Tag: fantasy

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

50% OFF SALE!!!

Start your holiday literary party off to an awesome start with this amazing sale from my publisher, JOLLY FISH PRESS. You can have my monsters and more, all for half price!!!

You’ll be celebrating long after the holidays have passed with your very own copies of FROM THE GRAVE and INTO THE SHADOWLANDS.

Don’t miss out on the MAYHEM!

 

 

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

THE BOOK OF UNWYSE MAGIC by Claire Fayers

Claire Fayers newest fantasy adventure is set in the misty and magical world of Victorian England, where the Fair Folk have gone into the UnWorld—specifically a placed called UnWyse. Humans have been left with only a few magic mirrors as portals between the two worlds. In the real world, eleven-year-old Ava Harcourt—whose parents have recently died—and her older brother Matthew find themselves alone and in dire straits. Their father had been a conjurer at one time, but for some unknown reason sold his mirror and quit magicing. Ava and her brother were warned by their father to avoid Lord Skinner, the mysterious yet all-controlling leader of Wyse, the last human town where magic works. But with nowhere else to go, Ava and Matthew return to Wyse, forced to trust Lord Skinner for the jobs and lodging he offers them.

In the UnWorld, apprentice Howell Fletcher works at the House of Forgotten Mirrors. Howell is a Fair Folk without any magic, but he soon finds himself approached by the intimidating and all-powerful Mr. Bones. The mission thrust upon Howell only leads to more confusion. It introduces him to a strange new magical friend who may easily lead him astray.

And so begins their journey into danger, intrigue, and surprising disclosures as the protagonists of THE BOOK OF UNWYSE MAGIC are thrust into the clash between the two worlds. Ava and Howell must rely on her own initiatives and bravery, as well as the help of a few new friends, to discover the truths that will set things right in the World and the UnWorld.

A brief selection from The Book—the covenant between the worlds—begins each chapter. These cheeky lines were some of my favorites parts of the story because The Book can predict the future. For example: “By the way, you might want to close your eyes in a page or two. Things are about to get unpleasant.” The Book plays a vital role in the story’s outcome as well—but I won’t spoil the fun by revealing any more. THE BOOK OF UNWYSE MAGIC is a totally entertaining tale for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasies, quirky characters, mysteries, and satisfying endings. The story is told through the eyes of both Ava and Howell for an effective contrast—highlighting the importance of each individual’s uniqueness as something to be valued.

So beware! The next time you look into a mirror, take caution that it’s not a magical one. Or better yet, read THE BOOK OF UNWYSE MAGIC and share in all the enchanted fun!

COMING March 26, 2019 from Henry Holt.

  • ISBN-13: 978-1627794220
Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

Happy Book Birthday–INTO THE SHADOWLANDS!!!

Monster or Die!–Book 2

It’s here!

Come celebrate with me at The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis on October 14 from 4-6pm.

Or a week later, October 21, at Main Street Books in St. Charles from 2-4pm.

School Library Journal

There is something for everyone: suspense, adventure, a blossoming romance, and some truly corny humor from a two-headed gargoyle.

 

Patrick Samphire, Emperor of Mars

Charming, scary, and imaginative. Perfect for the little ghoul in your life.

 

Wendy MacKnight, It’s a Mystery Pig-Face

A wonderful sequel! I am Team Frank all the way, and there were so many twists and turns in this plot that it would strike fear into the heart of any self-respectful monster! Kids will devour this! Scary on!

 

Cynthia Surrisi  Vampires on the Run

There has never been a finer collection of monsters, ghouls, and other assorted creatures of creepiness in one volume. And never have they struggled against type with such pathos to do what they believe is the right thing in the face of condemnation. Hurrah!

 

Caroline Larsen, editor JFP

This is a lovely sequel to FROM THE GRAVE and is part of a great middle grade series about “monstering,” inclusivity, fitting in, friendship, loyalty, and fighting for what you believe in. I was surprised by how touched I was by Malcolm’s transformation in this story. Read the first book, FROM THE GRAVE, this summer just in time for INTO THE SHADOWLANDS to come out at Halloween!

 

Last day to win a signed copy of both

INTO THE SHADOWLANDS

and

FROM THE GRAVE

Goodreads Giveaway 

 

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

The MONSTERS Are ONE Day Away!!!

I really can’t believe it.

The monsters have certainly snuck up on me–or as they like to say, “Time waits for no monster!”

Tomorrow, October 10, is THE day!!!

Into the Shadowlands

BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!

Monster mayhem will be unleashed on the world for a second time. It will be time for more Bunion Baloney and Crud Crumb Pie. Time for more bad jokes from Stan and Dan. Time for more Fiendful Fiends Academy drama. Time again to hang out with old friends like Frank & Oliver and to meet new Uggarland characters as well.

Don’t wait!

Come and “See what can’t be seen. Then nothing can stay hidden.”

Don’t be too afraid.

“Face the unknown without fear. Fake it when necessary.”

Finally, always remember:

“Don’t complain. No one likes a whiny monster!”

