Exclusive Excerpt from Tides by Betsy Cornwell + Win A Signed Copy!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Hello readers! Okay, tell me the truth, do you guys know what a selkie is? I've been blogging for over a year now and I still giggle inside when authors think that 'selkie' is my name. Selkies are my favorite mythical beings, and they're kind of like Celtic mermaids. They’re seal shapeshifters who live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to be human on land. You can head on over to this Wikipedia article if you want to know more about them.

That being said, I was so super thrilled when I heard about Tides by Betsy Cornwell- a young adult fantasy about selkies, science, and the fluid bonds of family and love. I was flailing and screaming 'Finally! A new YA book about selkies! Yesssss' and exclaimed my excitement on twitter. Thankfully, Betsy didn't freak out. She was so nice and handled my freakish ravings quite well, and sent me this excerpt to share with all of you. Read on and enjoy~

Tides by Betsy Cornwell
Tides
by Betsy Cornwell
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: June 4th 2013
Pages: 336 (hardcover)
Author's website | GoodReads

When high-school senior Noah Gallagher and his adopted teenage sister, Lo, go to live with their grandmother in her island cottage for the summer, they don’t expect much in the way of adventure. Noah has landed a marine biology internship, and Lo wants to draw and paint, perhaps even to vanquish her struggles with bulimia. But then things take a dramatic turn for them both when Noah mistakenly tries to save a mysterious girl from drowning. This dreamlike, suspenseful story—deftly told from multiple points of view—dives deeply into selkie folklore while examining the fluid nature of love and family.

                        He called her Hope.  She thought that was stupid.  Once he’d caught her, she’d known better than to hope for anything.  Every youngling heard the stories of captured selkies and their lifetimes on dry land.  She’d never heard of someone from her pod actually being captured before, but then, maybe the Elders hadn’t wanted to scare them. . . .

                       She thought maybe if she had her sealskin back . . . but that wouldn’t do any good, either.  The fisherman had it—she knew he must from the stories, she’d never have gone with him, otherwise—and she knew he wasn’t stupid enough to keep it anywhere she’d find it.

                       Oh, she shouldn’t have thought of her skin.  Because every time she did, she started to wonder if maybe it had been more than just the skin that had made her leave.

                       Hadn’t she been a little curious?  Hadn’t she smiled at him when he put his finger to his lips and beckoned? Hadn’t she followed him willingly from the beach, away from the safety of her pod?

           This, everything that had happened, was her fault.  All hers.  She didn’t deserve to escape.

Betsy Cornwell
Betsy Cornwell wrote Tides as a student at Smith College before graduating in 2010.  She received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame in 2012, and after grad school, she ran away to live with the fairies in Co. Galway, Ireland.  She's taught writing at Notre Dame and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, and was a columnist and editor at Teen Ink magazine. When she isn't writing, Betsy enjoys traveling, knitting, cooking, and nerdy TV (especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer).  She is also really tall.
 Betsy is awesome and she's giving away a signed copy of her book to one lucky reader! Thanks, Betsy ♥



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17 comments

  1. UnknownMay 25, 2013 at 9:51 PM

    No..

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  2. AnonymousMay 26, 2013 at 1:36 PM

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway! And yes, I've heard of selkies before! =) I think I read about them in the Harry Potter series. ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 26, 2013 at 4:46 PM

    Not really (until your blog). When I first discovered your blog, I was curious to know what a Selkie is, so I researched! :))

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  4. Erica (The Reading Kitten)May 26, 2013 at 10:17 PM

    Haha, that's funny. I can imagine your e-mails starting with "Dear Selkie" XD. I didn't exactly know what it was, but I did think it would be some kind of sea-creature :p.

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  5. DianneMay 26, 2013 at 10:44 PM

    I don't really know about selkies but now that I know, I'm now interested in them! My favorite paranormal creature is the mermaid and so, I think I'll also love selkies. Plus, Tides sounds so good!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Louisse A.May 27, 2013 at 7:28 PM

    Besides you? Yeah, I have! :D I read this short story by Melissa Marr about male selkies and mates... Hee!

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  7. CharlieMay 27, 2013 at 8:16 PM

    I've read about them! I mean, sort of. I think I've read a story about them before but I can't remember what that was. They shed their skin right? And when a human got hold of it, they're sort of bound to them? Am I right?

    ReplyDelete
  8. CharlieMay 27, 2013 at 8:19 PM

    But I never read a novel about it. I think I just read a short story from the internet. They have mates right?

    My, oh my. I am glad and giddy that I'm sort of familiar with this. Haha. It's funny.

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  9. AlyssaMay 27, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    I always thought that selkies are some sort of sea creatures.

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  10. fluffernutterMay 28, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    Until I saw your blog, nope! =)) They're cool though.

    Tiffany@readbreatheread

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownMay 29, 2013 at 6:25 PM

    Yes after reading Tithe by Holly Black :D

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  12. Isabel GomezMay 30, 2013 at 12:39 PM

    To be honest, no. I do now though! Heehee

    Isabel @ Sab The Book Eater

    ReplyDelete
  13. Neysa KristantiMay 31, 2013 at 10:04 PM

    Yep, I heard it on Ingo, and then again on TMI series! Thanks for the amazing giveaway, Ellie!

    Sincerely,
    Neysa Kristanti

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bea TejanoJune 3, 2013 at 2:04 AM

    Yes I have! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. KendallJune 5, 2013 at 12:57 AM

    I've heard of Selkies, but I've never read a book on them before :)

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  16. UnknownJune 5, 2013 at 9:45 PM

    Nope I have not...but looking forward to learning more!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tiffany HolmeJune 13, 2013 at 10:39 AM

    I have!! Actually there was many of them in the Mermaid & Myth Month that I just hosted <3 Thank you so much for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete

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