Tag Archives: Young Adult

Escaping the Dashia

I edited the magazine Hadrosaur Tales from 1995 to 2005. One of the things I enjoyed about editing a small magazine is that I had the chance to interact with some very talented authors, some of whom were just embarking on their writing careers. One of those authors was Rebecca Inch-Partridge who had stories in issues 9, 10, and 18. I was excited to learn that Rebecca’s debut novel is about to be released and it’s set in the same world as her stories from Hadrosaur Tales.

Rebecca’s novel is called Escaping the Dashia and it’s being published by Black Rose Writing. The novel tells the story of Twyla Splendor, a teenage girl from the Paraxous Star Cluster who has been living in the care of humans on Earth. She’s living a happy and ordinary life among humans and a few other refugees from her home cluster. Unfortunately, it’s all shattered when her birth mother, Madam Cassiopeia DeConnett, finds her and brings her home. The DeConnetts are Dashia—a group of genetically-engineered telepaths who use their powers to control some and ruin others. Their criminal organization is rich, powerful, and spans the Paraxous Cluster. What’s more, as the story progresses, Twyla discovers she has a special place in the DeConnett’s plans.

I loved Rebecca’s characterizations in this novel. Twyla feels like a real 15-year-old girl who is at once brave but inexperienced. She doesn’t always make the best choices and sometimes she’s just a bit too honest when dealing with Cassiopeia. Meanwhile, Twyla’s birth mother is one of the scariest villains I can remember reading in some time. While Rebecca makes it clear Cassiopeia will stop at nothing to achieve her objectives, she’s written well enough that sometimes you really believe she actually cares for her daughter and wants what’s best for her only to have that illusion shattered within a chapter or two. While under her mother’s care, Twyla meets a young tutor named Dovain and a relationship begins to blossom between them. Again, I liked how the relationship was portrayed with the genuine uncertainties of young romance.

I felt like Rebecca Inch-Partridge created a compelling and believable heroine in Twyla and sent her on a harrowing journey of discovery about her mother and herself. This was a real thrill-ride of a novel and well worth a read. You can find it at: https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Dashia-Paraxous-Star-Cluster/dp/168513145X/

By day, Rebecca Inch-Partridge is the mild-mannered freelance editor. At night, she’s the ruler of Paraxous Star Cluster. After years of sharing stories from the Paraxous, she’s excited to share the tale of Twyla Splendor with you. An avid science fiction fan since childhood, Rebecca graduated from Sierra Community College after convincing her creative writing professor science fiction could qualify as literary fiction. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from William Jessup University in Management and Ethics-which she swears is not an oxymoron. She’s held many jobs, but found writing was the only career that allowed her imagination to remain untamed. Rebecca lives in Auburn with her husband, their dog McKraken, two cats, four chickens, and one turkey. Visit her online at: https://www.ripartridge.com/

I’m afraid I only have my personal archive copies of Hadrosaur Tales 9, but copies of Hadrosaur Tales 10 and 18 with Rebecca’s stories are still available to purchase.

Tales of Zandria

Last year, I had the pleasure of traveling to Baltimore for Balticon 50 where eSpec Books released it’s collection of steampunk fairy tales called Gaslight and Grimm. I’m honored to be one of the contributors and it was a real delight to meet many of my fellow contributors. One contributor I was pleased to meet was Christine Norris. The reason is that we had worked with each other at LBF Books almost a decade before, but this was the first time we’d actually had a chance to meet face to face.

In 2005, I edited Christine’s young adult novel Talisman of Zandria, then edited its sequel, Return to Zandria in 2007. I thought these were terrific stories and I enjoyed getting to know the protagonist, Ivy Peterson. Here’s a little bit about each of the novels.

When Ivy Peterson sees the most extraordinary thing in her own backyard—a fairy—she dismisses it as a daydream, but she quickly realizes that it was, in fact, the real thing. She goes in search of the mythical creature, and accidentally falls into Zandria, a magical world that exists just outside her own. Unfortunately, she finds that she’s trapped there. Someone has stolen the Talisman, a magical amulet that controls the five gates between Zandria and her own world. Ivy and her new friends, the wizard Arden, his young apprentice Connor, and a pair of fairies set off on a quest to reclaim the Talisman of Zandria.

Diana Hignutt, author of the award nominated Empress of Clouds said, “Talisman of Zandria sparkles with wonder, adventure and excitement. A must read for fans of YA fantasy.”

Ivy Peterson was not ordinary. Ivy was More-Than-Ordinary because once she found herself in a very special place and had a very special adventure. But Ivy was far too old for fairy tales…wasn’t she? It has been three years since Ivy recovered the Talisman of Zandria, and her life is very different. She is no longer the shy young girl who chased a fairy through a magic gate, but a teenager, concerned with clothes, friends, and school. She has nearly forgotten about the special world that exists on the other side of a thin, magical veil. But they have not forgotten her. Now a crisis is brewing in Zandria, and only Ivy can help. They implore her to come to their aid, and Ivy’s memories of adventure pull her once again into the enchanted world of mermaids, dragons and wizards. Reunited with old friends, and bringing a new one along for the ride, Ivy must now lead them into the wilds of her own world, and not only keep them safe, but stop an empire from falling into the clutches of evil.

According to Coffee Time Romance, “The reader is transported into beautiful imagery that is quite magical as Ivy and Lori race to help the people of Zandria. Christine Norris sketches a tale that young and old will enjoy.”

Hadrosaur Productions has first edition copies of both novels on clearance for 50% off the cover price. The direct links to the books are:

Spellbound

Today, I want to tell you about the first book in an exciting Young Adult fantasy series by my friend Tricia Drammeh and the best part is it’s free! Keep reading to find out how you can get a copy of Spellbound, the first book in the Spellbringers series. Tricia Drammeh is an author of multicultural fantasy, young adult paranormal, and contemporary fiction. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, children, and three adorable animals. When she isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books and consuming vast amounts of coffee.

Spellbound

In Spellbound, the Demon Re’Vel stalks his prey in the forest of dreams, slowly gaining control over the mind of his victim. Rachel doesn’t realize the Demon is real. In fact, she doesn’t believe in magic, Demons, Hunters, or any of the other things the Alexanders have warned her about. She resists their protection, but can’t resist her overwhelming feelings for Jace.

Alisa has been drawn to Jace since the day she saved him from a Hunter attack. A mere human in a world of Spellbringers, Alisa has been embraced by the Alexander family as a hero, but not everyone is willing to accept her. Jace’s intimidating older brother, Bryce, keeps his emotions and his secrets hidden. When Bryce confides in Alisa, it puts her relationship with Jace and the entire Alexander family at risk.

Danger, secrets, and betrayal collide, and when the Demon makes his claim, the small, southern town of Oaktree becomes a battleground for Rachel’s life.

As I mentioned above, you can get Spellbound for free by visiting the following places:

You can connect with Tricia at: