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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Wednesday, May 2, 2018

"Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Dudley?" ¶ "Because there's no post on Sundays?" ¶ "Right you are, Harry! No post on Sundays. Hah!"

Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Dudley?
Because there's no post on Sundays?
Right you are, Harry! No post on Sundays. Hah!
~ Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)


So it's not a Sunday, but I'm pretty sure Uncle Vernon wouldn't care whether it was Sunday or Wednesday or Friday, so long as there were no post. Which leads me to say that... I'm going post-less, today. 😉

I caught ahold of a little stomach bug last weekend, and am currently recovering from that (plus prepping for the SAT... again *insert groan here*), so my creative juices are in need of a rest. But Lord willing, I'll be back on Saturday with an interview with Loretta Marchize, author of The Lost Princess!

Have a blessed Wednesday, my dear Dragons!

❤,


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Sunday, April 29, 2018

SINKING by Sarah Armstrong-Garner // Book Review + DRIFTING Blog Tour


Good day, m'dear Dragons! Today, I'm delighted to share a book review (and some other pretty cool stuff 😉) in honor of Sarah Armstrong-Garner's latest release, Drifting!

I had the honor of reading and reviewing Sinking for this tour, and let me tell y'all... IT'S QUITE THE ADVENTURE. 😻 I won't fangirl too much (that's what the book review's for 😉), but you get the idea -- IT'S AWESOME. Without further ado, here's Sinking...

ABOUT SINKING


BOOK ONE OF THE SINKING TRILOGY

Jocelyn washes up on the shore of eighteenth century Ireland, alone, naked, and missing all of her memories. Taken in by a lonely old woman full of plots and schemes for the lovely yet enigmatic creature, Jocelyn knows only one thing. She longs for the sea with every ounce of her being. Yet it tried to kill her.

Aidan Boyd loves two things. His ship and the sea. When Jocelyn is thrust upon his vessel in the midst of his superstitious crew, he finds himself intoxicated by her -- willing to give up everything for her. He soon finds he cannot live without her.

But something holds Jocelyn back. The whisper of another's love. The embrace of water. Does she belong to this world? Or could Jocelyn possibly be from the sea?



ABOUT DRIFTING


BOOK TWO OF THE SINKING TRILOGY

The adventure continues...

Jocelyn plunges into the ocean near Calcutta, India, thrown overboard by a man claiming it's the only way to save her life. As she sinks, the transformation begins, and the ocean welcomes her back into its embrace.

Aidan Boyd thought the only way to save Jocelyn was to give her back to the ocean, but now he's not so sure. Aidan doesn't believe in mermaids, but he can't explain the way she changed. Will he see Jocelyn again? Or has he condemned her to a watery grave?

Jocelyn drifts in a world she'd forgotten only to find she's hunted by a deadly force from the ancient city of Thessa, the reason she was hidden in the world above. But she cannot get Aidan out of her head. Was what they shared real? Or was it a fantasy brought on by her unconscious need to seduce a human?

Both Aidan and Jocelyn begin a desperate and dangerous journey to discover the truth... and hopefully each other. But will their love be enough?



BOOK REVIEW // SINKING

★★★★☆

Jocelyn can't remember a thing -- not even her real name.

When she wakes up on the shores of eighteenth century Ireland, beaten and battered by the ocean waves, she is taken in by a widowed noblewoman... but the lady might have plans of her own.

THIS BOOK, Y'ALL. Mermaids, Ireland, sci-fi trinkets, and the 1700s? Sign me up!

The characters were all so realistic, but Aidan... *swoons* I don't think I've ever read of a male hero quite like him!

Jocelyn was fascinating. It was so interesting watching her grow from a naive yet bold little heroine to a strong and courageous young woman!

I loved the adventurous aspect of this book! With twists and turns aplenty, Sinking makes for a thrilling new read! Travel from the British Isles to India and across the ocean; be prepared to set sail on an epic journey through stormy seas and still waters -- you'll be gripping the edge of your seat!

You may want to know: I'd recommend this book for ages 16+, due to some implications, mild violence, and rather steamy kisses (which were a bit beyond my comfort level).

Goodreads and Merikthorne Library reviews forthcoming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Armstrong-Garner lives in Northern California with her husband and three children, and get this: not only is she an author, screenwriter, and photographer, she also shoots indie films with her husband. You can visit www.SarahArmstrongGarner.com to learn more about her and her upcoming releases.


