Adam Furgang ~ 2nd guest appearance and his novel Braxton Woods Mystique

TITLE: Braxton Woods Mystique
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2016
AUTHOR: Adam Furgang
KEYWORDS: mystery, horror, carnival, woods, adventure, creatures, exploring, summer vacation, middle grade, middle school, teen, monsters
CATEGORIES: Middle Grade/Young Adult Horror/Mystery
PAGE COUNT: 224
ISBN: 978-0692646441
IMPRINT: Howling Wolf
BOOK PAGE: http://ravenswoodpublishing.com/bookpages/braxtonwoodsmystique.html

 

SYNOPSIS: 
RUN TOWARD WHAT SCARES YOU…

After losing everything in a fire, Leo and his mom move into an unfinished development far off in the middle of Braxton Woods. As summer vacation begins, Leo and his new friends set out to explore the land behind their homes. They are alarmed to find sinkholes, horrific creatures, electrical disturbances, and even a buried carnival from long ago. Despite their growing fears, they are drawn toward solving the extraordinary mystery. Little do they know they are about to unearth a sinister force and discover a dark, forgotten secret from the town’s past. Ultimately, they must overcome the willies, heebie-jeebies, creeps, shakes, and shivers as they chose danger over a far greater threat—a dull summer.

ONE LINER:
A buried carnival, monsters, mystery, and summer vacation. Enter Braxton Woods if you dare.

Guest Post:

My Writing Process

As a writer, I can’t help but consider the many stories that have already been written, filmed, and created. Since I was a kid I’ve always been hungry for new media. As a kid, I enjoyed books like Mary Stewart’s A Walk In Wolf Wood, in which a simple stroll into the woods leads to time travel, magic, and danger. Other books such as James and the Giant Peach or Where the Wild Things Are tossed logic away and just showed, very matter-of-factly, that there is wonder and adventure to be had. And of course Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit, and other fantastical worlds had me mesmerized. And as a very young kid I enjoyed the TV show The Land of the Lost, in which an earthquake propels a family to a fractured point in time and space. The show is goofy, dated, and kitschy but the concepts behind it always stuck with me. Films such as The Goonies and ET were also favorites of mine too, and more recently Super 8. I like the idea of kids being in charge of their destiny, of not having adults around to tell them what to do, and where to go—of kids discovering something mysterious and unknown.

As I conceptualized Braxton Woods Mystique, I drew on books and films from my youth. I wanted to create something that seemed plausible in the modern world, while also evoking wonder, mystery, and fear. In today’s world, where a kid can find the answer to any question with just a few keystrokes, I like the idea of evoking unknown mysteries and unexplained phenomena. Children are very trustworthy and open to any and all possibilities. But as children get older, a narrower reality seeps in and all the fantastic possibilities in their minds begin to drop off. Belief in the tooth fairy, Santa, and other symbols of youth fade away. The list of things we know to be possible shrinks to a catalogued and explained bandwidth. We all know there is nothing fantastic in the woods behind our homes that has not already been discovered, catalogued, and thoroughly explained. An undiscovered species of moth perhaps, a new type of plant maybe, but nothing earth- shattering and mind-blowing. With Braxton Woods Mystique, I wanted a story in which kids stumble upon something wondrous, unknown, and terrifying. I wanted something that hints at science and technology, but at the same time goes beyond that—into a world kids cannot Google and look up on Wikipedia. They need to explore it to learn the details.

A Method to the Madness

To help get new ideas flowing, I go to stories I love and strip away all the details to figure out what core element about it that attracts me. Characters, story details, settings, and many other story elements are almost always there to propel or expand upon that one kernel idea or concept. Those concepts tend to be universal to great stories. Single words or simple sentences can usually explain the best stories. The title alone might even be enough to evoke the entire universe that the reader will find fleshed out in the story. Sometimes just brainstorming single sentences or titles can be a good way to get going on a new project, or spark new ideas.

When I finally settle on a story that excites me I like to talk out loud. New ideas seem to flow into my head more easily when I’m speaking than just sitting and thinking, especially when I’m conceptualizing something new. Once a project is up and running, talking aloud is not as necessary. I often brainstorm with my wife present, either recording my own thoughts, or having her type like a stenographer as I speak. She’s been a great help!

Eventually after my ideas become more concrete I work out an outline, and usually a simple character bible. Although I have been working with outlines for my most recent projects, I still enjoy just writing and seeing if something clever comes out. Not planning every detail out in advance is still key for me with every project, and it gives me the most joy as a writer. I’ll have some story arc or rough outline in my head, yes, but not so much that the writing becomes a pre-planned exercise that just needs to be typed up.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Adam Furgang is a full-time author and freelance writer. After graduating from The University of the Arts, he worked as a graphic designer, web designer, fine artist, and photographer. His current writing credits include thirteen nonfiction books in the middle school market about topics as diverse as mobile photography, the environment, nutrition, disease, digital literacy, and the periodic table. He also runs a creative blog, wizardsneverweararmor.com, which concentrates on topics such as gaming, art, films, and pop culture.

EMAIL: furgangiphone@gmail.com

AUTHOR LINKS: http://adamfurgang.blogspot.com/

http://wizardsneverweararmor.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/AdamFurgang/

http://adamfurgang.tumblr.com/

AMAZON US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BZKPJZ4

AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BZKPJZ4

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braxton-woods-mystique-adam-furgang/1123454693;jsessionid=642E62BDBEFB3B6E1875675B077D3B02.prodny_store01-atgap03?ean=2940152669763

KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/braxton-woods-mystique

GOOGLE PLAY: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Adam_Furgang_Braxton_Woods_Mystique?id=JZmaCwAAQBAJ&hl=en

iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/braxton-woods-mystique/id1086275632?mt=11

CREATESPACE: https://www.createspace.com/6077971

 

A reminder to the reader ~ before you leave be sure to take a look at the 

Funny/Stupid and Interesting Tabs