SPOTLIGHT Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond by Adrian Lynch

Hi friends! Welcome to my spotlight on the tour organized by TheWriteReads for Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond by Adrian Lynch. Check out my post to learn more about the book and the author. 

About the Book

Title: Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond
Author: Adrian Lynch
Age Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 280 Pages
Published: February 13, 2025
Buy the Book: Amazon
Add on Goodreads and TheStoryGraph

For centuries, trillions of life forms throughout space have allowed humanity to believe we’re alone in the Universe. Any alien who dared to befriend us has met an unfortunate end: eaten, squashed, sent to a zoo, or even planted in a garden pot. But our advances in space exploration now threaten every civilisation across the Cosmos.

Amelia, a savvy, street-smart orphan, is one of four exceptional children selected from around the globe to represent humanity in the Human Inclusion Programme at the intergalactic Star Quest Academy. Here, they’ll unravel the Universe’s wonders, explore strange new worlds, and encounter magical creatures. Earth’s safety from invasion hinges on their success as cadets, but if any of them fail, Earth will be invaded by ruthless warlords.

When a series of sinister incidents jeopardise their mission, it becomes clear that someone – or something – wants them to fail. To save their world, the cadets must overcome their differences and combine their unique skills.

About the Author

Adrian was born a long time ago in Harrow Weald, North London. He is dyslexic, which wasn’t allowed in those unenlightened times. As a kid, when he wasn’t learning to be ‘normal’, (he failed), he would hang out in the nearby bluebell-carpeted woods. To him, they harboured space aliens, mysterious creatures and the ghosts of Grims Dyke whose mournful songs rustled autumnal leaves. This inspired stories that Adrian would tell eager audiences for pocket money.

Following successful careers within the NHS and as a Company Director, Adrian obtained a BA degree in Creative Writing from the Open University and is now bringing those fantastical stories to life in his novels. The Star Quest Academy – Above and Beyond is the first to be published. Adrian hopes that it will be as exciting and fun to read as it was to write.

Adrian now lives in North Bedfordshire.

BLOG TOUR Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson

 

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour organized by TheWriteReads for Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson. Check out my post to learn more about the book and the author. Happy reading everyone!

About the Book

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes...

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents' legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo's help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure

Age Category: Middle-Grade

Number of Pages: 198 Pages

Publication Date: October 24, 2024

Publisher: Tiny Tree Books

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217402251-skyfleet 

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b4187899-258e-4ea2-8e83-9cad557dd26a 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/7OiVBIY (Canada) https://a.co/d/abVrfJ6 (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/2BKDkj5 (UK)

About the Author

Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.

As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.

She is currently working as a full time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with, and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.

Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

BLOG TOUR Terra Electrica by Antonia Maxwell

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour organized by TheWriteReads for Terra Electrica, part of The Guardians of the North series by Antonia Maxwell. Check out my post to learn more about the book, the author, and where you can get your own copy. 

Make sure you show the other tour hosts some love as well - the tour schedule is below. 

Happy reading everyone! 

Title: Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North

Author: Antonia Maxwell

Genre: Dystopian, Science & Nature, Environment

Age Category: Middle Grade

Page Count: 272 Pages  

Publication Date: July 4, 2024 (October 22nd US)

Publisher: Neem Tree Press

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204929195-terra-electrica 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/0ekqkIpP (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/0dUDASJ3 (UK) https://a.co/d/0euPP4sr (Canada)

 

About the Book:

Book 1 in an action-packed dystopian adventure series set in the near-future post-melt Arctic.

The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.

In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.

Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?

About the Author:

Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK. With a  degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.

Tour Schedule:

BLOG TOUR Perception Check by Astrid Knight

 

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour for Perception Check by Astrid Knight. This book is a winner of the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year (BBNYA) Award. Check out my post to learn more abou the book, the award, and the author. Happy reading everyone!

About the Book

Her favorite tabletop roleplaying game is real, and her kidnapped childhood best friend is trapped in a far off land. Will she be able to save her? Let's roll initiative!

