Stephanie Keyes's Blog

Although this book was first released in 2013, this version has new content, a new cover and has had a complete overhaul I hope if you enjoyed The Fallen Stars before that you'll give it a try.

If you're new to the series, the first book The Star Child is available now!

Pick up your copy of either at your favorite bookstores.

Today is the final day to enter the ebook giveaway on Goodreads for The Fallen Stars. Release Day is tomorrow!

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Another excerpt from The Fallen Stars, all-new edition!

The quaint little shops and restaurants that made up downtown Bar Harbor lured in passersby with their curb appeal. Fall wreaths hung from storefronts along with signs promising free samples of hot apple cider and blueberry muffins. Small clusters of baby boomers wandered the sidewalks, whipping out their cameras every few seconds to capture the image of whatever curiosity had piqued their interest.

A group of people sat beneath a small circular pavilion with green and white trim, listening with rapt attention to a speaker. Part of a tour group or maybe a church service. There were already dozens of people out on that Sunday morning, but I could envision the potential for more in the summer. Hopefully our off-season arrival would work in our favor.

We passed by what looked like the busier side of town when Gabe spoke up. “I think those people are taking my picture.” Gabe grinned and attempted to show his best side as he eased the rental into a spot on one of the side roads beside a restaurant with a blue striped awning.

I whipped around and spotted an elderly couple bundled in jackets and boots with matching scarves around their necks. They did indeed seem to be aiming their cameras in our direction. Though I’d lay odds the real target was the restaurant, we couldn’t be too careful.

“Don’t look at them. I’m not sure it’s a good idea that we’re being photographed.”

“Right.” Gabe nodded, averting his gaze. “I didn’t think about that.”

I’d picked up three ball caps last night and had left them in the back of the car—just in case. Now, I pulled them out, setting one atop Gabe’s head. “Here.” I set a plain, navy blue cap on Cali’s head that read Softball Queen. “You push it down, like this.” I shoved the final one onto my own head.

“Thanks.” Cali beamed even as her ears poked out on the sides, reminding me of an elf. With care I arranged her hair over her ears, covering them from the cold.

Gabe adjusted his hat as a grin split his face. “That hat says you’re a Bass Master, Kellen.”

“What’s a bass?” Cali’s lips quirked.

“It’s a type of fish. It means he’s a rockin’ fisherman.” Gabe snorted.

I shook my head as I turned to Gabe. “At least mine doesn’t say Born to Ride a Hog.”

“Wha?” Gabe peered into the rearview, checking out his own cap.

“Come on.” I patted his shoulder and climbed out of the car. Cali followed.

Gabe, on the other hand, stayed behind an extra handful of seconds, frowning as he tugged the bill down on his forehead. Finally he climbed out. “Nice, K. Touché.”

“Hey, someday you’ll thank me for adding to your wardrobe.” I grinned and took Cali’s hand.

We crossed the street to a restaurant and stepped inside to find a haven of warmth and delicious smells. The restaurant was long and narrow with mostly booths on one side. We managed to snag the last free booth on the end.

The menus handed to us by a smiling waitress proclaimed the place as Jacob’s. Their special was none other than Maine blueberry pancakes.

“What’s a pancake?” Cali leaned close, squinting as she tried to interpret the menu.

“They’re a slice of heaven, that’s what they are.” Gabe winked, but his face immediately fell as he recognized his mortal faux pas. “Oh, no pun intended, C.”

She grinned at Gabe over the menu. “No worries for you, Gabriel.”

I suppressed a snort at Cali’s attempt at slang. It made me love her even more, the way she tried to fit into my world. Our world.

The waitress stopped at the end of our table, tablet at the ready. She was older, with curly white hair that rose up and around her head in one large puffball. She didn’t make eye contact over her notepad, and the sound of her tapping foot on the linoleum reminded us she had a restaurant full of customers. “What’ll it be?”

The three of us ordered rounds of coffee and the special. The waitress returned moments later with cups and a carafe of coffee. I waited until she was gone before I asked the question preying on my mind.

“Do you think we need to move on today?” Maybe the photographers had been legit tourists, but my time in Faerie, where nothing was ever as it seemed, had jaded me.

Gabe scoffed. “Kellen, this is a tiny town. They were just tourists. They probably weren’t even trying to get us in frame.”

I raised the coffee cup to my lips and sipped the overly strong brew. The waitress had skimped on the cream, and the blend hadn’t reached my optimal coffee hue yet. I didn’t bother signaling to her. She clearly didn’t want to be there any more than I did. “I’m not sure we can write anything off.”

“Kellen’s right. We need to be less conspicuous.” Cali frowned as she ran her fingertip along the tines of her fork. “I’m not saying that everyone’s a threat, but it wouldn’t hurt to be more aware of what’s going on around us.”

