Fifteen-year-old Albert has just received an invitation that could transform his disappointing life completely – a chance to belong to an advanced and hidden society that only reveals itself to a select few.
Immersed in a new world of mind-boggling technology and intriguing peers, Albert will overcome his fears enough to ignore a few suspicious details. But soon he'll find his family dragged to the center of a scandal that threatens to tear them apart and erase their very identities.
A conflicted Albert must find the strength to challenge authority by relying on his newfound allies and gift for Revelation.
Prepare for adventure, humor and suspense in this fast-paced tale of a “normal” family striving for their place in a “perfect” world.
MY REVIEW
5 OF 5 CHOSEN GAIA
The Chosen Of Gaia ia a great read. I was excited when I was asked to read this book because I had never heard of it and I am so glad I was able to read it. This is such a great Dystopian book that I highly recommend it.
Gaia starts off with Albert and his family being chosen to to be a part of The Gaia Society. This is huge because no one can join you have to be chosen and accepted by the elders. As Albert learns everything is not what it seems he realizes he has a special gift. Albert has the gift of Revelation and once people find out things start to reveal themselves to Albert and his family.
See there are two societies The Gaia and The Raif clan. The Reif Clan believes The Chosen are impure and corrupted. They treat The chosen like they are the devil full of impurities. Albert finds out that his family is in trouble and someone wants to destroy them and erase their memories. As Albert learns to use his new gift he will have to hurry because he is in a race of time to get the revelation he needs to save his friends and family.
What will Albert do? Will he be able to save everyone? What will his revelation reveal? Come along for the greatest ride from another world where technology meets revelations. Where prejudices are the norm and change seems inevitable.
INTERVIEW WITH M. MARIZ
Today on A Diary of a Book Addict we have a special guest. Please welcome M. Mariz author of The Chosen of Gaia. I have to say that this was an absolute fun read for me. I have never read a story where you could be chosen to live in a place. It sort of reminded me of how the African tribes chose who will live where and who will do what job to tend to the field or the family. I loved every minute of this story.
What inspired you to write this story?
The main idea of the book came to me through a dream, when I was sixteen. But I was also inspired by my grandma, who passed away a few years ago. She was raised by her Portuguese mother in a farm and was very connected to nature. She knew a lot about plants and herbs; any health issues that we had she would have some natural medicine for it. She was also very superstitious, believing that dreams carry hidden messages.
Can you share your Revelation Dream with us?
I dreamed about a teen boy who was very lonely and dissatisfied with his own life. But one day he received an intriguing invitation that could bring the transformation he was waiting for: the chance to be part of an advanced and hidden society that only reveals itself to the specially selected. Unfortunately, my grandma woke me up that day, yelling that I was late for school, so the dream stopped at that moment.
How did you come up with the idea of having a lottery to get into Gaia?
Well it wasn’t exactly a lottery, although it may have been a lucky break for Albert. One inspiration was the common religious idea that we are constantly being watched by morally advanced “spirits” and that the ones who have a lifestyle in accordance with what they value will be granted a place in a “better world”.
Is Albert fashioned after someone in your life?
Albert is a mix of different people that I know who are very insecure and shy. They are naïve and pure-hearted at the same time, and that makes them suffer more but also seems to guide them along the right path.
Where do you find your quiet place to write?
I like to take a notebook outside and let the energy of the sun inspire me. Listening to calm music on my ipod and surrounded by the nature, I let my pen slide across the empty pages for a few hours.
How do you like being a lawyer, actress, and writer?
I love to tell stories and those three careers allow me to do that.
Which do you prefer to do?
I confess that I prefer to act or write. I can’t choose between those two, though. Both complete me and boost my happiness.
What made you decide to write a YA book?
The book was actually based on a script that I wrote early last year and that received great feedback from a major studio. Instead of submitting it to other studios, I decided to reinvent it as a novel, as it was the only way to express Albert’s often confused and vulnerable development.
Are you a Kindle or a Nook girl?
I’m a kindle girl.
Do you take notes in a journal or on your computer when you write?
I kind of have an old-fashioned preference for writing on a blank page first, which makes extra work for me, as later on I have to type everything on my laptop.
Are you currently working on another book?
I’m actually working on a romantic-comedy screenplay right now, entitled The Liars Club, but I’m taking notes on some ideas for my next book so I can start developing it before the end of the year.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing with your readers. I look forward to reading more from you!
Thank you for the opportunity!
M. Mariz is an actress, lawyer and writer with more than 20 plays produced. Her debut novel The Chosen of Gaia (Sept. 28, 2012) was inspired by her own Revelation dream.
Born in Rio de Janeiro and currently living in Southern California, Mariz writes screenplays and novels in both Portuguese and English. The artist has more than 15 years of acting experience, encompassing works in theater, television and movies. She has multiple plays and sketches featured in theaters, including a teenager play that was performed by young Brazilian celebrities all over the country, and has written many other plays for different Brazilian companies to present work-related themes in a funny, entertaining way.
She lives with her husband in Orange, California, where she is constantly developing ideas for new stories to tell.
Quick Glance
One
Sunday. The warm weather combined with the soft breeze of the early morning seemed to be holding the promise of some new and exciting adventure.
This was definitely the time for a change – a wave of boldness filled Albert’s lungs.
He was fifteen now, an age when things could finally start happening, if he could rise to the challenge.