Violet Spence wants nothing more than to have a normal life. After witnessing her childhood best friend get abducted by monsters, that’s easier said than done. At twenty-three years old, Violet cannot seem to move past that fateful night ten years ago. Her only solace is Mages of Velmyra, a tabletop roleplaying game filled with goblins, fairies, and all-powerful magicians. But of course, that’s all fantasy.

Or, so she thought. As it turns out, the land of Velmyra is very real and the home of the monsters that took her best friend.

With the help of her friends (and the creator of the game itself), Violet must navigate the once-fictional creatures and powerful mages of Velmyra to retrieve a set of ancient relics—all in the hopes that the journey will lead her back to her friend. But for Violet, fighting monsters and magic workers doesn’t seem nearly as terrifying as confronting her own demons. And she’ll soon realize fighting the battle within herself can be just as tough as those fought against demigods.

Perception Check is the magical first installment of the Mages of Velmyra Saga, great for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Critical Role, and The Magicians. With endearing and hilarious characters, an exploration of mental health and trauma, LGBTQ+ representation, gut-wrenching twists, and a whirlwind of an ending, you will never want to leave the world of Velmyra.

NOTE: Perception Check deals with the topics of mental health (specifically depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality) with mentions of childhood sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and animal violence.

Length: 500 Pages

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: New Adult

Date Published: 24 May 2022

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/iqxbctj (Canada)

https://a.co/d/iGWyZGX (USA)

https://amzn.eu/d/bugi22C (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60668021-perception-check

The StoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/71ce27e5-c0f2-4406-b76c-3d80759613b0

About the Award

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

About the Author

Astrid Knight is an author and storyteller with a love of fantasy and all things strange. A graduate of Adrian College, Astrid has served as a contributing writer for anthologies such as In the Wake of the Kraken and Welcome to Simmins, Detective Spencer. They are best known as the writer of the Mages of Velmyra Saga. They are also a co-founder and player on the RPG Twitch channel, Atlaran Adventuring Company. To get all news on the Mages of Velmyra Saga or any other projects Astrid is involved in, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @AstridKWrites. You can also find them on their website, astridknight.com.

BLOG TOUR Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour organized by TheWriteReads for Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall. Check out my post to learn more about the book (releasing in June) and the author. 

About the Book

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Length: 402 pages

Published: June 2024

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210597012-time-marked-warlock

Amazon:  Not available currently

Adair Finch is the most powerful warlock in the world, and one of the best private investigators for hire. He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother.

 

So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything.

 

Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.

 

Reluctantly, Finch agrees to help, only to discover something sinister has been brewing in town while he ignored the world… He’ll need to dust off all his old skills and magic before it’s too late.

About the Author

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com

BLOG TOUR Clytemnestra's Bind by Susan C Wilson

 

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the tour for Clytemmnestra's Bind by Susan C Wilson (organized by TheWriteReads). 

About the Book

Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself.

​

Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten, once more, to destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

​

From one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother's burning love.

 

About the Author

Susan C Wilson is a working-class Scottish writer. Her lifelong passion for ancient Greece was ignited as a child by stumbling across stories of gods and heroes in the dictionary. She loves to explore what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.

​

She has a degree in journalism from Napier University and, in preparation for writing her novels, gained a diploma in classical studies from the Open University. Clytemnestra’s Bind, her debut novel, was long-listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019. It is the first in The House of Atreus trilogy and will be published by Neem Tree Press in June 2023.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clytemnestras-House-Atreus-Susan-Wilson/dp/1911107607/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PJ128NR98XWW&keywords=clytemnestra%27s+bind&qid=1702044085&sprefix=clytemnestra%27s+bind%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86942438-clytemnestra-s-bind?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=RzKRbqVdmG&rank=1

Author Website: https://www.susancwilson.co.uk/

Author Twitter: @BronzeAgeWummin

Author Instagram: susancwilsonauthor