BLURB:
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:
During warm weather, the bears
preferred to dine under the open sky. The dining hall was located in a clearing
surrounded by maple trees. The maples were old with thick and powerful trunks,
and their branches drew together closely, forming a canopy of thick leaves.
There were low benches on the ground that the bears used as tables since they
did not have any need for chairs. In the middle of the clearing stood a massive
wooden table with attached benches, and Lara and Peter assumed that it was the
seat of the Bear Charmer. The dining hall was used only during formal occasions
such as celebrations or important announcements. Otherwise, the bears would
dine in an unorganized fashion, breaking up into groups of their closest
friends.
The kitchen bears were in charge of
preparing all feasts, and they were busy delegating tasks to the other bears,
instructing them where to place each dish. The bears were carrying large wooden
dishes filled with chunks of fragrant roasted meat and baked potatoes. There
were baked turnips and carrots, berries and freshly churned cream, and of
course, honey. There was fresh icy cold water from the well to drink.
More and more bears kept arriving
into the hall, taking their assigned benches. Soon there were scarcely any
empty seats left, as the bears waited expectantly for the important guests who
were to join them at the feast.
“There you are!” said the Bear
Charmer at the sight of Lara and Peter and motioned for them to join him.
The children followed Master
Auberon and sat down at the table beside him. The table could easily
accommodate six people so there was plenty of room.
“I usually sit alone,” explained
the Bear Charmer. “But it is good to have your company.”
The children smiled shyly since
they still could not believe the transformation that had taken place in the
Bear Charmer’s demeanor.
Naum took a seat at a wooden bench
nearby and was joined by four other bears that Master Auberon had chosen to
help Peter and Lara. The bears were proud to have been selected for such an important
task, and they eyed Peter and Lara curiously. They were anxious to speak with
them, but they did not want to interrupt their conversation with Master
Auberon. Soon the preparations were finished, and all the bears waited for
Master Auberon to commence the feast. He stood up to make a short speech.
“Bears, as you very well know, we
have never had human visitors here before. But today something truly remarkable
happened. These two children,” said the Bear Charmer placing his heavy hands on
Peter’s and Lara’s shoulders, “have saved one of our bears. It was a simple but
truly brave and selfless act that restored my faith in humankind. Tonight we
shall feast and celebrate in the honor of our guests. Tomorrow our guests will
have to face and accomplish a difficult task, and we shall provide them with
all the support that we can muster. Difficult times are coming, and we may be
called upon to play our part. I am telling you this with full certainty in your
bravery and valor and with full confidence that when the time comes, we shall
fight proudly together.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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.
Regards,
Marie Astor
Books by
Marie Astor:
For Young
Adults:
Kindle Link:
Marie
will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during
the tour.
The tour dates can be found
here:
Leaky pulled a
small tool from his back pocket and picked the lock. He slipped through the
gate and closed it behind him then crept toward the back of the house.
