She wants to be ordinary... #YA #Paranormal

Family Magic

by Patti Larsen

Patti has a serious passion for YA paranormal and thrillers. Now with multiple books in happy publication, she lives on the East Coast of Canada with her patient husband and four massive cats.

I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. My heavy velvet cloak fell in oppressive, suffocating folds in the closed space of the ceremony chamber, the cowl trapping the annoying bits of puff I missed. I hated the way my eyes burned and teared, an almost constant distraction. Not that I didn’t welcome the distraction, to be honest. Anything to take my mind from what went on around me.

Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds.

Do you believe in magic? #YoungAdult #Scifi #Fantasy

Promising Light

by Emily Ann Ward

“Do you believe in magic, m’lady?” the woman asked.

The first page of the book was in a language Grace had never seen before. “I don’t know,” she told the merchant. “I’ve never seen it.”

“Ah, but just because you haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

“True. What kind of magic are you talking about?”

The woman waved her hand. “All kinds. Different families are gifted with different magic.” When Grace raised her eyebrows, the woman said, “There are those who can heal the body or break it. There are shape changers from Shyra. There—”

“Shyra?” Grace repeated.

“Yes. They say the shape changers have the power to look like anybody, dead or alive. Some can change into animals. Some can even change into things that aren’t alive. Trees, rocks, water.” She smiled. Her teeth were dirty and cracked. “Perhaps you knew someone from Shyra? Or perhaps you don’t know that you know someone from Shyra because they pretend to be someone else.”

Grace swore she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Shape changers? It couldn’t be real. They were legends, tales from storybooks. They couldn’t have anything to do with the man who warned her about Dar or with Dar’s sudden departure. “Perhaps. Why should I believe the magic is real?”

“You don’t have to.” The woman sat down again. “But my books will convince you.”

From "The Emperor's Opal" by Christopher Morgan

As we watched intently, the craftsman working on the front panel walked over to a shelf against the back wall and picked up a velvet pouch. He brought it back to the table, undid the drawstring and emptied the contents onto a piece of hide he had on the table beside his work area.

Out rolled Orphanus. There could be no doubt this was the opal of legend. It was oblong in shape, about an inch and a half tall and two inches wide. It was about half an inch thick at its thickest point. The craftsman picked it up and turned it around, admiring its splendor. It was a white opal, just like the one I had given Tammy, but that was like saying a Buick and a Bentley are both cars. This opal was wondrous. As the craftsman slowly turned it in the light, the stone blazed with dazzling shades of red and silver, reflecting beams of color in a multitude of directions. The stone seemed to glow with an inner light independent of the sun. It was as if it was a living entity, not just a rock mined from the ground.

From "Legend Unborn" by David.G Welsh

As they were just about to pass one another, the human suddenly stopped, turned to Flyfar and in a deep, powerful voice said, “Fly you fool! Fly!”

Flyfar jumped with fright and squawked which to him was, “Arghh!”

Flapping his wings as fast as he could, Flyfar raced down the path, flying over boulders, around trees and in-between the legs of a very surprised cow that gave him an indignant “Moo”. He flew faster, the ground rushing by in a blur as his eyes watered in the wind, not used to being under such conditions.

As he flew, Flyfar started feeling something swell up within him that was a completely new experience. He suddenly realized that he was actually enjoying this, he was starting to feel the thrill of careering through the air, his body built for this very thing as his muscles tensed and relaxed, making him into a bullet-shaped pile of feathers.

He leapt into the air and flew down the path. The old human watched him go and muttered to himself, “Bloody idiot. Wouldn’t have had that problem back in my day. Now, where did I put that damned ring?”

From "The Sealed Door - Book four in The Seven Spell Saga" by Tessa Stokes

Tristan had been down to the big room at the end of the house which was to become the big drawing room in my time, he had checked the panelled cupboards there to see if any of his weapons were remaining from the winter time when we were here. There was a bow, a short sword, a larger broad sword, and a dagger. He got the lot and tooled up like some weird character in a computer game or movie. Oliver raised his eyebrows, “Expecting trouble are you Tristan? How about you hand me something that lot has to be heavy.”

I waited for the reply too and Tristan grinned, then he handed Oliver the bow, there were only a few arrows in the container that went with it. “There you go, Oliver, maybe you could bag us a rabbit, oh no on second thoughts we can’t cook it so, maybe just hang on to that just in case.”

Oliver took the bow and answered, “You realize I have only had two lessons with Corbett and this bow is so totally different from a modern compound bow, that I can’t promise I will hit a barn door for you.”

From "Treespeaker" by Katie W. Stewart

A stranger visits the forest...

Megda’s eye’s opened wide, but before she could speak the other woman rushed forward and hugged her tightly, her leather shoes scuffling dust from the path.

 “Ah, Megda, my dear, at last. When I heard of poor Kattan’s passing, I knew I just had to come to see you, but I was ill myself and had to wait. I hope you’ll forgive me. I could just imagine you thinking ‘Why has Hekja not come to see me?’ Well, here I am at last. You don’t look any different than the last time I saw you, so many years ago.” She stood back, holding Megda’s arms, a sad smile on her face. “Are you not pleased to see me?”

Megda’s eyes were still wide and she laughed a little. “Yes. Yes, of course, it’s lovely to see you… Hekja. I’m sorry. This is just such a surprise.”

Dovan guessed from the slight furrow on Megda’s brow, that the surprise came not from the unexpected visit, but from the use of her name by a total stranger.

Grifad, however, was already sidling down the path and seemed oblivious to Megda’s bafflement. “Well, now that you’re here, I’ll take my leave.”