By Madeline Dyer, guest blogger

Firstly, I’d like to say a big “Thank you!” to J.D. for allowing me to guest post on his website. I absolutely love lists, and I love sharing inside information, so for this post, I thought what better thing is there to share than a list of ten things you might not know about my debut novel.

Firstly, a bit of background. Untamed is a YA dystopian story, examining a world in which anyone who has negative emotions is hunted down, and a culture where addiction is encouraged. To find out more, please go here.

 

 

Now, onto the list! Ten things you might not know about Untamed:

1. This novel, although my debut, was actually the fourth full-length manuscript that I completed.
2. Before I wrote Untamed, I’d only ever written fantasy and science fiction manuscripts. Untamed was my first foray into writing dystopian fiction—and it started off as a bit of an experiment. The first draft of Untamed was written in less than a month. But it went through many more months of rewrites, revisions, and edits after that….
3. I signed the book deal with my publisher for Untamed on 30 June 2014—exactly thirteen months after I first began writing this manuscript.
4. Untamed features a talking bison. Yeah, it makes more sense if you read the book.
5. The majority of the action in Untamed, takes place in a fictitious land that’s very loosely based on the Niger/Nigeria border.
6. This book has a diverse cast. The main character is a person of colour.
7. There is a large age difference (10+ years) between the main character and some of her siblings.
8. The world the book’s set in also features many fantasy elements, such as spirits that inhabit the land, and prophetic visions of Seers, yet it is also a dystopian story of survival.
9. One of the biggest themes in this novel is addiction: how it starts, what it does to a person, and how it shapes people’s actions.
10. Untamed is the first in a series of four books! Book two, Fragmented, is set to release on September 7, 2016 from Prizm Books, the YA imprint of Torquere Press.

About Untamed

As one of the last Untamed humans left in the world, Seven’s life has always been controlled by tight rules. Stay away from the Enhanced. Don’t question your leader. And, most importantly, never switch sides–because once you’re Enhanced there’s no going back. Even if you have become the perfect human being.

But after a disastrous raid on an Enhanced city, Seven soon finds herself in her enemy’s power. Realizing it’s only a matter of time before she too develops a taste for the chemical augmenters responsible for the erosion of humanity, Seven knows she must act quickly if she’s to escape and save her family from the same fate.

Yet, as one of the most powerful Seers that the Untamed and Enhanced have ever known, Seven quickly discovers that she alone holds the key to the survival of only one race. But things aren’t clear-cut anymore, and with Seven now questioning the very beliefs she was raised on, she knows she has an important choice to make. One that has two very different outcomes.

Seven must choose wisely whose side she joins, for the War of Humanity is underway, and Death never takes kindly to traitors. (JD’s note: My review of Untamed can be found here.)

Buy links:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Madeline-Dyer-ebook/dp/B00XXOBB62/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Untamed-Madeline-Dyer-ebook/dp/B00XXOBB62/

Barnes & Noble/Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/untamed-madeline-dyer/1122078467?ean=9781610409179

Add Untamed on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25537679-untamed

Plus… pre-order Fragmented (Untamed #2) and get signed swag!

Everyone who sends me proof of their preorder of Fragmented will receive a free signed bookcard (either of Untamed or Fragmented–your choice!) and one person will win this prize pack!

Prize pack contains:

* 3 signed Untamed bookcards

* 3 signed Fragmented bookcards

* 1 Fragmented mug

* 1 Untamed keyring

* 1 Fragmented notebook

* 1 pair of handmade Fragmented-inspired earrings (made them myself! Can be swapped for a pendant if the winner prefers)

The winner of the prize pack will be announced on the 7th September (release date!), and this campaign is open internationally.

Important! To receive your free signed book card and an entry into this giveaway, you must send your address and proof of pre-order to me at MadelineDyerAuthor [at] yahoo.co.uk

Pre-order Fragmented now: 

• Prizm Books (US only) and save 15% with code ‘preorder15’
• Torquere Press (international) and save 15% with code ‘preorder15’

About Fragmented (Untamed #2):

After the terrible battle against the Enhanced Ones, Seven and Corin find themselves on the run. With the Enhanced closing in, Seven knows they need to find other people on their side. So, when the opportunity arises to join the Zharat, one of the last surviving Untamed tribes, it seems like the perfect solution.

But the Zharat lifestyle is a far cry from what Seven’s used to. With their customs dictating that she must marry into their tribe, and her relationship with Corin breaking down, Seven knows she has to do something before it’s too late. But that’s easier said than done in a tribe where going against the rules automatically results in death.

And, with the Enhanced still out there, nowhere is truly safe for the Untamed—least of all for the most powerful Seer in the world… and Seven soon discovers how far people will go in order to ensure that she’s on their side in the War of Humanity.

Battling against the emerging web of lies, manipulation, and danger, Seven must remember who she was meant to be. Her life has never been more at stake. Nor has humanity itself.

About Madeline Dyer

Madeline Dyer lives in the southwest of England, and holds a BA honours degree in English from the University of Exeter. She has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal, and can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes. Her debut novel, Untamed (Prizm Books, May 2015), examines a world in which anyone who has negative emotions is hunted down, and a culture where addiction is encouraged. Her second novel, Fragmented, is set to hit shelves in September 2016.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and check out her website.

JD’s note: Thanks to Madeline Dyer for providing me with this post! Be sure to check out her debut novel, Untamed, if you haven’t already, and be sure to pick up Fragmented when it hits on Sept. 7!