Sneak Peek and Author's thoughts: Eternal Seas by Lexi Rees with Giveaways

ETERNAL SEAS

The Relic Hunters, Book One

by Lexi Rees

Troubador Publishing

Middle Grade Mystery / Fantasy

184 pages

Such a small parcel shouldn't cause experienced smugglers much trouble, but this parcel is far from normal.

Lost and scared after a violent storm, Finn and his sister, Aria, take shelter on a remote island. They discover the parcel contains a relic belonging to a long forgotten people. Locked inside are powers which will change their lives, and the world, forever.

As Finn realises his connection to the relic, a vision strikes him - but what does it mean? Who should they trust? And if they decide to follow their hearts rather than their orders, will they manage to deliver the relic in one piece?

Chased across the seas as they try to solve the mysteries within the parcel, the fate of this ancient people depends on them. Finn and Aria must choose between what is right and what is easy - and time is running out ... 

Author's Thoughts

All the locations in Eternal Seas are based on real places, although I have taken some artistic license. In the book, Finn and Aria go on a quest which takes them to a castle on a remote Scottish island, near where their father grew up. The castle was inspired by Gylen Castle on the Isle of Kerrera. In reality, it’s not at all remote – a frequent ferry runs from Oban and it’s only two miles away. I love Oban and the surrounding area and have spent many happy holidays there. Random author fact: the Oban whisky is my favourite tipple.

In both real life and in Eternal Seas, the castle is perched on a cliff, towering over the sea. If you’d like to know more about the Isle of Kerrera and Castle Gylen, do have a look here Kerrera info.

Here is my illustration of Gylen Castle

And here is the real castle.

The real Gylen Castle, Image thanks to SouthernHebrides.com

I sincerely hope the people of Kerrera will forgive me for my description of the island. As you can see from the image, it is a stunning, rich green landscape, providing a fabulously dramatic setting for an awesome castle. With that said, in this extract Finn and Aria have a slightly different perspective as they approach the castle for the first time …

We line up on deck as we approach the Island of Gylen. Battered by the sea, it’s a barren, ugly, brown lump of rock. A few brave trees hunch over against the wind, clinging onto life in this harsh environment. It’s immediately recognisable as the place in my vision.

Rising out of the rocky cliffs is the castle. The solid grey granite walls soar above us. Even in ruins, it oozes power. I shudder to think how terrifying it must have been to approach as an invading army in days gone by.

Six stone turrets still mark the corners of the castle, the irregular shape following the outline of the cliff. There are no windows, just hundreds of narrow slits for the archers, pointing in every direction. Stone funnels overhang the battlements, ready to pour boiling tar down on anyone who tries to attack the castle from the sea. This was a castle built for war, not for princesses.

Near the shore, Aria grabs her bow and arrow, poised for an attack. But we land without seeing a single soul. The emptiness of the beach echoes. Only the wind comes to greet us, filling our ears with its chilly breath.

‘Where do we go now?’ Aria asks.

‘Up there.’ I point at the castle.          

Dad leads the way as we scramble up the rough path. The castle looms above us, growing larger and larger as we climb.

‘I don’t like it here. It’s creepy. Other than the wind, it’s too quiet. Not a soul, not a single bird. I haven’t even seen a seagull, and they get everywhere, like rats.’ Aria grimaces, her long white hair whipping around her face in the wind. She pulls the collar on her coat further up and hunches her shoulders, shivering.

A heavy portcullis blocks the entrance to the castle. Thick iron bars flaked with rust suggest it hasn’t been opened in years. Beyond the portcullis, under the archway, there’s a vast wooden door, studded with iron spikes, and firmly closed. Visitors are clearly not welcome.

From the shadows steps a figure. Sir Waldred. My heart sinks.

BOOK BUZZ...

"A thrilling and magical adventure with plenty of hair-raising chases and a villain readers will love to hate. ETERNAL SEAS is a must-read for young fantasy fans." Madeline Dyer, author of the Untamed series

"ETERNAL SEAS is a compelling adventure that weaves mystery and intrigue into a tantalising plot for the reader to enjoy. The writing has a lyrical quality and almost seems to capture the movement of the sea as the story unfolds. A very enjoyable read." 
Jude Lennon, author of Hal and the End Street, the Lamby series and other children's books

"An exciting debut novel that takes us on a roller coaster adventure ride over high seas to mysterious places and brims with magic and intrigue. Young readers will love this book." 
Shalbey Bellaman, author of Dragons in the Looking Glass and Jack in the Wallows


And here she is...

Lexi Rees spends as much time as possible sailing and horse riding, both of which she does spectacularly badly. Attempts at writing whilst horse riding have been disastrous, so Eternal Seas was written on a boat; the storm described in the book was frighteningly real.

Social Media Links –

www.lexirees.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/LexiAuthor

https://twitter.com/lexi_rees

GIVEAWAY!!!

2 of them!

Win one of two £10 Amazon gift vouchers (UK only). To enter

1.     Share a photo of you with the book (paperback or ebook) on Twitter or Instagram

2.     Tag @lexi_rees (Twitter) or lexi.rees (Instagram) and #EternalSeas

3.     Closing date 30th November 2018

4.     UK only

5.     Winners will be drawn randomly

Illustration competition - would your children like to see their illustrations published in a book?

