Polaris by Beth Bowland
Release Date: August 16, 2016
Publisher:
Month9Books
Bixie, Montana, is in the
middle of nowhere, not connected to any place, and not used as a pass through
to get anywhere. But one snowy evening, a lone visitor walking down an old
country road changes 13-year-old Aaron Martin’s life forever. Aaron thinks he’s
being a Good Samaritan by inviting the nearly-frozen visitor into his home, but
he’s unwittingly initiated The Game. A group of Elders, known as the Council of
the Legend, come together from time to time to enjoy a rousing event they
playfully call “The Game.” Now, Aaron’s town is the playing board and he and his
fellow townspeople are the players. The rules are simple. Win. Because if Aaron
loses, he won’t just lose his family . . . he’ll lose his very identity.
Purchase Links:
Google
Play | BAM
| Chapters
| Amazon
Author Interview:
1.What inspired you to write Polaris?
A few years ago, while flipping through a Christmas card
catalog. I came across a photo of an old country farmhouse with a snowy
background. On the card there were kids playing outside and a horse and
carriage in the background, all decorated for Christmas. I didn’t give it much
thought at first and continued flipping through the catalog, but something made
me flip back and look at it again. This time, in my mind, I saw the same farm
house, but the kids, horse, and carriage were gone as were the Christmas
decorations. In its place was crisp black sky, with the ground heavily covered
in snow, and one young teen boy walking toward this house in the snow, as a
meteor streaked through the sky. I stared at that one picture for the longest
time and knew it was the opening for Polaris. This, along with my love for
conspiracy theories and planets gave me the inspiration to write the story.
2. When or at what age did you know you
wanted to be a writer?
I’ve
been making up stories since I was old enough to read. I’d tell my older sister
a new storyline every night before we went to sleep. Most of them were
retellings of stories I’d read and I’d always have some sort of weird twist in
it.
3. What is the earliest age you remember
reading your first book?
I’ve always loved to read. In elementary school, I would always get the books that were for the older kids. I was a fast reader and by the time I was in the 3rd grade, I would just pick out the thickest book they had and read it. One in particular was in the 5th grade, I read All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and fell in love. I loved the characters. There are so many that I loved.
4. What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I
love anything funny or quirky. I go through phases of what I like.
5. What is your favorite book?
That’s
a hard question. Since I’m a children’s author I will name a few of my favorite children’s books. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett,
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, and I
grew up on all the Judy Blume books, love them!
6. You know I think we all have a favorite
author. Who is your favorite author and why?
Just
like my favorite books, my favorite authors change. However, right now I love
Trenton Lee Stewart. His books are fun and quirky.
7. If you could travel back in time here on
earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?
Washington,
D.C., August 28th, 1963 to hear Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech in person. I get chills just watching it via video, I can’t
imagine what it was like to be there.
8. When writing a book do you find that
writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
The
creating part is easy. The editing is the difficult part.
9. Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like
a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
I
have a Shiranian. He’s a Shih Tzu/Pomeranian mix named Manny.
10. What is your "to die for",
favorite food/foods to eat?
Crab
legs and spaghetti, but not together J
11. Do you have any advice for anyone that
would like to be an author?
Keep
writing! Don’t give up! Stay away from the naysayers. Don’t follow trends.
Write what you want no matter how quirky it is. Tell the story you want to
tell. The story will find its audience. When you get rejections, have some
chocolate, watch some HGTV, then print out the rejections and turn them into
pieces of origami art!
Beth Bowland, a native
Ohioan, has always enjoyed reading and creating stories of her own. As a child
she devoured every book she could get her hands on and spent numerous hours at
the library each week. She loves writing stories for tweens and young teens and
her characters are often described as quirky and fun, but always relatable. When
she’s not writing, she loves watching HGTV. She has one daughter and resides in
Arlington, Texas with her husband, Phillip.
Giveaway Information:
Contest ends September 2, 2016
·
One (1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover
charm (US ONLY)
·
Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of
Polaris by Beth Bowland (INT)
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