Having achieved favored, underground-read status with her first novel, ‘Simon Lazarus’, M.A. Kirkwood is back on the scene with a compelling coming-of-age novel that’s a delightful, yet powerful, antidote to the influx of dark-entity-imbued literature that’s flooding the teen-read market. Aimed at mid-teens and up, ‘Claire Ange’ is a humorous, unique novel, imbued with classic story-telling aspects and rich metaphysical tones.
San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/10/2013 -- If any author knows her audience, it’s M.A. Kirkwood. With fiction that’s focused on the older teen and diligently written to provide a welcomed break from the barrage of vampire/dark-entity-imbued novels that seem so prevalent today, it’s hard not to see why. Her celebrated first novel, ‘Simon Lazarus’ (the only work of fiction with a lovely endorsement from top-selling, Oprah Book Club author, Eckhart Tolle)-- is set to be re-released later this year and is now being followed by what critics tip to be her best release yet.
'Claire Ange’ is a humorous take on the fairy tale trope, including a spirit character who has his own story to tell as 17 year old Claire goes about life once her wicked mother expels her from her home. This scenario and a host of delightful characters are melded into a delectable fusion that is poised to resonate with thousands of young readers from coast-to-coast. Written to be vastly entertaining, yet with the heft and complexity to be enjoyed by all age groups, Kirkwood’s latest release pays homage to the life-changing adaptations an older teen on the cusp of adulthood is forced to make.
Perhaps, the synopsis is best summed up by the respected literary critics at Midwest Book Review:
“On the face of it ‘Claire Ange’ is about an abused girl who rises above her circumstances. Underlying this basic premise is so much more: spiritual insight, the interconnectedness of history past, present and future, and the lives of strangers who intersect, become changed by their encounters, and through these connections move forward to new levels of being. A humorous tone permeates throughout, as Claire and her spirit-observer encounter an array of colorful characters as they make their respective journeys. This, and the rich tapestry for self-discovery for both, makes for an engrossing and memorable read… and a top recommendation for a vast readership: basically, anyone looking for a spiritually complex story of evolution and change.”
While spirituality and humor may not instantly gel together in the minds of most, Kirkwood insists they make a great combo:
“When we laugh, we release toxins in soul, spirit and body. As you know, there have been medical studies on the benefits of this, as far as the body. Ah, but the spirit? Have you ever wondered why the big-bellied Buddha icon we often encounter is always laughing? It’s a fascinating phenomenon to me and something I believe can be put to good use,” says Kirkwood, who specifically aims to reach the older teen to early adulthood readers, in the threshold years--an important age group rarely addressed in most ‘teen fiction’—which primarily targets the 12-14 year old range.
Kirkwood distinguishes her work to be more aligned with the coming of age genre—which is more complex than its YA counterpart. Quite simply, she adds: “There isn’t much out there that addresses the older teen into early adulthood group and I aim to bring an actual transformative experience to the consciousness of my readers in the hopes that it touches something profound in them”. And that is simply because Kirkwood aims to bring a spiritual consciousness to her work—that these young readers are more than a consumer group of the latest fads, including vampires!
Make no mistake, ‘Claire Ange’ is entertaining as it is deeply moving.
As the critic from San Francisco Book Review notes: “ The cast of characters includes a gambling nun, a math professor- drag-queen, and Claire’s best friend, a straight-A student who really wants to be a rapper. Everyone’s story is explored, creating a more fulfilling tale. Kirkwood’s prose is lush, and the descriptions of Mardi Gras are intoxicating.”
Foremost, ‘Claire Ange ‘is bound for success for its wholly original take on life and its important questions therein, something M.A. Kirkwood feels these readers are thirsting for: meaning! This is especially prevalent in the development of the spirit-character who brings the reader to a luminous and breath-taking place of revelation by story’s end, making ‘Claire Ange’, truly, “a faery tale like no other…”.
With the author’s existing success, clear-cut audience and stark talent for taking unusual concepts into the mainstream, ‘Claire Ange’ is surely set for best-selling status very soon
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‘Claire Ange’ is published by Spirit Star Press, is available directly from the publisher; email: spiritspress@mail.com
About the Author: M.A. Kirkwood
M.A. Kirkwood is a native of New Orleans where she received a BA in English/Journalism from Loyola University before going on to additional studies at Stanford and U.C. Berkeley. She has worked primarily in the advertising industry both in New York City and San Francisco as an ad copywriter, but also as a comedy writer and TV scriptwriter in the early days of cable television. Kirkwood resides in Northern California.
For an interview with this author, or to publish a review, please contact:
Spirit Star Press
415-440-7929 spiritspress@mail.com