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The creative genius of HL Carpenter shines in their latest book. Pirate Summer is the story of a sister and brother who discover the importance of each other and the consequences of lying. Enter the handsome privateer who steals Josey’s heart and commandeers her on the adventure of her life and you now have the perfect summer read for all ages.
Fifteen year old Josey is a liar. She’d like to stop. But after Mom left, the lies started popping out, like the time Josey left her little brother at the library and told Dad he’d run away.
Then Josey meets a boy who tells bigger whoppers than she does. He says he’s the son of a privateer who’s been dead two centuries. He’s so convincing Josey’s brother believes every word and sets off to find the privateer’s hidden treasure.
When her brother disappears, Josey is sure she knows where he's gone. But everyone thinks she's lying again. Everyone, that is, except the so-called privateer’s son. He knows she’s telling the truth because jeweled riches are only part of his tale. There’s also the snooperscope, a device that makes time leaps possible, like the one that brought him to the present.
The story is fantastical...and yet Josey will do anything to save her brother, including traveling back in time two hundred years with a boy she can’t trust.
EXCERPTThe basic tale hadn’t changed since the first time I’d heard it, though Gran had added a few embellishments. I wondered who she’d been practicing on, then remembered she was on call as a substitute teacher for the Sea Cove school system. Thanks to her, generations of Sea Cove residents knew the legend of Alastair Morgan, a pirate who’d haunted the Florida coast during the early 1800s. Andy jiggled on the seat. He had a vivid imagination, a by-product of his oversize I.Q., and he was caught up in the midst of the hurricane Gran was describing. The huge storm had blown the Morgan pirate ship off course and into Sea Cove.
“Alastair Morgan was familiar with Sea Cove,” Gran said. “He sought refuge in the harbor. When the skies lightened, the rain slowed. He rowed to shore with his son, some of his crew and seven trunks of gold and jewels. They had buried the treasure and were rowing back to their ship when the storm started again.”
“Didn’t he realize the calm was only the eye of the hurricane?” Andy asked.
“Good question, and no, he didn’t. He was surprised when the winds and rain picked up, only from the opposite direction.”
“Silly of him. He should have known. Being a sailor and all.”
Gran met my gaze over Andy’s head. Her lips twitched.
I grinned, forgetting for a moment how annoyed I was. By the time I remembered, Gran had looked away, out the front windshield.
She gasped. “Brake, Josey!”
I jerked my head around. I’d only been distracted for a second—exactly enough time for the truck to drift to the right side of the road. A skinny teenage boy walked there, his back to us.
“We’re going to hit him!” Andy shouted.
I leaned on the horn, smashed the brake, and yanked the wheel to the left. The tires screeched. The seatbelt dug into my hips. Andy shouted again as an invisible force shoved him back, then forward. Gran shot out her arm to hold him in place.
In front of us, the boy whirled. He yelled and raised his palms toward us as if he could ward off the truck with his bare hands. At the last moment, he flung himself onto the dirty sand beyond the edge of the black pavement.
I lost sight of him as the pickup jolted to a shuddering, shaking stop, sideways across the highway.
Amazon Buy Link Florida-based mother/daughter author duo
HL Carpenter write sweet, clean fiction that is suitable for everyone in your family. The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit their
website to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.
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Welcome to the Book Tour for Elizabeth J.M. Walker's new novella, This Night Sucks!
Follow the tour each day to read reviews, guest posts, and exclusive excerpts.
Book Details:
From the author of She Dreamed of Dragons
Title: This Night Sucks
Author Name: Elizabeth J.M. Walker
Genre(s): Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, Comedy
Release Date: June 17, 2016
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Mirror World Publishing Link:
Amazon Link:
Link to the Tour Schedule:
About the Book:
Lana is a high school senior enrolled in Vampire Education – a class to teach students about the very real presence of vampires in the world. Lana and her classmates don’t really expect to meet up with any undead bloodsuckers. Vampires are a lot like other scary things that supposedly exist but you hope you’ll never come across: nudist colonies, mad cow disease, and your parents’ sex life.
What is part of Lana’s everyday reality is navigating through one last year of high school while desperately trying to be less nerdy. She still loves spaceships, fantasy novels, and cat stickers, but she also recently got her braces removed, grew boobs, and is working on the makeup thing. She never expected her crush-of-a-lifetime Pete to even notice her – let alone ask her out on a date.
The date is going great until Pete’s ex-girlfriend Katy shows up, all bloody and pissed off. Lana quickly realizes that Katy is not just her ordinary bitchy self – she has been turned into a vampire. After a near death experience, Lana learns that she is changing into a vampire too.
Lana needs answers, and the only way to get them is to find the vampire who started the chain of events – and to find him before sunrise...
Fun Vampire Facts – Book Edition!
1. One of the first recorded accounts of a vampire dates back to an ancient Sumerian and Babylonian myth dating to 4,000 B.C.
2. Over 1,000 vampire novels have been published, most within the past 25 years.
3. The first full work of fiction about a vampire in English was John Polidori’s The Vampyre. The Vampyre was a short work of fiction published in 1819.
4. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, remains an enduring influence on vampire mythology and has never gone out of print.
5. A key inspiration for Dracula was said to have been Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Transylvanian-born prince.
6. The character Dracula has been featured in over 200 films.
7. Popular vampire writer Anne Rice has sold over 100 million books.
8. Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries have been published in several countries, including: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Spain, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, Swden, Denmark, and many more.
9. The children’s book Bunnicula, by James and Deborah Howe, has won more than ten Children’s Choice awards, including the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and the Nene Award.
10. The Twilightbooks are the only vampire related book series to have sold over 100 million copies.
Meet the Author:
Elizabeth J. M. Walker lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has always loved books and writing. As a teen she discovered zines, which inspired her to publish her own litzine of odd fairy tales for over a decade.
She Dreamed of Dragons is her first novel.
Connect with Elizabeth J.M. Walker:
Facebook:
Amazon US:
Publisher Website:
Author Website:
By:
Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/10/2015
Blog:
PW -The Beat
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By: Nick Eskey Writer: James Robinson Artist: Vanesa Del Rey Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Cory Petit Cover Artist: David Aja Taking place after her stint in the Avengers team, James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch is now as she claims “alone.” The only acquaintance that we’re introduced to is the ghost of her old tutor in witchcraft, Agatha Harkness, who happens to […]
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 11/23/2015
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Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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Follow the Tour for Reviews, Guest Posts, Exclusive Excerpts, and Spotlights!
“When one man’s treasure is another man’s curse"
Book Information:Title: The Curse at Pirate’s Cove
Series: Nikki Landry Swamp Legends, Book 2
Author Name: Rita Monette
Genre(s): Middle Grade, Adventure, Mystery
Tags: Middle Grade, Adventure, Pirates, Bayou, Louisiana
Length: Approx. 208 pages
E-book: 978-1-987976-02-1
Paperback: 978-1-987976-01-4
Re-Release Date: Nov.17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
About the Book:
Nikki Landry is turning eleven years old, and is looking forward to riding her bike to school. That is until it falls apart. Papa can’t afford a new one. Is she doomed to ride the smelly old school bus from now on?
Hearing of an old pirate ship, and a legend about long-ago pirates burying treasure on a nearby swamp island, Nikki sees a way out. But when she makes a birthday wish for the pirate’s gold, things go terribly wrong. Did her wish trigger an ancient curse?
Join Nikki and her friends as they find themselves sailing away aboard a haunted schooner with ghostly pirates into the Gulf of Mexico … and into the year eighteen fourteen.
How will they ever find their way back home?
Pierre Part Louisiana
by Rita Monette
I have been spending the last few weeks in my home state of Louisiana, promoting my books and visiting relatives.
Today I visited my brother in the small town of Pierre Part, Louisiana, which also happens to be the home of Troy Landry of the Swamp People TV series, and where my series, The Nikki Landry Swamp Legends, begins. No, Nikki is not kin to Troy—at least I don’t think so.
The town is about as Cajun as anywhere in Louisiana. Folks there make their living in the bayous, where crawfish, crabs, and alligators are plentiful.
However, I came across one man that makes his living gathering old cypress and turning it into artistic creations. His name is Adam Morales. He says he is blessed to be able to see things in the old remains of cypress trees. Here are a couple of his creations...
Many folks in Pierre Part still live in houseboats, just like they did back in 1956 where my stories begin.
This week is the release of book two, The Curse at Pirate’s Cove, which is set in the nearby town of Morgan City, and in the Atchafalaya Swamp, where Mr. Morales collects the cypress for his artwork.
Follow the Tour:http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/book-tour-schedule-curse-at-pirates.htmlPurchase Links:Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1HG1d39Mirror World Publishing:
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/adventure/products/the-curse-at-pirates-coveChapters:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-curse-at-pirates-cove/9781987976021-item.html?ikwid=Rita+Monette&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-curse-at-pirates-cove-rita-monette/1120806662?ean=9781987976021
Meet the Author:
Rita Monette was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. She loves to write stories set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state.
