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Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar // Night Markets, Star Courts and Desi goodness

GOODREADS // AMAZON // BOOK DEPOSITORY The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be "normal." But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star's help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago. Sheetal's quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family's champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens--and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all. This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.   ( A huge thank you to the  HOV Tours  and HarperTeen for the eARC and the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.  ~When a book sees you~      Yes I am absolutely going to s

Guest Post : Destinations That Inspire My Writing by Nicole Fitton

Hello Readers! Today we have here at Books. Bags. Burgers. , author Nicole Fitton and she is talking about Destinations that inspire her writing! Get ready to feel the wanderlust everyone 




   The jaw-dropping splendour of seeing Venice for the first time, or seeing sparkling crystals scattered across the desert of White Sands New Mexico. These are just two of the places that have inspired my writing.

   Places are like characters, they have a feel and a vibe all of their own. They mean different things to different people. What you draw out of them will be unique to you, something that sparks your imagination. As with a painting what you see may be different to what I discern. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled extensively and would encourage everyone to do as much travelling as they can. It does not have to be anything as grand as a world tour, it can be as local as you like. My wanderlust began when I was a teen. As a child I did not travel much, we could not afford to. We spent summers locally. My travelling was done within the books I read. They fired me up with a sense of wonder and desire. By the time I reached my late teens I had started working for a music company, and I suppose that is where it began. I became exposed to the larger world, full of different and exciting cultures. I am a firm believer in taking inspiration where you can find it. It may not always be far away. Some of the pieces of writing I am most proud of have been sourced locally. All you need is a sense of adventure and an open mind. To date there have been three distinct destinations that have inspired me.

DEVON

Devon, England
From romantic pirates to the paranormal and everything in between, Devon’s landscape is truly awe inspiring. There is a sense of history, a depth of the past that runs through its core. I have found it hard to find anywhere else. Its coastline is a contrast of two halves. The north is a wild, rugged, unkempt affair that will have you windswept and wanton. Whilst in the south, its landscape is full of sunny bays and halcyon days. Within its heart lies a culture and time that seems to have stood still across the centuries. Its heritage is farming, a love of the land and sea. I love it. It's where I live and work and, where I think. It has to date inspired me and my writing. Devon has provided the bed rock of many of my short stories. A collection of which will be released in 2017.


ITALY

Tuscany, Italy
The first time I went to Italy was when I was eighteen. I have now been over 20 times. It is a place where I feel at home and if I could I would visit more often. From north to south beauty is everywhere! The light and landscape of Tuscany, with its villages perched precariously on hills. The sheer historical significance of Rome always blows me away. Walk around any corner in Rome and you will be confronted by stunning architecture, the gravitas of its historical significance on the world stage and its passion for life! I challenge you not to love it as I do. If you have never been and would like a recommendation may I suggest Venice? It was the first place in Italy I visited and was where I fell in love with the country and its people. My debut novel 'All Tomorrow's Parties' is in part set in Venice. Italy is a country that has so much to offer a writer. I have a sneaky feeling it will not be my only novel to feature such a vibrant country….


AMERICA

New York City, America
Well, what can I say? One nation shaped by many nationalities. My love for America is moulded by my experience of living there. I have travelled its length and breadth, drinking in its diversity. The more I see the more I wanted to see! It is a land of extremes which has sooo much to say. Each state has its own culture, its own identity. It would be foolish to try and cover such a huge country is a few paragraphs. What America has afforded me is an opportunity to experience first-hand its depth of variety. It is an assortment of contradictions, just like life and absolutely brilliant for providing inspiration for my writing. A few states feature in All Tomorrow’s Parties and New York features in my new release scheduled later this year.

Hopefully I have given you a taste of the countries that have inspired my writing to date. Which countries have inspired yours?


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Know more about Nicole Fitton here and here.
Check out her interview on the blog here and check out my review of her debut novel 'All Tomorrow's Parties' here!



Comments

  1. Thanks so much for having me Uma.... I'm getting ready to go on my next adventure!!!

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    Replies
    1. Anytime! And am looking forward to hearing about it! :)

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