» Young Adult

Black Heart Blue {#Book Trailer}

The Book Faery — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:07:22 +0000

Look out readers! Here’s a novel that’s got my interest peaked- Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid. This debut novel is scheduled to be published on May 10th, 2012.

It tells the story of twins Rebecca and Hephzibah, one beautiful and one disfigures. Trapped with their loveless parents, they dream of a normal life. But when one twin tragically dies, the other must find a way to escape. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll end up like her sister…Told from alternating perspectives, this is a powerful and moving story exploring the domestic horrors that can unfold in secret behind ‘respectable’ doors and features one of the most memorable heroines in contemporary fiction. – FROM YOUTUBE

Doesn’t that summary have you wanting to find out more?! Someone! Get me Reid!

The Cahill Witch Chronicles: Born Wicked {#Book Trailer}

The Book Faery — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:17:33 +0000

My latest book cover crush find is Born Wicked, book 1 of The Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood. I do believe I’m going to have to hunt down the author and bring her on over to The Book Faery Reviews. The eyes of the girl on the cover captivates me and seduces me to find out more. I mean seriously, doesn’t her look beckon to you?

Blessed with a gift…cursed with a secret.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship – or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood – not even from each other.

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399257454
ISBN-13: 978-0399257452

Book summary comes from Amazon.com.

Jolene Perry Interviews Jameson Clares {Guest #Author: Jolene Perry}

The Book Faery — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:27:46 +0000

(Click the tour banner to follow the book tour.)

Interview subject: Jameson Clares

Jolene Perry: Tell me a little about you…

Jameson Clares: Uh, okay. I’m a senior in high school. Lived in Las Vegas my whole life. Both my parents work at the Paris Hotel on the strip. We live in a nice house with a great pool. I’m captain of the swim team ’cause it’s the one place where I feel like I know what I’m doing. I’m student body VP. I like that because it’s something else to put on a college application, but I’m not the Pres, so it lessens the responsibility a bit. I’m close with my parents, which not everyone can say, but as long as I keep my grades up and stay out of trouble, they leave me alone. That, and they’re at work until 3 AM or so. It’s cool having night owls for parents. It’s also cool that I can get in the back door of most hotels on the strip, and I’ve never once actually paid to see any of the shows that come through town.

Tell me about Sarah…

(Jameson lets out a puff of air) Sarah . . . yeah. (rubs hand over head) Well, I’ve known her forever. I wanted to ask her out when we first started hanging out, but didn’t because we were spending time together, and so I thought it would just happen, but it never did. I tried to date a few other girls, but I liked Sarah more and so if Sarah had something going on, or something she wanted to do, I’d follow her. None of those relationships lasted long. And now? I’m not sure. Sarah hasn’t totally been herself this year, and I’m not sure how I feel about her anymore.

Tell me about Sky…

(A large, white, smile spreads) Sky . . . she’s . . . she’s almost not real, you know? Like everything about her is strong, but smooth, and confident, but quiet. She’s gorgeous, and when she’s walking next to me, I’m sort of amazed that she’s there. From the first night we met she’s had this honesty thing, and even though it can be awkward, it’s like, I always know where I’ll stand with her, and I like that. There’s something comforting about it, but at the same time she puts me more on edge (in a good way) than anyone I’ve ever been around. She’s addictive, that’s for sure. Full of opposites, but addictive.

And since I’m all about characters – you now have Jameson’s take on the three key players in Night Sky! I will say that Jameson was one of my favorite people to write, and I could write story after story with him.

Thanks so much for turning your blog over to me today!

~ Jolene

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of The Next Door Boys and the upcoming Knee Deep.

Jolene Perry’s… Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog | Goodreads

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums – she’s way more than distraction. Jameson’s falling for her fast.
But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

Format: eBook

ISBN: 9780983741862

ISBN: 9781466052338

Pages: 247

Release: March 1, 2012

Night Sky… Website | GoodReads

BUY THE BOOK… Kindle | Nook | Smashwords | PDF

Under the Never Sky {#Book Trailer}

The Book Faery — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:04:45 +0000

Exiled from her home in the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope for survival.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world that’s harsh but often beautiful. – FROM HARPER TEEN on YOUTUBE

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | iBookstore | IndieBound

BECOME A FAN ON… Facebook

Melissa Douthit {#Author Interview + #Book #Giveaway}

The Book Faery — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:38:57 +0000

Today we have Melissa Douthit, young adult fantasy author of The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia. I don’t have many authors here that write young adult fantasy and I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed the trilogy so far since I don’t normally read this type of genre. I usually get frustrated that I can’t connect well with the young characters but with Douthit’s, I could easily connect. Be sure to read through the interview as we’re also hosting an international giveaway in the end for copy.

Now on to the interview…

The Book Faery Reviews: Welcome Melissa to The Book Faery Reviews! How would you describe the series up through Firelight of Maalda to someone who’s not familiar with it? Perhaps you could even tell us the short pitch you gave to your publisher’s attention in the beginning?

Melissa Douthit:Thank you, Farrah. Hmm, good question. The Raie’Chaelia, book one, is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who is thrown into a world that is strange to her after a young life of being sheltered and hidden. Along her journey, she discovers information not just about the world in which she lives but also about herself, and she meets some interesting characters along the way. She also comes across a true love (Jeremiah) that she has forgotten she had.The first book lightly touches upon themes regarding environmental, racial and gender issues. It also introduces a few mysteries that aren’t solved until the second book, The Firelight of Maalda.

The Firelight of Maalda is a continuation of the story where The Raie’Chaelia left off. In it, the characters learn more about their world and themselves. They actually do a lot of growing up. Chalice learns more about herself and her abilities and Jeremiah discovers the reality of the resentment between the two races – the Terravail and the Naeon. The book introduces new characters, as well, who discover that Chalice is not the princess they think she is or that they want her to be. Personalities clash and tempers flare when they find just who she is and what she has to do.

Where the first book lightly touches upon deeper themes, the second book really brings these themes out in full view and the reader begins to see how they are tied into the plot. In this process, some of the mysteries of the first book are revealed but there are also new ones that arise as well – mysteries that will be solved in book three. I loved writing book two, especially the explosive ending that is both triumphant and heartbreaking at the same time.

I also forgot to mention The Vanishing and The Journey Begins, which are two novella prequels to The Raie’Chaelia. One is Jeremiah’s story before the beginning of the novel and the other is Chalice’ story. These two prequels add insight into the characters and provide information as to their motivations and actions in the first book.

TBFR: I liked how I felt like I was Chalice or at least a close friend with her in the story. At times it almost felt like I was playing an RPG game (yes I’m a nerd…haha) wandering around on a quest through village, forest, and mountains. I loved her curiosity, bravery, and strength, and I felt like I was learning things as she was along the way. What was the inspiration behind the world you created and the story line?

MD: I have always been an avid reader of fantasy, starting with LOTR, so the world created in this story is very Tolkien-esque on the surface – just on the surface. As the story progresses, the reader begins to see that this world is very different, that there is a modern undercurrent to it, in the language of the characters and in the technologies that they encounter. In the second book, this becomes very clear. This aspect of their world was inspired by my professional experience working at Lawrence Livermore National Lab (a nuclear weapons lab) and at the Naval Postgraduate School where I worked in a vaulted basement with secret data. Back when I was writing the outline for the story, I sat back and could clearly see the parallels between the story and my own experience.

The storyline itself of a young girl who doesn’t know who she is and is sent on a quest to save her world is very cookie-cutter as far as fantasies go, IMHO, but I believe what makes the storyline unique is the personalities of the characters, personalities that were inspired by people that I know. Most of all, I believe the love story between Chalice and Jeremiah is unique, or at least, that was what I was going for.

In so many other YA stories I’ve read, a meet-cute is usually between two strangers who fall in love, but I wanted this one to be different. The Vanishing is particularly romantic because Jeremiah feels something deep down, something missing from his life that he describes as a hole in his chest, and then finally learns what it is when he sees her again. That is, his heart remembers.

