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Writers are Among Us

It is always a pleasure whenever I get an opportunity to make a school visit. In April I was extended the invitation to sit on a panel of experts at a local middle school, Glassford Hill MS. I was so excited!

I was greeted by the school librarian, Ann Carey, and her two awesome assistants. They immediately made me feel welcome and treated me like a celebrity. These ladies made sure I had everything I could possibly need, and then some.

I proceeded to give my presentation about the advantages and difficulties of being a writer. I asked if there were any in the group that had considered writing. Almost every hand reached toward the ceiling. Then I asked if any had put pen to paper or finger-tips to keyboard. Again, hands flew up like rockets from bottles. So I ended the presentation with throwing out a challenge. I told them that if any were willing to write an original piece of fiction or nonfiction, have it looked at by their English teachers, and then present it to me, I would give them a prize. Mind you, I never told them what the prize would be.

Within two weeks one of the students took me up on my offer and presented me with a story! Here is the prize: to showcase the story on my website and here it is! Hunter’s Orders by S. K. JamesI’ve created a new webpage on my site for young writers to introduce their work to the reading world and the work of S. K. James is the first!

Take a look at an example of the awesome talent that lurks within our reach and awaits us in our very near future. 

New Ideas Have No Manners

typing at computerRecently the idea for a new series has invaded my mind. It’s there when I wake up in the morning with scenes and dialog trampling through every thought I have. It’s there in the evening when I’m trying to settle in for a good night’s sleep. The ideas are even there when I’m trying to have a conversation with those around me. While this is wonderfully exciting, it is also most inconvenient. 

Right now I’m in the middle of writing two books: the 4th book of the PRINCESS KANDAKE series and a new contemporary science fiction piece. How can I possibly start something else? There are only so many hours in a day and only so much space in my brain. 

Nevertheless, this new idea comes barging right in and taking over. I see the main character in every daydream. I hear snippets of conversation between the characters and I don’t even know their names, yet. Today the entire beginning of the story unfolded while I was in the middle of my morning ablutions. The dang thing is relentless! 

Because I have no choice I cry, ‘uncle.’ I surrender! I must begin to write some of it down before it all disappears into the ethers. So, when I should be working on the other two pieces, here I sit at my computer banging out the first few pages. Sheesh! Such rude behavior.

Meet MIKEY BROOKS: Author of The Stone of Valhalla!

 

Welcome to The
Stone of Valhalla
Blog Tour!

A middle-grade fantasy-adventure by Mikey Brooks.
Don’t
forget to check out the
GIVEAWAY at the bottom this post
for a
chance to
WIN a $25 Amazon
Gift card
and other great prizes!
Synopsis:
Aaron was chosen to save their world, but it might come at the cost of
losing his own.
Breaking
into an old lady’s basement was supposed to reward 13-year-old Aaron with new
friends. Instead he finds an enchanted amulet that transports him to another
world—one at war with magic. Before he knows it, he is accused of witchcraft
and invited to a bonfire—where he’s the main attraction. If that’s not bad
enough, a goblin army shows up and toasts the town…literally. The good news:
Aaron escapes being charbroiled. The bad news: the goblins are after him. They
want his amulet and will stop at nothing to get it. Battling to find his way
home, Aaron teams up with a not-so-magical-wizard and learns it’s his fate to
destroy the amulet and save this new world. But is he willing to sacrifice his
own?
Check out what these talented authors
are saying about it:
The Stone of Valhalla is one of those
books that only comes along once in a great while. Brooks doesn’t just create a
world, he puts you inside of it, allowing you to experience the wonder in a way
that only he can. His characters are likable and fun. His twists leave you
asking ‘Why?’ Treat yourself to an exciting adventure through a beautiful new
land. Make new friends and be a part of the magic. This is a book that you will
not be able to put down!”
—J.R. Simmons,
author of Ragesong: Awakening.
 The
Stone of Valhalla
drew me in from the get-go. Aaron’s journey is
reminiscent of Dorothy’s trek in The
Wizard of Oz
. Magic, sword fights, danger, and more danger, sprinkled with
humor and unexpected twists. This is one of the ‘best’ fantasy adventures I’ve
ever experienced!”
—BBH
McChiller, author of The Monster Moon
Series
.
The Stone of Valhalla is a riveting
mystery revealing true friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. Brooks engages the
curiosity of middle graders and older sleuths alike, until the very end.
Fantastic!”
—L.R.W. Lee,
author of The Andy Smithson series.
 
