In the dream world, everyone is not what they appear to be.
- WINNER: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2015 -- Best Young Adult Fiction
Joseph Colafranceschi is a fifteen-year-old, self-described geek, living in the Bronx. The second youngest of twelve sons of the former U.S. ambassador to Italy, Joey discovers that a small Egyptian statuette, given to him by his father, endows him with power to control his dreams.
After his brothers throw him down a manhole, Joey is drawn into a hidden society of warriors who have been battling a reincarnated Egyptian Pharaoh for over 3,000 years. In the dream world, it's impossible to tell who to trust. As Joey slips deeper into a world of gladiator battles and clandestine missions within other people's dreams, he catches the eye of a beautiful Egyptian princess.
The only thing that keeps him grounded in reality is his best friend Alex, but even she may not be who he thought she was.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS the first book in the "Joey Cola" series of YA Urban Fantasy adventures.
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:
Q: What made you want to write a young adult urban fantasy series?
A: When I was a kid there was no such thing as YA fantasy. We had some books for kids, like the Hardy Boys series (which I devoured, ) but for the most part, if you wanted fantasy, you read what the adults were reading. But nowadays the adult stuff can be a little extreme, so I wanted to write a young adult fantasy novel that teens would love, with all the action, adventure and even a touch of romance, but I didn't want something I wouldn't want my teens reading.
Q: Is this the first book in a planned fantasy series for teens?
A: Yes. I'm really enjoying my foray into young adult urban fantasy and have some fun ideas for sequels. My plan is to make this a trilogy.
Q: How do you define Teen Urban Fantasy?
A: That's a really good question. A quick perusal of the titles online will show a pretty large variation in the types of books shelved under this category. Many seem to be geared more towards moms than their kids. I'd probably say the Joey Cola series is more of a teen fantasy adventure with an urban flavor to it. Urban meaning it's in a modern setting (NewYork City) but also much of the story takes place in what I call the dream world-a place where the laws of physics don't apply.
Q: Do you have any other books written, besides this young adult fantasy trilogy?
A: Yes, I have a middle-grade science fiction trilogy, called "Noah Zarc", and an epic fantasy called "Shadow Swarm."
Pease, D. Robert: -
My whole life, I've loved hearing and reading stories, and creating worlds of my own. As a child, I spent countless hours drawing crazy contraptions on paper, or building vast fortresses in a sand pile behind my garage. There was hardly a time I wasn't off on some adventure in my mind, to the dismay of parents and teachers alike. So it's no big surprise I took all that daydreaming, all that longing to really see the wonder of creation around me, and started pouring it into discovering hidden universes in my own mind.
For quite a few years I tried my hand at writing, mostly working on one, massive fantasy novel, but it wasn't until I had kids and they became voracious readers that I found my passion. There's no greater audience than a child. I'd rather have a simple review from a kid that says, "Awesome book!" than a five-star review in the New York Times. Of course, if anyone at the Times wants to try to prove me wrong, I'd be willing to let you.
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