On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Book Tour Grand Finale for
The Truth Between Us
By Tammy L. Gray
We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
Launch – Interview with the Author
1. What was your motivation behind writing THE TRUTH BETWEEN US?
One of my goals in writing is to have a deeper meaning come through the story. Since this book is the second in a series, I always knew April and Sean would get their happy ending, but choosing the inspirational thread was a little more challenging. I wanted to show how even the strongest of people can hurt in silence. April is tough, guarded and defensive. But she also has a myriad of wonderful qualities—loyalty and kindness—if she would lonely allow herself to love. As her arc progressed, I could clearly see her need to understand unconditional love and did my best to show how God’s love doesn’t come with strings or conditions.
Remembrancy – Review
“In The Truth Between Us, Gray focuses on how the unconditional love of one person covers over years of fighting to measure up to others expectation, seeking acceptance to the point of losing who you are meant to be.
It’s not an easy road to traverse, there are switchbacks, wrong turns, potholes, and deep ruts to navigate along the way. But with friends to navigate her back to the route, April just might find herself.”
Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Excerpt
Chapter 1 – Sean
Nine months, twenty-seven days, and four hours.
The last time he’d had contact with the woman he was supposed to marry. The woman who’d chosen misguided loyalty and lineage over his unconditional love.
Sean drummed his left fingers against the steering wheel, his right hand occupied with the ring April had so easily returned. He slid the smooth gold onto his pinky, the same way he had in the jewelry store to measure its size. It stopped at his knuckle, the light bouncing off the diamond in an array of beautiful colors.
All-of-a-kind Mom – Review
“The second book in Tammy Gray’s Bentwood series, and it was just as attention-grabbing as the first!This one has April as the main character, and I was completely hooked into her and her life!
I was enthralled and captivated by her story…
Ms. Gray skillfully wove life lessons, and much truth, into this story line. We need to let go of who we think others are demanding us to be, and look for the person God wants us to be.”
Christian Chick’s Thoughts – Review
“When I started reading The Truth Between Us, I wasn’t sure what to think. . . . But as I kept reading and got to know them each better, I found myself drawn into the story, which ended up being a beautiful tale of redemption and forgiveness.
…Though it took me a while to get into, The Truth Between Us is a really engaging story, and I’ll definitely be coming back for book three.”
The Power of Words – Review
“I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am thrilled to have discovered the writing of Tammy L. Gray. The Truth Between Us is an extremely well-written relationship drama with a strong, compelling plot and themes of grace and redemption. Honestly, I never wanted to put it down.”
Uplifting Reads – Review
“They have such a beautiful and rich past together, stretching way back to their early days. And it just feels like so much was a misunderstanding that they never had a chance to work through. Reading this was a great way to relax on a hot summer’s day. I want to read the first book in the series now, to get a better understanding of this book. And I would be interested in reading the next one to follow up on where everyone goes, and to figure out what is happening with some of the other characters.”
My Scribbler’s Heart – Review
“I appreciate how Tammy Gray has met these characters where they are at, largely broken and faithless. The subtle introduction of Christianity is unseen and realistic, given entry by the desires written on their hearts, the natural law, and those God has put in their path.”
Locks, Hooks and Books – Excerpt
Chapter 2 – April
She slipped away quietly and continued toward the altar as if the wedding march were playing through the wind. A melody imprinted in her soul with each careful step.
At the front, the white wooden arbor draped with lace and held together at the corners by bouquets of pink roses, was just like the one April had seen in a magazine, but Sean had staunchly vetoed the idea of a fancy arbor, not wanting anything to distract from the beauty of their venue.
Or the beauty of his bride, he’d said, ruining her chance to argue. He was the only person she knew who could make her cave with so little effort.
C Jane Read – Review
“Once I connected with the characters I couldn’t put the story down. This is an emotional story filled with a powerful message of discovering yourself, a wonderful example of unconditional love and what trust really means.”
Reading Is My SuperPower – Review
“The Truth Between Us takes us on a roller coaster of emotions, from passion to anger to hurt to redemption and everything in between. Sean and April are complex characters and their story is as layered as they are. Tammy L. Gray is extremely skilled at writing in such a way that the reader feels part of the story too, and nothing feels forced or out of place. The sweet ending and the undertones of redemption do not cancel out the rawness of the story itself, rather it gives the journey an edge of grace that makes it all worth it.”
Book by Book – Review
“So, if you like to read romantic, character-based fiction, add The Truth Between Us to the TBR. Tammy L. Gray tells the story so well that it’s hard not to enjoy it. I know I certainly did (so much so that I’m once again left very eager to read more of the series), and I recommend it.”
Author Austin Ryan – Review
“With The Truth Between Us, I had nothing to worry about, and here’s why: Sean Taylor.
I had a hard time liking the other main characters until later in the book. But Sean, I loved from the start, for the same reasons all the Bentley Brats love him: he’s funny, he’s daring, he’s passionate, he’s authentic.
…I found a story that shows the great impact of being loved unconditionally, and how very different that kind of love is from the conditional kind.”
Faithfully Bookish – Excerpt
Chapter 3 – April
The hostess smiled at her warmly, and April motioned toward the man already standing to greet her. Aiden had secured a table next to the towering windows at the back of room. They faced north, allowing the sky to reflect the beauty of dusk without the spotlight of the setting sun. With the light to his back, a halo encircled his blond head and saintly face. Lucifer himself would be jealous of the effect.
Wishful Endings – Excerpt
Chapter 3 – April
“I pay attention.” His tone was casual, as was the way he dismissed the waitress with a nod. “Especially to people who fascinate me.”
“Careful Aiden, one might think you’re flirting.” She was amazed at the ease in which she threw out those words when warning sparks were firing through her body. “You forget I’ve known you too long to be charmed by your looks and good manners. You offered a proposition. Get to it.”
Tell Tale Book Reviews – Excerpt
– Sean
Sean wasn’t sure about anything anymore except that in three days he’d be face to face with the two people who’d trampled his heart. “Surprising her is the only way I’ll know if we still have a chance.” She was too good at hiding her feelings. Too good at shutting out every single emotion she didn’t want to feel.
“Okay. But know this. If a blow up occurs, I will take her side.” Andrew had abandoned the Duncan kingdom and had admitted more than once that he didn’t understand his sister’s choices. Still, his loyalty was unwavering.
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Review
“This is a great story. I shows just how evil people can be and how power and money can tear a family apart.
The characters are well-developed and I enjoyed the group of friends. The way they continued to remain close for so many years was fun to see…
I would recommend this book to other readers.”
Redeemed Hope Dweller – Review
“There’s an abundance of depth and richness and beauty to this book and the series it’s in, to its characters and their relationships, and to the themes present throughout. I’m very much looking forward to revisiting all these characters that tug on my heartstrings, that make me think, and that have become real to me in Ms. Gray’s next addition to the Bentwood Series.”
Among the Reads – Review
“I really loved Sean. He was so alive. His love for April was so incredible it almost hurt to see. He’d loved her ever since they were kids. Waiting patiently. It was the kind of love every girl dreams of. A sacrificing, forever kind of love. Sigh…
This book chews you up, spits you out and then puts you back together again. It leaves you with tears in your eyes and yet a satisfied kind of warmth in your chest at the end…”
Christen Krumm – Review
“If you are needing a sweet escape from this summer heat (and let’s be honest … with the heat wave this week, who doesn’t?) you aren’t going to want to miss Tammy L. Gray’s The Truth Between Us.
