YOU’RE SEEING IT HERE FIRST: A Cover Reveal for FREE SINGS THE SEA

It’s always fun when to reveal a book cover. If you can resist scrolling down to see the full cover, first, I’ll tell you about Stacey Bartlett’s debut Young Adult Novel, FREE SINGS THE SEA.

SYNOPSIS

The road to freedom starts when you slam the door of a single wide…

Eighteen-year-old Shanna has one goal this summer, and it’s hitting the road. She won’t be visiting colleges or backpacking through Europe, though. Instead, she plans to save her mom and little sister from the fists of her abusive stepfather and get them to the sea and freedom. What she didn’t plan on was falling in love.

From the day Shanna walks out of the woods and into his life, Free knows what he wants to do with his summer. Oh, he’ll train horses and help out on the farm like usual, but hanging out with his enchanting new visitor just became his top priority. Little does he know that Shanna needs more than a diversion this summer. She needs help saving her family. Next thing you know, Free is hitching up his horse trailer for a road trip he never saw coming, but won’t steer away from, no matter how dangerous it might get.

THE COVER!!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Carol: What inspired this story?

Stacey: FREE SINGS THE SEA was inspired by my childhood. My mother was a victim of domestic violence, and my formative years were filled with experiences very similar to those of Shanna, the protagonist. One day, I had a vision of a young man working a majestic black horse on a lunge line in the early morning mist with a small log cabin behind him. It was Free, the love interest in the story, and the book was born!

Carol: How long did it take to write? How many drafts/rewrites?

Stacey: FSTS had so many drafts that I lost count! The original version is written in cursive in an old notebook, and I have worked on the manuscript for years. There is even a version that includes the POV of some of the other characters in the story. I incorporated advice and feedback from wonderful agents, editors, authors, and beta readers throughout my rewrites leading to the final draft. I tried to keep revision fun by looking at it as polishing my diamond so it would shine brightly out in the world!

Carol: What are your hopes for the book?

Stacey: My hopes are twofold. First, and most importantly, I want FREE SINGS THE SEA to offer hope to young adults who desperately need it. I want them to know that they are not alone, and that they are loved. Secondly, it’s a big dream of mine to see this book and my middle grade fantasy coming in February 2025 adapted into movies! I live very close to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock where movies such as Dirty Dancing and The Last of the Mohicans were filmed, so the locations are fantastic and a legacy of movie making magic has happened here before!

Carol: Who is your desired audience? 

Stacey: FREE SINGS THE SEA is meant for teenage readers 13-18. One of the beautiful things about my publisher, Monarch Educational Services, however, is that it is a clean reads publisher. I would love for adult readers to find hope and healing among its pages as well.

Carol: How did you find Monarch? Had you queried other publishers? 

Stacey: I had queried agents and participated in pitch contests, and then one day on Twitter, I saw a post that changed everything. One of my dear friends in the writing community, author Lori Keating, shared a post about her publisher, Monarch Educational Services. I researched and fell in love with Monarch’s mission of clean reads and books that matter and queried not long after!

Carol: Since I know your teenage daughter Georgie- I’m curious to know if she influenced the story. Was she a beta reader? Did any other teens read it?

Stacey: Yes, Georgie was a beta reader along with my other daughter, Lacey. Beta readers are always a blessing, and having teen and young adult eyes on your manuscript can be very beneficial when writing YA. I remember very clearly how it felt to be my protagonist’s age, but I’m certain they contributed to making Shanna’s voice more authentic.

GIVEAWAY!

Although the book won’t be published until September 3, Stacey will have paperbacks available in August. She is promising a signed paperback and a special T-shirt to the winner. To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment by June 12. And if you want to make sure you get a copy of the book hot off the presses, you can preorder it through Barnes & Noble. Pre-orders help authors!