The Twin Jinn

Free Magic from The Twin Jinn

I am not a magician and, sadly, I don’t have magical powers although I wish I did. So, instead I created magical characters in a book for middle-grade readers — The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries. And to spread that magic to young readers, I am making the Kindle version free for two days March 2 and 3.

My own childhood was steeped in imaginative play. This was out of necessity as I lived a rather sheltered life. My parents, the children of immigrants, didn’t get the concept that we could play at a friend’s house. That’s what family is for. And so that’s what happened.

My chief playmate was my sister, Christine. One of us would think up a fantasy to play with the invitation: “Let’s pretend …” I don’t remember all of the scenarios we or our dolls acted, but that doesn’t matter. What I do remember is that during those hours we spent together, we were delightfully in another world.

Another outlet was reading. I spent hours and hours — in the summer staying up late — lost in those words.

And when I became a mother, I enjoyed watching my children do the same.

Now the words “let’s pretend” is the motivation behind my writing fiction. I sit in front of my laptop and let my imagination take over whether it’s written for adult or young readers. For this book, I circled back to those times in the backyard when my sister and I played, or upstairs in my bedroom reading a book I couldn’t put down.

First, I’ve always been fascinated by genies. Yes, there’s that Aladdin story. But my genies or jinn, as I prefer to call them, don’t live in lamps. In the first book — The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries — they live and have a magic act in a traveling carnival. Of course, their magic is just one of their many powers such as being invisible, flying, casting spells, oh, the list goes on. 

The twins are Jute and Fina, brother and sister who are 11 by human age. They are sweet but mischievous and like so many siblings, competitive. Their parents, Jeffer and Mira, are protective, but that’s because they tricked their evil master into letting them go. Yes, he’s trying to find them.

Pretending with The Jinn family is so much fun that I completed two more books, and a third is halfway done. I plan to continue publishing them, because I want to inspire young readers and anyone else who loves magical realism.

Currently, I am recording The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries for an audiobook at my son, Nate’s Mudroom Sound Studio. By the way, my son, Ezra, created the illustration for the cover, which I believe captures the playfulness of the characters. Look for The Twin Jinn and the Alchemy Machine, second in the series, soon.

Curious? Here’s the link: The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries

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Book Sale, The Twin Jinn

Making Magic

I am not a magician and, sadly, I don’t have magical powers although, darn, I really wish I had. So, the next best thing is creating magic through my writing.

Specifically, I am talking about my Twin Jinn series for middle grade series and those who want a bitTwinJinn_book_3b copy
of magical realism in their lives. The first book in the series, which I released this spring, is called The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Series.

And good news: the book is free for two days Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 on Amazon if you or your kids are Kindle readers.

This series is about a family of jinn or genies who trick their evil master into letting them go free. In this book, they hide out at a carnival, where they have a magic act, except their magic is real. I feel I created realistic, likable kids — Jute and Fina who are twin brother  and sister — and their protective parents. The twins are mischievous and curious about the human world. I’ve had a wonderful time living in it with them.

I have two more completed books and one in the works. There’s plenty of magic to go around.

Curious? Here’s the link: The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries

 

 

 

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Magical Realism, The Twin Jinn

My New Series: The Twin Jinn

A bit of news: I am delving into 2021 with a new series, starting with the first book, The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries. I wrote this series for middle-grade readers, but I hope they will appeal to adults who read to and with kids, plus anyone who enjoys magical realism. I expect a February launch.

Right now, Michelle Gutierrez, who designed two of my adult books, has just completed the cover, using an illustration created by my son, Ezra Livingston, and is working on the Kindle and paperback versions.  That’s the cover above.

So, what’s this book about? Here’s a description:

Forget about genies who are fiery spirits or live in lamps. The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries is a story that will make readers believe they are real. 

Jute and Fina Jinn, brother and sister, and their parents are enchanted beings who seek refuge at a traveling carnival after escaping their cruel master. While in hiding, the twins must pretend to be 11-year-old humans, but mischievous and curious, they sometimes get carried away. Who could blame them? The twins have the power to fly, be invisible, and use spells. Thankfully, they have an outlet as carnival kids assisting their parents in a magic act and making friends with their fellow performers, including a shy boy.

Still, amid the fun, there is danger for the Jinn family because their former master, a man with evil intentions, is desperate to get them back, and having a magic act that turns out to be a huge hit could be their undoing.

I’ve tried for a long time to find a publisher, and at one point, even had an agent pitching the series, but, alas, with no luck. So, I’ve decided to do it on my own, with Michelle’s help. Besides I’ve become more savvy about promotion on social media.

So far, I have completed three books in the series  and I’m about a third of the way into the fourth. Stay tuned for news about pre-orders and the launch.

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