Saturday, September 23, 2017

Karina’s Silver Shoes by Denise Marques Leitao Interview & Excerpt


Karina’s Silver Shoes    
Denise Marques Leitao

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Sparkly Wave

Date of Publication: September 18th, 2017

ISBN:  9781775063711
ASIN: B074T8RFWX

Number of pages: 250
Word Count: 70k

Tagline: She’s got the fate of a kingdom in her hands—or rather, in her shoes.

Book Description:

When two princesses ask Karina to go to Whyland, a kingdom in a parallel dimension, to destroy her fascinating and potentially evil silver shoes, of course Karina accepts. Who would refuse a free trip to an alternate world?

Advised by a wise master and threatened by a beautiful stepmother, Karina goes on a journey with a princess to defeat a powerful witch. But Whyland is nothing like she expected. Karina finds herself stuck in a kingdom she doesn’t understand, with no clue on who to trust. Before saving anyone, she’d better save herself—if she figures out how.

From Brazilian / Canadian writer Denise Marques Leitaocomes Karina’s Silver Shoes, a teen parody of fantasy and fairy-tale tropes with many female characters, friendships between girls and women, and some subtle romance.
 
If you like to read about strong girls and women, you’ve found your book.




Excerpt 1

Karina just stared in amazement. After the so-called genie, now it was time for two princesses. Special shoes can really make one feel important. In the dim glow, all she could see was their shapes, their dresses and their dark hair. The situation was too strange to be real, but too real to be a dream. She didn’t know what to make of this visit, and had no idea where that light was coming from. She looked around puzzled.
“What’s with the orange glow?”
The room fell dark.
“What orange glow?” a voice asked in the darkness.
Some nerve these girls had. The light from the window would have been enough to make shapes distinguishable in the dark, but not right after a light had been turned off. Still, Karina knew her room well enough to walk up to the switch on the wall, almost stumbling on the older girl on her way, who let out a gasp.
Now clearly visible for the first time, the girls were simply two normal looking teenagers. They had the same very dark brown hair, but looked different. The older girl, Cayla, who seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen, had sharp facial features and her dress was actually yellow. In a plain blue dress, not green, Ayanna had a pleasant round face with bright eyes. She seemed to be around twelve.
“What are you doing here?” Karina asked.
Ayanna jumped ahead and started apologizing, talking fast, “We’re really sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you, it’s important, we need your help, it’s the sh—”
“Pssst,” Cayla interrupted.
            “Let her talk,” Karina said.
But the younger girl just looked down and remained silent.
“Continue,” Karina urged.
“Right.” Ayanna looked at her sister, who nodded, then took a deep breath and started, “Sometime ago, a day or two, the witch came here.” She talked fast, almost stumbling on her own words as she went. “We think she came here, to this room, and talked to you. We think she wanted her shoes, we think you still have them, and if she gets them, it is bad, like, really bad, the end of the world.” Then she breathed again.
End of the world? Witch? A day before? That was not making much sense. The girl’s fear and urgency were probably contagious, because Karina started feeling a chill in her stomach as she sat on her bed.
Cayla crouched in front of Karina looking right in her eyes, and asked, “Do you still have the shoes?”
“Yes.” It was no occasion for lies. “But, no. I mean, the only visit I received was tonight, and she didn’t seem to be a witch. I mean, I don’t know, but still, it was a little less than an hour ago, not yesterday.”
Ayanna whispered to her sister, “The time difference, it’s greater than Odell thought.”
“Yes,” Cayla replied and turned to Karina. “So you’re saying she came tonight?”
“Yes. But, I’m not really sure she’s this witch you are talking about. She seemed really nice.”
Ayanna rolled her eyes. “She had to seem nice! She’s cunning.”
“We followed her path to get here, so we know it was her,” Cayla said. “Was she really convincing?”
Spot on. Karina nodded. She remembered with embarrassment her delight at the opportunity of making a wish. But one thing bewildered her. “If she’s evil, why didn’t she take the shoes?”


About the Author:

Denise Marques Leitao was born and raised in Brazil. When she’s not creating worlds and characters, she’s discussing the meaning of the Universe with her son, writing unintellectual poetry, podcasting about popular culture, or teaching. She lives in Montreal, Canada, and has a Master’s in English Literature.










Interview

  What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I haven’t gone on any. But I’d like to go in the future. If I could choose anywhere I’d pick something that I’d need a spaceship.
 What is the first book that made you cry?
I don’t think I’ve ever cried because of a book, but Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale made me sad when I was a kid. Not sad, but, I don’t know, it touched me.
 Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It energizes me.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Work.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Yes. But I didn’t want initials in the beginning, because I don’t want to hide that I’m a female author. I’m freaking proud of being a woman, and if anyone has a problem with that, I’m not sure I want them as readers.  So I wanted Denise. Now, my real name doesn’t sound like any Anglo fantasy or sci-fi author.  But then I decided it was cool not to sound like anyone else and picked my real name. It was an odd choice.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I’m friends with writers who went to university with me, but they write in different genres. I’ve met writers in forums and groups that have helped me a lot, though.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I want each book to stand on its own, unless it’s a series.
 What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
Jane Austen. Not that I disliked her, I thought the writing was fun, but I didn’t understand what the fuss was all about. Then I studied her and understood her role in the development of the novel, and now I think she was a brilliant writer.
  As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A dragon. I have a dragon tattoo in fact.
.  What did you edit out of this book?
 Oh, boy, a lot. It started with 88k words, and I edited it down to 83k. Then I edited it again and I ended up with around 70k words. That’s 20%. Or more, because I rewrote some parts. I basically edited out anything that I thought could be boring. I really hope there’s nothing boring left. There were some parts where people sat and talked. There are a couple of those left, but I think I edited out most of it.
13.  If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
I still work. I’m an ESL teacher.
14.  Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Maybe. A couple neat references.
15.  What is your favorite childhood book?

I like all books by a Brazilian author named Pedro Bandeira. Those were my favorite books.




To learn more about Denise, get news, bonus materials and preview chapters, visit http://denisemarquesleitao.com




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