Sam Blood, a fantasy novelist based in Auckland, has just begun an online launch for the second book in his Shadows Series, Raven, which runs until the 29^th of March.

“I began writing the Shadows series when I was nine,” Sam says, “And it was thanks to early feedback from authors like John Marsden and Brian Falkner that I kept at it.”  Sam finally published the first book in the series, Shadows, through Amazon in 2015, aged 24.  He was inspired by the self-publishing revolution and the intrigue of running his own business.  The first book explored what it means to have a positive relationship with yourself.

“Since publishing the first book, I’ve had emails from readers all around the world,” Sam says, “who were just as affected by the idea of finding their Shadow as I was.” Nur Peach, a Year 12 at Thames High School, describes “…how being reunited with your Shadow is a literal symbolism of “finding yourself.”  I and many other teenagers have felt like this: alone, broken, like we’re not whole… like part of us is missing.  I have always wished to have a best friend who understood me, who was always with me so I was never alone.”

Sam says that he sees: “positive mental health and having a kind relationship with ourselves as a theme running through the entire series.”  A strong motivator for this was the experience of losing his best friend Dean Stroobant.  Dean was an enthusiastic voice of support for Sam’s novel through their time at Takapuna Grammar School before Dean’s passing in 2014.  Sam hopes his books can make a positive step toward young people feeling they can openly discuss their feelings and develop a positive relationship with their internal world.

Outside of writing the remaining three novels in the Shadows series, set for release later this year, Sam is keeping himself busy with many other artistic outreach projects.  He recently toured the country with Nanogirl: Live!, acting alongside Dr. Michelle Dickinson as her bumbling lab assistant Baxter.  He’s also running creative writing workshops throughout New Zealand and is in rehearsals for a show to tour around New Zealand Primary Schools.  It features an alien rock band who become refugees when they lose their own home planet.

Raven is being launched through PledgeMe, a New Zealand crowdfunding website. Pledgers to Sam’s campaign can choose from a variety of rewards, ranging from digital and paperback copies of Books One and Two to donating creative writing workshops toward low-decile schools.

You can view the book launch video and pledge at  https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/5523-raven-book-two-in-the-shadows-series, or search for ‘Raven’ at www.pledgeme.co.nz.

For more information and media inquiries:

Sam Blood

+64 20 4137 2000

sam@samblood.com