Isle of Blood and Stone
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Ulises asked, "How can I look at these maps, see this riddle, and do nothing? They are my brothers."
Elias reached across the table and flicked aside two shells with a fingertip. The map curled into itself. "It's bound to be a goose chase. You know that?"
"Or a treasure hunt," Ulises countered, "and you've always been good at those."
Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.
The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side-whether he wants her there or not-Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.
Hi Makiia!! We’re so excited to have your book in our FFBC Tours, and can’t wait to ask you a couple of questions about ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Favorite Book?
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (about time traveling historians)
Favorite TV Show?
Tie: The Walking Dead and The Crown
Favorite Movie?
Tie: Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World (with Russel Crowe) and Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version with Colin Firth)
Your Favorite Song?
Most 80s power ballads
Favorite Food?
Mangoes, Jamaican Jerk chicken, Pocky Sticks, Red Vines
Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.
Coruscant (Star Wars), The Shire (Lord of the Rings), Buck-keep Castle (Robin Hobb’s Assassin series)
Name a recent book you’ve read that you would recommend to our YA fans.
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
What were your favorite books while growing up?
The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery, Sweet Valley High, The Babysitter’s Club, Jane Eyre
Favorite Quote?
“I know who I am; I know what I can and can’t do. I know what I will and won’t do. I know what I am capable of and I don’t agree to do things that I don’t think I can pull off.” –Dolly Parton
What are your fandoms?
Lord of the Rings, The Walking Dead, Les Miserables, Indiana Jones
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE?
Sure. Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal mapmaker who discovers a riddle hidden in the borders of an old map. The riddle suggests that two young princes, supposedly kidnapped and murdered nearly twenty years ago, did not die after all. I would describe Isle of Blood and Stone as a mystery, and adventure, a love story.
How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?
As a kid growing up on Guam, I was obsessed with the Indiana Jones movies. I wore out our VHS copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I waited in line, in the sweltering, tropical heat, on opening days for The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade. The snakes were awesome and so were the catacombs full of rats. But what I really loved was how Indy solved puzzles, turning the clues over in his mind, and using his knowledge of art, history, and myth.
Your childhood favorites stay with you always. At least they have for me. This I realized while writing Isle of Blood and Stone. It’s inspired by my love of adventure stories with smart, funny, brave heroes. It is the kind of story I grew up loving, the kind I would wait hours outside a movie theater to see.
Can you tell us 3 interesting things about Elias?
- He’s scared of bees.
- He is the opposite of a germaphobe.
- He has loved the Lady Mercedes for as long as he can remember.
Tell us your favorite quote from ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE.
“How can I look at these maps, see this riddle, and do nothing? They are my brothers.”
If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE– Which one would you pick?
The theme song from Indiana Jones!
What 3 hashtags would you most associate with your book? (Could be a word or phrase or anything that would instantly make you think of ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE.)
#royalmapmaker, #riddleoftheprinces, #wedonotlikehimheisnotsafe
Do you have favorite fantasy/adventure books/movies/tv shows?
Definitely!
Movies and TV: Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, Lord of the Rings, Stars Wars, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead.
Books: His Majesty’s Dragon (Naomi Novik), Graceling (Kristin Cashore), Daughter of the Forest (Juliet Marillier), Shadowfell (Juliet Marillier), basically anything by Juliet Marillier.
Are there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE (specific music, snacks…)?
Banana chips, dried mangoes, Hawaiian sweet rolls, fish & chips
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m working on a companion to Isle, which should be finished this year and published in Spring 2019.
Thank you so much for everything, Makiia!
It’s my pleasure! Thanks for having me!
I loved this interview-- I just finished Letters to the Lost yesterday and I totally 2nd that recommendation!! I also am a big fan of 80's power ballads and read a ton of SVH and BSC growing up.
Makiia is the author of historical fiction and historical fantasy for young adults. She grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam (not too far from the equator), and has degrees in journalism and library science from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Her debut novel, A Death-Struck Year, was called a "powerful and disturbing reading experience" by Publishers Weekly. It was a finalist for Germany's top book prize for children, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, as well as Japan's Sakura Medal, and was named an ABC Best Books for Children Selection by the American Booksellers Association.
Her second novel, Isle of Blood and Stone, will be available in Spring 2018.
- 1 copy of ISLE OF BLOOD AND STONE by Makiia Lucier
- US Only
- Please read the rules in the Rafflecopter
This book is gorgeous! I love the promised secrets and mystery.
ReplyDeleteIt's always so interesting learning about an author's inspiration behind a book! Elias sounds like an interesting character, and this sounds like an interesting book!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks great. Thanks.
ReplyDelete