Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: Wish You Weren't by Sherrie Petersen




Release date: March 17, 2014
Genre: MG sci-fi/fantasy
ISBN: 9781494766825
LCCN: 2014902688
BISAC: Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic

Marten doesn't believe in the power of wishes. None of his have ever come true. His parents ignore him, his little brother is a pain and his family is talking about moving to Texas. Not cool. So when he makes an impulsive wish during a meteor shower, he doesn't expect it to make any difference.

Until his annoying brother disappears.

With the present uncertain and his brother’s future in limbo, Marten finds himself stuck in his past. And if he runs out of time, even wishes might not be enough to save the ones he loves.

Marten's mom is a scientist and so Marten and his brother, Aldrin, are outside watching the shooting stars whenever there's a show. They're currently on vacation in Texas, where they're looking to move and Marten's friend Paul is with him. Marten is 11 and his brother is 6 and annoying. Aldrin does something that Marten finds unforgivable and his mother lets him get away with it, so he wishes that Aldrin wasn't there.

 The next day, while visiting a museum, Marten and Paul are given the assignment to watch Aldrin. Aldrin is annoying, but fine, until he disappears in front of Marten's eyes! While searching for him, he realizes what he wished for the night before, but his wishes don't come true, do they? 

 He meets a man named Tor who time travels and is able to help him. It's not smooth sailing, though, and Marten isn't sure if he'll be able to save his brother and reunite their family.

 This is an interesting book! I understood Marten's frustrations with his brother and what prompted him to wish his brother wasn't around anymore. I also understood his panic when his wish actually came true! This book is fast-paced and sometimes left me a little confused. That didn't detract from the main points, though. Marten was in quite a few tight spots and it was interesting to see how he got out of them and continued with his journey. 

He learned more about his parents and what led to their decision to move. There's a twist at the end that changes his perspective on his entire experience. 

 This is a fun, imaginative read that any middle-grade reader should enjoy. It also might make you think what life would be like without that one certain annoying person in it. It would certainly be different, but would it be better?

 My Rating=4 Stars


Praise for WISH YOU WEREN’T:

“If you’re looking for the same old formula middle grade fantasy, this isn’t it. Wish You Weren’t is magically real. You wouldn’t be surprised if you met Marten in “real” life, but what he encounters in this story is pure magic.” ~VALERIE HOBBS, award-winning author of Wolf, Sheep and Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind


“Wish You Weren’t is a sweet story about the blessings of family contained within the rip-roaring roller coaster of time travel. It is a page turner that kids are going to love!” ~KATIE D. ANDERSON, bestselling author of Kiss & Makeup


“I love all the science details mixed with fantasy in Wish You Weren’t — just the kinds of flights-of-science-fancy I wish I had as child!” ~SUSAN KAYE QUINN, bestselling author of the Mindjack Trilogy, Faery Swap and Third Daughter


“Fun and accessible, rich with realism and heart, this magical adventure reminds us of the things truly worth wishing for.” ~CASEY McCORMICK, literary agent intern and blogger at Literary Rambles


About Sherrie Petersen:

Sherrie Petersen still believes in magic and she loves to write (and read!) stories that take her on fantastic adventures. In addition to writing middle grade novels, Sherrie moonlights as a graphic designer, substitute teacher, freelance writer, school newspaper advisor, yearbook advisor and mother of two children. She spends her free time watching movies, driving kids around and baking cookies. Or eating them.




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Monday, March 10, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: The Avatar Battle by Chad Morris




The Avatar Battle (Cragbridge Hall #2), by Chad Morris
2014, 352p, Middle-Grade Fantasy
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review

The adventure continues when Abby and Derick begin second semester at Cragbridge Hall, the most prestigious secondary school in the world. But when Grandpa Cragbridge admits them to the Council of Keys--a secret group of people who have keys to travel back in time--strange things begin to happen. One by one, members are found unconscious and unable to wake, their keys stolen. Now Abby and Derick must scramble to figure out who is behind the attacks before they become the next victims, which would give their enemy the power to change the past forever. A page-turning, time-travel adventure that teaches powerful lessons about choice and consequence, believing you can do hard things, and valuing history.

I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series (you can read my review here) and I literally squealed when I saw this come up for review! 

