New YA Fantasy Book Release: "Waterwight Flux" is Pure Escapism for 2018

Author Laurel McHargue shared a fantastical dream she had in 2015 with a friend, and her friend told her to write a book about it.

"That was my motivation for "Waterwight: Book I of the Waterwight Series," said McHargue. "I'd never written fantasy adventure before, and it seemed like a fun challenge. Oh, and that same friend, author Carol Bellhouse, came up with the title!"

With the success of her first book and readers asking for more, McHargue was excited to see where her characters would take her. "I could have left the first book as a stand-alone, but I loved the idea of doing more with Odin, an ancient god introduced in Book I." She went on to explain that while she was a cadet at the United States Military Academy, West Point, cadets would often chant Odin's name with the hope that he would deliver rain. "Sometimes it worked, and we'd get out of doing parade practice," she said.

The second book in the Waterwight trilogy explores both Odin's ethereal realm and his "brother" Kumugwe's sea realm as the protagonist, Celeste, continues her quest to find home and answers. "Kumugwe is an ancient sea god known as the 'Copper Maker,' and his presence in this book acts as a contrast to Odin. It also helps to explain questions that arise in the first book," said McHargue.

As a former English teacher, McHargue taught several semesters of mythology. "There are vast numbers of ancient gods to study," she said, "and their histories contain amazing tidbits for storytelling."

In a Kirkus review, Waterwight: Book I has been compared to Neil Gaiman's "Coraline." McHargue said she enjoys creating dreamlike worlds, "probably because my own dreams are so memorable."

When asked about the concluding book in her fantasy trilogy, McHargue said to look for it before school starts in the fall of 2018. "There's a lot more to explore before this magical adventure ends!"

Waterwight: Book I is available for free download to Kindle today through December 25th, and Waterwight Flux: Book II is available for download pre-order now, with delivery on December 25th. Book II will be available in paperback in January, 2018.

Laurel McHargue writes in Leadville, Colorado. All of her books are available on Amazon.

The founder of Leadville Literary League, she also blogs about life, real and imagined, at LeadvilleLaurel, and enjoys highlighting other authors in her mid-monthly newsletter.

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