Wednesday 26 September 2012

Cover Reveal: The Star Dwellers by David Estes

Hello, Therians!!

Today I have the great pleasure of doing a cover reveal for David Estes' second book in The Dwellers saga, The Star Dwellers which is due for release, September 30th!!

I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Moon Dwellers ( the first book ) a few months ago and it was amazing. I'm currently reading The Star Dwellers and this series just keeps getting better and better. My review for both books will be up soon!

So here it is....

 

After rescuing her father and younger sister, Adele is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother in the cruel and dangerous realm of the star dwellers.

Amidst blossoming feelings for Adele, Tristan must cast his feelings aside and let her find her own way amongst the star dwellers, while he accompanies Adele's father to meet with the leaders of the moon dwellers and decide the fate of the Tri-Realms.

Will Adele be able to rescue her mother and make it back to the Moon Realm before the President and the sun dweller soldiers destroy her family?

Can Tristan convince the moon dweller puppets of the error of their ways?

Was Adele's lost kiss with Tristan her one and only chance at love?

In her world there's only one rule: Someone must die
 

www.shareAread.com
Contact: Nicole Passante CEO

Office: (321).750.9053

        support@shareared.com



Early praise for The Star Dwellers
 
Estes´s creative genius continues to shine in this installment. We get quite a few questions answered and more are raised.”
Author Christie Rich
 
This is easily becoming one of the best dystopian books I've read.”
Lolita  Goodreads
 
The Star Dwellers surpassed all of my expectations and more. I was just completely amazed and thrown back into this fantastic world and left dying to know what will happen next.
Kayleigh Goodreads
 
Early praise for the author

“David Estes you are a genius! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt such intense emotion to the main characters and their cause.”
Tina Donelly Goodreads
 
“Another fantastic book by David Estes that had me gripped straight away”
Adele Goodreads
 
 
About the author

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table

 
 
Author of the Evolution Trilogy

 




Find out where it all began, get your copy of The Moon Dwellers!

 
 Paperback            Kindle Edition

  
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 12 September 2012

I Am Lucky Bird Blog Tour: Guest Post and Review


I am honoured to have the amazingly talented Fleur Philips here today. 
Reading I Am Lucky Bird was a real treat and I cannot wait to spread the news about this phenomenal book. But before we get to my review, here's a little something from Fleur... 
The Dark Side of Montana

I was recently asked two of the same questions by a handful of different friends:  One, why is everything you write so dark? And, two, why do all of your stories take place in Montana? The answer to the second question is easy. I grew up in Montana, and although I’ve spent the last 11 years in Los Angeles, Montana is still (and always will be) my home. How could I not write about Montana? In my own personal opinion, there is no place on Earth more beautiful. When I think of my childhood there, the images are vivid, and I’m immediately inspired to write about those images—majestic blue, snow-capped mountains; crystal clear rivers, streams and lakes; endless stretches of golden prairies dotted with grazing cattle; a night sky so full of stars, it sparkles like a black sea littered with diamonds.


So, why are the stories I write (which 99.9% of time take place in Montana) so dark? I’m not really sure. I do tend to gravitate to the unknown, toward stories that are not my own—mine is boring. I grew up in a middle-to-upper class family on the shores of Flathead Lake. I have two loving parents and three brothers (all who are alive and thriving). We’re a very close-knit family. I have lived a wonderful life. Lucky’s story in I Am Lucky Bird is tragic. She does not have such a wonderful life. Her journey is filled with heartache and despair. She is tormented by the disappearance of her mother, and the subsequent abuse at the hands of her grandmother, Marian, and Marian’s lover, Tom. I have nothing in common with Lucky…except that we both call Montana home.


I recently wrote a critical paper for graduate school titled, “Yes, It’s Beautiful Here. Now, Go Away: Finding a Common Theme in The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction”. What I discovered when reading this anthology of short stories is that almost all of them were depressing. There was death, trauma, family heartbreak, loss, loneliness. And all but two of them took place in Montana. In one paragraph in I Am Lucky Bird, while Lucky is on her way back to Plains to face the truth about her past and that of her mother and grandmother, she ponders the below question:


“I couldn’t help but wonder how a place so majestic and beautiful could hide within its folds such possibilities of pure ugliness.” (182)


Is it really that Montana is hiding “pure ugliness”? Or is that what I want my readers to think and believe? Maybe I choose to write about this ugliness because I don’t want to share how great a life can really be in Montana. I want to keep that to myself. I want to keep Montana to myself. Maybe the writers whose works fill the pages of The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction think similarly to me. I don’t know. But what I know about myself (that may be reflected in my writing) is that I’d like to share the beauty of Montana with the rest of the world…but I also have a desire to keep the rest of the world away.