After asking so many people their opinions on romantic relationships in YA stories, I decided I wanted Chalice and Jeremiah’s relationship to progress and mature in the second book. I wanted it to be real. I wanted the reader to see how close they are, not just emotionally but also physically, while at the same time maintaining the sweetness of their relationship, keeping it very mild and tasteful. I’ve read so many YA series where the two main protagonists seem to be stuck in this kiss-and-talk-only mode. For me, this seems a bit unrealistic for an 18-year-old and 21-year-old who want to be married. But there is also another reason for the maturation of their relationship and it has to do with something that happens at the very end of the trilogy. That’s all I can say on that because I don’t want to spoil it, but I believe readers will love it and find it very sweet … at least I hope they will. I know I do.

TBFR: The characters you worked into the series were very enjoyable no matter if they were good or bad; lots of personality. Of all thecharacters in the books, who was your favorite character and scene you wrote?

MD: Thank you! I have to say that my favorite character – just like so many others who have read the story – is Bunejab. I love him for so many reasons but I think the biggest reason is his dedication to his mission and his loyalty to his friends. My favorite scene is when he returns with the Naezzi toward the end of book two to help his friends. For me, that is a very powerful scene.

TBFR: I openly admit that I can’t help but judge a book by it’s cover. I liked your covers. They aren’t the typical fantasy covers yet I felt that they were simple but worked well. Your first 3 covers (2 prequels and book 1) are sunny and bright while book 2 is pretty dark (there are actually 2 different covers but both are still dark). The last book, The Return (releases this summer), is even lighter almost portraying something more pure to me. Did you have in mind the covers you wanted for each book and if so, what were you trying to portray with each one?

MD: That is a very insightful question! Up until now, no one has asked about that. There’s a story behind it (isn’t there a story behind everything though? =o) There was so much debate about the covers. I knew exactly how I wanted them from the very beginning. Charles Nemitz was the artist who did the first three and I loved how he did them. Brielle Porter did the cover for book two and I loved it so much because it fit the story perfectly, but my publishers said that it didn’t match Charlie’s covers. They said that covers should match so that people know that it is a series. So I had Charlie make a second cover for book two. The problem was that I couldn’t decide which cover to use, so I took a poll on my blog and readers opinions were split down the middle on it. So, I decided to use both, one for Amazon and one for B&N. Book three will also have two different covers as well.

I did plan the light-dark-light pattern for the covers of the trilogy because it follows the storyline. The first book is about Chalice’ journey and her discoveries along the way (enlightenment). The second book brings about some dark issues and problems that she must face and I wanted the cover to reflect the dark and brooding mood of the book. The cover for book three is a reflection as well but I don’t want to say too much on it so as not to spoil anything.

TBFR: Within the book process (and I’m sure to have missed a step): outlining, story writing, editing, and marketing for sales, what wasthe hardest part and do you have any advice to give another aspiring author that you wish you knew ahead of time?

MD: These are all really good questions!

Everybody writes differently. Some write with outlines and others can’t use an outline to save their lives. Some write scenes as they pop in their head and some write in chronological order. I have to say I do all of these to a certain degree. My advice is just to write the way you feel most comfortable. Also, write what you love. Don’t try to write to the market, or in other words, to write what is most popular. If you write what you love, it will show in your writing.

As for editing – once you are done with the first draft, set it aside and wait a couple weeks before you go back to edit. Then, once you feel satisfied, have at least three other people read through it (editors or beta-readers) because there will undoubtedly be something you missed – a typo here, a missing word there. The more beta-readers you have, the better. Get feedback. I know that writing and reading are subjective, but if there are readers who say the same thing about your book over and over, then there must be some truth to what they are saying. Listen to them. It will help you become a better writer.

Marketing – whew! The biggie. If you go with a traditional publisher, they will help you with marketing because having your books in a physical bookstore is marketing to a certain degree. But … they will still require you to have a website where you feature your books online, as well as have accounts on all the social networking sites – Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Shelfari, Goodreads, etc., etc., etc. They do this because the book industry is making a shift into digital and at some point, there may be no more brick-and-mortar bookstores left. With the demise of Borders, and B&N reducing its shelf space, this seems more and more likely.

If you are an indie author, you will do the publishing and social networking yourself, or hire someone to do it. What I have learned as an indie is that all the social networking, while it helped with spreading the word and getting reviews, it didn’t really help with my sales at all (except for my blog tours). What really jump-started my sales was when Amazon set book one, The Raie’Chaelia, to free. I engineered this purposefully. I placed book one on Smashwords, which channels the book out into the other online bookstores such as Kobo, Apple, etc. Then, I set the book to free on Smashwords. Amazon has a little internet bot that goes around and looks for lower prices on other sites. When it finds one, it adjusts its price to the same or lower, so that it can beat out the competition. Now that book one is free, it has been downloaded thousands of times, thus increasing the sales of the prequels and book two. I know Amazon has a program called KDP Select that does some promotion like this but the problem with it is that you can’t have your books in the KDP Select program listed on any other site, like B&N or Smashwords. Some authors don’t care about this. Others do. It’s a personal decision.

TBFR: And last question…Once this trilogy is over, do you have anything new in store for your readers that you can share with us?

MD: I have several novels that I have written notes for but my ideas are still fresh and not really formed into anything concrete at this point. What is funny, though, is that the next novel I plan to work on after this trilogy, I already know the title for. It will be called The Dark Girl and is a book that touches upon teen suicide. So, it’s not a fantasy but more of a paranormal romance with a serious theme running through it. I came upon the idea while studying online about teen suicide and how it is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year old kids in our country. Bullying that goes on in schools and online has a lot to do with it. It’s very sad.

TBFR: Thanks for taking your time with us. We look forward to reading how things end for Chalice and the others.

MD: Thank you!!! Hope to see you for the next tour!

For those who’ve not seen the review of the trilogy so far, you can read it here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Melissa Douthit grew up in North County of San Diego, California. After graduating with a Computer Science degree in Southern California, and working for a summer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, she moved to the Bay Area to work at NASA Ames Research Center for a year and then at Lawrence Livermore National Lab for another four years.

From there, she moved to Monterey, California, to work at the Naval Postgraduate School on a government project for two years. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, working with the Army Corps of Engineers on another government project. Since high school, she has been a voracious reader of books of all genres, with an emphasis in fantasy and science fiction. Her literary work is strongly influenced by her professional experience and includes many elements of her scientific background.

You can find out more about Melissa on her website: http://melissadouthit.com

The Firelight of Maalda…Chalice and her group leave Barenthren to travel to Portalis. There she and her friends discover the beautiful city, its people, its history, and its secret that has been kept hidden for thousands of years. During their stay, they learn that Dar’Maalda has thefirestone and that he plans to use it.

What is the firestone and what does Dar’Maalda plan to do with it? What are the Naezzi? What does the title, The Firelight ofMaalda, really mean? And … what is the secret of Portalis, the secret that has been guarded so jealously for so long – so jealously, that many have given their lives to protect it?

In The Firelight of Maalda, the second novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a tale of intrigue and wonder where two opposite worlds collide in an explosive journey that leads Chalice and her friends to the dark islands lurking just beyond the horizon of Ielieria, where the Firelight of Maalda sits … and waits.

GET THE BOOK… Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Be sure to grab the two novella prequels, The Vanishing and The Journey Begins, which are currently free on Smashwords for you to download, whichever format you need.

The Vanishing, the hero’s story before the beginning of the trilogy is here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/75235
The Journey Begins, the heroine’s story before the beginning of the trilogy is here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73993

Thanks to the author and Virtual Author Book Tours, we’re giving away an e-book to a lucky commentor. This giveaway will run now through the end of February ending at 11:59pm Feb 29, 2012 and is open internationally.

To enter, answer this question…

What’s the first thing to come to mind when you think of
a fantasy adventure story from your youth?

