School
of Deaths
by
Christopher Mannino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
A
timid girl finds bravery as the first female Death.
Thirteen-year-old
Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image
of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of
Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living
World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only
female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target.
Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world
where even her teachers want her to fail.
Caught
in the middle of a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must
uncover the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death
in a million years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
She
tried to turn, but the scythe pulled her onward. She coursed through
stars and space, beyond time and emotion. Lighter than a daydream,
she slipped through a crevice: the gap between light and shadow. The
blade twisted, finding its way.
A face
appeared before her: an elderly man she didn’t recognize. Somehow,
she sensed a name: Elias Stoneridge.
She
landed hard, stumbling as her feet hit a tiled floor. Beads of white
light trickled off the blade.
For a
moment, she couldn’t tell where she was. She heard beeps and the
slow intake of air.
Frank
patted her on the shoulder. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Remember,
don’t let anyone else see us,” said Frank, looking around the
hospital room.
Certified
Deaths received special robes to help avoid mortal eyes. Ironically,
the Deaths who’d inspired tales of the Grim Reaper throughout the
ages had been students like her. Students and ones who didn’t make
it back. She shuddered, remembering her skeletal appearance. It
seemed long ago.
A man
lay in a bed, connected to an array of tubes and machines. Suzie
walked to the foot of his bed and read the name on his chart. “Elias
Stoneridge.” The scythe quivered in her hand. The handle pulsed
like a beating heart, or was that only her own heartbeat? No, the
blade felt the soul, it was hungry.
“It’s
his time,” said Frank, patting her on the shoulder. “Quickly,
before someone comes.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Christopher
Mannino’s life is best described as an unending creative outlet.
He teaches high school theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition
to his daily drama classes, he runs several after-school
performance/production drama groups. He spends his summers writing
and singing. Mannino holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education
from Catholic University, and has studied mythology and literature
both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people
helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his
love of reading that truly brought his writing to life.
Mannino
is currently working on a sequel to “School of Deaths” as well as
an adult science fiction novel.
links:
http://www.ChristopherMannino.com
(main)
http://poetsfire.blogspot.com
(blog)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8108129.Christopher_Mannino
(goodreads)
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/fantasy/school-of-deaths-detail
(publishers buy link
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/School-Deaths-Christopher-Mannino-ebook/dp/B00K2GC12M/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1399457365&sr=8-8&keywords=school+of+deaths
Barnes &
Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/school-of-deaths-christopher-mannino/1119059176?ean=2940045799010
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/423893/1/school-of-deaths
https://twitter.com/Ctmannino
https://www.facebook.com/CTMannino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXSSZN6L128
I am not even going to lie, what I liked best was the author's picture :). It is always a pleasure to see a nice looking man.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt, I havent read to many grim reaper stories but I like the idea
ReplyDelete