Title: I Am Lucky Bird

Author: Fleur Philips

Publisher: Smith Publicity - New Dawn Publishers LTD

Pub Date: May 27, 2012

ISBN: 9781908462046

Genre: Adult Fiction/Drama

Source: Netgalley








SYNOPSIS ( Taken from Goodreads )

When her mother mysteriously vanishes from the small town of Plains, Montana, 12-year-old Lucky Bird’s childhood comes to an abrupt end. Left to defend herself against her suddenly abusive grandmother, Marian, and forced to endure the twisted predatory games played out by Marian’s lover, Lucky soon finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

Even when she manages to escape, the outside world can’t take away the brutal images of her past. Still haunted by her mother’s disappearance and the trauma that followed, Lucky is easily led down a path of self-destruction—a path that only the intervention of a young stranger and his family can guide her away from. But first, Lucky will have to confront her demons, and the dark truths kept hidden.





REVIEW

What I thought was going to be a simple coming of age novel, quickly turned into a dark, macabre story filled with so much anguish and tragedy that it was difficult to tear my eyes away from the pages for even a second. Philips' writing flows off the pages making it such a pleasure to read. The story still haunts me in many ways and the images that filled my head while reading are not easy to forget. I think this novel would make a brilliant movie.

Lucky's life has never been easy. The only people she really knows are AnnMarie, her "mother" for all intents and purposes and her "grandmother", Marian, who is hardly ever around. Then there is Tom Cressfield - the minute he made an appearance in the story, my skin began to crawl because he has a strange creepiness that just screams, "Cannot be trusted!!".

Lucky's life takes a turn for the worse when AnnMarie mysteriously disappears, and Marian becomes abusive, making her life a living hell. Lucky takes refuge in the new friendship she forms with Rika, a new girl who not only understands Lucky, but accepts her without a question. Rika and Lucky's relationship develops into something much deeper and they share a strong bond of love and friendship, and I felt that Lucky held onto it with dear life because it was the closest thing to normal that she ever had.

Yet another tragic event befalls Lucky and it was at this point that I thought she should consider a name change, because she was anything but lucky. Marian's psychotic behaviour pushes her over the edge and Lucky makes what was probably the best decision of her life, she leaves. But she also very quickly realises that leaving does not mean that the past can be forgotten. The mystery of what really happened to AnnMarie haunts her wherever she goes, and the fear that Marian will find her and drag her back to hell forces Lucky to find an escape from her reality. One that nearly costs her, her life.

It is at this point that things start to look up for Lucky. Things finally start falling into place for her and for the first time in her life she finds stability. Only Lucky's past comes knocking sooner than expected, threatening to destroy her happiness, and she is thrown right back into the mess that is Tom Cressfield and Marian. But the horror of revisiting her past brings with it many answers as well as many heartbreaking truths.

Everything happens for a reason and there are never any chance encounters are two message that read strong within the pages of this story. It is filled to the brim with emotion. Lucky doesn't always make the right decisions and many times I shook my head in disbelief but that was what made this story so phenomenal. Lucky was real. She wasn't perfect and things often fell apart for her, but she kept moving forward.

What I loved about this book were the small things which stood out from the drama. Like the birds that always appeared to Lucky at the appropriate times. It may not have played an integral part in the story, but there was something magical about the tie in with what AnnMarie had told Lucky about birds being responsible for bringing the souls of the dead to heaven to become angels. It was like finding gems amongst the ruins of Lucky's life, and I think Fleur Philips needs to be applauded as an author for adding such special moments of beauty to such a tragic story.

This novel deserves nothing less than...


Photobucket



Favourite quotes from I Am Lucky Bird:

"We were like children playing a game for the first time, but with no directions and no wrong moves."

"I saw my past and his, two broken roads running side by side, then joining to form one steady path."
Thank you to Smith Publicity - New Dawn Publishers LTD for giving me the opportunity to read and review I Am Lucky Bird. It really was a pleasure.
Thank you to Fleur Philips for taking the time to guest post on my blog. To find out more about Fleur and her writing visit her website at http://www.fleurphilips.com.