Her middle grade series, The Nikki Landry Swamp Legends, is based on tales told by her father—who made his living in those bayous—of reasons to stay out of the swamp.
She currently lives with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee. Besides writing and illustrating, she loves watching the many birds that make their habitat on the Cumberland Plateau, working in the garden, and frequenting waterfalls.
Social Media Links:
Batten down the hatches! The pirates are coming!
The Curse at Pirate’s Cove, the second installment in the Nikki Landry Swamp Legend series, is due to be released next month, on November 17.
It was previously scheduled for October 17, but was postponed due to unforeseen problems.
But Nikki and her friends know exactly what the problem was…it was those pesky pirates…and the curse. Yes, they’ve been at it again.
Here’s a description of the book and what’s going on with Nikki in book two:
“When one man’s treasure is another one’s curse.”
Nikki Landry is turning eleven years old, and is looking forward to riding her bike to school. That is until it falls apart. Papa can’t afford a new one. Is she doomed to ride the smelly old school bus from now on?
Hearing of an old pirate ship, and a legend about long-ago pirates burying treasure on a nearby swamp island, Nikki sees a way out. But when she makes a birthday wish for the pirate’s gold, things go terribly wrong. Did her wish trigger an ancient curse?
Join Nikki and her friends as they find themselves sailing away aboard a haunted schooner with ghostly pirates into the Gulf of Mexico … and into the year eighteen fourteen.
How will they ever find their way back home?
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
“How do you know it’s a pirate ship?”“It has to be, Nikki. Listen.” He turned toward me. “I was out at Uncle Luke’s this past weekend, and he told me all about it.”
“I ain’t believing there’s no pirate ship out in those swamps.” I lifted my chin.
“Just hear me out, Tomboy.” He sounded impatient. “There’s a legend that goes along with it, see.” He leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “There might even be a curse.”
“A legend?” He had my attention. I prided myself in being a super legend buster ever since I solved the one about Ghost Dog Island last year. I even got my picture in the newspaper. “Well, tell me about it.”
“I’m trying to.” He waved his hands in the air.
We propped ourselves against a couple of large limbs and got out our lunch bags.
“Uncle Luke says he first heard about it back when he was a kid. He says a friend of his grandfather, by the name of Beco, was out trapping on Fog Island with his buddy Clamare. They came across this here hole in the ground with a half-buried wooden chest, see. It had a big old lock on it. There was a couple of coins in the dirt, so Clamare picked them up and slipped them in his pocket. Beco decided he’d go back for some tools and shovels to dig the rest of it out, and told Clamare to stay there and watch the chest. On his way out to the edge of the island, he saw this ragged old ship. Thinking it was kind of odd looking for being in the swamps and all, he got a little closer. It had a broken mast and raggedy sails.” He poked me with his elbow. “When was the last time you ever saw a fishing boat with sails?”
I shook my head. “Never.” I unwrapped a peanut butter and jam sandwich and took a bite. “What’d he do?”
“Well, he started to board it, see?” Spikes dug into his own lunch bag. “But then he heard some talking coming out of the boat. He stopped right then and there, ’cause he didn’t know who might be on that old wreck out in the middle of nowhere, and there weren’t no other boats around. This one had a big old hole in the hull, so it couldn’t have sailed there on its own. At least anytime in recent history.”
“Then what?” I licked some of the jam off my fingers.
“Then someone stuck his head up over the bow, see. He had on one of them three pointed hats that pirates always wore. Old Beco yelled a big hello, and the man took out a pistol and shot over his head. Well, Beco took off right then and there. That night, he went down to T-Noon’s bar and got drunk, and told some other fellows about it. The next day, they all went back out to the island with shovels and brought guns just in case that crazy guy in the boat was still there.”
“Was he?” I asked.
“Nope. The ship was gone, and so was Clamare.”
“What about the treasure?”
“They never could find it. Not even the hole it was in.”
About the author:
Rita Monette was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. She loves to write stories set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state.
Her middle grade series, The Nikki Landry Swamp Legends, is based on tales told by her father, who made his living in those bayous.
She currently lives with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee. Besides writing and illustrating, she loves watching the many birds that inhabit the Cumberland Plateau.
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Sharon!
My name is Sara Stinson. I have a Young Adult Fantasy I want to share with you called Night Owl. It’s Book One from the Hally Witch Series.
It will be ready to purchase October 17th!
I’m going to give a new twist for today’s blog. I hope you like it!
Sam Hopwoods is a reporter and a good friend of Skyla Hally’s in Night Owl. The book is written from Skyla’s point of view. He’s going to interview her. In this way, you can get to know them and other characters in the remarkable world of Magic Hollow.
INTERVIEW
Sam: Hi, Skyla.
Skyla: Hey, Sam. Well, here we are again.
Sam: Yeah. I can remember the first time I interviewed you in Magic Hollow.
Skyla: Me too. You did a great job! I know you’ll do great today. The Pen Pusher Newspaper will be proud.
Sam: Thanks. I hope so. I wouldn’t want to upset Mr. Pigsters or the Magical Council at Roddenbury Castle.
Skyla:You’ll do fine. Let’s get started.
Sam:Wow, um, where to start?We’ve all been through so much, you, Alec, Pennie, and me. (He says with a serious tone.)
Skyla:Yes, we have. Everything has changed since my seventeenth birthday. My parents murdered, me moving to live with my grandparents.
Sam: I’m sorry about your parents. Maybe that’s where we can start…with the Deathstalkers, the monsters who killed your parents.
Skyla: Okay. They are what brought me to where I am. The Deathstalkers have been after me since before I was born. They’ve tortured and killed many of my father’s people and my mother’s. There are seven of them. They’re the seven deadly sins, and they’re after my powers. Seems they need them to survive.
Sam: Where did these Deathstalkers come from?
Skyla: Over 600 years ago, these creatures were created from the Black Plague. Seven vampires, from a respected coven known as the Vardons, fed from the sick inflicted with the disease, generating this evil bunch. A vampire named Helfrador is their leader.
Sam: Helfrador. I remember him. (Sam narrows his eyes. It’s more of a goofy look.) I stared Helfrador straight in the eyes when he was coming out of the tunnel that unforgettable night.I’m not afraid of him.
Skyla: (Laughing) Yeah, right. I think you need to get on with the interview and not give too much of the story away…or embarrass yourself.
Sam: (Slumping in his seat again and massaging his chest, Sam looks over his notes, his face turning red.) So, after your parents were killed, you moved from North Carolina to Madison, New Hampshire. Tell the readers what you found to be hidden in Madison. (He leans in closer to Skyla.) You know, the first time you went through a portal.
Skyla: (Smiles) Grandma Lil’ and Aunt Fanny were the first to take me through a portal. A portal connects two places. This portal will take you to Magic Hollow.It’s where witches and wizards can be themselves, where candy shops come alive, and where wizards and witcheslike you and me can go to school. Of course, you and I know, I’m homeschooled for now.
Sam: Skyla, you are The Hally Witch of Magic Hollow. The magical world has waited many years for you to be born. Can you tell the readers about this prophecy?
Skyla: When the Deathstalkers drank blood from the sick, it gave them unbelievable strength. They now know this strength will not last forever. That’s why they want mine. Taking my powers will not only give them the strength to survive, but will stop me from stopping them. If they succeed, they will not only have power over the mortals, but the magical world too.I have much to do and much to learn before I can go face to face with the Deathstalkers. Grandma Lil’, Saada Byrd (A witch and helper who lives behind the main house along with her husband Obi and their son Little Peg), and Aunt Fanny Cornels (Grandma’s sister and owner of Fanny’s Fun Flavors) are teaching me daily. I have lessons to read and potions to learn. Sometimes I think my brain’s going to implode. Oh, and I also have help from Rigspul.
Sam: Who’s Rigspul?
Skyla: I guess I haven’t told you about him. He’s a box, although, he doesn’t like to be called a box. He’s more like a beautiful antique trunk. (She giggles.) And he’s ticklish.
Sam: Um, okay.
Skyla: He is. He’s very nice when he wants to be and deadly when he needs to be.
Sam: I think I’ll stay away from him.
Skyla: Probably a good idea.
Sam: Let’s talk a little about this ghost you’ve been seeing.
Skyla: The ghost is a big part of the story. Let’s save her for the readers. (She pauses.) I will say the ghost is known as Witch Hagnar. Believe it or not, there’s a love story behind her. By the end of the book, the readers will love her.
Sam: Sounds romantic, and strange, since we are talking about a ghost who was a witch.(Sam scans his notes again.) I have one more thing I’d like for you to talk to our readers about.
Skyla: Okay. What’s that?
Sam: (He smiles) Alec Stone.
Skyla: (Now her face turns crimson.) Alec comes into my life after I move to Madison. He’s very good-looking. Girls go crazy over him. (She pauses and smiles.) He has been wonderful to me. He lives with Chief Jo. Other than that, you’ll have to read to see if there’s anything else between the handsome guy and me. (Skyla winks.)
Sam: I understand. Don’t want to tell too much.
Skyla: What about you, Sam? Don’t you have a special someone?
