Welcome to my stop on the excerpt tour for City of Lights by Kelly Byrd. This tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an exclusive excerpt from the book. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more exclusive excerpts. Enjoy!
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Series: Far From Home #1
Author: Kelly Byrd
Publisher: LongBird Publishing
Publication Date: May 14th 2021
Print Length: 292 pages
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
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What happens when oh so ordinary Mary Jingo, follows her instincts (and her nose) and ends up in a magical land Far From Home?
In City of Lights, author Kelly Byrd introduces readers to Mary, who is one week away from finishing fifth grade. Mary’s mind is on starting middle school in the fall and finally getting her own phone. But then this ordinary girl notices glimmers of light and meets a strange little man who conjures the best smell she has ever smelled. Before she even stops to consider what she’s doing, she agrees to accompany the man to the land of LeeChee, where our Mary Jingo from the Shadowlands in seen as warrior and a great hope.
Now this very ordinary girl must find a way to help save LeeChee from Thrall and restore the Everything—a magical life- and joy-giving force that somehow connects Mary’s world to LeeChee. How can she face the Void, the foul-smelling Shoeboxians, or the evil Mellie? And how can she do all of the Far From Home?
Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *
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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:
“Excuse me, Mr. Bonnie Judde, sir,” she said quietly, surprised at how far away her own voice sounded. The oracle’s head snapped towards her with a fire in his eyes that told her that he did not like to be interrupted.
“Yes?” he said sharply, his slicked back hair falling slightly out of place.
“When we were in the air, above the camp. I, could, well, I could see things,” Mary said, trying to put words to the experience.
“Yes, all five of us could see things,” Bonnie Judde replied.
“No, yes, no—I know,” Mary continued. Teeny sat to her left and was looking at Mary with a face of encouragement. It gave Mary courage. “I could actually see Mellie. Like I was sitting right beside her. I heard her talking. It was very confusing and weird.”
The group around the table fell silent. The Father tented his fingers and stared at Mary over the top of them.
“It is possible,” the old man said, looking at Mary with sparkling eyes, “that the Everything allowed you to see, Mary Jingo. Can you explain the experience more?”
“Yes,” Lady Kathryn said. “I would like to hear more.”
“Well, Van Clare told me to focus and breathe and to try to smell the Shoeboxians. I did that and it worked,” Mary said, looking over at her friend who gave her a small half smile. “But then, the more I smelled the Shoeboxians and Mellie, the more I felt like I was with them. And then I started to see images, hear their conversations. It was very weird. I can’t—I can’t really describe it.”
“She could show us,” Mikeala said, her black, curly hair in a myriad of small braids.
“I can?” Mary said.
“That is a very rare skill,” Bonnie Judde said, shaking his head. “One that no oracle or forecaster has possessed in two hundred years.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelly Byrd is a middle-grade author by choice, a writer by discipline, home-grown chef, and amateur gardener. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two cute-as-buttons rescue pups. The Far From Home series is about growing up, finding your voice, and rescuing the Everything.
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GIVEAWAY:
Kelly Byrd will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHow long was the writing process?
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah! Thank you so much for asking! It took me about ten years to finish this book and the outlines for the rest of the series. It's a race, but I hope to have the second book out next year.
DeleteThank you for hosting. Sounds like a book my Granddaughter would love.
ReplyDeleteHi Peg! I hope so! I wrote this book with middle-grade girls in mind.
DeleteThank you so much for hosting! This was such a fun scene to write.
ReplyDeletecute cover, sounds like an interesting book
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover and the excerpt sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very good book.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tour, good to learn about it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
ReplyDeleteabfantom at yahoo dot com
thank you for a chance to win!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter would adore this book. Good work.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book the younger ones in the family will enjoy.
ReplyDeletenice book cover and the book sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI gotta show this to my middle schooler.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever get writer's block?
ReplyDeleteIf so how do you get through it?
DO you wish sometimes use a character in your book that you know in real life ?
ReplyDeleteWhere is your favorite place to write?
ReplyDeleteHow long does it usually take you to publish a book?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteDo you usually stick with one genre when writing?
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds like a great adventure! I know my granddaughter would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteDo you listen to music when you write?
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get inspiration from to write your books?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun book!
ReplyDeleteWhat author do you most admire?
ReplyDeleteWhen did you start writing?
ReplyDeletesounds like a fun one
ReplyDeleteDo you set an alarm so you don't write for too long at a stretch?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun book and I would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteThe land of LeeChee sounds fun !
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt is interesting. Thank's for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI love the cute cover. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDelete