Synopsis:
Elias Rey, a fifteen year old student
at Penquis Valley High School, is skinny, has a chipped tooth, and a
bad case of acne. His favorite pastime is drawing dragons, and his
room is plastered with his renditions. Tested out as a genius, he
should be in college instead of high school, but he chooses to be
with the only family he has ever known, his foster sister Lizzie, and
his best friend Jaron.
Life is good, except for one thing -
Brute, the meanest student at PVHS. Elias considers moving to be rid
of Brute's constant bullying, until one fated day, when a strange boy
pushes a leather pouch into his hands, and then mysteriously
disappears, leaving Elias to wonder who he is.
Shortly thereafter, Elias discovers
that the pouch contains Ilesar, an ancient papyrus that can give him
anything his heart desires. He isn't going to be pushed around. Ever.
Again. At least, not by the school bully.
Praise for this book:
I love this story! Elias of
Elderberry is a cross between Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and Alice in
Wonderland, with a hint of Lord of the Rings. -Sarah Beggs, author
Elias of Elderberry is imaginative
and entertaining, but also thought provoking. It was fun learning
about the worlds Theresa Sneed creates. Her evil is pure evil... and
her good is amazing. Kari Pike, author, editor
Excerpts:
Excerpt
#1
He
snatched the pouch up. The drama department was at the end of the
hallway. Elias grinned. Dang! That boy is good! He really
had me going there! “Hey, Mr. Arnold!” Elias stuck his head
into the office.
“Yes,
Elias?” Mr. Arnold’s beady eyes peered at him over half moon
spectacles that looked as if they’d slip off his nose.
“Yeah well, just wanted to congratulate you on whatever it is you
guys are working on. Whoever that boy was with the pouch—” He
held it up. “Well, he’s pretty convincing—good job!”
Mr.
Arnold looked at him like he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You
know—Ooooo-OOoo.” Elias made a ghostly sound and wiggled his
fingers in the air. “He looked pretty freaky, sir.”
Mr.
Arnold leaned back and stroked his goatee. “I have no idea what
you’re talking about, Elias—none whatsoever.”
“Huh.”
Elias turned the pouch over in his hands. “Yeah, well, okay.” He
thanked him and went back into the hallway.
Who
was that boy? If he hadn’t been part of any theater production at
the school—what kind of performance was he in? He nodded as he
remembered the white cord tugging at the boy—great special effects.
Destroy them, the boy had said. Elias shrugged. His gaze fell
to the pouch. What was in it? He started to open it, but
thought better and glanced around for a more secluded place to
explore its contents.
What
better place than the boy’s bathroom? He slipped through the door
and then into an empty stall. He studied the brown leather bag
holding it closer to his face. The gold band that ran diagonally up
its sides was made to look like a snake—its diamond-shaped head
brandishing two tiny, red jewels. Elias brushed his fingers over the
thin band and a wisp of smoke rose from it. He coughed and swept his
hand through the gray mist—must have been dust.
All
of a sudden, the bathroom door banged open and Brute’s voice broke
the silence. “Hey zit-face! I know you’re in here!”
Oh
crap. Of all the places for Brute to find him—defenseless—with
no one to stop the Brute from beating him senseless, or even to
identify Elias’ lifeless body later. He rolled his eyes. Okay, that
was a bit melodramatic. He’d been hanging around his foster sister,
Lizzie too long. Drama was her thing—not his.
The
stall doors slammed against their hinges one by one—closer and
closer. He let out a groan, as he saw Brute’s size twelve shoes in
front of the stall next to his. He swallowed hard and breathed out
slow. “I wish I was home.” A warm buzz came from the pouch, and
he glanced down as it came to life—casting an eerie glow against
the stall door. Then all at once, a steely flash of red light cruelly
stung his skin, deep into his sinewy flesh, as a powerful force
twisted him through an opening—a thin slit in the air.
Excerpt
#2
He
pressed his head back against the pillow. So, this was what crazy
felt like. He grimaced, knowing that he was not crazy, but not having
any good explanation for what was happening to him. Suddenly,
something nuzzled the crick of his neck.
“Cut
it out, Ilzar.” It let out a tiny bawl, almost like a cough, and
Elias turned his head expecting to see Ilzar. He jumped backward,
nearly falling off the bed. “YIKES!”
A
miniature, baby dragon the color of the sky sat on his pillow
teetering back and forth as if it hadn’t quite got its bearings.
“Oh,
my gosh, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh!” Elias leaped from his bed and
stared at the small, sapphire colored dragon. It coughed again and a
tiny blue cloud of smoke came from its throat.
Elias’
mouth dropped open. Was this real? The dragon hopped off the pillow
and came to the edge of the bed. It looked up at him with doleful
eyes, coughed, than bawled again—like it was hungry.
Elias’ eyes widened. What did
dragons eat—other than villages of people?
Author Bio:
Growing up in the woodlands of Maine
and spending most of her time climbing trees and looking for snakes
under rocks, author Theresa Sneed has a wealth of childhood
experiences from which she creates her magical stories. As a mother
of six, a grandmother of five, and an elementary school teacher, she
enjoys weaving moments of wonder and reflection.
Theresa graduated cum laude with a BA
in education and has written award-winning poetry and stories. Her No
Angel series has received excellent reviews from her readers as well
as claiming two Whitney finalists’ spots. Theresa enjoys reading
and writing fantasy, romance, and suspense.
To learn more about Theresa, visit
www.theresasneed.com. She loves hearing from her readers and
may be contacted through her website.
Other books by Theresa Sneed
Her No Angel Series (not completed yet,
there will be at least three or four more books in this series)
Links:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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