Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts

Friday, June 8, 2018

WHERE TRAINS COLLIDE by Amber Stokes // Blog Tour, Book Review, & Giveaway


HELLO, MY DRAGONS! Today, I am beyond thrilled to share Amber Stokes's latest release, Where Trains Collide (WHICH IS TOTALLY AMAZING AND YOU SO NEED TO READ IT!!!!), as a part of her tour team! Without further ado, here's my review of Where Trains Collide --

BOOK REVIEW

★★★★★

Trisha had a dream, a painted masterpiece of what her future might be --
until all her hopes finally burnt out.

Ever since I read my first Amber Stokes book back in 2016, I knew I needed more! So when Amber announced the release of her latest novella, Where Trains Collide, a couple months ago, I signed up as a reviewer without a moment's hesitation! And oh, my friends, I'm so glad I did. 💖

Where Trains Collide tells the story of Trisha Knolane, a college student who has little hope of a happy ending. Haunted by the stress of homework and classes, she gives in to her impulsive side -- and ends up on a train to Oregon, longing to find renewed strength. If only her ex-boyfriend weren't on the train, too.

THIS BOOK!!!! Oh my word.

The characters were amazing. So human, so relatable. Trisha's pressure in college, the life she wants compared to the life she has. Paul's goodness and chivalry was charming, and the two's romance was absolutely darling!

The setting was sweet and adventurous. From the very start of the story, when Tricia anxiously awaits her train, I could just feel the anticipation, from the darkness of the night, grayed by the streetlamps, to the mounting thrill of a new experience. All the little nods to Humboldt County, and the immersive descriptions of Oregon, completely captured my heart.

But my favorite thing about this book was the message.

You see, this book came at such a perfect time for me. Trisha's internal battle over her student life and her future were SO. CRAZY. RELATABLE. Watching her journey (both emotionally and travel-wise) changed me. And I totally cried while reading it! (Which, for the record, I consider a plus. This book had a serious impact on me!)

Where Trains Collide changed my heart for the better. It taught me that God has a plan -- for your life, and for mine. He doesn't forget. He never changes. He knows our stories... and our stories aren't finished, yet.

On that note, GO READ THIS! I'm 110% certain you'll fall in love with it. 😊

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Where Trains Collide from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Click here to read my Goodreads review.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Two hearts racing in different directions will meet where trains collide.

Burned out and disillusioned with her chosen career path, Trisha Knolane gives in to impulse and hops on a train bound for Oregon, eager to escape the stress of college for a few days. But what begins as a fun little adventure takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that her ex-boyfriend is also on board.

All her hopes and dreams had once centered on Paul Benson. Now, when Trisha doesn't know where her current track will lead, Paul’s reappearance in her life only complicates matters and sparks difficult questions.

Questions that could change the course of her life.

A heartfelt and thought-provoking contemporary romance novella, Where Trains Collide faces the uncertain season of new adulthood head on and shows that sometimes a path of broken dreams can lead to life's best destination.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Holcomb (Stokes) is an indie author and freelance editor living below the majestic mountains of Montana with her adventurous husband. Previously, she worked in marketing for a Christian publisher for nearly three years. Her passion for books compelled her to earn a bachelor's degree in English and now fuels her work with words in this new season of life.

You can learn more about Amber's books, sign up for her author newsletter, join her street team, and learn more at www.SeasonsofaStory.blogspot.com.


GIVEAWAY

In celebration of this new novella, enter for a chance to win a $15 Amazon.com gift card! Giveaway is open internationally (to anyone age eighteen or older who can receive an Amazon gift card via email). Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE


June 3

Book Spotlight | My Favorite Pastime

Book Spotlight | A Real Writer's Life

June 4

Author Interview | My Favorite Pastime

Review | Serenely Stacy

June 5

Review + Travel Story | My Favorite Pastime

Review + Author Interview + Travel Story | Meagan Davenport

June 6

Review | Carissa's Bookshelf

Review | The Green Mockingbird

June 7

Author Interview | Unicorn Quester

Review | Chosen Vessels

Review | Heidi Reads…

Review | Christian Bookshelf Reviews

June 8

Review + Deleted Scene | Flowers of Quiet Happiness

Review | Liv K. Fisher


Aaaaaack I JUST LOVED WHERE TRAINS COLLIDE SO, SO MUCH!!!! It's seriously got an amazing message, you guys. And characters, and romance, and plot, and setting, and-- you get the idea. 😉 Don't forget to grab your kindle copy today, for only $0.99!

