ILLUSIONARY // Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway

{Image provided by Laura A. Grace.}

{Source.}

Hello, Dragons!

Today, I'm delighted to feature novelist Desiree Williams! Desiree is a fellow spekkie who writes fantasy with a good dose of romance!

I recently read one of Desiree's latest novels, Sun & Moon, which is a captivating tale set in a land of desert sands, harsh slavery, soulmates, allegories, and powers harnessed from the stars. If you haven't read Sun & Moon, I highly recommend it! You can pick up a copy here.

Desiree is with us today in honour of her most recent release, Illusionary, which came out in April. Here's a bit about the book:

{Image provided by Laura A. Grace.}

Dorothy got sucked into a tornado.

Alice fell down a hole.

Wendy flew to Neverland.

Kamryn? She tripped down the stairs.

Now, Kamryn Kensington finds herself in a strange new world. Within minutes of her arrival, she dodges an archer's arrow and avoids getting sliced up by a cosplay reject holding a dagger to her throat. And that’s before the storyteller's breath brings stories to life.

Home is the mission -- to return to her family and pursue her life's dream of art and travel. Yet the longer she's in the Land of Ur, the harder it is not to feel for the people she meets. Even her artistic side can’t help but breathe in the beautiful wonder and magic of this new world. So when the Oracle hands her a different quest, she takes it on the condition he sends her home afterward.   

No one thought to warn her of a jealous queen and her dragon minions. Or that, by helping her, the cute storyteller would go crazy. Or that her heart would rip in two when she left. Those would’ve been great facts to know ahead of time.

Considering that nothing in Ur is what it seems, the mission proves to be more than she ever imagined. But more than her own future will be in jeopardy if Kamryn doesn’t succeed.

KOBO

iBOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

{Image provided by Laura A. Grace.}

Desiree Williams is a dreamer by day and chocoholic by night. She lives in the beautiful state of Kentucky with her husband and daughter, where she juggles life as a wannabe supermom. Desiree is a lover of food and avoider of dirty dishes. She delights in making people laugh and strives to bring hope and love with her wherever she goes.

Readers can connect with Desiree via her website, blog, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

INTERVIEW

If you could travel into any fantasy world, which would it be?

Oh, this is hard. It’s like pulling teeth to narrow it down to just one fantasy world. I mean I could stick with the classics like Narnia. Or I could travel to the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Or swing by District 12 and chat with Katniss and Peta. Oooh, I could even fly to Neverland and read stories to the Lost Boys or battle swords with Captain Hook. See my dilemma? So in the end, I’ll pick them all. *cheeky grin*

Is there an author who made an impact on your writing life? Who was it?  

I can’t say there’s been just one author who impacted me as the entire writing community inspired me to be better focused on my career dreams. When I first started pursuing indie publishing, I did take a few courses with seasoned indies Heather Hildenbrand and S.M. Boyce, to get my feet wet so to speak. But after attending writer conferences the past few years (Utopia, Realm Makers, etc.) I received so much inspiration to dig deeper into my stories and find a work-life balance that works for me. And of course, I've made friends along the way who’ve been great champions in cheering me on. Although a few resources that I love (at this point in life) are Five Secrets of Story Structure by K.M. Weiland and Hack Your Reader's Brain by Jeff Gerke. I also enjoy the Creative Penn's podcast.

How long (on average) does it take you to write a book?

I can usually finish my first draft within two to three months. Unfortunately, meltdowns and breakdowns do happen. Especially when writing a project that’s close to my heart. For example, I started brainstorming ideas and building my storyboard for Illusionary in September 2015. But I didn't actively start writing (meltdown free) until April 2016 and then sent my baby off for the first round of editing in June 2016. Now the journey to publication is a different story altogether. I can't force freelance editors to bend backward to meet my personal timelines (that’s just not nice or friendly), which is why Illusionary had a nine-month editing/revising period. From start to finish, Illusionary took nineteen months to be published.

What are you working on now?

I'm laying the groundwork for a new sci-fi/romance trilogy. Each book in the trilogy will focus on a different couple and location all gearing up to save the planet of Irredecca who is facing annihilation through biological warfare. 😃 Oh, my creative brain is having such a fun time with this one too. New species and planets. Not to mention the technology fun that’s being woven in.

If you could have any job alongside being a writer, what would it be? A pirate? A knight? A princess? An accountant?

My first reaction was to scream pirate. Arr! However, I get sea sick so ... I can't. *sad face* Then I shuddered at the thought of being an accountant. Math and I are not compatible. Though I could envision having epic adventures as a knight or a princess (or a princess knight!). But overall, I'd like to be a food reviewer. I love eating yummy food and it’d be awesome if I could get paid to do that. Granted, I have no knowledge of food history. I just like eating. LOL.

Thanks so much for having me on today! I had a blast and am honored to visit with you. 😃 Blessings!

Thank you, Desiree! It's been a pleasure! 😄

GIVEAWAY

{Image provided by Laura A. Grace.}

Desiree is kindly hosting an incredible giveaway! The winner receives:

• a "make everyday an adventure" pillow
• a "don't grow up; it's a trap!" metal sign
• a book cozy
• a signed paperback copy of Illusionary
• a notebook
• pens
• a sketchbook
• coloured pencils
• an "eat cake for breakfast" travel mug

The winner will be announced on Desiree's Facebook and Twitter pages on Monday, June twelfth, at approximately 9:00 AM EDT (6:00 AM PDT).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

June 5th:

• Launch Day – HOPE through the Pages
• Spotlight – Rachel Lopez
• Book Review – Jebraun Clifford – Dream. Write. Repeat.
• Interview – Jilligan's Island

June 6th:

• Book Review – Indie Book Reviews
• Spotlight – Christian Book News
• Interview – Bookworm Mama

June 7th:

• Book Review – Zernia Blossom's Books
• Book Review – Prismatic Prospects
• Interview – Dolphin18cb

June 8th:

• Book Review – Lands Uncharted
• Book Review – Seasons of Humility
• Interview – Liv K. Fisher

June 9th:

• Book Review – She Hearts Fiction
• Book Review – Chrissi Reads
• Spotlight – Dreams of Faerytales
• Guest Post – Jannette Fuller

June 10th:

• Wrap-Up Post – HOPE through the Pages

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Thank you so much to Desiree and Laura for answering my questions and organizing this tour! I can't wait to read Illusionary -- it sounds absolutely brilliant! And I adored Sun & Moon! ☺

Dear Dragons, don't forget to pick up your copy of Illusionary from Amazon and add it to Goodreads... and enter the giveaway!

❤,