JOIN THE BIGGEST BLOG EVENT THIS SEASON!

Pressed Leaf Publishing is hosting a global blog event hop….titled A WORLD OF YA FANTASY!

This "meet and greet" hop is for YA Authors and Bloggers who simply love YA Fantasy….and we invite all YA Fantasy Lovers to tag along during the event and visit as many blogs as you can to find some new and exciting books and Authors of your favorite genre', YA Fantasy.  Everyone has a chance to win some terrific YA books by simply leaving a comment …that's right, that all you need to do…leave your thoughts about someone's work, blog or camaraderie….please read the detail page by clicking the tab in the menu bar in the header of this blog.  We hope to see you all join in and make this a huge success…and an annual event….remember our motto here at Pressed Leaf Publishing…KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!

To all Authors and Bloggers of YA Fantasy or Bloggers who wish to participate….you need to get your name on the list now (click on tab in header of this blog or sidebar to get guidelines and list), we have three weeks to gather as many bloggers as possible to give our fans something to really sink their teeth into and enjoy.  I know it can be a hassle to make up your post so soon, but the easy way around this is to simply get the title for your post and publish it…take the direct link from the browser window and go to the signup page on linky…once you're on the list, simply go back to your post and revert it back to a draft and save it for a better time to pull the entire post together…simple!  Spread the word to anyone you know with a blog who loves YA Fantasy…let's rock this event!

If you have any questions what so ever, please email us and we'll answer them all…thx again for the opportunity to be apart of something that means so much…read the message of this event and you'll understand.

WEATHER CHILD by, PHILIPA BALLANTINE

Back to Pressed Leaf Publishing is Philippa Ballantine, 

Author of the Historical Fanstasy,Weather Child.  

We introduced the cover several weeks ago. 
Since then I was lucky enough to have an 
interview with Philippa, I believe you'll appreciate it as much as I did.

The Author has left you a list of perks today,
 make sure you check them out after the interview 
and enter your name to receive a copy of Weather Child.

Please enjoy your visit here today, courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours,

and don't forget, we just love comments…PLP.

                                           
Weather Child

The Awakened Epoch
Book One

Philippa Ballantine

Genre: Historical Fantasy                                  

Publisher: Imagine That! Studios

Date of Publication:  1st March 2014

ISBN: 978-0615953489

ASIN:

Word Count: 105,000

Cover Artist: Alex White

Book Description:

Never alone. Never apart.

They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential.

But not all carriers embrace their blessing.

Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse.

Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.

Author Interview

This was a fun interview to do…I found Philippa's blog interesting to roam around and that led me to know more about her, which brought up some questions.  She has a very unique life, this author from New Zealand…you should take a look for yourself.

1. To begin with, the cover of The Weather Child is very artistic, it makes me want to pick up the book and begin reading.   How do you get the image or idea you have in your head to become a reality?  How much freedom did you give the artist, Alex White, to explore from his side?

Alex is a long time friend, writer, musician…and just all around talented guy. He worked with my husband and I on our independently published Ministry Protocol, giving us a wonderful steampunk shot which he made into a beautiful covers. However, when I went to him and said, I would love to see Faith in a storm, hovering…but I don’t know how you would do that…’ he said immediately, ‘I know exactly how to do that weightless effect.’

I laughed when he told me his plan. Alex and his team did a fantastic job. They had a model sprayed with water to simulate the ‘being in a storm’ bit, and then she jumped on a trampoline in front of a green screen. Some of the outtakes were hilarious I can tell you. Alex and I agreed on one perfect shot, and then he went away and worked his Photoshop magic. His wife Renee Chantel White, did the beautiful font work of the title to match the Art Deco of the period the story is set in. To say I was please would be an understatement!

2.  This book is the first in the new series that you have categorized as Historical Fantasy…what exactly is historical fantasy?

Historical fantasy is urban fantasy in a historic timeframe. It is a great way to play with my favorite subject of the past, and yet still fill it with wonderful paranormal goings on.

3.  I know you have a BA in English Lit and Political Science and that you spent a great deal of your life working in “the magical world of libraries”.  With all that literature surrounding you for so many years you must have soaked yourself in what a good story was all about.  How did this background set you up to become the writer that you are?  Were there specific books along your journey that truly inspired you?

I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a tremendous love of words, but back then the idea of being a fantasy writer in New Zealand was a pipedream. I fell into the world of libraries completely by mistake, but it felt like a natural home. It made me realize that what I had been looking for was right in front of me…and maybe that other dream of being a writer wasn’t as unattainable as I thought.  My inspiration came from my father’s book shelves. I adored CJ Cherryh, Anne McCaffrey, and Andre Norton. I loved their worlds and their characters, and I decided that I wanted to follow their path.

4.  Why fantasy and more to the point, I’m very curious about your other work, what is it about steampunk?

Fantasy is my first literary love. I read it from being a teenager, and it is the boundless possibilities of the imagination it provides. Dragons, magic, unicorns…you can have whatever you want.

Steampunk is many things, but for me it is just fun. Much like while I was working with Weather Child, it tickles my love of history, while allowing me to play in a rich world of gadgets and corsets. The aesthetic is so wonderful as well. The Victorian age was one of enthusiasm for technology and exploration that I think we have lost some of in our modern age.

5.  So how does a native New Zealander, weaned on Lord of the Rings, end up in Virgina?

Well, it is all about love really. As much as I love New Zealand, I ended up falling madly for my fellow author Tee Morris. Tee and I had been friends and colleagues for years, but that eventually became something far more. I realized about the same time, that my career as a writer could be furthered by living in the States, so it all worked out in the end. New Zealand is still a place we love to visit, and we imagine that is where we will retire to eventually, but for now Virginia is home.

6.  Your work has merited some tremendous acclaim for you with an Airship Award for best written steampunk and top listed Scifi books on Goodreads, the Steampunk Chronicles Readers Choice Award for best fiction, as well as interesting unique categories such as the Parsec and Sir Julius Vogel Awards for your podcasts in New Zealand.  This must be very satisfying as an author to receive such accolades from your peers.  Does it add a certain sense of freedom to your writing, knowing you’re on the right path, or do you feel more pressure to produce?

Oh awards don’t really soothe the nagging doubt inside an author’s head. You still need to produce, still worry about every little detail as you put it down. They are nice to look at in moments of doubt, and Tee and I do have a shelf of them in our office, but they certainly are not an excuse to rest on our laurels. There is always a new achievement, and a new goal to strive for.

7. Typically my seventh question is dedicated to, well, the dedication in your book.  Unfortunately, I only have an ARC so I do not know if there was a dedication or not so I cannot ask a personal question about this...so, would you care to either share your dedication or leave us with a fresh one now?

In the ARC I was still struggling with how best to encompass all the people that inspired Weather Child, but in the end it came down to three. My two grandmothers and by beloved great aunt. Weather Child draws from all the stories that they told me and their lives. They are gone now, but I like to think that they would enjoy the story, and hopefully see how much I listened to them while they were here. So it reads, For Ruth, Jean and Dorothy, Formidable, kind, and dearly missed.  I like to think all of them would have made an excellent Weather Child.

About the Author:

New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjballantine

Website: http://www.pjballantine.com/

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BATTLE CRY by, J.L. SNYDER

Welcome to Pressed Leaf Publishing, today we are presenting a tour from 
Fire and Ice Book Tours, introducing,
J.L.Snyder and Battle Cry, a MG-YA Fantasy Fiction.
Please enjoy your visit and make sure you enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post..and more importantly, by participating in this tour the Author has placed a special rate for the ebook version today…you may want to take advantage of this special offer… do check out the trailer
 and don't forget to leave us a comment…thx, from PLP

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 2/20/14 – 3/6/14
Genres: Young Adult/Teen, Middle Grade, Fiction, Genre Fiction, Fantasy
Tour Promotional Price: $.99

Blurb:

Fall in love with a true heroine!

Sixteen year old Kaí-Ling was raised in the ways of the sword. The child of a former samurai warrior and an American mother embarks on a journey to right the wrongs life has dealt her. The lifelong lessons and skills she acquires as well as the friends she makes along the way aid her in her quest to fulfill her destiny. Robbed of her father’s love before she was born, Kaí-Ling now seeks vengeance upon those who took him from her.

Excerpt:

Suddenly, the ship comes to a complete halt. Kaí-Ling and Joohee are thrust forward onto the floor.

As they regain their senses, an eerie and uneasy feeling captivates the room. Kaí-Ling gazes over toward the window and sees a giant red eye staring in.

She becomes entranced in the sadness that dwells deep down inside the soul of the eye’s beholder. A pain punctures her gut as the creature’s unhappiness is conveyed to her. For most of her life, Kaí-Ling held similar feelings.

She looks down to make sure Joohee has not witnessed what she has. His face, still burrowing in his own grief is hung low. She sets him gently on her bed and looks back at the window, but the eye is gone.

Buy Links:

Amazon
B&N
Bookstand Publishing
Google Bookstore
 

About the Author:

Jeffrey (JL) Snyder is a Top 100 Author at Authorsdb.com. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Texas - El Paso. The spark that ignited his aspirations to becoming an author was first lit by words of encouragement from his high school English teacher. Initially, however, he did not act upon those words, and the flame flickered within him for many years, almost extinguishing at times. That was until he met an angel, a gift from God, whom he now happily calls his wife. She reignited that spark that was once lit so many years ago with love, motivation and support.

Jeffrey is an avid reader of fiction as well as comic book/graphic novel fiction. He is a self taught artist who is fond of the Japanese Manga style of drawing. As a writer of fiction, he enjoys walking in the footsteps of his characters. Battle Cry is his first novel. He is currently working on the second volume of Battle Cry and many other projects.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook  
Book Daily
Authorsdb.com

Twitter

Website

Amazon’s Author Page

Giveaway:

The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card and an autographed Battle Cry poster! One lucky winner will win both. 18+, USA only please. The giveaway runs 2/20/14 – 3/6/14, enter with Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!

Welcome to Pressed Leaf Publishing, 

Home of the Benjamin McTish Series.  

This is really exciting for me, bringing fans and authors 

together sharing the same passion…YA Fantasy.

I am a huge fan of this genre'.  I simply love magic! 

 I couldn't even tell you how or when this began, 

however, I love getting lost in magical worlds. 

I suppose that's it…

becoming submerged in a fantastical world of 
possibilities seems to allow you to dream 
about your own world and

how you might shift things up a bit, create a 
little magic of your own.

I love writing for kids, young people.  I'm getting such a 

tremendous response to this series so far, 

it's the reason I began writing, to see someone's 

face light up at the surprises 

and adventure in the words I've written, 

in the story I'm telling.  

And hopefully they take with them some of the insight 

that is woven into the tale and realize 
they too have what it takes to create 
some magic in their own world.

Thank you for participating in this event…

let's make it a good one.  

Our goal is for you to make some new friends and 

meet some new fans and share
 some amazing books. 

Well, as luck would have it, I just finished the 

second book in this series, yay! 

So as my gift to one lucky person I am giving a 

signed print version of both books,

Benjamin McTish and The Door Through 
The Grandfather Tree

and Benjamin McTish and The Wizards of Coranim.

SO LEAVE A COMMENT AND INCLUDE
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ENTER TO WIN

I will also choose two other guests 

to win ebooks of the same.

And as an honorable mention, I would love to find that

 one someone who is themselves a Young Adult 

and gift them not only their own copies of 

these two books but I would love to interview them

on my blog…let's talk about Fantasy.

And thx to everyone who participated, it means 
a lot to me.

                                                                                                                   

Book One 

The McTish Series is an explosive adventure through a dimensional Gateway into another world, a world of beauty and magic, Coranim...a land of insight, thought and possibilities, that sits beneath the enchanted Gilley Forest.

There is local legend in the small town of Grandlochcheshire that has been passed down for a 100 years about the mysterious disappearance of the Chickering family, that trails on the coat tails of the equally shocking abduction of the Skeffington Union Rails heirs. The circumstances that follow this notorious tale enter into the modern world of Benjamin and his two best mates.  

One day Benjamin watches as a mysterious little woman steps out of a taxi and in one synchronistic moment their eyes lock and a series of visual snippets of unfamiliar events unfold in his mind’s vision. His razor sharp sixth sense allows him the freedom to explore the extrasensory messages coming at him like a derailed freight train.

And when Benjamin finds a peculiar relic of a key in his grandmother’s garden shed, he could never know his world was about to change forever.

Annabel and Mathilda, two sisters who have come from America, have become more than mere friends to Benjamin, they have all become the three Muskydeers (Mathilda’s mispronounced version of Musketeers, which was a huge laugh and of course it stuck), as they are plunged head first into this curious journey.  

In the Gilley Forest they discover that the path they have chosen is inundated with many obstacles as well as intrigue.  Alliances are made with the Forest clan of Gnomes and with the aid of the Vila sisters, Sethina and Morel, as well as some surprising and unexpected allegiances, the three friends take on the test that is the Grandfather Tree.  They must stay on the pre ordained Path of Prophecy, whose ancestry comes from the home of the oldest living beings on the planet, the Elves of the Darmon. However, this is no easy task for the Muskydeers as they have the foulest of sorcery hunting their every move, the powerful dark beauty, Tar Vigorn.

This ruthless Queen is not without humor however and loves a good game of cat and mouse, as long as she’s the cat. With her biting sense of sarcasm and calculated taunting, she knows just how to unnerve Benjamin. Her phantom army, the Blunt, are searching for a way into the Grand Tree and will stop at nothing to infiltrate the pristine world beneath his giant roots.

Once in Coranim the children make the acquaintance of the greatest Medicine Elder alive, Esmerelda Fet.  A most powerful Light Sorceress with a brazen in your face attitude, who guides the trio on their Path of destiny.  However, a Path can change in the blink of an eye...what could alter the overpowering trajectory Benjamin has followed to Coranim?  How will it change his life?

Find out as our three heroes delve into the mystic, as well as their own inner character, as you watch from the edge of your seat.

BOOK TWO
I TOOK OUT THE OBVIOUS PARAGRAPH THAT WOULD SPOIL IT, SO I THINK YOU'RE SAFE

Benjamin and his friends find themselves on a ridiculously amazing ride through all that is the World of Coranim.

From the enchanting magical city of Na’Talom and the splendiferous flying contraptions of one, Pips P. Toggleton, inventor slash artist of the extraordinary, to the far off outer edge Steam Powered Metropolis of Pancilet, with the expanse of Aurorus Jungle residing in between.  And always close by is their mentor and guide, Esmerelda Fet, the endearing but brash Light Sorceress and the most accomplished Medicine Elder alive.

The Wickcliff sisters receive the utmost in unique lessons in the Land of the Winter Light from three very idiosyncratic Wizards, while Benjamin finds himself confronting the most elusive individual yet, an Aboriginal Gnome Wizard known as Locke, who is able to tweak at Benjamin’s psyche every chance he gets.

*THIS PARAGRAPH PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE READ UNTIL YOU READ THE FIRST BOOK…SO I'M TAKING IT OUT…TOO BAD, IT'S REALLY GOOD!

The sites and bustling of the Wizard city of Pancilet is an overload to the senses as great devices of transport wheel down the glistening cobblestone roads. Parasols and Top Hats dot the sidewalk strolls of the button gloved shoppers on their way to the nearest Pub for afternoon libations.  However, all is not as it seems...nor is it ever, dear reader....there are a few surprises yet in store for you as you delve into the deep waters of Coranim and the ever mysterious story of a family that appears to have some very deep secrets of their own.

