Book Blitz: Kingdom of Glass and Ashes: A Limited Edition Collection of Cinderella Retellings

Book info:
Title:  Kingdom of Glass and Ashes: A Limited Edition Collection of Cinderella Retellings
Publication date: December 18th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

A classic fairy tale- but not how you remember it…

What if the stepmother wasn’t the only one who was wicked and Prince Charming wasn’t what he seemed? What if your favourite princess didn’t make it home by midnight?
Be transported to far away lands where fantasy and magic come together and pumpkins and princes are joined by shifters and stepsisters in this captivating collection of one of the greatest love stories ever told.

From the imagination of our authors, prepare to meet Cinderella as you’ve never read before. Kingdom of Glass and Ashes is a spellbinding collection of retellings, written by multiple USA Today and bestselling authors telling their own version of the beloved tale.

Get ready for romance, excitement, enchantment and more than just a glass slipper.

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Only 99 cents between December 19-23 

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SNEAK PEEKS:

Excerpt from Holly Hook:
I’m Ellia, Syndie’s ugly stepsister. Mother knows this, so she works Syndie to the bone, but this whole time, she’s been waiting. Planning. Syndie wants us on the streets, and despite my kindness, I’m no exception.
Following her to the Courts lands me in the hands of a handsome guard, Jasper. Literally. And he doesn’t seem to notice my corset or frizzy hair. Nervous and secretive, Jasper wants to stop cruel Prince Calvin from becoming King, which he’ll do when he chooses his wife at the royal ball. And now I’m key to a plan that can save my family and the entire Kingdom.
Our weapons? Two magical slippers. One gives false beauty–but only until midnight. Then the other shows the wearer’s true nature. If Prince Calvin even holds the hand of his chosen when the clock strikes twelve, the spell hits him, too. Everyone will see the truth and he’ll never become King.
He and Syndie deserve each other.
I must make her dreams come true. But Mother, my sister, and a kingdom of jealous girls will do anything to stop Syndie from snagging the Prince. But what terrifies me the most is that trapped slipper. I can’t let Jasper see how ugly I am, but if it all goes wrong, I’ll have to give myself to its magic.
The Kingdom must be saved at all costs, even if I must sacrifice my happily ever after.

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Blurb from Emma Savant:
Hidden in the city of Portland, Oregon, is a shimmering world of magic—one faerie Olivia Feye doesn’t want to touch with a ten-foot wand. She’d rather study biology, or garden, or floss her teeth, or do literally anything except pay attention to the Glimmering world and her internship at Portland’s premier faerie godparent agency.
But when her supervisor is hospitalized after a flying pumpkin carriage accident, Olivia is thrust into the middle of a case. And this one won’t be easy: Her client is Elle, a barista whose plans don’t include an enchanted prom or Prince Charming.
The reward for a happily-ever-after is enough gold pieces to get Olivia out of the Glimmering world forever. But as she comes face-to-face with the complexities of faerie godmothering, she’s forced to wonder: How much is she willing to sacrifice for her own happy ending?

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Blurb from D.L Pitchford:
A modern day Cinderella with a twist…
High school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince have competed for top of their class since age seven. When their academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.
As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah’s football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden’s traditional mother cares more about finding her a husband than encouraging her dreams.
Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.
Will Noah follow in his mother’s footsteps? Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than a boyfriend? Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?
Follow Noah and Eden’s budding romance in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.

Blurb from Cate Dean:
Sometimes, you have to create your own happily ever after…
Elle Summers spends her days taking care of her stepmother and stepsisters, but she is secretly working on her escape. With the help of her best friend, she plans to act her way to freedom.
When she auditions for a local production, her life is turned upside down by entrepreneur and producer Henry Winters. He needs a new leading lady for his Broadway production, and he wants her. He sweeps her off her feet and to the Great White Way, where she finally has her chance to shine.
But in the whirlwind of her new life, she forgets one thing – her stepmother and stepsisters.
While she starts to live the life she’s always dreamed about, they are plotting a way to bring her home. And if their plan works, Elle will fail – in a way that not even a fairy godmother can fix.

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Blog Tour Interview with Giveaway: Fragments of Ash (A Modern Fairytale #7) by Katy Regnery

Book info:
Title: Fragments of Ash
Author:  Katy Regnery
Series:  A Modern Fairytale #7
Publication date: October 1st, 2018
Genres: Fairy Tales, Romance

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes a dark and twisted retelling of the beloved fairytale, Cinderella!

My name is Ashley Ellis…

I was thirteen years old when my mother – retired supermodel, Tig – married Mosier Răumann, who was twice her age and the head of the Răumann crime family.

When I turned eighteen, my mother mysteriously died. Only then did I discover the dark plans my stepfather had in store for me all along; the debauched “work” he expected me to do.

With the help of my godfather, Gus, I have escaped from Mosier’s clutches, but his twin sons and henchmen have been tasked with hunting me down. And they will stop at nothing to return my virgin body to their father

…dead or alive.

** Contemporary Romance. Due to profanity and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Fragments of Ash is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection: contemporary, standalone romances inspired by beloved fairy tales.

The Vixen and the Vet (Beauty and the Beast) – available now
Never Let You Go (Hansel and Gretel) – available now
Ginger’s Heart (Little Red Riding Hood) – available now
Dark Sexy Knight (Camelot) – available now
Don’t Speak (The Little Mermaid) – available now
Sheer Heaven (Rapunzel) – available now
Fragments of Ash (Cinderella) – coming October 1, 2018
Swan Song (The Ugly Duckling) – coming soon

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Author Interview:

1.  What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?  

 I start conceptualizing a story a year in advance, but I don’t start outlining until I have finished all previous projects. Once I’m ready, I do a thorough and detailed outline of the first half of the novel, followed by a loose outline of the second half. This is because the characters often change as I’m writing, and I like to accommodate those surprises. So, when I start, I have a 3-4 page character background on my main characters, a timeline of major events before they meet and during the story, and a good 6-10 page outline of the first half of the novel. Then I’m ready to go!

2. Do you edit as you go, or wait till you're finished before you edit?  How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over? 

Ha! Great question!

I read once that most authors write a first draft, then second, third, fourth, etc. Then we put it away and play with it some more, filling it in, massaging the plot, perfecting it. They send it away to beta readers before a developmental, copy and line edit, and then to proofreaders too. By the time it gets to market, there have probably been twenty (or more!) sets of eyes on the novel.

That is not my way. I write about 3,000 words a day. The following day, I go back and perfect those 3,000 words, and add another 3,000. The following day, I go back and perfect the preceding 4,500 words, and add another 3,000. Once I have about 50,000 words, I take a full weekend and do a read-through, making certain that the first half of the book is tight and pleasing. Then I tackle the second half 3,000 words at a time.

When I type “The End,” my book is probably 90% finished. I do go back to add some color, and after an edit, I make some changes and give it a polish.

But I find a day-to-day edit the best way to stay on top of the story and maintain a deep intimacy with my characters. I have one developmental edit. I have one copy and line edit. And then my book is made into an ARC. When my ARC-readers receive it, it’s only been seen by me and two editors. That’s it.

3.  Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?

Sort of. My best friend, Mia Sheridan, and I talk every day on the phone. We keep track of each other’s WIP (work in progress), give advice when needed, and cheer each other on. I don’t share my writing with anyone like I do with Mia, but she’s become a treasure to me. 

4.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?

Oh, goodness—in the strangest places. In the shower. In the car. Those are my favorite two places to think. Sometimes I’ll dream a new plotline and wake up in the morning to take notes. Sometimes I see a movie or read a book but imagine how I wish the story would have ended. Often a whole new story will start forming in my head. I guess I come up with my ideas everywhere, all the time.

5.  Since you are writing fairy tale retellings, if you had to pick a favorite fairy tale, which would you pick?  Which character in a fairy tale do you feel is most like yourself? 

Hmm. Well, I’m strong-willed like Merida in Brave. I’m idealistic like Anna in Frozen. I sing to my pets like Cinderella. I like a nice long sleep like Aurora. I love my books, like Belle…and I have long, thick hair like Rapunzel. Lord, I think I’m a little bit of everyone!

6.   What are your favorite:

Genres/Authors

One of my favorite genres is Historical Romance! I love LaVyrle Spencer, Lisa Kleypas, Bertrice Small, and Judith McNaught. I also love Short Story collections; especially at Christmastime!

