Friday, January 24, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza Finale: CHAPTER ONE!!


Well, folks, this has been a tremendous week. A week of fantastic art. A week of quirky characters. A week of straight-up fun!

You've seen the cover reveal, met some of the good guys: Prudencethe FabrikatorFebruaryRePeter, and even the bad guys: Captain Bleak, the Mayor, and the notorious Match King

Thank you all so much for joining me during BEWILDER-Palooza, but don't worry! There's going to be more fun when Bewildered releases!

Until then, please enjoy the first chapter...

...and don't forget to get enter the drawing for a free ebook- you have until midnight tonight! *at bottom of post

Presenting...

*SAMPLE*


Written by A. B. Harms
Illustrated by Angie Kwon


CHAPTER ONE
In which Prudence Receives an Ill-Fated Telegram

Professor Pinochle's wriggly hand scrawled a collection of markings on the blackboard at the front of his class of twelve-year-olds. The students moved uncomfortably in their seats, and beads of sweat sprouted from their brows. It seemed Professor Pinochle lived under the illusion he still taught mathematics at the university instead of at a small private school for girls. After five minutes of chilling squeaks and rapid chalk scratching, he turned toward the class, his face covered in white dust, his eyes looking as large as plums through his bottle-glass lenses.

"I need a volunteer," he warbled in his ancient voice.

A perfectly manicured hand shot into the air. The class groaned. The only thing worse than Professor P's intense calculations was the student who never missed a chance to show off her brilliance. A girl whom everyone knew but nobody liked.

Prudence Parks.

"My prized pupil, do come forward." Professor Pinochle couldn't hide his pride; his chest puffed out with it. He considered himself quite the educator, though Prudence was the only student he hadn't thoroughly confused. With a smirk, Prudence nearly skipped toward the blackboard.

Professor Pinochle took the time to make the class dislike her a little bit more. "Take note, girls. Keep up with your studies and perhaps you can be like Prudence one day."

"And make everyone want to vomit," someone whispered.

But Prudence didn't hear, and neither did Professor P, who was too busy watching his shining star work the mile-long equation with ease. Thirty seconds later, Prudence was on her way to her seat, her nose too high in the air to notice her classmate's foot crossing the aisle.

Boom. Down went Prudence. "Ouch!" She scrambled up, rubbing her knees where they'd slammed into the wooden floor.

"Oops, sorry. Accident," a girl with bright-yellow curls said with a grin. The other girls snickered.

"Prudence, are you okay?" asked Professor Pinochle, who had missed the whole thing.

Prudence glared at the girl. She knew it hadn't been an accident. This kind of thing happened all the time. Gum magically got stuck in her silky black hair, her shoestrings miraculously tied themselves together under the dining table, and inkwells couldn't help but spill over her freshly pressed dresses.

Always, she heard the same line: "Oops. It was an accident." No, it wasn't. It was on purpose because everyone was jealous. She hadn't asked to be perfect, but it was a responsibility she took seriously. Though it won her no friendships, Prudence was proud as peaches of her genius and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Besides, today was special. Today her father was coming home.

"I'm fine, Professor. Just clumsy." She glared at the curly headed girl and took her seat. As she admired her handiwork on the board, the x's and decimals in all the right places, she beamed. No amount of "accidents" would bother her today.

It had been months since her father had left for the deserts of Africa, but she was used to his absences by now. He—Orville Parks—was a writer and adventurer, and when he got it into his head to do something, nothing could deter him. His latest quest? To find the Sandman.

"There's no such thing as the Sandman, Father," Prudence had told him. She suspected he was crazy, but that didn't make her love him any less.

"We'll see about that," he had replied, his blue eyes sparkling. Though they had the same eye color, her father's eyes had some quality Prudence never saw in her own reflection. What it was, she could never figure out. Eyes were eyes, weren't they?

"It's fairy dust," he told her. She always shook her head at that. How silly could someone be? There were no such things as fairies. Or giants, or pixies, or talking animals. Some things just didn't exist, and the world was fine without them. But still he had left her, in search of something that wasn't even real. As always when saying good-bye, he'd kissed her on the forehead, once on each cheek, then on the tip of her nose, and recited, "My heart, my soul, and even my skin, I'll be broken until we're together again."

She was broken, too. Like a little part of her heart was missing, and though it could still beat and pump her blood as it was supposed to, there was always a tiny ache deep inside. Thankfully, it would feel normal again soon. And just in the nick of time, too. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand undiluted time with Mrs. Godfrey, her plump and excitable nanny. Mrs. Godfrey meant well, Prudence knew, but still, she was worse than Prudence's father—blaming late-night creaks on ghosts, missing socks on gremlins, and her stories of wish-granting fish? Well, it was all more than Prudence could bear most days.

