Hey all! I know it’s been a bit since I posted any news of the
I will be at ConQuest 50 on May 24-26. It’s a huge science fiction/fantasy convention here in K.C., and I’ll be at Show Me Your Books – a celebration of story with indie and traditionally published on Sept. 19-21. I’ll have copies of both Waking The Weaver and Before The Weaver on hand to sell and sign. Come join the fun!
In other news:
The Timberhaven Chronicles has a new novel joining the fray! Monsters In The Park – whose cover you see above – will be coming to you this fall! Here’s a little description:
“Timberhaven is full of magic – beautiful stories and mesmerizing music. But tucked into some of its darker corners, monsters dwell.
Juniper Soot is eight years old and new to town. A hard world has left her hurting and hiding inside her beloved Science books.
But when the darkness in Timberhaven starts to step beyond its boundaries, what can a kid scientist and her newfound family do?
As Juniper’s story begins to weave into the magic tapestry of Timberhaven’s – with a talking cat, an obnoxious living drawing, and some vicious bullies – will her scientific method stand a chance against The Monsters in the Park?”
A big thanks and shout-out to SageTribe Art who I think did a fantastically kick-ass job on that cover!
In honor of her forthcoming book, I’ll close with this excerpt from Before The Weaver, for those of you who’ve yet to meet Ms. Juniper Soot.
After the Rain
Eight-year-old Juniper tugged on her long brown ponytail, the Big Book of Submersibles open in her lap, as she reread the same paragraph for the third time.
Jake, who was nearing eight, had placed twenty-three pennies into an empty plastic carton – the bottom part of someone’s discarded Chinese takeout – and floated it out onto the small pond that had formed from the runoff of Timberhaven’s last big rain. He was heaving giant rocks, doing his best to sink the thieving pirates, and falling far short. His blond hair pasted to his forehead with sweat for the effort.
“Juniper, lookit!” he shouted for the tenth time.
Juniper slammed her giant book shut but placed it gently against the tree where she’d been reading. She reached Jake at the pond’s edge as he let fly with another big rock, missing the boat again by a large margin. The pirates further riding the waves to freedom.
Juniper looked at the boat for a moment. She noticed that the pennies were beginning to bunch up on its right side in the wake of Jake’s “cannonballs.” She then bent down to examine the pebbles at her feet as Jake began towing a huge rock, the biggest he’d tried so far, with two hands back over to the water’s edge.
“I’ll get it this time!” Jake grunted excitedly between gritted teeth.
Just then, having found the perfect little stone, Juniper stood back up, eyed the distance, and let her rock fly. It hit the right side of the carton with enough force that all of the pennies slid over to that side. Now unbalanced, Jake’s pirates went to a watery grave.
“Aww.” Jake’s bottom lip stuck out, but only a little. He let the big rock drop from his muddy hands.
Juniper watched as Jake rinsed his hands off in the pond. She then wondered how she’d feel if someone were to come along behind her and finish one of the experiments she had started in her laboratory.
She decided she wouldn’t feel good about it.
“Hey, Jake,” Juniper had an idea. “You know that empty two-liter bottle I was saving for my experiments?”
“Yeah?” Jake stood up, excitement edging into his voice. He loved it when Juniper had an idea.
“You wanna go hunt for pirate treasure with our very own submarine?”
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