I TOOK OUT THE LAST TWO SENTENCES….SO YOU'RE SAFE

BOOK THREE

BENJAMIN MCTISH AND THE HIDDEN 

CAVERNS OF BRISTONBEL

COMING AUTUMN OF 2014

Anyone interested in a guest post, interview or spotlight with their YA Fantasy, please let me know, or if you know of any kids or young adults who love to write, please introduce us.

Here's the link back to the list…enjoy your tour!
http://benjaminmctish.blogspot.com/p/global-blog-event.html

SUNBOLT by, INTISAR KHANANI

Pressed Leaf Publishing is excited to introduce a new tour from Girls Heart Book Tours

Sunbolt by, Intisar Khanani.  I love this cover, it looks like a good read and as always, it's a YA Fantasy…so please enjoy your visit here and leave us a comment…you know how we love comments.

Book Info-

Title- Sunbolt 
Series- The Sunbolt Chronicles # 1 
By-Intisar Khanani
Publication Date- June 17, 2013 
Published By- Purple Monkey Press 
Genre- YA Fantasy

Blurb- 
The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Archmage Wilhelm Blackflame.

When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.

About the Author-
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five.

Intisar currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, she wrote grants and developed projects to address community health and infant mortality with the Cincinnati Health Department—which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.

Intisar’s latest projects include a companion trilogy to her debut novel Thorn, featuring a new heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife … and of course, she’s hard at work on the remaining installments of The Sunbolt Chronicles.

Website- http://booksbyintisar.com

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/intisar_Khanani

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar

Twitter- https://twitter.com/IntisarKhanani 

Links-

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18075001-sunbolt

Kindle-http://www.amazon.com/Sunbolt-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DE2RXEM/ 

Nook- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunbolt-intisar-khanani/1115656459 

Kobo- http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/Sunbolt/6RT3k6M3HEqIDYPN-Nv7Yw 

iTunes- https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sunbolt/id726629863?mt=11 

Diesel- http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000318516/Khanani-Intisar-Sunbolt/1.html 

Giveaway-


a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE PURPLE GIRL by AUDREY KANE

Today we are proud to introduce a new tour from Goddess Fish Promotions and 

Author Audrey Kane,

 Illustrated by Tory and Norman Tabor.

A YA Fantasy about a unique 13 yr. old girl who has an adventure to find out who she truly is.  And extra news for you, the Author is gifting one random commenter with a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card…so make sure you leave a comment to enter your name…or leave a comment just because..enjoy your visit here at Pressed Leaf Publishing.

Amazon Reader Review…BookNerd gave The Purple Girl 5 stars…."I purchased this book for my daughter after glancing through it. I started reading and couldn't put it down--as an adult. This book is the type of book I encourage my daughter to read. It's engaging, meaningful, and portrays a strong, female character that any girl can relate to. This book does not disappoint. My daughter was equally delighted."

Blurb

CAUTION! Violet lives within the pages of this book. And her purple spreads to everything she touches…

Violet lives behind garden walls. Is she magical? Is she the devil’s child—or simply cursed? When the lonely thirteen-year-old embarks on a dangerous journey to find the one boy that dared to befriend her, she travels at night...in the dark...to keep people from seeing her purple skin. But no one is more surprised than Violet when she unlocks her mysterious gift.

Excerpt

Frustrated, I blew out the candle and slipped the book back into its velvet cover.

“Violet, is that you?” my mother called from her bed.

I gave a little gasp. With the text in my hands and my heart pounding, I stood rooted to the spot. There was a second of silence, and then I heard the creak of her bed and the easy rhythm of her snores.

Barely breathing, I replaced the text on the shelf and then crept my way through the doorway toward the kitchen. There wasn’t much time. Dawn was ready to break. The gypsy girl would be waiting.

When I reached the side door, I hesitated. Can I do this? The garden is a pretty but also a lonely place to be caged in.

         

 With unsteady hands, I eased open the door and slipped out.