Cycles {#Book Review + #Giveaway}

The Book Faery — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:36:14 +0000

When Renee discovers that her neighbor, Dr. Dawson, has bags of his dead daughter’s frozen blood stored in his basement, she decides it’s up to her to uncover the doctor’s mysterious past. What she learns, however, is not what she expects. Now she and her friend Sam Miller are on the run, hiding from scientists who want to use what the two teenagers know to change human life forever.

Format:Kindle Edition
File Size: 440 KB
Publisher: Levanter Publishing (December 15, 2011)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Lois Brown received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a news correspondent in Washington, D.C. She later completed a Master’s degree in communications and started her own freelance business.

She has written nearly fifty articles and books, many of which are about nutrition and the use of natural food supplements. She worked as the chief editor to former New York Times best-selling author Dr. Neil Solomon, and she co-wrote a book on time management with former Miss America Sharlene Wells Hawkes.

In 2004 she published a book with psychologist Victoria Anderson catered to Mormons about how to better manage stress and anxiety.

Two years ago she turned her interests to writing fiction for all ages. Currently she is publishing a collection of short stories about treasure hunting.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…TOTALLY not what I expected. PLEASANTLY surprised and CAN’T WAIT to read the next in the series. Who would have thought I would not have been able to put down another young adult fiction within the same week?! I seriously was impressed that I could not stop reading until I was done, and surprising to me I could really connect with 13 year old Renee, but then again, she did have an old soul. I was constantly on the edge wondering what was going to happen next to Renee, her neighbor doctor, and her best friend Sam with nearly every chapter! I was totally thrown off when the story unfolded its pieces because I don’t believe one piece was what I really expected it was going to be…and that ending?! Oh you better believe I want to get a copy of the next book!

THE GIVEAWAY…Thanks to the author, we’re giving away two of her ebooks (CYCLES and TREASURE HUNTERS) as well as a collection of magnets made from sandstone only found in southern Utah (by Zion’s National Park.) The magnets are connected to the book Treasure Hunters. This giveaway runs now through the end of February, ending at 11:59pm February 29 and is open to all US mailing addresses.

To enter the contest…answer this question…

If you were given the opportunity to be saved at the last minute before death by having a blood transfusion, would you take it not caring what type of life that transfusion might give you in the long run?

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Book 1 & 2 {#Book Review}

The Book Faery — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:05:51 +0000

The Raie’Chaelia…When Chalice sets off for Branbury in the middle of the night with her grandfather’s instructions, she has no idea of the dangers that await her. The King’s men have destroyed her home village of Canton and she is suddenly thrown into a Terravailian world that she does not know. Lost and alone, she is hard pressed to evade the iron grasp of the madman who rules the land. With thehelp of a friendly Chinuk, an old man, and a book that she discovers along the way, not only does she find true friends and true love, but she also finds her true self and what it means to be the Raie’Chaelia.

The story of Chalice, a young girl quickly becoming a woman as she leads her people in a battle for their lives and their world. Along the way, we are all enchanted by the domed cities, the wise little furry creatures and the wisdom of these people whose lives are both ancient and post-modern.

GET THE BOOK… Smashwords | Barnes & Noble

The Firelight of Maalda…Chalice and her group leave Barenthren to travel to Portalis. There she and her friends discover the beautiful city, its people, its history, and its secret that has been kept hidden for thousands of years. During their stay, they learn that Dar’Maalda has thefirestone and that he plans to use it.

What is the firestone and what does Dar’Maalda plan to do with it? What are the Naezzi? What does the title, The Firelight ofMaalda, really mean? And … what is the secret of Portalis, the secret that has been guarded so jealously for so long – so jealously, that many have given their lives to protect it?

In The Firelight of Maalda, the second novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a tale of intrigue and wonder where two opposite worlds collide in an explosive journey that leads Chalice and her friends to the dark islands lurking just beyond the horizon of Ielieria, where the Firelight of Maalda sits … and waits.

GET THE BOOK… Barnes & Noble

Be sure to grab the two novella prequels, The Vanishing and The Journey Begins, which are currently free on Smashwords for you to download, whichever format you need.

The Vanishing, the hero’s story before the beginning of the trilogy is here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/75235
The Journey Begins, the heroine’s story before the beginning of the trilogy is here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73993

You can find out more about Melissa on her website: http://melissadouthit.com

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS… I don’t normally read a lot of young adult fiction. Frustration usually comes into play for me because I feel as if I can’t connect well with the characters. However, with this particular young adult fantasy that was not an issue at all and glad I got the opportunity to read it. If I didn’t feel as if I was Chalice, I definitely felt as if I was a close friend with her in the story. At times it almost felt like I was even playing an RPG game (yes I’m a nerd…haha) wandering around on a quest through village, forest, and mountains. I loved Chalice’s curiosity, bravery, and strength, and I felt like I was questioning and learning things as she was along the way. Definitely looking forward to the 3rd book in the trilogy, The Return, to see how it turns out. For those who enjoy a fun fantasy adventure that isn’t too over the top, I think they’d enjoy this trilogy as well.

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire {#Book Review}

The Book Faery — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:15:47 +0000

Unwittingly chosen to join an army of fairies, who fight for the Light of the One, a teenaged girl learns about spiritual warfare as she attends a military academy with fantastical beings.

Here lies a most precious treasure,

Awaiting one Chosen to deliver.

Seek out the red cousins in the East,

For on this your greed mustn’t feast.

The wealth of a species now in your hands,

Do with it as the light demands.

Give them your gift to unite,

For it is the darkness we all must fight.

List Price: $17.99
Paperback: 482 pages
Publisher: FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615530222
ISBN-13: 978-0615530222

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…M. C. Pearson graduated from San Jose State University with a B. A. in art, served as a multi-media illustrator in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and spent four years as a house parent for at-risk youth. Now married over 20 years, she homeschools her two children, volunteers with her church youth group, and runs a book review blog alliance (FIRST Wild Card Tours) while writing and drawing. F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire is her first novel.

Visit the author’s website.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire was a fun read that placed me into a magical world of fairies, gremlins, Yeti’s, gnomes, talking trees, nymphs, and others. The pages are filled with excitement as Mellie, a chosen F.A.I.R.I.E. squadmember from the human world, prepares for the big fight in their version of schooling. Pearson draws delightful illustrations throughout the novel to reinforce her magical world. My favorites included the the talking redwood tree that let Regnans & Mellie through to the other world, the Yeti’s foot about to stomp a Gremlin, and Mellie under water getting accustomed to talking and breathing. This is a book I know my 12 year old would enjoy reading and escape into a magical place. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fun youthful fantasy world.

My Book Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Four thousand seasons shall pass while our swords grow rusty.

Where once one chose to divide, another shall be chosen to unite.

One changed the past, the other shall change the future.

One must emancipate the other to allow the light its dominion.

The realm, now torn, allows the shadow to abide, as humanity lies blind to its peril.

The bond of friendship must endure, for the army of shadows awaits another tear.

Dust off your swords.

Unite the realm.

Destroy the strongholds.

Foretelling of Didasko Gnome Digdeep

†

PART ONE

MANY ARE CALLED

BUT

FEW ARE CHOSEN

†

CHAPTER ONE

Off and Running

t was an accident!” Mellie yelled, not caring who heard or stared. Tears streaked her face as she fled down the Santa Cruz coastline, away from her family.

You don’t need them, a voice hissed in her ear, Escape. Run away.

Scorching sand burned at her feet and bitterness ate at her heart. Mellie pumped her legs as fast as they would go. Her feet pounded with the rhythm of her emotions, beating a tempo with the crashing waves. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, quickening her step.

Why did I have to be the youngest? Only 12 years old. Never smart enough. Never athletic enough. I just wish they loved me.

Once, just once, she wanted to do something that would make her sisters see that she wasn’t the stupid, awkward, ugly, little baby sister.

