Title: Airion: Return To Zire
Author: J.S. Council
Series: Airion Series
Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Self Published
Formats Available In: Paperback, Ebook (HTML, Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, Plain Text (download), Plain Text (View)
Blurb: Aside from his outward appearance, Kobi is a normal thirteen-year-old boy. Living with his mother, his father, and his identical twin brother, Raili, with whom he spends most days at the cove watching dolphins and whales feed, he is happy with his life just the way it is. But his fourteenth birthday is coming and Kobi has no idea how much his life is about to change.
When Raili is pulled through a puddle in the floor of their second floor bedroom by a monster armed with poisonous, spiked tentacles, Kobi goes in after him. What he finds isn’t Raili, but a new world all together, buried beneath the ocean. With a bounty on his head that has been there since he and Raili’s birth, Kobi will have to learn to fight or die before he can be reunited with Raili again. Everything he knew to be true was a lie.
People he loved and trusted are not who they seem. He isn’t the normal boy he thought himself to be. A transformation is coming. Raili is gone. Blood is shed. Traitors lurk, waiting for their chance. War is inevitable. The fate of the world of Airion rests in his hands. The Wiseone speaks. Failure is certain.
Book Links:
About The Author:
“Although I didn’t fully commit to making writing my life’s work until my sophomore year of college, I have always been a writer at heart. I was the only student in class to get excited about school papers, even asking to write a few for extra credit on occasion. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Creative Writing – Fiction. After graduating, I moved to Japan where I wrote most of my debut novel, Airion: Return to Zire and all of my second novel Airion: Light and Dawn – the first two of a four book series. Japan was a peaceful place to just sit and write, but life in Japan was also filled with adventure. However much I loved it there, I had to return home to do what I love most. Write.”
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Excerpt:
“If the Cellians just wanted us dead, why didn’t they just kill Raili instead of taking him?” asked Kobi.
“That is the question, isn’t it?” said Kaiyen slowly. “If they only wanted to use his power, wouldn’t they have taken them both?”
“Not necessarily,” said Rick, fist to his chin. “Having both would probably be too dangerous to risk. They may have been afraid of being destroyed from the inside if they worked together to free themselves. Even with one son of the prophecy, they could cause considerable damage, or so they may think.”
“But Raili would never do that though,” Kobi protested. “Dad…I…I mean, Black Master Rick. You know Raili; you know he wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“It may not be his choice,” said Kimi. “The Cellians can be very persuasive.”
Kobi’s heart sank. “What would they do to him?” he asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
“Whatever they had to,” said Kaiyen. “That is why we must focus on a plan of rescue, before Raili Saio acquires the powers they seek.”
“On our fourteenth birthday,” said Kobi.
“Yes,” said Kai Ventra. “Almost all Airians change on their fourteenth birthday. Along with the natural changes they undergo, such as growing gills, they also acquire unique individual skills, allowing them to thrive more than most others in that ability. These abilities can be anything from designing exceptional clothing to controlling the elements.”
“The stronger the ability, the harder it is to control,” said Kaiyen. “No doubt Cella is depending on this.”
“It won’t work,” said Rick.
“Agreed,” nodded Kaiyen. “But there is another matter that must be discussed, if I may.” Questioning eyes turned to Kaiyen. “Lady Sara,” Kaiyen continued after a swift nod from the King. He was addressing the old woman seated beside Kimi, “have you seen anything in your Kubec about a traitor in Zire.”
Whispers filled the room. “You go too far, Captain,” said Bran.
“What are you saying,” said the advisor to Bran’s left.
“Silence,” said Sai Thayne. The talking ceased instantly. The King’s questioning eyes fell on Kaiyen then turned to Lady Sara. “Wise One?”
“This man possesses a tainted heart,” said the old woman, her eyes gazing into the diamond block. “His treachery dives deep.”
“Do you know who this man is?” asked Kaiyen.
“I see not his face nor his rank,” said Lady Sara, her brow creased and her hands resting on the Kubec. “However, he knows all that we know and some we do not.”
“It is as I thought,” said Kaiyen, “Zire’s traitor has resurfaced.”
Here is my interview with J.S., thanks for talking with me! It was great fun and informative too 
1. What’s your name (pen if you prefer) and what are you here to promote?
My author name is J. S. Council but my given name is Jessika. I’m here to promote my first novel of the Airion Series, Return to Zire.
2. Is this your first book or have you been writing for a while?
Return to Zire is my first book but writing has always been a large part of my life in one form or another.
3. Is this book part of a series?
Yes! This is the first book of the Airion Series. Light and Dawn, the second book in the series, is in its editing stages, now. I hope to write four book in total to complete this series.
4. Tell me a little about the book, what genre, short summary, that kind of thing, also what age group is it meant for?
Well, this is a young adult Epic Fantasy novel for pre-teens 12 and up. It is about a thirteen year old boy whose life completely changes when he witnesses the strange kidnapping of his twin brother. He never would have guessed that he is a prince from an underwater world, Airion, and the fate of that world may be solely in his hands.
