The world is in chaos. War approaches Australian shores. Oceans are rising, volcanoes erupting, violent storms intensifying. Fatalities from starvation; malnutrition and disease increase daily. But for most people, life continues as normal, the changes are not yet interfering with their daily lives and so they convince themselves that there is nothing to worry about. Nothing they have to do.
As the days, months and years pass it becomes a time of death. Those that survive walk around the broken streets, riddled with radiation sickness and increasing disease, with no homes, no schools, no families, and only makeshift hospitals.
With nowhere to go, no hope for a resolution, people panic, and many give up. Coastal land masses collapse into the oceans, thousands of houses disappearing daily while the world’s temperature continues to rise.
Many years later, Kyle and Imogen listen to what happened to their world. They are told of the storms that came and the damage caused, with spreading fires around the world. Forests vanished, while erupting volcanoes changed the world’s landscape, eradicating animal and plant life, and worst of all, depleting the protective ozone layer, making the sky appear to be bleeding.
The Rock and a Bleeding Sky is not just a book of doom, but also of hope. At first Kyle and Imogen are crushed to learn what happened to Earth during their generation, but as they spend time in the future, wondering if they will ever return home to their families and friends, their hope and determination strengthens. They collect evidence to prove that what is ahead for Earth is catastrophic and must be acted on immediately. They realise the enormous pressure put upon them, but they don’t buckle from it. They accept that this is what their destiny is as Earth’s future is put into their hands.
The Rock and a Bleeding Sky explores the themes of acceptance, of taking responsibility even as others can’t, and developing the will to change. It’s a story that explores friendship, loyalty, trust, the pointlessness of shame, and the complex nature of life, death, love and hope.
Available in Paperback and E-book from Amazon.com and most other online stores.
The other day a reader named Kayley K wrote me an email with a couple of questions on my writing of The Guardians of Time Series. Kayley read the first three books, The Named, The Dark and The Key when she was 13. It wasn’t until more recently that she was able to read the fourth book, The Shadow. After answering her questions, I told Kayley I’d be happy to hear her thoughts on The Shadow, and she wrote back the next day with an awesome review. It was good not just because Kayley enjoyed the book and thought it was terrific, which is always awesome for an author to read, but good for how well she understood the story. She called it an emotional roller coaster, which it was for Ethan, but Kayley’s analysis of my writing and of the story that unfolded, was succinct and excellent.
Thank you, Kayley K, for allowing me to put our correspondence up on my public website and thank you for loving my books.
Below, you can read through the emails Kayley and I exchanged, which includes Kayley’s thoughts on The Shadow. If you would like to add your opinion or start a discussion on The Guardians of Time Series, especially on The Shadow, or any of my books including The Avena Series and Old Magic, I would be pleased to hear it, and answer any questions you might have.
First Email from Kayley K:
Hello! I’m not meaning to interrupt anything you may be doing, but I’d love to just tell you that your young adult series The Guardians of Time is one of the top favorites in my list of books. I recommend it to everyone. It was highly captivating and extremely well written. I applaud you for this masterpiece. Sometimes I wish it never ended. When I first read it, I was about 13. I’m an avid reader and I loved these books so much. They were unique.
I’m not meaning to drone on about it, but I do have two questions:
1. Where or even what inspired you to write this book/series?
2. Also where did you find the patience for it?
Kayley K.
Hi Kayley
It was so lovely to receive your email telling me how much you loved The Guardians of Time Series. I’m guessing you’ve read the fourth book by now; the one called The Shadow. I would be happy to hear your thoughts on that too. Now to answer your questions:
1. What inspired me to write this series?
Well, I had just finished Old Magic, my first book, and it was so well received with a dozen countries buying the translation rights that I wanted to write a more in-depth story where my characters were able to time travel to places significant to history. I guess you could say Old Magic inspired me to write the Guardians of time Series. I loved reading books that combined history and romance, so I kept that in mind while I started researching. From the outset I knew I wanted to write a series about a girl, her brother, and a boy she liked. The story unfolded from there with chapter-by-chapter breakdowns, which is how I write my first drafts.
2. Where did I find the patience?
The patience? Sometimes I think writing is in my blood. When I set out to write this series, I had three young children. I had a job too, teaching office studies to adults, and computers to senior high school students. I also ran a house. But I was determined to find the time. The more I wrote, the more important it became to keep going and finish it. I recall working early in the morning to late in the afternoon, and sometimes back again after dinner or after my children had gone to sleep.
Hi Marianne,
Your 4th book The Shadow was definitely an emotional roller coaster. Ethan seeing Rochelle as someone else in a whole 180 personality, which was an excellent way to show his devotion to her in many ways, and finding out who Rochelle’s birth mother is completely blew me away. It was heart wrenching in Book 3 when Rochelle was proclaimed as dead only to find out . . . (spoiler removed) The way you had this planned out was marvelous and so devious in some ways.
