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:

Barnes and Noble

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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:

Barnes and Noble Booksellers

Enter to win an ebook copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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:

Barnes and Noble

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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:

Barnes and Noble

Enter to win an ebook copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Bewildered! So, 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:

Barnes and Noble

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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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: Prudence, the Fabrikator, February, RePeter
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

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!

The Raven's Last Supper

Source

Upon a thick gnarled branch sat a raven. He was a handsome bird, and not without his faults. His two main vices were: eating berries and thinking too much of himself. The berries he loved the most were inside the landscaped gardens of the large white house on the hill. The people who lived there disliked him very much, and had laid many traps for him to stop his berry eating. But the raven was as smart as he was handsome and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't stop him from stealing the delicious, juicy fruit.

On one occasion, the people had placed a bowl of the sweet berries inside a large birdcage. The raven found the test irresistible. With one strong wing, the raven kept the door lifted as he slurped the berries into his gullet, then sat hidden in the branches of the tall oak bemused as he saw the people examine the empty cage and bowl, scratching their heads in disbelief.

Another time, they installed a fine mesh net over the bushes. After his sharp talons shredded the net, he ate more than his fill out of pure spite. He barely managed to lift his haughty frame into the air as a shovel came whizzing past his head, swung by the lady of the house, who had been gardening nearby. It had been close, to be certain. But as he slowly digested his meal and shined his black feathers with his stout beak, he smiled. The people would never outwit him.

On a particularly fine day, while gazing at his reflection in the still waters of the pond, that aching feeling came over him. Hunger. And when the raven was hungry, there was only one thing to eat- the sweet, red, juicy, delicious berries in the yard.  Over the tops of the trees the raven flew, silhouetted against an azure sky, his mouth watered in anticipation.

From the air, he spotted the bush. It was extra full, nearly folded over with its tasty crop. He dropped lower to the ground, looking for what he was sure would be there- a trap, a puzzle, a new-fangled contraption- something which the people would foolishly believe could stop him, and which he would undoubtedly overcome. But, there was nothing.

The raven drew closer to the ground, still circling. There was no cage, no net, no trip wires, no tape, no sticks, not a single thing standing between him and his supper.

“They’ve given up.” He cawed with glee. “They’ve learned that there’s no stopping a genius raven like me.” A moment later, he was tail-feathers deep in the bush, munching on the berries without a care in the world.

So busy was he, that he didn’t notice the sleek, black fur parting the grass.

So busy was he, that he didn’t see the large, round pupils or long, black whiskers below.

So full of conceit was he, that he didn’t ponder for a moment why the songbirds had all gone quiet.

With a pounce and a momentary rustle of leaves, the berries were safe, and someone other than the raven, was contentedly full from lunch.