New Release MG Fantasy: Summer's Dark Waters by Simon Williams

Today I welcome Author Simon Williams to the The Chronicler to introduce his new release sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal book, Summer's Dark Waters. While Williams has published the first three books of his dark fantasy, The Aona series, this book marks his debut in writing for a younger 10+ audience. 

SUMMER'S 

DARK WATERS

SIMON WILLIAMS

 

 What readers are saying about Summer's Dark Waters...

"The author expertly maintains the suspense and mystery to hook the reader" 5 Stars

"A believable dark fantasy world where readers will easily connect with both the characters and storyline." 5 Stars

"I haven't seen (my 12 1/2 yr old daughter) that into a book in awhile." 5 Stars

An Excerpt to tempt you...

The afternoon wore on, tedious in the way that only summer afternoons spent inside can be. The hands of the clock on the wall appeared (to the eyes of the hot and tired students who kept staring at it) to be moving far too slowly, as if like them it was starting to wilt a little in the summer heat.

            Joe finished his work and turned it over to stop anyone nearby from copying his answers. Nathan sat nearest to him, and he usually tried to look at Joe’s work whenever he got a chance, but today he was actually trying to figure out the answers himself for a change.

            Joe frowned and looked around suddenly. The oddest sensation had come to him- something he could not even hope to describe.

            It’s like there’s suddenly an extra person in the classroom, he thought, and he found himself looking around at everyone and counting heads, certain that there was a new student who had suddenly wandered into the room- although that was impossible, because he and everyone else would have seen him or her. In fact their teacher, Miss Wells, would have introduced the new student at the beginning of the lesson.

            And there can’t be anyone new anyway, he reminded himself. It’s almost the end of the summer term. No one joins school with just a week to go.

            But he couldn’t stop himself looking around, scanning everyone and silently counting them. A few saw him and stared back. Daniel made a rude hand signal and glared at him. Gemma stuck out her tongue. Caitlin just smiled and gave him a little wave before going back to her work.

            “Have you finished your work, Joe?” Miss Wells asked, staring at him over the top of her glasses.

            “Yes miss,” he said politely.

            “Then could you please stop looking around at everyone else and read a book until the end of class?”

            Joe took a book out of his bag and opened it at the bookmark. He began reading, but he had only got as far as halfway down the page when another strange feeling came to him. It was as if he was being watched intently by one of the other students.

            No, he thought suddenly, closing the book slowly. His heart pounded and his stomach felt as if it had turned over. No, it’s not one of the other students. It’s the missing one. It’s the one I can’t see.

            He knew that what he was thinking didn’t make any sense. It sounded completely mad. But that didn’t stop him being certain that there was someone in the class apart from all the people who he could see.

            His eyes were drawn to a desk not far from the window where the sun poured in. There was no one sitting there, and he tried to remember who normally sat at that desk. Did anyone sit there?

            Time seemed to slow down as he stared at the desk, at the sunlight slanting in across the classroom, at the tiny specks of dust that shone in the still warm air. He could dimly hear the tired ticking of the classroom clock on the wall. It’s slower than usual, he thought. It’s slowing down.

From random scraps to a finished product...

Simon Says..
It all came about originally because of an almost completely different idea that my niece had for a kids' story. She suggested I write a book for kids as I'd never written one before, and we put a few random ideas together. A few things made it to the finished book- the two main characters (Amber and Joe) have the same names, and Amber is much the same as we originally imagined her to be- and the lake that features in the book was also one of the original ideas or "scraps" that were written down. From those random imaginings a book was somehow born.

About the Author 

Simon Williams is the author of the Aona dark fantasy series, which is attracting growing acclaim for its fusion of different genres and atmospheric, character-driven narrative. Three books in the series are out so far, and the fourth is due out early in 2015.

He has also written "Summer's Dark Waters", a sci-fi / fantasy /supernatural novel for all ages 10+ and aimed more at the younger market. A sequel is already underway and the aim is for this to be published later on in 2015.

Connect to Simon Williams...

Website: www.simonwilliamsauthor.com
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00P0ZZYS8
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Williams/167649143291810
Twitter: @SWilliamsAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094097.Simon_Williams

 
Where to purchase...

Summer’s Dark Waters:
 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Summers-Dark-Waters-Simon-Williams/dp/1849145008/Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Summers-Dark-Waters-Simon-Williams/dp/1849145008/

Oblivion’s Forge (Book I in the Aona series):
 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oblivions-Forge-Aona-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0082XW04G/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Oblivions-Forge-Aona-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0082XW04G/