Have you read any Amber Stokes books? (And have you ordered Where Trains Collide, yet?)

❤,







P.S. So I totally missed Wednesday's post (#oops), but I promise that (unless I die or get hit by a truck or mauled by a bear) it's coming! Just a little late. 😉 And, now that summer's finally here, I can happily say that BLOGGING WILL BE SO MUCH MORE EXCITING! Which means that my posts will be more exciting, too!

And, at the suggestion of a friend, I have a new home for my blog tour stops, cover reveal posts, book reviews, etc. Starting tomorrow (with a special look at Mollie E. Reeder's debut novel, The Electrical Menagerie), you can find those new posts at my bookish blog, The Book Sprite! Of course, there'll still be plenty of bookish fun here, from time-to-time, as well. 😊

Have a fantastic day, Dragons! And happy adventuring! 😘
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Saturday, May 26, 2018

DAGGER'S SLEEP by Tricia Mingerink & DISSOCIATE by Sarah Addison-Fox // Blog Tour, Multi-Author Interview, & Giveaway


HULLO, MY DRAGONS!

Today, I'm delighted to present Tricia Mingerink and Sarah Addison-Fox, in the duo-tour for their latest releases, Dagger's Sleep and Dissociate! I've got an exciting interview with both of them for you, and Tricia and Sarah are kindly giving away paperback copies of their books! Without further ado, let's jump in! 😄

ABOUT THE BOOKS

DAGGER'S SLEEP BY TRICIA MINGERINK


BOOK ONE OF BEYOND THE TALES

A prince cursed to sleep. 

A princess destined to wake him. 

A kingdom determined to stop them. 

High Prince Alexander has been cursed to a sleep like unto death, a curse that will end the line of the high kings and send the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia into chaos. With his manservant to carry his luggage and his own superior intelligence to aid him, Alex sets off to find one of the Fae and end his curse one way or another.

A hundred years later, Princess Rosanna learns she is the princess destined by the Highest King to wake the legendary sleeping prince. With the help of the mysterious Daemyn Rand, can she find the courage to finish the quest as Tallahatchia wavers on the edge of war?

One curse connects them. A hundred years separate them. From the rushing rivers of Tallahatchia's mountains to the hall of the Highest King himself, their quests will demand sacrifices neither of them could imagine.

DISSOCIATE BY SARAH ADDISON-FOX


BOOK THREE OF THE ALLEGIANCE SERIES

Freedom begins with finding the truth.

Amidst the turmoil caused by Smyth's arrest, Celeste is stuck in limbo, stripped of her citizenship, with no choice but to flee to a peaceful Kyraenean hideaway with the tumultuous Amaya Mason.

When bounty hunters threaten the local orphanage, Celeste and Amaya must work together and fight. Even if it means risking what they cherish the most.

His plans in tatters, his career in jeopardy, Mick Haynes is forced to leave Kyraenea with the enigmatic Torrance Kyle, the agent he still can’t trust.

Torrance is good at lying, and even better at hiding his pain, but is he strong enough to deal with the consequences of betraying his own father?

Can Celeste accept the truth, accept her place in the Haynes family or will lies chain her to the past and destroy her chance at a new life?

DAGGER'S SLEEP: AMAZON // GOODREADS

DISSOCIATE: AMAZON // GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.



Sarah Addison-Fox is a New-Zealand-born homeschooling mother of two, and loves action-packed fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after twenty-seven years, can still make her blush. When she's not working on her Christian YA fantasy series, she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.


INTERVIEW

Welcome, ladies! I'm so thrilled to have you here! First off, would you mind introducing yourselves and your books?

I'm Tricia Mingerink. I live in Michigan in the US and I'm the author of The Blades of Acktar series. My newest release, Dagger's Sleep, is the first in a new series of fairy tale retellings / Christian fantasy.

Hey there, I'm Sarah Addison-Fox, a homeschooling mum who lives at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand. I write action-packed fantasy with a strong dose of romance and family values. I'm the author of the Allegiance series, which includes Disowned, Dissemble, and the book this blog tour is promoting, Dissociate. May I just say, I'm a huuuuge fan of Tricia's so this is insanely exciting for me to be working alongside her. *grins*

Awwww... Honestly, it's been so much fun planning this blog tour with you too, Sarah. So much more fun doing a blog tour together instead of trying to do all the work yourself!

