FEATURED NOVEL
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STARBURST A PLACE TO CALL HOME Nova spent years in a world she didn’t belong, never knowing who or what she is. Years of questions and confusion, but the time has come for her to find out who she really is and where she belongs. Does she have a family that misses her? Have they been looking for her all along? Are there others like her? What could possibly have happened to bring her into the human world when she was so young?
The answers to all her questions are out there somewhere, and it’s time she found them. It won’t be easy, it may even be dangerous, but it’ll be worth it. Finding her family is only the first step, from there she will have to piece her life back together as she learns the differences between who she is and who she was meant to be. What will happen when she’s thrown into a world she knows nothing about? |
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~Excerpt~
As we continue north, our presence disrupts a cluster of flying insects. Wings similar to that of a large butterfly, are attached to small ball like bodies, but the truly unique thing about these insects is their coloration. As they fly in a shifting formation, their wings change colors from green, like the plants they were resting on, to purples and pinks, creating a distorted image of what I think is a bird. Maybe this is their way of protecting themselves, making them appear larger than they are and less like prey. The further we go, the more beautiful everything becomes.
“You have such a goofy smile right now, I wish you could see yourself.” Iris says with a smile herself.
Laughing I say, “I guess I’m glad I didn’t bring a mirror then.”
“You just keep smiling because we are going to have fun while we’re here, and if you’re lucky I might even make you my famous ‘dragon’s breath stew.’” She says proudly
“Dragon’s breath stew? Um, no offense Iris but you sound like a stereotypical witch when you say things like that.” I can’t help but tease her about being a witch. Over the years it has become kind of a running joke between us, especially since the humans are so oblivious.
“Haha,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’ll have you know it’s a family recipe.”
“A family recipe huh? Well I hope I don’t have any family recipes that sound like it came out of Halloween movie with a green, cauldron stirring, broom flying, children eating…”
“We do NOT eat children! And for the last time, we definitely don’t fly on brooms.” It’s always fun to get her worked up over the human’s fictional version of her people.
Laughing I say, “But the cauldrons are real?”
She mockingly laughs at our banter. “At least we know you won’t have to sleep in a coffin, and you won’t need a flea collar.”
“And I’m totally fine when the full moon comes around.” I giggle.
All joking seems to leave her system and she’s avoiding eye contact as she watches the ground while she walks. “So…what stereotype are we dealing with?”
I knew eventually she’d press the issue, but I had grown used to our easy ‘don’t as don’t tell’ kind of relationship where my lineage is concerned. I had deluded myself into believing it wasn’t important. Part of me has always worried that if she knew that I’m a Seeker, she won’t help me or worse she’d turn me over to the wraith or my keeper. The rational side of me knows that both fears are entirely unfounded, but in the past, I was unable to conquer that fear.
“Nova, you gotta let me in. I can’t help if I don’t at least know who we are looking for.” She tries to hide the slight tremor in her voice as she quietly says, “you can trust me you know?”
She's right, I know I can trust her and the only thing keeping me from telling her everything, is the fear of putting her in harm's way. If only she could understand that I do not mean to hurt her with my silence. Maybe it is time. Taking a deep breath, "Ok... When we make camp, we'll talk about it.
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IHIBRP 5 STAR RECOMMENDED READ
INDIES HELPING INDIES BOOK
REVIEW PROJECT |
“Starburst: A Place to Call Home” is an exciting and introspective story about a young woman on the verge of becoming something more. With few memories of her past, except what comes to her in dreams, Nova yearns to leave her human home and explore beyond “The Veil”—the place of her birth and birth-family. She’s anxious to meet her natural family, test her strange powers, and fulfill her destiny, but the traumas of her past threaten to end her life if she doesn’t find a way to cope with her dangerous heightening abilities.
Galla packs quite a punch in this tense, edge-of-your-seat read. When main characters, Nova and Nash—the man she has dreamt about since she was a small girl captured and sold into slavery—set off to solve the riddle of who Nova actually is, they are faced with overwhelming challenges, physical harm, and an impending danger that can tear them apart forever.
The action is ceaseless, the fight-scenes are breathtaking, the characters are fully-fleshed, and the revelations are staggering in this riveting page-turner. “Starburst” is imaginative, plucky, brave, and daring. It captures the reader from the start and never lets go. But, it is the underlying psychological issues that are presented by Galla in this novel that remain the most profound.
Despite the fact that this is a fantasy read, anyone who has suffered a lifetime of physical trauma and mental abuse will relate well to Nova’s pain and anguish. Her efforts to resolve her own conflicts, as well as her deepening self-analyzing dialogue, provide an insightful glimpse into the guilt, remorse, loneliness, and other types of struggles with which PTSD sufferers must cope on a daily basis. Although “Starburst” is a work of fiction—an escapist read filled with moderate violence, magical characters, and wild adventures—Nova’s personal journey is quite relatable, and Galla’s novel can, therefore, be most helpful to those striving to understand this type of trauma from a first-person perspective.
Kae Galla’s “Starburst: A Place to Call Home” is a thrilling paranormal fantasy that will leave readers wanting more, and fortunately, telling by the amazing cliffhanger at the end of this book, more will be had.
Congratulations to the author on this award-winning story! This novel will be permanently featured on my website at AuthorJBRichards.com under IHIBRP 5 Star Recommended Reads!"
Review by JB Richards
Galla packs quite a punch in this tense, edge-of-your-seat read. When main characters, Nova and Nash—the man she has dreamt about since she was a small girl captured and sold into slavery—set off to solve the riddle of who Nova actually is, they are faced with overwhelming challenges, physical harm, and an impending danger that can tear them apart forever.
The action is ceaseless, the fight-scenes are breathtaking, the characters are fully-fleshed, and the revelations are staggering in this riveting page-turner. “Starburst” is imaginative, plucky, brave, and daring. It captures the reader from the start and never lets go. But, it is the underlying psychological issues that are presented by Galla in this novel that remain the most profound.
Despite the fact that this is a fantasy read, anyone who has suffered a lifetime of physical trauma and mental abuse will relate well to Nova’s pain and anguish. Her efforts to resolve her own conflicts, as well as her deepening self-analyzing dialogue, provide an insightful glimpse into the guilt, remorse, loneliness, and other types of struggles with which PTSD sufferers must cope on a daily basis. Although “Starburst” is a work of fiction—an escapist read filled with moderate violence, magical characters, and wild adventures—Nova’s personal journey is quite relatable, and Galla’s novel can, therefore, be most helpful to those striving to understand this type of trauma from a first-person perspective.
Kae Galla’s “Starburst: A Place to Call Home” is a thrilling paranormal fantasy that will leave readers wanting more, and fortunately, telling by the amazing cliffhanger at the end of this book, more will be had.
Congratulations to the author on this award-winning story! This novel will be permanently featured on my website at AuthorJBRichards.com under IHIBRP 5 Star Recommended Reads!"
Review by JB Richards
