Summer Splash Book Blog Tour ~ Author Interview ~ ASHLEY NESTLER
- Catherine Banks
- Sep 5, 2016
- 14 min read
Summer Splash Book Blog Tour
Make your summer reading SIZZLE with these HOT reads from FRESH new authors!
Author Interview
ASHLEY NESTLER
Do you write in a particular genre or do you like to bounce around to different ones?
I write in just about every genre, but currently I have books published in YA Dystopian, and Epic Fantasty/Historical Fiction with a Contemporary Literary Fiction due for release soon.
Is there anything you'd love to share with us about yourself?
I am a huge crafter, so I love crocheting, sewing, and making just about anything with my hands. I also am working constantly on my book subscription business, Go Indie Now! https://goindienow.cratejoy.com/
What is your writing process?
Honestly, I let the stories come to me. I have never sat down and brainstormed for writing. I make it up as I go, and I find that that is the most effective way for me to work. This is why I am an active participant in NaNoWriMo because I am able to write as I go. All of my currently published works were originally finished during NaNoWriMo.
What is the most surprising thing you have heard from your fans?
The most surprising thing that I have ever heard from a reader, was how they loved how many metaphors and descriptors I use. They said that my writing reads like art, and I loved hearing that, because I do try to make my writing poetic. I try to change the perspective of the reader so that they can see what I see.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
My first ever published work was “Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality”. It was published when I was nineteen, and officially released during my last month of high school.
Do you have a favorite project so far? What makes it so?
My favorite project so far is my third novel that is to be released soon. I was able to play with many different perspectives with this novel, while also discussing a controversial topic. It will be my first published contemporary literary fiction, and will be anonymous due to the sensitive subject matter.
What's next on your agenda? What can we look forward to in the coming year?
I have a lot coming up in the coming year. This August I will be releasing a special edition of “Beautiful Nightmare” with an updated story, fanart, character profiles, and other bonus content. My third novel, “Behind Broken Glass Walls”, is also set to release next spring, along with a special edition version of “Into The Fog”. The sequel to “Into The Fog” will also be coming out next summer.
What does your family think of your writing?
My family is always in awe of my writing, because none of them are writers themselves! They are always shocked that I have even written any novels at all.
What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amnestler/
Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box: https://goindienow.cratejoy.com/
What book has influenced you?
My favorite book is The Pact by Jodi Picoult. It is a beautifully haunting tale about a young girl who commits suicide. However, they think that her boyfriend killed her because she was pregnant and he was with her when she committed suicide. It is a must read! Picoult is a master of the human experience.
BOOK SPOTLIGHT
Book Titles:
Into The Fog: Death is Just the Beginning
Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality
Author: A.M. Nestler
Author Bio:
Ashley Nestler (A.M. Nestler) is a published author. Her first novel, "Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality", was published when she was eighteen. "Into The Fog" was released when she was nineteen. She is currently working on a secret third novel that will be released by April next year, and writes under the genres of young adult, epic fantasy, historical fiction, and literary fiction.
She is also a big part of the indie author movement and is the owner/creator of the Go Indie Now! Bibliotherapy Box, as well as a book reviewer and an educator on the publishing experience - both indie and mainstream.
Into The Fog Blurb:
"A murder, a choice, and an eternal destiny. Welcome to the untold story of sixteenth century England. Darielle couldn't be happier and more in love with her fiancé, Prince Tarum, until the eve of their wedding announcement when Tarum is murdered. Following the tragedy, Darielle is thrown into a life filled with despair as strangers enter the Tower and change her way of life. However, she begins to find herself drawn to Harlisisle, the new guard for Queen Estelle. Something about him makes her feel as though she has known him before. This attraction ends up unraveling past events in her life that she had long forgotten, and she soon discovers the true circumstances surrounding Tarum’s murder. The truth makes her question the love that she once had for people that she thought she knew. 'Into The Fog' is a roller coaster ride of historical romance and fantasy elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat and asking only one question: 'What if death isn't an ending, but a beginning?'"
Beautiful Nightmare Blurb:
What if the one you love is only present in your dreams?
