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Thank you for hosting me! It’s been a long time coming, but I’m so thrilled to finally be re-releasing my young adult, urban fantasy,
Shadow Eyes! It was first released in 2012 by Musa Publishing. Musa closed in 2015, and since
Shadow Eyes was my first novel, I took the opportunity to revise and change a few minor things before self-publishing it this time. I am very happy with this second edition and I hope you will love it too!
(Everyone, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes and a $50 gift card to Amazon!)
Let’s check out the
synopsisfor Shadow Eyes first…
Iris thought she could ignore the shadows…until they came after everyone she loved.
Seventeen-year- old Iris Kohl has been able to see both dark and light figures ever since a tragic incident three years ago. The problem is, no one else seems to see them, and even worse…the dark figures terrorize humans, but Iris is powerless to stop them.
Although she’s learned to deal with watching shadows harass everyone around her, Iris is soon forced to question everything she thinks she knows about her world and herself. Her sanity, strength, and will power are tested to the limits by not only the shadows, but also a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows, a new friend with an awe-inspiriting aura, and a mysterious, alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, Iris must ultimately accept the guidance of an angel to revisit the most horrific event of her life and become the hero she was meant to be.
Five Truths and Three Lies
Okay, I know the original game is called 2 Truths and a Lie, but I’m going to bend the rules a little and do 5 Truths and 3 Lies. That just sounds more invasive and, therefore, more fun.
I’ll tell you which ones of mine are lies and explain the truths tomorrow in a comment (so check in tomorrow or subscribe to this post), but for Iris…you’ll just have to read the book. Cruel, I know. ☺
Feel free to put your vote in as to which ones you think are lies or not!
First, the author:
(5 Truths and 3 Lies)
- I accidentally stabbed my sister in her toe as a child.
- I have witnessed buffalo stampede outside my RV.
- I have a tattoo.
- I have the highest rank on Dance Central.
- I have been to Europe.
- My husband has had multiple kidney stones.
- I have been bungee jumping.
- I dressed up as Katniss for the Hunger Games premier.
Now, the main character, Iris:
(5 Truths and 3 Lies)
- I have a phobia of mirrors.
- I witnessed someone cheating on someone else.
- I had to be hospitalized with an unknown illness.
- I have an obsession with penguins.
- I almost crashed my car into another on an icy road.
- My mom has been married 3 times.
- I fell while ice-skating on a first date.
- I have a reoccurring nightmare.
Dusty Crabtree loves a good story, but she also loves young people. These two loves are evident in all parts of her life. She has been a high school English teacher since 2006 and a creative writing teacher since 2014. She's also been a youth sponsor at her local church for as long as she’s been teaching. She feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis. With her love of reading in the mix, becoming an author of young adult books was just a natural development of those two passions in her life. She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents.
Follow her on Instagram – dustycrabtree12
Buy Shadow Eyes on Amazon or any major online bookstores like Barnes&Noble and Apple (print will also be available on Amazon by the release date – 9/2/16)
***To see other posts on this tour and to increase your chances of winning, visit Dusty’s blog for the schedule with links as they are posted. (link to my post)
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 5/23/2016
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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About Black Lightning:
Life moves on — no matter what...
Following his father’s puzzling disappearance and his mother’s death, ten-year-old Samuel Baker goes through the motions of living in a world turned upside down. He wears an Apache talisman, a long ago gift from his father, in hopes its promise of strength and guidance is true. But what he truly wants is the power to bring his parents back.
Heartless Aunt Janis is elated at the prospect of becoming Samuel’s legal guardian. She is sure an orphan boy will elicit such an outpouring of public sympathy that her husband will win his Senate bid by a landslide. But when Grandpa Tate arrives, things don’t go as expected, especially when black lightning strikes!
From the award-winning author of Shadow of the Hawk
Title: Black Lightning
Author Name: K.S. Jones
Genre(s): Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Length: Approx. 132 pages
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Follow the Tour for Reviews, Guest Posts, Exclusive Excerpts, and Spotlight Posts:
~Black Lightning and its Apache influences~
A century ago, the word “Apache” would have conjured up images of warriors on horseback with whoops, hollers, and painted faces—worthy adversaries and fierce fighters trying to protect their families, their land, and their life-way. In my new middle-grade novel, Black Lightning, a modern-day (although rural) Chiricahua (cheer-uh-kaw-wuh) Apache family is integral to the story, adding flare to the tale with their traditional ways in a contemporary world.
The Chiricahua are most closely associated with an area in southeastern Arizona known as the Chiricahua Mountains. Within this mountainous range is the Chiricahua National Monument, which today is part of the National Park Service. It is an amazing architectural wilderness of rock pinnacles and formations, once known to the Apache as the “Land of Standing-Up Rocks.”
Storytelling has always been important in the Apache culture, and Chiricahua children are expected to be well-versed in the oral traditions and lore. These storytelling sessions are often held for the benefit of the kids and usually take place at night. Can you imagine sitting outside under a starry night and listening to the story about a race of “supernaturals” who inhabit the nearby mountains? Or maybe hear the story of a girl who married a water monster? Or learn about a place that opened a door where no door had been before?
And sometimes, Apache men and women wear amulets, or talismans, made from wood struck by lightning, called tzi-daltai. Among other virtues, it is believed the wearer can learn things from the tzi-daltai and know the right direction when lost. Most amulets are made of wood, shaved-thin and incised with a simple human form then decorated with lines to signify lightning. Some even believe lightning talks to them, while others think the flash is the flight of the arrow thrown by the Thunder People. Talismans can be worn like necklaces or carried.
Black lightning, although not a rendering of Native American lore, has gained recent recognition in the science world with what scientists are calling “dark lightning.” And given the fact that the American Southwest has some of the most spectacular thunderstorms on earth, where better to imagine the phenomenon and its potential? To a storyteller, Native American or otherwise, the possibilities are endless and interesting!
Read an Excerpt:
Samuel stood beside his mother’s rain-speckled casket. He had cried his tears dry, so there was no point in trying to find more.
“Chin up, young man,” Aunt Janis said as her fingers nudged Samuel’s jaw upward. “Death is just part of life, and our photographer needs a good picture of you for the newspapers.”
A camera flashed, leaving Samuel’s red and swollen eyes burning as if stung by the sun instead of grief.
So many important days had come and gone without his father, but surely he would come home today, wouldn’t he? Samuel closed his eyes. He pretended his father was beside him holding his hand. They had a right to hold hands, he told himself. Not because he was ten, but because it was his mother’s funeral. Two years had passed since his father left, never to be seen again. Vanished, was the word his mother had used. Into thin air, she’d said.
“Take that silly thing off.” Aunt Janis flicked Samuel’s wood and bead necklace.
“No,” he said and shook his head. “My dad gave it to me.” It was a pinewood tile, the size of a domino shaved nickel-thin, which hung from a leather cord around his neck. Burned onto the front side of the wood was a lightning bolt. Its flipside bore the blackened imprint of a tribal dancer. It had a turquoise nugget and a shiny black hematite bead strung together on each side. His father had given the talisman to him with a promise: It will guide you and give you strength when you need it most.
Today, dressed in a black suit and starchy white shirt, Samuel wore it in hopes the promise was true.
As mourners gathered, Samuel’s friend Brian came to stand beside him. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” Samuel answered without taking his eyes off the casket.
“Is that the necklace your dad gave you? You don’t usually wear it.” Brian’s wire-rimmed glasses slid down his straight arrow nose. He pushed them back up the bridge with one finger until they encircled his eyes again. “Can I see it? I promise I’ll give it right back.”
“It’s not a necklace.” Samuel pulled the leather cord off over his head, mussing his overgrown blond hair. “It’s a talisman.” He handed it to Brian. “My dad said it would help me, but it hasn’t done anything yet. I think it was just one of his stories. It’s probably just an old piece of scrap wood with a couple rocks tied to it.”
Brian shrugged after examining the piece then he handed it back to Samuel. “I think it’s cool. You should keep wearing it anyway.”
Nodding, Samuel hung the talisman around his neck again, but this time he dropped it down beneath his shirt where it was no longer visible. It felt warm against his skin.
“Has anybody told you where you’re going to live now?” Brian asked.
“Probably with Aunt Janis and Uncle Jack.”
Brian frowned. He kicked the tip of his shoe into the muddy soil. “They live so far away. Why can’t you just stay here and live with Mrs. Abel? She doesn’t have any kids.”
Mrs. Abel was their fourth grade teacher. She had plainly stated to all who would listen that her job was to teach the proper use of the English language to children who behaved properly.
A babysitter, she had said,
she was not. Today, she stood in the rain with the other mourners, eyeing the ground where the hem of her long, gray dress lay caked in mud. Tufts of brown hair jutted out from under her pink plaid scarf. Even though she stood a few feet from him, she had not spoken to Samuel since his mother’s death. Few people had. Everyone had words for Aunt Janis and they talked to Uncle Jack, but no one but Brian and a few classmates had spoken to him. Maybe talking to an orphan was harder than talking to a normal kid.
Purchase Links:Mirror World Publishing
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/black-lightning-ebookAmazon
http://amzn.to/24H7yrYBarnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-lightning-ks-jones/1123660287?ean=9781987976120Quote:
“If you’ve forgotten the magic that lives in a child’s heart, this book will remind you. Black Lightning is a rare and beautiful mythic journey about one boy’s struggle with paralyzing grief and the powerful bonds that can carry a person through this world and beyond...” W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors of People of the Thunder
Meet the Author:
Karen (K.S.) Jones grew up in California, but now lives in the beautiful Texas Hill Country northwest of San Antonio with her husband, Richard, and their dogs Jack Black, Libby Loo, and Red Bleu. Black Lightning is her first middle-grade novel. She credits her love of fantasy to the early influences of authors J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells. Her award-winning first novel, Shadow of the Hawk, a Young Adult Historical, released in 2015.
Visit K.S. Jones:
The Starlight Chronicles
GENRE: Young Adult / Coming of Age
Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. But as she and her band, Starlight, gear up for a competition, life seems to be throwing her a few curve balls. The mysteries of her past seem to be unraveling, and she’s no longer certain she wants to know those answers or how knowing about her past will affect her difficult relationship with her mother. And when her best friend, Bean, changes things between them, all her plans for a musical future are placed in jeopardy. How can she balance her complicated personal life to keep her musical goals on track?
Book One ~ Gideon Lee
Original Release Date: Oct 19, 2014
Lark Singer’s relationship with her mother is prickly to say the least. As she enters a musical competition that could launch her career, Lark also searches for answers her mother would rather keep hidden. Throw into the mix the fact her best friend Bean has been acting strangely, and Lark finds herself launched into uncharted territory. Will her quest for answers sabotage her musical aspirations?
Chapter One
I want to be like Gideon Lee. My lips move as I read the title of my essay. They twitch as I stifle a snicker. Looking around the room, I make sure no one has seen my facial tic. My eyes light upon the Presidents’ pictures lined up on the wall. They face me, each with a unique expression, and I wonder what they were thinking while they posed. They are above the clock so my gaze naturally falls on it. It’s almost time for lunch.
