The Story of How Shadow in the Sea Came to Be

Shadow in the Sea is probably going to come out within the next month, so I can finally share some things about it.

I never planned to write a sequel to Forbidden Sea. I originally wrote it to be a stand alone book which I felt ended perfectly. But as my writer's group finished reading the last chapter of Forbidden Sea they asked me a question.

"Who does the Sea Prince marry?"

At first, I just laughed the question off. What difference did it make, who the Sea Prince married? Denn was the only real choice for Adrianne. But that night, I found that couldn't stop thinking about that simple question. I kept rolling it over and over in my mind. Who DID the Sea Prince marry after Adrianne refused him?  After all, without Adrianne, Jendayi was now going to have to start all over again and find him someone completely new. But who would that be? Would it be someone like Adrianne? Or some other kind of personality all together? If you will remember from the first book, the Sea Prince was just a teensy bit of a rebel. He wouldn't allow himself to be forced into a marriage with just anyone--no matter what Jendayi and his mother might have to say about the matter. What kind of girl would the Sea Prince like? The more I thought about it--the more I could see Sadelynn Hanson in my mind. I could hear her voice speaking to me--telling me her story. And before I even knew what had happened, a whole new novel had begun to write itself inside my head . The story of Shadow in the Sea.

The thing I love most about Shadow in the Sea is that it also gave me a chance to finish up Adrianne's story the way I really wanted to.  Originally, I had included a final prologue chapter in Forbidden Sea that told exactly what had happened to Adrianne afterward. But eventually, over time, that chapter was edited out and didn't end up in the final version of the story.

Now readers will get to see what happened after Adrianne returned home from her adventures. Did things work out between her and Denn? Did they ever get to share a first kiss? Did Adrianne get to use her skills with horses? Did she get out from underneath the thumb of Auntie Minnah? Read Shadow in the Sea to find out all this and more!

Contest Giveaway!

I am now hosting my first contest giveaway to celebrate the upcoming release of Shadow in the Sea over on my official author blog. If you are interested in entering click the link below for more details.

http://sheilanielson.blogspot.com/2015/06/giveaway-to-celebrate-cover-reveal-for.html

Keep checking back as there will be more giveaways to come in the near future.

Shadow in the Sea Cover Reveal

The cover for Shadow in the Sea (the long awaited sequel to Forbidden Sea) has now been revealed! And it turned out beautifully.

If you'd like to see the final cover (and read a short plot summary of the story) head on over to my author blog by clicking here!

Cover Reveal!

The time is almost upon us. Though a final release date has not yet been chosen, it is looking like Shadow in the Sea will be released sometime in July. I'll let you know if this changes. In the mean time, I will be doing an official cover reveal for Shadow in the Sea Next week--as well as my first giveaway to celebrate! I will also be releasing a plot summary as well. Make sure to check back then so you don't miss out on all the fun. And spread the word to all your reader friends.

Fabulous Fan Art!

Mey Abdullah @MossyMayo from over on Twitter created this gorgeous work of Forbidden Sea fan art. It is Adrianne sitting on the Rumbles with Denn mysteriously lurking about in the background. (That is definitely his trademark cap he is wearing.) The most amazing this to me is that it really does look like a lot like Adrianne--very similar to the way I pictured her in my mind. Mey, you are an amazing artist. Keep it up and you'll be a famous artist or illustrator someday.

Forbidden Sea Sequel Title Reveal

The Forbidden Sea sequel now has an official title. (And an ISBN number!) The official title is: Shadow in the Sea. I'm starting to get really excited for the big cover reveal which should be coming up in the next couple of months. A story summary will soon follow. I am also planning to have some giveaways as the release date gets a little closer, so keep checking back here for more info.

The Sea Prince Character Sketch Made for the Sequel to Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

I was going to put a crown on him, but I just loved all that free floating hair so much that I decided to skip it.