"Ms. Parks?" Professor Pinochle said, "Prudence Parks!"

Prudence started. The room was empty. Had she been daydreaming? Her cheeks went hot at the very idea.
"Class is dismissed," he said, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, of course. Good day, Professor." Prudence scooped up her books and left the room with as much dignity as she could muster. Finally it was time to go home.

Ah, home. Where she could be herself. Where she hung her clothes according to weather and hue. Where her dressing table held her grooming tools in the order she used them each day. Home. Where even her plate was a place of order with exactly the right amount of food from each of the food groups, never mixing, and always eaten in clockwise order.

Prudence stepped into the foyer, which was much quieter than usual, and went down the hallway. Mrs. Godfrey was at the large wooden table in the breakfast nook, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with a scrap of paper. Prudence tried to tiptoe past. Probably some neighborhood news had sent her into a tizzy. Or maybe her prized roses had been used as a litter box again.

Prudence knew better than to get involved, but the woman's eyes missed nothing. Mrs. Godfrey rushed to the doorway and clutched Prudence to her oversized bosom.

"Oh, Prudy . . . " She could barely speak as she handed over a soggy telegram. In Mrs. Godfrey's suffocating embrace, Prudence read the message.



Prudence twinged. "This can't be right. No, Mrs. Godfrey. It's a mistake."

Her father? Dead? It didn't make sense. But her nanny only cried louder.

In her room, she assured herself he would be back in three hours, as scheduled, and her routine would go on as usual. French on Friday, study sessions all day Saturday, and a father/daughter picnic at the park on Sunday.

Three hours came and went. Then a day. And another. Still, her father didn't come.

Prudence moved about her life in a trance. Professor Pinochle couldn't rouse her from her seat, no matter how difficult his equations became. She didn't notice when she drank salt in her tea instead of sugar, much to her classmates' dismay. Then on Sunday, instead of sitting on a blanket while her father reenacted his adventures, she followed Mrs. Godfrey around the market in a confused and awkward silence. Four days passed.

On the fifth day, Prudence paced in her room. She stared at her personal library, not seeing the thousands of books. There was no pleasure in riding the ladder around the perimeter of the shelves. Even the Prudence-shaped imprint in her favorite study chair couldn't make her feel right. Everything was . . . off.

The staff bustled in, out, and around. They hung white sheets over the handcrafted wooden furniture and packed a trunk on Prudence's behalf, which sat leering at her from the middle of the floor like a dark stranger. Where was he? Why hadn't he come back?

The house became a revolving door of weepy-eyed visitors offering head pats and "poor little dears." Words like "condolences" and "loss" were uttered in hushed tones. But Prudence wasn't pitiful. She was too strong for that! She was angry. How could something frail and papery cause so much destruction?

That witless telegram. How dare it presume anything!

She was forced to skip Latin class on Monday to sit in a depressing parlor filled with portraits of her father and listen to people she rarely saw as they spoke of his greatness.

Not great. Selfish, that's what he was. If he were great, he wouldn't have left her. He would have come back.

By the time she missed chess on Tuesday, she was furious—but things were going to get worse.

In a law office downtown that reeked of furniture polish and hair oil, Prudence sat in a cold leather chair and was informed that, with no living relatives, she had to leave her house of bricks and sensible cream rugs to live in a home for foundling children.

An orphanage? Prudence's fuming mind pictured unruly monsters with frayed hair and unkempt dress, fighting over bowls of gruel.

Her life, her home, and her perfect schedule were ripped away. In her mind, her screams shattered glass, but outwardly she was stone. Without a word or so much as a solitary tear, she accepted a passenger ticket and a small, rectangular box wrapped in brown paper—her only inheritance.

***The End of Chapter One***

Thank you for joining me this week for BEWILDER-Palooza! Look for the release of the ebook by 2/14/14 and the print versions (hardback and paperback) by 2/28/14.

NOOK OWNERS:
SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99



Enter to win an ebook copy! Contest ends at midnight tonight, 1/24/14!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 23, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!!! Day 6: the MATCH KING

"It's lonely being the bad guy." ~the Match King

The...Match King
*shudder*

Now you meet our villain. The reclusive, ancient...Match King. 

The Match King is a sneaky one, and though everyone is terrified of him, Prudence has no idea who he is. From her point of view, he's interesting...fascinating even. After all, he is a scientist, like her, and he understands how she feels- trapped, lost, and confused. He offers to return her to our world--all she has to do is find the Paper Heart. He doesn't sugar coat it--the Paper Heart is mysterious, hard to find--but if she doesn't, she will never escape the wilds of Bewilderness, and that's a chance Prudence can't take.

