Title: Love Spell Author: Mia Kerick Re-Release Date: August 27th 2018 Published by: Ninestar Press Genre: Young Adult, LGBT
BLURB
Having come to terms with being gay, Chance César is still uneasy with his gender identity, or, as he phrases it, “being stuck in the gray area between girl and boy.” This concern, however, doesn’t stop him from strutting his fabulous stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug-in-all-the-right (wrong)-places orange tuxedo as the winner of this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon Festival at the local Beans and Greens Farm’s annual fall celebration, serenaded by the enthusiastic catcalls of his BFF, Emily Benson. Although he refuses to visually fade into the background of his rural New Hampshire town, Chance is socially invisible—except when being tormented or beat up by familiar bullies. But when Chance, the Harvest Moon Festival’s mockingly-elected Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue (Jazz), the legitimate winner of the Pumpkin Carving King contest, sparks fly. Chance wants to be noticed and admired and romantically embraced by Jazz, in all of his neon orange-haired glory.
And so at a sleepover, Chance and Emily conduct intense research on their laptop computers, and come up with an article in an online women’s magazine called “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You.” Along with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure, it becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.
Quirky, comical, definitely “sickening” (this is a good thing), and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.
What reviewers are saying about LOVE SPELL ~
“Kerick devotes most of the book to sassy fun and first-love desire, but her depiction of the loneliness caused by apathetic parents, the insecurity of extra pounds, the stress of college applications, the meanness of bullies, the importance of forgiveness, and especially the uneasiness of being “stuck in the gray area between girl and boy” make this novel thoroughly enjoyable. The book not only hits upon all manner of teenage angst, but also on the significance of true family values and on the joys of such simple pleasures as high–thread-count sheets, sharing homemade pizza, and playing card games instead of “head games” on a Friday night. The characters are memorable and the dialogue is consistently bright and believable, featuring authentic-sounding teenspeak. The author even defines Chance’s invented vocabulary words (such as “Randatorbs” and “Dooza-palooza”) in a back-of-the-book glossary for readers who can’t keep up.
A comical, thought-provoking YA novel for those who believe in the magic of love without all the hocus-pocus.” – Kirkus Reviews (2015)
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—a daughter in law school, another in dance school, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She writes LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-four years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on emotional growth in turbulent relationships. As she has a great affinity for the tortured hero, there is, at minimum, one in each book. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of said tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press for providing alternate places to stash her stories.
Her books have won a Best YA Lesbian Rainbow Award, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.
Mia is a Progressive, a little bit too obsessed by politics, and cheers for each and every victory in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
Contact Mia at [email protected]. Visit her website for updates on what is going on in Mia’s world, rants, music, parties, and pictures, and maybe even a little bit of inspiration.
BLURB: Sure, being different is cool in New York or L.A., but in a two-convenience store town in the Mid-West, different can be deadly. That’s why 16-year-old star quarterback Josh Hudson has kept quiet on the fact he thinks he might be gay. All he’s concerned with is making it to graduation then making it to one of those far off cities where he can figure things out.
But his parents have other ideas. A whole string of Hudsons have attended the no drinking, no sex, no fun Crystal Falls Military Academy a half hour away. His only shot at avoiding the same fate is an athletic scholarship to a decent public school. To get that, he needs to ace the subject he hates the most: calculus. So when Olympic-level mathlete Perth Standlick moves to town and offers to exchange help with formulas and functions for help with football plays, Josh jumps at the chance.
It turns out Perth is good at more than solving equations. He plays the guitar, has dimples as long as a country mile, and can dance a mean running man. Before Josh knows it, he’s falling for him, upping his grade and discovering he’s ok being who he is. But when what’s going on between them goes viral and Josh is forced to come out, the guy Josh loves, the one who was going to help him achieve his dream, is suddenly the one threatening to ruin his life.
REVIEW: You know, I don’t usually read young adult books. I personally have nothing against them; it’s just not my thing. However, I am really glad that I gave this book a try. This book, its characters and storyline, although done many times, was very well written.
There were a few moments in the book that I felt were dragged out, just a bit, but those moments were few and far between. The editing was on point and I definitely appreciate that as a reader.
This is a story about a young man, or two young men, who are coming to terms with who they are and finding the strength to stand in their truth. I feel that this is a story that many young LGBT people can relate to as I’m sure many experience the same trials and tribulations of coming of age combined with coming out that the young characters in this book does.
