Dear ,

I can't help it.

When times are tough, books are my escape. If they are for you too, then read on because I'll invite you to plunge into a pool full of them.

Reality is just around the corner, however, and my thoughts go out to those of you who have friends and family in Ukraine. A special hug to fellow author friend Diana Stevan, whose grandmother Lukia emigrated to Canada during a different war: WWI. Diana wrote an eye-opening series about her grandmother and the hardships she faced.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092YSSN1J

Another special shout-out to wonderful children's book illustrator Valeria Leo, who is currently hiding with her son while her Ukrainian city is under attack and her husband has had to and fight. These are real families whose lives have been uprooted.

Check out her lovely artwork here: https://bit.ly/3ILVmja

Writing challenges

On a less dramatic note, I haven't said much about my own writing lately. I wish I could show you my office right now but... ah... not just yet. I don't like to talk about things I'm working on too soon because my moto is: don't promise something until you know you can deliver. Let's just say I have a maze of notes and post-its stuck to the wall and it feels like I'm looking at the clues hanging in the Egyptian escape room we went to for my kid's birthday. LOL!

Let's just say the big title on one of my post-its is The Lost Space Treasure.

Also, the thing that has been holding me back for the moment is that I don't know if my new project will be for lower middle-grade (8-10), upper middle grade (11-13) or young adult (14-18). This is a crucial detail in determining how a story will be written. My instinct tells me to go with upper middle-grade, like Ben Archer, but I need some time to let that idea settle in. What do you think?

The Knowledge Seeker is a 2021 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist

I have some great news!

It seems that students in the United Kingdom loved The Knowledge Seeker. They selected it as a finalist in The 2021 Wishing Shelf Book Awards - Books for Teenagers! The winner will be announced on APRIL 1st, so there's mounting excitement. I'll let you know in my next newsletter, of course. Your wonderful reviews have helped me get here, so thank you!

In the meantime, some of the finalists in that same category have gotten together to offer you their books at a discount. I will be posting about them on my social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). The Wishing Shelf website is being populated with the finalist books as we speak, so The Knowledge Seeker isn't up yet, but you will be able to find the full list of finalists here:

https://www.thewsa.co.uk/finalists2021/

And these are the books that I will be posting about on my social media this month March:

Middle-Grade March Book Promotion

Time for that pool full of books!

March is known to be geared towards middle-grade books. So, without further ado, here is a MEGA list of 31 middle-grade books that I will showcase all through March on my social media. If you click on the link below, you will see that each book has been allotted with a number. That is the day when that book will run a steep discount.

Are you ready to dive in?

https://www.raeknightly.com/single-post/middle-grade-march-book-promotion

What's up in the neighbourhood?

I grew tired of cooking the same thing over and over during the pandemic, so I'm trying out new recipes. I'm hoping a healthy diet will help with my migraines.

Here we have eggs, bacon and goat cheese; fresh tomato soup and a bell pepper sandwich. Yummy!

Let me know if you want any of these recipes.

March 2022 reading list

If the list of books above isn't enough to get you through March, then here are some more to check out.

Miscreation?: Book 1 of the Genetico Chronicles by June Yu

Does your future lie in your genes or your choice?

The year is 2077 and it’s now the Genome Age, where humans, plants and animals have been genetically modified to create a new world. All genetic advances are tightly controlled by a powerful government department, Genetico.

Enter the brilliant fifteen-year-old Natalia with genetic predispositions for both science and music. Suddenly, her future career and romance are at stake when she discovers her beloved late father is actually a Miscreation (the result of a botched genetic experiment).

Meanwhile, Natalia’s cold and manipulative mother is sitting on a genetic timebomb that's about to go off. Then there's the underground cadre, the Progeny, who want to expose the secrets of the Genome Age.

And just what do you do with the Miscreations... when they have powers you don't understand?

Miscreation? is a young adult science fiction novel. It explores a genetically engineered world where technology creates as many problems as it solves and cannot deal with the pain and prejudice in the human heart. For lovers of future worlds and people interested in the relationship between science and people.

The Neighbor You Don't Know by Shane Shepherd

After countless years of preparation Mission Terra Firme One is finally ready to commence and give Earth the answers it has long waited for, about the planet Neighbor.

The TSS Cartographer is about to arrive and its First Officer Baldwin “call me Win” Tavares believes that he might just be able to touch his hand to that rocky ground and that’d be enough for him to learn everything there is to know about their old Neighbors, the things they’d done and what they’d left behind.