The newest addition to Gray’s Brentwood series is every bit as toe tingling as I hear the first one is…
I felt like this book was down to earth. It was a little bit gritty — just like you’d encounter in real life, and I found that very refreshing.”
Heidi Reads… – Review
“I’ve been eagerly anticipating April and Sean’s story since meeting them in the first book and wondering how on earth the author planned to get them back together. . . . They have great chemistry, even when they are in the midst of conflict, and the process of reconciliation was gratifying. I appreciated the positive influence of Caroline, a newcomer to the group of longtime friends, and once again I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the Bentwood series!”
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…
The Truth Between Us
(Bentwood #2)
By Tammy L. Gray
Inspirational Contemporary Romance
ebook, 252 Pages
July 12th 2018
Nine years to win her. Three years to love her. And one decision that destroyed it all.
April Duncan was raised with three clear truths: the family name is absolute, ambition and success rule over every emotion, and love always comes with strings attached. Image was everything in her carefully crafted world… until the mirror cracked.
Sean Taylor was April’s best friend, the one man who taught her it was okay to let her guard down and to rely on someone. She trusted him. She loved him. Which made his deception the darkest kind of cruelty.
Now, nearly a year later, she’s ready to leave her failed engagement in the past and get back her life and her estranged family, even if it means dating a man solely for his connections. She’ll never again choose love over loyalty.
Sean has spent his entire life breaking barriers, facing challenges, and never giving up. Until one impossible choice destroyed his future and left him no option but to flee from the woman who annihilated his heart.
Now he’s back in Bentwood and determined to make her hear the truth and rebuild the trust he shattered. But April has become a mere shell of the woman who claimed his heart long ago.
Winning her back is more than just seizing a victory, because if he fails… the girl he’s loved for a lifetime will disappear forever.
The Truth Between Us is the second book in the Bentwood series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but it is recommended that you begin with book one to get the full experience among this tight group of family and friends.
Other Books in the Series
Until I Knew Myself
(Bentwood #1)
By Tammy L. Gray
Inspirational Contemporary Romance
ebook, 264 Pages
March 8th 2018
RITA Award-winning author Tammy L. Gray delivers an unforgettable new series following five struggling friends in search of the true meaning of family through secrets, betrayal and the unexpected influence of an outsider…
Tyler Mitchell grew up an orphan, taken in by his best friend’s family when he was only sixteen. Even though ten years have passed, and he’s been given everything he should ever want—a loving home, an adoring girlfriend, a successful career, and lifelong friendships—Tyler has always felt a foreigner in his own life.
When a surprising phone call reveals the death of his biological grandfather, Tyler’s seemingly perfect life starts to unravel. The people he loves most in world have kept from him the greatest secret of all—knowledge of his father’s family.
Now hunting for more information about his past, Tyler discovers nothing is quite as it seems. And the definition of family is far more complicated than choosing between blood and loyalty.
About the Author
Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas, even the erratic weather patterns. She writes modern Christian romance with true-to-life characters and culturally-relevant plot lines. She believes hope and healing can be found through high quality fiction that inspires and provokes change.
Her characters are real, relatable and deep, earning her a 2017 RITA award in the Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements category.
When not chasing after her three amazing kids, Tammy can be spotted with her head in a book. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry.
Tour Giveaway
– 1 winner will receive a Kindle ebook of UNTIL I KNEW MYSELF, book one in The Brentwood Series, and a $10 Amazon eGift Card
– Open internationally
– Ends July 25th
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Welcome to the Book Blitz for
The Celery Patch
By Samantha Bayarr
Learn more about the start of this new Amish romance series with
a touch of mystery, read an excerpt, and enter the giveaway below…
a touch of mystery, read an excerpt, and enter the giveaway below…
(Amish Acres #1)
By Samantha Bayarr
Amish, Christian Romance
By Samantha Bayarr
Amish, Christian Romance
Paperback & ebook, 265 Pages
June 21st 2018
When a celery patch mysteriously crops up overnight in the Yoder’s field, it attracts some unwanted suitors competing for Naomi’s hand.
Someone has grown an oversized patch of celery in Naomi’s family field and now she’s being accused of trying to “catch” a husband. Will rumors spread by a jealous friend damage her reputation and threaten her chances of marrying the man she loves?
Excerpt
“I’m getting married this wedding season, too!” Naomi Yoder blurted out before she could stop the words from pouring from her lips.
Her sister, Ruthie, sucked in her breath and covered her mouth, then quickly recovered from the shock.
Her best friend, Katie Troyer, squealed and pulled Naomi into a hug. “So he asked you, then?” Katie gushed, a giggle exploding from deep within her.
Not exactly!
Ruthie sat across from them. “Who asked you? Jeremiah?”
Naomi nodded, enjoying the attention she was getting over her fake announcement.
Annie Lapp, who’d walked over to their house to discuss a community quilt project, sank into the wicker chair nearest the swing where Naomi and Katie sat. “I don’t believe you, Naomi; you’re a liar!”
Naomi felt her blood run cold despite the heat of the morning sun beaming across the covered porch; her heart drummed against her ribs like a team of horses galloping at full speed. Of course, it was a lie, but she didn’t have much experience with lying the way Annie did; was it possible the girl’s bad habits were rubbing off on her? She hadn’t meant to say it, especially in front of Annie, who was the biggest gossip in the community. If only Katie hadn’t made her jealous with her own wedding news to Benjamin Mast. Not only had it made her worry that she was the last to make such an announcement from her age group, but Naomi just couldn’t take another minute of Annie’s or her sister’s teasing.
Hearing the word spinster coming from her own sister’s mouth had caused her to overreact, and now it was too late to take it back. Not only would Annie tell the entire community about her lie, but she would also add her own lies to make the situation worse. Annie annoyed her with her constant invasive prying, just so she’d have something to gossip about. Well, this time, Naomi had gone and given her plenty to wag her tongue about.
Her sister, Ruthie, sucked in her breath and covered her mouth, then quickly recovered from the shock.
Her best friend, Katie Troyer, squealed and pulled Naomi into a hug. “So he asked you, then?” Katie gushed, a giggle exploding from deep within her.
Not exactly!
Ruthie sat across from them. “Who asked you? Jeremiah?”
Naomi nodded, enjoying the attention she was getting over her fake announcement.
Annie Lapp, who’d walked over to their house to discuss a community quilt project, sank into the wicker chair nearest the swing where Naomi and Katie sat. “I don’t believe you, Naomi; you’re a liar!”
Naomi felt her blood run cold despite the heat of the morning sun beaming across the covered porch; her heart drummed against her ribs like a team of horses galloping at full speed. Of course, it was a lie, but she didn’t have much experience with lying the way Annie did; was it possible the girl’s bad habits were rubbing off on her? She hadn’t meant to say it, especially in front of Annie, who was the biggest gossip in the community. If only Katie hadn’t made her jealous with her own wedding news to Benjamin Mast. Not only had it made her worry that she was the last to make such an announcement from her age group, but Naomi just couldn’t take another minute of Annie’s or her sister’s teasing.
Hearing the word spinster coming from her own sister’s mouth had caused her to overreact, and now it was too late to take it back. Not only would Annie tell the entire community about her lie, but she would also add her own lies to make the situation worse. Annie annoyed her with her constant invasive prying, just so she’d have something to gossip about. Well, this time, Naomi had gone and given her plenty to wag her tongue about.
About the Author
Samantha Bayarr, a former Paralegal, became the first Independent Author of Amish Fiction when she published Little Wild Flower in paperback in 2005. Since then, she has written over 130 Christian Fiction Books in Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Western & Cowboy Romance, Amish Romance, and Amish Suspense.
She lives in an historic home in a small town in Florida with her husband, John Foster, who writes children’s books. Samantha illustrates her husband’s books, the first in the series entitled: Walla Walla and the Great Pirate Adventure. Check out these wonderful stories with a Christian message and over 50 full-color illustrations in each book.
Samantha Bayarr founded Livingston Hall Publishers in 2002. Named after her great, great grandfather, Edward Livingston Hall, who owned a publishing house in the late 1800’s, until his passing; Samantha resurrected this legacy as a way of honoring him for passing onto her his love for the written word.
Blitz Giveaway
1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends July 20th
Hi,
I’m fantasy author Sarah Ashwood, and I have a confession to make: I’ve only written a couple of blog posts before, so please bear with me as we go through this. When Annie kindly offered a spot on her blog for me to chat about my new book, I struggled with what to say. Of course, I could try to tell you the plot without giving away spoilers. (Unless you happen to be like me and actually like spoilers. I admit it, I’m that person—that horrible person who loves spoilers! I always read the end of the book before I reach it to see what happens.) Confessions aside, it was suggested I highlight what’s unique about this book and hopefully makes it stand out in the fantasy genre, so let me go there. To begin with, Aerisian Refrain is the first book in a brand new series called Beyond the Sunset Lands. It’s a planned four book series, and it’s a companion series to my Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy. It’s set in the same world, Aerisia, which Annie has already featured on Realm Explorers.
You don’t actually have to have read the first trilogy to read Aerisian Refrain. I tried to include enough information in Aerisian Refrain that readers new to my world wouldn’t be lost. So, these books, the first trilogy and this new series, are epic fantasy and portal fantasy, but they’re also heavily tinged with a fairytale influence, because I grew up on fairytales and still love them. You’ll meet characters and races in my books that you may not see as much in standard epic fantasy, like fairies and giants and unicorns. I enjoy mixing it up: I also have pirates based off 18th century buccaneers, as well as an army patterned after the military of ancient Rome. (Ancient Rome is another obsession of mine.)
Those are some of the fun features of my world building. As for Aerisian Refrain itself, what makes this particular book unique is that my MC, Annie Richards, is from Oklahoma and is part Cherokee. I’m a lifelong Okie myself, and grew up in the part of the state where the Cherokees have their capital. I’ve always been intrigued by Cherokee history and culture. I didn’t actually set Annie where I’m from, however. I had her grow up out in the panhandle of Oklahoma, which is sparsely populated. I’ve driven through there a couple of times, and thought it was such a wild, beautiful place. It was very inspiring to the background of this book, and formative to Annie’s character. Now, Native Americans are not heavily featured in epic fantasy literature or art, the latter of which was a little frustrating when I was writing this book. I like to create Pinterest boards for each of my books and save pins for characters that I find inspirational. It drove me crazy that I had such a difficult time finding any epic-fantasy-type art featuring Native Americans. I wanted so badly to find a picture of a Native American girl with a dragon, and never did. One of my favorite scenes of Aerisian Refrain is where Annie sings a Cherokee lullaby to a dragon. I would’ve loved a pin that resembled this scene in any way. Couldn’t find it, but in my searching I ultimately did discover the art of Traci Rabbit, a Cherokee artist from Oklahoma. That’s a whole ‘nother story, but I mention it because I fell deeply in love with Ms. Rabbit’s work, with its blend of heritage and fantasy, and I think it’s well worth mentioning.
But back to what I was saying. When I realized in the course of plotting that Annie was going to be from Oklahoma and that she was part Cherokee, I knew I had to delve into Cherokee culture and heritage and weave elements of that into my book. Cherokee mythology and folklore are chalk full of interesting characters and stories. Honestly, it was very hard to narrow them down, but I finally settled on three prominent figures that absolutely fascinated me. The first was a Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï: a Raven Mocker. This creature is scary. I mean, scary. I read up on stories about Raven Mockers that had me looking over my shoulder at night. (I get spooked easily.) Check out this moment from Aerisian Refrain when Annie first encounters the Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï :
I would’ve run, but where could I go? There were probably still people on the road, people to whom I couldn’t risk leading the Raven Mocker, a creature so powerful that, according to the Cherokee legends I’d heard, other witches flee before their kind. The raven-like cry of a Kâ’lanû Ahkyeli’skï, which is where the Raven Mocker earns its name, means someone is going to die—much like banshees in Irish folklore. Often, they appear when a person is dying to steal and consume the liver or the heart. Sometimes they torture and kill their victim by cutting open the head, then eating the heart. A year is added to their life for every year their victim would have lived, making a Raven Mocker almost immortal, and accounting for their appearance as an old, wizened man or woman when in human form. They can fly through the air in fiery bird shape, trailing sparks while in the sky, which is what confirmed the identity of the woman standing in front of me. They are usually invisible, except to the most powerful of magic workers. Like me. Only a medicine man or woman of much training and strength can stand against them, which meant I was in serious danger.
The other two characters I chose to feature are a little more benevolent. One group are the Thunderers, who Cherokee believe are storm spirits that live in the sky. Thunderers are usually benevolent to humans, and sometimes even helpful. The same with the last figure from Cherokee folklore, a Stoneclad, or rock giant. I loved the Stoneclad. He almost made me think of a Marvel character. There weren’t tons of descriptions of Stoneclads, but most of my research indicated they are giants that wear a suit of armor fashioned from stone. Like the Thunderers, they aren’t feared by the Cherokee—certainly not like the Raven Mockers. In fact, there are stories of them coming to the aid of the Cherokee. As Annie explains in Aerisian Refrain when she’s discussing her people’s folklore,
“I remember Grandma telling me about the Stoneclads: rock giants, and the Aniyvdaqualosgi or Ani-Yuntikwalaski. Those are the Thunderers, or powerful storm spirits. If they took a shape, it was usually human, and they were okay with people. I guess it’s no wonder we’d have legends about great storm spirits, living in Tornado Alley.”
At this point in the book, Annie has no idea she’s going to actually encounter rock giants or storm spirits, and she’s in a for a big surprise when she does!So there you go—a little peek into what I feel makes my book baby unique. I hope you’ll check out Aerisian Refrain, and, if you do, I hope you enjoy it! I had so much fun researching the stories of the Cherokee and weaving just a few elements from their rich traditions into this novel. If you’d like to research any of this further, some of my favorite sources were http://www.native-languages.org/ and www.cherokeeregistry.com and www.firstpeople.us and http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/index.htm. Also, if you’d like to see the art of Traci Rabbit, this is her website: https://billandtracirabbit.com/ .
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Thanks for reading my blog post and giving me a little of your time. Have a great day!
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Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name:
Lara Lee
Title of book and/or series:
Gryphendale and The Shadow of the Gryphon – Truthseeker Book 1
Brief summary of the story:
Join three travelers on a witty adventure set in an exotic fairy world. An unusual brownie adventurer named Arthur, and the twin princes, Timothy and Nathaniel, join forces to travel to the underside of their coin-shaped world to break the curse that has turned Nathaniel’s fiancee into stone. Arthur must face his traumatic past as he leads Nathaniel and Timothy on the same journey that killed his friends more than forty years before, getting them all stuck far from home with only one impossible way home. Things continue to go wrong when they learn that this curse is just the beginning of more significant problems threatening to destroy the Guardian of the Ocean. Struggling through a debilitating injury, Nathaniel must risk everything to save the ones he loves. Timothy must let go of his dark magic past to use his fire magic against the alliance that threatens to destroy the world with water. Even if they succeed, death might be their only reward.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Gryphendale is the faerie realm that we sometimes call the Seelie kingdom. It is a floating disk-shaped island located in the center of the earth. It has a tiny sun and moon of its own creating both day and night, but time moves differently there. Their stars are just glittering gems on the inside of the earth’s crust reflecting the light of their sun.
In the distant past, faeries and humans lived together, but because of greed and evil schemes, this could not continue. The creator god, the great blue Gryphon, separated the worlds. A person cannot travel through the earth’s crust to get there. Instead, there exist four portals to connect our worlds.
The underside of their world is called the Shadow of the Gryphon. It is made up of mostly ocean inhabited by nomadic sea-people such as the kelpies, selkies, and merrow. The small land mass on that side is populated by the nix. That realm is ruled by the Guardian of the Oceans.
My books and stories all take place in this world about the size of the state of Texas, both past and present. I wander this land often and would love to introduce you to my favorite places. Safe travels!
If we were to visit Gryphendale as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Both sides of this world are inhabited. The top is made up of nine countries ruled together as the single kingdom of Gryphendale. Each country is dominated by a different race of faerie. The sprites live in tree houses in the tops of the great forest of Caoneag. The shape-shifting hiru live in human-like houses scattered throughout Cuelebre. The gnomes live inside the massive trees of Dwende. The Gryphendale Ocean is the realm of the merpeople, while the river and great lake are ruled by the undine. The ogres dwell deep in the mountains of Rokurokubi. Aberdour is the country of the industrious brownie farmers. The huldra hunt in the forests of Samodivas. They used to own the dryads as slaves, but once freed, the dryads now rule the young country of Greenbow in their historic homeland. The Nomad Desert lies outside of these kingdoms and is inhabited by those who want no king.
What dangers should we avoid in Gryphendale?
Many creatures inhabit Gryphendale who have no country of their own. The giant trolls eat all meat no matter the source. The Red Ladies are magic vampires stealing the life potential of wanders. Deadly animals, thieves, and grumpy ogre could all cause trouble if a traveler isn’t careful, but the people of Gryphendale are friendly to help you out of a bind.Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Gryphendale?
Humans would recognize most foods, but they do have a lot more purple varieties of crops such as purple berries and purple wheat. They also have a unique, intoxicating drink made from distilled cinnamon which they call tonic. Don’t drink it though! It burns human throats.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Gryphendale?
The various faerie races have their own fighting styles, but most use some kind of sword suited to their strengths. One exception is that the hiru transform into long serpent-like dragons. Some rare people do use magic. The Adder Warlocks use dark magic to kill, but those who follow the Way of the Gryphon often avoid violence if they can. Rogue wizards and magic creatures also get involved in the battles, but you never know what will happen with them!
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Gryphendale?
To get to Gryphendale from the human world, you would need to use one of the for portals. In Gryphendale, most people walk or swim. They do ride horses, giant salamanders, carriages, wagons, mules, and the odd steam-powered horseless-carriage.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Gryphendale that we don’t see on Earth?
This is the hardest question of them all! Since it is a faerie world, most fairie creature do exist even if they don’t have a home country. The nine countries on the top side are sprites, hiru, merpeople, undines, brownies, gnomes, huldra, and the ogres. The underside has nix, kelpies, selkies, and a dragon. You can also find banshees, satyrs, trolls, vampires(Red Ladies), phoenix, unicorn, gryphon, seraphs, and talking animals.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Gryphendale? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
All was made by the creator god, the great blue Gryphon. All magic comes from him to sustain the worlds. Seers learn how to pour themselves into the magic potential in each living thing to create good things. Dark magic seeks to steal this magic potential and force it to their will. This is destructive and deadly. All magic and magical creatures were created with abilities to care for the world in unique ways.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Gryphendale as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
Time does move differently between the faerie world and the human world, but they count time the same way (hours, minutes, days, etc.) The two main holidays are the winter and spring solstice. There are some political holidays to celebrate a monarch or an event such as the Day of Remembrance.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Gryphendale? Please describe what it involves.
The beliefs of Gryphendale vary greatly. Some claim to believe nothing at all. Some think magic comes from nature. Other believe in the Gryphon. Even the interpretation of these beliefs can vary some.
What is the political or government structure in Gryphendale? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The governments in the books change drastically, but usually, there is an elected monarch that is often passed down to their children. This varies from country to country.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
I grew up in Florida in which I obsessed about mermaids as a child. I never could read enough fairytales. When my husband and I moved to Scotland for four years, I became emersed in the folklore of Great Britain. Scotland, specifically, has a rich history of faerie stories. I describe inns and taverns for places I visited in Edinburgh and then hills and dirt roads of the countryside. I know exactly how far one can walk in a day because I have done it. Gryphendale was my magical interpretation of my travels.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
I talk about why do bad things happen to good people in the novel Gryphendale. It has no answers, but just some observations. In The Shadow of the Gryphon, I talk about letting go of past mistakes. Sometimes we are unable to move on because we refuse to forgive ourselves.
Author Autobiography:Lara Lee is the author of Gryphendale, a young adult fantasy fiction novel. Sometimes, she is also a graphic designer, wife, mother, and Sunday school teacher. After growing up in Florida with her head stuck in various books, she ran away to Oral Roberts University to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design and a husband. Then, she worked professionally with the children’s curriculum publisher, Mentoring Minds in Texas before following her husband on a crazy adventure in Scotland for four years where her son was born. She has lived in three states and four countries and has visited even more destinations with an insatiable curiosity that shows up in her writing. Currently, she lives in Crosby, Texas with her husband and son who both regularly participate in her misadventures and random schemes.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?
Where can readers connect with you online?
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Gryphendale. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima
NEW RELEASE!
Man’s Best Alibi
Something strange is happening in the mountains of Sanctuary
Veterinarian Ember Burns makes a grisly discovery and it leads authorities to the body of a man in the woods above her home. Although the circumstances are suspicious, the only witness is her dog and the death’s ruled a suicide.
But things aren’t that simple. When Ember looks into the man’s local connections, it creates more questions than answers. Including the source of an unusual rock, and what he was really doing in the mountains.
As a mysterious illness sickens the local animals, Ember’s battle to save them leads to a startling discovery. She races to prove both the cause of the animals’ symptoms and how the man died, but will it be too late?
How does a $25 Amazon gift card & 16 eBooks sound?
Discover the town of Sanctuary!
Book #1, You Can Lead a Horse to Murder is on sale for only .99!
Author Tara Meyers
At nineteen, I was recruited into a secret government program, where my memory was erased … wait — that’s the outline for a potential book. Sorry, my real biography isn’t quite as interesting, but I’ll give it a shot!
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and when I’m not writing, I’m out beach combing with my dogs for sea glass, or hiking in the rugged Cascade Mountains. It’s the perfect backdrop to fuel my creative genius. *rubs hands together evilly*
You’ll find all my adult romantic suspense and cozy mysteries here, and on my OTHER profile (secret identity ;)) Tara Ellis, I keep my middle grade and young adult books. Check them out, You might like those, too!
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
We’re celebrating the release of
Game of Secrets
By Kim Foster
Learn more about this new Young Adult Historical
Fantasy, read an excerpt, and enter the giveaway below…
Fantasy, read an excerpt, and enter the giveaway below…
By Kim Foster
YA Historical Fantasy
YA Historical Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 368 Pages
July 3rd 2018 by Sky Pony Press
Felicity Cole sells flowers in the streets of Victorian London to feed herself and her young brother. But she has a close-guarded secret—her brother is a Tainted, born with special abilities that society fears and a shadowy organization called the Hunstsmen scours the country to eliminate. When Felicity becomes the target of one of these individuals, she discovers something horrible: she’s Tainted, too.
Rescued by a mysterious gentleman on the eve of execution, she’s whisked away to a school funded by Queen Victoria, established to train selected Tainted into assassins in service of the crown.
Struggling to harness her incredible strength, speed, and agility, and despised by her classmates, all she wants is to use her new position to find a cure so she can be normal and reunited with her brother.
But with the Golden Jubilee fast approaching and the discovery that there’s a traitor in their midst, she has no choice but to embrace the one thing she’s been fighting all along.
Excerpt
Movement around me slows. The mist from the horses’ nostrils hangs suspended in the air. Carriage wheels on cobbles and the bells from St. Paul’s Cathedral sound stifled—dampened and low.
I see everything at once. Time bends, curving around me.
Locals and customers cower in the market, screams frozen on their faces. They crouch behind carts. A surge goes to my muscles and somehow I know—I just know—I can do impossible things. I am not thinking. I am pure rage. A deep burning takes hold of my bones.
I reach Kit’s murderer in a heartbeat. Impossibly fast. Before he can fire his pistol again, I punch forward, catching him square in the throat. His eyes pop wide. I chop the hand that holds the gun and it skitters away on the ground. He staggers. I punch him again, smashing his nose, and blood spurts everywhere. I kick at his knees, sending him to the ground. I don’t know what I’m doing, or how I’m doing it, only that it’s coming from somewhere deep inside.
Everything around me is slow, like it’s moving through water. Sliding like molasses. But I am a spark. Fire. Lightning.
I hear the report of a gun—a dull, low rumble, not the sharp crack it should be—and I have time to spin. The bullet tears from the footman’s weapon in a plume of smoke. But I don’t feel the sharp agony of the shot. Instead, I see the bullet as it comes toward me. It moves through the air trailing a spiraling smoke wisp behind it like a comet. I slide out of the way, ducking easily underneath it.
With a slow, deep thud it slams harmlessly into a vegetable cart behind me, smashing into the cabbages and sending a fountain of dusty hay into the air.
And now the footman is mine.
I see everything at once. Time bends, curving around me.
Locals and customers cower in the market, screams frozen on their faces. They crouch behind carts. A surge goes to my muscles and somehow I know—I just know—I can do impossible things. I am not thinking. I am pure rage. A deep burning takes hold of my bones.
I reach Kit’s murderer in a heartbeat. Impossibly fast. Before he can fire his pistol again, I punch forward, catching him square in the throat. His eyes pop wide. I chop the hand that holds the gun and it skitters away on the ground. He staggers. I punch him again, smashing his nose, and blood spurts everywhere. I kick at his knees, sending him to the ground. I don’t know what I’m doing, or how I’m doing it, only that it’s coming from somewhere deep inside.
Everything around me is slow, like it’s moving through water. Sliding like molasses. But I am a spark. Fire. Lightning.
I hear the report of a gun—a dull, low rumble, not the sharp crack it should be—and I have time to spin. The bullet tears from the footman’s weapon in a plume of smoke. But I don’t feel the sharp agony of the shot. Instead, I see the bullet as it comes toward me. It moves through the air trailing a spiraling smoke wisp behind it like a comet. I slide out of the way, ducking easily underneath it.
With a slow, deep thud it slams harmlessly into a vegetable cart behind me, smashing into the cabbages and sending a fountain of dusty hay into the air.
And now the footman is mine.
About the Author
Kim Foster is the author of the Agency of Burglary & Theft series for adults and GAME OF SECRETS, her YA debut. She has a typical background for someone who writes thrillers about thieves and spies and criminals: she has a degree in medicine and is a practicing family doctor. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t make much sense to her friends and family, either.)
She’s addicted to yoga, loves to travel, and has a clinical weakness for dark chocolate with sea salt. Online, you can find her at www.kimfoster.com. She lives with her husband and their two young sons in Victoria, British Columbia.
Tour Giveaway
– l winner will receive a $20 Amazon eGift Card
– Open internationally
– Ends July 5th
Hello All!
Welcome to my post for the blog tour release of The Thief, the Damsel, and the Dragon by Angela R. Watts! Today I’m going to tell you a little bit about this book, a sweet, clean, and summery contemporary romance with strong Christian themes.
Welcome to my post for the blog tour release of The Thief, the Damsel, and the Dragon by Angela R. Watts! Today I’m going to tell you a little bit about this book, a sweet, clean, and summery contemporary romance with strong Christian themes.
~ About the Book ~
“… the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” ~ Psalms 91:13
Edward Prosner is going to steal from the small town mayor of Fall Springs, North Carolina. He’s got a flawless plan of action and is determined to return honor and justice to his father’s good name. The problem he faces? He needs a date for the mayor’s dinner party.
Lucy Levitt is a huge romantic at heart, but with her family’s ranch and her part-time job, she has no time for dating. She believes God will place her soulmate in her life when the time is right. When the new man in town asks her out, how can she say no?
The first date seems ordinary enough, but then they begin to realize that they can’t fight their dragons alone.
~About the Author ~
Angela R. Watts is a sinner saved by Yahweh’s Grace and she strives to glorify the King in all she does. She’s a homeschooled highschooler who lives with her loving family and ranch animals at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee. She’s been writing stories since she was tiny and hasn’t stopped since, though she also enjoys ranch and housework, painting, babysitting, and watching sunsets.
Facebook: Angela R. Watts
Twitter: PeculiarAngela
Goodreads: Angela R. Watts
Pinterest: AngelaRWatts
Instagram: angelar.watts
I’m not the only one participating in this blog tour!
Look – there’s a whole bunch of other bloggers joining up!
Be sure to check out their posts!
Look – there’s a whole bunch of other bloggers joining up!
Be sure to check out their posts!
~ The Schedule ~
Monday, July 2nd
Review & Author Interview // Julia @ Julia’s Creative Corner
Review & Author Interview // Michaela Bush @ Tangled Up In Writing
Review // Loretta @ Just Writing
Tuesday, July 3rd
Book Spotlight // Faith Blum @ Bookish Orchestrations
Review // Chloe @ Purely by Faith
Review // Grace Maples @ Proclaiming His Excellencies
Book Spotlight // Annie @ Letters from Annie Douglass Lima
Wednesday, July 4th
Review // Hannah Gridley @ The Heart of the Rose
Author Interview // Medomfo @ Writings from a God Girl
Thursday, July 5th
Author Interview // Malachi Cyr @ Brainstorms with Rain
Review // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries
Friday, July 6th
Author Interview // Sarah Willoughby @ R535
Author Interview // Kate Willis @ Once Upon an Ordinary
Review // Abigail McKenna @ Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors
Review // Gracelyn Buckner @ Literatura
Saturday, July 7th
Book Spotlight // Abigail Harder @ Books, Life, and Christ
Book Spotlight // Faith L. Potts @ Stories by Firefly
And last but not least, the giveaway!
