Hello everyone in blogland! “I’m late!I’m late!I’m late! For a very important date!” Just like that rabbit from Alice in Wonderland as per usual! This is my first time participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge in my defence so at least I didn’t forget the day it started or about it altogether! I’m a bubblehead lately. Too much stress probably. I’ve been dealing with my landlord for 3 whole days now because of a bunch of chaos caused by my new neighbours who by the looks of it won’t be there long!
These are the issues and the complications that come with living in NB Housing which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy for the record! I will write another post about that at a later date! It’s really amusing I promise. Not for me of course, but for you it will be! More on that later though!
“Ok so get to the point Krista!” I can hear you all urging me on impatiently! Ok ok, Today I will be writing about one of my favorite books and indie authors! This was one of my very first experiences with book mail and dystopian fantasy. Back before I knew how to review and post about books. Gosh I’ve learned so much since then!
My book choice for Day #1 of the A to Z Blog Challenge is After The Green Withered by Award winning Author Kristin Ward. Kristin is a teacher of math and science of over twenty years and brings that sci-fi fantasy realism flair with between the pages of her dystopian fantasy sci fi novels making readers want to keep turning the pages long into the dark hours. She loves 80’s movie quotes and references them often. She is also a lover of nature and animals and can be found in her hometown of Connecticut either exploring the nearby woods or lounging in the sun in her backyard. She has won 2018 Best Indie Book Award and the 2020 Connecticut Author Project with her debut novel After The Green Withered. She was also a TopShelf finalist in 2019.
After The Green Withered ,debut novel, by Author Kristin Ward was released in May 2018.It is a Dystopian novel blended with realism making this book so unique and interesting! The story revolves around a world in the future where water is the standard currency and a girl must decide if what she is becoming is what she truly desires. This book is written so well and the world building is incredible. I felt like I was truly here living in this disturbing environment! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book 2 Burden of Truth that was released in November 2018 and see what happened next.
Kristin sent me both books signed by her along with some bookish goodies from a Facebook contest over on her page! I was in my glory and couldn’t devour these books with their cute matching bookmarks fast enough and they have become some of my favorite rereads to date!
Here is the blurb from Amazon for After The Green Withered:
They tell me the country looked different back then.
They talk of open borders and flowing rivers.
They say the world was green.
But drought swept across the globe and the United States of the past disappeared under a burning sky.
Enora Byrnes lives in the aftermath, a barren world where water has become the global currency. In a life dominated by duty to family and community, Enora is offered a role within an entity that controls everything from water credits to borders. But it becomes clear that not all is as it seems. From the wasted confines of her small town to the bowels of a hidden city, Enora will uncover buried secrets that hide an unthinkable reality.
As truth reveals the brutal face of what she has become, Enora must decide how far she will go to retain her humanity.
This incredible read is a 2018 Best Indie Book Award Winner and 2020 Connecticut Author Project Winner! Kristin has been a teacher of science and math for over 20 years bringing her science fantasy into a realistic world bringing the pages to life in a riveting adventure that you won’t soon forget! Here’s the amazon link so you guys can go check it out too! Be warned though your going to want to get book 2 right away, Burden of Truth.
After The Green Withered: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D2X7YSY?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Book 2 Burden Of Truth: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JQ2DRGX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3
The next book I had found by searching Kristin’s Amazon page was The Rise Of Gaia released in Aug 2019. It is another science fantasy novel.This is the start of the blurb:
“Beneath rock and soil, trees and oceans, she lies.
Under concrete jungles and poisoned rivers, she slumbers.
She is Mother Earth.
And mankind has turned its back on its mother.”
I personally didn’t get into this one and it ended up in my DNF pile with the 50 million other books I didn’t finish. I am not a real big science type person and this one felt too far fetched for me. I’m sure the Science fiction enthusiast would like it though. There’s world building and fantasy melded with realism just like her first two novels. I just couldn’t get into it for some reason. There was nothing technically wrong with it per say. Perhaps I tried to read too much sci-fi that month. Who knows?
Here’s the link if you want to check The Rise Of Gaia out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SGH52N9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2
I also just heard that Kristin Ward also has her next New Release coming out on April 13 2021. This one is called The Girl of Dorcha Wood (Daughter of Erabel Book 1) and looks like it’s going be another good fantasy sci-fi read. The blurb reads:
“Treacherous. Evil. Dark. Dorcha Wood is all of these things. And none of them.
The people of Felmore talk of Dorcha Wood in whispers, if they speak of it at all, fearing the wrath of the Cú-Síth should their words be carried on the wind. Those murdering beasts still roam the darkness of the forest, the last remnants of the cursed Aos Sí, a race of elves, long since vanished from the world.
But to seventeen-year-old Fiadh, it is home. Haven. A forest whose secrets become known only when it chooses to reveal them. Her life is one of balance until the outside world shatters it.
From the moment Fiadh set eyes on Gideon, the peaceful rhythm of her life was lost. As a new path unfolds, Fiadh confronts the reality of old hatreds, the consequences of things hidden, and the truth of who she really is.”
I personally can’t wait to dive into a new fantasy world with Kristin and her Aos Sí. It sounds like it’s a journey of adventure and discovering oneself, more YA than I’m used to but I really seem to like that lately! I like finding the stories that teach good life lessons and sharing them with my own three littles hoping that they read them too! Here’s the Amazon link for The Girl of Dorcha Wood (Daughter of Erabel Book 1) so you guys can check it out! Remember it releases on April 13 so get those preorders in now!
So that’s After the Green Withered and lovely Author Kristin Ward in a nutshell. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next. It’s always a thrilling adventure with such an intriguing world when I pick up one of her books! I guess I’m on my way over to amazon to preorder The Girl of Dorscha Wood so I can tell you guys all about it once it releases! See you guys on Day #2’s post when I show you what book I’ve chosen for letter B! If you want to find out more about Kristin Ward and her amazing worlds check out her links listed below.
Kristin Wards Facebook Kristin Wards Insta
Kristin’s Amazon Author Page Kristins twitter
Thanks for reading my post and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments! I love hearing your guys thoughts and book recs! I’ll be back shortly with Day #2 of my A to Z Blog Challenge from over at the http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com page! I’m having so much fun with this great challenge! See you guys there!
💖🦋SunshineWishesandButterflyKisses🦋💖
One Page At A Time 
I like dystopian fiction, but unfortunately I haven’t been reading books over the past few years. I’ve really got to get back into reading again!
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
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