I settle back in my seat and my lips twitch again. A feeling of defiant exhilaration washes over me like a tidal wave.
Montgomery’s going to freak when he reads this.
Despite my best efforts, a giggle escapes and the boy in front of me turns around and gives me the evil eye. I return the glare. He is slumped over, and sweat beads on his upper lip. I think this is odd — it’s rather chilly in the room — but dismiss it before I turn back to my essay.
I bet old man Montgomery doesn’t even know who Gideon Lee is. This thought sends another giggle to the surface, but I quickly squash it by biting my lip.
I picture him searching Gideon Lee’s name on the Internet. I see his expression changing from confusion to disgust. I imagine him taking off his black, thick-rimmed glasses and shaking his head. I hear him mutter, “Lark Singer, what are you doing?” He rubs his face. I can actually hear the rough sandpapery sound as his hand finds his day old stubble. He sighs and puts his glasses back on. “What am I going to do with you?”
I remember when Mr. Montgomery first told us about the assignment. We were supposed to write an essay on someone we admire, someone who has contributed to society in some way. I know when he says this he wants us to write about an a historical figure. After all this is history class, but I raised my hand anyway.
“Lark,” he called out as he stood at his lectern.
“Do they have to be dead?”
He cocked his head as he studied me with his piercing blue eyes. Then he ran his hand over his military style crew cut, and I watched as his salt and pepper hair flattened then popped back into place as if each hair was standing at attention. I could tell he wasn’t sure where this was going. “Well… I guess not.” That’s when he froze, as if he realized he had just opened a door for me and he wasn’t going to like what was on the other side. He shifted his weight, and looked down at the floor before he backpedaled. “But they have to have made a positive contribution to society. It can’t be about a mobster or anything like that.” Pursing his lips, he stared at me, fiddling with those glasses. “This is one half of your semester grade, Lark. I wouldn’t pull any funny stuff.”
“Oh, I won’t. Scout’s honor,” I answered sweetly, placing my hand over my heart and giving him the scout salute, while inside I planned my rebellion.
I have him. I’m going to write about Gideon Lee, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
Book Two ~ Lark Singer
Original Release Date: Dec 6, 2014
Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. As she and her band, Starlight, gear-up for an upcoming, life-changing band competition, though, life seems to be throwing her a few curve balls. The mysteries of her past seem to be unraveling, and she’s no longer certain she wants to know those answers, or how knowing about her past will affect her difficult relationship with her mother. And when her best friend, Bean, changes things between them, all her plans for a musical future are placed in jeopardy. How can she balance her unraveling personal life to keep her musical goals on track?
Chapter One
THE GUYS ARE impatiently waiting for me. Bean’s foot jiggles so fast; it appears as if a current of electricity runs through him. We have to be down at Pearl’s by seven.
We’re all geeked about playing on stage, I can tell. Performing at Pearl’s gives us the face time we need for when it’s really going to count. The real event — the competition — is only a few weeks away. I pick up my pace, we have three hours to jam and grab some food before we go on stage.
“Come on, Chickie,” he says, gesturing with his sticks as he settles into position behind his drums.
Rushing forward, I plug in my amp. As I crank out a few chords to warm up, that old energy buzzes through my veins. After a couple of licks, I’m ready and my nimble fingers tingle. I’m wired. I love playing in front of a live audience. “Which one are we jamming on?” I look over at Bean and wait for his answer.
His brow creases as he tries to decide. “This one here.” He holds up the lead sheet and waves it impatiently in the air.
I squint to see it. It’s the one we titled “Secrets.” Pointing to the lead sheet sitting on Stevie’s stand, I get into position. I had taken a few minutes and titled Stevie’s lead sheets for him the other day.
He nods. “Thanks.”
Bean slams his sticks together and counts out. “One… two… three.”
We’re off, filling the garage with musical energy. My body’s rigid, as if every muscle’s flexed and ready for action. Screaming chords fill the air, as my nimble fingers crank on my Gibson. I feel like I’m a live electrical wire, popping and snapping with unrestrained energy.
When we’re done with that song, no one speaks. Instead, Bean holds up another lead sheet and then we’re off again. Tonight’s performance is going to be epic. I can tell just by how we’re coming together. I grin in spite of my intense concentration; my confidence is growing by leaps and bounds. We are so ready for this competition that I can feel it all the way down to my bones.
After the second song, I hold up my hand and say, “Our sound smokes. But don’t you think we should play some of the music we’re going to be performing tonight?”
Bean snorts. “Yeah. Probably.”
We take a few minutes and discuss some of the songs we want to play. We usually crank out tunes that were big hits in the seventies and eighties, a lot of Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Rolling Stones. They’re more mellow than what we’ve been playing, but they’re still good melodies and the crowd at Pearl’s digs that classical sound. Playing this type of music broadens our musicianship, but there’s nothing like cranking out our own songs. After choosing a few of the harder tunes we immediately start jamming.
We’ve chosen “Hotel California” by the Eagles. It’s a dark tune about moving to California and I love the melody. My guitar howls out the chords and I feel that quiver inside as I sing the lyrics. After cranking out three more Eagles’ songs, we change it up for a few Fleetwood Mac and Rolling Stones’ songs. They’re great dance tunes and we know we’ll get people out on the floor with these.
After the last melody, we take a break. The garage seems to hum with the absence of our music. As if it was vibrating at a rapid rate and is slowly winding down because the music stopped. We all take swigs from the water bottles Bean brought out earlier and then sit in the folding chairs by the wall.
“What time is it?” Stevie asks, screwing the cap back on his water bottle.
“Time to get going,” Bean answers after a quick glance at his watch. “My brother should be here any minute to help me get my drum set down to Pearl’s.”
“Cool. I guess I’ll ride down with Francine.” I grimace as I say this and Bean exchanges a look with Stevie.
“I’ve got my parents’ Toyota for the night. You could ride with me,” Stevie offers with grin and a shrug.
“Awesome.” I smile at him as my heart swells with gratitude for my band mates. The truce between Francine and me has been extended, mainly because I’ve been
avoiding her and there hasn’t been an opportunity to wage another war. So I welcome any opportunity to keep the avoidance plan going.
A horn sounds off in front of the house. Moving to the garage door opener, I press the button. The Brown Turd sits in the driveway, rumbling and vibrating.
“There’s my ride,” Bean says. “Can I get some help?”
No one talks as we all gather around Bean’s drum set and help him disassemble it. It takes us about fifteen minutes to get everything in the car, but when we’re done, Bean’s satisfied with our work. He gives me a wink and says, “I’ll see you down there, Chickie.” Shifting his focus to Stevie, he says, “Later, dude.” They exchange a quick knuckle bump, and then Bean jumps in the car.
As they pull out of the driveway, Stevie gives me a nudge. “Come on. Let’s get going.”
I follow him back to the garage, where we grab our equipment and stow it in the backseat of his parents’ green sedan. Then we hustle inside and grab our coats. On my way out the door, I glance at my watch and realize we’ll just have enough time to eat before we play. Since we don’t charge for our performance, the owner of Pearl’s gives us our meal on the house. We’re okay with that because we need the face time and the food at Pearl’s is epically awesome.
After we climb into the car, Stevie starts it and pulls away from the curb. “What’re you going to get?” he asks after adjusting his mirror.
I tilt my head and think about it before I answer. “Probably a wet burrito.” I smile and face him. “How about you?”
“That does sound pretty good. I’ll probably get one of those too.”
We share a giddy laugh and then zoom down the road. I love Friday nights at Pearl’s, the relaxed atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff. The owner of the bar, whose actual name is Marge, always welcomes us with a smile. Her grandmother, the original owner, was Pearl.
Marge is a rotund woman with big boobs and an even bigger heart. When I was a young girl, I’d been afraid of her. Afraid that I’d get lost in that big pillowy chest and suffocate.
I snicker every time I think about that now and chalk it up to irrational fears of childhood.
As we pull into the parking lot behind the bar, I turn to Stevie and say. “Hey, did Bean tell you we have a name for the band?”
Stevie shakes his head as he puts the car in park and shuts it off. “Nope. What is it?”
“Starlight.”
Stevie grins and fiddles with his glasses. He repeats the name a couple of times, then turns to me, and says, “I like it.”
I let out a squeal of delight. “I do too.”
Stevie laughs because I’m not the type of girl that squeals. I’m much more levelheaded, but I can’t help it. We have our songs picked out and we have a name for the band. And the fact that we’re getting face time tonight is just frosting on the cake.
“Where’s Bean?” I ask, scanning the parking lot for the Brown Turd.
Stevie frowns. “I don’t know. He should be here by now.”
“Well let’s get the equipment into the bar. Maybe by the time we’re done, he’ll be here.”
“Okay.”
Climbing out of the car, I scrutinize the area again and still no Bean. Disappointed, I sigh and grab my Gibson and my amp, then carry them inside. Stevie’s right behind me with his gear in tow.
We trudge through the back door and find ourselves in a dimly lit hall. It’s narrow and smells of slimy grease and stale cigarettes. I figure this is where Marge’s staff comes when they want to have a smoke.
Traveling down the narrow corridor, we pass a bathroom on the right and the kitchen on the left. Coming from the kitchen is the sound of meat frying on a hot grill, the clatter of dishes, and the barking of orders as the staff hustle around trying to get through the dinner rush.
Inhaling a big whiff, I catch the scent of chipotle and cayenne pepper. Must be a Mexican dish is the special tonight, and my stomach rumbles in anticipation. We skirt
the main dining room and enter the bar area. At seven, Marge opens the divider between the two rooms and we’ll start cranking out the tunes.
There’s a small stage at the back and we head in that direction. I flick on the light. It flickers before the room lights up. Booths with cracked upholstery line the walls, and there are tables sporting red plastic tablecloths with candles in the center of them. Surrounding the tables like troops taking a bunker, are chairs with the same type of upholstery as the booths.
Stevie bangs into a table with his Fender and curses under his breath. I make it up on the stage and place my equipment on the left. Stevie likes the right side and Bean sits center stage, about five feet behind Stevie and me. There’s a small platform for him that sits about ten inches higher than the stage. This way Bean isn’t lost behind his drums. Stooping, I arrange my stand and amp so they’re out of the way, but accessible. Stevie does the same thing, and we’re quiet as we work.
After I get everything situated, I glance toward the door and frown. Still no Bean. My stomach flutters. If we don’t have a drummer, we can’t play. I catch Stevie’s eye. “I’m getting nervous.”
Stevie gives me a smile and says, “Chill. He’ll be here. You know Bean, he’s always running late.”
Just as Stevie finishes speaking, Bean rushes in the door. He’s carrying one of his snare drums and his brother’s following behind him carrying his cymbals. I’m so glad to see him that my heart swells in my chest. The overwhelming urge to run up and hug him is so strong, that I have to clench my hands to stop myself. I play it cool and say, “Hey. We were wondering where you were.”
He gives me a wide grin and says, “We had to make a quick stop.” He’s pumped — I can tell by his energetic motions and bright, shiny eyes. “I’ll be right back with the rest of my drums.” He winks at me and then turns to Stevie. “Would you care to help, kind sir?”
