Happy Tuesday Everybody,
Today I'm delighted to blog swap with author Katie Hamstead! I'm on her blog giving a behind-the-scenes look at writing a novel with Greek Mythology and she's appearing on here to talk about her novel (released by Soul Mate Publishing) Branded, a Teen/Romantic Suspense novel that looks intriguing.
So without further ado, take it away, Katie!
Branded:
Set in Australia
by Katie Hamstead
Branded is set in the Sydney area, mostly the
western suburbs and Blue Mountains. I set most of my contemporary books around
there simply for the fact that it is where I grew up.
I heard somewhere once that you should write what
you know. So when it comes to things that involve high school, university etc I
set my stories in the schooling system I am familiar with. My time as a foreign
exchange student and the few years I have lived in the USA have taught me the
basics of the American school system, but I don’t know it the way I do the
Aussie one.
For Branded, the concept also originated when I
lived in Australia still. I came up with the concept in 11th grade
English, and wove ideas together while staring out at the bush on hiking and
road trips. The bush is a place that has this ancient spirit to it, it’s hard
to explain, but I am completely in love with it. So Branded has some beautiful
settings that I wanted to showcase.
Knowing the bush like that, I know how easy it is to
disappear. So with a map for my characters to go by, it was the perfect place
to provide refuge to the people who escaped the carnage of the “invasion”.
Plus, not many books are set in Australia, so why
not? J
Branded
released on the 5th of February.
(Note from Bethany: That's February 5 of THIS year, folks! This means the novel is available for your reading pleasure). :-)
Blurb for Branded:
Terrorists have invaded Sydney, and Allison King barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. She and her siblings flee, but their parents are killed by firing squad.
Now Ali’s on the run and terrified. While searching for other survivors, she is captured by the General who leads the invasion. He’s smitten by Ali, and when she refuses to submit to his whims, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Marking not only him but also sealing her fate. Ali manages to escape and flees into the bush once more where she finds a group in hiding. Even with the scars left by the General, Ali learns to love and falls in love with the young man who found her—Damien Rogers.
But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man—Damien—his wrath is kindled and his obsession is inflamed. Ali must put herself on the line or the General could kill her family, those who help her, and most significantly, the man she loves.
You can purchase Branded on Amazon, by clicking here.
Add it to your TBR (To Be Read) Pile on Goodreads by clicking on here.
Author Katie Hamstead's bio:
Born and raised in Australia, Katie's early years of day dreaming in the "bush", and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.
After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.
She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling.
She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
You can find Katie at...
Katie, thank you for coming by and telling us about Branded! It sounds like a fun read. Best wishes to you. :-)
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Hope Everyone Has A Tremendously Terrific Tuesday!
