Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage by R.A. Sapp - Excerpt + Giveaway
This is my stop during the book blitz for Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage (Tara Nikkel #1) by R.A. Sapp. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 15 till 21 february, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.
On 20 and 21 February this book will be free on amazon!
Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage (Tara Nikkel #1)
by R.A. Sapp
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Meet a teenager with some serious issues. Tara Nikkel is a girl with a whole host of ailments: cerebral palsy, asthma, and a severe peanut allergy (just to name a few). And if all that wasn’t enough, Tara’s also an orphan with two clueless foster-parents who are hoarders as well as being professional couch potatoes. But everything changes for Tara when she ventures into a storm to find her missing beagle, Pudgy. Through an unexpected series of events, Tara finds herself in a magical realm known only as the “really real world”. Come join Tara on an adventure filled with magic, goblins, zombies, dragons—and more! Ages 13 and up.
You can find Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage on Goodreads
You can buy Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage here: Amazon
Want to know the story behind this story? Check out this post about the real Tara on the author's website.
Tara could feel Billy's eyes looking down at the metal braces on her legs, examining them, exploring their mechanics. It took all of her strength to resist slapping his curious booger-dripping mug.
"Yes?” Tara snapped at him. Billy smiled at her, stupidly. Tara fired at him again: "Didn't your folks tell you it's not polite to stare, nimrod?”
"What's wrong with your legs?” he asked. A tiny green caterpillar crawled out his nostril. He sniffed and the green goo disappeared back up into the space where his brain should have been.
"You are disgusting," Tara huffed at him.
"Were you in a car accident or something? I saw you walking on your crutches in the quad. Joe McKenna says you look like a baby giraffe the way you walk.”
Tara wanted to cry. She bit her lip, doing her best to avoid giving Billy Higgins the pleasure of seeing her melt into a puddle of tears. In her mind she pretended she was a powerful sorcerer and that with a tap of her pencil she could transform Billy Higgins into a toad—and a really ugly one too. A little smile crept on her face when she imagined Billy Higgins trying to croak at Mrs. Ross for help.
Evil, yes, but funny.
It was Friday, the end of a miserable first week of seventh grade at Tevis Jr. High. Tara had been home-schooled her whole life, so this was the first time she had actually gone to class with other students. She was already regretting this decision. Being the new kid is hard enough when you're thirteen, but having to be the new kid with cerebral palsy—well, that's an entirely unique form of difficult. And if all that wasn't bad enough, the Bakersfield air was so toxic on her asthma that Tara had to wear a special filtration mask if she went outside for more than fifteen minutes.
Billy Higgins' lower lip hung a little too far from his gums. He watched her with great interest. His brown eyes waited with pleasure for her to entertain him.
"Will you stop staring at me please?” she said under her breath so the other students would not hear.
"Like a baby giraffe," he repeated, snickering, as if the words themselves were packed with an endless supply of comedy.
The bell rang.
Mrs. Ross was so startled that she accidentally tossed her red pen and it popped Billy Higgins right in the center of his face. The class erupted in laughter.
"Oh ma dose," Billy moaned, covering his face with his hand.
Tara crackled a smile. She imagined for a split-second that she had summoned that red pen from Mrs. Ross' hand and had directed it telepathically at Billy Higgins' dumb face. A squeaky giggle escaped her mouth. That was almost as good as turning him into a toad.
"Yes?” Tara snapped at him. Billy smiled at her, stupidly. Tara fired at him again: "Didn't your folks tell you it's not polite to stare, nimrod?”
"What's wrong with your legs?” he asked. A tiny green caterpillar crawled out his nostril. He sniffed and the green goo disappeared back up into the space where his brain should have been.
"You are disgusting," Tara huffed at him.
"Were you in a car accident or something? I saw you walking on your crutches in the quad. Joe McKenna says you look like a baby giraffe the way you walk.”
Tara wanted to cry. She bit her lip, doing her best to avoid giving Billy Higgins the pleasure of seeing her melt into a puddle of tears. In her mind she pretended she was a powerful sorcerer and that with a tap of her pencil she could transform Billy Higgins into a toad—and a really ugly one too. A little smile crept on her face when she imagined Billy Higgins trying to croak at Mrs. Ross for help.
Evil, yes, but funny.
It was Friday, the end of a miserable first week of seventh grade at Tevis Jr. High. Tara had been home-schooled her whole life, so this was the first time she had actually gone to class with other students. She was already regretting this decision. Being the new kid is hard enough when you're thirteen, but having to be the new kid with cerebral palsy—well, that's an entirely unique form of difficult. And if all that wasn't bad enough, the Bakersfield air was so toxic on her asthma that Tara had to wear a special filtration mask if she went outside for more than fifteen minutes.
Billy Higgins' lower lip hung a little too far from his gums. He watched her with great interest. His brown eyes waited with pleasure for her to entertain him.
"Will you stop staring at me please?” she said under her breath so the other students would not hear.
"Like a baby giraffe," he repeated, snickering, as if the words themselves were packed with an endless supply of comedy.
The bell rang.
Mrs. Ross was so startled that she accidentally tossed her red pen and it popped Billy Higgins right in the center of his face. The class erupted in laughter.
"Oh ma dose," Billy moaned, covering his face with his hand.
Tara crackled a smile. She imagined for a split-second that she had summoned that red pen from Mrs. Ross' hand and had directed it telepathically at Billy Higgins' dumb face. A squeaky giggle escaped her mouth. That was almost as good as turning him into a toad.
R.A. Sapp lives in beautiful Orange County, California. He is married to Rebecca and together they have two children--Abigail (The Healer) and Christian (The Wizard). In addition to reading and writing, Mr. Sapp enjoys running and mountain biking. He has run several half-marathons (including completing the Beach Cities Challenge in 2014) and hopes to complete a triathlon someday.
You can find and contact R.A. Sapp here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage. These are the prizes you can win:
- 3 signed paperback copies of Tara Nikkel and the Dream Mage by R.A. Sapp (US, UK and Canada only)
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
Posted by,
0 comments
Hi! Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog. Wishing you a dreamy day!