A Kiss Like This, Ney Sara

Spanning the North-lands history, from ancient times to the pastoral present, A Knot of Trolls features seven such evildoers. Seven trolls and the ordinary youths called by chance or by destiny to take a stand.

"The Troll's Belt" stars motherless Brys Arnsson, challenged as much by his own deceit as by his troll foe. "Crossing the Naiad" presents shepherd girl Kimmer with a dangerous tragedy from the distant past.

"Skies of Navarys" follows two friends with a vehement difference, their contested decision to decide the fate of thousands. In "Resonant Bronze" Paitra and his brother struggle to claim appropriate guilt - neither too much nor too little - and thereby defeat a troll warlord.

"Rainbow's Lodestone" offers the spirit of the rainbow a chance to learn that the smallest places birth freedom. "Star-drake" stalks a pitiless troll-herald to defeat - or is it victory? - utterly unforeseen.

And in "Perilous Chance" young Clary needs a miracle. But her miracle - when it comes - sports razor-sharp talons, world-shaking power, and a troll-witch to guard its sleep.

Seven tales of magic balance death and destruction against destiny and hope.

PRAISE FOR J.M. NEY-GRIMM

"It's no secret...that I have favourite writers. J.M. Ney-Grimm is one of them, and with good reason - her writing style is unique, and engrossing." - James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes review

..".Ney-Grimm paints a vivid, lush picture worthy of the Peter Jackson treatment." - D.J. Gelner, Amazon review

..".the world depicted is magical, but the people are very real." - Mary Anna Dunn, Smashwords review

"Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip...I'm really pleased to have discovered her " - Mira, Amazon review

EXCERPT FROM A KNOT OF TROLLS

She was eleven, and she was hurt.

Her leg lay under her, knee throbbing. Her arm ached, the broken bone within sickening in its pain.

But worst of all, worst of all, a vast shadow loomed above her, dark wings spanning distances too great for the grotto enclosing them, razor-sharp talons sparking with the spitting blue fire of a strange power.

"No, please, no," she whispered.

How had it come to this? Her day had started so ordinarily, getting breakfast for herself and her sister, because Mama could not. She cast her thoughts desperately back to the morning.

I'm there. Not here. I'm there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

Almost as much as he loves playing pranks.

But when Earth's guardian Gaia bids Mercurio to organize a circus act for Sol's birthday celebration, the joke's on him.

While Mercurio wangles his way around the captious refusals of his would-be stilt-walkers and clowns-"No, no, and no "-the somber guardian of Pluto plots a darker scheme.

With the subtle delight, clever misdirection, and teasing wordplay that Mercurio himself enjoys, J.M. Ney-Grimm tells a tale of steeply rising stakes in a clockwork solar system ruled by the gods of ancient Rome.

PRAISE FOR J.M. NEY-GRIMM

"It's no secret...that I have favourite writers. J.M. Ney-Grimm is one of them, and with good reason-her writing style is unique, and engrossing." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes

..".Ney-Grimm paints a vivid, lush picture worthy of the Peter Jackson treatment." -D.J. Gelner

..".the world depicted is magical, but the people are very real." -M.A. Dunn

"Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip ...I'm really pleased to have discovered her " -Mira

EXCERPT FROM DEVOURING LIGHT

Draco loomed large, reptilian, and uncooperative in the center of his refuge. His tails cracked, emphasizing his displeasure.

"Would she let me devour her, younger cousin?" he asked, a sly note edging his harsh tones.

Mercurio slipped on a spill of star dust, swallowed complaint, and sprang upward. Might as well spread his sandal wings. He maneuvered away from Draco's twitching tails toward the dragon's face.

Draco yawned.

A miasma of burning cold belched from his gullet.

Ah Not directly in front then. Right.

Draco snickered, and Mercurio shuddered. A blast furnace opening its maw, that's what it sounded like, despite its chill.

"I don't need your blandishments to coax Juno. I've blandishments of my own," Draco remarked.

Too true. But surely Mercurio possessed something Draco wanted. "Name your price " he blurted. Uh, oh. That was a mistake. Cronos only knew what the dragon might come up with. And once he settled on something, he wouldn't take anything else.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands. Look for her novels and novellas at your favorite bookstore-online or on Main Street.

Motherless Brys Arnsson digs himself into trouble. Bad trouble. Tricked by a troll in J.M. Ney-Grimm's richly imagined North-lands, Brys must dig himself and his best friend back out of danger. But that requires courage . . . and self-honesty. Traits Brys lacks at depth.

