The New Enchantress by Sunayna Prassad

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sunayna Prasad will be awarding a $25 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.

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

The idea of my MC came into my mind when I was nearly 16 while taking a shower. She is based off of a childhood imagination character that I liked to think about a lot.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I enjoyed books by Roald Dahl when I was in 3rd grade. In 8th grade, I got myself into Harry Potter and would only read those books for pleasure.

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

Various things, like a zookeeper and a baker. A zookeeper since I loved animals so much (and still do), and a baker since I love to bake (and did since I was 12).

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

Not to publish prematurely. Despite what others told me about a novel that I yearned to publish, I did not believe them and published it anyway (with my parents’ consent, of course). But then it backfired when I only received negative reactions to it. So, once I turned 18, I removed the book from the market.

Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?

I used to get candy. Now I get neither. Rather, I receive other special gifts, such as jewelry.

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

“The Fairly OddParents” was my favorite. I not only enjoyed it a lot, but also picked up on details and inconsistencies.

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

My MC’s friend, Lily. She is enthusiastic and bubbly.

Cursed by a sorcerer’s hex, Alyssa McCarthy finds herself in a fight she can’t afford to lose, or everything she knows will be lost!

After she finishes her final year of junior high, fourteen-year-old Alyssa faces an uncertain future in more ways than one when a sorcerer casts a hex that leaves her with involuntary magical powers that are too dangerous to remove.

Unable to control her newly gained abilities Alyssa’s end-of-middle-school sleepover ends in disaster when she knocks her friends unconscious when her powers go out of control. If Alyssa can’t learn to master her magic soon, she will be cursed to forget her loved ones and serve as the warlock’s slave for all of eternity.

Her only hope is to focus on controlling her emotions if she is to break the curse. However, the difficulties of adolescence, along with the perils and growing disasters she faces, make Alyssa struggle even more. From putting her friends’ lives at risk to losing their trust, she continues to fear what will become of her if she fails.

Will Alyssa be able to break the hex and become the enchantress that she was meant to be, or will she become enslaved to the sorcerer forever?

Read an Excerpt

Alyssa could not risk performing sorcery anymore after ridding herself in autumn of the powers that a warlock had forced upon her. A skeleton called Errol had jinxed her with involuntary magic, landing her in lots of trouble, including near-expulsion from school. He had claimed that it’d been the only way for him to regain his old, human looks. Alyssa had needed to boost her confidence and bravery levels in order to overthrow Errol. That had taken a few weeks.

She would not allow this new hex to force her to remain home all summer. Otherwise, she’d have to miss travel camp at the end of this month and a trip to New York City with Alex in August.

Her palms heated, and beams shot out, bouncing against the ceiling and splitting in different directions. One tipped the bookshelf, and all the books tumbled out onto the wooden floor. It merged with the other shaft, smashed into the desk—knocking everything down—and disappeared in a snap.

Alyssa stared, her fist clenching and her face reddening. Without admonishment, another glimmer flew out of her hands and hit her bed, causing everything to tumble into the air. The blankets crumpled, and a few pillows were tossed onto the rug by the mattress. The ray vanished.

Alyssa gazed into her palms because that catastrophe reminded her of the enchantments she’d performed in the fall.

“Ugh!” She covered her face.

The downstairs door shut, suggesting that Alex had returned from walking Scooter, the yellow lab.

“Alyssa, is everything okay?” he asked.

“No!” She sat on her bed, not wanting to remake it, even though Alex required it when she didn’t have school. I’m never going to get through this stupid mess.

About the Author:Sunayna Prasad enjoys writing fantasy books for children, as well as cooking, creating artwork, watching online videos, and blogging. She has also written The Frights of Fiji and A Curse of Mayhem. She is passionate about modern-day life in fantasy stories, worldbuilding, and even humor. She is constantly brainstorming new ideas and using her creativity.

Sunayna graduated from college in 2017 and lives in New York.

https://www.sunaynaprasadbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Sunayna-Prasad-468868846787369/
https://twitter.com/sunaynaprasad
https://www.amazon.com/Sunayna-Prasad/e/B00F21NN38
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R5L55TG

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A Curse of Mayhem by Sunayna Prasad

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sunayna Prasad will be awarding a $25 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.

Why I Chose to Write Fantasy

I have always enjoyed fantasy more than most other genres. I read the entire "Harry Potter" series in my early teens. In fact, at that time, it was the only thing I would read for pleasure.

I have always been attracted to magic, fantastical elements, and supernatural ideas, for as long as I can remember. I am a highly imaginative person who likes to create and brainstorm.

