Happy first Friday of fall, Reader! Surprisingly, Oklahoma decided to at least think about following the calendar this year, and our temperatures have dropped to a blessedly more bearable average lately. Of course the temperature inside the library is another story – we’re having issues with humidity, so they’re super-cooling the building at night in an effort to dry out the air. That means that it’s usually around 60F when we arrive. Some days it doesn’t get above 65, but sometimes it makes it into the upper 70s, which is equally uncomfortable in a completely different way. But the point is, it’s cool enough to drive with the windows down on my way home from work, and it’s nice to not be reaching triple digits anymore. At least for now.
Today I get to spotlight a middle-grade fantasy book by indie author Brett Salter. If your ears perk up at the term “dragon” or you’re looking for an original and easy-to-read adventure, I think you’re going to want to hear about this book! Read on to see what the author has to say about it, and I’ll meet you at the bottom of the page.
About the Book
From the Author:
Imagine if you had the infernos of a mythical fire dragon raging inside of you. Imagine if you had centuries of power and majesty trapped within your physical body. Now, imagine you are a tentative, thirteen-year old boy recruited to join an interminable war against forces from another realm preparing to destroy your world; and you are just the dragon to stop it!
That is the exact situation Rome Lockheed finds himself in during the events of the first book of my series, The Talisman Series. In this first book, “The Search for Synergy”, Rome begins a friendship with a strange boy at school who wishes to unleash the dragon inside him. You see, in Rome’s world, dragons no longer live freely like they did during the time of The Good King Arthur. In fact, they have all gone into hiding from the humans who persecuted them in the past. With the help of an overzealous knight-in-training and an eccentric, local librarian, Rome will try to uncover the powers of the dragon aching to emerge.
Time is of the essence as an army of monstrosities is banging at the ethereal plane to their world in a rabid frenzy. With a little “hope”, Rome and his colleagues can unlock the mysteries of the past and defend the realm for a safer future. Will you be a part of it?
As you can infer, I have written a fantasy book with middle grade and/or young adult audiences in mind. “The Search for Synergy” is the first of a 4-part series based on mythology, relics, and otherworldly creatures. Although only the first four books are self-published, I intend to expand the series to twelve (12) total. In “The Search for Synergy”, we get an insight into the three main characters and their aspirations. We follow along as they discover the meaning of true friendship, and the perks of taking that first step into adventure. In the subsequent books, we meet new allies and have run-ins with more bad guys as the forces of good and evil ultimately race to an epic showdown.
Author’s Bio:
My background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration I found as a kid when I read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. These include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Xanth Novels, The Time Quintet, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. In my formative years, I joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) I took on a dare and wrote the first book in my Talisman Series. I loved the feeling it gave me and the idea of inspiring others so much that I kept writing until I had an entire series. I am currently working to finish The Talisman Series. I have self-published 4 of the books which can be found on Amazon. At this very moment, I am working on book 11 of the 12 I have planned. I also have plans for a series which will take influence from the portal fiction genre about a girl and 6 others that travel to another dimension to fulfill a destiny by saving a planet from cruel overseers. Keep a wary eye out for portals. Stay cool!
Notable Links:
Goodreads | Amazon | Author Website | Fandom Wiki Page (Contains Major Spoilers)
If you’re a fan of dragons or middle grade adventure stories, The Search for Synergy by Brett Salter should be right up your alley! This book has won the Literary Titan Silver Award which, according to its website, “is bestowed on books that expertly deliver complex characters, intricate worlds, and thought provoking themes. The ease with which the story is told is a reflection of the author’s talent in exercising fluent, powerful, and appropriate language.”
This weekend I have my first “in person” class of the semester, although it’s still being held via Zoom. I’ll be up to my eyeballs in discussions of research theory and topic selection, and when it’s over, I still have two more assignments due this week for my children’s lit class (how did I end up with seven assignments and a weekend-intensive class across the same three days??). But, I also intend to have a substantial amount of pizza and coffee, so the weekend shouldn’t be all stress.
What are you up to this weekend, Reader? Are there any exciting books in your forecast (or any dragons)? I hope to finish Where the Mountain Meets the Moon this weekend – technically that was supposed to be read before one of the assignments I’m submitting tomorrow, but close enough. Other than that, I know I’ll be reading a lot of articles to prepare for and participate in the research theory class. Probably nothing too exciting though.
Again, if dragons are your cup of tea, then I hope you will consider reading The Search for Synergy!
Until the next chapter,
Jana
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