Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Pen Pieyu Adventures Book Blast

About the Books

Book 1:

Summary: Princess Petra's unusual birthday request sends the royal court into a frenzy, but when she agrees to undertake a knight's quest they can't stop her. Armed with a cake knife and outfitted in the best royal pots and pans, Petra sets off to face a dragon and win her real armor before encountering a bog witch, and an army of the kingdom's worst enemies. Will Petra's kindness and acceptance prove to be more valuable than weapons and armor?

Awards for book one, Sir Princess Petra:

2012 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award (Literary Arts). 2012 First Runner Up in the Purple Dragonfly Book Award in the Children's Chapter Book category 2013 Honorable Mention in the Reader's Favorite International Book Awards 2013 Finalist in the “50 Great Writers You Should be Reading” Award

Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Tate Publishing * Goodreads

Video Preview (Book 1):

Book 2:

Summary: Sir Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This, however, does not please the king and queen---they want her to behave like a princess and forget this silly knight nonsense of hers! But when the king writes a new rule in the royal rule book that requires her to attend Talent School and acquire a princess talent certificate or suffer the spell of the royal magician, Petra, reluctantly, agrees to go. But who could have guessed what Sir Princess Petra’s Talent would be?

Awards for book two, Sir Princess Petra's Talent:

2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards, finalist in three categories:

Children's Fantasy SciFi Children's Grade K - 3rd Children's Grade 4- 6th

Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Tate Publishing * Goodreads

Video Preview Book 2:

The Buzz About the Books

Book 1: "I really feel that this little book is a gem. It is a relatively short book (70-ish pages) that can easily be read aloud to children in one sitting. My kids and I were completely captivated by this fun, adventure-filled tale about a very charming and unorthodox princess. I highly recommend this book to families with children under the age of 10 and as young as 5 who love a good tale filled with fairy-tale characters such as dragons, witches, princesses, and knights." ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Book 1: "I liked this book because it has a great story line and a great message about believing in yourself. Petra proves that she and all girls can be daring, adventurous and brave. I think Petra was a great character and I liked Snarls (the dragon) even better because he had good sense and dragons are just cool. The book is a beginning chapter book so there isn't a lot of details in it but it tells a complete story. The black and white illustrations in the book are really great too. The book is part of "The Pen Pieyu Adventures." I hope that means there will be more books about Petra coming out! This book is an awesome beginning chapter book and a great read aloud." ~ Erik @ This Kid Reviews Books

Book 1: "Sir Princess Petra is one of those stories that will appeal to most everyone. It is charmingly funny. Petra sets out to prove she has what it takes to be a royal knight and proves she can do nearly anything. Snarls, the howling dragon, is endearing and lovable. If stuffed, sitting on a toy store shelf, every kid would want him. The story is short enough to be read in one sitting, say at bedtime. There are many opportunities for humorous, wacky, high-pitched voices, making Sir Princess Petra fun to read aloud. The author's imagination is appropriately childlike. Petra is a child every parent will love. I know a child would have sweet, funny dreams after hearing mom or dad read this at bedtime."~ Sue M. @ Kid Lit Reviews

Book 2: "Sir Princess Petra's Talent is precisely everything an early middle grade book should be with a multi-dimensional main character who is a great role model for young girls; a great supporting cast of unique and quirky characters; a plot largely driven through clever dialogue amongst the characters and involving much adventure and folly; and unexpected turns and twists that willleave parents and their children laughing out loud. " ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Book 2: "This is an adventurous story, which gets going from the very first page and doesn't stop. The characters are all enjoyable, and the situations, although sometimes challenging for Princess Petra, are very appropriate for the age group." ~ Tonja @ Bookworm for Kids

Book 2: "The[se books] are early chapter books, fun and suitable for children ages six and up. They move very quickly and are quite short, so I think they’d be particularly suitable for reluctant readers. I also think boys would enjoy these books as Sir Princess Petra thinks and behaves in the way I imagine most boys wish girls would think and behave – kind, down-to-earth, adventurous, and never squeamish or manipulative." ~ Tina @ Mommynificent

About the Author: Diane Mae Robinson

Diane lives in a small hilltop castle nestled amongst a very old and magical forest. In this mystical forest, all the fantasy creatures one can imagine live and audition for parts in the author’s next book. Diane has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children’s Literature. The author also teaches acrylic and watercolor art to children, and is a writing instructor at the Creative Writing Institute. The author’s first book in this series, Sir Princess Petra, has won three prestigious awards, and was a finalist for another award. The author recently acquired an agent with Gotham Artists Agency in New York.