I didn’t care too much for the ending but I think that it went well with the flow of the story. All in all, I think this book turned out rather nicely. I would definitely recommend this to a young person who is struggling or questioning their sexual identity. I’m sure that they would find that they could relate to these characters and this book.
BLURB:Sasha was born to, and has always defined himself by, the secret assassins’ Order of the Crimson Scythe. He chose the love of Yarrow L’Estrella and Duncan Purefoy over his duty to his clan, forfeiting his last mission and allowing Prince Garith to live. Now, the order-previously Sasha’s family-has branded him a traitor. He’s marked, and that means the brethren of the Crimson Scythe won’t stop until Sasha is dead.
Garith’s twin kingdoms balance on the brink of war, and all three men have reasons to help the king, whether loyalty, duty, the interests of their own lands, or gold in their pockets. Still, Yarrow and Duncan are willing to abandon their reasons to seek out and destroy the assassins’ order to keep Sasha safe. But Sasha isn’t sure that’s what he wants. Loyalties are strained by both foreign invaders and conspirators in their midst. It’s hard to know which side to choose with threats piling up from every direction and war looming, inevitable, on the horizon. Their world teeters on the precipice of change, and Sasha, Duncan, and Yarrow can only hope the links they’ve forged will hold if Garith’s kingdom is torn apart.
REVIEW: Well, things haven’t settled down any since Book 2. If anything, the situation is even more chaotic than ever! Yarrow and Duncan are at their wits’ end with worry about the threat the Crinsom Scythe pose to Sasha, and Sasha’s indecisiveness isn’t helping any! I’ve been addicted to this sweeping saga since the very first book, and the journey has gotten even better in this awesome book. Gus Li is a master wordsmith, painting a vivid, compelling world where the characters are three dimensional, complex, and I feel like I almost know them as my friends. I DEFINITELY recommend this facinating tale to everyone, and suggest that you start with reading the first two books in this gripping series in order to really appreciate just how great it is. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, and am looking forward to many happy hours of reading.
PARANORMAL ROMANCE GUILD GRAND RE-OPENING Posted by AJ Rose | Feb 27, 2017 | Blog, Paranormal Romance Guild | 0 |
Dear PRG Family–Readers, Reviewers, Authors, and Friends:
WELCOME TO YOUR BRAND NEW HOME FOR THE PARANORMAL ROMANCE GUILD!
We here at The PRG are so excited to provide for you a brand new website where we can all
gather together to celebrate our mutual love for books. Here, you will find some old features that
have been reworked with WordPress and some brand new ones. As you may have noticed,
among all the bells and whistles here – is a website that is streamlined, easier to navigate, and
user-friendly for all.
Along with the website change, there will be some new and exciting things we are going to
promote that bring reader and writer together in the coming year and beyond.
Work in Progress Contests for skilled authors and new authors alike, we’ll be at book
conventions, and like always – we’ll have a book giveaway planned through the year.
BUT, THAT’S NOT ALL!
We here at The Paranormal Romance Guild are seeking to expand our enterprise. Not only do we
wish to grow as an organization, our constant endeavor is to support the artists who work so hard
to produce the books that we all love.
As we’ve diversified to review all works of fiction, we are really working to expand our
membership base as we understand that the relationship between reader and writer is symbiotic.
What good is a story if you’ve got no one to tell it to? And as Amazon has the market in a
constant state of upheaval, and as small presses appear and disappear seemingly overnight, it’s
becoming harder and harder for authors to sustain themselves in the tumult.
We want to serve as a stabilizing force for authors. We here at the PRG are going to dig and
brainstorm ways to make this a reality. We are after all a guild.
So, authors, readers, reviewers, and friends, watch this space in the coming year for more things
we’re going to be sending your way to bring The PRG family even closer together.
Jeff Wilde is waking up from the best and worst five weeks of his life. He remembers his boyfriend breaking up with him. He remembers going camping. He even recalls hitting his head and waking up in 1927, decades before he was born, but now he’s woken up in the 21st century again. His boyfriend claims they never broke up and that Jeff has been in a coma for five weeks. As Jeff eases back into the 21st century life he thought he’d lost, he needs answers. Did he really travel to 1927 or was it all a dream? Did he really save a little girl’s life in 1927? Could that little girl have been his grandmother? Did he change history, and, if he did, was it for the better?
