Cast Out, is now available on Amazon. The book is aimed at children aged 8+ and is available in paperback and Kindle formats (free to read on Kindle Unlimited).
About the book:
Do you believe in fairies? What if one lived in your treehouse or went to your school?
Found guilty of trespassing, damage to property and speaking ill of royalty, Snowstorm Forest Fae (Fay) is cast out from the fairy queendom. Stripped of her magic powers and learning to live in the human world, she encounters bullies, cyberbullies and frenemies—but she also makes good friends. And when Fay discovers that the fairy queen and her homeland is in peril, she needs her friends, both human and magic, to help—but she must survive school first!
This book is about friendship, overcoming bullies, cyberbullies and frenemies, and standing up for what’s right. Oh, and fairies.
My new children’s book, Cast Out, is coming out very soon.
Cover designed by Lauren Felt
About the book:
Found guilty of trespassing, damage to property and speaking ill of royalty, Snowstorm Forest Fae (Fay) is cast out from the fairy queendom. Stripped of her fairy powers and learning to live in the human world, she soon makes some friends—and some enemies. And when Fay discovers that the fairy queen and her homeland is in peril, she knows she must find a way to help—but she has to survive school first!
Available to buy or read on Kindle Unlimited very soon.
Mirror World Publishing presents the cover reveal for Exile: Unreachable Skies, Volume 2 by Karen McCreedy!
About Exile:
Zarda, Fate-Seer of her people, the Drax, has chosen to join the wingless and their broken-winged dams on their long and dangerous journey into exile. But Kalis, the Prime she has abandoned, dispatches flyers to hunt her down and offers a reward to anyone who will give her up.
When their path takes them into the Crimson Forest, horror and death stalk the exiles beneath the vines. As the pain and hardship of banishment begin to take their toll, Zarda wonders which of the exiles will be the first to betray her, but nothing can prepare her for the discovery that awaits her beyond the furthest reaches of Drax territory; a discovery that has the power to alter the course of history.
Exile’ is the sequel to ‘Unreachable Skies’, and Karen is currently working on the third book in the trilogy.
Book Details:
Print Length: 286 pages
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing (https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure
The Cover:
Read a Teaser Excerpt:
The females, their wings broken by Kalis’ new Elite Guard, had been netted over the river along with their younglings, and had been left on the claw of reed-tufted sand that jutted into the ocean from the Manybend estuary’s north shore. As I’d circled over the nines of fires, their spiralling layout had shown that someone had taken charge of setting the camp properly, and my sole concern had been finding somewhere to land without being seen. In the end I had set down on the beach to the north, wetting my feet as I landed at the edge of the incoming tide. Taking care to make sure I would not leave any traces of my approach, I had walked along the tideline till I reached the promontory at daybreak. I had intended to find my friend Doran and make myself known to her, but the sound of raised voices had drawn my attention, and I had instead made my way across the camp to the ridge of snow-covered ground that separated the hook of sand from the mud of the Deadlands. I smelled cooking – branmeal bubbling in a pot to my left, meat patties warming in a pan to my right. My stomachs rumbled a protest that I was not stopping to eat, but my attention was on the group at the foot of the slope where Shaya stood, and the arguments that I could now hear more clearly.
Brought up in Staffordshire, England, Karen now lives in West Sussex where she is enjoying her retirement. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching films, local WI and U3A activities, volunteering with the South Downs National Park Volunteer Rangers, and spending time with friends and family. She has also flown in a Spitfire!
Karen has written articles on films and British history for a number of British magazines including ‘Yours’, ‘Classic Television’, and ‘Best of British’. In 2009, her essay on ‘British Propaganda Films of the Second World War’ was published in ‘Under Fire: A Century of War Movies’ (Ian Allen Publishing).
She also wrote a number of online articles and reviews for The Geek Girl Project (www.geekgirlproject.com), as their British correspondent.
Karen’s short stories have appeared in anthologies by Fiction Brigade (2012, e-book), Zharmae Publishing (‘RealLies’, 2013), Audio Arcadia (‘On Another Plane’, 2015), Luna Station Publishing (‘Luna Station Quarterly’ December 2015), Horrified Press (‘Killer Tracks’ and ‘Waiting’, both 2015; and ‘Crossroads’, 2016), and Reflex Fiction (‘Voicemail’, published online 2017). She also won second prize in Writers’ News magazine’s ‘Comeuppance’ competition in 2014 with her short story ‘Hero’.
‘Exile’ is the sequel to ‘Unreachable Skies’, and Karen is currently working on the third book in the trilogy.
You can follow Karen on Twitter @McKaren_Writer, or check out her website at www.karenmccreedy.com
Dog Eared is out now in e-book and paperback formats.
Cover design by Laura Coppolaro
About Dog Eared:
Dogs can’t read. Right?
