Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Erika Lewis's debut Middle Grade novel, Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts, the first title in the The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts series. Today, on our tour stop, we have a sneak peek with an exclusive excerpt AND a tour-wide giveaway to share! So... Be sure to check it out and pre-order your copy now! Follow the tour, HERE.
Genre:
Middle Grade
Fantasy/Adventure
Series:
The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts, #1
Publish Date:
March 1, 2022
Publisher:
Starscape Books
Synopsis:
Brimming with Celtic mythology, action, and danger, Erika Lewis's Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts introduces readers to a new kind of magical school and a warrior who must choose with which side of an epic battle her destiny will lie.
The Otherworld is at war. The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts trains warriors. And Kelcie Murphy—a foster child raised in the human world—is dying to attend.
A place at AUA means meeting Scáthach, the legendary trainer of Celtic heroes. It means learning to fight with a sword. It means harnessing her hidden powers and—most importantly—finding out who her parents are, and why they abandoned her in Boston Harbor eight years ago.
When Kelcie tests into the school, she learns that she’s a Saiga, one of the most ancient beings in the Otherworld. Secretive, shunned, and possessed of imposing elemental powers, the Saiga are also kin to the Otherworld's most infamous traitor.
But Kelcie is a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to find her parents and her place in their world. Even if that means making a few enemies.
*Excerpt*
1
KIDNAPPED!
Pt. 2
Kelcie was the last off the bus, the frigid air seeping through her jean jacket and hoodie. As she slung her backpack higher on her shoulder, a woman fell in step behind her.
Kelcie glanced over her shoulder, seeing a silver boston’s finest patrolman’s badge on the woman’s lapel. Snow-white hair in a bun, a baseball cap, her hand gripping the top of a baton, the cop tossed Kelcie a lopsided sardonic grin that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Police gave her the heebie-jeebies. Grilled for hours more than once for things she didn’t do, and a few things she did, Kelcie never took it as a good sign when they came too close. She picked up the pace, scooting around bodies until classmates surrounded her.
The museum was busy and loud, with loads of parents with strollers and other classes roaming around. Kelcie slowed her pace, walking several steps behind the rest of her classmates, hoping they’d forget she was here.
“Stay with the group,” someone called from up ahead.
She hung her thumbs on her backpack strap and stared at the blue veins running through the polished white marble floors as they jolted up a few flights of stairs, through an echoey muraled rotunda, and into a room that transported them into ancient times.
There were Egyptian pharaoh statues, chiseled stone tables with hieroglyphics, cabinets of jewelry from ancient Greece and Rome. It was all nice enough, but what Kelcie found in the next room was way more interesting.
Shields, swords, spears, knives, and staffs hung on the wall, all at eye level, all begging to be touched. Kelcie checked to make sure the room was empty, then ran her finger over the grooves on the pommel of a long sword. The placard said it was Viking. Another glance over her shoulder told her she was still alone, her classmates’ conversations and laughter wafting from the other room. The coast was clear. Kelcie set her backpack down. A thrill ran through her, shifting her pulse into overdrive as her fingers hovered over the grip. She knew she shouldn’t touch it. Knew she would probably get caught, but that never stopped her before. Her lips curled into a mischievous grin as her fin- gers wrapped around the cold metal grip. The steel blade was so heavy it took two hands to lift the sword off the rack.
She lunged, thrusting the tip at a round wooden shield, care- ful to stop before it struck, then pivoted, taking a wild swing, almost cutting Elliott Blizzard’s head off.
Praise for Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts
“Be prepared, it will be hard to take a break from Erika Lewis’s The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. The action leaps off the page, rich in ancient Celtic mythology and taut with emotion, with characters who are flawed, human, and awesomely gifted. Middle-grade readers with a thirst for high adventure with all the feels, in the tradition of J. K. Rowling, Tamora Pierce, and Lloyd Alexander, have reason to rejoice.” ―Peter Lerangis, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Wonders series
“You’ll be on the edge of your seat while reading, and while waiting for more to come in this rich and engaging world. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and the Harry Potter series.” ―Janet Fox, award-winning author of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
“Fast-paced and oh-so-fun, this exciting story celebrates the importance of friendship and the power of kids’ choices. I couldn’t put it down!” ―Alyssa Colman, author of The Gilded Girl
“With vivid world-building and a marvelous blend of mythology and magic, Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is a rip-roaring ride pulsing with the heart of its fierce and tenacious heroine! The opening installment of this epic new fantasy series will leave readers clamoring for more.” ―Alysa Wishingrad, author of The Verdigris Pawn
“Move over Hogwarts, there’s a spellbinding new school in town. Enroll yourself for myth, mystery and magic. Not to be missed!”―Cavan Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: The Rising Storm
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**About the Author**
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| Photo Content from Erika Lewis |
Erika Lewis grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, spent summers with her grandparents in Worcester, Massachusetts, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California. With a passion for storytelling set in magical places, she spends as much time as she can traveling. When she’s not writing, she can generally be found scribbling notes in a blank book while wandering through abandoned buildings, all kinds of museums, and graveyards.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, her list of credits straddles the comics and novel space, including Game of Shadows from Macmillan’s Tor Books, Firebrand and Acursian from Legendary Comics, #Guardian from Awesome Media & Entertainment, and The 49th Key from Heavy Metal Publishing. The Color of Dragons is her debut YA, coming from HarperTeen October 19th, 2021, and Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is her middle grade debut coming from Starscape/Macmillan March 1st, 2022.
Stay connected with Erika Lewis
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***The Giveaway***
Giveaway Open Internationally | Must be e13+ to Enter
- ends February 7, 2022
Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box
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