Welcome to my tour stop for the Zimmah Chronicles by Scott King! This is a middle grade fantasy series. The tour runs December 1-11with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

Read an Excerpt
Looking at the mountain again, Karim groaned. He should have seen it sooner. The mountain was made up of slabs of different flavored ice cream layered together and covered in freezer burn.

Karim lifted his right foot, but it didn’t budge. He pulled harder. The sludge slurped around his ankle, sucking him deeper into it.

“I need a lift.” Karim grabbled tight to Lion’s mane. Lion leaned in the opposite direction, plucking Karim from the goo. From the higher vantage point, Karim could see that the sludge flowed with currents. Darker steams mixed with creamy puddles, like milk being poured into a cappuccino. The best bet for avoiding them would be to backtrack to the caramel river and to follow it upstream, but doing so would cost them hours.

“We need to turn around,” Karim said with a sigh.

They retraced their steps, and as they did Karim couldn’t figure out if they were sinking or if the ice cream sludge was rising. In a matter of minutes, Karim had to pull his legs up to keep them from getting splashed. It got so deep that even Lion, with his powerful haunches, struggled to lift his paws.

A dark patch in front of them stirred,  circular ripples  expanding from it. The ground rumbled.

“Run!” Karim yelled.

A geyser of boiling hot fudge ruptured from the ground. It streaked over a hundred feet, drenching the area in a wet chocolate mist that burned when it touched Karim’s exposed skin.

Lion sprang off his back legs in an attempt to jump clear of the melted ice cream. The ground gave way beneath him, and his whole backside sunk into the goo. Panicking, he kicked all four legs, trying to doggy paddle, but it was like trying to swim in quicksand. The more he floundered, the deeper he plunged.

Another geyser erupted, this one so close that the chocolate stream struck Karim,  hurling him off Lion’s back. Karim crashed head first into the melted ice cream. He splashed his arms, needing to get back to the surface but the fall disoriented him. Even if it hadn’t the sludge was so thick that it made swimming impossible.

A slow burning formed in his chest, like needles pricking along his lungs.

The thudding of his heart grew so loud that he could feel it in his fingers and toes. Unable to control it, he exhaled. Releasing the pressure gave him a moment of comfort that was quickly replaced by a dreadful burning. His whole body told him he needed to breathe. It ached for oxygen.

Unable to control himself, Karim opened his mouth. The sludge rushed in, passing down his windpipe. He choked, but he had no air in his lungs to push out the liquid. Spots danced in his vision.

This was it. He knew it. He was going to die by drowning in melted ice cream.

Cupcakes vs. Brownies

Mermaids vs. Unicorns

Genie vs. Djinn

About the Author:

Scott King is a writer and photographer. He was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Ocean City, Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree in film from Towson University, and his M.F.A. in film from American University.

“DAD! A Documentary Graphic Novel,” King’s first book was published in Fall ’09. He is also the creator and writer of “Holiday Wars” and he is known for his board game photography, specifically his annual calendar that highlights tabletop and hobby games.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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GIVEAWAY:

$25 Amazon gift card (INT)

Ends December 16th

Prizing is provided by the author, must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.