She never sought the path of a hero. Destiny had other plans.
In the peaceful village of Rhigov, where traditions hold sway, fifteen-year-old Astraya Myna dreams of little more than escaping the confines of her kitchen duties. But when a malevolent force known as Vronti shatters the village's tranquility, Astraya is thrust into a journey she never imagined.
Guided by a legacy she barely understands, Astraya joins forces with her brother, Raustra, and a small band of allies. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to protect their home from wingroans, dragon-like creatures whose powers are as formidable as their intentions are mysterious.
As shadows of betrayal and hidden truths close in, Astraya navigates a world where loyalty is tested and power proves both elusive and dangerous. With each step she uncovers more about her family's past and her own untapped strength, until she must decide: how far will she go to save her people and what is she willing to sacrifice to discover the truth about herself?
M.W. Devers has been crafting stories since childhood, drawing from a lifelong love of reading that began at age three. The idea for Woods and Wings took root during a 2022 family vacation to a theme park, and he’s been dedicated to bringing it to life ever since. This is his first published work of fiction.
MWD enjoys the quiet magic of early mornings spent world-building and shaping characters, all from his home in New Braunfels, Texas, where he lives with his family.
In this unique alphabet book, members of the Elemental Dragon Clan present 26 Magical Elements of the Periodic Table in alphabetical order. Each member of the clan has an element tipped tail. They also have magical powers based on the properties of their metals. There are no more perfect groups than unicorns and dragons to familiarize yourself with elements from the Periodic Table. Their theme is: "No Metal -- No Magic. . .and No Technology."
In this book, Antz starts out the book by introducing the very necessary metal, Antimony on his element page. Zora rounds out the alphabet by presenting scientific facts and other fun information about the metal, Zirconium, on her elemental page. In all, readers will get some great insight into the properties of 26 elements from the periodic table. Each page is full of amazing facts and tons of FUN. There's a Magical Elemental themed periodic table, too!
This unique book will help tweens, teens and anyone else quickly absorb the elements of the Periodic Table.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: *CONFESSION* I loved chemistry in high school so much that I began college majoring as a chemical engineer. I got over that by the end of my first semester once I was shown the amount of studying required to be successful in that program, so that part of my brain took a back seat while I turned to studying modern languages. Reading MAGICAL ELEMENTS OF THE PERIODIC TABLE...DRAGONS made my science-y self sit up, and that latent part of my brain popped right back to attention.
Sure, there are whimsy little dragons with cute little names and tails that do magical things. But the book is also loaded with scientific facts, fun facts, and of course, the elements of the periodic table and their symbols, atomic number, atomic mass, etc. To me, reading MAGICAL ELEMENTS felt very much like reading one of the beloved DK books where every page is packed with information and images and white space is minimal. That format encourages readers to return again and again. Brilliant tactic because each visit reinforces learning -- and likely reveals a new unnoticed tidbit of information.
I love that there are so many supplemental resources to enjoy in conjunction with the books (there's a unicorn version of this, too), so that the youngest readers are comfortable with science and how our world works well before they study it in school.
Other than a few typos (not surprising how much text there is), MAGICAL ELEMENTS is an absolutely perfect book to hand to your kids, including the older ones. No one is ever too old for a children's picture book, after all.
Sybrina Durant is a unicorn author and entrepreneur. In addition to books, she offers unicorn-themed activities, t-shirts, and more. Plus, she has pulled together a collection of nearly all the unicorn books available today from hundreds of authors. They are categorized on her website by Little Kid, Middle Kid, and Teen Unicorn Books
Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal / Magical Realism Publisher: Book Liftoff Publication Date: May 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 337 pages
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
But with dreams, there can also be nightmares
Lonely and plain-featured, Mona Parker is just another faceless teenager at Spring Hill High School. One day she runs afoul of Lady Anne Golightly, a beautiful and arrogant classmate who turns Mona’s colorless life into a hellish existence. Bullied relentlessly and with nowhere to turn, Mona considers suicide. One night, Thaddeus Finkle, her guardian angel, appears. He offers her a way out—swap lives with another.