A twist on a classic, The Troll's Belt builds from humor-threaded conflict to white-knuckle suspense.

PRAISE FOR THE TROLL'S BELT

"I loved this story It is lively, perky and interesting. While the author notes it is "a re-casting of Hansel & Gretel with a Norse twist," I found the storyline to be much more creative and original. I am looking forward to reading more from J.M. Ney-Grimm " - W. Walsh, Amazon review

"The writing style is fantastic. It's somehow youthful (as it's through the eyes of a twelve year old) and mature at the same time. Normally, it would be a challenge to discuss...responsibility, loyalty and forgiveness with such a young "voice," but Ney-Grimm does so easily. The result is a thought provoking tale...Heartily recommended, and it's made me look forward to reading more of her work " - James J. Parsons, GoodReads review

EXCERPT FROM THE TROLL'S BELT

Brys slammed the door behind him and stomped across his room in fury.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

Did Jol have to sweep the floors each afternoon when school let out?

No.

Did Jol have to wash the curing cheese wheels in his motter's dairy?

No.

Did Jol have to help put up vats of kraut when too many cabbages were ready in the garden?

Of course not.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair

He banged open the shutters of his bed nook, threw himself down on the mattress, and punched his pillows a few times.

And now he wouldn't get to go to the solstice bonfire either, shun it

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

Sarvet walks with a grinding limp, and her mountain culture keeps girls close to home. Worse, her mother emphasizes all the things Sarvet can't do. No matter how gutsy her spirit or bold her defiance, staying put means growing weaker. Yet only boys get wanderyars. Lacking their supplies and training, how can Sarvet escape?

Can dreams-even big dreams-and inner certainty transform impossible barricades into a way out?

KAUNIS CLAN SAGA

The Hammarleeding people dwell in the high mountain valleys of J.M. Ney-Grimm's North-lands. They wield a tribal magic born of dance and song and the flow of sacred waters.

Ritual and tradition hold a special place in Hammarleeding culture. Their rites are beautiful and uplifting, but they underpin a way of life that features many thou-shalt-nots.

In each story of the Kaunis Clan Saga, one woman-or one man-challenges the shibboleths that threaten her-or his-particular bright dream.

Sarvet's Wanderyar (1)

Crossing the Naiad (2)

Livli's Gift (3)

Winter Glory (4)

Each installment presents a unique protagonist from a fresh generation of the family. The stories stand alone and need not be read in order.

PRAISE FOR SARVET'S WANDERYAR

..".great introduction to the Hammarleeding's society that left me craving more. Sarvet is a wonderfully strong female character..." -P. Saternye

..".it's an entrancing story with a character you care about, and desperately want to succeed..." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes

"J.M. Ney-Grimm has woven a beautiful, multi-layered tapestry... All the characters, human and otherwise, in her world are well-rounded and believable." -Barbara Karp, Readers' Favorite

EXCERPT FROM SARVET'S WANDERYAR

Tense and furious, Sarvet shook her mother's angry grip from her forearm. "I'll petition the lodge-meet for filial severance," she snapped, and then wished she'd swallowed the words, so hateful, too hateful to speak. And yet she'd spoken them.

The breeze swirling on the mountain slope picked up, nudging the springy branches of the three great pines at Sarvet's back and purring among their needles. Their scent infused the moving air.

Paiam's narrowed eyes widened an instant-in hurt?-flicked up to encompass the swaying tree tops behind her daughter, then went flat.

"You dare " she breathed. "You're my daughter. Mine alone. And I'll see to it that you and every other mother in the lodge knows it too. You'll stay under my aegis till you're grown, young sister, even if I must declare you careless and remiss to do it "

Oh

Sarvet only thought she'd been mad before. "You never wanted me " she accused.

Was it true? Or was she just aiming for Paiam's greatest vulnerability, aiming to hurt? Because under her own rage lay . . . desperation. Something needed to change. She just didn't know what, didn't know how. And didn't want to be facing it right now, facing her mother right now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands. Look for her novels and novellas at your favorite bookstore-online or on Main Street.

She's certain the answer lies in a fragment of folklore and magic half-remembered from her childhood. Almost certain.

She wouldn't need forgotten magic if only the men and women of her secluded mountain culture dwelt together. But the women-and Livli-inhabit their sister-lodge atop its lofty bluff, while the men live apart in their brother-lodge several valleys away.

Unless she can force a change, Livli stands to lose everything . . . including the most precious thing in her life: her son.

