Don't you just love this cover? Please welcome Marie Astor to the blog today, on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions with her book, Over the Mountain and Back. Marie is also offering a chance for you to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, so be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win.
Welcome Marie!
Dear
Reader,
Thank
you very much for joining me for Over the Mountain and Back blog
tour. The story of Over the Mountain and Back began over twenty years
ago when I was fourteen years old and decided to write a novel as an
anniversary gift for my parents. It was going to be a fantasy
adventure about a boy named Peter and a girl named Lara set in a
magical country, Transadonia. I remember writing studiously on the
pages of an ornate notebook I had acquired especially for the
occasion. Back then computers were not yet widely used, so I had to
pay extra care to my handwriting. A year later, Over the Mountain and
Back was completed, or at least I had thought so at the time.
Needless to say my parents were very surprised with their anniversary
gift.
Years
passed; I finished high school and went on to college. Lara’s and
Peter’s story faded from my mind, replaced by the hustles and
bustles of everyday life. Then, one day – the day that happened to
be my thirtieth birthday, my parents presented me with a gift: it was
oblong in shape and wrapped in shiny paper. After I opened the
wrapping, I was stunned to find the long forgotten story I had
written all those years ago.
Long
story short, after two years of extensive work, I rewrote and
expanded Over the Mountain and Back into a novel of 95,000 words. For
me it had been an exciting journey to be reunited with my old
friends: Lara and Peter, Forest Witch Ramona, Chancellor Libra,
Bookbrownies, and, of course, Carnelion, among the many others.
I hope
that you will join Lara and Peter on their adventure in Transadonia.
If you
would like to find out more about my books, please stop by website:
www.marieastor.com.
Regards,
Marie
Astor
With his
father gone missing and his mother losing her grip on reality, Peter
Bailey’s life is nopicnic. Peter’s gray existence changes
unexpectedly after he takes his new snowboard for a ride in the
mountains of Colorado and is stunned to find himself in Transadonia –
a hidden world
that
coexists alongside with the Earth.
Lara
Grover never listened to her elders, so warnings like “do not talk
to strangers” mean nothing to her. When a boy from an unknown world
saves her from an avalanche with the aid of a snow dragon, Lara is
not stunned in the least. Instead, she joins Peter on his quest to
help him realize the purpose behind his arrival to Transadonia.
Together,
Lara and Peter embark on an adventure filled with perils, trickery,
betrayals, and unexpected alliances.
Excerpt:
When Peter walked
into the store, his eyes immediately darted to the glossy display of
newly arrived snowboards propped against the wall. In the center of
the display stood a beautiful snowboard painted in bright neon colors
with a sign underneath: The unbeatable Jamie Fox rode this
snowboard when he won last year’s Snow Rider competition. Ask the
store owner how you can ride Jamie’s board.
Peter could not
turn his gaze away from the magnificent snowboard. How amazing it
must be to ride a board like that, he thought, reaching out to
touch the brightly colored plastic surface. Suddenly, his reverie was
rudely interrupted.
“What have we
here? Peter Bailey wants to ride my board?” sounded a mocking voice
from behind.
Even without
turning around, Peter knew that the sneering voice belonged to none
other than Jamie himself - the reigning champion of the Snow Rider
competition for the past five years. Jamie’s father owned the ski
resort, and it was largely argued that it was not Jamie’s prowess,
but his father’s connections that ensured Jamie’s unchallenged
success.
“Hi, Jamie.”
Peter nodded curtly.
As usual, Jamie was
surrounded by a posse of boys who were willing to put up with his
bullying in exchange for free lift passes and other perks that his
father could provide. Today, though, someone else was with them:
Beverly Nooner, the most popular girl in school. Beverly’s blond
curls and blue eyes drew wistful glances from all the boys in the
school, yet most would not dare so much as speak to her since Beverly
was Jamie’s girl, and no one wanted to challenge Jamie. For her
part, Beverly enjoyed the attention fully and used it to her
advantage. She was in the same class with Peter and had copied his
math homework on several occasions, but now she averted her eyes,
pretending that she did not know who he was.
“Planning to ride
in the competition?” Jamie smirked.
“As a matter of
fact, yes,” answered Peter, determined not to let Jamie’s mockery
get to him. Deep down he knew that Jamie would never go beyond verbal
assaults, and Peter was not going to give him the satisfaction.
“I wouldn’t if
I were you,” said Jamie smugly. “The board I’ll be riding is
even better than the one you’ve been ogling. You don’t stand a
chance.” This statement was accompanied by cheering from Jamie’s
gang.
“It’s not just
about the board, Jamie. It’s the riding skills that matter,”
replied Peter calmly. “And if I were you, I’d spend more time
practicing and less talking, or your lucky streak just might run
out.”
At the sound of
Peter’s words, Jamie’s clique began to hoot, but Jamie silenced
them with a snap of his fingers.
“If I were you,
I’d keep an eye out tomorrow, or things might just end badly for
you,” hissed Jamie, his face contorted in an ugly grimace. “Let’s
get out of here,” he called to his gang. Grabbing Beverly’s arm,
Jamie shoved past Peter toward the exit, almost knocking him down to
the floor.
Books by
Marie Astor:
For
Young Adults:
Over the
Mountain and Back – a fantasy adventure novel
Kindle
link:
For
Adults:
To Catch
a Bad Guy – romantic suspense
This
Tangled Thing Called Love – a contemporary romance about overcoming
one’s inhibitions, learning to tango, and finding one’s true love
match.
Lucky
Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and
friendship.
On the
Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of
love.
A Dress
in a Window – a collection of short stories about love,
coincidences, and fate.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Dress-Window-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
10 comments:
Thank you for hosting today.
What a great post. How nice you wrote it for your parents. It sounds great.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
I want to get this book for an avid young reader. It sounds really awesome.
I love that you have been wanting to tell this story for so long and now finally are. It shows persistance pays off
fencingromein at hotmail dot com
Sounds very entertaining!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you for hosting Over the Mountain and Back today!
Thank you All for your wonderful comments! I hope to see you at the next tour stop.
Regards,
Marie
Marie...This seems so different from your contemporary romances. Which do you prefer writing? Which is easier to write?
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
First time posting here..your a new author to me..but I'm enjoying getting to know you..
How beautiful that your parents kept your story. That's magic right there.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Would love to get opportunity to read. Keep up the writing.
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