North Star Rising
Amber Emrys is coming of age. She lives on the mystical isle of T’ir Na Nor in the North Sea. Preparations for her Nest Naming Celebration are in the works. Pavarotti, a Puffin who has been “Guardian of the air” on the island for centuries, has watched over Amber as she’s grown from chick to fledgling.
On her adventures, Amber braves trolls, befriends fantastical beasts, beguiles hooligans, outwits malevolent creatures of the earth and sea, and discovers buried secrets about herself and her Ma’s family.
This is a tale filled with fun, whimsy, twists, tears, magic, music, and heart for YA listeners and friends and family of all ages.
Purchase North Star Rising
Book Excerpt
Mary pushes more biscuits toward Amber, pouring more tea. Then she pulls a leather-bound book out of a sparkly nest on a shelf. Its cover has ancient hand-painted lettering.
Mary whispers, “This book chronicles stories of y’er’ family history. Y’er parents are both descendants of founding families of this island, from land and sea. Did ye’ know?” Mary turns the pages, searching. She stops on a page with a beautiful picture of a silver-haired shimmering seal. “Here, read this.”
Amber pulls the book toward her, touching the supple leather pages and marveling at the elegant hand-painted writing. She lowers her head as she reads a story about her ma: Bridgid, age twenty-two, stands waist deep in a black glistening sea, cradling in her arms a baby, just named Amber. A ripe harvest moon shines on the sea illuminating a dozen seals in a semicircle surround them floating on the bay. A haunting, intoxicating melody lifts above the waves. Below the sea’s surface, Bridgid notices a haunting ethereal woman’s face framed by long silvery hair staring at her with arms stretched forward toward them. Bridgid sees the tail of a seal as the woman swims up from the depths toward her. She rocks her baby on the surface of the water crooning a soothing melody, “Y’er gran Meredith is coming…”
Finn runs across the black-sand beach. His black curly hair bounces in the wind. He runs twisting down along the sea-cliff path. On his back slung his violin. He yells out, “Bridgid, stop! What are ye’ doin’? I won’t allow them to take her! She’s my daughter. She’s to be raised on land, not down under in the sea.”
Bridgid turns to his voice, startled out of her trance. She looks up, seeing him running toward her. She hugs baby Amber closer in her arms, humming the melody louder, trying to drown out all other sounds with her own voice.
Meredith swims faster toward Bridgid and her baby. Kicking under-water, she breaks out onto the surface ten feet from Bridgid with her arms outstretched, saying, “Daughter, remember you made me a promise. You must keep it now, or there will be consequences.”
Bridgid startles out of her trance, confused by the two melodies pleading with her to respond. She shouts, “NO! I won’t let you have her!”
About the Author, Darielle Mac
Author Darielle Mac currently lives in the inspirational magical landscape of the US Southwest. She sees herself as a citizen of the world, having the good fortune to be raised in many countries, traveling 
globally, and having a good ear to learn to speak five languages.
After college, she worked in the experimental theater in New York. From there, she built original theater, developing and directing projects in the US and Europe. Then she worked as a writer for hire for independent producers, evolving into a producer-writer to guide the visions she creates in her story worlds.
Her writing is a continuing journey that has led her to create works in poetry, graphic novels, books, theater, film, and for TV. She currently has three series and a feature film targeting family audiences in talks and different stages of development. She received her BA from Hampshire College in Amherst and did her MFA work at CCA in Oakland, California, in film video and performance.
She loves hiking and running on the beach with her dogs. Her favorite pastimes are Falconry, painting, fencing, gardening, and sailing adventures.