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * LinkedIn * Google+

* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) + BONUS SECOND PRIZE = Hardcover copies of both The Pen Pieyu Adventures Books by Diane Mae Robinson Contest ends: August 28, 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. The winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a 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, Diane Mae Robinson 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. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 28, 2014

Eyes With No Soul By Sheri Chapman

Sheri Chapman, welcome to my blog today.

Tell us about your book and how the story came to be.

One of my favorite genres to read and write is young adult. I also love murder shows and the magical aspects in life. I got inspired to write a short story for a contest, but I ended up submitting it to Muse instead.

“Eyes with No Soul” is about a sophomore girl who has her psychic door thrown wide open when she bumps into a murderer at the local mall. Unfortunately for Laurie, she looks just like the man’s victim and becomes his new object of interest. No one takes the teen seriously, so it is up to Laurie, her friends, and the adults in her life to keep her safe.

What three words best describe your main character?

Survivor, strong, psychic

Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

I don’t really have a method – I believe I get inspired by a story line and then go with the flow. I notice that some characters have some beliefs similar to my own – or have some resemblances to people I have met or encountered in my life. Some of my characters are also inspired by how I want people to be or not be.

I use a lot of dialogue in my stories, and I let the reader see into the character’s minds. Many of their thoughts, fears, beliefs, etc., are similar to what the reader would experience if they were in the character’s shoes. This definitely helps make the character real.

I also work with teenagers and have a lot of children in their teens in my home. I know how they walk, talk, work the system, etc. I know what they read, listen to, sports they play, and much more. Because so much of my life is spent with teenagers, I feel like I have never grown up, in a sense, as well. It makes writing about them as if I were one much, much easier.

Do your characters follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?

My characters basically take a life of their own. Sometimes I go with the path they take and weave in the plot. Other times, they naturally follow the plot line. Editing is the best way to keep them in check! J

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?

I have started a lot of stories – and sometimes I put them away for a while when I’m stumped on where to go next. Sometimes, I pray and meditate to open the flood gates again. Occasionally, I return to the story and work further on it; other times, I don’t. Usually if I get a good foundation started, I haven’t gotten writer’s block too badly to date. It’s the first three chapters (in that area) that sometimes challenge me the most.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love to read many kinds of books. My favorite is fiction. I love paranormal, murder mysteries, romance, witch & werewolf books, and more. I’ll read anything that strikes my fancy. I also like spiritual self-help and inspirational books, but I notice they are a slower read for me – it helps me absorb what the book is saying.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

My life revolves around my family including my pets. My husband and I try to work in time to ourselves between our eight children (only four live with us) and our one grandchild (just born).

I am always at sporting events for my girls. Among choir, track, soccer, and volleyball, our schedule is limited. It seems we are at some practice or game EVERY day… sigh.

I also own a dog kennel full of cute, fluffy, ADORABLE Pomeranians. Poms are my passion. I can’t be happier surrounded with Poms, reading, writing books, and being with family!

Running is my preferred form of exercise. I try to run four or five miles three times a week. In addition, my husband owns a Harley, and we will go for rides with friends.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I actually began a sequel for “Eyes with No Soul”. I think it is okay, but I’m not sure whether I’ll change it up or not… I think I might have a touch of writer’s block in getting it started. It just doesn’t have the flare I want.

I have another start to a story about a girl with powers who is trying to be incognito, but she has caught the eye of others involved with power. Some want to protect her and others want to use her. I am still beginning this book… a little blocked there, too. L

Then I am working on another romance book – Indian captive – and its sequel.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

My editor, Chris Speakman, is amazing! She helped me with wonderful advice for my hook. In unedited writings, I tend to want to explain things – it’s the teacher coming out in me. I give too much information too quickly, losing the interest of my reader. I need to hook first, get rid of unnecessary information, and slowly give background details. I also tend to reuse words a lot. When I write, I go with the flow. Then I have a lot of editing to do! Chris has helped me to make my introductions more interesting! I have the utmost respect for this wonderful lady! <3

Where can readers find you and your books?