Sam: Haha. Not telling. The readers will have to read to find out about me, too. (He playfully points at me.) Two can play that game.
Skyla: I’m glad we met in the story, Sam. You, Alec, Pennie, my grandparents, Obi, Saada…oh, I could go on and on. Everyone has been so kind to me, you know? I just hope I can hold up to my end of the bargain with this prophecy.
Sam: You will, Skyla. All your friends and family, we’ll be there by your side the entire way. Together, we’ll stop the Deathstalkers.
Here are two excerpts from Night Owl
Chapter 5 – Physical Changes
He gently took my hand and guided me across the room. Mina walked over and stood with me. I heard her footsteps and smelled her scent.
I raised my hands slowly, removing both pieces from my eyes. I opened them, but all was blurry. A cloudy outline of a mirror hung in front of me. I closed my eyes again.
“Let them rest a few seconds,” Dr. Krumble said caringly.
Not responding, but doing as he said, I waited.
A minute ticked away and Dr. Krumble spoke. “This time your vison should improve. Don’t force it, Skyla. Be calm and take your time. Take a deep breath and slowly let it out. That’ll get the blood circulating.”
I did as he said. I took a deep breath and as I exhaled calmness washed over me, allowing my body to unwind from my head down to my toes. I remained composed even after hearing Mina gasp.
As my vision became clearer, I understood why she was so astonished. Like my hearing, my vision had greatly been enhanced, but startling were the physical changes of my eyes. They were the color of a Snowy Owl like my father’s eyes mixed with the green eyes like mother’s, causing my features, to me, to look almost animalistic.
Chapter Eighteen – Secrets in the Family
I started out calm. I had never raised my voice to Grandpa. Forgetting the words Little Peg had warned me about, the panic grew quickly, and finally, anger surfaced as I responded.
“You do? How do you know, Grandpa? How could you possibly know what I’m feeling? I don’t know what I’m feeling? I’m happy here, truly, I am. Don’t ever think I’m not, but my emotions and thoughts are becoming unmanageable and flipping on me. Even now...I don’t mean to be so...angry. But I feel trapped. I felt this way in that room. It wasn’t that we were closed in a room like a claustrophobic feeling,” I said, trying to explain my anger. “It was something deeper. My senses were so strong, all of them. My emotions heightened, and my vision was stronger than ever. I saw and felt what Hagnar felt,” I said with horror and fear showing in my eyes. “I could see through her eyes!”
“It’s normal, Skyla, to relive moments in your visions,” Grandpa said reassuringly.
“Normal? Is it normal to reverse the role and be the murderer in my vision and to enjoy being the one who’s pursuing the person? Is it normal to want to kill the person, smelling their blood and wanting it?” I cried, my body now severely shaking.
I enjoy creating my characters and bringing them to life. I am also writing a series called The Finger Bones Series. Finger Bones is a ghost who helps three energetic kids chase and send ghosts to their next destination. At one of the schools nearby, I had a younger student ask me if I had asked Finger Bones to have Christmas with us. The child was concerned Finger Bones would celebrate Christmas alone. How cute is that?
I am now retired as a Speech-Language Pathologist, but I continue substituting. I’m married and have two grown children, two cats, and one spoiled Yorkie named Addie.
You can also find Sara Stinson at these locations...
You can buy Sara Stinson's books on Amazon, Createspace, and Barnes & Noble
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 10/5/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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The Storm is here...
About Stormdancer:Days after the events featured in The Watcher, the Watcher is taken hostage by a dragon, leaving Kristen, Will and Nicki alone in a strange new world. With no choice but to try and rescue their friend, Kristen and the others must travel through ancient cities, forgotten burial grounds, and eventually into the heart of the great storm.
Faced with the unknown, will they be able to traverse the storms that stand before them as well as ones within their own hearts?
Book Details:Title: Stormdancer (Sequel to The Watcher)
Author Name: JoshuaPantalleresco
Genre(s): Poetry, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Tags: Poetry, Epic, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, science-fiction, dragons
Length: Approx. 104 pages
E-book: 978-0-9947490-4-8
Paperback: 978-0-9947490-3-1
Release Date: October 1, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing (
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)
Appropriate for all ages from Young Adult to Adult.
Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Guest Posts, and Reviews:http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/blog-tour-schedule-stormdancer-sequel.htmlGuest Post:Why Joshua Pantalleresco Writes
So before we begin, I want to thank Sharon for having me. She's secretly a unicorn, and that story will have to be told some other day, but she's a kind, sweet lady and it was a pleasure to be asked to come here and write.
I am going to write about my books, why I wrote them, and the lessons you can learn from them. Stormdancer is book two of the Watcher Saga. In it, the Watcher, the main character from book one is kidnapped leaving Kristin, Nicki, and Will to chase him down. The journey is improbable and fantastic and in my opinion the kind of magic a good story creates.
I want to talk about some of the themes of the story. In particular, dealing with grief and changes. Because entering into this book, I was left in a quandry. The Watcher was the Watcher's story; about his journey to discovering who he was, and more importantly, what he wanted to be. This wasn't the Watcher's story anymore. It is the first line in book two.
“This is not my story anymore.”
That was deliberate, conscious line that illustrated the problems I had starting book two. I wanted to flesh out the characters I introduced at the end of book one, yet I didn't want to lose the strong presence the Watcher had in book one.
So who were the three kids I rescued? I chose Kristin as the main character in book two. They had just gone through the loss of everything they knew. Kristin represented that tragedy. Losing a family.
It parallels my own story. Not that I lost my whole family, but my whole family situation collapsed at a very young age. My mom and dad fell apart and I remember that when I was younger it was like my fault. Why did two people I love have to do this? Why did things have to change? It messed me up. I tried to tell myself I was over this pain of not having this unit in my life. I ran away from home at one point because of the pain.
I was very fortunate. I had two teachers look after me. One of them a principal, and the other was my grade four teacher. I was her last class. We didn't make the greatest impression, but to my surprise, she was there for me when I least expected it.
That's Kristin in chapter three. She was happy in her life – it was all she knew. And that turmoil is expressed very much in all her actions for the first half of the book. She has become my favorite character to write in the saga so far. Watching her rise above her own stuff was a vicarious experience.
I had to learn at a young age that life was a struggle. A lot of kids have their childhoods end a lot sooner than maybe they should. I thought the three kids had been through hell, and it was just beginning. Making them grow up happened to me.
The silver lining going through grief is that people come together. Family isn't just blood. It's the people you go through things with, that are there with you through thick and thin. Going back to the very beginning, it wasn't just the Watcher's story anymore. It was about the kids, and going through their own fires, and becoming closer for it.
So if you are a kid reading Sharon's blog, I hope this book teaches you to be brave. I'm not going to lie to you; life is hard. Chances are you have gone through some painful things and are probably stronger and braver than I was ever was. I'm not going to make you a promise that it'll get any easier. What I can tell you though, is that you can overcome. The big secret that most adults don't even know is that if you believe you can do it, you can. You are strong and powerful and can do anything.
But I'm also going to say that there are people who are there for you no matter what. People that believe in you. They will be there when you fall, and they will be there to help you rise. They are the people worth being with.
Read an Excerpt:STORMS WITHIN
he ran
disappearing into the night
leaving us all alone
we tried to follow him
but were unsure of the trees and trails
we went slowly
we knew something had happened
when we found his blades in the forest
blackened and alone
he had come
like a force of nature
wrecking our lives
in the name of freedom
freedom from what?
the hollow embers and ashes we found
I didn't build them
those ruins were his story
not mine
never mine
I...was happy
yeah, I was happy
is there something wrong with that?
my parents loved me
I didn't care about anything else
the dragons were bastards
but I understood the game
the moves that could be made
with one flick of a blade
he changed all that
shattered the illusion with a roar of rebellion
now my life is here
in this forest
now he had vanished into the night
leaving me abandoned
leaving everything in shambles!
Purchase Links:Amazon
http://amzn.to/1jjBlnYMirror World Publishing
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/stormdancer-e-bookMeet the Author:Joshua Pantalleresco writes stuff. It's even on his business card. This is a succinct way of saying that in addition to writing poetry, he also does interviews, columns, comics, prose and anything possible with the written word. When he isn't writing, he's playing with podcasts, filming stuff, fiddling with alternative medicine, travelling, talking to people and pretending he is a rockstar. Stormdancer is his second book through Mirror World Publishing. He lives in Calgary.
Welcome to the Release Day Extravaganza for
Unintended by Justine Alley Dowsett & Murandy Damodred
About Unintended:
Four people. Four very different lives. Four tales interwoven.
Meet Kenzie enShareed, the High Clan Chief’s daughter who is sent south to fulfill a treaty by marriage only to marry the wrong man; KadreanAuthier, the Crown Prince who must come to terms with his new bride, even if he doesn’t much like the idea; GarronD’Arbonne, a noble Lord who has been commanded to marry a cool and aloof princess he doesn’t love; and Vivianne Chappelle, a young and ambitious woman who is in love with her abusive father’s manservant and must find a way to avoid having her entire future decided for her.