Bean and Stevie share a laugh at Bean’s silliness, then leave to carry in the rest of the drums. Brian waves to me
and bounds. We are so ready for this competition that I can feel it all the way down to my bones.
After the second song, I hold up my hand and say, “Our sound smokes. But don’t you think we should play some of the music we’re going to be performing tonight?”
Bean snorts. “Yeah. Probably.”
We take a few minutes and discuss some of the songs we want to play. We usually crank out tunes that were big hits in the seventies and eighties, a lot of Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Rolling Stones. They’re more mellow than what we’ve been playing, but they’re still good melodies and the crowd at Pearl’s digs that classical sound. Playing this type of music broadens our musicianship, but there’s nothing like cranking out our own songs. After choosing a few of the harder tunes we immediately start jamming.
We’ve chosen “Hotel California” by the Eagles. It’s a dark tune about moving to California and I love the melody. My guitar howls out the chords and I feel that quiver inside as I sing the lyrics. After cranking out three more Eagles’ songs, we change it up for a few Fleetwood Mac and Rolling Stones’ songs. They’re great dance tunes and we know we’ll get people out on the floor with these.
After the last melody, we take a break. The garage seems to hum with the absence of our music. As if it was vibrating at a rapid rate and is slowly winding down because the music stopped. We all take swigs from the water bottles Bean brought out earlier and then sit in the folding chairs by the wall.
“What time is it?” Stevie asks, screwing the cap back on his water bottle.
“Time to get going,” Bean answers after a quick glance at his watch. “My brother should be here any minute to help me get my drum set down to Pearl’s.”
“Cool. I guess I’ll ride down with Francine.” I grimace as I say this and Bean exchanges a look with Stevie.
“I’ve got my parents’ Toyota for the night. You could ride with me,” Stevie offers with grin and a shrug.
“Awesome.” I smile at him as my heart swells with gratitude for my band mates. The truce between Francine and me has been extended, mainly because I’ve been avoiding her and there hasn’t been an opportunity to wage another war. So I welcome any opportunity to keep the avoidance plan going.
Book Three ~ Starlight
Original Release Date: Feb 17, 2015
Everything is on track for Seventeen-year-old Lark Singer and her band Starlight. They have a great shot at winning the competition that can launch their musical career. But when Lark discovers they will be competing against her old nemesis Duane McIntyre things really heat up. How far will Lark go to win, and what will it cost her in the end?
Chapter One
“AWESOME JAM session!” announces Bean as he twirls his sticks in the air.
“We are so ready!” I exclaim. The competition is just a week away, but I’ve never been so ready for anything in my life. We have the smoking hot tunes. Four of them, and they’re full of positive energy. And we have the smoking hot name. Starlight. I love the way it rolls off my tongue when I say it.
For a brief second, I think about who we’re up against for the competition and Duh-Wayne’s face floats into my consciousness. I shake my head to wash the image away. Nothing is going to ruin this chance for me, not even Duh-Wayne.
The competition. It’s my one chance to get out of this town, to have the musical career of my dreams. The winner gets a paid-in-full opportunity to audition for American Singer and the winner of that gets a recording contract. I can almost feel the contract in my hand.
Turning my attention back to the task at hand, I unplug my guitar. As I put my Gibson back into its case, Bean moves from his perch behind his drum set and squats next to me. “Hey, I’ve got to give Stevie a ride home, but after that would you like to go for a cruise?”
“Yeah.” I give him a smile. “I would.”
“Bean. Come on, I’ve got to get home,” Stevie says in a tone that’s not quite impatient.
I stand. “Just let me put this away,” I say, patting my guitar case. I hustle inside and run my guitar up to my room.
When I return to the garage, I hit the button and then sneak under the door as it makes its descent. Stevie’s standing just outside the passenger door, waiting for me to climb into the car next to Bean before he gets in. He’s thoughtful that way.
I climb in and give Bean a nudge and a grin. He grins back and his eyes have that special twinkle that’s just for me.
Stevie scrambles in and closes the door. “Let’s go.”
Bean backs out of the driveway and heads down the road. The Brown Turd rumbles and backfires as he steps on the gas. I’m surprised Mr. Szasbo hasn’t made an appearance, but then I remember his cat. Ever since I saved his kitten, I haven’t heard a complaint from him. Maybe he has warmed toward me.
It takes us fifteen minutes to reach Stevie’s house. A brick ranch with a long front porch and attached two-stall garage. The house doesn’t seem to match my friend. I expected him to live in some bungalow by the sea. Instead, he’s in small town suburbia and it dawns on me that I don’t even know what his parents do for a living.
“I’ll catch you guys tomorrow,” Stevie says with a wave, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yeah. Tomorrow,” I say with a quick smile. I can’t wait for him to leave so I can be alone with Bean.
“Later, Dude,” Bean yells before rolling up his window. I snuggle up to him as he steps on the gas and heads toward downtown. “So where do you want to go?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Let’s go someplace where we can talk.”
He winks at me and says, “I know just the place.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.” He gives me a mischievous smile that sends my heart racing. I love it when he looks at me like that.
We make small talk while he drives to our destination. I’m shocked when we pull into a cemetery. “What are we doing here?”
“You said you wanted to go someplace to talk.” He snickers. “We definitely won’t get interrupted here.”
“No kidding,” I say as I stare out the window. The grave markers go by and I can’t help but think about the people lying beneath the ground. I wonder what kind of lives they had. As I think about these things, I realize there’s a lot of history in this cemetery.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Bean asks as he grabs my hand. The familiarity of the rough calluses on
my skin warms my heart. He stops the car and turns the engine off.
“My mom admitted it.”
“Admitted what?” Bean shifts in his seat and slouches against the driver’s door.
I shift and turn toward him. Before I speak, I rub my fingers along the scar above my right eyebrow. It’s my bastard stamp. I got it the day Duh-Wayne called me a bastard and then laughed when I didn’t know what one was. As I recall the horrific fight we had, a shudder runs through me as I tell him. “She admitted that Jared Miller is my father.”
“What?” Bean sits up straight and bumps his head against the window. Rubbing it he says, “When did all this happen?”
“Last night.” I brush a curl away from my face.
Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on books by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then. Her first published works are the “Super Spies Series.” These stories revolve around a group of friends who form their own detective squad and the cases they solve. “The Starlight Chronicles,” is the next series that Lisa created with musical misfit, Lark Singer as her main character.
Lisa resides in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on the next book in the Starlight Chronicles Series along with a few new ideas that may turn into stand-alone novels. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 10/5/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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The Storm is here...
About Stormdancer:Days after the events featured in The Watcher, the Watcher is taken hostage by a dragon, leaving Kristen, Will and Nicki alone in a strange new world. With no choice but to try and rescue their friend, Kristen and the others must travel through ancient cities, forgotten burial grounds, and eventually into the heart of the great storm.
Faced with the unknown, will they be able to traverse the storms that stand before them as well as ones within their own hearts?
Book Details:Title: Stormdancer (Sequel to The Watcher)
Author Name: JoshuaPantalleresco
Genre(s): Poetry, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Tags: Poetry, Epic, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, science-fiction, dragons
Length: Approx. 104 pages
E-book: 978-0-9947490-4-8
Paperback: 978-0-9947490-3-1
Release Date: October 1, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing (
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)
Appropriate for all ages from Young Adult to Adult.
Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Guest Posts, and Reviews:http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/blog-tour-schedule-stormdancer-sequel.htmlGuest Post:Why Joshua Pantalleresco Writes
So before we begin, I want to thank Sharon for having me. She's secretly a unicorn, and that story will have to be told some other day, but she's a kind, sweet lady and it was a pleasure to be asked to come here and write.
I am going to write about my books, why I wrote them, and the lessons you can learn from them. Stormdancer is book two of the Watcher Saga. In it, the Watcher, the main character from book one is kidnapped leaving Kristin, Nicki, and Will to chase him down. The journey is improbable and fantastic and in my opinion the kind of magic a good story creates.
I want to talk about some of the themes of the story. In particular, dealing with grief and changes. Because entering into this book, I was left in a quandry. The Watcher was the Watcher's story; about his journey to discovering who he was, and more importantly, what he wanted to be. This wasn't the Watcher's story anymore. It is the first line in book two.
“This is not my story anymore.”
That was deliberate, conscious line that illustrated the problems I had starting book two. I wanted to flesh out the characters I introduced at the end of book one, yet I didn't want to lose the strong presence the Watcher had in book one.
So who were the three kids I rescued? I chose Kristin as the main character in book two. They had just gone through the loss of everything they knew. Kristin represented that tragedy. Losing a family.
It parallels my own story. Not that I lost my whole family, but my whole family situation collapsed at a very young age. My mom and dad fell apart and I remember that when I was younger it was like my fault. Why did two people I love have to do this? Why did things have to change? It messed me up. I tried to tell myself I was over this pain of not having this unit in my life. I ran away from home at one point because of the pain.
I was very fortunate. I had two teachers look after me. One of them a principal, and the other was my grade four teacher. I was her last class. We didn't make the greatest impression, but to my surprise, she was there for me when I least expected it.
That's Kristin in chapter three. She was happy in her life – it was all she knew. And that turmoil is expressed very much in all her actions for the first half of the book. She has become my favorite character to write in the saga so far. Watching her rise above her own stuff was a vicarious experience.
I had to learn at a young age that life was a struggle. A lot of kids have their childhoods end a lot sooner than maybe they should. I thought the three kids had been through hell, and it was just beginning. Making them grow up happened to me.
The silver lining going through grief is that people come together. Family isn't just blood. It's the people you go through things with, that are there with you through thick and thin. Going back to the very beginning, it wasn't just the Watcher's story anymore. It was about the kids, and going through their own fires, and becoming closer for it.
So if you are a kid reading Sharon's blog, I hope this book teaches you to be brave. I'm not going to lie to you; life is hard. Chances are you have gone through some painful things and are probably stronger and braver than I was ever was. I'm not going to make you a promise that it'll get any easier. What I can tell you though, is that you can overcome. The big secret that most adults don't even know is that if you believe you can do it, you can. You are strong and powerful and can do anything.
But I'm also going to say that there are people who are there for you no matter what. People that believe in you. They will be there when you fall, and they will be there to help you rise. They are the people worth being with.
Read an Excerpt:STORMS WITHIN
he ran
disappearing into the night
leaving us all alone
we tried to follow him
but were unsure of the trees and trails
we went slowly
we knew something had happened
when we found his blades in the forest
blackened and alone
he had come
like a force of nature
wrecking our lives
in the name of freedom
freedom from what?
the hollow embers and ashes we found
I didn't build them
those ruins were his story
not mine
never mine
I...was happy
yeah, I was happy
is there something wrong with that?
my parents loved me
I didn't care about anything else
the dragons were bastards
but I understood the game
the moves that could be made
with one flick of a blade
he changed all that
shattered the illusion with a roar of rebellion
now my life is here
in this forest
now he had vanished into the night
leaving me abandoned
leaving everything in shambles!