 The fun continues! Abby and Derick are involved in another mystery and have a new secret to uncover. Abby's former roommate and nemesis, Jacqueline, is still giving her a hard time. Jacqueline feels that Abby doesn't deserve to be at Cragbridge Hall and doesn't hide how she feels. To make matters worse, Abby's grades are actually low and she needs to figure out how to bring them up so she can stay. Derick loves the avatars and he tries out for an exclusive avatar club that his friend Rafa is part of. Rafa was secretive and made me wonder what he was up to. I kept thinking he had to be one of the good guys and we find out which side he's on towards the end.

Abby's friend, Carol, is still one of my absolute favorite characters. She enjoys flirting with Derick and embarrassing him any chance she gets. My favorite line from her this book is "...Your hotness kind of confuses my thinker." (p. 27) [I say it in my best Valley Girl voice and it makes it even funnier to me!] Carol is a good friend to Abby and adds comic relief to tense situations.

 We meet some new teachers and it was fun to try to figure out what was going on. There are more twists and turns and Grandpa Cragbridge's nemesis, Muns, is back and is now in direct contact with Abby and Derick. History plays another big role and again, I loved the way history was tied in and made interesting. He reiterates the lessons we are able to learn from tragedies and how, even though we don't want them to occur, some lives are changed for the better because of them.

 This series is a huge hit with all of us. Again, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger but it definitely leaves us all wanting more!


Here's an author interview with Chad Morris which is lots of fun!

This only leaves me with one more thing to say: "Thrilling! One of the best series ever! Seriously, every person in the world should read it and own 9 or 10 copies." ;)

Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from the Muppets, he’s been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) After high school, he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college, and eventually he became a teacher and a curriculum writer. He lives in Utah with his wife and five kids. Chad would love to teach at Cragbridge Hall.

Unlike Oscar Cragbridge, however, he hasn’t really invented anything, though his son once sketched out blueprints for a machine that would turn celery into cookies.

Posted by Melanie at 4:00 AM 2 comments
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: Dragon Defender by J.A. Blackburn


Dragon Defender - Blog Tour Button J.A. Blackburn

About the Book

Title: Dragon Defender (Dragon Defense League, Book #1)
Author: J.A. Blackburn
Publication Date: October 19, 2013
Publisher: Pip & Grey
Number of pages: 242
Recommended age: 10+

Summary (Amazon):

For over a thousand years dragons have existed in secret . . .

Peter Clark can build a robot from scratch and pick a lock in two minutes or less. But he can't figure out why his mother left or why his grandma refuses to talk about her. When Uncle Dominick shows up on Peter's twelfth birthday with a letter that hints at answers and an incredible story about dragons, Peter follows him, determined to find out the truth about his mother's disappearance.

What he finds is a reality far different from what he ever could have imagined - where dragons live in hiding, hunted by poachers for their magical parts, and a small group of men and women work tirelessly to protect them. These are the Dragon Defenders. Peter's uncle is one. So was his mother. Now it's Peter's turn.

* Finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2013 Literary Contest *

Peter lives with his grandmother ever since his mother dropped him off and never came back. One night, during a thunderstorm, his Uncle Dominick shows up. He's only heard about Dominick before so he's surprised when his uncle gives him a letter from his mother and a necklace. The letter hints at secrets, danger and training but Dominick takes off when his mother shows up because she won't approve of him being there. Peter tracks Dominick down and he starts to explain but has to leave so tells Peter he'll come back to see him. Dominick comes back and explains to Peter that their family's destiny is linked with dragons and they belong to the DDL--Dragon Defense League. Peter's surprised that they protect dragons rather than fight them. Peter's grandmother comes home and is upset to see Dominick there especially when she realizes he wants to take Peter away. She sends Peter to his room and makes Dominick leave. Peter is upset that his grandmother isn't allowing him the chance to do something important and exciting and possibly learn what happened to his mother, so he sneaks out his window, flags Dominick down and takes off with him.

During his adventures, Peter makes two friends along the way, Xana, a girl who's staying at an eco-lodge with her dad, and Mario, who starts out stealing something from Peter but they end up becoming friends. Peter needs to decide if he can really trust them. He also tries to figure out what exactly is going on and what happened to his mother.

This was a fun book to read! It starts strong and doesn't let up the entire time. Every time they would get out of one scrape and I would start to breathe easier for them, they were immediately involved in something else. I read this book quickly because it was hard to put down.

One thing I did find frustrating is that there were a few times that Peter would have a bad feeling about something he was doing, but go ahead and do it anyway. The first time, nothing bad really seemed to happen, but the other times, something bad definitely did happen. He is young so I did expect him to make some not so smart choices and it does show that he has room for growth as the series progresses. Hopefully, he'll learn and make some better choices, but his poor choices did make for a more interesting and heart pounding read. 

Peter is likable and starts off as a loner so it was good to see him develop friendships as the story progressed. We also get to meet some dragons and I enjoyed his interactions with them as well. There are also some very bad people that he comes in contact with and one of them puts doubt and more questions into Peter's head with the claims he makes. This fast-paced adventure is the start of a fun middle-grade series and I'm looking forward to reading more!

 My Rating=5 Stars

More Buzz About the Book


"We read an advance copy of this book on kindle earlier this year and our 5th grade son read it twice and is anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Great adventure, really kept our interest reading it together at night. This was one of the kids books I most enjoyed reading myself as well. The characters and the plot are well developed, and appealing to a wide range of kids (both genders). The writing is sophisticated but easy to understand, not 'dumbed down' like many kids books. The subject of dragons was so well crafted that it's easy believe that dragons just might exist, after all." ~ 5 Star Review, Leigh A., Amazon

"Reminiscent of the Fablehaven series (with just the right touch of Harry P.) this middle grade book is both an adventure and a pleasure...Fast-paced and full of wonder, this book takes middle grade readers on a vivid journey from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico; where jungles, ancient ruins and local folklore add to the enchantment that Peter finds when he discovers that dragons are in fact, real. As a former elementary school teacher, my strong feeling is that kids will eat this book whole, and then turn to searching for dragon eggs in their own backyards!" ~ 5 Star Review, Grace W., Amazon

"Dragon Defender was an absorbing action packed read! The author pulls you in from the first page and I'm not sorry to say I read it all in the first day. I'm 33 but still! This is a fun book for a chapter a night with your 5 year old (my son is loving it so far) or for yourself. The characters are well developed so you feel like you're really there, and the dragon is so believable. I'd venture so far as to say I had to remind myself that dragons don't really exist.... or do they?" ~ 5 Star Review, MGC, Amazon

Purchase

Dragon Defender by J.A. Blackburn

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About the Author: J.A. Blackburn

J.A. Blackburn, Author 

J. A. Blackburn lives in Seattle, Washington in a small white house overlooking the sea with her husband, Jason, her son, Camden, and their dog, Bella. Dragon Defender is her first novel.

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Dragon Defender Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

January 6
January 7
January 8
January 9
January 10
January 11
January 12
January 13
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 18
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 26

* $50 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Amazon $50 Gift Card

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs: January 6th to January 31, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, J.A. Blackburn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: Princess Madeline and the Dragon by Kirstin Pulioff


Princess Madeline and the Dragon - Tour Button - 3 Kirstin Pulioff

About the Book

Title: Princess Madeline and the Dragon (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #3)
Author: Kirstin Pulioff
Publication Date: November 26, 2013
Publisher: Caliburn Books
Number of pages: 135
Recommended age: 10+

Summary

After a season of battle and rebuilding, the Kingdom of Soron is exhausted. With the return of the exiled wizards, the Spring Faire, and her upcoming wedding, Princess Madeline is looking forward to a peaceful season of celebration. When the mysterious green dragon reappears, threatening the kingdom and the king, Princess Madeline and Prince Braden won’t rest for long. Faced with this incredible new danger, Princess Madeline and Prince Braden must find a way to lead their kingdom and secure their future. Can they find the answers hidden within their mother’s cryptic messages from the past, or will the dragon destroy everything they hold dear? Follow Princess Madeline as she embarks on a dangerous new adventure to save her kingdom and her family.

Madeline has been studying with Elias, the wizard, for the past several months. After Madeline turned 16, she discovered her natural magic came from her dreams, which are now blocked and Elias is giving her different herbal tea combinations to try to release the block. Meanwhile, the kingdom is alive with preparations for Spring Faire and with all the craziness that recently happened, expectations are high for this to be a grand event. 

As King Theodore and Prince Braden are watching this event come together, Prince Braden sees a speck in the distance which grows larger and they are amazed to see that it's a green dragon, which circles around and then disappears.  When Madeline sees the dragon, the necklace she's wearing starts to burn her neck and Elias is able to explain to her what her necklace actually is and what it means. 

King Theodore scrambles to come up with a plan, trying to reassure his people in the meantime that everything will be okay. Elias makes his way to the King to explain what he has been able to learn about what's going on. One of the villagers makes a request that the people be given one day to rejoice before they take action and the King agrees to that. 

The celebration is in full swing and all is going well when Elias makes a shocking discovery. They go to warn the King but before they can, tragedy strikes and everything changes. Ceremonies are quickly moved up and Madeline and Braden face their toughest challenges yet.

This is a great ending to such a fun series! Madeline has matured a lot, which is good because she needs to dig deep to find the answers to help her people. She and Daniel are still adorable and I love them! We actually don't get a lot of interaction between them but just knowing that he's solid and is there for her made me happy! 

We see more of Braden, too, and he has some big decisions to make. He's not sure if he's ready but he still has to push forward. In book one, he liked Madeline's best friend, Sophia, and in book two, Sophia made a decision which ended their relationship. I still felt like there was something there, though, and was hoping for more closure between them in this book, but probably because it didn't end the way I thought it would. Braden does make some comments that show where he's at but I think I just kept hoping for something else.

A lot of questions are answered as the story unfolds and the little mysteries we've learned along the way are resolved. The end of the story made me a little teary and the end of the Epilogue put a huge smile on my face! I've really enjoyed this series. The books aren't very long but a lot is packed into them. I was surprised at the page count for this book because so much happened yet it didn't feel rushed at all. I highly recommend this series and definitely want my daughter to read it! I'm also looking forward to seeing what Ms. Pulioff has in store next!

 My Rating=5 Stars

More Buzz About The Book

"The story is engaging on many levels, as is Pulioff's writing, but on this occasion I was mostly drawn into the action and the mystery as how to prevent the worst from happening. This is great entertainment and should do well across a wider age range." ~ 5 Star Review,ChristophFischerBooks, Amazon

"Kirstin Pulioff has saved the best for last. 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' is the final installment in the 'Princess Madeline Trilogy'. I thought the first two books were finely wrought stories, but this novel surpasses its predecessors. Prophesies, family tragedies, magic and - of course - dragons, combine to produce a tale that is an instant classic. Written with a great deal of charm, 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' will not disappoint Ms Pulioff's young fans. I look forward to seeing where next her imagination will take this natural storyteller. " ~ 5 Star Review, Diogenes, Amazon

"Princess Madeline and the Dragon is an exciting and thoroughly satisfying final chapter in this fantasy/adventure series. As she did with books one and two, the author has created a fantasy world in a rich medieval setting that we can believe in--and want to visit, over and over...Along with adventure, a sweet romance, and a theme that centers on the power of love, you may find a surprise or two! If your tween or teen loves princesses, brave heroes and fairytales of daring-do, they shouldn't miss this one!" ~ 5 Star Review, Ally S., Goodreads

Purchase

Princess Madeline and the Dragon by Kirstin Pulioff

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About the Author: Kirstin Pulioff

Kirstin Pulioff 

Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she’s not writing, she is busy with her kids and church.

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Goodreads Amazon Author Page


Princess Madeline and the Dragon Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

January 13
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 17
January 18
January 19
January 20
January 21
January 22
January 23
January 24
January 25
January 26

* $25 Blog Tour Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs: January 13th to January 31st, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kirstin Pulioff and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Friday, January 3, 2014

Book Review: Warrior Beautiful by Wendy Knight


Warrior Beautiful, by Wendy Knight
Published Oct. 15, 2013 by Astraea Press
203p, YA Fantasy
My Rating=4.5 Stars
Source: Provided copy by publisher for an honest review

Working with the ex you secretly love to save the souls of the innocent is almost as bad as working with a mighty battle unicorn who would be thrilled to watch you plummet to your death.
 
Scout is used to pain. Her body has been broken, her heart has been broken, and the only thing keeping her together is her relationship with her younger sister. Lil Bit believes in unicorns and terrifying monsters she calls soul stealers. But unicorns and monsters aren’t real…are they?
 
When Lil Bit falls prey to the mysterious disease sweeping the country, Scout has two options – believe the doctors who say it’s a pandemic or believe Lil Bit, who says it’s the soul stealers. She chooses her sister and goes looking for the unicorns who are supposed to save them. What she finds aren’t the cute pastel mythical creatures she expects. Battle unicorns are big and tough and full of attitude. Who knew?
 
