Saturday 4 August 2012

Book Promotion - Shadow Eyes





Shadow Eyes Synopsis:

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows...until they went after everyone she loved.
Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil.  But she is the only one who can see them.  She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier. 
Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters.  First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.
As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

Author Bio:
Dusty Crabtree has been a high school English teacher at Yukon High School in Oklahoma since 2006, a challenge she thoroughly enjoys. She is also a youth sponsor at Cherokee Hills Christian Church in Oklahoma City and feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis.  Her passion for teens has poured into her writing as well.  She is the author of the young adult urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes, through Musa Publishing, which she wrote in order to give teens an intriguing and provocative book series that promotes moral messages.  She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents.

Guest Post:
 
Many writers say they always knew they wanted to be a writer.  My writing journey was slightly different.  Sure I occasionally attempted short stories as a child…that I never finished, but since then I didn’t think about writing fiction until just before starting my young adult urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes.  In truth, I never would have become a writer if it hadn’t have been for two things: my friend’s suggestion and a crazy, unique idea that ignited my passion and wouldn’t leave me alone.  In fact, the best advice I give to aspiring authors is to come up with a concept that is so amazing and that you are so passionate about that you will never get bored with it and never want to give up.

The idea for Shadow Eyes actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie, if there ever was such a genre.  The movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things.  Only the audience would see the shadows.  The characters would be completely oblivious.  I could see it all in my head, and it was awesome!  But I had no idea how to write a screenplay.

A few years after I’d had that idea, my friend suggested I should write a novel like the paranormal angel books we’d been reading and loving.  I’d always loved the concept of angels and demons in stories and immediately thought back to that screenplay idea.  After realizing 3rd person omniscient was not a great narrator choice for a novel, I decided on a 1st person narrator, Iris, who had a special ability to see the shadows, as well as light figures (angels), but nobody else could. 

The more the story developed in my mind, the more crazy I was about it.  All the mysterious characters, the big mystery about what happened to Iris when she was 14 that first gave her the ability, her making mistakes and discovering who these characters were and, more importantly, who she was – all of it just fell into place on an outline out of my crazy, overly-creative, overly-stimulated mind.  Shadow Eyes, my pride and joy, my baby, is the result.


Check out Dusty’s blog at http://dustycrabtree.wordpress.com/
Follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/dustycrabtree
(also available at all major online bookstores)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Also, I forgot to mention that you can enter to win a promotional paperback copy of Shadow Eyes on Goodreads through Monday, August 6th! Here is the link: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/28859-shadow-eyes

Kaitlyn Devin and Grace said...

This book sounds really cool. If I'm being totally honest, I think the cover would have initially turned me off without even reading the description. This is why I love book blogs, to introduce you to new things and help you to not judge a book by it's cover!

-Kate the Book Buff
Recent Post: Holy Backlash Batman! Hunger Games Just got REAL!

barmybex said...

I know what you mean about the cover. Glad you've changed your mind though! :D
I've found loads of great books on blogs too. It's awesome. Thanks for stopping by! :)