The First Odventure Novel:
Given to Fly by JD Estrada
Have
you ever wanted to read a book that dreams about becoming a Studio Ghibli film?
Well now you can. Given to Fly is the
13th book by Puerto Rican indie author JD Estrada and his first full
length middle grade fantasy novel. But more importantly, it’s a book with a lot
of heart and no violence.
If
you see movies, TV, video games, or the news at any given moment, it’s almost
as if violence is a required ingredient in whatever medium we enjoy. Given to Fly is a book that avoids the
use of violence even when it talks about real issues like death, financial and
professional struggles, and life in general in favor of finding joy and life
lessons through the fantastical.
At
11 years old, John Rivers is a kind hearted kid who dreams about flying. He’s
just moved to the Pacific Northwest with his family to a house that although
it’s very lovely and very cozy, it’s not exactly magical. What he doesn’t know
is that magic is actually closer than he thinks.
After strolling up a hill near his house, he
finds a cliff with a cove at the bottom and a huge tree growing over the water.
What’s special about this particular tree is that it currently serves as the
resting spot for a house that defies logic while embracing the amazing. As
curious as he is kind, one look at Od Manor is all it takes for John to jump at
the chance to explore a new world of wonder.
Apart from John Rivers, the other main
protagonist in the novel is Fäet Odstein, the literary persona of JD Estrada.
Although mainly based on Estrada himself, Fäet probably also has a little bit
of Willy Wonka, Cheshire Cat, and many other characters that resonate with
JD. Given
to Fly is also the first of what will be a series of stand-alone
middle-grade novels with Fäet Odstein as one of its protagonists. The purpose
of these books shall be to offer stories without violence that hopefully get
more children to read and dream.
This is not the first time JD Estrada has
written middle grade fantasy stories. His Daydreams
on the Sherbet Shore have been described as whimsical bedtime stories with
a lot of heart. That same heart was the main driver for this story. Like most
of his works, Given to Fly was
written longhand in one of the best gifts Estrada has ever received in his
life. A long time ago, his wife gifted him a hard cover notebook. The image on
it was particularly special to him. She had asked him what image meant the most
to him. Without batting an eye, he looked up the image to the Pearl Jam single
by the same name. A couple of months later and with misty eyes, he had a hard
cover notebook with that same image and the name could only be Given to Fly. But what to write about…
The question lingered in the air and rumbled in
his brain until a trip to Orlando had him and his wife going to Epcot Center
and getting on the Soarin’ ride for
the first time. As sights, sounds, and smells washed over him in the beautiful
flight simulator, an idea was born and by the end, he had soared right into an
epiphany. “It’s going to be about a boy who dreams about flying,” he told his
wife through tears of joy after getting off the ride.
Several years have passed after that ride and
finally Given to Fly is ready for you
to read. It is a tribute to things that bring him joy and a song that makes his
soul smile. In honor of the band that has inspired his life so much, all
proceeds for Given to Fly and all
other Estrada books for the remainder of 2018 shall be donated to
Actionforjackson.org in support of #EBAwareness. Epidermolysis Bullosa is a
family of rare genetic disorders that affect the body's largest organ: the skin
and Eddie Vedder (lead singer for Pearl Jam) has worked hard to support this
cause. It is a small token of gratitude for everything the band means to
Estrada and aligns with his #Humans4Humans efforts to support different causes
and try to make a positive impact through his writing and any other efforts to
support good causes that help our fellow humans.
To purchase your very own copy of Given to Fly, visit Libros 787 or
Amazon.com.
Book Blurb:
John Rivers is a kind and imaginative
11-year-old who is about to learn that magic not only exists, but is closer
than he thinks. As much a dreamer as he is curious, John comes across a house that
defies logic while embracing the amazing. Influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, Peter
Pan, and dreams of flight, Given to Fly
is a book full of heart that skips the violence in favor of the fantastical.
Back Cover:
John Rivers is a kind and imaginative
11-year-old whose new home may be cozy, but there’s nothing magical about it.
What he doesn’t know is that magic is actually closer than he thinks. After
strolling up a hill near his house, he finds a cliff with a cove at the bottom
with a huge tree growing over the water. What’s special about this particular
tree is that it currently serves as the resting spot for a house that defies
logic while embracing the amazing. As curious as he is kind, one look at Od
Manor is all it takes for John to jump at the chance to explore a new world of
wonder.
Title: Given to Fly
Key Words:
#GivenToFly #JDEstradaNovel
#OdventureNovel #ODventure #JDEstrada #Flying #FaetOdstein #MiddlegradeNovel
#IndieAuthor #IndieNovel #Humans4Humans
Author: JD Estrada
Cover Artwork: Raphael Tangal
Publication Date: December 1
Paperback Price: 15.99
Digital Price: 2.99
Pages: 160
ASIN:
Ebook ISBN: 13: 978-1545562758
ISBN-10: 154556275X