Oldenglen
by
Robin Mason and Michael Mason
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
Middle Grade Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
The
last thing twelve-year-old Jax wanted was to leave his city life in
England for a remote and rugged corner of Oregon―but he hasn’t
had any say in the matter.
Although
Jax hates it there, he is drawn by the deep woods, as if something or
someone is pulling him in. The more he explores, the more he senses
the presence of a hidden magic. Joined by Sarah, the granddaughter of
the land’s owner, he begins to unravel the secrets of the glen.
But
when invaders threaten the wildwood and its inhabitants, Jax and
Sarah―and a most unusual army―must prepare for war.
Great
peril has come to Oldenglen, but who and what must Jax and Sarah
confront in the battle to save it?
EXCERPT;
“All
woodfolk, be still!” called a voice. Even Acorn was now seated and,
unusually for her, quiet.
“That’s
old Gaffer Grayowl, Keeper of the Green Glade,” Squiffle explained
to Jackson in a whisper. “Dear me, he says the same thing every
time, but sometimes he forgets bits and has to go back. Hooter will
take his place one day soon.” Jackson spied the round-faced owl off
to one side.
“The
tradition of the Gathering of the Woodfolk is a long one, going back
for countless ages,” boomed Gaffer. “Our broodfathers and
broodmothers, and theirs before them, and theirs before them, and
still more before them, have gathered in this place in times of great
peril. I bid you remember that the Green Glade and the way here and
home are the only places where, by agreement from long ago, a
creature is safe from any other. Some of you represent your own
kindred, but any woodfolk are welcome.” Jackson looked around. This
night the glade was full. The glen would be unnaturally quiet
tonight. Sarah squeezed his hand.
“Who
calls this Gathering?” asked Gaffer.
“I,
Pondlefoot Badger, cub of Grey-Muzzle Badger and Growler Badger of
Badger Tree, and Friend of all Woodfolk, call this Gathering,” said
Pondlefoot, standing up.
“Take
the Gladestone,” commanded the Keeper. “And say what you have
come to say.”
Pondlefoot
emerged from the press of woodfolk, moving heavily to the center to
stand by the Gladestone. He turned slowly, looking carefully at the
assembly.
“Fellow
woodfolk,” the old badger began, “the glen is in grave peril, a
danger greater than any faced by those who came before us.”
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Robin
Mason
Robin is
the younger son of Michael Mason, co-author of OLDENGLEN. He was born
in England and has lived in Zimbabwe (which was called Rhodesia then)
and Canada.
The
story behind OLDENGLEN came from the time the family was renting a
large estate in British Columbia, Canada, many years ago. As a young
boy, Robin grew up with the written word. Michael, a professor of
English, would read to him every night, including such works as the
Narnia books, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
OLDENGLEN
is the result of that beginning, and the first book in the series
known as "The Oldenglen Chronicles". LONE WOLF will be
published in early 2016.
Robin is
an attorney. He has been married to his wife, Angelina, for nearly
twenty-five years and they are blessed with three children. The glen
dwells deep in Robin; their home is in a twelve-acre forest, which
they share with many four-legged and winged inhabitants.
Michael
Mason
Michael
was born in 1924 in England, which makes him 91-years-old. The son of
an employee of a grand estate in England, as a boy Michael had room
to roam.
Graduating
from the University of London, and after completing a stint in the
Royal Air Force during the Second World War, he began his lifelong
career of teaching, in schools and universities in England, Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe) and Canada. He holds an MA and PhD in English
Literature.
Oldenglen
is Michael’s first novel. He is also a published poet and
playwright and contributor of articles to quarterly publications.
Michael
is married to Muriel and they will celebrate their 60th wedding
anniversary in March, 2016. He is blessed with two sons, four
granddaughters, three grandsons and one newly-arrived great
granddaughter.
Buy on
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Oldenglen-1-Robin-Mason/dp/0994837100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445053912&sr=8-1&keywords=oldenglen
Buy on
Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Oldenglen-Chronicles-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01570C2UI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445053966&sr=8-1&keywords=oldenglen
Buy on
Barnes &
Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oldenglen-robin-mason/1122637838?ean=9780994837103
My review;
"Oldenglen" by authors Robin Mason and Michael Mason is really interesting story for young adults. Jax is only twelve years old and he did not want to go to a remote corner of Oregon but he was forced to. He wanted to stay in England. Jax is not happy in Oregon but, after awhile, he starts to feel like the woods are talking to him. He loves to explore and search for new things. Sarah is the person who owns the lands granddaughter. They search together and realize that there is something happening. Jax and Sarah have to fight when wildwood is under threat of attack. Who are they going to fight? What secrets are hiding in the woods. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for a review and these are my opinions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It's interesting that a transplant from England finds these creatures in Oregon...one might expect it the other way around.
ReplyDeleteWhat (or who) inspired you to write this book?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the question, Jen.
