Friday, July 22, 2016

Guest Post: My Illiterate Protagonist by Shannon A. Thompson, author of November Rain + Excerpt & Giveaway



My Illiterate Protagonist
by Shannon A. Thompson

My protagonist is illiterate. She recognizes a few letters, she knows how to read her name, and she loves listening to stories more than anything. But she cannot read.

Her name is Serena, and Serena is a bad blood.

Bad Bloods in 35 words or less: 17-year-old Serena is the only bad blood to escape execution. Now symbolized for an election, she must prove her people are human despite hindering abilities before everyone is killed and a city is destroyed.

While Serena lives in a futuristic world where magical children like her are executed, illiteracy is a very real issue in our world today. An issue I wanted to discuss in my Bad Bloods duology. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding illiteracy—some of which I discuss in an article Tackling Diversity in YA—but the main one is the fact that illiteracy isn’t as uncommon as the average reader might think. 

1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to read. (DoSomething.Org)

For readers, this fact might seem startling. Readers generally know other readers, after all. And—on top of that—many of the characters in YA fiction love books, because readers love books, and it’s easy to relate to a character that loves the same things as them. For many readers, it’s impossible to imagine a world without reading, even in fantasy and sci-fi settings. I, for one, definitely struggle with that concept, but illiteracy is a reality for many young people, especially women all over the world. Granted, I will be the first to admit that I did not set out to write Serena as an illiterate person to spread awareness. No. I originally set out to write her as a character who didn’t enjoy reading due to severe dyslexia—something my brother and father deal with to this day.

As a child, growing up in a household where my two role models didn’t read was very difficult, especially when my late mother was a reader but no longer able to share that joy with me. That being said, we can relate to one another—readers or not—as people, and since so many characters are readers, I wanted to remind readers we can love those who don’t read, too (although maybe we can help them find the perfect book so they try reading again)! We can also understand how illiteracy happens, and hopefully, we can learn to sympathize with it and also help others learn to read in the future.  

The issue of illiteracy developed with Serena’s character over time, but I wouldn’t change Serena for the world. She is smart. She is caring. She loves ice cream, her friends, and stories told beneath the full moon. She falls in love. She cries. She feels pain and sorrow. She laughs.

Serena may be illiterate, but she still has a story.

And so do the millions of people around the globe dealing with illiteracy today. 

That is why she’s my protagonist.


~SAT


November Rain
(Bad Bloods #1)

Shannon A. Thompson

Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: July 18th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Serena isn’t human. She is a bad blood, and in the city of Vendona, bad bloods are executed. In the last moments before she faces imminent death, a prison guard aids her escape and sparks a revolt. Back on the streets determined to destroy her kind, Serena is spared by a fellow bad blood named Daniel. His past tragedies are as equally mysterious as her connection to them.
Unbeknownst to the two, this connection is the key to winning the election for bad bloods’ rights to be seen as human again. But Serena is the only one who can secure Vendona’s vote. Now, Daniel must unite with her before all hope is lost and bad bloods are eradicated, even if it means exposing secrets worse than death itself. United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.



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EXCERPT:

“She used to tell me that a full moon is when mysterious things happen and wishes come true.” I stared at the little paper in my hands. “Do you think she tells my sister those stories?”
Daniel didn’t respond. He only listened. I had told him before I had a sister. He had probably assumed I lied, but I hadn’t. It was the truth, and it tumbled out like a story my mom created before bedtime. I tried to picture her telling stories to my sister, but nothing came. I only saw the little girl, with Mom’s hair and Dad’s eyes, standing in the road, saying my name.
“I’ve never met her,” I confessed, staring at the writing bleeding through the folded end. “I think her name is on this, but I can’t read.”
Daniel reached for it. “I can—”
“No.” I held the note against my chest. “I want to learn and read it on my own,” I explained, softer than my previous snap.
Daniel’s head tilted. “Robert never taught you.”
I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, but I responded anyway. “He can’t read.”
Daniel’s eyes swept over me. He took the time to rub his face before looking away.
“He can’t read,” I repeated, studying his reaction. “Right?”
Daniel’s hand lowered to his lap. “I can teach you,” he said, and when he faced me again, he was remarkably closer than I realized. His hand moved to rest on my knee. My heart stabilized. “What else do you want?”
It was a question I had never heard before, and the way Daniel stumbled over the sentence suggested he had never been able to say it before either. Bad bloods weren’t allowed to want anything. Not even life. So, when I was asked, my mind spiraled into obscurity, never actually solidifying an answer even though I searched for one.
“I’ve never been allowed to want anything,” I confessed.
“Me neither,” Daniel agreed, and for a brief second, I was oblivious to the fact that his lips were on mine.