The idea of my book's main character dates back to when I was in elementary school. Then she returned to my mind in my adolescence and I developed everything about her from there.

One thing about fantasy is that you can have more freedom with your stories since there is worldbuilding involved as well as other enchanted elements. Of course, the literary devices should still be believable and make sense.

When I first published the sequel of my "Magical Missions" series in 2016 as "Wizardry Goes Wild," there were still a lot of flaws, including with credibility. One struggle involved having my characters react to magic in a believable way.

After pulling the original edition from the market and fixing the issues, I decided on a change. Instead of trying to get the characters to react to extreme situations more credibly, since I still had trouble with it, I made certain situations milder, as long as they didn't need to be severe. For example, there is a scene with a magical robotic bee. But that was originally a fake shark that functioned like a real one.

Basically, I just love fantasy and being very creative, which is why I like to write in that genre. I probably wouldn't try horror or science-fiction, though. Horror scares me and science involves more research as well as math. Yet, with fantasy, I have more freedom along with fun.

History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself

It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought…

Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear.

In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness.

Originally published in 2016 as “Wizardry Goes Wild” and “The Unruly Curse” in 2019, “A Curse of Mayhem” is book two in the exciting and suspenseful “Magical Missions” series.

Read an Excerpt

Lilac-colored smoke poured in through the slight opening under Alyssa’s bedroom window. Alyssa leaped back. She swore the window had been closed when she’d come in here a few minutes ago.

The gas clouded into her room, blocking her sight. It washed onto her, causing her to squint and lean back. She coughed, rubbed her eyes, and opened them. The smoke faded. Someone must’ve pulled a prank, and not just any kind—one that involved…wizardry.

Alyssa’s breathing sped up. She shut the window and gazed at the huge yard and long driveway. No one was outside—not even Alex, her godfather and legal guardian.

Perhaps the trespasser had escaped or had hidden somewhere—maybe behind the tree on the lawn or somewhere else on the property.

Alyssa hurried out, brushing ash from her muted purple shirt. She entered the ground floor and opened the front door. “Hello?!”

There was no answer.

“Whoever set that smoke off, it wasn’t funny!”

The silence continued.

Despite the freezing air this autumn evening, Alyssa stepped onto the front porch. A piece of paper appeared out of nowhere, making her jump. She picked it up, anyway.

Welcome back to magic.

Her chest tightened. She hadn’t encountered a single instance of wizardry in six months! Plus, she had two objects that were supposed to protect her from such encounters.

She dashed back up to her room and opened the closet door. Tape hung from a shoebox, and the items that she had left in there…were missing.

About the Author: Sunayna Prasad enjoys writing fantasy books for children, as well as cooking, creating artwork, watching online videos, and blogging. She has also written The Frights of Fiji, formerly titled as From Frights to Flaws. She is passionate about modern life, fantasy, and world-building. Aside from her website, she also has a blog about different creative and entertaining topics, including fiction and writing, called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”.

Sunayna has graduated from college in May 2017. She lives in Long Island, NY.

https://www.sunaynaprasadbooks.com/
https://sunaynaprasadblogs.com/
https://twitter.com/SunaynaPrasad
https://www.amazon.com/Unruly-Alyssa-McCarthys-Magical-Missions-ebook/dp/B07SGLLF8W
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-curse-of-mayhem-sunayna-prasad/1136458117
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-curse-of-mayhem

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The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sunayna Prasad will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to Books in the Hall! Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

Even though I’m 26, I tend to be more attracted to children’s fiction rather than adult. Just a couple years ago, I started being interested in new adult, but didn’t read much of it.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

My main character, Alyssa, would have pictures of her and her parents since they died when she was 7. She also would have pictures of her with her friends.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

Classics like “Charlotte’s Web” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” were my favorites in 3rd grade. After reading them for school, I’d read them for pleasure. In 8th grade, I started reading the “Harry Potter” books.

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

Not to have unrealistic expectations about what you publish. I was constantly told that my writing wasn’t good enough and I would argue back saying that it was good, because I was so in love with my stories. It wasn’t till I published one and it got pure negative feedback that I realized that everybody was right.

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

“The Fairly OddParents” was my idol. I would go out of my way to watch new episodes. I also wanted to be home in time to catch a certain special of the cartoon.

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

My MC, Alyssa, who’s gone through a lot in her life. She and I have some similarities, as well, such as how both of us used to take horseback riding lessons, are good with animals, and are quite naïve.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

Definitely chefs. Thanks to that class, I expanded my taste buds and tried new things that I wouldn’t have eaten before. One of them is cheese, which I disliked when I was little.