As she ran, she wiped away some tears with the palm of her hand. Her fingers settled on her large nose, a gift from her dad’s Hungarian ancestry.

Chelsea got the ski-slope shaped nose. I had to get Half-Dome. It just isn’t fair.

Her hand dropped to her side and she pinched at her stomach. It still had some of its baby fat.

Ugh, why are my sisters so perfect? What happened to me?

Pushing her short bangs from her forehead in disgust, she mumbled, “Maybe I’ll find treasure. I’ll be the rich one, and then they’ll have to accept me.” But she knew better. California didn’t hold any more undiscovered treasures.

The sand, hot and coarse, cut at her feet. I wish I had remembered my shoes. She wore only a black, one-piece swimsuit and a San Jose Sharks sweatshirt tied tightly around her waist.

Breathing rapidly, she began to tire. She slowed her pace to a walk and looked back across the beach. The sand was so hot that waves of heat rose from it and blurred her view. A lone seagull screeched overhead.

Her sisters were nowhere in sight.

Man, I thought for sure that Chelsea was going to chase me down and kill me.

She had to admit that it was a little gratifying to see the sand fly from her foot, covering Chelsea’s sub-sandwich and freshly oiled stomach. Grinning slightly, the tears stopped flowing. She rubbed her eyes.

Mellie looked in the direction of her sisters. “You guys can never take a joke.” Flipping her golden hair, she turned her head back toward her chosen path. She no longer smiled as she stomped her feet in the cold surf, remembering the hateful words that had been said.

“Oh, waa waa, you stupid cry baby! Go tell mommy! Maybe she’ll feel sorry for her ugly, fat baby. Why don’t you grow up? We don’t want you near us. Can’t you understand English? You are so dumb. Look at her mouth open. Oh wait, here she goes…come on, baby…cry!”

Mellie knew she couldn’t go back. They would only ridicule and torment her further. Her mom would never believe it was Chelsea’s fault. No, the evidence was on Chelsea’s side. Who was the one with the sand all over her oily, coconut-smelling body? Who was the one who had a sandwich full of sand? Mellie walked on.

After her temper finally cooled, it occurred to her that she had never walked so far alone.

How far have I gone?

A shadow passed over her, and she looked up. Nothing was there. A cool breeze from the ocean created a stark contrast to the scalding sand. She shivered but kept walking, lost in her loneliness.

Not until she stubbed her toe on a large broken clamshell did she look at the beach. A chill snaked up her back. Nothing appeared familiar. The sounds of the surf were still there, yet something was decidedly different. She felt dizzy. Looking around, she could not quite pinpoint the change. Then it struck her.

No people.

Where did everybody go?

Even though she could see no one, Mellie could swear that she felt eyes staring at her.

She looked inland across the sand, saw movement near some eucalyptus trees, but decided that the wind must have caused it.

Trees? So close to the beach?

Something shook the trees again, causing goosebumps to stand out on Mellie’s arms. Alarmed, she checked the skyline. The sun was close to setting. She hoped that the police weren’t out looking for her.

Suddenly cold, she pulled at the arms of the sweatshirt still tied around her waist. It fell to the sand. Bending to pick it up, she once again saw a blur of movement, except this time it came from a rocky outcrop by the waves. She shook the sand out of the sweatshirt and hurriedly tugged it over her head.

“Okay, I’m seeing things.” Mellie yanked at her hair, pulling it out of the sweatshirt. She stared at the sinister rocks. “Hel-lo?” Her voice cracked as she spoke louder. “Is someone the-ere? Hello?” No answer. The shadowy rocks seemed to quiver with excitement, beckoning her closer.

Hmm…probably just a seagull.

Even if it was a bird, she did not want to see it.

There’s no way I’m going over there.

The wind picked up and blew her hair into her eyes. The sand spun with the wind.

Yes, definitely time to move. I need to find a road.

She turned back toward the sweet smelling, oddly placed trees.

Mellie arrived at the base of the first, colossal eucalyptus tree. Without warning, one of the branches fell in front of her, then seemed to get up from the ground and pose its bottom stems in a military-like stance.

Mellie screamed and jumped back. “Branches don’t stand.”

“They do if they are walking sticks.” The eucalyptus branch chuckled, stretching to its full height, considerably taller than Mellie’s meager five feet.
She gasped, grabbed the branch, and threw it like a javelin, as hard as she could.

As she took off running, she heard a bark and halted. Turning, she saw a golden retriever bounding toward her with the stick in his mouth. The dog dropped it at her feet. She watched the dog run into the grove of trees and disappear before she fearfully turned back to the possessed stick.

It had already gained its footing again and stood over her. Mellie was too frightened to move this time.

A face emerged from the skinny twig and took on the characteristics of a male human, but none like Mellie had ever seen. He had hair made up in rolls as if it were a powdered, green-silver wig, the same color as the leaves that grew all around his skinny body. His face was long and his forehead high. The twiggy man smiled and said in a distinctly British, albeit breezy, accent, “Do not worry, you are safe.”

Mellie couldn’t answer.

“Ahh…I love new recruits. They are so easily addled.”

Feeling more confused than threatened, Mellie found her voice. “What? What do you mean, new recruits?” She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, I’m talking to a stick now. Yes, I have lost it. I have gone totally mental.”

“Oh, I say, am I to understand that I am the first to be revealed to you?” With round, leathery leaves, the branch resembled a toddler toy with rings stacked on one another.

She dropped open her mouth and nodded.

“Well, let me do this properly, then. Ahem. Mortal, made of clay, you have been Chosen to join the Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads.”

“What? What are you? You look like a stick…but you can talk.”

“Yes, child,” the stick replied with a sigh. “But, I think we are quite past that by now. Have you not heard me? You have been Chosen.”

Mellie opened her mouth wider, closed it, frowned, and opened it once more. “Chosen? For what?”

“You did wish to be different? To change who you were? ’Twas an especially strong desire, yes?” The branch crossed its arms and tapped its twiggy foot.

“Umm…”

“Dear me, this is highly unusual. You made a choice to run away from a miserable life and asked to be set free? Correct?”

“Well, I, ah…yeah. I guess so. What did you say about recruit for some squad?”

“Humph. I see that I was not understood. Yes? Let me elucidate. The Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads , or shall I say F.A.I.R.I.E.S.? have accepted you into their organization. You asked. You were answered.” The branch attempted a smile, but looked impatient instead.

“Fairies? I don’t believe in fairies.” Mellie winced, half expecting him to fall down and writhe in pain until she clapped her hands.

“Quite right. You are not supposed to. If humans truly believed we existed, we would never get anything accomplished.”

Mellie laughed and looked around for a hidden camera, thinking this must be a joke. “Right. Ah…heh…okay, bud, brilliant costume,” she said, imitating the branch’s accent. “Where’s the zipper?” She reached toward him and touched a soft leaf.

The branch slapped her hand away and stamped its foot with a loud cracking noise. “I beg your pardon. I have not been a bud for over 800 springs!” He paced, his leaves crumpling, mumbling to himself about humans and why, in the One’s name, did he listen to that confounded gnome who told him that he needed to stand gate duty. With his rank!

“I’m sorry I upset you. Please, I’m very confused. I’m lost, and I just want to go home.” Mellie bit her lip.

The branch stopped mid-pace. “Home? Earlier, did you not wish for a new life? And riches? I know you wished for treasure, hmm?”

“How do you know that?” Mellie furrowed her brow. “Have you been reading my mind?”

The twig man didn’t answer her questions, asking his own instead. “Ahh, so, you admit this, yes?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but…well, this really isn’t what I had in mind.”

The branch threw up its twiggy fingers. “Oh, well, of course you did not have this in mind. After all, we are reasonably inconspicuous, especially to humans. How could you have this in mind? However, is it not superior of the One to think that this is what you would have chosen had you known about us? Anyway, ’tis irrevocable now. So, if you would just follow me, we shall get you signed in and enrolled for training.”

The branch marched off between the trunks of two large eucalyptus trees.