Fate and wills collide in this Shakespearian-style romantic comedy about good intentions and their unintentional consequences.
Book Details:
Title: Unintended
Author Name: Justine Alley Dowsett and MurandyDamodred
Genre(s): Fantasy Romance, Romantic Comedy
Tags: Fantasy, romance, comedy, Shakespearian-style, romantic comedy.
Length: Approx. 440 pages
E-book: 978-1-987976-08-3
Paperback: 978-1-987976-07-6
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~
Mirror World Publishing ~
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Guest Posts, and Spotlights:
Read an Excerpt:
The rolling hills and grasslands of Ismera were strange to her in the beginning. Now, after nearly a month of riding through them, they had begun to seem commonplace. What the High Clan Chief’s daughter was not prepared for, however, were the high turrets of the palace she was headed towards and the sprawling city of Ismer that surrounded it. Even more surprising than all that was the fanfare that greeted her when at last she reached the city’s high-walled gate.
A handsome man atop a white horse rode boldly out to greet her, without so much as a weapon drawn or a friend to watch his back.
They are much more trusting here of strangers than they are back at home, she noted. Unless, it’s only that they don’t consider me a stranger.
Mackenzie enShareed of Haldoram straightened her back, instinctively preparing herself to make a good impression. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he came closer and she realized that the man before her, with his sunny hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes could be none other than the man she’d ridden all the way here to marry. She felt her usually flawlessly tanned skin flush an uncomfortable shade of red as she watched him dismount and walk the rest of the way to her side, a wide grin spreading across his face at the sight of her.
I didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Kenzie found that as much as she might want to, she couldn’t deny the pounding of her heart or the fluttering in her stomach. I’m very fortunate to be attracted to him so easily.
If he took notice of her discomfort he didn’t show it, bowing over her hand and kissing it lightly. “Princess Mackenzie, let me be the first to welcome you to the City of Ismer.”
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kenzie reached for the marriage bracelet she’d woven herself for this very occasion. Unhooking it carefully from her belt, she caught his hand before he could take it away and swiftly wrapped the small, white-flowered wreath about his wrist, tying it with a practiced motion.
She could see in her husband-to-be’s eyes that he was confused, but she didn’t have time to explain it to him now. That would come later, after they were entwined together in their marriage bed. Right now, only the ritual mattered.
I have to do this now, she affirmed silently. Once I enter this city of theirs and am completely surrounded by Ismeran culture and politics it will be too late to marry him in my own way, in front of my people and by our customs. It’s the only way I will feel comfortable with his arrangement. I can marry him in the Ismeran way afterwards.
The barest nod over her shoulder was enough to bring Seraphina over. Her mentor and friend had accompanied her this far and now she played her part of the wedding ceremony by bringing forth the wreath that Prince Kadrean would place upon her head, sealing their arrangement and making them man and wife.
Aging Seraphina bowed before the Prince, despite the aching old bones she always complained of, holding out the wreath before her in offering.
“Take it,” Seraphina urged him, her English much less accented than Kenzie knew her own to be. “You must place it upon her head and say the words.”
Looking as confused as ever, the Prince took the woven white flowers and did as instructed.
“What words, exactly?”
“I be bhuragusthu de agamsa,” Kenzie spoke in her native tongue, making sure to properly enunciate each syllable so he could follow along.
“I be burr…” he began, trying his hardest to stumble through the words that were foreign to him, “a Gus who de Gamsa.”
That’s good enough, I suppose… Kenzie frowned, regarding him. Though I thought that being the heir to these lands, he would have some knowledge of Gaelic.
“You may call me Kenzie,” she told him, dismissing her negative thoughts with a smile, before leaning in to kiss him, as was customary.
Seraphina and the other clanspeople who’d made the journey with her began to cheer, but their cheers were cut short when her new husband pulled back from her in surprise. “Whoa! I don’t know what’s expected between two strangers in the North, but here in the South it’s customary to save that kind of greeting for your husband.”
“Yes?”
“Yes…” he agreed, searching her eyes as if to gauge how much of the language she understood, “so I have a fiancée and you have a Prince who’s waiting very anxiously to meet you up at the Palace.”
Kenzie suddenly felt ill and more than a little dizzy. “You are not Prince Kadrean…?” The golden-haired stranger she’d just married wore a look of concern mixed with confusion. “Then who are you?”
“Uh…” He cleared his throat, made a little uncomfortable by the stares of the clanspeople. “Lord GarronD’Arbonne…at your service, Your Highness.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over them and the clansfolk, but Kenzie couldn’t find it in her to break it or fill it with anything meaningful. Her entire focus was on keeping herself from hyperventilating.
I just married this GarronD’Arbonne… Not the Prince; not my intended. Kenzie was in full panic at the gravity of the error she had just committed. How can I fix this?! The marriage bond is forever, never able to be undone… A man can remarry, under certain circumstances, but can a woman? Would they even allow such a thing?
My father will be so disappointed in me. He wanted this treaty between our lands to work. I’ve only just arrived and I’ve already ruined it. What am I going to do?!
“Well,” Garron cleared his throat again, “we should be going. I’m sure Prince Kadrean is eager to meet you.”
Gesturing forward, her husband held out his arm for her.
No, I mustn’t think of him that way, she admonished herself. He is my husband, but he’s right, I’m supposed to marry Prince Kadrean. There is a treaty; our marriage is law. It must happen…
Meet the Authors:
MurandyDamodred (left) & Justine Alley Dowsett (right):
With a background in Drama and Communications from the University of Windsor, MurandyDamodred (left) enjoys fantasy fiction with strong romantic subplots. She is an avid roleplayer and is happiest when living vicariously through her characters. Though she’d rather think of herself as the heroine of her next novel, in the real world she is an expert in sales and management living in Windsor, Ontario.
From obtaining a BA in Drama at the University of Windsor to becoming an entrepreneur in video game production and later, publishing, Justine Alley Dowsett’s unswerving ambition has always led her to pursue her dreams. Today she lives in Windsor, Ontario and is still writing and publishing fiction novels. When not focusing on growing her business, she enjoys role-playing with friends and developing new ideas to write about.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Elizabeth J.M. Walker's
Young Adult Fantasy Novel ~
She Dreamed of Dragons!!
Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, guest posts, reviews, and spotlights.
Could a dragon mage be the next ruler of the magical kingdom of Dorlith?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: She Dreamed of Dragons
Author Name: Elizabeth J.M. Walker
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: Approx. 234 pages
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9947490-6-2
Print ISBN: 978-0-9947490-5-5
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
This is a re-release tour. Book previously published through a different publishing company.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Favourite Familiars in Books and Movies
As an animal lover I’ve always enjoyed when familiars pop up in fantasy books and movies. In She Dreamed of Dragons all of the witches and wizards have cat familiars. One of the cats in the book, Fenton’s cat Smokey, is modeled after my own cat Smokey, who I enjoyed the company of for eighteen years.
1. Lyra’s Daemon Pan from His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
The daemons in His Dark Materials are one of the most interesting familiars I’ve come across. I love that since Lyra is a child, her daemon has not yet chosen its true form and can change into different animals, ranging from a moth to an eagle.
2. Alanna’s Cat Faithful from The Song of the Lioness Quartet byTamora Pierce
Alanna doesn’t meet Faithful the cat until the second book in this quartet, but they quickly form a tight bond. Alanna and Faithful can communicate to each other, but to outsiders Faithful’s speech just sounds like the common meows an ordinary cat would make.
3. Fire’s Horse Small from Fire by Kristin Cashore
Fire is a young woman with extreme beauty because of her exotic heritage of being half-human and half-“monster” – which in Cashore’s novel are beautiful, terrifying creatures who can control minds. For these reasons Fire finds it difficult to have normal relationships with humans, but finds a special friendship with a very ordinary horse named Small.
4. Rapunzel’s Chameleon Pascal from Tangled(movie)
Rapunzel’s little chameleon is both cute and comedic. I love little reptiles, so thoroughly enjoyed this interesting take on the companion animal.
5. Nausicaa’s Fox-Squirrel Teto from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (movie)
I love both squirrels and foxes and this is a little cartoon version of a fox-squirrel! Teto is tiny, often tucked into Nausicaa’s shirt, but a great little companion that sticks with Nausicaa during her adventures.
About She Dreamed of Dragons:Trina is a fifteen-year-old dragon mage in a kingdom ruled by witches and wizards – the same people who have brought dragons and other magical creatures near extinction. Trina can barely control her fire powers and is desperate for an apprenticeship, but finding a fellow dragon mage to be her teacher is proving more difficult than coming across an actual dragon.
Then there’s the Royal Tourney – a competition presented by the Queen to find a successor to the throne. Trina heads to the competition in the hopes of sparking some interest in the mage society and earning herself an apprenticeship.
She never intended to be a frontrunner in the competition.
She never meant to catch the attention of the evil witch trying to take over the throne.
She never expected to fall for a wizard.