5. How about a little bit about you? (or a lot if you prefer) What makes you tick? What turns you on? 😉
Haha! I am a very proud dork. Documentaries, Medical Shows, and National Geographic are 80% of what I watch on TV. I also love animals, Anime, and Japanese culture. I can speak Japanese pretty well, although I don’t practice as much as I should. My mom is a singer and vocal coach and I have been singing with her since I was very young. It is fun but I do get a bit shy singing on stage sometimes. On top of Japanese culture and singing, drawing and dancing are passions of mine as well. I dance everything including ballet, contemporary, Jazz, and Hip Hop. Basically, I find everything interesting and I try to get involve in as much as I can. At the moment, I have taken up Yoga and Belly Dance. I hope to be able to perform Belly Dance by next year. But we’ll see. 😛
Follow up: You sound really cool and fascinating! I’m useless at other language despite doing French and German I could barely string a few phrases in either. I’ve never done Yoga (aside from the game on the Wii) but I’ve done Pilates now about 6 years and I really enjoy it.
6. Have you always been interested in writing?
Yes, I have. When I was in grade school, I would ask the teacher for extra credit papers. The most memorable assignments I ever had were writing assignments. I still remember the fictional journal I had to keep in 9th grade, pretending to be a drafted Vietnam soldier. I made him a twin. J In college, my love for writing tripled. I decided to make writing a career and haven’t stopped since.
7. What do you think is the best part about being a writer?
I think the best part about being a writer is my interaction with people who read my work. Knowing that the conflicts, the characters, the plots, and the settings that you create can provide someone with a place to escape is an amazing feeling. I want to keep being that escape for people. I want to continue to share that service.
8. What’s the worst part of writing?
I would say that the worst part about writing is when I can’t write. When my attention is pulled to the publishing aspect of the writing process and I don’t have as much time for writing as I would like.
9. Do you think the future is in Ebooks? Or will print make a comeback?
Contrary to what I thought when Ebooks first came out, I truly believe that Ebooks are the future. As much as I love the feeling of a physical book in my hands, I think that Ebooks are a better alternative for our future. It’s cheaper, authors gain more revenue, and trees don’t have to die for our entertainment, thus the world stays at a comfortable CO2 level for a few more years. It all works out.
10. What are you reading right now?
Right now, I am reading a book, called Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz, that I will be reviewing for Read 2 Review. It is a great book so far. ^_^
11. What was the last movie you saw?
I watched the new Will and Jaden Smith movie After Earth. I thought that the movie was very good. Of course, with all of the emotional Father-Son moments, I cried a few times. What can I say? I’m a water-head.
12. What was the last book you really loved?
I really loved the last series I read, Warriors by Erin Hunter. It was captivating and suspenseful. Best of all, the main characters are all cats.
Follow up: That does sound neat, I love cats as well.
13. Do you ever read comic books/graphic novels?
Yes, I do! I read Japanese Manga/Comics to keep up with my Language skills.
14. How do you feel about promotion? Any tips for other writers?
Promotion is definitely easier if you have people with connections to do most of the work for you. If you don’t, my best advice would be to make friends. Provide services (like hosting book tours or guest blogs) for fellow writers, go to writing meet-ups, open-mic readings, or anything else that will put your name out their. Having a website to help promote your work doesn’t hurt either.
15. Favourite author?
That is a difficult question. I think Stephen King is one of the most admirable authors in the world. He has done so much; books, novellas, movies. I aspire to have his unadulterated love for writing.
16. Favourite person (living or dead)?
My favorite person is my mother. She is a strong woman and my biggest fan and encourager. We may not always see eye to eye, but she is my best friend and pushes me into greatness. I appreciate her for everything she as done for me. (P.S. I know she’s going to cry when she reads this :P)
17. Would you consider yourself religious?
Not really. I believe that there is a Higher Being and that it is all powerful and knowing. I believe that it has watched and protected me more than a few times in my life. But I don’t believe in the religions created by people. I’m sorry, I just don’t trust the whole message of blind faith.
Follow up: I’m in total agreement with you over blind faith and religions created by people. I’m agnostic and I’m really not sure, maybe there is some kind of divine being but I’m yet to be convinced.
18. What do you think is the biggest problem in the world today?
In one word? Greed.
19. If you had all the money you ever wanted, what would you do?
First, I would build my mother a house. Then I would put some away for my future children’s future. Haha. Then I would set off trying save endangered animals. Yeah… I would have to have a lot of money. J
20. What’s the secret to happiness?
Happiness is a state of mind. Nothing can make you happy or unhappy unless you allow it.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, best of luck with your book and hey I’m a writer too. E-mail me anytime if you want to chat TheNLVampire@gmail.com thanks again! J
Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure talking with you. Let’s surely talk again soon. ^_^ My email is jscouncil@yahoo.com.
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Thank you so much for hosting this interview! It was loads of fun. I had a great time with the answers and I loved your follow ups as well. ^_^
Hi J.S. 🙂
You’re welcome, it was a pleasure to have you. I tried to come up with questions that where a little different from other blogs, I’m glad you liked them =) Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon.