Tag Archives: Forever Boy

Visit the fantasy worlds of Lita Burke

30,000 Curious Came to See the Show

What a mad, grand day for Lita Burke’s blog. 30,000 views. Smiles from Lita for all of you lovely and curious Gentle Readers who visited.

Suppose there is a most interesting street where the houses look like books. Inside these houses are places where fey-folk fairies play, wizards sing their magic, and Enchanters give  kisses. Anyone can walk down this street, and glimpse at these fantasy worlds through the windows. Lita’s blog is that street. 30,000 Gentle Readers have already walked its twisty cobblestone ways. Here are a few of the wonders in the windows.

Ride on a Wizard's Airship

Ride on a Wizard’s Airship

Ride on a Wizard’s Airship

All aboard now for a trip to a plate-shaped ocean world, where islands float far above the sea. Dragons fly the sky, and clockworks creations inhabited by minor demons join human and elf-kind magicians in absurd adventures.

A proper wizard uses an airship to visit these floating lands. Others of more modest means use Ornithopters designed by Leonardo’s Airborne Contraptions.

Join in the sometime fun, sometimes scary, but always delightful adventures of Wizard Kadmeion, his half-elf assistant Sir Bright, and their friends in the fantasy world of Clockpunk Wizard. Get your first ride on Kadmeion’s airship, and meet a special dog that digs deadly mandrake roots in Forever Boy.

Unicorn Herd

Unicorn Herd

Unicorn Island

There is a floating island in the royal elf-kind archipelago that has a herd of unicorns. They run in the steppe lands, and gather in the border forests.

The unicorns shed the husks of their alicorns, and the elf-kind collect these precious magical artifacts. An illness has stricken the herd. Lady Luck’s young daughter, with her favorite wizard in tow, visits the unicorns. She learns how to talk to the birds to get to the bottom of the unicorn illness in Glitter Ponies.

Enchanters' Luscious Magic

Enchanters’ Luscious Magic

Fire and a Hidden Spell Book

Lanith, a magical curios merchant, loses her shop and home to a mysterious fire. Her magician husband Tredan has gone missing.

The morally strict Church magicians, and the Enchanters with their luscious magic that they distribute with kisses, are in constant battle to do whatever is necessary to gain the upper hand in their world of Sye. She learns that her husband wrote a powerful spell book that will subjugate the Enchanters’ magic. His book sits in the middle of the decades-old conflict between the Church and the Enchanters.

With only her dragonette and the clothes on her back, she enlists the help of the Enchanters, and unravels her husband’s life-long secrets. His kidnapping tale starts in Wrath, and Lanith’s story continues in Tredan’s Bane.

Also see:

A Wizard's Airship in the Clockpunk Wizard World

2015 BookViral Book Award Recognizes Forever Boy

Lita is delighted to tell Gentle Reader about more goings on concerning Forever Boy.

Forever Boy -- BookViral 2015 Award Shortlisted Author

Forever Boy — BookViral 2015 Award Shortlisted Author

BookViral has recognized Lita Burke’s Forever Boy as a 2015 BookViral Book Award Shortlisted Author.

BookViral is an online book review and promotions service that has united large groups of authors, book clubs, small publishers and individual readers located throughout the United Kingdom, the USA, and other countries around the globe. BookViral works with traditionally published and indie authors. Their mission is to discover new and talented authors, and give their work attention and awareness.

BookViral is rapidly becoming the preferred review and book promotion site for authors and readers around the world. In any given month, their Social Media presence reaches in excess of 1 million potential readers.

Forever Boy by Lita Burke

Forever Boy by Lita Burke

Forever Boy is the first story in Lita Burke’s Clockpunk Wizard series. These tales tell the life of Kadmeion, a young wizard recently graduated from the university. Kadmeion flies his airship between islands that float far above the sea in a plate-shaped ocean world. Sixteenth-century clockworks technology reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci, coupled with traditional fantasy creatures, surround this magically talented young wizard.

In Forever Boy, a dog flees his cruel master, befriends a wizard, and discovers his shapeshifting magic. Find out more at the back cover blurb, or hop aboard the wizard’s airship and read Chapter 1 for free. Discover where to find your copy of the award-winning Forever Boy at the book page.

Go Fer in Forever Boy

RJL Evans Highlights Lita Burke’s Forever Boy

Lita takes Gentle Reader out on the web today to see what R.J.L. Evans, the author of ‘Mr Pimplesnack and the Flying Moon Bus’ has to say about Forever Boy.

Forever Boy by Lita Burke

Forever Boy by Lita Burke

“Life is dirty, difficult, and all too short for the dogs digging up the deadly mandrake roots that wizards animate with minor demons. A pup named Go Fer has an odd magical talent. He does not die from the fatal screams of newly unearthed mandrakes. Go Fer’s master, a prideful minor magician, sees Go Fer’s talent as a fluke saving him the cost of replacing dogs killed by the mandrakes’ cries.

“Check out this wonderful title by Lita Burke…”

One morning, a young Wizard Kadmeion and his half-elf assistant Bright watch Go Fer at work. This mandrake extraction goes horribly wrong, and Go Fer runs away during the hubbub. After seeking out the wizard, the dog’s life is not the same. In fact, Kadmeion discovers Go Fer is not a dog after all. More…

Read more about Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard world:

Most Popular Blog Post in 2015

Of all the new posts on Lita’s blog last year, here was the most popular for 2015. Kadmeion talked about his vacation visiting the unicorns on Wuddlekins Island, and Lita explained the Internet and eBooks to a 16th century wizard. Here is how the wizard’s interview started…

“On Wizard Kadmeion’s airship, the forward sitting room has the best views and conversation. Lita invites Gentle Reader to join the chitchat with the characters in her upcoming story, Glitter Ponies.

 
Wizard Kadmeion

Wizard Kadmeion

The twenty-something-year-old wizard takes a seat on a nearby Chesterfield, and studies us with his handsome dark brown eyes. His unstarched casual white shirt has a discreet gold-embroidered Magic Guild insignia near the left collar.

He wears a souvenir from his Glitter Ponies trip on the right side of his head. Kadmeion has braided an intricate gentleman’s hair clasp into some tendrils of his long brown hair. The wizard’s boy-fey, Izlyesende, clings to the clasp. When the fairy fans his beautiful green-mottled wings, they brush Kadmeion’s cheek. More…

Find out more about Kadmeion’s world of Clockpunk Wizard:

 

“Forever Boy” Takes Finalist in Readers’ Favorite Contest

Forever Boy RF Finalist 2015Lita is delighted to tell Gentle Reader that the 2015 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest named Forever Boy as the Finalist Winner in its Fiction-Short Story category.

Readers’ Favorite gives readers a resource for quality book reviews. Their annual book award contest offers authors the opportunity to gain recognition and exposure of their books.

This year, Readers’ Favorite honored one of Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard stories. They named Forever Boy as a Finalist Winner in their annual book awards contest. Here is their 5 star review of Forever Boy.

Lita skipped all the way to Alice’s place to tell her good friend the news. “My feet were so caddywhompus on the way here,” Lita said. “I should have stopped and dug for apples until they sorted themselves out.”

The Flamingos Were a Bit Cross

The Flamingos Were a Bit Cross

Alice insisted they celebrate with a rousing game of croquet. As usual, the flamingos were a bit cross about being the mallets. The hedgehogs abandoned their role as balls, and waddled away.

The girls then drank tea with the dormouse until it was time for Lita to go home.

Readers’ Favorite reviewers have said kind things before about Lita’s stories. One reviewer described Forever Boy as “Lita Burke’s steampunk fantasy short story, Forever Boy, is fabulous and filled with magical adventure.” More… Another reviewer gushed this in a 5 star review for Ephraim’s Curious Device: “The Clockpunk Wizard series is a marvelous and magical melding of steampunk with epic fantasy that is fresh, original and really quite exciting.” More…

The award-winning Forever Boy is now just a dollar on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. Don’t wait—indulge yourself now with some tea, croquet, and Clockpunk.

Forever Boy By Lita Burke Book Cover RF Finalist

Forever Boy on Amazon US

Forever Boy on Amazon UK

Forever Boy on Smashwords

Forever Boy on Barnes & Noble

Forever Boy on Goodreads

Forever Boy on LitaBurke.com

Don’t stop after reading Forever Boy. Continue your visit in Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard fantasy world. Find out more about Ephraim’s Curious Device, read the back cover blurb, revel in Chapter 1, watch the Ephraim’s book trailer, and then have Ephraim’s Curious Device join Forever Boy on your Kindle, Nook, or iPad/iPhone.

Bestiarum Vocabulum: Familiar

The Bestiarum Vocabulum is the wizard’s encyclopedia of faerie beasties and mundane crossovers living in the lake and forest near Lita’s castle.