TOUR SCHEDULE

  • Monday, April 23rd
  • “A Recap of Jocelyn’s World: Review of Sinking,” Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com
  • Tuesday, April 24th
  • “#LennReads -- Book Review of Drifting,” Lenn Woolston, www.lennwritesblog.wordpress.com
  • “Review of Drifting,” Jessica Moore, www.jessmoorewrites.wordpress.com
  • Wednesday, April 25th
  • Review: “Drifting: A Sequel Worth the Wait,” Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com
  • Thursday, April 26th
  • Visual Post: “Drifting: A Sneak Peek into a Mermaid’s World,” Jebraun Clifford,
  • www.quillsandinkblotts.wordpress.com
  • “Drifting Release Party Today,” Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com
  • Friday, April 27th
  • “Author Spotlight of Secret Mermaid Sarah Armstrong-Garner,” Laura A. Grace,
  • www.unicornquester.com
  • Saturday, April 28th
  • “My Thoughts on Drifting,” Deborah Dunson, www.readingontheedge.tumblr.com
  • Sunday, April 29th
  • “Sinking Book Review and Drifting Blog Tour,” Liv K. Fisher, www.livkfisher.blogspot.com
  • “Why I Love Drifting,” Helen Giles, www.lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk


Dragons, have you read any books in The Sinking Trilogy? If you were a mermaid, what color tail would you have? (Mine would be blue!)

❤,


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Saturday, April 28, 2018

THE STORY PEDDLER by Lindsay A. Franklin // Blog Tour, Interview, Invitation, & Giveaway


HELLO, MY DRAGONS. 💕 I am SO EXCITED to be here today, to share about an epic new story with y'all -- The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin, releasing May 1st from Enclave Publishing! 😍😍😍

 This book, y'all... I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. I am so, crazy excited for it to release! Magic, treason, storytelling... "Selling stories is a deadly business." 💗 Without further ado, The Story Peddler:

ABOUT THE BOOK


BOOK ONE OF THE WEAVER TRILOGY

Selling stories is a deadly business.

Tanwen doesn't just tell stories -- she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king's guards hunts her down... and they're not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she's not the only outlaw in the empire. There's a rebel group of weavers... and they're after her too.




CHRISTIANBOOK.COM


INTERVIEW

Hello, Lindsay! I'm SO excited to have you here with us, today! First off, would you mind introducing yourself and The Story Peddler?

Hi, Liv and friends! I'm Lindsay, and I'm a full-time author, part-time editor, part-time homeschooling mom of three geeklings, full-time regular mom of the same geeklings plus three fabulous felines, and full-time wife of almost eighteen years. The Story Peddler is the tale of Tanwen, an ambitious young storyteller trying to work her way up to a royal position. But when wild story strands burst from her hands during a public story-peddling tour, accusing the king of treachery, Tanwen finds out just how deadly a business selling stories can be.

If you could pick one message for your readers to gain from The Story Peddler, what would it be?

Honor your God-given gifts, whatever they may be. There is hope and light and humor and healing to be found in even the darkest of circumstances. There are more, but I'll stop, lest I begin to sound like a fortune cookie. *grins*

If you could spend an afternoon having tea with one character from The Story Peddler, who would it be and why?

Ooh, this is tough! Tanwen would be the most fun. But Princess Braith would have the best tea in Urian. Brac's mam would have excellent hathberry tea from her garden, but I don't think Brac presents the best option for good conversation...

Without any / too many spoilers (😉), what was your favorite part of The Story Peddler's writing process?

I wrote three different versions of The Story Peddler. The last major revision was completed about three years ago, and in that revision, my agent challenged me to dig into the emotional lives of my characters more because it seemed like that was missing. She didn't know it, but I'd been dealing with really tough emotional stuff in real life and my writing at the time reflected my reluctance to dive into that stuff in my own heart. So in that third revision, I went there, and you'll see even more of that in The Story Peddler's sequel. It's healing to deal with that tough stuff in a fictional space, so while it was the hardest part of writing The Story Peddler, it was also my favorite.

What is something you wish you knew as a young author that you'd like to share now?

It's important to find your own voice as a storyteller. When we're learning to write novels, it's normal and natural to pull from our influences and tell stories like the masters we love. But if you're a storyteller, you have something unique to share with the world in a way only you can say it. Find that. Nurture it. That's what makes you you and that's what will make people talk about your writing and want to journey alongside you as you take them on fantastic adventures.

Thank you so much for your time, Lindsay! It's been a pleasure to have you here! 💖

Thank you so much for having me! 💕

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Lindsay A. Franklin is an award-winning author, award-winning freelance editor, and homeschooling mom of three. She would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. She spends a lot of time in made-up worlds, and she's passionate about sparking imagination through stories of infinite possibility. Her debut fantasy novel, The Story Peddler, releases in 2018. When she's not exploring the fantastical, she's exploring the Bible and encouraging young women through her devotional books (click here for more information on Adored).

Lindsay lives in her native San Diego with her husband (master of the dad joke), their awesomely nerdy kids, two thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats), and a stuffed wombat with his own Instagram following (@therealwombatman). You can find Lindsay on social media, too, if Wombatman hasn't hijacked all her accounts. She's @LinzyAFranklin on Instagram and Twitter, and she Facebooks at facebook.com/LindsayAFranklin.

Readers can sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bwF64j.