Purchase Links:Amazon
http://amzn.to/1jjBlnYMirror World Publishing
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/stormdancer-e-bookMeet the Author:Joshua Pantalleresco writes stuff. It's even on his business card. This is a succinct way of saying that in addition to writing poetry, he also does interviews, columns, comics, prose and anything possible with the written word. When he isn't writing, he's playing with podcasts, filming stuff, fiddling with alternative medicine, travelling, talking to people and pretending he is a rockstar. Stormdancer is his second book through Mirror World Publishing. He lives in Calgary.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Adam Gaylord's New Novel ~
Sol of the Coliseum
Follow Along to Read Reviews, an Excerpt, and Spotlights.
Survival is an act of defiance.
About Sol of the Coliseum:Deep in the bowels of the Coliseum of the mighty Astrolian Empire, the orphan, Sol, is raised by a makeshift family of guards and fellow slaves to become the most famed Gladiator in all the land. Alongside K'nal, his giant Frorian fighting partner, Sol must battle cunning warriors and fantastic beasts to delight the crowd and stay alive. But when an oppressed populace transforms Sol into a revolutionary folk hero, the Empire sends its most ruthless assassin to put an end to the uprising. Sol’s only chance is to do what no slave has ever done: escape from the Coliseum and the only home he’s ever known.
Follow the Blog Tour:
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/tour-schedule-adam-gaylords-sol-of.html
Title: Sol of the Coliseum
Author Name: Adam Gaylord
Genre(s): Epic Fantasy, Adventure
Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Epic, Coliseum, Gladiator
Length: Approx. 259 pages
e-Book: 978-1-987976-10-6
Paperback: 978-1-987976-09-0
Release Date: September 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing (
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)
Guest Post: Naming the Characters of “Sol of the Coliseum”
One of the things that’s both really fun and really challenging about writing fantasy is the freedom you have, as an author, when it comes to crafting your story’s world. In historical or contemporary fiction, the setting and structure of the world are pretty ridged. You can’t go switching around who fought who in a WWII story or have gryphons walking the streets of your Washington D.C. political thriller. I mean, you can, but then your story is a different genre (fantasy). As an author, having that set structure means 1) you don’t have to come up with a new world (although you do have to research the bejezus out of the real one) and 2) you don’t have a lot of room to play with. But in fantasy, the sky’s the limit. Actually, the sky isn’t the limit. There are no limits.
A great example of this freedom and challenge comes in the form of character names. You can’t rewrite the names of history in historical fiction, but you don’t have to come up with a bunch of crazy names either. And fantasy names are not only crazy but unique! It’s totally fine to have Kings Henry I-VIII but it’s a little more difficult pulling of Warf IV or DrizztDo’Urden Jr. (famous characters from Star Trek and novels by R.A. Salvatore, respectively). So authors have to come up with original fantastically fantastical names for their characters. It can be a real challenge but it’s also a lot of fun.
Take the names of the characters in my gladiatorial fantasy novel “Sol of the Coliseum”. Right off the bat we have the main character, the story’s protagonist and the title character, Sol. I love words and wordplay (which is one of the reasons I write) and Sol’s name is a good example of me having fun with words. Sol is of the coliseum, he was born and raised there. He is a son of the coliseum. In my mind, son equated to sun, and the Spanish word for sun is sol. Also, Sol’s character is a bit of brightness in the terrible dark that is the coliseum: another sun/sol reference.
One of my favorite characters, and I hope she’ll be yours, is Oci. She’s the mother hen of the coliseum slaves, always taking care of someone in need. Her name comes straight from my family. I had a great aunt Ociolla (who everyone called Oci) who was that type of lady (and made the best lemon meringue pie you’ve ever had).
The story’s main female protagonist needed a strong yet beautiful name. Strong and beautiful made me think of corral which led me to Korra.
“HOLD ON!” You’re probably saying. “Korra is the name of a name of a character in a very popular animated series, ‘The Legend of Korra’, and you just told us all about the importance of originality!”
You got me. Sometimes, purely by coincidence, names are repeated. But in all honesty, they’re both strong female characters that bring a lot to their respective stories so I’m cool with it. Besides, I started writing SOTC in 2005 and “The Legend of Korra” didn’t debut until 2012. Mine came first.
There are a lot more characters in SOTC but I’ll finish with one of my favorite names, the empire’s assassin and a truly unpleasant fellow, Lysik. Fantasy has a long history of naming villains by incorporating root words with nefarious meanings. Take the Latin “mal”, for example. It means bad or evil and has given rise to names like Maleficent and Malfoy. For SOTC, I fused together lie (as in telling an un-truth) and sick (as in this character is one sick SOB). A little morphing and we get Lysik, a bad guy for the ages.
I hope you enjoy the characters and the names of SOTC!
Read an Excerpt:A baby’s cry.
Grall was sure that was what he’d heard. In the depths of the Coliseum a person became accustomed to various cries of pain or despair. Prisoners, men broken physically or mentally, called out in the night. Spoils, the women given to victorious fighters to do with whatever they saw fit, cried out often. The beasts, crazed by captivity and seclusion, howled and cackled. Even Grall, though the proud young guard would never admit it, sometimes fought back tears that came in the dark. Over time, one could learn to block out the sound completely.
But the cry of a child, an infant, a sound that had no place in this world, could not be ignored.
Grall made his way slowly down the roughly-carved stone hall, unenthusiastic in his search for the sound’s origin. He knew what was expected of him when he found the child. His stomach clenched at the thought.
“I don’t need this,” he thought aloud, his voice barely a whisper. “I should be in bed.” In truth, only minutes before he had lain wide awake, willing dawn to come and give him a reason to abandon his tossing and turning. With the day came his duties; blessed menial tasks he could lose himself in, briefly forgetting his loss.
Grall had come to the Coliseum only a few months before. He had been a guard in the city of Astrolia, capital of the Astrolian Empire, until he refused to participate in a drill using live captives. His protests changed nothing. The captives had died regardless and he had yet again angered his captain, the man that controlled his fate. As punishment he had been transferred to the Coliseum, a post feared by guard and soldier alike. Far more than the danger and brutality, what inspired dread for the post was that for all intents and purposes the Coliseum was a closed system. Be you slave or guard, once you entered it you probably didn’t leave. He had begged his captain, promising him utter obedience. But for the Captain, Grall had made it personal. It mattered not at all that Grall’s young wife had just given birth to their first son. Neither did it matter that he would probably never see either of them again. Even if he managed to be one of the few to live long enough to see retirement, his son would be grown with children of his own.
He had been all for packing their meager belongings and making a run for it, but his wife’s cooler head had prevailed, as always. They lived in the middle of the Astrolian Empire, two week’s hard ride in any direction from free lands if they had a mount, which they didn’t. She was still weak and sore, not yet recovered from a difficult childbirth. Most importantly, they had a brand new baby. In the best of times the road was no place to raise a child, and they would be in hiding.
“No,” she had answered stoically through her tears, “you will go to the Coliseum. You will send us your pay. I will raise our son.”
He protested and argued to the point of exhaustion, vainly fighting the logic in her words. Eventually he conceded, packing his bag and leaving his family, barely started, standing at their doorstep.
He still grieved for the son he would never know.
And now there was this.
“I don’t need this,” he repeated to himself, stopping outside the door to the women’s barracks.
They had promised to take care of it.
He knew the mother. She was a slave in the luxury boxes. As sometimes happens, one of her wealthy male patrons had an eye for her and he raped her after she refused his advances. She’d hid the pregnancy well at first but eventually her condition became all too obvious. Grall had been sent to deal with it. The women of the barracks had assured him that though uncommon, such things were not unheard of. The baby would be disposed of in a quiet manner. He had relented.
An infant howling down the halls was not a quiet manner.
Grall took a deep breath and opened the door. His broad frame and barrel-chest filled the doorway while he let his eyes adjust to the dimly-lit barracks. Women were sitting awake in their bunks, eyeing him with considerable disdain. He made his way down the candlelit center aisle toward the source of the disturbance, avoiding the hostile glares and trying to keep his face passive. He didn’t want to be here any more than they wanted him here. The object of his quest lay wrapped in a blanket and was held by a rather large cook. He saw the mother lying in a bed off to the side, unmoving. The sheets were soaked with blood but it was her face that drew his gaze. She had obviously been beaten, badly.
“She panicked,” the cook said flatly to answer his unasked question. “She confronted the father. He did that and she gave the last of her strength giving birth to this boy. We’ve named him Sol.”
A heavy silence settled over the room; the baby was finally quiet, as if showing respect to his deceased mother. Grall’s gaze lingered on the dead slave, her many bruises contrasting with her pale skin and long blonde hair. In life she had been beautiful, a curse for a woman in the Coliseum. In the peace of death she still held her beauty, despite the violence she had encountered.
“And now you’re here,” the cook broke the silence accusingly.
“I’m sorry. Melina was well liked,” he said, attempting civility.
The cook nodded. “She never let this place get to her.”
He nodded, recognizing the compliment. There was a long pause.
“You can’t keep it,” he said plainly, surprised at the feeling he was able to keep out of his voice. Several hisses sounded behind him. The cook neither responded nor moved. She just sat holding the child.
“You know the rules as well as I.” He could feel the animosity radiating onto his back from the bunks.
“What life could he hope to have here?” he asked, almost pleading, bristling at the tone of his own voice. He was a guard of the Coliseum; he didn’t need to explain himself. Who were these women and this cook who sat unmoving? Had they taken care of things as they promised, he wouldn’t have to be down here at all.
He straightened up. “I’ll deal with it,” he said firmly. Moving the last few paces toward the cook, he felt the women stir behind him. The cook made to strike him and several cries of protest sounded as he reached for the baby. But something unexpected happened, something amazing. As Grall reached for the bundle, his hand was met by the child’s. Without fear and with a strong little grip, the baby grabbed one of Grall's fingers and held. He froze, as did the women.
Had it been any other guard, hard and embittered with years of service, nothing would have changed, but for Grall that tiny hand struck with the force of a blow. He shuddered visibly, staring wide-eyed at the child. All was still. Grall knew his duty, what was expected of him. The problem with duty was that it belonged in the Coliseum and he was no longer in the Coliseum. Looking at this tiny baby, feeling it holding his hand, the guard was home.
The little hand holding his finger melted Grall's resolve. The women saw it immediately and smiles passed around the bunks. Grall didn’t see them, he only saw the child. He sighed and then without a word he slowly straightened, turned, and walked back the way he had come.
From that moment on, Sol was a child of the Coliseum.
Purchase Links:
Amazon
Mirror World Publishing
Meet the Author:
Adam Gaylord lives with his beautiful wife, daughter, and less beautiful dog in Loveland, CO. When not at work as a biologist he’s usually hiking, drinking craft beer, drawing comics, writing short stories, or some combination thereof. He’s had stories published in Penumbra eMag, Dark Futures Magazine, Silver Blade Magazine, and Plasma Frequency Magazine, among others.
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 8/24/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for
Unintended by Justine Alley Dowsett & Murandy Damodred
About Unintended:
Four people. Four very different lives. Four tales interwoven.