·  Six lucky winners will have their illustrations printed in the sequel to Eternal Seas

·  Winners and runners up will also have their drawings featured on www.lexirees.co.uk and on social media

Drawings must be in black and white, and can be in any of the following categories

·  Aria flying up in the sky

·  a cat

·  mountain ponies

·  a snow eagle

·  a demon-goddess

·  a sailing boat

·  Finn and/ or Aria

Please see detailed terms for entry requirements

·  Open to children aged 13 or under

·  You can enter as many categories as you like

·  Winners will be chosen by Lexi Rees

·  Children’s name and age will be published together with their illustration. Parents/ guardians must confirm they are happy with this when they enter. Other information (e.g email address) will not be shared.

·  No purchase necessary

·  Closing date 31/1/19

·  Entries must be scanned or photographed in high resolution and emailed to lexireads@hotmail.com. The winners may need to post originals if the images are not high enough quality for printing. Postage costs will be covered in this case.

·  Full entry details can be found on www.lexirees.co.uk

Cover Reveal: Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus with Giveaway

Today is the cover reveal for Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus by Paula Berinstein. This cover is designed by Anna Mogileva. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus 

Amanda Lester, Detective #5

By Paula Berinstein

YA/Upper MG Mystery/ Detective

COMING. . .

NOVEMBER 1st, 2016!

It only takes a moment to spill a secret.

The detectives have managed to keep Legatum Continuatum's secrets safe for more than a hundred years, but that could soon change. Amanda and her friends have discovered that the red spiders of Ambleside possess a talent that could expose everything.

Unfortunately, Amanda's new stepfather knows about them too, and his plans are deadly. The kids try to get to the spiders first, but their attempt to save them just complicates matters. Then Amanda disappears and it falls to her friends to save the day. If they fail, she could die. The situation has never been more critical. The problem is that only one person knows how to find her, and they don't trust him.

You can find Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus on Goodreads

You can pre-order Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus here:
- Amazon

Get the first Amanda Lester book for free!
Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy is free! Get your copy of the first Amanda Lester book here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords


About the Author:
Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.

You can find and contact Paula here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Paula's blog on Goodreads
- The Writing Show podcasts
- Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!!!

There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus. One winner will win a 30$ amazon gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis by Paula Berinstein

AMANDA LESTER AND THE ORANGE CRYSTAL CRISIS

Amanda Lester, Detective Volume 2

by Paula Berinstein

The Writing Show

YA/MG Mystery

ages 10 +

424 pages

If only Sherlock Holmes's great-great-grandson weren't such a dork . . .

There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and would rather die than have anything to do with him.

But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.

Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals' secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good.

MY TIDBITS

I have already read the first book in this series, and although I'd recommend starting with book one, it's no problem to dive into Amanda Lester's adventures with book two. In other words, this can be read as a stand alone.

The first pages already had me smiling. In the beginning scene, Amanda finds out that there might again be trouble at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives, and her first thought--instead of jumping excitedly into another mystery--is to run away. I don't blame her, and this reaction alone shows how human and realistic she can be.

Amanda is not the average detective. She might have a knack for it, but it's not her favorite thing in the world. And this slightly negative attitude sets the stone for her delicious personality which is sometimes sweet, sometimes kind but full of prickly faults too. She's out-spoken, opinionated, a little dramatic and simply goes over board at times. It's exactly these things which make her so much fun and easy to relate to. I appreciated the fact that although she believed to have over-come some of her faults in book one, suddenly finds herself battling with the same problems all over again. It was great to see that things don't change that easily.

There isn't a character in the book which lacks personality, though. Although there are many friends, enemies, classmates, teachers and others involved in Amanda's life, none of them is like the other and each has obvious flaws and oddities. It makes each one stick out in their own way and adds a lot of color to the story, not to mention that it makes it that much easier to remember who was who. . .something which is always important in a mystery, especially one with multi-layers.

The plot  is not a simple one and neither are the secrets Amanda faces. Clues are hard to sort out and nothing is necessarily as it seems, which makes finding out the true facts behind the mystery as difficult as sorting out a bowl of sticky spaghetti. To add more depth, Amanda must take on other problems from all directions of life--sub-plots upon sub-plots. At one point in the book, she admits that there's more going on than she can handle, and this reflected my own feelings at times. I was very captured by this story and found myself drawn in, but after about three-quarters the way through, I simply had to take a break as everything began to feel a little mumble-jumbled. When I picked the book back up, I was completely drawn in again.

There's never a boring moment as Amanda is pulled from one situation into the next. Her relationship with Holmes was sweet and complicated. His personality isn't any simpler than her own, and I'm looking forward to seeing much more of him in the books to come.


Although this series is deemed for young adults, the writing and content feels more like an upper middle grade/tween mystery to me. The characters are on the younger side, and even their behavior and reactions hits this slightly younger group nicely. The logic behind a large point, the crystals, leans heavily toward fantasy, which would be more appreciated by younger audience. However, even as an adult, I was caught up and enjoyed the story completely.

At over 400 pages, this isn't a novel for lazy readers, but the plot definitely needs the length. As said, there is a lot going on and even with the larger word amount, the last big scene as well as the ending seemed to be wrapped up a little too rushed and neatly to me. Still, the ending was surprising, and I can't wait to dive into the next book to see what happens with Amanda and her friends next.

Summed up, this is a mystery packed full of so many good things. The characters are a sheer delight and there are unexpected surprised at every turn. I highly recommend this to readers ages 10 and up who love mystery, adventure and a lot of fun mixed in.