Mellie slid uncontrollably after the walking stick. She planted her feet firmly, refusing to budge, but she slid after him anyway. Grasping at branches of nearby trees, she panted heavily as she struggled to resist following the branch. Some kind of invisible tie connected her to him. He seemed to pull her along with his every step.

Mellie thought about her sisters and how mad they were at her. I’m dead meat if they find me. Mellie quickly gave up her battle and ran after the eucalyptus branch, barely keeping up with his stride.

†

The sand changed to coarse dirt, with pebbles and sticks. More and more trees filled Mellie’s vision. Bushes scraped against her bare legs and slapped her face as she moved deeper inside a forest of eucalyptus and redwood trees. She winced in pain as a razor-sharp rock sliced her foot. Stopping to nurse it, she wished once again for her forgotten shoes.

“Excuse me, sir?” Mellie looked around. She could not see the branch anywhere.

“Do not call me ‘sir’, I work for a living.” The branch peeked out from around one of the gigantic trees. “And please, try to keep up. We need to reach the gateway.”

Mellie limped up to him. “Sorry, sir…I mean…umm, what should I call you then?”

“Oh, well, we did skip that. Did we not? Yes, all right, an introduction then.” The branch man seemed to enjoy formal etiquette for he gave an elaborate wave and bowed. “My name is Regnans, family of Myrtaceae, born member of the F.A.I.R.I.E.S., Britannia Wing, rank of Master Nymph Dryad.”

“Nice to meet you, Reg…Reg?” Mellie chewed on the inside of her mouth. Never good at remembering names, she knew she would offend him with her lack of manners.

Sure enough, the dryad raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Regnans.” He gave a hurt sniff, then drolly sneered. “If you find that a difficult name, you should meet the rest of my family, all seven-hundred thirty-four of them.”

“Sorry, I just…well, it is a lot to remember. It’s a nice name, though. My name is Maryellen Goodwin of Bret Harte Middle School, San Jose, California. But everyone calls me Mellie.” She stuck out her hand, intending to shake. Regnans stared at her.

“That is a strange curtsy. However, I guess ’twill do. We must get moving now. The shadows abound, you know.” Regnans made an about face and marched off faster than before.

Another hour passed, and still they strode along the forest floor. Mellie’s feet were now cut, blistered, and bleeding. She kept up as best she could with Regnans’s long stride. Whenever she tried to stop, he would pull her on with that invisible force of his.

Stupid, pompous, magical Star Wars freak.

She whimpered as she limped. Darkness and mist now covered the woods. As she was about to plead for a break, Regnans stopped. Except for her heavy gulps of air, all seemed quiet.

Regnans stiffened even more than usual. Nothing on him moved, apart from his eyes, which darted around quickly.

“All is safe, we may proceed.” He held up a twiggy finger to his woody mouth. “Please do not speak, and try not to breathe so abominably loud.”

Mellie nodded with a disgusted frown. Sweat dripped from her bangs. She tried to calm her breathing, even though her vision blurred, and her legs wobbled. Her blisters had popped by now and oozed wetness.

Regnans moved again, yet this time he took slow, deliberate steps, all the while scanning his surroundings. He walked up to a massive redwood tree and stroked its bark.

A breeze stirred up, rattling the leaves, sounding almost like spoken words. Mellie thought herself crazy again. However, the longer she stood there, the more she sensed that it really was the tree’s language, as if she had never listened to trees properly before. It said, “If you love, you will say the one true love that leads the way.”

Regnans whispered in a leaf rustling voice, “Ah-gaw-pay.”

A loud grumbling sound, as if someone awakened after a long sleep, shook the grove. The redwood tree opened two eyes, each the size of Mellie’s head, and blinked. A great fissure erupted below the eyes in the shape of a crescent, and redish-brown wooden teeth emerged. A long, knobby branch pushed its way out above the mouth and inhaled deeply.

The tree chuckled. Instead of the whispering leaves, a low, rumbling utterance of human speech came from the redwood tree. “Regnans? What brings you to my neck of the woods?” He blinked again. “And who is this? A new recruit? A human? A Chosen?”

Mellie knew she looked silly, standing there with her mouth in an ‘O’ shape, but she couldn’t move. This was simply impossible. There is no such thing as fairies!

“Yes, yes. Please open the gate, we must not dawdle here…they may be watching.” Regnans looked agitated.

A deep laugh resounded from the redwood. “Oh, Regnans. There are none who watch here.”

Regnans mumbled something about hamadryads and their pride, then proclaimed in a slightly louder voice to the tree, “We must be sober, be vigilant, because the shadow walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour.”

The hamadryad looked chagrined. “You speak true, dryad. Forgive me for acting like an arrogant seedling.” He glanced at Mellie, and with a lowered voice asked, “And what is your name, little human?”

Mellie managed to squeak out, “Mellie Goodwin.”

“Ah, ’tis always nice to have a Good Wind.” The hamadryad laughed heartily.

“Sorry to interrupt this lovely tete-a-tete,” Regnans said, “but would you please open the gate? I left Westside completely unguarded.”

An annoyed creak came from the base of the redwood, followed by a sigh. “Yes, Regnans. Agape you said, and agape it is. Go with the light, my friends.” The large, joyous eyes closed, and the hamadryad whispered in his leaf rustling voice, “Until we meet again, Good Wind.” His face disappeared, and his roots lifted and pulled apart, exposing a tunnel within his trunk.

Regnans grabbed Mellie’s hand with his rough, wooden one, and pulled her inside the opening. The tree closed itself abruptly and left them in total darkness.

Regnans cleared his throat and said, “Let there be light.”

A burst of dazzling brightness sparkled from the tunnel’s wall. Mellie glanced around and noticed a long, winding stairwell leading down into the ground.

“Shall we, then?” Not waiting for a reply, Regnans started down the steps.

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

“Imagination runs wild in F.A.I.R.I.E.S. Pearson brings young readers through a looking glass and into a world bursting with adventure, heroism, and fascinating creatures. Readers will be inspired to be true to the One and left with anticipation of more to come.”

–Jill Williamson, award-winning author of

By Darkness Hid, and other books

“Sprinkled with delightful illustrations, and brimming with a full bestiary of magical creatures, F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is a fun, clever romp through the alternate landscape of the most magical world of all, our own. Read, and take up the call: ‘Defend and Emancipate!’”

– D. Barkley Briggs, author of

The Book of Names, and other books

“F.A.I.R.I.E.S. will appeal to readers who love the interplay of fantasy and reality. A rich cast of eccentric characters and exotic settings make this a fun addition to the folklore of the battle between good and evil.”

–Mike Hamel, author of

YA fantasy series: MATTERHORN THE BRAVE

“F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is one of those rare gems I want to tell everyone about. It’s highly imaginative, packed with adventure, and full of hope. A must read for kids and for kids at heart. Even better than Narnia! I was thinking about Pearson’s wonderfully memorable characters for days.”

–C.J. Darlington, author of

Thicker than Blood

“Ms. Pearson’s extravagant and imaginative F.A.I.R.I.E. kingdom will surely delight the young and the young-at-heart in this tale of good and evil, light vs. darkness. The fantasy-loving reader will not be disappointed!”

–Linore Rose Burkard, award winning author of

Before the Season Ends, and other books

***Special thanks to M. C. Pearson of FIRST Wild Card Press for sending me a review copy.***

Good Monsters and Evil People {Guest #Author: Melanie Card +Giveaway}

The Book Faery — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:32:29 +0000

Thank you Farrah for inviting me to your blog today. I’m excited to be here. With Halloween just around the corner, many children (young and old) will dress up as goblins, ghouls, and monsters. They will romp through the darkness, their disguises hiding them from evil spirits (depending on which lore your follow) and gather treats from strangers to take back to the warm security of their homes.

This strange mixture of fear and fun, the blurring between good and evil, monster and not monster is something I often think about, and as such is probably why I’m drawn to writing fantasy stories.

