Bottled by Carol Riggs

Bottled
by Carol Riggs
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 7th 2016
Clean Reads

Summary from Goodreads:

At seventeen, Adeelah Naji is transformed into a genie and imprisoned in a bottle. For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy masters—building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he still searches for her.

But someone else also hunts her. Faruq—the man who plots to use her powers to murder and seize the life forces of others—is just one step behind her. With the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against an undeniable attraction to Nathan.

As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she’ll risk to protect Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands.

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Interview with Carol Riggs  

1. What's your writing ritual like? Where do you work, and do you listen to music?

I work really well at home in my “office” on my desktop computer; I don’t even own a laptop. Music can be inspirational before I write, but when I do the actual writing, I like quiet (or the patter of rain outside), because music throws off the rhythm of my words and sentences. I can concentrate better without any distractions. For my schedule, I get through my email, Facebook, and Twitter, and I’m ready to work. On a typical day I write about 700-1500 words, putting in 4-6 hours. I treat it as my job.

2. How long does it usually take you to complete a novel?

For the rough draft, about 3-4 months. Depending on what’s going on in my “real” life, up to 6 months. Then comes the important part: letting it set for a while, doing a complete read-through, and sending it off to my critique partners to shred. Then I revise according to their feedback. The rewriting timeline varies, of course, depending on what other projects I have going on. 

3. What are you working on now?

BOTTLED is my second novel to be released, after my debut, THE BODY INSITTUTE. I have a third book releasing in October, a YA sci-fi called SAFE ZONE. The one I’m currently writing is a YA fantasy, a retelling of a French fairy tale. I’ve always wanted to do a retelling, so it’s exciting to be finally doing it. It has ogres in it and I’m half done. I can’t tell you any more, or I’d have to de-materialize you…

4. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Well, that’s not very often! but I love the beach, and I’m lucky to be less than 1.5 hours away from the Oregon coast. I have a college degree in art, but I haven’t done much drawing or painting or quilting or even fabric art the past few years. I used to do pencil portraits, but found it wasn’t creative enough; I felt too much like a camera since my style was realistic (representational). I like to walk rather than jog. I love listening to music, watching dance of any kind, and attending writing conferences.

 

Excerpt from BOTTLED:

Bello scoops up my slender but sturdy glass bottle from the bed, greed churning behind his eyes. “So you can give me whatever else I want? Gold, whiskey? Foxy women?”

“I’ll grant you any wish within my ability, Master,” I say.

He frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you all-powerful or not? It doesn’t matter if I have endless wishes if all I can get is chutney, cold beer, and pita.”

I hold back a sigh. I prefer to tell him I’m unable to fulfill any of his wishes, limitless or not, but the bottle won’t let me lie. “My powers are restricted only when the wishes involve people. I can’t materialize people who don’t exist or bring them to you against their will. I can’t make them alive if they’ve died, or directly kill them. I also can’t change their bodies, minds, or personalities. But I’m able to take you places, modify objects, and grant you many tangible things.”

“Tangible. What’s that?”

I must say, this guy isn’t the swiftest camel in the caravan. “Things you can touch. No wishing for things like happiness, true love, and infinite world peace.”

His glance bounces around the room. “Touchable stuff. Okay.”

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About the Author

Carol Riggs is an author of fiction for young adults (and adults!) who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. Her debut novel, The Body Institute, released Sept 2015 from Entangled Teen, exploring body image and identity. Her fantasy YA, Bottled, will release from Clean Reads on July 7, 2016, and her sci-fi YA, Safe Zone, will release from Entangled Teen in October 2016. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences, walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

Author Links:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

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Well! I don't know about you guys, but that excerpt totally makes me want to read the book! Congratulations to Carol on the release of Bottled!!! Oh, and that cover is pretty awesome, too :)