Sorceress's Familiar

Sorceress’s Familiar

familiar [fə milyər] noun, c.1325; ME < L familiāris; replacing ME  famulier < MF < L; also totem, animal spirit, mage’s critter

  1. Denizen of the Clockpunk Wizard world.
  2. A sentient magical animal that bonds to a human wizard or sorceress. Human mages can acquire many familiars, although one is the normal number. Depending on the quality of the magician, a familiar’s magical ability ranges from a few simple spells, to using mind voice and other advanced magic. Only the most talented mages acquire a familiar that is a magical hybrid, such as a cynanthrope, werecat, or faun.
  3. Personages: Furgo, Wizard Kadmeion’s magical hybrid familiar in Forever Boy and Old Bony Blue Eyes. Also Vixen-shay, the Winter Wizard’s mink familiar in Glitter Ponies.
  4. See “Dramatis Personæ: Furgo” and “Go Fer and Furgo
Read About Lita Burke's Clockpunk Wizard World

Praised by Readers’ Favorite with a 5 Star Review: Lita Burke’s Ephraim’s Curious Device

Ephraim's Curious Device – 5 Star Review by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Ephraim’s Curious Device – 5 Star Review by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

Readers’ Favorite recently read Lita’s fantasy novella, Ephraim’s Curious Device, and awarded it with a lovely 5 star review.

In Ephraim’s Curious Device, a wizard seeks a magical thingummy to free his kidnapped familiar. It is the second story in Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard series, where wizards with ~twisty~ magic live on a plate-shaped ocean world. The wizards fly their fantastic airships between islands that float far above the sea. Here is what the Readers’ Favorite reviewer had to say:

The Clockpunk Wizard series is a marvelous and magical melding of steampunk with epic fantasy that is fresh, original and really quite exciting.

Ephraim’s Curious Device is Book 2 of Lita Burke’s epic fantasy series, The Clockpunk Wizard. Kadmeion, a young wizard, and Sir Bright, his Metal-Man and companion, have been summoned by Lord Hissalumieon of Mevil City. When they get there, the lord and his wizard, Nob, inform them of the quest Lord Hissalumieon needs them to complete. Read more of the review…

Ephraim's Curious DeviceRead Chapter 1 of Ephraim’s Curious Device for FREE now.

Watch the Ephraim’s Curious Device book trailer.

The Ephraim’s Curious Device e-book is available now with instant gratification for Kindle US/UK, Nook, and Kobo.

Curious how the Clockpunk Wizard adventures began? See how Kadmeion befriended a very unusual familiar in Forever Boy–read Chapter 1 now for FREE.

Continue your explorations of the Clockpunk Wizard world in Old Bony Blue Eyes–read Chapter 1 now for FREE.

Shapeshifter

Dramatis Personæ: Furgo

The Dramatis Personæ is the roster of conjurers and sentient magical creatures staying in the many rooms, grottos, and byways of Lita’s castle. Here is an entry in the guest book for the Clockpunk Wizard Wing.

Wizard Familiar Furgo

Wizard Familiar Furgo

Furgo [fər ɡō] proper noun, c.1400; Sanskrit pāti < Greek pōma < Old High Gr fuotar <  Gr fuerre < An-Fr furrer < ME furren; c.900; Gr gehen < Old High Gr  gēn < OE  gān < ME  gon; also Furgo-boy, Furgo-dog

  • Profession: Animal familiar for Wizard Kadmeion and Assistant Bright
  • Race: Sentient Magical Creature Cynanthrope (dog/human shapeshifter), male, 9-16 years old for human form, middle age for dog form, and an intermediate combination form
  • Appearance: brown eyes, black/brown hair, slender build
  • Full Name: Furgo
  • Formal Title: Wizard Familiar
  • Honorifics: Sir Wizard Familiar
  • Education: No formal schooling; human intellectual abilities acquired through magical binding to a wizard
  • Milieu: Furgo is a denizen of the Clockpunk Wizard world
Dog-to-Human Shapeshifting

Dog-to-Human Shapeshifting

Furgo is a rare dog-to-human shapeshifter rescued by Wizard Kadmeion during a mandrake root extraction on Holcomb Island. Furgo’s default form is a small black dog. He has a rarely used intermediate form of a brownie-sized fur-covered human.

Furgo can alter the apparent age of his human appearance, presenting a handsome lad of nine to sixteen years old. Because Furgo has an unusual situation with his human soul, he cannot age beyond his teenager years. This is another rare magical state called “Forever Boy.”

