Imaginary Friends by Chad Musick

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Chad Musick will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

Some of my best memories of raising my son are from when we spent the weekend reading together. We would read middle grade and YA books out loud. This became a favorite activity that we still do to this day, and it keeps the family close. I wanted to write a book that would be fun to read out loud as a family.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

I have three all-time favorite treats. I eat fruit yogurt every day for breakfast. I also love dried fruit, with dried cranberries being my favorite. My most decadent sweet treat is dark chocolate with a fruit flavor. I love a raspberry-flavored dark chocolate but enjoy anything fruit flavored.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I wanted to be a mathematician. I have always loved math. I earned my PhD in math and work in tech now, so I am living my dream. Being able to have my writing published is really a cherry on top.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I currently have an advanced reader copy of book 3 in The Falinnheim Chronicles called Tales of the Forgotten Founders by C. W. Allen. It is a middle grade adventure that tackles the impact of banning books in a really accessible way. I really enjoy C. W.’s ability to write middle grade in a way that is enjoyable for adults. This is the type of book we enjoy reading as a family.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

I love hot cider. It’s a seasonal teat for me, and I only drink it in the winter. It reminds me of winters in Alaska. I lived in Alaska during high school and now I live in Japan. The winters aren’t as cold, but I still like to have hot cider.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I’d spend it on traveling to book fairs. Living in Japan, I’m fairly removed from the literary scene in America. Before publishing my first book, I was able to travel to a few book fairs and made a lot of good friends and would love to do that again.

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.

About the 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.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Imaginary-Friends-Chad-Musick/dp/1953971733/

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