Friday, September 17, 2021

Interview: YA Horror Author Kelly Pawlik (Olympic Vista Chronicles) + giveaway

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Darius, the rich-kid from Boston, has such a curious mind. In some ways, he’s been super sheltered and the idea that he could have this group of friends, that he could go on these adventures, it’s really exhilarating for him.

Adelaide, is a bit different. She’s the glue that holds her circle of friends together, even if she doesn’t realize it. She’s had a tough life. Her mother can’t seem to hold down a job, she burns just about anything she cooks and she has horrible taste in men. Her dad isn’t in the picture at all and there’s been a revolving door of roommates over the years. Adelaide spends more time being the adult than her mother does, and Darius’ arrival in town gives her a chance to be a kid and get in trouble and just live.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
None of the characters are based on anyone I’ve met exactly, but I don’t know if anything can come completely from people’s imagination; everything we do, everything we see, it can affect us. I have no doubt my interactions with various people, things they have said to me or I’ve ever heard, they all play a part in the creation of these characters.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I might just be working on a few! I have an idea for a short story collection I’d like to put together. The main characters of the novella series won’t feature too prominently, but they’ll be around for parts of the book. Their friends, however… we’ll have to see!

In the meantime, there is a short story available to people who sign up for my newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/c1adcb958bd0/newsletter-signup). It’s still set in Olympic Vista, but it has very different characters. It’s much less horror and much more friendship with a touch of sadness. (I only send out a newsletter about once a month, but subscribers will get access to novella updates and behind-the-scenes information!)

There are some unanswered questions throughout the two books. Are the answers coming soon?
I really endeavour to wrap things up in each book, but Olympic Vista is a strange place and we’re following a group of preteens as they investigate the weirdness around them. Sometimes the answers are just out of reach, but don’t worry: a lot of questions will be answered in due time.

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I honestly can’t pinpoint when I become an author. I can remember trying to write stories before I could actually write. (I distinctly remember one of my older half-brothers refusing to sit as a captive audience writing down my every word!) And I know I played around with stories and poems through school. Several years ago, I started writing roleplaying game (RPG) supplements, and that just sort of kept evolving. Some of it was really rules based, but other parts were adventures or really descriptive.

As far as my novella fiction work goes, I dabbled a bit with passages of work that could become novels or short stories over the years, but nothing really came of it. Between work and kids, there just isn’t always a lot of time and the idea of actually writing a whole book and figuring out what to do with it was really intimidating.

When COVID hit and everyone tucked themselves away, I saw all these posts on social media about what people were doing with their free time I was a little jealous. I’ve got three kids and, due to a health scare with our youngest a couple of years ago, we decided to homeschool them last year. I felt like I had no time at all, let alone this extra time everyone was talking about!

Still, I felt inspired to take baby steps, so earlier this year I enrolled in an online writing course through the community college. It really pushed me to carve out a bit of time for writing. I wasn’t thrilled with the short story I had at the end of it, but it did reignite my passion for writing. My husband was super supportive and kept encouraging me to write more, and so I did. I ended up with a ton of words and too many ideas, so I sought some help from that instructor and she suggested going with a series of novellas. Now here we are!

Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in Surrey, BC. I’ve never lived anywhere but Vancouver Island, but my mum was pregnant and went to the mainland for a concert with my father. Apparently, the doctor had said she’d be fine, but a few hours before the show she went into labour. I had to hear for years about how she knew exactly when Jethro Tull last played in the Vancouver area. I actually offered to buy her a ticket when they passed through again in 2011.

ABOUT OLYMPIC VISTA CHRONICLES
Everything twelve-year-old Adelaide Winter knows about her Washington state hometown is turned on its head when Darius Belcouer moves to Olympic Vista at the end of summer 1986.

The two become fast friends as they bond over the mystery of a local haunted house Darius wants to explore. The house, it turns out, is only the tip of the iceberg. They quickly discover the more they dig, the more they uncover, and the trail leads back to The Link, a research and development facility in town. Together, Adelaide and her friends delve into the strange occurrences around Olympic Vista.

A tale of horror, friendship, and coming of age in the late 1980s.

Songs From the Wood (Olympic Vista Chronicles Book 2)

by Kelly Pawlik
September 16, 2021
Genre: YA Horror, SciFi
Delve into the mystery of the strange, small town of Olympic Vista, WA.

In the days following a foray into a dilapidated house, twelve-year-old Darius Belcouer becomes desperate to find another unexplained phenomenon to investigate.

When animal attacks around town are reported in the news, Darius and Adelaide band together to solve the mystery. The trail leads them into the forest beyond Adelaide’s house where the pair discover that much like the small town itself, nothing in the woods is as it seems.

An eager new kid, a deadpan music-lover, a fast-talking troublemaker, an anxious bookworm and a girl torn between popularity and adventure. Follow this group of friends as they delve into the mysteries of their small town while juggling the trials and tribulations of their home lives.

Songs from the Wood is the sequel to Yesterday’s Gone, and the second novella in the Olympic Vista Chornicles.
Praise for the author:
“Pawlik has a flare for writing about this period and I could truly visualize the eighties vibes through her description of music, fashion and even food.”

Pick up your copy today and join this motley group of friends as they journey into the strange!

Excerpt
Tetsu kicked a small stone and watched as it skipped along the pavement. He shoved his hands deeper into his khaki pockets as he walked up the street. A group of three kids walked just ahead of him. They kept glancing back at him, which caused Tetsu’s scowl to deepen.

