Nadia's Tears (Devya's Children) / Devya's Children (ePub)

How far would you go to save someone you love?

Having escaped from the scientific facility where her creators trained her to shape dreams, Jillian Blairington thought she was done with them for good. All that changes when her sister, Nadia, suddenly goes silent. Jillian soon discovers that Nadia's in a coma and she-as a Dream Shaper-may be the only one capable of waking her.

Jillian turns to her friend, Danielle Matheson, and together they hatch a crazy plan to get Jillian to Nadia: a second kidnapping. Once by Nadia's side, Jillian must deal with several versions of her sister, including the emotionally wounded Nadie, the fierce Naidine, and the regal Queen Elena.

As she anxiously awaits news from Jillian, Danielle tries to keep a friend from getting into trouble with the wrong crowd. She doesn't realize how quickly things are hurtling from fairly serious to life-threatening. If Jillian can't solve the mystery of Nadia's coma quickly, she may lose both her sister and her friend.

Interview with the Author:

Q: What makes the Devya's Children series special?

A: At the heart, this series is about family and friendship as well as the ethical questions surrounding genetic engineering. It's been likened to the Orphan Black TV show. I like to think of it as a more family-friendly take on those themes. The premise is that a brilliant scientist and his team created several genetically altered children who have special Gifts, such as telepathy, healing, and dream shaping.

The journal/letters style is not unique to this series, but I believe ultimately it suits my need to get in these people's heads. I've worked very hard to fill the books with relatable characters. Some of them happen to have superpowers, but as Jillian points out, everybody has gifts, if not Gifts. It's just a matter of finding out what those gifts are and how they can be applied for the good of the world.

Q: What order should I read them in?

A: I suggest the traditional order of:

- Ashlynn's Dreams

- Nadia's Tears

- Malia's Miracles

- Varick's Quest

… before jumping into the prequel-The Dark Side of Science-or the Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts.

The prequel and the short stories can certainly be read as standalones, but they may be more enjoyable once the reader's already familiar with some of the characters.

Q: Where does this book fit in the series? What theme(s) make it special?

A: Nadia's Tears continues where Ashlynn's Dreams left off. The premise is that Nadia's fallen into a coma and Jillian may be the only person capable of waking her. Themes of love and loyalty pop up. Jillian doesn't have to help, but she wants to be there for her sister.

Human trafficking also becomes a theme in this book. Years ago, one of my students mentioned that human trafficking still exists in the world. I was absolutely shocked, so I did some research to confirm this. That was right before the summer I wrote this book, so a lot of the research seeped into the storyline.

We get to learn a little more about Nadia's character. She's got the ability to read minds and plan things on very large scales. It makes sense that she'd be aware of the huge problem human trafficking poses and have a deep, burning desire to change things.