EXCERPT:
A hard object hit Jeff in the leg.
“Wake up!” The voice was male and held a nasal drawl. “I know yer alive. I see ya breathing.”
His head felt like the top was coming off. Jeff moaned and opened his eyes. The barrel of an antique bolt-action rifle was pointed at his head. He frowned. “Hey. Think you could point that thing in some other direction. I’m not armed.” Patting his pockets revealed no weapon except a pocket knife. “At least I don’t have a gun.” He held up the pocket knife.
“Don’t move.” The gun didn’t waver as the man grabbed the knife. “Who are ya, and whatcha doing on my land?”
Jeff tried to answer, but no name came to his mind. He blinked and searched his mind. “I don’t know.” He hesitated and looked up at the man with a frown. “I can’t seem to remember who or where I am. Who are you?”
The man wore a pair of tan trousers held up by a pair of suspenders. An off-white shirt with puffy sleeves and a pair of brown boots completed his wardrobe. He looked to be about the same age as Jeff’s thirty-five years. His sun-bleached hair, topped by a straw hat, touched his shoulders. Hard brown eyes squinted out from under bushy eyebrows, and a stubble of light brown covered his face like he’s forgotten to shave that morning. He moved the rifle away from Jeff’s face. “I’m Cletus Strader, and yer on my land.”
Jeff held his hands out to show they were empty. “Can I sit up, please?”
Cletus moved the gun to hover over Jeff’s chest. “Move real slow like.”
He pulled himself up to sitting position and rubbed the back of his head. “I seem to have hit my head on something. I have a knot there, and it’s painful.” He pulled his hand down and looked at it. Rusty-colored, dried blood was flaked on his fingers. “Maybe that’s why I can’t remember anything.” As he stood, a twinge of pain shot through his ankle, and he nearly fell. “I appear to have twisted my ankle also.”
Cletus rested his gun in the crook of his elbow, grabbed Jeff, and helped him stand by putting his other arm around his waist.
Jeff discovered he was about three inches shorter than Cletus. He liked the feel of his arm around him. Whoa! This was a stranger. Not safe to reveal his feelings. The man could be anti-gay. That was strange thought. What did it mean?
“Ya sure are dressed funny. I’d a thought ya was too old for short pants. And what’s that writing on your shirt? It says ‘Chiefs’ and has an arrowhead on it. It ain’t got no buttons. Kind of looks like it should be underwear, but I ain’t never seed no red underwear.”
Jeff tested his weight on the ankle and looked down at his clothing. “I don’t know. I’m not dressed like you, that’s for sure. You said I’m on your land; where’s that?”
“Outside of Zebra, Missouri.”
“Never heard of Zebra, Missouri. At least I don’t think I have.” His heart was racing. Who was he? Where was he? Who was this man? His head ached from trying to remember.
“Ya sure ya ain’t one of them Govermit men that’s trying to take our land?
“Why is the Government trying to take your land?” The confusion was worsening.
“They want to dam up the Osage River and make a big lake here. Say it’s gonna supply electricity for half the state. Don’t know what we need electricity fer. We gets along jest fine without it.”
“Osage River? That kind of rings a bell.” Jeff looked beyond Cletus and saw a half-plowed field and a mule hitched to a plow at the edge of the woods. He again patted his sides. Now that he was standing, he could feel things better. He pulled a wallet, cellphone, and car keys out of his pockets. “Maybe these will tell us something.”
“Gimme that.” Cletus grabbed the wallet.
Jeff limped over to a fallen tree and sat on it.
Cletus opened the wallet and pulled out money, some credit cards, and Jeff’s driver’s license. “This here money don’t look like nothin’ I’ve ever seed before. It says ‘In God We Trust’. Looks counterfeit to me. The colors look a little funny.” He looked from the license to Jeff. “This here’s yer picture. It says it’s a driver’s license for the state of Missouri. Don’t know many people drive automobiles.” His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. “This says ya was borned in 1981, and this here license was issued in 2015.” He shook his head. “That can’t be. This here is only 1927.”
“Does it say who I am?”
“Says your name is Jeffery Wilde.” Cletus tilted his head to one side. “Does that sound familiar?”
