Author Ann Snizek

Hi all!

Please help me welcome Author Ann Snizek to my blog today. She is promoting her first book, Tunuftol's Fortress of Light!

Biography:

I grew up in Vermont mostly and now live in Virginia with my family (those still at home). My husband and I have a blended family of seven kids. My childhood was spent moving around a lot. (non-military) About five years ago, we started home-schooling our youngest children. Now there are only two remaining in home-school. I have tried to nurture the love of books in our children and now our grandchildren -- always nurturing their imaginations. Recently, I have become active in our community with literacy, starting a local (and online) creative writing club and volunteer tutoring at the Adult Learning Center.

I struggle with Fibromyalgia and PTSD. So, have to be careful not to overdo things... I don't always listen to my own advice. I have a dry, sarcastic and corny sense of humor and always try to look at things optimistically. (again not always successful) However, I feel that if I don't give up -- for long -- then things will work out for the best eventually. I am a self-published author of the Tunuftol series (pronounced: Ton uf toll) -- Tunuftol's Fortress of Light book 1 -- and the Payton Chronicles (To Eris - Human book 1) as well as My Rambling Anthology of Teasers (sampling of stories and articles) and Raelynn Dreams (a children's book). I am also a homeschooling mom.

Blurb:

Krissa and Micah have been pushed around the foster system until they find themselves in the care of "Grandma" Athey. Krissa begins having unusual dreams Their new friends, Pin, and her twin brother, Khevin, and other friends from school join forces to unravel the secrets. Krissa has become The Chosen One and is drawn into a mission against an evil faction that usurped the twins royal family. Krissa struggles to adjust to the emotions she feels that aren’t her own, to the strange voice that only she can hear, and to the bizarre and violent reactions both she and her glowing key have towards a fellow student, Marc Jebel. Questions pummel her mind as butterflies ravage her stomach. Why does she feel so instantly comfortable around Grandma Athey and Pin after years of guarding herself? What are her dreams trying to tell her? Why does she hate Marc so much? What’s the strange energy she can feel coming from Khevin? And, why is Micah acting so strangely? Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Krissa learns that the answer is bigger than she ever imagined. Her name means: chosen one, but chosen for what, and why? The answers lay in a place called Tunuftol, where names pick people, and have mind-boggling results. A world she had forgotten even existed because her dad somehow blocked her memories to protect her identity…Until she receives more names to help her unlock her secrets and lead her to the truth about who she is, what her parents died for, and where she must go. Nothing is as it seems…especially her undersized baby brother.

Excerpt:

“The Wheels on the Bus” played once more during the two-hour ride already endured that morning.  Ironically, the sedan’s wipers kept tempo with the childish song.  Thirteen-year-old Krissa inwardly groaned.  She had a pounding headache from the musical torture, but forced a smile at her undersized brother, Micah, who sat in the seat beside her.

An intense flash of lightning and violent crack of thunder rattled the car windows and raised the hair on her arm.  It also echoed Krissa’s mood as desperation started taking over.  Krissa struggled to remember how many placements they had gone through over the years, but lost count.  She shrugged in frustration as she stared out the window at the rain-blurred scenery.  This would be their third placement this year alone, and it was only April.  If they didn’t find a place soon to keep them out of the Children’s Home and away from their caseworker, Mrs. Johnston, Krissa feared that Micah would be taken away from her. 

Mrs. Johnston had privately admitted to Krissa that she delighted in finding the worst families available in the foster system and relocating them as often as possible.  Occasionally, the disturbed woman slipped up and the Wittek children found temporary sanctuary in a decent home.  Krissa felt sure the woman had escaped from some institution, or perhaps had been part of some depraved preschool program for terrorists. 

The sedan turned down a dark, dirt road overhung by the branches of the old trees that lined the sides, making it feel more like a dismal tunnel from a nightmare.  

“We’re here!” Mrs. Johnston said as they pulled into the driveway of an ancient farm.

