West of Noreaso

by Michael Poeltl, Lisa Poeltl

Classic portal fantasy for all ages.

Don't Step on a Crack! You can't hear your mother's screams when your foot falls flat on a crack in the land West of Noreaso, but rest assured - she's screaming...

October 31st, Halloween night, a deafening thunderstorm, two siblings, their grandmother’s mirror and a sequence of superstitions finds Jackson and his little sister, Eloise in a strange new world, where superstition is law and bad luck lurks at every turn. Good fortune, though smiles upon them when three unlikely volunteers shepherd the children in this bizarre world as they journey through the lands West of Noreaso, learning how to thwart bad luck and collect good luck as they find their path home.

78 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2013

About the author

Killing karma is the latest Thriller from Michael Poeltl - A series of killings has cast a reign of terror over Detroit, and even the seasoned Detective Harlow has no idea what to make of them. As a cop, he understands revenge killings, but these homicides are taking the concept of payback to new heights. If you like a little noir with your crime fiction, this book is for you!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0995288534/

Killing Karma Reviews:
FIVE STARS "Loved it! Was immersed from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it would play out." Rita from Goodreads
FIVE STARS "From the opening paragraph to the last sentence I was captivated; at times I found myself holding my breath…" David from Goodreads
FOUR STARS "A highly gripping tale that builds a believable world full of unexpected twists and turns." Madame from Goodreads
FOUR STARS "Such an interesting and fresh take on serial killers... absolutely loved the way the author intertwined the whole concept of past lives into the main plot. Every detail really added more to the story." Chanelle from Goodreads

The Blind Affect launched on June 22nd, 2021 to some great advanced reviews:
FIVE STARS “... a sometimes disturbing but always profound look at three characters whose lives take haunting courses... 'The Blind Affect' will leave you with a lot to think about.”
FOUR STARS “[Poeltl] doesn’t tell us, he shows us the lives of these characters. He shows readers what trauma looks like and what is healing. It’s a timely story...”

Other book reviews:
"A well-built fantasy world with likable characters." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The characters are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable flaws, motivations and goals, doubts and beliefs.." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"A great read for anyone who enjoys extensively built worlds." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The immense interest provided by the world, technology, action and characters kept me reading happily" - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"Very well done and I am looking forward to reading book 2." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"Reading Michael Poeltl’s A.I. Insurrection is like watching a master’s level chess tournament." - A.I. Insurrection - Armageddon - Goodreads
"If you like book one like I did, you'll like book 2 even more. " - The Judas Syndrome - Book One - Goodreads
"As someone who writes myself, I can honestly say I'm jealous over that ending. I wish I'd written it." - The Judas Syndrome - Book One - Goodreads
"I had trouble putting it down the first night and finished it in one day." - The Judas Syndrome - Book One - Goodreads
"I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone, and I can not wait to read more from this author." - The Judas Syndrome - Book One - Goodreads
"I loved that the stories were of varying lengths because it made it easy to read a quick story while taking a break. I definitely recommend giving this collection a read." - Waning Metaphorically - Goodreads

By 2022 I’ll have published 14 books ranging in genres, with two trilogies, a series, and many standalone books. It has been my absolute joy to rediscover the love of writing. To revisit those childhood freedoms where you can do anything and be anyone. I’ve also merged my love of visual arts with writing, including illustrations in a few of my young-reader books.

Discovering your purpose is a massive step in realizing your best life. Gifting myself the right to be an author has afforded me incredible growth as an artist and as a human being. I write with a renewed devotion to offer stories that inspire and entertain, stories with depth of emotion and original plots.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught my attention as I love anything to do with superstitions, so it defiantly seemed to be a perfect book for me. Having now read it, I’m not disappointed. The book follows brother and sister (Jackson and Eloise) who believe in superstitions, and on Halloween a mirror falls on them and they are transported to West of Noreaso were superstitions are real. As Jackson and Eloise journey through this world they are aided by three unlikely volunteers, who along the way teach Jackson and Eloise how to thwart bad luck and collect good luck, as they journey to find their path home. I loved their journey all the way through, as each chapter related to another superstition, which I found to be a real nice touch. Even though the intended audience is children, I found it to be a book that anyone can read and enjoy no matter their age. Upon completing this book, it got me asking myself "Where did superstitions originally come from?" In my opinion any book that can get the reader asking questions afterwards is well worth reading, therefore it's definitely one of the most interesting books I've read in a while!

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodread Gveaways. Besides reading it myself, I also read it aloud to my nieces and they loved it. Both the main characters were really fun and the superstitions being real was a nice touch. I loved their journey all the way through, so it's definitely one of the most interesting children books I've read in a while! My nieces and I can't wait to see if they go on any new adventures!

[Michael Poeltl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of fun. Superstitions, though I don't have any of my own, have always fascinated me. Where did they come from? What purpose did they serve? In West of Noreaso, they are the law of the land and must be adhered to in order to live. Jackson and Eloise find this out the hard way once they are magically transported one Halloween night. As an interpretive illustrator, I included a few drawings to help illustrate the story and appeal to a younger audience.

If you love Halloween and wonder about superstitions, this is your young reader novelette.

Thanks,

Mike