January 11, 2012

Welcome to Sue Perkins, author of Children's Fantasy, REVA'S QUEST

Today I welcome Sue Perkins, author of the intriguingly named children's fantasy, REVA'S QUEST. (And what a cool-looking cover!)

About the Book:

Reva and her garden gnome arrive in Fey to fight the evil, Malice. Joined by three quest companions, they travel across the land to Malice’s lair. Only Reva can rid the world of Malice, but their journey brings danger, and she wonders if she will survive. Malice’s evil has invaded many of the animals and these beasts try to stop them reaching their goal. One of the companions begins to act strangely, and Reva must consider the possibility of a traitor in their midst.

BUY: MuseItUp Bookstore




About the Author:

Thank you so much Chris for inviting me to your blog. Hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year.

Christmas in New Zealand takes place in summer and most people take the opportunity to combine it with their annual holiday. Camping is a favorite holiday for those with children but unfortunately the weather doesn't always stay nice. We've had a few floods recently, plus the continuing earthquakes in Christchurch but at present it's sunny and hot, hot, hot.

I love to read and write fantasy novels and some of my favorite authors are Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett and Naomi Novik. Who would I like to emulate? I think Terry Pratchett. I have no idea how he gets so much humor in his books, but I'd love to be able to write in such a lighthearted way.

* Visit Sue's blog.


Excerpt

They walked through the trees for most of the day, but eventually the forest thinned out. Through the trunks she could see rolling meadows with another wooded area in the distance. Distant snow-topped mountains broke the horizon. The creatures of Fey might not be the same as her imagination, but the scenery certainly looked similar. Eager to leave the lurking leprechauns behind, she hurried out onto the lush grassy surface.\
“Come back you silly girl.”

Reva ignored Maura. With her arms stretched out to either side and her face turned upward, she spun slowly, enjoying the warm sunshine of late afternoon.

“What does she think she’s doing?” Maura’s voice held astonishment.

“Enjoying the warmth and light I think,” Jarin's words were thoughtful. “I thought she knew about Fey. Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is to rush out in the open?”

“Apparently not,” the female elf replied.

Reva heard their voices, but ignored the actual words. Eyes closed, she tilted her head back even more and lifted her face to the sky, enjoying the warm rays bathing her face. The sunshine wiped away the sense of menace and replaced it with a feeling of ease and contentment.

For several moments, she stood delighting in the sun before something passed across the sky, throwing a shadow on her face. Reva looked up, expecting to see a cloud crossing the sun. Her eyes widened in horror. A huge avian dived toward her at an amazing speed. The beak opened in a challenging scream which went right through her. Sharp talons on its feet stretched toward her as it swooped in for the kill.

The bird zoomed closer and closer. Reva stood open-mouthed, staring. Fear and disbelief pinned her feet to the ground.