Excerpt From: Chapter Two: The Penalty of Witchcraft
Aaron thought he’d been transported
to some kind of
renaissancefair. People milled about in the street, all dressed like
they belonged on the set of some medieval movie. Most of their faces were stained
with dirt, and they wore soiled clothing. Large, wooden buildings, held
together by plaster, loomed overhead and all around him. Some had signs
announcing specific trades and goods. The sweet smell of bread came from one
shop, clearly a bakery. A rotund man stood out front, arguing with an old man
who had a silvery- white beard and a long, purple cloak. He was telling the
baker that the rolls he had purchased tasted ‘day-old’ and he required a
reimbursement.
Several passersby gave Aaron odd glances. One little girl
with a group of women dressed like nuns pointed at him and giggled. He thought
he heard her call him a buffoon, but she was quickly shushed by one of the
women and pulled into a shop.
This is so unreal.
Aaron couldn’t figure out what had happened.
How did I get
here? Who are these people?
Aaron waited for someone to jump out and yell, “Surprise,
you’re on camera!”
It never happened.
The seconds drew on like hours, and Aaron stood unmoving
like a statue in the middle of the dirt road. The sweet smell from the bakery
was drowned by the stench of a sweaty mule pulling a cart packed full with what
had to be manure. The wind blew and the wafting smell of poo filled Aaron’s nose.
He coughed and tried to cover the reek with his shirt.
“Witchcraft! Witchcraft, I say!”
Aaron turned around to see a middle-aged woman with only
three teeth shouting hysterically. She pointed directly at him. He looked over
his shoulder to ensure no green-skinned, broom-commandeering, warty-faced lady
in black stood beside him. There wasn’t anyone there. The noise on the street
stopped dead except for the woman. She grabbed a small wooden crate from a cart
filled with fresh flowers and stood on it. “Fetch the constable! Don’t let him
get away, or he’ll set a curse on our town.”
Five large men formed a group behind the woman and advanced
toward Aaron. He didn’t know what to do.
Where to Find The Stone of Valhalla:
Exclusive price for the eBook
release is just $2.99! (List Price: $4.99)
And only $9.99 for the paperback!(List Price: $12.99)
On April 12th
2014 the price will return to the List Price
Another special offer:

During The Stone of Valhalla Blog
Tour

Mikey’s other great middle-grade eBooks will also be set to the low
price of just $0.99!
The Dream Keeper:
Kindle | Nook | Kobo
The Dreamstone:
Kindle | Nook | Kobo
You’re Invited to PARTY!!
The
online launch party will take place on Thursday, April 10th at 4pm
(MST). The party will run for 2 hours and you’re invited to drop by anytime.
The longer you stay the more chances you have of winning prizes! We have slew
of eBooks to giveaway, as well as a Stone of Valhalla necklace AND a $25 Amazon gift card! It is hosted by
LovingtheBookLaunchParty on Facebook. Just follow this link to join the event: http://goo.gl/Q2Fd3r.
What’s that? Another Party!
That’s
right! If you’re local to Utah you don’t want to miss this kickin’ party. We
are having a launch party to celebrate the release of this awesome new book. Of
course there will be plenty of giveaways there too, but what’s even better are
the guest authors! Just check out these fabulous names: J. Scott Savage, Chad
Morris, Lisa Mangum, Jenni James, Ali Cross, and many more. The Launch Party
is: Friday, April 11th from 6-9pm at The Viridian Center in West
Jordan
, Utah. Follow this link for a map: http://goo.gl/dqVc0u
About Mikey Brooks:

