Words From Saruuh Kelsey: the legend mirror

Sunday, 21 August 2016

COVER REVEAL: The Legend Mirror, Books 1-3

Hi guys! Remember how I told you about the bind-up of The Legend Mirror's first books? Today I'm revealing the cover! I personally love it and its mysterious glimpse of Callaire and Almery Wood. I hope you love it too. Here it is:

The Legend Mirror, Books 1-3 comes out August 30th!

It'll be available for pre-order from TOMORROW so check my twitter and facebook for links!

Here's the blurb:

Welcome to Callaire, a town of shifters, magic, and secrets.

THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE

Yasmin is the daughter of a goddess and a mythical creature. As a Legendary, she has telepathic power and the ability to change forms every full moon. In her opinion, that's more curse than gift.

THE DRYAD OF CALLAIRE

THE POWERS OF CALLAIRE

READ THE ENTIRE LEGEND MIRROR SERIES:

Book 1: The Beast of Callaire
Book 2: The Dryad of Callaire
Book 3: The Powers of Callaire
Book 4: Coming 2017!
Book 5: Coming soon!
Book 6: Coming soon!
Book 7: Coming soon!

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Words & Wonders (64)

In the Writing Cave, this week:

- POWERS is out now!! In case you somehow missed my excessive build up to the release, you can buy it on Amazon RIGHT NOW!!! DRYAD is currently 0.99 to celebrate the release!

- I'm still in the research trenches for The Lux Guardians. I'm also rereading books 1 and 2 in preparation for writing the last two! I'm really hoping the series will stay at four books in length, but I'm plotting it now and there's an awful lot needs to happen...

- I wrote a random 5K of my Dragon NA UF, which I do love a lot, but also don't have time or drive for writing right now.

- I've JUST begun editing The Forgotten for its second edition, which will release next year along with the final Lux Guardians book. I've only done 4 pages so far, but I've started ahead of schedule so I'm pleased.

In my life:

- It's my birthday in three days! I'm super excited for it, but I'm definitely gonna keep thinking I'm 23 (it's such a nice number...)

On the internet, this week I found useful:

- The Problem With Asian Steampunk, an article I found while researching for The Lux Guardians.
- This Misfits & Daydreamers issue on success and comparison

What have you written this week?
~Saruuh

Thursday, 18 August 2016

5 Reasons To Read THE POWERS OF CALLAIRE

Since POWERS is newly out, I thought I'd give you a few reasons to continue The Legend Mirror series and pick up a copy, and spotlight some of my favourite moments in the book. So here are...

5 Reasons To Read The Powers of Callaire

One

Because you want to read about Vic, one of Yasmin’s best friends, going to the Otherland – literally hell – dressed in a green dinosaur onesie. Was I cruel to have him face to Ruler of All Souls in a onesie? Maybe. Would I do it again? Oh hell yes.

Two

This book goes far beyond the other two in terms of Earth’s scope, and shows the Legendary world in a whole host of new locations.

Three

Bonding of all kinds. Besties fighting and then making up? Check. Girls bonding through crazy dangerous situations? Check. Friendships of all shapes and sizes? Check, check, check. My books are always all about the friends. In this book I tried to show platonic friend love with the same detail and time as I’d spent on Yasmin’s romance.

Four

Everyone loves a tragic love story, right? The love between Fray and Yasmin is fated and doomed and all the other good stuff that leads to tragedy.

Five

This book doesn’t really have a cliffhanger! There are certainly elements, but after the end of DRYAD, this is pretty easy going. And it has a happy, hopeful ending! If The Dryad of Callaire frustrated you to no end (and honestly, I can’t blame you if you’re mad) then you need to read The Powers of Callaire ASAP.

More about POWERS:

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

New Release: The Powers of Callaire (YA Urban Fantasy)

You can read the first two chapters as part of my 500 words series!

Previous books:

START THE SERIES FOR FREE WITH THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE

Welcome to Callaire, a town of shifters, magic, and secrets.

Yasmin is the daughter of a goddess and a mythical creature. As a Legendary, she has telepathic power and the ability to change forms every full moon. In her opinion, that's more curse than gift.

When a voice cries out to Yasmin in her head, and she’s drawn into dreams that aren’t her own, she's led to Fray - a girl who once saved Yasmin from hunters. In Fray’s dreams she has power no human should ever have. Legendary power.

When Fray’s magic catches the attention of a violent and invincible creature, both Yasmin’s mythical world and Fray’s human one will be changed forever. A Gods' war is brewing, and Yasmin and Fray are at the heart of it.