Bio and Links

As a writer, and also a designer of tapestries with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia, it is only natural for Audrey to weave visual stories. When she is not designing tapestries, she is busy conjuring up characters that find themselves in extraordinary situations. Between carpools and design work, she is plotting, scheming, writing, and revising. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, their three children, and her unruly dog, Rascals. Audrey's favorite time to write is in the early morning while her family sleeps. With Rascals sprawled out snoring beside her, it only takes one oversized cup of coffee to get her mind moving.

Audrey is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She loves traveling, museums, and blackberry-apple pie. Actually, she loves all kinds of pie. And she especially loves her family. They have put up with Violet and Waxy for a long time. You can visit her at: www.audreykane.com.

website: www.audreykane.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/audreykaneauthor

buy link:  amzn.com/0991028317

DRAGONS IN PIECES (Maze Beset) by, LEE FRENCH

Today we're introducing Author Lee French and her book Dragons in Pieces, 

a virtual book tour from Fire and Ice Tours.

I don't know about you, but tiny robot dragons is enough to get my interest. 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway….enjoy following the tour!

Follow the tour at Fire and Ice Book Tours

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 1/27/14 - 2/24/14

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure

Blurb:

All Bobby wanted was a girl to come home to after a hard day of work. Like the last one said before she left, he was going exactly two places - no and where – and he was happy with that. But somebody had other plans for him. A murder. The Terrorist Watch List. For what? Underage drinking? Things couldn't possibly get worse. Right?

Oh yes, they could.

A lot.

He wouldn't believe superheroes were real if he wasn't one himself.

Tiny robot dragons send him chasing his humanity and his future, on the trail to discovering his past and a place to call 'home'. If he's lucky, maybe he can get a beer there.

Excerpt:

It was Matthew, they recognized him from the photos. He wore jeans and nothing else. Every part of him left bare was smeared with blood and his eyes were panicked, terrified. It took him a moment to register both that the kitchen light was on and two strange men sat at his table, then he freaked out. In the space of perhaps two seconds, the jeans disappeared, his body grew muscles and fur and claws, his head reshaped with a fanged snout. He was easily nine feet tall and the scariest damn werewolf Bobby ever saw, probably because he was in the room with it, and it wasn’t just a costume.

The swarm was a much better place to be, and Bobby went there. Stephen, though, seemed calm, saying, “How apropos that a vampire and a werewolf should fight this close to Hollywood. With dragons, to boot. I wonder if we’ll attract any orcs or fairies.”

Matthew let out a loud roar and jumped at Stephen, the two of them started fighting. Bobby, unable to get into it much without causing a problem for Stephen, got the dragons to open the door a crack so ten could slip out and keep watch. If someone was coming, he wanted to know about it before they arrived and got involved. It seemed clear that Stephen could hold his own against this thing, but who knew how much they’d beat each other up before one of them lost. To try to help the odds, the dragons went in for the werewolf’s legs.

The little critters couldn’t really do much more than annoy Matthew, they found his skin to be much too tough for their little teeth. He’d be scratched up later, but not really injured from this assault. They had to be careful, too, to avoid getting hurt themselves. Stephen threw the werewolf into the fridge, Matthew returned the favor by tossing the vampire through an inner wall, putting Stephen in the bedroom unexpectedly. They did what Bobby thought of as wrasslin’, except for the fangs and claws and superhuman strength they both apparently had. It carried them back through the apartment, wrecking it as they went, until Stephen was thrown through a window and Matthew chased after, like a dog going after a stick.

Now it was public. There was a very real chance that one or more of Matthew’s neighbors noticed the initial noises and already called someone about it, but Bobby was willing to bet this spectacle would get some attention. He could almost imagine the call to the police. ‘Officer, there’s two costumed freaks wrasslin’ around outside, making a heckuva ruckus!’ Or however the locals would say that. The swarm followed them out, keeping a watch all around. There just wasn’t anything he could think of to do that would actually help Stephen directly. Aside from how much nothing he could do to harm or even distract Matthew, he was terrified of what would happen if a dragon got crushed.