Mikey
is a small child masquerading as an adult. On occasion you’ll catch him dancing
the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown
up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including the best-selling ABC Adventures: Magical Creatures
and Bean’s Dragons as well as the
middle-grade fantasy-adventure series The Dream Keeper Chronicles. His art
can be seen in many forms from picture books to full room murals. He loves to
daydream with his three daughters and explore the worlds that only the
imagination of children can create. Mikey has a BS degree in English from Utah
State University and works fulltime as a freelance illustrator, cover designer,
and author. As a member of the Emblazoners,
he is one of many authors devoted to ‘writing stories on the hearts of
children’. He is also one of the hosts of the Authors’ Think Tank
Podcast
. You can find more about him and his books at: http://www.insidemikeysworld.com/.

The Giveaways!

 

Enter the giveaway below to be entered to win one of the following
prizes:
$25 Amazon Gift Card
The Stone of Valhalla
Necklace
Autographed Paperback of The
Stone of Valhalla
Autographed 11×17 Poster

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Place to Find Clean Reads

Up a tree. My favorite research spot.I know, I’ve been away for a long time. Well, I’m finally back and hoping it stays that way. Even though I’ve been away, I haven’t been truly neglectful. I’ve been learning about things to make this sight more useful and enjoyable. For example, I’ve found a blog where you can find flinch-free fiction. I love that term. Basically, what I mean is books you don’t have to worry about ‘F’ bombs flying every which way and detailed descriptions of activities that are best kept behind closed doors. It’s called Clean Indie Reads. You should click over there and take a look.

What you will find is a picture of the book’s cover, a blurb describing the book, a couple of reviews, and a short interview with the author. In the side-bar of the blog you will find a list of genres that will lead you to the clean read of your preference. It’s a great place to find what you’ve been looking for!

The Book has a Title!

Books_of_the_PastCould it get any better…the contest has a winner and the book now has a title! I am super excited, not to mention  relieved. So here it is: 

Warrior 

of the 

Egyptian Kingdom 

Great thanks to contest winner and title creator: 

Carrie Malinowski 

The more I look at it the more I love it. It’s perfect. It encapsulates every plot point of the novel. Did I say I love it? Well, I do! So Carrie, you get the first peek at the cover and an advanced copy of book #3 of the PRINCESS KANDAKE series due to be released February 1, 2014. Oh and don’t forget, you will also have a huge mention in the acknowledgements of that book! Thank you so much. 

Allow me to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed their wonderful ideas to this quest for a title. Let me tell you that I was truly stuck. I couldn’t come up with a single working idea and all of you had some really great ones! I can’t thank you enough. You saved my bacon.

Now on to do my part in the cover creation, which isn’t much. I select the photos and the designer does everything else. She creates a thing of beauty. I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Can You Name It?

Name That Book
Name That Book

I could certainly use your help. I’ve completed the first draft of book #3 of the PRINCESS KANDAKE series and cannot, for the life of me, come up with a good title. So I really need your help. 

I’ve put together a contest on my other blog to entice you to lend your assistance. Follow this link: Writing YA and Other Things I Love and you’ll find all the important details. I’ve even included a coupon code for FREE digital copy of the first book.

Give is a shot! You could win a first peek at the new cover, your name in the acknowledgements, and an early release print copy of book #3!

Kathy Sant Reading from Monster Moon

Here is another author friend reading from a wonderfully spooky book about a boy who has become friends with a rat. No, this is not like Willard. This rat is actually a pirate whose brain was transplanted into a rat and now they’re visiting a haunted bog. Weird…in a really good way. Sorry for the background noise, she’s reading in the children’s section at Barnes & Noble.

A Great Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I joined a great group of authors who, like me, write for the ‘Tween audience. That would be the lower end of young adult and the upper end of middle grade. We call ourselves the Emblazoners! Here’s the great part.

emblazone giveaway books july

To introduce ourselves and our work, we’re offering everyone who participates an opportunity to win one of our books. We have print and digital formats floating in the great prize bowl for the winning!.

Follow this link to find out the details!