The choice seems easy, and Mona takes the angel up on his offer. She awakens on Meredith, a parallel world of Earth where magic has replaced technology. Mona discovers she is Alexandria, a woman of breathtaking beauty, and the daughter of a Duke complete with servants and riches.
Then she discovers the price of her bargain.
Trapped behind the Veil, an impenetrable curtain of magic, the Duchy of Wheel is the last major province still unconquered by Marlinda, the creator of the enchanted barrier. Known as the Dark Queen, Marlinda’s cruelty includes a singular fondness for melding men, women, and children, with animals…and she has special plans for Alexandria.
Tal, the Prince and Heir of the Empire of Meredith, burns with an intense hatred for Marlinda and her minions. The Dark Queen’s raiders regularly cross the Veil to prey upon the helpless citizens living near the magical boundary. Despite an elaborate system of Watch Towers along the enchanted barrier, it is impossible for the Empire to stop all the raids. Desperate to protect his people, Tal takes dangerous risks to prevent these attacks. Banished to a remote garrison for his reckless behavior, while on a routine patrol, Tal leads an elite unit that happens upon a group of raiders—one whose leader possesses the means for opening a way through the Veil.
Thus begins the conquest of the Veil.
"The Open Portal is packed full of action from the time it begins in our mundane world, to when it jumps to another. It has all the elements of a good fantasy: a cruel queen; a frustrated prince; and beautiful girl with a pure heart. There are brave boys, werewolves, white priests, and watchtowers. I can't wait for the saga to continue." -- Abookanight
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Michael Scott Clifton, a public educator for over thirty-eight years as a teacher, coach, and administrator, currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas with his wife, Melanie and family cat, Sadie. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, he enjoys all kinds of book and movie genres. His books contain aspects of all the genres he enjoys...action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance. His fantasy novel, The Janus Witch, received a 5-Star review from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and he has been a finalist in a number of short story contests with Edges of Gray winning first place in the Texas Authors Contest. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine. Clifton’s latest book, The Open Portal, launches the fantasy book series, Conquest of the Veil. In addition, look for the YA novel, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator, to be released soon. He is available public speaking.
Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling
companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.
Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.
Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought
peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as
darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have
crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not
even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt
to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking
grim.
Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human.
Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried
everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing
to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must
be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.
As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero.
Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.
How has your formal education
influenced or impacted your writing?
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I would
say yes, my formal education did influence my writing, but not in the ways you
might expect. I never took any creative writing courses in college. I did,
however, take LOTS of Latin, classical history, and mythology courses! I’ve
always had a passion for Roman history and the Latin language. Originally, I
wanted to be a Latin teacher. But, alas, marrying an Air Force pilot means you
move all the time—which isn’t great for a profession like teaching where the
goal is to eventually retire. It all worked out in the wash, though. I love my
career as an author and I always find myself integrating aspects of classical
mythology and culture into my writing. The one actual writing course I did take
and find useful was a Technical Business Writing class my senior year of
college. We learned to write formal documents like resumes, etc. Very useful!
Also, not sure if this counts,
but my professor for my Shakespeare courses was insanely handsome, always wore
a tailored suit, and is the inspiration behind one of my characters from my
upcoming Teen Urban Fantasy Novel!
Along those same lines, you have
cranked-out a lot of books in a short time since graduation, plus you are a mom
and wife -- how do you balance it all?
It’s not easy. Really, it has
been an absolute fight. The transition into motherhood is incredibly hard, or
at least it was for me, and writing is one of the things that has actually
helped keep me sane and feel less like I am “losing myself” to the role of
motherhood. I think that’s kind of an unsung struggle for all new moms. Motherhood
is wonderful, but it is messy, stressful, and difficult at times. In a matter
of months you are expected to adjust to this new role you have to play, with
this tiny human that’s totally dependant on you, and for many military moms
that means doing it on your own without the help of family. You’re trying to
meet the impossible expectations of society to be the fit, healthy, beautiful,
happy, positive, nurturing, all natural, organic, balanced, super wife, and
mom. It’s impossible not to have those moments feeling defeated and I know, for
me, I grieved for the life I’d had before because no one warned me that I would
miss who I was before. Not that being a mom isn’t a beautiful gift – it truly
is – but it comes at a price. So writing became my therapy and I always make it
a priority to have time to do it. It’s my consolation when I’m lonely (which is
a lot). It’s my stress and anxiety relief. It keeps me grounded and focused and
also allows me be “Nicole” instead of “Mommy” all the time.