The cynanthrope’s caretakers sometimes use the names “Furgo-boy” or “Furgo-dog” to summon Furgo’s requested form. Kadmeion enchanted the cynanthrope to remember a silly spell that empowers Furgo to switch forms at will. The cynanthrope willingly wears a wizard’s medallion to display his Familiar role, and to focus his benefactor’s magic.

A Cynanthrope Retains Dog Traits in Its Human Form

A Cynanthrope Retains Dog Traits in Its Human Form

While in human form, Furgo retains his dominant dog traits, namely loyalty, protectiveness, and happy nature. When in his dog form, Furgo retains some of his human intellect. In all his forms, Furgo’s most remarkable trait is his adorable puppy-dog eyes.

See Treasure Under Furgo-Boy’s Bed, Go Fer and Furgo, and Bestiarum Vocabulum: Cynanthrope for more about Furgo and shapeshifting.

Find out more about Furgo’s many adventures as Wizard Kadmeion’s familiar in the Clockpunk Wizard stories:

Two Faces of the Forever Boy

Praised by BookViral: Lita Burke’s Forever Boy

BookViral recently read Lita’s fantasy short story, Forever Boy, and spotlighted it with a lovely review.

A dog befriends a wizard

A dog befriends a wizard

In Forever Boy, a dog flees his cruel master, befriends a wizard, and discovers his shapeshifting magic.

It is the first story in Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard series, where wizards with ~twisty~ magic live on a plate-shaped ocean world. The wizards fly their fantastic airships between islands that float far above the sea.

An ode to the best in genre, this is one series you won’t want to miss and it is recommended without reservation. — BookViral

Book Viral discovers the next bestsellers, and they value discerning readers. BookViral spotlights authors who bring readers the most entertaining stories. Here is what the BookViral reviewer had to say about Forever Boy:

BookViral Spotlight on Forever Boy by Lita Burke

“A world beyond the familiar with curiosities and marvels that ensnare with intrigue from the very first page.

Yes, you will find the usual tropes, yet they feel surprisingly fresh and original. In part this is down to Burke’s acerbic prose, but the real treasure in this tale is…” read more of the BookViral review.

Forever Boy on Amazon US/UK, for Nook, and Kobo

Read Chapter 1 FREE

Check out the back cover blurb

View the book trailer

See the Forever Boy homepage

Read the BookViral review

Find Fantasy at the Bazaar

Find Fantasy Here at the Bazaar

A Dark Busker Twirls Her Skirt

A Dark Busker Twirls Her Skirt

Lita takes Gentle Reader to the bazaar today. Come, let us find the booths with the fantasy books.

The bazaar is a mysterious place, stuffed with wonders for the senses. Over there, a dark busker twirls her skirt until it turns into black butterflies that smell like sage. Listen to the muddled music. Some songs are lilting whistles, and they flit about like wrens. Other earthy tunes thrum with drums–feel them throb in your gut? Food vendors perfume the air with aromas of cinnamon bread, creamy vanilla candies, and grilled meat spiced with peppers. Let us sample some of the rich fare.

Authors' Cave Favorite Fantasy Books

Authors’ Cave Favorite Fantasy Books

Hear the bazaar’s vendors call to us using sing-song voices? Book fanciers say that the magical tomes are in the back, over there. Shall we step into this shaded booth? Mind the low awning. Here, Lita will hold it aside while you duck your head and go in. Look. Fantasy books–Lita’s favorite–are stacked everywhere. The Authors’ Cave proprietor says:

“Just finished the latest book from your favorite author? We know how it feels! We’re readers, too! And the sad part is, it might be a year, or even two, before the next release…you wander aimlessly, trying to figure out what to read next.”

Authors’ Cave shares some fantastic books that have become all-time favorites to its members. Read more from Authors’ Cave…

It won’t hurt a thing to take a peek. Lift the covers of these enchanting fantasy books at the Authors’ Cave booth, breathe deep their magical glue-and-paper aroma, and glimpse the wonders inside:

Division of the Marked by March McCarron
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

The Forest Bull by Terry Maggert
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Hero for Hire by C. B. Pratt
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Forever Boy by Lita Burke
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Scepter by Scott Collins
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

A Demon’s Quest by Charles Carfagno Jr.
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Children of Fire by Mary Fonvielle
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Trials of Hallion, Two of Swords by Maria Greene
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads

 

Souls of the Never by Colin Rutherford
At Amazon US/UK and on Goodreads