“Noted. Man, this is just like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. You know, when they go on the run?”

Cali stopped fooling with her fork and stared at Gabe. “Should I know what you’re talking about, Gabriel?”

I stifled a laugh, loving how she was already calling him on his bizarre tangents.

Gabe’s expression turned serious. “Basically, C, it means I need to start treating everyone like the enemy and be less trusting.”

Funny, but I’d never known Gabe to be trusting at all. When we’d been at Yale, he’d practically asked for a background check on everyone I had a study group with. At the very least he always asked to meet them.

After draining my cup, I found I’d almost returned to a half-human state. About twenty minutes later, our waitress set three ginormous plates of food in front of us. The meal could have fed us as well as about ten others. The pancakes steamed on my plate and I inhaled slowly, taking in the familiar smell of hot blueberries.

“Now, you have options here, C,” Gabe said, using his fork as a pointer. “You can go with butter and syrup—either blueberry or maple.”

“What do you use?” Cali asked me, her expression lit with curiosity.

I held out my hand and Gabe set a container of powdered sugar on my palm. “Thanks.” I popped the top and sprinkled the sweet powder over my pancakes. “I highly recommend powdered sugar.” I capped the jar and set it back on the table.

“Freak.” Gabe grinned as he uncapped the blueberry syrup and dowsed his breakfast liberally. “Syrup’s the only way to go.”

“Or maybe,” Cali reached out, collecting first the powdered sugar and then the syrup, “a compromise?” Without waiting for our responses, she added both powdered sugar and blueberry syrup to her pancakes.

“Huh.” Gabe leaned forward, considering Cali’s topping selection as though she were a scientific experiment.

Cali cut into the pancakes and took a bite. Her eyes widened to the size of the plates our food had been delivered on. “Delicious.”

My own first bite was heaven. The blueberries burst open in my mouth, burning my tongue. It reminded me of the time Gran had made cookies and I’d taken one off the pan as soon as it came out of the oven. It had burnt my tongue so badly that it puffed up. It’d been worth it though. The cookie was awesome.

Gabe polished off half a pancake in one bite. He shoved it into his mouth and chewed for several seconds before swallowing. Syrup leaked from the corners of his mouth on either side. Cali burst into laughter. I’d never heard her laugh like that—with abandon, as though she didn’t have a care in the world.

Gabe glanced up, a residual piece of pancake sticking to his pronounced chin like a goatee. “What?”

This only served to make the situation funnier, and I roared with laughter right along with Cali. I offered him my napkin. “Wipe off your face, man.”

“Thanks.” Gabe did so, then balled the napkin into a wad and tossed it onto his plate.

We ate like that, laughing as though we were on a normal trip. I almost forgot for a moment that we were on the run. Gabe hadn’t, though. The instant we finished our meals, he was all business.

“There’s a grocery store around the corner. I can get milk and other stuff. Can you hit the hardware store across the street? We’ll need extra flashlights. I’ve got oil lamps back at the house, but just in case. Sometimes the power goes out for a while when the wind picks up, and I don’t know how long we’ll be staying here. Or if we’ll be staying.”

“Extra napkins?” A petite blond waitress walked by and placed a pile of napkins in front of Gabe. Her wide smile parted her lips to reveal ultra-white teeth.

Gabe sat up straighter so that he was almost able to look her in the eye. “Thanks.” He accepted the napkins with a warm smile, sending a faint blush creeping up the waitress’s cheeks like a wine stain on a white rug.

She left our table, probably to gossip in the back about the nice, cute guy that had been a sloppy eater. Apparently Cali and I hadn’t taken to our breakfast as ardently as Gabe had, because she didn’t offer us any additional paper products.

The smile stayed stuck on Gabe’s face until he opened the first napkin and blanched. He crumpled it up and reached for the second before dropping it on the table as well.

“Gabe, what’s wrong?” I reached for the napkins, but he held up his fork with the tines pointed toward me. By the time he opened the third napkin, he let his fork fall onto the plate with a clatter. In silence, he inspected the other napkins and then quickly discarded them, returning to the first three.

“We need to leave. Now.” He stood up and reached for his wallet.

“I’ve got it.” I tossed a fifty on the table.

“Thanks.” Gabe waited for Cali and me to stand, then spread his arms, blocking us from view like security detail for a rock star as he ushered us out the side door.

I gripped Cali’s hand tightly in mine, the same unease building inside of me as I glanced back at the restaurant.

The blond waitress was nowhere to be seen.

Keep reading The Fallen Stars this Friday, April 23rd! https://books2read.com/u/mldWWY

My breath came in quick gasps as I ran with as much speed as my mortal body would allow. Up and up, around curve after curve. I had to get to the portal and ask for help.

