Bad Chinese Food, a guest post

Is there any better find than when you first unearth a truly great Chinese restaurant? Months of searching for the perfect Moo Shu Vegetable dinner reach their climactic end when you take your first bite of something truly delicious, and all other restaurants fall by the wayside.

Such was the bliss of my takeout experience… until my guy moved. The replacement menu looked the same, but tasted vastly different. And thus, I am back on my quest to find decent Chinese food. This has led me to many a hole-in-the-wall, chain and Thai-Japanese-Chinese tie-ins. Each time, I get my hopes up, dreaming for the deep-fried tofu and spicy peanut sauce with vegetables to magically appear and taste every bit as amazing as the long lost dish that proved to be the gateway drug for me. Alas, my ventures have proved unsuccessful. Anemic noodles, nondescript brown sauce, overpowering soy sauce, and so many disgusting water chestnuts that by the time I pick them out, there’s only a bit of limp celery and two pieces of broccoli to pretend to enjoy. This is not my Moo Shu.

Finding a great book series is a lot like the perfect Chinese restaurant discovery. Every page is delicious, begging you to forget the hour and indulge to your heart’s content. Then when it’s over, you’re left feeling like the egg roll addict you know you are, still jonesing for your next fix. Thus begins your search for the next great addiction.

I’ve set about sating these cravings in two different ways. The first one was to write a four-part fantasy fiction mythology series where frequent Cassandra Clare users, Rowling addicts and Tolkien enthusiasts could jump to safely after closing the last page and still wanting more. Saga of the Spheres kicks off with “The Silence of Lir”, available on amazon or at www.sagaofthespheres.com. There will be no MSG or flavorless duck sauce here. Only the best for fans of the best.

My second project was written to give Harry Potter fans a place to land after devouring the series and foregoing sleep for weeks in their quest to defeat Voldemort. “Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter” is a comedy about the highs and lows of being a fanboy (or fangirl). It is available on paperback, ebook and audiobook through amazon. Harry Potter nuts (of whom I proudly identify myself with) will land safely after coming down from the high of the best-selling series, safely book-ending the experience with a happy little fortune cookie bow.

The Silence of Lir

By Mary Twomey

ASIN: B0087LX826  $.99

Book One

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

Behind the scenes of our spinning earth are keepers of the elements who make sure that tornadoes don’t destroy cities, fires don’t ravage forests, earthquakes don’t decimate towns, and floods don’t take out humanity. They wrestle with the natural elements to ensure that the world keeps spinning smoothly on its axis.

Since the beginning of time, the Sun has been fading, and the light that shines on the earth is dimming, causing the elements to be more volatile and impossible for the keepers to control.

Now they must enlist the help of one man, Finn, to help them bring the light back to the Sun. The keepers war, the North Star steals light from the Sun, and the Moon is in disrepute. The end of existence is coming, and all the while the king, the Moon, Lir, remains silent.

Secrets

By Mary Twomey

ASIN: B0087LX8NK  $3.99

Book Two

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

 

An earthquake caused by Wren and Satchel’s ill-fated tryst brings forth a prophecy that sends the unrest and the Delegation into a tailspin. Immortals on the earth must be abducted and hidden from the North Star’s greedy grasp.

Vespera’s fury erupts as the Unrest begins to splinter off from the Moon behind her back. Attacks that should be used on the enemy target her supposed allies. Seeds of doubt, betrayal and rebellion begin to sprout in the Realm of the Sun and the Moon, causing division, subterfuge, and deadly attacks.

An evil that was locked up centuries ago is unleashed and let loose on the earth. There are those who fight for unity, those who struggle just to stay alive, those who battle for control, but a few begin their secret plans for a revolt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sword

By Mary E. Twomey

ASIN: B0087M0N8M  $4.99

Book Three

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

 

What’s left of the Delegation fights to keep the Order with a man down, and the Unrest in hiding. Three keepers work tirelessly to safely harbor the restless immortals, maintain their elements, and counter Red Flame’s insatiable attacks. The Unrest’s light is dwindling as they remain hidden from Vespera on earth.

Close quarters and unstable power lead to tension and confusion as they try to find a way to be helpful to the Order without being taken out in the process.

Henry cares for Satchel’s son, and trains him to follow in his parents’ footsteps by being ready to defend the light at all costs. Lir’s body is located, Vespera rages her search for more power when she cannot find the Sword of Secrets. Somehow Stella winds up in the middle, a girl without a friend suddenly thrust into the spotlight and forced to accept her lot in life, being the voice of truth when no one will listen.

Though she and the keepers try to fight for the light, it is inevitable that they all may soon lose themselves to the darkness.

Sacrifice

By Mary E. Twomey

ASIN: B0087XI3SS $5.99

Book Four

Genre: young adult fantasy fiction

Light is being stolen, immortals are waking, wombats are untrustworthy and a dead body are rising. After a long time of wishing they could jump into the battle, the Unrest finally has their day in the Sun. Unfortunately, that day is filled with almost certain death.

Ash comes into his own and joins his parents to fight Vespera and Red Flame. Henry rejoins his own people, only to find that the lair will never be the same again.

Prophecies are unearthed, lives lost, and lines of loyalty blurred. Stella’s body begins to break down slowly, while Lake loses her immortality.

The sword of secrets fights to find its true owner, though none of the keepers can predict the sacrifice that will come.

About the Author:

Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her husband and two adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.

Connect with Mary:

www.facebook.com/#!/SagaOfTheSpheres

Twitter @shesleepssoftly

www.SagaOfTheSpheres.com

www.JackandYani.com

Other books by Mary E. Twomey:

Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter

ASIN: B00A8QWL3A  $3.99

Best friends Jack and Yani do everything together. After Yani’s thirtieth birthday party, however, she decides to leave town on a spontaneous vacation to visit all the sites of the young adult fiction novels she loves, hoping that when she returns, she’ll have buried the secret flame she has for Jack.

Forced by his friends to go on a road trip to track down Yani, Jack learns a lot about his best friend by reading the novels she’s been obsessed with. From vampire hunting in Forks to searching for wizards in Florida, Jack confronts his greatest fears –that he just might love Harry Potter…and perhaps, Yani.

Mary Twomey’s books have been promoted at dozens of comic book conventions across the globe. She gives seminars on writing fiction, and writes book reviews for www.thechristianmanifesto.com.

For more information on Jack and Yani Love Harry Potter or Saga of the Spheres, including review copy requests, please contact Lynn Jaymes with Sparrow Communications at 646.450.3701 or lynnjaymes@gmail.com.

 

“If she’s not careful, she may find herself being followed by a fandom of her own.”

 – Robbie Fischer, http://www.Mugglenet.com