In the dystopian town of Lunamoon, everything is structured. Humans are created by science and everyone is programmed to follow certain regulations; but one girl, Shawneleigh, never lived up to the Council’s regulations. Shawneleigh has the disorder of narcolepsy, a disorder that causes her to fall asleep at random times without warning. Because of her illness, the Council banned her to life in a hospital since she cannot be counted on fulfill other duties.
Lunamoonians all receive prophecies for their lives through dreams that the Dream Maker sends to them, but Shawneleigh hadn’t received a dream in years until she found herself falling into a dream during her sleeping spells. It is during these spells that she meets a man named August who claims to be the Dream Maker himself. He also lives in solitude outside of Lunamoon, and they begin to form a bond; however, Shawneleigh cannot control when she falls asleep, and soon August finds a way to manipulate her illness. The only problem is that when he manipulates her sleeping disorder, she continues to grow sicker. But no matter how hard they try, they can’t stay away from one another.
“Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality” is novel about love, life, and the importance of those who care about you. Love, above all else, is the best thing that we have to give.
Beautiful Nightmare Excerpt: Prologue
A SOUND pierced the prolonged silence as it erupted from a baby girl. It was a scream that Lunamoon had not heard in a long time, and this baby girl was no ordinary child. She was to be the first human to bring in Generation XXI.
The last notable human from the previous generation had died only a few hours before, and in Lunamoon a new generation would begin when all notable humans from the previous generation had passed away. But this time, Dr. Francis had chosen to bring in the new baby by disregarding the usual delay. His intentions had been to produce a more productive generation by cutting the process, but this baby girl had been created too soon.
Children in Lunamoon weren’t created in the ancient way, as penetration and human reproduction no longer existed. Unlike traditional birth, children were created in a laboratory in synthetic wombs. The babies would grow in these capsules and all of their essential nutrients would be injected into the capsules by Dr. Francis and the nurses over the required months. Each injection provided the children the exact amount of nutrients essential for them to form, but since this child had not received all of her injections she would be born prematurely. Unlike all of the other children, her health would not be perfect.
Once the children’s production was seventy-five percent completed, they were transferred to a room where souls would choose them. Once humans died and their souls left their bodies, the souls would be rejuvenated as they travelled the stars. However, the path that the souls took through the galaxy would determine the astrological sign that the new child would represent. This, in turn, would provide the new child with their own unique personality and the symbol for their astrological sign would appear next to their left eye. After Dr. Francis confirmed that a soul had entered a child’s body by confirming the imprint of their astrological sign, they would then return to their specified capsule to finish producing.
But this child had not had the chance to finish her production.
Agatha, a nurse maid assigned to work with the new children picked up the frail baby girl from the wash bin where she had been laid. She put a cloth around her and wiped her skin clean as she examined the symbol etched next to her left eye. It was a symbol of a goat with a tree above it, meaning that she was a Capricorn under the influence of the element of Earth. She was relieved to see that this baby girl did indeed have a soul, but her skin was almost translucent. She shook her head, fear sitting heavy on her chest before her brain cancelled the emotion out. She knew that she couldn’t do anything about her production now, it was too late.
Agatha pressed the child to her chest to keep her warm as she finished cleaning her off. Apart from her fragile skin, the rest of her physical appearance seemed normal. But her true disability was only noticeable in her mind. Within a compartment of her scientifically programmed brain, the wiring had not been completed. It was this section that controlled her sleep habits, and she would no longer be able to control sleep for herself.
The baby’s soft head was strewn with the beginnings of blonde hair and her eyes were a gorgeous swirl of emerald green. As she opened them, she scanned Agatha with curiosity, her brain already generating a file for Agatha in her memory. Agatha melted against her innocence, forgetting the errors that her body possessed as she rubbed her silken cheek. Despite her flaws, Agatha could see that she was strong. The way that she squeezed Agatha’s thumb proved it. She walked to the back of the hospital and into the Desensitizing Room, holding the baby close. The baby squirmed in her arms as though she knew what was to come.
“Your name will be Shawneleigh,” Agatha said, her tone soft as she tried to comfort the child. The child fluttered her small eyelids in return. “Don’t let anyone take your identity away from you.”
Agatha pursed her lips as she set Shawneleigh on the operation table, her movement becoming medical. She couldn’t feel the emotion behind her actions, and this was the only way that she was able to perform so many of these brain surgeries each day.
The Desensitizing Room was where infants would receive a brain alteration so that they wouldn’t be able to feel emotions for themselves. The operation wasn’t always one hundred percent successful, but if the baby were to feel emotion throughout their life they would feel the emotion for a brief moment before the mind was able to cancel it out. This was what Agatha’s brain had done for her when she had experienced a brief twinge of fear. The Council of Lunamoon had invented the procedure when they had observed how unnecessary emotions such as heartbreak, sadness and anger were. They had wanted the best for their people and they had always claimed that the operation would allow all citizens to lead a carefree life.
Agatha should have felt guilty for taking away the aspects of the new children that would make them unique, but she was numb to the emotion. This was the way it had always been and always would be. She would never feel any remorse behind her actions.
The Council would make sure of that.
As Agatha worked on Shawneleigh’s operation, she was interrupted from her work when she heard someone cry out. The cry was representative of that of a baby, but there hadn’t been any other children created in the lab for months. The previous generation had reached its capacity and the Council had stopped accepting new citizens, which was why the sound was so out of place.
Without thinking, Agatha left the Desensitizing Room, leaving Shawneleigh on the operation table with her brain exposed. Her anesthesia would wear off soon and her mind would seal itself back together. Once it resealed, it would never be susceptible to being reopened again.
When Agatha made it to the Birthing Quarters, she was struck by the sight of Dr. Francis standing over a grey haired woman on a white cot that had been wheeled in. Her wrinkled face was moist with tears and beside her lay a baby boy. His screams rang out in constant streams.
“I didn’t…I promise…I didn’t do it…” the woman wept as she tried to coving Dr. Francis. Her brain operation had now grown invalid since she was older. Her brain now allowed her to cry and feel shame. She gripped the neck of Dr. Francis’s lab coat with shaking hands.
The doctor nodded his head, eyes revealing nothing. They remained hard and emotionless.
However, Agatha knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing. The baby lying next to the elderly woman had been born of natural means, but he had not been conceived through intercourse. Her soul had been selected by the stars to be the mother of the Dream Maker for the new generation. The Dream Maker was always born from a woman whom the stars had chosen, but the Dream Maker was never meant to be born on the same day as the first baby of the new generation.
Agatha knew that Dr. Francis was realizing the mistake he had made by trying to procreate the new generation too early.
All of the babies of Lunamoon were scheduled a specified date for their birth and that date would coincide with the date of another baby who would become their life mate. This connection of the babies would grow inside of them so that once they reached the proper age to enter the Mating Room, they would see one another and understand that the other was their life partner. But the Dream Maker was different. When the new Dream Maker was born, they were born alone. They would not live with the rest of the population and would not have a life mate. The doctor who helped to deliver the new Dream Maker always made sure that they would not see any other children and bond with them. This had always assured that the Dream Maker’s mind would remain clear.
But because this Dream Maker had been delivered on the day of Shawneleigh’s birth, Agatha wasn’t sure what would become of him.
She grabbed a blanket from a stack in the corner and wrapped the screaming baby boy inside as she tried to come up with a solution, making sure that the blanket covered his face. This way he wouldn’t be able to connect with Shawneleigh.
“Take him to the spare room for the time being,” Dr. Francis ordered, his voice sharp. Agatha nodded and scuffled back down the hall. But once she reached the end of the hallway, she heard a soft cry coming from the Desensitizing Room.
Shawneleigh’s anesthesia had begun to wear off.
Agatha knew that she had to get the Dream Maker to the room before he had any contact with Shawneleigh, but she couldn’t leave Shawneleigh alone on the operating table. She made sure the blanket was over the baby boy’s head as she went into the Desensitizing Room and scooped up Shawneleigh. As she juggled both babies in her arms, she made her way to the extra room and set the Dream Maker down on a cot.
As she began to leave the room and turn off the light, she looked back one last time to check on him; but once she did, her stomach began to feel heavy. The baby had managed to pry the blanket off of his head and his eyes were wide open, revealing two gorgeous pools of caramel with an orange swirl. He was staring right at Shawneleigh.