~ The Giveaway ~
Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name: Annie Douglass Lima
Title of book and/or series: Heartsong
Brief summary of the story:
Two alien worlds.
One teen emissary.
No reality she can trust.
Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.
But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?
If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Get your copy of Heartsong now to start the journey today!
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Somavia is a planet at the far end of our galaxy. It has two continents, one at each pole, both covered in ice and snow all year round. The Somavians live in underground communities warmed and powered by geothermal energy.
What types of animals or sentient races might we encounter in Somavia that we don’t see on Earth?
You would definitely meet Somavians, the mostly-humanoid alien race native to the planet. They have four arms and fur of various colors, and they’re between 8 and 9 feet tall. You might also meet animals such as bushbouncers, which Somavians often keep as pets. A bushbouncer is the size of a small rabbit and looks a lot like a ball of lint. They have eight legs and can spring from and cling to almost any vertical or horizontal surface.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Somavia?
In the past, the Somavians’ ancestors used pack animals to travel from place to place. Now, however, they use a type of moving sidewalk with benches on it to travel around their underground cities. For the rare trips on the planet’s surface, they have motorized hover vehicles. Every four weeks or so spacecraft travel to and from their moon, Soma, where the Somavians have a mining operation. (Soma is also where Liz and her fellow human colonists hope to set up a mining colony of their own.) More about Soma in a future edition of Realm Explorers!
If we were to visit Somavia as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
I suggest asking for a guided tour of one of the underground cities, such as Ehaooapi, the capital. There are a lot of interesting things to see. You would probably get to ride the moving sidewalks, eat at a neighborhood restaurant, and see ranches and plantations with a variety of domesticated animals and crops. If you’re lucky, you might find yourself in the right place at the right time to watch a concert. Don’t expect this to be like a concert on Earth! It would probably involve a single musician standing or sitting in a public place, playing percussion instruments designed to look like rocks and other natural objects. The Somavian language contains eighty-one separate tones and already sounds a lot like music, so it might sound as though the musician is singing, but he or she would really just be rhythmically chanting lyrics. Somavians in the audience would take turns stepping close enough to lightly touch the musician in order to briefly share his or her heartsong, which greatly enhances the listening experience. Oh, and one more thing: on your tour, make sure you ask to visit the planetarium. It consists of giant floating models of all the planets and moons in the solar system, plus comets and an asteroid belt. It’s okay to handle the models, on which you’ll be able to feel physical features such as mountains, canyons, moisture to indicate bodies of water, and different temperatures representing various climate zones. You’ll even see viscous red liquid spurting from tiny volcanoes. It’s not an experience to be missed. Oh, and make sure you eat at a local restaurant or two during your tour. More about that in a moment.
What dangers should we avoid in Somavia?
Don’t go up onto the surface without plenty of warm clothing and a guide. Temperatures are often below zero, and blizzards are common. You won’t survive long, and it’s easy to get lost in the snowy plains where everything looks the same. The underground cities would be a much safer and more comfortable place to spend your vacation.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Somavia?
The Somavians have a variety of tasty foods. You might enjoy one particular little restaurant in Ehaooapi where customers sit around a U-shaped table and the chef cooks in the middle. With his four arms, he busies himself over multiple pots and skillets at the same time. You don’t get to order from a menu like in most restaurants on Earth, but you can expect to be served a couple different types of soup (one a creamy vegetable puree, the other consisting of mushrooms and bits of meat and grain in a well-seasoned broth). You’ll also get a platter of strips of cooked meat with three kinds of sauce to dip them in. One sauce is spicy, another is sweet, and the third is thick and savory with a hint of exotic seasonings.
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What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Somavia?
Somavians don’t fight. A key part of their communication is the ability to share emotions and physical sensations with anyone they touch. This is known as hearing a person’s heartsong. A Somavian cannot punch a person, for example, without feeling the pain their fist would inflict. Thus, they have developed a peaceful society focused around helping each other rather than fighting or competing with each other.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Somavia? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Somavian medical technology is far beyond ours. For example, they are able to heal a character’s injured legs (nerve damage and multiple compound fractures) within a couple of weeks. Somavians also have computers and devices much like cell phones. But their visual abilities are different from ours, and they cannot clearly see or process two-dimensional images, so they don’t have screens with pictures or text. Instead, they read with their fingertips through a system similar to Braille, where raised bumps and ridges appear and disappear on flat sections of their devices.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Somavia.
Games and activities don’t play a major role in the story. However, it is mentioned that many Somavians enjoy playing a form of video games (tactile, not visual), though their idea of what makes a good story is way different than ours.
What is the political or government structure in Somavia? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
The planet is governed by a leader whose title has no direct English translation. She has more power than a president but less than a queen. She is assisted by a council who come together to make decisions, each council member being a representative from a certain geographical region of Somavia.
The planet is governed by a leader whose title has no direct English translation. She has more power than a president but less than a queen. She is assisted by a council who come together to make decisions, each council member being a representative from a certain geographical region of Somavia.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Somavia?
Somavians rarely tell each other their names. If you choose to introduce yourself by name to anyone you meet, they will be surprised and perhaps a little embarrassed, but honored. However, don’t expect them to tell you their name in return. Names are private and are only shared with immediate family members and very close friends. If a Somavian needs to refer to someone else, they will usually mention their color; e.g. “the one with blue fur” or “the pale yellow one”.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
A few years ago, I was jotting down ideas for this story in the car while on a family vacation with my in-laws in California. I didn’t have a name for the planet yet, but when we passed a sign that said “Somavia High School”, I knew that was the right one.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Racism and prejudice are touched on briefly. Also, the question of whether it’s right to harm one individual in order to protect many – or whether harming a large group to save a group of a different species can be justified.
Racism and prejudice are touched on briefly. Also, the question of whether it’s right to harm one individual in order to protect many – or whether harming a large group to save a group of a different species can be justified.
Author Autobiography:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres (science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
Heartsong is available in both Kindle and paperback format here. All my other books are available here.
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Where can readers connect with you online?
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/anniedouglasslima
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Somavia. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week’s edition of Realm Explorers!
-Annie Douglass Lima
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Two alien worlds.
One teen emissary.
No reality she can trust.
Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.
But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?
If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Click here to get your copy of Heartsong now and start the journey today! (Shh! For June 30th through July 2nd only, the ebook is available for free!)
Read on for a sample of the story …
Heartsong
Chapter One
My love of reading started the whole thing.The best place to read on the Laika was in the lifeboats. I’d discovered that on the first leg of the trip, during the flight from Earth to the jump point off of Phoebe. I mean, what else was there to do when we couldn’t see much through the viewports? The view was exciting when there was one, but when you’re far away from anything, space all looks the same.
The hyperspace jump that shot us across the galaxy had been quick, of course, so no time to get bored there. And after we came out of it at the jump point off of Somav, the blue giant that would light my skies for the rest of my life, the flight toward the little moon Soma was pretty exciting, too. I couldn’t stop staring as we passed Somavia, the blue and white planet I knew none of us would ever see close up again. I wondered about the aliens whose home it was. What were they like? The pictures and video Forerunner had sent back, from the few passes it had taken in high orbit, left everyone with more questions than they answered.
