Comet Babe's Books: Guest Post The Last Protector by Stephanie Keyes

The Last Protector

By Stephanie Keyes

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing | Release Date: December 15, 2014

What They Say:

Gabriel Stewart helped his best friend Kellen St. James save the world from The Scourge in the Battle of Dublin. But before that? Gabe was just an ordinary guy who kept having dreams about a little boy with black hair and green eyes—a boy he hadn’t even met yet.

And even weirder? Gabe’s mind kept replaying these images on loop of things he’d never seen. He heard voices in his head when no one was around. And he actually blew off hot Valerie Gibbons to chase after the black-haired kid in the park. What was up with that?

As Gabe searches for the truth, fate continually puts him in Kellen’s path, but will he be able to stop the Children of Danu from stealing Kellen before the battle begins? What will it take for Gabe to become The Last Protector?

Guest Post By Stephanie Keyes

Writing The Last Protector

Whenever I’ve talked with readers about The Star Child series, there have consistently been two themes interwoven into those discussions. The first? They love Gabe Stewart, Kellen’s big-hearted best friend. The second? Do I ever see myself writing more of the series?

My answer the first is always “Yay!” and this is because I loved Gabe, too. In The Star Child, he was a bit character that almost got cut. I wasn’t sure I needed him. If I continued writing the series after the first book, I had no plans to keep him in. Then something wonderful happened—The Star Child got published and reviews began cropping up on Goodreads. What did those reviews say? Well, basically they boiled down to a single concept: Gabe Love.

And he was only going to be a bit part.

After that, I knew he had to stay. So Gabe returned in The Fallen Stars with a major role and an even bigger role inThe Star Catcher—now as Kellen St. James telepathic protector. But, as I considered these questions that kept cropping up, it occurred to me that there was so much more backstory about Gabe that I hadn’t shared. It only lived in my head. Would people like to read it? A few impromptu emails to readers resulted in a resounding “Yes.”

So I got to return to this world that I’ve missed desperately, but approach it solely from Gabe’s perspective. He’s younger in this release—it covers major happenings in his life from ages 13-20. So part of the challenge was learning who younger Gabe was and what his challenges were.

This novella covers everything from hoe Gabe got to the Stewart’s in the first place, to his first interaction with Kellen, which he’s later forced to forget. He also questions everything about himself—from his own sexuality to his self-esteem—which is a challenge for almost every teen out there. It’s a time when he’s just trying to figure out who the heck Gabe is in the first place.

So there’s just a little peek into the writing of The Last Protector. Thanks for allowing me to join you guys today and thanks for being part of the tour!

*The Last Protector is a companion novella--intended to be read after the other books in the series.

Ebook only: $0.99

Excerpt

It was an ordinary Thursday, (or at least I thought it was going to be), when things got scary. As usual, I was flirting with Valerie Gibbons by the lockers.

"You coming over after school?" Val toyed with the front of her cheerleading skirt.

I shook my head. "Not today." This weird sense of urgency had thrummed in my veins all day, like a Heavy Metal bass line.

Go to the park, go to the park, go to the park...

Val pouted. "You aren't going to dump me, are you? I really like you, Gabe."

"Nah." I made sure no teachers were watching, and then gave her a quick kiss on the lips. My gut turned to jelly when my mouth brushed against hers.

"Where ya going?"

I wished I could tell her the truth. "Ah, you know. I have to do some stuff with the 'rents this afternoon. I'll call you later, okay?" I pushed down my guilt and smiled, trying to amp up my charm to the super mega-watt Gabe level.

"Maybe." Val sounded grumpy about it, but the corners of her mouth turned up when she spoke the word. "Bye." With a quick turn, she ran in the opposite direction, leaving me alone.

After waiting a few beats, I closed my locker with a click. Shouldering my backpack, I ran out the side door and hopped on to my red 10-speed and started to pedal.

Something pushed me, the same message on loop in my mind: Go to the park, go to the park, go to the park...I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't. Maybe if I followed the voice, as freaky as that sounded, it would stop. The thoughts and dreams would end.

And I wanted them to.

Where It All Began

Check out some of the other books in The Star Child series!

About the Author

Stephanie Keyes grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and spent years traveling and working as a Corporate Trainer before she made the decision to pen her first novel. As a teen, her family always accused her of having an “overactive imagination.” Now, she’s encouraged to keep her head in the clouds and share her world with readers.

Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child, After Faerie, The Fallen Stars, and The Star Catcher, all from by Inkspell Publishing. The Fallen Stars was a 2013 semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. The Star Child has topped the Amazon best-seller list several times since its 2012 release. Steph writes YA novels because she’s a hopeless romantic who lives to believe that Magick truly does exist. She is hard at work on a new YA novel.

*Author photos courtesy of Kristina Serafini Photo

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