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The Giant’s Giant is my next novel, and guess what . . . it’s about Giants!
You’ll get to see our world centuries after the great nuclear holocaust that scorched the planet. The planet once called Earth survived the GreatFire that spread across the lands and oceans. Now, it is called Phoenix.
But the GreatFire did not kill everyone or everything; some people survived. But now, they’re changed, their bodies warped by the ever-present radiations, what the current inhabitants call the ColdHeat. Humanity morphed into four races: Giants, Dryads, Humans, and Scavengers.
The Giants live in great cities build in huge caverns, using the mountains stony flesh to protect them from the ColdHeat. In The Giant’s Giant, you will meet the giants living in the city of StoneHold.
The Dryads live in the treetops, tending to the great forests that are once again spreading across the surface of the Phoenix.
The Humans live in their cities of metal and glass, protected from the ColdHeat by huge leaded-glass domes. Now, they build and expand, wanting to make Phoenix better than what it is naturally.
The Scavengers are the outcasts. Still living in the great cities built by the Ancients, Scavengers suffer a painful life. The ColdHeat still clings to these cities, warping their bodies and making life difficult. The only way they can survive is to search the ruins of the great cities for any piece of technology that can be added to their bodies.
THE GIANT’S GIANT – SUMMARY
Brianna MineShaker, member of the TreeAgate GiantClan is a strong and confident giant who refuses to be someone she’s not. Being shorter than every other giant her age, Brianna is the frequent target of bullies, but their slings of ridicule and threats of violence have no effect, for Brianna is afraid of no one. Her teachers and parents tell her to keep her head down and stay out of sight, but she refuses to cower. The suggestions of hiding brings her anger to a boil, for a giant stands up and faces their enemies. This attitude gets her in many fights with her classmates and constantly in trouble.
After one fight too many, Brianna is finally exiled from her underground village of StoneHold and sent to Harmony School, where she must learn what it means to be a giant, or be exiled forever. While at the school, Brianna meets a tall Human boy named Stannis and a Dryad girl named Rayel. Together, the three kids learn of a plot being perpetrated by the dreaded inhabitants of the WasteLands, the Scavengers. With everything they hold dear at risk, Brianna and her new friends must figure out how to stop the Scavengers, no matter the cost.
Danger, intrigue and adventure will circle Brianna, Stannis and Rayel like vultures around a wounded animal. They must each confront their own fears as they learn to work together if they are to stop the Scavengers before thousands are killed. But will anyone believe the three kids, or will they just be jailed for their accused crime and sentenced to death?
I’m super excited about The Giant’s Giant. I think you’re going to love meeting Brianna, Stannis and Rayel, but you’ll especially enjoy meeting Bailey . . . everyone loves Bailey. You can find a lot of information about the Giants of StoneHold on my website as well as the history of their world, the GiantClans and much more. Be sure to try the GiantName Generator.
By hammer and stone, TGG is going to be awesome!!!
Sample chapter from The Giant’s Giant. I hope you like it!
Brianna ran through the cold night, anger filling her legs with strength. In a minute, she’d put the cluster of building that made up Harmony to her back, the empty valley before her beckoning the giant into its lonely, solitary embrace.
After another minute of her rage-filled sprint, she finally slowed to a walk, then stopped. As her anger evaporated, Brianna found herself feeling cold and empty, though the chill wasn’t from the night air; it was coming from within.
“How did I get here?” she asked the night sky. “All I’ve ever done is stand up for myself when the other kids picked on me. They never bothered to understand me, but they understood my fists.” She continued walking through the valley. “All I ever wanted was to be accepted by my classmates, my teachers . . . and accepted by my father. But that all seems impossible now.”
She sighed as she walked, a heavy sadness now settling upon that emptiness like a leaden shroud. 1stMaester ShieldBreaker’s words echoed in her head: I can help if you’ll let me in.Let him in, let anyone past her gruff exterior and see the real Brianna, how was that possible. She’d tried that in the past, letting other kids into her circle of trust, but they’d turned on her, using what she feared against her.
No, I won’t let anyone do that to me again. Trusting others only ends up in pain.
“I’m Brianna MineShaker of the TreeAgate clan, and I’m better off being on my own . . . alone.”
Suddenly, she tripped, her boot catching on a piece of stone. Before her sat a flat section of land devoid of grass, large stone circle set into the ground. Some kind of inscription had at one time been carved into the hard surface, but wind and time had eroded the markings, leaving only the smallest portion visible. On the north side of the clearing stood a tower made of stone. It stretched maybe thirty feet into the air and was built from a single block of stone. The weight of the thing had to be incredible; only giants could have put that tower in place.
Opposite the stone obelisk stood a wooden structure. Trunks from four different types of trees stood woven together like the braid on her father’s beard. The wood was somehow bent into a complex pattern without a single crack visible on the structure. Standing as high as the stone tower, the wooden structure was equally impressive. Brianna had no doubt the dryads had constructed it.
