I am delighted to welcome the Chindi Authors’ Author of the Week, Lexi Rees, to my Christmas Countdown! Lexi writes for children and is celebrating her forthcoming release, Wild Sky.
Welcome to my blog, Lexi. My children and I have read your first book, Eternal Seas, and greatly enjoyed it. Can you tell us a little about Wild Sky, the second in the Relic Hunters series?
Thank you, to give you a taster of Wild Sky, here are some early reviews:
‘This action-packed blend of magical fantasy with classic kids adventuring is a swashbuckling read for 8+ year-olds, peppered with soft line-drawings and propelled by a strong sense of urgency.’ – LoveReading4Kids
‘Non-stop adventure with an exciting blend of magic and dystopia. Sinister villains, strange magic and thrilling adventure. I loved it!’ – Claire Fayers, author of The Accidental Pirates series, Mirror Magic and Storm Hound
‘Raging seas, snowy lands, fortresses and monasteries – the quest for the relics continues at an exhilarating pace. You won’t put it down!’ – Jude Lennon, author of the Hal series and other books
And the blurb:
After delivering the pearl, Finn and Aria thought life would return to normal.
But with the survival of the clans still in peril, they must continue their quest.
Can they find the next relic before the forces of evil?
Not everyone is who they appear to be
And time is running out …
Wow! That sounds great, and as my blog is full of festive cheer at the moment, I must ask, does any of the action takes place over Christmas?
Wild Sky (published on 28thNovember) starts with my characters finding a riddle about the Cold Moon – the last full moon of the year. Unfortunately, this means they’re going to be sailing off on an impossible quest over Christmas itself. The world is effectively a child-friendly introduction to dystopia (no nuclear holocausts or anything distressing) and there is no reference to Christmas (or any other festivals) in it.
So a great all-year-round read, and I am sure a wonderful addition to the Christmas stocking list of all adventure loving, middle grade, readers.
Find Wild Sky on Amazon.
***To celebrate the publication of Wild Sky, Lexi also has a great giveaway running ENTER HERE!***
With your characters off on a quest, I am intrigued to know what you will be up to this festive season…
We have a pretty traditional family Christmas although now the kids are older it can start at a far more leisurely time than it used to! My brother is a doctor at Great Ormand Street Children’s Hospital so we don’t always get to do the family celebration on Christmas Day itself, but when we get together it always feels like it, even if it’s actually a few days later than everyone else!
I’m completely addicted to mince pies and start doing essential “research” into the best brand as soon as they first make an appearance in the shops, so my Christmas breakfast is coffee and mince pies.
Then we all gather at someone’s house. I’m lucky that my side of the family all live reasonably nearby – my husband’s side of the family are scattered across the globe. We take turns – I’m off the hook this year as I hosted last year. My catering responsibilities include the cranberry jelly, sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts, and bread sauce which hardly anyone eats but it reminds me of my granny so is compulsory.
Your Christmas sounds lovely, and I completely agree that good mince pie research is essential 😉 Before you go, I’d love you to answer some quick questions from my festive selection:
Mince pie or Christmas pudding? Both. Have you tried left-over Christmas pudding stir fried in butter? Yummy!
Favourite Christmas film? Them all! One a day in the run up, more if I can get away with it. It’s a Wonderful life is still a treat. Die Hard, Home Alone, Love Actually, Bad Santa, Rise of the Guardians. And don’t forget the panto! Oh yes we do. Even though the kids are far too old!
Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? Red, gold, bronze, green, white, sparkly errr I think that’s pretty matchy-matchy actually, although I suspect it’s classified as multi-coloured by most people.
Must read Christmas book? Narnia, of course!
Best Christmas gift? An AGA.
Worst Christmas gift? A set of pans. You can take the “she likes cooking” thing too far!
First Quality Street flavour to disappear from your tub? We don’t fight over our favourites but, as with the characters in my short story in the Chindi Christmas anthology the strawberry fondants are always left.
Sprouts or no sprouts? What do you mean no sprouts? Unthinkable! And not just for Christmas. As long as they’re not boiled to death they’re delicious. So many great sprout recipes – do you want one?
Haha, I love the fact that an AGA was acceptable but a set of pans wasn’t!
Thank you so much for joining my Christmas countdown and I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas. xx
About the author:
Lexi Rees was born in Scotland but now lives down south. She writes action-packed adventures and workbooks for children.
She’s passionate about developing a love of reading and writing in children and, as well as her Creative Writing Skillsworkbook, she has an active programme of school visits and other events, is a Book PenPal for three primary schools, and runs a free online #kidsclub and newsletter which includes book recommendations and creative writing activities.
In her spare time, she’s a keen crafter and spends a considerable amount of time trying not to fall off horses or boats.
Books by Lexi Rees:
The Relic Hunters #1, Eternal Seas, was awarded a “loved by” badge from LoveReading4Kids and is currently long-listed for a Chanticleer award.
And in case you missed it, here’s my review:
My children and I loved this tale of adventurers, Finn and Aria. Both characters capture the imagination as the quest and their unique role within it unfolds. Pippin – the small girl with a big personality – was a great addition to the cast of characters too.
Their world is brought to life through descriptive language that is aptly used to hold the focus of middle-grade readers. Finn and Aria’s abilities (and Aria’s bow and arrow) hooked my children in as they willed them to fulfil their potential within the story.
Having short chapters it is an ideal read for younger confident readers, and as a story to share.
Eternal Seas is a brilliant introduction to the fantasy genre and stepping stone for future readers of books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. I loved the fact it had a futuristic setting but also harked back to an earlier time of magic and the reemergence of these powers.
As a parent, I thought it was a great read for my children – it has all the potential to become a classic, and as a teacher, I could see how I could use this book to discuss and inspire writing about imaginary worlds. I look forward to the next book.
The sequel, Wild Sky, is available for pre-order now.
