Thursday, December 4, 2014

Seed: Keepers of Genesis I by DB Nielsen Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway


Seed: Keepers of Genesis I
Keepers of Genesis Series
Volume I
DB Nielsen

Genre: YA PNR/ Urban Fantasy

Publisher: LBLA Digital

ISBN: 1908879181
ASIN: B00K75I06E

Number of pages: 432
Word Count:  160,000

Cover Artist: XLintellect PTY LTD

Book Description:

A powerful, hidden artefact is unearthed and, with its discovery, an ancient conflict is reignited. Seventeen-year-old Sage Woods, the daughter of an eminent archaeologist, uncovers the artefact’s disturbing secret and is placed in terrible danger.

Unwittingly, she has stumbled into an invisible war between two primordial dynasties of a supernatural order – a war in which she has a fateful role to play in a race to control the power of the SEED.    

Embroiled in a quest that takes her from the British Museum to the Louvre to the Vatican Secret Archives, Sage realises that her blossoming romance with the mysterious, alluring St. John Rivers is inextricably tied to the artefact.

Up until now, St. John has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Sage is determined to delve deeper to uncover his dark secret and his connection to the SEED.

It is a decision that will have a devastating effect on humankind…

Available at Amazon

One thrilling quest, twin sisters and their sweeping and adventurous romances, a perilous rivalry, intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries, a magical tale of angels and demons throughout the ages. Incorporating historical facts intertwined with myth, fantasy, fascinating esoterica and love story, SEED is a captivating read which marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in YA and crossover escapist literature.

Excerpt:

I had no idea where to begin in my quest, so I decided to simply follow the path of least resistance, working my way around the exhibition. It was like a jigsaw puzzle; reconstructing pieces of the past and trying to find the bigger picture. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, I only hoped that there would be something, some tablet or bas relief, that would be able to shed some light on the artefact and, more importantly, on what I’d seen. I would have sworn that I saw it transform before my eyes in Dad’s office but I didn’t know whether I should doubt myself now. I’d only seen the artefact for a few moments and yet it had felt like it was speaking to me, imparting some ancient knowledge. Of course, I didn’t understand any of it, but I hoped to.
Because I was in a reverie, I almost missed the piece altogether. It was a tablet not much more than ten centimetres in length, containing a cuneiform inscription and a unique map of the Mesopotamian world. The symbols on the tablet were an exact copy of some of the symbols I’d seen on the artefact though a little more crudely formed.
The cuneiform inscription composed the top section of the tablet whilst, underneath it, was a diagram featuring two concentric circles. The outer circle was surrounded by triangles at what seemed to be random distances. The inner circle held more geometric symbols and cuneiforms. A rectangle in the top half of the inner circle in the centre of the tablet represented Babylon. Assyria, Elam and other cities were also depicted. The tablet and its inscription were by no means complete as it had been reassembled from the broken pieces found by archaeologists. Information was obviously missing but I was elated at finding anything that could tell me more about the artefact.
It was because I was so transfixed with my find that I initially failed to notice that I was being scrutinized from across the room. The first I became aware of it was a prickling sensation down my back, the hairs on my neck and arms raised giving me goose bumps. I turned my head round nervously, looking back over my shoulder.
He stood at a distance, a young man in his mid-twenties perhaps, taller than average. No mere accident of lighting, his slightly curly locks, the colour of polished brass, formed a halo around a face that was much too beautiful to be called handsome. The only way to describe him was golden. His skin was golden, his hair, which he wore slightly longer than was fashionable, curling into the nape of his neck, was golden and I suspected his eye colour was, if not golden, amber like mine.
When I caught him staring at me intently, he neither looked away in embarrassment nor did he pretend to know me. Instead, he continued to assess me with an unblinking, hypnotic gaze. It was I who broke contact first; flushing with embarrassment, I dropped my eyes at once.
This can’t be happening! I thought, feeling panicky. Dragging in a deep breath, my eyes skittered back to his. He was still staring at me, his indescribably beautiful face unmoved.
My heart fluttered in my chest. I didn’t know what to think – was this some random stalker or had he seen me before around the museum and couldn’t place my face, seeming familiar to him? No serial killer looked the way he did. He was dressed immaculately all in black; a pair of black trousers was topped by a fine woollen black turtleneck. He wore the sleeves rolled up, exposing his sun-kissed skin. And the black only accentuated the perfection of his face. Of course, I had no idea what a serial killer looked like, but I was fairly certain it wasn’t this golden god.
As curious as I was, I did the only thing that made sense; I ignored him – or pretended to. Deliberately turning my back on him, I tried to refocus on the tablet in front of me. But I was merely staring blankly, nothing was registering. It was all so unreal.
‘It’s not real.’ A low, attractive voice remarked by my side.
I almost jumped out of my skin, whirling to face the owner of that voice.
‘Sorry if I startled you.’ He smiled, apologetically. ‘I saw you looking at the map of ancient Mesopotamia.’ He nodded in the direction of the display case.
I blinked. He was even more stunningly golden up close. He belonged in a museum – he had the kind of face and figure that artists used as a model. Statues should have been made of this man, posing as Apollo, Phaenon or David. I almost envied him his looks; such beauty on a guy wasn’t fair.
I had been wrong about the eyes though; they were an impossible jade green flecked with gold and framed by the longest eyelashes on any guy I’d seen. He was also taller than I imagined; a good few inches above six feet. All in all, he was quite a package and way out of my league.
I somehow regained my scattered wits to stutter, ‘S-s-sorry?’
Great! Now he was going to think I was an idiot! An idiot with a stutter!
I almost groaned aloud.