How did the ideas for Dagger's Sleep and Dissociate first come about?

I first wrote a version of Dagger's Sleep (then called The Quest for the Sleeping Prince) back in fifth or sixth grade. It was a straight fantasy back then, not allegorical at all. I had the idea to rewrite it in its present version about two years ago, and it took that long for the book to come together.

Dissociate is the third in a series, so it was a natural progression to continue writing Mick and Celeste's (and a few new characters) journey towards finding... well you'll just have to read... 😉

Did you have a favorite moment while writing Dagger's Sleep and Dissociate?

My favorite moment was when I hit about Chapter 17 and the book finally started flowing. I nearly gave up writing the book many, many times before Chapter 17, but after that, I wrote the rest of the book in about a week. It was the end of November's NaNoWriMo and I was way behind.

That's funny because I remember saying that to you. Something like, "Halfway through you hit your stride and everything flowed." As far as my favourite part of Dissociate, I could tell you... buuut spoilers. I will say that anytime Torrance and Mick share the page I had an enormous amount of fun.

Um, yes. Torrance and Mick together are my favorite parts of Dissociate, except possibly the ending. There's just so much "I really want to beat-up" tension between Torrance and Mick. They'd be brothers, if they stopped wanting to punch each other long enough to get along. 😛

What does your publishing process typically (or ideally 😉) look like?

Lots of flailing and panicking? More seriously, once I have the book written and I've cleaned it up a bit, it goes to my editor, my critique partner, and a few early readers. Once I have their edits, I make a large edit with lots of changes. I then go through it two or three more times before it finally goes to a proofreader and I begin formatting both the Kindle and paperback versions. I also make the cover right around that time. Then it all gets uploaded on Kindle and Createspace and into the hands of readers.

I concur with Tricia. Flailing and panicking are an instrumental part of the publishing process. Jk. The first draft is the easy bit. After that's done (Dissociate was written around nine months ago), I choose my photo and I send to my lovely cover genius. Once I've tinkered with it, I send out the polished draft to beta readers, get their feedback and make the first round of changes. Then I start agonizing over every single word, re-writing, editing out superfluous words, repeats of words, and read approximately 12,876 times before sending away to be formatted. Even when I think it's all ready to go, a pesky typo slips by, or I'll find something dumb like "The grin slid off Mick's face. His face fell." And it's already been formatted! That's when I get close to throwing things. Thank goodness for Tricia. I whined a lot to Tricia during this process. She kept me sane...ish. Then when you think it's as good as possible, you bite the bullet, upload to Createspace, Kindle Direct, and start to hyperventilate until everything is approved. Then, you read through another 12,876 ½ times... and hope and pray for the best.

Whining to author friends is definitely a big part of the process. Sarah and I bonded over listening to each other venting about the trials of publishing.

Thank you so much for your time, ladies! It's been a pleasure chatting with you! Last question, before you go: if you could each choose one message for your readers to gain from your books, what would it be?

The message I think all my books have is that all things work together for good to those that love God. This is a phrase we hear often, but it is true even in the depths of great darkness.

I love that, Tricia. I would like readers to come away knowing that every single person has a purpose and a reason for being here. And that every life is important to God.

GIVEAWAYS


Tricia Mingerink is giving away a paperback of Dagger's Sleep! The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where Createspace or the Book Depository ships. The book may or may not be signed, depending on where the winner lives.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Sarah Addison-Fox is giving away a paperback set of the first three books in the Allegiance series! The giveaway is open internationally where such giveaways are permitted and where Createspace ships. The books may or may not be signed, depending on where the winner lives.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE



Thanks again for chatting with me, ladies! And congratulations on your new releases!

What-ho, Dragons! Have you read any books in The Blades of Acktar or the Allegiance series? Have you added Dagger's Sleep and Disowned to your TBR, yet?

❤,


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Sunday, May 20, 2018

ALL THAT WE SEE OR SEEM by Kristina Mahr // Blog Tour & Character Interview


HULLO AGAIN, MY DRAGONS! I'm positively thrilled to be sharing Uncommon Universes Press's latest release, All That We See or Seem by Kristina Mahr! I was a part of the cover reveal team back in March, and I am SO. STOKED. FOR THIS BOOK, Y'ALL. Dream realms, arranged marriages, nightmarish cities, lords and ladies... I. CAN'T. WAIT. 😍😍😍

Without further ado, here's All That We See or Seem...

ABOUT THE BOOK


BOOK ONE OF THE DREAMWORLD DUOLOGY

Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.

By day she is a lady of Acarsaid's royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars.

Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.

Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what's real. Until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.



BARNES & NOBLE // KOBO // APPLE BOOKS

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: LADY REEVE LENNOX

{From top to bottom & left to right: Source 1. Source 2. Source 3. Source 4. Source 5. Source 6.}

Welcome, Reeve! I'm so glad you can join us! First off, would you mind introducing yourself?

Thank you! It's truly my pleasure. I suppose I should say that my name is Lady Reeve Lennox, niece to King Carrick and Queen Everly, but... just Reeve is fine, really.

How do you spend your days in Acarsaid?

I spend a great deal of time wandering with my guards. We picnic on the hilltop, we walk along the pier. I have tea with Everly some days, when she has the time. And every chance I get, I read. One book in particular, really. I know that I should branch out, read something new, but oh, that story just pulls me in. It's about an adventure, the greatest of adventures, and when I read it, I can imagine myself within it. I know I am so lucky in my life, but I just hope to someday have a real and true adventure.

I understand that you're engaged to Arden, who's been described as "a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love, and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air." Is there anything you do admire or respect about him?

Oh, Arden. It's difficult not to admire him, but don't tell him I said so. He's just so... at home in his own skin. He is who he is, and he makes no apologies for it, and it's hard not to admire that trait. It's also hard not to admire the way he looks. Really don't tell him that, the man's ego is appalling. But the dancing green eyes, the artful disarray of his hair, the smile that is really more smirk, except when he softens it for me... it's all quite a lot to take.

I know that your dreams are rather terrifying, but do you ever find goodness in the nightmare world? What form does it come in?

There is one beacon of light in that horrible place, and it comes in quite an appealing form, truth be told. There's a boy there. I started seeing him a couple of months ago, out near the lake, and I've worked up the nerve to sit beside him a time or two. He's beautiful in the moonlight. I'm guessing he's beautiful in any light, but as I only ever see him in the dark, the moon is all I have to tell by. I don't know why he risks his life by going out at night on those terrible streets, all to come sit beside a lake for a few hours and run his fingers through the water. I so desperately wish I could ask him. It's the only time I've ever wished to be visible there -- when I'm sitting next to him.

If you could have one day to spend however you please, what would you do?

If I'm bound by my real life, I would want a day to be free. To wander the village without a full contingent of guards. To have an adventure somehow, somewhere. But if I'm not bound by my real life... I would want to spend it with the boy from my nightmares. I would want him to see me, to truly see me. I would ask him all of the questions I've been dying to ask. And I would like to finally know what color his eyes are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Mahr devotes her days to numbers and her nights to words. She works full-time as an accountant in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats, but her true passion is writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.


TOUR SCHEDULE

  • May 9: Savannah Jezowski -- Author Interview
  • May 11: Lea Doué -- Author Interview/Book Spotlight
  • May 14: Loie Dunn
  • May 15: RELEASE DAY!
  • May 16: Heather Hayden -- Author Interview
  • May 17: Michelle Levigne
  • May 18: J.M. Hackman -- Author Interview
  • May 19: J.M. Hackman (Lands Uncharted) -- Top Three
  • May 20: Liv K. Fisher -- Character Interview
  • May 21: Claire Banschbach -- Guest Post
  • May 22: Deborah Dunson -- Book Spotlight
  • May 23: H.L. Burke -- Book Spotlight


Squee! MUCH EXCITE. MUCH THRILL. MUCH FEELS. 😍😍😍 I can't wait to finally dive into All That We See or Seem! And that gorgeous cover... *drools* I AM SERIOUSLY STOKED, YOU GUYS. 😍😍😍

Are you excited for All That We See or Seem?
(More importantly: have you ordered it, yet?!)

❤,


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Saturday, May 19, 2018

AFTER by Savannah Jezowski // Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway


Happy Saturday, my dear Dragons! Today, I'm delighted to present Savannah Jezowski, bestselling author of Five Enchanted Roses, and her latest release, After!

ABOUT THE BOOK


BOOK ONE OF THE NEVERWAY CHRONICLES

"Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death."