But the Match King's assistance comes at a price...the whole Bewilderness to be exact. By the time she realizes his plan, she's so in love with the people and the sights, she's not sure what to do. She has to go home...but she has to save her friends too! The Match King will stop at nothing to have his way, to exact his revenge upon...oh- just read it and find out for yourself!

Check out the cover reveal from Friday's post, and if you haven't already, meet Prudencethe FabrikatorFebruary, RePeter, Captain Bleak and The Mayor, too! 

Come back tomorrow for the grand finale of BEWILDER-Palooza!!... The first chapter of BEWILDERED!!


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!!! Day 5: CAPTAIN BLEAK and THE MAYOR

After meeting the good guys, it's only fair to introduce the competition. I give you two of "the bad guys!"

"This ain't just any ship. This is the Unforgiven
And I'm Captain Bleak, leader of this cursed crew." ~Captain Bleak

Captain Bleak.

Captain Bleak is a cutthroat pirate captain. If his sword doesn't kill you, his breath certainly will. He's vile, ruthless, and stuck for all eternity leading his mangy crew as they sail on the Sandsea all around the Corridor. His ship, the Unforgiven, is a Spanish galleon that sails over desert dunes rather than ocean waves. And though it looks like a barren wasteland, we get clues that perhaps there's more to the Corridor than meets the eye.

When Prudence meets Captain Bleak, she's set to impress him, but she's sorely disappointed when he's none too pleased with her usual smarty-pants remarks. The two quickly become foes and the rest will go down in history as being one of the grossest, loudest, funniest duels ever to the grace the page. 

***

"We all know there's no such thing as humans." ~Mayor of Wonderville

The Mayor

He's controlling. He's angry. And he's knee-high to a grasshopper. He's Mayor, the Mayor of Wonderville. 

As excited as Prudence is to finally reach her destination, the Mayor is quite the opposite. As a matter of fact he's piping-hot mad about it. After a mix-up over who Prudence really is and where she came from, the mayor and the rest of Wonderville make an instant judgement over Prudence's fate. Banishment. What happens next, you'll have to read to find out.

Check out the cover reveal from Friday's post, and if you haven't already, meet Prudence, the Fabrikator, February, and RePeter, too! Don't forget to come back tomorrow to meet the worst of the "bad guys": The Match King!


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!!! Day 4: REPETER

"She knew RePeter wasn't her father, 
but he really was the next best thing." ~Bewildered, chapter 25

RePeter. He's a doppelganger.

From the moment we meet Prudence, she's pining for her father. As much as his wiley antics make her eyes roll, she loves her father more than she'd ever admit aloud. When she gets the telegram about his death, she's devastated and winding up in Bewilderness only makes Prudence feel worse.

But then she crosses paths with RePeter, and who is he but her father--Orville Peter Parks's--doppelganger!

With the exception of their eye-color, the two are practically twins. One from our world, and the other from Bewilderness. They share a lot in common, especially their love for Prudence. As soon as Prudence finds RePeter, she's torn. Does she continue searching for the Paper Heart to get home...or does she abandon the Match King's quest and stay with RePeter in Bewilderness forever? It's a tough choice, to be certain. What will she do? You'll have to read to find out!

Check out the cover reveal from Friday's post, and in case you haven't already, meet Prudence, the Fabrikator, and sweet little February. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to meet a couple of the "bad guys": Captain Bleak and the Mayor!


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 20, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!!! Day 3: FEBRUARY

"Her name is February because I made her with love in my heart 
and snow on my eyelashes." ~ The Fabrikator

This is February.

Created by the Fabrikator's magical fingertips, February is a living ragdoll who the Fabrikator insists Prudence should take along for her adventure. Prudence, being her stubborn self, wants nothing to do with poor February and is very--well--beastly about the way she treats the timid creature. The Fabrikator refuses to take "no" for an answer, however, and sends the two girls out the door with a reminder in Prudence's ear that, "even the most courageous need friends."

February is the essence of kindness, loyalty, and love. She has shiny, brass-button eyes, is made of yarn and ribbons, and cries pearl tears. Her and Prudence are perfect companions, right? I think so too!

Check out the full cover reveal from Friday's post in case you missed it, and check out Prudence and her gypsy friend, the Fabrikator too! But don't forget to come back tomorrow to learn about another character in Bewildered's "Good Guys" cast: RePeter!!