Meet Kenzie enShareed, the High Clan Chief’s daughter who is sent south to fulfill a treaty by marriage only to marry the wrong man; KadreanAuthier, the Crown Prince who must come to terms with his new bride, even if he doesn’t much like the idea; GarronD’Arbonne, a noble Lord who has been commanded to marry a cool and aloof princess he doesn’t love; and Vivianne Chappelle, a young and ambitious woman who is in love with her abusive father’s manservant and must find a way to avoid having her entire future decided for her.
Fate and wills collide in this Shakespearian-style romantic comedy about good intentions and their unintentional consequences.
Book Details:
Title: Unintended
Author Name: Justine Alley Dowsett and MurandyDamodred
Genre(s): Fantasy Romance, Romantic Comedy
Tags: Fantasy, romance, comedy, Shakespearian-style, romantic comedy.
Length: Approx. 440 pages
E-book: 978-1-987976-08-3
Paperback: 978-1-987976-07-6
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~
Mirror World Publishing ~
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Guest Posts, and Spotlights:
Meet the Authors:
MurandyDamodred (left) & Justine Alley Dowsett (right):
With a background in Drama and Communications from the University of Windsor, MurandyDamodred (left) enjoys fantasy fiction with strong romantic subplots. She is an avid roleplayer and is happiest when living vicariously through her characters. Though she’d rather think of herself as the heroine of her next novel, in the real world she is an expert in sales and management living in Windsor, Ontario.
From obtaining a BA in Drama at the University of Windsor to becoming an entrepreneur in video game production and later, publishing, Justine Alley Dowsett’s unswerving ambition has always led her to pursue her dreams. Today she lives in Windsor, Ontario and is still writing and publishing fiction novels. When not focusing on growing her business, she enjoys role-playing with friends and developing new ideas to write about.
There is no moving forward without first going back.
About Legend of the Timekeepers:
Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.
Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.
Book Information:
Title: Legend of the Timekeepers
Series: The Last Timekeepers, Book # 0.5
Author Name: SharonLedwith
Genre(s): Young Adult, Time Travel
Tags: #YAlit #timetravel
Length: Approx. 147 pages
ISBN: 9781619376236
Re-Release Date: August 1, 2015
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Guest Posts, and Spotlights:
Read an Excerpt:
“Why are you here?” Lilith asked. “You’ve already got your life seal.”
“I have more questions for Istulo.” She continued to stare at the disk.
Lilith sighed. “My name is Lilith. What’s your name?”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. A hint of a smile broke out on her face. Her upturned nose wiggled. “She-Aba. I was born here in the Black Land. Both my parents arrived from Atlantis fourteen years ago yesterday. My mother gave birth to me the next day.”
Lilith perked up. “That would make today your birthday!”
She-Aba beamed. “Yes. That’s why I’m here. For my birthday last year, I had my life reading done by Istulo. But recently, there’s been a hiccup in my plans. It’s like my life seal rearranged itself, and now I’m confused. I’m here for a reaffirmation.”
“What’s the problem?”
She-Aba traced her life seal with the tip of her perfectly shaped fingernail. “My lifetime occupation was supposed to be to design clothing for the people of the various positions in the court and temples.”
Lilith smirked. “That makes perfect sense.”
“I know, right? So why, all of a sudden, would my life seal change from designing clothing to something completely different?”
Lilith arched a fair brow. “How different?”
“Well, instead of clothing people in lavish robes and gowns for others to appreciate, the seal suggests that I’ll be doing the opposite by covering up and hiding the truth. I don’t understand it at all. I thought my life was all planned out for me.”
“I thought mine was too, until my country blew up and slid into the ocean,” Lilith muttered.
“Hey, look at the bright side, at least your hair isn’t red like mine.”
Lilith eyed She-Aba carefully. “What’s wrong with red hair? My uncle has red hair and it suits him fine.”
She-Aba moved in closer. “If you haven’t noticed already, there aren’t many redheads around here. The natives think red is magical, and anyone with red hair is considered a freak of nature.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Lilith said loud enough to cause an echo down the marble hallway. “Is that the reason why those artists were rude to you? Because you have red hair?”
“Red is a very powerful color,” a raspy voice said from behind both girls.
Lilith and She-Aba jumped. They slowly turned to find Istulo hovering over them.
Wearing the same white gown and orichalcum headband Lilith saw her dressed in before, Istulo nodded slightly before she said, “Red represents the essence of life—if we are drained of blood, we are drained of energy. The people of the Black Land understand this, and therefore red is reserved only for their gods and goddesses.”
Lilith giggled. “Don’t tell She-Aba that, she’ll think she’s a goddess.”
Purchase Links:
Amazon
Mirror World Publishing
Barnes & Noble
Giveaway Information and Entry Form:
One winner will be selected to receive the following prizes ~
• A signed paperback copy of Legend of the Timekeepers
• A custom crafted ceramic Spiral Life Seal
• A signed postcard
• Two ‘The Last Timekeepers’ wrist bands
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Elizabeth J.M. Walker's
Young Adult Fantasy Novel ~
She Dreamed of Dragons!!
Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, guest posts, reviews, and spotlights.
Could a dragon mage be the next ruler of the magical kingdom of Dorlith?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: She Dreamed of Dragons
Author Name: Elizabeth J.M. Walker
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: Approx. 234 pages
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9947490-6-2
Print ISBN: 978-0-9947490-5-5
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
This is a re-release tour. Book previously published through a different publishing company.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Favourite Familiars in Books and Movies
As an animal lover I’ve always enjoyed when familiars pop up in fantasy books and movies. In She Dreamed of Dragons all of the witches and wizards have cat familiars. One of the cats in the book, Fenton’s cat Smokey, is modeled after my own cat Smokey, who I enjoyed the company of for eighteen years.
1. Lyra’s Daemon Pan from His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
The daemons in His Dark Materials are one of the most interesting familiars I’ve come across. I love that since Lyra is a child, her daemon has not yet chosen its true form and can change into different animals, ranging from a moth to an eagle.
2. Alanna’s Cat Faithful from The Song of the Lioness Quartet byTamora Pierce
Alanna doesn’t meet Faithful the cat until the second book in this quartet, but they quickly form a tight bond. Alanna and Faithful can communicate to each other, but to outsiders Faithful’s speech just sounds like the common meows an ordinary cat would make.
3. Fire’s Horse Small from Fire by Kristin Cashore
Fire is a young woman with extreme beauty because of her exotic heritage of being half-human and half-“monster” – which in Cashore’s novel are beautiful, terrifying creatures who can control minds. For these reasons Fire finds it difficult to have normal relationships with humans, but finds a special friendship with a very ordinary horse named Small.
4. Rapunzel’s Chameleon Pascal from Tangled(movie)
Rapunzel’s little chameleon is both cute and comedic. I love little reptiles, so thoroughly enjoyed this interesting take on the companion animal.
5. Nausicaa’s Fox-Squirrel Teto from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (movie)
I love both squirrels and foxes and this is a little cartoon version of a fox-squirrel! Teto is tiny, often tucked into Nausicaa’s shirt, but a great little companion that sticks with Nausicaa during her adventures.
About She Dreamed of Dragons:Trina is a fifteen-year-old dragon mage in a kingdom ruled by witches and wizards – the same people who have brought dragons and other magical creatures near extinction. Trina can barely control her fire powers and is desperate for an apprenticeship, but finding a fellow dragon mage to be her teacher is proving more difficult than coming across an actual dragon.
Then there’s the Royal Tourney – a competition presented by the Queen to find a successor to the throne. Trina heads to the competition in the hopes of sparking some interest in the mage society and earning herself an apprenticeship.
She never intended to be a frontrunner in the competition.
She never meant to catch the attention of the evil witch trying to take over the throne.
She never expected to fall for a wizard.
Now Trina must face tough decisions about who she is and who she could become. Trina must ask herself: Can she really win the Royal Tourney?
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Purchase Links:Amazon Kindle - US -
http://amzn.to/1M1CtatAmazon Paperback - US -
http://amzn.to/1dVVRYGMirror World Publishing -
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/she-dreamed-of-dragons-e-bookBarnes & Noble -
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/she-dreamed-of-dragons-elizabeth-j-m-walker/1120223680?ean=9780994749055~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet the Author:
Elizabeth J. M. Walker lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has always loved books and writing. As a teen she discovered zines, which inspired her to publish her own litzine of odd fairy tales for over a decade.
She Dreamed of Dragons is her first novel.
Connect with her on her website:
www.elizabethjmwalker.com~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the Tour - Schedule Posted at the Following Link: http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/tour-schedule-re-release-of-she-dreamed.html
It’s finally here! The world-wide re-release of
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis through
Mirror World Publishing! I also want to thank Amber Marr of
Sapphyria’s Book Promotions for putting this tour together for me. Oh, and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter to win some great prizes! Below is the book tour schedule, so if you get a chance, please stop by and connect with me, I’d love to hear from you. Okay, it’s time to rev up the time portal and get this party started…
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis Book Blog Tour Schedule:
June 17
Mirror World Publishing - Release Day Spotlight
T's Stuff - Guest Post
Sapphyria's Book Promotions - Spotlight
Hope To Read - Spotlight
June 18
On Writing and Riding - Guest Post
Kerry Hearts YA - Spotlight
June 19
Jojo Debrazza - Guest Post
Sapphyria's Book Reviews - Spotlight with Excertp
June 22
Sweet as Honey...Hotter than Hell - Guest Post
A Bookaholic's Fix: Feeding the Addiction - Guest Post
Leigh Goff - Writing Enchanting Ever-Afters - Guest Post
June 23
Clarissa Johal - Author of Paranormal, Gothic Horror and Fantasy - Guest Post
Sapphyria's Book Promotions - Spotlight
June 24
Emily Murdock: Author - Guest Post
Lakeview Times – Spotlight
June 25
Vanessa Kings' Books - Review
A Bookworm's Point of View - Review
June 26
Book Babble - Review
Sandra Love's Blog Spot - Review
Tales from the Bayou - Spotlight
Sara Daniel Romance Author - Guest Post
Sapphyria's Book Reviews - Tour Wrap Up
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Coordinated by:
Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Language: English
ISBN-10: 937293645 Genre: fantasy, action and adventure
The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality
The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality takes the shape of a fantasy story full of action and adventure. There is a small kingdom set aside in time and space, saintly king, evil duke, prophecy and unlikely hero. The book is about a real kingdom set up in the present day by a wealthy eccentric in the Canadian wilderness; there is no magic, no bizarre weapons or fantastic creatures. Everything that takes place is the story is possible and plausible. Among other things it’s a serious book about the human predicament and lies across several genres, or maybe falls through the cracks between several genres, and that's what makes it unique.
When Gahan started writing The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality,it had a different title, certain characters, which were present in early project ideas, didn’t make it into the final work. Several scenes took place in locales that disappeared. Gahan was not afraid to just mess around and try all sorts of different approaches because that is the magic brew that what you are looking for will arise out of. He recommended that other authors work on paper with a ballpoint pen. Writing involves many changes, scratching out and writing between the lines before you ever try to type it out on the computer. Whatever you do have fun and be patient with your creation.
