By Katie Lynn Johnson
As crazy as it sounds, it actually took me 15 years (15 years!) to write Amulet of Elusion. Granted, I did not plan on it being an actual novel until one year before I finally completed the 97,000-word manuscript. Prior to that, it was a series of disjointed short stories that I never intended to publish.
So why decide to publish? It wasn’t an easy decision. Trying to gain recognition as a self-published author is like trying to make your voice heard in a room of 10,000 people. No joke. But I owe it to the characters to spread the word about the story…so, here goes.
FIRST LINE: The cottage sat on the very edge of the forest, on the outskirts of the vibrant city of San Lucero.
LAST LINE: She knew all too well what she was facing, and asking him to remain by her side was the most selfish thing that she could do.
THE STORY: It isn’t about witches, vampires, werewolves, or ghosts. I wanted to do something different, so I created a story about magic that is feared as much as it is respected. It can be granted to anyone, if they have the right connections. And that connection is my 18-year-old heroine, Alexa Costa. Alexa is one of very few people who can grant power from Amulets to people of her choosing. Understandably, this talent causes her a lot of trouble and brings unwanted attention from baddies bent on world domination. Fortunately for Alexa, she also has a talent for wielding samurai swords and revolvers. The hero of the story, and Alexa’s main squeeze, is Caleb Whitman, a merchant sailor with a knack for finding long lost antiques.
The story starts slow as the setting and characters are fleshed out, but once the action picks up, it doesn’t stop. Think of the plot as a slingshot: the first quarter of the book is winding up, winding up, and then BAM! You’re catapulted into action and chaos for the remainder of the book.
THE SETTING: Almost every fantasy I’ve ever read was focused in Northern Europe, and I wanted to explore different settings. I wanted it to be a place I could escape to, that I would enjoy, and frozen mountains in the north are just not my cup of tea. Frankly, if I could be anywhere in the world, I would be on a beach. So it was decided that a tropical island would be the setting.
Where would you rather be?
or
My point exactly.
~ KLJ
Amulet of Elusion
(The Lost Amulet Chronicles, #1)
by Katie Lynn Johnson
Createspace Independent Publishing, 376 Pages
Young Adult – Fantasy - Adventure
Alexa Costa has a life-altering secret…only she doesn’t know it yet.
Confined by law to the kingdom of Alvair until the age of eighteen, Alexa has lived a sheltered existence under the watchful eye of her sword-wielding guardian, Ivy. Her love interest, Caleb Whitman, is exactly the opposite. A merchant sailor and seeker of rare artifacts, Caleb has lived a life of adventure in nearby San Lucero, the long-time rival of Alvair.
After her eighteenth birthday, Alexa’s quiet existence becomes tumultuous, and she realizes she does not need to seek to find adventure. Myths become real, legend becomes fact, and Alexa discovers that she possesses rare abilities which make her a target for both sides in a centuries-old struggle for power. She must use every resource available to her—including her talents with the supernatural Amulets— to help her friends, rekindle her romance with Caleb, and save her island home from destruction.
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