A looming, white two-story house came into view with its tattered black shutters and tired, covered porch stretching across the front.  The red barn, no longer red, had faded into pink and drastically needed repair, as did all of the smaller sheds.  Lightning struck so close everyone jumped, and Krissa’s hair stood up on her arms again. 

“Oh, my!  What a grumpy Gus today.”  The caseworker patted her chest as if to restart the heart Krissa didn’t believe she had, and both kids rolled their eyes. 

The short, round, forty-something woman, who always wore a brightly colored, flowery dress with a pink sweater and a fake pearl jewelry set, fumbled with her teddy-bear raingear and bag.  She climbed out under her matching umbrella to head to the house as dry as possible.

Krissa and Micah each gathered up their trash bag of belongings, and swallowed hard before plunging out into the drenching rain and slick red mud.  The never-ending pattern, of being dragged from one home to the next, caused butterflies to not simply dance, but have a full out rave in Krissa’s stomach. 

An oddly-agreeable looking, elderly woman stood just inside the rusty screen door and a round old beagle pushed past her to greet the children with a happily wagging tail, completely heedless of the rain or mud.

“Daisy Mae, get back in here you crazy old dog.”  The woman’s voice rang with laughter.

The old dog responded with a horrific baying, but turned and slowly waddled up the worn steps ahead of the new arrivals.  The screen door creaked as the old woman pushed it open.  She stepped aside for them to enter the mudroom as Mrs. Johnston shook the rain from her umbrella.

“Good morning, Mrs. Boske,” the caseworker said.  “Here we are.”

“Yes, I see that.  Good Morning,” Mrs. Boske said in a bland reply.  Her expression appeared much warmer as she waved for the kids to enter.  “Come in, come in.  Please leave the mud here.  That means you too, Daisy Mae.”

The stiff old dog looked up at the tall, slender, old woman then hung her head and scratched fiercely at the floor mat.  Micah giggled as he and Krissa peeled themselves from the dripping jackets and shoes.  He stood wide-eyed in his stained socks and baggy clothes, clinging to his bag with one arm and Krissa with the other.  Krissa forced the butterflies back down, her hardened defenses in place and ready.

“Have a seat,” the old lady said as she beckoned them into the kitchen.

Krissa instantly felt off about the room, a picture-perfect, old farm kitchen…a little too perfect to her mind.  The smell of chocolate-chip cookies flooded the air, making her mouth water as she looked around.

The clean, well-used room had a deep, white double-sink; a small, round table with mix-matched chairs; and lots of cabinets.  All of the cushions matched with the curtains in a small, red and white plaid.  Handmade potholders, doilies, and figurines of roosters, pigs, and cows traversed the walls, windowsills, and shelves.  Decorative plates lined the tops of the cabinets. 

“Would you like a snack?” Mrs. Boske asked, looking from Krissa to Micah.

Micah’s round eyes grew even larger as he nodded his head enthusiastically.  More cautious and suspicious, Krissa mumbled a quiet “yes please” and pulled her chair closer to her brother.  Mrs. Boske’s eyes smiled as she collected cookies and milk and placed them on the table in front of the children. 

The whole thing seemed too unreal to Krissa.  However, a feeling of comfort spread over her.  Startled, she glanced up at Mrs. Boske through narrowed eyes.  The comfortableness certainly didn’t match how she had felt up to that point, and she struggled with the odd mix of comfort and unease.  How could this place have such a strong, immediate, and contradictory reaction with her?

Krissa saw the old woman’s eyes come alive, as if she won some priceless prize.  She struggled with the emotions while Mrs. Johnston, still in her raingear, struggled with her bag for some paperwork.

“Here are your copies of the paperwork.  I’m afraid I must be on my way.  Duty calls, you know.”  She handed Mrs. Boske a manila envelope as she sang out her words.  “You have my number if you have any problems.” 