“Wonder what his problem is?” one boy muttered to his friend.

“Him and Adelaide are in some fight,” the other boy replied.

Tetsu reached the stone and kicked it again. It skipped forward and almost hit the first boy.

“Uh-uh. I heard Adelaide and the new guy are a couple now,” the sister said. “He’s jealous.”

“I can hear you!” Tetsu called out.

The trio exchanged a quick glance and hurried up their road toward their destinations, a pair of houses side-by-side.

Tetsu flipped them the bird as they looked back at him.

He carried on down the street toward his own house, which sat close to the forest’s edge. Unlike Adelaide’s house, most of the properties along the woods on Alder Street had been built with a tall fence devoid of any gates. The forest floor dropped off suddenly and the properties here sat perched on the edge of a precipice.

Tetsu glanced toward the Horchuk house as he passed it. It was the closest one to Pine Street, and the only one with forest access. It was two doors down from Tetsu’s. Normally, after he dropped Adelaide at her house, he would have cut through the forest and then through the Horchuck property to get home.

Tetsu kicked another rock and watched as it skipped down the street. His gaze shifted back to the Horchuk property as something in the large bushes moved. Tetsu paused and cocked his head to the side.

There was a long, low growl and the bush rustled.

Tetsu hesitated, then stepped closer.

The branches and leaves shook as a dark shape emerged. The sun glinted off its eyes.

Tetsu turned and bolted toward his house.

The creature growled again, hot on his heels.

Tetsu risked a glance over his shoulder; the black mass was gaining on him. Tetsu winced as he stumbled over a small pothole. Pain shot up his ankle. He staggered forward, his chest pounding.

Yesterday's Gone (
Olympic Vista Chronicles Book 1)
Delve into the mystery of the strange, small town of Olympic Vista, WA.

“Pawlik has a flare for writing about this period and I could truly visualize the eighties vibes through her description of music, fashion and even food.”

Book one of the Olympic Vista Chronicles follows Darius and Adelaide as they explore a house rumoured to be haunted. What they find is so much worse.

Darius Belcouer, a rich kid from Boston, moves to the strange, small town of Olympic Vista, Washington at the end of the summer of 1986.

Here he meets Adelaide and her friends. Eager to embrace his new life, Darius encourages them to help him explore a haunted house.

When the children discover government agents tasked with maintaining order in the chaos created by local scientists, they realize the house is only the beginning of the strange happenings.

An eager new kid, a deadpan music-lover, a fast-talking troublemaker, an anxious bookworm and a girl torn between popularity and adventure. Follow this group of friends as they delve into the mysteries of their small town while juggling the trials and tribulations of their home lives.

Yesterday’s Gone is the perfect quick read for those with a nostalgia for the 80s or who love a good kids-on-bikes story.
Praise for Yesterday's Gone:

“Nostalgic and highly readable.”

“Yesterday’s Gone is fast paced and the perfect weekend read!”

"It evokes the feeling of the eighties, bringing back some fond memories"

"A great poolside read that's impossible to put down"

"A throwback to the 80's"

Pick up your copy today and join this motley group of friends as they journey into the strange!
**Only .99 cents!!**

About the Author
Kelly Pawlik dabbled with story writing from a young age. She spent her childhood reading, dressing her beloved cat, Midnight, up in doll clothes and hunting garter snakes in the backyard. Her favourite cartoon as a child was Jem and she is proud to own the full box set of DVDs. Her childhood dream was to be an author and she is proud to be bringing characters to life with the Olympic Vista Chronicles.

Kelly is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) writer and has released multiple RPG supplements with her husband under their micro-publishing company, Dire Rugrat Publishing. She has also contributed to several best-selling works with Kobold Press.

Kelly lives on Vancouver Island, BC with her husband, their three inquisitive children, and two lazy cats.

Giveaway
$25 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 comments:

  1. Darius and Adelaide sound like amazing characters. I’d love to read their story!

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    1. Thank you so much! I wanted to make it easy to start following along on their journey, so you can pick up an ebook copy of the first novella (Yesterday's Gone) for just $0.99 on your favourite ebook platform during this book tour. I hope you love Darius and Adelaide as much as I do!

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    1. Thank you! You can pick up a copy from your favourite ebook retailer, or grab a paperback off of Amazon. I hope you enjoy it!

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  3. Ooh, this series sounds right up my alley.

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    1. That's awesome, Laura! Darius and Adelaide would love for you to join them as they look into their cases. :)
      I can't wait for you to venture into Olympic Vista!

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  4. "Darius, the rich-kid from Boston, has such a curious mind. In some ways, he’s been super sheltered and the idea that he could have this group of friends, that he could go on these adventures, it’s really exhilarating for him."

    This sounds like a great read.

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    1. Thank you! I've put the first book on sale for just $0.99 during the book tour. Grab your copy today and follow along on the adventure!

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  5. This sounds like a great book (and series) that would be perfect for my nieces!

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  6. Sounds great. Looking forward to reading the series.

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    1. I'm so happy you are coming along for journey! Welcome to Olympic Vista.

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  7. What was your inspiration for writing this book?
    digicats {at} sbcglobal {dot} net

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    1. Thanks for asking! It's a combination for sure. I'm an avid TTRPG player and I love the Tales from the Loop game and setting. So that, combined with watching Stranger Things, provided a lot of inspiration for this series.

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