  DAY OF RECKONING (Concord Chronicles # 1) by Kai Strand * Paperback: 289 pages * Publisher: Independently published * Language: English * ISBN-10: 1690603372 * ISBN-13: 978-1690603375 SYNOPSIS: Not only does twelve-year-old Terra learn she’s a Nature’s Spirit destined to serve the peaceful underground city of Concord, but she also finds she is named in a prophecy as the only one who can thwart the leader of the death tribe. The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld. They’re responsible for the termination and cleanup of Concord’s beings. When their leader, Blanco, learns Terra is the one who can derail his day of reckoning, he does everything he can to get rid of her. Including, dispatch a “Bringer” to complete the ultimate of death janitor duties. Not only does Terra want to stay alive, but she hopes to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents too. So, Frank, a Spirit of Security, is assigned to protect her. Together, they undertake a secret investigation of how to defeat Blanco. But with the future of Concord and Terra’s very own life at stake, will they find the answer in time? Can be purchased at the following sites: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo
When It’s All Made Up, But You Have to Believe It by Kai Strand The setting of a story is difficult to develop in the first place, but in a fantasy such as Day of Reckoning, where the characters spend a lot of time in the underground city of Concord, it takes a lot of re-writing. It’s part of being an author. You have an idea in your head. You put the idea onto a page. You realize you shared too much, so you cut some of it out. You realize you might have cut too much, so you add some back in. You go back and forth until you think you’ve finally set the stage for the reader without boring them in the process. Here is a small example of setting that, even though it is out of context for you currently, should place you with the main characters immediately: He cautiously opened a trapdoor and looked around before climbing out. Terra saw they were in an alley. She had a clear view up and down the street, but a cinderblock wall impeded her view across the street. This trapdoor was hidden in the dumpster area behind some condominiums. Though it was 2:00 a.m., Terra was comfortable in her long-sleeved denim blouse and jeans, so she knew they were in a warm climate. Frank cautiously peeked around the privacy wall. He led the way to the back of the nearest condo. Quietly, Frank opened a gate and snuck into a fenced patio area. He climbed a trellis to a second floor balcony. Terra followed, even though her muscles protested in anger when she called on them to climb. Waiting for her on the balcony, Frank hesitated before approaching the sliding glass door. With a fortifying breath, he walked purposefully toward it. It disappeared for them to enter. Terra was surprised to find they were in a girl’s room. She assumed Frank would take her to his house. She looked around. “Where are we?” This particular example is easy to follow for the reader because there are so many familiar things, warm weather, an alley, condominiums. Things a reader has experience with and can bring to mind. In this next example, we are in a fantasy setting in the same story. Once they were there, she understood why Hermie had called it the overlook. A large city sprawled below them. The sight of it stunned Terra into silence. A glow emanated from the very ground underneath the city, as if the daytime sky replaced the ground. Outrageously shaped buildings, which appeared to defy gravity, lined streets teaming with vehicles that seemed to have been plucked from an amusement park. Brightly colored creatures walked, slithered, or hopped in and out of top-heavy buildings or structures that resembled tree trunks. Terra chuckled with delight when what she had assumed was a fluorescent yellow light pole, crossed the street along with the rest of the peculiar pedestrian traffic. From her vantage point, it was like watching people move about in a painting. As you can see, it takes very few words to paint a fantastical setting for the reader. By – again – using things that are familiar “daytime sky replaced the ground” or “vehicles…plucked from an amusement park” I’ve painted a quick picture of an unexpected vista. Descriptive words like “slithered or hopped” encourage the reader to make up their own fantastical beings that might move in that way. And alluding to unusual building shapes adds a Seuss-esque feeling to the vista. What I learned while writing Day of Reckoning is it doesn’t take a lot to put the reader into a fantastical setting. As a matter of fact, less is more.  ABOUT the AUTHOR Award-winning Kai Strand, author of the action-packed Super Villain Academy series, is often found exploring hiking trails and snapping pictures of waterfalls in her Oregon hometown. Mother of four, Kai uses her life experiences to connect with young readers. With middle grade works such as Save the Lemmings, The Weaver Tale series, and Day of Reckoning, and emotional YA adventures like Finding Thor, I Am Me, and Worth the Effort, Kai has written compelling stories that tweens, teens, and their parents love. Kai has given numerous presentations throughout Oregon about her work and the writing process. She loves interacting with teens and gaining their insight on their latest reads as well as what they would like to see in future stories. Kai's Media: Website | Mailing List | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Be sure to follow Kai on her week-long tour HERE.  GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Author Kai Strand is giving away four $5 Amazon Gift Cards and one lucky winner will receive a digital copy of DAY OF RECKONING along with a $15 Amazon Gift Card To enter the giveaway, just click on HERE and you’ll be directed to the widget 
