Emily was scared, but she didn’t know why.
After spending most of the afternoon with her head buried in a book, she stretched her arms above her head, rippling her back straight. Emily loved reading because she could escape into worlds unknown, and exciting; a definite need in the small seaside town she lived in.
Emily looked around at the library as she stood up, pushing her books into her huge floppy carry-all bag. The library was like a small hall, slightly bigger than a room in a house, but not by much, with shelving all the way around the outside groaning at the weight of old books. Some shelves jutted into the middle of the floor, trying to make crevices and hiding places for people, to cosy them into staying. Not many did, but Emily supposed in a town of about a hundred people (sixty of them children), what did they expect? She seemed to be the library’s most regular visitor.
Emily flicked her long, thick, brown plait out of the way, as she swung her bag onto her shoulder. Walking towards the door she waved goodbye voicelessly, heard the librarian’s, "Come again soon Em," opened the screen door, and winced as it sprang shut behind her with a bang.
I must remember to hold on to that stupid thing, Emily thought for the thousandth time, spying Sam on the swings to her left.
She and Sam, her best-friend who hated being called Samantha, were a little old to use the swings, but it had become their regular meeting place. Sam wasn’t into books like she was, preferring the live company of other girls and boys. Almost as much as I like reading, thought Em.
They made an unlikely pair, so the older folk in the village said, but they didn’t care what other people thought anymore. They liked each other and that was that. Emily often thought they brought out the best in each other.
"Hiya Em," said Sam, "I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for you. What took you so long today?"
Emily hurried over, dropping her book bag at the corner of the outside face brick library wall, "Sorry Sam, I got stuck. You know I lose time when I read, so come fetch me if you want to. You know you can."
Emily sat on the swing next to Sam, and started pushing her legs in and out to speed up. In front of them lay the ocean. The tar road to their right ran down all the way to the local tea-room, the only ‘real’ shop in the village. The tea room sat on the edge of the sea with the only parking lot in town. They got day visitors coming to the village in the summer months, so the town council had decided to make sure there was enough parking for them.
The two girls swung up and down, in easy company. The houses in the village were made up of different material, depending on when they’d been built. Across the tar road from the swings, there was a corrugated iron house, with the main toilet still outside. The locals called it a long drop even though the owners had converted it to a soak away tank system in the last year. Some houses were made of bricks and cement, some wood, but almost all had the soak away tanks that came with living far away from mainstream cities and towns.
Emily looked over at Sam as she shouted to some of the boys riding past on their bicycles, "I’ll see you guys at the tennis courts now. Don’t wait, okay. I won’t be long." Sam was blonde, beautiful and part of the in crowd. She was tall, slim, athletic and confident. Emily wondered when she’d gain some confidence.
Emily wondered when she would find her place in the world, when she would be as comfortable as Sam was, in and out of company. She always felt like she was separate from things somehow. But she was glad for Sam.
They had been friends from birth, or so her Gran said, often repeating, "You’re meant to be with each other, there for each other," in a weird sort of way. Her gran was like that, full of weird words and general craziness.
Emily looked over at Sam’s thumb, wondering if it was their physical abnormalities that made them stick together. They didn’t have the same one, but the oldies in the village would still go around whispering about those two. Sam was born with a bum-thumb, or that's what Sam called it. She'd had a double digit on the end of her finter, a double thumb with two nails from the last joint up. Her parents had taken her to hospital when she was two years old ot have it fixed, so Sam could be normal, but Sam still had the scar on her right thumb. Emily felt her abnormality, her eight, suddenly scream hotly. Her gran told her that she’d had the birthmark at the base of her neck since she’d been born. It looked like a sideways eight, or infinity symbol, but since she’d been too small to say Infinity, they’d simply called it her eight as soon as she could talk.
Shrugging her head sideways she said, "That’s weird!" not realising she’d said it aloud until Sam answered, "What’s weird?"
"I was thinking about your thumb and my eight suddenly got really hot," said Emily twisting and turning.
"You’re weird is what," replied Sam, teasing her like she always did when Emily mentioned her eight.
"Ouch! No really, it’s hot!" Emily said, dragging her feet on the ground to slow the swing down as she grabbed the back of her neck with her right hand.
Stopping quickly, holding onto her neck and twisting around, Emily saw a puff of smoke out the corner of her eye, near her book bag resting against the library wall.
Squinting, she looked harder. Something appeared to shimmer, like the heat coming off the tar road on a hot day, then materialised into focus. An ugly beak-faced-monkey stared back at Emily.
She ignored her eight screaming at her and rubbed her eyes. No way was that thing there, she thought.
"Sam, Sam, can you see it? There at the library, near my bag?" screetched Emily, as the beast remained where it was, staring at her, a grin slowly stretching across its hideously formed face.
"What crazy chick? Are you dreaming again? There’s nothing there," said Sam, swinging high.Emily rubbed her eyes again, thinking she must be dreaming, pointing at the exact place the ugly beak faced monkey was. "There. Can't you see it?" she asked, turning back to Sam.
A puff of smoke and a spritz like noise caught her attention next to her book bag, and the ugly beast had gone. It had vanished, as if it had never been there.
"You really didn’t see anything?" Emily asked, turning to look at Sam.
"You mean like tokoloshies, like Mamasita?" Sam teased her.
Emily looked at Sam wide eyed, holding on to her eight at the back of her neck which seemed to be cooling down now. She wasn’t sure why it had grown hot or cold, but she was starting to believe it had something to do with her dreams or seeing things. Emily wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was going on. Sometimes it scared her.
"No, maybe, no, yes," Emily said, no longer sure of what she’d seen or even if she believed herself anymore.
"Em. Em. You’re becoming just like your gran. Weird. Weirder each day, with your stories of dreams, and what do you call them, oh Shimmers, and your eight getting hot and cold. You know that?"
"Emily. Em," said Sam, trying to get Emily’s full attention, "you really need to start figuring out what this is all about and make sure you don’t say anything to anyone otherwise they’ll throw you in the nuthouse."
"Actually," Sam said, slowing the swing down to rest next to Emily, "I’m surprised they haven’t locked all of you, your Gran, Mamasita or you, up already!"
Sam jumped up to set off on her next mission at the tennis club. She threw the comment, "beak faced monkey thing indeed," behind her at Emily, blowing her a fake kiss, "You know I love you kid, but you gotta chill out!"
Emily sat dead still and smiled at her friend. Perhaps she was going crazy, like her Gran, like Mamasita and her tokoloshies.
There was only one way to find out and that was to talk to Gran. Her Gran might be cuckoo but she could be wise.
Emily stood up in a daze and stepped gingerly towards her bag, waiting for the ugly beast to reappear. She leaned forward, grabbed her book bag, and lept quickly away, her heart hammering in fear.
Maybe Sam was right. Maybe they did all belong in the nuthouse, Emily thought as she walked over the grass, past the library, over the main tar road, down the side street towards the little white house where she lived with her Gran and Mamasita.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
EaBOV - Amazing Sales on MXIT
Emily and the Battle of the Veil was the first IM book to go worldwide on a Social networking platform - on MXIT. Ispirato, the publishers of this innovative idea have just released the numbers!!
For May, 11000 chapters were sold, which in book terms equates to approximately 400 books in 1 month - unheard of in South African publishing circles (and world wide - well, apart from JK Rowling and perhaps Stephanie Meyer that is).
The Press release below:
MEDIA RELEASE 06 MAY 2009
Launch of Instant Mobile Book set to encourage global teenage literacy
· MXit launches Africa’s first IM Book in bid to combat illiteracy in teens
· Books available at a fraction of the cost of printed version making it accessible.
South Africa – MXit, the global social networking and instant messaging giant, has launched Africa’s first IM book in a bid to encourage literacy and a love of reading amongst youth. From today, MXit users will be able to download an entire book on the MXit network for a mere R13.50 (50 Moola per chapter), which is a fraction of the cost of purchasing literature in traditional bookstores.
Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit, says “This is a very exciting project for us because it allows us to add online reading to the already broad online social networking and chatting model that encompasses the MXit lifestyle offering. As MXit is so widely used by the youth as their preferred communication tool, we hope to encourage the youth to develop a love of reading. We will therefore look to provide our users with more titles in the future.”
With the advent of mobile mediums (mobile phones and smart phones), as a primary means of communication for social interaction and information sourcing, it made sense for MXit to expand its content offering to include literature. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), 26 percent of the world’s adult population is illiterate and 98 percent of these people live in developing countries. Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
The first book offered on MXit’s MBooks platform is Emily and the Battle of the Veil, a fantasy novel written by Karen Brooks, which can be downloaded on MXit by visiting Tradepost (Tradepost – MXit Mix – Entertainment – Mbooks). The book can be downloaded as content and read at the users own time and convenience.
Emily and the Battle of the veil is a fantasy novel based on the life of a 13-year old girl in South Africa.
“With the launch of Emily and the Battle of the Veil, we saw an opportunity to assist authors in breaking the status quo of the traditional publishing industry, as well as giving young readers and aspiring writers an opportunity to read new literature or showcase their work”, says du Toit.
“It is also a darn good read and we are incredibly lucky that Karen Brooks felt strongly enough about teenage literacy that she was willing to adapt her book to digital format.”
Karen Brooks draws on her psychology and counselling background to create a fantasy world which explores many teenage themes like relationships between family and friends, self-esteem and social acceptance.
“MBooks is the evolution of eBook. I thought that access to books via a digital medium was a great way to give everybody access to my novel. More importantly, Emily and the Battle of the Veil is suited to teenagers and I wanted to make it accessible to them – hoping that it will foster a love for reading and writing,” says author, Karen Brooks.
“I also found the concept of a zero carbon footprint very appealing. As book lovers we did not traditionally think about the impact on the environment, however I am pleased that the next generation will have the same access to literature that we did, but in an eco-friendly way”.
Said du Toit, “One in five people over the age of 15, do not voluntarily take part in a literary environment. We agree with the United Nations that literacy is a human right. This is MXit doing our bit for literacy as we recognise that most of our users are in the 15 to 24 years-old age bracket”.
The launch of MXit’s first MBook follows the launch of an online maths initiative called Imfundo Yami Imfundo Yethu, which offers online mathematics classes to learners. It is a joint programme undertaken by Nokia South Africa, MXit and a Finnish company that created the mathematical software.
MORE ABOUT EMILY AND THE BATTLE OF THE VEIL
Emily and the Battle of the Veil, is the start of the spiritual journey of Emily May Harrison, who at the age of 12 is sent to boarding school in Kingstown, after having lived all her life in the small village of Paradise Beach, with her Gran, Mamasita and her best friend, Sam. Unaware that she is part of something bigger, she begins to learn that Thoughts are Things.
In Kingstown, she meets up with the sassy, spiky-haired street-kid Josh (her guide in worlds known and unknown), his mother Miriam (who knows things) and the mountainous, jolly, long-nosed Edwina who owns (what looks outwardly like) a bookstore.
Having dreamt about them for years, it is in Kingstown that Emily finally comes face to face with her Shimmers: Pugly (a phenomenal flyer and teacher), Elvis (a jiggly, wiggly handful) and The Elder (a being of substance), who live in a parallel world called Aurana.
But in finding her Shimmers, and crossing over into Aurana, she starts a chain of events, where the Balance is threatened. Emily becomes visible to Admonai, of the Shadows and Admonai's side-kick, Silenkis, using his Circles of Influence, seeks to use the Lost Ones to harm her.
This book reminds you that "....All is Not as it Seems..."
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Karen Brooks
Karen Michelle Brooks has a BA. Psych degree. She is currently based in Cape Town and has written for the past eight years, though this is her first novel. The second novel of the series, Emily and the Sprites of Light is due out in June 2009.
About MXit
MXit is a free instant messaging program for both mobile phones and PCs. It allows members to chat to other MXit users anywhere in the world. It also allows users to send text messages to and from mobile phones and PCs using GPRS or 3G instead of using standard SMS technology, which is expensive.
The social networking element of the business is the cornerstone of its growth. MXit is a new generation company that boasts 13 million members and is growing by 18 000 users per day. It is in constant evolution to match the needs of its users and is set on becoming one of the biggest instant messaging mobile networks in the world and the preferred mobile social network for communicating with young people in Africa and globally.
The company introduced mobile messaging to South Africa. It started as a mobile game developer and evolved into a mobile instant messaging company, allowing its users to send messages at a fraction of the cost of traditional SMS.
To download MXit: Open your mobile browser, type in www.mxit.com/wap and simply follow the prompts.
Issued by:
FD Beachhead
Sandra Sampayo 079 167 6863 or 021 487 9000 sandra.sampayo@fd.com
Jean Dennis 083 500 5302 or 021 487 9000 jean.dennis@fd.com
For May, 11000 chapters were sold, which in book terms equates to approximately 400 books in 1 month - unheard of in South African publishing circles (and world wide - well, apart from JK Rowling and perhaps Stephanie Meyer that is).
The Press release below:
MEDIA RELEASE 06 MAY 2009
Launch of Instant Mobile Book set to encourage global teenage literacy
· MXit launches Africa’s first IM Book in bid to combat illiteracy in teens
· Books available at a fraction of the cost of printed version making it accessible.
South Africa – MXit, the global social networking and instant messaging giant, has launched Africa’s first IM book in a bid to encourage literacy and a love of reading amongst youth. From today, MXit users will be able to download an entire book on the MXit network for a mere R13.50 (50 Moola per chapter), which is a fraction of the cost of purchasing literature in traditional bookstores.
Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit, says “This is a very exciting project for us because it allows us to add online reading to the already broad online social networking and chatting model that encompasses the MXit lifestyle offering. As MXit is so widely used by the youth as their preferred communication tool, we hope to encourage the youth to develop a love of reading. We will therefore look to provide our users with more titles in the future.”
With the advent of mobile mediums (mobile phones and smart phones), as a primary means of communication for social interaction and information sourcing, it made sense for MXit to expand its content offering to include literature. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), 26 percent of the world’s adult population is illiterate and 98 percent of these people live in developing countries. Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
The first book offered on MXit’s MBooks platform is Emily and the Battle of the Veil, a fantasy novel written by Karen Brooks, which can be downloaded on MXit by visiting Tradepost (Tradepost – MXit Mix – Entertainment – Mbooks). The book can be downloaded as content and read at the users own time and convenience.
Emily and the Battle of the veil is a fantasy novel based on the life of a 13-year old girl in South Africa.
“With the launch of Emily and the Battle of the Veil, we saw an opportunity to assist authors in breaking the status quo of the traditional publishing industry, as well as giving young readers and aspiring writers an opportunity to read new literature or showcase their work”, says du Toit.
“It is also a darn good read and we are incredibly lucky that Karen Brooks felt strongly enough about teenage literacy that she was willing to adapt her book to digital format.”
Karen Brooks draws on her psychology and counselling background to create a fantasy world which explores many teenage themes like relationships between family and friends, self-esteem and social acceptance.
“MBooks is the evolution of eBook. I thought that access to books via a digital medium was a great way to give everybody access to my novel. More importantly, Emily and the Battle of the Veil is suited to teenagers and I wanted to make it accessible to them – hoping that it will foster a love for reading and writing,” says author, Karen Brooks.
“I also found the concept of a zero carbon footprint very appealing. As book lovers we did not traditionally think about the impact on the environment, however I am pleased that the next generation will have the same access to literature that we did, but in an eco-friendly way”.
Said du Toit, “One in five people over the age of 15, do not voluntarily take part in a literary environment. We agree with the United Nations that literacy is a human right. This is MXit doing our bit for literacy as we recognise that most of our users are in the 15 to 24 years-old age bracket”.
The launch of MXit’s first MBook follows the launch of an online maths initiative called Imfundo Yami Imfundo Yethu, which offers online mathematics classes to learners. It is a joint programme undertaken by Nokia South Africa, MXit and a Finnish company that created the mathematical software.
MORE ABOUT EMILY AND THE BATTLE OF THE VEIL
Emily and the Battle of the Veil, is the start of the spiritual journey of Emily May Harrison, who at the age of 12 is sent to boarding school in Kingstown, after having lived all her life in the small village of Paradise Beach, with her Gran, Mamasita and her best friend, Sam. Unaware that she is part of something bigger, she begins to learn that Thoughts are Things.
In Kingstown, she meets up with the sassy, spiky-haired street-kid Josh (her guide in worlds known and unknown), his mother Miriam (who knows things) and the mountainous, jolly, long-nosed Edwina who owns (what looks outwardly like) a bookstore.
Having dreamt about them for years, it is in Kingstown that Emily finally comes face to face with her Shimmers: Pugly (a phenomenal flyer and teacher), Elvis (a jiggly, wiggly handful) and The Elder (a being of substance), who live in a parallel world called Aurana.
But in finding her Shimmers, and crossing over into Aurana, she starts a chain of events, where the Balance is threatened. Emily becomes visible to Admonai, of the Shadows and Admonai's side-kick, Silenkis, using his Circles of Influence, seeks to use the Lost Ones to harm her.
This book reminds you that "....All is Not as it Seems..."
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Karen Brooks
Karen Michelle Brooks has a BA. Psych degree. She is currently based in Cape Town and has written for the past eight years, though this is her first novel. The second novel of the series, Emily and the Sprites of Light is due out in June 2009.
About MXit
MXit is a free instant messaging program for both mobile phones and PCs. It allows members to chat to other MXit users anywhere in the world. It also allows users to send text messages to and from mobile phones and PCs using GPRS or 3G instead of using standard SMS technology, which is expensive.
The social networking element of the business is the cornerstone of its growth. MXit is a new generation company that boasts 13 million members and is growing by 18 000 users per day. It is in constant evolution to match the needs of its users and is set on becoming one of the biggest instant messaging mobile networks in the world and the preferred mobile social network for communicating with young people in Africa and globally.
The company introduced mobile messaging to South Africa. It started as a mobile game developer and evolved into a mobile instant messaging company, allowing its users to send messages at a fraction of the cost of traditional SMS.
To download MXit: Open your mobile browser, type in www.mxit.com/wap and simply follow the prompts.
Issued by:
FD Beachhead
Sandra Sampayo 079 167 6863 or 021 487 9000 sandra.sampayo@fd.com
Jean Dennis 083 500 5302 or 021 487 9000 jean.dennis@fd.com
Emily and Sprites of Light - LIVE!
Emily and the Sprites of Light, the second in the Scroll of Seven Series, was launched at the Cape Town Book Fair (http://www.capetownbookfair.com/) this weekend. See the awesome new cover on the right of this site.
Carrying on the story of Emily and her companions from Aurana, see the blurb on the back cover below:
Emily has no choice but to continue helping Aurana towards the Balance, after losing her friend in the Battle and having been warned that this was just ‘The Beginning of the End’ by Admonai of the Shadows.
Her Shimmers, Pugly and Elvis, along with jolly long-nosed Edwina, the bookstore owner, help Emily uncover how she is responsible for the explosive events and as Emily discovers the Power of the Imagination she is surprised to find friends in old enemies and a warrior at her side, in Gift, a newcomer to her circle at boarding school in Kingstown.
Sam, Emily’s best friend, vibrates more powerfully and finally meets her own mentor, while Sarah, their small mouse-like shadow, mysteriously starts hiding herself and her actions from her friends. Danger opens her arms to Josh, the spiky-haired streetwise mentor, as he willingly becomes entangled in the web that is being weaved and Rupert, the Lost One, appears to have changed sides.
But it is in the desert that Emily will find her greatest allies, and where she will come face to face with her arch enemy, only to lose the one she is learning to love.
This book reminds you that “…Everything is Alive…”
Some comments from readers etc:
This story gets more exciting by the minute. I love it!
– Sally Ann Partridge, Author: The Goblet Club and Fuse
You’ve done it again. I’m hooked and waiting for more.
– Lauren
It’s a darn good read.
- Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit
Carrying on the story of Emily and her companions from Aurana, see the blurb on the back cover below:
Emily has no choice but to continue helping Aurana towards the Balance, after losing her friend in the Battle and having been warned that this was just ‘The Beginning of the End’ by Admonai of the Shadows.