Monday, 15 August 2016

The Powers of Callaire: 500 Words

Hi everyone! To celebrate the impending release of The Powers of Callaire, I'm releasing 500 words of the book per day. Come back to Words From Saruuh each day to read the first 2 chapters!

Last 500:

“How’s Priscilla?” I ask instead.

Cornelia shakes her head, her gaze fixed on the green book. I can’t see the title from here but the way she’s fixated on it, it could hold the answers to defeating Numina. “She’s mostly sleeping. She woke up once to eat and drink something, and she recognised me but—”

At the strangled quality of her voice, I slide from the seat and put my arms around her. I expect her to push me away or for fingernails to dig into my sides but she only holds onto me tightly. I wait for her to continue at her own pace.

“She asked for Fray instead of me,” she says through gritted teeth.

“Because you were there,” I say gently. “If you hadn’t been there, she’d have asked for you.”

“You don’t know that.”

I pause, thinking my words through. “If I woke up after going through what Priscilla did, I’d ask for Guy and Mavers. I’d ask for my brothers.”

She nods against my shoulder, the movement clipped. “I’d ask for Priscilla.”

“See? She’d have asked for you, I know, if you weren’t there.”

“Maybe you’re right.” She pulls away and savagely wipes her face to obliterate any evidence of tears.

When she lowers her hands, she’s composed, even if her eyes are red and her cheeks flushed. She takes a deep breath, then surprises me by saying, “Tell me what you need, Yasmin. Whatever I can do to help you get to the Otherland, ask me. I don’t care what the others say—they’re too worried about you to see clearly. You need to get to Pluto and you need to make that bargain; I see that even if they don’t.” She touches my arm fleetingly. “Priscilla needs me to stay here with her, and there’s absolutely no way I’m leaving her when she’s this sick, but you can ask me for anything else. You know I’ll do it.”

My eyes prick with tears. I almost hug her again but I know she won’t allow it now she’s in control of her emotions. Instead I nod, throat tight, and say, “I love you, Cornelia. I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Cornelia traces the grain in the nearest bookshelf, murmurs, “I love you too.”

I smile. “I have a sort-of-plan to get there. But there’s no way I can get anywhere with Guy and Fearne watching the Ward. I think my brother will know when I pass through—he’s expecting me to leave. He’ll be ready to stop me.”

“Yes,” Cornelia agrees, her mouth pursed. “I bet he will.”

“I might be able to get through at night, when Fearne’s asleep. She won’t be watching the Ward as closely as Guy, not for people leaving, just people trying to get in. I hope. I’m kind of pinning my one shot on that.”

She nods. “That seems safe to assume.”

“But Guy’s never gonna let me through, not even when he’s sleeping, and he hardly ever goes to bed lately.”

Cornelia rubs the bridge of her nose. “You want me to distract him.”

“I need you to distract him. The only problem is I don’t know how.”

She drops her hand, smirks. “I have an idea. I’ll steal his precious journal.”

“He doesn’t let it out of his sight, though.”

Cornelia pats my shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. I’m a skilled pickpocket. Just tell me when you plan to leave and I’ll make sure he’s not paying attention to the Ward.”

I really hope you enjoyed this The Powers of Callaire excerpt!! The book comes out TOMORROW, and you can get the first book free right now!

Sunday, 14 August 2016

The Powers of Callaire: 500 Words

Hi everyone! To celebrate the impending release of The Powers of Callaire, I'm releasing 500 words of the book per day. Come back to Words From Saruuh each day to read the first 2 chapters!

Fifth 500:

I curl up on the padded seat in front of one window, poking yellow filling back through a hole in the leather cover, and wait for Cornelia to join me.

“Rowan’s a prick,” she says with a sharp smile, moving my feet so she can sit. The light turns her blond hair white, her fair skin even paler. She looks innocent and unassuming but the personality that lurks under that saintly veneer is wicked. I return her smile and lean my head against the glass.

“He’s not,” I say. “He’s just scared.”

“Scared boys do stupid things. Fear makes them dangerous—they make mistakes.”

“Everyone makes mistakes,” I argue.

“Men make more than us.”

I glance at her, amused. “So you’re not interested in boys, then?”

“Oh, I’m interested in them.” She flicks her hair over one shoulder, scowling at the strip of carpet down the aisle. “I’m just not happy about it.”

I laugh, a deep rumbling thing that’s as much beast as it is girl. This is what I need—something to distract me. “Are you interested in anyone in particular?” When her cheeks redden and she swears, aware of her blush, I sit up, crossing my legs under me. “You are.”

“That’s irrelevant,” she barks. “Let’s talk about Rowan being deplorable instead.”