B&N

Nook

Indie

Amazon

Kindle

BAM

JOLLY FISH PRESS

Tomorrow is also the LAST day for the GOODREADS Giveaway. Win a signed copy of both FROM THE GRAVE and INTO THE SHADOWLANDS!!! Don’t delay–enter today!

For every monster knows: “A victim in the claw is worth two in the bush!”

SCARY ON!!!

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

Put the Monsters on Your Calendar

Monster Book Signings

It’s less than a month away from the first book signing for Book 2: Monster or Die, INTO THE SHADOWLANDS! I will be at The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis from 4:00-6:00 pm on Saturday, October 14. That gives you plenty of time to grab this spooky read before Halloween. There will be monster swag for the taking and monster treats for eating. I’ll read an excerpt and be happy to answer all questions monster-related.

Neverfear …

If you can’t make it on 10/14, the monsters return on Saturday, October 21 to Main Street Books in St. Charles from 2:00-4:00 pm. It will be a repeat performance of all things monsterly.

Hope you can make one of these–and get your MONSTER on!!!

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

School Library Journal Review–Something for Everyone!

With permission from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL I’m printing a copy of their review of INTO THE SHADOWLANDS. The review is in their current August issue.

 

“There’s a little something for everyone here; suspense, adventure, a blossoming romance, and some truly corny humor from a two-headed gargoyle.”

 

REEG, Cynthia. Into the Shadowlands. 200p. (Monster or Die: Bk. 2). Jolly Fish Pr. Oct. 2017. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781631631344.

Gr 3-5–Being a misfit monster is a serious problem in Uggarland and can eventually lead to exile or even death. Fortunately for Frankenstein (Frank) Gordon and his nonconformist friends, there is an “Odd Monsters Out” class at Fiendful Fiends Academy, where the eccentricities range from a dragon who can’t breathe fire to a vampire who drinks milk. In this second installment of the series, Frank and his friends have just returned from a daring rescue of two misfits from exile but soon find themselves in another deadly situation. Their class is sent on a scavenger hunt to the Shadowlands, the treacherous divide between Uggarland and the human world, which is full of dangerous animals and malevolent spirits. To make matters worse, Frank’s nemesis, the troll Malcolm McNastee, has been assigned to chaperone the group. Malcolm reviles all misfits and has a very personal reason for hating Frank above all others. There’s a little something for everyone here; suspense, adventure, a blossoming romance, and some truly corny humor from a two-headed gargoyle. VERDICT An approachable read for fans of adventure/fantasy and humor in a school setting. While feasible as a stand-alone, it is optimal to have read the first installment.–Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

Inquiring Middle Grade Minds Want to Know!

 

I had such fun reading and responding to students’ questions I received this week from Holt Middle School in Fayetteville, Arkansas that I wanted to share their awesome words!

Comments

I really enjoyed you describing the characters for us and reading the first couple of pages of your book. I can’t wait to lose myself in your book. Thanks for visiting our school. Maggie

Thank you for the bookmark and I hope I can stick it in one of your books because I would really love to read FROM THE GRAVE. Kyndal

I am so excited to read your new book. I am happier than a elephant in a room full of peanuts. I hope we get to see you in real life! Maddie

You were so prepared and organized. I really like listening to you read the first part of your book. I can’t wait to read your book! Ashton

Thank you for Skyping us and letting us talk to you. It was fun doing it! Jose

I am so excited to read your book, FROM THE GRAVE! …My favorite character is the Dragon because she doesn’t abide by people’s expectations! Rian

I love how you teach people to not bully in an adventure with monsters. Finally, I would like to ask you when your next book in the series comes out so I can tell my friends about it. Matthew

Thank you for showing us that different is ok with your book. Mariano

Questions & Answers

 

Mikayla: How many books have you wrote in your career so far?

 

Hi Mikayla! So far I have written four picture books which explore parts of speech: THE PET GRAMMAR PARADE series, and another picture book called GIFTS FROM GOD. I’ve had two short stories published in anthologies—story collections: “The Emily Explosion” in THE GIRLS and “The Dragon Artist’s Tale” in SPREAD YOUR WINGS. FROM THE GRAVE was my first middle grade novel for readers your age. Book 2 in the MONSTER OR DIE series will be out October 10: INTO THE SHADOWLANDS. You can go to my website to find out about all my books. www.cynthiareeg.com

Thanks for your interest and happy reading!

 

Ella: I am reading your book right now … I can’t wait to read the second book …

 

Thanks, Ella! I really appreciate your reading and enjoying my story. That helps me know that my writing is working. It helps me be a better writer. The second book (INTO THE SHADOWLANDS) is coming October 10, but because all of you at Holt Middle School have been so supportive of me I will try to send Ms. Jewell an advanced reader copy if I can. I’m sure it won’t arrive before school ends for this year, but at least you can check it out first thing next year!

 

Aidan: Were you scared of monsters when you were little? Is there going to be a second book to the From the Grave?

 

Hello Aidan! Yes, I was very scared of monsters when I was young, and I think a lot of kids are. So I enjoyed creating monster characters who are misunderstood and a whole lot like regular kids. I guess that’s how I made my monsters less scary—to me anyway. The second book: INTO THE SHADOWLANDS is coming October 10. I sure hope you can read it. And I really appreciate nice reviews on Amazon if you and any of the other students have enjoyed reading my books!

 

Zachary: Do you have any brothers? Are you married?

 

Hi Zachary! Yes, I am sandwiched between two brothers—one older, one younger. You can visit my author website (www.cynthiareeg.com) in the ABOUT section to find out a little more about them and me. And yes, I’m married to the most wonderful man I could ever find. He’s my number one fan, so I am very lucky. He even dressed up like Frankenstein for my book release party last October! J

 

Madison: Do you like writing books? How long have you been writing? Are you going to retire?

 

Hey Madison! Thanks for your questions. I love writing books. It seems the best job in the world—creating fun characters and stories to share with readers like you. I’ve been writing since I was your age. I also loved reading and writing. I hope you are writing too! And no, I don’t plan to retire any time soon. I have retired from my library work, so I can write full time now. I’ve just started to get going with my writing, so I hope there will be many more stories to come.

 

Mattie: When did you know you wanted to write books? Why did you write this book and was this books suppose to teach you a lesson about something? Finally did you write the book about past experiences?

 

What great questions, Mattie! As soon as I learned to read and write, I started writing my own stories. I hope you are too! I wrote this book because I wanted kids to think about how awful bullying and discrimination is—even if you’re a monster. So yes, I hope FROM THE GRAVE will help kids think about being kinder and more accepting of each other—no matter if they’re blue like Frank or a sparkly dresser like Vanya. 🙂 I think all writers use a bit of their past experience in creating their stories. For me, I moved with my family quite often when I was a child, so I knew how scary it was to start in a new school with no friends. I wanted to fit in. I was generally lucky that things went pretty well, but there were a few times when others bullied me. I’m hoping you and the other students at Holt Middle School encounter no such “monsters!”

 

Jonah: Do you plan to make a movie?

 

Hi Jonah! I think it would be very cool to make a monsters movie, but so far no one has offered to do it. But I did collaborate with a video game maker to create a bit of monster animation. I hope you and the other students at Holt Middle School can open this short introduction to FROM THE GRAVE. If the link below doesn’t work, try https://itch.io and type in the title in the search box to open the video. You will need to click to advance the story. It works best in the manual mode to be able to read the text. Let me know what you think. Or you might try to create a book trailer of your own for the monsters. I’d love to see that!

 

https://from-the-grave.itch.io/from-the-grave

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

TOKENS and OMENS by Jeri Baird

Fantasy, Adventure, and Heart

Tokens and Omens

by Jeri Baird

9781631630828

As soon as I read the prologue for this YA fantasy, I knew that I was in for a memorable adventure.

 

            “I am called by many names. Destiny, Fate, Fortune; however

            I prefer Moira, for it sounds as if I have a heart. I do not.”

 

I also like that the story is told from dual points of view, Zander—a sixteen-year-old boy who too often hunts on the elders’ forbidden lands for pelts to aid his drunken father’s business. And Alexa—the sixteen-year-old daughter of a baker who vows to do better for herself than a life of bread. The two find themselves bound together in a most astounding way.

 

The fantasy quickly unfolds with numerous twists and turns. The annual quest to test the merits of each of the village sixteen-year-olds is six months away. Zander and Alexa are thrown into class with the others and quickly learn survival tips from the priest and fortune teller to prepare for the five-day forest ordeal. Each individual earns tokens when they do a good deed and earns omens when they display a negative trait. I especially like how the book’s message of individual accountability is woven throughout.

 

                     “He wanted to believe he had control over his life.

                    The quest taught that his actions affected the outcome.”

 

Both Zander and Alexa make numerous wrong turns along the way and gain their fair share of omens, but Fate also deals them startling twists too. I won’t spoil any of the surprises, but I was pleased to see them both discover their strengths. The villains in the story spur the main characters on to becoming stronger and more focused on the right paths.

 

    “… the real challenge is to our beliefs over who we are and what we want in our life.”

 

As is fitting in a YA novel, there is a bit of romance, plenty of action, and some heart-tugging loss as well. Ultimately, the powerful theme of the story shines through: “Your life has meaning. Your struggles have meaning.”

 

Those who enjoyed The Hunger Games should relish this one as well. The good news is that the adventures continue in September with book 2!

Two thumbs up to author Jeri Baird in weaving together this delightful tale with its clever plot and enchanting characters.

Posted on by Cynthia Reeg

What I’ve Been Up to Lately

Working on MONSTER OR DIE: Book Two

INTO THE SHADOWLANDS!!!

The monsters are back for more misfit adventures in the second installment of my fantasy trilogy. I’ve been busy writing new scenes– creating new troubles and more mysteries for the crew. Plus, there are even some new monsters dying to join the tale as well.

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Book Two premiers October 2017!

The second printing of FROM THE GRAVE is expected in just a few weeks. Please be patient to receive your copy.

Until then, you can read a bit more about me in The Penman Review.