Blog Tour & Giveaway for THE DREAM WATERS SERIES by Erin A. Jensen

Dream Waters (Book One of The Dream Waters Series),

Dream World (Book Two of The Dream Waters Series), Dream Sight (Book Three of The Dream Waters Series)

by Erin A. Jensen 

GENRE:  Contemporary Fantasy

DREAM WATERS

Book One of The Dream Waters Series

All his life, Charlie Oliver has watched the people around him morph into creatures that no one else sees.  Unlike the rest of the world, Charlie remembers the Waters that transport him to the Dream World each night.  And he sees glimpses of people’s Dream forms in the waking world.  Condemned to spend his waking hours in a psychiatric facility because of his Dream Sight, Charlie doesn’t expect anything to change.  But everything starts changing the day Emma Talbot walks through the door in the middle of a group therapy session.

Haunted by memories of the events that led to her admission, Emma plans to end her life the first chance she gets.  But something about Charlie stops her.  From the moment they shake hands, his friendship feels safe and familiar.  As Emma begins to let down her guard, Charlie catches a glimpse of the fiery-eyed dragon that lurks behind her Dream form.  Each night, as Emma dreams of the man who’s been banned from visiting, Charlie searches the Dream World for the monster that shadows her.  But when Emma’s suppressed memories begin to surface, Charlie finds more monsters than he bargained for.

Dream Waters (Book 1) Excerpt #1:

“Where were you afraid I’d land when I fell in and why did you say finding the dragon wouldn’t be easy?”

She started drawing waves in the sand with her finger and I got the distinct impression she was doing it to avoid looking at me. “Honestly Charlie, I wasn’t sure where you’d land. It’s unpredictable when you don’t jump on purpose. You could end up anywhere the people you’ve met have been. You’re a mental patient. Can you imagine the sections of Dream some patients might inhabit?” Her finger stopped drawing mid-wave. “Trust me boy. There are Dark places in the Dream World, places you should never go. Venture too far into them and you risk losing a part of yourself to the Darkness.”

I was really getting tired of the cryptic shit. “Great. Thanks for the vague ominous warning. I was afraid you might give me an actual answer for a second there.”

“I’ve already said too much.” Even at a whisper there was a waver to her voice. “Just thank me for keeping you safe and jump back into the Water.”

“I don’t know which world I find you more annoying in.” It wasn’t the nicest thing to say to the one person who understood me but I said it out of frustration and maybe a little out of fear.

Nellie was about to snarl something back, but the leaves of some bushes just off the beach started rustling and I hopped to my feet to get a better look. “Something’s over there.”

Nellie stood up with a weary sigh and as she turned toward the bushes I saw the scars. Large deep identical scars marring the flesh on both of her shoulder blades.

I took a step closer to her. “What happened to your back?”

She turned and gave me a hard shove toward the Water’s edge. “It’s time for you to go now Charlie.” It caught me by surprise and knocked me off balance, back into the surf and the icy Water pulled me back in.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Erin Jensen is a part-time pharmacist and a fulltime creator of imaginary worlds.  She lives in upstate NY with her incredibly supportive husband, two sons (who are both taller than her) and a Yorkshire terrier who thinks he’s the family bodyguard.  In the early days of her writing career, Erin vowed to get a dragon tattoo—once her books received a milestone number of reviews—but she won’t disclose that number any longer, for fear of actually reaching her goal and having to go through with it.

http://www.erinajensen.com/

http://blog.erinajensen.com/

https://www.facebook.com/erin.jensen.756

Dream Waters: Book One of The Dream Waters Series (The first book is on sale for $0.99)

by Erin A. Jensen

Book 1: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0997171219/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20

Amazon Buy Link:  http://a.co/gh4ZMdP

Barnes and Noble Buy Link:    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-waters-erin-a-jensen/1124717811?ean=9780997171204

iBook Buy Link:  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/dream-waters/id1159943525?mt=11

kobo Buy Link:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dream-waters

Dream World: Book Two of The Dream Waters Series

by Erin A. Jensen

Book 2:  https://www.amazon.com/Dream-World-Book-Two-Waters/dp/0997171243/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XC0M9V11GB85XKJ8AX50