When Sophie’s grandfather moves in to a retirement home, Sophie is delighted to take over responsibility for his super obedient dog, Lector. Her grandfather also gives her two journals for Lector and tells her how important they are. But listening isn’t one of Sophie’s strong points.
Sophie’s dream-come-true turns into a nightmare when the usually well behaved Lector turns super-bad overnight. After midnight on his first night with Sophie, Lector gets himself into all kinds of trouble and leads Sophie into a run-in with the local bully. Dogs in the town have been going missing too. Could there be a dog snatcher on the loose?
Sophie desperately needs Lector to return to his former obedient self, especially when her dad and step-mum-to-be announce, to Sophie’s horror, that they are having a baby. Lector’s future with the family is in danger. If Sophie can’t retrain Lector before Sophie’s new half sibling is born, he’ll have to be rehomed.
Can Sophie discover the magical secret to training Lector, and keep him away from the dog snatcher, before it’s too late?
Dog Eared is my latest book which will be released on Amazon in e-book and paperback versions very soon. It is aimed at children aged 9-12 but anyone who’s ever tried to train a mischievous dog might enjoy it.
I’m very excited to reveal the amazing cover which was designed by illustrator, Laura Coppolaro:
About Dog Eared:
Dogs can’t read. Right?
When Sophie’s grandfather moves in to a retirement home, Sophie is delighted to take over responsibility for his super obedient dog, Lector. Her grandfather also gives her two journals for Lector and tells her how important they are. But listening isn’t one of Sophie’s strong points.
Sophie’s dream-come-true turns into a nightmare when the usually well behaved Lector turns super-bad overnight. After midnight on his first night with Sophie, Lector gets himself into all kinds of trouble and leads Sophie into a run-in with the local bully. Dogs in the town have been going missing too. Could there be a dog snatcher on the loose?
Sophie desperately needs Lector to return to his former obedient self, especially when her dad and step-mum-to-be announce, to Sophie’s horror, that they are having a baby. Lector’s future with the family is in danger. If Sophie can’t retrain Lector before Sophie’s new half sibling is born, he’ll have to be rehomed.
Can Sophie discover the magical secret to training Lector, and keep him away from the dog snatcher, before it’s too late?
Why I wrote this book:
The inspiration to write this book came when our wonderful and mischievous dog, Fozzy, came into our lives. At six months old, and with a troubled past, we never thought we’d see the day when she was properly trained. So, as well as being the inspiration, Fozzy is also the reason why this book has been so long in the making!
Luca can control minds, a talent known as the charm. Like most charmers, he uses his talent for good and only ever with the person’s permission. However, there’s one charmer – Brain Lord – who chooses to use his gift for something altogether different: for his own personal gain.
Now, Brain Lord has charmed his way out of prison and goes on the attack against the Restorative government, who are decidedly anti-charming. When Luca’s best friend, Kane, gets in the middle of Brain Lord’s latest escapade, Luca finds himself face-to-face in a battle of minds with the rogue charmer. After witnessing Luca’s abilities, Brain Lord sets another plan in motion: recruit the charmer to join his crusade against the government.
The Restorative government, however, has its own idea of how to take control. They’re forcing innocent charmers to influence the nation and take up their cause. Caught in between a corrupt government, a rogue charmer, and the drive for power, Luca must take the most important actions of his life without inadvertently furthering a cause he doesn’t believe in.
Rita Monette, author of The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, talks about the legend of the Rougarou:
Legends and Myths
In my first book of the Nikki Landry Swamp Legend series, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, Nikki hears a howling sound coming from a swamp island near their new houseboat home. Nikki ponders on what it could be. The first thing that comes to mind is the age old legend of the Rougarou.
The old Louisiana Legend has the rougarou roaming the deep swamps and searching rural towns for a victim to free it from its miserable condition by passing the curse on to another human. Read more about the rougarou legend on my blog at: http://tinyurl.com/oan4qsu
Nikki’s father explains that legends are born from people not knowing the truth about something they’ve heard or seen, so they invent their own tales to explain the unexplainable.
However, as Nikki and her friends delve into the mystery, they uncover clues that lead them to believe there is a voodoo woman and her ghostly dog living on the island who is not content with one ghostly dog, but is set on gathering others. Nikki must take action to protect her dog, Snooper and decides going to the island is the only way!
Behind every legend lies the truth…
About The Legend of Ghost Dog Island:
Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.
Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs…which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there’s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He should know. He’s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps…But maybe there’s something Papa doesn’t know.
Nikki and her new friends begin to uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend…and town folks aren’t talking.
Then her beloved beagle goes missing.
Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.
Rita Monette was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. She loves to write stories set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state.
Her middle grade series, The Nikki Landry Swamp Legends, is based on tales told by her father—who made his living in those bayous—of reasons to stay out of the swamp.