Jeff shook his head and pursed his lips. “No. Can’t say it does.” Anxiety was churning in his stomach. This seemed like a bad dream. His stomach heaved, and he turned and vomited. He wiped his mouth with the tail of his shirt. His mouth tasted of stale beer. That was something at least. He knew what beer tasted like, even the second time around.
When Finn Ryan’s family moves from Austin, Texas, to quiet Woodland Park, Colorado, the summer before his senior year, Finn struggles to adjust. Even the altitude is hard to get used to. But when he meets Ivan Dubovasky at a farmers’ market, all that changes. Finn begins volunteering at Ivan’s family business, High Mountain Wolf and Wild Dog Center, where he forms a bond with both Ivan and the wolves they protect.
Soon Ivan’s best friend, Adrian, who’s asexual, joins their small pack, and the three of them become inseparable, even after Ivan and Finn begin dating—until a bully’s torment of Adrian goes too far. When Adrian disappears, Ivan and Finn will do anything they can to rescue their boyfriend, including relying on a special wolf to bring Adrian home.
Reviewed by A. T. Weaver
I read an article online after finishing this book about how you sometimes don’t finish a novel for various reasons. Had I not been reviewing this book, it would have been one that I put aside after a chapter or two. However, I’m glad I didn’t give up on it.
It starts rather slowly, but then gets better. Drama builds when Adrian disappears and the families of the three boys learn of the bond they have with each other. The families’ acceptance of the bond is to be commended.
Two things bother me about the plot. The rapid turnaround of Channing, and the fact we are to accept that three seventeen-year-olds will spend the rest of their lives together. Of course that may be cynicism on my part as a senior citizen who has seen too many such dreams be dispelled.
First off, I’d like to thank Kimi for having me on the blog today. I’m so happy to be here to promote my young adult novel, The Night Screams, which will be published through Harmony Ink Press on January 28th. I’ve brought along an exclusive excerpt from the book that I’m eager to share with you guys. Hope you all enjoy the read!
The Night Screams
After Cal escapes a deranged kidnapper who tortured him, he doesn’t even have the clothes on his back. Desperate and afraid, he breaks into a convenience store. But Jake, a clerk at the store, confronts what to him is little more than a petty thief. After a violent tussle, he knocks Cal out.
Jake encourages his Uncle Gary, the owner of the store, to report Cal to the police, but Gary can’t bring himself to report a kid who was just looking to steal food. When Cal wakes, Gary asks him if he’s okay. But Cal’s trauma has left him mute. Instead, he has to write his experiences down, relaying the horrifying events that led him to the store. The police track down the sick man who held Cal captive, and when he confronts them with a gun, he’s shot dead. However, Cal discovers that even with his captor gone, he is far from free of the nightmare he endured.
Gary and his wife welcome Cal into their home, determined to help him heal. Jake doesn’t trust Cal, and he isn’t afraid to say so. But buried beneath Jake’s disapproval might be the person who can help Cal recover from the terrifying experience that continues to haunt him.
Exclusive Excerpt
AT LEAST a hundred students filled the auditorium, either side lined with stone pillars decorated with vines of flowers that spiraled from the floor to the ceiling. At the far end of the room, bulky black speakers surrounded a wooden platform where several kids danced. Over the dance floor, white lights were strung across the ceiling, hanging in arcs. Those who weren’t dancing scattered throughout the room, some at tables along the wall, others chatting in clusters that were surely representative of the various cliques at Jake’s school.
It might not have been Cal’s prom, but at least he knew what he’d missed. And being with Jake made it even better than it could have been by himself.
Mallory went straight for the dance floor, and the group followed. When they arrived, Mallory shrieked at a cluster of dancers who must have been her friends. She threw her hands over her head and twirled, displaying her dress for the girls while several guys shifted their attention from their dates to get a look. Once the girls had approved of her outfit, she shook her ass and backed it up to a smaller girl, who giggled and hurried away.
Cal imagined her behavior would have given his mother fits, as he recalled her constantly complaining about young girls and their “naughty dancing.”
“Come on, assholes!” Mallory exclaimed, urging the rest of the group to join in.
No one seemed to be moving, so she hurried to Jake and danced before him until he grabbed her hip, turned her around, and gyrated his pelvis against her butt.
She laughed.
Debra swayed back and forth beside Blake, clearly indicating she wanted to dance, but he just bobbed his head in a way Cal figured might have been Blake’s idea of dancing. Meanwhile Keith and Kendra smiled, seeming to laugh at themselves as they danced to the beat.
