Author Guest Post with Chad Musick: Imaginary Friends

If the delivery had been a demonic bowling alley or a mermaid’s grotto, Ivy would have sent it away.

Welcome to the May 9th stop on the blog tour for Imaginary Friends by Chad Musick with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more 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

Fierce Female Lead Characters: How to Create Strong Role Models in Books (Describe how to write female lead characters that are strong role models for readers, explain the important aspects that go into developing these characters, list their characteristics, describe why it’s important to have strong female leads in books, etc., perhaps describe it as a guide for new writers or writers looking for a refresher course, etc.)

The most important thing to keep in mind when writing a strong female character is to draw from strong women in your life. Listen to women talk about their lives and their life experiences and how those experiences shaped them. By tapping into the real experiences of women, it becomes easier to write characters that feel real and honest. If the characters aren’t believable, then the reader won’t connect and there is no opportunity to provide a role model for what a strong fierce woman is.

The strong women in my life have some characteristic they all share. All of them are really comfortable in their skin and embrace who they are. They accept themselves and don’t let others define them. This comfort isn’t about being perfect. It is about knowing themselves and knowing that they are working to be the best versions of themselves. We all have flaws, and I find that the strong women in my life are aware of the areas they want to improve and work to do so, but they are very comfortable in their own skin. Ivy, the main character in Imaginary Friends, is a wheelchair user. Ivy doesn’t lament being in a wheelchair and is very comfortable in her skin. Being in a wheelchair does not make Ivy less competent. Having Ivy as the hero of the book allows other women and girls who are wheelchair users see themselves as the hero. For better or worse, we believe what we see. By seeing strong women in literature, young girls and women are able to see that they can also be strong and fierce.

About the Book

Imaginary Friends
by Chad Musick

Published 2 May 2023
Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC

Genre: YA Magical Realism
Page Count: 312
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

If the delivery had been a demonic bowling alley or a mermaid’s grotto, Ivy would have sent it away. She has standards, after all. But she can’t refuse a magical Library, especially when they’ve gone to the trouble of including a wheelchair ramp. They say that on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog, but somebody knows fourteen-year-old Ivy is an orphan, that she sells her paper-writing services to lazy college students, and that her imaginary friends are unhappy being stuck in the mural on the wall of her Alaskan home.

Himitsu refuses the Library, becoming angry enough to attack the delivery people with his bamboo sword. They won’t tempt him with books, any more than his mother has been able to tempt him into leaving their apartment during the past two years. He has all he needs: video games, online forums, and his virtual girlfriend Moe. Well, almost all. His dad’s death has left a hole in him, which is why when he receives text messages saying the Library can bring back the dead, he changes his mind. Moe tries to warn him about the danger, but what does she know, anyway?

Now, having been lured into the Library and having foolishly brought their imaginary friends with them, Ivy and Himitsu find those friends are trapped. The teens have a choice: fulfill the Librarian’s odd and painful demands in hopes of rescuing their friends or go back alone to their small, boring lives, knowing they’ve failed the only ones who really believe in them.

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Excerpt

Himitsu grumbled at the sunlight coming through his window. The sun ought not shine so brightly when he was trying to sleep, but even Moe (pronounced in the Japanese way, like the name before Mo B and Mo C) was trying to wake him up now. “Sir, perhaps you’d like to get up now. An exciting day is waiting for us.” Moe was speaking in Japanese, of course, which I’ve taken the liberty of mostly translating for you. You’ll have to trust me that I’ve done so accurately. “Fine. Fine. I’m awake now.” Himitsu tapped Moe on the head to make her shut up, and she turned off her light and stopped bothering him. Himitsu ran his fingers through his hair, and when they got stuck halfway, he decided that perhaps it was time he took a shower. He’d thought the same thing the previous couple of days, but this time he actually left his room, waved irritably at his mother when she tried to talk with him, and turned on the water in the shower room. Japanese dwellings typically have a separate room for the shower to avoid bathing in toilet fumes. It’s just water. It won’t hurt you, he told himself and stepped under the flow. (The careful reader will note that he hasn’t taken off his clothes, but let’s assume that he did so, alright? People are funny about certain words, so the less we discuss people being naked, the more people who can read this story. We won’t be talking about people being naked, taking poops, or swearing, but we might see burning libraries, shambling monsters, and sad adults. No promises.)

About the Author

Chad Musick grew up in Utah, California, Washington, Texas, and (most of all) Alaska. He fell in love in California and then moved with his family to Japan, where he’s found happiness. He earned a PhD in Mathematical Science but loves art and science equally.

Despite a tendency for electronic devices to burst into flame after Chad handles them, he persists in working in various technical and technology-related roles.

Chad makes no secret of being epileptic, autistic, and arthritic, facts that inform how he approaches both science and the arts.

Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway Alert!

Chad Musick will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.