Sing Sweet Nightingale (The Dream War Saga #1)by Erica Cameron
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: March 4th 2014
Synopsis:
Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years.
She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.
Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.
Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.
Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.
It was in 1998, so I was just about thirteen when What Dreams May Come released. I wish I could remember watching this movie for the first time, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Even if I don’t remember the specific event, the movie stayed with me. For years. It stars Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Annabella Sciorra and it’s one of the most visually striking, beautifully written, heartbreakingly amazing movies I have ever seen. There are some good screenshots here, but even these don’t do the movie justice. It’s something that has to be experienced. One of the concepts that really seemed to dig into my brain and stay there was how this movie portrayed Heaven. Here, Heaven isn’t filled with clouds and harps and angels and white robes and religion. In this imagining, everyone literally creates their own universe, shapes it to look however they’d like and, within it, they are capable of anything. Flight, breathing underwater, running at supersonic speeds—anything. All they have to do is think it, will what they want into existence, and voila. Instant paradise.
When the concept for Sing Sweet Nightingale came to me and I realized I wanted to create a parallel universe of sorts, it almost immediately resembled the portrayal of Heaven from What Dreams May Come. Everything is energy and anything can be created. Inside this realm, you are capable of anything you can think of and everything you haven’t yet imagined. All you need is the will to make it real. What this meant for me as a writer was possibilities. Do I want a scene with unicorns? No problem. SCUBA diving without air tanks? Sure! And the unreality of it didn’t even matter. It’s not the world as we know it! The rules are different here.
For the creatures who live in this dreamworld, I stole from a different place. This time, my own work. My first completed novel was a twist on the idea of guardian angels. They were beings of energy instead of flesh, invisible unless they gave themselves physical form, and they were able to link directly into the brain of the human they were supposed to protect. I took the brain link thing and the energy thing with me into this book, but used them in a different way. Combine those creatures with a world where anything is possible and, well… things started to get more than a little interesting.
The hard parts came in the moments where the dreamworld collided with the one we know. Reality and dreams never coexist easily and this was no exception.
I don’t want to explain too much more and spoil things, but I can’t resist showing you just a little bit. Below is a short piece from chapter six that gives you just a brief glimpse at Mariella’s dreamworld and what it’s like. At first. ;)
When I open my eyes in Paradise, I’m standing on the narrow cobblestone path running through the cherry orchard. I take a deep breath of the sweet cherry blossoms as the air around me ripples. My pajamas shrink and change color, transforming from black pants and a T-shirt to a Marilyn Monroe-style one-piece swimsuit in a gold cloth that shimmers in the twilight. I smile and run a hand over the soft, ruched fabric.
Apparently, we’re going swimming.
I run down the path, my arms spread wide and my hair trailing behind me like a streamer. My fingers catch the low-hanging tree limbs, and a shower of petals in white, pink, red, blue, and gold rain down in my wake.
Orane is waiting for me in the distance, on the edge of the lake under the willow tree. He smiles when his violet eyes meet mine.
“Mariella.”
His voice carries to me on the breeze, and I feel his lips press against my cheek despite the distance between us. Grinning, I pick up speed. Trees fly past in a blur as I cross the expanse in seconds. Time and distance mean nothing here. All that matters are dreams and whether or not you have the will to make them real.
For more, you’ll just have to read the book and see for yourself! ;)
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Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn't her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psycology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.
Sing Sweet Nightingale will be published in March 2014 by Spencer Hill Press. It is her first novel.
Win (1) of (2) finished copies of Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron, plus a grand prize basket (US Only)
Sing Sweet Nightingale was so good, and it hasn't gotten nearly enough attention in my opinion! I have read it but it was on Netgalley and I would LOVE to have a physical copy of this beautiful book to reread and share with others! Thanks! Can't wait for book 2, the ending was awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Rachel! I'm very happy you enjoyed the story!! :D
DeleteCan't wait to read this! :)
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so good. I really want to read it! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone!! :D
ReplyDelete