Literary theory states that monsters are representations of the “other” and historically the “other” was anyone who was physically different, a stranger. Stories were told about “others” who were evil, and threatened the lives and way of life of the good characters in the story. Fantasy fiction drew the “difference” even more strongly. These “others” really were monsters, demons and vampires, and terrifying creatures of darkness. They terrorized the good people of the story until the monsters were defeated (usually killed) or the good people were killed (making the tale a tragedy).

As fantasy fiction developed and people gained more experience with their real “other” storytellers started to question the assumed definition that all “others” were monsters. Which brings me back to Halloween, with the “good” kids dressing up as “evil” monsters and the assumption that the “strangers” handing out candy are good. These assumptions go against these long standing beliefs, making a one night only event where monsters are good and strangers are good.

In fantasy, for me, questioning the assumptions isn’t a one night event. Monsters aren’t just creatures of darkness or strangers. They are human and beautiful and sometimes your best friend. Good people, “humans” aren’t just those who look like us or are our friends, they are terrifying monsters in disguise.

In my debut YA fantasy novel, Ward Against Death, the definitions of good and evil and monster or not monster is blurred.

My heroine, Celia, starts off human. By traditional definition this would make her not a monster. But someone has murdered her and when the story opens she’s been risen from the dead by the hero, Ward, and begs him to help her solve her murder. So what does this now make Celia? She’s not alive but she isn’t dead, either. Is she still human? Is she now a monster? And does this change how we perceive her?

As well, my hero, Ward, is a necromancer. Because necromancy is magic over death, necromancers are often portrayed as evil, and usually cast as the villain of the story. Ward, however, is just a normal guy who wants to make enough of living so he doesn’t have to move back in with his parents. Necromancy isn’t evil, but it’s not good either. How each person uses it determines what it is.

And that’s what it comes down to for me: how each person behaves. Just like on Halloween, you never know if the child in the devil costume really is a devil or actually an angel. In fantasy the undead girl may not be a monster, and the boy with the ability to raise the dead might not be evil.

Thanks Farrah for having me today. There are tons of examples in fantasy and paranormal romance fiction of good monsters and evil people. Who are your favorites?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Melanie has always been drawn to story telling and can’t remember a time when
she wasn’t creating a story in her head. Her early stories were adventures with fairies and dragons and sword swinging princesses.

Today she continues to spin tales of magic in lands near and far, while her cat sits on the edge of her desk and supervises. When she’s not writing, you can find her pretending to be other people with her local community theatre groups.

Connect with Melanie: Facebook | Twitter @melaniecard | Goodreads | MelanieCard.com

Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

Read an Excerpt

Genre: New Adult/Upper YA Fantasy

Length: Novel – 285 pgs

Release Date: August 2, 2011

ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-08-4

Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-09-1

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Entangled Publishing and the author, we’re giving away ONE e-copy of Ward Against Death to a lucky reader of The Book Faery Reviewers. This giveaway is open internationally and runs only until 11:59pm on Halloween, Monday, October 31st.

Just leave a comment for the author to enter!

Of course we’d LOVE it if you (for extra entries but not a requirement):

Like The Book Faery Reviews Facebook Fan Page (see right sidebar)
Subscribe to our e-newsletter (see top right sidebar)
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Living the Obsession {Guest #Author: Shea Berkley + #Giveaway}

The Book Faery — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:12:28 +0000

Obsessions are a fact of life. Okay, not a terribly unique observation, but it’s one we try to overlook because, let’s face it, we can get a little testy when one of our obsessions is pointed out to us. Like the other day. This guy, we’ll call him Dude-who-insists-on-pointing-out-my-obsessions-until-I-want-to-smack-him-in-the-face (ahem, or maybe just Dude), decided to point out an obsession I have.

I love Coca Cola. Not Pepsi or RC or any other specialty cola. I love Regular Coca Cola. None of that sissy diet stuff or the caffeine free caramelized water they pass for cola. I want the stuff that burns going down my throat and kick-starts my heart with an artificial substance that is totally legal. (Amen) Why? I like it… nay, I need it in a totally non-addictive way. (I can quit any time I want to. I can. Really.)

I’ve tried to deny my need, but it’s no use. How can I when the first thing I do when I wake up is head downstairs, load up the ice and listen to the fizz and pop as I pour myself a coke? Mercy! It’s happiness in a glass. The Coca Cola ad executives guarantee it. Seriously. Commercials don’t lie.

On the obsession scale, coke (the drink) isn’t that life altering. Yet, there are some obsessions that can change the course of your life in ways you could never imagine. Sometimes for the good, many times for the bad. In my book, The Marked Son, Dylan (my hero) finds his own addiction in the form of love.

Here’s a quick excerpt from The Marked Son

Nothing feels better than touching Kera. I hold her close, feeling her heart beat behind her ribs. The heat of her hands on my chest is impossible to ignore as I kiss her, teasing her lips, and ultimately torturing myself until my control is almost gone. I pull away, putting my forehead to hers, and silently count to ten. Counting to a hundred wouldn’t help. Holding her intensifies my feelings of recklessness.

I can’t let go.

I pick her up. You’d think her dress, with its yards of material would be a problem, but it isn’t. Not for her. She wraps her legs around my waist and rakes her hands through my hair. I place my head on her chest and close my eyes. The rapid beat of her heart matches my own. The scent that engulfs her is as heady as the feel of her in my arms.

“You smell like summer and—” I search for the word that describes the scent pulsing under her skin. It teases me with every breath and touch. Naming it is driving me insane. It’s one I haven’t smelled on her before, yet it’s a scent that’s all too familiar to me, like summer and… “—sadness.”

She captures my lips with hers and slowly slides down my body until her feet touch the floor. Our kiss deepens, her embrace turns desperate. Her kiss fills with misery. The room turns hot, too claustrophobic. I can’t think. I try pushing her away, but she clings to me. Her breathing quickens, and she shivers within my arms. I sense real fear in her. Though she protests, I finally manage to step free. One, two, three steps back, separate but still connected. I can’t stop staring at her, wanting her. She’s like…

A drug.

Dylan loves Kera–not just loves, but completely-unequivocally-adores-and-must-be-around-her-at-all-times loves Kera. He’s obsessed. It’s his nature, one he never understood fully until he met Kera, and now that he knows, it’s almost impossible for him to deny his need. He fights with it all the time, knowing in his heart that his obsession, if left unchecked, will cause more harm than good.

And it does, because Dylan isn’t perfect. His obsession to be with Kera, to possess her love and be loved by her, upends the realm of Teag and changes the lives of nearly everyone around him. He causes a mess on an apocalyptic scale, something he never intended. So what’s a guy who’s in love with the girl of his dreams supposed to do?

Easy. He has to learn to control his out-of-control nature and fix the disasters that are starting to seep into the human realm. Yeah, right. Maybe not so easy, but it’s a challenge Dylan takes on.

The thing I love about Dylan is his solid core of goodness. He takes responsibility for what he’s done and tries to make amends.

Obsession is rarely healthy. I should know. My cola and I go waaay back. Dude-who-shall-not-be-named kinda has a point. It’s time I started weaning myself from the happy juice’s seductive grasp. I’ll be a healthier person for it. And though it’s hard to believe, I’ll probably be a happier person for it too. Wish me luck.

I’d like to thank the Book Faery (aka Farrah) for inviting me here today. I had fun. I hope you did too.

Want to know more about Shea and her righteously-awesome stories? Connect with her at: Facebook / SheaBerkley.com / Goodreads / RubySlipperedSisterhood.com / Twitter

Seventeen‐year‐old Dylan Kennedy always knew something was different about him, but until his mother abandoned him in the middle of Oregon with grandparents he’s never met, he had no idea what.

When Dylan sees a girl in white in the woods behind his grandparents’ farm, he knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams. He’s felt her fear– Heard her insistence that only he can save her world from an evil lord who uses magic and fear to feed his greed for power.