Isabel and Arkarian; it was well known when they met they would be together, of course the little drama inside her head when she went home with him was absolutely relatable in many ways! I live for their relationship and it’s by far my favorite romance but also Ethan and Rochelle’s was definitely a heartbreaker for a decent amount of time.
Jesilla… she definitely could have turned her good to combine peace with The Guard, but it was a whole turn of events. Her character wanted to be kindhearted but to feel less like her fault for her mother’s death. That I feel like was a trauma response. Blame on oneself for the death of another. It’s sad the way it played out but a full understanding of how the events caused . . . (spoiler removed) but I do feel bad for Dillion. It almost feels like a repeat of what happened to Rochelle.
Overall, The Shadow was a highly captivating book, with timely events. It was a perfectly paced read. I can’t wait till the next book comes out. I’m ready to find out what The Guard does to save people and the future from the new upcoming event that Isabel has seen.
Kayley K.
Hi Kayley
I was like you with books. I was eight when the Librarian allowed me privileges only the older students were allowed. I ended up becoming a Librarian two years before other students were allowed. I’ve loved reading since I selected Oliver Twist and took it home from the library. It moved me and took me away to the dark and poor streets of London. And I’m Australian, so it was quite a leap. I sense you have an amazing connection with books, the way you can analyze them, and the joy you get from them is well deserved.
Marianne
The following is a letter I received from a reader named Julia. Thank you, Julia, for writing these beautiful comments about The Guardians of Time Series, for putting it into letter format, something I rarely see these days, and for mailing it to me.
I am giving away ONESigned, Hardback, First Edition copy of OLD MAGIC. This book is one of only 500 printed in hardback and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia in the year 2000, and it is in pristine, new condition.
Old Magic was first published in October, 2000, and since then has had 49 editions and more than 34 different covers. In the eighteen years since Old Magic was first released, this book has been translated into 14 languages. Today, it is no longer in print, though you can purchase it in e-book form. Any Old Magic books on sale through Amazon or other outlets are Used and Second Hand copies. The latest paperback edition was released in 2010.
Young reader Josie immersed in Old Magic.
This competition is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. It will run for three weeks from today’s date, June 22, 2018, finishing at midnight on July 13, 2018.
How do you win this Signed, First Edition, Hardback copy of Old Magic? It’s simple, and this is all you have to do:
Share this page on your favourite Social Media site – FB, Instagram, Twitter, or any other, tag two people, then send me an email at: marianne.curley7@gmail.com with the subject heading: Old Magic Competition, letting me know your name and that you have completed the task.
Your name will go into a barrel, and on the 21st day from today someone I trust will randomly select the winning entry. The winning entrant will be notified by email.
After a glitch on Amazon that was entirely of my own making that saw six lucky readers purchase their copy of The Shadow early, the countdown now begins to the official release of The Guardians of Time Book 4 – The Shadow.
The Shadow will be released on March 10, 2018. That’s a countdown of only 26 days from today. So after the long wait for it, the fourth book in the Guardians of Time Series will arrive in only 26 days.
You will be able to purchase The Shadow in paperback and as an e-book at all the usual places. I’ll have more details as the date draws nearer. So mark your calendars and start ticking off the days, the next instalment of The Guardians of Time Series is about to land.
It’s so exciting that even my dog Pixie could hardly drag her eyes off a copy of the proof. I had to call her a dozen times before she would look at me.
Remember you can find me on the links below, and please also remember to share this post so we can spread the word that The Shadow is arriving in bookstores on the 10th day of March, 2018.
I had a lovely surprise today when I was updating and checking on my writing playlists on YouTube and a book trailer appeared in my side feed. All it said was this: “http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au student-made book trailer.” This was accompanied by an image of a girl’s face in black and white. Over the years readers have surprised me with their sometimes extremely moving comments, and such things as dedicated art works, book covers, further chapters, and even complete sequels, as you may remember from one of my past featured blogs. Below is a cover for Old Magic that I love. It has a rich authentic Medieval look. It was designed by Jessica Castillo and the story behind it can be found at Jessica’s page here: Jessica Castillo’s Old Magic Cover
The Hidden book trailer caught my eye and when I viewed it, I couldn’t find the creator’s name other than “RavoLRC”. I would like to let the student who created this trailer know that I love her work and I sincerely hope she received a high mark for it. In case you’re wondering how I know the student was female, it’s because the project was from the school called Ravenswood in New South Wales, an all-girl high school.