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 Originally titled "From Frights to Flaws", this story is the exciting and enchanting first book in the "Magical Missions" series.  Book Details: The Frights of Fiji (Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions, Book 1) by Sunayna Prasad Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 136 pages Genre: Fantasy | Tour dates: May 4 to May 29, 2020 Publisher: Amazon KDP | Release date: October 2018 Content Rating: G: There is no mature language or adult content whatsoever. Book Description: A world of magic and adventure awaits… Sent to live with her strict, aloof, and uncaring uncle after her parents are killed in a car accident, twelve-year-old orphan Alyssa McCarthy longs for the life she used to have—one filled with fun and love. Then one stormy night, a message appears in the raindrops on the window that will change everything. "Your life will never be the same again, as magic will interfere." Before long, Alyssa is kidnapped by Master Beau, a banished sorcerer with a mysterious connection to her who can only regain his power by weakening hers. Suddenly hurled into a world of wizardry filled with fantastical beasts and marvelous technology beyond her wildest imagination, Alyssa must defeat Master Beau if she ever wants to get home again. But Master Beau will stop at nothing, including using Alyssa’s friends, to ensure he is triumphant. BUY THE BOOK: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo ~ Add to Goodreads  Book Details: A Curse of Mayhem (Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions, Book 2) by Sunayna Prasad Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 173 pages Genre: Fantasy | Tour dates: May 4 to May 29, 2020 Publisher: Amazon KDP | Release date: July 2019 Content Rating: G: There is no mature language or adult content whatsoever. Book Description: History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself. It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought… Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear. In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness. Originally published in 2016 as “Wizardry Goes Wild” and “The Unruly Curse” in 2019, “A Curse of Mayhem” is book two in the exciting and suspenseful “Magical Missions” series. BUY THE BOOK: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo ~ Add to Goodreads
Sunayna Prasad, author of A CURSE OF MAYHEM Guest Post: Don’t be Shy and Give it a try: Research by Asking Real People With research, you look for more than just the craft rules. Those include the setting your story takes place, the laws of that society, and much more. While I have researched common things like how detention works in schools, one thing I needed to learn more about involved a minor backstory error in both the first and second installments of my novels. However, I am resolving it by adding a to that mistake in the third book. It will reveal how that incorrect statement had been false the whole time. If you can’t find anything relevant to the research needed for your project, sometimes it is best to ask someone who is an expertise in that specific field. Just give him or her enough information about your project as well as your question. I did that for the little error I made in my books due to not performing careful research on it. You can also join writing forums for help, as well. The one I participate in when I have questions has a research section. That is where I asked about things I had to know, and would be harder to seek through Google. That is also where I found out how detention works in schools, since in my series’ second installment, my main character lands in it. However, I never got detention in school, which is obviously a good thing. But I still received useful answers. Another topic I needed to learn more about was how much stress it would take for somebody to end up in shock. Unlike the detention subject, though, this element did not make it into my first book, where it was intended to go. While the Internet may be there 24/7 (for the most part), you can always ask real people for research questions whether it’s one person or on a forum.   Meet the Author: Sunayna Prasad enjoys writing fantasy books for children, as well as cooking, creating artwork, watching online videos, and blogging. She has also written The Frights of Fiji, formerly titled as From Frights to Flaws. She is passionate about modern life, fantasy, and world-building. Aside from her website, she also has a blog about different creative and entertaining topics, including fiction and writing, called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”. Sunayna has graduated from college in May 2017. She lives in Long Island, NY. Connect with the Author: website ~ twitter  Giveaway Details: Prizes: Win 1 of 3 sets of Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions (ebook) or a $25 Amazon Gift Card (4 winners) (ends June 5) To Enter the Giveaway, Click on HERE!  |
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