Author Bio:
Shannon A. Thompson is a twenty-three-year-old author, avid reader, and habitual chatterbox. She was merely sixteen when she was first published, and a lot has happened since then. Thompson's work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies, and her first installment of The Timely Death Trilogy became Goodreads' Book of the Month. As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Between writing and befriending cats, she graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in English, and she travels whenever the road calls her.

Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.shannonathompson.com.

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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Vavaun by Paul E. Horsman - Excerpt & Giveaway




Vavaun: The Shadow of the Revenaunt

by Paul E. Horsman

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Release Date: June 12th 2016
Red Rune Books

Summary from Goodreads:


After helping King Ghyll to his victory in Zihaen, the beastmasters Uwella and Damion turn their attention to their own country of Vavaun.

High time, too, for the rumors have been persistent. There is something wildly amiss in the Gray Order, the temple protecting Vavaun from the Dar’khamorth’s machinations.

When Uwella DeGry, herself a wikke of the Grays and the heir to the throne of Vavaun, returns home with Damion DeAsharte, her mate and main competitor, they find their country in dire straits. Vile sorcerers and their beastmen roam the land, killing and ravaging at will and the Gray Order has almost been wiped out.

With only two very young fire warriors to help them, the ducal beastmasters vow to liberate their country, defeat the Dar’khamorth and bring peace between their competing Houses of Gry and Asharte.

Will even their mighty feline alter egos be strong enough to survive against the dark magic of the Revenaunt’s minions?

Vavaun is a tale of struggle, friendship and bravery against an enemy who plans total annihilation.
It is a stand-alone ‘Shadow of the Revenaunt’-adventure, running parallel to book 3, Ordelanden, and it starts after the final battle at the Owan Abai in Zihaen.




Buy Links:
Amazon

Excerpt:


Damion stared around narrow-eyed and took in the ravage. ‘Ten dead wikken; all of them very old. That should tell us something.’ Then he stiffened. ‘What’s that?’ 
‘What?’
‘I thought I saw a flash coming from that hut.’
Uwella frowned. ‘There never was a hut; that’s where the toolshed stood.’ She hurried over.
‘Careful!’ Damion said, gripping her arm. ‘Look at those scorch marks everywhere. Someone’s been using fire spells recently.’ Then he stopped. ‘That hut – It’s a pavilion; a teleport-platform. So that priest at Underdin was right, your people were starting their own portal.’
‘Wait!’ Uwella said, shaking off his arm. ‘Listen.’
Inside the pavilion, a defiant girl was talking. ‘Scared, pig? You’ll die. I’ll fry you like the others. Why don’t you come closer? COME CLOSER, BEAST!’
Damion looked at Uwella. ‘Who...?’ Then he nearly gasped as the monster stepped from the shadows. It was built like a large human male with a pig’s head, heavily muscled under its bristly pelt, and moving swiftly on its hind hooves. Its hands gripped an ax and from its tusked mouth dripped a white thread of spittle. Its small reddish eyes didn’t see the beastmasters; the pigman’s whole attention was fixed on the one inside the pavilion.
‘DeMannau’s pig,’ Damion whispered, feeling raw fear claw at his innards. He knew it wasn’t the same one; Olle had killed that monster just as he had killed its cruel mistress DeMannau herself. Only the fear he felt was the same.
The pigman stood there, swinging its head to and fro as it tried to see its enemy. Then it charged.
The sharp thwack of a bow pierced the beast’s raging bellow. A flaming arrow shot from the portal and the pig’s challenge turned into a high squeal of agony, then cut off abruptly. The beast stumbled backwards with a tall feather of fire sprouting from its chest, spewing blood and foamy spittle as it died.
‘There!’ the girl in the pavilion yelled. ‘Take that, fool pig!’
‘I know that voice,’ Uwella said, surprised. She walked toward the pavilion. ‘Grisa? It’s me, Uwella DeGry.’
‘Trickery!’ the girl cried. ‘Uwella isn’t here. You’re a traitor, whoever you are. I’ll kill you too, you lying coward!’
‘It’s really me, girl,’ Uwella said. Grisa, Marshal DeKramm’s daughter. She hadn’t seen the girl for several years, but when they were small they’d always been together. Grisa, her twin brother Bartram, and she. Three wild kids; though the DeKramms were several years younger, they’d been the most dauntless playmates a girl could wish for. ‘Remember that basket of pears?’
‘Pears? I... No, you’re lying! It must be a trick. Uwella can’t be here. Show me your face,’ the girl said sharply. ‘Quickly, before I burn you to the ground.’