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within.

While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and the danger escalating, there is no escaping the inevitable truth.

Today, he may hunt creepers. Tomorrow, he just might be one.



INTERVIEW

Welcome, Savannah! I'm so delighted to have you here! First off, would you mind introducing yourself and After?

My name is Savannah, obviously, and I live in southern Michigan with my charming husband, my wee little daughter, and two English springer spaniels named Cricket and Merlin. I am the author of When Ravens Fall and After, and am a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses and Mythical Doorways. I like to collect fairies, dragons, and writing-hats! This is where you can connect with me:

If you could choose one message for your readers to gain from After, what would it be?

Oh, this is a hard one. There are several important themes in this story. I'm going to pull a snippet from my author's note to answer this one: "I could talk about the bond of affection between brothers, a theme heavily portrayed throughout the book. I could talk about facing your fears and not giving up on life. I could talk about not waiting until it's too late to make amends, or about accepting the tragedies and difficult times that God sends into our lives.

"But I think the greatest lesson I learned while writing After is that the worst enemy we will ever face is ourselves. The sin nature, the besetting sin, the thorn in the flesh we can never seem to conquer -- this is the greatest foe we will battle. Just as Eli struggled with the darkness of his affliction, so we battle the darkness of our hearts, that secret desire to please ourselves and not God... in the end, Eli's greatest struggle is and will continue to be himself."

If you could travel anywhere -- bookish or not! -- where would you go?

I would love to go to Scotland or Wales and visit old castles, or maybe go find the Lochness Monster or something. I would also love to visit such worlds as Middle Earth and Narnia... and one of my greatest regrets will always be that I never received my Hogwarts letter.

If you could spend a day with any author, no matter his/her time period, who would you choose?

Oh, this is also hard. I would want to get to know them ALL. I think I would choose Lloyd Alexander. His Prydain series is so well done. I love every single book in the series and would love to learn how he created such funny but hear-warmingly real characters.

What's your advice for aspiring indie authors?

Get advice from other authors. I know. This can be painful. Constructive criticism is hard, but it's so vital to developing our craft and improving the quality of our writing. If you want to be a "real" author someday, talk to some of the authors you admire. Most of the ones in the indie community are more than willing to help each other out.

Thank you so much for your time, Savannah! It's been a pleasure having you! 💖

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Savannah Jezowski lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her knight in shining armor, a wee warrior princess, and two English springer spaniels. She is the author of When Ravens Fall and The Neverway Chronicles. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights, and the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from Rooglewood Press and Mythical Doorways from Fellowship of Fantasy. She likes books, faeries, writing-hats, and having tea with her imaginary friends.


MORE BOOKS BY SAVANNAH JEZOWSKI


Five Enchanted Roses: Amazon // Goodreads

When Ravens Fall: Amazon // Goodreads

Mythical Doorways: Amazon (freebie!) // Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Want to explore the world of After? Enter the giveaway here (or at the link below) for a chance to win a signed paperback copy! US only.


TOUR SCHEDULE



Squee! I'M SO EXCITED! 😍 Savannah created such a vivid, fantastical world in her Five Enchanted Roses novella, and I can't wait to return to it in After!

Savannah, thank you so much for letting me chat with you! And Laura, thank you so much for coordinating this tour and letting me be a part of it! 😘

Dragons, have you read any of Savannah's books? Are you excited for After?

❤,


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Thursday, May 17, 2018

THE REBELLION by Livy Lynn // Blog Tour & Interview


Hello, my dear Dragons! Today, I'm delighted to present Livy Lynn, founder of the Crown of Beauty magazine + author of Tales of Tarsurella! The Rebellion (book two in Livy's series) released last week, and I'm honored to be a part of the celebration! Without further ado, The Rebellion...

ABOUT THE BOOK


BOOK TWO OF THE TALES OF TARSURELLA

Something is brewing. Like the far off rumble of a train in the distance, a rebellion is stirring. A cry for change arises in the midst of a traditional monarchy, where King Addison has inherited the throne. Who are the underground troublemakers? What is stirring their defiant banner and demand for change? Find out in The Rebellion!

Vanessa Bennett lands her dream job working at the Palace in Tarsurella. She struggles to balance everything on her plate: life in a new country, stressful deadlines, crabby co-workers, college classes at the local University, and blossoming feelings of romantic adoration toward her boss -- King Addison. Keeping up with her to-do list, while trying to earn respect in Addison's male-dominated administration, presents its challenges. Nevertheless, she can't help but fight a reoccurring thought and the excitement rising with it: is Addison interested in her?

