The War Inside VBT

Blurb:

The end of the world is only just the beginning. So eighteen-year-old Thea discovers when her solitary life on a dying Earth is shattered by a mysterious dream, a devastating choice, and a strange gift that propels her on a journey towards the restoration of all mankind.

Thea is bitter and alone; eking out her miserable life on the sunless, cloud-covered Earth she inhabits. A terrifying dream convinces her to save the life of an injured girl, and despite her misgivings, Thea decides to rescue sixteen-year-old Viviana. She soon learns that gentle Viv has a life-threatening infection, as well as a freakish patch of glowing skin over her heart. When this light spreads to Thea, causing her palms to glow, she is forced to trust Caden, an arrogant, lazy, and annoyingly handsome boy she despises. Caden has a map to the last city on Earth, and the only place that might have a cure for both Viv's infection and the strange light on Thea's hands. As the trio embark on a journey through the barren wilderness, Thea and Caden discover, and try to fight, their mounting attraction to each other. Along the way they are joined by Rain, Naomi, and Enoch who explain that the light is not a curse, but a powerful gift meant to heal the polluted Earth and reconnect the remnants of humanity. When the group learns that Viv is the key to this planet-wide redemption, and that there are deadly shadows who will do anything to keep humans in the darkness forever, they each must make the difficult decision to help Viv fulfill her destiny...and save the world.

Don't miss THE WAR INSIDE, an exciting young adult dystopian/fantasy novel by debut author M. Kircher.

Excerpt:

“Thea sucked a breath in through her teeth, trying to settle the distinctly uneasy feeling that was clawing at her stomach. She glanced back down at the injured girl and jumped back in surprise. She was gone! The girl had just…disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Thea blinked and ground the palms of her hands into her eyelids. What the hell was happening to her?

And that’s when the voice spoke for the first time.

“Keep her alive,” it whispered softly from the empty space behind Thea’s right ear.

Her muscles tensed, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Thea whirled around, ready to face this unknown assailant, but as she did she noticed for the first time that her staff was clenched tightly in both hands. Had it been there a moment ago? For the life of her, Thea couldn’t remember. Either way, its familiar presence felt reassuring. She flipped the weapon around and shoved its rusty metal tip out into the darkness.

“Who said that?” Thea demanded, her tone hard and threatening.

“Keep her alive,” the voice repeated, like the edges of a cold wind. The words wrapped around her and sent a chill straight down her spine. The voice had moved. Now it spoke from somewhere just beside her left shoulder. She pivoted toward the sound, the thick treads of her boots grinding into the dirt and her staff poised to strike. But no one was there.” - Page 7, The War Inside

M. Kircher, thanks so much for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you so much for having me! A little about myself…Hmmm. Well, I’ve been a professional writer for about six years now and a fanatic bookworm for thirty (hint about my age). I live in Connecticut and still have a hard time spelling it. I love to sit in a movie theater and watch a story I’ve obsessed over in print come to life right before my eyes. I eat dessert twice a day, and even when I get old and fat that will never change. And my husband and I just had a very interesting summer. We adopted our son in July after eighteen months of having him as a foster child and I had a baby girl in June. Two kids, two months - life is crazy!

How did you get started writing?

I actually started out writing non-fiction. Deep down inside, I desperately wanted to write stories but I was too scared. My husband and I had the worst start to our marriage and so we began blogging about marriage to help other couples not feel so alone. The blog lead to web articles, which lead to magazine articles, which lead to a book deal. It was only once I had written a book that I thought, “Okay, maybe I could write a story.”

A friend of mine and I were having coffee one day and passionately discussing our love of all things Sci-Fi and YA, when she looked at me and said, “Melis you have to write a book. You just have to.” For some reason her words gave me the courage I needed. So that day I got home, sat my butt down, and started writing stories. I haven’t stopped since.

What was the inspiration for your book?

I love kick-ass females. I love books about not only saving the world, but having the power to transform it. And I’ve also had these quietly gnawing thoughts for a couple of years about technology and the Earth, and the ways that people connect with these two things.

I thought about what the world would look like if society lost their connection to the planet and to each other. And then I tried to challenge myself into imagining how we could put everything back together. I wanted to write a dystopian plotline that had more hope than despair to it and I also wanted to write characters that had zero connectibility (I looked it up and this is actually a word!) until things start to change. And then their humanity and likability would begin to show.

