Monday, August 30, 2010

Read with me!

Shrinking Forward
        
          Prologue
FAIRMONT ISLAND

High at the top of a blackened hill, a tall dark wizard stood with his arms raised upward. The wind swirled, pulling at his cloak and whipping his long grey hair about. Amid the sounds of vicious screeching and terrified cries, his lips moved at a rapid speed, mouthing incantation after incantation. Only those who his words could reach and control could hear his evil spells. It was war, as no one had ever seen before. The wizard called forth hundreds of dragons to darken the sky with their fiery breath and brimstone to aid him in his dark war. Down and down they swooped, scorching the land and its creatures. Armed with swords and small circular shields the Mystical Flyers fought bravely, keeping the evil wizard and his minions at bay for as long as they could.

Alas, it was not enough.

The land was littered with smouldering ruins as far as the eye could see. The bodies of the dead lay on the ground and the cries of the wounded filled the air as the wizard commanded his minions to sort them into cages.

“No!” screamed Queen Marina, as she cautiously flew, weaving her way through tangles of skirmish. “This cannot be happening!”

Dragons descended, one after the other in a seemingly endless line from the sky to pursue her, until they created a tight V-shaped formation around her. Though her exhausted wings were caked with mud, Marina pushed herself as fast as she could.

The huge creatures flanked her on every side, closing in and finally forced her to fly into a small cage. Shrieking, the dragon to her left whipped its tail around, and knocked Marina between the wings, causing her to fall to the ground.

Stumbling as she landed, Marina heard the heavy door slam shut. Quickly, she got to her feet and raced to the side of the cage. She wrapped her hands around the sleek bars composed of solid silver. Strange symbols were inscribed on them, stretching from the top of the cage to the bottom. A quick check and a pull on the tips of her wings satisfied Marina that she was intact.

Frantically, she looked about, growing more afraid by the minute. Placed in rows, alongside her cage, were dozens of larger cages containing thousands of other Mystical Flyers. She looked up, beyond the cages and saw nothing but a scorched, war-stricken land. The countryside, once beautiful and filled with vibrant people, was now scarred from the mighty battle and forever painted with the taint of war. The cries of her people and the smell of her burning home were permanently imprinted into Marina’s memory.

Though the tears that started to blur her vision threatened to flow, she fought them back, telling herself that she must not break. Marina searched wildly for a way in which she could possibly free her people. They were in desperate need. She tried many times to escape by casting a spell but nothing seemed to work. All around her, hundreds of Mystical Flyers flew through the air as fast as they could, trying to flee from the wizard’s minions. They cried out to their queen, in fear and desperation.

The Mystical Flyers resembled small humans being. In elegant medieval-style clothing with light brown, butterfly-like wings made of varying sizes. The height of each individual ranged from two to four feet high, roughly the size of young human children. Their noses and ears pointed at the tips, much like elves in fairy tale stories. Imprisoned in silver cages larger than the one Marina stood in, thousands of Mystical Flyers were crammed into them with barely enough room to move. More dragons materialized, descending from the sky and setting everything ablaze with their jets of fire. Soon the whole island was in flames and all hope seemed lost to its inhabitants.

Rowlen grabbed the bars of the cage he stood in and craned his neck to speak to his queen in the neighbouring cage. “Many Mystical Flyers have died from these devastating tree fires, my Queen. They are chewing up thousands of acres and destroying hundreds of homes, our people are dying,” he reported dimly.

“Queen Marina! Queen Marina!” called Marafae, from another nearby cage. “We’ve got groves of trees coming down in flames. I’ve never seen anything like it!” She looked around her cage wildly. “It’s like a hurricane of destruction! What are we going to do?” she cried.

“It’s hot.” whispered Annabelle, somewhere behind Rowlen.

“I can’t breathe…” Emmelia gasped, in another cage. Annabelle and Emmelia both started to cough.

“Everyone,” Queen Marina yelled. “we must be strong! We must stand together as one!”

Queen Marina felt helpless in the enchanted cage. Normally, nothing impeded the movement of any of the Mystical Flyers. Each of them was accustomed to flying through the air and floating through solid objects. The evil wizard, Edgar, had put a trapping spell on the cages so strong that, even acting as one, they still could not escape.

