(With its own giveaway.)
3 KEY INSPIRATIONS BEHIND THE GENESIS OF SEVEN
The two biggest places where I draw my inspiration from are books and pop culture. No matter what story I’m writing, these factors always influence me. With The Genesis of Seven, there were three particular inspirations that motivated me to write this story. . .
"I've read other YA books about Angels including a love story. Fallen by Lauren Kate even includes an origin story. TGoS doesn't have a love story! (There is the start of a crush on the girl next door. The angels tried to meddle in Jordan's love life. It was so awkward and cute! That was a brief set up and seemed natural at the moment) Its all action and adventure. The stakes are high and the angels have quirks. I appreciate that so much."
“Run!” Sister Helen shouted.
Somehow, my body obliged. My legs carried me down the alleyway, past dumpsters and trashcans. At the street, I stopped briefly to figure out where to go next. I glanced at the paper and realized I had a bit of distance to cover. The address was near Central Park, but the orphanage was in the opposite direction. In fact, the orphanage wasn’t even in Manhattan. There wasn’t time to figure out a route though. At the sound of running footsteps, I looked over my shoulder and saw two men dressed in black fast approaching.
Without a second thought, I broke into a sprint and headed right.
"First thing's first, I really liked how this was in no way a romance. It was so refreshing to have a book that isn't all mushy. . . . Also, it is important to note that this is a FANTASY book. It is in no way meant to reflect what actually is and I felt like the book was quite clear about that.
All in all, if you are looking for a unique read that shows you the world, The Genesis of Seven would be a great choice."
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Those were the words Dante faced when he entered Hell. Perhaps if they were posted above the subway this afternoon, I would have proceeded with the same caution.
The New York subway system was a strange and peculiar place. An underground metropolis full of noise and activity, where anything and everything occurred. I liked to compare it to the Underworld as I imagined it worked in much the same way, with spirits being ferried across the River Styx like people being transported through the city. Yet the main difference between Hell and the subway was all those who entered typically resurfaced every day, sometimes multiple times a day, without being scathed.
Unlike me, whose life would be forever changed by the simple act of bumping shoulders.
"The Genesis of Seven is great start to Sara M Schaller’s The Empyrean Trilogy. . . . I was entertained from start to finish. It was full of action and adventure that kept me engaged throughout. . . . I recommend this one for readers who enjoy a good and well written fantasy."
"I absolutely loved this book. It was show-stopping and I cannot wait to read the next two books to see where Sara takes this story next.
I highly recommend this series to any YA Fantasy fans. . ."
She scanned the ID and looked up at him skeptically. “Is that supposed to impress me?”
He sighed. “No, it’s supposed to show you we don’t mean any harm.”
She handed the ID back to him. “You still want me to believe you’re here because of a family emergency?”
Exasperated, Uriel opened his mouth to argue, but Zadkiel spoke first. “Just because we don’t look like Raphael doesn’t mean we’re not his family.”
JORDAN'S TIPS IN WORKING WITH AN ARCHANGEL
Listen when they tell you to do something
The angels have far more experience dealing with the fallen then I do, so I would advise to listen to them. I notice whenever I don’t listen to them, or whenever I am left to decide the outcome of a situation on my own, it usually ends up badly. Mainly with me getting hurt.
I left the library and approached the front door, glancing through the window in the hallway to get a better glimpse of the person outside. All I could see was the figure of a girl. The angels followed, and when they saw the figure too, they backed off.
I walked into the turret, grabbed the knob, and opened the door.
The girl standing on the other side smiled at me and said, “Hi, I’m Naomi.”
"This was one of those books that made me say….just one more chapter. Until I found the sun coming up the next morning just so I could know what happens. It had me on the edge of my seat with crazy anticipation!! . . . Ahh- now I definitely can’t wait for the next book in this series!"
"The Genesis of Seven is a great fantasy novel. . . . The book is a great read if readers can view it as purely fantasy (fiction) made up by the author. Once I did that, the book drew me in and the intensity of the plot made me want to keep reading. The Genesis of Seven is the first book in Sara Schaller’s The Empyrean Trilogy. It ends in a cliff-hanger leaving the reader anxious for the next book."
Which character did you enjoy writing most?
This is a really hard question because I think there’s something about every character that I enjoy writing, even the fallen. But if I had to choose, I think Astrid and Tabitha are the ones I enjoyed writing the most. I know those are two characters, but you can’t have one without the other. Why I enjoy writing them is because I get to have fun with them. They’re a bit crazy, a bit sassy, and a bit unconventional. They also tease Satan so much, which brings a lot of humor to the story. Astrid’s divinations in particular were I something I enjoyed because it really stretched my writing skills to write in rhyme and verse.
