does some type of horror element, like a haunted house. My stories are usually set in a dystopian world in the midst of an apocalyptic event.

3. How did you come up with the title for your book?

The Sciell is a word I made up to name my race of beings. It sounds like shield without the d. These beings have powers because an otherworldly being lives inside the first The Sciell. They protect those beings- where the shield came from.

The second book in the series is about a group of young Sciell who have deep connections with each other. They can read each other’s minds. They share power. When one is angry, the other becomes infected with that rage. They always have someone else in their heads. Part of Chains of the Sciell is the characters coming to terms with these intrusive connections, which they feel are chains. And we get Chains of the Sciell.

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There probably is, but I don’t usually write to send a massage. I just want people to enjoy my stories. A good book lifts me up, makes me feel so much better, make me smile whenever I think of it. I simply want my stories to do that for people.

5. How much of the book is realistic?

I would say my entire book is realistic. Fantasy might be about fake worlds with supernatural beings but it still has to relatable. Even though Chains of the Sciell is set in a made up world, I modeled that world after ours. One city called De’Ray is the New York of my land. Lahjyion is like Washington, DC. The world has technology. They do the same things as our tech only the names might be different. A cell phone is an MP. A refrigerator is a havel. I try to make the characters reactions to situations and their relationships as believable as possible.

6. What book are you reading now?

Recently, I’ve gotten into manga. I watch a lot of anime which usually leads me to reading the manga (book) the show is based off of. Right now, I going through Fairy Tail- huge feat since it’s has over 400 volumes. I like a challenge.

7. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

He’s relatively new- I enjoy Mark Lawrence’s writing style. I have a thing for characters with a whole lot of attitude. I recently came across Trailer Park Fae by Lilith Saintcrow. It comes out at the end of the moth. The covers looks cool and I like the concept.

8. What are your current projects?

Book 3 and 4 of the series are already planned out, for the most part. Book 3 is pretty much written. Book 4, the final book in the series, started out as a separate short story where Darkness and Silence became living beings that took over the world. I didn’t want to turn it into a novel because the world building for that thing would be a beast. The story had other plans. Now, I have to figure out how people survive in this post-apocalyptic world. I love world building. Don’t know why I was so hesitant to write this story.

9. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

My characters can use their powers to create weapons. For some reason, I always imagined their weapons to look like regular swords and scythes. Then it occurred to me that I’m writing a fantasy story, keyword fantasy. The weapons have to functional, but I can have a lot of fun with their designs. They’re made with pure energy. Even in writing fantasy, you can get bogged down with what you believe are the rules. I learned to stretch my imagination- to just write and not focus too much on what I think is supposed to be in the story.

10. What were the challenges (research, psychological etc) in bringing your story to life?

Telling a story from multiple perspectives can make your brain hurt. Chains of the Sciell has a lot of characters. It’s a lot of events and time passing to keep track of. They story has to flow nicely between the different point-of-view shifts. I had trouble keeping track of days and months passing for each character. I made a chart to map out days and to get a handle on seasons. That was so much help.

About the Author

Auden is a dark fantasy writer. As a kid, she created her own books by folding several construction papers in half and stapling them down the middle, adding her own illustrations. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get away from writing. She holds a B.A. in English, a M.S. in Library and Information Science and she studied Creative Writing in England. She is a Research Assistant for Aubey LLC and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY- working towards her Masters in Publishing at NYU. Her short stories, No Vacancy, Clipped Wings and Welcome to My World and her novellas Visible Through Darkness and Shadows under the Light are now available through Amazon. The Sciell is her first novel. Chains of the Sciell will be released June 2.

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***GIVEAWAY***

$30 Amazon / B&N Gift Card.

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