All colour disappeared from the landscape, turning it grey and bleak. Only shouting and the crackling of the fire floated through the air. The smoke blocked the sun and for a moment, the day became night. Queen Marina bent her wings around her body and used them as a mask to help her breathe. All Marina wanted to do was break loose from this battlefield, with the rest of her Mystical Flyers unharmed.

“Can this really be happening?” thought Marina. Her beautifully coloured sandals and delicate dress were now black with soot and torn in several places. None of the other Mystical Flyers could help her, nor could she help any of them. Despair crept over Marina her face, once fair, was now pale and haggard as her wild, dark eyes filled with a hopeless terror. She paced the cage back and forth, her gaze fixed not on the other Mystical Flyers but on the creatures ripping apart the heart and soul of Fairmont Island. She then burst into a loud, frustrated cry and banged her fists on the bars.

“Who has done this to us?” she cried. “Who shall pay dearly for this uprising?”

As if in answer to her question, the clouds parted and a massive dragon descended from the sky, bearing the dark wizard on its back. It landed on the top of her cage, curled its terrible, enormous claws around the edges of the roof and took off again taking the small cage with it. Queen Marina was off to an unknown destination and an unknown future.

If you enjoyed the prologue you’ll love the novel!

By Nathalie M. Leblanc











Sunday, August 15, 2010

Review of Strategies for Happiness How to Achieve Happiness Potential

Reading this book has inspired me. In many ways it has lifted my self confidence, in which helped me focus on the many positive things in my life. To go forward in life you must first learn to forgive the person or people that have hurt you during your path of life.

Otherwise walking through life will be heavy and many shadows are cast from you. Leaving you in the darkness of depression, which is lonely and allowing the person or people in the past win in victory, they did not just hurt you the day of the incident... they hurt you each and every day you carry the burden on upon your shoulders. Read Strategies for Happiness by Donna L. Hedley, Bre and learn how to achieve the happiness you deserve! I will always keep her book as a reminder and a symbol that I deserve to be happy and to never allow others to bring me down!

http://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Happiness-Achieve-Your-Potential/dp/0981150403/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281879878&sr=1-1



Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Press release

PO Box 67106, 421 Richmond Road, Ottawa ON K2A 4E4 Phone: 613-799-1017 Email: info@SassySunflowerBooks.com

BRILLANT NEW FANTASY NOVEL FOR TEENS RIFE WITH UNIQUE CHARACTERS, INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS, AND ENCHANTING IDEAS Shrinking Forward: The Magic Coat Series by Nathalie M. Leblanc For Immediate Release Company: Sassy Sunflower Books

Contact: Donna Hedley Phone: 613-799-1017

Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA – 15 August, 2010

Step into the spectacular world of Fairmont Island and experience a story of friendship and adventure. Shrinking Forward is a fantasy novel featuring two young girls who, in the exploration of a “haunted house”, are drawn into another world to embark on an adventure to save the Mystical Flyers from the captivity and enslavement to the evil wizard, Edgar.

Edgar has destroyed Fairmont Island, which was once ruled by the faerie Queen Marina. The elderly Edgar is obsessed with finding The Book of Faeyess, which explains how the Magical Flyers can live so long and he must find it soon because of his advancing age. Against the highest odds fighting an evil wizard and snorgals creatures. In a magical place, where a single deed turns Samantha into a hero, and finds her true self, finding out amazing information that changes her life forever. With her heart set on finding her true self, she is about to discover something more amazing than she could have ever read or dreamed up. “The book has a powerful message for young people” says Sigrid Macdonald, a book coach, manuscript evaluator, and author. “Smaller creatures have moved mountains. Size is no limitation! One’s own will decides what one is capable of doing! If you’re looking for suspense, action, a classic battle between good and evil, and a dab of romance, this delightful book will not disappoint.”

Nathalie M. Leblanc was born in Sarnia, Ontario. After graduating from Heritage College in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology, Nathalie decided to pursue her dream to write fantasy novels for readers aged nine to ninety-nine. Shrinking Forward is the first book in a trilogy entitled ‘The Magic Coat’.

As a parent of four adorably energetic children, she sees the value of teaching morals, self-confidence, and co-operation through the written word. Nathalie said “I started writing when I was pregnant with my first child and now she is nearly nine years old. She has read my first novel Shrinking Forward. She was so excited to find out what happened next she bugged me for a week to read book two called Fading Away. After a week of bugging me she won! I love her excitement on her face every morning waking up and wanting to know what happens in the next chapter! After all, one of my main reasons for writing my novels was for my children.”