Amazon Buy Link:  http://a.co/9GERZwx

Barnes and Noble Buy Link:    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-world-erin-a-jensen/1125396760?ean=9780997171235

iBook Buy Link:  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/dream-world/id1209882853?mt=11

kobo Buy Link:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dream-world-7

Author Interview

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

Several years back, I was trying to get my younger son ready for his karate class so I could get him there on time and then get myself to work on time.  As usual, we were running late when the doorbell rang.  In my flustered state, I opened the door and snapped at the woman standing on my front porch.  I said something along the lines of, “I’m running late for work.  If you’re selling something, I’m not interested and I don’t have time to listen.”  Her face just sort of fell and she walked away without saying a word.  I have no idea why she actually rang the bell.  It occurred to me after the fact that she wasn’t holding a clipboard or anything.  For all I know, she could’ve been the concerned relative of an elderly neighbor or someone in need of help.  Whatever her reason for ringing the doorbell was, I felt horrible when I thought back on it.  Since I have no idea who she was, I can’t apologize for taking my frustration out on her.  But I do try to keep that day in mind whenever someone snaps at me.  I remind myself that they may be frustrated or miserable because of something else going on in their life that has absolutely nothing to do with me, and I do my best to be patient with them.
If you could keep a mythical/paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
I would definitely choose a dragon.  When my sons were younger, we had a pet bearded dragon named Norbert (after Hagrid’s pet dragon in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).  Shortly after we got him, my older son’s preschool class had a pet themed day.  When I picked him up from class, one of the helpers chuckled as she told me they’d gone around the circle asking the kids what sort of pets they had and my son said he had a pet dragon.  Imagine her surprise when I told her we did.  

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in the fantasy genre?

I think a unique concept is the key to keeping my writing different from other stories in the genre.  I’ve never come across another storyline quite like mine.  The first book in my series is almost entirely set inside a mental institution, which is a pretty unique backdrop for a contemporary fantasy.  My main character is a diagnosed schizophrenic who sees the people around him morph into horrific creatures.  He also believes that everyone travels to a parallel dream world when they sleep.  Turns out, he’s not as delusional as his doctor thinks he is. 

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

I think the best advice I received was to read widely in all sorts of genres.  Broadening your horizons in that way is a bit like adding new tools to your toolbox.  Reading mysteries introduces you to that genre’s writing techniques and helps you add mystery to your stories.  Reading horror helps when crafting the darker elements of a story.  Reading romance and erotica helps a writer become more comfortable with writing romantic scenes.  Reading nonfiction increases your knowledge of new subjects.  And, well…you get the idea.
The worst piece of advice, for me personally, was to set a daily word count goal and stick to it even if you’re not feeling it that day.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not suggesting the advice is bad for everyone.  I’ve heard lots of successful authors give that same advice.  It’s just not for me.  Writing isn’t a one size fits all task.  Each writer is a unique individual.  I have ups and downs like everyone else, and there are days when the creative spark just isn’t there.  Anything I try to write when I’m feeling creatively drained usually turns out to be garbage.  In those instances when I’m completely not feeling it, I find it beneficial to step away from the writing and take a breather.  Sometimes, I’ll use that mental-break time to do something utterly nonproductive like binge watching a show on Netflix.  Or I’ll head outside for some fresh air, spend some quality time with my family or meet a friend for coffee.  When I’m ready, I come back to my writing with a fresh perspective and a positive attitude.  Bottom line, you have to find your own groove and figure out what works for you.
Are the experiences in your books based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No, the Dream Waters Series isn’t based on any actual person or event.  The concept stemmed from my experiences with mentally ill individuals during my clinical rotations in pharmacy school and my career as a community pharmacist.  The psychiatric facility setting in Dream Waters was loosely modeled after a long-term care facility where I did a rotation during pharmacy school, and the mental patients were a compilation of actual traits I’ve observed in mentally ill individuals and traits of fantastical creatures from various myths, legends and fairytales.  My contemporary fantasy utilizes the Dream World as a fictitious means of explaining the delusions and behavior of the mentally ill.

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