Welcome to the 2023 ARIA Author Showcase and Giveaway Event!

 

How to enter – Comment on the daily showcases to enter the daily Giveaways. Comments close one week after the initial Showcase post. GRAND PRIZE drawn on Dec 8th (1 -$250, 1 -$100, or a 1 -$50 Amazon gift card. One grand prize pp) – For every showcase you post on, you automatically gain one entry to the grand prize. 30 Authors = 30 entries.  

M.Z. will be at the Rhode Island Author Expo

 

On to the Showcase! 

What name do you like to write under? M.Z. Medenciy 

Where do you call home? Southern, RI 

What genre(s) do you write? Fantasy and it's sub genres. 

What genre(s) were you drawn to when you were younger? Fantasy 100%, Mystery and Fiction such as The Secret Garden. 

What were some of your favorite books growing up? Why? Jane Eyre - I love Janes’ strength and growth. Midsummer Nights Dream - I loved Puck’s mischievousness and how things went haywire. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie. Enough said. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - I loved the out-of-the-box wackadoodle world created by Lewis Carroll 

What are some of your favorite books today? Good Omens, Nena Knight series, Morgan is My Name, Brittany Mystery Series, oh and the Karma series also the Stephanie Plum … listen I just love books lol 

What inspired you to become a writer? Writing has always been a form of escape for me. As a child, my imagination was a protective mechanism. When it wasn't needed anymore, it manifested itself into wild dreams. I eventually put pen to paper in an attempt to tame it. It sort of worked ^_^. 

 

 

Island Eight  

In a world on the verge of repeating a cataclysmic history, Sophia, a Salinian entertainer, unknowingly holds the key to the world's salvation. She intentionally overlooks their king's tyranny to ensure her happiness, but not even the gods can protect her when the eyes of the castle alight upon her town. After narrowly escaping death with the aid of a mysterious man who whisks her away to once-forbidden lands, Sophia is unwillingly sucked into the brewing war she had so desperately evaded. In Island Eight by M.Z. Medenciy, Sophia embarks on an unprecedented journey where she encounters new dangers through magic-wielding Fae, discovers a resilience within her she never thought possible, and uncovers a history of the gods and their planet that will change the lives of all forever. 

Tell us a little about how Island Eight came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else? Island Eight was born from my dreams. The first incarnation of Gabriel appeared to me several times in my sleep. I would wake up with this aching in my heart, and an unspoken message as if he was imploring me to tell his tale. I knew there was a story there. 

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book? I have to say that the most prevalent change is that I have significantly fewer characters than what I started with. One of the biggest edits I was asked to do by my content editor was to minimize the number of characters I had. He also suggested that I take the strong traits of weaker characters that I was eliminating and use those traits to add more dimension to my main characters. It was brilliant advice. Even so, it was hard for me to do. There were some side stories I wanted to keep but, in the end, I realized those characters did not drive the plot forward in anyway. So, they had to go. 

Which character was the most challenging to create. Why? Cytrine – From the get-go I knew what the relationship between Cytrine and Sophia was going to be. But creating a character like Cytrine was difficult for me. I did not want to her to be the typical OW (Other Woman) in novels. She is so much more than that, and figuring out how to tell her story meant me getting into her head. Working out why she wants what she wants and does what she does had me screaming into pillows. In the end it wasn’t about what I wanted. It didn’t matter if at first she did come off as the typical OW, because that’s what she wanted. Cytrine didn’t care how Sophia perceived her, so I needed to let that go. In the end I had to let Cytrine write herself. 

What do you like best about being a writer? When I write I am free. There are no inhibitions. Utterly, wonderfully free. 

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be? What would the title of the book be? (If possible) - Give us a one sentence blurb. Pffft I said it once I will say it again, I would love to work with Latina author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It would be called - Cauldron of Sparrows - "Gods stay gods because they are corrupt and powerful. But every five thousand years the Cauldron opens, giving a mortal the chance to challenge a god and take their throne." Maybe? Hmmm Silvia, have your people call my people ^_^. 

Follow M.Z. Medenciy at  

www.mzmedenciy.com 

https://www.instagram.com/mzmedenciy/ 

M.Z. is raffling off a signed copy of Island Eight and a small handcrafted wooden bowl 

To enter, comment below. --> Your King is corrupt; he plunders, he destroys. Do you bring together the people to fight? Or do you live comfortably and blissfully in ignorance? (In a Keanu Reeves voice) Do you take the Red pill and rebel, or the Blue pill and forget? 

(Comments are open for one week)