Spotlight: Kris Noel Visits to Talk About Her Upcoming Release!

Today, we're doing something a little different. Fellow author Kris Noel is stopping by to talk about her upcoming YA fantasy book!
 

Hello, Kris! It's great that you're visiting MLB.  :)

 

 

 

Thank you so much for having me!

 

 

 

 

My pleasure, of course! So, let me ask a few questions since you're here...

All right.

 

Can you tell us a little about your latest book? When did it come out and where can we get it?

 

Lionhead was released by Neverland Publishing in 2012, but the sequel, Requiem, will be available in July. It will be on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Right now, you can find them both on Goodreads! 

 

 

 

Here's a little run-down of Lionhead:

Thirteen-year-old Riley Bale has always been a monster. At least that’s how all the other kids have always treated her. After being plagued with a mysterious illness for much of her young life and living as an orphan with her two cold and distant older sisters, Riley has dealt with being bullied by becoming a bully herself.

During a violent after school attack, Riley learns she’s being protected by forces beyond her control. She is tested and then invited to attend Lionhead Shifter School, which she accepts on blind faith alone, along with the desire to understand where her parents came from before they disappeared. Once Riley arrives in Lionhead, she not only discovers her true identity as a shifter, but appears to fit right in with the other new kids.

Riley quickly realizes that everything is not quite what it seems. Amidst an unusual hatred that arises between the two teenage boys she’s become closest with, Oliver Preston and Ash Plum, she must learn why the small island community has previously disallowed outsiders for over a hundred years.

 

 

 

So, what inspired you to write your book? How did you get into writing YA?

 

 

I wanted to write a strong female character, so I spent a lot of time working on Riley Bale. The book became what it was because of her. I've always loved building characters and exploring different possible storylines, so Lionhead was sort of an experiment with that.

I write YA because I love reading YA. I love how it appeals to readers of all ages and even at 27, I feel like they still get me excited about reading. There's no greater feeling than picking up a great YA book!  

 

 

That's great!

 

What, do you feel, sets this book apart from other books in the genre?

 

I wanted readers to have fun diving into this story while also spending time with very intricate and deep characters. Riley is the main character, but the other characters are just as important, and their stories are just as complex. Lionhead is a very character-driven story and I think readers have enjoyed stepping into their shoes. I also tried to take Requiem in a totally different direction plot-wise, so I hope that's something that helps this series stand out from the crowd.

 

So...give us a teaser or two if you can.

 

Excerpt from the first book, Lionhead:

 

The next time Riley woke up, she was in her bed. She sat up and saw everything was basically back to normal. Her arms were fine and nothing was sticking out from the top of her head. Everything appeared to be all right, but she knew something was off.

She was still in Lionhead.

Riley ran to the window and pulled up the screen. She needed to get away quickly before anything else happened. The cool air felt good against her skin because she was soaked with sweat and shaking nervously. Who could help her? Who would leave with her before it was too late?

She began to climb down the side of the house, using the storm drain as leverage. It was time to go find Ash and leave Lionhead behind. He must have been just as scared as she was, if he had been forced to change. Riley tried to block out the somewhat rational voice in the back of her head that told her to return to bed and get some rest.

Even though Riley was unsure of what house Ash was residing in, she hurried down the main street until she saw a clue. In front of the last house on the right side stood a wooden sign that read: Welcome to the Plum House. Ash Plum. She could feel him around somewhere, his presence was strong.

Ash wasn’t inside the house because he was sitting outside resting against a willow tree. His thoughts seemed distant and Riley got a cold feeling from him. He warmed up a little when he spotted Riley. He stood up and she hugged him tightly.

“Come on,” she said pulling at his arm. “Hurry up! We should leave tonight. Maybe we could even find Simon—”

“What’s wrong?” He asked, peering down and grasping onto the sides of her arms.

She could tell that he was troubled by something, in addition to worrying about her. What was going on? Why didn’t he want to leave?

“They tried to change me into something. My body starting doing something weird, but I passed out.” Riley’s thoughts were jumbled and she was trying to talk too fast. “I can’t explain it and it scared me! Ash? What’s wrong? What did they do to you?”

She paused and watched as Ash slumped back down against the tree. She sat down next to him and grabbed onto his hand.

“Did you see that sign out front?” Ash asked.

“Yeah...it said the Plum house. You’re Ash Plum,” Riley stopped herself, embarrassed that she hadn’t realized it before. “Is that your family? They’re your real family?”

She was beginning to understand Ash’s distress. If his family was already in Lionhead, why hadn’t he been there with them? Why had he been brought in with the rest of them, for the first time?

 

Riveting!

 

So, I'm sure readers are curious about your next writing project. Can you tell us what you've got cooking up now or is that a secret?

 

I'm working on a couple sci-fi novels, which is a genre I've always wanted to explore. I'm done with one of them and finishing polishing it up, and I'm working on the first draft of the second one. And then I'll be working on the third book in the Lionhead Series!

 

Great!

Thanks so much for stopping by to tell us about these books, Kris!
 

 

My pleasure!

 

 

Readers, you'll just have to pick up some copies of this wonderful YA fantasy series!  ;)

 

 

Here is the blurb for Requiem.

 

After a dangerous enemy descended on Lionhead weeks before, Riley Bale is left with an unshakable feeling of impending doom. With Christian still on the loose and no clues pointing to his whereabouts, Riley and her friends must stay vigilant. In addition to fearing another attack, Riley also has to figure out which one of her best friends will join Christian’s cause—and both Ash and Oliver are beginning to reveal their dark sides.

A carefree trip to another shifter city, Requiem, might be just what they need to take their minds off of what’s coming for them, but it doesn’t go exactly as planned. Riley finds herself caught up in something bigger than she could have possibly imagined and this time she’ll have to face her enemies alone.

 

Wow! Sounds like an interesting read! I certainly look forward to this July release!

About the Author:

 

Kris Noel loves writing YA, but she also loves running her writing advice blog over at krisnoel.com. With over 30,000 followers, she has penned hundreds of articles for writers of all ages.

Despite working full-time as a copywriter, Kris finds time to work on her novels and has released one project a year since 2012. She plans on doing her best to continue this trend and wants to keep working on growing her blog.

Author Links: 

 

Website:  http://www.writerkrisnoel.com/

Blog:  http://krisnoel.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fictionwritingtips

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/enderawiggin

Amazon Author Central:  http://www.amazon.com/Kris-Noel/e/B00J4V2JE6/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447379.Kris_Noel 

Publisher:  http://www.neverlandpublishing.com/noel.html 

 

 

Kris Noel's Books:

 

 Coming Soon:

 

Available: