Dragonfruit is a beautifully imagined world with a Pacific Island flare. Hanalei has been living as an exile from her homeland of Tamarind since she was nine. Her love and affinity for sea dragons is much deeper than it seems.
Makiia Lucier’s characters are rich and well developed. Some even pop out of the page. Or at least the tattoos magically move and come to life. This exciting adventure is entwined with betrayals, loyalty, and love.
It’s Action! It’s Adventure! Join Stuart Jaffe, A. L. Kaplan, Gini Koch, Ed McKeown, and host James P. Nettles loading their rucksacks for some of their favorite adventures on the page and screen, and how it’s made its way into their own work!
#ConTinual #fandom #action #adventure #movies #tv #film #books #novels
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY
Now live on Amazon in print and digital format.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Here’s what people are saying:
“A delightful insight into the origins of one of my favorite characters in the Star Touched world!”
~ Maria V Snyder, New York Times best-selling author and PRISM Award Winner.
“If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to.”
~ Kathy Steinemann
“Set in the world of Star Touched, this short story puts the reader in the mind and body of a newly-hatched hummingbird. Except this is no ordinary hummingbird! Charming and captivating, and a must-read for anyone who loves watching birds.”
~ T. C. Weber, author of the BetterWorld cyberpunk trilogy and other works.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY comes out June 1, 2021.
Here are some things I learned while writing.
There are many different kinds of hummingbirds.
The only one on the east coast of North America is the ruby-throated hummingbird. With their iridescent green and distinct ruby throats, they are my favorite. By the way, only the males have the red throats.
Check out the hummingbirds that live near you.
Don’t forget to order your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
“If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
The ruby-throated hummingbird migrates 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, but they don’t have the longest flight. That honor goes to the rufous hummingbird, which migrates up to 3000 miles from Alaska to Mexico. That’s a lot of flapping.
Pick up your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history. One step toward understanding. One stride toward survival. One leap toward flying free from the past.
“If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Step one, get past the iron door barring the cave. Luckily, it was only eight feet tall. I grimaced at a yell in my head. One of the down sides of being a telepath was getting sucked into impromptu rescues.
“I’m coming,” I sent back.
I’d slipped past enough ‘Keep Out” signs to understand this one even if I didn’t know the language. I focused on the pipe just above the door. There was a small pop, and then I was peering down an empty hallway. Teleporting had its limits so I decided to hoof it down the steep ramp, keeping an eye out for guards.
I’d like to say my superior stalking skills ensured that I wasn’t spotted on the mile-long path, but that would be lying. The bottom was another story. One of the guards managed to trigger an alarm before I knocked him out.
“Hurry!”
“I am,” I said, fumbling with the keys.
Some prisoners are just too darn impatient. A satisfying click heralded my success. The door creaked open…onto another door.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
A few other choice words slipped out while I worked the second lock. Three more doors and a leg shackle later the dragon was free, sort of. She trembled as the guards charged, firing weapons. Dispensing with the usual dragon greeting, I grabbed her neck and focused on a field several miles away. A soft pop announced the teleport. Score one for Little Dragon; soldiers zero.
After a quick thank you, the dragon launched herself into the air. Seeing a dragon soar is a thing of beauty, and not one likely to be viewed on earth. Now, if I could just figure out how to teleport myself home. Or at least figure out what planet I was on. Danged. Sleep teleporting really sucks.
WELCOME TO A WORLD OF ADVENTURE Enter here for cool stories of action, adventure and intrigue, featuring heroes and heroines who prove you don’t have to be a grownup to save the day. Inside you’ll find: A teenage spy trapped on a train with men who want to kill her. A young man earning his pay hunting dragons in a hot air balloon. A girl who talks to wolves in a frightening dystopian future. And Young Jack solves a mystery years before he grows up to be F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack. PLUS 14 more thrilling tales set in the past, the present, the future, and in worlds of fantasy, written by Jeffrey Westhoff, Jeff Ayers, Kevin Lauderdale, Victoria Pitts Caine, Kevin Singer, C.A. Verstraete, David Perlmutter, M.M. rumberg, A. L. Kaplan, Deborah Walker, Anne E. Johnson, Chantal Boudreau, David Turnbull, Milo James Fowler, Jack Mulcahy, Nathan Hystad, and H.L. Pauff.
Order now on Amazon
Don’t forget to check out the Facebook page for contest information.
Colorful glass bottles filled the shelves in the small shop, some tall, others not. A few seemed to glow but that could have been from creative lighting. The containers had only one thing in common. None were labeled. Yet the old woman who ran the shop reached behind several to grab this one for Bob.
It was a long shot, but Bob was desperate. No job, nearly homeless, and the most fantastic woman he had ever met probably didn’t remember talking to him last week. Why would she? He was useless. That small blue bottle was his only hope. If it worked, Vanessa was sure to notice him.
“The ointment must be used sparingly,” said the woman, as she took his last few bills and handed him the bottle. “Too much and there will be dire consequences.”
Bob laughed. “Will I grow fangs or something?”
A toothless grin spread across the old woman’s face, but there was no humor in it. “Remember, you must still find the root of your problem and prune it out. Otherwise it will only fester.”
He left clutching the blue glass.
“Bang!”
Bob’s bottle of salvation slipped and smashed open. His heart raced. People screamed and ran. But Bob acted instinctively. In seconds he pinned the gunman and saved dozens. It wasn’t until the man was hauled off that he noticed Vanessa watching him from across the street. His heart raced as he walked toward her.
#
Weeks later, after the reporters stopped asking questions, after endless job offers, Bob stood by the shop with Vanessa and stared at the concrete where the ointment had spilled. A pair of blue eyes gazed back. Jagged glass fangs stuck up from a long crack in the pavement beneath them. Vanessa leaned over the low fence that surrounded the damaged pavement then smiled at him.
“I didn’t need the ointment at all,” he said. “All I really needed was confidence.”
Ramone shivered, his head pressed against the glass. Every limb felt numb, as if they belonged to someone else. Candlelight flickered in the distance, illuminating familiar stone walls. He knew this place, had been there often. How many times had he snuck into this chamber as a young student to shake the globe? Had there been another poor fool trapped inside when he had done that?
An old man toddled into view and leaned toward the glass until his eye filled Ramone’s vision. The chastising gaze made his heart fill with shame. He should never have tried to make a portal without supervision. He should never have taken yet another dare, all for the sake of adventure.
“Ramone?” said the wizard, “Good heavens, boy, we thought you long dead. So glad you survived.”
Ramone’s glass prison echoed with the booming voice, then the air began to shimmer. A moment later he found himself sprawled at the old man’s feet. Afraid to look his master in the eyes, he gazed back at the fist-sized glass globe on the pedestal. The snow crystal, or globe of shame as it was more commonly called, seemed to laugh, the freezing blizzard still swirling within.
“I trust your little adventure has prepared you for serious study, Ramone. The wizard towers are no place for slackers or dare seekers. The balance of the universe is in our keeping.”
Ramone nodded, thankful to be alive and looking forward to a simple, uneventful life.
For now….