Unable to shake the unearthly pull to Kera, Dylan takes her hand. Either he’s completely insane or he’s about to have the adventure of his life, because where they’re going is full of creatures he’s only read about in horror stories. Worse, the human blood in his veins has Dylan marked for death…

Title: The Marked Son (Keepers of Life, #1)

Author: Shea Berkley

Genre: Young Adult

Length: Novel – 334 pages

Release Date: August 2011

ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-00-8

Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-01-5

THE LOST PRINCE coming August 2012, and THE BASTARD KING coming August 2013!

THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Shea Berkley, we’re giving away ONE e-copy of the book The Marked Son. Open internationally now through November 31st!

Just leave a comment for the author to enter!

Of course we’d LOVE it if you (for extra entries but not a requirement):

Read our review of The Marked Son
Like The Book Faery Reviews Facebook Fan Page (see right sidebar)
Subscribe to our e-newsletter (see top right sidebar)
Subscribe to our RSS Feed

The Marked Son {#Book Review}

The Book Faery — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:55:50 +0000

Seventeen‐year‐old Dylan Kennedy always knew something was different about him, but until his mother abandoned him in the middle of Oregon with grandparents he’s never met, he had no idea what.

When Dylan sees a girl in white in the woods behind his grandparents’ farm, he knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams. He’s felt her fear– Heard her insistence that only he can save her world from an evil lord who uses magic and fear to feed his greed for power.

Unable to shake the unearthly pull to Kera, Dylan takes her hand. Either he’s completely insane or he’s about to have the adventure of his life, because where they’re going is full of creatures he’s only read about in horror stories. Worse, the human blood in his veins has Dylan marked for death…

Title: The Marked Son (Keepers of Life, #1)
Author: Shea Berkley
Genre: Young Adult
Length: Novel – 334 pages
Release Date: August 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-00-8
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-01-5

THE LOST PRINCE coming August 2012, and THE BASTARD KING coming August 2013!

FROM THE REVIEWER…The Marked Son is the story of Dylan and Kera. Both from two different worlds but magnetized to each other by unseen forces and destiny. Dylan is your average recluse teenager, coping with a life that is less than stable. His mother constantly moves them around the country, running from ex lovers without any real direction or reason. Dylan has been adjusting as best he can to his neglectful mother and the constant moving when his mother unexpectedly dumps him into the laps off his grandparents, whom he has never met before, and abandons him there.

Here in a farmhouse near the woods, he discovers that the woods are full of magic, a girl in white whom he has dreamt about since he was really young is actually very real. Kera, a girl from another dimension is seeking help for her home of Teag, a land across a barrier wall that separates the two worlds. When he follows her into this world, he discovers bloodthirsty creatures and a cold ruthless ruler named Navar who is bent on wiping out any half-blood beings, like Dylan. Only him and Kera can save this world which nothing is what it seems and the would-be ruler Navar has set his sights on killing them both.

I enjoyed reading this story, the point of view starts by bouncing back and forth between the main characters Dylan and Kera. It was a bit confusing at first, things took a while to be explained in the first half of the book, leaving me feeling a bit clueless and lost with all the world building on each side of the wall and vague backgrounds. The second half of the book more than made up for it. The point of view was laced together tight at this point and the story smoothed out to give you answers to the many questions that have built up to this point. The town of Teag seems stuck in a sort of medieval time where men have more power and woman are betrothed to men. They also have to wear big beautiful dresses and behave a certain way. It seemed to clash with the modern world that Dylan lived in. I do love his Grandparents, probably two of the most colorful characters in the story. His grandmother especially seems to know a lot more of what is going on than she lets on. His human friends Jason and Leo are great additions to the story but I would have liked to get into their heads a little more. Overall the ending was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. It left me wanting more and I definitely want to see where these characters will be going, see what kind of trouble they can get into in the future. I highly recommend it and will be reading more by this author.

My Book Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

MEET THE REVIEWER…Alexia Purdy resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. She spends every free moment writing or playing with her 4 rambunctious kids (living the dream!). She devours books daily, especially paranormal urban fantasies and finds genre books to be irresistible. She has been writing since she can remember and loves creating paranormal urban fantasy and poetry. She also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food. She is the author of Interim Blue (The Teleen Trilogy) and is currently working on the second book of the Teleen Trilogy: Ash and Embers. Projects for 2012 include: The Reign of Blood (Book #1 in a post-apocalyptic vampire hunter trilogy) and a poem anthology. She currently blogs at Alexia Purdy.

We received a copy for an honest review. No money was given as compensation.

The Sanction Chronicles {Guest Post}

The Book Faery — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:27:36 +0000

The Serial Novel RETURNS…

Not Dickens this time and this one is YA with a twist. The Sanction Chronicles is a Young Adult Series that follows the Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, and one human through the school year at Wind Haven High School.

So what does that mean? Every month September – June readers get to catch up with what has happened to the characters throughout the month, or what is about to happen to them as the month unfolds.

What makes this project really different is not just the installment structure. We are MULTI-Author. Every month three of the characters step up and tell their story. In some cases each of those characters is written by a different author. It makes things interesting. Almost like creating a TV Series.

This is a new kind of book, and the great part is that there is always something to read. Either a book or the support material on the blog. Instead of waiting for a year, there is another book the next month. You can keep up with your favorites and enjoy them all year, check out the authors and more. So check out The Sanction Chronicles and meet the September characters below.

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The three stars of September?

Hope

Wow, he’s hot.

Too hot.

Hope’s skin was uncomfortably warm, the heat getting worse every minute. She smelled smoke, or was that part of the dream? He’s smoking hot, that’s it. Hope settled back to admire his dark hair and bright eyes. At least I dreamed up someone worth looking at.

She sighed. Life in Sanction was good.

Not was, is—is good.

So what if awake she missed Dream Guy. Missing Dream Guy, a.k.a. DG, did not make the rest of her life lonely. She never got to see him for very long anyway. These dreams didn’t last. Now he was here, but for how long? She wanted to enjoy the time, but it was just so damn hot!

His voice broke into her thoughts. “Hope. Hope. You need to wake up.”

Like hell I do. Just minutes after getting here he wants me to leave? No way. She was staying asleep and right here. He was free to do whatever he wanted.

Jessie

Bored with watching another five fir trees go by, Jessie turned to study Marcus. He was six-one, blond, and an asshole with a wicked set of fangs. He flashed them with every word out of his mouth. “You have to think about what people will say. We aren’t kids anymore. Everything we do reflects on the Vittori name.”

Jessie took great joy from pointing out the obvious. “I am not a Vittori.” She wasn’t a vampire, born, or made. She was human.

After a pause he continued, “You live with the family.”

“In the servant’s quarters. I think everyone gets the picture.”

“You and your mother are not servants.”

“We are not part of the family either.”

Nate

Nate closed the front door quietly. He glanced around for his father. So far no sign. Nate let out a breath and shrugged his backpack from his shoulder. He’d been walking on eggshells ever since he got back a few weeks ago. Eight years away wasn’t enough to wipe the slate clean between them. Nate’s jaw tightened.

Nobody gets a clean slate.

He’d made it to the stairs when the voice hit him from behind.

“What the hell are you doing home?”

Nate turned to face his father’s frown as the older werewolf walked out of the kitchen.

“School’s over,” Nate mumbled, trying not to cringe.

“Don’t be a smart ass,” his father growled, moving closer step by step.“What about football practice?”

“Cancelled.” Nate licked his lips. “It’s the full moon.”

- END -

Welcome To Sanction – The Sanction Chronicles – Year One Volume One

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Are Books Really Dead? {Guest #Author: T.M. Wallace}

The Book Faery — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:28:03 +0000

There are nasty rumours floating around the web these days about the demise of the book. Some people in the industry are afraid that the rise of the e-book means that the printed copy of a book will soon be extinct. Many tie the future of the book to the baby boomer generation: that is to say, the book will die out after that generation leaves. As a writer and educator, I like to believe that there is room for both e-books and the printed copy in our complicated modern world.