Monday 10 September 2012

The Boxcar Children® Mysteries




 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracey Daniels, Media Masters

828-859-9456 (office)

828-808-2581 (cell)


 

 

 

 

 

 

Albert Whitman & Company celebrates the

70th Anniversary of Boxcar Children with a prequel from Newbery Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan

 

(June 1, 2012) For seventy years, young readers and families have followed the adventures of the Alden children in The Boxcar Children® Mysteries written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Spanning more than one-hundred titles and with over fifty million copies in print, the series is one of the most popular and beloved series of all times. This September, The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm, by Newbery Medal—winning author Patricia MacLachlan, transports readers to the “beginning before the beginning.”

 

Since the release of Warner’s first children’s novel in 1942, millions of readers have wondered what came before. Why were four children out traveling alone at night? What happened to their parents? Wendy McClure, Senior Editor at Albert Whitman & Company, provides context, “Readers have always wondered about who the Boxcar Children were before the boxcar. I think kids will find a satisfying story reminding them that family has always been important to who the Aldens are.”

 

Flawlessly capturing the spirit and the origins of the Alden children and the impetus of their boxcar adventures, Patricia MacLachlan’s simple, clear, and direct style is a natural fit for the prequel. Readable for younger audiences and interesting for older readers,

Patricia’s text innately reflects the quality of Gertrude’s characters and the time period. 

 

“Patricia understands that every great story has ‘the beginning before the beginning’ and she set out to find out exactly what that was for the Boxcar Children,” said McClure. “It’s sort of like detective work—as she came to know Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, she thought about what could have shaped their personalities and their dreams.”

 

MacLachlan lovingly tells the adventure behind the adventures, the story behind the stories, and reminds us all why the Boxcar Children novels are so enduring. “[The Aldens] are independent, intelligent, inventive, kind, and caring toward each other—the true qualities that makes their little family work,” says MacLachlan in her afterword. “I admire the strengths and bravery that they developed from being all on their own.”

 

With a national author tour set for the fall, seventieth anniversary celebrations scheduled across the country, and a social media campaign including almost 28,000 Facebook fans —The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm is poised to be the must-read of fall 2012. 

 

To interview author Patricia MacLachlan or editor Wendy McClure, please contact Tracey Daniels at tracey@mmpublicity.com.

 

About the Author:  Patricia MacLachlan is the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She lives with her husband and two border terriers in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.

 

About the Illustrator:  Tim Jessell is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including The Secrets of the Droon.  He is the new illustrator for The Boxcar Children Mysteries. He lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

 

THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® BEGINNING: THE ALDENS OF FAIR MEADOW FARM

By Patricia MacLachlan; cover art by Tim Jessell

ISBN: 978-0-8075-6616-9

Jacketed Hardcover; $16.99

Ages 7–10; Grades 2–5

September 2012

 

THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® MYSTERIES

By Gertrude Chandler Warner; cover art by Tim Jessell

Ages 7–10/Grades 2–5

Paperback
 
 
ALBERT WHITMAN, CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLISHER, CELEBRATES  70TH ANNIVERSARY The Boxcar Children® Mysteries  WITH NATIONAL CONTEST
 
Win a Voice Part in the Animated Boxcar Children Film!
(August 16, 2012) For seventy years, young readers and families have followed the adventures of the Alden children in The Boxcar Children® Mysteries written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Spanning more than one-hundred titles and with over fifty million copies in print, the series is one of the most popular and beloved series of all times. Release of an animated film, developed by Hammerhead Productions, is scheduled for 2013.
 
Award-winning children’s book publisher Albert Whitman & Company and award-winning animation studio Hammerhead Productions celebrate this auspicious and important anniversary and upcoming film release with a nation-wide contest.  Young fans (ages 5-14) are encouraged to enter for a chance to win a small voice part in the animated DVD version of The Boxcar Children. 
Contest submissions will be accepted between August 15th and October 31st, 2012 at 11:59 pm (central times).  One winner will be selected at random from all complete entries.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries is one of the longest-running, most popular children’s series published today.  Join the hundreds of thousands of young reader fans and help spread the word about this amazing, fun opportunity.
 
IT’S EASY TO ENTER:
 
Detailed contest instruction, additional rules, eligibility  and conditions can be found at the following link:  http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/265482/rules
 
Contest Instructions:
1. Fill out the registration form, including a one line (25 words or less) answer to the question, “What is your favorite scene from The Boxcar Children?”
 
2. Contest submissions will be accepted starting August 15, 2012 through October 31, 2012 at 11:59pm Central Time.
3. One winner will be selected at random from all complete entries.
 
4. Entry form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian of the participating child. There is a limit of one entry per child participant.
5. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.  Contest registration is free.
 