MuseIt Up Publishing (on-line book store) http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/52-our-authors/authors-c/447-sheri-chapman

and also at:

· Amazon US (Kindle/Print)

· Kindle Amazon UK

· Barnes & Noble

· Blio

· Omnilit

· All Romance Ebooks

· Bookstrand - Mainstream

· Bookstrand - Romance erotica

· Coffee Time Romance

· Inkbok Library

· Indigo (print books)

· Kobo

· Diesel E-books

· Apple iBookstore

· Smashwords

Books-A-Million - Print books

Wizard's Tower Books

Flipkart - India

Wheelers ePlatform for New Zealand/Australia/Pacifica (Hawaii,Fiji, etc.) & Maori

Ebook Eros (search by title or author)

My review of Eyes With No Soul. I loved this book. Great title. Laurie has a gift of precognition. When she bumps into a stranger, it triggers her to see a murder scene and she knows this stranger is the killer. The strange part is Laurie looks like the girl that he killed. Full of suspense. I look forward to reading more books by Sheri.

Back Cover

Laurie is a high school student who has been blessed with a touch of precognition her entire life. When she bumps into a stranger at the mall, her psychic door is thrown wide open, unlocking it for eternity! The action triggers a bloody murder scene to explode in her mind, numbing her ability to think… Unfortunately for Laurie, he notices her peculiar reaction and begins stalking her…she’s his perfect victim. With no “proof” for the police, Laurie and her friends must try to survive. In a race of life and death, only one can win!

Excerpt

Blood. Blood spilled everywhere. On the walls, on the floor…I was sickened by the overpowering smell flooding my senses. I did not see a body, just the thickening black pools and splatters staining the entire living room…

I bent forward to try to hide my reaction, a gag reflex. I took a steadying breath and turned to face my friends.

Worry was etched in their faces, overcoming any playful antics; I could tell they were concerned because I was acting so out-of-character. Vaguely, I wondered if I was as pale as I felt.

“Laurie, are you all right?” Kim asked.

“No, not really,” I said with a gulp. “Okay, you know how I always tease you guys and tell you I’m psychic?”

“You really get me going with that,” said Kim. “You always know what’s wrong with me without me even saying!”

“Yes, well, uh, I’m just really good at reading body language. I know you guys,” I said. “But this is the first time that I’ve had a truly psychic episode…”

I took a moment to let that sink in. Comprehension widened their eyes.

“What happened?” Angela breathed. “What did you see?”

I shuddered, and goose bumps puckered my skin. “Blood. That’s all I could see at first. It was so strong. It was all I could see...or smell.”

Traces of doubt were reflected in Julie’s eyes, but I think the others believed me.

I suddenly exclaimed, “That man is the devil. He killed someone, and he got away with it!”

This is a picture with my four biological teenaged daughters.

This is a picture of Wolfie (my male Pomeranian I plan on showing) and me.

Bio:

Since I was very young (I want to say about fifth grade), I have always wanted to be a published author. (Why “published”? – because I would have liked it to have been my full-time job and not work for someone else). LOL! Because that didn’t work out at the time in my life when I needed to start bringing in money, I became a teacher.

I work with high school students who have normal to high intelligence as well as learning disabilities (mostly in the areas of reading and/or writing). I also work with students with Attention Deficits (ADHD) and mild behavioral issues. Every other instructional day, I spend in my classroom working with the students (mentioned above), and the opposite day I go into the English I classrooms to co-teach. This is going to be my twenty-sixth year working in Missouri Public Schools.

Luckily for me, my dream is about to come true! I will be able to retire with full benefits (thanks to the 80 and Out program in Missouri), and with my toe in the door at Muse, I plan to retire in five or six years, write books, and raise my Pomeranian babies. I am so excited for my future! My only sadness about the whole retiring thing is that my children will all be graduated and move away from me. So much of my time is spent on them, that I am very thankful that I’ll have hobbies and passions I love in place to help me deal with the big changes coming my way!

I have four teenaged girls of my own. I married a man a year ago with four of his own children. My husband and I were very close friends (but never dated) in high school. His son is 12 and he had three daughters (17, 19, and 20). We recently gained a grandson as well.

My husband, his son (during the school year), and my youngest three daughters are happy living in our rural suburb home on 3.7 acres with our dog kennel, cats, and goats. (We have four miniatures for pets).

A year ago on July 20, I married my husband, Keith.

Sheri Chapman
"Eyes with No Soul" (summer 2014)

http://sherichapman.weebly.com (Author website)
http://www.prayerpawpuppies.com (Pomeranians for sale)

Thank you, Sheri, for letting me interview you. I have enjoyed getting to know you and I look forward to reading more of your books.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

My Review Of Thomas Hollard And The Prophecy Of Elfhaven

Tom does not believe in magic.

For a thousand years, the Prophecy of Elfhaven has predicted the arrival of a boy who would irrevocably change their world. But what does that have to do with Tom? with his dog Max? with his robot Chloe? When Tom’s mom and her team of scientists unexpectedly open a portal to another universe they discover a world where magic, not science rules. And when Tom’s robot, Chloe, is drafted into service to explore that strange new world, it unleashes a bizarre series of events. Events where dragons, wizards, ogres, trolls, elves, dwarves, magic and technology collide; events that propel Tom headlong towards a war that threatens to destroy Elfhaven. Even with the help of his new-found friends, and despite the efforts of his new-found enemies, can Tom save this world or will he inadvertently bring about its destruction?

Max, Tom’s enormous furry St. Bernard, brings help!

At this point, Avani and the others had reached the last row of trees before the clearing. They were about thirty paces to the right of the campfire. Directly in front of them there was indeed a boy tied to a small tree. But the boy was no elf child. He looked similar to an elf, but his face was all wrong. His ears were short and flat and his eyes were small and too close together. Plus his nose was round instead of pointy. He sat ten feet away, directly on the ground with a filthy rag tied around his mouth, and his hands were bound together behind the tree.

Just then Max started crawling toward the edge of the clearing. Kiran grabbed his collar at the last moment. Max let out a slight whimper. The prince grabbed the hilt of his sword and looked in the direction of the trolls. The elves all stopped breathing. Luckily the trolls were still intent on their argument, oblivious to the noise that Max had made. Avani looked back toward the boy and saw that he was now staring right at them, only his eyes looked much bigger.

Avani put her finger to her lips and mouthed the sound “shush.” He seemed to understand and relaxed a little, glancing back to where the trolls stood arguing.

Avani turned toward Devraj whispering, “First I’ll create a diversion by conjuring up a dragon. Then I…”

“Hold on. We’re not attempting to rescue the boy. The plan was to sneak up and have a better look, then head back and tell the guards, remember? My father will decide what to do. If he chooses to do a rescue mission, it needs to be carefully thought out and planned. Besides, a troll patrol this far into elven territory is not good! There are bigger issues at stake here than just some scrawny—whatever he is.”

At that moment, another troll entered the firelight, apparently returning from patrol. There was a quick recounting of his events and what he'd found.

“There isn't time. They’re arguing whether to kill the boy or take him with them. Sounds like they intend to leave soon. If we go now, by the time we get back to the city the boy will likely be dead and the trolls will be long gone. So I'll conjure up a dragon and then—”

“You don’t know how to conjure up a dragon, and even if you could, it would probably toast us as soon as you did,” whispered Kiran.

Avani wrinkled up her nose at her brother, and turned back to Devraj, “True I can't actually conjure up a real dragon, but these are just dumb trolls, remember? I should be able to create the illusion of a dragon. It doesn't have to fool them for long, just a couple of myntars, by then we’ll be long gone.”

“I'm the smallest and the steel—, stealthiest,” said Kiran firmly, “so once Avani creates the dragon, I’ll crawl over and untie the boy.”

Avani stared hard at her brother, her eyes intently studying his face. Finally she said, “Okay,” and then whispered to Devraj, “Once we have the boy we can make our retreat. You guard our rear,” at which point Devraj raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. Avani rolled her eyes.

“What?” whispered the prince with mock sincerity.

Avani continued, “You guard our FLANK as we make our escape. I’ll hold the image of the dragon as long as I can. We probably won't get far before the image collapses, so we must be quiet and hope they don't notice the prisoner’s missing, at least until we’re far enough away, okay?”