Now Trina must face tough decisions about who she is and who she could become. Trina must ask herself: Can she really win the Royal Tourney?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purchase Links:Amazon Kindle - US -
http://amzn.to/1M1CtatAmazon Paperback - US -
http://amzn.to/1dVVRYGMirror World Publishing -
http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/she-dreamed-of-dragons-e-bookBarnes & Noble -
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/she-dreamed-of-dragons-elizabeth-j-m-walker/1120223680?ean=9780994749055~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet the Author:
Elizabeth J. M. Walker lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has always loved books and writing. As a teen she discovered zines, which inspired her to publish her own litzine of odd fairy tales for over a decade.
She Dreamed of Dragons is her first novel.
Connect with her on her website:
www.elizabethjmwalker.com~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the Tour - Schedule Posted at the Following Link: http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/tour-schedule-re-release-of-she-dreamed.html
By:
Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/3/2015
Blog:
PW -The Beat
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“James Robinson” himself, being assigned the Airboy comic for a reboot
by Nick Eskey
For starters, this work is not for kids, and there might be a plot spoiler. With that out of the way, let’s review!
Airboy was originally made during the boom of super hero comics in the World War II era, where America dreamed of spandex clad heroes fighting not only super villains, but of the likes of Hitler and the entire Nazi army. One of the things that set him apart was that Airboy flew a plane with wings that flapped much like a bird’s. Even stranger, a Franciscan monk made both the plane and the superhero costume.
Aside from sharing the same name, that’s where the buck stops in this book. What we are instead given is a fast and illicit trip through one’s insecurities, and case of writer’s block.
Through the first few pages, it’s not the WWII flying ace that we see, but rather we are treated to a modern day man sitting on a toilet. Namely, we see writer “James Robinson” himself, being assigned the Airboy comic for a reboot. The story follows him, and later on artist Greg Hinkle, through a night of alcohol and drug fueled mayhem. Amid a wicked hangover, everything crescendos with a very “unlikely” visitor.
I must admit, it was weird seeing things from other end of the drawing board. Within the first couple of panels, confusion set in, and I read on wondering when this “Airboy” was going to make the scene. A number of pages later, all expectations of him and his flapping plane disappeared. I felt like some cardinal rule was getting broken. But as someone said some time long ago, rules are made to be broken.
The visuals reminded me a lot of “The Fifth Beatle” spliced with a Lewis Carroll drug trip. The use of solid colors as opposed to shading makes the art style unique
The story follows him, and later on artist Greg Hinkle, through a night of alcohol and drug fueled mayhemand pleasing to the eye. The drawing style is both clean and whimsical, making this story a fun and easy read.
Disregarding the art and the surprise twist at the end, the writing alone will keep any down to earth reader keep on reading. The frank, clear dialogue helps us relate to the characters it many ways, from their concerns and feelings, to the insane situations they are involved in.
All-in-all, I loved this story so far. It took me a few heartbeats to get passed my great confusion over the story title, but after that it was a good time. The humor and situations are very adult, so don’t be too shocked when you see male genitalia. Yup, you heard me.
This is a must read that should be picked up at your local retailer.
Airboy by Image Comics is available for sale as of today, June 3rd.
Title: Disenchanted
Author Name: Leigh Goff
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Occult
Keywords: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Witchcraft, Wethersfield, Goodchild, Mather, witch, coven, true love curse, white witch, black witch, Sophie, Alexavier, bloodcharm, star-crossed, clairvoyant, outcast
ISBNs: e-Book ~ 978-0-9947490-0-0 Print Book ~ 978-0-9920490-9-6
Number of Pages: 264
Release Date: June 1, 2015
A forbidden love. A dark curse. An impossible choice...About Disenchanted:Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, sixteen-year-old Sophie is struggling to hide her awkwardly emerging magic, but that’s the least of her worries. When a dangerous thief tries to steal her mysterious heirloom necklace, she is rescued by the one person she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang. He carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. She will have to uncover dark secrets from both of their families' wicked pasts and risk everything, including her soul to save them from a witch's true love curse, but it will take much more than that.
Excerpt:“You really want to know?” He circled behind me, not touching me, but I could feel him there, just an inch away. He stepped closer, his body heat warming my exposed neck.
I tried to ignore the trembles and craving his alluring voice provoked. Heat and tension continued to roll off him. My breathing quickened.
“Secrets never stay secret in Wethersfield. It’s going to slip out eventually.”
He circled around to face me again and nodded. “Your curiosity is inexhaustible.”
I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to regroup, which was harder than it should have been. “Look. It doesn’t matter. I can handle whatever it is.”
“Zeke will be thrilled if he finds out what I’m about to tell you.” He shook his head, probably imagining the ugly scenario. “I come from a long line of Mathers who have been more than unlucky in love. A staggering number of them, so many that one cannot blame it on misfortune or bad luck. For years, my father thought it was a genetic fluke until he had our ancestor’s DNA tested and, like his own, it showed nothing.” He rolled his sleeve up enough to show me the pinkish birthmark on his wrist. It resembled a small heart broken in two, exactly like Zeke’s. “You see, from my father’s research, every Mather heir for centuries has carried this mark in this spot. It is something passed down in our family, inherited, but not genetic. That leaves only one explanation. Our bloodline is cursed.”
“Are you sure it’s not Karma or bad luck?” We knew Francis had been cursed for his father’s hand in the hangings. But all of them? I didn’t think a generational curse was really possible.
“I don’t believe in bad luck, but I do believe in the power of this curse. It has haunted us through time.”
“How many of you?”
“After they fell in love?Since Francis Mather, the one buried under the tree next to your ancestor, all of them. Not at first. Some of them were able to bear a child or two before their love deepened and the curse took hold of one or both of them. It is why my father used a surrogate rather than risk a relationship. He, Zeke, and I are the last of Rev. Mather’s direct descendants. It’s too many to make sense so all we are left with is the fact that we are cursed to live a life without love or die from it.”
I staggered backward, staring at the trees lining the path, in shock. Elizabeth warned me about a curse living on. The judge even sputtered on about a problem caused by the witches. Did they both mean a generational curse on the Mathers? Generational curses were only heard of in myths because they required great power and a dark heart. Did Rebecca have that much power? “Let’s say that’s even possible.” I could barely grasp the possibility for the irony got in the way. A curse cast by my ancestor meant to punish the Mathers was now threatening not only my happiness, but my life.
Mirror World Publishing Link:
DisenchantedAmazon Purchase Link:
Disenchanted
About the Author:Writing Enchanting Ever-Afters ♥
Leigh Goff grew up in Maryland where she resides today. Her writing is inspired by an unusual childhood, a vivid imagination, and compelling historical events. After taking several writing courses in college and attending professional writing workshops after she graduated from the University of Maryland, she joined the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. She is also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council.
Learn more about Leigh Goff on her
WEBSITE or at
Mirror World Publishing.
Follow the Tour Here:
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-tour-schedule-disenchanted-by.html
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 5/21/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
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Leigh Goff is a talented Young Adult author who blends fantasy and romance into her remarkable stories. Her latest book Disenchanted releases through Mirror World Publishing in print and eBook on June 1. The kitchen is all yours, Leigh!
These cookies are just what a white witch like sixteen-year-old Sophie Greensmith from my debut YA fantasy, Disenchanted, would bake after a long day of concocting potions with exotic flowers from her aunt’s enchanted garden.
Disenchanted takes place in Wethersfield, Connecticut, the home of the first American witch trials (not Salem!). As descendants of the original witches, Sophie and her aunt practice white magic and work in a little shop called Scents and Scentsabilities. Their organic bath and body products like Tulips to Kiss Stick to lushify lips and Forever First Love Lip Balm to lock in that true love are crafted to benefit the ordinaries in town. However, not all of the ordinaries approve and when danger catches up to Sophie, she’s left with an impossible choice—turning to black magic, a forever choice, to save the life of her forbidden first love. Will her true love still want her when her heart is touched by darkness?
This yummy recipe from the Foothill House B&B in California includes ginger to soothe the stomach, cinnamon to reduce puffiness, and walnuts to help you deal with stress.
Foothill House Sweet Dreams Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
1½ cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Cream butter and mix in brown sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt and blend into butter mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts (Sometimes I leave these out or substitute pecans.).
Refrigerate until dough is firm.
Lightly grease baking sheets.
Break off small pieces of dough and roll into 1" rounds. Dredge in powdered sugar.
Arrange on prepared baking sheets at least 2" apart.
Bake 10 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes on the sheets before transferring to racks to cool completely.
Store in airtight container. Yields 6 dozen cookies
Here is a brief intro to my novel that appeals to people of all ages. I hope you like it, too.
DisenchantedA forbidden love. A dark curse. An impossible choice...Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, sixteen-year-old Sophie is struggling to hide her awkwardly emerging magic, but that’s the least of her worries. When a dangerous thief tries to steal her mysterious heirloom necklace, she is rescued by the one person she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang. He carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. She will have to uncover dark secrets from both of their families' wicked pasts and risk everything, including her soul to save them from a witch's true love curse, but it will take much more than that.
Leigh Goff loves writing young adult fiction with elements of magic and romance because it's also what she liked to read. Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area's great history and culture.
