Welcome to my tour stop! Check out the author interview and giveaway below...
PassageBy Indie Gantz
YA SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 372 Pages
March 13th 2018 by Cromulent Press
Summary
On Day One, Charlie Damuzi and her mute twin brother, Tirigan, are blissfully unaware of the dangerous world they live in. They may be aliens living on Earth after the extinction of humans, but to Charlie, life is pretty mundane.
On Day Two, the Damuzi family is ripped apart by a secret that forces the twins to flee the only home they've ever known. Determined to reunite their family, Charlie and Tirigan travel to uncharted territory in search of their salvation.
But that's just Charlie's side of the story.
In the future, forty days from when we first meet the Damuzi twins, Tirigan is on the move. His destination is unknown, as are the people he's surrounded himself with, but his mission is still the same. Keep his sister safe and reunite their family. However, as Tirigan attempts to navigate the complex bonds he's formed with his companions, he's forced to confront the one thing in life he has yet to fully understand. Himself.
Family. Deception. Power. Destruction.
It all begins on Day One.
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Author Interview
Welcome, Indie, to my blog today! Thanks for being willing to answer some questions about your newest release, PASSAGE.
What inspired you to write PASSAGE?
To be quite honest, Passage’s origin story is one of sheer vindictiveness. I started writing what would become books one and two of The Akasha Series after having been burned one to many times by the genre fiction’s social status quo. I wrote the first two books of what will be an eight to ten book series because I really want more genre fiction books that represent all kinds of people. I wanted to shine a spotlight on the different kinds of relationships people engage in, while not making the story all about the relationships. I also wanted to write something mysterious and exciting, something that builds into a multi-book puzzle.
Why did you decide to have the main characters be twins?
I love playing with tropes, as you’ll see throughout my stories, because I think tropes help us easily identify the ‘norm.’ By making Charlie and Tirigan twins, I’ve opened up the possibility for the classic good twin/evil twin trope. But I don’t like to write on the nose, and no matter what trope I’m playing with, you can pretty much guarantee it won’t turn out as you expect.
Would you tell us a little more about Charlie and Tirigan?
Charlie and Tirigan are Anunnaki (alien) fraternal twins who have been raised by the land. Their wildlife photographer parents keep them traveling all over Earth, and they have no friends or other relatives that they know of. That makes them each other’s best friend. They are seventeen, well-read, and enjoy consuming human media and throwing knives for sport.
Charlie is witty, sarcastic, and very protective of her brother. She’s placed herself in the role of his caretaker, due to his pervasive developmental disorder, which is the source of some strife between them. She is desperate for a life outside of her family, but still loves them deeply. She is the main narrator, but Tirigan has five chapters throughout the first book that are written from his point of view. They are also from a different timeline, and provide some insight and mystery into the twins’ future.
Tirigan is mute, and speaks only telepathically to his sister. She interprets for him for their parents, who are wonderful examples of what I think parents should be. At least, that’s what it seems like. Tirigan is logical, has trouble understanding certain social cues and practices, and doesn’t like to be touched. He loves his family, but has trouble expressing it in a way that satisfies Charlie. He’s perfectly content with his life, and does not like change.
Do Charlie and Tirigan know that they’re aliens from the beginning or is that something that they discover in the story?
Charlie & Tirigan were raised to believe they are Anunnaki, aliens that, unbeknownst to humanity, cohabitated with humans until the destruction of Earth in an astrological event. The Anunnaki fled Earth when the apocalypse was upon them and returned to their home planet, leaving the humans to their fate. They returned to Earth only when it’s atmosphere stabilized and it was safe to do so. Flash forward two generations, and Charlie and Tirigan are born to their Anunnaki parents. Anunnaki live for several hundred years and have the ability to regenerate, or heal very quickly.
However, we soon learn that Charlie and Tirigan’s parents lied about their origins, and Charlie and Tirigan aren’t full Anunnaki afterall. They learn they are apart of another ancient species with gifts of their own.
What is the initial indicator or characteristic of them being alien?
The fact that they are alien is revealed in the very first paragraph. Them being alien is not the basis of the plot. In fact, the first three books of the series don’t talk much about their alien side because it isn’t new for them. Instead, they are thrust into the other species that make up their blood, Tessera, which gives them their elemental powers. The first inkling of this power is their ability to communicate telepathically.
What is your favorite part of the story?
I’m a big fan of Avias, a very important character in the series, so my favorite parts of the story are where I get to write for him. He’s sassy, needlessly proper, intelligent, and a bit of a snob. He’s also loyal, generous, and incredibly kind when he allows you to see it.
I also really love writing the dynamic between Charlie and Tirigan, as it will grow and change with time. As anyone who has dealt with a loved one with some sort of disability knows, there are ups and downs to the relationship, and mistakes will be made. Their relationship arc over the entire series will be cathartic at times, heartbreaking at others, but hopefully satisfying overall.
What are you working on next?
I am currently in my final edit of Kindred, Book II of the Akasha Series, and plan to send it off to a professional editor soon. I have also recently finished the first draft of Captive, the first novella in the character study companion piece series that will be released sometime after the second book. The companion pieces don’t forward Charlie or Tirigan’s story, but they provide insight into other character’s thoughts and motivations. These characters studies also serve to enrich the world I’m creating.
I am also about a third of the way through writing the third book in The Akasha Series, Salvage. I’m hoping to have the first draft done before the end of the summer.
About the Author
Indie Gantz grew up in Northern Virginia and received her Psychology degree at George Mason University. Despite her passion and curiosity for the human mind, Indie left her chosen field of study to finally give voice to the many imagined minds she has created. Indie lives with her family in North Carolina. She spends her days drinking tea and clacking keys.
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