Blurb for Perfect Summer
Growing up in a society so obsessed with perfection that the government gives people grants for plastic surgery, 15-year-old Morgan can't help being a bit envious of her best friend Summer. Summer is beautiful and rich, her father is a top plastic surgeon and her mother is a beauty consultant with a celebrity client list. Her life seems so effortlessly perfect. Whereas Morgan isn't so rich or beautiful and her little brother, Josh, has Down's syndrome - which, according to the Ministry and society in general, is a crime. Then Josh is kidnapped and the authorities aren't interested so Morgan and Summer decide to investigate. They, along with another teenager, Jamie, whose sister, Holly, has also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger. Can they find Josh and Holly before it's too late?
Extract:
The street was deserted. I guessed everyone was at work and school. It was so quiet and peaceful. So normal. So hard to believe that anything as awful as a kidnapping could be about to take place.
Extract:
The street was deserted. I guessed everyone was at work and school. It was so quiet and peaceful. So normal. So hard to believe that anything as awful as a kidnapping could be about to take place.
Maybe we are panicking, jumping to conclusions, I thought. After all, Mila vans were quite common.
“The van could belong to a plumber or electrician going about their business,” I suggested. I hoped it was.
“The van could belong to a plumber or electrician going about their business,” I suggested. I hoped it was.
“Could be. But I think it’s a bit too much of a coincidence for it to be parked in the same street that Emma lives on, don’t you?” Jamie asked.
I remembered how Josh was playing in the garden just before he was snatched. Emma could be doing the same thing, heartbreakingly unaware what fate was in store for her. We couldn’t take any chances.
“If this van does belong to the kidnapper, it means he’s on his way to get Emma right now. We’ve got to stop him. How about we split up? One of us goes to the front of the house and the other to the back?”
“If this van does belong to the kidnapper, it means he’s on his way to get Emma right now. We’ve got to stop him. How about we split up? One of us goes to the front of the house and the other to the back?”
“I’ve a better idea. He’ll have to come back to the van so it might be best if I stay here and see if I can immobilize it while you go warn Emma’s parents? Then he won’t be able to get away.”
“Good idea.” I started to run off, anxious to get to Emma’s house before the kidnapper struck.
“Morgan?”
I paused and glanced over my shoulder. “What?”
“If you do see the kidnapper, no heroics. Okay?”
“Okay. Nor you.”
“If you do see the kidnapper, no heroics. Okay?”
“Okay. Nor you.”
I didn’t like leaving Jamie by the van alone. The kidnapper could be armed. Or there could be two of them. A gang even. There’s no way Jamie would be a match for a couple of men, but I had no choice. Emma’s life could be at stake.
I raced along the street, looking for number fourteen, the address we had for Emma. I was at number thirty‑four so I ran on.
As I passed a small pathway separating a block of houses, two people came running out--both dressed in dark leisure suits. I barely had time to notice that one was a man, the other a woman, before the man charged into me, knocking me to the ground.
“Ow!” I yelled as I hit the pavement, landing on my left shoulder. “What the heck…?”
Furious, I pulled myself up and rubbed my shoulder. It stung like mad, and I could already feel the throb of a bruise forming. I glared up at the man then sucked in my breath as I saw the young girl, flung face down over his shoulder. I noticed the heavy boot on her left leg then the metal splint supporting it. She was wearing a calliper. She must be Emma. And they were kidnapping her!
I raced along the street, looking for number fourteen, the address we had for Emma. I was at number thirty‑four so I ran on.
As I passed a small pathway separating a block of houses, two people came running out--both dressed in dark leisure suits. I barely had time to notice that one was a man, the other a woman, before the man charged into me, knocking me to the ground.
“Ow!” I yelled as I hit the pavement, landing on my left shoulder. “What the heck…?”
Furious, I pulled myself up and rubbed my shoulder. It stung like mad, and I could already feel the throb of a bruise forming. I glared up at the man then sucked in my breath as I saw the young girl, flung face down over his shoulder. I noticed the heavy boot on her left leg then the metal splint supporting it. She was wearing a calliper. She must be Emma. And they were kidnapping her!
****
Karen kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us :-) ...
1 - How much of your background character information is included in
your books?
Probably
about half of it. I do quite detailed character profiles so that I really
understand my character. I include things like their favourite foods, likes,
dislikes, worst fears as well as details of their appearance, personality,
family and friends. Of course, all that doesn’t go into the story but it helps
me write about them better.
2 - How much do you allow your characters to control your story as it
unravels?
As much as
they want unless I feel that I’ve really gone off track and need to pull it
back. Sometimes a character can take the story off in a tangent I hadn’t
thought of and that can be exciting.
3 - How much of yourself finds its way into your books?
That’s a
tough one. I’ve no idea to be honest. I guess there’s always a little of
ourselves in the stories we right and sometimes my characters will go places
I’ve been.
4 - What are your writing goals for 2014, 2015 and 2016?
Gosh, I haven’t
planned that far ahead! I’m working on four books at the moment so I’d like to
finish them. After that, well I’ve always got a head full of ideas. My main
goal is to keep writing and to keep getting published.
5 - Perfect Summer is one year old - congratulations - what are you
doing/going to do to celebrate this wonderful anniversary?
I’m having a
Birthday Bash so will be appearing on several blogs like this one to talk about
my book. Astraea authors are so supportive of each other.
It’s a YA
called Sapphire Blue. I’d describe it as an after-life adventure with a mix of
romance and horror. I don’t want to give away the plot but I talk about it a
bit on my blog
Thanks for
hosting me, Sherry. J
Buy
Links: Astraea Press Amazon Waterstones Barnes and Noble
Karen King has had over one hundred children’s books published. She’s written for many children's magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. Perfect Summer is her first YA. It was runner up in the Red Telephone books YA Novel 2011 competition. Author Links: Website: Author Facebook page: Goodreads:
Twitter: @karen_king
You can also find Karen at the following blogs today:-
