by Danielle L. Jensen

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: May 5th 2020

With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strike a bargain to save those they love most—but it is a bargain with unintended and disastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyalties questioned—all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realize sweeps across the world.

The series takes place in a world divided by fantastical seas, each half of the world unaware of the other’s existence. When that secret is revealed, the Dark Shores of the West comes under siege from both supernatural and human forces that each seek to conquer for their own gain. In DARK SHORES, Teriana and Marcus are forced to lead the Empire’s armies across the seas in search of conquest neither of them wants, but in DARK SKIES, Lydia and Killian join together to fight back against the incursion of a dark god’s armies into their homeland. I make all four characters face impossible choices as they fight to protect those they love most, each novel raising the stakes and bringing readers closer to an epic collision of good and evil. Expect a huge world with a large cast, plus lots of action, political intrigue, and romance! 

As a writer, Marcus is my favorite, because he has a deep backstory that impacts the plot of the book in so many different ways. I also love his moral ambiguity, as it makes his actions less predictable. But teen me would’ve had a huge crush on Killian, would’ve been friends with Lydia (we are both bookish), and would’ve envied Teriana’s adaptability and ability to make friends with new people. All four protagonists are very different from one another, and I love seeing who readers connect with most! 

I’ve been working on this series since 2007, and it has been through so many rewrites and plot changes that very little of my original inspiration remains! I take a lot of inspiration from historical time periods that interest me, like Ancient Rome, but I also take a lot from television and movies. I really like cinematic action, so I try to replicate that feel when I’m writing. 

I’m the rare author who doesn’t listen to music when she writes! But I DO listen to music, primarily soundtrack music, when I’m brainstorming. For this series, I listen to Pirates of the Caribbean, ROME (HBO), Spartacus, and the Tudors soundtracks. But the one song that really ties to DARK SKIES for me is Requiem for Tower, especially for the battle scenes toward the end of the novel. 

Young, attractive, interesting people who aren’t yet famous! I think new talent is the best for YA adaptations. 

I think the best place to read my books is on a beach or next to a pool with a yummy frozen drink in hand! 

I’d recommend THE WINNER’S KISS (Marie Rutkoski), DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING (Tricia Levenseller), AN EMBER IN THE ASHES (Sabaa Tahir), TO KILL A KINGDOM (Alexandra Christo), SEAFIRE (Natalie C. Parker), or TRUTHWITCH (Susan Dennard). 

For me, it’s not allowing my frustration and self-doubt to get in the way. I often have a really strong idea in my head for how I want a scene to go or how I want the reader to feel, and when I can’t translate the mental image to words on the page, I feel like a failure. And when I’m in that sort of negative headspace, I have a hard time writing anything at all. 

I am currently working on the third book in the Dark Shores series, which is titled GILDED SERPENT! The first draft is already written and I’m working through the editorial comments. It has all four point of characters in it and more plot lines than I care to count, so it’s been a huge project for me! But I love it! I’m also working on the third book in my Bridge Kingdom series, so my head is full of the voices of many characters right now.

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