Her Shimmers, Pugly and Elvis, along with jolly long-nosed Edwina, the bookstore owner, help Emily uncover how she is responsible for the explosive events and as Emily discovers the Power of the Imagination she is surprised to find friends in old enemies and a warrior at her side, in Gift, a newcomer to her circle at boarding school in Kingstown.
Sam, Emily’s best friend, vibrates more powerfully and finally meets her own mentor, while Sarah, their small mouse-like shadow, mysteriously starts hiding herself and her actions from her friends. Danger opens her arms to Josh, the spiky-haired streetwise mentor, as he willingly becomes entangled in the web that is being weaved and Rupert, the Lost One, appears to have changed sides.
But it is in the desert that Emily will find her greatest allies, and where she will come face to face with her arch enemy, only to lose the one she is learning to love.
This book reminds you that “…Everything is Alive…”
Some comments from readers etc:
This story gets more exciting by the minute. I love it!
– Sally Ann Partridge, Author: The Goblet Club and Fuse
You’ve done it again. I’m hooked and waiting for more.
– Lauren
It’s a darn good read.
- Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
MXIT Magic and the Sprites of Light
On 1 May 2009, Emily and the Battle of the Veil, will go live on MXIT.
A world-wide first, this will be the first book of any kind to be able to be purchased on DIGITAL media.
At around 50c per chapter, we kid you not - much cheaper than buying it in stores, though for those of us that still like the smell and sound of paper, it will be in bookstores - we beleive we'll be able to get 'word' out there, and along the way, save the trees on this planet, reduce our footprint, and be another proudly South African first too. We almost feel Mandela-ish!
The second of the series, Emily and the Sprites of Light, will follow shortly thereafter - and in fact it will probably be on MXit before it even hit's the stores in print. Don't we just love the evolution :-)
So guys and gals, if you haven't found us here yet, we hope to see you on MXit soon. And if you don't know what to do with yourself when you can't get hold of a friend to chat, play music, or chatter in chatrooms - whether you're at the doctor, in the bath, standing in a queue, bored and looking for enlightenment - read a book, ONLINE.
Find it on MXit - MBooks. Welcome to the new age!
A world-wide first, this will be the first book of any kind to be able to be purchased on DIGITAL media.
At around 50c per chapter, we kid you not - much cheaper than buying it in stores, though for those of us that still like the smell and sound of paper, it will be in bookstores - we beleive we'll be able to get 'word' out there, and along the way, save the trees on this planet, reduce our footprint, and be another proudly South African first too. We almost feel Mandela-ish!
The second of the series, Emily and the Sprites of Light, will follow shortly thereafter - and in fact it will probably be on MXit before it even hit's the stores in print. Don't we just love the evolution :-)
So guys and gals, if you haven't found us here yet, we hope to see you on MXit soon. And if you don't know what to do with yourself when you can't get hold of a friend to chat, play music, or chatter in chatrooms - whether you're at the doctor, in the bath, standing in a queue, bored and looking for enlightenment - read a book, ONLINE.
Find it on MXit - MBooks. Welcome to the new age!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Review by MetaVarsity for Emily and the Battle of the Veil
Finally, a metaphysical book for young adults! As a lover of fantasy books, I really enjoyed Emily and the Battle of the Veil, the first book in the Scroll of Seven series. This first installment introduces us to Emily, a young girl who was born under mysterious circumstances and who seems to have a special purpose in life. As the story progresses we meet her interesting physical and other worldly friends who have been drawn to Emily to support her special purpose - saving the Earth and its parallel world called Aurana. Emily is confronted by many new things, including facing her own fears and a couple of 'baddies' who plot to stop her. I loved how Karen Brooks has managed to use the story to carry a fundamental metaphysical message - "thoughts are things" and "energy follows thought". This is a great buy for parents who wish to share these principles with their young adults in a fun and approachable way. I look forward to Emily and her friends' next adventure. For more informaiton, go to www.scrollofseven.com.
Belinda Doveston, MD MetaVarsity Pty Ltd
Belinda Doveston, MD MetaVarsity Pty Ltd
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