DeleteWhen I was five, we emigrated from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and rented a forested, five-acre property on the west coast of Canada. It was a very old estate, perfect for exploring. We moved after three years, but not before the owner of the property (our landlord) had begun to parcel off pieces of the property for others to build homes. The loss of my 'magical' playground clearly had a profound effect on me, enough that I in effect fought that battle (with words) nearly fifty years later. That story forms the core of the book.
thank you for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteWhat made them want to work together on the book? Is it hard working with your son or fun?
ReplyDeleteSherry Compton
savewish@yahoo.com
I am the son (Dad, being 91, is not much of a blogger). I wanted to work with my father because that is what, other than closeness of family, we have most in common. It was a great way to connect and to communicate, particularly between two people in very different stages of life. Amusingly, some of the writing represented a kind of negotiation or compromise between my father and me. As you can imagine, our difference in ages (nearly 40 years) made for very different perspectives, language, sensibilities etc. For example, I had to defend Jax using the expression "Bloody hell!", which is the most colorful language in the book. My father was aghast at the idea. Winnie the Pooh never said such things, after all. There were a number of generational and other clashes (mild ones), but in some respects that helped the story evolve. We each brought something different to the mix, with a happy result.
DeleteCheers.
Robin
Enjoyed the blurb and excerpt.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rote
Loved the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThank you for informing me about this book
ReplyDeleteWhy did you choose Oregon? The Oregon Coast is my favorite place!
ReplyDeleteHi Renee.
DeleteI chose Oregon for its wildlife, trees(particularly redwoods) low population density and mountainous setting, and for its young wolf population (and wolf history), which fits into the story. That latter aspect is more evident in the second book of the series, Lone Wolf, which will be out in or around March 1st. A preview of the illustration for that book can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/1469617586681163/photos/a.1472469876395934.1073741829.1469617586681163/1492243841085204/?type=3&theater
Cheers.
Robin
I heard Oregon is a beautiful place and I want to visit there some day. Would love to read your books.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robyn!
DeleteRobin
I enjoyed the bio.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rita. My father is a bit of a marvel at 91.
DeleteRobin
I loved the bio and way to go at age 91!
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit Oregon some day.
Thanks, Silvia.
DeleteI will pass that on to my father.
Robin
I appreciate you giving us the opportunity to win, thank you
ReplyDeleteAwesome giveaway, thanks for the opportunity
ReplyDeleteGood luck, James!
DeleteRobin
This looks like an awesome book! I'd love to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThanks, RF! More reviews and news on www.oldenglen.com.
DeleteRobin
I need to read this to find out what is going on! Oh, and I live in Oregon so I will be envisioning it nearby.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy!
DeleteRobin
I like reading and sharing books I know my sisters would enjoy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love that one of the authors is publishing his first novel at 91!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Meredith. I had my father push the button "Publish My Book" on CreateSpace. It was a nice moment.
DeleteMy sister would really enjoy this, thank you
ReplyDeleteThe girl in the book is Sarah. She also appears in the second book, Lone Wolf. You can see the illustration for that here: https://www.facebook.com/1469617586681163/photos/a.1472469876395934.1073741829.1469617586681163/1492243841085204/?type=3&theater
DeleteRobin
Thank you for hosting us, Nana, Mommy and Sissy!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you everyone for stopping by.
Oldenglen is the first book in the series known as The Oldenglen Chronicles. The second book, Lone Wolf, will be published around March 1st.
The best of 2016,
Robin and Michael (Mason)
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I loved the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone in this book named Glen, and is he olden?
ReplyDeleteThinking of what I might buy for my kids if I won, thanks again for the chance
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review!
ReplyDelete--Trix
Hi Robin, I have really enjoyed reading your answers! Great post, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betty. There is definitely a story behind every book!
DeleteGreat excerpt! I'm looking forward to reading this one, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria. I hope you enjoy our books.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your review, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have let my sisters who read every minute they can about this book, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book for my granddaughter, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNice excerpt, and thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDelete~ KateS
Great giveaway and I am having fun with this
ReplyDeleteHope you're not getting tired of hearing from me but thanks again for the awesome giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis is one terrific giveaway, thank you again
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your review on this book, sounds terrific!
ReplyDeleteI love that you and your father collaborated on this book. I enjoyed the entire post but I admit that I enjoyed reading the BIOS the most! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteStarting off a new week and thanking you again for this giveaway
ReplyDeleteThis is great and I appreciate this opportunity
ReplyDeleteMy daughter said if I win she needs a pair of shoes for gym class so I appreciate the opportunity.Thank You!
ReplyDeleteWeek is going by quick and with 6 days to go on your giveaway. Thanks again for the chance
ReplyDeleteHappy to be a part of this tour, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS AGAIN FOR THE CHANCE AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
ReplyDeleteHave a great Saturday and thanks again for this opportunity
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Sunday and thank you for the giveaway
ReplyDeletePleased to have the opportunity to win this giveaway. Have an awesome Monday!
ReplyDeleteLast day and thank you so much for this chance at winning
ReplyDelete