This past week we gave the spotlight to Sand Dancer, the YA Heroic Fantasy novel of Trudie Skies. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews, interviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Sand Dancer through the mood boards of Trudie!
Shall we?
Trudie Skies was born in Nottingham—Robin Hood country, she says—and now lives in North East England, where she spends the majority of her free time imagining warmer climates and writing about them.
Her less-than-free time is also spent behind a computer keyboard as an IT administrator, and she promises not to bore you with the details. Previously, she worked as a mobile game designer and tester, as well as a professional writer for video game websites.
Trudie grew up on Tamora Pierce and has always wanted to be a swashbuckling knight with her own medieval castle. She has a thing for swords, and so all her characters also have a thing for swords. She loves to read Young Adult fantasy and in recent years has been inspired by desert kingdoms and cultures, which is clearly apparent in her upcoming debut novel Sand Dancer.
In January 2019, Trudie signed with Uproar Books, a new publisher of epic fantasy and science fiction novels. Sand Dancer was published on ebook and paperback July 1 2019.
Only monsters summon fire by magic. It’s a sin against the sun god and a crime against the king. The punishment is death.
But when sixteen-year-old Mina discovers fire magic runs in her family’s blood, it’s just the beginning of the secrets her father has been keeping from her. When her father is murdered, this half-starved peasant girl finds herself on the run—pursued across the desert by the soldiers and guards of the noble Houses. To survive, she knows she’ll have to abandon her past and learn the way of the sword. But only boys are allowed to carry a blade. There’s only one solution…
Disguised as a young nobleman, Mina must make a new life for herself in the heart of her enemies. But she knows she can’t keep up the masquerade forever. With time running out, which will she choose to find—the truth or revenge?
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
MARCH 14TH–THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight
MARCH 15TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“Sand Dancer was an enjoyable read with some fantastic writing and a world that I greatly enjoyed spending time in, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, especially if like me you cut your teeth on books like the Tamora Pierce books. I will be checking out the recently released second book – Fire Walker – in the near future as I am eager to see where Skies takes this series, and I will be keeping an eye on what this author does in the future.”
@bookish_lovers_bylc – review + IG spotlight
“Such an amazing story, filled with bravery, power, learning, woman fight, equality, and self-discovering.”
MARCH 16TH
Jorie Loves A Story – spotlight + excerpt
Pop Read’s Reviews – spotlight
Jea Reads – interview + IG spotlight
MARCH 17TH
Sadie’s Spotlight – spotlight + IG spotlight
@hillsofbooks – review + IG spotlight
“A strong female character setting out for revenge! Forbidden magic she never wanted! Hidden secrets! Necessary lies to get into an all male sword training academy!”
MARCH 18TH
Lucy A. McLaren – interview
@alazyeggreviews – review
“It’s quite simple really.
If you love fantasy, you’ll love this book.”
@beatrizfayereads – IG spotlight
MARCH 19TH
The Book and Nature Professor – review + IG spotlight
” enjoyed this young adult adventure. It has diversity of characters, which is so important for young readers. Having characters of color and characters from a Middle Eastern culture makes this an important story for not only young adult readers, but for the fantasy genre as a whole. Female characters disguised as boys appear throughout literature, but this was a refreshing take. Another point I found refreshing and bold, is dealing with Mina having her period while disguised as a boy. When I read about this element in other stories, I always wondered about it. This is dealt with head on in a realistic way as Iman shows Mina what to do. Addressing it makes her disguise more believable.”
@theenchantedshelf – IG spotlight
If you are interested in Sand Dancer and would like to get in contact with Trudie, you can find her on social media:
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Grab a copy of Sand Dancer on Amazon!
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