He had created living characters the same way he used to create characters as a ‘method’ actor in his previous career in the theatre. Through the characters own ingenuity and perseverance, chapter-by-chapter the new story unfolded. Some of them lost their lives solving the problem, and he regretted he was not being able to save them, but they made their own decisions. The only veto power he exercised was if they decided to sit down to eat and talk things over and the action began to drag, he would send in a messenger with some bad news to bring them to their feet again.
There was also a time during which he had to set the whole project aside. This made the story ten times better.
Teenagers and adults who enjoy King Arthur-like stories, castles, battles and life-threatening quests will enjoy this Arthurian saga. The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality is not only an escapist adventure but at times creates cultural controversy.
Gahan Hanmer's creativity and gift for storytelling came from his background in theatre. Creativity ran in the family, Gahan mother and uncle were well known actors. He developed his talent exclusively as a theater artist, working with many inspired teachers and directors
The result was the following:
What Readers are Saying...
"The mark of a modern classic is a story line handled with such originality that it cannot be imitated. Like Lord of the Flies or The Last Unicorn, The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality is in a class by itself; it is one of a kind. --- Diane K. Stevenson, PhD "
About Gahan Hanmer Gahan speaks French and Spanish and has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. He unintentionally became a grown-up raising two beloved daughters and now lives in the high chaparral desert of California. The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality is available at: Amazon, and on his website. Ask Gahan Hanmer questions by visiting his website at http://thekingdomontheedgeofreality.com/contact.htm. Book Excerpt
Sir Leo was glad to see me and shook my hand warmly. I had caught up with him in the field outside the walls where he was practicing with a bow and arrow. “Do you shoot?” he asked me.
“I haven’t since I was a boy.”
He handed me his bow and quiver and watched me put two arrows in the target and scatter five or six others in the grass beyond it.
“That was not too good,” he said, holding out his hand for the bow. In one fluid motion he nocked and drew and loosed and that arrow sprang into the bullseye like it couldn’t wait to do anything he wanted it to.
“That’s fantastic, Leo,” I said, and he grinned with pleasure. “How did you learn to do that?”
“Well, I taught myself. Or you could say I learned it from the birds. Have you ever wished you could fly?”
“Who hasn’t?”
“I made myself miserable with envy watching the birds when I was a boy. But when I discovered archery, I realized there was more than one way to ride the wind. If my body couldn’t do it, my spirit could. Here, take this arrow and throw it at the target.”
This Giveaway is open Internationally.
PRIZES 1 Winners will each receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Landry Albright: Ashley Benson
Vladi Yagudin (<3): Ross Lynch
Lucy Albright (Landry’s older cousin): Becky G
Kendall Ivanov (takes Landry under her wing): Sarah Hyland
Ashanti Russell (BFF): My original image for Ashanti was Letoya Luckett (original member of Destiny’s Child) and I pictured her at 14. Now I would pick China Anne McClain
Halle Gephardt: Yara Shahidi
Kyra (girl in Ingénue competition): Kat Graham
Tad Johnston: Calum Worthy
Peyton Urich (BFF): Bella Thorne
Thalia Zimmer: Ciara Bravo
India Allen: Stephanie Scott
Tori Robins (former BFF): Laura Marano
Ericka Maines (former BFF): Ariana Grande
Jeremy (Has a crush on Devon): Peyton Meyer
Mr. Allen (India’s dad): Nolan North
Rylan (stylist at Ingénue competition): Tyler Blackburn
Talisa Milan (Landry’s favorite model): Jennifer Lopez
Devon Abrams: Selena Gomez
Yasmin McCarty (popular girl with a crush on Vladi): Victoria Justice
Arianna Seymour: Dove Cameron
Mr. Albright (Landry’s Dad) Ty Treadway
Mrs. Albright (Landry’s mom): Darlene Vogel
Landry’s Grandma Albright: Michael Learned
Landry’s Grandma Dombrowski: Blythe Danner
Landry’s Grandpa Dombrowski: Alan Alda
Jem Jade (Little Rose model): Shay Mitchell
Mrs. Urich (Peyton’s mom): Sharon Osbourne
Mr. Urich (Peyton’s dad): Harrison Ford
Kyle Eiton: Austin Mahone
Doug (Devon’s crush): Spencer Boldman
Best Friends…Forever? (Landry’s True Colors Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager
I have always loved reading books that use humor and have realistic (and relatable) characters. I decided to write the book I wanted to read when I was reading YA and I’m overjoyed it’s now a series where people can follow along on Landry’s journey through dealing with friendships, the ups and downs of school, crushes, relationships, and insecurities. Sure, going back to that time in my own life was a little crazy, but lucky for me there weren’t camera phones to capture me dancing in the school talent show…while wearing jean shorts. If you’re not cringing yet, let’s just say I also had a moment of “genius” where I thought my super dark brown hair would look amazing with “Sun-In” highlights that actually turned my hair a lovely shade of copper. Sigh.
The Landry’s True Colors Series is a clean reads young adult series about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image. Best Friends…Forever? was ranked at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values & Virtues Fiction and #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Children's Books on Values. True Colors is an international bestselling book.
Tag line: Good friends have your back, but some go behind it.
Blurb: Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying.
Landry gets her first boyfriend (her crush, Vladi), but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition. Will she get a second chance with her friends, fame, and Vladi?
Excerpt:
I got ready for bed and then stopped to check my social media page one more time and that's when I saw it — another picture of Peyton, India, and Devon hanging out. They were sitting on the couch with their heads scrunched close together and laughing. It was a cute picture, but then I saw the caption: So glad we could all be together for the holidays. Love these guys soooo much! Best friends forever. #Alltogether #Threemusketeers #BestFriendsForever #ThreeBestFriends #ThreesCompany.
My heart sank. It was India’s caption and anyone who read it would think what a close‑knit group of friends and not realize anyone was missing from that photo. Sure, I was in another state, so naturally I couldn’t be there for it, but the way India wrote that made me feel so left out. I mean, what did she mean by the "ʺThree’s Company"ʺ hashtag? And sometimes people tagged friends who weren’t there in pictures and added, "ʺWish you were here,"ʺ but there was no mention of a fourth member of the group.
“Ready for bed, hon?” Mom asked coming into my room.
“Yeah, just signing off.”
“Okay, sleep well.”
I got into bed and hoped I was reading into things, but the knot in my stomach wouldn’t go away.
****
Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.
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What people are saying about True Colors (Landry’s True Colors Series Book One):From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: "This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!"
From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren't everything. This book is related to every teen's problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”
Buy Links:
Connect with Krysten:
Thanks for letting me take part in your blog!
Recently I had the opportunity to teach a class on coming up with story ideas. I had a great time sharing all the different options that I’d asked for from fellow authors. The class interacted well and I even got a few of the people to read their prompts out loud.
Ideas come from all over and I’ve learned that if I come up with a story plot, I need to write it down immediately or the idea will be forgotten. I’ve lost a couple when I thought I could remember later, so now I write it down on my phone as soon as I get it.
The concept of this story came from a few places. I’d had dreams of stairs that I couldn’t get out several times over my life. I would just sigh and start trying to find a way out, even though I knew there was no way out of there.
The second part of the story came while I was waiting in the temple and I was thinking over a few things about the plot. Suddenly the idea came that I should add Cinderella into the story. She ran the stairs to get away from the ball and I could see her fitting so perfectly into the story.
Never give up on your story ideas. They may not work right that second, but they can fall into place with other stories as you go along.
Thanks again for letting me take over. Happy reading and writing!
Endless Blurb:
Sydney lives her nightmares every night. While other teenagers are dreaming of boys or traveling to exotic places, she must run a staircase with no beginning or no end, or a terrible debt will never be paid.
Just before her seventeenth birthday, the dreams change. She is no longer alone.
But her nightmares don’t end when she wakes up. Her stepmother and stepsisters threaten to ruin everything she holds dear. She must protect the secret that both she and her father have magic or they will use it to their advantage.
As Sydney learns to control her magic, what seemed impossible before—escaping her stepmother and those ever-present stairs—is now at her fingertips. When she learns the ultimate plan of her evil captor, Sydney must stop her at all costs, or she will forever be trapped inside her nightmares.
Buy Link:
Author Bio:
Jaclyn is an Idaho farm girl who grew up loving to read. She developed a love for writing as a senior in high school, when her dad jokingly said she was the next Dr. Seuss (not even close, but very sweet). She met her husband, Steve, at BYU, and they have six happy, crazy children who encourage her to keep writing. After owning a bookstore and running away to have adventures in Australia, they settled back down in their home in Utah.
Jaclyn now spends her days herding her kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed to do next. She has published six books in a year, and her mind is still reeling from the awesomeness. Her books include The Princess and the Prom Queen; Magicians of the Deep; the Luck series--Stolen Luck, Twist of Luck, Best of Luck, and Just My Luck, a novella; and the upcoming YA fantasy, Endless.
Follow Jaclyn . . .
By:
Sue Morris,
on 8/4/2014
Blog:
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PEACHTREE BOOK BLOG TOUR
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About Parrots: A Guide for Children
written by Cathryn Sill
illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree Publishers 8/01/2014
978-1-56145-795-3
Age 4 to 8 32 pages
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“About Parrots is an instructive yet entertaining first glimpse into the world of nature for young children. In this easy-to-read, informative follow-up to the other critically acclaimed books in her About . . . series, author and teacher Cathryn Sill explains what parrots are, how and where they live, and what they do. With the help of beautifully detailed paintings from noted wildlife illustrator John Sill, this book explains the basic characteristics that all parrots share, while offering a closer look into many different kinds of parrots—from the Rosy-faced Lovebirds of southwestern Africa to the rare Blue Lorikeets of the Polynesian Islands. An afterword provides further detail that will inspire young readers to learn more about these colorful birds. About Parrots will accurately answer the first questions of young naturalists and charm readers with the wonder and diversity of these fascinating birds.”
Opening
“Parrots are birds with big heads and thick, curved bills.”
About the Book
Parrots abound in this colorful picture book, which answers many questions young kids will want answered. Begin with, what are parrots? Then move on to what they look like, what they eat, and how they eat. One big question will be why do parrots have have zygodactyl feet (split toes: two toes in front of the foot and two toes in the back of the foot)?
Where do parrots live: in old climates, warm climates or both? Are all parrots big? Do they live alone or in groups? Can parrots talk? Now, there is a good question. Do any animals consider a parrot food? How does the parrot state safe from these predators? Do parrots sleep in nests like other birds?
The answers should help the inquisitive mind of your children, but if they want more, the afterword gives detailed information on a spread-by-spread basis—John Sill calls the spread a “plate.”
Review
About Parrots is full of information about various parrots that is perfect for little minds. The spreads—or plates—are beautiful and extremely detailed. The information flows naturally, not back and forth, which would confuse young minds (and some old minds). Text is minimal, mainly just what needs to be written, and then the illustration on the right takes over.
“Parrots are birds with big heads and thick, curved bills.”
