Monday, May 25, 2020

Release Week Blitz and Giveaway: Star Spark by Day Leitao

Title: Star Spark
Author: Day Leitao
Publisher: Sparkly Wave
Publication Date: May 26th 2020
Print Length: 438 pages
Genre: Space Opera
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Everyone Saytera knows can conjure fire, but all she can do is create darkness.

In search for answers about her destiny and who she is, she leaves her island for the first time—and almost gets killed. On the run and with no way to return home, she finds refuge in a military academy. Problem is, she can't even fire a gun--they just don't work with her. No kidding, right? She's got an issue with fire. And nobody can know where she's from and what she can do. How can she find her place and her worth in this reality where none of her talents matter?

Dess lost everything when his entire family was killed many years ago. Hiding his identity and seen as a worthless orphan, he beat the odds and became the best cadet in his program. But that wasn't enough. Forced on a dangerous job, he'll go down to the planet and risk his life in the hopes of bringing peace to his moon.

But he can feel the starfire running through him. He knows there's more, there's magic, and there are Terens, legendary beings who can manipulate fire. And destiny might just make him meet one. Problem is, she's his enemy.

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EXCERPT:
Lying on her back, Saytera closed her eyes. There was no cabin, no task, no matterweaving, no upcoming celebration. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the darkness of her closed eyelids, her breath in and out, the soothing comfort of the soft earth on her back. Stars in the Universe, stars within; one body, one soul.

And then she was walking under the stars, heading to the Blue Beach, where there was a fire. Yansin, Kerely, and some other people were performing a passing ritual, celebrating a loved one’s release from the physical body. Kilmara was there. Yansin’s eyes were swollen from crying. Crying? What would make Saytera’s powerful, wise master so sad?

“Death was part of life and shouldn’t be mourned,” she always said. Her eyes and her expression told a different story, though. Kerely held Yansin’s arm and patted her back as if consoling her. This was so strange. Saytera got close to the scene when they were about to burn a cloth with the person’s name on it. Whoever had passed had lost their body, perhaps in the belly of a sea serpent or in the bottom of the sea. The cloth was a replacement.

There was an S in the beginning of the name. Saytera ran the names of masters and apprentices in her mind. A few started with S, but none of them important or close enough to Yansin. Her insides were starting to cool with a dreadful feeling. Then the cloth turned, allowing her to get a better look. Her breath got caught in her throat. The name was Saytera.

She gasped and sat up. What had that been? A vision? Everything was dark and she didn’t know where she was. Hang on. She remembered. And she had screwed up. All the lamps had been put out.

***

The heavy old-fashioned iron gate and fences did little to keep Dess out of the Staralloy mansion’s grounds. He knew that place better than anyone, having run through these trees for so many years, chasing dreams that had been as real to him as the artificial atmosphere he breathed. He also knew its security system, having once imagined that there were monsters chasing him. Good times. Now the monsters rarely left him—they were in his mind.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Day Leitao is originally from Brazil and currently lives in Montreal, Canada. She loves the ocean and going to the beach, and hopes she can visit one again soon. A lot of her summer childhood spent by the sea and sometimes even on islands provided inspiration for some of the settings in Star Spark.

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GIVEAWAY:
Win a $20 Amazon gift card!

45 comments:

  1. I like the girls dress on the cover. How long did it take you to write your book?

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    1. Hey, Bernie, I love that dress, too. It's something I worked with the illustrator and I think her job was fantastic. This book was a pickle. I started it I think more than 10 years ago, put it aside, then came back to finish it. I thought it would take me a couple months, but it took much more than that. There were personal issues delaying my writing, too. But in the end it came out.

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  2. I think the excerpt was great.

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  3. Thanks for having my book on your blog!

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  4. Your book cover is interesting. I like the unique lettering.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  5. Sounds great, I like the cover.

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  6. Sounds like a good book, thanks for sharing!

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  7. Great cover! Space operas are fascinating. Thank you for hosting.

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  8. Sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing!

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  9. The theme and characters are eye catching. Very nice.

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  10. I'm usually not into fantasy..but this sounds awesome!!

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  11. I like the cover art for this book. The longer hair on both characters is nice.

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  12. Love the art style and the font used on the cover.

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  13. I love the cover! The graphics and colors are amazing.

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  14. Awesome cover art! I especially like the way the title stands out. Thank you for the opportunity to win

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  15. It seems like they have a complex relationship.

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  16. I like the cover. It has a very nice artwork.

    afantom at yahoo dot com

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  17. I enjoyed the excerpt, and look forward to the book.

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  18. Nice cover. I liked the excerpt. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

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  19. Thank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.

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  20. Thank you for sharing the excerpt. It sounds interesting.

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  21. This sounds like a great read.

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  22. I am looking forward to seeing my grandchildren!

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  23. Sounds like a good book with a neat cover.

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  24. I think that your book cover is colorful and unique in style.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  25. The Portals to Whyland Book Series is a favorite of mine. Day Leitao is such a good writer.

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  26. I am looking forward to reading this.

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  27. My grandson would enjoy this book

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  28. The Portals to Whyland Book Series is probably one of my favorites.

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  29. This looks like an awesome read.

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