Jul 1, 2014

Jen Minkman's THE ISLAND TRILOGY Blitz & Giveaway

Our world is small. The world is never-ending.
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 The Island
#1 The Island Series
By Jen Minkman


'I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier - the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that's what everyone says. I have never seen one.'

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason - they believe in illusions. That's what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?



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The Waves
  #2 The Island Series
By Jen Minkman

The first memory I have of my grandfather is of a moment that we share together. I'm sitting on his knee looking out over the harbor. Grandpa is smoking a pipe. He points at the horizon.
"Look, Walt. Our ships are out there. And one day, another even more beautiful ship will appear at the horizon. A mighty ship to take us all away. And Annabelle will be at the front deck with open arms, inviting us all to join her on board."
"Why don't we sail to her ourselves?" I inquire wide-eyed.
"Because she promised she would come," granddad replies. "And in that promise we trust. It's only the Unbelievers who think they can do everything themselves. They have no faith in the Goddess."

Walt lives in Hope Harbor, an island community that has put its trust in salvation from across the sea. The townspeople wait patiently, build their ships to sail out and welcome the Goddess, and piously visit the temple every week. Horror stories to scare their children are told about the Unbelievers on the other side of Tresco.
But not all is what it seems. Walt has questions that no one can answer, and when his best friend and cousin Yorrick is killed in an accident, he digs deeper to find out the truth about the origins of Hope Harbor's society... and the secrets of the temple.

Return to the world of The Island and discover what Walt's life was like before and after he met Leia!



The Deep
#3 The Island Series

By Jen Minkman

‘The world is never-ending.
I never realized just how much space there is – how far and wide the water around our island stretches out. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I may have believed that a second Wall ran around Tresco, containing the infinite waters so we wouldn’t all wash over the edge and plummet down into the depths.’  

Leia and Walt are on their way to the Other Side, where the legendary land of Cornwall awaits them. Tony, their new friend, has told them that all wars of the past have been forgotten and the citizens of Bodmin and Dartmoor live in peace. People adhere to the tenets of an old religion that preaches forgiveness and non-violence.
However, Walt and Leia soon discover that even a peace-loving, ideal society like this one may have its flaws. While on a forbidden trip to Exeter, the old city of their ancestors, the two Islanders discover more about the new world than they ever bargained for.  

Secrets run dark and passions run deep in this thrilling conclusion to the Island novella series.

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Coming Soon!


The Island Trilogy Collection!

The Island
The Waves
The Deep

All Together!
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Busy author Jen Minkman took time from her busy schedule to answer a  few  questions for Tome Tender!

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What is your "real world" job?



In the real world, I am a teacher of English at a secondary school in The Hague, Holland. I am also a trade-published author in my country, but writing doesn't pay the bills (yet), so I guess teaching is my 'real' job!



2. English isn't your first language, yet your books are translated by YOU. I know I told you I noticed a difference between The Island and The Deep. Is it getting easier as you write/translate more?



It definitely is! Before, I tried to stay too true to my Dutch text while translating and it resulted in some stilted language here and there. Now, I sort of 'free-style' - I rewrite the book in English, sometimes even without really looking at the Dutch source text. Funny thing is, I usually turn out to write down in English what I wrote in Dutch anyway. Maybe my subconsciousness remembers how the story goes and makes me write down the right words without even looking.





3. The Island Trilogy is fascinating, dark and creative, how did you come up with the idea for these books?



To be honest, I have no idea. I started out with a 'what-if' scenario (What if an isolated community turned their distorted history into a religion and the average reader would recognize it for what it is but the main characters wouldn't?) and expanded on that by using the characters and their ways of life to make people reflect on our own customs, religion, and politics - things we take for granted but are not necessarily 'the way things should be'.



4. Do you have a favorite genre or author?



I have read too many books to have a favorite author or genre, but I have always been fond of sci-fi, dystopia, and fantasy. I re-read the books of my childhood every year if I can. Most authors will be unknown to people overseas (such as Thea Beckman, Tonke Dragt and Bert Benson - all of them Dutch) but I also really like Ray Bradbury (classic) and Lauren Oliver (contemporary YA).




5. Is there a difference in the "flavor" of Dutch or European authors than that of American authors?  (Their style, etc.)



I think European authors might be a bit more philosophical, and Dutch authors are definitely more down-to-earth. That doesn't mean we don't write fantastic, magical stories, but the way people act in these books is just very different from what I see in American books. It tends to be less dramatic and more thoughtful, somehow.



6. Are you working on another book now?  If so, when can we expect it to be released?



I am working on the translation of my next book, which is called The Space In Between in English. It's slated for release on September 8th 2014, and it's a YA paranormal novel (next to futuristic/dystopian, that is my main genre).

7.  Can you tell us three things about you that others don't know?



I have no idea! I'm pretty open with my friends and husband, so I don't think I could come up with something that NOBODY knows. :)



Thank you, Jen for sharing a bit of yourself with us!
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Jen Minkman (1978) writes paranormal romance, dystopian fiction and poetry. She is from the Netherlands and self-publishes her work in English. Her works are available in paperback & digital format.



Jen was born in the Netherlands and lived in Austria, Belgium and the UK during her studies. She learned how to read at the age of three and has never stopped reading since. Her favourite books to read are (YA) paranormal/fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian and romance, and this is reflected in the stories she writes. In her home country, she is a trade-published author of paranormal romance and chicklit. Across the border, she is a self-published author of poetry, paranormal romance and dystopian fiction. Her books are already available in English, Dutch and Chinese. Translations in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Afrikaans are coming soon!
She currently resides in The Hague where she works and lives with her husband and two noisy zebra finches. 

Connect with Jen Minkman

http://www.jenminkman.nl/    https://twitter.com/JenMinkman    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5808037.Jen_Minkman   
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Jen Minkman is offering ONE eCopy of The Island Trilogy Collection Edition
Open International
PLUS
ONE  Paperback Copy of The Island Trilogy Collection Edition
Open to US Readers

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