On the left side of the spread is an illustration of a Palm Cockatoo. This bluish-grey bird sports a proportionally bigger head as compared to its body, with head plumage that sprays out from its forehead. It has a large grey bill, which looks very sharp, and red blotched cheeks, the only bright coloring on its body. Each page is similarly written and illustrated.
I know kids will learn a lot from About Parrots, as I learned much myself. I love the illustrations. Each bird has fine detail and looks like a photograph, rather than a painting. This realism will help kids understand the information presented, as they can then see the information on the accompanying bird. Included are the natural surroundings. What is missing, and will generate questions from kids who want the answers, are feathers (composition and uses), and babies (including eggs, activities, eating habits, and graduation into adult life. Do they leave the parents or stay as a group?) I can almost hear these questions being asked. They are basic material and should be included.
Birds range from the lovely Blue Lorikeet to the astonishing Hyacinth Macaw, A total of 18 beautiful birds illustrated. There are also many types of green parrots we often see in a pet store. As an OSU fan, I am partial to the African Grey Parrot. It has red under feathers and digs out a nest in a soft wood tree, high above the central African plain. This nest protects themselves and their babies from predators—wolverines—and the weather.
Kids will enjoy reading About Parrots. Teachers should be able to find various uses for Cathryn Sill’s series. From basic learning about the book’s subject (parrots, raptors, and mammals—also in bilingual edition, and twelve other editions), to the habits, habitats, and the art of each bird’s plumage, teachers can find numerous creative learning materials from the About . . . series. The same applies to home-scholars. The afterword offers in-depth information the text lacks the room to contain. The information is brief, yet informative and interesting. There is also a glossary, a suggested reading list, and additional resources.
The About . . . series currently has fifteen editions, some available in paperback, and, currently, one bilingual English/Spanish. No matter your child’s interest, from parrots to penguins the Sills have created an About . . . series that will peak their curiosity and expand their knowledge of other species. Honestly, there has yet been a Sill created book that I did not like. The illustrations are always stunning and the text teaches things I had not known about the subject. Be it about the desert climate or About Parrots, Sill books are top of the line children’s nature picture books, unsurpassed by any other.
ABOUT PARROTS: A GUIDE FOR CHILDREN. Text copyright © 2014 by Cathryn Sill. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by John Sill. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, GA.
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Purchase any About . . . series books at Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Peachtree Publishers—at your favorite bookstore.
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Learn more regarding the About . . . series HERE.
Meet the author, Cathryn Sill, at her Jacketflap: http://www.jacketflap.com/cathryn-sill/24246
Meet the illustrator, John Sill,at his website: http://www.johnsill.com/
Find more non-fiction at the Peachtree Publisher website: http://peachtree-online.com/
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Also by Cathryn and John Sills
About Mammals: A Guide for Children
About Raptors: A Guide for Children
About Mammals: A Guide for Children / Sobre los mamiferos: Una guia para ninos
A Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom Seen Birds of North America (2nd edition)
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Review HERE.
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copyright © 2014 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews
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PEACHTREE BOOK BLOG TOUR
About Parrots: A Guide for Children
Monday, August 3rd — http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/
Tuesday August 4th — http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/ and http://kid-lit-reviews.com/
Wednesday, August 5th — Chat with Vera
Thursday, August 6th — Blue Owl and Kid Lit Frenzy
Friday, August 7th — The Fourth Musketeer
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zygodactyl feet 
Good Morning, Everyone! Happy Monday!
As you can see, I survived my In-Real-Life teaching experience this weekend! I would tell you about it, but I'm suffering selective amnesia and besides, we've already got something else on the agenda for today, so it will have to wait :)
Today it is my pleasure to host Clara Bowman-Jahn and Susan Elwood on the final stop of their blog tour for Edmund Pickle Chin - A Donkey Rescue Story, their wonderful new picture book!
The previous stops on the tour (listed below for your convenience) covered animal mistreatment, collaboration, a book review, an author interview, and an interview with Edmund himself :) Make sure you visit them and follow the instructions because there are PRIZES involved! :)
Today, we will hear about how teachers can use Edmund in the classroom.
Please help me welcome Susan Elwood!
Hi Susanna, it’s a pleasure to be your guest!
Edmund Pickle, A Donkey Rescue Story, may be a children’s picture book, but it is packed with opportunity for teachers to use in the classroom in various subjects and themes. I can see the opportunities spilling over into not only in the kindergarten and first grade classroom but the second and third as well. For the younger grades it has the days of the week built right in, along with an adventure Edmund has for each day. The days of the week also allow for the children to see that Susan, Edmund’s care giver in the story did not get results in a day, that it took a period of time (and patience).
There’s the cause and effect lesson. Each and every one of us are responsible for our actions toward others and the results it may bring, and that includes our actions toward creatures. For those children who don’t have the opportunity to have pets, it teaches that all creatures respond to the way they are treated, be it positively or negatively. Compassion toward others goes a long way.
Bullying is a serious topic in schools now a days and this book talks about a donkey trying to overcome this obstacle and how with patience from his care giver he is able to blossom and give back. It shows team work and patience.
Ah patience! It seems with all the immediate results children can get now days with numerous technology devices, instant gratification is accepted. Sometimes that doesn’t come quickly when we are dealing with real life. Susan the care giver dedicates the time needed to bring on the results she hopes for Edmund.
As far as my hopes on what the book will do for rescue animals, first and for most I hope it teaches the older children that places like Evermay Farm exists. That there is an option to abuse and neglect. I hope the book will impress upon them that animals have feelings and needs. My hope is that the younger generations grow up showing compassion and not looking the other way, when they could step in and make a difference.
The book was written in hopes on drawing attention to a small rescue/sanctuary called Evermay Farm, which I founded about a year ago. The book was written to bring attention to the nonprofit and help with donations, but also, for me at least, to teach children compassion and patience.
In the end....I hope they enjoy it as a story with a happy ending, because every child deserves
one!
So happy to have had this chance to chat!
Susan April Elwood co-author Edmund Pickle Chin,A Donkey Rescue Story
Thank you so much, Susan! I'm sure teachers will find that very helpful and informative!
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. . .
Prizes - From Clara And Susan!
Thanks so much for reading Friends! For all friends of Edmund are my friends. Below please find our links and the tour. Read every post, follow the blog and comment for prizes. The reader who follows each blog and comments on each stop of the tour will get first prize. And if there are many winners, hurray! We will deliver!
First prize is a print book of both Annie’s Special Day and Edmund Pickle Chin. Second prize is either a print copy of Edmund or of Annie, you get to pick. Third prize is a copy of the ebook of Edmund Pickle Chin, a Donkey Rescue Story.
For Susan April Elwood:
For Clara Bowman-Jahn
BLOG TOUR DATES
June 9: Teacher info and guide — right here :)
About the Authors:
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| Clara Bowman-Jahn |
Clara Bowman-Jahn worked as a registered nurse for thirty two years finally trading that job for her true love, writing. Clara’s short stories have been published in three anthologies, Campaigner Challenges 2011, The ‘I’ Word and Charms Vol. 2. She is also the author of Annie’s Special Day a children’s picture book. Her second Picture book, a true story, called Edmund Pickle Chin, a Donkey Rescue Story, is co-authored with Susan April Elwood.
When Clara is not writing, she teaches ESOL to adult students through a library program. She also likes taking long walks with her husband, blogging, and reading books. She is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Julie Hedlunds Picture Book Challenge 12x12, Susanna Leonard Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic; Pennwriters, Bethesda Writer’s Center and Round Hill Writer’s Group. She lives in rural Loudoun County, Virginia with her brilliant husband, and two fat cats. She is the proud mother of two wonderful grown sons and a grandmother to a delightful grandson.  |
| Susan April Elwood |
Susan April Elwood has worked with children for over twenty years in Northern Virginia as a preschool teacher, kindergarten assistant, and a library assistant. With her passion for animals it made perfect sense to combine the two and write an animal story for children, teaming up with author Clara Bowman-Jahn.
Susan and her husband Tom moved from Northern Virginia in 2007 to central Georgia where they founded Evermay Farm, a non-profit rescue for farm animals. This is the setting for the book titled, Edmund Pickle Chin, A Donkey Rescue Story. The story is based on Edmund a donkey, the first of many animals to call Evermay Farm home. Susan and her husband Tom have two treasured sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law and a precious grandson. In her free time, Susan enjoys photographing animals and antiquing.
www.evermayfarm.orgThank you all so much for joining us today!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone! :)
Welcome to The Stone of Valhalla Blog Tour!
A middle-grade fantasy-adventure by Mikey Brooks.
Don’t forget to check out the GIVEAWAY at the bottom this post
for a chance to WIN a $25 Amazon Gift card and other great prizes!
Using the Old to Create Something New
A guest post by: Mikey Brooks
I discover fun and interesting things with each book I write. For The Stone of Valhalla I did a lot of research into old Norse mythology and legends. I wanted to base my “otherworld” off something that still had familiarity in ours. World building is really fun in the fact that you get to create everything from the ground up. You get to create their religion, their folk songs, their folklore, everything.
While researching I came across a cool story about a dwarf prince that was turned into a dragon because of his greed with gold and a magical ring. I wanted to put the story into mine but wasn’t sure how it would fit. I ended up using the name of the prince as a dragon in my own story. Fáfnir was the name of the dragon from the Völsunga Saga in Norse legends and he became one of the masters of the Stone of Valhalla in the history of my “otherworld”.
I loved sharing that story so much I decided to write in my own folklore. I created a story about another dragon. Nottigin is a dragon who falls in love with a princess. One night he steals her away and hides her in his cave behind a great waterfall. One night the princess goes wondering and slips to her death. Traumatized by the loss of his love the dragon throws himself off the Cliffside and drowns in the water below. Yes, a tragic story, but it added something magical to the story. The place that my character’s camp at is a grand waterfall called Nottigin’s Fall.
I had a lot of fun writing this book and incorporating many of the things I took for Norse mythology. A lot of the names you will find in The Stone of Valhalla all come from the old Norse legends. I loved taking the old and turning it into something new.
I am thrilled to announce the release of my newest middle-grade fantasy-adventure: The Stone of Valhalla. In it you’ll find sprinklings of Norse legends here and there but that’s not where the fun lies. The fun is in the story of Aaron, from our world, and how he is destined to save another.
Synopsis:
Aaron was chosen to save their world, but it might come at the cost of losing his own.
Breaking into an old lady’s basement was supposed to reward 13-year-old Aaron with new friends. Instead he finds an enchanted amulet that transports him to another world—one at war with magic. Before he knows it, he is accused of witchcraft and invited to a bonfire—where he’s the main attraction. If that’s not bad enough, a goblin army shows up and toasts the town...literally. The good news: Aaron escapes being charbroiled. The bad news: the goblins are after him. They want his amulet and will stop at nothing to get it. Battling to find his way home, Aaron teams up with a not-so-magical-wizard and learns it’s his fate to destroy the amulet and save this new world. But is he willing to sacrifice his own?
