Anaiah Press is proud to present the trailer reveal for YA novel HUNTER by Renee Donne.
Moving across the country isn’t Hunter’s ideal start to her Junior year of high school. She has no friends to hang out with, no beaches to lounge on, and she’s living just a few miles from the secluded hiking trail where her father died when she was a baby.
Living in Wyoming isn’t all bad, though, thanks to Logan, the handsome veterinary assistant at the animal clinic where she lands an after school job. And he seems just as interested in her as she is in him.
As Hunter begins to settle into her new home, she learns more about the circumstances surrounding her father’s tragic death, and it may not have been the accident everyone believes. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, and Hunter might be the next victim.
Renee Donne is a native Floridian with a penchant for writing books with a western theme. In her head she’s a world traveler and an amateur chef. In real life, she’s a hometown girl with an affinity for fine wine and good friends. Her favorite place to write is sitting on her veranda, overlooking the beach.
Author Jill Williamson took time from her busy schedule to talk to me about what inspired her award-winning series The Safe Lands Trilogy and what she’s working on next. Here’s what she had to say…
A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write this novel?
I was at my ladies’ Bible Study, and we were working on Beth Moore’s Daniel book. On screen, Beth asked us to think about some teenage boys we knew and how they might cope if they were taken from their homes and thrust into a Babylonian type of a world. And that’s the question that inspired the Safe Lands Trilogy.
Do you have a favorite character? Is there something about him/her which couldn’t be included in the novel that you’d like to share with us?
At the beginning of the series, Mason was my favorite. I liked his logical way of looking at the world, and his simply wanting to be himself and find acceptance. But by the end, Omar had overshadowed his brother in my heart. Omar makes a lot more mistakes than anyone else in the series, but he always fights to find his way back. I love that about him.
One of my favorite things about the Safe Lands books is the lingo you’ve created. Can you tell us a little bit about how that developed?
I love creating slang. I started by looking up 1920’s slang, which I felt was far enough back that no one would pick up on any matches. That’s where I got the word “Valentine” to be used as a word for a handsome guy. Many of the other words I came up with by brainstorming from my technology. For example, the word “shimmer” as a word for a pretty girl came from the idea that the girls would be wearing roller paint over their skin and that it would shimmer under lights. The word “shell” came from the idea that these people were living like shells of human beings. And “shellie” was a play on that for girls. “Femme” was short for female. And “glossy” was a word I used to mean sexy. For that one I was turning different adjectives around to see which ones might work as slang. It was fun.
What is one question about the Safe Lands series you are often asked by readers?
Whether or not I will write any more Safe Lands books. I don’t plan to. But I originally sold a prequel, which is called Thirst, and Captives to Zondervan. But when they learned that I had intended for the dystopian book to be a trilogy, they opted not to buy the prequel and instead bought the trilogy. So I did write half of a prequel book about a teenage Eli and his youth group friends during the Great Pandemic. Some of the revelations in the Safe Lands series are spoilers for how Thirst ends, though, so I don’t know that I’ll ever publish it.
There are a lot of moments in which Safe Lands characters really wrestle with deep issues, both emotionally and spiritually. What do you most hope that readers take away from this series?
We live in a world in which anything seems possible, and we often think that who someone else is or what they have is better than who we are and what we have. I hope these books might help readers see that sometimes what seems better might actually be worse. That the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of that fence. In fact, the grass might not even be real. It might be AstroTurf! We can all benefit from learning to be thankful and content with who we are and what he have in life.
If you can share, will you tell us a little bit about a new project you’re working on?
Yes! I’ve signed a contract for a new epic fantasy trilogy. I’m very excited about it. It’s tentatively called the Kinsman Chronicles. Here is my logline: In a fantasy world, a grieving prince struggles to solve his beloved’s murder—a mystery that uncovers a conspiracy of apocalyptic proportions.
The first book is scheduled to release in September of 2015.
You post a lot of really informative reviews on your web site. Is there a book on your reading list that you’re most looking forward to reading next?
I’m dying to read Brandon Sanderson’s Way of Kings. I bought it. It’s just really long and I’m so busy. But it’s epic fantasy, and that’s one of my favorite genres. And it’s Brandon Sanderson, and he is one of my favorite authors. So… 🙂
Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including By Darkness Hid, Replication, The New Recruit, and Captives. She got into writing one day when someone was complaining about teen books and she thought, “I could do that! How hard could it be?” Very, she soon learned. But she worked hard, and four years later, her first book, By Darkness Hid, was published and won several awards.
Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant, who was raised in Alaska. She loves teaching about writing, which she does weekly at www.GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online at www.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure comes to life.
In a dystopian future, eighteen-year-old Levi returns from Denver City with his latest scavenged treasures and finds his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many–including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Now alone, Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.
Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Lands has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams.
Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only the people of his village, but also possibly find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone within the Safe Lands’ walls. Will Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Lands’ façade before it’s too late?
Since entering the Safe Lands, Mason has focused on two things: finding a way to free his village from captivity and finding a cure for the disease that ravages many within the walls of the Safe Lands. After immune-suppressive drugs go missing in the clinic, Mason discovers his coworker, Ciddah, may know more about the Safe Lands than imagined…and may have an agenda of her own. At the same time, Mason’s brother Levi is focused on a way to free the remaining Glenrock captives, while Mason’s younger brother, Omar, decides to take the rebellion against the Safe Lands into his own hands as a vigilante.
Soon all three brothers are being watched closely–and when Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, his investigation just might get those closest to him liberated.
The Safe Lands have long kept the true meaning of Liberation secret from their people. But after being sentenced to Liberation themselves, Mason and Omar soon discover the truth.
Levi watched his brothers’ public sentencing and tries to hold out hope they are still alive. He is forced to focus his attention otherwise, however, when his new wife, Jemma, is captured and made the Safe Lands’ newest Queen. His only choice to save Jemma may be to take up Omar’s old role of undercover vigilante, leading the rebels in their quest to overthrow the government. But will Levi’s new role be enough?
Meanwhile, Jemma’s sister, Shaylinn, is ready to give birth to the “Safe Lands'” children … but not even Ciddah is sure they can be delivered safely in the midst of a rebellion. And Mason must face the fact Omar’s illness could be fatal.
If they can all unite their efforts, together they may be able to expose the Safe Lands’ lies to the people. But if they fail, they will all surely die.
Convinced an experimental surgery will solve her problems, Tina drags her sister on a wild journey from Nova Scotia to Boston. Along the way, Tina finds a gem of a boxer and convinces him to let her operate as his manager. Though skeptical at first, Jesse Mankiller begins to respect Tina’s unorthodox style. Together they hope to prove they have what it takes to win the big fight.
Like its protagonist, Tina MacKenzie, this is definitely one of those books that you might overlook at first. But while the cover won’t reach out and grab you, the story certainly will. Whip-quick narrative and dynamic characters make this novel a one-sitting read and one of the best I’ve read this year. It’s not often that an author assembles the perfect mixture of heroism and flaw in her characters, but Stellings really does it this time. It’s absolutely fabulous. Sports fans will love the journey of an unknown fighter going for a major title and readers looking for a heartwarming tale will fall in love with Tina’s sharp mouth and soft heart. It’s a beautiful story.
Profanity and Crude Language Content
Mild profanity, moderate frequency.
Sexual Content References to sexual behavior, but no details. Brief nudity.
Spiritual Content None.
Violence Descriptions of boxing matches. Limited details about injuries, etc. A character is threatened at gunpoint by mafia thugs.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Update – 1/15/15 The Manager by Caroline Stellings has just been honored with the 2015 Hamilton Literary Award for fiction. The novel is also a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction at the 2014 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards.
Mason and Omar’s friends helplessly watch from their hiding places as the brothers face liberation, a process which remains a mystery to all Safe Landers. Once the boys learn what it is to be liberated, they begin plotting to bring the truth to all the people of the Safe Lands. After all, the only way to bring freedom to the Safe Lands is to expose the horrible secrets that fuel the leadership’s power.
From his place in hiding, Levi continues to pursue his one goal: getting his people free of the Safe Lands. Before he can make his move, though, his wife Jemma is captured and forced to serve as a Queen, a woman carrying a child for the Safe Lands. Levi vows to rescue her, but each day’s broadcasts seem to show Jemma slipping further into the ways of the Safe Landers.
Series readers will not be disappointed in this thrilling conclusion to a fascinating series. As her readers have come to expect, Williamson delivers an immersive story world. Each major character faces a great challenge to his or her beliefs or expectations about life and really wrestles through the disappointment. Romances are kindled and fears conquered.
Some of the drug content and concern about the thin plague, which is often transmitted sexually (experiences are not described) make this series a bit too heavy for younger readers. This is a novel more suited to readers ages fourteen and up.
Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.
Sexual Content A few kisses. Brief, vague references to sex.
Spiritual Content Many characters wrestle with bitter disappointments which threaten to damage or destroy their faith in God. Though the threads of faith are a little more subtle in this story, there are some really deeply spiritual moments. My favorite moment is when Shaylinn attempts to explain the mystery of faith versus the law to a group of highly disciplined and judgmental people. The conversation doesn’t roll as perfectly in the scene as it did in her mind, which is just so true to the experience so many of us have had in trying to explain the deeper things of faith. Her courage despite the difficulty is heartwarming.