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, January 19, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!!! Day 2: THE FABRIKATOR

"It looks like we'll be traveling together. How divine." ~ The Fabrikator

Introducing, the Fabrikator.

Readers, meet the Fabrikator, Fabrikator meet the readers. Fabrikator, they're coming with us on this adventure.

"Well hello, darlings. This is wonderful, just lovely. While we're on the subject of travel, do remember to hold on to your hair, because this is going to be a ride to remember."

We first meet the Fabrikator when she squeezes through the train cabin's door and into our hearts. She's sweet, she's patient, and she's impossible to rattle. Whether barreling through the Nothingness on a rocket-quick train, or trying to deflate Prudence's bad-attitude, she does it with a graceful smile. Her instincts border on telepathic and her charm makes everyone, even Mr. Bunnypunter, the abrasive steward aboard the Destiny Express, a grateful friend. She's someone you can't help but to love, and you know she'll love you right back.

Her two, energetic monkey-friends, Knit and Purl, are with her where ever she goes--just one, big, happy family. The Fabrikator travels under, around, and between worlds--our world, Bewilderness, and who-knows-where-else--doing what?

"Why, fabricating things, of course!"

As a matter of fact, she fabricates something very important to this Bewilderness Tale, something we would never have wanted to do without, something you'll find out more about tomorrow! I'll give you a hint...her name is February.

Check out the full Cover Reveal from Friday's post, and in case you missed it, meet Prudence, too! But don't forget to come back tomorrow to learn about another character in Bewildered's "Good Guys" cast: 
February!

BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, January 18, 2014

BEWILDER-Palooza!! DAY 1: PRUDENCE

"I'm a lady and a scientist..." ~Prudence Parks

Now that you've seen the fantastic cover reveal, we should become more acquainted with the characters who make Bewildered happen...

Meet Prudence.

This is our unlikely hero. She's smug. She's self-centered. She's twelve. But nonetheless, she must save the day--whether she likes it or not! And trust me, she doesn't want to have anything to do with it.

Prudence Parks has her life perfectly planned. Academics are her first concern. She's only related to her father, a writer of fiction (ewww!), by blood--nothing more. But on the first day of our story, she receives the terrible news that her father is dead. 

Wham! Bam! Things are happening fast around Prudence, and In no time at all, she's at the train station getting shipped off to an orphanage, her life of luxury and predictability far behind her. 

From the moment she boards the Destiny Express, her main objective is to GET. BACK. HOME. There's just one problem. The train is headed to Wonderville and there's no stopping it. For Prudence, it's one thing after the next as she struggles to finally figure out a way back to her own world.

I love Prudence. She's bright, tenacious, and has a will that is strong as steel. Unfortunately, these same qualities get her in lots of trouble. For starters, she has an issue with authority. Who can blame her? No one likes being bossed around all the time. But Prudence tends to take it too far, doing things that make her everyone she meets detest her.

Obstinate? Facetious? Yes, by the bucketful. She's so self-assured and over-confident that her huge personality can barely be contained in her scrawny body. Offer her advice? She won't take it. Give her a hand? She'll slap it away.  It makes it hard to like her at times, but I promise, there's a little heart of gold somewhere deep inside... waaaay deep inside.

Prudence has a hero's journey to make, and we'll be there with her every step of the way, cringing when she does something wrong and cheering when she does something right. All in all, she's the ideal person to take us on this roller-coaster adventure and I'm so glad to have her lead the way!

Check out the full Cover Reveal from yesterday's post, and come back tomorrow to learn about another character in Bewildered "Good Guys" cast: The Fabrikator!


BEWILDERED
A Bewilderness Tale, Book One
Release Date: February 2014.
PRICE: 3.99

SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

Enter to win an ebook copy! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 17, 2014

BEWILDERED: COVER REVEAL and more...!

Today is THE DAY!!! 
A day to fulfill promises and offer surprises. Are you ready?

Perhaps you've been waiting as long as I have, or perhaps you have heard of A. B. Harms (me) or BEWILDERED for the very first time. No matter--you have arrived at just the right moment. Because this is a pivotal time, the crossing of a threshold, a time of transformation, because this is the exact moment when...

SURPRISE!!
BEWILDERED'S COVER IS REVEALED!

Oh, you thought I'd just post it right here? I will, I will. But first, let me tell you, there's...

A SECOND SURPRISE!


I know, I know. And if that wasn't tantalizing enough, there's....

A THIRD SURPRISE!!!


That's how much I love you all...and BewilderedSo, let's get on with the show. 

Lights. Camera. ACTION!

BEWILDERED is a middle-grade fantasy novel, the first to be set in the wild world of Bewilderness. It's packed with action, adventure, odd-ball characters, and of course, MAGIC! Here--read the blurb!

