'The Dragonfyre Blade' by Aiden Storm

Blurb:

An epic tale of magic and adventure to inspire and delight young readers.

Thirteen year old Jack is spending the summer at his Aunt’s house in the country. Unfortunately, it’s done nothing but rain and he’s stuck in her old mansion without cable or internet. Bored and alone, he sets out to explore the house. When he reaches the attic, he finds an intricate and unusual mural painted on the walls. Life for Jack gets turned upside down when he stumbles and is transported through a portal into a magical world. 

For Jasyra, the daughter of the High King, life couldn’t be worse. Her father has been turned to glass, her kingdom has been taken over by the Demon Emperor, and she and her friend, Evooku, have been exiled. The only way to save the land is to reassemble the Dragon Fyre Blade, but the Demon Emperor has hidden all six pieces and each is guarded by great mythical beasts. There is only one person who can help restore peace, but it has been said that he is not of their land. 

When Jack awakens in the Great Forest of Karandur, he encounters Jasyra and Evooku. He discovers the only way home is to band together to fight the evil Lycanthor, a giant werewolf that guards a piece of the Dragon Fyre Blade. But first they have to make it through an enchanted land full of danger. 

The Queen of Light appears to Jack and delivers a gift, as well as a revelation. He, Jasyra and Evooku form an unlikely friendship along the way and lasting bonds are made when they realize they are Karandur’s only hope. Will the trio be able to defeat Lycanthor and save the kingdom from an eternity of despair?

The Dragon Fyre Blade: Lycanthor the Werewolf is the first book in a series of six and is written for children 7 - 11 years old.

Read an excerpt:

A thundering crash made Jack turn to the trees. Heavy footsteps shook the ground as a shadowy shape emerged, stepping towards them. Glowing red eyes glared and an animal mouth opened to reveal long rows of jagged, yellow teeth. The creature stood up on its two legs, an unnatural mix of wolf and man. 

Lycanthor. 

With a terrifying howl, it raised its head to the sky. A chorus of howls echoed from the woods. 

Evooku wasted no time in firing an arrow right at the beast, but Lycanthor batted the puny missile away with one hand. 

“Foolish creatures!” it roared. “You dare enter my domain!”

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About Aiden Storm:

Aiden grew up a city boy, but always loved getting out into the country. As a kid, his great uncle always took him to old castles, famous battlegrounds and long hikes in the wilderness. These days, Aiden lives in old cottage next to the forest with his dog Blade. When not writing Aiden spends time exploring the woods, dead certain they’re full of fantastical creatures, long lost relics and ancient magic…

'WhipEye (Book 1)' by Geoffrey Saign

Blurb:

Samantha and her neighbor, Jake, have no idea that Samantha’s best friend, a parrot named Charlie, is a thousand years old. Charlie is also at the center of a secret battle between magical creatures and an ancient, evil man. When Charlie asks Samantha and Jake to protect him, they are chased by monsters from both sides. To save Charlie, and two worlds, Samantha and Jake have twenty-four hours to figure out how to use the supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find the courage to confront what they fear most…

Appropriate for middle grade/YA and up. (Age 9+)

Read an excerpt:

The monster slithers a dozen yards away, coming fast, both heads reared back. I want to scream. 

Ten steps ahead is a big birch. Jake reaches the east side of it, finds a rock, and throws it. He hits one of the cobra heads in the snout, and the beast hisses and veers toward him. Yelling, he bolts. 

Squawk! “Jump, kid!” says Charlie. 

The other snake head strikes at me. 

I leap sideways and the snake misses my legs, catching a mouthful of dirt instead. I’m inches from its long fangs and wrinkled mouth. It gives me a burst of adrenaline. 

Gasping, I spurt around the west side of the tree. The snake’s heads chase us on opposite sides of the trunk, one after Jake and one after me. Its body smacks into the tree trunk, the two heads twisting, trying to force the other around its side. Stupid monster. It buys us a few seconds. 

Not far ahead, a massive rotting log is leaning against another big tree, its high end four feet off the ground. It’s a natural deadfall in front of a small opening at the base of a pile of boulders. Dad showed it to me several years ago, explaining how dangerous it could be and warning me never to go near it. He said just bumping into it could knock it over. 

“Under the tree,” I yell. I watch Jake and trip over a tree root, my legs flying too far out as I try to remain upright. “Don’t touch it,” I croak. 

Jake dives beneath it and Charlie flies in low after him. 

I stumble to the slanted log off balance and bend over at the waist. The back of my head bangs against the wood when I try to duck beneath it. “Umph.” 

Dropping to my knees, I roll to the side several times, ending up on my back. Little rocks and sticks jab through my flannel shirt into my skin. 

Behind me, Jake scrambles into the opening in the rocks, shouting, “Sam.” 

I tilt my head to see beneath the crack under the log. The cobra is racing toward us, inches above the ground. Feeling exposed, I slide over farther to hide behind the low end of the deadfall. 

“Here I am, you stupid worm!” Charlie perches on a rock near Jake, trying to take the snake’s attention away from me. Squawk! “Do something, kid.” 

Bringing my knees to my chest, trying to time the snake’s speed, I kick the deadfall with both feet. It’s like hitting a boulder. It doesn’t budge. Huge disappointment. The way Dad described it, a big mosquito flying into it would topple it. 

The hissing cobra slides beneath the dead tree five feet from me, and stops abruptly, slowly raising its heads and eyeing Jake and Charlie. 

I go rigid while staring at the monster. Please don’t see me.

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Early Praise for WhipEye

"WhipEye is a thrilling magical adventure with surprises at every turn, a story that deserves to be read."
- Laurisa White Reyes, author of The Celestine Chronicles series and Editor-in-Chief of Middle Shelf Magazine

“WhipEye is a gripping, imaginative adventure from start to finish. I didn’t want to put it down until the very last page!...I cannot wait to read book two!” -LitPick reviewer

About the Author: 

Geoffrey Saign can often be found looking for interesting critters, and magic, while swimming, snorkeling, sailing, or hiking in the woods. His passion for nature and wildlife led to his nationally endorsed book, Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment, as well as his books African Cats and Great Apes. He has assisted in field research with hummingbirds and humpback whales, and sailed as far away as Australia. With more than twenty years of experience working in special education, he has taught adults and children everything from sailing to novel writing. He won the Shabo Award in 2010. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. You can visit Geoff at www.geoffreysaign.net

The second installment of 'Monsterjunkies' is now available!

Blurb:

The Monsterjunkies are an enchanting gothic family trying to raise their children in a world that is not. Talon Monsterjunkie is a cryptozoologist who travels the world, continuing an ancestral legacy of saving and researching rare and thought to be non-existent creatures from their Victorian estate at 1313 Road to Nowhere in Foggy Point, Maine. His partner in life and work, Pandora, is a botanist with pagan roots and a passion for otherworldly healing practices. They find joy and mirth in their lofty Thunderstorm Room, the bat colony below, an Odd Orchard, a labyrinth, gargoyles with an agenda, and their darkly decorated Halloween tree. Meanwhile, outside forces are scheming to rid the Monsterjunkies from the area, desiring the real estate their mansion sits on as well as wanting to expose them for illegally harboring exotic wildlife. It does not help that the Monsterjunkie name itself brings suspicion and rumors about what goes on at the odd and mysterious compound.

Cromwell (aka Crow) Monsterjunkie is their passive, macabre teenage son who prefers to cope with life by escaping into the world of comic book creatures and superheroes or spending time with unusual species. He laments that if his territory had not been invaded, plowed over, and contaminated by polluting commercial activities---the hubris of man, would The Creature of the Black Lagoon still be alive today? And why do the bullies of the world ---- the real monsters ---- always seem to win? Insecure, self-conscious, and risk-averse, his friends push him to ask a girl he likes out on a date while his older sister, Indigo and friend Winter Hodges grapple with life during their senior year. His sister is distant and less upbeat after two of her friends are outed and exposed in fake compromising situations online and other forms of harassment for being different.

Crow does not need any more stress. Not only does he not like his body but he endures random acts of micro-aggression. Retaliating last year in school only escalated the conflict with his nemesis, Ruth Grimes though the urge to get back at him is strong, nonetheless. Crow’s been targeted for his goth tastes, his Monsterjunkie name, and the unreal nature of his family’s generational legacy. He hates the haters but just wants to be left alone, free from the pressure to respond to other people’s vices. While in Africa with his father two years ago, they encountered men with guns, jeeps, and machetes, and numerous elephants slaughtered or left for dead. Crow cannot get their screams and cries out of his head. And his father used a gun that night. Crow has not forgotten those disturbing details but no one knows how this incident has affected him. His underground sanctuary is the one place he can block out those horrific sounds of suffering.

The Monsterjunkie family is soon confronted by the suicide attempt by Winter Hodges on their estate. This is the same Winter Hodges who is torn by grief, loss, and humiliation but who also believes in Crow and his talents, and who has a special connection to the family and their adopted pygmy elephant. In the aftermath, Crow finds Winter’s sketchpad and private journal entries. There, he discovers the depth of her emotional distress. For Crow, it is one more situation involving someone he cares about under siege. His private sanctuary below ground cannot continue to hold the tension that is growing inside. To add to his burdens, Talon Monsterjunkie announces that their intelligent, affable Sasquatch, Beau, who has a special relationship with Crow, must return to British Columbia. What would the MJ Manor be like without him? Crow cannot imagine it. This news sets off an honest yet painful eruption of emotion. He tells his father he’s stressed most of the time, and that even though he apologized to Ruth Grimes months ago for his own retaliation, it hasn’t made a bit of difference. Crow is upset that his sister is leaving, that Beau will be gone, and that his dad is missing in action. He also feels pressure to carry on the family’s legacy in cryptozoology while angry at his father’s preoccupation with his life’s work.

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~~Also check out Book 1!~~

Bio

Erik, Daniel Shein
Visionary Entrepreneur, and Animal Welfare Advocate

Erik Daniel Shein was born Erik Daniel Stoops, November 18th ,1966 He is an American writer, and visionary, film producer, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, and philanthropist, pet enthusiast and animal health advocate. He is the author and co-author of over 30 nonfiction and fiction books whose writings include six scientific articles in the field of herpetology. His children’s book, “The Forgotten Ornament” is a Christmas classic, and was endorsed by Hollywood legends Mickey and Jan Rooney.