Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Jessika S. Council. I am a 25-year-old college graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Creative Writing – Fiction. I was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina but I’ve lived in Durham, North Carolina with my mother and brother most of my life. I currently live, work, and write in Japan and will be here for a few years yet unless the current wave of events are drastically altered from their path in the near future.
Where did you come up with the idea for your new book?
Amazingly, it was a water leak in my dorm room’s floor that started the wheels turning for this book. My dorm had a carpeted floor and, in the corner, there was a wet spot that just kept getting bigger. Not too long after, as if by fate, I saw an episode of ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ about this water world you could get to by jumping into puddles of water. Airion was born from there.
How did you come up with your characters?
I brainstorm my main character bios in My Journey (My writer’s Journal) before I start writing the piece. Although I am usually a very disorganized person, when it comes to writing, I like to lay everything out at the beginning. There are times, however, that I find myself feeling spontaneous. That moment when the urge to add a new face to the scene just threatens to overtake me.
Who did you show your first draft to and why?
I showed the very first draft of my novel to my mother. She has always been there for me and, from the beginning of my adventures as a writer, she has been my biggest fan and cheerleader. With that said, she has a mean editing eye as well.
Do you have plans to a follow up?
I have finished round two of the editing process for Airion: Light and Dawn. I am currently looking for Beta Readers to help polish this novel, so if you are interested please shoot me an email at jscouncil@yahoo.com. I will reveal the cover for this novel in late summer and release the Airion: Light and Dawn to the world in early fall. In the mean time, ideas are flowing for book 3 in the series, Airion: Strange Ruins. It is still in the Writer’s Journal stages and I won’t start writing that one until after the fall release.
Open your book to a random page and tell us the first paragraph…
The morning’s training session was surprisingly intense. Kobi had expected to just pick up where he left off, but Kaiyen was still out with twelve of Zire’s finest warriors searching the City of Zire for any remaining Cellians. So Winiki was back training with Kloud on her own while Kobi and Trayn worked together once again. But Trayn’s method of teaching was even faster and more intense than Kloud’s lessons were.
What is your favourite movie?
That is a loaded question. It changes every year… Hmmm…. I’ll say that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my all time favorites.
What do you like to read?
I like to read Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction. I also like to read Japanese Manga (comics) in Japanese.
Where do you go to escape?
I usually go back to my hometown in North Carolina.
Do you have any pets?
I have a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix named Tiny. She is the cutest, sweetest, and best dog ever!
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
- Set a head goal, or a main focus, and then create ‘stepping stone’ goals to get to it. Remember, a book is created one chapter at a time.
- Know your trade and read everything. I become the most motivated and creative in my writing when I read works accomplished by others.
- Never doubt yourself and never give up because the ideas aren’t coming to you as fast as you would like. They’ll come, and when they do, it’ll blow your mind. Trust me.
Would you recommend self-publishing or mainstream publishing for first time novelists?
I’m a first time novelist who self-published my debut novel. If you want to know the business and have complete control over everything, if you are good at marketing or willing to learn quickly how to get yourself out there, by all means, Self-publishing is the more profitable and more self satisfactory option. But we are still living in the days of traditional publishing. They do most of the hard stuff for you and can get you into stores and other places that can be difficult to crack into as a self-published author. I would say, if you are willing to wait until you find agent and they find a publisher for you, and if you are willing to step back after you’ve found them and let them have full reign over your work (cover, editing, etc.), then it would be worth it just to get your feet wet.
Where can we find you online?
Title: Airion: Return To Zire
Author: J.S. Council
Series: Airion Series
Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Self Published
Formats Available In: Paperback, Ebook (HTML, Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, Plain Text (download), Plain Text (View)
Blurb: Aside from his outward appearance, Kobi is a normal thirteen-year-old boy. Living with his mother, his father, and his identical twin brother, Raili, with whom he spends most days at the cove watching dolphins and whales feed, he is happy with his life just the way it is. But his fourteenth birthday is coming and Kobi has no idea how much his life is about to change.
When Raili is pulled through a puddle in the floor of their second floor bedroom by a monster armed with poisonous, spiked tentacles, Kobi goes in after him. What he finds isn’t Raili, but a new world all together, buried beneath the ocean. With a bounty on his head that has been there since he and Raili’s birth, Kobi will have to learn to fight or die before he can be reunited with Raili again. Everything he knew to be true was a lie.
People he loved and trusted are not who they seem. He isn’t the normal boy he thought himself to be. A transformation is coming. Raili is gone. Blood is shed. Traitors lurk, waiting for their chance. War is inevitable. The fate of the world of Airion rests in his hands. The Wiseone speaks. Failure is certain.
About The Author:
“Although I didn’t fully commit to making writing my life’s work until my sophomore year of college, I have always been a writer at heart. I was the only student in class to get excited about school papers, even asking to write a few for extra credit on occasion. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Creative Writing – Fiction. After graduating, I moved to Japan where I wrote most of my debut novel, Airion: Return to Zire and all of my second novel Airion: Light and Dawn – the first two of a four book series. Japan was a peaceful place to just sit and write, but life in Japan was also filled with adventure. However much I loved it there, I had to return home to do what I love most. Write.”
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Excerpt:
“If the Cellians just wanted us dead, why didn’t they just kill Raili instead of taking him?” asked Kobi.
“That is the question, isn’t it?” said Kaiyen slowly. “If they only wanted to use his power, wouldn’t they have taken them both?”
“Not necessarily,” said Rick, fist to his chin. “Having both would probably be too dangerous to risk. They may have been afraid of being destroyed from the inside if they worked together to free themselves. Even with one son of the prophecy, they could cause considerable damage, or so they may think.”
“But Raili would never do that though,” Kobi protested. “Dad…I…I mean, Black Master Rick. You know Raili; you know he wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“It may not be his choice,” said Kimi. “The Cellians can be very persuasive.”
Kobi’s heart sank. “What would they do to him?” he asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
“Whatever they had to,” said Kaiyen. “That is why we must focus on a plan of rescue, before Raili Saio acquires the powers they seek.”
“On our fourteenth birthday,” said Kobi.
“Yes,” said Kai Ventra. “Almost all Airians change on their fourteenth birthday. Along with the natural changes they undergo, such as growing gills, they also acquire unique individual skills, allowing them to thrive more than most others in that ability. These abilities can be anything from designing exceptional clothing to controlling the elements.”
“The stronger the ability, the harder it is to control,” said Kaiyen. “No doubt Cella is depending on this.”
“It won’t work,” said Rick.
“Agreed,” nodded Kaiyen. “But there is another matter that must be discussed, if I may.” Questioning eyes turned to Kaiyen. “Lady Sara,” Kaiyen continued after a swift nod from the King. He was addressing the old woman seated beside Kimi, “have you seen anything in your Kubec about a traitor in Zire.”
Whispers filled the room. “You go too far, Captain,” said Bran.
“What are you saying,” said the advisor to Bran’s left.
“Silence,” said Sai Thayne. The talking ceased instantly. The King’s questioning eyes fell on Kaiyen then turned to Lady Sara. “Wise One?”
“This man possesses a tainted heart,” said the old woman, her eyes gazing into the diamond block. “His treachery dives deep.”
“Do you know who this man is?” asked Kaiyen.
“I see not his face nor his rank,” said Lady Sara, her brow creased and her hands resting on the Kubec. “However, he knows all that we know and some we do not.”
“It is as I thought,” said Kaiyen, “Zire’s traitor has resurfaced.”