TV Shows

I am a total TV junkie. You name it, I’ve probably watched it. But among my recent favorites? Outlander, Vikings, The Affair, Game of Thrones, Ozark, The Queen, Harlots, Castle Rock, Poldark (really, anything from Masterpiece Theater!), I’m Dying Up Here, Black Sails, Black Mirror, Succession, Stranger Things, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Married at First Sight.

One of my all-time favorites was Deadwood. I still miss that one hard. And Downton Abbey. I loved that one too.

Food/Writing snack

I keep pretzel rods and dark chocolate almonds in my office, so I guess those are my standard writing snacks. (My dogs LOVE the pretzel sticks, so they’re more for them than for me, I think!) In the AM, I like coffee. In the PM, I prefer wine.

 

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Forty books later, Katy claims authorship of the multititled New York Times and USA Today bestselling Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other stand-alone novels and novellas, including the critically-acclaimed, 2018 RITA© nominated, USA Today bestselling contemporary romance, Unloved, a love story.

Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, became a New York Times e-book bestseller.

Katy’s books are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Sign up for Katy’s newsletter today: www.katyregnery.com!

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Two YA ARC Mini-Reviews: It Started With Goodbye by Christina June and Antisocial by Jillian Blake

As I've mentioned many, many, many times, I am behind on reviews. But one of my goals this summer is to get caught up on that.  Fingers crossed.  So today, I'm sharing two mini-reviews of some ARCs that I was sent by publishers.  I want to keep my contacts with those publishers on good terms, so I'm making sure now, with the reading planner I'm now using along with my blog planner, to get stuff read. These two books unfortunately didn't make it on to the calendar in time, so these reviews are a week or two later than I would have liked.  Anyway, enjoy my short reviews, along with the summaries from Goodreads.

Title:  Antisocial
Author:  Jillian Blake
Genre:  YA contemporary
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Release Date:  May 16th, 2017
My rating:  5 stars


Now, I'm so mad at myself that I did not get my post up by the 12th like I had promised the publisher.  If I had picked it up  even on the 10th, I can tell you I would have been done in time to post a review, because this was a really quick read.  But it wasn't just a quick read, it was a really good, extremely hard to put down read.  The characters were all so good, ones that you wanted to know what would happen to, that you definitely empathized with, and in many ways, I related to them.  There were some really fun Game of Thrones references.  I like how as you learned more and thought maybe you knew exactly who might be behind all of the leaks and stuff, it was spelled out how they actually couldn't be the ones behind it.  The way it all ended up made so much sense, and really was pretty realistic in my point of view.  I mentioned in my short review on Goodreads after I finished that it reminded me of YA books I read as a teen.  What I kind of meant by that is that while the voice of the main character is definitely somewhat realistic, there is still a hint of an adult-like quality to the voice.  I'm not sure exactly how to explain it better.  Sorry. But I loved it, read it in almost one sitting.  It's a good look at just how much we often share with virtual strangers.  Something I know that I am definitely guilty of.  This is a book that I highly recommend, partly for that reason as well, and I will definitely be adding it to the school library where I work!


Here is the blurb from Goodreads:


Alexandria Prep is hacked in this whodunit set in the age of social media and the cloud.

Senior spring at Alexandria Prep was supposed to be for sleeping through class and partying with friends. But for Anna Soler, it’s going to be a lonely road. She’s just been dumped by her gorgeous basketball star boyfriend—with no explanation. Anna’s closest friends, the real ones she abandoned while dating him, are ignoring her. The endearing boy she’s always had a complicated friendship with is almost too sympathetic.

But suddenly Anna isn’t the only one whose life has been upended. Someone is determined to knock the kings and queens of the school off their thrones: one by one, their phones get hacked and their personal messages and photos are leaked. At first it’s funny—people love watching the dirty private lives of those they envy become all too public. 

Then the hacks escalate. Dark secrets are exposed, and lives are shattered. Chaos erupts at school. As Anna tries to save those she cares about most and to protect her own secrets, she begins to understand the reality of our always-connected lives: 

Sometimes we share too much.  

Title:  It Started With Goodbye   
Author:  Christina June  
Genre:  YA  Contemporary
Publisher:  Blink YA Books
Release Date:  May 9th, 2017
My rating:  4 stars

This is another book that was sooooo quick to read!  I read over half of it in one sitting as well.  It's billed as a contemporary take on Cinderella, and that definitely comes through.  However, in this story, the "wicked" stepmother has more depth, and actually is someone maybe not so wicked.  The father is not dead, just away for the summer.  What I loved about this story is how much the characters seemed realistic and very up to date.  The main character is an artist, but a graphic designer, wanting to do web sites and make her way through that artistic field.  I like that while the "wicked" stepmother in this story is maybe not the usual villain, the bad guy, who got Tatum and her best friend in trouble in the first place, is really a bad guy.  And I like how all of it works out.  As I mention all the time, I don't always read a lot of YA contemporary, it is very rarely a genre that I choose on my own, I am not disappointed at all that I read this one.   Definitely a book I'll want to purchase for my school library where I work.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way. 

ARC Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Book info:
Title:  Geekerella
Author:  Ashley Poston
Genre:  YA Contemporary, Fairy Tale retelling
Published:  April 4th, 2017
Source:  Edelweiss e-galley from publisher, Quirk Books
My rating:  5 stars

So, if you are a long-time follower, you know that I'm not a huge YA contemporary reader.  But, when I saw there was a dachshund in this one, and that it was a fairy tale retelling, AND had to do with a comic-con type of event, I was instantly intrigued.  As you can tell by my 5 star rating, I also was not disappointed!

This is a Cinderella story/retelling, so it reminded me a bit of my 2015 NaNoWriMo project, which was also a Cinderella retelling, modern YA contemporary style, and like mine, this one even included a country club.  However, this book did such a great job at really hitting all the little story details that fit in with the fairy tale.  And we got both sides of the story, both our Cinderella - Elle, and our Prince Charming - actor Darien Freeman who plays Prince Carmidor in the new movie based on Elle's favorite sci-fi series.  That makes the story unique in itself, although my project also did both sides.  Again, not quite as good as this one though!  Elle's father died a few years ago, but not before remarrying a woman who is the perfect evil stepmother, and not only that, she has twin step-sisters who are definitely also evil, for the most part, one of them might actually have some redeeming qualities.  

The big convention for the space show, Starfield, was actually started years ago by Elle's father and mother.  But she hasn't been without her father.  This year she wants to go, after all kinds of things make her interested.  She has made a new friend, the girl that works with her in the food truck called "the Magic Pumpkin", more Cinderella details.  The friend is kind of a fairy godmother too in that she is able to help Elle get her "outfit" ready for the comic-con.  There is also the little dachshund, the one that lives next door, that Elle rescues from being chained outside and neglected.  You gotta love him.  

And then of course there is Darien, who not only has to fill in one of the biggest roles ever, he doesn't want to mess it up, because he is also a big fan of the show.  And due to his "teen hunk" status, many people, especially bloggers, are sure he will fail, and are posting it all over the internet.  Darien's life isn't as sweet as you'd think.  He has to deal with his rabid fans, a dad that has become more into making his son a successful movie star, but not worried about his son's happiness, and friends from the past, who were only out to sell stories about him.  

Darien and Elle will meet at the convention, Elle not really impressed with him, as she is one of those bloggers predicting his failure.  Yet Darien will be intrigued with her right away, until he finds out she is one of those bloggers.  The two of them will have lots to overcome, including a moment of being separated, and Prince Charming, excuse me, Prince Carmidor, searching for Cinderella, I mean Elle.

A funny, sweet story, one I'm glad I got the opportunity to read, and highly recommend! 

 

Book Blast and Giveaway: A Real Life Fairy Tale by Jamie Brook Thompson

Cinderella: a REAL life fairytale

If a dream is a wish your heart makes then Cindee Ellis is in major trouble. There’s no way Henry Christensen will ever notice her under all those oil stains and brake fluid splattered across her shirt. Unless—she’s dead wrong about him. Join her with this real life fairytale set in the small town of Silver Creek to find out how she’ll work her guts out to make her own happily ever after.

Beauty and the Beast: a REAL life fairytale

There’s a tale as old as time of two people falling in love, but what happens when Belle won’t have anything to do with it. Join her with this real life fairytale set in the small town of Silver Creek to find out how she’ll transform the town’s beast into a handsome prince with her heart, not her beautician skills.

The Frogg Princess: a REAL life fairytale

Taya is almost there. Join her in this real-life fairytale, set in the small town of Silver Creek, as she plans to start a new life by opening a little restaurant. Only to find a few rude people that don’t seem to welcome her. But that doesn’t seem to bother Felix Frogg, a local police officer, and the love-at–first-sight reactions he keeps tossing her way. If Taya isn’t careful with the way her heart is softening towards Felix, she could be walking into a lifetime commitment of happily ever after that wasn’t in her plans.

Excerpts:

Cinderella: a REAL life fairytale

“Hey, Cindee, before I forget. You have a real nice day.”

I nod with about the blankest expression I’ve ever felt, and then he winks. HE LITERALLY WINKS!

My eyes are as big as I can stretch them.

Either Henry Christensen just did that on purpose, or he has something irritating his eye. I want to go with my first choice, but the second one seems more accurate. I’m the girl with no name, until just now, standing in a huge coat, so it’s gotta be the second choice, right?

“Henry? Is that you?” Priscilla’s sticky-sweet voice interrupts.

He doesn’t speak a word as he presses on the gas to slowly start backing up.

“I’ll stop by the station to pick up the trucks in a while. Make sure you’re there,” he says before quickly pulling onto Main Street where everything disappears, except for the faint glow of his brake lights that blink three times.

Is he saying goodbye? I know other girls back in high school had boys do this to them, but not me. NOT EVER. Not once did a boy tap his brake lights to me. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Beauty and the Beast: a REAL life fairytale

“Thank you for this.” I whisper into Adam’s ear.

“For what?” He grins.

“For being the kind of man that makes a woman believe there’s a God in heaven.” I nuzzle into his shoulder and close my eyes as the preacher asks us to pray.

Once we finish, the rows of people begin to stand. I wipe under my eyes one more time just to make sure I don’t have mascara running down my face.

The Frogg Princess: a REAL life fairytale

“You probably shouldn’t be with a girl like me. I could corrupt a boy like yourself,” I tease, trying to ease the heat flooding my face. How could I push myself on him? I’m cringing inside at being so stupid.

“Nah, I’d happily go as far as you’d allow me,” he softly chuckles. “I just have a promise I made with my brother.”

“A promise?” I narrow my eyes.

“Yeah, we both agreed to wait for marriage.”

I stifle a gasp. Is he for real?

 Praise for the Book:

Five Stars: Couldn’t put this book down! This book has a way of not only making you feel what the characters are feeling, but it sucks you in where you don’t want to put it down, Not only have I read this book once, but I read it all over a second time. If you want to get lost for a few hours then I would highly recommend you read this book!!

Five Stars: Sooooo Good! I really enjoyed this novella. I was so happy with the ending. It was well written and kept my attention even when my Grandson interrupted for help on his homework. So happy he left the math worksheet at school. I will be looking for more of this author’s work. Hope you enjoy this novella.

Five Stars: A clean romance book! Jamie Brook Thompson has got some mad writing skills! She has talent that can take you to another world for a few hours! I recommend this book to anyone who needs a good chic book (like a chic flick but in book form  ) to escape the real world for a bit! And who doesn’t love cowboys?!

 About the Author:

Jamie Brook Thompson is a small town girl that loves to tell a good story. She grew up as the daughter of a redneck farmer and hippie mother. Her entire life has been filled with duct tape and peace and love. She currently has 6 children, two dogs, and a handsome Prince of her very own! When she isn’t writing, you can find her out at her father’s ranch changing tires on tractors, working on motors that need repair, or adjusting carburetors on the family four-wheelers to ride the high Utah desert. She’s a woman of many talents and trades, but the one she enjoys the most is writing stories to take readers into a world of hope—a world of clean romance!

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 Giveaway:

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 5/3/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer (TBR Challenge #5)

Well, yeah, I know, I'm one of the last people to read this book.  I've had a copy of it sitting on my TBR shelf for about two years now.  I got it at a Scholastic Books Warehouse Sale.  I had a hard time seeing why it was such a popular book as I began reading it.  I'm not saying it wasn't a good read, I just wasn't getting the big deal.  I did finish the book and enjoyed it enough that I need to go on and see what happens next.

It is a Cinderella retelling with a robot/android as Cinderella.  She's part human though, not a complete robot.  She does have a wicked "stepmother".  She was brought home by a man, who then died, and left her with his wife and two daughters.  Really only one of her stepsisters is not nice.  The other one is friends with her. The story begins with the Prince showing up in Cinder's booth where she does mechanical jobs for people.  In fact she is known as the best mechanic around really.  She doesn't want the Prince to know that she has the robot foot and arm, and so wears gloves and also keeps her leg/foot hidden.  He asks her to help him fix one of his own robots, one that has some kind of information in it that he needs, that is very sensitive information that could be bad if it fell into the wrong hands.  Shortly after the prince leaves, someone in the market gets sick with the disease that is killing so many people.  Cinder hides out until it is safe to leave, because she fits the description of the other people/robots that have been taken to be experimented on in order to figure out a cure.

She gets home and of course her two sisters are getting their dresses fitted for the upcoming ball.  When one of her sisters gets sick, her stepmother blames her, and gives her to the lab to be used in the testing.  Well, this leads to finding out more about her past, and also more chances to meet with the Prince, who seems to be interested in her.  Now, the Earth is trying to work out a peace treaty type of thing with the people who live on the moon, and their queen, Levana, is in town to negotiate.  She wants to make a deal with the King to marry the Prince and unite their worlds that way.  But Prince Kai doesn't want to marry her.  There is something about her that creeps him out.  Not to mention the power she has, something that "Lunars" have, hers is mind control, she can sway the way people think.  When more is learned about what is going on up on the moon, an army has been noticed by a satellite, so all the other countries of the Earth are trying to prevent a war.

The Cinderella story has many of the same kind of major story points, the dress, the lost "shoe", etc.  So many things that definitely fit the storyline.  And yet it is its own world, own characters.  I don't know if I'm as gaga over the series as everyone else seems to be, but I will be reading on!

Review: Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk

I checked this book out through the awesome employee benefit at my bookstore.  Hardcover books with dust jackets we are able to check out if we leave the jacket and sign it out with a manager.  This was my first book by Chuck Palahniuk, although I have seen the Fight Club movie, so I figured it would be a kind of weird book.  It definitely was a different type of book.  And definitely a very, VERY adult book. 

The book is about a man who creates a new line of female sex toys and products, called Beautiful You.  These products are so good, that women line up for blocks and blocks from the door of the stores to get in and buy them. And when they do, they disappear into their bedrooms, and don't come out other than to replace broken items, or buy new batteries.  It is so bad that they don't eat, they don't go to work, some even leave their  homes to go where they won't be disturbed by their loved ones, men and children, who don't understand what is going on.  The story is more than that though.  It is told through the viewpoint of Penny, who is somewhat of a Cinderella story with C. Linus Maxwell, the creator of these products.  She meets him when she is kind of a gofer at the law firm where he is going through a case with his last girlfriend, a famous movie start.  He has been linked with many powerful women, including the first female President of the United States.  And of course he is known as a major playboy.  When he sweeps Penny off her feet like Cinderella, it is with a bit of a strange change into the fairy tale.  He puts her into a plush hotel suite where he brings her to new heights of sexual pleasure, the whole time taking notes on how she reacts and how certain things work, and trying out new devices on her.  But, as with every other relationship, on the 136th day, it is over.  He sets her up moneywise, so that she will never want or need anything.  But Penny is different, at least she thinks she is.  She sees how women are being basically taken out of everything.  How the women who buy all of these products then also are sucked into buying everything else that may be sold by the same company or offshoots of the company.  Ugly shoes, the same "vampire novel" (obviously a potshot at Twilight), same foods, cleaning products, etc. 

I won't go into much more.  Just have to say that this is a majorly intense book.  The sexual bits are nothing held back.  You hear how all the toys work, you hear what parts of her body he is doing things to, you hear about their sex, you hear about fantasies, it is all laid right out in front of you.  I loved that when one little mystery was revealed, and you were like, "Oh!  Okay!  That makes sense," that wasn't the end of the story, there were more and more secrets to be revealed.  Even at the end, kind of the last one, it was perfect.  You could totally tell it was written by a man, but it was very stimulating to read as a woman.  Very sexual, sensual, sexy.  Not sure if I'll pick up any of his other books, but I can totally see why so many people like his books, even people who I know don't really read other than his books.  He is a good writer, knows how to keep your attention, I think he surprised me, even when I started the book and got into the story and got to thinking, well that makes no sense, I can't imagine any woman being that into the pleasure that they would not eat or go to work, or do ANYTHING else.  But it all works as you read on and find out just what is really going on.