Leigh is a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College and a member of the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. She is also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. Her debut novel, Disenchanted, was inspired by the Wethersfield witches of Connecticut and was released by Musa Publishing in December 2014. Leigh is currently working on her next novel,
The Witch's Ring which is set in Annapolis.
Learn more about
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By:
[email protected],
on 5/11/2015
Blog:
Perpetually Adolescent
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Long before the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon, Anne Rice was writing a raunchy series of erotic novels in the 1980s under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure. The Sleeping Beauty series contained the following three novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty’s Punishment and Beauty’s Release. The trilogy has been very successful for Anne Rice, and in the 1990s, […]
By: Angela Muse,
on 4/22/2015
Blog:
4EYESBOOKS
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We’ve teamed up with Mother Daughter Book Reviews again for our latest release Caterpillar Shoes. You can enter through May 6th for a chance at winning a $50 gift card by clicking the Rafflecopter link:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can download our latest children’s picture book for only $.99 for a limited time or it is available FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited. Start your free trial of Kindle Unlimited HERE.
Patches is an energetic caterpillar who is trying to decide what activities to do. In the end, she doesn’t put any limits on herself and lives her life to the full.
Also check out our other kidlit stories:
Lil Glimmer
The Nutt Family: An Acorny Adventure
The Pig Princess
The Bee Bully **AMAZON BEST SELLER**
Eager Eaglets: Birds of Play
Cactus Charlie
Suzy Snowflake
Monsters Have Mommies **AMAZON BEST SELLER**
The Cat Who Lost His Meow
The Christmas Owl **AMAZON BEST SELLER**
Ten Thankful Turkeys **AMAZON BEST SELLER**.
I have always loved reading books that use humor and have realistic (and relatable) characters. I decided to write the book I wanted to read when I was in middle school and I’m overjoyed it’s now a series where people can follow along on Landry’s journey through dealing with friendships, the ups and downs of school, crushes, and insecurities. Sure, going back to that time in my own life was a little crazy, but lucky for me there weren’t camera phones to capture me dancing in the grade school talent show…while wearing jean shorts. If you’re not cringing yet, let’s just say I also had a moment of “genius” where I thought my super dark brown hair would look amazing with “Sun-In” highlights that actually turned my hair a lovely shade of copper. Sigh.
The Landry’s True Colors Series is a clean reads young adult/middle grade series about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image. Best Friends…Forever? was ranked at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Children's Books on Values and #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values & Virtues Fiction. True Colors is an international bestselling book.
Tag line: Good friends have your back, but some go behind it.
Blurb:
Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying.
Landry gets her first boyfriend, but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition.
Excerpt:
“Landry, it’s gotta be so awkward for you to be going to Vladi’s school next year,” Tori said. “I mean, what if you run into him during the tour?"
"It’s a huge place,ʺ Ashanti said. “People break up all the time. It’s not a big deal.ʺ
Tori raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Yeah, right,” and went back to her sandwich. Meanwhile my delicious homemade soup was no longer sitting well. It never occurred to me Vladi might be around during the first pre‑freshman tour. I would be mortified if I ran into him and he was with a girl. Or worse yet, running into him, and he was with Yasmin. Plus, I hadn’t told my mom about the breakup, so if she saw him, she’d probably go over to talk to him. I could already imagine it: “Landry, Vladi’s here! Hon? Why are you hiding behind the garbage can? Your boyfriend, Vladi, is here. Come say, ‘hello.’ Stop trying to run away. Why is everyone laughing and pointing at you and calling you a ‘loser dumpee?’ What does that mean?”
Well, maybe the world would end and I wouldn’t have to deal with high school or Vladi and my mother running into each other.
****
Sadly, the world did not end, and on Thursday, we all had to go to the high school for a freshman information night from 6 to 9 p.m.
Author bio:Krysten Lindsay Hager is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.
What people are saying about True Colors (Landry’s True Colors Series Book One):
From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: "This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!"
From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren't everything. This book is related to every teen's problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”
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Let's give a big Camp Bigfoot hello to S. J. Henderson's brand new Middle Grade novel, DANIEL THE CAMP-ER! Stick around the bonfire, here, to learn more about this deliciously fantastic tale, and be sure to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon card or your very own copy of DANIEL THE CAMP-ER.
Now grab a S'more and let's get this party started...
Ten Facts about DANIEL THE CAMP-ER and S. J. Henderson
1. Daniel doesn’t have a last name, just a last initial.“A.”This is a nod to my grandparents, who have been called “Mr. and Mrs. A” my entire life. Someday I will give Daniel a last name, but today is not that day.
2. Daniel’s best friend, Annie, was inspired by a girl my ten-year-old son has been friends with since kindergarten.I once read part of DANIEL OF DRAW-ER for her class then told them Annie was based on their classmate. I had to backtrack and make sure her class knew she doesn’t enjoy eating worms, like Annie.She does, however, love peanut butter.
3. I have never eaten a worm or an insect (not on purpose, at least).My older sister once ate a palmetto bug, though.Palmetto bugs are super icky.
4. When I was little, my friend and I used to pretend we ran a radio station. We tape recorded our conversations and made-up commercials.Our station’s call letters?WBUG.
5. Unlike Daniel, I really like Shepherd’s Pie and meatloaf.
6. If Sap was real, he would have mistaken me for one of Doctor Short Shorts evil cohorts.Someday I will be fashionable again.
7. If I was in a talent show and given the choice between singing and dancing, I would sing. I have two left feet.
8. When I was writing the part about the spider dropping from the ceiling of the Chipmunk cabin, a spider actually dropped down from my ceiling.
9. Glitter Pony and I have one thing in common: I wanted to be a pony until I was about eleven years old.I insisted people call me “Crazy Horse” and galloped around the house.
10.
I have never done a Trust Fall.We were supposed to do them at sixth grade camp, but my mom wouldn’t let me stay overnight there,
so I missed out.I’m super sad about that (not really).
DANIEL THE CAMP-ER Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the Series
DANIEL THE CAMP-ER is the second book in the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER series. The first book in the series, DANIEL THE DRAW-ER, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.
Although Daniel’s adventures were written for boys and girls between 6 and 12, readers of all ages have found themselves swept up in these silly and imaginative stories. Fans of Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will appreciate the humor in the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER books, and parents and teachers will appreciate the lack of potty humor and themes of friendship and loyalty. And fun. Can’t forget fun.
Blurb
There are a few simple rules Daniel follows.
Rule One: never let an adult see your weakness. Daniel made that mistake and look where he ended up—summer camp.
Rule Two: never make fun of the person who feeds you, unless you like Miss Gunderson’s peppery pancakes and green hamburgers.
Rule Three: stay away from girls who love
Glitter Ponies. They have cooties, after all.
And Rule Four: never, ever lose your magic pencil.
But Daniel has broken all of his own rules. Now he’s stuck and starving at Camp Bigfoot with the school bully as his bunkmate and an ooey-gooey girl who won’t leave him alone. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, his prized possession, a pencil that brings his drawings to life, has gone missing and wacky creatures are popping up all over camp.
Can Daniel survive Camp Bigfoot and find his magic pencil before it’s too late?
Excerpt
Annie catches up with me as I creep closer to the edge of the forest. Her eyes grow wide. “Why is there a moose wearing a cowboy hat here?”
“He likes soccer?” I shrug. “And that’s a sombrero, not a cowboy hat.”
“Whatever it is, I know you did this, Daniel. Are you
crazy?”
“I didn’t mean to, but I must’ve grabbed the wrong pencil when I was getting my things ready. Oops.”
“Yeah,
oops.” She rubs her face with her hands. “At least he looks friendly and doesn’t shoot laser beams from his eyes.”
I cringe. “Oops.”
“What do you mean, ‘oops’?” Annie latches onto me with her fingers and squeezes so tight my arm goes numb for a second. I wish people would hurt me in other places besides just my arms. There are lots of other parts of my body they could pick, but
no. Everyone picks the arm, which gets super-sore, and then I start drawing stuff like a-moose-that-should-be-a-bear. So, if you ask me, this isn’t my fault.
The moose lifts up his head and snorts, sending balls of green flame into the dirt.
“Oops,” I say again, flashing a guilty smile.
Annie ducks behind me to protect herself from the moose’s attack. “Erase it, Daniel.”
Which is what I mean to do, really. I have the eraser on the pencil line making up the moose’s right nostril when he looks me right in the eye and says, “Stop! Please!”
Get the Book
AmazonGoodreadsDANIEL THE CAMP-ER Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway Meet S. J. Henderson
S. J. Henderson is the author of the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER series, as well as several not-yet-published Young Adult novels.
S. J. lives in Michigan with her husband and four wild boys. When she is not writing about talking cats and magic pencils, S. J. can usually be found riding one of her family’s horses or drinking a little bit of coffee with her creamer.
Connect with S. J.
