Asha of The Air Scores Coveted Kirkus Starred Review
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A life of beauty and privilege isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, in spite of what’s shown on “reality” TV.
Asha Of The Air, the powerful, sophisticated new book from filmmaker and author John Huddles, transports readers to the far future to tell the tale of Asha, a possibly mythical, possibly factual princess, whose life is at once magical and miserable.
As the last daughter of an ancient house, Asha has inherited a palace and its wonderous surroundings. But she’s stuck in a loveless marriage, and her lands are being pillaged for a native mineral that is extremely rare and valuable. She is resigned to her fate, until a stranger enters her life and opens her eyes to new possibilities. When tragedy separates the would-be lovers, Asha breaks free from the abusive prince she married at age 17 and embarks on an epic trek of body and mind to acquire self-knowledge and gain agency over her own life. Along the way, she must imagine a path beyond the totality of her past mistakes — before hope itself comes to an end.
A Kirkus “starred” review has called Huddles’ narrative, “A rich, dreamy tale that’s infused with spirituality. The prose style is accomplished and often unrestrained, with simple dialogue but descriptive flourishes and lengthy musings on meanings and motivations. The result is immersive and beautiful — a tragic romance that will appeal to lovers of diverse, original storytelling.”
A mix of legend, adventure and spiritual exploration, Asha Of The Air interweaves European chivalric tradition and the teachings of sacred Hindu texts to craft a brilliantly immersive world where fantasy and science, history and myth combine to form a tale of intense emotionality.
Asha’s story is strikingly relevant to the way that today, in 2022, the sexes are renegotiating the balance of power and learning how to reconcile the urge to dominate with the need to love.
In his day job as a filmmaker, Huddles is developing a limited series based on his novel for movie producer J. Todd Harris, most recently Co-Executive Producer of the Oscar-nominated Trial Of The Chicago 7 and Executive Producer of the Golden-Globe-winner for Best Picture (Comedy Or Musical) The Kids Are All Right, among many others. Huddles’ own films as writer-director include the sci-fi fantasy The Philosophers, praised by The Los Angeles Times as “impressively written and directed … unusually creative and ambitious … packed with smart, provocative ideas.”
To learn more about Huddles and his new novel, please visit www.AshaOfTheAir.com or www.JohnHuddles.com.
Asha Of The Air Publisher: Notable Publishing ISBN: 9781735853529 ISBN-10: 1735853526 Distributed by IPG and available wherever books are sold, plus Bookshop.org, Amazon.com and BN.com
Trish Stevens Helen Cook Senior Publicist Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 903.654.0938 Direct 281.333.3507 Office [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
World’s No. 1 STEAM Program Launches New STEM/STEAM Book Series
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“This is a great STEAM-infused addition to the fiction section of any elementary or middle school library.” — School Library Journal
With 120 franchise locations and a cumulative audience of 5 million children and thousands of schools, Challenge Island has been providing kids with award-winning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning adventures through field trips, afterschool enrichment classes, summer camps, scout workshops and family nights for almost two decades. On National Stem Day (Nov. 8), the magic of the world’s No. 1 STEAM program will combine with the magic of reading to launch the first book in the Challenge Island STEAM book series.
The Bridge to Sharktooth Island: A Challenge Island STEAM Adventure (West Margin Press) is written by award-winning educator Sharon Duke Estroff M.A.T. (founder and CEO of Challenge Island and author of Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?, Penguin Random House); and award-winning author Joel Ross (Alley and Rex, Simon & Schuster; Fog Diver, HarperCollins; Beast & Crown, HarperCollins); and illustrated by Monica de Rivas (The Grumbles, Hatchette; Hello, Future Me, Scholastic; Big Bad Wolfsville, HarperCollins).
