Fury of the Storm Wizard by Shauna Black

I am SOOOOOO happy to announce the release of my very good friend's book: Fury of the Storm Wizard.

I fell in love with this story several years and several versions ago. I love the concept-- magic in the Old West. A shape-shifting dragon (Boone) masquerades as a human when he has to, but loves to be able to fly freely whenever he can. Boone is a character you can't help but love. He's fun, kind-hearted, mischievious, and is hopelessly addicted to ice cream.

Jesse, a human boy about to be a thunder mage is also endearing. He is a half-orphaned boy who is trying to make sense of way too many changes in too little time. His mom dies and he is struck by lightning all in the same day. The lightning brings to life magical powers that had lain dormant his whole life and causes him no end of trouble.

Add in a whole cast of colorful characters and you have one entertaining middle school read. This book is perfect for reluctant boy readers--full of fun and magic and a glimpse into what the world was really like 150 years ago. (minus the magical dragons and mages, of course--but then again, people say there is magic all around us, so who knows?)

SYNOPSIS

A storm is brewing in Silver Valley, where an unusual string of mining accidents has locals whispering of dark magic. When the marshal sent to investigate goes missing, his young assistant Boone turns to Jesse and Eliza for help. But Jesse is a new mage with raw magic, and Eliza is hiding a secret. The three must learn to trust each other before the valley is destroyed and they are ripped away from everything they hold dear.

EXCERPT

Jesse skidded to a stop, pulling away from Eliza. Squeezing his eyes shut, he spun around in one smooth motion, pulling the gun up to his shoulder and squeezing the trigger. He thought he heard a high-pitched squeal just before the gun’s report set his ears ringing.

Jesse risked cracking his eyes open to see if he’d hit anything. The basilisk wasn’t far away, rearing back with a bloody scratch along the side of its face. Jesse felt a crushing disappointment. He’d only grazed it. But then a rumbling began under his feet. There was a whoosh of air from the stope opening, and a wave of heat following it.

“Oh, no.”

A huge ball of crackling lightning formed and raced toward them.

“Run!” he screamed at his friends. “Run!”

For more fun, check out these delicious recipes for Boone's favorite treat: ICE CREAM!

LEMON CUSTARD ICE CREAM

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/lemon-custard-ice-cream

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-ice-cream-sandwiches

APPLE STREUSEL ICE CREAM

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-streusel-ice-cream

“FRIED” ICE CREAM

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/no-fry-fried-ice-cream/7da4a317-81f2-4347-a030-01ef8e28167b

VANILLA ICE CREAM

3 cups milk

1 ¾ cups sugar

½ tsp salt

1 can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 cups cream

Dissolve sugar in the milk. Add remaining ingredients. Place in ice cream maker and churn until frozen. Makes 4 quarts.

BLACK FAMILY ICE CREAM BASE

1 large package gelatin, any flavor

1 cup boiling water

1 ½ cups sugar

1 large package instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups heavy cream

6 cups milk

1 cup fruit, chopped

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, stir together sugar and pudding mix. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla, cream, milk, and dissolved gelatin. Stir in fruit. Place in ice cream maker and churn until frozen.

Not only is Shauna my friend, she is one of my heroes. I saw her a couple times while she was battling cancer (we live in different states) and she always had a smile on her face and a positive faith-affirming outlook on life.  

Please check out her book at. Read the free sample then purchase it. You'll be glad you did. :)

When Shauna E. Black was diagnosed with cancer in early 2012, her author aspirations were put on hold. Now, almost two years later, she will realize her dream as she publishes her first novel, Fury of the Storm Wizard.

Jesse, the main character of Fury of the Storm Wizard, must find courage as he grapples with the death of his mother and a move from the Kansas prairie to a Colorado mining town, where Jesse discovers he has astonishing magical power.

When he befriends a girl scarred by fire and a young dragon disguised as a human, Jesse finds strength to overcome his challenges. Together, the teens must uncover the truth behind a string of deadly mining accidents and foil the plot of an evil mage before Jesse can learn to control his magic and use it to save his friends and family.

Like Jesse, Shauna found strength to defeat cancer in the support of her loved ones. They gave her the courage to make her dreams into reality. Fury of the Storm Wizard will be available the first week of December 2013 in paperback and ebook formats at online booksellers. Please visit http://www.thunderstrucknovel.com or http://www.shaunablack.com for more details.