“Oh my God,” Kendra said. “You’re insane!”
Cal swayed, almost like Blake, trying to adjust to the music. He approached Debra from the side, hoping he could distract her until Blake was ready to join in. Once Debra saw him, she bent her legs and flapped her hands before her as she broke into her own little number.
“Show me what you got, Blake,” Cal teased.
Blake smirked, then dropped back, his palms meeting the floor. He bent his arms and threw his legs high and spread them, holding them in place midair. He pushed off the floor, twirled in the air, and landed on his forearms as he continued spinning and kicking his legs in various positions.
No… fucking… way.
The crowd clustered around him as he displayed impressive break dancing moves before hopping back to his feet.
“Fucking show-off!” Mallory screamed across the dance floor.
He smirked and shrugged, clearly impressed with his own moves.
Debra beamed as he started dancing with her.
Jake, Cal, and his friends danced for a few songs, everyone just enjoying themselves, laughing at their own ridiculousness. Jake kept close to Cal, as if he would start dancing with him at any moment, but he remained distant. It reminded Cal this was how they had to be in public.
He wondered what it must’ve been like for Jake and Keith to be together, liking each other but always keeping a certain distance to prevent anyone from suspecting their relationship. This was just how things had to be. Even if Cal had remained with his family in Werrington, he surely would have had to be discreet had he and Daryl ever attempted to take things further.
The beat faded to one that was slower. Much slower. It drove home the sorts of activities he’d always be denied because of his deviant attractions.
As everyone coupled up, Cal turned to head off the dance floor.
He felt a tug on his arm. It spun him around until he was face-to-face with Jake.
“Where you going?” Jake asked as he released Cal’s arm and gripped onto his hands.
“What are you doing?” Cal scanned the room.
What was Jake thinking? Did he want everyone to bully him for the rest of the year?
“What do you think I’m doing?” he asked with a smile.
Cal noticed a few glances their way and blushed.
A group of guys outside the dance floor, standing beside a table with a large punch bowl, snickered and chatted as they gazed at him and Jake.
Cal’s chest tightened. He looked to Jake, panicked.
“Don’t worry about them. Just have a good time.”
Cal’s fear dissipated until he caught a glimpse of Keith, who while dancing with Kendra, stared at them. He wore a sad expression, which he turned from them. Cal figured it was upsetting to see the man he’d had to be closeted with flaunting his affections in public.
“Just look at me,” Jake said.
He did.
Jake’s eyes sparkled, the reflection of the overhanging lights appearing to be stars in the dark night of his pupils.
Jake led Cal in their dance.
For a moment, though he could feel and hear the presence of everyone around him, Jake was the only one he could see, and Jake’s gaze made him feel like he felt the same way about Cal.
He scanned those beautiful eyes, those dimples that dug into his cheek as he grinned ear to ear.
It reminded him of that night at the fire. Jake wasn’t just hot. He was beautiful, so beautiful all Cal could do was fixate on the lone freckle on Jake’s temple, the dip in the middle of his upper lip, the cluster of twisted hairs at the inner corner of his right eyebrow. He wondered how such a beautiful combination had come about. Whatever had made his face so perfect left Cal breathless.
Devon McCormack spends most of his time hiding in his lair, adventuring in paranormal worlds with his island of misfit characters. A good ole Southern boy, McCormack grew up in the Georgian suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.
A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men’s presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they’re getting into.
Before I get started: Magic Fell isn’t a romance. It has a romantic sub-plot, but overall it’s a high fantasy adventure.
[waits]
Still with me? Okay then.
You might already know the backstory behind this. A novel written on request from a beloved grandmother. A once-popular role playing forum set in a mages’ guild. If I were the type to make bad puns, I might say the combination was…magic.
…
Sorry. I’ll try not to do that again for the duration of the post.
Magic Fell is the first in a trilogy that centers on Tasis Kadara, his adopted sister Zaree, and their friend Kelwin. Oh, and the cat. K’yerin would happily tell you that he’s the most important character in the book.
I wanted to write some short pieces to share with you during this blog tour, but as this is the first book, it took me a while to figure out what I could write that wouldn’t involve spoilers. And then it hit me – why not write the very beginning?