Between the stone and wood stood a tower of glass. Thin metal supports ran up through the center, each twisting in a spiral as it climbed to the top of the structure. Thick sheets of glass were attached to the metal supports, somehow, the glass curving with the steel beams. It was a marvel to see; only humans could work glass with this level of skill and precision.
On the remaining side, a jumble of rusted iron girders stood tall, the structure bent and warped as if heated in a great furnace. It held no beauty and did not suggest any kind of great skill in its construction. But the metal structure did remind Brianna of something . . . pain. The structure itself seemed to be in agony as the iron beams bent this way and that. She had no doubt; this was built by the scavengers.
Atop each tower, a torch burned, casting a soft yellow glow upon the clearing.
“I wonder if this was where they held the 1stMeeting of the Races?” Brianna knelt at the center of the circle and wiped away dirt and leaves, revealing deep letters caved into the stone. As she brushed away more debris, a word started to emerge: PHOENIX, with arrows pointing to each tower. “This is incredible. I never thought I’d see—”
“What are you doing, MineShaker, praying no one will find you out here?”
A giant stepped out of the darkness, long red hair draped over one shoulder; it was the giant from the dining hall.
“I bet you never thought you’d see me so soon.” Terrin gave her a malicious smile.
“Any time would have been too soon.” Brianna stood and faced the bully.
Just then, Terrin’s companion stepped out of the shadows, his greasy black hair reflecting the light from the four torches. In his hands he held his warhammer; it was an adolescent’s hammer by the look of it, the head not completely solid. Terrin glanced at Jaylen and the redhead reached up to the handle sticking up above his shoulder and yanked his warhammer out of its pouch and into his hands.
“You’re an embarrassment to all giants, Brianna MineShaker.” Jaylen took a step closer. “You need to know your place and keep your mouth shut.”
Brianna laughed. “What . . . you two are gonna put me in my place.” She reached up to the handle of her adultwarhammer, and heirloom of their family, then changed her mind. With a smile, Brianna lowered her hand and folded her arms across her chest instead. To leave her weapon in its pouch on her back was a great insult to the attacking giants. “Better giants than you have tried to put me in my place . . . they all ended up in the infirmary. Today will be no different.” She stood up tall, staring at the two giants, a defiant expression on her face. “I am Brianna MineShaker of the TreeAgate clan, and I can take care of you two idiots on my own . . . alone.”
Something moved off to her right, but Brianna ignored it, keeping her attention on the two giants.
Terrin glanced at Jaylen and gave him a nod, then both giants charged, swinging their warhammers. Brianna laughed, then rolled across the ground as the two hammers collided with each other.
These idiots have no idea how to fight, she thought.
Standing, Brianna pulled her hammer out of its pouch, then jabbed at Terrin with the handle. The IronWood shaft slid between pieces leather armor, finding the soft flesh underneath. The red-headed grunted, clutching his side. Swinging the handle, she struck at his knee, the IronWood making a resounding CRACKwhen it hit. Instantly, Terrin dropped his weapon and crumbled to the ground, clutching at his injured leg.
“What did you do to him?” Jaylen shouted.
Brianna stood and turned her weapon in her hands, ready to use the heavy, metal end, if necessary. “You and your friend are pathetic; you have no idea how to use your warhammers.”
“At least we fight like giants, and not like a puny coward.” Jaylen flung his dark hair over his shoulder and charged, swinging his weapon. Brianna gritted her teeth, she stood tall and swung her warhammer like a giant, standing face to face with her enemy. But it’s weight was more than she could handle. All she could do was deliver a glancing blow to her opponent’s shoulder while Jaylen’s hammer struck Brianna square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Falling to her knees, she gasped for breath as Jaylen moved closer . . . good.
Jaylen lifted his hammer high over his head. “We all know about you; your reputation from StoneHold came with you. Picking fights here at Harmony won’t help you be taller. You’re a puny giant, get used to it and learn your place. If I were you—”
“I’m tired of your constant babbling.” Brianna’s voice was like an animal’s growl, vicious and filled with wild fury.
Before he could respond, Brianna spun, pivoting on her knee with her leg extended. Her boot caught Jaylen at the ankles, knocking his feet out from under him. The giant staggered back, trying to gain his balance. Springing to her feet, Brianna shoved her hammer into Jaylen’s chest, knocking him over. He fell backward, his weapon flying from his hands. With a thud, he fell onto his back, his head smacking the ground hard, eyes glazing over for a moment.
Brianna stood over the bully, her warhammer in her hands.
“So now you’re gonna hit a defenseless giant? You truly have no honor.” Jaylen tried to stand, but Brianna put a boot on his chest, pushing him back down.
“It’s funny, you would have struck me while I was down, claiming I deserved it, but if I hit you again, then I’m without honor . . . right?”
Jaylen said nothing.
“Funny how honor depends on who’s the one standing and who’s on the ground, defeated.” She laughed.
. . . More coming soon!
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— Mark