Goddess Fish Promotions - The Calling By Branwen OShea

 

The Calling

by Branwen OShea

 

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GENRE: YA Sci-fi

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 BLURB:

Humanity’s wake-up call. Answer it or face extinction.

 

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

 

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared. But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

 

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

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 Excerpt One:

 She knelt, and with trembling hands, she grabbed the extra piece of soaked wood. If she put one log in the back of the cave and kept one in the entrance, then maybe she’d be safe between them until daybreak. Of course, that assumed whatever predator lurked outside lost interest in her by daybreak.

 Two fires were her best chance. Her only chance. She quickly placed the second piece of wood, filled its opening with tinder, and grabbed her stones.

The growling grew closer. At this rate, she’d never get the log lit in time. Her mind raced through possibilities, but they all required skills she lacked and ended with her death.

Wait. Furred ones sense energy. In desperation, she expanded her energy to appear larger and hoped her fake size might give the predator pause.

 In this enlarged-energy state, she struck the flint and fire stone together. They sparked, but the log remained unlit. Long claws scraped against the floor. She peered up from the flint. The pale light of the first log reflected off two eyes.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.

Website: www.branwenoshea.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/branwenoshea

Instagram: www.instagram.com/branwenoshea

Facebook: www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

 

Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

Branwen OShea will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter the contest below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Follow the tour at all the blogs below for interviews and fun stuff about the book.

 

January 7: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
January 14: Viviana MacKade
January 21: All the Ups and Downs
January 28: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
February 4: Kit 'N Kabookle
February 11: Bibliomanaic Aza
February 18: The Avid Reader

 February 25: Becoming Extraordinary 

 March 4: Novels Alive
March 11: Our Town Book Reviews
March 18: Andi's Young Adult Books
March 25: The Faerie Review
April 1: Let Me tell You a Story 

 April 8: Westveil Publishing
April 15: Sybrina's Book Blog
April 22: Jazzy Book Reviews
April 29: Straight From the Library
May 6: It's Raining Books
May 13: Long and Short Reviews
May 20: Books in the Hall 

Teen, YA or Older Reader Unicorn Book Feature - Unicorn Keep By Angelia Almos

Teen, YA or Older Reader Unicorn Book Feature - Unicorn Keep By Angelia Almos

Jiline of Ainsley is dismayed when her best friend is selected by the mages to become a unicorn keeper at the Keep, an isolated mountain fortress. Especially since Madelen is in love and engaged to the richest boy in the village. Jiline on the other hand has no prospects of marriage or a trade in their small village. So, she comes up with a plan to take Madelen’s place at the Keep and hopefully flunk out of unicorn keeper training before the mages can discover the deception. Unfortunately, the unicorns have their own plans for her.

Mage Herrick, son of the Keep Mage, returns home to the Keep as the trainee keepers arrive. A chance encounter with Jiline, who he believes is Madelen, on the trail sparks a magical connection between the two. Knowing he can’t feel a magical draw to someone who has no magic, he tries to prove Madelen (Jiline) has magic within her. His attention brings unforeseen complications for both of them.

Find more great unicorn books for teens, ya and older readers at Sybrina's Unicorn BookStore.

Enjoy this fun unicorn song introducing lots of unicorn books for teens, ya and older readers.

https://youtu.be/36KWOGOQX8U

Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour - The Witch Port Video Game by Leonard Bassed

THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME

Leonard Bassed

* YA *

Title: THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME

Author: Leonard Bassed

Publisher: Independent

Pages: 108

Genre: YA

Leonard Bassed had no plan to write a novel titled THE WITCH PORT
VIDEO GAME when he set out to create a movie script with a similar
name.  “I had written the pilot script first and I kept the same ending
for the novel…everything from the script I wrote found its way into the
finished book version of ‘The Witch Port Video Game,’ said
writer-singer-actor Leonard Bassed.  “I was able to spend more time
developing the characters and their world…the whole thing was just such
an organic experience and extremely enjoyable, creative for me.”



THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME tells the story through the lives of three
ordinary teens who live in the fictional town of Cradle Creek, USA – a
small town they hope to one day escape, attracted by the bright lights
and promise of the Big City.  All three are students at a prestigious
performing art school with hopes of one day making names for themselves
in the entertainment world.



Mr. Bassed continued about his story, “A chance encounter the three
have with a girl named Bianca Morris threatens to derail their plans.
Bianca introduces them to an enticing video game, ‘The Witch Port Video
Game’.  This encounter, coupled with the arrival of the MacQuoid
brothers sets in motion a series of bizarre events that spins their
lives into chaos and disarray as the three head into a world of sorcery
with an ultimate fight for survival.”



As a young boy growing up in South Africa, Leonard dreamed one day of
working in the arts.  He wanted to write, to act, to sing.  While drawn
to acting and song writing, he was also a good story teller.  “The
auditions I would go out for as an actor were never reflective of the
kinds of roles I was after to play. It was this realization that led me
to writing the pilot script which I planned to pitch to TV and movie
producers.  But, once I finished the script I’d grown too attached to
the characters and the wonders of their world that ultimately led the
script into the shape of a full novel,” he went on to say.



PRAISE



“While the book’s final moments leave us with a rather sudden, enigmatic ending, an end note does indicate a sequel Witch Port Igniting the Coven on
the horizon. For those who enjoy the entertaining literary chemistry
that results from inquisitive teens and their foray into the mysterious
world of sorcery, Bassed’s venture should prove an intriguing reveal.”

–Pacific Book Review



“Filled with cheeky references to famous pop-culture stories of
sorcery and mixed with some classic teenage angst, this book is a
fast-paced, suspenseful story. The novel’s premise that some teenagers
gain special powers through a video game is an updated, modern take on
magic and suits the story quite well for a 21st-century setting. The
author sets up the story mechanisms so that everything that happens
through the students’ video game play also happens in real life. The
author states that this novel was originally a screenplay, and those
elements shine through, from the descriptive settings to the fast pace
in which the action occurs on the page. It will be interesting to see
how the protagonists grow with their powers in the sequel.”

–The U.S. Review of Books

Book can be purchased at the author’s web site at www.leonardbassed.com

______________________

“I begin to hear an eerie
chant being recited in unison as the first three naked women make it to the
dark summit. Holding long, makeshift brooms, in their right hands, they chant:
“Drink the flight broth, wood in hand. Burn the root ...” An elderly woman with
lanky hair picks up the goblet, takes a sip of its contents, and inhales the
smoke of an already burning smudge stick. The chanting continues: “Then dive
from the cliff...” This is perhaps the most startling scene I’ve ever
witnessed. The woman runs off the edge of the cliff, seemingly to plummet to
her death, but I hear “Not by wind nor by wings, airborne sisters thou shall
soar.” Suddenly, the woman who vanished off the cliff reappears, hovering in
mid-air on a broom. She begins cackling, and the louder her cackles, the higher
she floats. Soon a host of other women mimic her actions, cackling into the
night air.” – By Leonard Bassed

•  
This is one of my favorite excerpts from my novel, ‘The Witch Port Video
Game’ because of the imagery it conjures.

•  
My novel begins with Martin’s recollection of a vision he once had. In the
vision women are seen diving of a cliff and flying on their brooms, true to the
stereotypical portrayal of witches in the media and western folklore.

•  
The women are depicted inhaling something resembling a smudge stick this
leaves the reader unsure whether they’re indeed flying or having some sort of
hallucinogenic experience brought on by the smoke.

 

Not all games should be played

--Leonard Bassed, Author of The Witch Port Video Game

The Witch Port Video Game illustrates that actions have consequences when three ordinary teenagers’ lives are thrown into turmoil and disarray through a chance encounter with a girl at a diner. It promised to be a fun time when the teenage friends, Martin Robinson, Francesca Dubois and Mackenzie Hollister sneaked away for an evening out. However, on this occasion, they happened to be at the wrong place, at a wrong time when a stranger, Bianca introduces them to a video game. The game seems awesome at first until a series of strange events occur which mirror what happens on screen. The realization that they have somehow being imbued with magical abilities through the video game is accompanied by the mysterious arrival of the MacQuoid brothers, who with Bianca as their co-conspirator wreak havoc on their previously peaceful lives in the idyllic fictional town of Cradle Creek. 

            This exciting account of magic and sorcery is a must read for young adults who are fascinated by magical realism and gaming. It gives the notion of sorcery a modern spin, while offering the reader intrigue and suspense. The novel makes references to current teenage culture and explores themes that young people still face today including orientation, peer pressure and substance abuse.

            This indie debut novel is the first in a series and all “shall be revealed later”. The reader is invited to embark on this journey with Martin, Francesca and McKenzie, three unsuspecting teenagers who become entangled in something totally unsolicited and unplanned. Their very lives and those of their loved ones are at stake, as they struggle for survival. The story ends with a cliffhanger that will entice the reader back for more. You don’t choose sorcery – She chooses you…

For your copy of the book The Witch Port Video Game visit the author’s website: www.leonardbassed.com

Writer-actor-singer Leonard Bassed was born in the town of
Middleburg, Mpumalanga and raised in Johannesburg.  He started taking
vocal lessons at age eight and studied drama throughout his high school
years.  A mentor encouraged him to pursue an acting career.  Leonard
went on to complete acting classes in both South Africa and later Los
Angeles.  Currently, when not writing or singing, Leonard continues to
study acting techniques with the renowned Margie Haber Studio in
Hollywood. In his free time, he enjoys travel, reading and movie going.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://leonardbassed.com/

Facebook page for author: https://www.facebook.com/leobassed/

Twitter page for author: https://twitter.com/LeonardBassed