Great Big Ocean Sky
by Kelly Byrd
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GENRE: Mid-grade Fantasy
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BLURB:
Book Two of the Far from Home Trilogy
Catch up with Mary Jingo as she trains with her friends in the Great Big Ocean Sky-side city of Festdelm. She may have survived the danger in Luminos, the City of Lights, but new challenges await as she, Teeny, Van Clare, Corb, Mikeala, and WindRunner continue their fight to save the Everything. When a new Shadowlander comes to LeeChee, will Mary be able to trust him—even if he is one of her closest friends?
Join Mary Jingo and her motley crew as they travel to the far ends of the world on their quest to save the Everything.
As more of LeeChee falls under Thrall, Mary must choose wisely. Whom will she trust? What bonds will endure? And... how did a Yorkshire Terrier end up as a part of this crazy experience?
The answers, dear reader, await inside as we set sail on the Great Big Ocean Sky.
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Excerpt:
Chapter 6
Van Clare showed Brandon where to put his hands in the holds and how to climb on. She secured his feet in the restraints and showed him how they released. The process took several minutes.
The Thunderbird’s back was broad and cold. Misty whined through the fabric of the jacket, and Brandon whispered to her that he was afraid, too. Van Clare climbed on in front of him. She must have signaled to the Thunderbird, because before he could take a breath, they rocketed into the sky.
Brandon tried to scream, and then yelp, but the wind ripped from his throat so quickly, he had no choice but to hold on. This was incredible. Better than any rollercoaster he’d ever ridden on, and ten times as terrifying. He clung to the handholds as Misty barked against his chest.
Your wolf-friend would like you to know that she prefers the ground, LightningChaser’s voice rang through Brandon’s mind. But that one day she could see herself enjoying this.
“Wolf friend?” Brandon said, the words pulled from his mouth by the wind. He remembered that Van Clare told him to focus his thoughts and LightningChaser would be able to hear him. Um, excuse me, LightningChaser are you Mindspanning my dog? Misty?
The Thunderbird’s laughter boomed in his mind.
You have called her Misty? How quaint. If I told you her real name, you would cower with fear.
Okay, Brandon responded, feeling the little dog shift against his chest.
How far until Festdelm? Brandon said, directing his thoughts to Van Clare.
Oh, hours, Van Clare’s voice said through the connection. He stared at her shoulders, her blonde hair whipping around under the strap of her goggles. Would you like to play a game that keeps me occupied until we get there? Usually I play by myself. LightningChaser is never very talkative.
Um, maybe? Brandon paused. Do you do this a lot? Fly between the cities?
Yes, she said, and paused. But please don’t tell anyone. My dad wouldn’t like it if he knew I worked with Bonnie Judde. And, Cody would kill me. But they don’t understand what’s at stake. They never have.
Brandon waited. Bonnie Judde was a little strange, and there had been someone else, Brandon thought? But he couldn’t quite remember. Whenever he thought about Bonnie Judde, he seemed okay. The guy wasn’t very friendly, but he was just trying to help people.
The real question he asked himself was if he really wanted to know what was going on with this girl. Brandon knew from experience that the more questions you ask a person, the more they would learn about you. And, not everyone was Sam or Michael Hernandez—not everyone could be trusted. But, in spite of himself, Brandon couldn’t help being intrigued by Van Clare. She also might know more about this mysteriously powerful box.
So, he asked, Bonnie Judde seemed nice. Aren’t you all friends? I keep hearing about this Cody person. He doesn’t seem very cool.
It’s complicated. Cody is a great commander and a good mentor. But he doesn’t understand what it’s like. I can’t really explain it to him or my dads. She paused for a moment. I’m rambling. I’ll stop.
No, you’re not rambling. I mean, I get it. I try to tell my mom at least as much as I can. But she flips out sometimes if I mess up an assignment or fail a test. My dad is even worse. He wants everything to be perfect. I hate letting him down.
Why would he tell Van Clare that? Was it because he couldn’t see her face? He had never even told Sam that.
On second thought, Brandon thought to himself, he really didn’t tell his parents anything. He constantly tried to hide his grades, even though they were very good, his homework—the whole shenanigan with Ms. Bee. They put so much pressure on him when they were involved in his business.
When was the last time he’d actually sat down and talked to his dad about anything? His dad was always so busy with work, with coding and website launches and app releases, that he never seemed to have the time to connect. Maybe he didn’t really talk to him at all.
Tell me about it, Van Clare replied, breaking through his private thoughts. My dads are super-powerful. One of them was the most powerful Forecaster of this Cycle until Judde came along. My other dad is this amazing healer and inventor. And I am…
She trailed off, leaving Brandon alone with the whipping of the wind.