Addison is adjusting to his new role as king. Rumors of a rebellious uprising among the youth in Tarsurella intensifies, as acts of violence and protest break out across the city. Addison is determined to uncover the hidden instigator who fearlessly blogs democracy-driven ideals with a secretive pen name. Will Addison discover and expose the fiery rebellion leader? Or will his efforts fail to stop the rebellious thoughts spreading like wildfire, causing a heartbreaking rift in his divided nation?



Book I: The Coronation: Amazon // Goodreads

INTERVIEW

Hi, Livy! Welcome to the blog! I'm so delighted to have you here! First off, would you mind introducing yourself and the Tales of Tarsurella?

Hi, Liv! (My name twin, haha!) Thank you so much for having me, it's an absolute pleasure! I'd love to introduce myself. *scrambles brain for a way to start talking about herself without feeling super awkward, lol*

I'm a twenty-something author, singer, song-writer, dreamer, blogger, and coach. I LOVE telling stories, and crafting fiction that truly lines up with Philippians 4:8. I'm also slightly obsessed with castles and all-things-royal, so that's why I created the Tales of Tarsurella and loaded it with sparkles and pixie dust.

The Tales of Tarsurella begins with the story of Prince Addison, who is only several weeks away from inheriting his Father's throne, in my debut novel, The Coronation. As if the stresses involved with the responsibility of ruling a tiny, modern-day, European monarchy aren't enough, he's got that whole "affairs of the heart" thing to deal with, as the pressure to get married and choose a future Queen is making things well... interesting. 

Addison and his royal siblings' stories continue in The Rebellion (which just released May 8th, AHH!) and lots of craziness happens. More glitter. Castles. Betrayal. All that good stuff.

If you could travel to any castle in the world, which one would you go to?

OH MY GOODNESS. THIS QUESTION IS SO PERFECT... yet so painful to answer. How can I possibly choose just ONE castle?! Can't I do, like, my top five? Haha!

If I were forced to choose only one, I think I would pick Neuschwanstein Castle, simply because I wrote a book featuring that castle in the storyline (not the Tales of Tarsreulla -- a different series) and now I want to go there, just so I can walk the same floor my characters have walked. 💗

If you could meet any of your favorite authors, who would it be?

Jane Austen. I know she's no longer living, but I would love to pick her brain. I feel like we have a lot in common, in the fact that we both write very large casts, and our stories tend to revolve around the same themes: love. I feel like there are very few authors who are able to write love stories without completely muddling up the story and turning it into a total train-wreck or make it trashy or awkward, and I feel like Miss Austen was such a pro and keeping things pure, focused, and absolutely heart-moving.

How would you describe your publishing process?

Um, LONG?

Too long.

Haha, no! While it does require a lot of patience, all joking aside, my publishing journey has been a JOY. At the time of writing this, I'm currently self-published, so I've learned to do everything (oh wow, big surprise here) myself. There are so many blessings and benefits to going indie, and I love encouraging other aspiring authors to just GO for it. If you have a book in your heart, and you feel God is calling you to release it... don't hesitate. Self-publishing is really quite forgiving and you don't have to know everything to step out and begin figuring things out. Plus, if you're plugged in to an amazing writing community, there are always SO many people who can help and encourage you!

What advice do you have for Christian authors pursuing indie/self-publishing?

A few things. Number one, be patient with the process. Just like writing a novel takes time, the editing, formatting, cover-design, and publishing process can take just as long! (If not longer.) Patience is something ALL authors need (both in traditional-publishing and Indie) so it's great to begin practicing patience right where you're at! 😉

Secondly, don't be afraid of failing, and don't feel like you have to be perfect to take the first step. Self-publishing can appear very intimidating at first, mainly because there is so much information out there, and when you try to scramble a bunch of puzzle-pieces together from across the internet, and don't really have a plan, or road-map in mind, it can be discouraging. That's definitely what I did. With my first book, Beauty, Boys, & Ball Gowns, I learned through trial and error. Now, seven books later, I'm SO thankful I stepped out and got my toes wet with self-publishing, even when I didn't have a clue what I was doing. If I would've waited for the "perfect moment" or until I felt "good enough," there still wouldn't be any books today!

