Serenade
Nightmusic
Trilogy Book 1
by
Heather McKenzie
Genre:
YA Romance, Thriller, Suspense
Kidnapped
and held hostage in the Rockies, a teenage heiress falls for her
abductor while her corrupt father and devoted bodyguard fight to get
her back. The discovery of true love and dark family secrets turns
deadly in this epic coming of age adventure.
Kaya
Lowen dreams of living like a normal eighteen-year old, but being
heiress to a billion-dollar company has put her life in constant
danger. Fiercely guarded by her powerful and corrupt father, she
develops close bonds with those who protect her, especially Oliver –
a bodyguard who has proven his devotion to her time and again. He
wins her heart - until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger
has her questioning everything she believes in. Haunted by true love
and reeling from a guilty conscience, Kaya's world unravels when
she's kidnapped. Held captive in a rugged wilderness fraught with
raging storms, mystical caves and deadly predators, Kaya's father
scours the forest and her bodyguard fights to get her back. But, the
discovery of a dark family secret makes Kaya wonder if staying in the
arms of her blue-eyed abductor—a captivating stranger with dark
secrets of his own – is a safer place to be. At least, that's what
her heart is telling her, her head is saying run...
An
epic adventure centered on a smoldering love-triangle, Serenade sings
a timeless tale of courage, self-discovery, and life-or-death love
that will leave you breathless.
to Goodreads
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GUEST POST:
Interview with Heather McKenzie, by Dwight Bueckert
What
genre/category is SERENADE?
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance Thriller and Suspense
Release date?
April 17, 2017
Please describe
what the story is about in one sentence.
When the teenage daughter of a corrupt billionaire falls in love
with her kidnapper, she fights to stay alive in the Rocky Mountains while her
devoted bodyguard vows to stop at nothing to get her back.
Briefly, what led
up to this book?
SERENADE is my first novel. Leading up
to it was a career in music.
What was the time
frame for writing this book? Tell me an interesting detail or two.
Writing SERENADE took about four years.
I had a good idea of what I wanted to write, but I had no idea how to write it. I researched writing
tips and advice from other authors, and wrote and re-wrote the manuscript at
least twenty times– the first draft was 210,000 words! I had absolutely no idea
what I was doing. I was absolutely determined to get this story out as best as
I could, so I kept at it, and in the end I just had to go with what felt right
to me. I think that worked.
What was your
biggest learning experience and/or surprise throughout the publishing process?
The most incredible experience was working with the editors. I
got a massive dose of education during the process and they were kind enough to
explain their reasons for the edits. I was in class every time I sat down at
the computer and was in awe over the wealth of information they shared with me.
My biggest surprise was the dedication from my publisher to assist me with
anything I needed. I had been used to trudging it out alone in the music
business for years, and their desire to help make SERENADE a success, and
answering all my crazy questions and offering such great advice, was amazing. I
couldn’t believe that I wasn’t doing this all on my own.
What inspired you to write SERENADE?
I was
in my local bookstore one afternoon with my daughter and watched as she
searched the Teen/Young Adult section in frustration. She didn’t want vampires,
or witches, or dystopian worlds, she wanted a modern day adventure with
characters that felt real. So, being
the doting mother that I am, I started writing her a book. One month into the
process, I was quitting my day job and focusing entirely on learning how to
write. I fell head over heels in love with this avenue of storytelling. Being a
musician gave me many life experiences to pull from, and my love of Stephanie
Meyer’s work fueled the passion to forge ahead and get the story on paper. A
love triangle, the romantic setting of the rocky mountains, the art of survival
and a character whose strength builds with each page... it all began to come to
life every time I sat down to write. I realized when I completed the first
manuscript, that what I was essentially trying to get across to my daughter
–through the magic of reading– was the understanding of true love; what it
feels like and how you know when you’ve found it. And, I am happy to say, that my knowledge of
that is born of my own, real, experience.
How
did you come up with the title?
I
wanted to keep the books in the trilogy with music related names, as it is
called The Nightmusic Trilogy. A serenade is a piece of music played at night.
It is romantic and supposed to woo a prospective lover... in the book the main
character rests her head against the chest of the man she is falling for and
his heart beat is music to her ears. It is her own, perfectly written, SERENADE
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I have
tried to touch lightly on the effects of chemicals on our bodies and bring to
light the correlation between what we do to the earth, and how it ends up
affecting us. I also want show readers what is true love, real and healthy and
how you know when you’ve found it – which is based off my own experience.
How
much of the book is realistic?
I
tried to make the book feel like it could actually happen. The characters are
completely fictional, but the setting is not. Caves and underground hot springs
and the castle in the mountains? All real. The Death Race that takes place
every August in Grande Cache? Real.
What
book are you reading now?
A Discovery of Witches by
Deborah Harkness. It’s fantastic!!
What
are your current projects?
I have
just finished book one of a new series of adult fiction that I am very excited
about. It is about to enter the editing process. I am also close to finishing
NOCTURNE, the second book in the Nightmusic Trilogy. Next up, book three!
Where
are you from?
Edmonton,
Alberta, CANADA! I was born in the city, then moved to an acreage just outside
it and lived an absolute fairy tale childhood in my own ‘castle’ until I left
to join a rock band and play professionally. Eventually I moved back, got
married there, and got to watch my children have the same amount of happiness
as I did in my childhood home.
Where do you
write from?
I tiny little bedroom I claimed as an office when my kids moved
out, with books galore, guitars, a piano, countless empty coffee cups, and
three dogs sleeping at my feet.
What
was the hardest part of writing your book?
Sitting
for countless hours every day. I gained about fifty pounds and think I broke my
butt at one point. But it was worth it.
Did
you learn anything from writing your book, and what was it?
Apparently
I am obsessed with smells...?!?!
Do you
have any advice for other writers?
If you
love it, it’s good. Take opinions with a grain of salt–trust your gutt.
What do you do
when you aren’t writing?
I am still
actively involved in music, writing and being loud and aggressive with my band
on weekends and recording whenever I can. It is my first love, and I can’t let
go! I also teach classical piano and voice to youngsters one day a week, which
is an incredibly rewarding experience. When I need peace and quiet– which is
often– I paint.
With every
shifting of the breeze, my heart sped up. Every shadow made me jump. The small
campfire crackled and smoked, playing with my vision.
“It’s him,
isn’t it?” Luke said quietly. “Your fiancé… you think he’s out there
somewhere?”
“Yes. My
father would have sent him.”
“Why?”
“Because he
will stop at nothing to get me back.”
“But the
sky has been quiet for a while,” Luke said softly.
I looked
up. There hadn’t been the sound of helicopters this morning, even though the
sky was clear now and vibrant blue above the treetops.
“Do you
really love this guy?” Luke asked softly, and I heard him hold his breath.
I forced my
head to nod. “Yes.”
“Then you
have my word that I won’t hurt him,” he said.
I adjusted
the blanket and stayed by his side while he fell asleep. On the edge of my
nerves, I kept a watchful eye on the bushes and the gun ready in my hands.
Heather
Nightmusic Trilogy. Also a professional singer/songwriter with five
albums to date, she has been telling stories through music for years
and pulls from her extraordinary experiences as a musician to fuel
her passion for creating Young Adult fiction. A rocker at heart, a
mom of three, an aspiring painter and a lover of animals, she is kept
grounded by her husband at their home in Edmonton.
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