Looking for a great gift idea for your tween and teen this holiday season? Or maybe you, like me enjoy reading books with your children or just have an avid reader in your household. I admit my youngest daughter comes by her bookworm tendencies genetically as both her father and I are always reading a book.
I love to load my Kindle up almost weekly and then work my way through them. My husband prefers to read hardcovers. Don’t get me wrong I love those too, but with Kindle Unlimited and the Free Best Sellers list it’s always easy for me to find something good to read as well as discover some up and coming best selling authors.
Right now our budding mother/daughter book club is enjoying The 8th Island Trilogy Book 2: Below the Moon! And we thought you may like it too! Don’t want to wait for the holidays? October is the perfect month to load up your library and celebrate National Book Month.
Don’t want to miss a moment of the stories? Start things off with Above the Star the first book in The 8th Island Trilogy. Some books you can go back and read the first one and still enjoy both. We liked to read ours in order.
Above the Star
When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: locating a magical cure for his ailing fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to Jarr-Wya, a magnificent yet terrifying island in a connected realm—along with Ella and her strong-willed mother, Tessa, who accidentally stow away on this not-so-secret quest.
What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star anchored in the sea, and a raging three-way battle for dominion between the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia sands. Ella’s wit and resourcefulness emerge in this new world, while Tessa is forced to confront her long-buried secrets and a confusing new love triangle. When Ella is captured, Tessa and Archie—with the help of a company of peculiar allies—set out to save her and unravel the terrible mystery of her cure.
A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that even the smallest act of bravery can transform our lives and the fates of the worlds around us.
Below the Moon
Ella Wellsley returns! She is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella rallies her strength to join her family—her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and her magical boyfriend, Luggie—in locating the cure to her illness. This cure is entangled in the fate of all worlds and threatened by the presence of an evil Star anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere into chaos—and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its mystery.
Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their troubled pasts to ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey—armed with unearthly abilities and unexpected allies—each member of the Wellsley family will learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.
I’ve even got a little excerpt for you to enjoy and was thrilled to be able to get some of our burning questions answered by the author!
Read the first chapter of Below The Moon starting right now!
Why Below the Moon?
My middle daughter is not big on reading. But tell her it’s a story about ill and dying teenagers and she’s all about giving the book a try. This genre is very popular right now with our tweens, teens and young adults and as much as they loved the movies like The Fault in Our Stars and Five Feet Apart they will enjoy this movie. (Here is our thoughts on Five Feet Apart)
My youngest daughter and I are all about fantasy adventures! I’m sure our comment above about Percy Jackson gave some of that away.
We also LOVE stories with strong female role models! But don’t just listen to us here is what some other readers have to say.
“A spunky heroine is a hallmark of any great adventure, but Chute has made Ella unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Ella’s depth, fire, and fragility combine to create a young woman who you’d want to fight beside, and fall in love with. Chute’s 8th Island is a world that feels both unique and familiar, and Below the Moon takes an already breathtaking story into another gear. If you have any love for the fantasy-adventure genre, you need to be reading this series.”
―Conor McCreery, author of Kill Shakespeare“Think of Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Homer’s Odyssey all wrapped up together.”
― Raymond Gariepy, editor of WestWord magazine
Q & A with the Author
What inspired your story?
My 8th Island Trilogy was inspired by the belief that we will go to extreme lengths to save those we love. The three unlikely characters learn that their past selves do not define their present bravery. They rally against unsurmountable odds and learn that they possess strength they never imagined. In many ways, the trilogy is a fictionalized look at the resiliency of the human spirit. That is a topic I am obsessed with and optimistic about!
What do you think makes a good story?
A good story has characters that are simultaneously loveable and deplorable. The plot is unexpected and varied. There is a lot at stake, and the risks and rewards are always in flux. I can always tell a story is good when it keeps me up at night, lingers long after the last page, and I wish I had thought it up!
What was your favorite book as a child?
Too many to count! I was always reading. I loved the Sweet Valley Twins series. And Goosebumps.
What is the one book no writer should be without?
A dictionary and thesaurus. Though I use these tools online now, I am constantly referring to them while writing my books.
What person(s) has/have helped you the most in your career?
My mom has been a relentless force in teaching me business and determination.
My husband, Aaron, has taught me self-care.
My children have taught me to shut off and be present.
How do your spouse/significant other/friends/family feel about your writing career?
All the close family and friends in my life have realized I am quite eccentric and am going to do what I want no matter how they object, so they have defaulted to being amazing cheerleaders instead—which I am beyond grateful for!!
Stay Connected with the author Alexis Marie Chute
Facebook page @alexismariechute
Twitter handle @_alexis_marie
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/AlexisMarieChute
Instagram @alexismariechute
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