ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF ICE BY- RUTH FOX

Across the Bridge of Ice by Ruth Fox Book Two in The Bridges series

 In The City of Silver Light, Keira Leichman spent the night lost in a wild snowstorm that struck Cassidy Heights. But what really happened that night? Not even Keira can be sure. What she does know is that she's been having strange dreams since the accident, and now she's stuck with a broken ankle and the possibility of never playing soccer again. That is, until she finds Jake's telescope, and is drawn across the Bridge of Ice to Shar.

Now Keira is marooned in the City of Silver Light with Daniel, Jake’s younger brother, with no way to get home. But that is the least of their worries, for the secrets they discover in Shar are more dangerous than Kiera could ever have imagined. And the fate of both their worlds are in their hands.

About the author:

Ruth completed a Bachelor of Arts/Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing in 2006. Her other published works include “Monster-boy: The Lair of the Grelgoroth”, Book 1 of the Monster-boy Series, and “Sand Dog”, an illustrated picture book for younger readers. Both are available from Amazon.com.Ruth has been an avid reader her entire life and, inspired by the books that engrossed her as she was growing up, she aims to create stories that can draw readers in and enthral them for days or weeks. She writes every day and lives in Ballarat, Victoria, with her partner, her cat, and an ever-expanding library of books. Ruth can be contacted via social media and the web as follows: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Twitter:  @_ruthfox_ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RuthFoxAuthorandArtist Website: http://thewordsandpictures.com/

On a night of frost and ice, she falls from the sky, the beautiful ice-girl Cari, cast out of her world and into ours.

It’s an unusually cold Winter, but 15 year old Jake is more concerned with the ice forming in his dad’s new relationship and the fact that the girl he likes is dating his best friend.

And now his elderly neighbour is acting even weirder than usual. Could things get even more confusing?

Then Jake finds Cari, lost and alone. Who is she? What has she got to do with the sudden frost, and the wondrous silver city that has appeared in the sky? And what does his elderly neighbour, Mrs Henders know about it all?

Jake is determined to find out. But the secrets Cari bears are more dangerous than Jake can ever imagine. And the fate of our entire world – and that of the City of Silver Light – now rest in their hands.

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Praise for The City of Silver Light (Book 2 in The Bridges series)

With 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com The City of Silver Light has earned universal praise from those who have read it

" ... beautifully written with intriguing world building ... " Christina - Ensconced in YA

" I love ... its delicious mix of genres; allegory, family story, fantasy, science fiction. ... " Readalot

"I heartily recommend this book at any reader who enjoys something a bit out of the general line." Sally Odgers, Children's and Teen Fiction Author

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Author’s Q & A

Where did the idea come from for The Bridges series?

The series began with the scene in The City of Silver Light, where Jake discovers Cari lying in the snow. It wasn’t until I’d finished this book and started editing it that I realised there was more to the story than could be told in just one book.

What is your favourite scene in Across the Bridge of Ice?

Definitely the scene where Keira and Daniel are on trial and Keira ends up yelling at the Chief Arbitrator and the crowd. This scene took a little work to get right, but Keira’s character shows through so perfectly!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

The first draft was completed over about eight months. I began working on it very soon after I knew The City of Silver Light would be published – I was overjoyed that the books would actually be read by people! Of course, the subsequent drafts changed the story a lot, and the final draft is miles ahead of its humble beginnings.

How would you classify Across the Bridge of Ice?

I would classify it as a fantasy/adventure. Like the first book in the series, it has allegorical elements as well, but I don’t like them to get in the way of the story.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I would definitely compare it to Robert A. Heinlein’s Have Spacesuit, Will Travel – this brilliant story was recommended to me by my editor, and I would now recommend the work of this author to everyone!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Keira inspired this book! Originally I had planned to follow Jake throughout the series, but she was such a fun character to write in The City of Silver Light that when I came to write the sequel, I realised that this part of the story was hers.

What other authors have influenced you?

There are a lot to pick from! I think I’m influenced by everything I read, from Robin Hobb to Neil Gaimon, Bryce Courtenay to Shaun Tan. For inspiration for Across the Bridge of Ice, I give a lot of credit to Margaret Mahy and Jenny Nimmo, but also to Sally Odgers, a brilliant Australian author of over a hundred books for young people, with whom I have corresponded and worked on with a few projects.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This book certainly goes much deeper than Book 1 into the world of Shar and how it differs from ours. There is a darker element to the story, an element of danger as the looming threat to Earth becomes apparent.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m always busy writing and painting! Right now I have several projects on the go: I’m promoting my self-published books, Monster-boy: The Lair of the Grelgoroth, (Monster-boy Book 1) and, for younger readers, Sand Dog.

I’m also working in collaboration with my husband on a comic book series called Outbreak. You can read the first two issues for free here: http://sinars-studios.com/outbreak.php

Availability

Across the Bridge of Ice will be available as an eBook 31 January 2015 with a US list price of $3.45, or $4.00 Australian.

It is presently available for pre-order from:

• HaguePublishing.com
• Amazon.com
• BarnesandNoble.com
• Kobobooks.com

About Hague Publishing

Established in 2011 Hague Publishing is an independent Australian eBook publisher of Science Fiction and Fantasy. For more information contact: Andrew Harvey Hague Publishing PO Box 451, Bassendean, Western Australian 6934 +61 41 330 3377 contact@haguepublishing.com

Released 31 January 2015ISBN: 978-0-9872652-9-6