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We’re all familiar with the theme of acceptance and being content with whom and what we are. It’s been relayed a thousand ways, right. But have you ever discovered self-worth with the aid of a carrot? Thelma has. Aaron Blabey’s dazzling new picture book, Thelma the Unicorn not only deals with this theme in a […]
Welcome to the Release Day Blast for Disenchanted,
a new YA Fantasy novel by
Leigh Goff
About Disenchanted:
A dark curse, a forbidden love.
Orphaned sixteen-year-old Sophie Goodchild is an outcast among the ordinaries and her coven, but not because she’s untalented. Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, her spellcasting gift is awkwardly emerging, but that’s the least of her worries. The boy she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang, carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm.
Suspenseful, dark, romantic, and brimming with old magic, Disenchanted captures the intrigue of New England’s witchlore.
Book Details:
Title: Disenchanted
Author Name: Leigh Goff
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy Romance
ISBN: 978-1-68009-045-1
Release Date: 12/19/2014
Read an Excerpt:
I sat, soaking wet, shaking from the adrenaline. Whoever he was, he rescued me from the would-be thief who bore the symbol of the Leos, a breath-saving nickname I gave Judge Mather’s Law Enforcement Organization. I strained to see, but the rain drops clinging to my long eyelashes blurred my vision. I wiped them away as my heart settled to an even pace.
With his back to me, he watched the thief disappear into the stormy night. He ran his hands through his thick, wavy, wet hair. His broad shoulders relaxed before he turned to offer me assistance. He extended his long arm to help me to my feet. I hesitated for a second, unsure of him, but as he reached for me, our fingers brushed together. A shock of electricity bolted through my hand. I froze as I caught the surprised reaction on his face, telling me he felt it, too. His fingers clasped firmly around mine and, with no effort, he pulled me to my feet. Unsteady, I pressed my hands against his firm muscled chest that showed through the drenched white shirt. A dizzy, swirly sensation swept through my head as if I were on a merry-go-round spinning around at one hundred miles per hour.
He had to be six feet tall.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a smooth British accent. His deep voice vibrated with tension, sending warm chills inside me.
I balanced myself and brushed my wet hair behind my ears, swallowing hard. A British accent that could make a girl melt if the girl didn’t have alarm bells going off in her head. There were no Brits currently living in our small part of Wethersfield, which meant he had to be one of them. My wide eyes flitted around, looking for a clue to make sense of why the statuesque Mather boy with his soaking wet shirt and black tailored pants left the comfort of his father’s manor house to brave the storm.
He stepped closer, breaching the already slim gap between us and forcing my eyes up. The streetlight illuminated his handsome features. His ivory complexion, dappled with raindrops and a shadow of thick stubble, revealed a hint of blush as if it were wintertime and the cold air had plucked at his cheeks.
I followed the perfect straight line of his nose to his brooding, dark eyes full of mystery. His eyes wandered over the details of my face and settled on my own, waiting for me to reply. A warm, wet breeze swirled up from behind him and wrapped his alluring scent around me; clean, floral and woodsy and thoroughly masculine. I inhaled again and again, unable to exhale. With all the plants and flowers I had smelled in my lifetime, he smelled better than any, alone or in combination. I wavered slightly, side to side, feeling dazed. I gulped a mouthful of air, trying not to breathe him in. What was wrong with me? I shook myself out of the stupor.
“Did you know that man?” he asked.
“Did you?” I said in an accusatory tone, but at that moment, I didn’t care about the attacker.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He drew back like I was crazy for suggesting anything.
He was the enemy. Say something, I thought. “What…what are you doing out here anyway?”
He furrowed his eyebrows inward. “Saving you, obviously.”
I threw my hands on my hips, shocked by the irony. A Mather helping a Greensmith? Hell was freezing over somewhere beneath our feet and every kind of farm animal was sprouting wings to fly. “That’s impossible.”
“And why is that?”
“Because…because you’re a Mather,” I said, not meaning to sound disgusted, but I struggled to contain my feelings. Fact was, the Mathers had Greensmith blood on their hands, as well as my coven’s blood. Through Wethersfield’s history, they were known as witch-hunters and with each generation, they changed only to appear more politically correct, but their intentions remained unchanged.
Add Disenchanted to your GoodreadsShelf:
Purchase Your Copy at Musa Publishing:
About the Author:
I love writing young adult fiction with elements of magic and romance because it's also what I like to read. Born and raised on the East Coast, I now live in Maryland, where I enjoy the area's great history and culture.
I am a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College and a member of the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. I am also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. My debut novel, Disenchanted, was inspired by the
Wethersfield witches of Connecticut and will be released by Musa Publishing in December 2014.
For review copies or to arrange an interview, blog visit, or event with the author please click the Sapphyria's Book Promotions banner or you may contact her at [email protected]
Seventeen-year-old Lark Singer only has two things going for her, her music and her best friend Bean. While entering a competition she hopes will launch their music career, Lark searches for answers that will make her whole. Her quest reveals some secrets that those around her would rather keep hidden. As the competition looms closer, Lark discovers not only who she really is, but also who her real friends are. Then tragedy threatens everything she has worked so hard to accomplish. Can she pick up the pieces and move on?
Chapter One
I want to be like Gideon Lee.My lips move as I read the title of my essay. They twitch as I stifle a snicker. Looking around the room, I make sure no one has seen my facial tic. My eyes light upon the Presidents’ pictures lined up on the wall. They face me, each with a unique expression, and I wonder what they were thinking while they posed. They are above the clock so my gaze naturally falls on it. It’s almost time for lunch.
I settle back in my seat and my lips twitch again. A feeling of defiant exhilaration washes over me like a tidal wave.
Montgomery’s going to freak when he reads this.
Despite my best efforts, a giggle escapes and the boy in front of me turns around and gives me the evil eye. I return the glare. He is slumped over, and sweat beads on his upper lip. I think this is odd — it’s rather chilly in the room — but dismiss it before I turn back to my essay.
I bet old man Montgomery doesn’t even know who Gideon Lee is. This thought sends another giggle to the surface, but I quickly squash it by biting my lip.
I picture him searching Gideon Lee’s name on the Internet. I see his expression changing from confusion to disgust. I imagine him taking off his black, thick-rimmed glasses and shaking his head. I hear him mutter, “Lark Singer, what are you doing?” He rubs his face. I can actually hear the rough sandpapery sound as his hand finds his day old stubble. He sighs and puts his glasses back on. “What am I going to do with you?”
I remember when Mr. Montgomery first told us about the assignment. We were supposed to write an essay on someone we admire, someone who has contributed to society in some way. I know when he says this he wants us to write about an a historical figure. After all this is history class, but I raised my hand anyway.
“Lark,” he called out as he stood at his lectern.
“Do they have to be dead?”
He cocked his head as he studied me with his piercing blue eyes. Then he ran his hand over his military style crew cut, and I watched as his salt and pepper hair flattened then popped back into place as if each hair was standing at attention. I could tell he wasn’t sure where this was going.
“Well… I guess not.” That’s when he froze, as if he realized he had just opened a door for me and he wasn’t going to like what was on the other side. He shifted his weight, and looked down at the floor before he backpedaled. “But they have to have made a positive contribution to society. It can’t be about a mobster or anything like that.” Pursing his lips, he stared at me, fiddling with those glasses. “This is one half of your semester grade, Lark. I wouldn’t pull any funny stuff.”
“Oh, I won’t. Scout’s honor,” I answered sweetly, placing my hand over my heart and giving him the scout salute, while inside I planned my rebellion.
I have him. I’m going to write about Gideon Lee, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. Hooked on mysteries by the fifth grade, she even wrote a few
of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then. Her first series, “The Super Spies,” has reached bestseller status.
After graduating from Central Michigan University with a Marketing Degree, she spent many years in the insurance industry, pining to express her creative side. The decision to stay home with her children gave her the opportunity to follow her dream and become a writer. She currently resides in Rockford Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on a Coming of Age Young Adult series called The Starlight Chronicles. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.
By: Angela Muse,
on 10/6/2014
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We are so excited to announce the release of our latest children’s book, Ten Thankful Turkeys. This colorful autumn tale follows ten turkeys as they get ready for an important celebration. This story teaches about gratitude. There are also fun turkey facts in the back of the book. You can get the kindle version of this book for a special launch price of $.99 for a limited time or FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited. We also have paperback versions on sale now at Amazon for $8.99.
Be sure to gobble up this deal before it disappears. :-)
Musa Publishing's speculative fiction imprint, Urania, is thrilled to be celebrating the release of Merm-8, Eric J. Juneau's novel about what happens when a mermaid is found in the future:
"It doesn't matter if you believe in mermaids. She believes in you.
Gene is a rogue-for-hire, using his one-man ship to make a decent living on the flooded Earth. Most of the population has been driven out to Seaplexes--artificial islands glutted with poverty, commercialism, and organized crime. His AI companion, Stitch, does most of the work of their salvage and smuggling jobs. Life is good.
Until a mermaid crawls into his ship's exhaust port.
Now it's not enough for Gene to avoid the mafia he's in debt to, enforced by bio-engineered hulks. Everyone wants to know what this fantasy creature is doing on a dying planet. Corporations want to exploit her. Old friends want to capitalize on her fame. Gene has to choose between protecting her and keeping himself safe. And all she wants is to return home."
