Lycaon Press Releases
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Witchling by Ari Harper
Blurb
Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland, or so she
thought until she discovers the family secret... now her world is forever
changed.
Descended from a long line of witches, she discovers is the
one who has to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her.
And if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic from
the man called Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches...and a god.
It is Bones who has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay
alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing
her buttons.
Can Nera succeed and resist the charms of the man who gets
under her skin at every opportunity?
Excerpt
"Witches did and still do exist. You know that wherever
there is good there must also be evil to balance it out." He paused, took
a deep breath, then continued. "That can take many forms, witches only
being one of them. Not all witches are evil obviously, but Edrith O'Reilly was
very evil. When Pria planned to elope with Edrith's youngest son, she placed a
curse on them. She cursed me, and she cursed her own son. I know this is a lot
to take in, Nera, but what I have told you is true. That is exactly what
happened."
"Come on, Jasper. You really don't expect me, us, to
believe this, do you?" It couldn't be true, yet parts of his story were
settling into my heart and mind already, as if the words had been waiting to
find a resting place within me.
"Yes, girl dear, I do," Jasper replied, gazing at
me. "How did your daughter die, Jasper?" Sully asked, obviously
remembering the other dream that I had constantly.
"Edrith slit her throat with a sword, Sully."
I felt the bile rise in my own throat and pressed my hand to
my mouth in an effort to stop it. Breathe, I told myself, just
breathe. I squeezed my eyes tight and fought for control. I could feel a
hand on my knee, and when I looked up, Jasper was kneeling on the floor in
front of me, his gaze full of pain.
"Was that the other dream you were having?" His
beautiful blue eyes were shadowed and troubled.
I nodded my head. The words stuck in my mind, the bile
forcing its way up my throat. I pushed past him and ran for the downstairs bathroom
in the hallway. I leaned over and retched into the bowl. I gripped onto the
sides to stop myself from collapsing to the floor. My knees had gone weak, and
cold sweat was running down my face. I couldn't control the shaking and was
past caring. Neither my body nor my mind could accept what I had heard. It
wasn't possible. How could it be that Jasper is 800 years old and I am reliving
his daughter's death on a nightly basis? No, it is not possible.
There was a light tap on the door, and Brie tiptoed in with
a damp cloth in her hands. Her mouth was set into a grim line. She watched me
as I struggled to stand and then handed me the cloth. I leaned against the
basin, unsteady on my feet. I wiped my face and hands and looked up at her, my
gaze searching her face for any trace of sympathy.
"I'm really going crazy, aren't I?" I hung my
head, suddenly not wanting to see the pity in her eyes.
"I don't think you are," she replied, her voice
gentle. She ran her hand down my arm before I pulled away. "I think what
Jasper is saying is true. Why don't you come back into the library and we can
discuss it more."
"You're kidding, right," I scoffed at her,
ignoring the shocked look on her face. "You don't seriously believe this
stuff. Does he look that old to you?" I leaned on the basin until the
ground stopped moving under my feet.
"No, he doesn't." Brie brushed her hair back from
her face and then licked her lips at the reflection in the mirror over my
shoulder. "But he said that was part of the curse, Nera. Just listen to
him before you decide you're crazy and he is lying."
"Whatever." I threw the cloth into the sink and
pushed past her out of the bathroom.
Jasper and Sully looked up when I stalked back into the
room. Brie followed me and hurried to sit with Sully on the couch. I opted to
stand beside the fireplace, my arms folded.
"I don't believe you," I said, knowing that with
the hitch in my voice I didn't sound convincing. I was acting like a petulant
bitch, but I couldn't help it. The way the day was shaping up called for my
worst side to come out and play and I really didn't care.
"Before you make up your mind, there's more,
Nera." He pursed his lips, then continued. "When there is a curse,
there is always a way out of that curse. Each third generation since that time
has had one female child that has the ability to break the spell. Not all have
had the faith in themselves or believed in me enough to do so. Maybe their
connection wasn't close enough," he shrugged. "I don't really know.
But you are third generation. You are stronger than any other female that has
come forward. Because of who you are, Nera, you are the one."
Jasper watched me closely while I tried to process the
information that he had given me. I nibbled on my bottom lip and pulled at my
hair. "What are you trying to tell me?" I asked him.
"When you were born, I knew who you were." A small
smile hovered on his lips. "You were born with a caul, a part of the
birthing membrane, on your head, and that makes you a Caulbearer, girl dear. In
the world of magic, this marks the child as unique and powerful, usually with
psychic gifts, like second sight and the ability to soul journey. But we can
talk about that later."
"Does that mean Nera is a witch?" Brie asked, her
eyes wide as she looked at me, her face lighting up.
"I guess that depends on your definition of a
witch," Jasper replied. "I believe there are people in this world who
have special abilities. Some call themselves witches, some don't. It's just the
way you perceive something, I suppose."
"So what does she have to do with the whole curse
thing, then?" Sully asked.
Jasper's gazed met mine before he answered. "She is the
one that can stop the curse and let me die."
"Are you crazy, Jasper? How can you even think I would
let you die?" I jumped to my feet, the horror of what he was saying
slamming into me. I paused for a breath, the fear gripping my chest like a vice
which made such a simple task difficult. It was too much for me. I turned and
fled to the kitchen and threw open the door to the garden. I gulped down a
breath of cool air and lurched over to a grassy patch and sank to the ground.
Hugo walked over to me and licked my hand before sitting down in front of me,
his soulful brown gaze on my face.
"Oh, Hugo, what is going on?" I cried, pushing my
face into his fur. Cradling his head in my arms for comfort, I leaned against
his huge body. I felt movement, and Brie and Sully sat down beside me. They
reached out and wrapped their arms around me. Most of what Jasper had told us
was hard to believe, but what if it was true? Parts of my brain screamed at me
that it was possible, but parts still balked at the idea of witches, gods, and
demons—especially so close to someone I loved.
"Do you believe what Jasper said?" Sully leaned
forward. He picked a blade of grass and ran it through his fingers before
looking at me again."Do you think it could be possible?"
"I really don't know." I sighed, rubbing the back
of my hand over my face. "It seems so farfetched."
"But it could be true." Brie leaned her chin on my
shoulder. "What if you really are what he says you are? I've always said
there was something special about you. Everyone thinks so, not just Sully and
me."
"Yeah, Connor thinks I'm special, so special he wants
to grope me every time he sees me," I scoffed.
"Stop being so pigheaded. You know you have something
that no one else has. Do you really think we would hang out with you if you
were normal?" Brie joked. Her smile faded quickly when I looked at her,
and she pulled away from me.
"I know you are trying to make me feel better, and I do
appreciate it, I really do. But if this is even halfway true… It's so much to
take in." Just pull yourself together, girl. This is getting you
nowhere, tears over, deal with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elemental by Alyce Lewis
Blurb
Born of magic and created as a weapon, eighteen-year-old
quadruplets Anila, Terra, Aydan, and Yara use their elemental powers to battle
evil.
The world of Rare Root is about to be forever plunged into
darkness, overtaken by a shadowy force, and the last hope for peace comes in
the form of eighteen-year-old quadruplets Anila, Terra, Aydan, and Yara. Born
of magic and created as a weapon, the Sprites must use their elemental powers
to hunt down and vanquish the evil. When the sisters realize their powers are not
yet strong enough, they seek out allies. Aided by an Elf prince and a Fairy
queen, they face perilous obstacles, traitorous enemies, and prepare for the
most epic battle of their lives.
But there's no training manual for love, and when Anila
starts to fall for the prince, it forces a rift between the sisters. In order
to destroy the threat and restore Rare Root, the four Sprites will need to
rally together as one.
Because in a world of darkness, unity is elemental.
Excerpt
Mother Fairy ran her hand along the ledge of her cottage's
stone windowsill, tracing the grooves with wrinkled fingers. The smooth stone
was cool under her warm, rough skin. It was comforting, yet...it made her
tremble. Or maybe it was what was beyond the window.
She opened the azure-colored shutters and a piece of white
hair escaped its neat bun and trailed down to her stomach. She tucked it back
and slid open the glass of the closed windowpane. A muggy wind rushed over her,
and she grimaced. The faint smell of smoke swept over her face and into her
nostrils, causing Mother Fairy to wrinkle her nose and cough. Bah, it's at
it again, she grumbled to herself. Foul, cursed blight.
She squinted her tired brown eyes and looked out at the
skies. It was only midafternoon, yet the skies were darkening, and a sizeable
shadow was cast over the ground. Looming clouds rolled in overhead, and she
fixed her stare on the piece of brilliant blue that was fighting against the
dark. The blue faltered and strengthened as it sparred with its opponent. She wanted
so badly for it to win. She wanted the darkness to go away.
A flash of movement on the ground caught her attention, and
she ducked her head to the side, out of view. The Rot hovered in the distance.
It had its black tendrils around some unseen prey, lifting its victim into the
air until the feet dangled there, limp, like two noodles. The body went still,
and the Rot slithered into the woods, dragging the unconscious form behind it.
Made of misty shadows and reeking of death, the Rot was the
darkness that plagued Rare Root.
The haze swirled over Mother Fairy's cottage, as thick as
ink. She shivered and looked away from the spot where the Rot had just been
hunting. Clutching at the sudden ache in her chest, she rushed to close the
window and shutters. She stopped short when screams of agony carried across the
wind and into her ears.
Without thinking, the old Fairy brought a hand to her open
mouth and held her breath, straining with her declining senses to pick up more
sounds. A few seconds later, faint at first, but then louder as they drifted in
the breeze, were the pitiful cries of townsfolk begging for mercy. The cries
were coming from the direction of Pineglade. If innocent folk were suffering,
she could only surmise the Rot was somehow responsible.
Mother Fairy snapped the shutters closed and crumpled down
onto her reading bench. She clamped her thin hands over her ears to block out
the horrible wails and screams of the fairies in the neighboring town.
"No," she whispered, and then started rocking sideways. "Not
Pineglade." She wanted her mind to go numb, but instead found it racing,
and her thoughts drifted to her beloved world...and how it was changing.
Two alignments, as different as day and night, coexisted in
Rare Root. They were Light and Dark, or the Light Ones and the Dark Ones. The
Light Ones valued honesty, kindness, generosity, respect, and selflessness,
while the Dark Ones were selfish, unscrupulous beings driven by hatred and
greed.
Multiple realms divided the world of Rare Root, each of them
occupied by either Light or Dark. As such, a power struggle had existed since
the beginning of time. The Rot materialized, seemingly out of thin air, and
started building a Dark army. Now, the balance of power was shifting.
Mother Fairy thought about the gallant and honorable Light
leaders. They were doing their best to keep the Rot away, but Mother Fairy
understood their abilities had limits. Little by little, Rare Root was growing
dim. It wasn't just the blue in the sky that fought to shine. It was the pure
radiance of the Light Ones whose spirits were fettered, too afraid to hope
anymore for the terror to end. Unless something drastic occurred, all the
goodness that was Rare Root was fast approaching its end.
Salty tears streamed down the Fairy's cheeks. A strangled
sob caught in her throat, and her chest heaved up and down. She stopped rocking
and uncovered her ears, making fists with her hands. There was a hard glint in
her eyes as she shouted into the silence of her living room, "Not Pineglade!
Not anywhere else!"
She raised herself up from the reading bench just as the air
around her became warm and shifted into a howling wind. It whipped fast around
her tiny frame, and its strength matched the searing heat of rage in her chest.
Her withered face, as worn as the great, majestic maple that stood in the
middle of her modest home, contorted into an unrecognizable shape in the
gusting gale. When Mother Fairy spoke next, it was not in her usual gentle,
steady voice, but a near-primal roar.
She held her arms out in the wind and said, "Too long
has the Rot threatened our lands and peace of mind. No longer will I let my
fellow beings suffer in fear. I make my stand now to ensure this world survives
for the pure-hearted creatures that live here. I will leave a gift, a legacy
that all the beings of Rare Root, good or evil, will never forget."
As soon as Mother Fairy finished speaking, the wind
vanished. To conjure magic through emotions or thought was an ability few
possessed naturally. Most magic users in Rare Root were spell casters, and it
was typical that incantations or objects aided their spells. It was unusual for
Mother Fairy to lose her temper, but when she did, her emotions careened
through her body and a whirlwind sometimes erupted.
Now, the evidence of her rage was gone. She put her hands on
her knees and doubled over at the waist, desperate to catch her breath. Yet
with each exhalation, her energy faded. Tears coursed down her creased cheeks,
and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. Deep down in her core,
Mother Fairy knew that it was time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Lycaon Press will be
awarding a $20 Lycaon Press GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing these books to my attention. They both sound awesome! I'm putting them on my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you enjoyed the blurbs and excerpts, Brenda!
DeleteThanks so much for having us here today, Donna.
ReplyDeleteAnother "Bones", I hope he lives up to the name.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by our blog. New Follower :)