“Who is it?” I’ve never had this, the eager giddiness of knowing one of your friends has a crush. Minnie and Ran were obvious from the start, Vic was already halfway in a relationship with Alice when I found out he liked someone, and Willa, my best friend outside the Red, was dating her boyfriend long before I knew them. But Cornelia, sharp, fearsome Cornelia, having a crush on someone? I need to know. “Best friends tell each other their secrets,” I insist.

She raises a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “Best friends?”

“You helped me save my girlfriend. And I helped you save your sister, didn’t I? Sort of? That’s a bond for life.”

Cornelia pats a tuft of my hair. “That doesn’t mean I’m confessing anything.”

“It’s not a confession. Like I said—secret.” She glares in response, so I take to persuasion. “It’d help me forget about … everything. At least for a while.”

“That’s a terrible incentive.” She shakes her head, debates with herself. “If I tell you it’s nobody you know, will that satisfy you?”

“So it’s someone I know?”

Cornelia pushes to her feet and inspects a nearby bookcase. She slides a moss green book from the shelf and frowns at it. “Fine. Yes. And that’s all I’m saying.”

I smile to myself. “Thank you for telling me.”

Cornelia makes a noise in the back of her throat. “Don’t thank me.” She leans against the bookcase, her face turned to the fan blades whirring overhead. “Thank you for being interested. It’s been a while since anyone asked me about boys.” She laughs. “I haven’t missed it but it’s nice to be asked anyway.”

“If you want me to carry on asking …”

“Absolutely not,” she sputters. My eyes widen at the sight of Cornelia flustered. She really likes him, whoever he is. But she’s not ready to tell me who he is and I respect that. I drop the interrogation.

Come back tomorrow for the last 500 words of The Powers of Callaire excerpt!!

Saturday, 13 August 2016

The Powers of Callaire: 500 Words

Hi everyone! To celebrate the impending release of The Powers of Callaire, I'm releasing 500 words of the book per day. Come back to Words From Saruuh each day to read the first 2 chapters!

Fourth 500:

“Yas.” Guy kicks my chair leg. The movement sends my stomach lurching; the smell of toast and bacon has already done a good job of making me queasy. “Eat something.”

“It’s cold,” I reply. It’s an excuse but I can’t stomach anything. Being imprisoned has killed my appetite.

“It started out hot,” Guy grumbles. He leans over my shoulder to snag a croissant and sets it in front of me. Voice low, he tells me, “Rip little bits off at a time. Your stomach’ll handle it better like that.” At my questioning glance he adds, “I don’t feel like eating at the best of times. Learned a couple lessons along the way.”

“Thanks,” I mumble because it’s the right thing to say. I rip off a tiny corner of the croissant and swallow it with effort. Guy’s hand brushes my shoulder as he moves away, satisfied. Eating slowly, I avoid the firm stare Cornelia’s aiming at me. I’m spared of whatever she’s about to say when Fearne gets up from the table and Rowan skids across the tiles to follow her.

“Ro,” she snaps. “This is the kitchen. You don’t have to be up my ass every second—nothing can hurt me here.”

“You so sure about that?” he whisper-shouts back. “Last I checked we had an Incar in the house and we never knew about it. That bastard could have done anything—”

Fearne covers his mouth with her hand, glares at him until he shuts up. “You’re overreacting.”

What little I ate of the croissant now churns in my stomach. I hide my shaking hands under the table. I wish I couldn’t feel Rowan’s fury through my Psychic, wish I didn’t know how badly he’s out for her blood—even though he knows it’s not her fault, that she’s possessed. I don’t know who told the Red what happened in the Legend Mirror, about the Incar of truth using my friend to attack Fray and Amity with a wall of fire, about the Golems who stabbed Fray, about Fray using her newfound Majick to heal herself. About that Majick not being enough for her to survive the trip home.

My chair legs squeal on the floor as I push away from the table. Fearne and Rowan continue to argue in hissed undertones but Mavers, Guy, and Minnie all make to follow me. I clench my jaw, shake my head at them. I want to be alone. They’re understanding enough to give me space.

Cornelia isn’t.

She marches down the corridor and follows me into the comforting old paper scent of the library. I head for the far wall where two tall windows let bright morning light fall across the honey wood bookcases. Through the glass, the village of Tabor’s Foot is just visible through the line of trees braced on the edge of the mountain. Snaking through the grass at the feet of the trees, arcing in a perfect curve, is the shimmer of the Ward. This is my favourite view from the Academy. It’s peaceful and comforting. This is the place I feel most safe.

Come back tomorrow for the next 500 words of The Powers of Callaire!!