Merm-8 will be sold for 20% off until Friday October 3rdto celebrate its release, so grab your copy sooner rather than later!
Check out Merm-8 at http://ow.ly/BTehd
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Hold on to your marshmallows because new girls on the block, Tottie and Dot, have invited us all to their megatabulous Blog Blast party. Today with the help of co-hosts, Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling, we celebrate the explosive launch of picture book, Tottie and Dot. And what a feast for the senses it is. […]
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There are several books by Australian authors being published in the last six months of the year that I’m really looking forward to, so I thought I’d share them with you.
The first is already out, and it’s Kate Forsyth‘s Dancing With Knives. Set on a farm outside Narooma in NSW, Dancing With Knives is a rural murder mystery and a story about love and family secrets.
Rebecca James (author of Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage) is gearing up for the launch of Cooper Bartholomew is Dead in early October. Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is a psychological thriller centred around the death of Cooper Bartholomew, and his group of friends, one of which is keeping a dangerous secret.
Kate Morton (author of The Forgotten Garden and The Secret Keeper) is releasing her fifth novel in October this year and I’m so excited about it. Untitled and simply called Book 5 for now, we don’t know what’s it’s about yet, but given she’s one of my favourite Australian authors, I’m sure it’s going to be a delicious page-turner.
Matthew Reilly is releasing a block-buster action monster-movie of a novel (his words) called The Great Zoo of China on 10 November. China has discovered a new species of animal and is preparing to unveil their amazing find in the form of the largest zoo in human history. The Chinese re-assure a media contingent invited to tour the zoo that it’s perfectly safe; however if Matthew Reilly is involved, you know that nothing’s ever safe. You can click here to watch a short video of Matthew Reilly telling us about The Great Zoo of China, or pre-order it now and receive 30% off.
Candice Fox (author of Hades) featured here on the blog in January this year, and her latest book in the Bennett/Archer series Eden, is due out later this year. Click here to read the Player Profile with Candice conducted by Jon Page.
Australian music personality Molly Meldrum has written a memoir called The Never Ever Ending Story, and is said to contain plenty of stories about some of the many rock and pop stars he interviewed throughout his career. The Never Ever Ending Story is due to be released in November.
Another iconic member of the Australian music industry has to be John Williamson. In the aptly named Hey, True Blue, John Williamson takes readers through his life story and his success as a singer.
So, that’s it from me, but what new Australian books are you looking forward to?
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In a world of dwindling attention spans and narrowing fields of vision, it may be argued that the gaps between past and present are so expansive there is no reason to traverse them anymore let alone acknowledge past discoveries or other people’s situations.
New Frontier Publishing ignores this argument, offering two new courageous storylines within two beautifully presented picture books both worthy of much discussion and fawning over.
The first is Adorable Alice by Cassandra Webb and Michaela Blassnig. At first glance this picture book feels and looks too pink and perfect to be promising then I noticed Alice, plucky and bright, striding confidently across the cover into her story. So I followed her.
Like many young children, Alice lives in the here and now moments of life. She likes doing ‘something different every day’. What makes the week in question so special is her self-appointed mission of sensory-deprivation. Almost without conscience thought, Alice explores her home each day in a different way; with her eyes closed, her arms tied, her nose blocked and so on. Deprivation of one sense sharpens her others, which she discovers increases her understanding and enjoyment of the world around her, in spite of her familiarity with it.
Evocative narrative descriptions reinforce comfortable associations so that the reader is able to link the sound of grandma chopping with the smell of peaches for instance. Spatial awareness is enhanced for the reader as Alice makes her way to Grandpa by ‘listening, feeling and smelling’.
The coupling of Blassnig’s bright and bouncy illustrations with Webb’s sensory-laden sentence structure introduces young readers to their five senses and the importance of empathy in a sympathetically simple and tactile way.
May 2014
Following New Frontier Publishing’s penchant for picture books with little pre-amble but plenty of thought provoking action and consequence is the stimulating, Edward and the Great Discovery. This is Rebecca McRitchie’s and Celeste Hulme’s first foray into picture books and it seems they have hit pay dirt. It could have something to do with my Indiana Jones obsession or my fas
cination with Dodos or maybe it is just the kid in me still hoping to make that marvellous discovery in my own backyard someday, but I was thoroughly entranced by Edward’s tale.
Despite an impressive family pedigree of archaeology, Edward has never discovered a single thing of greatness. Until one night, after filling his backyard with craters chance bestows him with not only a wondrous scientific discovery but also a deeper understanding of true friendship.
McRitche writes with understated sincerity giving children just enough hope and daring to intrigue them whilst at the same time gently exposing them to the wonders of natural history. It is a story that is both exciting and touching.
Hulme’s expressive illustrations , pleasantly reminiscent of Terry Whidborne’s work, feature spade-loads of sensitive detail; cushions for Edward’s bird to land on, real red-knit scarf to share warmth and love with, minute gems hidden deep within reality.
It is these kinds of treasures that children adore discovering in picture books for themselves and is why this proposed picture book series is a priceless find for expanding the attention spans of 4 – 6 + year-olds. I for one cannot wait to see what new adventures Edward uses his extensive kit on. Then again, I’ve always been drawn to archaeologists…
June 2014
In addition to Unstoppable, here are a few new June releases to note:
Girls on Fire Box Set
Come out this week! 10 award-winning, critically acclaimed YA authors have brought together 10 amazing heroines in the GIRLS ON FIRE boxed set.Oceans Deep - Box set releases today!
OCEANS DEEP - Twelve Young Adult romance novels for the price of ONE! Join us to celebrate sun, sea and love in support of World Oceans Day 2014. All proceeds go the The Ocean Project to support ocean conservation and environmental education. Comprised of young adult romances in a variety of genres including science fiction, fantasy, contemporary and mythology, the books all have one thing in common: they leave readers more in love with the ocean than they were before.
Novels donated by authors: Lani Wendt Young - Telesa, Elle Strauss - Seaweed, Kristen Day - Forsaken, Karen Amanda Hooper - Tangled Tides, Amber Garr - Promises + Betrayal, Cheri Lasota - Artemis Rising, Heather Allen - Just Breathe, Nikki Godwin - Chasing Forever Down, Leigh Talbert Moore - Dragonfly + Undertow, Amy Evans - Clicks
A Beauty So Beastly by Rashelle Workman
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What happens if the beauty is also the beast?
The stunning Beatrice Cavanaugh is considered American royalty. She has everything except the ability to love. Cursed on her eighteenth birthday, she becomes more beastly than ever, having a newfound craving for raw meat, and an undeniable yearning for the night. Bitterness is her only companion.
After accusing a maid of stealing, a disgustingly kind and exquisitely handsome guy named Adam shows up asking Beatrice to drop the charges against his mother.
Infuriated by his goodness, Beatrice vows to break him. Destroy him. Make him hurt the way she hurts. So she agrees. On one condition: Adam must take his mother’s place as a servant in the mansion.
Because Beatrice won’t stop until he’s more beastly than she is.
The Swift By Ali Cross (middle grade)
How far would you go to save the ones you love?
The night eleven-year-old Pete planned to shoot the winning goal in the championship hockey game was the same night his dad was lost at sea. Now, eight months later, his mom still cries all the time, his beloved grandfather, stricken with Alzheimer’s, can’t even remember him, and they’re about to lose their crappy old house to the bank. To make matters worse, his twin brother Henry blames Pete for all of it. After all, they were a family of fishermen—if Pete had gone to help on the boat instead of to the game, their dad might still be alive.
While searching the attic for stuff they can sell, Pete finds a battle-torn ship-in-a-bottle. When he and Henry show the bottle to their grandpa, the three of them are transported back in time—on board the very ship that’s going down.
Battling pirates and the raging sea, the boys must learn to work together to help their grandpa save his past. If they don’t, they won’t have a future to return to.
Beautiful Stranger by Alicia Kat Vancil
Patrick Connolly is about to get the one thing he has always wanted…kinda.
We all have that one thing—that one thing we wish for on every first star of the night. Wealth. Fame. Love. For geeky artist Patrick Connolly, it is the attention of his beautiful and seemingly unattainable classmate Nualla Galathea. There’s just one problem—he’s got less than a snowball’s chance in hell, and that’s being generous.
However, when a heated argument erupts in the halls of Bayside Academy forcing Patrick and Nualla’s paths to collide, Nualla surprisingly jumps at the opportunity to be his date. Patrick may think his wish has just come true, but this gentle boy will need more than artistic talent to combat the deadly secrets lurking behind his dream girl’s veil of normality. Like the fact that she isn’t even human.
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By: Nick Eskey Writer: James Robinson Artist: Vanesa Del Rey Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Cory Petit Cover Artist: David Aja Taking place after her stint in the Avengers team, James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch is now as she claims “alone.” The only acquaintance that we’re introduced to is the ghost of her old tutor in witchcraft, Agatha Harkness, who happens to […]
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