A Blog Hop Place for Books: Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Pursuit by Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Meet Alexander Drake, a curious young man living in a drab, oversized mansion with his secretive father. He spent his days playing alone. In the back of his mind he wondered what happened to his mother, and why his father was tight-lipped about the past; but secrets have a way of getting out.

It all started with a stay at his grandmother’s cottage. Alexander found strange clues tucked away in his father’s old bedroom. With a mysterious key and several maps in his pack he set off on an innocent search for answers about his family. When he discovered a secret passageway the search took a dramatic turn. He suddenly worried about what was searching for him. Alexander was being hunted by a sorcerer from his father’s past.

Answers lead to more questions and the journey of his life. Join Alexander for a thrilling adventure in Azra’s Pith, a place of beauty and magic… but beware—something evil lurks in the shadows.

Snippet

Ferdinand finally stopped, allowing Alexander to catch up. “Did you bring the key with you, young man?”

“Oh, yes! Is this what you’re talking about?” Alexander pulled the strange key out of his pocket. The sparkle and beautiful chiming intensified in his hands.

Ferdinand was mesmerized. “I haven't seen that key since....” The frog's eyes gleamed. It was apparent he had a connection to the key. “Let’s see if it still works.” The creature disappeared into a thick fern.

Alexander pushed the fern back to find him rubbing his long-fingered hands together with anticipation in front of a large dead tree. “Okay, it’s a dead tree. What are we doing here?”

“Hush!” Ferdinand whispered with a sting in his tone. “We must watch for the Passageway. It appears; then it's gone at the blink of an eye.”

Within seconds, the rays of the sun shot through gaps in the surrounding trees onto the thick trunk. A small portion at the base took on a brassy tone, and radiant emerald leaves instantly sprouted from every curvy branch.

“It’s—it’s—magic—it has to be! Amazing! ” Alexander gasped. This was the tree in his dreams.

A glowing light beamed through the center, forming a slit barely large enough for the key to fit in. Alexander brought his hands to his face, partially covering his eyes. “I—I can't believe this is happening!”

“Alexander, hurry—the key—put it in!”

Alexander fumbled with the key and quickly slid it in the slot. The key turned on its own, without the help of Alexander's nervous fingers. Almost immediately, a portion of the tree dissolved into the tiny specks of light Alexander knew all too well. They danced in celebration, creating an intense energy field.

“Come, Alexander—we must move quickly!” Ferdinand took a blind leap into the specks of light and disappeared.

“I'm afraid!” Alexander was frantic. He had visited this tree in his dreams many times before. Could his mother have been trying to tell him something? “This is crazy! What have I gotten myself into?”

This was far beyond anything Alexander could have ever imagined, but his heart ached for his mother, and he wanted answers. He knew if he truly wanted things in his life to change, this was something he must do. He closed his eyes and took a flying leap into the tree.

Amazon

The Return of General Drake

When Alexander arrived in Verhonia, something went terribly wrong. A dark spell delivered from the mountains of Acadia sent him on a dangerous journey in the middle of the night. As he marched into the mountains, the great city of Verhonia was ambushed and burned to the ground by Roman's army of vicious giant murks. With the safety of the realm in jeopardy, General John William Drake was asked to come back to Azra's Pith. He swore he would never return. But after discovering his son was under a spell and in the grips of a dark sorcerer, he had no choice. Things take a wild turn in the mountains, with runaways, a hungry wolf and a mysterious, young empyrean wizard thrown into the adventure. A tight race against time and evil is in full swing. With faith and a little magic, they just might come out on top.

Publisher

Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat. Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.