She currently lives with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee. Besides writing and illustrating, she loves watching the many birds that make their habitat on the Cumberland Plateau, working in the garden, and frequenting waterfalls.
Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Guest Posts, Reviews, and a Character Interview:
When The Charm was first released I was interviewed by Marlene Moss, writer, editor and blogger. The interview was first seen on her blog, On Writing and Riding, and can be seen below now.
Where/how did you come up with the idea for your story? Did it suddenly pop into your head or were you brainstorming?
The seed of the idea for The Charm kind of crept into my head after watching a mind magician on TV. The idea wasn’t really fully formed in my head at first. But it grew and developed over time, almost subconsciously, until I had a clear sense of the concept and was ready to start writing.
Did you start with the main character, the world or the overarching concept?
The concept came first and helped to shape the characters. Three of the main characters, Luca, Ella and Brain Lord all have the charm (the power to control minds), but how and why they use it is very different.
Panster or Plotter? Or in between?
I’m somewhere in between when it it comes to plotting. I did start by writing a synopsis with the main action points outlined but once I started writing some things ended up going in different directions. I returned to the synopsis at the end and rewrote it to reflect what actually happened.
Are you a fan of writing contests?
Yes, I think competitions are a good way of potentially gaining publication and income. I’ve entered a few short story contests and, whilst I haven’t been successful, it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. Writing to a word count on a particular theme or in a different genre has been good practice in the craft of writing. And, even though the stories weren’t placed, they can be rewritten or edited for different markets in the future.
How did you find your agent? How many query letters did you send?
I don’t have an agent although I am looking for one for a picture book I have written.
What’s the best marketing tool you’ve found so far?
This is my first novella and it’s early days since the release to really tell what particular aspect of marketing has been the most effective. I was really lucky to have a promotions specialist from Musa Publishing who organised things like the cover reveal, release day blast and tour. I wouldn’t have known where to start with these things, or find the contacts, but I’ve really enjoyed the process. It’s been nice to engage with other writers and readers.
What do you like best about your main character?
I like that although Luca is good looking, he’s not vain and he’s actually quite shy around girls. He’s surprised to discover his best girl friend, Kane, likes him and he’s not sure how to react. I also like that he loves his cat. People who are kind to animals are good in my book (pardon the pun)!
What do you like best about your main antagonist?
Brain Lord may be misguided but he’s still smart. He uses brain over brawn for his cause.
Anything else you like to share about your journey ?
I feel like I have just started on my writing journey and I’ve found the writing community to be very supportive. I’ve had some really useful feedback and advice from more experienced writers. And I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received so far.
Hooray! After a month off the market The Charm is back on sale.
The Charm by Jojo Debrazza
Extraordinary powers come with a price
Fifteen year old Luca has the charm, a gift he inherited from his mum. Charmers can control minds, but they abide by a code—to only use the power for good, and only with the person’s permission. Luca knows breaking the code is wrong, and his mum would kill him if he tried!
But when a rogue charmer uses the power for criminal means, the Restorative government jumps in. Luca’s mum is imprisoned and the Register for Charmers is announced. The media creates a frenzy of fear and suspicion against charmers.
Believing the family is in peril, and wishing to keep Luca’s gift a secret, Luca’s dad takes them to stay with a friend in the country. Here, Luca meets Fee, a computer genius who can hack into anything. Fee introduces Luca to an underground rebellion group of internet hackers who have their own issues with the Restoratives and their own way of protesting.
Fearful of how the Restoratives are treating his mum in prison and concerned about their motives for creating the Register of Charmers, Luca must make an impossible choice—break the rules and use his gift or stand by and watch as the power is abused.
Readers said:
“Brilliant story. Captivating!”
“Fantastic dystopian story with a future…”
“Fast paced and full of conflict.”
“An enjoyable and engrossing read. Highly recommended.”
The Charm is due for release on 26th December 2014 with Musa Publishing.
About The Charm:
Fifteen year old Luca has the charm, a gift he inherited from his mum. Charmers can control minds, but they abide by a code—to only use the power for good, and only with the person’s permission. Luca knows breaking the code is wrong, and his mum would kill him if he tried!
But when a rogue charmer uses the power for criminal means, the Restorative government jumps in. Luca’s mum is imprisoned and the Register for Charmers is announced. The media creates a frenzy of fear and suspicion against charmers.
Believing the family is in peril, and wishing to keep Luca’s gift a secret, Luca’s dad takes them to stay with a friend in the country. Here, Luca meets Fee, a computer genius who can hack into anything. Fee introduces Luca to an underground rebellion group of internet hackers who have their own issues with the Restoratives and their own way of protesting.
Fearful of how the Restoratives are treating his mum in prison and concerned about their motives for creating the Register of Charmers, Luca must make an impossible choice—break the rules and use his gift or stand by and watch as the power is abused.
Sunflowers and Stories 