6. The winner’s role will be taped in late Fall 2012 to Spring 2013 and will be within driving distance of the winner’s home.
 
PRIZE ELIGIBILTY:
Only persons residing in the United States may enter. Entry form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian of the child participant.
 
SELECTION OF THE WINNER:
 
Contest submissions will be accepted between August 15th and October 31st, 2012 at 11:59 pm (central times).  One winner will be selected at random from all complete entries.
 
OPERATORS:
This Contest is operated by Albert Whitman & Company and Hammerhead Productions LLC. To contact the Operators, write to Albert Whitman & Company, 250 South Northwest Highway, Suite 320, Park Ridge, IL 60068; mail@albertwhitman.com
 

Friday 7 September 2012

Wicked Pleasure Scavenger Hunt: Q & A with Juanita Samborski

Book & Trailer Showcase
 
Hosted By:
 
 
Sept 7th thru Oct 7th
 
I love scavenger hunts!! They are so much fun, and it's always exciting to discover and connect with new authors along the way. So, of course, I jumped at the chance to join Book & Trailer Showcase & Queentutt's World of Escapism, on what promises to be a thrilling hunt with many fabulous prizes up for grabs.

There is one rafflecopter which will be shared on each blog site and as you hop along, all you have to do it answer the question pertaining to the blog site that you are visiting :) Therefore, as you are visiting me right now, you will click on the option that says "Hunt - Author Roxanne Kade" and answer the question. Easy Peasy :)
 



My prize donation is an eCopy of my debut novel, Therian ( The Bloody Crescent #1)
 
Because I love scavenger hunts and blog hops so much, I have invited a very special guest to my blog for an interview. She is responsible for making all my dreams come true and I am so honored to have her here today.
 
Who am I talking about??
 
The amazing Juanita Samborski, publisher and founder of 48fourteen.
 
 

 

