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Title: THE EMERALD CITY
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Release Date: February 5, 2012
Visit J.A. Beard on his website
About the book:
When her parents die, teenager Gail Dorjee
retreats into an angry, sarcastic shell. She hopes it will ease her pain, but
all it gets her is a one-way trip from Kansas to a Seattle boarding school, the
elite Osland Academy.As soon as she arrives, Gail clashes with Diana, the leader of the school's most powerful clique. The Winged make Gail's life hell until she find allies: her airhead roommate; a cowardly fellow victim of the Winged; and, bit by bit, Diana's boyfriend--the seemingly heartless Nick.
Gail soon has bigger problems than Diana. One of her teachers hates her. Glasses shatter and fountains erupt around her. She can't swear no matter how hard she tries. An unseen force is keeping her on campus. And worst of all, she uncovers a plot that will give one person a precious gift at the cost of thousands of lives. Now Gail and her friends must stop the plot--not just to save lives, but to win a brain, the nerve, a heart and a home in this modern urban fantasy take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
THE EMERALD CITY is currently available in ebook format at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords.
Excerpt:
One of my dad’s favorite Holmes quotes was, “When you have
eliminated
all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth.” Maybe I hadn’t eliminated all which was impossible
yet, but this little jaunt would help.
Previous scouting confirmed the front gate at the end of the Golden
Way was guarded by a pair of alert security guards. I doubted the
staff were so stupid as to not inform the guards of which students
were restricted to campus. Even if they weren’t, it would be pretty
stupid of me to provide them with easy witnesses. That left getting
over the walls and fences surrounding the academy grounds. I knew I
could get over at least some of them, but I needed to do it without
being seen.
I neared one of the back walls nestled in a dense patch of trees. A
quick survey of the area revealed no cameras, though they would be
easy enough to hide. After hesitating for a few moments, I walked
toward the high wall. I may have not been a basketball player, but I
still could jump pretty high.
The ground started shaking. Birds burst from the trees into the sky.
I stumbled. The shaking wasn’t intense, but the swaying trees made it
obvious the entire area was shuddering. Thirty seconds later, the
shaking stopped and the ground beneath my feet became solid and
reliable once more.
“That was freaky,” I said, my stomach still flip-flopping.
I had forgotten about Leandra’s warning. There were certain things I
had come to take for granted in my life—such as the fact that the
ground shouldn’t shake. I wasn’t sure if the threat of a funnel cloud
off in the distance freaked me out more or less than an earthquake.
The quietness of the whole thing unnerved me. When the very earth
itself is shaking, at least a little dull rumble was in order.
I took a few deep breaths to try and calm my racing pulse and returned
my attention to the wall.
I reached out and pressed my palm against the brick. A fog clouded my
mind. After I stepped back, I couldn’t remember why I’d even wanted to
touch the wall. A little bit of concentration cleared out the mental
mist, and my purpose resurfaced. I eyed the wall.
“Now, that is just not right,” I murmured. “Not right at all.”
all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth.” Maybe I hadn’t eliminated all which was impossible
yet, but this little jaunt would help.
Previous scouting confirmed the front gate at the end of the Golden
Way was guarded by a pair of alert security guards. I doubted the
staff were so stupid as to not inform the guards of which students
were restricted to campus. Even if they weren’t, it would be pretty
stupid of me to provide them with easy witnesses. That left getting
over the walls and fences surrounding the academy grounds. I knew I
could get over at least some of them, but I needed to do it without
being seen.
I neared one of the back walls nestled in a dense patch of trees. A
quick survey of the area revealed no cameras, though they would be
easy enough to hide. After hesitating for a few moments, I walked
toward the high wall. I may have not been a basketball player, but I
still could jump pretty high.
The ground started shaking. Birds burst from the trees into the sky.
I stumbled. The shaking wasn’t intense, but the swaying trees made it
obvious the entire area was shuddering. Thirty seconds later, the
shaking stopped and the ground beneath my feet became solid and
reliable once more.
“That was freaky,” I said, my stomach still flip-flopping.
I had forgotten about Leandra’s warning. There were certain things I
had come to take for granted in my life—such as the fact that the
ground shouldn’t shake. I wasn’t sure if the threat of a funnel cloud
off in the distance freaked me out more or less than an earthquake.
The quietness of the whole thing unnerved me. When the very earth
itself is shaking, at least a little dull rumble was in order.
I took a few deep breaths to try and calm my racing pulse and returned
my attention to the wall.
I reached out and pressed my palm against the brick. A fog clouded my
mind. After I stepped back, I couldn’t remember why I’d even wanted to
touch the wall. A little bit of concentration cleared out the mental
mist, and my purpose resurfaced. I eyed the wall.
“Now, that is just not right,” I murmured. “Not right at all.”
What are readers saying about THE EMERALD CITY?
An extraordinarily delightful YA paranormal novel, the "clues" to the real
nature hidden behind the curtain are so subtle and so smooth. Excellently
written and characterized, by page 2 I was entranced. Author Beard captures the
inner self of young adolescents admirably, and then puts a neat spin on the
situations they encounter. I loved the approach to bullying that begins the
first chapter-would that such a solution could be fond for every victim of
bullying, and every onlooker afraid to step forward and help.
-Mallory (Amazon Reviews)
-Mallory (Amazon Reviews)
An enthralling, modern take on the Wizard of Oz told through the captivating
voice of Gail Dorjee. You get the whimsical aspects of the old story that are
expertly interlaced with new twists that will have the characters eagerly
reading to the end.
-Reading by the beach (Amazon Reviews)
-Reading by the beach (Amazon Reviews)
The Emerald City is witty, entertaining, and an imaginative retelling of Wizard
of Oz. No matter how well you know the original, you will be surprised and
amused by this recreation of the beloved tale.
-Alana Lee Rock (Amazon Reviews)
About the Author:
J.A. Beard is a restless soul married to an equally restless
soul. His two children are too young yet to discuss whether or not they are
restless souls. When he hasn't been writing, studying history, or making excuses
for not writing, he's tried his hand at several careers including intelligence
analysis, programming, and research science. Though he likes to declare himself
the Pie Master, he's yet to prove his worth in the brutal baking show-downs of
Celebration, Florida.
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