An eager new kid, a deadpan music-lover, a fast-talking troublemaker, an anxious bookworm and a girl torn between popularity and adventure.
Welcome to one of the November 18th stops on the blog tour for Yesterday’s Gone by Kelly Pawlik with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
Author Guest Post
Olympic Vista – A Town of Mixtapes and Monsters
Do you remember using a Walkman? Or making mixed tapes? Do you remember the anticipation as you stood at the stereo, hoping against all hope that the DJ didn’t start speaking until after your new favourite song had actually finished?
When I set out to write The Olympic Vista Chronicles, something I really wanted to capture was life in the 80s, and everything that goes hand-in-hand with coming of age in that period (like no cell phones and riding around on bikes all day in a neon windbreaker).
That also included the music of the era. Madonna, A-Ha, Blondie, Joan Jett…and so much more!
Adelaide, one of the main characters, loves music. She is always thumbing through record collections or making mixed tapes. Her taste is eclectic, derived from music she’s been exposed to by her mother, various roommates, friends, and neighbors.
Darius, the other protagonist, is also a music lover. Early in the book Tetsu, Adelaide’s smart-mouthed best friend, makes a jab about Darius even enjoying polka. Darius, ever the optimist, retorted “At least you can dance to it.”
It isn’t just the kids listening to music, though. Throughout the book, and the series especially, there are references to the music the parents are listening to, which sends us back into the 60s and 70s as well.
Music is such a huge part of our lives, and the evolution of the sound, of what’s popular, is fascinating. Plus, so many of the songs from that time period are real earworms! By including the references to the music, I’m hoping the readers can see, and hear, the time period better.
One reviewer wrote: “Pawlik has a flare for writing about this period and I could truly visualize the eighties vibes through her description of music, fashion and even food.”
Yesterday’s Gone, and the rest of the Olympic Vista Chronicles, are meant to be reminiscent of Stranger Things, The Goonies, Super 8, and other films and television shows in the same kids-on-bikes genre, but in an easy-to-read print form.
These books are full of callbacks to the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s. They are also full of adventurous kids, weird happenings, and lots of great 80s references.
And, coming back to that music, you can find a list of all of the songs referred to in the books on this handy Spotify playlist!
Put on some headphones and fall back into the 80s while you follow the adventures of Darius, Adelaide, and their friends as they explore the strange occurrences in Olympic Vista.
About the Book
Yesterday’s Gone
Olympic Vista Chronicles Book One
by Kelly Pawlik
Published 1 July 2021
Olympic Vista Publishing
Genre: YA SciFi Horror
Page Count: 156
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Book one of the Olympic Vista Chronicles novella series follows Darius and Adelaide as they explore a house rumoured to be haunted. What they find is so much worse.
An eager new kid, a deadpan music-lover, a fast-talking troublemaker, an anxious bookworm and a girl torn between popularity and adventure. Follow this group of friends as they delve into the mysteries of their small town while juggling the trials and tribulations of their home lives.
A tale of friendship, love, and coming of age (with a healthy dose of horror) in the late 1980s.
This book is FREE during the tour!
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
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Excerpt
“Thanks for waiting,” Adelaide said as she turned to survey the house. The windows were boarded up and the roof sagged. The grass was long and yellow from the summer weather. There was an overgrown garden under the large front window. Some of the pieces of plywood over the windows were covered in graffiti, but Adelaide couldn’t quite make the words out in the moonlight. She turned back to the others. “So, we just… go in?”
They all looked at each other, then wheeled their bikes to edge of the property and set them down. Adelaide noticed Darius glance at them before he set his bike on the yellow grass. She thought she could make out a kickstand on his bike. Adelaide peeled the tape off her flashlight, removed it from her bike, and stuffed it into her backpack.
For a long moment the five of them stood there, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon.
“This was already an adventure,” Kurt pointed out. “I mean, we could just––”
“We’re already here. I’m not afraid to go in,” Tetsu boasted.
“All right, then,” Darius replied. “Let’s go.”
“Kurt,” Adelaide said. “If you don’t want—”
Kurt moved first. He strode to the door and, after a second of hesitation, the others followed behind. Kurt reached out and grasped the handle. Then he turned it.
About the Author
Kelly Pawlik dabbled with story writing from a young age. She spent her childhood reading, dressing her beloved cat, Midnight, up in doll clothes and hunting garter snakes in the backyard. Her childhood dream was to be an author and she is proud to have made her fiction debut with the Olympic Vista Chronicles novellas.
Kelly is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) writer and has released multiple RPG supplements with her husband under their micro-publishing company, Dire Rugrat Publishing. She has also contributed to several best-selling works with Kobold Press.
Kelly lives on Vancouver Island, BC with her husband, their three inquisitive children, and two lazy cats.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
Kelly Pawlik will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Nov 8 | The Clog Blog | Nov 8 | Christine Young |
| Nov 9 | Literary Gold | Nov 10 | Sandra’s Book Club |
| Nov 10 | Full Moon Dreaming | Nov 11 | The Key Of Love |
| Nov 12 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love | Nov 15 | Fabulous and Brunette |
| Nov 16 | Kit ‘N Kabookle | Nov 17 | All the Ups and Downs |
| Nov 18 | Gina Rae Mitchell | Nov 18 | Westveil Publishing |
| Nov 19 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | Nov 19 | The Obsessed Reader |
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks so much for having me on the blog!
I’ll be checking in throughout the day, and I’d love to hear from you guys. Please ask away! And remember: Yesterday’s Gone (book one in the Olympic Vista Chronicles) is FREE until the 24!
Did you have a special inspiration when writing this book?
There were lots of sources of inspiration for writing this book, including watching Stranger Things, Tales from the Loop and movies like The Goonies. The 80s, kids on bikes, and strange sci-fi are such fun ingredients for a story.