Violence Mason and Omar face multiple opponents. Both are severely beaten. Details are minimal.
Drug Content
Omar continues to use drugs and alcohol as an attempt to relieve emotional pain.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Chirp begins fifth grade looking forward to another year of beloved family traditions: dancing with her mother, bird-watching hikes, and impromptu performances with her older sister Rachel. But something is different in the Orenstein house. Rachel hushes Chirp when she asks questions or wants to show her mother some new dance steps. Chirp can’t understand how these things could make her mother sad like Rachel says.
Then comes her mother’s devastating diagnosis. There will be no more dancing. As her mother’s health deteriorates, Chirp’s family unravels. Even her father’s ever-positive, talk-about-it outlook can make this okay. Nothing will be okay again.
Chirp struggles to understand the new roles her family members adopt in the crisis and to interpret the behavior of the temperamental boy who lives in her neighborhood. This is a story about grief, about the way life doesn’t stay the same, but morphs into something new when we least expect it.
Each wonderful character brings a story of his or her own, and though the reader is limited to Chirp’s version of events, it’s easy to imagine the tales that fill the space between each line. As a young bird-watcher, Chirp often relates her experiences and emotions through the birds around her. Nest is filled with a rich emotional landscape, one that transcends words, just as its narrator’s emotions would lie beyond the capacity of an eleven year-old child to explain. It’s brilliantly done. Truly a great story.
Profanity and CrudeLanguage Content
One brief instance of mild profanity.
Sexual Content A couple very oblique, brief references to sex. (A girl worries that someone might think she’s a “lezzie;” school children ask their teacher if she’s going to teach them sex education.)
Spiritual Content Chirp’s family celebrates her Jewish heritage and does not observe Christian holidays. Sometimes other kids make fun of her family for this. One girl comments to Chirp that even if her family doesn’t ask Jesus into their hearts, surely God will still let them into heaven.
Violence A boy bears a bruise on his face following an unexplained home situation.
Drug Content
Chirp goes with her sister to a party at which the adults smoke marijuana. She is frightened and goes home.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Palmer, Hannah, Claire and Kat begin the spring semester ready for any challenge. Kinda. Palmer wants to be among the elite writers of the university magazine, but she can’t seem to break into the group. That is, without a glass of Moscato in her hand. After years of being the supportive best friend to the girl who could have any guy, Hannah finally has a boyfriend of her own. When a chance to see Germany with her guy arises, Hannah really wants to go, even if it means missing the spring break beach trip with her roomies. Surely Palmer, of all people, will understand?
Claire and Kat almost have their own secret code. After the trauma Claire endured in France and Kat’s unexpected loss, they seem to sense the things that trigger the other’s grief. Counseling has helped Claire make progress toward healing, but when her mom flakes out and forgets to pay for, well, everything, Claire is stuck. Trying to break through her mom’s hyper haze isn’t working and though Palmer offers to pay for everything, Claire doesn’t want to be a charity project.
Running is the only salve to Kat’s wounds. Everything seems to remind her of her brother, but he’s gone. With pressure to perform on the soccer team building around her, Kat’s only escape is to work out until she’s too tired to feel anything. More and more, though, she finds herself alienated from those she loves most.
Smith really captures the beat of college living and the relationships between the girls and other students on campus. Hannah’s first-boyfriend experience will resonate with many as will her battle for balance in her relationships with her new love and her old friends. Palmer’s personal drive and her vulnerability to alcohol are well-explored without glorifying what she’s doing. Consequences follow her choices to drink.
Claire’s story offers a whole different perspective. As the functional one in her relationship with her mother, Claire struggles to maintain a healthy distance from her mother’s unhealthy behavior, something she’s never managed to do in the past. Her friends rally around her as a supportive community and a great message of hope.
Smith has been hailed as a brave voice, telling it like it is, and fearlessly digging through some of early adulthood’s tough issues. In the third novel in her Status Updates series, she lives up to that reputation, peeling back layers of denial and revealing hurting hearts and soothing them with the balm of hope in God.
Profanity and Crude Language Content
No profanity.
Sexual Content Brief references to making out. A boy spends the night in one of the girls’ rooms, though she insists they simply fell asleep talking.
Spiritual Content Through their experiences with addictive behaviors, the girls realize they need more than personal strength and determination to achieve their goals, whether social or academic. They realize their needs for mutual support they receive from one another and, even more, spiritual support from faith and relationship with God.
Violence None.
Drug Content
Palmer uses wine to loosen up socially. Her friends notice what she does not: that more and more she turns to alcohol to relax and connect with others, and it’s getting out of hand. Claire battles her mother’s neglect from a distance, worrying when her mother’s behavior indicates she may be using (or overusing) some sort of pharmaceutical stimulants.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
