Thursday, July 7, 2022

Interview: YA Fantasy Author Antoine Bandele + giveaway

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Yes, TJ Young & The Orishas has a companion short story series called Orishas Among Mortals.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Anytime the teens could be teens or just hangout among each other is always my favorite beats in the story. Yes, adventures with ancient deities and treks among magic users is great, but just having the characters sit down and share a meal was always the most fun.

How did you come up with the title of the book?
The titles of my books always refer to the climax in one way or another.

Who designed your book covers?
Arthur Bowling illustrated the covers, MiblArt designed the typography.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Like with most writers, I would have liked to have more time with it. But if no one had deadlines, things would never get released.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I didn’t learn so much as I was intrigued by the idea of trying discovery writing for the next project I do.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
Anything to do with the main trio interacting with each other is often my favorite. There is a particular scene involving a haircut that is particularly touching.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
I’m definitely hanging out with TJ, Emeka, or Manny, who are geeks like me. We’d debate all day about if The Last Airbender could be considered an anime or not.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
A bit of both!

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
The characters always hijack my stories. Always. I generally map out my stories but I often have to take detours or create entirely new paths because my characters don’t want to go the way I laid out for them.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice?
George RR Martin.

The Windweaver's Storm (TJ Young & The Orishas Book 2)
by Antoine Bandele
June 19, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
***Optioned for motion-picture adaptation!***

Never make a deal with a deity.
Promises with one are impossible to keep.

TJ Young spent last summer fighting to unlock the secrets behind his sister's mysterious death but found himself battling the magic of the ancient Orishas instead. And some of the answers he sought came with a promise he may not be able to keep: to dismantle new human construction on the coastline of Lagos, Nigeria by the start of spring.

But how does a teenager do away with decades of infrastructure in only half a year?

He’ll need to enlist the help of new allies, mortal and immortal alike. And thankfully, after surviving the grueling magical curriculum of Camp Olosa, he’s now headed to the most prestigious magic school in West Africa: Ifa Academy for Tomorrow’s Diviners.

But will that be enough as he prepares for what can only end in an all-out war between mortals and gods?
Find out in this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of West Africa, where TJ will encounter forgotten tales, mystical realms lost to time, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.
**On Sale for Only $2.99 July 28-Aug 5!!**

The Gatekeeper's Staff (TJ Young & The Orishas Book 1)
***Optioned for motion-picture adaptation!***

TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it... until now.

Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ's world.

Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa-a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans.

But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the orishas.
Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African Orishas, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the orishas.
**On Sale for Only 99 cents July 28-Aug 5!!**

About the Author
ANTOINE BANDELE IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR IN ACTION ADVENTURE FANTASY, DARK FANTASY, SWORD & SORCERY, AFRICAN AMERICAN FANTASY, AND AFRICAN LITERATURE.

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, though he spent one year in Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington while his father served in the U.S. Army.

He lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and cat. You can find him producing videos all over YouTube, including his own channel (which you should totally check out). He is also an audiobook engineer.
Giveaway
$20 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the author's interview and books' details, this sounds like an epic series and I am looking forward to reading these stories

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  2. This sounds like a cool read. Fantastic cover.

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  3. Thanks for the great post. I am intrigued.

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