About Lands of Jade:

For the first time in eight hundred years, the sun sets on the desert world of Crimson Winter, throwing the planet into unexpected darkness and further chaos. And with the setting of the sun comes the unexpected rise of hordes of undead creatures from the endless Sand Lakes.

…so I can…

Yukari Namikoya, Japanese high school student turned Chosen of Sapphiros, must rise to the occasion and use the powers she has been given to try and protect those she’s come to love against overwhelming odds.

…see the light of day again.

But when each night lasts a little longer, Yukari soon realizes that their days might be numbered and a sinister force beyond even the menace of the Vile Emperor might be behind the terrors that are besieging the planet during such a desperate time. The worst part is that Yukari doesn’t know if her powers, or even the combined forces of her allies will be enough to protect the Kingdom of Taiyou, let alone the whole world.

Genres:  Young Adult, SciFi, Fantasy, Adventure 

Page Count: Approximately 434

Justine Alley Dowsett is the author of ten novels and counting, and one of the founders of Mirror World Publishing. Her books, which she often co-writes with her sister, Murandy Damodred, range from young adult science fiction to dark fantasy/romance. She earned a BA in Drama from the University of Windsor, honed her skills as an entrepreneur by tackling video game production, and now she dedicates her time to writing, publishing, and role-playing with her friends.

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Exclusive Excerpt

“Sabien, where is everyone?” I asked. 

Sir Sabien, the Knight Commander of Sapphiros, was a tall and imposing man in his white armour with two swords strapped to his back – the black-bladed one had, until recently, belonged to the traitor, Viron. 

“Adel is guarding Aysel personally. There has been no change.” 

Lady Adel was the one Knight I did know the location of very well. The formidable Knight had been injured in the fight with the mysterious assailant, but that wasn’t what kept her immobile. Her twin sister and squire, Aysel, had been badly wounded, losing her sword arm and some of the right side of her body with it. The Kumori healers – a race of silent, bat-like people – had done their best work amputating her arm and removing what was left of her armour with their magic, but Aysel had remained unconscious ever since the operation. Adel had not left her sister’s side, unless commanded by Sabien to take her turn scouting. 

“Ris and Masaru are ranging out a little further north and east today,” he continued, “and Jeth has gone southwest. I’m staying here in the centre, in case she evades the others and returns here.”

“Is there still no sign of her, then? Or the reinforcements I sent for?” 

Sabien shook his head, “No, but Ris informed me Masaru believes he has found her trail. They are following it now.” 

“Should they really be going after her?”

“They are simply following her trail to see which direction it leads,” he responded. “They have no intention of engaging her. With any luck, she will already have left Taiyou entirely. If we can confirm that, I will rest a little easier.” 

I nodded, though I wasn’t entirely reassured. Like Sabien worried for Ris, my feelings toward Masaru were quite similar, only in my case Masaru wasn’t aware of them yet. Ever since I realized how I felt, I had been trying to find the words to explain it to him, but there had yet to be an appropriate time. After I had emerged from the confrontation with the Oujou to discover the carnage that took place while we had been occupied within the temple, I realized just how important it was to tell him while I still had the chance. Still, it had been difficult to find him alone for even a minute; as one of the less injured Knights, he was always off scouting.

“Do you think I should join them? I should be able to fly just as quickly as Ris does, and I could help them scout.” 

I had been feeling the need to be on the move now for several days and if anyone was going to have to face this deadly woman, it should be one or more of the Chosen – which is not to say I was looking forward to the experience – but also, I wanted my chance to speak to Masaru. I had been forced to realize just how dangerous this world was and it was a simple fact that our positions didn’t help matters. We would have to fight to stay alive and we had plenty of enemies besides. There was no benefit to waiting any longer, as much as I was afraid to tell him the truth in case it wasn’t something he wanted to hear.

Sabien levelled his gaze on me. “Yukari, I know you wish to be of use, but I think your place right now is here with the people that need to be defended.” 

My mouth settled into a grim line at the reminder that Sabien seemed to be able to see right through me. “Fine. I’ll be waiting near the temple. If you hear anything at all from Ris, I would appreciate it if you could let me know.” 

Author: Leigh Goff

Leigh Goff is an author represented by Lauren Bittrich of Lucinda Literary. She is inspired by caffeine, enchanted spells, and unforgettable, star-crossed fates. She has three published young adult novels, DISENCHANTED (2015), BEWITCHING HANNAH (2017), and KOUSH HOLLOW (2020). She is also a member of SCBWI and a graduate from the University of Maryland.