Gasping, Agatha pulled Shawneleigh’s blanket over her head to block her view and turned away from the baby boy, closing the door behind her.
Sweat began to roll down her back as stress took her over. Even though her mind would cancel out the emotion, it wouldn’t be able to stop the sweat from falling.
No one will know, she tried to convince herself while placing Shawneleigh in the Recovery Room. Her small green eyes began to drift off to sleep as though she hadn’t seen the Dream Maker at all. The babies won’t be able to remember this; they are much too young.
Closing Shawneleigh in her room, Agatha hobbled back to the Birthing Room and stood next to Dr. Francis. He was motionless next to the sleeping elderly woman. His back was to Agatha and he would not meet her eyes when she tried to get him to look at her.
“His name will be August,” he said in a low, choked voice.
“Who?”
“The Dream Maker, the baby boy.”
“But we cannot choose names for the Dream Maker, they choose their own later on,” she said, shaking her head. She didn’t want there to be anymore change, it was all too dangerous. He turned to her then, his hard eyes staring into her own.
“In these circumstances it only seems fit that we create his personality for him.”
Agatha played with her freckled hands. The names given to the children did define them and the personality that they would have. However, she didn’t think that the Dream Maker would fit the mold they tried to fit him into anyway. He wasn’t like the other babies; he hadn’t been crafted from molecules.
“Okay…I will go document the babies into the register then.”
As she slid down the stairs to her office, she glanced out of the window at the grey, motionless color. She felt as though the sky were threatening to consume her in its endless existence. Somehow, those who went against regulation always disappeared whether they meant to rebel or not. She had made a mistake that night by allowing the babies to create a bond, and it wouldn’t be long that she was able to hide it.
Something had changed that night. None of the previous Dream Makers had created a bond with other citizens, and Agatha feared that she had just changed the course of their entire world. She had shattered the regulations and now they would all come down like dominoes. Her fingerprints were all over this disaster, and she wouldn’t be able to hide from it. Her one duty in life had been to properly take care of the incoming Lunamoon citizens, and she had failed.
Failure was not an option when it came to the Council.
Into The Fog Excerpt: Prologue
DARIELLE could feel herself changing, but it wasn’t because of the child that was growing inside of her. What she was feeling now was far too powerful.
She walked into the woods past the stone archway that separated them from the Tower, allowing her long gown to drag in the mud behind her. As she looked down at her body she found that she didn’t recognize herself. The gown that she was wearing now was the last article of clothing that she should have chosen to wear. She undid the laces on the bodice and stepped out of it, leaving her crème colored underdress as the only clothing covering her naked body. The fog claimed her body as she continued on, but she wouldn’t let it steal the freedom she felt inside.
Once she reached the clearing, she stopped. Standing in front of her were Lamia Hecate, Addanc, Sebastian and Nessora – the being who had once been her friend, Varity. They all looked at her with expectance. Lamia’s icy eyes piercing through her flesh, a smile pulling at the stern lines of her lips.
“Darielle, are you ready?” she asked, her words a statement instead of a question. Darielle put her hands to her abdomen and took in a deep breath as she shifted her eyes to Addanc. He could see right through her and the baby she was carrying; however, she now belonged to him regardless of who the baby’s father was. She stepped closer to him, but Lamia Hecate came towards her first. As she grabbed Darielle’s hand she pulled her deeper into the forest.
Once they had reached the spot where Darielle would be changed, Lamia Hecate turned to her and took her face in her hands, piercing her skin with sharp nails.
“You are a part of us now, Darielle. You must understand that you can never go back.”
Darielle nodded and Lamia Hecate let go, leaving small red marks in Darielle’s pale skin. She should have felt pain, but she didn’t; instead, her anxiety numbed everything. She looked over at Addanc, Sebastian and Nessora before she closed her eyes and zoned them out. Lamia Hecate was the only person she allowed into her vision as she reopened them, and a small smile bloomed across her lips. Her smile matched Lamia Hecate’s, but none of them could see the intentions behind her own.
“I am where I need to be.”
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