Guest Post and Giveaway: Whispering Woods series by Brinda Berry

Description:

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal... 

Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. 

Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. 

But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him…

Description:

Weapons training and winter formals...a deadly combination.

All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and agents from the IIA began policing people's movements through dimensions. She'd trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he'd told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes.

Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Description:

Senior year should bring fun, friends, and happiness. Not portals, treachery, and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Mia Taylor, gatekeeper to an interdimensional portal, wants nothing more than to heal from her romance gone wrong. Illegally falling for her co-worker Regulus had been a huge mistake. But when Regulus goes rogue to hunt down a murderer, Mia must forget her broken heart and use her unique abilities to save him. Traveling across dimensions, she enters a strange and hostile world where a rebel faction holds the key to their escape. Her gift of synesthesia is in high demand, and a secret organization of the otherworldly kind has her in their sights. But sabotage and murder may be the least of her worries. Her ex-boyfriend wants a relationship. Her dad wants her to act normal. Her friends want her to stop moping. Who knew faking happy would be the easiest part of senior year?

GUEST POST 

The Challenge of Writing a New Series 

In writing a new series, there are tons of factors I have to keep in mind. I use spreadsheets to keep track of my characters, plots, settings, and facts. My head would explode if I didn’t. 

I once attended a lecture by Charlaine Harris and she mentioned that a reader protested that she had gotten a name wrong in a book. The reader pointed out the difference in Vampire Bill's name in two books from her Sookie Stackhouse series. 

I sat stunned at this admission. I mean...who remembers that stuff? Obviously, readers do. 

I then understood the importance of continuity in my series. If I mention that my character’s name is Peter Antares Taylor, then I'd better make sure he doesn't pop up in a later book with a different middle name. Or maybe he can’t drink milk because I mentioned he's allergic in an earlier book. 

I also have to consider the character growth within the series, the different plots to keep it interesting, and if I can put a unique spin on the tale. 

In my Whispering Woods series, I love the idea of traveling between dimensions via portal. I didn't want to copy anything already in the market. My main character Mia has synesthesia which is a real medical condition. It's an overlap of sensory perception. After I heard a podcast about synesthesia, the idea hit me like a plot boulder. What if a girl could sense portals to other worlds? 

The main challenges are keeping your storyline and characters fresh while sticking to the rules you've created for the world. I hope you enjoy reading about Mia and her life in and out of Whispering Woods. 

TOUR SCHEDULE

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About the author:

Brinda Berry lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She has a BSE in English and French and a MEd in Learning Systems Technology. She’s terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality. She doesn’t mind being called a geek or “crazy dog lady”. When she’s not working the day job or writing a novel, she’s guilty of surfing the internet for no good reason.

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