About the Author:

db nielsen was born in British Hong Kong and immigrated to Australia in childhood. db likes to travel the world with family; dividing time between residing in Sydney and visits to the cathedrals, crypts and museums the world over, doing research for new projects. The author is a university lecturer in Linguistics and Semiotics, and continues to teach English Literature and Language whilst writing fiction.


Interview

Where are you from?
I’m from Sydney, Australia or, as many people like to call it, “DownUnder”. At least, that’s where I now live. I was born in British Hong Kong but immigrated with my family when I was only six-months-old. I tend to be “between” worlds (unfortunately not the world of my novel) – between Sydney and London. And I really love travelling, I’d like to say I’m a global citizen.

Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is that I’m now well into writing the third novel in the KEEPERS OF GENESIS series; once again following Sage Woods’ journey and romance. Book Two in the series, SCROLL, will hopefully be out early next year. I’m also very much in support of Indie writers and bookstores – so check out #IndieBooksBeSeen and show some love to some great Indie authors.

When and why did you begin writing?
I always enjoyed writing. When I was in high school, I would write short stories and poetry for the school magazine and even entered a few newspaper/ magazine writing competitions. I never formally studied creative writing – I think if you love to write (and have people read your work/s) then you’re a writer whether you’re published or not. Instead, I studied Humanities at university, majoring in English Language and Literature and Linguistics (Semiotics) and became a university lecturer. But I continued to write for fun and it was only when some of my students encouraged me to publish my novel that I thought about writing professionally (and not just publishing academic essays and articles for journals which many people would consider boring!)

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think it was when I sent my first novel to several agents and they showed interest in my work. Up till then I didn’t know if I “had what it takes”, that special ingredient, to be considered a writer. Receiving the affirmation of others – agents, editors, fellow authors, bloggers and readers – makes me realize I can write and I am a writer.

What inspired you to write your first book?
I think it was because I wanted stronger female role models in books for young adults. The purpose of my writing is to provide suitable role models for young women and men, and to inform them about history whilst entertaining them. I hate passive female protagonists, especially in fantasy or dystopian fiction – if I can’t see them as interesting people, why would anyone like them and why would the hero fall in love with them? There has to be something more to a character that allows us to empathise with them. Ordinary is fine. Boring and insipid is not.
I also really wanted to tell the story of a war in the heavens between the angels. This has always fascinated me. And I liked the idea of including real history with theology and myth, so that the novel would be didactic and readers could also learn some interesting facts along the way.

Do you have a specific writing style?
Not that I know of – though another author friend of mine suggests that I love using figurative language. My genre, at the moment, is paranormal romance but I have many ideas I’d like to explore (and other genres) after I’ve finished this series.

How did you come up with the title?
The title is part of the plot – it’s the artefact that is found which triggers a quest to find the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and, in turn, the Garden of Eden. Hence, it’s called SEED: KEEPERS OF GENESIS

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I think there’s quite a few. One of them is that history is often stranger than fantasy. If we can understand the past, we can make sense of ourselves and our world.
Also, I want readers to understand that some things have to be taken on faith. There is much to discover still in our world – the unknown, the unexplored, the unseen – but, in the end, the story is about us; about love and mortality.

How much of the book is realistic?
Quite a bit for a paranormal romance. It has quite a lot of archaeology and history – especially ancient Mesopotamian history with references to the zodiac, tarot, mathematical systems, astronomy, and so forth – and I wanted it to be as accurate as possible. One of the greatest compliments from a reader was that they thought I must have a background in archaeology and history. I may not be an archaeologist or historian but I do have a love for history.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I wish!! I think the only sections I can safely say are based on events in my own life are the recipes and Christmas celebrations with the traditions and customs. The character of Sage’s mum is, perhaps, similar to my own mum who was also an artist/ designer.

What books have most influenced your life most?
You’ll probably be able to tell from reading the novel itself but … I have very eclectic tastes. I read everything from paranormal romance to crime fiction. Some of my favorite books and authors are (in no particular order): Pride and Prejudice by Austen; the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde; The Alchemist by Coehlo; In the Skin of a Lion by Ondaatje; The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien; The Time Traveler’s Wife by Hiffenegger; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Life of Pi by Martel; and Shakespeare’s plays… and so many more…

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Jane Austen. She’s satirical (I love her ironic voice) and romantic (just check out the sexual tension between Elizabeth and Darcy!)

What book are you reading now?
Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I love discovering Indie authors but I’m also interested in those books recommended to me by my readers. I stay away from any books containing angels and Nephilim whilst I’m writing, but I have just rediscovered Dashner’s The Maze Runner series and Rachel Caine’s The Morganville Vampires series. I’d also like to look into Jennifer Armentrout’s books that so many of my readers just love.

What are your current projects?
Finishing off Book Three, SWORD, in the KEEPERS OF GENESIS series and then to eventually try writing a futuristic dystopian text (maybe).

What would you like my readers to know?
I love hearing from my readers. I have a reader’s selfies page on my website for readers of my series to send me their pics (with or without the hardcopy or kindle version). And I love it when they ask me questions, send me reading suggestions and tweet me. So look me up and don’t be shy…

Oh … and I hope to have SCROLL, the next book in the series, out early next year!


  



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1 comment:

  1. Just want to say thanks so much for having me on your wonderful blog. DB xx

    ReplyDelete