Young Adult Reads: SPOTLIGHT Audio - YA FANTASY - KISSING MAGIC (Portals to Whyland, #2) by Day Leitao Narrator: Winona Owen

KISSING MAGIC

Portals to Whyland, #2

by Day Leitao
Narrator: Winona Owen
Length: 12 hours and 22 minutes
Publisher: Sparkly Wave
Released: June 14th 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Audiobook Blog Tour: Kissing Magic by Day Leitao

Kiss him. Don't fall in love.

Break a spell with a kiss. Karina has heard and seen enough weird stuff for this request to sound legit.

At 16, Karina has a shot at adventure--and an odd first kiss - when she's called to Whyland, a kingdom in another dimension, to save a guy she barely knows. Why her? No clue, but she's happy to help, and kissing Sian isn't torture, even if he isn't to be trusted. Karina's smart enough not to fall in love - or at least to tell herself not to.

Once in Whyland, she realizes that risking a broken heart is the smallest of her problems. When truths are unraveled, Karina will need to stand between an ancient darkness and the kingdom. But what hope does she have against mysterious powers when she can't even control her own heart?

If you like fantasy and adventure with a dash of romance, give Kissing Magic a try. This novel is recommended for listeners 13 and older. This is book two in Portals to Whyland series but you can jump straight into it without listening to book one.

Originally from Brazil, Day Leitao lives in Montreal, Canada. She likes stories with action, humor, and heart. For more information, for a free novella, and to get news and updates, go to https://dayleitao.com

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Q&A with Author Day Leitao

Why did you decide to turn your book into an audiobook?
- I got an email from a reader one day, complaining that the books weren’t available in audiobook format. That’s when it clicked that I had readers who would be interested in hearing it in audio, and then I decided to take the plunge.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Not at all. That said, now that I’ve heard my writing in audiobook, I’ve noticed that certain things sound better and I’ll incorporate them in my future writing.
How did you select your narrator?
- I opened auditions and I thought Winona Owen had a pleasant voice.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- I gave her some pronunciation tips. That said, it made me realize that I need some more “anglo-friendly” names urgently. I think I have a lot of influence from Portuguese and even French in the names, so I need to give an Anglophone speaker a break and understand there will be a slight difference. I emphasized some names, but not all, and other than that I gave her freedom to do her work and have her interpretation.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Not consciously, but… If you want someone who’s a cynic, closed off, sarcastic and disconnected from their feelings, I guess that’s me. It means I identify a lot with one of the characters. I myself was surprised when I noticed it.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I don’t usually celebrate. I get anxious until the reviews start to come. Overall they’d been positive for Kissing Magic, so I guess it was OK. I wrote a novella between finishing this novel and writing the sequel, because I wanted to get a sense of the feedback before moving on.
In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
- I think series are nicer because you get to stick longer with the characters and you have more time to develop them.
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
- Not dreams, but they sometimes bug me asking when their book comes next. I tell them to stand outside and wait for their turn. I have a couple characters getting really pissed at me. I don’t know. One day they’ll have a mutiny and take over their writing. Hang on. Sometimes I wonder if it’s not already happening.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- The sequel to Kissing Magic is coming out soon. It’s Within Magic, and I’d better get back to writing it.