Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:
GEORGI BOND
~Author of Wide Awake in the Dreamscape~
Children's Literature
by Georgi Bond- 2014
I started writing my first novel when I was 12 years old, and whilst I never finished that story, I knew that I would write a novel one day. Since university I've worked as a technical writer, copywriter, content writer and copy editor. But I never felt creatively satisfied. My mind kept wandering back to the idea of fiction writing, so I took a career break and dived straight in. Five years and multiple re-writes later, and after much editorial training and guidance from professionals, I was finally finished and satisfied with the end product.I’m an avid reader of children’s fantasy fiction, so it was natural for me to write for this genre. I've never been comfortable with gritty or character-based adult themes, and writing for adults felt much too serious and restrictive for me. I much prefer to immerse myself in a younger fantasy world where my imagination can run free. It’s infinitely more fun and exciting!
I’ve always been interested in dreams, spiritual and paranormal ideas, supernatural powers and sorcery, and these themes fit perfectly into children’s stories. With Wide Awake in the Dreamscape, I wanted to create a modern, fast-paced fantasy adventure, something fresh, colorful and vivid. I felt that young readers would be interested in a story which successfully integrates modern themes such as online gaming and chat rooms, with traditional fantasy themes such as magic and monsters.
I also wanted to touch on issues very relevant to young people, such as friendship and sibling relationships, bullying and its consequences, and finding the inner strength and courage to continue when everything seems hopeless. I would love for children to feel exhilarated and excited by my story, whilst also feeling inspired and motivated to feel brave and courageous in their everyday lives.
Georgi Bond was raised in rural Devon, England before going on to study archaeology and conduct postgraduate research at Durham University. Bond has worked as a technical writer, marketing copywriter and copy editor.
Her current home is the one she built for herself in Riga, Latvia, where she lives with her family.
GIVEAWAY
Today I have one copy of Wide Awake in the Dreamscape to giveaway to one lucky winner. Paperback or ebook. Everyone is welcome to enter. Please fill in the copter for an entry.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Unlike her brother Alfie, 12-year-old Lily is not at all interested in video games. But when she wakes up in the middle of the night trapped in another world where monsters from nightmares are real, Lily has no choice but to immerse herself in a world far different from anything she knows. Lily must learn the rules and play the game. An unsuspecting Lily is suddenly transported into the Dreamscape, which is overrun by monsters from Colony, the latest online gaming craze which Alfie is entranced by.
Why does this shimmering, digital dreamland feel equally familiar and strange to Lily, as well as extremely dangerous? Inside the Dreamscape, Lily meets twins Felix and Serena, who are also prisoners of the game and have lost their brother to Colony. The threesome learns that Colony lures players in and takes over their minds, filling them with horrifying nightmares. Their brothers are possessed by “dreamons”, cunning and evil monsters from Colony. Lily realizes that it might be possible for video games to shatter the boundaries of time and space in order to invade the deepest recesses of the human mind. If Lily and the twins can’t find a way to defeat the dreamons, millions of Colony players, including their brothers, could soon find themselves enslaved to the game they set out to enjoy.
Thanks Georgi for being on the spotlight today. To find out more about this author, check out:
www.GeorgiBond.com.
Thanks for this delightful and captivating giveaway. I would enjoy this story greatly. The Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorites. thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a fascinating story, and one I would enjoy reading. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ReplyDelete