A world of magic and adventure awaits…

Sent to live with her strict, aloof, and uncaring uncle after her parents are killed in a car accident, twelve-year-old orphan Alyssa McCarthy longs for the life she used to have—one filled with fun and love. Then one stormy night, a message appears in the raindrops on the window that will change everything.

"Your life will never be the same again, as magic will interfere."

Before long, Alyssa is kidnapped by Master Beau, a banished sorcerer with a mysterious connection to her who can only regain his power by weakening hers. Suddenly hurled into a world of wizardry filled with fantastical beasts and marvelous technology beyond her wildest imagination, Alyssa must defeat Master Beau if she ever wants to get home again. But Master Beau will stop at nothing, including using Alyssa’s friends, to ensure he is triumphant.

Originally titled "From Frights to Flaws", this story is the exciting and enchanting first book in the "Magical Missions" series.

Read an Excerpt

About a half hour had gone by, and footsteps thumped down the stairs. Alyssa figured out that Mathias had returned via his flying tube since Isabelle had said that he owned one too. Alyssa turned to the staircase and watched him carry a small cage with about six or seven mice. They had white fur with patches of green, purple, red, and blue. Mathias also carried a bag of silver, gold, copper, metallic green, red, and blue fronds.

He entered the living room and sat on one of the couch chairs. He placed the cage on the carpet. But Isabelle bent her eyebrows. “Mathias, don’t put them on the carpet. They’re going to—”

“Isabelle, it’s okay. They’re in a cage.”

“Still, they’re filthy wild animals, and they could get my clean carpet dirty.” “Oh, Isabelle, stop being such a neat freak,” said Mathias.

“No.” Isabelle turned to Simon, who sat on the other couch chair and listened to his WiPod. “Simon, can you track the snake, please?”

Simon took out his earbuds. “What did you want me track? I didn’t get that.” Isabelle repeated herself, and Simon made his tablet appear. Alyssa watched him press it; he probably programmed a way to track the snake.

“Simon, how far away is the snake?” asked Alyssa.

“Erm . . . about a hundred feet away,” he replied.

“Oh my god,” moaned Alyssa.

“Let’s go,” said Isabelle.

Alyssa’s stomach hardened as she walked up the stairs. She could even feel her heart throb through her throat. She hurried her breathing and followed everyone else out of the tent.

Alyssa stepped onto the sand and saw something move. She gasped, her muscles constricting to her bones. Her hands shook and cooled down despite the burning sun. Tingles spread through her toes and fingers and expanded to the rest of her body. She whined through her contracted throat. She wished that what she saw was just a mirage. But the smell of the ash hanging in the air revealed to her that she didn’t just see things—the snake drew nearer.

It opened its jaw, exhaling light gray ash. It stuck out its pointy black tongue and pushed its head toward Alyssa, and she coughed. But it sped up its slithering. Alyssa screamed and spun around. She dashed along the beach, and her feet sped up, thus kicking the backs of her legs.

“Alyssa, get back here!” yelled Mathias. “I can’t disappear holding the cage or mice! It’s impossible doing both!”

But Alyssa continued to sprint across the beach. Sand streamed into her sneakers. Sweat even trickled into the neckline of her shirt and her legs.

Something scaly slapped her legs. She flew into the air and screamed. Her body fought against the direction of the breeze, and she landed on her butt.

She moaned and quickened up breaths through her gritted teeth. The snake continued to slither and release ash. Shrieking, Alyssa bolted up and turned around. She headed into the rainforest.

Facing vines, twigs, trees, bushes, and fronds, Alyssa found her way around them. Her legs ached from all the different movements she made. She ran sideways from a tree, jumped over a couple of twigs and vines, and zigzagged around trees and bushes. A trail even lay in front of her.

Alyssa’s thin legs and body kept her energy going, but her legs felt like they’d been clogged with broken cobblestones. The snake kept chasing her, though.

About the Author: Sunayna Prasad enjoys writing fantasy books for children, as well as cooking, creating artwork, watching online videos, and blogging. She has also written The Frights of Fiji, formerly titled as From Frights to Flaws. She is passionate about modern life, fantasy, and world-building. Aside from her website, sunaynaprasadbooks.com, she also has a blog about different creative and entertaining topics, including fiction and writing, called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”.

Sunayna has graduated from college in May 2017. She lives in Long Island, NY.

Website: http://www.sunaynaprasadbooks.com
Blog: http://www.sunaynaprasadblogs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SunaynaPrasad
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Frights-Alyssa-McCarthys-Magical-Missions-ebook/dp/B07HXMJ6GB/

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