The Runes of Ire
The Runes of Ire is the story of a present day boy who has trouble fitting in. His world is only sketchily understood by him, and in particular, it seems that he just don’t fit into this universe. He is always late, he gets G’s and H’s in class, he is monstered by bully Thatch Huddersby and his gang, and his teacher seems to like nothing more than to point out his defects in front of the class. And on top of that, his father has gone missing.
The reality is that he really doesn’t fit into this world. There is a good reason for that. Unknown to him, his family came here from a place properly far away - a world in the 4½ dimension. It is when Garney ‘comes into his twelfth’ that his life changes.
This book contains all the elements that children (and we big children) love – magic, dragons, wild and amazing creatures and villains. But none of these things have been dealt with in the usual manner. There is no waving of magic wands and fighting dragons with swords etc, but you will not be disappointed in the originality used to include these tried and true elements.
It is also a coming of age story and explores the depths this boy will go to, to protect his physically handicapped cousin who joins him on this adventure. Garney Barnicoat is strong, loyal and admirable. He carries the weight of a civilization on his young shoulders and takes it all in his stride. The Runes of Ire is the first book in a series titled The Mathemagicians of Yore. It will appeal to readers from 9 years.
The Runes of Ire is available on the Morris Publishing Australia website, $17.95RRP, ISBN 9780987244420
The Druid
The Druid is set in the far distant past and begins with the story of the hardship the main character, Titian, endures. She is a misfit in her world. A simple, poor, sheep herder, she is mistreated by many. She lives in fear of the monsters who roam her world snatching children as slaves – or to eat, she fears.The girl has a secret that she is hiding from her tribe – a secret that will mean being outcast - or worse - if she is discovered. But she just can’t stop what she is doing. Only her best friend Myriam knows her secret.
Then they come – the dreaded Swarthymen. She runs for her life but is captured by someone from another tribe. Friend of foe – she has no way of knowing.
The Druid books contain magic but not the usual wand-waving kind. It is a magic that comes from within and is possessed by few. Titian's adventure leads her through war, capture and escape, to the discovery of the Land of the Rainbow’d Sun - a land of dragons and strange and scary creatures, but a land where she hopes she and her new tribe, the druids can live in peace.
Titian is a strong, loyal and exciting character. Even though this book is set in the far distant past, it is a coming of age story that deals with many of the issues our present day children face – overcoming adversity, the bravery to be who you are, being a loyal friend, and the courage it takes to fight for what is right. It's the first book in a series titled The Land of the Rainbow’d Sun and will appeal to readers from 9 years.
The Druid is available on the Morris Publishing Australia website, $15.95RRP, ISBN 9780987244437
The Druid was shortlisted for a Varuna Award – one of Australia’s most prestigious awards for emerging writers.
Stephen regularly slips out of his writing space and falls into a world where there are teachers and students of science and mathematics. There, he does his best to make students believe that to a sufficiently advanced mind, physics, mathematics and magic are nearly indistinguishable.
The author has had a short story published; a true story of a man lost at sea who had to swim many kilometres home. He likes to write about the quirky side of life—funny, scary, odd and is currently working on a book that will cause great controversy – his theory of evolution – a theory not supported by the many other books on the subject.
These books are only the beginning for Stephen Anastasi. That he will become well known author is a given.
Follow Stephen on tour!
April 22nd: http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog
April 23rd: http://carolwarner.wordpress.com - Interview
April 24th: http://elaineoustonauthor.com - Interview
April 25th: http://misshelenwrites.wordpress.com Helen Ross - Interview
April 26th: http://bluedingo.ning.com - guest post interview
April 27th: http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com Jill Smith Review
April 28th: http://www.kids-bookreview.com - Reviews
May 1st: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com Vicki Stanton - Review Anastasia Gonis
May 8th: http://bugreviews.wordpress.com reviews by Angela Hall
The Runes of Ire and The Druid are available from your local bookshop. They may not be in stock, but the store can order it through distributor Dennis Jones and Associates. It is also available in many on-line stores as a paperback and as an eBook, and from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com.
You can win a signed copy of either book in a competition the publisher Morris Publishing Australia is running as a part of this promotional tour. One of each book is up for grabs. To go in the draw, simply go to the website by the link above and on the contact page form write: Stephen’s competition, your name, email address, and your book preference.