One last note, while I "got" what the cover represented, a specific toy, I didn't really "get" everything about the cover until I got further into the book. 

Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I got this book as an egalley from Netgalley, through Cedar Fort Publishers. It was an interesting retelling of Cinderella. I wasn't so excited by it though, that I couldn't put it down easily. I enjoyed that in this book the prince is not Prince Charming. That the heroes were actually people working for the prince. The stepsisters are just sisters, annoying, but not evil. The mother is also not evil, just absentminded and stressed since their father disappeared. I liked the use of a fairy tale within the fairy tale. The tale of how each person is connected with a tree was an interesting storyline. I'd like to see that a little bit more explored. I didn't like the fact that Cinder and Ella were 2 separate people, that just didn't sit well for me for some reason. Even though it was a very creative way to tell the story, just didn't seem to be my cup of tea. But, it is definitely a retelling of a fairy tale in a new and creative way, and I will recommend it to people who enjoy that type of story. This is a short review as I don't want to say it wasn't good, it just wasn't as good as I'd hoped.



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The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 3.1 Part 1

Okay, this is either going to be really long, or I'm going to split it into a few. This is a collection of papers from working 3 days last week and 2 this week. And at first I thought I didn't find many, but I did. I found 8 (edit, only 7, 2nd book I was going to list I didn't write an author, so not sure of it). So, I'm making an executive decision right now, this will be two separate posts.
First is Anno Dracula by Kim Newman. This is an adult fiction. It begins in England, 1888. In this retelling of Dracula, he is married to Queen Victoria and basically is ruling England, turning it into an undead country. There is also another race of vampires, and a detective from this group is trying to solve the Jack the Ripper murders. I like the themes of Jack the Ripper, that is a story that has fascinated me since the movie From Hell, and the book written by Patricia Cornwell. This sounds to be another story also where vampires are trying to live among the world, similar in a way to the Sookie Stackhouse series, just at a much earlier time in history.




Second is Original Sin by Lisa DesRochers, which I guess is second in the Personal Demons series. Don't remember the first one, but this is a story about a girl named Frannie, who is kind of a good Catholic girl until her senior year when a boy named Luc enrolls in her school. She's instantly attracted to him. But he's there on a mission to take her soul back to hell, all he has to do is get her to sin. Soon the angel Gabriel shows up to try to save her soul. Sounds like a love triangle to me. And I like the use of the angels' names in this.






Third is Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George, which after looking up on Goodreads I guess is 2nd in a series as well! I've got a lot to get caught up on! Anyway, it sounds like a retelling of a fairy tale in a way, and I've really been getting to where I enjoy these. I think my enjoyment started with Gregory Maguire's dark retelling of Cinderella and Wizard of Oz. But those were so involved that these are better in a way to me. This is another retelling of Cinderella with some changes. Looks like the 1st in this series was another take of the 12 Dancing Princesses, another fairy tale I really like.
That's all for this blog. Part 2 will have 4 books from this week. All these were from working last week.
Have you read any of these? Would you recommend I keep them on my TBR list?

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

This book was actually not one I had intended to read. Don't think it was even on my to read list. It was just a stripped cover book I'd picked up at the store to put on the bookshelf in my classroom for my students to read. Well, last week at school, I didn't bring my book to school with me, feeling I had too much else to do during my lunch than just sit and read while I ate. But of course, I'm so stressed by lunch with the 8th grade schedule, that I just need to sit and do nothing during that time. Well, not nothing, I need to read. So I had to pick one of my own books off my shelf. I decided to pick up Bound by Donna Jo Napoli.

I guess I'd not really ever read what the book was about. I just assumed it was about life in China when they made the womem have their feet bound. And yes, this was a major part of the story. But really, this was a Cinderella story.

Xing Xing lives with her stepmother and her half sister Wei Ping. Wei Ping has had her feet bound, but really later than it should be. So because of that her feet are already too big to be dainty. Xing Xing is basically treated like a servant. And so must find ways to be happy.

I love the way it goes into the traditions with their ancestors and the dead relatives. I also love the poetry and the animals as symbols that were included in the story. It was a very unique story, andone I will definitely be promoting when possible.