Check out what these talented authors are saying about it:
“The Stone of Valhalla is one of those books that only comes along once in a great while. Brooks doesn't just create a world, he puts you inside of it, allowing you to experience the wonder in a way that only he can. His characters are likable and fun. His twists leave you asking ‘Why?’ Treat yourself to an exciting adventure through a beautiful new land. Make new friends and be a part of the magic. This is a book that you will not be able to put down!”
—J.R. Simmons, author of Ragesong: Awakening.
“The Stone of Valhalla drew me in from the get-go. Aaron’s journey is reminiscent of Dorothy’s trek in The Wizard of Oz. Magic, sword fights, danger, and more danger, sprinkled with humor and unexpected twists. This is one of the ‘best’ fantasy adventures I’ve ever experienced!”
—BBH McChiller, author of The Monster Moon Series.
“The Stone of Valhalla is a riveting mystery revealing true friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. Brooks engages the curiosity of middle graders and older sleuths alike, until the very end. Fantastic!”
—L.R.W. Lee, author of The Andy Smithson series.
Where to Find The Stone of Valhalla:
Exclusive price for the eBook release is just $2.99! (List Price: $4.99)
And only $9.99 for the paperback!(List Price: $12.99)
On April 12th2014 the price will return to the List Price
Another special offer:
During The Stone of ValhallaBlog Tour
Mikey’s other great middle-grade eBooks will also be set to the low price of just $0.99!
The Dream Keeper:
The Dreamstone:
You’re Invited to PARTY!!
The online launch party will take place on Thursday, April 10
th at 4pm (MST). The party will run for 2 hours and you’re invited to drop by anytime. The longer you stay the more chances you have of winning prizes! We have slew of eBooks to giveaway, as well as a Stone of Valhalla necklace AND a
$25 Amazon gift card! It is hosted by LovingtheBookLaunchParty on Facebook. Just follow this link to join the event:
http://goo.gl/Q2Fd3r.
What’s that? Another Party!
That’s right! If you’re local to Utah you don’t want to miss this kickin’ party. We are having a launch party to celebrate the release of this awesome new book. Of course there will be plenty of giveaways there too, but what’s even better are the guest authors! Just check out these fabulous names: J. Scott Savage, Chad Morris, Lisa Mangum, Jenni James, Ali Cross, and many more. The Launch Party is: Friday, April 11
th from 6-9pm at the Viridian Center in West Jordan, Utah. Follow this link for a map:
http://goo.gl/dqVc0u
About Mikey Brooks:
Mikey is a small child masquerading as an adult. On occasion you’ll catch him dancing the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including the best-selling
ABC Adventures: Magical Creaturesand
Bean’s Dragons as well as the middle-grade fantasy-adventure series
The Dream Keeper Chronicles. His art can be seen in many forms from picture books to full room murals. He loves to daydream with his three daughters and explore the worlds that only the imagination of children can create. Mikey has a BS degree in English from Utah State University and works full-time as a freelance illustrator, cover designer, and author. As a member of the
Emblazoners, he is one of many authors devoted to ‘writing stories on the hearts of children’. He is also one of the hosts of the
Authors’ Think Tank Podcast. You can find more about him and his books at:
http://www.insidemikeysworld.com/.
The Giveaways!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 3rd - March 21st
Warrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body.Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services--an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks. Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father's reckless plan to repair the Rift--a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension. When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes a bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, and Zaneyr uses Finn's body to fight off his father's seekers on Earth. Between them, they have two souls and only one body... and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Check out the Virtual Author visit video and Common-Core-Aligned Teacher's Guide for Faery Swap here.2 minute book trailer
Excerpt
[Author's Note: Faery Swap is told in alternating points of view, between Finn, the human boy, and Zaneyr, the faery prince who tricks him into swapping places.]
Finn's Excerpt:
He looked up at the blanket of haze hiding the sun. The sky had been blue when he had dropped off Erin. How long had he been out? He wrestled his arm around to look at his watch
8:44
The second hand was dead still, frozen between the five and the six. Whatever McFreaky did to knock him out broke his watch, too. The watch his mom gave him. She had strapped it on his wrist that day he was late for the bus and told him that being on time was important. Part of growing up. She drove him to school. The wreck happened on the way home.
It was the last thing she ever gave him. And McFreaky broke it. Finn clenched his fist and slammed it into the grass.
Then the grass punched him back.
The hit to his shoulder was so hard, it flipped him onto his back. A tinkling of glass sounded all around him.
“What the…?” Finn scrambled to sit up. The grass couldn’t have punched him. That didn’t make any sense. Something under the grass then. He jumped up to his feet and stared at the ground, frozen, waiting for it to move again.
Nothing happened.
Finn stomped his foot on the grass where he’d been lying a moment before, just to be sure. The grass kicked back, knocking him off his feet and landing him with a thump on his backside. The tinkling glass sound rushed up, like a thousand tiny voices laughing.
“Ahhh!” Finn jerked up off the ground. A narrow dirt path was just a dozen feet away, so he ran toward it. Tiny insects rose up wherever he stepped, making the tinkling sound, then falling back down. He teetered on the safety of the path, which seemed clear of the insects. The path was just wide enough for a sheep to pass. A very small sheep.
What was this crazy place?
Zaneyr's Excerpt:
Zaneyr peered at the young sister of Finn. He vowed to respect that kin bond, as a brother would. It was the least he could do, having banished her brother to the eternal changelessness of the Otherworld. And perhaps the House of Finn would serve as good a hiding place as any.
She awaited his answer with an impatience too large for such a small thing.
“No, lass, you cannot stay home with me.” He gestured to the loud guardian of the stone structure. “You need to stay here. But I will be back at the appointed time for you.”
Erin’s shoulders sagged with defeat.
“But I think I will return home now.” Zaneyr looked around at the many dwellings that crowded the path. “Which one would that be?”
Erin fixed that glare upon him again. “I memorized our address, already! When are you going to stop quizzing me?”
“It is the sickness,” Zaneyr said with a smile. “It is stealing my memory like a thief.”
“Dude, you are sick.” She suddenly shot her hand toward his face. Reflexively, Zaneyr leaned away, but she managed to land a tiny, warm hand on his cheek. He froze. What sort of magick was she working by touch? Then he remembered she was only a child, and a human one at that. It had been so long since he had felt the warmth of any touch.
The tension flew away.
“You’re not running a fever.” Her face was a picture of seriousness. “But I should go home with you.”
“Erin!” the woman called again, closer now. “You all right, love? I’m closing the gates.”
“You are summoned. You must go.” Zaneyr glanced again at the dwellings, stacked like cubes on top of one another. He pointed to one. “Is that our home? I don’t believe you truly recall.”
Erin’s shoulders drooped again. “It’s 842 on Earls Court.” She speared his chest with a small finger.
Don’t forget to come back and get me.”
“I could hardly refuse an order so imperiously given.”
Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card
Signed Paperback of Faery Swap
Two Faery Wands
ENTER TO WIN
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. Faery Swap is her foray into middle grade, which is her first writing love. Her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she's up to. Faery Swap
Fourteen-year-old Finn is tricked into swapping places with a warrior faery prince and has to find his way back home before the dimensional window between their worlds slams shut.
What if you lived in a town where redheads reigned supreme? That's the premise of Alison Cherry's satirical new novel Red, set in the fictional town of Scarletville. Felicity St. John has hair to die for - rather to dye for. You see, her mom has been getting Felicity's strawberry blonde hair dyed since she was little, determined to make her daughter popular and powerful. Now Felicity's in high school, about to participate in the Miss Scarlet Pageant, much to her chagrin and her mother's delight. Then a series of anonymous notes appears in Felicity's locker: someone knows the truth about Felicity's hair and is threatening to reveal all unless she does what they say. How far will Felicity go to protect her roots? Will she do what her mother wants, or will she finally be able to just be herself?
Author Alison Cherry, a natural redhead, stopped by my blog Bildungsroman today. Check out our discussion about society, conformity, and individuality, as well as the writing process.
By:
Donna Earnhardt,
on 3/7/2013
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I am excited to be part of the blog tour for Tameka Brown’s newest picture book — My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood! Welcome, Tameka! *and the crowd goes wild!* Tameka graciously answered some of my questions below. I hope you are as inspired by her responses as I am. Her interview made me want to go …
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on 6/8/2012
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Hello my fine feline friends, the Daemons in the Mist Virtual Book Tour kicks off tomorrow Saturday June 9th and runs through June 23rd. We’ll be joining a lot of fabulous bloggers, so be sure to check out the blogs below on their tour dates to find some awesome Daemons content!
How could this get more awesome?
By visiting the tour stops below and participating in the fun, you will go into the drawing to win the grand prize giveaway. A signed print edition of the book, a Marked Ones art prize pack and a custom portrait of yourself transformed into a daemon, complete with awesome horns!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
______________________
Pre Tour Wrap Twitter Party
Date: June 23rd
Time: 12pm PST
Location: Twitter hashtag #daemons or Tweetchat for easy use.
At the pre-wrap party I’ll be answering reader questions live on twitter so come join the fun! You can ask anything from what’s Patrick’s favorite manga to how I get my ideas.
______________________
Tour Wrap Party
Date: June 23rd
Time: 1pm PST
Location: the Daemons in the Mist Google+ page
We’ll have a few special guests, prizes, trivia and the grand prize winner revealed!
More info to come!
______________________
Tour Stops
Saturday, June 09
Review & giveaway @ A Pocket Full of Books
Review, Daemons in the Mist soundtrack & giveaway @ Pages of Forbidden Love
Giveaway @ Ren’s Rambles
Daemons trivia contest @ Young Readers
______________________
Sunday, June 10
Interview & Review @ YA SciFi Author’s Ramblings
Guest Post @ Shevi
______________________
Monday, June 11
Feature & giveaway @ A Tale of Many Reviews
Review & giveaway @ Frozen8′s Blog
Guest Post-Book trailer creation & giveaway @ Teen Librarians Toolbox
______________________
Tuesday, June 12
Interview & giveaway @ Scribing Shadows
Interview @ Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
______________________
Wednesday, June 13
A World Set to Music: Daemons in the Mist soundtrack & giveaway @ Magnet 4 Books
Guest Post @ YA Bound
______________________
Thursday, June 14
Review, mini interview & giveaway @ All Things Me
Interview @
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21 Comments on Chynna Laird, author of White Elephants, launches her book tour, last added: 4/19/2012.jpg?picon=980)
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Great interview! Congratulations on your book, Tameka! I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks for this great interview, Donna. I can’t wait to read your book that sounds like it sings right off the page, Tameka.
I’m with you, the best ideas are just before dawn. I’ve just ordered this. Looks like great fun reading. Nice interview.
Sounds like just the thing to read when you are in a sticky bun, snow day, cozy kinda mood.
Fantastic interview with a great combination of insights about the book and insights about the author. Also, as a fellow writer, I’m totally stealing that viewpoint of rejections/nos – what a nugget of gold!! Congratulations, Tameka – and Donna, too!
Thanks, everybody, for your encouraging comments! Thank you, Donna, for a wonderful interview.
Thank you all for stopping by… and huge thanks to Tameka for allowing me to be part of her blog tour! Don’t forget about her book launch in two weeks!