What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?

I’ve not yet written any adult fiction and at some point I’d like to challenge myself to do so. I think I’m naturally drawn more to YA , but I’d really like to see some books out there that help busy, over-worked adults fall in love with reading again.

Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?

I love a good romance novel, but I personally draw the line at erotica. If I’m going to be writing books for young adults, I don’t think it’s wise or necessarily responsible of me to also write in a genre that I wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with teens. And I know that everyone has different tastes, but I like to be drawn in by the emotions in a love story, not so much all the other physical stuff. Not squeaky clean, but not overly dirty…that’s my preference!

So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?

I’m working on a couple of projects. The second book in The Horizons Trilogy, The Gray Horizon, where readers will see the storyline from The War Inside continue. It’s told from the perspective of Caden and I’m really excited to be writing from a male point of view this time.

I also just finished a YA science fiction romance novel called Dreamcatchers, which is currently being reviewed by a publisher – so we’ll see what happens there! And I’m also in the outlining stage of a novel about a group of utterly normal teenagers in a world where everyone has superpowers. They live underground and are faced with the daunting task of preventing a major world war. So, I’ve definitely got my hands full at the moment.

All right, now for some totally random, fun questions. Favorite color?

I don’t know. I’m also a painter, as well as a writer, so I sort of like all the colors. If I was forced at gunpoint to pick one though, I suppose I would go with cobalt blue. It’s the color of the ocean on a cloudless day and for some reason when I see it, I’m instantly calmed and Zen feeling.

Favorite movie?

The Lord of the Rings. I could watch them all a million times and still get tingles each and every viewing. I have never seen anything so painstakingly and beautifully crafted. Everyone who worked on those films should be very proud.

Book that inspired you to become an author?

Each and every story that I read while I was growing up. I read voraciously and every new book that I encounter helps me learn something about writing, story, how to craft interesting characters, flow, dialogue, and so much more. I’m grateful for all the wonderful authors out there, both in the past and today, who inspire me with their imaginations and talent.

Alright, you have one superpower. What is it?

Flying. Who wouldn’t pick flying? It’s the most anti-human super power there is. The ability to see through walls could be something developed by science in the future, when they figure out how to unlock all that brain mass we’re wasting. And super strength could be feasible if steroids or chemicals get amped up at some point.

But flight? Our bodies are just not built for it at all. And think about all the traffic jams you’d miss if you could just fly to work in the morning?

You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?

My grandfather, my great-grandfather and my great-grandmother. They all have passed away, but I had strong relationships with each of them as a child. I would love to be able to have dinner with them, see them again, and ask their advice about so many things now that I’m an adult and also a parent. I feel like they would have so much wisdom to share.

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?

I think Thea. She’s so sarcastic and bristly, but deep inside she’s really longing for connection. As The War Inside develops, you see her struggle with the softer parts of her personality. She develops mothering urges towards Viv, romantic feelings for Caden, and a need for parental guidance from Enoch. And through this transformation she manages to hang on to her inner strength and grit. She definitely does not become an emotional basket case. I tried to write some of the things that I have struggled with in my life, such as how to balance the soft and strong sides of my personality, into the character of Thea and so I think that’s why I identify the most with her.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thank you so much for having me!

Sincerely,

M. Kircher

The author will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon.com gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So the more you comment, the better your chances of winning!

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Author Bio and Links:

M. KIRCHER graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Gordon College and is currently an author and artist. "The War Inside" is her first novel, but there are more to come including the second book in The Horizons Trilogy, "The Gray Horizon" and "Dreamcatchers", a futuristic twist on the legend of Rip Van Winkle. She devours YA, science fiction, fantasy, and romance on a regular basis and is immensely happy to pour her time and energy into creating stories for other people to enjoy. Bob Ross and J.R.R. Tolkien tie for her two favorite people of all time.

She and her husband write regularly for Relevant Magazine and Simply Youth Ministry. They also just had their first book published called "99 Thoughts on Marriage and Ministry", by Group Publishing.

M. Kircher lives in Connecticut with her husband, one energetic son, and a new baby girl.

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