Of course, we knew the planet had a breathable atmosphere. If it hadn’t been for the alien race who already lived there — and the tirtellium that we were going to mine on Soma, of course — New Horizons Industries might have decided to set up its colony on the planet Somavia instead of on its moon.
We passed Somavia three days ago, and we’d been orbiting Soma ever since. Which was also exciting, at first. I couldn’t wait to actually get down there and start life on my new home. A home I would get to help create, along with the adult scientists and miners and the rest of the Young Explorers. A home I would never be taken away from just when I was starting to settle in. My forever home. Normally I hated new beginnings, but this one was different. This would be the last new beginning of my life.
Even the colony’s name, chosen by the Samoan astronomer who discovered this solar system, was perfect. Avanoa, which apparently meant opportunity in the Samoan language, sounded to me like a kingdom from some fantasy novel.
Not that life in Avanoa was going to be a fantasy. I knew that starting a colony would be hard work, but that didn’t matter. A real home, with friends I would never have to say goodbye to, would be worth any amount of work.
Soma was interesting to look at, though not as pretty as the planet it orbited. The moon was mostly brown, with splotches of gray-green surrounding the dark blue dots that marked the location of its scattered lakes. With no actual oceans, the moon had just enough water to support a little plant and animal life. Nothing too dangerous, at least as far as we could tell from Forerunner’s pictures. Insects. Some fish and crustaceans that might or might not be edible. Small reptilian or maybe amphibian creatures that lived in and around the lakes. A handful of different mammals, all tiny, that made their homes in the hills. Nothing that seemed likely to bother two hundred human colonists setting up a new home on their world.
Of course, the aliens could be another story. We knew the Somavians had developed a limited form of space travel; we knew they had mines on Soma, too. But whatever they were mining for, it wasn’t tirtellium, and they only had a few tunnel mines in a few locations. We planned to set up our colony hundreds of kilometers away, where if all went according to plan, they wouldn’t even know we were around. Forerunner’s sensors had not detected any other artificial satellites in orbit around either Somavia or Soma, and as far as we could tell, the locals had no instruments capable of detecting Forerunner, no way to suspect we were coming. Its orbit was carefully programmed to keep it out of sight of any of their mines after dark, when it might be visible from the ground as a moving point of light.
The adults all said that hopefully we would never have to encounter any Somavians, but all of us kids hoped we would. I mean, why would anyone in their right mind not want to meet the first real live aliens actually confirmed to exist?
Jessie, who loved science fiction movies almost as much as I loved reading, had often kept Maria and Shaliqua and me awake late into the night back in our dorm room discussing all the possible alien-related adventures that awaited us if we ever made contact. Most of those possibilities were a lot more fun — though some were scarier — than the idea of living in isolation and never letting the locals know we were on their moon.
Anyway, judging by Forerunner’s footage, Somavian culture seemed peaceful, with no evidence of any wars going on down on their home world. If they did find out about the humans in their solar system, hopefully they wouldn’t mind us being there. We wouldn’t bother them, and with any luck, they wouldn’t bother us. And if they did get mad, well, the Laika had some weapons. Not enough to wage war with, but hopefully enough to convince them to leave us alone.
So much to wonder about. So much to look forward to. I could hardly wait to get down to the surface and start my new life. But here we all were, stuck in orbit for three whole days so far. Three painfully long and boring days. Earth days, that is. It had been nearly five Soman days, though we wouldn’t officially switch to using Soman time until we landed.
Atmospheric storms. Who would have thought that storms would be this big of an issue on a world with virtually no precipitation? Our science team had come up with a theory about minerals in the soil reflecting particles and wavelengths from the solar flares that Somav had been throwing out since our arrival. Whatever the case, the result was some pretty impressive windstorms in parts of the atmosphere. Since the spot picked out for Avanoa was directly underneath one of the worst storms, Captain Tyler insisted it wouldn’t be safe to try to land yet.
But no one had anticipated that the flares and storms would go on this long. At first, I was glad of the opportunity to orbit my new home and see what it looked like from space. But after a while the excitement faded, and everyone turned grouchy as we all grew more and more bored and impatient. The movies and games preloaded on our Horizon-brand tablets weren’t good enough to keep everyone happy, not while we had to put the adventure we’d all waited over a year to start on hold indefinitely. And I’d never been a big fan of video games or movies anyway.
So I did what I always do when real people get too annoying. I pulled out my old-school Novareader and turned to my true friends, the ones who never got annoying, who would always be there for me no matter what, who I never had to say goodbye to. And I escaped to the one place I had found on board where nobody would bother me or interrupt my adventures to ask what I was reading or exclaim over their new high score in who-cares-what-virtual-adventure on their RizeTab.
The Laika was designed to be taken apart when we arrived. Its decking and bulkheads would be used to help create Avanoa’s buildings until we could construct permanent residences from local rock, and that was one of the reasons the ship was so large. But big though it was, it had no extra empty space. Every compartment was full of freeze-dried food items, mining equipment, packages of seeds for genetically modified crops designed to grow well in the moon’s dry soil, and educational resources for us youth, because even on an interstellar adventure, there was no escaping school in some form.
So I had discovered in between Earth and Phoebe that the lifeboats were the best place to read. I wasn’t sure if I was really supposed to hang out in them, but they were unlocked, because after all, what would be the point in locking something that people would need to get into in a hurry in an emergency?
I sat curled up on a seat in Lifeboat 1, alternating between reading and looking out to see if anything interesting had come into sight down below. But from this angle, the one window — a wide viewport at the very front — was mostly full of stars, only a tiny sliver of Soma visible from one edge. I could have turned on the screen at the lifeboat’s navigational console and adjusted it to show me any view I liked, but that might trigger some sort of alert, and I didn’t want anyone showing up to tell me I wasn’t supposed to be in here.
So I joined Caz and her friends on their travels across the Granbo system, caught up in their space adventure on my Novareader screen, since my own space adventure had turned pretty dull. Lunch was another two hours away, so I might as well enjoy myself in the meantime.
And I did — until the ship vibrated more vigorously than usual and the fasten seatbelts sign flicked on.
I often felt as though several of me were debating inside my head. For a moment, Cautious Liz wondered if I should return to my seat. But what was the point? Practical Liz reminded me that I would be just as safe here in the lifeboat, and if the turbulence got bad, walking around with the Laika lurching under me would not be the smartest idea.
I already had my seatbelt on, since that was the best way to keep from floating around. Not that floating around wasn’t fun, but there was too little room in the lifeboat to do mid-air flips and spins without banging into things, and drifting around while I read made it hard to focus on the book. Of course my magnetic-soled shoes could have kept me anchored to the deck, but not when I wanted to sit cross-legged.
So I just tightened my seatbelt a little and turned back to The Gypsy Pearl. We had encountered turbulence lots of times in the last few days, thanks to the solar flares. It was no big deal.
But the vibrations grew stronger, and then the ship started lurching under me. I lowered my Novareader and looked around, but there was nothing to see here in the little lifeboat. The stars jumped and jerked outside the window, and if it hadn’t been for my seatbelt, I knew I would have been thrown about and probably injured already.
