Fly Stone, Fly - Dust Kunkel

nThe magical tale of a boy, his dog and a monstrous friend. n nn nIf by magical, you mean the boy tells the story to his dog, the dog talks back, and the friend is a snarky, Shakespeare-quoting failure of a monster. Clayton Stonefly just wants to be brave like Dammit, his dog, and protect Granma from the town bully.

But Clay has an unfortunate gift: every time he tells a story, someone dies. Clay just watched his friend, MK, suck the soul out of a man, leaving the man clawing at his chest. Is MK really a friend?

Or something much worse?n nn nClay's long-lost parents kept many secrets - and he's finding them out one by one: A family 'calling' that involves monster-wrangling. A family axe with a mind of its own that may or may not be trying to talk to him. A family nemesis, Big Jim, intent on destroying them all.

A family curse he can't seem to escape. Fly Stone, Fly is for anyone who loves Granmas, folktales and the beauty of Western America. And Shakesbear.

That's right, Shakesbear. It's also for anyone who's ever been loved by a dog.n nn nIf Faulkner wrote fantasy, he'd have written something like this... unique, lyrical, and steeped in Americana folklife.

--Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eatersn