If you could date one of your characters from
SAVAGE, who would it be and why?
Tough one!! It would be a tie
between Prince Aubren and Kiran. On the one hand, Aubren is kind of the whole
package. He’s handsome, chivalrous, brave, and the kind of bashful that makes a
guy totally adorable. But on the other hand, Kiran has that whole mysterious,
brooding warrior thing that I can’t help but be drawn to. I guess if I HAD to
chose, I would pick Aubren.
What’s your funniest flaw?
I have “invisibrows.”. It’s that problem when your
hair is really light blonde and you’re also super pale so it looks like you
have no eyebrows. I have to draw them in, and I’m always worried it looks bad!
Do you have a mantra for writing
and/or for life?
Absolutely! I have two, actually.
First and foremost is, “If I’m
not enjoying writing it, no one is going to enjoy reading it.” Readers 100000%
can pick up on authors’ states of mind and whether or not they are “into” a
book or even a particular scene. If I find myself dragging my feet or not feeling
into it, I will go back and start that scene, chapter, or even the whole book
over. It’s not worth doing unless you do it right!
Second is something I picked up a
couple of years ago. I can’t even remember where I heard it, exactly, but it rung
so true. The saying was “The first chapter sells the book, the last chapter
sells the next book.” To me, that means you have to pull no punches with the
beginning, get the plot moving, make the reader connect – but you also have to
end that way. Leave an impression that makes them hungry for more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE
DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains
to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series,
and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to
her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a
B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and
will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional
companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation. Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family
and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books.
She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.
Penndorf, K.W. (2015). Freya and the Dragon Egg. Yardley, PA: Open Door Publications.
Middle Grade / Fantasy / Mythology
I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars
Scroll Down to For Author Q&A Session!
Blurb: Freya’s family is wonderful. Just not to her. After all, her older sister loves to talk about “pulling a Freya” – a term for any mistake she makes, her younger sister publicly reads from Freya’s diary without being reprimanded, and her parents barely notice her. All that changes when her father, Denmark’s renowned Viking archeologist, asks her to hide a precious artifact where no one will ever find it – including himself. Freya jumps at the chance to prove her worth and ends up being transported to a magical land filled with real Vikings, a clan of sprites, and a Berserk. In search of a way home, Freya unearths a realm of adventure and a path to greatness she is sure her family will revere. Freya and the Dragon Egg is the first in this new series.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: In Freya and the Dragon Egg, author K.W. Penndorf gives readers a wonderfully spunky, smart, and ever-so-sassy protagonist, Freya, who is misunderstood and desperately wants to feel important within her family. As the middle child, Freya often feels overlooked or over-scrutinized, but rarely does she feel special. As the story unfolds, Freya's personality is also allowed to unfold, and her strengths and intelligence begin to shine. Penndorf does a great job of keeping Freya a realistic character, as she also allows Freya's inner dialogue to reveal Freya's fears and truths -- often humorously. There are times when Freya gets righteously indignant about something and says she would NEVER do such and such, but at the same time she is thinking to herself of all the exceptions of when she has actually done such and such after all.
As Freya and readers are taken into another realm, Penndorf builds incredible worlds around Viking lore, magic and magical creatures, and battles. The characters she puts into this world are fleshed-out and memorable, and readers will have clear feelings of loving or loathing them. The pace is steady and then the action really picks up about three fourths of the way into the book. For me, the story wrapped-up a little too quickly where more detail of the execution of Freya's plans and what happened in Ragnar's thorpe would have really enriched the story; in particular, I expected more dragon and hope to have more in the next book.