Unicorns are real and so are the monsters. Soul stealers are reaping the souls of the innocent, and the unicorns are fighting to stop them. But to save the world, they need the help of humans – the enemy they’re dying to protect. And first to sign up for the fight is the ex-boyfriend Scout’s heart won’t stop loving, no matter how determined she is to hate him.

Trey and Scout used to be the "it" couple. Until the accident. And Trey broke her heart. She's now back in school and he's trying to make amends but she wants nothing to do with him. Because it hurts too much. And he has a new girlfriend, anyway--Kylin. The only person Scout wants to be close to is her younger sister, Lil' Bit. There's a pandemic sweeping the country and it finds Scout's and Trey's families but they are able to escape with the help of unicorns. Kylin comes, too, which adds extra fun to the mix. As they learn the truth about what's happening and how to stop it, will they be able to do what needs to be done?

 Scout is in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally. I feel for her and want her to be happy. The unicorns aren't able to heal her completely because she's got so much anger and bitterness inside. I really liked what she was able to learn about forgiveness towards the end of the book.

The unicorns are amazing! I'm not usually interested in unicorn stories but I loved Feudlings so much that I decided to give this a try. I'm glad I did. There is some conflict between Scout and her unicorn, Ashra, which was humorous at times. I enjoyed reading about their relationship as much as her relationship with Trey. 

 Trey is a confused guy, haha. I understand why Scout is so upset with him and feels love/hate towards him. He makes some typical teenage guy choices and finds himself in a mess that he wants out of but isn't sure how to go about doing it. We get the story from his POV at times so we know how he's really feeling and it isn't difficult to figure out what he will ultimately do. It will be interesting to see what happens next in their relationship.

 Warrior Beautiful is a fun book to read and one I would recommend, no matter how you feel about unicorns. The ending sets up the second book nicely and I'm looking forward to hearing when that book will be released!


Excerpt:

 She tipped her head, and the candlelight glinted against her silky, honey-brown waves. Her hair had always been his undoing. When they’d been together, he couldn’t keep his hands away from her hair. Or her face. Her lips, her eyes…

 “What was that on your shoulder?” She was speaking and he had to drag his mind away from the past and try to figure out what she was saying.

 “My shoulder?”

 She crossed the short space between them, hesitating, and touched his shoulder. “Here.”

 He nearly choked. She wasn’t supposed to see that. But now the sea foam-green eyes were watching him with open curiosity and her lips were parted... he couldn’t tell her ‘no’. Not then, not now, not ever. He looked away, staring at the floor as he rolled the black sleeve of his shirt.

 “Forgive me,” she read in a whisper, her finger tracing the hard black letters tattooed on his arm. Without looking from the words, she said, “When did you get this?”

 “After… while you… before you left the hospital.” His entire body shook against her soft touch as she traced the ‘F’ again. Did she realize what she did to him? What she still did to him, even after all this time? No other girl had ever affected him the way she did with just the barest touch of her fingertip.


Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.

You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heel for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

Posted by Melanie at 4:00 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Blog Tour: Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


On Tour with Prism Book Tours


The Tour!


Mistress of the Wind 300Mistress of the Wind

by Michelle Diener

New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy

Paperback, 342 pages

Expected publication: December 19th 2013




Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:
“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary
“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews
"Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story."  Paperback Wonderland

We first meet Bjorn and start to learn about his deal with Norga, his stepmother who's a troll and turned him into a bear. Then we meet Astrid who is outside working and can feel someone watching her so she runs into her house. Bjorn believes he's found the woman he needs to help him defeat Norga--Astrid. He approaches her father who wants to make sure he'll receive something for turning Astrid over to a bear. Astrid willingly leaves with Bjorn and some of her family is happy with the deal while others aren't. Astrid learns more about Bjorn but he's not able to answer all of her questions, which means she does something he's repeatedly begged her not to do and she learns what the consequence is. Will she be able to save him or has she lost him forever?

 Astrid grew a lot in this book. I was a bit uncomfortable with how easily her family turned her over to a bear, knowing that he was planning to "have her" and couldn't marry her. She did go willingly but didn't understand all she was agreeing to. There is one adult bedroom scene which goes into some detail and after that, ongoing sex is implied. Honestly, I think the story would have been fine without it and would have made it a story I would feel comfortable sharing with others, especially older teens.