In the prologue, you witness the end of the guild, a millennium before Tasis is even born. The leader of the guild at that point in time is a woman named Trivintaie, who washed up on the isle’s beach when she was a young woman. I thought it might be fun to write a few short pieces set before the prologue, starting from when Triv washes up, to give everyone a better feel for what exactly is lost when the guild is destroyed.
So read on, and I hope you enjoy. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a paperback or ebook copy of Magic Fell! I’ll be pulling winners on May 29th.
***
“You’re sure about this?” Triv asked, giving Trekelm a sideways glance from the comfortable library chair she was curled up in. “I mean, I saw what it did to Falcon.”
The guild’s leader let out a snort. “Falcon. That girl was far too early in her training to attempt that, and she did it without permission or guidance because she wanted to impress you.”
“It took her a month to wake up,” Trivintaie said firmly. “No matter her reasons, I don’t want that to happen to me.”
“Please,” Corrin snorted from his seat across the room. “You have a damn dragon for a master. You could probably flick your fingers to do this, then go engage in a round of swordplay with Gyr. Uh, Master Gyr,” he amended quickly as Trekelm glared at him. “Oh come on, Master. Gyr’s the one who told us he didn’t want us using some stuffy title to address him.”
“You’re not a master yet, so you’ll address him with the respect he deserves,” Trekelm told the young man firmly before pointing at Triv. “And you need to remember that I may not be your master, but I do lead the guild. Do you really think I’d tell you you’re ready if I wasn’t 100% certain?”
“Well, no,” Triv allowed grudgingly. “But please remember that I was the one who found Falcon after she cast the spell.”
“She succeeded,” Corrin reminded her.
Triv shot him a glare. “She did, but it nearly killed her.”
“You’ll be fine,” Trekelm said in what Triv assumed was supposed to be a reassuring voice. It wasn’t. Not really.
“If I die, I’m having Corrin resurrect me so I can smack you,” she muttered as she opened the leather book she’d placed on her lap earlier. It had no title, but the pages held spells in a language no one truly understood that she’d learned over the past few years. She flipped open pages carelessly, pausing when she finally reached the entry she was looking for. She stared at it for a long moment before looking over at Corrin. He nodded and gave her a wink. She rolled her eyes, an expression that was completely ruined by the fact that she could feel her face heating, and spoke the words on the page.
“Tova songei temi dova.”
There was a deep tone, more vibration than sound, that shuddered through the library. Trivintaie barely noticed the startled look Corrin shot Trekelm, instead concentrating on chanting the words. She wasn’t sure it was even working, until suddenly a shock of magic ran through her body, making her scream the words.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, everything went still and silent.
There was a hole hanging in mid-air in front of Trivintaie.
“You did it!” Corrin shouted with a laugh. He made to join her, but Trekelm grabbed him and held him back.
“Wait,” the guild leader hissed. “Her familiar hasn’t appeared yet.”
“Yes, he has,” Triv said with a short laugh.
As one, Corrin and Trekelm stared at the strange opening. There was something…twitching?
“Whiskers,” Corrin said. “Whatever it is, it has whiskers.”
“It’s safe,” Triv said to the owner of the whiskers that were peeking into the room. It was odd, seeing only the strands and nothing else. “I didn’t call out for you to make you a slave.”
Truth.
The voice echoed in Triv’s head, and she held back a laugh of relief.
“Truth,” she agreed. “No one here will hurt you. I seek only guidance and kinship.”
The whiskers moved, pressing into the room where they were quickly following by a nose, then an entire muzzle, then the head of a cat. A purple cat. It blinked as it took in its surroundings, then turned its intelligent gaze to Trivintaie. The feline eyes widened in what Triv would have thought was surprise if it had been a human.
You’re–
“I’m Trivintaie,” Triv said. “I’m hoping we can be friends.”
The rest of the cat slid into view as it leapt gracefully to the floor from wherever it had been called from, the hole in the air closing behind him. We will be very good friends, the cat assured her. It stopped to groom its tail, and Triv was made aware in the most awkward manner possible that the feline was in fact a he, not an it. My name is K’yerin. I look forward to seeing what you can do.
Want More?
Thunder rumbled overhead. Tasis’s body felt as if it had been pricked by a thousand needles, much like his limbs had fallen asleep and were in the process of waking back up. He shivered, more from fear than cold, and stood silently. After a moment the feeling faded. When nothing else happened after a few minutes, he said the phrase again, his voice taking on a firm edge.