Prudence Parks is perfect. At twelve years old, she has the world in her pocket. No messy friends. No silly games. Everything is just right—until her father leaves her an orphan. 

When she tumbles into a bizarre realm, known as Bewilderness, nothing is as it should be. Insects talk, pirate ships sail on sand, and plants are just plain evil. After she’s banished for claiming to be human, she thinks the worst is behind her. She’s wrong. The Match King, posing as an ally, promises to send her home if she can find the Paper Heart, an ancient treasure. Battling her sense of logic all the while, she meets a living ragdoll and her father’s doppelganger, who melts her icy heart and—to her regret—gives the Match King perfect collateral to ensure she follows through. 

Prudence realizes the Match King’s plan to erase Bewilderness from existence, but now she must choose: save the world she has come to love, or find her way home.

Sounds pretty fun, amiright!

After over a year of writing and some serious editing, I teamed up with Angie Kwon, who, by the way, is not only a kick-butt artist, but a total sweetheart, and FINALLY saw my dear Bewildered in living color. Now so can you...!

I present....

[drumroll........]

THE COVER...

OF THE MUCH ANTICIPATED...

BEWILDERED!!
A BEWILDERNESS TALE, BOOK ONE


TA-DA!

Ohmygosh! Isn't it wonderful!! There's Prudence right there in the front, and then her entourage: The Fabrikator, RePeter, and of course, dear little February (you'll meet them, don't worry). They're all just PERFECT

Ahhhhhh...I never get tired of staring at this, can ya' tell?

Angie did such an amazing job stuffing as much imagery and meaning into one little rectangle, it just boggles my mind...

See those clockwork bugs? Yeah- they have meaning.

See that raven? Yep- you'll meet him too.

The locket around Prudence's neck? The color of the sky? Yes, yes, all in the story. And if you have super-fantastic-CSI sight, check out the ring on the Fabrikator's finger...I'll give you a second...

It's a pin cushion, with teensy-tiny pins! Yessir, it's in the story. I'm telling you, Angie Kwon is superawesomesauce. Let it be known to all.

Ah, now we can get on to...

BIG SURPRISE NUMBER TWO!

You've read the blurb, you've seen the cover, and now you wonder:
WHEN CAN I GET MY PAWS ON IT???

In honor of our FEBURARY, the adorable living-ragdoll, BEWILDERED will be released in all it's many formats (ebook, paperback, and hardcover) from all major (and lots of not-as-major) online retailers (Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, Sony, Barnes and Noble, KOBO, Flipkart, and more!) during the month of...

FEBRUARY 2014
*that's next month, yo!*

NOOK OWNERS:
SPECIAL NEWS!
For a limited time only, you can PRE-ORDER the eBook version of "Bewildered" for $0.99 at the following retailers:

OK...I know, I know. I said there was a third surprise, and what kind of "cover reveal hostess" would I be if I didn't offer....DOOR PRIZES!

BIG SURPRISE NUMBER THREE!

BEWILDERED EBOOK GIVEAWAY!!
Because it is better to give than receive, I am running a giveaway all this week in celebration of Bewildered!
Though Rafflecopter, you can win an ebook copy of Bewildered!
Entering is easy, just use the Rafflecopter thingamajig below and boom! you could win this amazing book!


this party lasts all week long...
Now that you've seen the beauty of the outside, I want to share some of the inside! Every day for the next SEVEN DAYS, I'll post a about a different character--and as a grand finale, on day seven, I'll post the first chapter!
*Follow these links to meet the characters, and even read the first chapter!
The good guys: Prudencethe FabrikatorFebruaryRePeter
The bad guys: Captain Bleak, the Mayor, and the notorious Match King

Wow. 

I need a nap.

Thank you to my daughter, Beatrix, for helping me with this important announcement. <3





Monday, January 13, 2014

Stay Tuned! This Friday is the BIG DAY!


Hello Future Bewildered Fans!

This is going to be a fabulous week--why? Because it's the start of...

BEWILDER-PALOOZA!

You heard me right! The week has finally come when I will reveal the cover of "Bewildered!" And what kind of reveal would it be if it only lasted one day?? LAME! So...

BEWILDER-PALOOZA will last for 8 days! Starting on Friday, January 17, 2014, when the BIG COVER REVEAL will take place! Then you will get 7 days of more BEWILDERing surpises, more BEWILDERing facts, and last but not least, MOAR BEWILDERing awesomeness!

Join me in just 4 more days for all the Bewilderness you can handle!

It's going to BEWILDER your socks off!