GIVEAWAY


Want to dive into a new world? In need of a good book? Use the widget below to enter to win a signed print copy of The Story Peddler, a blue strand book sleeve, a custom Story Peddler bookmark, a fluffhopper sticker, and a set of five mini Story Peddler art prints! (US only.)


PARTY INVITATION



Calling all readers! Join Lindsay and special guest author Sara Ella to celebrate the releases of their latest releases, The Story Peddler and Unbreakable, on May 1st! Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of author chats, games, and giveaways! The party starts at 8 PM EST (7 PM CST and 5 PM PST). We can't wait to see you there!


TOUR SCHEDULE



Aaaack, I'M SO EXCITED. 😍😍😍 As some of you may recall, The Story Peddler made it to my list of 2018: Most Anticipated, and I SERIOUSLY CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT, YOU GUYS. 😍😍😍

Thank you again, Lindsay, for taking the time to answer my questions! And thank you, Laura, for being the amazing Unicorn Quester and sharing your love for Christian fiction! I so appreciate you hosting this tour, and letting me play a small part in it. 💗

Dragons, are you excited for The Story Peddler?

❤,


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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

8 Steps for a Better Night's Sleep


IT'S OFFICIALLY EXAM SEASON!!!! Which means "yaay!" bc SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT but also tears bc NOBODY LIKES EXAMS.

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{Source.}

⮙⮙ Current mood, right there. ⮙⮙

Besides preparing well and eating a hearty breakfast on Exam Day™, one of the best exam-related pieces of advice I've ever received is to get plenty of sleep the night before the test. And because REST IS AWESOME and May = the month of AP exams, SATs, and state testing (😱😱😱), I guess you know what I'll be talking about... I'm proud to present: my favorite evening routine for a better night's sleep. 💤

Also, shoutout to Ella Marie @ February Fairy for her evening routine post, which inspired this one! Go check out her blog, Dragons -- IT'S AMAZING! 💟

Now, on to the post... 😉

SWITCH YOUR DEVICES TO
AIRPLANE MODE + STORE THEM AWAY

SOCIAL MEDIA IS SO TEMPTING. Right before bed, at the end of the day, that nagging temptation to just hop on Facebook for a quick moment, or Instagram to see what your best friend is doing, or Twitter to see if there are any new notifications... THE LIST GOES ON. Switching your devices to airplane mode and storing them away in a purse/backpack or desk drawer will lessen the temptation to check "just one more time," and ultimately provide your eyes with a well-needed rest.


EXCHANGE YOUR MUSIC FOR WHITE NOISE

I think most of us can agree that MUSIC IS JUST AMAZING. From those enchanting notes flow sweet songs that can alter our mood and provide (or take away) inspiration. MUSIC = MAGIC. But right before bed, it's easy to get caught up in song selection or humming along to the lyrics. So exchange your music for white noise! This can be a fan, a heater, a machine -- anything that has a steady rhythm to give your mind something consistent and lulling to focus on.


BRUSH/COMB YOUR HAIR & REMOVE ALL MAKEUP

Makeup makes all the difference in a good night's sleep. Half-asleep, rubbing at smeared mascara and enraged glitter is no way to spend a night. Remove all makeup, wash your face, and give your hair a thorough brushing for a neat, natural sleep.


GET READY FOR BED

Do whatever you need to do. Brush your teeth, slide your retainer into place, dose yourself in lotion, load the dishwasher -- whatever "get ready for bed" means to you. 😉


PLAN THE DAY-TO-COME / WRITE IN YOUR DIARY

If you have anything to jot down, do it now. This can be planning tomorrow, adding that meeting to your schedule, or doing a quick summary of your day. This will drag any nagging thoughts out and onto paper.


SPEND ALONE-TIME WITH GOD

Now comes Bible time. 💕 Spend alone-time with God; tell Him your worries, your concerns. Pray for tomorrow, thank Him for today. Review a verse or sing a song. Spending time with the Savior restores peace, renews our relationship with Him, and further strengthens our bond. Plus, there are so many people to pray for! I'm certain God loves our quality time more than we could ever comprehend. 💗


STRETCH

A few minutes of sit-ups or yoga relieves tension and strengthens your body. Happy muscles lead to an even happier sleep. 😉


TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, GET COZY, & READ

Now is the time to get cozy. ♡ Flick off the lights, slide into bed, and read for a while. Soon, you'll be fast asleep and dreaming sweet dreams...


REMEMBER TO...
  • Have your lights out at a decent hour. None of this "after midnight" business!
  • Pray. Turn to God for peace-of-mind.
  • Get your bags ready. Your morning will flow much more smoothly when all your pencils are sharpened, water bottles are in place, and electronics are on vibrate.
  • Prepare a cold breakfast. A pre-made breakfast will make your morning faster and easier. You'll need that fuel for the exam!
  • Relax. Tests are just a thing, and God's got your back. 💓


Have I missed anything? What tips do you have for a better night's sleep?

❤,


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