Maybe he just needed to rely more on Ruth and ask for a “social intervention”. For the last couple of days they had been renting the beach house, his twin sister had learned kite surfing, won a hiking competition and even took to the sky in her first paragliding flight.
There she was on the ocean… swimming with her new friends… while he was sitting pathetically on the sand, wearing too much sunscreen, and holding an old book that he wasn’t even that interested in reading.
“Albert?” a soft voice interrupted his thoughts. The kindest voice he had ever known belonged to the sweetest person he could imagine – his mom, Sarah. “I’ve called your name more than five times already, but you didn’t even blink. Is everything okay?” Her bright green eyes were fixed on him, trying to decipher his thoughts.
“Yeah, I was just thinking about… this book. It’s very interesting…” he feigned.
He knew he couldn’t hide much from her, but there were a few things that he just preferred to keep to himself.
“I brought your lunch!” offered Sarah, handing him a plate with some chips and a hamburger.
“Uh-oh… Do you think Dad made it right this time?”
Hesitantly he grabbed the burger, while his mom sat next to him.
“Well… it’s better than the last time…” she said, glancing at Albert’s dad, Victor Klein, grilling in front of the house. Although clouds of dark smoke poured out of his makeshift grill, he seemed confident in his own performance. “Isn’t your dad the best?”
“He definitely should be prohibited from any kind of food preparation,” said Albert, his eyes frozen on his plate. His dad didn’t use to dedicate too much of his time to family events like these, so he would try to show a little support and appreciation. After a deep breath, he gathered the courage to take his first bite. Although his gag reflex was almost instantaneous, he had to disguise his difficulty in chewing and swallowing it, after noticing his dad’s glance. Albert gave him a quick thumbs up, and Victor smiled back, proudly.
“Soap seems to love it!” Sarah pointed to their basset hound, happily devouring a cooked patty that Victor had inadvertently dropped on the floor.
“Soap?” repeated Albert, discreetly spitting the food in a napkin. “He eats Ruth’s makeup and even my dirty socks! He doesn’t count!”
Sarah couldn’t hold back a smile; Albert definitely had a point. That same week she had already caught the dog eating lemons, red peppers and her toothbrush.
“Wait—what’s going on…?” Albert gasped, staring at the ocean.
The water seemed to rush away from the shoreline, as if sucked down a bath tub drain.
“Oh my God, Mom…” Albert stammered. “It’s a tsunami!”
A warning siren sounded. Life guards blew their whistles and yelled evacuation orders. Surfers started to swim back desperately. Parents ran looking for their children and children started to cry. Total chaos.
Sarah grabbed held Albert’s hands, in shock.
“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here!” instructed Albert, helping his mother to rise.
Albert scanned the horizon for Ruth. She was standing still, frozen, as if hypnotized by the retracting water.
“Ruth!” screamed Sarah.
“I’ll help her, Mom, go stay with Dad!” Albert instructed.
But it wasn’t easy struggling past the flow of people fleeing the beach. Like a terrified herd, they stampeded over everything and everyone in their path. His body seemed to be dragged by the others and a few times he ended up thrown on the sand along with crushed coolers and chairs.
When he finally got a hold of Ruth he knew it was too late. A colossal wave, perhaps thirty feet high, was roaring towards them. If they tried to run they would only make it a few steps. So he just stayed there, with one arm around her. His sprinting parents arrived just in time to join their embrace, and they huddled together, waiting for the water to wash everything away.
But it didn’t happen. The beach houses and palm trees were knocked down. All the people and their possessions left on the beach were washed away. But not them. When the tide had settled and the Klein family reopened their eyes, they found themselves completely alone on the sand. Alone, except for a gray-haired black man, just a few steps in front of them.
He approached and looked them each in the eye, one by one. Then he announced in a deep voice:
“You have been chosen.”
Albert woke up. His red hair was damp with sweat that had trickled onto his forehead. Trying to control his quick breathing, he looked at the alarm clock on a very organized nightstand: 5:30am.
It was so insanely real, so rich with details and emotions, even his thoughts in the dream were so… genuine.
As Albert got up and his feet reached for the floor, a dog’s sharp cry broke the absolute silence of the room.
“Sorry Soap!” whispered Albert, immediately caressing the dog, as an apology for squashing him.
“Quiet!” complained Ruth, sleeping across the hall… through their open doors he could make out the pile of clothes, cosmetics, purses and books on the floor around her bed. How could she live like that? He wondered.
He stumbled out towards the balcony followed faithfully by Soap.
The sun was beginning to rise, and the sky had that typical pale blue early morning color. Albert grabbed the old beach chair that was leaning against the iron bars, opened it and sat, taking a deep and reassuring breath.
“Another weird dream… that makes five now,” he thought, caressing Soap’s ears. Was the unconscious side of his brain trying to send some weird message with that dream, he wondered? Or was his conscious side just simplifying something that he already knew: life sucks.
Albert glanced at the sky, then sat up, startled, and rose from the chair.
The pale blue had been completely overwhelmed by reds. He rubbed his eyes. Still red! He stepped back, one foot and then another, but failed to notice Soap was once again in his way. He lost balance, and while he fell his arms smacked loudly against everything around him. Ruth woke up immediately and screamed. Soap barked instinctively.
For a few seconds Albert remained lying on the floor, with half of his body inside the bedroom, half in the balcony.
WHERE TO FIND M. MARIZ
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorM_Mariz
WEBSITE: http://www.TheChosenofGaia.com
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