Avani, Kiran and Max all gazed expectantly at Devraj. Looking from one face to the next, he finally sighed. “All right, it looks like we have no other choice. But if anything goes wrong, you two run for help while I try to hold off the trolls. Agreed?”

Avani and Kiran nodded. Max just drooled.

Glaring, Devraj pointed his finger at Avani and added, “And no changing the rules this time, do I have your word?”

“You have my word!” she whispered innocently.

The prince looked once more at the boy tied to the tree, then back at the trolls. He drew his sword. “Summon your dragon!”

My Review Of Thomas Holland And The Phophecy Of Elfhaven: To me, characters are an important part of a good story and this story has great, fun, believable characters. I looked forward to turning the page to meet new characters. Monsters. Beasts. Trolls. K. M. Doherty took me on a wild adventure in a new world. Must read for any age. Thanks.

For author inspiration: The flight of the Valkyrie www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU

Tom’s favorite song is: enjoys the theme from Harry Potter: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNHVMIYqiA

Avani (13 year old elven girl, head strong, magically gifted) enjoys Radioactive by Imagine Dragons www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

Goban (a dwarf lad, always hungry, speaks hip-hop) also drools when he hears: My Songs Know What You Do In The Dark by Fall Out Boy www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

Kiran’s (8 year old precocious elf lad. Avani’s younger brother) favorite song: The theme song from Lord of the Rings www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMInqyumZ3I

Prince Devraj (15 year old conceited elf boy who’s engaged to Avani) is enthralled by the Main Theme from Aliens by Ivan De Jesus: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-jGrL7U09Y

Bellchar (The troll) enjoys smashing elves while listening to: “You Don’t Dream in Cryo” (Avatar) by James Horner www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hus7Iv47YwE

Naagesh (Evil Wizard) works his favorite spells while humming: the theme from the Disney flick “Maleficent” http://www.mtv.com/news/1721247/lana-del-rey-maleficent-soundtrack/

Larraj (Good Wizard) likes to relax to the theme from The Hobbit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=giZrnHDQpRA

Max (Tom’s enormous, slobbering St Bernard) happily drools whenever he hears: “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang (Probably because it was in one of the “Beethoven” movies.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M

Juanita (Tom’s mom. A brilliant theoretical physicist who is trying to prove the existence of parallel universes) works out to the theme from Stargate SG1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5F_PIm5vR4

Professor Snehal (Grumpy, sniveling magic teacher) thinks he could sing better than Snape in: “The Snape Song” by Kayla Kreger: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi6BpwSfqoU

King Dakshi (King of the elves of Elfhaven) listens to “The Best of Robin Hood 2010 (Original Soundtrack)” www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GMHzge6c-I as he goes into battle!

Bellchar is a critically acclaimed author in Elfhaven. That’s in a parallel universe, for those of you who don’t know. Obviously, Bellchar is a rock troll. As this is his first novel published on the planet Earth, and due to the fact that there appears to be strong and continued prejudice against rock trolls on this planet, Bellchar has wisely decided to publish on Earth using a “quill name.” The author has chosen to write under the name of a human who befriended him some years back, K. M. Doherty. The two first met when, due to an unfortunate series of mishaps, Bellchar journeyed to the planet Earth. But that’s another story…

K. M. Doherty

K. M. Doherty grew up in eastern Oregon in the shadow of the blue mountains. When he was a young lad he and his dad would stay up late at night watching old movies. But watching movies wasn’t enough. No, they’d painstakingly analyze them, searching here and there for little bits that didn’t work, and then discussing how they could fix them. Perhaps a bit of foreshadowing here, getting a character to stay in character there, adding or removing clues, etc... They especially loved mysteries and who-done-it’s, trying to figure out ahead of time who the real murderer was and what they did wrong that got them caught! Likewise with heist movies: how the crooks screwed up and how they could have gotten away with it. That was the catalyst that finally led to writing this book. However there were a few detours along the way. For instance, skiing, motorcycling, playing lead guitar in a rock and roll band, aikido, tai chi, acting, drawing, a master’s degree in engineering, working for a time as a hardware and software engineer, racing small sailboats, poker, and pool. Lastly, he loves to read science fiction and fantasy novels and he’s seen way too many movies…