The Bridge to Sharktooth Island artfully intertwines action-packed fantasy with real-life engineering as cautious Daniel, his brave cousin Joy and their studious new friend Kimani find themselves suddenly stranded on a mysterious island surrounded by sharks. The kids find clues hidden around the island and realize that if they want to escape, they’ll have to work together to build the strongest bridge they can to get to safety! The characters return in the back of the book, where they speak directly and intimately to the reader, sharing engineering tidbits learned during their adventure, cool shark facts from Kimani’s notebook, and fun STEAM activities kids can do at home, including building a bridge, mixing up a blue slime ocean and designing ferocious paper sharks.
Making the Challenge Island book series even more groundbreaking is the fact that readers can experience the same STEAM adventures as the characters in the story in real life, through one of Challenge Island’s 120 franchise locations. For example, on National STEM Day, Stephanie Edwards, owner of Challenge Island Gilbert, AZ, will be running a Bridge to Sharktooth Island book launch celebration and field trip for 350 6th grade students at the American Leadership Academy. Edwards worked closely with the charter school’s leadership to create an unforgettable engineering adventure complete with balloon arches in the gymnasium, a professional photographer and a copy of The Bridge to Sharktooth Island for every student.
“As an educator, an author, a mom, and the creator of the Challenge Island program and curriculum, the release of the first book in the Challenge Island book series is among the proudest moments of my entire career,” says Sharon Duke Estroff, founder and CEO of Challenge Island Global. “But more importantly, I truly believe that this is exactly what kids need in this moment in time. What better way to reignite a child’s love of learning than by turning a beloved STEAM enrichment program into a fantastical new book series? And — for the millions more children who will first come to know Challenge Island inside the pages of this book — to see that magical story come to life, not only in their imaginations, but in the real world!”
The Bridge to Sharktooth Island: A Challenge Island STEAM Adventure Release Date: November 2, 2021 Publisher: West Margin Press ISBN-10: 1513289535 ISBN-13: 978-1513289533 Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and everywhere books are sold
Trish Stevens Rebecca Brown Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Trish Stevens Kathleen Timberlake Marketing Coordinator Turner Publishing 4507 Charlotte Ave, Suite 100 Nashville, TN 37209 901-485-3721 [email protected] www.turnerpublishing.com
(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)
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Teen Heroes Show That By Working Together They
Become More Than Their Disabilities
Philip Sallinger was 12 years old when his father had “the talk” with him, and it was the single greatest moment of his life. What Philip thought was going to be a cringe-worthy discussion about the birds and the bees turned out to be the revelation that not only were superheroes real, but that Philip was the latest in a long line of “custodians” — those who use their superpowers to protect others.
Philip was used to dealing with his blindness—he’d been blind from birth, but he wasn’t prepared to hear that he’s also telekinetic. He had a superpower? Really? Thrilled by the prospect of attending a special high school for emerging superheroes, Phillip’s enthusiasm is dashed when he gets placed in a “special ed” class for disabled empowered kids.
Now Philip and his fellow outsiders, who call themselves The Ables, must overcome more than villains. Bullied, threatened, and betrayed, these underestimated kids must find ways to maximize their powers to overcome their disabilities and fight together as the ultimate enemy is poised to strike.
The Ables is a fast-paced, entertaining debut novel from Jeremy Scott, a bold new voice in fantasy and sci-fi, and already a widely popular storyteller as co-creator and narrator of CinemaSins, a YouTube channel that has amassed more than 8 million subscribers. A former online marketing consultant, Scott spends his time writing, being sarcastic and generally hoping to find a good laugh once a day. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Ables readers who upload a proof of purchase at theablesbook.com will receive bonus content plus access to a 30-page digital comic book written by Jeremy Scott with art by renowned storyboard artist Jeremy Simser, who worked on Deadpool 2. Plus, they’ll be entered to win one of three virtual meet-and-greets with Jeremy Scott and one of 10 personalized, signed copies of The Ables.
The Ables
Publisher: Turner Publishing
Release date: June 11, 2019
ISBN-10: 1684423368
ISBN-13: 978-1684423361
Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Indiebound.org
