JAY – Local author Kayla Maurais’ debut young adult novel, “Soul Sucker” will be released on February 17.
The science-fiction/fantasy novel encompasses themes of self-discovery, breaking cycles, and unconditional love. It follows two siblings, brother and sister, who are complete opposites. As the novel progresses, they are forced to put aside their differences to save each other’s lives while navigating a horror planet alone.
Maurais was inspired to write her novel in 2019 while dog sitting on Wilson Lake.
“The idea for two chaotic siblings that needed to find some middle ground came to mind,” Maurais said. “It soon developed into a passion project and a means of escape during the pandemic.”
Although this is Maurais’ first published book, she has been writing creatively since she was thirteen. She received a Masters in Screenwriting from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles in 2017. She currently lives in the Jay area.
A copy of the novel will be available at the Jay-Niles Library after the release. Maurais hopes to do public book signing events in the area soon.
Soul Sucker: For siblings Dash and Shea, stealing and selling rare artifacts across the galaxy is the family business. Meticulous planner Shea yearns to make her father proud, while chaos comedian Dash secretly wishes to be a normal teen. When a pick-up run goes wrong and Dash goes missing in the Realm of Shadows, his negligence falls on Shea. It’s up to her to rescue him. Again. Locating her brother is tricky enough, but upon her arrival she discovers that not only has Dash lost the portal key that was meant to deliver them home, the vile creature he was sent to steal has latched onto him and now feeds on his soul. To save her brother, Shea must enlist the help of a runaway spellcaster in order to find the cure. Nobody else can guide them across a horror planet filled with carnivorous predators. Relying on someone else means being vulnerable for the first time. And as Shea’s confidence in herself and her tolerance for her brother’s mistakes start to waver, she must decide what’s more important—being the perfectly-polished leader her father raised her to be, or letting her guard down to save her siblingship and her little brother’s soul.
“Soul Sucker” is available for pre-order at www.barnesandnoble.com. The e-book version is available for pre-order on Amazon. More information can be found on her website at www.kaylamaurais.com. Find her on Facebook and Instagram @authorkaylamaurais.