The room glowed faintly with the words, as if another candle had been lit. Tasis’s eyes widened, but he said the phrase again, this time feeling as if he were unable to stop the words from escaping his mouth. He repeated it once more, then twice, and it quickly became a chant. The room seemed to fill with light, and Tasis had to shield his eyes. His vision started to blur, and he felt as if he were being physically pulled by the words. As he chanted the walls began to crackle as if charged with the lightning outside.
He was yelling the words now, though he was unaware of it. The only thing he was aware of was the pull and the feeling of energy draining from his body. He tried to shut his eyes against the blinding light but found he couldn’t. His body began to tremble, and he was quite sure he was going to pass out if he couldn’t stop. There was another clap of thunder over the house, and the crackling energy in the walls seemed to gather tightly into itself.
Tasis’s knees gave out, and he landed on the floor. The energy imploded, and as he began to lose consciousness he could see a strange hole of some sort hanging in midair. Something emerged from the hole, and he heard the familiar voice speak to him once more.
It certainly took you long enough.
With that, Tasis was thrust into blissful darkness.
Tasis was standing on the cliff, but he wasn’t alone. He could see himself standing there, facing an army. No, it wasn’t him, he realized after a moment. It was the woman from the first dream, and the likeness was uncanny, despite the fact the woman in front of him was obviously human. The man leading the army yelled something at the woman, but Tasis couldn’t hear him. It was like trying to listen to someone speak underwater. The woman had a defiant look on her face as she yelled something back at the man before turning and raising her arms. The wall of water rose from the sea and hovered above them for a brief moment before it began to crash down.
Tasis woke screaming, only to find himself in bed with Zaree hovering over him. “Thank the Maker,” Zaree cried out, throwing herself at him. “You finally woke up.”
Tasis sat up and put his hands to his face as he began to sob. Where the tears came from, he wasn’t sure, but Zaree held him tight as he did. “You’ve been out cold for two days,” she said softly. “I came home to find you on the floor, and the healer couldn’t figure out what might be wrong with you. I didn’t know what to do.”
Tasis wiped his eyes and gave Zaree a horrified look. “Two days?”
Zaree nodded, leaning her forehead against his. “Nothing would rouse you. The oddest thing happened, though. When I came home, there was a strange-colored cat sitting on our porch. When I opened the door, he came straight to your room and sat down right next to you. He seemed friendly enough, so I let him stay. We could use a cat anyway, to keep mice out of the pantry.”
Mice? The voice in his head sounded indignant. A silver tabby cat—who actually looked vaguely purple, Tasis realized—jumped onto the bed and butted its head against his arm. Tasis reached out mechanically and stroked it between the ears, earning himself a loud purr as the cat settled into his lap, looking pleased with itself.
“We ought to name him if we’re going to keep him,” Zaree noted as she gave the cat’s ears a fond rub.
“K’yerin,” Tasis said immediately, not sure how he had known. “His name is K’yerin.”
Zaree hummed thoughtfully before giving a quick nod. “I like it. K’yerin it is.” She cleared her throat and glanced over at Tasis. “Do you remember what happened before you passed out?”
“I was….” Tasis paused as a flash of memory came back to him. The walls glowing and crackling, a thunderclap, a hole in midair. All centered around one phrase.
“What is it?” Zaree asked, sounding even more worried than before. “What were you doing?”
Tasis sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands before looking down at the cat in his lap. K’yerin looked up at him, and Tasis could swear the feline was smirking at him.
“I think I was doing magic,” Tasis said in a heavy voice.
Zaree went pale. “Oh dear,” she said for lack of a better expression. “That could cause problems.”
Tasis sighed again and leaned back in bed. “Don’t I know it.”
K’yerin merely purred.
Blurb:
Past and present are about to collide, and the world will never be the same.
Magic has been missing from the world for a millennium, and itís needed now more than ever. It falls to young Tasis Kadara to revive the fabled Magesí Guild of the Dragonís Claw. But in a culture where arcane power is forbidden and practitioners are executed, Tasis will have to keep his own aptitude for magic secret. With nothing to direct them besides bizarre dreams and a mysterious cat, Tasis and his sister Zaree undertake a quest to discover the hidden island that was once home to the guild.
