A Guest Post From Lauren Rose Brown

Today, I would like to introduce you to new YA novelist Lauren Rose Brown. Lauren's first novel has just come out. I will let her tell you all about it. Enjoy! And if you are interested in buying the paperback, it's available not only at Amazon, but also at Waterstones, the Book Depository and, here in Australia, at Booktopia. No ebooks at this stage, but it can only be a matter of time. I must admit, I rather like the idea of YA crime fiction with supernatural/paranormal elements, having just read Rebecca Lim's wonderful The Astrologer's Daughter, which has a touch of the paranormal, with its heroine solving a murder mystery using her knowledge of astrology. It's a nice combination.

Take it away, Lauren!

Hello everyone, my name is Lauren Rose Brown and I am 23 years old. I live in Leicestershire and have a degree in media. Oh yes, and I’m also an author! My debut novel, The Reverie: Beginnings came out on the 30th July 2015 and I have kindly been allowed to write a guest post to let all you lovely people know about my book.

Throughout my childhood I was always writing, whether it was a poem, a stage play or an article. I have always worked best when I am able to use my imagination! When I was 11, I wrote my first ever short story which I called "Like I Wasn’t There". I remember being so proud of it, and I still am today –I think it was the catalyst that sparked my dream of becoming an author. 

I decided to start my first book whilst studying my A levels, running with a simple idea that would eventually develop into my novel, The Reverie: Beginnings, which I finished in January 2014. I signed my contract with The Book Guild in June 2014 and have been on an exciting journey since then, watching my novel change from a manuscript into an actual book!

                                                    

The Reverie: Beginnings follows the journey of my protagonist, Aislin (Ash) Casey. She possesses a power that nobody else has – she can see reality in her dreams. These dreams show her events from the future but until tragedy strikes her family they are just meaningless glimpses of life. Her dreams disappear altogether and now girls around her village are falling prey to a vicious killer, Ash has to find a way to reignite her power knowing she is the only one that can put a stop to this - but what her dreams show her next is something she was not expecting. What she finds will lead her on a dangerous path into the clutches of an evil that may never let her go…

It’s safe to say that this book means a hell of a lot to me. I write to express myself emotionally. I write to make others happy. I write because it makes me feel whole. With The Reverie, I wrote something with the intention of it reaching a wide audience, spreading across the globe to make people happy. I want my book to be something people want to read. It is quite a scary thing, putting something out there - something that is so much a part of you. Something you have spent so many days and nights over. It made me smile and it made me cry. It helped me get over things that I thought were insurmountable. It helped me realise that I could. And this is why I love writing.

I am currently working on my sequel to Beginnings, and am about halfway through. I also have plot ideas for a third and fourth book, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop there! I am very excited for what is to come, and if you would like to get yourself a copy of The Reverie: Beginnings it is available online at Amazon. Thank you for taking the time to read my post, it means a great deal to me. Sweet dreams x