As a writer who loves to read and write printed books, I can’t help getting a little nervous when people say that the printed book is on the verge of extinction. Yet, there is a place for different kinds of books, just as there is room for many different kinds of art. In fact, saying that there is no place in the world for the printed book is a bit like saying there is no room for paintings, that all the visual arts will be replaced by the electronic versions of themselves. At the extreme end, it is like saying that our lives in this physical world will be replaced by lives in a digital one – and that is simply not going to happen.

As an educator, I can see that the printed book is still very much alive and well. While the new generation is reading more electronic versions of both fiction and non-fiction books in the classroom, the majority of students still read the printed versions of books. Younger children are still absorbed by picture books and that early experience with paper. Even though children are at the same time exposed to all kinds of computer learning games, the experience of reading a paper book remains an important and primary way of learning about the world. The library is still a favourite place for students of all ages and book fairs are still popular, especially as a fund-raising activity.

There is room for both printed books and e-books in the modern world, but that necessitates a lot of change within the book industry. There is no doubt that publishing is becoming a complicated business. It used to be enough to print and publish the paper copy of a book and distribute that book via physical bookstores and libraries. Now, the same book has to be published simultaneously in many different e-book formats such as; mobi, epub, azw, ereader and pdf, just to name a few. This plethora of ebook formats has aptly been referred to as the “Tower of eBabel.” Yet, this confusing variety of ebook platforms only highlights what is driving ebook pubishing in the first place: the fact that people like choice.

Now you can choose whether to read a paper book or an ebook of the same novel. Right now my husband is reading a paperback novel. However, he will at various times also read on his ipad or his kindle – this depending entirely on the situation. When he reads in bed at night, he reads on his ipad, which is back-lit. In his sunny backyard, he reads on his kindle. (The kindle has E-ink which, like the printed book requires bright light for optimal reading.) When having a bath or when going to the park, he takes along the paperback version, which is much more forgiving of moisture and sudden falls.

Happily, the end result of all this choice is that people can read more, and more often. Literacy is even more important (and more accessible) with the rise of the internet than it has ever been in the past, and the future is brighter for authors and readers alike. No one really knows what the future holds for the printed book, but there is no reason to assume that a new technology must completely supplant the old way of doing things. Like many thousands of others, I have elected to enjoy the choices that technology offers. I am happy to read an e-book or a paper version of a book as the mood strikes me. In my world, both paper and E-ink peacefully co-exist.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…T. M. Wallace lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four children. At eight years old, she won a short story contest and was published in a local newspaper. She wrote her first book at ten years old called The Adventures of Pinkstar, about a stuffed rabbit who magically comes to life. T. M. Wallace received her Master’s degree in English Literature from Carleton University and a degree in Education from the University of Ottawa. In 2010 her latest book, Under A Fairy Moon, was a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel awards.

You can visit her website at www.tmwallace.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TMWallace1).

Addy Marten sets out to explore her new neighbour’s beautiful garden, and especially the rows of mysterious stone statues that she has glimpsed through her bedroom window. Instead of the enticing hideaway she has imagined, however, she finds herself trapped in the Median Realms, and an unwilling pawn in a game of Fairy Chess. She must use all her courage and wits to win the game and free herself from malicious fairy creatures and their twisted fairy-tale world.

Paperback: 222 pages

Publisher: Brownridge Publishing (July 19, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0986865702

ISBN-13: 978-0986865701

Under a Fairy Moon, T.M. Wallace {#Book Review}

The Book Faery — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:17:16 +0000

Addy Marten sets out to explore her new neighbour’s beautiful garden, and especially the rows of mysterious stone statues that she has glimpsed through her bedroom window. Instead of the enticing hideaway she has imagined, however, she finds herself trapped in the Median Realms, and an unwilling pawn in a game of Fairy Chess. She must use all her courage and wits to win the game and free herself from malicious fairy creatures and their twisted fairy-tale world.

Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Brownridge Publishing (July 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0986865702
ISBN-13: 978-0986865701

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…T. M. Wallace lives in Ontario, Canada. She received her Masters degree in English Literature from Carleton University and has a degree in Education from the University of Ottawa. Writing for children is a passion that began early in her youth when she started writing stories for the local paper. Her first novel, “Under A Fairy Moon” was a quarter-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…First, you know that I HAD to get a copy of this book since I absolutely LOVE fairies, bad and nice, (as if it’s not obvious…haha). Second, I LOVE this cover. I’m honestly drawn to this cover whenever I see it. To me it evokes secrets, magic, and adventure in a hidden world. GORGEOUS! And that is exactly how the book was. It was a delight to read Under a Fairy Moon with the kids. Each night they looked forward to the next adventurous scene. When I asked my 10 year old son what he thought about the book he said…

UNDER A FAIRY MOON was so descriptive that I could envision myself as Connor fighting a skeleton to save Addy. (side-note: Hearing my kids use words like “envision” just absolutely blow my mind…you can tell they read a lot and/or pay attention to how others speak when describing something.) I very much enjoyed all the different magical creatures and people in the story. I recommend this book to other kids like me who like to pretend to be in other worlds filled with magical things and adventures.

Our book Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

I received a copy to review for the book tour with Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest opinion. No monies were given for this review. I am however a LinkShare/B&N affiliate.

Simple? Or Not So Much? {Guest #Author: Richard Blunt}

The Book Faery — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:23:20 +0000

Since I published “Lucas Trent – Guardian in Magic” about eight months ago I wrote quite a number of blog posts about many different topics, like consistency, writing style or magic, but it just now occurred to me that I never actually wrote a post about my book. I am sorry Lucas Trent, let me make it up to you by starting right now.

If you read the excerpt at my “Pump up your book” tour-page, or took a “look inside the book” at Amazon and read through the very first pages, you should know by now what the story is about: Magic. But is this what the book is all about? Well, it wouldn’t be me if it were… There is of course much about magic in there, and if you are looking for a fantasy story full of magic you still make a good choice reading “Guardian in Magic”. But behind the very blunt words of the magic is a story of friendship and loyalty. A story of adventure and danger, battles, great victories and great losses, and a story that is placed so close to reality in most aspects that you could easily forget that it is fantasy at all. (If it weren’t for the magic of course.) And it is one thing more: A story that will with a close to brutal directness show you that things are not as simple as they seem to be, and well, that’s one more thing where “Guardian in Magic” quite directly resembles the real world, because even if things look simple here, you can be almost certain that there will be a catch somewhere.

So… Now some might ask: “Do I really need to dive that deeply into the story to like it?” Well,… No, of course not. I did my very best to make the story easy to read and the feedback I got so far seems to confirm that I succeeded with that. And still, even those who only read the book with “brains switched off” came back to me later on and told me about some “AHA”-effects and deja vous they had while reading it.

OK, now I am again near to the end of a blog post and once again have not told too much about Lucas Trent and his companions. Well, there are a couple more posts coming up on my virtual book tour, so maybe I make it to that point next time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Richard Blunt is the author of the fantasy novel, Lucas Trent: Guardian in Magic. He is currently working on his second book in the Lucas Trent series. You can visit his website at www.lucastrent.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lucas_trent and Facebook at www.facebook.com/people/richard-blunt.

“Guardian in Magic” is a fantasy novel located in a world very similar to the one we live in. It tells the story of 16 year old Lucas Trent, an IT student living in Luton, England. His fascination for the supernatural leads him to take a glimpse at the world from an angle only few others look at. An angle that teaches him the true meaning of friendship, loyalty and trust in ways he had never experienced before.

Journeying through a secret community, that is hidden in plain sight, he suddenly finds himself forced into living two lives at once, keeping his true identity even from his close family. In a struggle to handle this situation, he gets pulled deeper and deeper into a swamp of conspiracies and coincidences surrounding a young girl and the very truth about magic in the real world…

Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (January 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1456773119
ISBN-13: 978-1456773113