Ahh did I love this book! Angels, demons, the devil, a quest to save them all. What's not to love? . . . The Genesis of Seven is the first book in the Empyrean trilogy and is a wonderful introduction to the world Sara has created. I cannot wait to see what's in store for Jordan and the angels in the upcoming books!"
Straight away Genesis of Seven takes you on a journey of interesting events including some amazing biblical retelling. . . . I found the more I read the more I had to know and before I knew it I had finished The Genesis of Seven. I look forward to reading the next book…
“What are you doing?” I asked, sliding open the door.
I caught him off-guard. He jumped and quickly turned to face me.
“Nothing. Go back inside,” he replied, composing himself.
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“I’ve only known you for a short time, but now you decide to become secretive?”
Obviously guilty, he relented. “They have come with messages,” he said.
"This was such an enjoyable book that I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy! . . . I don’t read a lot of fantasy books. They really have to be something to catch my eye, and this one fits the bill! The story pulled me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs. The action kept me actively engaged throughout the entire story."
"This book combines Christian myths and ideals with fantasy to create an amazing story. . . . As it turns out, I couldn't put this book down, and I mean literally. I had it with me everywhere I went because it was that good! Thank goodness this is the first of a trilogy because more books would be awesome. Well written, solidly paced, developed characters to cheer on and vivid details make The Genesis of Seven an ideal read. I recommend for sure!"
"There was so much to enjoy with this book. As started there's multiple points of view which has always been a weakness of mine but the pacing is almost perfection and it was so easy to not want to put this one down. . . . Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! The wait for the next book is honestly entirely too long!"
JORDAN'S TIPS IN EVADING THE FALLEN
1. Run
The easiest way to evade the fallen is simply to outrun them. I’ve done it once before and it worked out pretty well. Granted, I don’t think I could do it again, so this might be a one-time thing. . .
"The story is well-written, holds a bit of humor, a lot of suspense and intrigue. The characters are well-defined and the background scenes are fairly easy to visualize. . . . As a whole, the book is intriguing, captivating, sensitive, poignant and ends in a way which leaves the reader anxious for more."
THE ORIGINS OF MY BOOK TITLE
It's natural for readers to be curious about book titles—they set the stage for the book, possibly even the entire series, and are a brief glimpse of what to expect from the narrative. It's equally natural for readers to be curious about what meaning book titles hold. . .
With our luggage situated, I followed Gabriel through the airport and out into the parking garage, where I stopped suddenly.
“You have a car here?”
“Yes,” he replied, not breaking step. “I have a car in New York too. I don’t drive much there though.” He finally stopped in front of a silver Lexus RX. Unlocking the car, he began to load his chest and bag into the trunk.
I stared in disbelief. “You can drive?”
"Such a fantabulous book that kept my interest from page one until the end. . . . This young adult novel was just wow! I know I know I keep saying that but this story just took my breath away! . . . I highly recommend this book."
THE COVER DESIGN AND PROCESS
When I started on my publishing journey back in 2018, I commissioned an artist to design the cover for my book. The work was gorgeous and phenomenal, but I knew in my gut it wasn’t the cover.
I worked as a graphic designer for five years, and I had an idea in my head of what my cover looked like, but for some reason it was impossible for me to execute it myself. I thought getting another artist to do it would be the best scenario, but the artwork just didn’t match the image in my head and it was too hard to verbalize what I was visualizing. . .
Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...
The Genesis of Seven
(The Empyrean Trilogy, #1)
By Sara M. Schaller
YA Fantasy, Paranormal
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 348 Pages
July 7, 2020 by Designs by Seraphim
Eighteen-year-old Jordan Conway has always wanted to help people, but helping seven archangels to achieve their divine duty was never quite what he had in mind…
When Jordan is entrusted by the head nun of his orphanage to deliver a mysterious backpack to a New York City address, he comes unexpectedly face-to-face with Archangel Gabriel. Their acquaintance fast uncovers a labyrinth of secrets that connect Jordan’s once-normal life to an ancient heavenly prophecy. Now, he must help Gabriel to reunite the archangels before evil forces grow too strong.
Soon, Jordan and Gabriel find themselves on a divine quest across the globe, while deep in the pits of Hell, Satan plots his return to earth. To gain control, however, Satan needs the powerful prophetic objects locked safe inside Jordan’s backpack—and the devil will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
With that notion threatening his only family and the safety of his newfound friends, Jordan must do whatever it takes to protect the ones he loves and help the archangels succeed. If that means sacrificing all he thought he knew to go to war with the devil himself? Bring it on.
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