The caseworker threw a withering and penetrating glare at Krissa, who clenched her teeth and swallowed the cookie with difficulty.  The comfort and warmth faltered within Krissa, and a cold feeling struck her butterflies, creating a frozen weight in the mosh pit of her stomach.

“Let me walk you out then,” Mrs. Boske said and stepped forward, blocking Krissa’s view of the much shorter woman and forcing her back into the mudroom.

The odd, old woman winked at Krissa as she left the kitchen.  Krissa didn’t understand the wink and brushed it aside a personality quirk.  A flood of warm acceptance washed over her that seemed to thaw her gut, but caused her to choke on the cookie at the unexpected sensation. 

Certain that Mrs. Johnston would say something to tarnish their new guardian’s first impressions, Krissa strained to hear the caseworker‘s words.  However, with only the screen door between them and the irate storm that continued to blow, Krissa had a hard time. 

Mrs. Johnston instantly dropped her bouncy tone into a harsh and scratchy growl.  Venom laced every word.  “That girl’s nothing but trouble.  She’ll rob you blind, and probably your neighbors too.  On top of that, you had better watch your back.  She’s a fighter.  Several of her previous homes sent them away for fear of their lives.  I don’t know why on Earth you asked for them both, or how you actually managed to get them.  I warn you though; you’d be better off sending her back with me and just keeping that little boy.” 

Krissa bristled at the woman’s words.  How dare she!  How dare she tell such lies?  How dare she try to take Micah from her?  Anger, resentment, and a sharp stab of fear struck Krissa’s heart as multiple bolts of lightning struck nearby.  She silently, and automatically, formed escape plans in case she had to grab Micah and make a run for it…with, or without, their shoes. 

Here is my review of the book:

Tunuftol’s Fortress of Light was a wonderfully woven story full of fun, charisma and entertainment. Ms. Snizek has fully developed characters what are loveable and make you feel a gamete of emotions throughout the story. She writes in a manner that the reader feels like they are right there as part of the group in the story and the things there are actually happening around you. You are put right into the story as you read it.

A young girl and her brother are pushed around through the adoption system until they are found by a caring Grandmotherly type old lady. Krissa, the main character starts having inexplicable dreams and her little brother Micah knows more than she gives him credit for. Krissa’s new friend Pin and her twin brother Khevin start to unravel Krissa’s questions about her dreams. She has become The Chosen One and is taken on a mission to take over the faction that has upset Khevin’s family from the throne. She has to learn her powers and follow her dreams which Pin helps out with as she’s a dream weaver. The group of friends accumulated at school take on a trip to find this other place they left as children and struggle against the evil they face. Will they succeed in the end? Who is the most valuable and who keeps the most secrets? Will Krissa know what to do when the time comes?

Author Ann Snizek creates a world where any reader would like to go. The travel she puts this young group on is a treat for the reader. As you learn along with the main character, you feel for her and learn some interesting facts. She gives you a whole world where you can emerge yourself for awhile and follow along with this group of friends. I would recommend this as a must read for anyone who likes to get themselves entirely involved in a story. This is a page turner that is hard to put down. It’s an easy read with short chapters that move you along through the story at a quick pace. Ms. Snizek has done a great job creating a story that everyone should read!

Websites:

www.annsnizekauthor.blogspot.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6702687.Ann_Snizek/blog

I run a Creative Writing Club: http://www.facebook.com/groups/383408198406266/
           Volunteer as an English Tutor: http://www.facebook.com/CharlotteLearning?fref=ts

 Freelance: 
 Yahoo Contributor: http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1709840/ann_snizek.html

 Founded:
 Snow Flower Publishing, Editing & Reviews: https://www.facebook.com/SnowFlowerPublishing 

Please thank Ann for joining us and being so honest! Her Tunuftol series is excellent. I've read book 1 & 2 and I really got into them and can't wait to read book 3! Check out her websites and buy one or more of her books, they are worth the read!

Keep Writing!

Jodie Pierce