A story of secrets, shibboleths, and deep-forged strength told with all the insight and engaging intimacy that J.M. Ney-Grimm brings to epic fantasy.

KAUNIS CLAN SAGA

The Hammarleeding people dwell in the high mountain valleys of J.M. Ney-Grimm's North-lands. They wield a tribal magic born of dance and song and the flow of sacred waters.

Ritual and tradition hold a special place in Hammarleeding culture. Their rites are beautiful and uplifting, but they underpin a way of life that features many thou-shalt-nots.

In each story of the Kaunis Clan Saga, one woman-or one man-challenges the shibboleths that threaten her-or his-particular bright dream.

Sarvet's Wanderyar (1)

Crossing the Naiad (2)

Livli's Gift (3)

Winter Glory (4)

Each installment presents a unique protagonist from a fresh generation of the family. The stories stand alone and need not be read in order.

PRAISE FOR LIVLI'S GIFT

..".fascinating and insightful..." -P. Saternye

"I started reading and couldn't put it down. I love the world and the characters..." -Diane Riggins

EXCERPT FROM LIVLI'S GIFT

Mmm. It was so peaceful in the library.

The memory of her departure from home intruded on Livli's quietude. There was an unpeaceful scene: Thoivra shrieking and shaking her finger at a horrified brother.

Poor skinny Issat had no idea he wasn't welcome in the foyer of Kaunis-lodge. He figured he was walking with Livli for the first leg of his journey to Tukeva. And she was going out the front door. Why shouldn't he?

Thoivra told him why. This is the lodge, not the healing spa. Get out

Livli shook her head. "Ugh I don't want to think about Thoivra right now," she told herself. "I want to enjoy not being in the same place she is. Enjoy my break from the bustle of the spa. Enjoy Siajotti's tranquility."

Although her earliest memory of Siajotti-lodge was the reverse of serene.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands. Look for her novels and novellas at your favorite bookstore-online or on Main Street.

His curse turns on the choices of his childhood friend Elle. She once shared Kellor's idyllic rambles through the wilderlands. She now loves all things musical. Might Kellor persuade her to neglect her own dreams to confront his lethal nightmare? Should he?

But no troll-witch permits her prey to escape with ease. The illusory loopholes in Mandine's curse all twist back to its entombing heart.

J.M. Ney Grimm tells a lyrical Beauty and the Beast tale, rife with moments of shining glory, dark magnificence, and unexpected significance. The fate of an empire, a people, and a world unfurls from Kellor's deeds and Elle's choices.

PRAISE FOR TROLL-MAGIC

..".Troll-magic has a certain poetic style I've yet to come across elsewhere. Descriptions are...evocative, characters are natural and complex..." -James J. Parsons, GoodReads

"This is the kind of book that you keep thinking about... All through the day you will find yourself hoping for just a few minutes to pick it up again. Loosely based on a familiar folk tale, the world depicted is magical, but the people are very real." -M.A. Dunn, Smashwords

"Troll-magic was a fun read... This story mixes adventure, romance, life lessons and, of course, magic. J.M. Ney-Grimm has created a fascinating new world. Her detailed descriptions and colourful writing style bring the world of Silmaren and the Norse-lands right off the page and into life." -W. Walsh, Amazon

"Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip... if you're looking for an intelligent, fun and interesting read, I highly recommend this book." -Mira, Amazon

EXCERPT FROM TROLL-MAGIC

In darkness he touched his nose, felt his ears. Oh Sias They were larger. More deformed. Horror shook his fingertips. What should he do? What could he do?

Chaotic memory gripped him. Stabbing tangerine light and agonizing pain. His body taken by unfathomable force and twisted, reshaped.

What was this? Where was this? None of it made sense. And the absolute blackness didn't help. He took a deep breath. And another. There. He was steadier now. Some sort of solution existed. He could sense it, just out of reach. Closing his eyes against the dark, he stretched his mind. He'd done . . . something . . . last . . . night? It didn't matter when. What was it he'd done? He tried again to call it to mind, pressing against the blankness in his thoughts. Breathing was part of it; patterned breathing. Which reminded him that holding his breath wouldn't help. Someone . . . a teacher, had told him that tension inhibited . . . something. He sighed. Patterned breathing. Fine, he would do some. He breathed out to a slow count of three, then in for the same.

And then he had it. Patterned breathing and patterning. He was a pattern-master. Or, at least, an apprentice one. And he'd done . . . not patterning, last night, but a forbidden version of it. Something other.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.