//WIP// All About Golden Touch

Happy Wednesday everyone!

So, even though I'm not sure when I'll share this book with the world - as in let other people read it - I do want to share a little about it. I've been talking about it a lot on here, on my newsletter, on Instagram and with anyone who will listen because I love it so much. And since I've talked about it so much, I thought it only fair to share a little about the story as a whole so you actually know what I'm talking about. Plus, I just love this book so much and I love the idea of making an entire post dedicated to it.

At the moment I don't have a real blurb, but I did jot down a few lines that came to me while revising Golden Touch. It's super brief and just something that popped into my head, but I'll share it anyways because I feel like they do encompass the heart of the story pretty well. So let's just go for it! I'm so excited to share some of what Golden Touch is all about with you guys!

My Improvised Blurb: 

This is the story of Amaya, a girl who goes searching for a miracle in the mountains after her dad loses his job.

This is the story of Darren, a boy out of time with a curse in his hands and a heart of gold.

This is the story of Amaya and Darren, who find each other and realize that they are the only ones who can give each other what they desperately need.

Golden Touch Includes: 

• A mysterious boy who's been asleep for a century and can turn things to gold with his hands. 
• Treasure hunting 
• Secret societies 
• Sweet (the literal sweetest 😍) and slow romance 
• Big sister-little brother relationship 
• And so much more! 

Golden Touch Aesthetics: 

Golden Touch Characters 

Amaya Wilson: 

Big sister to two younger brothers and a little sister. Fiercely loyal. Selfless. Forgiving. Generous. Motherly. She's very introspective. Thinks before acting. She's the responsible one and wouldn't do anything to put Tyler, her younger brother, in any danger. Amaya always puts others first and is willing to help anyone who needs it. She's very structured, likes organization and is very plan-oriented. Amaya's a pretty trusting. She tries to find the bright side of any situation and always gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. 

Darren: 

He's got a much more complicated past than Amaya. Darren grew up in the late 1800's. He never knew his parents and was on the run for most of his life. The one time he found a home and a family it was all taken from him. Darren doesn't trust easily. He keeps a wall up around his emotions at all times and doesn't let people in at all. Throughout his life he's learned that the world is full of selfish, cruel people who only want to use him for his curse of being able to turn things to gold. As you can probably tell, he has a pretty bleak and pessimistic outlook on life. He's always on alert, always ready to run and look out for himself at all times. He's very introspective much like Amaya and for the most part, thinks before he acts as well. When you gain his trust, you have a friend for life. He would die for you.


Tyler Wilson: 

The fifteen year old brother of Amaya. Tyler's got an adventurous spirit. He feels trapped in the mundane of his life and is always searching for something more, for purpose. Unlike his sister, he acts first and thinks later. He's impulsive and excitable and always sees the best in others. Tyler's always the first to find the silver lining in even the worst situation and has got a go with the flow attitude.











Jeromey Scott: 

A lot like Tyler, he's got the heart of an adventurer. Jeromey's a bona fide treasure hunter and life long thrill seeker. He's seen a little bit of everything, been to so many different parts of the world in search of treasure and the explainable. But despite Tyler, Jeromey's been around a while and knows that you can't just jump in without thinking. An adventure's great and all, but so is not dying of stupidity. He's a impulsive to a certain degree but also a decent planner. Jeromey has a strong moral compass that keeps him tethered to the side of good, but also isn't afraid to get his hands a little dirty if he needs to, especially if it means protecting his friends.





Cleopatra Harper Orlando (I had the best time coming up with her name haha): 

The phrase curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back is the best way to describe Cleo. Her curiosity and thirst for knowledge is her driving force. She loves a good mystery and is always up for a few hours worth of research. Cleo's a bit disorganized but that's just because she's always got something going on in her head. She's a lover of history and mythology, a seeker of the strange and unusual and protector of those who can't protect themselves. But also... much like Jeromey, Cleo's willing to push the limits a little to get what she wants.







Claire Lesauvage: 

She's one of the sweetest and caring people you'll ever meet. Quiet and more of a background force, Claire is the one who keeps Cleo's house in order. Without her, the place would be a wreck and everything would fall apart. A lot of the time she's also Cleo's sense of reason and is happy to be her moral compass when she needs it. There's much more to Claire than meets the eye though. She's got plenty of secrets herself, but she doesn't let her dark past define her and chooses to remain soft-spoken and kind hearted than to let anything that's happened to her harden any part of her.

Lewis Atlas: 

The baddie of book 1. Lewis has a complicated past with Cleo. They're actually very similar in a lot of ways. Though Lewis is a bit more selfish than Cleo, his driving force is also his curiosity and a need for answers about his family's past. He's an opportunist and will do anything to get what he wants... even if it means having to break a few eggs to make an omelet. Lewis would consider himself very passionate, a seeker of the unknown and uncoverer of the truth.

Golden Touch Playlist 

Music always plays a super important role in my drafting process. One of the first things I do when I come up with a new idea is make a playlist. These are a few of the songs that I think really define the story:

• Heartbeat by LERO
• Miracle Pill by the Goo Goo Dolls
• Do It All For You by Alan Walker
• Wanted by OneRepublic
• Rescue Me by OneRepublic
• Bones by Galantis/OneRepublic
• Saints and Sinners by Thomas Gold
• Here With Me by Marshmellow
• Gold by Imagine Dragons 
• Unsteady by X-Amabassadors 

More About Golden Touch: 

The inspiration? 

I'll never forget when I first got the idea for Golden Touch. It was so crazy and random haha! I was on the elliptical and was watching The Road to El Dorado (one of the best movies ever in my opinion haha). I had been messing with a sorta-kinda idea for a treasure hunting book. It was more like I knew I wanted to write a book that had to do with history and treasure hunting but I didn't know how or have any real concept. Half way through El Dorado this idea just came to me. It all fell into place so perfectly. All the characters came to me and Amaya's voice was so clear in my head. The idea felt so urgent and exciting that I pulled up the Notes app on my phone and wrote a part of the first chapter while I finished on the elliptical. The instant I was done I jumped off and went upstairs and wrote out a ridiculous amount of words in a rush of inspiration. Because of needing to focus on Cursed, it took me till January 31st to finish it.

A few movies/books that helped inspire the story: 

National Treasure 1 and 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. The Road to El Dorado. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi.

Is it a series? 

Yes! I'm almost done with draft one of the sequel Emerald Phantom and am excited for when I'll get to work on book 3! I'm almost positive there'll be a fourth one too. Honestly, I feel like I could go on and on forever with this series cause there's so much to explore in the world I've made.


A Little Sneak Peek of Book 2: 

So there you have it! A post dedicated wholly to my favorite: Golden Touch! Now... I should probably go focus on writing book 3 in the St. Croix Falls series haha

What do you think of Golden Touch?? 

(None of these pictures belong to me, they all came from Pinterest.)