Clare Di Liscia
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948671-37-8
ASIN:
Number of pages: 287
Cover Artist: AM Design Studios
Book Description:
Half the population of the island of Madera are dead, killed by an unforgiving and indiscriminate plague. Oriana dreams of escaping her life of ruthless cruelty from the people who now rule over those who remain. No telling whom the plague will strike next, Oriana means to find freedom for herself and her people. Drawing strength from ancient tales of her enemy, young Oriana transforms herself from victim to warrior with the help of a mysterious and powerful dagger given to her by a kind and dying boy.
Years later, during her enemy’s betrothal ritual, Ezra, a boy she has never before seen, selects her as his mate. With servitude her only option, Oriana accepts the offer. Whisked away to a seemingly perfect world, Oriana discovers sinister secrets at every turn, including the identity of Tristan, a boy with whom she shares an undeniable but impossible connection.
Why would a boy she doesn’t know wish her to be his betrothed? Why does she feel such a strong pull toward a stranger? Someone in Ezra’s family not only knows the answer to both those questions, but also about the dagger Oriana possesses. He will do anything to stop the union. Now, with everything on the line, Oriana turns inward to find the strength she needs to seize the full power of the dagger so that she may protect herself and save her people.
Amazon
Excerpt:
Before I clear
the field, I realize too late that it’s a trap. I have been herded like a
sheep, far from the few scattered homes, toward the deserted cliffside where no
one will hear my screams for help. Another boy with flaming red hair stands
behind a tree waiting for me; I recognize him from the market. I can smell him,
sweaty with a tangy sweetness that can only mean one thing. He’s been eating
apples and waiting for some starving girl foolish enough to think she could
steal some fruit.
the field, I realize too late that it’s a trap. I have been herded like a
sheep, far from the few scattered homes, toward the deserted cliffside where no
one will hear my screams for help. Another boy with flaming red hair stands
behind a tree waiting for me; I recognize him from the market. I can smell him,
sweaty with a tangy sweetness that can only mean one thing. He’s been eating
apples and waiting for some starving girl foolish enough to think she could
steal some fruit.
I reach for my
dagger, strength pulsating so deeply that I nearly drop it from my sweaty palm.
Then, the voice of the boy of my dreams, whispers, “Hold it steady, Oriana. You
can do this.”
dagger, strength pulsating so deeply that I nearly drop it from my sweaty palm.
Then, the voice of the boy of my dreams, whispers, “Hold it steady, Oriana. You
can do this.”
I tuck all fear
down deep within me. Later, I tell myself; later I will worry.
down deep within me. Later, I tell myself; later I will worry.
About the Author:
Born in Queens, New York, Clare Di Liscia moved to California as a small child and grew up in the hills by Dodger Stadium. Constantly roaming the woods, she took to embellishing on the stories of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck to fill her imagination. To her horror she soon realized there was no way to fit a miniature tuxedo on a frog. Fortunately in sixth grade, Clare won a short story contest with the grand prize of fifteen happy meals. She would like to point out that two of those meal tickets were missing by the time her mother handed over her prize. After traveling extensively throughout South America and the Caribbean, Clare attended KU Leuven, in Belgium for University where she studied Dutch and French. Clare graduated from Cal State Northridge Film School, earning Dean’s List recognition with a BA in TV/Film. In 2006 she placed in the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting beating out 4700 other applicants. After joining SCBWI, Clare won 1st place HM in the Sue Alexander for her YA novel, now titled NELIEM.
http://diliclare.tumblr.com/
Interview with Clare Di Liscia
Do your characters seem to hijack NELIEM or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
Definitely the characters in NELIEM hijack the story. For example, I didn’t know there was going to be a love triangle. That came about organically and I think that’s one of the reasons it works so perfectly. There’s no forcing the characters to act or say what they say. It came from deep within me.
Convince us why you feel NELIEM is a must read?
NELIEM, inspired by my family history, is a girl-empowerment fantasy that deals with discrimination, poverty, abuse, and forbidden love. It has something for everybody in that you see through the eyes of Oriana, a strong-willed girl, who doesn’t allow herself to fall victim to circumstances. She might be poor, but she’s fierce, fashioning herself after her enemies legendary hero, NELIEM, a warrior who defied death.
The love triangle is unexpected, especially for Oriana, who at the beginning of the story has been rejected by every available boy in her village. It’s not until a mysterious boy from the ruling class, who selects her as his intended, does the possibility of happiness present itself.
Having someone you love and want to have a HEA will keep you turning the pages.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Sure. A lot of books. One is a modern day Huck Finn MG, which I love. It’s almost ready.
Pen, or type or computer?
My laptop.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Yes! Thank you. This is a story straight from my heart. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you have a chance, please leave a review. You can follow me on Twitter and IG: @diliclare
Thank you so much for taking time to bring to our attention another great read. I appreciate it and thank you also for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is pretty, thanks for the chance.
ReplyDelete