I waited for the crackle of the intercom and Captain Tyler’s voice to explain what was happening or issue instructions. But I heard nothing, and I wondered if the flares had damaged the lifeboat’s intercom system. They had interfered with the Laika’s electrical systems before, after all. Now I wished I’d returned to my seat while I could. If something dangerous was happening, I would rather face it with the others in the main cabin, where at least I would know what was going on.
Without warning, the lights flickered and then went out. Now that was a first. An instant later, an alarm screeched, making me jump. I gasped, really worried for the first time since we left Earth. The screeching continued as the stars swirled and zigzagged, sending faint but frightening shadows thrashing around me like alien spirits trying to take over the ship. For a second I wondered if that could actually be happening. Maybe the Somavians had powers we didn’t know about. Maybe they were trying to drive us out of their system … or worse.
Then the emergency lights embedded in the deck glowed to life, and I let out my breath in relief. The navigational computer two rows ahead of me powered on automatically, its screen lighting up green.
My relief was short-lived, though. The alarm kept blaring its intermittent warning. Screech! Silence. Screech! Silence. Screech! The turbulence was worse than ever, as though the Laika was a wild horse, bucking and leaping and trying to throw its rider off. And that rider gripped the edge of her seat all alone there in the lifeboat, wondering what in the universe was happening.
Suddenly the whirling stars vanished and Soma swung into view, filling the viewport ahead of me, a blur of brown-blue-gray-green-brown. I barely had time to notice before it was gone and the streaking stars reappeared. Then the moon appeared again.
My stomach was spinning as fast as the ship. Thank goodness I had inherited the Smith Stomach of Steel, or my breakfast would probably have ended up all around me. I could only imagine what a nasty experience that would be in zero gravity with the ship thrashing around like this.
A new noise caught my attention. A mechanical noise, a series of clicks and clinks and the sliding of metal against metal. I had only ever heard it before in simulations, but I recognized it right away, and my heart lurched in terror. “No!”
Words flashed across the computer screen, large enough to read from where I sat. LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING.
“No! I yelled again. I fumbled for the seatbelt clasp and flung myself across the tiny cabin, lunging for the manual override button beside the door. Not a smart move, I have to admit, considering how wildly everything was jerking around me. But I panicked. Can you blame me? None of our training, none of the simulations, had dealt with what to do if the lifeboat you were sitting in alone accidentally detached from the ship.
I knew what to do if a lifeboat didn’t detach when it was supposed to. I knew which lifeboat I was supposed to board in an emergency. Not this one, though they were all the same. I knew who my lifeboat buddies would be — a fairly even cross-section of the ship’s crew in terms of age and abilities, so we would have the best possible chance of survival in case not every lifeboat made it. I knew how to steer the lifeboat and bring it down for a controlled landing, even though I wasn’t the assigned helmsperson in my group. We had all learned all those skills, just in case.
But I didn’t know how to survive in deep space or on Soma’s surface on my own. The cupboards contained emergency rations and survival gear, of course, but not enough to live off of indefinitely. Of course the lifeboat would emit a signal that the ship’s sensors would pick up — I knew they were picking it up already, as of the moment my craft started to detach — but what if no one could come and get me right away? What if I landed on Soma, but the Laika couldn’t land for days or even weeks? They would have no way to rescue a stranded teenager who shouldn’t have been reading in a lifeboat in the first place.
And what if the aliens found me before my people did?
All that went swirling through my brain within a couple of seconds as I slammed my fist into the manual override button again and again. But nothing happened. That is, the hatch didn’t open to let me out into the ship’s corridor. But the incessant alarm finally went silent, and the frantic jerking and thrashing stopped, replaced by a slow, gentle twirl.
For a second, Optimistic Liz dared to hope that the trouble was over. But I knew that wasn’t it.
The lifeboat was no longer connected to the ship.
Too horrified even to yell again, I watched the Laika drift past the window, Somav’s light tinting her silver-white hull a metallic frostbite-blue against the blackness of space. She was still spinning and dancing like some huge bird as the solar flares played havoc with her electrical systems. And then I saw only stars, and then the mottled brown of the moon, then more stars. And then there went the Laika once more, further away this time.
Grabbing the back of a seat for leverage, I shoved off from the deck, thankful for the zero-gravity training. Floating was faster than clomping along in magnetic shoes, and I had to get to the controls now. I had to steer myself back to the ship.
But as I seized the arm of the helmsperson’s chair and maneuvered my body into it, I realized I had no idea how to reattach a lifeboat to its socket on the ship’s side. They had never taught us that. Were lifeboats even designed to reattach once they were separated?
Well, somebody must know the proper procedure for this kind of emergency. Captain Tyler or one of the other adults could talk me through the process. Right?
I fumbled for the seatbelt, twisting my ankles around the legs of the chair so I wouldn’t float off in the meantime. Jabbing the intercom button, I called, “Help! I’m in a lifeboat that just detached! What do I do?”
Realizing how panicked and little-girly I sounded, I took a deep breath and tried again. “I mean, this is Liz Smith on Lifeboat 1, calling anybody on the Laika who can hear me. Come in, please.”
There was no response, and I realized that the communication light wasn’t even on. The intercom was offline.
Great. Dang solar flares.
I took another deep breath. I had never felt so alone.
But the controls in front of me looked exactly like the ones in the simulator. I could do this. It would be just the same as I had practiced.
Except this was no game, where the only real struggle was to beat my classmates, to be the first to land my virtual lifeboat safely.
This was a real emergency.
This was my life at stake.
About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres (science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
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Faith Blum has a new book. And it’s not a Western! *gasp* It is a fairy tale retelling set during the time of King Saul. Read on to learn more about the book.
About the Book
A wicked priestess, a morally corrupt king, and two children stuck in the middle…
Hadassah and Gidal love their parents and will do anything for them. When Priestess Basmat tell Ehud and Jerusha to pay their debt, they cannot and she takes Hadassah and Gidal as her slaves for two years.
The priestess works them hard, but there are two other servants to divide the load with, so they cope as well as they can. Then King Saul comes in disguise requesting the priestess’s other services—as a medium.
Will Hadassah and Gidal trust Adonai to take care of them? What will happen after Priestess Basmat comes face-to-face with the prophet Samuel?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40227896-trust-and-obey
About the Author
Faith Blum is a small-town Wisconsin girl. She’s lived in, or outside of, small towns her whole life. The thought of living in a city with more than 60,000 people in it scares her, especially after some interesting adventures driving through big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Faith currently resides in the middle of the state of Wisconsin with her husband and their cat, Smokey. She is blessed to be able to have writing as her full-time career with household work and cooking to do on the side. She loves to paint walls as long as she doesn’t have to do hallways or ceilings.
When not writing, you can find her cooking food from scratch due to food allergies (fun), doing dishes (meh), knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, or spending time with her husband (yay!). She is also a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and loves her work there. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her on her website.
Giveaway
Faith Blum is doing a giveaway with her blog tour. She is offering a paperback copy of Trust and Obey as well as a magnet with the cover on it! You can enter here.
Tour Schedule
June 26
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post
Frances Hoelsema – Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words – Book Spotlight
June 27
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima – Book Spotlight
June 28
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Special Post
Wildflower Acres – Book Spotlight
June 29
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Book Review
Purposeful Learning – Book Review
The King and His Kingdom – Book Review
June 30
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway Winner