Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Magical Beasts by Geoffrey Saign



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Geoffrey Saign will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

1. Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

Young people have a fresh perspective on life and are not as jaded as ‘adults’ who have already accumulated a lot of baggage. There is an energy and excitement in discovery, and young people are continually discovering the world as ‘new.’ Relationships are a process of discovery, as is the young person’s place in the world. They are making choices to define who they are. All of that is alive and fun to write about.

4. What’s your favorite sweet treat?

I love maple syrup! I put it in cookies, buckwheat blueberry pancakes, pies, and even a rice dish. That flavor on the tongue is priceless.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

Since about age 15 I wanted to be wise and clear about life, because I had a lot of confusion when growing up. Doesn’t everyone? Well, I did! Wisdom and clarity were more of a center to my life than pursuing a particular career. I had a wide variety of interests, in self-awareness, wildlife, sailing, and writing. In the end, all those separate interests combined into writing. I always loved reading stories, so it’s not a great stretch to see that I would love creating them too.

6. What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

You are wise, intelligent, and worthy of love. Life will throw challenges at you; learn from them and keep going. Everything will work out for the best. Never doubt that. And never put limits on yourself, listen to everyone, follow no one. Listen to what your heart wants and follow it! Pay attention to intuition and spend time in nature. Love everyone as part of your family, including wildlife, and treat the world as your home. Create the world you want to live in. Love yourself in how you talk to yourself and think about yourself. You are special.

9. What superpower would you love to have? Why?

Super speed, like the Flash. It would allow you to travel worldwide and help many people very quickly. You could change villages, countries, and the world without much effort. You could end all aggression against women and children. You could stop barbaric wars and conflicts easily by overcoming small armies without much effort. You could prevent anyone from beginning a nuclear war. And you can do it all incognito, because no one can see you moving that fast. On a more personal note, I could clean up my living space in seconds!

15. Ideal summer vacation.

I live in Minnesota, so we have 4 seasons. I love all of it. But summertime is priceless. To walk around barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt, and swim 5+ days a week in lakes and rivers is wonderful. Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes, so it’s the perfect place for a swimmer. Thus, it’s the best vacation I could imagine. If during the winter or another season I wanted a ‘vacation,’ it would have to involve water—swimming, snorkeling, or sailing—but always being IN the water.

16. Which of your characters would you most like to meet IRL? Why?

I would LOVE to meet the Great Ones in my books. They are giant animals that can morph into humanoids and would be wonderful to meet, to see what they had to say about life. They are immortals, so their perspectives on life would be interesting. Some of the dragons would be fun to talk to as well, to get a different viewpoint. Also Uncle Biggie is another cool character. Gentle, funny, and also immortal. He’s just a kind soul, and you can never have too many of those in your life.

19. Favorite pizza toppings.

Green olives! Something about that salty, tangy flavor is one of my favorites! Green olives in potato salad, sandwiches, salads, lasagna, pasta…you get the idea.

21. You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I would give some money to a few people I know that could use it. Otherwise I’d spend the rest on the best environmental strategy I could find to help the planet. Environmental and wildlife issues have always been close to my heart.

24. Favorite class in high school. Why?

Creative Writing, for sure! Mrs. Stifter gave us a writing assignment. A week later she said, “A writer like this comes along once every 17 years.” Then she read my piece to the class. I was stunned, and it gave me the confidence I needed to pursue writing.

Samantha and Jake fight to save their poisoned parents, and instead find themselves in a battle to save the parallel magical world of KiraKu. The two teens discover they must defeat the Evil One—a diabolical master of deception—or their own world will fall too. Samantha must master the mysterious supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find out if she has what it takes to fulfill the prophecy of the true guardian. In a final battle, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, the two teens will have to risk everything, or lose it all. For Fans of Fantastic Beasts, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings.

Winner Outstanding YA Fiction IAN BOTY

~ Magical Beasts is now in development for a major motion picture. ~


Read an Excerpt

“Watch out, Sam!” yells Jake.

I fling myself sideways onto the grass, pulling WhipEye out of reach of the lizard’s snapping jaws. The beast keeps going, leaping up.

Tarath springs vertically after it, but the Komodo’s flapping wings lift it fifty feet in one beat, inches beyond the caracal’s swinging claws. Tarath falls back to the ground, landing silently on the grass. She snarls up at the Komodo.

Hissing, the lizard hovers above us. His eyes bore into mine. “If you want to save your elders, bring the staff to Gorgon. Today. Alone. Or they die.” Shifting his gaze to Tarath, he says, “We’ll meet again, Great One.”

Tarath yowls while the Komodo quickly flies away, giving a faint roar before it fades in the distance.

“Mom.” Jake rests his hand on his mother’s shoulder. She appears unconscious.

Scrambling over the lawn to Dad, I press trembling fingers against his neck. He has a pulse. Jagged cuts on his thighs have darkened his jeans with blood. The same ugly slashes mark Cynthia’s legs. The wounds appear serious enough for stitches, but not life-threatening. In fact, when I examine Dad’s cuts closer, they’ve already stopped bleeding. Komodo bites can be deadly due to venom, but I’m not sure about claw wounds.

Jake looks bewildered. “Why didn’t you give the staff to the Komodo, Sam?”

My throat thickens. “I couldn’t.” It sounds lame, even to me. With one decision everything in my life is in shambles. And I have no one to blame but myself.

Tarath surprises me when she shrinks to five feet tall while padding toward us. Lowering her head between our parents, she sniffs the air. “Poison,” she spits.

About the Author:

 

Geoffrey Saign’s love of wildlife led him to write the award-winning fantasy series, Magical Beasts. He often experiences the magic of nature and wildlife while hiking and swimming. He has a degree in biology and has assisted in field research on hummingbirds and humpback whales. Geoff loves to sail big boats, hike, and cook—and he infuses all of his writing with his passion for nature. As a swimmer he considers himself fortunate to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota. See what he’s up to at https://geoffreysaign.net/magical-beasts

Kindle/KU/Paperback Series page

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZR6VDJ8

Audible

https://www.audible.com/pd/Guardian-The-Choice-Audiobook/B081PVPNLN

Bookbub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/geoffrey-saign 

Goodreads—Magical Beasts Book 1—Guardian The Choice

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50094484-guardian

Website

https://geoffreysaign.net/magical-beasts-fantasy-book-series/

 

 

 

 

 

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