If this book trailer of Hidden, Book I of The Avena Series, is your creation, please let me know. I would like to tell you that it was awesome. Click this link to see the Hidden Book Trailer:
As a writer for many years there have been times when I’ve been impressed and humbled by what a reader has told me, shown me, or created in regards to my books and the characters within. It’s an absolute thrill and a truly humbling experience to know that my books have helped people through difficult times in their lives, or started them on their reading journey, moved them to the point of making videos, playlists, designing new covers, writing sequels or scripts, and creating works of art. I’m even thrilled when I see someone who has dyed their hair blue, even though 99.9 percent of the time it wasn’t because they wanted to look like Arkarian in The Guardians of Time!
Zuzana Citovská’s dedicated website Marianne Curley Daily continues to grow and display Zuzana’s many talents. Her love of my books and her interpretation of them using the images she’s put together is a wonderful tribute.
I highlighted Marianne Curley Daily some months back, but when I visited it again recently I knew I had to give it another plug so Zuzaná’s imagery can be seen by many more, as it should be.
Thank you, Zuzaná. Your talent and dedication to my books inspires me.
It’s official, the Guardians of Time Book Four will be released in 2017. The month is yet to be determined, but it will be this year. The wait is shortening. Within six-eight months The Guardians of Time Book Four will be released.
It looks like 2017 is going to be the year of the follow ups. Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere was originally published 21 years ago, and now he tells us he’s writing a follow up called The Seven Sisters. So what has inspired Neil Gaiman to write the follow up after such a long time? This is what he said last week in The Guardian:
“When Lenny Henry and I came up with the original idea for Neverwhere almost 25 years ago, what attracted us was the idea that we could talk about the homeless, talk about the dispossessed, talk about the people who fall through the cracks, and do it in a way that was exciting and fun and interesting and also relevant and might change people’s heads.
“Neverwhere for me was this glorious vehicle where I could talk about huge serious things and have a ridiculous amount of fun on the way. The giant wheel has turned over the last few years and looking around the work I have been doing for UNHCR for refugees, the kind of shape … London is in now, the kind of ways [it] is different to how it was 20 years ago, meant that I decided that it actually was time to do something.
“Now I had things I was angry about. I cared about things I wanted to put in and I’m now a solid three chapters in to a book called The Seven Sisters.”
And then there’s Philip Pullman. He’s following up His Dark Materials, remember The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass? Who could forget those amazing books. They sold multi millions in 40 languages between 1995 and 2000, and there was even the movie with Nicole Kidman. Philip Pulman’s follow up starts with a book called The Book of Dust and is set to be another trilogy.
From Philip Pulman’s website, this is what he says about why he wrote The Book of Dust:
“I know from their letters and tweets that my readers have been waiting patiently (mostly) for The Book of Dust for a long time. I’ve been writing it for several years, and I’ve been very parsimonious with information about it. It gives me great pleasure and some excitement at last to satisfy their curiosity (and mine) about this book.
“What can I tell you about it? The first thing to say is that Lyra is at the centre of the story. Events involving her open the first chapter, and will close the last. I’ve always wanted to tell the story of how Lyra came to be living at Jordan College and, in thinking about it, I discovered a long story that began when she was a baby and will end when she’s grown up. This volume and the next will cover two parts of Lyra’s life: starting at the beginning of her story and returning to her 20 years later.”
So what inspired me to write the follow up to The Named, The Dark and The Key? Like Philip Pulman, my readers have been requesting a sequel since The Key was published in 2005, twelve years ago. Where it’s different for me, I was planning a fourth book even before The Key’s release. I have notes I’d written from that time, an outline for Book Four, but my life turned upside down that year when I was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis (bone marrow cancer) after seeing my doctor because I was feeling very tired. I don’t think anyone knew it would be 8 years before I would be published again with The Avena Series – Hidden, Broken and Fearless.
Then there’s the matter of timing. The timing just feels right now. All going well, Book Four won’t be just the conclusion, but also the beginning of a new journey.
Hi everyone, this is not my usual topic, but I have a long experience with anxiety and panic attacks and thought I would share some thoughts and ideas that helped me during my darkest times.
It takes courage to look at oneself. It seems easier to avoid or run from anything that brings on the symptoms of fear – the racing heart, sweats, unease in the stomach, that sense of disorientation or disconnectedness with the world. We soon become vulnerable. We don’t want to feel those symptoms again. We talk ourselves into thinking it’s a heart attack about to happen. But to conquer fear is to recognise it, face it, acknowledge it, and most importantly keep moving through it. Don’t run. Look at it. Acknowledge what it is. A panic attack. An attack of anxiety. A sudden change in my breathing pattern – too shallow, too high in the chest. Then think of it as a wave. Stand still or sit and feel it rise. Stay with it. Ride it out. The moment you think you can’t bear it anymore is when you dig in, but not tensely. Imagine you’re floating on top of that wave, or on a cloud, or lying on a lush green field, noticing things around you, like flowers in your garden, clouds moving across the sky, the painting on the wall, walking on a beach. Notice things in details, like with the painting, count the colours. Do whatever you can to keep still, keep riding the wave because your reward is coming. In the next instant the high anxious sensations will fall away and you will have conquered it.
By doing this repeatedly it will become easier as you build your confidence conquering the wave. You learn that an anxiety attack cannot hurt you. It has no more power over you.
Stare fear in the face, and you will grow stronger while the symptoms of fear weaker.
It is your right to live a life without fear, a life that you choose, that you rule, that you steer in the directions that please you and not by force. Never force.
Some recommended reading: anything on the subject by the late Dr Clare Weeks, an Australian specialist in this field. Another is: In Stillness Conquer Fear by Pauline McKinnon. This is Pauline’s personal journey through crippling anxiety and panic attacks. This book is one of the better ones, with a good chapter on meditation.
Hi everyone, a friend of mine I met through Facebook, Vesper Cassel, has set up a dedicated website highlighting my books and all there is to know about them. It’s called Marianne Curley Daily. This is how Vesper describes her site:
Welcome to mariannecurleydaily! A fan tumblr blog dedicated to Marianne Curley, Australian YA writer and her books. Tracking the tags #marianne curley, #the guardians of time, #avena and #old magic.
A big shout out to Vesper, and a big thank you from me.
Vesper, thank you for your time setting this site up, for maintaining it and keeping it current. I love what you are doing here, and how you are tracking the tags. I am truly blown away by your dedication and appreciate the effort you have gone to making your idea a reality.
Fantastical and powerfully emotional, this angelic romance series is rapidly winning enthusiastic fans
Hi everyone
Exciting news for The Avena Series. French-speaking Canadians are about to see Hidden and Broken on their bookshop shelves. Dissimulée and Écorchée will both be released in paperback on the 13th of May, 2016, by publisher – Éditions AdA inc.
Happy reading everyone!
Quand il m’a pris Ebony, j’ai su que je passerais toute ma vie à la chercher. Maintenant que je l’ai trouvée, il fera tout en son pouvoir pour nous séparer. Ebony a mené une vie coupée du monde réel. Elle n’est pas préparée à vivre les bouleversements qui bientôt lui arrivent. Et ces événements ne sont qu’une partie d’une découverte qui bousculera tout son univers. Ebony n’a pas été «surprotégée». Elle a été tenue dans l’ombre. Maintenant que son milieu de vie n’est plus un secret, qui en premier la trouvera?
Ebony has always known that she is different. Her violet eyes mark her out, and her protective parents have kept her in a gorgeous valley, home-schooled, safe from everything – almost as if she’s being hidden. But she’s changing: glowing, getting more and more beautiful, and stronger than anyone knows. Ebony can’t stay hidden for ever, and when she meets complicated, intense Jordan, something explodes inside her – something that can be seen from the heavens; something that changes everything. Ebony is a stolen angel, concealed on Earth. Now the heavens have found her, they want her back.
Ebony a toujours su qu’elle était différente. Mais lorsqu’elle découvre sa véritable nature, elle refuse de le croire. Elle est unique. Déracinée de son foyer à la naissance et cachée sur Terre, elle ignore tout de l’endroit d’où elle vient. Cependant, son passé refait surface et Ebony se retrouve de plus en plus déchirée entre ceux qu’elle aime et son destin réel, à mesure que des forces différentes l’entraînent dans un tourbillon infernal.
Following the revelation that Ebony is an angel, and Nathaneal’s narrow victory in battle with Prince Luca, the two are enjoying their newfound love. But Ebony’s friend Jordan is bitterly angry that he has lost the girl of his dreams. Then suddenly Prince Michael arrives to arrest Nathaneal for breaking Avena’s law when he revealed his powers on Earth in his bid to save Ebony from Luca. Nathaneal is forced to return to Avena without Ebony to stand trial.
Jordan seizes the opportunity to plant doubt in Ebony’s mind about Nathaneal and her own angelic nature. Desperate to find out what has happened to her adoptive parents, Ebony is persuaded by Jordan to believe that new teacher Mr Xavier, who claims to be her uncle, can introduce her to her real father. Disaster inevitably follows and Ebony finds herself at the centre of another epic battle in the realm of Avena itself.
Quand il m’a pris Ebony, j’ai su que je passerais toute ma vie à la chercher. Maintenant que je l’ai trouvée, il fera tout en son pouvoir pour nous séparer. Ebony a mené une vie coupée du monde réel. Elle n’est pas préparée à vivre les bouleversements qui bientôt lui arrivent. Et ces événements ne sont qu’une partie d’une découverte qui bousculera tout son univers. Ebony n’a pas été «surprotégée». Elle a été tenue dans l’ombre. Maintenant que son milieu de vie n’est plus un secret, qui en premier la trouvera?
Marianne Curley 