It had grown colder. The chill air set my lungs on fire with every breath. This could not be a good sign for my mortal body. My stomach growled, begging for food, but food would be a long time in coming. Every tree looked the same, every curve a replica of the one before. The only way for me to go was up.

“One step at a time, girl.” My own voice surprised me, as I’d been running alone for so long. I stumbled on a pile of rocks and my right foot seized up. I bit back a howl of pain, but I had to keep running if I wanted to reach the portal and get help.

Hope flared in my heart as I imagined seeing my mother and father again. They would be on the other side of the portal waiting for me, and everything would be all right. They would fix this.

You are a fool, Cali. If there was one thing that I’d learned in my time as a mortal, it was that I’d been nothing more than a pampered princess before. Everything I’d ever wanted, I’d received. If I made a mistake, my father always fixed it. But some things couldn’t be repaired, even by my father. Some things—

A cry escaped my throat as the ground beneath me gave way. I was falling, flailing my arms and legs as I plunged into darkness. With a thud, I landed on my backside on something soft and wet.

Cringing, I rested my hands at my sides, unable to make out anything. I’d fallen into some sort of pit or possibly even a ravine. I missed my night vision. The dark was ever so much scarier when I couldn’t see through it.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds to illuminate the muddy hollow I’d fallen into.

I stood up and searched along the edges of the small space for any outcroppings that might be substantial enough to climb. It was slow going. My boots sank into the mire, and with each step I had to unglue myself from the previous one. After endless minutes of feeling along the middle of the wall I located a series of rocks lodged into the side of the pit. It would provide the perfect foothold.

I launched myself onto the rocks. Dirt embedded itself under my fingernails as I reached for any possible handhold, but there was nothing to grip but wet earth. Soon the rocks on which I stood dislodged from the dirt. I slammed into the wall, mud covering my front as I slid back to the ground.

Panic seized me. That had been my best chance of getting out of here and it hadn’t worked.

“Somebody help me!” The cry escaped me before I could stop it. I had to get myself under control. A battle waged on that I had initiated. If I wasn’t careful, I’d alert them to my whereabouts.

Without anything better to do, I sat down on the driest part of the pit, which wasn’t saying much. Mud oozed through the fabric of my jeans. The big book about Gabriel’s house had contained a paper advertising mud baths for mortals. Why anyone would choose this for relaxation went beyond my reasoning.

A cry echoed above me and I looked to the sky as a large bird began circling the pit. It called out in soft tones, as though it, too, was conscious of the nearby battle.

When it began to lower itself into the pit, my breath caught. This wasn’t any bird, it was an immense crane, close to the size of the vehicle in which we’d traveled to Maine. It seemed to be approaching slowly with intention, as though it didn’t want to frighten me. It wasn’t until it landed in the mud that it cocked its head and regarded me with kind, patient eyes.

I examined my company closely in the confined space. This was not what I’d had in mind when I asked for help. Inching forward, I leaned toward the bird’s face. “Hello, gentle bird. Have you come to free me?”

As if in answer, the bird turned and lowered its back. When I didn’t immediately climb on, it faced me. I would have sworn it was laughing at me.

No matter. My decision was a simple one. I couldn’t get out of the pit without the bird’s help. I needed him. That meant I had to put my fears aside and climb atop this beast.

I clambered awkwardly onto its back. I quickly dug my knees into its sides and wrapped my arms around its neck. As it shot out of the pit and into the air, my lungs expanded, and relief filled me up as though I were a balloon.

Snuggling close to the bird, I let its warmth seep into me. “Can you take me to Kellen St. James?”

“Kellen is on his own journey.” The deep rumbling of the bird’s voice startled me, nearly unseating me in the air. “You and I both know about the second part of the prophecy. We cannot interfere. It has been set into motion.”

Fear settled around my neck like a noose. I shook my head vehemently, though my feathered friend couldn’t see. “Kellen would never—”

“We have yet to see what path Kellen will choose.” The bird’s voice held a note of despair. Yet something was familiar about it. Something I couldn’t place. I searched my memories for a match, but they were such fragile things that I had no hope of one.

“Father?”

The bird’s chuckle calmed me. “You honor me, but no.”

Tears choked me as my frustration mounted. “Is there nothing we can do to save my love?”

The bird expelled a large breath, almost the way a mortal would sigh. “For now, we wait. I will do all I can to protect him. Your job, however, is to open the portal for your family. We all have a job to do. You must do yours.”

Keep reading this Friday, April 23rd! https://books2read.com/u/mldWWY

Happy Monday!
That's right, it's just five days until the launch of the all-new version of The Fallen Stars! If you haven't signed up for my giveaway, it's not too late. I'm giving away 100 ebooks and one of them may be yours.

Have an amazing day!

Hugs!
Steph

I am thrilled to share the cover for the updated version of The Fallen Stars! Due out on April 23rd.

Stay tuned—more details to come!
The Fallen Stars

The Fallen Stars, the second book in The Star Child series releases April 23rd, 2021. This time Kellen and Cali are on the run in the mortal world. Joined by Kellen's best friend Gabe, they go into hiding only to discover that there are Faeries in Maine, too...

Here's a short excerpt for your reading pleasure...

The driverless car came to an abrupt, shuddering halt on the circular drive in the barren courtyard at Leeds. Three buildings stood on the tiny island that was Leeds, and a well-manicured lawn stretched out before us. I opened the car door and stepped outside.

It was after six p.m., and though it was the perfect time for a wedding—a Saturday in October—the place was deserted. But something I’d learned from my time in Faerie? Looks were deceiving.


The silence suffocated me. No sounds pierced the night, not even the call of the occasional bird or cricket. The quiet gave the dramatic setting an even more eerie quality. It reminded me too much of Faerie itself. Goosebumps ran across my skin. My suit hadn’t been made with the changeable British weather in mind, and the October chill seeped through my clothes.


“Are there guards? What about a security system?”


I offered Calienta my hand, which she took as she climbed from the car.


Calienta took two steps ahead of me, seeming to scan the perimeter. “No one can see us. For the time being we are safe, but we can’t stay here.”


Gabe hopped out of the car and bounced up and down in place, reminding me of a fighter before a match. “Okay, wait. This is not Star Wars, it’s Mission Impossible!” Excitement lit his eyes as he helped my grandfather from the vehicle before I had the chance.


“Except we’re not in bodysuits and suspended by a cable fifty feet in the air.” I grinned, almost forgetting Gabe was angry with me.


Gabe apparently didn’t have the same problem. His forehead creased in a way that made me think I’d taken all the fun out of it for him. He glanced away.


“We should get inside.” Calienta took my hand in hers, leading me from the taxi.


“What about the car?”


“Leave it to me.” Calienta waved her free hand, and the cab vanished before my eyes. Probably returned to Mark’s driveway, wherever that was.


Alistair swallowed as though trying to digest dinner in a place that served up insects as its main course.


Gabe, on the other hand, seemed energized, as though he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life. He stalked toward a nearly darkened area of the courtyard. “Let’s try and access the building this way.” He stopped before a plain door. “I’m betting this door isn’t secure. The outside is fortified. Why bother setting an alarm on the interior buildings?”


Alistair raised his eyebrows. Though Gabe so often sounded like a stoner, he’d been hailed as a legal mastermind by his Yale profs and had begun his first term at Harvard Law last month. Not too many people got to see that side of him. I, on the other hand, was all too aware of the power of Gabe’s mind. I once thought I could argue my way into getting the last slice of pizza. Not only did I not win, but I also ended up cleaning the bathroom for a month. I still had no idea how that happened.


“Good idea.” I patted him on the back as I reached for the Swiss Army knife. When I was a kid, I’d gotten good at picking locks. It was more out of boredom than anything else. But before I could unsheathe the knife, the door swung open.


“Coming boys?” Calienta breezed past us and moved into the building.


Gabe smirked, but kept his thoughts to himself. “Whatever you say, C.” Without a backward glance, he followed her inside, dipping his head to avoid smacking it on the doorframe.


Alistair was about to follow when he turned back to me. “So this is what’s been going on with you?”


“Some of it,” I admitted. He needed to hurry up and get inside. The moat should protect us, but I wasn’t sure for how long. This wasn’t the time for a tell-all.


He nodded. “That explains why you didn’t return my calls for so long. Tell me something . . . Calienta . . . do you trust her?”


I remembered Gran holding my hand and urging me to believe in the girl I’d once thought existed only in dreams. “With my life.”


Again, he gave me a curt nod. “Then I shall too.” He turned and walked through the door and I followed, taking care to lock up behind me.


I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Don't forget to add The Fallen Stars to your TBR today!

Happy Monday everybody!
I couldn't be more exited to share news about my first book, The Star Child. I'll be re-releasing an expanded edition of this title on September 18th, 2020!

You'll get new pages, more Faerie, and more EVERYTHING!

Plus, check out the shiny new cover below. Yay!


The Star Child

ARCs are available on Booksprout now.
https://booksprout.co/arc/45463/the-s...

Available for pre-order:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H25B3NM/

I'll be posting more updates right here on Goodreads, so stay tuned!

Steph

M.S.Kaye is back with another cover reveal. Read on! Once & Again book 2 She was once his secret desire… Will she be again? Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out […]