Happy
Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!
I AM HOSTING DERYN PITTAR ON MY BLOG THIS WEEK AND FEATURING HER ACTION PACKED YOUNG ADULT.
EVERNIGHT
TEEN turns two this month and we’re having a huge party to celebrate!
It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece
of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!
Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The
more you blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry
per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.
Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for
you to add, including Deryn's featured book…
“A TASTE OF GOLD”
Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN’s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad
Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your
email address to be eligible to win):
What is the name of the Taniwha interviewed below. Answer
correctly (with correct spelling) and go into the draw for a copy of this great
Young Adult.
The birthday blog hop continues here:
INTERVIEW WITH A TANIWHA
After reading “A TASTE OF
GOLD” I sent our Reporter from the Te
Puke Times, up into the hills behind Muir’s Reef to find and interview the
Taniwha who lived there.
Our intrepid reporter eventually
found the cave of the Taniwha and after a long wait and many sandwiches later,
the creature erupted from the middle of the deep pool, showering our man with
water and drenching his microphone. With his knees knocking together like
castanets and his ears ringing from the combined hum coming from a lot of
pebbles on a nearby ledge, our man quavered his first question.
“Hello Sir. I understand your name
is Otanewainuku. How do you pronounce that?
“OH-TANNY-WHY-KNEW-KEW”
Our man realized the Taniwha voice
was echoing in his head, not aloud. He dropped his microphone and took out his
tablet to write down the answers.
“How long have you lived here?”
“FOR MANY CENTURIES I HAVE LIVED HERE, BEFORE MAN ARRIVED AND BEGAN TO
STEAL THE GOLD AND GEMS FROM OUR LAND.”
The huge beast, his emerald scales
glistening wet, thrashed his tail and reached his forearm out to stroke the
stones along the ledge, rolling them with his claws.
“THESE
ARE MY GEMS. I CALL THEM HUMMING STONES. THEY SING TO ME.” He stroked the wall with
his tail following the wide yellow band that circled the cave’s walls, before
it divided to cover a far ledge. “THIS IS
MY GOLD. IT KEEPS ME WARM IN THE COLD SEASON.”
Our man digested the glorious sight
of the widest band of gold he’d ever seen and presumed the pebbles to his left
were masses of uncut diamonds. He scribbled before attempting another question.
“Could you explain what you do with
your time, Sir?
“I
CHECK THAT THE UNDERGROUND RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE FREE FLOWING. I HUNT FOR
HUMMING STONES AND DIG FOR THEM WHEN I HEAR THEM SINGING. THEY GET LONELY ON
THEIR OWN.” Again he rolled the pebbles along the ledge and our reporter’s
ears ached. “ IF MAN DIGS FOR MY GOLD I
FILL THEIR TUNNELS WITH WATER. I HAVE FOUND THAT STOPS THEM.”
Our reporter thought the beast
grinned. Whatever he did seemed scary and his teeth look very sharp. Was this a
lone Taniwha? The book had mentioned Kotuku, another Taniwha in Katikati.
“Do you have any relatives, Sir.
You know cousins, mothers, and fathers – that sort of thing.”
“I
HAVE FAMILY ALL OVER THIS ISLAND AND MANY IN POUNAMU, THE SOUTHERN ISLAND. MY
COUSIN KOTUKU LIVES A GOOD SWIM AWAY. HE GUARDS THE GOLD IN THE COROMANDEL.”
“Do you see him often?”
“WHEN
WE MEET WE PLAY GAMES THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND RIVERS AND THE GROUND SHAKES
ABOVE US. MAN CALLS OUR GAMES ‘EARTHQUAKES’ – THEY SHOULD CALL THEM TANIWHA-
SHAKES.” The Taniwha thrashed its tail, stirring the water into a
whirlpool. I WILL GIVE YOU ONE HUMMING STONE. IT WILL TELL ME IF YOU LEAD OTHER
PEOPLE HERE. I GAVE THREE TO THE TWIN-WHO-COULD-HEAR-MY-STONES. I WILL KNOW EVERYTHING YOU DO.”
No entirely sure taking a ‘humming
stone’ was a good idea our man began to back down the narrow tunnel. A long
claw hooked into the front of his jacket and pulled him back to the edge of the
pool. Fear ran up and down his spine like a trickle of ice water and his heart
pounded so hard his throat tightened. He had trouble taking a breath.
“YOU
CANNOT REFUSE MY OFFER. TO OFFEND A TANIWHA IS TO ASK FOR DEATH.’
“I certainly don’t want to offend
you, Sir. No way. Not at all.”
The large clawed foot dropped a
small uncut diamond into our man’s palm with the gentleness of a kitten’s pat.
Our man closed his fist over the stone and a hum warmed his body, calmed his
pulse and sang in his mind. He had a friend for life – and couldn’t tell a soul
he’d lost his heart to a stone.
“Thank you very much,
Otanewainuku.” But he was speaking to an empty cave. The Taniwha had slipped
back into the pool while our reporter’s brain and body had been held captive.
All that remained were the widening ripples that lapped at the caves walls. Had
he imagined it? He looked at the stone in his hand. Quite a big diamond.
Perhaps he could have it cut and mounted on a ring?
“Noooooo,” sang the humming stone,
and our man changed his mind about doing that. He even began to have second
thoughts about writing an article about the Taniwha. After all who would
believe him?
“Quiiiite riiiiight,” hummed the stone, warming his palm
before he slipped it into his shirt pocket where it nestled close to his stolen
heart.
******
YOU CAN POP OVER TO www.virginnia-departe-books.com AND SEE MY SCI.FI. ROMANCES PLUS LISTEN TO EXCERPTS FROM MY BOOKS. DERYN'S YA IS LISTED THERE ALSO.
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