Skip to main content

The Clearing by Samantha Cook (That's me!)

As I've talked about before, my writing journey has been a really long one (see my Rejection Story video for more details). But now after 21 years dreaming, 14 years querying, 7 manuscripts, 2 mentoring contests, and countless rewrites - I'm finally a published author!

So, introducing my YA dystopian adventure with a paranormal spin, fiery romance, and twist ending: The Clearing! It's currently available as an ebook and the paperback version will go up shortly. 

Thanks so much to team at Evernight Teen for putting together a beautiful cover, and a massive thanks to my editor Audrey who helped tidy up the book for publication. 

In the last surviving village, Ruby has made a name for herself as a rebellious teen. She challenges the Seers who use their visions to execute criminals before they commit their crimes, and, just like her father, she faces banishment into the forest of the undead.

When a Seer sacrifices themselves to protect her, Ruby believes she has a future worth dying for – one that could help reconnect her village to undiscovered settlements. One worth waging the village's safety, just like her father.

With her friends risking their lives alongside her, Ruby must find someone who understands the psychic-undead link to uncover the Seer's not-so-heroic intentions. The psychic’s prophecy might be against her, but Ruby still has a chance to save her village if she is willing to go against everything she thought she believed in.

Read an Excerpt

https://www.evernightteen.com/the-clearing-by-samantha-cook/

Buy the Book

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34sNcKm

Evernight: https://bit.ly/34uEcEt

Smashwords: https://bit.ly/3hZTrgt

Nook: https://bit.ly/3vC7jBO

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3wH4DCK

iBooks: https://apple.co/2SFfIWb

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Your Best Character: Quiz and Contest

The best characters are put through hell and yet can still carry the story forward on their broken shoulders. Your plot will fall flat if your characters are one dimensional and strong characters can make a cliché story really shine; characterisation takes work and thought. The key to character development is to ask questions. Maybe spend time thinking about the scenarios that have happened to your character which won’t make the final cut of the novel. The questions below are designed to test that (to some degree). [NOW CLOSED, REVIEWS PENDING] Answer at least 5 of these in a comment with a link to your story and I’ll give you an in-depth review. Reviews are approximately 1000 words and take me well over an hour, so if you’re looking to polish up your manuscript then don’t miss out. Also, the opening chapter with the most interesting and well-developed character will be featured on this blog! Feel free to write about anyone as long as they feature in the same story. You can ans...
9 comments
Read more

Opening Chapter: Quiz and Contest

The opening chapter is pivotal. It needs to draw in an intended audience – it needs flare and promise of things to come, with writing that earns the reader’s trust, luring them into the next chapter.  I’ve made a quick quiz to test whether your opening has what it takes. You don’t need all of these things for a good chapter. Hell, I bet there are a few I’ve forgotten too! Answer each of the following using evidence from your opening. If you can’t, then maybe you need to spice up the chapter. 1) Is your opening line unique, scene setting, or hooking? 2) What makes your character unique? 3) Pick out your best line of description. 4) Pick out your quirkiest line. 5) Is the genre and sub-genres obvious? 6) Is it clean from silly mistakes – have you read through more than 10 times? 7) Does it end on a cliff-hanger? 8) What makes it different from other novels in that genre? 9) Does it start close to the action? 10) Are you happy with it?...
6 comments
Read more

Show Vs. Tell: Round 1

Hands up if a critic has told you ‘show don’t tell’ (SDT). Keep that hand up if you found it rather unhelpful at the time or if that critic didn’t elaborate much. Yes, it’s a pesky phrase. Showing rather than telling can be a pretty powerful tool, and here's what it really means: Showing brings your words to life, creates imagery, and lets the reader know exactly what’s going on. It doesn’t tell you facts explicitly, but builds an idea in your head so that usually you understand it in far more detail than you would have. Good writing makes you realise a fact without being told it straight. As a writer it forces you to explore your imagination further really think about your story and your characters. It adds depth. *But showing is not always better than telling.* Telling adds pace. It moves the story along and sums up ideas that may be unclear if let to just showing. It doesn’t try to add detail to a relatively boring fact. It lets you know what piece of information is imp...
3 comments
Read more