Join Us for this Book Series Tour from Jul 7 to Aug 10, 2020!
“A Wrinkle in Time meets The Princess Bride.” - Review by Lee Lee Thompson, The Perpetual You Magazine
“Chute’s novel weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for booklovers of all ages.” - US Review of Books
“Fast and bizarre… Never a dull moment.“ - Foreward Reviews
SERIES DETAILS:
Series Title: The 8th Island Trilogy by Alexis Marie Chute
Category: Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs) (368 to 448 pages)
Genre: fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher: SparkPress.
Release dates: Jun 2018; Oct 2019; Apr 2020
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Series Description:
Over the three books, we follow the adventures of a quirky family, the
Wellsleys. The main characters are frumpy senior citizen Archie, his
daughter-in-law, Tessa, and his ill fourteen-year-old granddaughter Ella.
Archie, searching for his missing son, accidentally transports his
family—and a cruise ship full of people—to a magical planet. There, they
uncover the truth: all worlds are dying. Yet hope is not lost. A way to
restore all that will soon be destroyed is revealed, along with the
realization that Ella will play a role no one could have
imagined—especially not her.
On the mysterious island of Jarr-Wya, many races of
creatures battle for dominion and magic lurks around every corner. When
the world falls dark, that is when bravery must shine the brightest, and
the Wellsleys will reveal the strength they never knew they
possessed—as well as the power of love to save the day.
Book Details:
Book Title: Above the Star by Alexis Marie Chute
Category: Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 368 pages
Genre: fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher: SparkPress.
Release dates: Jun 2018
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in
the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: locating a
magical cure for his ailing fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella.
Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a
stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to Jarr-Wya, a
magnificent yet terrifying island in a connected realm―along with Ella
and her strong-willed mother, Tessa, who accidentally stow away on this
not-so-secret quest.
What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star
anchored in the sea, and a raging three-way battle for dominion between
the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia
sands. Ella’s wit and resourcefulness emerge in this new world, while
Tessa is forced to confront her long-buried secrets and a confusing new
love triangle. When Ella is captured, Tessa and Archie―with the help of a
company of peculiar allies―set out to save her and unravel the terrible
mystery of her cure. A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of
three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that even the smallest
act of bravery can transform our lives and the fates of the worlds
around us.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Book Details:
Book Title: Below the Moon by Alexis Marie Chute
Category: Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 448 pages
Genre: fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher: SparkPress.
Release dates: Oct 2019
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
Ella Wellsley is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but
not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella rallies her
strength to join her family―her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and
her magical boyfriend―in locating the cure to her illness. This cure is
entangled in the fate of all worlds, and threatened by the presence of
an evil Star anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere
into chaos―and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its mystery.
Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love
triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their troubled pasts to
ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey―armed with unearthly
abilities and unexpected allies―each member of the Wellsley family will
learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Book Details:
Book Title: Inside the Sun by Alexis Marie Chute
Category: Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 384 pages
Genre: fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher: SparkPress.
Release dates: April 2020
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.
Book Description:
All worlds are dying, and it’s up to one broken and dysfunctional family from Earth―the Wellsleys―to save the day.
Cancer-ridden Ella celebrates her fifteenth birthday beneath an
enchanted mountain, but it is what lies even farther below―the
mysterious Star in the sea―that demands she grow up quickly. While Ella
grapples with the sacrifice she must make and the lies she is forced to
tell, her mother, Tessa, is hell-bent on protecting her.
Through bizarre encounters, love-sick Tessa realizes that she is not the
lonely orphan she believes. Her husband, Arden, and father-in-law,
Archie, are not the only ones with magical bloodlines. This revelation
changes everything. As Archie chooses to embody his unexpected ancestry,
he learns that leading the charge in the ultimate battle against evil
won’t be as easy as he thought. He’ll need his family―and the strange
allies he has gained―by his side to give Ella enough time to set things
right.
Can they defeat the unstoppable Millia sands―and another unexpected
foe―before everything they hold dear is destroyed? Or will their
adventure tear them apart for good? The finale to The 8th Island Trilogy
will hold you spellbound until the final page, and long after.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Bookshop ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Guest Post
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Bookshop ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads
Guest Post
Behind the Book: Alexis Marie
Chute, Author of The 8th Island
Trilogy, Talks about Endings
Writing a satisfying ending to a fantasy
series is tremendously important. Readers invest a great deal of time in book
series. They fall in love with characters, hate others, and become deeply
invested in the outcome of the story. The ending is the final note that can
either be pitch perfect, giving the reader ‘the tingles,’ or hit an off
note.