About the Author

Paul E. Horsman (1952) is a Dutch and International Fantasy Author. Born in the sleepy garden village of Bussum, The Netherlands, he now lives in Roosendaal, a town on the Dutch border with Belgium.

He has been a soldier, salesman, scoutmaster and from 1995 teacher of Dutch as a Second Language to refugees from all over the globe.

Since 2012, he is a full-time writer of epic light fantasy adventures for Y.A. and older. His works have been both trade published in The Netherlands, and self-published internationally.



Author Links:
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GIVEAWAY:

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

The Carver by Jacob Devlin - Excerpt, First Chapter Reading + Giveaway


The Carver
Jacob Devlin

Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: July 19th 2016
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult
THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers . . .
THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . .
THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . .
Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind.
With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.

The #roadtripwithpeterpan has begun! THE CARVER is a young adult fairy tale retelling that takes you on a road trip with an adult Peter Pan as he and the children of some of your favorite characters. Together, they must find out what happened to their missing family members as secrets of the old world and new are revealed, with only Pinocchio’s carvings to guide the way. You can get your copy of THE CARVER by Jacob Devlin on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.


carver3(new date)


EXCERPT:

“Welcome to Sirenetta’s Diner, gentlemen. You boys ever dined here before?”
Liam cut right to the chase. “Are you Mr. Bellamy?”
The man’s face fell into a tight frown, but Crescenzo assumed by the figurine that the frown was just his natural expression. “I am he. The Lord of the Diner.”
“Violet sent us,” Crescenzo said.
“Mm. You mean Heather, yes?”
“Sure?” Crescenzo was still trying to figure out the rule on what he should be calling the Old World people. He supposed Pietro would forever be Pietro to him and he understood why he needed the new name, but he didn’t feel that somebody like Violet, who wasn’t a part of any story Crescenzo had heard before, needed an alias.
Mr. Bellamy plopped two brunch menus in front of Liam and Crescenzo and poured them each a cup of coffee, to Crescenzo’s dismay. Then the old man leaned over the counter and furrowed his eyebrows. In a tense whisper, he said, “Your presence brings ruin to my happy New World life! Where you go, trouble will surely follow. Now, what can I serve you this morning?”






Author Bio:
When Jacob Devlin was four years old, he would lounge around in Batman pajamas and make semi-autobiographical picture books about an adventurous python named Jake the Snake. Eventually, he traded his favorite blue crayon for a black pen, and he never put it down. When not reading or writing, Jacob loves practicing his Italian, watching stand-up comedy, going deaf at rock concerts, and geeking out at comic book conventions. He does most of these things in southern Arizona.
About the Publisher:
BLAZERUN1500Want to stay up to date on everything from Blaze Publishing? Sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a thing! The first 100 subscribers get free Blaze bookmarks (UK, US, and Canada only) AND get added to our Loyal 100 group, which gives you access to exclusive news, teasers, prizes, and ARCs!
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Get ready to give up your time to THE SURRENDERED by Case Maynard–a young adult dystopian sure to suck you in further to with every page! Want to be a part of this new release? You can sign up for the Facebook parties, blog tours, or to review. The #taxonkids is coming!

