Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Kelly Byrd and her new book, “Great Big Ocean Sky,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Kelly and to increase your chances of winning!!
This eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!! See below for more details.
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Great Big Ocean Sky
Far From Home Trilogy
Book Two
by Kelly Byrd
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GENRE: Mid-Grade Fantasy
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BOOK BLURB:
Book Two of the Far from Home Trilogy
Catch up with Mary Jingo as she trains with her friends in the Great Big Ocean Sky-side city of Festdelm. She may have survived the danger in Luminos, the City of Lights, but new challenges await as she, Teeny, Van Clare, Corb, Mikeala, and WindRunner continue their fight to save the Everything. When a new Shadowlander comes to LeeChee, will Mary be able to trust him—even if he is one of her closest friends?
Join Mary Jingo and her motley crew as they travel to the far ends of the world on their quest to save the Everything.
As more of LeeChee falls under Thrall, Mary must choose wisely. Whom will she trust? What bonds will endure? And... how did a Yorkshire Terrier end up as a part of this crazy experience?
The answers, dear reader, await inside as we set sail on the Great Big Ocean Sky.
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EXCERPT ONE:
WindRunner shot into the air, following the great ‘Dragon through the sky. Peregrina’s wake was strong and fast, and WindRunner put himself in the center of her air stream. Mary looked around, sensing for the other Thoughtdragons that had attacked the Garnet Revenge, but did not feel them.
It doesn’t mean they aren’t nearby, WindRunner said.
Really?
Do not become overconfident with this power, Mary Jingo. The Thoughtdragons are dangerous. Older even than my Kin. While I face the same temptation as you—I am drawn to her great power—remember that Peregrina wanted to be found. Otherwise, we would not have been able to follow her.
That couldn’t be possible, Mary puzzled to herself. She had known where Peregrina was. Mary had made this decision to follow Peregrina, hadn’t she? A stab of doubt hit Mary in the chest. Had they walked into a trap?
Peace, Warrior, WindRunner said soothingly. Peregrina wanted us to follow her. I don’t think she will harm you. I think she wishes to speak with you. Or, that is what Mikeala said to me before we left the boat.
You had a private Mindspan with Mikeala?
Yes. She told me I should take you if you wished to go.
Private Mindspans are rude when they are about someone else. The Father says so.
WindRunner laughed in her mind.
Suddenly, Peregrina stopped in midair and whipped around. WindRunner dove to keep from running straight into her serpentine length, ending their conversation. Peregrina beat her wings softly to stay stationary, and WindRunner flew around until he was face to face with the great Thoughtdragon.
Mary’s stomach sank. The last time she had been face to face in the air with someone like this, it had been the evil Mellie. She had won that battle, but only barely. She was not certain she could win a battle like that again. Peregrina was even more terrifying than Mellie. Her head was twice the size of WindRunner. The Thoughtdragon only needed to barely open her mouth to swallow them both whole.
WindRunner sent courage through their bond, but Mary felt his unease. He was being strong for her, just like she wanted to be strong for him. Peregrina spoke then to them both, her voice rich, gravelly, and musical, like a bass note dropped beneath a perfect melody.
“Well, you followed me out here, Shadowlander. What is it that you want?” She slithered her great head to the side as she said this, and Mary felt and smelled the Thoughtdragon’s untamed power. It blotted out her fear.
“I need your scales. Three of them. We need them in LeeChee. The Everything is shrinking, and I am fighting with the Resistors. We are trying to save it,” Mary said, breathing deeply. She spoke clearly and with confidence. “Please help us, great Peregrina.”
The ‘dragon shook her head and laughed.
“Save it? Save the Everything with my scales? Child, in your tiny mind, I might as well be the Everything. You cannot save the Everything with the Everything. And that world, that island, has been pitiful and beyond saving for many annuals now. Your Keeper is the size of a child. Don’t you see? It is lost. Go home to your dark, dark world and leave us in peace. Your People are causing the problem anyway.”
“My People?” Mary responded, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.
“Yes—you Shadowlanders. The Everything is created in the Shadowlands. It cycles up and up to places like LeeChee to be kept safe. Over time, it drifts back down to the Shadowlands and the cycle continues, with the ebb and flow of time. Do they not teach you anything in school down there?” Peregrina paused and turned her livid golden eyes to WindRunner.
“And you, the Lumon’s son. Bound by oath to protect a girl from the Shadowlands. Why have you done this?”
“She can save us,” WindRunner blasted back.
“Can she?” Peregrina replied with a grin on her giant mouth. “How? It is the greed of her People that has caused the blight in your lands. They don’t go outside anymore. They are trapped in their own heads, in their own tribes. They don’t listen to each other. They hardly interact with anyone who doesn’t think exactly how they do. How does one child heal rifts and tears that are hundreds of years old? This is why the Everything shrinks. Do you not know, WindRunner, son of Spearwing? Or are you all much too blind to see it?”
“Mellie is to blame for the Void. Mellie has been warping the Everything to her own purposes,” Mary said, yelling across the distance.