But not everyone is as kind-hearted or has such noble intentions, and Neighbor holds more mysteries than anyone could have imagined. Exploring it might open the gates for a flood that threatens to drown everything, and Win must make decisions that hold his life, and that of all around him, at stake.

Siouca Remembers by James Murdo

What does Siouca want? Siouca is coming.

Siouca is a member of the advanced Wanderer civilisation. What does Siouca want?

The quest to unlock the secrets of interstellar travel leads a Roranian crew on an epic journey across space. Saved by a dying machine-lect, stranded in a failing ship, faced with an ultimate choice. Were they too eager in their attempts to reach the stars?

The fractious Primals are the ancient, all-powerful rulers of the Creatites. Their origins are shrouded in mystery although Storytellers recite their legends. Tallic has recently been granted special abilities by the Barrier Primal that most other Creatites could only dream of, although he has an unexpected encounter with an intruder that changes everything.

What secrets have the Primals kept hidden since time began?

Nurilm resides within a decaying temple. One day, she chances upon forbidden knowledge about an enigmatic entity called the ‘Collector’, and an unthinkable battle waged long ago in which the Primals were united.

What does it all mean? And how is it all connected?

One thing is for certain. Siouca is coming.

A STANDALONE NOVEL FROM THE WANDERER UNIVERSE.

Cerebral Sci-Fi with an emphasis on the ‘Sci’. If you enjoy Hard Sci-Fi, complex Space Opera, and authors such as Iain M. Banks, Alastair Reynolds and Dan Simmons, then this is for you.

Tier 1: Book #1 in the Tier Trilogy by Cindy Gunderson

A virus nearly wiped out the human race. But is controlled survival a future worth living?

The post-apocalyptic routine couldn't be better for Kate. Doing her part to rebuild the world's population, her husband and their genetically privileged children are her pride and joy. But as her spouse becomes distant, she fears her flawless family is on the brink of collapse.

Confused and distraught as he continues to withdraw, Kate finds comfort in a handsome younger man who mentors her son. But as she and her new beau become entwined, her husband suddenly reasserts his claim. And giving in to his renewed loyalty could set their carefully ordered society ablaze.

Will Kate build the life she dares desire or be stained by betrayal?

Tier 1 is the first book in the thrilling Tier science fiction trilogy. If you like heartfelt characters, clean romance, and thought-provoking takes on dystopia, then you'll adore Cindy Gunderson's binge-worthy tale.

Deadly Lockdown by Misty Zaugg and Stephanie Mylchreest

A deadly illness. Panicked lockdown. And two sisters who’ll stop at nothing to save each other.

The second wave of the Siberian Flu catches the country completely unprepared.

Instead of killing the old and frail, the young and healthy are dropping . . . in hours, not days.

Kate, a new doctor, will sacrifice everything to break her and her sister free from a controlling stepfather and a dead-end small town existence. Moments from landing the critical job she needs, St. Louis falls apart around her.

Now it’s a race to survive. She has to fight through a city turning deadlier by the second and traverse a chaotic country to save her sister.

Alisa should be safe at home in their small town, but she’s never been happy to sit back and let life pass her by. Concerned for her stepbrother, she finds herself embroiled in a far-reaching conspiracy that might be even deadlier than the pandemic.

As an invisible killer spreads like wildfire, society breaks down with astonishing speed. Refusing to succumb to the chaos, the sisters will have to dig deep for strength, rely on new friends, and fight a vicious battle to survive.

From the authors of the top-selling Aftermath series, Deadly Lockdown is the first book in a gripping post-apocalyptic series full of everyday, driven characters who never quit fighting through non-stop peril and danger. A post-apoc thriller just right for fans of Kyla Stone, T.L. Payne, Ryan Schow, Jack Hunt and Mike Kraus.

Compliance: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The Bellator Chronicles Book 1) by Clare Littlemore

A gender experiment. An exiled community. A forbidden love.

Sixteen-year-old Faith is proud to attend Danforth Academy, a cutting-edge school in the all-female province of Bellator. But when tragedy strikes a fellow student, she suspects there is a darker side to the prestigious institution. Determined to protect herself and her friends, she goes looking for answers.

Her investigation brings her face-to-face with Noah, a boy from Eremus: a community the Bellator authorities claim they destroyed years ago.

Faith has been taught that all men are monsters. She knows she should turn Noah in. But she is drawn to the intriguing stranger and his unfamiliar way of life. As she learns more about him, she begins to question everything she’s ever known.

When a vicious attack involving both communities rocks the city, Faith finds herself at the centre of a web of lies.

Can she count on Noah for help? Or will he turn out to be the monster she’s always feared?

Happy reading!

Rae Knightly

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