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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Movies for a Rainy Day by Nikki McCormack + Giveaway


Welcome to author Nikki McCormack! She is sharing her top ten favorite movies to watch on a rainy day.

Movies for a Rainy Day

These are some of my regular go to movies for when I’m sick or just don’t feel like going out into the world.

1. Tangled
2. Howl’s Moving Castle
3. Ever After
4. The Princess Bride
5. Pitch Black
6. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (Ok. Not a movie, but still a go to.)
7. Serenity (or any Firefly episodes)
8. Warm Bodies
9. How to Train Your Dragon
10. Hellboy II: The Golden Army


Now check out her series, Forbidden Things

Titles: Dissident - Exile - Apostate
Series: Forbidden Things #1-3
Author: Nikki McCormack
Publication Dates: July 9, 2015 - December 15, 2015 - April 16, 2016
Genre: Fantasy




BOOK 1: DISSIDENT
Ascard power can strengthen, heal and create. It also has great potential to destroy, enough to topple entire governments. Indigo’s country places strict limitations on the use of ascard so she must channel her talents into the healing arts or risk severe punishment. An orphan from a disgraced family, trapped by her father’s treason, Indigo struggles to reclaim her place in a society that has driven her into an abusive engagement.

Then a mysterious stranger from a neighboring country contacts her using ascard. He needs help escaping his prison so he can bring an end to his emperor's oppressive rule or die trying. His unshakable devotion to his cause and the passion hidden behind his cool arrogance move her to help him at the risk of being branded a traitor herself.

When the politics of society bring them together a second time, Indigo decides to use her growing powers to help him fight his war. If only she dared fight for her own future with such passion. Perhaps she can find the courage to do so by helping the man she has fallen for win his revolution. She might have exactly the power he needs to succeed.




BOOK 2: EXILE
Yiloch, the newly crowned Emperor of Lyra, stands accused of arranging the assassination of the Caithin royal family. Torn between love for Yiloch and her close ties with the royal family, Indigo wants nothing more than to prove the accusation false, but the evidence puts the blood of the family on his hands.

Trying to protect the Lyran prince from the swift descent of Caithin justice, Indigo exposes the workings of an enemy who is willing to kill to protect his secrets. In desperation, she unleashes magic that sends Yiloch deep into the desert of Kudan before fleeing for her life. She must find him again to save his life as well as her own.

Betrayed by ally and by love, stranded by uncontrollable magic, Yiloch struggles to make his way back to the Lyran capital before Caithin can declare war, but standing between him and his empire is a lethal new enemy, wielding magic unlike anything his people have faced before.





BOOK 3: APOSTATE
Being rejected by the man she loves hasn’t stopped Indigo from trying to save his country. Since her own country now sees her as a traitor, she must look elsewhere for help. While Yiloch rushes back to the capital to prepare his empire for battle against an enemy that appears untouchable, Indigo turns to the least likely place to build an army of her own.

The Kudaness, split apart by intertribal rivalries, are bound together in several things, not the least of which are their hatred of her people and their belief that using ascard is an affront to their gods. If she can convince them to excuse her those sins, she still faces the challenge of persuading them to go to war on behalf of their Lyran neighbors. Even if she succeeds, they must defeat a powerful army and then she will have to find a way to clear Yiloch’s name and prove to her country that she is no traitor.

And somewhere out there, Myac is still hunting them both.





Author Bio
Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12 (which is still tucked away in a briefcase in her office). Despite a successful short story publication with Cricket Magazine in 2007, she treated her writing addiction as a hobby until a drop in the economy left her with an abundance of free time to focus on making it her career.

Nikki lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her awesome horse, manipulative cats, and a crazy dog. She’s a wine and tea fanatic who loves sitting on the ocean in her kayak surrounded by open water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She also enjoys horseback riding, archery, PC gaming, dancing, good anime, etc. She studies Japanese and practices Iaido because she believes we should never stop learning.





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