“Fool! Mellie was once like your precious Mikeala. As tall as a mountain and charged with keeping the Everything and the flow of the Cycles safe. She could no more turn the Everything into the Void than I can. It is against her nature. But to regain her former strength and form, she may have been tempted to help someone corrupt the Everything. The Void is powerful, even if it is unnatural. She may be helping the flow of the Void, but no, no. She did not create it.”
“Her scars,” Mary said to herself and WindRunner, thinking of the marks that marred the woman’s face. “Her scars are from the Void.”
“Yes,” Peregrina said. Her hearing must be excellent to perceive Mary over such a distance. “Yes. She has paid dearly in service to the Void.”
“You must help us,” Mary cried desperately. “Mikeala said you brought me out here to talk to me. Help me. I know you can.”
The giant Thoughtdragon swirled her body in the air in front of Mary. Small flames burst from her mouth when she laughed. Mary could feel their heat as they crackled in the air.
“Why would I help you? As I said, the greed of your people is what is causing LeeChee to die. It will grow dark and cold and fade, and me and my kind will visit it no more. And your land will suffer, Mary Jingo. As we have all suffered.”
“Please—you cannot let this happen.”
“How dare you!” Peregrina boomed. Her jaws opened wide. “How dare you accuse me of letting anything happen. It breaks my very being to know that LeeChee will fall into darkness and the Void, but I cannot intervene. Your People, you Shadowlanders, with your pride and your lack of imagination, your desperation for profit. You will kill LeeChee. I allowed you to follow me here because I wanted to see your face before I send you back to that darkened world of the Shadowlands. You don’t belong in LeeChee, Mary Jingo. You will only make things worse.”
Peregrina dove towards Mary and WindRunner, spinning her long body in the air and flapping her wings hard. WindRunner, always ready for attack, spun out of the way, as Mary gripped the handholds. She cast for Peregrina’s power, but found herself blocked from it.
WindRunner. She has shielded me. I cannot channel or control.
Sensing Mary’s fear, WindRunner burst through the air, the giant ‘dragon following swiftly behind. Peregrina was bigger, which WindRunner used to his advantage, banking and turning quickly through the air, making it hard for the Thoughtdragon to follow. Mary found herself dizzy and out of sorts, casting about for ideas. WindRunner blasted a mighty caw at the Thoughtdragon and watched as a jet of light shot from his beak and hit Peregrina squarely between the eyes. She roared angrily, then continued her wild pursuit.
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GUEST POST:
Let Me Show You My Writing Space: The Nerdery
Welcome to the Nerdery! Let me show you around my home office, where I spend my time churning out these ideas for you all to enjoy.
My partner and I purchased our charming little house on the Eastern outskirts of Nashville in 2020, right at the peak of the pandemic. It quickly became a safe haven for us and our two dogs. Our favorite room to set up was the office, or—as we affectionately call it—The Nerdery for Nerd Things.
My husband is an avid comic book nerd with a collection of books, floppies, quarterlies, and omnibuses too big to mention. I am a nerd of a similar ilk, but lean more toward fantasy novels and faerie books. We meet somewhere in the middle at Steven Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Our home office is crowded with hundreds of hardback and paperback books, graphic novels, and comic books. We’ve had to overflow some of our collection to other rooms in the house because we are truly running out of space for all the reading materials we own.
The books are accompanied by my army of (mostly) female Funko Pops. These characters keep me company on long writing days and help me think about the way certain heroes would handle difficult situations. They also help me get lost in daydreams when I need a break from cranking this stuff out, because it is truly tiring.
Of course, there is a plethora of plants in the Nerdery. We all need a little clean air in our spaces, and these living, growing things definitely help add color and health to the space.
There’s a giant whiteboard for collecting stray thoughts, outlines, and content calendars. Under that sits a dog bed for when either Penny or Bodie wants to join me while I work.
Lastly, there’s the desk. Littered with pens, sticky notes, more figurines, and paperwork, the desk is where I take to the comfy chair to work, knowing that my Funkos have my back.
How do you decorate your workspace?
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AUTHOR BIO:
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Stories have crept around the halls of Kelly Byrd’s mind since she was a little girl. Not even the combined will of her two loyal pups, her devoted husband, and all her house plants could keep her from putting this story into the world. You’ll find this happy crew in Nashville. Tennessee.
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CONNECT WITH KELLY:
Website:
Blog:
https://www.kellybyrd.com/blog
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/farfromhomeseries
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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:
**The Great Big Ocean Sky eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!!**
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Big-Ocean-Home-Book-ebook/dp/B0C5D1W7LP
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-big-ocean-sky-kelly-byrd/1143479263?ean=9781736617458
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Kelly will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Thank you so much for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love that you're following along.
DeleteThank you so much for hosting! Love seeing the Nerdery get some shine.
ReplyDeleteI love all of your Funko Pops. Do you have a favorite one?
ReplyDeleteThat’s such a tough question! (But also a good one!) I love my Wanda’s… I think my favorite is She-Ra on Swift Wind.
DeleteThe excerpt sounds great
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like a great read.
ReplyDelete"Great Big Ocean Sky" by Kelly Byrd is a book that you might enjoy. It's a beautiful and captivating story that takes you on a journey through the depths of the ocean. Give it a read, and I'm sure you'll be enthralled by its charm and wonder.
ReplyDelete