Magic Harbor by Kristen L. Jackson (Keeper of the Watch, #2) ***Urban Fantasy - Young Adult - Spotlight - Interview with the Author - Excerpt and Giveaway***

Magic Harbor 

by Kristen L. Jackson 

(Keeper of the Watch, #2)

Publication date: October 10th 2019

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

When Alyx Eris convinced him to become a keeper of the watch, Chase Walker knew he gained the ability to traverse the twelve dimensions.

He knew there were others—the hunters—who would do anything to put an end to the watches’ existence.

He knew his status as a keeper was completely binding until his nineteenth birthday.

Most importantly, he knew he’d be spending the year by Alyx’s side.

What he didn’t know was that in this dimension resides a ruling mage that poses more of a threat than the hunters ever could.

He didn’t know that magic-born hybrid beasts lurk in every corner of the surrounding forests.

And he didn’t know that nothing—and no one—is what it seems in the mystical world of Dimension 8.

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An Interview with Kristen L. Jackson

Welcome to Character Madness and Musings
Please, tell us about your newest book.
MAGIC HARBOR just released last week on October 10, 2019. It is Book Two in the KEEPER OF THE WATCH Series (but can stand on its own if you haven’t had a chance to read Book One!) The story began with Chase Walker discovering an ancestral watch in his recently deceased uncle’s belongings … and he can feel the power in it. He doesn’t know what to make of it until Alyx—a girl from another dimension—arrives and explains that the watch will give him the power to travel to twelve parallel worlds on pre-determined dates each month for one year. Two other people are searching for the watches. The hunters have destroyed all but three of the twelve original watches, and are now after Chase. Alyx saves him and convinces him to connect with his watch. Now that they are both keepers of the watch, they will travel to a different version of their reality each month of their eighteenth year. In MAGIC HARBOR, they discover a magical world, full of mythical beasts, magic spells, witches and warlocks. The hunter’s ‘other-selves’ are there:, but here, the ruling mage poses an even bigger threat. The Sovereign Warlock is set on keeping all the power for himself. Chase and Alyx want to help, but aren’t sure who to trust. The two discover their own magical abilities in this world, and do everything they can to help the people of Dune Harbor before their next scheduled jump-time. When two powerful wizards battle for control, Chase and Alyx may not be prepared for the losses to come. 

Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your book?
Finding time to write! I have a full-time job, so I find anytime I can to write. Early mornings on the weekends are my most productive writing times, but I also write a bit on week nights and sometimes even on my lunch break! 

Tell us about your writing career.
I haven’t always had the confidence required to be a writer. I started dabbling in writing in my early thirties, but after receiving a few rejections, I stopped. Inevitably, writing called to me and eventually I continued down my writing path. It takes lots of patience and perserverance to become a published author, and this time I had both. My first contract was signed with Schiffer Publishing was for a children’s picture book, JOCELYN’S BOX OF SOCKS. Not long after that, I signed with Black Rose Writing for my YA series KEEPER OF THE WATCH. MAGIC HARBOR, also published by Black Rose Writing, is my third published book. 

They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
Don’t give up! Rejection is part of this business so you have to learn to live with it. This business is very subjective. Perservere until you find that one person who is interested. 

What was your most difficult scene to write?
It’s most difficult for me to write death scenes. So much heart goes into creating each character. In MAGIC HARBOR, the climax of the story ending in a battle between dark and light magic, there are some casualties. It’s always hard to kill off a character. 

Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
I believe themes are a big part of all stories. The overall theme in KEEPER OF THE WATCH is: Don’t give up! Chase is faced with a lot all at once. He turns eighteen, the uncle who raised him dies, he graduates from high school, and he’s faced with this big decision: become a keeper of the watch, or deny his family’s ancestry. Chase finds a way to stay positive through it all. In MAGIC HARBOR, the theme is: Things (and people) aren’t always what they seem. Faced with people they know—but don’t know—they aren’t always sure who they can trust. A sub-theme in this story is that there is the potential for both good and bad in all of us. Our circumstances, and even a slight change in our lives, could lead us to make a different choice than the ones we’ve made in our lives. I’m planning to tackle the important topic of school bullying in Book Three.


What are you working on now?
I started writing KEEPER OF THE WATCH, BOOK THREE right after Book Two was set for release. I was 10,000 into the manuscript when I had an idea that intrigued me, so I put Book Three on the back-burner to begin writing a prequel to the Keeper of the Watch Series. This book takes place in the 1900’s, and will tell the story of the watches’ origin and creator, Elias Walker (Chase’s ancestor.) I’m very excited about it!


Is there a release date planned?
No release date is planned at this time.This book will be an novella, and I’m planning on giving it away for FREE to subscribers of my website as well as offering it for sale on Amazon.


Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
Oooh, so hard to choose just one! I have to say that Chase is one of my favorites because I modeled him after a combination of my two sons. I guess you could say he’s like another son, LOL! I also love writing animal characters. I had so much fun creating the character Bo in MAGIC HARBOR. He is a half-Enfield (A chimera), half wolf-hybrid puppy that plays a huge roll in the story here in the magical world of Dimension 8. I love bringing them to life with actions alone since (of course) they have no dialogue.


Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, and Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. I also loved The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.


What are your plans for future projects?
There are potentially twleve books in the KEEPER OF THE WATCH Series, so that should keep me busy for a while! I would also like to publish another children’s picture book in the near future.


Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
I love to hear from my readers! Stop by my blog (kristenljackson.wixsite.com/kristenjacksonauthor) or one of my social media pages to say, “Hi!”, or ask a question about one of my books. (Facebook: @kristenjacksonauthor; Twitter: @KLJacksonAuthor; Instagram: @krisjack504. Find me on Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and GoodReads, too!) I promise I’ll respond as quickly as I can.

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Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today.
Thanks so much, Brandy, for having me as a guest on Madness and Musings today! It’s been an honor ‘stopping by’!

Author Bio:

Kristen L. Jackson been a teacher for over twenty years, and lives in Reading, Pennsylvania with her husband, two grown sons, and three large-breed dogs. Books inspire her. From children’s picture books to adult literature in all genres, she has loved reading all her life. Becoming a published author has been her dream come true, and she loves to share her stories with readers of all ages. Sign up on her website to follow her blog to stay up to date on what she’s working on now! Kristen loves writing, reading, and spending time with her family and dogs at their cabin in the Poconos…her favorite place to escape and write!

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