Title: Secrets
Kept
Author: J.L. Mbewe
Published: October
15th, 2013 by AltWit Press
Word Count: 100,000
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.
Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna
learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins
forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian,
to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the
plains people’s bizarre behavior.
Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s
disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed
the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the
sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.
About the Author:
Writing
as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in
that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but
pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying
to capture the abstract and make it concrete.
She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two
precious children who don't seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks,
shells, and books, among other things. While living life balanced between
reality and dreams, she is creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy
creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid
lots of peril.
Her debut novel, Secrets Kept, is coming this fall, and in the meantime be on
the lookout for a few short stories set in the World of Nälu.
Interview between Keira Kroft and J. L. Mbewe
Welcome to Keira’s Corner, where there is always
chocolate, and lots and lots of coffee.
You had me at chocolate! Oh, and coffee too! Thank you
for having me!
Keira: You have a story out
through AltWit Press entitled Secrets Kept. What is that about?
A story about a
young woman who discovers her father is the secret keeper of a corrupted
dagger. The murder of her father sends her world into chaos, and she must join
forces with a half-elf widower to find her mother and free the plains people
from a curse before the sorceress unleashes an ancient evil.
Keira: What
made you choose that title?
Originally,
I had called it Sorceress’s Curse, but the publisher said it had to go. We
brainstormed and came up with Secrets Kept, which I think is fitting. Even
though the sorceress’s curse is important to the story, the focus is on
Ayianna, her secrets, and whether or not, she will she keep them.
Keira: What
is your preferred genre to write in?
Fantasy.
Keira: Are
you with an Indy publisher, a traditional house or self- published?
Indy.
Keira:
Please tell us about any future projects that you are planning.
First,
I’ve got book two and three in this trilogy to finish up. After that, I’ve got
21+ projects in various stages. From complete rough drafts to outlines. Two of
which are trilogies set in the same world as Secrets Kept, but I’m not sure
what I will tackle next.
Keira: Are
you currently running any contests? What are they?
Yes,
thanks for asking! To celebrate the release of Secrets Kept, we are having a
costume contest where the grand prize winner will walk away with a loaded
Kindle Fire, an Excalibur letter opener, chocolate, swag, and of course, signed
copies of Secrets Kept and a companion novella, The Tales of Nälu: Volume One.
Keira: How
many books have you written?
One
published. Although, I have five published short stories.
Keira: Do
you work at a job outside the home or is this your only career?
I’m
hoping this will be my only career. Ha! But yes, I am a stay-at-home mom for
the time being while I pursue this writing thing.
Keira: We have a special place for unpublished writers in our
hearts, here at Keira’s Corner. So what advice would you give to an unpublished
writer?
I don’t have anything to add what’s already been said. Just: read,
read, read and write, write, write. Keep seeking, keep practicing, learning.
Read what you can on writing, on social media, marketing, and then find your
own rhythm, your journey, your voice. Last year I did a series of blog posts
called Yo Ho a Writer’s Life for Me. Learning the mechanics of writing builds a
good foundation, but it’s also about balancing it with the art of writing. So
as Elizabeth Swan said, "Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more
like guidelines anyways." But we have to first know the rules.
Keira: What
do you wear, to write?
Whatever
I have on that day. But I have jokingly thought about wearing my pirate hat to
help differentiate between all the other hats I have to wear. That said, it
would probably have more to do with procrastination.
Keira: Is
writing your only talent?
I can
draw, sort of. But I think writing is my strongest talent.
Keira: Where
in the Hell do you find time to
write?
I
take stock of life, what needs to get done, the kids’ needs, writing needs,
etc, and then I carve out a time to write and guard it as well as I can. Right
now, my “writing time” is during quiet time and right after I put the kids down
to bed. And I don’t watch TV.
Keira: Why
are you a writer?
Because
I can’t sing. Ha! I have such a deep, burning desire to express and connect
with others on the adventures we find in books.
Keira: If
you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
J. K.
Rowling or Anne Elisabeth Stengl.
Keira: How
many hours a day do you dedicate to writing?
Five
hours, which includes blogging, research, etc.
Keira: Do
you use a particular writing method?
Still
too early to tell. But basing it off the times I’ve participated in National
Novel Writing Month, I research as much as I can about the subject matter,
develop map, an idea of the setting, and select main people/place names. After I come up with a rough outline, I dive
in.
Keira: What
time of day, do you write best?
Evening.
But I’ve discovered I do well during nap/quiet time too, when I’m not getting
interrupted.
Keira: Do
you use one or more pen names?
Just
my initials. I really wanted to have a pen name, but I ran the risk of choosing
a corny name. Ha!
Keira:
Please share a particular detail about one of characters, please.
My
protagonist, Ayianna, wanted to be a stargazer, a profession among the elves
where they can observe the sky and read what might be written in the stars.
Let’s get personal…
Keira: Are you married?
Yes.
Keira: Do you have
children?
Yes.
A five year old boy and an almost three year old girl.
Keira: Are you a reader?
Yes!
Reader first, writer second. I never want to lose my love of reading. I’d rather
quit writing instead.
Keira: What is your
favorite favorite animal?
I
LOVE horses.
Keira: What are you
reading?
Currently
I’m reading Merlin’s Blade by Robert Treskillard and an advanced reader copy of
Goddess Tithe by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.
Excerpt from Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe:
Leaves rustled, and the bush’s slender limbs shuddered. Shadows
veiled the intruder; the light of the lantern unable to penetrate the layers of
dry leaves and stems. Ayianna peered closer, and a dark mass burst out of the
bush toward her face. She flung her arms up. The milk pail slammed into her
head, and its warm contents splashed down her face, neck, and clothes. The
lantern rocked on its hinge, the flame flashing and flickering wildly. The
intruder screeched and a rush of wings brushed against her skin.
Ayianna lowered her arms. A large bird ruffled its dark feathers and made to
settle its wings, but one hung at an odd angle. Its round, ebony eyes ogled
her.
Could it be?
“Fero?” she asked. “Is brother home already?” She glanced around, but her eyes
failed her in the half-light. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, and the breeze
grew colder. She shivered and glared at the bird. “Brother or not, look what
you made me do? Now, I’ve got no milk, and I’m all wet.”
Fero jerked his wayward wing back and hissed.
“Are you hurt?” Ayianna lifted the lantern, and its glow poured over the
falcon, revealing dark stains on his ribbed underbelly. She reached out to
touch him, but he gnashed his curved beak at her. The branch shifted, and the
bird thrashed about trying to regain his perch, but then he broke free and
soared haphazardly into the red-tinged sky.
Atop the bush, a strip of cloth fluttered where Fero had sat. She tore it free.
The fabric was damp, soiled, and stunk of decay. It stained her fingertips red.
Blood?
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
- Signed Print Copy &
swag.
Giveaway is US only.
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Keira
Kroft