They were horribly loud. Matthew sounded like a giant angry dog, Stephen sounded somewhat like a person making large cat noises. Stephen made an effort at keeping them close to the apartment, but Matthew really enjoyed tossing the vampire for distance and chasing after him. Bobby suspected that Stephen would just have flown out of reach, but the goal was actually to subdue the werewolf, not just get away from him. As a result, Bobby discovered that Stephen could heal himself, but every time he did, he looked a little more haggard.

Things, of course, got worse. A police car screamed onto the scene, brakes screeching as it halted sideways to block their passage farther down the street. Bobby saw it coming, but couldn’t think of anything to do about it. Really, he was just as helpless as any other bystander here. When he had some time to breathe, he’d try things and see what he could do with his dragons in this sort of situation, but for now, he had nothing to contribute. It was an unpleasant feeling, one that reminded him a lot of how he felt when that needle went into his leg at Jasmine’s apartment, except that this just kept going on and he didn’t get the luxury of blacking out for any part of it.

Out of the car with his gun drawn, the cop shouted for the two men to freeze and get on the ground. Matthew had his attention drawn by the command, and Bobby reacted as he saw the werewolf bolting for the car. This was stupid, but he couldn’t let the cop get hurt just for being the one to show up. Faster than a speeding werewolf, Bobby re-formed right in front of the cop so Matthew could hit him instead. When the claws swiped through the space, Bobby exploded into dragons again, causing the sharp claws to pass right through empty air.

Author Guest Post

Hi there. My name is Lee French, and I've written some books. They're excellent, of course, so obviously, you should read them. I was asked to do this guest post, and I stressed over it for a few days, until I received this shirt in the mail. I ordered it a while back and more or less forgot about it. Getting it was like having a Secret Santa kept so secretly I didn't even know I was participating.

My actual favorite superhero is Nightcrawler, but I've never run across anything putting him on a squirrel battle mount. As a result, I may have to re-rank Deadpool higher on my list. If he can get a squirrel battle mount, he's obviously worthy, probably more than I've previously given him credit for.

You see, I have a thing about squirrels. (I'm going to tie this back to Dragons In Pieces, I promise.) It's mostly a joke. When I was growing up, we had pine trees in the backyard, which attract squirrels. In my backyard now as an adult, I have two English walnut trees and an oak. Since I like to garden, this isn't always great, but I started cracking jokes about how the squirrels were my minions, and it stuck and now I have squirrel stuff, including stickers all over my electronic devices and a copper sign in my front yard.

The original concept for the Maze Beset trilogy - of which Dragons In Pieces is the first book - came from a Mutants and Masterminds role playing game that I run. I'd never used the M&M rpg before, and since I was going to be the GM, I decided to make a character to learn the system. That character was Jasmine Milani, a half-Iranian woman whose primary superpower is that she can shapeshift into a squirrel.

Jasmine is not the main character of the story, she's a secondary character whose purpose is to be comic relief. Her part in the story allows me to introduce some bad guys and a complication, and start showing my version of one of the everpresent themes of many superhero stories. In the words of Uncle Ben, 'With great power comes great responsibility'. 

Squirrel!

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About the Author:

Lee French lives in Worcester, MA with two kids, two mice, two bicycles, and too much stuff. She is an avid gamer and active member of the Myth-Weavers online RPG community, where she is known for her fondness for Angry Ninja Squirrels of Doom. In addition to spending much time there, she also trains year-round for the one-week of glorious madness that is RAGBRAI, has a nice flower garden with absolutely no lawn gnomes, and tries in vain every year to grow vegetables that don't get devoured by neighborhood wildlife.

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Giveaway:

Author Lee French is giving away a print copy of Dragons in Pieces. Enter at Goodreads!

   

    Goodreads Book Giveaway  

   

           

   

     

          Dragons in Pieces      

     

          by Lee French      

     

         
            Giveaway ends February 24, 2014.          
         
            See the giveaway details             at Goodreads.          
     

   

   

      Enter to win