Join Willow, author of the children’s fantasy novel, Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor (Outskirts Press, Aug. ‘09) , as she virtually tours the blogosphere in November on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!
Willow grew up in Albuquerque, NM, in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, always with her nose in an Oz book or else out under the peach tree in the back yard, looking for fairies. After she grew up, moved to CA, and graduated from Occidental College, a few aptitude tests suggested she should be a novelist, but she didn’t try her hand at it until her thirties. By then she’d forgotten her childhood love of fantasy and over the years tried her hand at a variety of genres. None of the stories really captured her imagination and each time her interest petered out. But the years passed and one day, in her fifties, she felt a yearning to read Lord of the Rings, which she had never read. Halfway through, she knew that all along it was children’s fantasy she wanted to write. And so she began writing the tale of Tirissa, who loved to be out under the trees, and it turned into Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor.
You can visit Willow’s website at www.Tirissa.com.
One day twelve-year-old Tirissa discovers that everyone in her village is under a spell. Everyone but her! Then she sees a mysterious stranger change into a huge bird, a bird with a beak like a sword. Did he cast the spell? Desperate to find someone who can break it, she flees, leaving her village behind.
Soon she meets some wood nymphs and learns, to her surprise, that she is part wood nymph.
An old herbwoman tells her to seek help from a wizard who lives far away, a journey that will take her across the Three Kingdoms. Along the way she’s joined by a kindly troll and a reluctant palace guard. They are pursued by the twin princes of Kellayne, the best hunters in the Blue River Kingdom, as well as by the huge, dangerous bird.others—they’re telling you something important about your hopes, your dreams, and your writing.
Meanwhile, an evil wizard watches Tirissa and her friends in his magic mirror and plans a second spell that will kill everyone in the Three Kingdoms.
She hid as high in the tree as she could.
Here he came. He limped up, looking in every direction. She stayed perfectly still. He broke off a dead branch and poked under the bushes, and then peered up at the trees, muttering to himself. Her heart pounded and lurched. At last, he seemed to decide she wasn’t nearby, and he stood quietly for a while as though waiting. She couldn’t imagine what he was waiting for.
Finally he looked around one last time, and then his nose began to lengthen and harden until it turned into a long, pointed beak. His thin legs grew thinner and bent backwards at the knees. Brown feathers sprouted along his arms, which grew longer and longer until he had huge wings.
She almost gasped out loud.
Who was he?
What was he?
He looked around one more time and then limped to the crest of the hill. With a few flaps of his wings, he soared into the air, his lame leg hanging awkwardly.
He began to circle overhead, searching.
Searching for her.
Read the Reviews:
“What a fun book to read! Magic, spells, enchanting journey and surprising friends. I thoroughly enjoyed joining Tirissa on her mystical journey. It was fun to escape into the world created by Willow, the author. Tirissa is a sweet young girl who takes on a magical journey along with the help of a newfound friend, a troll, to save her friends Will she be able to lift the spell? Will she complete the journey? This is the perfect story for a young teen or an even better bedtime story to read each night before bed to older children. The characters are well developed and surprising. Tirissa encounters the same feelings and dilemmas faced by many teens. She has the responsibility of an adult but is not far from a child herself. This is a perfect gift for a young girl but it will also appeal to children and adults. “
-Jennifer S.
“The wind blew and the earth trembled, and Tirissa a young girl of 12 becomes the only one around with true life in her eyes. She’s from the village of Oakenwood. She believes a bird, known as “the Beak”, cast a spell on everyone. She knows she must find help for the village. Here is where her magical journey begins in this book titled “Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor”.
Tirissa’s first stop after leaving the village, leads her to being captured by none other than a troll – “Oglo”, who becomes a very important friend to her throughout the story. She finds out she must travel to the palace and along the way and when she reaches the palace more than you can imagine will take place.
So, what do a necklace, deadening stone, crystals, and wizards have in common? The author, Willow does a wonderful job with these fantasy characters and magical items keeping you entertained and interested in this story. This is a very good fantasy read for a young adult.“
-M. Stanhope
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Willow’s TIRISSA AND THE NECKLACE OF NULIDOR VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Nov. 2 and end on Nov. 27. You can visit Willow’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of November to find out more about this great book and talented author!
Thanks, Tracee! You did a great job setting up all the stops on my book tour and now it’s off to a good start!