 
Hi, Juanita. It's so wonderful to have you with us today. Thank you for joining us.
1. Tell us a little more about yourself.
We are off to a nail-biting start. This, for starters, is my first official interview. This question is perhaps the most dreaded. Personally, you know who you are, what moves you, pulls you, brings you up or takes you down. But how do you summarize all of you in a few words? It's nearly impossible, but I'll do my best.
So who am I? A thinker, over-analytical, thrive on drama, passionate, a believer, a dreamer, a doer. I'm incapable of sitting down for a span of more than two hours without doing more than just watching a movie. There is so much to life, why do one thing at a time? Do two, even three, get stimulated.
2. Have you always had a passion for books?
Yes. Although I admit there was a period of time when I did not indulge as frequently as I do now. The advent of eBooks have allowed for the reading of novels on multiple devices, including cell phones. Now, I find myself living in two worlds simultaneously - reading while I wait on the check-out line in the grocery store, waiting for maintenance on my car to be completed, while a passenger on a long ride, and even while cooking as I wait for the rice to come to a boil… okay, perhaps I'm a bit obsessed.
3. Have you ever tried your hand at writing?
Yes. My writing has taken a back seat since I decided to take on the publishing world - it is only fair to the 48fourteen authors. It is in no way a regrettable decision. There is a safe-box in a corner of my closet stuffed with eight notebooks filled with the words of my story - words that have not yet made it into digital form. I find that I think better on paper, the words flow seamlessly from my mind and moves my mechanical pencil across the page. One day, when the enthusiasm strikes, I will sit down for several hours, maybe days or weeks, and type up my first novel.
4. What genre do you love to read? And who is your favorite author?
I go through phases. Prior to 48fourteen, I mostly enjoyed comedy and romance - including "chick-lit", paranormal romance and historical romance. Recently, thanks to the 48fourteen authors, I also enjoy thrillers, literary fiction, and science fiction.
Favorite authors: Philippa Gregory, author of historical fiction novels; Chelsea Handler, a comedian who authored several laugh-til-it-hurts novels; and Karen Moning, author of the Fever Series.
5. If you could be a character from any book, who would you be? Why?
I don't think I would want to be a character from any book. I read to escape to another world. If I were a character from any book, I would most likely want to escape from that characters world into another.
6. How did you get started in the publishing industry?
Sean Samborski began as an editor for small publishing companies. While editing, he was not particularly thrilled with the quality of books he was receiving to edit and decided he would launch a publishing company and print novels that rivaled the books in the market. After browsing through author websites, he came across a few chapters of a novel and said to me "you have to read this". In front of me was Notes on an Orange Burial. After the second or third page my vision became blurred as tears welled up in my eyes from laughing. The novel was daring, witty, unique, well-written, a literary work of art, and… hysterical. My response was "you have to publish this novel". From that point on, putting my education in English and Psychology to good use, I joined Elixirist as an editor. Because the cost of print is very high, the company had to be excruciatingly selective. Several rejections later, I thought "some of these novels deserve a chance", and 48fourteen was born… then I took over Elixirst.   
7. Tell us a bit more about 48fourteen.
Our novels, each and every one, are carefully selected and given personal attention. From the moment a manuscript is accepted, the author and I work together with editors and cover designers. Our covers feature original work and are unlike any other; manuscripts undergo several rounds of meticulous editing. We are committed to offering our readers the highest quality writing and an unforgettable reading experience.
In addition, 48fourteen is a social community for readers and authors. Our website allows for authors to interact with their readers, answer questions, and blog about their writing experience, their current ventures, and even post excerpts of their novel(s).
8. What most excites you about being a publisher?
The authors. The stories. Having the opportunity to breathe life into an incredible novel, and be a part of the creative process, through the editing and cover design, is the driving force behind 48fourteen. When an author tells me they are doing a "happy dance" because someone finally gave them the attention they deserve, well, that puts a smile on my face and is most rewarding for me, personally. It keeps me and 48fourteen going.
9. What do you look for in a manuscript?
A sleepless night. There is no formula to my selection process. There is a general outline of what I will accept, but the ultimate decision rests on whether or not I feel passionate about a novel. If I devour a manuscript in a few hours, or if I find myself so immersed within the words that putting my eReader down, for even a second, becomes a feat, and after the last words are read I find myself wondering what the characters will do next, then the moment I complete the novel, I jump up, open my computer, and e-mail an acceptance letter to the author. Some novels may be good but I am looking for novels that will hold my attention throughout and will not allow me to become distracted with other things. The choice is a personal decision and is intended to give our readers the same experience. The 48fourteen collection is pretty eclectic but all of the novels have forced me to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning.
10. If you weren't a publisher, what would you be?
A lawyer. As I mentioned before, I thrive on drama. Reading offers you the opportunity to experience various emotions within a span of mere hours. Emotions, whether good or bad, makes your heart pump faster, fills your veins with adrenaline. I suspect being a family law attorney  would give me the same experience. Instead of reading about human experiences, I would hear about them first-hand, and have the opportunity to engage and offer legal assistance.
11. Is there any exciting news you'd like to share with us?   
Yes! We are releasing three much anticipated novels - Dead Heart, Chemical Attraction, and Born in Flames. Notes on an Orange Burial will be released in eBook format. And Rose's Will by Denise DeSio and The Debutante Detective by Lisa McDivitt will soon be available in print. We will continue to hold contests and giveaways for our readers and we will be returning to submissions to find new additions to 48fourteen! For more information, visit www.48fourteen. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/48fourteen and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/48fourteen.
 
Thank you to the fabulous and talented Roxanne Kade, author of Therian: The Bloody Crescent Book I for giving me this opportunity. Therian was one of the first novels I read on an author site that I had to have. It captured my attention, and pulled me into Amberlyn Darksky's world and through her emotional journey as she finds herself, learns the truth, and comes to understand her gift.
 

Juanita has been fantastic throughout my entire publishing journey. She puts her heart and soul into every book 48fourteen releases into the world, and I will be forever grateful for her guidance, support and for truly believing in me.

Thank you, Juanita! 

If you'd like to know more about 48fourteen check out their website, follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook page.
 
 
 
So are you ready to hunt??? Well then, let me give you a little something that will help you with the question for my blog, which is...


Who created 48fourteen?
 
HINT: She is my special guest today.
 
 
 Just enter the answer in the rafflecopter below, and hop along to the next blog on the linky list :)

(The great thing about Rafflecopter is that it remembers you once you sign in, so you won't have to do it at every stop!!)


Have fun, and make sure to visit every blog!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday 6 September 2012

#RCCleanup Wrap Up

 
I have been meaning to get this post up for some time now but time seems to be a commodity I have very little of these days!
 
My plan was to go into the Review Copy Cleanup with guns blazing but I failed miserably :(
Out of the 10 or so books I listed TBR, I only managed to read four ( one being a novella )
 

 
 
The month of August was crazy busy and with so many different projects on the go at once, I just didn't manage to read as often as I'd have liked. I also made BIG promises to post all my reviews and I will do so over the next few days :)
 
Happy reading!!
 
 
 

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