XODUS by K.J. McPike
Pages: 388
Published by Terracotta Rose Publishing in association with Fuzzy Hedgehog Press on September 19, 2015
Series: Astralis #1
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
All Lali Yavari wanted for her sixteenth birthday was for her mom to come back. Instead, she starts flashing between realities and seeing people disappear before her very eyes.
Then the unsettling Kai Awana shows up at school, and Lali soon discovers she has inherited the ability to astral project—with a surprising twist. When Kai offers to use his own unique ability to help Lali find her mother in exchange for her help on a misguided mission, she can't refuse...even if she's not quite sure she can trust him.
In her thrilling urban fantasy debut, multi-award-winning author K.J. McPike takes us on a ride with "enough tantalizing twists and turns to captivate readers, transforming them into instant fans" (SPR). Don't miss this whirlwind adventure, where what one girl learns about her mother's past will make her question everything she thought was true—and just might put her family in even more danger.
Today, I have author K.J. McPike here to talk about the first book in her young adult Astralis series, Xodus. Book #1.5, Nemesis, released yesterday so be sure to check it out, and enter below for your chance to win ecopies for both Xodus and Nemesis! Thank you for being here K.J. 🙂
1) Describe XODUS in a tweet (140 characters or less)
A girl discovers she can astral project and uses her ability to bargain with a questionable boy who claims he can find her missing mother.
2) Can you share something about Lali and Kai that we would be surprised to learn?
Readers might be surprised to learn that Lali never snuck out or broke the rules (before XODUS, of course) because she was afraid that her younger siblings would think it was okay if she did, and she feared something bad would happen to them if they followed her bad example.
I think readers would also be surprised to learn that Kai was bullied in middle school. That’s a large part of the reason he was so happy that Cade decided to homeschool him, though Cade had different motivations for that decision.
3) Did you do any kind of research on astral projection to prepare you for writing XODUS? If so, what is the most interesting thing you learned?
I read a lot about astral projection before I ever considered writing a book simply because I was fascinated with the subject and I was determined to learn how to do it. (In case you’re wondering, I still haven’t managed to astral project. I just live vicariously through my characters now.) I did brush up on some specific definitions and explanations so that when Lali does her research on the subject, the things she reads actually sound legitimate, but the way my characters astral project is different from the way I understand it to work in “real life.” I kind of took the concept and ran with it.
The most interesting thing I read during my research about astral projection growing up was that it is possible to talk to the deceased while projecting. Honestly, that was the main reason I wanted to learn how to do it.
BookBriefs: Oh wow, I had no idea you could talk to the deceased while projecting. That is really cool.
4) The cover of XODUS is beautiful. What are some of your favorite book covers at the moment?
Aw, thank you so much! 🙂 I am currently obsessed with the cover of The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi, as well as all the covers of all the books in the Splintered series by A.G. Howard. I’ve also always loved the cover of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (and the rest of the covers in the Newsoul series), and the covers of The Selection series. All the Snow Like Ashes covers are incredible, as are the newest covers for the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver. I could go on about covers for hours. I stalk them!
 BookBriefs: Those are some great cover choices! I love the Splintered cover too <3
5) What do you do when the dreaded writers block strikes?
Whenever I feel blocked, I switch from my laptop to pen and paper and start free writing. The only rule is that my pen can’t stop moving for fifteen minutes. More often than not, I start (and finish) with stuff that has nothing to do with my current project, but it seems to help get my creativity back on track. I think the beauty is in the lack of “delete” key. When you’re working with pen and paper, you’re kind of forced to keep moving forward, and a lot of times, I think that’s the key to getting past the block.
6) If we had an author talent show, what talent would you amaze us with?
I would blow your mind with my juggling skills! No, I’m kidding. I can juggle, but it’s just a basic three-ball pattern with the occasional trick thrown in there. But that still counts as a talent, right?
BookBriefs: That TOTALLY counts as a challenge. I can hardly catch one thing, let along three.
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win 1 of 3 ecopy sets of Xodus and Nemesis by K.J. McPike! Open internationally
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About K.J. McPike
Multi-award-winning author K.J. McPike grew up in rural Virginia, where she started writing stories as a way to escape small-town horrors like Drive Your Tractor To School Day. (Yes, that was an official part of her high school’s spirit week.) Nowadays, she has embraced the nomad life and has lived in Spain and Thailand, as well as all over the United States. Her travels have also taken her to places like Argentina, Turkey, Portugal, England, Italy, Mexico, and Ireland, and she is actively adding more to the list. No matter where she is around the globe, she is likely consuming too much caffeine and spending more time in coffee shops than her own apartment.
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Morgyn Star (@MorgynStar)
Soooo hope to win McPike’s books!