Which leads me to my last tip. If you seriously desire to pursue self-publishing, but would much rather have a solid, proven road-map to follow, rather than just try to just randomly figure things out on your own, I would LOVE to help out! My incredible author friend, Bella, and I recently launched a coaching program to help authors self-publish their first book! (And don't worry, we're not fancy NYC guru's living in penthouses, we offer crazy affordable prices that actually work for people who haven't sold any books yet, haha!) If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, you can find more details here!

Thank you so much for your time, Livy! It's been a pleasure chatting with you. 💖

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Livy Jarmusch is a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. She enjoys crafting YA fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she's not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and golden retriever puppies.


TOUR SCHEDULE


Thanks again for chatting with me, Livy! I'm so excited for The Rebellion's release! 😄

Dragons, have you read any Tales of Tarsurella?

❤,


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Saturday, May 5, 2018

THE LOST PRINCESS by Loretta Marchize // Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway


Tally-ho, Dragons! (I'm not sure if I used "tally-ho" correctly, but let's pretend that I did.) Today, I'm proud to feature young author Loretta Marchize! Loretta is the author of The Fairy Tale Chronicles, the first of which (The Lost Princess) releases May 10th on Amazon! So keep your eyes peeled. 😉

 Without further ado, The Lost Princess...

ABOUT THE BOOK


Cilla Starling has lived in the Kappaka Palace as long as she can remember.

Prince Ethan Villn and his family are in the prisons of the palace, and Queen Villn rules over her fearful subjects. When Lord Rush confronts Queen Villn -- resulting in Cilla, Ethan, and Ethan's family's freedom -- they decide to fight back. So begins a journey, to and from the White Kingdom, a gathering of allies, and a battle against a distraught queen.

The four royal siblings are more than ready to help, as Queen Villn has caused quite a stir in their kingdom. In fact, one of them holds a secret to the location of the lost Villn princess -- Ethan's beloved younger sister, and perhaps the only person with any hope of talking to Queen Villn. If, that is, she's brave enough to leave the safety of the White Kingdom.

The Lost Princess is a twist on the regular fairytales, including Rapunzel, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Beauty & the Beast.

RELEASING MAY 10TH, 2018


Add The Princess Ambassador and A Princess at Heart to your TBR today!

INTERVIEW

Welcome, Loretta! I'm so thrilled to have you here! First off, would you mind introducing yourself and The Lost Princess?

Well, I'm fairly a fairly young teenager who isn't always quite sure how I got into this, but The Lost Princess is my debut novel, although not the first one I've written. It's a twist on the common fairytales, and is the first book in what is currently a trilogy.

What did your writing process look like for The Lost Princess?

What writing process? *awkwardly looks around* Let’s see... I wrote a few chapters in my creative writing class and then the rest outside of class. I don't really outline, I write and then edit, edit, edit.

What about your publishing process?

I was actually going to go with Lulu originally, but then I switched to Amazon. My mom helped me a lot with that whole thing, since I'm self publishing and I'm a minor so we had to do a bunch of... stuff? (Bank accounts, etc.)

If you could meet any of your favorite authors for tea, who would they be?

Hmm... who to pick? Probably Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles), Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted), and Kellyn Roth (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy).

If you could choose one message for your readers to gain from The Lost Princess, what would it be?

That's a hard one. I've always wanted someone to read my book and just go, "Woah, that was good." But I've never really thought about what message readers would gain. I think I want readers to get a happy message. It's a pretty light-hearted book. But I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it before.

Thank you so much for your time, Loretta! It's been a pleasure chatting with you! And congratulations on The Lost Princess's release! 💖

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Fourteen-year-old Loretta Marchize is an avid reader, writer, and runner, with a dash of piano. Loretta lives in Wisconsin, and she is always cold. You can usually find her at home, wrapped up in a blanket. She has two siblings, and they mean the world to her. Her favorite color bounces back-and-forth between blue, green, and purple. She is a Christian and proud of it.


GIVEAWAY

Want to win a copy of The Lost Princess? Enter here for a chance to be sent a free PDF file!

TOUR SCHEDULE



Eeeep! Congratulations again, Loretta! I'm so excited for you and your new release! 😊

Dragons, are you looking forward to The Lost Princess's release? If you could meet any of your favorite authors for tea, who would they be?

❤,


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