[This book is based on the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and the author does discuss in a guest post why she kept the sexual relationship intact. I'm not personally familiar with this fairy tale so I didn't realize that it is, indeed, part of the original story and she gives more insight into the motivation of the heroine to get the hero back. You can read more of Ms. Diener's thoughts about this and other unusual aspects here.]

 Astrid started out seeming a bit mousy but we did get some insights which showed that she wasn't someone that was going to give up and go home. She didn't realize, either, what powers she possessed until she decided to do her best to get Bjorn back. Bjorn is also very likable and they have a great connection. Then there are some secondary characters which add to the story and are fun to learn about. I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half and towards the end, I couldn't put it down.

My Rating=3.5 Stars


Image of Michelle DienerMichelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.



International Giveaway:


10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Blog Tour: Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Secrets Kept Tour!

This tour will explore the World of Nälu: 

Where a story with adventure, action, love, betrayal, and a quest takes place.

We will get to visit sites, learn more about the cuisine, and be introduced to some elves, dwarves, and shape-shifters, at the least.

Secrets KeptSecrets Kept 
by JL Mbewe

YA Fantasy
October 30th 2013 by AltWit Press

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

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This book is full of secrets! Ayianna finds out she's betrothed to Desmond, the handsome nephew of a lord and a merchant. As she and her father are traveling to meet Desmond's uncle, Lord Ramiro, her father asks her to keep her heritage a secret (she's half-elf, half-human). She also learns that her father is guarding a secret. They're attacked by men who want her killed and her father taken alive, but he jumps in front of the sword meant for her and his dying words are for her to go to her brother and tell him the sun has set and the morning star is forever locked in stone. When she finds her brother, she is met with another surprise and more secrets.

She meets Kael, her brother's best friend, and they end up taking a trip with Vain, a prince, and Desmond, her betrothed. They don't all get along which makes for some humorous discussions among them. There is lots of adventure and life-threatening situations. They do look out for each other, though, and yes, they are all keeping secrets from each other. Ayianna makes a big decision at the end and I'm looking forward to reading more!

I like Ayianna overall, though at times she's frustrating. She seems to fluctuate between being wimpy and strong but I think some of her wimpiness comes from losing her family so suddenly and not knowing who to trust. Desmond doesn't seem right for her. He seems like a nice enough guy to her and she feels that she needs to trust that her parents saw something in him that she has yet to discover. His secret is a doozy, so it will be interesting to see what happens when that one is exposed. 

Kael is awesome! He lets her in on some of his secrets towards the end and she is confused by what she feels for him. He's closed his heart to love but will Ayianna help him open it back up again? Vain, the prince, is actually the one we know the least about. Hopefully we will learn more about him in future books.

I read The Tales of Nalu before I read Secrets Kept and I thought it helped with background, especially with Semine, the powerful sorceress they're up against. It also helped me get a feel for the world I was about to discover. I would recommend reading those as well. If you enjoy fantasy, this is the beginning of a great series and I'm personally looking forward to reading the next book!

My Rating=5 Stars



Kael, some say he is a half-elf, but he never knew his mother. His father was one of the Lords of the elven council and never spoke about her. Kael was determined to follow the path of his father until tragedy struck. Not once, but twice, losing his wife, his son, and his sister.  He vows to never love again and ponders accepting the High Guardian’s recommendation to join the Circle.


desert-rose-3web
FREE right now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Desert Rose
(A Tale of Nälu #1)


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NOW AVAILABLE: Tales of  Nälu (all three short stories in paperback) on Amazon!

Living life balanced between reality and dreams.

JL Mbewe - AuthorWriting as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things.
For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at:



Tour-Wide Giveaway


Kindle Fire Prize Pack (US/CAN ONLY), which includes:
- Kindle Fire
- Chocolate truffles
- Paper backs of Secrets Kept and Tales of Nälu
- Awesome swag (key chain, bookmark, and poster)
Ends January 7, 2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour!

12/9: Launch on Colorimetry and Tressa's Wishful Endings
12/12: The Real Deal
12/12: fundinmental
12/15: Colorimetry
12/23: alwaysjoart
12/29: Fictionally
12/31: Grand Finale

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Posted by Melanie at 4:00 AM 1 comments
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