When I began writing The
8th Island Trilogy with book one, Above
the Star, I was not thinking about the ending. It was not
until I was early on in writing book two, Below the Moon,
that I had to slow my momentum and pause. I have never been a person who writes
with an outline. Wild story ideas and even wilder characters come easily to my mind.
However, a series is a big responsibility. Part way into book two, I knew I
needed to plot my characters’ journeys to the end.
I sat on the floor with eight different
colors of markers and highlighters. A pack of sticky notes. A rainbow of blank
cue cards. The most helpful item: A giant pad of paper. I spend a solid day
piecing together the plot lines of my three haphazard heroes: fourteen-year-old
Ella, her mom Tessa, and her grandpa Archie. I also needed to do this for the
important secondary characters, and for the book’s villains.
My goal was to leave readers with the hair
on their arms standing on end. I planned plot twists and planted clues throughout
the story. Seeing the plot and subplot written out in a similar format to an
idea map—points connected with lines—I gifted myself a successful framework.
With that framework, and knowing how I
wanted to conclude the trilogy, I got back to writing. Even with this outline,
I left room for spontaneity. In book three, Inside the Sun,
for example, a new character appeared in the first chapter as I was free
writing. I had not anticipated introducing that character—named Nickel—but she
brought something fresh to the story.
Writing the ending of Above
the Star left my heart pounding for what was
to come. As I typed the final words in Below the Moon,
I cried. Inside the Sun
is the dramatic crescendo to dying worlds and fractured relationships
that is so satisfying. The story is not wrapped up with a pretty bow—there’s no
verisimilitude in that—but in such a way that resonates as real, even for an
adrenaline fuelled fantasy adventure.
Meet the Author:
Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning author, artist,
photographer, art curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. She has
received over 40 noteworthy distinctions for her visual and literary
work. Her award-winning fantasy series The 8th Island Trilogy includes,
Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. The series has been
described as “A WRINKLE IN TIME meets THE PRINCESS BRIDE” by The
Perpetual You magazine, and “Fast and bizarre… never a dull moment” by
Forward Reviews. The 8th Island Trilogy “weaves STAR WARS-like
characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for
blooklovers of all ages” – US Review of Books. Chute’s bestselling
memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy
After Loss, was a top Kirkus title of 2017 and received a plethora of
other literary distinctions. The memoir was accompanied by the feature
documentary of the same name, which has screened internationally for the
last three years. Chute received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and
Design from the University of Alberta, Canada, and studied at Media
Design school in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated valedictorian with
her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Lesley University in
Cambridge, MA, USA. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker. She has
presented on art, writing, bereavement, and the healing capacities of
creativity around the world. Contact the Author/Artist for bookings
info@alexismariechute.com When not in her art/photo studio or at her
computer, Chute loves to spend quality time with her family, read
fiction and non-fiction, watch reality TV, paddleboard, and canoe. She
is not a winter person but lives in frosty Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
with her husband and their three living children.
Tour Schedule:
July 7 – Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / guest post / author interview / giveaway
July 7 - Working Mommy Journal – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 7 - fundinmental - series spotlight / giveaway
July 7 - Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnista - series spotlight / giveaway
July 8 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 8 – Book Bustle – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 8 - Living in a Bookworld – series spotlight / giveaway
July 9 - Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 9 – I'm Into Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 10 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 10 - She Just Loves Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 13 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 13 - Books and Zebras – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 14 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 14 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 15 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 15 - Blooming with Books – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 16 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 16 - Books and Zebras – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 17 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 17 - Writer with Wanderlust – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 20 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 20 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 20 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Above the Star / giveaway
July 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 21 - Stephanie Jane – series spotlight / giveaway
July 21 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 22 – T's Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 22 - She Just Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 22 - Blooming with Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun / guest post / giveaway
July 23 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 24 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 24 - Books and Zebras – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 27 – Book Bustle – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 27 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 28 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 28 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 28 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
July 29 – 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 29 - Blooming with Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
July 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 30 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Below the Moon / giveaway
July 31 – She Just Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 3 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 4 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 4 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Inside the Sun / guest post / giveaway
Aug 5 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 5 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 6 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 6 - Olio by Marilyn – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 7 – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Aug 7 - Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 10 - Books for Books – series spotlight
Aug 10 –Book Bustle – book review of Inside the Sun / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway:
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