Character Bucket List: Nesy from DOMINUS by Christine Fonseca plus THE GIRL GUIDE Giveaway!

by Martina Boone

We are thrilled to have Christine Fonseca back on the blog today! Not only does Christine write great YA novels, but she also writes non-fiction. We have a copy of her forthcoming non-fiction book for teen girls, The Girl Guide. Enter at the bottom of the post for a chance to win!

The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed Up World
releases 5/14/13

Finding your unique voice in a noisy world can be hard. Very hard. But not if you have a great guide! The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World is a must read for girls in grades 6-9 as they enter the tumultuous world of adolescence. Packed with fun worksheets and quizzes, as well as stories from older girls and women, The Girl Guide covers everything a teenage girl needs to know on the journey toward her own identity. Proven strategies for dealing with stress management, confronting relational aggression, being safe online, navigating the changing mother-daughter relationship, and more make this the ultimate guide for any girl to get through the teen years and discover her unique point of view in the world.

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I am thrilled to be back with my buddies at Adventures in YA Publishing, bringing you a little glimpse into the heart, and mind, of the main character of Dominus, Nesy.

Dominus is the final book in the Requiem Series. Told from dual points of view (Nesy and Lilith), this story brings more action, more romance, and more betrayal as the story of Aydan and Nesy wind to an end.

When I was first asked to talk about a character’s bucket list, I immediately thought of Nesy and how the things in her bucket list have changed over the series:

• In Lacrimosa (book #1), we are introduced to Nesayiel, a fierce Sentinal, the warriors of Celestium. Her sole purpose is the vanquishing of the UnHoly.

• In Libera Me (book #2), we are introduced to Nessa, the probably mortal incarnation of Nesy. She is scared, afraid of who she really may be.

• In Dominus, we are introduced to Nesy, the Seer. Gifted with the ability to see demons and angels, Nesy wants nothing more than to give that gift away and disappear into humanity.

Her hopes and desires have changed throughout the story, as has her bucket list. Take a sneak peek into the changing thoughts and desires of Nesy:

Nesayiel the Sentinal’s Bucket List:

As a Sentinal, one of the warriors of Celestium, my bucket list is simple: I want to see the realms free from the likes of Azzaziel and his followers. That is my bucket list, plain and simple.

Nessa the girl’s Bucket List:

Life isn’t anything I thought it would be. One boy tells me I am, or was, a warrior. He tells me he loves me. An angel no one else can see tells me I am angelic. He loves me too. The truth is, I don’t know what I am – or who. For me, I want to know what I am. I want my memories back. That is all I want. I don’t need to “do” anything, or “go” anywhere before I die. I just need to know who and really am.

Nesy the Seer’s Bucket List:

My memories are back. My love is gone. I have nothing now. I just want to be completely human. Not a Seer, not angelic or demonic. Just human. What’s on my bucket list? Getting out of this place, leaving the wars behind and living out my days as human. Only human.

There you go – the changing characterization of Nesy. What will her life really entail? Will her bucket list change again? Doesn’t it always?

About the Author

Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Her titles include the YA Gothic Romance Lacrimosa, the YA thriller, Transcend, parenting guide, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, and the anticipated book for teen girls, The Girl Guide, releasing May 14, 2013.

In addition to The Girl Guide, Christine will be releasing Dominus (Requiem #3) in June 2013, and Quiet Kids, a parenting book for parents of introverted children, in October 2013.

When she’s not writing or developing programs to support children with exceptional needs, she can be found spending time with her family, sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter.

Visit Christina’s website
Christine’s Facebook
Follow Christine on Twitter

About DOMINUS

“It’s been six months since my memories returned. Six months since Aydan was again ripped away from me. Six months since I broke a piece of my best friend’s soul.
Six months…”

Nesy has found her memories, her life. Now all she wants is to forget and be human. Only human. But fate holds a different destiny. Forced into a war she wants no part of, Nesy is put to the test in ways she never thought possible as she seeks to fix the mistakes she has made. And the mistakes of her former master, Mikayel. Will she be the Sentinal she was destined to be and put an end to the fighting once and for all? Or will she fail and send humanity into slavery?

The future of three worlds depends on the choices, and sacrifices, she must make in this final installment of the Requiem Series.

Christine’s note to readers:

“Each character’s decisions, each twist of fate has led to this – a time when confusion reigns supreme, when up is down and down is up. And when the fate of humanity rests in the balance. In this final installment, the decisions of the past have come back to haunt the future, and the fate of Nesy and Aydan, Zane and Cass, Celestium and Infernum, hang in the balance. The only question is, who will survive.

This story is filled with anguish and betrayal, love and sacrifice, as I bring the series to an end. It’s a story that has been part of my life for many years. Saying “goodbye” to these characters will be a profound experience for me.

I hope all of you have enjoyed their stories as much as I have enjoyed writing them.”

Check out the book trailer for Dominus
Find Dominus on Goodreads

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Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: May 9, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Character Bucket List

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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