Kelwin Tiovolk departs his village following his mentorís suggestion. As an elf wandering into human civilization, heís in danger simply for being who he is. A brawl at an inn leads him straight into the path of the young man heís been dreaming about, and heís compelled to help Tasis and his sister any way he can. Together, the trio might have a chance of accomplishing their missionóor the attempt might kill them.
Bio:
Andi Van is a foul-mouthed troublemaker who lives near San Diego with a small fluffy thing named Koi, a baseball bat thatís forever being used for things other than baseball, and a fondness for rum and caffeine (though not necessarily together).
Andi is fluent in three languages (English, sarcasm, and profanity), and takes pride in a highly developedóif somewhat bizarreósense of humor.
Guest Post:
I have been an amateur writer for a long time—so long that I made a YouTube channel dedicated entirely to talking about the trials of being an amateur writer. It was a nice niche I’d settle in, and I was happy there.
Even so, I’m thrilled beyond words to have my first novella published by Harmony Ink this month. It’s a story that’s near and dear to my heart, and it hits a ton of my favorite tropes: secret identities, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, teen geniuses, secret societies, and overly complicated doomsday mechanisms.
It may be just another heartwarming tale of teenagers discovering corrupt power structures and themselves, but I hope you come to love it as much as I do.
–Hayden Scott
Excerpt:
“Dynaman, to the bell tower!” Max’s mother bellowed at him, swinging wildly from Mr. Magnificent’s shoulders as he heaved, trying to unseat her.
“You won’t get away with this, Catalyst,” Mr. Magnificent declared. “Your days are numbered!”
“You couldn’t even count high enough for that!” sneered Max’s mom, and she toppled them both over the railing onto a large conveyor belt.
Max sighed.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t committed to the mission or didn’t understand how important their work was. It was just that his mom and Mr. Magnificent had the same exchange every other week. And the worst part was that Mr. Magnificent was always right—he never let Max and Catalyst detonate their doomsday device, even though it would make a totally impressive battle finale. A lever always broke at the wrong time, or the sharks escaped the shark tank, or one time his mom’s monologue ran long enough for the SWAT team to arrive.
It was enough to give a guy a complex.
But Max flew up to the bell tower anyway, because one time he had gone home in the middle of a fight, and he was pretty sure he was technically still grounded.
The doomsday device sat proud and tall like a throne on the stone floor at the base of the bell. Max crouched in the windowsill for a moment, observing its majesty, then indulged himself in a midair backflip as he landed in front of it.
He could still be badass even if no one was around to see it. Blurb:
Max Jackson spends his days worrying about the same things most teenagers do—homework, college admission, and how to detonate the doomsday device his mom built in their basement. As a member of the “Injustice League,” Max has devoted his life to destroying his city’s corrupt power structure. Everything is going according to plan until all-American superhero Crush Goodman steals the device right out from under him. Max’s life gets even more complicated when Crush starts stalking him at school and acting friendlier than he ever should to his archnemesis. Caught between his evolving feelings for Crush and wanting to protect his secret identity, Max has to steal his device back and show Crush the true meaning of supervillainy.
Hayden likes magic, adventure, romance, and puns. She has no idea where she is going but hopes that writing stories will make the journey more interesting.
Max Jackson is your typical teenage boy, concentrating on his classes at school and being accepted into a good university after graduation. There’s just the small matter of the bomb in his basement, one Max and his fellow members of the “Injustice League” plan to use to level their city’s unethical government. Too bad superhero Crush Goodman puts a stop to their plans. Max understands why Crush would steal the League’s doomsday device, but why is Crush following him around and acting like they’re friends? When the reprehensible Doctor Decay butts his head into Max’s business, Max has to figure out how to save the city he’s always worked to destroy—with or without Crush’s help.
Kimi’s thoughts:
This was a short and sweet story but it didn’t quite gel for me. The issues with being short is that you often have a lot of information to cram in and this managed to get just enough background story to it to make me feel as if I’d tuned into a TV episode halfway through the second season without having watched the previous episodes.
The pacing felt a bit off as well and the comedic spin would have been funnier had the characters not been quite so two dimensional. The superhero types were rendered to mere props who were caricatures of cartoons, making the more serious social message Max shares about what the “good guys” and “media spin” less effective than it could have been. Overall, it was a great concept but the execution wasn’t quite there. It left me feeling rushed and vaguely lost.