You’re what?
I am just normal, she said finally. I’m a fair flyer. And Cody says I’m a good leader, hence the Thunderbird Captain position. But I can’t channel and I can’t control. I’m just constantly letting everyone down. Judde has been trying to teach me how to Mindspan without goggles. He was the first person to really try to help me. My dads were just like, ‘You can’t do it,’ and left it at that.
Brandon gripped the handholds for a minute and thought. He didn’t know what to say. He knew the feeling. Like there was a purpose for him that he couldn’t quite fill, couldn’t quite make good on. It paralyzed him some days. Made school difficult. Finally, after too long of a pause, he thought, Sounds lonely.
He saw Van Clare’s shoulders shrug in front of him.
It’s okay. The box is going to help me learn how to tap into the Everything. And then I won’t be their disappointing, regular daughter anymore. And we’ll restore the Everything’s power to LeeChee and it will all be fine. And my dad and Lady Kathryn can go home.
Brandon didn’t know who either of those People were, and he’d heard so many names over the last two days, he didn’t have the wherewithal to ask. Van Clare continued quickly:
Okay, so the game. Pick a cloud as we fly past and try to decide if it looks like an animal or a plant or something. And we can discuss.
And so, Brandon looked out over the bright blue sky and tried to find the most interesting one to describe.
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Why I Chose to Self-Publish As An Author
I often get asked if I published my novels through a traditional book deal or on my own. I proudly answer that I have done this myself, with the help of a dedicated team of people. My husband and I set up our micro-publishing house, Longbird, in 2021. I had been working on the Far From Home Series for over ten years and wanted to finally release my work into the world.
I queried agents here and there over the ten years I worked on building the world of LeeChee. I never found the right fit for the book. Getting off of someone’s slush pile is almost impossible, and most of the emails I sent went completely unanswered.
Self-publishing gives the author more creative control and freedom over their work, and that was a good fit for me. I have a personality that likes to control things (don’t worry, I’m in therapy for this). Beyond that, the resources for the project seemed to continuously fall in my lap: My husband is an accomplished graphic designer and could do the cover and layout. I had a writing coach who had helped people self-publish and knew the ropes, and I was in the professional writing world, so I had access to editors and beta readers who could help me test the book for accuracy, fluency, and effectiveness. I also have extensive copywriting and marketing experience, so I was familiar enough with SEO to be able to handle the social media and blog posting myself with only a little help.
This journey has not been easy or smooth by any means. Putting both of these books into the world has stressed me financially, mentally, and emotionally. But, in light of all of that, each of them has been worth it. When people ask me whether traditional or self publishing is better, I always tell them that it is up to their personal resources and standing. Self-publishing is a huge investment on the front end and is an incredible time spend. But, once you get going, it’s easier to keep the ball rolling if you have the stamina to chase it.
Traditional publishing houses take some of the stress off of the author, as they do the marketing and outreach for you.* This route is also viewed as more legitimate and prestigious by the writing community and also the general public. You have a higher chance for sales but in some ways, fewer opportunities to make money. You also are working for the publisher, making it harder to keep control over your work and the rights to it. But, in light of that, a good publisher can turn your work into an overnight success with their formidable resources.
The choice to self-publish or pursue a traditional book deal is wholly up to the artist, their resources, and their goals. So far, self-publishing my work has been a great decision for me. Now, on to the fun part: City of Lights and Great Big Ocean Sky.
*Note from my writing coach who also works with traditionally published authors: Authors do the majority of the marketing leg work regardless of how they publish. You will still be chasing marketing opportunities, scratching your head for new ways to get on lists, and investing your own resources regardless. Major publishers have smaller marketing departments and often throw their resources behind a few select authors. Don’t assume they will do the work for you.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Stories have crept around the halls of Kelly Byrd’s mind since she was a little girl. Not even the combined will of her two loyal pups, her devoted husband, and all her house plants could keep her from putting this story into the world. You’ll find this happy crew in Nashville. Tennessee.
Website: https://www.kellybyrd.com/
Blog: https://www.kellybyrd.com/blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farfromhomeseries/
Buy Great Big Ocean Sky
This book will be on sale for only $0.99.
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/great-big-ocean-sky-kelly-byrd/20069251?ean=9781736617458
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-big-ocean-sky-kelly-byrd/1143479263?ean=9781736617458
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/great-big-ocean-sky-kelly-byrd/20069251?ean=9781736617458
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:
Kelly Byrd will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4745
Follow the tour:
https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2023/10/vbt-great-big-ocean-sky-by-kelly-byrd.html
2 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting today and featuring this author.
Thank you so much for hosting!
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