Ed Lewis has been dragged to Medieval Faires for as long as he can remember. Now 17, he's sick of the whole scene: helping his uncle make bows, minding the store, and - most of all - translating his mute mother's sign language as she reads runes for a stream of gaga faire-goers. Only one thing makes him come this time, a last chance to impress a certain young woman by winning the archery tournament. It feels like a matter of life and death. All that changes when Ed discovers an ancient, rune-marked arrowhead tucked in his bedroll. He has no idea who put it there and doesn't ask. Angered by his uncle's endless chores, embarrassed by losing the tournament, he buries himself in making an arrow for his find. What he creates is beyond his ken, for the arrowhead is a gate-key to another world, his mother's world, locked in battle between her people and its old masters, a war chief and druid witch of the Britons. It's the world where his father was lost, and mad harpers pluck illusions from their tunes. A world where there be monsters, for Beowulf's saga is fresh and real. A world of magic and war, where skill, wit, friendship, and a healthy dose of fear solve riddles that reveal the true nature of life and death.
Vermont author Dean Whitlock writes fantasy and science fiction for young and not-so-young adults. His stories have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Aboriginal SF, as well as in anthologies in the U.S. and abroad. His first two YA fantasy novels were published by Clarion Books, but now he publishes independently under the Boatman Press imprint. An Air Force brat, Dean has lived in a dozen states and three foreign countries, a life of travel that gave him plenty of time to read in the car and now enriches his writing. You can find out more about Dean and his upcoming new titles at www.deanwhitlock.com.
Maurizio Manzieri is a science fiction and fantasy illustrator dreaming his Universes in a small oasis in the heart of Turin, Italy. He has provided cover and interior illustrations for dozens of books and stories published in Europe and the U.S., many of which have been showcased in exhibits all around the world. Among other honors, Maurizio has won the Chesley Award, presented by the Association of Fantasy and Science Fiction Artists, the Best of Show Award at the World Science Fiction Convention, and the Asimov's Reader Award. He has been a featured artist at numerous conventions and teaches digital art in workshops and classes there and in his home in Italy. A collection of his work, The Art of Maurizio Manzieri, was released in 2009 by publisher Vittorio Pavesio. You can find Maurizio's online portfolio at www.manzieri.com.