The book is beautifully illustrated by Lorinda Loucks, a traditional and digital artist specializing in illustration and concept art. Lorinda received a BFA in Studio Art from James Madison University and is actively pursuing work in the fields of illustration and concept design. Open to all varieties of art, she has participated in a variety of projects including: game design, book work, film projects and more. For more information about Lorinda, check out her website at www.lorindaloucks.com .

Book Details Title: The Biography Workbook Author:
Nathalie M. Leblanc
Illustrator: Lorinda Loucks Publisher:
Sassy Sunflower Books
ISBN: 978-0-9811504-5-1
Page Count: 240 Juvenile Fiction: $12.95 CDN -- $12.35 US
Website: http://www.nathaliemleblanc.com/

This book can also be bought at http://www.amazon.com/ or
http://www.amazon.ca/ or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

About Sassy Sunflower Books: Sassy Sunflower Books vision and mission is to help anyone with the writing, publishing and promotion of their books. At Sassy, we provide a wide variety of services from book publishing, desk top publishing, web design and IT training.

Sassy Sunflowers is a company is that is positive, upbeat and partner focused in its approach to servicing the general public, large corporations, small businesses, students or anyone who wants to share their story.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Bookmark for Shrinking Forward

Cover art done by Lorinda Loucks http://www.lorindaloucks.com/index.html

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

My challenge!

 When I first started writing 9 year ago... It started with a short story a memory of a story I wrote in grade school. At the time my boyfriend Mike now my fiancĂ©e. (We’re getting married next May 23rd) We have been together 12 years now and would have gotten married earlier but we were busy with having our four adorable energetic kids.

Mike wanted to write a novel! So I did the research for him.

Before I had children I never stayed in the house at all always enjoyed to be out in nature. I went hiking, biking, rollerblading. My best friend Cassie and I would go down to the river a watch the swans. I actually got to sit with them they were so used to me.

When I became too round in the belly to bike. I sat in the chair and watched Mike working on his computer. That's when I decided that I needed a new hobby because I would now be in doors a lot more!

So that's when Mike made me a challenge! He challenged me to make my short story into a novel! I took the challenged! Of course because I not the type of person to back down from that kind of challenge! :)

First, I started with reading every book in my category, I could get my hands on. Examples: The never ending story, An acceptable time... I have a chest full upstairs. Also I read anything I could find out the net. Then I stop reading or looking at anyones writing style for a couple of years to create my own style of writing.

I wrote what I thought a novel should be and tried to get published. I was rejected many times at first! LOL. But instead of getting upset I got even! I just kept bring it up another level! (You see many writers start with getting published in magazines and short stories) I want to stay focused on my novel. So with many rejects and many attempts to perfect my writing skills... I turned to facebook and started net working with many other authors, illustrators. I watched all my new author friends! And studied under them. :)

(I had tried 2 other illustrators before I could find one I could work with and see my visions) Lorinda Loucks has done my book cover and many illustrations within the novel itself.

Finally, I found Donna with Sassy Sunflower books. She loved my novel! :0 and she taught me many things!!! She had a long list of things for me to do as the style, formatting and of course she wanted me to write more! LOL

WOW, there is a lot of formatting, and editing with writing a novel! It is about 70,500 words long. The last 10 day before submission I only slept 4-5 hours a night! LOL. Lots of work, therefore lots of ice mocha coffees! Owen being only 2 likes to get up early.

But sometimes in life you have to push yourself to reach another level!

When you read my novel you will see I have a BIG imagination. It’s a whole world and story that I invented.

As for writing with 4 kids, well honestly this is the way I relax. I write when they are busy and I also write when they are sleeping. I like to live within the pages of my novel and escape from reality.

This whole process took me about 9000 hours! 1000 hours per year for the last 9 years. (Mike counted!) Hehe... "I thought I would go with the never give up approach!" Besides I couldn’t let Mike win I was on a dare! LOL

I started writing when I was pregnant with my first child Meagan and now she is nearly nine years old. She has read my first novel Shrinking Forward. She was so excited to find out what happened next she bugged me for a week to read book 2 called Fading Away. After a week of bugging me she won!

She started reading one chapter every morning to me. I quickly found out that was a wonderful way to edit! And excellent bonding time with her. I love her excitement on her face every morning waking up and wanting to know what happens in the next chapter! After all one of my main reasons for writing my novels was for my children.