The writing was well-done and Penndorf uses high level vocabulary to tell the story. Penndorf wrote the dialogue realistically to show the contrast between how someone from the modern world and someone from Viking times would talk. Younger readers may struggle with some of the dialogue, but it was a good choice for the story. As an adult reading the story, I found that there were a lot of plot holes and unrealistic events and reactions which readers were expected to just accept and forget. However, I doubt that the target audience will notice these issues; nor is it likely they'll notice the typos and errors sprinkled throughout the book, all easily fixed by another editing sweep. I really like the cover of this book, but I wonder if anyone besides me wondered about the size of the egg on the cover versus what Freya does with the egg in the story.
I recommend this book for strong upper elementary readers and middle-graders, and sensitive readers should be warned that there is death in this book and some of the battle scenes get a little descriptive. Thank you to the author for providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give. I look forward to reading the next installment of Freya's adventures!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Story time had always been KW Penndorf’s favorite
‘subject’ in school. But when her second grade teacher opted to read from a
tattered old diary, KW’s view on books changed forever. Books were now alive,
with adventures, dilemmas, far away locations, heroes, villains, drama, and
quite frankly, story. Everything was so real, well at least in her imagination
at any rate. She wanted to live in those stories… and she has.
In her senior year of high school KW interned at CBS
three days a week, making sure to keep her grades up or the gig would be off.
By sheer nature of the job, stories surrounded her there. In college, she spent
a semester abroad living with her sister and brother-in-law in Denmark – where,
yes, one can only imagine the crazy stories two sisters conjured up! Then after
college, she moved to Germany and at the age of 25 she opened her own company –
a language school, full of (you guessed it) stories abound. At 29 she moved
back to the States, bringing home with her the greatest story and souvenir ever
– her husband.
On a train ride into NYC, a vision came to KW’s sleepy
commuter mind: a girl finding a dragon egg in the middle of a Viking graveyard.
Presto! The premise for her debut novel was born. A story, which KW hopes, will
change a child’s view on books forever.
Where did your love of stories and storytelling come from?
This is a two part
answer for me: 1) I love reading books that come alive. That means I typically
read books which are fantasy, historical fiction, or biography/autobiography.
The reason for this is due to a second grade teacher I had who used to read
from her childhood diary. I loved knowing that people, in stories, could be
real. I loved learning that settings and stories can be influenced by culture,
authors, and events. 2) I’m the youngest of four, so I think I had a natural
talent for story telling just to stand out in the family crowd (hehehe).
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I absolutely love
doing the research. Granted my book is fantasy, but I like to weave historical
facts into my story where I can. The Viking era is proving to be quite
fascinating to me, so I’m enjoying the constant research.
What literary character is most like
you?
I have to laugh,
because while I was writing Grimhild – a very chatty, go-getter, leaps before
thinking, pre-teen – I thought “uh oh, I think I’m writing myself into the
story!” I’m no longer a pre-teen, but the rest of her totally fits my
personality!
What projects are you working on at the present?
I’m currently writing
book 2 of the Freya series. The book is plotted out, several chapters and
scenes have been written, and a title has been chosen: Freya and the Battle at
The Aal Thing.
Is there any significance to the names you used in the book?
I love names. For me,
the names in my book represent a lot of things from real persons I know, to
researched items, to places I’ve been. I think names can play homage to special
memories as well.
What book do you wish you could have written?
I wish I could have
written Anne of Green Gables. I ADORE that book. LM Montgomery simply brings
turn of the century life alive to me. I think the book is a real page turner
with characters who are so distinct and real.
Now, a few questions just for fun. . .
If you had a superpower, what would it
be?
Super
power or super knowledge? I’d love to be one who’s the top in her field and
knows absolutely everything there is to know about a subject. It’s this very
idea from which I’ve based Dr. Andersen, Freya’s dad – he’s the world’s most
renowned Viking archaeologist.
Where is one place you want to visit
that you haven't been before?
One
place that has been on my bucket list forever, and unfortunately has not yet
been taken off, is to visit the Irish countryside.
What’s something that most people don’t
know about you?
I
never daydreamed (or so I thought) of becoming an author. I remember wanting to
go into television or the movies and role playing or acting as if my future
career depended upon it. But then one day after my book came out, a cousin of
mine showed me a letter I had written to her some 12-15 years prior. In it, I
told her I wanted to be an author. Who knew??!!
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