NEW RELEASE! In The Beginning There Was Us

In some SUPER EXCITING NEWS, my next young adult book has just been released – IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US. I thought I would do a quick Q&A on it…

Is this a sequel to WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (AND WE WERE IN LOVE)?
No. It is, however, a companion novel. Both novels are part of THE OTHER WORLD COLLECTION—a series of young adult novels with re-imagined histories. As the novels are based on the concepts explored in WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (AND WE WERE IN LOVE) (no spoilers!), they share a number of elements—including some characters. WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (AND WE WERE IN LOVE) and IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US are the first two books in the collection, with a third due out towards the end of this year (THE DAY WE LIVED FOREVER).

What is IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US about?
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US is a young adult sci fi romance novel, i.e. the same as WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (AND WE WERE IN LOVE). It follows the story of fifteen year old Abbey Baxter, who accidentally raises a boy from the dead. Yes, from the DEAD. Eek! (You could also say it falls into the horror genre too, I guess). Cole (the boy she brings back from the dead) becomes a welcome distraction from her long-time crush Elwin and the death of her younger brother Junior. Abbey has a lot of questions though (as you do when you bring someone back from the dead), but when she starts to uncover the answers, she discovers that some things are better left buried – especially her new boyfriend Cole.

Where can I buy IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US?
Just search for it on Amazon or Smashwords. It will soon also be available from a range of other online stores (Barnes&Noble, Apple iBooks, etc.). Below are a few links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Smashwords

Why is IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US only available as ebook?
You might have seen my earlier post on the re-release of WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (AND WE WERE IN LOVE). I have since said farewell to traditional publishing for a time in order to explore self-publishing. There are pros and cons on both side (more pros these days thanks to the rise of ebooks) and while I certainly missed working with a publisher to see IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US through to publication (i.e. handing over to someone else for all the business side of things), I also took great pleasure in being in control of every element (SUCH a control freak). Because I fully intend one day to seek out a publisher for the print rights (but excuse me while I get off the submission carousel for now), I have decided not to explore printing the novel myself. You never know though, I might change my mind.

How can I read IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS US without an e-reader?
Thankfully for those not into ebooks, but who still want to read In The Beginning There Was Us, you don’t need an e-reader to read an ebook. I’m only familiar with Kindle, so forgive me for continuing to feed the beast that is Amazon. You can read ebooks on your tablet (e.g. iPad), your smart phone (not as small as you think) or your computer. You just need to download the free Kindle app. Any ebook purchases through Amazon will automatically appear in your Kindle library. Easy to follow steps can be found on Amazon.

#BoastPost
Every now and then I feel the need to blow my own trumpet. Unfortunately, it sounds a bit like a possum fighting a cat, who’s fighting a screaming hairy armadillo (yes, it does exist). You may like to grab a pair of earplugs before you read all of my blustery posts here.