P.C.
CAST
is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the
blockbuster House of Night series,
co-written with her daughter Kristin Cast. With more than 20 million copies in
print in over 40 countries, Cast’s novels have been awarded the prestigious:
Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times
Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier,
Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath.
Furthermore, The House of Night
series reached number one on the U.S., German, and UK bestseller lists, and
remained a fixture on The New York Times
Children’s Series bestseller list for over 160 weeks.
This Fall, or autumn for those in the UK, P.C. CAST brings us her much-anticipated new
epic fantasy set in a world where humans, their animal allies, and the earth
itself has been drastically changed.
Title: Moon Chosen
Series: Tales Of A New World
Author: P.C. Cast
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Shifter
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
Release Date: 18th October 2016
BLURB supplied by St Martins Griffin
Mari is an Earth Walker, heir to the unique healing
powers of her Clan; but she has cast her duties aside, until she is chosen by a
special animal ally, altering her destiny forever. When a deadly attack tears
her world apart, Mari reveals the strength of her powers and the forbidden
secret of her dual nature as she embarks on a mission to save her people. It is
not until Nik, the son of the leader from a rival, dominating clan strays
across her path, that Mari experiences something she has never felt before…
Now, darkness is coming, and with it, a force more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By forming a tumultuous alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik. Ready to embrace her true destiny…and obliterate the forces that threaten to destroy them all.
Now, darkness is coming, and with it, a force more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By forming a tumultuous alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik. Ready to embrace her true destiny…and obliterate the forces that threaten to destroy them all.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P.C. CAST is the #1 New
York Times and USA Today
Best-Selling author of the House of Night Series and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame.
With more than 20 million copies in print in over 40 countries, her novels have
been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for
Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt
Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath.
Ms. Cast was born in the Midwest, and grew up being
shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell
in love with Quarter Horses and mythology. After high school she joined the United States
Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF,
she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. Ms.
Cast lives in Oregon surrounded by beloved cats, dogs, horses, and family.
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter
EXCERPT
EXCERPT
Mari braced herself, and as she had so
many times before, felt her mother stiffen while energy surged through Leda and
into Mari, sizzling through her palm, down her arm to swirl around and around
inside her, growing in power with each second that passed. Mari’s heartbeat began to hammer and her
breathing suddenly increased until she was panting as hard as was the pup. In her arms, Rigel whined uncertainly.
“Focus.”
Her mother’s voice was only a whisper, but Mari could feel it through
her whole body. “You can do this. The power is not yours to keep – your body is
merely its channel. Borrow serenity from
the image of the Earth Mother. Though
you may be surrounded by chaos or sickness or injuries, find the true you
within. Release that which belongs to the world –fears, worry, sadness, so that
the silver stream may wash unimpeded through you. It is a waterfall at night.
Rigel is the basin that must hold it.”
Mari stared at the beautiful image of
the Earth Mother that Leda pruned and cared for so lovingly. But, as always, the figure was only foliage
and art to Mari. She couldn’t feel the
divine presence her mother revered. She
could not find her true self – her center.
“Mama, I c-can’t. It’s s-so
c-cold. It- it hurts.” Mari stuttered
through chattering teeth.
“Only because the healing power is not
meant for you. Release the fears of your
body, Mari. Focus! Find your grounding and become a channel for
the moon’s energy. Tonight you must
succeed. If you do not, your Rigel will
surely die.”
Her mother’s words exploded through
Mari’s body. “No! He can’t die.
I won’t let him.” She gritted her
teeth against the cold and tried to focus past the pain – to release the
cacophony of emotions that swirled through her body unimpeded – and to be the
channel for the moonfall of water. Yet,
still the power was a whirlpool within her.
It terrified Mari and threatened to suck her down to drown in its
freezing depths.
This was when she usually failed. This was when she dropped her mother’s hand
and allowed sickness to claim her so that she vomited, dry heaving misery and
moonlight while Leda stroked her back, consoling her with calm, loving words
that reminded Mari there would be a next time – she would do better the next
time.
But there was no next time for Rigel,
and Mari refused to lose him. Think!
Focus!
“Mari, slow your breathing. Calm your heart. This is no longer practice. You either heal Rigel, or fail and he dies
from shock and blood loss. This is your reality.”
“That’s it, Mama! I need to make this my reality!” Mari squeezed her eyes closed. Could
that be the answer? Could it really be
that simple? Mari imagined that she
was in their burrow, alone, sitting at her desk preparing to create a
sketch. Her gulping breath slowed. Her hammering heart quieted. Mari found her grounding as she envisioned a
blank sheet of paper. On that paper her
imagination began to quickly, easily, sketch an image of herself, sitting crossed-legged
with Rigel spread across her lap. From
above her silver light cascaded into her lifted palm, washing through her body
in a glistening wave to spout from her other palm, which was pressed against
the pup’s bloody chest. Eyes still
tightly shut Mari worked on the scene, creating a picture of Rigel’s body that
was washed clean of blood by the liquid light, leaving behind wounds that were
neatly closed and already healing.
Suddenly the cold tide within Mari was
controllable. Instead of drowning her,
it used her as a conduit, passing through her harmlessly as she let go of the
energy. I’m doing it! I’m doing it! And just that quickly her concentration
shattered. The picture she’d been
creating disappeared along with the tide of power within her.
“No!
No! Get it back! I was doing it – it was working,” Mari
gasped, gripping her mother’s hand like a lifeline.
“It’s too late. The sun is fully risen. Even with your help I cannot call the moon
back to me,” Leda knelt beside Mari, gently disentangling her daughter’s hand
from hers. “But it was enough. You did it, sweet girl. I knew you could. Praise the Earth Mother and the blessed
Moon! You have saved him.”
Feeling dizzy and disconnected, Mari
looked down at Rigel. The pup wagged his
tail animatedly and sat up, licking her face.
Even though she felt light-headed, she laughed weakly and put her arms
around him. He nested there, curled
against her body and, sending her waves of contentment, Rigel fell sound to
sleep in her arms. With a trembling hand, Mari brushed aside the blood-matted
fur on his chest. What had only moments
before been deep, seeping, whip-like lacerations were now pink lines of newly
joined flesh that had ceased bleeding.
“I knew it was true. You do have my powers and more.”
Early Praise for MOON CHOSEN
"While
many fantasy series style themselves as epic, this one may actually be worthy
of the description. Fantasy lovers who are fans of Cinda Williams Chima's
"Seven Realms" novels will fall in love with Mari and Nik." – School
Library Journal
“Cast’s spectacular new series kicks off with a
unique tale suitable for fans of fantasy both young and old. Earth has
completely changed, and the author grants readers a chance to use their
imagination as the engaging storyline rapidly unfolds.” – Romantic Times, 4 stars!
“Cast's
fans should find much to be pleased with in this new venture” – Kirkus
“…engaging characters and a
fast-paced narrative” – Publishers Weekly
No comments:
Post a Comment